If You Can’t Take The Heat By Melissa Brown ♥ Release Blitz

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If You Can't Take The Heat

If You Can’t Take the Heat

by Melissa Brown

Release Date: February 16, 2016

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SYNOPSIS

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Whitney Bartolina gets what she wants. At just thirty-four, she’s worked her way up from mailroom coordinator to casting director at a major Los Angeles television network and had a string of steamy flings, most recently with movie star Nolan Rivera. But when two of the contestants she casts on a new reality cooking show turn out to be as talented in the bedroom as they are in the kitchen,
Whitney may have finally bitten off more than she can chew. Conducting auditions across the country and looking for a bit of fun after Nolan, Whitney finds it in Chicago with Charlie Hutchins, a deliciously handsome British rugby-player-turned-chef whose spicy Szechuan beef is only the start of his sizzle. Then, in Montana, close encounters with sexy but mild-mannered cowboy and restaurateur Wes Rancourt leave her mouth watering for more. Back in LA for filming, Whitney soon finds herself caught in a love square with Charlie, Wes, and Nolan, who’s stopping at nothing to win her back.
Will she jeopardize her career by mixing business with pleasure, or can she turn up the heat without getting burned?
 
EXCERPT
Whitney stood to the side and observed as Wes shot round after round with his other pistol. When he pulled back the targets, they were covered in bullet holes, all in the exact center target.”Holy crap, you’re good,” she said as they walked back to his car.

“Lots of practice.”

“What else are you good at?” she asked, unable to deny the chemistry between them. They still hadn’t kissed and it was driving her mad. She wanted him. Desperately.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.” He smirked, approaching the passenger door.

“You Mr. Rancourt, are a tease.”

He opened her door slightly, then closed it again. With a devilish grin, he pressed her into the harsh metal. Her body tingled as his fingers traced a line from her ear to her chin as he stepped closer, leaning down to graze her lips with his own. Taken slightly by surprise, since she’d expected him to tease her as he had the night before, Whitney was slow to react, but soon found herself wrapping her arms around the broad muscles of his back. She opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss. With a new sense of urgency, his tongue stroked hers, sending shots of electricity and desire to the tips of her toes. His hands moved to cup her cheeks and she dug her fingertips into his firm shoulders. Together they moved so that Whitney’s back was pressed to the passenger door of his car, with each stroke of Wes’ strong tongue, her ass pushed gently into the black finish until finally they came up for air.

“Tell me again what a tease I am,” he whispered, kissing her gently on the nose.

“Whoa.” It took every ounce of energy within her not to pant all over him. He was driving her wild.

“Worth the wait?” he whispered into her ear.

“Hell yes.” She smiled, placing her hands at the base of his neck.

“When can I see you again?”

“Do we have to go over this again?” Whitney tugged gingerly on his collar, pulling him in for another peck on the lips. “You can see me now. Watching you shoot that gun was a freaking aphrodisiac.”

He smiled. “Again, tempting…but not yet.”

Still holding on to his collar, she threw her head back in frustration. “You’re trying to torture me, aren’t you?”

Suddenly serious, Wes smoothed her hair down and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Not at all.”

“Then what is it?” Didn’t he want her as badly as she wanted him?

“Maybe I like keeping you in suspense.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I noticed.”

“And it gives us something to look forward to”—he trapped his lower lip beneath his teeth—”next month in Los Angeles.”

Whitney’s stomach did a gigantic flip flop. “You’re gonna do it?”

Wes nodded slowly. “I have to see you again. It’s not a choice. It has to happen.”

He pressed his lips to the exposed skin of her neck, sucking gently as his fingers weaved through her hair.

Pure. Torture.

“My hotel isn’t far away. Pleee-eease reconsider.”

Wes said nothing but continued to lick, kiss, and suck at her sensitive skin. She wanted nothing more than to pull him into his car and straddle him right that second, but maybe he was on to something in delaying their gratification. The anticipation of seeing him again, of waiting until the next time they could be intimate was intoxicating in and of itself.

“Believe me, beautiful. When I get to L.A., I look forward to seeing you more than anything. Anything at all. And I promise you, just like before, it’ll be worth the wait.”

Whitney scoffed playfully, climbing into the SUV, planning her cold shower back at the hotel. She wondered how she could possibly last a month without having Wes in her bed. She wanted that cowboy more than she wanted just about anything else. But he was determined to drive her wild by making her wait. He was such a freaking tease, a hot, sexy-while-firing-a-gun tease.

Even before she stepped out of his car and he kissed her goodnight, she was counting down the days until the semi-finals. When she’d reached her hotel room and stripped herself of her clothes, she finally figured out the exact time she’d have to wait. It was twenty two days until she’d see her sexy cowboy again. Just twenty-two days.

Who was she kidding? That would be over three weeks of agony. Her mind raced with thoughts of Wes above her, below her, behind her. On the bed, in the bathtub, on the freaking floor…

“To hell with the shower,” she said, closing the glass door and marching toward her suitcase. “I need my vibrator.”

 

AUTHOR PROFILE

Melissa BrownMelissa Brown was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. She attended the University of Illinois and is the mother of two fantastic kids. She’s an avid reader who enjoys making handmade gifts for her family and friends, as well as baking and painting. Melissa has an unhealthy obsession with pop culture. She speaks fluent movie quotes from the 1980s (John Hughes = genius), reads celebrity gossip magazines and never misses an episode of Scandal. She enjoys writing contemporary romance, romantic suspense and young adult novels.

All of Melissa’s books are currently available exclusively through Amazon.com and are part of the Kindle Unlimited Program.

 

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NY Dare Series By Carly Phillips ♥ Relaunch Blitz

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NY Dare Series – Relaunch by Carly Phillips

Date of Publication: January 28, 2016

Blurb

Surrender

Isabelle Masters is done…

Done with her cheating boyfriend.

Done with his domineering ways.

Just done.

Taking off in her leased Mercedes to start over turns out to be the best decision she’s ever made — despite being arrested for grand theft auto and hauled off to a local police station. Being rescued by the most unlikely person possible, Gabriel Dare, makes it all worthwhile. After all, she’s yearned for the sexy man for years—yet now is her chance to finally take the plunge and dare to become the independent woman she’s always wanted to be. But can she be in control of her life if she surrenders to a man like him?

 

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About Carly Phillips

After a successful fifteen year career with various New York publishing houses, and over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels published, N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips is now an Indie author who writes to her own expectations and that of her readers. She continues the tradition of hot men and strong women and plans to publish many more sizzling stories. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at http://www.carlyphillips.com.

Find Carly Phillips Online

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The Fireman in Unit C (A Mockingbird Place Novel) by Kris Cook ♥ Release Blitz

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Title: The Fireman in Unit C
Series: A Mockingbird Place Novel
Author: Kris Cook
Genre: M/M Romance Standalone
Release Date: February 15, 2016
A serial arsonist sets fire to the unit next to Jackson’s apartment—the unit the sexy fireman Eli lives in. 
Things really heat up when Jackson offers Eli a place to stay until Unit C is livable again. Jackson, being OCD, requires everything in his life to be neat and orderly, but Eli’s life is chaotic and messy, especially because of the man’s ex, who keeps pushing his way back into the fireman’s life. Living with Eli turns out to be much more than he bargained for. As much as he would love to just throw caution to the wind, Jackson believes it is best to keep things between him an Eli on the friend level. Nothing more. But an unexpected kiss rocks his world and he must figure out the real reason he’s terrified of the feelings Eli is bringing out in him. 
Will Jackson see that a future with Eli can help him let go of the guilt from his troubled past?

 

Though starting in straight erotic romance, Kris’s total focus now is on gay romance. When asked why recently, his answer was “My muse finally came out of the closet. Isn’t it about time? I’ve been out since I was twenty-five.” A voracious reader, Kris loves many genres of fiction, but this writer’s favorite books are romances that are edgy, sexy, with rich characters and unique challenges. Kris’ influences include Anne Rice, JR Ward, Lexi Blake and Shayla Black. Last year, Kris married the love of his life Stephen.

 

 

 

 

 

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Incandescence by Xunaira J ♥ Release Blitz

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Title: Incandescence

Author: Xunaira J.

Genre: New Adult

Release Date: February 14, 2016

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Synopsis

CAN LOVE REALLY HEAL ALL WOUNDS?

Alisha had everything she ever wished for: a loving family, a career and friends who doted on her. But a late night at work, a cup of coffee, and a burning candle changed her life forever. Then Anis–a tall, dark, and handsome engineer, heir to his father’s vast empire–walks back into her life. After a brief meeting a few years ago, she isn’t sure he’ll remember her. When he does, he wants to help her overcome her life-changing injuries. Has her accident scarred not only her skin, but also her soul?

Incandescence is a story of love and friendship in the face of disaster, and one young woman’s quest to make the most of her new life.

Purchase your copy today!

INCANDESCENCE

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Excerpt

What happened next was totally unpredictable. One second, I was looking at my picture on the desktop, all smiling and beautiful on my graduation day, while the next second, I thought I’d seen a ghost. The face that was looking back at me had a rather distorted face with a leathery texture. The right side of the face was covered in something that was a weird color of yellow and white; it looked like it was made up of play dough, while the left side was all clean, normal and soft. The skin looked leathery, almost gaunt and scary. It was charred at some part of my cheeks and towards my neck.

The eyes that stared back at me were the same colors as mine, chocolate brown, and the skin on the normal side of the face looked like my skin as well. It was my face; just a distorted version. I tried to touch the left side of my face, but it felt smooth under my skin. My breathing hitched as I realized that the ghostly skin, the gauntness in the eyes—it was all mine.

And then I screamed at the top of my lungs. I saw the ghost in the screen in front open her mouth, but the only noise that I heard was of my own howl. This can’t be me! This can’t be me! I tried to tell myself again and again.

The door flung open, and the nurses rushed in, looking around at my source of terror, but she found nothing. She came towards me and glanced at the laptop. Seeing the Photo Booth application open, she quickly, picked up the laptop from my knees and shut the flap.

“You’re not supposed to use that yet!” she scolded me as she put the laptop back on the side table. I was having difficulty breathing and my heartbeat was going a mile a minute.

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About The Author

Xunaira

As a thirteen year old teenager, Xunaira J. aspired to be an author someday. From short stories to novellas, she has written them all but as an adult now, she has published two short stories and is now aiming to publish her first Novel, Before Time, scheduled for November release. Xunaira resides in Islamabad, Pakistan and enjoys a hot cup of cappuccino, a good romance novel and her favorite music from the 80’s. Apart from that, when she’s not working on her current literary project, she loves developing mobile applications and studies as a software engineer.
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Crossing The Barrier By Martine Lewis ♥ Pre-Order Blitz

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Title: Crossing The Barrier

Series: The Gray Eyes Series #1

By: Martine Lewis

Publisher: BMJ Chanapi

Publication Date: March 22, 2016

Genre: Young Adult

High school student Malakai Thomas, star wide receiver of the varsity team, collides with band member Lily Morgan on his way to football practice. As days go by, Malakai cannot get the petite clarinetist out of his head.

Lily Morgan can feel everyone’s emotions. She loses her ability to shield herself against them the day Malakai runs into her. Now she must try to maintain her sanity in the emotional jungle that is high school, as well as deal with her growing feelings for Malakai.

Can Malakai get over the social stigma and his own internal struggle to be with Lily? Is Lily’s secret too big to accept, even for him?

Amazon US – http://goo.gl/039VmQ

Amazon UK – http://goo.gl/2Y4FXz

Amazon CA – http://goo.gl/otG4fH

#1 – LILY

“I wonder what would happen if you lost your ability to shield.”

That simple question from Lily’s best friend, Sandra, almost got them killed. As Lily Morgan drove them to school for their band practice in her Mini Cooper, it took all of her limited driving skills to keep them on the narrow suburban road and not in the ditch.

“Let’s not ever mention this again!” Lily’s heart raced at the thought of it.

Sandra Jones was the best friend anybody could dream of. She was also everything Lily was not. She was outgoing, tall, and beautiful with her long, straight blond hair and blue eyes. She always wore the nicest outfits, and guys regularly asked her out on dates. She could have been part of the popular crowd had she wanted to, but she was perfectly content being in the marching band, just like Lily.

Sandra and her family, in addition to Lily’s uncle, Charlie, were the only people alive who knew what Lily could do; she had the ability to feel the emotions of the people around her. The only way for her to function and have a close to normal life was to build mental shields, which prevented the barrage of emotions from continuously assaulting her. Sandra knew how important shielding was to Lily, particularly in an emotion-infested place like high school.

“Just saying. I mean, you’ve been giving me the silent treatment since we left home. I had to find a way to make you talk.”

“Well, that’s not a good subject on a good day.”

“Then, what’s eating you?”

“My mother, again.”

“I don’t understand. Why don’t you take Charlie’s offer and move in with him?”

“It’s my house, Sandra. If anything, she should be the one moving out.”

“Not going to happen, not until the courts kick her out. You know that better than I do. She’s not going anywhere.”

Her friend was right, unfortunately.

“Can we move on to something else?”

“What did she want this time?” Sandra asked instead. “Another party to introduce you to your future husband?”

Lily nodded. She could easily imagine Sandra rolling her eyes, and if she hadn’t been driving, she was sure she would have seen her do exactly that.

“I don’t get it,” Sandra continued. “She’s not even your real mother.”

“I don’t get it either. Why does she keep throwing me at those guys?”

“Beats me,” Sandra said. “Did you say no?”

Lily remained quiet. She never said no. She still held the hope that if she did exactly what her mother requested, maybe one day she would approve of her.

Hope definitely made people stupid.

“When will you, Lily?” Sandra asked, turning toward her. “You deserve better than this.”

Lily sighed. She had tried to explain it numerous times before, but Sandra never understood. After all, Sandra’s mother loved her and was always so proud of her.

“David said football practice starts today,” Sandra said, changing the subject.

Lily felt her best friend’s eagerness at sharing the news, and she knew what was coming next.

“Malakai will be there.”

Ever since she had admitted to Sandra that she liked the star wide receiver over a year ago, Sandra brought him up every chance she had.

“Why don’t we talk about your love life for a change?” Lily suggested.

“Oh, no, we’re so not. Yours is so much more fun.”

It was Lily’s turn to roll her eyes. “So, what else did David say?”

“They should begin practice around nine this morning.”

“They have it so much easier than we do,” Lily said, turning onto the access road that led behind the school.

“You got that one right. If they practiced half as much as we did, they would wear paths in the football field.”

“That’s probably why we practice on hot, steamy asphalt,” Lily said as they arrived in the parking area.

“It sucks, really. Why don’t we get to practice their amount of hours and they, ours?”

“Because what we do is more complicated?” Lily suggested with a smile.

Sandra shrugged and glanced out the window.

“Look at it on the bright side.”

“There is one?” Sandra asked, irony coating her tone.

“No!”

They were both laughing when Lily pulled into her usual parking spot.

Martine Lewis is a forty something who was born and raised in the French speaking province of Quebec, Canada. She spent her childhood looking forward to her summer vacations at the farm, which were a nice escape from the suburbs where she lived.

 

Her first written endeavor was a 200-page handwritten Duran Duran bandfiction which she wrote when she was eleven years old. Of all her written work, this is the only one she no longer has.

 

All throughout high school, Martine wrote more bandfictions and some original work, then she went to write fanfictions in the Star Wars, Buffy and Harry Potter universes. Her fanficiton in the Potterverse are mostly centered on characters of her own creation and can be found on fanfiction.net.

Following her viewing of Roswell on Netflix in 2012, Martine wrote book two and three of the Gray Eyes Series, then went on to create the Gray Eyes Series universe in which she has been playing ever since. She writes contemporary coming-of-age romance fiction (young adult/new adult) with a twist.

 

Martine is an avid reader and rollerskater. She loves sushi, hot chocolate on a cold day, and the beach. But what she loves above all else is to curl on her chair with her computer and write more stories for her readers.

Martine currently lives in Houston TX with her two cats.

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Stripped Raw By Prescott Lane ♥ Cover Reveal

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ardent Cover Reveal

We are super excited to share the cover reveal of Prescott Lane’s next book Stripped Raw.

 

Stripped Raw

 

Stripped Raw Full

 

Ardent Prose Synopsis

 

Kenzie

I’m a yes girl.  Get your mind out of the gutter; I’m not talking about sex.  I’m talking about saying yes to whatever comes my way in life.  So when I had the chance to move to Europe after college, I said, yes.  When I had the chance to open my own lingerie line, I said, yes.  And when my stepsister got diagnosed with cancer and needed me to come home and help her raise her daughter, I said, yes.  That’s me, Kenzie — the yes girl!  In every area of my life but one —Love.  Always the first to leave a relationship.  Will I be able to say yes to love — to Kane — to being happy?  Or will I simply come undone and be stripped raw?

Kane

Don’t let Kenzie fool you!  She’s a master at hiding behind a laugh and a smile.  Being an attorney, I prefer the facts.  This story isn’t as light and happy as my yes girl would have you believe.  No laugh can sugar coat what we are facing:  I’ve lost everything.  I know what it’s like to be left raw.  But sometimes that’s the only way to find love.  To strip yourself down, let the other person see all your shit, and hope they love you anyway.

 

Ardent Prose Excerpt

 

“I’m the good girl, very responsible, girl-next-door type.”

Should I tell her I took the virginity of the girl next door?  Probably not.  “I think you’re more than that,” I say, taking a step closer to her.  That wasn’t a line.  I really mean it.  I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think so.

I inch even closer, but she looks confused — a little like she wants me to kiss her, a little like she wants me to screw her, but mostly like she doesn’t want me to do anything more.  I can’t blame her; we only met a few hours ago.  Deacon is wrong about the one night stand thing.  This woman isn’t looking for a hookup.  I’m not, either.  One night with her wouldn’t be enough.  So I take a step back, my fists clenched at my sides to redirect my energy.

“That was my first catalog,” Kenzie says.  “I plan on doing two a year.”  She reaches for a sketchbook on her work table.  “This is what I’m working on for the next line.  I’ll be photographing them pretty soon.  The line is inspired by men’s clothing, so pinstripes and. . . .”  

She keeps talking about the different fabrics, colors, and textures she plans to use.  I have no idea what she is saying, but marvel over what I’m seeing — corsets and bustiers, vests with garter belts, bras, and G-strings.  I love that these ideas, these fantasies, came out of her mind.  She is so much more than she thinks, so much more than the girl next door.

Kenzie flips to another sketch, this one of a navy bra and panty set with stockings and heels.  That will look perfect on her — especially bent over my office desk.  My cock throbbing, I take a deep breath and try to focus on what Kenzie is saying.  My eyes search the catalog pages for anything to distract me.  “What’s this?”

“Cuffs,” she says, “like on a man’s dress shirt.  But these double as handcuffs.”

Okay, that’s it.  The arts-and-crafts show is officially driving me crazy.  My dick is rock hard now, and I can’t take it anymore.

 

Ardent Prose About The Author

 

Prescott Lane is the author of First Position, Perfectly Broken, and her new release, Quiet Angel. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Centenary College with a degree in sociology. She went on to receive her MSW from Tulane University, after which she worked with developmentally delayed and disabled children. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren’t enough happily ever afters in real life. Connect with Prescott Lane at http://www.pinterest.com/PrescottLane1/ and facebook.com/PrescottLane1 and http://www.twitter.com/prescottlane1 and http://instagram.com/prescottlane1 or at http://www.authorprescottlane.com

 

Happily Ever Afters Guaranteed

Author links

Twitter  Facebook  Web  Amazon page Goodreads Instagram

 

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Booty Call By Ainsley Booth ♥ Chapter Reveal

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We are delighted to bring you an excerpt from Booty Call (Forbidden BodyGuards  #2) by Ainsley Booth. Sit back and enjoy the hotness.

 

Pre-Order it now for a special price, only 99c!

 

Amazon US  Amazon UK  Amazon CA  

 

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Booty Call

Ardent Prose Synopsis

 

I know what I’m doing when I text Scott at four in the morning.

He knows what I’m doing, too.

That’s why he shows up twenty-three minutes later, freshly showered with a condom in his pocket and a barely dissolved breath mint on his tongue.

I smirk as he looms over me. “You are such a dirty old man.”

“We need to stop doing this.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re twenty and I’m not. Because I want to take you on a f***ing date and you won’t. Because we wind up yelling at each other half the time.”

“But the rest of the time you’re inside me and it feels so good, right?”

His eyes darken and I don’t need to look down to know he’s hard for me.

*** THIS IS A STANDALONE BOOK, CONNECTED TO THE HORUS GROUP SERIES ***

Ardent Prose Excerpt

 

—one—

FEBRUARY

Alison

Happy birthday to me.

I’m supposed to be having an epic shop-a-thon with my sister in SoHo, but now we’re stuck at the Apple store because Hailey needs someone to fix her phone. Her fiancé Cole will have a fit if she’s off the grid.

God forbid. It’s not like she isn’t being shadowed everywhere by her bodyguard—big, brooding Scott Mayfair, of the dark, dirty looks and annoyingly consistent hands-off-Alison attitude—for our “girls weekend”. But her phone stopped working at lunch, so now Hailey’s waiting for a so-called genius to help her fix it.

Me?

I’m going to take advantage of the fact that Scott can’t leave Hailey’s side and go buy myself a present.

“I’m just heading around the corner,” I murmur to my sister. She knows where I’m going. Every time we come to the city, I visit the Mercer Street Agent Provocateur. It’s become my little ritual.

Alison Dashford Reid, all grown up and secretly wearing something naughty beneath her studious university student uniform of yoga pants and hoodies. Although that’s not what I’m wearing today—while it works for Washington…New York City, not so much. Not at the level that Hailey and I are playing at this weekend.

I’ve got my Jimmy Choo fuck-me boots zipped over my skinny Sevens, and a wool jacket over a silk camisole, because it’s February and there’s only so much cold my nipples can take in the name of fashion.

I sling the skinny strap of my purse across my body and join the flow of Saturday afternoon shoppers. New York is unlike any other city in the world, and SoHo might be my favorite neighborhood in my favorite city.  Narrow shops and cobblestone streets. It brings out the girly girl in me, and I indulge that lucky bitch with pretty underwear.

Inside, Agent Provocateur is glossy black lacquer and sparkling crystal chandeliers. A sea of silk and lace. Black ribbons and satin cups. It oozes feminine power and celebrates all things sexy.

My private collection of lingerie is one step in the direction of claiming more of that attitude for myself.

One day soon, I’m going to be this woman.

I sigh. Maybe not soon. I have to keep my head down until I’m done school and can leave Washington. Leave the toxic world of my parents behind and just be myself.

Be Alison, girl with silk panties. Girl with an easy, breezy attitude toward sex and men and life.

“Can I help you?” A smiling salesgirl approaches, and I’m glad I dressed up. I look the part of the rich socialite, and all afternoon I’ve been getting that treatment. Not normally something I care about one way or the other—and if pushed, I lean toward other. Because seriously, being rich just gives people the excuse to be depraved fucks.

And then have children, and ruin their lives with the depravity.

I shudder inside.

But on the outside, I just smile at the salesgirl. “I’m going to look around a bit. First time in a while since I’ve been in the store.”

First time since all the weird shit went down with my sister last year. Now I can’t just get on the train and come to New York for the weekend. Now when I suggest a girls’ trip, it’s a full-on thing, complete with Scott tagging along if Cole is busy.

We made that mistake once in the fall. Ugh. Totally un-fun, although it did beat a totally awkward family Thanksgiving.

This trip wasn’t my idea, even though it’s my birthday weekend. But Hailey’s got a gleam in her eye about a wedding dress, which means Cole’s finally won their non-stop battle over whether or not to get married.

Well, not that there’s a battle over getting married. Just a battle over the actual “getting hitched” moment. As in, Hailey doesn’t want a wedding. Not one our mother can ruin.

So I bet they’ll elope, which is totally fine.

After all the shit she’s been through, Hailey deserves to be happy.

And if she wants to buy a non-wedding dress for a secret wedding that she’s not telling me about just yet, I’ll suck up a totally un-fun trip to the big city.

After all, when I get bored, I can always ditch the bodyguard and sneak into a lingerie shop.

I smirk to myself—which of course is when karma decides to punish me.

“Something funny, Miss Reid?”

Damn it. I sigh and roll my eyes to the sparkly chandelier, keeping my back to Scott. My sister’s bodyguard. My secret crush. My totally off-limits, no-fun babysitter for the weekend, apparently, since he’s followed me, and not for any fun, dirty reasons. “How did you find me? Do I have a tracking device implanted under my skin?”

Scott laughs quietly and circles around the display until I’ve got face full of cotton dress shirt and black suit jacket. Both fitted and stretched across strong shoulders.

A wide chest.

Probably a hard set of abs, but I’ve never gotten close enough to test that theory.

I don’t look up at his face. Instead, I pretend to look at the panties on the far side of the table, right in front of his hips.

His package is pretty substantial, too. Definitely stretching the fabric there.

I blush, but I don’t duck my head further.

I’m totally fine with Scott knowing that I’m thinking about his cock.

He’s not fine with it, but that’s his problem.

He clears his throat and crosses his arms, swinging a collection of our shopping bags in front of his body to hide what I hope is a monster reaction to me. “Your sister suggested I might find you in here.”

“And you left Hailey alone to come find me?”

“Cole showed up. Turns out he had business in the city after all.”

Of course he did. Which meant that our girls’ weekend just turned into me being a third-wheel on a romantic getaway.

Fuck.

“Then I might head back to D.C.” I say quietly. I’m not trying to hide the fact I’m disappointed. It’s my birthday. I can be fucking disappointed if I want.

I can swear like a fucking sailor and pretend I’m not a Dean’s List, finishing-school Good Girl, because it’s my twentieth birthday and I can’t even buy lingerie without my sister’s drama intruding.

And since that drama won’t let me check him out… yeah, I’m pouting.

“You can head home. If you want.” His voice is…is…

I jerk my eyes up to his face.

He’s mocking me.

Outrage surges through me, unexpectedly, at the barely contained laughter in his voice. I can feel my face turning red, twin dots of heat burning on my cheekbones. I pick up a complicated thong, with bonus straps that do nothing but torment the person looking at the wearer, probably, and I hold it up between us. “You don’t think I should do that, Scott?” I put my own mocking spin on his name. “What should I do instead? You think I should stay here in the big city, and buy these panties, maybe wear them out tonight under a little black dress? Knowing full well there’s not a chance in hell I’ll get peeled out of them at the end of the night by a hot guy? Happy birthday, Alison. Here’s to another year of bodyguard-enforced virginity.”

I’m being a whiny brat. I don’t care. It’s been months of this rock star treatment, and seriously, it’s overrated. We grew up in a wealthy family, so having private security isn’t totally out my realm of understanding, but Hailey’s relationship with one of Washington’s top crisis management guys—and getting tangled up in a human trafficking ring—has taken shit to a whole new level.

It actually doesn’t affect my everyday life. I go to school. I even have my own apartment now, having moved out of my parents’ estate at Christmas time because there’s only so much fucked-up drama one can handle and still stay on the Dean’s List.

But it does affect every “sister thing” I want to do with Hailey.

Including celebrating my birthday.

So I stare at Scott, daring him—fucking daring him—to tell me that I can do anything I want, of course I can.

Because I can’t.

He stares back, his face unreadable.

“I don’t think Cole is planning on going out for dinner with you two, if that’s your concern,” he finally says gruffly, but I’m still pissed off. Anger sizzles under my skin and now I’m just thinking shit that’s not fair and doesn’t really matter. But that’s the thing about feelings, right? Once you have them, you can’t just un-have them.

Tears prick at the back of my eyelids, and no, that is not happening. I pinch the inside of my palm with my fingers and slowly roll my eyes back to the ceiling, exhaling as I tell myself to pull it together.

Let him think I’m a haughty bitch. I don’t care.

“Miss Reid,” he starts, and I drop my gaze, staring past him as I twirl the panties on the tip of my finger.

“I’m not a child. You can call me Alison, or Ms. Reid. Or nothing at all. That would be my preference.” I swing past him and hold out the lace and ribbon scrap of nothing to the sales girl. “I’ll take these with a matching 32C bra, please.”

I shake my head when she asks if I’ll need to try anything on.

While the thought of making Scott sit outside a change room would usually make me achy and wet, right now I’m not in the mood to play the tease. Not when it’s not going to get me anywhere.

I’m not a child. I told him that. I told my parents the same thing when I moved into my own apartment.

One of these days, I’m going to start believing it for myself.

And until then, I’ll fake it.

I’ve been doing that my entire life. I’m a pro.

After I pay for my purchases, I head for the door. Scott stands back, letting me move past him, but even though he hasn’t said anything, I still feel unsettled. Like maybe I haven’t had the last word.

He doesn’t get to do that to me.

I am not a child. I won’t be handled.

I stop and meet his gaze head-on. “Call the restaurant and change our reservation. Cole can join us. And you can, too.”

“I’m fine at the bar…Ms. Reid.” His jaw clenches, but that’s the only reaction.

“I understand that.” I lift my bag and wave it in the air. “But since my future brother-in-law won’t let me wear this for anyone else, tonight I’m wearing these for you. Whether you like it or not.”

Watch the trailer : https://www.facebook.com/ainsleyboothwrites/videos/1724315431125771/

 

Sexy man and woman in a provocative embrace

ID:45056344

 

Sexy man and woman in a provocative embrace

ID:45056344

Sexy man and woman in a provocative embrace

ID:45056344

 

Ardent Prose About The Author

 

Mom by day and filthy romance writer by night, Ainsley is super grateful for caffeine, banana and blueberry muffins, and yoga pants.  

 

Author LInks

 

Twitter  Facebook  Web  Amazon page  Goodreads  Instagram

 

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Pole Position By Sofia Grey ♥ Release Blitz

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Pole Position FB header v7

Book Title: Pole Position

Author Name: Sofia Grey

Name of series and book number in series: standalone

 Genre: Contemp sports romance

 Publisher: Acelette Press

 Date of Publication: 12 February 2016

Price: $0.99 until 18 February, and then $3.99

 Launch Blitz giveaway (runs until 14-February): http://goo.gl/forms/QZLKNIr3qf

 Pole Position _F_AP (1)

Tagline:

Her best friend or her lover. How can she choose?

Pole Position FB ad v1

 

Blurb:

Jon’s glamorous life as a racecar driver is poles apart from Anita’s job in a bookshop, and he’s drawn to her in a way he never imagined. After one unfaithful, soon-to-be-ex-wife, and a revolving door of models and actresses, Jon finds Anita’s innocence and vulnerability a breath of fresh air.

Anita’s abusive ex-boyfriend left her running scared of any kind of relationship. Picking up the pieces of her life is hard, but her best friend since childhood, Danny Webster, is only too willing to help. And then she meets Jon. He completes her in a way Danny never could.

She doesn’t expect the men to hate each other on sight. Losing Anita isn’t an option for Jon or Danny, but only one man can take pole position for her heart.

Portrait close up of young beautiful blonde woman

Book links:

Amazon USAmazon UKGoodreads ~ Acelette Press

Young unhappy couple having problems in bed

Young unhappy couple having problems in bed

Excerpt:

 

I seethed in silence. Anita glanced up, saw the look on my face, and struggled to sit upright. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

I didn’t answer. I looked away as I tried to get my anger under control.

“It’s something to do with Danny, isn’t it?”

I wasn’t sure what to say. How about, I’d like to throttle your friend? No, perhaps not.

Anita tugged on my arm, and I turned back to face her. She had two spots of color in her cheeks. I’d not seen her annoyed before.

“You still have a problem with him don’t you? What is it with you?”

She galvanized me into being honest. “I don’t trust him, and I don’t like you spending so much time with him.” As soon as I’d said it, I could have kicked myself. It sounded sulky, and childish. And it infuriated her.

“He’s my best friend. Of course I spend time with him. And how can you not trust him?” Her voice rose in pitch. “What has he done to you?”

I was astonished she could have forgotten. “Well let me see. He hung up on me several times when I phoned for you. He’s warned me to keep away from you. He’s told me to fuck off in no uncertain terms. Then he picked a fight with me. You might recall it?”

“But he apologized. Shook your hand. He told me it was all a misunderstanding.”

“Yeah, right.” I couldn’t hide my contempt.

She jerked away and stood up, shivering, before wrapping her arms over her chest. “You’re jealous.”

There. The accusation was out in the open. It lay between us, challenging me to respond.

“I trust my instincts, Anita, and they tell me to keep the hell away from him.”

She stood there completely silent, staring at me with huge eyes. I sat sullenly. I could see she was close to tears, and I suddenly regretted my words. I held out a hand to her and tried a smile, but she ignored it.

“I’ve known Danny all my life.” She spoke slowly, as though she was working out what to say. “I’ve known you for less than a month. Are you asking me to choose between you?”

I just looked at her.

“You are. Jesus Christ.” She swung away, and walked to the doorway, her arms still wrapped across her body. The rain continued to hammer down; the thunder more distant now. She stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the lighter outside. It was ages before she turned back to me.

“Danny’s always had my back. Always. He rescued me when I quit at Uni. Danny encouraged me to train as an instructor. He spent months looking at horses for me, before finding Sam. He gave me a home. Rebuilt my life.”

Her voice was low. I struggled to hear her.

“Don’t make me choose, Jon.”

Pole Position teaser 1

 

Author bio:

Sofia Grey

Romance author Sofia Grey spends her days managing projects in the corporate world and her nights hanging out with wolf shifters and alpha males. She devours pretty much anything in the fiction line, but she prefers her romances to be hot, and her heroes to have hidden depths. When writing, she enjoys peeling back the layers to expose her characters’ flaws and always makes them work hard for their happy endings.

 

Music is interwoven so tightly into my writing that I can’t untangle the two. Either I’m listening to a playlist on my iPod, have music seeping from my laptop speakers, or there’s a song playing in my head – sometimes on auto-repeat.

 Author links:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest

Check out my image collections on Pinterest and my music playlists on Spotify.

 Spotify playlist for Pole Position:

https://play.spotify.com/user/12165779057/playlist/0aVmB44S3tewZQgvl6QeGq

Ink & Lies By S.L. Jennings ♥ Book Tour

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INK & LIES BOOK TOUR

INK & LIES IT'S LIVE

Are you ready to meet Rhys & Fi in the newest romantic

stand alone by S.L. Jennings?

 

INK & LIES IS NOW LIVE!

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ iBooksNookKobo

ink and lies

Blurb

From International Best Selling Romance Novelist, Hope Hughes, comes a gripping, heartfelt tale of two lovers, fighting for the freedom to…

No. Scratch that. Too cheesy.

…two people, torn apart by the tumultuous tides of life, only to discover refuge in…

WTF? What does that even mean? DELETE.

…two people, confused as shit as to where they should be and who they should love and none of this means a damn thing because it’s all lies!

Lies.

I’m not Hope Hughes. I’m not some fierce woman romance machine. Hell, I’m not even a woman.

I’m a liar.

And while I refuse to believe my own BS, deceit masked in heartfelt phrases of love and devotion, I want to make her believe them. Because maybe—just maybe—if she can find the soul within my words, she’ll also be able to find the truth scribbled on my heart.

You see, I once lived for the perfect plot twist.

I just never expected to actually live it.

This is my story. Well, maybe her story. I just wish I could make it our story.

The one I’m still writing.

ink and lies teaser BT

Excerpt

“Yeah, but…” Her eyes grow wide and glossy as she tries to sift through all the reasons why that theory shouldn’t apply to her. In the end, she relies on her heart. “You said I wasn’t like those other women…that those other women weren’t me.”

I should tell her she’s right. I should put her out of her misery and reassure her that the last ten years were as real and meaningful to me as they were for her. That even though I may sling gift-wrapped bullshit for the general public, only she knows the true, honest parts of my heart. But with my tongue possessed by the taste of her rejection, I play the petty card, and do just the opposite.

“I guess I was wrong, especially considering yesterday’s events. Maybe you’re no different from them. And maybe you were right about me…that I do sabotage with sex to keep people at arm’s length. Because in the end, that’s all I want anyway, right?”

“You don’t mean that.”

I nod. “Yeah. I do.”

“So what are you saying?” The hurt is so thick in her throat that I can barely hear the words.

I suck in a breath, and scrub a hand over my forehead. “You were right about me. About us. We shouldn’t have done…what we did. And we can’t move on and pretend that it didn’t change us. What’s done is done.”

“I agree,” she nods, with a tinge of hope in her voice.

“So, maybe we should just see this for what it is—the end. You’re starting your life with Joshua and moving away, and I’m going on with mine.”

“Wait, August. No, that’s not—”

“You didn’t actually think we’d be able to keep this up, did you? What, you thought we’d turn out to be the modern day Cathy and Heathcliff? I’m not some swoony, literary hero, Fi. I’m not here to rescue you from your shitty love life that stems from your shitty childhood.”

“I never said you were—”

I’m rambling, spewing verbal diarrhea all over her blue cashmere, but I can’t stop. I can’t shut off the bile that has been choking me since this morning when she disclosed her impending nuptials. “You have Joshua. He’s the one you chose. He’s the one you want. You made that perfectly clear. So what the fuck do you need with me?”

“I thought we were friends, August. I thought you and me were—”

“Well, I guess you were wrong. Friends don’t fuck each other and then five minutes later get engaged. And why would you want to be friends with some empty, misogynistic prick like me anyway?”

“I-I didn’t mean,” her voice cracks, and the first tear escapes. She quickly dashes it away, refusing to let me play witness to her weakness. But I’ve already seen it. I share that very same weakness that has her bottom lip trembling. I’m just too much of a coward to show it.

“Look, I’m sorry. I think we just need a break.”

“A break. Yes,” she nods, dashing away tears. “You’re right. We both said things we shouldn’t have. Let’s just take a few days to…”

“No. A break from this,” I clarify, gesturing between us. “From us. This isn’t working anymore.”

“You’re being melodramatic, August. We’ve had fights before. We’ve said things we didn’t mean, and we always were able to work it out.”

I shake my head and look away, refusing to acknowledge the dejection on her face. “But I meant everything I said.”

ink and lies teaser 1

About the Author:

 

S L Jenning BIO

S.L. Jennings is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance, reality TV junkie, obsessive coffee drinker and collector of crazy.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter |Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

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Fatal Submission By Nicole Austin ♥ Blog Tour

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Fatal Submission
By Nicole Austin
Release Date: March 4, 2016
 
Fatal Submission Cover
 

 

On edge, body humming with arousal, Claire aches to have her desires sated. And ruggedly handsome Dominant Mason Burke is the man she wants. But for Mason work comes first and Claire’s tired of waiting.
Mason’s loss is Dr. Carl Skinner’s lucky break. The bonus—Carl’s a rich, drop-dead gorgeous Dom with a real dungeon in his basement.
Getting what you want isn’t always a good thing and the game takes a drastic turn Claire never saw coming. According to the Dungeon Master’s victims who still haunt his torture chamber, submission has fatal consequences and she’s running out of time.
Note: This scary tale contains graphic scenes of erotic torture and violence that may cause the reader to stay up late reading with all the lights on. 
 
*This previously published title has been re-edited.*
 

 

 
 
 
Excerpt from Fatal Submission
 
Copyright © Nicole Austin, 2016
 
Ever the gentleman, Carl held the door and allowed her to
precede him down the stairs.
Second thoughts stopped her for only a few seconds before
stepping through the strange entryway. Nothing ventured…
With her heels clicking on the wooden steps she couldn’t be
certain, but Claire thought she’d heard the soft snick of a lock being engaged.
Every hair on her body stood on end and her muscles tensed.
Why the hell would he lock the door? Weren’t they alone in
the house? If she ran back up the stairs and turned the knob, would it open?
Taking a deep breath, she descended the stairs and shoved her
crazy fears aside. She’d gone into this with her eyes open and she would not
freak out. Carl was a Dom. Her Dom—at least for tonight. If she went into this
without trust, limiting her submission, they might as well not even bother.
When she safely cleared the last step, she lifted her gaze
and looked around the room in awe.
An actual dungeon.
Heat washed through her body as her nipples puckered and her
panties grew damp. Lord, she felt as if she’d waited her whole life to submit
in a real dungeon
Gray cinderblock walls and cement foundation. Track lighting
fixtures on the ceiling cast a soft glow yet left areas in shadow. A pegboard
held a wide variety of floggers, whips, crops and paddles. There against one
wall was a strange chair with a padded V-shaped seat to spread the legs open
and leather cuffs attached in strategic locations. She noted the familiar shape
of a St. Andrew’s Cross looming in the shadows next to an ancient-looking
stockade. The dungeon was well-stocked with various padded tables and spanking
benches, each one equipped with built-in restraints.
A small part of Claire hadn’t believed Carl had a dungeon in
his basement. But the proof surrounded her. At that very moment in time, she
stood in the middle of a private, subterranean, fully equipped dungeon.
Anticipation supercharged her blood, sending it zooming
through her veins. Her abdominal muscles fluttered and she wasn’t sure if the
cause was excitement, fear or a combination of the two. She hadn’t thought this
far ahead or even got around to wondering how it would feel to be in a dungeon.
To know that soon, Carl would restrain and dominate her.
She shuddered as slender fingers skated over her shoulder and
down her spine. Carl. How had she forgotten she wasn’t alone?
“Go ahead. Take a look around. Check out the equipment while
I fix a drink.” He nodded toward a small wet bar. “Would you like anything?”
She had to pry her tongue from the roof of her dry mouth to respond.
“Water.” A strong drink might help bolster her courage, but Claire didn’t want
anything to dull her senses.
Carl turned to the bar and she moved about the room to get a
closer look at things. Hanging from a sturdy chain in the ceiling was some kind
of contraption with thick, flat metal vertical slats and horizontal bands. It
was elongated, rounded at the top then broadening before tapering again toward
the bottom. She estimated it at six to six and a half feet tall.
Her hand flew upward, covering her mouth to hold back a gasp.
It couldn’t be? But it was. The damn thing was some kind of
cage, roughly in the shape of a human.
Moving past it quickly, she came to a standing device, shaped
like the one hanging from the ceiling but solid. An iron maiden? The device had
hinged doors, one of which had been left open, revealing an interior lined with
spikes. When a person was shut inside, those spikes would press into their
flesh.
Shooting a nervous glance over her shoulder, she located
Carl, still at the bar with his back to her.
Lord, had she made a mistake believing in this man? If he
went too far and she asked him to stop, would he?
Kind of late to get nervous.
Skirting around a gynecological table complete with stirrups,
she approached the center of the room and the least threatening apparatus she’d
seen so far. Similar to a padded massage table with thick wooden legs but oddly
canted, as if the maker cut one set of supports shorter than the other. The
table surface itself was short, perhaps two-feet long. At the higher end the
padding curved over the rounded edge. She noticed a cut out section at the
lower end and off to each side were wide, hinged metal cuffs that would lock
someone in place. She stepped around the table and saw similar cuffs toward the
bottom of the taller legs.
Just as she stepped forward, hand extended to test the
thickness of the leather padding, a scraping sound had Claire turning her head
toward Carl. The toe of her shoe caught on something and her forward momentum
threw her off balance.
Several things occurred at once. She felt herself moving
through the air as if she’d been pushed, practically flying with her arm
extended, her pelvis slamming into the curved table edge.
Her hips folded and her upper body continued, coming to an
abrupt halt on top of the table, knocking the breath right out of her. The
material of her skirt flapped up, bearing her panty-clad ass to the chilled
air.
She heard the scrape of wood on the concrete floor as the
heavy piece of furniture was shoved by the hard impact of her body. This was
followed by the loud clang of metal on metal.
Claire struggled to draw air into her abused lungs and make
sense of what had happened.
After several painful, wheezed breaths, she pushed with her
hands to lift her upper body but was stopped short, her right wrist held firmly
in place. Horror dawned as she turned her head to see the cuff had snapped
closed over her wrist.
Her palms were sweaty, her heart pounded against her ribs and
her ears were filled with the loud swish of her galloping pulse.
Lord, she wasn’t sure what won out, her mortification over
the indignant position or fear that she’d had help getting into this mess. Had
Carl pushed her or had it been an innocent trip and fall?
“Umm…Carl. Could you help me up?” A burst of nervous laughter
passed her lips.
Catching movement in her peripheral vision, Claire arched her
neck to watch Carl’s slow approach. Too slow for her comfort. Apparently the
jerk was enjoying the view of her bared butt sticking up.
Men, ugh!
She blindly reached back with her free hand, trying to catch
the hem of her dress and push it down. As she grasped at material, hard fingers
closed over her wrist and forced her left arm toward the open cuff. Claire
kicked, bucked her body and struggled against him but Carl had strength on his
side. Within moments he had her left arm and both ankles locked down to the table.
As she continued to struggle, he fastened a wide leather strap over her hips,
severely limiting her movement.
“Carl, let me go. We haven’t talked about my limits yet.”
Oh God, this couldn’t be happening. Nobody knew where she’d
gone and Carl had turned into a complete psycho. He had her immobilized in his
basement dungeon, far from any other house. No one would even hear her scream.
“Carl,” she screeched, “this isn’t funny.” Claire put all her
strength into trying to break free knowing the effort was wasted but unable to
stop fighting for her freedom.
“I will allow no limits, Claire. You will take what I give
you and thank me for it.”
 
 
Nicole Austin lives on the sheltered Gulf Coast of Florida, where inspiration can be found sitting under a big shade umbrella on the beach, sipping cold margaritas. A voracious reader, she never goes anywhere without a book, but started looking for something more. Something hotter.
 
A passion for erotic romance led to Nicole’s creation of sizzling characters and boundary pushing stories. Now she lives in an incredible world where fantasy comes to life in bold, vivid detail. Well, until real life intrudes and she has to share the computer with the rest of the family.
 
Visit Nicole’s website: http://nicoleaustin.net
Email Nicole: nicole@nicoleaustin.net