Friday, June 27, 2014


LoveTusslesTakedowns_Final5-14_EBOOKedit2 
  From the author of the New York Times bestselling NICE GIRL series comes Book Two in the USA Today bestselling CACTUS CREEK series…
LOVE, TUSSLES, AND TAKEDOWNS

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  He's a better fighter A fighter to the core, Hudson Reyes has collected enough battle scars now to last several lifetimes. But after his combat injuries retire him from the life he wasn't ready to give up, Hudson finds himself spending the carbon copy days of his new career as a Hollywood fight scene and weapons specialist just doing what he knows best: surviving. Until he meets her. The one woman who makes him want to live again. With wounds as deep as his own, she's a scrappy little thing--an angel-faced paradox that comes as a package deal with an offbeat town of admirably protective, but downright nosy folks. And a wicked roundhouse kick that's become intimately familiar with his head. ...but she has all the weapons. An antique arms authenticator by day and a self-defense instructor by night, Liana Lin has made a living turning the unthinkable demons of her past into the passions that fuel, and fill, her life. So when the unjustly handsome man she's been unable to stop thinking about literally takes her to the mat with martial arts styles unlike anything she's ever seen--pinning her with a molten hot stare that melts her like a marshmallow trapped between a graham cracker and a chocolate square--Lia flips into no-holds-barred fight mode. Because if one man could find a way to disarm her carefully-built defenses, it'd be him. Now if only they could stop sparring long enough to find out...  

BOOKS IN THE CACTUS CREEK SERIES
BOOK 1: A Little Combustible Chemistry [Prequel Novella -- Luke & Dani] BOOK 2: Love, Chocolate, and Beer [Luke & Dani] BOOK 3: Love, Tussles, and Takedowns [Hudson & Lia] -- June 2014 BOOK 4: Love, Exes, and Ohs [Isaac & Xoey] -- July 2014 BOOK 5: Love, Sidelines, and Endzones [Grady & Sienna] -- Sept 2014 BOOK 6: A Little Holiday Meddling [Holiday Novella -- Noah & Katelyn] -- Nov 2014  
  FourCactusCreekNovelsOnly_simple 
Excerpt from “Love, Tussles, and Takedowns”
© Violet Duke, 2014
“Used to be, I could handle a combat weapon with the kind of speed and precision that guys in my unit were gladly willing to trade their left nut for.” A hard edge darkened his expression for a brief moment before fading, softening when his gaze fell on her face again. “After the explosion, discovering that I wouldn’t ever have that level of fine motor control in my trigger hand again, or that I wouldn’t ever be able to fully process the feel of a weapon because of the nerve damage in my other hand…that just about destroyed me.” He slid his hand over her skin gently. “But this—ˮ She gasped, gripped the sheets to keep herself grounded mentally, emotionally. To keep her silly heart from acknowledging the fact that he was shattering her defenses with that one simple touch, owning her with the intense, single-minded focus his eyes held as they followed the path his fingers were tracing across her belly. Hungrily. Reverently. “I thought that was the hardest thing I’d have to get over because of my injuries. But this right here,” he whispered, leaning down to wreck even more havoc on her senses by shadowing his touch with his words, his evil, evil lips only just barely skimming her flesh. “Not being able to do all the things I want to do to you with the pace and precision I want to with this hand…” She stopped breathing when she felt his other palm smooth up the back of her thigh. “And worse, not being able feel you fully with this one…” “Hell, Lia. That’s killing me more than you can imagine.”  




* * * 99 CENTS on release day (6/13) only! * * *
 
Love, Chocolate, and Beer (Cactus Creek Book, #2)
   

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NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling author Violet Duke is a former professor of English Education who is ecstatic to now be on the other side of the page writing wickedly fun contemporary romance novels. Her books have been Top 10 bestsellers on Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes & Noble, and have been featured on IndieReader and GalleyCat as breakout hits. When she's not writing or feeding her book-a-day reading addiction, Violet enjoys tackling reno projects with her power tools, trying pretty much anything without reading the directions first, and cooking 'special edition' dishes that laugh in the face of recipes. She lives in Hawai'i with her two cute kids (daughter Violet & son Duke) and similarly adorable husband.
 



love-p


Title: Home is Where the Heart is 
Author: Christie Mack 
Release Date: July 1st 2014







BLURB


As childhood sweethearts growing up in a small Texas town, Jordan and Cassie were the golden couple of their generation—the epitome of the All-American couple one only saw portrayed in movies. But after high school ended, and with the promise that nothing could break their relationship, Jordan moved to California to play football in college, leaving Cassie with a broken heart while residing in their sleepy little town.

Six years later, Jordan is now the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. At the peak of his career, he returns home following his father’s health scare, and in the process, learns he fathered a child with his former flame.



While Cassie may have had her reasons for concealing her son from his father for five years, Jordan is determined to be a part of his child’s life—despite being worlds apart from each other.



Unions will be tested as two worlds collide once more in an attempt to restore a former spark, but will it be enough to make a family whole again? Will Jordan believe home really is where the heart is?



AUTHOR BIO 





I'm a 27 year old Australian girl who loves nothing more than finding a really good romance book you can't put down until the characters get the happily ever after that they deserve. It was through reading that I decided to put pen to paper, or in this case, fingertip to computer key, and jot down the stories my brain comes up with. When I'm not reading the endless supply of books added daily to my iPad, I can be found tucked away with my laptop in front of me as I write about the many characters begging me to tell their story, one book boyfriend at a time. 


AUTHOR LINKS  














Thursday, June 26, 2014


All proceeds from the volume will be donated to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (www.rainn.org), the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States.

Synopsis


What happens when love gets caught in the rain?

In this romance anthology, RITA-Award winning author Molly O’Keefe shows us the power of a city thunderstorm from the top of a skyscraper, while Amy Jo Cousins soaks us in a rain in Spain. New York Times bestselling author Ruthie Knox’s heroine is devastated by a winter storm, while a summer thunderstorm grants Alexandra Haughton’s hero and heroine a second chance at love. Rain sparks self-awareness in the robot in Charlotte Stein’s story and allows Mary Ann Rivers’s heroine to fall in love with her hero and her own art. Rain causes romance between the college students in Audra North’s and Shari Slade’s stories, while romance causes rain in Cecilia Tan’s myth-inspired tale of a sacrifice to a demi-god. Nine romance novelettes, edited by Sarah Frantz.

Buy Links




 Behind the Book

Summer Rain, like so many projects, started out as nothing more than a simple feeling: a desire to make a positive difference in the world. So often, making a difference begins with giving something. It might be money, time, or both, or something else altogether…but most importantly, it is about giving, and giving vibrantly—with a focused mind, a full heart, and an understanding spirit.

Giving vibrantly leads to vibrant change. Powerful, positive change. Through the incredible generosity of eight other talented authors and one talented editor, that starting point—that desire to make a positive difference—turned into an act of vibrant giving. Summer Rain is a collection of powerful stories about love, written with the hope of making a positive change.

Each year, nearly a quarter of a million sexual assaults are committed in the US, nearly half of them against victims under the age of eighteen. RAINN assists so many of these survivors, not only by operating telephone and online hotlines for victims of sexual abuse, but also by working in partnership with rape crisis centers in the United States of America, providing programs to prevent sexual abuse, and helping to bring abusers to justice.

About the Works

Redemption by Ruthie Knox
Jessie Bellin’s cheese shop is failing, her house is falling apart, and the mortgage is ninety days overdue. With nothing left to offer, she’ll take what she can get from the handyman who wants nothing but her body. But when Mike Kaminsky suddenly asks for more, Jessie has to figure out exactly what she wants—and if it’s possible for a woman who’s lost everything to learn how to hope again.

The Heart of It by Molly O’Keefe
Gabe seems outwardly successful and content, but inwardly, he struggles to banish the lingering demons of his childhood. Elena is a survivor herself and knows that the smart move is to walk away from Gabe. But his pain and his hope are too compelling to resist.

Are these two wounded people brave enough to find love together?

Sacrifice by Cecilia Tan
When a tenth century trader from the Orient sells his daughter to a Macedonian, he doesn’t ask why the man needs a virgin, little knowing she is intended to fulfill an ancient pact with a demigod who can end the crushing drought. But this demigod has sworn off his father’s rapacious ways. With the influence of the ancient pantheon waning, only love can heal them all.

Real Feelings by Charlotte Stein
Moira longs for a connection—any kind of connection with anyone—and is beginning to despair she will ever find it. In desperation, she purchases an android, hoping against hope that she can find some solace in a simulation of the real thing. But what she doesn’t expect is Michael—a machine that seems to be more than the sum of his parts.

Rainy Season by Mary Ann Rivers
Lisa Shirek is everyone’s favorite barista. She does more than get her customers’ orders right: she gets her customers. She can see the most painful moments of their lives like stormy weather around their bodies, and she does what she can to soothe that pain with the right smile, the right words, the perfect combination of coffee and foam. Except, then, there’s Mark—he’s a sunbeam, a mystery made of light. He breaks through the storm around her so she can see herself, for herself.

The Rain in Spain by Amy Jo Cousins
Travel writer Magda and scientist Javi are cranky with the heat—and each other—on the streets of Sevilla. They’ve been married for a year, after a whirlwind courtship, and Magda is questioning whether or not she made a mistake. She’s not sure if her need to explore the world can ever mesh with Javi’s more regimented life.

As they stroll the cobblestone streets of one of Spain’s most romantic cities, Magda tries to show her husband just what it is she loves so much about her job that keeps her far from home for so long. By the time the sun rises, they’ll know if there is a way forward for them together . . . or not.

Fitting In by Audra North
Stas Petrovich is sure that being elected president of his college class will grant him the social acceptance he craves. But when rain ruins his campaign event, he’s left in the company of the Weird Girl, the one person guaranteed to jeopardize his chances. But he discovers that Leila dos Santos is fun and genuine and sexy as hell, and he’s forced to reconsider what’s most important to him.

Private Study by Shari Slade
Tess Bell’s sex vlog flashes on another student’s tablet screen in the middle of an economics lecture. Worst of all, the guy she’s been secretly eyeing all semester sees it, too, and asks her out for coffee at the local diner. Is he like their awful classmate, convinced he's owed something because Tess dares to be curious about sex, or does he really want to know her? Only one thing is certain: nothing is private anymore.

Storm Warning by Alexandra Haughton
When Amy Collier left behind her dreams—and her pride—in L.A., she hoped for a few quiet months to regroup. She never dreamed her hometown’s welcoming committee would take the form of Tom Wilson. Well, he could just keep his I-told-you-so grin and his sexy-cowboy charm; she doesn’t want any part of it.

Except seeing him again stirs up a storm of emotion, and she must try to reconcile bitter memories of their past with her uncertain future—a future that might be a whole lot brighter with Tom in it.



 About the Authors

About Ruthie Knox
New York Times bestselling author Ruthie Knox writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. A four-time RITA finalist, she’s penned the only existing cross-country bicycling love story (Ride with Me) and made readers swoon with a banker heroine named Neville (About Last Night). As Robin York, she also writes angsty, intelligent New Adult romance. Ruthie moonlights as a mother, Tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She’d love to hear from you, so visit her website at www.ruthieknox.com and drop her a line.

Website: ruthieknox.com
Facebook: facebook.com/RuthieKnox
Twitter: twitter.com/RuthieKnox

About Molly O’Keefe
Molly O'Keefe is a RITA Award winning author who writes sexy and compelling contemporary romance for Harlequin and Bantam Dell. She lives in Toronto with her husband, two kids and the largest heap of dirty laundry in North America.

Sign up for Molly’s newsletter to find out about new releases and receive The Author Is…interview series at www.molly-okeefe.com

Website: molly-okeefe.com
Facebook: facebook.com/MollyOKBooks
Twitter: twitter.com/MollyOKWrites

About Cecilia Tan
Cecilia Tan is the award-winning author of Slow Surrender (RT Reviewers Choice for Erotic Romance), The Prince’s Boy, Daron’s Guitar Chronicles, and many other works of passionate fiction. She is also the founder and editorial director of Circlet Press, publishers of erotic fantasy and science fiction. She is easy to find on the internet.

Website: ceciliatan.com
Facebook: facebook.com/cecilia.tan
Twitter: twitter.com/ceciliatan

About Charlotte Stein
Charlotte Stein has written over thirty short stories, novellas, and novels, including entries in The Mammoth Book of Hot Romance and Best New Erotica 10. Her latest work, Run To You, was recently a DABWAHA finalist. When not writing deeply emotional and intensely sexy books, she can be found eating jelly turtles, watching terrible sitcoms, and occasionally lusting after hunks. For more on Charlotte, visit: charlottestein.net.

Website: charlottestein.net
Twitter: twitter.com/Charlotte_Stein

About Mary Ann Rivers
Mary Ann Rivers has written stories as long as she can remember. She lives in Wisconsin with her imaginative son, who won’t remember ever not hearing or writing stories. She writes love books for humans.

Website: maryannrivers.com
Facebook: facebook.com/maryannriversromanceauthor
Twitter: twitter.com/MaryAnn_Rivers

About Amy Jo Cousins
Amy Jo Cousins lives in Chicago, where she writes contemporary romance, tweets more than she ought, and sometimes runs way too far. She loves her son and the Cubs, who taught her that being awesome doesn't necessarily have anything to do with winning.

Website: amyjocousins.com
Facebook: facebook.com/amyjo.cousins.9
Twitter: twitter.com/_AJCousins

About Audra North
Audra North fell in love with romance at age thirteen and spent the next twenty years reading as many romance novels as she could.  Even now, after having read over one thousand of them, she still can’t resist the lure of a happily ever after, and her collection continues to grow.  She lives near Boston with her husband, three young children, and a lot of books.

Website: audranorth.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AudraNorthAuthor
Twitter: twitter.com/AudraNorth

About Shari Slade
Shari Slade is a snarky optimist. A would-be academic with big dreams and very little means. When she isn’t toiling away in the non-profit sector, she’s writing gritty stories about identity and people who make terrible choices in the name of love (or lust). Somehow, it all works out in the end. If she had a patronus, it would be a platypus.

Sign up for her newsletter to stay up-to-date on all the latest releases, happenings, and events.

Website: sharislade.com
Facebook: facebook.com/authorsharislade
Tumblr: sharislade.tumblr.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ShariSlade

About Alexandra Haughton
Alexandra Haughton lives and writes in a cozy urban cottage. Contrary to popular belief, it is not wall-to-wall pink and glitter. Yet. She makes a mean chicken fried steak and has a weakness for Italian Cream Cake (no nuts). When Alexandra isn’t writing contemporary romance, you can find her out and about in Dallas. Just look for the woman in a cardigan. Even if it is 103.

Find out more about Alexandra and her writing by visiting her website.

Website: alexandrahaughton.com

Twitter: twitter.com/WriterAHaughton

Wednesday, June 25, 2014


We're excited to share the cover for One Week by Author Zoey Derrickwhich will release late July 2014! 


Title: One Week
Author: Zoey Derrick
Age Group: NA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: Parajunkie


 ONE WEEK is all it will take...

A week in Las Vegas and she will feel better about herself. At least that is what Dacotah Miller is hoping will be the case.

Left at the alter, heart broken and ashamed, Dacotah takes the opportunity offered by her girlfriends - the chance to get away. The opportunity to escape her mundane life in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin.

But what Dacotah doesn't know is that lurking in Las Vegas is the chance of a lifetime, a dream come true, in the form of Derek Hunter.

Derek, in town on business, can't seem to focus on his purpose once Dacotah walks into his field of vision. She beautiful and just what he needs to cure his desire for a good woman in his bed. Only she presents a challenge to him unlike anything he's ever experienced before.

Dacotah will be wrapped up in a whirlwind of unexpected events that will force her to make a decision, life changing choice. Does she get on the plane back to boring Wisconsin and wonder what might have been? Or will she step on board a private jet that promises to take her on a journey she will never forget?




“Orion huh?” I jump at the voice in my ear and try to spin around but he pins me to the side of the pool. I should fight to free myself, but the sound of his voice, the smell of his cologne, my drunkenness and the instant wetness between my legs has me paralyzed.
“You never told me your name.” I breathe.
“Orion is fine, for now.” He replies, but he doesn’t ask me for my name, and I wonder idly if he already knows. Whether having heard Mandy say it, or something else. I feel him press into me a little harder and I can feel ever inch of his warm, pool soaked body against my back. My toes reach down, seeking the bottom of the pool and I find it. Steadying myself against him. I suddenly realize that I want this man, badly.
“Why the secrets?” I ask him.
“Why not? Isn’t it more fun this way?” His mouth is right at my ear and I can feel the warmth of his breath caressing my face, along my cheek and down my neck. I shiver and feel my nipples harden. My desire for him is hot and I’m surprised because I’ve never in my life been so turned on.
“No.” I answer his question. “Well, maybe it is for you, you have control.”
“Just the way I like it.” His hands begin to glide along my arms, to my shoulders, across to my neck, but the contact of his front to my back never falters. “You, in my control, wanting and willing to do anything my heart desires.”
My breathing hitches and fear spikes in my veins, but it is quickly cooled by his lips on my shoulder, right where it meets my neck. His kiss is hot and soft. I can feel the stubble of his goatee prickling along my skin and goosebumps form across my entire body. I shiver. My breathing hitches and I bite my lip to stifle a moan. He knows exactly what he’s doing because he doesn’t stop. His hands are tracing down my sides, light as feathers, and his lips continue their way along my shoulder, back to my neck.
Suddenly one of his hands disappears and I feel his fingers on the back of my neck, grabbing at my wet hair and gently moving it over my right shoulder.
“Well, aren’t you just full of secrets.” He says into my ear and then he kisses along my hairline, along the infinity tattoo on the back of my neck over to my other shoulder. His hands are gliding down past my hips, playing with the stings on my bikini and my heart rate spikes as I imagine him untying it, exposing me to the pool. But he doesn’t stop. His hands glide down my thighs, as far as he can go without pulling himself underwater. I can’t help the flick of my hips that comes at his touch and I’m not sure if it is a reaction to tickling or my need for him. His breath hitches and I do it, voluntarily, again.
His hands come to my hips and he grips them, stilling me. “If you don’t stop, I will take you in the pool. Right now. No matter who sees.”
I am beginning to feel dizzy when I realize I’m holding my breath, I let it out in a rush trying to fight the urge to flick my hips. I want this man and I don’t even know his name.






Amazon Best Selling Angels, Demons & Devils and Paranormal Author of Give Me Reason - The Reason Series Book One comes from Glendale, Arizona. Zoey, was a mortgage underwriter by day and is now a paranormal, romance and erotica novelist full-time. She writes stories as hot as the desert sun itself. It is this passion that drips off of her work, bringing excitement to anyone who enjoys a good and sensual love story.

Not only does she aim to take her readers on an erotic dance that lasts the night, it allows her to empty her mind of stories we all wish were true. Her stories are hopeful yet true to life, skillfully avoiding melodrama and the unrealistic, bringing her gripping Erotica only closer to the heart of those that dare dipping into it.

The intimacy of her fantasies that she shares with her readers is thrilling and encouraging, climactic yet full of suspense. She is a loving mistress, up for anything, of which any reader is doomed to return to again and again.





Ten Sizzling Contemporary Romances by Ten Authors!

Escape to a world filled with passionate kisses. Brazen billionaires. Hot cops. Small town hotties. Hunky Scotsmen. Big city playboys. All are ready to put everything on the line for the women who stir their hearts. Passionate Kisses: Ten full-length sizzling contemporary romance novels by some of today's hottest authors that will sweep you away and leave you yearning for your very own knee-buckling, heart-melting kiss.


New Release Sale Price: $0.99 for a limited time starting June 23rd (official release date).
Purchased individually, the books in this set would cost $28.90. You save $27.91!
 


**Storm Damages by Magda Alexander**
After clawing her way out of a dirt-poor background, Elizabeth Watson's dream of an associate position at her law firm is within reach. As long as she keeps up her grades, makes law review. And stays out of trouble. But then British billionaire Gabriel Storm walks into her life. And trouble is his middle name.
 
**Confessions by Wendy Ely** 

When Chelsea Montgomery vanished eleven years ago, her hometown thought she’d been abducted. In truth, she'd given up the daughter she'd secretly had with Jordan Case. Now he confronts her to help find the child. With a little girl's fate hanging in the balance, will the uneasy partnership -- stained by the past -- transform into something else?

**Reckless by Jessi Gage** 
Cami is in a coma. While her body recovers in the hospital, she visits the dreams of the man who acted in anger on the freeway and caused her accident. Can she learn the meaning of forgiveness or will she let a single mistake drive her dream man away forever?

**Against Her Rules by Victoria Barbour** 
Elsie Walsh has one rule—no sleeping with the guests at her luxury inn on the rugged coast of Newfoundland—but Scottish playboy Campbell Scott is determined to show her that he belongs not only in her bed, but by her side at the Heart’s Ease Inn.

**Shameless by Rebecca J. Clark** 
It'll take more than a shameless proposal to overcome their tragic past, but with a little luck and forgiveness, anything is possible.

**Good Cop by Liz Kelly** 
When two best friends enlist a pony-tailed firecracker to help shake up their good cop/bad cop images, fireworks ignite. One steamy romance plus a very funny bromance equals lots of laughs and a helluva love triangle.

**Baby Stetson by Nikki Lynn Barrett**
Her past is full of holes, but new strangers in town are about to bring secrets, truths, and a chance at love.

**Awakening by Sydney Holmes** 
Once you step over the edge there’s no turning back.
Nora Young, restless and adrift, dreams of passion, purpose and adventure. In walks mysterious and sexy Ryan Cole who seems to offer her everything she is looking for. Will they survive the fire they ignite?

**Beacon of Love by Allie Boniface** 
When travel journalist Sophie Smithwaite comes to Lindsey Point to investigate a haunted lighthouse, hunky local handyman Lucas Oakes is torn between protecting the town's secrets and giving in to the first passion he’s felt in years. Is preserving tradition worth sacrificing a chance at true love?

**The Opposite of Wild by Kylie Gilmore** 
The last thing Liz Garner expects in her new job as an elder care provider is Ryan O'Hare for a boss. The insensitive, arrogant, horribly…hot man she's avoided for years. When his Gran walks on the wild side, Liz joins her, risking both his ire and his passion.
 


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Tuesday, June 24, 2014



Title: Rusty Nailed
Author: Alice Clayton
Publisher: Simon & Schuster



In this sequel to Wallbanger, the second book in the Cocktail series, fan favorites Caroline and Simon negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in San Francisco.

Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So with her hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he’s tired of so much travelling, and he’s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind,” but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?





5 Stars… you bet your sweet bippy ;)

Can I just get something off my chest before I get into how utterly and completely fan-f*cking-tastic this book was? FINALLY we get the next Cocktail book!
Caroline, Sophia, Mimi, Jillian, Simon, Ryan, Benjamin, Neil and Clive are all back in Rusty Nailed. I adore these characters; they come alive and leap off the page, every single one of them. Wallbanger is one of my all time favorite gut busting reads, I laughed so hard I cried in parts and Rusty Nailed put me right back in my happy place, ring side for the hilarity that is The Alice Clayton Show. Alice Clayton writes humour unlike anyone else. Weaving humour, intelligence, and SEXY,  she has a truly unique writing style and the gang is together once again, Rusty Nailed is un-putdownable. I was spellbound. The cat who thinks he’s human (Clive), Caroline and her Kitchen Aid mixer, Sophia and Mimi with their hilarious shenanigans, and the poor men in their lives being drug along for the ride. Rusty Nailed provides The Great Escape, it’s like sinking into a fabulous claw foot tub for a divine bubble bath at the end of a hellish day, or eating warm fresh baked zucchini bread hot from the oven, it just makes you feel happy, and you’ll grin till you face hurts, laugh till your tummy aches, happy.




Alice Clayton is a novelist with an unholy love for her KitchenAid mixer. Making her home in St Louis, she enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up afterwards, and is trying desperately to get her long time boyfriend to make her an honest woman. Hi sweetie!!

After working for years in the cosmetics industry as a makeup artist, esthetician, and national educator for a major cosmetics company, Alice picked up a pen (read laptop) for the first time at 33 to begin a new career, writer. Combining her love of storytelling with a sense of silly, she was shocked and awed to be nominated for a Goodreads Author award in 2010 for her debut novels, The Redhead Series.

Alice has penned three novels, The Unidentified Redhead,The Redhead Revealed, and coming soon in November 2012, Wallbanger. She thinks you should purchase them immediately. She’s not kidding, not even a little bit. Everyone needs some comedic erotica in their lives. She is hard at work on the third book in The Redhead Series, set to release in Spring of 2013, continuing the saucy and sexual escapades of everyone’s favorite couple, Jack and Grace. 

Additionally, Alice loves spending time with her besties on Not Your Mother's Podcast, make sure you check them out at notyourmotherspodcast.com or over on iTunes. 3 women rushing towards their forties still acting like teenagers. A saucy little mix of sex, love, relationships, pop cultural, celebrity gossip and All Things Jake Ryan.

Alice enjoys pickles, Bloody Mary’s, 8 hours of sleep, and a good pounding.

Finally Alice would also like all her readers and listeners to help her convince Mt. Alice that the only other thing that would make her truly happy is finally bringing home a Bernese Mountain Dog. She is totally serious. And done talking about herself in the third person…

Sunday, June 22, 2014

STARSTRUCKblogtour (1)  

Title: Star Struck
Series: Lights, Camera Companion
Author: Laurelin Paige
Publisher: Samhain
Publication Date: June 17, 2014

StarStruckCover


SummaryOnto every diva’s backside, a little wood must fall.Lights, Camera, Book 2 Hollywood actress Heather Wainwright was looking forward to a long, relaxing break before starting her next shoot. Except her assistant volunteered her for L.A.’s annual 24 Hour Plays. Nervous about doing a good job for such a worthy charity, Heather falls back on “diva” mode, a defense mechanism that always carries her through. Until she encounters something that really gets on her nerves—a lowly carpenter whose Norse god eyes pierce right through her. Highly sought-after production designer Seth Rafferty has little patience for A-listers with superior attitudes, which is why his attraction to Heather is absurd. Yet, sensing vulnerability beneath her screen-queen act, he lets her assumptions play out. After the wrap party, Heather awakens with little memory of the night before—except that Seth gave her the best orgasm of her life, then disappeared. When he shows up on the set of her next movie, she winds up to give him a piece of her mind…and Seth shows her just how stinging hot “chemistry” can get. Warning: Contains an outwardly snobby actress with a good heart, a delicious carpenter with a power drill, some much-deserved spanking, and an appropriately consensual—if tipsy—orgasm, as well as sex at an inappropriate time of the month.


5 Stars Stuck On Rafferty <3
Star Struck is a sexy, fun, standalone spin off from Take Two.
We met Heather Wainwright briefly in Take Two, as Micah’s co-star.  Being a wildly successful Hollywood actress has not solved all of Heather’s troubles. Having come from a not so happy home and growing up poor in a trailer park with two addict parents have left some very lasting impressions on Heather. Heather has learned to keep her heart safe; you need to put up walls. Push people away, keep them at arm’s length, never allowing anyone too close. Most importantly, live up to your image and what people believe you to be. On the inside Heather is just a woman, with the same insecurities, fears and the same self image issues any of us have. She is lonely, and longs for affection, a relationship, that special someone. She’s not  to ever admitting to it though. Enter stage left, sexy, smart mouthed, stubborn and unshakable Seth Rafferty. A sexy, talented, alpha, production designer with his own baggage and insecurities.
When Heather and Seth meet, their chemistry, combustible and explosive. From the moment they lay eyes on each other it is, simply put lust at first sight. These two characters are so incredibly strong and stubborn that the banter and battle of wills is half of the fun in Star Struck. The other half comes from some amazingly sexy and steamy scenes, one of which may or may not include a 69. That’s right, I said 69! Impeccable writing, pacing, flow and storytelling round out a fabulous way to spend an afternoon. Star Struck, is not purely sexy times, Laurelin Paige always manages to round out her stories, incredibly sexy scenes with enough emotions to make the reader truly ache for the characters.  Raw emotion and a perfect amount drama make you truly root for Heather and Seth. In fact I found myself rooting for Seth, from the moment I met him. I wanted him to show that snotty and superficial actress, that everyone deserves affection and unconditional love. Show her that image, is just that. Image and appearances only count for they are worth. Unconditional love is priceless. I loved Star Stuck, I loved Seth, and I even ended up loving Heather in the end. I’m willing to bet that you’re going to love it too, so go ahead and get Star Struck, I did.


Laurelin Paige is the NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She's a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there's kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn't seem to complain, however. When she isn't reading or writing sexy stories, she's probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine.

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Single mother Tracey Hiatt prides herself on having a close relationship with her daughter- the kind of relationship she’s always wanted, but never had, with her own mother.
When her mother suffers a debilitating illness and faces a lengthy recovery, family takes on a whole new meaning for Tracey as she finds herself pulled back to her ex, Steve Eldridge. There’s only one problem: he’s involved with someone else.
Steve is drawn back into Tracey’s family drama and after her mother awakens from a coma believing he and Tracey are married, the two are forced to confront some fundamental questions about their relationship.
Can they put past hurts behind them and take a leap of faith into a new future together?



The steady beep of the heart monitor filled the room, along with the whooshing sound of the ventilator. Out in the hallway, Tracey Hiatt could hear the occasional chime of the elevator and muffled voices sounding over the hospital intercom, but she paid no attention to them, her focus remaining on the still form in the bed. Pamela Hiatt had long cut an imposing figure, at least where her middle child was concerned, but now she lay completely motionless, a machine in charge of her breathing. ‘Comatose and unresponsive,’ the doctors termed her condition, while at the same time insisting Pamela was aware of what happened around her and could hear what people said.
“Talk to her,” Tracey’s brother had urged when she arrived at the hospital, before leaving her alone in their mother’s room. “It’ll mean a lot to her that you’re here.”
Yeah, right. Brian meant well. Tracey didn’t doubt that. He’d always tried to be the peacemaker and stick up for his little sister in the face of Pamela’s constant disapproval, and Tracey appreciated that. It was because of Brian, for Brian, that she’d rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital upon learning her estranged mother had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and lay in a coma.
Talk to her. Fine. What was she supposed to say? Tracey sucked in a breath as she fought back tears. She’d long thought that Pamela lived to torment her, and she wasn’t quite prepared to see her mother like this, barely clinging to life.
“Hello, Mother,” she finally said. “It’s me, Tracey. Bet you didn’t expect to see me here, huh? It’s been a while.” How long, exactly, she didn’t remember. Over the years, Tracey had extended a few olive branches, hoping to repair the relationship with her mother for the sake of her own daughter. Occasionally Pamela reciprocated and they forged a somewhat tentative truce for a short period. Other times, Tracey’s efforts were met with a frosty response and she stopped trying.
“Anyway, I’m doing well,” she said. “I’ve got a new class assignment this fall. I’m teaching Tort Law. Isn’t that exciting?” Tracey still recalled Pamela’s look of disapproval when she accepted a position teaching Legal Writing at Northern Illinois University’s law school. The job wasn’t prestigious enough for Pamela’s lofty standards. Maybe not, but Tracey enjoyed teaching it and was good at it. Still, with the retirement of one of the senior members of the faculty, she’d been presented with the opportunity to take over a Torts class and she jumped at it. She’d been contemplating calling her mother, extending another olive branch, when Brian called to inform her of Pamela’s stroke. Life was cruel sometimes.
Pamela didn’t stir, but Tracey continued on. “I’m really looking forward to the new challenge. Classes start next week.” She paused, again studying her mother’s form. No change. Nothing. “Lindsay’s starting sixth grade next week, too. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that. You wouldn’t believe how big she’s gotten.” Of course, maybe you would if you saw her on a regular basis.
Tracey took a deep breath and tried to get a handle on her emotions. Now, with her mother fighting to survive, was not the time to dwell on past slights and years of hurt. Once Pamela recovered, they’d have the opportunity to talk about everything, and maybe, hopefully, repair their relationship. Tracey wanted it to happen, but she wasn’t quite ready to make a bargain with God. Instead of bargaining, she settled for the simple truth.
“You drive me crazy, Mother,” she said. “And you make me angry. Always comparing everything I do to Brian or Kim, never just letting me be me and loving me for it. Maybe I should have given up on you years ago. I’ve wanted to plenty of times, but there’s something I want more. I want a relationship with my mother.” Tears ran down her cheeks, and Tracey wiped at them with the back of her hand. “Isn’t that just the kicker? After everything you’ve done to push me away, I’m still not ready to give up and say goodbye. So you better not be, either, okay? We both have some work to do.”
With the issuance of a challenge, Tracey half expected Pamela to open her eyes and object, but she never stirred. For another twenty minutes, Tracey followed the advice of the doctors and talked to her mother. She talked about her plans for the new school year—for herself and Lindsay—and the prospects of the Bears or the Cubs ever winning another championship. When finally she ran out of things to say and couldn’t listen to the sounds of the heart monitor and ventilator any longer, she got up to leave. “It’s been nice talking to you, Mother.” The longest conversation they’d had in years, and Pamela never said a word.
Tracey jabbed at the elevator button, anxious to leave. The doors opened and she rushed forward, colliding with a person stepping off the elevator. “Excuse me. I’m sorry,” she stammered.
“No worries,” Steve Eldridge said as he out a hand to her. The elevator doors closed again, leaving them in the hallway. “You okay, Tracey?”
She wanted to say yes, tell him she was fine and to leave her alone, but it would be a lie, and Steve would see through it right away. Instead, she shook her head as she looked up into his green eyes. Eyes their daughter had inherited. “It’s been kind of a rough day,” Tracey said, opting for understatement rather than dishonesty. “How’d you know I was here?”
“I have a case with Brian. He asked to reschedule a hearing for personal reasons,” Steve explained. “Obviously I was concerned. He gave me the whole scoop. I’m really sorry, Trace.” There was no questioning the sincerity of his words. “Don’t you think this is something you should have told me yourself, though?”
“We’re not married,” Tracey reminded him needlessly. They never had been, but still Steve shared a close enough relationship with her brother to freely chat about family news, a fact Tracey didn’t always like. How was she supposed to get over Steve if her own brother basically considered him part of the family?
“Your choice, not mine.” Steve shoved his hands in the pockets of his khakis. “It doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”
Care about her, yes. Tracey didn’t doubt that. Love was another matter, and one she didn’t care to get into with him at the moment, if ever. Her primary concern was where their daughter was, since it was Steve's visitation week and he was now at the hospital. “Where’s Lindsay?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Meredith took her for pizza and ice cream.”
“Are you sure that was a good idea?” Tracey couldn’t keep her displeasure from her voice.
“Yes, I thought it was a fine idea,” Steve said. “Why do you have to say things like that? You make it sound like you don’t trust Meredith around our daughter.” He raked a hand through his dark hair, mussing it in front. “She passed a background check to be admitted to the state bar, so it’s not like she’s a hardened criminal, and besides, Lindsay’s known her for a year and a half and enjoys spending time with her. You know that.”
Tracey swallowed hard. Yes, Lindsay did seem to enjoy spending time with Daddy’s girlfriend Meredith, and yes, Tracey still had a bit of a problem with it. It was her problem, though, and she’d have to work through it. It didn’t give her the right to be a total bitch. “You’re right,” Tracey said, softening her tone. “I’m sure they’ll have fun together. I’m sorry I snapped at you. Like I said, it’s been a bad day.”
Steve nodded. “Understandable. Want to go downstairs and get some coffee and talk about it?”
“Actually, I really just want to get the hell out of here.”
“That works, too.” Steve placed one hand on her shoulder and with the other pressed the elevator button. “I’ll drive.”
***
Tracey didn’t say where she wanted to go, and Steve didn’t ask, instead driving in silence through downtown Chicago before ending up at a familiar sports bar. Steve had no idea why he chose it, other than maybe because it was so familiar. After all, it was the site of one of best moments of Steve’s life, and also one of the worst. That he counted them as one and the same no longer seemed strange.
“Why here?” Tracey asked as he held the door open for her and led her inside.
“Why not? It’s close to the hospital, and we like the food.”
“True,” Tracey said, settling into a booth. “Thanks for getting me out of there. I don’t think I could have stood it much longer.”
“I figured.” It was why he’d left for the hospital as soon as he’d learned of Pamela’s condition. Thankfully, Meredith seemed to understand why he needed to go and offered to entertain Lindsay. At least he hoped she understood. Steve knew it wasn’t always easy for her, but Mer knew from the beginning he had a daughter. That linked him, forever, with his daughter’s mother, and she had to accept that. “You holding up okay now?”
“Trying to.” Tracey picked up the menu, then set it down without opening it. “It’s ridiculous to be this emotional. I don’t even like the woman.”
“No, but she’s still your mother and you love her, even if you don’t always like her.” Steve long ago realized there was a difference, especially when it came to the dysfunctional relationship between Tracey and Pamela. “She’s a strong, stubborn woman, Trace,” he said. “She’s going to get through this just fine.”
“Of course she will, if only to torture me further,” Tracey said, but Steve could tell from the look in her brown eyes that she wasn’t confident in her words.
“How hungry are you?” he asked, changing the subject. “Want to split the taco pizza?”
“Sure, that sounds fine.”
“How about a beer?”
Tracey shook her head. “No. Just a Coke for me. I still have to drive back to DeKalb tonight, and I’d rather not fall asleep at the wheel.”
“I’d rather you didn’t, too,” Steve said, and flagged a waitress down to place their order.
For the next forty-five minutes, while they polished off a taco pizza, Steve tried his best to keep the conversation light. They talked about the Cubs’ losing streak, the Bears’ prospects, the annual mid-August heat wave, Steve’s recently completed trial and their daughter’s upcoming school year. Sixth grade. He could hardly believe it. In some ways, it seemed like only yesterday that he’d met Tracey at this restaurant after work and she’d announced she was pregnant. The news shocked him, and he’d proceeded to make a complete ass of himself, a scene Steve regretted more than once. Since he couldn’t undo it, he simply hoped he’d done right by both of them in the decade since.
“Don’t forget her reading list,” Tracey said, interrupting his thoughts. “She should be reading half an hour every day.”
Steve nodded. “Yeah, we got it. We’ve been working with her.”
“Good. She likes to read, so it probably doesn’t take much to get her to do it.”
“No,” Steve agreed. “Are you going to be okay tonight, Trace? Because if you want to take Lindsay back with you...” He didn’t want to make the offer. He valued his time with her. Still, it seemed like the right thing to do.
Tracey shook her head. “No. It’s your week. School starts soon, and I don’t want to cut into your extended time with her before then. Besides, it’d be past her bedtime by the time I get back home. I don’t want to disrupt her routine.”
Steve smiled. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“Thanks for rescuing me from the ICU. I should probably get on my way, though.”
“At least let me drive you back to your car.” Steve pulled his wallet from his pocket.
“I can take the L,” Tracey said. “Just as fast. Ten minutes back to the hospital, grab the car, and I’m home in a little more than an hour. I’ll be fine.” She stood up to leave. “I’ll see you Friday, okay?”
Friday. When his week with Lindsay would be up and she returned to her mother’s home. They'd been following the arrangement for ten years and had the routine down, but it still hurt to say goodbye to his daughter at the end of a visit. “Sure.” Steve hesitated. “But if anything happens in the meantime and you need to talk...”
“Yeah, I’m sure Meredith would love that,” Tracey said. “Thanks, but I can handle this on my own. I’m not your problem anymore, Steve.”
He watched her walk out of the restaurant, then sighed. “That’s just it, Trace. You’ve never been a problem.”



I caught the writing bug in sixth grade, when I threatened to write a whole book after a class assignment to write the first chapter. I never finished that book, but the desire to create stories never left.

When I'm not giving life to the voices inside my head, I can probably be found watching a hockey or football game on TV, hoping one day the Dallas Stars will win another Stanley Cup and the Denver Broncos will win another Superbowl. (Hey, it might happen!)  Either that or I'm busy with my day job as a juvenile court attorney, a position that never ceases to provide new material for my books!