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Monday, October 21, 2013

1Night Stand's 200th Book Birthday Celebration with Starla Kaye & a giveaway !!!

....read all about her!




Please welcome a guest post by Starla Kaye in honor of the Decadent Publishing's 200th book birthday of the 1NS series !!

Don't forget to leave a comment at the end along with your email because she's got some surprise goodies to give away too!

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Dreaming Up a Secret Wish

Decadent Publishing’s 1 Night Stand series is celebrating their birthday this October and I’m celebrating, too. It was my honor to have been one of the early authors writing for the line. At this point I have had two books published in the series: Maggie’s Secret Wish and Starting Over. Eventually I hope to write additional stories for this popular series.

I loved the idea behind the series. 1NS is the business name of an exclusive online dating service owned by Madame Evangeline. The initial goal of the arranged evening is a one-night stand, with each character having a reason for seeking such a date. The encounters can take place anywhere in the world and each story must have an HEA or HFN ending. When I read the basic guidelines, I became intrigued, challenged to come up with a believable erotic romance.

As usually happens with me, I came up with the title first: Maggie’s Secret Wish. From that, I knew my heroine’s name would be Maggie. Additionally, she had a secret wish. That wish had to be special, something she wouldn’t easily admit to anyone else.

I believe that many of us are like Maggie, in that we lead lives where we present a certain image to those we work with, have acquaintances with, or share our basic lives with. A lot of us have another side that we show to very few people. That protected image of ourselves knows our innermost fears, longings, dreams…secret wishes.

Maggie leads a somewhat dull life as a website designer. The men she typically dates are oh-so-boring, but deep inside her, she wants more. She reads erotica, dreams of doing much more than just slam-bam-thank-you-ma’am sex. And she has a secret interest in light BDSM, mainly about spanking. This isn’t something she would share with her family or friends. Yet she fantasizes about having at least one encounter with a man who is not vanilla, a man who is willing to show his dominate side.

Fortunately for Maggie, Madame Eve somehow knows her secret wish…and she knows the right man to fulfill it.

EXCERPT:
She gaped in horror. Five emails from Madame Evangeline. Five!  What about her message had captured the matchmaker’s attention enough to have her keep trying to contact Maggie? The spanking stuff! Oh, jeez. That had to be it. Nothing else about her basic info could possibly draw a stranger’s interest.
Fingers shaking, she opened the first message.
I’m so pleased you contacted me, Ms. Malone. I’m sure that I can find someone perfect for you. Please email me back so we can discuss this further.
Palms sweating, she opened the next message.
I’ve done a basic background check on you, Maggie, as I’m sure you’re aware I do for all my clients. Your websites are quite well done, unique. I could see your special imaginative flare. I noticed it in your query message as well. I’m positive I can find the perfect match for you. Please contact me as soon as possible.
Maggie drew in a nervous breath. Madame Evangeline had mentioned imaginative things in her original email, certainly meaning the fantasies. How embarrassing. Yet she opened the third message.
I know exactly what you need, my dear Maggie. You need time away from your work, time to satisfy your secret desires, time to let a very special man attend to your every wish. I eagerly await your response.
Satisfy her secret desires? Let a special man attend to her every wish? Oh, yes! Need thrummed through her, making her squirm in her desk chair.
Heart racing, she opened the fourth message.
What you need, dearest Maggie, is a special night at one of the Castillo Resorts and Hotels. I’m thinking the one in Maui would please you most. The more I study the websites you design, the more sure I am of your sensuality, of the type of man who could please you. I look forward to you contacting me soon.
How could the other woman know about her preference for Maui? How could this unknown woman sense so much about her? See how much of herself she put into each of the website designs? It was eerie…exciting, too.
She gathered her courage and opened the final email, one sent only an hour ago.

Maggie’s Secret Wish


Author Contact Info:

Author Website: Starla Kaye

Author, author... Samantha Darling with Revenge in Rio and Giveaway

...read all about her !!



Please welcome the fabulous Samantha Darling !!!

Hi Samantha, so great to have you here with us.  Can you tell us a little about yourself?


Thank you so much for having me here today! Sure, well I live in the UK with my husband, three year old identical twin boys and our two Bedlington Terriers. I’m a mental health nurse by day but my passion is really with writing. I’ve always loved reading and putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and Revenge in Rio is my debut book!




Do real life events find their way into your stories?

Umm, not so much with Revenge in Rio but I’d certainly use them in the future in the right story if it needed it.




Do you ever mimic family members or people you know when you choose characters?

No, I try and keep them separate wherever possible - real life and storyland.



Do you find yourself going back to the same inspiration for each story or is it always something different?

It’s always something different. It could be anything! To be honest, I’m not even sure when the idea for RIR came from. I saw a clip of Fast and Furious Five, which is set in Rio and gradually the story came together piece by piece. I’m such a panster it’s unreal and sometimes VERY annoying!




When do you write?  Early morning? During the day sometime or all day?  After the kids go to bed?

Usually evening time once the boys have gone to bed, dinners been cooked, dishes washed, house tidied. It doesn’t leave me long but I try and get an hour in before bed.




How do you feel about marketing your book?

Good question. With the way that the book/publishing world is moving, self promotion seems to be a BIG thing. I feel a bit anxious about marketing and promoting my book in fear that I may over do it and start to annoy people! J (Please just shout at me if that happens!)




What social sites do you feel work best for marketing?

I like both Facebook and Twitter. I think Facebook is my favourite but I am also enjoying the ‘short and sweet’ approach with Twitter and how interactive it can be.




Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher or do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to turn in?

I haven’t had the chance of pitching yet but yes I would definitely be up for pitching and hearing the publisher’s thoughts if the opportunity came up.




Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing?  If so, what is it?

I love romance first and foremost but I would also like to try my hand at a paranormal type story.




Do you always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero when you write a story?

No I wouldn’t say so. However, I would like to think that my heroine’s are strong women and take that little trait from me J





Just for fun, I have a few personal questions,  Excellent, lets do it!

Favorite 5

1)      Favorite Male Actor  - Hmm, that’s a tough one. I like John Travolta for acting. I think he is so talented. But eye-candy wise….Gerard Butler, Johnny Depp, Vin Diesel, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, shall I go on….LOL.

2)      Favorite vehicle – I suffer terribly with travel sickness but if I drive I’m okay, so probably just the car!

3)      Favorite way to relax – This sounds very boring but once the house is quiet in the evenings I just lay on the settee and read or watch a film with hubby. But if time, money etc wasn’t an object….Hmm, maybe on a beautiful sunny island, tropical waters lapping at my feet, book in hand….

4)      Favorite ice cream – Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie – YUM!

5)      Favorite outfit – I’m a jeans and top kinda gal but if I’m going out I love a nice LBD.

And for a bonus:  If you could pick any place in the world to live, besides where you are now, where would it be?  (Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or money needed)

Hmm, toughie. I’d probably love a nice villa in Euope somewhere, with a huge swimming pool and vineyard for a garden! Maybe Italy, Greece or Portugal….the possibilities!




Where can our readers find you??  
Email: samanthadarling1986@hotmail.com
Twitter: @samanthav1986






Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?


Yes! Revenge in Rio is my debut book published by Beachwalk Press and I’m so excited to share it with the world!

Revenge in Rio by Samantha Darling
Contemporary Romance

Calculated revenge, unexpected passion…
Business magnate Luca Venancio is returning to Rio to pay his respects to his late brother, and to seduce his once fiancĂ©e, Daniella, back into his bed. Five years ago she left him without so much as a word, shunning him and the rich life he could offer in exchange for his younger, reckless brother. Now Luca wants revenge—seduce her and dump her, that's all he intends to do.
Blackmailed into a violent farce of a marriage, Daniella had no choice but to comply to protect Luca's life, even though it meant never being able to see him again. Years later, a twist of fate reunites them, throwing her plans of fleeing Rio out of the window and the love of her life straight back in.
Luca's flawless plan soon becomes complicated when he discovers Daniella is expecting his brother's child. It becomes even more complicated when old passions return. Can he actually go through with seducing her, bedding her, and then discarding her?

Amazon



Excerpt
 “I will get out here,” Daniella said, reaching for the door handle.
“No, keep driving,” Luca ordered, glaring at the chauffeur and pressing the central lock button.
Although he hadn’t been back to the house, he clearly remembered where his brother had lived. It had been his parents’ home and he had grown up there. He would never forget the decrepit building that had desperately needed restoring. Paint had chipped and flaked off of the dreary walls, and the rooms were so small they felt claustrophobic. He had spent many nights sitting on the roof listening to faint arguments between his parents, whilst he dreamed of a better life.
“You don’t think I at least deserve an explanation? Some minor clarification as to why you just left me in the dark?” Luca stared at her intently and she opened and then quickly closed her mouth again, biting down on her bottom lip until it darkened to a deeper tone of pink.
He kept his eyes on her, not even blinking, as he looked her up and down. She was a shadow of the vibrant girl he remembered; the Daniella he had known five years ago. Sitting beside him now she was scared, the fear was wild in her eyes, and she was clearly malnourished, evident from the black sack of a dress, which hung off her delicate frame.
“When did you last eat something?” It was more of a demand than a question.
“Excuse me?” He finally had her attention.
“You heard me. When did you last eat something?”
“That’s none of your business.” She pulled the cardigan tighter around her midriff and turned away from him.
“I’m concerned. You look ill.”
“Well, I’m not. I’m…I’m…” He watched as she stumbled for her words. “I’m just grieving, okay?”
Fair enough, she may have been grieving for the last twenty-four hours. It was bound to have been a grueling short space of time for her to comprehend Miguel’s death and have the customary quick funeral. But what about before Miguel’s death? The circles under her eyes and fading blue marks across her jaw were old; her skin and hair were dull and lifeless and told a story. They sat in silence as the chauffeur strategically maneuvered the Bentley through the favela’s never-ending maze of winding roads, passing makeshift house upon house, small street markets, and gangs on each corner. Luca’s eyes fixed on the house in front of them when the car eased to a halt a few meters away from their destination, and he recognized it instantly as his childhood home.
Reaching for the door, Daniella pulled on it a couple of times before he pressed the central locking release.
She looked over her shoulder and whispered, “You really have to go now.”
He had given in far too easily years ago, this time he was a different man; a man who always got what he wanted, however cruel and ruthless he had to be. He had to remember that. Love had left him weak and feeble. It had taken time to gather himself and learn to never let emotions take over. Work was his haven, a place for him to focus and throw himself and his energy into. He would prove to Daniella that she had made the wrong choice.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, Luca’s fingers brushed against her dark curls and the nape of her neck. “I’m not going anywhere this time.” He leaned closer, his gaze fixed on her mouth. “I’ve come for something and I intend to get it.”



 ****

One last thing before we let you leave us today :)  Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share?  I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share.


I’m not the worlds best cook, but I do do a couple of nice dishes….Shepherds pie and Paella! I have a little step-by-step run down for each on my blog….



My mum is a brilliant cook and she tried this cake the other weekend for my boys birthday party. It went down a treat with everyone!






Rafflecopter Giveaway

$20 Amazon or B&N Giftcard


Sunday, October 20, 2013

*** Tiger Time on sale NOW ***

Tiger Time (Alaskan Tigers 1) by Marissa Dobson is on sale at All Romance Ebooks for only $.99 until October 23. Be sure to grab your copy. All Romance eBooks

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Author, author.... Weak at the Knees

...read all about it !!





Please welcome author Jo Kessel to A Passion for Romance!!!



Hi Jo, so great to have you here. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hello and thank you so much for having me. Well, what’s to say about myself? I’m a Londoner born and bred. I’ve got three small children who keep me on my toes which makes my life pretty chaotic, so it’s just as well I’m a mad yoga fan. I practice yoga a lot and it really helps clear my head and keep me calm. I’m a big fan of traveling too. For me, it’s a real treat to plant myself in a remote part of the world and soak up a new culture – it also gives me lots of fresh ideas for writing. Most people don’t know that I have really curly hair which I’m forever straightening and my sense of logic and direction is dire. I’m also exceptionally bad at mathematics – my husband sometimes despairs. Oh, and I love skiing. I’m not particularly great at it, but I love it all the same. It’s all the mountain scenery and fresh air.    


What did you want to be when you were growing up or did you always want to be a writer?

My father’s a doctor and so was my grandfather and when I was growing up I really wanted to be a gynecologist. Sadly, to become a doctor you have to be good at sciences at school and I was terrible. So instead I concentrated on the arts and had to give up the dream of a medical career. What I really wanted to be was a journalist because I loved writing, but for some bizarre reason (I’m still not sure how it happened) I ended up qualifying as a lawyer. I never worked as one though, because I immediately realized it wasn’t for me and did my best to try to get into journalism. Which happily I eventually did……..and then from writing newspaper articles to writing novels didn’t feel like too big a stretch, so I gave it a go, and here we now are.


When did you first start writing?

I first started writing short stories when I was five years old and my mother and sister loved reading them and kept asking for more. I never really stopped writing after that, but I didn’t start writing novels until I was pregnant with my first child – or should I say children, because my firstborns are twins!


What is a typical writing day like for you?

I still work as a journalist and so my novel-writing has to fit in on the side. I wouldn’t want to ‘write’ all day though anyway. I like to write in concentrated spurts of a few consecutive hours and then stop. That could be in the morning, the afternoon or the evening - whatever happens to work on any given day.


Do you have any specific routine you follow or specific items you need with you when you write?

First I have to answer all my e-mails and then I have to boil the kettle and make myself the biggest mug of strong tea (when I say ‘big’ – I mean that my mug is enormous) and only when I have my drink ready and by the side of my keyboard can I start to write. As soon as the cup of tea is finished I make myself another one………………you’ve probably guessed that I’m a major tea drinker, although it doesn’t always have to be conventional tea. Herbals work well too.


What is your favorite part of writing?  Is there anything you don’t like about being a writer?

Hum, my favorite part of writing is dialogue. I love writing conversation and putting myself in the heads of the characters and really emoting with them as I work out what they might say, and how they might physically react to what they’re hearing. I close my eyes a lot and try to really transport myself into their souls. What I don’t like about being a writer is when I get stuck on something, but when that happens to me I always stop and take a breather. Often going for a walk really helps. Sometimes I think it’s a shame I don’t have a dog. They would really enjoy accompanying me on all those many, many walks!


What is your favorite length of book to write?  (Short story, novella, full length novel) Why?

My favorite length of book is about 80 – 100k words. I’m not sure why. It just seems to be the length I need to tell a story.



How does your family feel about your writing and you being an author?

My family is very supportive of my writing and my children (who love reading) think it’s really cool that mummy has written some books – plus they love their mentions in the acknowledgments. Actually I’m not the first writer in my family. I’m related to a celebrated French author who was called Joseph Kessel – he wrote the book Belle de Jour which was made into an amazing film starring Catherine Deneuve.


Is there a to-be-read waiting on your bedside table?

Knight and Play, Sweet Thing and When I Look to the Sky (The Rock and Roll Trilogy) are all waiting to be read on my kindle. However my husband has just handed me a physical paperback which he has told me I must read – ‘Remarkable Creatures’ by Tracy Chevalier.  


Just for fun, I have a few personal questions, 

Favorite 5

1)   Favorite Holiday - Christmas

2)   Favorite Drink - Champagne

3)   Favorite Author – Jane Austen

4)   Favorite Book – Pride and Prejudice

5)   Favorite Animal – Hamster – I have to say that because my youngest daughter has a pet hamster called Lucky who we all absolutely adore.


And for a bonus:  What is a typical mood for you?  And is your mood different when you’re writing?

Interesting question! Actually, there is no such thing as a typical mood for me. I can swing from calm to stressed-out pretty quickly depending on external factors – like if my children are being naughty! But if the sun is shining (often a rare commodity in London) I tend to feel much happier. Writing also keeps me calm, because I tend to lose myself in it. Skiing has the same effect on me. When I’m skiing I think of literally nothing else other than each physical turn I’m making and the track I intend to take down the mountain.  


Where can our readers find you??  





@jo_kessel



Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?
Weak at the Knees

Blurb
“We got so busy living life that we forgot to live our dreams.”
Danni Lewis has been playing it safe for twenty-six years, but her sheltered existence is making her feel old ahead of time. When a sudden death plunges her into a spiral of grief, she throws caution to the wind and runs away to France in search of a new beginning.
The moment ski instructor Olivier du Pape enters her shattered world she falls hard, in more ways than one.
Their mutual desire is as powerful and seductive as the mountains around them. His dark gypsy looks and piercing blue eyes are irresistible.
Only she must resist, because he has a wife – and she’d made a pact to never get involved with a married man.
But how do you choose between keeping your word and being true to your soul?
Weak at the Knees is Jo’s debut novel in the new adult, contemporary romance genre – a story about love, loss and relationships, set between London and the heart of the French Alps.
Buy Links:




Rafflecopter Giveaway (Gift Basket including: a signed book, a signed bookmark, a giant pen from the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, and several French goodies featured in Weak at the Knees including a French manicure kit, an Edith Piaf CD (one of France's greatest international singers), personalized merchandise from Montgenevre, the village in the French Alps where Weak at the Knees is set, as well as  a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape - a gloriously rich (and expensive) red wine produced in the Rhone wine region in southeastern France. It is a wine that should be drunk to celebrate a special occasion.



One last thing before we let you leave u s. Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share?  I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share.

Actually, I’m not a great cook, but there are a couple of fun (and sexy) recipes that feature in my new release Weak at the Knees. This is one:

Hot Chocolate with cognac

****Olivier’s hot chocolate recipe: serves 2:

1 x small carton milk, 1 x small carton of single cream, one bar of milk chocolate (melted). Warm cream with milk and remove from heat before it starts to boil. Add melted chocolate, stir vigorously with a wooden spoon and then pour into two mugs to serve. Optional (add cognac/brandy).

**  **  **  **  ** **

Jo, what a pleasure to have you with us today, thank you so much for sharing things about yourself :)  We hope you come back again soon !!

Until next time, happy reading !!

Krista

Tasty Blurb Tour: Bought, Branded and Bound by Lynn Richards






Bought, Branded and Bound

Texas Billionaire Box Set

By: Lynn Richards


Blurb

Macy Trent was a chubby girl but that didn't mean she obeyed anybody's rules but her own. That is, until her drop-dead gorgeous boss blackmailed her into submitting to his will. She agrees to spend the weekend with Logan and obey his every command.

Twenty four hours later…Oh my God what have I done?

That’s Macy first thought upon waking and finding herself in Logan Quinn’s bed. As memories of the night before – and her wanton behavior – come flooding back, Macy realizes last night wasn’t her biggest regret, it was falling in love with her drop dead gorgeous boss.

Logan’s curvy assistant is sarcastic, willful, and deliberately disobedient and he’s had enough of her attitude. He knows the only way to get her out of his system is to make her submit. He also knows being a Dom is all about maintaining control. So why does his curvy secretary make him want to break his every rule?

Come join Logan and Macy on their incredibly erotic journey and find out what happens when a good little submissive makes her dominant lose control…

WARNING: For mature audiences only - contains elements of discipline, submission, dominance, hot sex and . . . romance


Buy Links:

BUY LINK FOR AMAZON.


BUY LINK FOR BARNES AND NOBLE






Excerpt

“Again, Macy, why are you being punished?”

Macy was sitting on the end of the bed like a good submissive when Logan entered the bedroom almost an hour later. Luckily he hadn’t finished sooner. She’d taken a quick shower before donning one of his dress shirts and even answered a text from her sister.

“Because I put two sugars in your coffee instead of three.”

“Did you do that deliberately, Miss Trent? You have made coffee for me almost every day since you’ve been in my employ. And you have put one cube of sugar in my coffee each time. Why forget today?”

He stood there, watching her, his eyes flashing with fire. She didn’t know if it was anger or desire. She hoped it was desire.

“Do you know why I think you forgot, Miss Trent?”

She shook her head, unable to speak.

“I think you want to be punished. You want to feel the heat of my hand on your backside. You want to see how much you can tolerate before using your safe word, don’t you, Macy?”

He stepped back and pulled the t-shirt over his head. Next he hooked his thumbs under the waistband of his pajamas and let them slide to the floor. He wore no socks or shoes. Or underwear.

He walked over to the sitting area and placed one of the high-backed chairs in front of the mirrored closets. Taking a seat he motioned her over. “Come, stand in front of me the way you did last night.”

Macy complied, stepping in front of the chair with her back to him. She could feel her blood thrumming through her body. Even though she couldn’t comprehend the satisfaction to be had from spanking—yet—she was excited. Aroused at the thought of having Logan’s hands on her again.

Would she ever get enough of this man?

He reached out, his hands going under the tail of her shirt to trace the shape of her ass. His hands were warm, his touch firm as he stroked her soft flesh, making her tremble.

“Do you like that, Macy?”

Her breathing hitched. His touch was like a narcotic. One simple stroke and she’d do anything to have more. “Yes.”

“Unbutton my shirt.”

As soon as she’d undone the last button, he was tugging her down across his lap, her torso resting on the large curved arm of the chair. The fingers of one hand threaded through her hair, pulling the errant strands away from her face. Suddenly, she could see them in the mirror. He was watching her. Gauging her reaction.

“I want you to watch me spank you, Miss Trent,” he murmured. This was it. The thought both frightened and aroused her.

Macy watched his face, the brooding, hungry look—like a starving man offered a feast, yet afraid it was going to be snatched away before he got a taste. Fascinated by his expression as he stared raptly at her plump cheeks, she missed the rise of his hand.





Author Info

Lynn Richards is actually the pseudonym chosen by two best friends who started writing together back when they were both young and idealistic. Though no longer exactly young, they are still best friends and still pretty idealistic. They enjoy reading (and writing) romances ranging from sweet and pure, to spicy hot and erotic. Nothing pleases them more than hearing from their readers. Please E-mail them at lynn.richardsromance@yahoo.com and tell them what kind of reads you like and what you'd like to see from Lynn Richards in the future. And thanks for taking time to read Lynn Richards’ romances!

Author Links






  




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