Monday, December 31, 2012

EBay Auction is Live!!!


One of the things I love most about writing romance is being part of a wonderfully supportive and loving community! When someone is need, the community pulls together and does everything they can to support that person - both financially and emotionally.

Vicki Stewart needs both. She's a single mom battling B-Cell Lymphona and needs financial support so she can continue her treatments, and she needs all the love, thoughts, and prayers we can send her while she endures those treatments.

I'm offering a complete signed set of my Heat Wave Series, as well as the chance to name a character in an upcoming book.

A Kindle Fire is up for auction, along with lots of signed books, author swag, and chances to name characters in your favorite authors' books. Please drop by and leave a bid, or just make a donation, to help out a fellow romance lover in need!!

Have a safe and happy New Year!!!

Peace and Love,
Alannah

Friday, October 19, 2012

All Things Books Interview with Gavin

Good morning!!

Gavin (from LAST CALL) is visitng with All Things Books today, talking about his life before he met Sunny, what their future holds, and sharing some of his favorite scenes from the book - the G rated parts! :)

Have a great weekend!!!
Alannah

Friday, October 5, 2012

Countermeasure Series Tour Day 5

I would like to welcome Authors Chris Almeida and Cecila Aubrey to the blog today. They are here for Day 5 of their Countermeasure Series tour.

Before we talk to Chris and Cecila, take a look at the second full length novel in their Countermeasure Series




Blurb:

In the second novel of the COUNTERMEASURE SERIES, Trevor and Cassandra Bauer are starting a new life across the pond where they continue their search for Trevor's parent while he still works as an NSA consultant. When George Miller, his best friend, comes across what looks to be a new piece of information on his parents' case, they embark on a new adventure following a digital trail to Saint Petersburg.

They are encumbered with the task of infiltrating a Russia Mafia's stronghold and recovering stolen files in exchange for that new clue. As they dive in the job, Trevor becomes bound to a Russian mafia crime lord. What started as a simple data file recovery turns into a dangerous game of cat and mouse deep in a world of betrayal, hidden identities, and secret agendas.

Cassandra will do anything to keep Trevor safe. When everything goes FUBAR and she finds herself on the run, her sole focus is finding Trevor even it if means she has to depend on those who might not have their best interests at heart.

Stephan Connelan, Brennan Enterprises' CEO and Trevor's Parents' friend, has fought his desire for Jessica Forrester since the day they met at Trevor and Cassandra's wedding. Events in his past stop him from giving in to temptation, a temptation that would cause them both regret and hurt. But how long can he resist something so powerful as his attraction for the little vixen who has crowded his thoughts for months.

Jessica knows what she wants. Their age difference won't stop her from having the man of her dreams. She is determined to find a way to reach the heart he has locked away behind high walls. Little does she know that her greatest obstacle is Stephan himself.


Read an Excerpt HERE

Buy in here...

Print Format


Ebook Format




Now to hear from Chris and Cecila....


The Reality Within Fiction

We wrap up our Passionate Tour at Alannah Lynne’s blog. We thank Leagh for once again using her magic to make this tour happen and run so smoothly, for keeping us in check. We tend to wander and we need her to steer us back to the light. Alannah, it has been a pleasure chatting with you and we hope to have many more of these exchanges in the future.

To close the week, we’ll talk about how fiction imitates life and sometimes life imitates fiction.
From time to time, we’re asked how we come up with our plots. For the Countermeasure Series, we turn to world events and innovations in technology for inspiration. Because the series is a contemporary romantic suspense thriller, we have to stay in tune with what’s current around the world. World events are our playground.

When the plot idea for Countermeasure surfaced, we wanted certainty that something of magnitude of the original idea could happen for real. We spent weeks prowling the internet and libraries reading everything we could get our hands on. We made a wonderful contact that actually had firsthand knowledge of the pharmaceutical world we were exploring who validated the premise for our story, corroborated our information, and provided us with a wealth of knowledge.

Armed with research, world news events, and validation, Trevor and Cassandra’s adventure began taking shape. The pharmaceutical industry is as cutthroat as we depicted. It was amazing to find out how competitive the corporations are and the lengths they will go to to stay ahead of the game.

Enter To Russia with Love. While tossing around the idea for Trevor and Cassandra’s next adventure, we tapped into Chris’s background and connections as a programmer. We started once again on a journey of discovery asking questions, searching the internet to exhaustion, and checking out a gazillion books from the library. We confirmed that Russia had indeed become a mecca for hackers and that they focus on online fraud. A great number of infiltration attempts into financial institutions’ systems come from that part of the world. Additional research revealed the role the Russian mafia played and its hierarchy. We researched them thoroughly, watched numerous documentaries on the Vory, and gleaned what we could to ensure that we portrayed our villains in their true environment. They are a brutal bunch and those in our story are no different. When you couple hackers and the Russian mafia, you get a gut wrenching, throat tightening adventure.

Eight months after we had finished the original manuscript we read about a raid in a Russian mafia’s stronghold and a number of men arrested, including a member of the St. Petersburg police force who was involved in the mafia operation. As you can see, there’s a big dose of reality in our fiction.

For our current work in progress, the third novel of the series, we will be once again diving into current events. This time our eyes are on the Middle East, a powder keg of politics and religious strife, where every day is lived on the edge. The more we read, discuss, and digest, the faster our pulses race. It will prove to be a rush of a ride and possibly Trevor and Cassandra’s most difficult case to date.

We work hard to keep the world Trevor, Cassandra, George, and all others live and breathe believable. By keeping our ears and eyes on world events and understanding our facts, we can take our readers on an adventure based in the here and now with a pinch of literary license from time to time. We hope that the majority of the readers will enjoy our stories and, even if they are not at par with the research we went through to write the them, learn a bit from that world of adventure, from the reality of our characters’ lives.

Cheers,
Chris and Cecilia

How about you? Have you ever read a book that made you look for more details on something mentioned on it?

Contest Time:

Chris and Cecila are offering one commenter from this blog an ebook copy of To Russia with Love. They are also offering one commenter throughout the whole tour a grand prize of the entire Countermeasure Series (5 ebooks total). All you have to do is comment and fill out the rafflecopter below to enter. Winner will be chosen on Saturday and emailed next week. The tour schedule is below so be sure to go back and check ou the first 4 stops in the tour. 

10/1 featuring Countermeasure ~ Harlie's Books
10/2 featuring Ectasy by the Sea ~ Queen of the Night Reviews
10/3 featuring Cuffed at Midnight ~ Guilty Pleasures
10/4 featuring Passion at Dawn ~ Kinky Book Reviews
10/5 featuring To Russia with Love ~ Author Alannah Lynne


Sunday, September 30, 2012

"Last Call" - Chapter 1, Part 2

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Release Weekend Party with Kallypso Masters!!!

Are you going to party with Kallypso Masters? I know I am!


Just wanted to share that I am participating in the RELEASE WEEKEND PARTY with KALLYPSO MASTERS to celebrate the release of NOBODY'S PERFECT this weekend. I hope you all will stop by and party with us. There are some great authors and prizes so you don't want to miss a thing. Party is from 9-6 CST today but all giveaways are open until Saturday at Midnight CST. Hope everyone has a chance to stop by!


Savannah Gentry, now Savi Baker, escaped the torture and degradation forced upon her by a sadistic father for eleven years and has made a safe life for herself and her daughter. When her father threatens her peace of mind—and her daughter's safety—Savi runs to Damián Orlando for protection. Their one day together eight years earlier changed both their lives and resulted in a secret she can no longer hide. But being with Damián reawakens feelings she wants buried—and stirs up an onslaught of disturbing flashbacks that leave her shaken to the core with little hope of ever being a sexual being again.

Damián has his own dragons to fight, but has never forgotten the one perfect day he spent with Savannah in a cave at the beach. He will go to the ends of the earth to protect Savi and her daughter, but can never be the whole man she deserves after a firefight in Iraq. Besides, the trauma of war and resulting PTSD has led him to find his place as the Masters at Arms Club's favorite sadist. Savi needs someone gentle and loving, not the broken man he has become. But he sees that the lifestyle he's come to embrace also can help Savi regain control of her life and sexuality. How can he not help redirect her negative thoughts and actions if she needs him?


If you like the sound of this one, make sure to start at the beginning. These books MUST be read in order. They really are just one big continuous story. Here is your reading order...



Masters at Arms if FREE on Amazon


Buy it HERE


Buy it HERE

I hope you have a fabulous day today! Enjoy the party!!!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

LAST CALL Excerpt


LAST CALL will release on October 2nd!!

Here's a brief introduction to Gavin. Next week, you'll get to meet Sunny.

Chapter One


Gavin McLeod turned into the Blackout Bar and Grill’s gravel parking lot, whipped his SUV into the first available parking space, and slammed the shifter into park. The vehicle was still rocking from the abrupt stop when he shoved the door open and stepped out into the crisp evening air.

His chest expanded as he drew the heavy salt air into his lungs, then let the explosive tension trapped in his head and neck escape on a sharp exhale. The hour-long drive from Myrtle Beach to Anticue would have been a relaxing trip, had it not been filled with constant chatter and relentless questions from his three female companions. Finally free of the confining vehicle, he took a moment to let the peaceful calm of Anticue Island seep into every cell of his body.

He hadn’t been to the island in… Damn, had it really been fifteen years? The Blackout Bar and Grill was a new addition, and the old fishing pier next door was closed. But other than that, nothing about the island seemed to have changed.

The back doors of the SUV opened, and two-thirds of the troublesome trio climbed out. Their four-inch spiked heels dug into the loose, sandy gravel, pitching them off-kilter, sending them to and fro. Too far away to grab either of them, Gavin held his breath and hoped for the best. Each girl put a hand to the side of the vehicle to gain her balance, then used the car as a handrail as they made their way to the ballast-stone sidewalk.

The other one-third of his problem—which accounted for two-thirds of his headache—remained in the passenger seat. If this were a date, he would open the door and help her from the car like the gentleman his grandfather raised him to be. If it were a platonic, non-forced date with a friend, he still would help her from the car.

But this wasn’t a date. And he’d be damned if he’d do anything to give the impression he was okay with Max and Callie’s plan of manipulating him into pretending it was. In fact, Gavin was so annoyed with Max, he was thinking of demanding an increase in his profit sharing to cover his escort fee.

He stepped in front of the car, slipped his hands into his front pockets, and waited. He would prefer to walk away and leave her sulking, but he couldn’t hit the lock button on the key fob until she gave up her petulance and opened the damned door.

As Jen and Tiffany teetered along the uneven stepping-stones leading to the bar’s side entrance, he took in the details of the building and surrounding property. Weathered clapboard siding hung like sagging skin on a decrepit skeleton, but bright, lime-green trim gave the place a shot of vibrant color, which made the battered siding seem less tired.

Wrought iron benches, brightly painted Adirondack chairs, and copper yard ornaments created a profusion of color along the sidewalk. Hand-painted price tags hung from each piece, letting visitors know they, too, could have a bit of Anticue in their own backyard.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as his gaze settled on a copper windmill. His grandfather would love the controlled chaos created by the bright colors and whimsical atmosphere of the Blackout. He would especially love that windmill.

The stone sidewalk continued past the side entrance to a front patio and balcony that overlooked the beach. During summer months, the pink, blue, and teal tables would be filled to capacity, but on this early May evening, they sat empty.

His gaze shifted to the deserted fishing pier next door, and his smile faded. He and his grandfather had spent many days tossing hooks there, and heavy sadness filled his chest at seeing it abandoned and left to the mercy of the beach’s harsh elements.

Tired of waiting, he peered at Callie through the windshield and cocked an eyebrow, his message loud and clear. Are you coming or not? When she stuck her lip out even further and crossed her arms, he gave her a suit-yourself shrug and turned toward the entrance.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her shoulders slump in defeat. She grabbed her purse from the floor of the SUV, pulled the lever to release the door, and shoved against it with a huff. “A gentleman would have opened the door for me.”

Gavin smiled and kept walking. Maybe if he turned into a first-rate asshole, he’d finally drop off Callie’s radar. God knows, reasoning with her hadn’t worked. Neither had the direct approach: I’m. Not. Interested.

All she’d ever seen was his refined business persona. She had no idea the real Gavin, buried beneath the expensive Italian suits, even existed. Maybe knocking some of the polish off his redneck would be the answer to getting her to drop her obsession.

Her friends were perched on wooden chairs at a high pub table, looking around expectantly for a waiter. Out of the ten or twelve people scattered around the bar, none looked too interested in jumping to meet the girls’ demands.

The front wall that faced the beach was actually two large doors that could be rolled out of the way to create one large space between the inside and outside deck. At the back of the room sat the L-shaped service bar. One end stopped short of the kitchen entrance, while the other hooked back to the wall. Two older salts sat on barstools at the hooked end, sipping their beers and talking.

One side of the room held a pool table, while a jukebox sat in the middle of the building, wedged against the center support beam. The rest of the area was filled with an assortment of pub and picnic tables. The whimsical outdoor atmosphere carried over to the interior, with brightly painted walls decorated in copper sculptures and stained-glass pieces.

Gavin had wondered why Max would send him to this little bar on an out-of-the-way island, but now he understood the reason for the trip. Max had done this before when he wanted Gavin’s opinion on a location. Without giving him any details, he’d send him to “check it out.” Gavin would report back with his impression, and, if the two men agreed the place held a unique appeal, they’d mimic its style in one of Holden’s resort properties.

This place definitely had a unique appeal.

Had he made the trip alone, he could have a lot of fun roaming around, checking out the artwork, listening to the locals. But he wasn’t alone, so he might as well find out what Callie and her friends wanted to drink, hook ‘em up, then leave them to get sloshed while he wandered around and soaked up the details.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Savin' Me - Scene 6 (Chapter 3, Part 2) on Wattpad

Good morning!!!

I wanted to let you know I've posted Scene 6 (Chapter 3, Part 2) of SAVIN' ME on Wattpad. The next scene will post Saturday morning. I have to edit the copy so that it's suitable for younger audiences (Wattpad has a HUGE teen audience), so just be aware of that as you're reading.

Tomorrow, I'll post the opening scene of LAST CALL (here), and on Friday, I'll have the details of a special release party that I'm participating in for Kallypso Masters' much-anticipated NOBODY'S PERFECT!! I'm so excited for this book to be out!

Have a great Happy Hump Day!!
Alannah

Friday, August 31, 2012

We have winners!!!

Thank you to everyone who participated yesterday! I have used random.org and chosen the following winners. An email has been sent to you, if you did not receive that email, please contact me at assistant@alannahlynne.com.

Hugs!


Giveaway #1

Prize: $25 Gift Card to Amazon or B&N from Alannah Lynne

Winner:
Michael F. 

Giveaway #2

Prize: Book and swag pack from Kallypso Masters

Winners:
Terry A
Lisa G
Kim L
Jessica R
Wendy P

Giveaway #3

Prize: Copy of Reaction Time by Alannah Lynne

Winners:  
Cathy V
Tara M

Giveaway #4

Prize: Newsletter subscription, swag, and backlist book from Sandra Sookoo

Winner: 
Amanda M

Giveaway #5

Prize: Copy of Savin' Me by Alannah Lynne

Winners:
JoDee D              
June M

Giveaway #6

Prize: Kindle Copy of Hard to Resist by Janelle Denison

Winners: 
Sherie L
Pat S


Giveaway #7

Prize: Countermeasure series collection by Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey

Winner: 
Kimberly G


Giveaway #8

Prize: Copy of Last Call by Alannah Lynne

Winners: 
Patty P
Melanie P

Congratulations again to all the winners!!!
















Birthday Bash Contest are now closed

Hey, it's Alannah's assistant, Leagh.  I wanted to stop by quick and say THANK YOU to everyone who played along yesterday. It was a great celebration and I'm pretty sure Alannah had a good time, I know I did. The contests from yesterday are now closed. I will run through and pick our winners and post them here and also email each one individually. I should have them all posted by the end of the day today. Good luck to everyone.

Hugs,
Leagh Christensen

What a Party!!!!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate my birthday yesterday! I'm still working my way through the comments (my next stop), but for those who didn't make it, I wanted to show you what you missed.

The guys from Parmalee (an awesome local band) managed to capture video evidence of the whole thing! ;-)

If you haven't registered for the contests yet (there's a total of 8), scroll down through the list and do so now. The first one (and possibly the 2nd one, after I post this) are on the next page, so you'll have to click the "See Older Posts" link at the bottom of the page to get to those.

You have until Noon (CST) today!!

Thanks again to all of the commenters and a giant, massive thank you to: Leagh Christensen (event organizer), Kallypso Masters, Sandra Sookoo, Janelle Denison, and Chris Almeida and Cecelia Aubrey.

Have a great weekend!!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Giveaway #8 - The party is just about over, it's time for LAST CALL

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Giveaway #7 - If the love scenes you write....with Chris Almeida and Cecila Aubrey


I would like to welcome Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey to the blog. This dynamic duo are the authors of 2 full novels and 3 novellas...so far. For a chance to win the entire collection, continue reading.


If the love scenes you write…



In our interaction with other authors, we have heard them discussing the writing of love scenes and how some think it the hardest part to write. Oddly enough, the love scenes and romance aspects of our stories are the easiest to both of us. We are fairly certain that this comes from our background as role players where we actually wear the skin of the characters we are portraying and play fairly erotic scenes often. In that case, practice makes perfect. The more we played erotic love scenes, the easier it became to write them for the novels and shorts.

One of our mottos states: If the love scenes you write don’t make you squirm in your seat, you are doing it wrong. Rewrite.

Luckily, we have never rewritten a love scene. Again, we definitely feel our background as role players has benefited us in this aspect. When writing we both become the characters and the flow and action comes naturally. In the case of the main characters in Countermeasure and To Russia with Love, we wore their skins for months before formally committing their story to the page. In essence, we are Trevor and Cassandra. We feel their emotions, desires, pain. As a result, when we come to an intimate scene it flows as naturally as their banter. Whatever the setting, whatever the position, it may be just a touch, kiss, a caress, or other delicious…you get the picture, Trevor and Cassandra are in control and we follow their lead.

There are times when we thrive on seeing how much we can make each other squirm and there are times that we have to step away for a breather—more like find a fan—because the intensity of their love can be overwhelming. It’s thrilling to receive comments from readers telling us how those scenes made them feel, how they made them squirm, too.

When writing similar scenes with other characters the same thing happens, however, we have to lock Trevor and Cassandra away to give way to those characters’ voices. Take for example, Stephan and Jessica from To Russia with Love. Their relationship is just as intense, emotional, and loving; however, they are driven by different desires, which are much different from those of the main hero and heroine. Stephan is more domineering and Jessica enjoys the thrill of relinquishing control to him. We plan to continue exploring their story in upcoming Bytes of Life.

All in all, our connection with our characters allows us to write scenes that will let you experience their intimate moments to the fullest. Keep in mind that we do not have barriers when it comes to writing those scenes and as long as you are open to the explicitness of the content, you will definitely get a tingle out of it.

Cheers,
Chris & Cecilia





Excerpt from To Russia With Love:


As each camera was set and turned on, their images began displaying on the screen and the feeds were automatically saved to their external hard drive. They were also motion activated, transmitting data only when activity was detected. That meant they could run the surveillance for hours on end without running out of disk space.

Cassandra got lost in the flow of activity and jumped slightly when she heard Trevor's devious chuckle ripple through the connection. "Damn it, Trevor. I know that laugh. What the hell are you up to?!"

"What?! Can't a guy have a little bit of fun on the job?" His voice held a rasp of excitement.

"Why is it that when you say 'fun' I hear 'trouble'?"

His voice held a hurtful tone. "No faith, whatsoever, in my skills."

She guffawed. "Yeah, yeah."

"Okay. About to set last camera."

Trevor checked to be sure that the coast was clear before he left the cover of the trees and sprinted for the sidewalk across from the park. He hugged the wall as he pulled the last camera from his pack. Staying out of the view of the security camera he'd spied earlier atop the gate's side pillar, he used the intricate design of the wrought iron gate as a ladder to reach the camera. Its location was ideal to record the faces and license plates of cars arriving at the gates and its angle prevented any peripheral activity from being recorded. Idjits made it too easy.

At the top, he swung a leg over the rounded edge of the gate, balancing himself to keep from falling on his face as he reached from behind for the encased camera with both hands. He carefully attached their micro-camera and battery pack to the top front edge of the casing.

His voice was hushed and cartoonish. "Oh, grandmother, what big eyes you have! The better to see you with."

Cassandra's snort of laughter traveled over the audio link.

“Oh, you liked that, didn’t you?”

"Just because I laugh at your jokes doesn't mean they're good, you know." Her voice oozed disdain and he could picture her eyes rolling back in her head.

He kept tabs on the surrounding area as he adjusted the position of the micro-camera. He switched it on and gave Cassandra the last signal. "Let me know if this one has a good angle."

After a few moments, her voice exploded over the link. "What the hell?! That is from pretty high up. Really good view, but really high up! How the hell did you accomplish that one, Trevor? Hold on a second. Where are you right now?!"

"Setting the cameras?" He feigned innocence.

"Get your ass out of there on the double!" Anxiety bled through her words.

Her fear beat at him. He sobered immediately. "I am on my way down and will be out of here in no time, Cassie."

Trevor swung his leg back over the gate. Suddenly a deep growl blasted his ears and a heavy weight slammed against the fence, knocking him from his perch. "Umpf!" He exclaimed as he hit the sidewalk and pain seared through his entire body. His vision dimmed and ears grew muffled as he exhaled is shallow breaths to ease the radiating agony. The low menacing growls and barks from at least two dogs penetrated his haze. Move your arse, man! He grimaced to himself, rolling instinctively up against the wall into the cover of shadows. Sucking in a deep shaky breath, he held his position and tried to regroup.

"Fuck! Trevor! Report!" Cassie's frantic voice demanded in his ear.

Winded, he couldn't squeeze out the words to comfort her. A commotion inside the gate forced him to press tighter against the wall, hoping his dark clothing would help as addition camouflage.

"Trevor! Report. Now!"

"Here!" He gasped out with a groan.

A voice behind the wall yelled. Trevor smirked. The guard blamed the dogs' barking on a stray cat.

Someone else cursed at the dogs to shut up.

"I would like that, too, thank you very much!" Trevor mumbled to himself as he completed an internal assessment. The pain was fading and, although nothing was broken, he had landed on his back and on the small tool kit box in his backpack. Damn that's going to smart in the morning. Confident he hadn't blown his cover since he wasn't kissing shoes or facing gun muzzles, he finally responded to Cassie's frantic requests.

"I'm okay. Just sore. All cameras placed. I'm heading back."

"If you think you can just scare the crap out of me and walk home like nothing happened you are very wrong, mister." Cassie's voice, although steady, was now seething with anger. "What the hell happened out there, Trevor!?"

Trevor checked his surroundings, crawled closer to the gate, and popped his head around the corner of the wall to check the house. Again, loud growls echoed in his ears and the gate shook under weight of a body butting up against it. The dogs were right in his face doing what they were trained to do—guard the property.

"Dogs, Cassie...big dogs happened."

Reading Order:

1 - Countermeasure (Novel - Published)
1a - Ecstasy by the Sea (Short Story - Published)
1b - Cuffed at Midnight (Short Story - Published)
1c - Passion at Dawn (Short Story - To Be Released September, 2012)
2 - To Russia With Love (Novel - Published)

For more information about this series visit their website HERE

Buy Countermeasure and To Russia with Love HERE

Chris and Cecilia are offering one commenter an entire Countermeasure Series collection in e-book format. That is a total of 5 books, 2 full novels and 3 novellas!!! To enter, talk sex scenes with me. What makes the perfect sex scene to you? Leave a comment and fill out the form below. All contest will be open until noon tomorrow (8/31/12) Winners will be chosen and notified shortly after that. 

Giveaway #6 - Janelle Denison


I would love to welcome Janelle Denison to the blog today. I have an excerpt from her newest release HARD TO RESIST and a contest!



Renee Griffen always did have a thing for Jake Copeland, especially since they’d been each other’s “firsts” in high school. But now, ten years later, he’s offering her a sexy “do-over” of that less-than-satisfying night, and Renee finds his offer hard to refuse. Jake might have blundered their first time together, but he’s all about second chances, and this time he’s playing for keeps.


Excerpt
(rated 18+)


“Was it as good for you as it was for me?”

Jake Copeland’s husky, sex-infused voice washed over Renee Griffen, making her shiver all over again. “Oh, yeah, it was spectacular.”

Her face warmed at the realization that she’d just had Skype sex with the same guy she’d willing gone all the way with at the end of her senior year in high school, based on a mutual pact that neither one of them wanted to head out into the real world as inexperienced virgins.

Ten years later, and the boy had become a devastatingly gorgeous man who knew exactly what to say and do to make a woman unravel and come apart — without even physically touching her. A part of her couldn’t believe that she’d let his seduction go so far, but then again, things had been heading in this direction ever since they’d reconnected on Facebook a little over a month ago. They’d gone from getting reacquainted via emails, to flirtatious phone calls, then more intimate Skype sessions. But for as much as they’d shared, she wasn’t sure how to define this long distance relationship of theirs. It was something they’d never talked about, and she honestly had no idea how Jake felt about them. And it didn’t help matters that she lived inChicago, and he resided inAtlanta working for a marketing firm, which made it even more difficult to purse a deeper and more lasting connection.

Smiling shyly at her laptop’s web cam, she readjusted the thin straps of the lacey camisole top she’d worn so that her breasts were covered once again. “The only thing that would have made it better was you being here in person.”

“Yeah, we need to arrange that,” he agreed, his blue eyes still holding remnants of lust and heat from their steamy encounter.

He braced his forearms on his desk and leaned closer to his own camera. He’d taken off his shirt just before things had gotten down and dirty, displaying a nicely muscled chest that she wished she could reach out and stroke and caress right through her monitor. As fun and sexy as this live video chat had been, and for as much as she enjoyed reconnecting with Jake, the entire situation left her wanting so much more.

She bit her bottom lip and threw out a suggestion. One that would hopefully help them to figure out where allthis was heading. “There’s always our ten year high school reunion next month.”

He dragged his fingers through his dark hair, making the thick strands stick up in places, but that disheveled look in no way detracted from just how handsome he’d become. “You know, I’ve been thinking about that, too.”

Her heart leapt with hope. “And?”

A slow, sinful smile curved the corners of his sensual lips. “What do you think about meeting up at the reunion for a do-over?”

Unsure of what he meant, she tipped her head to the side and expressed her confusion. “A do-over?”

“Yeah. A do-over of our first time together after Grad Night.” He playfully waggled his brows at her. “You have to admit that having sex for the first time in the backseat of my cramped Honda Civic was awkward and less than satisfying. For you, anyways,” he said, acknowledging that at least he’d achieved gratification.

She laughed, easily recalling that eight second ride that had left her wondering what the fuss about sex was all about. “Yeah, it was over pretty quickly.”

He groaned, his expression pained. “I swear I’ve got way more staying power now.”

Oh, she believed him. They’d just spent half an hour sexually teasing one another over Skype and drawing out their releases, so she knew the man could definitely go the distance. And oh, Lord, the things he’d told her that he wanted to do to her — how he wanted to suck on her nipples and go down on her before fucking her hard and fast — made her hot all over again. It had been that last declaration that had sent her over the edge, and him, too. Their orgasms had been simultaneous, and watching his expression as he climaxed had increased her own pleasure.

If he was that impressive on a video chat, she could only imagine how good he was in person. The thought made her shiver.

“Give me the opportunity to make up for that disastrous night,” he said, pleading his case. “We didn’t even get the chance to be together again after that.” The tone of his voice expressed his genuine disappointment.

So true, and something she truly regretted, too. Having sex with Jake had been decided on a whim, and a few days after grad night she’d left for Europe on a month long tour her parents had given to her as a graduation gift, and he’d gone off to college. They hadn’t kept in touch, though Renee never forgot Jake Copeland and what could have been had they had more time to spend together that summer. Especially when she’d flipped through her yearbook to the “Most Likely” page and had seen what he’d written there a few days after they’d had sex.

She might have been voted The Girl Most Likely to Travel the World by her classmates, but Jake had made a change to that superlative to read: The Girl Most Likely to Travel the World Give A Guy a Second Chance. At the time, she’d laughed at his sense of humor. But now, ten years later, Jake was asking for that second chance, and even though her emotions were more involved than she’d ever anticipated, she found it hard to refuse something she wanted so badly.

He was waiting for her answer, the sensual promise in his deep blue gaze coaxing her to agree. God, she was so easy when it came to this man, which said way too much about the depth of feelings she’d developed for him. Somewhere along the way, during all their late night phone calls, chats, and conversations, she’d fallen hard. Not knowing where she stood with him left her feeling vulnerable, and set her up for potential heart ache. But she hoped, based on what she’d heard in his voice and seen in his eyes, there was something more there for him, too.

It was a risk she was willing to take. “Okay, let’s do it.”


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For a chance to win one of two kindle copies up for grabs today, lets talk birthday parties. What do you usually do for your birthday? Leave a comment and fill out the form below. All contest will stay open until noon tomorrow (8/31/12) Winners will be chosen and notified shortly after that. 






Giveaway #5 - Anyone up for SAVIN' ME?


Well you can by reading this excerpt from my most recent release SAVIN' ME. Read on and comment to win! 



One step away from the coveted Vice Presidency of her firm, the last thing Kat Owens needs is the distraction of a man. Her client, Erik Monteague, disagrees. He’s charming, sexy, seductive, and impossible to ignore or refuse. After succumbing to his advances, Kat’s forced to choose between her career and the man she’s fallen for... even while knowing her love might not be enough to save him from self-destructing.

While Erik’s perfectly-executed seduction gets Kat into his bed, the end result is more than he bargained for. Having spent the past ten years wallowing in guilt and self-loathing over his fiance’s tragic death, falling in love is unacceptable. However, Kat’s passionate, loving nature dissolves the carefully constructed walls guarding his heart, forcing him to face his tragic past and make a decision...spend the rest of his life running, or risk being devastated by love again?



Excerpt:
(Rated 18+)


As he approached the end of the dark hallway, she burst from her bedroom, rounding the corner at a fast clip. They collided, hard.

He threw his arms around her waist to keep her from stumbling back. In the process, every perfect curve and dip of her body molded against his. The heat of her palms pressing against his chest was like a sizzling brand, as she gasped to catch her breath.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t hear you come back in. Are you all right?”

No, he wasn’t even close to being all right.

Through the filtered light of the living room, he watched her eyes go from wide with surprise to a heavy-lidded forest green as he continued to hold her tight. With each labored breath, his chest brushed against her breasts. His palm rested on the small of her back, and he fought the need to pull her tighter against his jerking, straining erection.


“F*(k.” What was supposed to have been a muttered curse came out sounding like a plea.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. Her body melted further into his, and the pulse in her neck fluttered wildly.

All the way to the dumpster and back he’d lectured and coached himself like a parent would an unruly teenager. Come in, make sure she didn’t need any more help, then get the hell out before something like this happened. But right now, primal instinct was in control, overpowering his good intentions and his word, demanding he take what he wanted.

He thrust his free hand through the hair at the nape of her neck and yanked her head back, careful not to hurt her, but forceful enough to let her know she wasn’t going anywhere. Surprised by his aggression, her eyes snapped wide and her mouth dropped open, giving him the access he craved. His assault on her mouth was as ferocious as a lion attacking its prey.

Rather than push him away, she accepted him fully by wrapping her arms around his neck and dragging him even closer. He backed her against the wall, wedged a knee between her thighs, and with a feral growl, deepened the kiss even further while she rode his knee.

And it still wasn’t enough for either of them.

Their tongues clashed, twisting and tangling, frantic for even deeper contact. His hand snaked up her side until he reached the swell of her breasts. He used his thumb to tease her taut nipple, and she arched her back, pressing her body more firmly into his grasp.

His heartbeat pounded in his ears as his body stretched tight as a rubber band about to snap. He wanted to eat her alive, and if he didn’t stop now—which was already way beyond the promised boundaries—he wouldn’t stop until he’d buried himself in her warm, wet body.

It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done, but as his words—no touching—thumped inside his skull, he forced himself to pull back and draw in a deep, shuddering breath.

Her eyes screamed don’t stop. But he had to; this wasn’t right. He’d given his word that he’d behave, and although he may have a reputation for being a lowlife scoundrel, he always kept his word.

Of course, when he made that promise he hadn’t counted on extenuating circumstances making it impossible. But he could still walk away at this point and not feel like a total sack of shit. The look in her eyes, her response to his touch all told him that one day soon he’d strip, lick, suck, and f*(k her senseless.

But it wouldn’t be tonight.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice raw and choppy. “When I made that promise, I hadn’t considered the possibility of you literally falling into my arms.”

Eyes wide and glassy, she ran a finger over her lips and took a few shallow breaths. “Is it always going to be like this?” Her voice was soft, desperate. “Every time we’re together is it going to be a constant battle, like horny teenagers trying to keep our hands off each other?”

He scrubbed a shaky hand down his face, then proceeded to stare a hole in his shoes as he honestly considered the question. He wanted to tell her no, that it was just a phase. He wished he could give her a smooth-talking sales job that would get her into bed and stick with his plan of working her out of his system. Then, they would both move on with their lives. Separately.

The problem was, he no longer believed it would be that easy. His cat scratch fever was back with a vengeance.

“I don’t know,” he said, running a thumb across her red and swollen bottom lip. “All I know is that I want you with a ferociousness I have never felt before.” And with that admission, he turned away and headed for the door. “Maybe I should swim home to work off some of this pent-up frustration.” He stopped at the door, turned, and winked. “Sleep tight, baby.”



To be eligible to win one of two copies of Savin' Me that are up for grabs, comment and tell me if you have ever experienced that feeling. Have you ever not been able to keep your hands of someone? Be sure to fill out the form below. All contest in the birthday bash will be open until noon tomorrow (8/31/12) Winners will be chosen and notified shortly after that. Thanks for stopping by!

Giveaway #4 - Sandra Sookoo


For Giveaway #4, I would like to welcome Author Sandra Sookoo. Welcome Sandra!

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Thanks for having me on your blog today. It looks like a great party!

Let’s talk stories. I’ve always been a big fan of adventure-type stories. Swords, quests, caravans with camels, mummies, bad guys, whatever the author can conjure up, I’ll read it. Throw in a bit of suspense or romance and I’m as happy as a clam.

I think that’s a big reason of why I became a writer. To pen the types of stories I sometimes couldn’t find out there in the market place.

That’s exactly why I wrote my latest release ACT OF PARDON. I’ve been fascinated by pirates all my life, and to write about them was just too much fun. If you’re a fan of adventure romance with privateers, sword fights, sea battles and searing love scenes, this book is for you!



Here’s the blurb: Retribution and sorrow can bring redemption and salvation if you look hard enough.

The year is 1814 and piracy is drawing to an end in the Caribbean yet Sarah Covington, a disenchanted missionary's daughter, has a plan to kill the pirate who murdered her father and fiancé. When the assassination attempt goes horribly wrong, she’s taken aboard the Lady Catherine as prisoner. Though she’s forced to embrace a life of degradation and subservience by the very pirate she tried to kill, he stirs passions she never knew she harbored.

Adrian Westerbrooke captains the Lady Catherine but not by choice. Officially a privateer under England's protection, he has his own agenda and will take down targets for the highest bidder. The only problem is the beautifully flawed Sarah. He'll try everything in his power to break her spirit and make her bow before his. At sea, his word is law, no matter how much she intrigues his mind and inflames his body.

Yet Sarah possesses a stubbornness that matches his own, on deck and in the bedroom, and a battle of wills begins. As trust grows, so does their desire--whether they can survive the threats at sea while working through their differences is up to faith… and perhaps love.

You can buy Act of Pardon at:



Visit my website for more information www.sandrasookoo.com



Sandra has graciously offered a subscription to her monthly newsletter, book swag (postcards, bookmarks, etc) and a free download of any book on her backlist (2012 titles not included in giveaway). All you have to do to enter is leave a comment and fill out the form below. Thanks for stopping by! All Birthday Bash contests will be open until noon CST tomorrow (8/31/12) and the winners will be chosen and notified shortly after that.