Excerpt : Hidden Depths by @aubriannahunter #giveaway

It's a steamy Saturday!  Join us for a juicy excerpt from Hidden Depths by Aubrianna Hunter! Yum!  Be sure to check out the giveaway below !   **Beware- 18+ only please! ** 

Hidden Depths

Hidden Series - Book 1

Aubrianna Hunter

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance     

Publisher: Writer's Edge Publishing

ASIN: B00B09852A

Number of pages: 236

Word Count: 74,384

Kindle - HiddenDepths - Kindle Edition

Paperback - HiddenDepths Paperback

Book Description:

She is pierced, dyed and tattooed born on the wrong side of the tracks. He is a traditional white knight born of the proverbial silver spoon. Their meeting was an accident, the fact that they became even the most tentative of friends, an anomaly. The only real thing they had in common... chemistry. Lots of chemistry. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough and Gia knew it. Now, if only she could convince her body...

Josh had always walked the line, lived the life he was expected to live. He had, by all accounts, the perfect life; a corporate lawyer, a beautiful home, a family empire to run, and the perfect fiancee. He was well on his way. The only question he had... was that really where he wanted to go? Plagued by dreams, Josh fought all his natural instincts, denying not only what he truly wanted but who he was deep down inside. Until one crazy night when he gave in to his desires...

         

Could these two polar opposites have more in common than even they realize?

Excerpt 

Everyone started peeling off clothes, slathering on sunscreen and racing into the water. Kicking off her sandals, Gia was one of the last, still putting her keys away and tucking her purse under the umbrella. She pulled off her shirt and shorts then turned, surprised to see Josh standing there with his shirt still on. Since they were the only two left on the sand, she felt she could speak freely. And, she knew why he wasn't in the water yet

"It's healed enough to go in, ya know. Make sure you coat it with a layer of sunscreen and wash it really well when you get home, but it's been over two weeks, you're fine to swim. Besides, it's too fuckin' hot not to."

"Yeah, I'm not worried about that."

"Then why are you still up here? Want to borrow my sunscreen?" Gia tossed it over to him then turned and reached for her hat. At his hiss of breath, she turned and looked at him. He looked... strange. He stared at her, his eyes roving over her, head to toe.

"Okay, I know I'm not as skinny as they are, but I've never had any complaints, so quit staring at me. And I know it's not about the ink. You've seen most of it before, and now you have one of your own."

"You're not fat, Gia, don't be stupid," he growled at her.

"I'm not stupid, dumbass." All of a sudden it dawned on her why he was still standing there. She couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up at her realization. "You haven't told her, have you? Deb doesn't know you have a tat."

Now he glared at her, no longer taking in her body, just staring straight into her eyes, all pissed off and pouting like a petulant child.

"No, I haven't shown her yet."

"Now, how the hell did you manage that. I mean, I know she has her own place still, but seriously, it's not a little tattoo, Josh. How could she not see it when you're doin' the nasty? Unless, wait, are you a shirt on kind of guy?"

This time he didn't even bother with words, just growled at her, a low menacing sound. Which sent Gia off into fits of laughter.

"So, that's a yes. I don't see why. Having recently seen that torso, I can easily attest to the fact that you have nothing to be shy about. Or maybe you guys are a lights off kind of couple. Nobody can see anything. Am I right?"

His temper finally snapping, Josh stepped up to Gia, leaning over her in an obvious attempt to seem threatening. "I am not embarrassed, as I thought I'd already proven when I stripped in your shop. And I don't need the lights off. I like to see what I'm doing, where I'm touching. See the reactions I'm causing with my lips and my tongue. See everything, including the look of pleasure when I bury my cock inside her."

Licking her suddenly dry lips, it took two tries before she could make her voice work. If she didn't know better, she would swear he was talking about her, not Deb. Standing up on her toes, bringing her face closer to level with his, she went nose to nose with him. She refused to be cowed, and she damn sure wouldn't let him know what his words were doing to her. "Well then, how is it that she hasn't seen it yet?"

Josh's head snapped back. He took one step, then another backward, away from Gia. "Because, we haven't exactly done the 'nasty', as you put it, since I got the work done."

Gia was shocked. Truly, completely stunned. There is no way she could keep her hands off a man like that for almost three full weeks. Three full hours seemed like too long. Three days... forget it.

With a casual shrug and a wicked smirk, she said, "Well, that explains so much. You're sexually deprived. How long had it been before the tat? You know, sexual frustration can make you do some very foolish things. Oh, and I need to make sure to get Deb a really good BOB for her shower gift. If you're not taking care of business she definitely needs a battery operated boyfriend. There is no way I could go three weeks without rubbin' one out. I'm more of an everyday sort of girl."

Leaving him standing there with his mouth hanging open, Gia strolled down to the water. She lifted one arm, pushing her hat further down on her head and added an extra little swing to her hips as she walked. Being hard up definitely explained the hard on a few weeks ago. Not to mention all the flirting he'd been doing. She figured the extra wiggle might be just exactly what he needed.

As she waded out into the water she grinned, thinking of the fireworks about to start when Deb caught sight of the tattoo. When she heard splashing behind her she turned, just in time to see Josh diving at her in a full body tackle.

As she came up sputtering, her hair hanging in wet strands sticking to her face, Josh felt infinitely better. He'd already been aroused just by the sight of her in a bikini. Her taunting and his little description of sex had made him hard as a damn fence post. A situation that was made worse by the visual he'd had of her 'rubbin' one out'. Since he knew there was no real way to hide the evidence of his desire, getting into the water as quickly as possible had seemed like a great idea. Taking her down a peg in the process had been even better.

"Josh, damn you! Now I have sunscreen running into my eyes. And where's my hat?" She yelled all this as she frantically wiped beneath her eyes, trying to stop her makeup from running.

Grinning from ear to ear, Josh scooped up her very wet hat, still full of water, and plopped it unceremoniously onto her head. "There you go, sweetheart, is that what you wanted?"

About the Author:

I am often asked; who is Aubrianna Hunter?  And the truth is the answer isn't a simple one. Beyond being a dedicated wife and mother, I was raised by a Marine, and married into the Navy. 

Needless to say I can go toe to toe with the most sarcastic people you have met, and can dish insults and curse with the best of them.  I blurt wildly inappropriate things at precisely the moment when the room goes quiet, so much so that my co-author has nicknamed me Ted... Yes... After the bear in the movie. 

Recently my husband has replaced calling me crazy with calling me "Creative", but the tone he uses to do it makes me question his sincerity.  Though honestly, crazy is probably closer to reality.  I like my hectic life, in fact I thrive in the chaos and would have it no other way.

Stalk Her :

Amazon Link       Twitter        Facebook Fan Page      Aubrianna Hunter - Blog

Giveaway Time: 

Entry-Form

Continue reading →

Touched Character Interview with @AJAalto - #giveaway

Good morning everyone!  Today, I am thrilled to turn the blog over to AJ Aalto, author of Touched, for a fun character interview!  Be sure to stick around for more about the book Touched, the author and also a giveaway !

AJ: Hi, everyone! Today, I’m interviewing the main character of “Touched,” Marnie Baranuik, a forensic psychic with the FBI’s preternatural crimes unit. Thanks for being with us today, Marnie.

Marnie: Not like I had a choice. I’m stuck in your brain-goop.

AJ: Let’s start with an easy question. What’s your favourite food?

Marnie: Is caffeine a food?

AJ: No.

Marnie: It really should be. I guess I’d have to say low-fat tofu-and-sprout stir-fry with a side of yogurt…and a banana.

AJ: Really?

Marnie: Of course not, blockhead. I hardly ever eat anything that isn’t from the cookie family, though I do appreciate a good Cheez Doodle.

AJ: Tell us about your job.

Marnie: I worked as a psychometrist and clairempath (that’s a Groper-Feeler for those in the biz) for Gold-Drake & Cross, who also license and manage the twenty-five other registered forensic psychics in this country. I attempted to retire after I assisted on a disastrous case with the FBI—

AJ: During which, you slept with one of the lead investigators, Mark Batten.

Marnie: By accident!

AJ: Did Agent Batten trip and fall into your lady bits?

Marnie: Maybe he’s a clumsy agent? *far-off look, remembering* Not clumsy with his tongue, though…

AJ: Speaking of sex, what turns you on?

Marnie: The sound of a fresh package of batteries opening. Did I just over-share?

AJ: Let me rephrase: what turns you on about a person?

Marnie: I’m guessing if I say the word “dick,” that twitch in your right eye is going to get worse.

 AJ: Fine, what are your turn-offs?

Marnie: I don’t prefer it when a man owns chickens.

AJ: Chickens.

Marnie: Yeah, like a farmer? Farmers work real early, and I don’t do mornings.

AJ: Is that all? Just not aroused by chicken farmers?

Marnie: I suppose all farmers get up early, so they won’t do. And guys on shift work. And shapeshifters, because I don’t like fleas. And I can’t date doctors, they don’t approve of my lifestyle. And you know what’s also annoying? Men who smirk…because really, what’s that about?

AJ: As I recall, Mark Batten smirks at you a lot.

Marnie: The jackass.

AJ: What’s the worst thing a friend could do to you?

Marnie: I really hate when a friend puts roofies in my tea and pushes me down the stairs and tries to feed me to a wrath demon. It’s something I almost never forgive.

AJ: How far would you go to defend your moral convictions?

Marnie: I have moral convictions?

AJ: Fine, how far would you go to defend the things you care about?

Marnie: If someone tried to hurt my Harry, I’d put my boot so far up their ass, they’d choke on the laces. Is that what you meant?

AJ: Tell me about Harry.

Marnie: Dark Lady, where do I start? You know if I don’t get it right, he’ll pout about it later. Well, Harry is Lord Guy Harrick Dreppenstedt, my revenant companion, what the layperson might still call a “vampire,” although that term is no longer politically correct. He’s British, he prefers the finer things in life, he doesn’t approve of my taste in anything at all, and he thinks he knows everything. Which he doesn’t.

AJ: And you live together?

Marnie: We are life partners, but not romantically involved. Though Harry is a doting companion, and generous with sweet talk and pet names, he is unable to feel love. This is the cost of immortality. I am not his wife, or his girlfriend, or his lover (unfortunately)…I am his DaySitter, his mortal guardian, and have been since I was seventeen, when I inherited him after my Gramma Vi passed away. She was his former DaySitter.

AJ: Describe your relationship with Harry.

Marnie: I feed him, and protect him while he’s at rest, and in return, he shares with me his psychic gifts and a regular dose of fussy, critical nonsense that I could really do without.

AJ: Could you?

Marnie: Yeah, I don’t need to hear that shit.

AJ: I meant could you live without Harry?

Marnie: Holy flaming twatwaffles, lady, that’s a terrible question. Whose idea was this interview, anyway? Do-over! I want a do-over!

AJ: Is that a no?

Marnie: Whatever happened to “what’s your favourite cartoon?” or “what famous person would you want to meet?” or “what’s your favourite sound?”

AJ: Okaaaaay, what’s your favourite sound?

Marnie: An apron being untied and the cloth slithering over jackboots on the way to the floor. What, too specific?

AJ: I give up. This has been an interview with Marnie Baranuik, professional forensic psychic and amateur dunce. Thanks for reading, folks!

Omg, I got such a cackle out of that!  And Twatwaffles, I haven't heard that phrase except from my Aussie friends.. lol.  It's been a while!  Thanks so much AJ & Marnie for stopping in today!  I can't wait to read Touched and get to know Marnie  and Harry more! :) 

Touched

The Marnie Baranuik Files, Book One
A. J. Aalto

Genre: paranormal fantasy

Publisher: Booktrope Editions

ISBN: 978-1935961574

ASIN: B009NIE5S8

Number of pages: 454

Word Count: 158k

Cover Artist: Greg Simanson

Amazon paperback    Kindle  Barnes and Noble (paperback only)

Book Description:

The media has a nickname for Marnie Baranuik, though she’d rather they didn’t; they call her the Great White Shark, a rare dual-talented forensic psychic. Twice-Touched by the Blue Sense--which gives her the ability to feel the emotions of others, and read impressions left behind on objects--Marnie also has a doctorate in preternatural biology and a working knowledge of the dark arts. She is considered without peer in the psychic community. 

Then her first big FBI case ended with a bullet in one shoulder and a chip on the other, a queasy heart and a serial killer in the wind, leaving her a public flop and a private wreck. When the FBI’s preternatural crimes unit tracks her down at a remote mountain lodge for her insight on a local case, her quiet retirement is promptly besieged by a stab-happy starlet, a rampaging ghoul, and a vampire-hunting jackass in tight Wranglers. Marnie figures the only real mystery is which one will kill her first. 

Too mean to die young, backed up by friends in cold places, and running with a mouth as demure as a cannon’s blast, Marnie Baranuik is about to discover that there’s no such thing as quitting time when you’re Touched.

About the Author:

AJ Aalto is the author of Touched, first in the paranormal mystery series The Marnie Baranuik Files. Aalto is an unrepentant liar and a writer of blathering nonsense offset by factual gore. When not working on her novels, you can find her singing old Monty Python songs in the shower, eavesdropping on perfect strangers, stalking her eye doctor, or failing at one of her many fruitless hobbies. Generally a fan of anyone with a passion for the ridiculous, she has a particular weak spot for smug pseudo-intellectuals and narcissistic jerks; readers will find her work littered with dark, imperfect creatures, flawed monsters and oodles of snark. AJ cannot say no to a Snickers bar, and has been known to swallow her gum.

Stalk Her : 

Website       Twitter     Facebook 

  

Continue reading →

Excerpt : Short Rides (Rough Riders) by Lorelei James & $100 #giveaway

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you enjoy anthologies because that's what we're looking at today!  Check out some great excerpts & an awesome giveaway !

Short Rides
Lorelei James

Book Description: 

Short Rides is an anthology compilation of two novellas and one short story in the Rough Riders world. These are NOT meant to be read as standalone stories, but are a peek into favorite character’s lives after the happily ever after…

The stories included in the Short Rides anthology are:

King of Hearts* — Deputy Cam McKay deals with a murder/suicide case on Valentine’s Day.

Rough Road — Chassie, Trevor and Edgard Glanzer spend a romantic weekend away from the ranch and kids celebrating their anniversary…only to return home to face their biggest challenge yet.

All Knocked Up — Keely and Jack Donohue are having a baby. Given Keely’s raging pregnancy hormones, will Jack need to wear a cup in the delivery room?

*previously published in the Guns and Roses anthology in 2012

Buy it :  Amazon

Excerpt : KING OF HEARTS 

A murder/suicide.
In Sundance, Wyoming.
It was one of the worst scenes Deputy Cam McKay had dealt with. And he’d seen a lot of horrific things over the years. He’d served several rotations in Iraq and witnessed the aftermath of suicide bombers. He’d seen animals used as vessels to hold bombs. He’d been in a caravan that’d hit a string of IEDs, resulting in death and dismemberment of his fellow soldiers. He hadn’t come away from war unscathed—he’d lost most of his left leg, part of his hand, and bore scars, both visible and invisible.
During his time as deputy in Crook County, he’d dealt with deadly car accidents, including a fatality involving his cousin, Luke McKay. He’d broken up domestic disputes where one or both of the parties were drunk, armed, angry, and bleeding. He’d stumbled across a wild horse slaughter.
But this? It was beyond sickening.
The hysterical 911 call from the neighbor who’d discovered the bodies hadn’t prepared him at all for what he’d found at the crime scene.
His stomach roiled as his brain flashed back to the carnage and he fought the urge to throw up.
Again.
But Cam hadn’t been alone in his reaction. Sheriff Shortbull had stumbled outside and heaved over the juniper hedge after his glimpse at the dead couple.
A murder/suicide.
In Sundance, Wyoming.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Maybe it seemed worse because Cam knew the couple. He’d graduated from high school with Jeff Wingate. Cam couldn’t fathom how the mild-mannered insurance salesman could carry out such brutality, especially to his wife. And Angela hadn’t fought back. She’d literally lay down and died.
What a fucking waste.
What a fucking mess.
There’d been no indication of domestic issues. No 911 phone calls in the last year. No history of violence. He’d seen them eating in Dewey’s Delish Dish two weeks ago. They’d acted… happy.
Because the crime scene was beyond their small county’s investigative expertise, they’d had to call in the DCI from Cheyenne. Which meant waiting for the crew to arrive. But neither Cam nor Sheriff Shortbull could stomach waiting inside the house where the bloodbath had occurred.
So they stood outside in the frigid February weather, taking turns warming up in their patrol cars. He and the sheriff were too disturbed to slide into their usual defense mechanism, cracking jokes—which was how most law enforcement officers handled unpleasant aspects of the job—trying to find any bit of humor to escape the horror of the gruesome scene.

Excerpt : ROUGH ROAD 

“Mama, what’s a faggot?”Chassie’s entire body seized up and she nearly dropped the bowl she was washing. She turned her head and met the startled eyes of her husband Trevor, who was packaging leftovers on the counter beside her. She managed to ask, “Where’d you hear that word?” in a steady voice.“At school. A third-grader said my dads were faggots.”She briefly closed her eyes. Living an unconventional lifestyle in a conservative rural area guaranteed this question would come up at some point—but she hadn’t expected it this soon. Their six-year-old son Westin had just started first grade a month ago.Chassie rinsed and dried her hands before she turned around. “How about if we wait to talk about it until Papai is done giving Max his bath? You can stay up a little later tonight.”Westin’s big blue eyes were somber, suspicious of the bribe. But he nodded and returned to his “homework”—an activity book they’d purchased after his disappointment at not having schoolwork every night in first grade.Trevor came over and set his hands on her shoulders. He kissed her temple and whispered, “Come on, Chass. Baby, take a deep breath. We’ll get through this. That word doesn’t have the power to destroy what we’ve built unless we let it.”She nuzzled his jaw. “I know that. It’s just...”“Mama!” A little person slammed into the backs of her legs. She glanced down. A naked little person.Two-year-old Max grinned at her, his brown eyes triumphant, his dark hair sopping wet.Edgard sauntered into the kitchen, a bath towel draped over his forearm. “That boy is as slippery as an eel.” He wrapped the towel around Max like a straightjacket and hoisted him up amidst Max’s happy shrieks and giggles. “Kiss Mama and Daddy goodnight, little streaker. Then if we can wrassle your jammies on fast, we’ll have time for one book.”“Two books!”Chassie smooched both of Max’s chubby cheeks and smoothed her hand over his wet hair. “’Night, Max. Love you.”Trevor kissed Max’s forehead. “Love you son, ’night.”Edgard’s gaze winged between Chassie and Trevor. He mouthed, “Problem?”“I’ll fill you in upstairs. I need to check on Sophia anyway,” Trevor said. He looked at Chassie. “I’ll tuck her in if she hasn’t already crashed.”Four-year-old Sophia ran at such high speed all day that many nights she conked out while watching TV or playing in her room.The guys disappeared upstairs.Chassie finished cleaning the kitchen and headed to the basement to throw a load of clothes in the washer. Her mind had locked on Westin’s question. She knew one thing about her thoughtful son—the taunt hadn’t been tossed at him just today. Westin tried to figure things out on his own, so she worried he’d been dealing with defining the nasty word for longer than a day.She leaned against the wall, fighting tears, fighting memories of the cruelty directed at her growing up. The jeers—lazy Indian, ugly squaw—still lingered years later. Back then she’d been so shy she hadn’t fought back. Her brother Dag might’ve gone after her tormentors, but he’d been fighting his own demons. No doubt he’d had the word faggot hurled at him.What really caused that long ago hurt to deepen was the knowledge that if their father had known Dag’s sexual orientation, he would’ve flung that word at his son without hesitation.When Chassie, Edgard and Trevor decided to add kids to their family, they all three worked every day to make sure their children knew they were loved. To make sure their children knew their parents loved each other. And to show them that love is what built and what sustained their lives. Especially when it was love that a lot of people didn’t understand.Chassie held on to that thought as she scaled the stairs.                                                ****Trevor plugged in the nightlight and left the door open a crack before he headed down the hallway to the master bedroom.He removed his long-sleeved shirt and T-shirt, tossing them in the hamper along with his dirty jeans. After washing his face and arms, he slipped on a pair of black sweatpants and a gray tank top. He’d need to channel his frustration after they talked to Westin, because guaranteed he’d wanna punch the shit out of something.Faggots. Who taunted a kid—a kind, innocent little boy—with that term?You would have.
Goddamn. Trevor didn’t want to think along those lines, to remember the judgmental asshole he’d been at one time. He’d been raised that way—as had Chassie and Edgard—which was why they were raising their kids differently.He perched on the edge of their gigantic custom-made bed, forearms resting on his thighs, his face aimed at the carpet. Westin and Sophia were aware their family was different from the norm. But due to divorces and remarriages, didn’t most kids these days deal with multiple parents? How was it anyone’s business how they lived in their own home? Or how they loved each other? He’d bet the ranch very few traditional family units were as attuned to each other as theirs. They had to work harder at communication because of having a third partner. And he wouldn’t have it any other way—regardless of the societal repercussions.Footsteps fell across the carpet. A pause. “Did you mean to leave the light on in Sophia’s room?” Edgard asked.“No. Guess my mind was elsewhere.” Trevor glanced up. “Was she still awake?”“Nah. She just yanked the covers over her head. I shut the light off.”
“Thanks. And Max?”“Out. He didn’t last through one book, let alone two.” Edgard gave Trevor a once-over. “We working out tonight?”“I’ll need to hit the heavy bag after...”“After what?”He sighed.“Trev, what’s goin’ on?”So Trevor told him.Edgard didn’t say anything. Then he crouched in front of Trevor to get his attention. “That’s not all of what’s bugging you.”The man knew him so well. Trevor reached out and ran the back of his knuckles along Edgard’s jaw. He hadn’t shaved for a day and Trevor had the sudden need to feel beard burn on the inside of his thighs. On his chest. Scraping on his cheeks and neck as he kissed Edgard senseless.“Dangerous to keep lookin’ at me like that, meu amor. Burning me alive with those fiery eyes of yours won’t make me forget the issue at hand, as much as I’d like to.”“I know.” Trevor dropped his hand. “I fuckin’ hate that I used to be that type of kid Westin is dealin’ with. Anything I didn’t understand, I belittled. I laughed when I made kids cry. Laughed. Jesus. How many people I bullied growing up would say I’m getting what I deserve? Seeing my son cry.” He exhaled. “I’m to the point I can handle what anyone calls us. But it breaks my damn heart that Westin is hearing that shit.”“Hey. You’re not the same man you were. Thank God for that.” Edgard stood and held his hand out to Trevor. “Worrying about karma coming back to bite you in the ass won’t help us now.”As soon as he was upright, Trevor tugged Edgard against his body and buried his face in Edgard’s neck. “I’m grateful every damn day that we have this life.”“Me too. We knew goin’ into it, it wouldn’t be easy.”“Some days I can’t believe we’ve all been together eight years. And other days, I feel like my life started when I met Chassie and you came back.” Trevor lifted his head. “Do you think we oughta cancel—”Edgard covered his mouth with a brief kiss. “No. The three of us need the time together. Chassie will be relieved that we’d planned to keep Westin out of school tomorrow anyway.”“So we’re all set?”“Yep.”Trevor grinned. “Chass is really gonna be surprised.”“I was surprised. It was a sweet, romantic thing to plan, Trev.”“What can I say? You and Chassie bring out the best in me.” Trevor kissed him, more than a soft peck but less than the tongue tangling soul kiss he preferred. “Let’s go talk to our son.”

Excerpt:  All Knocked Up

 Keely—seven months pregnant...

Keely West McKay Donohue had this pregnancy thing down pat.Well, except for the occasional glitches when her heightened emotional state hit overload and she had a teeny, tiny, barely noticeable…episode or two.
Most of those incidents hadn’t really been her fault.Like when the grocery store had run out of her brand of laundry soap again and she’d attempted to express her displeasure to the manager. But he’d refused to listen to reason, calling her consumer’s request a crazy woman’s rant, puh-lease—she hadn’t even hit rant stage.  Then the weasel had barricaded himself in his office, had her escorted from the premises by a pimply fifteen-year-old and banned her from the store for life. Luckily, the other grocery store in town had been much more accommodating. They’d even assigned her a shopping assistant to personally escort her through the store every time she showed up.And Jack could’ve prevented the incident last month if he’d just taken her out for finger steaks like she’d asked him to. His refusal to understand the depth of her craving had forced her to cook the yummy bits of breaded and fried steak herself. So, it wasn’t completely her fault that she’d accidentally started a small grease fire in the kitchen and she’d had to call the fire department. The fire department in turn had called the local ambulance crew, and they had contacted her brother Cam—a Crook County Deputy—who had called her entire family. Except no one had remembered to call her husband. So when Jack had come home after work to see the driveway filled with emergency vehicles and McKays, he’d lost his mind.
She’d had to spray him down with the hose to cool him off. Then she’d really caught hell for ruining his bajillion-dollar, triple-worsted wool suit crafted out of special sheep butt hairs or some such. And people claimed she was on edge during this pregnancy?
Besides, Jack had it easy. His job as her baby daddy entailed three things:
1)      Sucking it up and listening to her every pregnancy complaint like she was reciting secret stock tips.
2)      Keeping her fed and never ever ever mentioning the amount of food she consumed on a daily basis.
3)      Fulfilling her sexual needs whenever and wherever she wanted; or keeping his dick far away from her on those bad pregnancy days she suspected she’d chop it off if he showed it to her. Happily those days were mostly behind them now.
Not such a hard list.  So why was he dragging his loafers on getting on with checking off task number three today?Keely had even given him a choice on where he could perform his husbandly duties. While she waited for him to choose, she studied her hot hunk of manflesh. The man defined sexy—who could blame her for wanting to jump his bones all the damn time? His dark hair was disheveled from constantly running his fingers through it. His silk paisley tie remained neatly knotted and he hadn’t taken off his suit jacket, which in her mind meant he hadn’t really started to work yet. So this was the perfect time for a break. Besides, Jack never really meant no.“Come on, Jack.”“No.”“I’ll make it worth your while,” she said, adding a purring rowr.“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Jack said, without looking away from his computer screen. “And stop staring at my crotch to see if I’m getting hard,” he warned her.“Just tell me if your boxers are getting tight?”“No.”“Why not?”“Because A, I’m thinking about work not sex, and if you want to see me before midnight, which isn’t likely, you’ll find a way to entertain yourself and let me finish this. B, if I do take your offer to bend you over the conference table and fuck you until you scream, guaranteed one of your ten billion family members will decide to pop in and interrupt us. Again.”Keely crossed her arms over her chest trying not to feel self-conscious. She could almost rest them on her protruding belly. “That was not my fault. I cannot control my family, Jack.”“I know that only too well,” he muttered. “Besides, don’t you have a client scheduled?”“She had to cancel.” That’s when she knew she should’ve lied. He’d see her offer as a way to kill time. When in actuality, she saw it as a chance to revisit their spontaneous pre-pregnancy trysts for the first time in what seemed like weeks.Jack stopped typing and looked at her sharply. “Just because you’re bored doesn’t mean I am.”Bored? Fuck that and fuck you too, buddy. Or better yet, I wouldn’t fuck you right now if you begged me. In fact…Then just like that surly girl disappeared and weepy woman took her place.
Awesome. She hadn’t run this hot and cold even as a teenager. She hated that a curt word or a scowl from him set her off into a fit of rage or a river of tears. Yet she was sick of him and everyone else muttering about her out-of-whack hormones.So she opted to take the high road for a change. “Sorry to interrupt you.” Keely pushed off the doorframe and pulled the door shut behind her. Not slamming it. Point for her.

 Giveaway Time : 

Winner will be announced 4/27/13.

Grand Prize:  $100 Amazon, B&N or ARe Gift Card (winner's choice)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/58cdfd72/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour : 

Release Blitz Schedule HTML code

4/17/13
http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/

http://therisqueredheadreads.com/
Lebooksquirrel.blogspot.com
http://reviewinginchaos.blogspot.com
www.sarahaisling.com
http://heather-andrews.blogspot.com/
http://www.hesperialovesbooks.com
http://Mykeepershelf.blogspot.com
http://www.shaynareneesspicyreads.blogspot.com
http://www.blackravensreviews.com/

4/18/13
http://www.snifferwalk.org
itlnbrt.coms
http://romanticbookaffairs.blogspot.com
http://www.kinkybookreviews.com/
http://busymomsbookreviews.blogspot.com/
http://thesubclubbooks.com
http://www.theblackraveneroticcafe.com
http://www.simplyali.com
http://myfictionnook.com
iloveladyporn.blogspot.com
http://ajcarmicheal.com/blog/

4/19/13
http://herdingcats-burningsoup.blogspot.com">herding cats & burning soup
http://happilyeverafter-reads.blogspot.com/">Happily Ever After - Reads
http://www.harliewilliams.com">Harlie Williams, Writer
http://mommasbooks.wordpress.com">Momma's Books
http://snsreview.blogspot.com/">Sugar and Spice
http://booksbooksmorebooks.blogspot.com/">Books Books and More Books
http://redheaded-bookworm.blogspot.com/">Red Headed Bookworm
http://www.jelenasbookblog.com/">Jelena's Book Blog
http://readourlipsblog.blogspot.com/">Read Our Lips! Book Review Blog

4/21/13
http://delightedreader.com">Delighted Reader
http://melindadozier.blogspot.com">Melinda Dozier
http://theramblingreaderista.blogspot.com/">The Rambling Readerista
www.underthecoversbookblog.com">Under the Covers
http://heart-breaking-reviews.blogspot.com">Heart Breaking Reviews
www.fictionalcandy.com">Fictional Candy
www.readyourwrites.blogspot.com">Read Your Writes Book Reviews

4/22/13
www.tyrasbookaddiction.blogspot.com">Tyra's Book Addiction
www.tattooedbookreview.com">Tattooed Book Review
http://www.readeatdream.com/">Reading, Eating & Dreaming
http://smutbookclub.com">Smut Book Club
http://niinas-reading-and-reviewing.blogspot.fi/">For The Love of Reading
http://mamaknowsbooks.blogspot.com">Mama Knows Books
http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/">Reading Between the Wines
smardy-pants.blogspot.com">Smardy Pants Book Blog
http://bookbitchesblog.com/">Book Bitches Blog

4/23/13
http://livereadbreathe.blogspot.ca">Live Read and Breathe
http://guiltypleasuresbookreviews.com/">Guilty Pleasures
http://reginamayross.net">Regina May Ross's
http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.co.uk/">Rachel Brimble Romance
www.storeybookreviews.com">StoreyBook Reviews
daydrmzzz.blogspot.com">Day Dreaming Book Reviews

4/24/13
http://whatsonthebookshelf-jen.blogspot.com">What's On the Bookshelf
www.mybookmuse.com">My Book Muse
http://realitybites-letsgetlost.blogspot.com">Reality Bites! Let's Get Lost!!
www.shhmomsreading.com">Shh Moms Reading
http://www.harliesbooks.com">Harlie's Books
http://queenofthenightreviews.blogspot.com/">Queen of the Night Reviews
www.readersconfession.com">Readers Confession
http://manicreaders.com/blog/">Manic Readers Guest Author Blog
http://www.bookwormbrandee.blogspot.com">Bookworm Brandee
http://loveofbookends.blogspot.com">For the Love of Bookends
http://www.mrsconditreadsbooks.com">Mrs Condit & Friends Read Books
http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot.com">Scorching Book Reviews

Continue reading →

Excerpt & #Giveaway : How (Not) to Kiss a Toad by @SelkieHorse

 How (Not) To Kiss a Toad

 Elizabeth A Reeves

Published: December 2012

Word Count: Approx. 50,000

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Book Description:

Cindy Eller is a baker and a witch-- the creator of magical desserts that send the senses reeling and highlight the unique flavors of her native Southwest. All isn't sweet in her life, however-- every man she has ever kissed has turned immediately into a real, live, disgusting toad. Cindy has long since given up on ever finding true love. She has decided that ice cream will be her only true love.

Enter Timothy Borden, handsome, a foodie, and with dimples that make Cindy's stomach get all knotted up inside of her. Could he be the one to break her curse?

Or does he have secrets of his own?

Amazon | GoodReads

Excerpt:

Closing the door of the house behind me, I tossed my purse on the couch and threw myself after it. I lay limply for a moment, wondering if I would ever have the energy to move again, then decided to get my-- oh, so stylish and oh, so painful-- shoes off before I cast off to drama land. If I was going to have a crisis, at least my feet wouldn’t hurt.

My roommate, Jessi, peeked her head around the door of the open freezer, a spoon dangling from her mouth. She looked me up and down, removed the spoon and quipped, “Prince Charming or Toad?”

I rolled my eyes at her. “Toad, of course.” I flopped back down, eyeing her spoon. “What do we have?”

She gave me another long look and disappeared back into the freezer. “I think you need Double Fudge Brownie Cookie Dough.”

I grinned. My roomie so got me. “Hand it over.”

She pitched it underhand and the pint came flying towards me, followed by a spoon. I dug into the rich decadence of the ice cream with a hopeful sigh. In my opinion, there were very few things in life that ice cream couldn’t fix.

As the first velvety icy mouthful slid down my throat, I let out a moan of pleasure, letting all the stress flow off of my shoulders.

SweetDreams Ice Cream had only been available in our grocery store for a few weeks and we were already hooked. It was so good I could even let a bad date roll off my shoulders.

“So...” Jessi flopped down beside me. I squinted at her pint. She was eating Chocolate Cherry Cocoa Bliss. I considered snatching it out of her hands and finishing it for her, but there was nothing wrong with me that ice cream was really going to fix.

“So, nothing,” I said, crossly. “We went to dinner, talked, held hands...”

“Kissed.” Jessi giggled.

I glared at her, then sighed. “Yeah... and ...”

“Toadsville!” Jessi giggled again.

“I’m so glad you think my personal life is so hilarious.” I said dryly.

She waved her hands. “No, no, I’m sorry. It’s just... Nathan was so a toad. You know it.”

He sure was. A giant, ugly, warty, slimy Colorado River Toad. He was nearly a pound of toxic waste done naturally.

Nasty.

In my limited experience the outside of the toad matched the inside of the man. Apparently I had just kissed a man whose insides were so gruesome that he was even more hideous than the average toad. Much as I hated bringing another toad home, I’d dodged a silver bullet on that one. If there was a perk to my personal hell, it was that I never dated a bad guy for long.

Not that I dated any guy for long.

I tried to remember why I had gone out with him in the first place, trying to ignore the huge ‘desperate’ sign that was blinking on and off like a huge neon sign in my brain. I sighed again. There had to be one good guy out there somewhere, right? One single someone who was not instant toad material.

“This is it,” I growled, licking my spoon clean. The ice cream was really good, insanely good even. “I’m done with men. I’m going to stick to ice cream.”

Jessi snorted. She’d heard it all before.

“I mean it this time,” I insisted. “I’m just going to focus on my work at the bakery and stop looking for a Prince Charming who obviously doesn’t exist.”

Tansy padded into the living room from her room, complete with pink halter top, baggy flowery pajama pants, and pink bunny slippers. Her light blond hair was gathered up in a rather messy looking ponytail. Her bangs were bound up in pin curls. Her eyes were slightly puffy. She looked like we had roused her up from a deep sleep. Even then she looked like the epitome of the angel next door. She held out her hand. “Ice me, baby.”

Jessi bounced up from the couch with far too much energy for that time of night. I shook my head as she disappeared back into the freezer. Just watching her exhausted me.

“Let’s see,” she said thoughtfully. “I think White Chocolate Strawberry Fantasy should do the trick.”

Jessi was quickly becoming our ice cream therapist. Not that you could ever go wrong with Tansy and pink. Even her car, an old ‘Bug’, was painted a brilliant pink.

Tansy held out her hand and was soon deep in her pint. “This is so good,” she said, around a spoonful. She paused, spoon in the air, as she regarded me.

I cringed, knowing what was coming.

“Toad?”

“Ha ha.” I searched in vain for another spoonful of fudgy bliss in my empty pint and sighed. “You guys enjoy my misery way too much.”

“Well, at least you’ll know Prince Charming when he comes around,” Tansy pointed out. “We just have to muddle through like everyone else.”

“We think I’ll know the right guy when he comes around. We don’t know for a fact. It may just be that I’ll be kissing toads until I’m ninety.”

It didn’t seem fair. I wasn’t flat out gorgeous like Jessi or even girl-next-door cute like Tansy, but I wasn’t exactly Hagsville either. Why I was stuck kissing toads instead of having a normal relationship, I didn’t know.

“I swear,” I muttered, “I am cursed.”

“We know,” my roommates chorused. They’d heard it all before. Many times.

About the Author:

Legend has it that Elizabeth A Reeves was born with a book in her hands and immediately requested a pony. Though this story is questionable, it is true that books and horses have been consistent themes in her life. Born in Massachusetts, she was quickly transplanted to Arizona by a professor father and creativity-driven mother, who is the one responsible for saying "If you can't find a book that you want to read, write a book you want to read."

In her spare time, she likes to knit, weave, hatch chickens, and chase after her husband and four sons.

 

Stalk Her : 

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog

Giveaway Time :

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

• 3 Kindle copies of How (Not) to Kiss a Toad
• 3 Kindle copies of How (Not) to Kiss a Prince
• 3 Kindle copies of How (Not) to Play with Magic

Giveaway is International. Kindle copies will be gifted directly through Amazon.com so you must be able to accept them to win.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Continue reading →