Thursday, June 19, 2014

Guest Author Kay Jaybee - Voyeuristic Fun!



Voyeuristic Fun!

Many thanks for letting me visit your wonderful blog today!

One of the biggest attractions in the world of erotica is voyeurism. That feeling of being on the edge of someone’s forbidden world and peeping in- often secretly- is a big turn on. It is also extremely exciting to write from a voyeuristic perspective. I’ve taken this literary route for many of my novels and stories over the years- most obviously for my erotic BDSM 3-some romance novel, The Voyeur!

However, it isn’t that story that I’m going to share a little bit with you today- but inspired by the arrival of a circus in my local town this very day, it is my novella, The Circus.

When it comes to voyeurism the there is no location more suitable than one with an auditorium- the theatre, ballet, opera- or perhaps the circus.

As a child I always found the circus a rather sinister place, full of scary clowns, overconfident acrobats, and fake smiles. What better location then, to set a full throttle sexual showcase?

The Circus is set in a crumbling decrepit theatre, where a business man with strong voyeuristic leanings, has set up an exclusive event. A place where fellow observers of the erotic arts, can pay an extortionate amount of money to watch- and perhaps join in- a monthly display of BDSM antics.







Blurb

When Carrie’s partner Scott buys her a ticket for the Circus, she isn’t at all sure she will enjoy what she’ll see. An uncertainty that jumps to fear, when the strict, whip wielding Ringmaster calls out Carrie’s ticket number, and she realises she isn’t going to have to simply watch- she is to be the subject of the bondage and punishment spectacle to come. What the hell will her boyfriend say? And where is Scott anyway?




Extract
One hundred quid a ticket!
Carrie still couldn’t believe Scott could afford to pay so much to secure her a seat in the small, run-down theatre.  It wasn’t as if she was even guaranteed any action.  Everything was deliberately uncertain.  But then, as he had assured her, that was part of the attraction.
Perspiration was dotting down the back of her neck, and the more Carrie thought, the more she wondered if perhaps she didn’t actually want anything to happen.  That it might be better just to watch, better not to win the lottery that would change her from being a mere observer of events to a prime player in the evening’s entertainment.
Even though the room was packed, every thinly covered velvet seat taken, no one looked at anyone else.  No one regarded their neighbour.  No one gave a friendly smile of greeting as they waited for something to happen.  All eyes were focused towards the stage.  There was a hushed buzz to the neglected theatre, as if the ghosts of a thousand performances had been trapped within the walls.
In the centre of the stage sat a collection of left over props from dramas long past.  At first glance it appeared to be merely abandoned clutter, but as Carrie examined the items more shrewdly, she began to suspect that everything had been carefully and cleverly placed.
An oak coffee table and bench supported two legs of an iron-framed double-bed, which was devoid of either linen or mattress.  Next to the sloping bed, heaped to the left side, a pile of old wooden chairs were haphazardly stacked.  On the opposite side was a fallen umbrella stand, apparently tipped over by the weight of the walking sticks, canes, and what Carrie suspected were Victorian style shooting sticks.  She felt her pulse quicken.  You didn’t have to be Einstein to work out what that lot could be used for.
Carrie could feel the heat of her skin prickle beneath her chestnut ponytail.  She sat wishing that Scott hadn’t been called away on yet another dire work-related emergency, and that he could be there with her.  More than a little self-conscious, she fidgeted with her outfit.  Playing safe, she’d decided to wear black.  Black thigh length boots, black pleated mini skirt, black stockings, and a black chest hugging lace-up basque, with strings that only just managed to conceal the pale freckled chest over which it had been stretched.  She knew she looked like a slutty walking cliché.  But then again, in this place, at this time, that was entirely the point.
The unnervingly tinny music that had been droning from a speaker in the far corner of the room abruptly stopped.  Carrie could feel the tension in the theatre double, and for the first time she allowed herself a fleeting survey of the other members of the audience.  The competition.  An almost even split of about sixty men and women, all dressed as either Dominants or Submissives, all aged between about twenty-five and forty-five.  The room rippled with erotic anticipation.
When Scott had told her about The Circus, the new show that had taken over the city’s long empty theatre, Carrie had thought it really was a circus.  A family show with clowns, scantily clad acrobats, and the odd juggler.  She had, to his amusement, waxed lyrical about how much she’d loved the circus as a child.  She was soon disabused of her naivety.
Increasingly aware of the clammy sheen of nerves on her palms, Carrie still wasn’t quite sure how Scott had talked her into coming here without him.  But her curiosity had gotten the better of her, just like he’d known it would.  He had insisted that, with her private personal preferences, she would be in her element having her bum smacked in front of a select group of eroticists.  Carrie wasn’t so sure.  Having her ass roundly whipped by Scott in the sanctity of her flat while he ordered her to crawl around the floor was one thing — but this was different.  This was voyeurism on speed.  The almost animal gleam to her lover’s eyes however, when he told her how much he was looking forward to a blow-by-blow account of her experience, added an extra dimension to the tingle of fearful anticipation that played in her stomach.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” a gravelly masculine voice bellowed over a speaker system that crackled from the effects of dust and lack of use.  “Welcome to The Circus.  I would ask you all to abide by your hosts decisions, and only mount the stage if and when you are invited to do so.  Sit back and enjoy.  It’s show time!!”


There is no denying the attraction of stories with voyeurism as their base. The basic curiosity within so many of us makes it a salacious idea – the thought of might we might see if we were  to peer behind closed doors, or peek  through that key hole- especially if we have the sneaky feeling that those within secretly want to be observed....DELICIOUS!!

Many thanks once again for letting me visit her site again today!!

Happy reading everyone,

Kay Jaybee xxx




Meet the Author

Kay Jaybee wrote the novels, The Perfect Submissive Trilogy, (Xcite, 2011-2014), Making Him Wait, (Sweetmeats Press, 2012), The Voyeur (Xcite, 2012), , as well as the novellas, Not Her Type: Erotic Adventures With A Delivery Man (2nd ed. 1001 NightsPress, 2013), Digging Deep (Xcite, 2013), A Sticky Situation, (Xcite, 2012), and The Circus, (Sweetmeats Press). She has also written the anthologies Take Control (1001 Nightspress, 2014), Christmas Kink (KDP, 2013) The Collector (Austin & Macauley, 2012 & 2008), The Best of Kay Jaybee (Xcite, 2012), Tied to the Kitchen Sink, Equipment, (All Romance, 2012), Yes Ma’am (Xcite e-books, 2011), Quick Kink One and Quick Kink Two (Xcite e-books, 2010). Kay has had over 80 short stories published by Cleis Press, Black Lace, Mammoth, Xcite, Penguin, Seal, and Sweetmeats Press.










Monday, June 16, 2014

Guest Author Lucy Felthouse - Turning The Innocent Into Something Dirty



Lately, one of my favorite sub-genres are menage books. Stately Pleasures is one of my favorite reads from 2014, and today Lucy Felthouse is visiting More Books Than Livros to keep the heat high around here.

Welcome Lucy!



Turning The Innocent Into Something Dirty by Lucy Felthouse (@cw1985)

Today, I’d like to talk about turning the innocent into something dirty—a skill I’ve had for many years, but one that’s been exacerbated greatly since I started writing erotica and erotic romance. Now, I can turn pretty much anything, any person, situation, place or item into something smutty. I haven’t yet decided whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.
When it came to writing my first novel, however, it was definitely a good thing. Because I set my book, Stately Pleasures, in a stately home. Nothing erotic about a stately home, you might think. I beg to differ. I’ve been fascinated by this type of place for years, about what could go on behind those closed doors, those shut-off rooms and so on. The rooms the huge houses have that mostly, normal people don’t have in their homes. There’s lots and lots of scope for my fertile imagination. That, coupled with my skill for turning innocent things into dirty things, made for an interesting writing experience.

Here are a few examples. You wouldn’t think the following items or places were particularly erotic, would you?

Pestle, carpet beater, wooden ruler (okay, that one you can probably guess already), dining room chair, library ladder, trestle table, maze... the list goes on. But when you add a dirty mind and two gorgeous male characters, also with very dirty minds, then you can start to piece the puzzle together. A pestle, for example, is phallic—need I say any more? A carpet beater can be used to beat something other than carpets...  you get the picture.

As I said, I can’t quite decide whether my increasingly smutty imagination is a good thing or a bad thing, particularly when I end up visiting places, coming up with ideas and giggling to myself at the most inappropriate times. On the other hand, when those ideas transform into words on a page and eventually actual stories, well, that’s awesome. So I guess I’ll continue allowing my dirty mind to pervert innocent items for now. It’s kinda fun.

Happy Reading!

Lucy x


contemporary romance, erotica, menage M/F/M
copy provided by the author in return of an honest review



Summary

Alice is excited about her dream job, but timing was not in her favor. She ended up being "blackmailed" by her boss into a little trick situation. Will it be so bad to accept the challenge in favor of career advancement?

characters 4 stars

All three major characters are easy to understand, relate and love.
What was missing was a bridge to connect with them. There is not much character development beyond their sexual journey, so I believe there is still room to play with them in a future book.
I could say that Alice got a bit of TSTL moment there as she believed her job situation, but maybe I'm being TSTL because who would have say no to 2 hot guys with kinky minds being single and available? lol

plot 3.5 stars

This is a fast-paced book, very easy to follow that offers readers exactly what it promises: a hot well developed erotic book.
The story plot was very predictable, but the sex scenes were nothing at all.
Each new challenge the characters encountered was different from the other. The book also offered the perfect growth of intensity on the sex scenes. (view spoiler) The sexual discovery journey was very believable, where the real life situation may be a bit unrealistic. :)
I did finish this book feeling like I would love to read another book with them.

heat 5 stars
It was hot hot hot! Yes, cold-shower hot! The scenes were original, the description was amazing, really almost like a DIY kind of thing, which made them even more believable. Panty-wetter hot!

freshness 4 stars
The story build was very predictable, but their sexual stories were not. IMO, this book was all about the sexual journey, so I think I read a lot of original stuff here.

Impressions and opinion

I have a very clear idea for my reads about the difference between erotic romance and erotica.
IMO and for my reviews, I classify erotic romance as a love story with a bit or a lot of smut,in which the building of a relationship is the most important part of the plot, and where HEA is a must.
I view erotica as sexual encounters that may or may not involve love. The emotions of the couple is not the focus of the plot, but the sexual journey of at least one of the characters. It may have HEA, it may have emotions, and it may have love, but it's not a foregone conclusion.

Stately Pleasures it's a well crafted erotica read, that gave a romantic soul like myself a special present, by giving me a good HEA at the end.

I enjoy the fact that even though Alice new sexual awareness was the main focus, I get to see equality in a relationship of three partners.

I would recommend this book to menage readers and to those that love to get a bit of a kinky ride.


Blurb:

Alice Brown has just landed her dream job. Property manager at Davenport Manor, a British stately home. It’s only a nine-month contract to cover maternity leave, but it’s the boost up the career ladder she so desperately needs.

Unfortunately, things don’t get off to the best start, when Alice finds her boss, Jeremy Davenport, in a compromising position. Far from being embarrassed by what’s happened, Jeremy turns things around on Alice and makes her out to be the one in the wrong. So when he and his best friend and head of security, Ethan Hayes, then throw an ultimatum at her, she’s so stunned and confused that she goes along with their indecent proposal.

When the dust settles and Alice has time to think about things, though, she realises that perhaps it isn’t such a bad thing. There are worse things she could be doing to advance her career, after all.



Excerpt:

Alice took a deep breath, in through her nose and out through her mouth. Repeated the process once more. Then, realising she could sit there all day doing it and not feel any calmer, she forced herself to step out of the car and close and lock the door.

She bent to peer into the wing mirror of the vehicle and checked her hair and make-up. Satisfied, she straightened, then turned on her heel and walked quickly across the driveway to the great house before her nerve failed her.

Davenport Manor was currently open for visitors, so she walked in through the front door and was met by a smiling elderly lady.

‘Can I help you?’ the woman asked kindly.
‘Yes, please.’ Alice twisted her hands together nervously. ‘I’m here to see Mr Davenport. I’m here for an interview for the property manager’s role.’
‘Yes, of course,’ the woman replied, ‘that’s today, isn’t it? Follow me; I’ll take you to Mr Davenport’s office. But just hang on one second.’

She ducked through the doorway into the next room and spoke with her colleague. Alice guessed she was letting her co-worker know she’d be gone for a few minutes. A few seconds later, she was back. ‘OK, follow me, Miss …’
‘Brown,’ Alice said, then fell in behind the other woman as she led her to Mr Davenport’s office, and the interview that could change her life for ever. It was hardly surprising that she was shaking like a leaf.

Alice quickly felt lost as their journey took several twists and turns along dim corridors – their blinds drawn to protect paintings, tapestries, and furniture from the sunlight – and up a flight of stairs. She had a few seconds to worry about finding her way if she was lucky enough to get the job, then, suddenly, her guide stopped outside a door and turned around.
‘Here you go, Miss Brown. Mr Davenport’s office. Good luck with your interview.’
Alice smiled and thanked the elderly woman, then smoothed down her skirt, which also conveniently helped wipe the nervous sweat off her hands. She stood up straight, gave herself a mental pep talk about being more than qualified for the role, and knocked on the door.

‘Enter.’
Alice knew that voice could only belong to Jeremy Davenport. The posh accent, and the fact he’d said “enter” instead of “come in”, screamed money and an upper-class upbringing. Alice was suddenly nervous of her broad Midlands accent and lowly background, despite the fact she’d worked her backside off to get into a decent university in order to gain a Bachelor of Arts degree and then a Master’s degree. No matter what she sounded like, or what her past was, she had all the skills necessary to do the job she was about to be interviewed for.

Suddenly, she realised that she’d left rather a long pause before opening the door, and she turned the handle before the occupants of the room thought they were about to interview some kind of simpleton who couldn’t follow a simple instruction.
Fixing a polite – but hopefully not inane – smile onto her face, Alice stepped into Jeremy Davenport’s office. Her first thought – which certainly did nothing to help her nerves – was good God, he’s hot.

Jeremy sat behind a desk, with a heavily pregnant woman sitting beside it. Alice barely noticed the woman. All she saw was him. A man with cropped dark brown hair, hazel/green eyes, a jawline you could cut bread with, and lips that looked capable of doing incredibly wicked, sexual things to a woman. Or a man. Alice had no idea what his sexuality was, but she found herself hoping he liked women.

She chastised herself. Even if he did like women, he wouldn’t go for someone like her. A Plain Jane, with mousy brown shoulder-length hair, blue eyes, average height and above average weight. Alice had always known she’d never be a supermodel, so she’d worked extra hard academically, and here she was. About to be interviewed for her dream job.


Bio:

Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women's Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house. She owns Erotica For All, is book editor for Cliterati, and is one eighth of The Brit Babes. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9




Friday, June 13, 2014

Guest Post: Lily Harlem - Ball Handling Skills




Soccer World Cup started yesterday and Brazil won his first match. YAY!!!! 
I've invited the wonderful author and one of the Brit Babes,  Lily Harlem , to More Books Than Livros to talk about books and soccer.

Welcome Lily! 




Ball Handling Skills – by Lily Harlem

Football, or ‘soccer’ as one nation calls it, is a sport that I love, it grips the UK like no other and pretty much everyone I know has a team they support and follow. The fab thing is this team doesn’t have to be where you live or were born, you can just pick the best one and go with them. Though there does seem to be an unspoken rule that once you have a team you don’t switch. So be careful, you might go for Manchester City and be top dog for a while but things change -managers come and go, players leave or are injured and fortunes change.

I once dumped a boyfriend because his football obsession was just too much and I couldn’t understand it. We used to have to plan dates around matches he was playing at or wanted to watch. His mood was dependent on the outcome of a ball hitting or not hitting the back of a net and I just zoned out when Match of the Day came on in the evening. But now, older and wiser, I’ve come to the conclusion of if you can’t beat `em, join `em!

Which is what I’ve done, big time!

With five brothers and brothers-in-law, a host of nephews not to mention Mr H and his mates, football is a serious topic of conversation in our household. Not only that it takes up a considerable amount of time, whether it’s playing for fun, competitively (I have a few nephews who are showing some serious talent) or watching it on TV or going to matches. Football takes over Saturday afternoons, though I quite enjoy going to one of the big pubs in town and having a pint and shouting on my team with the boys. Not that I’m the only female in the crowd, plenty of girls enjoy a good football match, they can appreciate excellent ball handling skills and love to celebrate when their team wins.

Which is why I was drawn to write an erotic romance about football. I wrote it back in 2012 when the European Cup was being held in Ukraine, in fact it’s set in Donetsk which has been on the news a lot this year with the troubles there. I hope that settles peacefully.

I played with the idea that more and more women are becoming involved in the football industry. Indeed the British female football teams are some of the best in the world, but also in other roles girls are joining in. Some of the leading TV presenters for football are female in the UK they same with some of the reporters. This gave me the idea for Nicky’s character, a female sports journalist covering the Cup games in Donetsk. I wanted her to be football focused and obsessed and not in the industry for gossip about the hot players but for the love of the beautiful game.

Which brings us to the subject of hot players – swoon – because seriously, have you seen these guys? Some of them are just heart-stoppingly gorgeous and so damn fit too. They have to have dedication, stamina and skill to be where they are and as they run around the pitch during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, I just know I’ll be inspired to write another footballing story.

Tate Lewis was inspired by a certain English footballer – you’ll have to read the book and see if you can guess who – and I loved his down-to-earth approach to life on and off the pitch and his commitment to being a team-player. Throw him together with Nicky, my sport reporter and things soon get down and dirty steamy, though there are a few embarrassing moments along the way involving a white see-through bikini and a Rampant Rabbit that has a life of it’s own!

I hope you’ll check out Scored it was a blast to write and I especially liked composing the football scenes, they were a fun contrast to the getting naked and going for it scenes. Oh, and if you think I made the rule about the players having no sex while the cup was on, I didn’t. One England manager actually imposed that ban (though it’s impossible to know if he was successful or not!) on the England team several years ago! Seriously?

Thanks for letting me stop by, here’s the info on Scored and I hope your team does you proud in the 2014 World Cup.

Lily Harlem x



Scored

Okay, so I eat, sleep and breathe football and reporting the beautiful game is my dream career. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have time for a major crush on the England captain, Lewis Tate. The bloke is sex on legs, hot with a capital H. Add in his awe-inspiring talent, his brooding good looks and what’s not to lust after?

So my excitement is sky-high as I set off with the official press team to cover England’s battle for the European Cup. But when a series of unfortunate, or as it turns out fortunate events, attracts Tate’s attention my way, who am I to say no?

Add in a misogynistic manager, an over-zealous colleague, two blue silk ties and some incredible ball-handling skills and it becomes clear the road to victory, for me, will be an intensely erotic journey. Determined to savor every moment, I hang onto my sanity as best I can while living the fantasy and wondering if it can ever become reality. Because once Lewis Tate has taken me to heaven and back, its clear no one else will ever compare.

Reader Reviews

“Lily Harlem's story of a famous footballer and a hardcore sports writer is one of the best happily ever after erotica novels I've read.”

“Their love affair is dangerous and delicious. The smexytimes? Scorching. No doubt having a pro soccer player adds to the endurance and flexibility factor. Being a Yank, I loved the British slang and speech. It was super fun.”

“From strangers to friendship to lovers, Nicky and Lewis were amazing. It felt like real life and I could picture all the events taking place. This is a must read!”

“A great love story wrapped around football (yes, people, this is real football) as  in a player, a reporter and a tournament.”


Buy Links







Lily Harlem Links




Promotional Event: Cinderella Screwed Me Over


 Welcome to the promotional event for Cinderella Screwed Me Over by Cindi Madsen! In addition to a great excerpt and giveaway, we're thrilled to announce that there is a promotional price of $1.99! Grab it while it lasts!



Title: Cinderella Screwed Me Over
Author: Cindi Madsen 
Age: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled
ASIN: B00BMKFPL6
ISBN: 1622660315

Blurb:
Darby Quinn has a bone to pick with Cinderella. Burned one too many times by ex-boyfriends, Darby has lost all belief in the happily-ever-after that the fairy-tale princess promised her. She's sworn off love, Prince Charmings, and happy endings and she's happy about it. Really. Or at least she was…until she met Jake, her gorgeous neighbor and the manager of her favorite restaurant. But Darby has rules about dating, ones she's culled from her years spent with so-called “princes,” and starting something with Jake would break all of them.

Charming, fun, and unwilling to give up on her, Jake doesn’t fit any of the profiles Darby has created from her case studies of ex-princes-gone-bad. Finally presented with her own Prince Charming, can Darby take a chance on a happily-ever-after?

Full of wit and sarcastic humor, Cinderella Screwed Me Over proves that sometimes the perfect love, like a perfect pair of shoes, is just within your grasp.

EXCERPT

Jake looked down at me and I noticed again how blue his eyes were. My gaze moved to his lips.

Mayday, mayday, mayday.
I dropped my hand from his arm and swallowed.

“And what did I do to deserve the brush-off?” he asked.

The elevator doors opened and I let out a sigh of relief. Saved by the bing! I moved for the doors, but Jake beat me to them. Only he put a hand out to hold them open and turned to face me, eyebrows raised. So much for escaping the question.

I could feel every beat of my heart, and the walls of the elevator seemed to be closing in on me. “It’s nothing against you personally. You seem nice—you’re very charming, actually, which I’m sure you know. But you live in my building, and I’ve got certain rules about that kind of thing. Before I stuck to the rules, my life was much messier.” I ducked under his arm—damn he smelled good—and started for my car.

Jake stayed by my side, our footsteps echoing through the garage. “I live in the wrong place and just like that, I’ve got no chance with you?”

I kept my eyes on my car, afraid that if I looked at him, I might give in. And yes, last night I’d considered trying one little date. But he noticed too much, and he pushed against boundaries I wasn’t ready to let go of. It was time I pushed back. “Why have you chosen to pursue me? I’m not playing hard to get. It’s not some game you’ve got to win.” I pointed my remote at my silver Dodge Durango and pushed the unlock button.

Jake stepped ahead of me and opened the car door for me. “I’m sure plenty of guys hit on you. Obviously you’re beautiful. But there’s something different about you that makes me not want to give up.”

“You don’t even know me,” I said.

“And whose fault is that?”

“Cinderella’s.”

Two creases formed between Jake’s eyebrows. “Cinderella’s?”

“Yeah, Cinderella screwed me over.” Without any more explanation, I got into my car, pulled the door closed, and fired up the engine.



 Amazon | BN | Kobo | iTunes

Check out the Cinderella Screwed Me Over PINTEREST board!

GIVEAWAY



About the Author:

Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children. She is the YA author of DEMONS OF THE SUN & ALL THE BROKEN PIECES, and the adult author of FALLING FOR HER FIANCE, ACT LIKE YOU LOVE ME and CINDERELLA SCREWED ME OVER.
Twitter: @CindiMadsen | Facebook | Website



Thursday, June 12, 2014

Book Tour, Review & Giveaway: Broken Embrace by Dana Mason





SYNOPSIS:

The Past…
As childhood sweethearts, Brian and Melissa's plans were simple: finish school, get married, and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, life didn’t go as planned. Melissa went away to college, and Brian married her best friend.

The Present…
Seventeen years have passed and Brian's stable family life has come crashing down around him. His wife’s a cheater, his teenage daughter is hiding things from him and Melissa is back in town to remind him of what he lost all those years ago.
Melissa's returned home, ready to forgive and focus on her future, but that all changes the day she gets a desperate phone call from Brian’s daughter, Erin. Thrown back into Brian’s tumultuous life, Melissa struggles to move beyond the pain of his broken promise.

The Future…
While working together to save Erin from the evil web she’s caught in, Melissa and Brian fight to fix the past or face losing each other all over again.







Excerpt:

Brian stood with one hand on his daughter’s shoulder and one on his son’s, looking out over Erin’s bowed head. He felt like he’d been thrown back in time, back to a day he would never forget.
Their blond heads perfectly matched as they tilted toward each other in an iron embrace. He remembered the day like it was yesterday, the picture clear as the bright blue sky above. He knew right then—with every breath—he loved Melissa. Who gets this stuff at eight years old? He would’ve laughed at the idea if he had the energy. Who the hell understands what love is at eight? It didn’t make sense, but he couldn’t deny it.
Watching Melissa and Ali cry over their father’s coffin twenty-six years ago was so like today. There they stood, holding each other again, Ali’s hand reached out to Johnny’s, but her arm around Melissa, their heads together, crying all over again. He remembered how hard it had been for them both. He wanted to cry, too, and he did, for Ali and for Melissa. It hurt him in his soul to see the pain and tears in her eyes.
He looked again at Julie’s shining coffin glinting in the bright sun and wanted to kick himself for thinking about Melissa on this day, the very day he had to put his wife in the ground. If Julie could hear his thoughts, she would hate him. Ironically enough, so would Melissa. Melissa would never respect him, not after what he’d done to her, especially if she knew what he was thinking about now. 
How did we get here? How did so many things change since that day? Nothing had turned out the way he’d planned. Back then, and for years after, his future was sure. He never doubted where life would lead him. But how could he regret? How could he—as he stood there with his kids—regret his family? Regret his life to this point? Regret Julie? No, he didn’t, of course not, but regret Melissa? Yes, he regretted losing Melissa. He loved Erin and Cody with his whole heart. He’d loved Julie, too, but Melissa was different. He couldn’t explain it, just different than Julie. Melissa held a part of his soul. To this day, she still gripped it in her hands. That part of him had been missing the day he’d proposed to Julie, and every day since then. 
Melissa will always have it, even after she marries that jerk-off from Berkeley. Even then, she’ll still own a part of him. His stomach lurched at the thought of her with him, that puny, little clone with no heart or passion. Melissa was full of piss and vinegar, how long would it take this jerk to squash that out of her.
Is this what it felt like to Melissa? Had she felt this sinking, overwhelming sickness when she’d found out about him and Julie? Had she been living with it for all these years? Had her love for him been equal to his for her? He couldn’t remember if he’d ever told her how much he loved her. Did she know? Did that make everything harder for her? Did Julie understand how much he loved her? It’s too late to fix that—she’s gone—Jules is gone. Julie is dead! Did she understand how important she was to him? Even after the hateful things he’d said, he still loved her, and now she was gone.



AUTHOR BIO:

Dana Mason is happily settled in a small valley amongst the California grapevines with her husband and three children. Author of the romantic suspense, Embrace Series, she's written about a group of friends from Northern California who learn just how short life can be when you don't hold on to what's important. Second chances don't come easy...but sometimes love is worth the risk.

When not writing, Dana specializes in professional development and training. She's also a board member on the local Art's Council and does what she can to support the art community.


Dana Mason Media Links:
@danamason06



Review


Rating: 4.5 stars
Title: Broken Embrace
Series: Embrace book 3
Author: Dana Mason
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Heat: 3 stars
Source: copy provided by Book Plug Promotions in exchange of an honest review

Ms. Mason once again brings a fast-paced well developed plot to the Embrace series. This book is easy to follow and kept me guessing until the end. The emotional intensity is amazing and there are so many twists that it's impossible to let go of the book. This story is believable and original.
Of the three books these are my favorite characters. I feel their angst and I have totally connected with them. The characters are easy to relate and love. Ms. Mason's characters are all true and very real.
Their love is real and breathtaking, and as most love stories it's painful and fulfilling. The heat is good with a few very good descriptive scenes.

I really enjoy this series, I've been hooked from the first book and I always end the read with give-me-more feelings. The writing is fluid and perfect for a suspense series. This series has proven very addictive as I have read the three books in three days.

I'm really looking forward to read more from the author and I'm hopeful she write more "Embrace" books.

I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys suspense with a bit of pain and a lot of love.

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PURCHASE LINKS:

Dangerous Embrace (Book #1)

Precious Embrace (Book #2)

 B&N

Broken Embrace (Book #3)
 Amazon

 B&N




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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Re-Release Celebration: This Time Around by Ellie Grace






We’re celebrating the re-release of This Time Around by Ellie Grace! What’s new? It has a new cover,  fresh editing, and new formatting. PLUS, it’s now available in paperback!!!




Title: This Time Around by Ellie Grace
Age group: NA/Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: Okay Creations, Sarah Hansen
Publication Date: July 15, 2013
Hosted by: Wordsmith Publicity











Nora Montgomery left home and heartbreak behind in South Carolina when she moved to New York City after her high school graduation. Now, four years later, she returns home and is forced to confront the past she left behind and the reckless boy who broke her heart. It’s not long before the pieces of her past begin to blur with the present and she realizes that the feelings she had for her first love never really went away. As old dreams resurface and new truths come to light, she begins to question the future she's always planned on.

Jake Harris has spent four years regretting the night he let her get away. When she finally reappears in his life, he is determined to win her back and prove how much he’s changed. She might never forgive him for that night, but if he tells her the truth about what really happened it will shatter the world she thought she knew. If he doesn’t, he might not get a second chance. He’s already lost her once and he won’t lose her again.

They come from two different worlds that are threatening to tear them apart…can they make it this time around?



 Purchase Links



Break Away, a companion to This Time Around

Purchase Links


About the author



Ellie Grace is an avid reader, chocolate lover and caffeine addict. When a story popped into her head that she couldn’t seem to shake, she decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a writer. When she’s not writing, she’s usually curled up with a book by one of her many, many favorite authors.

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