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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Author Spotlight ~ Sarah Makela

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Angelique had no idea her black panther tattoo would force her to abandon the love of her life—Connor O’Reilly—but she’s determined to keep him safe no matter how much it hurts. Her tattoo doubles as her feline familiar: loving, protective, dangerous, and with a life of its own. It’s also her deepest secret and draws enemies who desire its power for themselves.

Connor has no idea why Angelique left him, but he’s determined to win her back. As a werewolf, he has secrets of his own. Now his alpha is ready to force him to pair with an ex-girlfriend he can’t stand unless he can find Angelique and claim her as his mate. But even as their secrets threaten to keep them apart, hidden enemies seek to destroy their chance at love forever.

Excerpt: Angelique wrapped her arms around his neck, sinking into the warm sensation that being around Connor stirred inside her. She froze, knowing this might not be what was best for her, but with him being here—so close, and apparently so ready too—she didn’t know if she had it in her to turn him away.

Connor pulled back a little, concern darkening his eyes. “Tell me if you don’t want this.”

She opened her mouth to refuse him, to distance herself, but the words wouldn’t come. What was the problem with giving in? She leaned forward, pushing her fingers into his dark blond hair. Her lips met his, and he groaned.

He gripped her hips, tugging her forward on the counter, pressing her close to him. Close enough to feel his hard cock hiding beneath his suit pants. They’d never gone this far before in their relationship. She hadn’t let him get close because of Kira, but Kira wasn’t a problem right now.

Angelique smiled against his lips and pushed off Connor’s suit jacket, letting it fall to the kitchen floor. He stepped back a little, grabbing for her jacket. She let him unzip it and toss it to the floor next to his. His hands brushed over her torso from just under her breasts, over her stomach, and down to the hem of her undershirt. She sucked in a breath as his warm hands met her skin.

He slowly slid the top up and watched her face. She should stop him, but she didn’t want to. Sharing this with him, regardless of what came after, would be a delicious birthday present.

She lifted her arms, and he slipped the shirt over her head, revealing her bare chest. She’d been at home for the night and hadn’t worn a bra.

His eyes burned with lust, and she noticed a tick in his jaw as if he were struggling to control himself. He didn’t need to think she was made of glass. This wasn’t her first time.

She tugged his shirt out of his pants and worked the buttons from the holes. Underneath the silk was a finely chiseled chest. His workout regime must be relentless.

Connor chuckled, and she glanced up at him, cocking an eyebrow. “What?”

“That look on your face. You’re almost drooling.” He smirked. “I like that.”

“I am not.” Angelique shoved against his chest, but he didn’t budge an inch. His muscular pecs beckoned her. She slid her hands over that hot expanse of skin toward his belt. Her lips pressed against his chest, and she trailed kisses over it.

Connor’s chuckle faded and turned into a groan. He planted his hands on the counter beside her knees, staying there and not moving away from her lips. “I want you, Angel.” His husky voice was a near whisper.

Direct purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Skin-Deep-Feral-Ink-ebook/dp/B00A3Y9RTI/

Website: http://www.sarahmakela.com

Blog: http://blog.sarahmakela.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sarahmakela

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorsarahmakela

Author Spotlight ~ Tracey Steinbach

Miranda works for the arrogant vampire, Matthias. She lives in a wing of his home so she can be at his beck and call whenever the mood strikes him. Matthias knows that Miranda is his mate but he has no desire to bind himself to a human, fall in love and watch her die, so he keeps his distance. When Miranda asks for a Christmas Tree for the house, he reluctantly agrees. Miranda has an accident before she can get the tree, though and he uses their bond to rescue her.

After Matthias is shot, Miranda must let Matthias feed to regain his strength and possibly save his life. This bonds them closer together. He gives up the fight and throws himself into winning her over. The first thing on his list? Her Christmas Tree.

Direct Purchase Link: Secret Cravings Publishing

Excerpt

Miranda’s heels clicked loudly across the marble floor as she stomped her way down the hall. She pressed her lips together to keep from shrieking at the infuriating man. If he didn’t watch himself, she was going to stake him through the heart in his sleep. Would serve the arrogant bastard right if she did.

Did you hear that? One of these days I’m going to stake you in your sleep!

Matthias’s deep chuckle was the only answer she received. That quickened Miranda’s stride, sparking more of her anger. How dare Matthias deny her a few days off? It was Christmas for heaven’s sake! She knew he didn’t celebrate it, but she did. It was her favorite holiday, and she wanted to spend it doing what she wanted, not catering to his every need. No, she didn’t have any family to spend it with, and she barely had any friends, it seemed like every time she planned something with Beth and Vicki, Matthias would beep her with some emergency. They never turned out to be real emergencies, though. Miranda suspected that he was trying to keep her in the house and away from other people. She just couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t like she was going to go blathering on about her boss the vampire. Who would believe her?

Miranda had stomped her way to the other side of the house when her PDA went off. The man was bound and determined to make her crazy today. She activated the touch screen, bringing his message up.

If it will make you happy, you may put up a tree in my living room. Not that I want one. I do not. But if it will keep you from staking me in my sleep, so be it.

Miranda could almost feel his amusement. Fine, he was giving her permission for a tree? It was going to be the biggest tree that would fit in there. Miranda allowed a small smile to curve her lips. At least she'd get to do some decorating. When she’d moved from her dinky little apartment to the wing of Matthias’s house, she had mourned the loss of her own space to decorate for holidays. Matthias had said she could do whatever she wanted to her rooms, but it wasn’t the same as having a tree lit in front of a picture window, sharing it with whomever happened by. That was one of the best parts of the Christmas season, to her mind. The feeling of giving and sharing, that normally eluded the public, was present. It warmed her heart to do for others, which was one of the things that made her good at her job. Yeah, sometimes her boss was a pain in the ass, but she was happy most of the time. He obviously was happy with her, too, or he’d have fired her long before now.

Adult excerpt:

“Matthias…Matthias…I need you,” Miranda called to him. Matthias turned toward her voice. His feet started to move across the room to where Miranda stood beckoning him with her finger. His cock was lengthening with every step he took. The slumberous, loving look on her face did that to him every time.

Matthias reached Miranda, gently pulling her into his arms. He lowered his head, taking her mouth in a hungry kiss. Her arms wound around his neck, her body pressing closer to his. He growled deep in his chest and felt her shudder. He knew what that sound did to her.

Pulling back, he looked down at her and smiled. “You shall have me, my love,” He answered her plea.

Bending down, he swept her into his arms and laid her on the bed. His fingers pulled at the delicate ribbons that held her robe together. Her robe parted with the release of each ribbon, revealing the treasure beneath.

Miranda’s breathing had already started to quicken at the look in his eyes. He looked as if he was about to devour every inch of her flesh. She shuddered. God, she hoped so.

Find Tracey on her WEBSITE and on FACEBOOK

Quintana Roo Yucatan by Scott Harper

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Rikki Breitenberg is an archeologist in charge of the first team of American documenters allowed by the Mexican government to explore newly discovered Mayan ruins in the Yucatan. However, shortly after their arrival in Mexico, things go awry. Treacherous jungle, inclement weather and dangerous wildlife are only the beginning.

When Rikki and her team run afoul of members of an ancient cult devoted to the worship of a bloodthirsty god, things take a terrifying turn for the worse. During their struggle for survival, the team makes a startling discovery that may rewrite the whole of human history. Will they survive to bring their amazing find back to civilization?

EXCERPT ~

“How much farther?” Constance asked, leaning over to see the small display.

Rikki studied the screen briefly, frowning at what she saw. “It looks to me as if we’re moving away from the site.”

“What?” Constance asked, leaning closer. “You’re right. It looks like we’re veering steadily away from it at an angle.”

Rikki heard anger rising in the other woman’s tone as she spoke. She held up a hand for silence and turned to call for Alamar.

“Si?” the guide asked as he stood and started toward her.

Holding up the GPS, Rikki said, “This red triangle here is the site of the ruins we’re here to explore. That’s where we’re supposed to be going.” She held the unit closer to him and went on. “This green dot shows our present location. It looks like we’re moving away the site, not toward it.”

Alamar peered critically at the little screen for a moment before laughing happily. “You rely too much on your technology and not enough on personal knowledge. You see, due to the position of the bridge we crossed and due to the position of the one we have yet to cross, the one I told you about earlier, we are forced to take a…how it is said? A less-than-direct route? Is that right?”

Rikki nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“Were we to ford rivers, rather than using bridges, we would be taking a straighter path. But it is not good to go into the water.” His grin grew as he added, “As you have seen, the crocodiles like the water. Because of them, we must use bridges. Because of the placement of the bridges, we are taking this less-direct route, but we will get there.”

Shaking her head, Rikki held up the GPS unit again, pointing at several tiny markers displayed on the screen. “No,” she said, “there are bridges marked here. Why aren’t we using those?”

“Is the bridge we crossed earlier on your little machine?”

Rikki glanced at the display. “No.”

Alamar nodded, looking as if he had expected that response. “There are many small bridges built by locals in this area. Most will not, I think, show up on your device. By making use of them, we can avoid harder country and get where we are going more quickly than if we used the bridges marked there.” He pointed at the GPS. “We could take that route, but that it would be longer because of the slower pace we’d be forced into. You are in a hurry; I try to get you there quick as I know how.” His grin grew larger still as he reiterated, “You rely too much on your technology.”

Still smiling, Alamar turned his back on her and trudged through the mud, returning to the porters. Rikki stared after him. She considered arguing further, but spared herself the exercise in futility.

“I don’t believe a word of what he just told you,” Constance said quietly.

“Neither do I,” Rikki agreed, still staring after the guide.

“What do we do?” Constance asked. “Should you radio Titus? You’re to contact him periodically with progress reports, anyway.”

Sighing, unsure, Rikki turned to face her. “Help me keep an eye on him; on all of them.” She took in Peter, Oscar, Hank and Sean with her gaze. “All of you, keep an eye out for anything odd, all right?”

Amazon Purchase Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Quintana-Roo-Yucatan-ebook/dp/B00A5WKT40

BookieJar Purchase Link for eReader (most formats available):

http://www.bookiejar.com/Home/Book/11954?cat=17039360

Author Bio:

Scott Harper is the author of more than 30 published short stories and several novels. There has been talk, from several fronts, about turning his fourth novel, "Predators or Prey?", the first book in his Wendy Markland series, into a live-action project.

Harper graduated from Marysville High School in 1993 and began screenwriting in 2007, after the publication of several short stories and novels, and has worked on projects for James Tucker Productions and 11th Dimension Films. He is currently involved with several projects, covering literature, film and comic books.

Author Website: www.scottharper.net

Hot Winter Nights Blog Hop

December 1st - 4th

What could be better than making a cold winter night HOT? Making it HOT with a steamy book or that special someone! Special thanks to Nicole Morgan for hosting this hop and getting the party underway!

For our part of the hop we are going to be giving away $30 worth of services* to one winner.

Are you a reader and not an author? That's okay. We create bookmarks as well.

Imagine how cute it could be to create a custom bookmark just for you!

Leave a comment below with your name and email address.

The winner will be drawn randomly and emailed on December 5th.

* The winner can pick and choose from all services, excluding anything under the web design page.

Don't forget that there are many stops on this hop so increase your chance of winning more prizes

by making just you stop by as many as you can. The list is below. Have fun and Happy Holidays!

Author Spotlight ~ Barbara Bradley

Who is Barbara?

Writing for Barbara Donlon Bradley started innocently enough, like most she kept diaries, journals, and wrote an occasional letter but she also had a vivid imagination and wrote scenes and short stories adding characters to her favorite shows and comic books. As time went on she found the passion for writing to be a strong drive for her. Humor is also very strong in her life. No matter how hard she tries to write something deep and dark, it will never happen. That humor bleeds into her writing. Since she can’t beat it she has learned to use it to her advantage. Now she lives in Tidewater Virginia with two cats, one mother in law – she’s 85 now, her husband and teenage son.

She has been writing since she was a teenager – but professionally since 1994, and has been published since 2001. Hardshell Word Factory was her first Publisher. Then she began writing humorous short stories for Midnight showcase – they sold to another owner who changed the name to Melange. She still writes shorts for the new publisher and in fact is a senior editor there.

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Sam can’t remember her past. The only reason she knows her name is because of a necklace found on her. Her lack of memory makes her perfect to work undercover as an event coordinator for Carlos Mason, an entrepreneur who has ties to the seedier side of business.

When someone makes an attempt on Mason’s life Skye Latimer is assigned to be her bodyguard. Now Sam has to deal with trying to get her memory back, an annoying man she finds she can’t ignore and find something the government can use against Mason.

Skye Latimer has been told to keep Samantha safe at all costs. He doesn’t know why, but it doesn’t matter. He is the best. Getting close to her was easy. Keeping his hands to himself is another matter. Now Skye has to fight his growing attraction to Sam, try to figure out who she really is as well as keep her from being forced to do whatever Mason has planned.

Excerpt

Samantha had a death grip on her compad. Her memory might be gone, but she wasn’t going to use that as an excuse.

She was hired by Carlos Mason to be his new function coordinator and found she had a knack for it. This was the first time her new boss allowed her total control on one of his big galas and she sure didn’t want to mess it up. Taking one last look at her check lists, she nodded in satisfaction before she headed to the kitchens. Everything was set up, flowers, tables, even the proper music. As long as the flow of food ran smoothly the night would be a success and she would prove herself invaluable.

She couldn’t afford to be fired.

She turned a corner and practically ran over Skye Latimer. He was about her height, blonde hair that begged to be touched and sharp blue eyes that seemed to see all the way to her soul. He gave her a bone melting smile and a look that seemed to undress her where she stood. He had that look on his face every time he saw her.

“Mr. Latimer, I don’t have time for this.” She stepped around him, doing her best to ignore the butterflies she felt around him, and continued to the kitchens.

“Hey, I don’t like this any more than you do, but the boss asked me to guard you and that is what I’m going to do. We both know how he gets if his demands aren’t met.” He fell into step with her. “If you hadn’t taken off earlier I wouldn’t have had to come looking for you.”

“Please, then, stay out of my way.” She sighed. “I have a billion things to take care of before this evening starts and I don’t need any distractions.”

“I distracted you?” Skye smiled again. Another one of his seductive heart-stopping smiles that made her insides turn to jelly, but she wasn’t about to let him know that. She gave him a bored look and moved on. He followed right on her heals.

The kitchen was crazy when they entered. The head waiter was shouting out orders to his staff. The head chef was yelling at the head waiter to get out of his kitchen so his people could work.

A loud whistle filled the air as Sam waited for everyone to quiet down. “Why is there so much noise in here? Don’t you people have other things to do than give me heart failure?”

“I am sorry, Miss Samantha, but this imbecile has decided that these small quarters is where he must talk to the wait staff while I’m trying to get my people ready to prepare the meal.”

“I am not an imbecile and we have always done this in the past without trouble. Why are you acting like such a bear tonight?” snapped the head waiter.

“Gentlemen, we have twice as many staff as we normally do. You have to work this out.” Both crossed their arms over their chest and glared at each other. Neither giving an inch. Sam let go of another sigh. “Fine. I’ll cut both staffs in half, that way you’ll have plenty of room again. Your people will just have to do twice as much work and when this falls apart you will be the ones to answer to the boss.”

That got them moving. It wasn’t long before the waiters were huddled just outside the door, getting their instructions, and the cooks were prepping the food.

“You know how to snap that whip when you need to, don’t you?” commented Skye.

Sam had tried to ignore him while she spoke to the two men, but it had been hard. Even though he had kept quiet and had allowed her to do what she needed, part of her had been focused on him the whole time. His wide shoulders, narrow waist and long legs had her wondering things she shouldn’t.

Twitter - http://twitter.com/barbbradley

FB - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Donlon-Bradley/118673448173249

Blog - barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.com