Sunday, December 4, 2016

Sunday's Safe Word Shelf: Brooklyn Blues by RE Hargrave


Title: Brooklyn Blues
Author: RE Hargrave
Genre: BDSM Erotica Short Story
Release Date: December 1, 2016
Summary:
By day, Brooklyn Crenshaw goes to work and does her job. She doesn't make waves, simply follows orders and stays off the radar. Oh, and she might have a crush on WILLIAM K. BAXTER from across the hall. Each time she passes his office—with his polished name plate on the window—her gut clenches with desire at the sight of him. But he never looks up, can't possibly know who she is, and even if he did, her needs would send him running. Because they always ran.

At night, in private, she turns on her laptop so that her Sir can turn her on. Brooklyn’s never seen His face, but she knows His voice and the magic of His words. The arrangement works for her. Mostly.

As the office holiday party approaches, Brooklyn starts receiving Secret Santa gifts which suggest more than casual interest, Sir reveals his fondness for exhibition and voyeurism, and WILLIAM K. BAXTER finally looks up at her, and waves.

Brooklyn begins to question everything. Does she continue to follow the orders of a man who hides behind technology, but is always there, or does she take a chance on the man right in front of her who’s seen her at long last? Then there is the Secret Santa who seems to know what makes Brooklyn tick. So many decisions.

‘Tis the season… to be kinky.


“Is everything okay, Sir?”

“Hm? Oh, yes. Just thinking.”

“Oh?”

“Entertaining personal fantasies is all. It would be an honor to escort you to this shindig.”

Brooklyn sighed. “Sir—”

“I know. I apologize. No more pressure, bunny.” After a pause, he added, “If you were to invite me, though, I’d love seeing you in candy-cane stripes.”

Shaking her head, a soft laugh escaped her. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“On a serious note. Whether you allow me to come, or not, I would like to set you a task for the evening.”

Throughout her body things tightened at his words, the deepening tenor they were being delivered in sending heat across her flesh. “Yes?”

“Hm. Yes, I think candy cane-striped thigh-highs, a daring short dress—in red, please—no bra, and let’s see, thong or commando. Your choice.”

She almost scoffed. That had all sounded pretty damn specific to her, and quite well-thought out. Her gut told her he hadn’t pulled this from his hat on a whim. Or that she didn’t really have a choice, either. His lust-laden voice lifted to her ears before she could form a reply, leaving her quite the mental undertaking.

“Your task is to observe, bunny. Keep your head held high when you enter the party. Don’t shy away from the attention you will get. Unless I’m mistaken, and I rarely am when it comes to the marvels of the human psyche, reactions will vary. There will be those longing to be you, those who wish to have you, and still others will hate you for your confident beauty, but all their heads will turn. Embrace that.”

Author Bio:
Domestic engineer. Author. Burgeoning editor. And quite possibly certifiable. Believing every story can shine bright with a bit of tenacious tough love, R.E. Hargrave is thorough and to the point. An international bestselling author, she takes storytelling and manuscript polishing seriously, working with her authors and on her own creations to ensure they come to life, crawling from the pages and into the reader’s souls.

Hargrave lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX and is married to her high school sweetheart; together they are raising three children. A native 'mutt,' she has lived in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and California. She is fond of setting her stories—which range from the sweet to the paranormal, to the erotic and horrific—on location in South Carolina and Texas.


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The Adventures of Natalie Bloom by Brooke Stanton

Title: The Adventures of Natalie Bloom
Author: Brooke Stanton
Series: Bloom Sisters #2
Genre: Adult, Romantic Comedy
Release Date: December 2, 2016
Summary:
Natalie’s dreams are about to come true. She’s found the perfect spot for her new restaurant and a perfect business partner to make it happen – gorgeous Luke Hawker – until she discovers things are not as they seem. Luke has run off with her money, leaving her dreams crumbling around her.

With Max Euston – her friend and secret crush -alongside her, Natalie must race against the clock to find Luke and get the money back before it’s too late.

With twists and turns, Natalie won’t know who to trust (or love) until the very last page.



Brooke Stanton- author, Tell us a little about yourself. 
When did you decide to become a writer?
I used to keep notebooks filled with short stories starting in middle school. If I’m going to be completely honest they were filled with some pretty risquΓ© stories. I was young and didn’t know much about romance or sex, but my aunt wrote romance novels and I used to sneak and read them, so I tried to emulate her. I didn’t really understand the subject matter. I don’t think I’d even kissed a boy, yet. Once I got to high school, I wrote more mainstream fiction in my spiral notebooks. They were never for anyone to see. Just my own enjoyment. I went to a performing arts high school and funnelled my creativity on stage at the time. But I always knew one day I would publish a book.

Why do you write?
I write for the same reason I used to get on stage and sing and act. It’s cathartic. I love diving into different stories and characters. It makes me feel alive.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?
To have the freedom to write what I want in many different genres. I hope my readers love my books as much as I love writing them.

What has been the hardest part of building your career? 
Being patient!

Which writers inspire you?
Jojo Moyes, Emily Giffin, Meg Cabot. All their stories and characters are interesting and unique and I love how their stories unfold. The love stories feel authentic and there’s always a bit of fun and laughter.

What have you written?
(Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest).
My debut novel was the award-winning RomCom, The Misadventures of Catie Bloom. My follow-up novel is The Advenutres of Natalie Bloom, which is the second book in the Bloom Sisters series (but can be read as a stand-alone). I have a blog on my website that focuses on my writing career with day-to-day life anecdotes. When I was trying to get preggers, I had a humor blog called Vagina Vacancy. I also contributed to Natural Awakenings magazine and wrote a column for examiner.com.

Where can we buy or see them? (stores, websites, links where your work has been featured).
mybook.to/CatieBloom - mybook.to/NatalieBloom - brookestantonbooks.com - vaginavacancyblog.blogspot.com **Be sure to check the links below**

What genre are your books?
Romantic Comedy/Contemporary Romance/Chick Lit

Why did you pick that/those genre(s)?
I love funny and I love romance.

What inspires your ideas?
Everything! No, really. I never know when an idea is going to hit; I could be on a plane, in a car, watching a movie, reading the newspaper, about to fall asleep. My phone is filled with notes of story ideas. I have at least a dozen. And they will all be written.

Are there any correlations between the books you write and your life experiences? 
The Adventures of Natalie Bloom was largely inspired by my yearly trips to Red Frog Beach in Panama. My parents own a place there and it’s a beautiful, unique, inspiring location. The wheels in my head were turning every time I went down there and out of that came this book.

My novel, How to Survive New York on Three Dates a Week (co-written by Corinne Barlow), is the most biographical. Most of the stories are pulled right from our lives. It’s scheduled to be released in early 2018.

All my books have a few anecdotes I took either directly from my life or my friends. If you know me, read carefully...you may find a bit of your life staring back at you!

Do you work from an outline or plot or do you prefer just to see where an idea takes you?
I used to write and see where the story took me. But I found writing for discovery without any kind of outline takes too long. Now I write a short outline before I write any book. It has done wonders for the speed in which I can write a book now. And there’s still a lot to discover, even with an outline.

Tell me about your most recent release.
It’s a romantic adventure about discovering what you and what you’ll do (and won’t do) to get. It’s a bit of romance, adventure, and mystery all tied together. Natalie Bloom discovers to get what she wants she has to fight for it and not be afraid to get hurt...a hard thing to do for all of us.

Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp? 
I don’t focus on a message as much as I focus on giving my readers something to indulge in, like sneaking a pint of rocky road ice cream and savouring every morsel as it slides down. But the most prominent theme in Natalie Bloom is not letting fear get in the way of living your life - stand up for what you want and go out and get it, no matter what the obstacles.

Any new projects we should look out for?
The third and final book in the series, The Downfall of Catie Bloom, is coming out in the summer of 2017.

Do you think it’s hard to build and maintain a writing career? Why or why not? 
Hard, no. Time-consuming, yes. With ebooks and the age of indie authors, anyone can build a writing career. They just need patience and to realize it’s a business as much as it is an art form.

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be? 
A theatre actor. I grew up singing and acting on stage and I miss it. It would be a wonderful way to express myself if I couldn’t do it through my writing.

What is your favourite motivational phrase?
Just do it.

Any advice for dealing with writer’s block?
Just do it. See! It works. Seriously, if I’m blocked I just keep writing, even if the critic in my head is ripping me apart. If what I wrote sucks, I can always hit delete. And if I really can’t think of a single thing to write, I go on an artist’s date- to a museum, on a hike, to a movie. That usually inspires new ideas.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Just keep moving forward. Take baby steps. You’ll be surprised how quickly they’ll get you to your goal. It’s like filling a bucket of water with a dripping tap. You think it’ll take forever, watching each little drop, but before you know it, the bucket is overflowing.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given, that keeps you motivated? 
Get your butt in the chair and write. Don’t wait to be inspired, otherwise, you’ll never get a book written.

Author Bio:
After her own misadventures in New York City, LA, and London, Brooke Stanton now lives in sunny South Florida. She’s an award-winning author who has contributed to Natural Awakenings Magazine, wrote a column for Examiner.com, and is the author of The Bloom Sisters series. Visit her website.

Get a FREE copy of the prequel, IGNITE, here.


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Extra:
The author is offering a few bonuses for anyone who
buys the book between Dec 2 (the release date) and Dec 6:

1: 75% off the retail price
2: entrance into an exclusive giveaway for a $50 Amazon Gift Card
3: A FREE, advanced copy of The Downfall of Catie Bloom 

The bonuses will be available in the table of contents under Bonus when you buy the eBook.




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Saturday, December 3, 2016

Saturday's Series Spotlight: Jack's Magical Beanstalk by Pablo Michaels

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Keep Me Warm by Jude Ouvrard

Title: Keep Me Warm
Author: Jude Ouvrard
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Short Story
Release Date: December 1, 2016
Summary:
When a fire turns your heart into ice, it can’t possibly melt without revealing scars.

Adele has lost everyone and everything she loves. Now she’s coping with an unwanted new reality which includes working as a maid in a chic hotel in downtown Seattle to make ends meet. Uninterested in a relationship, her frozen solitude suits her just fine.

She thinks.

When a handsome guest walks into the room she is cleaning and sets her frigid life ablaze again, Adele discovers there is more than one way to burn. Will this new friendship be a smoldering ember or ignite a conflagration which could consume what remains of her heart and soul?


Sitting in the back of a cab on a cold, starless night after an amazing night with my friends, I see flames leaping from a roof down the street and the flashing lights of firetrucks. Checking our location, I try to convince myself the chaos is far from my place, but the closer we get, the harder it is to breathe. My chest aches and my mouth is dry. In actuality, we’re very close to my home.

“This can’t be real,” I mumble to myself.

When we reach the last corner, a police officer asks the cabbie to stop. Panic and agony build in me at an unreal rhythm. There’s no more question as to whether it’s my home, our building, on fire. I jump out of the car and run toward the scene, but am held in place by two strong men. Though their hands are keeping me in place and they’re talking to me, I don’t hear anything.

“My husband and my son are in there. My husband… my son… please. Hurry!” I yell at them urging them to get my family out. Pushing their hands away, I try again to run inside to get them myself. My life is in there. My whole world. “Gabe? Brock!” I pray calling upon all the Saints, and God.

“Ma’am, you can’t go inside. It’s too dangerous.”

Crying, hurting, and looking everywhere around to see if they’ve made it out, I don’t see them. I don’t. The firefighter is trying to bring me to the ground. I’m kicking, pushing, and punching, though; there’s nothing stopping me while I yell, “A boy and a man from apartment four, on the second floor.” Pushing myself from the ground with my legs, once more I’m trying to run away.

“Ma’am, you can’t go in there.” Another man has joined the first, and together, they drag me out of the danger zone.

“Where are they?” When his face falls, void of all emotion, I know how bad my life has just gotten.


Author Bio:
"Drama, true love, tattoos...and everything in between!"

Jude Ouvrard is an author who writes from the heart, and reads with passion and devotion. Jude enjoys stories of drama, true love, tattoos, and everything in between. While writing is her therapy, reading is her solace. Life doesn't get better than books and chocolate, and maybe a little bit of shopping.

A romance lover, Jude writes about love, pain, heartbreak and matters that will challenge your heart. A book can tell an unexpected story, no matter which directions it takes. Jude embraces words that have haunted her for years.

Jude is a working mom who dedicates her time to a law firm and writing books. She has an energetic five-year old superhero son, and a supportive boyfriend of thirteen years. Her family is her rock; she could not survive without them. Born a country girl, she transformed into a city woman who now lives in Montreal, Canada. Although French is her first language, Jude decided to write in English because she liked the challenge.


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