Guest Author Allie Ritch & Just My Type – Vampire Territory 2 Giveaway!

Ad - Vampire Territory Series

I love having my author buddy, Allie Ritch, visit my blog as we have yet to meet in person, and we only forty minutes apart! One day, Allie. one day soon.

The second book in Allie’s Vampire Territory series, Just My Type (dontcha love that title!) released yesterday. So, take it away Allie and tell us all about your sexy release!

You’re always such a great host, Jianne. Thank you for having me on your blog again. Last time I was here, I announced the release of Drinking Partners, the first book in my Vampire Territory series. I know as a reader I don’t like waiting a long time to read the next book in a series, so I’m thrilled to announce that Vampire Territory 2: Just My Type is already out!

Just My Type came out 4/14/15 and picks up right where Drinking Partners left off. This second book focuses on Melody, personal assistant to master vampire Alex Gage, and Eryx, the Southern master’s guard. There’s another player in the mix, though. Alex’s human brother, Wess, has a thing for Mel, so there’s a bit of a love triangle. Which man will Mel choose?

I had a blast writing the action in this book, and, yes, that includes the hot love scenes. If you want to read about long nights of fighting and loving—fangs, romance, swordplay, sex, firefights, and a whole lot more—then this book is for you.

To win the FREE eBook copy of either Drinking Partners or Just My Type (winner’s choice) – leave your e-mail address in the body of your comment.

AR_VT2_JustMyType

Blurb for Just My Type:

There’s trouble in vampire territory, and Melody is right in the middle of it. A new arrival from Eastern Europe named Taspar Tong is out to take over her masters’ domains using the army he has at his command. Mel is a personal assistant, not a soldier, and big male vampires scare her.

That includes Eryx, the dark-haired warrior who is always watching her and baiting her with his remarks. If only he didn’t look so sexy. Mel figures Wess Gage—their human captive—is a far safer love interest, although Wess is part of the Human Rebellion bent on exterminating all vampires. Can he really see past his prejudice, or will he turn on her?

There are two dangerous men in Mel’s life. She just has to decide which of them is her type—the one who makes her feel human again, or the vampire who makes her blood boil?

 

Excerpt from Just My Type (graphic sexual content):

***

She wrapped her arms around him and pierced his skin with her fangs. Latched on tight, she sucked on his vein and tasted him with greedy swipes of her tongue. His blood hit her like a fireball—so much hotter and more potent than what came in lifeless plastic bags. It scorched her insides and warmed her for one magnificent moment.

Piggybacking on her hunger was another appetite that swiftly caught fire, as well. There was an inescapable intimacy to feeding, and his rich blood awakened all her nerve endings. Her nipples pebbled behind her shirt and bra, and she rubbed them against his firm chest.

Eryx made a sound of approval. “That’s it, sweet Melody.”

Sweet Melody? Some distant part of her marveled at his use of the endearment, while the rest of her was focused on the large male body beneath her. The dagger that was strapped to his leg pressed against her inner thigh, and a far more enticing length was tucked against her crotch. Eryx sported what felt like a huge erection.

Her panties were already damp, and they grew wetter as she continued to draw hard on his vein. Sex and blood—she wanted to be filled by him in every way. Flattening her hands against his chest, she savored the strong beat of his heart beneath her fingertips. His abs felt like cobblestones as she swept her palms over them on the way toward his waistband. When she reached his belt, she opened the buckle and popped the top button of his pants. He caught her hand before she could pull down the zipper.

With her lips still pressed to his skin, Mel groaned in frustration and tried to pull free. Eryx held tight and set her hand on his shoulder before he let go. She was debating another attempt at his fly when he attacked her pants instead. He undid the button on her jeans with a dexterous flick of his fingers. Then she heard the metallic click-click-click of each tooth of her zipper giving way as he slid down the tab in slow motion.

She nearly broke suction when he squeezed his hand inside the crotch of her panties. Already spread wide to accommodate the span of his thighs, she was open and vulnerable to his touch. He speared his middle finger between her labia and zeroed in on her clit.

“I’ll take care of you,” Eryx promised. He was already working the pad of his finger in tight circles.

Mel had heard vampire sex was better than anything humans had. The same sensitivity that gave them acute eyesight and hearing also heightened their sense of touch. Her clit definitely seemed to be supersensitive because it tingled with rapture under the friction. Of course, she hadn’t made love with anyone since her sophomore year of college, so she couldn’t make much of a comparison.

Caught up in the rubbing and her own sucking, she didn’t have room to worry about what she was doing or with whom. There also wasn’t her usual anxiety about whether or not she’d reach orgasm. She rode his hand and squealed in delight when he penetrated her with his finger.

Desperation filled her, and she could still feel the hard ridge of his erection. She reached down to free him from his pants, but he growled at her in warning. Then he distracted her by thrusting a second finger into her sheath. Her climax blasted through her as violently as a firefight.

Mel pulled her fangs free as her pussy clenched and sent pleasure shooting up her spine. Eryx covered her mouth and drank her cry. His kiss wasn’t as gentle or warm as Wess’s had been. Like the vampire himself, his kiss was dark and powerful and demanding. He didn’t release her lips until she finished cresting and sprawled boneless against him.

Several pounding heartbeats later, Mel’s brain unscrambled enough to realize she hadn’t gotten to touch his cock. It remained stiff and formidable beneath her, just out of reach. She was too tired to sit up, but she shifted in his lap.

Eryx tightened his grip to hold her still. “If we had a few more hours, I’d strip you naked and make you relieve this ache.”

“Hours?” she mumbled.

He laughed, low and sinister.

The sound sent a shiver through her as the sun rose and put her to sleep.

***

Buy Links: Just My Type is available from Loose Id in all the formats you need for your e-reader, and you’ll also find it soon at Amazon, ARe, B&N, Kobo, iBooks, and other sites where e-books are sold.

Loose Id: http://www.loose-id.com/vampire-territory-2-just-my-type.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Type-Vampire-Territory-Book-ebook/dp/B00W5TGLYS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429149091&sr=1-1
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/just-my-type-4

Allie Ritch’s Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllieRitch
Website/Blog: https://allieritch.wordpress.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/AllieRitch
Google+: https://plus.google.com/111312224583397875521/posts
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/allieritch
Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/AllieRitch
Google+: https://plus.google.com/111312224583397875521/posts
ARe Café: http://www.arecafe.com/members/allie_ritch/
TRR Page: http://www.theromancereviews.com/allieritch2

Wow! I need an ice bucket!

Thanks for sharing that sizzling excerpt from Just My Type, Allie.

Have a tantalizing Thursday everyone!

Cheers,

Guest Author – Marcie Boudreaux & The Road Leads Back!

Marci Boudreaux, authorMy guest author today is Marci Boudreauz (aka Emilia Mancini). Marci’s celebrating her latest release The Road Leads Back with a fabulous contest & a tantalizing excerpt. Take it away Marci!

***

Thanks for having me today, Jianne!

I’m so thrilled that The Road Leads Back is now available!

As many of you may know, I not only write contemporary romance as Marci Boudreaux, but I write steaming hot erotica as Emilia Mancini.

When I am writing as Marci, I sometimes struggle to tone the steaminess down a bit because, well…I like sex. The hotter the better as far as I’m concerned. Which raises an interesting question considering the characters in my new series are all mature adults (and by “mature” I mean 40+). Why, does it seem, romance books with characters over 40 seem more difficult to come by?

I love being almost 40. I feel like I finally fit inside myself. Like I’ve finally stopped trying to “figure things out.” I don’t know it all, but I know enough.

I also know that sex is better now than in my 20s. Sure, I’m not as flexible, but I also don’t have to try so hard to impress my husband. When I was twenty the “let’s try this” wasn’t quite as quick to turn into “nope, that’s not working for me” but now that I’m older, I think that’s because I’m more aware of what doesn’t work for me.

So, when I am writing these contemporary romances, and that Emilia part of me starts trying to sneak in, I can do so with much more confidence I think. The sex scenes in my Stonehill Romance series may not be quite as graphic as in Seducing Kate or The Rebound, but I feel like they are definitely just as steamy and probably a bit more emotionally developed than in my Emilia works. It feels great to be able to combine these two sides of myself for a moment within the text and bring a contemporary spin to these scenes. I also like that the characters are free enough, and confident enough with themselves, to all the steamier side to show without it coming off as fake.

I hope if you join me in my contemporary romance journey, you see what I’m talking about. Sex at 40+? Just as good, if not better.

the-road-leads-back_coverBlurb:
Kara Martinson and Harry Canton weren’t exactly high school sweethearts, but they did share one night neither will ever forget. Twenty-seven years later, Harry surprises Kara at an art gallery opening and discovers he left her with more than just memories when he went away to college. Desperate to connect with the family he never knew existed,

Harry convinces his son to move to Stonehill—and pleads with Kara to come, too.

Kara hasn’t stepped foot in their hometown since the day she was sent away to a home for unwed mothers. Now Harry’s back in her life and as they put together the pieces of their parents’ betrayal, old heartaches start to feel anew. She wants to be near her family, but returning to Iowa means facing some things…and some people…she isn’t quite ready to.

Can Harry convince her to forgive the people who betrayed her so they can embrace the future they were robbed of so long ago? Or will the pain of the past be too much for Kara to overcome?

Excerpt:

***

Kara squeezed her way toward the crowded bar, nudging between two kids who she couldn’t quite believe were old enough to be legally drinking in public. Shouldn’t they be funneling cheap beer in a college dorm somewhere? Or sneaking shots from Daddy’s liquor cabinet?

Art gallery openings used to be much more sophisticated than this. When she was a young artist, openings were about appreciating the art and the artist, not the free booze.

Shit.

Had she really gone there? Kara shook her head at her bitter thoughts.

The bartender, a walking tattoo with spiked black hair, leaned close so she could hear him. “What’ll it be?”

She realized all she wanted was wine. And quiet. The kids around her were acting more like pre-teens jacked up on sugar than art aficionados. One made a face, squished and reddened, as he held up an empty shot glass as proof of his triumph.

She wondered when she had gotten so damned old. She never used to snub her nose at a good drink. Actually, she completely understood what her problem was, and it had nothing to do with age. She’d conformed. She’d fallen into line. She’d done what she was supposed to do. Agent? Check. Gallery opening? Check. Interviews with all the local fancy-pants magazines? Check.

But this wasn’t her. None of this was her.

Frowning, she leaned in as well, making sure he heard her over the jeering of the kids next to her. “Tequila.” Within seconds he set a glass in front of her and filled it with amber liquid. He started to walk away but she held up one hand and lifted the glass with the other. She downed the drink, slammed the glass down, and gestured for another—one shot wasn’t nearly enough to numb the misery of this evening.

The young man lifted his brows and smirked as he gav¬¬¬e her another shot. He laughed as she motioned for him to fill the glass a third time. “I can’t do this all night, lady.”

“One more.”

“Some of the crap in here costs more than my car. No puking. Got it?”

Kara chuckled. Clearly he didn’t recognize her as the artist who had made the crap. “Honey, I was doing tequila shots before your daddy dropped his pants and made you.”

The barkeep threw his head back and laughed, then filled her glass one more time. “Nice one, babe.”
Babe? Kara snorted as she lifted the glass. It was almost to her lips when a hand squeezed her shoulder.

“Kara?” asked a deep, smooth voice as if the man wasn’t certain who he was touching.

She turned. Her eyes bulged as she looked into an intense dark gaze she hadn’t seen since the night she’d lost her virginity.

The music had been loud, the beer lukewarm, and everybody who was anybody—and several nobody’s like Kara and Harry—in their senior class of Stonehill High was at the graduation party. The only person she had cared about, though, didn’t care about her. Or so she’d thought. Until she’d somehow ended up on Shannon Blake’s disgustingly pink- and ruffle-covered bed with Harry Canton, book club president and algebra superstar, clumsily removing her clothes, leaving slobbery kisses in their wake.

Kara swallowed hard as the flash of a memory faded, and the man standing before her, looking as shocked as she felt, came back into view.

She downed the liquor, slammed the glass against the bar, and sighed before she announced, “I’ve been looking for you for twenty-seven years.”

He sank onto the vacant stool next to her and lifted his hands as if he were at a loss for words. Something that appeared to be guilt filled his eyes and made his full lips sag into a frown. She’d be damned if temptation didn’t hit her as hard as it had when she was a hormonal teen.

“I wanted to tell you I was leaving,” he said, “but I didn’t know how.”

“You should have tried something like, ‘Kara, I’m leaving.’”

“You’re right. But I was a kid. I didn’t have a lot of common sense. All I could think about was how I finally had my freedom.”

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. “You had your freedom? You selfish prick.”

His eyes widened. “Well, that might be a little harsh. I was just a kid, Kara. Yes, I should have told you I had no intention of staying with you, but I was a little overwhelmed by what had happened. I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?”

Harry’s shoulders slumped, as if he had given up justifying sneaking out on her in the middle of the night. “Look, I saw a flier for your gallery opening, and I wanted to say hello. I thought maybe… I don’t know what I was thinking.”

He sounded hurt, dejected even. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

He stood. She put her hand to his chest and shoved him back onto the barstool. The move instantly reminded of her their one night together. All of seventeen and totally inexperienced, she’d fancied herself a seductress and pushed him on the bed before straddling his hips like she had a clue what she was doing.

Touching his chest now, warmth radiated through her entire body.

She glared, pulling her hand away and squeezing her fingers into a fist. “Are you living in Seattle?”

He shook his head. “I had a conference in town. There were fliers at the hotel. As soon as I saw your picture, I knew I had to come.” His smile returned and excitement oozed from his face. “I can’t believe you have a gallery opening. This is amazing, Kare.”

She wasn’t nearly as thrilled by her accomplishment as he seemed to be. She felt like she was selling her soul instead of her art. She’d always preferred to go the indie route, but that crap agent had cornered her at a particularly vulnerable moment and convinced her she needed him…just like he convinced her she needed to be in a gallery. Although, now she was glad she’d conceded on the open bar.

The tequila swirled through her, making her muscles tingle, preventing her from fully engaging the near-three decades of anger she’d been harboring. She had spent an awfully long time wanting to give Harry Canton a piece of her mind.

Even so, hearing him say she’d done something amazing warmed her in a way very little ever had. If he had come looking for another one-night stand, she hated to admit that she would consider reliving that night again—only this time with more sexual experience and less expectation of him sticking around.

He might be almost three decades older, but his face was still handsome and his brown eyes were just as inviting as they had been when he was a high school prodigy and she was a wallflower.

She smirked at a realization: he was in a suit, probably having just left a corporate meeting, while she was wearing a red sari-inspired dress at her gallery opening.

He was still the straight arrow. She was still the eccentric artist.

“Did you hear what I said, Harry? About looking for you for the last twenty-seven years.”

His shoulders sagged. “I never meant to sleep with you that night. I mean”—he quickly lifted his hands—“I was leaving and should have told you before taking you upstairs. I shouldn’t have just left like that, but I didn’t think you wanted to see me again anyway. If it’s any consolation,” he said giving her a smile that softened the rough edges of her anger, “I’d been working up the courage to kiss you since junior year when you squeezed a tube of red paint in Mitch Friedman’s hair after he made jokes about Frida Kahlo’s eyebrows in art class.”

She frowned at him. That hadn’t been her finest hour. Then again, neither was waking up thinking she was starting a new life as a high school graduate and the girlfriend of the cutest boy she’d ever met, only to find the other side of the homecoming queen’s bed empty. “There’s nothing wrong with a woman embracing her natural beauty.”

His smile faded quickly. “I’m sorry,” he said, sounding sincere. “I shouldn’t have left you like I did. I hope you believe that I regret it. Not being with you,” he amended, “but leaving without explaining.”

She laughed softly. He’d had that same nervous habit in high school. He’d say what was on his mind and then instantly try to recover, afraid his words had come out wrong. Usually they had. For as awkward as she’d been, at least she’d always been able to say what she meant and to stand behind it. Of course, that ability got her in trouble more often than not.

She’d told herself a million times that Harry didn’t owe her an explanation. They hadn’t been in any kind of relationship. She’d drooled over him from afar, but other than an occasional smile in the hallway, he’d barely acknowledged her existence in high school. Even if he hadn’t gone off to start his Ivy League college career the day after graduation, he likely never would have looked at her again. Well, at least not until she could no longer hide the truth of their one-night stand from the world.

“I expected so much more from you, Harry,” she said sadly, the sting of what he’d done back then numbed slightly by the tequila.

His shoulders sagged a bit. “I know.”

“Why didn’t you ever write me back?” Her voice sounded hurt and pathetic. She was surprised that after so many years of being angry, there was still pain hiding beneath her fury. “I must have sent you a hundred letters.”

He creased his brow. “Letters? I didn’t get any letters.”

Kara searched his eyes. He looked genuinely confused.

“I sent them to…” Her words faded. Suddenly the tequila-induced haze wasn’t so welcome. “Your mother said if I wrote to you, she’d make sure you got my letters.”

“My mother? I never got any letters.”

“But you sent money.”

Harry shook his head slightly. “What the hell are you talking about? Why would I send you money?”

She stared at him as realization set in. He hadn’t responded to her letters because he hadn’t received her letters. And if he hadn’t received the letters, he hadn’t sent her money. And if he hadn’t sent her money, he hadn’t known that she needed it. Sighing, she let some of her decades-old anger slip. Her head spun, either from the alcohol or the blurry dots she was trying to mentally connect. Leaning onto the bar, she exhaled slowly. “She never told you, did she?”

“Told me what?”

Kara couldn’t speak. Her words wouldn’t form.

An arm wrapped around Kara’s shoulder, startling her and making her gasp quietly. She turned and blinked several times at the man who had just slid next to her.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, “but I need to get home.” Leaning in, he kissed her head. “Congratulations on the opening, Mom. It was great.”

“Um…” She swallowed, desperate to find her voice. “Thank you, sweetheart.” She flicked her gaze at the man sitting next to her. The longer Harry looked at her son, the wider Harry’s eyes became.

Phil cast a disapproving glance at Harry then focused on his mother again. “Don’t forget that Jess is expecting you to make pancakes in the morning. You promised.”

“I haven’t forgotten.” Kara returned her attention to Harry. His jaw was slack and his cheeks had grown pale.

Phil nodded at Harry as if he were satisfied that he’d made the point that his mother didn’t need to be staying out all night and walked away. Harry watched him leave while Kara waved down the bartender and pointed at her glass. The tattooed kid hesitated, likely debating the ethics of giving her another shot. She pointed again, cocking a brow for emphasis, and he finally filled her glass.

“Kara…” Harry’s voice was breathless, like he’d been kicked in the gut. “Was…was that my…son?”

No. His mother definitely hadn’t given him the letters Kara had written. She lifted her shot, toasting him. “Congratulations, Harry. It’s a boy.”

***

Buy links:

The Road Leads Back
http://www.amazon.com/Road-Leads-Back-Stonehill-Romance-ebook/dp/B00UAYL4HE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427302429&sr=8-1&keywords=marci+boudreaux

Seducing Kate
http://www.amazon.com/Seducing-Kate-Emilia-Mancini-ebook/dp/B00U30U6SS/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

The Rebound
http://www.amazon.com/Rebound-Emilia-Mancini-ebook/dp/B007QPOT2C/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Contest:

bloghopcontest

Sorry, but I do have to put in one little rule here. International shipping is crazy expensive. If the winner is not in the Continental US, you will receive an e-copy of The Road Leads Back and your choice of one of my backlist.

About Marci:
Marci Boudreaux lives with her husband, two children and their numerous pets. Romance is her preferred reading and writing genre because nothing feels better than falling in love with someone new and her husband doesn’t like when she does that in real life.

As well as writing erotica under her pen name Emilia Mancini, Marci is a content editor for Lyrical Press, an imprint of Kensington Publishing. She earned her MS in Publishing from University of Houston-Victoria in 2014 and worked with Des Moines publishing company Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc. as a freelance writer until she recently opted to focus on working in books.

Contact Marci:
Blog: www.marciboudreaux.wordpress.com
Website: www.marciboudreaux.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorMarciBoudreaux
Twitter: @MarciBoudreaux

What an incredible excerpt, Marcie! And did you leave us hanging or what…now I have to click on that Amazon link and download The Road Leads Back.

Don’t forget to check Marcie’s site for the contest image and leave a comment!

Thanks bunches for visiting Marcie.

Have a tempting Tuesday everyone!

Tantalizing Thursday ! Sneak Preview of Allie Ritch’s Drinking Partners!

Today is Tantalizing Thursday on my site! This is new for 2015 and what I’m doing is inviting other authors to give us sneak previews of an upcoming release. I’m so thrilled to have author and friend Allie Ritch inaugurate Tantalizing Thursday.

allie ritch site header

Allie’s giving away a copy of her latest release, Drinking Partners, to one lucky commenter. So leave your email addy in the comment!

Welcome Allie and take it away!

Thanks for having me on your blog, Jianne. You’re always such a good friend and gracious host. What I’d like to share today is the journey of a book — how I first came up with the idea for my latest novel, Vampire Territory 1: Drinking Partners. To celebrate my new release, I’m also doing a giveaway. Commenters, please include your e-mail address in the body of your comments for a chance to win an e-book copy of Drinking Partners.

The journey for some books is longer than others, and Drinking Partners had by far one of the longest. I was looking through stacks of my old writing journals, which I use to jot down ideas for books, when I came across a concept I’d thought of in the 1990’s. You didn’t misread that. Yes, I really said the 90’s. Back when P. Diddy was still Puff Daddy and Madonna was reinventing herself and becoming a mommy. So many book ideas run through my brain that some get shoved to the back, and this one finally elbowed its way to the forefront. The idea was simple: two master vampires — both strong alphas, lethal and cunning — fall for each other but have trust issues.

I’ve always loved vampire fiction, starting with writers like Anne Rice and Fred Saberhagen and continuing with Laurell K. Hamilton, Christine Feehan, and other great authors today. When I rediscovered my premise for my own vampire book, I couldn’t wait to run with it. Drinking Partners was born. Or should I say reborn?

This book is definitely the darkest and edgiest one I’ve written. I may have watched Kill Bill around the time I was writing it, and there’s definitely a lot of action. The heroine, Alexandra, is a badass with guns and swords and even a machete. She doesn’t go looking for trouble, but because she’s a turned vampire — one considered lower class — plus a member of the “weaker sex” according to the older bloodsuckers, trouble has a way of finding her.

Lucas has his own battles and is ruthless in protecting those he cares about. Once Alex and Lucas team up, she becomes the person he cares about most. And what does a master vampire get his lover when she likes to shoot and decapitate her enemies? Find out in an excerpt from Drinking Partners:

AR_VT1_DrinkingPartners@AllieRitch Brings on the Fangs in Drinking Partners

Blurb: Being the master vampire for the Mid-Atlantic Territory is a tough job. Between the Human Rebellion trying to kill him with poisonous suicide donors and snobby born vampires bucking his authority, Lucas Thane has his hands full. What he needs is a regular drinking partner to feed from and a bigger power block. He finds both in the form of Alexandra Gage, the master of the territory south of his.

Alex could use a little help herself, but she has no intention of letting Lucas take over. Turned into a vampire against her will, she has had enough control taken from her. She’ll never let Lucas usurp her right to rule, but will she let him steal her heart? Passion ignites between them, and it’s amazing what vampire bodies can do.

Buy Links: http://www.loose-id.com/drinking-partners.html

Drinking Partners is available at Loose Id, Amazon, ARe, and other places where e-books are sold.

Excerpt from Drinking Partners:

She reached inside for the sparkly handle of a short sword. The hilt was made of walnut as dark and rich as her brown leather coat. The wood had been carved, and centered within each diamond etching was a pale-blue gemstone.

“It’s exactly what I wanted. How did you know?”

“I pay attention to everything that interests you.”

That was a very smooth answer.

“Are those real sapphires?” she asked.

“Blue diamonds.” Lucas traced the curve of her cheek with one finger. “They’re the same color as your eyes.”

Her heart flipped. He’d gotten her diamonds after all.

Alex’s hand trembled as she reached for the exquisite weapon and pulled it free of its sheath. The blade was clean and unmarked and so sharp it sang when she sliced it through the air. It was a work of art.

There was more, though. She reluctantly set aside her new sword so she could pull out the large wooden box that rested next to it. The lid was hinged, and she swung it open to see a matching handgun. He must have had the pair custom-made for her, though she hadn’t a clue how he’d managed to have them done this quickly.

“Do you know what it is?” he asked.

She was practically drooling over the gun. “Are you kidding me? It’s a Colt M1911.”

“You know your guns.”

“My father taught me.” She let the remark slip without thinking.

Lucas regarded her closely. “That’s an unusual thing for a father to share with his daughter. Was he in the firearms business?”

“No, more like a military man,” she said. “This is a beautiful custom-made piece. A collector’s wet dream.”

He barked out another laugh. “You could say that. I knew you’d shoot me on the spot if I gave you some dainty compact pistol.”

The idea didn’t bear thinking about.

A sensual shiver traveled down Alex’s spine when she traced the stylized fleur-de-lis engraved along the slide and frame. The grip panel was made of walnut with the same pattern of carvings and blue diamonds as the sword. She picked it up and felt a smile split her face.

The single-stacked magazine offered her a narrower handle, which was a much better fit than some of the stockier pieces. All those gemstones were cool against her palm and made sure her grip didn’t slide. She liked the weight and balance too. All in all, it felt pretty damn good.

“I’ll get you something else if this doesn’t suit you,” Lucas said.

“Oh, this suits me.” She might never put it down.

Alex kept it in her hand, muzzle pointed toward the floor and finger off the trigger, as she stepped into his body. She tilted her head to press her lips to his and slipped her tongue behind his teeth when he opened for her. He was yummier than any chocolate, with the same amount of dark and sweet in his makeup. If she hadn’t been sure before, she was now. She’d fallen for the vampire.

Drinking Partners is available at Loose Id, Amazon, ARe, and other places where e-books are sold.

Allie’s Contact Info:
Website/Blog: http://allieritch.wordpress.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/allieritch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllieRitch
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/AllieRitch

Wow! Drinking Partners sounds like a fantabulous read!!! This one’s my reward reading this weekend. Thank so much for sharing, Allie. And may the Gods allow us to finally meet in person this year!  (Allie and I live about an hour away from each other and still haven’t met in person)

Remember to include your email address in your comment to win a copy of Drinking Partners!

Have a tantalizing Thursday!

Cheers,

Jianne

Guest Author – Dakota Trace!

dakota - bloghop graphic

Today my guest is fellow romance author Dakota Trace who’s going to give us a sexy teaser from her new release Wolfen Bonds. The teaser’s part of Dakota’s Blog Hop for Wylfen Bonds release!

Dakota - DT_WolfenBonds_coverlgBlurb:

The Council of Elders has charged Matthias Galloway with bringing the once prosperous Taghte Pack back into the Council’s fold. In exchange for his services, Matthias names his terms: he wants to claim his longtime lover and friend, Andrew, as his mate.

Nephew of a powerful alpha, Andrew Gilchrist has long been a coveted commodity because of his services as a healer. Neither expects the Council to agree to Mathias’s terms, leaving him free, finally, to claim his chosen mate. Even more unexpected is the presence of a third-bond to appear during their mating ritual.

The grandchildren of the slain alpha of the Taghte pack, Colleen Donghall and her twin brother, were whisked away at birth. They’re still kept hidden from those who would harm them. Raised in seclusion, Colleen’s never experienced lust, let alone the bond between mates. On the night of lunar eclipse, she’s drawn into Matthias and Andrew’s passionate claiming, and her dormant libido is powerfully awoken. 

But it’s nothing compared to the lust and danger that will stalk her and her mates, when she arrives in Scotland.

BUY LINK:

Publisher: http://www.loose-id.com/wolfen-bonds.html

Now here’s the tantalizing teaser :Dakota - Horace - Jianne

Trailing after the determined muse in front of her, Colleen wanted to pull her hair out. How had this become such a fiasco? Sure, she probably shouldn’t have taken the torque off, but damn it, was everyone in the pack going to have handled it by the time she got it back?

“Oh quit your pouting.” Livvy tossed over her shoulder. “We’ll get it back and Nevin will be none the wiser.”

“So you think.” Colleen muttered softly. She knew her mentor. At times, she swore he had eyes in the back of his head. A muffled grunt escaped her as she suddenly plowed into the woman in front of her.

“So I know.” Livvy grinned, obviously having a grand old time. “It’s all part and parcel of being slave’s muse. I know how things turn out before they happen.”

“Unless of course, Dakota changes her mind.” Colleen turned to look down at Aine as she scanned the empty great hall. “Are you sure you saw Horace in here, sweetheart?”

Aine nodded. “Ollie told me that the beta came in here just a little bit ago.”

“Okay then it stands to reason he’d still be around, doesn’t it?” She tugged on the little girl’s braid, and then looked up at the readers. “For those of you who are new, I’m Colleen and the heroine of Dakota Trace’s newest book, Wolfen Bonds. A few days ago, I misplaced the seer torque that my mentor gave to me – so Livvy, Dakota’s muse, is helping me find it.”

Livvy wandered over by the hearth. “And don’t forget about the grand prize. Slave will be pissed if we don’t mention the pretty cool prize we’re giving away.”

Colleen crossed her arms over her chest. “I see what you’re concerned about…and it’s not finding my torque.”

Livvy arched a brow at her. “Damn straight. The last time I screwed up, slave cut off my chocolate supply for a month. It’s bad enough she keeps shoving salads at me…but to take the chocolate…” she shook her head. “Not gonna chance that again. A muse has got to have her fix.” Then she disappeared through a door at the far end of the hall.

“Really?” Colleen called after the retreating muse. “You’re leaving me to tell them about the grand prize?” When there was a no answer, Collen sighed. “I guess that’s a yes. So here’s the scoop. Dakota is giving way a nifty little prize basket. It’ll have a copy of my book in it, a lovely replica of my torque, along with a few other goodies. To enter all you have to do is enter the name on the graphic below along with site you found it on in the google form at the end of this post. Dakota will then be drawing a random winner on the 25th at her Wrap Up Party on Facebook.”

Aine tugged on Colleen’s sleeve. “Don’t forget about the stop prize.” She smiled, the gap in her teeth showing. “Readers can win a set of Dakota’s Doms of Chicago’s books. All they have to do is put their name and email thingie in the comments, right Ms. Colleen?”

“You’re correct. It’s easy.” She sighed. “Easier than finding my torque has been.” She gave Aine’s hand a squeeze.

“Woo-hoo…look what I found?” Livvy reappeared, tugging on a large man’s arm.   “Readers, this hunk of a man is Horace, the Taghte Pack Beta. And he was just telling me that he had Colleen’s torque but after a bit of a disagreement, he ended up giving it to Sara to clean off for him. ”

Colleen sighed. “Okay, so why did you give it to the housekeeper?”

“Ummm, it was covered in blood?” The tall blond flushed. “I had a minor disagreement with a pack member and when I went into the kitchen to clean it off, well Sara ran me off.” The flush spread. “I marked up her floors again.”

“And you left my Seer’s Torque with the housekeeper?”

He nodded. “Yeah. She has a mean streak in her. She asks for something and we give it or pay the consequences. She has a mean right hook.”

“Fine.” Colleen turned to the readers. “So it looks we like we’re no closer than we started. So join me tomorrow at The Love of Bookends blog and maybe we’ll be one-step closer.

BUY LINK:  http://www.loose-id.com/wolfen-bonds.html

AUTHOR BIO:
Dakota is a simple Midwest girl, who found her passion in storytelling at a young age. She wrote her first novel her freshman year on an old electric IBM typewriter. Now writing in several different genres from erotic romance and BDSM to m/m and paranormal, she is a published author with multiple books under her belt. When she isn’t writing, she’s a devoted band mom and a loving wife.

Dakota’s Website: http://www.dakotatrace.net/
Dakota’s Blog: http://alittlebitofnaughty.blogspot.com/
Dakota’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dakotatrace
Dakota’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/dakota75

Have fun on the Blog Hop Dakota & thanks for being my guest!

Cheers,

Jianne

Author Rosanna Leo is My Guest Today!

174727809It’s my significant pleasure to host author and friend, Rosanna Leo, on my blog today. Rosanna’s here to give us a exciting peek at her latest romance novel, Predator’s Fire! Without further ado – take it away, Rosanna!

“TOP FIVE TRAITS FOR A ROMANCE HERO”

Thanks so much to my lovely friend Jianne for hosting me today! I’m here to discuss my latest paranormal romance Predator’s Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5. However, I’m also here to wax poetic on my favorite thing ever: romance heroes.

You know the ones I’m talking about. Those dashing dudes who toy with our imagination, making us want, making us compare every other man to them. I love romance heroes. And in my time creating them, I’ve come to learn they need to possess some specific traits.

Now I could go on and on about them having to be handsome and strong, blah, blah, blah. We all know it’s not just about their looks. They need to have oomph. When the reader and the heroine first meet them, it has to feel like a sucker punch to the gut. We need to be winded. So what does a hero need in order to give us this sensation?

1) He must be an enigma. None of us like the man who wears his heart on his sleeve, at least not in a book. We like the man who gives us a sense of mystery. The man who makes us want to learn more. An enigmatic personality draws us in, captures our imagination.

2) He must be smart. Now, a romance hero need not be a super intellect. Perhaps he’s worked with his hands all his life, or had little education. That doesn’t matter, but he does need to demonstrate his natural intelligence. Otherwise, he’ll lose us.

3) He must 100% focused on pleasing the heroine. Now, this may come with time. Not every romance begins happily. Sometimes the hero and heroine hate each other at first. However, once he decides she is the woman for him, she becomes his number one priority. Oh, and if part of that entails panty-melting sex, all the better.

4) At heart, he must be good. Of course, he may not always be good. In fact, we encourage a bit of conflict and naughtiness in our hero. But at the end of the day, he need to be convinced this man has honor and values, no matter what they be. And we need to buy into those values, if only for the duration of the book.

5) Last but not least, our romance hero needs drive. I have never encountered a lacklustre hero. I have never met a hero who is content to hang out on the couch watching football while his heroine goes on an adventure. He wants to share her adventures and give her new ones. He wants to succeed and he wants his heroine to succeed. Sure, they may enjoy quiet moments together, too, but this is a man who will never settle for half-way. He will fight to get what he wants, including his woman.

Thanks for joining me today. What traits do you desire in a romance hero?

predator'sfireoptBlurb:

When Nina Suzuki discovers the body of her best friend Janine, her world turns upside down. Things go from bad to worse when Janine’s corpse seems to transform into that of a large, brown wolf. For the first time, Nina is faced to confront all the clues indicating her BFF was not what she seemed. A letter from the dead woman opens Nina’s eyes to a strange, new world. The same letter warns of a sinister group called the Alpha Brethren, and urges her to find Killian Moon of the Ursa Fishing Lodge and Resort on Gemini Island.

Killian Moon is a jaguar shifter and teen mentor at the Ursa Lodge in Northern Ontario. He may be a comfort and inspiration to confused teen shifters, but he also has a fiery past. His past comes back to haunt him when human Nina arrives at the resort, demanding to speak with him. Demanding answers. Can he trust her with knowledge that will not only change her life, but possibly endanger those around him?

As Killian begrudgingly tutors Nina on all things shifter, their mutual curiosity flares into passionate need. Once they touch, once they succumb to desire, there is no going back. Killian realizes Nina is his mate and they both begin to comprehend the terror threatening those on their shifter-friendly island. He is forced to confront the tragedy in his family and determines to protect Nina at all costs.

But can they protect everyone they love from a cult of dangerous shifters, intent on horror and destruction?

Excerpt from Predator’s Fire:

“How much longer do I have to wait? I want to see Killian Moon. Now.”

The feminine voice, strangely soft despite its insistence, echoed deep in his being, awakening his jaguar. The great cat roared to life, turned toward the office and inhaled deeply. Its eyes flashed in interest.

In…recognition?

Killian breathed in at the same time, catching the scent of cherry blossoms through the door. The sweet perfume, mixed with human outrage, proved a heady distraction, making him forget why he was there. Shaking his head, he tried to dismiss the odd sensation as Ryland opened the door.

The door swung open and the first person he glimpsed was one of the clerks from reception, trying his hardest to placate the unexpected guest. “I’m sure Mr. Snow and Mr. Moon will be right back.”

And then his gaze landed on the petite human. Tapered Asian eyes, so dark and mysterious, but rimmed with circles of exhaustion. Smooth, cinnamon skin hinted at a mixed background. Wearing no makeup, she appeared younger than she must be, but her presence and keen eyes pegged her at around thirty years old. She had a riot of curly, black hair and feminine curves that ought to come with a warning. He could see it now. Beware: this woman’s body will cause insanity in men. Even as she gesticulated at the clerk, her boobs jiggled in such a way his throat went dry.

He pictured her in a corset, her breasts spilling over delicate lace edging, and almost forgot his name.

This Nina Suzuki was damn hot and his jaguar seemed to agree. The animal licked its lips, its golden gaze assessing and appreciating every detail, from her rounded hips to her come-hither rack.

Yes, the creature uttered on a frenzied breath.

Buy link: Predator’s Fire, Gemini Island Shifters 5, is available at http://www.lsbooks.com/predator-s-fire-p946.php

as well as Amazon, Kobo, ARE, B&N and other outlets.

Thanks so much for giving us this delicious taste of Predator’s Fire, Rosanna!

Cheers,

Jianne