New Release Tomorrow - #25

Wow, it's hard to believe that my next release will be number 25 for me. It seems surreal after almost 3 years of publishing. Okay, so I was surprised when my editor told me this would release on May 11th...two weeks after edits! Look for my newest release tomorrow. Here's a little taste.

Blurb:
Allie only wanted two weeks of peace and quiet at her friend’s beach house to get her life in perspective. She wasn’t looking for sex, drugs and a kidnapping. But that’s what she gets when she encounters not one but two tasty men.

Tony, her gorgeous next-door neighbor, has a body any woman would want to explore, and Allie crave him licking, teasing and ravishing her body with those strong hands and kissable lips. Little does she know Tony’s on the trail of a drug dealer.

Then there’s Paul, who also wants a piece of Allie…if he can possibly tear her away from Tony.



An Excerpt From: SEX ON THE BEACH

Copyright © AMBER SKYZE, 2011

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Chapter One



The wind blew wisps of Allie’s long blonde hair back toward the road she’d just traveled. She sped along the California coastline in her yellow convertible Spyder, enjoying the sunrise in the distance. The sun sparkled across the ocean, glimmering orange as it rose. The rays would threaten to scorch her skin later in the day. The weatherman had said the temperatures would reach well into the nineties again.

She pressed her flip-flopped foot harder on the gas pedal. Allie allowed the car to accelerate because she knew no one in their right mind would be on the road at this ungodly hour. Not everyone woke before the crack of dawn. While most were still sleeping soundly in their beds, the air conditioner cooling their skin, Allie was up grocery shopping.

It wasn’t unusual for her to be up and going at four in the morning. She loved those first few hours of the day when life was quiet. She could sip her coffee leisurely. The hustle and bustle came later when she left the house to fight the highway traffic on her way to her job as a marketing executive for a pharmaceutical company.

At least that was her life before she’d lost her job. She punched the steering wheel.

“Fuck,” she cursed to the open wind. While she missed the craziness of her old life she had to admit the last six months were the most stress-free she’d felt in years, right up until she returned to work.

The long hours and stress related to her job contributed in the onslaught of health issues she hadn’t known existed. After three consecutive months with a bout of what she thought was the flu Allie finally sought the advice of her doctor. He put her through numerous rounds of testing and came to the conclusion she suffered from acid reflux and Crohns disease. Both were brought on by stress, food choices and not taking care of her body.

Allie spent five agonizing days in the hospital while her doctor tried to get her disease under control. It was the worst experience in her life. There were times when she thought she’d die and sometimes she silently prayed she would. It was devastating and debilitating, but she swore she wouldn’t let it control her again.

Once Dr. Robinson managed to get the disease under control she looked pointedly at Allie.

“Look, your job is slowly killing you. Your body can’t handle the stress or long hours you’re demanding of it. You need to make some lifestyle changes or I’m just going to see you back here in a few months,” she’d said.

The reality of the doctor’s words was like a knife being twisted in her chest. She didn’t know how to not be on the go 24/7. That was the way she’d lived her life since turning sixteen.

Allie pressed even harder on the gas pedal.

She couldn’t get to the beach house fast enough. The idea of spending two weeks of quiet, soaking up the sun and sand appealed to her on so many levels. When her friend Pam told her she could use her beach house, Allie had immediately jumped on the offer.

The next few weeks would give her time to readjust to being unemployed and hopefully clear her mind. Eventually she’d have to decide what direction she wanted to take with her life. She had enough money saved to get her through six months of unemployment, but Allie didn’t want to totally deplete her savings. It was there as a safety net, nothing more.

Quitting had never been a word Allie thought she’d use, but her boss left her no other choice. She’d had a career as a marketing executive for almost five years before she’d up and resigned.

“Asshole!” She gripped the steering wheel, fighting back the tears stinging her eyes. She refused to cry. She wouldn’t give that shithead the satisfaction of beating her down. She wiped away the drop with the back of her hand.

“Screw you, Marty.”

Ready for some Risque Business? Read about LADY VARNEY's!

LADY VARNEY'S RISQUE BUSINESS debuts Wednesday at www.resplendencepublishing.com and I am thrilled about it!

My previously pubbed Regency eroticas have all been in the Top 5 Best sellers on 3 different sites. Hope you will read this and be tempted to read the others and see why.

Here's a nibble of my story about a widow who decides to open a match-making business and gets caught in her own snare by the man she once loved and could not have.

Copyright 2011, Cerise Deland. All rights reserved.

Excerpt:

“Your list limits me severely,” Kitty objected to his outrageous list of qualifications for a wife.

“I am aware of that.” Justin remained cool, indifferent, unchallenged at all.

“There are few women who possess all the qualifications,” she objected

He rose and came to stand before her.

So close now, she breathed his cologne. Smelled the mint on his breath. Admired the dimple in his left cheek and the facets of green and brown in his large heavy−lidded eyes. “In fact, there are only three women who meet all of your requirements.”

“Ah. But wait, you have not heard them all.”

“No? Preposterous! There is a very small pool of possible candidates, Justin. To add more requirements would be burdensome—”

“But my fortune will be very large. My homes, here and in the country, are grand estates. I will be married to this woman for many decades, and I need the best companion possible.” He frowned, very determined looking. “I have the right to declare to whom I shall be joined!”

“Precisely so, my lord, but we must be prudent.”

“You be prudent! I shall be as I am!”

His virulence shocked her.

“Your fees are high. I shall have whom I want! Who is best suited to me.” He strode closer and seized her arms, his powerful body dwarfing hers. Once his might had been comforting, but now, full of fury, his size made her wince. She had been intimidated by her husband far too often and she would not be by any man ever again.

She stiffened her spine. “Tell me your other requirements.”

“She must spend twenty-four hours with me at Belmont Manor.”

“Oh, I see.” She let out a breath, relieved. “You want her to visit.”

“No, I want her in my bed.”

Kitty blinked. “I...I’m sorry. You want her--?”

“Naked. I want to learn if she likes men. Me, to be exact.”

“I see.” Women do like you, from what I hear. One mistress in particular who boasts of your prowess in the art of pleasing a woman. “Why wouldn’t she?

“I need to learn if she is a dry piece of toast. Or a willing woman who likes a man’s touch. If she’ll be a desirable partner.”

“Most women are.”

“Really? You think so?” With a sound of derision, he spun away and walked toward the window. “I have learned that women in English society tend to be naïve and foolish. Certainly the ones who have been shoved at me as appropriate are witless ninnies, reared in tiny rooms by smaller-minded governesses. I want a woman in my bed, a full blown beauty with brains.”

“I see.” Did you also think me witless? A ninny?

“Can you find one?” He peered at her with narrowed, merciless eyes.

She felt undressed from so far across the room, but she lifted her chin and carried on in a snit. “Indeed, I can, my lord. To fit your qualifications, I have two candidates.”

“Two. Damn me! So many!” he scoffed—and his expression implied he was surprised at her capabilities. Odd. He ought to be damn pleased. “I am delighted at your resourcefulness, Lady Varney. I wish to interview each of them, naturally. At my home in Kent.”

“First, I shall inquire if each is interested and accepts your terms.”

He waved a hand. “Of course. Do it within the week. I need to know quickly. My uncle is not well and he wishes this matter of my marriage resolved before he sheds his mortal coil.”

Kitty frowned. Had she been wrong all these years to remember Justin as kind and caring? Had she varnished him with a romantic veneer of her own making?

He strolled closer. His magnetic allure nearly buckled her knees. But she stood taller, met him toe to toe, damn his eyes!

“And who are these women you have chosen for me?”

She gathered her courage. “Maribella Winter, Baroness Avon. And Susanna Curtis, Marchioness Hamill.”

“But to be honest, there is one more. Is there not, madam?”

“A third? No, none that I—”

“What of the illustrious blonde beauty who travels in the best of Society? What of the widow who has a son by her deceased husband? What of the heiress who holds through her own ancestry the ancient title of Lady Downey?”

Kitty caught her breath at the mention of her own ancient title. “She is not available.” Not rich.“Not suitable.”

“I say she is.”

She stared at him, tempted and hating herself for it. “She is older.” Wiser than to do this.

“She will be presented to me at Belmont Manor.”

She shook her head. “No.”

“I triple my fee.”

“Triple?” she parroted like a simpleton.

“One sum of five thousand pounds for each candidate.”

She could not refuse him. Not that sum. That amount would nearly free her of Henry’s gambling debts and give her enough to buy a few new frocks for next Season. The ability to hire a governess for her son. “Justin, fifteen thousand pounds is a startling sum. But I cannot take it. Cannot ask three women to rendezvous with you. Really, how could I? I want to, but I cannot because--”

“Kitty! Stop this!” Justin stepped toward her so quickly, she scarcely noticed that he’d moved. But his arms crushed her close. His fingers lifted her chin. His lips took hers. Once, twice. Damn him, three times. Her own arms twined around him. She whimpered and moaned into his mouth while her breasts beaded and her nether regions flooded with a wet hot desire. She had not felt so gloriously wanton since last she stood in his embrace.

“Oh, you’ll take it. Look at me,” he demanded. “Tell me who the third candidate is.”

She stared up at him, the devil. He had planned it this way. Devised this scheme to torture her, punish her for how she had not fought to stay with him eleven years ago. Poor man, he believed the ton. Thought she was rich. But he’d get no wife in her, only a lover. For one day and night. One risqué affair. “The last woman is me.”

Wallflower, by Holly-Jane Rahlens

I don't normally do 'official' book reviews, but here's my first.

I'm not two things:

1. I'm not a big fan of YA literature unless I'm reading it with a child.

2. I'm not a reviewer.

But a friend and book blogger who reviews mostly paranormal, sci fi and fantasy literature asked me if I'd be willing to read and review a more or less contemporary YA written by an American ex-pat living in Berlin. As the protagonist is a Jewish girl, my friend thought the story, Wallflower, might be right up my alley. I'm Jewish as are at least two of my heroines - Mari in Captured and Eva in Beauty and the Feast.

I pondered her request for a few minutes, and then I decided, why not? I'm in a writing slump anyway, so what the heck...It seemed like a good idea to read something out of my comfort zone.

Wallflower can best be described as a day in the life. Actually, it's more apt to say four hours in the life of the protagonist, Molly Beth Lenzfeld, an American teen living in Berlin with her father. She's tall, gangly, morose, lacks self-confidence and feels out of place at her American school. She's actually on her way out. Molly plans to return to the States to live with her older sister. The Berlin Wall has only recently come crashing down and now that she's leaving Germany, Molly decides to make a pilgrimage to East Berlin to visit her deceased mother's original home, the site where her mother was born, the place she left behind with her parents when they fled Nazi persecution in 1938.

Traveling from West to East on the train, Molly is sidetracked, first by an unpleasant acquaintance and then by a young man, a tall, enigmatic, East German drama student, Michael Maier, or Mick, as his friends call him. Despite Molly's doubts and insecurities, Mick's interested in her. Not only interested, but persistent. During the four hours Molly spends traveling from West to East, she never manages to find her mother's home, at least, she never finds it when we're watching. She finds something else entirely. Hope.

My thoughts...Holly-Jane Rahlens, a journalist by profession, writes lovely prose in the style I prefer - her words are clean, clear and crisp. There's an unusual amount of detail in the short story, yet nothing is extraneous or trivial. Those sensual and tactile details included are absolutely necessary. The reader can hear, see, feel and smell the train car, the subway stations, the foods of East Berlin, even the streets themselves. I swear I could smell the worn yet welcoming scent of Mick's leather jacket.

Wallflower is a delicate story. Not much happens in four hours. No one is murdered, there is no great catastrophe, even the climax of the story is calm and thoughtful. Yet in the space of four hours, a seventeen year old girl is transformed from a wallflower into a young woman. The story is exquisite, actually. The teenage voices are realistic, the characters believable. Wallflower is a refreshing change from what's become the formulaic YA novel containing absentee and/or incompetent parents and super-powered teens. Molly's father cares about her, her sister cares about her, and every character is a regular human being, warts and all. This is a quick read and I do recommend it.

Wallflower was first published in German in 2009, by Rowohlt/Reinbek.

It was released in 2010 in the United States by Berlinica Publishing, LLC, website: www.Berlinica.com

I couldn't find a website for the author, Holly-Jane Rahlens, but her bio says she was born in New York, and moved to Berlin shortly after college, where she's remained, working in radio, television and film. In 2003, her novel Prince William, Maximillian Minsky and Me earned the prestigious Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis as the best young adult novel in Germany.

Ah…found a website! http://www.holly-jane-rahlens.com/about.php?l=2

Since I don't normally do this, I guess I have to say the following: a copy of the book was received from the author. This reviewer did not receive any financial reimbursement for the review.

Reviews for Pampering Jessica

I always wait anxiously for the first reviews of my books. I'm breathing a sigh of relief that there are now two wonderful ones for Pampering Jessica!

Night Owl Reviews: 4 stars

"I thoroughly enjoyed this hot (and encouraging if you’ve reached a certain age) story and recommend you have some free time for your significant other for after the story ends."

Sizzling Hot Books: 5 stars

"Reading Pampering Jessica by Tessie Bradford gave me a wonderful start to my day... I like that Tessie Bradford gave us a story of love and passion with a couple that has been married for years and are in their middle ages. Passion is not just for the young. I will keep Pamering Jessica and read on days that I feel older and just plain dowdy."

Hubby and I are off to Central Michigan University again tomorrow - Saturday is GRADUATION DAY!!

S is graduating cum laude with the degree of 'Bachelor of Applied Arts in Apparel Merchandising and Design with a minor in English and a concentration in Design and Merchandising'!!!

Have a great weekend everyone~

Tessie

www.tessiebradford.com

He's Gone!

So far 2011 has been a year of breakneck change and unpredictably and we just started the month of May! No doubt there’s much more to come.

Every time I turn around another formerly unlikely or downright impossible thing takes place. 

The people of Egypt were victorious.

The people of Libya are defiant and persistent in the face of the ultimate bad actor, who just doesn’t know when to exit the stage…  

The people of Japan showed us how to be brave and resilient in the face of the unthinkable and now this, bin Laden is finally gone.

I was falling asleep with my radio on when I heard someone casually say bin Laden was dead. I thought it was a false alarm and dismissed the radio announcement as a wishful rumor the morning would expose as a lie.

I fell asleep. A little later my husband woke me up and told me the news was true. 

I was so relieved.

So, in an unpredictable world that offers shocking, rocking and gawking surprises around every turn—I will predict this: (Drum roll) 

Ladies and gentlemen brace yourselves, we are about to be inundated with SEAL Team Six movies, books, television shows, tee shirts, special edition custom car parts and anything else you can think of that can be associated with SEAL Team Six.

And why not? These guys are total heroes, along with all the supporting professionals who stood behind the SEALs and made the mission possible.

SEAL Team Six is this generation’s astronauts, rock stars, and avenging angels rolled into one and we may never know their faces or names. If anonymity can help protect them and ease their return to normal lives in the future, perhaps that’s how it needs to be.

But in my heart of hearts I do hope a day will come when their names and faces can be publicly known and honored. I thank them for taking right action and showing restraint.

I’ll end this by saying I also predict quite a few SEAL Team Six romance eBooks are already well underway and a few of those eBooks will be for sale before the end of June. Anyone want to bet me a dollar?

XXOO Kat

A Brief Update

Sorry I’ve been a bad blogger as of late. I’ve had a few too many sicknesses and a lot of other stuff going on in my personal life. Hopefully the worst is behind me and I can resume my normal activities. I’m currently working on a tight deadline for a book for EC. They’re doing a Text Theme and I’m excited about the book I’m writing.
Yesterday was a bittersweet day for Americans. The death of Osama bin Laden after nearly 10 years in hiding surprised me really. I honestly didn’t think I’d see the day. I thought he’d continue to elude the military until his death of old age. I praise the men and women who have worked tirelessly to capture the terrorist and applaud the ones who put the bullet in him.
Okay, so like I said earlier I’m working on a tight deadline and must get back to writing.
Until Next Tuesday!

Totally flubbed last week's post...blech!

You KNOW you are getting old when your youngest child is turning 39...

No...that's not my daughter in the picture with Jimmy...I was just day dreaming and decided I wanted a sexy picture on my blog post.  Sigh...

I got two books subbed, got an R&R on the first, still waiting on the second.  I think I am trying too hard to stay within my length/genre lines.  Maybe the best thing for me to do is write a hot, sexy Quickie and maybe a free read for EC.  Anything to get out of the rut.

We'll see what happens...

Hugs!

Fran