Kory Steed

Welcome N.J. All authors have their own reasons for writing a book. What are yours?

Honestly, I have to write. The characters come to me and I have to tell their stories.

What would you like readers to take away from your story? Does it contain a message? 

My first intent is that readers enjoy a story. Real life can be hard most days for people, and my goal is to give them a short escape from that so they can recharge and go back and tackle whatever needs to be done.

But this story is also about the bonds of family and how they shape us. It’s about the struggles we all face and the power of the human spirit to survive and thrive in adverse conditions. And like all my books, it’s also about the power of love.

Where did you find your inspiration for the story? Was it a person, a current event, something you witnessed, or something else?

Honestly, most of my characters come to me and tell me their stories. Sometimes an event or article or snippet of conversation will ignite and idea, but I met the Marks brothers quite a few years back. They’ve been waiting on me to get to their stories.

Did you face any obstacles or challenges while writing the story and if so, what were they?

Some books or series are more challenging than others. Sometimes the characters won’t talk to me, or they stop for a while. But not with the Marks brothers. I could barely keep up with them their stories came so fast.

What have you learned from the main characters in your story?

Lacey is an amazing woman. Born into circumstances not of her choosing, she doesn’t let them define her. In spite of the limitations imposed on her, she never stops fighting for her freedom, for what she wants. I find her inspiring.

As for Garth, he sees his role in the family in one way. We’re all like that. Sometimes we short change ourselves and it takes someone from outside to show us that we’re really more than we thought we were or could ever be.

How much emphasis do you put on supporting characters to move the plot of your stories along? Have any of your supporting characters ever gotten their own story?

That’s what I love about series, and why I generally end up writing them. There are five siblings in the Marks family and all of them will have their own book. Each book is about a main couple, but the rest of the family is around to support them.

Do you write in other genres and if so, what are they? What genres would you like to try that you haven’t already?

Yes, I’ve been mostly writing paranormal romance this past decade—werewolves, vampires, and drakons. I’ve also written contemporary erotic romance and plain contemporary romance as well as fantasy and some time travel. Honestly, if I want to give a genre a try, I simply do it. That’s one of the amazing things about the romance genre. Readers are so open to trying new things. I love my readers so much. They’ve followed me down a lot of roads.

What is your writing process? Are you a patnser or a plotter, or a little of both?

I’m more a pantser than a plotter. If I plot too much, I lose the desire to actually write the book. I do character sketches first to get to know them. Then I think about the story and maybe come up with a possible scene or two. Once I have the opening scene down in my mind I begin and let the characters lead me.

What do you do in your down time to feed your soul?

I read. No surprise there. I love to go to movies, haunt thrift stores, and walk.

What’s next on your literary horizon?

I have a new paranormal series starting this fall from Entangled Publishing. More details as it gets a little closer.

What is important in your life and why?

My family and my writing are the two most important things in my life. My family grounds me and makes me happy. My writing is my creative outlet to the world. It also allows me to make a living and support myself. I’m blessed.

Blurb:

Liberating Lacey

Marks Mercenaries, Book 3

Garth Marks and his brothers are space mercenaries and traders. Their life’s mission is to find their younger sister, who was kidnapped ten years before. Their search has led them to Eden, a planet that is home to a cult-like group.

Lacey Freshlan wants to get away from Eden, and the strangers who have come here might be her ticket out. Garth is willing to use the sizzling attraction between them to get information from her, but he won’t agree to take her with him. As much as he’s drawn to her, Garth won’t risk the safety of his family.

When Lacey foils a plot to poison them, Garth takes her with them when they flee. But they are not free yet. Betrayal and lies lead to a battle not only for their safety but also for their hearts.

Excerpt:

Garth felt bad for her, truly he did. He couldn’t imagine having to watch any of his brothers die, knowing he could save them, but being unable to do anything. He understood what it was like to be helpless. The years he’d spent searching for his sister, having to wonder and worry about what was happening to her, if she was even still alive, had been a master class in helplessness.

But it was for that very reason he knew he would lie to Lacey. There was no way he would allow his brothers to be hurt further. And aiding her in getting off of Eden would do that. While he understood her better than she probably thought, he’d use her and then leave her to her fate.

That made him the lowliest of bastards, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do it. Protecting his family was his life’s work, his mission. It was what he’d lived and breathed since he’d woken in the medical building back on Quaros after the mine blast.

And no one, not even a beauty like Lacey, was going to stop him.

Shoving down the fury and self-hatred filling him, the sense that he was making a huge mistake, he nodded. “I’ll help you if you help me.”

Those amazing eyes of hers went luminous. He feared she was about to cry, but not a single tear fell. Somehow that made him feel even worse. Sorrow bled from her pores.

She slowly pushed to her feet and straightened her shoulders. “No, you won’t. But I’ll still do my best to help you find whoever you’re searching for.”

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TW5VSFR/

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I know what it’s like to feel out of place. To feel like your body is rebelling against you. My heroine, Eva, struggles a lot with feeling like she is too big and too smart, and she needed a hero who could accept that with open arms. Charlie is that guy. <3

How Long Is Forever?

Too tall, too smart, too fat—Eva is sick of guys treating her like crap because they can’t handle her curves or her brains. It’s time for her to ditch her pesky virginity, and when she needs help, there’s only one man on her shortlist: Charlie Greenwood, her dad’s best friend. So what if he’s too old for her? So what if he’s the guy she’s been crushing on for years? He was her rock when her parents died, and he’s the only man who treats her like a human being instead of a joke.

Charlie knows he shouldn’t look at Eva the way he does, but she’s got curves that go on forever, and he’s a sucker for a smart woman. So what if she’s too young for him? So what if he can’t stop imagining her in his bed? In his arms? Looking isn’t doing, right?

When Eva propositions him, suddenly looking isn’t enough. Lust has a way of wrecking the best intentions, especially when love lurks around the bend.

+18 Reader only Excerpt:

Eva gasped as Charlie’s lips met hers. He felt big and strong and so fucking hot she could barely think before he kissed her, but now her brain went nuclear—sparks in all directions. She mindlessly scrabbled at his arms and sank her fingers into his shoulders. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t stop or push her away. He took everything she threw at him like a solid wall of awesomeness.

“Beautiful,” he breathed, breaking for air.

She sucked in a breath, but before she could say anything, he kissed her again. He hauled her up against him, moving her as if she weighed nothing at all. Eva squeaked, but Charlie didn’t let go. He kissed her deeper, sweeping his tongue along her lips and then into her mouth as if he would die if he couldn’t taste her. When he finally lifted his head, she swallowed, hard. She had to look up to see him, and wasn’t that something else. Holy what the fuck. Be careful what you ask for, she thought hazily. Her lips tingled. Her pussy tingled, and he hadn’t even gotten to second base.

Charlie didn’t speak. He looked at her with eyes gone dark and hot. He didn’t let go. He loomed over her like a beast, and Eva shivered and dug her fingers into his muscles. He didn’t even seem to notice. She liked him like this. She liked him in every way it was possible for a woman to like a man.

“Wow,” she whispered. Her lips felt swollen. Her tongue felt stupid. She bit her cheek so she wouldn’t beg him for more.

“Is this what you wanted?” he finally growled, aggressive and so damned male she shivered.

Eva licked her lips. “Yes.” It was her first kiss, and it was everything she’d ever wanted: a man who wasn’t afraid of her brain or her size or her strength. Charlie had no idea how rare that was. She gathered her wits. “More,” she said. “Please.”

Charlie inhaled sharply, eyes on her mouth. “God help me.” And then he lowered his head.

Eva trembled, expecting his lips on hers again, but instead, he kissed down her jaw to her throat. His mouth was hot and soft and ridiculously gentle.

“You smell like citrus,” he said, voice low and rumbly. “I want to eat you up.”

Good lord. Eva moaned, then hissed when he scraped his teeth along the sensitive skin near her ear. “Don’t stop,” she said, finally getting the courage to slide her fingers up into his hair. He still had some dried flecks of joint compound in it, and she smoothed it out of the strands as he kissed her again. For the first time, she tried to kiss him back. When her tongue met his, he groaned.

“Yeah. That’s it, honey.” Charlie bit her lip, then soothed it with his mouth.

Eva found herself writhing against him, trying to get closer. No wonder people do crazy things for love, she thought, wishing she could crawl inside him. His body pressed hard and heavy against hers, and he didn’t even budge as she wriggled. Something hot and thick pressed against her abdomen, and with sudden clarity, she realized it was his erection. Charlie was aroused. The sudden knowledge was enough to jerk her out of her sensual reverie. “Oh my God,” she said, voice breaking. “Oh my God.”

“Not God, Eva. Just a man.” Charlie kissed her again, sliding his hands up her body. One slid around her right breast, flicking the nipple. She hadn’t bothered with a bra, and clearly, he’d noticed. He cupped her and rolled his hips into her in a slow facsimile of fucking. “You’re so fucking gorgeous. Lush. Perfect.” His fingers teased her nipple into a tight, aching point. “Fuck. I want you so bad. I can’t stop touching you. Make me stop, Eva. Tell me no.”

Stop? Like hell I will, she thought, urging him on with her body. Eva’s skin prickled as pleasure shot from her breast to her clit. Her pussy throbbed, swollen and wet. She wanted more. So much more. She’d be totally okay if he wanted to go all the way with her right now. She wished he would.

“Please, Charlie,” she said, shocked when her voice came out soft and breathy. The best part about all of this was that she knew Charlie. She’d been half in love with him for years, and she could easily slip the rest of the way down that particular rabbit hole. She slid her hands down over his waist, then up under his tight shirt. His skin was silky smooth. Muscles contracted under her fingertips.

“I shouldn’t be doing this,” he muttered, even as he kissed her again. “I’m just going to hurt you.”

“No, you won’t.” Eva wound a leg around his thigh. His cock was so hot it felt like a brand against her belly. She couldn’t even imagine what it might feel like inside her. “I want you to do this, Charlie,” she said, just in case he got the ridiculous idea that he was forcing her into it. “I asked you for this, remember?”

Charlie growled again, sucking on her neck. It hurt. It felt divine. Eva sank her hands into his hair and made fists as he ravaged her neck. The harder she pulled, the wilder he became, so she gripped his hair with all her strength. When he bit down, she gasped, trying to get some friction at the juncture of her thighs. If he would just move his leg a little bit to the left…

He slid his hands down and cupped her ass, hauling her up against him. Eva ended up grinding down on his thigh. She shuddered, head falling back. She’d fingered herself to orgasm a hundred times, but it had never felt like this. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this.

“Charlie, please,” she begged, not sure what she was asking for. “I need more.”

He kissed her again, then slowly lowered her down and grasped her wrists. “Eva,” he said, whispering her name into her ear. “Shh, baby.”

“Wait, no,” she said, trying to get closer again. Why was he pulling away? She was so close.

Charlie panted, his forehead on her shoulder. “We have to stop.”

Eva shook her head. “No, we don’t. I know you, Charlie. I picked you for my first time.” She tried to pull her hands free, but he tightened his grip, and damn it all to hell, the restraint excited her even more. She loved that he was strong enough to handle her. No one else had ever even tried. “Please. I’m not a child anymore. I’m not just your best friend’s daughter, and you know it.”

Buy Links:

Evernight: https://www.evernightpublishing.com/how-long-is-forever-by-erin-m-leaf/

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— 

Erin M. Leaf

erinmleaf.com

—

Welcome Laura. All authors have their own reasons for writing a book. What are yours?

In the grand scheme, I just love letting my imagination free. I write to live adventures I might not otherwise experience. For each book, it varies. With this one, my military romance, both my husband and I served in the U. S. Army, and I wanted to write my version of experiences (not mine personally) 😉 To make people aware of not only what a soldier may go through, but their loved ones as well. And I just love gritty love!

What would you like readers to take away from your story? Does it contain a message? 

My message in this story is sacrifice and finding your way back to love. Bob, my soldier thought he was saving Becca from heartache, knowing he’d be gone more often than not, and wanted her to have a happy life. But their connection, their passion brought them back together, no matter what they went through separately. Maybe they had to experience those heartaches in order to know what they truly wanted.

Where did you find your inspiration for the story? Was it a person, a current event, something you witnessed, or something else?

My inspiration was my experience in the military, and VERY loosely based on a friend and fellow serviceman. 

How much emphasis do you put on supporting characters to move the plot of your stories along? Have any of your supporting characters ever gotten their own story?

With my writing as a whole, supporting characters can be just as important as the main characters. They add more depth and realism to the story. And yes, I’m developing several series in which initial supporting characters get their own story. I love series, because as a reader myself, if the story and characters are engaging and wonderful, I want to keep coming back to them (never wanting the stories to end).

Do you write in other genres and if so, what are they? What genres would you like to try that you haven’t already?

I write mostly romance, with sub-genres of contemporary, suspense, comedy, mild paranormal, erotic. But I like to think most of my stories have a bit of all. 😉 I’ve written and have published poetry, prose and short stories. I enjoy that, as well as challenging myself with different styles. I haven’t devoted much time lately to anything other than romance. I have a non-fiction story in the works that doesn’t really fall into the romance genre that I hope to have published one day. It’s a multi-generational read simply about life and making the most of it, no matter your age.

What is your writing process? Are you a pantser or a plotter, or a little of both?

I think I’m a combination. Some story ideas start with a clear picture of characters and plot, and I write a linear story. Other times, I have only a glimpse of a character or an idea, and just wing it! With my debut romance, I thought I had an idea of what I wanted to write, of where the story was going, but turns out I deleted nearly the entire story and went a completely different route. And obviously it worked, because I got it published! One story could be written in a hundred different ways, yet still not please everyone, so I write what pleases me; what I’m proud of.

Do you have any author idols and if so, how would you like to meet them?

Oh, so many… I was fortunate to meet several authors either at a writer’s conference or appearances. To name a few: Rebecca Zanetti, Darynda Jones, Damon Suede, Beverly Jenkins, Elizabeth Hunter, Rachel Grant, Roxanne St. Claire,.. and it was wonderful. And there are many more I’d love to meet, such as the romance queen, Nora Roberts; Laura Kaye, Donna Grant, Toni Anderson, and of course all my Evernight peeps! I could spend days naming them all and fantasizing about get-togethers. Just being with other creatives really gets me motivated! I’d enjoy a writing retreat; a relaxed atmosphere of collaboration and fun.

What do you do in your down time to feed your soul?

Read, naturally! My TBR pile is huge. I also try to stay active with walking and workouts. I’m not much of a TV watcher, but hubby and I love hockey, drag racing, and college football. Still, when the TV is on, I’m usually doing other things while checking in on the score. I rarely just sit and devote my time to an entire program. (Too much to do.)

What’s next on your literary horizon?

My hope is to continue writing engaging, sexy romance that will reach plenty of readers and be enjoyed. I’d love to be able to say I can quit my day job (as a dental hygienist) and do nothing but write! Hopefully soon.

What is important in your life and why?

Always family! Hubby and I have so much fun together, after twenty-nine years, and I only want it to continue to get better. And our sons make us so proud. Hard to believe I’ll have the status of grandma in a few months! I’m so looking forward to loving on my grandson and seeing my son walk that path of parenthood.

Blurb:

When Special Forces Soldier, Bob meets Becca at his cousin’s weekend party, they share one night of explosive passion. But when Bob’s called away on mission after mission, he wants Becca to have a life instead of waiting on him, and tells her to move on. Shocked and hurt, she does, moving to San Diego to eventually marry and have a son, only to divorce shortly after.

Six years later, when a mission incident nearly ends Bob’s life, he reflects on what could have been, never having forgotten the woman who loved him. Bob realizes he’ll do whatever it takes to have Becca back in his life—if she can see past his scars and mistakes.

Excerpt:

Bob got within five feet of Becca before she turned to face him. It gave him enough time to see that the tattoo on her neck looked like the symbol for female, only it had a partial U on top of the circle. He’d later learn that it’s the symbol for Mercury—the winged foot god. Shielding the sun with her hand, her green eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled broadly at him.

“Hey, Bob.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Tessa must’ve warned you about me.” He shifted the beers to one hand in order to remove his sunglasses.

Her light laughter caused a stirring in his chest. And elsewhere.

“No, no warnin’s. She praises you. Glad you made it.”

“Me too. Care for a beer?” He held out one of the bottles.

“Thanks,” she answered while taking his offering.

As she drank, Bob took in every detail. Her delicate fingers wrapping around the bottle, her lips puckering at the opening. She closed her eyes as she tipped her head back slightly, throat pulsing as she swallowed the liquid. Those few seconds were all he needed to see the goose bumps rising on her arms, her nipples pebbling beneath the fabric of her bikini. She lowered her arm and Bob jerked his gaze back to her face.

She sighed and smiled. “Not much better than ice cold beer on a hot summer day.”

Bob lifted his beer and agreed before taking a drink of his own.

“Guess you know I’m Becca, Tessa’s roommate.”

“I do. She told me you enjoy running, which I gathered when I saw you. Said you ran track in high school.”

“I did. Loved it. Still do.” She took another drink, this time keeping her eyes on him.

“Tessa said you’ve been unsuccessful in getting her to join you for your morning runs.”

She grinned while gesturing with the bottle in his direction. “True so far, but I’m not givin’ up.”

“Plan on running tomorrow morning?”

“Yep.”

“Mind if I join you?” Bob took a drink, draining the last of his beer.

“On one condition.”

“Sure.”

“I set the pace. I can just see you takin’ off like a rocket, leavin’ me in the dust.”

He smiled. “Nah, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Uh-huh.” She laughed before draining her bottle as well.

“Want another?” Bob asked.

“No, thanks, I’m gonna splash in the water. Care to join me?”

“I’ll just enjoy the view for now, if that’s okay.” His mouth curved in what must have been a mischievous grin, and he enjoyed seeing what looked to be a confident smile grace her tempting mouth.

“Sure.”

Bob took the empty beer bottle from Becca before she turned and ran for the water. Damn, what a fine ass! He watched her make it up to her knees before diving underneath an oncoming wave. After a few seconds, she surfaced and started swimming. She made it out to the crest of another wave and bodysurfed back in a bit. Bob remained fixated on Becca as she repeated the cycle about half a dozen times before finally making her way back onto the beach.

Bob watched her slick the water out of her hair, watched the droplets that remained on her skin glisten from the sunlight. He had put his sunglasses back on and was thankful she couldn’t see his predatory stare. He’d better get ahold of himself, or else there’d be no missing the erection that was trying to take shape in his shorts.

God, she was desirable. And as much as he’d love to “hit-it-and-quit-it,” he wasn’t that kind of guy. His job required being called out at a moment’s notice, and he wasn’t about to hook up with someone, only to leave them for who knew how long.

Been there, done that. Didn’t work out so well the first time.

****

Becca may not have been able to see his eyes, but she knew the hunger was there as his concentration on her never wavered. He held his body rigid, keeping himself in tight control, but she was certain he could spring into action in a matter of seconds. She then noticed a slight shift in his stance, causing her to smile, knowing that his body was reacting to hers. Hers was definitely responding to his as her skin became flush, and not just from the heat of the sun. Her sex clenched and she had to stifle a moan as she thought about all the sinful delights they could offer one another.

Becca had developed a crush on her roommate’s cousin from the first picture she had seen of him. The elation of his first jump. And every one after that. She loved the stories and pictures Tessa would share of Bob. They were as close as brother and sister, each being an only child and having no other family besides their parents.

That had been something Becca couldn’t relate to, as she came from a family of six siblings. She was the baby of the family, and although you usually hear that the baby is, well, babied, that wasn’t the case for her. She’d been mostly on her own, lost in the mix so to speak. She learned to be independent at an early age, and that independence got her into trouble at times. That is, before the encouragement of a certain athletic coach got her on track. Literally.

Becca found strength and freedom in her physical abilities. She could lose herself on a run, feel the power in her body, and enjoy the high brought on by the endorphins. Not much compared to that for her. Not even her few attempts at sex over the years.

But with Bob, she somehow knew it’d be different. She’d dreamt about him. How crazy was that? And when Tessa said that she thought she’d finally convinced him to come out for the weekend, Becca had been ecstatic. She knew about his short-lived relationship with another gal and the child they shared. They never married, but according to Tessa, they were civil toward one another, remaining friends and doing what was best for their little girl. That made Bob all the more admirable in her eyes.

And if she had anything to say or do about it, she’d make herself available to him. She just wanted the chance to see what, if anything, could develop between them.

She was really looking forward to the weekend.

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A Western Romance…

When Kathleen and Carter meet, it’s intrigue at first sight, and they awaken from emotional exile. A turn of events finds her spontaneously joining him on his working ranch. Despite being really hard work, she’s blissfully happy—and the fringe benefits aren’t too shabby either.

Carter can’t believe his luck. He desperately needed a housekeeper, not that he welcomed this amazing woman into his home for that reason. He can cope with her bond with her daughter, no matter how it forces him to remember his lost young son. And he can’t give her his heart, but what he can give is surely enough.

In love with this amazing man, Kate ignores that Carter withholds, believing he’ll change, and she’s willing to wait. When she inadvertently discovers he was angling for a housekeeper all along, it knocks her blinders off.

She’s done waiting. She deserves more—and so does he.

Buy Links:

Evernight Publishing: https://www.evernightpublishing.com/foolin-by-allyson-young/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/foolin-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/foolin-allyson-young/1132039897?ean=2940163250479

BookStrand: https://www.bookstrand.com/foolin-mf

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/943928

+18 Reader ONLY Excerpt:

“I think I’m good. I should probably get to bed,” she said. “What time do you get up?”

“Early. And I head out straight away. You stay in bed until you’re ready to face the day. I’ll leave you my cell number, and you text me. I’ll head back.”

“I’m an early riser too.”

“Five o’clock for me tomorrow, Kathleen.”

“Oh, maybe not. I’ll text you.”

He pulled out his cell. “What’s your number?”

With the exchange complete, he lurked in the doorway. “The bathroom is across the hall. Towels in the cabinet.”

“Great, thanks. I’ve got everything I need.”

Did she? So near and yet so far, she hovered there like a wood sprite. When she stooped to slip the strap off her shoe, then the other and stepped out of the heels, he found he’d closed the gap.

“Kathleen.”

She looked up, having lost a slight difference in height, and her eyes flared green, the pupils dilating. A good night kiss, then. A peck. He reached out and with only tacit permission lowered his mouth over hers.

On a startled gasp, her lips parted, and he took advantage, yet maintained control, alert to any distress. It separated him into distinct parts that soon melded when she pressed into him, her arms wreathing around his neck.

He learned her, her taste and texture, reveling in her response, swallowing her tiny moans. When he pulled away to breathe, resting his forehead against hers, she sagged in his arms and he kept her steady.

His heart pounded in tandem with hers, and he was so hard he hurt. She shivered, and he said, “Do I need to apologize? Because it’ll be difficult.”

In a whisper, she said, “No need. I’m just sorry I’m so out of practice.”

“If you’re out of practice, I hope to kiss you when you’re at your best.”

Tipping her head back, she met his eyes before glancing away. “I don’t do this on a first date. I don’t date. Lord.”

He eased his body away from hers, regretting that he’d encroached on her personal space. She tugged him back. “But I want to. I want you. If that makes me a—”

He stopped her with a hard kiss. “Don’t. Don’t make this a bad thing.”

Her lips twitched in a tremulous smile. “I don’t want to overthink it.”

“I’ll take care of you,” he promised.

He lost his Stetson and shrugged out of his jacket, bemoaning any inability to keep a hand on her as she tugged a zipper hidden in a side seam of her dress and let it slither down the length of her body to pool at her feet.

His fingers froze on the snaps of his shirt as he took in the sight of her in scraps of pink lace and honest-to-God thigh-high stockings. With a dry mouth, he wrenched the placket apart and threw the shirt to one side, gathering her to him, nuzzling the hollow at the base of her neck and then down to the tops of her breasts.

“You’re stunning.”

She arched into him, and he fumbled with the clasp and freed those gorgeous mounds that tumbled into his waiting hands. Soft skin tipped with beaded nipples he desperately wanted to get his mouth on. And her sultry scent…

His belt buckle pressed into her belly, and he made one hand abandon its prize and yank open the offending metal, dealing with the button and zipper while he was at it. His cock breathed a sigh of relief—he swore it—as his mouth found its target.

“God, Carter.” She pushed into him, and he sucked harder, gently using his teeth against the tip.

Her hands found his hips and pushed his jeans down, dragging his boxer briefs with them. The sensation of her fingers on his ass made him groan, his pelvis thrusting, his cock against her center. At this rate, he’d disgrace himself.

When she sought him out, he turned with her, hobbled by his own jeans, the ignominy nearly making him smile as he held her against the wall. “Touch me, darlin’, and I’ll lose it all over your sweet hand.”

“Out of practice, too,” she teased, her hair awry and her mouth swollen. “I’m so ready, Carter.”

He worked his hand beneath her panties, staring into her eyes, soaking in the pleasure sparking there when he found her apex, full and wet. “You are.”

Still, he played at her entrance, then feathered over the knot above, making her rise on her toes and whimper. “Please.”

It took some awkward gymnastics to get a hand into his jeans’ pocket and lift his wallet, all while stroking her, but he managed it. Somehow got the condom out and open and smoothed on.

Pushing aside the fabric guarding her pussy, he bent his knees a fraction and set his cock at her opening. With a single thrust, he filled her, freezing in place as they both adjusted. She was wet but so fucking tight. She’d said she didn’t do this, didn’t date. Christ. How long had it been?

“You okay?” he rasped, willing her to open her eyes.

As if on cue, her lashes fluttered open, and he drowned in the depths behind them. Urgent need enticed him, and he responded, easing out and pushing back in. Heated, wet satin sucked at him as he powered toward orgasm, knowing it wouldn’t be long.

But he wasn’t getting there alone. Watching her for any signs, doing his best to ignore the pull at the base of his spine, he found her sweet spot and swiveled his hips to take her there. She responded by working herself against him, her breath increasing in shallow pants as she crested.

With a short cry, she tensed and clamped on him, shuddering, her head grinding against the wall. There was no resisting her, and he followed her over, emptying himself. He set his teeth on the top of her shoulder and muffled his groan, then kissed the spot reverently.

About the Author:

Allyson Young aka Peri Elizabeth Scott lives in cottage country, Manitoba, Canada where she and her husband pretend to work well together in their seasonal business.

She has always enjoyed the written word, and after reading an erotic romance, quite by mistake, decided to try her hand at penning one. That was followed by a mix of spicy (Ally) and sweet (Peribeth) romances in various genres as well as a post-apocalyptic adventure without a lick of romance by Peribeth.

A bestselling Amazon author, a hybrid, and a coauthor, as of November 2018 she has published seven series and several standalones, with others in the works.

www.allysonyoung.com

https://www.facebook.com/sweetnspicyauthor/

Keywords:  MF, BDSM, Contemporary, Romance, HEA

Warning:  This title contains explicit sex scenes, BDSM, and anal sex

Blurb:

What’s a person to do when they discover everything they’ve believed is nothing but lies?

I grew up wealthy, a spoiled rich kid some would say, blessed with a natural athletic physique and erotic good looks that could get me into the panties of just about any girl I set my mind to.

I wanted … what I wanted.

And that meant one thing: the beautiful brunette from study hall—but she left me high and dry.

Today, I have a heart made of stone.  I’m angry, a professed lifelong bachelor, and a sexual sadist.

My soul is a cold river.

Eight years later, she’s back in my life and holding secrets that are ruthless, unforgiveable.

I want to punish her, make her cry, watch her suffer.  I want to hate her for what she’s done.

But I want my hands on her.

Mine.  All mine.

I simply want … Ava Montgomery.

+18 Reader ONLY Excerpt:

 I ached for him with such a depth that it was a visceral kind of pain. I wanted his hands on me, touching me everywhere, taking me to that place I’d fantasized about for years.

“It’s your decision, doll.”

“Are you going to tear up my butt? Leave bloody marks on my back? Ruin my nipples? Are you…” My voice faded into silence as I stared at his focused expression that was so sure, so certain, his eyes that sent shimmers down my spine, his body that made me cave with pleasure every time it came near me. Heat flowed through my veins. “Yes. God, yes. I want to know everything. I want you to…” 

Before I finished the words that were caught in my throat, his lips were on mine, crushing his mouth against me with a scorching kiss that felt like he was ravenous. His hands twisted fiercely through my hair, my body arching into him as he licked into me, purging deep, kissing me for long minutes like he wanted me more than any one thing in his existence.  

I wanted this so badly that it hurt.

His lips fell to the sweet spot just underneath my ear. “You wouldn’t happen to still have that blindfold by any chance?”

Another whimper rose up my throat as I collapsed into his chest, turning to soft liquid and ceding in submission.

Of course, I still had the blindfold. I’d stared at it a dozen times. Fantasized about what it would feel like being bound, in the dark, his hands on me, oblivious to his next move, and if all my daydreams were a reality … or a fool’s paradise.

“Yes,” I breathed, captivated.

“Grab it, kitten. And follow me.”

Blistering heat flooded my core as he trailed kisses across my neck.

“And, Ava,” he added in a hard tone, “before the night ends, my marks will be all over you.”

About the Author:

Lacee Hightower is an American writer and romance novelist, referring to her style as contemporary romance with a nice big pinch of kink.  Living in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, she describes herself as a foodie that can’t cook, a large lover of fashion and shoes, and an enormous hopeless romantic.  Since she was old enough to know what the word meant, she loved the whole concept of romance and happy endings. Even though she has always enjoyed writing, life got in the way and she never really thought of pursuing it seriously until she decided to write her first book after both her children were grown in 2017.  Now with a nice glass of wine in hand, or not, she is learning to love bringing the characters in her head to life on paper for those who enjoy peeking into another world.

Buy Links:

Evernight:  https://www.evernightpublishing.com/intrigue-me-by-lacee-hightower/

Amazon:  https://amazon.com/dp/B07SSYJTQK

Books2read(Universal link):  https://books2read.com/u/bQ6qAd

Social Media Links:

Facebook:  Facebook

 Twitter:   Twitter

Instagram:  Instagram

Website:   laceehightower.com

BookBub:   Bookbub

Welcome Raven and thank you for honoring my blog with the release of your new book, The Tattoo Artist’s Mate. I know you have much to say about how the book came to be and your relationship with your friend Doris. Before you go on, I’d like to add a brief a personal note:

Though we may or may not realize it, to those of us who were touched by Doris’ loving and sometimes honest, critical critique-hand (a writer could never ask for better or more) her own writing and creativity will live on in each and every story we produce. She was one in a million, and she is dearly missed. ~ Kory Steed

Kory Steed

Hi there and thank you for welcoming me to your blog, on this bittersweet occasion. (this is Raven)

As most people know, my bestie, the sister I’d never had, the other half of me, the lovely Doris O’Connor passed away in January from Cancer of an unknown primary.

To say this knocked me for six is an understatement. We knew it wasn’t going to be a good outcome, but it happened so fast. Those of you who followed her on Facebook and twitter will know how it went.

Ironically, she rang me to tell me, just as I was…at a large supermarket collecting for cancer research!

When she went into hospital she was in pain and bored. Nagging me over my Regencies (finish it already, write the sex, just do it) and wondering how to pass the time.

I remember a germ of an idea we’d had a couple of years ago about a tattoo artist who was a shifter. Wrote the first bit and sent it to her with a note…over to you…

I got a giggle gif and a thumbs up. Then Doris’ words. It was, I was told up to me to amalgamate everything.

So the Skype messages went back and forth, and we plotted the story, wrote it both in sequence and odd scenes we knew had to go in somewhere.

Until the time she was in too much pain to write any more. But she did make me promise to finish the book. Add as much as was needed, but finish it.

 So I did.

This is the result of our collaboration.

I have two hope…okay three.

One, you enjoy it,

Two you can’t see the seams,

Three we sell lots and lots and lots and give Doria a fabulous best seller send off.

Blub

When Isla Campbell leaves her so-called Dom, she is determined never to sub again. All she wants is her tattoo removed and to live a quiet life with no dominant, or domineering men in it.

Until she meets Gaspar MacDonald, tattoo artist and unbeknown to her, a bear shifter.

Isla calls to Gaspar in the most basic of ways, he knows she is his mate.

Now all he has to do is persuade Isla of that fact. Oh and explain he’s a Dom, and a shifter, and that subbing for your Dom is not what she thought it was, but much better. 

Will Isla trust him enough to discover if they have what would be the perfect match?

Fancy a wee tease?

Here you go…

~~ . I didn’t get a chance to answer. I was too busy trying not to come as he kissed and then sucked my nipples, and saints above, began to play with my clit. Oh Lordy, so bloody good. I think I moaned, but to be honest, I was drowning in the sensation so I had no idea.
Somehow, I managed to find his cock and stroke it. It was Noah’s turn to moan now.
“Fuck it, I want to be in you. Need to be in you, and I’ve no bloody condoms.” He moved away a bit and I took advantage of the fact to get onto my knees, take his cock into my mouth, and lave it.
Not a boy scout then.
“On the pill,” I mumbled around a mouthful of hot, hard, but soft as silk, male flesh. “Clean, and fuck it, fill me.” I took one long hard pull on his dick and let go with a plop. Better than an ice lolly any day.
Noah didn’t hesitate, thank goodness, and had me on my back and his cock poised at the entrance to my channel faster than I could say climax.
“Got to be now, love.” 
Just as well. 
He pushed. I clenched my inner muscles—thank goodness for Kegel exercises—and held him tight. Noah swore and laughed. I grinned and we set up that age-old motion of in, out, tighten, release until I felt him swell even more inside me.
My nipples hurt in the best possible way.
“Sheesh, now got to be, oh Lord, help please…” I was almost incoherent, sobbing, throbbing, and any other ing you could mention. It was pleasure, it was pain, it was…
“Now!” Noah roared, and his hot, sticky release filled me.
“Yes.” I let myself fly and saw stars as my climax hit me with all the subtlety of a baseball hit by a champion. 
Yeah, I was a screamer. Did I care? Not one bit. I moaned, groaned, and wriggled as well. Loved it all.~~

You can get hold of Gaspar from 

Evernight Publishing https://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-tattoo-artists-mate-by-doris-oconnor-and-raven-mcallan/

Amazon. com https://amzn.to/2FjgY86

Amazon Uk https://amzn.to/2KWi5Ou

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/944640

Bookstrand

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-tattoo-artist-s-mate

If you do decide to read this, the first story in Bre Alley ink, and like it, love it or tollerate it, We’d love a review. No pressure, just lots lof love,

Raven xx

Welcome Elyzabeth and congratulations on your new BDSM, dark romance release, Open (Lust, Love and Darkness).

What would you like readers to take away from your story? Does it contain a message? 

I think most of my books, be they fantasy, paranormal, or contemporary, contain some kind of message.

In the case of Open, there are little messages throughout the story but the big one, as the title suggests, (and other than the eroticization of the word), is that you have to open yourself up to new experiences, adventure, people and love. No one said it was easy though.

Where did you find your inspiration for the story? Was it a person, a current event, something you witnessed, or something else?

Author Doris O’ Connor was my inspiration for this story. 

Back in January. I’d been working with a group of other authors on an anthology for her. Doris had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and we had decided to put together a collection of BDSM stories to help her and her family in any little way we could. While I was writing Entwined, my collaboration in the anthology, my muse started whispering about Marcus and a three book dark BDSM romance series which had to be written.

Doris’ star genre was BDSM and though she never got to see the publication of Passion, Pleasure, Pain, Anthology nor hear about Open (Lust, Love and Darkness), I like to think she would have enjoyed reading them.

She was always supportive of my writing and will always be an inspiration to me.

How much emphasis do you put on supporting characters to move the plot of your stories along? Have any of your supporting characters ever gotten their own story?

It really depends on the story. Some supporting characters have more weight than others and some have gotten their own story. For instance, in Max’s Desire, Killian’s action prompts a lot of what brings Max face to face with his mate.

Other secondary characters are mentioned in passing but hold a big weight within the story. That’s the case with Becky in Open. Book two of the Lust, Love and Darkness series is going to be about her.

What is your writing process? Are you a patnser or a plotter, or a little of both?

I used to be more of a pantster, but lately I’ve come to realize I’ve become a bit of both. I tend to come up with a single scene, then work from there by just writing. As a write, I outline where I think the book should go, but a lot of the time that all changes and I end up with a completely different idea of what I had originally thought. 

In the case of Open I first came up with the series idea, and Marcus’ character. He was dominant, and he clearly knew what he wanted: Gabi, mouth open, lips around his… You get the picture. From there though, the way he went around to achieve things changed from want, want, want now, to a man who knew what he wanted but also had an insurmountable amount of patience and would wait for the woman of his dreams to be ready to give herself to him.

What do you do in your down time to feed your soul?

In my down time, I enjoy sleeping, reading, watching the occasional cartoon on TV (I’m a huge Disney fan), playing with my dogs and just hanging out with family and friends.

What’s next on your literary horizon?

I just signed a contract for Killian’s Hope, book 4 of my paranormal-fantasy series, Alpha Protectors, and I’m already working on book 2 of Lust, Love and Darkness.

Blurb:

One day she’d be his.

Almost a decade ago, Marcus Grimes worked as a bodyguard to a man who didn’t deserve the woman he’d had. When she finally left, Marcus vowed to eventually find her and make her his.

The time is now.

Marcus runs into Gabi at a BDSM club, indulging in a different partner every week but never really exploring beyond the mere superficial. She doesn’t remember him, and he convinces her to give him a chance.

All she has to do is open.
After leaving an abusive relationship, Gabi moved cities and reinvented herself. Now, she’s confident and capable of playing with any Dom she sees fit without compromising herself or her emotions.

Until she meets Marcus Grimes.

There is something familiar about him, which should have stopped her, but instead spurs her on, and before she realizes it, Marcus is not only opening her body to his exploration, he’s also delving into her heart.

However, when their mutual past comes to light and everything she’s fought for during the last eight years is jeopardized, will she close herself off again or will she give love an opportunity?

Excerpt:

Marcus sipped at his soda, wishing it were something stronger so his libido would subside. Who was he kidding? Looking at her would get him aroused regardless of the amounts of alcohol he drank. 

She was perfect. Everything he’d ever fantasized about: luscious curves, ample bottom, tits which would fit his hands, and a mouth made for sucking and screaming out his name. 

Gabi. Her last name was of no consequence. Neither was her first name. Years ago, he’d known her as Abby. What mattered was that when he made her his, he’d refer to her as “kitten”. He’d called her it once, by accident. The term had come naturally. Back then, she had been vulnerable, small, like an abandoned pet. Now, however, he stood in the presence of a different type of cat. She was graceful, strong, seductive. 

Unfortunately, unlike cats, which tended to be more snobbish when it came to choosing an owner, Gabi played with just about everyone. She was a regular at the BDSM club where he’d found her. One night, he’d see her getting a spanking, the next, a caning, and another day, she was being whipped. There didn’t seem to be anything Gabi wouldn’t try, except sticking with the same partner. She had a different Dom every weekend, playing with them at a distance, never really giving in to the experience. He knew why, and he was determined to change it. Starting tonight. 

Currently, she was tied to the Saint Andrew’s cross, and Master Eric was giving her a good flogging. The Dom played her like an instrument, knowing exactly where to hit to make her skin tingle but not bruise. Marcus scowled. When they played, he’d make sure to mark her so every time she sat down, she would remember him and how her body had yielded to her Dom’s touch. 

Marcus downed the last of his drink and moved closer to the cross. It’d been close to eight years since he’d last seen her. Eight years. He sometimes thought they had been wasted years, but deep down, he knew they hadn’t. After what she’d gone through, she’d needed the time to heal and become the person she was now. 

In all that time, he’d never stopped wanting her. He’d been incapable of erasing her from his mind even after he’d lost track of her whereabouts. And then, fate had thrown her in his path. He’d finally decided to join the BDSM community in the city, and he’d found her. Here of all places. In his city. 

One look at her and he’d made up his mind. Gabi would be his. Permanently this time. He’d bided his time, investigating her present, trying to find out more about who she was today. Every weekend for the past month, he’d come to the club and watched her. He’d leave with a hard-on and a desperate craving to claim her. 

Tonight would be different. Eric was almost done, each stroke of the flogger turning into a caress until it came to a full stop. Gabi shuddered and hung her head. Marcus stiffened. Was she okay? Eric seemed to think the same because he hurried forward and whispered in her ear. Gabi nodded. Eric chuckled. Giving her ass a light tap, he began to undo the restraints. 

Marcus clenched his fists. Soon, he’d be the only one spanking Gabi’s behind. He waited patiently for them to finish. His heart hammered in his chest, and sweat gathered at his nape. He hadn’t been so on edge in years. 

Finally, Gabi became free and turned around. Marcus’s breath caught. She wasn’t naked, but she didn’t need to be to get his dick hardening. He focused on her mouth. Wide with plump lips. How many times had he fantasized about having them around his dick? Fucking her mouth. Marcus swallowed a groan. 

Soon. 

Eric blocked his view, stepping in front of Gabi to give her a hug. She smiled politely, but there was no affection in her gaze. She was merely being civil. Marcus smirked. They wouldn’t end their sessions with a friendly pat. Finally, Eric left. Before Gabi could also leave, Marcus approached her. She saw him coming, her gaze narrowing and her lips parting into a coquettish smirk. He couldn’t wait to make it sincere. 

“Gabi?”

“That’s me. What can I call you, handsome?”

“Marcus will do for now.”

She pouted, feigning disappointment. 

“Shame, I thought you were a Dom.”

Marcus grinned. “I am.”

“And you don’t want me to call you Sir or Master? Do you prefer Daddy?” She ran her fingertips across his forearm making goosebumps sprout on his flesh. Marcus pulled away. 

“If the men you’ve been playing with require you call them Sir after barely ten seconds of interaction, you’ve been hanging around the wrong people.”

She shrugged, her gaze dipping then just as quickly meeting his again. 

“So, why are we having this conversation, Marcus?”

“I would like to play with you.”

Gabi quirked an eyebrow. “And you don’t want me to call you ‘Sir’?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, I’m done for today, so maybe next time,”

He grabbed her wrist. Her eyes blazed.

“Release me.”

“In a minute, kitten.”

“Don’t call me that. I didn’t give you the right.”

“Forgive me,” Marcus apologized. “You’re right.” He stepped into her personal space, forcing her to tilt her head to look at him even though she wasn’t much shorter. “You have to understand, Gabi, I don’t want to play with you right now. I want to get to know you a bit before I make you kneel at my feet, open up that pretty little mouth of yours and stuff it with my cock until you gag.”

Buy Links:

Amazon  ~  Evernight  ~  Smashwords  ~  Kobo  ~  Nook ~  Bookstrand

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Welcome again Raven. I’m so pleased to host your new Regency Romance Novel, The Dom Who Said Please. What a wonderful gift you’ve created for out dear, late friend, Doris O’Connor.

Hi there, and thank you for inviting me onto your blog.

I’m so excited to be able to tell you a little bit about my new release from Evernight Publishing, The Dom Who Said Please.

As I’m sure you all know the lovely author Doris O’Connor lost her battle with cancer earlier this year. She was like a sister to me. My husband and I are honorary grandparents to her children, and we spoke every day. Even though we lived at opposite ends of the country we got together regularly.

She always said she loved my Regencies more than anything else so I started writing this for her, when she went into hospital. Sadly she didn’t get to read the end, but I’d told her the plot and she approved.

I hope it works for you as well.

Blurb…

Widow Eleanor Charter knows one thing. She does not want to marry again.

Especially not to someone forceful and dominant.

So why is Theo Moncur, the Earl of Glensmoor interested in her?

As far as she is concerned any man who considers himself dominant, whether he is or not, will play no part in her life. She will be in charge of her life.

Dominant Theo doesn’t have marriage on his mind. 

Having given his mistress her congé, his growing attraction toward Eleanor makes him wonder if she would fill that place. 

He sees something in her, that appeals.  

The lady would be a perfect submissive—not that she agrees.

However the more he gets to know her, the more he understands she is the only lady for him.

Now all he has to do is persuade Eleanor to agree. 

And a wee tease

Theo dipped his head, took her nub in his mouth, ignored her shriek and the way she clutched his head, and sucked. Before he thought she would have time to assimilate that experience, he nipped each nipple in turn, settled himself between her legs, and then draped her ankles over his shoulders. A position that would give him ease of penetration and her the ability to grip on.

 “Arse not too sore?” he asked.

 “What?” She sounded puzzled. “Oh no. Not at all.”

 “Good.” He angled the head of his cock at the entrance to her channel and pushed inside her. A scant inch at first, before he withdrew, and she gasped.

“Is that it?”

He rejoiced in the sound of her disappointment.

“Not at all.” He repeated the movement over and over, delving deeper with each thrust until he reached the barrier of her maidenhead. “This is where it will hurt. Any pain after this is for pleasure only. I promise.” He withdrew, re-entered her slick smoothness, and thrust hard.

The barrier dissolved and Eleanor gasped. “Argh … oh.” Her voice shook. “Oh.”

Theo took his weight on his elbows, trying not to carry on. Making himself wait until she wriggled. 

“More.”

Was there ever a time he was willing to obey? Theo moved. Tentatively at first until she matched his pace. Then he rode her. Hard and fast until she stiffened, tightened around him, and then melted, shook, and screamed as her climax overtook her. Eleanor clutched his scalp and convulsed as he let himself go and tried to pull out.

“Oh no. Stay. Stay and show me.” Her voice was thready. It trembled but there was enough determination in it for him to realize she meant what she said.

He couldn’t have refused, even if the Prince Regent demanded it. Theo let himself go, thrust one last time, and his seed spilled into her, filling her, as he shouted his completion. It left him happy, sated, and drained. When had he ever felt like that before?

Never.

Buy Links:

Evernight Publishing https://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-dom-who-said-please-by-raven-mcallan/

Amazon UK https://amzn.to/2MBtpSE

Amazon.com https://amzn.to/2Xwpzv3

Bookstrand  https://www.bookstrand.com/the-dom-who-said-please-mf

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/942693

You can find out all (well almost all) about me at www.ravenmcallan.com or on Facebook, Twitter or my blog www.ravenmcallan.blogspot.co.uk

Happy reading,

Love Raven

I just learned I’m currently the #6 Author on the BookStrand-Evernight Publishing’s 30 Day Bestseller List!

Through Roscoe’s Eyes is currently #4 on the BookStrand-Evernight Publishing’s 30 Day Bestseller List. https://www.bookstrand.com