Saturday, March 22, 2014

Saturday Sample: Jaded, an erotic contemporary romance by Ember Leigh

Today's dip into a novel is from Ember Leigh's Jaded!
~~~~~~~~~~


After one too many broken hearts, Isabella has sworn off love...and men altogether. When hunky Luke shows up to remodel her house and starts coming on to her hard, she's sure he's just a player using the wrong head. With Luke, however, Isabella quickly learns there's more than meets the eye. Will she let her guard down and let him in, or will she be forever Jaded?




Excerpt:

Luke leaped up and ran upstairs toward her bedroom. The door was ajar and he pushed it open. Isabella turned to him with a gasp, towel clutched around her.
"What's wrong? I heard you scream."
She gritted her teeth and expelled an angry groan. "Tell your stupid workers not to spy on me when I'm changing!" She pointed to the window across from her closet. "Perverts!"
"Hey, I'm sorry. I had no way of knowing. I would have stopped it if I'd seen it."
She glared at him. But Luke could hardly sympathize—if he'd been outside, he would have peeked in on her too.
"I'll punch them the minute I see them," she said through gritted teeth, knotting the towel more tightly around her chest.
"You won't have to—I'll do it for you."
She didn't say anything and turned away from him. Her long, dark hair hung limply down her back, and her breasts rounded nicely under the towel. In all her angry glory, she was irresistible. A few silent moments passed before she huffed and said, "Luke, this isn't a peep show, you know!"
The soft curve of her calf caught his eye and Luke had to blink hard. A dense fog was rapidly descending over his brain, and he could hardly think with her in front of him. He opened his mouth to respond but couldn't find any words. She turned and walked toward him, eyes blazing.
"You men are so predictable," she spat out. "Where is the respect? Like I want to be spied on in my own house."
Luke tried to respond again but all he could do was lamely open and close his mouth. She was inching closer to him now and he feared momentarily that she might hit him or otherwise lash out. He caught a whiff of her shampoo and he gulped. It was all he could do to keep his hands off her now that she was so close to him.
"Don't you have anything to say, Luke?"
His eyes slid up and down her body, despite how hard he was trying to avoid looking. In her state, that slip of willpower might cost him a limb or two. She seemed ready to pounce. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a slow breath, trying to get words—any words—to come out.
"Sorry," was all he could muster. "I feel like you, uh..."
"I what?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
"You're totally right," he said, looking anywhere but at the line formed by her breasts pushed together by the towel. "Like I said, I'll take care of it for you."
She paused, watching him with hands on hips. He could have sworn she was getting even closer to him, but he didn't know if his sexual excitement was just causing the air between them to shrink. He had a semi hard-on already and the woman hadn't even touched him. His mind was spinning and he had to get out of the bathroom before he did something he regretted.
"You sure as hell better," she said. "Luke, fucking kiss me."
It took a moment for the words to sink in. He looked at her with wide eyes, brain struggling to match the words with the woman in front of him. He was dreaming this...he had to be.
"Seriously?"
"Do it now before I change my mind."

It wasn't the line he normally got but, he'd take it. He grabbed her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers in a greedy, passionate kiss. She received him eagerly. He suspected she'd wanted this since the beginning, but was too much of a hard-ass to admit it to herself. Pinpricks of pleasure erupted all throughout his body as they kissed deeply and urgently, and he actually felt his knees get a little weak. This woman completely intoxicated him.
They broke for air and stood panting, looking at each other.
"Just one more," she said, looking thoroughly frazzled. "But then you never bring this up or come near me again."
"Oh, so this is just a taste test?" He ran his hand down from her cheek to the dip in her neck; her eyes fluttered shut.
"Call it what you want," she said. "But this is it. Then I'm done."
He leaned in to kiss her again but she dodged it, looking him in the eye. "Deal?
"Anything you want, babe." If that was the case, he'd do it right. He guided her back toward the countertop and pinned her against it. She was watching him with eager eyes, lapping up all of it. She inhaled sharply as he took her into his arms. His heart tightened, catching him off-guard. He wanted this more than he'd thought.
Her lips were soft and just as eager to receive him; they kissed again, their kiss melting into more kisses and even more kisses. When they broke, Luke knew without a doubt that there was no way in hell he'd be satisfied with this one encounter.
"I said one kiss, not eighty," she said breathlessly.
"Sorry, babe. It must be this towel, it's driving me crazy."
She paused and then cracked a smile. "And why's that?
"Because it is hiding something I would give anything to see." His lips drifted over her collarbone. She took his chin in her hand and directed his face toward hers. She put her lips over his, kissing him hard.
Luke let down his guard and kissed her the way he'd wanted to kiss her, not the way he did when he was betting or just trying to get to sex. His kisses were slow, thorough.
He gripped her hips and set her on the countertop, pressing himself between her legs. Luke knew in that instant he wanted to have her right there. He tilted her head back and tasted her neck, her collarbone, kisses growing more urgent the lower he went. This woman was making his mind spin.


~~~~~~~~

Ember Leigh has been writing erotic romance novels since she was far too young.  A native of northern Ohio, she currently resides in South America with her Argentinean partner, a detail she uses to justify her Bachelor's degree in Latin American Literature. In addition to romance novels, she also writes travel articles, maintains three blogs, and continually attempts to complete a mildly-gripping short story. In her free time, she practices Ashtanga yoga, travels the world, and eats lots of vegetables.

 You can purchase Jaded at any of the links below:





Follow Ember Leigh at the sites!



Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Interview with Torie James: Timeless Desire in New Camelot

     Today we are visited by Torie James as she travels far and wide proclaiming her new book, Timeless Desire, the second book of her New Camelot series.
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     If you could live forever, what would you choose to live for? I chose honor...

     Awakening to a new world, Gawain has high hopes that the last 500 years have cooled the fires of hatred burning in the heart of his wife, Nimue. Cruelly betrayed by the one person she put all her faith and trust in, Nimue hasn't forgotten the lone cowardly act of one of King Arthur's greatest knights. Together again and yet forever apart, can they heal the past when a new enemy rises to threaten the foundation of all they hold dear?




Storyteller’s Grove:  So Torie tell our readers a bit about yourself and your writing journey.
Torie James: Most people go their whole lives not knowing what they were born to do. I discovered mine a little past the age of 8 but lacked the ambition and motivation until the last few years. Then the most extraordinary thing happened. I met a wizard in a forest.
     What? Did I mention it was a dream? Still counts!
     I met Merlyn Emrys. Yes, THE Merlyn Emrys of ancient Arthurian Lore. Note: we are NOT talking a spindly legged, heavily bearded old man with bad teeth and surly attitude. He hates that image, by the way and says he can own Gandalf the White any day. *winks* So, I had this dream one night after watching Highlander II followed by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I was also reading a bit Charlaine Harris in between movies. Long story short, Merlyn said two words to me, “What if”. What if we got the players right but the stories wrong? The tales of Arthur, Excalibur and Camelot. Then he told me what REALLY happened...
     And I created New Camelot.
     My newest book, Timeless Desire, Book 2 of New Camelot, picks up were Timeless Night, Book One, left off. In the first book, we meet Alex and Sabrina, the main protagonists, and learn that all the myths of the Fae, of Merlyn and Arthur, are true. Sabrina is the catalyst that brings into play a prophecy foretold a thousand years ago and reunites the bravest knights of Arthur’s fabled roundtable.
Book 2 tells the story of Gawain and his fiery wife, Nimue. One secret separates them, one curse divides them. He loves her and she yearns for his heart....in her killing grasp. 

SG: What’s your sign? How do you think it affects your writing?
TJ: I am an Aquarian, proudly so! I know, without any doubt that it does affect my writing since the Water Bearer is all about thinking outside of the box! There is no “norm” to me, I color waaaay outside the lines and often love to bring fantastical, futuristic musings to the past.

SG: What do you love to drink?
TJ: Coffee and Dr. Pepper. When I’m lucky, I can run down a Mr. Pibb and then it is ON! 

SG: Do you believe in Bigfoot?
TJ: Absolutely.

SG: If you were on an island and could only bring 3 things, what would you bring?
TJ: Chocolate, my cell phone (I’d conserve the battery...mostly!) and a sock. Just one sock. For my hand. So I could make a hand puppet named Ermie to keep me company when I lost my mind.

SG: If you were 80 years old, what would you tell your children?
TJ: Designer Depends only and go heavy on the baby powder. My cheeks love being pampered.

SG: Can you instruct someone how to make an origami "cootie catcher" with just words?
TJ: Yep. Find Justin Bieber. Attach to self. There you go.


Torie James has loved reading since she was old enough to hold a book in her lap. While her friends were out playing, she was generally curled up nearby falling down rabbit holes, catching second stars to the right, and stepping through wardrobes into mysterious lands and countless adventures. When those stories ended, she made up her own and kept going. This later on translated into a strong passion for writing that has helped her keep her feet on the ground while her head stayed firmly in the clouds. Lover of Dr. Pepper, all things chocolate, and Duran Duran, her dreams finally became a reality with her debut novel, Timeless Night, in 2013 by Breathless Press. Creator of the "New Camelot" series, as well as "The Cloie Chronicles", Ms. James has plans to continue spinning many new worlds.
Torie lives in Southern California with her family and a houseful of pets that rule the roost.

You can find Ms. James and her books at the following sites:


Thursday, March 13, 2014

Rock and Roll Romance: A Review of Gracen Miller's Rockin' the Heart

If music nourishes the soul…

Loved by millions, but shunned by blood, Heath “Fang” Fangor has led his band, Hot Wired, to the top while others have fallen by the wayside. He devoted his life to music, and from that devotion harvested a new family—his band mates and fans.

A man can desire nothing else…or can he?

Living in the shadow of her brother’s fame sucks! Sam Collins is desperate to have what she wants—a simple and uncomplicated life. She’s no stranger to scandals and how they work. Now that she’s inadvertently dragged Fang into the center of her latest gossip, could the scandal she created in her quest for freedom have gone too far?

Amid stardom the heart stages a new melody…

Fang has more fame and fortune than he will ever need, but none of that matters if he can’t have the woman of his dreams. Years have been wasted waiting for the right moment to approach the woman his heart desires above all others. There’s just one major problem...she’s his best friend’s sister. To have her, he will have to risk it all.

One that might be responsible for Rockin the Heart!


Gracen Miller’s Rockin’ the Heart  is the first book in her new Hot Wired Series. She takes us into the world of the southern rock band, Hot Wired.  It is a all you would expect: hard partying, intrusive press, groupies, fights, and music. It’s wrapped up in a tight knit southern “family”.  They have lived and played together and, with her brother, helped raise Samantha “Sam” Collins after her parents sudden death. But Sam is not a little girl anymore. She is a grown, rebellious woman. To make matters worse, lead singer “Fang” has developed feelings for her that cannot be described as brotherly. Sam has similar feelings but an over-protective brother and bandmates and their own fears may tear them and the band apart.

This is a nicely written book. Fang and Sam are well developed characters. We come to understand there interior life as it has shaped and conflicts with their interior life.  The setting and action are believable and vivid. Sam’s brother Jase was I felt not as well developed. His attitude and behavior felt too extreme at the beginning.

On the other end, the two other band members, Keys and Derr, did not standout as two distinct personalities.  In addition, there were more than a few noticeable typos and sudden point of view shifts within scenes and sometimes paragraphs.

Overall this was a well crafted book and I would recommend it. I look forward to seeing how the series develops.

I give Gracen Miller’s Rockin’ the Heart  4 of 5 triskeles.
                   

Gracen is a hopeless daydreamer masquerading as a “normal” person in southern society.  When not writing, she’s a full-time basketball/football/guitar mom for her two sons and a devoted wife to her real-life hero-
husband. She’s addicted to writing, paranormal romance novels, movies, Alabama football and coffee…addictions are not necessarily in order of priority. She’s convinced coffee is nectar from the gods and blending coffee and writing together generates the perfect creative merger. Many of her creative worlds are spawned from coffee highs.

To learn more about Gracen and her writing and or to leave her a comment, visit her at the following sites:





Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Nicolette Godlove Brings Fyre to the Grove! An Interview

Today we welcome Nicolette Godlove, author of Fyre:Dark Dreams. I first met Nicolette when she was interviewed by Danny Coleman on his radio show Rock on Radio, a distinction I share. I invited her here to chat about her new novel, writing and herself.

Author's Blurb The note said: Dreams can bring happiness, but force them into reality and they’ll be death. All this time I’ve masked my intense supernatural abilities, in hopes of leading a normal life. But now I’ve stumbled upon the resting place of a powerful immortal and awakened more than just a slumbering Dark Prince.

Evil has left the shadows and pursues my rare power. This darkness that hunts me has no idea what I’m capable of, Hell, neither do I. But something has woken within me. They want my head? They’re gonna get more than they bargained for.
  


Storyteller’s Grove: So Nicolette, tell us about yourself and what brought you to writing?

Nicolette Godlove: I’ve always been a storyteller. Since I was very little, I’d entertain my friends with detailed stories or games that I just made up. We’d live different lives and go on crazy adventures in my back yard. Even our Barbie & My Little Pony dolls had intricately woven lives. And when we got bored with that, I’d make up new ones.
.
In High School, I had this intensely vivid dream that seemed to go on forever about these two star-crossed lovers from very different worlds. It was so realistic & emotional, I woke in tears. That week, while sitting in one of my classes listening to the teacher drone on, I decided to write down the dream. This was the beginning of Fyre: Dark Dreams. I even incorporated my paranormal experiences & nightmares into the series. I figure, I have them, why not use them? They’ve made for a very interesting addition.

SG: Share with our readers a little about your book.

NG: Fyre: Dark Dreams is book one of the series and introduces the burdened life of Kai Fyre. She’s born with intense, possibly limitless, supernatural powers that she doesn’t quite know how to use yet. Her family ignores her abilities, acting as if they don’t exist, & she attempts to do the same; to fit in. Unfortunately when you have bright purple eyes; people seem to notice that. On top of it all, Kai’s dreams are riddled by a strange man with sharp fangs & blazing blue eyes that seem to glow even in the light.

In Middle School, Kai discovers the gruesome murder of her best friend, Chloe. When she learns some truth behind the Chloe’s untimely death, Kai briefly loses control of her power, just long enough to do something terrible. She tries to keep everything quiet after that & lays low in High School.

After College graduation, Kai decides to move to a quaint historic little town in Rhode Island called Albyn’s Wallow with her college friend Maleek. She hopes to start a new life here, one where people don’t know of her past. She begins to notice that the folks of the little town seem a bit strange; they look at her like they can see right through her, but why?

One evening, Kai takes a stroll & ends up at the old town cemetery where she stumbles upon an ancient crypt with strange markings etched in, yet the date of death is clawed from recognition. She enters the crypt & ends up waking Darien, a centuries-old vampire prince who’d been attempting to sleep through his own troubled past. The two feel an instant connection.

Suddenly all the wicked creatures of the dark realm are on the hunt for Kai & her rare powers. Unsure of the reason, all she can do is attempt to stay alive. She knows she’s falling deeply for Darien but is cautious of his secretive nature. He’s hiding something big, but what could it be?

Eventually Kai learns that the man she’s giving herself to could very well be the one pulling the strings. It’s kill or be killed in a fight for life & love, but could you harm the very man you’re fighting for?

SG: What made you choose to self-publish your book?

NG: The traditional publishing world is difficult to understand on your own & there are hundreds of thousands of writers attempting to make it in the same genre. It’s a crap-shoot. I just decided that I wanted to try it on my own instead of being lost in a sea of queries, attempting to be read by just one agent.

I plan to continue my attempts at traditional publishing as it is a dream of mine, however self-publishing alone is quite an accomplishment that I hope to be successful with.

SG: Now for the fun part of the interview. I’ve got some unusual questions now.

SG: What’s your sign? How do you think it affects your writing?  

NG: I’m an Aries/Taurus cusp. I think this adds to the heat & emotion of my writing. Aries, being a fire sign, are headstrong, lively, confident & often perceived as fearless. They are leaders & have a strong curiosity for things, which can sometimes get them into trouble. Taurus is known for determination, focus, & persistence. They aren’t easily upset, but look out when they are. They are extremely strong willed & can take on a lot of stress. Some joined traits of my cusp are independence, stubbornness & loyalty; they will stand by you forever if you’ve earned a place in their hearts. Lovers of nature & beauty, they are their best when surrounded by art & sites that have meaning to them. I think all of this can be found within my writing & character traits LOL. If you read the book, you will notice.

SG: What do you love about writing? Hate?

NG: I love writing because it’s all your own. It comes from within & no one can take it from you. The only thing I dislike about it, is that sometimes people can be cynical, so you have to be careful while also not losing your voice.

SG: What do you love to drink?

NG: I enjoy drinking Dragon Oolong tea when I write. It seems to clear my mind & bring forward my thoughts.

SG: Are you more of a hunter or a gather?

NG: This is actually a tough question LOL. I have the heart & will of a hunter, but I don’t want to hurt any animals; I have some sort of crazy respect for the wild. So I guess I’ll have to say gatherer. I’d probably give a deer my last apple instead of killing it for my dinner!

SG:  If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why?

NG: Fruity Pebbles . . . need I say more LOL!!

SG:  Do you believe in Bigfoot?

NG: Absolutely. We can’t be the only crazy creatures in the world, so why not?

SG: If you were 80 years old, what would you tell your children?


NG: Regret nothing. Take chances. Life’s too short to wait. If you want to do something, do it. Don’t wait to see what it could’ve been, make it happen. No matter what the outcome, it will be worth it to say you’ve made the attempt.

Thanks for stopping by...read on to learn more!

 Nicolette is married to the most wonderful man who she started dating at 16 and has been with ever since. We live in good ol’ NJ with our white Cocker Spaniel, Lily, who’s been their first four-legged child for 9 years now. Yes, she’s spoiled LOL. She is currently expecting their first two-legged child in the first week of May.


You can get your copy or follow Nicolette at the following sites:



Video Trailer:  http://youtu.be/G2y3ABVQ4AU

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