Monday, June 25, 2012

All Tied Up for #ManCandyMonday


Everybody is talking about Erotic Romance these days.
Thank goodness.
It’s about time.
No longer do we have to hide our erotic romance novels behind copies of Cosmo or in the depths of our e-book readers. Your best friend, your sorority sister, your book club gals and your librarian are getting down and kinky. Well, their reading choices are anyway.
A big theme in this genre is BDSM. And the B in BDSM? It stands for bondage.
The use of restraints.
For fun and pleasure.
But it’s not only the girls who get to be tied up. You can tie your man up too.
No need to be intimidated.
And don’t think you have to whip out the credit card and fork over the dough for your bondage fun.

A little creativity is all you need.


I'm oh, so lucky to be hosting #ManCandyMonday this week. The theme is Man Candy All Tied Up. Join me at 7pm (Mountain Time) on twitter for some hottalicious fun.

You can find my post over at the Man Candy Monday 2.0 Blog. Click here to link right on over there.
Here's just a little taste of today's theme of our favorite hotties, all tied up.



See, creativity with Christmas lights. 

To celebrate my guest post on my favorite blog site I've got three erotic romances for you to download for free today.

One of my favorite erotic romance series is the Harmless books by Melissa Schroeder. They are mostly set in Hawaii, have hot military men, a BDSM club and a whole lot of slap and tickle fun.

These two short stories are free on Amazon. Click on the cover to link straight there for the download.

A Little Harmless Surprise (Harmless Shorts)A Little Harmless Gift: A Harmless Short (Harmless Shorts)

Plus, Mel has two more Harmless freebies on her website.
and

But beware this is a very addictive series. If you really get into it you can also join Mel's Harmless Addicts FB page. (I did)

Enjoy

Friday, June 15, 2012

Just who are all these Indie Authors?

Who are all these Indie Authors I see everyday with free Ebooks? 
Well, these days anyone who wants to can publish a book. So Indie authors are your neighbor, your boss, your librarian and your favorite traditionally published author.
Wait, what?
Traditionally published authors self pub too?
Oh, yeah. Fo Sho.
Authors work those contracts hard to get back their backlists and self pub those. Authors with traditionally published books who have an idea for a story their publishing house just isn't buying will write that and indie pub it.
So don't discount an Indie pubbed book and author just cause. You may stumble across some really great writing.


Traditionally published authors and Indie authors both work equally hard at promotion. Even books put out by fancy big New York publishers don't get much of an advertising budget. Especially for newer authors.


Promotions are the lifeblood of advertising for authors. One advantage to being an Indie Author is deciding when and where to give your books away. 
I've heard tons of anecdotes about how free promotions boost sales, and not only for the promoted book. It boosts books numbers, so the author, the promoted book and the author's whole list of available books get more notice. Usually an author gets some more reviews for their book too.
If you're an indie author, be wise about when and how you do your free book promos.
If you're a reader, try these freebies and give the authors some love by leaving reviews. 


Here's a truckload of indie authors with free Ebooks today in all kinds of genres. Click on the book's name to link to Amazon for the download. Make sure to check the price before downloading as most promos are a limited time offer.


Peruse through my little free ebook Book Store. It's all sorted by genre (or categories that go together in my head)

 
Build A ManMy personal favorite section - Romance
Her Latin Lover  Katheryn Lane - Contemporary Romance
Panhandle Blizzard  Johnny Fowler - Western Romance
Lady Iona's Rebellion  Dorothy McFalls - Historical Romance
A Gift Of Ghosts  Sarah Wynde - Romantic Fantasy
Her Restless Heart  Barbara Cameron - Inspirational Romance
Build A Man  Talli Roland - Chick Lit
His Wife And Daughters  Wendy Nelson Tokunaga - Women's Fiction

Grimsley Hollow - Eve of the Beginning


It's not just for teenagers anymore - Try out some YA
Bound  CK Bryant - Young Adult Paranormal Romance
A Kingdom's Possession  Nicole J. Persun - Young Adult Fantasy
Grimsley Hollow  Nicole Storey - Young Adult Fantasy
Verita  Tracy Rozzlynn - Young Adult/Science Fiction

For the geeky glasses fangirl in you. Sci-Fi
Red Serpent  Delson Armstrong - SciFi - Adventure
Cathedral Of Dreams  Terry Persun - SciFi/Dystopian

Mysteries and Thrillers and Horror, oh my. 
Book of Shadows

Book Of Shadows  Alexandra Sokoloff - Supernatural Thriller
Trust Your Enemies  Mark Tier - Political Thriller
The Scent Of Murder  Jeffrey Marks - Mystery
Online  Seth Blackburn - Horror


Hey Smarty-Smart Pants - this section's for you.
The Godling  CK Collins - Literary Fiction
The Twenty Dollar Bill  Elmore Hammes - Contemporary Fiction


For the kid in you (or for your kids)
Healthy Whole Grains, Easy and Delicious Soup Recipes
Time To Get Ready, Bunny  Brenda Ponnay - Children's Book
Pibbin The Small  Gloria Repp - Children's Book

Just don't drop your ebook reader into the sink with the dishes
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes Angelina Jarreau - Cooking
Seal Team 6 (Warrior Cookbook) Steven Doornbos - Cooking


Non-fiction - for your daily dose of reality
Kick Menstrual Cramps In The Nuts  TC Hale - Women's Health
Turning Inside Out  Phyllis Lily Jules - Biography/Memoir
Father's Day  Donald J. Bingle - Humor/Memoir
Work For Hire  Margo Karasek - Humor
Immersion  Mark McNees - Religion & Spirituality

Thanks to ereadernewstoday.com and their newsletter for this great list of Indie freebies.



Friday, June 8, 2012

3 Short Stories from some big names in Romance

I have a dirty little secret. I love teaser stories. No, not the first three chapter kind, but an honest to goodness written just for me the-fan-of-series-romance-reader short stories. The ones that go in between books, or the prequel (which was really all that back story the author wasn't allowed to put in the first book.) Or the story an author wanted to write, but it's just not a whole book. These ones are a great way to discover the writing style of an author you haven't read before to see if you like them, but without the let down of reading a partial. I heart it all.


I also like 'em cause these little teasers are usually free.


Three gems popped up today in the freebie search. Yay.


Rings of Gold


Rings of Gold by Michelle M. Pillow @MichellePillow 
Ryan Anderson had expected retaliation in some form. A guy just didn't cross a woman with a sword, especially if that woman was Molly Shanahan, 2016 Olympic women's fencing hopeful. She'd been born with the glint of a gold medal in her eye. She might be the girl of his dreams, if he can get past her guard.





Cindi (A short story from Fairy Tale Flirts!)

Cindi by Lisa Scott @ReadLisaScott 
"Cindi" A modern take on Cinderella. A short story of 13,000 words.

Cindi wants a perfect match—of designer shoes, that is. When her stepmother gets tickets to the Jiminy Shoes trunk sale, it looks like her dreams are coming true. Until her stepmother refuses to bring her. With a little luck, Cindi finds herself at the sale with the shoes of her dreams, and a handsome man to boot. But when she dashes off with one of the shoes by mistake, her life changes forever.





King, King, Goose?

King, King, Goose? by Mandy M. Roth @mandymroth 
As dragon shifter and king of his people--the purple dragons of the east-- King Najarni wants to make his lovely wife happy. Her Earthly customs and holidays are strange to him so he sends men forth to her realm to learn of these bizarre rituals. When his wife, Queen Tara, sees what her husband and his faithful guards have done, she can't help but laugh.

Peek in and catch a glimpse into what Najarni has done for his beloved wife. 




If you pick up these stories let me know how they are. I've just downloaded them all myself. Leave me a comment or tweet out some love.
Enjoy.

I love me a man in uniform! It's #RomanticSuspense Day at @365FreeEbooks

I've heard rumors that New York isn't buying Romantic Suspense these days. But I think the Big Six must be on crack 'cuz who doesn't like a little cops and robbers with some love thrown in? 
Must be why there are so many Hot Cops and Sexy SEALs floating around in the Free Ebook-o-sphere.


I found all these Romantic Suspense Free Ebooks today. 
Click on the cover to link to Amazon for the download. Be sure to check the price, since most freebies are just a short promotion.


Undercover Secrets
Undercover Secrets by Sally Berneathy @sallyberneathy
She's covering the story of the latest murder of a homeless man on the streets of Oklahoma City when she spots a derelict who looks anything but homeless. He's too alert, too well-muscled…too sexy. Who is this man and why is he pretending to be one of the street people? Can he be the murderer? 









Family Honor (A Cop In The Family)
Family Honor by Jamie Hill 
Bodies of dead women are piling up and Detective Melanie Curtis is doing everything she can to solve the ‘Cheerleader Slasher’ case. Surprised to discover her chief has requested help from the FBI, she’s even more shocked when she meets the sexy FBI special agent sent to assist her.











Agent in Training (Department of National Security)
Agent in Training  by Jerri Drennen @Jerri47
When a threat and two attempts on Shiloh's life are made, the company insists she have an agent by her side. She's forced to turn to the one man she thinks doesn't belong at the department. Now, not only is she in danger of losing her life, after a night in his arms, she's afraid of losing her heart. 









Lancelot's Lady


Lancelot's Lady by Cherish D'Angelo @cherylktardif 
A Bahamas holiday from dying billionaire JT Lance, a man with a dark secret, leads palliative nurse Rhianna McLeod to Jonathan, a man with his own troubled past, and Rhianna finds herself drawn to the handsome recluse, while unbeknownst to her, someone with a horrific plan is hunting her down.









Hide in Plain Sight
Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry
She couldn't turn her back on her family in their time of need. So when her sister was injured, financial expert Andrea Hampton traded the big city for Amish country to help turn her grandmother's house into an inn.
But life with the Plain People took a treacherous turn when a string of accidents and pranks threatened her family. Someone didn't want the secrets the old house harbored to come to light. Trusting anyone-- even the handsome carpenter who seemed so genuine--was a battle for Andrea, but her life depended on her ability to find the truth.


Danger Zone





Danger Zone by Mal Olson
Air Force pilot Katrice Kennedy is a woman with nerves of steel capable of flying an F22 at supersonic speeds. Ex-Delta Force operative Benjamin Thigpen is a Homeland Security specialist immersed in national safety issues twenty-four-seven. They're strangers when they board a 747 in Washington D.C. But are they destined to become kindred souls when they survive a rock 'n roll landing on an icy Milwaukee runway and chase a could-be terrorist into the Danger Zone?



Intimate Strangers



Intimate Strangers by Laura Taylor @AuthorLTaylor
He will fight to the death to protect the sanctuary he has created for himself and those from his past he has vowed to safeguard. Even as Hannah penetrates Nicholas’s isolation and melts the ice that encases his weary heart, she is seduced by the sensual, battle scarred veteran and the dark secrets of his past.





Surrender at Dawn





Surrender at Dawn by Laura Griffin @Laura_Griff 
Former Navy SEAL Jack Brenner knows he's in trouble the minute Charlotte Whiteside steps into a seedy Thai bar and asks him to help rescue her brother.







Deadly Obsession





Deadly Obsession by Patricia A. Rasey @patriciarasey
A killer is loose who has a taste for human blood. Cole presses harder into the investigation, but the body count climbs. He has personal reasons for detesting the press, so sparks fly when Laurie hounds him for a story. Fate forces them to join forces, neither one anticipating the attraction that ensues. But just as Cole thinks he is close to finding all the answers, both personal and professional, Laurie disappears. 




Deceive Her With Desire




Deceive her with Desire by Nina Pierce @NinaPierce 
Landscaper, Deirdre Tilling had no way of knowing that attending her friend's party would throw her into a dangerous world of corrupt businessmen and police stings. Of course her sexual romp with undercover DEA agent, Ayden Scott only pushes her deeper into the drug smuggling ring running up the Maine coast. As the heat rises between Deirdre and Ayden, one thing becomes painfully obvious...their relationship has jeopardized his mission and now someone wants them both dead. 



I like a little historical thrown in with my Rom Suspense. Don't you?
Behind the Mask (House of Lords)




Behind the Mask by Meg Brooke
Lord Colin Pierce has never been a very good agent, and his failures have gotten him relegated to a diplomatic post far from the action. Now he has one week to stop the assassination of Princess Victoria, and he has the perfect plan: travel to Sidney Park, where the plot is to be carried out, foil the assassination, and atone for his past mistakes.
But his plan is derailed by his unexpected attraction to Eleanor Chesney, the sister of Viscount Sidney, who has her own plans for the princess’s visit. Struggling to escape the consequences of her own past, Eleanor still cannot deny the passion she feels.

If you grab any of these books leave me a comment so we can compare notes. Oh, and tweet out some author love. Authors love that. :)

Enjoy.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Weekend Reads from @365FreeEbooks

I relish Fridays, because I know I'll get to do a bunch of reading over the weekend.
Here are my freebie picks. Even though I know I won't be able to read them all I can't help downloading each and every one of them.
There were about a katrillion of free romances today so I carefully picked through them to choose the best ones.
I totally judge a book by it's cover, so only the ones that catch my eye make it on the list. Kudos to you authors and your jacket cover designers.
Then I look at the descriptions. For me, it has to read like the back of a book I'd pick up at any ole brick and mortar. I hate it when the blurbs are arsty and vague. These books on the list today all tell me what the story is actually about (and it sounds frickin' interesting)
Finally I look at reviews. Now there are a few in here that caught my attention but have no reviews, but I'm still gonna read them. Somebody has to be the first to put up a review. Why not you or me?
Some of these are indie self-pubs, some are from established traditional publishers. See if you can figure out which is which.

Click on the book covers to link to amazon for the download.
Be sure to check the price before downloading as many promos only last a few days.
If you download any of these, drop me a comment. I can even send out some reader/author love via twitter. Or tweet it out yourself. If I could find a twitter name I've posted it with the author's name.

Paranormal Romance

Immortal Coil (A Dragon Spirit Novel, Book 1)
Immortal Coil by CI Black
Two souls. One Body. Sharing is not an option...

Terrible news has turned Anaea Salis's life upside down. There's nothing she can do to make it right and the stranger who stops to talk to her can't help. But when that stranger, Hunter, an ancient dragon spirit, is viciously attacked and forced to transfer his spirit into her body, Anaea's life takes a new terrifying twist. 

Hunter should have known by now not to get involved with human affairs, but there was something about the woman that drew him to her and he just couldn't help himself. Trapped in her body all he wants is to get out, except whoever is trying to kill him is now after her. 

Their only hope of survival... plunge into the deadly world of dragons. 

Sea SirenSea Siren by Consuelo Vazquez
Tino Suarez never believed in mermaids—that is, until he found himself up close and personal with one of those temptingly sexy, fish-tailed ladies of the sea. Even more amazing is that this fateful meeting has taken place on dry land, right there in the little Long Island fishing village the brooding sea captain calls home.

But if she truly is a mermaid, then this beautiful and saucy Latin siren is posing as a flesh-and-blood woman. Kiki Figueroa, co-owner of the new Puerto Rican restaurant in town, still believes in love, though she’s gone through a painful marriage that ended in divorce. She also believes there’s a passionate fire inside that seagoing Spaniard and that he’s the catch of a lifetime for any woman, human or mythical. The problem? Captain Suarez has also been deeply disappointed by love. So it’s going to take a legend as old as the sea to make him believe once again in this old-fashioned and sensuous romantic tale.

Originally published in 2000 by Kensington Publishing. 

Contemporary Romance
Hypnotic Seduction (The Seduction Series)
Hypnotic Seduction by LL Kellogg @Laurie_Kellogg
Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist

A red-hot ugly-duckling love story
She has a problem relaxing with men 
Frumpy wallflower Hannah Oliver is nearly thirty and has a serious self-image problem. Growing up in her centerfold mother's shadow and being raised by her pious grandparents has left her so self-conscious about her matronly, D-cup figure she gets tongue-tied around good-looking guys. So when Hannah discovers her fiancé/employer boinking her roommate, she's not only devastated--she's unemployed.

He's got a problem fending off women
Pharmaceutical CEO Jordan Calder has a huge image problem too--his professional image. Most guys would kill to be publicly proclaimed a world-class lover, but other men don't share his dark, shameful past. The only thing women have ever wanted Jordan for is what he can give them in and out of bed. So when his grandfather drags dowdy Hannah into his office as an executive assistant candidate, Jordan hires the mousey woman on the spot.

Could hypnosis be a solution?After miraculously landing her plum new position, sexually frustrated Hannah resorts to hypnosis to boost her self-confidence with men, hoping to attract another mate. Unfortunately, a post-hypnotic suggestion compels her to kiss her sexy playboy boss, who she then stupidly falls for in and out of bed. Despair induces her to use similar hypnotic principles on him--in the form of subliminal messages--to convince the man she loves that he wants a happy ever-after with her. But as everyone knows, desperate measures usually spell disaster. 


Betting Hearts: A Rancho Del Cielo Romance
Betting Hearts by Dee Tenorio @DeeTenorio 
He’s never lost a bet in his life but she’s playing for keeps!
A Rancho Del Cielo Romance
Cassandra Bishop’s boyfriend is back. Only problem is…she doesn’t want anything to do with him. Or his new fiancée. What the confirmed tomboy would like is to wring his neck. She might have done it, too, if he hadn’t filled her in on the embarrassing truth that he’d left her at the altar because she wasn’t woman enough to satisfy him. Her pride nearly settled for punching him in the nose…until she thought of something better—proving him wrong.
High on Burke Hallifax’s list of cataclysmic nightmares is having to look at his best friend as a real female. But when her ex-fiancé makes his wedding a personal vendetta against Cass, Burke has no choice but to bet everything on her ability to out hot-girl the competition. Unfortunately, the entire town is betting as well—on whether Burke and Cass can pull off the makeover of the century…without losing their hearts in the process. 

Erotic Romance
Scored
Scored by Lily Harlem @lily_harlem 
Okay, so I eat, sleep and breathe football and reporting the beautiful game is my dream career. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have time for a major crush on the England captain, Lewis Tate. The bloke is sex on legs, hot with a capital H. Add in his awe-inspiring talent, his brooding good looks and what’s not to lust after?

So my excitement is sky-high as I set off with the official press team to cover England’s battle for the European Cup. But when a series of unfortunate, or as it turns out fortunate events, attracts Tate’s attention my way, who am I to say no?

Add in a misogynistic manager, an over-zealous colleague, two blue silk ties and some incredible ball-handling skills and it becomes clear the road to victory, for me, will be an intensely erotic journey. Determined to savor every moment, I hang onto my sanity as best I can while living the fantasy and wondering if it can ever become reality. Because once Lewis Tate has taken me to heaven and back, its clear no one else will ever compare. 

Christian Romance
From a Distance (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 1)
From a Distance by Tamera Alexander @tameraalexander 
What happens when the realization of a dream isn't what you imagined... and the secret you've spent a lifetime guarding is finally laid bare?
Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life.
Daniel Ranslett, a former Confederate sharpshooter, is a man shackled by his past, and he'll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He's a man of his word, but repaying that debt could bring secrets from his past to light.
Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth's lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met . . . from a distance. 

Making Waves: A Novel (Lake Manawa Summers)


Making Waves by Lorna Seilstad @LornaSeilstad 
When spunky Marguerite Westing discovers that her family will summer at Lake Manawa in 1895, she couldn't be more thrilled. It is the perfect way to escape her agonizingly boring suitor, Roger Gordon. It's also where she stumbles upon two new loves: sailing, and sailing instructor Trip Andrews. But this summer of fun turns to turmoil as her father's gambling problems threaten to ruin the family forever. Will free-spirited Marguerite marry Roger to save her father's name and fortune? Or will she follow her heart--even if it means abandoning the family she loves? 


Historical Romance
Through a Glass Darkly
Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen @karleenkoen 
From Library JournalLondon caught up in the feverish excitement of the South Sea Bubble and Paris under the licentious influence of the Duc D'Orleans make a glittering background for Koen's first novel. Much of the plot young noblewoman in love with and married to charismatic older man enters society and is disillusionedand many of the characterswillful, innocent heroine; adored, autocratic grandmother; and loveable, reckless brotherare standard fare. Historic detail, though abundant and accurate, is often marred by didactic presentation. Still, there is action and intrigue enough to win a following who will demand this and further volumes in what is sure to become another sweeping saga. Cynthia Johnson Whealler, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.


A Lost Touch of Bliss: Book One in the Lost Touch Series
The Lost Tough of Bliss by Amy Tolnitch
Five years ago, Cain Veuxfort, Earl of Hawksdown, followed duty and broke Amice de Monceaux's heart. But now he needs her. Desperately. For Amice has a very special talent. She is a Spirit Goddess, able to help restless souls move on. And Cain has a very restless ghost he wishes fervently would leave his castle. Anxious to regain order in his chaotic life, Cain offers Amice the one thing he's sure she can't resist; an Italian villa on the sea in exchange for her unique services. Although Amice's wound is deep, and as fresh and painful as ever, she agrees to help her former lover. Life on the Italian coast will be the start of a new life for her. Perhaps then she will finally be able to put the past behind her as well as an importunate Highland lord who wants nothing less that her hand in marriage. But there is more going on at Castle Falcon's Craig than a simple haunting, and more than one tragic tale of unrequited love. Yet to set things right, for both the living and the dead, Cain must find the courage to shed his mask of indifference, Amice must move beyond her pain to forgive, and long dead, star-crossed lovers must lead them all on the path to a lost touch of bliss.


Romantic Suspense
The Watcher (The Bigler County Romantic Thriller Series)
The Watcher by Jo Robertson @jorobertson29 
Forensic psychiatrist Kate Myers believes the killer of two teenage girls in Bigler County, California, is the same man who savagely murdered her twin sister over fifteen years ago. Working with a single-minded tenacity, she sets out to prove it.

Deputy Sheriff Ben Slater hides his personal pain behind the job, but Kate's arrival in his county knocks his world on its axis. He wants to believe her wild theory, but the idea of a serial killer with the kind of pathology she proposes is too bizarre.

Together they work to find a killer whose roots began in a small town in Bigler County, but whose violence spread across the nation. A Janus-like killer, more monster than man, he fixates on Kate. The killer wants nothing more than to kill the "purple-eyed girl again."


Cancun Romance
Cancun Romance by Jeri Greene
Ami Parrish's parents have been in Cancun for a week, celebrating a romantic 25th wedding anniversity. Ami, her younger brother, and Ami's best girlfriend arrive in Cancun at the start of the second week to join their celebration and to celebrate Ami's college graduation.Ami spoke to her parents the night before flying to Cancun and everything is fine. Her parents are having a ball.

Upon arriving at their hotel Ami is horrified to find her parents have gone missing. She visits the American Consulate in Cancun to seek help and meets Celeb Carlin, a hot looking 29 year old Foreign Service Officer. As Ami searches for her parents she is torn by her totally unexpected budding Cancun romance with Celeb, the fate of her parents, and a new awareness of her own sexuality. 


Young Adult
Stirring Up Trouble

Stirring up Trouble by Juli Alexander @Juli_Alexander 
Zoe Miller is a 15-year-old witch with a talent for potions. She's working hard to find a substitute for toad slime. Since fat-free margarine has been found to be a substitute for dead man's toe, she's hopeful that she'll find one.
 

Then there's all the so-called normal stuff. Like high school, her annoyingly selfish "friend" Anya, and her crush on Anya's ex-boyfriend Jake.

Now, Zoe's dad is dating Jake's mom, and things are getting more and more complicated. If only Zoe could brew a potion or two and set everything straight. Zoe can't. If she brews a self-serving potion, bad things will happen to her appearance. Like a crooked nose, giant wart, green skin, rotting teeth--the whole ugly witch stereotype. 

Zoe's tired of fate interfering so cruelly in her life. Can you really blame her for putting her potions to not-so-good use and stirring up trouble?


Enjoy