Sexy Saturday...(and Sunday) Book review: Red Club Temptation, by Marie Tuhart

This is a smokin' hot read for this weekend, and it's set in Lobster Cove. As with all of Marie's work, there's an emotional journey for the characters, and plenty of conflict.

Blurb:

She needs a dungeon master. He needs her secrets.  

Red Club owner Jessie Michaels isn't looking for love, just someone competent to monitor her dungeon in Lobster Cove's only BDSM club. But a new Dominant catches her eye and makes her tingle in all the right places. She's called away for business before she can catch his name, but not before that commanding voice tempts her for more.

Caleb Drake has returned to Lobster Cove to find out what makes the Red Club so successful only to discover the sexy redheaded sub he met the night before is actually his boss. He vows to keep business separate from pleasure, but the temptation to see if the iron-fisted club owner is truly submissive in the bedroom becomes too much.

But when Caleb's ulterior motive is revealed, will Jessie be ruled by business...or pleasure?

Excerpt:

Time to find out if she was a Domme or sub. This time when their gazes met and held, he mouthed the word “Obey.” Her gaze dropped. He sucked in a breath. Damn, she was a submissive. And just what he needed. He couldn’t help himself as he strode across the room.

Caleb stopped when he was within touching distance, and her gaze never rose from the floor.  Excitement stirred in his spine for the first time in a long time.

“Hello,” he said.

 "Good evening, Sir.” Her voice was soft but calm, eyes still downcast.

He cupped her chin and tilted her head up. “Look at me, sweetheart, I want to see your eyes.”

Hazel eyes to go with beautiful red hair. He loved looking into the eyes of his subs, unless of  course he had them blindfolded, and then he would 7 make them use other senses.

“Are you available?” He glanced at her wrist. No band. He’d been told anyone with a black band was off limits.

“Excuse me?” a male voice intruded.

Caleb’s gaze left her to see one of the dungeon masters standing next to them. “You’re needed in the other room, Red.”

Her spine stiffened, and she lifted her chin out of Caleb’s hold. “Thanks, Ryan. I’ll be right there.”

Ryan nodded and gave Caleb the once over 18 before disappearing into the private club area.

“Sorry, but I have to go.”

“I understand, but first.” He cupped her cheeks and brushed a kiss across her soft lips. She leaned into him when he released her mouth. “I’ll be here if you want to play later.” He released her and stepped back.

Her fingers touched her lips and then she smiled. “I might take you up on that.” Then she strode away hips swaying.

Red Club Temptation is available at:

The Wild Rose Press (ON SALE here for $2.00!)

Amazon

Kobo

ARe

About Marie Tuhart: Marie Tuhart can't remember a time when she didn't have a book in her hands. A voracious reader since childhood, she began writing at 19, and in 1994 decided to join RWA and get serious about publishing. When she isn't reading or writing, Marie loves to spend time in bookstores. A world traveler, she enjoys searching out corners of the globe she hasn't experienced yet. While still totally open to finding her own tall, dark and handsome, she is certainly enjoying the journey

Fun Facts: Marie has a key chain collection from all the places she's visited, both US and around the world.  Only two have been given to her.

Find Marie on the Web:

Facebook 

Goodreads

Twitter

Pinterest

Sexy Saturday (...and Sunday): Book review, Storm Force, by LJ Vickery

What better way to jazz up your weekend than with a sexy book? I thought I'd do Sexy Saturday...(and Sunday) posts when I have a fun book to recommend for you. I'll post them on Friday afternoon so you'll have them downloaded on your ebook reader in time for the weekend.

I loved this novella by LJ Vickery. I couldn't put it down. The heroine, Calla, is super competent. I loved being in her world, with her uniforms and her knowledge. The hero is very hot, and not above admitting when he's wrong, and then making up for it. There's a good splash of humor in the ending, too, and the book pulls you into and onto the east coast waters. The author wrote very convincingly about the Coast Guard and boating. Fast paced and action-packed, this is a fabulous read for the weekend.

You can get it at The Wild Rose Press by clicking here.

Storm Force is also on Amazon, Kobo, Nook, and iTunes.

Find LJ Vickery on the web at www.ljvickery.com.

New Release– End of Lonely Street by Alicia Dean – Plus an Awesome Giveaway

Today I am featuring the award winning author Alicia Dean.

I’m excited to share my latest release from The Wild Rose Press on what would have been Elvis’ eightieth birthday. ‘End of Lonely Street’ is a Vintage Romance Short Story set in 1957, in the era when Elvis first burst on the scene. Like my heroine in the story, I am a diehard Elvis fan. (As you probably figured out, I took the title from a line in Heartbreak Hotel, which was Elvis’ first million selling record).

Check out End of Lonely Street and enter to win GREAT prizes…

GIVEAWAY: - Entries accepted from January 8, 2015 through noon on January 22, 2015

Three prizes –

Elvis Gift Basket including DVD, CD, plus more

$25 Amazon Gift Card

$10 Amazon Gift Card

First place winner has first choice, second place winner has second choice, third place winner receives remaining prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blurb:

Can she let go of the past, before it destroys her future?

All Toby Lawson wanted was to go to college to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher and to be free of her alcoholic mother and the painful memories of finding her and the guy Toby loved kissing. But when her mother nearly burns the house down, Toby must put her dreams on hold and return home to care for her. The only time she isn’t lonely and miserable is when she’s listening to her heartthrob, Elvis Presley. His music takes her away, helps her escape from everything wrong in her life.

Noah Rivers has always loved Toby, but no matter what he says, and even though she knows her mother initiated the kiss, and that he didn’t kiss her back, she can‘t seem to get past what happened. He soon realizes that the true problem lies in Toby’s belief that she’s not good enough for him and in her fear that she will be just like her mother.

What will it take to prove to her that she deserves to be happy, and that he would give anything to be the man to make her dreams come true?

Amazon Buy Link: http://amzn.com/B00QQO3BK0

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Mapleton, Tennessee, November, 1957

Toby Lawson closed her eyes and shut out all sounds of the diner, except for Elvis Presley’s voice. He was crooning about how she was the only one for him…no matter where he went or what he did… he’d spend his whole life loving her…

Rough hands landed on her waist and shattered the fantasy. She caught a whiff of hair tonic and too much cologne, and she snapped her eyes open. Wes Markham’s hateful face replaced the image of Elvis’ beautiful, crooked smile and smoldering blue eyes.

“Let me go.” She gritted her teeth, keeping her voice low. If her boss, Mr. Winstead, knew there was trouble on account of her, he’d explode. He’d barely let her have the job in the first place. Everyone in Mapleton knew the Lawson women were trouble.

“Come on, honey. If you like that hip swivel, Presley ain’t the only one who’s got it. I got it too.” He released her with his left hand so he could run it over his slicked down hair and gave her a big-toothed, wolfish smile. “Only we’d be naked.” He shot a cocky grin over to his two companions—Chuck Stenson and Billy Garfield—who were leaning against the jukebox making kissing and whooping sounds.

Toby gripped his right wrist with one hand, tightening her hold on the utensils she held in the other. “I said let me go. Now!”

“Aw, be a sport, Green-Eyes.”

The bulge of his pelvis pressed into her abdomen, and she gasped in shock. Nausea tightened in her esophagus. “Wes Markham, I’m warning you…”

She shoved against him, but he didn’t budge.

He pulled her tighter. “Your momma’s a whole lot friendlier than you are. They say the apple don’t fall far from the tree, so how’s about you cut the pretense and we go someplace quiet? Winstead won’t miss you for a few minutes.”

Her cheeks heated. She didn’t dare look around. No doubt the customers were watching, listening. Elvis had stopped singing and everyone in the place could hear what he’d said about her mother. It wasn’t like they didn’t all know, though. Constance Lawson hadn’t exactly kept her escapades a secret.

Toby clenched her teeth and brandished the utensils. She spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. “Release me this instant, or I swear, you’ll be pulling this steak knife out of your eyeball.”

He held her gaze for a split second, then gave a laugh that was somewhere between nervous and furious. “Sure, sure. Okay.” He released her and stepped back. “I was just foolin’ around anyway. I got better things to do with my time than waste it on a used up chick like you.”

Muffled laughter rose around her. Oh God, she could crawl into a hole.

“How about you apologize to the lady, then beat it?”

Toby whirled at the male voice. Noah Rivers stood behind her, looking handsome and sharp in his police uniform—even with his dark hair in the military buzz cut. Her knees weakened, and tingles swept over her skin. She swallowed against the sudden dryness in her throat. She’d heard he was back, but hadn’t seen him until now. And what a time to have a reunion.

*** 10% of all of Alicia Dean’s net royalties for End of Lonely Street will go to

The Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation (http://www.elvis.com/about-epe/giving.aspx) ***

Bio:

Alicia Dean lives in Edmond, Oklahoma. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals.

Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she usually works in a mention of one or all three into her stories) and watching her favorite televisions shows like Vampire Diaries, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Haven, The Mindy Project, and Dexter (even though it has sadly ended, she will forever be a fan). Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Sharon Sala, Jordan Dane, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.

Find Alicia here:

Website: http://aliciadean.com/

Blog: http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008364070487

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/aliciamdean/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean

Happy Christmas, at least the cat thinks so!

Tome Tender: The Winner of Nicci Carrera's LOVE CATERS ALL Giveaway ...

Tome Tender: The Winner of Nicci Carrera's LOVE CATERS ALL Giveaway ...

Tim Ferguson and the role of comedy in the entertainment arts

In my last post I talked a little bit about what comedy means to me, and several of you chimed in with your shared thoughts. I was amazed and pleased to discover that others enjoy the same comedies that I do and for much the same reasons. Well, it's not surprising that you liked the same comedies; after all, they were popular for a reason. I guess the thing that surprised me is how the topic struck a common chord. (Speaking of Chords, stay tuned because my next post is going to be about a wonderful romantic comedy from RoseAnn DeFranco, called The Right Chord.)

Back to the little vein of interest I've struck here talking about comedy. Maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised. As I was writing the last post, the topic reminded me of an amazing lecture I recently watched about why comedy is so important. Today I would like to share this amazing Ted Talk with you, featuring Tim Ferguson, an Australian comedian and an author whose book on writing comedy is the top prize at the free writing contest posted at the end of this post.

And here is the writing contest, open to poetry, prose, and prose poetry entries. Word count is just 500 words. If you win any of the top three places, you will win one of three very good books and gain publication on the Poetry Sans Frontieres website.

http://poetrysansfrontieres.weebly.com/contest-page.html

Give the contest a try, and good luck!

Nicci

What Romance and comedy mean to me, plus Christmas pictures!

People who don't read Romance sometimes have some misconceptions about the genre. I don't know exactly what to say to them because I don't want to be disrespectful, but what I want to say is, people who don't read Romance really don't understand how vast the genre is (or how hard it is to write (ahem)). To me, Romance novels are about life. Sometimes they are also about fantasy. Sometimes science fiction. Sometimes about police officers, FBI agents, Navy SEALS, or cowboys. But they are always about people doing the hard work to overcome baggage and make a life. Making a meaningful life requires building and sustaining relationships with people. Romance stories examine this very human activity, always fresh because, as with life, the people and circumstances are always at least a little bit different.

My favorite kind of Romance to write at the moment leans toward the light side. With Love Caters All and with its sequel (currently in progress), I am aiming for that banter of classic romantic comedies, the ones my mom introduced to me. I love that back and forth, particularly when the strong and highly verbal woman is keeping the sweet guy off-balance. (Philadelphia Story and His Girl Friday, for example.)

Maybe my preference in writing these tales has to do with remembering all the nice times I had later in life when my mom and I watched shorter comedies. She had a lot of memory loss, and in the end the very best things to watch were comedies like Golden Girls. She had all the seasons on DVD and we'd watch them all the way through and then start over. Golden Girls had great writing, and the best thing for my mom was that the comedy was of the one-liner variety. The humor didn't rely on a long sustained comic set up. Getting that kind of joke requires memory. I would say that the writers, directors, actors and everyone else who made that show made a huge contribution to our lives. They gave us many hours of shared enjoyment.

Mom also liked Friends, but not Seinfeld. When I started watching those re-runs with her, I realized that while I liked Seinfeld a lot, the show did rely on very long comedic plots. The punch line was often at the end of the show. But Friends had physical comedy, goofy stuff, very in-the-moment kinds of humor. There was a sweetness to the character ensemble, and the actors and actresses were pretty. I loved seeing my mom laughing and enjoying that show. I gained a whole new appreciation for the artistry of Friends.

What kinds of books, TV shows or movies do you like?