Monday, December 23, 2013

Romance and...Ghosts? SIDELINED AFTERLIFE is now available! #NewRelease #PNR

I'm sooooooo excited to announce that SIDELINED AFTERLIFE is now available! To help celebrate, I'm offering a Rafflecopter contest with some really cool prizes. Be sure to scroll down for a chance to win!

About Sidelined Afterlife
     Psychic and medium Veronica Matthews hates being able to communicate with the dead and the nearly departed.  What good is it if she can’t lead the police to the victims of violent crimes before they die? But when her neighbor comes to her for help, she’s torn—until she understands that the ghost haunting him is more dangerous than any she’s encountered….

After losing his wife in a tragic accident, ER doctor Hunter Anderson’s only solace is his work and a ghost is jeopardizing that. Turning to his neighbor seems like his only choice, but spending time with the passionate woman, and her sassy attitude, might do more than save his life…
 
She can’t risk her heart. He’s afraid to love and lose again. Can a ghost help these two souls to live again?

Excerpt:
   “I am an idiot. The biggest idiot ever. If you want me to pierce something for you, to prove I’m an idiot, I have some sterilized instruments upstairs in my apartment.”
   Her tongue poked against her cheek, signaling a laugh that wanted to erupt. Suddenly, he really wanted to be the one who could make her laugh. “Maybe I could do your lower lip?”
   Her short laugh erupted. A sweet, melodic sound that filled the small apartment.
   His gaze stayed on that full mouth and he lifted his fingers closer, compelled to touch her.      She stared at him with wide eyes as he traced the corner of her mouth lightly with his finger.
   “I’m a liar. I could never tarnish something as beautiful as this.”
Christ. What a line. Where had those words come from? But he meant it.
   Her breath was hot against his finger as he traced the line of her lower lip. Her gaze held his. His stomach growled again, breaking the spell, and she blinked and leaned against the sofa.
   “You know what? We never had dessert,” she said.
He had room for dessert. But not the food kind. He swallowed to quell his appetite for her. “Uh…how about I make an ice cream run? Then we’ll get to work.” Enough of this temptation. He needed to get away from her, from this pull she had on his body and emotions.

Sidelined Afterlife is now available:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

And now....the prizes!!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, December 8, 2013

BLACK MAGIC ROSE by Jordan K. Rose available now! #vampires #werewolves

Jordan K. Rose's newest book is available now. Vampires, werewolves...and romance! You'll want to check out this hot new story today.
 
 
Black Magic Rose
Is it possible to reduce the amount of workplace violence in an organization run by vampires and werewolves? Sofia Engle, the new Employee Relations Manager at Cader House Hospital is about to find out, and she may not like the answer, or the series of firsts she experiences: first human employee at Cader House, first day tardy, first kiss with a dead guy. Well, maybe kissing the dead guy wasn't the worst of it after all.

For nearly 600 years Dragomir Petrescu has fought for The Alliance. As one of the most skilled warriors the Alliance has ever seen he's killed a lot of people and won many difficult battles. But his newest human adversary is turning out to be a worthier opponent than any he's met. Just the scent of her disarms him, never mind her endless policies and silly ideals about civility.

Can he possibly keep her safe from Alliance enemies, hospital employees and himself? The term Employee Relations is about to have a whole new meaning.

Black Magic Rose purchase links:
 
Amazon
Kobo

Jordan's Bio:
Jordan loves vampires. But if you know anything about Jordan, you already knew that detail. What you didn’t know -- it wasn’t long ago that she began writing about them.
A few years back Jordan received a copy of Twilight from her husband as part of her anniversary gift. By the end of that week she’d read the entire series and moved onto Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Eight weeks and eighteen vampire books later the idea for her first book, Perpetual Light came to her followed very quickly by Eva Prim.
In October of 2013 The Demon Mistress, the first Eva Prim Novel became available along with four short stories. For continual updates on Eva please join the Snack Of The Week Club at www.evaprim.com.
Black Magic Rose, Book One in The Alliance Series is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Jordan is a member of the national Romance Writers of America organization and several chapters.
 
When she’s not writing about one vampire or another Jordan enjoys spending time with her husband, Ken and their lovable Labrador, Dino on the beautiful beaches of Southern Rhode Island. 
Find Jordan:
 
Find Jordan on her website and sign up for her newsletter at www.jordankrose.com. 
Follow her tweets on https://twitter.com/#!/jordankrose 
Follow her Pinterest boards at: http://pinterest.com/jordankrose/boards/
 

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Tinsel My Heart by Christi Barth is now available!! #NewRelease #Christmas #Carina

Are you ready to get into the Christmas spirit with a fun contemporary romance? Here's your chance! Christi Barth, who is well-known for her lovable characters and unique story telling style, brings us Jack and Becca...two people with a complicated history.
 How cool is this cover, right? And be sure to scroll down for an excerpt!


Becca Huntley’s produced the Lyndale Park Player’s over-the-top Christmas pageant for ten years. The beloved Minneapolis tradition is the theatre’s main fundraiser. But this year’s production is almost canceled when their director disappears into rehab at the last minute. Good thing his directing partner steps in to save the day. Except for the minor fact that he hates everything about Christmas.

Jack Whittaker wiped the Twin Cities off his shoe with his graduation tassel and never looked back. But duty compels him to fulfill Tyler’s promise to direct the show. Even though it means working side-by-side with Becca, the girl he always wanted, lost to Ty, but never forgot.

It’ll take more than a few handfuls of tinsel to soften Jack’s heart toward Becca’s favorite holiday. Steamy kisses that melt the snow right off his boots are a step in the right direction. They’ll both discover that Christmas is about making each other's dreams come true. But will doing so destroy their chance at a happily-ever-after together?



Bio: Christi Barth earned a Master’s degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage.  A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning.  Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance.  She is the award-winning author of the Aisle Bound series. Christi is President of the Maryland Romance Writers and lives in Maryland with her husband.

Excerpt:

She picked up the end of her braid and tickled his cheek. “Told ya.”

The silken hair set off a chain reaction in his body. Blood pounded south in great, galloping leaps and bounds to pool in his crotch. Jack hadn’t experienced an insta-hard-on like that in years. He quickly shifted the black script binder across his lap.

“You’ve changed, Becca.”

“Since high school? I would hope so.” Then her lips pursed. “Okay, you’ve piqued my curiosity. Exactly how have I changed?”

“You’ve grown from a pretty girl into a beautiful woman.”

“Oh.” Her pale cheeks turned the color of ripe strawberries. It made Jack wonder if her nipples were the same color. Or would turn that color after he used his lips on them. “Um, thank you. And let me just say that adding a few pounds of pure muscle didn’t hurt you any, either.”

Interesting. Might as well push a little harder, see what developed. “Here I thought you were going to comment on my righteously masculine goatee.”

As if lifted by marionette strings, her hand rose, scraped along the end-of-day stubble on his cheeks to trace the outline of the goatee. “It, ah, makes you look devilish.”

“Want to dance with the devil?”

“What?” Her gaze flew up to meet his as her hands dropped to her lap. “You want to dance?”

Super literal people made flirting much more difficult. Jack sighed. “Metaphorically.” When she still looked bewildered, he continued. “Forget it. Do you want to have dinner with me?”

She blinked, rapidly. Looked down at her hands twisting together. “That depends.”

It wasn’t a complicated question. Jack didn’t want her take on the crisis in Syria. Why would a simple dinner invite come with conditions? “On what?”

Becca looked over both shoulders, as if to check they were still alone. Or as alone as you could get in a three hundred-seat theatre full of people milling about from the lobby to the dressing rooms. “Are you just lonely, Jack? Because of Ty?”

“I’m a grown-ass man. I can eat by myself,” he growled.

“I know. I guess my real question is, do you want to have dinner with just anyone? Or do you want to have dinner with me?” She fluttered her hands up to cover her heart.

Now he got it. Well, he didn’t get why she had the crazy female insecurity, but at least he knew what she was driving at. “I want to have dinner with you. Only you. Not because we used to be good friends. Not even because we’ve slid pretty well back into those roles. And not just dinner.” Jack grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re a beautiful woman who heats me up every time you slide those cool lake eyes over me. With enough talent and know-how and passion for my business to make for interesting conversation. So what I want from you, Becca, is a date.”

To his utter surprise, she didn’t blush again. Or look away. Or for that matter, look flustered at all. Instead, she mimicked his pose, putting her hand to his mouth. Rubbed her soft thumb in a slow glide across his lower lip. Her eyes darkened from the clear blue of Lake Harriet in the summer to the darkness of a winter’s night.

“Well, why didn’t you say so? Of course I’ll go out with you.”

No matter how many he tried on for size, women never failed to confound him. Jack didn’t know what he’d said to peel off her timidity. Didn’t care, either. Just looked forward to an evening filled with more surprises from the woman he was discovering he liked even more than the girl he used to adore.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Stephanie Dray's DAUGHTERS OF THE NILE #HistoricalFiction #NewRelease

Daughters of the Nile slide


From critically acclaimed historical fantasy author, Stephanie Dray comes the long-awaited new tale based on the true story of Cleopatra's daughter.


After years of abuse as the emperor’s captive in Rome, Cleopatra Selene has found a safe harbor. No longer the pitiful orphaned daughter of the despised Egyptian Whore, the twenty year old is now the most powerful queen in the empire, ruling over the kingdom of Mauretania—an exotic land of enchanting possibility where she intends to revive her dynasty. With her husband, King Juba II and the magic of Isis that is her birthright, Selene brings prosperity and peace to a kingdom thirsty for both. But when Augustus Caesar jealously demands that Selene’s children be given over to him to be fostered in Rome, she’s drawn back into the web of imperial plots and intrigues that she vowed to leave behind. Determined and resourceful, Selene must shield her loved ones from the emperor’s wrath, all while vying with ruthless rivals like King Herod. Can she find a way to overcome the threat to her marriage, her kingdom, her family, and her faith? Or will she be the last of her line?


Read the Reviews


"A stirring story of a proud, beautiful, intelligent woman whom a 21st century reader can empathize with. Dray's crisp, lush prose brings Selene and her world to life." ~RT Book Reviews


"The boldest, and most brilliant story arc Dray has penned..." ~Modge Podge Reviews


"If you love historical fiction and magical realism, these books are for you." ~A Bookish Affair


Read an Excerpt


Below me, six black Egyptian cobras dance on their tails, swaying. I watch their scaled hoods spread wide like the uraeus on the crown of Egypt. Even from this height, I'm paralyzed by the sight of the asps, their forked tongues flickering out between deadly fangs. I don't notice that I'm gripping the balustrade until my knuckles have gone white, all my effort concentrated upon not swooning and falling to my death.


And I would swoon if I were not so filled with rage. Someone has arranged for this. Someone who knows what haunts me. Someone who wants to send me a message and make this occasion a moment of dread. My husband, the king must know it, for he calls down, "That's enough. We've seen enough of the snake charmer!"

There is commotion below, some upset at having displeased us. Then Chryssa hisses, "Who could think it a good idea to honor the daughter of Cleopatra by coaxing asps from baskets of figs?"


The story the world tells of my mother's suicide is that she cheated the emperor of his conquest by plunging her hand into a basket where a venomous serpent lay in wait. A legend only, some say, for the serpent was never found. But I was there. I brought her that basket. She was the one bitten but the poison lingers in my blood to this day. I can still remember the scent of figs in my nostrils, lush and sweet. The dark god Anubis was embroidered into the woven reeds of the basket, the weight of death heavy in my arms. I can still see my mother reach her hand into that basket, surrendering her life so that her children might go on without her. And I have gone on without her.


I have survived too much to be terrorized by the emperor's agents or whoever else is responsible for this.


If it is a message, a warning from my enemies, I have already allowed them too much of a victory by showing any reaction at all. So I adopt as serene a mask as possible. My daughter blinks her big blue eyes, seeing past my facade. "Are you frightened, Mother? They cannot bite us from there. The snakes are very far away."


I get my legs under me, bitterness on my tongue. "Oh, but they're never far enough away."

###


Daughters of the Nile cover




Available now in print and e-book!


Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Powells | IndieBound | Goodreads




Available now in print and e-book!


Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Powells | IndieBound | Goodreads





Stephanie Dray Headshot


STEPHANIE DRAY is a bestselling, multi-published, award-winning author of historical women’s fiction and fantasy set in the ancient world. Her critically acclaimed historical series about Cleopatra’s daughter has been translated into more than six different languages, was nominated for a RITA Award and won the Golden Leaf. Her focus on Ptolemaic Egypt and Augustan Age Rome has given her a unique perspective on the consequences of Egypt's ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion. Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian and has-to the consternation of her devoted husband-collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.