Liberty States Create Something Magical Conference Speaker Interview Series: Jennifer L. Armentrout

I’m so excited to be returning to one of my favorite events this March: the Liberty States Fiction Writers Create Something Magical Conference in New Jersey. It’s a wonderful event that I enjoy each year and highly recommend attending. I am honored this year to be hosting an interview each week with the attending speakers! It begins today and will continue each week leading up to the conference. I hope you enjoy! ~Jillian

Today the Liberty States Create Something Magical Conference Speaker Interview Series continues with author Jennifer L. Armentrout:

What made you want to become a writer? How early in life did you start writing?
As cliché as it sounds, I’ve wanted to become a write ever since I could remember. I wrote my very first book during algebra class in the 9^th Which is one I had to take remedial math in college, so….

Is there one piece of advice you would give an aspiring writer?
Put your head down and write.

Who is on your bookshelf?
A lot of authors. I’m actually out of bookshelf space. I have a mix of YA authors, everyone from Wendy Higgins to Veronica Roth, Cassie Clare to Brigid Kemmerer and Sarah J. Maas. I have a lot of New Adult and Adult authors. Jamie McGuire, Jay Crownover, Cora Carmack, Larissa Ione, JR Ward., Lara Adrian, and so on, so forth.

Can you tell us about one of the most memorable moments in your writing career thus far?
It’s really hard to pick just one, but I guess the most memorable moment was getting my first contract. That was the start of all of this.

Tell us about your newest release/current work in progress.
Currently working on my new HarperCollins adult novel called Moonlight Sins. I am having so much fun with the characters. The brothers are so bad and so, so much fun.

Tell us a little about your workshop at the Create Something Magical Conference.

I will be discussing writing multiple books while working with multiple publishers with Laura Kaye and will also be doing a Q&A.

About the author:

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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Firestorm by Donna Grant….Blog Tour Stop with Excerpt

The wait is over! The highly anticipated FIRESTORM,

the tenth book in the DARK KINGS Series is now available!

Firestorm
(Dark Kings Series, Bk #10)
by Donna Grant

Blurb:

SCORCHED BY DESIRE

Dimitri lives to protect the secret of the Dragon Kings from the human race. Bound by a bond stronger than blood to the Kings, Dimitri uses his strength and prowess to defend a thousand-year-old secret. But when an oh-so-sexy, slightly absent-minded archaeologist wanders into his midst, Dimitri will have to give up his rules, and give in to desire…

When Dr. Faith Reynolds stumbles upon an ancient skeleton that appears it comes from a dragon, she’s completely taken aback. A woman of science, there’s no way in her mind that this mythological creature can exist. But when a devilishly handsome man named Dimitri intercepts her path to uncovering the truth, Faith’s curiosity turns into all-consuming passion. She’s never felt this way about any man before. But when Dimitri reveals his biggest secret, can she learn to love the man—as well as the dragon within?

Available for purchase at

AmazonKindleAudibleBarnes & NobleNookBooks A Million IndieBound

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Book Trailer

Excerpt

Dmitri still hadn’t decided about Faith Reynolds. Her dedication to her job was unquestioned. He wasn’t accepting her answer of just finding the cave, though.

To have chosen this cave above any others? This one, which happened to have a dragon skeleton inside?

While he’d walked the site after meeting Dr. Reynolds, he overheard conversations. Many of the volunteers didn’t believe it was a dragon. They suspected it was a new species of dinosaur. The few locals he saw milling about were curious, wondering how the new find would help tourism.

He spotted a few “crazies” as Tamir called them, watching from a distance, but no one got close. Though he was curious about the two men Tamir had encountered earlier.

The way Tamir had acted as he spoke about the incident made Dmitri wonder if word hadn’t somehow reached the Dark Fae.

Or Ulrik.

Once volunteers began leaving for the night, Dmitri found himself climbing back down to the cave. He’d expected to find Faith shutting things down for the day, but she continued to work.

He didn’t want to be intrigued by her, but he was. If only his fascination had to do with how she’d found the dragon. He would discover what had led her to the skeleton, but that wasn’t what kept his gaze locked on her.

It’s not what kept his body strung tight as a bow.

She was average height, but there was nothing typical about her looks. Much to his dismay. His tastes ran toward the Fae since he preferred to stay away from humans. Yet, there was no negating the fact that lust burned through his body from the first moment her sherry eyes locked with his.

There was a . . . simplicity about Faith that he appreciated. No makeup was needed to enhance her natural beauty. At first glance, she seemed almost ditzy since her mind ran a million miles a second, but her intelligence and zest for life were apparent with one look.

Her sandy blond hair hung straight and glossy to her shoulders and was parted to one side with long bangs that she swiped out of her eyes repeatedly. The locks tantalized him by exposing the slender column of her neck and the delicate skin behind her ear.

Unblemished fair skin beckoned him to touch, to caress.

To lick.

He clenched his teeth at the need that surged through him. When she turned, he watched the pulse at her throat and fought the longing to press his lips against it to feel the warmth of her body.

Her oval face held a look of innocence and excitement he hadn’t seen in a long time. While her high cheekbones and sensual mouth added to her beauty, it was her eyes that caught him. They looked at the world as if it were a large sandbox waiting to expose its treasures.

His palm still prickled from their brief touch earlier. The shock that had gone through him had been electric. The charge surged through him faster than lightning and left him reeling—and aching for more.

Unable to look away, he watched as she stood and then bent over at the waist. The sight of her firm ass high in the air had the blood rushing to his cock. No mortal had ever had such an effect on him before. It unsettled him—and angered him.

He forced his eyes away and turned his mind to more pressing matters. He’d been sent because of the skeleton, but there was something about Faith that didn’t seem to add up.

The most important question: how had she known where to look to find the bones?

Faith became so engrossed in her work that she didn’t hear others talking to her. Even when Tamir called her name, she was often too preoccupied with digging up the skeleton.

Dmitri had watched her for hours. In that time, he’d listened to her hum and watched her touch the bones with such reverence that it shook him.

Though he’d come to the cave to watch her, it gave him time with the skeleton, as well. By the size, he knew it was an adult. Which of his dragons had gotten left behind? They’d been his responsibility, and he’d failed.

The longer he stared, the more he felt the weight of regret. The world had been created for the dragons. It was their birthright, their home.

Yet they were no longer welcome.

And he feared nothing would ever change that.

The Dragon Kings who found mates with human females were lucky. Those mortals welcomed the dragons and the Kings. But most of the globe was made up of individuals who wanted nothing more than to destroy the Dragon Kings, imprison them, or run tests on them.

So he and the others remained hidden.

But the dragon inside him—the fierce, savage creature that he was—silently cried out for revenge. And his family.

A fan of audio books?

Great news! The audio book for FIRESTORM is also available on March 7, 2017.

Narrated by the awesome Antony Ferguson, you will fall deeper into the Dark Kings’ world.

Audio Book Clip

Audio Book Purchase Links

AudibleTantor

The Dark Kings Series

About The Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children and an assortment of animals in Texas.

You can find Donna at

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Presented By

The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George…Blog Tour Stop

THE CONFESSIONS OF YOUNG NERO

by Margaret George

Berkley Hardcover

On Sale: March 7, 2016

Price: $28.00

ISBN: 9780451473387

PLOT SYNOPSIS:

THE CONFESSIONS OF YOUNG NERO takes readers through the early life of Rome’s infamous Nero. Through the machinations of his mother, Agrippina the Younger, Nero became emperor at the age of sixteen, the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. But the road was a frightening one. The young boy, an intelligent, sensitive and watchful child, had a series of psychological shocks from an early age. His cruel uncle Caligula and his scheming cousin Messalina threatened his life, and his domineering and ambitious mother Agrippina married and poisoned two men en route to securing the throne for her son. Agrippina viewed Nero’s power as an extension of her own will. But once on the throne—like the teenage boy he was—Nero did not want to take orders from his mother. Soon the world was not big enough for the two of them. Thereafter he was remembered as a hedonist and tyrant who “fiddled” while his people burned. But the truth behind the caricature, revealed here, shows Nero to be instead a product of his mother’s relentless ambition, and the incest, violence, luxury, and intrigue that have gripped Rome’s seat of power for generations.

AUTHOR BIO:

Margaret George is the author of the bestselling Autobiography of Henry VIII; Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles; The Memoirs of Cleopatra; and Mary, Called Magdalene.

Firestorm by Donna Grant…Release Day Event

The wait is over! The highly anticipated FIRESTORM,

the tenth book in the DARK KINGS Series is now available!

Firestorm

(Dark Kings Series, Bk #10)

by Donna Grant

Blurb:

SCORCHED BY DESIRE

Available for purchase at

AmazonKindleAudibleBarnes & NobleNookBooks A Million IndieBound

iBooksKoboTantor

Book Trailer

Excerpt

Dmitri sat with his eyes closed, pretending to sleep as the plane bumped along. The turbulence was brutal and caused many of the other seven passengers to gasp and shriek during the flight.

The plane ride was only about thirty minutes, but to the young Scot sitting next to him mumbling prayers, it was a one-way trip that ended in death.

It was on the tip of Dmitri’s tongue to tell the man that he should’ve taken the ferry if he was so sure he would die in the plane, but he decided at the last minute to hold his tongue.

By the time the small aircraft landed, Dmitri seemed to be the only one who didn’t let out a relieved sigh. Then again, it was difficult to frighten an immortal.

He stepped off the plane with his leather bag in hand and glanced at the sky to give himself a moment to adjust to being on Fair Isle. The clouds were moving fast, the perfect cover for a dragon.

It would’ve been so much easier had he been able to fly here himself, but none of the Kings had flown during the day in . . . eons.

Ever since the video leak, Con had refused to even allow them their nightly flights on Dreagan. With the whole world’s eyes seemingly trained on their land, it was a smart move.

But the Kings were less than thrilled about it.

Dmitri opened the mental link shared by all dragons, but right before he told Con that he’d arrived, he remembered that he had to look and act human.

So, instead, he took out his mobile phone and shot Con a text. It was all he could do not to roll his eyes. Con’s reply was:

THAT WASN’T SO HARD, NOW WAS IT?

BITE ME, he returned.

Putting the phone away, Dmitri finally looked around. In that second, he felt the strong connection to the land that touched his very soul. There was a reason it had been several thousand years since he’d last set foot on Fair.

Despite the passing of time, the land still smelled the same. Sea, salt, and wind. He closed his eyes, and was immediately transported back in time to when the isle had been his home. His dominion.

Of all the Shetland Islands, his family had chosen Fair to rule their dragons.

The waters had been deep and plentiful, the cliffs high and steep. It had been a wonderful playground for a young dragon to learn and grow.

While he had many wonderful memories of his time on Fair, it was the horrific ones that ruined it all.

“I should’ve never come,” grumbled the young Scot as he walked past.

Dmitri opened his eyes and looked at the human. How very right he was. None of them should’ve come. But they had. Their arrival had changed everything.

The planet had been the dragons’, but now, the humans had claimed it. He felt like an outsider on the very world he’d been born on. Sadly, that wasn’t going to change anytime soon.

The Dark Kings Series

Audio Book Clip

Audio Book Purchase Links

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About The Author

You can find Donna at

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Presented By

The Deep End by Kristen Ashley….Blog Tour Stop & Review

✮✮✮ A delicious world of erotica, BDSM with alpha-subs and their Dommes, and a gripping love story…Welcome to The Bee’s Honey! The first book in New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley’s Honey Series, THE DEEP END is a seductive and rich lovestory. Order your copy today! ✮✮✮

Fall into THE DEEP END and order your copy today!

About THE DEEP END (Erotic Romance Releasing March 7, 2017):

Enter a decadent sensual world where gorgeous alpha males are committed to fulfilling a woman’s every desire…

Olivier isn’t sure what he’s gotten himself into when he joins the Honey Club, only that a dark part of him hungers for the lifestyle offered by this exclusive club. Here, no boundary will be left untested…and one’s deepest fantasies will become an exquisite reality.

When Amélie invites Olivier to surrender, she gives the alpha submissive what he craves. Soon they both find themselves falling harder than they ever anticipated—but as their connection deepens, the truth about Olivier’s past could destroy everything…

Gripping and seductive, The Deep End is the first book in a sensational new series from bestselling author Kristen Ashley.

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

GooglePlay | Kobo | IndieBound | BAM

My Review:

The Deep End is the newest work from author Kristen Ashley and is a step outside of the norm for this author….but it’s a step I simply adored. This story is totally delectable!

The reasons I adore Ms. Ashley’s writing are many. She never leaves anything out. Whether it be a feeling, a description, a moment shared between characters, every word is written on purpose and leaves the reader wanting for nothing. Nothing is rushed or tossed aside. The Deep End is a shining example of that…especially in dealing with the dynamic between the two main characters.

Now, I will say, if you are not into BDSM stories, this is not a book for you. The relationship in this book between Amelie and Olivier is a complex, emotional, intense, and beautifully complicated one. It explores the true and deep connection between a Dom and a sub but in a most interesting and unmainstream way. Olivier is an Alpha sub…I’m sure you can imagine the dichotomy involved in what that means. I, personally, loved that aspect. It brings another side to the table beyond what we have been reading within the genre and it was a breath of fresh air.

Beyond the wide range of emotions and intense moments shared in this D/s relationship, I simply loved the way this book was written. The prose was beautiful. Amélie and Olivier are multifaceted characters with so much dimension to them and I have no doubt they will stay with me for some time. It’s all wrapped up into an amazing package. Few authors have the gift I feel Kristen Ashley has. She pulls out so many feelings from me when I read her books and it’s truly an experience.

Thank you, Ms. Ashley, for a wonderful story. I will be looking forward to more!

Four-and-a-Half Loves

Kristen Ashley’s THE DEEP END – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

February 27^th

All Romance Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Crystals Book World – Excerpt

Foxy Blogs – Excerpt

Garden of REden – Review

Stacey is Sassy – Review

Steamy Reads – Review

February 28^th

Books,Dreams,Life – Excerpt

Marieke’s Books – Review & Excerpt

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If You Were Mine by Melanie Harlow…Review Blog Tour Stop

If You Were Mine, an all-new sexy and emotional standalone from USA Today Bestselling author Melanie Harlow is now available!

If You Were Mine

by Melanie Harlow

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Theo MacLeod wasn’t supposed to be the one.

Tall, dark and handsome suits me just fine, but the cocky grin, know-it-all attitude, and mammoth ego? No thanks. I only hired him so I wouldn’t have to sit at the singles table again. It was just pretend.

He wasn’t supposed to kiss me.

My heart wasn’t supposed to pound.

We weren’t supposed to spend the night together—the hottest night of my life.

One night turns into a snowed-in weekend away, and even the blizzard of the century can’t cool the fire between us. I can’t get enough—of his smile, of his body, of the way he makes me feel.

We’re nothing alike. He’s a daredevil, and I’m a nervous Nellie. He’s a drifter, and I want to put down roots. He’s an opportunist with a checkered past, and I’m a Girl Scout volunteer.

But none of it matters when I’m in his arms.

I know he’s made mistakes. I know his wounds are deep, and he doesn’t trust easily. I know he doesn’t believe he could ever be enough to make me happy, but he could.

All he has to do is stay.

My Review:

If You Were Mine is the newest release from author Melanie Harlow and, brace yourself, the first of this author’s work I’ve read. I KNOW! I know. I’m the worst! Clearly I’ve been missing out because, OMG, I loved this book so damn much!

From the very beginning of their story, I was hooked. I was dying to know more of Theo and Claire. I loved how fate put these two together and I loved how even though it was supposed to be a very temporary situation, it would turn into something so much more. Theo is a man of mystery in the beginning and as we get to learn more of him I was totally swooning. He’s a little bit of a bad boy and a lotta bit a caring guy. He may want to deny his soft side but Claire sees right through to the heart of him. I loved her for it. Claire is a gal who has been ridiculously unlucky in love but continues to be optimistic nonetheless. I loved who she already was as a person and also who she became by the end of this book. Together these two are smoking hot and just plain perfect together. Of course, they have more than a few bumps in the road but it made me love their journey even more.

This book was an effortless read in that the story just flowed so well and it was blissful to read. It was well written, beautifully developed, and had two dynamic characters. You can bet your bottom dollar I will be scooping up all of Ms. Harlow’s back list titles. I’m HOOKED!

Thank you, Ms. Harlow, for a fantastic read!

Five Loves

Excerpt:

A guy in a black leather jacket set a coffee cup down on the table and sat opposite me.

I looked over at him, feeling slightly awkward since I’d have to tell him he couldn’t sit there. He was handsome, with warm brown eyes and short dark hair, but he wasn’t Fred. “I’m sorry, I’m waiting for someone,” I said. “But I can move.”

To my surprise, he smiled confidently. “Claire, right? I’m Fred.”

I screwed up my face. “You can’t be. Fred has blond hair and blue eyes. I saw his picture.”

He laughed, almost condescendingly. “I don’t use my real picture, Claire. People are crazy.”

What? This made no sense. “I don’t understand. How can you advertise yourself with someone else’s photo? Don’t women get mad when you show up?”

He shrugged, his grin turning a little cocky. “Haven’t had any complaints so far.”

Actually, he was more attractive than the photo he’d used online—more rugged and masculine, with his scruffy jaw, big shoulders, and brawny chest. Meeting the real Fred was kind of like ordering the chicken piccata and being brought the Porterhouse, which hadn’t even been on the menu.

But that wasn’t the point.

(And I’d described someone completely different to Elyse.)

“So, what, you use a fake photo to lure potential clients and then you set up the coffee meeting to check them out first?” I asked indignantly.

“Wouldn’t you?” He shrugged out of his jacket. “It’s a scary world out there.”

I crossed my arms, sitting up tall. “No! That’s a scam. I don’t like scammers.”

“No, it isn’t. I don’t take any money from them. I don’t even talk to them, I just leave.”

Frowning, I said, “That doesn’t seem right to me. These people are willing to pay you to hang out with them and probably feel bad enough about themselves already, and you just walk out without even giving them a chance?”

He shrugged. “Look, if it makes you feel any better, I’ve only walked off a job once, and that was because I thought I recognized the woman. I prefer to keep my personal and professional identities separate. That’s fair, isn’t it?”

Professional identity? He was a rent-a-date! I shook my head in disbelief. “Is your name even Fred?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes,” I snapped. “How am I supposed to know what to call you?”

He grinned as he leaned toward me and lowered his voice. “Call me anything you want. You’re the boss.”

Was he flirting with me or making fun of me? I cleared my throat and pressed my knees tighter together. “I’d like to call you by your actual name, please. Bad enough I have to pay someone to play my fake boyfriend. I’d like something to be real, at least.”

He held his eyes steady on mine for a moment. I felt like he was sizing me up, trying to decide if he could trust me, so I stared right back without blinking. If anyone at this table was trustworthy, it was me.

“Theo,” he said quietly, his eyes dropping to my lips for the merest fraction of a second. “My name is Theo.”

There. Was that so hard? I smiled at him before picking up my latte.“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Theo.”

“What, you’re just going to believe me? You’re much too trusting, Claire. I bet people take advantage of you.”

I set the cup back down on the saucer with an angry clank. “Is your name Theo or not?”

“Shhh, it is, it is,” he said, laughing. Then he glanced over his shoulder like he was in the fucking CIA. “But I don’t give that out to just anyone. You should feel special.”

Read Today!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2kyu7kK

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/bgtL5b

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Nook: https://goo.gl/e16nAD

Add to Goodreads: https://goo.gl/zqceTQ

About the Author:

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieHarlow/?fref=ts

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NPkYKs

Twitter: @MelanieHarlow2

Website: http://www.melanieharlow.com

Cover Reveal…Ride Wild by Laura Kaye

From New York Times Bestselling author Laura Kaye, comes the next steamy standalone romantic suspense in her Raven Riders Series, RIDE WILD! Check out the amazing cover and a note from Laura below!

A Note from Laura Kaye:

Dear Readers,

I’m SO EXCITED to share the newest cover in my Raven Riders series, which is about a different kind of a motorcycle club with a protective mission! Ride Wild is about Sam “Slider” Evans, widowed dad to two little boys. From his very first mention in Hard As Steel, Slider has called to me to write his story – and now I’ll be doing just that! And I think this cover captures him SO WELL! So give it a look, and then be sure to check out Ride Rough too – Maverick’s book is coming April 25 AND if you pre-order, you’ll get a bonus story about Beckett Murda and Kat Rixey from the Hard Ink series having their baby!

So much good stuff coming your way!

Thanks for reading! Now enjoy this cover!

Laura

About Ride Wild (Raven Riders #3):

Brotherhood. Club. Family.
They live and ride by their own rules.
These are the Raven Riders…

Wild with grief over the death of his wife, Sam “Slider” Evans merely lives for his two sons. Nothing holds his interest anymore—not even riding his bike or his membership in the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. But that all changes when he hires a new babysitter.

Recently freed from a bad situation by the Ravens, Cora Campbell is determined to bury the past. When Slider offers her a nanny position, she accepts, needing the security and time to figure out what she wants from life. Cora adores his sweet boys, but never expected the red-hot attraction to their brooding, sexy father. If only he would notice her…

Slider does see the beautiful, fun-loving woman he invited into his home. She makes him feel too much, and he both hates it and yearns for it. But when Cora witnesses something she shouldn’t have, the new lives they’ve only just discovered are threatened. Now Slider must claim—and protect—what’s his before it’s too late.

Pre-Order at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Add to your Goodreads!

And don’t miss the first books in the Raven Riders Series!

HARD AS STEEL now available
RIDE HARD now available
RIDE ROUGH coming April 25^th, 2017

Get a Bonus Short Story **for Pre-Ordering Ride Rough, Coming 4/25/17!**

**Order a signed Ride Rough through the Virtual Signing!**

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirty book in contemporary and erotic romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink, Raven Riders, and Blasphemy series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Mastering Her Senses by Laura Kaye…Review Tour Stop

Decadent… Sensual… Forbidden…

12 Masters. 12 Desires. 12 Fantasies Come to Life.
Meet the Masters of Blasphemy…

About MASTERING HER SENSES (Blasphemy #2, 2/21/17):

12 Masters. Infinite fantasies. Welcome to Blasphemy…

He wants to dominate her senses—and her heart…

Quinton Ross has always been a thrill-seeker—so it’s no surprise that he’s drawn to extremes in the bedroom and at his BDSM club, Blasphemy, where he creates sense-depriving scenarios that blow submissives’ minds. Now if he could just find one who needs the rush as much as him…

When an accident leaves Cassia Locke with a paralyzing fear of the dark, she’ll try anything to get help. Ready to fight, she knows just who to ask for help—the hard-bodied, funny-as-hell Dom she’d always crushed on—and once stood up.

Quinton is shocked and a little leery to see Cassia, but he can’t pass up the chance to dominate the alluring little sub this time. Introducing her to sensory deprivation becomes his new favorite obsession, and watching her fight fear is its own thrill. But when doubt threatens to send her running again, Quinton must find a way to master her senses—and her heart.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Add to your Goodreads

My Review:

Mastering Her Senses by Laura Kaye is the second book in her Blasphemy series and while it spotlights the story of characters we have met previously in the series, it can 100% be read as a standalone. This entire series is phenomenal and gets better and better with each book!

Quinton and Cassia have a bit of a past. A past that is left unresolved and confusing to both of them. It’s this niggling past that makes their current situation even more uncomfortable. But no matter what has happened in their past, Master Quinton is determined to get to the bottom of things and is determined to make things right with Cassia. And that is where the magic begins…

Of course this book is BEYOND smoking hot. Of course I have adore Master Quinton since the beginning of this series. Of course I am dying to get to know more of the backstory between these two dynamic characters. Of course Ms. Kaye wrote the hell out of this book.

Here’s the thing…over time I have realized anyone can write a hot scene. But not everyone can bring the raw and intense emotion that comes along with a hot scene. It’s that raw and intense emotion that Ms. Kaye brings to Quinton and Cassia’s relationship that had me devouring this book. Cassia’s back story is INTENSE and no one could have handled it better than Quinton did. My goodness, how I loved these two together! I don’t want to ruin too much of their story for you so you will have to just trust me when I tell you to get this book (and this series) on your radar. You won’t be disappointed!

Thank you, Ms. Kaye, for another fantastic read!

Five Loves

Laura Kaye’s MASTERING HER SENSES – Review Tour Schedule:

February 27^th

A Wonderful World of Words

bad boys and bedtime stories book blog

Books According to Abby

Naughty Girls and Their Books

Reads All the Books

S3OC

The Book Hammock

we stole your book boyfriend

February 28^th

Abibliophobia Anonymous book Reviews

Bloggin’ With M.Brennan

East Coast book chicks

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Liberty States Create Something Magical Conference Speaker Interview Series: Kate McMurray

Today the Liberty States Create Something Magical Conference Speaker Interview Series continues with author Kate McMurray:

What made you want to become a writer? How early in life did you start writing?

I don’t remember when exactly I decided to be a writer, but my mom still has a bunch of cassette recordings of me babbling stories as a toddler. Apparently, I had very inventive tea parties. I also read prolifically, so I can see that being inspiration for wanting to tell my own stories. I hid notebooks under my bed when I was a kid where I scrawled stories, too. I wrote my first novel at seventeen—I’m sure it’s wretched—and took creative writing classes all through high school and college. I finally wrote a novel I thought was worthy of publication in 2009, and that became my first published book.

Is there one piece of advice you would give an aspiring writer?

Assume all things are possible, and be true to your story. Be willing to take risks and don’t assume your story doesn’t have an audience, because it definitely does.

Who is on your bookshelf?

Heh, this list would be endless. My tiny apartment has 6 bookcases, so we’d be here all day. I can tell you, fiction-wise, I read mostly romance and mainstream/literary fiction. (Favorites: Toni Morrison, Lousie Erdrich, Sarah MacLean, Tessa Dare, Kristan Higgins, among many, many others.) Nonfiction wise, I read a lot of history, and also about art and fashion.

Can you tell us about one of the most memorable moments in your writing career thus far?

I have two that sort of show both sides of the industry. First, I was at work when I got The Call that my first book was going to be published. I wanted to dance around the office, but I was also trying to keep my writing and work life separate, so I had to just sit at my desk and pretend no one could see me grinning. Second, at about the midpoint of my first RT convention, I had a moment when I looked around and took it all in and thought, “I want the rest of my life to be this.” I was surrounded by people who love books as much as I do, in an environment that celebrates the kind of writing I want to do. That moment really cemented for me that I wanted to write as a career, not just a hobby.

Tell us about your newest release/current work in progress.

My most recent release was There Has to Be a Reason, which is kind of a coming-of-age tale about a student at a big university in New England who meets a fellow student who changes his life. I’m also currently writing a book about an Olympic athlete who is also a recovering alcoholic.

Tell us a little about your workshop at the Create Something Magical Conference.

I’m teaching a workshop on revision that is based on my experience as an editor. Basically, I’ll teach how to take a big-picture approach to the revision process, fixing big problems—weak openings, plots that need tightening, plot holes, character issues, etc. The focus is on story instead of grammar and mechanics.

About Kate:

Kate McMurray has been writing stories since she could hold a pen. She picked up her first romance novel when she was thirteen and has loved the genre ever since. She started writing gay romance after reading a book and thinking there should be more love stories with gay characters. Her first published novel, In Hot Pursuit, came out in February 2010, and she’s been writing feverishly ever since. She likes stories that are brainy, funny, and of course sexy, with regular guy characters and urban sensibilities.

When she’s not writing, Kate works a nonfiction editor. She also reads a lot, plays the violin, knits and crochets, and drools over expensive handbags. She’s maybe a tiny bit obsessed with baseball. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with two bossy cats.

She is active in Romance Writers of America, having served as president of Rainbow Romance Writers, the LGBT romance chapter, and she is currently president of RWA NYC, the New York City chapter.

You can email her at kate (at) katemcmurray.com.

Heating It Up by Elizabeth Harmon…Exclusive Guest Post & Spotlight

HEATING IT UP

Download a new Red Hot Russians novella from RITA finalist Elizabeth Harmon!

In HEATING IT UP, a heart-warming novel of mistaken identity and forced proximity, widow Nora Bradford and Russian adventurer Alexei Zaikov must work together to save their small Antarctic town from being shut down—but will the truth about Nora’s role in Amity Bay’s demise, doom their romance?

Keep reading to get a sneak peek at HEATING IT UP!

Synopsis:

Red Hot Russian Alexei is king of the Ice…Antarctic style
Alexei Zaikov loves his life in remote Amity Bay, Antarctica, until a new luxury guesthouse threatens the small town’s future. As head of Amity Bay, he’s driven to save it, but first must discover who is hiding out in the supposedly deserted lodge…and why.

Nora Bradford has lost everything; a promising career and the man she loved. Glacier Ridge Lodge, the architectural masterpiece she designed but was denied credit for, seems like the perfect place to grieve her loss, until a ruggedly handsome Russian arrives on her doorstep, determined to bring her in from the cold.

Desire sparks, leaving them hungry for more. But will the truth about Nora’s role in Amity Bay’s demise, doom their romance?

Exclusive Guest Post:

Love On Ice

By Elizabeth Harmon

Readers love sports romance, and since Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ Chicago Stars series kicked off the subgenre in the early 2000s, we have sports romances about all the major ball-chasing sports (yes, I know how that sounds., 😉 ) and just about everything in between. MMA, pro wrestling, cycling?

There’s a book for that.

Figure skating…not so much. Which in my book, was a shame. One of my all-time favorite movies is The Cutting Edge, and during the Winter Olympics, I watch every figure skating competition I can. I know I’m not alone in this. So that inspired me to write a contemporary romance set in this beautiful, exceedingly difficult and often dangerous sport. And while books and movies about figure skating focus almost exclusively on female skaters, I also wanted my heroes to be figure skaters. The real kind, not hockey players recruited at the last minute. (Sorry, Cutting Edge!) Because Russia has more than its share of talented (and handsome) male figure skaters, and I think Russian accents are seriously sexy, the Red Hot Russians series was born.

But I also wanted to venture outside the rink, and put my red hot couples in a completely new setting. Since my books are stand alone stories with recurring characters they can be enjoyed in any order, so if a reader is interested in something not-so-sportsy, like say, a sexy reality TV show or an Antarctica adventure… well, there’s a book for that, too.

I’ve discovered some great series reads because one story’s trope was my personal cat-nip. Since my series is designed for readers to jump in wherever they like, here’s a trope-tastic run down of the Red Hot Russians series.

Pairing Off– Disgraced American pairs figure skater Carrie Parker moves to Moscow, to pair up with smokin’ hot Russian pairs champion Anton Belikov. Together, they set their sights on the Winter Olympics, in a partnership that tests their loyalty to family, country and each other. Tropes: friends to lovers, fish out of water, disguise, forbidden love, tortured heroine, workplace romance, marriage of convenience, athlete hero and heroine.

Turning It On– When shy book editor Hannah Levinson becomes a contestant on a sexy reality TV show, she discovers that the man she thought she loved isn’t what he seemed, and that the show’s villain, former ice dancer turned stripper Vladimir Shustov, could be the one to help her believe in love again. Tropes: wallflower/bad boy, opposites attract, sex worker with a heart of gold, friends to lovers, tortured hero, fish out of water, show business, workplace romance.

Getting It Back-Athletic trainer Amy Shepherd agrees to help her ex-boyfriend and former Olympic medalist figure skater Misha Zaikov return to competition after a catastrophic injury. Can she help Misha reach for his dream, even though a new injury could not only jeopardize his career and their future, but also his life? Tropes: athlete hero, second chance romance, redemption, tortured hero, workplace romance, protector.

Heating It Up: A Red Hot Russians Novella– Widowed American artist Nora Bradford and Russian adventurer Alexei Zaikov must work together to save their close-knit Antarctic community, from being shut down. But with the truth about Nora’s role in Amity Bay’s demise doom their romance? Tropes: small-town, fish out of water, workplace, stranded, disguise, friends to lovers, opposites attract.

Enjoy an excerpt from my new release!

Spread the news about HEATING IT UP with a GIVEAWAY!

Grand Prize: Three (3) Digital Book Bundles! Three winners will receive Pairing Off, Turning It On, and Getting It Back!

Direct link to enter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YjA1MGVmMjkwYTE2NWQzYWI3ODNiODExNGJiNGU0OjMzMA==/?
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Visit all participating blogs for more chances to WIN!

I Love Romance

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Exclusive sneak peek at HEATING IT UP!

The first thing she noticed was that yesterday’s sad vulnerability was gone. Now his ice-blue eyes were flinty and determined as he strode inside. She remained by the door, hand on the knob, ready to show him the way out. Yet she sensed that sending him away wasn’t going to be so easy this time.

“You’re too late,” he said.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Fifteen years ago some New Zealander became first woman to winter-over solo. Maybe you already know that. Or maybe you don’t care, because we both know that’s not the real reason you’re holed up in here.”

She winced. He knew she wasn’t being honest, but not to what extent. Burdened by guilt and too deflated for battle, she sighed and leaned against the door. “You’re right it isn’t.”

“Nora..,” the gentleness in his voice felt like a caress. “Staying here alone doesn’t hurt Herbert Quinn, it only hurts you. And it hurts me too.”

“How’s that?”

“Because to keep you secret, I have to lie, not just to IFAR, but to the people who work for me. People whose trust I don’t take lightly. Staying up here not only puts you in danger, but also them. This what your brilliant boss forgot. Down here, people survive because they depend on each other. If one of the systems failed in bad weather, or you had an accident, computers and Vancouver would be useless. Someone would have to put themselves at risk, and come to help.”

Most likely, that someone would be him. Even with blizz lines strung, making such a trip could be life-threatening. Fear tightened her throat as she considered how it would feel to mourn another man she cared about.

“I know you’ve lost much,” he said. “And while I know losing a fiancé is different, I understand the hurt of missing a person I loved dearly.”

“That woman who lied to you?” she demanded, shocked and angry.

“No,” he said. “Not Natalia. I’m talking about my mother. For a long time, I felt like she was the only person who understood me. But when I came here to Antarctica, I found others like me and a place to belong. In time, the pain was not so bad. Up here all alone, you don’t have that.”

“No,” she whispered.

“Ask yourself if this is what he’d want for you. I don’t think it is. I know that if I was gone… and the woman I loved was left behind, this isn’t what I’d want for her.”

Her fingers twitched on the doorknob, and she thought of ordering him out, but didn’t. In her heart, she knew he was right. Even if she weren’t drifting through darkened rooms in a ruined wedding gown, she was teetering dangerously close to Miss Havisham territory. In the process, she was putting others in danger. The weather was turning, and soon the months of darkness would come. It was time to decide where she would spend them.

Praise for the Red Hot Russians Series

Pairing Off: A 2016 RITA Award Finalist

Pairing Off: “Very Enjoyable Book by a knowledgeable author about my favorite sport”—Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Turning It On: 2015 Favorites—Nelle’s Nightstand

Getting It Back: “Truly Magical”—Top Pick-Harlequin Junkie

Getting It Back: 4 Stars—Romantic Times

Getting It Back: Heats Up the Ice—Library Journal

Other Books in the Red Hot Russians Series

PAIRING OFF (2016 RITA nominated Best First Book!)

Available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Google Books | Kobo

TURNING IT ON (Red Hot Russians #2)

Available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks

GETTING IT BACK (Red Hot Russians #3)

Available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Harmon loves to read and write romances with a dash of different.

A graduate of the University of Illinois, she has worked in advertising, community journalism and as a freelance magazine writer. She feels incredibly blessed to have a career that allows her to spend her days imagining “what if?” and a loving family that keeps her grounded in the real world. Her debut novel, Pairing Off is a 2016 RITA Award Finalist.

An adventurous cook, vintage home enthusiast, occasional actress, and entry-level figure skater, Elizabeth makes her home in the Midwest, where life is good, but the sports teams aren’t. She loves to hang out on her front porch, or at her favorite local establishments, enjoy good food and wine, and talk writing with anyone who will listen.

If You Were Mine by Melanie Harlow…Release Day Event

If You Were Mine, an all-new sexy and emotional standalone from USA Today Bestselling author Melanie Harlow is available now!

If You Were Mine

by Melanie Harlow

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Theo MacLeod wasn’t supposed to be the one.

He wasn’t supposed to kiss me.

My heart wasn’t supposed to pound.

We weren’t supposed to spend the night together—the hottest night of my life.

One night turns into a snowed-in weekend away, and even the blizzard of the century can’t cool the fire between us. I can’t get enough—of his smile, of his body, of the way he makes me feel.

We’re nothing alike. He’s a daredevil, and I’m a nervous Nellie. He’s a drifter, and I want to put down roots. He’s an opportunist with a checkered past, and I’m a Girl Scout volunteer.

But none of it matters when I’m in his arms.

I know he’s made mistakes. I know his wounds are deep, and he doesn’t trust easily. I know he doesn’t believe he could ever be enough to make me happy, but he could.

All he has to do is stay.