Friday, January 30, 2015

Book Spotlight ~ My Kind of Crazy by Katie O'Sullivan @OkatieO



About the Book:

Kendall Roarke is betting everything on making her Harwichport Bed & Breakfast into the premier wedding destination on Cape Cod, despite her recent messy divorce.
Jonathan Reynolds moved back to the Cape to take over his uncle's business and start fresh after his own marriage ended. He's not looking for anything complicated - until he meets Kendall, with her big plans and wild mop of curls.
Throw an unruly foster puppy and an uptight new neighbor into the mix and things get a little crazy. Now Kendall has to decide if it's the kind of crazy that she can live with... for the rest of her life.



Excerpt from MY KIND OF CRAZY:

He reached out and gently wrapped his fingers around her arm, not letting her leave the front hall. “Kendall?”
Again with the major electrical sparks zinging through her! She was afraid to look him in the eye, afraid he’d be able to see it in her face, the devastating effect he had on her. They stood so close she felt the heat from his body radiating, warming the small space between them. His touch was fire on her bare skin. She finally raised her gaze to meet his eyes, luminous and deep. She felt like she might fall into those green pools and drown.
Breathe in, breathe out. She searched for words to answer the unasked questions in his eyes but none came to her.
“Kendall.” He whispered her name again as if it were the answer to some puzzle he was trying to solve.
Thoughts whirled through her head at lightning speed. Nothing about this made any kind of sense— especially not her attraction to a complete stranger. But there was no denying the electricity that ran through her body from his simplest touch.
“I’m not looking for a relationship right now.” Her low whisper matched his.
“What are you looking for?” He moved closer, his lips brushing her mouth, tasting of beer and salted peanuts. His warmth pulsed through her in shock waves, her traitorous body responding all too eagerly. He tasted so good, the salt sizzling on her tongue. The kiss shifted from soft and gentle to solid and deep. Arms slid around her, pulling her close, but she was too wrapped up in the kiss to protest. Why complain? He felt so good, the hard muscles of his arms and planed chest underneath that thin dress shirt, and another hardness evident, despite his proper dress pants.
Suddenly Kendall remembered that this was the same man who was fooling around with the married cougar of a librarian. She wanted to be outraged for the unwitting spouse, but all she could think was, Lucky librarian.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. Vaguely she registered the wall behind her, pressing hard against her back. His clever tongue tangled with her own, sending fresh waves of desire rippling through her.
Even as her body screamed Yes! she slid her hand between them, firmly pushing him backward and breaking the connection. “I can’t do this. I don’t want to get hurt again.” Her eyes searched his before she turned her head to look away. If she looked into those eyes for one more second she would forget all about saying no and let her body do whatever it wanted.

About the Author:
Katie O’Sullivan lives with her family and big dogs on Cape Cod, drinking way too much coffee and inventing new excuses not to dust. Living next to the Atlantic influences everything she writes, including her YA series about the mermaids who live near her beach. A recovering English major, she earned her degree at Colgate University and now writes romance and adventure for young adults, and something steamier for the young at heart.



Monday, January 26, 2015

The Witch's Kiss by Tricia Schneider ~ Now Available to Pre-Order!





 THE WITCH'S KISS

Now Available
to 
PRE-ORDER!










Marianne Grey is a ghost. But, she's not dead. Cursed by a necromancer, Marianne searches for the elusive spell needed to merge her spirit with her physical body. She's not alone in her search. Her neighbor and best friend, Sage Merriweather, has vowed to help her break the curse.

Sage suffers from his own demons. Literally. After surviving a horrific attack, a demon has bonded with him, mutating Sage's magic so he can only conjure fire. Until he can break the bond, he is a danger to everyone near him, including those he loves.

From the glittering ballrooms of London to eerily dark graveyards, Marianne and Sage battle forces of evil destined to claim their souls for eternity. Though their newfound love for each other may be the toughest battle of all.


Excerpt:

“Do you ever wonder why I never propositioned you?” Sage asked, the anger in his soul making him lash out. “I’ve been with many women. They call me the Merriweather Rake, did you know?” He laughed at the absurd moniker the ton had dubbed him. “Yet you are the only one I’ve never seduced.”

She flinched.

He thought the pain spreading across her face would make him feel just in his cause. He needed to push her away. From the look on her face, he succeeded. Instead of the satisfaction he thought it might bring, he felt only pain.

Pain from her sadness, her suffering.

“You are a good man, Sage,” she said with a slight tremor in her voice, the only sign she was affected by his cruel words.

“Do not fool yourself.”

She stood and walked away.

The lavender scent faded. Sage rubbed a hand over his eyes, trying to block the image of her sadness from his mind.

Had he done the right thing?

This curse confined Marianne to a select few. Essentially, she was forced to speak with him, spend time with him, even just for the pure sake of her sanity. What choice did she have when no one else could hear or see her?

Marianne was not to blame for the fact that Sage’s feelings regarding her were changing, that when he looked at her he saw not a child with gangly limbs, but a woman full-grown. One who had become a close friend. And that he desired their friendship to grow into something much more…intimate.

Was he a fool to punish her for his own misgivings?

Sage heaved a heavy sigh, then slapped the surface of the water since he had nothing else nearby to strike. The water sloshed over the rim.

Since the bathwater had cooled and any therapeutic effects it might once have owned vanished, he stepped out of the tub. After he dried and dressed, he went out in search of Marianne to make his apologies. He couldn’t push her away. Instead, he needed to restrain his own growing emotions. No need to burden her with any more troubles. Who else could she speak with other than him? Only Julia. He could not imagine the invisible prison she suffered. He’d not make it worse for her.

He wandered the hallways, searching each room until he found her.

Well, in a manner of speaking.

He thought to check the yellow room in the east wing, hoping she might have retreated there to lick any wounds he had inflicted.

Although her body was in the room, her spirit was nowhere to be found.

He approached the bed where they had neatly laid her body. To the untrained observer, Marianne could be sleeping. Her chest rose and fell, indicating she breathed still. A rosy color kept her cheeks pink with life. He reached out and took her limp hand in his, feeling the warmth of her skin.

She was no corpse. Merely sleeping. A deep, deep sleep. And she could not wake without her soul.


Other Information:
SubGenre(s): Regency, Gothic, Paranormal
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Imprint: Black Rose
Length: Rosebud
Rating: Spicy (PG13)
Page Count: 208
Word Count: 49640
Digital Price: $3.99
Print Price: $13.99
Release Date: February 18, 2015
ISBN Digital: 978-1-62830-751-1
ISBN Print: 978-1-62830-750-4
Series: Book 4 of The Merriweather Witches

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Stranger on the Floor...The Witch's Thief #8Sunday


Every Sunday the Weekend Writing Warriors post an 8-sentence excerpt from a published work or a work-in-progress for the enjoyment of readers.

This Sunday's excerpt comes from The Witch's Thief. Lady's companion, Julia Grey, has come into the hall of Merriweather Manor to investigate a crash she's just heard...


When she opened the door, the light from the candle and the fireplace illuminated the hall, revealing a sight that made her blink in confusion. A man lay on the floor, his face turned toward the wall. Had he fallen down the stairs? If so, he had taken quite a tumble since the foot of the stairs were several feet away. She saw the remnants of a hallway table scattered across the floor.



That explained the crash.



She took a step toward the man, thinking him a servant who had stumbled down the stairs in the dark, but stopped abruptly when she noticed the condition of his clothes. These were not the garments of a servant, nor anyone else who dwelled within Merriweather Manor this night.


The Witch's Thief - Book 3 of the Merriweather Witches
Paranormal Regency Romance

Blurb:


To save her sister’s life, Julia Grey seeks a spell hidden somewhere within Merriweather Manor. Her position as a lady's companion affords her the freedom to search the house. But time is running out. The necromancer she's bargained with is growing impatient. And an unexpected appearance of a man from her past makes matters worse in an already complicated situation.

Basil Merriweather returns to England after ten years abroad to discover his childhood sweetheart living in his home. But, he's no longer the carefree man of his youth and she's hiding something--deadly secrets Basil vows to uncover even as he hides a dark secret of his own.

While neither Basil nor Julia will trust in the other, their hearts speak a truer language.  In a grand attempt to save Julia's sister and Basil's life, the two must finally confess sinister truths. Will their admissions help or hinder any future they may have together? Or will the necromancer destroy all in a vile attempt at revenge.


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