August 22, 2015 by Tina Williams

BLOG TOUR ~ Bad Uncle, by Gillian Felix (includes guest post, giveaway and excerpt)

Follow the tour here: http://familyportrait.plaintalkbm.com/current-tours/

**Synopsis for Bad Uncle (standalone)**

Who needs enemies when you’ve got family

The stars are aligned in Adriana’s favor, but secrets have a way of exposing themselves just when everything is perfect. As Adriana and Haze’s relationship heads south, Carys is ready to pounce. Will Adriana’s lies drive the man she loves into the arms of another?

Meanwhile Zax is finally with his dream girl, but why can’t he get his best friend’s girl out of his mind? When she turns to him for advice on how to be a better girlfriend, can he put his selfish desires aside, or will he follow his siblings and take what he wants despite the consequences?

When Kevin’s lifestyle puts innocent L’Wren in danger, his retaliation brings his

ruthless uncle back to Los Angeles and into the lives of his family. In Bad Uncle you’ll get to know the man who has the power to change the legacy of the Banovic family forever.

Suitable for adults 18+

Purchase Link Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011H6ZPS2

The soundtrack for Bad Uncle

One of the most fun parts of finishing a novel is compiling the soundtrack. I only started compiling soundtracks for my novels after Bastard’s Brew (Family Portrait Book 3). Actually a reader gave me that idea. She enjoyed the books so much that she compiled her own ‘hit list’ as she called it. They were the songs that resonated with her as she read the scenes. I loved it! Since the Family Portrait series is character and plot driven it made sense. The books are written like a television series with story arcs merging characters and plots.

Here is my soundtrack for Bad Uncle (Family Portrait Book 5) and an explanation of why I chose them to accompany the scene.

Little Do You Know by Alex & Sierra

Haze and Adriana are so much in love with each other they make themselves crazy. For Adriana it was love at first sight when she first saw him at a photo shoot. Their relationship went through all sorts of trials and twists but they made it. Cut to Bad Uncle (Book 5), Haze discovers that Adriana has a secret that could land him in jail or worse. Because of this secret coming to light he has to break up with her and it is killing them both.

Little do you know I … Love you till the sun dies.

Never Stop – SafetySuit

This is a power Ballard for the millennium!

Kevin knows he doesn’t deserve a woman like L’Wren. L’Wren is innocent, sweet and she had no idea how bad Kevin really is. In Bad Uncle his business dealings puts her in serious danger. Can he keep her safe and still get revenge against his enemies?

I will never stop losing my breath, every time I see you looking back at me.

Nirvana – Sam Smith

Kristin has a lot to live up to, her father has set very high standards for her, so naturally she wants to rebel. She does so with her boyfriend’s best friend who is the biggest player in Westwood Academy. Kristin and Frankie give into temptation in a big way. The scene with them is by far the HOTTEST sex scene I’ve ever written. Because of this scene I have to give the book a Mature Audience rating.

Oh baby oh baby we both know the truth, if it were the real me and you this wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

I’m in love with a boy – Kaya Stewart

So now we’re back to Adriana and Haze. This song is so bad-ass reminds me of Adriana, this would totally be a song on her playlist. Adriana is sneaking around with Haze and to keep him safe and protect her secret she has to keep their relationship on the DL.

I’m in love with a boy but I’ll never say his name…

Almost Lover – Jasmine Thompson

Haze broke up with Adriana the love of his life but he is having a hard time moving on. He keeps looking at her pictures, texts and paintings of her. He is devastated because he’d had such high hopes for their future together. From the beginning he knew that she had the power to rip his heart out.

I should have known you’d bring me heartache, almost lovers always do.

I See Fire – Jasmine Thompson

Zax realizes he has feelings for songster Leighann when he sees her performing this song around the campfire. Despite Leighann being an international singing sensation, Zax had never really paid attention to her music up until this moment.

Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran

Adriana and Haze has a wonderful moment together, in this moment he knew he wanted her in his life forever. For the first time he lets her know about the plans he has for their future. He is timid because he doesn’t know if that would appeal to her. He’s fully prepared for her to shoot him down.

Baby your smile’s forever in my mind and memory.

Who are you when I’m not looking – Blake Shelton

Haze know that Adriana is hiding something but he can’t figure it out. They’re on a date and her mind is far, he tries to find out what’s bothering her but she deflects.

My oh my you’re so good looking, who are you when I’m not looking.

Leave Your Lover – Sam Smith

Zax is falling for his best friend’s girl; he is in a losing battle with his heart and his loyalty. When he found out that they spent the night together, he pretends like it’s no big deal. He reflects on the time that she had a crush on him but he ignored her. Now it is too late.

Leave your lover, leave him for me.

Breakeven – Script

After Adriana and Haze breaks up she goes to his house and gets there in time to see her nemesis Carys leaving Haze’s house. Carys is partially responsible for their breakup but Adriana doesn’t know that … Yet.

Hope you get a chance to read Bad Uncle. In the meantime check out the playlist I’ve created just for you:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX56O0AfCAblC-x12LS46vHqEGjSndg3e

Excerpt

Haze sat in his car outside of the high school that Adriana attended. He was early and classes were still in session. It made sense to him why she didn’t want to tell her parents about them. He’d also sensed that she was hiding something, and now he knew. All those months she’d played him for a fool. She made him fall in love with her. What kind of sick game was she playing?

He went over their times together and wondered if she had been honest with him but he heard what he wanted. Was he so desperate that he imagined that she was older than she really was? The bell rang and the girls came out in their uniforms. He saw them scatter off in different directions; then he spotted Adriana. She was in uniform, her raven hair was in a single long braid down to her waist, and her blue eyes shone as she talked and laughed with one of the girls. Haze looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. She looked fifteen; why didn’t he see it before?

Her smile disappeared when she spotted his Toyota Rav4.

“Haze.” She looked in through the passenger window.

“Get in. Your dad sent me to pick you up,” Haze said icily without looking at her.

Adriana got in and sat quietly. She placed her books on her lap and buckled her seatbelt. Haze drove off without saying a word.

The tension in the air was so thick that Adriana felt that she couldn’t breathe.

“My love, I can explain,” Adriana said quietly.

“Don’t call me that.” Haze gritted his teeth. “Don’t EVER call me that!”

“I’m sorry, Haze.” Adriana felt her heart ripping out of her chest. She had never seen him so angry.

“You lied to me, Adriana! For months you fucked with my feelings for your own personal enjoyment.”

“I love you,” she cried.

“Shut up! You don’t know what love is! I fucking loved you, Adriana!” A tear rolled down his cheek. “I wanted a life with you! I wanted a future with you!” He slammed his fist on the steering wheel.

Adriana saw his knuckles turn white as he gripped the steering wheel.

“Did you laugh at me? Did you tell your little friends what you were doing to me? Did you tell them that I almost fucked you?”

“Don’t say it like that! You make it sound dirty!” Adriana wept openly.

“I’m a pervert or pedophile.” More tears rolled down Haze’s cheeks.

“I lied because I love you, and I was afraid that if you knew the truth, you’d leave me.”

“Yeah? Well, I guess you’re right about something.”

“Haze, please.”

“I don’t ever want to see you again, Adriana. When you get home, tell your parents I quit. Tell them why I quit; tell them YOU BROKE ME.” Haze pulled up to the curb in front of the gates of the manor.

“Haze, this can’t be over. Please, Haze, please try to understand,” Adriana pleaded. She tried to touch him, but he flinched.

“Get out.”

“I can’t, I don’t want this to be over. You have to believe that I love you. I love you more than anything.”

“GET OUT, Adriana!” he shouted.

“NO! I’m not leaving. I don’t care who knows.”

Haze got out of his car and started walking down the street. Adriana got out and ran after him.

“I love you, Haze, please!” she cried and Haze turned away.

She stepped in front of him and forced him to look at her. “I know you love me. I know what we have is real.”

“It was all a lie.”

She held on to him. “No, baby, it wasn’t. I promise I’ll be good. I’ll tell you everything. I’ll never keep anything from you. I promise.”

Haze pried her away from him. “I have to go.” He walked back to his car and Adriana watched him drive away. She sank to the sidewalk and sobbed.

Get introduced to the characters in Changes Book 1 FREE on Amazon and everywhere digital books are sold in the US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EADYMCA.

If you are located internationally and would like to review email me for a digital copy at gillianfelix23 AT Gmail.com. Books 3 to 5 can be read as standalones.

Books in the series:

For information on other novels in the series on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00EAUDZM6 or

Family Portrait Media site – http://familyportrait.plaintalkbm.com/

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

People are talking about the series

These characters will forge a place in your heart and mind as they fall into three categories, the good, the bad and the ones who must straddle the line with great care. – Dii Bylo, Tome Tender Book Reviewer

The endless drama is still here and I can’t seem to get enough of it. The plot gets even more complicated and every characters receives even more depth and complexity. Jola, Book reviewer

I absolutely loved this story written at a very high standard very talented one not to be overlooked. Highly recommend 5 mind blowing stars! My playlist for this book would be The Killers – Direct Hits 2013. – Nikki, Book reviewer

Changes gets an overall rating of 9 on 10 for the excellent storytelling, smart characterization and interesting plot. The story is good enough to be made into a TV series. – Ondrilla De, Book reviewer

Author Bio

Gillian Felix was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. She grew up watching prime-time soap operas by Aaron Spelling with her mother. That’s where her obsession with rich, powerful and devious characters were born. After repeatedly seeing Mr. Spelling’s name on the screen night after night, Gillian knew she wanted to be an Aaron Spelling, before she knew that Aaron Spelling was actually a person.

Gillian have been involved in the entertainment industry for over ten years. She is an entrepreneur and advocate for women and children’s rights. She enjoys hiking and volunteering.

Let’s get social

Newsletter: http://goo.gl/forms/p7cSQo5sVG

Media site: http://familyportrait.plaintalkbm.com/

Website: http://www.plaintalkbm.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gillianfx

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7210783.Gillian Felix |

Bad Uncle on Goodreads

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyPortraitNovels

August 22, 2015 by Tina Williams

BLITZ & BLOG TOUR – Fourth Debt (Indebted #5), by Pepper Winters (includes excerpt)

Adult/18+ Read

I am SO pleased that Pepper Winters has released this latest instalment of the Indebted series! The events in the previous book just about killed me and I am aching to know what happens next and whether the seemingly impossible can happen! Scroll down to find out more and read an excerpt. For readers who love dark romance and who are as yet unacquainted with this series (is there anybody out there??? Seriously?), remember that Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) is FREE. Tina ❤

More Jethro & Nila? Yes Please!

Fourth Debt is LIVE!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Dl6Lji

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1hsAj8p

Nook: http://bit.ly/1J5pDUA

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1BjoFUA

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zoFkFL

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1PgTgWZ

Blurb

Fifth Book in the New York Times Bestselling Series.

“We’d won. We’d cut through the lies and treachery and promised an alliance that would free us both. But even as we won, we lost. We didn’t see what was coming. We didn’t know we had to plan a resurrection.”

Nila Weaver fell in love. She gifted her entire soul to a man she believed was worthy. And in the process, she destroyed herself. Three debts paid, the fourth only days away. The Debt Inheritance has almost claimed another victim.

Jethro Hawk fell in love. He let down his walls to a woman he believed was his cure. For a moment, he was free. But then he paid the ultimate price.

There is no more love. Only war. Hope is dead. Now, there is only death all around them.

**Only suitable for Dark Romance lovers.

Full length book. Six in series. Fourth Debt is 85,000 words.

FUNNY HOW LIFE plays practical jokes.

The past few days—that had to be a fucking joke, right?

No logical answer would make sense of what I’d seen, heard, and lived the past seventy-two hours.

My sister.

My best friend and twin.

This was what she’d been living with? This was how she’d been treated?

This was what she wanted to return to?

Motherfucking why? Why would she ever want to return to this insanity?

We’d been raised in a broken home, chained to an empire that absorbed us right from birth. But we were kept safe, warm, and loved. We grew up together. We shared everything.

But now…I had no fucking clue who my sister was.

But then she came to me.

A woman I never knew existed.

The most stunning creature I’d ever seen.

Only she didn’t come to me on feet or wings of an angel. She rolled into my life and demanded my help.

And for better or for worse…

I helped her.

“LET ME GO!”

Daniel cackled like a mad hyena, his fingers stabbing into my bicep. Without breaking his stride, he stole me further away from the parlour and into the bowels of the house.

I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to go anywhere with him.

“Take me back!”

He can’t be dead!

Just because he lay unmoving and bloody didn’t mean he was gone.

That’s exactly what it means.

I shook my head, dislodging those awful thoughts. He’s alive. He had to be.

I couldn’t tolerate any other answer. I refused to live in a world where evil triumphed over good. That wasn’t right—life couldn’t be that cruel.

It’s always been that way.

My mind filled with images of my mother. My father’s desolation. My broken childhood. Evil had puppeteered us from day one. Why should now be any different?

He’s not dead!

I swallowed a sob.

Please don’t be dead…

I fought harder. “Let me see him. You can’t do this!”

Daniel cackled louder. “Keep begging, Weaver. Won’t do you any good.”

He’s not dead!

I locked my knees, fighting him every step. “Stop!” Looking back the way we’d come, the door to the parlour seemed so far away—a bright beacon at the end of a festering corridor. “They were your brothers, you insane psychopath. Don’t you feel anything?!”

Please let me go to him. He has to be alive…

Please let my twin stay alive…

Let all of this be a nightmare!

I couldn’t cope with Jethro murdered; I’d go clinically insane if they killed V, too.

“I feel relief. I no longer have to put up with their simpering bullshit.” He flashed his teeth. “Cut did us all a favour.”

Cut will die.

He was evil incarnate. He deserved to die in excruciatingly painful ways.

I refuse to believe they’re dead.

“I said stop!” I wriggled harder, only succeeding in Daniel’s fingers tearing into my flesh. Goosebumps covered my skin while ice steadily froze my veins. Every second was endless torture. I couldn’t live without Jethro.

It can’t end like this!

“You won’t win, Weaver.” Daniel tugged harder. “Accept what’s fucking happened and obey me.”

Series Reading Order

Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) FREE

Amazon: http://amzn.to/17UZImo

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1BjoFUA

Nook: http://bit.ly/1Cl8rau

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zoFkFL

First Debt (Indebted #2)

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

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1sMEyQo

Nook: http://bit.ly/10PcYWi

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1qmB3d7

Second Debt (Indebted #3)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1aOEW95

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z

Nook: http://bit.ly/1yqRa2R

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1xgCSvb

Third Debt (Indebted #4)

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

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z

Nook: http://bit.ly/1DZctL0

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1xgCSvb

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1BRsIGR

Fourth Debt (Indebted #5)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Dl6Lji

Nook: http://bit.ly/1J5pDUA

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1BjoFUA

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zoFkFL

About the Author:

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Her Dark Erotica books include:

Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1)

Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)

Her Grey Romance books include:

Destroyed

August 21, 2015 by Tina Williams

Raven Pirate Assassin Spy, by Landra Graf

Raven Pirate Assassin Spy

The Final Stop

First off, thanks to areadersreviewblog (Tina and Caroline) for hosting me today. It’s been a whirlwind of a tour with lots of excerpts, fun facts, and talking about myself and my story. The great news is readers can buy a copy at any ebook retailer as of today. If you do purchase a copy, please drop me a line and let me know what you think. Feedback is the one true validation for a writer.

As for the actually blog topic let’s talk plot and inspiration. The plot in a sentence is: Sorella, a raised assassin and air ship captain, is searching for her brother who acted as her ransom to a mercenary gang called The Cursed.

The plot was mainly inspired by the Grimm Fairytale, The Seven Ravens. But the story is also inspired by my love of Steampunk and alternate history/realities. I wanted to touch on something I hadn’t read yet. A time period not often in the NYT Bestsellers romance books. So the 1930’s popped into my head. A serious time between the two world wars that involved a lot of pain and sorrow. It saw the beginnings of German renewed dominance, and a country in the throes of a Great Depression. The only problem, I didn’t want to write about the Great Depression. I wanted things to be different.

In Sorella’s world Germany has won World War One and the United States has closed their borders. This is a world where the U.S. never got involved and Britain survived the insanity by seceding to Germany’s domination of the main European continent. This opened a world of possibilities for me, and I had a lot of fun playing with the details.

My question to readers: What are your favorite time periods to read about? If there was alteration to history you could make in a book what would it be?

Book Blurb:

Once Upon A Time… Sorella Corvino lost her brother to The Cursed years ago. Sorella is so determined to find him, she’ll make any deal, rescue the outcasts and those like him, and risk flying into any port to rescue him. When her latest pirate efforts partner her with a bounty hunter who’s too charming, sexy, and handsome for his own good, she knows she’s in trouble.

Ian Marshall no longer believes in fairy tales… Disowned and a marked criminal in the United States, this merchant turned bounty hunter, is one bounty away from freedom; and freedom’s price is handing over one person to the most cutthroat gang in the world, The Cursed. Yet, he can’t get to them without Sorella’s help. Too bad she’s gorgeous, aggravating, and a little trigger happy.

As the attraction mounts, the danger grows and the pair find themselves invading a skin trader den, the ballrooms of dictator-ruled Germany, and fighting battles in the sky in the hopes of getting everything they want. Only thing they didn’t plan on… falling in love.

About the Author:

Landra Graf consumes at least one book a day, and has always been a sucker for stories where true love conquers all. She believes in the power of the written word, and the joy such words can bring. In between spending time with her family and having book adventures, she writes romance with the goal of giving everyone, fictional or not, their own happily ever after.

You can find Landra at: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Website, Silken Sheets & Seduction, or Newsletter

Giveaway

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Link to Tour Schedule

August 18, 2015 by Tina Williams

BLOG TOUR – Starry Knight, by Nina Mason (includes excerpt, trailer and giveaway)

Today, we are featuring Starry Knight by Nina Mason, the author of The Queen of Swords and Devil in Duke’s Clothing, among other books. Starry Knight is Ms. Mason’s fifth novel and the first in a new erotic paranormal/urban fantasy series titled The Knights of Avalon. The series–which combines paranormal and occult elements with Celtic and Arthurian legend–tells the story of four “knights” under the spell of the evil faery queen Morgan Le Fay.

Buy it now!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PEOIYZ0

Can these star-crossed lovers bridge two worlds?

British aristocrat Vanessa Bentley has beauty, fame, and fortune, but she gets no respect for her decision to become a paranormal investigator. Determined to prove the naysayers wrong, Vanessa ventures to the misty moors of Caithness, Scotland. There stands the immense Castle Barrogill, where a vampire is rumored to be stalking the dungeons—a vampire Vanessa is determined to find. She’ll just have to get past the resident shape-shifter…

Callum Lyon is the gorgeous reclusive astrologer and faery knight who guards the castle. For free-spirited Vanessa, seducing him proves to be easy. After all, he was once a breeding drone to a Queen. But astrologically, their differences are harder to overcome. Will Vanessa’s mission—and Callum’s secrets—be more than their burgeoning love can take? Or will flesh—and blood—win over the ghosts that haunt them both? ….

Here’s where you can find the trailer on Youtube:

Here’s an excerpt:

In this scene, the hero, a centuries-old faery knight whose life has been devoid of romance, is doing his best to woo Lady Vanessa, a free-spirited “poor little rich girl” and paranormal investigator who, unbeknownst to him, is using sex to gain access to his castle. He’s spent the day showing her around Caithness and, in the midst of a sunset stroll on the beach, has suggested they take shelter from the wind in a nearby cave.

Callum got to his feet, took Vanessa’s hand, and pulled her across the dunes toward the cliffs. She couldn’t see the entrance to the cave until he swept back a curtain of vines. She followed him through the narrow entrance, holding tightly to his hand. The interior was cool, dark, and smelled a bit fishy, but not offensively so.

Stepping in front of her, he put a hand on her chin and lifted her gaze to his. The spark between them was palpable and she longed for him to kiss her. She licked her lips invitingly, hoping he’d take the hint.

“You’re very bonny, mo dearbadan-de,” he said softly, seductively, as he brushed back a wayward strand of her hair.

“What did you just call me?”

“My butterfly,” he said, “in Gaelic.”

She put her arms around his neck and offered him her mouth. He accepted, nibbling and flicking his tongue against her lips. She pulled the band from his ponytail, freeing his windblown mane. As it tumbled around his shoulders, she wove her fingers among its silky strands, pressing his mouth harder against hers.

When he offered his tongue, she greeted it with her own. He moaned—a deep, needful sound that dumped accelerant on her desire. She thrust her hips against him, finding him as aroused as she was. He pushed back, grinding against her as he walked her backward toward the wall of the cave. As her back met rough rock, warm fingers came under her blouse, climbed her ribs, and pushed under her bra. As he teased her nipples, something deep in her core turned all soft and molten.

She was air, he fire, and right now, she wanted his light and heat, wanted him to consume her in a crackling blaze.

He broke out of the kiss, moved his mouth to her ear, and nibbled the lobe. She grew weak in the knees as his tongue traced the sensitive inner folds.

“Why do you run away from love, mo dearbadan-de?” he whispered huskily. “Do you see it as a trap?”

“More a fraud than a trap.”

“And sex isn’t?”

“With sex, you know what you’re getting.”

“And when it’s over, you’ve got nothing.”

“How is love different?”

“I don’t know,” he said, “having never felt it.”

“We’re alike in that,” she said, “but from what I’ve observed, it’s a mirage people only chase because they feel incomplete within themselves.”

Taking her face between his hands, he trained her in his riveting gaze. “Do you truly believe that?”

“Yes.”

He let her go, turned his back, and stepped away. For the longest time, he stood there, just out of reach, saying nothing. Then, as suddenly as he’d turned his back, he rounded on her with eyes like yellow coals. “Tell me, Madame Butterfly. Who made you feel so unlovable?”

The question impaled her like a red-hot spike. Damn him for asking it, for digging so deep, for skewering her with his probe. She suddenly felt ridiculous, like some poor little rich girl. She’d been born into wealth and privilege. What right did she have to be unhappy? So what if her parents didn’t love her or she had no true friends.

Boo-fucking-hoo. Get over yourself.

What right did she have to wallow in self-pity when children were starving, people were dying of Ebola, and the planet was being raped on a daily basis? She deserved no compassion, despite the searing wound she did her best to ignore.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said in a voice that sounded faint and faraway under the blood-thunder in her ears.

“No? Then why have you closed your heart?”

Defiance bubbled in her heart like hot tar. Damn him for trying to get past the battlements she’d spent years erecting hurt by hurt and brick by brick. If anything, she should build her walls higher where this bedeviling baron was concerned, not let him wear them down like rain.

“Did you bring me in here to psychoanalyze me?”

“No,” he whispered, the heat of his breath caressing, soothing. His hand glided purposefully down her body and pushed between her legs. As he stimulated her through her knickers, she threw back her head and expelled a soft sigh—of pleasure and relief. A rapacious lover, she was equal to. A probing one, not so much.

As he stroked her through the satin crotch of her knickers, desire fluttered in her abdomen like an injured bird. He’d struck too close to home. She’d didn’t feel loveable because she’d never felt loved. Not for one single, solitary moment of her entire privileged life. She’d had a chain of nannies who believed children should be seen but not heard before being packed off to boarding school where she was treated with equal detachment. Her parents, in short, had hired others to raise her—no, make that train her. In their eyes, she was a hunk of clay to be molded, not a human being to be nurtured. How disappointed they must have been when they got an outspoken nonconformist in place of the pretty marionette they’d paid for.

Callum’s finger came inside her knickers and began to circle her clitoris, smothering her bitterness in the syrup of pleasure. The orgasm charged and retreated, charged and retreated, and then finally exploded in a heavenly cascade.

Setting his hands on the wall on either side of her head, he docked his forehead against hers and said, “I’d rather chase the mirage than die alone without hope in the desert.”

Here’s a little more about the series from the author:

The Knights of Avalon, the four-part erotic PNR/UF series Starry Knight launches, was born of a simple idea: to write a series incorporating different forms of divination. From that kernel grew the far more complex world of the series. The “knights” of Avalon, the enchanted otherworld isle featured in Arthurian and Celtic legend, were Scottish noblemen who, after falling in battle, were taken by the fairies to serve as breeding drones to their queen. Each of the four books in the series tells the story of a particular knight and the heroine whose love saves him from his unhappy existence.

Each knight grapples with a different relationship with Morgan Le Fay, the cruel and selfish queen of Avalon. Callum Lyon, the hero of Starry Knight (book one), is free of Morgan’s influence, having escaped enslavement after faking his own death. Leith MacQuill, the hero of Dark and Stormy Knight (book two), was expelled from Avalon after the queen discovered his amour with one of her scouts. In book three, which I’ve yet to write, Axel Lochlann, a rune-casting Scot of Viking descent, guards the portal between Hitherworld (our realm) and Thitherworld (the otherworldly realm). The fourth knight, Finn MacKnight, doesn’t know what he is or that he’s destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy telling of the queen’s overthrow by a “natural-born” drone. Because of this prophecy, Morgan kills all the male children she bears and punishes the knights who father them

Avalonian knights are vampire-like, but not vampires per se. Members of the Unseelie Fae, they drink blood and can assume the form of any creature they choose, but generally take the form of a particular animal to hunt. Callum’s preferred form is a lion, Leith’s is a Kellas Cat, Axel’s is a gyrfalcon, and Finn’s is a jaguar.

Astrology is the new-age element featured in Starry Knight (hence the name). Callum, the court astrologer to King James IV, fell in battle in 1513, after warning the king the stars did not favor the invasion of England. Ignoring Callum’s advice proved costly to the king and his astrologer.

In modern times, Callum lives in the northernmost county of Scotland as a reclusive political astrologer. The heroine, a free-spirited English aristocrat named Vanessa Bentley, comes to Caithness with the goal of getting inside Barrogill Castle. She’s just finished her training as a paranormal investigator and the London paparazzi have been giving her a hard time. Legend has it a vampire lives at Callum’s castle, so she decides to seduce the gorgeous, golden-haired baron to gain entry to his otherwise inaccessible abode. Needless to say, both get a lot more than hot sex (but also plenty of that!) from the bargain they strike.

Tarot cards, voodoo, ghosts, and the more traditional form of vampire also play roles in the plot. I hope readers enjoy Starry Knight and the rest of the series as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

Here’s a little more about the author:

Nina Mason is a hopeful romantic with strong affinities for history, mythology, and the metaphysical. She strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten. She has four books out at present and three more on the way. Her current releases are, in order of publication: The Queen of Swords, a darkly erotic Scottish paranormal romance/urban fantasy; The Tin Man, a political thriller; and Devil in Duke’s Clothing and The Duke’s Bedeviled Bride, the first two installments in an erotic historical series titled Royal Pains. Book three of Royal Pains will be released in October. Starry Knight is the first book in a four-part paranormal romance series titled The Knights of Avalon. The series combines Arthurian legend, Celtic mythology, and Scottish history to tell the story of four mortals taken by the faeries after falling in battle. The Knights of Avalon are the breeding drones of the legendary sorceress Morgan Le Fay. Book Two, Dark and Stormy Knight, will be released in January 2016. The series is being published by Lyrical/Kensington.

Here are Ms. Mason’s social-media links:

Author website: http://ninamasonauthor.com

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ninamasonromance

Twitter handle: @NinaMasonAuthor

Goodreads page: http://goodreads.com/ninamasonauthor

Blog: http://ninamasonromance.blogspot.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ninamason165

YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/ninamasonauthor

Here’s the link to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a signed copy of STARRY KNIGHT and other great prizes:

A Rafflecopter giveaway

August 9, 2015 by Tina Williams

REVIEW ~ Prisoner, by Skye Warren & Annika Martin

Dark Erotic Romance

Deliciously Dark and Dangerous

***** TOP READ!

Blurb

He seethes with raw power the first time I see him—pure menace and rippling muscles in shackles. He’s dangerous. He’s wild. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. So I hide behind my prim glasses and my book like I always do, because I have secrets too. Then he shows up in the prison writing class I have to teach, and he blows me away with his honesty. He tells me secrets in his stories, and it’s getting harder to hide mine. I shiver when he gets too close, with only the cuffs and the bars and the guards holding him back. At night I can’t stop thinking about him in his cell.But that’s the thing about an animal in a cage—you never know when he’ll bite. He might use you to escape. He might even pull you into a forest and hold a hand over your mouth so you can’t call for the cops. He might make you come so hard, you can’t think.And you might crave him more than your next breath.

Prisoner is Book One of the Criminals & Captives series.

Buy Links: Amazon UK, Amazon US

My Review

Grayson, Grayson, Grayson – OMG what a fantastic bad boy hero you are! Prisoner, a collaboration between Skye Warren and Annika Martin is without doubt one hell of an awesome read, which pulled me in from the first page. My heart beat with mounting excitement as the tale unravelled and I could not put it down until I knew how it ended.

The chemistry between Aby and Grayson was instantaneous like a lightning bolt and I adored the raw power and dominance he extended over her even when he is a prisoner and she is the teacher in charge of him in the English class. When Aby becomes the prisoner I just loved Grayson’s need to dominate and protect her and his growing desire to make her his, even though her continuing existence jeopardises his overriding mission in life. The way Grayson slowly strips away all Aby’s armour and defences until she succumbs and confides her own dark past to him, while she slowly pieces together his own makes for a compulsive and consuming love story.

The depth of the characterisations in this novel are excellent. There is certainly a great deal more to both Aby and Grayson than what we first see on the surface. Aby appears shy and nerdy but underneath is so strong and resourceful, coping with all that he and other characters we are introduced to throw at her during her captivity. My heart bled at what made Grayson into the violent man he is. For me, the line between hero and anti-hero soon blurred, as I found myself rooting for him and a future with Aby. I adored the fact that two people who seem so opposite complement each other so well and have the potential to change each other’s lives for the better.

There are some disturbing scenes in the book, including references to child abuse and violence, gore and dubious consent. It is very fast paced and also contains some deliciously dark and steamy lovemaking, which both authors excel in.

I really enjoyed the collaboration between these two authors and am chomping at the bit to read any other books planned in this series where I hope to read about other characters featured in this novel.

I recommend this book to fellow addicts of dark romances!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

August 7, 2015 by Tina Williams

REVIEW ~ Her Master’s Courtesan by Lily White

Dark Erotica

Adult/18+ Read

This read contains scenes of violence, including sexual violence, rape and torture.

Blurb

I am a Master.

You must know this fact to understand my story.

I capture women.

I break them down.

And I rebuild them.

If they are lucky, they are sold into the professional hands of another Master. If they are less fortunate, they are buried beneath the ground, never to be thought of again.

I lust for the control, I demand absolute submission and my body yearns to warp the minds of those I train.

Power is the only thing I’ll ever need and I am addicted to the feeling of ultimate control.

I am wealthy, good-looking, educated and charming.

And I am – in no way – a good man.

I do not want love.
I do not want kindness.

She thought she could change me by giving me the two things I knew I never wanted.

She was wrong.

Dark and Disturbingly Addictive

My review

OMG! What on Earth have I just read? I know I like dark reads but this is about as dark as they come and yet somehow deliciously so. After downloading this book I thought I’d just read the first few pages to give myself a taste of it, but by then I was hooked, gorging myself on it, after tumbling into a chasm of depravity created by Ms White! Before you decide to read more of this review or download this book, please note that this is NOT A ROMANCE.

Aiden, the ‘Master’ of the title is most definitely an anti-hero. Let me make no bones about it he is a killer, an abductor of women, who likes to control and destroy his captives, creating the perfect submissive/courtesan from the ashes. He has no guilt or compassion for his victims, even though he knows that what he is doing is very, very wrong. Nevertheless he does it anyway, putting his dark needs and the needs of the debauched society he belongs to above such petty concerns.

As to Rebecca, the young woman he abducts, I don’t know how she survives all that Aiden and others throw at her in this read. She is so, so strong and although she has no choice but to morph into the role Aiden wants her to play she strives to maintain some sense of self. Her captor however, has NO redeeming qualities and yet in a twisted way, given the reality of Rebecca’s new life, I can see why she comes to desire him. Aiden plays her like a violin, setting out to break her and mould her into the perfect slave, a commodity to sell on. I so desperately wanted her to survive but at what cost? This unforgettable piece of dark erotica has so many twists and turns in it and many moments when I could just not believe the actions of the characters and their motivations.

There is a great deal of psychological and physical torture in this novel and if you find such scenes disturbing then this read is not for you. However, if you like to delve into the dark depths of the psyche and explore the relationship between a Master at the top of his dark game and a woman who he tries to break then you are likely to love this read as much as I did! But beware this is not a tale of redemption and there are no hearts and flowers.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Buy Links

Smashwords

Author Links

https://www.facebook.com/authorlilywhite

August 1, 2015 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ Bloodlust Denied, by Christina Phillips

Erotic Historical Paranormal Romance

Adult/18+ read

Tired of the thin-blooded aristocrats in 1815 London, Alexius yearns for better sport. He is drawn to a dark-haired seductress who shows no fear and refuses to obey his commands. Entranced by such novelty, he denies his bloodlust and decides to keep her to warm his bed.

Immortal vampire hunter Morana has never mistaken her prey before, but the dark stranger mesmerizes her, enticing her to forget everything but the dangerous pleasure she finds in his arms.

Neither one can deny the pull of the other, but there is something beyond the lust—a recognition neither can put a name to. The past and present collide and unless they discover the truth behind the lies, Death will triumph once more.

My Review

FIVE STARS! TOP READ!

A stunning tale of a love that transcends time

Christina Phillips writes such sinfully seductive romances and she has excelled herself in an erotic paranormal romance, Bloodlust Denied, set in Regency London. This exquisitely erotic tale is an original take on the vampire myth. In it the vampire slayer Morana meets the ancient and powerful vampire. Alexius. This plot has a twist however, for Morana, who has never before failed to recognise and annihilate her prey, believes him to be human, a mere mortal who she is attracted to unlike no other. Alexius too becomes equally entranced and for once is able to set his bloodlust aside to quench his growing obsession for this mysterious woman.

The novel is full of smoking hot scenes, where a dominant Alexius attempts to bend Morana to his will and compel her to satisfy his every whim. The sexual acts are many and varied and Alexius is one alpha vampire, determined to dominate Morana as she becomes captive to his lusts! Yet who is enslaving who in this scorching read? Why does their connection feel so strong? Also who is the mysterious Thanatos who has a special bond with Morana, a bond that Alexius abhors? The truth must out before it is too late for their HEA.

Here and there the language is explicit: it is after all an erotic romance, but the author’s prose also borders on the poetic, in how beautifully she reflects the thoughts and the emotions of the hero and heroine. The characters and plot mesh together seamlessly and transported me to another place and time, allowing me into their heads and hearts. I felt their every emotion and was with them every step of the way as the plot unfolded and the extent of their connection and the impact of another’s lies and betrayal revealed itself. I loved it!

Readers of erotic paranormal romance will love this read as will those who are fans of erotic historical romances.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

An ARC of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Buy Links

iBooks Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon AUS Amazon Ca Kobo B&N

AUTHOR BIO

Christina Phillips has always loved things that go bump in the night and as a young teen was hooked on watching the old Hammer Horror movies on TV. While she doesn’t remember thinking vampires back then were hot and sexy, there was definitely a thread of naughtiness weaving its way through her overheated imagination. Necking took on a whole new meaning 🙂

She loves writing dark tales of tortured vampires, tough arsed warriors and bad boy contemporary heroes who are brought to their knees by their heroines. However, in real life if a vampire ever loomed from the shadows to do unspeakable things to her she would likely die of fright.

Christina lives in sunny Western Australia with her family. She is also owned by three cats who are convinced the universe revolves around their needs. They are not wrong.

Connect with Christina:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

July 31, 2015 by Tina Williams

RELEASE BLITZ ~ Slippers and Chains: Sugar Dust by Raven ShadowHawk (includes excerpt)

Out Now! Slippers & Chains: Sugar Dust by Raven ShadowHawk (@ileandraXraven)

#erotica #bdsm #domination #submission

Adult/18+ Read

Blurb:

Dan loves submissive women and longs to build a harem of willing females to fill what he lovingly calls his ‘Slave Library.’ He shares his plans for sexual bliss with Karen, the first of his submissives in his mind and his heart. But when an unexpected visit from his mother leads to uncomfortable questions about his ex, Dan realizes that past mistakes are catching up to him, faster than he can run.

The first D/s relationship to blend comfortably with her vanilla life is the one Karen shares with Dan. She treasures the freedom in the act of submission and wants nothing more than to share it with her Master for as long as possible. Why then, does he insist on bringing other women into their bed? And why can’t he say he loves her?

As Dan battles his inner demons, Karen hopes a sexy mini break at the exclusive fetish club, Sugar Dust will allow them time to relax and reconnect. There she meets Beth, personification of Dan’s past storming in to demolish her present. Can she show Dan that their relationship is strong enough to break the chains of his past, before Beth drives an immoveable wedge between them with her tales of what once was?

Buy Links

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1CcNZ0B

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Kv5J8C

Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B010EAQLTE/

. . . and so on!

EXCERPT

Dan followed and positioned his chair to block the way out. He noticed a fresh trail of blood across the floor tiles and glanced at his mother who was scrubbing at the tabletop with a sponge. ‘Your tea is getting cold.’

She moved to the counter beside the sink and kept wiping. ‘Does she ever clean?’

‘Mum, please.’

‘I’m just asking.’

‘This is my house,’ he snapped, patience beaten so thin he could poke holes through it. ‘When I can be bothered, I clean. I cook. Karen spends her time here with me, not clucking like a mother hen.’

‘She’s here often?’

‘Every day.’

‘Oh.’ Maxine stopped cleaning long enough to wrinkle her nose. ‘What’s her house like?’

‘She shares a flat with a friend.’

‘A flat? Oh dear.’

‘You used to live in one.’

‘Before I got my break on Home with Mr. Barclay.’ Her chin tilted as she said it. ‘Then I moved straight into a nice clean semi. Caroline’s old enough to own her own place. Why share?’

Dan turned his gaze skyward and whispered Karen’s name in his head as if to secure his own memory of it. ‘Does it matter?’

‘I’m curious.’

‘She had to finance the PhD herself. Rent is cheaper than a mortgage.’ As Dan lied, he realised he had no idea why Karen still shared with Cindy. But he did know the idea of discussing Karen’s living arrangements made him want to crawl into a deep hole and never climb out.

‘That’s something. But is she moving in with you?’

He hesitated, weighing out the projected satisfaction of lying against the ease of telling the truth. He opted for the latter. ‘We don’t have any plans for that.’

The smug, knowing smile on Maxine’s lips made him want to change his answer.

‘Here, my boy,’ Julian nudged his shoulder with a steaming mug.

Dan took it and gratefully slurped from the rim.

‘Darling, have you fixed the garden yet?’

‘Give him a break, woman.’ Julian actually raised his voice, a rare and frightening occurrence. Even Maxine glanced at him askance.

‘A simple question. What’s the matter with you two today?’

Dan rubbed his forehead. ‘I wanted to do the house first. The garden can wait.’

‘Do you still have that ghastly pond?’

‘I filled it in.’

‘Good. May I at least see that?’

Sighing, Dan put his tea down and reopened the back door. He ushered his mother through then followed. Julian joined them.

Maxine marched to the bottom of the garden and stopped at the edge of a patch of freshly turned earth. ‘Even without flowers it’s much nicer like this.’

Dan shrugged.

‘And now you have space for a vegetable patch. Organic food is good for you.’

‘Mum . . .’

‘I read an article last week about all the chemicals in our food. Terrible. It’s a wonder any of us are still alive.’

He nodded.

‘I forgot my tea. One moment, darling.’ Maxine pranced back to the house.

Dan put his head in his hands. He gave a wordless groan.

Julian patted his back. ‘Deep breaths, my boy.’

‘Why can’t she just be normal?’

The older man smiled. ‘You never did understand, that is normal. For your mother.’

‘Every time she speaks, I feel like I’m going through a wrangler.’

‘Try living with her.’ He grinned. ‘It does look better, by the way. The pond was too much work for a busy man like you. And you don’t need a veggie garden.’

‘I only said it to shut her up.’

‘I thought so. As if you have time with this girlfriend of yours.’

‘Don’t you start, too.’

Julian’s eyes twinkled. ‘What? I think she’s lovely; intelligent clearly, dedicated obviously. It sounds like you struck gold.’

Dan gave his first real smile in hours. ‘Thanks, Dad. Convince Mum, will you?’

‘I’ll try. Where is she?’

‘Tea, she said.’

‘What’s taking so long?’

Dan looked at the house. He frowned and peered through the window into the empty kitchen. Cold knots filled his stomach. He closed his eyes. ‘She’s not there. I think she’s in my bedroom.’

Author Bio and Links

Raven ShadowHawk is one face of the author who writes fantasy and horror under a second pseudonym. She is, according to most . . . okay, according to herself, the fun one of the pair.

Living in Leicester, UK with her partner (the Funk Master) and twin sons (known as Sprog1 and Sprog2), Raven writes erotica ranging from sensual and romantic to graphic and totally PWP.

Her interests include badly produced porn, chocolate, dressing up (particularly in matching underwear) and shouting at women who wear stupid shoes and/or skinny jeans.

Discover more about Raven on her blog (www.ileandraXraven.co.uk/about/about2)

Contact Raven via email (info@ravenshadowhawk.co.uk)

Interact with Raven on Facebook (http://facebook.com/illyandraven)

Interact with Raven on Twitter – @ileandraXraven (http://twitter.com/ileandraXraven)

Find Raven on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7468204.Raven_ShadowHawk)

Get Raven’s newsletter (http://eepurl.com/0yKNj)

July 29, 2015 by Tina Williams

RELEASE BLITZ Challenge Accepted by Annabeth Leong

Challenge Accepted By Annabeth Leong (@annabethleong)

Adult/18+ Read

Blurb:

After being shamed for her dominant desires too many times, Christine has resolved never to date a vanilla man again. She needs a man who knows he’s submissive, and she’s determined to hold out until she finds one.

Until she meets Sam, that is. Christine can’t bring herself to turn down the handsome parkour aficionado, so instead she tries to scare him off with an intensely kinky first date.

When Sam meets her extreme challenges head-on, Christine must decide if he can become the man to serve her every need—in the bedroom, and in her life.

Warnings: m/f anal play; BDSM content includes impact play, foot worship, dominance and submission, clamps placed in fairly extreme locations, and implied piercings.

Excerpt:

Even seeing only her back, Sam had no trouble recognizing Christine as he carried a sack of dirty clothes into the basement laundry room of his new apartment building. He’d liked her tall, thick frame the moment he’d caught her watching him, and he liked the way she moved. She folded clothes with sure, clean gestures. He’d been an athlete for enough of his life that he could immediately spot a woman in full control of her body and presence.

He hefted the laundry onto his shoulder and assumed a casual stance. He made his movements feel easy so they would look easy. “Christine.”

She turned. He liked that she didn’t jump. Maybe she knew he was coming.

He saw her reacting to him—gaze flicking down his body, body shifting to emphasize her hip. Her eyes were fierce, not welcoming. She looked as if she might be about to set him on fire. Apart from that, though, her nod was polite and distant.

Stretching and making a show of it, he set the laundry down beside a free machine. He didn’t know what to think of the contradictions he read in her body language. He was intrigued and wanted to get to know her. She, on the other hand, wasn’t being clear about what she wanted. He couldn’t tell if she was hoping he’d strike up a conversation or wishing he’d drop his clothes into the wash and get the hell out.

Sam had been raised in the type of family that communicated in code, and he didn’t like it. The only way he knew to make sense of the world was to speak his mind. “You up for company?”

She hesitated. “I think so,” she said finally.

“I’m glad.” His voice came out softer than he’d intended, his tone deferent.

There was something about Christine that made him want to address her that way. He stole glances as he started a washer. She dressed professionally, but not in an imposing way. Her body looked strong, but her shoulders were relaxed, her face at ease. She didn’t loom or intimidate, though he imagined she could if she wanted to. She had big, dark eyes and rich, brown skin. Her features weren’t delicate—he liked the bold lines of her nose and jaw—but neither were they harsh. The only hint of real severity he could see was in the way she wore her hair—straightened to within an inch of its life and sharply restrained.

“The weather’s gotten nice,” Sam said, reaching for an easy conversation starter. “Anything you’re looking forward to doing now?”

Christine shrugged. “Not wearing a heavy jacket.” Was that a touch of humor in the curve of her lips? He wasn’t sure.

“Definitely.” Sam kept his voice light. “You recognized parkour. Is that your sport?”

She laughed. “Afraid not.” Sam wondered if she was warming to him, but she was still so difficult to read. He hated the idea of lingering where he wasn’t wanted.

“Look,” he said. “I’d like to get to know you. I’d like to take you out sometime. Are you interested?” He had a nice Italian restaurant in mind if she said yes. If she said no, he’d ignore the flickers of interest he kept feeling from her.

She didn’t agree or refuse, though. Instead, she looked pained. “Why would you ask me that? We’ve got nothing in common.”

Sam stepped back, holding up his hands. “I asked because I wanted to know your answer,” he said, the words low and even. “If you’re not, it’s cool. I won’t bother you about it.” He’d be disappointed, of course, but he wasn’t the kind of jerk who would try to make a woman feel guilty about turning him down.

Christine reached toward him but dropped her arm just before she made contact. “You couldn’t handle me.”

Sam probably should have walked away at that point, but he’d noticed the way she’d almost touched him and the stubborn part of him couldn’t let the challenge pass. “What do you mean, I couldn’t handle you?”

Familiar anger rose to his chest. In high school, everyone had assumed he was a nerd because he was Chinese. He’d been told he wouldn’t be able to handle being on the football team, wouldn’t be able to handle American-style boxing—though everyone also seemed to expect him to be an expert at Wing Chun—and wouldn’t be able to handle going with the other guys on the team to play pranks on the local rivals.

Sam had responded to each of those challenges by proving his doubters wrong, doing everything better and harder than the people who had questioned him. He’d given up on obligatory popular sports to focus on parkour, but there was still a part of him that thrilled each time he pulled off a difficult move, exulting that, yet again, he’d shown them.

Christine’s skin darkened with a blush, but she lifted her chin defiantly. “I’m kinky, okay? I doubt you’re ready for that.”

Sam blinked. “Wow, okay. That seems like something we could sort out after we go on a date and find out if we like each other. No need to jump ahead.”

“No point.” She shook her head, the gesture firm and dismissive. “It’s a waste of time to get to know each other if we’re just going to wind up incompatible.”

“Really?” Sam bristled. It irritated him when women assumed a Chinese guy wouldn’t know anything about sex, and he hoped that wasn’t what was going on. “I have heard about that book, you know. The one all the women are reading.”

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about. I like to be the one on the handle end of the flogger. You don’t want it, trust me.”

Sam had almost no idea what that entailed, but he pressed, annoyed that she’d presumed to tell him what he would and wouldn’t want. “How do you know? Talk to me about it first. Try me.”

“If you don’t already know about it, it’s just not going to work. I promise.”

Sam had never been aware of an interest in kink, but he couldn’t stand assumptions. “Tell me straight-out what you want to do,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ll tell you whether or not I want to do it.”

Christine stared as if he’d suggested a really strange plan. It reminded Sam of so many movies he’d seen, times when characters acted like telling the truth was such an odd and original thing to come up with. “I don’t know…” she said.

He grabbed his now-empty laundry bag. The fabric snapped as he yanked it through the air. The fresh, warm scent pouring from the dryers seemed sour in that moment. “Or turn me down. Just don’t tell me what I can and can’t handle.”

Again, she moved as if she wanted to take hold of his wrist and stop him. Sam paused, trying to make it clear he would let her if that was what she wanted to do. They were still for a while, and then he gave up and walked to the door.

“Wait,” Christine said before he could leave.

“Yeah?”

“Maybe. Do you use IM? Can we talk later?”

He shrugged. “Sure.” This was probably another part of the brush-off. Maybe she thought it would be nicer if she offered to chat online. He didn’t particularly like that tactic, but he didn’t feel like criticizing it now. Without expecting to hear from her again, he gave her his username.

Buy Links:

Loose ID: http://www.loose-id.com/challenge-accepted.html

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1JtPabF

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1R3TTYq

All Romance eBooks: http://bit.ly/1R3TXHJ

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/challenge-accepted-1

Bio:

Annabeth Leong wears high heels and frequents the former haunts of H.P. Lovecraft. She is obsessed with baseball and marine life, and is an enthusiastic member of New England Feet. She is frequently confused about her sexuality, but enjoys searching for answers. Her work appears in more than 50 anthologies, including Best Bondage Erotica 2013, 2014, and 2015, Best Women’s Erotica 2015, and Best Erotic Romance 2014 and 2015. She is the author of a number of erotic novels, ranging from sweet to dark. Find Annabeth online at annabetherotica.com, and on Twitter @AnnabethLeong

July 28, 2015 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ Torque (The Redline Series #2), by Skye Callahan

Dark Erotic Romance

Adult/18+ Read

Book Blurb

In the dark underworld of Ashville, crime, deceit, and blackmail reign supreme. Everyone wants that little piece of leverage—that one small key to getting ahead.

Aubrey would be happy—and lucky—to simply make it out alive. After falling in debt to one of the city’s most dangerous men, she found herself caught in a dispute between two brothers who will do anything to see each other suffer. Aubrey knows she’s only a pawn in their game and her only hope is to find some key of her own—a way to guarantee her own safety and the safety of her family.

Colt has a long and sordid past with the criminal element. He knows how the game is played and has found himself on all sides more times than he cares to remember. Aubrey is his newest escape route, but their tentative alliance is doomed to crumble if Colt can’t find a way to fulfill his end of the bargain with Devlin.

How will Colt and Aubrey handle Devlin’s newest threat?

My Review

Adrenaline Filled and Sexy! FIVE STARS! *****

Oh my goodness! There is certainly no let-up in Torque, the latest sizzling instalment of Skye Callahan’s The Redline Series! Aubrey falls deeper into the seething pit of Colt’s depraved sexuality. Indeed, Colt’s actions had me panting as much as Aubrey. Does this man know how to stop?

Whilst I did have some sympathy for Aubrey when faced with Colt’s almost continuous onslaught on her senses, I was also secretly envious of the sexual torture she receives at his hands (and boy does this man know how to tease). Colt barely lets Aubrey out of his sight and when he is not tormenting or humiliating her he is plunging her into some risky situations as he progresses his ongoing battle with Devlin. We get a hint of Colt’s backstory in this instalment but the full picture has yet to emerge as to what has made him the man he is today. All I can say is that he is one crazy, f*****- up b****** who appears to have no empathy where anyone is concerned. He is also an uber sexy and dominant alpha male who I loved!

As for Aubrey, without spoiling the plot, the future looks bleak as Devlin closes in on her and all that he holds dear. She is merely a pawn in the brothers’ battle for supremacy – caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, and it remains to be seen whether she will survive intact in body or mind.

This instalment ends on a major cliffie and I cannot wait until my next fix – Ms Callahan please hurry! The suspense is KILLING me!

The Redline series is a must read for dark romance junkies!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

An ARC of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.