Forsaken by the Others Blog Tour - Visit from Jess Haines

Welcome Jess Haines - and I could not think of any one better to help us talk about the Sexy Vampires we all love....she has one of my favs in her series. Not only do we get some insight in her inspiration but she has a great giveaway for us.

Sexy Vampires Who Provided Inspiration for the H&W Investigations Series

By Jess Haines

Hello there! Jess Haines here. I’m the author of the H&W Investigations series—urban fantasy novels about Shiarra Waynest, a human private investigator in an alternate, present-day New York. Somehow she keeps getting pulled into supernatural troubles way above her pay grade…

Since Jennifer is all about the sexy stuff here, I thought you might like to hear about some of the smokin’ hot vampires that have inspired me over the years.

5) Deacon Frost (from Blade)

Frost is such a delightful asshole. He has no qualms standing up to vampires more powerful than himself, a vision for how to drag himself up the ranks, and the guts to follow through with the plan to get what he wants no matter the obstacles. All while doing it with style and attitude.

It’s really too bad he’s so evil.

On the bright side, he did help provide a plotbunny that resulted in the formation of more than one of my own bad guys. It’s a good thing when your villains are well-rounded and know what they want, and stick to their guns to get it.

4) Blade (from Blade)

Man, that guy can pull of a trench coat but good. Dark, mysterious, broody—he’s everything a vampire should be.

Too bad he’s not quite a vamp.

Blade was more of an inspiration because he was a vampire hunter, rather than because of his nature. If you know me, you may have heard me mention this before, but I originally came up with the idea for the heroine of the H&W Investigations novels, Shiarra Waynest, when I saw a trailer for the first Blade movie in theaters ages ago.


3) Selene (from Underworld)

Strangely enough, Selene served as an inspiration for the opposite of how I wanted Shiarra’s adventures to start out. Selene is a strong, capable, and kickass vampire. Shia has her own strengths, but as a human, she can’t go toe-to-toe with a vamp or werewolf and expect to survive. What it made me think of was backstory. How did Selene reach the point of being so competent as an enforcer?

That was what I chose to explore for Shiarra. Not starting her in the boots of the ass-kicking heroine, but taking the opportunity to use the series to grow her into them.



2) David (from The Lost Boys)

A classic vampire movie, The Lost Boys set the tone for what I was shooting for in my books. At times frightening, others hilarious, I wanted a mix of camp and horror that wasn’t afraid to feature the absurd while also exploring the serious sides of dealing with supernaturals. On that count, David is playful and seductive, but undeniably dangerous. Just like I wanted the main vampire of my series, Alec Royce, to be.

1) Spike (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Where, oh where, would I be without a mention of Spike? Proving that even an immortal can feel emotions deeper than most mortals, that even a vampire can grow and learn to be more than a monster, that a killer can love with burning passion, Spike embodies so many of the things a vampire could and should be. All while pulling off hilarious one-liners and looking damned fine in leather, if I may say so.


Oh, and for the hell of it, even though I wouldn’t exactly call him inspiration for any of my characters, enjoy some Eric Northman!




So, who are some of your favorite sexy vamps?

For the next stop on the blog tour, be sure to visit the official FORSAKEN BY THE OTHERS blog tour calendar !

You can also visit me on the web:
www.JessHaines.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JessHainesAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Jess_Haines

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jesshaines

Thanks again for having me, Jennifer!


Jess, you are always welcome here! You are killing me for the next book - and thank you for this great giveaway below.
We've got the details on Forsaken by the Others - out this July 2nd.
Forsaken by the Others Book Description:

The Others–vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night–don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with the mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem…

Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head…and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town–namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy.

On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten–literally–in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them–and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge…


Hurry up and buy soon - you won't regret it

Buy Links:
Amazon / Amazon UK / Amazon Canada
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Books-A-Million
Powells
Indiebound

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Visit our other blog friends on the tour here - Forsaken by the Others blog tour

H&W Investigations is HERE with Jess Haines and Stalking the Others

STALKING THE OTHERS BLOG TOUR
Guest Post Stop 6: The H&W Gang Discuss Their Phobias

By Jess Haines


Hello there!  Jess Haines here.  I’m the author of the urban fantasy H&W Investigations series (HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, TAKEN BY THE OTHERS, DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS, and the upcoming STALKING THE OTHERS).

Shiarra has been having a pretty bad time of things lately. She’s here with some of her friends (and otherwise) to tell you about it.  Over to you, Shia!

____________________

Sara: This one is pretty obvious.

Shiarra:  Yeah. Any bite-y, clawed thing of the night.

Chaz:  Oh, come on. You weren’t afraid of me.

Shiarra:  That’s because I didn’t know what you were. Plus, it’s a little hard to be afraid of a guy you’ve seen wandering around your apartment in his Ghost Busters boxer shorts.

Arnold: I prefer Captain Hammer on my boxers.

Royce: I don’t wear boxers.

Everyone Else: …

Shiarra: We don’t want to know what you’re wearing under those business suits.

Sara: …actually…

Arnold:  Hey!

Sara:  Kidding, honey. Kidding.

Royce:  I should hope so.

Arnold: My boxers are the only ones you should be looking at, damn it.

Sara:  Yes! I know. Anyway. On topic.  I’m afraid of spiders, snakes, and the IRS.

Royce:  I’d have to agree about the IRS. Dealing with the corporate taxes and licensing and such when most of your businesses and shell corporations have been around longer than the country’s established government can be a nightmare.

Chaz:  Yeah? Well, I hate fleas.

Shiarra:  Ew.

Chaz:  And ticks.

Shiarra:  Double-ew.

Chaz: Tapeworms, too.

Shiarra:  Enough already!

Chaz:  What? I do.

Royce:  Dogcatchers, too, I would imagine.

Chaz:  Shut up, fangs.

Arnold: I bet we can all guess what the vamp is afraid of. Sunlight, garlic, fangirls…

Shiarra: …body shimmer lotion…

Sara: …teenaged wangst…

Royce:  Yes, yes, we get the point.

Shiarra:  Vampire baseball?

Royce:  What does that even mean?

Shiarra:  Never mind. My comedic brilliance is wasted on you.

Sara:  I got it.  Heh.

Royce:  This is ridiculous.

Arnold: Oh! Oh! I want to share my phobia!

Sara:  Okay, your turn.

Arnold:  I’m afraid of summoned planar beings that haven’t been harnessed into a body and metaphysically cohered to a mage who is trained how to control it.

Chaz: Was that English?

Shiarra: It sounded like words, but nothing came out.

Arnold: Oh, come on. Do I really have to explain that?

Sara:  I think I get what you’re saying. You’re afraid of familiars that have broken away from their masters somehow. Or never had a master. Right?

Arnold:  That’s what I said.

Shiarra:  Next time, use small, normal people words.

Chaz: I don’t get it.

Shiarra:  Big surprise.

Chaz:  No, I mean—I don’t get how they can’t have a master. How do they get here if no one is controlling them?

Arnold:  Believe me, it can happen, and it’s not pretty.

Royce:  Indeed. They are not easy to banish or kill.

Arnold:  How would you know?

Royce:  Have you ever seen a familiar survive beyond the death of its master? I have.

Shiarra:  Yeah, that’s all kinds of creepy right there.

Sara:  It wouldn’t be that bad if he didn’t look so pleased with himself while he said it.

Arnold:  Wow. Great. I’m ready to go. Forever.

Royce:  That’s right. Run away, little mage. When you’ve been around as long as I have, you see and do things far beyond the ken of mortal men.

Arnold: You guys?

Sara:  Let’s get out of here.

Shiarra:  Right now.

____________________


You can learn more about Shiarra and the rest of her friends in HUNTED BY THE OTHERS .   For the next stop on the blog tour, be sure to visit the official STALKING THE OTHERS blog tour calendar!

You can also visit me on the web:

http://www.jesshaines.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JessHainesAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#%21/Jess_Haines
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jesshaines

Thanks again for having me and the gang over, Jennifer!
_____________________________________________________
Always welcome here Jess, especially if you bring Royce :) Check out our review of Stalking as well as Hunted, Taken, and Deceived.  You will not be disappointed in this series, especially not in Stalking, but you have got to get out there and start at the beginning so you can catch up before the release on July 3rd :)

Kensington is hosting a giveaway - they have 15 copies in the pot to giveaway.  The giveaway is open to US/Canada only - enter below for your chance to win one of the books :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome Author K D Grace

A Big Welcome from Seduced to K D Grace!!!!

K D Grace was born with a writing obsession. It got worse once she actually learned HOW to write. There's no treatment for it. It's progressive and chronic and quite often interferes with normal, everyday functioning. She might actually be concerned if it wasn't so damned much fun most of the time.

K D's critically acclaimed erotic romance novels, The Initiation of Ms Holly, The Pet Shop and Lakeland Heatwave Book 1: Body Temperature and Rising are published by Xcite Books and are available from all good paperback and eBook retailers.

Her erotica has been published with Xcite Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Harper Collins Mischief Books, Black Lace, Erotic Review, Ravenous Romance, Sweetmeats Press and Scarlet Magazine.

Find out more about K D Grace on her website http://kdgrace.co.uk. She's also on Facebook and Twitter


More than Landscapes - blog post from K D Grace

By now everyone who has read anything I’ve written or blogged about my novel, Body Temperature and Rising, knows that BTR, along with the whole Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy, is set in the English Lake District and that I’m totally in love with the place. Most of the places in the trilogy are real places that I’ve walked and explored in the Lake District, and it was the real places that inspired me to write the trilogy. However those real experiences in the landscape also inspired the ‘Magicscapes’ in the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy.

Before I go any further, I’d like to clarify for my American readers just what a fell is, since there seems to be a bit of a language barrier, and some people have thought that the fells are woodlands. A fell is an upland stretch of open countryside, a moor or a barren or stony hill. And the fells in the Lake District are formidable. They include Scafell Pike the highest mountain in England! The word comes from Middle English and Old Norse and means mountain or hill. There! Language barrier crossed!

My husband and I are avid walkers and the Lake District is one of our very favourite places to walk. We had just had four lovely days walking in May sunshine, truly Lakeland Heatwave conditions, when we decided to walk part of a ridge walk known as the Newland’s Horseshoe. We’d heard the weather was supposed to change but it certainly didn’t look like it when we headed up onto the ridge. We were planning to make it on around to the fell called High Spy and then drop down into the village of Rosthwaite afterward for coffee and a break. It wasn’t a particularly long walk. We thought surely we’d beat the weather. We thought wrong.

The rain started just as we reached the top of the ridge. We were just about to the summit of the second fell, Maiden Moor when the mist descended. Before long the mist around us blotted out everything else and we walked in strange silent nothingness that, even though we knew we couldn’t easily get lost on this particular walk, was frightening.

Later when we were sipping coffee and dripping all over the hard wood floor of the tea shop in Rosthwaite, we wondered what it would have been like had we been somewhere we hadn’t been so familiar with and if we’d not known how to use a map and compass. It was a chilling thought.

That was the experience that inspired the opening scenes in Body Temperature and Rising, but it also inspired one of the two magicscapes my characters frequent in the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy. The feeling of walking in thick nothingness was the inspiration for my version of the Ether, the magical void, which is the dangerous place where powerful magic can be worked by witches who are skilled at riding the Ether. The Ether has no landmarks, no light nor darkness, no shape nor form, and in the Ether there is no concept of time, which makes it a particularly dangerous place to hang out. However a powerful witch can create from the void whatever he or she is skilled enough to imagine and bring to fruition. The Ether is like a lot of raw material waiting to be magicked into something useful … or treacherous. And sex in the Ether --- for those brave enough to try it -- totally sizzles. A lot of the action of the second Lakeland novel, Riding the Ether, takes place in this void.

There’s another magicscape that was also inspired by my time in the Lake District … that and by my time snoozing beneath the blankets every night -- the Dream Scape. All three Lakeland Heatwave novels spend a fair amount of time in the Dream World dealing with dream magic, which happens to be the preferred magic of the Elemental Coven’s high priestess, Tara Stone. I found inspiration while walking through thick woodlands in the Lake District with slivers of sunlight filtering down through the darkness. I also found inspiration for the Dream World from the old slate quarries and the ruined landscapes littered with tailings. We all know our own personal dreamscape can be beautiful or horrific, confusing or insightful and all things in between.

It was fun to picture the Dream World and the Ether as other worlds overlaying the beautiful landscape of the Lake District, other worlds that could only be reached through magic. And it was so easy to imagine, with all the caves and mines and dark mysterious woodlands, that you just might be able to walk in through one world and come out into another. To be honest, who am I to say you can’t? Certainly the world of the Lakeland Heatwave trilogy could only have been inspired by my walking in those wonderful places and experiencing the beauty, the magic and sometimes the danger of such an amazing landscape.

Body Temperature & Rising....

American transplant to the Lake District, MARIE WARREN, didn’t know she could unleash demons and enflesh ghosts until a voyeuristic encounter on the fells ends in sex with the charming ghost, ANDERSON, and night visits from a demon. To help her cope with her embarrassing and dangerous new abilities, Anderson brings her to the ELEMENTALS, a coven of witches who practice rare sex magic that temporarily allows needy ghosts access to the pleasures of the flesh.
DEACON, the demon Marie has unleashed, holds an ancient grudge against TARA STONE, coven high priestess, and will stop at nothing to destroy all she holds dear. Marie and her landlord, the reluctant young farmer, TIM MERIWETHER, are at the top of his list. Marie and Tim must learn to wield coven magic and the numinous power of their lust to stop Deacon’s bloody rampage before the coven is torn apart and more innocent people die.
More info, excerpt and buy links http://kdgrace.co.uk/books/lakeland-heatwave-book-i/

Thank you to Writer Marketing for bringing K D Grace to our blog today.  And a Thank you to K D for making the time - Something so simple as a hike turned into one crazy thought :) 

check for our review of Body Temperature and Rising

Welcome Stephanie Rowe & a Feel Good Holiday

Today we WELCOME – Stephanie Rowe!!

Four-time RITA® Award nominee and Golden Heart® Award winner Stephanie Rowe is the nationally bestselling author of more than twenty published books with major New York publishers, including HarperCollins, Grand Center and Harlequin. Stephanie has received starred reviews from Booklist and high praise from Publisher's Weekly. In addition to her teen series, she is also published in romance (paranormal, contemporary and suspense), teen fiction, middle grade fiction and inspirational non-fiction. A former attorney, Stephanie lives in Boston where she is actively working on her next project. For more information on Stephanie, visit http://www.stephanierowe.com/.

We are so thankful that with all that she has on her calendar she slipped some time in for us and with a great guest post.


Stephanie: Christmas is awesome! The holidays are great! Great music, friends, family, wonderful food, uplifting decorations, colorful lights, holiday cheer and of course, a sparkle in our hearts and a skip to our step. Fantastic!


Except, of course, for the times when the holidays make us sigh with weariness, when the holiday music makes us turn off the radio, and when the decorations galore feel like clutter.

Ah… yes… we've all be there. No matter how cheerful and upbeat you are, there are times when the holidays feel like a special torture created just for you. How nice of society to gift wrap a time of such stress, tension and angst just for you! Isn't that thoughtful?


Sometimes, our holiday misery is short-lived. It can be cured by an afternoon of errands to shorten your to-do list, a large glass of eggnog, an overdose of holiday cookies and a good sleep.


Other times, maybe it's a little tougher than that. Sometimes you've just got so much weight bearing down on you that you can't shake it, no matter how much eggnog you pour over your head (though, I must admit, pouring a mug of eggnog over my head does have its "I'll do what I want, so there!" appeal. I might try it someday…)


Despite the eggnog dripping from your earlobes, sometimes being around all that joy, exhilaration and shopping frenzy can make it even harder to stay positive. You miss people you used to celebrate with. You don't have the money to buy your kids the gifts you'd like to give. You are struggling with a grim health problem that has you terrified. It feels like an insurmountable effort beyond to pull back your shoulders, flash a smile at the world and dance down the street. In truth? You just want to crawl into a dark corner and pretend the holidays don't exist.


I get it. I've been there. Some years, I've actually managed to forget about Christmas until it's actually here. On the surface, that feels like success, right? But in my heart, it hurts. Why? Because I want to be feeling that love and joy that seems to be bouncing off me. I want to giggle with anticipation at all holiday planning. I want to sing along to the radio instead of turning it off? Quite frankly, it just feels better to be happy.


The truth is that those better feelings are accessible to us. We might not be skipping down the street throwing paper snowflakes at everyone and singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas at the top of our lungs, but those better feelings are there, within us, right now, and we can find them and hold onto them.


In our soul, we want to be happy. That's why it hurts when we're worried, scared, stressed or tense. That's why it's harder to stay happy when surrounded by the joy of the holiday season—because when we see that joy, it makes us resent our own misery, which, in turn, makes us feel even worse.

The truth is: it sucks to feel awful inside because in our hearts, we just want to feel okay.

I decided that I wanted to feel better, so I put on my detective hat and did a little sleuthing. I figured out that my holiday grumpiness wasn't really a twinkling star and candy cane issue. It was actually a reflection of the weight I was sporting around on my back all year wrong. It just got harder to cope with at the holidays. Ah…so it's not that I'm holiday impaired! I was year-'round impaired! That's so much better! (Isn't it? Hmm… maybe not).


So, yeah, the bigger thing to do was to start to fix myself during the non-holiday part of the year, when there wasn't quite so much pressure. But seeing as how it was mid-holiday festivities, I figured out the best thing to was hunker down and go into survival mode for the holidays. You can get through anything for a short time. Really!


For me, holiday survival mode was two things: (1) giving myself a break for not feeling in the holiday mood. It's the old "I'm okay, you're okay" thing, and it actually helps. (2) I decided that since the holidays weren't giving me love, I needed to find something that did. Something that made me happy. Then I could ignore the holidays and focus on what I liked, and use that thing to make me feel better.


Start with little steps. Teeny ones. Think of something you love to do, that makes you happy no matter what mood you're in. Oh, no, don't roll your eyes and say "Nothing. My life is hell." Yeah, maybe it is, but you're a human being, as a person, there are things that you love, that make you happy. Maybe it's watching an old episode of Friends. Maybe it's walking through leaves and kicking them so they spray all around. Maybe it's going to Walmart, buying some paints and paper, and then painting like you used to do as a kid. Maybe it's knitting. Maybe it's grinding coffee beans and inhaling that amazing scent. Maybe it's making ice cream from scratch. Maybe it's puppies. Maybe it's making Christmas cookies and taking them to your local fire station like you and your mom used to do when you were a kid. Maybe it's changing the oil in your car. Maybe it's gardening. Things you haven't taken the time to do in a really long time.

Look into your heart. There's something that makes you happy, even if you haven't thought about it in a years. Find it. It's there. Then go do it. Lose yourself in it. Buy the paint. Contact your local animal rescue group about fostering some puppies. Stir that ice cream. Let yourself feel how good it feels to be absorbed by something good. Remember what it feels like to feel happy. Then look up, look around, and realize that, hey, you felt good for a few minutes. How about them apples, eh? Triumph for you!

Honestly, who the hell cares that it's the holidays? If they're making you crazy, then blow them off and, instead of hiding, turn your attention to that which makes you feel good. When you do that, when you take care of yourself, suddenly everything will glow a little brighter, and you'll be on your way.


It takes time. It takes effort. But if you keep believing you deserve to feel better, than you can feel better, then you will. I bought a Christmas tree the first weekend in December this year. I had fun decorating it. I even smile at people on the street. Yes, everything isn't totally hunky dory, but I'm doing okay this year. And it feels good! If I'm doing this well now, imagine how fantastic I'll feel when I pour the eggnog over my head?


You. Can. Do. It.

And damn, it feels good when you do. Trust me, I know.


Happy puppy day. Happy art day. Happy change-the-oil day. Happy whatever-it-is-that-makes-you-happy day. That's the holiday you should be celebrating. Seriously.


SBB: You definitely said it right!! This time of year can bring up so many emotions and pressure. For our followers we wish you the best – and take Stephanie’s advice, do what makes YOU happy! A BIG Thank you to Stephanie for coming on and I know this post put a smile on my face as I read it and I’m ready to finish tackling what’s on my plate this weekend. Taking things one at a time and filtering out the drama are on my board to push me forward.

Known for her fun, unique, adventurous reads, it’s safe to say you won’t be disappointed with anything by Stephanie Rowe. Check out Stephanie’s latest – The Feel Good Life – just starting it here. Below see her latest romance – Touch if You Dare.

The Feel Good Life
I've been there.

I know what it's like to feel as if life is bearing down so hard and so ruthlessly that you can't take another step. I know what it's like to fall into bed at night and wish that a miracle would come, only to wake up in the morning and discover everything is still the same.


I also know what it's like to grit my teeth and shout, "I won't give up!"


We all deserve to feel better. We all deserve to feel relief instead of stress, misery or worry. We all deserve to feel the tension ease from our body and to breathe a little more easily.

Here's the thing: we can feel better. Bit by bit, little by little, we can start to get a grip on the storm that life is throwing at us. We can feel energy return to our bodies and our minds, we can feel a smile starting to build in our hearts, and we can start to feel alive and hopeful again.


This book is the collection of essays I wrote during some of those tough times, ideas that stopped my freefall and helped me redirect. People I've shared these with have sent me letters of hope and relief, finding peace for themselves within these pages. I hope they can help others. You, your kids, your best friend, anyone who needs a hand (isn't that all of us sometimes?).

You deserve to feel better. Don't give up. Fight for it. Starting right now.

Touch if You Dare
He's just about the hottest warrior she's ever seen...


Reina Fleming really appreciates a man who's on a mission-especially when he's a badass warrior doing his best to impress her. And Jarvis is charmed by the way Reina's magic touch can soothe his dark side.


But when Jarvis's attention puts her job, her home, and her family in danger, Reina has to decide whether love is worth the price...

Sommer Marsden is HERE with her "Best of" and giveaway

For the fantastical The Best of Sommer Marsden book tour, I wanted to address an age old question faced by many dirty, dirty writers. Is this story true?

I’ve chosen five stories from my collection and have answered the question: True? False?...Mebbe?

I’ll warn you, most of them are a mix of true and false but don’t fall squarely in mebbe. Mebbe is the coy category where the writer says: I’ll let you decide.

Here at Seduced by Books, we’ll talk about Grip. The first story I ever wrote (as a greener than grass newbie, no less) entirely based on a photo. The photo is not mine to share, but it was an image that stuck firmly in my head and the story that spun out of that image is one of my most beloved stories.

The unceremonious cutting of a very long mane of hair into a short, sexy choppy hairstyle becomes a power play where the question is…who will be on top. Annalee has cut off her long hair—that her husband likes to use as a sort of rein during sex—and now he’s pissed.

So as for the question: True? False?...Mebbe?

False!  Actually, at freshly minted age forty I find myself living the reverse of this scenario. Since my early 20s I had short, flirty, fun hair. Sexy choppy bobs or even shorter than a bob. A few years ago, I decided to let it grow out and see how much silver cropped up. Now the longest section has reached the bottom of my shoulder blades. And as the man says, “Oh look, something to grab onto…”

And that’s totally true. ;)

Excerpt from Grip

‘Jesus, Annalee, what have you done?’

Jacob stared at my hair and I tried not to shift. It was my

hair. I could cut it any way I wanted. I would not feel bad.

The only reason he was pissed was a small reason. Ninety-five

percent of the time he didn’t give a shit about my hair.

Not the colour, not the style, not any of it. It was that five

percent of the time that my hair was cherished.

‘I like it,’ I sighed. ‘Look, don’t get pissy. I needed

something new and I went ahead and did it. You’ll get used to

it.’ I set about making dinner, intent on ending the turmoil

right then and there.

‘But you know how much I love your hair. Loved,’ he

corrected himself. There was venom in both the statement and

the tone.

‘You love it when you fuck me,’ I sniped. ‘More

specifically, you love it when you fuck me from behind. You

like to twist it up around your fist and yank me back with it.

Yes, Jacob, I love that, too. However,’ I banged the stock pot

down and cringed at the loud noise, ‘during the times when

you are not playing caveman and using my hair as a rein, it’s

a pain in the ass!’

We stood there, eyeing each other in the kitchen, both of

us angry, both of us thinking we were right. He could think he

was right. That was fine. But it was my damn hair and I was

sick of the work and the struggle of keeping a waist length

mane clean, detangled and neat. I liked the new hair; just

below chin level, layered to be shaggy but not messy. I threw

my shoulders back. No guilt.

‘I’m sorry if you don’t like it but you’d better adjust. I am

not growing it back out and I will not apologise for doing it.’

Then I turned my back on him and started the water to boil.

Jacob barely spoke to me for three days. Every time I said

or did the slightest thing he didn’t approve of he would pause

for several beats and stare at my hair. As if to say; look what

you have done.

While he was busy frowning upon my new ‘do, I was

falling more and more in love with it. No more long mornings

steaming myself in front of the mirror with a blazing hot hair

dryer. No more combing out knots so big and stubborn I

ended up in tears holding a fist full of my own hair. No more

torture, muss, fuss and annoyance. It was freedom, this

wonderful short flirty hair. I loved it enough for both of us.

Needless to say, it was a while before I got laid. Without

my crowning glory of long chocolate coloured hair, I seemed

to have lost my appeal. Or so it seemed.

The first time Jacob stooped to touching my new hair was

the night of his boss’s dinner party. Stewart J. Beckett was a

prick and a blow hard and he loved my husband. We were

expected to attend dinner. We were expected to be amusing

and classy. We were expected to dress the part.

I straightened my taupe and black wrap dress. I fidgeted

with the black satin collar for the millionth time. I flipped the

cuffs up to show the black satin. I flipped them down to create

bell sleeves. Designers who make dresses that can be worn

several different ways should be shot. Do they not realise that

the woman wearing their dress will most likely be a nervous

wreck, which will result in her having absolutely no decision

making skills? Black cuffs, bell sleeves, black cuffs…

Jacob took pity on me. ‘Leave them flipped up. Let the

cuffs match the collar.’ Then he put his arms around my

waist, temporarily it seemed forgetting my traitorous

behaviour. ‘You look stunning, by the way. It’ll be fine. We’ll

eat, we’ll be fake, we’ll leave. Plead a headache the moment

dessert arrives,’ he chuckled, then kissed my ear.

He did not smooth his hands over the length of my hair as

he normally did when we were about to go out. Of course, the

length itself was gone.

 ‘Time to go,’ he sighed and pulled my hand. ‘We’ll make

it as quick as possible.’

‘My necklace!’ I raced back in and grabbed the antique

necklace he had given me for Christmas. It complimented the

vintage nature of the dress. My hands were shaking just

thinking about Miriam Beckett. Such a prude, such a bitch. I

felt sick.

‘Let me.’ He draped the necklace at the hollow of my

throat and clasped it. Then he kissed the nape of my neck.

That spot. It gets me every time. I froze and let the pleasant

tickle and tingle run down my spine.

Then his hands were in my hair. Shoving up under the

chunky layers along my neck. His fingers slid up to rest below

my ears, which made me shiver. He sifted my newly shorn

hair through his big fingers and I heard him make a low

sound. A pleased sound? I wasn’t sure. Then he gripped a

fistful of my hair at the base of my head and tugged ever so

slightly. I gasped and felt my nipples bead against my silk

bra.

‘Time to go,’ he said again but this time his voice was a

little thicker. A little slower.

We went.

*****

From edgy and intense, to light and comedic, this collection of over twenty hand-picked dirty tales runs the gamut of erotic fiction.

Stories include a supernatural spurred ménage, a captivating Dom who takes control at a crowded house party, an irresistible alpha who makes recycling kind to the body and the planet. A husband encouraging his wife to take advantage of a girl crush and a woman who can’t help but lose herself between two of her two best friends in a night of passion. A curvaceous woman gets stuck in her boot—that’s right, just one—before an important interview with a handsome applicant and a public spanking makes a young woman reconsider the disposable nature of her rebound guy.

Find out why Sommer Marsden’s been called “…one of the top storytellers in the erotica genre” (Violet Blue), “Unapologetic” (Alison Tyler) and “…the whirling dervish of erotica” (Craig J. Sorensen). It’s all right here in this collection. All you have to do is step inside.

Available in paperback from Amazon UK, Amazon US, Waterstone's and The Book Depository – and coming soon to all other good retailers.

eBook edition is available from All Romance eBooks, and coming soon to all other good eBook retailers.

*****

About the author:

Sommer Marsden’s been called “…one of the top storytellers in the erotica genre” (Violet Blue), “Unapologetic” (Alison Tyler) and “…the whirling dervish of erotica” (Craig J. Sorensen).

  Her erotic novels include Hard Lessons, Calendar Girl, Learning to Drown, Lucky 13 and The Best of Sommer Marsden (coming December '11). Sommer currently writes erotica and erotic romance for Xcite Books, eXcessica, Ellora's Cave, Pretty Things Press and Resplendence Publishing. The wine-swigging, dachshund-owning, wannabe runner author writes work that runs the gamut from bondage to zombies to humor.

Sommer's short works can be found in over a hundred (and counting) erotic anthologies. Her short stories have also been included numerous adult and romance magazines--both in print and online.
 
Visit Sommer at Unapologetic Fiction by visiting http://sommermarsden.blogspot.com or find her on Twitter (@sommer_marsden).
Email: hot4sommer@yahoo.com
Website: http://sommermarsden.blogspot.com

Giveaway Info:

For a shiny pdf just say hi or…if you’re inclined to share, share an idea that you’ve used to put a bit of a zing in your love life. All levels of hotness welcome. After a week a winner will be chosen and contacted. Make sure to leave your contact email address!






Thanks to Writer Marketing Services for hosting this tour - http://www.writermarketing.co.uk we are glad to be working on your tours - and check back later today for our own review of The Best of Sommer Marsden

Welcome J W BACCARO

We are so excited to have back Jason - he's so much fun!!!  His books are intense and you can read our reviews on his Guardian of the Seventh Realm series.  We are also lucky to have a giveaway - for 1 lucky commenter you will receive a SIGNED set of paperbacks for all 4 books!!!!! A second commenter will receive a PDF set of all 4 books.  AND a third commenter will also receive a PDF set of all 4 books!!!!  That's 3 winners - - - Comment up - we'll be selecting winners the night of Dec 15th and the winners will be announced on the tour host's site - http://thewytchsmirror.blogspot.com/ on December 16th

About the Author
J.W. Baccaro has written the epic fantasy series ‘Guardian of the
Seventh Realm. Home is in upstate New York with his wife Melissa. When
he is not creating fabulous cities such as Loreladia, he is creating
music with his band. Jason spends his time with literature, gardening,
the wonders of nature, the mysteries of space, and time with his
family.
Contact J.W. Baccaro: jwbaccaro@yahoo.com

Guardian of the Seventh Realm
http://www.guardianoftheseventhrealm.com/

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Follow Jason's Blog  http://prophecyoftheguardian.blogspot.com/


Hello Jennifer and Amy at Seduced By Books. I’m very pleased to be on your Blog once again. Thank you for the time.

If any of your followers have seen me before, then they already know the basics of my Epic Fantasy series “Guardian of the Seventh Realm.” If not, just follow the link below and it will take you to the interview Jennifer had given me back in August 2011:

http://networkedblogs.com/lr3ad/

Today, I’d like to talk about the “violence theme” in my series, something many people love and comment on in my writing. Those who know me are dumbfounded because they call me a “teddy bear” in everyday life, and yet my stories are full of decapitating heads, broken bones and good guys being stomped into the ground by the boots of my sexy Dark Queen Talvenya. *smiles*

For starters, I have to say that I'm happy people are seeing the “darkness” in this story. I admit it is very dark, a tale of brutality, and even some perverse sections involving the Dark Queen Talvenya. There are many reasons why I had written it like that. First, I didn't wish to write a “candy-coated” adversary. When I get involved into a tale of good verses evil, I want to feel “afraid” of the dark—to a certain extant. If I don't feel threatened by the adversary or his or her minions, I gradually lose interest in the conflict, and soon enough the story.

Second, for me, the violence in my series—especially book two “Siege of Darkness,” is a reflection of how cruel mankind can sometimes be, and even the “red in tooth in claw” of Mother Nature herself. Sure, nature is beautiful; I mean, one of my favorite simple pleasures in life is to gaze at a blue summer sky filled with mammoth-sized white clouds (which still remind me of marshmallow fluff!), as a warm breeze blows against you, carrying with it the delightful smells of summer, or the gorgeous lilacs and majestic peonies with their immaculate scents. I swear I could get lost for hours with my face stuffed in a lilac bush or a peonies flower...I just have to watch out for the bumble bees and ants! Darn things! And let’s not forget those adorable little fawns walking with their mother. They often cross our yard—a doe with her two fawns, the little ones following her lead, strolling down the grassy slope, by-passing the apple trees and wandering into the wilderness. Yes, very beautiful indeed, and yet, what goes on every night within that wilderness when the coyotes awaken is far from beautiful, but that is the way of this world, beautiful at times, but also very dark.

”Guardian of the Seventh Realm” is also a reflection of the trials in life that we all face, unless you are one of the blessed ones who have never tasted darkness or even seen it...but that is a rarity. The main protagonist of my stories, Darshun Luthais, learns the hard way by facing this darkness, brutality and death. For him, it was necessary to experience the evils of the world and suffer before he could truly come to terms with what he was born to be, the Guardian of the Seventh Realm. I can parallel this to my own life as well. I would not be where I am now had I not faced my own demons, trials and hardships, and to a certain extant, conquered them. It is an unfortunate suffering many of us have to go through in life, but a “fortunate blessing” once the tribulation is over. And though I often felt alone, as Darshun sometimes feels, there would always be someone there to lift me up with a helping hand, as there always is for Darshun.

And so, as more fans of fantasy enter the “Seventh Realm” I have created, I hope they will continue to enjoy the journey I have paved for them, and feel as though you are traveling alongside Darshun and our other heroes as part of the quest. And maybe, just maybe, when Darshun gets out of line, give him a good kick in the arse! It will do him well, the cocky Nasharin he can sometimes be. *laughs*

Once last thing: besides the violence, I’m really pleased that people are seeing and feeling the courage, loyalty and romantic elements of the stories. Calm down fans of hot and steamy romance—it’s not an erotica, but there is a strong kiss of romance in it between a small number of characters, and also a bit of Dark Erotica. Fun, fun! :)

Thank you again, Jennifer and Amy.

PART ONE: Prophecy of the Guardian
by J.W. Baccaro
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
EBook formats ISBN: 978-1-60313-913-7
Print format ISBN: 978-1-61160-024-7

The Second Great War between the Light and the Dark has begun, and
Abaddon the Demon Lordis searching for the four ancient Wizard
Crystals of the Elements. Once the Crystals arein his hands, and
corrupted to evil, he will destroy the forces of Light upon the
earth,and transform the world into eternal darkness.

But Darshun Luthais, one of the last Nasharin warriors, along with a
few companions, sets out on a quest to find the Crystals first. Along
the journey they encounter giant six-legged serpents, the ruthless
Cullach, and other entities of darkness; yet the most challenging
obstacle is Darshun's constant struggle against temptations of evil,
and his vow to hold to the faith of all who are calling him the
Guardian—the prophesied warrior who will bring down the Demon Lord.

PART TWO: Siege of Darkness
by J W Baccaro
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
EBook formats ISBN: 978-1-60313-981-6
Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-60313-981-6

Tragedy strikes Zithel, and the city of monks goes up in flames. The
Earth-Wizard Mazarian has disappeared, and the army of Asgoth has
taken back the Wizard Crystals of the Elements, ready to deliver them
into the hands of their master: the Demon Lord Abaddon, where they
will be corrupted and used against the very elements they were created
to protect, deforming the world to a blackened void. As Darshun
Luthais—the
chosen Guardian of earth—emerges from the mystical Shajin Island,
having completed his training, ready to combat the forces of evil, he
not only finds himself in the center of this chaos, but is also torn
in different directions. Part of him longs to obey the wisdom of the
Elders by relocating the crystals and fleeing Asgoth, while his
Nasharin nature thirsts for battle, eager to take on the many trials
that stand in his way, keeping him from what he desires most,
challenging Abaddon, the ultimate terror.


PART THREE: The Coming of the Light
by J W Baccaro
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
EBook formats ISBN: 978-1-60313-985-4
Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-61160-269-2

The Wizard Crystals of the Elements have fallen into the hands of
Abaddon, forever corrupted and transformed to evil. Abaddon now
patiently waits in his northern kingdom for the coming of
Saruinkai—the evening when the spirits of Darkness rule the night, and
when he will unleash the Crystals' horrific powers against their own
elements and sweep destruction across the earth. The Light's hope now
lies in the young Nasharin warrior Darshun Luthais—the chosen
Guardian, for he alone carries the power to stop Abaddon's black
sorcery and end the war once and for all. But to do so he must cross
over into Abaddon’s kingdom, and that means destroying the one who
guards the border, a Fallen Angelic Throne, the secret to Asgoth's
three hundred year Rule and invincibility.
Led by the elvish lord Caelestias, Darshun and his companions must
seek out and destroy the Throne, encounter a Witch, and a horde of
other vile creatures, only to stir up the entirety of Asgoth, coming
face to face with them, a battle that will determine the fate of the
world.

PART FOUR: The Sword of Righteousness
by J.W. Baccaro
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

The Dark King Tanarokai...his ever-bitter Queen, and their ‘three
hundred year undefeated army of death’ never thought they’d see the
day when Asgoth would come crashing down by the hands of the Light.
The time draws near when the Light may hold the final victory, but
little as they know, the horrors and tribulations are just beginning,
and fate is not always fair and balanced.

Guardian of the Seventh Realm Book Four: The Sword of Righteousness is
another “chapter” in the Second Great War of the Seventh Realm.

Darshun Luthais—Nasharin warrior and chosen Guardian of earth,
continues his journey across the arctic land of Syngothra, seeking to
destroy Abaddon's Unholy Altar of Power, and bring the Second Great
War to an end.  But when a new and deadly sorcerer working for Abaddon
discovers his plan, he sets up a trap for Darshun and his five
companions, a colossal army of darkness lying in wait among the frozen
elements, ready to unleash its fury once the intruders are in sight.

Now it is up to King Loreus—ruler of Loreladia to unify the scattered
races of Light, and charge into Syngothra before the trap is sprung.
For Loreus wields the Golden Sword of Purity, a weapon forged long ago
by the Five Holy Races, before darkness had separated them.  With
little time to spare, the Loreladian King must stop the Elves from
another civil war, gain their trust and then encounter the Centaurs of
Cestmir, a pious Matriarchy and self-righteous race, where if they do
not remember the Sword, they may prove to be more of an enemy than
Abaddon.


Thank you Cynthia for hosting and putting this together!!
Visit The Wytch's Mirror
http://thewytchsmirror.blogspot.com/