Book BIN Tuesday - A Double Feature!

Today, TWO of my fellow Naughties have books out! First up is Kelly Jamieson's NO OBLIGATION REQUIRED:

To err is human, to forgive is against his policy.

Brew Crew, Book 2

Bailey Harris is eager to move up at Huxworth Packard. Her mentor advises her to network more after hours. But that means she’ll have to reveal the reason she rushes out of the office at five o’clock on the dot--and it’s not for happy hour Cosmos.

On the other hand, more office time means more opportunities to feast her eyes on the firm’s executive creative director, the gorgeous, brilliant Mason Ward.

Mason sure has noticed the sweet, sexy media girl, but with a past that left his heart an echo chamber, his focus is on work. The occasional itch he scratches with meaningless, emotionless hook-ups. 
Though he’s determined to keep his hands off Bailey, he can’t resist when she makes it very clear she wants his hands on.

They’re on the same sexy page about their relationship--Bailey doesn’t have the time, and Mason doesn’t have the heart. But when meaningless sex suddenly becomes very meaningful, they find themselves in dangerous emotional waters.

Warning: This book contains a girl with a mad crush, a mad man with a mysterious past, secrets, lies, and shoes.

Plus Meg Benjamin's Love in the Morning:

Breakfast with benefits...

The reality show Lovely Ladies of L.A. should have launched Lizzy Apodaca's catering company into solvency. Instead, when her carefully prepared appetizers mysteriously gave the cast on-camera food poisoning, she lost everything.

To make matters worse, her car breaks down in Salt Box, Colorado, a town not much bigger than a salt shaker. But maybe her luck is changing—the handsome owner of Praeger House, the town's premier hotel, needs a kitchen assistant.

Clark Denham realizes his diamond in the rough is a polished gem when Lizzy steps up to save the hotel's breakfast buffet after his temperamental head chef quits. It isn't long before she's winning his heart as smoothly and efficiently as she runs his kitchen.

Their relationship goes from simmer to rolling boil with the speed of a short order cook. But when a bevy of not-so-lovely ladies shows up in Salt Box, Lizzy's past disaster threatens to flatten her happily ever after faster than a falling soufflé. 

Warning: Contains salty dialogue, several servings of high-carb cooking, and a big platter of screaming-hot bedroom delights.

How could you resist either one? So why not run on out and Buy (Them) Now? 

No Obligation Required
Love in the Morning

Throwback Thursday - Lessons In Love

Move over, Mary Poppins! A free–spirited teacher is about to give a buttoned-up royal something he never expected-a lesson in love.

Hungry for adventure and eager to break free of her snobby home town, Brynn Dexter takes a teaching job in a foreign country, sight unseen. But when she arrives, she discovers the Laurivenia Academy doesn't exist. And neither does the teaching job.

Alex du Charbonneaux, crown prince of Laurivenia, is tired of intense media scrutiny, and wary of social-climbing women who stoop to feigning interest in his vulnerable five-year-old daughter in order to get close to him. So if he fudged the details of the "teaching job" to protect his child-and his privacy-who can blame him?

His careful plans begin to unravel the moment Brynn appears on his doorstep. She is beautiful and free spirited, nothing like the dowdy, obedient nanny he ordered.

While being a nanny to a princess is a far cry from the teaching position Brynn expected, she quickly realizes the child is in dire need of a little fun in her life-as is her stuffed-shirt father. As she sets out to teach both of them how to live a little, sparks fly and unexpected passion burns between her and Alex.

But Alex's deep-rooted suspicions linger, and Brynn struggles with the feeling that she is not good enough for him. So when the paparazzi discover their affair, all bets are off.

Can the prince and the nanny find common ground-and learn to trust in love?

Amazon | B & N | Kobo | iBooks | Powells | Amazon Canada | Amazon United Kingdom | Google Play| Samhain

Book BIN Tuesday - Fallen Embers

There's a thin line between blood and madness.

Children of Night, Book 5

Early Twelfth Century. When the half-civilized Conrad Quintano stumbles upon a stacked battle on an isolated beach, his first instinct is to walk away. What does he care if a bunch of worthless vampires kill each other? But a dying ember of chivalry compels him to rescue the pretty female vampire in distress—radically altering the course of his already cursed life.

Present Day. Marc Fischer continues his desperate search for Elise, while his newly single twin sister, Julie, is hooking up with everything that moves—at least that's how it looks to a jealous Armand. As the twins' unusual abilities grow stronger, Marc makes the mistake of trying to protect Julie from what he's learned about their true nature.

Meanwhile, Conrad's relationship with Georgia—the vampire he saved centuries ago—is about to alter yet again. They've each been keeping dangerous secrets. Secrets with the power to destroy the entire clan. Now, with Julie's life threatened, the Fischer-Quintano vampires will learn the most painful truth of all. No lie lies hidden forever.

Product Warnings

Proceed with caution. Storm warnings and small craft advisory are in effect as romantic alliances form and re-form at random. Expect to encounter any or all of the following: old hippies, new friends, erroneous conclusions prematurely jumped to, and best-laid plans gone seriously awry—thanks in no small part to the actions of a certain impetuous Spaniard. 

Can't wait to run out and Buy It Now!

Throwback Thursday - Ritual Love

Samhain! Time travel! A Druid priest! And my favorite spot in Scotland, the Isle of Iona. This book was SO much fun to write, even if it is a bit of a departure from my usual fare.

 Scientist Moira Sinclair doesn’t believe in magic. Or at least she hasn’t since childhood. She’s only come to Iona in remembrance of her long-deceased grandmother, the last person who encouraged her fanciful side. But now she’s stumbled onto a secret druid ritual—and into another time.

Aedan Ap Crannog is furious to discover an outsider spying on their sacred, banned Samhain rites. With her strange garb and stranger mannerisms, Moira is unlike any woman he’s ever known. But she could cause trouble for him and the people who follow him in the ancient ways. To prevent her from sounding the alarm, he takes her captive, hiding her in the labyrinth of caves along the far shore.

Despite their differences, sparks burn between them as brightly as the Samhain bonfire. Now captive and captor must find a way to bridge the centuries before the magic disappears with the dawn…

Amazon | B & N | Kobo | iBooks | Powells | Amazon Canada | Amazon United Kingdom | Google Play | Samhain

Throwback Thursday - Challenging Carter

The featured book this week is Challenging Carter, the final book in my Strip trilogy!

When the stakes are high, she's ready to shed more than her inhibitions-but will the man of her dreams rise to the challenge?

Dani's been in love with Carter forever. But she's nothing like the women he dates-glamorous, exciting, spotlight-ready. Instead, she's stuck in the 'best friend' role and can't seem to find a way out of it. Until a scheduling mix-up finds her enrolled in a strip aerobics class. Now this buttoned-down wallflower is finding her wicked side-and liking it!

What in the world happened to Carter's best bud? She's gone from sweet to sexy in ten seconds flat-and Carter's lucky enough to be around for the ride of a lifetime. But he knows from past experience that relationships don't last. He's got to get things back on track before the most important friendship in his life is damaged forever.

Problem is, Dani has no intention of going back to being "just friends". It's about time someone challenged Carter's assumptions about love and friendship-and Dani's just the woman to do it!

Amazon | B & N | Kobo | iBooks | Powells | Amazon Canada | Amazon United Kingdom | Google Play | Samhain

Throwback Thursday - Strip Tease

Strip Tease was my second book published, but it sold the same day as Taking the Cake - Angela James sent me an offer on both of them at the same time. It would be an understatement to say that it was an exciting day for me! Both TtC and ST are set in Seattle, with overlapping characters (also including Challenging Carter's heroine), and were a blast to write.

He’s vice. She’s nice. This potent mix has to be handled with care...

The Strip Series, Book 2

It seemed easy enough. Hit the local all-male strip club, pick a likely target and hire him for her best friend’s bachelorette party. But the stripper who catches Caroline’s eye has a different agenda. He’s an undercover cop, and Caroline ends up under arrest—for solicitation!

Tony DiMarco realizes too late that he’s made a mistake. Caroline’s reputation and business are suffering, and he feels responsible. He feels something else too—the pull of red-hot desire. He wants Caroline, but she’s afraid that he’s just trying to make up for his mistake. Can this determined vice cop teach her to trust him?

Warning: This title contains the following explicit sex and graphic language.

Amazon | B & N | Kobo | iBooks | Powells | Amazon Canada | Amazon United Kingdom | Google Play | Samhain

Throwback Thursday - Taking the Cake

Taking the Cake was my first published book, released by Samhain in August of 2006. A new cover in 2013 spruced it up nicely. I've got such a soft spot for this story!

TAKING THE CAKE

Mollie Mason is sure her night can't get any worse. Stuck in an inflatable rubber cake, she overhears her fiancé slamming her to the entire guest list of his bachelor party - and then she catches him cheating! But discovering that her high school crush has witnessed her humiliation is the icing on the cake.

Cade Gallagher has wanted Mollie for years. And when she asks him to prove to the world - and herself - that she's not just a good girl, he knows he'd be a fool to say no. But she wants just a temporary fling. Will two weeks be enough time to convince her to take a chance on him - forever?

A walk on the wild side with her favorite bad boy is just what this good girl needs!

Amazon | B & N | Kobo | iBooks | Powells | Amazon Canada | Amazon United Kingdom | Google Play | Samhain

Book BIN Tuesday - In The Dark (Children of Night) - FREE!

Yes, it's true! For one more week, PG Forte's In The Dark is free on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Go get a copy ASAP!

When you live forever, you’re bound to make a few mistakes.

Children of Night, Book 1

1969 San Francisco. World-weary Conrad Quintano should have known better than to fall in love with a human—much less Suzanne Fischer, the barely legal, adventure-seeking hippie beauty known as Desert Rose. And the very last thing he should have agreed to do was to raise her babies and protect them with his life. But even twelve-hundred-year-old master vampires can find it hard to reject a deathbed request—especially when issues of love, guilt and blood are involved.

Present day. Raised in virtual isolation, twins Marc and Julie Fischer have always known they are vampires. But they never knew their parentage—or their unique status in the vampire world—until their “uncle” Damian comes to fetch them home. The family reunion, however, isn’t what they expect. They’re thrust into a world for which they’re totally unprepared. And the father they expected to see, Conrad, is missing.

How to find him…and whom to trust? Solving the mystery of betrayal and vampire family values will prove the Beatles had it right. All you need is love…and an occasional side of blood.

Book BIN Tuesday - Busted by Sydney Somers

It's Promise Harbor Wedding book three!  Check it out:

His game...her rules.

Hockey star Jackson Knight has a hundred reasons not to return to Promise Harbor, but none of them are good enough to get him out of attending his best friend’s wedding. Even with a career-ending knee injury, every puck-bunny in town will be gunning for him.

Worse, getting a pair of cuffs slapped on him at the bachelor party could ruin any chance of getting back in the game, even as a coach. Unless he can convince the arresting officer to smooth things over—by going to the wedding as his date.

Hayley Stone figures posing as Jackson’s girlfriend is the least she can do to salvage his reputation. Plus, having a man with a toe-curling smile on her arm will keep her ex off her back.

What starts as a simple plan to deflect small-town pot-shots unexpectedly becomes a sizzling night that hits Jackson like a full-body-check to the heart. Now he’s determined to prove that she’s the best of reason of all to come home—for good.

Warning: Contains a fiery powerplay both on and off the ice, skin-tingling forced intimacy, interfering grandparents, bear costume hijinks, a haunted house and the kind of game-changing chemistry worth fighting for.   

Don't miss out! Run on over to Samhain and Buy It Now!

Book BIN Tuesday - Bolted by Meg Benjamin

Here it is - the second book in the Promise Harbor Wedding series!

 

Sometimes you have to get lost before you can find yourself.
Greta Brewster McBain in a bind. Two, if she’s really counting. First there’s the can-barely-breathe, bridesmaid’s dress from hell. Second, the stranger who just carried her “perfect” brother’s fiancée out the church door has made it impossible to tell her own mother about her own divorce.

Rather than confirm her reputation as the family screw-up, Greta takes a drive to clear her head.

Trapped in a hole and unable to reach his cell phone, Hank Mitchell is resigned to becoming a permanent part of his own archeological dig when help arrives—in the form of a woman who looks like a Gone With The Wind refugee. Behind the ruffles and lace, though, is something he appreciates: a woman who isn’t afraid of a little dirt.

Their instant connection draws Greta into the eccentric world of the Hotel Grand, where she impulsively trades her hoopskirts for an apron. Soon things are getting hot, not only in the hotel kitchen, but in Hank’s arms...

Warning: Contains hot moonlit sex, a melancholy turtle, two wisecracking seniors, and the world’s ugliest bridesmaid dress.
****

There you have it - now you just have to run on over to Samhain and Buy It Now!

Book BIN Tuesday - Spice and Secrets

It's no secret that I love Suleikha Snyder's writing. And here's a new novella, out today, for you to see why!

When fear writes the past, only love can direct the future.


Bollywood Confidential, Book 2
Priya Roy is back in Bollywood with a rock-hard body, a precious gem of a secret and a heart of ice. Producer/director Rahul Anand won’t waste this second chance at his first love. He’ll melt Priya’s resistance at any cost—even if it means returning to acting and negotiating his way onto her next project. Hell, if she’d give him half a chance, he’d write himself into every scene of her life.

Talk show host Sunita “Sunny” Khanna and her brand-new producer, Davey Shaw, are determined to get Rahul and Priya on her show for a ratings-boosting reunion episode. She and Davey strike instant sparks, but Sunny, burned after her disastrous marriage to a Bollywood bad boy, is determined not to fall into the fire.

Lurking on the edges of the frame is Rahul’s stepmother, trouble-making man-eater Nina Manjrekar. And when she hijacks the script, only honesty can turn a first draft into the romantic superhit it’s meant to be.

Warning: This book contains smoking, smoking and then kissing, kissing while lying, and some really, really questionable décor.

**** Seriously, go check her out! And it would be a perfect time to Buy It Now!

Meet The Author Monday - Suleikha Snyder

NAME:  Suleikha Snyder

BLOG: http://suleikhasnyder.blogspot.com

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/suleikhasnyder

TITLE OF FIRST BOOK: Spice and Smoke

RELEASE DATE:  April 10

FAVORITE WRITING STORY/SAYING/MEMORY: “Brevity is the soul of wit,” from Shakespeare’s favorite windbag, Polonius. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said it — both to myself and to people whose (nonfiction!) work I’ve edited. Whether it’s short, sweet, sexy or funny, never underestimate the effectiveness of getting right to the point.

FAVORITE NON-WRITING STORY/SAYING/MEMORY: I’ve never watched the U.S. version of The Office, so I don’t even know where I might have picked it up from, but I say “That’s what she said!” way more than is advisable. I overuse it to the point where some friends of mine have suggested I write a TWSS moment into a novella. (Don’t worry: I haven’t managed to fit one in yet.) (That’s what she said!)

COMFORT FOOD: Anything fried, particularly empanadas or samosas. I completely adore mac & cheese. In fact, the one thing more excellent than mac & cheese is fried mac & cheese.

COMFORT READ: A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L’Engle

YOUR PERFECT DAY: Starts with coffee and ends with a smile. 

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?:  I’m currently working on the sequel to Spice and Smoke, Spice and Secrets. It’s a multicultural contemporary romance. Two couples — a pair of former sweethearts and a fiery talk show hostess and her producer — must work through lies, misgivings and past relationship baggage in order to find love. I also have a couple of other Bollywood/South Asian-themed romances up my sleeve. Let’s just say that I’m realllly excited about 2012!

Book BIN Tuesday - Restraining the Receptionist

There's a new book out this week from the pen of Juniper Bell! Here are the deets:

Every deal has a loophole.

…the Receptionist, Book 2

Dana Arthur’s new job with the firm of Cowell & Dirk is going well. Translation: the occasionally kinky ménage with her two bosses, Ethan and Simon, has been several months of politically incorrect bliss.

Except the relationship feels unbalanced. While Ethan is the undisputed master, the partners’ iron-clad agreement stipulates that Simon must be present as she performs her “duties”. And she senses there’s a subtle, powerful tug-of-war developing for more than just her body.

Simon had agreed to share the firm’s fiery, sensually daring receptionist…to a point. With Simon out of town, Ethan plans a feast of erotic temptations designed to have Dana begging him to break the deal. He didn’t realize his heart would be a casualty.

Once she surrenders to his wicked demands, Dana realizes there’s no going back. It’s time for a three-way renegotiation…this time, all or nothing.

Product Warning

NSFW!! Do Not Try This at Your Job. Contains highly inappropriate workplace behavior including m/f/m, m/m, bondage, creative use of office space and a high-stakes trip to Atlantic City.

****

Whew! That should heat up your week, don't you think? So why not head over to Samhain and Buy It Now?

Book BIN Tuesday - Flash Point

Shelli Stevens has a new book out today, and it looks like a fantastic read! Here are the details on Flash Point:

One taste of her lips, and friendship is off the menu.

Holding Out for a Hero, Book 3

Kate has always been everybody’s friend and the de-facto little sister to the Wyatt brothers. But her feelings for Todd Wyatt, the town’s hottest firefighter, run far beyond the sibling variety. Not that he’s ever noticed.

After years of nursing her crush, Kate decides it’s time to take action. Except she has one awkward little secret: she’s still a virgin. She hopes she can seduce Todd without him realizing just how inexperienced she is.

In Todd’s mind, Kate’s the sweet girl he teases and hits up for free cupcakes. One surprise kiss over the summer, though, and suddenly she’s jumped from the platonic side of his brain to the want-her-in-my-bed side. Even though the last thing he wants is to lose her friendship, his resistance to her determined seduction is slipping. Fast.

When malicious attacks on her bakery escalate, it soon becomes clear that for all Kate’s friends, she’s made at least one big enemy. And if they don’t figure it out soon, things could take a deadly turn.

Product Warnings
A sexy firefighter. A virgin bakery owner. A dollop of role playing, kinky costumes, friends becoming lovers, and a little danger along the way.

*****

Sounds fabu, no? So why not run over to Samhain and Buy It Now?

First Review! And assorted odds and ends...

I was thrilled to get a link to my first review a few days ago, by Maldivian Book Reviewer. So happy she liked the book!

"All in all a very satisfying read which has definitely made me curious to seek out the books in her back list and give them a go. Recommended for those who love a good contemporary romance featuring a couple you would root for right from the very beginning." 4 out of 5 stars

Also, thanks to everyone who helped Take A Chance On Me hit the bestseller's lists at Samhain. It reached 1st on the Men In Uniform list, 2nd on the Contemporary list, and 3rd on the overall bestseller's list. :)

I've got TWO blog posts up elsewhere today, so I hope you can take a minute to stop by and say hello. On Kinsey Holley's blog, I'm outing myself as a klutz (and discussing how my newest heroine shares that trait), while on Nine Naughty Novelists I'm talking about food. Fun!



Speaking of the NNN, we'll be hanging out in the Samhain Cafe on the 9th, so you can find me there as well.



And since it's Friday, here's a little inspiration for you. Enjoy!

Blog-Hopping, and happy news!

I'm over on Delilah Devlin's blog today chatting about Shakespeare, and tomorrow I'll be visiting Desert Island Keepers with a post on office romances. (Or, in the case of Jessica and Tom, school romances.) Stop by and say hey!

Also, Take A Chance On Me hit the Samhain bestseller list today at #10. I'm so thrilled, and thankful to everyone who bought a copy and helped put the book there.

Have a great Wednesday!

Book BIN Tuesday - Take A Chance On Me!

It's finally here! My long-awaited new release from Samhain, Take a Chance On Me, is now available for purchase. Just in case you haven't seen the blurb yet, here's what it's about:

Accept no substitute…for love.
The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

Jessica Martin is determined to earn a permanent teaching position at Summit High School. That means hard work, dedication, and even volunteering extra time to direct the school’s Shakespeare play. Which leaves no room for romance—especially with a co-worker. She didn’t factor in the school’s sexy security officer and the delicious fantasies he inspires.

Too Much Of A Good Thing

Former cop Tom Cameron likes his job. Or he did, until the new substitute busted his orderly life right open. Now, he can’t seem to avoid her—deserted hallways, empty theaters, classrooms after dark—but he’s got too many skeletons in his closet to risk his heart again. Asking her out to distract her from the play’s, well, drama is a friendly gesture. Nothing more.

The Course Of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

Their chemistry could melt down the science lab, and before long they’re burning up the sheets off-campus. And uncovering raw emotions—a stark reminder that love isn’t in their curricula. When a troubled student goes over the edge, though, the need to stop a tragedy brings them right back where they started—face to face with fate.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Product Warnings
This book contains sexy encounters in classrooms, inappropriate use of school facilities, backstage shenanigans, and illicit activities on a ferryboat.

So there you have it! I hope you decide to take a chance on TACOM. And if you do, I hope you enjoy it!

Some buy links:

Samhain

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Sony Reader

Countdown to TACOM - The Final Excerpt!

Curious to know a little bit more about Tom Cameron, the hero of Take A Chance on Me? For the final excerpt before release day, I thought I'd share a snippet that focuses on him. Enjoy!

*****
The main parking lot was largely empty by the time Tom left his customary post at the entrance to the school. Most students were on their way home or busy in after-school activities. Still, just to be sure, Tom made it a habit to walk the halls of the school every day after school. You never knew what might be going on in the dark recesses of the old building.

He started in the basement, peering around corners and testing doors. Everything was locked up tight as a drum. Evidently, the art teacher had finally taken his advice and started locking her classroom.

He’d collared some not-so-bright students there after school one day, apparently under the impression that the smell of art supplies would mask the odor of their marijuana. They hadn’t counted on the smoke drifting under the closed door and out into the hall.

Everything checked out downstairs, so he headed back up. His pace slowed a bit as he reached the Language Arts wing. She’d probably gone home already. And even if she was still there, he wasn’t about to disturb her again today. No, he’d just check the door and keep walking.

Still, he felt the briefest letdown when he reached her classroom and saw that it was already locked and dark. Against his will, his mind dredged up an image of Jessica from this morning, the professional cut of her dark blue jersey dress doing little to hide her curves.

Even weighed down with paperwork, she had a look that put his libido on simmer.
He shook his head and turned around, heading for the next hallway. She was a fellow staff member, and therefore off-limits. Tom didn’t date co-workers. Not even co-workers as attractive as Jessica Martin.

To be honest, he didn’t date anyone, co-worker or not. Oh, his sister occasionally took her life into her hands and accidentally invited a female to dinner on the same night he came over, but nothing ever came of it. He wouldn’t let it. None of them were worth lowering his guard for.

He hadn’t consciously decided to live a solitary lifestyle, but that’s what had happened. It wasn’t a bad life, he supposed. He had a nice apartment in a quiet part of town. He could eat cold canned spaghetti over the sink and not worry about getting hell for it. He never had to share the remote control. He could sprawl across the bed without someone complaining how he was on her side.

Of course, there was also the silence. The half-empty closets. The embarrassing moments when he turned to comment on an article in the morning paper and no one was there. The times he woke in a cold sweat in the middle of the night and reached blindly across the king-size bed, only to find empty space.

The nightmares were diminishing in number with time, thank God, but not in intensity. He could still smell the sharp tang of gunpowder, feel the sticky warmth of someone else’s spilled blood. Like Lady Macbeth, he sometimes wondered if his hands would ever be clean.

Four years ago, that nightmare had been real. But even then, back when his king-sized bed had held two, there was no one he could have turned to for comfort.

No, the only person he could truly depend on was himself. And sometimes, in the middle of the night, he wasn’t even sure about that.

*****

Just one more day, y'all! :)

Countdown to TACOM - Excerpt the Second!

Here's another peek at Take A Chance On Me, out Tuesday from Samhain:

*****
“This is totally amazing!”

Tom smiled as he watched Jessica lean against the thick green railing, a chill wind rushing through her tousled red-brown hair. She spread her arms wide, bracing herself against the railing of the small deck overlooking the front of the ferry.

Below, white-capped waves crashed against the edge of the car deck, leaving puddles on the walkways and riming the safety ropes with salt.

She turned around, laughing with delight. “You were absolutely right. This is exactly what I needed.”

He flashed a cocky smile. “Told you so.”

“I think it’s what we both needed,” she said. “It’s wonderful to set the stress and pressure aside for a few hours.”

“Glad you enjoyed it.” Tom squinted into the distance. “We’re about fifteen minutes from docking.”

Jessica sighed. “Then back to reality. Thanks again, Tom.”

“You still have a couple of minutes. Sure you don’t want to do the whole Titanic thing? I promise I won’t let you fall off the front of the boat.”

Jessica rolled her eyes at him. “I’m feeling better, but I’m not exactly king-of-the-world material. And I don’t think there are any icebergs in Puget Sound.”

Tom nodded. “It’s cold, but it’s not that cold.” He reached out and pulled her coat collar closer together, tucking the fringes of her scarf around her neck to block out the wind.

She stilled, her eyes darkening as she stared at him. Tom’s grip tightened on her coat, his fingers clutching the fabric. Slowly, deliberately, he lowered his head to hers.

Their previous kisses had been spontaneous combustion. This one was a steamy, languid dip in the Olympic Hot Springs. He tasted her lips slowly, placing soft nibbling kisses from corner to corner. Angling his head, he pressed his mouth against hers and swept his tongue across her lower lip.

Her mouth opened on a sigh and he moved forward, noting with pleasure the exact point where the chill of the outdoor air gave way to the heat of Jessica’s mouth. His ears tingled and his cheeks were close to numb from the winter wind howling across the small ferry deck. But inside, he would swear he was running one hell of a fever.

She was close, so close, but with all the layers of clothing between them she might as well have been against the opposite rail. Tom groaned, gripping her lapel as he continued the kiss, his overactive imagination helpfully supplying a reminder of the sweet curves buried under all that winter wool. Thank God he was bundled up just as tightly, or she would be getting a very clear picture of how much he was enjoying this repeat performance.

Suddenly, the ferry gave a pitching roll, shuddering as it lifted above the waves and heaved down again. They stumbled apart, both clinging tightly to the other’s coat and breathing heavily.

Through sheer force of will, Tom unclenched his fingers and released Jessica’s now-wrinkled charcoal gray winter coat. He ran a hand through his wind-tossed hair, sucking in a deep breath. The air was thick with exhaust from the ferry engines, combined with the tang of salt spray and impending rain. And overlaying it all was the crisp citrus scent of Jessica.

She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his chest. He watched as a shuddering sigh traveled the length of her spine. Even through his winter layers he could feel the heat of her breath as it puffed against his solar plexus. A shiver wrapped around his midsection.

She mumbled something into his coat, but the combination of rushing wind and rumbling ferry engines drowned out any chance of hearing it. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leading her back toward the relative warmth and bright lights of the main cabin.

But before they could go inside, she grabbed the lapel of his coat and dragged him past the doorway into the darkened alcove under the stairs to the upper deck.

“What are you—?” His statement was cut off when she wrapped one hand around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.

She began talking between kisses, her words almost lost in the feverish embrace. “I. Don’t. Want. To. Stop.”

Book BIN Tuesday - An Embarrassment of Riches!

Today is a very good day to buy a romance, because so many fabulous-sounding books are being released today. Here are a few of the ones that have caught my eye:

YOURS, MINE AND HOWLS, Kinsey Holley

Sometimes happily ever after is on the wrong side of death’s door.

Werewolves in Love, Book 2

Thirteen years ago, Ally Kendall died defending her young cousin from his werewolf stepfather.

She hasn’t been the same since.

Ally returned from the hereafter with strange new powers, burdened with the secret of why and how she survived. She managed to scrape her life together and raise her cousin, but now he needs a pack to guide him into adulthood. That means pulling up stakes yet again and heading for Colorado to find the only werewolf qualified for the job. A werewolf, she discovers, who tempts her to give up control in a thousand sinful ways.

Cade MacDougall, Alpha of an unrecognized pack, has a tragic history, a sizable ranch, and a daughter who thinks she’s a cat. Time to find a mate? Don’t make him laugh. Until Ally shows up with a smokin’ hot, preternaturally strong body that smells like mine, and introduces him to a nephew who holds the key to unraveling mysteries about Cade’s family—and himself.

But Ally’s holding something back. As Cade’s enemies gather, the cowboy and his secretive new mate must come clean about their mysterious pasts…or else all hope of protecting their newly formed family—and their future—will be lost.

Product Warnings
A sexy, smartass alpha hero, a heroine who could kick his ass if she wanted, heart-pounding action, and some serious werewolf cowboy lovin’.

TURN IT UP, Vivian Arend

She wants it. He’s got it…and a whole lot more.


Turner Twins, Book 2

Maxwell Turner considers his stubborn and resourceful attitude a plus. After all, it usually gets him what he wants—except for Natasha Bellingham. The long-time family friend may be ten years older than he, but so what? He’s plenty old enough to know they belong together. Now all he has to do is convince her.

Over the past few years Natasha’s love life has degenerated into a series of bad clichés. Her biological clock is ticking—loudly. As a proven architect with her own house-design company, she’s financially ready for a baby. Who says she needs a permanent man in her life for that? She just needs a “donation”.

When Max discovers Natasha’s future plans include artificial insemination, he’s outraged. She wants to get pregnant? No problem. He’s more than willing to volunteer—no turkey basters involved.

But there’s one non-negotiable clause: He wants forever. And he intends to do everything in his power—fair and unfair—to make it happen.

Product Warnings
This title contains one younger man ready, aimed and hell bent on giving one woman everything she wants. Includes interludes against the wall, in a Jacuzzi, on a car hood and even—shockingly enough—on a bed or two. Oh, and about that porch swing? Yup…

GUNNING FOR TROUBLE, Helen Kay Dimon


When he was recruited by the Recovery Project, Caleb Mattern found a new lease on life. Tracking missing persons. Protecting witnesses. But even after stretching his muscles and becoming one of the company's elite agents, he couldn't leave his past behind. Avery Walters wouldn't let him.

His former boss had also been his onetime lover, and now she's burst back into his life with dangerous consequences. But settling old scores won't be on the agenda—not yet! With the nation's security depending on them to act appropriately, Caleb must pull off the most impossible assignment of his career. Now that Avery's put her life in his hands, what will Caleb do with it?

I'm sure there are more I've missed. What are you looking forward to this week? And are you heading out soon to Buy It Now?