Category Archives: reading

Romance on the Rocks

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Martinis and Romance, Romance and Martinis. Which came first? And does it even really matter?

I don’t think so.

But what is coming first, middle and last, is Romance on the Rocks. It’s a new blog, yo. With some really great writers of all the things that are sexy and fabulous.

And the theme? You guessed it. Our favorite cocktails! Mine of course is the dirty martini. I love the olive juice as it cuts against the clear liquid. In the beginning, I began with vodka. Because it’s clear and tasteless. But I have since learned to love the gin. But… it has to be a softer gin. Like Boodles or Plymouth. Regardless, I am digging on regular martinis in addition to my dirty ones. Every once in a while, I still bust out the olive juice. But now, I use olives stuffed with blue cheese. I’ve heard of these being called dirty executives. I likey. So Dirty Executive, it is. Regardless of which martini drink you might favor, they are all delish.

Now, crack open a bottle and grab a man or a book and drink, people. Alcohol is the lube of life. And when it comes to Romance, alcohol makes everything go down far more smoothly.

Here’s the link to the fabulous new blog. Romance on the Rocks

Spring Fling Blog Hop Winner & NIGHT BLIND Release Day

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springflinghop

We have a winner, boys and girls!

BookLady is the winner of my portion of the blog hop and is getting an ebook copy of FARSEEN. Keep checking back to see who wins the big rafflecopter prizes.  Woohoo for her! 🙂

Thank you to everyone who participated and made the blog hop a fabulous success! I had a really good time and I hope all of you did as well.

***

And the goodness doesn’t just stop there. 😉 Today is the day that NIGHT BLIND is on general release from Totally Bound. They are a fabulous group of people and my book can’t help but to have some of that fabulousness rub off on it.

 

nightblind_postcard

NIGHT BLIND

Night Blind is Part 2 of the OtherKind Prequel. FarSeen is Part 1.  They are both standalone novellas in their own right. However, they are best read together.

 

Warning… maybe: One shifter new to manlove, one witch new to threesomes, and one vampire who’s been there and done that… a thousand times. At least. They’re all new to each other. Add in crazed bad guys unleashing diseases of mass destruction, and well… what happens in Dallas, it’s not gonna stay in Dallas. Light m/m action, some anal and LOTS of hot menage.

 

EXCERPT:

He walked toward her. Stalked would be a more apt description.

“Are you hungry, little witch?” he purred.

“No.”

“Good.”

He took her face into his hands. Slowly, so she had time to protest, he brought his mouth closer to hers. Um, yeah, she was so not going to protest. Her magic flung itself out and wrapped around Lucien, rubbing up against his power. She didn’t need to see to know what it was doing. The rubbing was shooting sparks all over her body.

He brought his hand to the underside of her hair at the nape of her neck. He twined his fingers into her curls and gripped. Not hard but very firm. Using his leverage, he kept her head completely still.

He covered her mouth with his, almost touching. She could feel his breath on her lips, warm and humid. She couldn’t move her head, not one millimeter, his hold on her was that firm. All she could do was wait, wait for him to make the next move.

She knew vampires were notoriously controlling. She hadn’t thought about what that meant in the bedroom. Lucien was the Lord of the East. How much more controlling would he be compared to others of his kind? She had a feeling she was about to find out.

He bit down on her bottom lip. Then he licked the bite as if to soothe it. It did the opposite and shot her arousal into the stratosphere. She’d always liked a bit of pain with her pleasure. She had a feeling, though, her boundaries in that regard were going to be tested.

 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon
AllRomance
Barnes and Noble

nightblind_banner

Autism Awareness Blog Hop

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April is Autism awareness month, with April 2 as its official “day,” and there’s an autism awareness blog hop going on… so. Here we are.

Click the pic to go to the main hop page

I’m not sure why there’s been such a huge increase in incident of autism. Seemingly rational people become not so much when discussing the same. Still, I don’t remember anyone being diagnosed with autism when I was growing up. But I do know several children today who have one form or another. So to increase awareness, to bring attention, and to generally be supportive, this blog hop is taking place.

Perhaps the best known form of autism is Asperger syndrome. People with Asperger syndrome are often of average or above-average intelligence. They have fewer problems with speech than people with other types of autism, but may find it difficult to understand and process language. I have two friends with sons who have Asperger’s. They are bright, funny boys. And because they have Asperger’s many times people can’t tell. But even the milder forms of autism need help and therapy and to have other’s made aware of this serious condition.

In honor of this month and all the fabulous people who are so supportive, I’m giving away an ebook copy of either FarSeen or Hat Trick, the choice is yours. I would supply a copy of Night Blind, but it’s not released yet (hint: I will be doing a hop later this month giving away an ebook copy of Night Blind). So if you pick FarSeen, and then Night Blind sometime later, you’ll have both parts of the OtherKind Prequel. So leave me a comment about anything, even if it doesn’t have anything to do with autism. I’ll draw the winner on April 15- TAX DAY! You know, cause SOMETHING good should happen that day. lol

 

 

Smutty Sunday: Reviews Catch Up

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Today’s reviews will have a mix of bought and NetGalley books. I will let you know which is which in the body of the review. I know I’ve got quite a few book reviews to get through. And I will. I’m not going to download anymore books until I get my backlog caught up completely. Hopefully, getting new books will be the carrot that makes me get these damn reviews out.

First up…

1. Beneath the Patchwork Moon by Alison Kent

This was a NetGalley read. Thank you for them, Ms. Kent,  and Montlake for the opportunity to read this work.

Now onto the review…

This book just confused me. I just didn’t understand the whole premise. Three friends are driving. There’s a wreck. One of dies. Ones in a permanent vegetative state. And one broke her hip, was hospitalized and got better eventually.

Everyone hates the one with the broken hip.

Even though she wasn’t driving. Even though the accident wasn’t her fault. Even though all this happened when they were stupid teenage kids. And to top all this off, no one will talk about anything. They just hate the broken hip girl, umm, just because she’s alive and can be hated. By her surrogate family, even. People who’ve known her since she was little. Did I say the accident isn’t her fault?

And then there’s the weird, bizarre love thing. With the dead kids brother. Who just kinda deserts her after his family turns their back on her. So she loses both her best friends, everyone hates her, dead girls family hates her the most and then to top it all off the boyfriend bails.

And the whole thing with the vegetative state kid’s family? More strangeness. I did not get this book at all. I kept waiting for it to make sense. I’m still waiting.

 

2. Dark Witch: Book One of the Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy by Nora Roberts

I picked this book up on Amazon when it was on sale for like $3.99 or something. Figured I couldn’t go wrong at that price. Boy, was I mistaken.

Sadly, I neither liked the characters nor the story here. Roberts writes well. I just didn’t connect with the characters. I didn’t give a shit about the love story OR the paranormal one. It was all very blah. And I found myself skimming huge chunks of this book.

I will not get the rest in this series. That’s the way it is for me with this writer. I either love it–Witness–or I hate it–this.

Spring Fling Blog Hop

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Today’s the first day of Spring. The Vernal Equinox for those of you wanting to use more astrological terms. lol It is the day the North American continent begins to tilt in a way as to bring the sun closer to that portion of the surface of our planet.Sepia Shot of a Young Kissing Couple.

Like little flower, the sun after the long cold season makes me turn my face up towards it. I dunno why  but Spring makes me think of going slightly crazy, a little punch drunk, a bit bonkers. Which shouldn’t be a surprise after being cooped up for the dark, cold months of winter.

Flowers make me think of the birds and the bees. Well, mostly bees. But if you get as far as the bees, you can’t help but think of the birds as well. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone when I say Spring makes think of love, romance and sex. Okay, lots of things–including Spring–makes me think of love, romance and sex.  I write the stuff for shitsake. 😀

In honor of Spring, I’m doing this fling to celebrate. So much to be happy for, but the one right now is that winter is gonna finally be over AND because I had two books release last month. Hat Trick is one of them and is the ebook on giveaway for this hop. It was serendipity to have an ebook about weddings and babies and best men and maids of honor come out just in time for Spring, but there you have it.

Leave me a comment and let me know why you love Spring, or just tell me anything at all for a chance to win my prize. And then go to the other blog hop participants for more cool things to win on their blogs and increase your chances for the grand prizes. The Rafflecopter link is below, and the main blog hop can be found here or by clicking on the Spring Fling Blog Hop button up above. When the Hop is over, check back at all the places to see what awesome swag you’ve won.

The blurb for Hat Trick is below. and you can find a snippet here.

Blurb:

Silas is a professional soccer player and Best Man at his best friend’s wedding. Emma is in upper management and Maid of Honor at her best friend’s wedding. When the Silas and Emma wake up the next morning in bed together, the worst thing they thought the night before had given them was a hangover.

Now the Maid of Honor is showing up to the wedding pregnant with the Best Man’s baby. On the way to their own happy ending, Emma and Silas have to overcome their dislike of each other and the situation. If that isn’t enough, the past always has a way of coming back to haunt the present making it anyone’s guess if Emma and Silas will play to advantage or commit a foul.

GRAND PRIZES:

*Special THANKS goes out to Blushing Books and authors Sue Lyndon, Patty Devlin and Cara Bristol for their contributions to the Grand Prizes!! 🙂

1 Kindle Fire (Donated by Blushing Books)
1 $75 Amazon (or B&N) Gift Card
1 $25 Starbucks Gift Card (Donated by Sue)
1 $25 Blushing Books Gift Card (Donated by Patty)
1 $25 Loose Id Gift Card (Donated by Cara)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday Snippet: Show Me

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Show Me anthology

My short story, Show Me, released last month from Cleis Press. Kristina Wright was editor and Lauren Dane wrote the forward. There are lots of really good writers who have contributed to this wonderful collection. The stories are hot which is why they are included in a Best EROTIC Romance 2014 collection. That’s all the warning you’re gonna get cause the title should be self-evident. Seriously.

Because my story is a short one, the snippet from it will be short as well. The book is BIG, though. So check my story out as well as all the others by some pretty damn fabulous writers.

Here’s what one review said about my story. Click on the link and it’ll take you to her Amazon review (she left it on Goodreads as well if you prefer to read your reviews there) which includes all of the stories in this anthology, not just mine:

Show Me by D.R. Slaten

Dani’s boyfriend wants to watch her pleasure herself. – Good, short and sexy story. Her embarrassment afterward was rather amusing.

~By MsRomanticReads “Michelle” (Texas)
Amazon Reviewer

Snippet:

I slowly rolled over. Cupping my breasts as I spread my legs. Exposed. Bare.

“Show me,” he whispered. So softly that I had to strain to hear the words he spoke. “Let me see, baby. Show me more.”

I kept my eyes downcast. I couldn’t look at him. My nerve wouldn’t have withstood his direct gaze.

I hadn’t realized how much I would like his eyes on my, watching me. But even as I knew that I liked that he stared at me, I still couldn’t look at him.

Smutty Sunday: More NetGalley Roundup

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It’s been a while since I’ve done a Smutty Sunday. I just haven’t had time to read all the good books I’ve downloaded from NetGalley, or that I’ve just bought on my own because the deal was too good to pass up. I also will list a couple of titles I picked, but later decided against reading for one reason or another. Most of the time, I couldn’t read the selection not because of anything the author did, but rather because something about the story made me put the book down.

Anyway, here are a few reviews. And I will try to get to my backlog of books to be read.

1. Savage Secrets by Cristin Harber

I’m not going to tell you that I’ve liked all the books in this series equally. It simply wouldn’t be true. But out of all of ’em, I like this one the best. Seriously. I didn’t think I would based on my reaction to the last book I read in this series. I just knew Harber was a strong writer and I would enjoy the story. Maybe not love it.  But it would be good in that it would be edited, the plot would make sense and normal romance tropes would apply.

I liked Savage Secrets a whole lot more than a little bit. Color me surprised. Pleasantly so. Happily So.

Cat’s motivation made sense. Rocco had flaws– some really big. Being forced to work together just happens to be the best thing that could’ve happened to either of them. Only they might not realize it until it’s too late. But that’s the rub isn’t it. When you have two deeply flawed characters fighting for vengeance, redemption, sanity and love–well there’s going to be some mess and pain and crazy–it makes for a great storyline, and Harber takes that storyline and makes a great read.

 

2. A Husband’s Regret by Natasha Anders

I have mixed feelings about this book. I wanted to like this book. I loved the premise– husband makes a fatal error in judgment and the books looks at the process of rebuilding all that was lost. It was the execution I had serious problems with. There are numerous instances of WTFuckery.

Spoilers coming up.

Come on now. He’s rich–she runs away– neither finds the other. Really?!?! No one files for divorce. No one does anything about the kid. He doesn’t question his vision as he lay bleeding and losing consciousness. She doesn’t yell and tell him to piss off when he tells her to leave. None of their friends OR family questions her disappearance.

End spoilers.

 

Too many things just din’t add up for me. I’m willing to suspend belief… I really am… but I am not willing to overlook common sense and how the real world works in over 75 % of the work’s world, if that world is modern America or modern South Africa or modern Europe, etc. Umm, cause, just no. If your fictional world mirrors a real world, it would be in your best interest to make sure that world MIRRORS the other world closely. Exactly. Almost the same.  Otherwise, there will be people like me saying… all–WTF, over.

 

Can not review:

Off the Record by K.A Linde
The Companion y R.A Salvatore
The Godborn by Paul S. Kemp

Two Releases- WOOHOO!

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Show Me anthologyI have two new releases this month. My short story, Show Me, is part of the Best Erotic Romance 2014.  The book in hardcover and digital released last week. It is awesome-sauce-y. lol The story is a little risque- lol. I mean… it should be ’cause, ya’ know, it’s part of an erotic anthology. 🙂

Anyway, my couple is pretty new to their relationship and this story is a slice of their lives together. A very spicy peek into their bedroom. It’s hot, hot, hot!

Kristina Wright edited the anthology and Lauren Dane wrote the foreword. It rocks, seriously.

Enjoy!

Hat Trick (Name of the Game, #2) The second release I have this month is Hat Trick. It’s the second book in my novella series about some dudes who play poker together. Oh, they also happen to be professional athletes.

Home Run started the series. By the end of that book, the main characters had moved to Houston and gotten together. Hat Trick  introduces the guys in the poker players group.

Silas and Emma have their story in Hat Trick as a result of Dani and Noah getting married after they moved to Houston. Sparks fly as the best man and the maid of honor fulfill their duties to the marrying couple, and to each other.

Hot Autumn Nights Blog Hop

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One more blog hop to end the year on a high note. I’ve got a new release this month from Foreword Literary in their anthology entitled Holiday Spice. My story, HOMECOMING, is in there. It’s a brother’s best friend turned lover and their first holiday at home… together.

I also had a release late last month from Totally Bound entitled FARSEEN. That book has witchy goodness, menage and magic. FarSeen is Part 1 of a 2 part prequel to my OtherKind series. NIGHT BLIND  is Part 2. I just got my cover for it, and HAT TRICK. If you scroll down the side bar, you can see the cover for Night Blind.  Or scroll down the blog and read a snippet from it. Homecoming and FarSeen have numerous snippets peppered throughout the blog, click on snippet in the category or tags and it will pull them up for you in one location. To see the cover for Hat Trick, mouse over titles and click on Name of the Game. Hat Trick is Book 2 in that series.

So this blog hop is to celebrate those things, like my book releases or just to have fun around the holidays. lol Thanksgiving is one such holiday. Food, family and football. The ubiquitous recipe for food coma. Our country could get invaded during the aftermath of Thanksgiving dinner and we wouldn’t do more than groan and roll ourselves onto the couch to lie down. lol

Speaking of which, my favorite way to spend hot autumn nights– especially a Friday night, is to go watch a local high school football game. Hanging out with friends, neighbors and other parents cheering on the local team sipping hot apple cider with someone you like-like. 😉 Holding hands, grabbing a 3-2 beer, making out under bleachers and generally horsing around. Grinning like mad when the team scores, booing the refs off the field and shaking my groove thang to the slightly off-key marching band. Could any night get more perfect? Whether this is date night with your lover or just getting together with the community, what a great way to spend a fall night. Well, I guess if it turned even more sultry and hot later, you know, after the game with… a… smokin’… hot… round… of… ummm… kissing. Yeah, that’s it– kissing. 🙂

Anyway, you can choose either the Holiday Spice anthology with Homecoming or FarSeen as your ebook of choice. Just leave me a comment. I’d love it if you told me about your perfect hot autumn night, but any comment will do. Just be sure to include your email, which format you want the ebook and which ebook you want.

I hope you enjoy the hop. To get the most out of it, check out the others in the hop as well. There is a $80 grand prize gift card as well as cool winnable swag from other authors. The gift card is being picked at random from a commenter from one of the blogs.  If my understanding is correct, random.org is being used to pick a blog in the linky list at random, then a commenter from that blog will be picked at random. Just as an FYI– you increase your chances of winning the GRAND prize if you comment at each blog. So stop by, have fun and enjoy yourself!!!!

Saturday Snippet

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Got a small little snippet today. It’s from one of the pieces I’m working on right now. I debated from which work I was going to snag a snippet. But in the end, I couldn’t do Homecoming because I’m gonna do one when it releases next week. And I want to wait to do more snippets from Hat Trick until closer to its release. I’ve done several FarSeen ones already, as well as Home Run and Open Road. Soooooo, that left me with the choice between no snippet today because of the release next week, or the one I decided to put in this post.

Guess which option won out. 😉

Here’s my disclaimer: The snippet below is still  a work in progress. Little, no or substantial changes could be made to it before it sees the light of day. Also, it is unedited.

Snippet:

“You know it’s gonna be a bad day when you show up and people are dead,” she laughed. But it wasn’t really a laugh laugh. It was more like she was trying to laugh and not being very successful at it.

Bad jokes just fell from her mouth when she was stressed. It was totally an inappropriate response. She knew it. She couldn’t help it. Some people giggled inappropriately. Some people did other weird ticks or mannerisms. She told shitty jokes. She wasn’t a good joke teller in the best of times. When bad shit happened, her skill level didn’t increase by any stretch of the imagination.

Did she know when she arrived for the shoot today it was going to be a crappy day? She didn’t think so. Otherwise, she would’ve turned around and gone back home. But she hadn’t so it must’ve meant her day hadn’t been going bad up until that point.

But at some point up to and including finding one of her stunt co-workers dead in the trailer, well that would allow one to classify the rest of the day as fairly shitty. By most people’s definition of that word anyway.