Decadent's 1NS is Turning 200!

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there were these three brilliant authoress who came up with a very humble idea of a three book series featuring a mysterious matchmaker, one night stands and happily ever afters.  I honestly don't think Val, Kate and Olivia knew what a can of worms they were opening at the time, because their three book baby is now celebrating the 200th release this month.  And I'm happy to say that I've been  proud to not only be a part of this wonderful line but also that I've had the chance to play in Madame Eve's wonderful world.  So of course I've jumped at the chance to shout out to the world that we're celebrating this week!  This line is wonderful in the fact almost every sub-genre in the erotic romance genre has found a home there. 

So tell me what your favorite genre in 1NS line is?  

Is it Heather Long's sexy Marines, or perhaps the yummy paranormal world of Ann Mayburns's Pride of the Moon books? It could even be the sexy m/m stories that take place in the Caribbean. There's no end of options with this wonderful series. 

Simply enter your favorite in the comment section below along with an email address where I can reach you. And what do you get? Well, I'll be giving away one free 1NS book...any author, not just mine -  to one lucky winner!  

Before I go, I want to remind everyone that there are quite a few 1NS authors celebrating this week and to be sure to visit them all!  And enter for the grand prize in the rafflecopter form below!  Some pretty awesome gifts the ladies at Decadent are giving away!

I'll be celebrating 1NS's birthday at the following places this week!

October 15th - Sexy Erotic Xciting Reviews 

Article & Blind Need Giveaway

October 16th - Ellie Potts 

 Article & Swag Giveaway

October 17th - Harlie's Books

Article & Wyk's Surrender Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

©Dakota Trace All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

Sunset on Summer Fun: Giveaway

So the heat of summer is starting to give away to the cool breezes of fall. Before long we'll all be wearing sweatshirts, sipping on hot chocolate as we watch our high school football teams battle it out on Friday Nights.  Before that can happen, why not celebrate one last hurrah for the wonderful, if not hectic summer we've enjoyed?  What better way to do that than have a totally awesome give away?  And I'd have to say winning a Kindle or Nook would be an awesome way to wrap up the summer. So me and some friends - well a whole lot of friends have gotten together with my super cool publisher, Decadent and BTS eMag to celebrate the ending of summer.  

So what did you all do this summer? What fun memories did you make? What totally awesome books did you have time to read between work, kids and all the other mundane things that you had to tackle despite the kiddos being out?  

SILENCE

Aw being shy? How about this. I'll go first.  When I wasn't buried up to my neck in edits, the highlights of my summer were - in no particular order...LOL.

* the birth of my great-niece, Olivia

* my writing retreat in the Great Smoky Mountains

* creating a new section called Livvy's Playroom for my web site

* celebrating my middle daughter's birthday

* listening to Les Miserables Soundtrack over and over as my oldest practiced it for Marching Band

* finally having time to read Lora Leigh's book Naughty Temptress. 

MORE SILENCE

Okay how about I sweeten the pot? If you take the time to comment, I'll enter you for the chance to win one of the three books I have out with Decadent Publishing.  

I'll be giving away a copy of: 

*Blind Need (a contemporary 1Night Stand short) to one lucky winner

*His Just Desserts (a contemporary m/m foodie romance) to one lucky winner

or 

*Wyk's Surrender (a contemporary BDSM 1Night Stand) to one lucky winner 

Just make sure you leave an email for me to contact you at.  Now that, that's out of the way, don't forget to take the time to hop to the other stops on the tour to be entered to win the grand prize of a Nook or Kindle. The linky list is below for your convenience. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

©Dakota Trace All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

Review Tour: Crimson Lust by Rebecca Royce (with giveaway)

Hey Peeps - once again I have the pleasure of being part of one Rebecca Royce's book review tours.  I was super-excited once I read the blurb and let me tell you, I wasn't dissapointed...but you can read more about that in the review at the end.  Instead lets get to the fun stuff first.  How about the blurb and a nice steamy excerpt...oh and we can't forget the very generous prizes that Ms. Royce is giving away in conjuncture with this tour.  She's actually giving away to really cool prizes. An ebook off her backlist to one randomly drawn commenter at each stop (and yes that includes this one! - so make sure you comment!) And for a Grand Prize, a randomly drawn commeter will win a $50.00 Gift Certificate. Pretty sweet huh?  I think so.   So onward to the blurb! And don't forget the review at the end!

                                                

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Felicity Hahn is a thief on the run in Ireland. She can’t go home and spends every day hoping Interpol doesn’t catch up with her. But when she steals a crimson-red necklace, she may have gotten more than she bargained for.

Cian Finnegan is a vampire who was turned outside the gates of Castle Tullamore over three hundred years earlier. He chases the woman who stole his necklace back to the Castle, now a hotel, both to recover his possession and because her scent makes him as hard as hell.

Can the magic of the Emerald Isles give these two a happy ending, or is it too late for them both?

BUY THE BOOK at THESE LOCATIONS
Publisher   Amazon    Barnes & Noble   ARe  

Excerpt:

Just outside of Castle Tullamore, 1615

“Stop him. He’s getting away.” The panicked voices of Chichester’s guards filled the almost dawn landscape, replacing the usual sounds of the curlew chirping, announcing the rise of the sun, the beginning of a new day.

Cian Finnegan grinned, pressing the necklace more firmly into his hand. They could search for him all they wanted—Chichester’s cronies wouldn’t find him. He’d spent enough time hiding out and running from authorities that he could virtually disappear from sight any time he wanted. No one knew the path he was walking even existed, thanks to the numerous landowners who had taken over Tullamore through the years. Thank the heavens for short memories.

And right now, given that he’d just stolen a small fortune in the form of a ruby necklace from the haughty Arthur Chichester, or to be more specific, Chichester’s wife, Cian had no intention of being caught with the pilfered jewelry. He’d sell it, buy passage on a ship heading for anywhere, and be done with the misery that was Kilmorny. Wherever he went, no one would know anything about his father or what the bastard had done to soil their name. 

Somewhere where the ladies would fawn on him and the Chichester devils wouldn’t be staring down their British noses at the poor commoners too low for their haughty notice. 

Cian stopped in his tracks. A shiver traveled up his spine. He turned around, scanning the area as best he could. The darkness didn’t bother him. He’d walked the dirt paths in the blackness enough that he knew every ditch, every large stone, every possible disaster. The sun would be fully up soon and the dots of light appearing over the horizon gave him more than enough brightness to navigate his surroundings.

So what had him jittery? 

Nothing alarming called his attention. The air blew lightly around him. His friends would be long home from the pub, not knowing that he’d done what he always wanted to do, taken the crimson symbol of all that was wrong with his world right out from under their noses.

The guards were going the wrong way looking for him. He grinned. His nervousness had to be some kind of delayed reaction to the whole night. Nothing more. Unless the rumors proved true and monsters really did roam the countryside at night.  He turned back around. Nope. He would not—could not—let his imagination run away with him. Not when he’d got so close to acquiring everything he’d ever wanted out of life. 

With his hands in his pockets, he strode down the path toward his small cottage. He’d spend one more night sleeping in poverty before he moved on to the next phase of his existence. 

Soon, Kilmorny would barely factor in his memory. He rounded a sharp corner, colliding with something in the still-dark morning. Falling backward, he stumbled two steps before he caught himself. Dodging to the right, he tried to make sense of what had happened. What on earth had he run into? A tree? A wall? Had he misjudged his location? 

“Easy there, Cian. You’re not going to find me swinging around like that.” 

Cian jolted to the right, in the direction of the voice that had spoken to him. He hadn’t recognized it. 

“Who’s there?” He tried wildly to figure out who he was talking with. Had the guards somehow found him? 

“You don’t know me. But I know you. For the last three weeks you’ve traveled these paths at this hour. Planning something, were you? From the way you smell tonight, I’d say you accomplished your goal.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a teenager, Rebecca Royce would hide in her room to read her favorite romance novels when she was supposed to be doing her homework. She hopes, these days, that her parents think it was well worth it.

Rebecca is the mother of three adorable boys and is fortunate to be married to her best friend. They’ve just moved to Texas where Rebecca is discovering a new love for barbecue!

She's in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and tries to use all of these elements in her writing. She's been told she's a little bloodthirsty so she hopes that when you read her work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. Rebecca loves to write series because she loves to see characters develop over time and it always makes her happy to see her favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.

In Rebecca Royce's world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

FIND REBECCA ON THE WEB:

WEBSITE    BLOG    TWITTER    FACEBOOK

DAKOTA'S REVIEW:

What to say about this book. I loved Cian. He was such a flawed hero, but one who wanted to be better.  I also loved the chemistry between him and Felicity.  Very nice indeed.  I would say Ms. Royce perfectly matched up these characters and gave a unique twist with them - a twist I'm not going to give away.  I will say however there were times I thought my reader was going to melt from the pure tension between Cian and his lover.  So if you love a book that has a bit of darkness...well a lot of darkness, give this one a whirl. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. 

©Dakota Trace All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

SUPER BOOK BLAST: CREAM BY ZENOBIA RENQUIST

Lets give a warm welcome to Zenobia Renquist as she visits us today on a L.B.O.N.  She's here today promoting her new book with Ellora's Cave, Cream.  I've also been reminded by the lovely author to tell you folks that she's going to be raffling off a $25  Gift Card from Starbucks at the end of her tour to one lucky commenter. So make sure to comment at the end of the blog for a chance to win.  With that being said...lets get to the star of our show...CREAM. :D

Dakota 

BLURB:

She’s entered a world where blood, sex, and cash rules everything around her. 

What do a four hundred-year-old vampire and a mid-level necromancer have in common? Money. Jeliyah needs it to pay off the people who trained her and Teaghan enjoys killing to get it. Together they hunt rogue vampires—assuming Teaghan can focus on something other than getting her in bed and Jeliyah doesn’t put a bullet in him first. 

The uneasy partnership promises to be lucrative until Teaghan and Jeliyah get on the wrong side of a feud. Jeliyah is forced to use forbidden magic and finds herself bound to a man she should hate—but whom she can’t stop fantasizing about. 

Every second they stay alive fuels a growing desire Jeliyah is unwilling to deny. Is it the magic? The danger? The only way to get the answers she craves is to outrun the enemy or kill them. She knows Teaghan’s preference but it’s Jeliyah who must put their mind-blowing sex aside and make the choice that will decide both their fates.

BUY HERE

EXCERPT:

Teaghan kicked the room door shut behind him and then laid her on the nearest bed. “At least this time you’re not glowing. Let’s not make a habit of this.” 

“I feel the same.” 

“Then again…” His gaze wandered to her breasts. 

Images of Teaghan running his hands over her breasts and teasing her nipples entered her mind. She reared up and smacked him at the same time she brought her other arm up to guard her chest. 

Teaghan didn’t react except to grin at her. “You’re flushed, necromancer. Your heart rate jumped too. My little idea get you all hot and bothered?” 

She glared at him. 

“No? How about this one?” 

A mental picture of Teaghan yanking off her panties so he could run his tongue over her clit invaded her mind. The detail was so vivid Jeliyah felt her pussy twitch in anticipation. Damn the man and this stupid mental connection. It might be one way, but she had access to his thoughts and now he wasn’t trying to hide them. “You can’t do that without an invitation.” 

“So invite me.” 

“Shouldn’t you be going to sleep? The sun is up.” 

“Sun’s got nothing to do with me.” He moved closer, planting his hands on either side of her legs and leaning into her. “Invite me.” 

Jeliyah scooted back off the bed and away from him. Once on her feet, she said, “Don’t get all cocky just because I took some of your blood, vampire. I told you that was a one-time thing and not to get ideas.” 

“Yeah, I heard you but,” he hopped the bed and crowded her against the wall, “here’s the thing. You could have gotten the same results by asking me to open a vein. A simple prick to the finger for a few drops of blood would have sufficed. You kissed me, necromancer.” 

“It was a split-second decision. Back off.” She clutched the necrome at her throat and said, “Shield.” 

Teaghan laughed as the shield expanded to include him. “Forget something important, did you? Your necromes recognize me now. I’m not a threat.” 

Shit. She’d forgotten one of the major side effects of Recognize. Her necromes—and any others made from her blood—no longer worked against Teaghan. There was no way to deactivate Recognize either, just like an invitation once given. 

She shoved at his chest but he kept leaning forward until his lips were close to hers. 

He said, “Let’s talk about that kiss.” 

“It was spur of the moment. It meant nothing.” 

“Care to test that theory?” 

“You can’t. I haven’t invited you.” 

“Kissing is the one thing I don’t need an invitation to do.” He pushed his lips against hers as he forced her hands over her head and pressed his body closer. 

Jeliyah couldn’t turn from the kiss, though she tried. This wasn’t fair. Vampires needed permission to enter a person’s body. Why didn’t that extend to kissing? And why was she giving in to his kiss?

AUTHOR BIO: 

Zenobia Renquist lives in her imagination. When not traveling through her fantasy worlds, she can be found in Hawaii living with her husband and two cats. 

She is an Air Force brat turned Air Force wife, which means she’s accustomed to travel and does it whenever possible (so long as she doesn’t have to fly). Her favorite pastime is torturing her characters on their way to happily-ever-after for the enjoyment of her readers. 

On the few occasions her muse flees the scene of the crime, Zenobia likes to read (comics, manga, and romance), go to the movies, play a few levels of whichever puzzle game has hijacked her interest or experiment with a new chain maille weave. 

 WEBSITE   BLOG   FACEBOOK  TWITTER

Super Book Blast - Identity Crisis by Eliza Daly

Today I have the pleasure of telling you about Eliza Daly's new release, Identity Crisis. Not only have I added this book to my TBR pile but I'm happy to say, Ms. Daly is being very generous and has several prizes she's giving away during this tour. So be sure to follow each stop.  She's giving away  a not only a $20 Amazon or B & N gift certificate  to one randomly drawn commenter but she's also giving away 4 - $10 Amazon or B & N  gift certificates to randomly drawn commenters during the tour.  So be sure to comment!  With that being said, lets get on to the good stuff. The book and the super suspenseful excerpt!

Dakota

BLURB: 

When Olivia Doyle’s father dies under suspicious circumstances, rather than inheriting a family fortune, she inherits a new identity. She learns they were placed in the Federal Witness Protection Program when she was five years old. Her father was involved in an art forgery ring and testified against the mob. Brought up not to trust anyone, Olivia has a difficult time relying on U.S. Marshal Ethan Ryder to protect her, and to keep her secret. She fears her father may have continued his life of crime through her art gallery. She has little choice but to depend on Ethan when she realizes someone is now after her. Olivia’s search for the truth leads her and Ethan across country to a family and past she doesn’t remember. 

At the age of ten, Ethan witnessed a brutal murder. He vowed when he grew up, he’d protect people in danger. Protecting Olivia is difficult when she won’t trust him. He soon realizes his desire to protect her goes beyond doing his job, but if his judgment becomes clouded by emotions, her safety could be jeopardized. 

Can Ethan and Olivia learn to trust each other when they uncover secrets that will change their lives forever?

EXCERPT:

The footsteps drew closer. Her breathing quickened. The intruder paused outside the door and she held her breath, a death grip on the pepper spray. The barrel of a gun appeared through the doorway, followed by a man. In that split second, she blasted him with a steady stream. 

“Shit!” he yelled, snapping his head away from the line of fire. 

Unsure if she’d made a direct hit, she flew past him, still spraying the air behind her. Although it wasn’t a blanket mist, she couldn’t help but inhale some of the toxic vapors in the air. Her eyes burned slightly and she coughed, racing down the hallway and across the open foyer. 

She was almost to the door when the guy yelled out in a raspy voice, “Touch that door handle and I’ll shoot it off.” 

She came to a screeching halt, unsure if he planned on aiming for the handle or her hand. The blood pulsating in her ears muffled the roar of the lawn mower as it passed by near a window. Nobody would hear her scream. She eyed the security alarm keypad on the wall by the door. Two quick steps and she could hit the panic button. Two quick steps and she might get shot. She slowly turned around, her gaze locking on the gun pointed at her from the opposite side of the foyer. Sheer panic pressed against her chest, and she sucked in a deep breath. 

The guy cleared his throat. “I’m not gonna hurt you.” He cautiously lowered the gun, but didn’t holster it. “Unless you spray that crap again.” He blinked rapidly and ran a hand up over the top of his head, sweeping back a clump of wet hair. Her aim had obviously been off. It was impossible to spray straight when her body was shaking uncontrollably. 

The guy’s dark hair was just shy of touching his shoulders and he had a five o’clock shadow. A black T-shirt covered his broad chest and faded, relaxed fitting jeans contradicted his rigid stance. A scar across his cheekbone, and a thin one slashing his eyebrow, added to his don’t mess with me look. 

“I’m Ethan Ryder with the U.S. Marshals.” The man flashed a badge, then slipped it back in his pants’ pocket. 

If the mob had hunted down her dad, who was to say it hadn’t been through a U.S. Marshal snitch? He’d trusted Roy Howard, not Ethan Ryder. Maybe he wasn’t even with the U.S. Marshals. Rather coincidental that he showed up right after a robbery. 

“I assume you’re Olivia Doyle?” 

At the back of her mind she heard her dad’s voice. Don’t trust him, Livvy. Be leery of people you know and certainly don’t trust someone you don’t know.

AUTHOR BIO: 

Eliza Daly’s first attempt at creative writing was in fourth grade. She and her friends were huge Charlie’s Angels fans and she would sit in her bedroom at night writing scripts for them to act out at recess the following day. She was Kelly Garrett. Fast forward to the present, she’s still writing stories about beautiful women who always get their men. The journey from fourth grade script writer to published author wasn’t an easy one, but it was always an adventure and the final destination was well worth it. 

When Eliza isn’t traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry roots through Ireland, she’s at home in Milwaukee working on her next novel, bouncing ideas off her husband Mark, and her cats Quigley, Frankie, and Sammy. 

You can find Eliza on the web at:

WEBSITE    FACEBOOK    TWITTER   GOODREADS

Saturday Giveaways #2: With This Heart

Saturday Giveaways: With This Heart 

For this week's giveaway, I've gone back to my roots as a writer and have penned a sweetly romantic erotic tale with my newest release, With This Heart.  It came out yesterday from Excessica Publishing and features, Paisley,  a young but gifted college student and her lover, a black man by the name of Kaleb, as they focus on what happens when they are blessed with an unexpected pregnancy. Enjoy the blurb and excerpt I've include below...but don't forget to leave your name and email address in the comment section to be entered to win a free copy of the book.  I'll be drawing the winner Sunday morning after 9am CST.

Blurb:

A gifted student, Paisley Dawson, is close to having her doctorate and becoming one of the youngest graduates her university has ever seen. Then the worse happens or best depending on your point of view. She's falls for her new intern professor, Kaleb Bryant - a black man who while extremely intelligent also still owes his country several years of service. As she falls deeper under Kaleb's spell, he's called back up for a six month tour in the Middle East, leaving Paisley alone - defenseless against his family and over six months pregnant by the time he returns. Things come to a head when a well-meaning relative confronts Paisley at school, spreading lies about Kaleb. Will Kaleb be able to over come the damage his family's prejudices against whites has done or will he lose Paisley and  their unborn child because of them?

Excerpt:

“Do you remember that night, Kaleb?” She kept her face pressed against his shirt. His cologne was a welcome memory. Listening to his heart skip a beat, she wasn’t sure what to expect from him...

Lying on the couch with his body wedged between her legs, Paisley rubbed her hands over the closely cropped hair resting against her chest. He’d had it longer while teaching, but with his return to active duty the Army had cut it. She giggled at the feel of it between her fingers and against her palms.

“What’s so funny, Ms. Dawson?” Just lifting his head enough to catch her gaze, the rest of his body remained still. Not that she minded. Since they’d begun dating six weeks ago, many a night they’d ended curled up on her couch watching something mindless on the TV.

“Your hair. It tickles. Before you, I’ve never touched a black man’s hair …” she froze at the implication of her words. “…ah, I mean I’ve never touched any man’s hair…” she felt the familiar flush of heat in her cheeks. Once again she’d managed to put her foot in her mouth. One of these days she’d learn to think before she spoke, but it hadn’t happened yet.

He smiled up at her. “I know what you meant, baby. It feels different when it’s this short.” He laid his head back down. “Damn, you always smell so good. I think it’s one of the things I’m going to miss most while I’m over there.” Nuzzling her chest, he drew in a deep breath before his eyes drifted shut. “And moments like this.” He shifted a bit and against her leg, she felt the hardness of him.

She continued to rub his back as she stared mindlessly at the television screen, remembering the first time she’d felt him against her. She’d been leery but after being held in his arms numerous times with nothing happening, she accepted it for what it was worth: his body’s expression of his attraction. He’d once told her just because his dick had gotten hard didn’t mean he had to do anything with it. But now with him leaving, she wanted him to do something other than just hold her. She wanted to experience what it felt like to become a woman in his arms.

Running her fingers through his short hair, she gathered up her courage. “Do you remember what you asked me earlier?”

“Hmmm…?” He squeezed her gently, his eyes still closed. He sounded as if he were almost asleep.

Licking her lips, she stroked a finger over his cheek. “I want you to…” She fumbled with the words, cursing her utter shyness. She cleared her throat before trying again. “I mean you’re leaving and I won’t see you for six months. That’s too long for me.”

“It’ll go fast, baby. I told you, I’ll still be able to talk to you.” He pressed closer, his tone reassuring. “We can make it work.”

“I know we will. It’s just…” Finally she just blurted it out. “Please, I want to know what it feels like. Will you make love to me, Kaleb?”

When she thought back later about it, his reaction was comical. His dark eyes flew open as he scrambled to his hands and knees, and her always suave and debonair boyfriend fell off the couch to land between it and the scarred second-hand coffee table she’d bought at the local thrift shop.

“Are you okay?” She swung her legs over the edge of couch.

Looking up at her from his position flat on his back, his chest heaved. “Please tell me you’re not playing around.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “You can’t be teasing me about this now. You said you wanted to wait…I promised we’d wait ‘til you felt more comfortable – not because you’re worried about my leaving.”

She could see the fine tremor in his fingers as he pressed one hand over his groin before tossing his other arm over his eyes.

Watching him, she sighed. She loved the fact even now, he was trying to put her first. Evidently she was going to have to take matters into her own hands. Reaching for the hem of her t-shirt, she yanked it over her head, dropping the soft cotton on the couch next to her. “Kaleb?”

“Yeah.” He still wasn’t looking at her - and that simply wouldn’t do.

“Would you consider me a reasonable woman who knows what she wants?” She shimmied out of her leggings before wadding them up in her hands.

There wasn’t even a pause before he answered. “Of course.”

“Look at me.” His arm lifted cautiously off his face.

She loved his reaction – his beautiful dark eyes widened as he shot up into a sitting position. “Damn, baby…” He reached for the blanket next to her. She sighed, knowing what her honorable man was trying to do.

Slipping past his outstretched arms, she stood at the foot of the couch. Tossing the wadded up leggings at him, she ignored the fact she was wearing nothing more than a tiny pair of bikini panties and gave him an extreme ultimatum. “You have one of two choices here. You can either let yourself out and I’ll do what I’ve done every night for the past two weeks – I’ll take care of myself, OR you can join me in my bedroom.” She licked her lower lip. “I may be inexperienced, Kaleb, but I know my own mind and I want to make love with you. Something I can remember and hold dear while you’re gone…”

“Of course I remember it.” His voice drew her out of her woolgathering as his hand rubbed up and down her back. “If I live to be a hundred and fifty I don’t think I’d be able to forget how you stood there and took me to task for doubting you. The way you gave yourself to me…” The sound of a brisk knock on the door halted his words before the rattle of the door handle.

“Ms. Dawson, is everything okay in there?” The doctor’s voice was muffled.

Don't forget to comment below to be entered to win a free copy of With This Heart - winner will be announced on Sunday!

Guest Blog and Giveaway: Leslie C Ferninand - Wicked Allure

 

Today I get to welcome, Ms. Leslie C Ferdinand, the team of writers  Leslie C. Megahey and Shirley H. Ferdinand, to A Little Bit of Naughty.  These nice ladies have brought along their newest release,  Wicked Allure along with a giveaway, so lets give them a warm welcome. 

Leslie C. Megahey & Shirley H. Ferdinand

Stuff Your Stockings Christmas Blog Hop and Contest

Well it's official - the holiday maddness upon us.  My house is overflowing with Christmas ornaments, my pint sized tree and plenty of Christmas Cheer! And after doing an assignment with my daughters about their favorite memories of the holidays, along with all the wonderful answers I got from Kharisma and my Kindle Touch Contest, I thought it might be fitting if I give you a glimpse of my favorite holiday memories. 

Top Ten Holiday Memories/Traditions

10.  Spending Christmas Eve with my grandparents as a child. We'd take a two hour drive from Cedar Rapids to Clinton every year until the year my Grandfather passed away.

9. Going to my mother's for Christmas  Eve Breakfast. She always made breakfast quiche and french toast, a tradition she started during my teen years.

8. Making Christmas Cookies and sweets with my daughters.  They love decorating sugar cookies. I have a whole drawer full of various sprinkles.

7.  Putting up the Christmas Tree with my kids.  Every year one member of my family gets to put our stain glass star at the top of the tree. This year it was my dad who did the honors.

6. The last year I sat on Santa's lap. A family tradition on my mother's side - each year, my uncle Harry would dress like Santa, and all of us grandkids sat on his lap and he'd give us a gift. The last year I was required to "sit on Santa's lap" I was twenty and 8 months pregnant with my first child. I still have the Polaroids of it - maternity dress and all.

5.  Putting together my daughters's Little Tykes Kitchenette, complete with stove, microwave and sink when they were 2 and 4. Box said some assembly required...and it should have said complete assembly.  I spent from 11pm Christmas Eve til 2 am Christmas morning putting it together so it would fully assembled under the tree. I woke less than two hours later to my daughters playing with it and screaming that Santa had come.  I laugh now but I wasn't happy at the time. 

4.  The year we got our Missi-moo, our rat terrier/shih-zhu puppy and the kids got her a raw hide bone bigger than she was.  They put in her own Christmas stocking and as little as she was, she crawled into the sock to get it. 

3.  My first Christmas with Mr. Trace.  We didn't have much so I made popcorn strings and paper mache ornaments.  I was huge with my son and my hubby had to help me up off the couch.

2. The birth of my son. (He was born Christmas Eve.) What a wonderful year that was. My mother had to bring the Breakfast Quiche to me in the hospital.

1. Making Christmas Breakfast of Homemade Belgium Waffles and Sausage for my family, a tradition I took over after Mom passed on.

Okay now that I've told you about my favorite, give me a glimpse of what you find the most memorable about Christmas by commenting below to be entered to win the complete set of my Dom of Chicago books, including the just released His Christmas Wish: Myrna's Submission. Just make sure you list your email address, so I have away to contact you if you happen to be the winner!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Dakota  

InBetween the Sheets Blog Hop: Dakota's 1NS Inspirations

When I first sat down to write my contribution to Decadent's 1NightStand series, I was at first stumped at what kind of heroine would be desperate enough to contact Madame Eve for a date. Of course the most obvious things that popped into my head, were some type of disfigurement or debilitating shyness that would drive the heroine to seek out the lovely Madame.  But I just wanted to do something different - considering I normally march to the beat of a different drummer, but I didn't want to do another of my BDSM books. I needed a break and knew I wanted to do something unique.  Thus Xaviera jumped fully developed and so full of spunk into my head, I had to give her life.  Not only does she have attitude to spare, she's blind as they come but still manages to be a confident woman who won't take any guff. I fell absolutely in love with her.  And as far as I knew at the time that I wrote Blind Need, there were no blind heroines in the 1NightStand line. She was the perfect...or rather most perfect imperfect heroine I've had the pleasure of writing.  

Of course with the sensual blind heroine I created, I hadn't realized the issues I was going to have with their love scenes or even writing from her point of view period. How do you describe an environment or even the act of making love from a blind woman's perspective? Easy. The crazy author lady, spent several hours without her glasses on - (and FYI for you folks out there, Dakota is blinder than a bat without them. Large blobs and shadows is the extent of her vision with no glasses. She won't even attempt to go to the bathroom without them.) This allowed her to experience things as simple as walking out on to her deck to the feel of what another's touch in total darkness. (this would be the DH- not the teen-aged offspring) *blushes*  

Now I'm sure I got several really weird glances from my neighbors as they watched me try to navigate down my stairs with my glasses off and my son in front of me, but I learned some very valuable lessons.  

One - always have a partner with you to help guide you.  Being stubborn about this leads to stubbed toes and nearly falling down said stairs. In the book, Xaviera has a wonderful seeing eye dog named Lucy who is never far from her side - a true helpmate. 

Two - no sight doesn't automatically mean your hearing is better. Instead it just makes the person without sight pay better attention to where things are or supposed to be. In the book, Xaviera realizes when she goes to Nate's room that he has moved a chair because his room is laid out in the same way as hers and the chair happens to be missing.  A smart observant lady.

And three - Never be too stubborn to accept help when you do fall. When I wrote the book, a great deal of it was spent with the hero, Nate, tripping over his own feet or even his own shoes because of his ridiculous stipulation about having the lights out.  Because of his stubbornness not only does he nearly knock himself out, he nearly looses the girl because she gets fed up with his bull-headed ways. 

Some very valuable lessons to learn indeed. Luckily I was a bit smarter than Nate and had my teen-aged son guide me while I wandered around the house with my eyes closed, so no unwanted spills occurred but for a brief moment I stepped into Xaviera's world and am so glad I'm not blind! 

And speaking of valuable things, I'll be giving away a free $10 gift certificate  to Amazon to one lucky commenter.  And what do you need to do. In the comments section, tell me which 1NightStand is your favorite. (Or if you can't decide - tell me your top three - I won't get offended since my book isn't out yet...plus it will give an idea of which book to pick up next!)  Oh and don't forget to leave an email address I can contact you at when I draw the winner at the end of the blog hop on November 30th! 

I'm going to leave you with some absolutely beautiful cover art which Decadent's talented cover artists have provided for me, and the unedited blurb for my 1NightStand Book! Thanks for stopping by my blog and be sure to stop back by the rest of the contributors blogs too! (They are listed at the top of my site and below in this post.)

Blind Need - 1NightStand 

Blind Need by Dakota Trace

Two wounded souls, one blind and the other scarred are matched up by the infamous Ms. Evangeline - neither one expecting more than a brief meeting of two bodies in the dark for one night. 


Xaviera Navarro had it all, a wonderful career ahead of her running her family's wine business, a sexy fiancee, and her dream-wedding around the corner, but that all changed in the blink of an eye.  A freak accident has left the Navarro wine heiress blind with no future other than the company of her seeing-eye dog, Lucy.  Or not one that she can see.  After licking her wounds, she finally is tired of her own company and ventures back out in hopes of finding a man who might be strong enough to stand beside her but not in front of her.  If she can't have that, she'll settle for a night of hot loving before returning home.


Ignatius "Nate" Ramirez is not only scarred fire-jumper with a justifiably bad attitude towards women, he's also under strict orders by his Captain that if he doesn't get laid on his vacation, he's going to bench him.  After finding out about 1NightStand, he requests Ms Evangeline find him the perfect fantasy woman to have under the cover of darkness.  Figuring he'll have a better chance with his date with all the lights out, he wasn't expecting a feisty, no punches pulled heiress to knock him off his feet.  


A blind woman and a scarred fire-jumper should be a match made in heaven, but will Nate and Xaviera manage to leave their baggage at the door and find love all in one night?

Interview with Gavin Langdale

About Land of Falling Stars, an erotic romance/historical:

After her parents die in a fire, Sophia Whitfield struggles to save her beloved home, Arbor Rose. The Civil War has devastated the South, and another blue coat has come to steal her meager possessions. Before the hated enemy inflicts his destruction, she shoots him. And soon discovers the soldier is Gavin, the champion of her childhood.

Gavin's dark secret lurks in Sophia’s future. When she discovers the truth, she's torn between a burning hunger for the man she truly loves and loyalty to Jesse, their childhood friend. The despicable acts of war have changed everything Sophia and Gavin once cherished. Yet somewhere deep in their hearts, the mystical Land of Falling Stars still exists.

* An expanded version of the original best-selling Civil War novel

On Kindle $2.99: http://amzn.to/qsrw5D 
On Nook $2.99:  http://bit.ly/nyDzns

 
Brought to you by Books We Love Spice! Read “Why I Wrote Land of Falling Stars” http://bwlppspice. Blogspot. Com/
~ ~ ~
Snippets of reviews:
“You haven’t lived until you’ve read Keta Diablo’s Land of Falling Stars.” Crave More Romance, 5 Stars
“LOFS Makes for one phenomenal read that will keep your heart pumping and the pages turning, not just from the delightfully sinful sex, oh no, the drama and suspense will carry 
you through till the end!” Book Junkie, 5 Stars
“Diablo pens a beautiful, haunting love story full of passion, deception, danger and the epic War between the states that will leave you breathless.” Night Owl Romance, 4.75 Stars

AND NOW FOR THE INTERVIEW OF...

the Swoon-worthy hero from LAND OF FALLING STARS: Gavin Langdale

Thanks for joining me today. I’m getting ready to take a trip back in time to talk with Gavin Langdale, the hero in Keta Diablo’s newest release – Land of Falling Stars – out now with Books We Love Spice!  Care to join me?  Great! Hop in! *flicks a couple switches on the time machine.* Ready? And we’re off to the 1860s! 

Whoa *grabs the edge of the door, head spinning a bit.* I think we’ve arrived at our destination: 1864, Fredericksburg, Virginia here we come.  *stepping out, looking around* Ah, ha -- there’s Arbor Rose, which means Gavin should be around here somewhere.

Man: “Looking for me?”

Turning, *gasps at the huge, hunky man behind me* “If you’re Gavin, then why yes, I am.  Keta told you I was coming right?”

*A nod* “Keta, she’s that sex author, right; the one who interviewed Sophia and me?”

“Yes, that’s her.”

“How do you pronounce her name anyway?”

“I believe it’s pronounced Kee-ta (rhymes with Cheetah).”

“And they say southern names are strange.  *offers a wicked grin and a hand* “Yes, I’m Gavin Langdale. At your service ma’am.”

“Good. I promise I won’t take much of your time. I’m sure you want to get back to the lovely Sophia.” *Settling down on the wide veranda* “Okay, let’s cut to the chase, that is, the beginning of the story. From what I understand you fought for the Union in that horrific Civil War.  Tell us why you returned to Sophia and Arbor Rose after—well, after your ordeal.

I had to speak with her about-well, about something terrible that happened at Spotsylvania. People say there are no coincidences in life; some even say everything in life is pre-ordained. I’ve done a lot of thinking about those theories and I wish I had answers.  I’d like to believe Jesse’s death was a quirk of fate or a satirical act of Satan’s doing. I loved Jesse, and so did Sophia.

  

Some say you’ve loved Sophia since childhood. Did you still love her even after she shot you?”

*a deep throaty laugh* “She shot me all right. Guess I should have waved or called out. Would have saved us both a lot of angst.” *a far-away look crosses his dark blue eyes* “I have loved Sophia since we were children. I can’t remember not loving the contrary woman.”

“Well it sounds like it was only fair she saved you after putting a bullet in your chest. But moving on, tell us what Sophia was like as a young girl? Was she a tomboy or the proper little lady?”

“Now that depends on who’s looking at the time. Sophia tagged along with Jesse and me everywhere we went. And we didn’t have to look for trouble; it found us. We got a kick out of turning out the neighbor’s cows and shooing them down the road. We laughed like hyenas while tipping over privies and then there was the day Sophia almost drowned while we sailed the river in a raft Jesse and I built from hollow logs. *shakes his head with another laugh and then his expression turns somber* But when Sophia was around the elders, she acted like a proper young lady of the South. Guess you have to live here to understand what’s expected from the refined elite of the gentry.”  

“A little birdie told me Sophia loves to dance. What is the Samba-de-Roda and has she ever tempted you to dance with her?”

“I’ve never seen anyone dance like Sophia, except for the darkies. That’s who taught her the Samba-de-Roda.  Nap and Brister say the samba originated in Africa and Brazil. The slaves brought it to the Continent like they did many of their customs. They dance in a circle to the beat of a drum and often sing and clap while they dance.  And yes, Sophia has asked many times to join her, but . . .” *he looks down at the ground and points* “Two left feet. I don’t fancy making a fool of myself.”

“And who’s this shaggy fellow?” *holds out hand to approaching dog* “Is this the infamous Ricochet? From my understanding you trained him? I bet that’s come in handy a time or two. Why does Sophia call him a deserter? He sounds like a loyal, lovable wolfhound. “

“That’s Ricochet, all right. I taught him how to knock a man from his mount before I left for the war. Damn, if he didn’t remember when I returned. Sophia has called him a defector or a traitor at times, but she’s just jealous of the attention I give the hound.” *leans forward and murmurs* “She like to be the center of attention if you know what I mean. Deep down, like me, she loves Ricochet.  He’s saved her sorry ass almost as many times as I have. Damn, that woman attracts trouble like tics on a dog.”

What a brave fellow, a definite hero, or Ricochet. *shifting in chair* Was he there the night Sophia lost her sight?  That’s a double whammy, her losing her going blind and finding out about Jesse. Isn’t that the night you told her what really happened to Jesse and why you came back? “

“Do we have to talk about the night of Sophia’s accident and Jesse’s . . . well, his accident too? I think you should read the book Keta wrote. She covers the incident on the battlefield with Jesse and the night Billy Cooper set Arbor Rose on fire. I got all riled when I think about those things and think it’s best to leave it alone.”

Very well, I’ll spread the word about Land of Falling Stars. *leans in and lowers voice* “I hate to ask about Mule Copper – that horrid man – but why do you think he possessed so much evil in his heart?

“I knew Mule since I was a yonker. He was mean then too. Sophia’s Pa hired him as overseer at Arbor Rose and thanks to Mule, Rueben didn’t live long enough to regret it. 

“I hear on your trip to Boston, you met up with a caravan of Gypsies. Do tell us about them.”

Three words describe the misunderstood Romani people – colorful, hard-working and loyal. Sophia and I have many fond memories from our stay with Vandlo’s people, despite the troubles dogging us at the time.

“Ultimately, despite everything, you leave Sophia in Baltimore, that must have been very hard. What kept you going during the time you were apart? And what made you decide to go back after her?

The hardest decision I ever made was to leave her at the school – in the hands of strangers, but I was left with few choices at the time. I kept going day at a time, with one purpose in mind – give back to Sophia what she lost because of the war. I went back to bring her home to Arbor Rose. And . . . because I love her, always have.

“Ah the ultimate love trumps all! Thank you for answering my questions, Gavin. *peeks around Gavin’s shoulder* “I do believe the enigmatic Sophia is calling you to dinner, and I must be off myself.” 

“Goodbye, ma’am and thank you for visiting Arbor Rose.” *rises from the chair and bows at the waist again* “Come back anytime.” *pauses briefly* “Do you think that writer woman will write another story about us?”

“Could be, Gavin. Tell you what, I’ll ask her the minute I get back.”

Okay it’s time for the time-hopping traveler to head back to the future. Ms. Diablo, author of Land of the Falling Stars, is giving away a free copy of her critically- acclaimed book Where the Rain is Made to one lucky peep. Make sure you comment and leave an email where she can contact you in case you WIN!  Don’t forget to check out Land of the Falling Stars (psst – I think you’ll fall in love with Gavin. I know I did *swoon*). HERE ON KINDLE:  http://amzn.to/qsrw5D