Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Promotion and Giveaway

Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Promotion and Giveaway

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Click  Amazon.com to order your very own DARK HUNTERS Coloring Book Volume 1

Are you a fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s DARK HUNTERS? Have you ever wanted images of your favorite characters available for framing?

Dabel Brothers Publishing will be adapting Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter and League series in coloring book, graphic novel, and manga formats. The first volume of the Dark Hunter coloring book has already been published and the second volume is ready for preorder.

For a limited time Dabel Brothers Publishing is offering 5 full-color images of some of your favorite DARK HUNTER characters for FREE. All you have to do is click HERE and download one or all of the images then take (or send) to your favorite printer. Each printed image is 18 x 24. New images will be added monthly for your enjoyment.

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Dabel Brothers Publishing is offering Sherrilyn Kenyon’s DARK HUNTERS Coloring Book Volume 1 to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

Please POST your email address along with your comment

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7. Giveaway open INTERNATIONALLY.

8. Giveaway runs from May 15-20, 2016

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Unbreakable (Heart of Stone #7) by KM Scott-Release Day Promotion

Unbreakable (Heart of Stone #7) by KM Scott-release day promotion

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UNBREAKABLE
Heart of Stone #7
by KM Scott
Release Date : April 14, 2016
Genre: adult,contemporary, erotic, romance

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ABOUT THE BOOK

For Gage, the past never goes away. All he’s done to protect Jordan doesn’t erase the failure he can’t forget. But he’ll have to find a way to overcome those demons that still haunt him to be the man she needs him to be or risk losing her forever.

The only thing Jordan knows to be true is Gage loves her. She doesn’t know why Hailey wants her dead or why a billionaire wants to help her kill her, but together with the man she loves, they’ll work to unravel the mystery behind Hailey’s plan.
But will it be in time, or will she lose him again, this time for good?

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About The Author Black and Blue

 

A writer for years in other genres, K.M. Scott writes sexy contemporary romances like the ones that she loves. In love with love from the moment she picked up her first romance novel, she considers herself blessed that she has the chance to tell her own characters’ stories now. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading, feeding her addiction to TV, or cooking a new dish for family and friends. She loves to hear from readers, so drop by her Facebook page and say hi or e-mail me at kmscottauthor@gmail.com.

Author Contact Info:
Website / Google Plus / Facebook / Goodreads / Newsletter / Tumblr / TSU

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Will’s True Wish by Grace Burrowes-Review, Release Promotion & Giveaway

Will’s True Wish by Grace Burrowes – Review, Release Promotion and Giveaway

Will's True Wish

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 2, 2016

Willl Dorning, as the Earl of Casriel’s heir, and older brother to four rambunctious brothers, sees his life as one of duty and drudgery. He guards the earl’s back, and keeps a watchful eye on his siblings, though his only real companions are the dogs he’s treasured since boyhood; Lady Susannah Haddonfield has no patience with loud, smelly beasts of any species, but must learn to appear to like dogs so as not to offend her sister’s only marital prospect. Susannah turns to Will, an acquaintance from the most awkward years of her adolescence, to teach her how to get along with canines. Will instead teaches her how to get along with him, and with her siblings, until Susannah must choose between her favorite lone wolf and placid propriety.

••••••

REVIEW: 5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Will’s True Wish by Grace Burrowes is the third book in her True Gentlemen series and once again, as always Grace has written another classy sophisticated book.

Will Dorning is the spare Earl in his family, as well as the responsible one. He is trying to get the heir married off, always looking out for his brothers who seem to have a habit of finding mischief, and never really having any opportunity to live his own life. He is a dog whisperer of sorts and honestly, is just an all around really good guy.

Susannah Haddonfield is the book worm of the Haddonfield family. She would take country air, all the books in the world and peace and quiet over life in the ton any day. Now her sister is about to embark on her coming out, and Susannah must assist her sister in this venture. When she learns her sister’s prospective suitor is a dog lover, Susannah decides to call out to Will (who just so happens to be the same man that saved her from a nasty situation by some mean spirited ladies at her own coming out) to help her with canine training.

Both Will and Susannah may have had a chance to be together when they were younger, but fate and circumstance stood in the way so it never happened. Now however, both are older, wiser, know what they want out of life and that companionship they felt for each other back then, surfaces quick and bold. They soon realize it wasn’t just companionship they shared, but pure spark and love. Now other roadblocks seem to be in the way and they look an awful lot like well meaning family members. Both Will and Susannah must now stand up and decide if their love and friendship will once again pass them by or if they will take the chance on the “what if”!

Classy and sophisticated. Those are two new words that describe Grace Burrowes books to perfection. Mature, believable, dashes of humour, always a little action/mystery and of course her trademark ….love that blooms through friendship .. those are a few more words. It is blissful to curl up with a new Grace Burrowes book as I always know that there will be an easy flow to the story and vivid imagery to interpret. I cannot gush enough about how much I adore this authors writing!

So a wonderful regency historical romance, with a side of something for those dog lovers, I absolutely recommend that you read the first two books in this series first .. and while you are out it, make sure you check out the Lonely Lords series as well … characters from those books return in this series.

Always a pleasure Grace .. ALWAYS! 🙂

HAPPY READING! 🙂

 

•••••••••••••

In Grace Burrowes’ upcoming release, Will’s True Wish (February 2nd), aristocratic London is plagued by a series of dognappings.

 

To celebrate the upcoming release, Sourcebooks Casablanca would like to see your favorite four-legged friend with your favorite book by Grace Burrowes! Tell your pup to say cheese and they may be the lucky dog to win a gift basket full of treats they will love! More information below!

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Legend (Real #6) by Katy Evans-Excerpt Reveal

Legend (Real #6) by Katy Evans-Excerpt Reveal

LEGEND
Real #6
by Katy Evans
Genre: adult, contemporary, MMA, erotic romance
Release Date:February 9, 2016

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Maverick “the Avenger” Cage wants to rise to the top and become a legend in the ring. Though he keeps his identity well guarded, he’s known on the fighting circuit as the new kid with a chip on his shoulder and a tattoo on his back that marks him as trouble. He’s got a personal score to settle with the Underground’s one and only Remington “Riptide” Tate.

As Mav trains, he meets a young girl—the only other new person in the town–and sparks fly. When things get heated between them, he finds out she’s none other than Reese Dumas, the cousin of Remington Tate’s wife. A girl who’s supposed to root against him and a girl he’s supposed to stay away from.

But Maverick fights for the woman in his heart, and the monsters in his blood. The world’s eyes are on them and the victor will go down in history as the ultimate fighting champion; the ultimate LEGEND.

excerpt

 

‘Not in a million years, kid.’
‘No.’
‘NOT INTERESTED.’
‘Get the fuck out of my face!’
Four cities in two days, and more doors slammed in my face than I can count. I sling my backpack over my shoulder and scratch another name from my list.
Hopping on to a bus and hopping off thirty minutes later, I scan the mix of both commercial and apartment numbers down the block, then knock on my last door.
“Coach Hennesy?”
He’s a tall man, his hair like pepper, clad in sweats, with a yellow timer hanging from his neck. He gives me a questioning look.
“I’m your next champion.”
He laughs, but then he must see something on my face. In my stance. Thirst, resoluteness, guts. Maybe I’m wearing my balls in my eyes. He falls sober and swings the door wide-open. “Come on in.”
He doesn’t ask for my name.
I guess with one look, he knows he’ll find my name in the dictionary, right next to “determined.”
He leads me to his garage. “Where’d you train before?” he asks.
“Self-taught. I watch videos.”
He scoffs, then shrugs. “Okay, let’s see what you’ve got.”
I eye the equipment across the room. The heavy bag hangs from the ceiling, the leather worn from other fighters before me. There’s a boxing dummy at the corner. Speed bag. Weights. A whole private gym set up here. I drop both my bags, then zip open my backpack and start to put on the gloves without bothering to remove my hoodie.
“Take that off; I need to know what you’ve got. Need to see your form,” Hennesy says.
I clench my jaw. Slowly unzip my hoodie. Take it off and glance past my shoulder, shifting to keep my back from the coach’s view. The guy is clearing the fighting area. Good. We can get down to business. He walks to me when I face him.
“Give it over.” I hand him my hoodie and he tosses it aside, then crosses his arms and looks at me. “Speedball first.”
I inhale, position myself before the speedball, and hit. Wham.
I keep on hitting, lightning fast, my fists making the bag fly.
I would have warmed up first, but I’ve been doing this for days, and I won’t stop until I’ve got myself a coach—and not even then.
I’ve got momentum now, and I pick up speed, my arms moving back and forth, working the speed bag until it’s moving so fast you can’t even see it.
I’m starting to sweat; it’s stuffy in here, but I can’t stop. I need him to take me on. I need one yes to get me in the ring. Just one yes and I’ll do the rest.
“Time.” Hennesy stops me. He signals to the boxing dummy and the heavy bag. “Let’s see you pound the bag.”
I swing out and slam my knuckles on the bag, putting everything into my fists. Thack, thump, thud.
Hennesy’s composure starts to crumble with excitement. “Holy shit, boy!”
I’m getting in to it. I’m in the zone—where it’s just me, the leather brown bag, my fists, and nothing else but slamming the spot I’m looking at.
“I’ve seen enough.” He stops the bag from swinging. His eyes glassy. “Fill this out.”
I pull off my right glove and grab a pen as he slaps a paper onto a desk at the corner. I bend down to fill out my name and contact information and realize, too late, that I exposed the tattoo on my back.
“You’re his boy.”
I freeze midsignature.
A second ticks by. Then two.
I slowly set the pen down and take one last look at the paper. I might not get to fill it out after all. I turn.
His face has paled.
I wait it out for a few beats. Maybe he’s different. Maybe he can deal with it.
He tosses my jacket at me. “Get out. Nobody wants to see you fight.”
I frown fiercely as I catch my jacket in my fist and edge forward, equally mad now. “That’s too damn bad. ’Cause I’m fighting anyway.”
I keep my eyes on him as I pull off my left glove, shove my arms into my hoodie, and zip up.
I walk out and the door slams behind me. I clench my jaw, and I shove my gloves into my bag and spot the old, black gloves inside too. I push them down into the bottom of the duffel bag and zip it up.
The season starts in a week and a half. No coach? No fight. I can’t even get into a gym.
But I won’t let anyone or anything keep me from the ring.
I pick up a penny from the ground.
And I spot a girl in workout clothes across the street, tying her shoelaces. She’s a step away from the gym door. I straighten, pull my hoodie over my head, and cross the street, following after her like I belong.

 


 

 

Katy EvansFollow: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Hey! I’m Katy Evans and I love family, books, life, and love. I’m married with two children and three dogs and spend my time baking, walking, writing, reading, and taking care of my family. Thank you for spending your time with me and picking up my story. I hope you had an amazing time with it, like I did. If you’d like to know more about books in progress, look me up on the Internet, I’d love to hear from you!

 

 

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Blood Craving (Sons of Navarus #5) by K.M. Scott-Release Day Promotion

Blood Craving (Sons of Navarus #5) by K.M. Scott-Release Day Promotion

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Blood Craving

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BLOOD CRAVING
Sons of Navarus #5
by K.M. Scott (Gabrielle Bisset)
Genre: adult, paranormal, romance
Release Date: November 6, 2015

I am everything you hunger for.

I am everything you need.

I am ecstasy and agony.

I am vampire.

The fifth novel in the Sons of Navarus series by New York Times bestseller K.M. Scott writing as Gabrielle Bisset!

I am everything you hunger for. I am vampire.

For Sion, his only solace comes from reason and logic. Since becoming vampire in the 1940s, he has shunned feelings, morphing into a being more machine than man. As a Son, he keeps his distance from the others, allowing only one soul in the world to stir his icy heart.

A vampire turned in ancient Greece, Kali is the only hope the Sons and the Order of Macaria have to decipher the prophecy now that Thane is gone. But her past hides a dark secret that has finally caught up with her. Demons she only barely controlled now threaten her very life and the safety of all dear to her.

The one vampire who can help her knows nothing of how to reach another’s heart, but without him, they both may be lost along with any hope the Sons have of defeating the Archons.

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99¢ Deal: Sons of Navarus ebook Boxset #1: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / iTunes /

$2.99 Deal: Sons of Navarus ebook Boxset #2: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / iTunes /

About-the-Author

Gabrielle Bisset

A resident of Scranton, PA. K.M. Scott is a New York Times and USA Today Bestseller of contemporary romance stories. A writer for all her life, she finally decided to take the plunge and seek publication in 2011. Under her Gabrielle Bisset pseudonym, she writes erotic paranormal and historical romance, but in 2013 she decided to branch off into contemporary romance.

Loving what she does, her contemporary romances are filled with steamy sex, great dialogue, and happily ever afters that stay with the reader long after they finish her books.

Author Contact Info:
Website / Google Plus / Facebook / Goodreads / Newsletter / Tumblr / TSU

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The Closer You Come by Gena Showalter-Book Tour Promotion

The Closer You Come by Gena Showalter-Book Tour Promotion
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The Closer You Come
The Original Heartbreakers #1
by Gena Showalter
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

The Closer You Come

Add THE CLOSER YOU COME to your GOODREADS shelf.

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Just released from prison, Jase Hollister has a dark and twisted past. And now, he has only one goal: stay out of trouble. Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma, sounds like the perfect place for him and his two brothers-by-circumstance to settle down and live a nice, simple life. But model citizen isn’t exactly this rugged bachelor’s default setting—especially when it comes to a certain hot-blooded Southern beauty…

Brook Lynn Dillon has always been responsible. Not that it’s done her much good. The down-on-her-luck waitress is broke, single and fun-deprived. Until Jase comes along. He is dangerous, stunningly protective, breathtakingly sexy and as tempting as sin, and the passion sizzling between them is undeniable. But can it melt her resistance? After all, the right kind of trouble might be just what they both need.

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She scanned the yard—and finally found the source of the banging. Jase, with a hammer. Shirtless Jase. Muscles honed from intense manual labor bulged as sweat glistened and trickled down tanned skin and more tattoos than she’d realized. One of his arms was fully sleeved, the colorful ink wrapping over his shoulder and covering his pectoral. On his other side, his ribcage and torso were etched with intricate designs. A handful of what looked to be letters rose above the waist of his shorts.
Am I drooling? I’m probably drooling. Wow. Just wow. He was major man-candy. Gourmet. The house specialty. He radiated the most sublime sex appeal, the kind that shattered the most ingrained resistance and battered the staunchest inhibitions, and he would definitely satisfy even the most intense sweet tooth. He worked the hammer with masterful expertise, like he could fix anything, anywhere, anytime, and she had to admit it was total girl porn.
How she longed to close the distance and study every inch of him more closely. Study, yes…
Perhaps touch…
He paused to wipe his face with a rag, and she almost moaned at the increased deliciousness of him. If almost was the new word for loudly.
He looked up and stilled.
“Brook Lynn.” His sunglasses were light enough that she was able to watch his gaze travel over her slowly, leisurely.
Her body reacted as though physically caressed, tingling and aching in her most intimate places. Heat flash? Maybe. Probably.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice a husky rasp just as sexy as the rest of him.
“Morning.” She gulped and wiped her hands on the side of her wrinkled shorts. Don’t gawk at his chest. Certainly don’t glance lower. “My phone. My keys. Shoes.” Making words should not be this difficult. “Do you know where they are?” Better.
“Phone and keys are in the kitchen. Shoes are in your car.”
She must have been too focused on the noise—and then the food—to notice the phone and keys. “Well, then. Thank you. For everything,” she added, only to hesitate. “But, uh…I’m a little confused about why you didn’t just take Jessie Kay and me to our home.”
“Two reasons.” He set the hammer aside. “I didn’t have permission to enter your residence, and Jessie Kay had had too much to drink. She needed to be monitored, so…” He shrugged.
So he’d acted like the gentleman he’d once claimed he wasn’t. “Well, thank you. Again,” she said, and turned to retreat inside. Only then, with her gaze off him and a little distance between them, was she able to breathe.
How did he affect her so strongly? And how could she make it stop?
“You didn’t eat,” he said, coming in behind her.
Her eyes widened as she rounded on him, her breath hitching when she discovered he was close enough to touch. Close enough to press against, male hardness to female softness, if only she leaned forward the slightest…little…bit. No! Bad Brook Lynn! Bad!
Then his words hit her. “That feast is for me?”
His nod was slow, and his gaze hot on her, as if he’d sensed the direction of her thoughts. “Your sister, too.”
Needing no further encouragement, she sat at the table and dug in, soon caught up in a whirlwind of different tastes and textures, moaning with rapturous delight. Yes, she would have added a few other spices to take the flavor to a whole new level, but all in all the meal rocked her socks.
When she finished, she dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. Oh, now I’m ladylike? She looked up to find Jase had removed his sunglasses, but hadn’t pulled on a shirt…and he was staring at her as intently as she’d stared at him. It was disconcerting. Especially since his features were blank, and she couldn’t read him.
A blush burned her cheeks, and she cleared her throat. “Don’t judge me.” Or my new food baby.
He arched a brow. “Is that what I was doing?”
Surely. “Well.” She cleared her throat again. “Anyway. My compliments to the chef.”
“That would be Beck.”
Never would she have guessed the pretty boy had a skill that didn’t involve a mattress and a panting partner. “Did he train at the Institute of Divine Cuisine and Hellish Addiction?” Jessie Kay had often accused Brook Lynn of sneaking into classes.
“More like the Institute of That Was Fun, But Now It’s Time For You To Go.”
Nice. “You guys and your one-night stands,” she said, and rolled her eyes.
“Is that judgment I hear, angel?”
Angel? The endearment proved a thousand times more personal and tantalizing than “honey,” shocking her to the core. Of course, he’d meant nothing by it. She figured he probably used the words interchangeably with every female he encountered—even with her sister. But…
I’m still reeling.
“No judgment,” she said, and stood. “And now it’s time for me to jet.” Before I do or say something more stupid. “I’m late for work, so…this is goodbye.”
His gaze still locked on her, he stepped closer to her, too close for comfort. She should have backed up, if only out of a sense of propriety, but she remained in place. He crossed his arms over his massive chest, those green eyes heating, burning. A sign of…arousal?
The provocative scent of him filled the air between them; it was masculine, sultry and heady, and it fogged her thoughts. It must have. Why else would she have continued to gaze up at him instead of running away?
“Jase?”
“Brook Lynn.”
Her heart must have heard music her ears couldn’t pick up, because the treacherous organ whipped into a frenzied beat, perhaps even doing cartwheels. Her breaths began to come faster, and shallow. I’m panting. I’m freaking panting. She shifted from one side to the other. He took another step toward her, as if compelled, then another, the last whisper between them vanishing.
He’s the predator, and I’m the prey.


 

Series Spotlight

The One You WantTHE ONE YOU WANT
The Original Heartbreakers .05
by Gena Showalter
Release Date: March 1, 2015
First Date of Release: 2014 anthology, All For You.

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In small-town Oklahoma, reputation is everything, and Kenna Starr will do anything to overcome hers. The supposed bad girl is determined to walk the straight and narrow, a seemingly impossible task when Tall, Dark and Sexy shows up…

Rich and powerful, Dane Michaelson is every woman’s dream. When he returns to Strawberry Valley after a sixteen-year absence, he is unprepared for the redheaded girl he’s never been able to forget. She’s all woman now—and he’s never wanted anyone more. But to have her, he’ll have to break through her defenses… and surrender his own.

* First published in the 2014 anthology, All For You.

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Follow: website/ Goodreads/ Facebook/ Twitter

Gena ShowalterGena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.
Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated all over the world. The critics have called her books “sizzling page-turners” and “utterly spellbinding stories”, while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”.

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The Tempting of Thomas Carrick (Cynsters 22) by Stephanie Laurens-Book Tour and Promotion

The Tempting of Thomas Carrick (Cynsters 22) by Stephanie Laurens-Book Tour and Promotion

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The Tempting of Thomas Carrick
Cynsters #22
by Stephanie Laurens
Genre: historical romance
Release Date: February 24, 2015

The Tempting of Thomas Carrick

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 24, 2015

Add to your GOODREADS shelf.

Thomas Carrick is determined to make his own life in the bustling port city of Glasgow, far from the demands of the Carrick clan, eventually with an appropriate wife on his arm. But disturbing events on his family’s estate force Thomas to return to the Scottish countryside—where he is forced to ask for help from the last woman he wants to face. Thomas has never forgotten Lucilla Cynster and the connection that seethes between them, but to marry Lucilla would mean embracing a life he’s adamant is not for him.

Strong-willed and passionate, Lucilla knows Thomas is hers—her fated lover, husband, protector, mate. He is the only man for her, just as she is his one true love. How can he ignore a bond stronger than reason and choose a different path? She’s determined to fight for their future, and while she cannot command him, she has enticements of her own to wield when it comes to tempting Thomas Carrick.

Excerpt beige

 

He knew they had to stop, to cease and desist before he lost all hope of ever stepping back from her. Of ever letting her go.
But her hand remained on his cheek, her touch scalding in a way that had nothing to do with heat, effortlessly holding him captive. Holding his senses, snaring them in a net of want from which he couldn’t break free.
His senses and his mind were literally reeling.
She seemed to know, to realize.
But instead of comprehending the danger, pulling back, and letting him go, she reached—with her lips, with her body, with the gentle pressure of her hand on his cheek.
A sudden clattering clang of hooves on cobbles snapped them both free; on a mutual gasp, both pulled back from the kiss.
The sharp clatter was followed by shouts and calls.
For one instant, they remained locked together, gazing into each other’s eyes. Both of them were breathing rapidly. His pulse thudded in his ears.
Then the calls rising from below hauled them both fully back to the here and now.
They stepped apart. Side by side, they moved to the window.
That end of the disused wing overlooked the stable yard. On the cobbles below, they saw Nigel and Nolan, still mounted, their horses dancing, infected by the brothers’ transparently ebullient spirits.
Nigel had called for the stablemen—that had been the summons Thomas and Lucilla had heard—but Sean, Mitch, and Fred were taking their time.
Thomas watched as the stablemen slowly ambled across the yard and—it seemed grudgingly—held Nigel’s and Nolan’s horses. Apparently oblivious to the almost sullen disapprobation radiating from their clansmen, the brothers continued exchanging comments with each other as they dismounted, then haphazardly flung their reins toward the stablemen and started toward the house.
There were no greetings exchanged between the stablemen and the young masters of the house. As far as Thomas could see, there hadn’t even been any true acknowledgment of each other—a remarkable contrast to when he’d ridden in.
Frowning, he stepped back from the window. Less than a second’s thought sufficed to suggest that making his presence known to Nigel sooner rather than later would serve everyone, Manachan especially, best.
He looked at Lucilla. She was still gazing down at the stable yard, at the stablemen leading the horses away. Even though he couldn’t see her eyes, from her pensive, assessing expression it was clear that she’d detected the strain between the two groups of men and, like him, found it curious.
“I should go and break the news to Nigel.” He took another step back. When she turned to look at him, he pointed over his shoulder at the door just along the corridor. “That’s the door to the gallery in the main wing.” Briefly, he met her gaze. “I’ll see you later.”
He didn’t wait to see if she would reply; he turned on his heel, strode to the door, and escaped.
Lucilla watched him go. He left the door ajar; whether he’d meant to or not, it was a clear invitation to follow. Which she fully intended to do.
The kiss…had been everything she’d wanted. Even more than she’d dreamed of. But now Nigel and Nolan had arrived, such personal matters had to be set aside—for the moment. Until later.

 

 

Q&A

Thomas and Lucilla are both especially strong and stubborn characters, as so many of your heroes and heroines are. Is there a particular reason for this a) in general, and b) in this particular case?

In the general sense, I’ve always used strong characters because the scale and intensity of emotional clashes between such characters is more powerful, has the potential to be more wide-ranging, and is also likely to strike brighter sparks. A strong character doesn’t give way when someone opposes them or gets in the way of their will and drive—they immediately push back, and that refusal to back away is one of the key elements that leads such a pair of characters deeper and deeper into Cupid’s snare as they are forced to adjust and adapt to each other–a critical element of establishing an emotional partnership.
There’s a general assumption that strong and confident characters will have an easier time dealing with love, however, in reality I think it’s the opposite, and such characters find the existence of an emotion strong enough to make them change difficult to accept.

Which brings me rather neatly to Thomas and Lucilla. He is the ultimate strong character with a very powerful, emotional, and deeply personal reason to shut himself off from love. Against that, Lucilla, an equally strong character, is unswervingly convinced that they are fated to love and marry—but she, too, has a few lessons to learn in what love—even a fated love—will demand.

In short, my motivation for using strong characters can be summed up as: the stronger they are, the more they resist and, ultimately, the harder they fall.

Readers first met Thomas Carrick in the Cynster holiday special By Winter’s Light. Did his earlier meeting with Lucilla described in that book affect the pair’s actions in this book?

That earlier meeting in By Winter’s Light sets the stage for Thomas and Lucilla’s romance. Both of them leave that first encounter with the knowledge that the other could be their future spouse. Lucilla is ready to accept that Thomas is her fated future husband, lover, and consort, but Thomas, having experienced a complementary visceral connection to Lucilla, concludes that, as he wishes to avoid love, then she is someone he would be wise to avoid.
So from the instant they part after that first encounter, they are set on opposing tracks—Lucilla expecting and waiting for Thomas to return to her side and claim her hand, and Thomas doing his level best to stay far away.

It’s a standoff, until the actions at the start of The Tempting of Thomas Carrick force—literally force—them together again.

Deerhounds feature in By Winter’s Light and also in The Tempting of Thomas Carrick. Why deerhounds?

I needed a large dog to accompany Thomas through the snowstorm in By Winter’s Light, a dog big enough to physically assist, and also the sort of dog that might have been in such a community—a gentry family in the Scottish uplands of the period. So I went searching for breeds of dogs, and stumbled upon Scottish deerhounds. The more I read about them, the more perfect they seemed, and so Hesta padded onto my stage, and from there, the addition of Artemis and Apollo was an obvious extrapolation.
The dogs are fascinating—a shaggy, curly-coated, quite large breed built for speed and with superb eyesight. They are sight-hounds, and also track on the ground by scent, and as their name suggests, were specifically bred to hunt deer in the rugged terrain.

However, the real impact of the deerhounds, story-wise, doesn’t occur until the next book, A Match for Marcus Cynster, in which the packs we learn about through The Tempting of Thomas Carrick, come into their own and play an active role in Marcus and his lady’s adventures.

Both By Winter’s Light and The Tempting of Thomas Carrick are set in Scotland, in the south western uplands. Were there any particular challenges in using such a setting?

By Winter’s Light and The Tempting of Thomas Carrick are both centered on the Vale of Casphairn, which was a setting first introduced in Scandal’s Bride, the story of Richard and Catriona, Lucilla and Marcus’s parents (more on that below). Thus the settings for the recent books were not a matter of choice, but rather mandated, a necessary return to a previous place.

Such a wild country setting is very useful on the one hand, and a drawback on the other. The rugged beauty and landscape is a plus, while the isolation and the distance from any larger town or place of social congregation severely limits the opportunities for social events, even country house dinners. Consequently, the action in the story remains at all times strongly focused on the interaction between the two principal characters, with little to no distraction from external events. That puts a heavier burden on the romance plot than would be the case in a more urban setting, but that does mean the romance dominates and is always front and center. So there’s positives and negatives in using such a setting, but, overall, such settings definitely have their place when writing romances.

In this book, you also take readers to Glasgow—you paint quite a cosmopolitan picture of the town. How true to life is that depiction?

I admit that my first mental vision of Glasgow was as a heavily industrialized town, centered on shipping on the Clyde. While the importance of shipping on the Clyde was correct, in the mid-1800s, Glasgow was a thriving merchant center with distinct aspirations toward the sophistication, polish, and civilized amenity we might associate with a seaport like Boston. In this period, Glasgow was a major merchant hub, and it was therefore highly prosperous, and the resulting wealth found expression in the houses and squares, the well-appointed offices and genteel clubs and in the evolving social scene.

Readers are familiar with Casphairn Manor, and the Vale of Casphairn, but the nearby village is Carsphairn. Was there a reason for the difference?

This is one of those tales of things that “would not happen now.” I wrote the first novel featuring the Vale of Casphairn and Casphairn Manor back in the days before Google Maps. Or any sort of satellite imagery, or even ready access to detailed maps via the internet. At the time, I had several detailed maps of England, but as the village of Carsphairn is a very small settlement, it was shown in small—not to say tiny and non-expandable—font. So I read the name as Casphairn, not the correct Carsphairn.

Years later, when I was writing Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue, where the characters spend time in the Vale and at the manor, I was using Google Maps to study the areas to the east of where I had positioned the Vale, and when I zoomed in…I saw that the village name was really Carsphairn! Horrors! Luckily, I don’t think I’ve ever actually said the village itself was called Casphairn, only the Vale and the manor, but it was too late to change those—they’d already been written into history. So the Vale and the manor, both of which are fictitious, remain as Casphairn, while the village is correctly named Carsphairn.

Out of curiosity, I did go back to the original map. To the naked eye, it still looks like Casphairn—only with the help of a strong magnifying glass can you see that extra r.

Lucilla’s position as healer to the Vale community, and, indeed, all people under The Lady’s protection, features strongly in this book. How common were such healers?

Despite the rise of more formal medicine and the doctors who practiced it, traditional folk healers—those we might now term homeopathic healers or herbalists—were not uncommon into the late 1800s in England. In country areas, they would almost always be the first consulted, even by those living in the larger, wealthier houses. The history of herbal remedies is very deep and broad throughout the British Isles, and the more isolated the community, the greater the distance from a major town, the more likely that the people would turn first to the local “healer.” Midwifery and the treatment of common ailments remained largely the province of such healers even into the 1900s.

That said, as mentioned in this book and the next, in this period, when it came to interacting with the apparatus of law and order, for instance in formally reporting a death, the “doctor”—meaning a man formally trained in the western medical tradition—would be the one sent for.

This book is the first of the Cynster Next Generation Novels, and will be followed by Lucilla’s twin brother, Marcus’s story in June. Are there more Cynster Next Generation Novels to come?

Yes, indeed! As By Winter’s Light was in essence a pivotal volume, shifting focus from the original Bar Cynster generation to the lives of their near-adult children, and within the tale of By Winter’s Light were the seeds of Lucilla’s romance, then her book had to come first, in The Tempting of Thomas Carrick. And within Lucilla’s story lie the seeds of Marcus’s story, and as he is her twin, his book, A Match for Marcus Cynster, had to come next. It will be released on May 26, 2015.

But at the end of The Tempting of Thomas Carrick, and even more definitely at the end of A Match for Marcus Cynster, we catch up with the other Cynsters now facing up to the challenge of marriage and finding a suitable spouse. We see and appreciate that all is not going to be smooth sailing for such very robust individuals, neither the males nor the females. There are at least 6 more Cynster Next Generation novels to come—the romances of Devil’s three children, Sebastian, Michael, and Louisa, and those of the remaining “older group”—Prudence, Christopher, and Antonia Rawlings. After that…well, I’m sure that by the time I finish Louisa’s tale, we’ll know a lot more about Annabelle, Juliet, and Therese. And I already know what Calvin and Carter get up to, which should prove a lot of fun. Lots more to enjoy!

About The Author beige

Stephanie Laurens#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens began writing romances as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly became a career when her first novel was accepted for publication, and with entirely becoming alacrity, she gave up writing about facts in favor of writing fiction.

Laurens’s novels are set in the time period of the British Regency, and her settings range from Scotland to India. Laurens has published fifty works of historical romance, including 29 New York Times bestsellers. All her works are continuously available in print and digital formats in English worldwide, and have been translated into many other languages. An international bestseller, among other Stephanie’s email contactsaccolades Laurens has received the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA Award for Best Romance Novella 2008, for The Fall of Rogue Gerrard.

Website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com/

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9241.Stephanie_Laurens

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Rough Justice (Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club #1) by Sarah Castille-Review and Promotion

ROUGH JUSTICE (Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club 1) by Sarah Castille-Review and Promotion

Rough Justice

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 3, 2015

IT TAKES A GOOD, STRONG WOMAN

Raised in a motorcycle gang, tough, beautiful Arianne Hunter has always dreamed of a normal life. But no sooner does she escape her father’s domineering grasp than she wakes up to find herself in a rival gang’s clubhouse—at the mercy of the dangerously sexy Jagger Knight.

TO TAME A MAN WHO’S HELL ON WHEELS.

The alpha leader of the notorious Sinner’s Tribe, Jagger Knight is all muscle, all biker, and all man. But somewhere inside this hard tattooed outlaw, Arianne senses a kindred spirit—and she can’t ignore their tempestuous attraction. Can she beat him at his own game in a revved-up blaze of glory? Or will their passion spark a war that’s the end of the road for them both?

••••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: ROUGH JUSTICE is the first installment in Sarah Castille’s new, contemporary, adult Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club erotic romance series focusing on the members of the Sinner’s Tribe MC. This is club president Jagger Knight and Arianne Hunter’s storyline- a story of forbidden love, betrayal and revenge.

Told from third person point of view ROUGH JUSTICE focuses on an attack against the Sinners Tribe MC by a rival club that resulted in one member dead, their club house destroyed and Arianne Hunter –a prisoner of the Sinner’s Tribe MC. Left behind at the scene of the crime, Arianne finds herself not so much a prisoner but owned by the club president. Believing Arianne was a party to the death and destruction, the Sinner’s Tribe members want to make an example out of her but Jagger sees something different in Arianne-he sees a possible future, if only a temporary one.

The attraction between Arianne and Jagger is immediate but one of forbidden love. As a member of the rival MC, Arianne is off limits but it is her true identity that will force Jagger to think long and hard about what it is he wants and what he now has to do. Arianne refuses to return to her old club but her reasons are more complicated and darker than Jagger could have known.

Jagger is a powerful, alpha male; a dominant club president whose word is law and he is the final authority. Nothing is done without his permission but saying that he is a man with a heart-buried deep within a scarred chest-but a heart that believes all women should be protected. Jagger has a softer side, one that does not go unnoticed by his fellow club brethren when he begins to lose focus on what is important to the club. Loyalties and leadership will be questioned. When one of his fellow club brothers targets Arianne for justice, Jagger must step up and enforce the MC laws.

Arianne is a strong willed woman determined to leave town and start a new life away from the destructive nature of the biker lifestyle. She has faced death, experienced assault and brutal beatings but it is her love for her brother that has forced Arianne to make the decision to run. Saying that, our heroine, is torn between wanting to leave and remaining a part of Jagger’s life. In this, there is a continuous push and pull throughout the storyline; Arianne runs hot and cold. Our heroine believes herself to be capable of self preservation and survival but at times it will take an emotional and angry Jagger to save her from herself and others.

The supporting and secondary characters are numerous including many members of the Sinner’s Tribe MC. We are introduced to Jagger’s fellow bikers including Cade, Zane, Axle and Wheels as well as Banksy, the local bar owner whose background is secretive and dark. Arianne’s family plays a dangerous role in her need to run but none more so than a father who views his daughter as less than worthy.

ROUGH JUSTICE is a graphically violent storyline about betrayal, revenge and justice but not as graphic as some of the current MC series on the market. The language is strong but, again, not as explicit as other stories in the same genre. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely an adult storyline, with adult and erotic situations, graphic language and depictions of violence, with lots of sex between our H/h but the brutality is not always ‘in your face’; some of the situations take place behind the scenes or as part of a memory and backstory; and the language is tempered in comparison. There are some issues of repetition and redundancy but overall your eyes should not bleed after reading the story.

Sarah Castille does a wonderful job with the first storyline in her new Sinner’s Tribe MC series. With the introduction of many of Jagger’s fellow club brothers, we get a little background into their history, their heartbreak and their connections to one another. If you are new to the MC genre, the Sinner’s Tribe MC series by Sarah Castille is a must read; get your feet wet with ROUGH JUSTICE and club president Jagger Knight.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

About The Author Black and White

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Sarah CastilleNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Sarah Castille, graduated with a B.A Honors degree in History and an LL.B. (law degree) and practiced law on the West Coast for several years before succumbing to the lure of foreign travel. She obtained a Masters Degree in Law from the University of Edinburgh and then practiced at one of the world’s largest law firms in London, England during which time she traveled extensively, wrote moderately, and developed a taste for tea, European footwear and Greek cuisine.

She traded in her life of European glamor for the comforts of the frozen North and the excitement of home renovation, during which time she wrote extensively, never traveled, and developed a taste for beef jerky, Tim Horton’s coffee and Sorels.

After her first book, Legal Heat, won prizes in nine Romance Writers’ Association chapter contests, including the Grand Prize in the Valley of the Sun Hot Prospects Contest, Sarah decided to take a break from high heels and legal practice to write about red-hot alpha males and the women who tame them. Her second book, Against the Ropes, was named as one of Publishers Weekly’s Top Ten Picks for Romance & Erotica for fall 2013, and her third book, Unraveled, hit the New York Times Bestseller’s list. Sarah’s current release, Barely Undercover, was named as the “Must Read Erotic Romance of the Year” in the Sneak Peek Reader’s Choice Awards (2013). She hasn’t dusted off her briefcase yet!

Sarah lives with her husband, munchkins and a family of owls in the shadow of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, where she is currently working on her next novel.

The fun doesn’t end there! 

Chat with Sarah and other romance authors and fans during a fun filled Facebook party featuring special guests, prizes, sneak peeks, and more on February 5, 2014 from 7-9pm ESTRSVP here!

excerpt

She didn’t have to look up to know Jagger was watching her. She could feel his gaze burning into her skin, but instead of intimidating her, his frank interest made her bold. Lifting her head, she shook off her fear, and met his stare full-on, smiling before she dropped her gaze. Confident, not challenging. That was the key.

And from the smile that spread across his lips when she reached the table, she could tell she’d played it just right.

“Vexy.” The deep rumble of his voice vibrated through her body, sending a rush of heat straight to her core. And he’d remembered to use her road name.

“Nice to see you again.” And she meant it. She’d been fantasizing about him all week, mentally stripping off his clothes, running her hands over the breadth of his shoulders, his massive chest, those taut abs, and then lower, tugging off his belt, her own heat rising as she ripped open his fly. Power, barely contained, beneath her, above her. Inside—

Jagger gave a satisfied rumble, as if her words—or her face—had settled something in his mind.

“What can I get you?”

“I’ll start with some of this.” The Devil Dog seated be- side Jagger pinched Arianne’s ass.

Without hesitation, Arianne grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. “I’m afraid my ass isn’t on the menu.”

Wham. Jagger thudded a knife on the table between the outstretched fingers of the biker’s free hand. “You don’t fucking touch her. You don’t talk to her. You don’t look at her. And you sure as fuck don’t disrespect her.”

The table stilled. If he had been any other man, she might have thanked him verbally, or she might have pointed out that his actions were dramatic and unnecessary, since she had the situation in hand. But he wasn’t just any man. He was an outlaw biker president, and his actions weren’t directed solely at saving her ass from a squeeze. In that brief exchange, he’d laid down the law for the bikers on both sides of the table. First, he was in charge. And second, Arianne belonged to him.

So she gave him a simple nod of thanks. Her response seemed to please him. His face softened almost imperceptibly as he unclasped her hand from the Devil Dog’s wrist, then tugged until she released her captive. Her skin tingled at his touch, and when he rubbed this thumb lightly over her knuckles, she felt each stroke as a throb between her thighs.

 

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