Brandy’s Blog

RELEASE GIVEAWAY! DEMON (DARK MUSICAL TRILOGY) BY LAURA DeLUCA

Blurb:

When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn.

It doesn’t help that things keep disappearing from their apartment or that Rebecca’s father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist terrorizing the campus.

Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.

Giveaway:

Laura is running a HUGE giveaway with tons of prizes!  Click HERE for your chance to win!

Don’t forget to check out Phatom, the first in the Dark Musical Trilogy!!

Blurb:

The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.

Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.

Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT TOUR AND GIVEAWAY!! TEMPTED BY TROUBLE BY SUSAN ARDEN (@TastyBookTours, @romancebysusan, #giveaway)

Hey, Kittens!  We are playing a puzzle game.  All of the stops on this tour were given a piece of an EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT from Susan Arden!  In order to get the whole thing, you have to check out all the stops!  You can do that HERE.

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

His eyes glittered and dropped to her mouth. “If you think I’m about to waste more time because you’ve got second thoughts, Dr. Rodriguez, the next communication you’ll have from Evermore Ranch will be from my attorneys. Had I known who you were before, believe me, I wouldn’t have … I’d never let the situation get away from me.”

Oh, this was rich. “Away from you. I’d say it got out of control. But that’s on your side of the table. Fine. I’ll honor my service contract. You’re right about one thing. The only thing of interest to me is treating your cattle. Once the job is done, I’ll be only too happy to leave you in peace and we can go our separate ways.”

AUTHOR INFO:

Susan grew up in Miami, Florida and spent summers with her father, a college philosophy professor. Surrounded by stacks of books, she voraciously read throughout her childhood. Her father gave her the Little Prince not once, but several times over the years and the ideas of heartfelt vision stuck. “What matters is beyond the tangible. I love the concept of falling in love. The type of romantic journey that is so intense, it borders on insanity.”–Susan D. Taylor

Susan moved to Nashville where she taught biology and special education as well as coached girls’ soccer. No longer a public school teacher, Susan now writes about consuming passion, how attraction plays out, and characters that are either going to incinerate or meld like ribbons of warm caramel. She lives in TN with her husband, two blue heelers, two cats, a gecko and a snake. An RYT 200 (Yoga Alliance) specializing in vinyasa flow when she’s not writing her next hot romance.

 AUTHOR LINKS:

 

Website

Twitter

FB

Playlist

Pinterest

Susan is doing a giveaway for TWO RANDOM COMMENTERS!!  Make sure you leave a VALID email address so she can notify you if you win!!

CHARACTER INTERVIEW AND GIVEAWAY BY BRANDY! Together Again by Peggy Bird (@Crimson_Romance, @peggybirdwrites, #giveaway)

CHARACTER INTERVIEW:

Guess what, Kittens?  I was given the chance to sit down with Margo and Tony from Together Again to pick their brains!  Too fun!

Brandy:  Why didn’t you bitch slap the Asshole in the Blue Blazer??  Seriously, the douchebag needed to be put in his place!

Margo: Yeah, he did. But felony assault was the last thing I need on my resume. I’ve prosecuted too many people who do things like that.

Brandy:  How long have you been into Tony?   I know the wedding was the beginning but have you always been attracted to him?

Margo: I had a huge crush on him in high school, just like every other girl in our class. And that summer between college and law school when I was working in my uncle’s real estate agency? We hung out together a lot but he was so wrapped up in Police Academy I couldn’t get enough of his attention to do any more than hold hands. I thought about going naked in the alley behind our houses to see if he’d notice but, of course, I didn’t. After that, he got engaged, I had a serious boyfriend—it never seemed to work out.

Brandy:  What made you decide to move to Portland to be a DA?  I realize you were trying to escape but did you ever long to go home again?

Margo:  Long story short—my father. I went to law school knowing I wanted to be a prosecutor to make up for what he had done to pervert the law. But when I tried to get a job with the DA’s office in Philly I was told that no daughter of Kenny Keyes would ever practice law in Philadelphia, much less be a DA. The Philly DA managed to poison the well in other places where I applied, too. The only person who’d give me a chance was Jeff Wyatt in Portland. So, I took the job even though I didn’t know much about Portland. Now I love the city as only a transplant can.

Brandy:  You seemed fearless when dealing with Viktor at the meeting in the park.  Was your faith in Tony protecting you or you didn’t think Viktor would hurt you?

Margo:  At the time I thought it was because I knew I was doing the right thing but now I think it was because I had Tony backing me up. He’s always been there for me when I needed him.

Brandy:  By the end of the story, I can feel the love and passion you feel for Tony coming from the pages.  I got to ask.  Large Italian wedding or quiet-by-the-river simple wedding?   

Margo:  Please. (snorts) You think our families will let us get away with a simple wedding? We’ve given in to the inevitable and told our moms they have a blank check to do what they want and we’ll show up when they tell us to. They have St. Andrew’s reserved for Valentine’s Day—that’s the church where both Tony and I were baptized and took first communion. (Tony was an altar boy there for about five minutes until the priest fired him because all the girls giggled when he was assisting and distracted everyone.) Anyway, after the wedding, there’ll be a reception in the parish hall, same one where Mary Ellen’s reception was, and a wedding breakfast the day after at his mom’s house. Amanda and Fiona are planning a party in Portland when we get back. We do get to decide where we’ll honeymoon without any help. Once Tony builds up some vacation time, we’re going to Hawaii.

 Brandy:  Wow, that sounds like a wonderful wedding and honeymoon!  Thank you, Margo for taking the time out to sit down with me!  Now, it’s your turn, Tony!  I have to tell you that cops are hot!  What made you want to go into law enforcement?

Tony:  Hold that thought. What the hell, sugar? A crush in high school? Naked in the alley? When were you going to tell me that? Jesus, I know you like to think things through, but did you have to wait fifteen years to act? We need to talk. Now, the question—being a cop. I never wanted to be anything else. My dad was a cop. He was my hero.

Brandy:  How long have you desired Margo?

Tony:  My sister Teresa says since I was 14 but it’s probably that summer after her son-of-a-bitch father went to prison. She was like a balloon with the air let out. I took her down the shore every chance I could, just to get her away from home. She wore this bikini that was four triangles, two white, two black. Man, she was hot. Still is. We need to find a bikini like that for Hawaii.

Brandy:  I have to ask why you didn’t call Margo after the wedding.  I know you thought you would catch her the next time she was in town but the fact is, she is a beautiful woman and you may have lost your chance with her.

Tony:  She and her mom had left the reception by the time I looked for her after my nephew dragged me away. I called her mom’s the next day but Margo was already on her way back to Portland. No message. I figured she’d had second thoughts and we were back to square one, starting over. Again. And (grins) I’m more persuasive in person than I am on the phone.

Brandy:  Wow, where’s a fan when you need it!  How did you feel when Margo said the things she said to you before your Long Beach trip?

Tony:  I was pissed at her for being afraid. Then I was pissed at myself for pushing at her. Then I was pissed at both of us for being stupid enough to waste even more time after all those years. Being pissed lasted a long time.

Brandy:  It also wastes energy you could be using elsewhere.  Hint, Hint!  You have the absolute patience of a saint.  Did you ever want to grab Margo and shake some sense into her?

Tony:  Yeah, that’s me, Saint Anthony. Look, I’ve known Margo all my life. I know she has to come to a conclusion her way. I figured she’d get there in the end. I just move faster.

Brandy:  You amaze me with moving to Portland.  Not a lot of men would walk away from the familiar to start anew.  How did your family take the news?

Tony:  I know why Margo can’t do what she wants to do in Philly so if we’re going to be together, it has to be in Portland. My mom’s okay with it. The truth is, telling her I was moving to Portland was easier than telling her I was joining the police force only a couple years after my dad was killed in the line of duty. That was hard on her. I worry some about my nephew Noah. I’ve been the man in his life since his dad left. He’s going to miss me. We’re already talking about having him come stay with us for an extended vacation every year.

You two are so awesome!  Thank you for taking the time out to visit Romancebookworm’s Reviews!  See ya soon!

Peggy is offering up an E-book for giveaway!!  Click HERE for your shot to win!

 

BLURB TOUR STOP!! THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE BY BETH CIOTTA (@TastyBookTours, @BethCiotta)

Blurb:

A CONSTANT CRAVING
Rocky Monroe’s bad luck is legendary. So it stands to reason that during a quick trip to New York on behalf of the Cupcake Lovers’ forthcoming book, she winds up in the arms of the one man she never wants to see again. So what if he’s also the man she can’t stop dreaming about? Mouth-watering Jayce Bello has always been Rocky’s biggest mistake, and she’s not going to let history repeat itself … unless she gets a new taste of his delicious kisses.

AN IRRESISTIBLE DESIRE
When Jayce Bello left Sugar Creek ten years ago, it was the right thing to do—for him and for Rocky, his best friend’s little sister. But one passionate night with gorgeous, reckless Rocky is enough to prove that she’s the missing ingredient in his happiness. Now, with scandalous secrets souring the sweetness of the Cupcake Lovers’ club, Jayce needs to convince Rocky that their love is something to savor …

BETHAUTHORPIC

LINKS…

 Amazon Buy Link

http://www.amazon.com/The-Trouble-Love-Cupcake-Lovers/dp/1250001331/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362865749&sr=8-1&keywords=the+trouble+with+love+beth+ciotta

 Book Video Teaser via You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8AenZAqHQw

 Website:

www.bethciotta.com

 Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/BethCiottaBooks

 Twitter

https://twitter.com/BethCiotta

 Blog

http://bethciotta.blogspot.com/

 

Follow the rest of the tour HERE!!  Beth will be giving away FIVE paperback copies of her book to a random commenters!  Leave a comment for your chance to win!!

RELEASE DAY! ALPA GIRL (WOLFLING SAGA BOOK #1) BY KATE BLOOMFIELD (@katebloomfield)

BookCoverAlphaGirl

Title-Alpha Girl
Series-Wolfling Saga Book #1
By: Kate Bloomfield
Genre: New Adult/Mature YA ( 15 & up) Paranormal Romance
**not intended for audiences younger than 15 years of age, as it contains scenes of a sexual nature, and coarse language.
Please do not read if you are easily offended.**

BLURB:

Seventeen year old Rose Goldman is highly unpopular in the little town of Halfway. Ever since the ‘attack’ when she was a girl, people and animals have been afraid of her. She gets bullied in school, and called ‘wet dog’ because of the way she smells, despite being extremely hygienic. However, life takes a turn when a new teacher starts at Halfway High. Mr. Stone, the quirky and charismatic English teacher is twice Rose’s age, but she feels an unexplainable pull towards him from day one. Despite her better judgement, Rose pursues a friendship with Mr. Stone, who seems unable to stay away from her.
What is pulling this unlikely pair together?

Goodreads Reviews:

“I was riveted. Alpha Girl is quite intimate and has a fairly small cast of characters. The protagonist is very believable and wasn’t annoying, which is a frequent problem in a lot of books featuring teenage lead characters narrating in the first-person. This is a romance (albeit a twisted one). Don’t pick up this book expecting a darkly sweet, cutesy love story. This book will blast you out of your comfort zone and make you hate yourself for turning the page. But you will turn the page.”
Review of Alpha Girl by Mark Carver, Author of The Age of Apollyon.

About The Author:

ALPHAGIRLAUTHOR

Best-selling and independent Australian author, Kate Bloomfield, has successfully made a name for herself in the world of self-publishing at just twenty-three years old. Her newest and most precious book yet, Alpha Girl, is a controversial Paranormal Romance between a student and teacher. A book not for those easily offended.

Kate was born in Enfield, London in 1989, but has lived in Wollongong, Australia for most of her life.  Now working full time as an independent author, Kate has published four novels, and two short stories.  

Her fifth novel ‘Alpha Girl’ is a paranormal romance that explores a complicated a student/teacher relationship. It is due for release on April 1st 2013.

For more information about Alpha Girl, please visit:www.bloomfieldkate.com

Links: 

Blog: www.katebloomfieldauthor.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/katebloomfield

Facebook: www.facebook.com/katebloomfieldauthor

Wattpad: www.wattpad.com/katebloomfield

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

Amazon: http://amzn.com/e/B0077DUFJO

Excerpt:

Mr. Stone’s smile faltered. ‘I like my women to have a mind of their own – to be witty. Like you.’

My throat closed up. Like me?

‘You’re an amazing girl,’ he said suddenly.

His use of the word girl made my stomach twist painfully.

‘Am I?’ I asked.

‘Of course.’

‘A girl?’

He smiled knowingly. ‘An amazing woman,’ he corrected himself.

‘No one has ever told me that before,’ I said.

‘I don’t believe that,’ he smiled. ‘You’re clever, and beautiful, and damn witty.’

Mr. Stone’s jaw tensed as he realized what he was saying.

‘Beautiful?’ I asked, the word escaping as nothing more than a whisper.

‘Don’t you know?’ he asked.

My heart thundered as I stared at him. Oh please, my mind begged. Please tell me what is going on in that head of yours.

‘D-don’t I know what?’ I asked.

‘Don’t you know what you’re doing to me?’ He said as though I was torturing him.

‘What?’ My skin stung and my head swam with the possibilities.

‘Rose, I-’ He paused to collect his thoughts. ‘I’ve felt this … this pull towards you since day one. I can’t explain it.’

He didn’t need to explain it, because I felt it too. His eyes, his smile and his scent had me drawn in.

I placed a shaking hand over his, which was still on the steering wheel. He looked at our hands for a moment before allowing me to thread my fingers through his. I could feel his pulse in between each of my fingers.

Mr. Stone inhaled deeply. ‘Christ,’ he muttered, shutting his eyes tightly.

‘What’s the matter?’ I breathed.

‘That … that scent. The way you smell-’

I suddenly became very self-conscious. Bullies at school often accused me of smelling like wet dog. I

sniffed my shirt, but I smelled perfectly normal.

‘What is it?’ I said defensively. ‘I showered this morning-’

Mr. Stone laughed, and I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment.

‘No,’ he said with a small smile. ‘You smell amazing.’

‘I do?’

‘Absolutely. You always do.’

I never wore perfume, only regular home brand antiperspirant.

‘It makes me dizzy,’ he confessed. ‘It’s intoxicating.’

‘What do I smell like?’ I asked, rather flushed.

Mr. Stone licked his lips as though he could taste me in the air. ‘Sweet,’ he said.

My cheeks burned crimson, and I wished he would look at me. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

‘I want to kiss you so very badly, Rose,’ Mr. Stone said under his breath. ‘But I can’t … and it’s killing me.’

My heart hammered so loudly against my ribcage that I was sure Mr. Stone could hear it from where he sat.

Suddenly, I felt powerful. He wanted me … and it terrified him.

‘Mr. Stone,’ I breathed, but he still didn’t look at me. ‘Tom.’

A small groan escaped him as though his name leaving my lips was taboo.

‘Look at me,’ I said, my eyes fixated on him.

‘I can’t,’ he said, shaking his head.

REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY BY BRANDY! Together Again by Peggy Bird (@Crimson_Romance @peggybirdwrites)

EXCERPT:

Deputy DA Margo Keyes is looking forward to this trip with as much enthusiasm as she’d have for a root canal. There’s the Philly summer heat, the high school reunion she’d rather avoid, and the speech she’d be giving as a last-minute stand-in for her boss. Mostly there’s facing high school crush Tony Alessandro. When she’d last seen the Philly cop, he’d danced her out of his sister’s wedding reception to a dark room where he’d kissed her senseless. If his nephew hadn’t interrupted they’d have . . . well, who knows?

Tony had disappeared on some family errand. She went home to Portland, Oregon the next day. She hadn’t heard from him since.

However, her homecoming turns out better than expected. The reunion and the speech work out. Even better, when she and Tony pick up where they left off in that dark room, the only heat that’s unbearable is what they generate in bed.

Margo returns to Portland wondering if she and Tony have started something she might not be ready for, relieved she’s put a whole continent between them to give her breathing room to sort it. Then his work with a federal task force investigating industrial espionage brings him to Portland. And an accidental swap of messenger bags on her flight home puts her in the middle of the investigation.

Tony wants her out of the way of the bad guys and focused on him. She wants to use a secret from her past to wrap up the case. And maybe avoid having to think about what’s happening between them.

They can’t both win. Or can they?

REVIEW:

I was given a copy of this book by the author in return for my honest review.  I love sexy, hot Italian men and this author nailed it with Tony!  Falling for the girl he grew up was easy but getting her to realize that what they have is special and forever, is not all it is cracked up to be!

Margo feels the attraction between her and Tony but as great as the passion is, she has trouble getting out of her own insecure head.  When they realize that a series of chance meetings have put her right in the crosshairs of the Russians, they  both realize the power of love.  Margo turns into a rock star when she convinces the man behind the threats that she is more like her felon father by trying to up the selling price of piece of industrial intel.  I was surprised at who else was behind this little conspiracy. 

Check out this great read and join me tomorrow when I sit down and interview Margo and Tony!

Peggy is offering up an E-book for a lucky winner!  Click HERE for the giveaway!

Rated 4 Bookworms

bookwormbookwormbookwormbookworm

AUTHOR LINKS:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peggy-Birds-Authors-Page/264392460308782
 
https://twitter.com/peggybirdwrites
http://www.peggybirdwrites.com (website)
 
http://pinterest.com/writingbird/

RELEASE DAY! TEMPTED BY TROUBLE BY SUSAN ARDEN (@TastyBookTours)

 BLURB:

When a woman is the magnet for the wrong man, it takes a bad boy to break old habits.

Carolina Rodriguez is a large animal veterinarian on a mission to escape South Florida and her overprotective family. Willing to do just about anything, she accepts a job in Annona, Texas over the Internet from a family connection.

At her cousin’s wedding, she runs into Matt, a handsome Texan in the church parking lot. Matthew McLemore is more than gorgeous, he’s Carolina’s new boss, and needs her help to determine why his cattle keep dying. Matt’s instantaneous attraction to Carolina sorely tempts him to push the boundaries of their work contract, but a roll in the hay may prove too volatile to handle. Until she arrives on his ranch and is too hot to resist.

Carolina refuses to admit Matt’s raw sexuality is more than overpowering or that she’s the least bit tempted by this smooth-talking bad boy. But by the time the pathology lab reports comes back, they’ve explored every inch of each other. All of a sudden, this fiery affair is more than just a fling. And when a past flame threatens to overwhelm their new found romance, Matt must find a way to stake his claim to Carolina’s heart before it’s too late.

Warning: Contains a smoking mess of scorching love scenes.

Ice may be needed for blazing imaginations.

Author Info:

Susan grew up in Miami, Florida and spent summers with her father, a college philosophy professor. Surrounded by stacks of books, she voraciously read throughout her childhood. Her father gave her the Little Prince not once, but several times over the years and the ideas of heartfelt vision stuck. “What matters is beyond the tangible. I love the concept of falling in love. The type of romantic journey that is so intense, it borders on insanity.”–Susan D. Taylor

Susan moved to Nashville where she taught biology and special education as well as coached girls’ soccer. No longer a public school teacher, Susan now writes about consuming passion, how attraction plays out, and characters that are either going to incinerate or meld like ribbons of warm caramel. She lives in TN with her husband, two blue heelers, two cats, a gecko and a snake. An RYT 200 (Yoga Alliance) specializing in vinyasa flow when she’s not writing her next hot romance.

 Author Links:

Website

Twitter

FB

Playlist

Pinterest

Book Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRFmdeaJUbY

Follow the rest of the tour HERE!

REVIEW BY BRANDY! GIVEAWAY!! THREE OF SPADES BY W. FERRARO (@AuthorWFerraro)

BLURB:

Dylan Cross is the type of man that enjoys everything female, and enjoy it he does, but always on his terms. However, his terms are pushed to their limit when Natalie Parker proposes an offer; teach her and her delectable little body, all about sex and desire. There is one catch. He has to play the part of Natalie’s madly in love boyfriend for her dying mother. Dylan signs on, and finds that separating the two is harder than he thought. Natalie’s days of shyness and lack of confidence come to a quick close as she learns what her body craves and demands in the bedroom. Soon, Dylan becomes the student as Natalie teaches him things he didn’t even know he wanted. Will Hamden’s notorious playboy, bachelor be able to keep calling the shots, or will he find that, he, himself, is just another player at the card game of life, as we all are?

REVIEW:

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I fell in lust with Dylan in Three of Hearts but I fell in love with him in this story. 

Dylan is a playboy and he makes no apologies for it.  When he runs into a beautiful, dainty woman at Cal’s bar, he is intrigued by her proposal. 

Natalie is a bookworm and is satisfied with that, until her mom starts berating her for not having a man in her life.  Natalie knows it is because her mom’s cancer is terminal but she still feels betrayed by her.  She makes the decision to find a man that can teach her about sex and help her convince her mom that she is in a loving relationship. 

Dylan knows that he is probably asking for trouble but he just can’t resist Natalie and her innocent ways.  Both are destined for more than just a simple con.  I love the expansion of the characters and how they develop over the story.  Characters from Three of Hearts are included and I love how the story continues to blossom.

The author is giving away an Amazon digital copy of this book so click HERE for your chance to win!!

Rated 4 Kisses

brandy lipsbrandy lipsbrandy lipsbrandy lips

BLURB TOUR STOP! KISS OF TEMPTATION BY SANDRA HILL (@TastyBookTours, @avonbooks, @SandraHillAuth)

BLURB:

Ivak Sigurdsson had led a lustful life, leaving a trail of broken hearts–and lives–in his wake. Of course, a man can only live that way for so long, and when a vengeful husband finally breaks through Ivak’s defenses, he is given a choice: die, or serve the archangel Michael and become a vangel.

A thousand years later, determined to prove his worth to Michael and finally gain reprieve, Ivak is successfully avoiding temptation…until he meets Gabrielle Sonnier. The sexy lawyer is just his type, and Ivak wastes no time in telling her so. But Gabrielle has bigger problems on her plate than a horny Viking. So Ivak has no choice but to help Gabrielle, and in doing so, they might both discover there are more tempting things in life than work or play…like love.

EXCERPT:

PROLOGUE

The Norselands, 850 a.d., where men…and life…were always hard…

Ivak Sigurdsson was an excessively lustsome man.

Ne’er would he deny that fact, nor bow his head in embarrassment. In truth, he’d well earned his far-renowned wordfame for virility. On his back. On his front. Standing. Sitting. On the bow and in the bowels of a longship. Behind the Saxon king’s throne. Deep in a cave. High in a tree. Under a bush. On a bed. In a cow byre. Once even with…well, never mind, that had been when he was very young and on a dare and another story entirely.

He liked women. Everything about them. Not just the sex bits. He liked their scent, the feel of their silky skin, the allure of their secrets, the sound of their sighs and moans, the taste of them. And women liked him, too. He wanted them all.

You could say lust was a sixth sense for Ivak. He was a Viking, after all.

He’d been twelve years old when, swaggering with over-confidence, he’d tried his dubious charms on his father’s eighth concubine who’d laughed herself into a weeping fit afore showing him exactly which hole he should aim for. Now, twenty years and at least two hundred bedmates later–he’d stopped counting after that incident in Hedeby— there was naught he did not know about sex. Men came to him for advice all the time. Women, too

The cold Norse winds blew outside his keep now, but he and his comrades-in-arms were warm inside as they sat before one of the five hearth fires that ran through the center of his great hall at Thorstead. Their body heat was aided by the mead they were imbibing and the satiety that comes from having tupped more than the ale barrel, and it not yet eventide.

When bored and having no wars to fight, or any other time for that matter, taking an enthusiastic maid to the bed furs was always a worthwhile pastime. Leastways, it was for Ivak. You’d think his jaded appetites would have waned by now. Instead, he found himself wanting more and more. And the things he tried these days pushed even his sensibilities for decency…but not enough to stop him.

And, of course, when bored and having no wars to fight, men did what men did throughout time. Drank.

In fact, Esbe, the widow of one of his swordsmen, walked amongst them now, refilling their horns from a pottery pitcher. When she got to him, she smiled, a small, secretive smile that Ivak understood perfectly. Women told him that he had an aura about him…a presence, so to speak. By leaning against a wall just so, or merely staring at them through half-slitted eyes, or gods forbid, winking at them, he sent a silent message. Here was a man who knew things.

He smiled back at Esbe, who shared his bed furs on occasion, and watched appreciatively, along with every one of his men, as she walked away from them, hips swaying from side to side.

Another thing men did when bored and having no wars to fights, and especially when drinking, was talk about women.

“Tell me true, Ivak,” demanded Haakon the Horse, a name he’d been given because of a face so long he could lick the bottom of a bucket and still see over the rim, not because of other bodily attributes. Haakon was a master at swordplay if ever there was one, a soldier you’d want at your back in battle, but an irksome oaf when drukkinn, and he was halfway there already. “There must have been times when your lance failed to rise to the occasion. It happens to the best of men betimes.”

Ivak exchanged a quick glance with his best friend, Serk the Silent, who sat beside him on the bench. Serk, a man of few words, did not need to speak for Ivak to know that he was thinking: Here it comes!

Ivak tapped his chin with a forefinger, as if actually giving the query consideration. He could feel Serk shaking with silent laughter. “Nay, it never has, though there have been times I’ve had to take a vow of celibacy to give it a rest.” He cupped himself for emphasis.

“For how long?” scoffed Ingolf, his chief archer. A grin twitched at Ingolf’s hugely mustached upper lip, knowing when Ivak was about to pull a jest.

“Oh, a good long time. Two days at most,” Ivak admitted.

Everyone, except Haakon, found amusement in his jest, including Kugge, the young squire he’d been training of late. Gazing at Ivak in wonder, Kugge blurted out, “Did it hurt?”

“The celibacy or the excess?” Ivak asked, trying to keep a straight face.

A blush crept over Kugge’s still unwhiskered face as he sensed having made a fool of himself.

Ivak patted Kugge on the shoulder.

Haakon glared at him, his question not gaining the results he’d wanted…a fight. Ivak returned Haakon’s glare, his with a silent warning that Haakon thankfully heeded. Haakon stood, tossing his horn to the rushes, and stomped off, hopefully to sleep himself sober.

Ingolf took a long draught from his horn of ale, cleared his throat, and proclaimed with a chuckle, “To my mind, a man’s cock is like a brass urn.”

“Oh, good gods!” Ivak muttered.

AUTHOR INFO:

Sandra Hill is a graduate of Penn State and worked for more than 10 years as a features writer and education editor for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Writing about serious issues taught her the merits of seeking the lighter side of even the darkest stories. She is the wife of a stockbroker and the mother of four sons.

 Links:

https://www.sandrahill.net/

https://www.facebook.com/SandraHillAuthor

https://twitter.com/SandraHillAuth //@SandraHillAuth

http://www.avonromance.com/book/sandra-hill-kiss-of-temptation

REVIEW BY BRANDY! GIVEAWAY!! THREE OF HEARTS BY W. FERRARO (@AuthorWFerraro)

BLURB:

Mae Turney is searching for the type of life and happiness she has never known but has only dreamed about. She’s fortunate enough to find a great opportunity to live in an exterior apartment of a beautiful lake house in a small town in Vermont. When she realizes the apartment and scenery are not the only gorgeous appeal but the home owner, Seth Finn, is as well, she puts it all on the line for the chance at love. When she becomes comfortable and confident in her own skin and sexuality, Mae realizes that this place and this man is exactly what she came looking for. Knowing Seth and his three children are as special as they come, Mae bets the house, and prays she and her gamble are enough.

REVIEW:

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated.

Mae is an oncology nurse so she has always been a compassionate soul.  But then there is compassionate and then there is insecure doormat.  Mae reminds me of well, me.  Life was not what I had been dreaming of so my husband and I moved across the country and started building the life we wanted.  That is what Mae did.  She took control and rented a gorgeous apartment.  The details were so amazing, I felt like I could see the apartment and house. 

Seth is a strong passionate Irish man, who is raising his three kids on his own.  Their mother passed away from cancer.  I fell in love with this man myself because he was REAL.  I know that there is a formula to the male characters in most stories but I like how Seth made the mistakes that your husband or boyfriend would make.  That made it clear to me that I would be following this author’s work in the future.

It was so easy to see how easy this family was to love and I am not surprised that Mae did.  I was broken-hearted when Seth turned on her.  Ironically enough, I understood why but I didn’t like the way it was done.  Stubborn ass, should have listened. 🙂 

If you are not familiar with this amazing author, I urge you to check her out.  She is also giving away an Amazon digital copy of her book.  So, click HERE for your chance to win!

Rated 4 Kisses

 brandy lipsbrandy lipsbrandy lipsbrandy lips