Lauren Jameson's LINGER is here! (Enter for a chance to win a copy!)

Today I have a special treat for y'all. The lovely Lauren Jameson is here with her newest release and a contest! And let me tell you, I had the privilege of reading an ARC of this one a while back and it is HAWT. Writing a submisssive alpha male is a challenge, and Lauren did it beautifully in this book. Go get it, y'all. You won't be disappointed.

Now I'll turn it over to Lauren...

 

GUEST AUTHOR: Lauren Jameson

Thank you so much for having me Roni!

I’m here today to chat about my new book Linger, which is out TODAY! I’m super excited. And Roni has been kind enough to let me share some info with you guys... I hope you like it!

Let me introduce you to Dr. Logan Brody 

 

From the author of Breathe and Blush comes a blisteringly hot new novel about baring it all.…

On her last night in Nevada before embarking on a yearlong veterinary internship, Scarlett Malone is celebrating—and looking for one night of incredible pleasure. But the man who draws her eye is not her usual type: He’s a cowboy whose alpha-male tendencies tempt her beyond belief. Scarlett can’t understand why she wants this man and no one else, but she’s determined to entice him to submit.…

Dr. Logan Brody lives an isolated life in rural Montana, running a ranch and suppressing his submissive tendencies. Only on his occasional trips does he give into his hidden urges. He can’t deny his scorching attraction to Scarlett or that she makes him want more, but he never lets anyone break him down fully. He’s hers for one night and one night only.

But when Scarlett shows up at Logan’s door as his intern for the year, he realizes that the walls around his heart are about to crumble—and that this sexy dominant woman has no intention of letting him keep control.…

 

I have two excerpts for you today! The first one is a little different... did you know that my husband is a radio personality? I coerced him into recording a scene from Linger for me... listen to it here

And I have a few other goodies for you! Here’s another steamy excerpt from Linger... I hope you like it!

Logan felt a wicked surge of excitement as the small Mistress planted herself in front of him, hands on her hips. Very sexy hips, he noted yet again, ones that flowed into a slender waist and the curves of full breasts. He’d felt a deep sense of satisfaction to find that she appeared every bit as interested in him as he was in her.

Something in him again warned him to find a different partner for the evening, one who would be satisfied with administering a flogging, then sharing hard, impersonal sex.

Every other part of him wanted the woman currently standing in front of him, though he knew somehow that she was going to push him further than he was comfortable. Just having met her had thinned the barriers he always kept in place.

He hadn’t been in the club for very long, but he was already feeling the pain from being trapped in the crush of people. A scary looking Mistress—or Master, he wasn’t quite sure—had started bearing down on him at the same time as the tasty treat in front of him, and he’d felt as if the walls had been closing in on him, stealing away his air.

But it was different with this one…

An experienced submissive, he could tell that she was a fairly new Mistress. The nerves were there, in her eyes, around the corners of her mouth. Still, despite the sweet features of her face, dominance seemed to seep out of her very pores, an exotic perfume that caught his attention like a dog with a steak.

And then there was that strange pull between them, the one that had snapped into place the second his arms had wrapped around her outside. The one that made every other dominant woman in the room seem dull and unappealing.

It was an irresistible combination for a man who ran the show everywhere besides the bedroom.

And he couldn’t ignore the fact that, since she’d introduced herself and glared at him with that bitchy expression that made his cock hard, he’d found it a little easier to breathe.

“What’s the problem, sweetheart?” He grinned down at her, his expression deliberately cocky. He needed to keep his defenses up from the start around this one, to keep her from sneaking too far into his psyche.

He waited to see if she would dismiss him immediately for his rudeness.

She arched an eyebrow at his term but didn’t comment on it, which left him mildly disappointed. Instead she nodded at his feet, looking like nothing so much a wet dream of a stern schoolteacher.

“Bottoms go barefoot in Veritas, sub. Remove the boots.”

Her voice was whiskey smooth with an undercurrent of sin, at odds with the girl-next-door face. Logan found himself wanting to fall to his knees and obey, to please her, and despite how much he wanted her, the notion didn’t sit well with him.

A mistress had to work much harder than saying a few words and looking pretty to earn that kind of response from him.

He’d felt the punch of attraction when their eyes had first met, but now he was wary. What kind of hold did she have on him already, to make him want so badly to please her?

Shaken by the notion, he grinned insolently and shook his head. “Make me, baby.”

Logan watched as heat flickered in her eyes which, upon closer inspection, were stormy grey rather than the expected blue.

He watched as she shrugged one shoulder, a simple gesture that was nevertheless full of innate grace.

“We’ll do it the hard way, then.” So caught up in the siren’s song of her voice, Logan was caught off guard when the little minx kicked her leg up with the smooth flexibility of a trained dancer and pressed her sharp stiletto heel against the thin denim of his crotch.

He froze when the perfectly positioned boot heel dug into the tender sac of his testicles, just enough to catch his attention.

“No need to get nasty, sweetheart.” Though he wasn’t overly concerned that she was one of those mistresses who took joy in cock and ball torture, he was still uncomfortable enough from the feelings coursing through him to be a smartass.

“Take off your boots.” Damn her, she looked completely calm and in control. Like she knew he would do as she said, simply because she had said it.

Their little standoff had drawn an audience, too, and the press of bodies around them made his throat constrict with the beginnings of claustrophobia.

“A hundred bucks on the little blonde.”

Logan flicked his eyes around the gathered crowd to find the speaker and glowered when he saw that it was Luca, the only acquaintance he had at In Vino Veritas. He would have snarled if Mistress S hadn’t chosen that moment to dig that stiletto in just a bit harder.

“I warned you.” She shrugged and smiled at him, and the smile made Logan’s entire body clench with pure, undiluted need. She leaned forward, a calculated move, he knew, but still he found his attention caught on the creamy swells of her breasts, offered up as they were in the almost indecently low neckline of her black lace corset.

He wanted to get his hands on those breasts more than he wanted his next breath.

His attention was still caught on them when she lowered her leg, and he grinned as he hoped, prayed, that she would lean forward a bit more, just enough for him to see a hint of nipple that he knew would be rosy pink.

“I’d still be happy to give you the ride of your life—” Logan’s words were cut off when the slender woman whirled behind him, her movements precise and controlled. He felt the sharp toes of her boots dig into the backs of his knees, and then he landed on his knees on the floor, his breath leaving his lungs in one uncomfortable jolt.

“What the—” He threw his hands out in front of him to protect his face when she pushed him down further and straddled his hips backwards. Despite the surprise and the uncomfortable position, his cock pushed against the thin denim of his jeans as his body registered the heat of her naked legs, pressing tightly into his torso.

Her ass was sweetly rounded and close enough to touch. Her skirt had ridden up when she moved, and he caught a hint of the sexy panties she wore beneath.

With firm hands, Mistress S tugged off one of his well-worn cowboy boots, and then the other. His socks followed. Standing, she caught his eye as she very deliberately stuffed a sock inside each boot, then handed the pair off to Luca, to tuck out of reach behind the bar, he assumed.

“What’s your name?” She asked, her voice steady, certain he would answer... and he did, though he hadn’t intended to.

“Logan.” He could hear the wariness in his own voice, and rightly so—this woman was nothing like he’d expected.

“Well, then. Logan.” Her words were stern. “I told you. Subs go barefoot here.”

Logan felt twin desires pulling inside of him. He wanted to apologize, to earn her favor.

He also wanted to wipe that smug smile off of her face. She’d won this round—and he hadn’t seen it coming, so points for her.

But he wasn’t tamed that easily.

“You going to punish me now, baby?” He ran his tongue over his lips, deliberately provoking her. He knew what would happen now, and he was looking forward to it.

She would take him to a private room, or to one of the many pieces of equipment set up around the massive play area of Veritas. She would try to dig deeper, and he would deflect. She would flog him, and he would be able to lose himself in the pain.

They would fuck, and then they would go their own ways. He’d head back to Montana until his needs could no longer be assuaged with his imagination and his own hand.

The fact that he didn’t care for the idea of leaving her was just a signal that he needed to do exactly that. She looked like she could draw out all of his secrets, and that just wasn’t going to happen.

Still, he thought he just might die if he didn’t get a taste of that creamy flesh spilling out over the top of her corset.

“Yes,” Mistress S replied, her face calm, though those grey eyes of hers reflected more than a hint of the turmoil that he was feeling himself. “I am.”

Then the woman did something Logan never could have seen coming.

She turned on her slender stiletto heel and walked away.

 

Want to see the book trailer for Linger? Check it out here

AND (drumroll please) it’s giveaway time! Today one winner is going to receive an e-copy of Linger AND an e-copy of a Roni Loren book of your choice! To enter? Comment and tell me what you love about an alpha hero.

Thank you so much for having me here to play today Roni! And thanks to everyone for stopping by. If anyone if interested in checking out Linger, it can be found at the following vendors!

Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iBooks 

Happy reading!

 

 

The Journey to Debut Authorhood by Jamie Wesley (plus WIN a Kindle!)

I have a very special guest for y'all today. When I decided to start writing again for real back in 2008-2009, one of my big get-over-my-shyness-and-take-this-seriously steps was to go to a local RWA (Romance Writers of America) meeting for the first time. I remember I was so nervous because I'd never really said out loud to anyone besides my immediate family that I wanted to be a writer.

But when I walked in, I took a spot next to someone who seemed to be on her own and not in one of the already established groups of women. Somehow (despite us both being quiet people) we struck up a conversation and I found out it was her very first meeting as well. Sometimes, you just click with people and that's how it was with Jamie.

Since that first meeting, Jamie and I have been friends, each other's writing cheerleaders, and roommates at every national RWA conference. She's cheered me on as I went from unpublished newbie to agented to multi-published. And I've shaken my pom-poms for her as she went from unpublished newbie to Golden Heart nominee to now *drumroll*...debut author!!! She has worked so damn hard to get to this point in her career, and I'm almost as excited for her debut as I was for my own, lol. So without further ado, I'll turn it over to Jamie.

Read it. Enter her contest. And buy her book. (It's only 99 cents for debut week!) You won't be disappointed.

 

 

GUEST AUTHOR: Jamie Wesley

A few years ago, Roni asked if I’d be interested in writing a guest post for her blog while she was on vacation. Before finally agreeing to do it, I hemmed and hawed (and got on her nerves, I’m sure) because I was unpublished and I knew she had all these blog followers. What could I, in my unpubbed glory, offer them?

Fast forward to today. I’m still not sure I have anything of substance to offer, but, as of today, I’m no longer unpublished. The dream I’ve been pursuing for the past five years has come true. After many close calls and frustrating setbacks, I am finally a published author with TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD. And I couldn’t be happier. Or more nervous.

To be perfectly honest, it’s all a bit surreal. To dream and work hard while never quite knowing when you’ll achieve your goal is the name of the publishing game. You work and work for it and then it happens and it’s like “Crap. What have I gotten myself into?”

I write stories that I want to read. I’ve always assumed that if I’m interested in the storyline, then surely someone else will be, too. So I wrote. And now I have to put that theory to the test. It’s scary, but I wouldn’t change anything about the experience. Because this is what I’ve always wanted. I’m living my dream and I’m so grateful. I firmly believe that life is about pursuing your dreams and not having (many) regrets. In 2006, I decided I wanted to work in sports, so I quit my job, moved to a new city, and went to grad school to get a degree in sport management. Now, I work in the sport/entertainment industry.

Following your dreams is a lesson my characters, Noelle and Tate, take to heart. For Noelle, helping people as a psychologist is her dream come true. For Tate, things aren’t so clear, but things don’t stay that way for long. J  

Am I done dreaming? Heck no. I have to visit Spain, a dream I’ve had for twenty years ever since I visited Europe after my eighth grade and we went everywhere but Spain. I was so upset I couldn’t use my two years of Spanish. Just a few days ago, I decided that Spain will happen in 2015. I also want to attend Wimbledon. And the Olympics.  

And yes, I want to publish more books. I can’t wait to get started in making these dreams and more come true. :)

To celebrate the release of TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD, I’m giving away a Kindle. To enter, please answer the following question and fill out the Rafflecopter:

What’s your dream? What did you do or plan on doing to make it happen?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD, the first chapter is posted on my website. 

Book Blurb:

Two radio show hosts. One show. Who will come out on top?

In a moment of restlessness, Tate Grayson sold his multimillion-dollar company and spun his love of sports into a radio talk show. Life, and love, is too short to take seriously—a fact he enjoys rubbing in uptight radio host Noelle Butler’s face.

After the death of her parents, a tragedy she blamed on herself, Noelle vowed to live a controlled, focused life. Now a psychologist, she channels her need for connection into her radio show. But when the arrogant sportscaster next door tells listeners men shouldn’t get married, she’s all too happy to yank the silver spoon out of his overprivileged mouth.

Their heated on-air arguments are a hit, but when the station director forces them to do a joint show for two weeks, Tate and Noelle object. They can’t stand each other, despite the attraction sizzling beneath every interaction. But if they can’t pull the struggling radio station back from the brink, they’ll lose their jobs. Or worse, their hearts.

 Find the book: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Goodreads   

Jamie Wesley has been reading romance novels since she was about 12 when her mother left a romance novel, which a friend had given her, on the nightstand. Jamie read it instead, and the rest is history.

She started her first manuscript, a contemporary romance, after she graduated from Northwestern University in 2002 and couldn't find a job. Life got in the way as it often does, i.e. she found a job, and she didn't finish the story. However, she never forgot about it and finally got serious about completing it in 2009. She’s been writing ever since.

Jamie holds a master’s degree in sport management (yes, that's a real thing :-) ) from the University of Texas at Austin, so it probably comes as no surprise that she loves sports and spends an inordinate amount of time rooting for her hometown Dallas’s pro sports teams and her alma maters.

She also adores Walt Disney World, shopping, and pop culture. Want to know if your favorite TV show is going to be canceled or what the newest Disney attraction is? Ask Jamie. She'll probably know the answer.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter

 

What I've Been Reading: Smexiness, Male/Male, YA, and Thrillers, Oh My!

 

Maybe it's because I brought home like fifty books from the RWA conference and I'm feeling the weight of my TBR pile, but I've been on a bit of a reading binge over the last week or two. And I've been on a pretty good streak of books--no DNFs in a while--so I figured I'd share some of what I've been reading.

 

The Saint by Tiffany Reisz (erotica)

Yes, Tiffany is a friend, but that is not why I love her books. This is one of my favorite series out there right now. Smart, sexy, dark, and epic. Don't start with this one, though, if you haven't read the rest. The Siren is book one.

 

Take (Temptation Series Book 2) by Ella Frank (male/male romance)

First, let's just say OMG this cover. *shamelessly stares* Okay, moving on. This is book two in a m/m romance series, so if you haven't read book one (TRY), start with that one. This is a filthy hot series that follows the same couple throughout. I'm thinking there is going to be a third book, but the cliffhangers aren't shameless because certain threads are wrapped up with each one.

 

Still Missing  by Chevy Stevens (thriller)

Okay, I think this book traumatized me a little. A realtor is abducted and kept in a cabin by a psychopath. It's very intense but was a compelling read.

 

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake  by Sarah MacLean (historical romance)

Why do I always forget I love historical romance? I've had this book on my shelf forever but had never picked it up. When I saw Sarah speak at RWA, I realized I needed to fix that. It was such a sexy, adorable story. Loved it. And it's only 3.99 in ebook. :)

 

The DUFF: (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger (YA)

Okay, I know I'm like years behind on this one. Julie Cross has been telling me to read it forever, and I finally listened. Such a great story. And it's going to be a movie. 

 

Those are some of the ones I've been buried in lately. What are you reading?

 

 

 

Book Binging: What I've Bought Lately

I'm just getting back from a week in New Orleans visiting my fam and eating more than any one person should. I'm behind on just about everything now, but I thought I'd pop in and share what I've added to my TBR stack in the past few weeks. 

You can click on the cover for more info.

Full Dark No Stars by Stephen King

(because King knows how to write a short story)

 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

(caught this on sale I believe, but like the concept)

 

 

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

(love this cover and saw book recommended somewhere)

 

Contemporary Male/Male Romance Boxed Set

(A boxed set of m/m romance from authors I've heard of? Yes, please.)

 

The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas

(Sherry is an agency mate and I've heard wonderful things about her books. On sale for 1.99 right now.)

 

You Make Me by Erin McCarthy (free)

(I rarely download free books anymore b/c I've been burned but saw this one recommended somewhere.)

 

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan (free)

(Courtney is also an agency mate and I always hear great things about her books.)

 

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

(Was on sale and I've almost bought this one a few times, so took the plunge.)

 

Seed by Ania Ahlborn

(I love a scary story and this was on sale and had good reviews.)

 

Beyond Control by Kit Rocha (sale 99 cents)

(Read the first one and liked it. Very filthy--and I mean that as a compliment, lol.)

 

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

(Two girls in love in Iran? That premise sounded too different and interesting to pass up.)

 

Have Mercy by Shelley Ann Clark

(I believe I saw this one reviewed at Dear Author. Femdom heroine is what caught my eye.)

 

As Red As Blood by Salla Simukka

(This is part of the July Kindle First program, so it looked most interesting of the four choices.)

 

The Journal of Best Practices by David Finch

(My son is on the autism spectrum, so I'm always interested in memoirs by people on the spectrum.)

 

One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

(Male/Male YA - I couldn't resist.)

 

What I'm Reading Right Now:

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

(The first in this series, Catching Jordan, is on sale right now for 1.99 if you want to start from the beginning. Full disclosure: Miranda is an agency mate of mine, but I love her books.)

 

What I Just Finished:

Sea Swept by Nora Roberts

(My first Nora! Enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in the series.)

 

So what have you bought lately? What are you reading? Which books are you telling your friends about?

The June Invitation to Eden Releases are here!

Are you following along with the Invitation to Eden series? If not, get to it because you're missing out. : )  My installment will be in August (check out the first chapter), but each month we have three authors with new releases in the series.

You don't have to read them in order. Each book can standalone, and the common thread is that some part of each book happens on the mysterious Island of Eden where fantasies come true. (Think LOST with more sex, lol.)

And this month, we have three fantastic authors on the block.

Breaking Free by Cathryn Fox
Spring Break at college is  supposed to be a time of fun and parties, but Alaska Rossi, AKA Jane Smith, is on lockdown thanks to her father’s mafia dealings. She wants only to  party down with the  rest of her classmates.  At least her hot, darkly mysterious bodyguard— deep undercover as her dorm’s resident  assistant—gives her something to fantasize about during her boring nights in  confinement. When she wins a campus radio contest, and is gifted with  a special invitation to an exclusive island, she knows it’s her  chance to break free. After all, it’s a place where no one knows her name, so  what danger could  possible come to her? But when danger appears in the form of a masked man who takes control  of all her pleasures, tapping into her darkest fantasies, she begins to wonder  if her undercover lover, and the mysterious bodyguard who’s deep undercover, are one in the  same…

Kindle Nook Kobo iTunes


Hold Me Close by Eliza Gayle (Purgatory Club, Book 6)
Sometimes you need to cut and run and sometimes the ties run too deep to abandon. Bonnie’s job at Purgatory keeps her on edge in more ways than one. Every day the pain of her grief over losing her Dom threatens to consume her. Her only escape comes at the hands of the resident tattooed  bad boy who likes to keep things light and loose with a variety of women. He may not be the Dom of her dreams, but he chases away the darkness if only for one night… Dex is used to unattached submissives coming to him for a chance to feel the kiss of his flogger or the sting of his whip until they find their own Doms. With his busy life of ink and kink he likes keeping his women at arm’s length. Except one night a month when Bonnie shreds him every time she asks him to hold her close.
When a secret invitation to an island resort arrives, is it the answer to their problems? Or their worst nightmare?

Kindle 

Queen’s Knight by Sara Fawkes (a story set in the Anything He Wants world)
A man for whom Dominance is a way of life. A woman who refuses to yield control.
Dany McQueen was good at her job, and she knew it. Being the PA to one of New York’s most respected professional Doms had it’s unique challenges, but she could handle anything thrown her way…except the invitation to participate. Giving up control scared her, even when the offer was tempting beyond belief. When an invitation turns up at her door, however, that may give her a chance to live out her deepest fantasy, she’s ready to give it a shot. Gabriel Knight was getting old, and he felt every year. With his latest sub ending their partnership to pursue a vanilla relationship and family, he’s suddenly loathe to take on any more trainees. When his long-time personal assistant requests a vacation, he’s more than willing to grant it…until he realized exactly where she is going. Dany thought Eden would be somewhere she could enjoy her fantasies, safe from the pressure of her real life. She never expected for her boss to follow her, nor that his relentless pursuit would awaken a desire inside her she’d refused to allow herself before. Now that she’s had a taste of her Knight, Dany is desperate for more, but can a relationship so long suppressed work outside of their own private fantasy island?

Kindle  Nook  Kobo