Have you ever stopped to think about that parallel universe where the books you read are set? I’m not referring to science fiction or fantasy titles. What I had in mind was cozy mysteries, romances, all sorts of genre fiction that’s apparently set in the world we inhabit but, when you inspect it closely, it’s a case of “it may be the earth but it’s not as we know it”. Jasper FForde  famously plays with the whole oddity of book characters in his Thursday Next series, but that really is set in an alternative Britain so doesn’t quite count for the purpose of this blog, no matter how amusing the premise is. Except that he makes a running joke of the fact that his characters don’t do ordinary things like use the toilet or have breakfast, because characters in books hardly ever are seen to perform these everyday activities.

Now clearly there is an element of judicious editing that goes on for stories, because the reader really doesn’t want to see every aspect of the leading man’s day, do they? And if it isn’t relevant to the plot then we don’t need, for example, a description of how he drives to the supermarket and what he sees en route. Nor do we really want all the graphic details of that handsome Regency buck performing his morning wash and brush up because he probably wouldn’t pass muster for our twenty-first century noses.

But I do get frustrated, as a reader or viewer, when basic human needs are treated as though they don’t exist. No, I don’t want the minutiae of what goes on when that hostage tied up in the small garden shed or wherever has a desperate need to pee, but it might be nice to have, at least in passing, an acknowledgment that such a need exists.

Do we as readers/viewers have to suspend all disbelief? Like with that Regency buck, who wouldn’t have been in life as clean-looking nor as fragrant smelling as we assume Colin Firth was in his guise as Mr. Darcy. We certainly have to take a lot of things with a pinch of salt in the realm of mysteries, where the home counties of England seem to be the crime centre of the universe. There is a multiple murder every few weeks in the books and shows based on the Morse/Lewis franchise. If that were real life, nobody would allow their son or daughter to study at Oxford University and you’d surely never be able to get life insurance if you lived in the city.

In the real world, Sussex is not awash with mass murderers, little old ladies don’t solve crimes which have baffled the police, and princes don’t disguise themselves as dustbin men then court and marry shop assistants (even if I could name a real live prince who used to sometimes get his sandwiches at a garage). All of which is a shame, really. Some aspects of the fiction parallel universe seem extremely appealing!

Don’t Kiss the Vicar

Vicar Dan Miller is firmly in the closet in his new parish. Could the inhabitants of a sedate Hampshire village ever accept a gay priest? Trickier than that, how can he hide his attraction for one of his flock, Steve Dexter?

Encouraged by his ex-partner to seize the day, Dan determines to tell Steve how he feels, only to discover that Steve’s been getting poison pen letters and suspicion falls on his fellow parishioners. When compassion leads to passion, they have to conceal their budding relationship, but the arrival of more letters sends Dan scuttling back into the closet.

Can they run the letter writer to ground? More importantly, can they patch up their romance and will Steve ever get to kiss the vicar again?

link: http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/9781626394933e.html

About the Author

As Charlie Cochrane couldn’t be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes. Her favourite genre is gay fiction, sometimes historical (sometimes hysterical) and usually with a mystery thrown into the mix.

She’s a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People, and International Thriller Writers Inc., with titles published by Carina, Samhain, Bold Strokes Books, Lethe, MLR, and Riptide. She regularly appears with The Deadly Dames.

To sign up for her newsletter, email her at cochrane.charlie2@googlemail.com, or catch her at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlie.cochrane.18
Twitter: http://twitter.com/charliecochrane
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2727135.Charlie_Cochrane
Blogs: http://charliecochrane.livejournal.com
and https://charliecochrane.wordpress.com/
Website: http://www.charliecochrane.co.uk

What was it like to be a woman Army officer and West Point cadet in a male dominated environment in the 1970s? Find out by reading Refined by Fire and Trailblazers, two historical fiction books by Ruth VanDyke and Yvonne Doll.

Book 1: Refined by Fire:

Book 2: Trailblazers

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh11Gcpimoo

Except from Trailblazers:

Anne leaned forward a bit as Maura resumed in a reflective, quiet tone, “He told me he had some sparkling mineral water and nuts in his room and a nice balcony with two chairs and a small table we could sit at. I told him that sounded wonderful. We were no sooner in the room when Eric reached over to touch my face and kiss me.” Smiling contentedly, Maura whispered, “I just felt like I was floating on a cloud. He picked me up, laid me on the bed.” Blushing, Maura paused, “Eric ran his fingers through my hair, told me how much he wanted me and asked if I wanted to get undressed myself or have him undress me. That’s when it hit me, and I freaked out a bit.”

“What happened?” Anne asked a bit tersely.

“Well, I hate to admit it, but I started shaking and couldn’t find my voice. He was so sweet and concerned. He asked me what was wrong and I told him that I wanted him very much, but I was really scared.”

Anne realized later that she had bitten her lip in an effort to not scream at Maura for dragging the story out, but managed to stay silent and appear nonchalant as Maura haltingly continued.

“He was so sweet and confused and asked me what he had done to scare me. That’s when I burst into tears and told him, it was nothing he had done. I was just nervous, because this was my first time and I wasn’t really sure what to do.” Maura giggled quietly at the reminiscence of Eric’s reaction to her announcement that this was her first time.

“You’re killin’ me Maura! Did you guys do it?” she asked bluntly.

“Yes, eventually,” Maura giggled again.

Throwing her arms up in mock surrender, Anne said, “Okay, I don’t need every detail, but could you please put me out of my misery and finish this story?”

Maura chuckled quietly, “Sorry I don’t remember all the details, but my confession obviously surprised, no, shocked him. He said something like, ‘Oh shit, no!’ I just nodded yes and he got up from the bed, walked over to the small cabinet that had the mineral water and a bottle of scotch, and took a huge gulp of Scotch directly from the bottle.”

Anne was leaning forward again, listening intently as Maura quietly continued.

“He turned around and told me he was sorry. He didn’t realize I was a virgin and told me to get off the bed, and he’d take me to my room.”

“Oh Maura!” Anne said in a hushed, tone of voice.

Maura nodded, “Oh it gets worse.” Maura was now emotionally ready to share the highly charged atmosphere that night. “I burst into tears and told him I didn’t want him to take me to my room, that I knew he was a big playboy and I wasn’t making any demands on him, but had already decided that I wanted him to be the first.”

Anne didn’t quite know what to say at this point, so she just sat there until Maura resumed her tale.

You tried to move the pieces on the picture, right? LOL

Today’s scheduled guest is a no-show, so you’re stuck with little ole me again. I found a very cool website recently when I was brainstorming fun things to do here. Do you like jigsaw puzzles? This one’s not terribly hard! Just click on the cover-button below to give it a whirl, then hit the back button to come back and enjoy a scene from the book!

35 DreamofMe

An excerpt from the story featured in the puzzle…

When the moon was high above them, Sam and Ash said their farewells and he held open the Warricks’ gate, letting Ash pass. The scent of oranges followed her, and he drew a deep breath.

“I like your friends,” Ash said.

At her quiet words, Sam reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. But he didn’t let her go. And since she didn’t tug it away, he released a sigh. He liked the way this physical connection felt. Walking close together. Their fingers intertwined. When she leaned her head against his shoulder, he knew she let down her guard, and his chest swelled. Since he’d never brought a woman around his SEAL friends before, the moment felt bigger. Their approval of this woman only cemented the thought that she was The One. “They liked you,” he said softly.

“They had some pretty interesting stories about how they met their fellas. Suri said their connection was ‘insta-love’.”

“Danger has a way of bonding people in an instant.”

“Like you and your SEAL buddies.”

“Yeah.” The warm sand shifted beneath his feet as they approached the cottage.

She angled her head toward him. “Makes me almost wish for a firefight.” And then she laughed. “Sorry. I know how that sounds…like I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.”

“I bet you have pretty good idea, Ash. I get what you’re saying. But you’re wrong. Maybe we don’t have drug runners on our tails, but you and I have something else pretty traumatic that’s drawing us together.” He tensed, waiting for her response.

“We have Marc,” she whispered. “You never said how he saved your life. But I’ll tell you the way he saved mine.”

Sam already knew the story, but he kept silent as she described responding to the robbery, the man hidden behind the door. From the tension in her voice, he knew the experience would forever haunt her.

“I think, all the time, that I shouldn’t have ducked. That I should have taken the shot. Maybe the bullet would have embedded in my vest. Maybe I would have pulled through.” She drew a deep, shuddering breath.

His gut twisted. She was guilt-ridden over her actions, reliving the moment over and over her mind, second-guessing her decision. Something he could relate to. But he knew how futile that was, and that she had nothing to feel guilty about. One of them would have died. The one left behind would forever be marked. He halted, turned, and drew her into his arms, cupping the back of her head to coax her to lean against his chest.

She was quiet, but her hot tears soaked the shoulder of his shirt. Slowly, her arms encircled him, and she leaned closer.

Skimming her skin through her thin dress with his hands, he gave her comfort while he learned the strength of her back, the sweet indent of her narrow waist. With her small, soft breasts pressed against his chest, he was content to stand on that spot, would have done so for hours just for the gift of holding her.

But she stirred and leaned back; her face tilted away. Moments later, her gaze met his, and he didn’t stop to think. He bent forward and sealed his mouth over hers.

What he’d intended was a chaste kiss, but her lips parted beneath his, opening herself to his touch. He groaned. The kiss deepened as each stroked the other’s tongue and their lips suctioned together. His cock slowly filled, and her belly rubbed against it.

Pulse racing, Sam broke the kiss. “Aislin?” He couldn’t put his question into words. Whatever she wanted of him, she’d have to take.

She swallowed. “Sam…” Her gaze dropped to his chest while her hands stroked his back. “I’d like…to be…with you.”

Sweet, sweet Ash. He closed his eyes and hugged her close again. “Whatever you need, sweetheart.”

“This isn’t about need,” she whispered. “I want…you.”

He cupped her cheek with one hand and slipped his thumb under her chin to lift her face. Her tears were gone now. Her glossy gaze was steady.

Taking a moment, he searched her expression, looking for any signs of hesitancy. He gave her a nod, and then stepped away, holding out his hand.

Smiling, she reached for it, and they held tight as they walked the rest of the way to her bungalow in silence.

Purchase Dream of Me

Valentine’s Day might have passed, but love is still in the air. I have a love letter to share with you, from a damaged shifter to his true mate. Read on…

Dear Lena,

I wanted write you this letter because I have a hard time expressing my feelings. Yeah, I get that I don’t need to. With your soul bonded to mine, you know how I feel about you, but I’ve been told human females like these. So…here’s mine to you.

I don’t deserve you, Lena. I know what I am—a broken male who isn’t worthy of heaven. I’m crazy. A step away from being feral. Or maybe I am feral and just too stubborn to accept it. Either way, I didn’t live before you. I existed. I protected my loved ones. Guarded my twin. Fought for those who had nobody to help them. Those were my joys. I didn’t laugh. Didn’t smile. Why would I? I had nothing to be happy about or look forward to. That changed the moment I looked into your eyes and saw my sanity staring back at me.

Now, you’re my reason for living. Your scent, your touch, and your voice have tamed my wild nature, allowing me to experience happiness. You’ve gathered the shards of my shattered mind and built them up around you, giving me something to focus on besides my anger, and with you by my side, I’m whole. At peace. That’s something I never thought I’d find, but you accomplished it. You pulled me out of the darkness and brightened my soul. All it took was your presence.

But your love? That, angel, has made me into the male I was always meant to be. I don’t know how to thank you for being mine, but I’ll spend eternity trying to find a way. That, my angel, is my promise to you.

Thank you for being my beautiful mistake and my better half.

Love always,

Devin

Download Beautiful Mistake, Royal Pride book 2, for FREE in Kindle Unlimited at: http://amzn.to/1OXuX1E

Beautiful Mistake

Royal Pride, book 2

A tortured man…A fearless woman…A mistake that will change their lives forever.

Three centuries ago, Devin Moore sacrificed his sanity to save his sister. Every day since is spent in a constant battle of wills with the three crazed cats—lion, tiger and jaguar—he houses. Keeping his shattered mind together has taken its toll, destroying any hope of having a family, but he can’t turn his back on innocents in need.

When information on his pride’s missing child reaches him, he rushes to bring her home. But the rescue mission goes horribly wrong. Lena, the human female who turns herself into bait​ in order to protect the little girl, is wounded and struggling to survive.

In a desperate act, he saves Lena. But it doesn’t erase his past mistakes. And for a broken man who’s finally offered hope, there’s only one thing left to do—prove his worth. The only problem? He’ll never be whole. Or sane. But maybe…just maybe…even the damned can find peace.

Excerpt 

“Morning, Lena. How are you feeling?”

His rumbly voice made her stomach flutter. She clenched her hands until her nails dug into her palms. The bite of pain distracted her from thinking about the man she should fear but couldn’t help desiring.

“Better.” She swallowed hard. “I…umm, want to…” Strong hands lifted hers and the slight contact zapped her thoughts. The unexplainable mix of emotions—lust, affection, confusion, anxiety—returned. She couldn’t get her mind to work. “Talk. I want to talk.”

“Me too. We have a lot to talk about.”

Instead of asking any of the questions she knew he had, he gently pulled back her fingers, kissing each one before pressing his mouth to her palm. His touch branded her and filled her with warmth.

“My sisters…I called them.”

“Are they safe?”

His question and the emotion laced into it eased some of her tension.

She nodded. “They’re safe.”

A long moment passed while Devin brushed his cheek back and forth over her inner wrist. “You’re not going to tell me where they are yet, are you?”

She shook her head.

“Look at me.”

Unable to resist him, she opened her eyes, and his breathtaking ones stared back at her. Strands of patchwork hair framed the face that had occupied her dreams all night. Harshly cut cheekbones, up-tilted eyes and the wider, flatter nose made it unique, a mixture of beauty and power. Devin was the type of man you never forgot. One glimpse and you were hooked.

He knelt next to her on the wrinkled sheets, looking deliciously hot with his disheveled hair, bare chest and loose sweats. She let her gaze travel over him from the bulge in his pants to the lips she wanted on hers.

“You can trust me.”

She wanted to. “I need to make sure.”

He stretched on the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. He didn’t say anything. He simply held her. The tension in her limbs drained, and she relaxed in his embrace exactly as she’d done in the hotel.

She didn’t know how long they snuggled, but finally he placed his palm over her heart.

“The answer is here. Do you feel it?”

*~*~*

Download Beautiful Mistake, Royal Pride book 2, for FREE in Kindle Unlimited at: http://amzn.to/1OXuX1E

Also in the ROYAL Pride series:

• Treasured Find
• Favorite Obsession

Other shifter books:

KAGAN Wolves series (a parallel series set in the same world as the Royal Pride series)

• Chance on Love, a FREE novella
• Bridged by Love
• Shared for Love

The details…

Book Title: Beautiful Mistake
Series Name: Royal Pride
Series Number: 2.0
Author: Nancy Corrigan
ASIN: B0172NFTQM
Length: 115K
Publication Date: January 11th 2016

Add Beautiful Mistake to Goodreads

Connect with Nancy…

Website
Newsletter
Pinterest
Facebook Follow/Friend
Facebook Page
Amazon Page
Email

A little about Nancy…

A true romantic at heart, Nancy Corrigan is convinced there’s a knight in shining armor for every woman (or man), but you won’t find damsels in distress in her stories. She adores pairing alpha heroes with women strong enough to match them and bring them to their knees. She also enjoys flipping the traditional roles in romances because her motto is—love and people should never be forced to conform to anyone’s norm.

She holds a degree in chemistry and has worked in research but now focuses on ensuring quality. She considers it the perfect outlet for her as she’s the first to admit she has some OCD tendencies. It carries over into her writing life too. While engrossed in a novel, she has a habit of forgetting to eat and sleep. Fortunately, she’s married to her own knight in shining armor who understands her oddities and loves her anyway. They reside in Pennsylvania with their three children, dog, snake and guinea pigs. Her other interests include tattoos, animals, classic cars and all things spooky and sexy.

“We become what we do.” ~Chiang Kai-Shek

Does that mean if I sit on a couch, I become a couch? If I write, I am a writer…? Makes sense, right? No deep thought here. Just wanted to throw out that quote and see if anything happened in my brain, and then maybe I’d suddenly find a purpose for this post.

Nope. Not happening. No purpose. Except… I am moving my fingers…and my voice is narrating inside my brain as I type this…so the voices should follow soon… Then I can begin to begin to write so that I can become, again, a writer.

See how this works? Follow an idea long enough and you either sound like a babbling idiot or a wise philosopher. Which am I?

Yeah, babbling, here. Like a bloody brook.

So, what about you? If you become what you do, what do wish you’d do…
to become whatever…?

Psst! And now you know where Emmy Harris came from…

I love February!! I love the promise of new love, and rekindling love. Appreciating loved ones and straight up delicious sex and smutty reads sure to set the mood!

In honor of the awesomeness that is Valentine’s Day, three releases this month and one of my best friends’ birthday I’m going to have three giveaways! Yea for giveaways!!

1^st is a signed copy of this month’s Penthouse Magazine that I have a story in!! OMFG so excited!! The story is called “Discipline and Desire” and is an MFF ménage and SUPER dirty!!!

2^nd is an e-book copy of Zeke’s Pitstop which is Book Two in the Fantasies A-Z Series! A kinky story that released on 2/9/2016!!

And 3^rd is an e-book copy of Broken Silence – my contribution to the Black Hills Wolves shared world published by Decadent Publishing! This publishes on 2/26/2016 when I’m in San Antonio at the WWW convention!!!

How do you enter all of these awesome contests?!?!?! Tell me in the comments section what you love about well…love!! Someone you love! A holiday you love! A cookie you’d marry if it was legal in the lower 48!! Fill me on what creams your twinkie and don’t forget to put your email address in the comment so I can get a hold of you if you win!!

Hope you love them all and there’s more where that came from!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

About the Author

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website – Newsletter – The Decadent Divas – Amazon Page

Facebook – Facebook Author Page – Twitter – Goodreads – Pinterest

A hurricane is not exactly romantic, but being hunkered down with the one (or ones) you love can certainly create the opportunity for some hot and steamy situations. Set during early September 1995 when Hurricane Fran was menacing the eastern coast of the United States, Rock you like a Hurricane is what I call a retro romance. Anyone who lived in the Carolinas during Hurricane Fran’s rampage can tell you, she was no pushover. When all was said and done, she had caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage and substantial loss of life along the Atlantic coast. My heroes, Tommy and Ken, and heroine, Trisha, decided the best way to wait out Fran was with plenty of snacks and lots of booze. They opted for beer, but I’m going to share Liquor.com’s Hurricane Cocktail Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 oz White Rum (omit if under 21)
2 oz Dark Rum (omit if under 21)
1 oz Lime juice
1 oz Orange juice
2 oz Passion fruit juice
.5 oz Simple syrup
.5 oz Grenadine

First make the simple syrup by heating .5cp of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in .5 cp of white sugar until dissolved. Strain into a jar and seal tightly with a lid. Simple syrup will keep refrigerated for about a month.

Add all Hurricane cocktail ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a large Hurricane glass. Garnish with an orange half-wheel and a cherry.

Lifelong best friends, Tommy Marks and Ken Davidson prepare to ride out the storm with Trisha Harper, the woman both men adore. Determine to preserve their friendship, the men cling to a gentleman’s agreement, promising neither will make a move on her but can such a pact be upheld in the eye of the storm? With both men teetering between desire and the fear of rejection and loss, Trisha has no wish to break up the dynamic duo. For her it’s all or nothing and she’s determined to have Tommy and devour Ken too.

Available at Amazon on February 22^nd or preorder now at Liquid Silver Books.

About the Author

Sierra Brave is a southern girl with a love for fantasy fiction and well-written yarns that celebrate the humor in everyday life. Her love of erotic fiction started in her last year of high school when she first read the sensual classic, Fanny Hill. She felt so naughty yet liberated with her copy tucked away in her book bag and hopes her work will have the same delicious effect on her readers.

Connect with Sierra:

Website/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest