Releasing November 24, 2015

Cassius, Alpha of Sutter Butte, leads the most ruthless and dangerous pack in the United States. Misfits, castoffs, and forgotten wolves, they rose to create a pack more than a century ago in utter defiance of the order of the day. Seen as pitiless and cruel, Cassius wants more for his people than a yearly bloodbath as they fight for a better spot in the pecking order. To change his pack means to change himself, and he will find rebellion on all sides, not to mention from his own defiant heart.

Sovvan Stark, Omega of Delta Crescent, lives a cherished, beloved life in the center of her pack—a delicate and hard won balance. Though she is not the only Omega, she is the most experienced with the tremors of pack upset when power shifts from Alpha to Alpha. When her Alpha approaches her about Sutter Butte’s request, Sovvan considers the matter for several months. While she might hold within her the key to helping the Sutter Butte Alpha, the undertaking could very well kill her.

Accompanied by a single Hound, Sovvan begins a journey to help Cassius rebuild the foundation of his pack, but first she will have to transform him…

Find excerpt for Heather Long’s Desert Wolf below

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Don’t miss our party today as we celebrate the release of Desert Wolf!

Focus on Willow Bend

Series Reading Order:

Wolf at Law (Prequel)
Book 1: Wolf Bite
Book 2: Caged Wolf
Book 3: Wolf Claim
Book 3.5: Wolf Next Door
Book 4: Rogue Wolf
Book 5: Bayou Wolf
Book 6: Untamed Wolf
Book 6.5: Wolf with Benefits
Book 7: River Wolf
Book 7.5: Single, Wicked Wolf
Book 8: Desert Wolf
Book 9: Snow Wolf (February 2016)

Heather Long

National bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime. From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories—her characters drive the books. When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

Contact Details:

Website: http://www.heatherlong.net
Email: heather@heatherlong.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HVLong
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/iKxQ5

Excerpt of Desert Wolf by Heather Long

Heat rolled in waves from the blacktop of the old highway. Around him, the desert sprawled in its painted glory, seemingly melting into the horizon where it kissed the sky. The colors streaked past him as he accelerated, blowing past the old trading posts and bypassing the interstate with its smoother surface and promise of civilization in the distance. If one sought to journey through the decades, the old highway east of Holbrook was the place to start.

Sweat slicked his back beneath his leather jacket and the motorcycle vibrated between his thighs. Clocking over a hundred, he barely noticed the machine’s growl echoing his wolf’s. Cassius Lucera del Alba, Alpha of Sutter Butte, squinted to catch sight of the town he sought ahead.

Town was a generous description for the collection of ramshackle structures—of which a filling station with a decrepit market attached and a lone bar were clearly detailed. Time hadn’t forgotten the town, it had left it in the dust doing a hundred and sixty and never looked back. If the location had a name, no map detailed it, not even Google. The poor bastards didn’t even have a ghost to call their own.

Though they might when he finished.

He didn’t slow until he reached the main drag, all eighty-five feet of it, and parked his bike in front of the bar. A handful of vehicles were scattered amongst the cracked pavement and gravel. Three he recognized, two he didn’t. Like the bar, the cars were in sad shape and far more popular in earlier decades. Killing the engine, he dropped the kickstand and slid off his baby. Road dust coated her paint and chrome. With a stroke of his gloved hand over the seat, he promised her a bath later.

Leaving the bike, he strode toward the building. No one moved outside, but one wolf stood inside the filling station. He was a smart wolf—he’d spotted Cassius, yet didn’t reach for a phone or make any move other than retrieving his newspaper and flipping it open.

Inside, cool air rushed over his sweaty face like a sweet kiss. The scents of stale beer, body odor, remnants of the blood spilled throughout the years, and fear stained the experience. The population of the bar—easily a dozen wolves, though Cassius scented at least four more in the back—glanced up from their places scattered around the room. Three played pool, four others huddled around a card game, while the rest sat in various spots, including two drinking at the bar. The couple in the corner paused, though her hand stayed down his pants. The bartender—a tall, broad wolf with a balding pate and a world-weary expression—raised his eyebrows in silent inquiry.

“Beer. Cold,” Cassius said, and the bartender nodded. A moment later, he set a tall bottle of Corona on the weathered bar top. The sides frosted and a hint of vapor escaped the top. Condensation formed almost immediately on the sides, slicking along the glass in rivulets.

Stripping off his fingerless gloves, Cassius then set them on the bar. Next, he shed his jacket. The old leather moulded him perfectly after the many years he’d spent wearing it. Only after setting it on the bar next to his gloves did he peel off three one hundred dollar bills and lay them next to the bottle. The bartender didn’t say a word as he took the bills, tucked them into his pocket, then locked his register and exited through the double doors behind the bar.

Leaning against the aged wood, Cassius swept the room with his gaze. “If any of you are still sitting on your asses, disobeying the direct orders I sent last week…then when I finish this beer, I’ll kill you.” He didn’t raise his voice. Shouting accomplished nothing. Yelling indicated the battle was lost before it began.

Chair legs scraping across the floor splintered the silence. The couple in the corner disengaged. The she-wolf grabbed her purse as she stood. Boots striking the floor punctuated her exodus. No sooner did the door slam shut behind her than the four wolves playing cards toss them down, abandoning their game. The men muttered, but they divvied the pot, then bowed their heads to him one at a time before hurrying out.

Tipping the bottle up, he took a long pull of the cold drink. It soothed his parched throat. One of the pool players threw down his stick. One of the wolves tried to stop him with a hand on his arm, but he shook it off. Then like the other wolves before him, he hurried out the door.

From nearly twenty to only ten—behind him feet stomped on the stairs followed by another door slamming. Make that eight. One of the upstairs wolves strode into the bar, and stood in the center of it. Surprise filled his scent at the emptiness in the room. The others waited, their attention divided between Cassius and Finch.

Stupid fucking name for a wolf. After another long pull from his beer, and Cassius was three quarters finished. One by one he met the gazes of the wolves around the room. The smarter ones lowered their eyes immediately, the dumbasses fought to hold his gaze—even Finch.

Focusing on him last, Cassius studied him. Fresh beads of sweat began to trickle along Finch’s cheeks. The wolf swore, then stomped out and slammed the door with enough force, one of the hinges cracked.

Then there were seven.

Seven wolves who’d gathered in the desert in direct contradiction to his orders to appear at the landing. He’d called his wolves to him. Most came. Some—like these dumbasses—refused. Reaping was still another six weeks away. They all knew it, but they hadn’t come.

Cassius didn’t forgive disobedience. Anxiety with hints of aggression spiked in the sourness around him spoiling his appetite. One last swallow of beer awaited him. The wolf to his left rushed him as he lifted the bottle. Fool.

His beer ruined anyway, he smashed the bottle into the wolf’s face. The man’s roar ended in a scream. Slamming his booted foot into the other wolf’s knee, he listened to the satisfying crunch. Not wasting time enjoying the sound, he hooked his arm around the wolf’s neck then twisted and silenced his pain-filled screams. The pool players came next, wielding their sticks. He blocked one blow, ignoring the reverberation of it shattering on his forearm.

A throat punch to the second wolf dropped him, and he head butted the first. A third wolf rushed him. With a snarl and extended claws, he sliced his throat. The wolf went down with a gurgle. Whirling, he seized a stool and shattered the wood as he beat the first one. Bones snapped and the wolf cried out. Another wolf ran for the door, but Cassius had given them their warning.

He flung the stool leg, and it struck—jagged end first—into the fleeing wolf’s back, which penetrated his rib cage. The wolf was dead before he hit the floor. Completing the turn, he faced the last two wolves.

The first one went to his knees. “Cassius…I’m—” His last words ended on a gurgle as Venosky, the only other living wolf in the bar slammed a knife through his compatriot’s throat. Blood sprayed from the wound and the wolf went down.

Cracking his knuckles one at a time, Venosky braced himself. “I won’t go down easy.”

“Good.” His wolf roused to the scent of true battle. Unlike his friends, Venosky didn’t rush him. The wolf held his ground. One of the downed wolves reached for Cassius’ leg so the Alpha slammed his foot down on the downed man’s throat. The crunch told him the bones snapped.

Anticipating Venosky’s opportunistic nature, Cassius caught his incoming fist and twisted. The arm broke, but he wasn’t done. Pivoting, he slammed his elbow into the other man’s gut then turned and caught him by his throat. Lifting the wolf from his feet, Cassius stared at him.

“I’m sorry,” the other wolf managed to push out on what few wheezes of his air he’d been allowed.

“Not good enough.” Cassius squeezed, then tore out his throat. The wolf crumbled to land on the floor atop his friends. After sweeping a glance over all the downed wolves. Cassius listened—no other heartbeats. The bartender made good on the silent order—he’d left the building. Stepping over the bodies, he retrieved their phones and checked them.

Sure enough, each one had a message about the incoming wolf to their territory and the suggestion that she not reach her destination. Fools. Every fucking one of them. He sent a message to the same loop via the captured phones.

Your Alpha knows.

Dropping the devices, he retrieved his jacket and gloves then stepped out onto the porch. He was halfway through a cigar before his Lieutenants arrived—the three wolves closest to the top of the food chain—the three most likely to face him at the Reaping if they claimed the right.

Johnny Blaze. Laurel Jacobs. Monty Spence. Johnny dismounted his bike first, and his nostrils flared. “Goddamn, boss. You couldn’t wait for us to get here?”

“Don’t be so slow next time.” He blew out a stream of smoke. The three wolves were as close as he came to trust. They wanted to challenge him. They wanted to control Sutter Butte, but they wanted everyone to know they had a legitimate claim.

Laurel laughed. Johnny and Monty superseded her in rank and both glared at her. She ignored their disdain and slid off her bike, more catlike than wolf. Strolling toward him, she swayed her hips in a provocative invitation he ignored. “It takes a while to burn a body, you know.”

“Then you’ll be busy.” He jerked his head toward the bar. “Clean it up. Check on the others in town.” Her expression tightened at the dismissive order, but she obeyed.

Monty grunted and followed her. Johnny checked his phone at the ding and glanced at him. Meeting the younger wolf’s gaze, Cassius smiled slowly and the other wolf paled.

“I didn’t tell anyone.”

“I know you didn’t, Johnny. I also know you didn’t tell them not to be stupid.” Grinding out the cigar, he descended a step. The other wolf backed off, his bravado gone and his head tilted, throat bared. “You think if they get themselves killed, you’ll have an easier time at the Reaping. You think if they sabotage the plan, it might inconvenience me in some way and give you an easier time at the Reaping.”

After narrowing the distance between them, he caught Johnny’s chin in his hand and forced the other wolf to meet his gaze.

“Don’t cross me, Johnny. I’m not in the mood.”

“Yes, Alpha. What do you wish?” The wolf caved. If Cassius released him he had no doubt Johnny would bare his belly. A vicious fighter, Johnny hadn’t grasped the full benefits of loyalty. Then again, none of his wolves had. They were too busy fighting for position, yet they’d forgotten what they were fighting for. Only one wolf had grasped what Cassius desired for his pack. Only one had been willing to meet his eyes, then proved she was exactly what his pack needed.

And she left.

The others had to learn. If they couldn’t learn, he’d have to bring them to heel.

“Make it clear their plans are over. If they refuse, kill them. My word is law. If they don’t like it, the Reaping is in six weeks.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Releasing him, Cassius went to his bike. “Help the others. Then return to Summit. Secure it.”

Relief and gratitude twined in Johnny’s scent as he raked his hand through his hair. “Yes, Alpha…where will you be?”

Straddling his bike, Cassius merely stared at him. The other wolf bowed, his whole body lowering in deference. Yeah, he didn’t think Johnny had the right to an answer either. Engaging the ignition, he smiled at the rumble of his bike. He had a lot of miles to cover. Hopefully it would give his temper time to cool.

Johnny’s phone dinged again and he glanced at it, then at his Alpha. “They aren’t giving up.”

“Then they’ll die.”

Accelerating away from the freshly blooded ghost town, he headed east. Apparently he had more wolves to kill.

Who’s to say you can’t have a romantic Thanksgiving? Oh sure, you might be dealing with the in-laws and crazy family drama, dodging kids while taking in football and way too much food…

But it’s also time to reflect on what we’re THANKFUL for. If you have a partner, chances are that person is high on your list.

My recent contemporary romance features a former Special Ops military man turned surfing entrepreneur and a popular adult film actress. Finn’s thrilled to finally meet his silver-screen crush, and Monica’s found her excuse to leave the porn industry.

Here’s a few romantic Thanksgiving ideas my characters might have used, and so can you!

An Escape Surprise: If friends and family aren’t on the agenda, Finn and Monica could plan a romantic weekend getaway. Their ideas might include a cruise (I bet they’d find some awesome deals), discover a cozy mountain cabin, or book a hotel room with a spectacular view.

Wake Finn Up with a Smile: *Warning – this only works when he’s a morning person!* But even if he’s not, how could he turn down a cuddly lover who says, “I love you….gobble, gobble!”?

Friendly Tackle Football: If Thanksgiving blesses them with a crowd, they’ll grab a football and get down with a game. What’ll start off as pleasant rivalry between Moni and Finn can quickly escalate into a subtle tease of “tickle football”. An added benefit: they’ll either work up an appetite, or work it off.

Share a slice of pie: When the feast is over and they’re finally alone, why not share a piece of pumpkin pie? Finn can decide on the amount of whipped cream…and Monica will be sure they take turns feeding each other.

I had way too much fun writing MONICA BEGGS, a heroine with a vividly colorful past. I know I’ll have to revisit that type of story again.

And if I did, what are your thoughts on the type of partner he or she should be paired with? Have you ever read a story where one of the main characters worked in the porn industry?

About Sheri:

Always on the hunt for the uncommon things in life, award-winning author Sheri Fredricks thrives on creating adventures in her mythological kingdom series, contemporary stories, and soon-to-be-released western time-travels.

A former engineering secretary, she lives on California’s beautiful central coast. “I wanted to move away from a profession of inflexible right angles and create an unboxed world with no boundaries.” A voracious reader since her early years, Sheri found her brain crowded with stories of her own. “Ultimately,” she says, “my husband encouraged me to write them all down.”

Winner of the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewer’s Choice Award, and a Finalist multiple times for InD’Tale eMagazine’s Reward Of Novel Excellence award (RONE), she has numerous five-star reviews everywhere eBooks are sold.

Sheri loves to spend time at home and connecting with readers. A computer hutch keeps her focused on creating stories, but the panoramic view of life on a ranch will call her outside to play in the sun.

About MONICA BEGGS

Monica Beggs is more than the hottest porn star out on DVD–she’s Finn Daniel’s next assignment.

Lights. Camera. Lube?

Famous porn star Monica Beggs wrapped up another grueling on-location movie shoot when the Colombian cartel attempted to kidnap her. Their guns are as real as the price on her pretty head.

Former Special Ops and present day surfer, Finn Daniels recognizes a lady in distress when he sees one—especially if it’s his adult film crush being hustled out the door. He’s no longer in the business of busting up the underworld, but that doesn’t deflect his moral compass.

In a fast-paced adventure– over land, sea, and air– playing it hot and heavy will only lead them straight into action!

Excerpt (from the villains point of view):

Cartagena, Colombia

Scree. Scrreee. Scrrr-clunk.

The piercing noise split the air, driving brain-ripping daggers into his sodden head. Enough of that shit. Don Santiago Manuelo grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand and squeezed the sides of the device. Located somewhere along the edge was the phone’s kill switch, but he couldn’t open his eyes to see where.

It hurt to lay on his side and the effort to flop onto his back left him breathless. He cursed low, hard, and guttural. There’d been a time when he sported six-pack abs. All he wore these days was a kegger.

Had the phone actually rang, or was that his hangover’s way of saying buenos dias? The taste in his mouth was foul, a combination of puke and last night’s greasy tamales.

With superhuman effort, he contrived to pry open one eye, then the other, and worked to make sense of his surroundings. Sitting up carefully, he managed to avoid another puke session.

“Puto infierno.” Fucking hell. It’d been a good party. A plethora of women, cocaine, and shots of Don Julio lasting long into the night.

The lavish surroundings blurred, then sharpened into focus. Relief slowed his racing heart as he recognized his own master suite.

But he wasn’t alone. There were two women with him in the California king bed.

Both were naked.

The sight of big tits—fake or real, he didn’t care—puffy nipples, and shaved puentas brought a smile to his parched lips. As the boss, he partied whenever he fucking wanted.

And fucked who he wanted as well.

Sí. It had been a good party.

Below his hips, his morning wood called for attention. He’d get the bitches to take care of that soon enough.

Por dios! The morning light made his headache worse.

Don Santiago Manuelo—that’s how he thought of himself and it’s what his men called him. Too bad it wasn’t the name his whore mother gave him forty-some years ago in the cardboard shantytown ghetto where he’d grown up. It was there in the streets, stinking of sewer and trash, where he’d learned to cheat, steal…and kill.

Early on he’d learned the rules of the game: Power came to those who were ruthless and strong. The ruthless got rich, the strong would win.

While wearing a suit accessorized by his professionally trimmed black mustache, he often passed as a lawyer or business executive. Not the cold-blooded killer wanted in most of the free world. Certainly not a powerful drug lord at the top of his game, one who held authority over life and death in this part of Colombia.

One of the women stretched, arched her back, and then rolled onto her side. They were beautiful. And boring. Sensual, yet they didn’t look different from any other women in this part of Colombia. These women held no value, no importance.

He could end their lives with a flick of his little finger.

But then, what would be the point? It’d be like destroying furniture or tossing out old clothes—or killing the arrogant pendejo who’d controlled the drug operations in the territory before him. Santiago’s takeover had been complete with the annihilation of the previous cartel leader, his wife, and their children. He’d even killed the man’s damn dogs for good measure.

Ruthless and strong.

The message he’d sent was important and made as clear as crystal meth: Don’t fuck with Don Santiago Manuelo.

The high notes of an electric guitar pealed in teeth-grating rhapsody. This time the cell phone was palmed and he was ready.

With a swipe of his finger, he killed the ring—the same way he ruled his rapidly growing kingdom. Since the onset of his reign, his crime organization had become more powerful, richer than any other cartel in Central America.

With his methods, Santiago ruled absolutely.

Not even the radar of U.S. law enforcement agencies could touch him.

Norte Americanos. They were a soft breed, only capable of creating drug addicts and pornography. As la diosa fortuna would have it, the U.S. produced both in large quantities. Lady Luck might be fickle, but she always smiled on him.

Naked women weren’t hard to find, especially when one lived in opulence such as he. The blonde stirred beside him, and Santiago ran a hand over her bleached disheveled tresses. When his palm reached the back of her head, he dug his fingers into her hair and fisted the over-processed locks. Ignoring her pitiful cries, he pulled her up and over, forcing her to kneel with her face at his dick and her ass in the air.

She’d suck him if she knew what was best for her.

Too fucking bad if he was balding, overweight, and had hit his mid-forties two months ago. It didn’t detract from the amount of pussy thrown his way.

In the mirror above his bed, he watched as the woman half his age moved her mouth up and down his growing cock, grunting when her warm fist tightened its hold. Fregado excelente. Her head bobbed in time to his hand pushing the back of her head. Faster, he quickened her movements.

Tension coiled inside his balls. The rush headier than his manufactured drugs. Santiago spread his legs wider and grabbed the hair of the drowsing brunette beside him, gritting his teeth when she moved to eagerly comply.

Life and death.

There had been no interesting women in his life for years. That is, until a few months ago when a long-term, faithful employee showed him an Americano movie with a woman so beautiful, eyes so alluring, he couldn’t get her out of his head. The image of her nude perfection filled his mind. Daily thoughts traveled a nonstop expressway between his brain and his erect verga. Desire haunted his nightly dreams until he could take no more and sought release.

Such as now.

The blonde puta traded places with the dark-haired girl, taking turns sucking his hard cock and licking his balls. Santiago let go of their hair and stroked his fingers down their smooth, velvety backs to loudly smack their upraised asses.

“Suck me harder, bitches. Show me how much you want it.”

Their efforts doubled, moaning deep in their throats. Ecstasy of flicking tongues and moist heat punched his balls higher into their sac. His hips lifted of their own accord, uncaring of whose mouth was on him, or where. The cracks of the women’s asses pointed back at him were too much temptation. Scent of pussy cloyed heavily in the still air. Shaved and wet, their honey glistened beneath his touch.

The brunette eyed him over her shoulder. Smiling, she spread her legs wider and arched her back, opening to show the pink heaven waiting inside.

He wasn’t interested in fucking either of them this morning. A quick blowjob, then he had business to attend. Still…their glossy pink vaginas, swollen and damp, drew his attention and he plunged three thick fingers of each hand inside them at the same time.

The brunette immediately bucked, soaking him to the knuckles. Her lips traveled downward to swallow him whole. Blondie rode his meager offering but wanted more. She was a hungry whore who pushed at the dark-headed girl to get her share of the prize.

Two sex slaves writhing over his cock. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

They both licked and sucked. Their tongues wrapped his length and sometimes kissed each other’s lips.

Imagining the talented woman, Monica Beggs, as the woman who shared his bed, his balls tightened. He grew impressively hard and thrust his fingers in and out of the women’s pussies.

“Monica, you are mine!”

Don Santiago Manuelo, the fat drug lord and king of the Colombian cartel, laid back his head and ejaculated, smiling as the mirror above showed two shapely women fighting over his spewing cum.

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*~*~*

Thanks for letting me stop by!

XO

Sheri

One day, I was driving around my hometown of Las Vegas, taking in the sights.  I’d been away for a bit, so I was looking through fresh eyes.  So, when I passed the local watering hole with a huge banner on the side of the building that read,  “Enter Our Giveaway.  Grand Prize—New Boobs!” I did a double take.  (Yes, I had to stop in.  It was for real.)  And then, as I was inching my way up the Strip, I stopped at a light to let a gaggle of showgirls in their G-strings, beaded bras, and feathers cross the street.

That’s when it really hit me—Deborah you are so not in Texas anymore.

And I remembered exactly what inspired me to set a series in Las Vegas.

Heck, most people can’t imagine living here.  And everyone has an opinion—Vegas is a love-it or hate-it kind of place.

Or, it was.

Vegas has grown up.

When I first started my Lucky O’Toole series, Vegas still had that Wild West, naughty vibe.  Trust me, I was trying to raise a then fifteen-year-old male there, so I was hyper-aware.  The billboards often featured perfect female backsides and the kids’ idea of hanging at the mall was touring the Forum shops at Caesar’s wondering what trouble Michael Jackson was getting into.

Thank God my son LOVED golf.

I was breathing easy until my son decided he’d like to go workout on the way to high school—not a thought that would normally strike.  I smelled a rat—but he really was going to the gym, so I let it ride.  Later I got the real story—the strippers all work out when they get off work.  Great.

One day I guess my son got too close and one of the ladies barked at him and that was the end of that little fantasyJ

Yes, Vegas is a different experience.

And, I fell in love with the silliness and the mischief.  So, I wrote a romantic mystery with a bunch of snark that captured what I saw in this quintessential American creation.

A book targeted toward women… set in a city that everyone other than me thought was strictly for men.  No, I didn’t know that going in.  Totally clueless.

As if trying to launch a writing career wasn’t a large enough challenge.  Marilyn Stassio chose Wanna Get Lucky? , the first in the series, as a NYT Notable crime Novel and it also garnered a double-Ritaä finalist nod, so thankfully not everyone was put off by Vegas.

And through the series I’ve tried to bring people along on my love affair with a city that doesn’t take itself seriously and just wants visitors to have fun and a bit of an escape.  Vegas is now a HUGE foodie mecca with virtually all of the top-tier celebrity chefs well-represented with eateries of their own.  The shows are spectacular.  And A-list singers regularly cycle through town—some even stay for longer-term, in-residence gigs.  We even have the Broadway touring shows.

Yes, it is possible to “Do Vegas” and never gamble or hit a “Gentlemen’s Club”—If THAT’s not an oxymoron, I don’t know what is—or perhaps, more correctly, a HUGE misnomer.  But, I digress.

Vegas is so important to my series that it really is a character.  I mean where else can you be sitting in a restaurant and watch the young women in their terribly short skirts try to sit on the stools at the bar, only to find the leather rather chilly.  The minute their choochillalas hit the leather they popped up like a human version of Whack-A Mole.

Or where else could you take a posse of girlfriends to a true male strip club and be very glad you have the protection of a group?  Who knew male stripping was a contact sport?

And there was the couple who come to Vegas every year, take different names, stay in separate rooms, only to pick each other up at the bar to have a torrid “affair.”  And the lady who packed her cats…

Anyway, as you can see, setting is integral to my stories.

What about you?  Does setting influence your reading decisions?  Turn you off?  Or turn you on?

Comment for a chance to win a free download of Lucky Break!
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LUCKY BREAK
The Sixth Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure

On Sale November 20, 2015

Click to Buy

With Christmas a few days away, Lucky O’Toole, Vice President of Customer Relations for the Babylon, Las Vegas’s premier Strip casino resort, is in a festive mood. The upcoming wedding of her assistant to the Beautiful Jeremy Whitlock and her own engagement to her delish French Chef, Jean-Charles Bouclet have Lucky in full holiday cheer.

And even bigger celebrations are afoot. The national media is focused on the grand opening of Jean-Charles’s restaurant atop Lucky’s very own slice-of-heaven hotel. The opening gets a boost when Holt Box, a retired country-western singing legend lends a hand in the kitchen, adding mega-watt celebrity buzz.

Lucky’s life is humming.

The only sour note is her former lover, Teddie.

Teddie claims Lucky’s father, the Big Boss, has put an end to his return to the Las Vegas stage by handing that stage to Holt Box. Box is returning from retirement, a comeback of epic magnitude that will give the Babylon—and Lucky’s career—an incredible boost.

Taken by surprise, Lucky takes the high road. Or rather, she does what she always does when life overwhelms…  She ignores it.

Until she finds Teddie and her father, bloodied and angry, standing over the lifeless body of Holt Box, a dagger in Teddie’s fist.

The media sharks are circling.  A Macau heavy-hitter in town, flying under the radar but making his presence felt.  An old nemesis of Lucky’s is out of prison and salivating for revenge.  Lucky’s mother is ramping up her political campaign while juggling her new twins, who still don’t have names.   And Christmas is racing toward a crescendo.

Time is short as Lucky must discover whether Teddie is a killer.

And why she still cares.

About the Author

My mother tells me I was born a very long time ago, but I’m not so sure—my mother can’t be trusted.  These things I do know:  I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer.  I am the author of WANNA GET LUCKY? (A NY Times Notable Crime Novel and double RITA™ Finalist), its five sequels, LUCKY CATCH, being the latest, and four between-the-books novellas.  Currently I’m stretching my writer muscles working on a women’s fiction/contemporary romance series set in Napa, a dark thriller, as well as the next Lucky adventure, LUCKY BREAK, due out November 20, 2015—all very different projects. So, if you see me with a glass of Champagne in hand, you’ll understand.  I can usually be found at the bar, but also at www.deborahcoonts.com.

If you were to ask me what I love the most about Valiant Heart it’s definitely the strong female characters. I’ve been dying to write a book that features an Amazon-like tribe of Huntresses, women who reject their destiny of having to mate with either a werewolf or a Hunter.  Women who take what’s theirs and all the power that comes with it. And that’s what you’re going to get in my latest Order of the Wolf book. These women kick some serious ass.

I’ve always been fixated on the role that strong female characters play in fiction and on the screen. I love watching and reading about women who can take charge, lead, manipulate, control, maim, destroy…whatever needs to happen, as long as it’s a she in that role.

If I were going to build an apocalypse team with only female heroines, my top five from movies and books would be:

Buffy either movie of TV show (both have merits)

Sarah Connor from Terminator

Selene from Underworld

Cynthia Leighton from D.B. Reynolds’s Vampires in America series

MacKayla Lane from Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series

There are many more, of course, but all of these women exhibit, not only strength, cunning wit and courage, but they are also loyal, smart, and sassy. They truly take no shit, can roll with the punches, and will lead or follow depending on what the situation calls for. All of these traits are what make a solid team and blow up the scenes with much kick-assery.

Who are your favorite female leads?

What traits would you look for if you were putting together an apocalypse team?

What are some books you’ve read with strong female characters?

Contest

I’m giving away 5 prizes of any one ebook copy from my backlist

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When the choice is love or loyalty, no matter what she chooses the heart will bleed.

The Order of the Wolf, Book 6

Slay the beasts. Save the day. Such is Ariana’s role in her first mission for the Queen. She has no reason to think the rest will be any different…until, in the heat of battle, she uses her powers to heal an injured Order Huntress.

Her gift doesn’t go unnoticed. Lance, her very own Hunter, zeroes in, and a different battle is on. Lance is hot and very attentive, but this Amazon is determined to stay independent.

Lance has prepared his whole life to battle alongside his mate. Now that he’s found her, nothing and no one else matters. He’s not letting her go.

For the Queen’s second mission—bring the Oracle into the tribe—Ariana risks taking Lance’s bond to get more power. She never expected her body to crave more pleasure, her heart to lower its defenses.

As the battle rages on between Huntresses and beasts, there’s a foul plan in play that will force Ariana to decide where her loyalty lies. The cost of her choice could be a life.

Product Warnings

Contains a squirm-worthy love triangle, plus some scenes of debatable consent between a take-no-crap Huntress and a super-hot playboy with a come-hither smile and a come-multiple-times tongue.

Excerpt from Valiant Heart

“We’ve been tracking Lazarus’s pack for years to no avail. Lost quite a few of our members to his claws and so we retreated to build up our strength and our numbers.” I pushed myself from the wall and walked to the center of the room where Greer stood. “When we heard that he’d been defeated by one of yours, we put together a team to track what was left of his pack. What better time than now to eliminate the threat? While his pack is still reeling from the loss of one so powerful?”

“And so we’re here, offering our support.” Greer smiled. “All we ask is that you come with us.”

“Like hell! You’re not going anywhere with these bitches!” Lance bellowed from the doorway, his look less disheveled than I would have expected. His hair was damp and pulled roughly into a tail at his nape, his clothes clean, his stance wide, like he was loath to let the coarse fabric of his jeans touch anything in his crotch region.

That last assessment might have been some wishful thinking on my part, my anger suddenly rising with the memory of his attempted bonding.

“Lance, you have no idea what we’ve been talking about.” Kelly moved toward him, hands raised like she was cornering a wild animal.

I smirked as I shot a knowing look in Greer’s direction. She was raptly watching the scene play out, amused no doubt that Kelly was even bothering to calm the man down. As if a Hunter could control any Huntress.

“These women are not what they seem, Kelly.” Lance was furious, rightly so perhaps, but coming off as a raging lunatic. “Open your damn eyes.”

Kelly flinched and halted, her expression losing any softness she’d had moments before. “My eyes are open. For the first time in years, they are wide open. These women are Huntresses and they are offering me a chance to empower myself and find Andrew. What the hell are you so scared of?”

“Your power, sister,” Greer whispered. “That’s what they’re all afraid of.”

Copyright © 2015 Angela Addams

All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

About the Author

Every day is Halloween for author Angela Addams. Enthralled by the paranormal at an early age, Angela spends most of her time thinking up new story ideas that involve supernatural creatures in everyday situations. She believes that the written word is an amazing tool for crafting the most erotic of scenarios.

She is an avid tattoo collector, a total book hoarder and loves anything covered in chocolate…except for bugs.

She lives in Ontario, Canada in an old, creaky house, with her husband and children.

Website: www.angelaaddams.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/blFHeL
Twitter: @angelaaddams
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/angelaaddams/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.Angela.Addams
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4801196.Angela_Addams

Buy the book here:

Samhain
https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5634/valiant-heart

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca
http://www.amazon.ca/Valiant-Heart-Order-Angela-Addams-ebook/dp/B0118ZFOFQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1439915255&sr=1-3

Amazon.uk

Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/valiant-heart

BN
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/valiant-heart-angela-addams/1122273972

iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/NO/book/id1017609140?l=en

I am BEYOND fortunate enough to be the admin on a boxed-set series called Elite Warriors. Elite Metal is book one and Elite Ghosts is book two and it just released!! Yippee!!!

This is no ordinary boxed-set. It’s not random stories thrown together with a pretty cover. Oh No!! This is a shared world where each story leads into the next into the next creating one ginormous story. Each book continues the journey of the characters that make up the Elite Warriors. Former Marines forced to fade into the background until brought back together by a mysterious financial backer that knows too much.

Right now Elite Ghosts is $0.99 and I wanted to share it with everybody!! AND I have a contest!!

First – here’s a taste of Elite Ghosts!!

For more than two years they’ve been ghosts. Nothing but names on empty tombstones. Men and women forced to fade into the background after being pulled from the rubble. Dead Marines saved from a fate worse than death, but ordered to stand down while their lives disappeared all around them.

Some knew it could happen if a mission exploded. Double crossed by more than just Red Wolf. But now is their time to be reborn from the flames of a Phoenix. No longer imprisoned in the shadows. A half-life between them and their future. To make things right coming back to life is their only option.

Loyalty is their salvation but damage is always more than skin deep.

A new hope. A new family. Elite Ghosts.

_______________________________________________

My contribution to this set is Titanium’s Sacrifice!!

Titanium. Warbucks. Commander. Brother. He is all of those things. And none of them. Giving up everything to save the men and women under his command was easy until it comes to one…last…sacrifice.

Integrity. A U.S. Marines code to live by. Doing what is right even when no one else is watching. And that’s what Titanium did. At least that’s what he thought he did when he saved the men and women entrusted to his command. Saved them from capture. From torture. Death.

But what if he made the wrong choice? What if turning them into ghosts, becoming Warbucks and creating Elite Metal was the path he should have ignored? No Marine Left Behind. But what if that creed was one he should have left dead and buried on the snow banks of Moscow?

He lost everything by choosing to survive. He lost his legs, his sight, and something much more important. The respect of his men. Their loyalty. Friendship.

Earning them back becomes his only priority because he’s never known the true meaning of family. Of love. Until he chooses to make one…last…sacrifice.

__________________________________________________

And how about a contest!! For one lucky commenter below you’ll win a print copy of Elite Ghosts and some extra Elite goodies!! It’s our way of saying THANK YOU to our awesome readers!

Tell me what you’re thankful for this year and spread the word about this blog. Tweet it. Facebook it. Google Plus. Smoke Signals **GRINS**! Or all of the above.

Happy commenting!! And hope everyone gets Elite Ghosts while it’s on special!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

Need something to wet your whistle while you wait to see if you won goodies??

May I suggest a delicious bite out of the Members Only series…….. 😛

The books in the Members Only Series can be found here…

Together In Cyn
Haleigh’s Ink
A Very Ménage Christmas
Duke’s Valentine
Orgasm University
Accidental Voyeur
Roman’s To-Do List
Jenna’s Consent
Laila’s Lies

Other Novels By Jennifer Kacey

Buried Permission
Beneath the Pages
Nico’s Curse
Elite Metal – Book one in the Elite Warriors Series
Elite Ghosts – Book two in the Elite Warriors Series
Final Surrender – The Surrender Series
Violet’s Shadow – The Shadow Mates Series
Aslan’s Stranger – Fantasies A-Z Series

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 | Blog – The Decadent Divas | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Amazon Page | Goodreads | Pinterest

It’s here! MONTANA SEAL is finally out. I hope you all run out and get your copy now. This is what you’ll find in the book:

• Hot Navy SEAL
• Strong heroine
• Romance
• Suspense
• Montana
• Escape!
• Great start to a new series

Available now!
Free on Kindle Unlimited
Amazon  | Amazon UK

Sign up for my newsletter for your chance to win these two great prizes! I’m drawing for winners in December.

Elle Jame’s Newsletter

Brotherhood Protectors Series Book #1

Former SEAL and shining Hollywood starlet struggle against their burgeoning desire while trying to stay alive in the crosshairs of a murderous stalker.

Hank “Montana” Patterson never thought his call to duty would force him to leave his band of brothers in the Navy SEALs to return to the family ranch in the foothills of Montana’s Crazy Mountains. News that his father was shot, sends him rushing home to take over the reins of the Bear Creek Ranch. His forever belligerent father refuses his help, insisting Hank find the person who shot him. What Hank learns is the bullet was meant for the neighboring ranch owner, a Hollywood celebrity, a beautiful actress who once stole Hank’s heart.
Hometown girl, now a Hollywood temptress, Sadie McClain shot to fame and fortune on the big screen, earning her star on the walk of fame and a stalker who won’t back off. Escaping to her ranch in Montana, Sadie hopes to avoid her stalker, only to be hunted there as well. In need of a bodyguard with combat skills, Sadie hires her old flame, Hank to do the job.

Together they struggle to overcome their rekindled desire while fighting to stay alive in the crosshairs of a madman.

Excerpt:

His gut twisting, his nerves stretched, Montana clenched his weapon, holding it at the ready as he continued forward. If they had any chance of rescuing the aid worker, it had to be soon. ISIS rebels had a habit of torturing and killing anyone they could use as an example, rather than hanging on to them. Prisoners only slowed the attack and hampered their determination to take everything in their paths.

The tunnel opened into the bowels of what appeared to be a warehouse.

“I feel like we’re on a wild goose chase,” Swede muttered.

“And the goose is leading us to the slaughter. Not the other way around,” Irish concurred.

They climbed a set of stairs to a huge, empty room.

“Damn,” Swede said and bent to a dark lump on the ground.

Nacho released a string of profanity in Spanish.

“We’ve found the aid worker.”

What Montana had assumed was a pile of rags, was in fact a woman, her clothes torn, her body ravaged, her face battered. Her eyes were wide open, staring up at the ceiling.

Swede knelt beside her and touched his fingers to the base of her throat.

Montana’s stomach roiled at the sight of the woman’s damaged body. He could have told Swede she was already dead. What a waste of life. And for what? “We need to get out of here.”

The sound of footsteps made Montana glance up. A man stood on a catwalk twenty feet above them. He shouted something in Pashtu, ending in Allah, pulled the pin on a grenade and tossed it into the middle of the team.

“Fuck!” Montana yanked his weapon around and shot the man. He fell to the ground, but killing him was a little too late.

The grenade rolled toward Swede, still crouched beside the woman’s body.

“Get down!” Lt. Mike shouted, and then threw himself over the grenade.

Montana shouted, “No!” as the grenade exploded beneath their leader.

The force of the concussion reverberated throughout the room, knocking Montana to the ground. His last thoughts were of the home and the girl he’d once loved.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is an award-winning author of stories including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over eighty stories in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she has published with Harlequin, Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

Elle’s Links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page

I don’t classify Releasing Rage and, the follow up standalone story in my cyborg series, Breathing Vapor, as BDSM. The reason for this is because there are no formal arrangements and no safewords. (The dominant cyborgs never take the kink too far. They can sense what their submissives are feeling.)

The series is also BDSM light. Rage, the hero of Releasing Rage, would never intentionally physically hurt the female he loved. He’s seen too much pain and suffering to inflict that on someone he cared about, even if she wanted this. Punishment for Vapor and Mira in Breathing Vapor never goes past a spanking. Many BDSM readers expect a larger pain element.

But the stories definitely have BDSM elements. In Releasing Rage, Joan is a natural submissive. When she’s paired with Rage, her dominant angry cyborg, she naturally falls into that role, seeking to appease him.

Joan isn’t weak. Being the sole female engineer on a battle station, she has overcome great hostility. She submits, as many people do, because it serves a need within her. Rage, in contrast, feeling out of control in other aspects of his life, needs to control their sexual experiences. This calms him. Their relationship works for them.

Vapor and Mira, in Breathing Vapor, also have a Dom/Sub relationship but it is very different. Mira is, what we would call, a bratty sub. She taunts Vapor until he punishes her (spanking is their punishment of choice). She likes the punishment because it helps her express her pent-up emotions. He likes the challenge of making her submit. Vapor is all about being ‘the best.’

I’m writing Crash and Burn, the third cyborg story, right now. Crash prefers to tie up or otherwise restrain his strong-willed heroine and she loves this. Again, they have a Dom/Sub relationship but it is very different.

Which type of Dom/Sub relationship do you enjoy reading about?

***

Breathing Vapor

Vapor is the most advanced cyborg the Humanoid Alliance has ever developed. He’s a finely honed weapon, a warrior without parallel, half man and half machine. No lock can contain him. No being can stop him. Whatever he wants, he takes.

He wants Mira Breazeal, the Designer’s daughter.

She’s his one temptation, his sexy target. Vapor shouldn’t crave her caresses, steal her kisses, make her scream with ecstasy. The cyborgs want her dead and they would question his loyalty if he didn’t kill her. The humans would shoot him on sight if he dared to touch her.

Their love is forbidden. Their desire could be lethal. One human and one cyborg will risk everything for a moment of passion.

Pre-order Now:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Breathing-Vapor-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B015UN87JC/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Breathing-Vapor-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B015UN87JC/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-breathingvapor-1897324-340.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breathing-vapor-cynthia-sax/1122718203
Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/breathing-vapor

***

About Cynthia Sax

USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes contemporary, SciFi and paranormal erotic romances. Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of erotic romance top ten lists.

Sign up for her dirty-joke-filled release day newsletter and visit her on the web at www.CynthiaSax.com
Website:  http://cynthiasax.com/
Newsletter:   http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Facebook:  facebook.com/cynthia.sax
Twitter:  @CynthiaSax
Blog:  http://tasteofcyn.com/