UDPATE: The winner is…Colleen!

* * * * *

Note from Denysé: I’ll pick a random comment and send the winner a copy of the set, too. Winner will be picked tomorrow by noon!

* * * * *

This particular set of stories came about as the World Romance Writers chatted about themes for future sets after the best-selling debut set, Letterbox Love Stories. We wanted to do something a little more exotic and add a touch of suspense, so the idea of tales set in Africa was born. I’ve long been a lover of the movie Casablanca, and wanted to try something in a similar vein to the movie. So, with a tip of the hat to that classic movie, I hope you enjoy a peek at this one–the first in a series of stories with this set of characters because I know their adventure is just beginning…

 Escape to Africa: A Dangerous Liaison

World Romance Writers
Kobo Books  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Amazon

In late 1942, Casablanca, an undercover French operative is given information vital to the alliance, and it’s now up to her to get the microfilm to someone who can insure it’s turned over to the Allies. Isabeau Renault has kept her cover in place for many months in Casablanca, and probably saved countless lives because of her activities. But, with the resistance being choked by the Nazi stranglehold, will she be able to get the most important intelligence she’s ever held safely out of Casablanca, or will she die trying? It all hinges now on the owner of a popular café, an American named Cade Maddox, a man few know anything about, but who appears to have a friendly relationship with the Prefect of Police, and several German officers.

Excerpt:

“Cassi, I need to talk to you.”

Cade Maddox’s voice dug into her brain.

“I will join you at the bar, Monsieur,” she repeated. “In five minutes!”

The rapid, muted voices that followed her assured her the maid, Diata, was living up to her fierce name, the lion. She sat at her dressing table and took quick inventory of her hair and makeup. Dark, curling tendrils escaped the elaborate style and she twisted them back into place and tucked pins into the coils. She picked up a brush and dusted darkly tinted powder across her cheeks, peering closely at her reflection. She barely recognized herself these days, but it kept her alive and unnoticed among the citizens of Casablanca.

Gathering her wits, she took a deep breath and stood. Eluding Maddox was more draining than it should be, but something about the man got under her skin and made her jittery. The man was impressive, six feet plus in height, dark eyes, tanned skin, he looked at home in Casablanca, though she knew he was American by birth. Braced for the on-going deception, she stepped into the narrow hallway and walked to the main area of the café, her casual manner wholly feigned. Inside she was shaking in her sandals as she prepared to dodge Cade Maddox and his too shrewd eyes.

“What brings you here, Monsieur? You’re usually holding court at the Stardust this time of the evening.” She sat at the small corner table he’d chosen, the strategic position not escaping her notice. From here the entire main room could be watched, while the wall at his back assured no one could approach him unnoticed.

Maddox smiled. He looked like a wolf who’d just scented prey.

“I was planning to lure your dancer away to work for me,” he said. “Jolene keeps running them off just when the Germans get used to them.”

“How unfortunate for you.” She shook her head when the bartender began to approach the table with a drink for her. He shrugged and headed back for customers who did want to drink.

“Why don’t you drop in this evening,” Cade suggested. “I’m expecting company that might interest you.”

“And why do you think your company would interest me?”

She hadn’t made eye contact with him since sitting down, and he clearly hadn’t missed the ruse. He’d told her on more than one occasion that she intrigued him, and because of it, he was determined to discover what she was hiding. For his sake, she prayed he never did!

For a moment silence hung between them. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he nodded. “Drop by this evening, you might enjoy yourself.”

“I’m busy this evening,” she told him, “if things get boring here I’ll consider your offer.” The scrape of the chair moving indicated he’d left his seat. A slight displacement of air seconds later and he was gone, footsteps so careful they were soundless. Maddox was an enigma she had no time to figure out, he could be dangerous to her. Before she could think too much about it the bartender shouted her name and it was time to get back to business.

As the evening wore on, Isabeau wondered if Cade could be trusted. The question plagued her as she went about her business, serving drinks, flashing a false smile, and presenting yourself as the perfect hostess. This was a job she could do in her sleep, she’d been in Casablanca for several months, even the false face she wore had become much too familiar. And much too comfortable. Her intuition had often saved her so she rarely disregarded it, and against all good sense she knew Cade Maddox was someone she was going to need if she expected to escape with her life.

*~*~*

Denysé Bridger
Romance for the discerning reader…
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Readers Group

UPDATE: The winner is…Toni Whitmire!

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Do you love reunion stories? I do. Especially when the couple faces great odds to get back together. It could be family issues, different backgrounds, or the infamous “We were on a break!” line that Ross kept spouting on Friends, much to Rachel’s chagrin (until the very end). But whatever it is, when two people that have allowed their soul to trust another human being on the deepest level find the courage and the strength to make their way back to that original realization despite genuinely tough times – I’m a mess. A happy, story-fulfilled, blubbering mess.

And with that, I introduce you to Dare and Abby from Real Deep, the second book of my REAL MEN series. These two have been through a lot! Abby’s from Money (with a capital M), Dare isn’t. Yet he’s the only one who’s ever ‘seen’ her. And for his part, no one’s ever been there for Dare before, either. So in the backstory, when they break up, it’s a tragedy.

But there’s something about being stuck on a practically deserted tropical island that strips away the rest and brings out only the gold…

If you like reunion stories, I’m betting you’ll want to take the journey with Dare and Abby, two of my very favourite characters.

And as an added benefit, Real Deep is another exciting installment of the Real Men series. This series introduces readers to the brotherhood of a group of men who have bonded through serving as army reservists in various location. They’re connect to the fictional town of Jack’s Bay in northern Ontario as well as the fictional town of Golden, British Columbia.

Today, I’m giving away one copy of Real Deep to a randomly chosen commenter below! All you need to do is:
Follow me on Amazon and…take your pick of: signing up for my newsletter or following me on the social media of your choice.  Let me know in the comments what you chose. Giveaway ends on Sunday at midnight, so let all your friends know!

See you August 7th, folks! And I should have more information about a new, special, summer of 2017 release!

Real Deep

Real Men #2

Deserted tropical island, hunky male models. Sole female photographer. Everything is on track for Abby Haines to please her sleazy boss and win the make-or-break photography contest of the year so she can prove herself to the wealthy parents who’ve disowned her, keep the career she loves, and oh yeah. Eat.

That is, until the past love of her life shows up. The scumbag.

Part-time solider and handyman extraordinaire Dare Logan gets things done. But life just ratcheted up a few degrees for the guy from the wrong side of the track. If he doesn’t kowtow to the creepy shoot director, he can’t save his fledgling renovation business and take care of his mom and sister. And now he’s got to deal with Abby—the woman who broke his heart, proving that what he could provide for her wasn’t enough. Super.

But when they’re sent on a dangerous trek across the island and fate plays with their deeply-entrenched principles and worse, their hearts, choices will have to be made, and the stakes are no longer simple.

Amazon
Kobo, B&N, Nook, iBooks, Inkterra & Other Retailers

Real Men

A new, small town military romance series. Featuring full-length stories and meet-cutes.
Read the entire series to fall in love with the men of Jack’s Bay!

About Susan

Susan Saxx writes sexy, unexpected, heartwarming romances. Her REAL MEN series focuses on a band of Canadian military reservists and the strong women they fall in love with. Meet the cowboy, the ex-hockey player and more at her website, and join her mailing list for exclusive teaser stories and release updates!

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Hated enemies.  Trapped together.  Fight one another?  Or fight together and maybe survive?  Or maybe die…

Aliyana Montero will do anything to rescue her sister from the ruthless kidnappers who took her from outside the school where she works. Even if that means accepting help from Ram Torres, the most infuriating—and sexy—man Ali has ever met. She and Ram first met on a mission in Afghanistan and they clashed instantly. Ram accused her of being hotheaded and impulsive. She thought he was cold and arrogant. Both refused to acknowledge the heat that flared between them. Now, as her sister’s life hangs in the balance, Ali will have to swallow her pride and once again work with the man who has secretly haunted her dreams.

Read the opening of Trapped…

Sergeant Ali Montero had to admit it—she was worried as hell. She tried to force the snakes roiling around in her belly to stop, but her gut was tight. Worry plagued her as her combat boots thudded down the dirty ply-board floor that was in desperate need of a good sweeping. She knew what was coming: Chief Wyatt Lockwood, the leader of Bravo SEAL team here in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, had requested a private meeting with her. Now, she reluctantly dragged herself toward his office, wishing the reprimand—or whatever he had in mind—was over.

For sure, these meetings were never a good sign. The SEALs she worked with called them “woodshed moments,” meaning you were probably in deep shit and Lockwood was going to let you know it. She’d been with Bravo team for over three months, and now, in June, her number had come up and the shit was probably going to hit the fan.

What had she done wrong? She bit her lower lip, trying to figure out why he’d be calling her, of all people, in for a roasting. Like her fellow SEALs, Ali wore a tan t-shirt and desert camo trousers. Unlike the others, she wore her long black hair back in a ponytail most of the time.

J-bad, in their cramped, one-story brick compound behind the wire, everyone wore a sidearm. They knew their base was a major target for the Taliban, given the SEAL teams’ talent for decimating the enemy. Ali was part of a snatch-and-grab team aimed at killing high-level Taliban commanders or capturing the bastards alive, then handing them over to the CIA for interrogation.

Actually, she suspected she knew what had brought on this meeting. Ever since arriving in J-bad on special assignment to the SEAL team, one guy had put her in his sights: Petty Officer Two, Ram Torres, a Mexican-American born in Nogales, Arizona. For some reason, he seemed to hate her on sight. He’d never accepted her as a part of their all-male team, even after Ali had tried to warm up their frosty relationship. The SEAL would have none of it, constantly turning his back on her efforts to be pleasant.

She wished she could avoid him, but they were a small team and inevitably found themselves thrown together at times they would have preferred never to see each other again. Ever!

Ali slowed down as she approached Lockwood’s office, pausing at his door hanging slightly askew on its hinges. There was nothing perfect about the SEAL group’s housing. The Navy Seabees hadn’t made up this hodge-podge of three-quarter inch ply-board. Rather, the first SEAL units had cobbled it together hastily within the grey cement structure. It wasn’t great carpentry, nor was it an engineering feat to brag about. But it kept them out of the elements and dry, and that was all that mattered.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up and down the quiet passageway. Lockwood had told her to arrive at 0800. To Ali’s relief, the area was empty. She didn’t want her teammates knowing about this—although she was sure word would get back to the guys sooner or later. She knocked firmly on the door, and from the other side, she heard the reply in a heavy Texas drawl, “Mosey on in, Montero.”

LINKS:

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Trapped-Delos-Book-Lindsay-McKenna-ebook/dp/B071NMJT18/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494340722&sr=1-1&keywords=Trapped+by+Lindsay+McKenna

KOBO.com
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/trapped-131

BN.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trapped-lindsay-mckenna/1126323626?ean=2940157541019

iBooks/Apple
https://linkmaker.itunes.apple.com/en-us/details/1232470113?country=us&mediaType=books&term=Trapped+by+Lindsay+McKenna

Most people have their super crush. The waiflike model, the handsome and alluring actor or the cutest member of the boy band who makes you squeal every time he picks up his guitar. They are the stuff dreams are made of…the accidental meeting where they fall instantly, irrevocably in love, whisk us off to their mansion to live happily ever after.

I’m game! Let me just check with my husband first.

There is a lot of good advice on the internet about how to date a supermodel. To bag a female, you need to be yourself. Don’t be scared to ask. Don’t assume she’d stupid. In other words, be bold and natural and the astute beauty will give you a chance. Said husband will be pleased he’s in with a shot.

Unfortunately the news is not so flattering when it comes to pursuing my dream man. The most prevalent advice given is ‘DON’T’. Apparently, dating a man prettier than you are should be avoided at all costs. The reasons? You won’t be able to wear their shirt the morning after…because it won’t fit you. You will get jealous of seeing your super-stud cozying up to other beautiful people for photoshoots or movie scenes, people you will never be able to complete with. And get this. They will go to lots of parties, which they may or may not invite you too—but if you go, be aware you are likely to be the ugly duckling.

Whaaaa? Talk about double standards. Do females—the same ones who understand how a female supermodel will give anyone a chance if they are true to themselves—in the next breath say females won’t cope with a little healthy competition.

I, for one, don’t believe it. And I will not give up on Max Riemelt, just because I can’t fit into his morning after shirt! Cole Langford got his beauty in The Rebound and he wasn’t nearly as nice about it as I would be. So, leave a comment and share the details of your super crush. What would you be willing to give up to get them?

THE REBOUND 

One Night Stand Series

One bite is never enough…

Madison St James’s life was a glittering fairy tale, until her Prince Charming turns out to be Prince Cheating. With the help of a sexy stranger, Madison lets loose her inhibitions for one night of no-holds-barred sex.

It’s hot. It’s sensual. And so real that Madison doesn’t know if she can return to her superficial life, except her mother isn’t going to make her escape easy.

Cole Langford has one of the most powerful names in Maryland, but none of the money and prestige that goes with it. But he knows first-hand about getting knocked down by power-wielding megalomaniacs.

Lately, Cole’s libido’s is MIA, until he finds the very trouble he’s been trying to stay away from in Madison St James. But Madison is like decadent candy, and Cole can’t resist one more bite.

Get your copy here!

About the Author

Toni J Strawn is the author of the super-spicy contemporary One Night Stand novels, which include His Rules, The Rebound and Her Release, with His redemption coming soon. These can be read on their own, or as a trilogy.

Toni loves everything romance. Hot, bad, crazy, out-of-control romance. In the One Night Stand series the characters are set up for ultimate one night stand, before turning it into happily ever after—no matter how much they have been through. Because everyone deserves to find love. Right?

While not locked away in her Romansion—a tiny writing shed at the bottom of the garden—Toni can be found with super-hubby Chris and the kids, or feeding her addiction to reading…you guessed it…romance ©

First off, I’d like to thank Delilah for inviting me and all these hot cowboys to join you today.

How many of you love cowboys? What is it that makes rodeo cowboys so attractive to you? Is it their old fashioned values, or their love of animals? Or is it their rugged good looks? How about all of these? In my opinion when you combine these qualities, you have the perfect romance hero.

My contribution to the anthology Catching A Cowboy: Roped into Love is Radio Rose. It’s filled with quirky characters, a small town that needs help and two people who are perfect for each other whether they realize it or not.

Radio Rose knows Martians aren’t real. As a DJ for a late night talk show about aliens, Rose Wasnowski could never admit to being a non-believer. Talking to crazies all night isn’t the perfect job for most people, but she’s happy with her solitary life. Until a middle of the night car crash and a blow to the head has her mistaking a reclusive rodeo cowboy for a real life extra-terrestrial.

Adam Cameron, raised by his narcissistic grandfather for most of his childhood, made his escape from Tullyville, Colorado the day he turned eighteen. He became a rodeo cowboy because he knew it would drive his domineering grandfather crazy. Forced to return ten years late for the reading of his grandfather’s will, he’s about to be pulled into a contest for a vast fortune and the future of a town he’d just as soon forget.

Relationships aren’t one of Rose’s strong points. Hell, she mistook the hot cowboy for an alien the first time they met, but Adam needs help and she’s the woman to help him—maybe.

In a town filled with new-found friends, Rose has to decide how far she’s willing to go to trust the loner.

Excerpt:

Still in shock, Rose shook her head. What a mistake! Glass shards of pain sliced into her brain. She slammed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath.

The alien-repellant helmet slipped to the side, and the being gently lifted it off her head. Pressing it into her hands, he waited for her to open her eyes.

She peeked at her helmet and saw half the lights had burned out. “Damn, piece of shit helmet. This piece of crap is guaranteed for ten years. How am I going to make good on the guarantee if I’m abducted? Answer me that.”
“Are you dizzy?” he asked. “Can you walk?”
As she lifted her gaze to his eyes, firefly sparkles flashed across her vision. She’d forgotten he was there.

I must be out of my mind. Abducted by aliens, and I’m worrying about this piece of junk.

As she tried to answer, the words froze into little clumps of ice and melted back down her throat.

“How many fingers do you see?” he asked, holding up one hand.

“Hold them still so I can count.”

“How many?” he asked again, impatience riding on each word.

It seemed a stupid question for an alien to ask, but now was not the time to question these guys on their mathematical skills. Focusing her eyes, she counted the fingers slowly, twice then told the truth. “Seven.”

“You need to sit down while I try to get you out of here.” He carried her to a vehicle, opened the door and placed her on the seat.

“Don’t take me with you. Please, I’m not a normal human. I wouldn’t make a good specimen,” Rose pleaded as she stuffed her trembling hands between her knees to hide the shaking. “Really, I’ll skew your results.”
She focused her vision and concentrated on his features. Nothing was making sense. He looked like a human, a darn nice one, but her callers had told her aliens could change form at will.

He placed her helmet in her lap. Only a light, here and there, was blinking now. Forty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents down the drain when she didn’t have money to spare. If she disappeared into outer space to be experimented on money would be the least of her worries.

She didn’t have the energy to fight him when he lifted her legs, put them in the spaceship and dug around until he found the straps to tie her down. He reached across her, belted her in and shut the door. Now she was trapped. Running her fingers over the door, she tried to find the handle. Before she could make her move, she felt the spaceship lifting off.

Here are the blurbs from the other five books in Catching A Cowboy.

The Heartsong Cowboy by Melissa Keir- Can two people, one horse and the power of love cure a little girl?

Burst of Courage by Deb Julienne- Fixing your own mistakes can be the hardest to correct.

119 Days by RaeAnne Hadley- Divorced for five years, Celeste Howard was happy with her life. The only thing she missed was a man’s touch. Sean Mison fit her ideal of a perfect one-night stand, but what began as a simple stress reliever grew into more than what Celeste signed on for.

Promise Me Eden by D’Ann Lindun- She’s buried in grief. He doesn’t know how to help. Can they find their way back together before it’s too late?

Cowboy in Waiting by Leslie P. Garcia- She’d buried a hero. She wasn’t looking for another. But her cowboy in waiting was far from a hero…

Climb on board for the ride of your life!

Amazon buy link: Catching A Cowboy

UPDATE: The winner of this cool prize is…Rachael Abbott!

* * * * *

So…it’s almost my mum’s birthday!!!! Which got me thinking how much I LOVE my birthday. Mine in the beginning of December and I absolutely 169% love it. It’s a special day to remember I MADE IT ANOTHER YEAR and I rocked the shit out of it!

I love my birthday.

I love other people’s birthdays.

It’s just a special day to think about what you accomplished in the past year and what you want to accomplish in the next year. People you spent time with and loved, other people you miss and make a commitment to see them more.

And cake.

AND PRESENTS!!

And you get to feel like a pretty pretty princess!!! What? Just me????

I know some people don’t like their birthday but I’m soooooo thankful I’m one of the lucky ones who loves loves loves loves my day! So in honor of my mum’s almost birthday…….

Let’s have a giveaway with an AWESOME bag of goodies for one lucky poster! Two print books and lots and lots of other swag and kinky goodies! Plus a cup and a coozie and a pretty purple BED bag to hold it all!

**GIVEAWAY – US ONLY** – Just look at all the awesomeness you could win!!

So tell me the coolest thing you ever got for your birthday and who gave it to you!!

I’ll pick a winner on Friday the 14^th!! Good Luck!! PS –It’s always great to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you! Hate not being able to give winners their goodies!!

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

Cooking up a series with wounded soldier, BDSM theme, western setting

Too much for three short novels? I wondered, but I had to give it a shot.

Three siblings, raised in rugged, beautiful Wyoming…

ROPED: The youngest, Jared, has come back from Iraq missing a leg. He’s not certain he can still function as the alpha Dom he was, until a submissive nurse shows him he’s still the man he was, just as capable as ever to claim her with gentle domination. He’s all in to give her everything she needs, even if her kinks don’t always coincide with his own.

HITCHED: Brad, the local bad boy, owns a BDSM club. He wants to own Keely, but she’s reluctant to be seen with him outside the club—until they’re marooned together in a blizzard. He uses the time with her to show her she wants him, reputation and all, for her very own Dom.

LASSOED: A Retired NFL star now home on the ranch, Matt has wanted Diana, the oldest sibling, since high school. Having escaped a cruel master, Diana has vowed to make a switch. He’s willing to play sub to win her, but as they get reacquainted, she realizes his hot vanilla loving is just what she needs now as she recovers.

I will be running an exclusive giveaway through Book-a-licious.com from July 10 to July 21. There will be one grand prize of a Kindle Fire and the complete e-set of Roped, Hitched & Lassoed.  Five more e-copies of the set will go out to the runner ups.  Here is the direct link: https://app.viralsweep.com/sweeps/full/e80abe-21399&framed=1.  Winners will be announced on Saturday, July 22.

A reader recently asked me what sorts of research were required to write this series. Honestly, I did more studying about the Wyoming settings, which I’d never visited before in my writing. I’d written BDSM-themed books before, but I found I had to do a bit of indepth study about shibari, or rope bondage, as well as some nonfiction reading about the psychology of domination and submission as it affected Diana regarding the past abuse she endured.

As for Jared and his injury, I delved into the usual processes of recovery for a person who has lost a limb. I didn’t want him to seem debilitated physically, but I needed to show his doubts and fears about how his changed body will impact his relationships. I hope I achieved all I set out to do while writing these books!

Ann Jacobs

Website: http://annjacobs.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnJacobsAuthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AuthrAnnJacobs
Email: ann@annjacobs.net