#LoveSpanks 2015 #Giveaway Event - Read My 1st F/F #Spanking #Romance! (and #win #prizes)

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Love Spanks 2015 is here!

The rules, in brief (full version here):

  1. Register here.
  2. Visit all 17 blogs and leave a high-quality comment responding to the story content. Deadline: Midnight EST (UTC-5) Sunday, February 8
  3. Add VIP, FF (F/F author), A (non-F/F author), or Amb (Ambassador) to your comments
  4. Join the Facebook/Twitter author chats and parties.
  5. Prize announcements Saturday, February 14!

For more information, updates, and a list of participating authors, please visit Governing Ana (main page) or Love Spanks 2015 (announcement page)

As per Ana's rules, the excerpt has been removed now that the event is over.

The entire story
(which contains BOTH
SPANKING AND SEX) 
is available as part of the


Love Spanks 2015 Anthology

 Amazon | Amazon UK | AllRomance

Since I'm new to F/F fiction, I was at a loss over what book I should plug. What's a girl to do but choose her favorite cover?

Frosty Relations by Tara Quan

Attorney Jack Frost never understood why holidays did weird things to people. His secretary went on vacation, his best friend ditched their annual Aspen trip, and the law firm’s stubborn human resources assistant refuses his clerical support request. What’s a warlock to do on Christmas Eve but go on a 1-Night Stand? But when an oddly familiar empath shows up as his date, this ice mage has a hard time denying the magic of the winter solstice.

Faced with an anemic employment market and financial woes, college graduate and former witch Mina Mao lands an HR assistant job at Frost and Sons. Having spent her day saving Christmas from Frost Junior’s Grinch-like behavior, she accepts the gift of Madame Eve’s service and heads over to the Castillo Capital. When her date turns out to be her childhood crush and workplace nemesis, she braces herself for the sexiest icy ride of her life. 

About Tara Quan

Globetrotter, lover of languages, and romance author, Tara Quan has an addiction for crafting tales with a pinch of spice and a smidgen of kink. Inspired by her travels, Tara enjoys tossing her kick-ass heroines and alpha males into exotic contemporary locales, paranormal worlds, and post-apocalyptic futures. Her characters, armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, are guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever after.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads |Pinterest | Amazon

If you are having problems commenting: 

First, try to comment anonymously (as in don't try to log in using Twitter, Google, or what not,  just put in your name as you want it to appear). If it still doesn't work, and it might take a second to show up, feel free to email your comment to taraquan(at)outlook(dot)com.

We'll make sure you get credit, don't worry! 

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Layla Tarar

Globetrotter, lover of languages, and romance author, Tara Quan has an addiction for crafting tales with a pinch of spice and a smidgen of kink. Inspired by her travels, she enjoys tossing her kick-ass heroines and alpha males into exotic contemporary locales, fantasy worlds, and post-apocalyptic futures. Visit Tara at www.taraquan.com

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#NewRelease and Update - #SexyToGo, Vol 1 (including Punishing the Messenger by Me)

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Here's a confession–I've been a bit off my game on the promo front lately. What little zeal I had to hurl information into the void that is the interwebs flatlined around mid-January, when I reached an unprecedented point of depletion. Luckily, I had a lot of pre-scheduled posts and Tweets to carry me through the unscheduled hiatus, and I'm slowly dragging myself back on the proverbial horse.

Emphasis on slowly.

In the interim, I had quite a few things happen for which I should have (electronically) done a happy dance. I released a romantic suspense at the end of December titled A Christmas Together, which puts a bow on my Safe Harbor series. Not long after, the lovely ladies at Decadent Publishing compiled three of my paranormal 1Night Stands into a single print volume. A Witch's Night Out is available through Amazon and B&N, and my complimentary copy is in transit somewhere between Chicago and Rome.

Last but not least, the first volume of Sexy to Go came out. The brain child of the very talented Eva Lefoy, this anthology includes Punishing the Messenger, a short story that might end up marking my return to BDSM fiction (depending on how my current work in progress pans out). I'm riding the coattails of a number of very talented ladies, all of whom know how to bring a bit of sizzle and spice.

As for where my story falls on the sexy scale, I’ll let this sample speak for itself.

“Under different circumstances, I’d order you to your knees and have you earn my forgiveness.”
Her breath hitched at the proposition. She couldn’t help but imagine herself at his feet, his hand clutching her hair, her fingers unbuckling his belt. The way he surveyed her sent a shiver down her spine. When their gazes met, she felt her pulse on her fingertips.
“I told you not to look at me like that.”
Fearing he’d somehow glimpsed her fantasy, she bent her head and examined the hands she’d interlaced over her lap. “How do I look at you?”
“Like a lover, daring me to take charge.”

Without further ado, here's the rest of our sales pitch. I'm crossing my fingers our brand of sexy appeals.

Sexy to Go One cover small (1).jpg

Sexy to Go

Volume 1

Sizzling short stories from top-selling authors.

Sample romance in all its flavors in Sexy to Go. From paranormal to contemporary, you’ll find your fix here. Look for a brand new collection every month.

Available Now! 
Amazon | AllRomance | iTunes | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

Punishing the Messenger by Tara Quan (Me)

When her flighty cousin bails hours before the wedding, Kailee Chan is forced to deliver the news. The dominant groom punishes her instead, and her submission leads to a far more serious commitment.

Website | Tweet @LaylaTarar | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Google+ | Pinterest

Trio Concerto by Eva Lefoy

Casi suffers a scheduling mishap, but finds impromptu sex in the forest fulfills more than one personal fantasy. When the sexy shifters vanish, she’s left with an invitation to return. Does she dare?

Website | Tweet @Eva_Lefoy | Facebook |  Goodreads | Amazon

To Love Again by Allie Ritch

Kara is a reincarnated sorceress who has cheated death to return to her vampire lover again and again. She always comes back to Griffin. And she always leaves him, too. Now the anniversary of her first death has arrived, and she’s fated to die. Will she finally let Griffin turn her so they can be together forever? Or will she love him again in the next life?

Website | Tweet @AllieRitch | Amazon

Faking It by Sofia Grey

Lucy can’t believe her luck. Upgrade to 1st class flight and a hot hunk in the next seat. He’d never be interested in a geek, so maybe it’s time to reinvent herself? Faking it has never been such fun.

Website | Tweet @SofiaGreyAuthor | Facebook | GoodReads | Pinterest

Assistant Seduction by Jocelyn Dex

When the temp agency sends Kyla a hunky male assistant, who looks as if he stepped out of one of her erotic stories, will she get more than she bargained for?

Website | Twitter @JocelynDex |  Facebook  | Goodreads | Blog

Unconventional Spark by Allyson Lindt

If Jade can’t learn to balance business and pleasure, she’ll lose the best thing that’s ever happened to her—the unconventional spark she shares with her boyfriend, Brandon

Website | Tweet @AllysonLindt | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Dancing in the Flame by Ann Gimpel

Keira’s an indentured hooker. Mired in the hopelessness of her dreams, she longs for more and finds it in Barrett. He’s not what he seems, but neither is she—except she doesn’t know it yet.

Website | Tweet @AnnGimpel | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Ann’s blog

Skin by Leigh Ellwood

Skin - One needs a tough skin to endure an unpleasant situation. When Lt. Andromeda Kurn is sentenced for damaging property during a shore leave, the skin suit she must wear enhances the pleasure of her punishment.

Website | Tweet @LeighEllwood | Facebook | Blog | Leigh @ Amazon

Meant to Be by Nerika Parke

A rock concert, a chance meeting with a sexy musician and a night on the beach turn Jessica’s unremarkable life upside down when she takes a weekend away for her birthday.

Nerika’s Website| Facebook

Dreamwalker: Key to Paradise by Pamela Moran

Pulled together through a world of dreams, Lena and Davis might have found the Key to Paradise. Can he convince her to take a chance, to believe in impossible possibilities, to hold on to their dream?

PamelaMoran.com | Tweet @Pam_Moran | Facebook | Goodreads

For His Pleasure by Shiloh Saddler

A black slave and white plantation owner’s son narrowly avoid being separated when the estate is sold. Forced into poverty they must work hard to survive. But through the hardship their love endures.

Website | Tweet @ShilohSaddler | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Pinterest

#WriteTip - Character Emotion by Starla Kaye, a @DecadentPub #Menage #Romance Author

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Fellow Decadent Publishing author Starla Kaye has a brand new menage romance out. In addition to snagging an excerpt from For Ruby’s Love, I also convinced her to give me a writing tip. Ever wondered how to help a reader connect with your character? Let's see what Starla has to say.

Character Emotion by Starla Kaye

If your hero or heroine has gone through a bitter relationship or a divorce, just the sight of a wedding photo might cause a variety of emotional responses.

If a character has suffered the loss of a child, he/she might have a range of feelings from sadness to pain to anger.

The point here is that a writer must dig deep to create characters that seem real to the reader. You need to let the reader feel what the character felt.

Cowboys are my first love when writing a hero. Along with a confident, powerful business executive. Or a medieval Scottish warrior. Or…. Basically I like to write about strong men who know their minds, have set beliefs on how things should be done, and knock heads with a woman who makes him a bit crazy.

For Ruby’s Love, my latest release from Decadent Publishing, has two such heroes and that type of woman. Calhoun Cordell and Daniel Patterson first made their appearance in The CEO and The Cowboy. While they had worked out their differences at that time and had settled into a loving relationship, I always felt something was missing. Someone who could both draw them closer together and shake up their world. In walked Ruby Tuesday McMurtry.

For Ruby’s Love-1333x2000.jpg

 

Buy Links 

Decadent | Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo 

Where to Find Starla Kaye

Starla Kaye has published: 20 novels, 38 novellas, 18 short stories, and 8 anthologies with Black Velvet Seductions, Decadent Publishing, Blushing Books and Red Rose Publishing.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
Amazon Author Page

For Ruby's Love
by Starla Kaye

Calhoun’s a simple cowboy with more problems in his life than he can handle at the moment. After nearly two years, he struggles to hang onto a relationship with Daniel, his first male lover. Daniel is worried about him because of the fire, his concern for his prized breeding mare, and because he is determined to buy the neighboring ranch to expand. But Daniel isn’t a businessman without goals of his own for expansion, a fact that frustrates Calhoun as well. He doesn’t want to lose Daniel, but will their differences finally be too much?

Daniel considers himself a lucky man to have met the rancher, someone almost his opposite and someone who he doesn’t want to live without. Standing beside the moody Calhoun has been difficult since the fire that burned down a horse barn, took the lives of two valuable horses, and traumatized a favored mare. Along with all of that, his harried friend is determined to expand his ranch holdings. Daniel is against the purchase and would prefer to find a way to slow the man down. Lately, he’s also begun worrying if maybe he isn’t enough to satisfy his lover’s needs.

Complicating everything even more, Ruby shows up later than expected at Calhoun’s ranch to honor a job as a horse therapist that her father had agreed to before his sudden death. She knows what happened to the mare and is certain she can help her, if given the chance. But the stubborn rancher can’t get past the idea of her being a woman, someone not strong enough to work with such a damaged horse. They butt heads over the matter until she finds an ally in Daniel. He is concerned and yet believes in her abilities. Another problem arises, though. She and Calhoun have been skirting around an unwanted attraction, and then she discovers another surprising interest between her and Daniel.

Excerpt

When a tear managed to escape and slide down her cheek, he experienced the same distress as earlier, when she’d admitted her father died. Something about a woman crying always got to him.

He got up and went to her. She looked so small, so defenseless, kind of lost. He didn’t mean to touch her. Yet, he reached down and wiped away the tear with a thumb. His gut tightened at her velvety-soft skin. He hadn’t been this close to a woman in a while, caressed one…or had sex with one. He almost backed away.

But she held him in place by looking up at him with her sad eyes. Misery lurked in the depths. As their gazes remained locked, the heat of awareness fired in them. She drew in a shaky breath. Her pretty brow furrowed as if in confusion. His reactions to this stranger, this young woman whose emotions were all over the place, puzzled him. One moment she bristled, another she challenged him, and in another she pulled on his heartstrings with her pain.

Before he could move, the furnace kicked on, blowing warm air around them, mixing in her light floral scent as it surrounded him. He also caught the essence of her. His body tensed; his cock hardened.

Shocked, he pulled his hand back and stepped away. This was wrong. He felt as if he were betraying Daniel. He would never betray him.

Guilt weighing on him, he turned to the windows, unable to face either of them. “We should go get your car,” he blurted out.

“Truck,” she corrected, sounding bewildered by his abrupt change in mood.

His cock hadn’t softened when he put distance between them. He could still smell her, hear her sensual voice. No way could he take her to her truck. He needed time to get his body back to normal and get his head straight.

“I’ll get a ranch hand to go with you. You can stay in one of the guest rooms tonight.” He hesitated. “Before you leave, I’ll pay you for making the effort to come here.”

Without looking at either of them, he strode across the room toward the doorway. “I need to find that phone number for the other horse whisperer.”

In the next instant, she moved right behind him. She grabbed a belt loop. “Whoa, Cordell! We need to talk.”

He brushed her hand away and turned around. Her vivid green eyes no longer looked sad; they flashed with anger. The plump breasts he’d been trying not to notice strained the fabric of her pink plaid Western shirt. Otherwise, she stood stiff, her temper appearing to sizzle. Damn if he didn’t find her cute as hell.

And that notion frightened the bejesus out of him. He needed to get as far away from her as possible. “We’ll talk tomorrow. You need to get your truck and get some rest.” He shifted back. “I have business to tend to.”

The tenacious woman stepped right up to him. “This business being to call another horse whisperer.” She tilted her chin up and met him eye-to-eye. “Well, cowboy, I’m the second best one in the country.” Sadness slipped back into her eyes, but determination remained as well. “The best now with my father dead.”

God, those expressive eyes were killing him. He fought the urge to tug her into his arms and hold her until she’d shed every tear, until the grief left. Doing that would be a huge mistake for so many reasons. He mentally shielded himself against her.

“Forget it. I’m not letting a puny little thing like you anywhere near Starbright.” If she’d worked alongside her father, Calhoun would no doubt have been okay. Maybe. But the idea of her being alone anywhere near the powerful, troubled, and crazed mare scared the devil out of him. His heart raced.

The woman had no back down in her. She thrust her chin higher. “I’m not puny! I’m not big and muscled like you, but I can take care of myself with any animal.”

He snorted at the foolish declaration and shook his head. “Not with my horse. Starbright can’t be trusted with most work-hardened men, including me at times. There is no way I could trust her not to do you serious harm.”

Once more he turned to walk away.

This time Daniel stopped him. “Give her a chance to at least tell you about her credentials. Let her explain her abilities to work with a traumatized animal.”

He spun to glower at his friend, who looked every bit as resolute as he felt. “No.”

The man gave him a censuring look and ground his jaw. They would have words later. But he wasn’t going to change his mind.

When he glanced at Ruby, her shoulders were tense, her body rigid. But instead of arguing with him, she stormed back to the recliner and grabbed her coat, jerking it on. Grumbling to herself, she snagged her oversized bag and marched past them both and toward the foyer.

Daniel’s expression grew stonier, pissed at him.

“What are you doing?” he asked gruffly.

“Leaving,” she snapped over her shoulder. “I don’t need this job. I came here out of respect for my father’s agreement with you. And out of concern for Starbright.” She picked up her pace, not bothering to glance at him.

“You can’t just leave. I have to get one of the hands first,” he blustered, unable to believe her boldness.

“I don’t need help—yours or anyone else’s.” She stiffened. “I’m going back to my rig, grabbing a gas can, and walking to the nearest town. Not any of your concern.”

“The hell you are!” He strode after her. Lord a’mighty, what an obstinate female.

She stopped long enough to look in his direction and hiss, “The hell I’m not!”