Author Spotlight - Claiming Carlos by Rachelle Ayala

Book #2 of Sanchez Sisters Series

Choco Sanchez is stuck in a rut. She's never hit a softball and has been friends forever with Carlos Lopez, the head cook at her family's Filipino restaurant. When flashy restaurant consultant Johnny Dee hits her with a pitch, she falls head over heels and gets a makeover

Carlos Lopez is not about to lose one for the home team. Johnny launches a full scale change on the menu, and Carlos sends him straight into the dumpster. Claiming Choco's heart proves more difficult. But never underestimate a man who can cook hot, spicy, and steamy, and we ain't talking just food.





Buy Links:
Amazon.com I Amazon.in I Barnes & Noble

Buy Links:
[Love to Hate Miranda]

“Stop.” Miranda waves a spatula and blocks our way. “No members of the wait staff allowed in the kitchen.”
“I need another order of vegan spring rolls. No meat!” Sarah yells.
“She stole my gluten-free bangus.” Susie pushes her way past Miranda, who bounces against the door to the cold room, opening it.
“Out, out of the kitchen.” Miranda sticks a finger in Susie’s chest. Big mistake.
Susie’s nostrils flare and her piercings dance. “Out of my way.”
With a hefty push, she shoves Miranda who stumbles back into the cold room. Her arms windmilling, she falls in between the sides of raw pork belly hanging up to dry.
“Ai ya!” Miranda slaps at the pork bellies and pulls on a trussed whole duck for balance, right when a wooden tray of balut, fertilized duck eggs with the intact embryo, falls and splatters over her. The slime and partially formed embryos ooze down her hair and face.
Everyone except Johnny bursts out laughing. I whip out my cell phone and snap as many pictures as I can before Johnny blocks my view to help his mother.
Out of nowhere, Carlos appears, and he gives Johnny a kick on the back of his tight leopard printed butt, sending him sprawling against the skewered suckling pigs. They tumble like dominoes, knocking Johnny on top of his balut-covered mother.

Carlos picks up a tray of the Vietnamese style transparently wrapped no-fry spring rolls and flings the contents into the cold room all over Johnny and Miranda. “Vegan spring rolls is off the menu.”

About the Author

Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling Asian American author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope.

Rachelle is the founder of an online writing group, Romance in a Month, an active member of the California Writer's Club, Fremont Chapter, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has won awards in multicultural and historical romance

Connect with the Author:
Website I Blog I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads

Tour Schedule

Giveaway
1st Prize - $20 Amazon Gift Card
2nd Prize - Choice of Rachelle Ayala's eBooks

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beast Coast - Release date reveal!

today I have the lovely and talented J.C. McKenzie. She has a new book, Beast Coast coming soon. She's here to reveal exactly when that will be.

JC
Do you plot or let the story unfold as you write?
I do a little of both. A book typically starts with a scene for me. I frantically write it down. More often enough, my brain gets way ahead of my ability to craft scenes together, so at a certain point, I stop writing the scenes, and start writing notes for each scene until I’ve plotted out the rest of the book. Afterward, I go back and flesh out everything, and sometimes my writing takes me off the outlined path, which I’m totally okay with.

Are your characters based on real people?
Absolutely not! Although I may borrow a few personality traits here and there.

Have you ever cried while writing a book?
Yes. I’ve ugly cried like a baby for a scene I didn’t want to write, but had to write.

What's your favorite book you've written?
My first completed manuscript will always hold a special place in my heart, even if it never sees the light of day or someone else’s bookshelf. It taught me a lot about writing and I felt like a rock star when I finished it!


How did you do in English as a kid?
Nailed it!

Now for a little fun...

What is your favorite drink?
Raspberry mojitos

Have you ever found true love?
Yes, and I married him. (cue music…or gagging sounds)

Are you jealous of other writers?
Sometimes it’s hard not to be, especially when I want some things sooooo badly. But I love my fellow authors, and will always cheer them on, even if I twinge a little with jealousy here and there. I think it’s super important to be supportive of other writers. Their successes are our successes and boost the industry.

Find out more about JC on
Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Goodreads, Her website

Watch to find out when Beast Coast is releasing!

Sometimes the greatest danger comes from within…

When Master Vampire Lucien Delgatto threatens her potential mate Wick’s life, Shape Shifter Andrea “Andy” McNeilly will employ a den of witches, a bedazzled thong, and her ability to shift into multiple animals to meet his demands. She plans to keep Wick safe—even if she’s not speaking to him. Lucien’s unwelcomed control over Wick's life has thrown Andy into a whirlwind of emotions. Though Wick vows to do whatever it takes to earn Andy’s forgiveness and win back her trust, it may be too late.

This recent conflict awakens something within Andy, an animal she’s never learned to control. For hidden beneath all her forms is a beast whose anger and brutality rivals none. And she’s pissed.

Excerpt:

Letting my falcon drift close to the surface, my eyesight sharpened. A dark figure moved in the brambles near the deer path ahead of me. About to step closer, something tugged at my senses.

Come to me, a voice echoed in my head. I froze.

An overwhelming urge to walk into the forest on my right consumed my body. I hadn’t felt anything like this since…

Since I was fourteen, and walked into the forest to meet three feras.

Sweat beaded on my brow and the bridge of my nose. I wiped it away, while fighting the compulsion to move.

Come to me, Carus.

Leaning forward, I tried to locate the animal. A branch snapped, and my attention darted to where the sound originated from. The forest hummed with the sound of summer insects. My heart beat loud and heavy in my chest.

Underbrush rustled. There!

A flash of orange.

Pop! A sharp sting, much like a rubber band on bare skin, radiated across my right butt cheek. I yipped and jumped three feet in the air.

Whirling around, I found Wick with an ear-to-ear grin and his paintball gun resting over one of his shoulders. If he had a leg propped up on a recently deceased moose, he’d look like a hunter from a photo.

“Tagged you,” his whiskey voice crooned.

Dearest Darling...Andrea Downing

Today we have the talented Andrea Downing on the blog. Andrea, thank you so much for being here. You have a new story out. Dearest Darling has a cover that totally tells a story. And since I love historical cowboys, this is going into the queue on my Kindle.

So how did you do in English as a kid?  Pretty much straight A’s, actually; I was teacher’s pet in English.  And in my creative writing classes in college as well.  But it’s funny what you forget—like, does a comma go there or not?

Do you have trouble saying goodbye to characters?  Yup.  Jesse from Loveland still haunts me, mainly because I’d like to go back and finish that story sometime.  I know what happens to them all, right up to their deaths.

Does working to deadline inspire or annoy you?  I work best to deadlines actually, including ones I give myself like handing in guest blogs 2 weeks prior ;-) So I’m not annoyed by them at all; I’ve always worked well under pressure. I was that student who wrote all her essays the night before they were due and burned the candle at both ends.  The thing is, I have a huge tendency to procrastinate and get distracted, but I’m also very conscientious—so if someone tells me this has to be done by such and such a date, I do it.  Even if it’s at the last minute…

How do you get past those bumps in the narrative that slow down your writing?  Do something else for a while, particularly have a glass of wine or quit for the day, go to sleep, and go back to it with a fresh head the next day.

Which phrase in the book are you most proud of?  At some point he’d been hurt, at some stage he could hate.

I love that! Now tell us a little about you.

Who do you see as a hero in your life?  I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again:  my daughter’s long-time boyfriend, Daniel Saffon is my hero.  Any man willing to take on my daughter has to be a Man of Steel!

What did you want to be when you grew up?  An actress or a writer.  I studied drama but life happened and here I am…

Do you have a favorite quote? "What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."

 T.S. Eliot

What song would best describe your life?  Cowboy Take Me Away by the Dixie Chicks!

If you came with a warning label, what would it say? Sell by Happy Hour

Where can readers find you?

On the web  http://andreadowning.com

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/writerAndreaDowning

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AndiDowning

Visit Andrea at her Amazon Author Page  http://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Downing/e/B008MQ0NXS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Pre-order Dearest Darling now at :  http://www.amazon.com/Dearest-Darling-Letters-Andrea-Downing-ebook/dp/B00NGWT816

Stuck in a life of servitude to her penny-pinching brother, Emily Darling longs for a more exciting existence. When a packet with travel tickets, meant for one Ethel Darton, accidentally lands on her doormat, Emily sees a chance for escape. Having turned down the dreary suitors that have come her way, is it possible a new existence also offers a different kind of man?

Daniel Saunders has carved out a life for himself in Wyoming—a life missing one thing: a wife. Having scrimped and saved to bring his mail-order bride from New York, he is outraged to find in her stead a runaway fraud. Even worse, the impostor is the sister of his old enemy.
But people are not always as they seem, and sometimes the heart knows more than the head.

Excerpt:

He strode back out of the barn to the house. A yellow glow shone through the back window, an inviting warmth, and he edged closer with care. The net curtain hardly gave Emily the requisite privacy for a bedtime routine. She sat on the edge of the bed, back to him, in her nightshift, brushing her hair.

He stood enthralled, transfixed as the brush came down the length of her hair, that wheat-straw hair, plowing lines through it as the brush made its way, and then rose to the top once more to start its path again. It was like silk, waves of silk or satin, and he could only imagine what it might be like to touch it so, to feel lengths of it, have it slip through his fingers, have it fall over his face if she lay above him.

His manhood hardened at these visions, a yearning in his groin. The desire for her ran through his blood as he remained still, observed the way her hand held the brush, her thumb running the length of the handle, her fingers gripping, moving the brush through her hair, the fine strands like filaments caught in the lamplight. And when she stopped, tossed her head faintly, the very slight motion stirred the curtain of hair as one, over her shoulder. He gasped, had to catch his breath.

Andrea Downing likes to say that when she decided to do a Masters Degree, she made the mistake of turning left out of New York, where she was born, instead of right to the west, and ended up in the UK. She eventually married there, raising a beautiful daughter and staying for longer than she cares to admit. Teaching, editing a poetry magazine, writing travel articles, and a short stint in Nigeria filled those years until in 2008 she
returned to NYC. She now divides her time between the city and the shore, and often trades the canyons of New York for the wide open spaces of Wyoming. Family vacations are often out west and, to date, she and her daughter have been to some 20 ranches throughout the west. Loveland, her first book, was a finalist for Best American Historical at the 2013 RONE Awards. Lawless Love, a short story, part of The Wild Rose Press ‘Lawmen and Outlaws’ series, was a finalist for Best Historical Novella at the RONE Awards. Dearest Darling, a novella, is part of The Wild Rose Press Love Letters series, and comes out Oct. 8th and Dances of the Heart, another full length novel, comes out in the next few months.

An end of an association...but your chance for "stuff"

I'm not going to get into the gossip and rumors regarding EC. However, a few months ago I began asking for my rights back on my stories. So far they have released 7 of the 12. So beginning next year, they'll get a new edit, a new cover and a new price tag to make them more affordable. I ask that you not purchase my books published by Ellora's Cave. Instead, wait for the new versions that will come in 2015!

Over the next week I'll be removing the books from my blog, website and other social media. When they re-release, it will be on my new website (renovations are happening now!)

I want to say thank you to everyone who supports me by purchasing and reading the books I write. There was a time I was proud to be an EC author. I met amazing friends through Ellora's Cave and had a blast at the parties they held.

So in the coming weeks, I'm having a liquidation of my EC swag since I'll no longer need it. Print books, EC card decks, and other stuff are coming your way.

Follow me on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/KyAnnWaters

Twitter
https://twitter.com/KyAnnWaters

and Pinterest
http://www.pinterest.com/kyannwaters/

for chances to win.

thanks
KyAnn

Taking Command - Out Today!

Special Limited Time Release price of 1.50! 

Only on www.wilderroses.com

2.99 at all online retailers!

Dangerous missions, hidden enemies, an unexpected passion threaten to destroy them…

Tarik Baill is on a mission to keep a corrupt government from turning a new life form—one he created—into a weapon of war and destruction. Even if he is successful at getting past the guards, securing the ship, and taking command of BioOne, he’ll have to navigate a volatile and deadly region of space to rendezvous with his group. Taking a sexy brunette dressed in a skintight body suit as a hostage and dealing with an eager to please sex-bot was never part of his agenda. But for Tarik, nothing ever goes as planned.

Shon Monet’s assignment is to tour the ship and tout the accomplishments of a government that will reign in a new era of diplomacy. Then why the secrecy surrounding BioOne? In order to find out, she steals aboard the ship only to become an unwilling guest of a hijacking. Shon is determined to uncover the real story of BioOne and Tarik Baill. But how is she supposed to focus on the mission when, with the slightest touch, the sexy and dangerous pirate makes her shiver?

Excerpt:

The stench of ionic exhaust spewing from the cluster of idling engines soured Tarik Baill’s stomach and burned his nasal membranes. Yet, he waited with his heart racing and his senses fully alert. Waiting. Waiting. “In position. Ready for go.”

“Hold, repeat, hold your position.”

Tarik glanced over his shoulder one last time. “Negative, Morry. We move now.”

“Tarik, I need more time.” Morry liked a plan and hated when situations erupted outside of his control. This wasn’t the time for hesitation.

“Sorry, we don’t have any more time.”

Boom!

An explosion rocked the port side of the space station. Tarik bolted from his crouched position. Sweat trickled along his spine and dampened his palms. He tightened his grip on his ion pistol, squeezed off a deadly pulse of yellow energy and dropped a Tri’Neith government soldier guarding the ship. His ship. The guard crumbled to the ground.

Sensing another guard, Tarik shifted. A flash of light blinded, and searing pain ripped through the flesh of his upper left arm. Fuck. He ignored the pain—his military training still serving him well—and returned fire. The guard cried out as his trigger hand disintegrated. Tarik fired again, assuring the man wouldn’t be a further hindrance. Then he signaled to his team.

Morry rushed over, spun, and braced his back against the ship. “You’re a crazy sonofabitch. One of these days, you’re going to get yourself into a situation you can’t get out of.”

“Not as long as you have my back.” Tarik grinned as the automatic door of the spaceship hissed open.

Tarik entered the craft first, his men slipping in behind. Morry covered the entrance and Rodra stealthily slithered through the corridor to the lower deck. Intel had guards outside the ship. If they were lucky, there would be only a few casualties inside.

The vessel was small—in its infancy—and the only one of its kind. Tarik’s footfalls were whisper quiet as he raced through the main area of the ship. The layout had only slightly altered from his memory. He bolted left, then charged into the dimly lit captain’s suite, staying low to create a smaller target.

Adrenaline and battle stimulants mixed to sharpen his senses all the way to the cellular core. He forced his breathing to slow. Steady inhales and exhales. He focused and listened. The fully charged pulse gun at his shoulder was set to combat mode and, like him, covered in blood spatter. Detecting no soldiers, he relaxed his stance.

“Lights,” he commanded softly. Movement caught his eye. With lightning swift reflexes, he snapped the gun to the left. “Shit.” He’d almost blasted a newer model fem-bot to pieces. Big tits, a tight ass, and the soft curves of a woman. But she was nothing but a damn mechanical date. “You’re lucky you aren’t reduced to spare parts.”

“I have just the spare parts you need, sir,” the mechanically feminine voice soothed.

The plush suite had the amenities of any luxury space resort. Liquors from across the galaxy stocked the full bar. Everything from Earth motion pictures to Ocara hard-core sex flicks. Some of twin-cocked beasts double penetrating females of every persuasion. Lavatories, closets, and the master bedroom were on the same par of comfort.

Tarik moved on, quickly continuing the sweep with his gun at full ready. The bot followed behind as he searched onward.

“Is your large weapon always kept at the ready?”

Tarik rolled his eyes. “Who programmed you?”

“Captain Javis. I have several programs ready to be initiated.” The bot suggestively swiveled its mechanical hips.

Tarik lowered the gun barrel. “Not now.”

Help Celebrate the release of Campus Cravings

Help us celebrate on release day!

The Campus Cravings MM Bundle is using a new tool called Thunderclap. If you're willing to support us on release day with one Tweet, one FB post, or one Tumblr entry, we'd appreciate it. I believe you can also choose multiple ways to support the Thunderclap.

We need at least 100 supporters, so feel free to pass this on to your friends, and thanks so much! (The link makes it look like you already did it, but trust me, you haven't.)

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/14822-campus-cravings-mm-bundle

Thank you again for the support!

Dawn Luedecke is Montana Bound

Today I have the lovely and talented Dawn Luedecke on the blog to share her Montana Girl Series. I'm not sure if you all know this, but I love Montana. I'd live in Missoula if I could get my snow-hating husband to move there. Give me historical Montana and I'm all over it. Hot cowboys, rugged land and a rich history. Oh yeah, these books are on my Kindle just waiting for a lazy afternoon.

Here is a never seen before excerpt! Enjoy...  

Montana Bound (Book 3 of the Montana Girl series)

How hard is it to change your identity? Daylene, or Justine as she was known in the small Montana town of Lolo, sat in the third row on a train bound for New York. Once there, she would board the northbound rail headed for Boston, completely change her identity, and live the life she’d always wanted. A place no one but her oldest sister and their spinster aunt, who lived just a few block away from Beacon Hill, would know that Daylene came from a small cowboy town where the most famous people were her law breaking siblings

Okay, maybe they obeyed the law, but they were still troublemakers.

“How do you plan to break into the opera?” Daylene glanced across the aisle at Dusty as she spoke.

There she was, one of the most troublesome -- yet endearing -- sisters in the Larson family. Poor girl married Boston wealth and was clueless in the ways of proper etiquette. Perhaps she’d be open to a lesson or two during their long trip east. After all, she was going to meet her new in-laws. Wouldn’t she want to look her best?  “I was just thinking about you, my dear sister.”

“Something good I hope, Justine.”

Daylene waved off the playful stare her youngest sister gave. “We can talk about that when we have more time, and I don’t plan to break into the opera. I’m not a barbarian. I will be performing on stage. Aunty made due a few favors and secured me a spot in the chorus. After a year or so of hard work and dedication, I will move up the ranks to become a headliner. Which reminds me, please call me Daylene, I need to get used to my stage name.”

“Whatever you say, Daylene,” Dusty teased.

“It’s a beautiful stage name,” her brother in-law Travis said, leaning over Dusty to talk.

“Thank you. I believe it will work just fine. I’ve tried it out a few times in the past.”

“I remember the Christmas you tried to get us all to call you that. I got new pistols from uncle.” Dusty half frowned, her thoughts sliding across her face like the passing scenery from the train window next to her. “I’m glad you’re going to be a big city socialite, sister, but don’t forget what Ma always says. Home is where your roots lie.”

“Nonsense.  Home is where your heart lies. Everyone knows that.”

The train jerked and Daylene reached out to steady herself on the back of seat in front of her, yanking strands of hair from the blond woman occupying the hard, wooden seat.

“Ouch,” the woman yelped. Daylene yanked her hand back and plucked out a chunk of hair from her tangled fingers.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean too.”

The woman turned halfway in her seat and smiled demurely. “It’s fine. These tracks have been a bane to me for the past few days. I swear I’ve got bruises in places I didn’t know existed.”

“Will you be traveling all the way to New York?”

“Oh heaven’s no. I’m getting off in Chicago to see my cousin. Thank the Lord above. I don’t know if I could stand another…”

Boom!

The woman stopped and jerked to the front of the train as an explosion rocked the railcar. Daylene jerked to the left, flying into the chair before her and slipping off her seat to land on the floor in a jumble of petticoats and skirt as the car began to tip.

Her sister screamed and Travis let out an inaudible shout as the twisting metal screeched through the air and the train derailed. Daylene’s back smashed into the wall, glass shattered from the window overhead as the car upended. Her head banged against the side, and pain spread like fire from her skull to her shoulder blade.  Panic twisted her chest when she felt the earth move beneath the sliver of steel grinding into the dirt beneath, as the railcar continued to propel forward.

It seemed like forever before they came to a complete stop. Silence thickened the air like a dense fog. She could hear people began to move after a heartbeat of stillness.

To Tame a Montana Heart (Book 1)

Blurb

Running from a past of privilege, deceit, and danger, Travis Simms is ready to settle down. What better place to forget all he left behind than the quiet little Montana town of Lolo Hot Springs? His goal is clear — build a hotel and his own destiny without complications —until one of the town’s most troublesome women captures his attention.

Dusty Larson is hell bent on independence, helping her sister run the Triple D Ranch. She can do anything a man can, and do it better, so she certainly doesn’t need one in her life. The only problem is she seems to attract bad luck and danger...and Travis. Can he tame her wild ways and keep his bachelor status intact — or does he risk losing his heart?

Buy Links

The Wild Rose Press ebook

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_146&products_id=4915

The Wild Rose Press print

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=4935

Amazon kindle edition

http://www.amazon.com/To-Tame-Montana-Heart-ebook/dp/B008MZR7DS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356912004&sr=8-2&keywords=to+tame+a+montana+heart

Amazon paperback edition

http://www.amazon.com/Tame-Montana-Heart-Dawn-Luedecke/dp/1612172016/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356912004&sr=8-1&keywords=to+tame+a+montana+heart

Barnes and Noble ebook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-tame-a-montana-heart-dawn-luedecke/1112274216?ean=2940014994248

Big Sky Brazen (Book 2)

Blurb

After discovering her horses missing, DeEtte hunts the man who stole them, only to discover things aren't as they seem. Her adventures lead to Bozeman where she joins up with a cattle drive north - a lawless place run by a cattle baron society. John, the man who stole her horses and broke her heart, trails after her. Many difficulties arise that prevent him from wooing the headstrong woman -- from two timing outlaws, to deadly secrets, and finally to DeEttes ability to find trouble in any situation. John needs to settle his score with a man from Texas, protect DeEtte from not only outlaws but also determined suitors, and convince her trust him enough to marry. Can he clear his name and keep her from running head first into a range war and possible death?

Buy Links

The Wild Rose Press print

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=5418

Amazon kindle edition

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Brazen-Montana-Girl-ebook/dp/B00FDSR0RU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383409673&sr=8-1&keywords=big+sky+brazen

Amazon paperback edition

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Sky-Brazen-Dawn-Luedecke/dp/1612179193/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1383409673&sr=8-1

Virtual Book Signing

http://www.dawnluedecke.com/virtualbooksigning.htm

Biography

A country girl born and bred, Dawn Luedecke has spent most of her life surrounded by horses, country folk, and the wild terrain of Nevada, Idaho and Montana. As a child she would spend many afternoons reading books, watching western classics, and Rogers and Hammerstein movies. When she grew up she decided to leave the quiet country life for a chance to find adventure by serving a successful tour in the United States Coast Guard. During that time she found her soul mate (and alpha male) and started a family and writing career. She enjoys writing historical and paranormal romance and spends as much time as she can working on her current manuscript. For more information visit www.dawnluedecke.com.

Social media links

Website

www.dawnluedecke.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dawn-Luedecke/118877871497830?ref=hl

Twitter

Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4509191.Dawn_Luedecke

Pinterest

http://pinterest.com/dluedecke

Youtube Book trailer

http://youtu.be/nhBEPCsswTs

Newsletter

http://dawnluedecke.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=de7ae2ea5015a0dce608cf84a&id=89283408e1ewsletter

www.dawnluedecke.com

Are you ready for Taking Command...

And here is the amazing cover

Dangerous missions, hidden enemies, an unexpected passion threaten to destroy them…

Tarik Baill is on a mission to keep a corrupt government from turning a new life form—one he created—into a weapon of war and destruction. Even if he is successful at getting past the guards, securing the ship, and taking command of BioOne, he’ll have to navigate a volatile and deadly region of space to rendezvous with his group. Taking a sexy brunette dressed in a skintight body suit as a hostage and dealing with an eager to please sex-bot was never part of his agenda. But for Tarik, nothing ever goes as planned.

Shon Monet’s assignment is to tour the ship and tout the accomplishments of a government that will reign in a new era of diplomacy. Then why the secrecy surrounding BioOne? In order to find out, she steals aboard the ship only to become an unwilling guest of a hijacking. Shon is determined to uncover the real story of BioOne and Tarik Baill. But how is she supposed to focus on the mission when, with the slightest touch, the sexy and dangerous pirate makes her shiver?

Coming August 22nd from The Wild Rose Press

Cover Reveal - Campus Cravings! a m/m boxed set

Drum roll......

Today we are revealing the cover for Campus Cravings. My story Private Lessons is included in this amazing selection of stories.

Welcome to Cathia University, where school is in session! Nine of today's hottest gay romance authors have crafted brand-new interrelated novellas celebrating everything wonderful about college, with over 200,000 words featuring sophisticated professors, sexy teaching assistants, ambitious grad students, and spirited undergraduates, all looking for the same thing: an A+ in true love.

Annabeth Albert: Winning Bracket  
Cassandra Carr: The Eloquent Jock 
Dalton Diaz: Lesson Learned 
Mia Downing: Switching Leads 
Whitley Gray: Artistic Endeavor 
Bianca Sommerland: Solid Education 
KyAnn Waters: Private Lessons 
LA Witt: Did Somebody Order a Pizza? 
Sara York: The Dust Of Everyday Life 


Add Campus Cravings to your Goodreads to-be-read-list here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22738703-campus-cravings

A sneak peek excerpt from Private Lessons

“Jake?”

Jake snapped his attention back to Ryan. “Yeah. Sorry, I was thinking.”

“About what?”

Jake shrugged. “You. I was thinking…wondering what you were thinking.”

“Are you saying you care what I think?”

“I care what you’ll do.” Jake wiped his palm on his thigh.

“What I’ll do when?” Ryan’s brows knit together. “Just so I’m sure, are we still talking about Turner’s class?”

“No, I don’t care what you do in Turner’s class. Nothing you or I do is going to change his ways.” Jake shifted slightly closer. “I wondered what you’d do if I kissed you.”

One breath. Two.

“Aren’t you going to find out?” Ryan’s brown eyes, brimming with passion, sparked a lustful challenge in Jake.

Congratulations to the Winners!

Thank you to everyone for helping me celebrate the release of Betrayed Vows.

and the winners are...

Print Edition - Wanda Flanagan
Print Edition - Masha Holl
ebook - JC Mckenzie
ebook - Judy Reynolds
ebook - Susan White
ebook - Beth Cranford
Fun Stuffed Envelope - Katie Contests
Fun Stuffed Envelope - Carol Henry
Fun Stuffed Envelope - Harlie Williams

Grand Prize Winner
Kindle and a digital book to read on the new Kindle - Kym Dipzinski

Winners have all been notified by email.

Like my page on Facebook to learn about future contests, giveaways and new releases!

https://www.facebook.com/KyAnnWaters


thanks
KyAnn

Have a cocktail with Mickey J. Corrigan

Today I have Mickey J. Corrigan on the blog. When I read Whisky Sour Noir, I knew she was going to be an auto-buy author for me. She writes gritty, edgy heroines and you know I love flawed characters, non-traditional relationships and stories that break the rules. Mickey's stories are a perfect fit. They'll make you slightly uncomfortable, but the words flow across the page so well, you can't stop reading. So now you know how I feel about her stories. 

What's amazing about today, you can discover her for yourself. Pick up a copy of Mai Tai Guy- FREE! today at the Wild Rose Press!

So now let's meet Mickey.

When did you decide to become an author?

When I was in graduate school, I worked on a project and my advisor suggested I turn it into a textbook. I had no idea what I was in for! The book took more than a year to complete, then another to publish. But I was really proud of that book and immediately wrote another, this time for mass market readers. The second book was picked up by Doubleday. Then there was no going back. I was hooked.

I switched from nonfiction to poetry, wrote some short fiction of the literary variety, then more recently began writing fiction for romance publishers, a genre new to me. I'm enjoying it. E-books are fast, the editors I've worked with are terrific, and the cover designers are amazing. And I love romance readers, they are so responsive.

When did you first, without hesitation, call yourself a writer?

I was a nutritionist and wrote about nutrition for years. After my first book came out, I still called myself a nutritionist. Once I had a job with the title of writer (at Harvard School of Public Health), I finally began to refer to myself as a writer.

What tips would you give a new writer?

            1. Start small. Write short memoir pieces, poems, flash fiction, very short stories. Do not start with a novel. You need to find your voice and sharpen your craft before you take on such an immense project. So many writers begin with a 1000-page novel, then end up dropping out. It's better for your writing ego to complete shorter work and see it published than to bury yourself in a project that overwhelms you.

            2. Join a writers group. It helps to get feedback, support and guidance.

            3. Be serious. Take time and make time. Writing has to be a priority if you are to take it seriously.

            4. When you are ready, don't be afraid to submit. Be tough. Take those rejections as badges of honor. You're a real writer now! A no is simply an encouragement to keep submitting. Eventually, you will find your audience.

What are your current projects?

The Wild Rose Press is publishing my series The Hard Stuff. Each novella in the series focuses on a tough woman in a tough situation who falls for a man—and not the best man in her current circumstances. These stories all take place in Dusky Beach, a seedy little Florida town. These are kickass women. They have spunk and sass. Their romances are unusual. These are not nice girls pursued by men with champagne love. Not at all. I would have to say The Hard Stuff is gritty romance. But funny, and very real.

The Wild Rose Press just released a Free Read for the series called Mai Tai Guy. You can grab it on the website.

Also, the delightful Australian publisher Bottom Drawer Publications is going to release my zany novella with the most insane title. F*ck Normal is the story of a marriage on the rocks, and it explores the ways a disillusioned couple delves into their private fantasies after they drift apart. It is crazy. Totally crazy.

Do you write under a pen name?

My real name is Virginia Aronson. Mickey J. Corrigan is the pen name I adopted a few years ago for my first romance novella. I think it suits me better than my real name. I'm Irish-American and more of a Mickey than a Virginia!!

Now let's find out some fun stuff.

Do you have a favorite quote?

I love quotes and I have them all over the walls of my office. This is a good one: Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.—Mike Tyson (He ought to know.)

What is your favorite drink?

Mickey's books are full of wild women drinking like madwomen. I have a low tolerance myself and stick to a glass of good red wine (I love Malbec and Syrah) or a bottle of dark beer. I'm much more wimpy than my protagonists.

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Beware, contents may explode without warning (Irish temper)!

Who's more fun, bad boys or perfect gentlemen?

Gentlemen make wonderful husbands. Bad boys make you feel alive.

What is the one question you wish an interviewer would ask you?

            Q: Since you have been writing books for decades and have not achieved illustrious fame and massive fortune, why do you insist on writing more books?

            A: Because I love it.

You can find Mickey--

On her website -- www.mickeyjcorrigan.com

On Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5828647.Mickey_J_Corrigan

Don't forget to grab Mai Tai Guy FREE!!

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=180&products_id=5696

Enter the Rafflecopter for a Kindle!

Enter the Rafflecopter for a Kindle!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Homemade donuts...almost

So my boys wanted donuts.

I started with a can a refrigerator biscuits. (the regular smaller can. Not the jumbo)

I rolled the biscuit into about a 3 inch round. about a half inch thick. 

Popped out a center with the edge of a melonballer so that my donuts had a hole.

Fried them for about a minute or so on each side until they were golden.

placed them on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil.

rolled them in powder sugar.

fried the holes.

my family LOVED them!

super easy and one can of the small refrigerator biscuits made ten donuts.