KB Alan

Not forking out the dough for the RWA Conference this year, with evening wear, suits, high heels and whatever “business casual” means?

Not to worry! Romance Divas is hosting the

Not Going to Conference Conference…

The Conference You Don’t Have to Get Out of Bed For!

From July 28-31, come hang out with some terrific, savvy authors — and you don’t even have to brush your teeth (although, seriously, good dental hygiene gets you extra points.)

We’ll be hosting panels on:

The Power of Three: A crit group tell-all (Paranormal)

Crystal Jordan
Patti O’Shea
Dayna Hart/Rowan Larke

The Lolitas of STEAMED! Present Writing the Steampunk Romance -more than leather corsets and brass goggles!

Marie-Claude Bourque
Theresa Meyers

Whips, Chains, Slings, Oh My: It Really Isn’t About the Toys (BDSM Erotica)

James Buchanan
Joey Hill

The Great Big YA Panel

Rhonda Stapleton
Shannon Delany
Kiersten White
Carrie Ryan
Linda Gerber
Saundra Mitchell
Lara Zielin
Brenna Yovanoff

Register for free at Romance Divas, then come join us on the forums for the discussions, as well as some terrific prizes:
Eden Bradley/Eve Berlin:
1) erotic e-books, THE SEEKING KISS and TEMPT ME TWICE.
2) a synopsis critique in any sub-genre of erotica/erotic romance.
Jax Cassidy:
1) erotic e-books, DEVIL’S HEART and BRUSH STROKES.
2) book cover design or banner ad
Kristen Painter:
copy of her e-book, ALL FIRED UP
Rhonda Stapleton:
1) STUPID CUPID YA Book trilogy
2) a proposal critique (1st 3 chapters and synopsis) for any genre of book, romance or not
K.B. Alan:
1) The choice of one of her e-books: PERFECT FORMATION, ALPHA TURNED or BOUND BY SUNLIGHT.
2) A $25 Barnes and Noble gift card.
Robin L. Rotham: Signed copies of BIG TEMPTATION, ALIEN OVERNIGHT, and ENEMY OVERNIGHT
AJ Chase: copies of e-book CAT AND MOUSE
Inez Kelley:
1) e-book package of both MYLA BY MOONLIGHT and SALOME AT SUNRISE
2) The complete Dirty Laundry Series (3 e-novellas) co-written by Ginny Glass aka Wordsugar and Inez Kelley
Kate Pearce:
1) a three chapter ~and~ synopsis critique-any erotic romance, paranormal romance or historical romance.
2) Winners choice, in either print or e-book format (if available), of a set of the Simply series (there are 5) ~or~ a set of the Cowboys (there are 3) ~or~ a copy of KISS OF THE ROSE-readers choice.
R.G. Alexander:
Winners choice of any two e-books from her Samhain or Ellora’s Cave back list
Nadia Lee:
Critique of 1st chapter & synopsis-paranormal or contemporary romance
Shelley Munro: Winners choice of any one her backlist books from Ellora’s Cave or Cerridwen Press
Ciar Cullen: Winner’s choice of any one e-book on her website.
Voirey Linger: A copy of her e-book RISKING ETERNITY
RF Long:
1) a submission package critique (letter, synopsis and 3 chapters)
2) e-books! (details TBA)
Crystal Jordan:
1) 1st chapter and synopsis critique
2) One copy of any e-book off her Samhain backlist (http://samhainpublis…/crystal-jordan)
3) One copy of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (print or electronic, winner’s choice)
Jeannie Lin:
1) a first chapter critique, any genre
2) an official BUTTERFLY SWORDS souvenir charm
Elise Logan: Winner’s choice of any e-book from her backlist
Marguerite Labbe:
1) A critique of an m/m story
2) Signed copies of her m/m vampire trilogy MY HEART IS WITHIN YOU, HAUNTED BY YOUR SOUL and OUR SACRED BALANCE
Seeley DeBorn:
One jar of home made body or face scrub, customized to the winner’s preferences and skin type.
For example: Orange Spice Oatmeal, Coffee-Cocoa, Citrus Salt, Lavender Mint, Honey and Flax
Sela Carsen: a copy of her e-book CAROLINA WOLF
Hailey Edwards:
1) a copy of her sweet fantasy romance ebook, EVERLONG.
2) two five dollar MBaM gift cards
Charlotte McClain:
Copy of her two e-books, LOVE TO DECLARE and ROCK STAR’S RETREAT
Cynthia Justlin: (Golden Heart Finalist!) Proposal Critique (3 Chapters and synopsis)-any genre other than erotic
Lainey Bancroft:
1) signed copies of her contemporary romance, THE TROUBLE WITH TESSA and her chick lit romance COZUMEL KARMA
2) Proposal critique (3 chapters and a synopsis) any genre except Steampunk
Tina Burns-Publisher-Liquid Silver Books:
1) a critique of 1st 3 chapters & synopsis
2) 3 be-book prizes for 3 different winners! Winners choice of any one e-book download from LSB library.
Mima:
Winner’s choice of one e-book from her backlist-see her website for booklist.
Taneasha: handmade jewelry by our own Taneasha-details to come!
Barbara Sheridan:
1) Winners choice of one e-book from her backlist-see her website for booklist.
2) Critique of up to 20 pages of either M/M, or M/F romance or erotic romance in various subgenres (contemporary, historical, paranormal or suspense/mystery)
David Bridger:
A copy of his ebook BEAUTY AND THE BASTARD
Victoria Janssen:
3 print books TBA (whatever she finds at the RWA Conference)
Gemma Halliday:
Signed copy of SCANDAL SHEET
Jennifer Leeland/Jennifer McKenzie:
1) copy of her e-book MARKED FOR PLEASURE (Kindle version available upon request)
2) copy of her e-book MARKED FOR DESIRE (Releasing June 29th) (Kindle version available upon request)
3) copy of her e-books The Command Series (Trilogy)
4)copy of her BDSM e-book series (3 from TWRP and 1 from Samhain)
Emily Ryan-Davis:
1) Critique of novella-length (up to 30k) manuscript; any time period, m/f, menage, f/f (m/m not her area of expertise)
2) signed print copies of her anthology: MATING CALL, DRAGON DANCE and DRAGON BOUND
3) e-book copy of CHANGING THUMBELINA
Sabrina Darby:
1) Signed copy of her erotic historical novel, ON THESE SILKEN SHEETS
2) Critique of first thirty pages of any Regency (erotic or non erotic fine, but m/m outside my area of expertise)
Alina Morgan:
1) copy of her e-book The Twilight Deception
2) copy of her e-book The Shadow Unveiled
Debbie Mumford:
1) Critique of a synopsis
2) Winner’s choice of any e-book from her back list.
Kimberly Troutte:
1) copy of her e-book SOUL STEALER
2) copy of her e-book CATCH ME IN CASTILE
Sasha Devlin:
1 pair of hand made writing mitts or gloves-style and color TBD by the winner
Julia Knight
Winner’s choice of one copy of any of her books available in e-book format

A new series that I’m excited about debuts today, so I’m pulling out my pimp hat (and not just because it’s by The Smutketeers, who took such good care of me at RT). Doesn’t it look fabulous? Plus, another Diva’s release because I’m into the faeries right now (can’t wait to introduce you to Ryan!).

The Smutketeers have written a four part post-apocolyptic series that looks awesome. They’re releasing one book a week for the month of May, and here’s the first.

Wasteland: The Wanderer
Crystal Jordan

Love is the most dangerous experiment of all.

There is only one rule in the Wasteland: survive.

The few remaining women are as reviled as they are worshipped, a commodity any man must pay to touch. And to touch a Wanderer, he may pay with his life.

For Ezra, the risk is worth the reward. People speak his name with the same reverent terror reserved for ancient wrathful gods, but he must always be ready to fend off those who would take what’s his. And what he wants to be his is Kadira.

Kadira, adopted after she witnessed the slaughter of her devoted parents, has vowed never to love or need anyone. It seems only fitting that she, an outsider, accept Ezra’s demand in trade for the fuel technology her clan needs—but her deep, unexpected need for him is the torture she’s fought all her life to avoid. Worse, the greater her wrath, the more he seems to like it.

Ezra’s mercenary half delights at having the warrior woman in his arms. His scientist half can’t resist the urge to see what makes her react—and what makes her explode.

The real experiment: if the bond they forge is strong enough to make her want to stay.

Warning: Threesomes, foursomes, boy on boy, girl on girl, boy on boy on girl, voyeurism, exhibitionism, sex at knifepoint, anal sex, ritual orgies, and, well…it’s just a really dirty book.

Soul Fire
R. F. Long

Iron born and iron bred.
Trust not iron, it will see you dead.

Rowan Blake could really use a magic wand to keep her struggling art gallery afloat. But the faerie key she stumbles across is far from a lucky charm. It’s a magnet for danger, and by touching it she’s unwittingly put herself in the middle of a war between the forces of light and dark. And in the arms of its rightful owner, Prince Daire.

While searching for his brother, Daire finds himself trapped in the Iron World with a mere mortal woman who ignites his passion like no other. Each stolen kiss deepens their attraction and sends him spiraling closer and closer to the edge of his inherent dark desires. Desires that act as a homing beacon for the Dark Sidhe, who are intent on forcing him to fight on their side.

The longer he lingers in her arms—and in her bed—the closer his enemies get to her door. And the greater the risk that the gateway to the Faerie Realm will shift, destroying not only his power to protect her, but his very life.

Warning: Contains enchantments, danger, some very scary monsters, a trip to the dark side and hot, soul-transforming sex with an immortal prince.

My friend Lilli Feisty has a new book coming out! I love all her work but especially her last release, Bound to Please. Her next book, Dare to Surrender is coming out February first and looks just as delicious. She’s got an absolutely hilarious list of Fascinating Feisty Facts on her blog, and a contest to win an advance copy of Dare to Surrender.

Dare to Surrender
Lilli Feisty

Art gallery curator Joy Montgomery has never liked her body’s generous curves. And she’s always been too shy to explore her wild side. But tonight, everything is going to change…Desperate to save her job, Joy approaches bad-boy artist Ash Hunter and asks him to exhibit his erotic work at her gallery. Ash agrees on one condition: Joy must pose as his model. But business soon turns to pleasure, as Joy experiences a passion beyond her wildest imaginings and Ash finds more than just inspiration in his voluptuous new muse.

This weekend I finished the first draft of Keeping Claire. I didn’t set up a reward for myself this time. What do you think, another massage? Or an extra nice dinner out? Must decide soon, or it doesn’t count! In the meantime, I’m excited not just for finishing, but because it means I get to go back and do the revisions for Bound by Sunlight. It’s been more than a month since I finished it, and lately I’ve been thinking about all the things I want to do with it, not to mention missing Connul and Kyr. I’ll let Ryan and Claire rest while I revise BbS. By the time that’s done, I should be itching to get back to them, lol. Now, another decision, this one for the upcoming Excerpt Monday. I have to decide if I want to do another excerpt from Keeping Claire, or introduce one from Bound by Sunlight. There’s a scene just a bit further along than the one I already did for Claire that I really love, so I’ll probably do that. Plus, I did a lot more versions of Claire than BbS, so the early pages are much more polished. BbS just sort of came out in one long effort, where I have about six versions of Claire.

While I’m here, I’ll pimp a new release from a fellow Romance Diva. I haven’t had a chance to check this one out, but it looks yummy.

Brush Strokes
Jax Cassidy

For Sage, attending the Parisian sex club, Plaisirs Sombres, was the ultimate fantasy. So when the conservative gallery assistant is cloaked behind the velvet mask, she never expected to be the object of the club owner’s desire. Spurred on by D.S. Gregoire’s erotic and sensual brush strokes of the exclusive club, she gives into a brief liaison that leaves her breathless and wanting.

For Damien, known to the art world as D.S. Gregoire, his art has always been an adrenaline rush. But when an exotic and mysteriously uninhibited ’sex club virgin’ enters his establishment, he is willing to break his club rules for another taste of the dark pleasures she brings him.

Enjoy!

There are a lot of interesting looking releases today!

Midnight Falls
R.G. Alexander

His life was stolen to keep their secrets…
Book Four of Children of the Goddess
It has taken years for Liz to lay the past to rest. Now she has been called to find the missing Jasyn Dydarren, the only man who can save her friend Nicolette from the Shadow’s mark. Tracking him means chasing down a secret the Shadow Wolves want buried forever—and another man they want dead. A man with an eerily familiar face, whom she craves with an intensity she can’t explain.

Hannah, an Unborn, never considered herself anything special, but she and Jasyn have something that is. Now her Were has been snatched away. She’s not a fighter, but she’s willing to do whatever it takes to find her heart’s desire and force him to see her as an equal at last. Or die trying.

With alliances on the line and lives in danger, these two very different women must save their men, and come together to discover the truth…and destroy the Shadow once and for all.

The Seeking Kiss
Eden Bradley

Two vampires, one woman, an eternity of love and desire…if only she’s strong enough…
Midnight Playground, Book 1

London 2069
For as long as Nissa has known about Midnight Playground, the most exclusive of a world-wide network of vampire sex clubs, she has yearned to gain entrance—and to become one of them. Orphaned and alone from a young age, she has nothing to lose and nothing to stop her from indulging in her darkest fantasies.
Hex and his maker, Aleron, have enjoyed many play partners at the club and have often shared in the euphoria of the Seeking Kiss, that sensual blood exchange between vampires and their lovers. But Nissa’s beauty, intelligence and strength is a siren call he can’t resist.. His desire for her and her willingness to let herself be drawn by their mental pull compels Hex to consider offering to her something he’s never given another mortal– the treasured Turning Kiss.
The beautiful vampire pair entice Nissa into an intimate sexual realm beyond her wildest dreams—and she revels in it. But when she finds herself falling for one of the powerful duo, it could mean the end of her deepest fantasies. Or a new beginning she never dared to imagine…

Satin Spar
Kim Knox

A prehensile tail has its advantages…

Scar’s marbled skin and stunted tail aren’t all that make her stand out. Her Caraniae DNA has a strange effect on the male of the species, which makes her career as a pilot perfect. The less interaction she has with people—with men—the better. She won’t risk her wayward pheromones bonding her forever to one man.

Then there’s her boss’s new bodyguard, Anthony Tyler. The pure-human is tight-lipped about his sketchy past. He also seems determined to work her prehensile tail off.

Once imprisoned and drummed out of the Corps for conduct unbecoming, Tyler is intrigued with his ship’s unheard-of, human-Caraniae hybrid. He spent his career fighting her kind, but when a message from home throws Scar into a tailspin, he finds himself drawn to help her in any way he can. Even if it means risking life and limb to help her sweat out her anger.

Their sparring session turns into something else. Something wildly sexual. Something so wrong as to be suicidal—if Scar’s father discovers she’s bonded with anyone other than the husband he’s forcing her to marry…

Cat and Mouse
AJ Chase

For Katherine Stapleton (aka Kitty), being a shape-shifter isn’t nearly as glamorous as the novels and movies make it out to be. It isn’t all raw, animalistic sex and superhuman physical prowess. There’s also the hairballs.

Kitty has spent her entire life being a less-than-perfect were-cat. She can’t control her animal changes, so she decides to excel at matters human. After a decade of worldly successes, she’s back home for her ten-year high school reunion. Yet, she feels just as insignificant as she did back in school–except with Sam Philmore, a fellow D.C. lawyer and past classmate. And her former secret crush. In just three days Kitty gets the bad memories, the good times, the bitter truth, and a mouthful of one very sexy man who just happens to be a mouse sometimes…

Romance Divas will be hosting a Romantic Suspense workshop, “Dark Secrets and Dead Bodies” October 22-24. Definitely something I could learn more about, I look forward to the workshop.

It’s been a while since I pimped some new releases. Here are some that I’m looking forward to reading.

Scent of Cin
Ella Drake

Death brought Cin her love, a sexy half-demon she can’t resist

Half-demon Vedo resurrects the newly-dead Cinnamon Murphy, detective, bane of the Hellions — and all woman. Vedo needs her to find his son, product of a forced union with a powerful demoness, but Vedo gets more than he bargains for. Once Cin is no longer a shade, her scent becomes a lure his Nephilim nature can’t resist. Cin finds that being raised from the dead gives her uncontrollable cravings for heat, especially for the hot man who needs her help, a man she’s sworn to kill.

“Naughty or Nice” in Under the Covers anthology
Crystal Jordan

Dayna Sharp has the perfect job, the perfect man…the perfect life. So why is the prospect of marrying Mr. Wonderful so perfectly boring? It’s a question Dayna can’t shake when she brings her fiance home to meet her spectacularly un-boring family–and finds herself pursued by a bad-boy bearing gifts that could burn a hole in more than her Christmas stocking…

 

Ruthless Beauty
Kim Knox

Rachel Sutherland loves control—her job, her life and the men who pass fleetingly through. Yet she aches for someone who doesn’t care about who she is, who would take her for his pleasure and hers. Shame that man is only a fantasy.

Jareth is a fae, bound to the mortal realm by a curse, and he needs Rachel. His curse has always meant a woman’s pleasure must come before his own, but to break his curse he must force a woman to submit to his needs. Rachel is that special woman, one found after centuries of searching.

Now Jareth forces her to find pleasure in ways Rachel never thought she could. A pleasure that could prove more dangerous than she ever believed possible.

I’m getting excited for Friday’s new release. When Perfect Formation came out I was such a newbie, I had no idea what to expect. Okay, well, the truth is I’m still a total newbie, and just as nervous and excited as before. So, to take my mind off things, I think it’s time for some reading. Besides, it’s been a while since I’ve pimped out a book, and here’s one that looks like a lot of fun (I’m a sucker for books set in Scotland!). Enjoy!

 Cat Logan, a young American with a recent degree in medieval literature, travels to Scotland to discover her Celtic roots. She finds more than she bargained for when a mysterious silver casket (rumored to hold the desiccated heart of a long dead Scottish laird) transports her back in time to the 1400s and the man whose heart she holds in her hands.

A lot of people in the romance writing/reading world are going to RWA’s national conference in Washington DC next week. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. Fortunately, there is a consolation prize. The fabulous Romance Divas Not Going to Conference Conference. I stumbled into Divas last year shortly before this conference and was stunned by all of the wonderful workshops presented. This year, NGTCC will be held July 14-18 and will feature panelists such as Josh Lanyon, Rowan Mcbride, Jet Mykles and Shayla Kersten, Carrie Jones, Marley Gibson, Linnea Sinclair, Patti O’Shea, Ona Russel, Steve Hockingsmith, Joey W. Hill and Sasha White.

There will be workshops and lots of fabulous give-aways.

Definitely worth stopping by if you are not going to conference.

And of course, more pimping! What looks to be another wonderful read from Kim Knox:

Demonic Attraction
Kim Knox

An Ellora’s Cave Exotika title. An M/F/M with an HEA

Anya Sigurdson is counting down the days.

She works on an array orbiting a distant star completely alone and the isolation is seriously cramping her need for sex. She’s promised herself a wild time on a pleasure planet, but until her remaining thirteen days are up, then her own fingers will have to do…or so she thinks.

Damianos has other plans. Coming from a race of pure energy, Damianos, seeks pleasure in flesh and has an unusual talent. They can fracture into as many lovers as Anya needs. She is a joy, a rare find, and they intend to enjoy her, love her every chance they can. But to keep her they need something else, an anchor, another body for them to fix in her dimension.

And a prime candidate is on his way.

I should probably do another post on RWA President Diane Pershing’s response to Deidre Knights letter, linked here in my last post. But, I don’t want to and others have already done a better job. Instead I’ll direct you to one I liked a lot at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, here.

And now, to much more fun stuff, a recommended read!

I only read historicals occassionaly, and haven’t in a while, so I kept putting off reading Jennifer Haymore’s A Hint of Wicked. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Loved it.

A Hint of Wicked
Jennifer Haymore

Caught between desire and duty…

Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, has finally moved on. After seven years mourning the loss of her husband, Garrett, at Waterloo, she has married his cousin and heir, Tristan. Sophie gives herself to him body and soul. . . until the day Garrett returns from the Continent, demanding his title, his lands-and his wife.

Torn between two husbands…

Now Sophie must choose between her first love and her new love, knowing that no matter what, her choice will destroy one of the men she adores. Will it be Garrett, her childhood sweetheart, whose loss nearly destroyed her once already? Or will it be Tristan, beloved friend turned lover, who supported her through the last, dark years and introduced her to a passion she had never known? As her two husbands battle for her heart, Sophie finds herself immersed in a dangerous game-where the stakes are not only love . . . but life and death.