Showing posts with label contemporary romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary romance. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

#WildandWickedWednesday: @MtnMoxieGirl Shows Us How to Escape into #ANONYMITY #romance #suspense #adventure


Welcome to Wild and Wicked Wednesday here at Sassy Vixen Publishing. I'm "The Vixen" and I'm excited to have one of my friends, fellow Sirenista, and now fellow Muse, Amber Lea Easton here today. 

"The Temptress" recently published a fantastic contemporary romance that I like to call a fantasy escape. Within the pages of 
Anonymity you'll find hot, sexy beaches along with a smokin' hawt couple getting lost in each other. Think of it as a bit of Vegas in the tropics: what happens in Belize...

Get the picture? Now toss it out the window. This book is so much more. Go on. Take your seats and let Amber take you on a journey...

ANONYMITY
by Amber Lea Easton

Do you know why I love traveling so much? No expectations, no one but my travelling companion knows anything about me. I'm anonymous. I even have a separate wardrobe for when I'm out of the country or simply at lower latitude. Why is that? Some may say I'm living a lie and am more true to myself when I'm on an adventure somewhere. Perhaps that's true to a certain degree because I'm free of responsibility when I'm on a trip—I don't need to drive to lacrosse practice or worry about the kids' friends' parents being shocked by my wild side. Here at home I'm "mom" and solo entrepreneur 24/7. Sometimes a girl's just gotta let loose!

That's the premise behind "Anonymity." Alyssa feels trapped by convention and is propelling herself from her comfort zone. This translates into a sizzling weeklong affair and adventure that pushes her to reexamine who she really is and what she truly wants for herself.

Ah, vacation! I know Vegas coined the phrase, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," but I think it can apply to anywhere at anytime where people are indulging in pure fun. Maybe with age I'll start embracing my vacation persona here at home—after all, the kids are almost off to college! I like vacation Amber—she's a real wild child. What about you? Do you let loose when traveling or are you the exact same as you are at home?


Anonymity
contemporary romance/adventure, blurb...

New year; new beginnings. Alyssa McNeil is on a mission of breaking free of her comfort zone, reinventing herself, and forgetting the fact that her ex is getting married on New Year's Eve. She's in Belize for a week of sun, fun, adventure, and flirtation. Meeting Luke is an unexpected bonus…falling in love with him, though, simply isn't part of the plan.

Luke Picket is more than happy to go along with her idea of a no strings, uncomplicated weeklong fling. He embraces his bachelor lifestyle and can't see that changing any time soon. But when they find themselves trekking through the jungle and facing turbulent seas together, his hard heart starts to soften.

But they'd agreed on anonymity, on a first-name-only-no-strings love affair, and neither wants to ruin the moment with unwanted declarations. Old beliefs are challenged. Doubts questioned. Will they stick to their deal and go their separate ways when the week is over? Or will the new year bring them a new attitude about love?

All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-anonymity-1379776-153.html


Excerpt

He hardened at the slightest physical contact; doubtful he'd be able to be a gentleman much longer. Her body was made for a man's hands with curves he ached to touch. She radiated heat that burned through the clothes separating their bodies as they walked side-by-side down along the water's edge. Shoes dangled from their fingertips as they allowed warm waves to caress their ankles.  
Screw it. He only had six more days before returning to his tidy well-constructed life. He stopped, pulled her against him, lifted her up and kissed her.
Hand at the nape of her neck, he pulled back a fraction to look into her eyes. "Are you sure you want this, that you want me? Tell me now before I let myself go."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, eyes bright with desire. "I've never been as sure about anything as I am about you right now."
He smiled against her mouth, loving that she was entwined around him like an exotic vine. "You're one intense lady, do you realize that? It's like you're on fire."
"It's an illusion, I'm a fraud," she whispered against his lips.
"I don't think so. Neither of us has anything to gain or lose."
"Stop talking." She kissed him with passion that drove him over the brink of control.
They needed to get someplace—anyplace—private. Now.
Not breaking the kiss, he dropped her gently to her feet. Kissing, touching, laughing, they stumbled down the beach toward the resort. A crowd had assembled on the beach in front of the bar where Dave the One Man Band presided. The group of scuba divers played beach volleyball amidst it all. Maneuvering through them would be a challenge, especially with Savannah overly curious about Alyssa.
"Locals come out for Dave," he said when she simply stared at the transformation from tranquil paradise to party central. "Come here." He dragged her into the gardens surrounding Ramon's Village and pressed her back against a tree. "Feeling adventurous?"
"What do you think?" She pushed her hands beneath his shirt.
His mouth ravaged hers while his hands slid beneath her dress and squeezed her ass. One hand moved up the front of her dress, teased her breast beneath the fabric, while the other inched her panties aside. He felt like a man hell bent to touch her skin.
"Not very romantic, I'll make up for it later. I need to have you."
"I'm not complaining. I want this just as badly as you do." She bit his neck while her fingers fumbled with his zipper. Her hands slid inside his waistband before closing around his erection.
God, he'd never wanted anyone like this. It's like he would die without being inside of her. Urgency pulsated through his veins. 
He fumbled with the condom he'd stuffed into his back pocket while he kissed her neck and reveled in her hands moving up and down on him. He lifted her up until they were eye level, her feet off the ground and linking behind his waist. Her hair fell across her eyes when she laughed and lifted her hands over her head to grab the tree at her back.
"You're the sexiest woman I've ever met." He pulled one of the straps of her dress down and squeezed the heavy breast he'd been salivating over since seeing her sitting at the bar. His thumb toyed with her nipple.
He thrust inside of her and felt the velvety tightness envelope him. He grabbed her wrists and held them against the trunk of the tree. She ground her tongue into this mouth.
This was sex, animalistic, raw, intense, passionate, no-holding-back sex.
Closing his eyes, he surrendered to the sensations...the palm tree hard against his knees as he ground his hips against hers, her tongue driving him insane, his mouth on her neck, her breasts pressing against his chest, her heels grinding into his ass, 80s rock music blaring from behind them, people laughing only fifty feet away, ocean lapping against the shore, scent of flowers mixing with barbecue, breeze tossing the palms above them, and the feel of her thighs squeezing him tight.
He hadn't let himself go like this in years, maybe ever.
They came together, both moaning into each other's mouths, eyes wide open, connected in the moment. They laughed against each other's lips, neither pulling apart.
She curled her fingers into his hair. "I want more."
"Insatiable...I like it." His teeth gently tugged her lower lip.
"Best. Vacation. Ever." She kissed him with each word.
"On fire, I'm telling you." He dropped her wrists and smoothed his hands over her breasts. "You're like an inferno."
"Only with you." Curls danced in front of her eyes as she pulled him back for another kiss. "I'm not lying. If I'm on fire, it's because you found the fuse."
"That sounds like a bad song lyric. I think you've been exposed to Dave the Gringo's music too long, we'd better get you inside and away from his influence." He kissed her, not wanting to step away from the tree but knowing they were pushing the limits by staying here too long. Something stirred deep in his chest with her words, with the kiss, with this entire scenario.
She laughed against his mouth before dropping her legs from around him and sliding down his chest. He felt like the entire world would know what they'd been doing in the bushes. He laughed to himself as he stuffed her panties in his pocket. He had never had sex against a palm tree before and definitely never within yards of a group of people.  Exhilaration hammered through his heart.
She smoothed hair from his eyes. "You look like you've been having sex on the beach."
 "So do you." He turned them into an impromptu dance on the sand, his mouth clinging to hers in a slow kiss, while he held her close.
"You're too good to be true," she whispered. "I can't believe you're real."
"Like you said...it's all an illusion." Regret flashed in her eyes, darkened them in the moonlight, before she looked away.
Maybe it was, but then again maybe it wasn't.
He flattened his palms over her shoulders and wondered at the glimpse of pain he'd seen. Anonymity had its pros...and cons.


About the Author

Amber Lea Easton is a multi-published author of both nonfiction and fiction. She spent years working in journalism and advertising with a brief detour into the financial sector. She has three published romantic suspense novels—"Kiss Me Slowly", "Riptide", and "Reckless Endangerment"—and a contemporary romance novella, "Anonymity." Her memoir about surviving the suicide of loved one, "Free Fall", published in September 2013.
Easton is also an editor and professional speaker. Links to radio interviews can be located on her website, http://amberleaeaston.com, and her videos about romance writing have been showcased internationally on the Writers and Authors television network.
Easton currently lives with her two teenagers in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. She gives thanks daily for the view outside her window and healthy children. As long as she's writing, she considers herself to be simply "a lucky lady liv'n the dream."



Saturday, March 30, 2013

#TheVixen Interviews @tiffcarmouche About Her Alaska Trilogy #romance #suspense #startingover


Welcome to the Sassy Vixen Publishing blog. I'm the Vixen and your host today for another special guest. This week I'm happy to welcome back to my blogs, author Tiffany Carmouche. On March 25th she was my special guest for Oh My! Monday on Behind Closed Doors. There she shared an excerpt from the second book in her Alaska series. She referred to it as a trilogy before...well, you'll have to read more to find out what plans she has for this romantic suspense series. ;)

Today, Tiffany shares more about herself. her writing methods and more about the heroine and hero of The Impostor . She even has a special request for those stopping by. So enough of the teasing. Let's get on with the interrogation...errr...interview! 

Thank you for joining us today, Tiffany. Why don't we start with one of the most common questions readers ask their favorite authors. What inspires you to write?
Scenes pop into my head. Sometimes they disappear before I can get to a pen and paper, but sometimes when I am lucky I can capture them. When I write poetry, emotions often begged to be expressed in writing. You could sometimes tell the chapter in my life by the scribbling on the page.

OMG! I do the exact same thing. That's why I try to always have at least a small notebook and pen on hand wherever I go. You never know when a scene or just a sentence or two will pop in your head. I thought I was the only one who did that sort of thing. Are you a plotter or panster or a little of both?
I am both. I sometimes just write a scene. But I do plot out the whole book too. It really depends on the mood and goal of the day. I had a plot for the whole series, but sometimes the muse often decides she wants to take me on a detour… 

You're preaching to the choir! Since you brought up that pesky muse, do your stories tend to be character driven or plot driven?
Very much character driven. I can have something all plotted out then a character decides to do something and my jaw drops and I have to just run with it. My characters have control. The Alaska Series began as a trilogy, but then I created a character I liked I had to write a whole new book. 

Do you listen to music while writing? 
I like silence.

What kinds of music work best for you when you're not actually writing but relaxing or just looking for inspiration? 
When I need inspiration, I listen to a lot of different types of music depending on the scene. When I wrote of Dylan and Nicole’s waltz I listened to Fascination. When I wrote of their Bachata, I listened to Prince Royce. I love Secondhand Serenade, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Martina Desiree, Katy Perry, Pink, Sia, the list goes on and on…

All authors put a bit of themselves into their characters whether they want to admit it or not. In what ways are your characters like you? In what ways are your characters not like you?
Well my serial killer, has a few traits I deny having… I say dabbing at the blood drenched sleeve of my jacket. I don’t fantasize about stalking young women…at least I don’t admit to it. Lol.  Nicole is a lot like me, sassy, hard headed and at times naive.  There are many parallels in our lives. I did escape a stalker. I did leave an abusive relationship. I am a single mom trying to give my daughters the best life I can… I do love adventure and art, and I am a hopeless romantic trying to pick up the pieces and begin her life again…. 

What are the recurring core issues in your stories? Why do you think you are drawn to these types of characters/plots again and again?
I love the weaving of layers. I love twist and turns, love sexy men and the deeper issues some people shy away from. I like to dive in all the mess and try to make sense of it.

Who inspires you and why? (loved ones, friends, authors, public figures, historical figures, actors, teachers etc)
My daughters.  Rocky and Martina are my driving force. Rocky shares my love for writing and Martina shares my love for art. They are my best friends and my life.

What inspires you and why? (Art, poetry, music, movie, book, etc. Please share something specific if you like.)
Life! All of the above and of course beautiful men! I cry sometimes when something takes my breath away. I can escape in nature, in the snowflakes tickling my face, in the colors dancing off a canvas, in the ripples of a man’s muscles,  in the sounds of the ocean or even the whisper of the breeze.  Life. Life inspires me.

Besides reading and writing, what activities do you enjoy in your leisure time?
I love sculpting and all forms of art. It really does take you away. I love mountain biking, dancing and singing and would love to begin flying or scuba diving again. 

What’s your day job?  How has it affected your writing life?
One of my hats is teaching dance. I love teaching and choreographing couples, especially couples who have been together for years. It is adorable to watch them rediscover each other. Many times they have not looked into each other’s eyes for forty five minutes in years. They often blush. It is fun to watch the romance reignite.

Your book: The Impostor, A Love Story 
In one or two sentences, give the core premise behind your story.
The Impostor is the first novel in a suspenseful romantic series about unexpected love and a woman’s fight for survival. You explore the journey of a woman trying to rediscover herself, and the people who will risk everything to save her.

When and where does your book take place?
It is a contemporary series set in the beautiful, majestic Alaska. The characters travel to different places, but most of the series is set in the breathtaking landscape of Alaska.

Who is the heroine? 
Nicole is the main character.

What drives her?
Her main driving force is providing a better life for her daughter, but there are many different issues with each book. 

What is she running away from (literally or figuratively)?
The story begins with her escaping an abusive relationship and trying to rediscover herself. Everything is wonderful until her beauty taunts an evil man and she doesn’t know how she will survive.  

What draws her to the hero in this story? What gives her that push away from him?
His sexy chiseled muscles and chocolate brown eyes attract her to him, but she knows of his reputation with women and tries hard not to fall under his spell.

What about her will make readers sympathetic to her?
I think many women have been abused mentally or physically. Sometimes it is by a partner, sometimes we ourselves are our worst critic and we often loose ourselves along the way. Nicole is on a journey to try and find herself again, and provide the best life she can for her daughter. She makes mistakes and is naïve, but there is also strength in her she doesn’t realize she has. 

Who is the hero? 
Her love interest is the sexy, rich, lead singer Dylan Richardson.

What makes this hero hot and lovable? 
Dylan’s body looks like a roman gladiator. His muscles are beautifully sculpted and his sex appeal is magnetic. He is provocative, protective and incredibly romantic. 

Is there a villain? 
Yes, a man who becomes obsessed with Nicole.

What is the theme at the heart of your story?
Layered. Rediscovery, Love and Survival

Is this book a part of a series?
Yes it is the first novel in the series.

What is the theme of the overall series and how does this story fit into that?
It is layered. The power of love, friendship and rediscovery. No matter how many times you fall, you need to find the strength within to get up, find yourself and surround yourself with people who truly care.

Will these characters show up in other books in this series? 
Yes, they all interwoven throughout the series.

How many books to you anticipate will be in this series?
I am writing Book 3 and 4 simultaneously. 

What are you working on now? 
I NEED HELP!
Survivors are needed for my new project, Out of the Shadows!  I need submissions from people who have been through a physically, or mentally abusive relationship and survived. 
Do you know someone who has? 
If so please contact me at :  tiffanycarmouche at ymail dot com

Submissions can be: 
*Poetry
*A chapter ~Your story (A paragraph -5 pages)
*Quotes from you on hope or overcoming obstacles
*Pictures, photography or drawings (black and white)
*Submissions can be from an adult or child’s point of view
*If you would prefer interview questions, I can send them instead/as well.

As many of you know, I,  like Nicole in The Alaska Series, escaped an abusive relationship to begin again. 
The book will be compiled of our stories.  I feel if we can give even one person the courage to leave and break free of the cycle of abuse, we will have succeeded.

If you or anyone you know would like to be a part of this project, please do contact me at tiffanycarmouche@ymail.com
I will be accepting submissions through April.   
           
 Out of the Shadows will be used to give hope to people who are afraid to leave or have begun their journey out of the shadows and into the light. All the money will go to help provide service to victims of abuse.

Thank you so much for having me! Readers and bloggers are my life source. I could not do this without you! I love hearing from my fans, so if you do pick up the book and like it send me a message! It really makes my day :) Thank you for the support, and remember we are on this journey together! I am not backed by some huge publishing company, so I really rely on word of mouth. If you like my books please tell someone, share it or tweet it. You have no idea what that means to me. And do keep in touch. I do love hearing from you and it is fun to hear your opinions. I have two different ending written and it will be the feedback from fans that will help me decide the ending I choose. 

Remember, Live! Laugh! And Love!
Tiffany Carmouché 

Where to Connect with Tiffany

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Kristin Beairsto Brings a Bit of Sugar and Spice to Thursday Thirteen

Available on Amazon.com
Ah, it's Thursday once again and you know what that means my sassy lovelies? That's right! Another guest author joins us today to share the first thirteen lines from their latest release.

This week I'm happy to welcome Kristin Beairsto to Sassy Vixen. Her latest contemporary romance Sugar and Spice gives us a look into the life of another sassy vixen and businesswoman, Frankie Stevens. After a couple of bad personal relationships, she's thrown herself into expending her lingerie catalog company she runs with her friends in order to keep herself "off the market."

Yeah, we all know how that's going to go! Enter Royce Westin, fellow workaholic who just so happens to be the executive assigned to work with Frankie and her partners for the funding of her company's expansion.

Sounds like a match made in heavy sexual tension and hopefully many late nights working together...alone...with no one else around...uh...hmmmm.  Sorry! Here's the blurb to help get you in the mood. Happy reading! ~the Vixen

Blurb


Sugar and spice makes everything nice, but mixing business and pleasure can come with a price . . .
 
Francis Stevens – Frankie to her friends – has declared herself permanently single after a couple of monumentally disastrous relationships.  And she doesn't mind at all.  Between the international expansion of the lingerie catalog company she runs with her friends, labor strikes, and her regular work load, she has little time for love or a relationship.
 
But Royce Weston has other ideas.  After his family accuses him of becoming a workaholic, a chance encounter with Frankie at a night club has his mind on things other than business.  As luck would have it, Royce winds up the executive assigned to work with Frankie and her lingerie company when she partners with his family’s investment firm to fund her expansion.
 
Despite Frankie’s outward appearance of confidence and swagger, insecurities rear up and cause her to over compensate and drive harder for what she wants.  Doubts weigh her down and with Royce watching her every move, she fights to keep her businesswoman’s façade firmly in place.  But while Frankie tries her best to keep her mind on business, she can’t ignore the way Royce’s touch makes her feel or the fact that he makes it clear he’s interested in more than just a business relationship.  When all of her defense mechanisms fail to keep him at arm’s length, Frankie finds herself wondering: is it possible to mix business and pleasure?

First Thirteen


The lights of the Manhattan dance club flashed blue, yellow, and red.  The occasional strobe light created optical illusions as the upbeat music resonated through the building.  The floor vibrated from the high bass and a variety of body fragrances wafted through the air.  The crowd made a mix of uptown versus downtown.

People lined the long mahogany bar covering the far wall near the entrance.  A Saturday night, some waited for drinks while others waited for companions, and some simply waited.

Frankie Stevens stood at the far end of the bar, watching the crowd while she waited for her friend to return.  She enjoyed seeing the covert glances of onlookers sent at her and her companion beside her.
 
An inch over six feet, thanks to the four-inch gold heels covering her feet, Eddie Roberts wore a golden one-piece jumpsuit, clinging to her like a second skin, showing off a slim willowy frame.  The bodice wrapped around her neck, leaving smooth chocolate colored skin exposed at her back.  A gold chain belt hung loosely on her hips.  Dark raven locks fell just below her shoulders in tight curls framing a heart shaped face with exotic almond shaped cinnamon colored eyes, high sharp cheekbones, and a wide full mouth curving easily into an enticing smile.
 
While Eddie exuded sensuality, Frankie preferred to play in contrasts. 


Ohhhhh! I don't know about you, but I want to find out what happens to Frankie and her friend at night club and when will Royce come into the picture? Come on, let's all click on the book cover at the beginning of the post and head over to Amazon to get our own copies of Sugar and Spice.

Got it? Oh, you don't have a Kindle? Well here are two more links for you to get your ebook today.

     Barnes and Noble                              


About the Author

In between her to-be-read pile and trying to bring the characters in her head alive, Kristen spends as much time as she can with family and friends.  Much to her husband’s dismay, she enjoys collecting purses, shoes, and jewelry.  During those rare times she’s not working at her day job, rushing her daughters somewhere, watching movies with her husband, and trying to meet a deadline, she can usually be found energetically cheering for one of her favorite New York sports teams.

As with just about every other writer on the planet, Kristen grew up an avid reader.  She started with young adult before she technically hit the age range and moved on to sci-fi classics by Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury.  At fifteen, her best friend gave her a book she just had to read!  The book was Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts.  Always a sucker for a happy ending, she was a goner and fell in love with the romance genre.  Having started writing novel length stories at the age of eleven, Kristen’s stories all took a romantic turn from that point on.

Where to find Kristin



Thursday, August 9, 2012

Thursday Thirteen with Amber Lea Easton

It's Thursday again and you know what that means, another first thirteen sentences from a fabulous novel. Author Amber Lea Easton is here today with the opening lines from her new release Riptide. For those of you who followed her over from Lia Michael's page The House of Taboo and my sister blog Behind Closed Doors know this book is positively SMOKIN' hot and filled with nail biting suspense to boot. True to form, Amber grabs our attention right from the start.


Before we get to her Thursday Thirteen, here's the blurb...



One violent night shatters Lauren Biltmore’s life. As an anchorwoman, she's accustomed to reporting the news rather than being the lead story. She escapes the spotlight by fleeing to her brother's home in the Cayman Islands. Haunted by nightmares, all she wants is a distraction from reality.


Distraction arrives via sexy screenwriter Noah Reynolds. His take-me-to-bed looks mask a past ripe with scandal. He knows he should stay away from Lauren, especially when the worst night of her life unlocks his writer's block and while he's dealing with a stalker of his own, but ethics are his weakness.


Attraction sizzles beneath Caribbean sunshine. As their relationship grows, Noah's stalker intensifies her torment. Lauren wonders if her paranoia is justified or a carryover from her past. What's real? What's imagined?


Tentative trust is tested as their love is swept up against a riptide of deceit, murder, and revenge.




Well, my fellow vixens, are you intrigued? Want a bit more? Here's the opening of Easton's Riptide.


Available at Bookstrand.com

Lauren couldn’t go fast enough to drown out the doubts that screeched in her brain. 

Water sprayed her face as she steered the Jet Ski into a sharp turn, arm muscles quaking with the force of her grip on the handlebars as she drove full throttle. Wet hair smacked against her face and neck. She tasted salt on her lips. The sun burned her bare skin. Her legs held firm as the Jet Ski went airborne before landing hard against the surface of the crystal clear Caribbean Sea. 

Every instinct screamed mistake. Taking a leave of absence after the attack had made sense, but now, no matter how she looked at it, retreating to her brother’s house on Grand Cayman equaled running away. 

She hated thinking of herself as someone who ran away. 

As a news anchor in Atlanta, she’d been accustomed to reporting the news rather than being the lead story. She simply hadn’t been able to handle the spotlight shining so brightly into her private life, or seeing judgment—whether real or imagined—in everyone’s eyes. Barely out of physical therapy, she’d attempted to go back for a few weeks after being released from the hospital, but the camera’s red light had seemed accusing. Murderer, it blinked at her. Murderer.


Murderer? Our heroine thinks of herself as a murderer? Now I have to read this book! Who's with me? Just click on the link below the book cover and you can get your very own copy. You don't have to wait for it to get to Amazon or Barnes and Noble, they have all formats for ebook readers and instructions on how to download them. 




How to find more about Amber