#OhMy! Monday Welcomes Author @_lisamowens and Her New #Sweet #Romance

Welcome to Oh My! Monday here at Sassy Vixen Publishing. I'm The Vixen and your host for today. We've an extra treat for my sassy ones. Author Lisa M. Owens is back and this time she's sharing an excerpt from her new sweet contemporary romance If Only.

To learn a bit more about the book, you can check out her interview with us for the Saturday Spotlight just two days ago. Just scroll to the post just before this one and you'll get all caught up. Go ahead, we'll wait....

Ready? Good. Here's the blurb for If Only.

What would you do if you had the opportunity to go back and relive your greatest mistake?

Five years ago, Bree Sexton walked out on her fiancé and into the arms of a charming and handsome stranger. She has regretted her decision ever since. Instead of a fairy-tale marriage, her “prince” shattered her dreams and her spirit with physical violence and emotional cruelty she barely escaped.


She then mysteriously wakes up in bed with the fiancé she loved and left, the life she’d dreamed of now a reality, until her cruel ex-husband reappears to destroy her new life. But what is real, and what is make-believe? Is she really getting the chance she has always dreamed of? And when it is all said and done, will she finally end up with the man she has always regretted leaving? Or will she wake up to discover herself alone?


Sounds fabulous to me too! Here's a bit of an excerpt to tease you some more...


Bree stood there for a minute, watching as he walked out of her life. She couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if she had married Scott instead of Bryan. How would her life have been different? Would she have had children by now? Would she and Scott still be together, after all this time? Those thoughts and more weighed heavily on her mind as she headed out of the bar. It had begun to snow, and she wrapped her coat even tighter around her slender frame. She looked around, but there was no one to be found. She couldn’t help herself; she stuck out her tongue, a childish impulse she couldn’t ignore, and then laughed out loud in spite of herself. 

She looked both ways before attempting to cross the street. Not seeing any cars, she began to make her way across. Bree was walking cautiously when one of her high heels slipped on a patch of ice. She could feel herself falling, and her breathing quickened as she began to panic, wishing she had waited for her friends before venturing off on her own. One shoe flew off as she landed, her head striking the curb. A sharp pain racked through the back of her skull, causing her to cry out. The last thing she saw was Scott’s face swimming before her eyes, and then her world went black. 

* * * *

Bree awoke to a man nipping gently on her earlobe, his tongue stroking the delicate curves. His hot breath blew into her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine. She slowly opened her eyes as a man’s hand stroked her upper thigh, and she sighed happily. 
Ooh, I must be dreaming. And it was such a delicious dream, too. 

The man’s hand traveled up her thigh and then encircled her flat stomach. Out of the corner of her eyes, Bree could see a dark head pressing against her abdomen. Then she shivered as a tongue laved her belly button, going in and out erotically, making her feel as though her body was on fire. Bryan had never made her feel like this, and she hadn’t even looked yet to see who this stranger was! But she was only dreaming, so what difference did it make? 

His hand continued traveling north, lovingly caressing her skin. He reached for her aching breasts, pressing her nipples roughly before he lowered his mouth to suckle them, first one, and then the other. Bree arched in anxious response to his touch. She longed to see his face, but she feared one look would make his magical touch disappear. 

She ached all over, wanted his hands to caress her everywhere, and she longed to touch him. She opened her legs as he straddled her. His hair brushed her naked chest as he began kissing her. His tongue was driving her crazy with desire as he placed tender kisses along her neckline. He brushed her hair aside. 

His morning stubble stung her delicate skin, but she hungered for more. Just one more touch, just one more taste, and she would awaken from this wonderful dream and find herself in bed, all alone. 

“Oh, Bree, baby. What you do to me,” he whispered, his voice husky. 

That voice jerked her back to the present. The voice had haunted her dreams for years. The voice of the man she just couldn’t seem to get over. 

“Scott,” she whispered.

Connect with Lisa

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Buy Links for If Only

Liquid Silver

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Author @_lisamownens #sweet #romance

Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight here at Sassy Vixen Publishing. We're happy to welcome author Lisa M. Owens to the hot seat. We'll get to learn a bit about her and her latest release If Only, a sweet contemporary romance that focuses on second chances.

Let's get to it shall we...


In one or two sentences, give the core premise behind your story.
A woman gets the second chance that she has always dreamed of, the chance to make things right with the man who got away.


Who is the heroine? 
Bree Sexton—She is a strong woman who put all of her trust in the wrong man.

What obstacles will she encounter in this story?
When Bree slips on a patch of ice, she strikes her head on the curb. When she wakes up, she finds herself in her former fiancé’s arms and discovers that they are married—and that she is living three years in the past. When it seems as though her happily ever after is just within reach, her cruel ex-husband shows up, threatening to take away everything that Bree holds dear.

What draws her to the hero in this story? What gives her that push away from him?
Scott Weston was her childhood sweetheart. When she met the handsome and charming Bryan Sexton, she broke her engagement to Scott and married Bryan. Five years later, now divorced, Bree runs into Scott. But he is happily married with a baby on the way.

What about her will make readers sympathetic to her?
She was physically, emotionally, and sexually abused by her former husband. She might be trying to move on with her life, but scars that aren’t visible continue to haunt her. Certain things going on in her life sometimes trigger violent moments from her past. She has to overcome her traumatic past before she can build a future with the only man that she has ever really loved.

Is this book a part of a series?
Yes, this is the first book of my If Only series. 

What is the theme of the overall series and how does this story fit into that?
This series is about heroines who get the second chances that they have always dreamed of. Bree’s story is about getting the chance to make things right with the one who got away.

Will these characters show up in other books in this series? 
Yes! Bree and Scott Weston will make a small appearance in my second novel of this series, which is titled What If. I am currently working on this novel and plan on having it ready for submission within the next month or so.

How many books to you anticipate will be in this series?
I plan on there being five books in this series. Susan Weston, Scott’s sister, will have her own book as well as Luke Weston, Scott’s brother. They also have stories to tell…

Do you have a question you’d like to ask the readers to generate comments?
I am also currently working on a novel about a Marine who returns home from Afghanistan. I am thinking on having this novel be the first in a series, possibly having one from each branch of the military.

My questions are:
1. What do the readers think about this idea? Good idea or bad idea?

2. What is your idea of the perfect military hero? Both physical descriptions and character traits are welcome.

About the Author

The writing bug bit Lisa M. Owens at an early age; she was writing short stories and poetry by the age of seven. At the age of eight, she entered a writing contest at her elementary school. About fifty books were written, but Lisa was one of the thirteen writers chosen who received a certificate and the chance to meet Oklahoma writer Sandy Miller.

A former victim of domestic violence herself, Lisa worked at the courthouse for over seven years. Almost three of those years she worked on the Marriage License/Protective Order desk. She helped women file protective orders and worked closely with the staff and counselors at DVIS.

Frustrated with books that merely gloss over the subject of domestic violence, Lisa wanted to write a book that told the entire story. Her dream is for her words to help give someone the courage to leave an abusive relationship.

She resides in Oklahoma and has two children. This is her first published novel, and she is currently working on the next novel of her If Only series.

Connect with Lisa

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Buy Links for If Only

Liquid Silver

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Join us again in two days for Oh My! Monday. Lisa shares an excerpt from If Only.

Until next time,

~The Vixen

@LeoRosanna Brings the Heat and Bear #Shifters to #OhMyMonday #eroticromance #paranormal

Rock Stars, Erotic Authors and Bears...oh MY!

Welcome to Oh MY! Monday at Sassy Vixen Publishing. This week I'm thrilled to have another of my "Wicked" friends with us today, author Rosanna Leo. She's here to day to talk about her new release Predator's Kiss (Gemini Island Shifters 1). For those of you who like shifters, you're going to LOVE this one.  How about I turn over the reins to our guest so she can tell you all about it. ~The Vixen

A huge thank you to The Vixen for allowing me to play here today.

I’m here today to introduce you to my newest paranormal erotic romance Predator’s Kiss, but I’m here to do something else as well.

I’d like to talk about honey. 

Now, you may think it odd that an author would devote a blog post to the sticky condiment, but this is the Sassy Vixen. I’m not here to talk about spreading honey on a piece of toast. I’m here to discuss its sensual qualities. (whoohoo! Sorry, I can't help myself. You're talking about one of my favorite sex props...errr...foods.)

Perhaps it’s best if I first explain that the hero in Predator’s Kiss is a rugged bear shifter from the Northern Ontario backwoods. Are you making a connection yet? I’m sure you are. ;)

Honey has a long history in human consumption, and I’d be willing to bet its history in human seduction is just as extensive. It’s been used as a sweetener, as an offering to the gods, and even during the process of embalming.

My bear shifter Ryland is really only interested in seeing it spread on heroine Lia’s body. I took great pleasure in crafting a love scene between these two characters in which honey plays a huge part. And without giving too much away, let’s just say they’re both quite happy and quite sticky afterward.

I hope you’ll get a chance to pick up a copy of Predator’s Kiss today…to appease your sweet tooth.

Blurb

Bear shifter Ryland Snow just wants peace. The peace and quiet afforded him at his woodsy retreat, the Ursa Fishing Lodge. As owner of the lodge, Ryland enjoys the tranquil life he’s created among his fellow shifters. He lives to maintain a safe haven for them, away from meddlesome human eyes.

When his rock star brother arrives, bringing trouble in the form of a possible hitman, Ryland is incensed. He’s been cleaning up Soren’s messes as long as he can remember, and is tired of his brother’s lecherous exploits.

Things go from bad to worse when Lia Goodblood stumbles upon Ryland and his lodge. Yes, the reclusive erotica author is easy on the eyes, but the human woman is more trouble than she’s worth. To say nothing of her bizarre fear of furry creatures.

Ryland determines to rid himself of her presence. But when he learns she’s on the run from a crazed fan, Ryland’s protective bear instincts flare. And the bear won’t be denied.

Adult Excerpt

She was already reviving a few minutes later. Ryland let out a sigh of relief.

Thank God. When he’d first seen the petite woman hurtling through the trees, he’d worried someone was after her. But no one else had barreled behind her. And yet she’d seemed so scared.

They hadn’t helped, presenting her with a couple of snarling bears.

She moaned a little, and the soft sound warmed him, making him hard again. Damn. He glanced around the room, remembered he didn’t exactly tend to stash clothes in guest cabins, and raced for the bathroom. He grabbed a couple of clean towels off the rack and tossed one to Soren. “Cover yourself.”

Soren grinned like a devil and motioned to his nude bottom half. “I can conduct my flirting business much more efficiently this way.”

Ryland glared as he wrapped his lower half in the towel. “Cover yourself or I’ll strangle you with it, lover boy.”

His brother placed the woman’s backpack on the floor and threw the towel about his waist. “Such animosity is really not in keeping with your sainthood, Brother Ryland.”

Ryland ignored him and turned back to the woman. He didn’t know why it mattered so much she recover and feel comfortable in his presence, but it did. Of course, as owner of the lodge, it made sense he didn’t want to see anyone scared or hurt.

Yeah. That’s it. That’s all.

His rationalization did nothing to quell the nervous tremors in his gut, though. Or his excruciating hard-on.

Okay, she’s sorta pretty and has a body made for sin. So what? Get over yourself.

Clearly  it had been too long since he’d allowed himself to get lost in a woman’s body for more than a quick fuck. And this woman’s body deserved slow, leisurely loving. Greedy licks. Sensual tugs. Why, her breasts alone were so full and perfect, they just begged one to suck. To say nothing of those rounded hips and soft, womanly ass.

Ryland ran a hand over his face, feeling overly hot. Jesus Christ. Stop thinking like a horny teenager. You sound like Carter.

Besides, she was nothing like him. Human. And if time had taught him anything, it was the pursuit of romance with a nonshifter was a fool’s errand. She didn’t belong here on his resort, on his island. He needed to revive her and get her out of there.

Desperate to relieve the sudden, raging desire shooting up through his body, Ryland forced himself to look away from the woman. In doing so, he caught a glimpse of his brother. Soren was sitting next to her, his gaze contemplative, his eyes trained on her boobs. Ryland realized he didn’t like the way baby brother was looking at her. “Hey.”

Soren looked up. “What?”

“What are you staring at?”

Without batting an eye, Soren turned back to their unexpected guest. “Her. Can’t I stare?”

Ryland’s eyebrows shot up. “Staring at women has already gotten you into trouble. Maybe you should find a new hobby.” He stifled the low growl building in his throat. Now wasn’t the time for brawling, but he didn’t appreciate the way his brother gawked. His cool eye, appraising, as if he’d never seen anything like her before.

“You were checking her out too,” Soren replied.

“No, I wasn’t. I’m not interested in this … person,” Ryland retorted. As he uttered the words, he bit his tongue hard by mistake, as if confirming the words were a lie. “Damn,” he whispered, tasting blood.

“Do you think someone was chasing her?” Soren asked in a pensive tone, picking up one of his drumsticks and stroking it as if it were a lover’s finger.

“I don’t know.” Ryland sat on the other side of her small body and looked her up and down as she lay under the covers. Despite his mistrust of humans, he couldn’t help wondering who would frighten such a tiny, delicate thing. Had someone tried to hurt her? The very idea made him want to bash his head against the wall. Or better yet, bash any lowlife who dared to touch her.

No one touches her but me, his heart declared.

What?


As another stress headache shot through his brain, he wondered at the ferocity and lunacy of the feeling.


You can get your very own copy of Predator's Kiss from Liquid Silver, Amazon and all ebook retail outlets. I'm on my way to get mine and to stock up on the honey! ;)

About the Author

Rosanna Leo is a multi-published, erotic romance author with Liquid Silver Books. Her books include For the Love of a God, Up In Flames, Sweet Hell, The Selkie, Sunburn and her newest Predator’s Kiss. When not writing, she can be found haunting dusty library stacks or planning her next star-crossed love affair. 

Connect with Rosanna

Website/blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads 

Pinterest