Saturday, July 28, 2012

"Protecting His Wolfe" by Melissa Keir (Contemporary Romance)



Genre:  Dramatic Contemporary Romance

Summary:  Betsie Wolfe was a small town girl who left her cozy little life for a job in the big city, but she never expected to become a witness to a murder or face vicious threats. Detective Jonah Pigg was immediately attracted to Betsie’s lavender eyes and small frame huddled in the gray wool blanket when he arrived on the scene of the murder. When threats on her life begin, he takes her into his home under the protection of the three Pigg’s who own the Pigg Agency. It will take all his detective work to keep her safe from the killer. Passion has a way of igniting when people are under stressful situations and lust leads Betsie and Jonah into each other’s arms. But is their relationship only a matter of desire or is it something more?

Excerpt:

Finally fed up with the tension, she left her desk, shut down the lights in the office, and locked the door. With her small clutch purse in one hand, she started the lonely walk to her apartment, six blocks over from the employee parking garage. Someday, I’ll have enough money for a car of my own. She thought with envy. Maybe something in a green color but with good gas mileage.

So focused on the noises around her, Betsie tripped over a patch of broken concrete and went sprawling on the floor, her purse hit the concrete and one lip stick tube rolled across the garage floor. Crawling on her hands and knees, Betsie yells at herself in her head for her accident. Oh no. Isn’t that my luck! Everything has gone wrong today! Where is my purse? What fell out?

Suddenly a car appeared around the back of the garage and screeches to a halt. The sounds of yelling and gun fire erupt in the silence of the parking garage. Diving flat on the ground, Betsie begins to say all the prayers she remembers from the past twenty three years of Catholic Mass. As a body crashed to the ground, the black sports car with the silver trim drove away.

Betsie hid on the ground near the edge of a large blue sedan, praying no one could hear her. The silence after such a deafening noise grated on Betsie’s nerves. Without thought for herself, she rushed over to the body to see if they needed help.

“Oh, my, gosh, it’s Johnny from the warehouse. Johnny, Johnny, are you okay?” She placed her hands on his chest to see if he was still breathing, only to pull away abruptly when she felt the wetness of his shirt.

Looking down at her hands, “Oh no. Blood! Johnny!”But his death was as evident as the large hole in the front of his shirt gushing blood on the pavement.


Buy this story on Amazon, All Romance or BookStrand.com.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

"Naked Temptation" by Jay Di Meo (Gay Erotic Romance)



Genre:  Gay Erotic Romance

Summary:  When Daniel joins the monastery on the island of Andros to escape his violent family, he thinks he has found peace. Two years later, vivid sexual dreams with a gorgeous male demon test his loyalty to the strictness of monastic life and make him wonder if he’s made a huge mistake in striving for purity...

Gay Erotic Romance novella (46 pages / 21.000 words)

Excerpt:

A knock on his door roused him, and a voice calling, “Brother Marco! You missed the midnight service, and you’ll miss the matinstoo if you don’t hurry. Are you well?”

Daniel groaned and opened his eyes. It took him a moment to connect the name —Brother Marco — with himself. Even after two years at the monastery, he still wasn’t used to it, a problem other novices and monks didn’t seem to have.

The door banged open, letting in the light of a candle. “Brother Marco. Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine!” Daniel said. “Just give me a second.”

Brother John stood at the door, scowling. The grim old man had undertaken to ensure that novices like him followed the rituals, and he wasn’t very happy with Daniel right now. He took one step inside, lit Daniel’s candle, and turned to go. “Hurry up.”

Daniel glanced around, knowing the demon would be gone. Nevertheless, the small, bare cell mocked him with its emptiness, just as it did every morning. He stared at his prayer book on the nightstand. That was what he should be doing: praying, not having sinful dreams, with a man, no less.

The bells were tolling the matins as he smoothed down his cassock, biting back a moan when the coarse material rubbed against his tender cock. As a novice, he was expected to wear his cassock night and day, a test, he supposed, either of physical endurance or of love of God. He tied up his hair in its customary knot at his nape. He pulled on his hood and tightened his belt.

Sinful, wet dreams. Not that he didn’t have them from time to time, but they had never felt so real.

Sin was the downfall of the world, his father had told him a thousand times over. Of course, in his father’s world, sin was anything from sleeping late on Sundays to reading a romantic novel, and Daniel was the epitome of sin.

Taking the candle, he exited his cell and stood for a moment in the empty, vaulted pathway overlooking the monastery’s yard. Monks were entering the ancient church of St John, dark-clad, hooded figures, men who had found God’s way.

Unlike him. He was going straight to Hell for these dreams, those desires. After all, demons only tortured confused souls like his, who didn’t know right from wrong, and whose minds dwelled on unnatural acts.

Somehow, he’d thought that coming to this strict monastery, joining an order of the Orthodox Church, would cure him, give him the chance to repent. Give him some peace from the shouting matches between his parents, the slamming doors and the ringing quiet that followed, the loneliness and his own guilt when he heard his name shouted in the midst of all the insults and swearing. How many times had his parents told him he was the reason they kept fighting? He hoped that, after he’d left, they had found peace.

The monastery had written to them and asked if he could stay, since Daniel had only been sixteen at the time. His parents, he was told, had the right to claim him back.

They never did. Which was a relief of sorts, even if the thought hurt briefly every time, like a hot sting in his chest. That had been two years back, and soon he’d finish his novitiate and become a monk, make this place his home.

Home. He sighed, not seeing the gardens around him but instead city streets, cars and shops and people. Where was home?

Cupping the flame of his candle, he cringed as a lean, hooded monk stepped out of the cell next to his. Brother Nathaniel. He always wore his hood drawn over his face, so that only the gleam of his gaze was visible.

“Good morning,” Daniel muttered.

The monk ignored him, as always, and hurried towards the church with long, powerful strides. There went a man free of doubt. He looked set, determined, faithful to this church. He attended mass without fail, worked hard in the orchards, knelt for long hours in prayer. Daniel had heard from old Brother John that Brother Nathaniel wasn’t much older than Daniel himself, barely nineteen, and that he’d been at the monastery for most of his life, an orphan the monks took in.

Maybe if Daniel persevered enough he’d find that faith and cool detachment inside himself too; he’d see his purpose in the world, and the demon would stop visiting his dreams.

He’d feel less lonely.

Pushing off the time-worn stone pillar, he wondered why Nathaniel was always so cold around him, never returning his greetings, never answering his questions. Could it be — Daniel’s spine stiffened and he felt a flush warming his neck — that he’d heard Daniel through the wall when the dreams held him in their thrall?

Swallowing past a knot in his throat, Daniel hurried down the pathway toward the church.

Buy this story on Amazon.  Check out Jay's blog here.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

"Journey Home" by Gabriella Mahoney (Historical Romance)



Genre:  Historical (Highlander) Romance

Summary:  After a mere two months of marriage, Fia MacAllan was forced to say goodbye to her husband so that he could lead an attack on the hated Campbell clan. If victorious, the raids on MacAllan could finally come to an end and the clan would prosper.

But after seven long months, Fia fears that she may have become an early widow and will never again be intimate with her husband...

This short, steamy romance is approximately 3,000 words long.

Excerpt:

Fia arose with the sun, as was her habit. The mornings were when she missed Ronan the most. She had plenty of quilts to fight back the draft but it didn’t compare with having her husband there to sleepily pull her in close to his body.

Though she had gone to bed early, she got up wearily. Her maid knocked softly and helped her to wash and get dressed. Tying her apron securing about her waist, she prepared herself for another day of hard chores. It was an old Scot tradition that everyone must do his or her share of the work if a castle is to run smoothly.

Fia had to speak with the cooks about their food stores for the winter. The morning air had a bite to it as she walked across the courtyard to the kitchens. With a shiver she hoped Ronan did not have to fight through the dead of winter. The cold could easily claim more souls than war.

A signal from one of the watchtowers interrupted her reverie. Fia’s heart stopped. Had Ronan returned? Was it an invasion? Cheers from the wall guards assured her that whoever approached as a friend and not a foe.

“The soldiers return!” a watchman hollered out.

His announcement brought the entire castle to life. Everyone had stopped what they were doing. Woman rushed out to be reunited with their husbands.

Fia felt her breath catch. How many of them would be reduced to sorrow? Would she too be one of the young widows?


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Saturday, July 7, 2012

"Til Tomorrow" by Vera Roberts (Contemporary Romance)



Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Summary:  Abigail Montgomery was the queen of Broadway and ready to make the big leap to a major record label. She had played America's Sweetheart for so long, she had the role memorized. Then she met him...

Julian Tanner was the toughest SOB anyone would encounter...in the ring. No squared circle was too daunting and no opponent was too fearsome. But behind his tough-guy demeanor was a gentle and sensitive soul. It was no wonder he fell for her...

She was the queen of her world. He was the king of his. Can they put their egos aside and rule together?

Excerpt:

“It’s getting late,” Abigail glanced at the clock on her cable box. It was already 10 PM. “You should probably be heading back to the hotel now. I’m sure you have a big day tomorrow.”

Truth was Julian didn’t have any plans the next day. He wanted to stay longer but he also knew his boundaries with the young beauty. “You’re right. I do need to get going.” He got up and put his chair in. “Thank you for the wonderful evening, Gayla.”

Abigail already loved her new nickname. She hoped Julian was going to make a move on her. She had been used to other men coming up with creative ways to get into her pants, she felt silly to expect the same from Julian. He treated her with kindness and respect. It was treatment she had to convince herself was normal. “Thank you for coming over on such short notice,” she stood up and led him to the front door, “I hope we can see each other soon again.”

Julian stopped by the door. He softly caressed Abigail’s cheek and pulled her face close to his. “I think we will.” He kissed her forehead. “We’ll be in touch.” He left her apartment.

Abigail watched Julian walk down the long corridor to the elevators. She re-entered her apartment and closed the door behind her. She chuckled as she thought about the possible romance. “Broadway star dates professional wrestler…” She thought aloud. “No one would ever believe that. Hell, I don’t believe that.”

She walked back to the dining room area and saw that Julian left his dinner jacket. “Crap! Maybe I can still catch him!” She grabbed his jacket and rushed to her front door and opened it. “Juli…”

“Yes?” Julian stood at the entryway. His eyes were smiling and he was wearing a sexy smirk.

“Um…” She breathed as their lips were inches from each other. “You forgot your jacket…”

Julian grabbed Abigail by her waist and pulled her close to his body. He confidently took over her mouth with his. Her lips tasted like heaven and sweet wine. They were warm, confident, and welcoming. The heat between their bodies rose as their lips melted and their tongues danced. “That’s not the only thing I forgot…” He led her back inside.

Their clothing magically disappeared from their bodies as their lips explored each other. Julian picked Abigail up and carried her to the bedroom. He laid beside her and looked into her eyes as his fingers carefully explored her body. Her breasts were small but felt perfect in his hands. He gently squeezed them before dipping his head to savor and taste them. The tiny buds rolled around his tongue and became harder by the second.

Abigail closed her eyes and let Julian’s mouth and fingers assault her body. She had never felt a need, a longing like this before him. A wanton need took over Abigail’s being and she no longer wanted Julian. She craved him. She desired him. She wanted to be underneath him.


Buy this story on Amazon, B&N, or All Romance.