Monday, October 31, 2011

Trick or Treat Giveaway!

Happy Halloween my dirty little trick-or-treaters!!  I have a surprise for you!!  Today with us we have a special giveaway of Paradise 21!  Take a sneak peek!




Title: Paradise 21
Author: Aubrie Dionne
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: August 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-02-2
Mobi ISBN: Coming soon!
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-03-9

Book Blurb:

Aries has lived her entire life aboard mankind’s last hope, the New Dawn, a spaceship traveling toward a planet where humanity can begin anew—a planet that won’t be reached in Aries’ lifetime. As one of the last genetically desirable women in the universe, she must marry her designated genetic match and produce the next generation for this centuries-long voyage.

But Aries has other plans.

When her desperate escape from the New Dawn strands her on a desert planet, Aries discovers the rumors about pirates—humans who escaped Earth before its demise—are true. Handsome, genetically imperfect Striker possesses the freedom Aries envies, and the two connect on a level she never thought possible. But pursued by her match from above and hunted by the planet’s native inhabitants, Aries quickly learns her freedom will come at a hefty price.

The life of the man she loves.


 Excerpt:
“Might as well stay here and make camp for the night.”

His casual tone stung her composure. How could he talk of such mundane things when they’d almost been captured, when she’d touched him so tenderly?

“We’ll let them get farther away,” Striker explained, reasonable as always. “We’re going in their direction tomorrow.”

The sting of rejection grew, burning a hole in her heart. “Why?”

“Why what?”

Her lips trembled. “Why not kiss me like you did before?”

“I can’t.” He shook his head, and the air cooled between them; so much so, Aries wondered if the desert had turned into deep space.

He’d teased her with such affection before, it was cruel to take it away. “I don’t understand,” she said, wishing she didn’t care, wishing she could stop all the emotions he’d started in her heart.

Aries caught a glimpse of pain etched in the wrinkles around his eyes. Striker turned away and started pulling supplies out of his backpack. “I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

Striker shook his head and Aries prompted, “Can’t kiss me, can’t trust me? What?”

“I can’t allow myself to get tangled up with someone. Not again.”

The thoughts of Striker with another woman confused her. On the New Dawn, everyone had one lifemate and that was it. “You mean you loved someone before?”

Striker’s hand tightened on the backpack. “I trusted someone a long time ago, allowed myself to love, if you will. She hurt me so much I lost my entire life and ended up here. I can’t experience that kind of pain again.”

Aries clasped her hand over her heart. “I’m so sorry.”

He waved her apology off as if it meant nothing. “It’s a tough world, Aries. And it’s dangerous to love. If I were you, I’d keep my heart well-guarded, because you never know when it will affect your decisions, when it will make you weak.”

Aries couldn’t take his advice. Watching him talk about his past made her realize she’d already given up her heart.
Sounds great?  You know the drill!!  Just comment below for your chance to win a copy!!  You must be a GFC follower!


Happy Halloween!!!!

It's finally here!  My favorite night of the year!  And this wraps up a wonderful month here at CEWTNK!  I have some giveaways still going on! Just click on the links below to enter!

Giveaway with Michelle Franklin....ends November 5th!
Spooktacular giveaway with Leanore Elliots Beasts..ends tonight!!  Your chance to win 1 of 3 copies!
Monster Mash with Regan Black...ends tonight!!  Your chance to win a paperback or e-copy of one of her books plus and autographed tote and every commenter gets a free book!
Romance girls gone goblin....ends tonight!!  Enter to win JT Hardings newest paperback book!
Jake Bannerman's Pitchfork Diaries....ends tonight!!!  For my horror fans!!
Giveaway with Cari Quinn...ends November 5th!!  Enter to win Bad Kitty!!

With me today are two very special people!  I have a guest post by "Nanny" over at Getting Naughty Between the Stacks.  This lovely lady helped me get started!  So I asked her to guest post on my favorite holiday!  Take it away Nanny!!
Should Vampires Really be Sexy?

I've been interested in the paranormal, ever since I was young. Vampires have always been one of my favorite creatures. Yet the creatures of today aren't what many would've thought of vampires back in the day. There are many legends going as far back as the Bible about creatures that suck blood or other bodily fluids and they cover the globe. But the vampire as we know it is a relativity new creature, no not just the sparkly ones, the term vampire wasn't even coined until the 17th century. The charismatic and sophisticated vampire was born in the 18th century. Up until then most vampires were waking corpses that drank blood at night and crawled back into their grave or crypt at dawn. These where ghouls the stuff of nightmares, not wet dreams. Heck in Japan they had a vampire like creature that's head detached from it's body to go flying around and find victims. Seriously not sexy in my book. In Puerto Rico and Mexico they have el chupacabra which isn't even human like. It's more like a dog and attacks goats leaving a tell-tail fanged mark and bloodless husks. The vetala is an India legend of a ghoul like creature that inhibits a corpse.
Given this nightmarish history should we really be swooning over vampires?
In today’s culture Vampires are brooding, misunderstood, and sexy. We see them as the count in a goth novel, or the hero in a romance novel. I've seen cowboys, high powered office executives, even terrorist vampires. More often than not they are wealthy, and why not they have centuries to make the money. Usually good looking and smart. Well I guess they'd have to be to survive without being staked by a religious nut. They all have some power too, and lets not forget the main thing that draws us to them eternal life. I guess it's not hard to see why we're drawn to the vampire, turn bloated corpse into sexy hunk and you've got a recipe that almost everyone will crave. Mr Stoker you were really on to something.
But it kind of bothers me that we've turned these really great legends into... something that sparkles. Perhaps it's time to let the vampires rest in peace and turn our sexy sights on something new... like zombies, come on make zombies sexy I dare you.
 So what's your opinion?  Do you think vampires should be sexy?  Up next is a new author friend of mine, Jaz Primo, who writes about vampires :)  We all love them!  He has written a short tale just for my blog!!  Gotta Love him!!  Take it away Jaz!!


Pumpkin Protective Services
by Jaz Primo


Charlie Meister was a bully throughout most of the year. However, during the month of October he was always particularly spiteful. Charlie hated Halloween. Perhaps it was from the teasing that his grade school classmates issued towards him at Halloween. Some would ask, "Hey, Charlie, going out to wait for the Great Pumpkin with Linus this year?" Others would tease, "Hey, Charlie, get ready for all of those rocks in your trick or treats bag!" Even though Charlie had grown into his teens, he still hated Halloween.
"It's nothing but a childish holiday for losers," Charlie often groused. "Just another lame reason for companies to sell crap to people."
Throughout his early teen years, Charlie clandestinely selected the occasional pumpkin display as targets of opportunity leading up to Halloween night. The owners of a normally festive and decorative pumpkin would wake one morning to find their carved creation lying in pieces in the middle of the street, or perhaps just find it smashed in place where it had sat. Most people associated such events as a reflection on the regrettable state of society's lack of civility and respect for other's personal property.
However, by the time that Charlie had turned seventeen, his disdain for Halloween reached new levels that fateful fall. Gone were his normally secretive and only occasional attacks on the neighborhood's carved pumpkins. This year was different. Charlie planned a full-scale demolition of Halloween decorations in the final days leading up to Halloween.
As Halloween fell on a Friday that year, Charlie had an entire work week to orchestrate his subversive destruction. Overjoyed that most people would be adhering to earlier bedtimes due to the requirements of school and work, Charlie found his task relatively unencumbered by complications. Not being prone to laziness, he began his endeavors on Monday night.
   Charlie was surprised how easy it was to sneak out of his house after eleven o'clock once his parents had gone to bed. Having grown up in same suburb since he was a child, he knew his surroundings like the back of his hand. He negotiated in and around the less-traveled portions of town, including making keen use of trees, parks, and relatively unused walking paths. The buildings of closed or abandoned businesses were ideal to use as cover, and he knew where most of the town's buildings used video surveillance cameras in parking lots and entrances. Still, he only managed to damage or destroy a dozen or so Halloween displays.
   Tuesday resulted in very little discussion about his Monday evening exploits, and by that evening he once again ventured out into the night to devastate pumpkins and gourds. In his own sardonic play on words, he played a variety of Smashing Pumpkins tunes on his iPod while carrying out his anti-Halloween agenda. By Wednesday night, Charlie had become quite regimented and experienced in handing out his angst-ridden punishment to all things Halloween.
   On Thursday, there was quite a bit of talk among Charlie's classmates regarding acts of vandalism around town. That night, Charlie began his relatively practiced journey through town. However, he noticed that there seemed to be more than a token police presence driving around town. He was hardly deterred from his mission and felt well-prepared to explain that he was doing nothing more than talking a walk because he couldn't sleep. It wasn't as if anyone had seen him out and about on previous evenings. He snickered over his good fortune.
   Moving from house to house, he felt a little like Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, though it hardly kept him from enjoying his destructive endeavors. After the fifth house, Charlie felt a sudden chill creep up his spine. He could have sworn that he was being watched!
He quickly knelt into some nearby bushes, turned off his iPod, and scanned the area for anything unusual. He heard neither the sound of a vehicle nor a passerby. Charlie waited for many moments, hugging the darkness as he waited for anyone to reveal themselves.
Nothing.
Charlie let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding and quietly stepped back onto the dimly-lit dirt path leading into a nearby wooded area to continue his clandestine mission to another part of town.
"Hey, buddy," came a sudden deep voice. "Whatcha' doin'?"
Charlie swirled around with a start to confront the visitor. His eyes widened as he stared at what could best be described as shabbily-dressed person wearing black leather gloves and...a pumpkin for a head!
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" he demanded, peering into the triangular eye sockets of the pumpkin head. All that he saw was a dimly-glowing yellow hue. There wasn't even any eyeballs!
"Me? You can call me Jack," the pumpkin person muttered.
Charlie chuckled. "Jack the pumpkin, I presume? Dude, Halloween isn't even until Saturday. You're not only pretty silly-looking, you're two days early."
Despite his bravado, the fellow actually gave Charlie the creeps. He strained slightly in the dim light as he studied the guy's pumpkin. There was only a sad-looking slit for a mouth and two holes for a nose.
The scent of fresh pumpkin permeated the air as the strange visitor clasped his gloved hands before him and shook his head.
"So, you've never heard of Jack O'Lantern, then?"
"Jack O'Lantern? You've gotta' be kidding," Charlie snorted. "No, I guess I don't know Jack, after all."
"Very funny, kid," Jack said flatly. "Listen, what is it with you and pumpkins, anyway?"
Charlie could hardly believe that he was standing around chatting with a guy wearing pumpkin headgear. "Dude, I'm just out for a walk-"
"Ha! I've been watching your little exploits from a distance all week now. Frankly, I'm not amused," Jack said. "But you caught me in an uncommonly generous mood tonight. Tell you what, Charlie, you just turn around and head home right now and we'll forget the whole thing. But no more pumpkin carnage, or I'll be back, and you won't like it very much."
Charlie frowned. "How the hell did you know my name? And I don't care if you're the Great Pumpkin, if this is some sort of joke I'm going to punch your lights out."
The pumpkin's eyes flared bright yellow and Charlie tensed as he took a step back. Jack menacingly pointed a gloved forefinger at him.
"I know you and every other kid in this world, so drop the sarcasm, Charlie," he growled. "You could say that I'm the spirit of Halloween."
Charlie's mind raced as he tried to generate logic from his Twilight Zone circumstances. He'd certainly never heard of Halloween spirit, at least not in the manner that Jack had mentioned. Was it like the Christmas spirit? Still, he didn't believe in Santa Claus so why should he believe in Halloween spirit? Then a sinister thought struck him.
"Listen, Jack, I don't believe in Halloween, got it?"
"What?" Jack asked uncertainly as his yellow eyes flickered for a moment.
Charlie gained renewed vigor as he sensed a glimmer of success...no pun intended. He shrugged and turned his back on Jack as he started to walk off.
"Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Cupid, they're all the same," Charlie continued. "They don't exist, and neither do you."
Charlie concentrated on real, tangible things in his life such as his dog, his parents, and the certainty of a math test that he had coming up on Friday. He cleared his mind of all things Halloween and clicked his iPod back on. Then he took a fresh breath and headed back onto the dirt path towards the direction of his home.
"Why you little-" Jack growled, though his voice seemed to trail off in the distance.
Charlie casually glanced back over his shoulder, only to find that there was nobody standing back where "Jack" had been only moments before.


Friday was relatively uneventful for Charlie. He took his math exam later that morning, mercilessly teased some classmates at lunch, and managed not to fall asleep during the remainder of his afternoon classes. He realized that Friday night was his last opportunity available to take out a little more vengeance on the neighborhood's Halloween displays. Although he suspected that he'd have to wait until much later before he could go out. People usually stayed up later on Friday nights.
Charlie went out with some friends after school. At least, they were the closest people that he thought of as friends. In reality, they were classmates who he'd know throughout his school years whose personalities annoyed him the least.
By midnight, he was ready to head out for a final mission against Halloween. Nearly half the town had experienced some level of vandalism during the past week. If only for his need to remain anonymous, he would likely have been quite a notorious celebrity in town that week.
He carefully made his way through town, noticing that there was decidedly more traffic about than on previous evenings. Still, he felt that he was practically an expert by that point in the fine art of evasion.
"I should join the CIA," he quipped.
Three Halloween displays suffered his wrath before he came upon a particularly darkened  yard. He could make out the outlines of three carved pumpkins on the front porch. Slowly and quietly, he made his way towards the steps.
Suddenly, the porch light snapped on and he slipped back around the corner of the garage.
A young boy wearing Peanuts pajamas stepped out through the front door holding a massive, intricately-carved pumpkin.
"Joey, hurry up and set it outside. It's way past your bedtime," came a woman's voice from inside the house.
"Okay, Mom," Joey replied.
The little boy carefully placed the huge pumpkin onto the edge of the porch. The other gourds flanked it as a sort of honor guard. It had to be the biggest carved pumpkin that Charlie had ever seen.
"I hope that the Great Pumpkin likes it," Joey whispered with awe as he looked into the starry night sky.
"Joey, hurry up and come in now," came the woman's voice.
"Okay, Mom!"
The little boy quickly retreated back into the house, closing the door behind him with a thud. Then the porch light went out again.
Charlie smiled evilly. He was practically overjoyed by the prospect of smashing that huge pumpkin right in the middle of Joey's driveway.
"Psst," came a deep voice from behind him.
Charlie started and whipped around to see Jack standing behind him. His triangular yellow eyes blazed brightly.
"Wha-"
"I warned you, Charlie," Jack growled.
Charlie was dumbfounded. He hadn't even had a single thought about Jack since Thursday night. He tightly shut his eyes and immediately thought of all the tangible, real things in his life. He thought about his dog, the repairs needed on his car, his plans for the weekend, and which video game he wanted to download from Amazon. After a few moments, he opened his eyes again.
Jack stood directly before him
"But you're not real! I don't believe in you," Charlie retorted.
Jack snickered darkly. "No, but little Joey sure does."
Charlie adopted a horrified expression.
"Noooo!"


The next day was Saturday. It was Halloween. Little Joey held a Halloween party for his friends that day, and everyone was impressed and amazed over the huge pumpkin on his front porch. He beamed with pride that someone had actually placed a blue ribbon on it during the night with the inscription, "First Prize Pumpkin!" That night, Joey had the best time of his life trick-or-treating.
Nobody ever heard from Charlie Meister again. His parents reported him missing and the police searched the entire county. All that was ever found was a huge pumpkin in the middle of the forest sitting atop a dead tree stump. It had the most intricately-carved image of a young man's face on it, and the detective working Charlie's case could have sworn that it held a strong resemblance to the missing teen.

*  *  *  *  *
Today's Halloween story is brought to you by Jaz Primo, author of the Sunset Vampire Series. Jaz is also a history aficionado, "pun-master", and all-around fan of things vampire and urban fantasy. He is a native of Oklahoma where he lives with his wife and a long-lived cat. Visit his website at http://www.jazprimo.com.
This is Jaz and he is a sweetie!  He has just come off of his Sunset Vampire Series Tour!  This a peek at his book!


“We vampires are focused and tend to shape our own realities.”
My name is Katrina Rawlings, and I am a vampire. I declare that with neither pride nor ego. I am simply nature’s most dangerous predator. On occasion, it’s a very valuable quality. It helped me protect Caleb Taylor one day when he was very young. But that single, traumatic day is behind him now; wiped from his memory, or so I hope.
Caleb has finally matured into a rather striking young man, and believe me, I like what I see. I’ll readily admit that there are issues for us to confront and overcome, though a sense of mutual commitment isn’t one of them. I’m feeling hopeful for our future together, in fact. But an adversary from my past has returned to haunt me, and she’s trying to get back at me through Caleb. That was her first...and last...mistake. I’ll protect my Caleb at all costs, and I’ll make her regret the day she was born.
So, I suppose that I’m not just a vampire. I’m about to become someone’s worst nightmare!

The eagerly anticipated sequel to Sunrise at Sunset has finally arrived!
Katrina Rawlings is a vampire who has finally rediscovered happiness for the first time in centuries. But unwanted complications erupt with a vengeance. Decisions of necessity combined with dark memories from a forgotten past threaten her relationship with the love of her life. When a sacrifice must be made, can she endure her decision?
Caleb Taylor's life is finally back on track. He has rebounded from a near mortal injury, both physically and emotionally. Yet, his reality is shaken by the suggestion of a betrayal of trust from the woman he loves. Can the power of love overcome the power of a lie?
Paige Turner is a century old vampire who fearlessly revels in a simple existence pursuing blood, dancing, and sex. Simple needs, and all met in the same manner: hot, fast, and without regrets. But a spontaneous visit leads to heartfelt sacrifice, and unexpected complications strike fear to the core of her soul. Will she survive the revelations?
In the exciting second novel in the Sunset Vampire Series, a trust is betrayed, bonds of friendship are strained, relationships may end, and a tenuous neutrality among the world's vampire population is threatened. With stakes so high, some will not survive A Bloody London Sunset!


And Jaz is actually about to release a third book in the series!  I will have the reviews of these books coming in a few days!  Happy Halloween Everyone!  If you have time, answer Nanny's question, comment on Jaz's story, and tell me your big plans for tonight :)




Sunday, October 30, 2011

Guest Post and Giveaway with Michelle Franklin

Hello everyone!!  It is the night before Halloween and I have a special guest joining me today at CEWTNK!  Michelle Franklin is here tonight and is giving away a copy of her latest and greatest! Stay tuned after her excellent post to find out how to score your copy of her great book!! If you are here for any of the other giveaways please find the button on the side bar that matches the giveaway you were looking for! Feel free to enter all and pull up a chair as you flip through some excellent books and meet some amazing authors!! Speaking of amazing authors here is a short story from Michelle!



A Festive Return
Being in Gallei for the chief of the season meant that the royal party had missed the harvest festivities entirely. The children had enjoyed the apple picking, squash gathering, games and hay rides, but business in the west of the Southern Continent had kept all of the adults from joining their high revel. Their return, however, saw the beginning of Seamhair, the last day of autumn on the Frewyn calendar, celebrated with guising, feasting and merriment in honour of those who had come before and passed on, bringing with it usual accoutrements of sweets and chocolate and all the requisite tooth aches and sore stomach such a dulcet commemoration could merit. The party returned to the Frewyn capital to discover Diras in a glow of festive spirits: decorations of gauze ghosts and green ghouls lined the gables of every home; amber candles were lit in the square in honour of those who had no memorial belonging to them; the bells from the church rang out in subdued tones, calling those who wished to honour parents and children long past with sermon and song; the faint scent of nutmeg from fresh apple pies cooling on open sill and the aroma of mulling spices from steaming cider carts being wheeled round the capital hung languidly in the air; children wearing various costumes of Frewyn’s legends and heroes skipped from door to door and made wide, toothless smiles at old women in exchange for treats, abiding the occasional cheek pinches and spittling lips that the crones of Frewyn were disposed to dispense. It was a prospect of Frewyn’s gaiety that the party triumphed in seeing, so much that when they arrived at the capital gate, they were forced to stop and remark the striking splendor that such a scene could provide. Gallei had shown them its agonies, and here Frewyn would show them its glories.
Alasdair felt his breath grow full. His chest swelled, and he exhaled with a billowing condensation, remarking the festivity in the capital with glistening eyes. His happiness at seeing his people in so revelrous a state was more sentiment than his speech could express. He turned to the commander with the parted lips of impending words, but nothing came beyond a sigh and a thankful nod. He requested that the party should move forward; he was anxious to see his queen and his son and therefore determined that the others were anxious to see their families likewise, but the moment Alasdair was discerned along the main road to the castle, drawing attention by the various soldiers beginning to peel away from the ranks and return to their homes, there was an end to the king’s designs of a quick and peaceful return. Ovation came from the square, entreaties for their king poured in from every quarter, and soon the party was surrounded by the capital’s denizens coming to the king to congratulate and wish him joy. Alasdair must stop; he apologized for the delay, but a few moments more where the greeting and honouring of his people was concerned would be of little consequence to being detained. Bows and curtsies were given, ‘Your Majesties’ addressed him, and hopeful eyes and hands outstretched bearing tribute and gifts for their king were borne. Alasdair was in such a beholden and appreciative humour that he had forbearance for every command of his attention: he said hello to the children skittering about his feet demanding that he judge their costumes, he waved to the young women who were ever desirous of seeing their handsome young monarch, he endured every pat on the cheek that the wives and old women could accord, and he even nodded to the Reverend Mother who emerged from her place in the Church to bless the king’s safe return. Their attention and their exuberance at seeing him and greeting his party in such a manner was all Alasdair’s exultation, and the instant he turned from their society to recommence his arrival to the castle, he wiped a tear from his eye and reclaimed his place at the head of the procession with a bowed head and grateful smile.
Wasn't that a great story?  Take a look at Michelle's Book!



The Kingdom of Frewyn is being invaded by the Galleisian infantry and at the forefront of the battle is Boudicca MacDaede, a First Captain in the Frewyn armed forces. Her regiment is charged with defending the borders between the two nations, but when Frewyn’s last line of defense falls, Captain MacDaede enlists the assistance of a Haanta, one of giants from the islands to the far north. Promising to free him from his imprisonment in exchange for his help, she gains his trust long enough for them to win the battle and save the Frewyn border from being breached. The giant’s freedom is granted, but Rautu cannot return home unless he redeems himself in the eyes of his people for his past transgressions. He is offered a place by the captain’s side, and together, they defeat the Galleisian forces and become the saviors of Frewyn.

One year later, King Alasdair Brennin takes the Frewyn throne, Boudicca is made commander, Gallei and Frewyn reach an accord, and Rautu is granted an invitation home. He is eager to return and see his brothers but finds it difficult to leave Frewyn without Boudicca at his side. He has become accustomed to her company and the idea of being made to live without her begins to distress him. Rautu invites the commander to the islands in hopes of finding a way for them to remain together, but when they arrive at the white shores of Sanhedhran, not everything goes as planned: one of the dangerous Haanta magi is freed, Rautu’s three brothers are strangely missing, and the neighboring nation of Thellis leads an attack on the islands.

Together, the commander and the Den Asaan Rautu must find a way to unite their two nations and defend against the Thellisian fleets, but can they do so successfully when outside forces are attempting to keep them apart?


So what do you need to do to score a copy of this fantastic novel?  You must be a GFC follower and leave a comment with an email address.
+1 for following Michelle Franklin on goodreads
+1 for adding her books to your TBR shelf




Saturday, October 29, 2011

Romance Girls Gone Goblin Halloween Hop!!



Hello Hoppers and welcome to CEWTNK!! MUAAHHAHAHH!!!  I was lucky enough to snag a guest post with one of my hot writters JT Harding!  Please make sure you enter in the rest of the giveaways by clicking on the buttons in the side bar! She wrote up a quick Halloween story involving the characters in the book she is giving away which is her latest and greatest Summer Secrets!  Take it away JT!!!!
The Devil in Cherri
They say the devil has all the best tunes, and for Cheryl Redmond that sure felt like the truth. Pressed against Buster in the Hades Bar on River Road in New Orleans Cherri felt the music deep in her gut, vibrating inside her chest so she wasn’t sure if it got one decibel louder it mightn’t bust her heart, but she didn’t care. Buster’s arousal poked into her back and she reached around and traced his length with her fingers. She’d only known him a week, hadn’t done anything. Yet. Buster, despite his looks, had been the perfect gentleman. He wanted her, Cherri knew, but he wasn’t going to force himself. Tonight he wouldn’t have to.
Cherri’d been working up to this since the moment she climbed into his pick-up truck somewhere east of Dallas. Back then Buster had looked dangerous but Cherri didn’t care, running away from what she’d done that summer, running from the pain and tears, trying to run fast enough so they never caught her up. Cherri wanted dangerous.
Until July she hadn’t even know she was gay. Sure, she’d messed around a little, but who the hell hadn’t? Cherri was convinced it was guys rang her bell until she met Dani. There on the side of another road, sitting on two rocks across from each other Cherri’d fallen instantly in love. Tried to fight it. Tried to fight it all goddamn summer, not knowing Dani felt exactly the same about her. God, they’d wasted all that time. Almost worth it when the tension had finally broken and they’d made love. The sex better than anything Cherri had ever experienced, and she knew next to Dani was where she belonged. And then the summer went to shit. One moment wonderful, the next a nightmare and Cherri had run as fast and as far as she could, hitching her way east, always east, away from California, away from the pain she’d left behind, paying her way with her hands and her mouth and her body. Until she met Buster, who looked bad, real bad. Six feet two, skin black as night, head shaved and a scar running down his right cheek from eye to the corner of his mouth but still good looking. Good looking and bad. Except he wasn’t.
Buster had brought her to New Orleans and on this Halloween night brought her to the Hades Bar where every weirdo in the city seemed to have congregated. And man, this was New Orleans, so these were the weird of the weird, costumed and un-costumed in equal parts, women with breasts bared, men with their asses hanging out from cutout leather jeans, the smell of flesh and sweat and sex filling the small room where on stage the best scratch band Cherri had ever seen were playing rock so loud they had to hear it in Florida. For the first time in months Cherri wasn’t thinking about Dani, lost in the taste of whiskey and dope, her body slack and loose and her mind sat astride a dark horse of oblivion.
Over at the far side of the bar two women were fellating a short white man who looked like he’d come to town on business and ended up getting more than he bargained for. Beyond them a tall black woman was kissing an equally tall blonde, fondling her breasts. Cherri watched their mouths, the way their tongues worked, remembering how that felt, a pang of jealousy running through her and she burrowed her hand down the front of Buster’s jeans until she found the thick length of his cock and stroked him. Buster kissed behind her ear, having to bend over a long way to reach.
“Not here,” he whispered, the scent of whiskey strong on his breath.
“When can we leave?” Cherri wanted him badly, sudden arousal running through her like a wave of heat. The last time she’d enjoyed sex was with Dani, everything since had been duty, a means of paying her way across half of America.
“Later. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Cherri stroked his thick member. “Another one?”
Buster chuckled. “Oh, you knew all about that one, didn’t you?”
“What surprise?”
“You’ll see.”
Cherri continued rubbing him, enjoying the heat of his length inside her fingers, knowing somehow she could rub him like this all night and he wouldn’t come unless he allowed himself to, that idea exciting her even more with the thought of what he might do to her, what this thing would feel like between her legs instead of in her hand. Good thought, taking her mind off women. Taking her mind off Dani.
Buster pulled away and Cherri groaned, trying to keep her hand inside the front of his jeans but he was too strong, too determined, and her fingers slid free. Cherri pushed through the crowd after him, music blasting her body as she passed in front of a giant speaker. Buster was ahead, taller than most of the patron, turning and twisting his way through the throng and Cherri battled after him, smaller and slighter, using her shoulders and elbows to find a way. Ahead, Buster turned into a narrow corridor. By the time Cherri got there he had gone.
Cherri walked along the narrow space, bare concrete walls almost brushing against her. The music faded, moving into the background. Cherri tried a door on her right, found in unlocked and stepped into a room lit only by a low wattage bulb. Three figures lay on a bare mattress set directly on the floor. Two men and a woman. At first Cherri thought they were fully dressed, then with a small tremor of shock saw that although their upper bodies were fully clothed from the waist down they were naked. The woman lay on her back, one of the men embedded in her from behind. The second man knelt beside her, offering his cock to her mouth. This man looked up and grinned, lifted a hand as though to usher Cherri to join them.
Shaking her head Cherri backed out, moved quickly to a second door. For a moment she hesitated before turning the handle, wondering whether to expect more of the same, but Buster was down here somewhere and a growing sense of unease made her want his steadiness badly.
She found Buster in the second room. He sat on a wooden chair while a tall, very white skinned woman sat before a dressing mirror. The lights arrayed around the edges of the mirror were the only illumination, bright and harsh, casting the woman’s shadow on the wall beside Cherri, distorting her figure so she appeared grotesque, deformed, her tousled hair forming itself into horns, the shadow of her long dress curling into a tail against the wall.
“Is this the one?” The woman turned her head, spoke directly to Buster.
“Cherri,” Buster said.
The woman’s eyes studied Cherri in the mirror, red and cat-slitted in the reflection and Cherri moved further into the room.
“Buster tells me you want to sing.”
Cherri nodded. Was this the bar owner? Was this some kind of interview? Close up the woman’s skin was even paler than Cherri first thought, her body broadcasting heat like a furnace, and a scent, something cloying and sweet but attractive, almost physical, setting up an itch in Cherri’s belly that kindled to a flame and spread, upward and outward, lodging in every erogenous zone she possessed. Sweat popped and beaded between Cherri’s breasts, trickled downward.
“Can you help me?” Cherri asked, taking another step, unable to stop herself, as though this woman was a magnet drawing her in.
“Do you want my help? Are you good enough to help?” The woman turned, her eyes transformed from feline to female as they turned on Cherri. Her lips were blood red, her hair dark with a thread of fire running through. “Are you willing to pay the price?”
Cherri laughed. “What is this, a crossroads and midnight thing, and you want my soul?”
The woman smiled, showing perfect tiny teeth, two pointed incisors catching on her full bottom lip. Cherri glanced at Buster. He sat relaxed, chair tilted back against the wall, watching the encounter as if it was the best show he’d seen all year.
“Don’t believe everything you hear, darlin’. Most times all I want is a little distraction… a little comforting… but I can take your soul if you prefer.”
Cherri laughed again, a higher pitch. “I thought the devil was supposed to be a man. With horns. And a tail. And a cock like a dagger.”
“I can be anything you want, darlin’. But I like this body at the moment. I hear you like girls.”
Cherri glanced at Buster. “I never said-”
“You don’t need to say. You like me?”
Cherri shook her head, but not in denial, in mere awe. The heat that had sparked now consumed her. The eyes that seemed to have transformed to normal were gone, replaced by pools of night.
“I can’t…” Cherri gasped, but she had no idea what she couldn’t do, only knew what she wanted and needed.
The woman stood, tall, almost as tall as Buster, towering over Cherri’s tiny frame. She placed her hand on Cherri’s waist, the fingers burning, sending shafts of arousal through Cherri. Cherri gazed at her breasts, full and rounded, pale skin displaying threads of vein beneath the flesh that pulsed with each heartbeat. The woman stepped closer, the peaks of those luscious breasts touching Cherri’s and she was no longer so tall. The woman glanced back over her shoulder at Buster. “You want some, or is this all mine?”
Buster lifted his shoulders. “Help yourself. Don’t mind if I stay and watch, do you?”
“Might make it more fun, darlin’.”
When she turned back Cherri’s lips had already parted, her head lifted, in anticipation of the kiss.
Afterward, Buster led Cherri back along the narrow corridor, but instead of returning to the bar he opened a door Cherri had missed and she followed him up steps until they came out onto the narrow stage. The band had gone off. Cherri saw them at the bar, drinking and jostling in the crowd.
Buster picked up a black electric guitar and slung the strap over his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at Cherri standing on the side of the stage. “You wanna get famous, or you gonna stand there all night looking pretty?”
Cherri took two steps, looked around. She had a choice, a battered Martin D45, or an equally battered Stratocaster. She picked the electric, slung its weight around her slim shoulders and plugged in. A squawk followed by a hum. The guitar molded itself against her body and she took a pick and strummed a C chord. She had no idea what she was going to play, no idea what words she would sing, but she wasn’t afraid. She knew this was going to be good.
One of the band climbed back on stage and settled behind the drum kit. Buster ran off a fast solo run on the Gibson and Cherri matched him and the crowd yelled, ready for more. Cherri’s fingers felt like they belonged to someone else, suddenly a thousand times more able than they had been. Music ran through her head, demanding to be let out. Someone else came on stage and Cherri turned to see the pale woman with the smoky red eyes pick up a bass and strap it on.
Cherri turned to the crowd and stepped to the microphone.
“Let’s make some loud fucking music. One two, one two three-”
--



Tess
JT Harding
Loved her last book!!  Can't wait to get into this one!!!  So up for grabs is her newest sizzle Summer Secrets!  It will be an international autographed paperback copy!! Take a look!

The year Dani Walker turns eighteen summer camp will change her life.
Dani has come each year to Pinecrest Lake but this is her first time as counselor. A chance meeting when her bus breaks down triggers an infatuation she never expected and doesn’t welcome. At camp two years before a traumatic event convinced Dani she would never find love again. This year she discovers she has been looking in the wrong place.
For Cheryl Redmond this is her first summer camp. She doesn’t know what to expect – certainly not to fall in love with Dani. Neither girl can admit their feelings, seeking other means of satisfaction with two male counselors.
Dani and Cherri battle to conceal their growing desire for each other, afraid of rejection, not aware the attraction is mutual until in a dilapidated barn, amid the scent of hay, obsession spills over into passion, their summer secret finally revealed.
Summer Secrets: Cherri Red Book 1 is set in the hothouse world of summer camp where love, lust and passions run high. The first in an explicit lesbian trilogy from international best-selling erotic author JT Harding, Summer Secrets will charm, arouse and shock in equal measure.

All you have to do to enter is be a GFC follower and leave a comment with your email address!!  Be sure to check out the rest of these awesome blogs!!!



Thursday, October 27, 2011

Blog Event and Guest post plus Giveaway with Cari Quinn

Hello and welcome to another wonderful Halloween post from a fantastic author!! But before we jump into Cari's post I'd like everyone to take a look at the other great giveaways below!
Spooktacular Blog Hop featuring Leanore Elliot
Monster Mash and Bash featuring Regan Black
The Pitchfork Diaries by JS Bannerman
Hide N Go Seek last day for this one!!!
Just click on the titles to get where you need to be!!  Now take it away Cari!!



Spookalicious!

I love Halloween! It's my favorite holiday for a lot of reasons. I love the crisp air, the falling leaves, the smell of woodsmoke...and the decorations! There's something so wonderful about a lit jack-o-lantern sitting on a porch stoop. And of course, I always spend tons of money buying things for the windows and little doodads that light up. My favorite Halloween decoration is my It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown scene that lights up. I have to watch that cartoon on TV every single year - and I have since childhood! It's just one of those traditions that makes me happy. And then of course there are the spooky movies that always come along this time of year. My preference are the classics: the original Halloween, the original The Fog, the original Prom Night...I know, I'm stuck in the '70s, but it was a great decade for music and movies! I also like watching all the paranormal shows like the ones about ghost hunters. They can be scary but they're so fascinating!

What about you? Do you have a favorite Halloween movie?

In celebration of Halloween, here's the blurb and buy link of my recent Halloween-themed erotic contemporary novella, Bad Kitty. It's definitely a fun short read for this time of year!


Reformed bad girl Nikki Carson has spent the past year trying to forget her boss's Halloween party and the unbelievable sex she had with her boss's hot twin, Patrick Nolan. Patrick hasn't mentioned that night since, much to Nikki's endless disappointment.

It's Halloween again, and trick or treat takes on a whole new meaning when Nikki and Patrick go for round two. Especially since Nikki's come prepared with a Domme kitty costume meant to drive Patrick wild. And this kitty's ready to show her claws if she doesn't get what she wants...
This title contains: explicit language, anal sex, and BDSM. (YES!!!!)

Cari has graciously offered one of my commenters a copy of her latest and greatest Bad Kitty! You must be a GFC follower to win. Just leave a comment below with your email address. Be sure to say hi to Cari and ask her some questions!!


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The Monster Mash and Bash!


Welcome to CEWTNK!  My giveaway today has been provided by the Lovely Regan Black!  For every comment posted, Regan will send you free e-book, just for stopping by!  So everyone here is a winner!  But up for grabs are two prize packs. Both are international!  The first is your choice of an autographed copy of one Regan Black's following books:




And another lucky commenter will get an e-copy of these books or The Matchmaker's Mark (review is right below this post) and an autographed bag!!  So how can you get your hands on either of these prize packs? Stay tuned after this lovely post by my featured author...take it away Regan!!

Thanks so much for the inviting me to join in the Halloween fun!
I've always loved October for so many reasons, not just for the candy. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, I guess you'd call it a 'gateway holiday' into the end of the year and all the festivities that follow.

It might not seem weird that I Halloween so much, considering I love to write paranormal stories with a dark edge. But people look at my work and shake their head when I confess I never learned to appreciate horror movies or haunted houses. That is until I got in on the fun of creating them (the haunted houses, not the movies):

I'd been part of a community theater group for about a year when one of the directors (a real character himself) got access to an abandoned house just outside of town. Everyone already wondered if it was haunted and for a fundraiser we made it the scariest place on earth. I can't tell you all our secrets, but it took weeks of planning, labor and our abundance of creativity to pull it together.

When it was done, brave guests entered at the front door, toured two stories of the altered-for-maximum-fright interior and then made their escape out the back. After a maze and rooms filled with plenty of terrifying surprises, guests were led upstairs where the coolest shadowbox effect was waiting for them. A spotlight would flash on and yours truly would scream and flinch away from a Freddy Kruger attack. The guests would jump and try to get out of his reach too. Thanks to the shadowbox illusion when they moved and we switched the lights, the guest were actually closer to our Freddy Kruger. Bwahaha! Theatrical evil genius, I'm telling you. Freddy would lunge out and chase them into the next room.

That's one of my favorite October memories, we had so much fun. And as a bonus I learned all the possible phrases guys would use to impress their girls. Of course even the bravest broke down when they survived the house, only to be chased out of the back yard (converted to a cemetery) with a chainsaw (bladeless for safety, of course) but many a person lost touch with logic at that point. Gotcha!

Happy Halloween!
Regan


Thanks for sharing Regan!!  Regan will be on and off the blog all during this event!  Make sure you say Hi and ask her questions if you have any.  To enter all you have to do is be a GFC follower and leave a comment with your email address and preference if you have one!
+1 for liking Regan's Facebook page : http://tinyurl.com/regan-fans
+1 for adding Regan Black as a good reads friend
+1 for adding her books to your TBR list on goodreads
Remember to leave your extra points in the comment area!!! And hop on over to the rest of these great blogs!!








The Matchmaker's Mark By: Regan Black




The first of a brand new, lighthearted paranormal romance series set in Charleston, South Carolina. When you’re ‘more’ than human, finding your soulmate isn’t as easy as answering a few questions online. It’s best to track down Campbell Consulting, a.k.a. the Matchmaker. In Charleston, South Carolina half-elf Lily has a birthmark her elders vow is a mystical promise of true love. So far she’s yet to encounter Mr. Right in either the elf or human realms. Dare, a wood elf, has led the Matchmaker’s security team for years. In town on a simple errand, when the Matchmaker disappears his future is turned inside out. And Amy Campbell is a completely human English professor about to discover the true magic of the family business…

My Review

Lily had a special way with flowers.  It seemed only natural that she would start her own business as a flower designer.  She knew special charms and small spells that would have her customers leaving with a smile as she fulfilled their needs. She had come to terms with her inability to do magic like the rest of her family.  She was raised on tales that were suited to the special mark on her arm.  The stories included the whispered name of the Matchmaker.  But Lily was done with that.  She had accepted her fate and choose instead to stay in her mothers world and live the life of a human.  She secretly yearned for more, but knew that it was probably out of reach.  Until Dare tries to come into her shop.

Dare was on a mission.  He had to deliver a letter to the reluctant niece of his employer.  She was resisting him, which was an unusual response.  Most people were very agreeable in his presence.   It must have something to do with this town.  He refused to back down on the quest and proceeds to retrace her steps throughout the day.  His wanderings bring him towards the local flower shop, which is conveniently closed, but he spies someone moving around inside.  Eager to continue in his path he knocks on the door in hopes she'll take pity on him.  No such luck.  She turns and points to the closed sign.  He pleads with her to allow him to come and pick out an arrangement for his mother.  Lily shakes her head at the obvious lie but makes her way to the cooler to pull out a sunflower arrangement.  She brings it to the door, still not allowing him in, and charges him twenty dollars.  But as their hands accidentally brush, they both forget everything.

This book has bits and pieces of the Matchmaker's history, but she really is more like a side story. This book has an array of creatures that jump in and out of it.  The mixture makes it quite delightful.  You have a girl transitioning into becoming the Matchmaker, while the love story is being played out between Dare and Lily.  Its completely hilarious the situations Amy brings about because she doesn't quite grasp the concept of her power or how to control it.  She literally becomes a walking embodiment of cupid which draw all kinds of people to her.  Dare was a bodyguard to the old Matchmaker, who happened to be Amy's aunt.  He tries his best to direct her and teach her about protocol but Amy resists.  She refuses to give up her freedom.  That's when things really get started.  This book was really entertaining, with all sorts of magic, humor, and twists weaved into the plot. Even the pets had an important role to play.  Lily was my favorite character.  She was very easy to relate to.  She never felt good enough and was always trying to over compensate for the things she felt like she lacked.  She had a good heart and it was really brought out in her work!  In truth all the characters were very well written and completely enjoyable.  Even her overbearing brother.  It is a sweet light paranormal romance that will have you starry-eyed with its sweetness!








Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Blog Events, Guest Post and Giveaway with Jake Bannerman

Hello and welcome to CEWTNK! If you are here for the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop please click Here
If you are stalking the Hide N Go Seek barrage, please click Here.  For everybody else please help me welcome Jake Bannerman!  He is joining us during this fine month of  fright to discuss his outlook on fear.  Take it away Jake...
The Fear we all Fear

BY JAKE BANNERMAN

Hot, sticky and so right. As your breath beats upon her neck, as she moans in your ear, her hands tugging at your pants as you push her bra down and your tongue explores her hard nipples…The adrenaline, the rugged sloppiness of it as her spit is all over your face and her teeth sink into your skin; this is the hottest moment you have ever had.

Your bodies swim in each other’s ocean and your mouths press together, speaking volumes in a language we all know, but the communication is fast and hard. The bruises and bite marks are a sign of how intense this is as you push your cock deep inside her and her body arches, her breast thrusting towards your hungry mouth; this, my friend, is how you fuck.

Well, I am right; we have all been there. Sloppy, downright rugby sex – it’s hot, it’s full of insane passions and we never even take the time to consider that we are creating any number of horrors...

No, not like a vampire, a zombie or even a werewolf! But let’s look at the number one fear that ALL of us have gone through and we can branch out into the multiplicities of grandiose horror your sexual fantasies can cause. This is going to make you think about me every time you fuck from now on and that shit is HOT!!!

So, what could possibly be horrifying about sloppy sex in all positions on a slip and slide full of guacamole?! Ready for insane, gut-wrenching fear number one?

1.      Three weeks...need I say more? For those of you who happen to not understand what three weeks refers to, let me fill you in on a LITTLE SECRET, okay? There is ONE time and ONE time only we want you to bleed - and that is approximately three weeks after we bust a nut in you. Can anyone reading this right now disagree with me?

How is this related to horror, you might ask?

Can you imagine telling your parents at the age of fourteen that not only did you decide to have sex, but that it WORKED?! No? My point is proved.

Listen, now; my favorite thing to do is take situations we all have been in - or could be in - and turn them into what none of us are willing to admit they are; and that is completely fucking terrifying! I have lived that three weeks more than once in my life; and it is scary - REAL scary.

So, listen; this may not make you want to buy my books, and probably will not make you like me or think I am clever. However, it will give you something to think about next time you slide it in, and I think this should be printed out and passed out to Junior High students!
                                       
So, can you take unbelievable fear number two?

2.      You might die! That is correct, my sexual friend; your fandango with lust may have been your last. Somebody thought it would be funny to make one of our natural desires into an invitation to death - and if you look closely, it’s not just sex. Look at the things we need to continue to live. Breathing (air pollution anyone?) Eating (fat-ass Americans, much?) So, we cannot breathe, eat and now we are not allowed to fuck...IS ANYONE PAYING ATTENTION? God is trying to kill us off because we are a mistake! Seriously, no human could have come up with this fucking story!

Want to learn more about the reason why God would want to kill us all and the reason the Devil exists?
My trilogy of books ‘The Family of Dog’ is ALL about exactly that! The first book in the series comes out this Christmas. It’s called ‘The Harvest’ and it talks about how big of a mistake mankind is, and we find out just how far mankind will go when eighteen people sue the devil for their souls back after they are disappointed with the results. Well, let’s just say that the Devil raises Hell, and as a consequence we find out some interesting things about the Bible and the good guy God we never knew...

Listen, you could keep reading this or go have some sloppy fuck fest instead - I say go fuck!

Remember that Pleasures of the Flesh are FUN!
J
Hmm...well everyone will take something else out of that opinionated teaser..LOL..I truely don't think you will cross my mind Jake the next time I decide to get nasty:)  But the book does sound great and so does this one!  Up for grabs, in honor of being a true horror fan is Jake's book, The Pitchfork Diaries.  Take a look..



The Pitchfork Diaries is a collection of short stories and prose unlike anything you have ever read before. Even the darkest and most violent imaginings of your mind cannot come close to matching the horrors contained within.

J.S. Bannerman, a new name in the horror genre, has skilfully woven a collection of tales that will inescapably work their way into your psyche, take up residence and relentlessly haunt you. Prepare yourself to be confronted by words that will threaten to shake the foundation of everything you thought you knew; no truth is too uncomfortable, no thought too gruesome to share.
Just comment and leave an email address where I can reach you if you win and you are entered!
+1 for asking Jake a question just because I'd love to know after reading this, what your thoughts are!!




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