Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Author Spotlight: Angel Payne with a contest!



Hello! I’m Angel…and I have a confession to make. I’m a shameless Kallypso Masters junkie.

Oh yeah…I also do a bit of writing myself. It stems from a lifelong love of reading, from the day I finished my first book, “Ann Likes Red,” at the age of 3. I penned my first full-length “novel,” an 80-page story about a time-traveling family, for a 5th-grade school project. From there, you could say I was hooked. In middle school, I moved to the hardcore stuff: the paragraph-at-a-time “swap-stories” with all my besties. (C’mon…don’t lie…you remember those too!) Needless to say, the stories featured lots of French kissing, mindless groping and angsty drama – but I knew I’d found a niche when I was invited to participate in several more swap-stories on campus.

Some years, various entertainment writing gigs and a half-dozen historical romances later, I discovered the world of erotica – and home. (Not to mention a great place for all that angst I never gave up.) I love this genre – change that to love this genre – and hope my stories speak to your heart as well as your blood pressure, as well as your courage to explore new things and express your truth in beautiful new ways.

And where do I do all this? Well, if you ask my hubz, he’d likely say “on another planet,” especially if I’m in story-brewing mode! The rest of the time, I live in Southern California with him and our gorgeous child, where I’m abnormally interested in travel, coffee, wine, shoes, super heroes, fetish wear, ridiculous pop culture trends – but most of all, hearing from fellow readers and erotica lovers like you!

Remember: play safe, love completely and never, ever be ashamed to live your truth.


Saved By His Submissive 
Available Now!
Coming in July 2013: 
Handcuffed By Her Hero




Thanks so much for the chance to talk about my books! My newest, Saved By His Submissive, has been a real labor of love! 

Here’s the blurb:

Garrett Hawkins is the most valuable asset to his Special Forces unit—because frankly, the guy doesn’t care if he lives or dies anymore. Since the love of his life, Sage Weston, was kidnapped and killed with her medical unit a year ago, Garrett has turned the shell of his soul into the impenetrable armor of a finely-tuned fighting machine. Being the first tapped for the unit’s craziest missions is just fine by him. The less time for memories, and the agony they carve into his soul, the better.

It’s a plan that works—until one night, deep in the jungles of Thailand, Garrett’s world is upended when memories become stunning reality. The unit is called to rescue a group of kidnapped aid workers, only the head count on the retrieval is unexpectedly doubled. Sage and her teammates, believed dead, are very much alive. Only now that Sage is back in his arms, Garrett doesn’t know what to do. He has changed in dramatic and daunting ways, especially in the darker tastes of his passion. If he touches Sage again, he’ll want to claim her, restrain her…dominate her.

Is Sage’s love strong enough to let Garrett back in not only as her fiancĂ©, but her Dominant? Can she trust that visiting the new shadows of his life will lead her to ecstasy and not ruin? Or can it be that Garrett’s discipline is exactly what her own soul needs to find its way back to life—and love—once again?



And now you say you’d like a excerpt? Sure thing!


It was official. Garrett now wanted to put his fist into Archer’s perfect face more than the plane’s wall. He could practically feel Shrink Sally popping up on his shoulder, pen tapping her chin, gently discussing crap like misplaced aggression and sideways control issues. He gave the doc a hard mental shove. After her specter did a header into the box of snack pretzels, he refocused on Runway.

“You want to bring respect into this?” he snarled. “Good. Go ahead. Respect her—from as far the fuck away from her as you can get.” He unfurled his hand from the guy’s shirt. With less decorum, he jerked open the bathroom’s door. “After you’re done fixing your makeup in there, plant your ass in my old seat. I’ll watch over Sergeant Weston from here on in.”

“Yes, sir.”

He ignored the little lip twitch Archer added to that, knowing it would take his ire to places it shouldn’t be. Not that it wasn’t there already. Not that deep inside, he didn’t admit that every note of the guy’s subtext hit the nail on its damn head. Not that he didn’t know he was using protectiveness as an excuse for every emotion he had and every asshole move he made—a pair of lists that seemed to be swelling by the hour.

Sage’s perturbed sigh broadcasted that fact to him as he claimed the seat next to her. But when he twined his hand into hers, she didn’t resist. He waited a minute. Tightened his hold. She shifted a little but didn’t pull away.

He turned and narrowed his eyes at her in curiosity. She kept her eyes fixed on the in-flight movie, her brows quirking at the action on the screen. “I had no idea Stallone could still run that fast.”

He snorted. “Some things haven’t changed.”

She leaned her head back. “I guess not.”

He looked down. “Hands,” he murmured. “Not elbows.”

The corners of her mouth quirked. He was talking about their hold on each other. Usually they twisted themselves together all the way to their elbows. It was a tiny detail she probably thought he’d forgotten.

“I remember.” He said it into her ear. “I remember everything, Sage.” He drew back a little before going on, “I also remember this usually meant I was deep in the doghouse.”

Her lips lifted a little higher. “You have a good memory, Sergeant Hawkins.”

Garrett glowered. “Fine. I was an ass to Archer. I’ll apologize.”

“I’ll give you that,” she countered. “You were a butthead to Ethan.” Her gaze didn’t waver from the small village getting blown up on the overhead screens. Garrett watched the orange and yellow colors reflected in her eyes, though he seriously wondered how many of those fireballs were due to the movie. “But that’s not why you’re in the doghouse, and you know it.”

He forced a deep breath in and back out. “Were you listening when Zeke talked to you, Sage? Didn’t he explain—”

“Yes,” she snapped, “he did. I got the whole Zeke Hayes special rundown, okay? You didn’t go through with it. Fine. I heard him, loud and clear.”

His gut twisted. “But you don’t believe him.”

“No, that’s not—Oh, God!” She huffed, sounding exasperated. “I believe him, Garrett. I do.”

He wondered why his intestines still felt like goddamn knots. “All right. So…what is it?”

She finally jerked her face at him. “What is it?” A snort burst out of her. “Are you honestly asking me that?” She looked nearly ready to punch him. Garrett wished she would have. He wished for anything other than the tears that pooled in her eyes instead. They didn’t just turn her gaze the color of Kryptonite. Her pain was that shitty stuff for him. “You went there in the first place, Garrett.” She pulled in a shaky sigh. “It was a crappy thing to do.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment. In that silence, he lifted his free hand to thumb away her tears from her cheeks. After that, he gave her a quiet nod. “You’re right. And I’m sorry.” Before he continued, he nudged her face up so their stares were entwined again. “But I’m not sorry for why I did it. I meant what I said last night, Sage. I’m going to protect you, even if I have to protect you from me.”

She struggled to shake her head. Her face told him she didn’t understand, but he knew what filled the gaze he gave her in return. Knew it in every corner of his soul, every beat of his heart. He’d only have a few more moments to convey it to her, courtesy of the dress blues rules they were already shattering, but if he got ten violations slammed at him, it’d be worth it. For a year, he’d dreamed of this. For every dream orgasm he’d had with her, there were ten fantasies of this. Of having her near, holding her safe, flooding her with a stare full of his love…

He’d walk through a thousand more slimy jungles for this. He’d throw down his life for this.

If he lost her again, he’d want to be dead, anyway.

I’m now busy at work on the next book in the W.I.L.D. Boys series: Handcuffed By Her Hero. Here’s a little intro:


Between a rock and a hard place.

To Sergeant Zeke Hayes, the expression has always been a non-factor. There's never been a situation he can't blast, punch, negotiate or smart-ass his way out of, which makes him the perfect fit for his Special Forces battalion--and a natural-born Dominant who's satisfied a lot of submissives from Mt. Rainier to Vancouver.

That all changes when Rayna Chestain enters his world.

A rock.

From the moment Z snatches Rayna from the lair of a South Asian slave trafficker, his inner grizzly roars to life with protective intensity. Huge problem. Z isn't wired to be a one-woman man. Growing up an orphan on the streets of Seattle has taught him that beyond a few hours in a dungeon, trust means disappointment and love leads to agony. But here he is, in the remote wilderness escape he'd promised not to share with anyone, harboring Rayna from a fiend who won't stop until her dead heart is in his grip. Zeke will stop at nothing to keep Rayna safe, even asking his SF brothers to join him in the fight to hold his fortress secure.

A hard place.

Sheltering Rayna? Z's never done anything more right in his life. But desiring her? Dreaming of her body beneath him, cuffed and bound for his domination? It's the most forbidden fruit he can crave. But like biting the world's most sinful apple, surrendering will mean giving up his soul...a soul he's not sure he has anymore. Rayna doesn't ease his conflict when she submits to his touch with breathtaking beauty, and wears his cuffs like she was born to be his. But can he be the hero she needs? The dominant she deserves?

A new beginning?

When fate intervenes with a terrifying twist, Zeke and Rayna are forced to face their truths without a grace period. Can Rayna leave the security of Z's cuffs, and become the woman who moves the mountain of his bitterness? Can Zeke unlock himself from the glacier of being simply her hero...and become her real-life man?

Buy the book!




Connect with Angel:

@AngelPayneWrtr

Contest Information:

Add a comment about your favorite “sinful surrender,” and win a chance to get a free e-copy of SAVED BY HIS SUBMISSIVE, as well as a $10 Amazon gift card! Comment below with your email to enter.

Monday, March 25, 2013

VBT ~ Offside by Bianca Sommerland



The Perfect Dom

The Perfect Dom.... doesn’t exist. Thanks for coming, it’s been fun!

No, seriously, before I get into the topic, I want to thank Kally for having me. Her invitation to write whatever I wanted—no holds barred, be naughty!—had me rubbing my hands together and laughing like Gargamel from the Smurfs. Scared my kids a little, but I’ll leave that story for another time! ;)

All right, so I love Doms—and Dommes, but I’ll stick with ‘he’ to keep things simple. I love the little frisson of pleasure I get when a command from one of my Doms comes from the place in my head where they reside, and goes straight to my fingertips and appears onscreen. Like these:

(Dominik Mason—Team enforcer—hero from Book 1):

Dominik's fingers tightened around the nape of her neck. "When I give commands, you'll obey."  

Or this from Dean Richter (The Cobra’s general manager—hero from Book 2):

"I want you naked. Physically. Mentally." He curved his hand around her throat with just enough pressure to open her eyes and quicken her pulse. "Don't try to hide from me, Silver. I won't allow it."

Last example, Sebastian Ramos (Defenseman—hero from Book 3) dealing with Luke Carter (Left Winger—hero from Book 3):

"You will do as I say, Luke." A swift motion and Seb had his hand in Luke's hair, jerking his
head back painfully, his dark eyes narrow as he leaned down. "We can start with a kiss."

Luke twisted and winced. The man wasn't letting go. "I'd rather suck your dick."

Seb smiled. "Well, I am willing to negotiate."

Something about these men, in these situations, makes me feel like if they were my real Doms (plural on purpose! <g>) I would never disobey. I would be a good little subbie and trust that each and every command would be for my own good. And every scenario would end in hot, toe-curling, mind-numbing, drippy girlie-bit sex.

The thing is, a story isn’t made up of those moments alone. And neither is life. No matter how well a Dom can read a sub in a scene, realistically, he’ll sometimes miss things. Day to day life isn’t set up like a scene, with all the different possible outcomes carefully planned for. This has been said before, but I think it’s worth repeating. Doms are people to. They have bad days. They make mistakes.

In OFFSIDE, I was given an opportunity to see how an amazing man, an experienced Dom, and wonderful lover, could be less than perfect without making him any less dreamy!  

This scene between Zach and Becky made me smile. Because love doesn’t stem from perfection. It grow in raw earth, full of rocks, fertilizer, with strong roots that can fight off the stranglehold of weeds. Fragile things grow in perfectly manicured gardens, but the flowers that bloom year after year are made of tougher stuff.

As is a love worth holding on to:

“What is it, Zach? I’m in a bit of a hurry. I can’t very well go represent the team like this.” She gestured to the rumpled jeans and t-shirt, utterly disgusted with herself now. This wasn’t like her. Running late, dressed all wrong, completely frazzled. I’m too old for this!

But then Zach looked at her, with his pale green eyes telling her, before he said the words, how sorry he was. “You’re right. I screwed up and I had no right to make that decision for you. This isn’t how I want things to be between us. I want us to fit into one another’s lives, not complicate them. I’m sorry.”

Damn it. If he’d done the typical man thing, apologizing just to shut her up, she could have walked out that door without looking back. But he meant every single word. She shook her head, fighting to hold back a smile. How could she stay mad at him?

“I forgive you.” She patted his scruffy cheek, then rose up on her tiptoes for a quick kiss. “Just don’t do it again.”

He chuckled, hooking his finger to the back of her jeans before she could skirt away. “One thing first.”

“Yes?”

His breath on the back of her neck stirred all the tiny hairs. His low voice in her ear made her breath catch. “You’re fucking sexy when you’re all worked up.”

She swallowed, suddenly not sure she really wanted to rush out. “I really shouldn’t be shouting at my Dom.”

“Ah, but it’s allowed when your Dom’s being an idiot.”

**happy sigh** See, this is a Dom, a MAN, I could see myself falling in love with. Not a perfect Dom who can do no wrong, because the way I see it, if he can do no wrong than I am the only one making mistakes. I’d have to be the perfect sub and that doesn’t appeal to me at all.

To me, the ‘Perfect Dom’ is considerate, loving, understanding, and attentive. He is all the things you’d want from any man worth spending your life with. Neither his flaws, nor yours, make what you have any less precious. During play you kneel to him, you surrender. But in everything else, you are the woman he needs by his side.

Even when he fucks up. ;)

And so begins the OFFSIDE Blog Tour! Again, a big thank you to Kally for helping me kick off this month long event! I’m so excited to share this book with you all. To celebrate, I’ve put together some awesome prizes, including either a copy of the Dartmouth Cobras Box Set (which includes the first three Cobra books for those who haven’t read them) or a copy of OFFSIDE (The Dartmouth Cobras #4). Comment for your chance to win!



Blurb: 

A pace ahead of the play can send you back to the start. And put everything you’ve worked for at risk.

Single mother and submissive Rebecca Bower abandoned her career as a sports reporter to become a media consultant with her brother’s hockey team. A failed marriage to a selfish man makes her wary of getting involved with another. Unfortunately, chemistry is hard to deny, and all her hormones are dancing when she gets close to the Cobra’s sniper, Scott Demyan.

Zachary Pearce ‘came out’ to the world last season to shift attention away from a teammate. And his one night with Scott Demyan had been unsettling. There could be more there, if only Scott was a different person. Instead, a night of sensual BDSM play with Becky leaves him wanting more, but she thinks he’s gay and questions his interest. It’s been a long time since a woman has attracted him both as a man and a Dom, and he’ll do everything in his power to prove she’s the only one he needs. Or wants. His one time with Scott was a mistake.

Scott might have forgotten what happened in his childhood, but the effects linger, and he specializes in drunken one-night stands…until he meets Zach and Becky and sees what he’s missing. But neither one believes Scott can be faithful. Although he’s trying hard to clean up his act to avoid getting kicked off the team, they want more from him. He’s willing to make changes, but the most important one—putting their happiness before his own—means he’ll probably end up alone.

Excerpt:

“Good. Then shall we start? Do you understand what I expect from you?”
“Don’t move. Don’t speak unless for clarity or to safeword.”
“Excellent.” He gave her a slanted smile, then slowly circled the table, his hand moving in an outline of her body without touching her. “That dress looks lovely on you.”
“Thank you.” She groaned when he clucked his tongue. “Sorry, Sir.”
“Do you often have difficulty submitting?”
She shook her head.
“Hmm. I see.” He stopped by her side. Drew his finger up her arm from her inner wrist to her elbow. She twitched. Clenched her fists. “But you are finding it difficult to obey me?”
“No, Sir.”
“Neither safeword or clarification.” He smoothed his hand over her cheek. “All the Doms you’ve been with haven’t asked for much, have they? No don’t answer.” His tone was rough, but not with anger. More . . . carefully restrained. “I’d love to push you. Challenge you. But not yet. First you have to prove you can handle this.”
She almost said, ‘I can’, but then remembered she wasn’t supposed to say anything. The restrictions suddenly felt more imposing than any gag or restraint. She settled into the sensation, relaxing because giving him what he’d asked for was really, very simple. No guesswork involved.
The approval in his eyes was like a bright golden star bursting in the center of her chest. She inhaled deep and held her breath, waiting to see what he’d do next.
He circled the table again, stopping at her other side. Hooking his fingers to the thick straps of her dress above her shoulders, he pulled it down, moving her as he pleased, taking one arm, then the other until both were free of the dress. Only the neckline covered her breasts as he placed her arms. Her nipples tightened into sensitive little points as she waited for him to expose them, but instead he walked to the end of the table and traced his fingertips down the soles of her feet.
A giggle escaped her, and she squirmed as he did it again.
“Be still.”
And again. It tickled, but she pressed her eyes shut, ground her teeth, and fought not to move. His hand curved around her feet and she bit back a groan as he pressed his thumbs into her soles. He stroked, massaged, then tickled, alternating until the pleasure edged on torture. Yet, somehow, she kept still. Sank into a place where all that mattered was his touch. As it moved up to her calves, she sank even deeper, responding to his slow, even breaths, to his soft praise. She needed to know she had it in her to please him. To be everything he needed and wanted by doing nothing but what came naturally.
“I was right. You are precious.” He kissed her bare shoulder, then rolled the material of her dress down over her breasts. “This isn’t just sex for you. It’s so much more.”
“Yes.” She absorbed the satisfaction in his tone like earth after a drought soaked in rain. She knew she shouldn’t speak, but she had to make sure he wasn’t just doing this for her. “Am I . . . do I make you happy?”
“More than I can say.” He lowered his head to her breasts, resting his forehead between them. He kissed the side of one breast and she shivered. The sensation was both tender and erotic. Lingering, building as he kissed his way up to her nipple. “Don’t forget what I’ve asked of you.”
Don’t move.
Pleasure speared her as he sucked her nipple into his mouth. Her eyes teared as she struggled not to arch up. As she pressed her lips together.
“No man or woman has pleased me as much as you have.”
He pinched her nipple between his finger and thumb as he sucked the other.
“I won’t be easy on you, little doe.”
He shifted down her body, drawing the hem of her dress up over her hips, over her belly, kissing the exposed flesh as he worked his way down.
“But if you are mine . . . .”
His fingers traced the edge of her panties, along the sides of her pussy lips, close to where the material had grown damp. He bit down just above the slight swell of her stomach, rubbing her panties into her clit.
  “I will give you what no one else can.”
The muscles in her thighs tensed. Pleasures curled up in her core, sizzling like a live wire in a shallow pool, electricity zipping across the surface.
“Come for me, little doe. Lose yourself. Give up control. It belongs to me.”

* * * *

For more of the Dartmouth Cobras, visit their website: www.TheDartmouthCobras.com
Author's website: www.Im-No-Angel.com
Twitter: @BSommerland
Facebook: I'm No Angel
The Dartmouth Cobras Box Set: http://amzn.com/B00BMU0EIA
Game Misconduct (The Dartmouth Cobras #1): http://amzn.com/B00772HW1O
Defensive Zone (The Dartmouth Cobras #2): http://amzn.com/B0085WDNMW
Breakaway (The Dartmouth Cobras #3): http://amzn.com/B009M7FSLS



Offside Blog Tour Schedule 


3/25 Kallypso Master
3/28 Mama Kitty
3/29 Mary’s Naughty Whispers
4/1 We Love Kink
4/2 Illustrious Illusions
4/3 Siobhan Muir Blogspot
4/5 Love of Bookends/ You Gotta Read Reviews
4/8 Romance Book Craze
4/9 Tattoo Book Review
4/10 Angel Payne Writes
4/11 Shayna Renee’s Spicy Read
4/12 Jeep Diva
4/15 Alannah Lynne
4/16 Cocktails and Books
4/17 Reviews by Tammy and Kim, Under the Covers Book Review
4/19 Lincoln Loft Book Store
4/22 Twinsie Talk, Coffee Time Romance
4/24 Way Too Hot Reviews
4/25 RomFan Reviews


Comment below and fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win and don't forget to check out the rest of the stops in the tour!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Author Spotlight: JM Madden



Today I would like to welcome Author JM Madden.

BIO: 

Terminally addicted to romances, thanks to finding her aunt's stash of 'Harlequin Presents' years ago during a sleepover, J.M. Madden loves any and all good love stories. Most particularly her own. She has two beautiful children and a husband who always keeps her on her toes.
J.M. was a Deputy Sheriff in Ohio for nine years, until hubby moved the clan to Kentucky. When not chasing the family around, she's at the computer, reading and writing, trying to perfect her craft. She occasionally takes breaks to feed her animal horde, and is trying to control her office-supply addiction, but both tasks are uphill battles. Happily, she is writing full-time now. She always has several projects in the works and loves to hear from readers.


The Embattled Road and Embattled Hearts




BLURB:

The Embattled Road- Is the harrowing prequel to The Lost and Found series, three embattled Marines must deal with their devastating physical and emotional injuries in a world that seems to have turned against them. 
When the rescue helicopter crashes into his convoy in Iraq, Marine First Sergeant Duncan Wilde struggles with the loss of men, his career and the use of his body. Things can't get much worse. Until his fiancée decides she has to move on with her life, and that of her unborn child by another man.
Sergeant Chad Lowell knew when he went to war that it would come with a price. And it did. A young Marine under his command is killed by a landmine. Chad's left with one less leg and a mountain of recriminations. That doesn't mean he wants to be a pitied by every female he comes in contact with.
Gunnery Sergeant John Palmer is furious at the hand he's been dealt. He's served his country faithfully, if not without antagonism, for many years. Now they're turning him out like a relative who has overstayed his welcome. And, since he's not even a real man anymore, maybe it is time to move on permanently. 

Can these wounded warriors use a friendship borne out of adversity to form a partnership rescuing others? And can they find real love in spite of their challenges?


EXCERPT:


Grinning, Dodd chambered a round and turned to follow the group, who was disappearing over a knoll. They picked up their pace to a jog, Dodd looping around a rock.
“Dodd, follow…”
the footprints.
Chad’s world went supernova. Blazing heat seared his body, blinding him, and he went spinning through the air. He landed on his pack and floundered, trying to find up. His brain blanked out. Adrenaline pumped through his body and he managed to pull his weapon around, even though he couldn’t see a damn thing. His eyes refused to focus.
He heard voices to the right of him, and it sounded like a group of men. He brought his weapon to his shoulder but couldn’t find a target.
First Sergeant Wilde’s voice broke through the melee. “It’s just us, buddy. I’ve got your weapon, Chad. Let go, buddy.”
He didn’t want to let go. That weapon was his life and death. He slept with it, kept it in the latrine beside him. First Sergeant was asking for it, though, and of all the men in the unit, he trusted him the most. The weight of the M16 left his arm.
The world was slowly coming back into focus, and there were a ring of faces hovering over him. Warmth was spreading across his lower legs. It felt like there was wool in his ears. The feeling was similar to the aftereffects of a hard shoot when he didn’t use his hearing protection.
“I need a tourniquet above that knee!”
Nothing on earth could make a grunt focus like those words. “What…tourniquet? Wait…” He rolled his head forward enough to try to focus on his legs, but all he saw was a blur of gore. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck no. That much red couldn’t be good. Panic clutched at his insides. He reached out to his friend.
Rough hands released Velcro and buckles, pulling his pack away, and he dropped flat to the ground. His helmet thumped against a rock, but it didn’t really bother him. The heat that was licking up his legs and rolling up his left side was bothering him more. He shifted on the ground, trying to get away from the burning, but it followed him, making him grit his teeth. “First Sergeant, what’s going on?”
Duncan’s rough face leaned over his own, making solid eye contact. “Chad, you got issues, buddy. Dodd stepped on a mine. Your left leg’s a mess, but we’re taking care of you. Medevac’s on its way, but it’ll be a few minutes.”
Chad fought to untangle the words and keep focus on the face above. “Fuck. My legs?”
First Sergeant nodded. “Looks like just one, though. The side that was closest to Dodd. Your other one looks good.”
“Are my nuts still there?”
First Sergeant grinned at him. “Well, I’m not going in to check, but from the outside it looks like you lucked out. You’ve still got your nuts.”
Chad allowed himself to relax back against the ground. There were two sharp pinches in his arms, and the roaring heat on his left side kind of started to ease. The sunlight straight up above was hard to look at, so he rocked his head to the side.
Dodd’s young face was surprisingly clean considering the mess the rest of him was in. His eyes stared unseeingly. Chad knew that wasn’t good. “You guys take care of him.”
There was a warm, soft wave blocking the blaze of pain from his side as it was tugged him into sleep. With a sigh, he let his worries fall away.
The next time he opened his eyes, he was in the hold of a Medevac. His stomach somersaulted as they surged into the air.


BLURB:

Embattled Hearts- John Palmer hasn’t felt like a real man since he was injured during combat in Iraq. Though not content with his new life, he is mostly adapting, just like the other vets at the Lost ‘N’ Found Investigative Service. When Shannon Murphy is hired on as the new office manager, life suddenly gets a lot more interesting. Before long, John finds himself wondering if he could ever be the kind of man Shannon needs.
Shannon Murphy wasn’t really looking for love when she hired on at LNF, but finds herself hopelessly attracted to the sex-on-wheels former Marine, John Palmer. The man is grumpy and nearly impossible to work with, but his brand of masculinity appeals to her on a basic level. Soon Shannon is wondering just what it would take for John to want her the way she wants him.
When an old enemy tries to settle a vendetta against Shannon, John insists on protecting her. He moves into her house, fanning the spark of attraction into a blaze. But the danger continues to escalate. Will the connection that they’ve found survive when they’re thrust into a fight for their lives?



EXCERPT:

John watched Shannon leave regretfully. It made him uncomfortable to know she was irritated with him and not do anything to explain. But there was nothing he could say to exonerate himself. Roger had stoked his jealousy, plain and simple. Stoked it to where it was a roaring blaze of anger. But the anger was at himself, not Shannon or Roger.
He should have approached her with the bracelet differently, so that she understood it was work and not personal. Roger had punched him in the arm as soon as she was out of earshot. “You dumb shit. You just made that girl think she meant something to you, then ripped her down. You need to get your head out of your ass before somebody steps in with a real offer.”
As much as he hated to admit it, the other man was right. Shannon was a fantastic woman. And she reacted to Roger as if he were her best friend in the world. He didn’t blame Shannon for responding that way. The man was likeable. He blamed himself for not making an effort to even try to be personable.
Shannon had to think he was a total ass. And it was his own damn fault.
It wasn’t as if she would seriously consider you for an option, but damn, dude. Show some sense. Don’t alienate her for no reason.
As he rolled up to the monitors, his gaze zeroed in on her form lying in the bed. The blue satin comforter was pulled up and tucked beneath her arms. She was crazy hot, in a simple white flannel nightgown. And she looked to be already asleep. What he wouldn’t give to be in that bed with her.

BUY LINKS:



CONTACT JM 

Blog 
Twitter- @authorjmmadden


Thursday, March 7, 2013

Virtual Signing Extended through Monday, March 11!


I'm back from my 10-day tour of Texas (and met SO many wonderful readers like this lovely lady, Debbie!). But it came to my attention in conversations with them that MANY readers have no clue what my "virtual" book signing is all about. (Don't feel bad--I didn't know what one was either, until my assistant Leagh told me about the ones J.R. Ward and Donna Grant do and I decided I just must do one, too!) 

While the initial dates for my signing have expired, I've decided to extend it through Monday, March 11, so that no one who wants a PERSONALIZED signed copy of any of my books mailed to them (anywhere it's allowed in the world) will miss out. Other than at live personal appearances and signings, I won't be signing personalized copies again from online orders until Somebody's Angel comes out in paperback, which probably won't be until fall 2013. 

I have a full Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document at my virtual signing page, but some of the info is out-dated now. Still, you can check it out here: full FAQ at my Virtual Signing Web site. Here are a couple Q&As, though (slightly edited):


What is a Virtual Signing?
A virtual signing is a way for you to get a personalized signed copy of a Rescue Me book when you are unable to attend any of Kallypso Masters’s in-person signings or just don't want to wait for one of those. You will order the book using the order form on this page at Kally's Web site, indicate how you would like the book inscribed, and then Kally will sign and ship it out to you as soon as possible. (Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery of your copy due to Kally's travel and writing schedule--and your location.)

If I miss this virtual signing, will there be another?
Yes, Kally probably will accept online orders for personalized signed books twice a year. Unlike some authors, because she's self-published and her books are print-on-demand, Kally can make ALL of her books available during each virtual signing--not just the latest release. The next virtual signing won't be scheduled until a new trade paperback is released (anticipated to be about 3-4 months after the e-book version of that book is released).

Be sure to check Kally's personal appearances schedule to see if she'll be doing an in-person signing near you this year, though. The schedule is always changing because she also loves to travel and to meet readers face-to-face!

For those who want a signed copy without personal inscription, she will be opening her Kally Swag online store in late March 2013, accessed via a link on her Web site. In addition to apparel and paper swag items, she'll also make available generically inscribed, signed copies of her available paperback books there.

Virtual Signing Extended to Monday, March 11!

So, if you'd like me to inscribe a book to you OR to a friend or family member, just fill out the order form, submit your payment (or request an invoice for international and large orders), and I'll get the books signed and sent as soon as possible. You'll probably have the book in under four weeks because it looks like my supplies of books on hand will hold out.  

Now, back to work on Somebody's Angel! I got past the 50,000-word point last night. Hope to get to the halfway point within the next couple weeks!