All posts by aftermidnightfantasies

Shayla Black, Uncategorized

BOUND AND DETERMINED

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I’m thrilled that on Tuesday, March 3, one of my favorite books will re-release in trade paperback: BOUND AND DETERMINED. Let me give you the 411…then a little story to go along with it.

Berkley HEAT
ISBN-10: 0425226905
ISBN-13: 978-0425226902
Genre: Sexy Contemporary Romance
Re-release Date: March 3, 2009

WANTED FOR KIDNAPPING: A bubbly blonde with a penchant for trouble. May be armed (with good intentions) and dangerously seductive…

Kerry Sullivan is running out of time-and patience. With her brother wrongfully accused of embezzling millions, she can’t face one more humiliating hang-up from the man she’s begging for help. Rafael Dawson may be one of the top electronic security experts in the country — and the only man who can prove her brother’s innocence — but his phone manners are appalling. Damn Yankee. Too bad kidnapping the man isn’t an option. Or is it?

There’s nothing Kerry wouldn’t do for her brother. There are lots of things she longs to do to Rafe Dawson when he’s lying tied-up and naked in her secret hideaway. Rafe is certainly something to look at, but Kerry’s brother’s life is riding on her pulling off the impossible: getting this man who’s always in control to lose it. But when the tables get turned, Kerry finds herself at Rafe’s mercy. And the only way to get her way is to let him have his way — with her…

Click here to read an excerpt.

REVIEWS:

***Top Pick***
“Shelley Bradley has outdone herself with this highly entertaining read. Falling in love should be so much fun!” — Romantic Times Magazine

“BOUND AND DETERMINED is steamier than a Florida night, with characters who will keep you laughing and have you panting for more!”
— New York Times Bestselling Author Susan Johnson

“A searing, frolicking adventure of suspense, love and passion…A must read!”
— New York Times Bestselling author Lora Leigh

“Plenty of chick-lit wit… In BOUND AND DETERMINED, much sexy fun is had by all.”
— New York Times Bestselling Author Angela Knight

“BOUND AND DETERMINED is a flawless story that grips a reader from page one and doesn’t let up… Ms. Bradley’s imaginative storylines and irresistible characters keep her readers coming back for more… Don’t miss it!”
— Road to Romance

“BOUND AND DETERMINED had me laughing out loud one minute and reaching for a glass of ice water the next… a definite Perfect 10.”
— Romance Reviews Today

“This fast paced romantic adventure will take you on the hottest ride of your life.”
— Coffee Time Romance Reviews

“You simply won’t want to put BOUND AND DETERMINED down once you turn over the first page. Ms. Bradley simply shines… A fabulous book I’m not likely to forget in a hurry.”
— Aggie, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Okay, so now for the story I promised. Notice I said re-release… The new cover and the review quotes above should give you some idea that this book is sexy, maybe even erotic. Definitely not your grandmother’s Harlequin. (And must say here, I’m not dissing Harlequin at all, but this isn’t something they would have published back in the day…) So imagine my horror when the book was first released in 2006 with this cover:

What????

Nothing about this says sexy suspense with a wicked edge of humor. Not one thing. When I pointed this out to my editor at the time, she said, “We think this is very sexy.” Really? Have you been living under a rock?

I unaffectionately began calling this cover “Virgin Barbie and Guido go to the Prom”. *sigh* I’ve heard complaints that this heroine looked 12, but I pictured her much this way. No, my major complaint is him and his…attire. That guy isn’t bad looking, but he’s not Rafe. And Rafe would NEVER, EVER wear that shirt or the “pimp chain” many others pointed out.

This time, when Berkley decided to re-release the book…I got to pick the cover. Thank goodness. So, just like the book itself, its cover has a story that finally ends happily. Oh, and part deux, as my husband likes to call it, STRIP SEARCH re-releases, again with a MUCH improved cover, in July. I can’t wait.

Contests, Covers, Lauren

Relentless ARC Contest!

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Video thumbnail. Click to play
Click to Play
Book Video for Lauren Dane’s upcoming Berkley Heat title RELENTLESS releasing May 5

You can read excerpts and advance reviews at my website.

In this erotic universe, passion knows no rank…

Since the first settlers came through the portals from Earth, fifteen Families have held the rule of the Federated Universes in their hands. There’s never been a better time than now to throw out the old and usher in a new order. Give voice to the unranked. Abbie Haws has spent her life battling the system. A fighter, she’s always been too busy and driven to pay much attention to finding love. But when she’s granted audience with Roman Lyons, the head of House Lyons, who stands for everything she hates, her instant attraction catches Abbie off-guard…

It’s common knowledge that the Known Universe revolves around Ravena—and that Ravena revolves around Roman Lyons, bred to lead since birth. Roman dreads his meeting with a defiant—if stunning—rabble-rouser. But, sometimes, headstrong personalities in the conference room make for hot-and-heavy, guilty trysts in private….

Now, Abbie will show Roman the parts of her world he wouldn’t otherwise get to see. And he’ll give her a glimpse of the Families’ age old tradition and unleash a sexuality he’d never given rein to before.

Now On To The Contest Details!!

This is an ARC contest for my upcoming Heat release, Relentless. The intent of an ARC is to get readers and reviewers talking about the book – so essentially what I’m asking people to do is talk about the book – review it at your blog or at your reader group or review site between April and May 5, when the book releases.

The winners just send the link with their review and agree let me quote it at my blog and website (with proper attribution, natch). I don’t require that you like the book although I hope you do!

THE RULES (please read carefully) All you need to do to enter is reply to this post and tell me where you’d be talking about the book if you win (urls are always helpful if you mean your blog!). I’ve got a limited amount of ARCS so I’ll choose winners based on that supply. I also have a limited number of electronic ARCs so if you’d be willing to read and review an electronic ARC, say so in the comments

I’ll announce the winners by Noon March 1 at my main blog and contact winners off list – please include an email so I can notify you and get your mailing address!

Good Luck!!

(BTW, I’ve received two new covers for upcoming books – you can check em out at my main blog!)

Ashleigh Raine, Covers, This and That

So much

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There’s so much going on right now that I can hardly believe it’s been a month since my last blog post. Lisa and I got and finished our edits on Forsaken Talisman, and now it’s off to the final line editor. Phew! That’s such a great feeling.  This book is so much different–so much better–than the original version that released five years ago. It’s still Dusty and Skylar’s love story, but we really developed the story and their romance beyond the original–developed so much more that we added 20,000 words to the story. It’s coming out April 3 from Samhain Publishing. And I absolutely love, love, love the cover.

Forsaken Talisman by Ashleigh Raine
Forsaken Talisman by Ashleigh Raine

It’s a perfect representation of the heroine and the book, really. I get chills when I look at it.

What else has happened over the last month? Well, it’s been a strange month. Things keep breaking. I’ve had to replace my son’s computer, have my dryer fixed, and just one hour ago my oven died. I’ll be calling a repairman tomorrow–the oven came new with my house, and I’ve only lived here 4 1/2 years, so darn it, that shouldn’t be breaking too.  Do things in the home break in threes, like celebrities die in threes? I hope this is it. I’m waving the white flag of surrender, and offering up prayers to the gods of appliances that this is it. That I will be good to all my appliances in the future, cleaning them properly and offering them appropriate thank yous for taking care of me.

On the writing front, Lisa and I are hard at work on our demon novella. It’s loosely tied to our Talisman Bay series, and we’re having a fantastic time with it. We spent time on the phone today ironing out a few kinks we hadn’t figured out yet, and the story just clicked in that moment. It became real. This is the point where the book usually writes itself–at least until we hit another kink, but for now, I’m enjoying the flow.

Oh, and totally off-topic, but I want to share because I’m totally proud and excited for her, Lisa started her own business making jewelry and purses. If you’re interested in fun and gorgeous handmade goodies–she never makes any two alike–you should check out her two online shops.

http://rinaslayter.etsy.com

http://twilightsfancy.artfire.com

I swear I’m one of her biggest fans. I want every necklace she makes and every purse she sews.

Oh, it’s started snowing again! I’m going to go outside and spend a few minutes enjoying the snow coming down. I’ll catch up with you all next month!

Shiloh Walker, Uncategorized

Heard a cool quote on the radio

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cross posted from my personal blog

Heading back from Ohio last night, I heard a cool quote on the radio. Can’t remember exactly WHO said it, or how it was worded…but the basic idea was…

IMAGE IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHARACTER.

The guy was talking about how much focus western civilization puts on the ‘ideal’.
Women must be a size six or under to be considered the ‘normal’ ideal of beautiful, or at least that’s what media leads us to believe. Men must be ripped, buff, big and tall to be consider sexy.

To both of those ideas, I say bull. Beauty is more than skin deep. Sexy goes way deeper than looks. Looks can help…but if the guy is a jerk, his sex appeal drops so quickly, it would make the stock market look like it’s sitting pretty. If a woman is beautiful, but shallow and cruel, she’s not really all the beautiful to me.

Image, in the long run, doesn’t matter all that much. Because it doesn’t last. Decency, strength of character, compassion, honor… those things matter.

IMAGE IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHARACTER.

That quote just really stuck with me, and I wanted to share.

Shiloh Walker

FRAGILE…releases 2.3.09

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EXCERPT

“I’ve got enough complications just with my day to day life, Luke. I’ve got a bad feeling you’re a complication I don’t need.”

“Actually,” he murmured, catching her hand and lifted it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to the inside of her palm and watched her from under his lashes. “I think I’m exactly the kind of complication you do need.”

A slow, almost reluctant smile curved her lips. “You’re pretty damn full of yourself,” she said quietly.

Luke shrugged. “Not so much. I just know what I see. You’ve got sad eyes, Devon. You look like a woman who spends way too much time alone. You look like a woman who doesn’t smile enough. Whatever is complicating your life, it isn’t making you happy.”

She eased away and the caution he’d been waiting for finally appeared, darkening her eyes. “Complications aren’t there to make you happy.”

“The good ones should. Not every complication has to be the bad kind,” he murmured. Some of her hair had slipped free from her clip and Luke reached up, caught one thick lock. It was every bit as soft as he’d thought it would be and it curled around his fingers. He wanted to pull that clip out of her hair and see all those long curls fall around her shoulders and her back-wanted to see her naked with all that hair spread out on his pillow. But he just rubbed the curl between his fingers and watched her face. “Sometimes the best things in life come from complications.”

“Really?” Devon asked, smirking. “All the complications I’ve had in my life had pretty much sucked. I haven’t yet had one bring me much of anything but trouble or grief.” Her voice was flat and vacant, her eyes little more than a void.

His heart clenched inside his chest. “Then give me a chance to show just how much fun a complication can be,” he said, keeping his voice light and easy. “Let me show you I’m really not an asshole.”

It was sheer stupidity that made her agree. It had to be. Because Devon couldn’t think of any other reason she would grudgingly say okay. Or any other reason she’d give him her phone number.

She started digging in her purse, looking for the black day planner she carried around for notes, reminders and her million appointments. But it wasn’t in there. Weird… That organizer went everywhere with her. Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, she said, “I can’t find anything to write on. You got a piece of paper?”

“No. But I don’t need it. Just tell me.”

Feeling just a little snarky, she thought spitefully, That works. With any luck, you’ll lose it. But as she repeated her number, she had a feeling she’d be hearing from him.

Very soon.

Yet as disgruntled as she was, when he dipped his head to kiss her again, she felt her heart skip a beat or two. When he traced the outline of her lips with his tongue, it skipped a few more beats. As Luke deepened the kiss, slanting his mouth over hers and pushing his tongue inside her mouth, she thought her heart just might stop altogether.

Then he put his hands on her. Gently. One resting on the curve of her waist, the other cupping the back of her head and her heart went into overtime, slamming away merrily within her chest. The taste of him, the feel of him, the strength and the warmth…damn, she’d gone so many years without this and never thought she was missing out on all that much.

She’d been wrong.

Easing a little closer, she opened her mouth a little wider and leaned into him. His body was long, muscled and lanky. Restless, she circled her hips against his. Something powerful, demanding, moved through her. She dug her fingers into his arms-

And then he was gone, pulling away so abruptly, she wobbled a little, hot, hungry and off balance. Her head buzzed from the heat of him, the taste of him. Blinking, she looked at him.

He reached up, brushed his fingers over her lips and then turned her around, nudged her to her car. “I’ll call you,” he murmured against her ear.

A little dazed, she climbed into her car and ending up sitting there for a good five minutes. Devon might have sat there even longer if she hadn’t glanced out the window and saw him standing under a streetlight five feet away, watching her.

Shoving her key into the ignition, she started the car and pulled away without looking at him again. Of course, it didn’t matter if she looked at him again or not-the sight of him, how he’d looked at her, his eyes hungry, intent, it was imprinted on her memory.

Just like the taste of him.

Just like the feel of him.

“A complication…” She mumbled as she hit the highway and headed home.

You can read another excerpt at my site.

Excerpt.

Shayla Black, Uncategorized

Happy Birthday to Me

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So it’s that day of the year I get to celebrate being a year older. Whopee… 🙄 But as my dad says, “You want to be another year older or you want the pine box?” Okay, put like that, another year older sounds great. 😆

As a birthday present, the lovely people at Amazon.com have made my second Doomsday Brethren title, SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW, available for pre-order! The book is out September 29, but you can make sure you don’t miss the next adventure now! If you haven’t started the series yet, TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS, the first of the Doomsday Brethren titles, is out now!

Other than that, I’ll be writing today. Still trying to finish Doomsday Brethren 3, POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT. And I’ll be sticking near my phone. My father-in-law has been in critical condition for nearly a week. I’m hoping we see improvement soon, but every day seems to be something different. Then tonight, looks like we’ll be going to the local hibachi place for dinner. Weather is nasty today, so we’ll just have to see.

In the meantime, here’s a little something I can share with you. Enjoy!

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Covers, Lauren

A Month's Worth of News!

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So insanely busy right now, but all for a very good reason!

I got my cover for my August Berkley Heat release – Laid Bare

Coming August 4 from Berkley Heat

Unexpected Desire…

It’s been ten years since clean-cut, sexy-as-hell police officer Todd Keenan had a white-hot fling with Erin Brown, the provocative, wild rocker chick next door. Their power exchange in the bedroom got under his skin. But love wasn’t in the cards just yet…

Now, life has thrown the pair back together. But picking up where they left off is tough, in light of a painful event from Erin’s past. As Todd struggles to earn her trust, their relationship takes an unexpected and exciting turn when Todd’s best friend, Ben, ends up in their bed—and all three are quite satisfied in this relationship without a name. As the passion they share transforms Erin, will it be enough to help her face the evil she thought she had left behind?

I’m totally over the moon about this cover!

And this from Publisher’s Marketplace from last week:

FICTION: WOMEN’S/ROMANCE
Lauren Dane’s untitled sequel to the author’s upcoming title, Laid Bare, to Leis Pederson at Berkley Heat, in a nice deal, for publication in January 2010, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

So lots of good news. I’m writing this book right now, doing copy edits for Laid Bare and working on first round edits for Always for Samhain and my next chapter for No Reservations so I’m crazy insane, still…productive and grateful.

ebooks, Excerpts, New Releases, Shiloh Walker

Being Lazy…excerpt-PLAYING FOR KEEPS

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Okay, so I’ve got a million things I need to get done today…like on, say a visit to the accoutant.  Just to check a few things, not the REAL visit, not yet.

Still, my brain freezes when somebody says that word, when I have to go see one.  Taking my frozen brain into account, instead of thinking up something really witty to say, I’m just going to post an excerpt from the ebook that came out yesterday..hope you enjoy!

The ebook is now available from Samhain~ more than likely this will go into print at some point, just not sure when.

Word of warning…this is definitely one of my more erotic romance, however it’s also got some tear-jerker moments.

Continue reading Being Lazy…excerpt-PLAYING FOR KEEPS →

Ashleigh Raine, This and That

New Year, Fresh Start

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Did you hear cheers and hollers on December 28? That wasn’t New Year’s celebrations starting early. That was Lisa and I celebrating sending our book off to our editor. After many delays–all our fault–we finally finished our book, and what a relief it was. We were able to celebrate the New Year in style, knowing that come 2009 we were going to be starting a brand-new project.

I love those words. Brand-new project. They encompass so many possibilities. There’s a certain amount of freedom–and yes, fear–in staring at the blank page, wondering what words are going to fill it. We have so many ideas, so much we want to write. This year we hope to increase our production. We don’t want to be one-book-a-year authors, and we’re hoping to remedy that. We’re going to try things a little different and see if it increases our production. We’re going to work on multiple projects at once. I know that works for a lot of people, and it worked for us in the past when we first started writing, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it works for us again.

So this week we’ve begun fleshing out the outlines, character sketches, etc., for three projects: Eternal Talisman–which we started writing years ago, and now we’re looking at it with fresh eyes and deciding what to keep and what to rewrite; the next novel in our Hollywood Heat series, and a novella we’re submitting for an anthology project. Three completely different stories with vibrant casts of characters that I’m excited to spend more time with.

Hopefully this time next year we’ll be celebrating the completion and publication of all of the above. Wish us luck!

Shayla Black, Uncategorized

Merry Christmas Eve!

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I’ve been traveling and am now fighting off a lovely holiday cold, so I am a woman of few words today. But I would like to take the time to wish everyone a great holiday season and a wonderful 2009! I’m very grateful for all the bounties of 2008 and hope my readers enjoyed my releases this year. I think you’ll be happy with next year’s releases.

And in case  you wanted to bypass the heartfelt sentiments, just crawl on Santa’s lap and tell him what you REALLY want.

Come to think of it, I’m sure I have a last minute request or two… Have a wonderful holiday season!