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Stiletto Secrets by Bella J

3/14/2016

The incomparable Bella J has another new book almost ready for release, and she's included us in the unveiling of her stunning cover. Thanks for joining us, Bella J.

Stiletto Secrets
Fairy Tale Bastards #1
Release Date: 4/25/16
Contemporary romance, adult Fairy tale

Nicholas Blake is your typical class A, rich bastard who loves getting what he wants. He’s spoiled, selfish and enjoys all the lavish pleasures life has to offer—especially those that involve women and getting naked. Nicholas’ life is just damn near perfect. But one night out on the town with his friends and everything changes. One encounter with a stripper in stilettos who fittingly calls herself Cinderella, and his life suddenly doesn’t seem so goddamn perfect anymore.

As if that isn’t enough, there’s also Emma, the new maid in his father’s mansion that immediately piques his curiosity with her sweet smile and blue-green eyes. He finds himself drawn to her and wants nothing more than to seduce her into his bed, to make her his. But he just can’t seem to stay away from the stripper that makes him burn in ways he never knew possible.

The more he starts to care for Emma, the stronger his obsession grows for Cinderella.

Insane? Absolutely.

Twisted? Yes.

Completely screwed up? Hell yes.

A decision needs to be made; he needs to choose. But will Nicholas be able to make that choice when he finds himself all tangled up in a giant cluster of love, lust and stilettos?

ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST ON GOODREADS
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29401223-stiletto-secrets

Excerpt

“Pick one.”

Nicholas jerked his head to the left in the direction from where the woman’s voice came, and noticed the dark-pink curtains.

“Pick one what?” He scanned the room. “The shoes. Pick a pair,” a soft, sultry voice replied.

Then Nicholas noticed movement behind the curtain. Whoever it was dragged her hand along the fabric while leisurely pacing, apparently waiting for him to choose.

Instantly intrigued, he glanced at the cabinet and then back at the curtain. “You want me to choose a pair of shoes?”

“Yes, pick a pair and I will wear them.”

Nicholas felt a little tingle in the back of his neck when she spoke. He had only been in this room for five minutes and whoever was behind the curtain already had all his attention.

He moved a little closer to the curtain. “You know, a lot goes into choosing the right pair of shoes. For example, I’d need to know what you’re wearing first.” He tried to get a better look at the woman behind the curtain, but the fabric was just too damn dense for him to make out anything other than a silhouette.

“Why don’t you just pick a pair under the assumption that I’m not wearing anything,” she replied with soft, smoothly spoken words. Somehow it reminded him of melted chocolate.

“Why don’t you let me see for myself what you’re wearing?”

“That’s not how it works, Mr. Blake.”

The curtain swooshed a little as she moved behind it.

Nicholas turned to the glass cabinet with the shoes. How in God’s name was he supposed to choose? It was like telling a kid to choose one item in Willy Wonka’s candy factory. Im-fucking-possible.

After inspecting each pair, he finally opened the door and reached for a white pair of stilettos with a little diamond bow on top. A simple design, but it was the pair with the sharpest heel, and Nicholas loved those damn heels.

"So what do I do with these?” Nicholas inspected the shoes more closely.

And then a hand reached out from the other side of the curtain. Nicholas noticed the freshly manicured nails and beautiful dainty fingers. “Now you give them to me, and take a seat, Mr. Blake.”

Nicholas looked to the chair before handing her the shoes.

“On the table next to the chair you will see a pair of handcuffs and a blindfold. You need to sit down, lock one of the cuffs around your hand, put on the blindfold and then place both hands behind the back of the seat.”

Nicholas frowned. “Okay, I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with this. I thought this was a show. How am I supposed to enjoy the show if I can’t see anything?”

“Mr. Blake, I have three different types of shows I present. See, feel, and touch.”

“See, feel, and touch?” he mimed silently with his mouth.

“You can’t experience all at once.”

“Well, I’d sort of feel cheated then.”

“When you lose one of your senses, the other senses get heightened, Mr. Blake.”

Nicholas could not get over the beautiful sound of this woman’s voice. It was like her voice had a direct line straight down to his cock.

He started to leisurely pace around the room. “So I’m just curious, which show did my friends book me for?”

“Feel,” she replied.

Being the smart-ass that he was, Nicholas asked, “Isn’t that kind of the same thing as touch?”

“No, it’s not. With touch you would be allowed to use your hands, guided by me of course. With feel, you will only feel what I want you to feel.”

Okay, now he was really damn curious.

As he turned to the table and eyed the contents, he contemplated what his options were. Either he turned around now and then got labeled as a pussy by his friends, or he could put on the mask and the cuffs and see where this all went. But honestly, there was no way in hell he would be able to walk away now.

“What will it be, Mr. Blake?”

Nicholas shrugged and picked up the cuffs. “I guess we should get this show started then.”

About the author

Bella J lives in Cape Town, South Africa with her husband, two kids, & chihuahua. Her love for writing started in eighth grade when she received her first writing assignment—which she flunked. But the positive side of her failure—her newly found passion for writing. The negative side—now she’s completely spaced out half of the time living in her little pretend world of romance, love, & insanely hot heroes

Get in touch

www.bellajauthor.wix.com/sassy
www.facebook.com/BellaJ1983
https://twitter.com/BellaJ_Author

Other titles by Bella J

Resplendent Ruin (Resplendence #1)
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26319763-resplendent-ruin?from_search=true&search_version=service
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Resplendent-Ruin-Resplendence-Book-1-ebook/dp/B016TQFI00

Resplendent Rush (Resplendence #2)
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28018678-resplendent-rush
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Resplendent-Rush-Resplendence-Book-2-ebook/dp/B01AGZATK4

Resplendent Rage (Resplendence #3)
Release date: 3/28/16
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28693569-resplendent-rage
Pre-order link http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/resplendent-rage-j-bella/1123483698?ean=9781622103454

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The Long Way Home by Jessica Cale

3/12/2016

4 Comments

Jessica Cale has written a terrific new installment of her Southwark Saga, and I'm pleased to host her so she can tell you about it.

A paranoid king, a poison plot, and hideous shoes…it’s not easy being Cinderella.

After saving the life of the glamorous Marquise de Harfleur, painfully shy barmaid Alice Henshawe is employed as the lady’s companion and whisked away to Versailles. There, she catches King Louis’ eye and quickly becomes a court favorite as the muse for Charles Perrault’s Cinderella. The palace appears to be heaven itself, but there is danger hidden beneath the façade and Alice soon finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue, murder, and Satanism at the heart of the French court.

Having left his apprenticeship to serve King Charles as a spy, Jack Sharpe is given a mission that just may kill him. In the midst of the Franco-Dutch war, he is to investigate rumors of a poison plot by posing as a courtier, but he has a mission of his own. His childhood friend Alice Henshawe is missing and he will stop at nothing to see her safe. When he finds her in the company of the very people he is meant to be investigating, Jack begins to wonder if the sweet girl he grew up with has a dark side.

When a careless lie finds them accidentally married, Alice and Jack must rely on one another to survive the intrigues of the court. As old affection gives way to new passion, suspicion lingers. Can they trust each other, or is the real danger closer than they suspect?

“Really brilliant writing that's so engaging with such endearing characters! I especially love the way Jack and Alice are both so devoted to each other! I was totally absorbed in this exciting and fascinating world Jessica Cale created from the very first paragraph to the last! I read this all in one sitting, staying awake late to finish, just had to!” – Romazing Reader

Add to Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28499321-the-long-way-home
Buy links
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Long-Home-Southwark-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B01CBY47CO

Barnes & Noble   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-long-way-home-jessica-cale/1123469513?ean=9781622103393

Google Play   https://goo.gl/T12mBU

iBooks   https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-long-way-home/id1086308046?mt=11

Kobo   https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-long-way-home-62

Liquid Silver   http://www.lsbooks.com/the-long-way-home-p1126.php

Find the rest of the series here: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Cale/e/B00PVDV9EW

A Field Guide to Historical Poisons
The Long Way Home takes place in the court of Louis XIV during the Affair of the Poisons. During this period, many people from all walks of life were employing poison to dispatch rivals and even family members to improve their fortunes or standing in court. As you can imagine, poison plays a large part in the plot of The Long Way Home. Here are three that are featured in the book along with symptoms so you'll be first to know if your enemies have dosed your wine. You know, just in case.

Arsenic (also known as Inheritance Powder)
Arsenic was the most commonly used poison at this time, and was used alone or to add extra toxicity to other lethal concoctions. It was the primary ingredient in Inheritance Powder, so called because of the frequency with which it was used against relatives and spouses for the sake of inheritance.

Tasteless as it was potent, arsenic usually went undetected in wine or food, although it was also added to soap and even sprinkled into flowers. It could easily kill someone quickly, but was more commonly distributed over a long period of time to make it appear that the victim was suffering from a lengthy illness. The symptoms begin with headaches, drowsiness, and gastrointestinal problems, and as it develops, worsen into convulsions, muscle cramps, hair loss, organ failure, coma, and death.

Unusually for a poison apart from lead, arsenic has had many other common uses throughout history. It was used as a cosmetic as early as the Elizabethan period. Combined with vinegar and white chalk, it was applied to whiten the complexion as a precursor to the lead-based ceruse popular in later centuries.

By the Victorian period, arsenic was taken as a supplement to correct the complexion from within, resulting in blueish, translucent skin. Victorian and Edwardian doctors prescribed it for asthma, typhus, malaria, period pain, syphilis, neuralgia, and as a nonspecific pick-me-up. It was also used in pigments such as Paris Green, Scheele’s Green, and London Purple, all of them extremely toxic when ingested or inhaled. A distinctive yellow-green, Scheele’s Green was a popular dye in the 19th century for furnishings, candles, fabric, and even children’s toys, but it gave off a toxic gas. It may have even played a part in Napoleon’s death. While it took nearly a century to discover the dangers of the pigment, it was later put to use as an insecticide.

Cantharides (also known as Cantarella or Spanish Fly)
Cantarella was a poison that was rumored to have been used by the Borgias (among others). Although it appeared in literature as something that could mimic death, cantarella was probably made from arsenic, like most of the common poisons of the era, or of canthariden powder made from blister beetles, and was highly toxic.

Cantharides are now more commonly known as Spanish Fly.

Although it was rumored to have been used by the Borgias, it was definitely associated with the Medicis. Aqua Toffana, or Aquetta di Napoli, was a potent mixture of both arsenic and cantharides allegedly created by an Italian countess, Giulia Tofana (d. 1659). Colorless and odorless, it was undetectable even in water and as little as four drops could cause death within a few hours. It could also be mixed with lead or belladonna for a little extra f*** you.

In case you’re wondering how one would catch enough blister beetles to do away with one’s enemies, cantharides were surprisingly easy to come across. They were also used as an aphrodisiac. In small quantities, they engorge the genitals, so it must have seemed like a good idea at the time. In larger quantities, however, they raise blisters, cause inflammation, nervous agitation, burning of the mouth, dysphagia, nausea, hematemesis, hematuria, and dysuria.

Oh, and death.

The powder was brownish in color and smelled bad, but mostly went unnoticed with food or wine. More than one character in The Long Way Home has come in contact with it, and it even plays a part in the story.

Pennyroyal (also known as Piliolerian)
Pennyroyal was not often used to intentionally poison anyone, but I’m including it in this guide because of its toxic effects. Usually drunk as tea, is was used as a digestive aid and to cause miscarriage. It was also used in baths to kill fleas or to treat venomous bites.

Although this is the least toxic of the bunch, the side effects are much more worrying. Taken in any quantity, it may not only result in contraction of the uterus, but also serious damage to the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. It’s a neurotoxin that can cause auditory and visual hallucinations, delirium, unconsciousness, hearing problems, brain damage, and death.

Along with Inheritance Powder and Cantarella, Pennyroyal also appears in The Long Way Home and causes some interesting complications for a few of our characters.

All of these poisons were common and easily obtainable in much of Europe during the time this book takes place. The use of Inheritance Powder in particular is very well-documented and it played a huge part in the Affair of the Poisons as well as commanding a central position in The Long Way Home.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

About the author
Jessica Cale is the award-winning author of the historical romance series, The Southwark Saga. Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Wales for several years where she earned a BA in History and an MFA in Creative Writing while climbing castles and photographing mines for history magazines. She kidnapped (“married”) her very own British prince (close enough) and is enjoying her happily ever after with him in North Carolina.

Follow Jessica
Website   http://www.authorjessicacale.com
Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicacale
Twitter   https://twitter.com/JessicaCale @JessicaCale
Pinterest   http://www.pinterest.com/rainbowcarnage
Amazon   http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Cale/e/B00PVDV9EW
Goodreads   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/
9819997.Jessica_Cale
Newsletter signup http://eepurl.com/bMas0P

Excerpt
“Do you have a sweetheart?”

Alice’s spine went rigid at the question. Why would he care?

“That is to say, a man. A person, rather. A lover?” Jack cleared his throat. “That’s none of my concern, really. I apologize. Forget I asked.”

How could she answer that? She couldn’t very well tell the strange man Jack had grown into that she’d dreamed of him to the exclusion of all others for eight years. If her freakish memory didn’t frighten him off, her obsession definitely would.

She turned, very slowly, and forgot what she was thinking when she saw him. Jack was reclining on his elbows, looking at the stars. The odd posture only really drew attention to the span of his chest, the slight rise and fall of his breath. He’d dressed in a hurry and his collar had come undone, revealing an inch of collarbone and hinting at the lean muscle beneath. His dented chin was pointed heavenward, lengthening his bare neck. If Alice stared any harder, she’d be able to see the blood flowing within.
She thought about putting her lips on his throat and the fluttering she usually felt in her heart moved decidedly lower.

That was new.

“Just you.” She sighed and then cringed as she realized she’d said it aloud. “Married, remember?”

Jack turned and gave her a boyish smile that made her toes go numb. “I suppose we are. What do you make of that?”

Alice blinked. It was everything she’d ever wanted, but Jack...he was young, handsome, kind, wonderful, and everything that was right in the world. He could have any woman he wanted. Or could have, before she ruined that for him. She wiped away another tear. “I’m sorry, Jack.”

He shrugged. “Whatever for?”

“You deserve a wife of your own choosing,” she said, feeling brave.

He lay on the roof, stretching his arms behind his head with a smile. “Don’t shed any tears for me. I got the prettiest Henshawe girl. The boys back home will be sick with envy.”

Alice’s laugh came out as a snort. She held her nose in embarrassment. “Don’t jest.”

“Who’s jesting?”

Alice curled up on her side facing him, reasonably certain she was dreaming. The cool tile beneath her cheek was real enough. She contracted her nails against the rough surface, wondering if she imagined the vibration in her fingertips. Any moment now, she would wake up.

“I don’t expect you to keep me, of course. That would be something, wouldn’t it? You stuck with someone like me?”

He laughed.

Alice didn’t.

“This will be good, though, truly. I can protect you, and we can spend some time together, like the old days.”

Alice sighed. Yes, like the old days, but I’m talking to you now, and making a mess of it, and you’re all grown and gorgeous while I’m more awkward than ever.

Jack smiled, his teeth bright in the night. “It’ll be great fun to pretend to be married.”

Alice fell onto her back with a disappointed grimace. “Fun.”

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Claimed by a SEAL by KaLyn Cooper

3/9/2016

2 Comments

I'd like to welcome KaLyn Cooper to my blog to tell you about her romantic suspense novella Claimed by a SEAL (Cancun Series Crossover/Hot SEALs Kindle Worlds). Here's the synopsis:

Three years ago, Stacie Vandercoy was stuck undercover in Iraq with Jeff “Rock Star” Lennon, the arrogant SEAL who thought he was God’s gift to women. But he couldn’t have her. Fraternization is against the rules. Once again, they are pretending to be husband and wife but this time in Norfolk, Virginia. Can she still resist his brilliant smile, granite body and attentive personality?

Jeff Lennon had been forced to do things he didn’t like as a Navy SEAL and as an agent for the terrorist division of Homeland Security’s Border Patrol. For years, his only real regret has been what had happened to Stacie back in Iraq. He’s been given another chance to make amends and prove he’s not the man she believes him to be. Then, maybe, he can claim her heart, body and soul. In the meantime, they have to stop a terrorist attack somewhere in the Norfolk area, during Fleet Week.

Even the agency’s psychologist isn’t sure Stacie can pull off pretending to be Jeff’s wife. Will Stacie and Jeff break the rules to assure the mission’s success?

Excerpt
The agency psychiatrist took a deep breath. “Now, before I’ll certify the two of you for this op, I want to see you kiss.”

Stacie lifted her eyebrows. She didn’t bother to withhold her shocked response.

Kiss Jeff? The last time they’d kissed, she’d slapped his face. They had just finished a beautiful slow dance at Jack and Jillian’s wedding in Cancun. She’d had a few drinks and had been feeling pretty mellow.

Swaying in Jeff’s arms had seemed the most natural thing in the world to be doing. He’d been singing the words to her, his hot breath like a caress on her ear. He’d laid his lips on hers, and she’d floated to heaven. When he’d deepened it, she’d gladly opened for him.

But when she’d felt his hand on her breast, gently squeezing it, the memory of--

She’d stepped back and slapped him. Right across the face. Hard.

Only Available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Hot-SEALs-Claimed-Crossover-Novella-ebook/dp/B01B27X4CK

Author Bio
KaLyn Cooper writes romantic suspense based in fact. Twenty-seven years as a military wife has shown her the world and the men and women who protect it every day. Thirty years in PR taught her fact can be stranger than fiction, but she leaves it up to the reader to separate truth from imagination. She and her husband live in Tennessee on their micro-plantation filled with gardens, cattle, quail, and a bird dog. When she’s not writing, she’s at the shooting range or on the river.

Author Links
Website www.KaLynCooper.com
Email [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kalyn.cooper.52
Blog http://kalyncooper.wordpress.com/
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/kalyncooper/
Twitter @KaLynCooperbooks
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/
7920863.KaLyn_Cooper
Amazon author page amazon.com/author/kalyncooper

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A Sinful Education by Layna Pimentel

3/6/2016

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Do you enjoy sizzling historical romances? Fellow Liquid Silver Books author Layna Pimentel has a new release out today and she'd love to tell you all about it. Congrats, Layna, and happy book birthday.

Series: Pleasure Garden Follies, Book Two
Release date: March 7
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Genre: Erotic historical romance

Synopsis
Lord Charles Avonlea has evaded marriage over the last year, but his mother is determined to find him a wife. Far from consenting to any of her choices, he sets his sights on the one woman unavailable to him, his best friend's younger sister. With no regard for the law or her impending nuptials, he is determined to make Lady Emily Thompson his bride. The only trouble is, he’s stumbled upon dangerous information and hopes he can get to her before it’s too late.

Stunned and dismayed at discovering the arrangement between her mother and the Duke of Downsbury, Lady Emily Thompson searches for a way to break the marriage pact with the duke. She longs to be with the only man who indulges her curiosity, yet finds herself in the middle of a scandal that will crush her dreams forever.

Will she find a way to get out of marrying the duke, or will she find herself in the same predicament as the previous duchess?

Excerpt
Emily gently closed her chamber door and swept down the hall, pausing outside of his room. The glow of the fireplace danced across the floor under the door, but all was silent. Perhaps he was reading from the privacy of the curtained platform bed or standing in the window, basking in the view the west side of the manor offered.

She quietly opened his door and closed it behind her. No one stirred, nor made a sound. She took a step forward, parting her lips to call for him. A soft moan caught her attention and uncertainty crept up her spine. She should not have proceeded, but went on to appease her curiosity. Stealing further into the room, she paused in the corner.

She caught sight of his lordship through the break of the curtains. Charles’ eyes were closed, chest exposed as his hand moved beneath the sheet barely covering his waist. Lord, he’s a sight to watch, but what exactly is he doing?

Emily moved closer, but could not make head or tails of his motions. That is, until he called out, “Emily.”

He moaned, then kicked off his sheets.

Good heavens, the sight of him was impressive. Dark, curly hair dusted his chest. His muscles so refined that the creases begged her to touch them. Dampness settled between her thighs again. What the hell is wrong with me? Did he just moan out my name?

She could see clearly now as he stroked his manhood. Emily gasped and stepped back, bumping into a chair. Drats! 

Avonlea opened his eyes. She lost all sense of what she had stumbled upon. She should not have been there, no matter how glorious or how beautiful he looked with his eyes closed, or how impressive his body appeared. She would land straight in purgatory for this sin and many others, but she stood at the edge of the platform still.

Charles reached for the sheet to cover himself, as he should, but Emily could not help but feel disappointed at the act of modesty. “You should not be here, young lady. What sort of devil are you, for sneaking upon a bachelor’s room as such?”

Buy links
Amazon – Coming soon
Barnes & Noble – http://bit.ly/1TibGfg
Kobo – http://bit.ly/1WSlMkQ
IBooks – http://apple.co/1OIQjM6
Google Play – http://bit.ly/1LqWmdj
Liquid Silver Books – http://bit.ly/1l0mX2Y

About the author
Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Layna discovered her love of reading at an early age. She’s a bestselling author at All Romance eBooks and multipublished author of historical, paranormal and contemporary erotic romances. When she isn’t devouring salacious romance novels or writing, she enjoys losing herself in researching ancient history and mythology, weaponry, and hiking. She lives in Northern Ontario with her husband and two daughters. For updates on her upcoming releases, or to leave her a comment, find Layna at:

Website http://www.laynapimentel.com
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/LaynaPimentel
Facebook www.facebook.com/AuthorLaynaPimentel
Newsletter http://eepurl.com/R1bCH

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Stiletto Secrets by Bella J

The Long Way Home by Jessica Cale

Claimed by a SEAL by KaLyn Cooper

A Sinful Education by Layna Pimentel

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