Laurie Roma's February Symposium: All You Need is Love

This month Laurie asked her friends and fellow authors to share what inspires them to write romantic scenes. The scenes can be sweet and tender or hot and spicy…either way, they are bound to get your heart racing as you read them. Find out what I and the other authors had to say, I’m sure you will enjoy the responses!

LAURIE ROMA'S FEBRUARY SYMPOSIUM: ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Samhain Publishing Print Book Sale!

For a limited time all SAMHAIN PUBLISHING PRINT BOOKS are on sale for 50% off! 

That means you can buy any N.J. WALTERS PRINT BOOKS for half price! Hurry now and fill out your library. 


BE sure to use the discount code in the ad above at checkout!

2CELLOS - Thunderstruck [OFFICIAL VIDEO] (+playlist)

AC/DC's Thunderstruck like you've never heard it before. Amazing!

Winter Reading Contest--First Winner!

The first winner of my Winter Reading Contest is Donna Gallagher. Donna has chosen a print copy of Night of the Tiger as her prize.


There are still three more print books to be given away so be sure to enter!

Winter Reading Contest 

It's the time of year when it's cold outside and spring seems so far away. In other words, it's a great time to curl up inside and read a good book. And I just happen to have print copies of Night of the Tiger and Mark of the Bear, books 1 and 2 in the Hades' Carnival series. (Mark of the Bear isn't even available for purchase in print until April 1st!)

So starting Friday, February 21st, I'm giving away one book every Friday for four weeks! The winner will be able to choose either Night of the Tiger or Mark of the Bear as their prize!

For details on how you can enter for a chance to win, just go to my CONTESTS PAGE. Be sure to follow all the instructions if you want to be entered for a chance to win.

 To enter the contest:  CLICK HERE

Top Pick for Craig's Heart

NIGHT OWL REVIEWS has given CRAIG'S HEART a Top Pick!

"This fast paced and smooth flowing plot keeps the reader on their toes with lots of suspense, action, drama and romance. The author describes each scene with well written words and vivid imagery that brings the story to life and captures the imagination. The characters are strong and bewitching, are easily related to and grab the reader’s attention from the beginning.

The author has created a mesmerizing paranormal world that I thoroughly enjoyed. I haven’t read the first books in this series but I will definitely be remedying that and reading other books by N. J. Walters."
~Evampire, Reviewer Night Owl Reviews

  READ ENTIRE REVIEW

Writer's Wednesday--Cynthia Sax

Cynthia Sax is back again today with an excerpt from her new Avon Red erotic novella Flashes Of Me. Thank you, Cynthia!

Excerpt From Flashes Of Me

by Cynthia Sax

“I think we’re on the quiet floor,” I observe. No one else is talking.

Camille’s walk is defiant. “We’ll change that.” She pauses in front of the stairwell. “Stairs?”

“Ummm . . .” I thought the human resources lady said something about the stairwells being for emergency use only, but I hadn’t been paying close attention to her monotonous spiel. I was too worried about not being chosen. “Sure.”

We clomp down the stairs, our heels ringing against the concrete. The supremely clean and brightly lit stairwell smells of stinky socks, the stale air making me dizzy. Camille appears unaffected by the stench. As we descend, she sings happily, her song choices being a collection of increasingly vulgar hip-hop songs.

We reach the second floor and Camille tugs on the door. It doesn’t open. She scans her passcard over a small black security box. The light remains red. “Shit on a stick.” She scans it again. Nothing happens. “Unbelievable,” she fumes.

“Let me try.” I wave my passcard over the sensor. The light remains red and Camille curses. Her vocabulary makes me blush and, as I’m a native New Yorker, that’s an impressive feat for her to accomplish. “We’ll try the ground floor,” I suggest.

We trudge down to the ground floor. This door is locked also. Camille tries her passcard. It doesn’t work, prompting another stream of colorful language from my new friend. I try my passcard. It’s as useless as Camille’s.

“We’re stuck.” I state the obvious, slapping the metal door, ignoring Camille’s ranting. “Do you have a phone?”

“Do I look like I have a phone?” Camille pivots in a circle, her arms outstretched. “Besides we’re in freakin’ Fort Knox.” She pats one of the walls. “These babies must be shielded to hell and back.”

“The doors are thick also.” I slap the metal door again, my palm stinging with the impact. “Hey.” I gaze upward. “They have cameras.” I point at the black lens positioned above us. “Security must be monitoring the stairwells.” I wave my arms at the camera. “They’ll send help.”

“If they’re real cameras, they’ll send help,” Camille scoffs. “Didn’t you hear about that girl in Westwood? She was trapped in a stairwell for four whole days. That stairwell had cameras too: fake cameras, installed to discourage thieves. She ate her fingernails down to bloody nubs.”

“Four days,” I repeat, staring up at the camera. It looks real, but I guess that’s the point. Fake-looking cameras wouldn’t fool thieves. “We could pull the fire alarm.”

“If we do that, we’ll get ourselves fired.” Camille shakes her head. “They’ll evacuate the building and we’ll look like dumb asses. Oh.” Her face becomes animated. “I could pick the lock.”

I stare at her. “Can you do that?”

“I’ve picked locks before.” She beams, acting as though this is a skill to be admired. “Let me have a look.” Camille shoves me out of the way. She examines the door, rattling the handle and poking her fingernail into the lock. “Do you have a piece of wire?”

The only piece of wire I have is attached to my bra. “Wait a second.” I unbutton my blazer for the second time today, unhook my bra, and pull it through the armholes. Jiggling the underwire, I try to poke it through the fabric. “I need scissors.”

“If we had scissors, I could jimmy the door open.” Camille eyes the lock. “And our problems would be solved.”

“You scare me.” I bite my bra, tearing the lace, and slide the wire out of the cup. “Here’s your pick, as I believe you criminals call it.”

“A few minor misdemeanors does not make one a criminal,” Camille mutters, taking the wire from me.

“Actually, I believe it does.” I sit down on the steps, the concrete cool under my ass.

“I freed information.” Camille straightens the wire and inserts the end into the lock. “This is America. Freeing information shouldn’t be a misdemeanor.”

“Sure, sure, tell it to the judge.” I watch her work, hoping to learn something.

Minutes pass. I don’t know anything about picking locks, but I do know how to read people and Camille is struggling with her assigned task, her curses growing louder and more colorful.

“Are you sure you’ve done this before?” I lean back on the stairs, spinning my bra around the tip of my right index finger. This is much more interesting than shredding paper.

“I’m not deliberately screwing the pooch,” Camille snaps. “This is a high-end lock.”

“Thank you,” a deep voice drawls, the low tones originating from behind me. “We try our best.” 

BUY FLASHES OF ME FROM AMAZON

Cynthia Sax--Flashes of Me

Please welcome Cynthia Sax, a good friend and wonderful writer, to my blog today. Cynthia is celebrating the release of Flashes of Me, her latest erotic novella from Avon Red.

Fictional Friends 

Cynthia Sax 

I love NJ (gives her a big hug). I love her writing and I love her as a person. I feel fortunate to have her as a friend. 

 Because friends are important, especially in Romanceland. Romance is all about lasting love. It is difficult to create a lasting relationship if the two (or more) people aren’t also good friends. My dear wonderful hubby is my best friend. He’s the first person I tell anything to, the person I know will support me no matter what craziness I come up with, the friend I trust my deepest darkest secrets to. 

I met my hubby through a mutual friend. He had been friends with this crazy character since primary school. This told me right away that my hubby could build lasting, healthy relationships. 

Many of my characters have good friends, either on the page or off the page. Kat, the heroine of Flashes Of Me, meets Camille (aka Goth girl from He Watches Me, He Touches Me, and He Claims Me – her story, Breaking All The Rules, will be releasing in April) and they immediately become best friends. 

They’re unlikely best friends. Kat is a fashionista. Camille wears the same cheap suit every day. Kat wants everyone to be happy. Camille causes chaos wherever she goes. 

But, at the core, they are the same. They value loyalty and love and live life on their own terms. When they’re together, they’re more—they’re happier and more confident. We, as readers, know their friendship will last and this gives us hope for Kat and Henley’s relationship. 

How did you meet your best friend? What is your favorite romance friendship?

Flashes Of Me 
Pre-Order Link: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-An-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO

Blurb: 

Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.

Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken. 

 Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?

Author Website: http://cynthiasax.com/
 Blog: http://tasteofcyn.com/
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.sax
 Twitter: @CynthiaSax

Print Book Contest!

It's the time of year when it's cold outside and spring seems so far away. In other words, it's a great time to curl up inside and read a good book. And I just happen to have print copies of Night of the Tiger and Mark of the Bear, books 1 and 2 in the Hades' Carnival series. (Mark of the Bear isn't even available for purchase in print until April 1st!)

So starting Friday, February 21st, I'm giving away one book every Friday for four weeks! The winner will be able to choose either Night of the Tiger or Mark of the Bear as their prize!

For details on how you can enter for a chance to win, just go to my CONTESTS PAGE. Be sure to follow all the instructions if you want to be entered for a chance to win.

 To enter the contest:  CLICK HERE

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all. If you're part of a couple, I hope you enjoy the day with your special someone. If you're single, do something extra special for yourself. You deserve it!

FAR reviews Double or Nothing

DOUBLE OR NOTHING, my western menage a trois has just received a 4 ring (they seem to have rings now rather than angels) review from FALLEN ANGEL REVIEWS.

"N.J. Walter’s Double or Nothing is a scorching hot tale that grabbed my intention immediately and held it tightly until the very end...Whether as a twosome or threesome, the sexual encounters were passionate, loving, and wildly seductive. All in all, this is a great read that should not be missed!" ~Contessa, FAR

READ ENTIRE REVIEW

Tuesday Teaser: Anastasia's Style

The Tuesday Teaser this week comes from ANASTASIA'S STYLE, my Ellora's Cave Valentine Vixens Quickie! Right now, this book is available for only 99 cents from Ellora's Cave.

TEASER:

“Mason,” she groaned.

He glanced up at her with a sexy grin on his face. “What?”

Picking up a pillow, she covered her face with it and screamed with frustration. When she heard his low chuckle, she gripped the pillow tight and whacked him in the head with it. Grabbing her hand, he tore her makeshift weapon from her fingers and tossed it to the floor.

Then he pounced.

He tickled her waist, which wasn’t fair when she thought about it. He knew how ticklish she was there. They rolled around the huge king-sized bed until she was breathlessly begging for mercy. Mason laughed, gripped both of her hands in one of his and raised them over her head. His legs had hers trapped between them and the bulk of his body held her captive. “You know you can’t rush an artist when he’s working.” He nibbled the line of her jaw.

“So you’re an artist now, are you?”

He released his hold on her and levered himself up on his forearms. His expression was serious as he gazed down at her. “Maybe. Maybe not. But you’re definitely a work of art.”

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Look what I got!

In the past three weeks I've gotten two boxes in the mail from my publisher. Aren't they pretty!

Weekend Book Club--Haunting Blackie by Laurann Dohner.

My pick for this week's Book Club is HAUNTING BLACKIE  by Laurann Dohner. This is the eighth book in her Cyborg Seductions series. I know many readers are familiar with her New Species series, but I fell in love with her Cyborgs long before the first New Species book was ever released. If you are a fan of her NS books you really should check out her Cyborgs! They don't have to be read in order, but they're so good why wouldn't you start at the beginning?

The author shakes things up in this book, tossing something completely new into the series. (I won't tell you what it is. You have to read the series to find out.) I really enjoyed it. Laurann Dohner is able to take characters you previously didn't like that much and make you fall in love with them. (Redeeming Zorus was another book where she did just that.) All I know is I can't wait for the next Cyborg book. Or the next New Species book for that matter. :)

BLURB:


Eve’s mission is to rescue cyborgs from termination centers on Earth. In exchange, she and her sisters will go with them when they flee the planet. She is blindsided by the overwhelming attraction that draws her to one of them. He’s handsome, sexy, and she wants him, craves his touch as she has no other. She must send him to freedom but she makes him promise to wait for her.

Blackie cannot forget the courageous woman who saved him. He never learned whether she died during the rebellion or just changed her mind about leaving with him but he holds her within his lonely heart. He exists to serve the Cyborg Council and to protect the new world cyborgs have created. But that all changes when he discovers the woman who haunts his dreams is alive and the cyborg leaders left her behind to die. He’ll never lose her again and he’ll fight his own kind to avenge her and keep her by his side.



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Top Pick for Debt of Honor

DEBT OF HONOR has received a Top Pick from Night Owl Romance! 

 "Guilty Pleasure Alert! It's a tried and true formula and one of my favorites; bribery. Now this story isn't reinventing the romantic wheel, as it were. But the chemistry between Derek and Kait is smokin' hot and has been bubbling for years...A short but satisfying read." ~Chris, Night Owl Reviews 

  READ ENTIRE REVIEW

Howl of the Wolf up for Best Book of 2013 at LASR

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that HOWL OF THE WOLF has been nominated for LASR BEST BOOK OF 2013! I'd love to have your support. Please stop by and vote for your favorite book. 

  VOTE HERE

Weekend Book Club--Burn for Me by Cynthia Eden

This week I bought BURN FOR ME by Cynthia Eden simply because the blurb sounded intriguing. Boy, am I glad I did. This paranormal romance is exceptional. It will pull at your heart and make your pulse pound. Cain is so aloof and has been hurt in so many ways. Eve is a strong woman but emotionally fragile. Together, they're magic. I can't wait for book two in the exciting and original Phoenix Fire series.

BLURB:


(Book One in the Phoenix Fire Series)

Under Fire

Eve Bradley was undercover looking for a story, not a cause. But something about the man they called Subject Thirteen got her involved. The scientists said he was a devil, and they had a decent case: Terrifying power. A bad attitude. And looks that could lead anyone to sin. . .

Cain O’Connor knows the minute he catches her candy scent that Eve could drive him wild. But she’s a threat–in a way no one has been for him in years. She’s safer away from him, too. But with a powerful conspiracy determined to shut Eve up for good, there’s no time to argue. All they can do is trust their instincts–and their hearts. . .

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