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Wednesday, March 8, 2017

NBtM: Bottoms Up by Kate Deveaux


Bottoms Up
by Kate Deveaux
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE:    Erotic Romance
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BLURB:
Bottoms Up:

A bartender with a penchant for naughty drink recipes is well known for crafting the perfect concoction for his clientele. Justin meets his match when down on her luck Lexi walks into his bar and he whips up a cocktail especially for her. 

It’s not just the booze talking when Justin and Lexi explore his list of naughty drink recipes in more detail — after hours. Night after night, Lexi is drawn back to Justin’s bar for another deliciously dirty creation and another night of extreme fantasy when he shows her how to let go of her inhibitions — One tantalizing drink recipe at a time— Seems it’s definitely Bottoms Up for these two!


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Excerpt Two:
“So what’ll it be?” the bartender asked.
Lexi was instantly dragged back to the present.

“Uh…I don’t know,” she offered, wondering how a drink could possibly dull the emptiness inside her.
He gave a smile and a confident shrug. “Well then, you’re in luck.”
“How’s that?” she asked half-heartedly, not really in the mood for banter
but realizing she was in need of a drink but with no clue what drink she wanted. Just something to make her forget the shitty day she’d had. And the even shittier year. 

The bartender with the soul-searching eyes and the cute little smile that even Lexi had to admit was a bit of a mood lifter, leaned on the bar so his eyes were level with hers.

“You’re in luck because it so happens my drink picking skills are legendary.”
“Legendary?” She repeated his claim, aware some would consider her response a flirt, but she felt it was more of a challenge. A challenge to see if he could pick something for her that would make her feel...feel…What the hell did she want to feel anyway?
“Legendary,” he repeated.

Okay, he was definitely flirting. Lexi couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“You’re that confident,” she pressed.
“Ten to one I will pick the perfect drink for you.”
“Okay then…give it your best shot,” she said, beginning to enjoy thinking about anything other than her troubles while she stood still holding onto the bar stool, but not yet taking the plunge to hop on the stool and settle in.
Without her uttering another word, the bartender poured one long stream of silken liquor into a cocktail shaker. Its slow path had a mesmerizing affect on her. She watched while he picked up another bottle and poured another brightly colored liquor into the shaker at the same time.  He placed the bottles down and gave her a nod. Her pulse quickened when he gripped the shaker. The condensation on the container made her lips water but it was the flex of his muscled forearms that stirred something else in her. Something she thought she’d long forgotten. Desire.

After a few swift gyrations he uncapped the shaker with a flourish. Then slowly filled the chilled martini glass while reaching for another bottle, adding a final squirt of orange amber liquor to the drink. The effect creating a layered concoction the color of the most exquisite sunset with a deep blue layer on the very bottom while the fiery orange layer almost floated on top.

Satisfied with his handy work he slowly slid the cocktail towards her.

“Try this,” he offered.
Parched with anticipation, her mouth was so dry she wanted more than anything to down the divine looking concoction.

He smiled encouragingly.
One quick drink Lexi told herself. All she’d wanted was one drink. Not to hang out with a flirtatious and sexy bartender. All she was looking for was a reprieve from the scorching summer sun. Something to quench her thirst. And numb her despair. A brief respite before getting back to what she needed to do. Clean out the apartment and hand in the keys. And thanks to being laid off that morning, she now added finding a job to her growing ‘to do’ list.
Reaching for the glass, Lexi lifted it up to her lips, her gaze meeting his when her lips touched the rim.

“Bottoms Up,” he said with an undeniably sexy tone.

“Bottoms Up, ” she replied, trying to stifle her grin. And trying her best not notice to that he was still watching her. She tipped the glass and took a long sip. Yum. Sweet at first, then a surprising kick when the liquor layer melted down her throat — coursing past her tonsils and warming a spot right between her breasts. Her eyes teared from the potency of the drink.
“You like it,” he announced with satisfaction.
She nodded, and took another sip, this time the cool frosty layer lingering in her throat, ready for that warm shot of liquor to follow. Intriguing.

“Perfect,” she answered, showing him just how much it hit the spot by downing the rest of it in two more sips.

His eyebrows arched and he flashed a heart-melting smile. That was if she had a heart to melt, she chided herself.
“Go on, hop up, I’ll make you another.” He motioned for her to sit.

What now? Stick to her plan, one drink, pay her bill and be gone back into the heat? She watched him pull a martini glass from a cooler, the clear glass immediately frosting up even with the cool air conditioning keeping the bar bearable compared to the sweltering temperature outside.

She watched as he went about making another drink. Shit, how did this drinking in the afternoon thing work? Sure, she’d hung out in her share of nightclubs, into the wee hours with her friends, but this was different. She checked her watch. Four thirty in the afternoon. Heat of the Tucson day. Temps reaching one hundred ten degrees about now or even hotter. Heat or no heat, the last thing she wanted to do was walk back out that door and face life. The realty was it was easier to sit on the bar stool with this sexy bartender and forget about all her troubles.

That’s the spirit. To hell with reality!

Lexi nodded her approval and unhooked her foot from the barstool rung, settling herself up on the seat.  She knew she definitely needed another of whatever it was that warmed her from the inside out and made her bad day begin to seem a little less bad.

He put the finishing touch on the drink and then passed it to her.

“Thank you,” she said and glanced along the bar. A waitress waited
impatiently at the end of the counter for their orders.

“I’ll get to those in a sec,” he assured them, but his attention remained on Lexi, expectantly, while she took another delicious sip and then another.

“It’s really very good,” she agreed, lifting the drink in toast. “Bottoms Up,” she added and took another sip. He gave a chuckle that made her blush. “That’s the name of the drink…?” she queried when he seemed to be enjoying a little humor that escaped her.
“Oh, that’s not the name of the drink,” he said, with a slow knowing smile that made her hand tremble as she clutched her glass. ‘Bottoms Up’ is the name of the bar,” he corrected her. Motioning with his head to the large pink neon sign over the bar that had somehow escaped her in the short time she’d been there. ‘Bottoms Up’ was spelled in winding script with a flourish at the end that looked distinctly like the bottom of a sexy ass.
Lexi’s cheeks flamed, feeling silly and embarrassed. She quickly took another sip. The cold rush of drink stung her right between the eyes. Ice cream headache.  Over the rim of the glass she caught his sexy grin. Like he was enjoying her discomfort. Mortified, she looked down, placing the empty glass back on the cocktail napkin, noting the “Bottoms Up’ emblem on it with a sassy drawing of a martini glass in the shape of a sexy round derriere.




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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Kate Deveaux is a contemporary erotic romance writer and die-hard romantic. A former wedding planner, she has always been “in love” with love! Kate is currently working on several fictional stories – each filled with sexy romance, heroines who are no shrinking violets and heroes who make your heart skip a beat. She currently resides with her husband in the U.S. When Kate is not busy writing, she can be found on the tennis court –yes, there’s even ‘love’ in that game too.
SOCIAL MEDIA:


Join Kate’s Kitten’s, the official STREET TEAM of Kate Deveaux:
Amazon:
Interview with Kate Deveaux
Thank you so much for having me as your guest today. I love having a chance to stop by and chat with you. And of course I’m over the moon excited to share my latest release Bottoms Up with you and your readers!
My pleasure,
Kate
xo
1. What is your favorite part of this book and why?
That’s a tough one as I have quite a few favorites, but what springs to mind is when Justin takes Lexi up to his private roof top pool. Lexi is just beginning to get to know Justin as more than the hunky bartender who makes blush worthy toe curling cocktails. This scene reveals the intimacy between them as well as the setting of the book, the scorching Tucson July heat. The physical sense of summer heat and the oasis of the pool is matched only with the sizzling Slippery Nipple cocktails Justin shows Lexi just how to make. It’s a playfully erotic pool scene. Made me want to dive in!

2. If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

Well, it would have to be Justin! I’d like him to pick the perfect drink for me just like he did for Lexi. Who wouldn’t want a drop dead tattooed bartender to focus all his attention on them? And such naughty, naughty, naughty, drinks he makes. And what we would we do you ask? Well, I am an erotic romance writer but I don’t think even I could say exactly what Justin and I would do together ☺ Let’s suffice it to say it would involve one hunk of a bartender, sans clothing, one long bar top in an empty after hours ‘Bottoms Up’ and a maraschino cherry… or two…and me….maybe some whip cream, just for extra fun!  

3. If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?

What a wonderful question. And one that I have never ever been asked. I’d like to have written Erica Jong’s Fear Of Flying. Ms. Jong blazed the trail for entire generation of women and made possible my career and my colleagues as erotic fiction writers.

4. Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Like many other authors, my experiences can’t help but color my writing, hints of people, places and experiences layer my works whether I am even aware of it. For me, all my characters are compilations of people I have met. Often with specific characteristics that I mix together to create just the character I want.

5. What made you want to become a writer?

I just always wrote. I’m a fairly shy person and I read piles growing up and became blissfully lost in the world of novels. It just seemed natural that I write, from letters to essays at first and then onto novels. I can’t say there was any one thing. I just write and really enjoy doing it. ☺
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Kate Deveaux will be awarding a $10, $25 or $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


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FORTUNE’S WHEEL BY CAROLYN HUGHES


Genre: Historical fiction
Release Date: 7th November 2016
Publisher: SilverWood Books Ltd
Plague-widow Alice atte Wode is desperate to find her missing daughter, but her neighbours are rebelling against their masters and their mutiny is hindering the search.
June 1349. In a Hampshire village, the worst plague in England’s history has wiped out half its population, including Alice atte Wode’s husband and eldest son. The plague arrived only days after Alice’s daughter Agnes mysteriously disappeared and it prevented the search for her.
Now the plague is over, the village is trying to return to normal life, but it’s hard, with so much to do and so few left to do it. Conflict is growing between the manor and its tenants, as the workers realise their very scarceness means they’re more valuable than before: they can demand higher wages, take on spare land, have a better life. This is the chance they’ve all been waiting for!
Although she understands their demands, Alice is disheartened that the search for Agnes is once more put on hold. But when one of the rebels is killed, and then the lord's son is found murdered, it seems the two deaths may be connected, both to each other and to Agnes’s disappearance.
EXTRACT
Alice atte Wode, the Millers’ closest neighbour, was feeding her hens when she heard Joan’s first terrible anguished cries. Dropping her basket of seed, she ran to the Millers’ cottage. She wanted to cry out too at what she found there: Thomas and Joan both on their knees, clasped together, with Peter’s twisted body between them, sobbing as if the dam of their long pent-up emotions had burst. Alice breathed deeply to steady her nerves, for she didn’t know how to offer any solace for the Millers’ loss.
Not this time.
It was common enough for parents to lose children. It didn’t mean you ever got used to their loss, or that you loved them any less than if they’d lived. Few lost five children in as many months. But the Millers had. The prosperous family Alice knew only six months ago, with its noisy brood of six happy, healthy children, had been swiftly and brutally slaughtered by the great mortality.
Every family in Meonbridge had lost someone to the plague’s vile grip – a father, a mother, a child – but no other family had lost five.
The great mortality, sent by God, it was said, to punish the world for its sins, had torn the village apart. It had struck at random, at the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the innocent and the guilty. Some of its victims died coughing up blood, some with suppurating boils under their arms or next to their privy parts, some covered in dark, blackish pustules. A few recovered, but most did not and, after two or three days of fear and suffering, died in agony and despair, often alone and unshriven for the lack of a priest, when their loved ones abandoned them. After five months of terror, half of Meonbridge’s people were dead.
When the foul sickness at last moved on, leaving the villagers to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, Thomas and Joan Miller went to church daily, to pray for their five dead children’s souls, and give thanks to God for sparing Peter. Then the arrival of baby Maud just a few days ago had brought the Millers a bright ray of hope in the long-drawn-out darkness of their despair.
But Peter hadn’t been spared after all.
BUY LINKS
http://amzn.to/2hsaHbj
http://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk/silverwood-bookshop


ABOUT CAROLYN HUGHES
Carolyn Hughes was born in London, but has lived most of her life in Hampshire. After a first degree in Classics and English, she started her working life as a computer programmer, in those days a very new profession. It was fun for a few years, but she left to become a school careers officer in Dorset. But it was when she discovered technical authoring that she knew she had found her vocation. She spent the next few decades writing and editing all sorts of material, some fascinating, some dull, for a wide variety of clients, including an international hotel group, medical instrument manufacturers and the Government. She has written creatively for most of her adult life, but it was not until her children grew up and flew the nest, several years ago, that creative writing and, especially, writing historical fiction, took centre stage in her life. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from Portsmouth University and a PhD from the University of Southampton.
Fortune’s Wheel is her first published novel, and a sequel is under way.


Facebook: CarolynHughesAuthor
Twitter: @writingcalliope
Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2hs2rrX





GIVEAWAY
Paperback of Fortune’s Wheel (UK only)
Or
Ecopy of the Book (International)




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NBtM Tour: Luke's Redemption by Anni Fife



Luke’s Redemption
by Anni Fife
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GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romantic Suspense
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BLURB:
Chased by her criminal kingpin father, Katya Dalca runs to New Orleans and straight into the arms of Luke Hunter. Sucked into the carnal world of the French Quarter, she succumbs to Luke’s potent sexuality. He not only steals her breath, he steals her heart and the only leverage she has against her father. She is left with no choice except to pick up the pieces and rebuild her life alone.
Undercover DEA agent Luke Hunter thought his newest assignment—recover a stolen flash drive to gain the trust of the Russian mob—was like any other. But his target brings him to his knees, and after one taste of her intoxicating beauty, he's in too deep. Doing his job means walking away, leaving his heart behind with nothing but a promise to reunite. It's a promise he can't keep.
When Katya's past reaches out and her world unravels, her only hope is the one man she is most vulnerable to—Luke.
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Excerpt Two:
I snuggled deeper into the cosy bedding, lazy and heavy-limbed. Shifting slightly, warmth spread through me as the slight stickiness between my legs brought with it delicious memories of the night before. I never dreamed that I could be so wanton, so wildly desperate for one man’s touch.


And boy, did he touch! His potency evident in every aching muscle in my body.


Mmmm. Heat flickered as his musky scent infused my senses.


“Katya.”
I loved his voice. Especially when he said my name, so deep, rich like dark molasses.
“Katya!”


I forced my lids open. And drowned in sensual, male beauty. “Hi,” I purred. And it was a purr. I sounded like a sated cat. Inching a hand out from under the covers, I reached up, hungry to stroke his rough morning stubble.
He reared back as if stung.


What?
My hand hovered midair as he lowered himself to a chair that was pulled up close to the bedside.


How did that chair get there? Was he watching me sleep?
Sluggish, I looked at the window. The curtains were drawn together but didn’t quite meet. Faint light trickled in. It was barely morning. I looked back at Michale and cold started to seep in. Shit. He was fully clothed, he was even wearing his jacket. Only his hair looked out of place. He obviously couldn’t find the cord that I’d enthusiastically pulled from it like a wild woman, and now it hung loose to his shoulders. Bed-hair. Do men get bed-hair?

My Review:

 Luke's Redemption is Anni Fife's first book and is also the first book in the King Security series. I have to say I was shocked and amazed at how well this book was written. I have read some books by seasoned writer's that have nothing on quality of this book. I really loved how well her characters were thought out. They were totally believable and well rounded. I loved how the book all though descriptive was not overly descriptive to the point of just taking up room on the page. I really enjoyed how the story seemed like a real event, it was believable. The story was suspenseful, had some sweltering hot scenes, was also heart wrenching at times. I had a hard time putting this book down, who needs to eat or sleep when you have Luke and Katya. I can't wait for book 2. 

 Luke is a undercover DEA Agent. Katya is the daughter of a Russian Mob Kingpin. When she runs away she steals a flash drive and Daddy want's it back. Luke is undercover in the Russian Mob and to gain trust he is sent after the flash drive. He is not expecting Katya to steal his heart. She is not expecting him to steal hers, or the flash drive. Then he is gone.

 Until 5 years later, when they are thrown together again. Will she forgive him for walking away or not. Read the book and find out for yourself.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Last year, Anni Fife closed the door on a twenty-year successful career in television production, to fulfill her lifelong passion, writing. In the space of one month, she closed her business, packed up her city life and moved to a small seaside village. ‘My writing has always been constrained by client briefs,’ Anni says. ‘Now, I finally have the opportunity to write to the beat of my own heart.’ LUKE’s Redemption is Anni’s debut novel and she hopes you enjoy it as much as she loved writing it. Anni loves to spend hours walking on the beach searching for pansy shells, more hours drinking red wine with her gal posse, and the most hours writing romance novels filled with women you can relate to and men you love to dream about. She is currently working on her second novel, GRAY’s Promise.
Anni is published by The Wild Rose Press.
Join Anni’s Posse and get regular updates and Bonus Treats


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http://wildcatalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-erotic/4747-luke-s-redemption.html

Interview with Anni Fife

Anni says: Look out for the New Lower Price for Luke’s Redemption. Now ONLY $2,99!


What is your favorite part of Luke’s Redemption and why?
I suppose it has to be a poignant moment that happens in the last quarter of the book. The day is fraught with violence. Katya survives a vicious attack, and her father is in hospital with multiple stab wounds. Luke and Katya return home late and have an intimate conversation. Luke tells Katya he loves her, but when Katya tries to reciprocate the words get stuck in her throat. She runs to her bedroom and fetches a leather hair-tie that she has secretly kept for six years. It used to belong to Luke. She wraps it around his wrist, and there is no need for further words. Luke knows exactly what it means.

If you could spend time with a character from your book who would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Oh my goodness, it has to be Luke Hunter. I created him in the image of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor character. Yummy! But besides his panty-melting good looks, Luke is also a man who feels deeply and loves with an all-consuming intensity. The abuse and loss he suffered in his early years, shapes the man he becomes. He has a singular focus that makes him a superior sniper in the military, and his protective instincts are through the roof. Luke has no problem using his potent sexiness to his benefit. But when confronted with Katya’s pain and fear, we discover he has a depth of emotional intelligence that will bring you to tears. Well, it brings me to tears every time I read it!
What would I do with Luke if he knocked on my door? I’d share breakfast with him while I salivated over his deliciousness. And for the rest of the day, I’d keep him all to myself in my king-size bed!

If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb—the most heartbreaking and authentically real book I’ve ever read. But I also wish I could write an epic thriller like I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes—what a rollicking ride that was!

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Totally my imagination. But their personality traits, motives for conflict etc, are all as real as they can be. I’m a psychology fundi, so I get high on fleshing out the intricacies of what makes my characters tick. I dig deep into their motives, and try to analyze their actions from their own worldview. I do my best not to bring my own perspective into contention, as I believe this distorts how a character develops.

What made you want to become a writer?
There was no one thing. I always loved making up stories in my head, but I never believed writing novels was a feasible career choice. I’d daydream about it, but my decision to follow my passion was sudden. A confluence of life events and opportunities that came together and allowed me to make a life-changing decision. I shut down my business, cancelled my apartment lease, and packed up my city life. A month later I arrived in a small seaside village, and began my new life…as an author.
What is your next project?
I’m delighted to report that I’m finished Gray’s Promise, book two in my King Security Series. (Luke’s Redemption is Book One.) It’s set in New York and Denton, Texas. Grayson Walker is Luke’s best friend, and he’s a wicked charmer. Zoey Morgan is his one-and-only. Torn apart by horrific tragedy, Gray and Zoey still carry the emotional scars fourteen years later. We follow their fraught reconciliation, and the unknown evil stalking them. Their journey is filled with pain, and a heart-wrenching beauty. And, of course, sexual chemistry so scorching it still gets me in a hot sweat when I think about it. I hope to release Gray’s Promise during summer this year.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION


Anni will be awarding $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.




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Beast by Mary Catherine Gebhard Preorder Blitz

 



Book Title: Beast 
Author: Mary Catherine Gebhard 
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Dark Romance 
Release Date: March 14, 2017 
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

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book blurb


Once upon a time, I thought love was a fairytale.

I thought selling myself to a mafia boss was noble. So what if they called him the Beast? I grew up in rags, and he would lift me to riches. All I had to do was give him my soul.

He was punishing. Insatiable. Captivating. Nothing like I expected him to be. Each day my reality blurred, leaving me wondering if I was slave or princess.

The longer I stayed, the more I lost myself to him. Even after every cruelty the Beast visited upon me, I longed for his touch. Even after every savage word he spoke, I begged for his lips. I thought the worst thing he could take was my body. I was too naïve to guard my heart.

Once upon a time, I thought love was a fairytale.

Now I know better than to speak of happily-ever-afters.

Beast is the first book in the Hate Story duet. About what it means to fall in love with the person who has absolutely destroyed you, it contains disturbing and graphic situations that may be a trigger for some.








meet the author

Mary Catherine Gebhard bites off more than she can chew. She's lived in Salt Lake City, Utah her entire life, but occasionally goes on vacation from reality. Don't worry, she sends postcards.

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