The Muse (Interracial Romantic Suspense) Released!

What happens when Death is the Muse?

Only $.99  
Available on Amazon and B&N
Add it to Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

On the first day of her nude modeling job, Elle deals with a corpse, an eccentric dark artist, his sexy brother, and a grandmother that can see someone's future by just touching their hands. Although these crazy distractions shove her on edge, it's just what she needs to mend her battered heart and forget about her ex-boyfriend. Besides, she does get to live in their castle for the whole three months. 

Everything seems magical and perfect. Until more dead bodies are discovered.

There's something going on at night, right in the artist's garden. Under the moonlight, young women are being cut and sliced, and no one has a clue to who's doing it. And the more Elle is around the weird family in the castle, the more she realizes that they all are hiding secrets.

My thoughts:

What happens when Death is the Muse?

This story goes deep into the intriguing world of dark art.

We have a broken-hearted nude model. . .

that begins working for one of the most famous dark artist in the world. She's trying to revive her career, and it seems she's made the right choice of modeling for him . . .

until the dead girls are discovered in his garden.

Did I mention that there's a Hot Brother in this?

Excerpt #1

"I’ll sacrifice for you?” I asked.

“Yes,” Hex whispered. “You’re going to give up something to gain whatever it is you need.”

This was the art world and Hex represented a true artist who saw the world in many layers of reality, so thick that a layer could be yanked away for a few seconds and analyzed like a book.

“Sacrifice.” I curled the word around my tongue and sucked in the bitter taste of it. “Why sacrifice?”

“Because in order to truly be free you’ll have to surrender it all. You’ll have to tear away all of the things that bind you to whatever is keeping you back from your passion.”

Smexy Excerpt

The ocean waves crashed against us. That cool water rose up to our knees. All was forgotten in those sweet kisses—lips gliding against lips, wet tongues twisting and exploring, hungry hands and taunting fingers. 

Weak at the Knees (New Adult Contemporary Romance)

BLURB:   

“We got so busy living life that we forgot to live our dreams.”

Danni Lewis has been playing it safe for twenty-six years, but her sheltered existence is making her feel old ahead of time. When a sudden death plunges her into a spiral of grief, she throws caution to the wind and runs away to France in search of a new beginning. 

The moment ski instructor Olivier du Pape enters her shattered world she falls hard, in more ways than one.

Their mutual desire is as powerful and seductive as the mountains around them. His dark gypsy looks and piercing blue eyes are irresistible. 

Only she must resist, because he has a wife – and she’d made a pact to never get involved with a married man.

But how do you choose between keeping your word and being true to your soul? 

Weak at the Knees is Jo’s debut novel in the new adult, contemporary romance genre – a story about love, loss and relationships, set between London and the heart of the French Alps.

Buy on Amazon

EXCERPT TWO

              I leaned over, intending to air brush his cheeks with 

mine, but it didn’t quite happen that way. A stronger, more 

powerful force than my conscience, a force more powerful than 

morality, changed my path of navigation at the last second, 

making my lips meet his, melt deliciously into his, over and 

over and over again, sending shivers of pleasure through every 

limb in my body. My skin tingled, my head spun, I felt light-

headed even though I was sitting down. 

         That’s all we did for over an hour. Kiss and kiss and kiss, 

tasting each other, pressing our bodies close and steaming up 

the car. I didn’t want it to ever stop. I never realized that 

kissing could be so sensual and powerful and overwhelming. If 

Olivier and I were to never progress beyond kissing, then it 

would be enough, as long as I could keep on doing it forever. 

Finally, when he had to go, he hugged me tight and told me 

he’d wanted to kiss me since the first time we met, when I lay 

crashed in a snowy heap at his feet. 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

WEBSITE

When Jo was ten years old she wrote a short story about losing a loved one. Her mother and big sister were so moved by the tale that it made them cry. Having reduced them to tears she vowed that the next time she wrote a story it would make them smile instead. Happily she succeeded and with this success grew an addiction for wanting to reach out and touch people with words. Jo lives in London with her husband and three children where she works as a TV and print journalist. She tells life stories and can often be found travelling the globe researching the next big holiday hotspots for readers to enjoy. Since becoming a mother anything even remotely sad makes her cry. She’s a sucker for a good romance and tear-jerker movies are the worst. She’s that woman in the cinema, struggling to muffle audible wails as everyone else turns round to stare. 

P.S Jo’s pretty certain one of her daughters has inherited this gene.           

Beside Your Heart: New Adult Romance Excerpt

"It's an emotional story that will take the reader back to those feelings that made the late teen years such a powerful time."

GIVEAWAY: Mary will be awarding one big package of 3 signed paperbacks of her books to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.The tour dates can be found HERE. 

Book Blurb:

Late one night Nicki Johnson plays with emotional fire and Googles her high school love, only to find his name splashed across the British gossip columns. Back in his native England, Adam Kincaid is successful and dating a woman from an aristocratic family like his own. With a career in politics, Nicki’s no slouch, but she knows Adam is living a world away from her life.

Yet there was a time he was no farther than the next locker. Nicki will never forget their year together in high school—the year of her sister’s death, the year her mother checked out. Adam helped Nicki through suffocating grief, and she led him through a coming of age. Was it just high school, or was it something more?

Excerpt 

“No British literature. Isn’t this supposed to be an English class?” Adam asked.

“Uh.” My ancestors would’ve been proud of the jolt of American patriotism that hit me.  “There was a revolution two hundred years ago. We write our own books now.”

He leaned back in his seat with a smile. “I think I heard about that.”

“We still share the same language.”

“Sometimes I’m not too sure.”

“I bet not.” I could imagine what he thought of a Texas accent. 

 He picked up the list of books again. “What about Catcher in the Rye?”

“I read it a long time ago when I was, like, eleven.” I laughed a little as I remembered how I’d first come to read it.

“Is there something funny about that?”

“Yeah. My father had suggested I read it then. The book is the classic coming-of-age story. Clearly, he wasn’t really thinking about whether or not it was appropriate for an eleven-year-old.”

“Really? Why?”

“Well, for one thing, the main character is a guy who swears a lot.”

“I suppose I swear a lot.” He cracked a sly smile. “At least compared to you Yankees.”

“Yankees? You’re in the South.” I laughed.

“What else is inappropriate about the book? Now I’m interested. It can’t only be a few swear words.”

“No, it’s not just that. It’s…” I hesitated for a moment as I realized I was about to bring up the topic of sex with Adam Kincaid. What the hell, I thought. I should be matter-of-fact about it. He had a girlfriend and would never want anything with me. I could hide I thought he was hot, so I shrugged. “Holden, the main character…he’s a little sexually frustrated.”

His eyes twinkled, and it felt as if my words hung in the air. I wanted to squirm in my seat. ‘Sexually frustrated’—like me checking out Adam Kincaid.

His proper upbringing showed again as he sidestepped the issue, yet he smirked. “That sounds like an adventurous book to be on an American high school syllabus.”

“Like I said—it’s considered an American classic.” I laughed. “I guess some things are sacred.”

“But of course.” The gleam appeared in his eye again, and he turned toward me in his seat. “Teenage sexual frustration is sort of a rite of passage, if you will.”

There went the good-English-boy manners out the window. His tone, the look in his eye, his body language—was he flirting with or taunting me? I decided the former was impossible, and if the latter, I wasn’t going to back down. With two parents who were lawyers, debate was a family routine. 

“A rite of passage? More like a biological fact, isn’t it?” I asked, casually clicking my pen. I raised a brow. “Especially for guys.”


“You’re right about that,” he said with a grin. 

Mary Whitney

          Author Website           Facebook                Twitter

Even before she graduated from law school, Mary Whitney knew she wasn’t cut out to be a real lawyer. Drawn to politics, she’s spent her career as an organizer, lobbyist, and nonprofit executive. Nothing piques her interest more than a good political scandal or romance, and when she stumbled upon writing, she put the two together. A born Midwesterner, naturalized Texan, and transient resident of Washington, D.C., Mary now lives in Northern California with her two daughters and real lawyer husband.

Top 5 African American Romances

Hello Floozies!

Author Erin Armstrong is here to give us her top five African American Romances, but first check out her new book!

SUMMARY:
Michelle Marshall is a strong independent woman with a lot of baggage. Raped right before the start of her senior year of college, Michelle grows to be a caring, single mother to her daughter. Things begin to look pretty grim when the Charity House, the women's shelter she founded, is on the brink of having to close its doors. 

That is, until Tyler Austin, a mysterious and handsome stranger comes into the picture. Helping Michelle resuscitate the Charity House, Ty also helps her learn to trust, love and feel what she hasn't in years. Not everything is quite as perfect as Michelle would like though, as occasional hints lead her to believe something is not quite right. Her suspicions are confirmed when even more frightening developments occur and start to become...deadly.



Erin's Top Five African American Romances

Friends and Lovers by Eric Jerome Dickey- This was one of my favorite books written by one of my favorite authors. This book was wonderfully written. I enjoyed the dynamics between all of the characters. This book was also a bit of a tear jerker. I actually read it twice and fell in love with the male characters both times.

Soul Mates Dissipate by Mary B Morrison- This book was not so much a romance but more of a drama book. It was so packed full of sex and scandal and the author did a great job of keeping me interested. It ended a little differently than I would have liked but I enjoyed it.

The First Lady by Carl Weber- Here is an author that knows so much about what it is to be a woman that I often question if he really is a man! This book was scandalous.It was a book about church members and all of their drama! Being a woman who grew up in a church I thought this book was tastefully done and pushed the envelope without going overboard, 

The Other Woman by Eric Jerome Dickey- This was another one of my favorites by the author. It really kept me guessing and also had me feeling for each individual in the web of mess they had formed. I loved the woman and the "other man" in the book. They were so believable.

So You Call Yourself A Man- I think I can go on and on about this book. It was insane and a masterpiece. I never thought that you could write so much about church people and pack it full of drama, secrets and lies. It was an awesome read and up there as one of my favorites. I couldn't believe the twists and turns in this book. 

AUTHOR BIO

  Website        Facebook            Twitter 

Erin Armstrong knew she wanted to be a writer at the early age of 10. Throughout her life she has written several short stories, but struggled to find her niche. Eventually she was able to sit and write all of her ideas and was finally able to make her dream a reality.

Erin graduated from Franklin High School in Somerset, New Jersey and currently works for Easter Seals in New Jersey where she assists families with children with disabilities. She has been with the company for 5 years.

Erin lives at home with her husband, Shamar, of over 5 years and her two boys Davien and Cameron.  She enjoys spending time with them and watching them grow every day.

Ivy Entwined Giveaway Candy Basket and Swag Bags

Laura Simcox is here to hold a GIVEAWAY, discuss writing out of season, and present her new release "Ivy Entwined." 

Let's give her a welcome and check out this interesting new novel. The giveaway rafflecopter is below her post.

Blurb: When Ivy Callahan returns to her hometown as mayor, she doesn’t expect much to have changed. But now her ex-fiancé is the town planner, the biggest business is closed, and the only store interested in Celebration, NY is a Megamart. On top of it all, the liaison for the big, bad, box store is Marcus Weaver, her childhood crush. And he’s still as dangerously delectable as ever.

Marcus unwillingly spent his teens in Celebration with his vindictive, drunken uncle. As far as Marcus is concerned, the town’s only use is to cement his rise up the corporate ladder. He needs that Megamart opened, and Ivy is his ticket. But the sexy, stubborn mayor could also be his downfall.

As the unemployed townspeople put on the pressure, Ivy needs to do something. With a fresh downtown-renewal project in the works, Ivy could stop Marcus and his Megamart before they kill the town’s spirit. But with sparks flying between Ivy and Marcus, they each need to decide what’s more important: their careers or their hearts. 

Writing Out of Season

by Laura Simcox

I live in an old house.

It’s hard to keep cool in the summer and drafty in the winter. The weird little room that I have claimed as my office has three giant windows, which certainly help me stare off into space, slack jawed, when I need to pause while I’m writing.

Which is often.

 But when I’m too hot, I can’t concentrate. Early last summer,on a day when the bushes outside my window were already wilted in the morning sun, I tried valiantly not to fixate on them because I was supposed to be running a marathon.

 Or at least, my fingers were…since I was sprinting toward the finish of Ivy Entwined. I was cranky, a constant sweating glass of iced tea sitting next to my lap top. Why couldn’t there have been a blizzard outside my window just like there was outside Ivy’s window in my book?

Then a light bulb went on.

 Duh.

 For all intents and purposes I was living in my book, anyway. Well, except for showering and brushing my teeth. (And doing grocery shopping, preschool pick up and watching Curious George…but I digress.) So I could choose to be cold. I could shut the office door, stick a towel under it and let the wrought iron air grate in the floor blow cold air all over me.

 I could wear my favorite sweater. And in my head- in my town of Celebration, NY, it was December. I could decorate a Christmas tree. Go shopping. Eat pumpkin pie and go to a town Christmas festival. All from the comfort of my pleather chair with the cat claw slashes, and all during the second week of June.

 Once I realized that, the rest of my book flew out of my brain, down my arms, through my fingers and onto the screen. I had so much fun in Celebration that I was tempted to pull some nutcrackers out of a box and set them up on the fireplace mantle. 

It’s very entertaining to ‘write out of season’ and what’s making my nerdy author self jump for joy? I’m doing it again. The second ‘Something to Celebrate’ story begins in the spring time, and I’m writing it this fall.

 While the leaves fall off the trees, I’m going to wear some white flip-flops with flowers on them and as Halloween approaches, I will be obsessed with Easter candy. Little malted milk eggs, my fave. Cadbury eggs! Marshmallow ducks.

 Trick-or-Peeps, anyone?

 Wait, do they make Halloween Peeps? 

Sign me up, if so. 

So readers, what’s your favorite out of season or holiday to dream about? 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Her Website

After spending twenty years in professional theater as a costume designer, with a few of those years also spent as a college instructor, Laura abandoned the nomadic lifestyle to sit in a comfy pleather office chair at a beat up ginormous second hand oak desk and write. The result? Romance novels! 

Her favorite thing ever since she was, oh, about twelve. She writes contemporary, light novels and enjoys creating quirky characters and funny dialogue. Still, the love story is the focus and Laura has a huge soft spot for a sappy, happy ending. She lives in North Carolina with her husband (true love is real!) and her adorable, high energy four year old son who is currently obsessed with pirates. When not playing mamma pirate, she loves hearing from readers and you can find your favorite way to say hi via the social media buttons on her website:

How to be Team Both: Shooting Scars Book Review

Release Date: August 20, 2013

I give it 

First Line:  "You wanted me to catch you, didn't you?" Javier's voice cut into my thoughts like a drill.

This was a high octane ride on a motorcycle while doing heroin...

Not that I've ever driven a motorcycle or. . .did heroin, but dude....

This book rocked!!!

There were times when I was just like. . .

WOW!!

The book is told in two P.O.V.'s through Ellie and Camden's views. 

I've read book one as well as the pre-quel:

BOOK .5

Book Two

Meanwhile, I've become hard-core card-carrying Team Members!

I'm Team Javier

AND

Team Camden

So after reading this book, what team am I on????

I mean the whole novel, I literally loved both men!

I'm confused. First I hate Javier, then I'm mad at Camden, then I'm pissed at Javier, then I'm.....just so so so confused. . . 

Even now. . .I still don't know.

There will be a BOOK THREE people! Yes!

Okay so as to not give away anything. . .by 25% of the book I said, "Fuck it! I'm Team Both!!!" 

Can you even be Team Both?

Hell yes!!

TEAM BOTH!!!!

And what is wrong with Team Both, anyway?

I had no idea what Ellie was even going to do. . .

I will say that I was hoping for a little. . .

MAN LOVE!!!!

I mean would it be so wrong for Camden to put down his gun, Javier put down his guns (and tell all of his men to stand down), and they just get to some Hot, Passionate hot man love happening??

Okay.

You'll have to read the novel to see what Ellie decides because if I further analyze Ellie's situation with Javier and Camden, there will be some major spoilers happening.

Regardless, this book rocked!

It was unpredictable,
fast-paced,
heart pumping action,
hot sex scenes (although I wish there were more),
and just a great sequel to Sins and Needles!

I'm telling you. When you read this book, email me and tell me what Team you're on!

May's Book of the Month Discussion with Megan, Dara, Kenya, & Alicia

Every month Fantasy Floozies get together with authors Megan Martin and D.T.Dyllin to discuss the Book of the Month.

This month is the Contemporary Erotic Romance DIRTY by Megan Hart

Book Summary:

This is what happened…

I met him at the candy store.

He turned and smiled at me and I was surprised enough to smile back. This was not a children’s candy store, mind you–this was the kind of place you went to buy expensive imported chocolate truffles for your boss’s wife because you felt guilty for having sex with him when you were both at a conference in Milwaukee.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.






Our Favorite Lines


Megan D. Martin

"He didn’t approach me, made no move to touch me, not an awkward social half hug nor a handshake, and I found myself both grateful and disappointed." Is mine. I love how real Hart made her emotions.



Dara Dyllin

I'm a fan of all the American Psycho references... not really a favorite line... but yeah.... lol

Kenya Wright

"...his voice and laugh, the slow deep honey of it that made me want to lean against him and rub myself on him the way cats do, purring." 

Alicia W.B.
Okay got one: On another man the comment would have come off smarmy, earned a roll of the eyes and an automatic addition to the "not with James Dean's prick" file. 

James Dean

Kenya Wright

lmao@ james dean's prick file!!!

Alicia W.B.

And now I'm going to Google James Dean because I don't know what he looks like and he'd better be hot based on that line

Megan D. Martin

omgh you don't? He is beautiful!

       

Dara Dyllin

Really?? You don't know what James Dean looks like??

                

Alicia W.B.

He's a-ight 

What did we think about the HERO and HEROINE? 

Dara Dyllin

The Hero reminds me of my Hubs... super patient with a woman with issues. LMAO

How's that for TMI for you Kenya?! hehe

Alicia W.B.

Even though I figured out the heroine's story pretty early on, I thought it was one of the more shocking heroine backstories I've come across

Megan D. Martin

I liked Dan A LOT. I thought he seemed like a good guy, but I found that Elle drove me crazy about halfway through the book. She drove me crazy. I was only able to forgive her craziness once I realized what was going on with her past.

Alicia W.B.

And yes, Dan was super patient. I liked him a lot. And he had that great quirk about wanting to have sex in public--which made him avoid being too much of a "good boy"

Megan D. Martin

LOL @ Dara. @ Alicia, I found it to be one of the most shocking as well. I think it had a lot to do with the way Hart presented it. The way she described her feelings. It made it all very real.

Kenya Wright

I pretty much agree with you all.

I loved how the Heroine changed throughout the book.

Remember the room she kept painting

and how that room changed with her personality

loved!

Alicia W.B.

Oh yeah, that was great how the room reflected what she was feeling

Kenya Wright

yes. I'm stealing that for my books

Alicia W.B.

I loved that too. Kudos to the author. Well done.

Kenya Wright

objects are going to change with my characters!

Dara Dyllin

Thumbs up on that from me as well. 

Any things we didn't like about the book? 

Dara Dyllin

Honestly, I got bored at about 20% in and had to make myself finish the book. Hear me out before I get boo-ed...

Alicia W.B.

I won't boo you. There were big blocks of telling and summary toward the beginning.

Kenya Wright

Yes. There were major slow points throughout the book especially during that 20%

"I thought of him here. I thought of him there. I thought of him while I took a shit."

Alicia W.B.

Stuff like: "I thought about him a lot over the next couple weeks. I thought about him while..."

Yes!

Agreed...

Dara Dyllin

The writing was good, the concept good... but I wasn't consumed like I prefer.

Megan D. Martin

Yes, I agree with you Dara. It was the end that saved the book for me. The last 25%.

Kenya Wright

(Dara is only consumed when the heroine is beating the crap out of women and sleeping with all of their boyfriends while the bloody women lay on the ground watching.)

Dara Dyllin

Whatever Kenya! LMAO!

               

Megan D. Martin

LOL then she should have loved the hero in Flirting with Chaos ;)

Alicia W.B.

In general, I tend to think that contemp romance has more internal monologue than other genres I read--which frustrates me just about every time I read contemp romance. But I didn't find it to be more so in this book than in others.

But the summarizing weeks passing and that "thought of him" stuff was too much telling.

Megan D. Martin

There were times where I felt the author was keeping us at an arms length from the character. Where we were kind of detached

Dara Dyllin

@ Megan... That seemed like it was done on purpose because the character keeps everyone at arms length. But then it also kept the reader detached and didn't serve the novel well over all.

Kenya Wright

awww good point @ Dara 

(An angel dies every time Dara makes a good point)

(I'm just saying)

Dara Dyllin

That's why they're dying left and right apparently. ;)

Megan D. Martin

Wait, I didn't die. Are you sure? ;) 

Dara Dyllin

@ Alicia I like internal monologue and I'm not sure what it was about this book that didn't suck me in.

Kenya Wright

I think Dirty is definitely not your typical contemp Erotic romance. It came off more literary.

Alicia W.B.

Wtf does "literary" even mean. Not once while I was reading did I think, "Oh this seems literary."

Kenya Wright

o that book was literary

i have created elements!

Alicia W.B.

oh gods

Kenya Wright

1- can stand the test of time

2- story has a significant theme that tells the person something about being human

i forgot the other ones

Alicia W.B..

Again, I see that in most contemp romance that I read

Kenya Wright

you've been reading the best ones dick head

while I trudge through the bad ones!!

and tell you not to read them

:-(  (my life is hard)

Alicia W.B.

Okay :P

Would you read more by this author? 

Alicia W.B.

I respected a lot about the book, so I think I'll like some her other stuff.

Kenya Wright

I definitely would. I browsed her other books and she writes some pretty dark erotic romances. That's my thing.

Megan D. Martin

I don't know. Maybe. I wouldn't read another book about Dan and Elle.

(there are more in their series right?)

Alicia W.B.

There's a follow-up novella

I think that's it for these characters

Dara Dyllin

@ Megan.. I agree I'm over those characters but I would read other books by Hart. :) 

What would you have changed about this book?

Kenya Wright

I would have taken out most of the dragging points. I'm an action junky. I like things to move along.

Megan D. Martin

Same for me @ Kenya. I would have added more action and excitement to the plot line

  

Alicia W.B.

I'd cut a lot of the summary nonsense. Can we say chapter break and time shift?

Dara Dyllin

I think the book was meant to be a character study. If that's not your thing then you're going to crave more action.

Some people really enjoy character studies with little action...

Kenya Wright

good point @ Dara (and another angel falls from heaven)

Alicia W.B.

So Megan and Kenya just don't "get it" then? Is that what you're saying?

Megan D. Martin

Wahhh can't there be both? @ Dara

Alicia W.B.

I actually disagree.

Kenya Wright

(shocker)

Alicia W.B.

A book can be a character study and still avoid dragging.

 Megan D. Martin

LOLOLOL

Alicia W.B.

Kenya read all of Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear despite their being slow, because they were engaging

Kenya Wright

this is true but I found it dragging a whole lot

Dara Dyllin

I think there can be a balance with a book being a character study and with action. I think the problem, like I previously stated, was the distance between Elle and the reader.

Kenya Wright

I only read it to steal his writing style.

Alicia W.B.

SHUT UP WHEN I'M MAKING A POINT!

Kenya Wright

lol! go on time out Alicia!

Alicia W.B.

:'(

Dara Dyllin

Go ahead and make your point Alicia. :)

Kenya Wright

5 minutes in the corner. Keep it up, and no TV tonight.

Alicia W.B.

Oh, I finished already. It wasn't all that significant.

Dara Dyllin

I'm playing good cop. ;)

Megan D. Martin

I am just observing lol

Kenya Wright

(When Dara plays good cop, portions of heaven whither away.)

Alicia W.B.

Thank you, Dara. I'm taking you off my isht list for the rest of the week.

Megan D. Martin

@ Alicia are you pouting? ;)

Dara Dyllin

@ Kenya... that part might be true. :p 

Last question: How many stars do we give the book?

Alicia W.B.

Megan D. Martin

Kenya Wright

Dara Dyllin

I don't like to rate other author's book publicly. I know, I suck. :p

Kenya Wright

:-(

Alicia W.B.

That's cool. (I knew you'd say that.)

Kenya Wright

you suck Dara!