How to Design A Camping Trip for the Summer That Will Please Your Romantic Partner?
There are various ways to show your partner how much you care, and putting together a little camping trip for the summer to sweep her off her feet may be just the thing. You’ll have your work cut out for you if she likes the outdoors, but today we offer little tips and tricks if your partner is a city girl who can’t do without the electricity and a full bath. You may be infatuated by cougar dating, or she may be just fresh out of college.
Created by Jcomp – Freepik.com
Whatever the case is, camping will give you a chance to show you’re capable of taking care of her, and below we offer advice on how you can excel when presented with the opportunity deep in the woods.
#1: Put Your Thinking Cap On
People who’ve never gone camping have no idea how much work it entails actually.
pxlpusher, Flickr
Setting up the tent, tying the tarp to protect it from the rain, organizing all the ‘kitchen’ stuff so that the food is accessible, making meals using nothing but a few raw ingredients and the fire that you have to keep going, and finding the time actually to enjoy the trip isn’t easy at all.
Kyle Glenn, Unsplash
What you’ll need to do to impress your partner is let your boy scout skills shine. Bring an extra umbrella because chances are it will rain at some point, don’t forget an extra flashlight when the batteries in hers die, bring an extra tent in case yours gets wet, and don’t forget a few additional layers of clothing even though it’s summertime.
#2: Feed Her And She’ll Love You Forever
If your camping trip lasts for more than a few days, just bringing food from home is not going to cut it. You’ll have to prepare meals, and ‘survive’ on what you have, which might not be your partner’s forte.
Lukas Budimaier, Unsplash
If you’re a good cook, there has never been a better time to show it. Use the campfire to cook meals, stop by the local market to get fresh fruit, bring plenty of fresh water, and don’t forget to throw away the scraps after you’re done.
Bring a small fridge or two to store the food, and make sure not only that she never goes hungry, but also that she eats tasty, fresh meals to have enough energy for all the activities that go with taking a camping trip.
Created by Freepik
#3: Compromise with a Pop-up Camper or RV
Even if in theory they love the outdoors, most women out there tend to get pretty girly and may we say difficult when it comes to actual camping. If you think your girl would spend the entire trip trying to stop the insects from climbing up her hammock, using a pop-up camper or RV could be a great way to compromise and slowly introduce her to nature.
dimitrisvetsikas1969, Pixabay
KounG, Pixabay
Not even all experienced camping fanatics have RVs or campers parked in their backyards, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t rent one for your trip as the first step in helping your girl embrace the simple life out in the woods.
#4: Outdoor Activities Make The Trip
Created by Prostooleh – Freepik.com
Camping is all about swimming in the lake, going hiking, riding your bikes all day long, playing badminton, and taking a nap in the shade. Bring a few good books for her to read after lunch, and plan out your activities so that your days are filled, but she’s not beat by 6 pm.
Get up in the morning and go for a quick jog, have breakfast and give your body some time to digest it.
Created by Nensuria – Freepik.com
Go for a swim or a bike ride, and come back to your site when it’s time to prepare another hearty meal.
Take a nap after lunch and go hiking afterward, and sit by the fire and tell scary or romantic stories at night. If there are friends who’ll be joining you on your trip it may not be the most romantic of getaways, but it will be filled with laughter, shared memories, and lots of stories retold in the years to come, plus you’ll both get to enjoy all the camping stuff that much more.
Drew Farwell, Unsplash
Nice! These are some great tips for anyone who wants to introduce their partner to the idea of camping. You definitely need to take a lot into account with this type of venture, but in the end it’s worth the experience…
Take it from me. I used to go on camping trips all the time with my family as a kid.
Thank you, Dating Connections, for such wonderful advice! ♥♥♥
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Dating Connections is a site that offers the opportunity for you to explore a variety of dating tips, previous relationship experiences and interact with other people!
Giving into his wolf’s need for love could risk the quiet life Frank has created for himself—and his heart…
I am pleased to announce a cool book blog tour going on right now, presented by Aidee Ladnier, an author I met during my journey! Congratulations on your new MM paranormal romance!
When a new book comes out, it is always an exciting time for authors!
Plus, here at the I Love Romance Blog, we love discovering new romance novels!
Let’s hear a little about this great book…
Very nice!
This is the blurb for Wolf Around the Corner:
Frank’s family taught him that his wolf was dangerous, unwanted. Now his best friend’s brother wants him in bed and on stage. But giving into his wolf’s need for love could risk the quiet life Frank has created for himself—and his heart.
Settled in the small town of Waycroft Falls, Frank is content to be a lone wolf among the white picket fences and dollar book bins until he finds himself sniffing his best friend’s brother. Tom smells like hot apple pie and his Broadway smile has Frank lolling his tongue. But when the visiting actor learns Frank’s secret and plies him with hot kisses to get him to star in his play, Frank can’t help but wonder if Tom is only acting.
Tom ran away from family obligations to be a Broadway star. If he could make it there, he could make it anywhere…but he didn’t. Trudging home to Waycroft Falls to open his sister’s new performance space brings him face to face with a werewolf—a werewolf that would be perfect for Tom’s shoestring production of Beauty and the Beast. Staying in Tiny Town USA would be worth it if he can somehow convince the sexy wolf to expose his furry condition on stage and howl privately in Tom’s bed.
Wolf Around The Corner, a paranormal semi-finalist in Passionate Ink’s 2017 Sexy Scribbles Contest, is a full-length fairytale romance with a side of wolf shifter. If you like your romance with gorgeous men, humor, and small town magic, you’ll love Wolf Around the Corner! Buy your copy now and settle in to watch the drama unfold!
Ann is giving us a peek at her LGBT paranormal shifter romance, Wolf Around the Corner, today.
Great cover!
Book Info:
Genre: Paranormal Romance, MM Romance, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 3, 2018
Here is an excerpt.
The first thing he always did was take a large lungful of air. It reoriented him to the outside. His animal cataloged the smells—car exhaust, grass, tree pollen, and wait, a mouse skittering in the Dumpster out back. Frank’s urge to run built. He circled the apartments, looking for the storm drain near the landscaping wall. Inside him, his animal wiggled in excitement at the prospect of being freed. Frank shucked his clothes behind the wall and tucked them into the shelter of the pipe, out of view. Then he shifted, his hands lengthening, hair sprouting, and muzzle growing. His point of view shortened, now three feet from the ground as he blinked through the eyes of his wolf-like animal. Frank couldn’t stand still any longer. He sprang into the woods.
Frank ran, crashing through the underbrush and into the darkening shelter of the trees. He leaped over a shrub, felt the give of a sapling as he plowed through the brushwood. The animals and birds quieted at his loud, headlong dash, knowing he wasn’t of the forest, only disguised and playing at being a creature of the wood.
His paws skidded on a pile of old leaves. Frank almost lost his balance as he skipped up and over a fallen log. Around him, the scents of the forest all pushed in on him. Here a whiff of mold, there an astringent sniff of decay, everywhere the menthol of evergreen sap and wild herbs growing scattered on the forest floor.
Dry twigs snapped beneath his paws. His tongue lolled from his mouth, the fresh taste of the woods painting the back of his throat. The sun dipped below the horizon, the sky inking the tops of the trees. And Frank ran on until his limbs stopped, shaky and trembling. He collapsed onto a blanket of pine needles and leaves, moss and fungi cradling him as he panted.
As he caught his breath, the sounds of the woods lapped back around him. Insects and birds first. A harsh caw from a crow shrieked a hundred yards to his right. The chirp of a cricket sawed a few feet away. The rat-a-tat-tat of a woodpecker echoed above. And the still of twilight calmed him.
When he’d rested enough that his legs would support him again, Frank began the slow jog back to the apartments, letting his nose guide him through the darkening visibility of the woods. He could smell Mrs. Reynolds’s nighttime cocoa, and Mr. Reynolds’s liniment that stank of capsaicin. The lighted windows of the apartment building led him the last few feet, and he scurried up to the storm drain.
But his clothes weren’t there.
The sky darkened into night.
Frank knew Mrs. Anderson was out, but he could try to get the elderly Reynolds couple to buzz him inside. And hope they didn’t ask why he was naked trotting up the stairs.
Or he could stay in wolf form without a tag, which meant a night outside running from animal control and/or dodging every human that would mistake him for a stray dog.
Or wait, a third option. There was an oak that almost reached the ledge of his apartment window on the second floor. He never bothered to lock the window. Frank shifted back to human and sprinted across the yard.
He leaped for the lower boughs of the tree, grunting as the bark dug into the flesh of his palms. Frank swung himself up to straddle a branch, regretting it as the rough wood scraped his thighs. He crouched in the tree, awkwardly trying to shield his more delicate parts from the smaller whiplike twigs. He skirted around the trunk, grimacing as a low branch brushed a little too close to his groin. There. He was now on the side that faced the apartment house.
Frank balanced upright, his arms pinwheeling until he caught another branch higher up to steady himself. The leaves around him shivered on their stalks, the rustling loud. Please don’t let Mrs. Reynolds look out her window.
Using the taller branch as a guide, Frank placed one bare foot in front of the other and inched away from the security of the trunk. The limb beneath his feet shook as his weight tested its strength. He slid a foot farther out on the branch. It dipped, the leaves at the tip brushing against the side of his window. Just a few feet more.
An ominous crack sounded beneath him, and Frank froze. The branch popped again. It wouldn’t hold. He could make a jump for it. Frank swallowed hard. He should make a jump for it.
Frank jumped. And missed the house, falling into the azalea bushes.
Just as his hunky new neighbor from across the hall walked out of the apartment building and down the front steps.
Frank had seen Tom in the hall that morning, carrying boxes. Trying to be neighborly, Frank had introduced himself and offered to help. Tom had turned Frank down but flashed the whitest, most even teeth at him. Frank had seen nothing whiter outside of a movie theater big screen. They’d exchanged pleasantries, commented on the weather, and then gone their separate ways. Or rather, that was what Frank wished had happened. What went down was:
“Need help?” Frank barely got the words out when his new neighbor turned in the doorway. Frank froze. God, the man was gorgeous.
“Naw, man. I got it.” Tom shifted the box in his arms to hold out his hand. “I’m Tom Davidson.”
Frank wiped a clammy hand on his jeans and shook Tom’s hand. “Hot.” And Frank knew his mouth had disclosed the exact thing his brain was thinking. Idiot. Who said that to a guy he’d just met? A guy like Tom already knew he was hot.
Tom tilted his head as if he hadn’t heard Frank right. “Yeah. The temperatures are a little warm for this time of year.”
Frank didn’t dare correct him and kept his mouth shut, afraid he’d say something worse.
“Okay, well then, see you around, Frank.” Tom chuckled and continued into his apartment.
Meanwhile Frank beat it down the stairs, unsure how he managed not to walk into traffic as his mind ran over the exchange fail again and again.
So yeah. That was the less than stellar first impression he’d given Tom this morning. And now Frank followed that up by hunkering down naked in the azalea bushes.
“Are you okay?” The gleam from the safety light caught Tom’s dark gold hair as he tilted his head to peer over the shrubs. The shadows sank into his chiseled cheekbones. He looked like a brooding movie star ready to sweep a celluloid damsel off her feet.
Too bad Frank was a naked man trying to keep from exposing himself. Frank crouched down farther, making himself as small as possible, hoping the azalea’s pink blooms would distract Tom from looking at his hairy backside.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” Tom leaned closer. “Are you… Do you have any clothes on?”
Frank racked his brain for some reason he’d be naked and hiding in the bushes. “Um, I, uh, just got out of the shower, and I leaned too far out my window.”
“Oh my God. Did you fall from that height?” Tom glanced up to the second floor, to Frank’s closed window and then back down. “Do you need an ambulance?”
Frank sighed. This conversation was only getting worse. Cupping his hands over his privates, Frank rose from behind the bushes.
“I’m okay. Just need to get back inside. I have a hidden key if you can get me past the front security door.”
Tom’s eyes widened when Frank stood. Frank winced, sure he looked like one long scrape covered in leaves. He blew at the hair in his eyes. A twig dangled, caught in an auburn strand, but Frank was unwilling to expose himself to yank it out.
“Sure. Sure.” Tom fumbled for his key and opened the door. Frank half hopped over the acorns and chestnut burrs to slide past Tom. Tom wrinkled his nose as Frank passed. Good old wet dog smell. It always clung to him after a run in the woods.
Frank took the stairs two at a time to escape.
After a shower and shave—why did going furry always lead to needing a shave? The rest of his hair receded. Why didn’t his beard?—Frank spent thirty minutes in front of his bathroom mirror, trying to psych himself up to knock on Tom’s door and invite him over the next day for coffee or to watch football. He scratched behind an ear, feeling the healing scab from a graze he’d gotten when he’d fallen into the azalea bushes. Staring at his reflection, he tried to look earnest and approachable. He could do this. He had game.
“Hey, I know you don’t know many people in town, and I’m a loser, but would you like to spend time with me?” Frank made a face at himself. Probably shouldn’t label yourself as a loser.
“Yo, you want to watch football? No, how about basketball? Baseball? No? What about Mexican wrestlers?” Oh God, what if Tom doesn’t like sports?
“I ordered two large pizzas by mistake tonight, and I could use some help, or I’ll be gorging on pepperoni for a week.”
Lame. Frank’s own gaunt features stared back at him from the mirror. Who was he kidding? He’d always be the guy who lost the genetic lottery and ended up with the family curse.
Galen’s syndrome was rare, only affecting about one in 2,000, but well-known enough that most people had at least heard of it. The Greek surgeon Galen had coined the word lycanthropy to explain the shape-shifting curse that traveled down through a family tree. Like most recessive gene disorders, it only manifested when two genes were passed down to a child, leading early scholars to think the afflicted had been re-cursed or spared for a generation due to divine providence. It was only with modern medicine that curses were found to be attached to DNA, breaking and molding chromosomes like magical radiation. But despite better understanding of the disorder, the stigma remained, not helped by the occasional local television feature linking the disorder to werewolf mythology.
All Frank knew was the recessive curse gene made him even more different from his family. He’d already been pushing it when he came out as gay. Turning into a wolf at sixteen had been…well, more than his father and stepmother could handle. She wanted to protect the kids, she told him. He loved his half siblings, didn’t he? It wasn’t safe to have a wild animal around children.
It had gutted him. They turned him out of his own home. He’d been angry. He’d done something stupid, lashing out, snapping at his sister Robbie. It still hurt, remembering the tears on his baby sister’s face, her eyes wide and scared. Of him. It was then he knew his stepmother had been right. Dangerous animals didn’t belong in a family. So he’d left, traveling all the way across the state until he landed in Waycroft Falls. It had been hard that first year. There were a lot of adult things he still hadn’t figured out.
Like how to ask out a guy who he hadn’t known his whole life. Moving from one small town to another had been a bad idea. Frank bonked his head against the mirror, gazing down into the white porcelain sink. He rubbed at a stray hair that clung to the side.
But on the plus side, small towns meant he rarely needed a car. And he could shift and run if he needed. He should take his clothes with him.
Without further ado, let’s turn the mic over to author Aidee Ladnier, who has some things to say about the book at hand.
Hi, Aidee! ♥ A pleasure you could drop in for a brief chat.
Wolf shifters are very popular. In fact, there are thousands of books out there in this genre. Inquiring minds want to know…
How do you write a shifter story that stands out as distinctive and original? What will readers find in Wolf Around the Corner that’s new and exciting?
Aidee: Hi! And thanks for having me on your blog. 🙂
This is a great question! Actually, the shifter book saturation issue is why I never thought I’d write a werewolf protagonist. I’ve read a lot of werewolf books and most of the shifter tropes like alpha males, the wolf pack in danger, and fated mates never appealed to me as an author.
But then I imagined a world where lycanthropy was treated more like a very rare medical condition. I renamed the malady Galen’s Syndrome, using the medical convention of naming a disease after the first person to describe it. In late antiquity, the Greek physician Galen described a patient with a ravenous appetite and other qualities of a wolf. If I made Galen’s Syndrome a condition that appeared in less than 1 in 2,000 individuals, it would classify it as a rare disorder and 80% of rare disorders have a genetic component. So I could keep a bit of the magic of werewolves; I made my shifter the possessor of a genetic curse. In other words, if someone is cursed with lycanthropy, the curse becomes a mutation passed down as a recessive gene. Therefore, although individuals could become carriers of the curse and still be normal, if someone gets the recessive cursed gene from each parent, they’ll be able to shift into a wolf.
So I have my werewolf, but I’m still not fond of the shifter tropes. Just to be contrary, I set out to make his story the opposite of all the shifter romance conventions. My shifter, Frank Braden, is insecure and awkward—the opposite of an alpha. He also doesn’t have a pack. In fact, he doesn’t have any friends with the same disorder and he’s even been asked to leave his family home because his father and stepmother are afraid he’ll be a danger to his half-siblings. He’s essentially, a lone wolf. And there are no fated mates in this universe. I love the idea of a fated mate, but if I personally have to go through the embarrassing and excruciating dating dance, I’m going to make sure my characters do too. I won’t give my protagonists any shortcuts to love.
I also made my werewolf the lead actor in a theatrical version of Beauty and the Beast. I’ve known several actors and the transformation scene for this particular fable has always been either to use a mask or a double to allow the main character to run off stage and take off their makeup. I thought a director might faint with joy at having a real life werewolf shift onstage during the transformation scene. Who wouldn’t buy a ticket to see that? Especially in a world where many people think werewolves are folktales. The play would be part sideshow and part theater. Which leads to a built-in conflict—because there’s a person behind that transformation, not just a spectacle to gawk at. I wanted to raise the moral question of how a director could both have an actor use a special trait without making them feel used. Where do you draw the line at exploitation and performance?
But, the book is still very light-hearted and sweet. I grew up in a small town and tried to put my favorite things about small towns in the fictional Waycroft Falls. From niche bookstores, to strange statues, and Founder’s Day bed races. Frank and Tom’s romance doesn’t run smooth, but it does skip along awkwardly to a hopeful beat.
Ooh…it sounds like a sexy, fun tale!
Thank you for giving us a glimpse into the writing experience of Wolf Around the Corner. 😉
Aidee is giving away a $5 Amazon GC, $10 Amazon GC, Ebooks from her backlist, and print books from her backlist. The winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter. Please use the RaffleCopter link below to enter. Don’t forget you have a chance to enter every day, so be sure to visit all the stops on this tour. You may find those locations here.
Aidee Ladnier, an award-winning author of speculative fiction, believes that adventure is around every corner. In pursuit of new experiences she’s worked as a magician’s assistant, been a beauty pageant contestant, ridden in hot air balloons, produced independent movies, hiked up a volcano, and is a proud citizen scientist. A lover of genre fiction, Aidee’s perfect romance has a little science fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.
I am pleased to announce a cool book blog tour going on right now, presented by Ann Everett, an author I met during my journey! Congratulations on your new contemporary romance release!
When a new book comes out, it is always an exciting time for authors!
Plus, here at the I Love Romance Blog, we love discovering new romance novels!
Let’s hear a little about this great book…
Very nice!
This is the blurb for True:
Sometimes it takes losing everything…
True Shanahan must be the unluckiest woman in the world. Either that or she’s cursed. After another failed relationship, True leaves Dallas with a broken heart and new attitude. It’s time to walk on the wild side. But when she makes a wrong turn and ends up in Bluebird, Texas, the only man she wants is anything but reckless.
…to find all you’ve ever wanted.
Ritter Malone is the town’s favorite son and has the local hero awards to prove it. Seems he’s always in the right place at the right time. But when he crosses paths with True, his life takes a turn he never sees coming. Her songwriting skills may be questionable, but her ability to turn him inside out is indisputable.
Welcome to Bluebird, Texas.
Where a chance meeting gives two people a chance at love.
Ann is giving us a peek at her modern romance, True, today.
Great cover!
Book Info:
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 13, 2018
Here is an excerpt.
When Ritter arrived at the gym, he spotted Cole jumping rope. He stopped and glanced at the wall clock. “You’re late. Roommate didn’t have you tied up, did she?”
“Very funny. We got a dog. Stayed up playing with him. I hit the snooze one time too many.”
Cole ran a towel over his face, then his lips curled. “That’s not good.”
“What? Getting a puppy?”
“Naw. The we in that sentence sounds like a contract extension.”
Ritter stretched. “I won’t lie. I’ve gone home to an empty house so long, thought having someone there would drive me nuts, but it hasn’t—for the most part.”
Cole stepped on the nearest treadmill, turned it on, and ran a steady pace. “I gotta hand it to you. You’ve managed to sleep with her and keep your hands to yourself. Or have you?”
Ritter climbed onto the machine next to Cole’s and matched his stride. No need to confess he hadn’t exactly resisted, but he’d not passed second base—by much. Had it not been for the phone call, he would have hit a home run. He’d had the wood for it. “No.”
“Come on. No way you haven’t hit that. Especially after what you told me about her coming on to you.”
“That’s why I can’t let her stay. My resistance is wearing thin.”
Ritter and Cole’s phones sounded a text at the same time. Ritter read his, then shot Cole a look. “Turns out, we’re off this afternoon.”
Cole dropped his cell back into the cupholder. “I’ve never been to New Jersey. You?”
“Nope, but looks like the storm is calling us there.”
Ann is giving away five awesome prize packages. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember, you may enter every day for your chance to win one of the prize packages. You’ll find the tour locations here.
Award winning author, Ann Everett embraces her small town upbringing and thinks Texans are some of the funniest people on earth. When speaking to writing groups, businesses, book clubs, and non-profit organizations, she incorporates her special brand of wit, making her programs on marketing, self-publishing, and the benefits of laughter, informative and fun.
While plotting to destroy the man who, centuries later, still thinks he owns them, they use their powers to protect other victims…
I am pleased to announce a cool book blog tour going on right now, presented by Saloni Quinby, an author I met during my journey! Many successes on your MM paranormal romance boxed set!
Here at the I Love Romance Blog, we love discovering new romance novels!
Let’s hear a little about this great book…
Nice!
This is the blurb for Weapons of Redemption:
Five men, enslaved by a vampire pirate and forced to do his bidding, rebelled against their master and earned the wrath of a monster. Now, while plotting to destroy the man who, centuries later, still thinks he owns them, they use their powers to protect other victims.
Whips and Chains: In a seedy underworld of sex and violence, a serial killer is stalking men and Guy is called upon to find the murderer. Ryan, a professional Dom known as the Beast Tamer, specializes in meting out pleasure and pain to oversized men. Is the sexy young man with a mysterious past the next victim — or the killer?
Sword and Shield: Rule coped with his abduction by the vampire pirate Tarun by cutting off his emotions. After centuries of self-control through punishment, he found a man who finally reached his heart. Now it’s up to Rule to save his former lover, but once he sees Joel again, will Rule be able to resist him?
Cloak and Dagger: When police detective Bryce Tarunson arrests a man who looks just like his lover from two thousand years ago, he’s pulled closer to the vampiric master he hates. The bond between Bryce and Shane forces them into a battle that might end in the destruction of the Weapons of Redemption.
Marksmen: Ansley and Brayden were stolen as boys by the hated vampire pirate, Tarun, to work aboard his ship. As men, their friendship blossomed into a deep, undeniable love. In the final battle between the vampire pirate and the Weapons of Redemption, Ansley and Brayden’s love for each other will either save or destroy them.
Fangs and Floggers: To lure his rebellious blood children back into the fold, ancient vampire Tarun abducted the hunter Adrian. He hadn’t bargained on his human prisoner being a match for him in every way — including his darkest desires. Though Tarun warns Adrian he won’t like what he hears, the hunter is determined to uncover the secrets of the vampire’s twisted past.
***Publisher’s Note: Weapons of Redemption includes the previously published novellas Whips and Chains, Sword and Shield, Cloak and Dagger, Marksmen, and Fangs and Floggers.
Saloni is giving us a peek at her LGBT paranormal romance, Weapons of Redemption, today.
Intriguing cover!
Book Info:
Genre: Paranormal Romance, MM romance
Here is an excerpt.
Guy released a breath as he let his whip fly. It struck his old friend, Ruliff, or Rule, as he preferred to be called. Rule stood, his hands suspended from manacles dangling from chains overhead.
Even if Rule screamed, no one would hear him, deep in the cellar of this mansion owned by their vampiric kin, Ansley and Brayden. Rule wouldn’t scream, though. It wasn’t in his nature to show what he believed to be weakness. To drag more than a groan from Rule, Guy would be forced to practically kill him and his sessions weren’t meant to cause permanent damage. They had already been at it for longer than usual, even for someone with a supernatural constitution.
Five more times Guy struck him with strategically placed blows before he paused and approached Rule. Using the handle of his whip, he traced an especially fierce-looking welt on Rule’s sweat-slicked back. Rule had a tremendous capacity for pain. Always had.
Guy recalled the days when they, along with Brayden, Ansley and the fifth member of their “family,” Bryce, had sailed with Tarun, a genuine monster. The five men had shared a strange and violent past, one that could have destroyed them, but together they had overcome it. Still their days at sea with the vampire pirate — the master who had tried to mold them in his image — had left scars on their souls as well as their bodies. These sessions with Rule reminded Guy of how strong yet vulnerable they all were, even if they refused to admit it.
Rule could be stubborn to the point of stupid.
Guy tightened his hand around the whip and struck Rule again with a blow that would have had most men screaming. A strangled groan escaped the tall, dark-haired man and Guy curled his lip in disgust.
He loved the whip and was an expert with it. Like his vampire kin, he had taken what he’d learned about pain and battle from their hated master and made it a form of expression. They had ultimately used their skills to fight back, not only for themselves but for victims who crossed their path. Each of the five men had mastered certain weapons. Guy’s obsession was the lash. From bullwhips to floggers, all were slaves to him, bringing pleasure or pain as he saw fit. His love of leather had melded into every part of his life, including sex. He used his floggers to pleasure and punish, sometimes separately, sometimes both at once.
Long ago, Guy had honed his skills on his willing brothers, except for Bryce, who refused to submit to anyone, even for fun. Only Rule to this day came to Guy for regular sessions. Guy decided this one had gone on long enough. He knew Rule would push himself past his limits. He needed a strong but sensitive Dominant who knew when to stop.
Glancing at Rule, Guy noted that he seemed to be in a trance. His blue eyes were narrowed to slits, his lips parted and his breathing shallow. Wet black curls clung to his perspiring forehead and neck. Blood trickled from his lower lip where he’d pierced it with his fangs.
“Our session is over for today,” Guy said without room for argument.
Rule ignored his authoritative tone and said in a deep, hoarse voice, “More.”
“Your name might be Rule, but you don’t rule here,” Guy said.
“Fine. Release me then.”
“Not until you calm down.”
“I am calm.”
“You forget how well I know you.”
Rule’s cool facade snapped. Bellowing, he yanked at his bonds.
Now he screams, Guy thought, but he knew it was probably a good thing. Rule wouldn’t allow Guy to comfort him like some clients enjoyed after a session. Guy worked mainly with supernatural beings — vampires, wizards, and even an occasional werewolf paid well for him to tease and torment them with his leather and chains. But even those creatures had a tender side. Rule’s was buried deep and Guy hoped that eventually someone would reach it.
Despite Rule’s impressive strength, he couldn’t break the chains. Guy’s survival often depended on knowing how to properly bind supernatural beings.
Guy placed his whip next to a heavy purple flogger on a table covered in red plastic. He’d clean his tools later. He was about to clean Rule’s back when his cell phone rang.
He knew who it was by the ringtone.
He picked up the phone and said, “What’s up?”
“It’s Bryce. I need your help. It’s business.”
Although the five men had different careers in the human world, their true purpose was to protect those in need. The weapons they had once used as criminals were now their means of redemption.
Bryce worked as a police officer in the city. Sometimes he called upon his brothers to help him resolve crimes in which the human world could offer no justice.
“What does he want?” Rule asked, having ceased his rampage when the phone rang. “Is there a case for us? Let me go!”
“Do you have Rule strung up in the dungeon again?” Bryce asked.
“Yes. I’m putting you on speakerphone.”
“You don’t have to. I can hear him quite well,” Rule said, straining to look at Guy over his shoulder.
Though keen senses were an advantage of vampirism, the speakerphone would make a three-way conversation easier.
“I’ve been working on what we believe are serial killings,” Bryce said. “You’ve probably heard about them. The media calls them the Bodybuilder Murders. We’ve found a common denominator and, Guy, I believe you can get the evidence I need. Will you help?”
“You have to ask?” Guy said.
“Can you use me?” Rule asked.
“Right now this is a one-man job,” Bryce said. “But thanks.”
Rule looked a bit disappointed, but with all the trouble in the world, he was sure to have another case to work on soon.
Saloni is offering a $15 Amazon GC to one lucky winner during the tour. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter. Please use the link below to enter. Remember, you may enter every day for a chance to win so be sure to follow along with the blog tour. You may find the locations for the rest of the tour here.
The child of a painter and a psychic dreamer, Saloni Quinby feels spirituality and storytelling go hand-in-hand. She loves the scent of gardenia, the sound of wind chimes and the taste of honey. By listening to what isn’t said, she creates works based on unspoken desires. Saloni prefers blurred gender lines and many varieties of romance. In a world where passion must at times be restrained, she believes erotica is a pleasure to be shared. With her stories she would like to make her fantasies yours and hopes you enjoy the ride. She also writes under the name Kate Hill. Please visit her online.
Will they find the vengeance they crave? Or something more valuable?
I am pleased to announce a cool book blog tour going on right now, presented by Kat Henry Doran, an author I met during my journey! Many successes with your contemporary romance collection!
Here at the I Love Romance Blog, we love discovering romance novels!
Let’s hear a little about this great book…
Nice!
This is the blurb for Vengeance Is Mine, a three-story collection:
Ever consider going back to study hall and facing down the school bully?
The mean girls?
The brainless jocks who made your life a pure misery?
For Dru Horvath, gypsy orphan turned Pulitzer Prize winner; Rafe Archangeli, once the Scourge of Summerville and now leader of a multi-million dollar trust; and Fiona “Fat Aggie” Thorpe, current high fashion model with her own A-list agency, the opportunity to exact revenge is too good to pass up.
Will they find the vengeance they crave?
Or something more valuable?
Kat is giving us a peek at her modern romance collection, Vengeance Is Mine, today.
Intriguing cover!
Book Info:
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Here is an excerpt.
“Tough way to find out about the other woman.”
“Other woman, hell,” Dru groused. “The assistant was some young stud from Tommy’s gym with abs to die for.”
With that. she side-stepped him and reached for the knob on the bathroom door.
Fast on his feet, Rory’s counter move brought them nose to nose. “Play much poker, Horvath?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Before you started trash talking the cheating ex-husband, your face lit up like the Fourth of July. That tells me you’ve got something stashed in the tote. Until you let me look inside, it stays out here.”
Clutching the canvas tote to her chest, she sneered, “The only thing in here is my outfit for tonight’s event. If you think I’d go naked, one of us is a couple fries short of a happy meal.”
His response came in the form of another gimme motion with those thick, blunt fingers. “How about I close my eyes if I encounter any lacy unmentionables?”
“As if.”
She knew the instant he found the back-up phone. The screw-you look morphed into a smirk. “It’s not smart to mess with Homeland Security, sweetie. Those guys eat small rodents for breakfast.”
Kat has put together an incredible list of prizes for this tour. They are just beautiful! Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Join us on an exciting tour of great blogs to read more about Vengeance Is Mine, interviews, and guest posts. Remember, you may enter every day for a chance to win the prizes. You may find the list of tour locations here.
Legal nurse consultant, victim advocate, sexual assault nurse examiner Kat Henry Doran and her alter ego, Veronica Lynch, has been there and done that–many times over. She often travels to the wilds of Northern New York State, witnessing the wonders of Mother Nature at her best. From the shores of Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River to the historic Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, she creates stories featuring strong women and the men who love them.
When not writing, she can be found latched to one of her sewing machines–or chauffeuring the four brightest stars in her life: Meredith and Ashlin, Owen and Kieran.
As Addilyn bangs away at her novel with little success, Declan’s volleyball matches and irregular hours keep her from much progress…
I am pleased to announce a cool book blog tour going on right now, presented by J. Haney and S.I. Hayes, an author duo I met during my journey! Congratulations on your contemporary romance sale!
Here at the I Love Romance Blog, we love discovering new romance novels!
Let’s hear a little about this great book…
This is the blurb for Love at Rincon Point:
Successful, driven and divorced mom Addilyn Tate writes romance novels. She has only eleven weeks to deliver the next one to her publisher and scout for her first film. So, this year’s annual beach vacation with her three kids Bexley, Ryker and Laken will be a working vacation for Addilyn.
Upon arrival, the family soon meets their new next-door neighbor and landlord, buoyant, reckless surfer Declan Torrance, with whom they will be sharing walls and a patio for the next two months. Declan cranks up his music at night, sleeps late, and allows his furry friends to run around at will.
As Addilyn bangs away at her novel with little success, Declan’s volleyball matches and irregular hours keep her from much progress. But when Declan finds himself bonding with Bexley, Ryker, and Laken; Addilyn begins to see a different side of this man child. Soon the two see each other in a whole new – and attractive light.
The ladies are giving us a peek at their modern romance, Love at Rincon Point, today.
Nice cover!
Book Info:
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 14, 2018
Here is an excerpt.
Addilyn
¯¯¯
When I come downstairs to unpack a few staples I knew I’d need, like coffee, I notice there’s already coffee and breakfast items. Just simple things, like cereal, milk, and oatmeal, but thank God for small favors. I barely get a drink of coffee when Laken and Ryker are coming down the stairs with Bexley.
“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Lake whines.
“Yeah, can we go out to eat?” Ry pleads.
I smile at my loves. “Bex, there’s cereal, oatmeal, and milk in the fridge. Fix them something to eat while I finish up our shopping list.”
Bexley just nods at me and goes about making breakfast for herself and her siblings. They aren’t even sitting at the table for a minute when she speaks up.
“Uh, Mom, why is there a naked man on our patio?”
“What?” I ask as I turn to see the guy I dealt with last night. Jesus Christ. I shut the blinds and tell the kids, “Stay here and don’t look out.”
I slip out the door and walk closer to the naked man who is in the process of pissing in the wind. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whisper-shout.
The guy scratches his ass before turning his head. “Where’d you come from?”
“I’m renting for the next eleven weeks. I talked to you last night?”
“That happened?”
“Yeah, it did, and I have three kids inside that just saw your backside.”
“Well, I suggest you go inside unless you want to catch a look at my front side.”
“Ain’t nothing I haven’t seen before.”
He turns to face me, then calmly walks past. “See ya later,” he throws over his shoulder.
“I hope not,” I growl.
After breakfast, we all get dressed and head out to the store. It’s afternoon when we finally make it back to our home for the summer.
“Lake, I think your toys are over by the patio doors if you want to play while we carry everything in.”
“Okay, Mommy,” Laken says as Ryker and Bexley help carry stuff in.
“Bex, you can put stuff away and keep an eye on your sister please.”
“Yeah,” responds my moody teenager. I’m walking out the door at the same time the blonde bimbo is coming out of the neighbor’s and she’s dressed in the same thing as last night. The walk of shame. I just shake my head and back down the steps I go.
“Hi, how are you doing?” Cherry says.
“I’m well, thank you.” I grab another bag from the back of my car as she hops into her convertible and drives away.
I check on Laken before I go back to get more. She’s on the patio with two dogs pretty much accosting her. I try to shoo them, but they don’t move. I walk over to the neighbor’s and knock on the door loud enough to be heard over his snoring. UGH! The man is naked again. The guy grunts and mumbles something, but I can’t understand him.
“Want to try that again?” I ask with my hands on my hips. He goes to get up, but instead, trips and falls flat on his ass. “Do you ever wear clothes?”
“Can I help you with something?” he asks me, throwing a blanket over himself.
“Dec, was it? Well, Dec, I’m pretty sure your dogs are accosting my four-year-old.”
“Is that all?”
“Is that all? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! How do you know she’s not allergic or something?” I all but shout.
The guy stands and holds the blanket so it’s just covering his goods, then takes two steps in my direction. “Frankie, Johnnie, come!” he says very sternly. The dogs come inside and sit down by their door. “There, the dogs are no longer accosting your child.”
Follow the blog tour HERE for exclusive content, and check out the Rafflecopter giveaway on the link below for a $5 Amazon gift card! Three lucky participants will win. 😉
Haney was born and raised in Kentucky, currently residing in Greenup County, Kentucky with her family, where she is the proud mamma to Jessalyn Kristine and co-owner to Proud Momma Designs, which she runs with her amazing Momma. J. Haney’s work tends to lean toward sweet and sexy, with suspenseful undertones giving her readers something to hold onto. It’s what she calls Real Life Romance.
S.I. Hayes was born and bred in New England, currently living in Ohio. Running around Connecticut, she used all of her family and friends as inspiration for her many novels. When not writing Paranormal Drama or Erotic Romance she can be found drawing one of many fabulous book covers or teasers, to see them check out her web site.
The pair met while working for a previous publisher and became fast friends, their split dynamics and views on life, family and love in general led to the idea of A County Fair Romance and A Sex, Drugs and Rock Romance adding to it Working Class Beauties and soon Kincaid Falls. Along with various standalone novels. So, keep your eyes open and a fresh pair of panties close by…you know, just in case.
I am pleased to announce a cool book blog tour going on right now, presented by Dana Marton, an author I met during my journey! Congratulations on your new military romantic suspense release!
When a new book comes out, it is always an exciting time for authors!
Plus, here at the I Love Romance Blog, we love discovering new romance novels!
Let’s hear a little about this great book…
Very nice!
This is the blurb for Threat of Danger, book two of the Mission Recovery Series:
Falling in love can be a deadly proposition in this pulse-quickening Mission Recovery novel from the New York Times bestselling author.
Jess Taylor and Derek Daley were in the throes of first love in a small Vermont town when they were kidnapped by a serial killer. They escaped his clutches—but not the trauma of the unsolved crime. With their lives changed forever and their romance cut short, they went their separate ways to exorcise their fears.
Jess is living on the edge as Hollywood’s hottest stuntwoman. It’s no longer terror thrumming through her veins. It’s adrenaline. Derek is a former Navy SEAL spinning his ordeals into heart-pounding bestselling thrillers. But when Jess is called home on a family emergency, she must face the past—and face the man she left behind, who is just as haunted and, like her, still so much in love.
Now, as an old flame reignites, Jess and Derek are taking advantage of second chances and putting their bad memories behind them. But here, in the quiet town of Taylorville, a killer is getting a second chance as well.
Dana is giving us a peek at her military romantic suspense, Threat of Danger, today.
Great cover!
Book Info:
Genre: Military Romance, Romantic Suspense
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Here is an excerpt.
Common sense said to walk away. She’d worked hard to make a life for herself in LA that worked for her.
Screw common sense. He stepped forward and reached around her, looped his fingers around her slim wrists, and tugged her hands from her pockets. Then he took those hands and drew her closer to him.
“Derek . . .”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d ever come back.”
“I’m only back temporarily.”
“Is that how you left things with Eliot?” That she’d be going after him soon? His mouth tightened at the thought.
“He had to go. He had meetings scheduled with directors. And new equipment coming in that he has to test and make decisions on before the next shoot.”
When she talked about Eliot, she talked about the business. That gave Derek hope. Sounded like they’d parted as friends and colleagues, not as lovers who couldn’t wait to reunite.
Two and a half weeks left, at the most. He knew her shooting schedule from talking with Zelda. About eighteen days more before Jess had to report to the set. So why in hell was he wasting time?
He dipped his head and brushed his lips over hers. He’d gotten lost once in the Iraqi desert for three days. He hadn’t been as thirsty for water back then as he was now for a taste of Jess.
When she didn’t protest, he pulled her fully into his arms and kissed her.
The point of no return. He needed to find out if things could still work between them. He wanted her, and he could no longer pretend that he didn’t.
Her body was firm, but her lips were soft and silky, as sweet as Zelda’s prize-winning angel food cake. As sweet as the old Jess. Except, this new Jess, she was a woman. She had the power to bring Derek to his knees.
He’d told her that he would give her whatever she needed from him. He hoped she’d figure out that he was what she needed. He was going to have to help her reach that conclusion.
He breathed her in. She smelled like redemption. Like maybe he could have a do-over and get it right this time.
She stood still in the circle of his arms. Undecided. Wary.
Better than a sharp knee in the balls, but Derek wanted more. He nibbled her lips and licked the seam, tasting her.
She tasted like a whole new world opening up. She tasted like the blank page of a book before he’d written the first word, the possibilities limitless.
Was the story of his life written on her heart? Was the story of her life written on his?
Too early to tell. But he wanted to find out. Letter by letter, word by word, sentence by sentence. If only she’d let him.
She did let him in, let him deepen the kiss. Progress, but this was just the opening of her lips, not the opening of her heart. Still, Derek wouldn’t have been a good SEAL if he didn’t grab every advantage, no matter how small. And, really, the kiss could not be called small by any measure.
As he swept into Jess’s mouth, he felt his boundaries expand. Need rushed in, and filled him like water flooding into a torpedoed submarine. He sank onto the seabed of things he always wanted but never believed he could have. Jess’s forgiveness . . . and more.
All these years, he’d thought her forgiveness was all he wanted.
He’d been stupid.
He wanted this. Jess. And he knew in that moment that he was going to do whatever it took to get her and keep her. Eliot couldn’t have her, no matter how handsome he was, or how much they had in common, or how hot women thought it was that the guy was some grandmaster of stunts.
Derek wasn’t going to let Eliot have Jess. He didn’t care if the guy jumped out of a burning helicopter, tied hand and foot, with a ticking bomb in his backpack, and got an Oscar nomination in every single category for the performance.
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway on the link below for a chance to win a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card, as well as a cool Dana Marton tote bag! Don’t forget you have a chance to enter every day so be sure to visit all the stops on this tour. You may find those locations here.
If you love heart-pounding, romantic suspense books you can sink your teeth into, you’ll love New York Times bestselling author Dana Marton’s stories. Kirkus Reviews calls her writing “compelling and honest.” RT Book Review Magazine says, “Marton knows what makes a hero…her characters are sure to become reader favorites.” Her writing has been acclaimed by critics, called, “gripping,” “intense and chilling,” “full of action,” “a thrilling adventure,” and wholeheartedly recommended to readers. Dana is the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, the Readers’ Choice Award, and the RITA Award, the highest industry award for romance.
Beyond being a bestselling author of romantic thrillers, Dana also writes a popular fantasy romance series: Hardstorm Saga. Book 1, RELUCTANT CONCUBINE, spent 6 weeks at #1 on Amazon’s fantasy romance list.
Today, we’re doing something a little different. I know it’s been a while since we did one of these. If you remember, we interviewed Remy Marie’s character back on February 8th, and it was so fun that I thought we may as well make an occasional habit of it. I had the pleasure of meeting Amber Daulton, the author of Arresting Mason, on my author journey and I asked if I could borrow a character, Mason Harding, from the book. We’ll get a chance to talk to Amber in a bit, but now we have on the stage…Mason!
Marie Lavender: Hello, Mason. Please have a seat.
Character Mason Harding: Thank you for having me, Marie.
Marie: Of course! It’s my pleasure!
We’re going to start out with some simple questions, all right?
Mason: Sure.
Marie: So, what is your occupation? Are you any good at it? Do you like it?
Mason: I’m a mechanic, and yeah, I’m pretty damn good at the job. I like it too. My dad taught me everything I know about cars, and even though we don’t talk anymore, I’m still grateful to him for showing me the ropes. In all honesty, I didn’t plan to be a grease monkey growing up—in fact, I never really thought about the future when I was a stupid teen—but then I landed in prison and everything changed. A few years before my parole, I participated in an automotive work/study program to brush up on my rusty skills.
Marie: All right.
So, tell us…what is your family like?
Mason: My big brother, Alan, is supportive but overprotective. After all the crap I’ve put him through, though, I understand why he watches over me like I’m still a kid. Alan’s son, Danny, is adorable. I love my nephew to death, and I’m determined to not set a bad example for him. My parents and I are estranged. Alan is pressuring me into making amends with Mom, but I don’t think it’ll happen any time soon.
Marie: Oh, no! How unfortunate! 😦
Let’s try something else, okay?
If it doesn’t bother you at all, can you let us know what your childhood home looked like?
Mason: It was just a typical two-story, cookie-cutter house in suburbia. You know the type: a big yard to play in, flowerbeds lining the foundation, and nosy neighborhoods. The best thing about my home was that it was only a few blocks from the city’s downtown area, but I guess that wasn’t a good thing after all. I got into way too much trouble back then, and most everything was within walking distance.
Marie: Do you have any hobbies, Mason? What do you enjoy doing?
Mason: Besides work, which I really enjoy, I like to exercise and read. I picked up both hobbies while locked up, and they seemed to have stuck now that I’m on the outside. I like to keep my body in good shape because I never know if some creep from my past will find me and make trouble. I read when I need to wind down after a stressful day. Disappearing into another world helps take my mind off my problems, you know.
Marie: I know what you mean! 😉
So, what is your greatest dream?
Mason: I’d like to stay out of trouble, permanently, and just live my life with Mia at my side. She’s a wonderful woman and doesn’t deserve any of the bad stuff that’s happened to her. If I could forever keep her safe, I’d be happy.
Marie: (Nods.) That makes sense…
Let’s try another question.
What kind of person do you wish you could be? What is stopping you?
Mason: I want to be a good husband, and I want to give Mia a few babies, but I’m not looking forward to telling my kids about my prison sentence. I’m not necessarily ashamed of my past, but I don’t want my son or daughter to look at me differently after they would know the whole story.
Marie: Well, when they’re grown enough to understand, I think they’ll respect you for making your life better after what you went through.
Okay, I’m going to throw another random question at you now.
Who was your first love?
Mason: I’ve had a lot of girlfriends before I met Mia, but never loved them. I cared about them, sure, but after being cheated on a few times, I’d learned to step out first before the girl I cared about stabbed me in the back. I regret doing so, and I’ve vowed to Mia to never hurt her like that. She’s my first love, and I know better than to throw away her trust.
Marie: Aww. I understand that. ♥
So…not to be a downer, but I do have a pretty deep question next.
What’s the most terrible thing that ever happened to you?
Mason: Most people in my situation would probably say going to prison, but not me. The most terrible thing I ever did was when I robbed a liquor store with some friends. I knew it was wrong, but did it anyway. That mistake affected the outcome of my life, and there’s a part of me that wishes I could take it back.
Then again, I don’t think I would change anything I’ve ever done or had done happen to me because I’m happy right now. I have Mia and a great job, and I probably wouldn’t have either without doing the mistakes I’ve made.
Marie: That’s true!
Let’s move on to something a bit lighter now, shall we?
[Mason nods.]
What was your dream growing up? Did you achieve that dream? If so, in what ways was it not what you expected? If you never achieved the dream, why not?
Mason: Like I said earlier, I didn’t think about the future growing up. I just wanted to have fun and that backfired on me.
Marie: I see.
So, who is your role model, Mason?
Mason: Don’t have one.
Marie: Gotcha!
Now, you’ll probably think I’m digging for dirt on the next question.
Is there someone you pretend to like but really dislike?
Mason: No, I’m a pretty honest guy. If I don’t like you, I’ll tell you. No pretending for me.
Marie: That’s refreshing!
Let’s try another question.
What is your deepest desire?
Mason: Just to live a good life under the radar from cops and criminals alike.
Marie: Sounds like a plan!
So, tell me something, Mason. What is your greatest fear?
Mason: That I’ll mess up and land back in prison. Alan and Mia would never forgive me for it, so I try my best to stay out of trouble.
Marie: All right.
I’m so glad you were comfortable enough to tell me everything.
Well, it looks like we’re out of time. Thank you for visiting us today, Mason. It was so interesting getting to know you! 🙂
(Waves goodbye to her guest.)
Now, let’s shift over and get the author’s perspective. We have author Amber Daulton on the stage today. It’s such a pleasure to have you here! Hello, Amber!
Author Amber Daulton: Hi, Marie! Thank you for taking the time to interview me.
Marie: Of course! I love to have authors on ILRB. 😀
So, we just got to talk to a male character from your story, Mason Harding. Quite an interesting character. Can you tell us a little about him?
Amber: Mason is a very frustrating character. He’s so stubborn with a temper a mile wide, but then he can be so sweet and caring. He definitely swept his lady love, Mia, off her feet.
Marie: Nice!
So, what are your character’s greatest strengths?
Amber: When he puts his mind to something, he never gives up, no matter the obstacles in his way.
Marie: How admirable!
And what are your character’s greatest weaknesses?
Amber: His temper. He gets upset way too easily and says things he regrets.
Marie: Ah. Well, I’m sure some of our readers can relate. It’s not always easy to avoid confrontation.
Let’s try something fun, shall we?
What are some of Mason’s favorite foods?
Amber: Anything, really. After being in prison, he’s not picky.
Marie: Okay.
How about another question?
What’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he or she has?
Amber: His ability to love. Though Mason wants to be a good person, he doesn’t think he deserves to have a woman show him unconditional love and acceptance. But when he loves someone, he doesn’t let anything stop him from showing and proving it.
Marie: Great!
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why?
Amber: Mason has made a ton of mistakes—everyone has to one degree or another—but he’s ready to change and move on with his life. I think a lot of readers could relate to that, and they’ll like him because he’s a good person beneath all the scars and tattoos.
Marie: Very true!
Now that we have a real taste of Mason, we have a few questions for you as well as the author.
What first gave you the idea for Arresting Mason?
Amber: A few years ago, I found a submission call for a bad boy anthology, and the stories were supposed to be pretty short. By the time I finished the first draft of my manuscript, I had exceeded the word count and still wanted to add more scenes. So I forgot all about the submission call and kept revising the manuscript until it clocked in at 80 thousand words and sparked ideas for more books, which is now a 5-book series.
For how I came up with the plot, I must thank my subconscious since I dreamed about it. For days after, I kept thinking about the hero, the heroine, and her brother, and the characters wouldn’t leave me in peace until I wrote out a rough plot line. Though it changed quite a bit as I put the dream down on paper (or rather computer), the main premise remained the same.
Marie: Awesome! Isn’t is fascinating how the muse works? 😉
Let’s try something else.
What is your writing style like? Are you a pantster or a plotter?
Amber: Both actually. I plot as much as I can, but I get new ideas once I start writing and I usually follow them.
Marie: (Smiles.) Yeah…sometimes I think the characters are directing the story more than I am.
How about another question?
So, now I’m throwing this one in for our aspiring writers. Did you come across any specific challenges in writing Arresting Mason or publishing it? What would you do differently the next time?
Amber: The biggest challenge for me was the word count. As I already said, I needed to write a short story (around 15k word count), but ended up with a manuscript that was around 40k. Then I kept building on it to make it a full length novel. Weaving in all those new scenes was difficult and required lots of re-writing to scenes already done. The only thing I would probably do differently next time would be to plot better.
Marie: I hear you. I’ve written myself into a corner with plots a time or two.
I was in your situation before as well. Once I had an anthology challenge too, and it was so hard to keep within those guidelines. I think as a writer, I don’t like to be boxed in. (Laughs.)
Well, it was a such a pleasure having you here on the I Love Romance Blog! And how apropos is that, considering what a great story Arresting Mason appears to be. Sounds like it’s right my alley!
Readers, you will just have to pick up a copy of this romantic suspense by Amber Daulton, a very talented author!
Here is the blurb for Arresting Mason:
Once you’re in a prison gang, you’re in it for life. That’s what Mason Harding thought until the boss accepted his resignation. After the State releases him on parole, a sexy divorcée behind the wheel of a car almost ends his life quicker than a shank. His chance encounter with Mia Eddison results in a night of passion, but her brother—his parole officer—catches them together and doesn’t approve.
Mia falls hard for the cocky ex-con, but not because of his chiseled body. She vows to break through his walls and discover his secrets, but never expects those secrets to threaten her life.
When members of an organized crime ring kidnap Mia to force Mason’s return to the gang, he goes up against an old friend to save the woman he loves. Will his sacrifice be enough or will everything fall apart in a blaze of gunfire?
Amber is also offering us a great excerpt from the book!
“Which one is your car?” She glanced around the crowded parking lot. A few streetlights pushed back the darkness and shadows. The restaurant served customers until midnight on the weekends, but no one loitered in the lot, at least from what Mia could see.
“Don’t have one at the moment.” Mason hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans. “I took the bus. It stopped a few blocks from here.”
“Would you like a ride?” She pulled the car keys from her purse. “I feel a little ridiculous we met here tonight. I just wasn’t sure if you were some kind of freak.”
His eyebrow lifted, and he closed the distance between them as a tiger would zero in on its mate. A sexy, masculine smile curled his lips. “Have you made up your mind yet?”
“I’ll let you know in the morning.” Desire trickled down her spine. Mia nodded toward the passenger side of the car for him to hop in.
He confiscated her keys instead to unlock and open the driver’s side door for her like a gentleman. Then he leaned closer and nuzzled her temple with his nose.
Not sure if he planned to seduce her in the parking lot or if he merely wanted to tease her, Mia pressed her hand to his chest and tried to think straight. “You’re the first guy I’ve gone on a date with since my divorce. I haven’t slept with anyone since Evan.”
He tunneled his fingers through her wavy, chestnut-brown hair. “I haven’t dated anyone in a long time either. We’ll take it slow or fast, whatever you want, but I promise you one thing. After I’m done with you, you won’t even remember that bastard’s name.”
Oh, God. She almost melted right then and there. “Fast. I want you, Mason.”
“Take me to your place and you can have me.”
And some teasers!
Wow! Love the sexy tension. ♥♥♥ Can’t wait to read this book…🙂
We’ll be sure to get a copy of this romantic suspense! ♥
About Amber Daulton
Writing is the fruit of happiness.
Amber Daulton lives her life by that one belief even though she normally isn’t so Zen.
As a fan of contemporary, paranormal, and historical romance novels alike, she can’t get enough of feisty heroines and alpha heroes. Her mind is a wonderland of adventure, laughter, and awesome ways of kicking a guy when he’s down. She probably wouldn’t be too sane without her computer and notebooks. After all, what’s a girl to do when people are jabbering away in her head and it’s hard to shut them up? Write! Nothing else works.
Books:
And, if you want to know how to connect with the amazing Amber Daulton, here are some author links:
Once again, I want to thank both of our guests, Mason, a male character from Arresting Mason, and Amber Daulton, the brilliant author of the novel, for stopping by! It was a pleasure to have you here! 😀
Sometimes once is all the heart needs to risk all and follow a mad passion wherever it may lead.
I am pleased to announce a cool book blog tour going on right now, presented by Sofie Darling, an author I met during my journey! Congratulations on your new historical romance release!
When a new book comes out, it is always an exciting time for authors!
Plus, here at the I Love Romance Blog, we love discovering new romance novels!
Let’s hear a little about this great book…
Yowza!
This is the blurb for Tempted by the Viscount:
London, April 1825
Lord Jakob Radclyffe left his past behind in the Far East. Or so he thinks until a ruthless thief surfaces in London, threatening to ruin his daughter’s reputation. With the clock ticking, Jake needs the scandalous Lady Olivia Montfort’s connections in the art world to protect his daughter’s future.
Olivia, too, has a past she’d like to escape. By purchasing her very own Mayfair townhouse, she’ll be able to start a new life independent from all men. There’s one problem: she needs a powerful man’s name to do so. The Viscount St. Alban is the perfect name.
A bargain is struck.
What Olivia doesn’t anticipate is the temptation of the viscount. The undeniable spark of awareness that races between them undermines her vow to leave love behind. Soon, she has no choice but to rid her system of Jake by surrendering to her craving for a single scorching encounter.
But is once enough? Sometimes once only stokes the flame of desire higher and hotter. And sometimes once is all the heart needs to risk all and follow a mad passion wherever it may lead.
Sofie is giving us a peek at her Regency romance, Tempted by the Viscount, today.
Great cover!
Book Info:
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Release Date: June 27, 2018
Here is an excerpt.
“Am I late?” he asked in a tone that didn’t sound as concerned as his words might have suggested.
“Yes,” she replied, sounding distressingly like Lucy on a petulant day.
“My apologies,” he said on a shallow bow, even as his mouth, that talented, efficient mouth of his, maintained its familiar firm line.
“No need for apologies, my lord. In fact, your tardiness is promising evidence that you are settling into the viscountcy quite well.” She liked the way his eyes narrowed at her stern tone, a tone she couldn’t help borrowing from Mrs. Bloomquist. “It is the first rule of the nobility. Everyone can wait.”
“Then my apologies for not having made you wait longer.”
A begrudging smile found its way to her lips. “Now for the second rule of the nobility.” She allowed a beat to pass. A flash of pleasure coursed through her at the very idea that she could hold this glorious man in suspense. It wasn’t every woman who could boast that particular thrill. “Never apologize.”
He stepped forward, halving the distance between them, and took another bow. “Again, my apologies.”
His gaze pinned her in place, and, like that, the power of the moment shifted to him. Oh, how an unmanageable part of her wanted him to use it. This felt dangerously like flirting. Was she flirting?
She was. In the presence of the tease playing about his eyes and mouth, she couldn’t seem to help herself.
She tried clearing her throat, hoping to clear her head in the process.
He should be more careful with that smile. It could give a woman ideas.
Sofie spent much of her twenties raising two boys and reading every book she could get her hands on. Once she realized that she was no longer satisfied with simply reading the books she loved, that she must write them, too, she decided to finish her degree and embark on a writing career. Mr. Darling and the boys gave her their wholehearted blessing.
When she’s not writing heroes who make her swoon, she runs a marathon in a different state every year, visits crumbling medieval castles whenever she gets a chance, and enjoys a slightly codependent relationship with her beagle, Bosco.
Well, readers, I’ve been talking about this one for a while, and now it’s live! Blood Instincts, a futuristic paranormal romance/urban fantasy and book two of the Blood at First Sight Series, is available! Yay! Mega thanks to my publisher, Solstice Publishing, for making this happen so quickly!
Woo hoo! Book two is out! Let’s see what it’s all about! ♥
Blurb:
Enter the Other World at your own risk…
What if you found out that you weren’t exactly…human?
Myah Sullivan is suddenly living that nightmare. There are Others in the world, dangerous, supernatural creatures that make her mind spin and cause her to question the reality she’s always known.
Oliver King is her savior, a vampire who tries to show her the way. Through her journey she learns far more than she ever thought she would about herself, and about the past. Soon, she discovers that there is…
