SpotLight on Featured #MFRWauthor of the Month Suz deMello @SuzdeMello

Things Go Bump in the Night in Suz deMello’s Vampire Stories

It’s almost October, which means we’re closing in on Halloween. Suz will be featuring her paranormal stories in October but don’t worry—there will be lots of steam!

Here’s an excerpt from Blood is Thicker, a vampire tale set in northern California. A paranormal action-adventure, it features two vampires, one selkie and a kidnapped baby.

I cannot begin to describe the communion that’s created when two immortals connect. Kissing is like an orgasm not only of the body, but of the mind and soul as well. Yes, we have souls, unnatural though they may be.

I tugged him closer, frantic to feel his chest against mine, desperate for his cock to enter me. It had been so long… Besides, up close and personal, John’s sheer masculinity overwhelmed me. I’d forgotten how seductive lust could be. I could become addicted to his kiss, the hard planes of his body beneath my questing fingertips, his raw animal blood-scent.

If you like what you read, find the complete short story here:

http://www.ellorascave.com/blood-is-thicker.html

About the author:

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s held the positions of managing editor and senior editor, working for such firms as Totally Bound, Liquid Silver Books and Ai Press. She also takes private clients.

Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.

A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

find Suzie’s books here:

http://www.tinyurl.com/SuzDeMello (publisher’s site)

https://www.amazon.com/author/suzdemello

https://www.amazon.com/author/sueswift

 Also-----

WIN a copy by commenting on this post.

Kinky Toes is an erotic romance with Ellora's Cave by Suz deMello. 

Blurb:

Shelbie Nathanson resents Rick Saldano's ascension to C.O.O. of her family's shoe company, a job she's wanted all her life. But she can't resist his red-hot, sexy style of lovemaking... one that focuses on her passion: shoes.

Excerpt:
The moment they were alone in the elevator, she sprang at him and pressed her lips against his. His arms wrapped around her and held her tight as his tongue invaded her mouth. She sucked at him hard, shoving her hands into his hair. He tasted and felt divine.

Her body was aflame, all light and heat, and he picked her up as though she were made of unsubstantial fire, weighing nothing. She wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to his shoulders. His big hands supported her under her ass, and he rubbed and kneaded the cheeks as he walked, continuing to kiss her hard and deep, the thrusts of his tongue presaging what she hoped his cock would be doing very soon.

He forced her against the wall, keeping her pinned with his solid, muscular body while he found his keys in his pocket and opened a nearby door. Dragging her through, he kicked the door shut.
She was trapped with him in the darkness. It was crazy, but she didn't care. At that moment, she didn't give two farts about the company or anything else except getting this man inside her.

Favorite Quote

Why did Rick the number-cruncher have to be so pussy-clenching, nipple-hardening, clit-wetting, squirm-inducingly sexy?

Links to Suz

--Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com
--For editing services, email her at suzdemello@gmail.com
--Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sueswift, and visit her group page at  https://www.facebook.com/redhotauthorscafe
--She tweets @Suzdemello
--Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzdemello/
--Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SuzATGoodreads
--Her current blog is http://www.TheVelvetLair.com

Give Away

FREE COPY of her new release! COMMENT for a chance to win.

Some Quick 'N Quirky Questions for #MFRWauthor @LaceDaltyn

MFRW asked Lace Daltyn some quick questions. Read her quirky answers...
Lace Daltyn lives in the shadow of the majestic Mount Rainier in the Pacific Northwest, where she writes sensual stories about fantasies fulfilled. She settled down with a man whose first words to her were "Save me a dance." That's all it took. Four little words and she was a goner. Twenty years later, she still remembers that first kiss, standing beside his very cool Ford Mustang. That kiss, and the future love it represented, is the reason she enjoys stories filled with romance and emotion. And dancing. Always dancing.

If money were not an object, where would you most like to live? Alaska. Maybe around Fairbanks. There's something about the idea of hibernating, but still having enough civilization around to keep me human, that I love. :)

What song would best describe your life? That's easy, since I just listened to it again the other day. Poems, Prayers, and Promises by the late, great, John Denver. ""I have to say it now, it's been good life all in all, it's really fine to have a chance to hang around.""

If you were on a reality show, what one would it be? Amazing Race. I'm hooked on that show and would love to chase around the world. Of course, I'm also a bit, um, impatient, so I'm not certain how far I'd make it.

If you were stranded on a tropical island, who would it be with? You can choose any living, deceased or mythical figure. Aragorn. Definitely. I like the tall, dark, and quiet types. :)

If you were a tool, what would people use you to do? I'd be paper and pen, and people would use me to organize. I'm a huge list-maker and organizer.

Ebook or paperback? Both. I love traveling with my eReader, but also love turning the tech off sometimes with a paperback. Both work for me.

What is the one question you wish an interviewer would ask you? Do I have any pets? Yep. One. A 17-pound cat named Dude who rules the house and kicks me out of my office chair for his naps.

Lace Daltyn released Masquerade (Secrets, Book 1), an erotic contemporary romance, with Evernight Publishing in May 2014.

BLURB
Book One: Masquerade
Frigid bitch. The words seep into Beth Ritmour's soul, no matter how hard she tries to deny them. A year after her divorce, they still haunt her. So when a mysterious benefactor offers a solution to her problem, Beth takes a vacation from her job as a dental hygienist and follows a cryptic note to Chicago, where she’s soon ensconced as a waitress at Club Masquerade. Although how she’s going to prove she’s not frigid is hard to figure out when the boss makes it very clear that sex, or any precursors to sex, with patrons or employees is strictly taboo. It’s not an easy rule to follow, especially when one deliciously hot bartender keeps very, very close tabs on her.

The world is full of secrets...

BUY NOW

Evernight  |  ARE  |  Amazon

EXCERPT

Beth rung the piece of paper in her hands like it was a rag she needed to dry, wondering for the umpteenth time what she had gotten herself into.
As the train slowed in equal measures with her heart’s increasing speed, she spread the note out on her lap, trying to iron the wrinkles out with her hands, and read again what she had committed to memory.
Take the 08:30 train to Chicago. Tickets await you at the on-call window. It is important that you take only this train. Missing it will end your journey before it starts. Upon arrival, make your way to the address listed on the front of this card. Arrive promptly at 1600 hours.
Further instructions await you there.
Beth twirled an escaped tendril of auburn hair around her finger as she searched the simple missive for clues, and then turned to look out the window. The city was a far sight different from the small community she had come to love. Her apartment looked across the Mississippi River to plains filled with knee-high corn this time of year. Here, concrete towers looked angry and foreboding, and the heat of summer only made them shimmer with sinister intent. It seemed different from when she’d lived here. Was it the city or her that had changed?
The screech of train brakes, along with the pervasive smell of diesel-fueled engines and heated steel rails reminded Beth the train had almost come to a stop. The urge to stay, to let the train carry her through the turn-around and back to her home, cemented her to the seat more effectively than sweaty summer skin on leather. This wasn’t like her. She didn’t take off for parts unknown without a single idea what would happen at the other end. Beth clutched the paper to her chest. It would be easy. Just sit here and let the train take her home. Home was safe.
Frigid bitch. Her ex-husband Steve’s words flash-froze her intent to flee. She wasn’t frigid. She knew she wasn’t. Still, like she’d written on the application that had kicked off this journey, if you hear the words often enough, you start to believe them. She’d thought him wrong for the longest time. Before Steve, there had been a brief moment filled with passion she couldn’t seem to recapture. The flash of bodies, of dark hair trailing after liquid kisses in a frenzied moment felt branded in her mind, yet her body no longer registered even the slightest reaction, only the lingering pain of loss.
Beth stared out the window, trying not to remember. The only way to prove her ex wrong was to get off the train. They were in the station. She could hear the passengers around her shuffling through the process of gathering their belongings.
She wiped her hands on her new body-hugging jeans and reached for her luggage, walking off the train on unsteady legs into the humid July heat of Chicago.

CONNECT with Lace Dalton
Website:  http://www.lacedaltyn.com/
Blog:  http://lacedaltyn.wordpress.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lace.daltyn
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LaceDaltyn

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Love Seeks No Boundaries by #MFRWauthor Sourabh Khanna @SourabhK85

MFRW Author Sourabh Khanna released Love Seeks No Boundaries with Notion Press in May 2014.

What is so important in this world?
Love or hate?
Of course, it’s “HATE”.
We hate others because they are from different religion. If they are from same religion then we hate them because they are from different sub castes. That goes on and on. There should be only one religion to follow in this world, that is, HUMANITY.
But we have totally forgotten about humanity to live with. We just know about which religion we belong to or who are our relatives and with whom we have to gel up. But this was not what god intended. God didn’t create those religions and castes. These were made by humans like us. These beliefs have been engrained in the natural way of our culture, passed down through generation to generation that we have no choice but to follow and worship.
Well, this is a story of two souls who fell in love with each other and then get into trap of blind society and mythical religions & caste systems and how they managed to remove the shackles and freed from any barriers as Love Seeks No Boundaries….

AMAZON BUY LINK

About Sourabh Khanna
Sourabh Khanna is a commerce graduate from Punjab University and a business diploma holder from Wintec, Hamilton, New Zealand. He was born and brought up in a small town in Punjab, India and is currently residing in New Zealand. The author loves writing poems and songs, which reflect the sensitive and emotional side of his personality. He was inspired by the famous author Paulo Coelho. Apart from reading and writing, he is fond of movies and cricket. You can reach him at www.sourabhk.com.

Broken Bonds on #Thursday13 with #MFRWauthor @MadCapMaggie

MFRW Author Margaret Fieland released Broken Bonds, Novels of Aleyne Book 2, a GLBT Sci Fi Romance, with MuseItUp Publishing in July 2013.

When Major Brad Reynolds is assigned to head the Terran Federation base on planet Aleyne, the last thing he expects to find is love, and certainly not with one of the alien Aleyni. How can he keep his lover, in the face of political maneuvering and of Ardaval's feelings for his former partners— and theirs for him? When you bend the rules, they may snap back and hit you in the face.

BUY LINKS
MuseItUp  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

REVIEW

Broken Bonds, surprised me. It's a science fiction romance, but it gave me so many things to think about. Poetry, love. relationships. spirituality, family, right and wrong.I think that's what I love most about this series, it's not a heavy book/series but it's not fluff either. I can not think of any other book I could relate to this series, it's so unique and refreshing. The action kept me reading way passed bedtime. I could not put it down I just had to see how things were going to end.A book that stayed true to the magic of the series and one I will most definitely read again and again.
5 stars, can not wait for more from the series!

          Posted by Amazon Reviewer

Thirteen sentences from Broken Bonds

1. Until a moment ago, Brad would rather have settled into his quarters than attend the formal reception welcoming him here.

 2. He couldn't ignore this connection, wish it away, any longer.

 3. Ardaval drew him close, and Brad opened his mouth for the kiss.

4. Brad hesitated for a moment, then leaned over and kissed Ardaval on the mouth, a promise of more.

5. “In Common I'd simply say I love you.”

6. He'd received his answer, but what did the spirits want him to do?

7. He couldn't put words to the depth of his love for Ardaval.

8. Holding out a hand, Ardaval drew Brad closer still.

9.Imarin was very possessive, but normally he held himself in check better than this.

10.  How could he react so strongly to another man, especially after he and Ardaval swore rolor?

11.“Major Reynolds, you are accused of high treason and are to be remanded for trial on New Oregon.”

12.  If only he could return to the day Imarin and the others left for good, the day he'd stood by and let Imra go.

13.  Nothing would glue their love together again.

About Margaret
Born and raised in New York City, Margaret Fieland has been around art and music all her life.  Her poems and stories have appeared in journals such as  Turbulence Magazine, Front Range Review, and All Rights Reserved. She is one of the Poetic Muselings. Their poetry anthology, Lifelines, was published by Inkspotter Publishing in November, 2011.  She is the author of  Relocated, Geek Games, and Broken Bonds, published by MuseItUp Publishing , and of Sand in the Desert, a collection of science fiction persona poems. A chapter book is due out later this year.

Connect with Margaret...
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/margaretfieland/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/margaret.fielandAuthor
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/madcapmaggie
goodreads:   http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4417476.Margaret_Fieland

#MFRWauthor Interview: Raven de Hart @dehartslist

MFRW Author Raven de Hart sits down to answer some questions about her writing...

How long have you been writing - have you always wanted to be a writer?
I started writing seriously in high school, where I would write stories of a particular adult nature and circulate them. I daresay my name would still be known in those maroon-painted halls, if you find the right graffiti. Unless, of course, they've remodeled.

And no, I didn't always want to be a writer. At least not professionally. I saw myself as a painter or a photographer, and an English teacher, in my later years, when I got a little more grounded.

How many books have you written, how many have been published?
I currently have four books written, and am drafting a fifth at current. I have two published (Wild Ride and Duetto Culminante), as well as one under contract (Street Magic) and one that I have relegated to the 'Needs Heavy Rewrites' file

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
I would actually direct you to Wild Ride, for the time being. Of course, I have another book in with a publisher, which would take that spot (Street Magic), but for now, I think Wild Ride is a decent representation. It's not terribly erotic, has a strong outside conflict, and of course, it's fantasy, which is how most of my erotica and erotic romance work ends up.

Among your own books, do you have a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?
My favorite book I've written is Street Magic. It felt like a free book, to me. I'd finished my previous project two weeks ahead of schedule, so I got to write it in a flurry of unplanned glory. And I loved the way it turned out.

My favorite hero is probably Gidid, from Wild Ride. He was such a zen character to work with, very in tune with nature and the universe. And the way he looks (at least to me) is breathtaking. From a purely artistic point, not just a matter of physical appeal.

What is the single most important part of writing for you?
For me, it's the feeling. Writing is catharsis. It not only allows us to feel, it thrusts emotions upon us. Emotions that we may or may not always get the chance to experience in our outside lives. Reading is a path to it, but I obviously feel most connected when I'm writing the characters and actions and emotions myself. It's healthy.

What do you enjoy most about writing?
The surprises are the best part. When you're writing, you can plan all you like, but sometimes, things will fit together just a little too well. Things that you didn't purposefully put in there. I don't know if it comes about by chance, or if it's a subconscious mechanism, but finding them is pure exhilaration.

List two authors we would find you reading when taking a break from your own writing.
This one's tricky. I have a hard time narrowing it down to as few as ten. I guess I'd have to say Katey Hawthorne, if I'm in the mood for erotica or erotic romance, and Christopher Moore, if I'm more in the mood for just a good book without sex. Of course, those are hardly the only two, but I do tend to read them an awful lot.

Tell us about Wild Ride, your Erotic GLBT Fantasy with Torquere Press.
Larik rides for the Zathinian cavalry, and he's happy to lead his men against the Kipzian threat. But during a fateful battle, he's lost, trapped with his enemy and forced to stay with the Kipzian man in their city, sealed from the rest of the world.

With a sickening truth staring at him, Larik doesn't know what to think. He focuses on the one thing he can: Gidid, the man who saved him. Because faced with a new reality, his feelings are the one thing he has some control over. But even that could be torn away by the conflict, leaving him alone.

And possibly dead.

BUY LINKS

Torquere Books  |  Smashwords  |  Amazon

Excerpt

A sudden movement pulled Larik's attention away. On the smaller hill, the mage corps dropped their invisibility. He saw them raise something, some sort of gray stone, and start maneuvering it, but he didn't risk a real look. Instead, he forced Tufex forward, rushing in to help Bincha even though he knew he wouldn't arrive in time. Damn fool.
The rider he'd seen before locked his manticore's horns with Bincha's, lodged them together in an unbreakable hold. The two beasts warred, both pulling back, but the Kipzian won out. His manticore stood a bit shorter than Bincha's, but he swung and tossed his beast's head, keeping Bincha off balance. They inched ever-closer to the mouth of the tunnel.
""Move!"" Larik hit Tufex's sides, harder than he needed to, probably. The roar, like the trumpets of the Gods, forced all the other manticores away, clearing a straight shot. He pushed as much speed as he could from Tufex. Wind slapped against his face.
General Zart chased after him, screaming, ""Stop, Lieutenant! That's an order!""
""That's one of my men!"" Horns first, he crashed into the two locked manticores, breaking the hold. The three of them tumbled into the cave. Larik wheeled around. ""Bincha, go back!"" He led Tufex lower to the ground, tightened his fingers over the reins. Bincha darted away, leaving Larik to face off with the Kipzian. The spines on Larik's boots brushed through Tufex's fur, ready to launch the beast into an attack.
Something up at the mage corps' hill caught his eye. Up there, a pillar of gray stone shined, casting multicolored rays of light from the top. Six of the mages moved the pillar, pointing the top straight at the cave. The rest of them stood behind it, the same light that came from the pillar emanating from their bodies, joinining it in one massive aura.
""Lieutenant Larik, get out of there now!"" Zart waved a red flag at him. ""They're going to blow the cave! It's the last one!""
The skin on the back of Larik's neck tightened. The hair on his arms prickled. ""The last what?""
Zart spat out an obscenity. ""Just get out of there!""
Get out. Larik rushed closer to the exit, but the Kipzian nobleman blocked his way, the body of his manticore a wall of red. Tufex rammed his horns forward, but the Kipzian jumped, lashing out with his manticore's tail. The side hit Tufex and knocked them both back.
Larik pushed Tufex forward again and shouted, ""Stall them!"" over his shoulder. The end of his sentence cut off in a rumble, and not one from a manticore. The cave shook. ""Damn it!"" The hardest kick he'd ever given Tufex. They rammed into the Kipzian's flank, but red sandstone already showered down. ""Damn the Gods!"" The rest of the cavalry disappeared as rock piled into the mouth of the cave. General Zart's words echoed in his mind. It's the last one!
He never got his question answered: what was this the last of?

About Raven de Hart
After years on hiatus, Raven de Hart returned to writing her tantalizing tales of gay love. When not writing or researching, she can be found tending her herb garden, playing with her Basset hounds, drinking wine, and trying to figure out this new-fangled Internet fad.

Blog: http://dehartslist.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dehartslist
Google+: https://plus.google.com/110501476113550423585/posts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RavendehartMM

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: @JL_Sheppard #MFRWauthor

MFRW Author J.L. Sheppard released Heavenly Desire, a Paranormal Romance, with The

Wild Rose Press on September 10, 2014.

Jade Ashley has a past she’d like to forget and a destiny she isn’t aware of. A stranger, Clyde, saves her from an attack and demonstrates extraordinary abilities she believed only she possessed. She soon realizes he’s her guardian angel sent to reunite her with her long lost sisters, who like her are part of a new breed of immortals, Elementals, prophesied to determine the outcome of the upcoming war.

Clyde, an angel, battles the one thing he believes will lead to his fall from heaven—his new found emotions, forbidden among his kind. Nonetheless, the Angel Lords promise to promote him to warrior when he completes his last assignment—to find Jade. When he does, emotions he never knew possible arise. For the first time in two thousand years, he curses his existence, knowing she can never be his. Will he sacrifice his wings for a woman he loves but can't keep?

BUY LINK

Excerpt

He bent toward her, wrapped one arm around her waist, the other around her back, then buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled.
Relishing the feel of her body melded against his, he forgot the worries consuming him. She soothed his ache with a mere touch, with a mere embrace.
Exactly what he’d wanted, exactly what he needed.
She then pressed her full lips against his cheek, kissing him lightly.
An innocent kiss. There was no passion behind it, but an unconscious consuming need, one he’d never felt, swelled inside him—desire. It was exciting, overwhelming and terrifying, blocking logic and reason.
All he wanted now was a single kiss. All he could think about was how her soft lips would feel pressed against his.
Marvelous, he concluded.
It was absurd to want what he did and feel what he felt, for he was an angel. Carnal desires even as insignificant as kisses were for others, for all others except his breed, and yet he felt it so deeply it seared him.
The desire that gripped him didn’t release him even after she unhooked her arms from around his neck, and the warmth of her body melted away.
There he stood, immobile, battling the desire she’d sparked. He didn’t want to leave yet knew he had to before he’d acted out his longing.
He willed his body to move. Finally, he placed one foot behind the other, stepped back and strode away praying the yearning he had no right to feel for a woman who would never be his would soon subside.

About The Author
J.L. Sheppard was born and raised in Miami, Florida where she still lives with her husband.

As a child, her greatest aspiration was to become a writer. She read often, kept a journal and wrote countless poems. She attended Florida International University and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors in Communications. During her senior year, she interned at NBC Miami, WTVJ. Following the internship, she was hired and worked in the News Department for three years.

It wasn’t until 2011 that she set her heart and mind into writing her first completed novel, Demon King’s Desire, which was published in January of 2013.

Besides reading and writing, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with family and friends.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon

A Quick 'n Quirky Interview with #MFRWauthor @LaurenLinwood

Who's Lauren Linwood?
Lauren Linwood became a teacher who wrote on the side to maintain her sanity in a sea of teenage hormones. Her romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire and yearning for one another grow into the deep, tender, treasured gift of love.

Lauren, a native Texan, lives in a Dallas suburb with her family. An avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan, she manages stress by alternating yoga with five mile walks. She is thinking about starting a support group for Pinterest and House Hunters addicts.

Quick Questions with some Quirky Answers!
If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?
If I had the big bucks, I wouldn't limit myself to one residence. My permanent home base would be located on Kaanapali Beach in Maui, with a pied-a-terre in both London and New York. I'd also keep my Texas home because I wouldn't want to move all my junk from it!

If you were a tool, which would you be?
As a tool, I would be a green, fine-tip felt marker. People would write with me, making important notations on a sticky note.

If you were a store, which would you be?
If I were a store, I'd definitely be Target. It's my favorite place to shop. It has EVERYTHING--food, clothes, books, linens, make-up, chocolate, vitamins. I'm a bit of a chameleon, so I think Target's eclectic stock would suit me well. It's also very affordable, and I'd love all the people that came in to shop.

Your guilty pleasures?
There's no secret to it--my guilty pleasures are eating dark chocolate every day and singing. Now I'm a terrible, truly awful singer, but I love music. So I sing in the shower. In the car. When I cook. I even catch myself singing along to my iPod as I walk. I guess that explains some of the strange looks I get when I pass other walkers and joggers!

Who would you want stranded on an island with you?
My tropical island companion would be Theodore Roosevelt. He was a true Renaissance man. He would be entertaining and very enterprising. He'd either find a way to get us off the island, or we'd be living in style with all his clever ideas. I think he'd have a lot to teach me, and we'd never run out of things to talk about.

If you were on a reality show, what one would it be?
Although ""Survivor"" is my absolute favorite reality show of all time (I've never missed an episode), I couldn't do it. I sunburn easily. I'm a mosquito magnet. And I actually enjoy eating on a regular basis. I'm deathly afraid of snakes, and there are way too many at the locations they select. I won't even get into those nasty rats. Instead, I would love to go on ""The Amazing Race."" I would enjoy seeing so many different countries, meeting the people, and learning about their cultures. The competitors take part in so many fun challenges and roadblocks. Plus, I'd love to hear Phil's accent every time my partner and I arrived on the mat--as long as he never said, ""Lauren. You are the last to arrive. I'm sorry to tell you that you have been eliminated from the race."" That would break my heart.

City or Country?
I'm definitely a suburban gal. I like being close to city life and all its conveniences without putting up with the traffic. I like being a little bit out and having green space around me . . . just not TOO far out! I have a need to be close to a good library, some nice restaurants, and a little bit of shopping--especially if Target is nearby!

Ebook or Paperback?
I love being able to pick up my Kindle and drop it into my purse when I travel. I'll also pull it out while I'm waiting at the dentist or doctor's offices. As nice as it is, I still love the feel of a paperback in my hands, smoothing the pages. I'm a bit possessive that way.

Zebras or Elephants?
Zebras are beautiful, but they seem a little skittish to me. I've actually stroked an elephant and find them to be beautiful and friendly. I love watching them with their babies.

MFRW Lauren Linwood released Written in the Cards, a Historical Western Romance, with Soul Mate Publishing in May 2014.

Maggie Rutherford jilts her too-perfect society groom at the altar and flees to the American West,
where she turns her travels into dime novels that she writes under the pen name Lud Madison.

Civil War veteran Ben Morgan marries his childhood sweetheart and takes her to homestead on the Great Plains. Losing her in an Indian attack, Ben becomes a gambler. When he kills a cheating opponent in self-defense, the man’s gunslinger brother swears revenge.

Ben hides on a cattle drive and brings in a herd to Abilene, where a waiting Maggie interviews him for her next story. Sparks fly as they wind up living in the same household, running a general store east of Abilene. But with Black Tex Lonnegan on his trail, will Ben run from his growing attraction to Maggie and the gunfighter’s promise of death–or will he make a stand for his life–and love?

When dime novelist Maggie Rutherford interviews cowboy Ben Morgan for her next book, she falls fast . . . and then learns he’s actually a gambler with a gunslinger hot on his trail. Will Ben run from his growing attraction to Maggie and an outlaw’s promise of death—or will he make a stand for his life—and love?

AMAZON Buy Link

Connect with Lauren

Website: http://www.laurenlinwood.com

Blog: http://laurenlinwood.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laurenlinwood

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LaurenLinwood

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Linwood/e/B00CSSG8BC

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091840.Lauren_Linwood

#MFRWorg gets Down 'N Dirty with #MFRWauthor @BarbCaffrey

Let's get Down & Dirty with MFRW Author Barb Caffrey
BARB CAFFREY is a writer, editor and musician from the Midwest. She is the author of the humorous urban fantasy/romance AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, and is the co-author of the Adventures of Joey Maverick series (with late husband Michael B. Caffrey). Barb is an inveterate reader, a huge baseball fan (Go, Brewers!), reviews books at Shiny Book Review, and wonders when her little dog will ever stop doing "the paw trick."

How long does it take you to write a book?
It usually takes me a year, maybe eighteen months, to fully write a book and polish it up.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?
I try to have a set schedule with writing, but lately I've been ""going with the flow"" quite a bit. I do my best to set aside several hours a day, at least six days a week.

Tell us about your latest book, including its genre.
My latest book is called AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, and it is a YA comic fantasy/romance that I call ""relentlessly cross-genre"" because it also has elements of paranormal, mystery, and suspense. It's all about Bruno the Elfy, a three-foot-tall youth from another dimension where magic is the norm and he believes he has little of it; he comes to our Earth, is immediately taken captive, and must make common cause with young Sarah, who's also short and magical. Along the way he finds out he has a lot more magic than he thought, he has enemies -- lots of them, too -- including a Dark Elf who's main interests include corrupting the local humans and killing any luckless Elfys who might happen to be in the vicinity -- and oh, yes, he falls in love with Sarah. Hard.

Barb released AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, a Young Adult Fantasy with Twilight Times Books in April 2014. 

One Elfy for an entire planet?
He’s supposed to be the Watcher for his people, the representative on Earth from his dimension, but the small being known to his enemies as “Jonny-Wonny” wakes up to big trouble — trapped in a bizarre house in Knightsville, California with humans straight out of reality TV. Jon knows that something has gone dreadfully wrong — he’s starving, lonely and dressed in funny clothes.
Enter the couple’s ten-year-old diminutive daughter, who is “Not Daisy!” but is brilliant, sweet…and using high level magic with ease. She’s also desperately in need of a friend.
Insisting her name is really Sarah, and christening him Bruno, his new friend asks him how they’re going to get out of there.
The only thing that comes to mind is for Bruno to ask his teacher, Roberto the Wise, for help. But Roberto’s attempt at help only enmeshes all three of them further in a web of deceit and treachery. Bruno finds out that, unfortunately, most of what he thought he knew about himself was very wrong…and much of what Sarah knows about herself is also wrong, including her age.
Worst of all, a Dark Elf is on the scene and is intent on corrupting the local Humans, including Sarah’s parents.
New names, new locations, a new mission–Bruno is going to get to the bottom of all the craziness, and Sarah will be there for him every step of the way.
Watch out, universe–an Elfy is on the loose! 

Amazon BUY LINK  |  Barnes & Noble BUY LINK

How do you come up with story ideas?
This particular story idea came from a dream I had after reading an anthology about Elves. (Sorry, I can't remember which one.) The editor said that the Elves in this particular anthology were not your typical ""Elfie-welfie stuff,"" so my mind apparently wanted to figure out what this ""Elfie-welfie stuff"" actually was. So I had a dream, where a short young boy all dressed in black said, ""It's not like that!"" And I proceeded to write down everything that youngster -- Bruno the Elfy -- told me.

What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels? 
I like love scenes in novels, personally. In YA novels, they have to be age-appropriate, which can be a challenge . . . but I'm all for love scenes.

What does your husband/wife think of your writing? Do you ever ask him/her for advice?
My late husband, Michael B. Caffrey, was a huge advocate of my writing, and was my first editor. He believed very strongly in what I was doing. It's because of him that I kept after it, even after he died suddenly in 2004; it took me years, but I managed to keep going, keep writing, and found a home for AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE at long last.

And yes, I used to ask Michael for advice all the time. (He gave it, too. And I always took it. He was the wisest person I've ever known and understood the urban fantasy genre extremely well.)

Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?
I have had a number of people influence my writing. My husband. Rosemary Edghill, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, and Stephanie Osborn -- the three best mentors any writer could have anywhere. And my friend Jeff Wilson (1963-2011) . . . he was also a writer, and I listened to whatever he had to say whenever he said it.

What can we expect from you in the future?
What to expect in the future? I'd say a few more novels in the Elfyverse, a transgender fantasy romance written for adults, and a couple of paranormal romances (one featuring a baseball-loving psychic who's married to a werewolf). And I'll also continue to finish up my late husband's work, too . . . lots of stuff to do!

How do we find out about you and your books?
The easiest way to find out about me and my books is through my blog, Elfyverse (aka Barb Caffrey's Blog), or any of the links below.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Amazon  |  Goodreads

Fans' comments and letters are warmly appreciated, and I do listen very closely to my fans.

Your favorite comment from a reader? ""More, please!""

Your favorite author?
Can I pick three? Because the reason Rosemary Edghill, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel and Stephanie Osborn are my mentors is because I love their books and I love their writing.

Your favorite book? Favorite book?
The one that comes to mind right now is John M. Ford's ""The Final Reflection,"" which is a Star Trek novel about the first Klingons ever to go to Earth. It's an excellent first-contact novel and features a low-key but worthwhile romance between Klingon Captain Krenn and one of his officers, Kelly . . . and it has a wonderful friendship between Krenn and the first human Ambassador to the Klingons, Emanuel Tagore. But my favorite stand-alone science fiction/fantasy romance is Linnea Sinclair's ""An Accidental Goddess,"" due to its excellent dialogue, great romance, and nifty descriptions.

My favorite series is the BEDLAM'S BARD series by Mercedes Lackey, Ellen Guon and Rosemary Edghill (Guon wrote with Lackey early; Edghill wrote with Lackey later). This is urban fantasy and features flutist/bard Eric Banyon and a rotating cast of characters, including many interesting Elves Underhill.

#Thursday13 Favorite Foods @AshleyLadd #MFRWauthor

MFRW Author Ashley Ladd shares her favorite foods for today's Thursday 13 List.
Ashley lives in South Florida with her husband, five children, and beloved pets. She loves the water, animals (especially cats), and playing on the computer. She's been told she has a wicked sense of humor and often incorporates humor and adventure into her books. She also adores very spicy romance, which she weaves into her stories.

AMAZON  |  WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  GOODREADS

My 13 Favorite Foods

1. Cincinnati chili spaghetti - 3 way with lots of cheese
2. Cheese coneys
3. Lobster
4. Shrimp
5. California rolls
6. Corn on the cob
7. Shrimp in garlic sauce
8. Shrimp lo mein
9. Cheese enchiladas
10. Chicken chimichangas
11. Plantains
12. Chocolate frosties
13. Cherry pie

MFRW Author Ashley Ladd's most recent release is Business or Pleasure, an Erotic Contemporary GLBT Romance with Totally Bound.

Guy Rogers is extremely attracted to his new realtor, Tom Boudreaux. As a passionate vegetarian and animal activist, he’s ecstatic that Tom is a kindred soul. Unfortunately, Tommy isn’t really a vegetarian or an animal activist. In fact, Tommy’s family owns the most popular barbecue restaurant in town.

When Guy finds out that Tommy eats meat and his family owns a restaurant that’s a monument to eating meat, he’s livid and doesn’t know if he wants anything else to do with Tommy.

But then Guy’s life gets crazy—his dad’s paranoia blossoms into violent dementia, he gets arrested for picketing a doggy mill, then he winds up in even more legal trouble. When Tommy sticks by him through all his trouble and does everything he can to help him, Guy wonders if he’s been too militant and narrow-minded. Perhaps he can learn to live with people who have opposite views.

Tommy Boudreaux is extremely attracted to Guy Rogers even though he’s a passionate vegetarian and animal rights activist and Tommy’s family owns the most popular barbecue joint in town.

BUY LINK

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Dream Hume @JJDiBenedetto #MFRWauthor

MFRW Author J.J. DiBenedetto released Dream Hume (Dream Series, Book 7), a new

paranormal story.

“Oh, my God, I’m not even starting the job for four months!  How can I have an enemy already?”

Sara thought she had found the perfect job, the perfect new house and the perfect place to build a bright future for herself and her family.

But her new life is not quite perfect.  Her husband and her children are fitting right in, but before Sara even shows up for her first day of work, her coworkers are dreaming about getting rid of her.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the one friend she’s made is dreaming nightly about a disaster that could wipe out the entire town…and Sara is beginning to think he might be right…

Dream Home is the exciting seventh book in the Dream Series.

BUY LINK

About J.J. DiBenedetto
J.J. (James) DiBenedetto was born in Yonkers, New York. He attended Case Western Reserve University, where as his classmates can attest, he was a complete nerd. Very little has changed since then.

He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia with his beautiful wife and their cat (who has thoroughly trained them both). When he's not writing, James works in the direct marketing field, enjoys the opera, photography and the New York Giants, among other interests.

The ""Dreams"" series is James' first published work.

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Romance Super Bundle! @LyndiLamont

The Romance Super Bundle II: Second Chances. The bundle includes mainstream and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance.

Eleven romantic stories featuring NY Times, USA Today, Amazon & B&N bestselling authors by Dale Mayer, Donna Marie Rogers, Stacey Joy Netzel, Amy Gamet, Edie Ramer, Lois Winston, Pamela Fryer, Georgina Lee, Kate Kelly, Wendy Ely and Lyndi Lamont

A lonesome cowboy, a heartbroken widower, a spurned bride-to-be, an unexpected pregnancy, intrigue, murder and more…485,000 words/nearly 2000 pages of heroes and heroines in need of second chances. Thwarted romance, broken hearts, intrigue, murder and more…11 superb tales of second chances at love!

Amazon  |  All Romance eBooks  |  Barnes and Noble

Featured Author of the Month Suz deMello - Spotlight on her Release

Best-seller soon available in print!

Temptation in Tartan by Suz deMello

One of my more popular books, Temptation in Tartan, will be available in print as well as digital formats on September 24. This book sat at #1 on its list at All Romance Ebooks for a week! If you’re intrigued by the idea of sexy vampires in kilts, this is the book for you. Here’s a snippet to sharpen your appetite:

Stop! You cry. What’s it about?

Okay—here’s the blurbage:

She had to marry a monster…

Rumors had followed the chieftains of Clan Kilborn for centuries. Said to be descended from the Viking Berserkers, they were ferocious in battle, known for tearing off the heads of their enemies and drinking their blood.

But English noblewoman Lydia Swann Williston would marry Kieran, Laird Kilborn, to bring peace to the Kilborn lands after the horror of Culloden and the brutal pacification. A widow, she also brought needed wealth to Clan Kilborn. For her part, eighteen-year-old Lydia wanted children. With her husband killed at Culloden, she would make a new life in the Highlands.

The old chieftain of Clan Kilborn also died in battle, and she hoped that the new young Laird would lack his ancestors' ferocity.

She was wrong.

And now, here’s the excerpt:

Edinburgh, 1747

The dark, mysterious stranger took Lydia’s free hand and led her into the garden surrounding the Menhardie mansion. The broad summer moon cast shadows that shifted with the breeze, so she could see little but could scent much—the fragrance of plants and newly turned earth, the attar of roses she’d touched to her pulse points and, daringly, between her breasts. Most of all, she drew in the male aroma of the stranger who’d taken possession of her hand, a scent reminiscent of midnight and secret longings.

He led her deeper into the knot garden. Trees, swishing in the breeze, blocked the manse from her view. She inhaled sharply, realizing she’d walked willingly, alone, with a man she knew nothing about, into what was not only a compromising position but possibly a dangerous one.

As though he sensed her fear, he released her hand. “Would ye wish to sit?” He waved his hand at a stone bench.

She touched it with a forefinger. Moisture seeped through her glove.

“Dinnae fash yerself.” The stranger sat and held out his arms. “Come here.”

She hesitated. “I’m affianced. ‘Twould offend my new husband.”

“No one can see us, and I’m just asking ye to sit.” His gaze was not merely open and guileless, but oddly compelling.

He seemed so kind, and her worries so silly, that she complied, moving closer. He reached for her waist to help her arrange her skirts and panniers. Finally she’d settled onto his lap, sitting crossways so she was looking at his chiseled features, distinct in the moonlight, as pale as new milk.

A strange energy thrummed through her body. She was acutely aware of the firm, muscular thighs beneath her, for she had never sat on a man’s lap before. Neither her father nor her husband had asked for or taken this intimacy. Did she like it? She wasn’t sure and became even less sure when the stranger, who had one arm touching her waist already, slid his other wide palm up her calf toward her knee.

Though his touch sent a tremor of desire shafting through her being, it unnerved her even more. She squirmed but he held her fast.

“Lassie, what worries ye?”

“You are taking liberties, sir, and we…haven’t been introduced.” What a stupid thing to have said. He must think her a fool. But what did it matter? She’d never see him again.

He chuckled. “Let’s just say that I’m a man who finds you quite alluring.”

Alluring. Lydia blinked. William had never said that.

“Remember, I’m affianced.”

“Ye’re here with me. Do ye love him?”

She cleared her throat. “We’ve never met.”

“Then ye’re sharing a stolen moment with a man you…dare I say a man you like?” He flirted, but his voice held a dark timbre that seduced her soul. And yet a note of humor, kindness even, tinctured his tone.

She hesitated, then looked into his eyes and was immediately calmed. She said, “Yes. You may dare.”

“And what else may I dare?” The hand on her leg rose to her face to play with a curl, stroke her cheek. She quivered and her breasts swelled, her nipples rubbing against the lawn of her shift. Flesh for which she had no words, the secret place at the junction of her thighs, heated, tightened, moistened.

She shifted on his lap, opening her legs and leaning forward a trifle, and that sensitive, secret spot rubbed against his leg, bringing a charge of pleasure she hadn’t known before. She hid her gasp behind her fan.

He smiled at her, his eyes knowing… Did he understand how powerfully he affected her?

This was wrong, wrong. She had to stop.

“Your eyes are warm chocolate on a chilly day.” His voice was as soft as the breeze, as soft as his caress down her cheek to her mouth, which he traced. “Your lips are a temptation that I cannae resist.”

“You presume much, sir.”

“Aye, I do, but I feel I know your heart.”

If he knew her heart, then he knew it beat faster than a racing stallion’s hooves.

He inclined his head toward her. His lips were carved marble in the moon’s silver rays. “Ye desire me, do ye not?”

“Desire isn’t enough.” She’d desired William, and her marriage bed had been either empty of her husband or the scene of brief trysts devoid of pleasure. She wouldn’t be seduced by a handsome stranger. What for?

“Please.” He asked, but then he took. His mouth felt cool on hers but with a touch of fire beneath. That fire raced through her, igniting parts of her she hadn’t known could feel such heat, such rapture. She gasped again from sheer surprise, and something intruded between her lips… Before heaven, was that his tongue?

No, Lydia thought. This isn’t me.

She reached for his wrist to slide her fingers toward his elbow. She wrapped her hand around his arm and dug her thumb into the muscle just in front of the joint.

He yelped and jerked away, dumping her off his lap. She landed gracefully, stood and stepped back a pace.

“Good,” she said. “I must have hit just the right spot.”

His eyes were amazed. “Where did a lady like ye learn such a trick?”

“My brother taught me.” She couldn’t help shooting him a triumphant smile as she tucked her fan into her reticule.

He shouted with laughter. “Ye’ll do, yes, ye will! Ye’ll make a fine wife.”

“I beg your pardon?” she said stiffly.

He grinned at her. “I’m Kieran.”

She gaped at him.

“Kieran Kilborn,” he added helpfully. “The man ye’ll marry.”

*****

If you like what you read, buy it here in print on September 24:

http://www.ellorascave.com/temptation-in-tartan-1.html

And here in digital, available now!

http://www.ellorascave.com/temptation-in-tartan.html

*****

About the author:

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s held the positions of managing editor and senior editor, working for such firms Total-E-Bound, Liquid Silver Books and Ai Press. She also takes private clients.

Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.

A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

find Suzie’s books here:

http://www.tinyurl.com/SuzDeMello (publisher’s site)

https://www.amazon.com/author/suzdemello

https://www.amazon.com/author/sueswift

A Quick & Quirky INTERVIEW @LetaBlake #MFRWauthor

A Quick & Quirky Chat with Leta Blake
While Leta Blake would love to tell you that writing transports her to worlds of magic and wonder and then safely returns her to a home of sparkling cleanliness and carefully folded laundry, the reality is a bit different. Instead, piles of laundry and forgotten appointments haunt her life, but the joy of writing and the thrill of finishing a book make the everyday chaos all worth it.

Leta’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively, but her passion has always been in writing, and she most enjoys crafting romance stories that she would like to read. At her home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

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We asked a few quick questions. Leta had some quirky answers!
If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?
New York City for the summer and Florida on the beach for the winter.

What's your most embarrassing moment?
The time I somehow stopped up the toilet at my place of work so badly that it was messed up for a week and they had to hire special plumbers. I swear I think it was messed up before I used it!

Ebook or paperback?
Ebook because I'm so lazy that I don't want to have to get out of bed at night to turn out the light.

Zebras or elephants?
Elephants. They seem to love each other a lot and those trunks are so cool!

Tell us about the scariest thing that ever happened to you.
During the summer on one of the most sleep deprived days of my daughter's infancy, I drove to work in daze, got out of my car, and started to walk into the office when I suddenly recalled that I hadn't taken my daughter to her childcare and SHE WAS STILL IN THE CAR. I get sick chills every time I think about that day. Thank God I remembered before going into the office and everything was okay.

What is your secret guilty pleasure?
I don't have one! No guilt in pleasure!

Leta's new book is The River Leith, a Contemporary m/m Romance.
Memory is everything.

After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.

For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him.

Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer. If memory is everything. Can love survive when the memory of it is gone?

Amazon Buy Link  |  Smashwords Buy Link  |  Barnes & Noble Buy Link  |  iTunes Buy Link

What Reviewers Are Saying...
"Leta Blake is fast becoming one of the most exciting new voices in the romance genre." - I'm With Geek Reviews

"Raw, beautiful, lyrical, painful, sensual, hopeful. This author gets inside all of it and then lays it open, exposed, for us. The writing. The dialogue. The characters. The love. They're all here. I recommend this to everyone." - Prism Book Alliance