by Mlissa | Sep 6, 2014 | self publishing, Stick Shift
If you’ve paid any attention to the re-release of Stick Shift this week, you may have noticed it’s not on Barnes and Noble or All Romance eBooks or Smashwords. There’s a reason for that and the title of this post makes that clear.
I’ve enrolled Stick Shift in Amazon Kindle Select. It’s exclusive to Amazon for 3 months. It’s a test, you see. For me. To try something new. To see how things work with Kindle Select. To utilize some of the deals and special things they have in place for authors who give them exclusivity. To see if it would be beneficial for another book down the line. To see how Kindle Unlimited affects things.
I’m not as savvy as some of the more successful self-publishing authors. I don’t know all the algorithms. I don’t know all the tips and tricks. I don’t know all the short cuts or how to play the system to make it work better for me and my books. I don’t have Amazon reps. I can only go off what I see, hear, observe, and by the answers to the questions I ask when I think someone might be willing to share information.
And it’s possible that I’m doing everything wrong, but that’s how we learn most of the time, or at least, that how’s I learn most of the time.
So, over the next couple of months, I’ll be trying these different things out while working on finishing up the second Bad Boys of Racing book and The Sticky Cowgirl.
Y’all have a great weekend. I’ll be writing and watching football.
Oh and if you have read Stick Shift and liked it, please consider leaving a review.
~lissa
by Mlissa | Sep 2, 2014 | New Releases, Stick Shift
Stick Shift has a new look, a new blurb, a new price, and some new words. I’ve been working for weeks on the revisions and published it through Amazon.
For now, it is only available through Amazon. I am giving their Kindle Select program a try to see how I like it and wanted to do so with a re-release first before trying it with a brand spankin’ new book.
I mentioned that Stick Shift has some new words, and it does. I extended many scenes and left others along. It’s a little naughtier and Cam revealed some things to me that he wanted me to add in, which I did. There’s also an excerpt from the second book in the back which I am nearly finished with, and a molasses cookie recipe. Since Cam makes these cookies for Lily, I thought it was only right that make sure y’all have a chance to try them for yourselves.
If you’ve read Stick Shift before, thank you. If you haven’t, I hope you’ll give it a try.
The new price is $2.99 as opposed to the previous price of $5.99 when it was published through Loose Id. I don’t believe I’e undervalued my book, but I do believe that a re-release shouldn’t be priced anywhere near that high.
Now, how about that cover, huh?
Blurb:
Cam Carter is young, hot, and cocky as hell. He’s loved by some, respected by few, and hated by more. He’ll do anything to win the next race, the championship, or the heart of the girl.
Lily is unlike any other challenge Cam has faced. Quiet, full-figured, and several years older, she’s trying everything she can to resist the pull of this bad boy of racing.
Can they find a way to cross the finish line and take the checkered flag together? Or will obstacles, both inside and out, push against them until they crash and burn?
Excerpt:
Oh God. She was really there, staring at him, and he – bless his gorgeous face – if his smile was anything to go by, he looked happy to see her. She suddenly felt out of her element again and not quite up to the dress code in her blue, lacy knee-length skirt and white frilly t-shirt. Her pink painted toes curled under as she shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other in the cute, sparkly flip-flops Alli had talked her into wearing. Then again, there probably wasn’t a dress code, given that he was in faded, threadbare jeans with holes in the knees and one of the back pockets ripped at the seams. His T-shirt was black with a washed-out logo she couldn’t make out, and his sneakers had seen much better days. Still, she felt uncertain about how she looked standing there while they stared at each other. What was it about him that drew her and scared her all at the same time? Maybe it was his freshness, his youth, his smile that was all too knowing and aimed at her. Maybe it was because she was out of her depths and he was way out of her league.
Things like this just didn’t happen to women like her.
He stopped in front of her. “You’re here.” He sounded pleased and Lily hoped she wasn’t making a terrible mistake.
“I-I hope it’s okay that I just showed up without calling first. My friend drove me here and wouldn’t let me call. She was afraid I’d chicken out.”
“Would you have? Chickened out?”
“I tried several times, but I was already strapped into the seat of her car.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here. I can stop checking my phone every thirty seconds now.”
Checking his phone? Surely he wasn’t serious. Guys didn’t do that sort of thing. Guys like Cam Carter didn’t do that sort of thing. “I’m sure you probably made plans for tonight. I just wanted to…” She wanted to what? She was stranded. Alli had left almost as soon as Lily’d stepped from the car. She hadn’t wanted to give Lily a chance to escape.
“You just wanted to what?” he prompted for her to continue.
Lily hated that she was stumbling all over her words. The man had her tongue-tied and she wished she hadn’t had that particular thought, because she would love to be tongue-tied, naked, and wrapped around him.
She had to stop thinking like that, too. Instead, if she could just stay focused on how much younger he was than her, how different their lives were, she might actually get out of this awkward mess unscathed.
“I don’t know, but I shouldn’t have shown up out of the blue.”
“I love the surprise. I don’t have plans other than you. If I did, I wouldn’t have told you to meet me. No one needs me until tomorrow, so that means I’m all yours tonight.”
“Oh.” She likely hadn’t hidden the surprise at his choice of words, because he laughed. All hers? Yeah, right. In what universe was a man like Cam Carter ever going to be “all hers”?
“You like that idea.”
He was reading her mind again, just as he’d done at the autograph session. She had to learn not to be so transparent. Alli was forever telling her that everything she thought or felt could be seen in her eyes and in the expressions on her face.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She could do this. “Well, yes, of course. How could I not?” She’d play along. How often did an average, ordinary music teacher get this kind of opportunity? “I’d be crazy to not want you all to myself.”
“Great. Because that’s how I want you.” He stepped close and traced the outline of her cheekbone with his callused and scratched fingers that melted her even more. “All to myself.”
He was going to kiss her. She knew it because he took off his sunglasses, because the pulse beat in his neck had kicked into high gear, because his lips actually brushed hers. Oh. My. God.
He’s too young. He’s too young. He’s too young.
Her mind rattled off the litany, knowing she needed to remember it, no matter how weak it might be. It would be so easy to get carried away if she spent any kind of time with him. But all of her reminders, all of her good intentions drifted away at the softness of his lips, the insistent tip of his tongue, the feel of his hand sliding into her hair, the pressure and control he exerted in holding her mouth to his.
It was a brief kiss, just a small taste of him, but it was enough to whet her appetite for more. The little devil inside her head laughed. As if she needed her appetite whetted. For days she’d thought of him and little else. She’d never wrestled with anything more.
Should she or shouldn’t she?
More than once, she’d picked up the phone and dialed his number but never let the call go through. What if he hadn’t remembered her by just her name and voice alone? What if he put her off or changed his mind or hadn’t meant for her to take the date and time on the picture seriously? What if it was a bum number?
Lily’d been so uncertain what to do that Alli had forced her into the car and dropped her off at the race shop, exactly as she’d told Cam. As soon as Alli left, Lily entertained the notion of walking to the nearest bus stop, but then Cam stepped outside, and she couldn’t move, could barely breathe. She didn’t want to leave without trying. Trying what, she didn’t know, but there was definitely something in the air between them.
“Just as sweet as I knew you’d be,” he said softly, his lips still grazing hers
Just as hot as I remembered you being. Lily smiled, not trusting her voice to speak just yet.
“My shy little kitten.” He chuckled and shook his head. “What do you want to do? Dinner? A movie? A concert? A club? Whatever you want to do, we will do.”
“Shy, little kitten?” That had cleared the fog enough for her to open her mouth.
“Yes.” He nipped the tip of her nose with his lips. “You’re all shy and timid, like a scared kitten. Relax, beautiful. I won’t hurt you. I just want a date with you.”
“A-a date?”
His brow wrinkled and his mouth twitched at the corners when she stammered out her question. She wanted to kiss that mouth again and she wanted to brush her fingers against the creases in his forehead. She wanted to touch every inch of him, commit him to memory.
“Yes,” he confirmed. “What did you think this was?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t know you… A date? In public? With me?”
Cam’s smile faltered as he gazed at her curiously. Now he was the one looking uncomfortable. “Was I being presumptuous in thinking that you might like to go out with me?”
“I… No. No, not at all. I definitely would like to go out with you.”
“On a date? In public?” The light returned to his face as he teased her, and it took her breath away. Damn. The effect the man had on her.
Cam Carter.
She wasn’t strong enough to deny him or herself. He was offering her a chance few women ever got, just as Alli had said. Alli told her to make the most of it and Lily couldn’t think of a reason why she shouldn’t throw caution to the wind just once and do this one thing for herself.
“And just so we’re clear, Lily? It’s entirely possible that I’ll want more than one date by the time the evening is over.”
Buy
by Mlissa | Feb 16, 2012 | In the kitchen with..., Stick Shift
Hey y’all! Grab a seat and let’s talk…cookies. Yeah, I know. It’s a little odd to have a character such as Cam Carter from Stick Shift know how to make cookies. Molasses cookies at that, but he does. See, his mama thought it would something good for him to know, something good for him to be able to sneak out of his back pocket when he was trying to impress a girl. And impress, it does. I don’t care who you are, most of us, like and or wish a man we loved/lusted after knew his way around the kitchen with either sweets or coffee.
I know I would have appreciated it. However, DH does know how to load a dishwasher much better than I ever could have managed, so maybe we’re even…sorta. But, I still love the idea of a man cooking, baking even… At least making me coffee. There’s something inherently wonderful about being woo’ed that way, being taken care of in that basic way. It’s intimate.
Cam uses his way with cookies as a way to mend the bridge between himself and Lily, as a way to soften her heart toward him, as a way to, as his mother had once said, impress the girl.
Now, really… who wouldn’t melt at a bad boy race car driver bringing you cookies that he’d made himself? I know I damn sure would…
Do you have a man who cooks for you? Cooks with you? If so, can I come for a visit? 😉
Just Like Starbucks Molasses Cookies (borrowed from Kate at Stolen Moments Cooking)
- 3/4 c. butter or margarine
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 c. blackstrap molasses (or 1/2 c. plain molasses)
- 2 1/2 c. flour (You can use any combination white/whole wheat flour)
- 2 t. baking soda
- 1 t. cinnamon
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 t. nutmeg
- 1/2 t. ginger
- For rolling dough – 1/2 c. white sugar
1. Cream the butter or margarine and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat for an additional minute.
2. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Sift or stir with a fork or whisk for 30 seconds.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours, until firm.
4. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into a ball, then roll through white sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
I love Molasses Cookies. They are my favorite, especially if iced, but I’ll take them sugared as well.
An orchestra musician, a private music teacher, and a homebody, Lily’s a full-figured, quiet woman who lives a fairly simple and solitary life. Aside from music, she has one big passion: stock car racing. She’s been a fan for as long as she can remember and makes the yearly pilgrimage to Daytona as often as she can. When she’s offered a chance to get away to North Carolina and attend two weeks of races, she jumps at it. Little does she know what that chance has in store for her…
Cam Carter is one of the most successful young drivers in the top tier of the stock car racing circuit. All over the country, he’s well known to racing fans, loved by some, respected by a few, and hated by others. He’s arrogant, strong willed, and a consistent winner. What he doesn’t have is balance…until he meets a pretty, very curvaceous, and unassuming fan named Lily.
Lily fears the difference in lifestyles, ages, and personalities while Cam in turn, embraces them. Can they find a way to cross the finish line and take the checkered flag together or will the obstacles push against them until they crash and burn?
Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse.
Available as an ebook from Loose-id, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance eBooks, Sony Reader
Hopefully next time, Cam will be able to take time out of his busy racing schedule to join us 😉
~lissa
by Mlissa | Feb 12, 2011 | Stick Shift
It’s that time again. You know what time that is, right? Oh come on… Grins…
It’s racing season! NASCAR racing starts tonight and I am stoked! I cannot wait! So, there’s only book for me to logically choose from for today’s snippet and that would be Stick Shift. (yes yes yes, I know my readers are waiting for the next books in this series and I promise, you’ll get them…)
Today’s theme is Love Scene and it can either be open door or closed door. I’m thinking giving me an option was likely a bad idea…
Snippet:
He walked away and took Lily by the hand again, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. She looked at him with unguarded lust and emotion. He had her. “Going to my place.”
“Okay.”
He held out his other hand. “Give me your keys.”
“I didn’t drive. Alli did.”
“Excellent.”
“Do you want me to drive? I think I remember how to get to your house.”
“No. I’m fine.” He squeezed her hand as they finished the walk to the designated parking area. He located his truck after a few minutes and got Lily settled inside before he climbed behind the wheel. He turned his head toward her to find her staring at him with that same hungry look from before. “How are you, baby? You look kind of shaken.”
“I am. That was the most scared I’ve ever been in my life.”
She hadn’t put her seat belt on yet, and he reached over and pulled her close. “I’m safe. I’m good. I’m not hurt.”
“I know, but that hit — it was so hard, and you…you…” She took a deep, shuddering breath and turned her face into his neck.
“I’m sorry, baby.” It was a terrible crash. There’d been blackness, followed by lots of stars, and then everything slowly came back into focus. He wasn’t dizzy or light-headed; he was just… He pressed his lips to the top of her head, inhaling deeply. She smelled like a race: cars and rubber and dust and engines. His very favorite smells.
He’d been in bad wrecks before, worse than this one, but that was different. It had just been him before, so to speak, and that wasn’t the case this time. She was involved now. His first thought after the crash once he’d realized all his body parts were still in working order, was of her. Every thought since then had been of her. Was she all right? Was she scared? Was she worried? She wasn’t weak, and he knew that, but there was an emotional price in sports like this for the significant others and family members.
She was his significant other too. There was no doubt about that.
He’d fallen so hard for her. He didn’t fight it, hadn’t even thought to fight it, didn’t want to fight it. He’d always been a believer in things happening for a reason and for whatever reason, fate had placed her in his path.
“Cam?”
Her voice was husky, much like it was when she was aroused. He smiled. The urgent need for her that had assailed him when he’d seen her outside the care center hadn’t diminished, but he’d tamped it down in the face of her worry. It flared to life now. She lifted her head, and he turned his toward her. The kiss was like lightning, searing and white-hot. It flashed across his soul and struck his balls with intense lust. They weren’t going to make it back to his place.
He broke the kiss and glanced around. The race was still going on, and while the lights around the track were bright and could be seen from miles away, they were so deep in the infield, the only other people who would happen by would be other drivers who had wrecked like him. Sure, security did passes, but he wasn’t worried about it.
“Get your jeans off.”
“What? Here?”
“Yes, here. Get them off.” As he was issuing the order, he was tearing at the buttons on his, freeing his rock-hard penis. He pressed the button near the door and pushed the seat back as far as it could go, which wasn’t too much farther, maybe an inch or two. He tilted the steering wheel. The second she had her jeans off, he grabbed for her and pulled her over his lap.
The space was tight, but the close confines were soon forgotten as she straddled his thighs, and he thrust his cock inside her cunt. Lips clashed again, tongues danced, and the tightest pussy he’d ever known was riding him. Her body pressed his into the seat as she fucked him. She didn’t let up, and he wouldn’t have allowed her to if she’d tried.
She groped at his shirt until she’d worked her fingers under it, then scraped her nails along his skin. The way she squeezed his cock when she rose up so that only the crown was inside her drove him insane. She slid back down with such sweet ease that he hissed his breath out between clenched teeth.
Sex with her was frenzied, hard, and full of desperate hunger. His balls ached to spill deep inside her, and he grabbed at her ass, rocking her on his lap.
He sighed against her neck. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
“No more than you are for me.”
Cam smirked and licked her skin. He couldn’t deny the truth in either of their words. But goddamn, going out like this was whole lot better than going out any other way he could think of.
He pressed his heels to the floor and lifted his ass off the seat. Her moan echoed through the cabin of the truck. He did it again, and she simply held on, gripping his waist. She tilted her head back, leaving the column of her throat open to his mouth. It was an invitation he couldn’t refuse as he grasped her skin between his teeth and sucked. He intended to leave a love bite on her, a physical mark on her creamy skin that she couldn’t deny or hide.
“Cam?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I see lights coming toward us.”
Reluctantly Cam lifted his head and looked out the window. Security. Shit, he thought with a grin. The golf cart was still down at the end of the row of parked vehicles, but eventually it would be even with them. If the guard got curious and flashed his light in the windshield, he’d see Lily. Getting caught screwing by track security could be a bit of a sticky situation.
He was torn between continuing like they were and having her finish him off in her mouth. But God, he loved just being buried inside her. “It’s security.”
She tensed as soon as the word was out of his mouth. He had known she would. Exhibitionism wasn’t something he’d imagine to be too high on her fantasy list.
“Oh no.”
He pulled her face toward him and kissed her lips, licking at them, trying to melt her rigid posture. When she sagged against him again and started grinding on his cock, he pulled away. “Wanna finish me off in your mouth or wait until we get back to my place?”
“Mmmm.”
“Mmmm?”
She lifted and worked her way off his lap. He immediately wanted to pull her back but didn’t have to as she bent and took his cock between her lips, drawing him into her mouth.
Fuck yes. The woman was definitely going to kill him.
Her head bobbed up and down in his lap after she laid herself flat on the bench seat of the cab. Her bare ass jiggled as she wiggled against the cool leather, and it was only then that he realized one of her arms was not visible. She was masturbating.
He reached over and swatted her ass. She responded with a deep-throated moan and a nip at the head of his dick. Naughty girl. He’d get her later for that one.
The security cart pulled up in front of Cam’s truck just as he turned the ignition. The guard waved up at him, and Cam grinned as he lightly pressed on the gas pedal and gunned the engine.
Cam got them out on the open highway through back roads that weren’t yet crowded with what he knew would be a bitch of a traffic jam. Lily kept writhing on the seat, riding her clit and sucking at his cock, pulling on him, licking him, driving him toward an orgasm that he hoped didn’t cause his second crash of the day.
Her movements became more frantic, and she lowered one of her legs to the floorboard. She pushed her face down to the bottom of his cock, and her throat opened up for him. She wasn’t sucking him but was breathing roughly through her orgasm. Her body rocking on her fingers with her ass in the air, and her little grunting noises around the shaft inside her mouth pushed him to the edge of reason.
He depressed the Cruise Control button and planted his feet flat on the floor board just a fraction of a second before he pumped his seed down her throat. His balls pulled tight against his body as his cum gushed from his cock and he held the wheel in a death grip.
She swallowed everything he gave her, and when he was somewhat calm again — and she had cleaned all remnants of stickiness from his cock — he tapped his foot on the brake to gain control of the speed again.
She lifted her head from his lap, then sat up, licking her fingers while staring straight ahead through the front window, a slight smile on her face.
He realized then that he might have to rethink the whole exhibitionism thing.
For more snippets, visit the following authors:
Jody Wallace
Emma Petersen
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
Eliza Gayle
Shelli Stevens
TJ Michaels
Lauren Dane
Helen Kay Dimon
Leah Braemel
Have an awesome weekend! Oh and again, Snippet Saturday is NOT part of the Birthday Bash so commenting, while always welcome is not necessary and will not count toward whether you get a present at the end of the month!
~lissa
