by Mlissa | Nov 8, 2012 | Twisted Up
I want to thank everyone who has participated in this blog tour. The comments on the blogs have been incredible and fantastic. There’s been so much support and fun ideas shared and I feel truly blessed.
With Twisted Up being my first solo print book, and with the release of Malachi’s Word this week as well, I’ve been a bit in…OMG land. I’ve tried to stop at every blog and comment back to the readers who have been wonderful enough to comment in the first place.
This book is special to me for different reasons. The hero is a character fashioned from a dear friend of mine. As I mentioned, it is my first solo print book. It’s the last book my former editor at Samhain Publishing, Bethany, and I worked on together. And it was the first Samhain Publishing cover my friend Kendra Egert designed for me. I love this book.
This is a blog tour and it’s also a giveaway. The different blogs had a different post. Music, characters, rope, sex toys, coffee, etc… So, the way the giveaway part of this will work is that whichever topic a particular blog had, the prize will have something to do with that.
So, for instance, All I want and more… That post was about coffee and coffee bowls. The prize: A coffee bowl.
I often write themed topics for my guest appearances on blogs and often it’s more than just about the book because I want to have some way to connect with the readers who stop by. Below you’ll find the list of other giveaways:
For the Love of Reading: A print copy of Twisted Up
Romancing Rakes: A length of rope, your choice of color (I hear Neon Green is an awesome color)
RR@H Novel Thoughts: A $15 gift card for Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or iTunes
Day Drmzzz: A gift card to Eden Fantasies Adult Toy Store (online)
Simply Ali: A print copy of Twisted Up
I really do want to thank everyone for participating, be it hosting the blog tour or being a reader commenting. You’ve all made this fun for me and it’s been awesome. I also have to thank Brandy for taking care of the details and contacting the blog owners and asking if they’d host me. She’s done such a great job for me and deserves the shout out.
Now, how ’bout an excerpt? It’s a little…naughty.
“I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“You can’t force me to go with you.”
“No. You’ll come willingly enough.”
Her head shot up. “And you think that, why?”
“You want me, and I want you. This is real, Ella. You know it, you felt it.”
“Sex, Justin.”
She didn’t even believe her own words. He could see it in her eyes—hear it in the lack of conviction in her voice. “More than, Ella.”
Her gaze drifted from his face to his hand on his cock again. She watched him stroke the skin over the shaft and licked her lips. He wasn’t sure she was even aware of the move or that she moved her own hand up over her belly to her breast. She toyed with a nipple for a few seconds then stopped. She shook her head and looked him in the eye.
“I can’t come to Texas. I’m on my way out to catch a flight for business to New Orleans.”
“But you don’t have to be there for your training classes for another two and a half days.” She started to say something but shut her mouth before anything else came out. Justin smiled. Caught. “You forgot you’d told me about that, didn’t you? That you like to get to the location a day early to prepare yourself, to gauge the hotel’s surroundings?”
She nodded.
“So, cancel or change your flight and come back home with me.”
“Justin…”
“You’ve not given me one good reason, Ella. So, if you can’t follow the simple command of changing or canceling your flight today, then…” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the piece of rope he’d coiled before knocking on her door and let it unwind in front of her face. “I’ll have to tie you up until you agree.”
“You wouldn’t?” she whispered.
He raised a brow and smiled, just a slow stretching of his lips. “No?”
“Dammit, Justin.” She stomped her foot. “This is not how friends behave.”
“Friends? That’s what you think we are?” He stalked forward and pressed her against the wall with his body, his hand leaving his cock to let it rest against her belly. He put both his hands on the wall beside her head and leaned in, the rope dangling over her chest and between her breasts. “We are so much more than friends, Ella. Your body and mine know that, even if your brain is unwilling to admit it.”
She was silent for so long, just stood there between him and the wall, her breathing erratic, her fingers toying with the edges of his shirt, every so often brushing against his skin. The bright green rope against her skin, alongside the pink of her bra and the spring colors of her clothes did dirty things to his mind. He loved the innocent, sweet, outward appearance she presented, but when you stripped her to her bras and panties and even further to her nudity, she was more sex kitten than he’d ever imagined. She was his fantasy.
The rope turned her on. The thought of him spanking her until she gave in turned her on too. He didn’t need her to tell him that. Not again, at least. They’d emailed at length about those naughty desires after their first time together. They’d explored them a little the next few times they met up. Being kinky in those swanky hotel rooms she’d gotten them into at no charge because she worked for the company was like a dirty little secret.
She knew he wasn’t teasing about tying her up. She knew it was more than sex between them too. He’d made his feelings for her clear countless times over the last nine months and every once in a while she’d slip up and drop the walls around her heart, admit she had feelings for him too. For some reason he couldn’t put his finger on though, she was skittish about trying to have more.
That’s what he needed to find out. That’s what he was hoping having her in Texas would do. Give him some advantage over her. Give him some way to make her more vulnerable, at least enough that he could figure out what in the hell spooked her so. He knew about her failed marriage, her divorce, but both were done and over with. At least, that’s what he thought. Maybe feelings for her ex still lingered.
The groan that inadvertently slipped from his lips brought him out of his thoughts. He looked down to find that she was caressing the head of his cock with her thumb. He dipped the head on his shoulders down a little to find a small smile on her lips, conspiring and teasing. Drive. Him. Insane.
One minute guarded and defiant. The next trying to get her way. “Naughty girl, Ella.”
“Please, Justin. Just let me come once, please and I’ll go with you.” Her voice was a breathless whisper against his chest, her teeth nipping at his right nipple.
He tightened his lips and grunted. She played so damn dirty. “You’ll go with me regardless of whether we screw once or half a dozen times before we get out the door. But, you’re not in charge here.” He brushed his lips against the edge of her hair at her temple and carefully stepped back again. It was harder than he thought. He wanted that touch so bad he could literally taste it on his tongue from her last kiss.
“You’re impossible,” she grumped.
He grinned. “That’s what you said the first time you saw me naked and looked down.”
~lissa
by Mlissa | May 29, 2012 | Melting Jane, self publishing
Yes yes yes! Finally, right!
You may have heard this before. Then again, you may not have. Melting Jane is the original title for the book some of my readers know as Sugar Rush. The contract was up on the book and I decided I wanted to make a few changes, add some word count, a new scene, some extended scenes, give it a new cover, and lower the price.
I’ve always loved this book. Jane is sassy and snarky and hates that the men in her life are always right. Graham is delicious and sweet and determined. It’s one thing when a woman doesn’t want a man and keeps saying No, it’s quite another when she DOES want him and keeps saying No.
If you read Sugar Rush, thank you. If you’re so inclined to re-read it in it’s new packaging, thank you.
If you haven’t ever read about Graham and Jane, and Jane’s friend Edward, I’m hoping you will give it a try.
Blurb:
Graham Hall is a twenty-six year old Texan with the job of his dreams: being a freelance travel writer for a national publication. He’s just finished his latest article about small winter resort destinations in Colorado and has earned some personal down time. With the six month lease not yet up on the small cabin he rented, Graham decides to stick around the area for a while and in the process, finds himself agreeing to a blind date with a feisty, down on her luck in the love department, candy maker named Jane.
After all, what could it hurt?
Jane, completely oblivious to the set up, arrives at Graham’s isolated little valley cabin to deliver a box of her handmade Chocolate Kick truffles. From the moment Graham opens the door, Jane is tongue tied and ticked off. Edward, her business partner and most certainly former best friend, set her up. When she regains her ability to put two coherent words together, plus size, mid-thirties Jane apologizes for intruding and assures Graham that she will take care of the mistake.
What ensues is a series of encounters and confrontations between Jane and Edward, Jane and Graham, and Edward and Graham. At the heart of it all, is Jane’s happiness. Edward wants this for her more than anything. Graham finds himself caught up in her tart tongue and curvy body and isn’t about to call his all too real pursuit a failure, no matter how many times she says no.
With her inability to continue denying herself the man she affectionately refers to as Cowboy Surfer in her head, she gives in and is rewarded with scorching hot sex and a lot of follow-up phone calls after she learns the truth of Graham’s attraction. His persistence leads Jane to believe that life doesn’t have to revolve around chocolate truffles, but rather should revolve around a delicious, well traveled and well built younger man.
Excerpt:
“What about this one?”
This one, was a little black dress that would dance around her knees when she spun this way or that. “No.” He swished the dress back and forth in front of her on the hanger. She crossed her arms and turned her head. She didn’t want to be tempted into the little dress. Kitchen stores were one thing. Clothing was another.
“Why not? It would look darling on you.”
“In case you’ve forgotten or have lost your sight recently, I don’t have a darling figure.”
“I, nor anyone else, would know a thing about your figure since you keep it hidden under every shapeless garment you can find.”
“Yeah, well…”
“Try it on.” He pleaded. “Please.”
“No.”
“For me?”
“No.”
“For him?”
“Him? Him who?” Jane thought for a moment and then understanding dawned on her. “Oh.” She grimaced. “No. Let’s go.” She got up and as soon as she did, Edward sat down in the newly vacated chair. “What are you doing?”
He crossed one leg over the other and looked for all the world like he hadn’t a care or a job. “I’m not going anywhere until you try on the dress.”
“Oh my god, Edward. Fine. You can sit there all day. I’ve got work to get back to.” When Edward didn’t make a move to get up, she threw up her hands and started walking toward the front of the store.
“Jane…”
“Look,” she said, walking back toward Edward. “I love you. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, but you need to stop.”
“No. I don’t.” And given the look on his face, he believed that. “I want the best for you and I don’t have to stop until I’ve gotten through to you.” He blinked his puppy dog eyes and if they’d been alone in their loft, she’d have growled and stomped her feet. He was annoying, irritating, frustrating, and completely pissing her off. As it was, they were in a store, a high end clothing store, one of Edward’s favorites and she wasn’t comfortable making a scene. She’d wait until they were outside where she could drag him into a side street.
“This is the only one, understand? The only dress I intend to try on.”
Edward grinned. “Yes. That’s the only one I saw that I liked. The rest of their dresses were a little matronly for what you need.”
“What I need?”
“Sexy, but sweet.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “Oh please.” She slipped into the dressing room and hung the light and flirty dress on the wall hook. With long chiffon sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and a nipped in waist, it was sweet looking. The flippy skirt coupled with slits in the sleeves to reveal skin, gave it the sexy look. It was an understated sexy, but with the right heels… Damn. He had her. The meddling man had her and he knew it. “I hate you.”
“I know.”
“I mean it, Edward,” she said, tugging her sweatshirt off over her head. She rocked her hips from side to side to get her jeans down. She huffed and sat on the little bench to pull her snow boots off. “I really hate you for this,” she reminded him.
“Let me see, then we can decide how much you hate me.”
“A lot.” But the dress slid down over her body like it had been made just for her. The side zipper ate up the distance to the top without her having to suck in her stomach, clench her butt, pray, or offer her soul. The lining hugged her curves with ease and the chiffon flowed. It was such a simple dress but it was perfect.
She stepped out of the little cubicle and Edward’s mouth dropped. That was a good sign. That was the best sign. He loved it on her and his gloating look hadn’t set in yet. She was thankful for that small miracle.
“Wow. I don’t know what to say.” He stood and came toward her. “I haven’t seen you in anything like this in so long. If I were a straight man…”
“Lucky for me, you’re not.” They stood in front of the three-way mirror, both of them staring at her from all sides. She realized she looked very nice. Well, as nice as she could without make up, her hair in a messy pony tail, and her one leopard print pink and black sock and her one neon green and black zebra stripe sock. If she’d known he wanted to do more than grab coffee and a pastry…
“I love it, Jane.” He was giddy with excitement, and practically bouncing up and down. “We should buy it.”
“No. No Edward, we shouldn’t. It’ll just sit in the closet and — ”
“No arguments. We’re getting the dress. Now, go take it off.”
“Edward.” Her tone should have been enough for him to let it go and realize it was a lost cause, that she wouldn’t be buying the dress, but he elected not to hear the slight inflectional change.
She huffed her way back into the dressing room and carefully removed the dress. “Aren’t you supposed to be looking for something for yourself to wear for your new guy?” There was no answer from Edward and when she had finished putting her clothes back on, went looking for him. He stood by the register, waiting.
“Will that be all?” the clerk asked her. Jane was quick to hand the dress over and nodded.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No, we’ll take these, too.” Edward placed a knee high pair of black boots on the counter. They were beautiful, elegant. Lace up the front, a short curved heel. She loved them immediately.
“Edward, really,” she whispered heatedly, ignoring the curious glance from the young woman behind the counter.
“These will be all.”
“Wonderful.”
Jane knew when she was beat. She walked away, all the way out the door, letting Edward do what he did best. Have his way.
The air was crisp, cold, tolerable. She liked the dry air, was happy there was no wind and that it wasn’t snowing. “Well, this has been a huge success.”
Jane turned to Edward as he joined her on the sidewalk. “What has?”
“Shopping.”
“Ah yes.” She started walking. “Where are your purchases for your man?”
“Oh I got them the other day.”
“Meaning this was all a ploy again, a set up.”
“I didn’t set you up with anyone other than me. I thought a morning out would be a nice change.”
“I don’t like that you’ve taken to lying to me.”
“If you liked the truth, I wouldn’t have to.”
Melting Jane is now available from Amazon | Barnes and Noble | All Romance eBooks | Smashwords
Have a great day!
~lissa
