Some Summer Reads #newreleases #preorders #romances

 

Some Summer Reads

School's out and families are packing for vacation. The temps are heating up. People are heading to the water, whether lake, ocean or pool. Summer is here!

Summer has always been my favorite season. Growing up, we always had a pool. With five girls, my parents knew that swimming would keep us occupied and tire us out so we'd stay out of trouble. 

From the small inflatable pool to a soft side four feet deep above ground pool to the ultimate inground pool with a diving board, we had our summer planned. And it wasn't just swimming, it was vacuuming the pool, skimming the pool and putting the cover on and taking it off. But we were willing to do it if we could invite some friends over and spend the day in the sunshine!

The other thing I loved about summer was the many chances I had to read. I would spend the nights in my room, reading by flashlight, devouring the latest romances that my mom picked up from the used book store. Sometimes it'd be after midnight before I'd put my book down.

If you are like me, you are looking for some new books to grab your attention this summer. Here's a few to pick up!!

~~~

The Touch

Four lives are intertwined in a small seaside town, until a healing touch can free their hearts.

Julia Ashton has been on the run, seeking solitude rather than face the prejudices from fate’s special gift. In the quaint town, she befriends a heartbroken man, never guessing how her life could change.

Macbeth Fielding had known love with a film star but the bright lights broke their marriage, leaving him heartbroken. Seeking a new life, Macbeth wants to buy the home Julia is renting.

Tiana Bleu is the star of stage and screen, adored by many, but sadly unable to see the honest love of the one closest to her. She needs to escape the bright lights to see what is really important.

Maximillian Bleu, Tiana’s father, hires Julia to share her musical talents with his guests one day, never expecting to fall for the caring and genuine woman. He will do anything to keep Julia by his side, even after finding out about her past.

Four people thrown together by fate must learn to let go of heartbreak and take a chance on love. One woman’s curse becomes the one thing that can save an innocent life. THE TOUCH is a heartwarming tale of God’s gift and the healing nature of love.
 

Buy Links:

Universal Link (KOBO, Apple, BN) https://books2read.com/u/bznBBD

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6V75VV4

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-touch-36

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-touch-annie-daugherty/1143571623

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6449718713

The Touch is a book written by Annie Daugherty in the early 80's. After she died, her daughter, Annie Beach, published her mother's book in memory of her mother. 

~~~

Chasing Favors

Doing a favor for an old friend. What could possibly go wrong??

It was supposed to be one simple favor. Randy was the nice, charming guy who drew Jamie into a steamy romance, two years ago, during her vacation. Now he’s in town, nudging her curiosity with the request for some help. What could possibly go wrong?

Jamie’s skills as an investigative reporter made for a smooth transition to writing mysteries. And Randy’s request seemed harmless enough. Doing a favor for a friend is really no big deal. But things are rarely as they appear when Jamie starts digging. When she uncovers the answers for Randy, she’s faced with another request for a favor. Who knew she could be so popular? Now Jamie’s spending her time, chasing after favors.

While researching Randy’s situation, Jamie stumbles upon something that doesn’t seem quite right. Most people would just ignore it. Or chalk it up to a coincidence. But Jamie’s never been a believer in those. Sensing there is something more going on in the background, Jamie becomes determined to figure it out. And if she’s right, she intends on stopping the bad guys in their tracks.

CHASING FAVORS features the beautiful redhead whose nose for trouble has her stumbling into police business. Mark Love’s series is perfect for fans of the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs or Diane Capri’s Michael Flint series, where solving a mystery and danger abound. Even though you can read Chasing Favors as a standalone, why would you? Especially when following Jamie through her romance and adventures will entertain you through the night.

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5ZW6XQF

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/chasing-favors

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasing-favors-mark-love/1143532150

APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6449441859

Chasing Favors is the 5th book in the Jamie Richmond Mysteries. All other stories are available now. 

~~~

Trina's Sacrifice

A chieftain’s forsaken daughter….

Trina Huxford knows the old stories: wolf takes swan, wolf kills swan. When her beloved older sister is taken by a wolf, she fears the pattern will play out again, but her father’s inaction stuns her. After all, the tribe needs Margot to seal the alliance between the Kaqtukaq and Whakamanu warriors. If he won’t save her sister, then Trina will. Her only ally? A young warrior whose quiet strength and gentle spirit both soothe and entice her.

An outcast craving acceptance….

Pou Ngata has spent years battling against his family’s tarnished lineage, so the Tane’s invitation to join him and his chosen warriors in Windsor comes as an honor and a shock. The problem? The bride intended for his cousin is missing, and the Tane has forbidden them to interfere. Refusing means losing any goodwill he’s gained, but Pou can’t stand by. Especially when Trina might be her sister’s replacement.

Two hearts bound by lies….

As Trina and Pou piece together the truth behind Margot’s disappearance, they can only trust each other. Lies and betrayal culminate in a battle that threatens their fledgling relationship. But there are greater dangers than the Windsor wolves, and Pou and Trina will need more than love to survive.

 

How can the truth set them free if it destroys everything they know?

TRINA’S SACRIFICE is the final installment of the Solstice Quartet, but in order to find the answers Ember, Amy and Dia seek, they must go back to the past and find the mystery surrounding their parents’ romance. The story their father shares could shatter the beautiful memories they have of their dead mother and change the way they look at their father. TRINA’S SACRIFICE and the Solstice Quartet is the perfect read for fans of Carrie Ann Ryan’s Wolf shifter series or Elizabeth Briggs’ Zodiac Wolf series. While each story can be read on its own, you will want to grab them all and dive into the unique Maori culture and the mystery that sent the three daughters running for their lives.

 BUY LINKS:

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4711JRH

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/trina-s-sacrifice

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trinas-sacrifice-catherine-peace/1143431703

APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6448761765

Trina's Sacrifice is the final book in the Solstice Quartet Series. All other stories are available now. 

Enjoy these books and Happy Summer!!

Melissa Keir

www.melissakeir.com

Pass the Popcorn

 

It’s summertime, and the living is easy, according to the old song. Among the many warm weather activities many of us will indulge in, movies still make the list. There have been a lot of films that use this time of year as a backdrop, and many of them rely on standby tropes like summer camp or vacations. Romance usually plays a big part, too, along with funny situations. Here are a few good ones, in no special order. How many of these have you seen?

 

“The Parent Trap” (1961) – This Disney production has Hayley Mills playing a dual role as teenage twins who were separated at birth when their parents divorced. They meet for the first time at a summer camp for girls, and plot to get their parents back together by switching places when camp is over. Yeah, I know—too cute, right? Just accept the premise and roll with it. Along the way, enjoy watching Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara as the clueless parents. This was remade in 1998 with Lindsay Lohan, in her film debut.

 

“Gidget” (1959) – “Hey, gang—surf’s up!” This is the original beach party and surfer flick, starring Sandra Dee, Cliff Robertson, and James Darren. It’s about a teenager's introduction to the California surf scene and her romance with a young surfer who teaches her how to hang ten, among other things. In addition to inspiring a television series, the film is considered the beginning of the "beach party’’ genre, and is credited as being a big factor in the mainstreaming of surfing culture. It also popularized the nickname Big Kahuna, for Chief (Robertson’s character, a professional surfer and beach bum the kids look up to).  

 

“A Summer Place” (1959) -- This romantic drama is a prime example of a steamy soap opera, loaded with melodrama, angst, tears, and sex. Infidelity, pre-marital sex, bigotry, class snobbery, alcoholism, teen pregnancy out of wedlock—there are enough vices here for two movies. The plot, for those who care, concerns two teenage lovers from different social classes who get back together 20 years after a summer vacation at a resort. They must then deal with the passionate love affair that’s developing between their own teenage children from previous failed marriages. It stars Richard Egan and Dorothy McGuire as the middle-aged lovers, and Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue as their respective children. Percy Faith’s recording of “Theme from A Summer Place” spent nine weeks at number one on the Billboard singles chart. You might not have seen the movie, but you’ve probably heard the song.  

 

“Summer School” (1987) -- This Carl Reiner-directed comedy stars a pre-“NCIS” Mark Harmon as a high school gym teacher who is forced to teach a remedial English class during the summer break. He’s a former pro athlete who lucked into a Phys-Ed job, but doesn’t have a clue about how to teach or motivate a class of underachievers. The film co-stars Kirstie Alley and Courtney Thorne-Smith. If you’ve seen “The Breakfast Club” or “Welcome Back, Kotter,” the group of misfits Harmon is assigned to teach won’t provide too many surprises, but they seem like a fun bunch.

 

“Summer Rental” (1985) – Here we have another Carl Reiner comedy, this time starring John Candy, Richard Crenna and Rip Torn. Candy is an overworked air traffic controller who takes his family to the resort town of Citrus Cove, Florida, where he clashes with local big shot Crenna. There are a lot of good sight gags and enough quirky characters to make up for the one-joke plot. Candy is great to watch as the put-upon family man who finally gets pushed to the limit. And speaking of John Candy…

 

“The Great Outdoors” (1988)– This vacation comedy, written and produced by John Hughes, pairs John Candy with Dan Aykroyd. Supporting roles feature Stephanie Faracy, and Annette Bening in her film debut. Candy once again plays a harried family guy who looks forward to their annual summer getaway at a Wisconsin lake resort. A dark cloud appears in the form of Aykroyd as the brother-in-law from hell, who seems to exist only to make Candy’s life miserable. There are some very funny bits, and the comic timing between Candy and Aykroyd is just right.  

 

“National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983)—The first and still the best of the series (with the possible exception of “Christmas Vacation”), this features the Griswold clan on a cross-country summer road trip to enjoy some quality family time. At least, that’s what Chevy Chase has in mind until they’re actually on the road to Wally World amusement park. Along the way, they take a side trip to visit his mentally vacant cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid). The whole thing is one mishap after another, with some hilarious gags. Chase’s meltdown and rant toward the end is classic. Like all of the “Vacation” films, you’ll see things that will make you think “Been there, done that.”    

 

“Meatballs” (1979) – This Canadian comedy, about a ragtag group of teenagers at a second-rate summer camp, is noted for being Bill Murray's first starring role, and for launching the directing career of Ivan Reitman. The two would team up again for “Stripes” (1981) and “Ghostbusters” (1984). Murray is a camp counselor, whose personality and manner will remind you of his lounge lizard character on Saturday Night Live. There really isn’t much to the plot, elements of which were reprised the following year in “Caddyshack” (“The slobs versus the snobs”), but it’s all very funny. The film was hugely successful, and followed by several sequels that had no connection to the original except the name. 

 

“Jaws” (1975) -- “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Summer had traditionally been the dumping ground for low-budget drive-in flicks until this one broke box office records and became the must-see movie of the year. A quaint New England island is terrorized over the busy July 4^th holiday by a huge shark with an equally large appetite. Director Steven Spielberg supplied plenty of suspense, thrills and adventure, and the cast plays it beautifully. Legend has it that the line about needing a bigger boat was ad-libbed by star Roy Scheider, and it became a popular catchphrase.           

 

“American Graffiti” (1973) – The marketing campaign for this coming-of-age movie posed the question “Where were you in ’62?” That’s considered to be the end of the ‘50s American rock-and-roll era, before the British Invasion. The story takes place on the last night in town for a couple of recent high school grads who are leaving for college the next day. Or will they? Cruising, drag races, sock hops, make-out sessions by the lake, carhops on roller skates, and oldies from car radios announced by Wolfman Jack make this a nostalgic and bittersweet look at more innocent times. Director/writer George Lucas (“Star Wars”) based the story on his own post-HS summer experiences. The cast includes Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark and a little-known actor named Harrison Ford. Look for the film debut of Suzanne Somers as the blonde in the T-Bird who catches Dreyfuss’s attention.   

 

 Tim Smith is an award-winning, bestselling author of romantic mystery/thrillers and contemporary erotic romance.

Tim Smith, AllAuthor page

The Great Imposter

 

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

Around the middle of the month, I get an urge to withdraw from everything as I realize I've taken on too many projects once again. This problem intensifies when something negative happens, such as having to replace the tires on my car, which is a big expense I didn't need. Then the nagging voice demanding to know who I think I am becomes louder and uglier.

Apparently, imposter syndrome isn't uncommon in people who have ADHD. Perhaps it's because we're so used to trying to pass for normal. When we aren't taught healthy behaviors for managing our condition early in life, we learn to self-medicate. It took years for me to learn who I was without drugs and alcohol. I didn't like who I found if I'm honest. 

I had a similar experience when I became disabled. I didn't know who I was without my job. I immersed myself in writing to take the edge off the nagging feeling that what I really am is worthless. However, I am never able to completely drown out the voice demanding to know just who the hell I think I am.

"Do you REALLY think YOU can write anything beyond bad self-insert fan fiction?" my inner critic demands. "Puh-leeze!"

It's a proven fact that I can write material outside of self-insert fan fiction, and I don't think it's cool for my inner critic to take potshots at the very lonely and badly bullied girl I was in my early teens. Still, I can't help but feel like I should be much further along than I really am, and am I really a writer if I'm still (barely) paying my bills with my disability check rather than my (nonexistent) royalties?

Inner critics suck, and it is notoriously difficult to make a living wage from artistic professions. Most of the time I refuse to let my inner critic should on my efforts. No matter where I go, there I am. Things go better when I accept who I am rather than wallowing in misery about not being someone else.

https://amzn.to/3eNpil8

Awakening ain't Hemingway, but it's a fun erotic romance novelette that I'm proud to have written. You can check out a spicy snippet here:

https://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com/2023/05/boris-knows-no-shame-mfrwsteam.html

Until next time, don't let the inner critics or any other bastards grind you down.

Love,

Lil

http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com

Readers Roost loves promoting indie and small press authors. Stop by the blog! https://bit.ly/ReadersRoost

New Releases by January Bain and Booksprout ARC for you!

 

Good Morning to you!

It's been a lovely month on this side of the pond this May. With everything turning green again, the view has been just great from our little piece of heaven.

I trust that everyone is well and just waiting for summertime events to enliven their days.

My biggest plan is to sit on our deck and drink refreshing drinks with my kindle well-charged. Such a lovely time of year!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful June and look forward to seeing you again July 3rd. In the meantime, I have a new release this month, two ARCs on Booksprout up for grabs, and a ton of editing, writing and gardening to do!

Hugs, January

Book 3: Blood of Fire: Sin City Kilts

Can a carefree wolf shifter and an unbelieving human find true love?

Logan Greig, billionaire wolf and kilt-wearing Scot, arrives in Vegas to make a heist movie set in in a casino. He’s the bad boy of his clan, the one voted least likely to settle down. What does he care? He loves women and won’t apologize to anyone for that.

Justine Bell, a dedicated history professor at the University of Vegas and a skeptic to the bone, is hired by Logan Grieg to dress the set with Egyptian antiquities. She dislikes Logan the infamous playboy on principle alone, but with the dean insisting she takes the job, she has no choice.

When one of the ancient relics in the shipment turns out to be a legendary invaluable artifact, Justine throws herself into research to discover more about it. Both she and Logan are amazed to discover that the item is of vital importance to the whole of mankind—it reveals that supernatural creature have always walked the Earth!

Now, with the clock ticking, the pair must work together as a team. Justine has to find the strength to abandon the safety of the beliefs she clings to, ones that don’t allow her to embrace true love, and Logan must fight to become the man Justine needs him to be.

If they can do that, a whole new world awaits them…

Buy Now!

Claim a copy on Booksprout!

This month a short story of mine, Gold Dust Woman, was released in the following anthology:

Buy Now!

As he observed the commercialized and soulless country music scene, Waylon Jennings famously sang, “Where do we take it from here?” He answered that question by leaving Nashville and heading home to Texas, to help create what came to be known as outlaw country.

Today, looking at the crime fiction world, we find ourselves asking the same question. The grittiest, harshest, most disturbing fiction form is being cut off from its roots, sanitized, made “safe.”

In this volume, like Waylon did with the country genre in those bygone days, we’re looking to rock the boat. We asked for stories that aren't contorted to conform to commercial, or political, agendas.

We asked for outlaw fiction.

And we got it.

My story: Gold Dust Woman was a great deal of fun to write! Here's a short excerpt:

1969 Nashville Saturday Night

She caught Hunter’s attention the second she strolled through the concert gate in her red silk blouse and tight blue jeans. A pretty little thing with golden hair down to her ass and a gold dust sprinkling of freckles across her button nose. She owned her shit, smiled like she had the bigger picture in mind when their paths crossed. But our MC club had been hired to provide protection for the musicians, not chase pussy. Besides, the summer of love was long gone and decided in its infinite wisdom to skip him.

He nodded at the vision. She was so above his pay grade he could just be himself, not bother to impress. Yeah, keep telling himself that, it might work. She stared, then pointed at his colors. “Hell’s Angels. You ride?”

“Yeah, you looking to ride?” He also owned his shit.

She came closer while her two girlfriends lagged behind, near enough he could see the yellow highlights in her pale blue eyes.  Her perfume reminded him of sweet peas on a hot summer’s day back home in Montana. Of verandas and porch swings and Sunday fried chicken dinners. Long ways from Oakland where he now found himself.

“I’m thinking of getting my own bike. Saved up plenty, enough to pretty much get any model I want. So yeah, I’m looking to ride.”

“Gotta work now, but hang around after the concert and I’ll take you for a one on my Bad Boy.”

Her smile widened. “A Harley. Maybe. We’ll see.”

“Wasn’t talking about my bike. What’s your name, Sweet Cheeks?”

She left with a parting shot of her own. “Not Sweet Cheeks. But I’m guessing yours should be Hot Stuff.” She linked arms with her two girlfriends and they danced off, taking his interest with them.

Happy Day to You!

Starf*cked by BlMorticia #MM #IR #BMWM #rockstarromance

 

Hello!

The year has flown by, but I'm happy to report my 1st short is done. Its been a rough year, fighting anxiety and stress, but I hope my new found motivation will carry on.

In the meantime, please enjoy my gay rockstar romance, Starf*cked!

Steven Sharpe is on the road to recovery. After boozing, drugging, and sex with just about anything that moved, he’s making a comeback. Age is only a number, right? Why should he hang up his mic and guitar at thirty-seven when hard rock music needs a shot in the arm? And with his powerful voice, Steven figures he’ll have no problem regaining the adulation he once embraced as the lead singer of StarHaze.

Despite all the crazy, fun times from back in the day, one night will forever be emblazoned in his mind—the moment he fucked up his chance at love.

Driven and determined, Noah James is quickly climbing the corporate ladder. At twenty-eight, he’s been promoted to junior partner and has finally gained his peer respect. Though Noah still gets crap for being a gay black man, he doesn’t allow that to deter him from fulfilling his goal of being the only James man graduate college and build a successful career. But the past has a way of sneaking up when he least expects it and biting him in the ass.

Ten years ago, Noah and Steven were strangers at a run-down bar with their only connection being a song. When they’re thrown together again by chance, neither of them is prepared for the roller coaster of emotions they can no longer deny. Now, the two men must face the truth that while love is a fierce emotion, so is fear.

link

Excerpt

“Ready for this, Steven?”

Garrett, my drummer, eyed me through glassy pupils. Obviously, he’d had more than one or two hits of coke. How he did that and played the drums so well, I didn’t know. I suppose with enough practice, you could train yourself to do anything.

“Born ready. How many are out there?”

“About five hundred. Case says we’ll clear about two thousand or so once we pay the venue and all that.”

“And after he takes more than his share of the cut,” I added with malice.

“Now, now, Steve. I know you think Nathan’s cheating us, but dude, he got The Wretched started for god’s sakes. You see where they are now?” Jeff, our bassist, came to his defense.

“Yeah, with the best in the business,” I replied. The Wretched were the standard for young metal bands. They were pretty good, but nothing all that exciting.

“True, but Nathan will get us there. Then we can work with Dave too.”

“Sure,” I shrugged, not wanting to talk about this anymore. Case was taking too much, and it would only be a matter of time before my bandmates caught on to that fact. Right now, we had no choice because admittedly, Case had connections.

If we were going to make it, we had to take advantage.

After the opener went off, they moved their instruments and the promoter announced more shows coming to our area. Once he left, we headed out onto the small stage. Jeff and Garrett played their parts in unison, starting us off with our first noticeable song, ‘Halo Takes a Holiday.’ Decker chimed in on the guitar and I came in last, adding the rhythms that made this tune shine.

Noticing all the chicks up front, I played up the sexy bad boy image. I swiped my tongue over my top lip, locking eyes with the gorgeous beauties in low cut shirts and big hair.

We were a nineties throwback band, making a name for ourselves in the new millennium. Plenty of people rendered the grungy, slimy sounding genre to be dead, but we were too good at it to be ignored.

We could rock hard and, in the end, that’s all true metal fans wanted.

Watching metalheads sing along with me, I ran my hand over the neck of my Fender, tickling the strings. I banged my head to the beat and waited for Decker to join me on the outro. Whipping my head around in a similar motion, I keyed the final notes and did a little dance to make the ladies go crazy. As expected, they screamed my name. I grinned, letting them know I noticed. A lot of these girls wanted more than the usual attention, but my harem was already too big.

To everyone else, this was normal... to have all these females at my beck and call, doing whatever I wanted. The combination of drugs, alcohol, and mindless sex numbed me, all because I didn’t want to piss off my bandmates or the homophobic metal world.

Guys just couldn’t be into other guys, regardless of how much the world was coming around to accept it.

Wanting StarHaze to succeed meant sacrificing my deepest desires.

And to get the fuck out of my dead-end town, away from the memories…

I’d do whatever it took.

Finding Ideas by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #ideas #mysteries #writing #sereis

 

Before a writer can create a book, there must be an idea. I've written a number of books using Katherine Miller and Robespierre. Then the ideas for more stories about her dried up and so I retired her. Then one night as I was falling asleep, and thinking over all the political news and trying to calm myself, an idea. How about involving Katherine in some kind of politics. After all, she is now married to a rich man who might move in those circles.

I tossed this idea around for a bit and knew I really didn't know enough about politicians on the national level of government or even the state area. Put the idea aside for a time. Slowly, I began to think about the mayor of Katherine's town. Yes, I decided. Let's think this over. So I thought and went from her being the mayor's friend and his political rival being the victim of the crime. That didn't suit me. So I put the idea aside.

As I was falling asleep one night, I heard this voice speak. "What do you mean there'll be no Halloween Parade this year." These words began to form other ideas. The COVID epidemic has been declared over in the acute phase. What if the mayor decided not to start the tradition of the Halloween parade now people could move about. This brought to mind Katherine's neighbor and friend, the one with children and foster children. She would certainly be upset about no parade since her children always dressed for the parade and theyhad won a contest one year.

Slowly the ideas came together and I've outlined the plot for Murder and Iced Tea with some new and many old characters. The overweight mayor has a token wife, one daughter who avoids him and a son who thinks father is always right. The mayor also has a friend who acts as a bodyguard. This cast of characters is slowly forming scenes in my head. Someday the book will be written.

All this thought gave me an idea for another mystery series. But that's for another day.

Love and Lust – #Romance #Erotica #Giveaway

 

By Lisabet Sarai

Since my very first novel was published, more than two decades ago, my work has always occupied the uneasy intersection between love and lust.

Perhaps I should qualify that statement. The intimate mingling of fervent devotion and carnal desire which shows up so often in my books does not make me uneasy in the least. Although there have been a few exceptions, in my own life I’ve found love and lust to be highly correlated and sometimes difficult to distinguish. In my experience, each catalyzes and quickens the other.

I have a sense, though, that some romance readers – and authors – are not that comfortable giving erotic yearning an importance equal to romantic passion. Romance stories without explicit sex are hailed as “sweet” and “clean”, as if their purity made them superior to the steamy tales I write. Some bloggers explicitly exclude guests who write erotic books, even if their posts are guaranteed to be PG.

To be honest, I sometimes feel marginalized by the romance writing community. It’s true that my books tend to be four or five flames, but many of them unquestionably qualify as romance (as opposed to erotica). They feature strong emotional attachments between the characters, a struggle to overcome internal or external conflicts, and a happy ending. They may be kinky but the kink is essential to the characters’ developing relationships. That has been true since the 1999 publication of Raw Silk, which chronicles one woman’s journey to understand her submissive desires and to commit to the man who can satisfy them.

 

 

Anyway, I don’t want to sound as though I’m complaining. If some people aren’t comfortable reading my stories, that’s fine. I do have some fans who appreciate my attempts to blend affection and heat.

Indeed, I’ve been celebrating the glory of lust for the past month, with my Lusty Month of May promotion. Today is the final day, but you still have a chance to enter my drawing for a $25 bookstore gift certificate. You can still get some of my best selling erotic romance for only ninety nine cents, too. Visit my blog here https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2023/05/lustymonth.html for all the details.

ut hurry! When June rolls around, all the contests and promotions end.

I’ll still be writing sexy romance, though, featuring the interplay of lust and love. I don’t think that’s likely to change.

[For covers, excerpts and buy links for all my books, visit my website book page: https://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html]