CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR $150 GC WINNER!!

We ran the comments through www.random.org and the winner of the Haunting Halloween Blogfest $150 Amazon or BN GC is:

STORMY!!!!!

::::throws confetti:::

Stormy, please email us with your choice (Amazon or Barnes and Noble) to lasreviews AT gmail DOT com

Thanks to everyone for playing this weekend and check back the first weekend of December for a chance to stuff your stockings with books -- hundreds of prizes will be given away!

Top Ten Reasons Vampires Will Never Die

I write contemporary, but it is scaring season, so here is a reprint from my blog all about vampires. And, though book industry people say the market is saturated, there will always be romance books with vampires and here's why. Hope you enjoy.

Top Ten Reasons Vampires Will Never Die
10. Turns out, a diet of blood results in less tummy upset (any vamps fart in the books you've read?).
9. Bad boys in black...need I say more?
8. No wrinkles due to sunbathing.
7. Garlic-breath is never a problem.
6. You'll never have to share mirror-space.
5. Your PMS chocolate stash is safe around him.
4. Authentic Halloween decorations from his creepy castle.
3. Tight, leather pants don't provide enough room for the whole embarrasing (and gross) hand-down-the-pants guy-thing.
2. Robert Pattinson, Brad Pitt, Alexander Skarsgard, Ian Somerhalder, and Tom Cruise (before the crazy).
1. The sexy bedroom voice created with those fangs never gets old.

So, there you have it! Top ten reasons vampires will never die. Hope you enjoyed.

Just a little FYI, Into the Fire, recently received a couple good reviews. Check them out, if you get a chance.

Sizzling Hot Book Reviews said "Into the Fire gives us a wonderful concept, great conflict and adoring characters. Don’t miss Into the Fire when you are looking for a new book." For the entire review, go here: http://tinyurl.com/3zgagc4

Got Erotic Romance said "Into the Fire is a fast and fun read. Is it getting hot in here? This kitchen is on fire!" For the entire review, go here: http://tinyurl.com/4y2ntz2



Into the Fire Amazon BuyLink: http://tinyurl.com/3f7vfnp
Into the Fire TWRP BuyLink: http://tinyurl.com/3mfn3zj
http://www.cheriemarks.blogspot.com
Facebook-- http://on.fb.me/qRl1lD
Twitter— http://twitter.com/cheriemarks

Why I Find Country Houses So Fun to Use as Settings

Hi, lovely people. I hope you enjoyed my excerpts from Love Through Time and Weekend at Wilderhope Manor. This time I'm back because I'd like to talk about another thing the two books have in common besides ghosts – they're both set in country houses. There's a reason for that... I love 'em!

Seriously though, I'd like to dish the dirt a little bit on why I find country houses so fascinating and why they're so much to use as settings.

I spend a lot of time in country houses, or manors, or whatever you want to call them. It's what I do for fun! I'm lucky because I live in England, where we have an abundance of the places that are open to the public. I'm naturally a very nosey person (if I was being polite, I'd say inquisitive) so generally, the more rooms I can see, the better. Even if lots of rooms are open to visit, I'm still always intrigued by the doors marked 'Private.' I want to know what's behind the doors, is it still furnished, are there still elements of the past left behind... my mind works overtime.

Regardless of those things, though, the houses really do captivate me. I'm a bit of a history buff and I always find myself wondering what it would have been like to live in the houses when they were in their prime, how people would have behaved, what they would have done for entertainment. The naughty side of my imagination inevitably comes up with decidedly more mischievous ideas, like what people got up to in that four poster bed, was that carpet beater really only used for beating carpets...

Add that to the seemingly endless hiding places, dimly lit rooms and creaking floorboards and you have the potential to write lots of different stories set in exactly the same place!

I don't write historicals because I'm a wimp and too scared of getting important details wrong, but I adore using the houses in contemporary stories and allowing elements of the past to slip into my tales. And that's exactly what I've done with Love Through Time and Weekend at Wilderhope Manor. Both stories are set in country houses, which play a large part in the plot.

Love Through Time has a young woman going to work in a country house, working on conserving the books in their impressive library. But, without giving too much away, she stirs something up and ends up getting involved in the past events of the place and having ghostly encounters...

Weekend at Wilderhope Manor has a lesbian couple spending a weekend at a manor for a joint murder mystery and Halloween weekend event. They're going about their business and having fun with the events that have been laid on, but they soon find out that there's more to Wilderhope Manor than meets the eye.

*****

Westbury Hall is a stately home with a fascinating past, and when book conservator Emily Stone starts uncovering it, she’s startled by what she finds . . . .

Emily arrives at Westbury Hall with a job to do. She’s to clean and conserve all of the books in their impressive library, preserving them for future generations. Not long into her stay at the house, she bumps into the night guard, George. She’d expected an old, balding guy with a comb over, so the hunky chap she actually meets is a very pleasant surprise. The introductions complete, George leaves Emily in peace to get on with her job. But when a falling photograph sets off a chain reaction of ghostly events, Emily and George are thrown together in order to find out who—or what—is causing them. Their investigation uncovers a tragic past, a lost love, and a stunning secret.

Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/love-through-time/

*****

When Stephanie and Jenny go to a Murder Mystery Halloween weekend at Wilderhope Manor, they’re expecting fun and games. But following creaky floorboards, spooky noises and an alarming encounter in the Manor’s grounds, the girls begin to wonder if there’s more to Wilderhope Manor than meets the eye. As they find frequent comfort in one another’s arms – and their bed – will the girls discover what’s causing the bumps in the night, or will they run scared?

Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/weekend-at-wilderhope-manor/

*****

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Both books are on Goodreads, so if your bank balance is already groaning under the weight of all the books you're buying – please add Love Through Time and Weekend at Wilderhope Manor to your to-read list! If you follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook, too, as well as checking out my website, you'll be able to find out about any giveaways I'm running.

Thanks so much for popping by to read my posts. Don't forget to leave comments in order to be in with the chance of winning the prizes being given away as part of the event. Also, don't forget to head over to the Whipped Cream Blog where I'm talking libraries, as well as interviewing two of my characters.

Amber's Mysterious Death

Buy Link  

Amber's Mysterious Death is book one in the Sheryl Locke Holmes Mystery Series.

C.L. Exline

Background: One of Sheryl's best friends, Amber, allegedly died in a house fire. All Sheryl knows for sure is a body burned beyond recognition was found handcuffed to a bed. Sheryl wanted to grill Amber's husband, Roger, except he asked for time alone during his grief and disappeared. Now that Sheryl has found Roger again, she's not stopping until she gets answers from him.

Excerpt:

The sound of police sirens startled Sheryl and brought her back to the present. College days were long gone. She sighed and ached for the bittersweet memories. Amber had been a kindhearted person and a good friend. She missed her. This time Roger would answer for what he'd done.

Feeling more at peace, Sheryl returned to bed, ready to dream about being in the arms of her true love, Jake.

No sooner did she doze off than Sheryl awoke with a start, unsure what had disturbed her sleep. The moon brightened the room, and in no time Sheryl's eyes adjusted well enough to see a dark silhouette. She bolted upright in the bed. "Who are you? Why are you in my room?"

Instead of running away, the intruder, who appeared to be dressed all in black, took a step closer to the bed, then another step, and another. Before Sheryl could react, hands were around her throat, and she was being strangled.

While she fought her assailant, she tried to shout for Dot and kick out her legs to get free. Her words sounded like gurgles and sputters. She was losing the battle. Her vision clouded over. Starbursts of lights whirled around and they were joined by the same face she'd seen at Waverly Mansion. Was it possible? Darkness took over. 

Shannon Leigh interviews Darian and Cheyenne

MORE THAN PROPHECY

Shannon Leigh

Publisher: Amber Quill Press

Purchase Url: http://amberquill.com/MoreThanProphecy.html

Genre: Romance / Paranormal Romance / Time-Travel Romance

Format: ebook & print

BLURB:

According to ancient prophecy, a woman will come from Earth to bear a child who will end the warring between the Ramekah and Andreas clans, warring that has plagued the hold folk of Zandar for hundreds of years. On the tail of a magical zephyr, Cheyenne, a young Native American woman, is swept through the doorway of an interplanetary portal and whisked away from Earth in a dazing blur of motion. She's deposited, alone and half-naked, in a valley between the grassy knolls of the Rhian Mountains and the dreaded Goetic forest, just inside the boundaries of Andreas Territory.

It's there that Lord Darian Andreas, ruler of the mighty Andreas Clan and master of the powerful Andreas Territory, finds her. Although Darian is a just man who exercises kindness and incorporates mercy into his method of rule--which, in the barbaric world of Zandar, are rare qualities for a man--he's also used to getting what he wants, one way or another. And from the moment Darian lays eyes on the dark-skinned beauty, he knows she's meant to be his. If the Gods are willing, he'll make it so...

Shannon Leigh:

“Good afternoon, everyone. I’m here with the main characters of More Than Prophecy, Cheyenne Ayashe and Lord Darian Andreas. Let’s start with Cheyenne.”

She turns to the pretty Native American woman, taking note of her beautiful long, dark hair and flawless olive skin.

“You came from Earth, isn’t that correct?”

Cheyenne:

Nods. “Yes. That’s right.”

Shannon Leigh:

“Tell us a little about you. Where did you live? Did you have a job? Were you…”

Shannon briefly glances at Darian.

“Ahem, involved with anyone before your trip here?”

Cheyenne:

“No, no boyfriend,” she grins, her expression betraying her embarrassment. “As much as I hate to admit it, I was kind of a bore. I loved in a small town near Tucson, Arizona, and worked as a nurse at the local hospital. I lived with my best friend Aimee—who’s probably been frantic since my disappearance—and my cat Milo. Unlike my roommate, I wasn’t much of a partier. I liked to read and would usually spend my Friday nights curled up with the cat and a good book.”

Shannon Leigh:

“Sounds like your life has taken a drastic change.”

Cheyenne:

“Blushes and nods again, her violet blue eyes drifting to Darian. “Yes. It definitely has.”

Shannon Leigh:

“Now, from what I gather, Zandar if quite a barbaric planet. Have your nursing skills come in handy since you’ve been there?”

Cheyenne:

Returns her gaze to Shannon, her expression sombered. “I’ve saved a few lives—one I wanted to, one I didn’t.”

Shannon Leigh:

“Interesting. Tell us about the day you traveled to Zandar. What was it like? Were you scared?”

Cheyenne:

Expels an incredulous laugh. “Scared would be an understatement, I was terrified! I mean, who wouldn’t be? One minute I’m getting out of my car—a 65 Mustang, canary yellow, I loved that car—and the next, the whole world goes crazy. I didn’t know if a tornado had opened up over my head or what. All I remember is watching this black hole descend upon me, and then nothingness. When I woke up, everything around me had changed.”

Shannon Leigh:

“Wow, I can only imagine what that must have been like. What did you do after you woke up?”

Cheyenne:

“For a few minutes, I was pretty stunned. I kept thinking I was the butt of some sick joke, but when no one jumped out and yelled “surprise!” I quickly realized something bizarre had just happened to me. I mean, there I was, practically naked—“

Shannon Leigh:

“Practically naked?” she incredulously interrupts.

Cheyenne:

Nods affirmation. “Yeah! I didn’t even have my own clothes on anymore. Just some sort of flimsy nightgown thingy. I might as well as have been wearing nothing. Sure as hell didn’t cover much. Anyway, I had no clue where I was, or where to go. I certainly couldn’t stand in that spot forever so I had to make a decision: take my chances in the scary forest behind me, or brave the blaring sun overhead. Either way, I had to find someone to help.”

Darian:

“Aye, an’ that’s when ya found me.”

Shannon Leigh:

Shannon watches the silent exchange as Cheyenne glances at Darian and smiles. Her olive cheeks flush prettily before she lowers her gaze. There’s no denying the attraction between them. Feeling an odd pang of jealousy, she quickly disregards it and refocuses on the interview.

“Tell us about that. How did you first meet?”

Cheyenne:

“I’d climbed to the top of a hill to get a look around,” she explains, her voice dreamlike. Her gaze seemed to focus on a spot in the distance, staring at something only she could see. “That’s when I saw him. He stood out amongst all his men, so tall, so proud. I remember the look in his eyes when he glanced up and saw me…That’s when I ran.”

Shannon Leigh:

Leans forward in her chair, her attention riveted on Cheyenne. “What did you see in his eyes?”

Cheyenne:

Glances at Shannon before dropping her gaze to her lap. “My future.”

Shannon Leigh:

Turns to the large man seated on Cheyenne’s left. She quietly regards him, starting at large soles of his brown knee-high boots, then moving up to the tight beige pants covering his muscular legs. She lingered a little longer than polite on the generous bulge at his crotch, seemingly kept in check only by the tight lacings of his pants, before moving up to the leather jerkin stretched taut over his broad shoulders and wide chest. When her investigation finally reached his face, she noticed the knowing grin that tugged at his firm mouth. His returned stare said without words that he was quite aware of his sexual appeal.

Feeling her cheeks burn with mortification, she clears her throat and tries to get back on topic. “So, Darian…is it okay if I call you that? Or would you prefer Lord Andreas?”

Darian:

Leans back in his chair, crossing his muscled arms over his bulging pecs and his long, thick legs at the ankles. Despite his barbaric appearance and intimidating size, he looks completely at ease. “Darian will due,” she says with an authoritative voice that seems to rumble deep in his chest. “As long as ya dinna forget who yer speakin’ with.”

Shannon Leigh:

Nods her head and thinks to herself, I better tread lightly with this one.

He obviously didn’t take to kindly to questions, or disrespect.

“Tell us a little about yourself, Darian.”

Darian:

Looks at Shannon as though she were daft. “Are ya barmy, lass? Ya ken who I am, aye?”

Shannon Leigh:

“Yes, I’m quite aware of you, Darian.” Her face burns again as she realizes her slip. “Of who you are, I mean,” she hurriedly explains. “But I’m sure the audience would like to know.”

Darian:

Shrugs nonchalantly. “I am Lord Darian Andreas, ruler of the Andreas Clan and master of the mighty Andreas Territory.”

Shannon Leigh:

Waits a moment to see if he has anything else to add. He merely stares back at her, his malachite-green eyes seemingly boring into her very soul. Feeling heat in her cheeks and moisture between her thighs, she shifts in her seat.

“Okay, then. Let’s move on. So, Darian, what did you think when you saw Cheyenne up on that hill? Were you surprised?”

Darian:

“Aye. The blast of light startled us all. My harse panicked, nearly threw me. By the time I got ‘im under control, she was standin’ there, as if the gods themselves had dropped ‘er on that vera spot.”

He glances over at Cheyenne. “An’ when I saw ‘her, I ken she was menat fer me.”

Cheyenne:

Blushes again, he dark lashes fanning across her reddened cheeks as she glances down and smiles. Catching the possessive glint in Darian’s eyes, Shannon grins as well, imagining Cheyenne running for her life as this mountain of a man, now casually seated in a chair that looks in danger of collapsing beneath his massive frame, charges after her.

Shannon Leigh:

“So what happened after you caught her? What were your plans?”

Darian:

“I dinna ken, at first. I ken she was special, but dinna ken how. I wanted ‘er, that’s all that mattered at the time.”

Shannon Leigh:

“You’re a man who’s used to getting what he wants?”

It really wasn’t a question. She already suspected the answer.

Darian:

“Aye,” he grins, flashing a brilliant smile that causes her heart to race.

Shannon Leigh:

Fans herself with her paper pad. “It’s a little warm in here, don’t you think?”

Darian:

Shrugs with indifference.

Shannon Leigh:

Clears her throat. “Tell us about the prophecy.”

Darian:

“A lass would come from Earth, bearin’ an ancient symbol. With ‘er chosen suitor, she would birth a child that would end the warrin’ between the clans.”

Shannon Leigh:

Turns to Cheyenne. “You have this mark?”

Cheyenne:

Nods affirmation.

Shannon Leigh:

Leans back heavily in her chair. “That’s sounds like a lot of pressure. How do you feel about that?”

Cheyenne:

Huffs with obvious annoyance. “It’s not fair. Because of that stupid prophecy, any man of noble birth has the right to claim me. Trying to accept being sucked into another world is hard enough, now I have every man on the planet wanting me in his bed. I don’t feel like a human being. I’m an object, a coveted prize. I’ve never been so humiliated or scared in my life.”

Shannon Leigh:

“So, you have to choose one man of noble blood. Depending on how many there are, that could be a difficult task.”

Cheyenne:

“I suppose. But I always thought I’d marry for love,” she says, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Darian:

“Ya will, lass,” he reassures. “Fer I’ve no intention of losin’.”

Shannon Leigh:

The depth of Darian’s declaration warms Shannon’s heart. She hopes things go well for these two. There’s obviously more than prophecy involved between them.

“And there you have it, folks, the crux of their dilemma. How will Cheyenne choose the best suitor to father her child? Will Darian get what he wants? You’ll just have to read their story to find out. At this time, I’d like to open the floor to questions. Anyone have something they’d like to ask Cheyenne or Darian?

***

Shannon Leigh
Amber Quill Assistant Review Coordinator
"Giving readers the O in their erOtica."
Website: http://shannonleigh.org
Newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shannon_Leigh_Newsletter/


*Nana's Little Black Book--calling all incubi*
*Chasing Booty--the payoff is too good to pass up.*
*Dark Tales--not your average bedtime story.*
 

A lusty interlude - ADULT EXCERPT - Unending Desire - erotic paranormal

Easing her hands beneath his topcoat and jacket, Regina pushed both off his shoulders. “You like that?”

He liked what she was doing. With a nod, he shrugged out of his garments. They tumbled in a heap on the hardwood floor. Arms freed, he reached for her.

Deftly, she escaped his grasp. “I’m not through with you yet. I haven’t even begun.” Sinking to her knees, she pulled his sweater up, her hands going to the circular leather item her people called a belt. With impatience, she worked at the buckle.

Nikoli’s belly quivered at her knuckles brushing his skin. For weeks, he’d fantasized about her touch. Now that it was reality, he could barely endure the pleasure.

Drawing her fingertips over the short dark hairs that arrowed beneath his pants’ waistband to his groin, she purred. “Nice.”

It was far more than that, a word that didn’t exist in her dimension or his. Each stroke of her fingers sent a storm of sensation racing through Nikoli. His scalp tingled, and his legs went watery. Gulping air, he locked his knees to remain standing, then bit back a groan as Regina pressed her face against his flat belly.

“How about this?” she asked. “Is it what you imagined all the times you watched? Having me at your feet, yielding to whatever you wanted? Taking me anyway you desired, anywhere you chose? For as long as you pleased?” Not waiting for his answer, she explored his flesh with her tongue, sweeping it across his navel only to pause on the small depression.

As though she hadn’t expected him to have one.

Drugged by her touch, desperate to keep her at the task, he wanted her to know she had nothing to fear. “Only my palms are different,” he promised, sighing out his words. “There’s no reason to be afraid. We’re all conceived and born the same.”

A small, indistinct sound escaped her. She rested her forehead against his belly. “I was stupid to think otherwise, Nikoli.”

He stroked her hair. “You didn’t know.”

She rubbed her cheek against him. “I want you to understand something—I don’t care how different you are. I’m not afraid.”

As if to prove it, she eased back and took his hand, folding the cuff of his sweater, exposing his wrist.

“Regina, no.”

Willfully, she pressed her mouth to the puncture wounds left from Sazaar’s fangs, her tongue exploring them, her concern only for him, not herself.

Never had a woman honored him like this, driven by emotion not duty. It was too much for Nikoli to comprehend. He knew he should have pulled his hand back, should have simply taken Regina, relieving both of their needs, but he could not. During the time that remained for him, he craved what she’d willingly give.

“Will they ever heal?” she murmured.

Only if he were to live another few months on this side, giving his system a chance to fight all of the poison. Wanting to give her hope they didn’t have, he lied. “Yes.”

She gave his wounds one last, lingering kiss, then finished unbuckling his belt and unzipped his pants. With her fingers beneath the stretchy undergarments known as boxers, she pushed both items to his knees.

Freeing his cock and balls.

More info: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/unending-desire-p-6491.html

 

Tina

Tina Donahue

“Heat with Heart”

SiNN (Menage - Available NOW)

UNENDING DESIRE (Erotic Paranormal - Available NOW)

THE YEARNING (BESTSELLER)

SENSUAL STRANGER (BOOK OF THE YEAR 2010)

DEEP, DARK, DELICIOUS (HOLT MEDALLION AWARD OF MERIT)

Website: http://www.tinadonahue.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinadonahue



From a curse four decades old comes love and trust

THIS RING 

BLURB:

Devastated Emma flees to a cabin on an isolated lake to attempt putting her life back together.   How she’s going to accomplish this she has no idea— the only thing she knows is she can’t go back and will never be able to trust again.

Bryce spent forty years trying to figure out how he ended up in the strange situation of not being alive or visible—it’s when he stops trying to find the answer he discovers the reason.  Feeling that deep in your soul connection with another was what he was lacking all along.  Now if he can convince the woman he feels it for, he may have a chance at living once more.

Excerpt from the second story in CURSES

The most fascinating thing began to happen as the sun started to light the world.  It looked as if fog, or mist she supposed, was coming off the ground and shore, moving out over the water.  She sat there in awe, never having seen such a thing in her life.  It was both eerie and breathtaking all at the same time.  For a second she pondered on whether she should run back inside and get her phone to record it—but not knowing how long it would last she sat right where she was.

In no time the lake was covered in a blanket of mist that hovered and swirled just over the water’s surface.  Emma couldn’t take her eyes off the bright white layer over the water.  Birds were oblivious to it being there as some flew from the trees to land among the haze—only to vanish from her sight.  There was something else among the white vapor; she stood to get a better look in the low light, trying to decide what it could be. 

As her eyes focused through the misty dawn glow she dropped the cup to the sand beside her shoes.  It looked like a man; only he wasn’t quite solid looking.  Which, she knew was crazy.  Men didn’t walk out of the water.  She thought maybe he was on a boat that the fog hid, until it swirled clear around him and there was nothing but water beneath his feet. Snapping her mouth shut, she squinted and watched as he came towards the shore.  Having hallucinated more than enough, she turned abruptly and walked back towards the little cottage.  Clearly she still needed a lot more sleep.

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Curses-ebook/dp/B005XBDUU8/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

Jacqueline Paige

http://jacqpaige.webs.com/

http://jacqpaige.blogspot.com/

Free Reads!

Does anyone here like free stories?? For those of you who would like to sample more of my writing, I offer two free reads through my website .

These stories are less sexually explicit than what I normally write, but the character development and world building is typical of what you would find in my work.

Suzanne Rock

www.SuzanneRock.com

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

Hey folks! This crazy Halloween party is unfortunately coming to an end. This is my last stop for today at the Goddess Fish Blog (it's close to midnight in Spain). It’s been great chatting with everyone and I invite you all to stay in touch with me through my blog http://inadreambeyond.blogspot.com/ or website http://www.elyzabethmvaley.weebly.com/ or simply add me on Facebook , Twitter or Goodreads.

Before I leave, however, I’m enticing you with a few more sentences from my paranormal romance “Dreams of Fate” and asking you one final question:

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

A single man walked in. More than six feet tall, he strode into the room with confidence. He was dressed in black from head to toe. A hood hid his features, and Alisha sat up straighter, her body tense, ready to act should it seem necessary.

What did he have to hide? A chilly gust of wind swept inside, and she shivered. Candles blew out and curtains fluttered as the stranger stepped in front of her. He lowered his hood and bowed.

Remember you can buy Dreams of Fate at
· Amazon.com
· Amazon.co.uk
· All Romance Ebooks
· Barnes & Noble

Hope to hear from you again! Happy Halloween!

Forever Cinderella

When I was a little girl, every year I wanted to be Cinderella for Halloween. I mean the Cinderella who meets Prince Charming at the ball, of course -- the one with the crystal slipper and the pumpkin coach, not the scrub maid who's pushed around by her nasty step-mother and step-sisters. (I don't think it's a coincidence that the movie version with Leslie Ann Warren was one of my favorites either.) My mother wasn't much for buying those out-of-the-box costumes, though. We usually rummaged through closets to find costumes, so I don't think I actually ever made it as Cinderella. I do remember being a ghost more than once, and one year my sister and I dressed up in our mother's Asian-inspired pajamas. That was fun, but it was no Cinderella.  I contented myself with the promise that some day, when I had daughters, I'd make sure they got to dress up as Cinderella, as many times as they wanted.

Unfortunately, I had boys. They never quite took to the whole idea. :-) Somehow I got over it.


What are your favorite costumes?

Spooky Excerpt from M/F Erotic Romance, Love Through Time (PG)

Hi everyone, it's me again! I hope you enjoyed my previous spooky excerpt from Weekend at Wilderhope Manor. This time, I'd like to share some more creepiness, this time from my erotic romance, Love Through Time. It's a m/f contemporary piece, but with paranormal and historical elements.

Excerpt from Love Through Time

It took several trips up and down the ladder to clear the first shelf, but Emily didn't mind. She was already entering the zone. However, she was startled out of it on her last descent of the ladder. As she reached the bottom, carefully carrying her bundle of books, she knocked one of the framed photographs over. Luckily, it just fell over backward, flapping onto the shelf and doing no damage other than to Emily's nerves. Depositing her pile of books on the desk, Emily rushed back to put the photograph back in its rightful position.

Picking it up, she looked at it. Turning it over in her hands, Emily satisfied herself that the photograph was no worse off for its tiny ordeal. Then she looked at the image itself. It was a black and white portrait of a young man, whom she guessed was in his late twenties. Judging by the clothes he wore, she suspected the photograph had been taken in the late 1940s. There was nothing remarkable about the photo, except for his expression. She knew smiling in photos wasn't as commonplace then as it was today, but still. The guy looked incredibly somber, and there was a melancholy in his eyes that made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. If Emily had estimated the date of the picture correctly, it was entirely possible that he'd lost loved ones—and friends, as he could well have been enlisted—during the war. For that, she could completely forgive him his seriousness.

Emily stroked a thumb across the glass, just where his face was. It was an unconscious move, but when she'd done it, Emily wondered if deep down she was hoping to make him feel better. There went her imagination again. She shook her head at her own oddness and put the photograph down gently before moving back to the desk to get on with her epic task. Glancing around the room as she sat down, Emily suppressed a sigh. It was lucky she liked her job. This library contained an awful lot of books.

A while later, Emily was well and truly in the zone. After her delayed start, she was working through her task thoroughly and efficiently, and she was confident she could get several more books done before she left, especially if she remained uninterrupted. So far, she hadn't come across any pieces that needed any more than surface cleaning. This collection was well looked after.

Unfortunately, though, she couldn't switch off her bodily functions, and by the time she'd finished the book she was working on, Emily was desperate for a loo break. As she stood to go off in search of the nearest usable toilet a grumble from her stomach told her that now was probably a good time to have a proper break, too, and get something to eat. Pulling off her gloves, she resolved to do just that.

Emily found a toilet without too much trouble, did what she had to do, and made her way back to the library. She half expected to see George on her travels, but she remained completely alone. Probably just as well, she thought, it meant she could eat her food quickly and get straight back to work. It didn't stop a small part of her wishing he'd pop in and see her again. She mentally berated herself for even thinking it. She hardly knew the guy and yet she was thinking about him. The lack of sex had obviously sent her libido into overdrive. She needed to get laid—and soon.

After eating her dinner—an actually quite delicious pasta salad she'd picked up at the local supermarket on the way here—Emily tidied up, put her rubbish away, and settled back down at the desk to continue her task. Just as she was about to carry on, though, she noticed the diminishing light. Moving to the switches, which she'd noticed earlier by the door, Emily flipped them all, bathing the room in a glow that was gentle, but perfectly adequate for working. She sat down once more, snapped her gloves back on, and got down to it.

Emily worked in peace for a while longer . . . until she felt a draught on the back of her neck. Carefully placing down the book she was retouching, she fidgeted in her chair and moved her head from side to side and up and down, as if to erase the odd feeling. She forgot it almost instantly, until a few seconds later, it came again, as though someone was blowing on the back of her neck. Emily shivered, both at the sensation and at the thought that had entered her mind. Goosebumps crept over her entire body, and the third movement of air made her jump up out of the chair and spin around to face the source.

There was nothing there. No one. Emily rolled her eyes. Why on earth was she getting like this? She'd worked in dozens of rooms, perfectly alone, and not once had she creeped herself out. Why now? When her gaze fell on the window, she rolled her eyes again. Of course. Old houses like Westbury more often than not had panes of glass that didn't fit into their frames properly. The draught was coming from the window. Emily crossed the room to the window, drew the curtains—she'd open them again before she left, and Mrs. Thompson would be none the wiser—and sat back down again. Shaking her head at her own stupidity, Emily continued working on the book she'd just abandoned, quickly becoming absorbed in her task once more.

A noise from over by the ladder startled her, making her jump and almost jab herself in the eye with the end of the brush she was using. Turning, she saw the photograph she'd righted earlier once more lying down. She'd obviously not fixed the stand properly. After downing her tools, Emily stomped across the room, cross at the seemingly endless interruptions, and grabbed the photograph. She checked it to make sure it held firm, wagging a finger at the man in the image.

"Just you behave. I've got too much work to do to put up with your shenanigans if you don't mind."

She didn't know she'd spoken aloud and giggled at the realisation, stopping abruptly when it hit home just how peculiarly she was behaving. This place was making her crazy, she decided, which could be catastrophic, considering she hadn't even finished one shelf of books yet, and she had considerably more to do. She'd be a wreck by the time this job was done.

Shaking her head again, Emily walked back to the desk and took her seat. She resolved to knuckle down, get the first shelf completed, and call it a night. Hopefully a decent amount of sleep would make her feel more herself and mean she could put this idiotic behaviour behind her and return to Westbury tomorrow with her sensible, hard-working head firmly screwed on. She hoped so, anyway, because this simply wouldn't do.

Emily was able to finish cleaning the first lot of books without any further interruptions. She heaved a sigh of relief and swapped her book cleaning tools for her shelf cleaning tools. All she had to do was clean the empty shelf, replace the books, put the library back to how it had been when she'd started, and be on her way. Tomorrow was another day, she mused, and she was determined it was going to be much more productive than this one.

Emily had just put her feet back onto the floor after her third trip up the ladder when she felt something touch her right leg, down by her ankle. She wore trousers, so if it had been some kind of insect it was doubtful she'd have felt it. Besides, it was moving up and down, as though stroking her. Still looking forward at the ladder and grasping its handrails, Emily froze in place. She couldn't move, speak, scream, or even bring herself to look around.

She'd never been so scared in her life. The stroking sensation crept higher and higher until it reached her hip. Finally, something in Emily snapped and she screamed at the top of her lungs, lurched away from the ladder, and ran out of the library.

She was gone before the photograph hit the shelf again.

*****

Westbury Hall is a stately home with a fascinating past, and when book conservator Emily Stone starts uncovering it, she’s startled by what she finds . . . .

Emily arrives at Westbury Hall with a job to do. She’s to clean and conserve all of the books in their impressive library, preserving them for future generations. Not long into her stay at the house, she bumps into the night guard, George. She’d expected an old, balding guy with a comb over, so the hunky chap she actually meets is a very pleasant surprise. The introductions complete, George leaves Emily in peace to get on with her job. But when a falling photograph sets off a chain reaction of ghostly events, Emily and George are thrown together in order to find out who—or what—is causing them. Their investigation uncovers a tragic past, a lost love, and a stunning secret.

Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/love-through-time/

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Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Love Through Time is on Goodreads, so if your bank balance is already groaning under the weight of all the books you're buying – please add it to your to-read list! If you follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook, too, as well as checking out my website, you'll be able to find out about any giveaways I'm running.


Thanks so much for popping by to read my post. Come back later for a post on why I like to write about country houses in my stories. Don't forget to leave comments in order to be in with the chance of winning the prizes being given away as part of the event. Also, don't forget to head over to the Whipped Cream Blog where I'm talking libraries, as well as interviewing two of my characters.