Monday, August 6, 2012

Congratulations to the August Release Party Amazon GC Winner!



Congratulations to our $10 Amazon GC winner from yesterday's Party.  We ran the comments through http://www.random.org/ and it chose:


Laurie won with her comment on this post.

Laurie, please email us at goddessfish AT gmail DOT com to claim your prize.

And thanks to everyone who came by yesterday.  It was a lot of fun!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Blood Betrayed's Goddess Fish Book Tour

I hope you've enjoyed finding out a little bit more about the Sons of Navarus series and Blood Betrayed. Look for the book tour for Blood Betrayed beginning tomorrow and running through August 17.  I'll be talking about the book, writing, and all sorts of fun things and giving away cool Sons of Navarus swag at each stop.





August 6:  Guilty Indulgence
August 6:  STOP 2  Journey with Books
August 7:  Erotica For All
August 8:  All I want and more
August 9:  The Muse
August 10:  Wicked Readings By Tawania
August 13:  Ramblings From This Chick
August 14:  Melissa Keir's Blog
August 15:  Bookin' It Reviews
August 16:  Hesperia Loves Books
August 17:  Novel Reflections


And like the Sons Facebook page for more information about upcoming books, such as Blood Spirit, Book #3 in the series, coming this September 17! Fans of the Sons' page also can find interviews with the characters and giveaways exclusive to the page. Visit https://www.facebook.com/SonsOfNavarusSeries

Thanks to the wonderful women at Goddess Fish for letting me share with you today!

Meet the Characters of Dust of My Wings



Hi All! I thought I'd introduce you to Lily and Shade. :-)

Name: Shade Griffin

Story Told: Dust of My Wings

Age: ~1000

Species: Angel

Trivia Fact: Once flew to the top of the Eiffel Tower to place a rose for a certain green-eyed beauty.


Name: Lily Banner

Story Told: Dust of My Wings

Age: 25

Species: Human – for now

Trivia Fact: Counts her steps and won’t step on cracks. But don’t worry, Shade is helping her live in the moment.





Find it On:


Everlasting Love--Prize

I'd like to thank Goddess Fish for this opportunity today, I've had a lot of fun. I'm having a Goddess Fish Book Tour Aug. 13-24 for Everlasting Love.
Stop by for more blogs, interviews and prizes.
Everlasting Love is available at Rogue Phoenix Press, Amazon, All Romance and Barnes & Noble.

Goodnight and Thank You!


Thank you to Goddess Fish and everyone who stopped by the party today! Nightfall releases August 7, and I hope you’ll all stop by for my tour. :) I’ll be tweeting links to each stop and sharing them on Facebook.

Twitter: @RobynBachar

Final Steamy Contest-Midnight Velvet-Adult Excerpts

Last Post and Contest! A big thanks to Goddess Fish for the Great Party today!

In this final posting let me leave you with the link to the Erotic Escapades Website

http://eroticescapades.weebly.com/contributing-authors.html

Where all the contributing authors can be found as well as excerpts and the links where the book is located for FREE!!

And...

with an excerpt from my story in this great anthologies, Midnight Velvet.

*Warning Adult Content Notice*


             

Excerpt from Midnight Velvet

“I apologize for having left my post at the front door but this club is by invitation only.”

Igor, or whatever the fuck his name was, gave her the once over before cocking a brow suggestively. She was being dismissed as he
clearly didn’t think she belonged here.

She glanced at her blouse and realized the white silk, even paired with the leather mini, was probably not apropos for this scene. She toyed with the idea of admitting he was right even while fingering the satiny invite hidden in her handbag. She could still haul ass, but she’d been doing that her whole life.

Taking a deep calming breath, she pulled out the embroidered cloth and maintained direct eye contact.

Igor damn well would not succeed in scaring her off, no matter how he challenged her.

His gaze remained firm, steady, before he seemed to reappraise her.

She swept back the irritating dark lock covering her eye and canted her chin to meet and match his visual challenge.

Ice blue to …well she couldn't see what color his were in the darkness, but she held his attention.

“I apologize kitten, I misjudged you. Follow me to the others.”

Well here went nothing. She took another deep breath and followed him on trembling legs to the end of the corridor, which opened up to a
large round courtyard. Lush and almost tropical in nature with stone benches, hammocks and a neon blue bar resembling lit up ice cubes.

Multiple doors encircled the courtyard's outer edges and an exquisite fountain sat at its center. Moonlight cast down into the fountain as if moon and club had been crafted together in perfect harmony. However, the couples quietly checking her out, unnerved her more than anything else did.

Some wore slinky gowns and ornate chokers, while others wore leather cat suits. Most of the men donned dress suits. How odd, she mused
remembering what she’d expected to find. Leather—lots--of it with whips, chains and cock cages, oh my!

“Welcome.”A deep voice greeted as Missy watched Igor move into the shadows.

Well, well, Mr. Suit headed her way.

“Welcome to Midnight Velvet.” He drawled, rolling his vowels.

“Uh, thanks.” What the hell should she say? Talk about feeling like a duck out of water.

“May I inquire as to whom invited you?” He circled like a shark to prey.

“I haven’t a clue who or why I've been invited.” She held out the silken invite before answering.

“Well I think the why is quite clear, don’t you?” He eyed her up and down as a slow appreciative smile formed.

Crystal-clear understanding dawned about the whole cat got your tongue quote. She fought the blush creeping into her cheeks as she
struggled to form an answer. Mortified when her nipples beaded and her center grew moist at his mere suggestion, she knew why she'd been invited.

She did, she just couldn’t admit it out loud.

“Shy are we?” His eyes turned predatory.

“Gregory, leave her alone. She obviously is and your taunts will only agitate her when she clearly wants to play. Isn’t that right kitten?” A sultry voice scoffed.

What the fuck was up with these people and their endorsement of kitten? It was pissing her off and her fists clenched in irritation.

A leggy blond in a leather cat suit rose and came her way. The one who'd called her kitten too.

Bitch.

“Don’t mind Gregory, he has a terrible bedside manner. We’re waiting on our host to arrive before we can begin playing. You do understand where you are?” she asked running a gloved finger up her ample chest to touch her lips. The leather so tight Missy made out every curve, swell and nip the woman had, and no doubt the woman was more than aware of this. Secretly she admired the blonde's courage to wear such an outfit much less with the bravado as she did.

“Yes, I’m aware of where I am.” Okay, aware may have been overstating things. Deep down she hadn't a clue unless the steamy book or two she'd read counted.

“Good evening everyone, I apologize for my tardiness. A matter arose to which I simply couldn't put off.” Sin laced each syllable that left his mouth.

She turned and fought to keep her jaw from slamming into the floor.

Dead ahead and walking towards the fountain emerged the sexiest man she’d ever seen. Her mouth went dry at the sight of him. Sophistication wrapped up in the packaging of a fine tailored tuxedo, coattails, the works.

Long black shoulder-length hair framed olive toned skin and sexy hypnotic green eyes. Chiseled was the first word to come to mind. A
strong squared jaw and body to fit the mold of perfection completed Mr. Sexy whose look alone screamed, follow me.

Missy caught the whispered name.

Mason.

“As I am late we will forgo the customary pleasantries. In front of me you will find a black box. You will each reach within the box and draw a name. It's come to my attention many of you have become too accustomed to the other, your moments here too mundane and common. For Midnight Velvet I find this unacceptable. Tonight you will enter the playrooms I so choose, with the party whose name you have randomly drawn. No exceptions shall be accommodated, or else you may leave.”

The room sprang to life; everyone seemed electrified at his words. Eager, anxious and antsy, some even stepped side to side in anticipation. Missy's reservations reared, doubting her readiness for this dark leap of faith. For allowing a stranger, or strangers, complete and utter control over her mind and body.


Copyright © 2012 by Bobbi Romans


FINAL CONTEST;

Night has come. Let's get a bit wild. When reading romance, what floats your boat? Do the fangs of the vampire send shivers across you? Maybe the intense mating rites of the Shifters? Or does a partner telling you WHAT to do or binding you cause your bits to zip to life.

One daring commenter will 3 Florida Lottery Tickets and some authorly swag.
                     ** Sorry must be 18 years of age to enter**


Winner announced in comment section at 9PM EST when the Party ends. Thanks for everyone who stopped by and participated.

Have a great week!


Bobbi Romans
www.bobbiromans.com 
https://twitter.com/BobbiRomans
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bobbi-Romans/196420320461280

Excerpt from Everlasting Love by Rosemary Indra.

Miranda Cummings inhaled the fresh fir scent the moment she opened the door of her Chevy Impala--the fragrance of freedom. The cold, crisp air bit at her warm cheeks yet she felt exhilarated. Gravel and slushy snow crunched under her shoes as she hurried around her car. Opening the passenger door, she picked up her overnight bag and placed the strap on her shoulder then she added her computer bag. Not wanting to make another trip out in the cold, she hooked several grocery bags on each hand. With one swift hip movement, she closed the door.
Gingerly she walked up the three snow-covered, wooden steps to the deck. Focusing on her weekend of solitude, she quickened her pace to the cabin on her right.
"Can I help you?" a deep baritone voice startled Miranda, causing her to fling her arms out and drop one of her grocery bags.
Intent on carrying her belongings into the cabin, she hadn't seen or heard the man behind her. Turning around, she froze. Reclined in an old-fashioned, white cast iron bathtub with claw feet, the man appeared relaxed, content and not at all perturbed as he bathed on a deck outside.
Steam rose from his warm water into the cold air. Water dripped from his short brown hair and glistened on his muscular torso. She suppressed the desire to caress the breadth of his wide shoulders. Stubble darkened his face with a day's growth of beard. His rugged good looks caused her heart to flutter.
"I must have made a wrong turn…" She couldn't tear her gaze from his broad chest. As the water droplets traveled down his body, her gaze followed suit. Miranda realized the hunk of a man was not only tranquil but also very naked. His muscular arms, which rested on the edges of the tub, could easily wrap around her. She wanted to feel his strength, his support from those strong arms. "…somewhere," her voice squeaked.
He reached down and picked up a can of beer, which sat on the deck. Tipping the can back, he took a swig then set the beer beside the tub. "Where were you going?"
His pecks rippled when he moved. Look at his face not his chest, Miranda scolded herself. "A friend of mine has a cabin up here."
She glanced at the A-frame structure to her right nestled in a grove of fir trees where she'd intended to spend a couple of nights off the beaten path. Flower boxes below the two paned windows held browned plants from winter's frost. The plumbing's primitive her friend had said, which would explain a bathtub on the deck. The cabin in front of her fit her friend's description.
"Abby Denton, I mean Chambers. Abby Chambers said I could stay at their cabin for a few days." Confident she'd found the right place, Miranda met his gaze.
She shifted the packages to her left hand and pulled a GPS device from her coat pocket. "I was a little confused on which road to take at the bottom of the hill." She couldn't stop rambling in her attempt to hide her obvious desire for this man.
Miranda looked toward the front of the cabin again. When she heard water splash, she stole a quick glance in his direction wondering if he'd gotten out of the tub.
He tilted his beer back for another drink then returned it to the deck. "You found the right place." His angular features appeared stern and unyielding.
"Oh good." Her shoulders lowered, relaxed. "How long until you leave?" Miranda's gaze held his. She'd planned a quiet weekend which did not include a ruggedly, attractive man. Even with the snow falling around them she felt overly warm and knew the man in front of her caused her flush.
"Lady, it took me half an hour to fill this tub. If you don't mind, I'm staying in here till the water's ice cold." The man's rich voice drew her attention to his firm chin and broad, enticing smile which reflected in his eyes. "Then I plan to have a good night's sleep in there." His toned arm lifted as he pointed toward the cabin.
The man's brows rose suggestively and Miranda wondered if he knew she found him appealing in a primitive, sexual way. He winked. He knew.
Miranda needed solitude, a chance to put her thoughts on paper. She had a deadline. Within three weeks, her editor required a completed manuscript on her desk. Since she filed for divorce, six months ago, Miranda found writing a romance novel impossible. To create a story of everlasting love was now ridiculous. She knew first hand there was no such thing as happily ever after.
"Obviously Abby and her brother Scott don't communicate very well. Scott allowed me use of the cabin for the weekend." The man shrugged his shoulders, his firm pecks lifted with ease.
Tiny snowflakes continued to drift down and stick to the frozen, wooden deck around her. Twilight settled around them with a darkening cloud-filled sky, which held a promise of more snow. Frustrated from the drive up the road, Miranda had no desire to turn around and drive back to town on a snowy mountain road, especially at this time of night. She slipped the GPS unit back in her coat pocket. Her stomach churned; she desired this time as much as the stranger in the tub wanted a retreat. She needed a break so bad Miranda was willing to share the cabin with the man she'd just met.
"We could share the place. I'll stay in my room and you won't even know I'm here." She tried to wave her hand in the air but the bags in her grasp forestalled the movement.
The man's humorous laugh rumbled deep in his chest, causing excitement to dance through her.
"You've never stayed here before?" his reply was more of a statement than a question.
Miranda shook her head. "No. Why?"
"The cabin has one room." He held up the index finger of his right hand. "Not one bedroom but one room. Kitchen, living area and bed are all in one room." He studied her face.
Determined to hold her ground and not reveal her feelings, she tried to maintain a neutral expression on her face. The packages suddenly weighed her arms down and strained against her fingers. Miranda didn't know how much longer she could hold them.
"If you'll excuse me, my water is now cold and I'm getting out of the tub," he stated matter-of-factly.
Miranda froze. She was unable to move and incapable of taking her eyes off his powerful male form. Reaching for a towel which rested on a chair beside the tub, he started to stand up. She looked toward the cabin again. Could she spend the weekend in the small cabin with this stranger? She shook her head. The fact she didn't know him wouldn't be the challenge. The knowledge she'd spend the time with a virile, handsome man was what stopped her.
Everlasting Love is available at Rogue Phoenix Press.

FREE copy of Somebody to Love! (Giveaway!)


Would you like a FREE copy of Somebody to Love?



Connecting emotionally with people is why writers write. I think all authors would agree that reader feedback is all-important. Without reader/reviewers most authors would possibly sink without trace. Five star reviews are fabulous, of course they are ~ the sense of relief, disbelief, and absolute euphoria when you get a five star makes many years of blood, sweat and tears worthwhile. All reviews are important, though. Feedback is how we learn and grow as writers. I would therefore love to offer anyone who would be prepared to write an honest review of Warrant for Love (newly released and feeling a bit lonely :() a free Kindle or pdf copy of Somebody to Love. 

Anyone interested, will need to click on the Facebook link at the bottom of this post, ‘like’ my Author page, and then message me privately with their email address. For interest, I’ve popped two further reviews of Somebody to Love below:

Another hilarious tale from a fabulous author who never fails to make me laugh out loud lots! The first book of Sheryl’s that I read was only a few weeks ago, it was called Recipes for Distaster and my review can be found here. I couldn't wait to get started on this one, and once again, she has managed to produce another fantastic rib tickler!
Single Mom Donna has a bullying and cheating ex-husband and even though they’re not together anymore, he still thinks he can control her life and mess their son about as and when he feels like it. She meets Mark, a single dad and policeman, and they hit it off immediately and would like their relationship to develop. He wants to look after her and protect her and she wants to share her life with him.

Mark, is keeping a secret from her though and the secret is that his son Karl is autistic. He hasn’t told her about him yet, as in the past, people have not accepted his son and girlfriends have found it too much for them. Unbeknown to both of them, Donna is actually helping out at the centre that Karl goes to as she really feels that helping children such as Karl is her vocation in life and she wants to do this for a full time job.

They send each other many mixed messages and there are many hilarious moments when he thinks one thing and she thinks another and they totally get their wires crossed all the time, each not really knowing how the other feels.

This really is a wonderful story, not only is it a really lovely feel-good read, it also enabled me to learn a lot more about autism - a subject that I’ve been quite ignorant of in the past and I felt that reading about it in this way was a nice way for me to learn more.

A beautiful thing happens to Karl when he gets a “friend” who is specially trained to help him through a lot of everyday situations he normally finds difficult and the way that it is written in the book is truly heart-warming and positively enchanting!

Sheryl’s writing is fabulous. She manages to make you laugh out loud constantly and her stories are so natural and true to life. You always feel like you’d like to meet the characters in her books, they are always so genuine and sincere and you want them to be your friends. They are the sort of people you live next door to. Reading about them is completely effortless, the pages turn themselves and you just can’t put the book down.

The parts when Donna meets up with the woman that her husband went off with were just hysterical and Donna does and says everything that we probably all would want to do and say in that situation.

Her work is always amusing and a true pleasure to read. A wonderful reading experience which I thoroughly enjoyed! It also has a perfect ending in my opinion, and was exactly what I wished for.
Kim The Book Worm

Somebody to love is that rare breed, a book that I wished I had written myself. I was miffed that real life intervened and I had to occasionally put the book down before I had finished.It has the lot, romance, heart ache giggles and cute animals.As someone who has worked with special needs children for many years I thought the autistic child Karl was very true to life.It is very sensitively written. I was rooting for Donna and Mark from page one. Read this book, you won't be disappointed.

Amazon Review: topcarping


Emotions! From love to hate and everything in between--you'll experience every emotion in "Somebody to Love." This book had me feeling sympathy for Donna after her breakup, anger towards her husband, and disdain for his new flame, all the while chuckling to myself at Donna's way of handling the situations she's faced with. Donna's new love interest, Mark, captures our hearts, not only with his good looks and suave manners, but with his dedication to Karl, his autistic son.  Sheryl Browne does an excellent job of portraying, step by step, the breakthroughs made in Karl's development. She incorporates these events into her story in bits and bites for us to savour along the way. If you want a "feel good" story that will involve your emotions, read "Somebody to Love." Just be sure to set aside some spare time because you won't want to put this book down.

Amazon Review: Anneli


Somebody to Love I read on my Kindle and loved it. Filled with emotion and laughter, you will laugh out loud and every now and then you'll shed a tear. A great read to settle down with and forget about everything else.

Amazon Review: Pauline “Barclay”


Once you have written a review for Warrant for Love and sent me the link, I’ll send you a copy of Somebody to Love promptly! Obviously a review for that book would be tremendously appreciated, too!

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/bvtuolv Twitter: @sherylbrowne
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/c7mxco4
Website: www.sherylbrowne.com
Thank you for visiting! And THANK YOU Goddess Fish for a lovely party!

Blood Betrayed: Villains


For some, the villain is merely a necessary evil, a requirement for conflict but often an odious task for the writer who prefers to focus on the romance. While I love the happily ever after, I relish writing villains. It's in the bad guy (or lady) that I am allowed to express all those anti-social and downright wicked ideas that no decent hero or heroine would ever have (or at least wouldn't admit to!).

The villain in Blood Betrayed and the next book in the series, Blood Spirit (set for release on 9-17) is a vampire named Marc Verrater. Marc is deliciously evil, even worse than the rest of his Archon brethren. Working to fulfill an ancient prophecy that foretold of the Archon takeover and rule of the vampire world, the Archons seek to ferret out the identity of the eight current Sons of Navarus. Marc Verrater is an ambitious man with much bigger plans, but he's stuck in Avignon, France in a dingy suite of offices dealing with court cases involving his fellow vampires. Night after night, he watches a parade of petty criminals file past him as he dreams of reaching the highest levels of power among his fellow Archons.

One good thing about his lower level Archon position is that he has a new girl working for him. Known to him as Lena, she's young, beautiful, and her blood delights him like no other vampire's ever has. For Marc, she serves as a sex slave, but to him, a man of his worth deserves at least that much. It's this attitude that there's nothing that's beyond his reach that makes him so dangerous. Morality and conscience are of no concern to him. He has his eye on the prize, and that means killing as many Sons of Navarus as he can as he climbs to the top of the Archon power structure.

Marc will be around for at least a few more books in the series. Evil without restraint, he's an enemy the Sons will have to defeat if they ever hope to stop the Archon takeover of their world.

For more information about Blood Betrayed and the Sons of Navarus series, go to my website at http://www.gabriellebisset.com/sons-of-navarus-series.html

Woman of Substance TBR Fall 2012 and Moving On


You have heard about Moving On: A Prairie Romance
Author: Annette Bower
Title: Moving On A Prairie Romance
Genre: Sweet Contemporary Romance
Publisher: XoXo Publishing ™
Pages: 118 pages
Cost of Book: $3.49
ISBN: 978-1-927027-82-0
Release date: Dec. 2011

RT Book Reviews September 2012: Page 82 and 90 Give it 3 stars: Enjoyable--Pleasant Read.

Buy links:

XoXo Publishers: http://tinyurl.com/d4xk8pw

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/dyblrn6

ARE: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-movingonaprairieromance-667850-149.html
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/moving-on-a-prairie-romance


Woman of Substance



Robbie Smith tries walking a mile in another woman’s shoes to validate her master's degree research. Even though her professor doesn’t approve, Robbie disguises herself and moves in the world as a large woman, because the women in her research group declare, “You will never know what it’s like to be fat.”

All Jake Proctor wants to do is to spend as much time as he can with his dying grandfather Frank, the only father he's ever known.

While in and out of disguise, Robbie sees Frank and Jake. Robbie is drawn to the tall, dark, kind man in her neighborhood, but she can’t divulge the truth about her about her oversized self and jeopardize all the hard work she's put into her research. She has to see her thesis through to the bitter end. Even if it means deceiving the man she's grown to care about.

Soul Mate Publishing: ISBN: 978-1-61935-110-3
TBR: Fall 2012

www.annettebower.com


I am offering a copy of Moving On: A Prairie Romance to a comment about Moving On or Woman of Substance. I will contact the random winner and ask their preference: Kindle, XoXo Publishing e Pub or ARE format. Thank you for stopping by.

Why I Love Evil Villains


By Beverley Eikli

Throw a truly evil villain into a love story and I’m hooked. Melodrama featured heavily in the stories I wrote as a child and teenager. Gothic thrillers like The Mysteries of Udolpho by Mrs Radcliffe and Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen inspired my adolescent attempts to combine romance with a healthy dose of drama and intrigue – always with an evil villain.

One of my favourite villains is the unctuous Reverend Kirkman in my Regency Romantic Intrigue Lady Farquhar’s Butterfly, originally published in hardcover by Robert Hale and now recently released as an e-book and in paperback.

The Reverend's sinister motives in wanting Olivia for his wife lead him to blackmail and ultimately, worse, as Olivia tries to reclaim the infant son her abusive late husband has decreed be brought up by a cousin. Other dark secrets to which she unwittingly holds the key threaten the love she’s found with the boy’s guardian.

Writing the resolution to Lady Farquhar’s Butterfly was infinitely satisfying as I dished out exactly what the truly villainous Reverend Kirkman deserved at the same time as re-imbuing Olivia with the courage and self esteem her late husband had knocked out of her.

Whether I’ve plotted it, or not, an evil villain always seems to emerge from my first drafts…just as redemption is, unconsciously, my most popular theme.

I guess the forces of good and evil knitted together with a redemption theme make a good combination; and the habits and secret pleasures of one’s childhood can take a lifetime to overcome.

Here's the premise of Lady Farquhar's Butterfly:

The beautiful widow, Olivia, Lady Farquhar, accepts that her sullied reputation bars her from polite society.  She won't accept, however, the terms of her vengeful late husband's will which deny her the right to bring up their son, Julian.
Concealing her identity in order to reclaim Julian, Olivia unexpectedly finds love with the boy's kind and gentle guardian, Max. But happiness is fleeting as Olivia's past returns to haunt her.
Blackmailed into a union with her late husband's religious confessor, Olivia faces a loveless future.   
   
For how can she reveal to Max that she has unwittingly denied him his birthright?

Here's an Excerpt:

This scene takes place when Olivia’s actions to save her cousin have been misinterpreted by the man she loves.

The empty silence stung her ears.
Shocked, she whispered, “I had no idea you hated me so much.”
“Not as much as I love you.“ He gave a shuddering sigh and his voice cracked as he added, “But self-preservation prevents me from succumbing to the lust that consumes me as we speak. For it is lust, only, Olivia. Tonight you proved there is nothing in you to love.” Raising himself he glared at her. Never had he looked so like Lucien. “Besides, you are going to marry Kirkman. You know there is no other path open to you.”
Stung to indignation she wiped her eyes. “Should I be compelled to atone the rest of my life for compromising myself before him?” Hunching herself into the corner the anger built within her. “I can’t do it. I won’t,” she flung at him after a moment’s silence.
“And Julian?”
Goaded, she muttered, “He is Lucien’s heir and as long as the world believes that he will be fine.”
“Is that a threat?” Max spoke quietly. After a moment he let out a humourless chuckle. “So you would tell the world the truth if I only had been prepared to wed you and conveniently dismiss what stood between us?”
He was looking at her as if he could not believe it.
“I can manage very well without Mr Kirkman and if you choose to deny me my son on account of it, you are within your rights,” she said coldly.
“And I can manage very well without you!”
The anger drained from her. Sorrow took its place. They had once loved each other. It could have been so wonderful.
“Olivia.” There was so much pain invested in the word she nearly wept. She kept her head averted.
After a silence he shrugged and there was a distance to his tone as he said, “A boy needs a father.”
“Mr Petersham would have done just as well.”
Max gave a sardonic chuckle. “You really are trying to live up to your reputation.”
She made her tone deliberately careless. “Since it was only you I wanted—yet clearly it is impossible for us to live with the uncomfortable truth between us—I no longer care what becomes of me. I shall make a point of enjoying my road to eternal damnation.” She smiled sweetly. “When your worthy Miss Hepworth becomes too tiresome you can look to The Tatler for some diverting scandal about the latest exploits of the brazen Lady Farquhar.”
Clearly he did not share her self-deprecating humour for he said with a narrow look, “The future Viscount Farquhar will not be brought up in such a manner. If you want to keep Julian, you forget yourself, Olivia.”
She tensed as she registered his words exhaled on a shuddering breath.
 “At the end of the week you shall marry Reverend Kirkman. He has been … good … to you. You deserve each other.”
“Oh God,” she whispered, covering her face with her hands. “Would you really condemn me to torment by forcing me to marry the reverend? Just because he knows the worst of me? I am not so far beyond redemption?”
“I have discovered too much, Olivia, to know what alternative you have.”
She nearly choked on her anger. “You self-righteous beast!” she cried, lunging at him with flailing fists. “You’re no better than Lucien! I hate you!”
Caught by surprise as the glancing blow struck his jaw, he gripped her wrists while pain tore behind his eyes.
“You hate me?” he repeated.
He could not believe it of her. What did she expect? To allow her carte blanche to continue her reckless, ill-chosen path, dragging Julian along with her?”
Wincing, he acknowledged his love for the boy. How could he not? For more than a year they had been as close as father and son.
Her eyes were like blue thunder, her skin flushed and her creamy flesh tantalisingly bared by her sumptuous, scandalous dress; he thought he’d never wanted her so much.
But the price was too high. She would forever revel in the power she had over him. He did not think his manhood could sustain a lifetime of it.
She was straining across his lap as he caught her wrists. Holding them above her head caused her body to sag into his. He closed his eyes against the desire to place a kiss upon the flesh that swelled above her low cut bodice; fought the raging impulses that rushed through his body as anger faded beneath his yearning. Her hot breath on his cheek as he parried her blows quickly fanned the flames into full blown desire.
For an instant she stilled. He opened his eyes in the startled silence and saw that she felt it, too. She wilted in his embrace, her face inches from his, her eyes dark pools of need.
The thread that connected their two hearts from the moment they’d met tugged tighter. He was devastatingly aware of the soft contours of her body and for a second he almost yielded.
Of all the women he’d known, none had the power to stir his senses as the fascinating, faithless creature before him. 
Common sense returned and he jerked back as if stung.
He turned his head away before the hurt and surprise on her face could weave their spell upon his all too susceptible heart.
“We’re here,” he said as the horses turned into the stable yard. With enormous effort he kept his voice neutral. “Kirkman is waiting for you.”
She did not want to go. He knew he forced her against her will; that he was abusing his power in this act of spite and self-righteousness.
He didn’t care. If she hated him for it, all the better. He didn’t know if he had the fortitude to hold out if it was any other way.
Smoothing her dress she sat back in her seat, glaring at him. “I had not known such a fine line existed between the affection you’ve always extended towards me and” — she nearly choked on the words — “the disgust you clearly feel for me now.”
When he didn’t answer she whispered after a silence, “Could I change your mind?” Then, more desperately, “I do not wish to marry Reverend Kirkman. Since I have made that plain, perhaps you’d like to know my reasons.”
“I’m not interested in your reasons.” He knew he was being childish and pig-headed but he wanted to hurt her. Humiliate her.

The carriage jerked to a halt and Max rose over her in the small space. It was not a comforting thought that his domination and angry snarl: “Perhaps confessing tonight’s little dalliance might ease your conscience” could only remind her of Lucien. Yet perhaps Lucien’s behaviour was not so reprehensible given all he had learned of Olivia.  Opening the door and jumping out onto the hay-strewn cobblestones he added, “If you have one.”


 Long and Short Reviews - 4 1/2 Stars
"Sweet with heat and hard to beat, Lady Farquhar's Butterfly gains momentum as it builds to a terrifying climax....
Beverley Eikli’s concise, smooth, and subtle writing reveals characters and their motivations with a style that makes Lady Farquhar's Butterfly fascinating—a thoroughly enjoyable, page-turner of a tale."
RED ROSES FOR AUTHORS gave me 5 Stars and a Red Roses for Authors award.

Author's Bio
Beverley Eikli wrote her first romance novel when she was seventeen. However, drowning the heroine on the last page (p550!) was, she discovered, not in the spirit of the genre so her romance-writing career ground to a halt and she became a journalist.
After throwing in her secure job on a metropolitan daily to manage a luxury safari lodge in the Okavango Delta, in Botswana, Beverley discovered a new world of romance and adventure: living in a thatched cottage in the middle of a mopane forest with the handsome bush pilot she met around a camp fire. Seventeen years later, after exploring the world in the back of Cessna 404s and CASA 212s during low-level survey sorties over the French Guyanese jungle and Greenland's ice cap, Beverley is back in Australia living a more conventional life with her husband and two daughters in a pretty country town an hour north of Melbourne.
She writes traditional Regency Romance as Beverley Eikli and sensual and erotic historical romance as Beverley Oakley.

You can visit her website here.

Buy Lady Farquhar’s Butterfly in paperback here
Buy kindle edition here



Are You a Twitter Addict?

Hi, my name is Robyn, and I am hopelessly addicted to Twitter. I might be more addicted to Twitter than I am to coffee, and that’s saying something. It allows me to keep track of news, gossip, see pictures of my itty bitty niece and nephew, and complain about what my cats have destroyed today.

When it’s not being a distraction from writing, Twitter is a great resource for authors. I get instant feedback from my readers, and I can update them on book signings, release dates, and giveaways. I can share in the writing-related drama of my fellow authors, and find tips and articles on everything from craft to promotion. During National Novel Writing Month (the most wonderful time of the writing year), @NaNoWordSprints hosts sprints at all hours to urge authors on to NaNo victory.

For the next two weeks I’ll be tweeting about each stop on my Nightfall book tour, so that would be a good place to find out where I’ll be so you can comment to win that Amazon gift card. ;)

Any other Twitter addicts out there? Who are your favorite people to follow?

Website: http://robynbachar.com
Twitter: @RobynBachar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robyn.bachar

Reviews for Rake's Honour


by Beverley Oakley

Earlier today I talked about William Thackeray's feisty heroine, Becky Sharp being the inspiration for my heroine, Fanny Brightwell, in my recent release, Rake's Honour.

I know it sounds like bragging, but all the reviews so far have been really positive and I wanted to post a few of them. So, I hope you'll indulge me...

Just Erotic Romance Reviews gave me the following fabulous 5-star review for Rake’s Honour...
Title: Rake’s Honour
Author: Beverly G Oakley
Publisher: Total E Bound Reviewer: Barbara McCormick
Rating: 5 Stars
Heat Level: O
Fanny Brightwell must find a husband or be married off to the odious Lord Slyther. Her first attempt at doing so leads her into a compromising position, from which she is rescued by the dangerous rogue Viscount Fenton. Fenton discovers that the memory of Fanny’s kisses haunt him. The two meet at a ball and have an unexpectedly passionate encounter. Afterward, Fenton offers to set her up as his mistress. Since her family’s fortunes rest on her ability to marry well, Fanny must take control of the situation.
The characters in Rake’s Honour, a Regency romance, leap off the page and into the reader’s heart. Fanny is well aware of her obligations to her family, yet yearns to find a husband she can love. Fenton has outgrown his childish excesses and is ready to settle down with a wife. The heat between these two practically sets fire to the pages, a mean trick for an e-book! Ms. Oakley brings the setting and time period to life without lengthy descriptions of society’s strict rules. The sex, oh my goodness, the sex is hot and in unusual settings as Fenton and Fanny must hide what they are up to from the eyes of judgmental society.
Supporting characters like Fanny’s younger sister and her friend and confidante, Lord Quamby, bring added life to a lush story. The pacing is just perfect, keeping you in your chair reading right through to the end. The “mamas” are ever present, placing demands on their children to marry well for family’s sake. In the end, Rake’s Honour is about satisfying society’s demands while still finding ways to remain true to oneself and one’s heart. For these reasons, Rake’s Honour earns an honored spot on my re-read stack.

BookedUp Reviews gave me - 5 Stars
Reviewer: Dolce Amore
I usually don’t like to read too many historical books because I find them boring, unreal, or full of errors. But this one was wonderful! 
Miss Fanny Brightwell has to marry a rich man because her father lost everything before he died. When Alverley, the man Miss Fanny hoped to marry tells her that he wants her just as his mistress, she is devastated; that means that she'll have to marry the pestilential Lord Slyther, but that night she meets Viscount Fenton. 
At first, Lord Fenton wants to marry her… however, after some lies by a jealous man and some misunderstandings he believes that Miss Fanny was a consummate lover and he offers carte blanche instead. 
What a splendid book! I loved every moment of it. Ms. Beverley Oakley created an original and amazing plot. She keeps our attention through the whole book. And the characters… what can I say? Outstanding! I loved Miss Fanny and adore Lord Fenton. I enjoyed their misunderstanding and I was delighted by their torrid and passionate meetings. And the end… made me burst out laughing. It rocks! 
5 stars for her and I can hardly wait to read her new release… Ms. Beverley Oakley, I’m not above begging for more! I expect I won’t have to wait too much longer for it, you are now one of my favorite writers. 
Publisher: Total E-Bound
Review Courtesy Of: ManicReaders
Posted by Booked UP

ManicReaders Review 
Reviewer: IvyD 
Review:
Fanny Brightwell is desperate to make a match that will please her mother. If she doesn’t she’ll be betrothed to the corpulent and repugnant Lord Slyther, a truly apt appellation.
A chance encounter with a virile, handsome masked pirate at a Vauxhall Garden masquerade sets in motion events that will either raise Fanny to the heights or dash her, and by extension her family, on the rocks below.
Fanny Brightwell is trapped and desperate, her emotions are vividly conveyed; especially when the contrast between the man she desires, Lord Fenton, and the man her mother has forced her to become betrothed to, Lord Slyther, is so stark. Unlike most other girls of her era Fanny wants to feel something other than revulsion for her husband. This desire and desperation leads Fanny to take chances. Fanny is an intelligent, witty heroine. Never did she come across as mealy or wimpy. She always discovered her backbone, bucked up and fought back. My kinda heroine.
Said chances lead Fanny to Felix Linley, Lord Fenton. Fenton has returned from his wild oats sowing to find a bride and settle into the duties required of his title, not the least of which is an heir. If only he could find someone who intrigued him, kept his attention and interest; someone like the masked Lady of Troy he’d “rescued” at Vauxhall Gardens. 
Fenton is handsome, intelligent, sexy, and honorable. He’s all you could wish for in a hero. 
Fenton and Fanny come face to face, unmasked this time, at Lord Quamby’s ball. Fenton discovers the woman who so captured him isn’t a Cyprian as he’d imagined but a true lady of the haut ton.
Fanny is terrified Fenton will reveal their encounter, thereby ruining her chances with even Lord Slyther, leading her family to destitution and life on the streets.
Other than the hero/heroine, my favorite character is Lord Quamby. I confess to a fondness for eccentrics. He’s the catalyst for so much of the daring from Fanny that ensues. 
What started as a predictable easy read wasn’t. Rake’s Honour delighted me by sweeping me along on Fanny’s daring attempt to live life on her terms with a man of her choosing. I actually laughed at endings wicked little twist.
Reading Rake’s Honour is time well spent.

You can read more about my books by visiting my website or buy the book here