Showing posts with label Blindfold Me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blindfold Me. Show all posts

Monday, June 6, 2011

Reposting: Excerpt One of Blindfold Me by Avril Ashton

*Hey guys, I'm reposting the first excerpt of Blindfold Me. The giveaway question is: What's the name of the company where Lyric and Grayson both work? If you really read you'll note that it's not Masonry Company. I hope someoone catches it. Didn't think it'd be this hard though. The answer is there :) Leave your answer to this one question in the comments if you've already answered Q2.  


They faced each other as if on a battlefield, even though they weren’t more than a couple feet apart.
“Explain yourself.” Grayson raked his gaze over her.
“I already have.” She scowled.
“No, you haven’t. You haven’t explained why you allowed me to walk into this situation completely blindfolded.”
“Aren’t you being a bit overdramatic?” she asked.
Is she for real? He stared at her. “Someone hacked the company’s system, accessed our exclusive client list, and is using said list to seduce our clients over to their side.” He breathed. “And the person who should’ve been protecting my company thinks I’m being overdramatic. Am I right?”
“Look, Gray, I’m really sorry.” She touched his arm. Grayson flinched away and she dropped her hand. “I’m sorry, but we can fix it.”
He brushed a hand over his face and paced. “Yeah? How do you propose we do this?”
She took a seat on the conference table and tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear. A move so familiar, memories threatened to overwhelm him. Another time, another place. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it and focused on what she had to say.
“The culprit has to be one of Ilsha’s competitors. There are only three in the New York area who specialize in the same type of products we do. I say we investigate to see which one is the guilty party.”
He stared at her, at the familiar curve of her neck and inviting glow of her skin.
“Did you hear what I said?” she asked.
He blinked. “Yeah, something about looking at the competitors.”
She nodded.
“All right, I’ll have Richard look into it.”
“Why him?” She wrinkled her brow. “I was hoping we could do it.”
“We who?”
“Me and you–us,” she said. “I’m the manager and this happened on my watch.”
“You’re right, of course.” He shifted to the front of her, a move calculated to force her to look up at him. “I can’t fire you because of the sales agreement, so you’ll have to fix this mess,” he said coolly.
“What?” Surprise pitched her voice higher. “What does the sales agreement say?”
“Do you want to leave? Because you can, nothing’s stopping you.” He granted her a mocking smile.
“Like I’d give you the satisfaction. I’m staying put, so answer the question. What did you mean?”
Grayson sighed. “There’s a clause in the sales agreement by the previous owner. He wants me to keep on the current staff for at least six months. Anyone can leave if they want, but I can’t fire anybody.”
Lyric pursed her lips. “If you had your way, I’d be long gone. Wouldn’t I?” She spoke the words quietly, head tilted to look up at him.
“Well, yes. Especially since you practically gave our clients away.”
“Bastard,” she spat. “This has nothing to do with Ilsha.” Her fists clenched in her lap.
Grayson kept his face blank and met her gaze head-on.
“You still hate me.” Her chest heaved. “You still hate me after all these years.”
“What do you expect, Lyric?” Thirteen years of pain and anguish clung to every word he spoke. “You slept with my brother!”

Available at:

Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/3wjl5ax


Avril Ashton

http://www.avrilashton.weebly.com/
http://www.avril-ashton.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com/writeravrilashton
www.twitter.com/#!/AvrilAsh

Release Party: Blindfold Me Giveaway!

I promised goodies, did I not? I've made it really simple. Give your answers in the comments below and be sure to leave your email addy. You must have the correct answer to both questions. I'll input all entries into Random.org and pick two winners to each get a copy of BLINDFOLD ME. Now this part isn't a requirement to win, but I would appreciate the winners taking a few minutes to give their thoughts on the book over at Goodreads, Amazon, ARe, and the Secret Cravings Publishing store. Authors love to hear what readers think of their work.

Now the Q for excerpt One:

* What's the name of the company where both Lyric and Grayson work?

And Q for excerpt Two:

* What flavor is Grayson's breath?

Remember you need to answer both questions. Please leave your email addy in your comments. I'll pick a winner overnight and email in the AM. Thank you all for participating.


Avril Ashton

http://www.avrilashton.weebly.com/
http://www.avril-ashton.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com/writeravrilashton
www.twitter.com/#!/AvrilAsh

Release Party: Blindfold Me by Avril Ashton; 2nd excerpt

Thirteen years ago, Lyric Benson's boyfriend accused her of sleeping with his older brother then disappeared. She never stopped caring, never stopped hoping. Now, all these years later, Lyric is stunned to discover the new owner of her company is one Grayson St. Clair, who never forgot or forgave her transgression.

Grayson wants nothing to do with someone he thinks hurt him so deeply. He can't let go of the past and he can't trust Lyric. It doesn't help matters that while on her watch, the Masonry company she oversaw was hacked into and the company's top secret client list accessed. Reluctantly, Lyric and Grayson team up to find the culprit, with Grayson denying their blossoming feelings at every turn. But when his brother appears, secrets in tow, Grayson will have to choose: live in the past or move on with Lyric.




“Ahem.”
She opened an eye. Grayson hovered in her office doorway, his eyes on some point above her head, a hesitant look on his face.
“What?” She kept rocking.
“I—ah, I wanted to apologize.” He entered and closed the door behind him before stopping in the middle of the room.
“Oh, yeah?” She leaned forward. “What for?” This promised to be good.
“For jumping to conclusions, for insinuating that, that—” He clasped his hands behind his back.
“That I’m a slut.”
His face turned red. “I was wrong and I apologize.”
“Are you sure?”
His eyes snapped up.
Lyric pushed back her chair and got to her feet. Predictably his eyes zeroed in on her chest. She walked toward him. “Are you sure I’m not a slut?” A frown creased his forehead and she continued. “You think I slept with your brother. That I use my body to get my way.”
Grayson shook his head. “I didn’t mean that. I was just—”
“Frustrated.” Directly in front of him now, she crossed her arms. “Yes, so you said.” She looked into his silver eyes. “And you know what? I believe you.”
Lyric closed the distance between them. She wanted to smell the delicious musk that clung to him. Grayson looked damn uncomfortable, his eyes guarded like he had no idea what to think. They stood chest to chest, but not touching.
She lowered her voice and spoke. “It has to be frustrating to think I had sex with your brother—betrayed you in the worst possible way—yet you still want me.” She followed the hypnotic movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. “You still burn for me.”
Lyric met his stormy eyes. Twin slashes of color appeared on his cheekbones and she pushed further. She leaned into him, put her lips to his left ear and allowed her breath to caress him. His body went taut. Potent heat radiated from him to her, but he didn’t move.
She spoke again. “You dislike me, but most of all, you dislike yourself. For wanting me, needing me. For all the things you want to do to me.”
Dragging his scent into her lungs, she took a step back and looked at him. A sheen of sweat covered his brow and his fists clenched.
He stayed quiet, but his eyes spoke volumes. They blazed with unfulfilled yearnings. Lyric closed hers briefly then opened them. She wanted him to see her desires, her yearnings.
His breath hitched and she shuddered in reaction. Grayson’s gaze never wavered from her face as he stalked toward her on quiet feet. A thrill shot down Lyric’s spine. She remained in place as moisture soaked her panties, and her nipples hardened. Call her a masochist, but this reaction right here? She wanted it.
“You like pushing me, don’t you?” Grayson spoke with his jaws clenched. His ginger-flavored breath teased her nostrils.
“So push back.”


Find Blindfold Me at: SCP   AMAZON  and Barnes and Noble 


Avril Ashton

http://www.avrilashton.weebly.com/
http://www.avril-ashton.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com/writeravrilashton
www.twitter.com/#!/AvrilAsh


*Answers to the questions for the giveaway to win a pdf of Blindfold Me will come from these excerpts. Two commenters with the correct answers on both Qs will win. GIVEAWAY QUESTIONS COMING UP NEXT!

Blindfold Me by Avril Ashton Release Party: Fun FAQs

Fun FAQs about BLINDFOLD ME:

*This was my very first attempt at seriously writing. I had no idea what I was doing. I mean, I didn’t know how to format my manuscript or anything. I had the help of the wonderful President of RWA/NYC. She held my hand up until almost halfway through the MS.

*I wrote the entire thing, over 60k by first draft, in longhand. Yes, that means a spiral notebook and pencil. Took me four months to do that, and another four to transfer it to computer. Torture. Pure and simple, and I learned my lesson.

*I had the title for the story in mind before I knew what the plot would be about—happens with all my stories. The title comes from the very sexy—raunchy even—song from Kelis. I heard it one day, blasting from a passing car, and the music stuck. I loved the title and built my story around it.

*The story is set in Brooklyn. The borough acts as a back drop and another character in the story. It’s a love letter from me to my adoptive home. I was born and lived in the Caribbean until my early teens.

*The main storyline of BLINDFOLD ME is somewhat semi-autobiographical. I leave it up to the reader to decide what parts that is.

*I love unusual names and I fell in love with the name Lyric when I saw it in the opening credits of a TV show. I stored it in the back of my mind until I needed it.

*Compared to the other stories I’ve written since BLINDFOLD ME, the sex and language is pretty tame. The characters weren’t the type. I though of making it more erotic, but no dice.

I could go on here, but then I’d be giving away the entire story J More excerpts coming up!


Avril Ashton

Release Party: Blindfold Me by Avril Ashton

Hello everyone. I’d like to thank the wonderful people here at Goddess for having me today. I hope you all enjoy yourselves and please, allow me to introduce myself for the many people who are hearing of me for the first time.

I’m a Brooklyn, NY gal who loves cake, whipped cream, and books. Really, there’s no particular order to that list. It is what it is. I began writing way back when, but decided to dedicate myself fully to it in ’09. I have my SO of eight years in my corner, and an almost seven year old daughter who loves reading. Makes me proud, that does J

I write the stuff I love to read, suspenseful stories filled with delicious sex and strong characters. Can’t ask for more than that. I’ve met some amazing people since I’ve entered the writing world and I’d love to continue to do so. My links are below, feel free to reach out at any time.

Today I’ll be giving you teases/exclusive excerpts from my latest release, BLINDFOLD ME, published by Secret Cravings Publishing. Two lucky commenters will win a pdf copy, and there’s also a $10 Amazon gift card up for grabs.


Official BIO: A Caribbean transplant, Avril now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y with a Spousal Equivalent of almost eight years. Together they raise a daughter who loves reading and school (wonder how long that will last). Avril’s earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing plot points of The Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother  

Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing in August of ’09 and never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril’s stories, but there’ll always be a happy ending; Avril remains a believer of love in all its forms.


So, there’s my intro. I’ll be back with excerpts and some fun facts about BLINDFIOLD ME in a few. In the meantime, kick back. Have fun. I know I will.