Favorite Holiday Songs at Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Hop

I'm not sure it is possible to choose only one favorite Christmas song. With my choir background, I've sung every ubiquitous and esoteric holiday song in existence. But I can share with you my dad's fave. He loves this one so much that I learned to play it on the piano at age nine as a Christmas present. So here's a little Johnny Mathis to get you in the spirit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gcP13wWodA

Pretending with the Playboy by Tracey Livesay Commitment makes you weak. It's playboy Carter Richardson's motto. The only exception to the rule is his aunt, and when Carter learns she's terminally ill, he rushes to her bedside. Filled with fear and guilt—and desperate to ease his aunt's mind—Carter does the only thing a guy could do...he panics and blurts out that he's engaged to his aunt's enticing protegée.

Lauren Olsen has already had her heart crushed once by Carter. Against her better judgment, she agrees to keep up appearances—until Carter makes their “engagement” public in order to protect the family business. Now Lauren's torn between obeying her conscience, and obeying her desire. Because while she could never trust the womanizing Carter she once knew, she seems to be falling for the man beneath the playboy...

Pretending with the Playboy goes on sale 12/29 at Amazon and B&N.

As part of The 12 Days of Christmas celebration, Tracey donated a $10 B&N card to the prize list. Click HERE for this and many more random drawings. To follow the celebration, find a new recipe, pick up a holiday decorating or shopping tip, click HERE.

About the Author

I write powerful and passionate romantic fiction. I believe in alpha heroes, intelligent heroines and happily ever afters. Obstacles may threaten my couples’ happiness, but true love will ALWAYS prevail. If you want to chat about TV, movies and/or purses, you can find me on Facebook and Twitter, when I’m not trying to meet an ever present deadline. I wrote my first romance novel at the age of eleven, called “The Healing Power of Love.” With a detour through college and law school–where I met her husband on the very first day. I live in Virginia with said husband and three kids. Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Foodie Romance That Will Sear You With Its Heat

First, you need to drop everything and go peek at Amanda Usen's previous foodie romances (the ones that made me fall in love with her writing) - Scrumptious and Luscious. Then, dive into her newest release that will make your mouth water.

The best desserts are worth the wait…
Pastry chef Jenna Cooper crushed hard on playboy chef Roman Gallagher when her older brother brought him home to share their family Christmas six years ago. Now she’s old enough to do something about it, and she won’t take no for an answer—for anything.

Out of the frying pan into the fire…
Roman has one hard and fast rule—don’t sleep where you eat. But he can’t say no to Jenna’s plea for him to help her save her family business. Soon she's working for him, and their scorching chemistry melts Roman’s resistance.

If you can’t stand the heat… Jenna knows Roman has reservations about enjoying the heat between them, but she’s got a plan. She’s going to keep this sexy man so satisfied in—and out—of the kitchen, he won’t regret a thing. But Roman has his own ideas. He wants more than a few hot nights, and he's going to teach Jenna a lesson about playing with fire.

An excerpt from SEDUCING THE PLAYBOY:
She made it sound so simple. It would be easy to give her what she wanted, especially since he wanted it, too. He’d never felt anything as strong as the crushing need hammering at his balls right now. He wanted to believe her more than he wanted to breathe, to eat, or even to take over Gallagher Holdings. But this is Jenna. Despite her bold words and actions, he just couldn’t think of her in terms of no-strings sex. Hadn’t she just admitted to having a crush on him? Crushes weren’t made of quick and dirty; they were made of romance and fantasies. What would she do if he called her bluff?

He knew what she would do if he kept saying no—she’d never quit. She was too used to getting her own way, and there was no doubt in his mind they’d find themselves in this exact situation as soon as she regrouped. How long would he be able to resist? Whether he liked it or not, things had changed between them. But as much as his body was screaming for relief, jumping straight into bed with her felt wrong. Jenna wasn’t a random hookup.

Her lips brushed his ear and coasted over his cheek. By the time she reached his mouth, he had an idea. She wanted to play games? Fine, but they were going to play by his rules. Maybe he couldn’t ignore the chemistry between them, but he could damn well take charge of it. Until he was certain she wanted more than a few kisses to satisfy her teenage fantasies, he wasn’t going to do anything except give her a good long time to think about her choices. Playing games was his forte. He’d hold her hand and kiss her senseless, but that was it. He wasn’t going to jeopardize his relationship with her or her family because she’d gotten it into her head she wanted to sleep with him. After they spent some time together, she’d come to her senses and realize he was nothing like the fantasy guy she’d built him up to be.

He lifted her out of his lap and stood, pressing her against the door. With one hand, he caught her hair and tugged, pulling her head back. When her astonished gaze snapped to his, he bent to capture her lips, and her mouth opened in surprise. He plunged inside, taking possession of her in the way he had been dying to, honestly, no-holds-barred, proving he wanted her as much as she wanted him. It was ridiculous to pretend otherwise when he was hard as a rock.

He raised his head. “Let me get this straight. You want to have sex with me to get me out of your system? So you can go off and marry some guy to be your househusband without regrets, right?”

Her head fell back. “Stop torturing me, Roman.”

“I accept.” He stepped back, grinning. “But I have one condition.”

 .99 for a limited time! Available from AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE, GOOGLE, iTUNES, and more.

A Sexily Sweet Contemporary Release You Won't Want To Miss!

I'm thrilled to announce that my talented friend and YA author Lea Nolan is sharing that talent with more readers by releasing a contemporary book today!

Burned by love and grieving over his brother’s death, sexy billionaire CEO Carter Anderson wants nothing more than to protect his family. So when beautiful and unassuming physical therapist Gwen Radley shows up at the funeral, pregnant with his brother’s baby, Carter’s certain she wants an interest in the Anderson empire—and both his suspicion and attraction grow when circumstances force Gwen to move into his family’s mansion.

An orphan, Gwen’s never wanted anything more than a family, and she finds in the Andersons a place she and her baby might belong. When Gwen’s therapy expertise leads to long hours of intense, late-night collaboration on a lucrative project, the attraction between her and Carter leads to a night of white-hot passion. But Carter’s distrust remains, leading them both to wonder if he will ever embrace his brother’s baby—or the love that’s blooming between them.

Here's a sneak peek for you:

“You like it.” Gwen teased with a laugh, her bright green eyes sparkling. They were beautiful. Though not nearly as beautiful as she. Feeling his resolve slip a notch, he breathed deep, inhaling her sweet perfume. Perhaps admitting his attraction, if only to himself, wouldn’t be the end of the world. In fact, it might make it easier to enact his plan. Even though she was already proving to be a giant pain in the ass.

Refusing to admit defeat, he shrugged. “It’s okay.”

She huffed. “That falafel sandwich is better than okay and you know it. I saw your eyes close when you took that bite. It’s a slice of heaven. You were savoring it.”

He chuckled as he swallowed a long swig of soda. “Okay, you got me. It’s great. And I was wrong.” He tilted his head.

“Happy now?”

“Yup.” She nodded. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Your first impression isn’t always correct. Sometimes, it’s exactly the opposite of what you assume.” She propped her elbow on the back of the bench.

It was obvious she was talking about more than fried chick peas. As if introducing him to a Middle Eastern sandwich was supposed to allay his suspicions about her motives for announcing her pregnancy and encamping in River View. Irritation flickered in his gut, threatening to sour the delicious food he’d just eaten. They’d been getting along fine. Why did she have to open that entrancing mouth

of hers and remind him of his misgivings? Well, two could play at that game. He angled toward her. “I suppose that’s true. Though my gut has generally served me well.” He took another bite.

“Not in this case.” Her gaze locked on his for a moment before she glanced at his half-eaten sandwich. “You love falafel.”

He swallowed. “I do. But I hate other things.” He nudged closer, silently daring her to ask what it was that he despised. Because if she did, he might be tempted to forget his plan and show her just how loose he could be, giving her an earful about how wrong it was to steal a man’s company out from under him, then force the proxy papers on her right here and now.

A soft breeze blew, carrying her peaches and cream scent past his nose. Luscious, he wanted to taste it. Reminding himself of his mission and its importance, he searched her flawless, porcelain skin, then flashed back to when he’d caught her lithe body in his arms. His hands remembered the feel of her flesh, soft yet toned, and how beautiful and vulnerable she was in his embrace. Arousal sprang in his

core.

She was tempting, no doubt, but below that beguiling exterior lay the heart of a woman like any other. One who couldn’t be trusted because she would, indisputably, exploit you and rip out your heart. In that instant, he both loathed and desired her. A perplexing combination, no doubt brought on by her good looks, proximity, and the challenge she presented. He’d go along, maybe even allow himself to

enjoy the hunt, but ultimately, she’d be no match for him.

Taking a deep breath, her eyes flitted to his mouth. “I hate things, too.” She edged closer.

Was it going to be this easy to kiss her? He’d expected her to feign at least some token resistance, put up the pretense that Ben had meant something to her, but obviously she realized where the Anderson bread was buttered. She wanted him, bad. He might as well help her along.

Bending toward her, he closed his eyes and parted his lips.

Grab your copy at: Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/nrfhuyh *Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/kvfqzd7

Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/khetzt3 * iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/m7779kq

Hot, Hot, HOT Novella Release!

DARE TO RESIST is the prequel novella to the sexy wedding event of the year! The Wedding Dare Series brings together five New York Times bestselling authors, one sizzling story of how the bride and groom fell in love, and four super sexy tales of bridesmaids who hope to get lucky in lust-or maybe even love-at their friend's wedding. Here's the story that starts it all!

Trapped and tempted, this battle of wills rages all night long...

Kady Dresco and Colton Brooks click on a level that defies logic. There are only two problems. One, he's her older brother's irritating best friend, and two, they're bidding on the same military security services contract.

When the competition heats up, Colton is torn between wanting to strangle Kady (and her annoying brilliance) and kissing her into submission. Which is a bad idea for a million reasons, because Kady's submission is exactly what he craves. Being trapped in a tiny motel room with the object of his darkest fantasies will require every ounce of his restraint.

Kady doesn't want his restraint, but Colton knows better. She deserves love, marriage, and a white picket fence-three things Colton can't give her. But her proximity and the memory of their steamy near-miss three years ago slowly destroys his resolve. And he's not sure how much longer he can keep his hands off...or his heart closed.

Buy at Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Dare to Resist on Goodreads

About the Wedding Dare Series:

When four bridesmaids dare one another to find lust-or maybe even love-at the destination wedding event of the year, the groomsmen don't stand a chance. But little do the women know, the men are onto their game, and sparks will fly alongside the bouquet.

Four bridesmaids. Four groomsmen.

Four New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling authors. Long-carried torches, sizzling new attractions, and forbidden conquests will ensure a wedding never to be forgotten.

Tessa Bailey, Baiting the Maid of Honor

Diane Alberts, Falling for the Groomsmen

Katee Robert, Seducing the Bridesmaid

Samanthe Beck, Best Man with Benefits

Coming June 9!

All Wedding Dare Series Books on Goodreads

Giveaway:a Rafflecopter giveaway

Laura Kaye Bio:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura's large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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A Clear-Your-Calendar, Series Ending Book Release!

I have been in LOVE with the sexy and tortured Anemoi gods since I read the very first draft of North of Need. So I'm both thrilled and heartbroken on this release day of the final book of their saga.

Annalise Fallston made peace with postponing her big-city dreams to care for her ill father, but lately she's been filled with a restlessness not even her beloved painting dispels. Worse, the colors don't speak to her as they always have, and all her efforts produce dark, foreboding images of a dangerous man and a terrifying future. 
 
Devlin Eston, black-souled son of the evil Anemoi Eurus, is the only one who can thwart his father's plan to overthrow the Supreme God of Wind and Storms. But first, Dev must master the unstable powers he's been given. Distrusted and shunned by his own divine family, he never expected to find kindness and passion in the arms of a mortal.
 
But Devlin's love puts Annalise in the path of a catastrophic storm, and in the final Armageddon showdown between the Anemoi and Eurus, sacrifices will be made, hearts broken, and lives changed forever...or lost.

Here's a note from Laura herself and a terrific excerpt:

You guys! I can’t believe release day for East of Ecstasy is finally here! This is the final book in my Hearts of the Anemoi series, which includes: North of Need, West of Want, and South of Surrender. The Anemoi were wind gods the Greek associated with controlling the wind, weather, and seasons. In East of Ecstasy, hero Devlin Eston is the heir to the East Wind which has long been associated with unluckiness, misfortune, and, thanks to Devlin’s father, even evil. Devlin himself has been the victim of father’s evil, and thereby finds himself an outcast among his own divine family. In this scene, heroine Annalise Fallston—who gets visions that she’s forced to paint in order to quiet them in her mind—sees Devlin for the first time. Here’s what she says:

Forcing the chaos in her mind away, Anna dipped her brush into the gray and stepped to the canvas. Motion captured her attention from the corner of her eye.

The Dark Man, the subject of her recent paintings, stood in the doorway and leaned against the jamb.

Anna jumped and her pulse raced, but this time, anger flooded in instead of fear. “I will deal with you on my own damn terms,” she said, taking a perverse amount of pleasure from putting a figment of her imagination in its place. Because that’s all he was.

He didn’t move or speak. Not that he could, since, you know. Figment. Of. Imagination.

Anna rolled her eyes, done with being scared and so pissed to have to do this again that she was nearly out of her mind. “I’m doing your damn painting already. So just leave me alone.” She cut her gaze back to the expanse of white, but the desire to see if his image would still be there if she looked again drove her to distraction.

Finally, she gave in and…he was still there.

Completely still. Blatantly scowling. Totally unfathomable.

Was this a vision? Another image she’d have to paint?

Her heart tripped into a sprint, and she couldn’t look away from him. Like the compulsion that forced her to paint these images, Anna couldn’t help but return his stare and memorize his masculine features. The sharp angles of his face, the harsh set of his mouth, the dark shadows around his even darker eyes. Black eyes. Blades of black hair hung low over his forehead and just touched the hooded shirt he wore under his short, scuffed leather jacket. He’d crossed his arms over his chest, and the position caused his biceps to bunch up under the worn leather. In fact, everything about him appeared worn—the coat, the threadbare jeans, the scuffed boots. None of it struck her as the kind of shabby chic you could buy in some upscale store for a small fortune, either. The whole effect was rough. Dangerous. Deprived.

Deprived? What a strange way of describing him. But as Anna’s gaze swept over him again, the thought stuck. For his height, he seemed thin, with his lean hips, clad in old black jeans, a trim waist, and pronounced cheekbones. Her fingers twitched around the nearly forgotten paintbrush. What would it feel like to cup that harsh face in her hand?

Anna gasped and tore her gaze away. She had to blink to pull herself out of the haze of thoughts. Frustration surged through her and tensed the muscles of her shoulders and neck. She didn’t want to be working on another of these paintings as it was, so the last thing she needed was to lose a bunch of time daydreaming. Or would it be daynightmaring?

As she stared at the blank canvas, the image of the shackled man behind the prison bars filled her mind’s eye.

Definitely the latter.

Curiosity pulled her eyes to the left again. The doorway was empty.

So, did you have a favorite line from the excerpt? Thanks for reading!

Laura

Buy at Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

Catch up on the whole series with the Hearts of the Anemoi box set featuring the first three books: North of Need, West of Want, South of Surrender!

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

 On top of all that goodness, there is a release day launch giveaway!  a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

Sexy & Fun - Release Day for Betting the Billionaire!

You guys hear me brag all the time about new releases from my Maryland Romance Writer peeps. But I also belong to the awesome Washington Romance Writers, who are equally talented and fun. So today I have the great pleasure of sharing the release of my WRW chaptermate, Avery Flynn. You like hot billionaires and sassy heroines? Then you need to rush right out and get Betting the Billionaire.  Scroll all the way down for a gloriously NSFW excerpt!

 

If that man calls her one more time... So what if Gabe Campos is a model-dating billionaire who gets Keisha Jacobs hotter than a Ferrari's engine on the straightaway? He keeps pushing her to sell her family's furniture business, but she'll never give in--not unless she wants to give her father a second heart attack.

All Gabe should be thinking about is how he'll finally get revenge on the man who killed his father. But when he meets the man's daughter, Keisha, instead of focusing on destroying Jacobs Fine Furnishings, he can't get her warm-whisky voice out of his mind.

Forced by a snow storm to spend the night together, their passion ignites. The next day, however, it's back to business. The only way Keisha can save her family is to win a bet with the billionaire. But neither realized their hearts are part of the bargain...

 

 

Keisha tried to maintain a blasé attitude about the set of five Good Time Smexy Elves that Ellen had found online, but she couldn’t keep the embarrassed giggle out of her voice.

Of course, Gabe didn’t have that problem. He picked up each cavorting pair and eyed it as if it were a precious Degas instead of an offering to the altar of all that is tacky.

God knew what kind of website Ellen had been trolling when she discovered the lusty ceramics. For the entirety of their twenty-year friendship, Ellen had loved shoving Keisha out of her sheltered comfort zone. She’d scored big with this Christmas gift.

Keisha wasn’t just out of her zone, she was out of her regular orbit.

“Are you a big elf collector?” Gabe sat the last set of elves down on the coffee table, right next to the latest copy of Interior Living Today.

“God, no.” She couldn’t miss the teasing glint in his blue eyes or the way sitting next to him on the chaise lounge sent tingles of excitement ricocheting through her body like she’d just inhaled a whole package of Pop Rocks. “Ellen just likes to give me a hard time.”

“I can see why. You’re pretty cute when you blush.” He brushed his finger across her cheek and dipped his head close to hers. “I’ve spent the whole night wanting to kiss you. Tell me you’ve been thinking about it, too.”

Keisha’s breath caught, but not before she inhaled his scent, a teasing mix of sandalwood, fresh snow, and dangerous destiny. She should say no. She wasn’t that girl who made out with a stranger. She was the girl in the church choir as her granny expected. She was the one who baked a week’s worth of dinners for her parents and loaded up their freezer with them every Sunday night. She was prim and proper and everything that made her family proud.

But she didn’t want to be that girl tonight.

She wanted more.

She wanted to be Keisha.

“Yes.” She didn’t wait for him to make a move. Heart thundering in her ears, she—the most cautious person in her family—threw it all to the wind.

Her lips covered his, her tongue sliding across the seam of his mouth and tasting the hot toddy’s ginger ale-tinged kick. Their tongues tangled as she leaned forward into the kiss, devouring him like a long-denied dessert. She opened her mouth, and his tongue swept inside, teasing and tempting her.

But she was done with denial.

Pivoting, she laid her palms against his broad shoulders and pressed him back against the overstuffed chaise lounge. She slid her fingers up the cool, brass-colored zipper holding

his coveralls closed, the metal teeth rough against her fingertips. As soon as she pinched the metal tab between her fingers, uncertainty yanked her out of the moment.

This was crazy.

The short hair of his beard tickled her jaw as his lips traveled across her sensitive skin to connect with the spot where her jaw met her earlobe. A spot that, until this moment, she hadn’t realized had a direct line to her clit.

This was amazing.

She straddled his lap, her yoga pants proving to be more of an enticement than a barrier. God, she hadn’t made out fully clothed on the couch like a teenager since—well, since she was one. But it wasn’t enough. She needed more. Keisha rocked her hips, gliding herself against his

hardness. Wanton. Demanding. Necessary to keep the itch from driving her crazy. “I want to touch you.”

“The feeling’s mutual.” His words tickled the side of her neck as he worked his way south, pushing her comfiest cardigan off her shoulder.

Goose bumps popped up on her newly exposed skin, but it wasn’t because of the cool air. Gabe’s lips grazing her shoulder as he slid aside the straps of her tank top and bra took full credit for her body’s reaction. Her nipples peaked, pushing against her red satin bra and demanding attention. Her body revved like a finely tuned race car during the Brickyard 400.

For the first time since her broken engagement, she wanted to be with a man. This man. Right now. In the morning, she might well blame it all on the strange circumstances brought about by the snow storm, but tonight wasn’t about tomorrow. She tugged the coveralls zipper down, revealing a mile of toned muscle, and slid her hand inside.

Gabe threw back his head as his fingers dug into her hips, pulling her hard against the large bulge still hidden underneath the mechanic’s uniform. His heated response emboldened her as her own warmth soaked her panties.

Keisha scratched her short nails through the coarse hair across his pecs, her core quaking when he moaned his approval. “I’m going to ride you so hard you might regret seeking shelter here.”

“If you don’t, I’m gonna need to go back out and throw myself into a snowbank just to cool off.”

She reached down between them and stroked his hard dick through the baggy coveralls. “You feeling overheated?” Her hand almost circled his covered girth as she moved her hand up and down.

“Fuck me,” he groaned.

“That’s exactly what I intend to do.”

In the next breath, the radio blared to life, the lights snapped on, and her landline rang, piercing her bliss. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the sudden onslaught.

Sometime between his lips on the base of her throat and his fingers inching up her shirt, the power had returned, blasting reality into the room. She did not want to stop now, but ignoring a call wasn’t in her make up.

She pushed against Gabe’s hard chest. “I have to get it.”

He gave the sweet spot at the base of her neck a quick kiss that liquified her body, then he sat up. Desire darkened his eyes, turning her from warm to molten. It took everything she had not to blow off whoever was on the other end of the line. But…she grabbed the phone off the end table.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Baby Girl.” Her father’s voice had a tightness that set off every alarm bell she had. “Are you sitting down? Something’s happened.”