Is their passion strong enough to break
her chains?
AndalucíaSpain, 1489: Innocent Beatriz
is desperate to escape the threat of a miserable marriage to a cruel Marquis.
Forced into the betrothal by her ruthless merchant papá, her only hope is to conceal her identity and become a
servant in a nearby castle—a
life drastically different from her comfortable upbringing.
Tomás doesn’t know what to make of his well-spoken new servant girl. Her beauty and charm
captivates the military hero;
her mysterious nature intrigues
him. And the
desire she ignites burns brighter with each glance, as does his longing to
claim her for his own.
Beatriz can’t resist Tomás’ passion nor
deny the heat of her own. But neither the lush countryside nor the walls of the
opulent Moorish castle can entirely protect her—and if he were to discover her secret, she could be torn away from
him forever. Yet how can she sustain his love if she’s living a lie?
Review by pearls The dangers of fighting the Moors off Spanish lands is nothing compared to the fight for Beatriz'es hand in marriage. Tomas, the son of noble man, cares little for her background as falls in love with maid dusting his study and secretly reading his books. He seduces her, and she too falls madly in love. But she has a secret that threatens not only their ability to marry, but their very lives. Passionate Pursuit lives up to its title as Tomas sweeps her off her feet with silken beds and romantic hillside picnics. Beatriz continues the series tradition of strong, independent women willing to fight for a marriage based upon respect. Just when you think they have overcome an obstacle, another one blocks their way for a fast paced page turning read.
Excerpt:
A
gentle breeze carried laughter and converse from the señoritas who surrounded
Tomás, each vying for his attention. The one in dark green silk with a matching
caul danced around trying to get closer to him. The one in red with a white flower
in her hair elbowed past another girl. Those in gold and bright yellow were
even less demure, pushing into each other, speaking loudly, far removed from
how a lowly servant had to act.
Especially
to please Nuncio.
How
dare he make her solely responsible for a man’s carnal moves? Beatriz had no
control over anyone’s passion except her own. Thus far, she’d failed miserably
at quelling her desires.
Despite
what Nuncio had said, she still ached to feel Tomás’s heat and strength, to
have him imprison and possess her. No threat in the world would change her
longing. However, she wasn’t foolish enough to act on her attraction. Poor man
already had enough trouble.
His
broad shoulders were slumped, mouth turned down. She wanted to make him smile.
To have him stand as the noble lord he was, magnificent in his dark blue robe
and doublet, his hose snug to his sinewy thighs and calves.
Several
young women spoke to him at once. A señorita in a bright yellow gown touched
his upper arm. The girl next to her, clad in vivid orange silk, touched his
jaw.
Jealousy
heated Beatriz’s face and throat.
Tomás
drew back until the young woman groped air, not him. He faced the window, his
gaze touching Beatriz, his dark brown eyes flooding with warmth, bronze
complexion deepening.
Weak
with desire, she leaned against the sill for support.
The
señoritas gestured to him, talking endlessly, their words too garbled to
understand.
Whatever
they said, Tomás ignored them. He studied Beatriz’s eyes, then her lips and
lingered there. She was smiling without realizing it. He answered with a broad
grin and stepped closer.
About Tina:
Tina is an Amazon and international
bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance
for traditional publishers and indie.
Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly,Romantic
Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three
of her erotic novels (Freeing the Beast,
Come and Get Your Love, and Wicked
Takeover) were Readers' Choice Award winners. Another three (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep, Dark, Delicious) were named
finalists in the EPIC competition. Sensual
Stranger, her erotic contemporary romance, was chosen Book of the Year at
the French review site Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love
Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. Two of her titles (The Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt
Medallion competition. Take Me Away and
Adored both won second place in the
NEC RWA contest (different years). Tina is featured in the Novel & Short
Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood
production company in Story Direction.
We will be taking nominations Dec. 2-7 from YOU, the readers. Then on the 8-9th, we will have a run-off vote between the cowboys who received the top 10 most nominations. So be sure to come back each day to nominate.
Each day, we will promos from our Grand Prize packages. Each time you nominate/vote for a cowboy, you get an entry into the random drawing. Come back Dec. 10 to see who won the coveted titled of Hottest Cowboy
The two Grand Prize packages will be offered. Come back each day to re-nominate and to see more information about these books.
Grand Prize A Natalie Alder - an ecopy of Crewel Work Elizabeth Otto - $20 Amazon gift card Sable Hunter - Kindle copies of Texas Wildfire and Texas C.H.A.O.S Victoria Vane - signed paperback: SLOW HAND Randi Alexander - paperback of Jackson: Sons of Dusty Walker Cara Covington - $20 Strandbucks gc Cat Johnson - signed paperbacks: One Night With a Cowboy & Midnight Ride Elle James - signed paperback Heir to Murder Grand Prize B
Tina Donahue - 3 ebooks from backlist of 25 titles Desiree Holt - Naked Cowboys mug & tote, $25 AMZ gc Victoria Saccenti - signed paperback of Destiny's Plan & swag Victoria Vane - 3 signed paperbacks: SLOW HAND, ROUGH RIDER, SHARP SHOOTIN’ COWBOY Donna Michaels - $10 AMZ gc Sahara Roberts - $10 Amazon Gift Card Sabrina York - ecopy from backlist Heather Rainier - an e-copy of Tangled in Divine and a swag bag
Jackson Walker is anxious about spending a whole
week in Red Creek, Kansas with his newly-discovered brothers. Will they be able
to work as a team at the company they inherited from their dad? Can they even
be in the same room together without getting into a dust-up?
What he has no concerns about, however, is the woman
he’s fallen crazy in love with, sexy, quirky computer engineer Rori Hughes. But
that changes when her family comes to town with an offer she can’t refuse.
Jackson is more confused than he’s ever been in his life, including the day
when he’d been just fifteen and learned his father had a wife—who was not
Jackson’s mother.
Rori has major decisions to make, and she can feel
Jackson backing away from her as he finds too many commitments that keep him
away from town and out of her arms. His frequent nightmares concern her, but
even more disturbing is the strange woman in town who has been talking with
Jackson, and going out of her way to avoid Rori.
As fall turns into winter, and the holidays quickly
approach, will Jackson and Rori find a way around their suspicions and
insecurities or will there be separate and heartbroken Christmases for each of
them?
Back in her truck, driving down the alley behind her
store/apartment, Rori concentrated on sorting out the puzzle. A woman? Someone
young enough to be his sister? Who could that have been?
Lights shone from the windows of the apartment above
her store. Jackson was home. The thought made her heart gallop, and her breath
come faster.
She pulled into her parking spot, not seeing Jackson’s
work truck, figuring he’d left it at the office of D. Walker Mineral Company,
across the street and down a few blocks. While everyone knew they were
cohabiting, they still tried to keep their personal comings and goings private.
She looked in the mirror and smoothed her hair,
blinked at the excitement in her eyes, and grabbed her bag of gear and the box
of cheese. In seconds, she was in the back stairwell, running up to see her
cowboy.
The door at the top swung open and he grabbed her as
she reached the landing. “Darlin’.” His low voice reverberated through her.
She dropped the box of cheese and bag of gear as he
pulled her against him. Hot and firm, his body welcomed her home. She ran her
fingers through his dark brown hair, loving how it’d grown a little long and
curled around her knuckles. “Jackson. I missed you.” She looked deep into his
inky-blue eyes.
“I missed you, too. A whole lot.”
He’d missed her? She let out a long, decadent sigh.
In her chest, that lovely ache formed again. How had she gotten so lucky to
have found this perfect, sexy, kind, hunk of man? What did she need to do to
make him happy, and keep him here? The anxious thought cooled her enthusiasm a
little. She couldn’t dwell on that or she’d go crazy.
His hand smoothed along her back and cupped her butt
cheek. “I wish you could come with me more often.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. Work had been
so busy, she’d needed to put in hours on weekends and evenings. She needed
help, but ironically, didn’t have time to interview anyone. “I will soon.
Things slow down a little in the fall.”
A buzzer went off in the kitchen. “Perfect timing.”
He kissed her and set her loose, walked into the kitchen and opened the oven.
“I made supper.”
She picked up the box of cheese and followed him in.
“You’re the best…roommate I’ve ever had.” She stumbled over the word roommate,
not sure exactly what to call him, not sure exactly what they were to each
other. No matter what the technical term for their situation was, she loved how
he enjoyed cooking. Finally, her oven was being used for something other than
heating a frozen pizza.
Jackson stopped moving and gave her the stink-eye.
“Roommate, huh? Is that all I am to you?” He pulled a pan of some kind of pasta
and red sauce from the oven.
She started unloading the cheese into the dairy
drawer in the refrigerator, feeling unsettled with the direction of the
conversation. “No. You’re one heck of a boss, too.”
He smacked her butt as she giggled. Jackson owned
the company that her business, Cyber Wise, contracted with. “Boss? Roommate?”
He pulled her back against his body and leaned around her, pawing through the
different kinds of cheeses. “Sounds like we need to have a conversation about
our roles in this relationship.” Reaching lower on the door, he took out the
grated Parmesan. “And what kinds of cheese we like.”
She closed the refrigerator door, excitement at his
proclamation—about the relationship roles, not the cheese preferences—making
her heart race. She wouldn’t push him, though. “I couldn’t say no to the
cheese. It’s from a customer. And I dropped off about fifteen pounds with Lexie
already.”
He kissed her neck and stepped back, sliding a
cookie sheet of sliced Italian bread into the oven. “That’s nice of you.”
She remembered what Lexie had told her about the
woman at the motel. Taking a breath, Rori tested the subject. “What time did
you get back to Red Creek?”
“Early. Around nine, I think.” He tasted some of the
pasta, then poured two glasses of red wine.
She accepted a glass from him and leaned back on the
counter. “What did you do all day?”
He shrugged. “The usual. Showed my face at work,
autographed some paperwork on the lines where Abby told me to sign.” Tapping
his glass on hers, he winked. “Boring, but it’s the usual.”
She sipped her wine. No mention of a young woman at
the motel? Was it work-related? Personal? Whatever the lady’s reason for being
in town—and in her cowboy’s truck—was evidently none of Rori’s business. The
thought gave her anxiety a boost. “Okay, I need to change, and take a quick
shower.” She set down her glass and sniffed her shirtsleeve. “I smell like
cheese.”
With a wicked smile, Jackson put his glass on the
counter and pulled the tray of bread from the oven, setting it on top of the
cold burners. “Need some help with that?”
A wild race of desire centered down in her belly.
She held up a hand to stop him and backed out of the room, grinning. “Now, wait
a minute, boss.”
He stalked her, unbuckling his belt and pulling his
shirt out of his jeans. “Boss?”
“Roommate?” She glanced back to make sure she didn’t
run into the wall, and pulled her T-shirt off over her head.
“Let’s call it what it is.” He whipped his shirt off
over his head then dropped his jeans and walked out of them, not missing a
step. “Official cheese-smell remover.”
Randi is giving away a copy of Book 1: Jackson in the Grand Prize basket.
Randi Alexander's BIO:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Randi
Alexander knows a modern woman dreams of an alpha cowboy who takes the reins,
and guarantees they’re rode hard and put up satisfied.
Published with Cleis Press, Wild Rose Press, and
self-published, Randi writes smokin' hot romance with heroes who'll have you
begging to ride off into the sunset with them. When she's not dreaming of, or
writing about, rugged cowboys, Randi is biking trails along remote rivers,
snorkeling the Gulf of Mexico, or practicing her drumming in hopes of someday
forming a tropical rock-band.
Forever an adventurous spirit with a naughty
imagination, Randi is also family oriented and married to the best guy in the
world, her own cowboy, Kick. Give in to the allure of erotic passion, strong
but vulnerable heroines, and irresistibly seductive cowboys, as Randi's
emotional love stories sweep you off your feet and leave you breathless with
passion.
Saddle up! And prepare yourself for the sexier side
of happily ever after.
With
millions willed to her in an incentive trust, Lissa can get the dough to start
her own country music label when she
meets one of the no-contest clauses. Namely, reach middle age in twenty years,
work in the hated family business for a decade, or marry someone not in the
music biz.
Marriage
it is, at least for a year to satisfy her greedy brother who wants the
inheritance.
Enter
Cass, a hot Texas rancher who dampens Lissa’s panties. With a pile of medical
bills from his brother’s accident, Cass agrees to wed Lissa. She’s sweet to
look at, surprisingly pleasant for an Atlanta debutante, and makes his jeans
feel tight as hell despite their no-sex contract.
Uh-huh.
The devil’s in the details. Longing gazes turn to tender intimacy and wild
nights with pretend feeling all too real.
Damn
shame it may be too late with her brother gunning for them both.
EXCERPT
“Neck hurt?” he asked.
She stopped kneading her aching muscles, but couldn’t lie. “A
little.”
He put down his drink without tasting it. “Lie down. I’ll massage
it.” He went to the bed and pulled away the down comforter.
She regarded the white satin sheets. “Wonder where they get linens
to fit that thing.”
Cass smiled. “Beats me. I’d say the bed’s more for contortionists
than regular people.”
Lissa snickered, grateful they’d broken the tension. “No kidding.”
She padded to the bed. “Should I lie on my belly?”
“Depends where you hurt.” He eased his hand between her hair and
the robe, gently touching her neck with his fingertips. “Here?”
Her legs went watery at the gently pressure of his hand. “Uh-uh.”
“Here?”
Damn. Her shoulder shot up with the pain.
“On your belly,” he said.
Lissa knelt on the bed and fell forward.
“Jesus Christ,” he blurted. “Didn’t that hurt?”
“It’s worse if I bend anything.”
“Does that mean you’re going to have trouble getting back up?”
Lissa wasn’t certain how to answer that so she hedged. “Why?”
“You might have to take off your robe so I can find your neck.”
Groaning, she rolled over, undid the tie, then rolled back onto
her belly. “Can you just pull it off me?”
Cass did, his touch extra gentle, his breathing barely controlled.
“Ready?” he rasped.
For just about everything, even as desire and fear continued to
war within her. She touched the back of her neck. “Here’s where it hurts
worse.”
The mattress jiggled with Cass’ weight, but his touch was
exquisitely light as he brushed her hair to the side, then kneaded her muscles.
A sigh spilled past her lips as he eased away the pain, little by
little. Minutes later, Lissa was finally relaxed. She stretched her arms over
her head, parted her legs widely, and moaned in pleasure.
“Better?” he murmured.
“Much.”
“Good.” He ran his hands over her shoulders and down her arms
until he touched her fingers.
Without thinking, Lissa laced them through his, holding him.
Neither of them moved. Lissa was pretty damn certain they’d both
stopped breathing too.
A sound of raw male need finally poured from Cass. He lowered his
mouth to her neck, his breath skipping across it, his achingly soft lips
pressed to her.
Her toes curled at the hot, wet sweep of his tongue on her skin.
She lost what little resistance she’d had, his kiss warming her inside and out.
After easing his hands from hers, he turned Lissa over and covered
her body with his, capturing her mouth, filling her with his tongue. When he
slipped the strap past her shoulder and down her arm, wanting tore through
Lissa, crashing in waves so fierce, she pushed her fingers through his silky
hair and arched her back, giving herself to him. Her areola puckered in the
room’s coolish air, the tip hardening even more at the brush of his calloused
palm, his fingers squeezing her breast.
A rush of moisture dampened Lissa’s soft folds. Cass’ shaft grew
harder against her, his kiss fiercer. With one hand beneath her head, he held
her still so he could own her mouth. Then he lifted the edge of her gown,
easing it up until he’d exposed her legs and pussy.
Lissa’s thoughts spun out of control at his hand sliding up the
inside of her thigh to her delicate curls. He tugged at them playfully, then
sought her damp entrance, finding her clit.
She gasped at the stunning sensations pulsing through her. Her
body surrendered to pleasure even as her mind began to rebel, desire warring
with fear, good sense battling with need.
Cass teased her nub, generating indescribable sensations as he
deepened their kiss. With his knees, he pushed her legs wider. Her body
responded wantonly, wanting more even as a wish repeated itself in her heart
like a well-loved melody.
If only he loved
her.
He didn’t. This was a deal born of desperate financial need for
him and a soul-deep longing within her—the chance to create something beautiful
in a world that had always seemed so heartless and cold.
Remembering that, Lissa pressed her hands to his chest and pulled
her mouth from his. “Cass, no,” she panted.
He suckled her neck.
“Cass.”
Breathing hard, he finally lifted his head, his gaze unfocused,
thick with lust.
The same that Lissa felt but had to fight, protecting her heart.
“No.”
He blinked as if coming out of a trance, then pulled his hand from
between her thighs, his fingers slick with her moisture, proof of her desire.
He couldn’t have looked more confused.
Lissa didn’t know what to say. Now wasn’t the time to tell him she
didn’t believe in casual sex, not even with her own husband. Laughter bubbled
in her throat while tears stung her eyes.
He stared. “Lissa, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do anything. I
thought…” Not finishing, he rolled off her and left the bed. He was at the wet
bar, downing a shot of whiskey when she moved past.
“Whoa.” He cuffed her wrist and frowned at the pillow wedged under
her arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Sleeping in the tub. You didn’t do anything wrong,” she added
quickly. “You thought exactly what you should have. This isn’t fair to you.”
Cass shook his head. More of his dark locks spilled loose, grazing
his eyebrows, making her weak with wanting. “You’re not spending the night in
the tub.”
“I have to. You won’t fit in it.”
He laughed. “You’re right, I won’t.” Sobering quickly, he took a
deep breath and spoke on a sigh, “We have a year of this to face, so we sure as
hell better start getting used to it tonight. We’ll both use the bed.” He
grabbed the bottle of vodka and slapped it into her hand. “If I try anything in
my sleep, just hit me over the head with that.”
She threw it to the side. “I’m sorry for what happened. Not
because it happened but because of the circumstances surrounding it. You
deserve better.”
He made a face. “And you don’t?”
“I can handle it.”
He glared. “I can’t?”
“That’s not what I meant. I—”
“It’s okay.” Breathing hard, he cradled the side of her face in
his hand. “Just go to bed. I’ll be there directly.”
She glanced at the wet bar.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to get drunk.”
“I know. I was thinking about doing that myself.”
He laughed. “God, woman, you’re a handful.”
Her cheeks warmed at his teasing. She murmured, “You’re an
honorable man, Cass.”
He dropped his hand. “Go to bed, please.”
Lissa didn’t move. “Which side of the mattress do you prefer?”
“The middle?”
She laughed. “I’ll take the right if that’s okay.”
“Fine. Whatever you want.”
“No, I want you to be comfortable too. If you prefer something
else, let me know. Do you have a double bed on the ranch? Do you sleep in the
middle of it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, his biceps bulging with that small
move, the dark hair in his pit peeking out, making Lissa nuts.
She swallowed. “Come on, tell me. How do you usually sleep?”
“In the nude.”
BIO:
I’m an Amazon and international
bestselling author in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance
for Kensington, Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Siren Publishing, Booktrope,
Decadent, Luminosity, and indie. Yay!
Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly,Romantic Times and numerous online sites
have praised my work, and trust me, I’m forever grateful for that. I’ve had my
books reach finals in the EPIC competition, one title was named Book of the
Year at a review site, and others have won awards in RWA-sponsored contests.
I’m actually featured in the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Talk
about feeling like a freaking star. Before my writing career, I was the editor
of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a
Hollywood production company. Outside of being an admitted and unrepentant
chocoholic, I’ve flown a single-engine plane (scary stuff), rewired an old
house using an electricity for dummies book, and have been known to moan like
Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally whenever
I’m eating anything Mexican or Italian. Yeah, I like to eat (burp).
You can check me out here – yes, I
am everywhere!J
When Raquelita Muro and Matthew Buchanan
meet by chance on a Greyhound bus between Texas and Tallahassee, neither
suspects Fate is about to take over.
Raquelita, a gentle girl under the heel of her abusive mother, finds this kind
young man a miracle. Matthew and idealistic young soldier, discovers this
sweet-natured girl is an angel in need of a guardian. However, the next
stop on Matthew's journey is Fort Benning to report for deployment to Vietnam,
while Raquelita's destination is set at her mother's whim. Regardless of
the forces tearing them apart, they discover a way to secretly span the
distance, to end up closer than ever. But Fate is rarely kind. The
vagaries of war —and the unstable tempers of Raquelita's mother—intervene,
leaving both ill-fated lovers feeling there is no hope for their love.
Set in the turbulent era of the Vietnam War, Raquelita's and Matthew's story is
one of love, loss, lost faith, shattered memoirs, deferred dreams and broken
promises. Will Fate tear apart these two damaged souls, leaving them
desperately alone forever, or will they finally overcome Fate, their bond
stronger than they ever thought possible?
Goodreads reviews. “My favorite part of this historical romance novel is that it explores so many different types of love. Young love, unrequited love, mature love, free love, familial love. It also explores duty, to your country, your family, your loved one, and to your own self. The Vietnam War, a time of epic social upheaval, is the perfect setting for this exploration as Raquelita and her family are faced with changes, both within and outside their family. Is a chance meeting on a bus part of Destiny's Plan, and if so, what is that plan?
Get swept up in the winds of change as one twist after the other leaves you wondering what the ultimate outcome will be.”
“You will be absorbed into this story on so many levels. The innocent and instant connection between Raquelita and Matthew is as real as anyone that has be blessed with love at first sight and will make believers out of others.
The first novel from the talented Victoria Saccenti Author, transports you to another time, when the country was discovering the awareness of love, life and the world. This story is a definite must have for anyone that appreciates a well-written story, will fully developed characters, riveting story plots, and a romance that your heart and mind will not forget.”
About the Author.
Victoria Saccenti is a world traveler born
in Havana, Cuba. She attended the University of Puerto Rico, and is a
contributor to The Ultimate Guide to Dorothy Dunnett’s THE GAME OF KINGS,
by Laura Caine Ramsey. She is a member of the RWA and AWFA, an active moderator
at the Outlander Book Club (www.outlanderbookclub.freeforums.org),
She lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband, but hopes, one day, to relocate
to the Highlands of Scotland.
Victoria Saccenti writes Women’s Fiction
and Generational Sagas. Her debut novel Destiny’s Plan, takes place
during the 1960’s and the Vietnam War, a turbulent era, when the nation lost
its innocence, and established traditions tumbled under the pressure of
political upheaval and social rebellion. In Destiny’s
Plan, Raquelita and Matthew, two young people from very different
cultures, meet and fall in love at first sight, but the obstacles ahead promise
a difficult journey and Destiny will always have the final word.
