#4 Heather D! Heather, write me at bethkery@aol.com and I’ll send on your info to Shelli! Congrats, and thanks to Shelli for joining in.

Up next, Dee Tenorio!

I’m so glad to have author friend Shelli Stevens here today at the Explosive Contest. Shelli is going to be telling us about the second book in her Holding Out for a Hero series, and she’s generously giving away the first book in the series to one commenter here today!

Beth: Welcome, Shelli! I know you have been very busy lately. What are you working on writing-wise?

I’m actually between projects! I just finished up a paranormal that I need to revise/edit and then send back to our agent ;). I also plan on trying to write a category romance, as well as a book to that would follow up with a secondary character from Negligee Behavior (my upcoming contemporary release at Carina).

Beth: How are you and your books alike?

I think you’ll see some of me in a handful of my heroines. If something completely random or funny comes out of their mouth, that’s probably a little of myself right there.

Some of the hotter stuff like love scenes is pretty much fiction? I’m actually single and quite boring, so it’s not first hand accounts! Sorry if that disappoints. 😛 Some of my books will incorporate traveling, because I love to travel. I just like to make my books fun and exciting and obviously a little (or a lot!) sexy.

Beth: What authors influenced you over the years?

I started reading category romances as a tween, they were my first. I wish I could tell you the authors or titles, but mostly I just picked them up and devoured them. I also picked up a lot of Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, Johanna Lindsey. I read such an abundance of authors now (including you, Beth!) Cherry Adair, Jane Porter, Lora Leigh. Really the list is extensive, covering category authors to single title books of every genre and heat level! I love to find new authors. And I’ve always LOVED historicals, which is funny because I’ve never written one.

Holding Out for a Hero, Book 2

Megan Asher has a thriving career, looks, self-confidence to spare. It all means little without the love of her life. Trevor has returned from deployment in Afghanistan a haunted man, emotionally distant and unwilling to connect—except in bed. Then even that fragile thread snaps. Brokenhearted, she is forced to call off their wedding and, after a few months’ separation, try to move on.

With every aspect of his life spinning out of his once-legendary control, Trevor Wyatt convinces himself that Megan is better off—and safer—as far away from his demons as possible. Until he comes back to town for his brother’s wedding, and discovers Megan is dating.
Suddenly realizing what he’s thrown away, he vows to breach the fortress she’s built around her heart. They come together in a cataclysm of rekindled passion that unleashes the very demons he never wanted her to witness.

Back to square one, Megan realizes she must take the ultimate risk to slip past Trevor’s defenses. Give him control in the one place she can. The bedroom. The seductive move is one she prays will be the first step in helping heal him and their love.

Coming December 21st from Samhain Publishing.

EXCERPT

“Why are you here, Trevor?” she asked again.

“You’ll have to tell him no.”

Megan stilled. “Excuse me?”

“Henry boy. You’ll have to tell him that you can’t have dinner with him tonight.”

This time she let out a slow, throaty laugh that had his eyes darkening further.

“And why is that?” she asked.

“Because you’re having dinner with me.”

The hell she was. Megan let the smile on her face become a bit sympathetic.

“I find it best not to go to dinner with my exes,” she murmured and pushed back her chair to stand. “Now if you’ll excuse me—”

“Because there’s so many of them? Exes?” Trevor asked, standing as well and blocking her escape from where she’d been about to slip past him. “We were together for two years and before that, I remember you saying there was no one serious.”

Annoyance sparked in her belly and it pricked her to realize she probably wasn’t hiding it from her eyes now. “This is all a bit irrelevant, Trevor. I’m not having dinner with you.”

He slowly made his way around her desk, and she took a few steps backward, her pulse quickening and her mouth going dry.

“Come on, angel, just admit it,” he said softly, advancing upon her. “The idea of dinner with Henry does nothing for you.”

“Henry happens to be a very nice man,” she said quickly, her back literally against the wall now.

Oh God, if he came any closer—and there, damn it he did! Their knees were nearly bumping now. She drew in a sharp breath, but it only filled her head with the scent of him. His shampoo and soap that was painfully familiar. The faint hint of his cologne. Megan had the urge to nuzzle his neck, to flick her tongue and see if he still tasted the same.

You’re crazy, Megan, get it together.

“Tell me about this Henry guy,” he commanded softly, his gaze sliding over her face, searching her eyes. “Does he wear starched suits and bowties?”

“Actually, he doesn’t.” They were just regular ties.

Her heart thumped wildly against her rib cage and the proximity of his body to hers had every tiny hair on the back of her neck lifting up in awareness. Why oh why didn’t she share an office with anyone? Most of her days were spent on the phone with clients, answering e-mails or doing paperwork, but very rarely did anyone come in.

She was alone with Trevor unless she forced him to leave. And right now—though her brain was screaming at her to throw him out on his cocky ass—her body was begging him to stay. To stop just looking at her and to touch her. Because she missed him so much. She missed being held in his arms and kissing him. Touching him. Talking…though the talking had ended long before the kissing had.

Every muscle in her body was coiled with tension. With need.

“I’ve always loved you like this, Megan.” He reached out and traced the lapel of her blazer. “But you know that, don’t you? All prim and proper in your trim little suits.”

“Trevor—”

“Nobody could possibly know by looking at you just what a little animal you are in bed,” he muttered thickly, his fingers gliding back up her lapel and then inward, to trace the neckline of her silk camisole. “How when you come hard you can scar up a man’s back with those claws of yours.”

His words had her biting back a throaty moan. Even as her nipples tightened and dampness gathered in her panties. She could see it in her head. Could almost feel his cock pounding into her again as the weight of his body pinned hers to the bed.

No, sex won’t fix anything.

“Remember that time when we first started dating, when I fucked you in this office?” he asked. “When I bent you over that desk right over there, lifted your skirt, pushed those tiny panties you love to wear aside and just took you?”

Her sex clenched with an ache to be filled, because she did remember. But she shook her head, trying to make him stop verbalizing such a sensual memory.

“Remember how you begged me, angel?” He smiled. “‘Cause I sure do.”

“Please…”

“Does Henry make you feel like this? Does he know that kissing the small of your back makes you whimper like a bitch in heat?” His voice dropped an octave as his finger dipped under the neckline of her top to caress the swell of her breasts.

Push him away. Tell him to stop. But she couldn’t. Didn’t want to.

“Or when he’s sucking on your tits, are you biting your tongue not to call out my name?”

“Trevor,” she pleaded huskily, arching into his touch.

“Yeah. Just like that.” And then his head descended, his mouth slanting across hers.

Megan couldn’t have resisted even if she’d wanted to. She cried out as his lips plundered her, as his tongue thrust fiercely against hers as if to remind her just who was kissing her. As if she could ever, ever forget.

****
Wow, that’s some good stuff there, Shelli! Thanks so much for joining us here today.

Leave Shelli a comment, and qualify to win GOING DOWN tomorow morning. You can find out more about Shelli and her books here. And if you haven’t yet entered the Explosive contest, what are you waiting for? 🙂 Enter just above this post to qualify for a fifty dollar Amazon gift card and the grand prize, a Kindle ereader.

#10, Beverly G SiN! Beverly, write me at bethkery@aol.com in order to claim your book. I’ll forward your information to Juliana.

Thanks to Juliana and everyone who participated!

Up next, Shelli Stevens entices us with her Holding out for a Hero series!

Please join me in welcoming Juliana Stone as the first author in the EXPLOSIVE contest! Juliana is generously offering a copy of ONE of her two super steamy Avon paranormal romances, His Darkest Hunger or her latest, His Darkest Embrace. Just leave a meaningful comment on her entry, and you’re in the draw. Winner announced tomorrow morning.

Juliana’s Interview
Beth: Tell us about your most recent book, His Darkest Embrace.

JS: Hi Beth thanks for having me stop by your blog! His Darkest Embrace is the second book in my jaguar warriors series. It continues with the story ARC that began in the first book, His Darkest Hunger and features the youngest Castille brother, Jagger. Here is the blurb:

A solitary hunter with no regard for the human world, Jagger Castille is a shifter living on the edge. It will take the woman who calls him enemy to give him a reason to live.
Jagger is a creature of the night—Skye Knightly soars in the sun. Natural adversaries, they have been joined by destiny in a mission entrusted to Skye’s family centuries ago: Nothing less than the salvation of the Earth.
Wounded and bitter, Jagger sought escape in the solitude of the jungle, driven by a need to disappear forever… until a mysterious shifter who calls to his soul and feeds a yearning long forgotten, pulls him from his dark path. A courageous warrior, Skye’s passion is equal to Jagger’s own—but can she trust a man on the edge? A man whose secrets are as devastating as her own?
Each is the other’s sole hope for survival. But a dark and twisted truth is leading them toward the ultimate sacrifice for a love they may never live to claim.

Beth : So dark and edgy. Love it. I know you mentioned recently at our Total Exposure yahoo group that you had finished His Darkest Salvation, the newest entry in your jaguar series. How has your writing changed from His Darkest Hunger until the completion of HDS? What things have you learned about this industry that you didn’t know while writing His Darkest Hunger?

JS: Yes His Darkest Salvation is the third book in this series and it pretty much ties up most of the loose ends and finishes the three book story arc. Declan’s book is the fourth and it too is done. I’m kind of excited about it, as it totally goes in a new direction. His book is tentatively entitled, Wicked Road to Hell. My world is still full of all sorts of creatures, magicks, shifters, vampires and demons…as well as some new ones! I think that is what’s changed the most…I’ve become more adept at my world building. Of course I truly think you become better with each book you write and I certainly feel like I’m a much stronger writer now than I was two years ago. I love the whole creative process and this entire journey is a blast.

I’ve learned a lot and have been eager to ask questions and I’ve had the luxury of being able to have frank conversations with many established authors who’ve been so lovely and willing to give advice. I think the thing I’ve learned is that this is a business and to be successful, you need to treat it like a business.

Beth: How are you and your books alike?

JS: I think we’re both a little dark and twisty sometimes! LOl

Beth: I love the word twisty! Reminds me of the English when they say someone went off the twist instead of off the edge. LOL. What’s up next for you, Juliana?

JS: Up next for me, hopefully more books for Avon, continuing the series with some new and some old, characters. Like I said, it’s going in a bit of a new direction, not focusing solely on the shifters and it’s really exciting. I’m also working on an UF and hoping to be able to do something with that in the next few months.

Beth: Good luck with all of that, Juliana, and thanks again for entertaining us with your books today!

ALSO: I was interviewed at Lea’s Closetreader blog today, and there is a giveaway of EXPLOSIVE. Be sure to hop over there after you leave Juliana a comment!

*THIS CONTEST IS NOW OVER*

Welcome to my huge Explosive contest, the two week-long celebration of my upcoming contemporary/suspense/erotic release from Berkley! Yay! Hope you’ll join me for daily giveaways, wonderful guest authors who are generously giving away their books, and two terrific grand prizes to be given away on December 1, 2010, a second prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a first prize of a brand new Kindle ereader (just in time for Chrismas!) All you have to do is comment here at this main post, and you are in the December 1 draw for prizes! It’s that simple!

Winners must contact me at bethkery@aol.com to claim their prizes within 48 hours of the winner announcement. If the prize isn’t claimed, I will use the random number generator to choose another winner, etc. until someone claims the prize.

Remember to stop my blog daily for fantastic daily authors and giveaways of books! Here’s the line-up:

November 16: Juliana Stone
November 17: Shelli Stevens
November 18: Dee Tenorio
November 19: Beth Williamson
Weekend: Me
November 22: Kelly Jamieson
November 23: Julie James
November 24: HelenKay Dimon
November 26: Lacey Savage
Weekend: Me
November 29: Vivi Andrews
November 30: Tracy Wolff

Please check just beneath this post for the daily guest author post

EXPLOSIVE is coming from Berkley Heat December 7, 2010!

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Suspense
Format: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Berkley
His touch would consume her—if it didn’t kill her first…

Dr. Sophie Gable wasn’t expecting her peaceful getaway to be shattered by the arrival of a half-dazed, dead-sexy guest. Thomas Nicasio has obviously been traumatized, and Sophie thinks she knows by what. There’s something about Thomas’s father that he can’t—or won’t—remember. Something that could get them both killed. Still she can’t resist Thomas’s electrifying seduction—or her instincts to help him…

An ex-Navy explosives specialist, Thomas has never felt this type of volatile need for a woman. Even while he’s grieving the deaths of his brother and nephew, something in Sophie makes Thomas want to overtake her, and each time he does, her willing submission makes him want her all the more. But danger is lurking close by, and if he can’t face the demons of his past, he and Sophie could be the next victims in a pattern of meaningless violence…

Read an Excerpt

Holiday Bound will be available for the best price of all–FREE–from November 15th to December 15th, so if you haven’t tried this spicy short novel yet, now’s your chance!

Did you know you don’t need a Kindle or Nook device to enjoy all their free books? You can download Kindle and Nook apps to your PC or your phone–they have tons of applications for different devices, once again…FREE. I downloaded Kindle onto my droid phone and love it.

Download Holiday Bound at Amazon Kindle
Download Holiday Bound at Nook

Alex Carradine can’t believe his father wants to come and visit his ski resort. Could it be that after so many stormy years, “slick Mitch” Carridine wants to offer an olive branch? Maybe the old man is mellowing, settling down with the new lover he’s bringing along.

Then Alex realizes the acid truth. This is no warm family visit. His father’s latest conquest is none other than the woman of Alex’s sexual fantasies, meant only to dangle tauntingly in front of his face. At least an unexpected blizzard has frozen his father out of the picture entirely.

Angeline Kastakis was looking forward to taking the next step in her relationship with Mitch. Too late she realizes she’s been led into a familial battle zone. Now it’s Christmas and she’s marooned in a blizzard with an insolent, gorgeous hunk of man whose blazing blue eyes tell her loud and clear he wants her in his bed. Preferably tied to it with a bow.

There’s no escape in sight. But as Alex stirs her secret longing to be mastered by a man, escape is the last thing on her mind…

5 Stars and a Top Pick from The Romance Reviews

5 Angels and a Recommended Read from Fallen Angel Reviews

Read an excerpt

Look for it free at Amazon Kindle starting November 15th!

I can’t believe it–my erotic contemporary suspense, Explosive will be out in less than one month. I’m celebrating the upcoming release on December 7 with a two week contest–and this one carries a big bang of prizes (har har). Commenters on the main page prize will qualify for either the second prize–a $50 dollar Amazon gift certificate OR the grand prize, a brand new Kindle Wi-Fi!

Now I did some research in regard to Canada and European countries. The Kindle does seem to have accomodated and I’ve read some good reviews, so I’m not putting a location restriction on either of the first or second big prizes. Winners announced on November 30th. And hey–if you have a Kindle or ereader already, ’tis the time of year for gift giving, so hopefully it won’t go to waste!

The contest begins November 16, and I’ve got a great group of writers coming by to do some interviews, blog and talk about their most recent books. There will be daily prizes in addition to the large prizes, so this should be fun. Look for favorites like HelenKay Dimon. Julie James and Tracy Wolff, just to name a very few off the top of my head.

Feel free to spread the word about the Explosive contest, and Explosive itself! Lea has kindly made a nice sharable widgit if you’d like to let your blog-readers or friends know about it.

I’ve been trying really hard to work on the second book in the Princes of the Underground series, but various things keep interfering. Edits for The Hometown Hero Returns came in, and I had to scurry to make the deadline.

Some progress is being made, though. Here’s a random (very unedited) piece from the currently titled Satin Rapture, the second book in the Princes of the Underground series from Samhain.

She clung onto the banister—to consciousness, to her very sanity—with a desperate hold.

She followed his command without thought. Blackness enfolded her.

It will be interesting to see what the title ends up being…and if this tidbit even ends up in the book. 🙂 You never know, the way I slash. I liked it though.

Have you checked out Velvet Cataclysm, Book One in the Princes series yet? Here’s a quick bite (smile). This excerpt was the inspiration for the title, and I believe the key scene in the book. If you haven’t seen the video of Velvet Cataclysm, youu can check it out here. You can enlarge it by pressing the four outward facing arrows at the bottom.

Excerpt: Velvet Cataclsym

Her lush, parted lips sent him into a frenzy of lust, as if her mouth were an exposed sex organ. He palmed her ass and bent his knees before he fell on her, savaging the honeyed cavern behind her lips. She participated eagerly, tangling with his striking tongue, but it was a consumption as much as a kiss, and it was Saint who consumed, suckling her essence, swallowing Christina down his throat until he felt her essence zipping through his veins, bringing his flesh to vibrant life.

She flicked her tongue over the front of an incisor, a quick, precise tease, and he thought he’d explode then and there.

He moved, only vaguely aware that he wanted something solid behind them, so enraptured was he with burying himself in Christina’s taste. She gave a soft umph of surprise when he backed her into a thick tree trunk. He softened his kiss by way of apology, but within seconds the madness struck his brain again. He slid his hands behind her thighs and lifted her off the ground, pressing her pussy against his straining cock.

He raised his head and hissed.

Her eyes went wide as she looked up at him, and for a brief second, what she saw flashed into his brain. The moonlight cast his rigid features in bluish light and black shadow. His fangs flashed white and lethal in the darkness.

She gasped and laid her head back on the bark of the tree, exposing her throat. He understood her reaction had come from arousal at the breaking point.

Not fear.

He leaned down and scraped his fangs gently over her madly throbbing pulse, the moment sublime.

When he sunk his teeth into Christina, it was like a velvet cataclysm—an explosion of sensation contained within the softest embrace. The sure knowledge that he would never harm her because he knew love—because he could love—flowed through him, an elixir as sweet as Christina’s vitessence-rich blood. He heard her sharp inhale, felt her body stiffen against him as pleasure infused them both.

The second book in the Subtle Lovers series, Subtle Touch, is now available in print. Here’s its new cover and a spicy little excerpt!

SUBTLE TOUCHPublisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Paranormal, Erotic Romance
Series: Subtle Lovers #2; Previous Book: Subtle Magic

Asmoday is back.

This time he’s determined to wreak havoc on his hated enemies, the Ammadons, through the dangerous medium of the Astral Plane. What better way to seek revenge and regain his physical body than through the divine doorway of one of those gifted, powerful women who has the ability to become a Watcher mate? Actress Sophia Galanis is the perfect prey because she doesn’t know what she really is”“or what she has the power to become.

The last thing that Che Ammadon has on his mind the night he challenges Asmoday’s corrupt spirit is finding his life mate. Every Watcher longs to find such a gifted, exceptional woman, whose essence is rarified enough to acknowledge his existence on the physical plane—a woman who could confer him with no less than a fully corporeal body with her sexual response. Asmoday wants Sophia’s power for his own and will gladly kill her to get it. But Che isn’t known as the foremost warrior among the Watchers for nothing. Now that he’s found Sophia, no force of nature—be it supernatural or merely Sophia’s stubborn nature—will keep him from completely possessing what is his.

5 Hearts from the Romance Studio”“The heat between the two in this story sizzles; Subtle Touch is a wonderful addition to a great series, don’t miss it!

5 Stars–Joyfully Reviewed

Excerpt
Sophia’s breath drew in sharply. She didn’t fully trust her own brain at that moment, but she’d just felt fingers caress the side of her neck, fire-kissed, calloused, thoroughly hypnotizing fingertips. Every sensory nerve in her body leapt into a state of alert pleasure. Her head unconsciously tilted into the touch. Her eyelids flickered closed. She couldn’t have repeated the actual content of what Che said as he conversed with Tony, but she was utterly focused on his deep, authoritative voice. Her being seemed to ride and flow with the mesmerizing sound, even as his words seemed to glide over her, pitching her senses into acute excitement.

Of course, it was impossible for a voice to make love. But Sophia vaguely acknowledged that was exactly what was happening. The disembodied fingertips soothingly, sensually stroked her neck, then lowered with agonizing slowness until they caressed the upper slope of her left breast. Sophia held her breath in tense expectation. Her nipples pulled tight in anticipation. Her clit seemed to alternate between a friction-mandating tickle and a hot throb, stimulating her beyond belief. She felt it with amazing clarity, the slide of fingertips across her appreciative skin, the erotic rasp of masculine, slightly rough flesh against her feminine softness. She stifled her gasp when they feathered one erect nipple, then closed around it and pinched with gentle, exquisite precision. An arrow of desire shot down to her sex, causing an even greater pinch of pleasure at her clit. Her eyes sprang open wide, because the pressure there thickened even further, until it felt like the long, hard ridge of a finger pressing against her.

Bizarrely, everything looked exactly as it should be. Night had eclipsed her view of the lake, but Sophia could still hear the regular rhythm of waves breaking on the beach as she gasped desperately for air. She dazedly noticed Tony’s expression of resentment mixed with grudging respect as Che answered one of his questions in a manner that was at once comprehensible, intelligent and concise. Sophia’s eyes narrowed as she studied Che. He seemed utterly focused on the conversation.

It’s an illusion, Sophia. I’m utterly focused on you.

Sophia almost choked out loud in disbelief. She had heard his voice perfectly, although Tony was currently speaking and Che’s entire attention seemed to be on the other man.

She felt a stubble-roughened chin erotically abrade the tender skin of her neck, as though he were pressing his face to her and inhaling her scent deeply. The air seemed to shift and thicken around her mouth, and then she clearly sensed firm lips tasting her own. Her heart fluttered erratically in her chest, because all the while, her breasts and her clit was being stroked and played by masterful fingers. The fire in her was building and building. Sophia knew that the only way to extinguish such an inferno was to allow it to reach its natural peak of eruption. She became aware of a droplet of sweat running between the valley of her breasts. A small, muffled sound of aroused desperation came from her throat.

Shhhh.

Fragrant, warm air rushed across her sensitized lips. Damp, slightly rough flesh tenderly licked the drop of sweat off between her breasts. Several seconds passed in painful anticipation as she sensed him savoring her taste. Then she felt his tongue slowly, deliberately follow the path of the moisture.

Sophia glanced downward sharply. But all she saw was her own familiar body in the chair. Nobody and nothing was touching her. Anxiety hammered at her heart, but Sophia couldn’t say what was causing her the most unrest, panic or impending orgasm.

Oh God, I’m losing my mind.

No. Trust me in this.

Sophia blinked. His words had been uttered into her mind with startling authority.

Buy as an ebook or print book at Ellora’s Cave
Amazon