Áfram með smjörið*

*On with the butter - move your butt and keep doing what you're meant to be doing.

So I am officially back from Iceland. Happy to be reunited with Kyle and Yuki and my tea collection, but already missing Reykjavik. Mum and I just completely fell in love with the city and the countryside. We managed to cram in a hell of a lot for just a few days, from geysers to beaches to the Northern Lights to waffles. Even so, I really wish we'd had just one extra day to do a bit more - whale watching was something we fancied but didn't have time for (plus the weather probably wasn't ideal for being out at sea). And I personally could have gone for one more round of waffles.

Look at that perfection.

I took soooooooooooo many photos, and if you want to see the best ones, I made a Pinterest board for them here. I won't clog up this entire post with photo after photo, but I am sharing a few of my favourite with you!

This is in the lava fields outside the Blue Lagoon, a really surreal and stunning location. The water is super-heated by a nearby lava flow, and a beautiful milky blue colour due to the mineral content. The spa itself is a huge man-made lagoon with the same water. It rained a little bit while we were there, and it was a truly unique experience to be floating in that gorgeous hot water while cold rain fell down on us.

This is Reynisfjara beach, my hands-down favourite location from the trip. The black sand and basalt sea stacks make it a completely magical, mysterious place. It was absolutely pouring with rain the day we visited, so we couldn't spend as much time on the beach as we wanted, but even just a short visit was worthwhile.

There was a lot of cool street art around Reykjavic, and this was my favourite piece because werewolves.

Sunset over the harbour in Reykjavic. This was from our first night, when we were supposed to be going out for a Northern Lights tour. The weather wasn't right for it, but luckily we managed to get booked in for another tour on Monday night. We got driven out to Pingvellir National Park at around 10.30pm. Getting off the coach, we were greeted by perfectly clear skies, and with no light pollution for miles around, we could clearly see countless stars - and ghostly white bands that almost imperceptibly moved and changed as we watched. That was our Northern Lights sighting - very beautiful and eerie. It was a shame not to see any colour, but getting to see anything at all felt very special, and the sight of all those stars was amazing all by itself.

So we started back to Reykjavik...only to find the coach driver stopping ten minutes later and the tour guide urging us all to get off the coach again.

And we did. And outside we got those Northern Lights. The great shimmering arcs of green and pink light, dancing overhead, moving so fast and gracefully, I can only describe it as magical. My phone camera wasn't good enough to capture any shots, but I'm glad in a way. It was much better to just stand and watch, and soak it all in, rather than be staring at it through a camera lens. It was icy cold and my neck hurt from staring up so much, but it didn't matter. I fulfilled a lifetime's ambition and saw the Northern Lights in all their glory, and I won't need photos to remember how incredible that felt. I've wanted to see them ever since I read Philip Pullman's Northern Lights (or the Golden Compass to my American friends), and not only did we get to see them, but we saw a truly special display.

It would be hard to pick one favourite experience from the holiday, but the Northern Lights and Reynisfjara will stay with me for a long time. I'd love to go back to Iceland at a different time of year, fit in some whale-and-puffin watching, or go back to Reynisfjara and explore more. Everyone we met was lovely, Reykjavik is charming, and the entire holiday was just perfect. Coming back to reality, and all the bills and housework and emails that entails, you can't help but experience something of a slump.

Well, after a long discussion with Kyle, we decided there was only one way to combat such a slump, and that was to book a holiday.

It will be Kyle's 30th birthday in December, and we've been talking for ages about what to do for it. In the end (like, literally at 11pm last night), we settled on a trip to Morocco! We'll be staying in a mountain hotel near Marrakech for five days. It'll be completely different to anywhere I've been before, and I cannot wait! We need to find a nice cat hotel for Yuki so she can have a little holiday too. So...thank you, Iceland. I love you very much. And on to the next adventure!

Guest Blog - J.R. Gray is Ever So Madly here

Bad pun. But I do not apologise for it. Never apologise for a pun, no matter how bad. 

Anyway! Tomorrow I shall be off to Iceland for Northern Lights, geysers, blue lagoons, and lots of hotdogs, if the travel guides are to be believed. So I leave you in the capable hands of J.R. Gray, who's here with his first m/f release, EVER SO MADLY. Here we go!

Love is for peasants, nobles marry for power. These are the rules Jocelynn has lived by. She is expected to be the poised and perfect vision of relentless power. Set to inherit the House of Akillie she was bred to rule. Men have never turned her head, until now

Madden achieved the impossible, the first in over a century to escape the life of hard labor and earn a place among the elite. With the chance for a fresh start, he has to stay focused, not damn himself by falling for the one girl forbidden to him.

Madden was an experiment in freedom, and she didn’t mean to fall. But now she can't live without him. Some choices are easier than others, while some aren’t choices at all. He’s worth running from everything she’s ever known.

Jocelynn turns to a formidable group of rebels to escape her fate. But with a war to be won, the rebels have their own agenda. Drowning in a game of power and politics, Madden and Jocelynn can’t trust anyone if they want make it out alive.

Buy it now! 

Amazon US

Amazon UK 

Amazon CA 

Read on for an excerpt!

Wednesday Snippet - Blood dripped from every body...

So this is where months of reading about Ivan the Terrible and Vlad the Impaler starts to pay off...I had a really specific idea in my head for how I wanted the world of Through Fire to look and feel, and you'll start to get a feel for it here. I will say that the snippets are probably going to be spoilery for DARK DAYS from here on out, so proceed with caution! This one isn't tooooo bad.

The Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween!

It's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler and the nights are getting spookier. Yes, it's time for tricks and treats, goblins and ghouls, chills and thrills and huge amounts of sugary sweets. But at the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog it's also time for the 5th annual Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway. Join Laughing Vixen Lounge and our bewitching co-hosts The Kids Did It, The Mommy Island, Herding Cats and Burning Soup, The Hopping Bloggers, Mama Smith's Reviews and Women and Their Pretties for a spooktacular Halloween event.

Enter to win a $250 Prize Pack filled with goodies from 10 wickedly fabulous shops. All shops are offering Gift Cards or your choice of item(s) so there will be something for everyone. Many of the shops have items perfect for any book lover along with lots of unique, handcrafted and custom designs to choose from.

Visit the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog daily during the giveaway for the Halloween Movie Marathon. Test your movie knowledge with the Guess the Movie Game. Then try to solve the Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt, if you dare! Each event will get you daily entries in the giveaway plus a special giveaway for the Scavenger Hunt. Find full details for these events HERE.

You can start by entering the Rafflecopter widget below. To experience all the games, movies, shop features, giveaway info and all around awesome fun make sure to stop by the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog HERE. 

The giveaway runs October 18th - November 1st and is open worldwide to anyone 18+. 1 winner will win the Prize Pack and 1 winner will win the Scavenger Hunt Prize Pack. Laughing Vixen Lounge is responsible for all giveaway details. Click HERE for full details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And feel free to comment and let me know your favourite scary movie or book! One of my favourite horror films is Event Horizon - I never get sick of watching it and it always makes me jump no matter how many times I see it! Space/cosmic horror is something I absolutely love. Throw in Pandorum and Pitch Black, and there's the perfect Halloween movie marathon!

 

Fall Into Romance Hop!

Fall Into Romance! Share the romances that had you falling in love with the genre!

Or the ones that keep you smitten! Stop by each blog for new recommendations and giveaways!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I love Autumn, and I love romance, so what better way to celebrate the two than with a Fall-Romance themed blog hop? Not to mention a giveaway!

The book that made me fall in love with romance was...well, probably not a romance by my standards now. Goodreads tells me it's a historical romance, but I think it's probably more accurately a "saga." I'm talking about The Girl, by Catherine Cookson.

My grandparents used to live in a farmhouse and whenever we'd go to visit them, I'd sleep in what had been my uncle's room. He was a voracious reader and the room was stuffed with floor to ceiling bookcases, and those bookcases were stuffed with books of every genre. I used to spend hours searching the shelves for something new to read, and some of those books would become treasured favourites. I found The Girl when I was around fourteen or fifteen, and I must have read it dozens of times over the next five or six years. I loved it. I still love it. The story of Hannah, her unhappy childhood, her awful marriage, and her constant, unwavering love for the man she truly belonged with was captivating for me. Parts of the book are harrowing, parts were wonderfully tender, and it all felt so real. Looking back now, I can see that some elements of the plot were a bit questionable (Hannah's one true love had been obsessed with her since meeting her when she was six, which...yeah, is questionable), but the passion and raw emotion of The Girl hooked me as a teenager and made me seek out more romance novels. Without The Girl, I think it would have taken me a lot longer to discover the genre.

So that's how I fell in love with romance! Now tell me how you did - what was your first love in the romance genre?

To get you talking, I'm offering an e-copy of my first published romance, SHADOW CURSED!

Released from Ottevar Asylum after eight hard years, Lady Emmeline returns to Nachtholm Manor to reclaim her birthright. But she has a battle on her hands - Rainart Eckhard refuses to give up his position as lord of manor, and whilst his cold attitude enrages Emmeline, his smouldering kisses leave her weak at the knees. Who is this dangerous, enticing stranger, and what secrets does he hide? Caught in a web of desire, curses, and self-doubt, Emmeline is not only fighting Rainart for Nachtholm Manor, but for her own heart as well.

To be in with a chance of winning, just leave a comment telling me which romance novel you first fell in love with! And don't forget to visit the other blogs on the hop for more fun and prizes!

 

Guest Blog - An Unexpected Destiny with SJ Maylee

We all love an assassin, right? Literarily speaking, I mean. Well, SJ Maylee's Assassins and Sweethearts series should make you happy then! Bad boys, romantic suspense, and mystery - looks like we've got it all! Tell us more, SJ...

Thank you for having me today. I'm thrilled that Unexpected Destiny has released!

These assassins have really gotten a hold on me. I can’t wait till they all have their happily ever after. How did I get here, giving happy endings to assassins?

Initially I was looking to find love for a bad boy. Assassins aren’t usually the hero. They’re the villain. But I wanted to change all that. These four men came to me almost instantly. In no time, I had bits of each of their stories. I knew I had to write it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly on these men who want to save the lives of those who can’t get the help they so desperately need, whose lives are in immediate danger.

Now that I’ve pulled that string, I see a whole mess of stories. Once I tell the stories of these four men, more will come. Great things are in store. I can’t wait to experience it all. <3

Unexpected Destiny

Assassins and Sweethearts Series

by S.J. Maylee

Contemporary Erotic Romantic Suspense

ISBN: 978-1-77233-978-9

Book Description:

Elizabeth Martin thought she had her happily ever after, until her husband mysteriously disappeared. Aidan Clery is a skilled assassin-for-hire who wants nothing more than to find the love of his life. Fate throws Liz in his path and everything is perfect, except Aidan just won the contract on her life. 

The truth surrounding Liz’s estranged husband takes the pair on a dangerous journey. Nothing in their lives will ever be the same. Destiny may be unexpected but it will be up to Aidan and Liz to discover the truth and claim their real happily ever after.

Be Warned: light BDSM, bondage, anal play

Where you can find UNEXPECTED DESTINY

Evernight | Amazon

All Romance Ebooks | Bookstrand

Excerpt:

Aidan turned off the faucet and caught the reflection of those gorgeous brown eyes in the mirror.

“Oops. Wrong door,” said his girl as she turned around.

“I can share.” He could handle the surveillance later. This woman deserved his attention.

She stopped and turned around. “Okay then.” She took a step toward him. “You know what? I should have asked for confirmation earlier.” Her gaze was full of mischief.

“You’re right. You should have asked.” He took a hold of her hand and pulled her close. “I sure would like to see that tiny scrap of lace.” And just like that his night got infinitely better.

She stopped her forward movement when their chests were a mere inch apart. A nice rosy blush heated her cheeks. He kept hold of her hand while her other played with the lapel of his dark leather jacket. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“You need to get back to your friends?”

“Yes, but…” She licked her bottom lip. “Maybe I could stay here for a few minutes.”

“At least a few.” He tapped the bottom of her chin. “How about you start by telling me your name?”

“Liz.” Her gaze met his and he wanted time to stop. Something about the lonely look in her eyes called to him to not let her get away. She shifted closer. “Who are you?”

He pushed his finger over her waistband, rubbing her hipbone. “I’m Aidan.” He squeezed the hand he still held. Her soft body relaxed against his.

“I should probably go. I need to get my friends home.”

“I don’t think you should go anywhere.” He brushed his nose against hers.

A delicious moan slipped from her lips. “I don’t want to leave but I need to make sure they get home safely.”

“It’s nice of you to look out for them.” Damn, she smelled good. It was lilacs or roses or something.

“I’d rather stay here with you.” She leaned in and their lips almost met. “My friends are always right. I should have gone out with them months ago.”

“Stay a few more minutes.” He caressed over her hips to her round ass. Hot tension filled his thoughts. Forget a few more minutes, he’d take all night and then some to explore this beautiful woman.

“More.” She scraped her teeth over her bottom lip.

A second later, the door opened. “Lizzy, we got to go. Emily isn’t feeling well.”

She dropped her head to his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Lizzy.” The woman held the door open. “You’re right. He is cute. Bring him with you. Emily won’t mind.”

“She’ll be right out,” he said. Once the friend left the bathroom, he brushed her hair behind her shoulders and stroked her back.

“I feel like I’m cursed.”

“You and me both, sweetheart.” He didn’t let her go.

“Well.” She looked up at him from under her long, dark lashes. “It’s not what I had in mind but would you help me with my friends?” The soft tone of her voice had him imagining how she’d purr if he made her come. “I think I might be the only one sober and they can be a bit much to wrangle into a cab. They live north in Edgewater and then we could do something, maybe go back to my place.” She worried her poor bottom lip once more.

“I’d like that.” He squeezed her ass. “Sure. I’ll help, Lizzy.” He tugged on her hair. Then he’d help himself to more of her.

---

Praise for the first book in the Assassins and Sweethearts Series

Desire Unexpected

5 stars from Cocktails and Books: “Their love for each other was very fierce, and when they began to have sex, it goes completely off the charts. Their love scenes were intense and oh, so hot!  They had feeling of a kind of desperation to them. They’ve found what they were looking for in each other, and they’re clinging to it with everything they had.”

4 Hearts from Sizzling Hot Reads: “It had the hot steamy sex scenes but also the mystery behind the group Ethan belonged too. I look forward to more from the Assassins and Sweethearts series.”

4 stars from Redz World Reviews: “over all this is a great start to what promises to be a good series”

Where you can find Desire Unexpected

Amazon | Evernight Publishing | Barnes & Noble Bookstrand

All Romance Ebooks | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

---

Praise for the second book in the Assassins and Sweethearts Series

Desire Protected

FREE Read

5 stars from Liz's Reading Life: Desire Protected is a quick, sensual, heart pounding read that will have you desiring more. 5 stars from a reader, Tracy W: Another well done story from an author I come back to again and again. 5 stars from a reader, Doris O: Suspense, heat, and above all love. Read it, you won't be disappointed.

Where you can find Desire Protected

Amazon | Evernight | Barnes & Noble Bookstrand

All Romance Ebooks | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

---

S.J. MAYLEE BIO:

S.J. Maylee fell in love with storytelling at a young age and with it came a deep-seated desire for everyone to find their happily ever after. She’s finding the happy endings for her characters one steamy story at a time.

When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her caring for her garden, laughing with her two young sons, or dancing to her husband’s music. She’s a PMP (Project Management Professional), Nia instructor, and coffee addict.

As a writer she has a tendency to break hearts, but she always glues them back together.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook Page | Instagram | Google+ | Pinterest | Goodreads

New Release Newsletter

WHERE YOU CAN FIND BOOKS BY S.J. MAYLEE:

Evernight Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks | BookStrand | Smashwords | iTunes

Wednesday Snippet - The problem was Dawn...

When I started work on BLOOD WITCH in 2014, I didn't really anticipate Dawn becoming a key character. Now I'm working on book three in the series, and not only is she definitely a key character, she's threatening to get her own spin-off. 

I mean...assuming she survives...

Leavin' on a jet plane..

Well, not for a couple of weeks yet, but I will be heading off to Iceland at the end of October for a short break with my mum. I can't wait! It's going to be so amazing to go somewhere new. We've got Northern Lights tours booked, a trip round the Golden Circle, a trip to the Blue Lagoon, and the possibility of whale watching or a Game of Thrones location tour (or both!) to keep us busy. We fly out on October 22nd and come home on October 26th, and hopefully I'll return packed with inspiration for perfumes and stories. I mean, it's Iceland. I've long been obsessed with folklore and history from that part of the world, and I can't wait to get out there and see the land that birthed it.

In the mean time, I'm doing my best to get organised, both personally and in my day job, before I go. As you may know, every October I offer some Halloween limited edition perfumes over at Common Brimstone, with the profits going to the British Heart Foundation. This year's set is inspired by legendary serpents, in honour of our dear departed Remic. I want to leave the shop open while I'm away, so that means stocking up now on sample bottles, essential oils, and labels so I don't come home to find myself without any vital supplies. I'm also trying to keep my order queue under control (always verging on an impossible task) so that I can relax and not think about shipping deadlines while I'm in the Blue Lagoon.

This week it will be Evernight Publishing's birthday! I'll be hosting a guest slot over at their Facebook party on Sunday (assuming I've got my UK-US time conversion right), where I'll be chatting about my works both as Naomi and Amber Morgan, and giving away a few ebooks. I'll also be taking part in a writing marathon over the weekend, with the aim of getting 10k written on Through Fire. This...is ambitious. It's that time of year when my hands and arms really start to suffer, and the last thing I want to do before I set off to a cold climate is aggravate my problems. That said, 5k a day is not unreasonable and since I won't get any writing done while I'm away, I want to make as much progress as possible. So we'll see how that goes...

So the next couple of weeks are looking to be pretty busy in the best kind of way! If you follow me on Twitter of Facebook, look out for a slew of photos from Iceland!

Guest Blog - NJ Young has a Fierce Temper

Friday at last! Some weeks it just feels like you won't make it...I've been swamped with missing financial reports, catering disasters, IT blackouts, and dodgy desks, and that was just Monday, really. So let's end the week on a high note with NJ Young!

Fierce Temper (Ozark Magic, #2)

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today! I am very happy to share my new release, Fierce Temper! If you like super hot book boyfriends, sizzling M/F/M ménage sex, serious suspense, and a laugh-your-ass off heroine, then I really hope you will check out Fierce Temper!

Fierce Temper             

Ozark Magic, Book 2

By: N.J. Young

Genre: Menage, Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Rubenesque, BDSM

Release Date: August 3, 2016

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Blurb

Tessa Lawson has a secret… actually, she has a few. Not only did she used to be known as adult film star Temper Jazz, but she is also on the run after witnessing a murder and stealing $250K from a drug lord. She moved to Magic to hide, but will she be able to hide her heart?

Milo Livingston has his own demons. His guilt over a horrible accident that injured a friend has left him thinking he doesn’t deserve happiness. He surely doesn’t think that Tessa could ever love him.

When Milo’s friend, DEA Agent Archer Collins comes to town searching for Tessa, the trio’s world is thrown into upheaval. Archer is intent on bringing down the drug cartel responsible for his sister’s death. He never expected to fall in love with the key witness he’s been searching for.

After an attempt is made on Tessa’s life, Milo and Archer join forces to protect the woman they care about. Will both men be able to overcome their own demons and trust Tessa with their hearts? And will their love be enough to protect her from the dangerous people who want her dead?

Purchase Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aiE1T5

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/fierce-temper-by-n-j-young/

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/fierce-temper-mfm

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fiercetemper-2084309-146.html

About N.J. Young

I'm a Midwestern girl and a lover of coffee, live music, and horror movies, not necessarily in that order.

I've been writing all my life, and I honestly can't remember a time when I wanted to do anything but write. After many years spent suffering the trials of corporate America and writing about everything from financial risk management to software user manuals to website copy about radiators (sadly, I'm not kidding), I decided take the plunge and start writing books.

I love a good love story with super hot alpha males, strong heroines, a little humor, and a lot of suspense. Sprinkle in some sexual fantasies and a few BDSM aspects, and Boom! These are only a few of the themes you'll find in my books.

When I'm not writing, I'm probably at Starbucks, or fighting evil with the help of my husband, two children, and our houseful of animals. 

Stalk N.J. Young on the Web

Website – www.njyoungbooks.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NJYoungauthor/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeilaRocks

Instagram – www.instagram.com/NeilaRocks

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/NJYoung

Fierce Temper (Ozark Magic #2) Excerpt

Tessa swallowed, the heat from Archer’s touch sizzling through her. Milo’s hand slid to the back of her hair as if he wanted his own turn running his fingers through it. He caressed her hair gently, and she nearly moaned in pleasure.

This was a bad idea. A voice in her head kept saying it. But an even louder voice seemed to be kicking that little voice’s ass. Maybe the timing wasn’t ideal, but she was tired of holding back and putting up walls. She’d tried for so long not to let anyone get close enough to hurt her. Maybe it was time to just let everything go, just let herself go, even if it was only for one night.

“I uh, I mean, I’ve seen just about every emotion on your faces tonight. Anger, concern … desire? At least I think this is what desire looks like.”

“In case you’re unsure, let me clear things up for you.” Milo pulled her up so she stood in front of him. Even though she thought of herself as big, she felt dwarfed next to Milo.

When he leaned into her, her first instinct was to pull away, but Archer had backed up against her, cutting off any escape route. She began to wonder if the two of them had done this together before. They were gentle, but both of them held her firmly enough, making it clear she wasn’t going anywhere.

The heat from their bodies made Tessa’s heart pound and her entire lower half throb. It had been a long time since she’d felt this way. Archer’s hands rested lightly on her waist as he leaned in to nuzzle her hair. Milo’s big hand cupped her cheeks, his thumb rubbing sexy little circles. She swallowed hard, and suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Ever so slowly, he reached up to slide her glasses off. He folded them and handed them to Archer who placed them on the bedside table.

“What are you doing?” she managed to croak.

His hands immediately returned to cup her face, tilting her head up until her eyes met his. Those blue eyes had taken on a smoky tint, and she felt a shudder go through her body as she saw herself reflected in them.

“This. We’re doing this.” He bent his head slowly, giving her time to stop him, time to say no. But she didn’t want to stop him.

So that was fast...

I submitted Thrown to the Wolves to Evernight on Sunday, and I had my acceptance email, cover art/blurb sheet, and contract all in rapid succession this afternoon! So I can now proudly say that THROWN TO THE WOLVES is coming to Evernight in December! Huzzahs!

As usual, more details as I get them, but here's the (unedited) blurb:

Paige went to Romania looking for inspiration for a book. She found herself caught in a horror story. Attacked and left for dead by a vampire, Paige finds herself at the mercy of Kata, a beautiful, enigmatic werewolf. Their attraction is instant, but Paige's fate hangs in the balance. She may yet be turned into a vampire herself. Soon it's clear to Paige that the only way to save herself may be to return to the woman who attacked her...even if it means placing both herself and Kata in the greatest danger.

I intend to celebrate this evening by working some more on Through Fire, and maybe sneaking in some chocolate somewhere...

Wednesday Snippet - Through Fire

It begins! Oh God. Okay. I have to admit, I've had the first line of this book in my head for months, but I didn't really expect it to lead here...Poor Tris...

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”

- Plato, The Republic

So, later than expected (because that seems to be my theme this year), Thrown to the Wolves is finished, polished, and submitted. I like this little werewolfy romance a lot, and I hope to have good news about it soon.

That brings us into October, and Blood Canticles 3. It was always my plan to start on this in the autumn, so even though I'd hoped to get going in September, I'm okay with being a bit behind schedule. This book will easily take the rest of the year to write, unless I get lucky, and my perhaps foolish aim is to write a companion novella alongside it.

See, Blood Canticles 3, tentatively titled Through Fire, will take Lola and Tristesse away from their ragtag group for the bulk of the book, but events in Fort Rosser will continue apace, because that's how the world works. The nasty stuff that happened in DARK DAYS will have knock-on effects for Dawn, Imani, and Rowan that need to be addressed while Lola and Tris are...away. At first I thought about writing Through Fire with alternating viewpoints, with Lola, Tris, and Dawn all being focal characters.

Then I realised I'd probably end up with either a hot mess or a 100k epic working that way, and decided it might be easier to write one novel and one novella. I could be wrong about this route, but it feels like the right path, so we'll see. In any case, my schedule for the rest of the year is now as follows:

Write Through Fire
Write companion novella (Pale Queen)
Try not to make a mess

I am very excited about both these stories. If everything goes to plan, Lola's world is going to explode (metaphorically) and I can show you all kinds of new, horrible, amazing things. I've spent a lot of this year doing research and reading heavily to inform the world of Through Fire, and Pale Queen will hopefully do its own job in building on the magic and lore of BLOOD WITCH and DARK DAYS. I'll try to share snippets if they're not too spoilery. If you want a glimpse at the Blood Canticles world in the meantime, there's my Pinterest board here, and an ever-growing Spotify playlist at the bottom of this page. Enjoy!

Guest Blog - A Dark Redemption from Sarah Marsh

Sunday seems to be the new guest blog day at the moment. Well, what better way to end the week (or start it, depending on your view) than with a steamy excerpt from Sarah Marsh? Works for me!

DARK REDEMPTION

by Sarah Marsh

Broken Souls Series, #1 Release Date: August 30, 2016 Publisher: Limitless Publishing Cover Designer: Redbird Designs
 

SYNOPSIS:

Sofia Boon was ready to make changes in her life, but she didn’t see this coming…Taking a chance, she finds the nerve to ask out her handsome neighbor, but when he doesn’t show up for their date, Sofia knocks on his door and meets a man claiming to be his roommate, and she soon realizes she’s made a horrible mistake. Eitan Kent is a tortured man, haunted by a death he was unable to prevent… Eitan believes he is unworthy of being loved. He buries himself in his work and takes a job to track down a wanted criminal, Ben Donovan. He locates Donovan’s apartment, but finds it empty—until Donovan’s “date” shows up. Eitan doesn’t know what to make of sweet, curvy Sofia, but she’s the only lead he has… Feeling he has no choice, Eitan decides to take her with him to see if she can somehow lead him to Donovan before it’s too late—or if her innocence is all an act and she’s involved in the bastard’s crimes. Sofia is terrified and tries to explain to the dark stranger that she barely knows her neighbor and has no idea how to track him down, but Eitan knows exactly how to get the truth from her. Who knew a little torture could be so sweet?

NOW AVAILABLE!!

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Excerpt:

That rat bastard! She thought as she watched him stroll out of the room just as though nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t just gotten her so turned on that she thought she’d spontaneously combust and then just…left. Sofia didn’t think about what she would have done if he’d tried to have sex with her. That would just ruin the fury she was currently riding. She should be relieved he hadn’t tried to force her. She should have been, logically speaking, but she had to admit to herself her overheated body was ready to beg for release and that her traitorous hormones were killing the rational part of her brain. 

Sofia knew it was crazy, but all she could think about right now was that the most satisfying way to get some relief was under her sexy captor. It was an issue that only got worse as he walked back into the room with a tray of food and all that beautiful, tanned bare skin.  

“Here, let me help you sit up so you can eat,” he said, putting the tray down on the nightstand and moving closer, “Or would you rather wash up and use the bathroom first?”  

“Bathroom first, please,” she said immediately, thinking she could follow his lead and get some satisfaction while cleaning up. But clearly her eagerness must have given her away because he raised one eyebrow in challenge.  

“Okay, but you have ten minutes to shower, and you are not allowed to touch yourself other than to get clean?am I understood?” he said in a firm tone as he leaned forward and undid her wrists.

“You’re going to watch me?” she asked, not quite certain if she was offended or turned on at the prospect. She wondered for a second why his firm tone seemed to excite her more than it should have.

“Do you want me to watch you?” he whispered low next to her ear, causing awareness to spread through her entire body.

Sofia was a little breathless at the thought of putting on the same show for him as he did for her, but in the end, her pride won out over the wanton need she felt inside. “No,” she barely answered, and it sounded weak even to her ears. 

His deep chuckle at her answer made her nipples peak even more, and she was almost disappointed when he leaned back and pushed the timer on his watch. “You’ve got ten minutes, Sofia. Then I come in and get you.” 

Sofia had never used the washroom and showered so fast in all her life, she got done with barely a minute to spare as she put her bra and underwear back on and then wrapped herself in a big fluffy towel before she walked back out into the room. 

“You can keep the towel until you’ve eaten, then it’s off,” he said once he saw her. She’d take that small win, and she took her sweet ass time eating as well until he finally took the tray away after she’d spent five minutes chewing a single piece of melon. 

“Now are you going to make this difficult on both of us or are you going to behave?” he said as he motioned toward the wrist cuffs once again. She thought about it, but there was nothing she could do against his superior strength, so she begrudgingly laid back against the padded headboard and raised her wrists.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly. “I told you everything I know already.” 

“Well, I’ll see about that soon enough, won’t I?” was all he said in reply as he fastened the cuffs and picked up the tray before he left the room.

****

By the time Eitan had gotten the kitchen cleaned up from breakfast and returned to the bedroom, he was already half hard from replaying how she’d looked watching him come in the shower. He thought about putting on a pair of jeans, but why bother? He certainly wasn’t ashamed for her to see how she affected him and she sure as hell didn’t seem to be put off by his body, so he may as well use that to his advantage, right? 

“Ready for the ankle cuffs?” he asked as he entered the room. He saw her swallow hard and move her legs tighter together. 

“Why do you have to?” she asked with a worried look. “Are you going to touch me?” 

“You don’t want me to touch you?” he challenged, already knowing her body didn’t have any arguments. 

“Of course I don’t want you to touch me!” she answered, clearly trying to sound offended that he’d suggest such a thing, “I don’t even know your name!” 

“Well, that’s easy enough to remedy,” he said as he placed one knee on the bed and pulled up the first ankle cuff. “My name is Eitan. Now give me your leg, Sofia.” 

He could tell she was surprised he’d given her his name, and to be truthful, he was a bit surprised by that himself. But the more he thought about his name on her lips as she moaned her pleasure, the harder his cock got. He was doing all sorts of things with this little captive that seemed to be breaking his rules, and Eitan wasn’t sure he really cared. When she tentatively placed her little foot in his hand, he quickly attached the cuff and then slowly ran his fingers over the softness of her skin. Clearly she waxed her legs as the skin was still supple and hair free. That thought made him more aware of the noticeably smooth skin under those pretty purple panties, and his mouth watered as he imagined how soft it would feel under his tongue.

As he fastened the second cuff and her legs moved further apart, it was all he could do not to crawl up her body and relieve her of those panties just as he’d fantasized about doing in the shower this morning. It was then that he finally had to admit to himself that this interrogation was probably going to be more difficult for him than it was going to be for her…because his self-control was already bucking to be let loose.
 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR — Sarah Marsh

Sarah Marsh was born in British Columbia where she still lives, she has only recently began her writing career finding it the perfect outlet for taking the edge off a nine to five office job. She’s been a science fiction and romance junkie for years and when her imagination started to take the characters she’d read about even further in their adventures she decided to try writing something of her own.

Sarah’s also a former pastry chef and spends a lot of time cooking and baking for friends and family as well as painting and knitting. Her biggest weaknesses are animals of any kind…she even loves the ones that wake you up at four in the morning because they can almost see the bottom of their food dish.

When it comes to life in general she’s a big believer that laughter is the best medicine and that there’s no such thing as too much love, which is why she’s such a sucker for a happy ending.

Blog: http://sarahmarshfiction.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SM_fiction Street Team: http://bit.ly/2bSYxdi Limitless Publishing: http://bit.ly/2bzQPWa Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/sarah-marsh Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahmarshfiction/ Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/sarahmarshfiction