Free Kindle Books from Ellora's Cave

Thought I'd spread the wealth. 44 Free Ellora's Cave and Cerridwen books now available at Amazon!

Also, Saturday I'll be guest blogging at Cerise DeLand's blog. Come visit!

I'd Make an Excellent Hermit

I teach fulltime, so in the summers I kind of hunker down and enjoy "me" time. The last four days I've sort of left my comfort zone--went out of town with my mom on a day trip, went to different bookstores to see if they'd carry the upcoming release of my alter ego, went to the farmer's market (OMG crowded) and had an old friend and her daughter over. Last night I dreamed about being stuck in a trailer with my boss, my teenager, my bff and the school counselor, and I was anxious for "alone" time. Then I dreamed about going to church, which was SO crowded I couldn't sit with my family, and at the end of the service, 2 of my former HS friends (who have found me on Facebook) ran up to me with a note trying to draw me into the drama of their lives.

Exhausting dream, right?

So I'm back to hunkering down today, writing and reading and maybe some pool time, all in the comforts of home!

Multiple Partners

This weekend I read two books that featured multiple partners--more than just the two guys and a girl. I'm not going to name them because I don't want authors to get their feelings hurt, but I have to say I didn't enjoy them. In one, there were FIVE guys and a girl. The heroine was interested in one more than the others, and the sex between them was amazing. But she admitted she wanted to sleep with his friends, too. He was fine with this because it apparently wasn't the first time. The problem was, the story was so short, the reader didn't have time to get to know the other characters before they were all stacked together, with certain things in certain orifices. To me, they were names on a page. I could tell the author knew the characters, because some were a bit more developed than others, but it just left me with a meh feeling.

The other book had three men and a girl. This story was a bit longer, and the heroine had one-on-one sex with more than one guy before they all stacked together. This gave the characters a little more development, though again she was interested in one more than the others.

I guess what I need in my erotic romance is an emotional connection before I can feel the heat.

Riding Double

Yesterday I read the book Riding Double by Sayde Grace. It was a very...interesting book. First, it was told in first person from the heroine, Billie's, POV. Okay. Not my favorite, especially in erotica, but I'll go along. Billie is a cowgirl who takes the rodeo animals from one venue to another. Interesting career. She picks up cowboys along the way as she tries to mend her broken heart. (And DUDE. It's broken. TONS of conflict here with the hero.)

She picks up 21-year-old Chet and they meet back at his hotel room. He warns her his roommate might be back any minute, but she doesn't care, and they get busy. Of course, the roommate does return, and guess who it is? The guy who broke her heart, Bo. But after a few minutes, Billie and Chet go at it again, with the ex watching. I think I may be revealing too much about myself here when I say I found this incredibly hot. When Chet finishes without Billie, she fakes an orgasm, and when Chet blithely goes to shower (those 21-year-olds need to learn when a woman's faking, is all I'm saying), Bo takes over and finishes her off. Yowza.

The best part about this book is the conflict. I won't spoil it here (I may have already given up too much), but I couldn't see how these two were going to overcome their conflict. It was huge. And sad. I cried.

I would have liked a bit more description, especially since the book was in first person, but this is definitely a smokin' hot book.

Going All In by Jess Dee

One of the first ménage stories I read was GOING ALL IN by Jess Dee. It is three friends, a woman and two men, who would meet regularly to play poker with their friends. One night, the three are the last ones in the house and venture into the forbidden. The love scenes were smoking, but what I loved about this book was the uncertainty of one of the heroes. The second hero was sexually attracted to the first hero, who had big issues with this, and it was very interesting to see his character overcome this issue. The book actually had me crying over his struggle.

I’m not always a fan of ménage stories where all three characters end up together, but this one is really excellent.

Pas De Deux

I have always loved stories about ballet. I took ballet when I was younger, but I'm nowhere close to graceful. So I'm happy with watching movies like White Knights and reading books like Pas de Deux by Fiona Jayde.

Lynnrina is a ballerina making a comeback, but is receiving threatening letters. Her bodyguard (squee! Anyone else remember that episode of Starsky and Hutch where Hutch is the bodyguard for a ballerina and they get it on in front of the fire? Best. Episode. Ever.) is Mateo, an ex-cop and a former one-night-stand. Sparks fly!

The story is grittier than I expected, not very glamorous, the atmosphere dark, the characters a little needy. But despite that, I loved the book. I loved Lynn's desire to find success, and Mateo's own issues--the reasons he walked away from the police department. The sex was steamy, and I only wished the story had been longer! I look forward to reading more by Fiona Jayde.

Heat of the Moment and Heat of Passion Reviewed

I’m going to review Heat of the Moment and Heat of Passion together because they’re part of a series. Heat of the Moment is the first, but I read Heat of Passion first because it was a free read on Amazon. Good for Elle Kennedy, because I went back and bought Heat of the Moment. Confused yet? I’m never good with titles, much less those that are so similar.

Heat of the Moment is about Shelby, who has a thing for the Navy SEALS who frequent her restaurant, especially John Garrett. She overhears John and another SEAL, Carson, talking about her and coming to the conclusion that she’s too vanilla, that she’d never satisfy. She takes this as a challenge and invites them both up to her apartment, where she makes love to both of them.

Carson made love to her first, while John watched, and even thinking about that scene is thrilling. Then Carson is called away and Garrett and Shelby make love, both hot and sweet.

I really enjoyed this story, but not as much as Heat of Passion, which is Carson’s story. Carson meets a hot girl, Holly, at a club and after a sexy dance, they have hot sex in a supply closet. She tells him the wrong name, but as chance would have it, they encounter each other at Garrett and Shelby’s wedding, where Holly is one of the caterers. This story doesn’t have ménage or anything, but is sexy as hell, while telling a true romance story. Can’t wait to read Heat of the Storm!

Time Bandits

Today was my first day of summer vacation and already the time bandits have invaded. To be honest, I become a hermit in the summer, and guard my writing time jealously. I plan to write 3 short stories, and I have galleys on a full-length novel and revisions on 2 more. This is my chance to see what I'd be able to do if I ever get the opportunity to be a full-time writer.

I know I can't be all work and no play, but I have to be wary of those who will steal my writing time. I have clear goals for every day, and will push myself to meet them. Some days will be easier than others (yesterday was not an easy one, but today should be.) Wish me luck!

Excerpt from Lessons for Teacher

Everything was as perfect as he could make it. He’d cleaned his truck, set up the hotel room, complete with wine and candles, and the reservations were set. He hadn’t decided when he’d tell her about the internship, though. He didn’t want to ruin anything.

She waited for him on the front porch, despite the chill in the air. She wore a woolen wrap around her shoulders, but he could see a full red skirt peeking out beneath the wrap, shorter than she usually wore. As always, he wondered if she wore panties beneath. She’d taken to surprising him on
occasion by not wearing any.

Tonight was not about sex, though it would be a part of the evening. Tonight was about this woman who had captivated him these past months.

“You look great,” he said, stroking a finger down her throat, bared by her upswept hair. “You have your bag?”

She nodded to it, resting against the rail of the porch, and he scooped it up, taking her arm with his other hand. He didn’t want to encounter her mother, who he’d met twice before. He could see nothing of Jamie in that bitter woman.

“You look good, too. I never thought I’d see you in a tie.”

“I bought it just for tonight.”

She closed her hand around it as he opened the truck door for her. “Did you pay a lot of money for it?”

He grinned at the gleam in her eyes. “Not a lot.”

“Oh, goody.” She swung her legs in, offering him a peek of red silk beneath her skirt.

Oh, hell. They hadn’t even gotten to dinner yet, and he was already hard.

He walked around the front of the truck, hoping the chilled air would give him some relief. But when he got in the truck, Jamie had let her wrap fall open to reveal the rest of her dress. Thin straps held it up, and her breasts swelled, full and white, from the scooped neck.

Brady dropped his keys on the floor of the truck. “Christ, Jamie.”

“You like it?” She tucked the wrap against her sides so he could get the full effect. “My mother said I looked like I needed a street corner.”

“I’m wondering if we should skip dinner. Not a man in the restaurant will be able to eat, and you might get stabbed with a dessert fork.”

She laughed. “Whatever you want to do.”

He scooped the keys off the floor. “I’m taking you to dinner.” And then straight to bed.

She shifted in her seat as they pulled out of her neighborhood. “Want me to take care of that for you?”

He glanced over to see her attention on the tented front of his pants. The desire to feel her hand stroking him, or better, her mouth, was strong, but they’d done that once before, and he’d nearly driven into a guardrail.

“I kind of like the anticipation.” It wasn’t a lie.

She laughed and sat back. “You’re not going to be the only one stabbed with a fork.”

They arrived at the restaurant with Brady mostly in control. They were escorted to their table, where their bottle of wine already waited.

“Wow, you went all out,” she said with a smile as she folded her wrap over the back of her chair. “Just because school’s out?”

He couldn’t sit across from her all evening and let her believe that. He’d have to tell her sooner or later. He waited until the waiter had opened and served their wine, and Jamie had taken a sip, before he said, “I got an internship in Harlingen.”

He’d heard the saying, “a light went out in her eyes,” but he’d never seen it actually happen. Her gaze lowered, her lips turned down. Damn it, he’d ruined the evening, or at least the joy she’d felt in it.

She studied her wine for a moment and swallowed, then looked up at him with a bright smile. It wasn’t fake, but didn’t hold the delight she’d shown earlier. “I knew you’d find something. Are you happy with it?”

“I am. I’m thinking it’s pretty much as close as I’ll get to war correspondence this soon.”

Her smile froze. “I hadn’t thought about that. All the drug wars down there—you’ll be careful?”

He smiled and covered her hand with his. “Jamie, I was in Iraq.”

“It doesn’t make you immune.” She opened her menu and scanned it, but he saw her tears glimmer in the candlelight.

“I didn’t mean to ruin your evening,” he said quietly.

“No, of course you didn’t.” She looked up at him, and yes, tears shone. “We should be celebrating. This is a good thing. I’m just—going to miss you.”

“There’s a UT branch in Brownsville, half an hour away.” Whoa. Where had that come from? He couldn’t ask her to make a change like that for him. Hadn’t her ex done the same thing?

His words sent a jolt through Jamie. She went perfectly still and stared. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? And regretting it, if the deer-in-the-headlights look on his face was any indication. “I couldn’t do that.”

Well, she could. She just—didn’t make decisions like that. She certainly wasn’t going to change her career path to follow a man. She’d learned her lesson with David. No man was worth that.

Not even Brady.

The Winner!

CAROL L! Contact me at emmajay13 @ gmail . com and I'll get the gift certificate out to you!

I hope you all enjoyed the excerpts. This week I'll be posting reviews of other erotic romances I've enjoyed.

LESSONS FOR TEACHER got its first review from Seriously Reviewed this week!

Excerpt from Lessons for Teacher

WARNING: Adult content ahead!

The other students shuffled in their seats, gathering books, signaling that it must be time for class to end. She dismissed them with an assignment, and turned her attention back to Brady.

She recognized the gleam in his eyes and immediately her pussy dampened with anticipation.

“I’ve got to get you under me,” he said, approaching the lectern with a casual stroll and leaning in close.

“Oh!” Desire flashed through her, so strong she couldn’t let go of the lectern right then. “Where?”

“My dorm room. Let’s go.”

She bent to scoop her bag off the floor, stepping around another student as she hurried after him. “Your roommate?” she asked when she caught up with him in the hall.

“In class.”

“Are you sure?”

He glanced down at her. “If he’s not, I’m kicking him out.”

“Brady—”

“Jamie,” he mimicked, then curled his hand around her arm and dragged her into an alcove by the soda machines. “That was hot,” he muttered, crowding her against the wall. “Makes me want to think of something else to argue with you about, just so you can get me hot.” He eased in close enough to kiss her, his breath teasing her lips. She parted her own in anticipation, but he stepped back, drawing her with him.

“Is your room far?”

It wasn’t, was blocks away and three floors up, a tiny room she couldn’t imagine him sharing with another person, since he took up so much of it. One side of the room was decorated with gaming paraphernalia, the other side sparse, just a cheap computer desk and a very narrow twin bed. Jamie
had no idea how Brady slept there comfortably night after night.

Behind her, he locked the door and dragged a chair to prop under the handle. When she raised her eyebrows at the move, he shrugged.

“Would you rather hang your bra on the handle to warn him off?”

She pressed a hand to the new bra she’d bought this morning. “No. Do they really do that?”

“I’ve never seen it, outside of movies.” He tossed his backpack onto the chair beside her and grasped her hips, pulling her close. “Please tell me you aren’t wearing underwear.”

She swallowed and grinned. “A thong.”

He drew in a sharp breath, his eyes going dark. “This I gotta see.” He reached behind her and found the zipper of her skirt unerringly, unhooked it and let it fall to her feet. He sucked in an appreciative breath when he saw the scrap of black lace. “Turn around.”

She did, suddenly self-aware. “I don’t have the best ass.”

“You have a great ass.” He smoothed his hands over her cheeks and drew her against him, pressing his hard cock against her butt. “Did it turn you on, wearing that? Because if I’d known you were wearing that, I would have dragged you out in the middle of class.”

“I’ll say it made me more—aware.”

“Aware. Shit.”

Still pressing his hard-on against her ass, he fumbled with the buttons of her blouse. The fabric parted over her new bra, her breasts swelling over the top of the cups. He curved his palms over the smooth skin, tucking his fingers inside the fabric to tease her nipples.

“If I say pretty please, will you wear this every day?”

“Maybe.” She eased away from him and shrugged her blouse off, draping it over the chair before stretching out on his bed and drawing her leg up in a seductive pose. “You said something about needing to get me beneath you?”

Excerpt from Lessons for Teacher

WARNING: Adult content ahead!

She shifted anxiously. “I’m not—I don’t want you to think I’ve ever done anything like that. All weekend I worried that you might think—”

He placed his hand on the table, close to hers but not touching. He didn’t want to spook her. “I never thought. I don’t either, for what it’s worth.”

She swallowed. “Really? Because I know a lot of girls—”

“Girls,” he repeated. “Not really my thing.”

She giggled. “It seemed to be exactly your thing.”

He reached across the table to rest his hand on her arm. “You’re no girl, innocent as you are. There are things you know—”

“Not according to my ex.”

He blinked. “Then he’s an idiot.”

A smile flashed through her eyes. “You have no idea.”

“You know what gets me?” he asked, leaning even closer. “This, right here.” He circled a finger in the air above the hollow of her throat. She lifted her hand to her neck and he pushed it away. “It tightens up when you get passionate about something, like in class. And it tightens up when you’re around me.” He dragged his fingertip over the smooth skin and felt her pulse flutter under his touch.

He’d wanted to taste her there for months, and when he had, on Saturday night, it had been a concentration of her scent. Just remembering her taste on his tongue aroused him. Hell, watching her eyes widen and darken aroused him, and he shifted to accommodate his erection.

“Is there someplace we can go?”

“Brady. You have a class.” Her voice was breathy and shot straight to his groin.

“Not for a couple of hours.”

“I don’t have my own place.”

“Neither do I. I live in the dorm.”

“Right. With the roommate who never leaves.”

“You have an office or something?”

“I’m just a T.A.”

She was chickening out. Okay, he could get that. He was disappointed, after Saturday night, after reliving the encounter on Saturday, after fantasizing about getting into her panties for months. Resigned, he reached for his backpack.

“Our classroom is empty right now,” she said, her words rushed. “It’s where I usually work on my plans for the next class.”

He snapped his gaze to hers. Her blush ended at the vee of her blouse. Christ, that was adorable.

“Should we go?” he asked, watching her eyes, seeing the indecision underlying the desire.

She looped her hand through the straps of her bag. “Let’s go.”

He waited for her to stand, then stepped behind her, his hand on her elbow, but allowing her to lead the way. His jeans weren’t baggy enough to hide the erection he couldn’t get under control, especially when he watched the unconscious sway of her ass.

She moved like that in class, too, and it was a miracle the room wasn’t full of walking hard-ons. Right now all he could think about was getting her alone, rubbing his cock against her ass, making her come. Those sounds she’d made the other night, those sweet little whimpers—Jesus, no wonder he couldn’t get a handle on his arousal.

When he would have guided her toward the elevator, she headed for the stairs. The classroom was only on the third floor, but he wanted to be alone with her now, wanted to feel her mouth open for him, wanted to feel her body against him.
He consoled himself with watching her walk up the stairs ahead of him.

What a great ass.

Then they reached the room and he turned her to him, his hand on her waist, diving in for a kiss.

Excerpt from Lessons for Teacher

WARNING: Adult content ahead!

Brady grinned. He took her bottle from her and set it on the windowsill behind her, then took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

Well, such as it was. An area near the stereo had been cleared for dancing and was packed with bodies moving to the music. There was barely room for Brady to squeeze in, much less the two of them, but still he rested his hands on her hips and pulled her close, close enough that every movement of her body, or his, put her in contact, belly to thigh. He was warm—very warm—and hard. All over. He tightened his fingers on her hips and drew her closer, so her belly rubbed against his groin. She was aware of his cock growing with the contact. Her gaze flicked to his as her face heated, and her sex melted.
He watched her with an unnerving intensity, as if he could see every thought and desire racing through her head, and was ready to make them all come true.

He slid one hand up to her waist so his thumb rode beneath her breast, and she wanted to shift to bring his touch against her nipple, which beaded in anticipation. Just the thought made her breast ache, her pussy contract. He swayed with her, slower than the music dictated. Slow and sexy and seductive. Tentatively, she pressed her stomach against his cock and slid up, then down the length. Heat flashed in his eyes, and his jaw tightened, clearly appreciating her daring.
The look he gave her encouraged her to take it further. She brushed her breasts against the wall of his chest.

“You know, I thought you probably had a great body, but it’s hard to tell with those clothes you usually wear.” He brushed his thumb along the underside of her breast before sliding his hand back to her waist.

She wanted to whimper in protest. Was she not adept at sending signals? “That’s kind of the point.”

“Yeah, but those skirts slay me. Some days all I can think about is getting my hands under them, shoving them all the way up.” His hands slid down the thighs of her jeans, up over her hips, his fingers digging in briefly, pressing her against him.

“Oh!” Her knees wobbled at the thought.

He lowered his head. “I think about putting you on that desk with your skirt around your waist and kissing you till you come.”

“Brady.” His name was a moan, but she didn’t look away. Couldn’t. How many times had she fantasized about the same thing?

“Truth or dare?” The words were a breath over her skin.

“Dare,” she managed.

“I dare you to come into the next room and make my fantasy come true.”

She drew away, just a few inches. “I’m not wearing a skirt.”

“I can work around that.”

Excerpt from Lessons for Teacher

Adult content ahead!

When he would have guided her toward the elevator, she headed for the stairs. The classroom was only on the third floor, but he wanted to be alone with her now, wanted to feel her mouth open for him, wanted to feel her body against him.
He consoled himself with watching her walk up the stairs ahead of him. What a great ass.
Then they reached the room and he turned her to him, his hand on her waist, diving in for a kiss.
She ducked away and let her bag slip to the floor. “Wait. I’ve got to lock the doors.”
“Right.” His head was so foggy with what was going to happen next that he’d forgotten about that.
She locked the one they’d just come in, then hurried down the steps of the auditorium-style classroom to lock the one by the lectern. She turned back and gasped to see he’d followed her.
He curved his hands around her slender waist, fighting his desire to rip her blouse off, and dragged her up on her toes to kiss her.
She leaned into the kiss smoothly, cupping the back of his neck, lips parted, her tongue slipping out to tease his lips. With a half-chuckle, half-groan, he invited her tongue into his mouth, letting her taste him, stroke along his tongue, the rhythm sweet and shy, such a contrast to the dark desire overwhelming him. He fisted his hands in her crisp blouse, drawing it free from her skirt.
She dropped back onto her heels, breathless, as he unbuttoned her blouse from the bottom up. The white fabric fell away to reveal a pink bra with sheer lacy cups. He met her gaze and grinned.
“That’s unexpected. If I’d know you wore stuff like that under your clothes, I would have acted sooner.”
“I don’t, always,” she said with a smile just this side of sultry. “Just today.”
“And tomorrow.” He slid his hands from the smooth skin of her waist up to cup both breasts, his thumbs circling over the dark tips. She drew in a sharp breath and let her head fall back, her hair tumbling free from the clip she wore. “I want to
know you’re wearing this tomorrow when you’re standing in front of the class.”
“Why do you want to know that?” The words ended in a groan.
“Because I want to know it’s for me.”