Tangled In His Possession - Available Now!

 

Woo-hoo! This year, I actually got my spooky season story out on time! (To be fair, last year wasn't 100% my fault, but I'm going to enjoy this anyway.) Tangled In His Possession is my latest paranormal romance, and I love it so much, I have two different marketing pitches for it. Take your pick!

You know those TV movies where the uptight high-powered businesswoman has to move from the big city to a small town because of [whatever reason], but it's all worth it because she finds love? It's like that, but the love interest is possessed by a demon. Whoopsie.

OR

Longtime readers and followers will know how much I love the game Dragon Age 2, especially the Hawke + Anders romance, which is most likely my most favorite video game romance EVER. So, is this technically a modern alternate universe retelling of part of one of my favorite games? ...possibly. But hey, since I'm in charge here, it means I get to pick the ending. 

Blurb and excerpt time? Blurb and excerpt time. 

Blurb:

When her great-aunt dies, leaving The Yarn Barn in need of new management, Lucy Hawkins jumps at the opportunity to quit her stressful sales job. She moves to the quaint tourist town of Willow Vale, ready for a fresh start when she takes over the business. While introducing herself to her new neighbors, she meets Zeke, the owner of the occult shop next door. Friendly yet reserved, Zeke piques her interest, but he turns down her suggestion of a date.

Late one night, a frightening incident causes Zeke to reveal why he doesn’t want to risk getting too close to Lucy: he is possessed by a demon, an evil spirit that killed his grandfather several years earlier. Though he has been able to prevent it from harming anyone else since, he agonizes over what could happen if he loses control. Despite his worries, Lucy persists, and ultimately persuades him to allow her to provide the companionship he’s been too afraid to seek out.

They embark on a romantic relationship, with Zeke becoming the doting, compassionate partner Lucy has always dreamed of. The demon within him, however, remains a lingering concern, especially when it comes to intimacy and his fear for her safety. After a traumatic outburst, he vows to rid the world of the malicious force, even if it costs him his life. Lucy accepts his choice, but there’s one thing she needs from him before he carries out his plan. Can she convince Zeke to share every part of himself with her, demons and all?

 

Excerpt:

"I convinced myself it would be a mistake. Even last night, after I told you my darkest secrets, I believed it would be better if we avoided each other." His knuckles whitened on the countertop. "But when you touched me, the first time anyone’s touched me in years, I surrendered for a few blissful moments. Which was also a mistake, as I haven’t stopped thinking about it since."

She sensed an opening. "I could do it again, if you’d like."

A faint groan rumbled from his throat.

Shifting to the side, Lucy reached over and rested her hand atop his. His skin was warm beneath her palm, and she entwined their fingers together.

His eyes closed as he swallowed. "Why do I find it impossible to resist you?"

"Because I made a career out of being very persuasive." Her grip on him tightened. "Deep down, you know I’m right. You can’t spend the rest of your life pushing people away."

Zeke swiveled toward her, his hand slipping out of hers. "You really are stubborn."

"Yup."

"I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into."

She refused to back down, tilting her head to stare into his chocolate-brown eyes instead. "I think I know what I can and can’t handle."

Indecision washed over his face and he turned away from her. With the faintest of touches, she used her fingertips to guide his head back in her direction. Electricity sparked between them as she drew her thumb across his cheek, memorizing the rough feel of his stubble and enjoying the shudder she elicited. He leaned into her cupped palm, his hot breath floating over her wrist as he pressed his lips to her skin.

Need consumed her, both her desire to explore more of him and her wish to erase some of his anguish. "Let me be closer to you, Zeke," she murmured. "It’s okay to give in."

The intensity with which he kissed her caught her off-guard, ripping the air from her lungs. She recovered quickly, though, and planted her free hand on the other side of his face as his tongue plunged between her parted lips. The ends of her fingers threaded through the silky strands of his hair as she kissed him back with fervor, enthralled by the taste of his soft lips. His arms snaked around her waist, holding her tight.

He drew back far too soon, and she whimpered at the loss of contact. "We shouldn’t be doing this," he said, his voice strained and unsteady.

"Too late." Lucy steered his mouth back to hers and delivered a teasing nibble to his lower lip. "We already are."

Tangled In His Possession is available in paperback and on Kindle Unlimited!

Train Hard, Rest Harder - Available Now!

 

So, I finally did it. I finally wrote some gym-themed smut! And I had such a good time writing it, the whole process went FAST, and I didn't have an opportunity to blog about it. Whoops.

It's funny - while I originally set out to write something on the lighter side, something interesting happened. While the “wild weekend with the young, hot trainer” plot is fun enough on its own, it became a framework for something a little deeper and more poignant. For a lot of stressed-out, overworked women—myself included—the real fantasy is the idea of having a few days free of all responsibility and letting someone else handle everything. (Okay, fine, having that “someone else” be an attractive man waiting to fulfil your every need does sweeten the deal a bit.) 

Shall we have a blurb and excerpt for Train Hard, Rest Harder? (Yes, we shall.)

Blurb:

Between her fast-paced career and managing her household for her family, Julia is always on the go. Her busy schedule leaves little time for her to pursue her own interests and hobbies, save for one activity: the gym she attends with her husband, Rob. The high-intensity classes they take allow her to destress, yet, as with every other aspect of her life, she constantly pushes herself to achieve her fitness goals.

Afraid his wife is at risk of burning out, Rob conspires with Tristan, one of the trainers at the gym, and forms a plan in order to encourage Julia to take a break from all her obligations. They present her with their scheme, informing her how she and Tristan will be staying at his family’s secluded lake house for a long weekend, during which she is under strict orders not to cook, clean, or answer any messages from work. As she processes everything they’ve plotted behind her back, Rob privately tells her he’s noticed her attraction to their trainer. To her surprise, he grants her permission to do anything she wants with Tristan during their weekend together…anything.

They embark on their trip, and Julia wonders if she’ll be able to disconnect from her responsibilities and relax for a few days. She also contemplates whether she can be intimate with another man, despite Rob’s reassurances. Will this weekend with her trainer fulfill all her fantasies? 

Excerpt:

Once I stood, I let him coach me through weighted lunges in all directions and a few rounds of deadlifts. “Almost done.” His gaze flicked back and forth between me and the stack of weights. “Sorry there’s no squat rack here, but I think, as we established last night, we need to make sure you’re keeping up with your squats.”

His words, combined with the memory of his hands on my body, increased the heat simmering inside me. “I’ll make do with what we have. Front squats or goblet squats?”

“I’ll let you choose.”

I bent down to retrieve the dumbbells I’d used for the lunges. “Uh-uh. Try again,” he said from behind me.

“What?”

“We both know you can go heavier than that.”

I glanced back at him over my shoulder. “Yeah, but it’s different without the rack. I have to be able to actually pick these up.”

Tristan inched closer and rested one hand at the small of my back. “I know how strong you are.” His breath fanned across my neck as he spoke. “Give me ten good squats and we’ll call it a day.”

He let his hand drop and gave my ass a quick squeeze before stepping away. I didn’t realize how much I craved more of his touch until he let go of me, but there was only one way to earn it. I went to the rack against the wall and returned with the heaviest weights I thought I could get up to my chest. Blowing out a puff of air, I hoisted them into position and steadied myself for the first squat.

“Slow and controlled,” he said. “And get nice and low with good form, or else I’m going to make you start from the beginning.”

My legs already ached from the run followed by the lunges, but I kept my knees pressed out to the sides as I dipped down and back up. One, I counted to myself. I repeated the movement, fighting to keep the tremble out of my arms as I held the dumbbells up in front of me.

“Almost there.” His raspy whisper sent a different kind of shiver through my tensed muscles. “You got this.”

How the weights didn’t slip out of my hands, I had no idea. I maintained my grip and sank down into my heels yet again. Every time I rose presented more of a struggle, but I was determined to complete the set. Once I finished the tenth squat, I exhaled a long sigh of relief and set the dumbbells down.

Tristan was on me in a flash. He grabbed me by the waist and yanked me backward, sending me crashing into his bare chest. “I love watching you move,” he growled in my ear. “Your powerful body, your flawless form…do you know how long I’ve been dreaming of a moment like this?”

Train Hard, Rest Harder is available in paperback and on Kindle Unlimited!