Silvia Violet needs a litte Christmas!

I'm happy to welcome my friend Silvia Violet as she shares an excerpt of her holiday romance Needing a Little Christmas

Take it away Silvia!

I love Christmas, and once November hits, I wait impatiently to kick-off the Christmas season. Rather than fighting crowds at the mall on Black Friday, I spend the day pulling out boxes of Christmas decorations, books, movies, seasonal artwork my kids have made in years past, ornaments that remind me of earlier Christmases and cookie tins that will soon be bursting with our selection of holiday cookies. Sitting down with Christmas-themed cookbooks and magazines and selecting the cookies and candies my daughters and I are going to make is one of our favorite traditions.

I love the domestic coziness of Christmas - baking, admiring the Christmas tree lights in the evening, drinking cocoa while reading our favorite Christmas books, cuddling on the couch and watching A Christmas Story for the gazillionth time. That warmth and making myself slow down to enjoy more family closeness is what I treasure each December. When I write Christmas stories of my own, I try to make sure my characters get a taste of snuggly Christmas cheer.

In Needing a Little Christmas, Eli is used to a cozy Christmas with his family. He’s twenty-eight, and he’s never once spent Christmas Day anywhere but at his childhood home with his parents and siblings. This year, however, Eli and his brother and sister have given their parents a special gift, a holiday cruise.

Eli is supposed to spend Christmas with his boyfriend, but when he finds his boyfriend doing the naked tango with a co-worker, he’s left on his on. At his mother’s insistence, he leaves the city and goes to one of her friend’s cabins right as a major snowstorm hits. When he realizes he’s trapped with no wood to heat the cabin, he calls Mac’s Wood Delivery and unknowingly saves his Christmas.

Mac has also spent every Christmas of his life wrapped in the warmth of family. He can’t stand the thought of Eli being alone without even a Christmas tree. He knows Eli needs a little Christmas, and Eli realizes that what he needs most is Mac.

Needing a Little Christmas is available now at All Romance eBooks, Amazon, and BN.

Excerpt:

"What do mean you're not going to be with Dave's family for Christmas? Why?"

I pulled the phone away from my ear. I'd known my mother would be upset, but her reaction was even more vehement than I expected.

"Apparently one of the junior partners at his firm isn't nearly as boring as I am. They've been having an affair for months."

My mother made a sound of disgust. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry, and you are not boring."

"I know, but Dave thinks I am." And honestly, I thought he was probably right. I preferred to stay at home rather than go out. I spent most days in sweats and T-shirts. When Dave did drag me to a party with his socialite friends, I inevitably embarrassed him with my lack of knowledge of current affairs. I'd taken to hiding out in the bathroom writing notes for my next book on my phone. He'd even attempted to coach me in the art of party conversation. I'd used his lessons in a book but ignored them as they applied to me. The book had done well; readers found his suggestions hilarious.

When Dave told me I was not only an uninteresting social companion but boring in bed as well, I'd taken that seriously. I might prefer a quiet lifestyle, but I knew how to please a partner sexually. After pondering what I could do to shock him, I'd gotten my nipples pierced, something I'd secretly wanted to do for years.

He laughed.

I should have broken up with him that night. We'd only had sex a few times after that, and each time, Dave raced to completion, showered off the scent of me, and promptly fell asleep.

I heard my mother's heels click against the floor, the sound reminding me to concentrate on the conversation. She must be pacing, something she always did when strategizing. "I'm so sorry, honey. Do you want us to cancel our cruise?"

That was the last thing I wanted. "Of course not. You've been looking forward to it for months. I'm fine. Really."

"Are you sure?"

I held the phone between my shoulder and ear as I poured myself a generous measure of whiskey. "Yeah, things hadn't been great between me and Dave for a long time."

She huffed. "That doesn't give him any excuse to—"

I held up my hand even though she couldn't see me. "No it doesn't. He acted like an ass, and I think he knows it. He moved out of his beloved apartment and told me I could keep it." Not that I could afford it for long unless my next book was a runaway hit.

Mom sighed. "I don't want you spending Christmas alone."

After draining my drink, I'd wandered into my bedroom and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes were red from lack of sleep, and they looked more hazel than their usual bright green. My curly dark hair stood out at odd angles. The stress of trying to meet the deadline for my book and trying to hold on to a relationship that had died long before I caught Dave fucking his colleague in his office hadn't been good for my appetite. I'd lost weight, and the bones in my face showed prominently. I was definitely not looking my best, but

I wanted a few more days to wallow in self-pity.

"I really don't want to be around anyone right now."

My mom sighed. "But it's Christmas."

I ran my hand through my hair, making it stick out even more. "I'm not in the mood for holiday cheer."

"Your dad and I can go on a cruise another year."

"No, arranging this once was difficult enough. Rick and Cindy will want to spend next year with you since they're with Cindy's family this year. And Ally's trip to California is a special one-time deal. This is our gift to you, and I won't be responsible for screwing it up."

"You wouldn't be responsible, Dave would be."

"I wasn't exactly looking forward to listening to his family brag about how wonderful they all are. I'll have a better time alone." My mom's pacing stopped, and I realized I'd said the wrong thing.

"Eli, why didn't you tell us you didn't want to go home with Dave? We would never have agreed to the cruise if we thought you'd be miserable at Christmas."

I tried to backpedal. "It would have been fine. I enjoy visiting Boston, even if the company leaves something to be desired."

"Hmm." My mom didn't sound convinced. "Maybe we could get you a ticket for the cruise. It might not be full."

The cruise was supposed to give my parents some uninterrupted time together. And the last thing I wanted was be trapped on a ship with lots of happy, smiling people encouraging me to socialize while my mom fussed over me. "No, thanks. I really, truly would rather be on my own."

"But what will you do?"

"Stay home and drown my sorrows in Christmas cookies and eggnog."

Learn more about Silvia at her website or join her on Facebook or Twitter.

KT Grant's THE GATE

I'd like to welcome erotica author KT Grant! She would like to share a Rated R excerpt from her latest BDSM book THE GATE

KT Grant

Introducing the important players of The Gate: The Top 3 Things You Should Know About the 5 Main Characters:

Say hello to the men of The Gate…

Maxwell “M.L.” Crawford:

1.      He’s one of the top media moguls in the United States and owner of Crawford Media, headquarters in Manhattan.

2.      He’s part owner of The Gate, a BDSM sex club located in Brooklyn.

3.      Max is 35 years old, never been married, is looking for the perfect woman to submit to him and willingly embrace her sexual fantasies and desires.

Christopher Milton:

1.      He’s the right hand man to Roger Walsh, CEO of Walsh Publications. He’s set to take over Walsh Publications after Roger retires.

2.      He just broke up with his fiancé, who cheated on him.

3.      Chris is 35 years old and wants more than just a friendship with Roger’s only daughter- Erika Walsh.

Bryan Westerfield:

1.      He’s the sole heir to the Westerfield Hotel Corporation and has a net worth of over $100 million.

2.      He just turned 21 years old and is still a virgin. He hides a dangerous addiction and enters The Gate hoping to find the right women to help him heal from his tragic past.

3.      Bryan falls hard for Catherine, a dominatrix and part-owner of The Gate. He feels she can give him the salvation he seeks even though she denies him at every corner.

Say hello to the women of The Gate…

Erika Walsh:

1.      At 29 years old, she’s a successful middle grade author who has panic attacks in large crowds.

2.      She has had a long time crush on Christopher Milton, her best friend’s older brother. Now that he’s single again, she hopes they can become lovers.

3.      Erika meets Maxwell Crawford during a publishing industry event and wants to know the man hiding behind the public façade.

Catherine Wells:

1.      She was once engaged to Max’s younger brother, Cameron, who killed himself.

2.      She’s best friends with Max, but in a sexual relationship with the mysterious older Frenchman, Raymond who is her “master”.

3.      Catherine is very attractive to the 12 years her junior, Bryan who makes her question her long lasting relationship with Raymond.

The Gate (Dark Path Series Book #1)…

Available for $3.49 (Digital)

Buy Links: Amazon/ Barnes and Noble/ Kobo/ All Romance Ebooks/ iTunes/ Sony Ereader/ Smashwords

Available on sale for $10.99 (Print)

Buy Link: Amazon

Synopsis: A chance encounter between a successful author and a billionaire owner of an underground BDSM club, leads to the most pivotal relationship of their lives…
Erika Walsh has carried a torch for Christopher Milton, heir to her father’s publishing empire for years. After one steamy make out session she begins to wonder if it might develop into something more. But when M. L. Crawford, better known as Max, her father’s publishing rival, seeks her out at a society event, she’s drawn to his magnetic charisma and powerful demeanor. Their verbal bantering and innuendo laced overtones stir feelings she never knew existed, and soon Erika is consumed with knowing the real man under Max’s restrained public façade.
Erika’s sweet nature and naivety excites Max to near madness. He wants to train her in the art of seduction and make her succumb to his every wish and command…as his perfect submissive. Yet, Christopher is determined to keep Erika from becoming the latest victim of Max’s sinister sexual hungers. He knows all too well what Max hides in his black soul and will stop at nothing to reveal all of Max’s secrets in order to protect the one thing he holds dear above all else- Erika.
Max’s dark desires scare yet arouse Erika, as he opens her eyes to a new bold world full of passion and ecstasy she never imagined until him. But the biggest question remains: Is Erika’s craving for Max just an illusion that transpires behind the walls of The Gate?

Exclusive Excerpt… (Rated- R)

Her arms were stretched out along the wall, attached to the hooks. He didn’t use scarves or a rope, but fur-lined wrist cuffs. He left her legs free but ordered her to keep them spread. She was naked and on display, her cheek resting on the wall.

Max moved somewhere behind her, and music filled the room. He chose Pink Floyd’s The Wall album. Comfortably Numb played through the speakers. She almost broke down in giggles. How appropriate.

His hands landed on her shoulders, causing her to flinch. Shushing her, he rubbed her muscles there, loosening her up. She dipped her head when he squeezed the nape of her neck, digging his fingers into her spine. He traveled down her back then around, cupping her breasts.

“Are you aroused, Erika?” he whispered in her ear.

“I-I think so.” She couldn’t describe what she was feeling, but it was much like when she was ready to have sex with him. She was slick and warm, her body achy and itchy at the same time.

“Hmm, you are, just by the way you’re trembling, how heavy your breathing is.” Sliding his hand down her stomach, he petted her mound. She moaned when he spread apart her folds, circling a finger between them. Twisting upward, he stroked her clit hood.

“Oh! That feels….” She pressed her forehead into the wall. He teased her, but didn’t enter her.

“You’re primed and ready to go. This will make it easier for when I begin. Don’t be surprised if after the first slash you grow even wetter or come.”

“Has anyone ever lost their…um….” She was at a loss to explain what she meant.

“Pissed? It’s never happened to me but I’ve heard others have. If you think you need to relieve yourself or end up having an accident, don’t be embarrassed. Our bodies can only take so much.” He stopped playing in her pussy to pet her bush.

“Well, actual sex is messy, too….” Her comparison sounded lame, so she shut her mouth and closed her eyes, allowing his touch to soothe her.

His husky laugh filled the room. With one last kiss on the side of her throat, he moved away.

When he dropped the strap on her shoulder, she jumped. He coasted the leather down her back and across her ass. She dropped her forehead to the wall, her legs trembling as he ran the leather down each leg and up again. When it fell away, she peeked over her shoulder.

“Face the wall, close your eyes, and brace yourself. I’m going to start with soft slaps and, in time, whack harder. I’ll keep going unless you scream the word, ‘stop’ at the top of your lungs or call out your safe word. You remember your safe word?”

She nodded, mouthing the word that would make him quit the moment she said it. She would try her best not to. She would be strong, allowing him to use her in order to release whatever demons raged inside him.

She was given no warning, but the slap on her ass barely stung. She jolted because she was surprised, not because it hurt. She kept her eyes close, digging her nails into her palms as she waited for the next slap. It came. Then another.

He kept a steady stream of slaps on her ass and back. After a few, her legs shook even more, and those areas throbbed. She warmed, trembling all over. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, just as Max taught her to do. It helped as the flicks of the leather grew stronger, more powerful.

He didn’t say a word as the strap came down on her back and ass. She bit her bottom lip as her flesh throbbed from the stings. Then he changed direction, the strap hitting near the back of her knees. She cried out. The pain ran up her legs, pitching in her stomach along with her throbbing cunt that became wetter with every snap of the leather.

Each slap multiplied with brutal force until she was sobbing. A trickle of wet dripped down the inside of her thigh. She squirmed, jerking on her bonds, yelling Max’s name as his strikes grew harsher.

“Oh God!” she yelled when the strap hit her right in the middle of her back. Her heart pounded in her ears. Her throat clogged with unshed tears.

“More?” he asked somewhere over her right shoulder. The strap slashed her there.

Trembling, she yelped. Tears streamed down her cheeks, she opened her mouth, a soundless scream leaving her.

“Erika, I stop when you tell me to.” His voice didn’t sound uneven, but strong and steady like each slap he gave her. How could that be?

Her back and ass were on fire, the blaze running through her body, traveling through her head, over her face. She burned like she was on the sun. She wouldn’t be able to last much longer.

Coming Summer of 2014:

The Key, book 2 in The Dark Path series…

Erika has reinvented herself as an author of erotic romance under the pseudonym, Lily Fredericks. After her eight month sabbatical in New Orleans, she’s returning to Manhattan to promote her new book. Chris is handling her book tour and wants Erika to give him another chance. She’s forgiven Chris, but Max is always in her thoughts. Sick of waiting for Erika to come to her senses, Max takes matters into his own hands. He’ll go to New Orleans to claim her before it’s too late.

With Erika back in Manhattan, both Chris and Max try to seduce her in the hopes she’ll choose one of them. As both men battle for her heart, a woman from Max’s past reappears, bent on revenge. Chris will ruin Max anyway he can in order to make Erika his own. However Max has something up his sleeve to insure he’s the victor, but not without a price—Erika’s soul.

Bio: KT Grant is a self-proclaimed eccentric redhead who not only loves to read a wide variety of romances, but also loves writing it. Under her alter-ego, she is a well-known book  blogger who doesn’t shy away from voicing her opinion. A proud native of New Jersey, KT is multi-published and writes Gay, Lesbian and Straight romance. KT has been a top ten best-selling author at Amazon, as well as being a multiple All Romance Ebooks best seller and a Night Owl Reviews Top Author Pick.
You can also find KT at these fun places:
Blog: Babbling About Books, and More!
Twitter: @Katiebabs
Facebook

BOOK COVER REVEAL!!

The fourth installment of The Naughty North Pole FUN&GAMES WITH RUDOLPH  is set to be released from Decadent Publishing on November 29th!I can hardly believe that is only a few weeks away! 

Here is the exclusive reveal of the artwork, done by the AWESOME Katherine Souders!!

Starting Nov 27th I will be hosting a raffle to win the first three books in the series and a $20 Amazon Gift Card. 

Find out what's happening at the North Pole during the Countdown to Christmas with fun posts from some of your favorite characters from the series on various blogs throughout the month of December for your chance to win!!

A retelling of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

This time of year people ARE always fascinated with the classic story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW. Disney did a fun cartoon version of it, Johnny Depp starred as Ichabod Crane and now there is a new TV show Sleepy Hollow, starring the sexy Tom Mison on Fox. It’s an autumnal favorite, and no Halloween is complete without it.

Over the years there have been many retellings of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and many are   not familiar with the original version. In the original story Ichabod Crane is a stuffy, arrogant and stern schoolmaster living in the Colonial American town of Tarrytown, New York. He has a rival named Brom Bones, a big, strapping prankster who rides around on a giant black horse named Daredevil. Both men are vying for the hand of the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, the prettiest and richest girl in town. Though the two men are rivals for Katrina’s attention, it's very apparent that Ichabod is more interested in her orchards and properties than any other “fruits” that she has to offer. Brom Bones does his best to humiliate Ichabod and embarrassed him at every turn, which isn't that difficult considering Ichabod offers him a lot of material to work with. The poor sod has no chance of winning Katrina’s hand, but Brom is determined to make sure that never happens.

Now the Headless Horseman is a local legend about a Hession soldier whose head got chopped off during the American Revolutionary War and he haunts the area known as Sleepy Hollow. On the night of a quilting frolic at the Van Tassel Estate, Ichabod is not only bested with wits and storytelling by Brom Bones, but he is also rejected by Katrina. Dejected, Ichabod returns home only to lose control of his bedraggled horse, Gunpowder. The horse leads him into the ghostly Sleepy Hollow, a place Ichabod is terrified of. Here he is chased by the Headless Horseman in the exciting chase we all know and love.

The catch is that there was never a ghost chasing Ichabod Crane!

All the while, the specter was Brom Bones. He dressed up as the Headless Horseman to scare Ichabod Crane so much that the other man would disappear, and he could have Katrina Van Tassel all to himself—a plan which works out perfectly because Brom and Katrina do get married and no one hears from the poor schoolmaster again.

When the idea originally came to me to turn this classic American story into an erotic tale, my first thought was a ménage between Brom, Ichabod and Katrina where I would follow a version of the same ending and Ichabod would be run out of town and humiliated. But then I thought it would be very unfair to do that to poor Icky, and frankly the ménage idea seemed the most obvious.

So I decided that Brom Bones had a different reason for tormenting and teasing Ichabod Crane than vying for the hand of some girl. Maybe Brom masqueraded as the Headless Horseman because he had something naughtier up his sleeve involving the uptight schoolmaster. I don’t think Mr. Hawthorne intended anyone to be doing the nasty in his tale, but what I came up with doesn’t deviate too much from the original narrative.....well that is until somebody wakes up naked and tied to a bed!!!

Please enjoy this exclusive excerpt from my version of THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW. I don't think you'll ever think of Ichabod Crane the same again :-)

EXCERPT:

Brom was mounted on his favorite steed, Daredevil, a creature like himself, full of spit and vinegar, and no one could ride but him. He was known to prefer vicious animals, which kept the rider in constant risk of breaking their neck. “Tell me, Ichabod, did you receive a personal invitation from the young Miss Van Tassel or the one the little houseboy delivered?”

Ichabod shifted in the saddle, for he had received a visit from the houseboy, and if one were to judge by the self-satisfied grin Brom wore, he had received the former of the two invitations. Ichabod fussed irritably with the reins and Gunpowder lurched as if given instruction to run. Ichabod may have done something to confuse the horse, but he was seeing far too much red to accept such a possibility. He was convinced the horse was friends with Brom Bones and the two conspirators only wished to make him a fool.

After containing the beast and reseating himself in a wholly ungraceful fashion, Ichabod replied, “And of what business is that of yours?”

“I shall take that to mean Katrina did not call on you?” the dark haired man deduced, and his wretched companions laughed again. The man seemed to find a perverse joy in tormenting Ichabod. His black gaze skimmed him from head to foot in a very unsettling manner and his cocksure grin slanted to the left when he smiled. “Surely, she would have paid you a call had you been wearing this, your best rusty black suit. You make quite the impression.”

Ichabod longed to make an impression of his fist on Brom’s unusually clean-shaven face. Ichabod hated himself for even noting such a detail or that his rival was dressed in his finest, his white shirt roguishly open at the collar and indecently exposing his throat and a hint of chest hairs. Brom was striking atop his devilish steed. Meanwhile, Ichabod imagined he must look like a tall, skinny clown atop a squat, haggard gelding with a rusted bridle.

Oh, should Death come swift to save me now, he thought wildly.

“I see you have even combed and styled your pretty hair, as well,” Brom went on as if with genuine approval of Ichabod’s appearance.

There was a resounding rumble of laughter and Ichabod wished he could disappear like the ghosts which haunted the hollow that vanished at the first sign of daybreak. However, now that his vicious mount had chosen to peacefully munch on the grass littering the side of the road, Ichabod felt dignified enough to rejoin with, “And I see you must have had your annual bath.”

Brom threw back his head and roared with laughter at Ichabod’s impertinent reply. “Aye,” he agreed with a wink, which discombobulated Ichabod as always. “Many thanks for noticing.”

Ichabod could not think of a reply. He usually prepared witty rejoinders and clever recitals to flaunt his vastly superior intellect over Brom. However, none of his practiced retorts were applicable at the moment, which might be for the best. For after those, albeit rare, moments when Ichabod bested his opponent, Brom Bones would retaliate the only way he could. With practical jokes.

This endless battle, which to the casual observer was carried out in pursuit of Katrina’s hand, had quickly become a fight to discover which man could come out on top. For the more Brom Bones made Ichabod the focus of his energies, the more, in turn, the schoolmaster became obsessed with besting him. The burly man consumed all his waking thoughts and also occupied a foremost place in Ichabod’s dreams. But he cared not to dwell upon that.

“Do you ever let your hair down, Schoolmaster?” Brom asked suddenly.

As always, Ichabod’s blond locks were tied at his nape by a leather thong. Such a bizarre question baffled him. “What are you asking, Brom Bones?”

He often called him that, as schoolteachers enjoyed calling students by two names.

“Do you know how to have fun,” he clarified. “You are always so dignified and reserved. I often wonder if you can drop such a façade and actually have fun. You know? Run about and howl into the night.”

At this, several of his companions proceeded to howl like wild wolves.

Ichabod made a huffing sound. “Really, Brom Bones,” he said, “only one such as yourself would find gentlemanly behavior offensive. Perhaps you should try not behaving like a wild hooligan.”

Brom laughed. The sound resonated inside Ichabod’s bones and somewhere else he wished it did not. “Spoken like the stern schoolmaster that you are.”

Ichabod firmly believed in the notion “spare the rod and spoil the child,” and his students were seldom spoiled. If only he were given a chance to use that same rod on Brom Bones. See if he liked that! But immediately upon that notion, Ichabod was assaulted with the reverse image, of being bent over Brom’s knee and paddled repeatedly. Blood and heat suffused his groin and he covered it up with much fussing with his jacket.

“Tell me, Schoolmaster,” Brom began, his dark brows low over eyes as black as his heart. “If I were one of your students, would you dare to take me over your knee until I behaved in a manner pleasing to you?”

“There is doubtless nothing in existence which could render one such as yourself pleasing to me,” Ichabod rejoined, hating how the other man seemed to be able to read him as if he were a book.

Once more, Brom threw back his head with a mighty laugh, his black curls bobbing and his eyes dancing mischievously. “Oh, we shall have to disagree on that for now, Schoolmaster.”

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