Samhain Publishing Ltd. Weblog

New Release ~ Breaking Chance by Kim Knox

Breaking Chance came about as part of a challenge.
Set a story in space, give it a dark and dangerous hero, lots of naughtiness and a high body count. Really, how could I resist?

Blurb
What a girl wants and what a girl needs are sometimes two different things…

For Melissa “Lucky” Chance, another stretch in Ganymede’s ice prison is nothing new. The flash-freeze that’s supposed to destroy her will only leaves her with an insatiable desire for the first hot body she lays eyes on. Except this time, she faces a death sentence. Her only hope of escape lies with the man known as The Butcher.

John Ramius understands the logic behind his conviction as a criminally insane mass murderer. No man should have been able to slaughter over fifty men in as many minutes, but no one sees the underlying curse that compels him to sense—and fulfill—someone’s deepest need. Chance’s skill will free him to kill the Sun-King; he will find no rest until he does.

As they run from the forces of the Jovian colonies, Ramius finds himself temporarily sidetracked, not only by Chance’s relentless desire, but by her underlying, unspoken need. Ignoring it—or his own compulsion to do every wicked thing imaginable to her—is not an option.

Only after all their defenses are stripped away do they discover that their meeting wasn’t by chance. Someone is manipulating them both, and the only way out is the path to their destruction…

Product Warnings
This book contains explicit sex, thieves, murderers, a sentient ship and a hero who will give you exactly what you need. Not responsible for reader’s sudden compulsion to jump significant other’s bones.

There’s an excerpt here and a slightly naughtier one on my blog here
And you can buy it from MBaM here

New Release : Pride & Passion

I’m so excited that my release day is finally here! It’s been a while since I’ve had something new to celebrate!!
PRIDE AND PASSION
Jenna Bayley-Burke

He’ll let her have control…until he’s ready to make his move.

The only things Lily Harris inherits after her father’s untimely death are debt, scandal and loneliness. She doesn’t protest when her father’s business partner, Jake Tolliver, steps up to help with the mess she finds herself in—until Jake reveals the last promise he made to her father.

Jake may be as compelling to look at as a marble statue—and stir a frighteningly powerful desire within her—but no way will Lily agree to be his socially acceptable bride while he continues to bed his string of beautiful women—not without getting him to agree to a deal of her own first.

With a well-earned reputation as a feral hunter who goes after what he wants, Jake has his sights set on Lily, and her lack of options puts her right where he’s wanted her from the first moment he laid eyes on her.

Jake’s not above making Lily think she’s having it her way if that’s what it’ll take to have his way in the end. But once he grows tired of playing beast to her beauty, he’s not above changing the rules of the game until they’re both playing for the same prize.

Warning : This title contains a hero used to getting what he wants, a heroine determined not to give in to him, some indecent proposals, a fair amount of pride, and enough passion to burn up everyone’s control.”

Read an excerpt from Samhain

Read an excerpt from Books on Board

Exclusive Blog excerpt

New Release: Training the Receptionist by Juniper Bell

Happy Tuesday! I’m very excited about my new release, “Training the Receptionist.” It’s a fun, sexy read and I hope you enjoy it! Here’s the blurb.

“Training the Receptionist” by Juniper Bell
Genre: Erotica
ISBN: 978-1-60504-949-6
 Length: Novella
Price: 3.50 
Publication Date: March 2, 2010 
Cover art by Scott Carpenter

It’s her naughty dream job—if they’re satisfied with her performance…
Eager to escape her miserable existence in Low-Life, Long Island, street-wise Dana Arthur jumps at an entry-level position with the consulting firm Cowell & Dirk. As her training period begins, she quickly discovers she’s required to do more than take messages and order office supplies. Her job description contains some deliciously naughty duties that give receptionist a whole new meaning.

Simon has almost given up on finding the right woman who will please his clients as well as his demanding partner and mentor, Ethan Cowell. No one measures up—until Dana. Her inner fire and fearless nature are perfect for the job. No matter what wicked punishment he devises to chastise her for her on-the-job mistakes, she accepts with a relish that leaves him wondering which one of them is really in control.

The last thing he expects to discover is that she’s a perfect sexual soul mate he can’t bear to share. But share he must—it’s part of his business agreement. Unless he makes Ethan the deal of a lifetime…

Warning: This title contains explicit sex, bondage, ménage, ingenious use of office furniture, lingerie, and the occasional sex toy. Oh, and did I mention the package delivery guy?

“Training the Receptionist” is available here: link

Love it or hate it, Steve's Story releases in print

Steve’s Story, Book 2 in the Circle of Friends series, released in print at the beginning of the month.

Now I confess, this book has received many mixed reviews. I’ve had readers who loved it to nth degree, who could not stop raving about it, and I’ve had readers who hated it so much, some could not even finish the book.

Which got me thinking how this might happen. Why would one book appeal to some readers and yet repel others? Truthfully? I’m not sure. But having given the reviews for Steve’s Story a lot of thought, I think I’ve figured it out.

Steve’s Story isn’t a fun ride from beginning to end. Yep, there are some funny lines and a couple of entertaining scenes, and yep, the sex is scorching. But underneath all of that lies a book steeped in reality. Yes, it is a romance, but it does not take place in a fantasy world. It stays true to the facts. And while the ending is a happy one, it’s also a terribly sad one. (Heck, I sobbed finishing the last chapter.)

While writing the warning in the blurb I made a big mistake. I focused on the sex instead of the story. The result? The warning makes the book sound like a sexy romp. Yes – it’s sexy and hot as hell. But it’s no romp. So I have taken the liberty here of rewriting the warning…

This is how it reads on the back cover:

Warning: This book might just make you cry, but it’ll make you smile as well. The story will probably get you all hot and bothered too. It contains naughty activities in the car, sex on the kitchen counter (and up against the wall), a quickie in the garden, a little experimenting with scarves – oh, and some hot loving in the bedroom.

This is how I now believe it should read:

Warning: The book is pretty sad. It’s also realistic and may not be everybody’s cup of tea. If you’re looking for a light-hearted, fun romance – this isn’t it. Yep, there’s a happy ending (helloooo? I write romance), but it’s certainly not your classic “And they lived happily ever after”.
If you’re looking for a hero who knows where his heart lies and refuses to give up on his heroine – no matter what obstacles they face – then this is the book for you!

So, you may love it or you may hate it, but until you’ve read it, you’ll never know.

STEVE’S STORY: THE BLURB

When love is threatened by truth, every moment counts…

Circle of Friends, Book 2

Steve Sommers is having a gut-wrenching week. His fiancée has left him, the woman who broke his heart is back in town – and they’re all gathered at the bedside of his best friend, who’s in a coma. The emotional ties between them are strained to the breaking point. Like it or not, it’s up to Steve to find the strength and compassion to support the four of them through the toughest ordeal of their lives.

In the midst of the turmoil and trauma, passion unexpectedly flares anew between Steve and the woman he loves. Suddenly the future he’d believed lost lies within his reach. But she still carries the secret that once tore them apart, and determined to protect Steve from the truth, she fights their rekindled relationship every step of the way.

Now the fragile bond they’ve developed hangs in the balance, threatened by a reality that love may not be strong enough to overcome…

Warning: REFER TO ABOVE.

Jess

Jamesville Affairs by N.J. Walters

I’m thrilled to announce that Jamesville Affairs is now available from Samhain Publishing. This anthology contains A Legal Affair and Past Promises, books 5 & 7 of the Jamesville series.

Friends With Benefits

I enjoy friends to lovers stories because I married one of my best friends. My husband and I were good friends for years before we fell in love, so I can totally relate to that scary of feeling of taking things to a different level. In Friends With Benefits, though, I twisted things up a bit. Kerri wants to get married, but after she and Mitch sleep together, she’s not sure where things are going so she suggests they can still be friends – they’ll just be friends with benefits. And she’ll keep looking for a husband. Another twist is when Mitch, the guy, is the one who ends up feeling used and guilty. I wrote part of this book while driving across the prairies and at that time I didn’t think what I’d written was that great, but when I read it later I saw the chemistry between Kerri and Mitch that somehow I had created!
So here’s a short excerpt from Friends With Benefits, now available in PRINT from Samhain!

Blurb:
Yoga is Kerri Harris’s life, but that doesn’t mean she’s a New Age flake. She’s a successful businesswoman, and it’s about time everyone took her as seriously as her mother-of-two, “real-career” sister. That means adding a new item to her spreadsheet—marriage plan. There’s only one person she trusts to help her check off this task: her best friend Mitch.
Divorce attorney Mitch MacAuley gets the cold shivers at the mere mention of matrimony. After the disasters he’s witnessed from childhood, marriage equals miserable. The last thing he wants is to help Kerri down that road, but he’s never been able to say no to her. He expects to feel pity for her as she goes on one disastrous date after another. The complete surprise? Thinking about Kerri with those other guys makes him crazy.
Her frustration collides with his confusion, leading to a big fight, a hot kiss and a scorching sexual tension that hits them both broadside. Prompting Kerri to propose a new plan…to add the bedroom to their list of BFF benefits.
They quickly find out there’s nothing casual about the heat they generate. In fact, the burn could ruin a perfectly beautiful friendship.
Warning: This story contains a late-night booty call, hot hotel sex and naked yoga!

This scene is at a cocktail party to celebrate the grand opening of White Lotus Spa and Yoga, a week after “the kiss”:

BROTHERHOOD OF BLOOD Now In Print!

This unique print book is the compilation of three separate, but related, vampire romance novellas: ONE & ONLY, RARE VINTAGE and PHANTOM DESIRES. I’m really glad to see these in print because they are the foundational novellas that began my vampire romance series several years ago. Here’s a little more about each of the stories:

Three mortal women discover the loves of their lives…the vampires of their dreams.

ADDER in print

I’m very excited to have my novel Adder now available in good old-fashioned strokable print! Yay! I have already molested my copies :D Pick up your own to touch inappropriately — or just read, if you want — today! If you’re not sure, read on for the blurb and a PG-13 excerpt. Or, you can go straight to my website for a not-at-all-PG-13 excerpt. Heh. Enjoy!

Music. Sex. Fame. What’s missing? Surely not the “L” word…

Adder has a plan for his life: play his music for millions of adoring fans, who will reward him with money, fame and as much sex as he can handle. It’s a goal he’s been working toward since his teens and is on the cusp of achieving. The idea of a relationship never entered his mind—until a new drummer joins his band. One taste of Kalil, and all he wants is more.

For Kalil, playing drums for Adder is a dream come true, the creative connection he’s always wanted. What he never reckoned on is the deeper connection he finds with Adder. Kalil would rather avoid sexual involvement with a bandmate, but Adder seems just as determined to break through his resistance.

Attraction aside, music and sex are about the only things the hedonistic Adder and the increasingly jealous Kalil can agree on. Still, before they know it they’re on the brink of something deeper, something lasting.

And it scares the hell out of both of them.

(Warning: This book contains adult language, hot gay sex, weird bands, colorful prophylactics and unforgivable fashion crimes)

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© Copyright 2010 Ally Blue
Buy the book

What The Forsaken Talisman Characters Say

It’s always exciting to have a book coming out, whether in ebook or paperback. That moment of seeing or holding the final product, knowing other people are going to read the story you put your heart and soul into, is amazing, enervating, blissful even.

Then Lisa and I (I being Jen—Lisa and I are best friends and writing partners who write together as Ashleigh Raine) started thinking about the characters. How do they feel about their story? So rather than tell you why we think you should buy Forsaken Talisman (although we hope you will) we’re going to let the characters sum up their feelings on what happened in the book. Forsaken Talisman is first and foremost a love story between Dusty and Skylar, but in Talisman Bay, each book brings new challenges and desires for all the characters.

So without further ado, here are the men and women of our Talisman Bay series, to tease you with hints of what happens to them in Forsaken Talisman in their own words.