Tuesday, February 10, 2015

OUT NOW - For Ruby's Love by Starla Kaye

If you've read The CEO & The Cowboy by Starla Kaye, you HAVE to pick up this book!!!
There is just something about a hard man in worn jeans.
Yum!



For Ruby’s Love
Published by: Decadent Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, erotic romance, LGBT/gay, western, ménage
Heat Level: 5
Word Count: 33,000

Blurb

Calhoun’s a simple cowboy with more problems in his life than he can handle at the moment. After nearly two years, he struggles to hang onto a relationship with Daniel, his first male lover. Daniel is worried about him because of the fire, his concern for his prized breeding mare, and because he is determined to buy the neighboring ranch to expand. But Daniel isn’t a businessman without goals of his own for expansion, a fact that frustrates Calhoun as well. He doesn’t want to lose Daniel, but will their differences finally be too much?

Daniel considers himself a lucky man to have met the rancher, someone almost his opposite and someone who he doesn’t want to live without. Standing beside the moody Calhoun has been difficult since the fire that burned down a horse barn, took the lives of two valuable horses, and traumatized a favored mare. Along with all of that, his harried friend is determined to expand his ranch holdings. Daniel is against the purchase and would prefer to find a way to slow the man down. Lately, he’s also begun worrying if maybe he isn’t enough to satisfy his lover’s needs.

Complicating everything even more, Ruby shows up later than expected at Calhoun’s ranch to honor a job as a horse therapist that her father had agreed to before his sudden death. She knows what happened to the mare and is certain she can help her, if given the chance. But the stubborn rancher can’t get past the idea of her being a woman, someone not strong enough to work with such a damaged horse. They butt heads over the matter until she finds an ally in Daniel. He is concerned and yet believes in her abilities. Another problem arises, though. She and Calhoun have been skirting around an unwanted attraction, and then she discovers another surprising interest between her and Daniel.

Excerpt – Unsettling the cowboy

He brushed her hand away and turned around. Her vivid green eyes no longer looked sad; they flashed with anger. The plump breasts he’d been trying not to notice strained the fabric of her pink plaid Western shirt. Otherwise, she stood stiff, her temper appearing to sizzle. Damn if he didn’t find her cute as hell.

And that notion frightened the bejesus out of him. He needed to get as far away from her as possible. “We’ll talk tomorrow. You need to get your truck and get some rest.” He shifted back. “I have business to tend to.”

The tenacious woman stepped right up to him. “This business being to call another horse whisperer.” She tilted her chin up and met him eye-to-eye. “Well, cowboy, I’m the second best one in the country.” Sadness slipped back into her eyes, but determination remained as well. “The best now with my father dead.”

God, those expressive eyes were killing him. He fought the urge to tug her into his arms and hold her until she’d shed every tear, until the grief left. Doing that would be a huge mistake for so many reasons. He mentally shielded himself against her.

“Forget it. I’m not letting a puny little thing like you anywhere near Starbright.” If she’d worked alongside her father, Calhoun would no doubt have been okay. Maybe. But the idea of her being alone anywhere near the powerful, troubled, and crazed mare scared the devil out of him. His heart raced.

The woman had no back down in her. She thrust her chin higher. “I’m not puny! I’m not big and muscled like you, but I can take care of myself with any animal.”

He snorted at the foolish declaration and shook his head. “Not with my horse. Starbright can’t be trusted with most work-hardened men, including me at times. There is no way I could trust her not to do you serious harm.”

Once more he turned to walk away.

This time Daniel stopped him. “Give her a chance to at least tell you about her credentials. Let her explain her abilities to work with a traumatized animal.”

He spun to glower at his friend, who looked every bit as resolute as he felt. “No.”

The man gave him a censuring look and ground his jaw. They would have words later. But he wasn’t going to change his mind.

When he glanced at Ruby, her shoulders were tense, her body rigid. But instead of arguing with him, she stormed back to the recliner and grabbed her coat, jerking it on. Grumbling to herself, she snagged her oversized bag and marched past them both and toward the foyer.

Daniel’s expression grew stonier, pissed at him.

“What are you doing?” he asked gruffly.

“Leaving,” she snapped over her shoulder. “I don’t need this job. I came here out of respect for my father’s agreement with you. And out of concern for Starbright.” She picked up her pace, not bothering to glance at him.

“You can’t just leave. I have to get one of the hands first,” he blustered, unable to believe her boldness.

“I don’t need help—yours or anyone else’s.” She stiffened. “I’m going back to my rig, grabbing a gas can, and walking to the nearest town. Not any of your concern.”

“The hell you are!” He strode after her. Lord a’mighty, what an obstinate female.

She stopped long enough to look in his direction and hiss, “The hell I’m not!”


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Author Bio
Starla Kaye is addicted to writing romance, and in many sub-genres. She enjoys writing about strong-willed, independent women who butt heads with equally determined, self-confident, and slightly domineering men. She has published 20 novels, 38 novellas, 18 short stories, and 8 collections to date with various publishers.

Author Links




Monday, February 9, 2015

NEW RELEASE - Too Many Reasons, A Spotlight Series Novel by Kristen Strassel

Kristen Strassel is one of my fav NA authors. Toss contemporary romance with some paranormal and add a dash of rock-n-roll is her usual recipe for an amazing book. This year she is releasing two new stories. Today she releases the second book which happens to be a full length novel in The Spotlight series, a collection of stand alone books that all feature a contestant from the Spotlight Talent Competition. 

Abby Gauthier is close to getting everything she's worked so hard for. The band she manages, Sinister Riot, has been offered a major record contract. But it comes with a catch: the band must add Eli Jamison, winner of the talent show The Spotlight, to the lineup. 

Devon Sinclair is the singer of Sinister Riot, and he's Abby's best friend. She's in love with him, but fears she'll lose him if she makes the first move. Devon thinks adding Eli to the band is dangerous, and he's right. Eli's interested in more than just making an album. He wants to take control of the band, and he wants to get to know Abby better. A lot better. When tensions between Devon and Eli threaten to destroy Sinister Riot, Abby must act on her true feelings or lose everything she's ever wanted. 

EXCERPT

“That’s why I think you should just start a label, Abby. We wouldn’t have to deal with this sneaky bullshit.” After Devon strained the macaroni and stirred everything together, he sprinkled hot sauce over it and handed me a bowl.

“Someday, maybe that will happen. But I’ve got to go work for the big guys, too, so I know what I’m doing.” I hadn’t realized how hungry I was. Maybe it wasn’t so bad that Devon came back with me after all. “But I’m not going to get any job if I fail that test and don’t graduate.”

Devon put his bowl down on the counter. “Shit. With everything that happened, I forgot all about that.” Yeah, right. I was familiar with his work. He smiled sheepishly. “Do you still want me to go?”
Fuck. “No. You can stay.” I hated myself for giving in, again. He’d probably be able to figure out another place to sleep, but that sucked. It was almost midnight.

He squeezed my shoulder on his way back to the bedroom. “You’re the best.”

I was an idiot. “I know.”

“What can I do to help you study?” he asked. “Is there a quiz or anything?”

“Yeah.” He took my bowl and went back to the kitchen, then came back to my bedroom with a pot cover and big spoon. I brought up the app on my tablet, and handed over to him. It was going to be impossible to concentrate over the noise of the party, but I didn’t have a choice.

Devon scanned the screen, looking for the right question to start with. He asked me the questions like he always did, in his best cheesy game show host voice. “What was the cause of the Vietnam War?”

Man, I wasn’t prepared for this test. “America wanted to keep it from falling into a communist state.”

“I’ll accept that. Who was the disagreement with?”

Easy. “The Soviet Union.”

“Yes! Those Commie bastards. Vietnam was formerly a territory of what country?”

“China?” They had something to do with this.

“I’m sorry, Miss Gauthier, but your answer is wrong. So very wrong.” He hit the spoon against the pot cover, the gong echoing through the room. I’d never not find it hysterical. “Please rephrase your answer with the correct information.”

Now all I could think about was that contract laying on my nightstand. “Give me a hint.”

“New Orleans was also a settlement of this country.” Devon pretended to look at a watch. “Time is running out for your answer.”

“France!”

“Very good. You do realize, Miss Gauthier, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it?” It was a lesson I was all too familiar with.

Finally I got everything right, and Devon was satisfied I was ready for the test. Of course, none of that would matter if I slept through it. “You need to get to sleep.”

“Yeah, about that.” There was no telling Mallory to quiet down. “Are you still staying?”

Devon ran his tongue over his lip ring and looked toward my curtains, the little lights twinkling and swaying in the breeze coming in through the window. He slid down under the blanket, and motioned for me to join him. “Are you sure it’s all right for me to stay?”

I snuggled against him. Every reason I should tell him to go rattled inside my head. “Yeah.”


“Soon, we’re not going to have to worry about any of this.” He started playing with my hair, lulling me to sleep. “We’re going to get everything we want.”

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