Purely Professional by Elia Winters #Giveaway #Excerpt #Interview

Purely Professional

by Elia Winters

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BLURB:

Columnist Bridget Hartwell agrees to write about BDSM to impress her new executive editor at Sultry, the “sex-positive magazine for sex-positive women.” Unfortunately, it’s a topic she knows absolutely nothing about…but if she ever wants that promotion, she’ll need to learn the ropes, fast.

English professor Max Harlow is active in the Dom/sub scene, but only for casual play—he’s never found his ideal partner: a woman who is his equal, but sexually submissive. When he’s asked to explain the lifestyle to his cute but obviously inexperienced neighbor, Max is certain it’s best to approach it academically—to keep things purely professional.

Until Bridget’s first article is a huge hit, giving her the perfect excuse to delve deeper into the naturally submissive side of her sexuality. But as their encounters intensify and each of her boundaries is skillfully pushed, Bridget must decide what this all means… for her identity, her career, and, most importantly, her future with Max.

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“What about your fantasies?”

Bridget hesitated.

“What? What is it?” Catching her hesitation, Max looked up from the Scrabble board.

“It’s just...” She paused and took a swig of beer. “I’ve had a lot of crushes on men in positions of power. My volleyball coach back in high school, my internship coordinator in college, a few professors...” Realizing he was grinning, she blushed, remembering he was a professor. “Right. Anyway, I never acted on any of them.”

“And yet you complain that you date weak men.” He swirled the beer around in his bottle and held it up to the light, his gaze thoughtful and distant.

“Well, I don’t want some guy to boss me around.” To hide the discomfort she suddenly felt, Bridget looked down at the board. She played reach off the H in hinder and fumbled as she chose four new tiles.

“I think we both know that’s a lie.“ Max said smoothly, and he drank his beer. “I’ll bet you’re just afraid of what kind of woman you would be if you gave in to those urges.” He rubbed a tile between a thumb and forefinger, then set it back on his shelf. “I’ve been doing this a long time, Bridget. You responded today like a natural submissive. You liked more than just the sex. You liked all of it.”

She set down her beer and looked at him. “All right.” She tried not to sound defensive. “So what does that mean?”

“It doesn’t have to mean anything.” Max shrugged. “Maybe this afternoon, I just want to play some Scrabble with you and order a pizza. But when we’re done with all this experimenting, you’re going to have a lot to write about.”

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What sparked your interest in becoming a romance writer?

I used to sneak my mother’s romance novels when I was growing up. I knew the “how” of sex, but I didn’t really understand the “why” until I started reading sex scenes in romance novels. To explore my own complicated feelings and crazy hormones, I started writing my own sex scenes… well, fanfiction sex scenes. Star Wars fanfiction sex scenes. They were every bit as terrible as you’d imagine – yeah, I still have them – but I got much better the more I wrote. Then I started writing sex scenes between original characters, and those stories made the circuit among my friends in my Catholic high school. I developed a bit of a following that made me think, “This might be fun to do for a living.”

Tell us 5 surprising things about yourself.

·         I didn’t start liking coffee until last summer.

·         I can sing all of “Silver Bells” backwards.

·         I’ve lost my toenails more than once.

·         I spent four years as a zipline canopy tour guide during the teaching off-season.

·         I once angrily yelled “grapefruit” over and over in my sleep.

One of your favorite quotes.

“I know not all that may be coming. But be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing.” –Herman Mellville, Moby Dick.

What’s the last movie you watched and loved?

I just went to see The Imitation Game and loved it. It deviated from history in order to make a good film, which bothers me a bit, but the movie in and of itself was wonderful. Benedict Cumberbatch and Kiera Knightly were both in top form.

Most _____________ in high school. (popular, nerdy, sporty…) Why?

Most nerdy, easily. Getting involved with the Drama club saved me from total social annihilation, but I was very close to growing up to be Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory. I was obsessed with my grades and a perfect goody-two-shoes… well, except for the part where I was writing sex stories and passing them around to my friends. That wasn’t particularly nerdy of me. Now, I’m more socially aware, but still a complete geek, and not ashamed of it at all.

Flirting Questions (Choose 5)

Which actor or book character do you have a crush on?

If I can only pick one, I’m going to choose Misha Collins, every time. He’s hot and smart and kind and funny and mmmm yes. But I’m also going through a bit of a Lee Pace thing right now, so there’s that. Also, Idris Elba, and Felicia Day, and Luke Evans… yeah, I’ll just stop there.

Hey, baby! What’s your sign?

I’m an Aries. Demanding, headstrong, impulsive, and a little wild.

When was your last kiss?

I’ll take one right now, if you’re willing. *raises eyebrows*

What’s an absolute no-no in a relationship?

Bad communication. If you can’t talk to each other, you have no business being in a relationship together. That counts for friendship, too!

If you could take a romantic trip, where would it be?

Private ski chalet up in the mountains: lots of snow, a crackling fire, definitely a hot tub. That sounds fantastic right about now.

Flirting Quickies: (Pick at least 10.)

Boxers or Briefs?

Boxers.

Facial hair or clean shaven?

Facial hair! I love the lumbersexual look.

Alpha or Beta?

Give me an Alpha. I’m a sexual submissive by nature.

Vanilla or chocolate?

Vanilla. I love a good vanilla.

Sweet or salty?

Both. Empty a box of sour patch kids into the movie popcorn and I’m a happy camper.

Sleep in or get up early?

Sleep in, please.

Laptop or desktop?
Laptop! I need to be mobile.

Beach or mountains?
Mountains.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Elia Winters has always been a New England girl, despite having spent much of her childhood in Florida. She holds a degree in English Literature and teaches at a small rural high school where she runs too many extracurricular activities. She balances her love of the outdoors with a  bottomless well of geekiness.

Elia dabbles in many genres, but erotic romance has been one of her favorites since she first began sneaking her mother’s romance novels. In high school, she kept her friends entertained with a steady stream of naughty stories and somehow never got caught passing them around. Her erotic fiction and poetry have been published online at Clean Sheets and Scarlet Letters under a different name. Elia currently lives in New England with her loving husband and their odd assortment of pets.

Elia’s virtual life is as busy as her real life. In addition to her website, http://eliawinters.com/, you can also find her on:

Twitter  http://www.twitter.com/eliawinters

Tumblr  http://eliawinters.tumblr.com/

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/eliawinters

Pinterest  http://www.pinterest.com/eliawinters

Goodreads.  http://goodreads.com/eliawinters

Purely Professional is available from:

Carina Press  http://ebooks.carinapress.com/AE496C3B-2369-43F1-8ECC-4F7F270DD680/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=818B948E-17EF-4F91-8CE7-998D91DC788B

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Purely-Professional-Elia-Winters-ebook/dp/B00F93X86G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1387036572&sr=8-2&keywords=purely+professional

Barnes & Noble  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/purely-professional-elia-winters/1116912916?ean=9781426897863&itm=1&usri=9781426897863&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10:1&r=1,%201

and other ebook retailers.

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More Than This by Shannyn Schroeder Book Tour & Giveaway

More Than This

by Shannyn Schroeder

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BLURB:

When a lonely teacher teams up with a handsome bartender for some outrageous acts, they both get more than they bargained for…

Learning her ex-husband is going to be a father, Quinn Adams is determined to have a baby of her own—without the partnership of a man. But her sister and friends believe she needs to focus on herself first, and step out of her comfort zone by completing a list of adventures. Challenge number one is to go on five dates within two weeks. After a few disastrous attempts, Quinn’s ready to give up—until sexy bartender Ryan O’Leary offers his assistance.

Ryan has always been the dependable one in his family, often at his expense. But lately, he’s been longing for a life—and a woman—of his own. The woman he has in mind is Quinn. Though it seems all she wants is friendship, Ryan can’t ignore the explosive chemistry he feels between them. In the hopes of becoming closer, Ryan offers to help out with Quinn’s list. But when she asks him for a serious favor, he’s afraid it will jeopardize his chance to become more than friends.

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EXCERPT

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Shannyn Schroeder is a former English teacher, who now works as a part-time editor while raising her three kids.

Even though she wrote from high school through college (mostly poetry), she’d never considered a career as an author. Writing fell by the wayside as she focused her energy on creating lesson plans and new and fabulous ways to torment her teen students. One group in particular dubbed her “The Torture Master,” a title she carried into motherhood.

After the birth of baby number two, Shannyn resigned from teaching and fell in love with reading romance novels. She read so many books so quickly that her husband teased, “If you’re going to read so many damn books, why don’t you just write one?”

So she did.

That first book is safely buried on her hard drive, but the process set Shannyn on the path to professional author. She came to reading romance later than many, but lives for the happy ending because real life can be depressing. She writes contemporary romance because she enjoys the adventure of new love.

In her spare time, she loves to bake cookies and watches far too much TV, especially cop shows. She is recovering from her Diet Coke addiction, fears putting her foot in her mouth on social media, and has a renewed appreciation for the bad girls of the world.

Web site: http://www.ShannynSchroeder.com

Twitter: @SSchroeder_

Buy Links:

Amazon - Kindle Edition:

http://www.amazon.com/More-Than-This-ebook/dp/B009T9SCOO

Barnes & Noble - Nook Edition:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/more-than-this-shannyn-schroeder/1113633559

What was the first romance novel you read that made an impression on you?

The first romance that I read was Nora Roberts’ The Return of Rafe MacKade. Up until that point, I hadn’t been a romance reader. Well, I had read a couple, but I didn’t know they were romance. What can I say? I was an English teacher. But when I read Rafe, I fell in love. He’s a former bad boy, who returns to his hometown as a successful carpenter. I have a soft spot for carpenters and bad boys. From then on, I gobbled up romance.

What main genre do you write in?

I write straight contemporary romance. When I first started writing, I tried my hand at romantic suspense because that was what I loved to read. But that’s not where my writing voice is. When I began MORE THAN THIS, I knew it would be contemporary (with no suspense). By the time I finished, I found my voice and everything I’ve written since has been in the same genre.

What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

I’m mostly a pantser. I’ve tried to outline because I am truly jealous of those who can outline and know exactly where the story is headed. Whenever I’ve tried to outline, the story flounders. I do some planning. For instance for my two current works-in-progress I actually wrote a short synopsis describing how I thought the story might go. Once I wrote them, though, I didn’t go back and look at them.

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I used to just have a vague idea of who my characters were before writing and then I’d let them reveal themselves to me. The problem with that is I could write literally tens of thousands of words that would then have to be cut because they weren’t needed for the story. Now, before I start writing, I spend a lot of time discovering my characters and really getting a grasp on who they are. It makes writing them (and the whole writing process) much easier, especially now that I have to write on deadline. I can’t afford to rewrite the first half of a book until I finally understand the characters.

How can readers find out more about you and your books?

My web site has my book information, including covers and excerpts. Although I’m not on Facebook, I am on Twitter and Pinterest. On Pinterest, I like to pin things related to books I’m working on, so readers can get a sneak peek at how I envision my heroes and heroines.

Web site -- http://www.ShannynSchroeder.com

Pinterest -- http://pinterest.com/seschroeder/

Shannyn will be awarding a $10 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Click the banner above to follow the blog tour for more chances to win.

[Book Tour] Magic Moment by Angela Adams

Magic Moment

by Angela Adams

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BLURB:

When the FBI brings Laura Roberts - a quiet, reserved bookkeeper - in for questioning regarding activities at the warehouse where she works, an uneasy Laura resigns her job - only to be attacked by thugs.

Chase Donovan intends to spend a few peaceful days on his boat getting his head together - and finds a woman being assaulted by two men who say his father told them to do it.

Chase doesn’t want to believe his father could hurt anyone. Laura doesn’t understand why she’s a target. Can they learn to work together to discover the truth - before someone dies?

In a local diner, two FBI agents insist Laura come with them to FBI headquarters.  As she tries to convince the agents they have the wrong person, Chase approaches.

 Chase Donovan had joined the fracas. Dressed in jeans and a black leather jacket, he was tall and athletic, in his mid-thirties, with a wavy mixture of light, nearly blond, and medium brown hair. 

He was also her boss’s son. 

A bewildered expression covered Chase’s handsome, chiseled features. He stood so close that as Laura jerked from Phillips’ hold, her elbow nearly whacked Chase in the stomach. 

Saunders identified himself to Chase. “We need Miss Roberts at headquarters to answer a few questions.”

 “I’d like to see some I.D.,” Chase said firmly. 

Saunders arched a dark, hairy eyebrow. “And you are?”

 “Chase Donovan.” He rested a hand lightly on her shoulder. Laura stiffened at his touch, unaccustomed to Chase putting a hand on her, even if in a protective manner.  

 “Laura works for my father,” Chase said. “If I don’t see some identification, she’s not going anywhere with you.” To prove his point, his hand moved downward and his fingers wrapped gently around her forearm.

Chase also worked for his father, although what his role was within the business was generally debatable among the clientele. This was so embarrassing. In the three years Laura had worked as Dick Donovan’s bookkeeper, her conversations with his son had been work related or cordial exchanges about the weather. If there was any chance of the floor opening up and swallowing her, she considered now the perfect time.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Angela Adams writes and reviews contemporary romances. Her work has appeared in Romance at Heart, Oysters and Chocolate, and The Long and Short Reviews. In December 2011, Whimsical Publications published an anthology, Winter Wonders. Ms. Adams’ short story “Burgers and Hot Chocolate,” was among the collection.

Angela is a member of Romance Writers of America and its online chapter, From the Heart Romance Writers.

Websites

http://www.authorangela.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/authorangela

Buy Links

Crimson romance:  www.crimsonromance.com

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Moment-ebook/dp/B0096D6XDA/ref=sr-1-1?D=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348280326&sr=1-1&keywords=Magic+Moment+by+Angela+Adams

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/magic-moment-angela-adams/113004656?ean=9781440554940

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/magic-moment/id559862434?mt=11

Books-A-Million:  http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Magic-Moment/Angela-Adams/9781440554940?id=5387281849566

Powell’s books:  http://www.powells.com/biblio/9781440554940?p_isbn&PID=35396

All Romance ebooks:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-magicmoment-995887-237.html

Hi, Melinda.  Thank you so much for inviting me to talk about Magic Moment.

What sparked your interest in becoming a romance writer?

I’ve always been a reader.  My mother took me to the library when I was six-years-old for my first library card.  Romances have a happy every after ending that I enjoy.  It’s only natural that I would write what I enjoy reading. My television viewing is basically police dramas and soap operas.  The most successful romances are the ones littered with suspense.

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

All of my stories stem from my characters.  I create the characters, then develop a story around them. With Magic Moment, first I wrote the back story for Chase, then Laura, and wrote the story around them.

What type of book have you always wanted to write?

Somewhere down the future, I’d like to write a children’s book. My favorite children’s story is The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. I love that story. Almost all children have a stuff toy that makes them feel secure.  Although the item they’re holding is just a soft and cuddly object, the security and contentment that they feel is real. Just as the rabbit is real at the end of The Velveteen Rabbit.

How did you get the idea for this particular novel?

With Magic Moment, I had the idea for a hero who is going through life believing he has to be the type of person others want him to be, rather than the person he wants to be.  Chase Donovan is a man who grew up torn between a self-centered, unprincipled father and a compassionate, selfless mother.

When a colleague of mine said one day that she wished her family could live on only her husband’s income and that she didn’t have to work, I thought up Laura Roberts.  My colleague had mentioned some important milestones she missed in her kids’ lives. For example, her oldest daughter took her first steps in day care.  She said she would be happy being a lunch mom at her daughters’ school and going to PTA meetings.      

Those comments influenced Laura, a woman who never aspired for a high-power career, but a simple life as a wife and mother.

Bringing the FBI into their lives, and sending the couple on the run, I threw in for twists and turns.  My television viewing is basically police dramas and soap operas.  The most successful romances are the ones littered with suspense.

What is your favorite scene in your new release?

When Laura realizes that Chase isn’t the self-centered playboy he gives the impression of being.

Flirting Quickies: 

White wine or red?

red

Coffee or tea?

coffee

Vanilla or chocolate?

chocolate

Sweet or salty?

sweet

Beach or mountains?

beach

Winter or summer?

summer (except for Christmas)

Cat or dog?

dog

Clubbing or candlelight dinner?

candlelight dinner

Morning or night person?

morning

Christmas or Halloween?

Christmas

Angela will award a $25 BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Leave your email in the comment section along with your comment.

Click the banner above to follow the blog tour.