Read the First Chapter of FALL INTO YOU

Hi everyone, just wanted to let y'all know that FALL INTO YOU's first chapter is now posted. : ) For those who read this in the back of MELT INTO YOU, you'll notice a few slight changes from that version.

Click here to read Chapter One

He’ll do anything for you. But you’d better say please.

When tomboy sports reporter Charli Beaumonde loses a dream TV job because she’s not girly enough for primetime, she’s determined to land a big scoop and prove her boss made a mistake. But when she gets too close to a football scandal and finds her life threatened, Charli accepts an offer from family friend Grant Waters to hide out at his place—even if Grant predicts nothing but trouble from his buddy’s hard-headed, uncompromising, irrepressible, younger sister. There’s one more problem…

Grant’s “place” is The Ranch, a BDSM resort in Texas, and he’s used to being in charge —even if that means trying to keep Charli in line. But much to Grant’s surprise, she’s intrigued—even envious—of his trainees. They’re the epitome of what she’s never been: sexy, beguiling, and totally irresistible to a man. Still, Grant doesn’t believe for a minute that the sharp-tongued Charli has it in her to be anyone’s submissive. But Charli’s already on her knees vying for the chance to prove that even the Master can be wrong sometimes.

Releases January 2013

Available for pre-order from Amazon  and Barnes and Noble!

Sexy Excerpt from Eden Bradley's FALLEN ANGEL and a Giveaway!

Hey, y'all. Today I have a special treat - Author Eden Bradly (aka Eve Berlin). I love, love her books. And I'm not just saying that because she's here today. I'm a fan. So if you haven't read her yet, get to it. Super sexy, smart books. 

And if her stopping by with a hawt excerpt wasn't enough, she's giving away books! Yay! One of which is Pleasure's Edge, which is a fab BDSM romance. So read on and don't forget to leave a comment to enter the contest.

Over to you Eden...

***

Thank you so much to the kind and fabulous Roni Loren for having me here today to celebrate the release of my HQN book FALLEN ANGEL!

This story was in my head for ten years before I wrote the book. The idea came to me while I was listening to a Fleetwood Mac song, Rhiannon. In my head I saw a woman lying naked on the bare earth, strange symbols painted on her body, a hand scattering rock salt in a circle around her in some sort of ritual. I smelled the acrid scent of burning incense, heard a low, murmuring chant…This is how I get my story ideas sometimes-in images and scents and sound, bits of dialogue. Usually it all comes attached to characters who are pretty well fully formed. Sometimes they even tell me their names. But this book was a little more challenging-just pictures and sensations for the first few years, and it wouldn’t leave me alone until I started to build a story around it.

And by story I really mean characters, because that’s what it’s always about for me-the people involved. Falling in love and broken hearts and histories of loss and grief-I like my characters complicated! But this time-sheesh! My hero, Declan, is a guy with a really tragic past, and while Angel, my heroin, has had a life of horror few can even begin to imagine, she was the one who was all sweetness and light-not what I expected when I began putting <strong>FALLEN ANGEL</strong> together. And then, of course, there’s the demon Asmodeus…but he’s not what I expected either-and won’t be quite what you expect, but I can’t say more about him or I’ll spoil the story, even though he would love for me to tell you all about him-demons are wicked that way.

This is an incredibly romantic story. And because it’s me, it’s also a li’l dirty, because I love to explore those intimate moments when my characters are their most vulnerable, primal selves. Isn’t that why we love to read about sex? Well-partly, anyway…;) Whether you like the romantic part or the dirty part-or both!-I hope you all enjoy my book FALLEN ANGEL.

He would move heaven and earth to protect her

Was she heaven-sent…or more heartbreak waiting to happen?

Haunted by a military mission that ended in personal tragedy, Declan Byrne still bears a soldier’s scars. As a park ranger on the secluded Mendocino coast, he guards his heart while standing ready for anything. Anything except a beautiful, ethereal woman with a mysterious past, falling from the cliffs to the rocks below. Angel, as Declan decides to call her, has no memory of what happened. But as her body heals, disturbing dreams emerge. In Declan’s protective care, Angel feels safe to act on the undeniable passion between them, without the threats from old, unnameable demons. And, in time, she senses Declan needs her as desperately as she needs him. But when her past returns with a vengeance, Declan must decide just how much he’s willing to risk in order to keep the woman he loves safe.

~~~~~~

 (WARNING! X-RATED Excerpt!):

He sat up. They were in his bed, the moonlight shimmering through the curtains, striping the room in light and shadow. But he could see her clearly, her naked body kneeling next to his, her long hair like a veil around her shoulders, flowing over the curve of her breasts.

He was still pulsing with his orgasm, his cock thrumming, his body hot. And she was really there. In his bed, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

Jesus.

He was shaking. What the hell had just happened? What had he let happen?

“Angel. What’s going on? What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to make you happy. To show you there is no reason to deny your desires. Or mine. Have I not made you happy? Your body is happy. But I still need you, Declan. I need you to touch me.”

“Jesus, Angel. I can’t believe this.”

“I’m real. I’m a woman, Declan, not a child. And I want you.”

She took his hand, and before he knew what she was going to do, she held his palm to her breast.

Jesus. Her flesh was warm, her nipple going hard beneath his fingers. He couldn’t force himself to pull away for a moment. When he finally tried to, she held on tighter.

“Please, Declan. Please don’t send me away again. I need you. And you need me. You cannot tell me you don’t.”

It was nearly impossible to think, his brain still half-dazed from coming. But he had to say something. Had to do something.

“Angel, this is not right. I can’t do this. We can’t do this.”

“We already have, Declan. And it was beautiful, as I knew it would be.”

He swore he could feel her pulse beating in the full flesh of her breast as she leaned into his touch.

“I’m here for you. For you, Declan. This is where I am supposed to be. You can’t tell me this is wrong. I won’t believe it. I love you, Declan.”

Love.

Jesus. Why did hearing her say that to him make his heart pound right out of his chest? His mind was going a hundred miles an hour. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Angel.”

“You cannot deny you feel something for me.”

He couldn’t.

God damn it.

“Of course I do! But this is...I don’t know anymore.”

“Feel this, Declan.” She held his hand closer, crushing her breast beneath their twined fingers. “Feel how my body heats for you. Feel my desire.”

She moved his hand down, over the soft cushion of her stomach. Lower still, in between her thighs. He was helpless to stop her. And when she slipped his fingers into her sweet, wet cleft, he was paralyzed.

“Ah, God...”

She sighed quietly, her breath coming out in a warm puff of air that grazed his cheek like a kiss.

“You are the first man to touch me, Declan. And it is better than anything I could have imagined. Your hand feels so different than mine. Larger. Stronger. And yours.”

She held him there, pressed against her mound. His heart was beating wildly. Totally out of control. He was out of control. Fucking helpless.

“I need you,” she said again. “I need you to touch me, Declan. I need you to quench this thirst. I feel as if I’ll die of it.”

Holding onto his hand with both of hers now, she slid it back and forth, over her cleft. Her flesh was soaking wet, slippery. And all he wanted was to touch her, taste her. Have her.

He knew in his head it was wrong. But his body felt right.

He couldn’t resist any longer. He could not do it.

“Declan, please have me. I will beg you until you do.”

Her hips were undulating against his hand, and he moved then of his own accord, sliding his fingers into her wet heat.

“Oh...” Her voice came out on a soft, whispered sigh.

“Angel.” His voice was gruff, thick with desire in his own ears.

“Yes...”

“I want you.”

“Yes, Declan. Now.”

~~~~~~

CONTEST! We can’t have a real celebration without giving something away, so how about I hand out to one lucky winner an ARC (advance reader copy) of the first in my ‘Edge’ series, PLEASURE’S EDGE, written under my alter ego, Eve Berlin, and a copy of my e-book WINTER SOLSTICE. Just comment here and let me know what you love about reading about love! I’ll choose a winner and announce it here in the comments section tomorrow night.

If you’d like more information about my books, visit my websites: EdenBradley.com EveBerlin.com or my group blog Smutketeers.com You can buy FALLEN ANGEL now at Amazon, B&N, Chapters.ca, Books-a-Million and other outlets! Hope to chat with you all soon! Eden aka Eve

Thanks so much to Eden for stopping by! And remember y'all, you need to comment for a chance to win. :)

Spice It Up Thursday: Sexy Role-Playing

18+ post

Photo by _rockinfree (Click Photo for link)It's time for another installment of my blog series focused on finding fun ways to spice up your relationship. This is all in honor of my new release (out next Tuesday, yay!) STILL INTO YOU about a married couple trying to rekindle the spark they lost.

And on today's agenda: role-playing.

Role-playing can be a great way to bring something fresh into the bedroom when you've been with someone a long time. It's a safe way to change things up, get that thrill of newness again. And beyond something sexy, it can be fun.

So everyone knows the possible role plays you can bring into the bedroom...

• Nurse or doctor
• Pirate and captive
• Professor and student
• Escort and client
• Stripper and customer
• Cop and criminal (I use this one in MELT INTO YOU if you want to see that one played out.)
• Master and slave (may want to look into BDSM if this one really appeals to you)
• Delivery guy/girl and customer
• Stranger picking you up in a bar/one-night stand

Of course, you can come up with your own. If you want to play Star Wars roles, more power to you. It's whatever you and your partner find sexy (and fun!)

Then once you talk to your partner and decide you may want to try one of these, make sure you set some ground rules.

1. Laughing together is okay. Laughing AT your partner is not.

Role-playing requires some lowering of inhibitions, which also means making yourself more vulnerable. Acting in a role doesn't come naturally to most of us and can feel awkward at first because you're afraid of looking ridiculous or not doing it "right." Agree with your partner that you're not going to poke fun at each other and that it's a safe environment to relax in. Otherwise, if one partner is meant to feel silly or ashamed, this will never happen again.

2. Establish a safe word that stops the role play.

This is something used in BDSM play but it helpful for regular roleplays as well. If something is uncomfortable or you feel like things are going off course, you can say a word that signals each of you to break character. "Stop" or something simple can work, but if you're doing something where you may be play-acting "stop!" - cop and criminal for instance, then it gets confusing. So make sure the word is something that stands out.

3. Don't phone it in.

You don't have to go buy elaborate costumes (though you can) but make an effort to make it feel real. If you're supposed to be the escort, don't be dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt.

4. Talk about boundaries

Make sure you know what is off-limits for your partner so that you don't cross some line they don't want you to.

5. Have fun.

If you're totally stressed out about being perfect or how your thighs look in the too tight skirt he asked you to wear, this will just be an exercise in misery. Your partner loves you, you love them. This is just a little fun. Treat it as such.

And if you want to see what a stranger pick-up could look like, here's an excerpt from STILL INTO YOU. Seth and Leila have been married eight years and have gone to The Ranch to try to find their way back to each other. Seth has told Leila she can have whoever she wants at The Ranch. She's been at the dance club when this scene starts...

STILL INTO YOU Excerpt

All rights reserved. Copyright Roni Loren 2012.

When she’d found out Seth was going to go do his own thing tonight, her belly had gone inside out. Not only because of the fact that he was willingly giving her the opportunity to cheat but that he might do the same. Maybe he’d set up this whole thing to satisfy his own eight-year itch.

After that revelation, she’d vowed to jump into this whole thing with both feet. If her husband could so easily turn his vows off and not care if some other guy touched his wife, then he’d earned the consequence. Apparently, she wasn’t even worth jealousy anymore.

But so far she hadn’t been inspired to use that get-out-of-jail-free card. All of the men she’d danced with had been handsome enough, but none had sparked that thing inside her that would push her to take the leap. She’d turned the offers down, and each of the men had handled it without protest or malice, which was another beautiful thing about this place—consent was like religion.

She took the last gulp of her drink and set it down on the bar.

“Still have one dance left in you?” a voice said, low and heavy against her ear.

Leila startled, nearly knocking over her glass. She whirled around to find a familiar face with an unfamiliar smirk staring down at her. “What?”

Seth planted a hand on the bar, half-caging her on her stool with his arm. Her gaze traced down him as she inhaled the scent of a cologne she’d never smelled on him before—a darker, more earthy scent than his usual. He’d changed into a pair of jeans and a snug gray T-shirt that molded over his hard, lean chest. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

She blinked, confused for a moment, then realized what he was doing. Oh. Her pulse ticked up a notch. “I’m Leila.”

His smile was downright wicked. Who the hell was this person? “Well, Leila, I’m Seth and I think you should dance with me.”

“Oh, and why is that?” she asked, leaning back against the bar and sending him a challenging look.

His other hand landed on the bar, officially trapping her in the scant space between his arms. He bent his head close to her ear. “Because there are at least three dudes in this place who are hoping you’ll go back to their room with them, and I want to show everyone who’s really going to be shoving that dress up your thighs tonight.”

A soft gasp passed her lips, the dirty talk a vast—but effective—departure from the Seth she was used to. She met his eyes and saw the promise backing up his words. A subtle warmth crept over her skin. “My, my, aren’t you confident.”

***

STILL INTO YOU can be pre-ordered on Kindle  or Nook for only $2.99!

Alright, that's all I've got today. Thoughts on this feature? Do you want me to continue with this series over the next few weeks or do something different? And what are some role play scenarios I missed listing?

Got Rhythm? Finding It In Your Story #atozchallenge

So I had the best of intentions, but I've come to the conclusiong that book deadline + weeklong conference out of town next week (RT Con) + blogging challenge is a bit of a deadly combination. To write seven posts before I leave on Tuesday is uh, a little too ambitious. So, instead of just slapping up some filler post where I post a music video or something, I'm going to rerun some of my popular posts from my former writing blog. I hope some of these will be new to you and that you find them worthwhile.

Photo by Thebigo (click pic for link)

Looking For the Rhythm In Your Story

As I wade through my editing for FALL INTO YOU, I'm discovering that one of the big things I pay attention to when doing my read through is cadence, or the rhythm of the words. I think it was Margie Lawson's workshop where I first heard this term used in relation to writing.

We all know about voice and style, but cadence is more the way the words sound in your head as your read them. It's the flow and the music of the prose. It's why I may use a one-word incomplete sentence somewhere instead of something longer. Part of that is my style, but a lot of it has to do with making sure the rhythm works.

And one of the best ways to see if your story has good cadence or rhythm is to read it aloud. A lot of times when we read our own work in our head, our brain naturally skims. Hell, we've written it, we know what's there and what's coming. But this can hurt you because you may be missing places where a reader with fresh eyes may stumble on a sentence. Even in our heads we need places in prose to "take a breath" while we're reading.

Maybe your crit partners point this out, but most likely it's such a subtle thing that many will intuitively feel the little stumble but not really get hit over the head enough to mark it down and bring it to your attention.

So I literally sit in my office and read passages of my book out loud. Pretend you're the narrator doing the audiobook. Does it flow? Does the scene sound how you want it too--pretty, ethereal, hard and fast-paced, sensual, etc?

Not every scene is going to have the same cadence, nor do you want it to. If they're in the middle of the car chase, the words better not read like poetry. So know what your intention is and then see if the rhythm of the words fits what you were going for.

So here are my opening lines of my prologue in MELT INTO YOU - out in July. (And yes, I know, a prologue! *gasp* But well, it's there. I like it. And so did my agent and editor. So see, "rules" can be broken.)

Most of the time temptation climbs onto your lap and straddles you, demands you deal with it immediately. Give in or deprive yourself. Choose your adventure.

Jace’s general stance: deprivation was overrated.

But he’d never faced this kind of temptation. The kind that seeped into your skin so slowly you didn’t even notice until you were soaked with it, saturated. To the point that every thought, every breath seemed to be laced with the desire for that thing you shouldn’t have.  

 And right now that thing was nibbling flecks of purple polish off her fingernails. 

So okay, see where you'd take the breaths (hint: breaths happen at commas and periods)? And we're in a dude's head so the thoughts start off short and to the point, but then he gets wrapped up with how much this is getting to him. If you read it aloud hopefully it flows. It did when I went through it.

But do you see where I'm going with the cadence thing? Do you think about this when you're going through your work? Do you read it aloud either to yourself or to a writer's group?

A #777 Excerpt From FALL INTO YOU

I didn't plan on blogging today, but both Tiffany Reisz and Candace Havens tagged me with the #777 Challenge, so here I go.

Here are the rules:

Go to page 77 of your current MS. Go to line 7. Copy down the next 7 lines/sentences, and post them as they’re written. No cheating. Tag 7 other authors

And here's the 777 excerpt from my current WIP - FALL INTO YOU (Grant's Story):

She shook her head. “Please. Don’t. If you say some pitying comment, I’m going to punch you in the face.”

His shoulders rose and fell with his heavy sigh. “That’s not what I was going to do.”

She stepped around him, walking to the window on the far side of the room and putting her back to him. “Right.”

She heard his boots against the floor as he turned around, but he didn’t come any closer. “Believe what you want, but let me say my piece. Since the night I found you out on the road, I haven’t stopped imagining what it would be like to get you in my bed. Every time you talk back  to me, I want hush you up in all kinds of creative ways. And that night you stripped in the bathroom, it took every letter of my moral code to walk out.”

That's it. Hope you enjoyed it (and the cowboy). Now since I need to get back to said WIP, I'm going to tag everyone who wants to take on the challenge. : ) Let me know in the comments if you decide to participate.