TOUR - RAINY DAY FRIENDS: A Wildstone Novel by Jill Shalvis

Starting over was her plan. Getting derailed by secrets wasn’t...

RAINY DAY FRIENDS

A Wildstone Novel

by Jill Shalvis

William Morrow/Harper Collins

Following the USA Today bestselling author of Lost and Found Sisters comes Jill Shalvis' moving story of heart, loss, betrayal, and friendship

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . RAINY DAY FRIENDS (Wildstone, #2) . . . Can I say grab your copy and move this party to the nearest beach or poolside. This was a fabulous read that gave me so much in just the first chapter. That chapter lead me to the ones that followed. I loved Lanie. She was not so sure about herself but I found her to be down to earth and a bit cautions with life in general and mostly with her heart. She finds that with her new job comes new things in life including friends, family, strangers, and more. Laine finds that this temporary job brings her life to something she had never truly felt. She finds the meaning of family, friends, love, and honesty. 

There were an entire family of characters to fall in love with. Those not family were so close you just loved them also. Mark, Cora, Sam and Sea, Uncle Jack, Delaney, River, so many more. I cried, laughed, smiled, and was just bowled over with all that was held within these pages. The Capriotti's were much more than just family. The were friends and support. They were welcoming and came with their own set of complications. 

I had no idea this was the second book in the series. Well that made no difference for me. The book was a dream. It read smoothly and I did not feel as if I was missing anything. I do plan to go back and read book on of this series. Jill Shalvis has brought another story that will warm you heart and bring you closer to the value of family. 

Come grab this one and watch how Lanie falls in love with not just Mark but herself. 

BLURB

Six months after Lanie Jacobs’ husband’s death, it’s hard to imagine anything could deepen her sense of pain and loss. But then Lanie discovers she isn’t the only one grieving his sudden passing. A serial adulterer, he left behind several other women who, like Lanie, each believe she was his legally wedded wife.

Rocked by the infidelity, Lanie is left to grapple with searing questions. How could she be so wrong about a man she thought she knew better than anyone? Will she ever be able to trust another person? Can she even trust herself?

Desperate to make a fresh start, Lanie impulsively takes a job at the family-run Capriotti Winery. At first, she feels like an outsider among the boisterous Capriottis. With no real family of her own, she’s bewildered by how quickly they all take her under their wing and make her feel like she belongs. Especially Mark Capriotti, a gruffly handsome Air Force veteran turned deputy sheriff who manages to wind his way into Lanie’s cold, broken heart—along with the rest of the clan.

Everything is finally going well for her, but the arrival of River Brown changes all that. The fresh-faced twenty-one-year old seems as sweet as they come…until her dark secrets come to light—secrets that could destroy the new life Lanie’s only just begun to build.

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

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SPOTLIGHT w/INTERVIEW - Dragon’s Rogue (Wild Dragons, #1) by Anastasia Wilde

Dragon’s Rogue

Wild Dragons, #1

by Anastasia Wilde

Date of Publication: April 29th 2018

Cover Artist: Melody Simmons

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Tagline: He’s loved her in his dreams for a hundred years. Now he’s finally found her, and he’ll do anything to make her is own…

BEGAN READING TODAY (18 JUNE 2018)  . . . I'm a sucker for a dragon romance. This one was no different so I just jumped right on my ku and got a copy. I began reading it today and hope to have a very satisfying read. 

BLURB

The evil Dragon Lord Vyrkos is about to rise from captivity in a devastating volcanic eruption. Only the Greystone brothers can stop him—and only if they find the three women who hold the keys to sealing Vyrkos’ tomb forever.

Blaze McKenna is a witch hiding out from her former coven. After stealing their most powerful artifact to keep them from destroying themselves, she’s been preparing for the day when the coven leader will hunt her down and try to take it back.

A battle that only one of them will walk away from.

So when smoking hot dragon shifter Zane Greystone offers to help her fight the coven in return for her handing over one of the Seals to Vyrkos’ tomb, it sounds like the perfect plan—except for two problems.

She doesn’t know where the Seal is.

And the dragon doesn’t just want her help—he wants her heart, body and soul.

Dragon’s Rogue is the first book in Anastasia Wilde’s epic new trilogy, Wild Dragons. Each book features one couple, hot steamy dragon love, HEA, no cliffhangers!

Rated steamy – contains explicit sex but not erotica

Amazon

Excerpt (Sexy)

He ran his finger lightly up the inside her forearm. Her skin quivered at his touch. “My search brought me to you. The woman of my dreams.”

Blaze started losing her breath again. “The woman from your dreams,” she managed. “There’s a difference.”

“Not to me.” He ran his finger up her forearm again, watching her reaction. “Especially if you knew what I dreamed about.”

She did know what he dreamed about. She’d seen it in her mind when he kissed her. And it was hot.

“They were dreams,” she said. “You don’t know anything about me.”

But that was a lie. She felt like they did know each other. The way his eyes seemed both familiar and strange, and the look of desire and longing in them did too. Like she’d seen that look so many times, and it still felt new every time, still could pull the breath from her lungs and make her pulse pound.

“No?” he said. His voice was soft, his fingers warm as they stroked her arm. “I know how your eyes look when you’re happy, and the way they look when you’re sad. I know how your face lights up with joy when you smile from your heart.”

He slid closer to her, and moved his hand slowly to the hollow of her right shoulder. “You have a beauty mark right… there.”

He touched it on the outside of her shirt, and still she shivered as if he were touching bare skin. Slowly, he slid the scoop neck of her t-shirt away, exposing her shoulder. He smiled when he saw the mole right where he’d said it would be, where he couldn’t possibly know it was.

He bent his head and kissed it. His lips were soft and warm and sent little flames across her collarbone and down into her core.

“And you have another beauty mark… here.”

This time, his hand moved to her belly, a few inches above her left hip. He slid his fingers underneath the hem of her t-shirt, it until her other mole was exposed. He slid off the couch onto his knees and dipped his head, kissing that place softly as well. Blaze melted, her hands sliding across his shoulders to cradle the back of his head.

The touch of his lips was like a drug. Her whole body yearned for him, like a flower turning toward the sun. He continued to kiss her belly, lips feather-light, fingers skimming the top of her jeans.

Blaze heard herself make a soft sound of surrender. She’d been strong for so long; she’d been alone for so long. Holding everyone at arm’s length, not daring to get close to anyone.

Zane pulled her to him, so that he was kneeling and she was sitting on the couch, straddling his hips. He slid his hands under the hem of her t-shirt, raising it slightly, his eyes meeting hers, asking the question. She raised her hands to let him take it off her. His face relaxed into a smile, and he pulled it up and tossed it aside, the smile deepening when her hair cascaded down her back.

“I’ve always loved your hair,” he murmured into her ear, holding her against him and twining his fingers through it. “It’s even more beautiful than I dreamed.”

It was so strange, that he had memories she didn’t have. But somehow it made her trust him. It was as if her body remembered his touch, even if her mind didn’t.

His lips touched her collarbone, the hollow of her neck, the sensitive place under her ear. Then they found hers, and she opened to him, loving the way he tasted, the way he felt, the way his scent filled her until she wanted to crawl inside his skin.

He unhooked her bra and tossed that aside, giving a low growl of pleasure when her breasts fell free. He cupped them in his warm hands, kissing first one and then the other, over and over, like he couldn’t get enough. Her nipples were hard and sensitive, and heat pooled between her legs.

Somehow his shirt had disappeared without her touching it, and his chest was warm under her hands. He gave another sexy growl when she ran her hands over his muscular shoulders, dropped one to his washboard abs.

He had narrowed his focus to one breast, licking and sucking, pulling gently on her nipple with his teeth as he palmed the other, skimming over the sensitive skin, teasing it gently.

Blaze arched back to let him play with her breasts. Zane snaked one arm around her and pulled her hips closer, her stomach against his taut abs, his hot, hard shaft straining through his jeans, tight against her core.

Oh, god. Blaze moaned, lost in the feel of him. His mouth still sucked at her nipple, stroking it with his tongue, rolling his hips in rhythm. She spread her legs further and rocked against him, gasping when his thick cock hit her in the perfect spot.

One of his hands had slid down the back of her jeans, inside her panties to her bare ass. He pulled her closer with a growl, capturing her lips again and rolling his hips, hitting her sweet spot over and over again.

Blaze felt like she’d caught fire. “I want to touch you,” she murmured, reaching for the front of his jeans. “I want you to touch me.”

A grin curved his lips, and his pants were just suddenly… gone.

Holy hell. Best. Magic. Ever.

Author Info

Anastasia Wilde lives in the deep forests of the Pacific Northwest, where sexy shifters may or may not be found hiding among the tall, ancient trees. She loves to write paranormal romances about wild, passionate shifter men and the strong women who are destined to win their hearts. Broken, complicated, devoted, protective—love heals their wounds and smooths their rough edges (but not too much!). When not writing, Anastasia enjoys traveling, nomming on any food involving bacon or melty cheese (ideally both), adding to her magical crystal collection, or relaxing with a glass of wine, watching the sun set behind the mountains.

The Book Junkie Reads Interview with Anastasia Wilde . . .

How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?

I love giving readers an emotional roller-coaster ride! I try to get All The Feels into my books, from laughter to tears to suspense to “awwww, that’s so sweet.” And of course, the kind of hot steamy sex we all dream about! I always have to put some humor in—I just can’t stop myself.

Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?

I’ve always loved to write, but it doesn’t always flow naturally! I HATE writing first drafts because the details overwhelm me—trying to figure out the plot, plus the character emotions and describing the scene and how this all leads to the next thing… If the scene is really clear in my head it can flow, but lots of times it’s a struggle. Revising/editing is way easier for me, because once I have something on the page to work with I can see what I need to do to make it right.

Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?

OMG, Tristan. Most. Uncooperative. Character. Ever. He’s a white wolf shifter who was introduced in Tiger Mate (Silverlake Shifters 3) as a prisoner in an underground lab, along with other characters who escaped and ended up as the Bad Blood Crew (Bad Blood Shifters series). He turned out to be a long-lost relative of Terin, the amnesiac heroine of White Wolf Mate, and left his crew mates to stay with her and the Silverlake Shifters for a while.

I tried to bring him back in EVERY SINGLE Bad Blood book. (In fact, Bad Blood Wolf was originally supposed to be his story.) He WOULD NOT go back to the Bad Bloods, except for one or two brief visits. I’d put him in the outline, and then…pfft. His part of the storyline would never work out, and I’d end up cutting it. He wants to lead his own crew of shifter adventurers, thank you very much. And he’s not going to do a damn thing for me until he gets what he wants. (Readers still ask when he’s getting his story—I’m hoping to get to that series early next year.)

If you could spend one week with 5 fictional characters, who would they be?

You know, my favorite fictional hangouts are more about the places and communities than wanting to meet one specific character. I love that so much I try to create it in my books—a community of characters my readers want to go hang out and be friends with.

So…I want 5 weeks and here’s where I’d spend them:

1) Learning magic at Hogwarts with Harry Potter and his friends.

2) Partying in the Shire with the coolest hobbits from the Lord of the Rings

3) Hanging out in the bistro in Three Pines, the Quebec village from Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache mysteries

4) Exploring ancient tombs in Egypt with the Emerson family from Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody mysteries

5) Hanging out in the trailer park(s) in Damon’s Mountains with T. S. Joyce’s bear shifters

Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?

Right now I’m finishing up Wild Dragons Book 2, Dragon’s Rebel, which is up for pre-order on Amazon. It’s coming out July 29, and it continues the story from Dragon’s Rogue, but focusing on one of the other dragons, Thorne Greystone, and his destined mate Rebel Smith, the snarky and romance-resistant thief. They have to find the second Seal from Vyrkos’ tomb, and it’s a wild ride!

Book 3 in the series, Dragon’s Storm, is due out in October, and it’s the story of the third couple, Tyr and Tempest, and the search for the third and final Seal.

I also want to do another dragon story—this one’s an offshoot of Bad Blood Alpha (Bad Blood Shifters Book 5). There’s an unhappy dragon from that book who needs some lovin’, and he’s going to get it from Trish, the healer from the Silverlake Shifters (Fugitive Mate). Can’t wait for that!

Thanks for having me and featuring my books! 😊

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Twitter: @AnaWildeAuthor

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TOUR w/INTERVIEW - Dating Rules (Serendipity Series, #2) by Keeley Holmes

Dating Rules

Serendipity Series, #2
by Keeley Holmes
Date of Publication: May 29th 2018
Publisher: KH Novels
Cover Artist: Keeley Holmes
Genre: Sexy Romantic Comedy

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . DATING RULES (Serendipity series, #2) . . . Dating Rules was just fun, funny, laughing often. This was most certainly a sexy rom-com with words that could make you just feel real good. It was a light-hearted romance that gave you much to smile about. I enjoyed it a great deal. It was a simple, yet captivating read that helped the afternoon pass by just smoothly. 

Izzy and Parker find that they are attracted to each other. There was one thing that prevented action being taken. Izzy was not going to allow herself to just follow blindly into unknown waters. Izzy had rules to dating and she was not going to deviate from them. Parker on the other hand was a man that when he wanted something or someone he went for it all in. Over the course of some dates they both learn something new about themselves and each other. This was full of fun. 

The writing was fun, light, and done well. The characters were not overly complicated or hard to get to know. Both Izzy and Parker had something that just lulled you in to a sense of security in them being a friend you were watching fall in love. This one may have been my first read from Keeley Holmes, but I certainly hope that I get the chance to read more from her.

Serendipity series:

Hope at Christmas - Serendipity, #1

Dating Rules - Serendipity, #2

BLURB

Losing control is not an option for Izzy Shaw, something past experience has taught her. When you’re not in control, bad things happen. So when Parker Cole comes bustling into her life with his carefree manner, no full time job and his terrible Hawaiian shirts, she knows she should stay away.

For Parker, seeing Izzy at Penelope’s wedding stirred something in him. Izzy intrigues him. She’s attracted to him but she holds back and she doesn’t realise he sees this as a challenge. Usually when he wants something, he goes for it.

For Izzy, being attracted to a man and allowing herself to act upon it is defined by her rules. She lives by her rules, they protect her...

Parker is a rule breaker.

Over the course of 10 dates Parker has to persuade Izzy that he’s worth the risk, he has to persuade her that sometimes life doesn’t have to be all about rules, sometimes you have to walk on the edge to really appreciate living...

He will prove this to her, one date at a time.

Amazon UK     Amazon     Amazon CA     Amazon AU      Kobo

   

Excerpt

“I want to play a game.”

    I blinked at him. “You realise you sound like that puppet thing off those films…what are they called again?”

    “Saw?”

    “Yeah, that’s the one. You planning on killing me?”

    “Only with orgasms, sweetheart,” Parker winked.

    Urgh. Why did I fall for it? “What game?”

    “A word game.”

    I sighed and drank the rest of my wine. “That tells me nothing. What game?”

    The DVD started. Men were singing as they hammered at ice. I laughed so hard I had to hold my stomach. What the hell? “Are we watching Frozen?” 

    “Yes,” he said, straight faced and very serious as he sipped his own drink.

    I wiped away a tear. I’d seen the half smile on his lips.  “How many times have you played this game to this?”

     “Often. I find it’s a good way to get drunk.”

     “I can’t get drunk,” I squeaked.

     Or any more than I already was…

     I shouldn’t drink around him. It was dangerous. I had no control and I wanted him more when alcohol flowed through me. I wanted to throw my rules out of the window, alcohol made me feel carefree, it made me embrace danger.

    “That’s part of the game,” he chuckled.

    Oh shit. “I don’t-”

    He cut me off, because he probably knew that I was going to do everything I could to get out of it. “Rule time. Do you want to begin at beginner level or advanced level?”

    “You’ve actually created levels for this?” I was already in too deep to back out…and I was kind of interested.

    “We men take drinking games very seriously.”

    I shook my head whilst my teeth nipped at my bottom lip. His thumb grazed against it. Those eyes of his stared right into me.

    Sweet fuck.

   “Let’s start at the beginner level,” he answered for me, and let his thumb drop from my lip.

    I’d wanted the kiss.

    I also knew that he was challenging me. “Why?”

    He shrugged. “You’ve already had quite a bit to drink so...”

    Dick.

    Like I couldn’t handle my drink...okay, I couldn’t, but still, he didn’t dictate what I could do or how much I could take.

    Which wasn’t much more if I was being honest.

    “Give me the advanced level.”

    “Fine,” he chuckled. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

     I scowled and glared at my empty glass, like it was the one to get me into this mess. Well, it would get me into a mess, but probably a different kind. Why couldn’t I say no? What was wrong with me?

    “So, rules, any mention of the word snowman or Olaf’s name and you drink.”

    I nodded.  

    “No sips. It has to be a mouthful. Sips are for losers.”

    “Fine.”

    “More rules yet, babe. Whenever Anna says, “Wait, What?” you have to drink.”

    “Does she say that a lot?”

    His smile was devilish. “Whenever ‘Let it go’ is said or sung, you drink.”

    Christ. I was going to be hammered. I didn’t know all the words to the song, but I knew that the song was called ‘Let it Go’ so that meant it would have the words in it.

    “That all of it?” I prayed that was it because I wasn’t going to be able to stand up at the end.

    “Not quite. Last but not least, whenever Elsa freezes something, you drink.”

    “It’s called fucking Frozen... she freezes things all the time!”

    “I know,” he laughed, “you ready?”

    Damn it. My stubborn side had won out and now I was definitely getting myself into trouble. “Yes, but I need a different drink.” A drink that would affect me less over a longer length of time. Wine would certainly get me pissed within minutes.

Author Info

Keeley Holmes is the author of sexy romantic comedies and NA books. She loved writing so much that whilst her friends were off doing work experience in schools and child care placements, she was doing hers in a publishing house. That was when she wrote her first book at 15, it was set in America and it was about a murdering woman with a glass eye... Number one bestseller...

After working full time and gaining her English Literature and Language degree, she changed her mind about becoming a teacher, when would she write books if she had to mark them? Instead she wrote her second book in 2007. From that moment, she's written books as a side hobby and now she wants the world to read and love them! She's a sucker for a romance books, with a little bit (a lot!) of kink in them!

She lives in beautiful Yorkshire, when sometimes she leaves the house and appreciates that beauty, before crawling back into her cave to write.

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with Keeley Holmes . . .

What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?

My main goal is to enjoy my writing! After that, to publish 9 books before Christmas…. I’m a NUTTER! Lol. But 5 of those books are already written, they just need formatting and then I want to get my Serendipity Series out there.

Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?

I think it flows naturally. Don’t get me wrong, when the block happens the flow isn’t flowing! But I think once the characters start talking then I have no control at all.

Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?

The books I have coming out next year are a little different to what I usually write. My main character is feisty and loveable. I really enjoy delving into her world. She has similar personality traits to me so I enjoy that side of things. I can’t wait for people to read it next year!

If you could spend one-week with 5 fictional character, who would they be?

What a question! This is a tricky one because I love too many people, and I feel like they would clash lol!

So – first and foremost – Eve Dallas from the In Death series. I NEED to be best friends with this girl!

Whilst I’m there, I want Delia and Roarke from this series too. Delia because she’s so lovely, and Roarke because he’s my ULTIMATE book boyfriend. I ADORE him. He’s Irish. Tick. He’s loaded. Tick. He loves so deeply it’s consuming. Tick.

Next – Rhage from the Blackdagger brotherhood series. He’s my fave vampire – and I think Eve will hate  him!

And last but not least - Hermoine Granger – because she’s brave and intelligent and can also throw a mean punch!

Where would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere? What would you do with this time?

I’d spend a year travelling every state in America. I’ve always wanted to do it. Hire a camper van – a huge one and just go around the country!

Can you share you next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?

I’m currently writing the Serendipity Series, I’m writing book 5 at the moment, book 2, Dating Rules, is out 29th May.

I also have another secret project – but I’m not releasing that until next year 😊

www.keeleyholmes.com

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https://twitter.com/keeley_Holmes86

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6552662.Keeley_Holmes

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SPOTLIGHT w/INTERVIEW - Alien Revelation (The Arathian Series, #4) by Nicole Krizek

Alien Revelation

The Arathian Series, #4
by Nicole Krizek
Date of Publication: June 12th 2018
Formats available: Amazon eBook, Audible audiobook, and paperback
Cover Artist: Cindy Nickles
Genre: Sci-Fi/Erotica
Tagline: They must act swiftly to secure their future...and that of the entire Arathian race.

BLURB

Heralded as the saviors of the Arathian species for their ability to procreate with the infertile Arathians, Earthers are honored citizens on Arath. While his son and extended family seem to be enjoying their new lives on the alien planet, the young widower, Conall MacLeod, feels like he doesn’t have a purpose on their extraordinary world.

His future is forever changed when he meets an Arathian male and female who make him wish for a second chance at love. But nothing is ever easy…

Conall’s self-identity is entrenched in the idea that he’s a monogamous—and heterosexual—man, yet he finds himself unexpectedly lusting after two people, one of them, shockingly, male. He can’t deny that he craves things he’s never wanted before, but if he’s ever going to find love again, he must get past his insecurities and rewrite his own self-image.

Who are the Arathians unexpectedly turning Conall’s head, and heart?

Onalee Cormikan is the co-heiress to Cormikan Industries, the leading medical research firm on Arath, which is devoted to finding a cure for their infertility. Considered reclusive by her peers after the tragic death of her parents, she’s content to support her older brother in the search for a cure... until she meets Brogan, Conall, and his family.

They make her yearn to step out of her possessive brother’s shadow, and explore what—and who—she wants in life.

Brogan is a First Lieutenant of the Arathian Royal Guard, entrusted with the protection of Arath’s soon-to-be monarchs. Solely dedicated to his job, he never expected to find a future outside his passion for his work. Yet Conall’s internal struggles seem to stand in the way of their happy future together as a trio. It’s a good thing Brogan likes a challenge.

Conall’s struggle with his sexuality isn’t the only problem facing the threesome.

As the royal coronation for Princess Jayda, Prince Deian, and Prince Lukas draws near, a new terrorist organization emerges: one that threatens not only the royal trio, but all Earthers on Arath.

With the cure to Arathians’ infertility in sight, Conall, Onalee, and Brogan must do what they can to secure both their future, and that of the Arathian race.

Warning: this book contains explicit scenes of intimacy between three consensual adults: M/F, M/M, and M/M/F.

Amazon

Excerpt From Chapter 3:

Across the field, he saw Forkan Cormikan emerge from the gardens with a female on his arm—a beautiful female.

Brogan felt his breath rush out of his lungs as his entire being focused on the pair across the lawn. Was she Forkan’s mate? No, she couldn’t be. Brogan knew that the male wasn’t mated, and that he rarely brought dates out in public. Was this his sister? Please let her be his sister.

Her long hair was held back from her face by braids, and fell down her back in a black waterfall. She was slight in stature, and thin—as if she hadn’t eaten a decent meal in months. Her head turned, taking in the scene, and Brogan wondered what shade of green her eyes were.

He casually moved towards them—not because he felt a pull to do so. Nope. Not at all. It was his duty to keep tabs on all of the guests, including the beautiful females.

He was halfway to the pair, when Forkan broke away from her and headed towards a group of council members. The female was left alone, standing at the edge of the lawn, holding her small purse with both hands in front of herself.

Brogan stopped and pretended to be admiring the nearby foliage. He sipped his glass of water and watched the female. She didn’t seem upset that she’d just been abandoned.

Her gaze wandered over the lawn, while his eyes stayed glued to her. She was absolutely beautiful. Her skin was a light shade of tan, decorated with golden oriaglyphs that ran the length of her arms.

Oriaglyphs were extremely expensive, and few women had that level of decoration on their bodies. The golden tattoos shone in the sunlight, and seemed to make her glimmer. Brogan focused on the symbol high on her shoulder that signified her family, and was unsurprised to see the Cormikan family crest.

This was definitely Onalee, Forkan’s reclusive sister.

Brogan had long ago learned all of the Council members and their families by name and appearance, but even after the dozens of events he’d attended as a Guard for the royal family, he’d never seen Onalee in person. He remembered that she’d been home-schooled after the loss of her parents when she was practically a child. Still a young man himself, Forkan had become her guardian. She’d never gone to vocational training, like most young people, and instead had had private tutors. Now a grown woman, she didn’t have a profession, and had never mated.

Brogan couldn’t see why: she was lovely. There was no way males had stayed away from her, especially given her family’s status.

He heard a large splash come from the lake, and watched Onalee’s face light up in a bright smile. If he’d thought her beautiful standing there placid, it didn’t compare to when she genuinely smiled; it was like she was lit from within. Brogan stared, completely transfixed, as something inside of him shifted.

He reached out and grasped a nearby tree trunk to keep himself grounded. Inside, he had no clue what the hell was going on. His chest was tight, his heart hammered so hard that he was becoming lightheaded. Farther south, his groin tightened with each moment he watched the female.

Brogan closed his eyes tightly, and willed his body to gain control of itself. Nothing like this had ever happened, and he wasn’t sure if it was a positive thing or not.

Most assuredly not, he told himself. He’d gone through years of specialized training to be at the top of his profession. Nothing had ever thrown him off-kilter. Until one tiny slip of a female, he added.

Against his wishes, Brogan’s attention remained on Onalee. She spent another few moments watching the children play at the lake, before she shook herself and moved towards the food tents.

Author Info

Born and raised outside of Portland, Oregon Nicole spent most of her childhood outside; the beach was her favorite place on Earth. When forced indoors by the lovely Oregon weather, she spent most of her time doing art.

In high school she continued taking art classes and focused on music- choir mostly. Nicole was introduced to romance novels in college, which kindled her love for reading! In the years since she’s devoured hundreds of books, and although she likes other genres she always come back to romance… because the endings are always happy ones.

In 2013, after hearing her expound on her imaginative creations for years, Nicole’s husband encouraged her to write her own book. She began writing the next day and decided that she’d keep going until it wasn’t fun any longer. Three years later she’s still going!

Moving often for her husband’s work and in recent years has lived in: Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska, California, and North Dakota. Her family currently lives in Sicily, Italy. Thankfully she can write from anywhere in the world!

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with Nicole Krizek . . .

How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?

My sci-fi romance novels promote science, healthy relationships, LBGTQ equality, and sex-positivity. I hope to open my readers’ minds to something they may never have considered before in their own sexual explorations or cultural exposures. The acceptance of all forms of consensual sex is a message that I believe in wholeheartedly, am proud to support, and can’t help but imbue in my writing style.

What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?

Sometimes the urge to write hits me at inopportune moments (like in the shower, while driving, or cooking a meal). That's when I run to a keyboard the moment I’m free to record what I’d been thinking.

Most of the time I write when I’m alone. The main reason is that I write romance novels in a home where I have two children who can read. I don’t need them reading about his “hard length” or how she “throbbed in want” from over my shoulder! I also can’t get in the right head-space when they’re running in and out of the house while interrupting me.

When I’m actively writing I like to listen to music (usually classical, because I can’t write while listening to music that has lyrics), close out of distracting websites (like Facebook and Pinterest), and have plenty of water nearby so I don’t have to get up as often. Most of the time I write at a proper desktop, but sometimes I take my Surface outside to have a change of pace, especially when editing.

If I plan to write a lot, I put on wrist bracers. I look like a dork, but at least I’m protecting myself. :)

Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?

I try my best to know my characters quite well before I begin to write, but sometimes they throw me for a loop and we discover who they are together. Brogan, one of the main characters in my latest novel Alien Revelation did this to me!

I had a careful plan for Brogan; a background and traits that I imagined were going to work. But he took that careful plan and laughed at it. He turned out completely different than I had imagined, and he’s all the better for it!  

Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character? If so which one(s)?

Absolutely! I have my favorites, just like I think my readers have theirs. Lukas Ferguson, one of the main characters from my book Alien Incursion, is at the top of my favorite’s list. He was the first character I gave a difficult past to, and the first to suffer real heartache. Together, we gave him a bright future. I feel close to him. It’s one of the reasons I’ve continued to include him in my subsequent books. I love his determination, his bravery, and the love he has for his mates.

Lukas’ mate Deian is also one of my favorite characters. I love how lighthearted and jovial he is. I love his devotion, his strength, and how he helped Lukas find a part of himself that he’d buried deep down.  

Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?

Yes! I have two characters that I CAN’T WAIT to write about: Torei and Tolani. They’re twin sisters and Princesses of Arath. Since writing about them for the first time back in 2014, I can’t stop thinking about their futures. I had to wait for them to age before writing their stories (they were only 15 when first introduced), but now I think we’re all ready. I haven’t decided on their books’ plots or who their mates are going to be, but I’m determined to make it worth the wait!

Have you ever felt that there was something inside of you that you couldn't control? If so what? If no what spurs you to reach for the unexperienced?

My creativity is like a creature living inside of me. I HAVE to create. Before I was a writer, I painted custom artwork for a living.

2 years ago I took a 4-month break from writing to move my family from the US to Italy. By the 3rd month, I’d become irritable, and jittery. Once I finally sat down and wrote, all of that went away. All I needed was to sit down and create… it was amazing!

Website: http://www.nicolekrizek.com

Blog and Newsletter signup: http://nicolekrizek.com/preface-blog/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nkrizek  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FansOfNicoleKrizek   

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/nkrizek

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Krizek/e/B00ES3TP9M  

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