Showing posts with label Professor/Student Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Professor/Student Romance. Show all posts

April 22, 2015

Book Promo: Excerpt & Giveaway! The Rub Down by Gina Sheldon


Dark room

Luke Stratton spends his days making clients moan in pleasure. His hands hold the ability to drive a woman to the brink of ecstasy. As a rule, his professional touch is the only thing he gives any female client. Until a Boston marathon trainee seeks his services.

Bare skin

One year after the tragic Boston Marathon bombing, Alexa Williams must overcome horrible memories of that day. She struggles to put her fear aside to meet the challenge of the run. A rigorous training schedule leaves her body aching, and with Luke’s help, Alexa finds soothing release at The Rub Down. 

Healing Hands

Will Luke hold onto his rules and let Alexa go, or will they be able to cross the finish line together?


Prologue

Crisp white linens covered Tamlyn’s spread limbs, and soft candlelight cast shadows across her features.

“Harder, Luke, harder. You know I love when you’re rough with me.” She squirmed under my touch, her voice drowning out the soft background music. After two years in our relationship, I was accustomed to her giving me directions.

“Tamlyn, you know I’ll bruise you if I go at you any harder, and you won’t be able to walk tomorrow.” I spoke in a low, even tone, trying not to disrupt our rhythm. Every stroke of my fingers on her bare skin served a specific purpose. Tamlyn liked it hard and fast, but I preferred giving it to her gentle and slow. 

“Right now, I don’t care. My body needs this. Needs you. Danny can’t give me what I need anymore.” She opened her eyes to peer up at me. “I’m too used to how you make me feel.”

“Oh, stop, Tam. You and I both know that Danny’s good. I’ve never heard a woman complain about him.” My hands glided over her smooth calves. “His style’s different from mine, but he knows how to get results.” 

Tamlyn wasn’t the first woman Danny and I had shared. In fact, we often swapped clients. In our line of business, it was common practice. We thought it was beneficial to the women who came to us. 

“I know, but you know my needs and meet them every. Single. Time I see you.” She moaned when I gripped her hips. “I hate when you have to leave town. I seriously can’t survive without seeing you at least once a week.” Tamlyn tilted her hips to increase pressure right where she wanted me. “I even asked my husband, and you know I hate doing that. He tried his very best to do exactly what you taught him, but I swear I only moan so his feelings aren’t hurt.” 

“Derek looked like he knew what he was doing when I taught him how to take care of you.” 

A few months ago, Tamlyn brought her husband to see me. She wanted him trained to satisfy her body’s needs in my absence. 

“Now hush, our time’s almost up, and I’m not through with you yet. I haven’t heard you scream my name,” I said as I moved into position to finish her off. 

To gain better leverage for what I planned next, I placed my knee on the edge of the table. As my fingers trailed her inner thighs, Tamlyn squirmed beneath me. This was my favorite part, and I was going to make sure she enjoyed every second of it. As I reached my destination, her moans grew louder. 

Then the door to the room slammed against the wall. 

“You cheating bastard.” My girlfriend, Jennie, stood in the doorway, red-faced and screaming at the top of her lungs. Before her crazed presence registered in my mind, she lunged for Tamlyn.

All hell broke loose.






Gina Sheldon is a devoted wife, busy mom of twin girls, and the proud owner of a small business. She often travels the very streets of Boston she writes about in her debut novel, “The Rub Down.” One thing she refuses to leave home without is her Kindle. Their relationship borders on obsessive. As a beta reader and blogger, Gina shares her love of books with others, and her love of words has now carried her into the field of self-publishing. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found surrounded by family and friends, enjoying a glass of wine, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or both.





April 6, 2015

Book Promo! One Day at the Wedding Series by Kelly Rae

Bride in wedding day in lavender field
add-to-goodreads-button31

Once Upon a Wedding Story 

Cassie Anderson, bridesmaid extraordinaire, is tired of attending her friend’s weddings either solo, or with her best friend, Thad. Finding a real date is simply too much work. Especially when she sees an old acquaintance from high school, Dan, at her friend Shelley’s wedding. After the spark shared between them, Dan has become the object of her affection. Too bad he has a nasty habit of having a date on his arm at every turn. Stealing another woman's date is against the rules, but if she could just catch him alone…well, that would be fair game! Unfortunately, timing is everything, and she and Dan seem to have the worst. Always the bridesmaid, walking away with nothing more than a dreadful dress, Cassie is committed to changing her luck and getting her man.
Once Upon a Wedding

Every Other Wedding Synopsis

Cassie Anderson has been the girl of Dan’s dreams since high school. Unfortunately, her return to his life comes at the worst time possible. As he tries to put his life back together, he keeps an eye on her, hoping to find her single at the right time. A time when it all hurts a bit less. A time when he can offer her all of the love she deserves. After three weddings of happenstance meetings, Dan finds himself to be a little more ready for everything that is Cassie. Putting himself out there, he can only hope she is everything he thinks she might be — his forever girl.

Anything but a Wedding 

Thad never expected to find anyone who meant more to him than his best friend, Cassie. She was the one woman he loved enough not to sleep with. He was a player, but an honest one. Unfortunately, not everyone felt that balanced out his love 'em and leave 'em ways. He just didn't see a need to settle down — yet. Then, he met Brianna, who made him think about the future — a future with her — which was a new experience for Thad. Brianna is also a new kind of woman and convincing her that they have a future might just be the challenge of his life. 

Not One More Wedding 

Brianna works through men like she works through her closet — seasonally. Any other way has always been trouble. When she meets Thad, she is thrilled. Not only does he intrigue and excite her, but he is just like her — noncommittal. He sets her on fire with his smooth talk and honest approach to dating. Even without being physical beyond a kiss, the thought of him makes her entire body hum. Except, Thad has gone and gotten attached to her in a way neither of them expected; attached in a way she simply cannot allow. Unfortunately, he won't allow their relationship to become physical until she surrenders her heart to him, which is a battle she isn’t sure she can win. The longer it lasts, the less sure she becomes of wanting it to.

Not one More Wedding

Bonus Story! When Cassie Met Thad
Were you curious about how Cassie and Thad met? Read all about their story in this bonus story exclusive to this version.
One Day at a Wedding teaser 2


“Cassie. Cassie, did you see who’s here?” Shelley tugged at her skirt, trying to get her attention directed toward the back of the church.

“What’s the matter with you?” she asked Shelley and then turned to face the back of the church. “Ohh, now I see what you mean.”

“And yet, you ignored me,” Thad said from the other side.

She just blew him off with a wave. He would get over it in two seconds or less anyway.

There he stood, looking as dapper as a GQ cover. His suit was a very nice shade of blue, with a white shirt and what appeared to be a pinstripe tie. By the time Shelley had gotten her attention, he had already selected a pew and scooted by people for a seat. The most important thing Cassie noticed was his lack of a date.

Who doesn’t take their fiancĂ©e to a wedding?

This could be a good sign. Of course, she would have to do some more investigating before she determined whether he had a single status at this point, or remained affianced. It then dawned on her that she, herself, had brought a date to the wedding. She took her eyes off Dan long enough to glance over at Thad, currently very busy staring at the legs of the woman next to him.

Boy, can I pick ‘em. Even my pretend boyfriends are losers.

“Thad, do you think you could be a little more discrete about your appreciation for our neighbor there?” she asked through gritted teeth, trying to keep her disdain to a low roar.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry Cassie. But did you see her calves? I swear, it’s just a professional thing,” he said this with the gigolo grin, his specialty, one that hardly ever worked on Cassie. Hardly ever.

“If this is where you tell me how you’re a critic and you were just admiring her legs in a professional manner, don’t bother,” Cassie uttered in her most stern, yet quiet, voice. “You critique the arts, Thad, her legs are not performing.”

“I could argue that point, but seeing how your face is scrunching up at me, I won’t. You’re right, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Thad did his best to appear remorseful and even went so far as to kiss her forehead and squeeze her hand. She did not squeeze back.

To Cassie’s way of thinking, the fact that he had been holding her hand the whole time, including while checking out the lady’s legs next to them, made it a little worse. What could she say, though, considering she had been waiting and hoping for the appearance of another man?

She turned her head and caught Dan glancing in her direction. His mouth immediately curved up into a smile and he waved in Cassie’s direction. Cassie returned the smile and raised her left hand to reciprocate the wave, realizing she’d brought Thad’s hand along with her. Making it obvious that she had brought a date to the wedding, she immediately dropped Thad’s hand. Too late. She knew Dan had seen already.

Damn it!

Teaser One day at a wedding series


Kelly Rae

Kelly Rae is mom to an amazing young man. Everything else is just a way to keep busy between laughs with her son, or a way to pay for his sports equipment and growing feet. When she was twelve years old, she hit the big leagues by winning a Young Authors Award (okay, okay, it was only within her school district. Shh.) Although she has been unable to duplicate this success in her adult writing, she is giving it her best shot. Kelly, her son, and their chocolate lab, live in the Pacific Northwest where they enjoy the sun when it shines and the snow when it falls. When they aren't dancing in the rain or singing at the top of their lungs in the car, they are planning their dream vacations...which they might even get to take some day.



January 25, 2015

Review! Fall Semester by Stephanie Fournet


Despite his stunning good looks, Dr. Malcolm Vashal is perhaps the most detested professor on campus. A floundering career and the aftershocks of a painful divorce have left the 34-year-old with more than a little self-loathing, which only grows when he meets Maren Gardner. The graduate student with the loyal heart and searching eyes is much too good for him. She is off-limits for more reasons than one, but Malcolm can’t seem to resist her.


Maren is facing the greatest loss of her life, and her family needs her more than ever. Between caring for them and building her future, Maren doesn’t have time for a social life, much less a relationship, but she can’t push a certain green-eyed professor from her mind. She sees in him what others don’t, but that might not be enough.


My Review...

Fall Semester is a student/teacher contemporary romance. When I started reading it I kept in mind that the author was inspired by Sylvain Reynard so it was highly possible for it to be another Gabriel’s Inferno with slight changes here and there. 

Well, it wasn’t. Not really. 

Malcolm Vashal is a professor at University of Louisiana. He’s disappointed by life and seriously contemplating ending it. 

Maren Gardner has abandoned the studies in Denver to be close to her family in the last months of her father’s life. She’s the kind that always makes sacrifices without thinking what it means for her future. 

When she meets Malcolm, something changes and she starts hoping that maybe something good can come out of this tragedy. 

I’ll be honest, I was really disappointed by the first half of this book. It just drags and it lacks consistency. 

Malcolm is a strange character. Keeping up with his mood swings it’s an exercise in futility. One moment he’s funny and warm, the next he’s depressed and contemplating suicide or downright rude. You never know what to expect for him. 

Another thing that was poorly described was his relationship with Maren. It lacks essence. The reader will have a hard time understanding how it developed. One moment they’re trying to build a friendship and the next they’re in love with nothing much in between except a dinner. 

Another thing that gave me fits was how the author tried to portray Malcolm as sophisticated, mature and mysterious. This was an attempt at creating someone like Sylvain Reynard’s Gabriel but it backfired. Instead, he appears immature, moody and insecure. And all that British English mixed with American English in their speech. What’s up with that? What was the point ?? 

Maren also was a contradiction. One one side, she tried to make her appear as confident and strong but she ended up sounding pushy and, one the other side, she is humble, insecure and weak. 

The last 40% saved this book from being a total waste of time. The story picks up a little bit and it’s full of emotion. At least, it was like that for me. 

The writing style is really, really confusing. Stephanie has potential but she has to be more careful and get her ideas in order before putting them on paper. 

The ending was predictable and a little bit rushed. 

All in all, I think it could have been better. The base for a great story was there but the author went the wrong way in presenting it. 

Happy reading!!


January 15, 2015

Book Promo: Author Interview and Giveaway! Beautiful Burn by Adriane Leigh


I've broken him, bent him, and burned him, and each fevered moment was worth every ounce of pain.
Auburn Lawrence has loved her English teacher, Reed West, since she was sixteen. Through brainstorming stories, reading classic literature, and plenty of fiery banter, they've forged a bond that neither of them expected.
Propelled by a chance encounter after her graduation, they discover just how deep their connection runs, but love requires more than chemistry to flourish. They spend three electrifying summer months discovering each other under a veil of forbidden passion and desperate lust before they learn that the unattainable is often destined to remain exactly that.
By the time temperatures dip and snowflakes fly, their relationship will face a deep freeze that threatens to snap the bond they thought they shared, shattering their lives one secret at a time.

Intended for mature audiences.
Beautiful Burn is a 50,000 word, standalone novel.



Interview with Adriane Leigh


1. In 5 words, please describe your ‘Romance Writing Style’
Lyrical, Edgy, Sexy, Emotional, One-Click-Worthy! <---Does that last one count?! lol

2. Do your leading men come from any place in particular? Dreams? Movie stars? Your partner? Past partners?
My men always come from my dreams! Sometimes they're inspired by a real life someone, but my leading men are always way more swoonworthy. Men tend to suck in real life!

3. What do you do in your down time?
I have a two and a four year-old, I don't really get down time! I wish I had more time to read and knit.

4. When you walk into a book store, where do you head first?
The new release displays! I like to touch the pretty covers and leaf through the heavy pages. I'm a first-class book nerd.

5. Why did you decide to write romance novels?
I've been reading those steamy, bodice-rippers from the grocery store since I was a kid, I used to hide them under my mattress so my mom wouldn't find out I was reading the smutty stuff! It was a natural progression I think.

6. Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?
I appreciate Hemingway's sparse prose and always keep that in mind when I'm writing. It's not for everyone, but I love concise sentences that convey heavy emotion.

7. What research did you have to perform to back up your story? Any research which really opened your eyes or gave you new respect for a topic or profession?
Very little research was needed as most of the scenes are inspired by things I've done or places I've been. I did have fun re-reading some of the classic books mentioned in Beautiful Burn. I love discovering parallels in contemporary books with classic stories. It means that love is crazy, wild, unpredictable, beautiful, comforting, and above all, timeless.

8. What is your method for writing a book? A certain amount of hours every day? A certain routine? Are you character/story builder or an outliner or some other method?
My method is madness! If you have a type-A personality, look away!
My books are pretty story-driven. I don't have a solid outline until half-way through the book, I just write by the seat of my pants and get inspired by the characters and the situations they've found themselves in up to that point.
I try to write 5-6 days a week (emphasis on try) for an hour or so at a time. I tend to work best in the early afternoon, and I have to have a clear desk to write at; clutter isn't good for the creative process.

9. How do you get past writers block or distractions like Facebook?
Ah, Facebook. There's no beating that beast. I try to stay logged out as much as possible to avoid distraction when I'm in the zone.

10. Favorite book from childhood?
I could never choose! I remember reading the Boxcar Children a lot though.

11. What’s on your desk? Can you see your desk? Describe what you see when you look around.
I've got an antique farm table from the 1940s for a desk that I keep pretty sparse– a candle, bottled water, my phone, and laptop.

12. What's the weirdest thing you've Googled?
Most recently...the anatomy of the throat, for reasons I just can't even mention!

13. What is your favorite line from any of your books?
This one from Beautiful Burn ---> Love is a beautiful burn in a quiet corner of the heart that won't be ignored.

14. Do you believe in love at first sight?
No, but I believe in chemistry at first sight ;)

15. What do you do when you are not writing?
Hang out on Facebook!

16. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
It always hurts a little when a reader says they didn't connect or like your lead female character, I think it's true for most authors that there's a little piece of them hidden in their characters. The best compliment is anytime someone say's they've read one of my books for the second, third, fourth time. That's an indescribable feeling!

17. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve has always stayed with me. It was the first book I'd read with that sense of desperate love; the push and the pull between right and wrong. I love it!

18. Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? Racy?
The action scenes are always the toughest, I love writing the racy ones!

19. How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?
I think names are an important component to character. I strive for both. I always look up the origin of the name, and usually there's some significance either geographically, historically, or even structurally, as is the case with Auburn.

20. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Writing it! Brainstorming and researching is the fun stuff, actually planting my ass in the chair and creating a story is something else entirely!

21. What did you want to be when you grow up?
I've wanted to write books since I was in middle school. The last few years have been a dream come true!

22. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Love is stubborn. Sometimes we have to endure pain to grow. The pain is worth it.

23. Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
Tough one! I didn't have anyone specific in mind when writing, but Auburn is sort of like Nina Dobrev or Lucy Hale...a combination of the two! Reed is a bit like Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook.

24. Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?
2. I love to see where the story takes me!

25. For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
Ebooks or audio. My iPad might as well be permanently attached to my hand.

26. What book/s are you reading at present?
I just started Love, In English by Karina Halle and I'm loving it!

27. If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
One year later and I still have a book hangover from Arsen by Mia Asher. That book made me feel—hate, love, anxiety, passion—it's everything I can't get enough of.

28. What advice would you give to your younger self?
You are worthy.

29. How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
I've been inspired by so many fantastic books the past few years not just for their story, but how the writer's write the story, and I'm always challenging myself with language. I geek out when I find a new, different way to describe something! #wordnerd


Adriane Leigh was born and raised in a snowbank in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and now lives among the sand dunes of the Lake Michigan lakeshore.
She graduated with a Literature degree but never particularly enjoyed reading Shakespeare or Chaucer.
She is married to a tall, dark, and handsome guy, and plays mama to two sweet baby girls. She is a voracious reader and wishes she had more time to knit scarves to keep her warm during the arctic Michigan winters.