Friday, November 29, 2013

Do You Believe by L.Chapman COVER REVEAL


Do you Believe? (A Believe Christmas special)

Author - L. Chapman


Hosted by - Hooked on Books

Synopsis

  For Megan, the time she has long dreamed of is finally here. Come watch the power of friendship evolve and discover how significant a true family bond is. You’ll see Mark and Megan as they lead little Lucy through the joys of the holiday season. With the impending holiday just a day away, there are a lot of enjoyable family events planned. Come and relish this special day with the entire gang from the Believe Series. Get to know the characters you’ve grown to love even more, while meeting new, fresh faces at the same time. For the Believe family, will they all get the Christmas they’ve been dreaming of?

About the Author

 L. Chapman was born in and continues to live in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. She has spent most of her life helping others at one time, a DJ for a special needs club. Blending her love of helping others and her love of children, L dreams to one day own and operate a childcare nursery that will help mainstream special needs children with others. In the rare times that L. is not working to help others or maniacally writing, she enjoys making a mess of things while creating beautifully detailed greeting cards. She spends time relaxing with family, friends, and good books. L. loves to travel and has been to many places in the United Kingdom; her favorite places all involve the ocean. She hopes to one day share a kiss with her happily-ever-after in the romantic shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Should she ever get over her fear of flying, those kisses may be shared in the shadows of the Egyptian Pyramids. Ever the fussy eater, L. has never once tasted peanut butter, and she despises coffee. If you should feel the need to bribe her, it is suggested that you bring chocolate, as that is one of her known weaknesses.


Do you believe is part of the believe series Book 1 - Trust Book 2 - Veiled Book 3 - TBR -early 2014


Add to Goodreads

Contact
Twitter - @LChapman23
Buy Links
Trust

Veiled

Surrender My Love by Lisa Eugene

Surrender My Love Blog Tour Banner


Surrender My Love New 800
add-to-goodreads-button31
Synopsis
Patients are dying at Washington Memorial Hospital and no one knows why. When Nurse Chloe Bennett finds herself in the middle of yet another Code Blue, she questions the unexplained deaths. Dr. Brad Markson is a world renowned cardiac surgeon who is confident, brilliant, and sinfully sexy. He does not tolerate losing patients. When his patient suddenly dies, he looks for answers.
The two work together to unravel the mysterious events surrounding the deaths, and soon find themselves fighting for their lives in a fast paced, erotic thriller. When Chloe is accused of the murders, she is surprised to find she has an ally in gorgeous Dr. Markson. Shy, sweet, Chloe is unable to resist his wickedly sexy smile. His passionate kisses ignite her body, and his mere touch induces shivering pleasure. But she doesn't know if she’s ready to give away her heart after her traumatic past, and Brad is battling career demons of his own. Can the two learn to trust in each other? Will they live long enough to surrender to their love, or will they fall victim to their fears and lose everything?
Buy Now

SML Teaser 1

Excerpt

His open palm landed hard on her bare buttocks and she gasped with the shock of it, the sting racing hot through her body. She had no time to voice a complaint because he drove impossibly deep and undiluted pleasure chased the pain, causing her to arch her back and sink her nails into the corded muscle of his thigh. Her lips parted with a long saturated moan and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"You don’t listen very well, do you?" he rasped against her ear.  "You seem to have a fondness for disobedience."

Meet Lisa
Lisa Eugene lives on Long Island, NY with her husband and three rambunctious kids. She's been a nurse for over twenty years and is still practicing. Between juggling a full time job and being a soccer mom, she enjoys a good romance. 

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Kallypso Master's "How it Began" Tour Blog Stop 2

Stop 2 Talk about Marc’s issues and show scene with Melissa before he joins the Navy
Welcome to the second stop in Kallypso Master’s “How itBegan” two-day blog tour. Thanks for having me, Shhh, Mommy’s in the Bathroom.,.Reading.
If you’re just joining in, you can get a list of the tour stops in order at my AhhKallypso…the stories you tell blog page[on the words AhhKallypso…the stories you tell,LINK TO: http://kallypsomasters.blogspot.com/p/books-by-kallypso-masters.html]
Now for the first excerpt in the “How it Began” tour, this is where readers first meet Marc (Marco) D’Alessio inMasters at Arms. He’s being haunted by Melissa, a woman one of my editors refers to as the QBU (Queen Bitch of the Universe). She’s done a number on Marc—and won’t be finished with him after this scene either.
This isn’t the way a Dom in control would conduct a scene, but as the layers of Marc are peeled away in this and later books, readers see therein lies some of the issues with him. None of my Doms are perfect. They’re human. So, please read this for what it is, a turning point in his life after which he makes some important decisions about the lack of direction in his life.
“Not tonight, damn it.” The knock that intruded into his evening was unwelcome. Marc D’Alessio had had an exhausting day trying to juggle what seemed like dozens of crises at the resort and just wanted to be left alone.
He drained his glass of pinot bianco and leaned over to set his wineglass on the oak coffee table. Standing, he walked over to the stereo to turn down Bocelli’s Por Amor. The lyrics made him uncomfortable tonight for some reason.
The living room of his Aspen apartment was done entirely in earth tones, reminding him of his childhood home in Lombardy. The place usually provided some calm for him after the stresses of trying to run the family business.
So not working tonight.
Another knock. With reluctance, he crossed the living room to open the front door. On the welcome mat knelt a voluptuous Italian woman he recognized immediately, even though her head was bowed.
Ah, shit. Not again.
“I’ve been very bad, Master Marco.”
Melissa raised her head to look at him and smiled. She wore a very low-cut blouse, her breasts spilling from the gaping vee. Two years ago, he’d have dragged her inside, stripped her, and had her ass reddened within ten minutes.
That was before he’d found her in bed with his brother, Gino.
“Look Melissa, I’m tired, I don’t appreciate your topping from the bottom. Besides, I thought we were finished playing these games.”
She sat back on her heels, straightening her back. A look of sheer desperation crossed her face before she controlled it and reached up to place her hands on the sides of his hips. He didn’thelp her stand, but perhaps if he had, she wouldn’t have been able to rub her breasts across his crotch and chest as she pulled herself to her feet.
Melissa teetered and grabbed his arms for support. Had she been drinking? Not nearly as much as he’d have to drink before wanting to have anything more to do with her.
The woman who had nearly become his fiancĂ©e wrapped her arms behind his neck and pulled his face toward hers. “Please, Marco. I need you. No one can satisfy me the way you can.”
He doubted she’d waited around celibately over the last eighteen months for him to satisfy her again. What the hell did she want? He reached up to separate her interlocked hands and took a step away from her. Big mistake. She stepped into the apartment to follow him.
“Melissa, we’re through. We were through six months before what happened after Gino’s funeral. That was a big mistake.”
Tears filled her brown eyes. She’d always been able to cry at a moment’s notice. Her well-manicured hand splayed across his chest. “Marco, we need each other. Gino would have wanted us to be together to comfort each other.”
“Somehow I doubt that.” Gino didn’t share. What was his,was his. And Gino had made it abundantly clear that Melissa was his before he left for Afghanistan. Of course, after their betrayal, Marc had wanted nothing to do with either of them.
She closed her eyes, then gazed up at him again and took a new tack. “Gino never satisfied me the way you could. He didn’t understand my need to be controlled.”
As if Marc had ever been in control in their relationship. She’d pursued him in college and they’d dated exclusively the year before he graduated. Then he’d brought her home to the resort to meet his family in preparation of popping the question. At least he’d been divested of that notion before it was too late.
Melissa had played Marc for a fool. He’d vowed that no woman would have that kind of control over him ever again.
“Look, I’m going to drive you home. You’ve obviously been drinking. Someone can bring you back over tomorrow to get your car.”
He turned to walk into the kitchen to retrieve his Porsche keys. Melissa pressed her body against his back, pushing him against the dark-gray granite countertop. Her hand snaked out to grab his cock through his pants. She couldn’t suppress a moan, apparently disappointed to find she hadn’t given him an erection despite her blatant attempts.
“Marco, please. It’s always been so good between us.” She stroked him, and his long-neglected cock responded.
He spun around and grabbed her shoulders, wanting to push her away. Her pupils dilated. Damn her. If she wanted to be controlled, he could accommodate her.
He wrapped his fingers around her upper arm and guided her back into the living room. She stumbled on the stilettos and he steadied her. Maybe it wasn’t that she was drunk, just that she couldn’t walk on those damned five-inch heels.
When they reached the tan-colored leather sofa, he turned her around and pushed her hips against the armrest as he eased her torso over until her head was on the seat cushion and her ass high in the air. She turned her head and looked back at him, smiling.
“Hard, Sir. Give it to me hard.”
Marc knew he’d hate himself later for letting her top him like this, but right now, he needed to blow off some steam. His life was so damned fucked up. He hated his job, but he couldn’t leave it. He owed the family that much. But being cooped up behind a desk all day was killing him. He hadn’t been out on the slopes since Gino enlisted.
Managing the resort was killing him by degrees.
He went to the bedroom to grab his toy bag and returned to Melissa, who waited patiently for him to begin. God help him, if she didn’t look good to him, draped over the armrest, waiting to be spanked. Well, he definitely wasn’t in the mood for an over-the-knee spanking tonight. Too intimate. He reached into the bag and pulled out his riding crop.
When she saw it, her butt cheeks clenched. Her mouth fell open as she sucked air into her lungs.
“What’s your safeword, Melissa?”
“Cherry, Master Marco.”
“Use it if you need it.”
Whack.
Normally, he would have rubbed her ass cheeks before beginning a spanking. He would have planned the scene and gotten his head in the zone, but his thoughts were a jumbled mess tonight. Not that Melissa would notice or care. The flat leather tip came down on her right cheek and she gasped. He watched as the red mark appeared on her olive-colored skin.
Whack.
On the left cheek this time.
He delivered four more whacks in quick succession, alternating cheeks.
“Oh, God, yes!” she moaned.
Damn her for liking it, too. “Quiet!” The next blows fell to her upper thighs. One leg kicked out at him, nearly hitting him in the groin.
“Keep your legs down!”
She put her feet back on the floor. “Sorry, Sir.”
The next eight blows reddened her ass nicely. Dio, he didn’t like taking his pleasure when angry, but his cock throbbed at the sight. He needed to find release. He’d given her plenty of warning, if she wasn’t looking for sex tonight, but Melissa had never run cold on him before, and he didn’t think she would this time. He reached into the bag and pulled out a condom package. Placing the riding crop on top of his bag, he tore open the foil packet.
“Yes, Master. Give me that big cock.”
“I didn’t give you permission to speak.” He ground the words out between his teeth as he sheathed himself. He most definitely didn’t give her permission to speak in porn-flick scripted lines, either. Standing behind her, he reached down to stroke his fingers between her folds. Wet. He spread the moisture to encircle her clit, which protruded from its hood. Her ass bucked and tilted toward him. Mmm.” He rammed two fingers inside her and she moaned, but didn’t speak.
Unable to wait any longer, he positioned himself behind her, held her ample hips in place with his hands, and thrust himself inside.
“Oh my God, Master!”
Ignoring her, he battered against her, his balls slapping against her pussy. He nearly pulled out of her, then pushed her legs open wider and slammed into her again.
“Sweet, Jesus! I need to come so badly, Marco!”
“Silence! You do not have permission to come yet.” He continued to pound her pussy, then reached down and took her clit between his thumb and forefinger. He squeezed hard. She bucked against him.
“Oh, God! Oh, God! Please, Marco!”
“How do you address me?”
“Master Marco, please. I can’t wait any longer!”
“But you will.”
Ohhh! Oh, yes!” As little as she could move with him confining her, she still managed to tilt her hips toward him, allowing him deeper access. “Fuck me, Master! Fuck me harder!”
He thrust until he felt his own explosion nearing. He purposely pictured her in bed with Gino to delay his own orgasm. “Come, now!” As she went over the top, her pussy clenched his cock. He needed to hold out a little longer. He wasn’t finished with her yet.
“Oh, God! Ohhh, Marco, yesssss! Don’t stop!”
He leaned over her, continuing to stroke her clit even after her spasms had ended. She tried to move her pelvis to evade his fingers on her oversensitive clit.
“Come again.”
“No, Marco. I can’t.”
“Twice you have addressed me as Marco without using my proper title. You owe me two more orgasms.” They’d negotiated orgasm torture before, but broke up before they’d tried it. “I. Said. Come. Again.” He ground the words out against her ear. With her body restrained under his, he stroked her clit harder, faster. She couldn’t escape the pressure he applied. She was trapped.
Just as he was.
Trapped.
“Oh, my God! I’m coming! Oh, shit!” She bucked wildly against him, clenching his cock as another orgasm wracked her body, this one seeming to be more intense than the last. He’d been taught never to promise a sub something and not deliver, but delaying his own orgasm was hell.
He let her breathing slow a bit, then touched her clit again.
“Oh, God, don’t! Please, Mar…Master. Enough!”
His fingers stilled. “Do you wish to use your safeword?”
She paused, gasping for breath, then shook her head. He pulled her hair away from her face so he could judge whether she could take another one. He began stroking her clit again. Her cheeks were wet from tears, but her mouth panted as she let the sensations build again. Her mewling sounds told him she wasn’t in pain. Not that pain was necessarily a bad thing in Melissa’s book of needs.
He stroked her harder. Her screams became incoherent as she bucked against him.
“Open your eyes.”
She did as he ordered. He pinched her clit again, then stood up and rammed her with his cock.
“Oh, shit! Oh, Master, please! No more!”
Again and again, he thrust himself inside her, demanding more than he ever had before. He took perverse pleasure in making something so desired feel like a punishment. Not unlike his feeling of being trapped at this resort, staring at the mountains every day and knowing he couldn’t walk away from that goddamned desk and enjoy them as he had before Gino had joined the Marines.
He reached down and stroked her clit again as he neared his own climax.
“Oh, ohhhohhhhhh, yes! Yes, please! Don’t stop!” Her body convulsed beneath him as she experienced her third orgasm in just a few minutes.
Marc found himself breathing hard, as well. He pumped harder, faster. The release as his semen spurted from him caused his legs to go weak. But he continued to pound her pussy until the last spasm of his cock and her vagina ceased. He pulled out immediately and staggered on weakened legs to the bathroom where he disposed of the condom, washed himself off, then got a clean washcloth and wet it with warm water for her.
He looked into the mirror over the vanity. The disgust written on his face brought him to a standstill. Surprisingly, he wasn’t disgusted with Melissa, but with himself.
What the fuck was he doing?
He needed to get away—from Melissa, from the resort, from his family.
Far enough away to find himself.
Before this place totally consumed his soul.

Free and Almost Free Books Available in the Rescue Me Series
For those wanting a free glimpse into the Rescue Me world, you can get started with the FREE introduction,Masters at Arms. This book introduces six characters who will go on to have happily ever after Romances shared about them. (Adam & Karla, Damián & Savannah, Marc, and in a small part here but with more to come later, Grant.)
Better yet, because I don’t want you to stop there, I’ve just released a new combination e-book download of the first TWO books in the series—Masters at Arms & Nobody’s Angelfor only 99 cents! You save $3 off the cost of purchasing Nobody’s Angel as a single. Nobody’s Angel introduces you to Angelina and shows her exploration into the world of BDSM, but Marc remained so closed off still in this book, it won’t be until the December release, Somebody’s Angel, that readers will come full circle with this couple. The paperback version of Masters at Arms & Nobody’s Angel is 467 pages long, so this is a bargain at 99 cents! You’ll find buy links to all of my books, which currently are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, Kobo, Apple, and Smashwords, at my AhhKallypso…the stories you tell blog page[on the words AhhKallypso…the stories you tell, LINK TO:http://kallypsomasters.blogspot.com/p/books-by-kallypso-masters.html].
Here also are the direct links to this new title at Amazon[On Amazon, LINK TO:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GR5990E] and Barnes & Noble [On Barnes & Noble LINK TO:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/masters-at-arms-nobodys-angel-kallypso-masters/1114072854].
Giveaway Time! Free eBook in the Rescue Me Series!
At each of the 15 stops, I’ll be gifting one randomly chosen reader a copy of a book in the Rescue Me Series (a $4.99 value), chosen from Nobody’s HeroNobody’s Perfect, or the soon-to-be-released Somebody’s Angel. Fill out theRafflecopter for your chance(s) to win! As with all of my giveaways, this is open internationally. And we’ll also send through the mail some cool swag items, including this red Ka-thunkpen, hand fan, a Masters Brat button, and other cool stuff! 
Next Stop!
Your next stop in this blog tour will be at Jo-Anna Walker (http://joannawalker.blogspot.ca ). Previous spot was The Book Bellas www.thebookbellas.com )You also can get links to all of the blogs at my own AhhKallypso…the stories you tell blog. [on the words AhhKallypso…the stories you tell, LINK TO:http://kallypsomasters.blogspot.com/p/books-by-kallypso-masters.html]. By Friday, we’ll be sure to update with the direct links to each of the entries so you can follow easily and start gathering those answers to the 15 trivia questions!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, November 25, 2013

Emily Hemmer: The Break-up Psychic, Just One, and Plus None with Reviews & Giveaway

The Break-Up Psychic:Book #1 in the Dangerously Dimpled series: Ellie has a bad habit of picking the wrong man; a cheating ex-boyfriend, a mild-mannered foot fetishist, and let’s not forget about the hillbilly with the impolite hard-on. But when Sam James, the oh-so-hot bad boy Ellie has sworn to stay away from, keeps turning up like a bad penny, she’s going to need more than her psychic senses to see what’s coming her way. 
Chapter 1
     I think I might be a little bit psychic. I can’t predict the winning lottery numbers and I won’t be starting a hotline any time soon, but I can spot a breakup coming days, even weeks ahead of time. I admit there’re always little clues before the big break, but it’s more a feeling I have. It’s something in my gut that says, ‘Get out the chocolate and Jane Austen – this one’s going to be a doozey.’
     I’ve been down this road before. Ellie meets boy. Boy seduces with promises of commitment. Ellie falls in love with boy. Boy turns out to be a scum-bucket. Right now my psychic senses are telling me my boyfriend, Tim, may be scum-capable. Alright, he hasn’t actually done anything to warrant my suspicion, but that in and of itself is curious. For a guy with a naturally naughty disposition, he’s been acting like a damn choirboy. Four times last week I came home to fresh flowers. Every girl knows receiving flowers once in a while means, I love you, and getting them four times in one week means, Sorry I screwed my secretary.
     There’s also the issue of his sudden disinterest in foreplay. He used to take his time on me, brushing his hands over my body and whispering dirty words against my neck until I was floating off the bed. But lately he’s claimed to be, “too bushed for foreplay tonight, Babe.” Last week I even offered to do that ‘special thing.’ That which is normally reserved for birthdays and anniversaries, and he turned me down in favor of watching the Rangers play the Mariners. No guy turns down that to watch four hours of baseball on TV.
     For these reasons and others, my psychic warning bells have kept up a persistent clanging in my ears.  Even though he smiles and soothes and assures me of his love, I can’t stop doubting him. It’s making me crazy. I feel like I’m turning into Glenn Close’s character in Fatal Attraction. I’m one flower delivery shy of making rabbit stew for dinner and practicing holding my breath under water. I feel ridiculous and disgusting for not trusting him, but in the depths of my soul I know he’s out there somewhere, sucking face with a bleach blond bimbo with big Texas hair and more boobs than brains. And that sucks because this time I thought things were going to be different. This time I thought I’d found the guy who was going to give me my H.E.A.—Happily Ever After.
     I blame my father for my trust issues with men. It’s no coincidence I received my psychic gift on the same morning he walked out on Mama and me. When I was six he began taking a keen interest in my schooling and in my twenty-four year old kindergarten teacher, as it turned out. I’ll never forget the anguish in my mom’s eyes when she told me he’d left us. I wish I could say that the experience toughened me up, put me on my guard, but the truth is that surviving heartbreak was a lesson I had to learn for myself. And boy, have I been educated in the twenty-one years since.
     Maybe if things had been different. Maybe if my dad had loved my mom, and I’d been more careful about who I gave my heart to, I would never have heard these stupid bells. But that’s not the way things happened. I’ve loved too much, lost too often, and know too well. I know the breakup’s coming, and I know somewhere nearby, there’s a big-boob bimbo getting all of my good foreplay.
The Break-Up Psychic
Book #1 in the Dangerously Dimpled series
By Emily Hemmer
Review by Christina Mock
4.5 Stars

Emily Hemmer, you are freaking hilarious. Case in point:

I admit there’re always little clues before the big break, but it’s more a feeling I have. It’s something in my gut that says, ‘Get out the chocolate and Jane Austen – this one’s going to be a doozey.’

Four times last week I came home to fresh flowers. Every girl knows receiving flowers once in a while means, “I love you,” and getting them four times in one week means, “Sorry I screwed my secretary.”

It’s making me crazy. I feel like I’m turning into Glenn Close’s character in Fatal Attraction. I’m one flower delivery shy of making rabbit stew for dinner and practicing holding my breath under water.

I know the breakup’s coming, and I know somewhere nearby, there’s a big-boob bimbo getting all of my good foreplay.

And oh yeah, that’s just in the first FIVE PAGES!!!

Ellie has a self-proclaimed “gift”. She knows when a relationship isn’t going to work. Not just others relationships, but hers as well. She hears “sirens” go off when it becomes clear that a relationship is not going to make it. A lot of times, this really can be a gift, but she is not always one to listen to her own alarm bells. Ellie doesn’t have the best luck with men and her latest break up has left her unable to trust them. She swears off her “type”, the bad boy, until she meets Sam, the owner of a local auto repair garage. Ellie is wounded and Sam has secrets, not always the recipe for the basis of a successful relationship.

In addition to being genuinely funny, the characters are quirky and the chemistry is hot! As Ellie and Sam’s relationship picks up speed, it gets downright steamy!
Ms. Hemmer is great at bringing a touch of “real life” to the romance novel, because let’s be honest, sometimes sex and relationships can be not only funny, but awkward as well.

I liked seeing how Ellie was able to reclaim some of her self-worth after her break up with her ex. Ellie has a lot of self-doubt, mostly because she comes from a working class background. Her ex, the cheater, is well to do. Ellie never felt as though she really was a part of his world. She truly changes over the course of events as she learns from her mistakes and sees things for what they really are.
It is seeing the dynamic between her, Sam, her co-workers Amber and Brook, that you really get a feel for her personality, and just how much more comfortable she is outside of the relationship of the cheating louse. It is really a refreshing transformation.

I give The Break-Up Psychic 4.5 stars. It was very well written, and was a fast, easy read. I can’t wait until the next installment, the novella Just One. I do hope that we see more of Sam & Ellie in subsequent books. I love their chemistry as a couple and am eager to know how their relationship progresses!

Christina Mock
11/14/13

Just One: Book #1.5 in the Dangerously Dimpled Series: Charlie would like nothing more than to trade her high heels for a pair of old cowboy boots, but her high society sister has got other plans. Lucky for Charlie, a thorny bush broke her fall when she went tail over tits in the hydrangea, and Alex Ramirez showed up to lend a helping hand. What’s a country girl to do when her knight in shining armor turns out to be a rich boy with a mysterious agenda, and two panty dropping dimples? Two star-crossed lovers, one hotel room, and a really naughty leather belt. Maybe Charlie should get out of Harlow County more often.
*This is a novelette length work (4 chapters/14K words approx), and is the prequel to book 2 in the Dangrously Dimpled Series, Plus None. Also, it’s very hot. Sizzle.
We come to a stop near the middle of the garden’s grassy floor. The spongy Kentucky blue feels like kitten fur against my sore soles. It’s a good thing he removed the stilettos. I would’ve sunk like quicksand trying to dance on this lawn.
Alex brings me in close, his free hand rests low on my hip. I allow him to guide me, to tug me forward until our bodies make contact. It’s like getting zapped with a stun gun. I turn my head toward his chest and am faced with the open collar of his button down shirt. His skin is smooth and I can feel the hard ridge of muscle beneath his clothes. I follow his lead, my hips moving side to side, my brain about to short circuit from the friction between us.
“Are you headed home tonight or are you staying at the hotel?”
I’ve been so focused on the pressure of his hand against my back, his voice startles me. “I’m, uh, staying overnight. Paige got me a room.”
“That’s nice.”
“Don’t be so sure. If I know my baby sister at all, it’s part of her master plan to get me out of Harlow.”
“How so?”
Alex’s breath tickles the top of my head. I’m afraid to look up because I know the only thing keeping my lips off those dimples is simple geography. “She’s got some crazy notion I’m too good for that place. Her mission is to sway me toward greener pastures by showing me how the other half lives.”
“I take it you remain unconvinced?” The hand holding me to him draws me nearer. His fingers tap out a melody against the small of my back, and two years of pent-up sexual frustration bubbles to the surface.
I lean against him and close my eyes. His cologne smells expensive and exotic. I press into him, undone by his closeness. “I just don’t belong here is all.”
He brushes his lips against the sleeked-down hair on the top of my head, sending thunder down under. “You seem like you fit in okay to me.”
“This isn’t me; this is all Paige. The hair, the dress, the shoes, all her doing. I’m not fancy like her. I’m simple, plain old Charlie.”
Alex stops moving, pulling just far enough away to look down at me. “We just met, and you are surely many things, but simple isn’t one of them.”
In the dimly lit garden, his eyes look almost black. I lick my lips, my mouth dry from quick breaths. His gaze follows the movement and the hand on my back forces me flush against him.
Just One
Book #1.5 in the Dangerously Dimpled Series
By Emily Hemmer
Review by Christina Mock
5 Stars

In the words of the illustrious George Takei, OH MYYYYYY!

Phew! I’m gonna get my own southern girl on and sit a right spell with my glass of sweet tea…this book is HAWT. *fans self *

Just One is a novella that introduces us to the characters of Charlie (Charlotte) and Alex. Charlie is a small town girl from a trailer park who works out in the oil fields alongside her father. She doesn’t ask much of others, for she is the glue that has kept her family together after the death of her mother when she was a pre-teen. On the other hand, there is Paige, her younger sister that is pretty much the exact opposite of Charlie. Paige was a sorority girl in college and has managed to snag a young rich beau, her ticket out of small town Harlow County. While not necessarily embarrassed by her upbringing, she is certainly not proud.

It is at the swanky party for Paige’s 23rd birthday that Charlie meets the mysterious Alex Ramirez. What begins as a wild night of unbridled passion turns into something much deeper. But Alex has a big secret and Charlie ran the next morning, this certainly isn’t shaping up for a happily ever after!

I absolutely adore the chemistry between Charlie and Alex; I just wish Alex might grow a little bigger cajones in order to deal with some of his snooty friends that look down their noses at Charlie. Ms. Hemmer has painted Charlie as an endearing, passionate, beautiful woman who often puts the needs of others before her own. Seeing all of the crap that Charlie has to deal with at the hands of those who deem themselves better than her, I am rooting for her, big time.

Five stars hands down for this one, although I have to admit, I was ready to strip all of the stars way as I got to the end. I was at 99% finished and I had a huge fear that we wouldn’t see any resolution, only to see that Charlie and Alex are going to get their own full-length novel, Plus None. You don’t realize how happy that makes me; I know I’m looking forward to spending several more hours with Alex Ramirez!

Christina Mock
11/14/13
Plus None:  Book #2 in the Dangerously Dimpled Series : Keeping her loud, redneck family in line for seventeen years has been no easy feat for Charlie Davies, but she’s managed to carve out a life for herself in the quiet crazy of her hometown. That is, until her baby sister announces she’s marrying a country-club boy from the bright lights of Dallas. Charlie’s got two months to defeat her sister’s she-demon Maid of Honor, keep her cousins from ruining the nuptials, and decide whether her one-time, one-night stand Alex Ramirez is worth a second chance.
Alex has thought of almost nothing but Charlie for two years, since the morning he woke up alone in her empty hotel room. Her sister’s upcoming wedding to his best friend seems like the perfect opportunity to reconnect with the girl who got away, but he underestimates her pull on him and soon finds himself torn between love and duty.
With the wedding fast approaching, Alex and Charlie’s relationship will be put to the test. Hillbillies, debutantes, and the old southern divide of rich and poor threaten to keep them apart. One thing’s for sure, it’s about to get interesting in Harlow County.
Plus None teaser (there are teasers for each book on the website):
Alex, seemingly unnerved by four pair of blue eyes boring into him, steps closer. “Is there someplace we can talk?”
His eyes shift to Brook. The Botox effectively masks her shock but her mouth has been hanging open so long, I’m worried she may start to drool.
I move away from the counter on shaky legs. “In the back.”
Alex walks around Brook and waits for me. Her head follows him like a blind dog follows sound. We make our way to the back room. My hands shake as I pull the thin cotton curtain closed behind us, leaving my three stunned aunts to man the bakery.
He’s standing very close to me. Dressed in a smart white button-up and navy slacks. He looks every bit as delicious as he did the last time I saw him. My mouth is so dry I have to try twice to force words out. “Hi,” I manage.
“Hi.” He smiles warmly at me.
I return his smile uncertainly and two roguish dimples tease me. “What are you doing here?”
Alex looks around the small room. “I was nearby and thought I’d stop in. Say hello.”
“You were in Harlow?”
“Nearby,” he says. “I heard about the bakery and I thought it might be nice to check it out. See you again.”
Last time Alex Ramirez saw me, he saw all of me. “Paige told you?”
Alex nods. “She’s proud of you. Though, I think she’s a little raw you didn’t want to follow her footsteps out of here.”
Paige has never understood my loyalty to this place. It was during one of her many attempts to lure me to the bright lights of Dallas that I met Alex. It was the only time her plan even came close to succeeding.
“I think you may be right. We’re so different. Sometimes I think she must’ve been delivered to the wrong house by a drunk stork.”
His laugh sends vibrations running through me. “And your dad? I hear he’s still working in the fields. How’s he managing that and having an empty nest?”
So he knows I bought the bakery and he knows I moved out. I let my inner trailer park do some talking. “You’ve been keeping tabs on me?”
His eyes settle on my mouth for the space of two heartbeats. I bite my bottom lip, a nervous habit.
“I’ve kept my ears open. I’m happy for you, Charlie. I remember how much you wanted this place.”
The intimacy of his words makes me uncomfortable. “I’m surprised you remember.”
“I remember a lot about that night.” He doesn’t bother to be covert, but looks me up and down.
The intensity of his gaze leaves a trail of hot, flushed skin in its wake. He closes more distance between us. “I remember the color on your cheeks when I stripped you of that towel.”
I gasp, shocked by his words.
“I remember the smell of your skin from your interrupted bubble bath.”
Another half step and he’s within inches of me. I don’t look up but stare instead at the collar of his shirt, a familiar view.
Alex leans forward, his mouth almost against my ear. When he whispers, the words tickle the skin on my neck. “I remember how you tasted.”
I sway on the spot and he places firm hands on my hips. “You’re always falling around me,” he says, softly.
Plus None
Book #2 in the Dangerously Dimpled Series
By Emily Hemmer
Review by Christina Mock
5 Stars

Good lord. Emily Hemmer has gone and done it again. Just when I thought the relationship between Charlie and Alex couldn’t get any hotter; she went and proved me wrong!

Plus None picks up about two years after Just One ends. Out of the blue, Charlie receives a visit from Alex, whom she hasn’t seen since the morning she walked out of the hotel room. It turns out Alex has very much wanted to contact Charlie, however he is still harboring a very big secret; a secret that could keep them from realizing a happily ever after.

Charlie is no longing working in the oil fields. She has finally realized her dream and has opened her own bakery. While not making a ton of money, she is staying afloat, with quite a bit of help from her family, her aunts in particular (who bring a TON of comic relief to the story!). Charlie’s sister Paige is planning her wedding to Ken and much of the plot revolves around that storyline in one way or another.

In Plus None, we see the return of Brook (the owner of Brook’s Bath Shop) who happens to be Charlie’s aunt. Also, Amber, our favorite witch, is back. She’s a resident of the same building as Charlie’s bakery and apartment. I freaking love the interaction between these characters! While not necessarily central to the storyline, these relationships just strengthen the small town feel of the book, as well as set up for even more storylines for future books.

The heat between Charlie and Alex ramps up even more, and the tension between the two is palpable. While there is a lot of humor in this installment of our story, it seems that Ms. Hemmer has started to evolve as a writer. The first book, The Break-Up Psychic depended on humor for a bulk of the storyline, however by the third volume, Ms. Hemmer’s writing has become deeper and more descriptive. She has mastered mixing the comedy with the heat and emotion, and has presented us with not only a storyline that is hard to forget, but characters that have become addictive as well. (To say that Alex is swoon-worthy would be an understatement!)

Plus None is another five star effort. Like Ms. Hemmer’s other books, it is well written and a quick, enjoyable read. My only issue with this volume is how long are we going to have to wait for the next installment, and whose story are we going to hear next?!? We need more Harlow County!

Christina Mock
11/16/13

Emily Hemmer was raised in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago before settling in Kansas City in 1996. She was raised in a house full of women and can therefore shower, blow-dry her hair, and apply full makeup in twenty minutes flat. A huge fan of romantic comedies, Emily was overjoyed to learn that her college roommate could recite every word of the movie ‘Clueless,’ until she realized that was the only VHS tape her roommate owned. Emily dropped out of college and to this day, blames the listless years of her twenties on the words, “As if!” She completed her degree after an extended eleven-year semester break.
Married in 1998, Emily and her husband ‘Mr. T’ have two beautiful children now entering their teenage years. Her mother assures her that these years are not meant as punishment for parents, but as a source of great hilarity and recompense for grandparents. A sweet yellow lab, a jerk-face Viszla puppy, and an evil Siamese cat make up the rest of the family.
In October 2012, Emily learned she came in 2nd place for the SFARWA ‘s Heart-to-Heart contest (for contemporary single title romance) for her first work, The Break-Up Psychic. This work has been a true labor of love and is the basis for all of Emily’s future happiness. But she’s trying not to put too much pressure on herself.
According to her Yahoo! Shine horoscope for 2013, this year looks to be the best of Emily’s life. She has plans to publish three books, win countless accolades from her peers, and literally roll around on a bed made of money. She also plans to purchase a new dishwasher.