Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Spotlight: Carrion by Jonathan R. Rose

About the Book

Carrion is about a world consumed by chaos. But in this world, you are not a desperate survivor hoping to outlast the bedlam; instead, you are the monster that caused it. Consumed by an insatiable hunger, a malevolent need to feed, you are the one from whom the masses flee. And because of you a group of barbaric men led by a fanatic with a gleaming badge fastened to his chest have banded together with the intention of hunting you and all those like you down. Follow in the footsteps of a fiend. See what he sees. Taste the flesh. Smell the decay. Suffer the anguish. Witness a massive city crumble under the weight of fear and hate and become hell. Whether engulfed in flames, or flooded by lakes of blood, all that remains are monsters and men, and the war that wages not only between them, but within themselves. 

Buy Link

Amazon

Praises for the book

"Here is a claustrophobic landscape of heaped flesh, ravenous vermin,and human monsters. Each body in Carrion is possessed by a maddening hunger that Jonathan R. Rose describes viscerally and graphically. What begins as a brutal, relentless effort to fill the stomach becomes another kind of ravenousness, one emotionally rooted but still debilitating. This novel is starvation captured on the page." 
- Alana I. Capria, author of Wrapped in Red and Hooks and Slaughterhouse 
"Unique and soul-shattering -- one of a kind." - Nicholas Morine, author of Punish the Wicked and Cavern

"Rose's powerful debut novel allows the reader to shadow a flesh-hungry monster in a post-apocalyptic world. The ghoulish protagonist has no bounds in his brutality, and yet he maintains a kind of innocence, causing one to question what is a monster and who is a hero. Rose's prose is exquisite and his compact narrative gratifyingly philosophical, bringing to mind Shelley's Frankenstein and Camus's The Stranger. I'm excited to read what Rose writes after Carrion. Enter the darkness if you dare."
David Massengill, author of Red Swarm.

About the Author



Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, an Eastern suburb of Toronto, Jonathan R. Rose loved to learn, so, as is often the case with those who develop an obsession with learning, he grew bored with school. 

After finishing high school, he pursued several different dreams, none of which panned out. He then found a job at an upstart airline, which he loved, but due to that airline's negligence, he severely injured his back after his first year, and required surgery. It was during a year long convalescence that he rekindled his love for reading, a love that he lost over the course of his young adulthood. It was during that time, laying in bed, left with nothing else to do, that he devoured great literary works from the likes of Tolstoy, Cervantes, Dante, Balzac, Heller, Dostoyevsky, Marquez, Carpantier, Dumas, Hugo, and many many more. 

Blown away by the brilliant works of these masters, perhaps out of ego, perhaps out of boredom, perhaps out of some cabin-fevered delirium, Jonathan believed he could create similar works of art, and join their ranks. After finally recovering, Jonathan went back to work, and, after losing a year, travelled as much as he could in an attempt to make up for lost time, all the while, writing, daily, until he finished his first novel. He believed it was brilliant. It was shit. 

That didn't dissuade him however, and he kept writing, and keeps writing, every single day, and while it took him 7 years, and hundreds of rejections, from that first novel's completion, until his first published novel "Carrion," was released on November, 2015; it was over the course of those 7 years that Jonathan R. Rose grew up. He lost 2 more years due to 2 more back surgeries, but when he was able to walk (and sometimes when he barely could) he continued travelling as much as possible, visiting over 35 countries on 5 continents. After parting ways with the airline job, he left Canada and spent the majority of his time in Central Mexico, where he still finds himself, to focus entirely on his writing, which has flourished since that long drive south. 

Fuelled by anger and frustration at the world around him, Jonathan R. Rose has no interest in naive escapism, or in pretending things are getting better; instead, he creates stories that hold up the smudged, stained mirror of humanity and shows it a reflection it consistently refuses to acknowledge.

Contact


Thursday, February 18, 2016

Release Day Blitz: Their Reluctant Wife by Vanessa Vale

Their Reluctant Bride


Book 6
Bridgewater Ménage Series



Synopsis

Emily Woodhouse is a penniless, homeless widow thanks to her recently deceased husband. His gambling ways have placed her in a desperate situation. Faced with working off his debt in the basest of ways, she chooses instead to accept Tyler and Xander's unconventional marriage proposal. She won't be marrying one man, but two.

Tyler and Xander know instantly that Emily is the one for them. Not only does the widowed young woman rouse their protective natures, she knows of their customs regarding a two husband marriage. Despite the fact that Emily needs the safety they can offer, she isn't eager to remarry. She might be reluctant, but they will show her what it will be like with two men to cherish, protect and possess her.

But the past catches up with them in the most dangerous of ways. Only in facing the past can they forge a future together.

Excerpt 

(NSFW Version)

Xander looked at me for one short moment, then lowered himself to his knees and began lifting up the long hem of my dress.
I tried to swat his hands away, but he was not to be deterred.
“What are you doing?” I squeaked. It was one thing to agree to marry and… fuck them, but it was another to do it right now.
“I’m going to show you how it’s going to be between us,”
“Yes, but why are you on your knees? Shouldn’t we be in bed? It’s not dark out,” I stammered, my palms pressing against the wood of the door.
He looked up at me and grinned. His teeth were white compared to his tanned skin and dark beard.
“You are a little reluctant after all.”
All of a sudden I was very reluctant.
“Don’t worry, baby, he’s going to make you feel good,” Mr. Tyler said, his voice a smooth timbre. He moved closer. Backed against the door, one man at my feet and the other just beside me, I had nowhere to go.

Excerpt 

(SFW version)

You need a wife and Emily is perfect.”
“She’s just lost her husband. How could she be perfect if she’s clearly not interested?” I angled my head toward the direction she’d gone.
“Her husband gambled and drank to excess. While she never once confessed it, I believe he hit her. He was cruel to her at the very least. She is not the least bit sorry he’s dead. In fact, if she weren’t such a nice person, she’d be dancing on his grave.”
The idea of anyone hurting Mrs. Woodhouse made my hands clench. She was too small, too… dainty—even with her lush curves—to protect herself from the likes of a man Olivia described.
“Then she can find a man she truly likes this time around. She’s young, beautiful. She’s a catch for any man in town.”
Olivia grinned. “So you think she’s beautiful?”
“Any conscious man would think so,” I countered.
“Then you should offer for her.”
I sighed, exasperated. “Why?”
“Because you and Xander need a wife.”
I shook my head. “We do not need a wife.”
“I see the way you look at the couples at Bridgewater. Everyone’s happily married. It’s hard, I’m sure, for you to witness since no one else marries like we do. Like your parents. You want a marriage with Xander like all of us at Bridgewater. Admit it.”
“Of course I admit it. I won’t marry any other way.” I put my hand up. “That does not mean that our bride should be Mrs. Woodhouse.”
Olivia pursed her lips. “She has to marry.”
My brows went up. “Again, why?”
“The bank is taking the ranch. Debts, most of them I’m sure are because of her husband’s gambling. She has no place to go. No money. She’ll have to get a job and there are none, unless she wants to work on her back.”
“Olivia,” I warned.
“What? It’s true.” Olivia took a deep breath. “She’s going to have to marry. A woman doesn’t have any other options. It might as well be you.”
I frowned. “Is that a compliment?”
“Of course, it is. She deserves someone—or two someones—who will be good to her. I know you and Xander would be. Plus, I know her well and she knows about how we marry. I like her. Trust me, you’ll be well suited.”
I turned so I could look at the woman’s retreating figure. Well suited? I had no doubt we’d be very compatible in bed. She would be no hardship to look at. That did not make a marriage, but it certainly helped.


Buy Links

Amazon UK- http://goo.gl/QN5Hd8
Barnes & Noble- http://goo.gl/S5odnO
All Romance eBooks- https://goo.gl/c3mdcv
Kobo- To come
iTunes- To come

Author Bio

USA Today Bestselling author

Who doesn't love the romance of the old West? Vanessa Vale takes the sensual appeal of rugged cowboys a step further with her bestselling books set in the Montana Territory. They are much more than just sexy historical westerns. They're deliciously naughty reads that sometimes push the boundaries of fantasy. It's pure escapism with quite a few very hot, very alpha cowboys.

When she's not writing, Vanessa savors the insanity of raising two boys, is figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker, and teaches a pretty mean karate class. She considers herself to be remarkably normal, exceedingly introverted and fairly vanilla, which does not explain her steamy stories and her fascination with cowboys, preferably more than one at a time.

She lives in the Wild Wild West where there's an endless source of 'research' material.

Social media links

Join my mailing list and get a free book! http://freeeroticbook.com



Sunday, February 14, 2016

Release Day Blitz: Last Vacation by Sarah Elle Emm

About the Book:

Seven days have passed since Naples real estate agent Megan MacKenna has heard from her twin sister, Madeline, who was vacationing on the beautiful, Caribbean island of St. Croix. Though authorities are not convinced there is a case to solve, Megan knows with all of her heart something happened to Maddy. When Megan receives a direct warning to leave the island or end up like her sister, she turns to the only person who has taken her seriously since she arrived, Gabe, a breakfast cook at a local diner. 

Undercover DEA agent, Gabriel Walker has been building his cover for months, waiting for the opportunity to work his way into the infamous Torrez crime ring. When Megan shows up asking questions and Gabe realizes her twin’s disappearance might be linked to the Torrez men, he has to convince her to go back to Florida before she becomes their next victim. 

The closer Megan gets to the truth, the more Gabe begins to suspect he is missing a huge piece of the puzzle. And someone is closing in on Megan…

Buy Links:



Fun Fact:



I grew up visiting the island of St. Croix with my family. As an adult, I lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands, on both St. Croix and St. Thomas. I always wanted to write a fiction story that took place there, but I never took the time to write it until recently.




Excerpt:

Megan peered out at the vast expanse of ocean gleaming in the bright morning sunshine before her. The turquoise waters seemed to go on forever. From the Caribbean Airways in flight map, she had noted theislands of Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. John were in the far off distance. She had been told a faint view of the densely populated St. Thomas could sometimes be seen on a perfectly clear day, but no matter how she strained her eyes, she couldn’t quite see it today.

Had Maddy hopped on a sailboat and continued her travels to another island as the police officer had suggested? It wasn’t like Maddy not to check in. Her cell phone had been going straight to voice mail since the last photo Maddy had sent, and according to the cell company, the cell phone was out of service range. Something had happened to her sibling. The last communication with Maddy had been an unexplained picture of an iguana. No message, no text, nothing. Just an enormous, slimy, dragon-resembling lizard. Megan sunk her head to her chest. Where in the world was her sister?

“Everything okay, Miss?”

Startled from her hopeless thoughts, Megan sat upright at the sound of the low voice. Her eyes scanned the length of the man standing before her, and she pursed her lips together. She guessed he was probably about six-foot-two.

As she sat silently, observing him, the man repeated his question, “Are you okay?” His tone bordered on cautious, but concerned.

“Everything’s fine,” she finally managed with a tight voice.

With a smile, his concern faded away, and he reached behind his back to untie a grease-spotted apron. He folded the apron up, pulled out a chair at the table right next to Megan’s, about a foot and a half from her, and sat down.

An internal alarm went off, making Megan feel extremely uncomfortable with his proximity, and she fidgeted with her hands as he stared at her, finally forcing them into her lap. How could a voice so soothing go with a gruff-looking character like him? And what in the world was he doing sitting down so close to her?

About the Author:


Sarah Elle Emm is the author of the HARMONY RUN SERIES, a young-adult fantasy and dystopian series, released in May 2012 by Winter Goose Publishing. (PRISMATIC, May 2012, OPALESCENT, February 2013, CHATOYANT, September 2014, NACREOUS, August 2015) Her debut fiction novel, MARRYING MISSY, was published by Bird Brain Publishing in October 2011. Sarah is a graduate of The University of Evansville, she has lived and worked in Mexico, Germany, England, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and has traveled extensively beyond. Sarah lives in Naples, Florida with her family. When she’s not walking the plank of her daughters’ imaginary pirate ship or snapping photos of Southwest Florida scenery, she is writing.





Stalk the Author:







Thursday, February 11, 2016

Book Review: Chronicler of the Undead by Mainak Dhar

Title: Chronicler of the Undead
Author: Mainak Dhar
Pages: 172
Price: 250.00 INR
Publisher: Westland Ltd


Review


I picked up Mainak Dhar’s ‘Chronicler of the Dead’ amidst much trepidation. Though I had never read a novel about zombies before, I had the misfortune of enduring ‘Go Goa Gone’ a few years back. Naturally I was apprehensive. But both the writer and his book have surprised me. I’m no longer scared of reading zombie fictions. Oops! Did that come out wrong? Horror fictions are supposed to give us goose bumps but here I am saying that I’m no longer scared! What I meant was that I’m no longer averse to reading this particular genre. Thanks to Mr. Dhar. He has done quite well in writing a zombie fiction.
The book revolves around a zombie apocalypse in Gangtok with a sole survivor who documents his days in a journal for a posterity that even he is unsure of. From his journal entries we get a peek into the background of our protagonist, of his days in the Army and his buried ambition of becoming a writer. It is clear that he would rather be dead drunk than fighting the dead. But with a diminishing amount of alcohol and a city teeming with zombies, he has little choice. And of course there’s an instinct for survival at the face of every odd. So our hero jots down all that he does during the day and drinks himself to sleep while watching the zombies below. One night out of sheer desperation he takes a painful trip to the city below for more rations. All this time the zombies, aka the Morekos, had not bothered him but now they struggle up the winding path to get at him. A battle of sorts ensues where he avoids getting killed initially because of his military training and wit. Just when he has run out of ammunition and knows for sure that he’d be zombie food, he is rescued by a couple of armed gentlemen who are a part of a much bigger community in hiding. What follows is a disaster in the making and soon the undead are not the only enemy that he has. 
The language of the novel makes for a fantastic read. There’s humour and there’s wit. The narrative is easy to follow and keep track with short chapters. There aren’t too many characters and yet amidst the gore the author has managed to explore human emotions brilliantly. He has also thrown in a little romance for good measure. Sarcasm and witty remarks render the plot a likable touch. While reading it I was reminded of another movie I had watched and liked – Zombieland. Dhar has clearly plucked a few leaves from this zombie comedy. There are marked similarities but that doesn’t make the book any less desirable.
That said, I did enjoy reading the book and I’m sure all those who love dystopian fictions would most certainly enjoy this book. I’m going with a three out of five. 

Author Bio



Mainak Dhar is a cubicle dweller by day and author by night. His first ‘published’ work was a stapled collection of maths solutions and poems (he figured nobody would pay just for his poems) which he sold to his classmates in grade 7, and spent the proceeds on ice cream and comics. Since then, he has gone on to be a bestselling author, momentarily becoming the #1 horror author on amazon in march 2013, surpassing stephen king. He has seventeen books to his credit, including the bestselling alice in deadland series, which is being made into a television series in the United States.

I'd like to thank author Mainak Dhar for letting me review his book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!




(Picture courtesy: Amazon.in) 
    


Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Author Interview : Ankit Bohra, Author of 'e-love* * Terms & Conditions Applied'

About the author


Ankit Bohra is a Chartered Accountant by profession and has secured 28th rank in his final exams. He is currently working with one of the most renowned audit firms of the country, Ernst&Young. He is one of the few Chartered Accountants who has penned down a fictional novel. After spending many years of his life in Jodhpur, he moved to Ahmedabad for his Chartered Accountancy and is currently based in Bangalore for his job. It took almost four years for him to complete his debut book. He defines himself as a “Chartered Accountant by Profession and writer by Passion”. He loves photography, listening music and reading novels.

The best way to reach out to the author is through his e-mail ankit.bohra16@gmail.com, on Facebook, www.facebook.com/elove.tc and on twitter www.twitter.com/e_love_tc



Interview


1.    1 When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?

As a reader, my first novel was “I too had a love story”. That story left an incredible impression on me. That was the time, when I realized, even I wanted to pen down stories. I wanted to narrate something which people could connect instantly with. The kind of storytelling I enjoy is where people can imagine the scene as the story goes by, and hence I decided to write the story accordingly. I started building up the points. As I moved ahead, I could see the story, narrating the incidents and one day I concluded the story.

2. How did you come up with the idea for your current story?

e-love* *Terms & Conditions applied revolves around love and technology. Today technology has surrounded us. Day starts off with texting someone on whatsapp and calls off with updating the status on FB. Social media know moreabout anyone than someone elseI wanted to pen down a story which could connect the three dots i.e social media, technology and impact of technology on someone’s life so,finally I came out with e-love. A story which would reveal the same.

3. What question do you wish that someone would ask about your book(s), but nobody has? Write it out here, and then answer it.

Since the day of book launch, I have been asked numerous questions such as Who is Akshi? Is this your story? How much time did it take to complete the book? I was delighted answering all the questions which were related to the book. As an author I wishsomeone to ask me this question “Describe your four years of writing the book. Was there any time, when youwanted to just leave the book in middle and put an end to your writing career?”

Answer to the above question is that, every success comes after hard and serious efforts put forward. During the last four years, I was completely dedicated towards this book. When I started writing I completed first draft of the book within a week. When I gave my first draft for review, reviews were certainly discouraging and as a result I had writers block.  Due to some serious efforts and motivational words by one of my friend I was able to start writing again and I re-wrote the book. I edited the book several times and gave it the final shape. In between I had to take break of six months due to my CA final examinations. As soon as I was free from my studies I again got back to working on my book. I remember the day when my publisher accepted my book and all my hard work got paid off. Glad to see, my manuscript is a published book.

4. What field or genre would you classify your book(s) and what attracted you to write in that field or genre?

My first book is a fictional romance novel. I love writing romance. When I used to write articles, they were always connected to love, romance, relationships only. So as of now romance is my favourite genre.

5. Do you believe there is value in a review? Do you believe they are under rated, over rated, or don’t matter at all?

Yes I do believe that a review is always valuable. I feel there are many avid readers. They know about different books, diverse writing styles and what factors make a book a great novel. For me their opinion matters. Apart from the passionatereaders, someone who has just started reading novels, review of that person will also matter a lot to me. Each review, whether it is good or bad, overrated or under rated, positive or negative, it matters. If any review is not as per our expectation, and an author takes it in a positive way, certainly he or she can improve writing skills. I feel writing is an art which is learned over a period of time, thus review helps in improving the art of writing.

6. What is your biggest fear about having a book published?

I’ll be honest; there were actually two fears that I always had.
First was the dilemma, “whether to keep the book simple or make it commercial.” I wanted to write something which could connect people and thatwas when I decided not to make it commercial, it was one big fear I had. However, glad to see, that people are loving “e-love”.
Second biggest fear,how my family would react on hearing about me getting a book published.They were not aware about my writing, so when it came to telling them that I was soon going to be a published author, it took a lot of guts to pick up my phone, dial my dad’s number and tell them that dad “I am getting a book published and will be a published author soon.” My family accepted my writing passion and they allowed me to go ahead with my dreams.

7. If you have multiple books published what do you feel is your greatest work, why?

If multiple books are published? Difficult to answer, as for an author, every work of him is great ;it’s the readers who will tell the greatest work. For me I feel, my greatest work would be my first novel only. Reason being my first book was my first step to becoming an author. I am not aware how many people are going to love “e-love” but for the rest of my life, it will be my greatest work even if I write some of the bestselling novels in future.

8. What is the intended audience for you book?

My intended audience is every person who is addicted to use of technology driven platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp etc. If you ask me to be very particular, then my target readers are the teenagers who are habituated with these online platforms. Today these social platforms have narrowed down the distance and thus have made the entire globe a single village. However, this has a side effect too. So to find out the answer and to experience how technology has changed lives, love of two people, I welcome readers to pick up the book and read.

9. What makes a good story, why?

I like reading books. I like or pick those stories which can instantly connect me. I’ll prefer a story which won’t allow me to move from my seat and it happens only when story is written in a simple way, with the aid of fewspices which can hold someone’s interest. Dragging or stretchingthe scene makes the story boring, which should not happen. I feel best story is the one which is written with the sole purpose of narrating it rather than selling it. I have read many romance fictional novels, but only few are my all-time favorite because those were written in a way which could hold my interest.

10. What would you like to write about that you have never written about before?

Question of my interest. As of today I write fiction romance and I’ll keep doing it. I’ll also try to enter another genre but one thing which I would like to write duringmy journey of being an author would be a biography. I want to engrave someone’s life on pages and tell it to the entire world. The person whose life would be carved would be one who left an incredible impact on my life. I hope that day would come soon.

11. Were your characters based off real life people/events or did you make it all up?

My characters are a blend of few people inspired from real life and some imagination so that they can be according to the storyline. I write fiction but the thought is from the events happening in the real world. Characters of the book are to an extent inspired from real life but they were made perfect with the help of imagination.

12. Do you view writing as a career, labor of love, hobby, creative outlet, therapy, or something else?

Sole and whole purpose of writing was my passion. I don’t see it as my career or as hobby. I see it as my passion. Something which emergednaturally to me, something which will never go away from me. Writing helps me relax in stressful situations, adds to my joyin my happy days. I feel I am blessed to have such a passion which would never make me feel alone or bored in my life.

13. What is your favourite scene in the book? Why?

One more favorite question. My favorite scene in the book is when Ankit proposes Akshi. Its visualization gave me goosebumps and it still does. I kept it simple, as it would happen in reality. I remember, it took almost a day to create the scene and pen it down.

14. Did any of your characters inherit some of your own quirks?

I think, characters in the book are reflection of the author. An author narrates a story through his character. So I feel to an extent a character in the book represents me as well. However, let me make it clear before the readers of the interview thinks otherwise; it is not my story ;)

15. Do you read? Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?

Yea, I do read. (It is the reader in me, which has inspired the writer in me). I like novels written by Preeti Shenoy and Ravinder Singh. I read the book and highlight all the lines, which I like. Once I am done with reading, I read all those lines again and try to learn out of those lines.

16. What is the best piece of advice you have received, as a writer, till date?

“Write to narrate a story, not to sell a story” the only advice I have received and the best one till date.

17. What makes your book stand out from the crowd?

People say that love is unconditional but I feel love comes with certain terms and conditions. There are certain hard core facts and bitter truths associated with love. Being an optimistic we want to see happy ending or ending which is as per our expectation but through e-love, I have tried to showcase the real facts about the life.

18. Do you have a subject/genre you would never write about, why?

Yea, I have. Since the day of writing I have never written about one thing i.e. horror. I’ll never write a horror story. I will never make any effort to frighten my readers. I would like them to cherish the love and spread it around them. Moreover, to be very honest I have never read any horror book. A horror book comes with lots of twist and fear but I feel I can’t go through that horror or shock and tolerateit. So for me horror is banned.

19. Is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers?

First of all I am thankful to Jonali for giving me anopportunity to put my thoughts in front of the readers. For readers, e-love* *Terms & Conditions applied is my debut book. The book revolves around love and technologies impact on relations.  This book was written keeping in mind the real happening in the real world and depicts one of the faces of the virtual world relationship.
Read the book and please post your review. What did you like about the book, what made you hate the book, best scene about the book, anything which you would like to post. Your review will help me sharpen my skills. You can reach out to me at all the popular social platform, which are listed below: I am looking forward for your review. Book is available on amazon and flipkart.

E-Mail:                         Ankit.bohra16@gmail.com
Blog :                           www.e-lovetc.blogspot.in
Facebook :                   www.facebook.com/ankit.bohra39
                                     www.facebook.com/elove.tc
Twitter:                        www.twitter.com/e_love_tc
Instagram:                    @ Ank_Bohra


I'd like to thank Ankit Bohra for this interview. Here's wishing him luck for all his future works.


Monday, February 8, 2016

Blog Tour: Fatal Submission by Nicole Austin


Fatal Submission

By Nicole Austin

Release Date: March 4, 2016





On edge, body humming with arousal, Claire aches to have her desires sated. And ruggedly handsome Dominant Mason Burke is the man she wants. But for Mason work comes first and Claire’s tired of waiting.

Mason’s loss is Dr. Carl Skinner’s lucky break. The bonus—Carl’s a rich, drop-dead gorgeous Dom with a real dungeon in his basement.

Getting what you want isn’t always a good thing and the game takes a drastic turn Claire never saw coming. According to the Dungeon Master’s victims who still haunt his torture chamber, submission has fatal consequences and she’s running out of time.

Note: This scary tale contains graphic scenes of erotic torture and violence that may cause the reader to stay up late reading with all the lights on. 

*This previously published title has been re-edited.*





Excerpt from Fatal Submission

Copyright © Nicole Austin, 2016

Ever the gentleman, Carl held the door and allowed her to precede him down the stairs.
Second thoughts stopped her for only a few seconds before stepping through the strange entryway. Nothing ventured…
With her heels clicking on the wooden steps she couldn’t be certain, but Claire thought she’d heard the soft snick of a lock being engaged. Every hair on her body stood on end and her muscles tensed.
Why the hell would he lock the door? Weren’t they alone in the house? If she ran back up the stairs and turned the knob, would it open?
Taking a deep breath, she descended the stairs and shoved her crazy fears aside. She’d gone into this with her eyes open and she would not freak out. Carl was a Dom. Her Dom—at least for tonight. If she went into this without trust, limiting her submission, they might as well not even bother.
When she safely cleared the last step, she lifted her gaze and looked around the room in awe.
An actual dungeon.
Heat washed through her body as her nipples puckered and her panties grew damp. Lord, she felt as if she’d waited her whole life to submit in a real dungeon
Gray cinderblock walls and cement foundation. Track lighting fixtures on the ceiling cast a soft glow yet left areas in shadow. A pegboard held a wide variety of floggers, whips, crops and paddles. There against one wall was a strange chair with a padded V-shaped seat to spread the legs open and leather cuffs attached in strategic locations. She noted the familiar shape of a St. Andrew’s Cross looming in the shadows next to an ancient-looking stockade. The dungeon was well-stocked with various padded tables and spanking benches, each one equipped with built-in restraints.
A small part of Claire hadn’t believed Carl had a dungeon in his basement. But the proof surrounded her. At that very moment in time, she stood in the middle of a private, subterranean, fully equipped dungeon.
Anticipation supercharged her blood, sending it zooming through her veins. Her abdominal muscles fluttered and she wasn’t sure if the cause was excitement, fear or a combination of the two. She hadn’t thought this far ahead or even got around to wondering how it would feel to be in a dungeon. To know that soon, Carl would restrain and dominate her.
She shuddered as slender fingers skated over her shoulder and down her spine. Carl. How had she forgotten she wasn’t alone?
“Go ahead. Take a look around. Check out the equipment while I fix a drink.” He nodded toward a small wet bar. “Would you like anything?”
She had to pry her tongue from the roof of her dry mouth to respond. “Water.” A strong drink might help bolster her courage, but Claire didn’t want anything to dull her senses.
Carl turned to the bar and she moved about the room to get a closer look at things. Hanging from a sturdy chain in the ceiling was some kind of contraption with thick, flat metal vertical slats and horizontal bands. It was elongated, rounded at the top then broadening before tapering again toward the bottom. She estimated it at six to six and a half feet tall.
Her hand flew upward, covering her mouth to hold back a gasp.
It couldn’t be? But it was. The damn thing was some kind of cage, roughly in the shape of a human.
Moving past it quickly, she came to a standing device, shaped like the one hanging from the ceiling but solid. An iron maiden? The device had hinged doors, one of which had been left open, revealing an interior lined with spikes. When a person was shut inside, those spikes would press into their flesh.
Shooting a nervous glance over her shoulder, she located Carl, still at the bar with his back to her.
Lord, had she made a mistake believing in this man? If he went too far and she asked him to stop, would he?
Kind of late to get nervous.
Skirting around a gynecological table complete with stirrups, she approached the center of the room and the least threatening apparatus she’d seen so far. Similar to a padded massage table with thick wooden legs but oddly canted, as if the maker cut one set of supports shorter than the other. The table surface itself was short, perhaps two-feet long. At the higher end the padding curved over the rounded edge. She noticed a cut out section at the lower end and off to each side were wide, hinged metal cuffs that would lock someone in place. She stepped around the table and saw similar cuffs toward the bottom of the taller legs.
Just as she stepped forward, hand extended to test the thickness of the leather padding, a scraping sound had Claire turning her head toward Carl. The toe of her shoe caught on something and her forward momentum threw her off balance.
Several things occurred at once. She felt herself moving through the air as if she’d been pushed, practically flying with her arm extended, her pelvis slamming into the curved table edge.
Her hips folded and her upper body continued, coming to an abrupt halt on top of the table, knocking the breath right out of her. The material of her skirt flapped up, bearing her panty-clad ass to the chilled air.
She heard the scrape of wood on the concrete floor as the heavy piece of furniture was shoved by the hard impact of her body. This was followed by the loud clang of metal on metal.
Claire struggled to draw air into her abused lungs and make sense of what had happened.
After several painful, wheezed breaths, she pushed with her hands to lift her upper body but was stopped short, her right wrist held firmly in place. Horror dawned as she turned her head to see the cuff had snapped closed over her wrist.
Her palms were sweaty, her heart pounded against her ribs and her ears were filled with the loud swish of her galloping pulse.
Lord, she wasn’t sure what won out, her mortification over the indignant position or fear that she’d had help getting into this mess. Had Carl pushed her or had it been an innocent trip and fall?
“Umm…Carl. Could you help me up?” A burst of nervous laughter passed her lips.
Catching movement in her peripheral vision, Claire arched her neck to watch Carl’s slow approach. Too slow for her comfort. Apparently the jerk was enjoying the view of her bared butt sticking up.
Men, ugh!
She blindly reached back with her free hand, trying to catch the hem of her dress and push it down. As she grasped at material, hard fingers closed over her wrist and forced her left arm toward the open cuff. Claire kicked, bucked her body and struggled against him but Carl had strength on his side. Within moments he had her left arm and both ankles locked down to the table. As she continued to struggle, he fastened a wide leather strap over her hips, severely limiting her movement.
“Carl, let me go. We haven’t talked about my limits yet.”
Oh God, this couldn’t be happening. Nobody knew where she’d gone and Carl had turned into a complete psycho. He had her immobilized in his basement dungeon, far from any other house. No one would even hear her scream.
“Carl,” she screeched, “this isn’t funny.” Claire put all her strength into trying to break free knowing the effort was wasted but unable to stop fighting for her freedom.
“I will allow no limits, Claire. You will take what I give you and thank me for it.”








Nicole Austin lives on the sheltered Gulf Coast of Florida, where inspiration can be found sitting under a big shade umbrella on the beach, sipping cold margaritas. A voracious reader, she never goes anywhere without a book, but started looking for something more. Something hotter.

A passion for erotic romance led to Nicole's creation of sizzling characters and boundary pushing stories. Now she lives in an incredible world where fantasy comes to life in bold, vivid detail. Well, until real life intrudes and she has to share the computer with the rest of the family.

Visit Nicole's website: http://nicoleaustin.net
Email Nicole: nicole@nicoleaustin.net
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Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Blog Tour - My Father's Son by John Davis




Title: My Father's Son 
Author: John Davis 
Genre: Memoir 








A compelling memoir of fathers, sons, and the Brooklyn streets. 

Every family has secrets. Ours were just bigger than others. 

“My earliest memory is of a gun.” That gun was in his father’s hand – and it was pointed at his mother’s head. John Davis grew up in the 1970s and ‘80s on the rough streets of Brooklyn, a place where no one thought twice when parents smacked around their kids—or each other. At the center of the tumultuous neighborhood, and John’s world, was his larger-than-life father, Roberto. The Argentinean butcher and kingpin drug dealer was a sadistic bully whose mercurial temper left a trail of tears and chaos across his family. John, in particular, seemed to bear the brunt of Roberto’s wildly swinging moods. Any wrong word could cause an explosion. Every knock on the door might be one of Roberto’s enemies, or the police. In his publishing debut, Davis recounts how he spent his childhood in constant terror and his teen years learning to fight back. But it was much later, as an adult, that he learned the most shocking thing of all about his father, his past, and himself. Told with raw honesty and deep emotion, My Father’s Son is a memoir of fear, abuse, survival, and identity.



US  UK  








John Davis grew up in Brooklyn and Staten Island, NY, and now lives in West Milford, NJ, with his wife and their two cats. He works as a Plant Manager and is pursuing a Master's Degree in Business. John is also the bass player in a local rock group, Rumble Dolls. My Father's Son is his first book.