Blood Yellow by Ashley Nemer

http://www.ashleynemer.com/

 

The lines are drawn, and Zayn and Nikole must face each other in a battle of forgiveness and power. Each attempting to right their wrongs, each battling their own inner demons.

 

Haydar and Leigh prepare for war, rounding their men and setting into motion courses that cannot be undone.

The tales will fall in line as the four of them come face to face with each other, and they will watch loved ones perish.

When the dust settles and dawn breaks, who's going to be left standing and who will be missing?

Will Nikole forgive Zayn for his betrayal?

Will Leigh and Haydar overcome their differences?

Will Adara say yes?

Blood Yellow...Because the stories only just begun....

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Yet again, Ashley has me begging for more! In this part of the series you learn more and more about the characters as individuals as well as a pair. I have come to the conclusion that Nikole and Leigh are two sides of the same coin and that Zayn and Haydar are more similar than they realize. Now is it because of their blood ties or something else entirely? When I started reading Blood Yellow, just like Blood Purple I was hooked lined, and stuck I didn't want to look away from my computer screen or get distracted. Now as you can see, there are a bunch of questions we all would like answered, and well I wont be giving out those answers....SORRY :) looks like you'll have to go and buy this newest installment of the Blood Series BLOOD YELLOW and see for yourselves!

 

 

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Sweet Serendipity

      His mouth brushed hers. Gwen's lips tingled at the contact. Ethan drew away, his eyes questioning. Had he felt that, too? He didn't give her time to ask as he pulled her mouth back to his. She parted her lips as his tongue swept inside.

     Her fingers gripped his shirt to keep from falling. Lava flowed through her veins when his tongue grazed hers. His hands drifted down her sides until they settled on her hips, pressing them against his.

His mouth left hers, burning a trail of kisses down her neck and back up again.

"Do you smell that?" His warm breath tickled her ear.

"Smell what?"

"It smells like something's burning."

"I think it's my panties." Liquid fire burned inside her. At any moment she would burst into flames.

But Ethan held too still. Opening her eyes, she sniffed the air. Something was burning. Pushing him away, she ran to the oven where smoke flowed out of the vent. Grabbing two potholders she flung the door open, smoke stung her eyes and scorched her lungs. Coughing, she waved her hand in front of her face. Grabbing both pans, she dropped them on the counter. The cookies had burned beyond recognition.

He stepped behind her resting his chin on her shoulder. "Looks like it wasn't your panties after all."

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Only in Time

                The shrill sound of a whistle startled him as he turned just in time to see the end of the train pulling away.

“Hey,” he shouted. “Hey, stop!” Zipping past a crowd of onlookers, he made it to the end of the pad. But not soon enough to reach the train, though that didn’t stop him from protesting. “I need to get on that train! Please! I need to…”

His pleas fell on deaf ears. The only patrons remaining were those who’d seen off their family or friends. While a few shot him glares adorned with folded brows, most just ignored him.

He’d ignore himself, too, had the roles been reversed.

The one thing he couldn’t ignore…the ache in his chest. How it built near his heart, spreading like a deadly virus through his arms, legs, even his head. Everything ached. His lungs burned when he tried to take a breath.

As his hands fell to his sides, the slip of paper he’d been holding fell toward the ground. He didn’t bother catching it. He didn’t need it anymore. Everything he ever wanted just disappeared, along with the taillights of the train.

Wallowing in the pain, he wanted to make sure he never forgot how bad this hurt. To breathe. To think. To stand and watch his life go down the drain. That way he’d never make this same mistake, again. The mistake of giving his heart away to a woman. A woman who would never know how much he loved her. That he’d come to stop her. To give her the reason she’d been searching for.

Too bad time hadn’t been on his side. Would have been if he hadn’t—

Damn her mother.    

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A Love Soul Deep

Chapter One

     Hearing my best friend, Moira, laughing from Mystique Antiques’ anteroom plucked at my
heart’s envy cords. What could be so funny? Stealing a glance at Moira leaning in to whisper another joke with her cousin, Kim, I scolded myself. Sara Draeger, what in the world are you jealous of? She’s your oldest friend. And, it’s her cousin, for crying out loud. Get it together!

      True enough. Still, our girls-only getaway to Savannah felt more like a Moira and Kim weekend for two. Sure, Moira rarely got to see Kim since she’d moved down South. Yes, I
should have seen it coming. How many nights clubbing in Santa Monica did this exact thing
happen? Me, sulking and trying to hide it, and Moira and Kim in a corner, having a riot of a good time, but oblivious to me.

     With a frustrated sigh, I gave them my back and eyed a display case of heirloom jewelry. A pretty, pale blue-colored cameo pendant caught my eye, which. Made me wish I had a Scarlett O’Hara gown on, flipping a fan with a “fiddle-dee-dee.”
     Yeah, right.

     More like trouncing on the hem. While I wasn’t all that curvy, my height and trunks for legs clobbered grace. I meandered down the case, admiring an amethyst cocktail ring. Another chortle of laughter sounded from the other room.

     What in the world could be so funny in such a sedate little shop?

    
     I had to remind myself they would tell me. They always filled me in. They were not talking

or laughing about me. I knew that. Reminding myself didn’t hurt, though.

     “Would you like to try it on?”

      I looked up from the lavender ring I’d been staring at, startled at the soft, female voice.

Gentle, watery-blue eyes met mine. “No, thanks. Just looking.”

     The clerk shook her wrist until the dangling key on her bracelet landed in her palm. “Each

piece has a story.” She unlocked the display. “This ring here has quite a scandal attached to it.”

     Curiosity made me lean in. “Oh?”

    “Oh, yes, ma’am.” The round, lavender stone and flanking fat, winking diamonds sparkled.
She offered me the ring.
     “This ring and many more such gifts tended to go to the bride’s best friend rather than the bride herself, right up until the day the mistress died under mysterious circumstances.” The clerk angled the ring this way and that, rolling the price tag out for view. “There were whispers of poison and a brokenhearted husband. Friendships betrayed and such. Nothing proven, mind you.”

     I gulped. Not only over the exorbitant price, but friendships betrayed. Jesus. I thought

having Moira as my husband’s mistress might be the worst hell imaginable. Not that either of us had a husband. “Did they ever catch the killer?”

     “Oh, no. No charges brought. Only whispers. I kind of have to wonder if folks didn’t think

the girl deserved her fate.”

     I gave a nervous twitter. “Depends on the husband, I’d say.”

    
The clerk chuckled. “Oh my, true enough, darlin’. True enough.”
    
     My gaze skimmed over the bevy of pieces, my imagination stirred. “What piece has your
favorite story?”
    
      Her eyes lit knowingly. “Why, my piece, of course.”
    
     My forehead wrinkled, announcing that skeptical scowl my mom hated most, despite my
best efforts to keep a polite smile in place. “Your piece?”
    
     Nodding, she shook out her wrist until a charm bracelet fell forth. Two charms hung from
it—a tiny shoe and a wishbone. It didn’t look antique. Not that I had any kind of a trained eye.“It’s pretty,” I said.

     “Well, pretty or not, it’s my heart’s deepest treasure.”

     “You got it here?”

     That knowing smile returned, giving her aged face a lovely softness I found myself envying. She seemed the kind of person who had lived and known the deepest loves and losses, who carried secret knowledge deep in her soul. The kind of knowledge a person longs for in their youth.

     At least I did. Maybe that’s why I asked, “How did you know which one belonged to you?”

I half expected her to think I was silly, strung along by a sales pitch.

    “If there’s a story here that is yours, it’ll find you, darlin’.” She looked past my shoulder.

“Can I help you, girls?”

     “How much for this shawl?” Kim asked.

“Oh, Lordy, honey, now you’ve gone and tested me. Is a tag hanging on the edge, there?” I

watched Kim lift and spread the baby blue garment wide, but my mind was on what the clerk had said before. “There it is. Now, where were we, dear?”

I shrugged. “Just looking some more, I guess.”

“Alright, then. But don’t be shy, you hear?”

She left me to browse. Instead of breathing easier, though, my breathing hitched. My eyes

scanned the two glass cases, searching for something, any item, that spoke to me. Kim and Moira came up behind me.

“Oooh. Look at that locket,” Kim said, the shawl already draped fashionably around her

waist, giving her a sexy, bohemian look, designer jeans underneath and all.

The clerk peeked out. “Would you like to see it?”

     Kim nodded. Moira asked to see a cuff bracelet. I bit back the feeling that they’d interrupted me right when I’d been onto something. I should be glad that they’d joined me. The twosome could go back to being a threesome.

     The clerk retrieved an oval, gold locket strung on a long, sturdy chain. Kim and Moira both gave appreciative gasps. “Can I try it on?” Kim asked.

     The clerk hesitated, glancing at me long enough that I shrugged one shoulder. Why would I care what she tried on? She pooled the locket and chain into Kim’s outstretched palm, and then handed Moira the cuff bracelet. My eyes went to the locket. I got a little irritated at the way Kim tipped her palm, letting the chain slide off here and there.

     I had to get beyond this stupid competitive streak I had with Kim! First, the insecurity over

her and Moira having nothing but a good time. Now, I wanted her to be careful with a locket?

     Kim reached to touch the cuff on Moira’s arm. The locket part spilled out, crashed onto the glass, and opened. The clerk simply watched us. Without thinking, I reached for the fallen locket, as did Kim. “Whoops,” she said. “Thanks, Sara. The thing nearly jumped out of my hand.”

The clerk, Kim, and Moira all gave a chuckle. “Actually,” Kim said to the clerk, “can I try

that ring instead?”
     I didn’t pay attention to which ring. My thoughts and vision zeroed in on the rescued locket, its light but solid weight, and the softness of the chain. Carefully, I opened the locket further. Two images were framed inside.

     A woman who reminded me of the pioneer days my nana used to talk about before summer naptimes. And a bearded man. I stared at the man’s face. Something eerily familiar about him had me racking my brain. It was as though he looked like an actor, or, maybe someone I—

     “Shit,” I said, almost dropping it.

My heart could have been a bird in my chest, flapping to be free.

     “What?” Moira demanded, reaching for the locket.

      I realized I was clutching it to my chest. I shook my head. I didn’t want to hand it over. Unreasonably, everything in me screamed to keep–to hide–the locket’s contents from my best friend. She’d know exactly who it looked like! She’d scoff if I bought it. She might want it for herself. I had to buy it. There was no question. “Nothing,” I squeaked. “Just pinched my finger in the thing.”

 

“That gold cuff there,” the clerk interrupted. “Has quite a story behind it.”

     Her attention back on the clerk, Kim’s frown relaxed. I couldn’t hear the story past the roar in my ears. Blood and adrenaline. Surreptitiously, I turned so that I could view the locket again, but concealed from them.

 

     A sight for sore eyes is the only way I could have described the ache and swell inside me

over examining the picture closer. The man staring back at me looked so much like Crew, I’d swear it was. If I didn’t know better. Crew never wore a beard. Crew never lived during what looked like a hundred or more years ago.

     Crew died eight years ago in a drunk driving accident. The inebriated soccer mom who hit him had been rushing to pick up her kid from school. He’d just left my apartment. Angry over some stupid thing couples fight about.

Angry, then gone.

     The force of the physical similarities pushed past logic and reason. Part of me swore, this

was Crew. Him, staring back at me, that intense way of his reserved for me alone. I took a quiet, deep breath to steady myself. My hands trembled. I gently laid the locket on the glass and exchanged a look with the clerk. 

She rang us up individually and sent us off with a wave. And, at me, a wink.

     The sun on our shoulders, the three of us set off down the street looking for lunch. Silly or not, that wink warmed my heart. As did the cold metal of the locket against my warm sun-kissed skin.

 

     For a brief moment, it was as if the entire interaction had been destined. It was as if God had given me a little bit of Crew back. How much had I wished it could be so much more? How fiercely had I wished for just one more day with Crew before he’d met his death. How many times had I wished I’d wake up, the car wreck that killed him no more than a nightmare?

What I wouldn’t give. …

 

 

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History and 10 fun facts about Valentine's Day

1. Japan: In this part of the World, it’s all about spoiling your man on Valentine’s day and not the other way around like in most Western cultures. Japanese women are usually said to be reserved and shy when it comes to expressing their affections with lovey-dovey gestures. However, on this day, the women are in the forefront presenting the men (and sometimes even female friends) in their lives gifts (mostly chocolates), to express either their love, courtesy or social obligation.
This custom of gifting chocolate in Japan on February 14th, was first introduced in 1936 by a Kobe-based confectioner ‘Morozoff Ltd.’, when it ran the first ever Valentine’s Day ad in Japan through a local English newspaper, with the intent of targeting foreigners that were used to celebrating the holiday of love. By the 1950′s other Japanese chocolate manufacturers joined in and started promotions to boost their chocolate sales on that day and a department store called ‘Isetan’, even started a “Valentine’s Sale” in 1958. In the 70′s a new promotion concept caught on… gifting different types of Valentine’s chocolates to express the nature of one’s relationship intent without the need for words.
The different types of chocolates signified different relationships- A woman may gift ‘giri-choko’ (義理チョコ) that literally translates to ‘obligation chocolate’, to men without any romantic interest (like bosses, colleagues, class-mates, brothers, fathers and close male friends). ‘Chō-giri choko’ is a step down from that and is referred to as “ultra-obligatory” chocolate. It is a cheaper chocolate reserved for people the woman isn’t even particularly fond of, but feels obligated to gift something to so they don’t feel left out, say an unpopular co-worker, for example. Then on the other end of the spectrum, there’s ‘honmei-choko’ (本命チョコ) meaning ‘favorite or true feeling chocolate’, that is specially gifted to boyfriends, lovers or husbands. For a show of extra love or interest, the ‘honmei-choko’ may be home-made by the women themselves and the receivers are deemed very lucky men. Lastly, a more recent type of chocolate has popped up ‘tomo-choko (友チョコ), ’tomo’ meaning “friend”, which is gifted to the woman’s female friends.
While on Valentine’s Day itself the men sit back and enjoy the treats presented to them by women, in the 1980′s the Japanese chocolate companies again came up with yet another successful campaign (and an obvious way to sell more chocolate) called ‘White Day’. Initially called “Ai ni Kotaeru White Day” meaning ‘Answer Love on White Day’, March 14th has since become the customary day for men to reciprocate their feelings to those who gave them chocolates on Valentine’s Day. They do so by presenting women with gifts (like lingerie, jewelry, clothing etc.) and chocolates that are at least two or three times more valuable (an unspoken rule) than the one’s they received from them on Valentine’s Day. The name ‘White Day’ is said to have been chosen because it signifies purity and has become the popular color of choice for the boxed chocolates and other confections gifted on that day.
2. South Korea: Adapted from the Japanese tradition of Valentine’s Day, women in South Korea too, spoil their men with chocolates on this day. In return, they receive gifts on ‘White Day’ from men in a similar fashion as in Japan. However, it doesn’t end there. They have taken the Valentine’s traditions a step further and introduced what they call “Black Day”. On the April 14th, a month after ‘White Day’ the single people who didn’t receive any lovin’ (chocolates or gifts) on Valentine’s Day or White Day for that matter, have started an informal tradition of meeting up at restaurants to eat ‘jajangmyeon’ (자장면 ), a dish made up of white Korean noodles with a black bean sauce, referred to as black noodles. Some say this tradition of eating black noodles with other single friends is a celebration of the single life, while some see it as is more of a consolation dinner or mourning of being single. That said, South Koreans are a romantic bunch and have practically marked the 14th of every month to signify some sort of ‘Love’ related day. January 14, kicks off with Candle Day; February 14- Valentine’s Day; March 14- White Day; April 14- Black Day; May 14- Rose Day; June 14- Kiss Day; July 14- Silver Day; August 14- Green Day; September 14- Music Day; October 14- Wine Day; November 14- Movie Day; December 14- Hug Day.
3. Taiwan: In Taiwan, the Japanese/South Korean tradition of Valentine’s Day and White Day is reversed in the sense that, men gift women chocolates and gifts on Valentine’s Day whereas the women reciprocate and return the favor by gifting men chocolates on White Day.
4. Denmark & Norway: Largely imported from the west ‘Valentinsdag’ as it is known or Valentine’s Day was not very widely celebrated here until more recently. However, they have still managed to come up with their very own quirky little tradition, that locals have embraced and made popular on this day. “Gaekkebrev” are funny little poems or rhyming love notes that men send to women anonymously on Valentine’s Day, giving them only a clue as to the number of letters in the senders name, represented by a dot for each letter. The recipient must then guess who sent her the card. If she guesses correctly she wins an Easter Egg on Easter later that year and if she’s stumped as to who her secret admirer was, she owes him an egg instead which is collected on Easter.
5. Slovenia: The 14th of February in Slovenia, marks the first working in the fields. St Valentine or ‘Zdravko’ as he’s better known there, is one of their patron saints of spring. There’s a Slovene proverb that goes “St Valentine brings the keys of roots”. As such, it’s an auspicious day to start working in vineyards and fields as usually around this time of year one starts noticing the revival of plants and flowers. The people of Slovenia also have a belief that the birds of the fields propose to their loved ones and get married on this day (simply put, it’s the mating season for some birds), and to witness this one must walk barefoot through the field on sometimes still frozen ground. So, while this day is significant in the agricultural community in Slovenia, it isn’t until March 12, on Saint Gregory’s Day, that the majority of people celebrate their annual day of love. They also consider February 22 (Saint Vincent’s Day) and 13 June (the patron of love Saint Anthony’s Day) days to celebrate love.
6. Finland & Estonia: Here Valentine’s Day is more a celebration of friendship rather than a romantic love fest. February 14th is called “Ystävän Päivä” in Finnish and Sõbrapäev in Estonian, which literally translates to “Friend’s Day”. People exchange cards & gifts among friends with the greeting of “Happy Friends Day”. It is however, a popular day to tie the knot or get engaged.
7. Wales: The Welsh celebrate ‘St. Dwynwen’s Day’ (the patron saint of lovers) on January 25th, which is their equivalent to Valentine’s Day. Legend goes that Dwynwen, daughter of King Brychan Brycheinog lived in Anglesey, in the 5th century and fell in love with a young man named Maelon. As all legendary love stories go, tragedy struck when the two were unable to be together (for reasons not entirely known, as the word of mouth story varies – some say she was raped by Maelon, while others state her father disapproved of the union and had her betrothed to someone else). Whatever the reasons, she was said to be distraught and fled into the woods where she encountered an angel who gave her a potion to cool her love for Maelon. The potion however, did more than just that, Maelon was turned into a solid block of ice. Further distraught by this icy addition to her problem, Dwynwen prayed and God (some versions say the angel) granted her 3 wishes. She is said to have wished for Maelon’s release from his icy tomb, secondly, that God watches over all true lovers and helps them realize their dreams and hopes or guides them through their sadness and love, and lastly, that she never marries. After being granted her wishes Dwynwen retreated to a life of dedication to the Church as a nun on the Island of Llanddwyn.
On this Welsh Valentine’s Day, it is customary to gift love-spoons, an age old tradition that got started when Welsh men (possibly originating among sailors), would carve intricately decorated spoons of wood and would present them to a lady that they were interested in courting or marrying. The designs they carved on the spoon handles were symbolic too. For example- Keys would signify a man’s heart, wheels his hard work and beads, his preferred number of offspring and so on. This tradition is carried on even today, as men gift their ladies spoons.
8. England: In the 1700′s, on the eve of Valentine’s day single women in England used to place/pin five bay leaves, one at each corner of their pillows and one in the center, with the belief that it would bring them dreams of their future husbands. Another variation of this tradition was to sprinkle bay leaves with rosewater and lay them across their pillows saying “Good Valentine, be kind to me, In dreams let me my true love see”. Now mostly considered folklore, this tradition is not widely practiced anymore but can still be seen once in a while.
9. Norfolk, England: Along with traditional Valentine’s Day customs of cards and flowers and romance, the people of Norfolk in the East of England, have a Santa Clause of sorts that goes by the name ‘Jack Valentine’ and sometimes known as Old Father Valentine or even Old Mother Valentine.. This lovable but mysterious character is said to knock at little children’s doors on Valentine’s Eve and sneakily leaves them little treats and small presents. Although it isn’t quite known when or how this tradition got started, it’s still quite popular for generations of parents to continue what their parents had once done for them.
10. France: Dubbed one of the most romantic countries in the world, it comes as no surprise that France too houses a strange Valentine’s Day tradition. Their most popular tradition was called “une loterie d’amour” that translates to “drawing for love”. This practice involved single men and women of all ages to enter houses that faced opposite each other and take turns calling out to one another until they were paired off. If the men didn’t like their match, they would simply leave the woman for another man to call. As part of the tradition, the women that didn’t get matched up, got together for a big ceremonial bonfire in which they tossed pictures & objects of the men who rejected them, whilst swearing and hurling curses at the opposite sex. This tradition truly exemplified the phrase “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!”, so much so, that French government officially banned the practice all together because of how rowdy and uncontrollable the whole event usually got.

Read more at http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/02/10-strange-wonderful-valentines-day-traditions-from-around-the-world/#l5EfVOVPSSfhcuUM.99

Valentine's Day is known also as Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine which is celebrated each year on February 14th.

It began as a liturgical celebration for one of the early Christian saints named Valentinus. He was imprisoned for performing wedding for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering of Christians, who were persecuted und the Roman Empire. During his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius. The legend claims that before he was put to death he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her.
Paper Valentines became so popular in England in the early 19th century that they were assembled in factories. Fancy Valentines were made with real lace and ribbons, with paper lace introduced in the mid-19th century. The reinvention of Saint Valentine's Day in the 1840s has been traced by Leigh Eric Schmidt.

Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. In the UK, just under half of the population spend money on their Valentines and around 1.3 billion pounds are spent yearly on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts, with an estimated 25 million cards being sent. The mid-19th century Valentine's Day trade was a harbinger of further commercialized holidays in the United States to follow. In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to all manner of gifts. Such gifts typically include roses and chocolates packed in a red satin, heart-shaped box. In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for giving jewelry.
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Psyche is a princess who is so beautiful that people begin to treat her like a goddess, making symbolic gestures and even sacrifices to her. The goddess Venus is jealous of this and decides as her revenge she will ask her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with some ugly mortal. Cupid reluctantly agrees, and flies to Psyche's bedside. But as he is about to shoot one of his fateful arrows, Psyche wakes up, startles him, and he scratches his own leg. He falls in love with her.

Meanwhile, Psyche's parents are concerned that Psyche has no suitors. She is so beautiful that no one dares to propose to her. They go to an oracle of Apollo, which instructs them to prepare her for marriage as one would be prepared for human sacrifice. The parents tearfully carry out this instruction, escorting her in procession to the top of a cliff. Psyche accepts her fate boldly, saying she is eager to meet her beautiful new husband.

The parents and their entourage leave Psyche to her fate. Psyche is then transported to a wood, where she finds a beautiful palace. She goes in, and begins to live there, served by invisible spirits. She even has an invisible lover. But he tells her she is not allowed to look at him directly, and he visits her only at night. She doesn't even know who he is.

But Psyche can hear the voices of her sisters calling to her from the mortal realm. She goes back to visit them. They hear her stories about her new life, and jealously they urge to look at her husband, raising doubts in her mind that he might be a monster. So that night she looks at him, using a lamp. She sees that he is a god. But she frightens him, and he jostles the lamp, spilling hot oil on himself, which injures him. He leaves her and goes back to the realm of the gods.

Psyche returns home and is miserable. She then goes to temples and makes sacrifices to all the gods to find out which one it was that had been her lover. The only god who will answer her is Venus. The god turns out to be none other than her son Cupid (i.e. Desire or Eros; Venus means sexual desire, and Psyche's name in turn means "soul"). Psyche begs Venus to help her find Cupid, and Venus then imposes a series of labors on Psyche - including a descent into Hades. Psyche is able to achieve these labors with help from divine assistants, including, for the last labor, Cupid himself.

Her successful completion of the labors means that Psyche is at last able to marry Cupid officially - she becomes immortal and they are united in eternity.

Then Psyche and Cupid have a baby, Voluptas (Pleasure) - who was, however, conceived before their official wedding.

Honey Red by Liz Crowe

**Warning: Adult audience only.  Sexual graphic content on for readers 18+**

If you are after a story with substance with the added spice of alternative life styles you better get your reading space ready for some real action.

Gavin, the “successful” brother and Ian have lives that seem a million miles apart, but after one incident they are bonded as they should have always been. 

Ian starts off as a booze drinking, illicit smoking gay man recently separated from his partner after one too many party nights that left him in the arms of a woman.  Depressed about the state of things Ian continues to spend time with her until she announces she is pregnant.  The relationship ends on a bad note and her telling him she will not be keeping it.  This single incident catapults Ian into getting his life back together and months later introduces him into single parenthood.  Having no choice, but accept the offer of family support Ian moves home with his son where he takes on a joint adventure with his brother running a brewery business.

Several years pass and as the brothers try to keep their business a float Gavin meets Lyssa and falls madly in love with her.  He convinces Ian to come to a family dinner where he might be able to get to know Lyssa’s brother.  Nick is a returned vet who received the Purple Heart after losing his sight in battle.  Ian isn’t impressed about meeting Nick but decides to give him a chance for the sake of his brother’s new relationship.

When Ian thinks life couldn’t get any more complicated, Hannah enters the scene.  Recently hired as a consultant for the brothers business, they seem to butt heads at every turn.  The chemistry flowing is just as confusing as the casual relationship between Nick and Ian that has grown since that first dinner party for Gavin and Lyssa.

Through tragedy, heart break and a lot of sizzling sex we get a real emotional bond with the characters of this book.  Liz has done so well in describing them that you really believe you know them.

A sultry four hearts for Liz Crowe's latest novel.

You can see what other wonderful novels this author has to offer at her website below.

Liz Crowe

Two men suffering from visible and invisible wounds meet by chance circumstance.

Nick Traynor and Ian Donovan spend a lot of time and effort keeping it very hot, only physical, and purely superficial. But when their resolve starts to slip, a woman is tossed into their midst.

Hannah Williams wants nothing more than to do her job until something better comes along, but is forced to own up to her visceral reaction to Ian, her new boss, and later to Nick, his sometimes lover.

Lust has a funny way of turning into companionship, and eventually evolving into a deeper connection. Faced with the internal and external complications of their potential three-way relationship, they begin to heal and trust, to consider that it might work. Then life tosses them a hardball, forcing them back into their respective corners, where each must choose what is most important.

Three people determined not to commit, thrown together by fate and undeniable attraction--their nights heat up and emotions run high in spite of a claimed mutual desire to "keep it simple." In the process of honest self-discovery, can they learn that while love is never simple, it is definitely worth fighting for?

Taboo Kisses by Gracen Miller

**Warning: Mature adult audience only.  Rated for very high graphic sexual contents, including M/M/F content.  Do not read if under 18**

What could be better than combining the mystical vampire with a sexy shifter?  I couldn't think of many things that could beat this combination.  The lovely author, Gracen Miller has given us a very sexy threesome in the form of Gabriel, his mate, Maximus and their newly acquired mate, Sameye.

On a mission from Atlantis to find the traitor starting a rebellion against the queen, the lovely siren, Sameye witnesses Gabriel and Maximus involved in a very intimate and equally public display of pleasure. Drawn in without knowing why she can’t turn away and is tranced to watch until they finish.  Running away she is cornered by them and persuaded to spend a month with them to see if she can’t turn her back on them afterward.  What a month it promises to be!

Through betrayals, passion and blindness this book comes full circle and has us on the edge of our seat waiting the outcome.  If you are after something to read full of sexual play with a story line  this is the book for you.

A rating of a very sexy hot 4 hearts.

Taboo Kisses…where desires and inhibitions collide.

Dispatched to the mortal realm from Atlantis to seek the source of a brewing rebellion, Sameya is thrown for a tailspin when she discovers her fated mates. As a siren her songs entice mankind and immortals alike to their death. She’s stunned to be seduced by a taboo union with a tiger-shifter and vampyr. Mating the pair could complicate everything and threaten her freedom. Fueled by her duty to Atlantis, Sameya rejects fate’s wisdom and refutes her attraction to the men.

Taboo Kisses…when the forbidden becomes irresistible.

Gabriel and Maximus have been searching for their mate for centuries. Neither expected the siren they were hired to find would deliver more than a lucrative payday. Frustrated by Sameya’s aversion to their mating, the men anticipate an empty future if she refuses to complete their union. In a rash move Maximus seizes Sameya and holds her captive.

Taboo Kisses…when the siren is serenaded with temptation.

Trapped and at their mercy, Sameya is bombarded with pleasure. Can her mates convince her to take a gamble on their taboo union? With danger lurking in the shadows, will the choice be taken from her?
Check out other stories by this fabulous author.
Gracen Miller

For the love of a Goblin Warrior by Shona Husk

Shona Husk's latest novel, For the love of a Goblin Warrior (Shadowlands #3) was a brilliant piece of writing.  Stories about Goblins aren't usually the books I grab, but i'm glad I did this time as it didn't disappoint.  

Nadine is a 26 year old nurse trying to lead a normal life after finding out her father has been released from jail after serving a 20 year prison sentence for the murder of her mother where she was sole witness.  Nadine can’t remember a single detail about the event, but she has been led to believe it was his fault.  Her life changes the night two police men bring in a dirty, dusty man that can’t speak a word of English.  She can see something gentle in him that she can’t turn away and there starts the magical journey between Nadine and Meryn.

Meryn doesn't recognize the world as it is today as for the past 200 millennium he has been locked away in the shadow lands.  His escape is still a mystery to him and as he learns how he escaped and about the world today he beings to realise that Nardine and him have a stronger connection other that the mutual lust growing between them.

Join in their struggles to find the truth needed to be found to bring true love together.

A great book deserving a wonderful rating of 4 hearts.

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Centuries ago, Meryn was thought to be utterly lost--all traces of his soul given up to the ravening goblin horde. But with the curse that enslaved him now broken, he must once again learn to walk in the realm of men. Nurse Nadine Gilbert likes working the night shift to avoid her disturbing dreams, but her mysterious new patient looks hauntingly familiar. Meryn knows he doesn't deserve a second chance, but Nadine brings out his long-buried human side. Telling her the truth about his violent past could destroy their fragile trust. Could she ever believe in the love of a Goblin Warrior?
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Dont forget to check out the website for more great stories
. Shona Husk

Edge of Dawn by Lara Adrian

I’ve been an avid fan of author Lara Adrian for many years and the next installment of her Midnight Breeds is no exception.

Edge of Dawn tells the story of Mira and Kellan set twenty years forward from where we left our favorite Midnight Breeds last time.  To be honest, to begin with I was wary of such a jump in time but within the first few pages I was reassured.

In the twenty plus years that has passed a lot has happened to the Midnight Breed family.  They have lost warriors and the world found out they existed.  Lucan is trying to delegate between his species and that of the human one.  Mira has grown into a strong and straight forward team leader, cherished as all breed mates are but allowed the freedom to fight against the evil that surrounds life as they know it. 

Mira fights with every breath in her to get every last person associated with the “rebel” influence in today’s society.  To her, they are the worst enemy of all as they took her something valuable, someone that can never be replaced in the form of her best friend, Kellan. 

During a routine body guard detail Mira’s life is completely turned upside down when she faces a blast from the past.  Through passion, betrayal, trust and family Mira has to come to the realization of what she wants in her life. 

Don’t miss out on this great story.  I’m not going to spoil the book with any more details.  Grab the book today and sit down for a full on session because once you pick up the book you won’t be able to put it down until the end.

My rating for this book is a perfect 5 out of 5.

You can pre order this Midnight Breed novel now and its on sale from February 28th.  Don't forget to check out all the other amazing novels and special offers at Lara Adrian's website.

Lara Adrian

Shadow Woman by Linda Howard

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/83433/shadow-woman-by-linda-howard

Shortened Description: Lizette Henry wakes up one morning and makes a terrifying discovery: She doesn’t recognize the face she sees in the mirror. She remembers what she looks like, but her reflection is someone else’s. To add to the shock, two years seem to have disappeared from her life. Someone has gone to great and inexplicable lengths to keep those missing years hidden forever. But the past always finds a way to return.

Enter a mysterious and seductive stranger named Xavier, who claims he wants to help—but who triggers disturbing images of an unspeakable crime of which Lizette may or may not be the perpetrator. 

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Warning: You will need a darkness, a candle and perhaps a delicious drink to cope with the twists in this story. 

Personally I have been a long time fan of Linda Howard. Which of course means I love how she can take a normal romance story and put several mysterious suspense filled twists in those plots, thereby keeping us as the readers guessing.

 This book is no exception!

The story starts with a gunshot, a dead woman and bounces to our main character who comes off as  a normal woman too sick to go to work except she doesn't recognize her own face.  Add in the creepy (but sexy) Xavier whose bugged her house and the secret group who refers to her as "Subject C" and you might begin to agree with our poor main character who thinks that something fishy is going on.

I would tell you more, but that would be cheating. Needless to say if you haven't read this book, then get out there and buy it. You won't regret it and for a few hours, you will enjoy a fun filled adventure of twists and of course a delicious taste of Xavier and Lizzy. 

For a closer look at this superb author feel free to follow her on facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-HowardLinda-Jones/338468330887