Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23000950-rain-shadow-book-5When Angel Sharpe first discovered Luke Barringer, lying in the desert near death from thirst, she quickly realized that he would change her life forever. But never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that he would turn her world inside out.Rain Shadow Book 5 of 5The Barringer Brothers SeriesApproximately 40,000 words
Title: Strip back: Eric's Story (Naked Nights #0.5)
Author: Ava Manello
Cover Design: Margreet Asselbergs
Hosted by: Romance Reviews
Synopsis
Strip Back brings you back to how the Naked Night's began. This is Eric's story. Back when life was a little less polished, and a whole lot harder.
Before there was Strip Teaser, there was Eric; manager and founder of the Naked Night’s male stripper troupe.
You wouldn’t think you’d be past it at 34, but that’s the position Eric found himself in, as well as newly single after finding his girlfriend in a compromising position.
Setting up the Naked Night’s wasn’t easy, it wasn’t fun, and it wasn’t without sleaze, but somehow he did it.
Strip Back is a humorous and steamy tale of one man’s journey to fulfill a dream. Not all male strippers are the same.
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About the Author
Passionate reader, blogger, publisher, and author. I love nothing more than helping other Indie authors publish their books be that reviewing, beta reading, formatting or proofreading,
I love erotic suspense that's well written and engages the reader, and I love promoting the heck out of it over on my book blog.
I'm a mother, but most of all I'm me!
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Excerpt An Indecent Affair Part IV
Kat’s mouth dropped open at Tristan’s bald statement.
Naked and between them.
Oh, god, yes. That sounded wonderful.
She wanted that. And everything that went with it. All she needed was the courage to take what they offered.
Go ahead. Do it. Say yes.
Tristan watched her, his expression intent and a challenge in his eyes. From the very first, he’d been upfront about exactly what that he wanted. Which was her.
Nothing in her life had prepared her for Tristan. No one had ever pursued her with such straightforward commitment. It made her ache for everything he wanted to give her.
At the same time, it made her wary of giving herself over to him and having the rug pulled out from under her later.
That was a game her mother liked to play. Give with one hand and take away with the other.
Kat had learned to be wary of anyone who offered her anything with no visible strings attached. There were always strings. Something else her mother had taught her.
Her gaze skipped to Adam, who had all sorts of hidden strings. She wasn’t sure she had the necessary tools to deal with him. He held his emotions so closely in check, she sometimes wondered if he felt anything at all. Well, anything besides lust.
If they continued this affair, she’d have to learn to deal with that. And decide if she could live with a man who only wanted her sexually.
If Adam didn’t commit… If he was only in it for the short-term...
Could she live with knowing she would be only a bed partner to him?
Can you live with knowing you didn’t even try?
She’d regret it every single day.
“I want that, too.”
Tristan’s immediate smile lit him up, stealing the air from her lungs. His expression transformed into one of a man who’d gotten exactly what he wanted. Which was her. The thought made excitement sizzle and pop along her nerves.
Then she slid another glance at Adam and panic nipped at her confidence.
“It’s just…” She struggled to pick the right words. “I’m just not sure I know how to do…this.”
Tristan shook his head. “There’s no right or wrong. We’ll figure out what works for us as we go.”
She nodded but that didn’t exactly make her feel better. She liked having a plan. Liked knowing what was expected of her. Where she fit into the scheme of things.
“Kat.”
Adam’s voice made her blink before her gaze flipped to him.
“Yes?”
“We want this. Both of us.”
Adam stared at her just as intently as Tristan had seconds ago. But his eyes lacked the warmth Tristan’s held. Or did they?
She couldn’t read Adam. As much as she tried, as much as she wanted to, she didn’t know what he was thinking. The only thing she was sure of was Adam’s desire for her. That was clear as day.
Frustration bit at her. Would it always be like this? Would she always be lacking something in Adam’s eyes? And did it matter, if she found what she needed in Tristan’s?
“Do you? How can I know that for sure?”
Adam’s chin lifted. “You can’t. You can only trust me when I say that I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be.”
She absolutely believed that. She also knew that Adam’s bond to Tristan was so strong, Adam might accept her into his bed simply because he knew that’s what Tristan wanted.
Except that didn’t explain yesterday’s encounter.
“Did you tell him?”
The question escaped before she could bite her tongue. She wanted to take back the words immediately. Glancing at Tristan, he didn’t look shocked or surprised as Adam nodded.
Thank god.
That pressing weight on her shoulders suddenly felt twenty times lighter.
“Good. That’s…good. I don’t want there to be secrets.”
With a widening grin, Tristan took a step closer. “I’m glad we’re on the same page. Adam and I know each other. We trust each other. You’re not a prize we’re competing for. You’re the woman we want to make love to.”
Desire heated her blood at the warmth in Tristan’s eyes. Her fingers itched with the urge to reach out and run her fingers along Tristan’s strong jaw. To feel the slight abrasion of his whiskers against her skin. To let her fingers run down his neck to the broad muscles of his chest. Wanted to strip off his shirt and press her naked body against his.
She wanted Adam to plaster himself against her back, grip her hips with his hands and bite her neck so hard he left a mark.
Her gaze flipped to Adam, who’d held his ground.
“But you have to understand,” Adam said. “I’m not Tristan. I’m not easy.”
Amazingly, Adam’s blunt statement made her smile. As her lips curved, Adam’s expression lost some of its darkness.
“I’ve actually been able to pick that up on my own.”
Tristan cut the distance between them by another step and her heart skipped a couple of beats.
“So are you ready to eat?’ Tristan asked.
She blinked. “You want to eat first?”
Tristan’s grin widened and even Adam’s lips curved.
Reaching for her hand, Tristan squeezed her fingers then rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “We’re not just interested in sex.”
Neither was she. But relationships were fraught with even more pitfalls than “just sex.”
“Okay.”
“Kat.”
She looked at Adam.
“Yes?”
“Do you want to eat?”
She did. Her stomach rumbled at the thought. “Dinner. Yes. Let’s order dinner.”
“Or would you rather we lay you out on the table and show you why you won’t be sorry you said yes?”
About Stephanie Julian:How did you come up with the idea for this story?
The Indecent series started two years ago, when I was asked to be in an anthology and needed to come up with a story in the space of a couple of days. The plot for An Indecent Proposition came to me after staring at a blank page and thinking, “What the hell am I going to write?” I wanted it to be a ménage, because I love writing ménage, and then I started to riff on the Beauty and the Beast story. For An Indecent Affair, I had already set up Kat’s backstory and knew she would need two strong men to help her become the woman she needed to be.
Where do you find your inspiration?
In my characters. I almost always have my characters in my head before I begin writing.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Plotting. I’m not much of a plotter so most of the conflict in my stories comes from characters and relationships. I find that more interesting anyway.
What are your current projects?
I’m working on Books 4 and 5 of the Salon Games series. I’m also working on An Indecent Affair Part V and the next book in the Forgotten Goddesses series and I’m working on an idea for a short story in a new genre for me. Not sure how it will turn out so I’m not saying much more than I’m working on it. Slowly. Secretly.
Tell us about your first book. What would readers find different about the first one and your most recent published work?
Well, my first published book was bought by Avalon, which published short sweet romances for libraries. No touching below the shoulders, no tongue and OMG, NO SEX! Yep. I published two stories with them under the name Stephanie Scott. My first erotic romance was contracted by Ellora’s Cave and started my paranormal Magical Seduction series, which led to Lucani Lovers, Forgotten Goddesses, Darkly Enchanted and the Fringe series. I never looked back.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Love should be the motivating factor in everything you do. I totally believe the world would be a better place for it.
Does music play any type of role in your writing?
Yes. I don’t usually listen to music when I’m writing because I tend to start to sing along and that’s not good for anyone. But when I run (very slowly), I listen to music and plot. I find it helps immensely because I listen to a lot of hard rock and metal and it’s very angry, which helps with the tone of my books.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?
No. I may take certain pieces of personalities or events and twist them for my purposes, but I never use experiences wholesale and plop them in a books.
What books have influenced your life most?
My own books? Seduced by Magic set me on my erotic romance career so that one’s obvious. The book that made me want to be a writer? Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series. Totally set me on the path. The book that made me want to write romance? Anything by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I’ve been reading her since sixth grade and she totally shaped my sensibilities as a reader. The book that kick-started my personal journey to publication? Possibly Ann Rice’s Interview with A Vampire. I remember reading that book and thinking this is what I want to do. I want to write. I was in high school.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you for reading! Without you, my husband would be totally sick of me saying, “Will you read this?”
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
You can find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Julian/52545546702and at www.stephaniejulian.com
Do you have a special time to write? How is your day structured writing-wise?
Writing is my business so I’m at my desk by 7:30 a.m. and try to get to writing by 9 a.m. Depending on the day, I stay there until 3 then head downstairs and open the laptop.
Why did you choose to write [genre] stories?
Because I love them. Romance has always been the genre I gravitated toward and it’s what I enjoy reading.
What is for you the perfect book hero?
Tall, dark, handsome, strong, quietly funny, a little sarcastic and he’s got to love the heroine unconditionally.
When you start a book, do you already have the whole story in your head or is it built progressively?
I’m a pantser mostly so I have a general idea but usually I start with character and jump off the cliff.
When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing in my teens because I knew then that’s what I wanted to do. After college, I became a newspaper reporter and sold my first romances in my 30s.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When didn’t I? I’ve always been a writer.
List three books you have recently read and would recommend.
I’m going to fudge this one a little. I love SE Jakes’ Heaven and Hell series, I anxiously await every book in Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series and I have a major crush on Harry Dresden of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series.
Tell us something that people would be surprised you know how to do.
Cook. My kids especially will think I’m being hilarious.
Will you write more about these characters?
Absolutely. I love them and I want to know what they’re up and how they’re doing too.
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Series
Tell us about your first book in the series. What would readers find different about the first one and your most recent published work?
I would hope readers find the books all to be well-written and engaging but I also hope they find the characters are growing and changing through the story.
Did you always planned to write Kat’s story?
As soon as she showed up in An Indecent Proposition, yes, I knew she’d get her own story. She’s prickly and fragile and she needed a happy ending with two gorgeous men. I mean, who wouldn’t?
How would you describe this series to someone who has not read any of the books but is intrigued by the concept
Your most decadent fantasy: Two men dedicated to your pleasure. No need to clean up after them or do their wash. J
