Contract through Summer Solstice

I was just offered a contract for the sequel to Upon Your Return!  It is called Upon Your Honor. 

I am so excited to introduce you to Chloe and Gabriel, the main characters of the book.  I hope you can read about them soon when the book comes out. :)

MAGICK & MOONLIGHT earned its first review!

Sweet romance like The Good Witch, March 10, 2014

By 

Lidia LoPinto "Lidia LoPinto, Author"

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Magick & Moonlight (Kindle Edition)

This romance was very sweet, and enjoyable. It reminded me that it is always magical when two people fall in love. The book focused on the emerging relationship between the couple. While I wished that there was more background on the Wiccan culture and practices, or perhaps other characters, this story was very intimate. The sexual scenes were tasteful and loving, and the dialog made the characters come to life. Marie's writing is engaging and I finished this Kindle edition in one night. There were two bonus chapters to her other book in this file.

 

 

Guest post "Secrets" on Seasons of Love blog

A guest blog post regarding LEATHER AND LACE on Christina Cole's blog today...

Secrets by Erica Sutherhome

christinacoleromance ♦ March 7, 2014 

From Christina: Today, Erica shares a few thoughts about writing Leather and Lace and talks about the secrets her characters are keeping.

Secrets

By Erica Sutherhome

Secrets.  We all have them.  There are little things we keep from everyone.  Our innermost thoughts, desires.  Angie Lewis has a lot and in keeping them, she has made a lot of trouble for herself.

Patrick, the hero, being the cop he is, picks up on the fact that she’s keeping something from him.  He doesn’t know what it is, but he will do anything to find out including bribe her boss to spend more time with her.  Once Patrick secures his moments with Angie, he just has to dig until he finds out the truth.  Being an honorable man, he decides to earn her trust.  But, Angie doesn’t make it easy.



I had a lot of fun writing this book.  I got to take on another persona, delve into Angie’s character, into the life of an exotic dancer.  Of course, she’s not all surface.  Sure, she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve – she sure knows how to use her sexuality – but, Angie hides a lot of herself in her work.  It is up to Patrick to try to coax that out of her.

He sees her and immediately becomes obsessed with her.  It becomes more than just about the job for both of them.  The journey is full of obstacles.  Angie has enemies no one knows about.

That’s where all of the secrets come in.  I think in some ways, readers might feel this is a ploy to spice up a book.  It is true that I keep some things even from the reader at first.  But, it’s not a ploy.  As I started to write the book, all of these facets of Angie’s character came out – her background, her dreams, the danger she was in.  She came alive on the page, more than the sexy exterior she exhibits.  And Patrick, being the smart man he is, starts to pick up on these little nuances.  He knows right away there’s a lot she’s keeping from him.

The book became a game of cat and mouse by accident.  And it is this tension between the two characters that drives it forward.  I hope you love Patrick and Angie as much as loved writing about them.

* * * *

Want to win a copy of Leather and Lace?

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win an ebook from author Erica Sutherhome.

* * * *

Be sure to drop by tomorrow for excerpts from Leather and Lace.

Until then, here’s a little snippet for you:

“Are you seducing me?”

 

 

Promo on Seasons on Love

Leather and Lace by Erica Sutherhome

christinacoleromance ♦ March 6, 2014 

When Detective Dreyling sees Evangeline Lewis standing over a dead body, his whole life changes. Determined to not only find out what she knows about the crime but also to make her his, he will go to any lengths, even bribe her boss, to have more time with her.

Angie fights the overwhelming desire she feels for Patrick, but there are some things in this world you can’t fight. There are rare kinds of attraction. No matter how much she tries to keep her heart from him, she can’t help the feelings that strike her.

What makes it all harder is the secret she keeps from him, the reason she has put herself in some pretty bad situations. Can she come clean with him in time or will the lie destroy any chance they have at happiness?

Little Teaser for LEATHER AND LACE on Christina Cole's Seasons of Love blog

Thank you, Erica Sutherhome!

christinacoleromance ♦ March 5, 2014

It’s a crazy week here at Seasons of Love…and a crazy week for me at home, as well. In the midst of all the craziness, Erica Sutherhome stepped in to share one of her books with readers.



Here’s what she has to say about Leather and Lace:

"I totally admire Angie in this book.  She is a strong woman who does everything she can to survive.  It is very hard for her to let someone in after being on her own for so long.  Not to mention she has a lot of secrets.  Angie has been described by readers as a woman who “keeps her lover on his toes”.  I find that to be a pretty apt description."

Tomorrow, Erica will be back with more about the story, and I’ll have information on a giveaway she’ll be doing.
On Friday, watch for Erica’s feature post about “keeping secrets”.

For now, here’s a little snip of dialogue to arouse your curiosity:

“Who said anything about sleeping?”

Official Book Release of MAGICK & MOONLIGHT!

I am so excited to announce that Magick & Moonlight, my paranormal romance through the Solstice Shadows division of Solstice Publishing, just released. :)

Tagline:  Love spells are dangerous, even more dangerous for those who cast them...

Blurb:

Messing with free will is always a bad idea…

Ethan Hamilton moves to a lazy little town in Oregon, hoping to escape his demons. But, instead he discovers a woman dancing nude in the moonlight. This woman who claims she is a witch dazzles him with her sensual presence. He thinks she’s crazy, but what if she’s not?

Jessie Anderson has been taught that her kind hides who they really are. And she has a problem on her hands. Someone knows her secret and she has to do all she can to protect herself. What other choice does she have? Jessie casts a love spell on a good man, a man with whom she can’t fight her attraction. The spell doesn’t work quite as planned – she ends up falling for Ethan.

To top it off, Ethan’s treatment of her, his “love”, is so addictive. Deep down, she knows the spell will wear off, and yet his feelings seem genuine. It’s just a spell…right?

New Review for UPON YOUR RETURN

Not a bad review!  :)

Upon Your Return, February 26, 2014

By 

E M Bahnsen

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Upon Your Return (Kindle Edition)

In the 1970s, I was a huge fan of authors Kathleen Woodiwiss and Rosemary Rogers. They were called 'bodice-rippers back then. I would "sneak" the paperbacks from my mother (because I was only a very young teenager). I read them all!

Ms. Lavender has done a great job of writing a clean, romantic historical novel. Fara and Captain Grant Hill see the world differently despite their love and passion for each other. Politics and protocol separate them for years. However, it is that love that brings them back together.

Believe me - there are twists and little bits of surprises that will keep you wondering and entertained. I highly recommend this book.

 

 

Salute to Women

March is International Women’s Month so I wanted to talk about women.  Yes, we all read romances for not only the love angle, but the hunky men.  Some of us even like those alpha males.   

But, let’s not forget the women either.  I don’t know about you, but I like to read about strong female leads.  There’s nothing more satisfying for the feminist in me than to see a chick put a guy in his place.  Take that, you misogynistic jerk!  LOL.

 

What romance novels or movies come to your mind when you think of strong female characters?  I have been on a paranormal romance/urban fantasy kick of late so I think of some pretty strong female leads in J.R. Ward’s The Black Dagger Brotherhood series.  Heroines like Jane, Xhex or Payne…man, those ladies can kick butt.  And they are matched with equally strong males.  Oh, and Merit from Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series?  She is awesome.

This subject also makes me think of females who may not only be physically strong, but strong mentally.  They are matches for their males as well.  What is sexier than a woman who can take over a boardroom?   Or how about a woman in any male-dominated profession?  Or more simply, one who debates with her man about current events or politics.  I think we like to see strong female characters as much as we like those strong men in books or movies.  And I think a complex character falls into that category.  

Let’s think of real life.  Real women.  I respect women who can do multiple things in their lives -  run a home, have a career, take care of their kids.  Single mothers have my vote too.   

But, I think we don’t stop to think of the cost of everything.  Life takes its toll. Stress can wear you down.  So, for all of those strong women out there, take a breath.  Sometimes it’s a thankless job being a woman, isn’t it?   We have a tendency to just try to handle everything, to hold it all in.  Occasionally, we have moments where we can relax and let the stressors of the day flow out of us.  But, I bet that doesn’t happen often.  

If you can take a few moments for yourself, at least five minutes, to take some deep breaths and think of nothing, do it.   If you can manage to carve out more time for yourself somehow, by leaving the kids with the man or someone else for thirty minutes to an hour, do something for yourself.  Read a book you haven’t gotten around to reading.  Take a bubble bath.  Do a spa treatment.  Do something you love.  Pamper yourself.  Because we’re women and we have needs.  No…not that kind.  LOL.  But, we have the right to be ourselves, to be women without responsibilities for a time, to recognize that we are important too.

And if there any men reading this, I apologize for alienating you.  But, take heart.  Worship your women.  Appreciate them.  Do something nice for the woman in your life.  She’ll realize you appreciate all that she does.

So, this is a salute to all women out there.   

You are all amazing at whatever you do, and I appreciate you.  Let’s try to take those moments to appreciate ourselves as well, hmm?

In relation to this, I am going to post a teaser from my book Leather and Lace, currently published under the pen name Erica Sutherhome.  Angie is a strong female character willing to stand up to her man and stand up for her beliefs, and in writing about her, I think she took a piece of my heart.   I had one reviewer love this story because the heroine “keeps her lover on his toes”.  Here it is:

As he looked around the room, he could see several women dancing around poles. Others were scattered around the edges of the room, offering lap dances to customers.  The men were eager to shove bills into the dancers’ lingerie, grabbing what they could before a bouncer stepped in. There was one positive thing he knew about such establishments. The dancers were usually pretty protected, at least as long as the club’s owner felt the safety of the strippers was necessary. Since he did not know much about this club, he could not vouch for its security.

Atop one table, he finally spotted her.  Her long, brown curls fell down her back, nearly to the middle, where the hooks of her bra lay.  She wore red lacey fabric for lingerie along with thigh-length red fishnet hose, and her feet were strapped into red high heels.  Her steps were purposeful, seductive, and she was serious in her task.  Her dark brown eyes were also alluring. The makeup she wore was not heavy, but applied precisely to add a dramatic effect to her appearance.  She looked sexy yet mysterious, the way she had seemed before.  His groin tightened in response and his mouth went dry.  Satisfied that his equipment was working well, he casually inspected her.

It was her eyes that gave her away.  She was angry beneath that seductive exterior.  He wondered who she was angry with. Or, was it something she was upset about?  Was she dissatisfied with her job?  Was she angry at herself for having to resort to such a profession?  He didn’t know, but he wanted to. No, he needed to know.  He would not be able to let it go until he did know what was bothering her, how she truly felt about her job.

Suddenly, a man grabbed her hard and she stumbled into his lap.  “Come on, baby.  Make it good for me.”

Instead of screaming, she smiled.

There was something in that smile, Patrick realized.  A strange sensation ran over his body.

The woman managed to elbow the jerk in the face, then struggled back on the table.  With a well placed heel in the man’s chest, she nodded to the door. One of the bouncers shortly hauled her assailant out of the club.

Patrick was relieved. He would have stepped in, but he knew she would have recognized him.  He was only going to give it another few seconds longer, but she had handled herself.  A strange sense of pride moved through him. 

A TOUCH OF DAWN Chapter 2 & 3 Excerpt on Eat Sleep Write

A Touch of Dawn - Chapter 2 & 3 by Erica Sutherhome
posted by Adam Scull
February 27, 2014

Chapter 2

            Jack sat in a plastic chair out in the hallway.  He pulled on the ends of his hair and covered his face, sighing.  He had already received the news from the doctor, and it was just what he’d expected.  But, it never got easy, hearing it.  It was still as fresh as his first case.  According to the doctor, she had been raped far too many times to count and they had to stitch her where her soft, feminine skin was torn.  He shuddered with that reality.  She wasn’t pregnant or disease-ridden, and that was a wonder.  But, sometimes in these situations, the human body could fight an invasion on that level.

            They had given her antibiotics, some pain medicine, extra vitamins for strength and some sleeping pills, but nothing more.  Guess there wasn’t a cure-for-all for the worse trauma imaginable. 

The one thing he had found unbearable, though, was her tears.  He had heard her crying hysterically in the room several times.  It wasn’t the result of what had happened to her, though in a way it was the reason for it.  Her circumstances hadn’t hit her fully yet.  No, it was the shame of feeling human touch, however kind it was, a humiliation she could not bear for a long time.  He knew this from experience.  Touch was equated with an invasion, with terrible cruelty, a reminder of that worthlessness, and until she saw otherwise, it was going to be rough for her.

            The door opened and he got to his feet, suspecting it was one of the staff.  Maybe he could wring more news from them.  Sometimes he felt so powerless as a consultant. 

But, Caitlyn came out then, the nurse behind her, and he saw her clearly for the first time.  Caitlyn’s hair was still damp from the shower and the hospital had lent her a pair of blue scrubs, a robe and some house slippers.  He sucked in a breath. 

She was striking with pale skin, large, luminous brown eyes and straight brown hair.  She had dark circles under her eyes, but that was to be expected.  It was her that he couldn’t get over.  He wasn’t supposed to notice it, but she was beautiful.  It was a damn shame that her innocence had been taken so swiftly.  Even as an adult, a person could be so violated that they were never the same again.

            Curiosity was in her eyes as she stared at him.  “Are you Jack?”

            He nodded.  For one, he still wore the uniform he wore on rescues to make people more comfortable.  “Sorry you couldn’t see me clearly until now.”

            She shook her head.  “It could not be helped.”  Her eyes closed and she lifted a hand to her temple.

            “The lights again?”

            “Yes.”

            “They’re worse inside the hospital than out.  Once we get in the car, you’ll feel better.  I mean, if you want me to take you home.  I could just as easily have a uniform take you.”

            She shrugged.  “The current arrangement is fine.”

            Jack slowly made his way over to her, then drew her to his side until her face was pressed against him.  “I can get you out now, if you’re ready.”

            “Yes.  Thank you,” came her small voice.  He heard pain and weariness there, which made his throat tighten.

            A doctor saw him and headed in his direction.  Jack waved him off.  “Please.  I’ll take care of everything later.”

            With a nod and a grim look, the doctor turned away.

            He tightened his arm around Caitlyn’s back and led her down the hall to the emergency doors.  “Easy,” he said as she tried to navigate the steps without her vision.

            “It’s strange, this.  I haven’t walked around much for awhile.  I mean, I did a little in that cellar.  But, not much.”

            A long breath came out of him.  “Did they feed you?”

            She shrugged.  “Some.  Not much.”

            “You’ve lost weight then.”

            “I don’t know.  I…”  She shuddered.  “I’m not sure I want to look in a mirror right now.”

            “I’ll be your mirror, if you like.”

            She laughed a little. “Do I look as terrible as I feel?”

            “No, Sweetheart. Other than the fact that you’re obviously tired and you’ve been through something awful, you look okay.  You were patched up down there, I assume.  But, from what I can tell, most of the scars are on the inside.”

            She pressed her face into his jacket and he wondered if she was trying to stifle the urge to cry.

            He spotted his car, then led her straight out to it.  He urged her into the vehicle, then closed the door behind her.  He got into the driver’s side, reached over and clicked her seatbelt into place.  He did the same for himself.  Then he shut his door and turned the car on.  He waited until they’d left the parking lot before he spoke. “Okay. I think you can open your eyes now.”

 Chapter 3

            Caitlyn could see the town a little in the darkness. There were streetlights here and there, but they didn’t hurt her.  It was so odd to see things now.  It was pretty routine what he was doing, she could tell that clearly enough. But, it meant more than she knew how to express.  He had taken her out of that dark place. He had removed her from the situation.  Now, she would have to deal with life again. 

            Oh, God.  The idea of it was so daunting.  Life.  Real life.  Not being in a cellar, kept for someone’s needs. Doing something for herself instead. How was she supposed to do that?

            “Where are we going?” she asked Jack.

            He seemed to hesitate.  “Your apartment was vacated long ago.  Supposedly, the landlord would not cooperate.  I thought of taking you to your mother’s.  Is that all right?  We could get you a hotel room instead, if you’d prefer that.  If it would make you feel better, I could have an officer placed outside the door for security.”

            She shuddered.  There was one thing she knew instinctively.  She should not be left to her own devices.  After what she’d been through, her grip on herself was tenuous.  She had struggled to stay sane in the cellar.  But, if she had the opportunity, she might try to kill herself.  Part of her wanted the release from life.  And part of her was terrified of dying.  “I should probably go home.”  Home.  Wasn’t that a strange word?

            He nodded.  “Okay.  We can do that.  I already called your mother after we found you.  So she’s expecting you.  She would have gone to the hospital, of course, but I told her you should be treated before you had visitors.”

            Her stomach clenched a little.  So her mother knew she was coming. What would the woman expect of her?  How could she possibly live a normal life?

            She glanced over at Jack.  He had an olive tone to his skin.  He had dark hair and blue eyes.  His face was a bit scruffy as if he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days.  It made him more attractive.  Mysterious.  But, really, what did it matter what the man looked like?  She had too many issues to worry about her reaction to him.  She had been raped.  How in the world was she supposed to deal with that, and somehow move on?

            “How far away is she from here?” she managed, trying to give her mind a distraction.

            “A good twenty minutes.”

            “Oh.  Okay.”  She sighed.  “How long has it been?  I mean…how long was I gone?”

            He sucked in a breath.  “Three months.”

            Was that all?  It was unfathomable.  She shook her head.  She couldn’t wrap her mind around that information.  “How was I found?”

            “Your case was never dropped, though the officer in charge was afraid the trail was cold.  The police knew who had taken you, just didn’t know their location.”  He sighed.  “One day, a random citizen called in claiming to see one of the men that had been on television.  We had put out a bulletin to see if anyone would find you.”

            She had been on TV?  That was strange.  “And then what?”

            “We looked into it, of course.  Traced the receipts to the establishment they’d seen him in.  He was using an alias though.  We eventually found the house they were using.  And here we are.”

            She was quiet for a moment.  It was a lot to take in.  She just couldn’t dwell on it all right now.  She wet her dry lips with her tongue.  “I don’t remember my family.  My life.  I only remember fragments from the past.  But, nothing informative.”

            “I know.  It will come back to you.”

            She nodded, then bit her lip, aware that ever since she’d been rescued, the tears were closer to the surface than ever before.  “Is it always like this?  The way it was today?”

            “It never gets any easier.”

            The strange tone in his voice caused her to glance at him.  She couldn’t dismiss the brief flash of pain in his eyes.  “I’m sorry.”

            He frowned.  “What do you have to be sorry for?”

            She shrugged.  “It must be hard on you, too, is all.”

            He didn’t respond to that.

            She sighed.  “Is this what you specialize in?”

            “What?”

            “Kidnappings.”

            He gave a brief nod.  “Yes.”

            They were quiet for several more minutes.  Caitlyn was exhausted.  She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.  God, what she wouldn’t give for oblivion.  Her life back.  Her memories.  Why couldn’t she remember who she really was?

            “Your eyes still hurt?”

            She looked at Jack, saw the naked concern in his eyes.  “No.  Not in the dark.”

            He nodded and grew quiet again. 

            It was for the best.  Caitlyn feared she would be terrible company besides. 

            “We’re here.”

            Her eyes snapped wide and she glanced out the window to see a small one story house.  The details were fuzzy at night, but it looked cozy.  But really, what did it matter where she was as long as she was out of that cellar?

            “Are you ready?” he asked gently.

            “I think so.”

            She followed Jack out of the car, felt better when he put his arm around her as they walked up to the house.  The lights were on inside.  They stood on the porch for a few moments.  She glanced at Jack.  “What will she want from me?”

            He shook his head.  “You’re her daughter.  I think she just wants you safe.”

            Caitlyn wanted that to be enough, but suspected her mother would want her to remember her life.  And she couldn’t do that right away.  She feared she never could. 

            All of a sudden, the door opened.  She saw a brief swatch of dark blonde hair before the woman flew at her.  She wasn’t prepared for the embrace or the tears from her mother.

****

            Jack frowned.  No way was Caitlyn ready for this reunion.  She was barely coming to terms with what had happened, let alone the fact that she was finally safe.  Now she would have to heal.  It was hard to do that with her mother’s emotions overwhelming her.  But, he supposed it would be much worse if she didn’t care about her daughter.

            The woman pulled away, tears streaming down her face.  “Oh, Caitlyn.  My baby girl.  What did they do to you?” she asked as she examined her daughter’s appearance. 

            Jack fielded that question by clearing his throat.

            She blinked.  “Oh, I’m sorry, Officer.”

            “Actually, it’s just Jack.  Jack Thomas.  I’m a consultant with the police.  We spoke on the phone earlier?”

            “Oh.  Well, thank you so much for bringing my daughter home.”

            “You’re welcome.”

            She frowned after a bit.  “Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Thomas?”

            With a glance at Caitlyn, he led the woman aside.  “Kidnappings are very traumatic on the victims.  That is why I offer my services anytime this happens.”

            She crossed her arms over her chest.  “What…kind of services?”

            “Counseling, anything I can do to help a victim get back in touch with the world.”

            She nodded.  “I do appreciate it.  But, I’m sure we’ll be fine.  I can help my own daughter.”

            He frowned.  “I’m afraid you can’t.  Not alone.  And you’ll see the reason soon enough.  What happened to Caitlyn was terrible, and I'd be amazed if she could cope with it.”

            The woman’s face hardened.  “We’ll handle this on our own, as I said.”

            He had dealt with overbearing mothers before.  “Sure, but just think about it.”

            “Fine.”

            Jack turned back to Caitlyn.  “You need anything, you let me know.  If you just want to talk, that’s fine.  If you think of anything, call me.”  He handed her his business card. 

            Caitlyn managed a small smile.  “Thank you, Jack.”

            He hated gratitude sometimes, especially in relation to a kidnapping.  Or a rape.  Or both, he thought with a grimace.  “Don’t thank me.  I just want to help you if I can.  You just get on with the business of living, okay?”

            She nodded.

            Mrs. Johnson tugged at Caitlyn’s arm.  “Come on, honey.  Let’s go inside.”

            “Yes, Mother,” she replied stiffly.  And he could clearly see the agony in her eyes as her mother led her away.  He knew she wasn’t ready for it yet, but he hoped the family home would allow her to break through into some happy memories.