I didn't get it f**king wrong!

I'm feeling defensive and frankly, picked on. And pathetic and annoyed with myself and many other negative things. I know, boo hoo, poor author. After all I'm only one human being. (Ergo, one who is prone to mistakes and is just that...human).

See, I didn't realise that writing about the military would bring about such a backlash.

I'm an ex BRITISH military wife. I wrote a book called Not Another Soldier. In its various guises it went from being about the British military, to being set in the US, to coming back to the UK. Once my ARCs went out, the decision to pull it back into the UK came from the significant differences between the British and US military and the feedback I was receiving. The differences were just too much for people to grasp.

So, I kept the US spellings, I kept the Americanised phrases--so my wider audience wouldn't feel alienated--and I pulled it back into the UK. But the word Marine is still causing problems. In the UK, the Royal Marines are part of the Navy and the Royal Armed Forces. In my ignorance, I didn't realise the differences would anger people so much.

So...I've done something I never thought I'd do. I've changed my story. In spite of a little comment in my book that this has been updated and is intended to reflect British military life, people are still not understanding that. For those who read the first copies, I can only apologise for trying to reach a wider audience and confusing you. I thought I was making a wise decision seeing as plenty of British authors struggle with getting people to understand their British tone and spellings but I see now that was a huge mistake and I won't ignore my gut instincts again.

But my hero is no longer a Marine. This one word is causing so much of a headache. This story was meant to be personal to me. To explain my own journey as a military wife. To put across the stress and the upset that being a military wife can cause and to show how a strong woman can overcome such things, especially when they've got a soldier they love.

So the word Marine is gone. If you have a kindle version, you should receive an update notice from Amazon soon and you won't have to feel angry over the word any longer. I hope people will take a step back, maybe take a look at the wider world around them and learn something about the British Armed Forces and fall in love with my characters as I did, without that offensive word :D

Blog Tour and Author Interview: Innocence Lost by Helen Johnston

Please welcome Helen to my blog today!

What is your name and where do you live now?

My name is Helen Johnston and I live in Hampshire, England.

First off, how has your week been?

It’s been good thank you, mainly because I've been home and able to write as much as I want. I work full time out of the home, so finding the time to write is hard sometimes.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?

Sure, I grew up in my home county of Hampshire, England. My childhood dreams were filled with the desire to become a dancer. An only child I was never alone, my years were spent entertained with my vivid imagination. I met and married my husband not long after leaving school and soon after our son was born, our family is made complete with my two cats, which are spoiled rotten which results in them often thinking they rule the home.

My life consists of home life and a few jobs in the retail industry. My vivid imagination refused to stay quiet and combined with my love of erotica and all things vampire I decided to try my hand at writing and has never looked back.

I've been writing now for about seven years.

Please tell us about your current release.

Innocence Lost, is book one in my Journey of Innocence Series and is a paranormal erotic tale. These are very real vampires, who bite and feed; they don’t sparkle and have fangs. It’s completely adult in content, and it spans three books, where you get to travel to the South of France, England and Las Vegas.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

Ha, ha, ha, I only wish it was real life experiences. No it’s purely all imagination.

Did you have any say in the title / cover of your book?

I was very lucky; a friend’s husband donated the covers to me. He’s a very talented graphic designer, we had a couple of meetings then he came up with them, and as I’m, at the moment, self published, I had complete control over the title.

What does your protagonist think about you? Would they want to hang out with you, their author and creator?

I've written a short story which involves me hanging out with them for the weekend; it was a lot of fun to write.

Do you have plans for a new book?

Yes, I'm working on a new series at the moment, the first book of that, Eternal Hunger, is hopefully being released in July 2014. You meet the main male character in book two of my Journey of Innocence Series.

Do you have a favourite character from your books? Why are they your favourite?

I think Blake, who is the main lead male character; because it was his voice I listened to who got me to write his story. He's been with me for years and he's very special to me.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?

They might, but at the moment people, and myself included still like the feel and smell of the printed books.

Would you share a deep dark secret about you with us?

I didn’t get any good grades in school; I wasn’t interested in it at all. All I wanted to be was a dancer, and looking back I wish I’d pushed myself to get them.

Connect with Helen

Twitter | Facebook Page

Exams over and finished with school, Siobhan and her best friends take a glitzy break in the South of France. They're out for fun and ready to party, but when she meets the enigmatic Blake, all thoughts of a simple holiday romance fly out the window. Siobhan finds herself falling deeply in love, certain that she wants to spend the rest of her life with him.

But in a shocking turn of events, that dream is shattered when Blake and his equally hunky friends vanish without a trace, leaving Siobhan heartbroken and confused, struggling to rebuild her life.

Ten years on, the pair meet again – and Siobhan is left reeling when Blake reveals his darkest secret. He is a powerful vampire Elder – and he wants her for his Queen. But before the couple can even think about living happily ever after, they are separated again.

Siobhan is kidnapped by a malevolent rival – and forced to be a submissive sex slave in a drug-induced, lust-filled living nightmare from which there is no escape. Can Blake find his one true love once more and rescue her before she is corrupted forever?

Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Smashwords |All Romance

Buy it links for Paperback

Amazon.com | Createspace

Author Interview: Jessica Kong

1. What is your name (or pen name) and where do you live now?

My name is Jessica Kong and I live in New Jersey.

2. First off, how has your week been?

My week has been as it always is, happily busy.

3. Did you always want to be a writer?  If not, what did you want to be?

No, actually I wanted to be a Kindergarten teacher.  But after having my three munchkins, I decided that was not the field for me, even though I love children.

4. Please tell us about your current release.  

My latest release is A Forgotten Kitten, a science fiction romance with a sprinkle of fantasy and adventure.  It’s the second installment to my Sea-anan Saga, a series that focuses on war, love, family, even racism.

5. Where did you come up with the idea to write your book?  My ideas come from everywhere—movies, books, animations, and dreams.

6. How does your family feel about the book?  They are extremely happy and proud of me.  They are my inspiration.  They were also the ones who gave me that extra push I needed to publish my first book, A Lost Kitten, a paranormal romance with a science fiction twist.

7. When you started your book, did you plan on writing it as a series, or did it just grow into one?  I had planned on creating a series in three different genres.  It wasn’t until I started writing that all three series ended up being connected.

8. Do you have plans for a new book?  Yes.  My next book is the first installment to my Oceanan Trilogy, a science fiction romance entitled, A Seacat’s Love.  This story is about the relationship between a human spy and an alien warrior.  This couple started it all.

9. What genre would you place your books into?  My books are like my characters—hybrids.   My books fall under several romance genres—science fiction, fantasy, and  paranormal.

10. Are your books available as eBooks?  Yes, they both are.  Were you involved in that process at all?  To an extent, I was.  I picked out the font, but I don’t do the formatting.  Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?  I used to read only books, but after my husband bought me a kindle, I am hooked on ebooks.  

11. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?  My message is simple.  No matter where we are from, we are all the same.  We all feel the same emotions—anger, fear, love, and happiness.   We would get further if we could overlook our differences and focus on what we all want—to live in peace.

Picking up from where the first installment of the series, A Lost Kitten, left off, the second installment in the fast-paced Sea-anan Saga by Jessica A. Kong explains the reasoning behind the creation of the law that forbids felines to permanently join with aliens.

This law creates the main conflict that exists between Sev, the reigning king of the Oceanan race, and his soulmate, Areo, of the human-feline hybrids. Sev is raised in the midst of a vicious family feud, but all seems worth it when his adoptive aunt gives birth to a beautiful little girl, Areo, whom Sev falls instantly and irrevocably in love with. But when Sev’s planet collides with its own sun and collapses, he must bear the loss of his entire family, including his love as well as any memory of her.

When Areo’s empire is brutally attacked, everyone is scattered throughout the universe. Where does she land but the planet that Sev is currently occupying. What follows is a continually building conflict interlaced with one of the most fervently passionate love stories seen in these kinds of novels.

Author Jessica A. Kong chooses not just to write about space travel, or war, or love, or family, or even racism; instead, she chooses to combine all of these classic literary themes into one amazing story. The result is a mysterious and ultimately deeply satisfying story that only leads to the craving for more from this gifted and astoundingly creative writer.

A Lost Kitten

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million

A Forgotten Kitten

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million

Jessica A. Kong is an avid reader of all things fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal. When she is not reading or writing, she enjoys puzzles, arts and crafts, crocheting, horror movies, and video games. She created the Sea-anan Saga out of inspiration provided by her love for movies like Star Wars and Deep Space Nine, along with an avid appreciation of romance novels. She makes her home in Somerset, New Jersey, with her loving husband of twenty-one years and their teenaged triplets.

Personal Links

Facebook Fan Page:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Kong/155150417957328

Website:   http://www.seaanan.com

Free Today: Once Upon a Hero (Tales of Love Throughout History)

Don't miss out on your chance to download this fabulous historical anthology for free on Amazon. It's only free until Monday so be quick!

Download from 

Amazon | Amazon UK

Not Another Soldier blog tour and giveaway

Not Another Soldier is going on blog tour and I'm also giving away a paperback copy as well as two ebooks of winners' choice up to $2.99 in value. Open internationally! Enter below and check out my tour stops. There's going to be a ton of interviews, fun posts and reviews. (Ouch my poor hands!)

FEBRUARY 15 – SATURDAY
♥ Here is some of what I read http://rachschmidt.blogspot.com/ (Excerpt/Spotlight, Top 10′s, Author Playlist, Book Soundtrack)
♥ Lost in Romance Books http://www.lostinromancebooks.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Interview)
♥ Book Bangers Blog http://bookbangersblog2.blogspot.com/ (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, This or That)
♥ Broadway Girl Book Reviews http://broadwaygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com(Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ For The Love of Books http://www.ftlobblog.blospot.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Playlist)
♥

FEBRUARY 16 – SUNDAY
♥ Forever Me Romance http://www.forevermeromance.blogspot.com.au (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Book Soundtrack)
♥ Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews http://devilishlydeliciousbookreviews.wordpress.com/(Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Playlist, Character Bio)
♥ Beautifully R.E.D http://50shadesofsas.blogspot.com (Review)
♥ Danielle-Claude Indie Book Reviews http://danielle-claude.blogspot.fr/ (Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Interview)
♥ Perusing Princesses http://www.PerusingPrincesses.com (Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ Ms. ME28 http://msme28.blogspot.com (Excerpt/Spotlight)

FEBRUARY 17 – MONDAY
♥ Becky on Books http://beckymmoe.com (Excerpt/Spotlight, Top 10′s, Author Playlist, Character Bio)
♥ Jess’s Book Blog http://jessbookblog.blogspot.com (Review, Author Interview, Top 10′s, Author Playlist)
♥ The Conley Corner http://www.anneconley.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Interview, This or That)
♥ Smile Somebody Loves You http://SSLYblog.wordpress.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ Nicole Hurley-Moore http://nicolehurley-moore.blogspot.com.au/ (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Character Bio)
♥ The ruthin trilogy romance book blog http://the-ruthin-trilogy.blogspot.com(Excerpt/Spotlight)

FEBRUARY 18 – TUESDAY
♥ Made For You Book Reviews http://www.madeforyoubookreviews.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock http://www.pratr.wordpress.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ BookwormBridgette’s World http://bookwormbridgette.blogspot.com (Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ Kaidans seduction http://kaidansseduction.blogspot.com/ (Review, Book Soundtrack)
♥ A Dirty Book Affair http://adirtybookaffair.com/ (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ What Shall We Blog About Today? http://kenowinsky.blogspot.com (Excerpt/Spotlight)

FEBRUARY 19 – WEDNESDAY
♥ Book Worms https://www.facebook.com/theloveofagoodbook (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Top 10′s)
♥ For the Love of Books http://www.ftlobblog.blogspot.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, This or That, Author Playlist, Book Soundtrack0
♥ Good Books & Good Coffee https://www.facebook.com/GoodBooksandGoodCoffee (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Playlist)
♥ Naughty and Smutty Book Blog https://www.facebook.com/groups/613374708724518/(Excerpt/Spotlight, Character Bio)
♥ Perusing Princesses http://www.PerusingPrincesses.com (Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ Books A to Z http://booksaz.wordpress.com (Review, Author Interview)
♥ Ky Grabowski http://kygrabowski.wordpress.com/ (Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Playlist, Book Soundtrack)

FEBRUARY 20 – THURSDAY
♥ Mythical Books http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/ (Excerpt/Spotlight, Character Bio)
♥ Random Musesomy http://www.randommusesomy.blogspot.com (Excerpt/Spotlight, Book Soundtrack)
♥ Dirty Hoe’s Book Blog http://dortyhoesbkblog.blogspot.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, This or That)
♥ Blimey! I Fancy Reading http://blimeyifancyreading.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Character Bio)
♥ Crazy Cajun Book Addicts http://crazycajunbookaddicts.blogspot.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Book Soundtrack)
♥ Sweets Books http://sweetsbooks.WordPress.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Interview, Character Interview)
♥ A Reader’s Review Blog http://areadersreviewblog.com (Excerpt/Spotlight, Character Bio)
♥ 2 Bibliophiles Guide http://2bibliophiles.blogspot.com (Excerpt/Spotlight, Top 10′s, This or That, Author Playlist, Book Soundtrack, Character Bio)

FEBRUARY 21 – FRIDAY
♥ 2 friends, promote your books with ushttps://www.facebook.com/groups/301139446688226/ (Review)
♥ Jodie’s W.I.N.E. List http://jodieswinelist.blogspot.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ Amazeballs Book Addicts http://amazeballsbookaddicts.blogspot.com (Review, Top 10′s, This or That)
♥ Lustful Literature http://lustfulliterature.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Book Soundtrack)
♥ Cu’s Ebook Giveaways http://cusebookgiveaways.us (Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ Sarah’s Bookshelf http://sarahsbookselfblog.blogspot.com/ (Review)
♥ girlygirlbookreviews http://www.girlygirlbookreviews.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ Stories and Swag http://storiesandswag.blogspot.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Top 10′s, This or That, Book Soundtrack)

FEBRUARY 22 – SATURDAY
♥ Rose’s Book Snobs http://rosesbooksnobs.weebly.com (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Playlist, Book Soundtrack)
♥ TNT Reviews http://tntreviews.weebly.com/ (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight)
♥ Victoria’s Gossip http://victoriasgossip.com/blog (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Interview)
♥ BeanieBrain Reader http://beaniebrainreader.blogspot.com/ (Review, Excerpt/Spotlight, Top 10′s, This or That, Author Playlist, Book Soundtrack)
♥ Lilly Mac’ Blog http://www.lillianmackenzierhine.com (Excerpt/Spotlight, Author Playlist, Book Soundtrack, Character Bio)
♥ In My Room Reading http://inmyroomreading.blogspot.com (Review, Book Soundtrack, Character Bio)
♥ You Had Me At Free Book http://www.youhadmeatfreebook.blogspot.com (Review)

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Markething for Authors: Blog Tours

Blog tours are big business right now. There's tons of tour companies around and it can be hard to know who to chose or even whether you should bother.

Why do you want a blog tour?

Is it for reviews? Is it for exposure? Is it to connect with book bloggers? 

If you are after reviews, look at companies who offer review packages, then check out their previous tours. Often you'll be able to see how many reviews they go. 

If you're after exposure, take a good look at the sort of blogs that host the blog tour company's tours. Some will list who they work with while on others you may have to look at their current tours to see who is hosting. Depending on your genre, you may want to connect with certain authors who host for them or popular blog pages. 

Connecting with book bloggers is one of the most important things you can do. If they like you, they will continue to support you with each and every release. This adds a huge amount of value to your blog tour. Again check out who hosts for them. If it's all authors and your aim is to connect with book bloggers, maybe take another look around.

Once you've narrowed down your selections, you need to look at the quality of their stops. Are they hastily put together? How good are their banners? Will you be a top slot or will you be buried under other book tours on the day? Looking at their current tours is a great way of judging this.

Price

Price is not always an indicator of quality. And sometimes it is. One of the first tour companies I worked with was great and efficient and very cheap but I didn't get a lot of stops from them. The next one was more expensive. I got tons of stops but not particularly high quality ones. The final provider I tried is still very cheap but amazingly high quality. So I've stuck with them and have never been disappointed. 

Etiquette

Although you are paying for a service, blog tours take a lot of time to arrange and tour providers rely on bloggers to be efficient and coordinated. Often life gets in the way of this and it may mean your stops are delayed or occasionally come up missing. It happens and unless you're really unsatisfied, I recommend you let it slide. If you miss one or two stops on a thirty stop tour, don't be a diva. Blog tour providers generally work for very little money. Also be sure to stop by and thank the bloggers for hosting you. This will go a long way to developing those all important relationships.

Are blog tours worth it?

The most powerful tool is still actually blogging. It's permanent and it shows up in search engines. Add that to the fact the bloggers will probably then share your post on their social networks and you're probably hitting at least two or three different arenas. Great exposure for very little money.

Who do I recommend?

I mentioned these two providers last week but these are who I work with and would work with again.
My Family's Heart Book Reviews
Goddess Fish

And if you're still not sure who to choose, try asking around. Word of mouth is still one of the best ways of finding what you're after.

Blog Tour Stop: Somethin' Dirty by Em Petrova

Please welcome the lovely Em Petrova to my blog as she shares her new release. Check out my review below and be sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom!

MY REVIEW

You know, I fall in love quite easily. I love heroes. And I can't wait to fall in love with them. But, man, I did not expect to fall for Griffin so quickly! Really, he's impossible to resist. Let me break it down for you. He's a sexy cowboy. Check. A loving father. Check. Hard working man. Check. Loves his mother. Check. Yeah, you get the idea. When we first meet Griffin, he's taking care of his baby daughter, Lyric, and struggling with trying to run a ranch. Any parent can immediately sympathise with him at the same time as falling totally in love with his commitment and determination. You just know he is going to raise his daughter right. Add a sick mother to his problems, and life just got even harder for single-dad, Griffin.

Cue Nola. Younger, spunkier, headed for the big time, she hopes. Nola dreams of being a country singer and is just biding her time in the small town until she can earn enough money to stay in Nashville. She's talented and beautiful and everyone believes she's too good for the small town. Even Griffin at times. Nola blows hims away when he first meets her but he's wary. He's dated younger women before and he really doesn't want to do it again. But neither of them can resist. While Nola doesn't want to be tied down, Griffin can't help roping her in with his sexy charm. Though she's drawn to his looks, it's what an inherently good man he is that really sucks her in.

Throughout the push and pull of their relationship, the doubts, the ups and downs, their chemistry burns off the pages. Your heart tugs for them both--even for Nola who is just a young girl with ambitions, as they struggle to find their place. Nola's battle echoes what many women go through. We want it all. The amazing career, the wonderful husband, the babies. We want to be Suzy homemaker and the power-suited businesswoman . And it can be hard to have it all.

What I also enjoyed about this is, in a time when younger characters are very popular, it makes a nice change to meet a middle-aged hero. There's real benefits to that. He's experienced, he's confident. There's no angst to him. Yes, he's a little undecided about Nola at first but once he sets his mind to something...or to someone... Well, you've got to love a guy who's determined to get the girl. So, if you love some intense heat and characters who will suck you in, I highly recommend this story. You'll fall in love easily and Griffin may haunt you for a while, but it will be worth it.

She’s headed for the big time…unless her heart gets stopped at the pass.

Country Fever, Book 4

Forty-two-year-old single father Griffin Turner couldn’t have made it through colic and calving season without his mother’s babysitting services. But just when he thinks he’s got the hardest part of the infant learning curve licked, he gets devastating news. Mom is sick. And Griffin is forced to hire a nanny.

With nothing but twenty dollars in her pocket and her voice, Nola Brady wants to leave small-town Wyoming to pursue her dreams in Nashville. She answers Griffin’s ad to keep body and soul together until her big chance arrives. Love isn’t even on her radar…until she unexpectedly falls for the rough-and-playful cowboy.

Between the sheets, they’re poetry. Outside the bedroom, he inspires her to be more woman than she ever dreamed possible, which scares her enough to put on the brakes…and hit the road.

But if she thought he’d just let her leave quietly, she was wrong. Because hell hath no fury like a cowboy in love…especially one with a baby on his hip. And a ring with her name on it.

Amazon | Barnes & Nobles

Em Petrova lives in backwoods Pennsylvania, where she raises four kids and a Labradoodle puppy named
Daisy Hasselhoff and pays too damn much for utilities. She loves to write gritty characters with lots of heart and is well-known for scorching, panty-soaking erotic romance.

Find Em here:

Amazon Author Page | Website/Blog | Facebook 

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Blog Tour Stop: Gambling on Love by Anne Conley

Info: Gambling on Love, the sixth installment of the Stories of Serendipity by Anne Conley is a Valentine’s Novella.  All of the books in the series, while revisiting some of the characters, are intended to be stand-alones, so they can be read out of order.  This book is the continuation of Kathy and Luke’s story, which began in Chef’s Delight. 

Wanted: someone to donate sperm the old fashioned way to create my child without emotional attachments.  Must pass a health check.  Must pass interview.  Interested parties please meet at the McDonal Hotel at 11:00 am on March 1.  If chosen, will need to pass a STD screen.  Chosen applicant will be monetarily compensated upon positive pregnancy test. 

 Kathy is thirty-four years old, and her biological clock is tick-tick-ticking away.  When she breaks off her long distance relationship with Luke because of his reticence to take the relationship to the next level, she decides to take matters into her own hands. 

Luke didn’t mean to drive her away.  He just made a mistake.  He had a plan.  And apparently his grand Valentine’s Day proposal wasn’t going to cut it.   Luke is desperate to stop Kathy before she makes the biggest mistake of her life, but will he get to Vegas in time? Seecondary characters from Chef’s Delight, Kathy and Luke continue their story in this new installment of Serendipity. 

“Hi there…”  The sexy voice caught her attention, and Kathy’s eyes took in the tall drink of water in front of her.  He was rocking a pair of brown leather pants, and a skin tight, baby blue tee shirt, showing off a rippling torso and tattooed biceps that could melt the panties off Mother Teresa. 

“Hi.”  She shook his hand, reminding herself to firm up her grip, show some assertiveness.  But the warmth in his hand traveled up her arm to her face, and she felt his gaze on her intensely. 

He smiled a flirtatious grin, and she saw even, white teeth, making a mental note to ask about his dental history, whether it was natural or if he’d had a lot of expensive orthodontia to get that beautiful smile.  Luke had worn braces as a teenager, but the whiteness of his teeth was all natural.  Focus, Kathy. 

She motioned for him to have a seat, and he slid into the booth across from her with the grace of an athlete, so her first question was, “Do you play any sports?  What are you good at?”  She flipped to a new page on her notebook, after making a brief note about the Jesus Freak, and waited patiently for his answer. 

His eyes slowly consumed her while he composed his thoughts.  “Well, it all depends on what you’d consider sport.  But I do have incredible stamina, or so I’ve been told.”  A deliberate smile spread across his face, and Kathy looked down at her paper in an attempt to conceal the flush she knew was taking over her face.  This guy was forward. 

“Okay…Any medical history?  Food or drug allergy?  History of illness?  Cancer?  Heart Disease?  Weird genetic stuff?” 

He shook his head leisurely, side to side, in a hypnotic rhythm as Kathy spoke.  His hand reached for hers, and she found herself watching, trance-like, as his finger made little swirly designs on her palm. 

“Ahem.  ‘Kay.  Are you clean?  As in STD’s?  Of course, we’ll be tested, if you pass the first two rounds of questioning.” 

“Why all the questions?  Why not just pay me and get it done.  I can make sure it’s pleasurable for both parties.  It’s what I do.”  His finger continued tracing lines on her palm, sending little shivers up her arm. 

She was prepared for some men to ask why she asked her questions, but the second part of his statement gave her pause.  “Excuse me?” “Why do you need to know all this stuff for one amazing night?” 

“So that I can know that I’ve done all I can to have a healthy child.  If you have a history of men dying in their thirties of a heart-attack in your family, you’ll drop down on the list.”  She waved her hand impatiently with her explanation, releasing his grip.  “What did you mean, it’s what you do?” 

His smile was seductive.  “I do this all the time, although I’ve rarely had so many questions thrown at me on the first round.  Sure, some people are nervous, if it’s their first time, but I can make you forget your nerves.”  His knee rested against hers now, and distracted her further.  She shook her head to clear the lust fog this man was putting her under. 

“You’re a prostitute?” Kathy sputtered.  She wasn’t surprised; this was Vegas after all.  She’d heard they were everywhere.  But she’d never really thought male prostitutes looked so…so…hot. 

As if he could read her thoughts, his mouth curled into a smirk before he replied, “I prefer the term escort.” Kathy thought about that.  

If worse came to worse, it was a possibility, but she really didn’t want to have to tell her child that their father was someone who regularly got paid for sex.  Never mind that she was stooping to pay someone to father her child, but it was the principle of the thing.  She made a notation and looked at the man again. 

“I have your number and will call you if no other suitable men are to be found.” He nodded and stood. “By the way, how much do you charge?”  

He told her, and she nearly choked.  It was three times what she’d been planning to pay.  And she’d thought she was being generous. 

Purchase from Amazon and Smashwords.

Anne Conley lives in a small town in East Texas not unlike Serendipity, with her husband, two kids and numerous goats.  She brazenly stole her pseudonym from her great-grandmother, a true pioneer woman who raised seven kids alone: churning butter, plucking chickens, kitting clothes, and putting coal oil on every visible wound.  Anne’s Stories of Serendipity feature real people, living life and finding love in a small town.  She also has a Paranormal Romance series, the Four Winds, about archangels “falling” in love and coping with turning into humans.  Her writing is escapist therapy, and she succumbs to it every chance she gets.

My Review

Gambling on Love is a sexy little snack type of a book. Actually I do it an injustice saying little--it still fills an hour or so and is the perfect length in my opinion. I love a book I can pick up one evening and go to bed, satisfied, and Gambling on Love did just that.

The premise is great. Totally unique, something rare in romance books these days. I loved the idea of the desperate hero, trying to win over his heroine before she made a huge mistake and I enjoyed Kathy's impulsiveness. What she's doing is pretty darned reckless but actually I think I got it. I've done stupid things before and never at any point did I want to go 'oh you stupid woman!'. Ms Conley managed to write her so that most women should be able to empathise with her.

I loved Luke swooping in to save the day though I felt for Kathy, punishing herself for something that really wasn't her fault--an inherently female trait, I fear. I adored what he went through and the way he was willing to put whatever happened aside to prove his love for her and right his wrongs. I would have liked a little more time in his head. I am very fond of being in the male POV, but I still understood why he had behaved as he had and unintentionally hurt Kathy. The love scenes were warm, sexy and realistic. I might have liked a few more in the present day, rather than flashbacks, but I really enjoyed their chemistry. All in all, this is a satisfying, fun romance.