Christmas Eve is not supposed to be celebrated naked, tied up, and locked in a dark cardboard box. But that’s exactly where Aimee Small finds herself. Has she been kidnapped by some strange Christmas themed psycho-killer, fascinated with the owner of the local Christmas shop? Or is it something else entirely?

Joseph Christopher was not expecting to come home and find a huge-ass box in his foyer — especially one that makes noises. When he lifts up the lid, he finds that Santa’s come early this year and left him a tasty gift indeed: Aimee, the girl he’s been crushing on all year. She’s naked, bar some red satin ribbon wrapped, candy cane-style, around her luscious body.

Oh, yeah! Some years it pays to end up on Santa’s naughty list….

And just at the end of Nov:

Huntingdawn 2:Witch Vamp Were?
Shape-shifter/Vampire Paranormal Menage
http://www.loose-id.com/detail.aspx?ID=837

Shaun’s best friend had proven Weres existed, so why not Vampires? That’s Shaun’s reason for wandering a cemetery in the middle of the night, and she’s sticking to it — no matter how many things go bump in the night. A girl has to do what a girl has to do to prove she’s right.

As for Rob, he’s the big bad wolf…err, cat…here to scare Little Gothic Riding Hood right out of her cherry-red shit-kickers and teach her a lesson about being a sticky beak. Oh the things a Pack Alpha has to do to keep pretty, pert little noses out of his business.

Jakov Pieter’s just the token Vamp that Rob dragged along for atmosphere. After all, what’s not fun about hanging upside down from a tree? The things a Vamp does to humor his friends…pity humoring’s not all he wants to do.

Throw in a three-hundred-year-old ghost, some 7th century mythology, lots of blue sparkles, and a cryptic prophecy about a fated trio of mates, and you have all the fixings of a Greek Tragedy…or maybe it's a Romance. Capital R, double on the “man.”

Which vamp where? This vamp here. And this witch and were.

Summary:
Michael has never put much stock in clichés, but there's one he probably should have listened to: You can never go home again.

His family assures him that plenty of young people take a few semesters off between high school and college, that a year of travel is practically a prerequisite nowadays. His father can pull a few strings, and he'll be a freshman at ISU by September.

Michael's neglected to tell them that he's not just driving around aimlessly, stopping only to have sex with his chain-smoking boyfriend — that in fact, he's hunting vampires.

Excerpt:
We drove. There were maps in the glove box, but Wild Bill wasn't in the habit of looking at them. He'd stare at the big “you are here” signs next to the soda machines at the rest stops and fix all the routes in his head so that he always had a sense of where we were, even while I was frantically folding and unfolding, only to discover the route I'd meant to take was closed off with construction.

I pressed my boots against the dash and shoved back hard until the seat creaked. I couldn't take my frustration out on Bill, and it was useless to talk to my family, so I did my best to show the van how angry I was. The van didn't seem to care.

The seat felt strange, and I realized I'd left my jacket hanging over the kitchen chair. I felt for my wallet. It was in my back pocket. Screw it. I was sure Bill would be happy to vamp me a new jacket.

We drove for an hour, or maybe it was only an excruciating ten minutes that seemed like an hour, and then finally, Wild Bill said, “Arboretum sound like a good place to hole up for the day?”

I wanted to yell at him, ask him how he could act like nothing had happened, that everything was normal. I said, “Sure.”

We approached a two-stoplight town with a gas station garishly lit against the flat, dark landscape. “Gassing up,” said Bill. “Need anything?”

“A sister who's not a fucking idiot,” may have slipped out. I glanced over at Wild Bill to see if he'd heard — of course he'd heard. He's a vampire. He would've heard it if I'd whispered it into the headrest.

Check out the whole Channeling Morpheus series at Changeling Press!

The riveting fifth story in the PsyCop series is available now in PDF, HTML, Mobi and Lit
at JCPBooks.com

Summary
Victor Bayne honed his dubious psychic skills at one of the first psych training facilities in the country, Heliotrope Station, otherwise known as Camp Hell to the psychics who’ve been guests behind its razorwire fence.

Vic discovered that none of the people he remembers from Camp Hell can be found online, and there’s no mention of Heliotrope Station itself, either. Someone’s gone through a lot of trouble to bury the past. But who?

Excerpt
I lay in bed staring up at the tin ceiling, racking my brain and trying to figure out which was worse: knowing that Roger Burke would walk sooner, maybe even immediately, if I recanted my statement-’or knowing that he could tell me everything I wanted to know about Camp Hell and then some, but that I was too gutless to pay the price he wanted for the information.

I heard Jacob come in and bound up the stairs. He’s got energy to do things like that, because he eats right, exercises, and doesn’t take questionable pills.

“Are you mad?” he said.

I glanced down from the ceiling. He stood in the bedroom doorway, loosening his tie.

“No. Why?”

“Me. Forgetting your birthday.” He slipped out of his suitcoat and hung it in the closet. “Do you want to go out? It’s not that late. I’ll bet I can get us in at Villa Prego.”

Villa Prego was fancy enough that I didn’t think the staff would ruin my dinner by trooping out and singing me a half-hearted, cheesy birthday song. But they served fussy little portions of things that once crawled around on the bottoms of ponds. “Nah. Let’s just get a pizza. I’m really not big into birthdays.”

Jacob took off his holster and put it in a drawer. “How hungry are you?”

Thanks to my cozy alone-time with Roger Burke, my stomach felt like it’d been ripped out, switched with a giant wad of rotting trash, then stuffed back into my abdominal cavity. I shrugged.

Jacob flashed some skin while he pulled on a T-shirt and sweats, and even his unintentional strip tease wasn’t enough to cheer me up. I was too busy mulling over just how much I hated Burke, and wishing that he wasn’t the one who had the information I needed.

Jacob shut the closet door and looked at me hard enough to make him squint. “Something’s wrong. Is it Lisa?”

“Lisa’s fine. She sent me her e-mail address. Maybe one of these days she’ll trust me with her phone number again.”

He planted his hands on his hips and kept on staring. I felt myself scowl even harder. I know he was accustomed to teaming up with the Human Polygraph, but didn’t he understand that sometimes people lied and minimized because they were wrestling with something too ugly to lay out there for everyone to see?

“You’re mad that I borrowed your Auracel,” he said, finally.

There-’something I could hang my mood on. Thank you, Jacob. “Don’t go through my pockets.”

“I’m sorry.”

Like I gave a damn that he’d slipped some of my meds to an astral rapist. It wasn’t as if it was my last pill or anything. And it’d gone to a good cause. I did my best to scowl harder.

Jacob sat on the edge of the bed, pulled my foot into his lap and dug his thumb into the sole. I turned all to jelly inside, but I think my scowl didn’t slip, much. “I’m truly sorry. I did what I thought was right at the time.”

The nerves at the bottom of my foot seemed to be connected directly to my spine. I sagged into the mattress, and my eyes rolled up to stare at the ceiling again. Jacob swept his thumb over the ball of my foot, and I made a noise that I usually reserve for sex.

“Please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad,” I said. “It’s just been a rough couple of days.”

Visit JCPBooks.com for the PsyCop series and other m/m paranormal delights

Book blurb: Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned romance? Remember reading about a man's clothed physique, or how a fellow admired a woman in a pretty red dress? How about stories where couples fall in love with just one glance or that first gentle touch? Then open this anthology and enjoy 18 beautiful stories of love lost, love found, intrigue, heartache healed, the miracles of life, passionate admissions, and tearjerkers that make one sigh with longing. From best friends who find romance to time travel to a bit of Christmas magic, step into the realm of hearts on fire and love everlasting.

As for reviews, we received an entite bottle of champagne from Cocktail Reviews. You can read the review here:

Excerpt:

I stayed up until two in the morning to wrap Duchess' Christmas presents, all the while trying to convince myself that not only crazy cat ladies bought their cats presents. I knew if I went to sleep, it wouldn't stop me from thinking about St. Nic because I'd dream of him. So instead, I found a dozen things that just had to be done.

Like putting up our stockings. A traditional-shaped one for me and a fishy-shaped one for Duchess. Hanging the half dozen or so bulbs Duchess had knocked off the tree during one of her flying squirrel imitations and decorating little gingerbread men.

But try as I might, thoughts of St. Nic were always on the edge my consciousness, just waiting for my first unguarded moment. Even the information my brother had shared with me earlier hadn't stopped the pathetic hope I unwillingly clung to.

I don't want St. Nic.

Of course you don't, Bad BJ taunted. That is why your gingerbread men have fangs.

I looked down and, sure enough, two dozen little brown cookie people had eyes, noses and two pointy little teeth coming out of their smiling mouths.

“I have lost my mind.”

“Meow.”

I looked at Duchess, resentful at how agreeing her meow sounded. “At least I don't think the tree is a monster that is trying to steal my soul, you judgmental tart.”

Closing my eyes, I counted to ten. Yes. I had just called my cat a tart. Gathering up the fanged cookies, I bit the head off one of them before tossing the rest in the trash and heading to bed.

http://allromanceebooks.com/product-whistlinginthedark-13261-145.html

It’s historical romance, m/m but of the sweet romance variety, published by Lethe Press.

Here’s a blurb:

New York, 1919. His career as a concert pianist ended by a war injury, Sutton Albright returns to college, only to be expelled after an affair with a teacher. Unable to face his family, he heads to New York with no plans and little money, only a desire to call his life his own. Jack Bailey’s life has changed as well. After losing his parents in the influenza epidemic, he hopes to save their beloved novelty shop, now his, by advertising on the radio, barely more than a novelty, itself. Sutton lands work in Jack’s corner of the city and the two conclude they couldn’t be less suited for friendship. But when Sutton loses his job, Jack gives him a place to stay. Sutton returns to the piano to play for Jack and finds the intervening months have healed him. The program promises to rescue Jack’s business and Sutton’s career… but success brings its own risks for two men falling in love.

There’s an excerpt available at the allromanceebooks site.
Thanks!
Tamara Allen

And thank you, Jane, for the opportunity to promote.:)

http://www.jasmine-jade.com/p-6855-here-to-stay.aspx?skinid=13

Blurb:
All Julia Sullivan wanted was a fresh start in a new place. But cutting ties with the past and starting over can be a difficult thing to do.

After leaving her husband and quitting her job, Julia was emotionally spent. She needed a quiet place to recharge and to think about what she wanted from life. She thought she had found just that when she inherited her aunt's oceanfront Victorian house in Haven, New Jersey. It wasn't going to be that simple, however. In addition to her new house being a complete shambles, her charming soon-to-be ex-husband Patrick, whom she discovers she still loves, arrives with the intention of winning her back. To complicate matters further, it seems as if her aunt's death wasn't an accident after all. And there's just something about her new house that seems to interest all sorts of people.

“There are many twists and turns and the kind suspense that keep the reader on edge and very much involved. The many truths are revealed slowly, in completely logical, well-plotted fashion. The sense of danger is palpable.[...] This kept me turning pages until the very satisfying ending. Jenyfer Matthews is a skillful writer. She has crafted a tale of romantic affection within a superb suspense story. Recommended.”
Lynn Bushey, The Romance Studio, on HERE TO STAY

Free Ebook, here: http://zoewinters.wordpress.com/kept/

Here's the blurb:

GUILTY PLEASURES

Decorated police detective Lawrence Hightower’s instincts click into high gear when a beautiful but suspicious stranger appears in his stakeout zone. Soon he realizes Minerva Jones is in danger and needs protection. He can’t trust her. But he can’t get this tough, feisty, stubborn siren out of his head.

Desperate to keep a low profile, the last thing Minerva needs is a sexy cop getting too close for comfort. Not that she’s guilty of anything, except her own intense attraction to the too fine detective. But she’s got a few secrets, and trouble is closing in. Dare she surrender to the promise this sensual hero holds in his strong, protective embrace?

HIGHTOWER HONORS
Four brothers on a mission to protect, serve, and love…

You can read an excerpt here:

http://www.gwynethbolton.com/the_law_of_desire.shtml

Here's what the critics are saying so far:

Gwyneth Bolton delivers another awe-inspiring tale to her HIGHTOWER HONORS series. .. It's full of passion, heated arguments, laugh out loud funny scenes and several heartbreaking moments that brought tears to my eyes. Exactly the sort of tale I've come to admire from this talented author. ~ Chrissy Dionne, Romance Junkies, 5 Blue Ribbons

Gwyneth Bolton presents with her greatest Hightower thus far. In the 3rd book of this series, Ms. Bolton entertains her readers with a solid and satisfying story which only serves to prove why she is praised as being a master of her craft… ~ Eleanor Shields, Black Butterfly Review, 5 Flutters

THE LAW OF DESIRE, by far, is Ms. Bolton's best Hightower story. The connection between these characters is hypnotic… The love scenes were explosive and Lawrence definitely knew how to satisfy a woman… Ms. Bolton did an excellent job and I definitely recommend reading this book. ~ Keren Childers, Romance In Color, 4++ Stars

I also have a free holiday ebook posted at Samhain, ready for download:
http://www.thesamhellion.com/ebooks/cullen_midnightclear.pdf

This is a worksafe m/f romance–and it happens to be a true story! Set in Baltimore in the late 1800s, it describes the rather dramatic (life and death, to be sure) story of two Irish immigrants, a tragic fire, heroics, and the real meaning of the holidays (through my eyes, at least).

I’m not posting the book’s title since it might fall under your objectionable content rule above but here’s a nice safe blurb:

What NYPD patrolman Ray Watts wants to do is finish his shift and take a much needed vacation. If he has to first suffer through playing chauffeur to some pain in the ass foreign cop visiting New York on a special fact-finding detail then so be it.

But what Ray gets is a pleasant and arousing surprise when Inspector Miki Nabeshima from Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department shows up and skillfully escorts him into a world like none he's ever known.

I have an erotic romance e-book – Reaction Time - out from Samhain on Tues. December 16th. Here’s the blurb:

Nikki Kincaid carries her smart mouth and in-your-face attitude like other women carry mace. However, that bad attitude and razor sharp tongue aren't wielded on everyone; they're reserved specifically for Adam Guthrie. With nothing more than a heated visual stroke, her body's reaction time to Adam is quicker than her reaction time at the starting line of a race. And that out-of-control response terrifies her because Nikki is always in control.

When someone starts sending her threatening letters, her brother and crew chief, Nate, asks his good friend, Adam, to help protect Nikki. And Adam jumps at the chance. For the past year and a half he's been watching Nikki, analyzing her body language and cutting remarks, and has come to the conclusion she's a sexual submissive. Spending five days in close quarters with her is the opportunity he's been waiting for. He knows there's a strong chemistry between them and, as a seasoned Dom, he's certain he can bring her deeply buried submissive nature to the surface. Doing so, while also fulfilling her deepest desires, will be the greatest challenge of his life. And if he succeeds it will also be his greatest reward.

The man of her dreams is a nobleman. What's a poor ladies' maid to do? Reinvent herself, of course.

La Comtesse de Chevalier is back! This time Meredith, the heroine of The Countess Takes a Lover, helps her maid, Cecile Lambeaux pass as a gentlewoman in order to gain the attention of Sir Nathaniel Covington.

For the first time in her life, reserved Cecile has fallen madly in love…with a man she's only seen from a distance. She's willing to have even a brief affair with Sir Nathaniel, whose haunted face touches her heart across the social chasm separating them.

Many burdens and secrets weigh down Nathaniel's lonely soul. He goes to the countess's house party to take a break from his troubles and finds a woman who stirs him deeply.

As Cecile and Nathaniel's connection grows stronger, Cecile's lie hangs over her head. Meanwhile, Meredith and Chris work through their own relationship issues regarding trust. Will both women learn their lesson about keeping secrets before they ruin their chance at love?

“Eight Days Ablaze,” a sexy cyberpunk Hanukkah story, is coming from Ellora’s Cave on Dec 24 (right in the middle of the Festival of Lights).

Adina barJonas, a junior law partner, gets a very special Hanukkah present from her doting papa: a VirtualClone. The latest in home-entertainment, the VirtualClone provides a “fully integrated sensory experience in the safety and comfort of your home.” Trouble begins when Adina starts using it as a substitute for a social life, because, as always, Mishael barJonas is five steps ahead of the rest of the world, including his daughter.

Excerpt:
She hooked up to the VirtualClone, not quite sure what she wanted tonight. The boy before her was a bit of a surprise. He was dressed in early Victorian country style, trousers held with suspenders, a hand-sewn shirt, heavy leather shoes up over his ankles and a straw hat. She recognized him instantly as Tom Sawyer. The room had changed too. A cave entrance loomed where her fireplace had been and her opium den decor had been replaced with a meadow. Fully integrated, she reminded herself.

She took Tom's hand and let him lead her into McDougal's cave, their candles sputtering. It was all there, from their initials in smoke, to the rock features of Aladdin's Palace and the Drawing Room. Remembering the story, she thrilled to the swooping bats, the river deep in the cave, the cake in his pocket stolen from the picnic he and Becky had been at and even the clutching fear when she realized they were lost. Her heart pounded in her throat. Adrenaline flooded her and she gripped Tom's hand until he complained. The twisty passages and guttering candles, the kite string that they tried marking their path with, the hunger that was only whetted and not assuaged by the cake, all of these only made her more excited. The excitement was childlike and thrilling, without the urgency of sex.

As they stepped out of the cave, smeared with clay, spattered with tallow, she watched a curious thing happen. Adina, appearing adolescent herself, had entered the cave with a boy of twelve. As the morning sun on the meadow struck him, she saw a handsome man of about twenty, dressed rather foppishly in the style of the late 1850s. Like Tom, she transformed as well, looking as she had in graduate school, except for the corset and hoop skirt.

“Miss Jonas,” he said, formally. “It cannot have escaped your attention that the feelings I have always borne you have, of late blossomed and grown into something deeper than mere childhood affection.”

I’ve had two novella releases this month. Both are paranormal erotic romances.

For the light and fun side, I have a short story that takes place in Serendipity Estates. Blurb:
Welcome to Serendipity Estates, where accidental meetings, a little magic, and a bit of hot lust are a recipe for love ever after. We hope you enjoy your stay.

In an apartment complex where fortunate accidents in love occur, two neighbors will have a Christmas present mix-up that shows a little bit of their kinky side.

Gingersnaps: Serendipity 5a

Buying a Gingersnaps also puts you in a Changeling contest to win free books for a year.

This next one came about when I asked myself…what would happen if Jack Frost took a holiday? I had an opportunity to write for Aspen Mountain Press’s Del Fantasma series and couldn’t pass up the chance!

Blurb:
Christmas alone isn't all it's cracked up to be and for adult toy QA tech, Nicollete Snow a little non-silicone action at the Del Fantasma is just the ticket. Who shows up a little ticked off and delicious riding a sweet bike but Jack Frost, ready to cause a little mischief. What happens when Old Man Winter takes a holiday?

Del Fantasma: Winter Break

Both were a lot of fun to write and I know I’ll be picking up some of the others on this list today!

I have a December 12th release with Ellora’s Cave titled, Greek Temptation.

Blurb:
Haunted by dreams, Samantha Bastille paints a castle ruin only to discover the ruin exists-’in Greece. Lykaios Diotrephes owns the ruin and invites her to stay at his villa. He's tall, dark and gorgeous and just a glance sends shivers down her spine.

Mate with me or die.

Lykaios is alpha and with only one day left until the Herangetta mating ritual, he must convince Samantha to mate with him and Arcas-’a younger male, as beautiful as Lykaios, who is his second, his lover. He knows that if she doesn't, she'll die. How do you convince someone to believe in lycan customs if they don't believe in lycans? Lykaios and Arcas set out to seduce Samantha. She must accept them both…for life.

Reader Advisory: This book contains male/male sex and a public sex scene.

http://www.ellorascave.com/AuthorsBooks.asp?AuthorCode=LDay

Remember Alpha Males are only a ‘Day’ away!

I have a sf romance release from Liquid Silver Books, LOST GODS, out last night :D

http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/lostgods.htm

Frozen for decades on an abandoned asteroid, Katya Ortaega thaws and collapses at the feet of the most deliciously sinful man she has ever seen… she thinks.

All too soon, her past rears in the form of a man intent on killing both of them and now they have to work together to stay alive. However, Katya’s memories begin to resurface. And James Kinsare, the man who’s kept her alive against all the odds, the man who's thawing her frozen heart, might prove to be the biggest threat of all.

You can also read the first chapter of LOST GODS on its book page at LSB

Thanks
Kim Knox
…darkness and romance…