A Sizzling Winter

So much has happened in the past week, my head is spinning, and I can’t even think about the exciting year ahead without wanting to do a happy dance. 2012 was more amazing that I could have imagined, and 2013 is shaping up to be even more so. As always, I’m excited to share it all with you. Here’s what’s new.

Xcite Awards Finalist badge 2013Blog Stuff

If you haven’t noticed the lovely badge at the top right hand side of my site, please do! I’m so pleased to announce that I’ve been nominated for the second year running for the much-coveted Xcite Books Awards for best blog! That in itself is a huge honour, but when I see all of the lovely blogs and fabulous bloggers I’m up against, I feel even more honoured to be in such stellar company! If you haven’t yet voted, please do so! Whoever you vote for is very well-deserving beyond a doubt, but I truly hope you’ll vote for me. Click on the link above or on the badge at the right hand side of this post.

You might also notice, if you scroll down the home page a little further that my blog has gone up to number 3 in the Ebuzzing ratings for literature blogs, and number 18 for cultural blogs! I’m chuffed to bits about that because it means lots of you are stopping by to check out my site and say hi, and I DO love the company! Thanks SO much!

And since A Hopeful Romantic blog is getting so much exciting attention, don’t you just love the makeover the very talented and ever fabulous Kev Mitnik has given my site? And be sure to check out my sister site, Grace Marshall, Romance Served Hot to see what magic he’s worked over there. Thanks Kev! You rock!

New Releases

The beginning of 2013 is chock-a-block with new releases for me. Here’s a list of what you can expect.

instrumentscoverJust out:

Instruments of Pleasure: Sex Toy Erotica. This lovely anthology is a collection from Cleis Press edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel, and it has a reprint of my very naughty story, Strapped.

Blurb:Kitty only wants to see how the other half lives – the male half, that is, but how far is she willing to go to find out?

 

Seven-Deadly-Sins-Cover-450(1)Seven Deadly Sins. This salacious anthology has a very interesting story behind its beginnings, in which I’m proud to have played a part. Learn more about that here. It contains my lustful story, Aphrodite Gets a Piece of the Action, which is also available as a stand-alone story. This is a Sweetmeats Press illustrated anthology. Though it’s available in eBook and print everywhere, if you want illustrations in eBook format, you must order it from Waterstones.

Blurb: There’s no place to go but down when, against all odds, sexually inexperienced, nerd’s nerd, Jack Calendar gets shanghaied into being Aphrodite’s PA. And she has him going down a lot! Who could have guessed that the moonlighting Goddess of Love had head for business? The hours are long, the work is difficult and the Goddess is demanding and insatiable. Then there’s her family, who make the Corleones look like the Brady Bunch.

 

Only You B&N image9781573449090_p0_v2_s260x420Coming Soon

15th January: Only You: Romance for Women. Another wonderful anthology from Cleis Press edited by the delicious Rachel Kramer Bussel. It includes my story, Unfolding, a celebration of the uniqueness of every woman’s body.

Blurb: Lena’s labia was the closest thing to a religious experience Simon had ever had. And Lena had never been so well worshiped.

 

Kinky_Boots23rd January: Kinky Boots. My second petite novel with Harper Collins Mischief. Kinky Boots is a paranormal-ish romp set in the vibrant Shoreditch area of London, and yes, sexy footwear is very much involved.

Blurb: After a sizzling encounter in Demon Heels, a quirky all-night shoe store, with the store’s hot owner, Finn Masters, Jill Hart walks away in the most gorgeous boots ever. Her new boots come with an unexpected bonus, a sexy demon named Eleanor, who’s looking for a good time. All she lacks is a body, and Jill’s will do nicely.

 

IDENTITYFebruary: Identity Crisis. Fast on the heels of An Executive Decision, this is novel 2 of the Grace Marshall Executive Decisions Trilogy. Expect lots of new twists and turns and hot romance.

Blurb: PR rep extraordinaire, Kendra Davis, is elated when she gets the chance to work for her hero, reclusive, romance novelist, Tess Delaney. Her elation is short-lived when she discovers that Tess is none other than Garrett Thorne, the bad-boy brother of business tycoon and eco-warrior, Ellison Thorne, who is engaged to her best friend, Dee Henning. Kendra blames Garrett for the comedy of errors that nearly destroyed their relationship. Garrett doesn’t like Kendra either, but he’s desperate. His alter-ego, Tess has been nominated for the prestigious Golden Kiss Award. No one knows who Tess really is, and he needs Kendra to play Tess for the awards.

When Tess is stalked by a rabid fan, the two unite to protect her identity. With Kendra, the body and Garrett the soul of Tess Delaney, is there room in this strange ménage for romance? Can a woman who doesn’t exist understand their hearts even better than they do?

Elemental Fire cover image finalSpring 2013: Elemental Fire, the final instalment of the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy set in the stunning English Lake District. Don’t miss the chilling, thrilling, sizzling grand finale.

Blurb: Obsessed with revenge, Kennet Lucian makes a deal with a demon, a deal he comes to regret when he meets Tara Stone, head of the Elemental Coven, and a powerful witch with a desire for revenge at least as great as his. Even though the attraction between the two is magnetic and the lust combustive, Kennet must betray her to accomplish his goal, which is ultimately her goal as well; to put a final end to the demon, Deacon’s, reign of terror. But can Tara trust the man who has wormed his way into her heart and the heart of the Elemental Coven? Can she trust Lucia, the demon with whom Kennet is allied, a demon with her own agenda. The path to Deacon’s destruction is far from clear, and the price that must be paid to be free of him forever may be too high, even for Tara Stone.

Events and Adventures

Eroticon speaker badge pink2-3 March in London: Eroticon 2013. Eroticon isthe highlight of late winter, and the event we’ve all been waiting for since last March. I’m very honoured to be speaking at Eroticon this year. I’ll be leading a talk called Finessing Sex in Fiction. If you’re not already signed up for the weekend of exciting speakers, events, readings, and the chance to meet up with a whole gang of fabulous people celebrating sex in blogs, art, technology and fiction, it’s not too late to get your tickets and join the fun.

There’ll be more fun changes on my blog, so stay tuned. There’ll be more writers, more stories, more fun interviews and posts, more sneak peeks and lots more adventures.

With the rest of winter promising so much sizzle, I think we can count on a real heatwave with spring, and the summer will be positively steamy! Buckle up! It’s gonna be a wild and sexy ride!