Showing posts with label Kristen Ashley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kristen Ashley. Show all posts

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Aloha to Kristen Ashley and RIDE STEADY

 

RIDE STEADY by Kristen Ashley (June 30, 2015; Forever Mass Market; Chaos #3)

The ride of her life . . .
Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy---until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa's pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.

Climb on and hold tight . . .
In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he's the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa's acting, it's clear she's falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker's secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa---or ride away forever . . .


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Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multigenerational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland, and Kristen grew up listening to the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Whitesnake. Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads




Forever is hosting a giveaway at this link ... and offers an excerpt of RIDE STEADY:

“What now?” he clipped, planting his hands on his hips.

I watched him do this.

His knuckles were all scabbed. But his fingers were long, not graceful, but handsome. They were a working man’s hands. They’d be rough. I could even see grease stains around the nail beds.

Something about that caused something to happen inside me.

My focus shifted from his hands to his crotch. His jeans were faded. The area around his crotch more faded.

Up I went to a black belt with silver rivets in it that had seen some wear, the length beyond the clasp dangling from a belt loop to the side in a supple way, the leather not close to stiff.

Up his flat belly to his wide chest and broad shoulders and bulging arms.

And up to his long black hair that looked thick, messy, had a lot of wave and brushed his shoulders. His beard wasn’t bushy, it was trimmed, but it was about two days away from being unkempt.

He was tall.

He was annoyed.

I felt the latter because he was the kind of man whose mood altered a room and I understood this because I was right then experiencing it. But I also knew it wasn’t just that or that we were the only ones in the room and having the conversation that was making him annoyed so of course I’d be feeling it.

It was him. He had that kind of power behind his personality.

I shifted my eyes to his.

Steel. A strange flat color that seemed impenetrable.

And suddenly I had a new dream. One that didn’t involve motherhood, cookies, doing laundry, and being a soccer mom.

One that centered around penetrating the impenetrable.

“So? What?” he prompted irately.

At his words, I flew across the room.

He had the chance to go back on a boot but that was all he had before my body slammed into his, my hands went to either side of his head and I lifted up on tiptoe as I yanked him down.

Then I pressed my lips hard against his.

A breath later, something strange happened.

Strange and wondrous.

His arms closed around me, and if I could think of anything, I’d worry about the state of my ribs.

But I couldn’t think of anything because his tongue spiked into my mouth and my world changed.

My entire world.

I didn’t have a dead sister.

I didn’t have a dead mother.

I didn’t have a lonely father looking after his mother, who was addled with Alzheimer’s disease.

I didn’t have an ex‑husband, who I once loved who I thought would cherish and protect me and help me build my dream, but now was making my life a misery and trying to take my son away from me.

I had this.

All of it. All the biker named Joker gave me by holding me so tight it was a pain that hurt so good and who was invading my mouth with his tongue in a way that stated clearly he could do it for a lifetime and never get enough.

My hands left his head so I could curve my arms around his shoulders as I pressed closer.

In return, one of his hands slid up my spine. He pulled out my ponytail holder and drove his fingers into my hair, cupping the back of my head, tilting it one way while he slanted his the other. He deepened the kiss in an intoxicating way while his other hand glided down and cupped one cheek of my behind.

That felt good.

He shuffled me back.

I went with him.

We kept kissing.

Then he turned quickly and we were falling.

Then he turned quickly and we were falling.

He landed on his back on the bed. I landed on him but barely had the opportunity to experience the dizzying beauty of the long length of his hard frame under mine before I was given more beauty when he rolled me and I had the weight of his hard frame pressing mine into the bed.

His hand left my bottom and went up, fingers yanking at my navy LeLane’s polo shirt, pulling it from my khakis, and then I had its heat, skin against skin.

I was right.

His hands were rough.

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Aloha to Kristen Ashley and FIRE INSIDE




Kristen Ashley is celebrating Release Weekly with FIRE INSIDE, Book 2 in her Chaos series:

FIRE INSIDE by Kristen Ashley (March 25, 2014; Forever Mass Market; $8.00)

Lanie Heron isn't looking for love-no surprise, considering her last serious relationship nearly got her killed. So when Lanie propositions Hop Kincaid, all she wants is one wild night with the hot-as-hell biker who patrols with the Chaos Motorcycle Club . . .

For Hop, Lanie has always been untouchable. She's too polished and too classy for his taste. But when she gives Hop the once-over with her bedroom eyes and offers him a night in paradise, he can't say no. And he doesn't regret it when he finds that Lanie is the best thing that's ever happened to him-in or out of bed. Now the trick will be to convince her of that.


Buy Links:
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A mini-motorcycle club?

Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multigenerational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland, and Kristen grew up listening to the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Whitesnake. Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting b0etter.

Social Media Links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Forever Romance is hosting a special giveaway ...


Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Forever Romance is also offers an excerpt ...

Hop came out of the bathroom to see Lanie on her feet on the other side of the bed, panties on, hands twisted behind her back putting her bra on. Again.

He didn’t say a word. He prowled to her, reached out an arm the second he was close, yanked her to him and fell to his back in the bed, taking her down with him.

“Hop—” she started, pushing her weight against his arms, but he slid her off him then wasted no time rolling over her and pinning her to his bed.

“Sleep,” he ordered when he caught her eyes in the weak dawn. “After rest, I’ll get coffee, we’ll juice up, then round four.”

She blinked and breathed, “Four?”

“Got lots more I want to do to you,” he informed her and watched her eyes go soft, sexier, then her teeth came out to graze her lush lower lip, also fucking sexy, and her arms slid around him.

But she asked, “What about Tack and Ty-Ty?”

“I’ll make sure the coast is clear,” he told her.

“But they’ll see my car,” she told him.

“I’ll move it,” he offered.

Her hand slid up his back, around his shoulder, and then to his neck where her thumb moved to stroke him.

Her touch was light but, fuck, it felt good. He’d never had a woman touch him in an unconscious way like that, just a touch, a stroke, giving something that meant nothing at the same time doing it without thinking about it meant everything.

Shit.

Complicated.

“This is just supposed to be one night,” she reminded him quietly, but he saw it in her eyes. She didn’t even try to hide it. She’d bitten off more than she could chew.

He had too and he was nowhere near done eating.

She was cute. She was sweet. She was hot. She was better than he expected and he’d expected her to be pretty fucking good. All that wrapped in a package that gorgeous?

Yeah.

He was nowhere near done eating.

“Change of plans. A night and a morning and, maybe, an afternoon and, possibly, another night,” he amended, and her eyes got softer as her hand slid up to cup his jaw.

“I have to work,” she told him.

“Call off,” he told her.

“I can’t. I own the joint.” She explained something he knew, that she ran her own advertising agency. “And things are a bit crazy.”

Things were always crazy for Lanie. The woman lived crazy. She thrived on it. If there wasn’t crazy, she stirred it up because she couldn’t breathe without it.

“Babe,” he pressed his body into hers, “told you, got more I want to do to you.”

Monday, February 3, 2014

Aloha ot Kristen Ashley and KALEIDOSCOPE - Launch Day Blitz


On this day in 2004, Facebook is born.  Life in the digital age would never be the same!   Speaking of the Digital Age, Kristen Ashley is celebrating the release of KALEIDOSCOPE as an ebook:

KALEIDOSCOPE by Kristen Ashley (February 4, 2014; Forever E-Book; $3.99)

Sexy, gifted, and loyal, PI Jacob Decker is a tall, cool drink of perfection who had Emmanuelle Holmes at "hello." His relationship with Emme's best friend kept them apart for years, but things have changed. Now that a case has brought him to Gnaw Bone, Colorado, the road is wide open for Emme and Deck to explore something hotter and deeper than Emme dreamed possible. So why is she sabotaging the best thing that's ever happened to her?

It isn't easy to catch Deck off guard, but Emme does just that when she walks back into his life after nine long years. The curvy brunette had her charms back in the day, but now she's a bona fide knockout . . . and she wants to rekindle their friendship. Deck, however, wants more. Emme's always been the one; she excites Deck's body and mind like no other woman can. But a dark chapter from Emme's past overshadows their future together. Now only Deck can help her turn the page-if she'll let him . . .



Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multigenerational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland, and Kristen grew up listening to the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Whitesnake. Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

Social Media Links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Buy Links:
Amazon
B&N
iTunes


Forever Romance is sponsoring a fun giveaway at this link.  Do you have a kaleidoscope ... or remember one from childhood?

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Enjoy an excerpt ...

“Sometimes,” Chace started, and his tone was cautious, “girls like her, girls like she used to be who turn into girls like she is now, get a guy’s attention, a good-lookin’ guy like that, and they can go—”

Deck cut him off. “Chace, you know Emme. You know that’s bullshit. She’s always known her own mind. And she’s always been cool. Even when she wasn’t a knockout, she wasn’t that kind of person.”

“It’s been years, Deck,” Chace reminded him. “A lot of them. People change, and it isn’t lost on either of us she has in a big way.”

“Yeah, and I just met her on the street. I’m havin’ dinner with her tonight and she looks good, man, but she acts the same. And her man is a dick but he’s also a moron. So he’s no boss,” Deck declared and looked at Shaughnessy. “And you just got yourself a maverick.”

The mood in the room shifted. It had been alert. Now it was relieved.

Shaughnessy was the only one who didn’t want Deck stepping in.

The rest of them, after all they’d seen for the past few years, wanted this done, and they were willing to take risks to get that.

“Terrific,” Shaughnessy muttered, his eyes moving through the room.

“Decker, this needs to be discussed,” Douglas stated, and Deck looked to him.

“You want me on the team, we talk money. I’ll give a discount, see this shit sorted. I’ll want a full brief. I’ll want the entire file. I won’t take orders. I’ll keep you in the know of what I do and what I find. But, just sayin’, that woman means something to me.” He threw out a hand toward the whiteboard. “So even if you don’t put me on the team and pay me, I’ll still be seein’ her clear of this shit.”

“You can’t let her know we’re investigating her boyfriend,” Carole said swiftly.

“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Deck returned. “What’s goin’ down, I wouldn’t fuck your investigation. But she’s still clear and she’s clear in no more than a week. Not months. Not as long as it’ll take you to track this crew, the way you’re goin’, and stop their shit.”

“As contract to this task force, you cannot engage in illegal activities. We can’t prosecute with fruit from the poisonous tree,” Douglas told him.

“Again, not my first rodeo,” Deck replied.

“You have a crew or do you work alone?” Henry asked.

“This, I’ll be bringin’ in my crew,” Deck answered.

“They’ll all need to see me,” Douglas stated. “Contract is signed, you all work for my department until the case is done.”

Deck nodded and his eyes went to Chace. “Want a picture of that board, want the file.”

“Deck, not sure this is a good idea. You got a conflict of interest with this—”

Deck again cut Chace off. “This is Emme.”

“I know it’s Emme,” Chace shot back, concerned for Deck and losing patience because of it. “Until just now, I had no idea you’d react the way you have when you saw it was Emme. So Emme’s the goddamned conflict of interest.”

“You know her,” Deck whispered, also losing patience, and he watched his friend’s face. Definite concern but also indecision.

He knew Emme.

Chace went from the academy into Carnal’s Police Department and stayed there but that didn’t mean Deck didn’t spend time with Chace throughout all Deck’s travels. Chace had met Elsbeth. Chace had spent time with her. And with Elsbeth came Emme. So Chace had spent time with Emme too.

“Her change is remarkable, Deck,” Chace noted again. “That’s something to take into account.”

At his words, Deck felt the ghost of her fingers digging into his shoulder through his coat. Saw the dimple. Heard her call him honey.

And he knew her history. Elsbeth told him. He knew what she’d survived. He knew what made her what she was.

He didn’t know what made her what she was now, but he was going to find out at dinner.

Last, he knew Emme would not be a part of a crew who burgled homes across an entire county and recruited high school students to do it. Not for the attention of the likes Dane McFarland. Not for money. Not for power. Not for anything.

“She’s up first. I investigate her. Clear her. Then clear her of this shit,” Deck stated.

“You work that with me,” Chace returned.

“Suit yourself. But dinner with Emme tonight is just her and me.”

Chace studied him.

Deck took it then looked to Douglas. “You got a file for me?”

“It’ll be delivered to your house by three thirty,” Douglas replied.

“Contracts will be emailed to you by then. My crew will be in tomorrow at eight to be deputized,” Deck replied.

“You gonna be with them?” Douglas asked.

“Wouldn’t miss that shit for the world,” Deck answered, cut his eyes through the people in the room, noting Henry Gibbons looked amused, Mick Shaughnessy looked annoyed, Carole Weatherspoon looked reflective and Chace still looked worried.

Then he walked out of office, out of the station and to his truck.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Aloha to Forever's 12 Days of Christmas Blog Tour with Jill Shalvis, Kristen Ashley, Hope Ramsay, Molly Cannon, and Marilyn Pappano



Forever is counting down the 12 days leading up to the release of the anthology A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER with Jill Shalvis, Kristen Ashley, Hope Ramsay, Molly Cannon, and Marilyn Pappano (link).

On the fifth day of Christmas, my favorite authors gave to me ....

..... 5 Best Holiday Stories!

Marilyn:  One year when we lived in Georgia, we decided to surprise my mom for Christmas. The rest of the family knew we were coming, so they all found an excuse to show up at Mom's house the evening we were due to arrive. The surprise was on us, though, when we hit an ice storm in Arkansas and had to spend an extra night on the road. The family went home without saying anything to Mom, so she was shocked when we finally got there the next day. Oh, and despite my sisters' best efforts to stop her, she'd shipped our gifts to Georgia anyway. 

Molly:  One year early in our marriage we went to Houston to spend the holidays with my mother and stepdad. My mother was gone to the grocery store, and we were sitting in the living room talking and waiting for her return. The backdoor opened and she came in and put the groceries down and came in to say hello. As we were getting up to greet her, she got a funny look on her face and started frantically taking her pants off. Then she started yelling, “I’ve got ants in my pants.” She got them off before they bit her too badly, thank goodness! And my poor husband got to see a whole new side of his mother-in-law. 

Hope:  Every Christmas for the last few decades, since my kids were little, I’ve made gingerbread cookies. The kids always had a lot of fun rolling out the dough and cutting the cookies with festive cookie cutters. But the best part of making gingerbread is decorating and icing the cookies. I use royal icing in a number of colors that kids can paint on using brushes. Well, one year my husband’s Aunt Frances came visiting for the holidays. She was in her 80s, but she was spry as a spring chicken. She was also an award-wining watercolor artist. She wasn’t about to be left out of the decorating cookies with a watercolor brush. What she did to those cookies was truly amazing. We had gingerbread women wearing fancy bridal gowns, and their consorts in tuxes. These were the most gorgeous gingerbread men and women you ever saw in your life. No one wanted to eat the cookies they were so beautiful. Aunt Frances lived to be 94. She passed away last year. But every year, when we bake cookies, the family gathers around the table to ice the ginger bread men and we all remember Frances and the year she made cookies that were too beautiful to eat. 

Kristen:  Holidays have much to do with tradition and even as a very untraditional person, I still love the tradition of holidays.

I had long been away from my close family at Christmas having lived in England for nearly a decade and travel being too expensive during the holidays. So when I moved back to The States, I was excited to jump back into family holidays and their traditions. For us, this included Christmas morning opening of presents and the feeding frenzy and movie orgy that would go through the day.

Alas, last year, my brother-in-law, who’s a pilot, found out that he was going to be flying Christmas Day so Christmas morning was out. We were going to have to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve.

It was a little shocking how sad this was for all of us. Mostly that John wouldn’t be with us, of course, but also bucking tradition that had stood strong for the “adults” for over four decades.

But the most important part of the celebration of Christmas is doing it with family. So Christmas Eve it was, in order that we could be with John.

And…it…was…a…BLAST!

First, if you open up presents Christmas Eve night, you have absolutely no qualms downing a bottle and a half of prosecco all by yourself. This will lead you to being very tipsy which will lead you to being quite emotional during some present openings and, finally, when your family gives you an awesome pink Schwinn as the final present of the night, you will get on it in your jammies and ride down the street after midnight.

It was phenomenal. We loved it. Every one of us. We even talked about doing the same this year, just because it was so awesome.

The thing we all knew, though, was that it was awesome because we were all together. Christmas present giving can happen in the morning, in the night, the day before, the day after, a week later, in your living room, in your sister’s living room, on the moon and it would be awesome.

Just as long as the people you love are there.

Jill:  One year we all got stuck in an airport on Christmas Eve (ever been stuck in an airport with three little kids?). We got home cranky and tired and annoyed at 4 in the morning, with no one in a holiday mood. The house was frozen (we'd forgotten to leave heat on) and it took awhile for the wood stove to heat up so we all huddled around it and ended up staying up to watch the sunrise and open gifts and make breakfast together. It turned out to be the Best Morning Ever. 

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Mahalo, Forever, for sharing holiday cheer with us!  I am giving away an ecopy of A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER to one randomly selected commenter:

Curl up with this heartwarming Christmas collection!

Jill Shalvis, Dream a Little Dream: Melissa has kept every man at a safe distance-especially firefighter Ian, a sexy friend with sexy benefits. But Ian secretly longs for more. Luckily, 'tis the season for giving love a chance . . .

Kristen Ashley, Every Year: Holidays don't come easy for Shy and his brother, Landon. But with the magic of Christmas, along with a little help from Tabby and her family, the Cage brothers are about to get the gift of a lifetime . . .

Hope Ramsay, Silent Night: Down on her luck and evicted from her apartment, single mother Maryanne hopes to start over in Last Chance. When the snow begins to fall, it looks like her baby might literally spend Christmas Eve in a manger. And Maryanne might celebrate the holiday with a handsome stranger.

Molly Cannon, Have Yourself a Messy Little Christmas: Lincoln is a bachelor who's set in his ways-until a professional organizer dressed up as Mrs. Claus changes his life, one tip at a time. . .

Marilyn Pappano, A Family for Christmas: War widow Ilena doesn't mind spending Christmas alone. But when a new doctor blows into town with the winter wind, will she get her secret Christmas wish?

To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about your favorite food from yesterday - perhaps you celebrated Thanksgiving or perhaps you just had a delicious meal!

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, November 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, December 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Check out the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Tour:

12 Best gifts (11/22): Fiction Vixen Book Reviews
11 Worst/funniest gifts (11/23): Smexy Books
10 Quotes from your novellas (11/24): Bookish Escape
9 Items on your Holiday List (11/25):  Hesperia Loves Books 
8 Favorite holiday movies (11/26): Book Bliss
7 Things on your holiday wish list (11/27): Tiffany Talks Books
6 New Year’s resolution (11/28): Cocktails And Books 
5 Best Holiday Stories (11/29):  SOS Aloha
4 Holiday favorite foods (11/30): Stitch Read Cook
3 Books to read during the holidays (12/1):  The Window Seat
2 Holiday songs (12/2:  Kindles And Wine
1 Holiday recipe (12/3):  Taking Time For Mommy