a look at ‘A Stranger’s Touch’ by Beth D. Carter @BethDCarter @evernightpub #EroticRomance #Contemporary

Today we have author Beth D. Carter visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* I like writing about the very ordinary girl thrust into extraordinary circumstances, so my heroines will probably never be lawyers, doctors or corporate high-rollers. I try to write characters who aren’t cookie cutters and push myself to write complicated situations that I have no idea how to resolve, forcing me to think outside the box. I love writing characters who are real, complex and full of flaws, heroes and heroines who find redemption through love.

A look into…

~ Interview ~

How did you dream up the dynamics of your characters?
* A long time ago I had a few married friends who told me a story that for a year, they weren’t officially married because the preacher forgot to file the marriage certificate. I thought it was an interestingly weird story, and years later I used that premise as the basis for A Stranger’s Touch.
Can you give a fun or interesting fact about your book?
* The hero is named after my grandfather, Gordon. I think it’s a wonderfully strong name that is not used very much. I’ve now used it twice in books.
Do you have any habits that get you in the writing frame of mind?
* I really like writing at Starbucks, although I don’t always get a chance. I like sitting in the public setting because people are fascinating to watch. Sometimes a stranger will give me that one little character trait I’m looking for. I drink a large hot tea, plug in my laptop and listen to soundtrack music through my earbuds as I write.
Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?
* I usually plan out all the characters in my head but a lot of the story develops as I write. I’ll jot down a few things that need to go into the chapter, but I don’t outline.
How much real life do you put into or influences your books?
* Some books have a lot of my real life in them, and some books don’t. I usually put in a few real things simply because you write what you know. If you have in-depth knowledge about a subject it’s a way to make the character and story more authentic.
What are your upcoming projects?
* I’m finishing up the next book in my Forgotten Records MC series. I have a few other stories planned out in my head and a list that I want to work on, so we’ll see what sticks out in my head.

~ Blurb ~

* Once upon a time Aubrey had married man and she thought was her happily ever, but years later she is a mere shadow of who she used to be because of his controlling nature. When she finally works up the courage to file for divorce when she receives some unexpected news…
* …Their marriage doesn’t exist. At least, not in the eyes of the law, making Aubrey a free woman.
* Giddy by the revelation, she meets the enigmatic Gordon St. Roth and decides to indulge in a one night stand, never realizing their paths were meant to cross more than once.

~ Excerpt ~

* Just the then bartender came over, interrupting her mental musings, and placed another drink in front of her. She frowned and looked up.
* “Oh but I didn’t-”
* “I did,” said the man who had sat down next to her.
* Aubrey finally looked toward the man and the drink decline she’d planned on saying dried up in her brain as her gaze locked with his. Holy hell, he was good looking. Like, firemen in a calendar hotness, with wide shoulders and muscles straining to burst from his expensively tailored suit. Grey peppered the black hair and that, plus the few faint lines around his dark brown eyes, were the only suggestion that he had several years on her. He regarded her unblinkingly and she felt her heart rate kick up a little as his gaze wandered over her face and skimmed down to her chest. She could feel his hot gaze linger a little on her pushed up breasts but instead of making her feel cheap or dirty, the admiration on his face turned her on.
* “I wanted to say thanks for letting me sit next to you,” he said.
* “Uh…what?”
* “This seat. Thank you for letting me sit next to you.”
* Aubrey did a quick glance around the small bar area and noticed that he had lots of other seating options. “Good pick-up line.”
* “I admit, I wasn’t sure that was going to work. I’m rusty at this type of thing.”
* She didn’t believe him for a second because a man as good looking as him certainly had no shortage of dates. Did white lies bother her? Once upon a time maybe, but right now she was riding the high of being free, as well as a drink that had been a tad more rum than coke. If the hottest man in the whole airport decided to flirt with her then she was going to enjoy it to the fullest. A balm to her wounded heart.
* “Thank you for the drink,” she replied, bringing her gaze back to his. Their eyes met, held, and butterflies erupted in her belly.
* He smiled, a very slow, sensual lift of his lips that made her panties damp. In an effort not to picture him naked, Aubrey grabbed her new drink and took a large gulp of the cool alcohol.
* He held out his hand. “Gordon St. Roth.”
* She slid her hand into his and the electric jolt of his touch caused wetness to flood her panties. God, when was the last time she was this turned on? What truly blew her mind was the fact that she’d just met him not ten seconds ago! That only seemed to solidify how pitiful her sex life had been.
* “Aubrey,” she said.
* He raised an eyebrow. “No last name?”
* “Not sure what it’s going to become Monday.”
* “Ah. A story.”
* “One you wouldn’t believe.”
* “I’ve got a few hours to kill.” He smiled, which made her heart thump a little faster. Damn, the man was lethal to her good intentions.
* She cocked her head. “So do I. But it seems hardly fair if I tell you a good story and you have none to share. Tit for tat.”
* “Since you insist, I can promise to share my every thought with you.”
* “And just why would I be interested in knowing your thoughts?”
* He leaned a little closer, close enough to whisper in her ear. His warm breath stirred the little hairs resting there, causing a little quiver to run through her body.
* “Because they’re all about you.”
* Oh my….

Buy A Stranger’s Touch & other books here…
Evernight Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookStrand | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo | Smashwords

Find Beth D. Carter here…
Amazon Author Page | Blog | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Thank you for joining us here today, Beth D. Carter! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

a look at ‘Once Upon A Summer’ #anthology #Contemporary #Romance #MultipleAuthors @SDSXXTours

Once Upon A Summer
A Contemporary Romance Anthology
With Stories By:
Brooke Moss, Liz Ashlee, Clara Winter, Tammy Mannersly, Sarah Vance Tompkins, Kitsy Clare, Mark Love, Melissa Kay Clarke
Beaches, boyfriends and danger…summer is certainly hot! Grab a hold tight as these eight authors wow you with stories from sweet to sizzling! After all, every day can have some summer fun!
Breaking Girl Code by Brooke Moss
Aubrey is having the perfect evening out, with the perfect guy, on a perfect summer night. The problem is… Preston’s not her date. His real date is her B.F.F., and she’s passed out in the backseat.
Wishing on Water by Liz Ashlee
After watching everyone’s else’s lives hit huge milestones, all Hope wants is to escape to her boring, unchanging, single life. So, where’s the one logical place to escape to? A retirement home.
Art with a Pulse by Clara Winter
ArtistAlice finds herself rescuing a seal on the sands of Laguna Beach with screenwriter Elijah. Can Alice put her past behind her and give Elijah the chance he deserves?
A Natural Passion by Tammy Mannersly
How will marine biologist, Dylan O’Day, solve the illegal poaching problem threatening the ecosystem he loves and protects when the gorgeous, new intern, Kyra Shine, is occupying his every thought?
You Had Me at Aloha by Sarah Vance Tompkins
Social media guru Vivienne Parker’s dream trip to Hawaii turns into a nightmare when her roommate in the luxurious surf shack is the hot Olympic athlete who just got her fired.
More Than Puppy Love by Kitsy Clare
Fireworks spark when Arianna, a city girl with an elite pet portrait business is in a wreck and asks Dave a country auto mechanic for help, but can these two beagle owners from different worlds see eye to eye?
Stealing Haven by Mark Love
Sand, sun, romance and a mystery to solve. Sounds like a perfect vacation for Jamie.
Harmony in the Key of Murder by Melissa Kay Clarke
Summer in the South can mean a different type of heat when a newly appointed investigator and a mechanical genius cross paths leading to murder and love.
“I write because if I don’t…my head will explode, and ruin the drapes.” ♥
Brooke Moss writes complex, character-driven stories about kismet, reunited lovers, first love, and the kind of romance that we should all have the chance at finding. She prefers her stories laced with some humor just for fun, and enough drama to keep her readers flipping the pages, and begging for more!
When Brooke isn’t spinning tales, she spends her time drawing/cartooning, reading, watching movies then comparing them to books, and, of course, wrangling five kids, mugging on her hubby she lovingly refers to as her “nerd”, and attempting to conquer the Mount Everest of laundry that is the bane of her existence.
Liz Ashlee is a romance novelist who recently graduated from Northern Kentucky University her B.A. in English and B.S. in Library Informatics. She has been published in Loch Norse Magazine and The Pentangle, and has won the Miller Award for Outstanding Fiction Writing. She currently lives in Independence, Kentucky, with her family and dog-daughter, Hero.
Clara Winter is the writing name of Amy Rugg.
Amy Rugg grew up reading Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, and Alice in Wonderland, while watching Buck Rogers, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. Writing her own stories naturally ensued. She is a wife, mother, and former school counselor, with a Master’s Degree in Counseling. Amy is from Colorado Springs, Co and currently resides in Mission Viejo, Ca.
Tammy Mannersly is an Australian author based in Brisbane, Queensland. She loves writing romance, has a fondness for animals, is crazy about movies and enjoys a great Happily Ever After. Her passion for writing started from a very young age and led her to complete a Bachelor Degree in Creative Industries majoring in Creative Writing at Queensland University of Technology.
Sarah Vance-Tompkins was born in a small town in northern Michigan. She spent every summer exploring the sugar sand beaches near Sleeping Bear National Park. She left her heart behind when she moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California. She received an MFA in Film Production and went on to work in feature film development in Hollywood. She has worked as a reporter for a weekly entertainment trade publication, and been paid to write obituaries, press releases, the directions for use on personal lubricant bottles, and breathless descriptions of engagement rings for an online jewelry store. She lives in a small town north of Los Angeles with her husband and three cats.
Kitsy Clare hails from Philadelphia and lives in New York. A romantic at heart, she loves to write about the sexy intrigue of the city, and particularly of the art world. She knows it well, having shown her paintings here before turning to writing. Model Position, her new adult novella is about artist Sienna and her friends. Living in a Bookworld says: “Beautifully written! We get to learn things about art & painting, which is refreshing. A colorful story from a promising new adult author.” The next in her Art of Love series, Private Internship launches in September with Inkspell.
Kitsy loves to travel, draw, read romance, speculative fiction and teach writing workshops. She also writes YA as Catherine Stine. Her futuristic thriller, Ruby’s Fire was a YA finalist in the Next Generation Indie book awards. Fireseed One, its companion novel, was a finalist in YA and Sci-Fi in the USA News International Book Awards, and an Indie Reader notable. Her YA horror, Dorianna, launches fall 2014 with Evernight Teen. She’s a member of SFWA, RWA and SCBWI.
Mark Love – I am a Michigan native, who up until recently lived in the Metro Detroit area, where crime and corruption always seem to be at the top of everyone’s news. So there’s always the chance to find something that can trigger a story idea and enough interesting characters to jump start your imagination.
While I have worked in many industries and career paths over the years, one of my passions has always been writing. I was even able to parlay that passion for a while, working as a freelance reporter for a couple of newspapers in the Detroit area. Writing features and hard news helped me hone my talents. But while newspaper work was interesting and paid a few bills, it was a far cry from the fiction writing that I enjoy the most.
I’ve always been drawn to mysteries and thrillers, the kind of stories that have a fast pace, that keep you moving and keep you guessing as to what’s going to take place next. Mix those in with some elements of crime, perhaps a glimpse of the seedier side and you’ve got me. So it’s always been one of my goals to write stories like that.
Melissa Kay Clarke was born in Tupelo, Mississippi and raised in Houlka, a small rural town forty-five minutes southwest down the famous Natchez Trace. She found a love of reading very early and quickly devoured everything she could. Told repeatedly that she had a wonderful imagination, she turned to scribbling her musings and wrote her first novel while in college. It was never published and has since vanished. The death of a close friend who aspired to become an author reawakened her own desire resulting in penning her first book, Shattered Dreams, published in 2013.
Melissa now resides in Meridian, Mississippi with her supportive family – husband, Robert and daughter Rebecca, two cats, and two dogs. When she isn’t writing, she spends way too much time with her online friends and feeding her ravenous appetite for the written word.
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!

a look at ‘Faking Lucky’ by Q. D. Purdu #Contemporary #Romance @QDPurdu @SDSXXTours

Faking Lucky
by Q. D. Purdu
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Desdemona, a pianist in the Austin life-music scene, is channel-surfing when she stumbles upon the program Marriage Exposure. The trashy television show gets people to spill all the secrets of their sex lives, and Desdemona’s ex-boyfriend just happens to be a guest. To her shock and horror, Desdemona’s ex announces on national television that he dumped her because she never got the big O. “She faked…,” he says. Every single time.
Her life is wrecked! If her friends, family and colleagues haven’t seen the interview yet, they will.
How do you survive a scandal like this? How did he know she faked? And why is it that in the bedroom, Desdemona never, ever gets lucky?
The lovable, creative and quirky heroine tackles these challenges. As Desdemona tries to run damage control on her reputation, she begins to explore her sexuality. Along the way, she will get a second chance at genuine love.
Q. D. Purdu’s Finding Lucky won first place in the romance category of the Texas Writers’ League. Desdemona’s quest for the Big O is full of hilarious moments, handsome men, and heartfelt memories.
Q. D. Purdu’s debut romance FAKING LUCKY, under the title of DESDEMONA FINDS THE BIG O IN LOVE, won first place in the Texas Writers’ League Romance category, 2014. Her novella THE LIGHT WE FOUND, first published in MOTHER’S DAY MAGIC anthology, is now available as a stand-alone short read.
Q. D. loves her rescued puppy, red wine, running through sprinklers, dark chocolate with sugared ginger, and anything wrapped in a corn tortilla. Her prized possessions include a hot pink Christmas tree and a garden full of okra and basil.
She hasn’t decided what she’ll be when she grows up, but whatever it is will be filled with romantic impossibilities.
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!