Tag: anthology

a look at Ashley Malkin & ‘Fighting the Inferno’ #DownandDirty #Anthology @romancerebels69 #firefighter #BlueCollar #Romance

On By Casey's CornerIn Authors & Books, PublishersLeave a comment

Today we have author Ashley Malkin visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Ashley was born in England but has lived in Australia since she was three years old. Her love of reading has grown into a love of writing stories. All her stories will have a happy-ever-after, because that’s what she feels everyone deserves. She likes to call it ‘Ashley World.’ It’s a world of infinite possibility where love conquers all adversity. She hopes you enjoy escaping into her world for a little while.

Find Ashley Malkin here…
Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Website | BookStrand

A look into Fighting the Inferno in the Down and Dirty anthology

~ Blurb ~

* Blayne Simmons is a firefighter, a job he loves as much as he hates the flames he battles. He exists in a world on fire, but is frozen inside by the scars of a fire he failed to conquer. He works hard, plays even harder. Satisfying his needs, nothing more, until Felicity Kendall enters his tightly-controlled world.
* Felicity is alone. She has to be, because everyone, everything, she loves burns to ashes. When a ruggedly handsome firefighter attempts to pick her up in a bar, she’s stung by the bitter irony. He’s clueless to the depths of her hatred of firemen. They saved her as a child, and delivered her into a world of pain. She should have burned. She wished she had.
* When fire thrusts Felicity into Blayne’s arms, he discovers she is the victim of a deadly game. A game he will win, because Felicity is now his.

~ Excerpt ~

* “What are we heading into, Dan?” Blayne asked, wanting to be prepared. His intense focus had kept him from being burned again, and he intended to keep it that way.
* “House fire. Phoned in by a neighbor, no word yet on anyone being unaccounted for.”
* If there was anyone missing, Blayne would go in and find them, it was his specialty. He would never leave anyone to the flames. He knew how much it hurt, how frightening it was to feel trapped and helpless. He always got them out, even if they were dead, he never left them to burn.
* The house was gone when they arrived, the flames shooting through the roof and high into the night sky. People were huddled in groups on lawn across the wide street. Some wore only night gowns or pyjamas, others had coats thrown over their night attire.
* “Go,” Dan said to him. “Put the hoses on the garage,” he called to the other four men on the crew. “I’ve spoken to the home owners, we might have someone trapped on the top floor.”
* Blayne turned the headset microphone on, released the valve on his air cylinder and fitted the mask. He was ready to enter by the time he was standing by the door. It was hot, but not molten. He donned his gloves and stepped aside as he flung open the door.
* Smoke rushed out, but no flames. He entered the garage, looking for the woman he was seeking, in case she’d made it downstairs before succumbing to the smoke. Flames were coming through the rear wall, and he ducked as a petrol can exploded in the heat. Flames filled the air above him, and he waited for the flare to dissipate before continuing his search.
* There was no car in the garage, and he could see the stairs leading to the second level were smoking, but not yet alight.
* “It’s clear downstairs, I’m going up to look for her.”
* “Kenny will join you when the hoses are set.”
* Blayne tested the bottom step, it creaked, but held firm. Taking the stairs two at a time, he swore as another petrol can exploded below him. The door at the top of the landing was intact. He twisted the handle, but it didn’t move. He unclipped his axe, and with one swing, the door knob was gone.
* The door swung open and smoke billowed over him. The room was dark and filled to the ceiling with smoke. He was blind, so, this is where he used his other senses. Blocking out the roar of the flames and the hiss as the water hit them, he listened for signs of life.
* Walking slowly, he tested the floor with each step, making sure it would hold him. He could see the flames growing higher through the smoke. The fire was going to take this house, all of it. He had another five minutes, tops, and the room was going to be engulfed, despite the water they were pumping at it.
* Then he heard it. Sobs, faint, but wracking. The flames were loud, but he’s used to listening for the sounds of the living amongst the roar of the fire’s tempest. She was here. As tempting as it was to throw caution to the wind and run to find this Felicity woman, he couldn’t save her if he was dead. He turned and trod carefully toward the sounds, rewarded as the sobs grew louder.
* “No more,” he heard. “Not again, not again. It’s not real.”
* He banged into something solid, and heard a small scream. He felt around, and decided it was some sort of desk or a table. Squatting, he could just make out a huddled shape curled beneath the piece of furniture. A woman was curled in a ball, her arms around her knees, as she rocked.
* “Felicity?”
* She started and lifted her head. Wide, terrified eyes stared out of an elfin face. A face he’d seen before. It was the woman from the bar, only now she looked fragile and defeated. He knew that with one touch, she’d shatter. She was begging to be saved from the nightmare with that look. Not the nightmare of this fire, but the nightmare of whatever was haunting her, chasing her. She was defeated, scared, alone, helpless. Fuck.
* The roar of the flames rushing into the room was deafening, taking all other options from him. It was time to leave. Ignoring the fact that she didn’t like to be touched, he reached in and scooped her up. It was that or leave her to the flames. Not an option.
* Blayne scarcely noticed her added weight as he rose to his feet, remaining stooped as the ceiling started to flame. She weighed nothing, but what was more disturbing was that it was her. The woman who had consumed his thoughts, his dreams, for two weeks.
* Hunching over the delicate woman in his arms, he protected her from the heat at his back with his jacket and his body. He trod a careful path back to the stairs, fighting an unfamiliar fear with each step on the smoking timber floor. If he lost her now, then he’d never discover who she was and what made her so unforgettable. I need to solve the fucking mystery and purge her from my system. His arms tightened reflexively around her at that thought and he swore loudly at his confusing reaction.
* “Are you real? Is this all a dream?” He barely hears her murmured words above the roar.
* “No, angel. This is a fucking nightmare.” The fire, and the complication she was proving to be to his sanity.
* “All dreams are nightmares,” she murmured, coughing weakly as her eyes flutter closed.
* “Fuck.” She was out, her body now hanging limply in his arms. He pulled her close and hated how his heart clenched. She felt good in his arms. Insane. This is fucking insane.

~ Down and Dirty anthology ~

Releases: May 22, 2018 | Publisher: Romance Rebels Publishing | Cover Artist: Sinfully Sweet Designs

* Get in, get down…and get filthy with these sexy, hardworking, blue-collar heroes who don’t mind when things get a little dirty while at work or at play. This collection of 22 brand new stories from USA Today and International Best-Selling authors is full of scorching hot romance tales that will be sure to leave you breathless for more. These men work hard, and play even harder.
* From cops to mechanics, and miners to brewmasters, they aren’t afraid to go all in. At the end of the day, when they find the woman who completes them, they learn that love and life can be just as messy as their day job…and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
* Featuring stories from: Lori King, Maia Dylan, Sarah Marsh, Elena Kincaid, Cecile Tellier, London Saint James, Bella Settara, Rose Nickol, RL Merrill, Ashley Malkin, Lucy Felthouse, Scarlett J. Rose, Sydney Lea, CR Moss, Samantha A. Cole, Danielle James, Ava Campbell, Eva Moore, Kimberlie L. Faye, Sabrina Sol, Nikki Prince, and Mia Hopkins! Visit the Facebook Page

Pre-order the Down and Dirty anthology here…
AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Want more by Ashley Malkin? Check out her story Embracing Her Beasts…

~ Blurb ~

* Policewoman Bligh Saunders risks her job and her life as she pursues what she believes is a gang on ruthless killers across the country. When she finds the killers, she is thrust into a nightmare world she never envisaged could be real. But it is, and she has to accept that fact, or die.
* Monroe, Parish and Dorian Crossman come home to Pine Falls to help protect the pride they fled from forty years before. The brothers believe they are ready to put the pain of their past behind them, but when they discover their mate, bleeding a close to death, their pain nearly breaks them.
* The pride in Pine Falls is strong, but Parish and Monroe need to make it stronger if they are to save their mate and make Caleb Mabry’s pride a cohesive fighting unit. When the enemy returns for Bligh, her mates, and the pride, must unite, or lose their newest member.
* “Embracing Her Beasts” A tale of murder, love and suspense, will be released on April 3rd, Exclusively at SirenBookstrand.

~ Excerpt ~

For an excerpt, visit the buy link below.

Buy Embracing Her Beasts here…
BookStrand

Thank you for joining us here today, Ashley Malkin! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your stories.

a look at R.L. Merrill & ‘Mud and Honey’ #DownandDirty #Anthology @rlmerrillauthor @romancerebels69 #DeputySheriff #BlueCollar #Romance

On By Casey's CornerIn Authors & Books, PublishersLeave a comment

Today we have author R.L. Merrill visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Once upon a time… a teacher, tattoo collector, mom, and rock ’n’ roll kinda gal opened up a doc and started purging her demons. Several books later, R.L. Merrill is still striving to find that perfect balance between real life and happily ever after. You can find her lurking on social media where she loves connecting with readers, educating America’s youth, being a mom taxi to two busy kids, in the tattoo chair trying desperately to get that back piece finished, or head banging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Find R.L. Merrill here…
Facebook | Instagram | Newsletter | Twitter | Website

A look into Mud and Honey in the Down and Dirty anthology

~ Blurb ~

* A deputy sheriff and a tree trimmer meet during storm cleanup on a treacherous road and literally fall for each other in the line of duty. Calvin wants to explore their connection and Flor is game. Then things get sticky when his hard-earned sobriety is threatened and her pride is bruised. Their chemistry can’t be ignored, but can they get past their personal obstacles? It’ll take some getting dirty to get to the sweet in this story of broken hearts and fresh starts.

~ Excerpt ~

* So that’s how I found myself parked on Crow Canyon road, blocking part of a lane, waving traffic through a coned-off area where Alcosta County Public Works was trying to remove a downed tree that, if left to hang there, would end up in the middle of traffic the next time it rained. The hillside looked awfully close to sliding right down on top of us, it was so saturated, but I supposed that’s why the good old sheriff’s department was out here keeping the public safe.
* Cars flew by, ignoring signs to slow down, and my field training officer, Sergeant Diaz, warned me this could be a seriously hazardous situation. Diaz and I had thrown down some flares to hopefully grab the attention of drivers multitasking in their SUVs. Maybe we needed to put up a Starbucks sign. People sure as hell seemed to stop for that.
* I couldn’t help but be distracted myself. Way up high on the hillside, a lone tree trimmer was strung up in the tree, trying to cut back some limbs that had fractured but hadn’t dropped. The guy’d been up there for at least two hours and the crew kept a close eye on his progress. He’d come down a few minutes prior and was on his way up the second tree, and for the life of me, I couldn’t help but watch the graceful way he managed to climb the ropes like some sort of acrobat in Cirque du Soleil. He was obviously experienced. I turned back to watch the traffic but I kept glancing back, captivated by his movements.
* The wind picked up and howled through the canyon, causing his ropes to sway. Someone in his crew shouted at him in Spanish and he flipped them off. I chuckled to myself at their camaraderie before I turned back around.
* In time to see my life flash before my eyes.
* Diaz shouted as the SUV heading right for us skidded at a forty-five-degree angle. The driver overcorrected and clipped our patrol car, causing the front end to slam into me and knock me backward. The SUV crashed into the trees, one of which the trimmer was suspended from.
* Everyone froze as that tree groaned and lurched sideways, falling into the tree next to it. The trimmer dangled between the two, frantically trying to grab on to one or the other. He swung into the tree that the car hit and it creaked ominously, shifting farther into the other one, so he let go. He swung to the other tree and wrapped his arms and legs around the trunk.
* And just like that everyone sprang into action. Except me. I was still trying to catch my breath from where the fall had knocked the wind out of me. Diaz ran to my side.
* “Sonofabitch, Graham! You alright dude? You went down hella hard.”
* I nodded as I coughed and gestured for him to help me up. He was shorter than my six feet three inches, but he was a stocky guy and he had me on my feet in no time.
* “Paramedics are on their way. You need to get checked out.”
* I did a quick assessment: bruised ribs and hip on one side, and both hands scraped. Maybe a little road rash, but other than that, I was fine.
* “Let’s check the driver.”
* Diaz cursed under his breath and ran with me over to the SUV, now crumpled against the tree.
* The airbag had deployed and the woman was groaning when we got to her side. With her cell phone clutched tightly in her hand.
* “Ma’am, are you alright?” Diaz asked as I checked the backseat.
* Fuck. She had two kids in booster seats. They were both crying, but neither looked hurt.
* “My car just started skidding. I don’t know what happened,” she said over and over. Diaz and I both shook our heads, knowing exactly why she didn’t know what happened.
* California had adopted strict hands-free laws this year, and since the lady’s car was fairly new, it most definitely was equipped with hands-free or Bluetooth technology. She was one of those holdouts who made things dangerous for the rest of us.
* I opened the rear door and looked into the biggest blue eyes I’d ever seen.
* “Hey sweetie, are you alright? Did you bump your head?”
* The little girl clutched her American Girl doll to her and shook her head, her cries settling down to whimpers and sniffles.
* Her little brother was still wailing away. He looked to be a little younger than her, maybe two to her four years old. She looked over to him and held out her hand. He took it and squeezed, continuing to cry.
* “I don’t know what happened,” the mother was still mumbling.
* “Ma’am, the ambulance is on the way, do you feel like you can—”
* A cracking noise came from the other tree her car had smashed against and it shifted, jolting the car. Diaz and I exchanged looks and began moving quickly. He went for the driver’s seatbelt while I fumbled with the car-seat buckle on the little girl’s seat.
* “Honey, I need to get you out of this car, okay? I’m going to get your brother out first and then I want you to wrap your arms around my neck so I can carry you both, okay? We need to hurry.”
* She nodded, her big blue eyes growing even wider. I leaned across her and started working on her brother’s buckle, but he just screamed louder for his mommy and slapped at my hands.
* Diaz got the mother out of the car but she was so out of it she didn’t seem to notice her kids were still inside. I worked frantically to get the boy out of his seat, finally springing the buckle from the latch and moving quickly to scoop him up into my arms.
* I heard another crack and then shouts from the public works crew.
* The little girl snaked her arms around my neck and I backed out of the SUV with both kids in my arms. I managed to get several steps away as the tree groaned once more and fell forward onto the car.
* The tree trimmer screamed as the rope, which was caught in the second tree, pulled his legs away from the tree he was holding on to.
* That was a female scream.
* That’s a woman up there!

~ Down and Dirty anthology ~

Releases: May 22, 2018 | Publisher: Romance Rebels Publishing | Cover Artist: Sinfully Sweet Designs

* Get in, get down…and get filthy with these sexy, hardworking, blue-collar heroes who don’t mind when things get a little dirty while at work or at play. This collection of 22 brand new stories from USA Today and International Best-Selling authors is full of scorching hot romance tales that will be sure to leave you breathless for more. These men work hard, and play even harder.
* From cops to mechanics, and miners to brewmasters, they aren’t afraid to go all in. At the end of the day, when they find the woman who completes them, they learn that love and life can be just as messy as their day job…and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
* Featuring stories from: Lori King, Maia Dylan, Sarah Marsh, Elena Kincaid, Cecile Tellier, London Saint James, Bella Settara, Rose Nickol, RL Merrill, Ashley Malkin, Lucy Felthouse, Scarlett J. Rose, Sydney Lea, CR Moss, Samantha A. Cole, Danielle James, Ava Campbell, Eva Moore, Kimberlie L. Faye, Sabrina Sol, Nikki Prince, and Mia Hopkins! Visit the Facebook Page

Pre-order the Down and Dirty anthology here…
AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Thank you for joining us here today, R.L. Merrill! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

a look at Rose Nickol & ‘Rescuing Trent’ #DownandDirty #Anthology @RoseNickol @romancerebels69 #bodyguard #BlueCollar #Romance

On By Casey's CornerIn Authors & Books, PublishersLeave a comment

Today we have author Rose Nickol visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Rose Nickol is an author of Erotica with and without BDSM. She has twenty plus books published with more to come. When she’s not writing Rose enjoys crocheting and spending time with her family. She has one daughter and two fur children, a nine-year-old dog and a one year old kitten. Life at her house is never quiet.

Find Rose Nickol here…
Facebook | Instagram | Newsletter | Twitter

A look into Rescuing Trent in the Down and Dirty anthology

~ Blurb ~

* Trent Simmons had spent his life helping others. While recovering from the injury that got him discharged from the service, he met the woman he thought he was going to spend his life with, but it was not meant to be. He spent the next several years infiltrating a human trafficking slavery ring recusing countless women.
* Pricilla Wilder had decided she was happy living alone. She had watched her mother raise two children on her own and do a wonderful job. She didn’t need a man in her life. Then an insane madman targeted her and her sister trying to extract revenge on their father.
* Trent was assigned to be one of Pricilla’s bodyguards. The woman was smart, and sexy. Trent can’t ignore the feelings she awakens within him—feelings he thought had died years ago. Can he convince her to give him a chance or will fate once again destroy his world?

~ Excerpt ~

* Pricilla woke the next morning and found Trent up and dressing. “Good morning baby. I was going to let you sleep a while longer. There’s no reason for you to be up this early.”
* She rolled to her side to watch as he sat to pull his boots on. “Why are you up? How early is it?” The sun was shining bright so it couldn’t be too early, could it?
* “Early. I need to go help the men with the horses. We have a couple more coming to board today, and we’re down a couple men today,” Trent explained as he finished dressing.
* Priss maneuvered to sit on the side of the bed, pulling the sheet with her as she went so that it was wrapped toga-style around her front. “Can I help?” She didn’t know much about working with horses, but she wanted to find out and spend more time with Trent. The thought of waiting in the house by herself was boring.
* “I thought you might want to catch up on your rest, but if you want to come hang out, sure.”
* “Let me take a quick shower, and I’d love to come,” Priss was out of the bed and heading for the shower before he could change his mind.
* “I’ll meet you down in the kitchen,” Trent said with a laugh as the bathroom door closed behind her.
* Priss hurried through the shower, excited to be able to help. She’d always wanted a horse when she was growing up, but living in the city prevented that. When she got to the kitchen, Trent had started breakfast. “I can do that,” she told him as she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
* “I got this. You do the coffee, and it should all be ready at once.”
* Trent and Priss were just sitting down to eat when a knock came at the door. “Trent, Ms. Welch showed up early, and she’s demanding you come out and help her personally.” The man at the door told Trent.
* Trent rolled his eyes and nodded to the man. He turned to Priss, “That didn’t take long. I figured she’d show up once she heard I was here. She’s a repeat customer and her father boards several horses here. I have to go help her Priss. She and her father are some of our best customers. Go ahead and finish here. Come on out to the barn when you’re done.” Trent told her as he headed out the door after giving her a hard kiss on the lips. Priss watched Trent go out the door without even having coffee. That wasn’t right.
* She explored the kitchen until she found a thermos and some containers for the food. She packed everything up and headed to the barn with it. If this woman were rude enough to interrupt breakfast Priss would show her how it was done. Looking around to make sure she had everything, she gathered what she had packed and marched out to the barn.
* She saw a large horse trailer and a fancy little car parked beside it when she got to the barn. She could hear the sound of voices coming from the far end of the barn and headed that direction. She passed a couple of the ranch hands as she went and couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.
* “I don’t know why Trent lets Elizabeth treat him like that. You’d think she owned the ranch instead of him and Martin. I know their business is good, but nothing’s worth the way she treats him.”
* Even more determined to check this woman out, Priss continued single-mindedly towards the sound of the voices. What she saw stopped her in her steps. Trent was kissing the woman. A very beautiful, model thin, perfectly groomed woman. And it was a very passionate kiss. The woman had her arms wrapped around his neck and was plastered against him.
* She must have made a noise because the woman released him and stepped back. “I’ve missed you too lover. It’s been too long. You should have phoned and let me know you were back in town. When I heard about Martin, I had to come. He means as much to me as my father.”
* Priss watched the scene before her wondering if she’d been wrong about Trent. She dropped the basket and turned, running back to the house. When she got to the house, she ran up the stairs. She went straight to the bedroom and quickly grabbed her stuff. What did she do now? She didn’t know anyone here and wasn’t going to wait for Trent to finish with his lover.
* She threw her bag over her shoulder and ran down the stairs and out of the house. She couldn’t be there when Trent came back in. He wasn’t going to use her that way. She started running, not sure where she was going. She just knew she had to get out of there. Now.

~ Down and Dirty anthology ~

Releases: May 22, 2018 | Publisher: Romance Rebels Publishing | Cover Artist: Sinfully Sweet Designs

* Get in, get down…and get filthy with these sexy, hardworking, blue-collar heroes who don’t mind when things get a little dirty while at work or at play. This collection of 22 brand new stories from USA Today and International Best-Selling authors is full of scorching hot romance tales that will be sure to leave you breathless for more. These men work hard, and play even harder.
* From cops to mechanics, and miners to brewmasters, they aren’t afraid to go all in. At the end of the day, when they find the woman who completes them, they learn that love and life can be just as messy as their day job…and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
* Featuring stories from: Lori King, Maia Dylan, Sarah Marsh, Elena Kincaid, Cecile Tellier, London Saint James, Bella Settara, Rose Nickol, RL Merrill, Ashley Malkin, Lucy Felthouse, Scarlett J. Rose, Sydney Lea, CR Moss, Samantha A. Cole, Danielle James, Ava Campbell, Eva Moore, Kimberlie L. Faye, Sabrina Sol, Nikki Prince, and Mia Hopkins! Visit the Facebook Page

Pre-order the Down and Dirty anthology here…
AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

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