Discover Diane Escalera’s Dangerous Desire & Giveaway

Over ten years ago, Kensington Publishing launched the short-lived, but innovative, Encanto Latino romance line. The women who came together to write for that line formed the Encantadoras sisterhood. A sisterhood that has continued for many of us through the trials and tribulations of the publishing world.

That’s why it’s so exciting and joyful for me today to have with me Diane Escalera, one of my writing sisters. Diane is going to share with us her new release, DANGEROUS DESIRE, from Lyrical Press.

Please welcome Diane today! To help celebrate the release, I am offering up a $10 gift card and a copy of THE LOST to one lucky reader who leaves a comment by July 21, midnight PST (I want to give my California friends the time to post!)

About Diane Escalera

Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, I relocated to South Florida, a sultry paradise I instantly fell in love with. Unlike most authors, I didn’t know I was destined to write. In fact, I worked in banking for many years, but deep down knew that it wasn’t my dream job.

At the young age of thirty-five, my sister died of an illness. I realized the same thing could happen to me. There are no guarantees. I couldn’t waste another moment doing something I didn’t love.

Writing was one of my greatest joys when I was growing up. While still working at the bank, I decided to enroll in an intensive course where I learned everything I could about the craft. It didn’t take long before I left the bank to pursue a writing career.

Still living in South Florida, I’m married, have two children and a super cute Dachshund I can’t get enough of. I feel truly blessed to be able to share my stories. I only wish I could have shared them with my sister.

Dangerous Desire will be available on July 18th at Lyrical Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Digital Bookstores everywhere. The Print Edition comes out in October.

Please visit www.DianeEscalera.com to learn more about my sexy tales. I love to interact with readers! “Like” my fan page at www.Facebook.com/DianeEscaleraOfficial. Follow me on www.Twitter.com/DianeEscalera.

DANGEROUS DESIRE Excerpt

In full view, Cruz stripped off his sweaty black tee and Sienna nearly had a heart attack. Jesus Christ. The men at her gym would’ve despised him.

Her eyes slowly drank him in. Good God. He had the sexiest bod she’d ever seen. Taut and tan, his muscles were chiseled in a way that gave his dimensions beautiful symmetry. Tori would’ve been impressed. She’d always preached about the importance of muscle balance. Some men took it to the extreme. Not Cruz. He sported a tapered waist with shredded abs, V-shaped torso, and arms that made her drool because, if she had to pick a favorite body part, arms were it.

He used the dirty shirt to dry sweat off his gorgeous frame. Her eyes followed his movements, stopping at the bulldog tattoo etched on his sculpted pec, with the word Marines below. He’d been in the service, a kickass Marine. How hot!

He busted her checking him out.

She yanked her eyes away. Jeez. Her face probably looked as red as it felt.

Holding up a fresh shirt, he shook it out a few times. The sound of fabric caught her attention. Her gaze slid that way again. Okay. Sound had nothing to do with it. She just had to look one more time. He pulled the shirt over his head. Terrific. Now he wore a white muscle shirt tailor-made for his ripped physique. The thing should’ve been outlawed.

Wearing a sly smirk, he combed his fingers through his short, spiky hair. Running down the inside of his arm below his rock-hard biceps, he had another tattoo, this one with five small Chinese symbols. What a unique spot for a tattoo, and unbelievably sexy, like everything else about him.

Even his name sounded hot.

He climbed into the driver’s seat and snapped his door shut. He didn’t look at her, but then, he didn’t have to. She knew he knew what kind of effect that little display had on her. Oh yeah. He had it written all over that smug face. He might be a soaking-wet dream she didn’t mind entertaining on a nightly basis, but she didn’t have to be so obvious.

Sienna grabbed her seatbelt and tried to latch it.

“Damn,” Cruz mumbled, as he watched her struggle with the belt. He turned on the ignition and flipped the air conditioning to the highest setting.

She looked at his face instead of his sinewy arm. It took willpower, because those arms really did it for her. “Is there a trick?” The mechanism wouldn’t click into place.

“I keep forgetting to get that thing checked,” he said. “Don’t usually carry passengers except for Roman.” He looked back at his dog and grinned. Roman sat on the bench seat patiently waiting to go bye-bye.

“It doesn’t work at all?” She preferred to wear a seatbelt, and not just because of the law. South Florida had some loony drivers.

“It just takes a little maneuvering,” he replied. “Let me give it a try.” He turned all that magnificence toward her and reached across her chest.

Holy crap, he was totally in her face, his delicious body stretched across her lap. She held her breath and pressed her back into the seat, felt his weight, smelled his soap and baby shampoo. Her every cell fell under his spell. She tried to find her voice. “Any luck?” she squeaked out.

They were eye-to-eye, his mouth so close that if she puckered her lips, that would be it. His gaze traveled downward. He tilted his head like he wanted to kiss her. Uh-oh. She hadn’t made out in years. She probably sucked at it by now. A magnetic intensity pulled her to him, and she had a feeling she’d relearn pretty quickly. Her body buzzed with sexual urgency. Not once in her life had she felt this consumed, this desperate to feel a man’s lips on hers.

Whew, is it hot in here or what? I hope you enjoyed Diane’s visit. Feel free to leave questions and comments for Diane and the giveaway.

Also, if you feel like chatting, I’ll be at the Writerspace chat room tonight at 9 pm EST. Stop by for some fun and prizes!

Guilty Pleasure Monday – Chris Evans as Captain America & Contests!

Those of you who visit regularly probably know by now that I am a superhero comic book fan. I cut my teeth on Batman and Superman, but have grown to love the Marvel collection of superheroes.

Today’s Guilty Pleasure is a redux, but a worthy one – Chris Evans. I cannot wait to see him in Captain America. He is more buff than ever – no Spandex muscles for this hottie. Take a moment to enjoy this little teaser trailer! If you can’t see the video below, you can click here to visit the teaser for Captain America.

Contests, contests, contests!

But now, here is more news since today is November 1 and lots of fun things are happening today!

Starting today you can sign up for my ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH contest which features a grand prize of a SONY Pocket Edition e-reader along with other goodies. Just click here for the contest!

Also running all month long is my Fresh Fiction contest which features an autographed copy of SINS OF THE FLESH, STRONGER THAN SIN T- shirt & tote bag, Bath and Body Works Gel and Jesse Bradford Rubber Ducky. You can click here to enter the Fresh Fiction contest!

Today only, drop by these fun locations for a chance to win some massively fun goodies:

  • BookPage Bookcase Blog: Leave a comment on the blog for a chance to win T-shirt and copies of Sins of the Flesh and Stronger than Sin. You can click here to visit the BookPage Bookcase blog.
  • Bitten by Books: RSVP by clicking here for the STRONGER THAN SIN release party today! Grand Prize is a $50 gift card. Party starts at 12:00 p.m. Central Time.

Whew, lots of news, but that’s it for this Guilty Pleasures Monday. Stay tuned for more contests and giveaways which I’ll be posting to you on the blog.

Wicked Wednesday Caddy Girls by V.K. Sykes

There’s a body switch going on today since I have with me fellow author V.K. Sykes while I’ll be over later at the Writerspace blog. Please drop by for a visit to find out why I wanted to hate Jesse Bradford, the hero of my upcoming November 2010 paranormal romance release STRONGER THAN SIN.

But for now…..drum roll please….

Please welcome V.K. Sykes. V.K. Sykes is actually the pseudonym for a wife/husband team that writes sexy contemporary romance for Carina Press. Vanessa and Randy can be found on the web at: http://www.vksykes.com. Vanessa also writes Regency-set historical romance under her own name, Vanessa Kelly. You can visit her on the web at: http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com.

CADDYGIRLS is their new release from Carina Press.

Here’s a little teaser for you!

Torrey Green once had a promising golf career, but now she’s stuck caddying for butt-pinching businessmen. She doesn’t mind playing dumb while hauling clubs if it means she can get her golf career back on track, and she’s going to need an influx of cash to focus on the pro circuit. A booking from video game mogul Julian Grant could be Torrey’s cash-flow solution.

In Las Vegas for a business deal, Julian’s partners plan for a little action on the greens. They’re looking for some fun with their rent-a-caddy girls, and have a lot riding on who can score, on the course and off. This type of gamble isn’t Julian’s style, but he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his partners happy – even if that includes breaking a few hearts along the way.

Julian soon discovers that Torrey is more than just a caddy girl and they spark an intriguing attraction – but if Torrey discovers the truth behind his idiotic wager, all bets are off…

Excerpt from CADDY GIRLS by V.K. Sykes

On their first date together, Julian takes Torrey to a black light, mini-putt golf course…

Julian had never been to Pirate’s Cove, but he’d walked and driven past it dozens of times. Cheesy was the first word that had sprung to mind whenever he’d noticed the popular Strip attraction. The entrance to the course was a pirate ship’s prow that looked like it had been molded from a dingy chunk of Styrofoam. Precariously balanced on the edge of the prow stood a twenty-foot statue of Pirate Pete, saber pointing defiantly skyward. Too bad the tip of Pete’s nose had broken off, spoiling the ferocious effect.

Pirate’s Cove actually had two mini-golf courses—one regular and one black light.

“Which one should we try?” he asked, leaving the decision up to her.

She didn’t hesitate. “The black light sounds like more fun.”

Julian paid, grabbed the putters and balls and led her through into the black light course. A flood of lurid colors washed over them—bizarre shades of blue, purple, pink, red and green. Even the putters and balls glowed in the dark. Garish, pirate-themed props—some hanging in mid-air—popped out of the darkness.

He turned to Torrey, intending to rip on the tackiness of it all, but the sarcastic remark died on his lips. Her black dress had essentially vanished under the black light, leaving her white underwear clearly visible, almost as if she were in an x-ray machine. She took the putter from his hand, obviously unaware of the rather spectacular display of her lush body.

His throat felt suddenly dry and prickly. One minute she’d been in a severe black dress—the next, her feminine undergarments and what they covered were in full, glorious view. Actually, her lacy bra and panties seemed quite demure, not like the scraps of fabric some of his dates had sported. Still, the glowing white shapes of her full breasts and deliciously curvy ass were the sexiest things he’d seen in a long time. He was getting an embarrassing hard-on in the middle of a family amusement center.

“Torrey?” He handed her a radioactive-looking ball as he dragged his eyes level with her face.

“This is going to be fun, Julian. You want me to go first?”

“I was thinking that maybe this isn’t such a great idea after all. I’m afraid everybody can see your underwear in this crazy light.”

She cast her gaze down and let out a tiny gasp. “Oh, my God, you’re right.” She looked up at him, her eyes even bigger than usual. “But why can’t I see yours?” She glanced across the room and pointed at a woman a couple of holes ahead. “I can see that woman’s panties, too!”

“It looks like the light picks up white things under dark outerwear,” Julian said, mentally kicking himself for his lame idea. The last thing he wanted was to embarrass her. “Why don’t we try the regular course instead? Or we could just leave, if you want.”

She grinned, her teeth glowing an unnatural shade of white. “No, let’s stay here. I can handle it, Julian,” she said with a little laugh. “I’ve worn bikinis that reveal a lot more.”

He smiled back. I’d like to see those.

“Okay,” he replied. “Just don’t be surprised if I can’t keep my eyes on the game.”

“Oh, you’re too much of a gentleman for such sexist behavior.”

“Tell that to my hormones.”

She tilted her head and feigned exasperation. “Are we going to play some golf or stand around here jawing all night?”

He laughed, so turned on by her easy self-confidence that he wanted nothing more than to haul her back to his hotel room and make love to her for the rest of the night.

Later, he promised himself.

*****

If you’d like to buy CADDY GIRLS, you can follow one of these links to your preferred bookseller:

Buy from Carina Press
Buy from Amazon
Buy From MobiPocket
Buy from B&N

Jason Statham and Special July Contests!

Hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend! Today we’re having a belated Guilty Pleasure and some special July Contests!

So who is today’s Guilty Pleasure? What about a totally buff masculine man? What about a kick butt action hero?

We’re talking about Jason Statham who has played both the bad guy (Cellular with hottie Chris Evans), sidekick (The Italian Job) and the hero (the Transporter series). Buff and burly, he’s not a pretty boy, but he sure is hot!

Courtesy of Lionsgate - Transporter 3

Hope you enjoyed this belated Guilty Pleasure!

And as for contests. . .

We’re having not one, but two Jersey Shore Sin Hunter Summer Goody contests during the month of July!

Come down the shore with me for Christmas in July with my wonderful friends at Fresh Fiction.

From July 5 to July 26th you can enter the Jersey Shore SIN HUNTER Summer Goody contest to win a $25 B&N Gift Card, Autographed copy of SINS OF THE FLESH and SIN HUNTER Summer Goody bag which includes a STRONGER THAN SIN T-shirt & Tote bag, Jesse Bradford Rubber Football Ducky, Bath & Body Works Shower Gel, Mini-Beach Ball and Candy! Just click here for the contest or cut and paste this link in your browser: http://freshfiction.com/contest.php?id=2675

Join the fun at the Summer Beach Party with my amazing friends at Writerspace!

Register now for the July 18th event and a chance to win an assortment of prizes! If you’re lucky, you might win my prize which is:

Autographed ARC of STRONGER THAN SIN & SIN HUNTER Summer Goody bag which includes a STRONGER THAN SIN T-shirt & Tote bag, Jesse Bradford Rubber Football Ducky, Bath & Body Works Shower Gel, Mini-Beach Ball and Candy.

Click here to enter the 2010 Summer Beach Party Contest or cut and paste this link into your browser:
http://www.writerspace.com/beach/


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Special Valentine’s Blog!

Today is Valentine’s Day, a very special holiday for romance writers. In celebration of that special day, I’m taking part in the Writerspace Soiree! Drop by for lots of fun and exciting prizes! Here is some more info on it and make sure to register in advance for all the cool stuff:

It’s time again for the annual Writerspace Valentine Party, to celebrate love, chase away the winter doldrums and just to get in the mood for romance! So please join me and dozens of your favorite authors at the 2010 Valentine Soiree at Writerspace on Sunday, February 14th from 8pm ET to 11pm ET. Authors will be dropping in to chat all during the evening and we will be giving away 100s of new books and other fantastic prizes — autographed, hard-to-find, advance copies plus special treats like gift baskets and more. We hope to see you Sunday night! You don’t have to be present to win, but you must be registered. To register, and for details on all participating authors and the prizes they’re giving away, visit http://www.writerspace.com/Valentine. To register, click here!

On another exciting note, FURY CALLS my March 2009 release has been awarded a coveted CataNetwork Reviewers’ Choice Award for 2009. CataNetwork reviewers considered FURY CALLS one of the best that they have read and reviewed for CataRomance this year! Woo hoo! Thank you CataNetwork!