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Shattered

Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He’s tempted by her beauty—but he knows from experience that anyone desperate enough to live in his building is damaged goods. Besides, he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else.

Desperate

Sara Davis is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She’s not an abused wife, and she’s not a criminal. But she does have a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can’t risk telling him the secrets she’s hiding. There’s just too much at stake.

Driven to desire…

But Quinn must get closer to Sara when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and he discovers that there is something more complex and dangerous to her than he thought. Now, both Quinn and Sara will have to expose their true feelings—as well as their fragile hearts—if they hope their love will survive…

EXCERPT

He opened the door—

And stopped dead in his tracks as somebody all but fell into his arms. Somebody…a woman. And not Theresa.

He caught her just above her elbows, automatically steadying her.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice soft and low.

Then she lifted her face and Quinn found himself gazing into the biggest, brownest eyes he’d ever seen in his life. Feeling a little dazed, he studied her face while she stammered out another apology.

Quinn barely heard it.

He was too busy staring at her mouth. A very pretty mouth, a cupid’s bow mouth slicked with deep, vibrant red. Under his hands, he could feel silken smooth skin and unable to resist, he stroked a thumb along her inner arm.

Her skin was soft, soft and warm. He was also pretty sure she had the creamiest, most flawless skin imaginable. Her shoulder-length hair was a shade caught between blonde and brown, nondescript, but for some reason, he found himself thinking about tangling his fingers in that hair and holding her head still while he kissed that red-slicked mouth.

Well, hello…

read more…

I’m a fan of the funny and lighthearted paranormal writer Mindy Klasky and  I also happen to know that she’s a gracious and generous lady. One of her most recent acts of holiday generosity is to offer a free short story to her readers.

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Mindy’s HOW NOT TO MAKE A WISH, and if you enjoyed that, you’ll love this new story called WISHFUL THINKING.

This is probably a little racier than my readers would expect me to promote on my blog, but Jeanne’s a nice lady, and besides, she has a killer name, so without further ado:

What could be better than waking up next to a hot guy? Waking up sandwiched between two of them.

Quinn Preston, a financial analyst, is not happy when her friends dare her to pick up a handsome stranger at a wedding reception. What better reason to give up men when her previous long-term relationship had not only been lackluster in the bedroom but he had cheated.

Logan Reed, a successful farmer and business owner, can’t believe that he’s attracted to the woman in the ugly, Pepto-Bismol colored bridesmaid dress. And to boot, she’s more than tipsy. After turning down her invitation for a one-night stand, he finds her in the parking lot, too impaired to drive. He rescues her and takes her home. His home.
The next morning Quinn’s conservative life turns on its ear when Logan introduces her to pleasures she never even considered before. And to make things more complicated, Logan already has a lover…

Tyson White, ex-pro football player and Logan’s business partner, is completely in love with Logan. He has mixed emotions when Logan brings home Quinn. But the dares keep coming and things heat up with the three of them. Nevertheless Ty wonders: will adding Quinn to the mix end up enhancing or destroying Logan’s and his relationship?

Double Dare is an interracial ménage a trois (m/m/f) erotic romance that is sexually explicit, including light BDSM, anal sex, homosexuality, multiple partners, role playing and more.

Read Excerpts Here:

http://jeannestjames.blogspot.com/2009/12/double-dare-coming-january-5th-from.html

http://www.jeannestjames.com/bookshelf/double-dare-excerpt/

I read this book because someone told me not to. That’s how a lot of things happen in my life. I can’t resist a challenge and when someone professes moral outrage about a book, I have to see what all the fuss is about because I usually reserve my moral outrage for things like murder and–you know–stuff that actually hurts people.

Anyway, so what’s the skinny on Jasmine Haynes’ YOURS FOR THE NIGHT? Well, the heroines are all high priced call girls. Gasp. Get out your handkerchiefs, ladies, and fan yourselves before you faint away at the outrageous idea that sex workers might be people too, in search of a little love and happiness in their lives. I myself may need therapy to recover from the trauma of this earth-shattering premise, but in the meantime, I’ll give a quick overview of the three novellas contained in this book.

Those of you who are faint of heart will be happy to know that although this book is hot, it generally adheres to the most standard romance genre rules and expectations. In fact, the GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE was really only a feint at the fantasy. By and large, it’s a story about a financially-challenged real estate agent turned escort who falls in love with one of her first clients, a widower and single-dad.

The second story is a little racier, and more psychologically complex. In PAYBACK, we have a middle-aged divorcee who has taken up the guise of a high-priced escort to make herself feel sexy in the wake of her husband’s abandonment. As a heroine, she’s sophisticated and interesting. Her internal conflicts are perhaps more complicated than the story’s plotline would suggest. (She wants him to pay for it and he doesn’t want to pay for it, so that she’ll see him as someone to love, rather than just another client.)

At this point in the book, I despaired of it ever living up to a legacy of controversy. While well-written, it didn’t seem to be literary erotica. I would have categorized it more as steamy romance. And while I was very entertained, I wasn’t yet challenged or scandalized.

Having decided that the author was a tease, without even one perverse thought in her head, I went ahead and flipped to the last story in the book. TRIPLE PLAY.

Now, one of the fastest growing sub-genres is what we politely refer to as “the menage” so I’m not sure we can call this author a pioneer for writing about multiple sex-partners. But what Jasmine Haynes does in this story is break almost all the rules. The last story in her book isn’t about a woman who falls in love with more than one man. It’s about a woman who falls in love with one man, but still wants to have sex with others. It’s an alternate sexuality and it’s a fetish. It’s about voyeurism and exhibitionism, about submission and dominance (even though the characters specifically deny it) and it’s a direct challenge to traditional notions about monogamy.

Naturally, this is where the author absolutely shines. People whose sexual desires differ from the norm have always had struggles. Everyone knows this. But Jasmine Haynes actually explores those struggles, and she does so with sensitivity and grace. Jealousy and all the contradictions one might expect from her heroine’s situation are deeply explored. Luckily for her, the hero’s fetishes match up precisely, so she’s spared from having to make any heartbreaking choices. Even so, I found myself getting a little misty in parts. And I was unexpectedly touched.

Brava, Ms. Haynes. I’m so glad someone hated your book enough to make me read it. You’re a star!