In this scene from Hard Lust, Megan has continued to break countless rules—a no-no in Hell. Aroused by her spunk, Vespar tosses her over his shoulder and carries her to the club’s voyeur area. *** Megan hoped breaking the rules didn’t mean she’d have to face her demons—for real. Working double shifts at Sally Jean’s had almost killed her. Down here, she didn’t have the luxury of checking out permanently, only an eternity without any employee rights, raises, or bonuses. Unless she wanted to count a bite of chocolate every billion years. Or the sex. Vespar bypassed devils and servers humping on equipment she’d never envisioned nor heard about in Story of O, a book she couldn’t bring herself to read. Misogyny in real life was bad enough. Who’d want to revisit the same concept, juiced on steroids, for entertainment? Moans, grunts, and wails competed with the music. Upon climax, the servers and demons they passed wore ecstatic grimaces, each lost in their own world that had taken them far from the ordeals here. Maybe they were on to something. Hell might be hell, but sex with Andros, Racan, and Vespar, three of the hottest demons around, was another matter…

The king smiled. “Lady Marjorie, I bid you welcome. Forgive me for not seeing you sooner, but I had a great many matters of state to attend to.” His tone was affable, but as he moved toward her, she could hear a clinking sound, and her heart sank. The convent prioress’s cold warning had been true. James did wear an iron chain of penance under his doublet, in sorrow over his father’s death. Like the courtiers downstairs, he would never forget the high treason Lord Hepburn had been party to. “Your Grace,” she whispered, curtsying deeply. “It is an. . . an honor to be here.” “Your chamber is comfortable?” “It is lovely. The tapestries are beautiful.” “Good, good. There is someone I wish you to meet,” said the king, gesturing to his right. “Of course. . .” Marjorie’s voice trailed off as her mouth abruptly forgot how to form words. She was being introduced to Lady Janet Fraser? One of the most influential women in Scotland? That would be a mark of favor, surely. Confusion turned her mind to mud, but there was no mistaking the stunning beauty now standing in front of her. That blazing-red hair, not quite…

So, it happened. 2020 is here! We all talk about resolutions, but this got me thinking. As a reader, what are your resolutions? Could it be to read more books? To ditch paperbacks and embrace e-readers? To try a new-to-you author every month? Or, perhaps… reading outside your comfort zone. That’s one of my reader resolutions. I tend to favor m/f contemporary, erotic romance and mystery. It’s not that other genres don’t matter to me, they do, but we all have those kinds of books we’re drawn to. So, this year I will enrich my Goodreads Reading Challenge with more LGBTQ books, and who knows, maybe an inspirational or two (I tend to stay away from romances with no sex or closed-door sex).  I’m excited to open my mind to new reads and authors. Another resolution is…to listen to more audiobooks. I’ve come to love listening to audiobooks in my car. Guys, the amount of time I spend in my minivan (yes, glamorous! I know…) is ridiculous. When I have the children with me, I can’t listen to racy reads, but after I drop them off at school it’s fair game. And my third resolution as a reader is to…

We all have a tendency to read books that are safe and similar to things we’ve enjoyed before. Going outside our comfort zone can be surprisingly exciting. And a good shake-up of our usual reading habits helps keep us from getting into a dreaded apathetic slump. A truly bonkers sci-fi romance is healthy for every insatiable reader. Extraterrestrials, spaceships, and alien planets here we come! Here are some of the signs that you’re ready for a total shake-up of your romance reading and are ripe for an out-of-this world sci-fi romance. The last ten books you’ve read have all been in the same subgenre. It’s amazing when we get on a roll of a whole bunch of books that are similar and we dependably know we’ll love. But watch out! If we read the same types of books all the time, sooner or later, we’re going to get burned out by our tried and true. So! Before that happens, a sci-fi romance can spice up your reading. After your wild ride is over, you can return to your regular reads refreshed and rejuvenated and still loving your fav authors and genre. You’re in a reading slump Oh no… if this…

“To bask in passion’s glow. To bathe in love’s fountain. To swim in the rivers of Eros.” “It sounds quite vile. No thank you.” It was very difficult not to laugh. She managed it, just. MUCH ADO ABOUT DUTTON by Claudia Dain The other day one of the authors in one of the many online reading groups I’m in posted a question asking readers how many love scenes they demanded in a romance. I get why authors ask this, but I feel like it’s a difficult thing for readers to answer. I know there has been a lot of debate and general discussion about how many love scenes/sex scenes put in romances, and over how the quantity and quality of love scenes in a book should be advertised to readers. I remember reading a few years ago that a favorite romance author of mine felt pressured by her publisher to include a specific number of sex scenes in her book. I felt that was unfair; not just because I think that she should be allowed complete freedom in her creative process, but also because those scenes weren’t what I found most enjoyable about her books. In the end, I took…

Every year, when December rolls around, I find myself gravitating back toward the same books over and over again. They’re my ultimate comfort reads, the books I want to curl up with when the snow it falling and it’s bitterly cold outside. It’s been enough years at this point that it really feels like visiting old friends for the holidays, which just adds to the attraction of these particular rereads. What books are these? Of course, I’ll tell you! The Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop. I first discovered these books when I was in high school, and they only seem to get better with each reread. Anne Bishop doesn’t shy away from some truly dark topics, but she has this wonderful way of threading the darkness with amazing relationships, found families, and surprising humor. I love all her stuff, but the original Black Jewels trilogy is the one I gravitate back toward again and again. Kushiel’s Legacy trilogy by Jacqueline Carey. I’ve had the original trilogy so long that my paperback is starting to fall apart, and I’ve since re-purchased digital copies to save my arms (they’re VERY long books). Jacqueline Carey is straight up brilliant with how she…