New Release - Lea Bronsen - Dark Brilliance

  Everything can be bought. Except love. Kace Karrington is a wealthy, self-made investor with no qualms about steamrolling others to achieve his goals. He’s attracted to men, but picks up beautiful women, giving the cold, unfeeling world of Finance the appearance he’s successful...powerful. That is until he meets a smoking hot street punk eager to show him there’s more to life than making money. #Billionaire #Manlove #Gay #MM #Romance  

Available from

Books2Read / Amazon.com / Amazon.uk / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks / Smashwords

Put the book on your to-read shelf on Goodreads

See photos that inspired me to write the book on Pinterest

 

Excerpt

And then happens what happens to me once in a long while: he catches my attention. I mean really makes me stop and stare. I’m attracted to men, after all, and some can be surprisingly handsome. This specimen is a lot more so than one would imagine of a drug addict. Strong, symmetrical features and tanned skin make quite the tableau with full lips, an aquiline nose, and dark green, gold-flecked irises framed by thick eyelashes. Even unkempt blond hair and a three-day stubble look sexy on him. This is the guy who calls himself my sister’s friend? He’s so easy on the eyes, he has to be more than a friend. He scowls. “Do you always do that?” “Do what?” I take in the rest of him. He’s my height, but much skinnier. Probably can’t afford to go to a gym and do weights three times a week like I do. “Refuse to shake someone’s hand,” he replies, tone offended. His voice sounds light but mature. Warm, comfortable to the ear. “While your sister’s in there…fighting for her life.” Tears form in his eyes. So, their redness was due to him crying. “Sorry, it’s the nerves.” I give him my hand. “Yeah.” He accepts to shake it, but his wet glare tells me he’s not convinced. Me? I’m so taken aback by his good looks and intense presence, I almost forget why I came out of the room. Oh yeah. Coffee.  

About the author

Lea Bronsen likes her reads hot, fast, and edgy, and strives to give her own stories the same intensity. After a deep dive on the unforgiving world of gangsters with her debut novel Wild Hearted, she divides her writing time between romantic suspenses, dark erotic romances, and crime thrillers.

Meet Lea Bronsen on

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / BookBub / Instagram / Goodreads / Amazon

 

A look at Muse and Spice - Rainbow Awards Winners

  (actually a post for the Evernight Blog, reproduced here because I can 😏 )

Best Transgender Romance 

and 

Best Transgender Book 2018-2019

A Muse to Live For

A Muse to Live For is the story of a Victorian painter and the crossdressing male prostitute who becomes his muse and lover. As one of the Rainbow Awards Honorable Mentions correctly points out, Gabriel/le is “not so much trans as truly androgynous”. I thought this was truly central to this character, who, at a time when coming out and transitioning were out of question, must be pragmatic about his identity, and straddle the lines between common sense, sexual fetish, artistic performance, and gender dysphoria as best they could.

This is my first serious attempt at historical fiction, and oh boy, was it a steep learning curve! There was so much to research that at times it was all I could do to write a paragraph in one day! I was delighted when one reviewer commented “I googled this”, as they thought it might be genuinely historical. There’s no higher praise for a fiction writer!

Part of the realistic feel comes perhaps from the locale of the story. I was stubbornly set on avoiding the more usual historical romance haunts. No ballrooms, no dukes and debutantes, no grand country houses. We have a saying in Italy, "nothing grows from diamonds; flowers grow from manure". Perhaps I am just more familiar with manure than diamonds, but given my fascination for Pre-Raphaelite painters and their penchant for picking stunning beautiful lower class women as models, muses and wives, it was natural that I would gravitate towards the less glamorous districts and professions, and the often harrowing life of the London poor. 

In a story that is so much about the creation of art, the contrast between the darkness of the setting and the purity of love and beauty found within it has an almost painterly chiaroscuro effect that gives much more depth and brilliance to the characters and their journey.

A Muse to Live For on Amazon 

Best Transgender Romance  2018 - 2019

Spice & Vanilla

Spice &Vanilla was originally conceived as a quick and hot Erotic Romance, but then the story got out of hand entirely and became a true emotional roller-coaster. The core of this novel is Lucie’s struggle for acceptance after her first disastrous coming out. When I first started researching M to F crossdressing and transition I was struck by how many heart-breaking stories of coming out, rejection and purging popped up on forums and message boards. Purging is a word often used to describe the heartrending destruction of all female clothes and accessories from one’s closet (real and metaphorical), in an attempt to repress one’s gender queerness. It goes without saying that the material objects carry more meaning than just “clothes”, “hats”, “lipstick”, "mascara". It’s a whole, real identity that gets denied existence.

It’s a tremendously painful (and alas common, and recurrent) experience for some people, in a world where gender issues are still very little understood by the majority of the population, despite all the howling media coverage we are witnessing every day. It strikes me as odd that so few transgender stories are written for a cisgender public, because this is something sorely needed to bridge the gap in understanding.

It takes I think an almost superhuman courage to collect the pieces after such a rejection, and find the hope and determination to try, again, and again, to find love and acceptance.

I wanted to explore this in detail, and other things. The different nuances of crossdressing as a sexual fetish and crossdressing as an exploration of a different and whole gender identity, for example. Two things that can overlap, but are also distinct. Gender issues are a very intriguing and poignant way for a writer to explore the depth and intricacy of the human psyche.

And I wanted to write about the collateral damage of an awkward coming out. After all it’s pointless to deny that transition affects the lives of spouses and families too, often very painfully. Compassion respect and understanding are things that must go both ways for love to survive.

Spice & Vanilla on Amazon 

Rainbow Awards Winner - Best Transgender Romance 2018-2019

I am more honored and happy than I can possibly express in words that both A Muse to Live For and Spice & Vanilla were voted Best Transgender Romance(s) of 2018-2019 at the Rainbow Awards.

I could never have dreamed of such a wonderful tie! Both these stories mean so much to me, especially Muse, and they happen to be subtly interconnected, so it's lovely to see them making their way in the world together!

Story-telling is a lonely occupation as a rule, but publishing a book is not, and in this occasion I'd like to mention and thank all the people who made this Award possible for me.

First of all, Sandra Bunino and  Lynn Burke, who sponsored my Rainbow Awards entries at a time when I was fantastically broke.

Christine Klocek-Lim, the acquisition editor who decided these crazy, bittersweet, convoluted, obsessive stories were worth publishing.

Evernight Publishing, who gave a home to my books again and again.

Jay Aheer for the lovely cover art on all my recent releases.

My editor, Karyn White, who tirelessly fights with me over every story and somehow manages to make my more introverted characters talk, so that readers can get to know what's going on in their heads, something I tend to neglect!

All the friends and readers who took the time to comment and encourage me, and give me confidence in my writing, especially (in random order) Jessie Pinkham, Christine Potter, Katerina Ross, Sally Bend, Lea Bronsen and K. T. Vaughn.

And all the wonderful men and women who have inspired my stories and helped my characters come to life, in particular Tim Boyle, Paul Boche, Henry Ian Cusick, and my true muse and much missed friend, Danila Kovalev, without whose contribution A Muse to Live For would never have come to life.

New Release - Lynn Burke - Flog me, Sir

Happy as always to host my indefatigable sister in Romance and Gardening, Lynn Burke, today with her new realease, Flog Me, Sir, book 2 in the Bonds of Worship series!

   

Flog Me, Sir

by Lynn Burke

#MF #BDSM #Billionaire #Romance

BLURB

He offers freedom. She fears addiction. Can Garret coax Lissa to submit to his desire to pleasure her through pain, or will it be her needs that bring him to his knees?

GET YOUR COPY TODAY! 
➣ Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/FLOGMESIR 
➣ B&Nhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flog-me-sir-lynn-burke/1133815394 
➣ iTunes https://books.apple.com/us/book/flog-me-sir/id1481471819 
➣ Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/959585

EXCERPT:

My guest room door clicked open before I could move, and I snapped my mouth shut from asking what the hell, when Lissa came in, a bucket of cleaning supplies in hand. Similar black and white clothing like the evening before covered her from neck to ugly black shoes.

She kept her head down, dirty-blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, her face free of makeup.

I tracked her as she moved toward the bathroom, unaware I still lay in bed.

Mrs. Hummel ruled the Laurent estate, ruled the live-in staff who kept the mansion running like a spotless timepiece—which also never missed a beat. She knew I hadn’t yet been downstairs. She also knew my lazy ass liked to linger in bed long after everyone else sat for breakfast.

A corner of my lip curled as I realized what Tillie girl was playing at. I eased back against the headboard and grinned.

“Good morning.”

Lissa shrieked and spun, her gaze landing on my barely sheet-covered, sprawled body. “Oh! Oh, God...I’m so sorry!” She scrambled toward the door.

“No, it’s alright. You don’t have to run off,” I shot out with a chuckle, not ready to let her escape.

Lissa paused, grasping the door handle, her gaze averted. “I didn’t know you were here,” she said in a rush. “Mrs. Hummel had said to get started on your room. I’d assumed she’d seen you, and—”

“It’s alright,” I repeated, cutting her off.

She glanced over at me again, her face red, but she jerked her focus away just as fast.

The sheet covered one of my legs, my groin, and lower abs, but nothing else.

“I’m afraid that Mrs. Hummel made a mistake,” she said, still clutching the door handle.

“Tillie girl doesn’t make mistakes.” As I stated the truth, I zoned in on Lissa’s stance—slightly stooped shoulders, bowed head, and lowered gaze.

“Lissa.”

She turned her widened hazel eyes on my face as though understanding my command to look at me by simply stating her name. I studied her until she shifted, and I loved that she didn’t look away. Her pulse jumped in her neck, her lips slightly parted as though trying to control her breathing.

“Do you wash the bathroom floors on your hands and knees?” I finally asked.

Her brow furrowed. “That’s the only way to properly clean a floor.”

I grinned and nestled into the bed as though getting comfortable and ready to enjoy the show. “Then by all means,” I said, motioning toward the bathroom, “continue.”

She glanced toward the open door and back to me. “You want to watch—” Her mouth snapped shut, her face burning a sudden luscious shade of red that spread down her neck beneath the starched, white button-down hiding her small breasts.

“Cat got your tongue?” I couldn’t help but tease as she stared at me as though trying to figure me out.

“You’re joking with me,” she finally said, her brow furrowing deeper.

I took my time raking my gaze down over her straightened form, enjoying the hell out of her display of spunk. I wanted to see more of it—and I wanted to mark her pale skin until she melted beneath my hands and begged to follow me around like a needy little pussy cat.

My dick wanted the same thing.

“I’m not,” I murmured, my smile gone, my focus returning to her face.

Her breath caught as her attention dropped to the sheet tenting over my groin. She yanked open my guest room door, disappearing in a clatter of cleaning supplies jostling in the bucket she clutched.

I chuckled and palmed my dick again, deciding to make a mess on the sheets she would be back to strip off the bed later.

© Lynn Burke 2018

And if you are curious about the first book, this is the time to get it:

 Get the first book in the series for ONLY .99 Cents for a limited time!  Grab it before the price goes up!

BLURB

Jordan knows everyone wants to use him for his family name and wealth. 

Natalie is forced to take on the heavy responsibility of a troublesome sibling. 

Can Natalie prove to Jordan that the only thing she wants from him is his love and dominance? Or will a misunderstanding cause Jordan to lose the submissive of his dreams? 

#99cents #JordanAndHisLove #NatalieAndHerSir #BDSM #HEA #BillionaireRomance

GRAB YOUR .99 CENT COPY OF BIND ME, SIR HERE:

➣ Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/BINDMESIR 
➣ iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/bind-me-sir/id1477095020 
➣ B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1132958903 
➣ Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bind-me-sir   

ABOUT LYNN BURKE

Lynn Burke is a full-time mother, voracious gardener, and scribbler of spicy romance stories. A country bumpkin turned Bay Stater, she enjoys her chowdah and Dunkin Donuts when not trying to escape the reality of city life. As a voracious reader herself, Lynn appreciates all of her readers, and hopes she can take them on a journey with her writing.

Website: https://www.authorlynnburke.com/ 
Blog: http://authorlynnburke.blogspot.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Lynn-Burke-555282497937461/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorLynnBurke 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlynnburke/
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/authorlynnburke
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lynn-burke 

   

New Release - Lea Bronsen - Carnivora

I have fallen off the edge of the universe for a while, but here I am, back in business. I could not miss a chance to tell you about this book. Very very happy to have my beautiful and extra-smart bestie, Lea Bronsen, on my blog today, with her new, very dark creature. It's been several years in the making and it sounds amazing (and really scary). Read on!

Hi, and thank you for having me on your blog! I’ve always been fascinated by dark psychological thrillers that mess with your mind and keep you on the edge of your seat. I toyed with the genre writing my debut novel Wild Hearted, but labeled it a crime drama. Its sequel, Carnivora, evolved over six years to become a full-blown hold-your-breath thriller that deals with grave issues such as kidnapping, child sex trafficking, and self-harm. Telling five parallel stories with as many voices, it gives you the perspectives of a police informant, a hunted gangster, a mad avenger, an inconsolable girlfriend, and a psychotic kidnapper. I pull no punches weaving these stories, so be prepared for a dark, gritty, and graphic read – a little dirty on the erotic side – that I hope will play with your strings and stick with you for a long time. Please note that this is part 1 of Carnivora and I am currently working on parts 2 and 3, so if those cliffhangers at the end are killing you, don’t despair. The continuation is right around the corner!  

 

Blurb

Fight evil with evil. TOMOR Crime lord Tomor is serving a life sentence behind bars. Without warning, he’s abducted by mysterious men. A sick manhunt is on, with people around him dying like flies. He will need all his street flair and gangster skills to prevent his loved ones from ending up on the death list. LUZ Luz grieves the loss of her lover while striving to take care of their baby. The last thing she needs is to fall for the new neighbor. DAVID A year after he betrayed his adoptive father and sent him to jail, David is slowly rebuilding his life. Then everything falls apart again: he learns that Tomor has escaped, and his police connections lead him to a child sex trafficking ring involving cold, powerful men. The cops are in over their heads with “Project Carnivora” … Perhaps the only one who can help bust the pedophile predators is an equally vicious devil: Tomor, the country’s most hunted criminal.  

Available from

Books2Read / Amazon.com / Amazon.uk / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks / Smashwords

Put the book on your to-read shelf on Goodreads

See photos that inspired me to write the book on Pinterest

 

 

Excerpt

“Time to change your bandage again,” the nurse mutters, voice cool, and pulls my orange-colored sleeve up to the elbow. She unrolls the long strip of bandage from my wrist and tugs at one corner of the gauze plastered on my wound. It sticks as if glued to the freshly grown skin, and instead of removing the gauze carefully, she tears if off hard, discharging pain through my arm, wrist-to-shoulder. I open my eyes and lift my head off the pillow. “What the fuck are ya doing, trying to reopen the wound or something?” “Like you care.” She stops pulling and glares, gauze between her fingers. “I can see who you are inside. You’re playing tough, aren’t you, bad guy? But you can’t fool me.” “Shut up.” I lay down again, huffing, and stare at the white ceiling above me with its rows of long neon lights. “You’re a good man.” I glance back. “I said, shut the fuck up.” Her eyes shine. She rips off the remaining gauze, ignoring my grunt of pain, and throws it in a bin. “Look.” No fuck. “Look at it,” she insists, voice low and demanding. No. I know what I’ve done, and I can imagine what it looks like. A six centimeter-long deep, reddish, scratched-up ridge along my artery. Layers of skin, fat, meat, and whatnot must be visible and sweating a pinkish liquid from the reborn pores. I don’t need to see it. I guess the girl wants me to be so horrified, I’ll never attempt suicide again. That’s right. She wants to shock me into acceptance. You gotta be fucking kidding me, little thing. She shakes her head. “I don’t understand why they gave you the life sentence.” “You mean they shoulda given me the chair?” Instead of responding to my sarcasm, she pivots to look up at the clock and widens her eyes as if realizing she forgot an appointment. Face tense, she returns to her work, applies some cool, gel-like liquid on the wound, and bandages it with quick routine moves. What’s up with her? In my three days in this woman’s company, I’ve noted the things that make her tick. Maybe she’s upset because I’m leaving the infirmary soon. Earlier, she said she didn’t know when I’d be ready to go back to my cell. She probably knows now, but doesn’t want to tell me. The door opens. She jumps. A uniformed guard pokes his head in, checks the small room, and exits. She seems frozen in place, features tense. Staring ahead and taking deep breaths as if trying to regain composure. I cock my head a little. “What’s going on? They gonna transfer me?” She visibly swallows and fixes her gaze on some point on the wall. I snicker. “Are you sad ‘cause I’m leaving?” Ha, I can be so ugly, when the girl clearly likes me. As she sits there avoiding me, I take the time to check out her tits, and drink in the amazing sight of their pressing against her green blouse with each breath. She doesn’t have a name tag. Come to think of it, none of the personnel do. Evidently, so the inmates can’t identify their ‘caretakers’, and should they by some miracle leave the premises, track them down. I nod to her blouse. “What’s your name?” She twists back to me, brows raised, before shaking her head. “I can’t tell you that.” “C’mon, I’ll never see you again.” I grin, then add with an ironic snicker, teasing her, “They’ll never let me slash my wrists, or hang myself.” She looks away and busies herself collecting the medical stuff, throwing a quick, almost invisible glance to the door. What the hell is making her so nervous? Coldness fills my chest. Something’s up. “Come on, Babe,” I coax with my most gentle, sensual voice, wanting to buy time. “Tell me your name.” “Why?” she whispers, fidgeting with the roll of bandage. “’Cause I want a name to your pretty face when I jack off in my cell.”

See Also:

Wild Hearted

 

About the author

Lea Bronsen likes her reads hot, fast, and edgy, and strives to give her own stories the same intensity. After a deep dive on the unforgiving world of gangsters with her debut novel Wild Hearted, she divides her writing time between romantic suspenses, dark erotic romances, and crime thrillers.

Meet Lea Bronsen on

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads / Amazon / Pinterest