Blogiversary Celebration and Giveaway: Welcome to Author R. Phoenix!

We’re so pleased to welcome author R. Phoenix today to help us celebrate our 5th Blogiversary. She’s sharing some news about her upcoming release, Too Close, as well as a teaser from it and her M/M/F novella Gifts, and she’s also offering a great giveaway, so be sure to visit the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

Welcome, R.!

Happy Blogiversary to one of my favorite blogs! (No, I’m not sucking up. Okay. Maybe a little. ;-) ) I’ve been impressed by the quality and depth of the reviews coming out of this blog, and they’ve been graceful about handling my… er… quirkiness. Yeah. Let’s go with quirky. Anyway, I’m so happy to be a part of this event. I’ll be giving away copies of two e-books, which includes an ARC of my newest due out on 12/30. I’ve provided some information below as well as an excerpt from my upcoming (and first) contemporary romance, Too Close. Here goes!

About Too Close

Too Close is a Contemporary Romance that might even have a happy ending. MIGHT. I know. I’m shocked, too. Please note the warnings on domestic abuse and violence, as the scenes may be triggering for some readers.

Skylar Orion’s life has been complicated ever since his mother abandoned him and his sister Evie. Making ends meet seemed impossible until Tate Chandler took them in — his knight in shining armor who promised to make life about more than just surviving. But Tate is not the man he seemed to be, and even his whispered I love yous and generous gifts do little to soothe the pain he causes. Knowing he can’t give his sister all that she deserves without Tate, Skylar stays with him, relying on bad puns and a worse sense of humor to keep up the charade.

He will do anything for his sister, even if that means acting the responsible adult and going back to his old high school to meet Dexter Weston, the hot math teacher who can make even algebra interesting. Sparks fly between the two of them, but with his dependence on Tate, Skylar isn’t free to follow his heart. He wants what is best for Evie, but can he pass up the chance to find love that heals instead of harms?

For more information and a link when it goes live on 12/30, please check out my Facebook Page. (I promise to update it. Pinky swear.) If you want to read the first few chapters, you can check it out at Instafreebie until release day.

Excerpt

I turn, and I run right into some guy. He’s taller than I am and probably heavier if the solid mass I bump into is any indication, but all I can see is the deep blue of his polo shirt as I stumble. His large hands come up to my arms, steadying me, and I wince as his fingers dig into the motley bruises hidden under my shirt sleeves.

I manage to stop wobbling, taking a step back. “I…” I fumble, trying to remember how to use words. I decide that my vocal cords are going to cooperate with me and try again. “Shit, sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going. I’m so sorry.”

There. That wasn’t too hard.

“No problem,” he says, and I look up at him.

His dark eyes are as warm as his voice, and there are smile lines etched into his features. I shouldn’t be noticing how attractive he is, but I can’t seem to think about anything else.

“You okay?” he asks.

Which he’s definitely not asking because I’m staring.

I hope.

“I should be asking you that. Then again, I think you could have a great career doubling as a brick wall,” I say. As usual, my mouth runs faster than my common sense can stop it, and I wince.

To my surprise, he laughs. “It’s no problem. I’m fine.”

I offer him a sheepish smile, feeling awkward despite his reaction. “Again, I really am sorry.”

He shakes his head. “No need to be.” He glances at me, and he quirks a brow. “Now, we do need to do something about the phone and your ID.”

My phone? Why would we have to do anything about it? I clutch it more protectively in my hand. If anything happens to it, Tate will be furious. “Er…”

“Phones can’t be out on campus,” he says.

I stare at him, dumbfounded.

His brown eyes remain warm despite the comment, and he adds, “Did you forget your ID?”

What the hell? It’s almost like… It dawns on me, and I eye him. There has to be something clever to say, but if there is, it’s not springing to mind. At least I’m not standing here with my mouth open, trying to catch flies. Bonus points.

“I’ll walk you to the office to get a temporary ID,” he says, nodding toward the front building. He runs a hand through his brown hair as he says, “Procedure.”

“Um.” I start following him as I try to figure out how to say I’m not a student. Duh, Skylar. Just say that. Not everything has to be a smartass comment. “I’m not. A student, that is.”

He stops, and I run into him again.

God, that ass.

Damn it. My cheeks grow warm as I meet his bemused stare. “We have to stop meeting like this,” I say feebly.

About Gifts

(paranormal dystopian bisexual/MMF erotica)

Before Imriel Conti was condemned to a life of slavery, the sheltered young witch had never been with anyone. Now that he is in the hands of a sensual and controversial power couple at the pinnacle of supernatural society — manipulative vampire Callia Odessa and her lover, powerful witch Draven Foss — all of that is about to change. Coveting him for his accursed but prized gift, they take him into their household, where he finds his morals and innocence equally

This novella contains explicit M/F and M/M/F scenes. All characters are 18+.

Available at Amazon (and in Kindle Unlimited)

Excerpt

“Do you want to stop?” she asked, her eyes searching his.

Imriel shook his head fervently, feeling the ache deep in his groin. If they stopped, he would explode. “I just can’t relax,” he explained, shame turning his already pink cheeks bright red. “I’m trying, Callie.”

Callia nodded, her lips finding the tip of his nose in a brief, teasing kiss. And then he felt her lips trail to his neck, and he tensed more. Her tongue slid against his throat. She murmured, “When I bite, let the spell go, love.”

He stared wide eyed over her head, the idea of releasing the spell holding back their thoughts from him more terrifying than the idea of surrendering his virginity.

“Trust us,” Draven urged. He paused for a moment, but all Imriel could think about was how the witch loomed above both Callia and him.

“Okay,” he croaked out, but terror seized his spine.

“Shh, my beautiful boy,” Callia whispered. “You’re safe with us.”

About the Author

R. Phoenix has an unhealthy fascination with contrasts: light and dark, heroes and villains, order and chaos. She believes that love can corrupt and power can redeem. Her muse is a sadomasochistic slave driver who thinks it’s terribly amusing to give her the best ideas when she just got comfortable and warm in bed, and she passes on that torture to her readers. She also tries entirely too hard to be funny, and she mercilessly inflicts her terrible sense of humor upon anyone who speaks to her. She’d love it if you’d say hello!

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