Hello Everyone!
Welcome to my September
Symposium!
This month is all about bringing sexy back! What do you consider sexy? Is it something you see, a mood you feel?
So many things can be considered sexy...which is why I asked my friends and fellow authors to tell us about some of the things that get their pulses racing. Read on and find out what they had to say!
LAURIE ROMA: When I think about what I find sexy, my first reaction is obviously a good looking man, and muscles. Oh yeah, do I enjoy muscles on a man. Or it could be a man’s quiet confidence, someone who knows exactly who they are and what they want. But after considering the question a little deeper, I think that sometimes it’s the little things that make my heart flutter. What do I mean by that? It could be something simple, like a man’s hand at the small of my back, leading me through a crowd, or that look a man gives me through a crowd that makes it seem like we are the only two people in the room. And nothing is sexier than knowing a strong, smart, savvy, man wants me so much that he loses control. Knowing that...now, that is swoon worthy. *wink wink*
Daryk “Dare” Nyght is a man on the edge. As a trauma surgeon in the Army, he has seen his share of combat, but his high-risk lifestyle has left him burnt out and in desperate need of some peace. A man without a home, Dare heads to the small town of Breakers to get some rest and spend some time with a few friends, but what he finds there is more than he ever expected...
Evelyn Beaumont is a woman who seems to have it all. Evie has grace, beauty and wealth, but she hides from painful memories by burying herself in her work at the rescue center she runs. When these two lost souls come together in a clash of wills, the sparks between them are undeniable. Will passion be enough or can they find a way to open their hearts for a chance at true love?
BUY LINKS:
EVE LANGLAIS: To me sexy isn’t always about the size or shape of a body, the whiteness of a smile, or other physical trait, but attitude. A man with a forceful personality, loads of charm and a positive outlook will attract me more than the shy, silent type no matter how good looking. Confidence, swagger and a bold nature draw people, so even if a man might have a few years on him, or a less than perfect physique, he’s sexy. I think a prime example of this is Jean Luc Picard (Star Trek actor). With his bald head, beak nose and slim build, most women wouldn’t have spared him a second glance if they passed him on the street, but throw him in a uniform on the bridge of a ship and have him bark out orders and deal with high pressure situations with firmness…Swoon. Completely, utterly sexy.
A bullheaded moose doesn’t stand a chance when a fox decides to make him her mate.
Boris left to defend his country still a boy. He came back a changed man. A damaged man.
But Jan still wants him.
A man of few words, Boris has a firm way of saying No, but a determined vixen knows he’s her mate. Jan has not had much success in getting her bullheaded moose to notice her, but all that changes when her life is put in danger.
Suddenly the damaged soldier keeps finding excuses to come to her rescue, but as far as Jan is concerned, her mate is the one in need of saving.
It will take some subtle maneuvering to outfox her moose into admitting he loves her, but this wily vixen is more than ready for the challenge. And if that doesn’t work, momma’s offered to loan her the shot gun used for her own engagement.
It will take some subtle maneuvering to outfox her moose into admitting he loves her, but this wily vixen is more than ready for the challenge. And if that doesn’t work, momma’s offered to loan her the shot gun used for her own engagement.
Welcome to Kodiak Point, where the wildlife might wear clothes, but animal instinct rules the heart.
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JOEY W. HILL: For a man, it’s his forearms, especially when he’s wearing a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Or he can just be wearing a regular shirt.
Like the attached picture of Jeremy Renner that someone sent me. Of course I find the text combined with his pose particularly damn sexy as well, but LOOK at those forearms! Lol – beyond that, it’s charisma. Certain men carry a brand of charisma that stamps sexy right on them, no matter their physical looks. Without it, they might be plain as a dinner plate, but with it, you want to watch everything they do. Examples that spring to mind – Adrien Brody, Paul Bettany and Benedict Cumberbatch. When I watch Benedict play Sherlock (or Khan) or Paul in Wimbledon or Knight’s Tale, you see it shine. And there are actors who ARE really good looking according the typical standards, but charisma gives them that extra edge – Chris Pine or Hugh Jackman, anyone?
Vampires drink blood, they’re superior to humans, and they’re sexual Dominants. Every vampire knows those truths. A vampire’s human servant is property, plaything, pawn—and the only living being a vampire can trust. Though she may own him, body, heart and soul, a human servant keeps a vampire from feeling alone in her dangerous, political world. But Kaela has a secret. She’s a vampire with a burning need to submit, to belong to a Master, and definitely not a vampire Master, who will use the advantage for political or emotional domination. But what kind of human male will consent to becoming a vampire’s servant, a 300-year life of utter servitude, to be her Master behind closed doors? An invitation to Eden offers her the chance to discover her elusive hero…and indulge the bliss of surrender...
Elusive Hero is a standalone addition to Joey W. Hill’s Vampire Queen series, but will be released November 4, 2014 as part of the Invitation to Eden series, www.invitationtoeden.com. Join 27 authors on 27 trips to the island of Eden, Mar-Dec 2014, as their characters find out if the mysterious resort can truly bring fantasies to life…
Look for Elusive Hero at Amazon, B&N, Kobo and preferred booksellers on or before November 4, 2014.
NJ WALTERS: What makes a sexy hero? Ask a dozen women and you’ll get a dozen different answers, but I think there are some things that universally appeal to all women. Okay, the first thing is obviously looks. A hot looking guy is sexy, but even what makes a guy hot will vary between women. Beard or clean-shaven, muscular or lean, long hair or short, blue eyes or brown. It’s personal choice. What really makes a man sexy is self-confidence, honesty and a code of ethics. A man who will face any problem that arises head-on. A woman wants to know she can depend on her man when times are tough. A sense of humor is very sexy. Women like a man who can make them laugh in good times and bad. Most of all a woman want someone to talk to and snuggle with at the end of the day.
Salvation Pack, Book 2
Anny Conrad is a single thirty-year-old librarian—a cliché complete with two cats. Dragged out to a local bar, she’s rethinking her life plan over a few drinks when a man walks up and asks her to dance. And what a man. Tall, rugged and more than a little untamed. Before she knows it, she’s in his arms and throwing caution to the wind.
With a pack war in full, deadly swing, the last thing Armand LaForge needs right now is a woman in his life, much less a human. But one thing is certain, he’s met his mate, the one woman in the world for him.
The kindest thing to do is give her all the hot sex she wants and then leave her alone. But when the morning comes, fate isn’t done screwing with them. Anny is confronted with the fact that the myths in her library books are real…and now she’s one of them.
LACEY THORN: What is sexy to me? Presence, charm, genuine smile, and eye contact. It doesn’t always matter what someone looks like. Physical attraction plays a key role, but different things attract me to different people. Sense of humor is key, especially when he can laugh at himself. Being attentive to me, which includes small touches and affection, are a must as well. It’s the way I get giddy when he texts me or calls. The small gestures which show me how much I matter to him. It’s how he treats me in front of his friends. Honestly, it’s the way he treats me period. Am I important to him or just a convenience. Sexy is so much more than a body type or hair color, tattoos or the bad boy vibe, at least to me. I think my heroines would agree, lol!
He's only human...
The only thing Logan despises more than a weak man is one who preys on others. He finds himself in a battle between a group of people he never dreamed existed, and those who want them dead.
A captured lioness...
Clara has always known she carried the spirit of a lioness within her. An impulsive quest finds her at the mercy of a man she's spent her entire life hearing of. She wants to claim her place as part of his pride, but to do so means turning her back on the one who reared her.
Mine...
One look at Clara has Logan chomping at the bit to protect her. Every moment spent together assures him she feels the same. She's the one with a beast inside, but he's the one feeling territorial. Every glance has his chest swelling with primal need. Every touch sends one word echoing through his mind. Soon he'll show her exactly what it means to belong.
BUY LINKS:
SUSAN HAYES: What do I think is sexy? That’s a hell of a long list! I could wax poetic about broad shoulders and laughing eyes, or talk about the sex appeal of a wicked sense of humor. The touch of a hand, a tender word…but there’s one thing that can make anyone sexy no matter who they are, confidence. Not the swagger of arrogance, but the powerful, oh so alluring strength of purpose that transforms someone from the inside out. The way they walk, talk, the cocky curve of their lip as they smile…there is something truly sexy about a man who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it.
Two bullets. That’s all it took to change Taggart Wilde’s life. His wounds have healed, but his career as a police officer is over. Struggling to move on, Tag searches for new purpose, and ends up finding it in the most unlikely of places.
Jolena Miller’s passion is fixing up classic cars. As the owner of her own garage, she has convinced herself she’s happy just being one of the guys, unnoticed and unremarkable…until she meets Tag.
One look at the curvy little mechanic has Tag’s engine revving, and he is determined to make her his. But just as Jo starts to believe they might have a future together, her ex-husband reappears in her life, stirring up old pains and new problems. When pushed to the edge, can two lonely hearts fight for a future together, or will the past be too much to overcome?
ROSANNA LEO: Thanks for having me, Laurie. My favorite topic: sexiness. I find many things sexy (par for the course for a romance author), but what does it for me every time is a knowing look between two pairs of eager eyes. Probably the sexiest look a man can give a woman is after the first time he's seen her naked. He can now appreciate her charms in a whole, new way. I love writing scenes from the hero's POV in which he quietly appraises her from a distance, having just seen everything. That look of hunger, of wanting to taste her skin again, is very sexy to me. He now knows her intimately and the eyes can express that hunger so well. They darken, perhaps they narrow with focus as he hones in on her, and each blink seems laden with need. Now that's sexy!
When Nina Suzuki discovers the body of her best friend Janine, her world turns upside down. Things go from bad to worse when Janine’s corpse seems to transform into that of a large, brown wolf. For the first time, Nina is faced to confront all the clues indicating her BFF was not what she seemed. A letter from the dead woman opens Nina’s eyes to a strange, new world. The same letter warns of a sinister group called the Alpha Brethren, and urges her to find Killian Moon of the Ursa Fishing Lodge and Resort on Gemini Island.
Killian Moon is a jaguar shifter and teen mentor at the Ursa Lodge in Northern Ontario. He may be a comfort and inspiration to confused teen shifters, but he also has a fiery past. His past comes back to haunt him when human Nina arrives at the resort, demanding to speak with him. Demanding answers. Can he trust her with knowledge that will not only change her life, but possibly endanger those around him?
As Killian begrudgingly tutors Nina on all things shifter, their mutual curiosity flares into passionate need. Once they touch, once they succumb to desire, there is no going back. Killian realizes Nina is his mate and they both begin to comprehend the terror threatening those on their shifter-friendly island. He is forced to confront the tragedy in his family and determines to protect Nina at all costs.
But can they protect everyone they love from a cult of dangerous shifters, intent on horror and destruction?
BUY LINKS:
SAM CRESCENT: Sexy can mean so many things from a way a man and woman look, to the deeply erotic happenings in the bedroom. However, there’s so many elements to bring to sexy that it doesn’t have to be so blunt. Sexy, for me, is having a connection with a man who knows and understands you. I love the simplest of actions, from a hand being taken as we walk down the street, to the slow caresses throughout the day. Each touch holds a promise of more that only the two people know. Sexy can be the building foreplay as much as the look of someone. There is so much that can build that sexy ambiance that it’s sad to just get down to the nitty gritty. In my stories, I liked to build the tension, the connection so that when they need each other, everything has already been set in motion.
The Skulls, 8
Two MCs and one enemy—who will come out alive?
Any threat against The Skulls and Tiny deals with it, but Gonzalez is not any ordinary threat. Taking him out will require more than a bullet to the head. It’s going to take time, patience, and help, but can Tiny trust Devil? No one’s been able to control the leader of Chaos Bleeds, so how far does Devil’s loyalty go? When Eva and Angel are attacked, Tiny loses it. He’ll handle the threat alone—and a friendship is torn apart.
Called away from Fort Wills, Devil has no choice but to deal with the dead body hung up outside of his compound. Lexie’s sister wasn’t part of his world, but now he has to deal with her death. He’s done with the threats, the deaths, and the uncertainty—and with Tiny. Devil’s going to take out the fucker that has almost destroyed his club, no matter who stands in his way.
No one is going to be the same again as Gonzalez leaves his mark wherever he goes. Who will survive? Who will die? And what will happen next?
BUY LINK:
ERIKA REED: When I think of sexy, I think of the sex appeal I see my male characters portraying. I start by visualizing them standing there naked in front of me as I stare at their tight, chiseled abs, as I travel up to their broad, muscular shoulders. But lately I fantasize about their narrow V- shaped hips that dips beneath their tight jeans, as they stand before me, shirtless. All the while as his crystal clear, blue eyes watch me as I wait for his next move. There is nothing sexier than knowing a man like that only has eyes for you and is about to show you how desirable you really are to him.
Five years after running away from the man she loved, Peyton Montgomery is coming home.
With nowhere to live, no money in the bank, and still stinging from being served her divorce papers, Peyton is returning to help her mother care for her father after a heart attack. Being back means eventually she’ll run into the man that broke her heart and ruined her for anyone else. When they do cross paths, Peyton soon discovers she wasn’t the only one that lost so much after she left.
With nowhere to live, no money in the bank, and still stinging from being served her divorce papers, Peyton is returning to help her mother care for her father after a heart attack. Being back means eventually she’ll run into the man that broke her heart and ruined her for anyone else. When they do cross paths, Peyton soon discovers she wasn’t the only one that lost so much after she left.
Because of one drunken mistake, Jackson Holt lost the woman he loved. Now he has a second chance at mending the relationship he once had with Peyton, but he has a confession he needs to get off his chest before they both can move forward and claim the life and the love they lost the night Peyton left.
BUY LINKS:
ELODIE PARKES: What do I find sexy in a man? I have to admit to being drawn by his looks first. For me nothing is as enticing as a gorgeous man. I love blue/green/gray eyes, dark hair or blonde. If the guy is muscled or toned that's great. There's a certain aura about a sexy man. His walk, the way he dresses, and talks. Then there's the rest. I find kindness and intelligence sexy. Sincerity is high on my list too. Men who completely love their woman are sexy. I write all my heroes like this. Even my alpha males, once they meet the woman, and fall in love they're totally captured. They're also into sex, and showing affection, in a big way. That's sexy for me. What's better than good sex? That's probably why I write erotic romance. I like to show the love and sparks flying between my characters. Love is all you need, isn't it?
When lifelong friends Nate and Evan watch the arrival of a new neighbor, they never expect to find their friendship rocked by the lovely Annabel who moves into the empty house next door.
Annabel likes both Nate and Evan the moment she meets them. As they all grow close, will she be forced to choose between these gorgeous men?
BUY LINKS:
LORI KING: The sexiest thing in the world to me is confidence. I love
when a person (male or female) can walk into a room and know that they’ve got
game. They may not be the best looking, the smartest, or the most charismatic,
but their confidence in who they are makes them sexier than anyone else in the
room. It’s hard to put a finger on what exemplifies confidence though. On the
outside it can be a look, or a swagger, or even a bright smile, while inside I
think it’s based in accepting yourself, and knowing your worth. That’s the
ultimate in sexy to me. I don’t need candles, wine or roses if my partner is
confident. But if Tom Hiddleston wants to strip naked and share a bubble bath
with me anytime in the future—I’m all in! :D
Ana Gregory and her submissive Foster Craft are happy together. They enjoy a relationship that indulges their hedonistic desires, as well as gives them the security of a partner in real life. Until another submissive shines a light on the cracks in their foundation by asking to join their pairing.
Foster’s in love with Ana, and he would do anything to please her, but sleeping with a man who hurt them both is a huge test of trust; even if he wants the man in question, with every fiber of his being.
Four months ago Wyatt Marks made a huge mistake, but it brought him to some life-changing realizations. Now he has the opportunity to right his wrongs with Ana and Foster, as well as indulge the secret fantasies he’s hidden from himself all his life.
When the triad comes together the fires are hot, but will they all get burned in the process? Or will this one night of pleasure, fulfill a lifetime of fantasies for all of them?
Visit Lori King's Website!
Pisces lived his life one cosmic reading at a time. He’s gorgeous, with a beautiful head of hair, and has the favorite companion, Henry. Pisces wants for nothing that is until he met his Princess Sugar-Britches.
Angelica ‘Ace’ Emerson hates everything about Celestial, especially the town sheriff. The last time she saw the man, she threw him in jail for being a nuisance, just so she didn’t have to look at him anymore.
Landon Michaels doesn’t mind looking at the naked sheriff, there’s something about the man that calls to him on a universal level and has him wanting to learn more.
Forced to return to the town she hates, to seek out man she loathes, Angelica’s only consolation is that her partner will be by her side. In Celestial, it doesn’t take long for the Cosmos to rear its wicked head, and soon she is sucked into a rabbit hole of Pisces making.
BUY LINK:
JENIKA SNOW: What I find sexy is when a strong woman lets her man take control, but she still knows that she holds the power. I love a dominant man, but I also love when the woman is just a confident, yet knows when to let her guard down and allow her partner to take the lead. Whether it is when he cups her face in a strong grasp, kisses her like he is starving, and tells her that he will take care of her, or just shows her with his body that he knows what she wants. The knowledge that a man also knows that his woman holds the cards sets up for a sexy setting in my book.
Roake Bishop is half lion, half tiger—a hybrid beast. He is more animal than human, but he relies on that to survive. After escaping from the depraved hands of a brotherhood that thinks mixed shifter species should be eradicated, he meets his mate.
Emma Leno, a clouded leopard shifter, runs a farm in Sweet Water with her brother. When an explosion rocks the small town, she finds her mate in the most unexpected place.
Being mates means the attraction between Emma and Roake is undeniable. He can’t stay away from her, no matter how dangerous he knows he is. But he wants revenge against the Purebred Brotherhood, and won’t stop until he exacts it.
Roake must decide if he can walk away from his mate. For the first time in his damaged life he realizes that revenge isn’t the only driving force to survive.
BUY LINKS:
ZAYNE MICHAELS: I’m fairly outside of the box when it comes to what I find sexy. Tight jeans, six-pack abs, and dazzling blue eyes get the pulse racing, sure. For me, though, there is nothing sexier than a guy who can make me laugh. Holding hands and forehead kisses are sexy as hell. The tickle of his five o’clock shadow when he nuzzles against your neck. Loyalty, devotion, and that look in his eyes when you walk into a room are all full-on, leg-wobbling sexiness for me. It’s not just about the boys, though. Girls don’t need to be half-dressed or pout their glossy lips to be attractive. A confident, classy, and self-reliant woman is a sexy woman. A hint of a barbed tongue from a girl who isn’t going to take shit from anyone is just icing on the cake. It’s not all about appearances. Sexiness is in the attitude.
Convinced a clean break was the only way to protect the man he loved, Micah Hayden shut down, closed himself off, and spent more than a decade running from his mistakes. Twelve miserable years later, he’s come home to take his rightful place as Alpha, and if he has his say in the matter, reclaim the love that was stolen from him.
When Micah kicked him out and crushed his heart, August Tucker didn’t think he’d ever heal from the loss. Slowly, though, he rebuilt his life—a life far away from the painful memories of the past. So, when he learns Micah is back in town and wants to see him, August knows he should refuse, because even a brief reunion could destroy the walls he’s built around his heart.
Unfortunately, he may not have a choice. Someone wants him dead, someone willing to go to any lengths to succeed. With his list of allies growing thin, he has no choice but to turn to his old love for help.
But can Micah put aside his own uncertainties to be the hero August needs? Or will history be repeated when ghosts of the past resurface determined to finish what was put into motion all those years ago?
BUY LINKS:
Thanks so much for hosting me, Laurie. Always a thrill to join you!
ReplyDeleteHi Laurie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for inviting me to be in the symposium, it's great to read everyone's ideas of what's sexy :-)
Awesome symposium!!!
ReplyDeletepearls at www.InnerGoddessForum.com