I’m into the final push of the line edit on this. Yay

Heyerdar manhandled the servant through the doors and gave him a light push. The man stumbled, flailed and caught himself. “The answer to that is ‘Yes, he is, Captain Heyerdar.’”

“You enjoyed that,” Ava muttered.

Heyerdar grunted. “Civil servants annoy me.”

As always, you can find more sixes here.

And yes, I’ve been slack again about posting sixes. I will promise to do better!

His eyes darkened. Slow and deliberate, he sucked his finger into his mouth.

Embarrassed heat burned across her face. She had witnessed enough debauchery, and her thief craved it, but to see him lick her juices with obvious greed…made her feel her inexperience.

“That’s enough. You can bind the memory.”

As always you can find more sixes here

Thank you, Kim, for letting me visit and share a little about my debut novel, Clear As Day, a sweetly scorching contemporary romance from The Wild Rose Press.

Clear As Day about two friends with benefits facing the fears and uncertainties of their changing relationship and is set against the background of the summer heat and cool waters of Lake Mohave. I loved writing Clear As Day, it’s been a story of my heart in many ways, so seeing this story published is a dream come true. Receiving the 4 1/2 star scorcher review from Romantic Times and being able to hold my book in my hands have been truly thrilling moments. I hope you enjoy Nate and Kay’s journey as much as I have.

Blurb:
What’s a girl to do when her summer lover wants forever?

Haunted by dark memories of her parents’ volatile marriage, artist Kay Browning keeps her heart locked behind a free-spirit facade and contents herself with the comfortable affair she has every summer with easygoing photographer Nate Quinn.

The only trouble with her plan? This summer Nate’s come to Lake Mohave to claim the lover he can’t let go. He’s done with the endless traveling and settling for temporary homes and temporary loves. Kay’s always been more than just a vacation fling, and now he must convince this woman, who sees love as a course to certain heartbreak, to take that leap of faith and learn how safe love with the right man can be.

Excerpt:

If anything could beat waking to the sight of Kay’s beautiful face and breasts, at that moment Nate didn’t care.

She blushed and brushed a curl back from his forehead. “Hi there, sleepyhead.”

“Sorry I crashed on you.” He swept his gaze over her, enjoying how she flushed even deeper and her nipples tightened. Kay was a delicious mix of bashful and bold. “I’ve been seriously jet-lagged and road-lagged for days. Any phone calls or messages while I was out?” Guessing by the shifted shadows, he’d been out cold for a couple of hours. Not the most romantic move, but he felt rested.

His lame joke nudged a smile out of her. “Not a one.”

“One of the sincere advantages of no phone service.”

“You’re a nut, you know?” She leaned over and hesitantly kissed him. “I know I said it before, but I’m glad you’re here.” Kay was always soft-spoken, but the vulnerable note in her voice this time seized his heart hard.

With the I love you he wanted to say straining at his throat, Nate tugged Kay down into his arms and drifted his fingers over her spine. He had to do something about the tension gripping her. She’d stayed with him while he slept. That was a change, a very good one, but he still needed to soothe and distract her before she slipped away and disappeared into her thinking, planning, and painting. He let his hand circle in an easy, undemanding caress.

Why not say it? Doubts? No, no doubts at all. He felt it, he meant it, he’d even typed it into e-mails, but why keep swallowing his I love you now?

“So, you missed me?”

Her elusive grin flashed. “Well, it’s nice having someone else clean the fish for a change.” Soft giggles escaped her, and her tension released under his hand.

“Ah hah! An ulterior motive all along. Here I just thought you wanted my body.” He chuckled and tickled her side, and dove in for the sneak assault of kisses on her sensitive ears.

Want me for more.

Stifling her giggles, she caught his hand to her side. “Hmm…it is such a lovely body. I’m very fond of it.” She made a playful show of ogling him head to toe, her glowing smile making his formerly sated body wake right up and his heart crack with joy. He stroked his thumb over the lush handful of her breast, teasing the pert nipple, smiling at her catch of breath. “I may have mentioned I had some fantasies…” He tugged her over to straddle him and stroked his hands over the soft curves of her bottom.

“Anything in particular?” She leaned forward with her hair spilling over her shoulders, her breasts playing hide and seek behind the silky locks, and she teased her body over his rapidly hardening shaft.

Her eyes filled with laughter, and the sweet curve to her mouth was pure feminine mystery.
He sucked in his breath and arched under her. “Anything you want, babe.”

Book Trailer:

Bio: Babette James writes contemporary and fantasy romance and loves reading nail-biting tales with a satisfying happily ever after. When not dreaming up stories, she enjoys playing with new bread recipes and dabbling with paints. A teacher, she loves encouraging new readers and writers as they discover their growing abilities. Her class cheers when it’s time for their spelling test! She lives in New Jersey with her wonderfully patient husband and three extremely spoiled cats.

Links:
Babette loves hearing from readers and you can find her at:

Website: http://babettejames.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BabetteJames

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BabetteJamesAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/babettejames

You can find Clear As Day at:
The Wild Rose Press– Paperback & eBook
Amazon.com – Paperback & Kindle
Barnes & Noble – Nook
Come fall in love at the river.

Bitter Harvest
(c) Kim Knox 2012

The chains creaked above their heads and Rider leaned forward. Sutton didn’t flinch, even though his prisoner’s mouth was millimetres from his own. If he was infected, the danger was very real. Even a drop of saliva contained enough nano-forms to infect him.

His want was irrational. He had a natural skill and the training to withstand the surge of apian pheromones. But,    the need to fist his fingers in Rider’s wild hair and take his mouth burned in him.

“Who’s your type?” Rider paused and the hot shine in his eyes made thinking difficult. “Because, right now, you want nothing more than to take me and fuck me. Do it, Lieutenant.” He wet his lips. “Do it now.”

That low rough voice had his balls aching and his dick hard. His heart pounded, Rider’s earthy scent rushing him. One taste. Just one. He threaded his fingers through Rider’s hair and the man hissed, his mouth parting. Sutton fisted his fingers. His prisoner groaned, the sound hitting his gut, and he wanted—he swallowed—he wanted that sarcastic mouth, to take it and stop the flow of words that had his skin on fire.

Rider’s eyes defied him. “Scared?” Sutton glared at him, tasting his breath. “Fuck you.” “You plan to.” He did. Thoughts thundered through him of what he would do, of how he would taste him, mark him, make him come so hard Rider would know    who was in charge.

“Do it.”

The heat of Rider’s body swept over him. Sutton kicked his legs apart, easing his own hard thigh between them, and he almost groaned at the press of the hard dick against his own. He cursed the thick material of his combats. Still, he hadn’t kissed him, tasted him. “What are you?”

“What you want.”

For a long second, with his fist yanking on Rider’s hair, bending the man to his wants and needs, Sutton almost, kissed him.

Someone fucking infected.

With an angry growl, Sutton released him and staggered back. His hand covered his mouth, hardly able to believe he’d been so ready to share fluids with the man.

“Enough.” Sutton straightened, hating the gleam in the other man’s eyes, the defiance, the knowing that he’d been so close to falling.

“You have half an hour. We observe the four-hour rule. You hit it.” He let a cruel smile play across his mouth. “Then I kill you.”

Bitter Harvest is a part of Carina Press’s first m/m week and we have a mini blog tour going on:

Moving in Rhythm by Dev Bentham   3/19 – Dev Bentham at Fiction Vixen http://www.fictionvixen.com
Brook Street: Thief by Ava March   3/19 – Ava March at The Macaronis http://historicromance.wordpress.com/
What Binds Us by Larry Benjamin   3/20 – Larry Benjamin at Joyfully Jay http://joyfullyjay.blogspot.com/
Bitter Harvest by Kim Knox   3/21 – Kim Knox at Rarely Dusty Books http://www.rarelydustybooks.com/
A Brush With Darkness by Erastes   3/22 – Erastes at The Macaronis http://historicromance.wordpress.com/
First Time, Forever by KC Burn   3/23 – KC Burn at Babbling About Books, and More http://www.kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/

Comment on any of these posts for a chance to win all six books. You can also win them at Reviews by Jessewave

Carina || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Amazon DE || Barnes and Noble

It’s 2050, and humans are an endangered species. Lieutenant Robert Sutton has survived the collapse of civilization by luck, his wits, and a chance mutation that makes him immune to the nano-virus that has wiped out millions.

Now, his compound of survivors is surrounded by the infected, who are driven by the need to spread the contagion through sex. It is only a matter of time before they attack. So when Sutton is assigned to interrogate a prisoner who claims to have overcome the infection, he immediately suspects a trap…

Nicholas Rider may have survived the virus, but he’s a changed man, ruled by his desires. But his need for Sutton is different. Rider craves an end to his overwhelming needs, and Sutton could be the man to do it.

Secure in his belief that he’s invulnerable, Sutton can’t understand or resist his intense attraction to his prisoner. Will Rider be his downfall–or his savior?

Carina || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Amazon DE || Barnes and Noble

And congratulations to all the other authors in Carina’s first m/m week

You can read an excerpt here

There’s also a Behind the Scenes look at the novella here

5 stars
“If you looked up the definition of Science-Fiction Romance, it should simply say “Kim Knox.”
http://tammys1.blogspot.com/2012/02/synthetic-dreams-by-kim-knox-carina.html

4.5 stars.
“okay, seriously awesome stuff here..It was just so so good!
Synthetic dreams took me completely be surprise, it’s so,so far beyond what I was expecting, I’m still reeling! it’s a well told engrossing read…with strong, interesting characters…”
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/284022540

4 stars
“This short sci-fi tale is sophisticated and well-written. The complexity of the setting only highlights the characterization of Vyn and Paul, and Vyn’s unraveling of her circumstances reads as a tense and exciting thriller.”
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/266267433

“If you enjoy sci-fi, action and romance that you’ll enjoy this story too! Although I’m not an expert on Science Fiction, if it’s anything like what Kim Knox writes, well then I’ve found a new favorite genre.”
http://www.literarysweet.com/2012/02/book-review-synthetic-dreams-by-kim.html

4 stars:
“The story has the perfect pacing. Smooth and flowing with a lot of action. It never felt rushed, it never felt too overly packed, and it also never dragged. I think the most compelling thing is that I literally can’t tell you anything about the story without giving something away. Hell, just telling you that it was a love story felt like too much.”
http://puretextuality.com/2012/02/24/review-by-ginnylurcock-synthetic-dreams-by-by-kim-knox-release-date-22712-kimknox/

B review
“…Ms Knox never takes the journey I am expecting with her work. She threw several twists into this one some of which made me glad I don’t live in a fully wired world. One of the things I enjoyed is how Paul and Vyn traded being the person who had to take charge to ensure that they were able to escape the grip of the Corporation. Overall the world-building, the twists, and how Vyn grew were what carried this book for me.”
http://thebookpushers.com/2012/02/28/review-synthetic-dreams-by-kim-knox/

Vynessa Somerton was just a girl when she learned about true evil. An encounter with the tyrannical Corporation scarred her body and exiled her to the crime-ridden S-District. Now an adult, Vyn creates glamours, worn by those who visit a virtual playground to live synthetic dreams. She’s tried to stay unnoticed by the Corporation, but her latest invention has brought their agents to her door.

Paul Cross works for the Corporation, but he’s been plotting their downfall since they took his brother and replaced him with an imposter. Paul has a plan to get his brother back, but he’s going to need Vyn and her invention to carry it out.

Vyn agrees to help Paul, but their alliance shatters the barriers she’s put up to protect herself, tempting her to give in to desire. Just as Vyn starts to trust Paul and believe he wants her, scars and all, the Corporation prepares for its final move. Can Vyn trust Paul completely, or has he been using her all along?

You can read an excerpt here

There’s also a Behind the Scenes look at the novella here

Carina Press || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Amazon DE || ARe || B&N

This week’s six is a snippet of a book that’s coming out tomorrow, Synthetic Dreams. Enjoy!

His breath burned against her skin. “Liam was replaced. Seven years ago.”

“And you’re here now?”

His hands flexed around her arms, his body tense. “Don’t taunt the man who’s keeping you alive.”

As always you can find more sixes here

Vynessa Somerton was just a girl when she learned about true evil. An encounter with the tyrannical Corporation scarred her body and exiled her to the crime-ridden S-District. Now an adult, Vyn creates glamours, worn by those who visit a virtual playground to live synthetic dreams. She’s tried to stay unnoticed by the Corporation, but her latest invention has brought their agents to her door.

Paul Cross works for the Corporation, but he’s been plotting their downfall since they took his brother and replaced him with an imposter. Paul has a plan to get his brother back, but he’s going to need Vyn and her invention to carry it out.

Vyn agrees to help Paul, but their alliance shatters the barriers she’s put up to protect herself, tempting her to give in to desire. Just as Vyn starts to trust Paul and believe he wants her, scars and all, the Corporation prepares for its final move. Can Vyn trust Paul completely, or has he been using her all along?

Carina Press || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Amazon DE || ARe || B&N

This is the cover of the anthology, edited by Mitzi Szereto, that my short story, AT THE SORCERER’S COMMAND appears in. A woman not to mess with, I think…

Below is the table of contents:

Hot as a Dragon’s Blood – Eric Del Carlo
Of High Renown – Janine Ashbless
At the Sorcerer’s Command – Kim Knox
Silver – Anna Meadows
In the Kingdom of Roz – Madeline Moore
Key to the Queen’s Elixir – Jo Wu
Here There Be Dragons – Ashley Lister
Flesh and Stone – Sacchi Green
Saints and Heroes – M. H. Crane
Escape – Mitzi Szereto
Eyekeeper – Aurelia T. Evans
The Widow’s Man – Nyla Nox
Jericho – Megan Arkenberg
The Last Sacrifice – Zander Vyne

And it’s out in print 11 September 2012 from Cleis Press.

Filed under: Covers, Writing ]]> http://darknessandromance.com/2012/02/15/cover-love-thrones-of-desire/feed/ 7 Kim Knox Thrones of desire cover and buy link http://darknessandromance.com/2012/02/12/sales-to-cleis-press-and-carina-press-squee/ http://darknessandromance.com/2012/02/12/sales-to-cleis-press-and-carina-press-squee/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:06:57 +0000 Kim Knox http://darknessandromance.com/?p=2357 ]]> Busy start to the year!

First, I can say that my short story, AT THE SORCERER’S COMMAND will appear in Cleis Press’s THRONES OF DESIRE: EROTIC TALES OF SWORD, MIST AND FIRE, edited by Mitzi Szereto. The pre-order link is up now

Here’s my blurb:

Miar is her people’s only hope to defeat the sorcerer who has besieged her home.  She has an unusual talent. She’s a soul-catcher, able to twist any soul to her will. And Varun, the man who must guard her, is willing to use her and her gift anyway he can.

And the anthology blurb:

Thrones of Desire: Erotic Tales of Swords, Mist and Fire is a place where lust and legend abound, and adventure, passion and danger entwine. Think mystical lands and creatures, kings and queens, knights and renegades, heroes and villains, warlords, maidens and princesses. Think battles and danger, honour and dishonour, good and evil. Most of all, think hearts filled with passion and secret desire.

This is a place where romantic chivalry is alive and well, but so too is romantic wickedness. This is a place where the good do not always win, and the bad are often more captivating and desirable than their altruistic counterparts.

In these lush and timeless landscapes, the battle for flesh can be as important as the battle for power. Intrigue, sorcery, revenge, lawlessness, dark secrets and mysterious elixirs; entanglements with supernatural beings – everything is possible in these magical mythical landscapes.

I’ve also sold my dark fantasy , erotic romance novel, ONCE A THIEF to Carina Press. It’s set for release in the autumn. Here’s the unofficial blurb:

Ava Kalle is a thief. Her empty soul devours magic, but she’s sharp, quick and can live in shadow. She’s the perfect spy.

When the man she loves takes another woman, the darkness at Ava’s heart unravels. Her attempt to stop the relationship drives her to do the unthinkable.  She makes a deal with the elemental, Captain Nahum Heyerdar. It’s a pact that pushes them into tasting forbidden magic, spinning them both into a dark and dangerous sexual obsession.

When Devourers break through the protecting wards of the city and start to kill and eat the emperor’s subjects, Ava’s tangled life becomes more twisted.  Her past and the dark heart of what she is, pushes into the light.

There are monsters in the city. And one of them is her.