STEALING HIS HEART by Ella Jade #booktour

Thanks so much for hosting me today. I’m thrilled to announce the release of my newest erotic, contemporary romance Stealing His Heart. If you like your men hot, dirty and southern, I may have just the thing for you.

 

 

When the players take the field this spring come meet my players...

 

Blurb:

Will the bad-boy pitcher strike out when it comes to love?

Shy music teacher Sophia Ballis has sworn off men. After a bad experience with a college jock she decided it was better to be alone than to get burned again. She focused on her education and now her new job at a local private school.

Professional baseball pitcher Paxton Hughes is a player both on and off the field. He's signed to the Kingston Crushers to bring home the coveted championship title. Nothing can get in his way. Serious relationships don't mix with a life on the road and he never loses focus on the game. One-night stands are his specialty for a reason.

While out jogging one spring morning, the two collide, setting their course in motion. Pax is immediately drawn to the unassuming beauty. Sophia is aware of his reputation and decides one night of meaningless sex with the attractive Texas charmer is just what she needs to get over her self-imposed dry spell. Pax has more than a one-night stand on his mind, but will his bad-boy persona and demanding schedule ruin any chances of a happily ever after?

Content Warning: contains explicit sex and adult content

 

Beachwalk Press Buy Link

 

Excerpt

 

“Can I walk you to your car?”

“Thank you.” Sophia got up from the table and took his hand. “I’m parked right out front.”

Pax led her across the dance floor, waving to the few people who were left, and then out to the parking lot.

“It’s that one.” She pointed to her beat-up car, the one she’d bought her freshman year of college. It was used then but it still managed to get her where she needed to go. “Probably not as nice as what you drive.”

He leaned her against the car and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her heart pounded hard against her chest, strumming loud between her ears. She could smell the beer that lingered on his breath. His hazel eyes narrowed as he swiped the tip of his tongue along his top lip before tilting his head.

“I have a feeling I’m going be seeing you in my dreams tonight.” He sighed as he brought his mouth to hers. “Give me something to remember these next few days.”

She nodded as she placed her hands on his broad shoulders and guided him to her, closing any space between them. When his warm lips touched hers, she thought she would explode. A burn coursed through her and settled between her legs. The mild tingling she’d experienced when they danced was nothing compared to the intensity she felt now.

As he deepened the kiss, his tongue massaged hers. Increasing his hold on her hips, he pinned her between the car and his massive thighs. She tightened her grip on him when his erection grazed her center. Every nerve ending in her begged to be satiated. The ache inside her stomach moved lower until the dampness invaded her panties. Her nipples poked against the thin material of her silk bra.

When she moaned into his mouth, he placed one last kiss on her lips before pulling away. He looked at her for a moment, pressing his forehead to hers, as he stuttered a few words.

“That was...well, I’ve never...” He ran his fingers through his hair. “You have me tongue-tied, sugar. That doesn’t happen often.”

Now she wanted to know what else he could do with that tongue.

“You best get in that car and drive away before I...”

She’d never wanted to have a one-night stand more than she did at that very moment. Maggie had said if there was ever a guy to have one with, Pax would be the one. He was a no-strings-attached player. Why hadn’t he asked her to go home with him?

“Be safe driving home.” He reached for the handle and opened her door. “You have some sweet dreams. I know I sure will.”

Sleep? That was the last thing on her mind.

About Ella

 

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can't be stopped.

Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she's not chasing after her kids, she's busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you'll get lost in her words.

You can connect with her at:

Blog: http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ella-Jade-Author/186959391390708?ref=hl

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ellajade1

 

GIVEAWAY

 

I’m giving away a Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitizer, A Keychain with the cover art and signed swag to three winners throughout the tour. Enter here...

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NmM2YzcyYmY4NTI0NDdlMmExZTQ4OGE5ZTU2NTExOjU=/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll consider adding Stealing His Heart to your TBR pile.

 

#Makeup Monday - Peacock!

I’ve always been infatuated by Peacocks. They are gorgeous birds, full of vibrant colors- blues, greens, purples, yellows… Kind of like my colors after a not-so-graceful tumble down the stairs (which I manage to do at least twice a year). Of course, the odd thing is that only the males have these striking colors. The female, also called a Peahen, is actually a greyish-brown. Boring. They are probably just dirty from having to stay home and clean up after all the male Peacocks (Peafowl, appropriately named) and their little offspring Peachicks. In any case, I still think these birds are beautiful.

When I first became a presenter for Younique, I was amazed at how brilliant their eyeshadow pigments were! I have been able to create so many looks using their colors! They apply seamlessly, blend beautifully, and last until I wash them off. Plus, there are so many pigment colors to choose from! Since Younique’s eyeshadow pigments are 100% natural, mineral-based pigment powders, I can never say ‘no’ to just one!

While playing Clue one afternoon, it was actually my 9-year-old son who suggested I figure out a way to do “Peacock Eyes”. Little genius. It’s almost like he knew that this has become one of the popular recent makeup trends… and what better makeup to pull it off than Younique?!

I HATE HATE HATE before pictures (Did I mention I HATE before pictures?), but I always use them because I am personally someone who needs to see that a look can be achieved on any average woman, without the use of Photoshopping! So, once again, a ‘before’ picture:

Ugh. Thankful that part is over with. 

Onto the fun part. It took me less than 5 minutes to create this look! I began by using “Famous” over my entire lid and inner eye. I then blended “Heavenly” at the center of my eyelid and center of my lower lid. For the outer part of my lid (both upper and lower, I applied “Regal”. To give my eyes that extra POP of sparkle, I dabbed a bit of “Gorgeous” into the inner corners of my eyes. Again, less than 5 minutes!

 

My husband and son loved the look, but I just kept feeling like something was missing. Aha! Feathers! However, since I don’t keep a stash of multi-colored feathers in my pocket, all of our Elmer’s Glue has been used by my son to make “peeling skin hands”, I was at a bit of a loss.

I opted to use a wet liner brush dipped into “Precocious” pigment, and completed the look. Check closely- it’s just dots and dashes, ladies- and you don’t need to know Morse Code to do this! It can even be a little sloppy, because nature isn’t perfect and that is exactly what makes it beautiful!

By the way, a Peahen chooses her partner by the length, width, and coloration of the Peafowl’s tail. Ummmmm… sound kinda familiar? ;-)

Check out these natural ingredients:

Place YOUR order at www.youniqueproducts.com/youniquebykellyduckworth and post your before and after photo on my Facebook page- Younique by Kelly Duckworth!!!

See you next week!

Kelly xoxo

#Fitness Friday -- Screw the pursuit of perfection

Typically on Fitness Friday, I post exercise tips or healthy recipes, but today I feel like talking about mental fitness. This morning I caught myself being overly critical, not about my son or my guy, but about myself.

The usual barely controlled chaos began at 5am. I helped the hubs get ready for a 24 hour shift, then the boy got up and I made him breakfast. Cleaned the morning dishes, got dressed, made sure my son got dressed (and brushed his teeth, combed his hair, put on deodorant...etc, etc). After all that I checked my email, made a to-do list for the day and then packed DS in the car to take him to school.

As I'm in the turn lane, he groans. "Mom, you forgot to give me a note so I can ride home with my friend."

Damn it, he's right. We have a play date--ahem, sorry--a scheduled time to "hang out" with his friend after school today. While still at the light, I frantically grab a pen and a notepad from my purse and try to scribble a few perfunctory lines, but of course, the light turns green. I toss the writing tools aside and drive. In the school parking lot, I pull into a stall and finish the note, all the while berating myself that I forgot this critical detail for  the day. Anyone who knows me will tell you, I'm not a detail person, never have been, never will be. I have accepted this about myself...or have I?

Even after I dropped my son off and was heading home, I was still thinking what a flake I am. How could I forget the note? I've been thinking about this appointment all week because it also means I get to hang out with MY friend for some much needed whine-and-wine time. I should have done it yesterday when I first thought about it. Or if I were really organized, I'd prep a few and keep them in the car just for cases such as these. Wait...what? Who does that?

And then a car commercial played touting their brand as the pursuit of perfection. Boy, I'm so far from perfect, the LIGHT from perfect takes a million years to reach me. Then, I remembered what I always tell my son when he's being too hard on himself: nobody is perfect, but you're pretty darn good, kiddo. So why can't I give myself the same pep talk? Instead of getting down on myself about one tiny oversight, why not pat myself on the back for having a notepad and a pen I could readily lay my hands on? And what about the 200 other things I did right already and it's only 8am?

I say screw the pursuit of perfection. How about shooting for "good enough"? And I'm fairly certain I can reach "not too shabby" on a regular basis. I'm 100% positive I can achieve "didn't totally suck" each and every day. Accentuate the positive such as I didn't pee a little when I coughed this morning. WOOT! Those Kegels are paying off. Pursuing for perfection only sets me up to fail because nothing and no one is perfect.

So, if you chose a salad for lunch with low fat dressing, but ate half a pizza for dinner, give yourself props for the wise lunch choice instead of shame spiraling about the less than ideal dinner choice. Instead of beating yourself up because you missed a workout, think about the days you did squeeze in some exercise. Instead of looking in the mirror and seeing your (fill in the body part you hate here), look at your amazing (fill in the body part you love here). Take a moment to tell yourself: hey, I am good enough. Because you ARE, just the way you are.

To quote fitness guru Tony Horton: "Do your best and forget the rest!"

Have a happy and mentally healthy week, see ya next Friday.

Cheers,
Cindy
Fiction for the bad girl in every woman
http://cindyjacks.com/

#Makeup Monday -- #SaintPatricksDay Eye Color Looks

I come from a long line of pranksters.  My family has done it all:  the Saran Wrap on the toilet seat, the sugar in the salt shaker, the alarm clock re-set for 2am, the ‘short sheet’, the rubber snake/fake vomit/squirting ink pen/hand buzzer/Whoopie Cushion, etc.  I’ll also openly admit right now in front of God and everyone that I am the one who put Tobasco sauce in the dorm humidifier on April Fool’s Day many years ago in college (sorry Hall 3B).

However, my family doesn’t discriminate.  Oh no, we don’t save our pranks only for April Fool’s Day.  In fact—and maybe this is due to our Irish blood—most of our “shenanigans” tend to happen on or around St. Patrick’s Day so we can blame everything on that mischievous leprechaun!  

On St. Patty’s Day two years ago, I swapped all of the contents of my husband’s dresser drawers with my son’s dresser drawers.  My hubby woke up and reached in his underwear drawer only to find Lego pieces, a shark tooth, leftover pieces from various board games, a Rubik’s Cube (stickers not in their original locations), and a Magic 8 Ball.  He looked at me and said “What the f**k?” and I smiled innocently, shook the Magic 8 Ball and sweetly replied “Ask again later.”  My son then woke up and reached in his sock drawer and came up with adult boxer briefs, a few Breathe Right strips, Axe body spray, and a broken Christmas ornament.  Next thing I know, my son walks into my bedroom wearing:  adult boxer briefs, a billion sprays too many of Axe body spray, and a broken Christmas ornament that he taped to his abdomen with a Breathe Right strip.  Lord help me.  

The following St. Patty’s Day, the joke was on me… or so they thought ;-)   Knowing the night before that my husband and son had been practicing their pinching technique to achieve maximum brusing-ness, I prepared myself and laid out my outfit for the next day:  Jeans, a green v-neck sweater, green shamrock earrings, green socks, and an adorable green feather boa just for fun.  I awoke to find every one of those items missing… and then some.  In fact, each and every thing in our entire house that contained any trace of green was gone.  And I honestly mean everything. Vanished. Poof. Exit stage left. Well, everything except for the matching bright green sweatsuits my hubby and son wore. All day long.  A**holes.  

But alas, they weren’t as smart as they thought… I’m  always prepared just in case some Leprechaun (ahem, family member) decides to hide everything green in our house in the bed of his pickup truck on March 17th.  Ok, not really.  More like:  I was lazy and didn’t bring in my “just in case I get snowed in at work” bag from the car that also contained a large stash of Younique eyeshadow pigments.  Yes, including green.  Those foolish boys.  As I applied my pigments, I felt like I had struck gold!  You DO know that Irish gold is green, right??

In case you are curious, here are a couple of pictures of me that fateful day:

Oops, wrong pictures!  Let’s try this again…

Are you green with envy over my eye shadow pigments?  I thought so, but I’ll let you in on my colors, all by Younique (of course, my favorite!):  Empowered on browbone, Famous on lid, and Crushed in crease and lower lash line.  I topped it all off with Younique’s 3D mascara-  those are not falsies, they are my real lashes after applying the mascara! Gotta love those all natural ingredients!!!

Of course, after having a few Irish Car Bombs and an Irish coffee, I started to play with some crystals and stickers I found on sale at a local craft store.  So much fun!

Wanna see some more fun up close?  (That’s what HE said ;-))

Now it is your turn to be lucky!  Place an order in the next week and I’ll throw in a free green pigment of your choice!  www.youniqueproducts.com/youniquebykellyduckworth 

Questions?  Come visit me on Facebook at Younique by Kelly Duckworth!

Get ready, ladies!  Saint Patrick’s Day is only seven days away and those silly

Leprechauns are up to no good!

 

Have a green… I mean GREAT week!

 

Xoxo,

Kelly

 

#FitnessFriday -- Ice Queen

Okay, so ice queen might be a bit of an exaggeration, but at the age of 40, I've picked up a new hobby--ice skating! Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks?

I first tried it in February while we were on vacation. I was terrified, but my son begged me to try. Needless to say my first couple attempts were laughable. But the more I figured out and the more I was able to move across the ice, the more I enjoyed the sport. Now, I can say that I'm totally addicted. There's something so exhilarating about gliding, footloose and fancy free. I feel graceful and beautiful (even though I've seen the video to the contrary, LOL). Then I found out ice skating burns between 350-500 calories per hour, depending on how fast you go. What's made skating even more fun is that my guy and my son are both learning with me so it's time we can spend as a family.

With the popularity of extreme work out programs, fitness boot camps, and Jillian Michaels screaming at you from the TV, it's easy to tell yourself that working out it just too hard and painful. Why bother? Believe me, no one hates exercising more than I do, but you don't have to kill yourself to get healthier. I chock my fitness routine full of fun: dancing, bike riding, active video games. Now, I have one more FUN activity I can do for my health. Plus, I get to buy pretty skating clothes. Booyah!

Have a happy and healthy week. I'll post more fitness tips for those of us who are athletically challenged next Friday!

Cheers,
Cindy
Fiction for the bad girl in every woman
http://cindyjacks.com/

#Writing Wednesday--RED SKY AT NIGHT

It's official! Got the signed contract back from Ellora's Cave earlier in the week. RED SKY AT NIGHT will be the fourth book in my PIRATES AT HEART series. *happy dance*

To celebrate, I thought I'd give you a sneaky peeky at Captain Nathaniel Logan. Just like Brett and Marcus, Nate is part cowboy, part pirate and all alpha male!

Chapter One

June 2039

 

Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors’ delight. The old adage played through Nathaniel Logan’s mind as he focused the lenses of his high-powered binoculars on the statuesque blonde occupying the deck of The Bluebell. Tall, toned and curvy in all the right places, Nate couldn’t help but take a minute to drink in the lush bounty of her form. His cock stirred at the swell of her breasts beneath a tight, black T-shirt. He could stare at Ruby Delaney all evening, the rose-colored sunset glinting in the waves of hair licking at her shoulders and tanned cheeks, were it not for the fact that she was standing on the deck of his goddamn boat. There might be red skies tonight, but he knew he was in for stormy weather nonetheless. Game on and he was all too happy to play.

Checking his belt for supplies, he patted the knife and rope he would use to subdue her. Though a PK Walther Echoblaster rested in its holster, he wouldn’t need such firepower for this game. In his leather jacket pocket, he grazed his fingers over the outline of the silver flask she had given him last time they met. He pulled out the bottle and took a swig of the aged tequila. The liquor burned a trail down his throat, warming his gut and fanning the fire already alight between his thighs. If she thought she could hijack his ship without being punished, she had another think coming. Ruby had a nasty habit of taking of with boats that didn’t belong to her.

Silent as a cat, Nate stalked around the side of The Bluebell and slipped onboard. He had watched the crew leave, one by one soon after they had made port. They would carouse all night which would give Nate ample time to reclaim his ship and claim whatever recompense he saw fit. A surge of arousal pressed his hard-on against his zipper. Oh the things he would do to that woman when he got his hands on her.

Tiptoeing along the port side passage to the bow, he could see her admiring the sunset as if she didn’t have a care in the world. He wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his knife and unfastened the flap. An almost imperceptible stiffening of her posture gave him pause. She had heard the snap, damn it. Nate was sure she had.

Before she could get the drop on him, he lunged forward, snaking an around around her neck and securing a hand over her mouth. She squealed, kicking him in shins and thrashing wildly, but she stopped as soon as he pressed the knife to her throat.

“That’s a good girl.” His lips grazed her ear. “You know why I’m here, Ruby.”

She nodded, chest heaving.

“And you know what I’m going to do to you.”

She grunted what he could only assume was an affirmative answer.

“Good.” He ran the tip of the knife down her chest, tracing the outline of one breast and then circled the nipple until it drew into a taut bud.

“I take back what I said earlier.” Nate huffed. “You’re not a good girl at all. You are very, very bad.”

_______________________________
Haven't read books one, two and three? Get your copies here:
http://www.ellorascave.com/series/pirates-at-heart.html

Cheers,
Cindy
Fiction for the bad girl in every woman
http://cindyjacks.com/

#Makeup Monday--Contouring

Thanks to everyone for stopping by Makeup Monday each week. I enjoy having Kelly as my guest and I know she loves being here. All of the products featured here can be found at www.youniqueproducts.com/youniquebykellyduckworth

Cheers,
Cindy
__________________________________________

I’m having one of those days. Don’t worry, it’s nothing awful, nothing terrible has happened. I’m just having (gulp) a FAT day! We all have them, right? If you are one of those women who never has a fat day, please quickly back away from this page so that the daggers shooting from my eyes won’t hit you 

 

My morning started just fine. My husband had gotten us a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts as a little treat, and I reclined in my pj’s and ate one. Of course, by one I actually mean five. Or maybe six. Whatever. Anyway, I decided to take advantage of my sugar rush and be productive and that’s when things got ugly. I took the clothes out of the dryer to begin the dreaded task of folding and figured I would go ahead and get dressed. There’s nothing like putting on clothes that are freshly warm from the dryer, especially on a cold morning like today. Have you ever watched those commercials for some brand of silky body lotion where a hatefully skinny woman slips into her clothes and they drape seamlessly over her perfect body? That was NOT me this morning! In fact, I had to lie down on the couch and hold my breath just so I could button my jeans. Once I stood up, I realized that all circulation below my muffin top would soon cease to exist. Basic daily tasks such as breathing and walking weren’t going to happen in these jeans.

 

All the magazines I read have shamefully emaciated women modeling complete and utter gorgeousness. I hate them. Those stupid magazines even have the cojones to offer advice about how to avoid “fat days” with suggestions that make my lips snarl when I say them: things like “stay hydrated”, “get plenty of rest”, “make a list of all of the positive qualities you have”, and when all else fails “wear something in beautifully slimming black”. Who am I to think that advice doesn’t apply to me? So I followed all of it. I decided to “rest” on the couch, hydrate with a glass of wine (and by glass I mean the bottle is made of glass), and make a list of my good qualities (I don’t have doughnut remnants on my chin, my elbows are quite slender, and I know how to parallel park a car with only 17 attempts). Oh, and I did it all while wearing slimming black… sweatpants. Elastic is my friend.

 

Unfortunately, I do need to leave my house today, and since robbing a bank is not on my list of errands I can’t really add a slimming black ski mask to my outfit. Dammit. What this means is that today’s Makeup Monday post is going to be about using a simple contouring technique to achieve a flawless, slender face and neck. With the right facial contouring, I figure I’ll just need to add some lipstick and a big purse and no one will ever notice the size of my ass!

 

 

As you can see, I’m not naturally a “dewy skin” kind of gal. In fact, I’m downright splotchy. Here’s my dreaded “before” picture, although I’ll admit that I fell asleep last night with my eye makeup still on so at least I have that going for me:

 

 

 

 

To get a beautiful contoured look, start with a clean, moisturized face. Apply primer so you’re your makeup will glide on evenly and smoothly. I use Younique’s Glorious mineral makeup primer.

To even out my splotchiness I use a good BB cream like Younique’s BB Flawless cream in Bisque.

 

Now I’m ready to contour. Some women like to use liquid foundation or concealer for this step, but I prefer to use powder because I find it easier to blend with a makeup brush at the end. It’s all about personal preference. For this look, I used two concealer colors by Younique- “Fierce” and “Fresh” applied with a concealer brush. Of course, the color you choose will depend on your skin tone. Basically, you’ll need a color a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone and another color that is a few shades darker than your natural skin tone.

 

 

 

 

Placement is key! You’ll want to use your lighter shade to highlight the areas on your face where the light would normally hit, such as under your eyes and on cheekbones, middle of your forehead, down your nose, underneath your eyebrows on the browbone, along your jawline, and on collar bones. Don’t blend yet! Next, you’ll want to use your darker shade to add depth and richness to the contrasting areas on your face, such as the hairline around your forehead, the crease of your eyelids, down each side of your nose and across the tip, the hollows of your cheeks, just beneath your jawline, and directly above and beneath your collar bone. This will help you achieve that slimming effect! Tip: this is not the time to freak about about how this looks in the mirror. If you appear to be wearing war paint right now, you have applied it correctly!

 

 

 

Ok, now it’s time to blend! Use a large makeup brush to blend like crazy using a circular motion. If you have blended properly, you should not be able to detect any visible color lines. Once blended, you can apply a touch of blusher or bronzer to your cheeks for an extra pop, and add some color to your lips for extra contrast. Voila! The transformation is astounding!

Now it’s your turn! Boost my ego! Post a comment and tell me how skinny I look and I’ll send you some makeup samples as a special treat!

 

For these products and many more, visit me at www.youniqueproducts.com/youniquebykellyduckworth . Also, come see me on Facebook at Younique by Kelly Duckworth!