Pages

Showing posts with label Alpha Hero romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alpha Hero romance. Show all posts

Saturday, April 01, 2017

The Sheikh I Never Thought I'd Write, Annie West

This is a red letter day for me for a couple of reasons. First up it's officially release day for my DESERT KING'S CAPTIVE BRIDE. So, it's been in stores for a little while, but as of today it's available in ebook format too, so it's available just about everywhere. Reason enough to celebrate surely?

But there's more! CAPTIVE BRIDE is my tenth sheikh novel. I can hardly believe it. Somehow, in amongst all the other books I've been writing, I've managed to clock up half a score of sheikhs. That's enough to make any romance author smile. I have to say I've enjoyed every one of them. It's not that I set out, deliberately, to write lots of desert princes, just that every so often a story would come along that just had to be a sheikh story. Always there's an alpha hero and always he's a man with a very, very strong sense of honor. I think that's one of the ingredients that makes me keep coming back again and again to these stories - as well as being sexy, these heroes are strong in a good way, with a sense of duty and, yes, protectiveness.

Having said that, they do, sometimes behave in ways they later regret. Along the way there have been a few unexpected nights of passion that led to pregnancy. There's been a hero torn between duty and his love for the woman destined to marry his best friend. My desert princes aren't perfect but their hearts are in the right place.

Which brings me to Huseyn, the hero in THE DESERT KING'S CAPTIVE BRIDE. He's a warrior through and through. He's lived all his life in a man's tough world, with other soldiers. The closest he gets to having a soft side is his ability as a horse whisperer, taming wild horses. He's determined to save his country from war, no matter what it takes. And what he believes it will take is for him to become sheikh, by marrying the old sheikh's daughter,..whether she wants it or not.

“I was blackmailed into this marriage. I will not be blackmailed into bed.”  

Princess Ghizlan of Jeirut has returned home to find that warrior Sheikh Huseyn al Rasheed has seized her late father’s kingdom. With her sister held hostage, Ghizlan has no choice. Her barbarian captor is determined to tame her, rule her—and make her his own!

Forcing Ghizlan’s hand in marriage will not be enough to conquer her body and soul: Huseyn’s iron will is challenged at every step by her magnificent beauty and fierce pride. It won’t be long before they both fall prey to the firestorm between them…

Huseyn is a hero I didn't think I'd ever write - a man who forces a woman into marriage. And who falls in love when he least expects it. This is a fiery, emotional story about a man and a woman, both out of their comfort zones, both trying to do the right thing, and both fighting an elemental attraction unlike anything they've ever experienced. It's one of my favorites too.

Whether you're a fan of sheikh stories, or whether you just enjoy a fun, emotionally intense read, this could be one for you. You can read an excerpt on my website or buy CAPTIVE BRIDE at all the usual places including
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Harlequin
iBooks

This book is a sequel, a follow up to THE DESERT KING'S SECRET HEIR. Some of the characters in that first book appear in this one too, but, for those of you who didn't read SECRET HEIR, the good news is that each is a stand alone story. You don't have to read the first before you read the second.

Do you enjoy linked books or do you prefer stories that are completely stand alone?

I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially as I'm in the process of writing a series of loosely linked Hot Italian Nights enovellas.

Tuesday, April 05, 2016

Roxanne Snopek: Embrace the Lion

Take one wealthy, driven restaurateur, throw in a four-year old daughter he never knew he had and the uber-efficient assistant he’s never really noticed, put them on a wild, West Coast fantasy island for a month, and what do you get? Sun, surf, steam and heart-clutching new beginnings.

That’s the basis of THE MILLIONAIRE DADDY PROJECT, my novel in the sexy alpha-hero Men of the Zodiac series for Entangled Indulgence. My hero, Dane Bergman, is a total Leo: determined, sensual, generous – and self-centered and oblivious. But don’t worry, there’s nothing like instant fatherhood to challenge a man to find his better self, especially with a suddenly-sexy but determinedly-professional executive assistant pointing out all his flaws. Dane finds love, times two, but I don’t make it easy on him!

Leos have a tendency to be show-stealing extroverts, and Dane is a true Leo in this regard. He’s the kind of guy who walks into a room and owns it, immediately. He doesn’t even have to try, which makes people like me – an introverted, neurotic Scorpio usually found hiding at the edge of the crowd, hoping she doesn’t end up on YouTube for choking on her drink – want to punch them.
But they also have the hugest hearts. You just have to find it.

Every sign of the Zodiac has its own unique qualities and right now, the #MenofTheZodiac series is on sale for #99. Twelve full-length novels in one complete set, including THE MILLIONAIRE DADDY PROJECT. It’s out of this world.

And also, right here:

The Millionaire Daddy EXCERPT:

“You think you know what’s best for me, don’t you?” He watched with pleasure as Pam’s pupils widened, making her eyes look as dark as the sea.
She snorted. “Because I do.”
Heat scorched between them as they stood toe to toe, their arms brushing together, their eyes locked.
She didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable that they were both half naked.
“Maybe at work,” he said. “But we’re not at work now.”
He nudged her arms with his and bucked one thigh forward until it bumped against her hip.
She shook her head, her gaze like a laser burning into him. “Not appropriate, Mr. Bergman.” But she didn’t back down, didn’t take her eyes off his. Instead, she lifted one eyebrow, the barest hint of a smile teasing her lips.
Her nearness acted like lighter fluid to a spark. How long had this been simmering? How could he have worked so closely with her for so long without noticing her in this way?
And what about her? She knew him, knew his reputation, better than most. She knew enough to insist they keep this private, secret.
Their clandestine getaway.
Her blazing blue gaze told him everything he needed to know.
“What if I don’t want to be appropriate, Ms. Atwater?”
He leaned his head down and lowered his voice. “What if I want to sling you over my shoulder and carry you out to the tide pools, where the water is warm from the sun? What if I want to strip off that top and pour handfuls of warm water over your shoulders, letting it trickle over your breasts, down your belly?”
“Definitely not appropriate.” Her voice trembled slightly but she didn’t break eye contact. A light sheen of perspiration had broken out on her forehead that was not due to the summer heat, he was certain.
“What if we both get in the water to cool off, but we find it’s a little too cold, so I lift you up against me and all of a sudden we’re not the least bit chilly anymore.”
He heard her breath catch in her throat.
“Sounds like.” She paused to swallow, but a smoky husk remained in her voice. “Like we might get sunburned in some delicate areas.”
Only the color in her cheeks betrayed what his words were doing to her composure. It was wildly arousing.
“Oh no. Those would all be under water, hidden and slippery, so all anyone could see from the surface would be us kissing. Completely innocent.”
His own voice was hoarse.
She swayed slightly, and touched his shoulder as if to steady herself. “Innocent,” she said.
He uncrossed his arms and put them around her gently. “Just like this.”
He bent down and touched his lips to hers. A quiver jolted through her and he felt the gasp against his mouth. She gripped his neck and pulled him down closer to her, her tongue meeting his, making the kiss deeper, longer, wetter and sweeter than he could have imagined between them.