Fairytale Reboot - The Better to Eat You With

Every so often, I like to post a teaser from my backlist. With so many new takes on old fairy tales (anyone see Hansel & Gretel - Witch Hunters? Looking forward to Jack the Giant Slayer? Hooked on Once Upon a Time?)this twist on Little Red Riding Hood might be just what you're looking for.

Well, The Better to Eat You With, my little fairy tale romance has no action heroes, no violence, no evil queens or giants. It's a second chance at love romance, and I don't know about you, but I love those stories.



Blurb:

Did Red Riding Hood get the story wrong when she said her grandmother had been eaten by a wolf? When Nicholas Wolfe surprises Elise at her lonely house in the forest, she decides to use him for sex like he did with her before he left years ago. They didn’t want the same things from life back then, but Wolfe is back to convince Elise to give him another chance.



Excerpt:

“Well, now, isn’t this a sight for sore eyes?”

She froze as a smooth voice she’d not heard in many years washed over her skin like a cool rain. Nicholas Wolfe. Her eyes flew open and she saw his tall, broad, masculine figure silhouetted against the late morning sun. Where the hell had he come from? Then she realized that while she’d hidden herself from her neighbors, she was in clear view of the driveway. Shit, she hadn’t even heard him drive up.

His gaze burned into her, sweeping over her from head to toe. Of course, he didn’t have the decency to look away after catching her in such an awkward position. He still didn’t care about her feelings.

Her heart pounded, her cheeks burned. From embarrassment. From anger. From desire, dammit. She resisted the urge to snatch up the T-shirt to cover her naked breasts, to pull down the skirt to cover her drenched panties. It was too late for modesty now. Besides, she didn’t want him to know he could still affect her. Not after all this time.

She made herself sit up slowly, as if this was the natural way to meet an ex-lover. She shaded her eyes with her hand to get a better view. He still wore his dark hair long, still sported the hint of a beard even this early in the day. Elise remembered the way its roughness used to scrape against her skin when he kissed his way down her body. Why the hell did Nicholas Wolfe have to turn up when she was at her weakest?

He was still staring at her as though he hadn’t lost the right to see her like this a long time ago. But damn if her nipples didn’t prickle beneath his gaze. The fact that her body would betray her fueled her anger more than his arrogant ogling. But she had to make him think she didn’t care one way or the other. He meant nothing to her now.

Squaring her shoulders, she gathered the strength she would need to deal with this man. “Mr. Wolfe.” Her voice sounded tight. Her heart slammed against her ribs.

He took a step closer and she could almost see his eyes. Those dreamy, bedroom eyes that had seduced her every time. “You used to call me Nick.”

“Ha. I never called you Nick.”

Another step closer. “True. But you never called me Mister.”



If you'd like to read more about Elise and her Wolfe, The Better to Eat You With is still available for your enjoyment.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Backlist Eye Candy

It's another Eye Candy week at Fierce Romance! Sitting at my desk, looking at the awesome wall of covers my hubby made for me, I thought I should share some of the eye candy I get to look at every day. :)

I've been lucky to get a lot of hot male chests on my covers. Like this cover from my very first release from Ellora's Cave, Nothing to Fear.



And how about this sexy pirate from my eRed Sage release, Quinn's Curse?



And how about the abs on this sexy photographer hero on the cover of another release from eRed Sage, Dark Angel?



Red Sage has given me some excellent eye candy. Here's the big, bad Wolfe from The Better to Eat You With.



And I know this post is titled Backlist Eye Candy, but I couldn't resist including the cover from my upcoming release from Samhain, Flaunt It. You can't get much better than the back view of my bartender hero.



Actually, I'm missing three covers on my wall. I'm going to have to give my hubby a nudge to print, frame and hang my last three covers. It's not only inspiring, it's an awesome dose of daily eye candy.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Recapping the Romances

My last release was November 1, 2009. That was five months ago. Besides the print release of Binding Ties this summer, I have no other releases scheduled. After a couple years of multiple releases, it feels so strange to not be working around and planning for release days.

Of course, I have submissions I'm waiting to hear on or ready to be sent out and I'm working on my first single title length manuscript. I thought today I'd just do a little recap of my recent releases. So enjoy the covers and read a few nice things reviewers have had to say.




The Better to Eat You With was my most recent release from Red Sage Presents. A twisted take on little Red Riding Hood, I've been very pleased with its reception.
It received a great review from Dark Divas Review:
"...you can’t help but fall in love with Wolfe, the same way grandma does. Two thumbs up to Ms. Moore for providing us with a smart, sexy, scorching hot, erotic fairy tale that’s nothing like what your grandmother use to read at bedtime. Or…maybe it is. I would definitely recommend The Better to Eat You With to my friends.

Rated 5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by AJ!"




Bound by Design was released by Samhain Publishing in September. This novella will be part of the print anthology Binding Ties which, as I mentioned above, will be released this summer. It got 5 Lips from Victoria at Two Lips Review:

"Have a tall, cool drink handy because once you start Natasha Moore’s Bound By Design, you will surely need it! Ms. Moore sure packs a lot of heat into this novella... Bound By Design is a sexy novella that will have you squirming in your seat as you furiously flip its pages while two wounded souls find BDSM bliss in each others’ arms."



Two Lips Review also gave a great review for Chains of Desire, a novel from Ellora's Cave that is available both as a download and in print.
"After finishing Ms. Moore’s Chains of Desire, you’ll want to book your own trip to a faraway galaxy in search of your own lustful Doms and their magical cream which takes all the hurts away!"



I also had another print release from Ellora's Cave in 2009. The anthology Sapphire Sizzle includes my story, Lia's Warrior. Lia's Warrior received a great review from Alternative-Read.com:
"I like the structuring in this one, the ideas and questions that a strong, simple, smart man brought forth to those "in power", with the courage to fight for who and what he believed in. And let's not forget that sweet, but steel encased in velvet woman who finally decided what was truly important- seeking truth before blindly believing (oh, yeah... and love of course)."

I hope I'll have news of more upcoming releases soon. Until then, check out any of these hot, emotional stories. Or stop by my website to see all my available releases.

Have a great week!

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Great Reviews for The Better to Eat You With

I was thrilled to get two awesome reviews for my latest Red Sage release, The Better to Eat You With. As part of a Fairy Tales Go Naughty week, I was interviewed for the Savvy Reader's Blog and had the first of my great reviews over at Book Junkie.

You can check out the interview here .

And you can read the review here, which said in part:
"This is my first read from Natasha and I don't think I could have started with a more romantic read. Truly romantic and beautiful telling to two lovers re-united after a lifetime has passed them by."

Then I stumbled upon this Recommended Read review from Dark Diva Reviews. You can read it here. It says in part:
"The Better to Eat You With is sexy, provocative, erotic, and will have you panting at the end of every page. I love how Elise is feisty, sensual and unafraid to embrace her sexual desires and needs. Ms. Moore definitely knows how to write a short story that packs a punch and will have you begging for more."

I love this little story and am so thrilled that others agree.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

February - The Month of Love

As lovers of romance, we don't need an excuse to celebrate love. But the rest of the world likes to use February, as the month of Valentine's Day, to talk about love and romance. Here at Fierce Romance, we like to talk about those subjects all the time!



Red Sage is kicking off a brand new, up-to-date website to help you to more easily access their erotic and emotional stories of love and romance. There were admittedly some problems with the old site and I just want to point out that anyone who wanted to buy a copy of my November release, The Better to Eat You With, (or any other Red Sage title) but had a problem accessing the link, I'm happy to let you know that the glitches are fixed. You can now get your very own copy of my twisted take on the Little Red Riding Hood tale. Be sure to check out the new website.



And don't forget to stop over to the Red Sage Revealed blog. All month Red Sage authors are blogging about their hottest heroes and heroines and giving away free books as well!

Nothing is more romantic than a kiss. It's so intimate, lips brushing, breaths mingling, bodies only a heartbeat away, or maybe pressed up against each other. I love romantic movies and movie kisses get me everytime.

I'm up for some good romantic movies to watch this February, um and the other 11 months of the year. I'm ready to add to my Netflix queue. What movies would you recommend??

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Looking Back at 2009

So in this last week of the old year, I find myself, as always, looking back on the 12 months. I try to be honest with myself and see if I accomplished what I'd hoped to with 365 days of my life. Like always, I find that I probably didn't always make the best use of my time. I should have written more. I should have exercised more. I should have eaten better. Should have been more patient. Should have been a better person.

Yeah, all those "should haves" can really weigh you down.

But then I remind myself of the good things that happened in the past year. The great, unexpected things. Bound by Design was chosen as one of three novellas to be included in Samhain's Binding Ties anthology.


Chains of Desire was released as a download by Ellora's Cave in May and came out in print in September.


My Sapphire jewel novella, Lia's Warrior came out in an Ellora's Cave anthology, Sapphire Sizzle. (And I just found out we received 4 Stars from Romantic Times - the review will be included in the February issue of RT Book Reviews.)


The Ride of Her Life won the New England Reader's Choice Award for best short contemporary in 2009.


Sunrise (included in Jewels of the Nile II)won the Passionate Plume for best erotic novella this year as well.



And the cover for The Better to Eat You With won the weekly Cover Clash at Embrace the Shadows.


I've been blessed with a lot of great reviews, including this new one at Fresh Fiction for Dark Angel which was released by Red Sage last January.



I made a lot of new friends this year in the writing community. I've done my best to keep in contact with old friends too. And the notes I've received from readers always make my day, letting me know I must be doing something right. While I rarely find the time to update them, I'm now on Facebook and Twitter, as well as MySpace.

And since The Better To Eat You With won a weekly Cover Clash, it is up for the 2009 Ultimate Clash at Embrace the Shadows. There are only a few days left to vote, so if you haven't already done so, I'd love your vote. The artist, Kanaxa, did an awesome job on this cover and will win an award as well if we win. You can check it out here.

So now, as I look back, I see that 2009 wasn't so bad after all. I'll just have to work on the exercise and eating better and having more patience...

So how was your 2009???

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Clash of the Covers!!

Embrace the Shadows, a blog by authors Suzanne Rock, Barbara J. Hancock and Dawn McClure, holds a weekly Cover Clash, pitting three covers against each other to be voted on by readers. I was notified that the cover for my new release, The Better to Eat You With, is up for best cover this week!



I'm thrilled that my cover was chosen! It is an awesome cover, and my editor at Red Sage worked hard to make sure we had the best cover for the story. Red Sage's art department came up with a perfect big, bad Wolfe cover.

But, OMG! I'm up against Lauren Dane and Christine Feehan!!!!

So if you get a chance, would you go over to Embrace the Shadows and check out the three gorgeous covers chosen for the Cover Clash, and vote for The Better to Eat You With.

As a little incentive, I'll give you another excerpt:

He skimmed a finger along her ribcage and traced a circle around her breast. “We were good together, weren’t we?”

The shivers just one finger sent through her body reminded her of just how great they had been together. “Think we can still be that good?”

He raised his eyebrows and grinned the cocky smile that had hooked her the first time she’d seen it. “Are you kidding? We can be even better.”

A shiver of anticipation sent goose bumps dancing along her skin. She slid her hand into his and led him through her cozy living room and the never-used dining room, to the small bedroom in the back corner of the cottage.

Elise had indulged in her love of white lace after her husband died, covering the bed and window with yards of it. There’d never been a man in here in all that time. She thought Wolfe would look out of place here with his dark hair and faded blue jeans, but he seemed to fit right in, and in that moment she wondered if she was making a mistake.

She turned away from him and closed the door against the doubts and worries. It was too late now for second thoughts. Wolfe reached around her and turned the lock, a completely unnecessary gesture except for the symbolism. He was clearly telling her that there was no escape. Then he crossed the room to the window and closed the blinds. He’d turned her bedroom into a shadowed den. Somehow she’d lost control of the situation.

Had she ever had control?

He came up behind her and lifted her heavy hair off her neck. “Your hair is still the color of fire.” He ran his lips along the curve of her throat and she wanted to cry from the memories he brought rushing back. “Mmm,” he murmured, his breath whispering across her skin. “I always loved the way you smelled, like sunshine and lavender.”

Elise turned around and slid into his embrace. She breathed him in and tried not to listen to the charming words that rained from his mouth.

“That feels good,” she couldn’t stop from saying. “You always made me feel good.”

“I’m glad.” He ran his hands up her bare back, tracing a line of shivers along her skin. “That’s all I ever wanted to do.”

Really? Then why did you leave me with a broken heart?

Stop over at Embrace the Shadows and vote for your favorite cover!

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

The Better to Eat You With

Did Red Riding Hood get the story wrong when she said her grandmother had been eaten by a wolf? When Nicholas Wolfe surprises Elise at her lonely house in the forest, she decides to use him for sex like he did with her before he left years ago. They didn’t want the same things from life back then, but Wolfe is back to convince Elise to give him another chance.

THE BETTER TO EAT YOU WITH released from eRed Sage on November 1st. I had a great time writing this little twisted take on the Red Riding Hood story. I love reunion stories and I loved giving these lovers a second chance. I promise you'll never think about Grandmother and the Big Bad Wolf the same way again.

Excerpt:

She reached out her hand to him. “Come to my bed, Wolfe.”

He caught her gaze, held it, as if he was trying to read her mind. Elise thought she could almost read his mind, read the need burning there. He dove his fingers into her thick hair and grasped the back of her head, all the while studying her still. Silently. Intensely. She shivered, pinned beneath his gaze.

Then he crushed his lips to hers, demanding, claiming. She clutched his shirt and whimpered. Such a weak, foolish response. She tried to pull away, but he growled deep in his throat and changed the angle of his mouth, his lips moving roughly against hers, demanding her surrender. She melted against him then, opened to him, even though she knew she shouldn’t give him the satisfaction. She simply had no choice. He nipped at her bottom lip, then abruptly released her, leaving her dazed and needy.

Without a word, he stood and pulled her to her feet. He kept his hold on her hand and they crossed the yard together and walked into her house.

His gaze bore into her back as she turned and shut the door behind her, hotter than the sun had ever been. Before the click of the latch had even registered, he’d grabbed her by the shoulders and whirled her around to face him. His breathing was as rough as hers. Was his heart pounding as hard as hers too?

“Wolfe,” she breathed and stepped into his arms.

You can get your copy here.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com