Contract News

Signed and sealed ... well, signed anyway ... my next release will be BEAUTIFUL OBSESSION from Ellora's Cave. Release date TBA, cover soon to come, blurb still to be written, but I can tell you this much: it's about a graduate student who becomes obsessed with three mysterious, inseparable students. It's a menage, it's experimental, and it's one of the hottest things I've ever written.

I can't wait!

Ripped Roaring Halloween Hop

Happy Halloween! Welcome to Juniper's House. Last Halloween I promised my blog hop winner she'd be a character in a story. So here's Cathy MacDonald in...

WEREWOLVES DO IT WILD

“I won’t be a stupid ghost! I won’t, I won’t!”

Cathy MacDonald gave up with one final eye roll of frustration. Of course her obstinate son Dylan would turn down the easiest costume, the one she’d already made in the five minutes between work and Trick or Treating.

“Fine, then. Pick something else. But make it quick. Kids are already hitting the streets.”

Dylan uncurled himself from his facedown sprawl on his bed. “I’ll be a…” His glance zeroed in on his favorite stuffed animal, the one he’d slept with every night since the age of two. “Panther. A black one.”

“I do believe they’re all black, except for that goofy pink one,” Cathy murmured, mentally calculating the time it would take to stuff a black stocking with newspaper to make a tail. At least he hadn’t chosen something really complicated, like Picachu or Angry Birds Rio. “Get your black jeans and black sweater. Whiskers, ears…piece of cake.”

She wanted to say, “Good choice,” but was afraid that might make him change his mind. He’d been so difficult lately, not her normal sweet-natured boy at all.

“Thanks, Mom.” He smiled, a brief flash of his old self.

Minutes later, completed tail in hand, she hurried into the kitchen. Dylan, all in black, had the refrigerator open and was glugging milk straight from the carton. “Dylan! You know better than that!”

Dylan raised his head quickly, giving her a shock. The pupils of his normally green eyes were so dilated they looked black. 

“I didn’t mean to frighten you, honey.”

“That’s okay.” He put the carton back in the fridge. “Sorry, Mom.” But he didn’t look sorry. He looked annoyed.

“Turn around, I’ll pin this to your butt. Then I’ll draw you some whiskers with my eye pencil.”

“I don’t need whiskers. I’m not five.”

“Eight year old panthers don’t have whiskers?”

“Okay, whatever. But what are you going to be, Mom?”

She drew whiskers on herself. “A panther’s mom, of course.”

They joined the kids and parents roaming the neighborhood amid gusts of wind and swirling autumn leaves. At the first house, the woman who answered the door smiled down at Dylan.

“What are you, young man?”

Dylan made his hands into claws and roared. Cathy stepped back and put a hand to her throat. She’d never heard a sound quite like that come out of her son’s mouth. 

“He’s a panther,” she said, when she could. “And I’m a panther’s mom.”

“I see.” Shakily, the woman tossed him a granola bar. Dylan caught it in the wink of an eye, gave it a scornful glance, and turned away.

“Dylan!”

“Thank you.” He snarled over his shoulder.

As the evening went on, and the streetlights made spooky shadows from the motley parade of costumes, Cathy became more and more shocked by her son’s behavior. He snatched the offered treats and buried them in his plastic pumpkin. He shoved other Trick or Treaters out of the way with a harsh hiss. He ignored her completely, pacing ahead of her or off to the side.

By the time they reached Mr. Gideon’s house, she was nearly in tears. Ben Gideon was Dylan’s third grade teacher and, truth to tell, Cathy had a secret crush on him, the first since Dylan's father had left them. Dark, virile, magnetic – his sex appeal wasted on a bunch of eight-year olds. He was thoughtful too; the only teacher she’d been able to approach with her concerns about Dylan, and the only one able to control him.

But why had he chosen to dress as a werewolf? She shuddered as his deep, dark eyes smiled at her from behind glued-on fur. He wore a Medieval-looking leather gherkin over bulging muscles and lots of fake black chest hair. At least, she assumed it was fake. If not, he sure was…manly. She had to admit he wore it well, with a sort of Hugh Jackman flair.

“Happy Halloween,” he growled. “Having a beastly night?” 

“Yes,” Cathy said, nearly bursting into tears, until she realized he was referring to Dylan’s costume. “I…I think he’s taking his costume a little too literally.”

Ben Gideon’s sharp gaze focused on Dylan, now standing a few feet behind Cathy. Standing? More like skulking.

“Dylan,” said Gideon sharply. “Can you hear me?”

“Of course he can hear you. Whether he chooses to listen, that’s another issue.”

But Gideon ignored her. He brushed past her. Her nose prickled at the unexpected, gamey scent of wild thing. He loomed over Dylan, who crouched on the ground.

On all fours.

“Dylan. Get up,” she pleaded, mortified.

Dylan’s whole body quivered. In the light of the open door, his shadow blackened the concrete driveway. Wow. Distracted for a moment, she congratulated herself on her handiwork. Her son’s shadow looked exactly like a cat, the way the tail swished back and forth, the way his hindquarters twitched, as if he was getting ready to pounce…

And then he was leaping through the air toward Mr. Gideon’s throat, claws extended, mouth open on a long yowl.

Claws? She hadn’t given him claws. Everything went black and she crumpled to the ground.

  

***

When she woke up, she was inside Ben Gideon’s house, on his couch, and his worried dark eyes were staring into hers. “Are you all right?”

“That depends.” If everything was a weird dream, then sure. Otherwise…She glanced around the room. In the corner, a young, sleek, black panther lapped milk from a bowl. “No. No. No.”

“I’m afraid so, Cathy.”

“What? Afraid so what?” Someone needed to spell this out, because…what the fuck?

“I’ve been noticing the signs but didn’t know how to tell you. Dylan’s a…well, you can see for yourself.”

“No, I can’t.” She squeezed her eyes shut to make it true.

“I know this is hard. And strange. But you’ll get used to it. Your son’s a shifter. A were-cat. There are worse things to be, Cathy. He’ll have amazing powers, when he learns to control them. I can vouch for that."

She inched her eyes open and let his dark glance steady her. God, he was sexy. But what a time to notice that.

“And you know this because…what, you’re a werewolf?” She laughed to take the edge off the absurdity of it, all the while knowing the truth.

“You know what they say,” he said, with a devastating hint of a smile. “Werewolves do it wild.”

She stared at him. The panther finished his milk, sat on his hind legs and licked his chops. With one paw, he swiped a drop of milk off his whiskers. Dylan had never been that tidy. Then he trotted over to the couch, jumped up and curled in the nook between Cathy’s hip and the couch cushion. Contented purrs filled the air.

“My sweet boy,” whispered Cathy, touching him gently on his glossy head. The purrs doubled in volume. She smiled. The boy Dylan rarely let her cuddle him anymore. 

“Now that he’s shifted for the first time, his behavior will improve, I promise. If you let me, I’ll help you both through this phase. Teach you what you need to know.”

He lifted her chin in his lightly furred hand. Intense heat radiated off his body, along with a dizzying, primal sexuality. 

“It would be my honor and pleasure,” he added in a husky whisper. "I can't get you out of my mind." The promise in his eyes brought all her latent lust for this man boiling to the surface. She leaned in and their lips met. Wildfire cruised through her veins. 

Whatever Ben Gideon was, she wanted him. Whatever Dylan was, she’d take care of him. She was a panther's mom, after all. Why not a werewolf's mate?

"Do werewolves really do it wild?" 

"Only one way to find out."

 

Thanks for reading! To return to the Blog Hop, click on the banner or here. Feel free to explore the rest of my blog while you're here. And because I love comments, if you leave me one I'll put you in the running to star in a story for next Halloween.

Have a Beastly Halloween!

A New Life for The Extremist

I just realized I haven't mentioned my re-release of The Extremist here yet! I got busy with the release of Go Deep and kept putting it off ...

So here it is. The Extremist was my first erotic romance novella and one of my favorites because it's about a woman coming out of her shell--a great way to begin my career as a writer of steam. ;-) Liquid Silver Books published it, for which I will always be grateful. Now I have the rights back, so I decided to put it up on Amazon and Smashwords. Dar Albert created this gorgeous, sexy new cover, Kinsey W. Holley helped me with some editing and formatting, and voila! It also has a new, lower price -- one I think is more suited to a novella. It will also eventually be available on Kobo, Nook, Sony E-reader, etcetera.

Here's the blurb and the Kindle buy link if you'd like to check it out.

CLICK TO BUY

  BLURB

 

Sex on the beach…just what the doctor ordered.

Lovely, shy Annie Swenson has a few phobias. Okay, more than a few. Crowds, heights, sun, public exposure.  When her therapist urges her to take a vacation, she picks a remote island in the Bahamas – the perfect solo hideaway.

So much for plans. Who knew she’d be the only single woman at the resort? Who knew her nemesis from college would be staying there?  Who knew she’d be desperate enough to introduce the gorgeous man behind her in the buffet line as her boyfriend?  

The sexy stranger goes along with her charade…for a price. Before she knows it, she’s playing his erotic, boundary-pushing games and loving it. How far will she go? How many of her inhibitions will she shatter? And who is this mysterious man known as “The Extremist”? After a vacation like this, Annie’s life will never be the same.

Reader Advisory: This novella contains explicit sex, light bondage, exhibitionism, a supremely hot Aussie, and, of course, sex on the beach. 

Peace and Love, 

Juniper

Rhian Cahill's All of You

One of the best things about attending RT last year was getting to meet so many wonderful readers and authors. For instance, the awesome RHIAN CAHILL. She's an Aussie, and you know how fun they are. Anyway, she has a new release out today, and she happens to be traveling here in the States so a bunch of people are helping her get the word out about ALL OF YOU.

CLICK TO BUY

Only You series

Claire Jones never dreamed the fantasies she’d been having about the young guy next door would ever become reality but after a push from her best friend and one encounter involving dirty laundry she’s getting more reality than one woman should be allowed. But with reality comes emotion and Claire finds herself falling deeper and deeper under Ryan’s spell.

Ryan Doherty wants in Claire’s pants but he soon discovers hot sex isn’t all he’s after. She makes him happy in a way nothing and no one else ever has and if he has to use their amazing chemistry to stay in her life he will. Because having more of Claire isn’t an option. It’s the only choice.

Can Ryan and Claire bridge the age gap to find the love of a life time or will what others think destroy the best thing either of them has ever found?

EXCERPT

Frazzled, hot, and sticky she was ready for a whole bottle of wine when she finally approached her drive at little less than top speed. Too distracted by her own annoyance, Claire didn’t notice the man standing in the parking lot until she nearly ran him over. Cursing a blue streak any sailor worth his salt would envy, she slammed on the brakes, threw the car into park, and flung her door open.

“Are you fucking crazy!” she screamed as she launched from the vehicle. “I could have run you dow—” The air left her lungs and her words caught in her throat. The glistening flesh of a god-like, bare male chest numbed her mind and turned her body into a quivering vessel of need.

Ryan.

God the man is to die for, Claire would have had to be dead not to notice. Even dead I’d notice him. She tried to swallow over the lump of harsh words in her throat.

“Evening, Claire, bad day at the office?”

Ryan’s smirk should have been irritating. Instead it did funny things to her belly, stirred and warmed it like soup in a saucepan. She licked her lips, swallowed again, and finally dragged a few words from the depths of lust-induced stupidity. “Drive home.”

Jeez, could I be anymore lame? The man probably thought she was an idiot. Hell, she acted like a dumb schoolgirl every time he was around, so who could blame him if he did?

“Ah, yes. I heard there was a bad accident on the highway earlier. They said traffic would be screwed for hours.”

His gaze dropped to where her blouse sat snug across her breasts, the material raising and lowering with every labored breath. Her nipples strained beneath her bra. The look in his eyes one of hunger—desire. Could Jane be right about him?The thought sent shockwaves of heat bursting out from the breasts he hadn’t stopped staring at. Her pulse quickened, her breath turned short—choppy. Her clit ached, and Claire squeezed her thighs together to ease the throb.

Ryan’s nostrils flared, and his gaze came back to meet hers. The heat and lust swirling in the green orbs delivered another burst of heat to her body. Claire shivered. Goose bumps sprang up all over her skin and moisture filled her panties. God, if he could do that with a look what could he do with a touch? Sparks of gold ignited in his eyes, and Claire wondered why she’d never noticed those flecks of light before. Had she ever allowed herself to look that close?

No. She’d kept contact with Ryan to a minimum. Usually because she found it hard to string a sentence together with the way he had her body exploding to life whenever he got close. Oh, who was she kidding? Just thinking about him sent her nerve endings into a frenzied bunch of sex-craving knots. Claire closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. Big mistake.

The scent of hot, sweaty male filled her nose and lungs. Her body went from mild arousal to fever pitch in a nanosecond. The smell of a hardworking man had always turned Claire on, but coming from Ryan it tweaked her senses on a whole new level. Her pussy throbbed and turned slick, her breasts swelled and grew heavy, her nipples rasped against the cotton bra she wore. Her eyes popped open wide, and without permission her torso leaned closer to what tantalized her.

A cool breeze ruffled the hems of her skirt and blouse, drifting beneath the material to flow over heated skin. Her clit burned with want, and Claire knew she could climax with minimal effort. Hell, she was so close it would take no more than a brush of his hand or lips to set her off.

Shit. She had to get away.

Without a word she spun on her heels and dove back into her car. Slamming the door, she put the car in gear and shot into her parking spot. In one move she switched the engine off and grabbed her handbag. After jumping from her seat, she shut the door with her hip and strode across the asphalt. Aiming her keys over her shoulder, she activated the door locks and alarm.

“Gotta go. Can’t stop,” she called out as she made a dash for the front of her townhouse . . . safety.

It took longer than she liked to fumble her way inside and close the door behind her. Slumping against the cool timber, Claire let her head fall back with a thunk and stared at the ceiling in her foyer. She shuddered. She’d just made a complete fool of herself, and even if she’d been remotely contemplating doing as Jane had suggested and what her body screamed for, she’d probably just managed to ruin any hope she may have had at succeeding.

CLICK TO BUY

Congrats, Rhiann, it sounds great! Happy travels and happy release day!

Juniper 

First Review for GO DEEP

Big sigh of relief -- the first review of Go Deep is in, and it's a great one! 5 hearts from Sizzling Hot Book Reviews. I love that blog, so it's even more exciting. Here's the link, and a few choice snippets.

"I was sucked into Go Deep very quickly. Gavin and Beth are unique characters and I loved the depth and emotion that Juniper Bell was able to give them in a short amount of space."

"Go Deep is a touching and revealing story that left me missing Gavin and Beth as I finished it."

 Thank you, Stacey and Sizzling Hot Books, for such a lovely, thoughtful review.

Juniper

GO DEEP is out today!

I love release days ... it's kind of like an extra birthday. Today is the release of GO DEEP from Ellora's Cave. It's the second in a series set during the winter festival Wild Nights in Wild, Alaska. Here's the blurb and another excerpt, a hot one this time. Enjoy!

Click to Buy

Go Deep

Juniper Bell

A standalone sequel to Go Wild.

Beth is the shy, dreamy type. No one guesses at the wild sexual thoughts she hides behind that quiet façade. She doesn’t even share her secret longings with her husband.

Gavin loves his wife, but he’s tired of living in a marriage in which neither he nor Beth reveal their true desires. When Gavin sees Beth’s response to an erotic bondage photo in her framing shop, he jumps at the opportunity to break through her barriers.

He accepts an invitation to a showcase match for the amateur hockey team he coaches during Wild Nights, the infamous winter festival during which “anything goes, nothing counts.” But he’s opened a sensual Pandora’s box—Beth has some surprises of her own. When she meets Eagle, a free-spirited Wild resident, she knows he’s the perfect man to help enact her erotic fantasies. And once they go deep, there’s no going back.

ADULT EXCERPT

When Gavin stepped naked into the room, the world had changed.

Beth sat on the bed with a man. A stranger. He had long black hair and straight black eyebrows. He was dark-skinned, with some Native Alaska blood, perhaps. His eyes met Gavin’s. He’s a wild thing, thought Gavin. Free. A creature of the wilderness.

Gavin remembered that he was naked. The hell if he’d try to hide himself in his own cabin. Hockey players weren’t exactly shy. He was very used to being bare-ass in front of other men. His eyes traveled back to Beth’s, looking for guidance. She blinked twice, looking anxious. The tip of her tongue made a quick pass across her lips.

“In the photograph,” she whispered, “there were two men.”

Two men. He looked at the intruder again. The man returned his gaze steadily.

“My name’s Eagle,” he said in a deep voice. “Your wife asked me to come.”

“I met him at the ice pond. He…I asked him to help.”

Gavin’s heart skipped a beat at the plaintive tone in her voice. His poor girl must be terrified of his reaction. But she’d done what he wanted. She’d summoned the courage to bare her fantasy like this.

Eagle spoke. “I told her I’d have to meet you first.” A little zing of heat traveled between the two of them.

“Well—” Gavin had to clear his throat. “What do you…”

“I’m into it.” The quick answer made Gavin’s cock jump. “If you are.”

Gavin looked at Beth, her face flushed, tilted away from him. “I want to make her happy. But this is new to me. To us.”

“Yeah, I get that. I’m a little nervous too.” Eagle’s dry tone made all three of them relax. “How about we start with the photograph. Your wife told me about it. You’ve seen it.”

Obviously not all of it. But he nodded.

“Figured we could go from there. Nothing’s going to happen that you, me and Beth aren’t okay about.”

Gavin felt his nervousness ease. He wouldn’t just be a spectator. He had some control over what was to come.

“It sounded hot, that photo. Two men, one woman. She’s naked, but they aren’t.” Eagle brought his hand to the neckline of Beth’s catsuit.

Gavin took in a deep breath. Beth’s eyes were cast down, toward the floor. He had the urge to take her into his arms, squirrel her away under the covers. But that’s not what she wanted right now. “Unzip her,” he said.

* * * * *

The relief made Beth so dizzy she barely noticed when Eagle unzipped her catsuit. A whoosh of air on her nipples sent a shaft of excitement through her insides. This was actually happening. A strange man was actually undressing her, just as she’d dreamed ever since she’d seen that photo. And maybe before…

Her eyelids drooped and she let her head fall back. She wanted to be handled like a baby, like a toy. She’d done her part—she’d brought the three of them together and showed them what she wanted. Now she wanted to put herself in their hands. Two men using her, pleasuring her. Eagle spread the two sides of her catsuit apart, exposing her torso to Gavin’s scalding gaze.

“In the photo,” said Eagle. “One man is fondling her, the other man is watching.”

Beth moaned. Hearing him speak it aloud was unbearably arousing. Eagle touched her nipple, lightly, but that was enough to make her entire body jump like a fish.

“You’re making me hot,” muttered Eagle. He spread his palm across her chest, between her breasts, so her two nipples peaked on either side of his hand. The heavy warmth of his hand, just above her heart, gave her a melting sensation. Eagle shifted her so she sat between his legs, leaning her back against his hard chest. She breathed in his scent, like fresh forest air. So different from Gavin’s.

Raising her eyes to her husband’s, she felt another wave of relief that he was still here, that he hadn’t run off or called it quits. The opposite, in fact. She knew that look on his face. It meant he wanted her, desperately. His cock reared between his legs in proud arousal. He looked magnificent, like a naked warrior. She knew that Eagle admired the sight as much as she did when his cock hardened behind her.

Two stiff cocks. The thought made her head spin.

She shifted restlessly, needing more.

Eagle plucked at her nipples. The rough friction sent shock waves straight to her sex. She arched and twisted against the white vinyl of the catsuit still hugging her hips.

“You want out of this thing, sweetheart?” Eagle asked.

She nodded manically. He took his hands from her nipples and pushed the catsuit down as far as he could reach. Gavin kneeled down in front of her and peeled it off her legs. It was a two-man operation, with Eagle lifting her ass up while Gavin pulled the suit down. The feeling of being stripped by two men gave her a deep, unaccountable thrill.

When her body was free of it, she wriggled deliciously, feeling like a butterfly released from a cocoon. Her body flushed with a giddy sense of freedom.

For the first time in her life, she was completely naked in front of two men. And it felt good, so good.

Her skin breathed in the warm air, basked in their appreciative gazes. Where was her shyness, her restraint? Gone with the cocoon, she supposed.

“You’re a knockout,” said Eagle in a thickened voice. The fact that he was getting so turned-on gave her an extra thrill. He cupped her breasts in his warm hands, so dark against her pale skin. He thumbed her nipples. Heat shafted to her belly. She responded with a throaty moan that would have embarrassed the old Beth. She spread her legs apart and smelled her own arousal, piercing and sweet.

“I have to lick her now,” said Gavin in a voice raspy with lust.

“Do it,” Eagle urged. He scraped his thumbnails across her aroused nipples until she wanted to scream. It felt strange to have them discussing her like that. Strange and intoxicating.

Gavin crouched between her legs, strong hands on her inner thighs. She could tell he was restraining himself from taking her like a savage beast. His black hair brushed against her inner thighs. Goose bumps pebbled across her flesh. He spread open her lips and tasted her clit with delicate stabs of his tongue.

Oh God! She thrashed from side to side, or tried to. Eagle held her arms bound to her sides in a tight embrace. Gavin took one of her buttocks in each hand, his large thumbs pressing into the upper part of her thighs. His strength made her liquefy. Strong man at her pussy, strong man at her breasts. Her body theirs to tease, stroke, torment.

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HUGS!

Juniper 

Hard at Work Labor Day Blog Hop

Hi, I'm Juniper Bell, erotic romance author. Welcome to my stop on the Hard at Work Labor Day Blog Hop!

You know what they say ... parenthood is the hardest job you'll ever love. Now that I'm a stepmother, I totally understand this statement. I think my husband is an amazing father. In honor of him, and all dads, here's my Labor Day tribute to all those men who are Hard at Work ... at home.

What could be sexier than a bare-chested man holding a teeny-tiny baby? Um, maybe one with a fireman's helmet? Men with babies always make me melt. Almost as much as ...

... men ironing, cooking and

cleaning the shower.

And of course, no matter how much work he does around the house, our hero is still willing to fill the gas tank ...

play handyman...

And read to the kids.

No wonder he's tired by the end of the day.

But why let him nap when you can wake him up and show him some love?

So here's to Hard at Work men at home. You have no idea how sexy you are.

I'll be celebrating Labor Day with a new release, Go Deep, which comes out on September 7 from Ellora's Cave. If you leave me a comment, I'll put you in the running for an extra prize -- an ARC of Go Deep and a $5 Amazon gift certificate!

Here's the blurb for Go Deep. Scroll down to the next post for an excerpt. Enjoy!

Beth is the shy, dreamy type. No one guesses at the wild sexual thoughts she hides behind that quiet façade. She doesn’t even share her secret longings with her husband.

Gavin loves his wife, but he’s tired of living in a marriage in which neither he nor Beth reveal their true desires. When Gavin sees Beth’s response to an erotic bondage photo in her framing shop, he jumps at the opportunity to break through her barriers.

He accepts an invitation to a showcase match for the amateur hockey team he coaches during Wild Nights, the infamous winter festival during which “anything goes, nothing counts.” But he’s opened a sensual Pandora’s box—Beth has some surprises of her own. When she meets Eagle, a free-spirited Wild resident, she knows he’s the perfect man to help enact her erotic fantasies. And once they go deep, there’s no going back.

Read More here.

And click here to return to the Blog Hop.

Happy Labor Day!

Love, Juniper