Guest Post and Giveaway with Randi Alexander

A New Release, A Contest, and A Book Giveaway!

Hi, I'm Randi Alexander and I write cowboy and cowgirl erotic romance. I'm published with The Wild Rose Press, Cleis Press, and I'm also self-published. My newest release, Turn Up the Heat, is available now from The Wild Rose Press.

Thank you, Danielle, for hosting me today. Lucky me, It's Friday the 13th! I'm not much for believing in luck, other than we make our own, and it's mostly based on karma: do good things and good things will happen to you.

I did have a crazy amount of luck last weekend, though. We spent an evening at our friends' house and they wanted to play Yahtzee. Believe it or not, neither Kick (my hubby) nor I had ever played it before. (They were shocked at that!) They taught us how to play and gave us suggestions on the best way to score.

After rolling the five dice, you can take the first roll's number and mark it on the scorecard, or roll some or all of the dice twice more to improve your number. And there are different ways to score. The top section of the scorecard has a bonus if you reach a certain number of points. The bottom has options, too, which make you really have to think about what you're marking on the score sheet.

It's a nice analogy for romance, too. Luck may give you a dice roll that's perfect, but you still have to choose what to do with it. Lots of options, lots of thought involved. In the end, when everything is added up, the choices you've made along the way determine if you win or lose. If you lose, you learn from the mistakes you made during the last round, and start all over again with a fresh scorecard.

Gosh, that was kind of a silly analogy. But since I'm a romance writer, I see the mushy lovey dovey side of just about everything in life. I guess I'm…lucky that way.

Do you believe in luck - good or bad? What's your favorite story about luck? Leave a comment for a chance to win an e-book.

Mackenzie Jarvis has never slept with a woman. So why has she fallen madly in lust with Gina Volto, host of the reality cooking show Mackenzie is competing in? Mackenzie’s wild desire to live out her fantasy, battles with her conservative Wyoming values. Then Gina pours on the seduction, Mackenzie runs–home to her ranch, her horses, and her busy career as the owner and chef of a restaurant. But Gina shows up at her ranch in a snowstorm, and Mackenzie allows herself one weekend of forbidden, kinky pleasure.

When Gina admits she wants more than just a few days, can Mackenzie ignore her upbringing and her plans for a traditional life with a husband and children? Or will she give in and turn up the heat?

Over 18 only, please.

By ten thirty, the restaurant emptied. The bar had only a few patrons. Mackenzie walked out of the kitchen in her street clothes, carrying their coats. She sat on a barstool, tossing their coats on the stool next to hers.

At the other end of the bar, Gina showed Travis how to make some complicated drink. She looked adorable with a bar towel wrapped around her waist like an apron, and her hair tucked behind her ears.

Gina sipped the cocktail. “Yummy.” When she handed it to Travis, he turned the glass and ran his tongue over the spot where Gina had drunk from.

Mackenzie’s eyes popped wide. A possessive charge sent heat flooding her neck and face.

Gina shook her head and swatted his arm. “Behave, or I’ll get you fired and take your job.”

Mackenzie tamped down the urge to throw something at him. He was a cutie. A lot of girls ended up staying until the bar closed and going home with him. But Gina? Was she interested in him?

Shit. Was she jealous? She unclenched her jaw, and unfisted her hands. Evidently, yes.

Travis laughed and took a sip of the drink. When he spotted Mackenzie, he asked, “The usual, Chef?”

Gina turned toward her. “Hi, Chef. All finished in the kitchen?”

Mackenzie could see no guilt or hesitation in Gina’s eyes. Conversely, a deep desire glowed in her gaze as her lips parted with a Mona Lisa smile.

The gray cloud of distrust disappeared from over Mackenzie’s head. This woman wasn’t into anyone but her. The knowledge both thrilled and panicked her.

Gina removed her makeshift apron and tossed it in the laundry bin. She came around the bar and slid onto the stool next to Mackenzie’s.

Travis set a frosty mug of beer in front of Mackenzie. He leaned on the bar across from the two women, assuming his sexy cowboy pose. “Anything for you, Miss Gina?” His smile invited that trouble Gina liked. “Anything at all would be my pleasure.” He laid on a thick coat of charm.

Gina shook her head, and told Mackenzie, “We were playing with some recipes, thinking up drink specials, and of course we had to taste them.” She patted her own cheek. “I think I had a little too much.”

Mackenzie smiled, amazed at how Gina assimilated into the business, keeping herself busy and having fun with it.

Travis lifted a brow. “I offered to let Miss Gina sober up at my place, but she hasn’t agreed. Yet.” He gave Gina a look that could melt a woman’s resolve right down into a puddle.

Gina glanced at Mackenzie with a smirk. “What do you think, Chef? Should I take Travis up on his offer?”

The desire in Gina’s eyes lit Mackenzie up from inside. Her blood pooled hot in her core, and her breath struggled in and out of her quickly tensing body.

Gina licked her lips and stared at Mackenzie’s mouth, telling her, without words, that all she could think of was kissing her silly.

Mackenzie had to touch her, to show her how much she wanted her. She slung her arm across the back of Gina’s chair, ran her fingers up Gina’s bare arm, and said slowly, deliberately, “Gina’s going home with the woman who brought her here.”

Gina’s body twitched as her eyes fluttered shut for a second. She leaned in closer to Mackenzie, and put her hand on Mackenzie’s thigh.

Travis jerked upright.

Mackenzie glanced at him, taking in the way his eyes froze wide open, just as Bruce’s had done. Great. She’d shocked her staff, and let them a lot further into her life than she cared to. She looked at Gina, the heat of her palm on Mackenzie’s thigh sending waves of dark desire through her. It felt good, though, to belong to someone. To have someone belong to her. Even short-term.

To celebrate my new release, I'm giving away, to one *commenter, an e-copy of my erotic romance anthology Cowboy Bad Boys. Just leave a comment today and we'll choose a winner on the 20th. *Commenter must be 18 years of age or older to win.

Because Turn up the Heat is about a chef, I'm giving away a really cute custom-made apron and potholder set to one lucky person who joins my mailing list before August 8. Click here to enter.

Good luck, and thank you!

Randi  "Rode Hard and Put Up Satisfied"

RandiAlexander.com

Wild and Wicked Cowboys Blog

69 Shades of Smut Blog

-Turn Up the Heat and all my Wild Rose books are available at The Wild Rose Press and all my books are available at Amazon