The other two Mavericks have been doing video blogs and I decided to try my hand at it too. Next time I’ll make sure I’m not sick, there’s less negative space above my head, and the lighting and acoustics are better. For now, here you go, my first attempt. I talk (a little) about RT and pimp two of my new releases.

Contests! I have one going on here at my blog, just scroll down for details. The Good, the Bad and the Unread is also running a contest for an autographed copy and they have excerpts up of The Deal (my story) and Stripped, by Lauren Dane.

What Happens in Vegas is now shipping from both Amazon and Barnes & Noble online. I don’t think it will likely start showing up on the shelves until May 1st, but if you’re itching for your copy you can get one now.

Yay!

I’m so excited about this anthology. Be warned, it’s very, very hot!!!

Behind closed doors, the real games begin…

Winning it big.
That’s the name of the game at Las Vegas’s Liege Hotel and Casino, where the hottest fantasies hinge on a roll of the dice…and the tantalizing knowledge that anything could happen before sunrise.

Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet-talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she’s not giving anything away free.

Meanwhile, Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind…until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she’s going to pay… with both pleasure and pain.

Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her “friend with benefits.” But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high.

Excerpt from The Deal, by Anya Bast

“We could be more than friends.”

She glanced away. He glimpsed shadows in her eyes before she turned her head. Bad. Shadows were very, very bad. She licked her lips nervously.

“We could be friends with benefits,” he amended, backpedaling. Judging by her body language, he needed to take this slow. He was losing her fast. James had always suspected another relationship might make her scared, even something as casual as the one he was proposing. Guess he’d been right.

All he knew was that he wanted her, in whatever capacity she would allow. James would always want more of her, whatever amount she was willing to give. For the time being, friendship with benefits sounded damn good to him.

“Cassidy?” he murmured, sliding his hand to her waist. She felt so warm, so perfect. “Listen to me.”

She looked back at him and her breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes were dark, heavily-lidded, and her lips were parted a little.
She looked interested…turned on.

Good. That was very, very good. He’d always wondered if she was attracted to him. Guess she was.

“I’ve been attracted to you since you were with Damian,” he continued. “I’ve wanted you in a bad way for a long time, Cassidy girl. I don’t want to be just friends with you; I want you in my bed.” He paused. “I want to have a very skin-on-skin kind of relationship with you.”

Cassidy looked stunned. His heart pounding, fearing he was about to crash and burn and lose a friend in the process, he let his face drift closer to hers. She didn’t move away.

“I’ve been attracted to you too, James. I always thought it was against the rules, you know?” she murmured practically against his lips. “Since we’re friends.”

“Let’s make new rules.”

Their breath mingled, lips brushed, and then he kissed her.

Her lips felt wooden beneath his for a moment, and then she melted and kissed him back. Every nerve in his body shot to life with hunger.

She twisted, leaning into him so he could feel her breasts against his chest, and eased her hands slowly up his arms and over his shoulders.

James let his hands find her waist, then slanted his mouth over hers and flicked his tongue against her lips. Damn it. He wanted to pull her over onto his lap. He wanted to undress her, set her up on this bar and fuck her senseless.

She opened for him and he slipped his tongue inside. He could taste whiskey in the hot, soft interior of her mouth, but that wasn’t what made him feel drunk.

They broke the kiss, both breathing heavy. “Cassidy, come home with me,” he murmured against her lips.

“But…” She bit her lower lip for a moment. “How do I know you’re any good in bed?” she asked with a little teasing grin playing around her lips.

He groaned and eased a hand between her knees. “What, you want a demonstration?” he murmured. He didn’t wait for her answer; he just eased his hand up her inner thigh, underneath the hem of her skirt. His actions were hidden from anyone’s view by the overhanging ledge of the bar and the dim light.

His fingers found the edge of her thigh high stockings. Oh, hell. His brain was going to melt. Thigh high stockings. This was the outer limits of heaven itself.

His cock was rock hard now. James raised an eyebrow in question at her as he rubbed his index finger over the bare skin at the top of her stocking.

“They’re more comfortable than the other kind,” she answered breathlessly in explanation, a blush faintly tingeing her cheeks.

“Lucky for me you think so,” he purred into her ear. He hooked her hair behind her ear with his free hand and whispered, “Spread your legs for me, baby. I need to touch you.”

She shifted on the stool, giving him room to move. He traveled up further and soon felt the heat of her pussy against his hand. Yes, he’d reached the gates of heaven. She’d spread her thighs as much as her skirt would allow. It was enough. He eased his fingers over her sweet, plump little clit through the cotton of her panties. He wanted to feel it against his tongue.

Cassidy inhaled sharp and fast as he stroked her, teasing her clit into a swollen, needy thing. He brushed his lips against hers, then kissed her again, sliding his tongue in between her lips, while he pushed the panel of her panties to the side and touched her bare pussy.

Around them people talked and laughed, and ignored them. That was good because he had every intention of making Cassidy orgasm right here and now.

I got TEN MILLION copies of What Happens in Vegas… (May, 2008, Harlequin Spice) yesterday. Okay, not ten million, but a whole bunch! I’ll be doing some giveaways soon, so be sure to keep checking back. If you’re not familiar with Vegas, it’s a waaaaaay hot anthology including novellas from me, Lauren Dane, Jodi Lynn Copeland and Kit Tunstall. It’s Harlequin Spice’s first ever anthology.

If you have an established book or review blog that tends to get a good amount of traffic and would like a copy of What Happens in Vegas… please email me via the contact form on this site and send me your URL and contact info. Depending on how many requests I get, I may have to do a lottery or use some other selection process. I only have a limited number of books I can give away. The only requirement to get a free book is that you blog about the book during the week of its release (first week of May). Your opinion is your own, of course, good or bad.

In other news, for the second week of Witch Blood’s release it placed 22# on Borders bestseller list and 18# on Barnes & Noble’s list! It actually climbed up on the B&N list. Last week it was 24#. It’s also still placing high on Bookscan. This makes me pretty darn happy, I have to say!

Okay, you all, I have to go!! Deadlines are calling. Eeek!