HONESTLY (Feathered Tartan 3) is Now Live and WIDE!

Hi Everyone! 

Sorry I haven’t been updating the blogs like I should be, but it’s been so crazy around here. School starts on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, so my son is bouncing around the house like a squirrel on crack because he’s so excited, and I’m also trying to get ready for that. All I can say is his poor teachers and TA. I pity them… LOL

 

Honestly (Feathered Tartan 3)

 

HONESTLY (Feathered Tartan 3) hit Extasy Books on August 19, 2022 – happy birthday to me! – and it went live on Amazon on August 27, meaning it’s now available in print on demand paperback. It finally went wide on September 1, 2022 to places like Barnes & Noble (Nook, ebook), Smashwords, Apple Books and of course, Kobo. I’m not sure when it’ll be up on other places, but hopefully soon.

I’m hoping everyone who has purchased or won a copy so far enjoys it. It’s not the easiest book to read – it deals with a lot of issues we see with the LGBTAQ+ community – but it’s some of my best work to date. Or I think it is.

I’ve been up to the eyeballs in promoting it, and making posters for it and the other books in the series. I’m also in the final stages of preparation for getting the next two books in the Feathered Tartan Series off of the ground – a short story and a novel – that are a duology within the series.

Like I said in the Hot off the Press 79 from Con-Tinual (podcast) a couple of weeks ago, you have to read Honestly before you hit Books 4 and 5. A huge catalyst happens in Honestly, which leads into the two next books of the series. I’m not saying what happens… To quote River Song from Doctor Who, “Spoilers!”

Watch it here:

 

Anyway, I am so glad it’s live and wide. I’m just waiting for the reviews to come in… If anyone is kind enough to post one. (HINT, HINT!)

You can find Honestly at your favorite store here: V.J. Allison on Books2Read.

Honestly on Extasy Books.

GoodReads: Honestly (Feathered Tartan 3)

Feathered Tartan Series on Extasy Books

Feathered Tartan Series on Amazon

 

*All of my backlist books, Stricken, Sweet Child of Mine, Away to Me and Under Your Scars, are on sale for 40% off e-books on Extasy Books’ site. You won’t get any books published by Extasy Books any cheaper than this sale! www.extasybooks.com

V.J. Allison on Extasy Books

 

**Honestly is not part of the sale. It is a New Release, and won’t be classed as a backlist book for a while.

 

Other News:

 

I already have names for Joshua and Lauren’s duology, even though the books are not finished yet. I started Book 5 before I even had the idea for Honestly, so it needs to be redone and refurbished to show canon from the other books in the series. I have “Super Secret Project the Second” in the works, but that won’t be ready for a while, and at least two more ideas I’m starting to build. So I have plenty to keep my butt out of hot water for a while writing wise.

With a little luck, Joshua and Lauren’s duology will be available from Extasy Books within the next couple of years. I hope to get a lot of it written over the coming school year, starting this week. Hubby works a lot of daytimes into the evenings – his schedule at the grocery store is loaded with a lot of 9 hour (or more) shifts – so I’m hoping to dive right into things the instant it’s just me and Marnie (the world’s craziest Maine Coon kitty!) in the house for a few hours. I see a lot of pacing, cussing, and tons of blue clouds hanging over the house…

"Feed me, Mama!" Marnie supurrvises me and demands treats for her work.

As for the graphics design end of work, I’m slowly improving my skills in creating covers and other graphics. It’s slow going because I’ve been going nuts with book promos and Halloween graphics (from scratch) for my own areas and Book Carousel (the FB Group for Extasy Books readers to mingle with their favorite authors!), prepping for at least a few upcoming takeovers in Book Carousel and other spots, as well as podcasts with Con-Tinual. (I love them!)

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg for me.

Today I leave you with a song that resonates loudly with Honestly – “Born this Way” by the amazing Lady Gaga. I have so much respect and admiration for this talented singer... She's wonderful!

Under Your Scars is now LIVE at eXtasy Books!

It’s official: Under Your Scars (Book 2 of the Tri-Town Series) is now LIVE at eXtasy Books! Here’s a few juicy details about this next story in the Tri-Town series… And a sneak peek at an interaction between Seth and Alexis!

Get it now at eXtasy Books: https://www.extasybooks.com/v-j-allison/978-1-4874-2823-5-under-your-scars/

Under Your Scars

Book 2 of the Tri-Town Series

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance, Small Town Romance, Women’s Fiction

Length: 68727 words

Flame Rating: 3 Flames (according to eXtasy Book guidelines)

Leads: Seth Mitchell and Alexis Graves

Setting: Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada

Cover Art by Martine Jardin

Tagline: You can run from your past, but it will catch up to you eventually.

Alexis has that special something about her that Seth can’t fathom. His friend Mirabelle’s new employee is even prettier than the merchandise she sells. Too bad she’s distantly polite when he tries talking to her.

Alexis is attracted to Seth, but she’s in hiding from her past and her mistakes. Getting involved with the one person she's attracted to could blow her cover.

When they’re forced to work together, their libidos ignite. Alexis is terrified to open up and give in to her feelings for Seth. If he remembers that night five years ago, he’ll never speak to her again.

It becomes a question of whether Seth will expose her and force her to keep running, or if he'll help her face her past.

Sneak Peek (Chapter Two)

Later that morning, he and Blaine arrived at the store early. Like Thursday, Alexis was sitting on a stool behind the counter with her drawing pad in front of her and a pencil in her hand. She glanced up with a smile and a nod in greeting and turned back to her work. Blaine went toward the back again, and Seth made sure he stayed away from the front part of the store.

Seth let his gaze wander over Alexis while he waited. Yesterday’s lavender blouse had looked amazing on her, but that soft blue t-shirt really caught his eye. One eyebrow went upwards in masculine appreciation as his gaze followed the line of her small breasts. The sudden twitch of admiration from other, sexual parts of his body came as a surprise. Hey! She’s not my type, don’t go there! Focus on your work, dumbass. Jesus.

Seth moved toward the side of the store that was cleared to let the men work as a way to keep his mind focused on his job. They were creating the archway halfway toward the back, on the opposite side from the checkout counter. It looks great. I didn’t realize they were clearing out the area while we were busy in the other part yesterday. Good. He examined the wall to be sure they had the correct measurements. Mirrie wants at least a foot between the top of the arch and the ceiling. We can do it. His gaze followed the lay of the ceiling, looking for any uneven areas. This old place was built in the 1950s, but it’s good and sturdy. I don’t see any flaws we have to watch out for. He reached into his pocket for the stud finder, and with an inward sigh, he realized Blaine had it. So much for getting that out of the way. He dug his drawing pad out of a pocket on his carpentry apron, so he could work on the trim design while he waited.

A whiff of the same flowery scent he remembered from Thursday hit his nostrils. He wasn’t expecting to talk to Alexis much that day due to the noise. Plus, he was expecting her to be busy with customers most of the day. “Morning, Alexis,” he said without looking up from his pad.

“Hi. I thought you two had the measurements for here already,” she replied.

He spared her a glance and shrugged. “We do, but Mirrie asked me if I could design some trim for the arch. I wanted to get a better look at it from this side. That way, I know what would look great and get a feel to make it look good for all parts of the store.” He peered at the wall for a moment, made an adjustment in the drawing and stared at the wall again. Something was missing. What was it?

Alexis was quiet, and he could feel her watching him. “May I take a peek? I know what she has in mind. If you get it right the first time, it’ll be less work for you.”

“I’m not done yet,” he replied and moved a foot away from her.

“Come on, don’t be chicken. I promise I won’t laugh.” There was a coaxing note in her soft voice. It sounded like honey to Seth’s ears.

Damn, I love her voice when she talks like that. But I can’t give in, not after the way she acted on Thursday. She wants to look? Fine with me. Game on, girl! He snapped the pad shut and grinned evilly and dangled the notepad above his head. “Come and get it.” He batted his eyelashes at her and backed up a step.

Her eyes narrowed, and there was a challenge in her dark irises. “Don’t even try it,” she muttered and tried to reach it.

He wanted to tease her a bit, to see if he could get her to open up more and to show her that messing with him wasn’t a great idea. He backed up a couple more steps toward the main door and dangled it in front of his face. “You’re not seeing it until I see what you were doing yesterday.” He added a taunting note to emphasize his point.

She smirked. “Don’t start something with me, Mitchell, because you won’t win.”

They stared at each other for several heartbeats, two opponents locked in mock combat. Alexis sprung at him again.

Seth barely had time to evade it. Her slim, firm body collided with his, and the image of the girl in his dream hit him, which made him a little woozy. She’s not the dream girl. Alexis is real. Focus on teasing her! The vision disappeared, and with it, the dizziness. He backed up another step and felt the door behind his back. “Come and get it,” he sneered jokingly and held it at arm’s length as he physically prepared for another dive.

She smiled slyly a split second before she jumped at it. He yanked it out of her reach with a snicker.

“Prick.” Behind the lenses of her glasses, her eyes twinkled with merriment.

“Be nice, or you won’t see it at all,” he said with a tone of mirth.

With a roll of her eyes, she shrugged, folded her arms across her chest, and turned away. “If that’s the way you’re going to be, fine. I can wait until it’s done.” She stuck her nose in the air and marched primly back to the counter.

Seth chuckled because he knew he had won that round.

“Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine.” She giggled and held up her closed notepad.

He sighed and grimaced. He was as curious about her drawing as she was of his, and he knew if he made a dive for her pad, she’d really let him have it.

They stared at each other across three feet of crowded space. She was grinning devilishly, her cheeks were flushed, and there was suppressed laughter in her stance, which made her more endearing. He tried to keep his mirth in check, but it was a losing battle. He could feel it in his chest, rising in his throat, about to explode.

At the same moment, their mutual amusement broke free in a joint round of laughter. Seth leaned back against the door and held his stomach as Alexis used the counter for support.

Her laugh was high-pitched, and it sounded sweet to his ears. “Stalemate?” she gasped after a minute between giggles.

“Stalemate,” he agreed with a snicker.

They exchanged a playful grin, and she flopped down on the stool behind the counter.

A moment later, Mirabelle and Blaine started walking toward the front of the store.

“See you two later,” Seth called on his way out with a wave, following the bear-like Blaine.

“Yeah, later, Seth.” Alexis still had a giggle in her voice.

Damn, what a great way to start off a day.

He exited, and with a mental snicker, he started wondering how much he could tease her before she really let him have it.

* * * *

Would you like to read more? There’s another excerpt on my website!

https://vjallison.com/under-your-scars

More from V.J. Allison:

Away to Me, Book 1 of the Tri-Town Series

https://www.extasybooks.com/v-j-allison/978-1-4874-2630-9-away-to-me/

Stricken (standalone)

https://www.extasybooks.com/stricken/

Thanks everyone for everything! I leave you with the song that inspired the title for Tri-Town 2, "Under Your Scars" by Godsmack. Enjoy!

Away to Me is Now LIVE on eXtasy Books!

My newest book, Away to Me, is now live on eXtasy Books! Here’s a few juicy details about my little story, and a sneak peek!

Away to Me

Book 1 of the Tri-Town Series – Bridgewater

Part of the Noted Special Collection at eXtasy Books

(Cover art by the lovely and talented Martine Jardin)

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance, set in a Small Town.

Tagline: Sometimes you have to go back to move forward.

What would you do if you found out your late spouse wasn’t the biological parent of your stepchild as they had led you to believe? Would you let it go, in hopes the child wouldn’t go looking for their birth family, or would you help them in their search?

This is the dilemma Neil Falcon faced when he first discovered his late wife, Rita, wasn’t the biological mother of his teenage stepdaughter, Rikki.

His decision to look for her roots puts them on a path that leads them to a part of Neil’s past, one he thought was locked away forever.

Kelsey Wagner is shocked to see the man she once adored appear on her doorstep with claims that Rikki may be her biological child. After finding out her daughter wants her to be a part of her life, she agrees.

Amidst the confusion of raising a teenage daughter, the old feelings resurface. They know their daughter wants them to become a family, but can they make it work?

Away to Me is about family, overcoming one’s troubled past, and finding that one special person to love forever.

Purchase Away to Me at eXtasy Books!

Excerpt from Chapter Four:

Two weeks later, Rikki’s birthday weekend arrived, and Kelsey was satisfied with everything. Rikki, Taffy and the four other girls invited would be there after school and they were looking forward to a long weekend of movies, gossip and fun.

However, the instant the girls walked into the house with Punky, bedlam ensued. After the girls said hello to her and introduced themselves, they made the mistake of not locking the dog in Rikki’s bedroom.

Excited to have so many admirers at once, Punky took off like a bullet the instant he was off his leash and made a lunge for the cats. Sammy and Casey hissed and zoomed off in different directions. The corgi’s playful nature took over and the promise of a treat could not calm him.

The girls laughed and tried to catch him.

Kelsey slid down the wall to land on her rump and watched the scene unfold with a grimace.

Insanity seemed to follow that corgi wherever he went.

I think he creates chaos out of boredom, or because he likes it!

Finally, the girls rounded up the eager canine and managed to sweet-talk him into Rikki’s room with treats and the promise of belly rubs.

Kelsey thought the worst of the craziness was over once Punky was distracted with food.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten how noisy teenage girls could be when they were not absorbed in a movie or TV show. The blare echoing out of the house was deafening, punctured by squeals and giggles, and she wondered how any parent could survive a few hours of it without going deaf or losing their mind.

She was right by the speaker for the doorbell when it rang. She ran for it with a sigh and a prayer it was someone quiet, preferably an adult with chocolate who would rescue her from the madness.

Kelsey opened the door and sagged against the wall with relief when she saw Neil. “For a minute, I thought it was the cops,” she explained as she moved back to let him inside.

He glanced toward the hallway with a wry grin and cringed at the noise level coming from Rikki’s room. “Better you than me.”

She stuck her tongue out at him and swiped at his arm. “If you didn’t want to get run over by a bunch of screaming girls, you should have stayed away. What’s up?”

“I’m dropping off a few DVDs for the girls,” he replied and held them up.

Kelsey noted the titles and grinned. “Do you want to give them to her yourself? You’re welcome to come in and say hello.”

Please save me.

Neil groaned and held up his hands defensively. “Uh, no, that’s fine. How are you holding up? Are you ready to rip out your hair yet?”

She gave him a blank look.

“It was your idea to have the party at your place,” he said.

She wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face, preferably with one of his dirty socks. Better yet, Punky’s favourite blanket. That thing is disgusting.

She grabbed a DVD case out of his hand and lightly whapped him over the head with it. “You could have warned me about the noise and insanity!”

He snickered. “Some things are best learned when you’re in the middle of it.”

An evil grin spread across her face as a way of revenge came to her. “Would you like a coffee?”

Neil glanced at the hallway again and raised an eyebrow at her. “Rule one of having a sleepover is that if you’re a single parent, no other adults are allowed, especially if you volunteered.”

Kelsey mockingly glared at him. “The next time she has a sleepover, it’s at your place, and you’re on your own.”

His left eyelid twitched. “I was joking.”

She giggled. “I knew you were yanking my chain.”

“You can’t blame a guy for trying.”

Her smile softened. “Seriously, do you want a coffee? I’ll make sure the girls don’t go nuts on you if you come in.”

“I can’t. I have the support group this evening.”

She nodded as she recalled it. It was Friday night and the group for runaway teens. Neil had switched weeks with another leader so the other man could take a family trip. “Some other time?”

Neil’s grin made her toes curl in her sneakers. “Definitely.”

Their gazes locked and their smiles faded as he hesitantly reached out to cup her cheek in his palm. His thumb brushed her lower lip.

Kelsey trembled when she saw the tenderness on his face. She leaned into the soft caress and shivered as she felt his breath, soft and warm, graze her lips. She nuzzled her face against his, closed her eyes and brushed her lower lip along his.

A loud bang ripped through the house. They pulled away from each other with a jump.

Giggles and squeals echoed out of the hallway.

Neil awkwardly shoved his hands into his pockets.

Kelsey took a step backwards and wrapped her arms around her stomach.

Punky tore past them with a bra dangling from his mouth, followed by Rikki, Taffy and the other four girls spending the night.

“What in the dickens is he doing now?” Kelsey called after them with a sigh.

“Punky stole Carrie’s bra and we’re trying to get him before he buries it in the snow!” Taffy yelled over her shoulder.

Kelsey blinked several times. With an apologetic smile at Neil, she muttered, “I’d better help them before he eats it.”

Neil was trying to hold back a snicker. “Better you than me.”

She gave him a filthy look, which softened when he touched her cheek.

“I’ll let you get to it.” He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Night, Kelsey.”

“Night,” she whispered as he left, and with a shrug, jumped back into the fray.

* * * *

“Play with Me”, Book 2 of the Tri-Town Series (Mahone Bay) is currently “Under Production”!

* * * *

 Want to see another excerpt? There's one on my website!

https://vjallison.com/away-to-me