Happy New Year!

2016 ended with a kick to the gut: All Romance ebooks closed down. It was a very dramatic departure for authors and publishers. For me, it meant my selling strategy for 2017 disintegrating. I had purchased a year’s subscription of advertisements and had big plans.

I’m still in the process of rebuilding my plan, but as you can see part of it is a new blog look!

Overall, though, 2016 was a good year. I hope yours was too. I’m looking forward to bringing you more hot heroes, nifty nails and classy coffee in 2017 here at:

evelyn-aster

Check out my author pages at:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

Vampire Slayer Chapter 1 Part 2

Good morning! In case you missed it, I have a new novella out in a box set called Fangs, Fur and Fantasies. The box set contains 6 stories for only $0.99! Last week I posted the first half of chapter 1 for my story Vampire Slayer.  Here’s the second half:

Okay, before you think you’ve entered a historical/paranormal romance set in the 1990’s when video stores were a thing, let me explain. I live in Albuquerque, NM current day. I know, I know… desert is not the natural habitat for a satyr. Fuck, I don’t think it’s a natural habitat for anything outside of rattlesnakes, but it’s where I’ve made my home. Maybe it’s the mañana attitude, but I guess enough people haven’t gotten around to digital streaming yet, making a hard copy video store still a viable living in Albuquerque.

Video stores are the perfect front for catching vampires. If the place has a back room, like mine does, the vamp can lure customers there, suck ’em dry and be gone before anyone is the wiser. Or better yet, lure the owner there, suck him dry and the vamp has a whole new base of operation. Continue reading

Review!

What a great week this has been for reviews! Several reviews have gone up for the anthology I’m in Fangs Fur and Fantasies at both Amazon and Goodreads. Thanks to Tera who said Vampire Slayer was her favorite!

And a huge thanks to Susan Voss for reviewing Shifting Into Love at her Dab of Darkness blog! That was a welcome surprise! Please run over and check out what she has to say. Then stick around and read some more of her reviews. She is always insightful.

And if you’re wondering what to read this weekend, grab Fangs Fur and Fantasies. Six stories for only $0.99…including mine, Vampire Slayer!

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Or if you’re looking for something that doesn’t quite fit into any genre but has romance and surreal fantasy, try Shifting Into Love!

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Vampire Slayer…the Beginning

Wow! There are some great reviews for the Fangs Fur and Fantasies Box Set over at Goodreads!  Please check them out!

To tempt you, I’m posting a bit of my story Vampire Slayer for the next few days. Please enjoy the excerpts! Be sure to buy it at Amazon or Barnes and Noble!

1| The Love Shack

People should watch porn more often. It’s like a how-to course that gets you off. Of course, I don’t need any pointers, but most people could learn a thing or two from ’em, like Kyra, my summer hire.

“No!” she exclaimed, slamming the store door open. Continue reading

Surprise!

I know it’s been forever since I’ve posted, but I have been writing! Despite adjusting to my new day job, I was able to get a paranormal novella ready for a Paranormal Box Set!

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From six bestselling authors comes a collection that will steam up your ereaders. In this set are authors that are your old favorites and some that will become your new favorites with brand new stories not available anywhere else!

This boxed set is a paranormal and sensual feast. These are stories you can really sink your teeth into and they won’t bite back, much. So join them as they weave tales for you that titillate and delight, but keep a cold drink handy so you can cool off!

Fighting for Her Dragon by Julia Mills
One doomed dragon. One very special woman. One destiny no one could have predicted. Will they save dragon kin or destroy it?

The Incubus by Fallen Kittie
Heath contends with his conscience. Day by day, his resignation grows. He is consumed by disbelief. Life becomes monotonous. Everything is just frigid functionality. Love is what he was cursed to find. In a world where grounded in cynicism and cold science where even the erotic does not cease to become empirical, can love really exist? Can the heart beat beyond its vapid ventricles? Well, Edith thinks so…

Shifter Most Wanted by Catherine Vale
When Gia moves into a new neighborhood, nothing could prepare her for what she discovers in her back yard. Not only is her neighbor absolutely gorgeous, but he’s a freaking werewolf. But Gia has a secret of her own, and when the two come face-to-face, the chemistry is nothing short of breathtaking.

Vampire Slayer by Evelyn Aster
Jazz is a satyr ridding the world of evil one vampire at a time. He meets a vamp who forces him to protect a mortal and open his heart to her.

The Billionbear’s Secret Baby by Alyse Zaftig
When Drake meets Annika, he knows that she is his fated mate. After he abandons her, she realizes that he left behind a present. When he comes back, can she resist his werebear magic?

Rampaging Desire by Crystal Dawn
Dillie needs to win back the mate who rejected him. He has one night to convince her he’s her perfect match. Sara hasn’t been happy since she broke up with Dillie. Tonight is the masked ball. Why can’t she stop thinking about the male who she let get away?

Only $0.99 at Amazon!

I’ll post an excerpt from mine soon!

Intoxicating and Salacious

Lots of books and a low price!

Intoxicating is Amazon Rank #254 in Romance Anthologies!

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Secret Hungers Presents:

SalaciousSalacious
A boxset, sure to satisfy contemporary BDSM, ménage and MM lovers, written by eight bestselling and award-winning erotic romance authors.

Frisky Business (Frisky Romance #1) by Michele Bardsley

Synopsis: When Claire Williams is talked into one last favor for her ex-boss, magazine publisher Lucius Devereaux, she never imagines she’ll end up at a BDSM resort. Worse, she accidentally stumbles into a slave auction— and finds herself sold to a mysterious, masked Dom who promises to show her passion beyond her wildest desires. After the billionaire magazine owner buys his almost ex-assistant under the guise of a Dominant, he’s not sure how long he’ll be able to keep his identity secret. He’s wanted the beautiful, strong woman since the moment she started working for him. Now, he has a chance to show her true pleasure. Still, the only thing Lucius wants more than Claire’s body… is her heart.

Seducing My Billionaire Boss by Cynthia Sax

Synopsis: I have to land the position Robert Reyes, the CFO of Powers Corporation, recently posted. My friend’s health depends on it. I’ve heard the rumors— that Rob will require… extra duties from this new hire. He’s young, handsome, intelligent. Pleasing him won’t be a hardship. Not falling in love with him will be the big challenge. I’ve lusted after Rob for years, like him more than is prudent, dream of him every night. Touching his body, tasting the salt on his skin, will be both a self-inflicted torment and a fantasy come true. I’ll be a convenience for my hunky executive. This is a job, not a romance. As long as both of us remember this, our relationship should work.

The Dirty Martini (Cocktails Book Four) by Renee George

Synopsis: When bartender Chris Lawson goes into shock after getting the worst news of his life, he wakes up in the arms of Marty Lincoln, an Army Ranger on leave from his post. Even in his grief, Chris feels instantly connected to the war ravaged vet. Only two problems: Marty is his boss’s younger brother. And even if that wasn’t an obstacle, the battle-hardened Ranger is straight. Or is he?

Curing Doctor Vincent (The Good Doctor, Book 1) by Renea Mason

Synopsis: Elaine Watkins, Public Relations Advisor, is surprised when she receives a summons from the very attractive and enigmatic Dr. Xavier Vincent. She worships the talented physician and company icon responsible for developing the cure that saved her sister’s life and isn’t immune to his charm. Even though puzzled by his request, she is excited and eager to get started on his latest project. But Dr. Vincent has other ideas. Instead of discussing cures, drugs and marketing strategies, he asks Elaine to join him in Paris to indulge his unique sexual appetites. Torn between gratitude for saving her sister, her attraction for the powerful man and compromising her pre-conceived notions of sexuality, she must decide if it’s easier to feed his desires or walk away. Until she devises a plan of her own.

“Make no mistake, Elaine, I am a king. Kings command and conquer. They are brutal and uncompromising. You don’t want a king. Face it, you came here expecting a saint.” —Dr. Xavier Vincent

Red Hot (A Sapphire Club Masquerade Novella) by Erzabet Bishop

Synopsis: One bet. One kiss is all it takes. Girl’s night out was supposed to be her downtime, but Justine Harwood finds herself staring temptation in the face when her author buddies give her a dare she can’t refuse. But Justine has secrets of her own. A polka dot dress and some seductive intentions are all Justine needs when she heads to The Sapphire Club to meet her girlfriend and hopefully a new boy toy. Because some men just need to learn their manners and Justine is just the woman to teach them. If you can’t stand the sizzle, step away from the fire… Brendan is a secret submissive, torn between his working day world as a local news reporter and his fantasy world at The Sapphire Club. He loves to watch, but when he steps too close to the object of his desire, will he be able to back away before he gets burned?

Stuck In Between (A Bound by Your Love Series novel) by Blakely Bennett

Synopsis: Jacqs is a twenty-eight year old woman caught up in an on again, off again relationship with Bond, who is her best friend and the one who causes her the most heartache. She succumbs, yet again, to his powerful charisma, but vows not make it into more than it is, a great night of sex. Bond, too sexy for his own good, wants Jacqs for himself as he “dates” his way through the female population of South Florida. He selfishly doesn’t see the conflict of interest. Red, Bond’s best friend, has watched Bond take Jacqs for granted for way too long and soon stakes his own claim on her. Will Red and Jacqs budding relationship pull apart their tight-knit group of friends and will Jacqs survive being Stuck in Between.

Sin at Sea (A Sinful Series Novel) by Emma Nichols

Synopsis: When Alysin decided to surprise her boyfriend at work with dinner, the surprise was on her. Since he was going at it with his secretary on the conference table, she packed a bag and called her BFF. Jolie and Alysin had been traveling the country, working as digital nomads for ten years ever since graduation. Taking this as a sign it was time for a new move, they decided to take a cruise, regroup, and make a plan. Then she meets Mr. Bedroom Eyes. Following her lead, they pretend to be married so she can rid herself of the guy who started hitting on her before the boat left the dock. Though it was supposed to be a momentary arrangement, he asks her to take it one step farther. Then another. Along the way, Alysin learns she won’t have to fake an orgasm if she’s with someone who knows what to do, not all men suck, but the best ones suck really well, and sometimes what starts out as something pretend, can fast become something completely real. Will the woman who lives life with no regrets, regret she made the stupid rule about not exchanging names and contact info?

Blind Taste Test by Anne Lange

Synopsis: An erotic romance author who needs to inject more realism into her sex scenes finds herself in the middle of a blind taste test in which she’s the dish for a double helping of dessert.

Buy Links:

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Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Salacious-Hungers-Presents-Michele-Bardsley-ebook/dp/B019G2AVFG/

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/salacious-michele-bardsley/1123131816?ean=2940152253436

KOBO:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/salacious-2
IntoxicatingIntoxicating
A boxset, sure to satisfy erotic romance lovers, written by seven contemporary romance authors.

Sucked Into Love (Bachelorette Party Series #1) by Rochelle Paige

Synopsis: It’s just Jocelyn’s luck that she meets her match at the fake bachelorette party her best friend throws for her… She knows better than to get pulled into any of Cee-Cee’s antics. It must have been sheer exhaustion that made her agree to help her best friend out with a work project – one that ended up with her playing bachelorette for the night! No man ever wants to be knocked off his feet by a woman he meets while she’s wearing a bachelorette “suck for a buck” shirt… Andrew knows that he wants Jocelyn the moment he lays eyes on her, but he’s never been one to poach on another man’s territory. He walks away but finds himself changed by the experience. Imagine his surprise when he sees her again, only to discover she isn’t married and has never even been engaged. Although this is book one in the Bachelorette Party series, there is no cliffhanger. Each book features a different couple. And if you’ve read the Blythe College series, you’ll see some familiar faces in Sucked Into Love.

The Only One For Her by Carlie Sexton

Synopsis: When is a heart too broken to fix? Just days before his wedding, handsome, successful entrepreneur, Trace Michaels, finds out his love wasn’t enough. With a broken heart, Trace lands in Maui, hoping to find solace in the beautiful island. What he finds is beauty, but in the form of an alluring, grieving woman. One he feels an instant and inescapable attraction to. Young widow, Lindy Bernard, had her heart broken when her husband died. In Maui to reluctantly close a chapter in her life, she suddenly finds herself in the arms of a drop-dead, gorgeous Adonis. After his relentless pursuit, Lindy and Trace begin to find healing… only to have that endangered by a secret threatening to tear them apart. All is not what it seems in Trace’s company, and it seems one woman has set out to ruin him. Can he juggle the odious plots against him while chasing the woman of his heart? Will she wait or are some hearts too broken to be fixed?

Cop Shot by Lexi Ostrow

Synopsis: Bridget O’Casey has wanted nothing more than to be a cop since she was a little girl and used to listen to her dad’s stories. He however, was completely against it and she found herself modeling. When he was gunned down on a chase it only furthered her desire to put her life in a different direction and finally enroll in the academy. She wanted revenge for her father’s death and honoring him was the only way to really do so. A night of partying before the first day could spell disaster when she finds out who the deadly handsome man was. Jeremy Trellins is a high profile detective. When things get slightly of out control and he’s put on training duty he wanted nothing to do with it. Until he found out the woman he slept with the night before was now one of the recruits. He’s torn between his duty and his desire and she’s not giving him any indication she doesn’t want him right back. When a series of police station shootings break out across southern California things get shaky as the academy must make the choice to train, or shut down. When a link to Bridget appears with the killings there is so much more on the line for Bridget then she realized. It’s not all black and white as Bridget takes the connection to the killer and her own thoughts of revenge resurface. She will have to find a way to balance training, a not so secret relationship that could both of them removed from the force and a killer that has his sites on her.

A Favor by Fiona Murphy

Synopsis: Zoe has been called cold and empty and undeserving of love when she can’t give it back. It isn’t how she wants be, but she knows no way of changing it, so she understands and hasn’t gone looking for a relationship. But then it finds her in the form of Sam King. Sam is a former Ranger, scarred on the outside from a mission that forced him out. The security contracting company needs Sam, but very soon Zoe realizes she needs him too. But it isn’t fair to get involved with him when he’s already been hurt, she has no right to add to his pain. But Sam is insistent that he’s not looking for a relationship— sex is all he wants and needs from her. Fighting Sam and her body is a lost cause, and she gives in. Soon she’s the one wanting more from Sam, but how can she find a way to not be cold and empty? Is it her turn to end up hurt at the end?

One Summer by Kassandra Wylde

Synopsis: Twenty-two-year-old recent nursing graduate Amy is headed to Greece – much to her parents’ chagrin. They want to keep her home in Arizona where they can keep an eye on her. Amy wants adventure, though, and quickly falls for her gorgeous Greek professor, Dimitri. When Amy finds out that her Greek god is married, and meets his beautiful wife, Lydia, she is torn between her attraction and respect for their marriage. Then when Lydia makes Amy an offer she can’t refuse, she struggles with the possibility that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Despite her concerns, eventually she gives in to Lydia’s encouragement, and Amy and Dimitri’s passionate affair is everything Amy has ever dreamed of. What starts out as a breezy summer fling, however, becomes a struggle for happily ever after when the lovers are faced with the ultimate betrayal. They must learn to trust again in order for their love to survive, but is it too much to ask?

When Forever Ends (The Maxwell Series, Book 1) by Mariah Kingsley

Synopsis: Charles has loved Vivian with all of his heart for the past twenty years, but after overhearing a conversation between her and her girlfriends he learns that she doesn’t feel the same. Cassie and Mason have tried and failed at having a family, and the loss has begun to change the way the love that was once so solid. Cassie has the job opportunity that will take her away from her husband for a few months. Hoping that the time away will bring them closer together. Charles and Cassie become great friends and after a short time they begin to confide in each other about their greatest fears. Their failing marriages. With the commitment to help each other fix their dying marriages they begin to see all that they were missing in each other.

Masked Hearts (Book 1 in the Holiday Cafe Series) by Evelyn Aster

Synopsis: Mark is a rich single dad crazy about his son’s teacher. Sienna, recently ditched at the altar, refuses to date him but agrees to nights of breathless sex in his expansive house in the foothills. On a whim, she binds herself to the tie rack in his closet and realizes how much she trusts him with her body. But will she ever trust him with her heart?

Buy Links

kindle-logobandn-iconkobo_logo_FINALPMS

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Intoxicating-Secret-Hungers-Presents-Rochelle-ebook/dp/B019G2S9DW/

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/intoxicating-rochelle-paige/1123131811?ean=2940152677638

KOBO:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/intoxicating-2

Publishing Update

Wow! Masked Hearts is getting Great reviews on Amazon! Five 5 star reviews in the US and one 5 star review in Canada. One hundred percent five stars! One reviewer says it’s a great fall book, so give it a try even if we’re past Halloween. Reading the reviews gets me excited about the next one, which I’m working on now.

The next Holiday Cafe Book will be Thanksgiving, coming out next fall. It’s an intense love story between an Afghanistan veteran and a bank manager. They meet on the internet and, of course, come together at the Holiday Cafe. I’m loving writing it.

But….my next book and new series just returned from the first read through by my editor! Corporate Fire will be released in January. I’m working on her suggestions, and I’m so happy it doesn’t need a major rewrite. We’re also looking at cover artists and thinking about designs.

So lot’s of work happening over here. I can’t wait to share my stories with you!

Interviews and Sale!

Sorry I haven’t gotten as many blog posts up as I wanted to this week. I caught a summer cold and it made my head fuzzy.

Continuing the blog hop: Interview with Scarlet Day and interview with Zoe X. Rider.

I also just found out that you can get Through the Paintings with a 30% rebate at Allromance today only! Please buy it and let me know what you think!

Thanks so much and happy reading!

 

April Showers Final Part

Dear Readers,

Thank you so very much for all of your comments and subscriptions to my email feed. This is the last day of the Love, Lust and Lipstick Stains blog hop. Be sure to get in all of your entries for the drawing–one of the prizes is a Kindle!

I’m finishing up the blog hop with the final installment in April Showers. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I have had writing it. The vote went to Mark! Please enjoy.

 

April Showers Final Part

by Evelyn Aster

Mark gripped her arms and said, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you he’d called. I didn’t think he’d just show up looking for you.”

She squirmed out of his grasp—rain beating down on her face as she looked up at him. “But why? Your job is not to decide who I get to talk to. I make those decisions.”

“Because when I first started working for you, you were on the verge of divorce, and he convinced you to stay with him. Something inside me told me he was going to try to get you back again. And I couldn’t stand to watch it. You’re a smart, beautiful woman and I love you.”

Tessa stepped back. Her mouth hung open and the raindrops fell in. Sure, he’d been flirting with her earlier, but she hadn’t equated it with love. “I, I can’t talk about this right now. Please don’t follow me.” She turned around with his coat still on and ran until a taxi stopped for her.

She sat dripping inside of the cab. One ex-husband and one assistant—she couldn’t help but notice her heart grew cold at the thought of Rick and warmed at the thought of Mark. But it was a rainy Friday night—not the type of evening suited for decisions of the heart. She needed to sleep on it.

#

Tessa sat in flannel pajamas with her feet up on a chair, a cup of coffee on the kitchen table and an e-reader in her hand. The storm from the night before still pattered down on her roof and brought a chill back into her house like Rick had brought turmoil back into her heart. She tried to read the words before her, but her mind gave them no meaning. She always liked the idea of her and Rick together, but the reality never matched it.

A knock at the door startled her. She set aside the e-reader and walked until she could look through the peephole. Crap. It was Rick.

She opened the door and saw he was drenched with a dozen red roses in his hand. The porch roof rattled under the raindrops. She sighed. She didn’t like roses because of the thorns, but Rick thought they were the only romantic flower out there. “What do you want?”

He held the bouquet out and said, “I’m really sorry about the way I treated you. And I’m sorry about last night. If Mark–”

“Leave Mark out of this.”

Rick’s eyes narrowed like he suspected something was going on between them. “I didn’t think I should just show up here and I couldn’t think of any way else to see you.”

“It’s over, Rick.”

Rick dropped the flowers to his side. “Are you with Mark now? I always knew he wanted you.”

Despite trying to keep a straight face, her eyes widened. She’d never thought they were anything but professional. Except Mark had been very caring during everything that had happened—over and beyond even the best assistant. God, she was an idiot. “No, I’m not with Mark. You and I are not good for each other. We should’ve never tried to have children–”

“No, we were great together, and I want children with you.”

“But I can’t have them. And they aren’t a bandage for all the hurt between us. You went too far in the divorce. I can’t be with you again.” She shut the door and leaned against it.

“I love you, Tessa.” He called.

She kept the door shut and stood at it until she heard him walk away. Tears brimmed at the thought of never seeing him again, but she blinked them back.

#

After a shower and lunch, she sat at the kitchen table still trying to read, but the doorbell rang. Damn it. It had better not be Rick again. She stomped to the door and flung it open. A delivery man stood there with a bouquet of spring flowers—purple and pink with raindrops rolling off the petals in momentary beauty. She caught her breath; they had to be from Mark.

The storm finally stopped as she signed for the flowers. She took them and noticed a letter sized envelope in the middle. She set the flowers in a vase on her table and opened up the letter.

Dear Tessa,

Last night is not the way I wanted to share my feelings for you. I imagined something much grander, but the words just flew out of my mouth in panic. If you’re with Rick right now, I wish you well and know that he’s the luckiest bastard in the world.

If you’ve made up your mind to stay divorced, please consider going out to dinner with me tonight. There’s so much I want to say, and I’m not much good at Jane Austen length letters.

Either way, I think our time working together has come to an end. I’ve accepted a job in the marketing department. Of course, I’ll help you transition to someone new, but I think we both know it can’t go back to the way it was, and I don’t want it to. I want us to be so much more.

Please call me,

Mark

Oh, god. He’d finally taken a better job and was moving on. The marketing department was on a different floor; she wouldn’t see him anymore except at Christmas parties. What would she do without their chats over morning coffee, their laughter over lunch and their banter at the end of the day when—her thought ended on the realization that they always talked as if they didn’t want to leave each other to go home at the end of the day. Damn.

She was in love with him.

She dashed out to her living room where she’d left her purse and phone. As soon as the phone was in her hand, she pressed her finger over his number. It only rang once before he said, “Tessa?”

“Mark.” She had no idea what to say.

The pause seemed to go on forever. “Did you get my flowers?”

Tessa hit her palm on her forehead. “Yes, they’re lovely. Thank you so much. I want—is it possible–” Tessa took a deep breath. “I don’t want to wait until dinner to see you.”

The doorbell rang. “Answer your door,” said Mark.

She ran to the front door and slammed it open.

Mark put his phone in his pocket and said, “I stalked the deliveryman here. I didn’t want to wait until dinner either. I take it Rick isn’t here?”

Tessa put her phone in her back jeans’ pocket and shook her head. “We’re through. We’re divorced. I’m done with him.”

Mark held out a hand and caressed her cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you to make that decision. I just can’t stand not being with you any longer. Everyday I come to work I want to take you in my arms and tell you how much you mean to me.”

Tessa pressed his hand to her cheek and said, “I know I’m a little slow sometimes, but when you said you were leaving me for marketing, I realized how important everything you do is to me. I can’t give up talking and laughing with you. I should’ve realized it a long time ago.”

Clouds broke apart and the sun’s rays shone through. The world smelled as if it had just stepped out of a shower scented with wildflowers. He pulled her to him and said, “The past is done. Let’s move on together and not look back.”

She wrapped her arms around him—her heart beating happiness mixed with anticipation throughout her body. Their lips pressed together, washing euphoria over her. They kissed until the last of the rain dripped off of the porch roof and then went inside to a blissful afternoon in her bedroom.

###

If you enjoyed my off the cuff writing, please buy my new and first release Through the Paintings with a fuller plot and professional editing. You can buy it at Jupiter Gardens, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ARECoffee Time Romance and Smashwords.

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