Welcome Decadent Publishing author, Liz Crowe!

Today, I am happy to welcome Liz Crowe! She has been lucky enough to have some of the most delicious covers I have seen - who is the cover artist, Liz? They are gorgeous!

Tell us more about Decadent Publishing? I have heard so much about them and all good, so I'd love some insider info!

Okay, over to you...

Why Multiple Delights?

I love series books.

Seriously I love to read them, to get all attached to main and secondary characters then pick up the third or fourth of fifth story and have that secondary story fleshed out for me. I'm currently irrationally addicted to JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood and will dive into her fallen angels series soon. I loved the Patricia Briggs series with Mercy and barely slept while devouring Jeaniene Frosts' Night Huntress books. (huh, and I claim NOT to like paranormals...silly me).

I believe it is truly the ultimate compliment to a writer's story to clamor for more. Not all books require sequels of course. There are a few that remain nameless lest I libel myself that I could have stopped at one but that went on (and on...and on) and made their author briefcases full of money. So somehow, when I write a story, my secondary characters are always strong, and many times demand their own tale.

My first series, The Brewing Passion series from Breathless Press, started as one novel, from which I subbed a few choice chapters as shorts. They got accepted and now that series includes The Tap Room, which is a choose your own romance format, plus 4 more shorts as "missing chapters." I have a hot realtor series under consideration at a few publishers now.

But for Turkish Delights, after I finished that first one, Emre and Elle's story just needed more. So I latched on to Elle's hot personal assistant Caleb who had been in a committed relationship with Emre's twin brother Tarkan for a while and told their story. Prepare the tissues. Blue Cruise is a tear jerker of the highest order.

Then, for Tulip Princess I was allowed to go outside the bounds of the "less than 12,000 words" requirement for the 1NightStand series for Decadent Publishing and was able to bring Lale (pronounced "Lah-lay" who is Emre and Tarkan's younger sister) to life. She was a tough girl to get my head around. But I did and so does one hunky Greek, Andreas Michos. Their little "magical date" seems destined to fail miserably and not just because she's Turkish and he's Greek and you are more likely to throw a snake and a mongoose into a room and have them get along.

Once these were secured into the Decadent system, my editor suggested I write and submit something more. "People are going to want more," she claimed. So I did. "The Diplomat's Daughter" a novella prequel to the entire series has been accepted and will be published in early 2012. It is the story of Emre, Tarkan and Lale's parents set in Istanbul in the early 1960s. She's the daughter of an American high diplomat. He's the son of servants, but who has made good for himself. They knew each other as children, but were forced apart by "propriety." You know what THAT means right? Yep. Destiny.

TURKISH DELIGHTS

The fifteen year age difference between Elle Kensington, ex-patriat American executive and Emre Deniz, son of Istanbul's most successful businessman, has not kept them from becoming fast friends as they tour Istanbul together. But the time has come for him to return to the U.S. to finish his master's degree and she has just been named CEO of the pharmaceutical company that brought her to Turkey in the first place. Elle adores her adopted country, and is alarmed to find herself falling in love with the young man who's been her impromptu guide for the last few months.

But she knows they can never be. She will return home to California within a month, leaving behind all she loves about the ancient city. In a rare fit of spontaneity, Elle has contracted with Madame Eve's OneNightStand dating service to hopefully find a way to forget the dark, handsome young man who has captured her heart. Little does she know what awaits her in the ancient recesses of the Ottoman palace turned luxury hotel under the hands of her one night stand masseur.

Excerpt

“I miss you already,” Emre said, with his usual candor. “I can’t believe I just met you and now we must part.” He finished his tea and signaled the waiter for another. Before she could lean back, he reached over the tiny table and captured her hand, putting it to his mouth. Elle’s entire body zinged. His lips were gentle, soft but with a firmness that spoke of his potential talents with them. Exactly as she thought they would be, even if only pressed to her hand. She bit her lip, no longer caring what the gawkers around them thought, as she pressed her thighs together to ease the ache building between them.

“I know.” Her voice was a whisper. “It’s been…nice getting to know you.” Lame, her brain screamed. Just kiss him, for crying out loud. You are the newly-named CEO of a major pharmaceutical company. You eat fear for breakfast. What the hell is your problem?

She stood, pulling up her bag. Emre remained seated, staring at her.

“I’m not what you think,” he said, as he stretched long legs out in front of him.

Her face flushed with anger. Good. Now I’m on familiar ground. Mad at a man for assuming things about what I think.

“Just what do I think, if you don’t mind sharing.” She used her coolest-cucumber voice, and it pleased her to see the young man frown. Anger she could cope with. Besotted was beyond her, especially since she felt the same damn way about this boy nearly fifteen years her junior.

“Never mind.” He stood, towering over her even as she stood in her highest heels. “Let’s not fight. It’s our last day together, no?”

The urge to run a finger down his strong, stubbled jaw was intense. She clenched her hands together so hard they hurt. He put a familiar arm around her shoulder, nearly bringing her to her knees with lust. The smell of his subtle cologne, mixed with the exotic manliness she’d come to associate with him in his element at his grandfather’s spice booth nearly sent her over the edge. She shut her eyes, leaning into his strong torso ever so slightly. Was it her imagination, or did he flinch? She drew away, ashamed at herself.

“I should get back,” Gesturing in the general vicinity of where her car and driver waited, she gasped when Emre held her close then dropped to one knee right onto the cobblestones. Embarrassment and excitement fought for her brain. He took her hand, kissed it, held it to his heart.

“You are the most amazing woman in the universe. It has been my honor to know you. I wish….” He blinked, and she used the opportunity to pull her hand away. “I just wish we’d known each other sooner.”

It was Elle’s turn to blink. Realization rushed through her, heating her face. He knows damn good and well I’m a dried up specimen, too focused on my career to find and keep a man or sustain any relationship beyond the office. Fists clenched at her sides, she tried to calm her breathing.

You are a fool, Ellery Kensington. He knows you’re a horny old lady. And he might oblige you between the sheets, but get the foolish romantic bullshit about spiriting him back to the States with you out of your head. That’s patent nonsense and you should know better.

Finished with her self-lecture, she squared her shoulders and leaned in to press her lips to his jaw. Closing her eyes against the chemical reaction she had to him, she stepped away quickly.

BLUE CRUISE:

Caleb and Tarkan were an odd couple, men from two different cultures, but so in love they were determined to overcome any obstacles. Fate had different plans. Two years after tragedy strikes, Caleb is still a hollow shell of himself, alone and miserable. Adem Broussard is happy enough, as owner and chef of his restaurant on the Turkish southern coast. But a tall, American Adonis he saw once, years ago on a Turkish Blue Cruise haunts his most erotic dreams and he hopes contracting with Madame Eve's 1NightStand service for an unconventional date will help him forget.

When Caleb caves in to his friend Elle's insistence that he return to Turkey and exorcise some of the demons that haunt him, he reluctantly climbs on board a private yacht for a special 1NightStand Blue Cruise. There he comes face to face with the man who remembers him well, and wants to help him heal.

TULIP PRINCESS

Lale Deniz, young, drifting and prone to wildness that her Turkish family doesn't understand is seeking something to help her reestablish control over her life. Her beloved brother Tarkan has exited her life. His twin, Emre lives far away in America with his growing family. When Elle, Emre's American wife has a scary brush with death giving birth, Lale is dispatched to California to help with their five-year old daughter. But a recovering Elle has plans for Lale that involve a magical 1NightStand.

Andreas Michos, Greek former NFL star, now athletic director at UNLV also floats through life, unsuccessfully seeking satisfaction. His former wife and sexual sub left him when he took away the limelight of football stardom. He doubts his own abilities anymore and has given up finding an outlet for his natural Dom.

Set against a backdrop of ancient cultural clashes and Mediterranean family dynamics, Lale and Andreas do meet in Las Vegas at the famous Castillos resort for a date. But it seems destined to fail. Unless they are both willing to relinquish control and discover what can be found inside the soul of another.

Thanks for having me here today!

I will offer a box of actual "Turkish delight" candy to one lucky commenter....

Bio:

Microbrewery owner, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great middle west, in a Major College Town. Years of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse plus making her way in a world of men (i.e. the beer industry) has prepped her for life as erotic romance author. When she isn't sweating beer inventory, sales figures or promotional efforts for her latest publication, doing pounds of laundry for her sweaty athletic children, watching La Liga on the Fox Soccer Channel, or trying to figure out what to order in for dinner, she can be found walking her standard poodles or doing Bikram Yoga. Liz loves her Foo Fighters Pandora station, and watching reruns of Deadwood, when there isn't any decent European football on the telly. If you want a beer education follow her: www.a2beerwench.com. For writing related stuff, including her backlist, go to: www.brewingpassion.com.

Thanks so much for being here today, Liz and for hosting a giveaway! Liz is waiting for your comments...