Combustion
By: Elia Winters
Releasing May 5, 2015
Samhain Publishing Ltd
Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Samhain
By: Elia Winters
Releasing May 5, 2015
Samhain Publishing Ltd
Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Samhain
Synopsis
A war orphan, Astrid Bailey is
content living her adult life alone, working as a contract machinist.
Her real passion, though, is inventing felicitation devices that
promote women’s sexual empowerment and help them find pleasure
independent of a man.
The upcoming World’s Fair, with its substantial cash prize, is an opportunity to open the shop she’s always imagined and hopefully solve her financial woes. Except the committee has denied her entry unless she obtains a “sponsor”. Astrid suspects they mean “male”.
Eli Rutledge, noted watchmaker, knows entering the fair will solidify his reputation as an innovator —but he’s fresh out of ideas. Until Astrid approaches him with her outrageous product line. With no other options, though, he agrees to lend her his good name.
As construction heats up, so does their chemistry—and the complications. Astrid is unaccustomed to asking for help, much less sharing credit. And Eli fights an attraction that could spell professional disaster. As the Fair date approaches, Astrid and Eli must decide how far they’ll go. For the business…and for each other.
Product Warnings Contains period-appropriate graphic language, highly inappropriate amounts of M/F and F/F sex, and copious amounts of *ahem* product testing. May *ahem again* “spark” an online shopping binge for *cough* toys. Of the adult variety.
The upcoming World’s Fair, with its substantial cash prize, is an opportunity to open the shop she’s always imagined and hopefully solve her financial woes. Except the committee has denied her entry unless she obtains a “sponsor”. Astrid suspects they mean “male”.
Eli Rutledge, noted watchmaker, knows entering the fair will solidify his reputation as an innovator —but he’s fresh out of ideas. Until Astrid approaches him with her outrageous product line. With no other options, though, he agrees to lend her his good name.
As construction heats up, so does their chemistry—and the complications. Astrid is unaccustomed to asking for help, much less sharing credit. And Eli fights an attraction that could spell professional disaster. As the Fair date approaches, Astrid and Eli must decide how far they’ll go. For the business…and for each other.
Product Warnings Contains period-appropriate graphic language, highly inappropriate amounts of M/F and F/F sex, and copious amounts of *ahem* product testing. May *ahem again* “spark” an online shopping binge for *cough* toys. Of the adult variety.
Excerpt
Astrid hopped up on the worktable, legs dangling freely. “Eli, you can hang on to whatever outdated notions of propriety work for you in your world, but I’m not going to deny myself what I want just because I’m worried about what people will think.”
Taking deep, calming breaths, he studied her. Maybe she had a point. Maybe it wasn’t his responsibility to protect her reputation. Maybe she did want to sleep with him. Damn, he wanted to believe her.
Seeming to sense his acquiescence, Astrid made him an offer. “Look, I’m only talking about one night. Resolve this tension between us, and then we can get back to work like normal.”
It was tempting. He hesitated, running through the pros and cons in his mind. She was so damn sexy, sitting there swinging her feet, her dark eyes sparkling in the light from the lanterns. He’d sworn off relationships after Mallory, wasn’t going to go through that heartache again. But Astrid wasn’t proposing a relationship—and he wasn’t surprised; she was dynamic, bold, adventurous, and he was a straightforward businessman like every other businessman. She was proposing sex. If it didn’t mean anything, couldn’t they share one night and be done with it? No heartache, no complications?
“Just one night. One night, and this never happens again.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Right?”
“Of course. You’re still a self-righteous prude, and I doubt I’d be able to stand more than one night.” Her smile indicated that she was teasing, but she’d made it clear what she thought of him already.
He looked around the workshop. “So…what happens now, exactly?”
Astrid hopped down off her bench. “Now, I think you take me home.”
* Review to come
Author Info
Elia Winters has always been a New England girl, despite having spent much of her childhood in Florida. She holds a degree in English Literature and teaches at a small rural high school where she runs too many extracurricular activities. She balances her love of the outdoors with a bottomless well of geekiness.
Elia dabbles in many genres, but erotic romance has been one of her favorites since she first began sneaking her mother’s romance novels. In high school, she kept her friends entertained with a steady stream of naughty stories and somehow never got caught passing them around. Her erotic fiction and poetry have been published online at Clean Sheets and Scarlet Letters under a different name. Elia currently lives in New England with her loving husband and their odd assortment of pets.
Elia’s virtual life is as busy as her real life. In addition to her website, you can find her on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Pinterest and Goodreads.
Rafflecopter Giveaway
Elia will be awarding $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.
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How did you come up with the title?
ReplyDeleteI wrestled with this title a lot, actually. I ended up making a list of machinery puns, and I had "internal combustion" at the top of my list, but it was too clunky so I cut it down to just "Combustion."
DeleteThanks for the giveaway-very pretty cover. Congratulations to Elia on the new release.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandy. I love this cover.
DeleteLoved reading about you in your profile. Pretty cover!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it!
DeleteThanks for hosting me today.
ReplyDeleteMost welcome.
DeleteI liked the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it, Rita.
DeleteGreat post! Thanks for sharing the excerpt :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for following the tour.
Deleteyou're welcome! :)
DeleteI enjoyed the excerpt, sounds like a fascinating book, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eva.
DeleteThanks, Patrick.
ReplyDeleteLove the title~Sounds great!
ReplyDeleteHope you like it, Betty.
DeleteThat's a great cover! Very eye-catching!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the excerpt and the cover. Thank you for the post and the giveaway!
ReplyDelete