I have big news. Today is the release day for my debut novel, Giving It Up, from Loose Id! You better believe I’m freaking out right now! Let me just use a few more exclamation points!!!

That, now that’s out of my system. Whew!! Er, maybe I have a few left in me.

For today’s Tuesday Tangent, I’m introducing my characters to you through the websites they visit online.

Above all, our heroine Allie is a mother to her almost-two-year-old daughter Bailey. Allie’s mother passed away when she was young, her father is mostly out of the picture, and she doesn’t know a lot of other parents in real life. So, she would definitely go looking for an online community, somewhere to chat with other mothers about what’s normal, what’s not, and how to survive those teething nights.

Which brings me to Kellymom and its forums,
http://forum.kellymom.net
. It was originally focused on breastfeeding advice, but expanded to parenting topics and also a supportive social setting. They’ve got age-specific sections in which to seek advice (and commiserate) as well as chat threads.

Allie is also a baker. Parts of her life have been out of her control… and sometimes it still feels that way. She loves the quiet consistency of baking.  She can follow the recipe and come out with a fabulous treat on the other end. Best of all, if something goes wrong, she can always try again – no harm done. No one knows better than her how rare it is to have a do-over.

Allie loves the Smitten Kitchen blog (
http://smittenkitchen.com/
), which has recipes. Not only do they have recipes for all types of cakes and pastries, but they also have usage instructions. For example, did you know that you should freeze a cake layer before frosting it? Me neither, at least until I read it there. And they’ve got more tips too, like how bakeries get their frosting to look so smooth.

Our hero, Colin, owns a restaurant called the Oasis Grill. That’s a relatively new venture, although it’s going well. Before that he did… well, he’ll have to check the statute of limitations and get back to you. Don’t hold your breath.

His brother and sister were put into foster homes after their parents were cited for abuse. Colin was the youngest, and he was taken in by a loony relative. As soon as the three of them were old enough to make their way, they made it big time. Colin was determined. Never again would someone be able to wield control over him… or the people he loves.

He follows the major outlets for business news and advice, like Entrepreneur magazine (
http://www.entrepreneur.com/
). Mostly he’s trying to keep his nose clean these days, so this would all apply to his restaurant. However… if he did have to slip back into some slightly less savory dealings, well, business is business. The same rules apply.

Colin doesn’t spend a lot of time online. He’s a simple man, who enjoys simple pleasures, including spending time with Allie and her daughter, Bailey, on family outings.

And when he has Allie alone at night, well, there are other pleasures. Check out this excerpt to see what I mean:

“Shhh.” He arranged my arms and legs so that they were splayed open on the bed and then kissed his way down my stomach. I shifted restlessly, knowing what he planned to do.

I didn’t want to say no, exactly, but I couldn’t look forward to it. That would probably have sounded weird to some people, that I would have rather gone down on a guy than have him go down on me.

Giving head was a no-brainer for me. I loved cocks, the way they tasted and felt in my mouth. And just the invasion of it, the submission. It was a pretty gross thing to do when I thought about it. Maybe that’s why women didn’t like blowjobs, but they didn’t understand about the power.

Colin, however, settled down between my open legs like he planned to stay. I felt too self-conscious to say anything at all, especially while he was focused on such an intimate place. I couldn’t help but tense up.

He kissed the inside of my thigh, his fingers trailing the path of his mouth. He switched to the other thigh, and only when my hips tilted up slightly did he move closer to my center. He licked through my folds, the soft contact startling. His fingers played there too, but he didn’t ram his fingers inside me or press my clit. He just licked and suckled and dipped his tongue inside to lap at the wetness pooling there.

It was almost like he wasn’t trying to get me to come. In my experience, a guy would aim for the good parts and try to get me off as fast as possible, if he even bothered. But Colin licked me like he had all the time in the world. He wasn’t speeding up or pushing me on.

The room was silent except for the wet sounds from his mouth on me. The pressure of having to perform an orgasm eased with his leisurely pace. He didn’t seem to be expecting me to come now, so it was okay that I didn’t. I relaxed into the pleasure, luxuriating in this new sort of worship. God, was this why women loved getting oral sex?

Now that, ladies and gents, is what we call a win-win.

Today I’m giving away a Giving It Up Swag Pack which includes a signed book plate and romance trading cards:

Also included is a fat 5 ounce bar of Ana Banana’s Naked Man Soap. “Lime and spices and everything nice.  This is a scrubby bar, made with ground luffa and ground vanilla beans.  The perfect naked man scent!” Use it on yourself for a refreshing clean feeling or give it to your lover so you can excuse to cuddle up close

Leave a comment to be entered to win!

Both Colin and Allie would tell you to check out the Giving It Up website, where you can find the official blurb, longer excerpt and the sexy book trailer:
http://givingitupbook.com/