Welcome, Desiree Holt & Liz Crowe

I'm thrilled to welcome Desiree Holt, and Liz Crowe, to my blog today, to talk about writing together and their latest book, Numbers Game.

Why Write Together?

Liz Crowe

On behalf of Desiree Holt, co-authors of NUMBERS GAME

 

We all have our heroes.

And when I say “hero” I’m talking about my personal ones, not the 40 or male ones I’ve created during the course of my writing career. I have lifestyle heroes, sports heroes, parenting heroes, my kids are even my heroes sometimes. My list of writing heroes is short, and in some cases more like hero worship from afar since a couple of them are super stars that I can only be a stan for on social media.

 

However, luckily for this writer, one of mine is a writer named Desiree Holt. When I think back on our earliest conversations, it was mainly me, a lowly stars-in-my-eyes romance author, wowed by the fact that she was so approachable and cool. She’s also one of Those Authors who give advice, tips, and inside scoops to those of us coming up behind her, learning the ropes of what can be a bit of a brutal industry at times.

 

When she figured out that I lived in Ann Arbor (at the time) we got to talking sports—a mutually favorite topic of ours. When she told me that she and some of her family were coming into town for a football game a few years ago, I made sure we met at the brewery I owned (at the time) and our friendship was sealed.  Since then, I’ve approached her with ideas for books, questions about publishers, and all sorts of author-related stuff, but in 2016, I helped organize, promote, and run a massive fundraiser for my kids’ high school’s athletic department that featured John and Jim Harbaugh, returning to the high school that John graduated from to honor them. It was a roaring success. We raised $50,000 for the athletic fund in one night, and I got to give Desiree a present. A few of the commemorative 2016 Pioneer High Hall of Fame footballs we had made were signed by both brothers so I made sure I got one and sent it to her.

 

All in the name of bribing her just a little bit because I had a project in mind that I wanted us to tackle together.

 

It worked! But because we’re both busy, it took us a few years to get to the point of actually talking through the concept that became the novel: NUMBERS GAME, that is releasing April 20 from The Wild Rose Press. We wrote in the sort of back-and-forth manner that was fun but also frustrating at times for both of us. I know I learned a lot about my process and habits as I crafted the point of view for Duncan “Hatch” Hatcher, a former pro player and coach who’s hiding the secret of his downfall in the pros, but has landed at his fictional Michigan alma mater as head coach. When we finally got the book exactly the way we wanted it, then came the challenge of finding it a publishing home. That was a task Desiree took on with a vengeance and landed us at The Wild Rose Press, a new-to-me publisher. It’s been great working with them and we’re proud to present this sports romance, featuring characters that are both divorced, both a tad jaded, but once they meet….well, those sparks catch fire quick and burn hot!

Blurb:

Former pro football player and coach Duncan "Hatch" Hatcher fumbled his career and marriage. Now divorced and ready to tackle his future, he has an opportunity to redeem himself as coach of his college alma mater's football team. But how can he turn the team's losing streak around and keep the secret of his downfall buried when the school agrees to a documentary that will allow a lovely journalist to dig her way into his past...and into his heart?

Olivia Grant's ex-husband almost wrecked her journalism career while he definitely did a number on her self-esteem. The documentary on Duncan Hatcher is the perfect way to rebuild both. As a freshman in college, she'd had a crush on the senior football hero, but he hadn't known she existed. She never expects the sparks that fly between them as they work on the project nor the struggles they must face if they both want to win.

Excerpt:

Every move after that, to her, seemed to have some kind of sexual connotation.

The air between them vibrated with the electricity sparking back and forth. By the time he paid the check and they left the restaurant, every pulse in her body pounded, her breasts ached, and her teeny tiny thong was soaked. She wanted to hurry home and take a cold shower before she did something really stupid.

In the truck, he turned on the radio and found a station playing oldies rock music that he tuned low. They rode in a silence that was more electric than uncomfortable, especially when he reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. When they reached her townhouse, he again lifted her from the cab and walked her to the door, holding her hand. When she had the door open, he turned her to face him and studied her face for a long time. She waited, wondering if she had the willpower not to cross that line from professional to personal and how much damage she’d do if she did.

“You have to be the sexiest sports reporter I’ve ever met. I would really like to kiss you. Would that be okay with you?”

She should have turned away, but she couldn’t find the willpower. The kiss was soft and gentle, a mere brush of lips, a touch of flesh. Then it was over, but she wanted more. A lot more. She could feel this spinning out of control, and she was powerless to stop it.

“If you invite me in, I’m not going to turn you down.”

Buy Links:  

Universal Link:  https://books2read.com/NumbersGame

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Numbers-Game-Desiree-Holt-ebook/dp/B08Z2SHFRK/

Apple Books:  Coming Soon

Kobo:  Coming Soon

Nook:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/numbers-game-desiree-holt/1139030980?ean=2940162395034

Google Play:  Coming Soon

Print:  Coming Soon

Goodreads:  Coming Soon

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/books/numbers-game-by-desiree-holt-and-liz-crowe

 

About the Authors:  

Liz Crowe:

 

Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in Central Illinois. She's spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a social media consultant and humane society development director, in addition to being an award-winning author. With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, at times frustrate, and always linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

 

Website:  http://www.lizcrowe.com

 

Newsletter:  https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r2a2q5

 

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor

 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LizCroweAuthor

 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/etlizcrowe/

 

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-crowe

 

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4350864.Liz_Crowe

 

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Liz-Crowe/e/B00573TC7M

 

Podcast Interview:  https://interestinghumanspodcast.buzzsprout.com/639664/6917804-liz-crowe-romancing-the-romance-novel

 

 

Desiree Holt:

 

USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and contemporary on a variety of heat levels up to erotic, a genre in which she is the oldest living author. She has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications. 

Website:  https://desireeholt.com/

 

Newsletter:  https://desireeholt.com/newsletter/

 

Blog:  https://desireesplace.net/

 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/desireeholtauthor

 

Facebook Reader Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/DesireesDarlings

 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/desireeholt

 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/desireeholt/

 

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/desiree-holt

 

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1270681.Desiree_Holt

 

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Desiree-Holt/e/B003LD2Q3M/

 

 

Spotlight on Rawhide: Ace in the Hole, by Desiree Holt

At the very exclusive dungeon, where only those with connections gather to indulge their sexual fantasies, a new twist has been added—a deck of cards. For each Master and sub, the choice of cards from their deck determines their play for the night. Who knows what twists a game of chance can bring. 

Cut the Cards

Kelly LeBlanc was hot and aroused at being selected to be part of a demonstration for Rawhide’s members and guests. A card game for sex? What fun. But then she met the Dom, Tanner Sloat, and she found all her wildest fantasies about to come true. 

Blackjack

He was everything Nia March had ever dreamed about in a Master, and more. And as he took her to levels higher than she’d even been, touching something deep inside her, she wondered if she could protect her heart.

Texas Hold ‘em

Sage Drummond thought she’d never recover from the effects of a relationship filled with cruelty, but she craved the role of sub. When she tentatively dipped her toe in the waters at Rawhide, that last thing she expected to find was a Master who would satisfy her needs as well as heal her heart. Could it last?

Dealer’s Choice

Cade Sullivan was one the most in demand Dom, until a tragedy sent him hiding from the world and out of the D/s life. Working at Rawhide gave Fiona Wilder the urge to try the D/s life. Could she be the key to make Cade forget the past and build a life with a sub that was all his?

Two of a Kind

They each brought their baggage to a night at Rawhide that was supposed to be nothing but fun. A night of intense D/s play. Neither expected the intense connections they made or how it would change their lives.

 

From Cut the Cards:

If Tanner hadn’t come vetted by Reulas, Kelly might have had second thoughts about this. She was very selective with her Doms, but the club owner wouldn’t put her with a man unless he trusted him. Besides, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt such a strong sexual pull, such a desire to do anything and everything with anyone, no restrictions.

She smiled at him and waited for him to precede her, following him with her head down and hands clasped behind her back, already in her submissive role. 

The alcove was barely more than a niche in the wall as it curved back toward the hallway. It contained a café table and two chairs and provided a modicum of privacy for two people to conduct their negotiations away from the crowd. Tanner nodded for her to sit, then opened the deck of cards.

“This is a new game to you,” he told her, “so I would like you to make the first choices.”

She took a deep breath, fanned out the cards, and started turning them over.

All Buy links found here:

Rawhide: Ace in the Hole | Desiree Holt » Books

But first he had business to take care of. Their manager was leaving due to a family emergency and Clint Chavez, his partner, had searched for a replacement. After whittling down the possibilities to one, tonight Reece would put his stamp of approval on the applicant. Or not.

He knew nothing about the person except it was a female, not all that strange for a fetish club. He knew women often made the best managers. 

“She’s waiting in my office,” Clint told him when Reece came in through the back door. “She apparently got a job working in a club not too long after she graduated college and has worked her way up through the system.”

Reece cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah? Wonder what she majored in to start working the fetish circuit.”

Clint laughed. “She’s got a college degree in business management and I literally stole her from a top private club in Atlanta. You can ask her yourself why she’s doing this instead of working in the corporate world.”

“What would make her leave? Didn’t they pay her well?”

“More than well.” He shook his head. “She was very honest with me. Although she’s a very strong manager, her nature is that of a sexual submissive. She’s just coming out of a long relationship that ended badly and needed a change.”

Reece grunted. “I hope she doesn’t intend to poach on the clients. That could be very bad for our reputation.”

“Don’t worry. She knows the score. She comes highly—and grudgingly—recommended.”

“All right. Let me talk to her, but if you’re sold on her I’m sure she’s fine. India knows she’s supposed to be waiting for me?”

Clint grinned. “Yeah. What a good little subbie she is, waiting on her knees for you for thirty minutes.”

Reece chuckled. “At least I told her she could use a kneeling pad.”

“Yeah. You’re a damn prince. Okay, let’s go talk to the other lady who’s waiting for you.”

Clint opened the door to his office and gestured to the woman sitting in a chair in front of his desk. Reece was halfway inside before she registered with his brain. When she did, he stopped feeling as if he’d just taken a punch to the gut.

Thick masses of auburn curls tumbling past her shoulders framed a heart-shaped face. Hazel eyes that seemed to change color even as he looked at her stared back from beneath thick lashed. A very sedate tailored navy sheath was little camouflage for lush curves. Slim legs were crossed at the knees. Feet encased in navy pumps.

His eyes were drawn again to her face and the full, sensuous lips painted with a soft peach lip gloss. He knew those lips, knew them nearly as well as his own. He’d tasted them often enough in years gone by. As well as the rest of that body. Only then it had belonged to a girl. Now she was a woman and he couldn’t seem to stop staring at her.

And the sudden explosion of emotion shook him to his core. 

USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and paranormal to erotic. and has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.

 

Where else can you find me:

www.facebook.com/desireeholtauthor

www.facebook.com/desiree01holt

Twitter @desireeholt


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