Indy Book Fairy: In Kelly's Corner by Roxie Rivera Excerpt~Spotlight~Guest Post~Giveaway

In Kelly’s Corner by Roxie Rivera
(Fighting Connolly’s #1)
Publication date: September 27th 2013
Genres: Adult, Romantic Suspense

Synopsis:

After a stalker breaks into her home, internet entrepreneur Bee Langston decides Kelly Connolly is the only man who can help her—but seeking help from the former Marine isn’t easy, especially after she made a spectacular fool of herself trying to kiss the sinfully sexy bodyguard.

When Kelly spots Bee weaving her way through the Houston nightspot where he’s working security, all those feelings he’s desperately tried to deny for his best friend’s sister come flooding to the surface. He’ll do anything to keep her safe, even if means getting up close and personal with the one woman he simply can’t have.

Soon, Bee’s stalker isn’t his only problem. His gambling addict father is tangled in a mess of debts to two of Houston’s toughest loan sharks. With the family gym on the line, there’s only one way for Kelly to make everything right. He agrees to fight for the Albanian mob in an underground bare-knuckle fighting tournament.

But winning the tournament and saving his family’s legacy comes at a high price—one that just might cost Bee her life.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18591210-in-kelly-s-corner?ac=1

Purchase:

--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/In-Kellys-Corner-Fighting-Connollys-ebook/dp/B00FH4FKZE

--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-kellys-corner-roxie-rivera/1117000229?ean=2940148812807

Guest Post

It's Complicated

I've always been a fan of the "I'm in love with my brother's best friend" trope. Judging by this list at Goodreads, I'm not alone!

I'm not quite sure why that setup revs my engines but it does. It's an inherently complicated situation with plenty of possibilities for high-stakes drama. Plus I've always had a thing for slightly older guys. You know, the good-looking, confident sweetheart with a bit of swagger and a protective streak a mile wide. Added bonus? The best friend of a sibling already has the family seal of approval!

Bee Langston shares my outlook. She knows that she's just asking for trouble but she just can't help falling head over heels for Kelly Connolly, the unbelievably sexy former Marine who takes it upon himself to watch out for her after Jeb's death. Of course, she'd rather Kelly took a more, ahem, hands-on role in her life…

But when a stalker threatens her safety, Kelly unleashes those alpha male overprotective instincts he's kept suppressed. Bee begins to realize they've only just scraped the surface of complicated!

Creating this intense, complex relationship between Kelly and Bee made this such an interesting book to write. Both characters have brothers they love and sibling bonds they would do anything to protect—even if it means keeping some pretty huge secrets. Add in Kelly's gambling addict father and his troubles with not one but two (!) loan sharks and, well, it's a recipe for some super intense drama that really amps up the sexual tension.

And who doesn't love more of that?

Oh Brother!

For the Fighting Connollys series, I wanted to tell the stories of three brothers—Kelly, Jack and Finn Connolly—fighting to save their family legacy. After a rough childhood that included losing their mother and enduring their alcoholic, gambling addict father's abuse, the brothers joined the Marines and survived some truly harrowing moments while deployed multiple times. Each of the brothers lost something over there—a best friend, partial vision and a leg—and now they're trying to rebuild their lives.

The idea of writing about three emotionally and physically wounded alpha males was one I simply couldn't dismiss. Deciding to write about three brothers gave me the chance to explore some interesting themes—brotherhood, sibling rivalry, humor, guilt and even forgiveness. Throw in three love interests and some suspenseful action, and things get interesting very fast!

In Kelly's Corner is the first in a spinoff trilogy from my Her Russian Protector series. In the HRP universe, the heroes of the first four books share brother-like bonds forged in their very early years living in an orphanage. Ivan, Dimitri, Yuri and Nikolai came to Houston to start over and build better lives—and end up rescuing their damsels in distress from the Albanian mob, a Latin street gang, a shady real estate developers, a Mexican drug cartel and a madman hell-bent on usurping a certain mob boss' throne. Kelly, one of Dimitri's employees and Yuri's former bodyguard, finds himself facing some of those same foes—including two of the most notorious loan sharks in the city.

What can I say? Fictional Houston's underbelly is a pretty seedy but dangerously sexy place!

Looking For Inspiration

Sometimes I find inspiration in the oddest places. A few months ago, I was trying to figure out who exactly Kelly's love interest was. I knew she was his best friend's younger sister but I didn't have much else beyond that. Then I happened upon the documentary Startup Kids while browsing the instant video offerings on Amazon. Less than five minutes into it, I knew exactly who Bee Langston was.

I found the idea of an internet entrepreneur on the cusp of something big very intriguing. The possibilities for sabotage, blackmail and stalkers was endless. Lately, all the romance books I'd read featuring tech entrepreneurs tended to cast that lead character as male. I found that perplexing because all of the programmers I know are women—and all of them are super successful and highly innovative.

When it came to Kelly's character, I looked at only one place for inspiration. Three words. Tom. Freaking. Hardy. From the moment I dreamed up his character while writing YURI (Her Russian Protector #3,) I knew that Kelly Connolly had to be that deliciously sexy. Also—it was a fantastic excuse to watch one Tom Hardy movie after another while working on this book! J

"Where is Winn?"

Kelly's gruff, rumbling voice caught me by surprise. I whirled around to find him standing a few steps behind me. Wearing only shorts and sneakers, he wiped at his ridiculously sexy chest with a white gym towel before slinging it over his shoulder. The sight of his tanned, toned chest and the tattoos accentuating the rippling bulges of muscle left me momentarily speechless.

"Bee?"

Shaking myself from my lust-induced stupor, I said, "He's in the restroom. I sort of busted his nose."

He looked taken aback and then smiled proudly. "Way to go, sweetheart."

"Um…not exactly. It was an accident."

"An accident?"

"Well, it tickled and I started laughing—"

Eyes narrowed, he asked, "What tickled?"

"Winn's hold on me."

"I see." His lips twitched, and I knew he wasn't angry at all. Touching my cheek, he murmured, "I'll have to keep that in mind…for later."

At the mention of later, I trembled with anticipation. "Oh?"

"We'll practice some of the holds Jack showed you."

"Holds, huh?" I daringly traced his navel and delighted in the way he inhaled sharply. Thinking of the moves I had just learned, I considered whether or not I could take Kelly down. He was a foot taller than me and nearly twice as heavy. Could I catch him off-guard?

Deciding there was no time like the present, I hastily planned my attack. Kelly reached out to stroke my face, but I kicked out my leg to hook his knee. The expression on his face was comical as the realization that I was attacking him registered—but his lightning fast reflexes, honed by years at war, snapped into action.

I gasped as he snatched my ankle mid-air and jerked hard enough to pull me off my feet. The thick mat cushioned my fall. Kelly followed me down to the floor, attempting to trap me, but I twisted my hips and narrowly evaded him. My brief victory didn't last. He grabbed my wrists in one big paw and pinned them overhead before insinuating himself between my thighs.

Remembering Jack's lessons, I arched up onto my shoulders and tried to squeeze his ribs with my knees. Kelly shifted, and I ended up wrapping my legs around his waist. Our bodies locked together in such an intimate way. Suddenly my failed attack started to feel like foreplay.

Changing tactics, I hooked my ankles at the small of Kelly's back and rocked my body against his. His low groan sounded almost pained. Eyes flashing with need, he lowered his face and warningly growled, "Bee."

Breathless and shaking with desire, I whispered, "Kiss me."

He capitulated to my request and brushed his mouth against mine. Refusing to be denied what I wanted most, I thrust my aching breasts against his hot, hard chest and dipped my tongue between his lips. A rumbling noise emanated from his throat, vibrating against my lips and sending white-hot shivers through my core.

A loudly cleared throat interrupted our steamy kiss. Tearing away from each other, we glanced in the direction of the noise and discovered Jack standing a few feet away and watching us with amusement. The rest of the room was empty except for Winn, who seemed to have gotten his bloody nose under control.

Jack rubbed his jaw as if thinking. "You know, I'm pretty sure that's not a self-defense technique I teach."

Not the least bit embarrassed, I simply shrugged. "You'd have a hell of a lot more signups for your classes if you did."

I like to write super sexy romances and naughty erotica that make your pulse pound. You can get updates on new releases by visiting my website (roxierivera.com), signing up for my newsletter (http://eepurl.com/sX-z1) or liking my author page on Facebook.
I also write erotic romances as Lolita Lopez including the red-hot GRABBED series for Ellora's Cave and the upcoming Dragon Heat series from Forever Yours/Grand Central.