Jennifer Bene

Music Monday – Broken

It’s #MusicMonday and I am now at two weeks in a row, yaaassss! Today’s song is ‘Broken’ by Lund and it’s definitely less… peppy, than some of the other songs, but I just love it soooooo much. It’s perfect for when you’re just stressed to the max (not that I’ve felt that in recent months) and just need some music to let you… wallow. Definitely check out the lyrics, because they’re macabre and pretty fucking awesome (trimmed down because there’s a lot of repetition).

Favorite Lyrics

Will you end my pain?
Will you take my life?
Will you bleed me out?
Will you hang me out to dry?
Will you take my soul in the midnight rain?
While I’m falling apart,
while I’m going…
insane.

Can you break my bones?
Will you tear my skin?
Can you taste my lust?
Can you feel my sin?

See I’m a waste of life,
I should just kill myself.
Yeah, I could slit my wrists,
but it really wouldn’t help.
Wouldn’t fix my issues,
or change your mind,
cause I broke your heart,
and you buried mine.
Now I’m 6 feet deep and I can’t breathe,
I got dirt in my eyes,
and blood on my sleeves.
But I dig my way up,
through these roots and leaves,
so I can get some air,
so I can finally breathe.
And now I’m on my knees,
oh baby, begging please,
Will you?
Will you?

Will you end my pain?
Will you take my life?
Will you bleed me out?
Will you hang me out to dry?
Will you take my soul in the midnight rain?
While I’m falling apart,
while I’m going…
insane.

Goodbye,
don’t you miss me when I’m gone.
Goodbye,
cause you’re the fucking reason that I’m not around.
Goodbye,
don’t you miss me when I’m- miss me when I’m gone.
Goodbye,
cause you’re the fucking reason that I’m not around…
Fucking reason that I’m not around…
Bitch, you’re the fucking reason that I’m not around.

‘Broken’ by Lund

Thankful Thursday

It’s #ThankfulThursday, lovelies, and I am still deeeeppp in the throws of insomnia, but I am making a ton of shit happen in the process. I’m working on the rewrite of ‘Of Fog and Fire’ (now named ‘Corrupt Desires’ by the Dark Haven!) and I am making some pretty extensive changes, which I had not *exactly* been prepared for. It’s okay though, I can already tell this book is going to be SO much better. Hotter, dirtier, darker… #purrrrr

I *do* have the cover for this, but it’s still in the final stages with Laura Hidalgo, and then I cannot WAIT to share it with you! In the mean time, let this hottie shared by Isabel Baião help you make it until Friday! We all deserve to look at him. 

Teaser Tuesday! ‘Cupcakes and Crooked Spoons’ by Charity Bailey

Fuck me, lovelies, it’s #TeaserTuesday and I have missed WEEKS of our favorite posts because my life has been so crazy. The good news is that the insomnia is back, and that means I actually have time to do author things. Who needs more than 3 hours a night? THE WEAK! THAT’S WHO! Just kidding. Sleep is important, but right now the lack of sleep is actually making me feel better. I’m getting words down, and I’m so excited to be catching up on all my authorlandia friends and what THEY have been doing.

Which brings me to Charity Bailey’s latest release ‘Cupcakes and Crooked Spoons’ (for real, her covers are so fucking cute) but the subject matter is dark and twisted. Look closely at the cupcake and you’ll see pills instead of sprinkes. So. Fucking. SMART. I love this chick, she’s a sweetheart, and I hope you check out this series!

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Cupcakes and Crooked Spoons (Sweet Treats Book 3)

-Tavin-
Ever since Toben told me to make my first birthday wish, I always wish for the same thing: for us to run away to a beautiful place where they won’t ever find us or hurt us again. He’s the only person in the world who loves me. I love him too. He’s says we’re the same, that we’re halfpeople. He tries to protect me from the monster. The monster does’t love us, but Toben says we don’t need him to. Toben is all I need. He’s the reason I keep waking up every morning, in this scary life, praying for the day my eyes stay closed.

-Toben-
Tavin is the most precious thing in my life. She gives me a purpose. I love her more than the air in my lungs, and it’s because of her that I’m able to hang on to some semblance of who I once was. His sinister cruelty has taken its toll, causing something to change inside of me. She can’t ever know the things I’ve done. The things he’s made me do, and the things I’ve done because of my own darkening heart. She wouldn’t understand that I did those things for her. Every breath I take, every soul I crush is for her. It’s all for her.

* * *

Teaser

December 2006 – Tavin

Tonight is black licorice and Toben doesn’t like it, so he gives me his. I chew on it as I rest my head in his lap and he sings me our lullaby. There’s something he’s hiding from me, I think. I hope it isn’t anything I’ve done.

All of a sudden, he asks, “What do you think happens when we die?”

Even though it’s something I’ve thought a lot about, how am I really supposed to know?

“Maybe we live forever and we go somewhere magical after we leave here. Someplace where everyone is nice and you can have all the candy you want. Maybe we go to a whole world made of candy!”

He laughs. “I think you are confusing Heaven with Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.” I don’t know what that is, but any kind of factory that makes chocolate sounds like a place I want to be. He looks at the ceiling. “I think I’m going to Hell.”

Well, if he’s going to Hell then so am I.

“I thought we were already in Hell?” I tease him. He sure says it enough.

He kisses me with a smile. “Smartass.”

I get up to straddle him and kiss the scar his dad gave him. Lacing our fingers, I rest my lips on his.

“I don’t care if its Heaven, Hell, or a chocolate factory, as long as I’m with you.”

“When you bleed, I bleed, Love.”

* * * 

OMG guys, seriously, I know this is going to be such a fucked up book, and I have this sneaking suspicion it’s going to break my heart, but I cannot freaking look away. I want to read this and find out what dark & twisted thing is waiting for me behind those pastel colors and sweet treats moniker. UNF. Snag a copy, lovelies, and if you beat me to reading it YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT! <3 Please? Pretty please with sugar on top? ;p

Amazon: 1-CLICK NOW! 

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Want more of Charity Bailey?

Charity B. lives in Wichita Kansas with her husband and ornery little boy. She has always loved to read and write, but began her love affair with dark romance when she read C.J. Robert’s The Dark Duet. She has a passion for the disturbing and sexy and wants nothing more than to give her readers the ultimate book hangover. In her spare time when she’s not chasing her son, she enjoys reading, the occasional TV show binge, and is deeply inspired by music.

Music Monday – Space

Sheesh, life has been too hectic and I completely got out of the habit of doing #MusicMonday which sucks because I have so many freaking songs to share with you guys! This song ‘Space’ by Ally Hills tells such a great story, and I love her voice and the beat to the song that just keeps it so energized. I also end up car dancing to this song! Favorite line? “You know what they say, well, they say life’s a bitch.” AIN’T THAT THE TRUTH?! lol Seriously scroll down, hit play, and read the lyrics for a few minutes because it’s so good. Enjoy! <3

Lyrics

You don’t even care that my clothes aren’t there,
you needed the hanger space.
You don’t even mind ’cause you don’t waste time
filling in all the blanks.

I wish you were sad for a day so you would know how it tastes to be lonely
(taste to be lonely)
I wish you were staying for a night to see what it’s like fading slowly
(fading slowly)

You were my love
You wanted this
I give it all but you took what you did
You were my life
You turned off like a switch
You know what they say
Well they say life’s a bitch!

Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch (x4)

You know what they say (x2)
Background repeat : bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch

You don’t even care you can get yourself a spare room
Like you always do
[Lyrics from: https:/lyrics.az/ally-hills/-/space.html]
But wouldn’t it be nice if my kind of paradise wasn’t lying there buried in you?

I wish you were sad for a day so you would know how it tastes to want more
Background : more, more
I wish I could find the dignity so that I didn’t have to be just another call that you ignore

You were my love
You wanted this
I give it all then you took what you did
You were my life
You turned off like a switch
You know what they say
Well they say life’s a bitch!

You know what they say (x2)
Background repeat : bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch

You’re such a bitch, baby

Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch (x2)

Putting them on their place, I know you love how it tastes, baby
You need the space. You needed space. You need the space.

They say, well they say life’s a bitch
You need the space. You needed space.

‘Space’ by Ally Hills

★★★ ‘Reunited’ has a new cover too, lovelies! ★★★

 
This second-chance romance is seriously my lightest, happiest, most warm and fuzzy story. It may be BDSM menage, but there’s not a hint of darkness (shocking! I know). It’s about a girl named Megan who goes to her 10 year high school reunion dreading it completely. But then she runs into her old high school flame, and his bestie, and things get really hot and really heavy. This book also has one of my favorite epilogues I’ve ever written because it is the epitome of the happily ever after. I love it so much, and this new cover captures the hotness AND the warmth of this book so well. Another knock out of the park for Laura Hidalgo! <3
 
~*~*~*~*~
Ten Years. Two Hot Doms.
One chance to be ‘Reunited’!
 
Megan Harper hasn’t had the best decade since she left high school and the love of her life behind. She gave up on her dreams and dropped out of college to get married, only to have her marriage fall apart leaving her divorced, disappointed, and back at square one trying to get her life started again.
 
When her high school reunion comes around she doesn’t want to go, but her sister insists. That’s how Megan finds herself dressed up at her old alma mater hoping her miserable evening ends quickly. That is until Eric Lewis, her gorgeous, hot, and once-dominant high school flame, shows up and only has eyes for her. When Colby Warren, the playboy of Whittaker High, joins them and seems just as intent on having her attention for the night she feels like she’s dreaming.
 
As both men dance and flirt with her, it becomes increasingly clear that not only do they both want her, but that Eric’s urge for dominance has only increased in their years apart. Will Megan dive in for one last fling in the halls of her school, or will she run and miss the chance to be reunited with the one man that’s haunted her for years?
~*~*~*~*~
 
Check it out lovelies, and I hope you enjoy!
➡ https://amzn.to/2LzH2fQ

★★ A New Cover for ‘The Invitation’! ★★

Didn’t I mention to you lovelies that there were more surprises coming? No? Well, let me prepare you then. We’re just getting started with Laura Hidalgo‘s kick-ass recovers of some of my favorites, and there’s so much to come while I’m working on Inheritance! I want to tell you ALL OF IT, but that would be boring, so I’m spacing it out. Think of it as surprise edging, or edging for surprises? Whatever. Lots more to come, lovelies, but today we get to stare at this FUCKING HOT new cover for my novella ‘The Invitation’.
 
This was the first thing I *ever* published on Amazon, thanks to the lovely Tara Crescent (who is forever my publishing yoda), and I’ve loved the story since day one. No dark and twisty here, just intense hotties, BDSM, and super hot menage. YUM!
 
——
Blurb 
 
Cara has spent her entire life as the good girl – the straight-A, straight-laced, good girl – and she’s tired of it.
 
When her roommate Meredith invites her to a private party, one that will earn her fifteen hundred dollars just to attend, she discovers a hidden world where society’s rules hold no sway, where sex is readily available under the privilege of anonymity and safety, and a mysterious man wants to bring her dark side out to play.
 
Will Cara run and ignore the thrill the party brings her, or will she dive in head first to discover what she’s really capable of?
 
——
 
The new cover is available NOW! <3
 

★★ SURPRISE! A New Cover for The Rite! ★★

Hello, lovelies!

While ‘When the Dark Wins’ has been doing amazing, I’ve been working on a surprise short story for something coming out later this year, and re-reading Destruction to get my head back in the game to keep writing ‘Inheritance’. BUT! In the mean time, I’ve got a few surprises and this is the first of them!

‘The Rite’ has a brand new cover thanks to Laura Hidalgo​ and I fucking love it! This story is about a woman named Heather whose family are all witches, the only issue is that for her to unlock her power she has to complete ‘the rite’, which means choosing a man, taking him to bed, and marking him for death. She’s avoided it for a long time, but now her aunts have laid out the ultimatum – either she completes the rite and unlocks her power, or they kill her.

What happens? Well, you’ll have to check out the book to find out. There’s some hot BDSM, some fucked up dubcon, and a pretty good tale if I do say so myself.

Grab a copy now!

Enjoy, lovelies, and tell me what you think of the cover!

Author Support! Ever felt overwhelmed by social media?

So, I spoke at a publisher event here at the Romantic Times Con (RT Con) about social media and building your brand using SocialJukebox and Hootsuite, and I wanted to share it with anyone who might want it, because I know that I wouldn’t be anywhere near as good at FB ads, AMS ads, branding, etc. without the help of many author friends / awesome people!

The original inspiration for the presentation was because I knew so many amazing authors who just felt overwhelmed by social media. They knew how important it was in getting their name / books out there, but they also needed to actually write the books, and many also have day jobs, families, etc. and so it can feel impossible to participate in social media in the right ways (and to the right frequency) to actually make a difference. That’s why last year I thought about putting this presentation together, but it wasn’t until Blushing Books put out a call for presentations that I saw the opportunity to really do it.

I did the presentation on Tuesday, and got such a positive response from the authors in attendance that I’ve decided to make it publicly available as well. It talks about using SocialJukebox and Hootsuite to build a larger Twitter presence, AND keep your Author Facebook Page up to date and moving, and a few other things too.

> Download it free, here! <

(open as ‘read only’)

I am a big believer in authors helping authors. I think that when we support each other and make each other better, we’re only helping the whole genre. Because when our peers are more successful, so are we. Anyone that views their fellow authors as only competition, an adversary, (or a cash cow) – well, they’re probably not going to do that well for long. This is not an industry where you can succeed in a vacuum. Even the top names in the writing world have the support of good editors, fellow authors, good publicists, etc. who are sharing the benefit of their experience / wisdom to help get the books out there.

So, this is my contribution. It’s not the only method to get these things accomplished, but it works for me, and it’s done well in keeping my backlist selling consistently and expanding my social media reach. This will always be FREE, and so I would appreciate if you would email me / contact me if you see someone trying to sell it somewhere. I made it read only to try and deter that, but it’s not really possible to stop someone insistent on doing the wrong thing.

#sigh It irritates me that I even need to say that… but I do hope that it helps at least one of you! Please share this, send it to your friends, spread it around. It will only make us all better. <3

And, of course, if you have any questions / need any help, just ask!

Until next time, lovelies,

🎉🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, HERE’S A BOOK FOR FREE! 🎉🎉

It’s my birthday, and that means I get to do what I want, and what I want to do today is thank each and every one of YOU lovely people for supporting me and having my back in one of the darkest spots I’ve had. It means the world to me to be a part of this amazing tribe of dark and twisted people who love better than anyone else I know. <3
 
AND because I wanna do it, I’m giving away unlimited FREE copies of ‘Security Binds Her’ (Book 1 of the Thalia Series) and I highly encourage you to share and share and share!
 
🖤 GRAB IT HERE ➡️ https://claims.instafreebie.com/free/qmxkT
 
ALSO! Anyone who comments with a “thank you!” or a comment about the book if you already have it will be entered to win a SIGNED PAPERBACK of the Thalia Series! Which, coincidentally, also serves as a wonderful bludgeoning tool if you should need it. (For real, it’s fucking massive).
 
Anyway, lovelies! It’s my bday and I wouldn’t want to share it with anyone in the world more than you guys! ENJOY! SHARE! READ THE DARK AND TWISTED! I love you all! <3
 
PS – contest will end sometime tomorrow… or the next day. Whenever I remember to turn off the download and pick a winner! It’s open to newsletter peeps too! <3

Teaser Wednesday! ‘The Devil You Know’ by Claire Marta!

I’m absolutely loving sharing all of these dark reads with you guys, so I had to do a #TeaserWednesday this week too! This one is ‘The Devil You Know’ by Claire Marta, and it’s on sale for just 99¢! Not just that, but this scene below is going to get you all wound up and with the reviews I checked out, I know this is going to be another favorite for the Dark Haven! <3 Enjoy!

* * *

The Devil You Know by Claire Marta

My name is Mavi StClair.

I’m a monster with a pretty face. An assassin in trade. Guilt, remorse, it’s never touched me. I’m as cold as they come and just as professional. Dealing death has always come easily, and I inflict it with ease. It fuels and feeds the twisted darkness inside me. My downfall begins with a single night of untamed passion leaving me hungering for more of him.

One wicked soul recognizing another.

Now he owns me.

The lines of what I know are blurred. I’m playing his game. A pawn, eternally tangled in a web of secrets and lies. He won’t let me go. Taking pleasure in my fall from grace.

Question is, can I save myself before I’m damned completely?

* * *

Teaser

I want him to consume me, fuck me hard until my limbs are limp and my body is spent. The chair thumps below us in tempo with our movements.

“You’re beautiful sitting on my cock.” He tells me between grunts. “I could fuck you to death right now.”

“It would be one hell of a way to go if you did.” I moan back. A tingle at the base of my spine begins to grow. Stiffening up, I come hard. In waves, it smashes through me. Grinding myself against his pumping shaft, I feel my inner walls squeeze him tighter.

Max doesn’t stop. Drilling into me harder, he continues with more purpose.

I want to drive him over the edge. Send him coiling down into the insanity that takes me every time we come together like a force of God damn nature.

Panting, unintelligible cries keep breaking from my throat. Everything is sliding into something savage. More animalistic. An orgasm envelops me. It’s so intense it sends a burst of light out from my core. I feel like I’m about to explode into a million pieces, the energy is so overwhelming.

Ecstasy. Max is like a magician. Bringing me to orgasm after orgasm. I can’t imagine anyone else as deep in me as he is at any point onwards. He’s infatuated me.

Placing a hand on the back of my head, he brings me down for a kiss. Falling into a fevered exploration, our tongues entwine.

I’m starting to crave Max more and more. He’s like a drug. Seducing me deliciously every time. One that only gets better and better. Spiraling me down into something I am not sure I will ever want to be free from. Heaven help me.

* * *

I freaking love it when I check out a book and find a bunch of reviews talking about how dark and twisted a book is! It makes me want to dive in even more, especially after that tempting sex scene. #purr You know you want to find out more!

Amazon: 1-click now!

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Want more of Claire Marta?

A native Brit, I live in Italy with my husband and daughter. When I am not writing and drinking copious amounts of tea, I enjoys taking photos of my adoptive country, trying to stay fit with running, reading amazing books and being a stay at home mother.

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