
Spicing It Up!
Cara Manning has worked very hard to get to the top of her career.
Staying on top is going to be the hardest work she has ever done. Running
with the current trend in cooking shows, she pitches ‘Spice It Up!’. Now all
she needs is a sizzling chef to host the show.
She definitely finds that in Jack Monroe, an aspiring restaurateur who has a
flair for haute cuisine, a scandalous reputation, and a killer smile that
makes Cara’s knees melt like butter. From the moment they meet, their heat
is evident.
Jack can see beneath Cara's uptight exterior is a woman with passion. But
can he shake the rumors of his “bad-boy” escapades to be with an uptight,
corporate executive?
Can Cara take a chance with a man who, technically,
works for her, without risking her career or losing her own identity?
Sensuality Rating: SCORCHING
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Length: 127,000 words
"What wouldn’t I give to be strong like Cara and throw caution to
the wind for a chance at love? I spent so many years climbing the corporate
ladder that sometimes I forgot the complete woman I am. Spicing It Up!
is the indulgence of my inner woman’s life-long dream to become an author
and fulfill my every fantasy." ~ Mia ~ |
Larger Cover
Image
Cover Art by Jinger
Heaston
SPICING IT UP!
ISBN: 1-60601-123-5
E-book $5.99

ISBN:
1-60601-124-3
Trade Paperback $14.99


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REVIEWS for Spicing It Up!
5 Hearts:
"Ms. Mia Bailey has written a detailed, strong plot with quite an
interesting storyline. She made her characters literally come to life. She
perfectly described the typical adverse circumstances a woman has to face when
climbing the ladder to the top in a corporate setting. The details of working
with people who were aware of a previous on-the-job romance gone badly were
emotionally explored and the frustrations examined.
The underlying suspense of a stalker was realistic.
Convincing Cara that life was more than just working her way to the top was
Jack’s goal. These two characters were brought together by Liz, friend of both,
who, throughout the entire book was a tried and true friend and a positive in
the horrible torments Cara suffered. This writer demonstrated her incredible
writing ability by the way in which she told this phenomenal story.
I especially enjoyed that the book went into details
and explored their relationship. It is not only a quick-starting affair. It is
credible how they relate to each other and the outside forces which threaten
them. And the astonishing ending was a real surprise. I highly recommend this
book to anyone who enjoys conflict, suspense, and a very sensual read. This is
not for the faint of heart."
—Brenda Talley, The Romance Studio
5 Stars:
"Cara Manning had her dream job, Program Director of WROK. She
wanted to take the station in a new and broader direction. Her proposal was a
cooking show. Focus audience would be couples that enjoyed spending time
together in the kitchen. Both a male and female would co-host Spice-It-Up. Jack
Monroe would make the perfect co-host. He had that special appeal she was
looking for, both on the show and off. The broadcasting business is a brutal
one. Cara and Jack must learn to trust no one.
Spicing It Up! has a great plot. This book is
filled with hot passion and will keep the reader steamy. The lead characters,
Jack and Cara, work well together. Mia Bailey’s Spicing It Up! will
encourage more couples to find passion in the kitchen."
—Debra Gaynor, Review Your Book
4 Stars:
"The sexual tension is as thick as molasses and the actual lovemaking
is emotional and as spicy as the dishes Jack creates. Ms. Bailey gives the
reader an insight into the political games that happen in the big bad world of
broadcasting. I thoroughly enjoyed being at the back of happenings instead of
just sitting in front of the TV watching a show. The secondary characters spice
up the tale and the readers are left to find the vindictive ones and their
reasons for wanting Cara’s pound of flesh. The plot was interesting enough to
hold the reader’s attention. Spicing It Up! takes you on an entertaining
and engrossing journey through one woman's life who fights for her right place,
and learns to love despite obstacles. Nice Work!"
—Mahaira Fatima, Just Erotic Romance Reviews
The excerpt
or excerpts
below contain
explicit adult language and sexual content.
By
reading any further, you are stating that you are at
least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of
18, it is necessary to exit this site.
___________________________________________
Copyright © 2008
All rights reserved, Siren Publishing, Inc. Cannot be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without expressly permitted to do so in writing from the
publisher.
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ADULT EXCERPTS
“Good evening, Cara. You look
lovely,” Jack expressed sincerely.
She blushed at his murmur of
admiration. She couldn’t believe she actually blushed like a
schoolgirl at a comment as mundane as her appearance. She wished
she had changed before coming straight from the office. She
smoothed a hand over her skirt, and then brought it up to her
hair, which she had taken down thinking she would be having a
quiet evening with Liz, as well. She knew that it was
politically incorrect to be warmed by his appreciation of her
looks, but somewhere deep inside of her, a spark glimmered that
made her feel warm and so delicately feminine.
Jack’s ego perked up at her modest
reactions. She was such an intriguing mix of strength and
gentleness. When they were at her office, she was a take-charge,
no bullshit dynamo, ready to take on the world. But sitting here
in the restaurant, with the soft lights haloing her hair
cascading about her oval face, she looked beatific. She exuded
the picture of a worldly goddess, yet her responses were that of
an eager neophyte impatient to learn. And he was a willing
teacher.
“Thank you, Jack.” She lowered her
gaze for only a moment before she raised it to meet his, the
glow of the candles flickering in his eyes’ amber depths, their
appearance warm like Scotch whiskey in a glass. Although she was
sitting, she felt his gaze roam over her body. She should be
piqued, but instead she was enflamed. A strange sort of
melancholic desire passed through her that she couldn’t name, an
unsatisfied thirst she feared could not be quenched as her
rational mind chanted again, Don’t let yourself fall for Jack
Monroe.
“I have a feeling that you were
expecting Liz tonight for dinner. I hope that I’m not too much
of a disappointment.” Why did I say that? “What I mean to
say is that I hope you don’t mind having dinner with me instead
to go over the contract,” she hurriedly corrected.
Jack smiled slowly. Cara was so
composed, so self-possessed in the office. It was almost
humanizing to see her fumble over her words. He liked to think
that the way he looked at her played a part in her nervousness,
as well. It made him speculate to how she would be outside the
office. She had already let her hair down, and it was damned
beautiful. And he could envision how beautiful she would look
with that hair spread across his pillow. He could feel his dick
throb as the picture of Cara, naked and writhing in his bed,
filled his mind. His balls ached as he thought of the ways he
would pleasure her body and bring her to climax.
Damn, he cursed. He needed
to get a hold of himself. They would be working together. He
needed to get a grip on his growing fascination with Cara. There
were other women in the world, women who threw themselves at
him, fawned over him, and seduced him. Any one of them could
fulfill his need to fuck. What was it about Cara that made him
want her so badly that it made his teeth sweat?
But he didn’t care. He may be
working with Cara, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to
spend some of their time together in bed. And if he took his
time with her, she would feel the same way. Her body was already
responding to him. It was just her female logic he needed to win
over to his side.
“I don’t mind, Cara,” he burred,
“in fact, I’m looking forward to it.” He flashed a brilliant
smile and she felt that strange sensation again, the one that
made her feel like he only had eyes for her. And she found
herself smiling back at him, the tension in her shoulders
rolling away.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The crew had all left for the night. Another half hour and the
cleaning crew would show up. She tied up the garbage bag and
decided to leave it for the cleaning crew. Where is Jack?
Her heels made a click-click-click as she walked across
the floor.
“Jack?”
He held his breath, waiting, waiting…come on, baby, just a
little closer.
“Jack?” she called out again as she passed where he hid in the
shadows. His hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist, causing her
to wince and gasp. He pulled her behind the scenery and pressed
her back against the wall before surrounding her with his body.
One hand settled on the wall beside her head while the other
immediately covered her breast. He molded it in his hands,
letting his thumb brush over her eager tip through her shirt,
her bra beneath, causing her to moan.
“You like that, don’t you, baby,” he whispered hotly into her
ear before running his tongue over the shell like portion,
licking down to her lobes where he nipped it gently between his
teeth. “You like it when I stroke your nipple, getting it all
hard, tight.” He continued laving and sucking her throat column.
She couldn’t find the words, couldn’t find the voice to say the
words, so she nodded furtively while tilting her head to give
him better access to her neck. He chuckled, pressing his body
harder against her. She whimpered trying to move her pelvis
against him, trying to ease the throbbing that connected her
aroused nipple to her dampening pussy. He continued to eat at
her, licking and biting her neck, forcing her head to the other
side so he could feast on the other side of her throat.
“Say it, baby. Tell me how much you like it when I taste you.
Tell me.” He emphasized his request by biting her neck, causing
her to moan.
“Yes,” she ground out hoarsely, “please, more.”
Her senses were swamped with her escalating desire to press
against him to ease the fire he was building while she also felt
with his uncontrollable ardor that competed with his desire to
dominate her. And she loved it, craved it. He growled and bit
harder, licking and tasting, drinking her in, every movement,
every sound, every taste.
He pressed her against the wall, where she could not raise her
arms to touch him, her hands trapped between them, where she
could barely move beneath his weight, the strength of him
holding her in place. In the darkness surrounding them, she
couldn’t see what he was doing. She could only hear his labored
breathing as he flattened himself along her willing body. She
could do nothing but accept every touch, as he wanted to touch
her.
And he wanted to touch her.
His hand gripped her breast, tweaking the nipple between his
thumb and forefinger, pulling and tugging as he pinched it. He
knew he squeezed her too hard, hard enough to leave bruises, but
he didn’t care. His cock surged against his pants at the thought
of her carrying his mark. Her moans were all the encouragement
he needed, another factor that fed his need for dominance. The
fact that she wanted it.
With every reaction to his touch, she begged for more. In the
way that she leaned into his hand, encouraging him to clutch at
her harder. In the way that her hips undulated, trying to press
intimately against him. In the way she groaned her frustration
as he held her at bay. She had her way earlier this morning, and
now it was his turn to play.
“No, you don’t, baby.” She whimpered her annoyance, trying
harder to align her body against his. She already knew what a
perfect fit they were, and she wanted him to press his body
fully against hers, making her feel the same way he did last
night. But she was no match for his strength as he held her at
bay, refusing her need to touch him. Her brows furrowed as she
conveyed her need through a moan, trying once more desperately
to push against him.
He growled deeply, a combination of desire and exasperation, of
impatience and pain. His cock stretched the length of his leg,
and each move she made had his member straining, as if trying to
reach her through the fabric. She was hell on his control! And
her moan coupled with her sinuous moves against him had snapped
that thread that he used to subdue himself.
Grabbing hold of her wrists in one hand, he quickly spun her so
that she faced the wall. He wedged his knee between her thighs,
her crotch rubbing on his knee eliciting a sharp gasp, first
from shock and then from need. He slipped his other hand into
her shirt, beneath her bra, where he could taunt her distended
nipple. His body crowded her, pushing her against the wall. She
couldn’t push away, couldn’t resist. Didn’t want to resist, her
traitorous body was clay being shaped and formed by a master
sculptor.
“Oh, no, baby. Not this time.” He nibbled and nipped her tender
flesh, causing slight shivers to run up and down her spine.
“You’re not in charge now, I am.”
SIREN SEX Rating
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SENSUAL:
Traditional romance, suitable for the general
audience (BookStrand) |
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STEAMY:
Heavy sexual tension; graphic details; may contain
coarse language (BookStrand) |
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SIZZLING:
Erotic, graphic sex; explicit sexual language; may offend delicate
readers (SIREN) |
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SCORCHING:
Erotica romance; contains many sexual encounters; may contain unconventional
sex; will offend delicate readers (SIREN) |
| |
SEXTREME:
Excessive or non-exclusive sex; many instances of unconventional sex; may be hardcore; not for the faint-hearted
(SIREN) |
SIREN BOOK LENGTH
| |
NOVELLA:
15,000-25,000
words |
| |
NOVEL:
25,000-55,000
words |
| |
FULL
NOVEL: 55,000-80,000
words |
| |
PLUS
NOVEL:
80,000-100,000
words |
| |
SUPER
PLUS
NOVEL:
100,000-140,000
words |
| |
HUMONGOUS
NOVEL:
140,000+
words |
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