Pearls of Asia by Lee Geiger

 

Published by TWCS PH

Released Date: 29th May 2014

Excerpt:

“This is not a drag show, honey. There are no boys in skirts working here. All the beautiful ladies at Pearls of Asia are transsexuals. We also happen to be curvaceous, luscious, and all things deliciously glorious about being feminine. We’re Women 2.0—special girls with special equipment. That’s what makes us, as well as this place, unique. Pearls of Asia is more than just a restaurant; it’s about the quest for self-identity, about the right to own and control one’s body. We leave you questioning everything you think you know and see. If that’s not an outrageously fun night out, then I can’t help you, honey. Do you still want my phone number?”

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Summary:

After beloved San Francisco anchorwoman Michelle Osher is found nearly decapitated in her palatial Nob Hill apartment, suspicion focuses immediately on her wealthy, arrogant husband, Paul. Inspector Mac Fleet and his partner are assigned the sensational case, and they quickly uncover an all-too-familiar pattern linking the widowed spouse to Sheyla Samonte, a part-time waitress enjoying a lavish lifestyle on Paul Osher’s dime. The pair of seasoned detectives assume she wanted a promotion from mistress to wife. 

The investigation turns on its head when they discover Sheyla, a drop-dead gorgeous dancer born and raised in the Philippines, works at Pearls of Asia, a stylish restaurant featuring a cast of exotic transsexual performers who serve up flirtatious teasers along with delicious cocktails. Mac crawls down a rabbit hole and comes face to face with the restaurant’s uniquely captivating servers—Diamond, Reyna, Nadia, and Ashley—and unveils a fascinating lifestyle full of drama, humor, and high heels. 

When Sheyla refuses to cooperate unless Inspector Fleet takes her to brunch, he agrees even though he knows it’s outside the lines of police protocol. Mac soon finds himself dealing with his own set of personal demons, unable to decide whether to arrest Sheyla or ask her on a date.

The ensuing investigation reveals infidelities, betrayals, and a host of people who might want Michelle Osher dead. But as the case heats up, so does Mac’s romantic interest in Sheyla, whose stunning beauty and charming personality compel him to question her involvement, but not her courage, and to cross the line between his personal impulses and professional responsibilities. Convinced of Sheyla’s innocence, Mac devotes himself to finding the real killer. Ultimately, he is moved to take actions he never dreamed of to discover the truth about the case, Sheyla, and himself.

Introducing Lee...

Pearls of Asia is Lee Geiger's debut novel. He is also the author of The Marginal Prophet (www.marginalprophet.com), a popular newsletter that is part information, part inspiration, and all entertainment. 

When he's not writing or trading stocks, Lee can be found wandering the streets of San Francisco in search of red wine and pasta, which he considers to be two of the four major food groups

Connect with Lee
FB - PoA, FB - Lee, Website, Goodreads, Twitter

Just Released - Éire's Viking by Sandi Layne

Eire's Viking by Sandi Layne 

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

Available from Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and TWCS
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Summary: 

Ten years after Charis marries Cowan at the end of Éire’s Captive Moon, Agnarr Halvardson returns to the Green Island—this time, to stay.  He wants what any man wants:  To make a life for himself, wed, and have sons.

Before he can express these goals, he is injured and taken to Bangor Monastery.  There, Aislinn—adopted daughter of Cowan and Charis—treats him as a patient while she ignores the immediate attraction he holds for her.

Agnarr decides Aislinn would be a good wife for him as she teaches him her language and customs. She commands his respect and wins his affection. The past is just one barrier of many between them, however.

There are new invaders to Éire. Pledging his loyalty to the new king of Dál Fiatach, Agnarr prepares to defend his new home while persuading Aislinn to be his wife.

Success or failure will affect the lives of many.

Author Bio:

There are many profiles that detail the author’s lifelong dream of authorship being realized with the publication of their first novel or short story.  This is not one of those profiles.

To make an exceedingly odd story moreso, Sandi Layne had no wish to be a writer, but went through a storyline bootcamp in the form of strange dreams for a month and took careful notes.  Fifteen years later, she’s still writing stories that veer slightly off the beaten path, both in Christian and historical fiction.

Married for more than twenty years to a very tolerant (and brilliant!) man, she has two sons, no pets, and a plethora of imaginary friends.  Her interests range from ancient civilizations to science fiction for both reading and research.  With degrees in English and Ministry, she also claims Theology’s crimson Masters collar which she has been known to don on rare occasions.

If you drive by her window before dawn, it is likely she’ll have a light on for you. Or at the very least, she’ll be alert on twitter.  She invites you to visit her online space at http://sandyquill.com. Bring coffee.

Connect with Sandi Layne on 

Facebook and Goodreads

Other books by Sandi Layne

 

Congratulations Kate!

The Emperor's Daughter

by Kate Welshman

Out NOW!

A short story in our Raw Erotica After Dark Imprint

The Summary:

Paulina is the illegitimate daughter and worst-kept secret of the Roman Emperor Sabinian. They have each lived separate lives since Paulina’s conception, but when Sabinian falls ill while leading the Roman army in the farthest reaches of the Empire, he summons his daughter from her comfortable villa in Rome to his makeshift bedside on the battlefields. Reluctantly, Paulina, who’s never even left the precincts of Rome, agrees to make the perilous trip.

On the carriage ride into the pine forests of Germania, Paulina is accompanied by Sextus, a burly officer of the Praetorian Guard.  Though initially terrified of him, Paulina finds solace in Sextus’s strong arms. And it is Sextus who reveals to her the true purpose of the journey. Sabinian wants to seal her future before he dies, but the headstrong Paulina has always been steered by her own wishes and desires.

Sextus fulfills his brief and delivers Paulina safely to Sabinian, fighting off wolves and barbarians along the way.  But the first and last meeting of father and daughter seems doomed to fail. Will Paulina respect the Emperor’s dying wishes or follow her own heart?

About the Author:

Kate Welshman is an Australian author, wife, and mother of four children. She had several careers before becoming a full-time writer, as a barrister (trial attorney) and a horse riding coach. Her first young adult novel, Posse, was published by Random House in 2009, and she will release a range of titles in 2013 and 2014. Kate lives in Glenorie, New South Wales, on a horse farm with her family. She loves horses, dogs, cooking, and reading.

Congratulations Manuela!

Guilty Pleasures 

"The Food Fornication Fables"

By

Manuela Cardiga

Summary:

Gorgeous, narcissistic Lance Packhard—a sex therapist specializing in helping anorgasmic women—is writing a revolutionary book entitled Sexual Secrets of a Sexual Surrogate.

When a ruthless mother offers him an enormous sum to impregnate her daughter, Millicent Deafly, a debt-ridden Lance hesitantly agrees.

Millicent, however, isn’t into sex. She’s carefree, joyfully voluptuous, and dedicated to her palate. Lance will only get her attention if he dabs soy sauce on his pulse points.

To get close to her, a determined Lance takes a job at Millicent’s dinner club, Guilty Pleasures, as an assistant to her irascible and eccentric chef, Serge Moreno.

But for Lance, nothing goes according to plan. He’s not only failing to seduce Millie, he’s falling madly in love with her.

Lance’s life becomes next to impossible when his best friend, George, gets married and wants to hold the reception at Guilty Pleasures. Will the truth be uncovered?

Praise for Guilty Pleasure by Manuela Cardiga

A Review of Guilty Pleasures by Manuela Cardiga

At last, we have that absolute rarity: a titillating novel which is multi-layered, intelligently written and very, very funny.

Manuela Cardiga allows us to ride alongside Lance Packhard as he sets out on a cynical mission involving seduction and finds himself seduced by life itself. To say more would be unfair as watching this growth provides much of the entertainment.

All the characters are strongly drawn. There is Millicent Deafly, a single woman of quiet strength, who has channelled her creativity and skills into producing feasts of almost carnal delight. There is Serge Moreno, a physically stunted man who has survived every misfortune (sexual and social) that can be imagined and by embracing these has turned them into empathy and wisdom. There is Millicent’s unappreciative mother, narrow- minded and set in her ways, and many grateful clients who are defined by their guilty pleasures. 

Manuela Cardiga is obviously a lover of classical as well as modern fiction, as the pages of Guilty Pleasures frequently contain wholly appropriate and delightfully witty references which like-minded souls will enjoy. This is not to say that her work is in any way pretentious or difficult to read. Her prose is crisp and her novel will keep her readers up late to complete “just one more chapter”.

Obviously the erotic content will attract discussion, and it is here that the novel becomes exceptional. Yes, it is explicit, but in a way which never cheapens the sexual aspect. It celebrates what the act of lovemaking can become, given mutual respect and tenderness. It is an important part of the novel, as it is in life, and it becomes part of a rich tableau painted by an author whose sense of humour is perfectly balanced by her sense of what is noble. 

On a similar note, most chapters begin with a few words of advice for aspiring suitors. Yes, they are amusing, but their truth will, I suspect, result in many copies being given by women to their partners in the hopes that good sense will strike a chord and their love lives will soar. 

One cannot end a review of Guilty Pleasures without mentioning the other delight which parallels the sexual ones. The joy of food permeates every aspect of the novel. It is decadent, delightful and completely indulgent. It goes beyond the alleviation of hunger and feeds the spirit. It provides, for a night, what is forbidden. It creates memories and promises, and even helps heal loneliness and loss.

I am assuming that the establishment known as Guilty Pleasures does not yet exist. Will someone with a lot of money and a desire to make the world a better place, please open it.

Guilty Pleasures is a novel that works on all levels and is hugely entertaining – a breath of fresh air in a field where novelty is becoming increasingly rare.

J. McKenzie

Debut author, Manuela Cardiga, arouses all senses in her stunning novel of  epicurean and sexual pleasures. 

Guilty Pleasures is hilarious, entertaining and erotic. Cardiga has an uncanny understanding of our deep rooted emotions and relationship with all thing pleasureful, but guilt inducing.

Her main protagonists are wonderfully flawed, yet at heart, both as courageous and romantic as long forgotten princesses and knights in shining armor.

Beautifully written, in at times Victorian-like prose, Guilty Pleasures is a must read and will surely satisfy most readers' hedonistic side.

Elana Sabharwal ~ Author of "Delhi Deception"

5.0 out of 5 stars 

I defy anyone to read this book and not wish it was scratch and sniff! The food in it is to die for, and the relationship between Lance/Will and Millie is equally fantastic, full of lust and UST. Guilty Pleasures has a great deal of humour alongside the romance and food porn. Some of the chapter openers - snippets from Lance's book (which I REALLY want Manuela to write next!) - had me laughing out loud for days. And can we pause a minute to appreciate the cover... *sigh* I highly recommend this wonderful debut novel.

Andrea ~ Goodreads

Introducing Manuela Cardiga

Manuela Cardiga was born in Mozambique and raised in South Africa where she studied fashion design. She moved to Europe where she worked as a fashion designer, then moved to the crazy world of advertising as a graphic designer and copywriter. Manuela is a designer by profession, a cook by vocation, and a writer by compulsion. She currently resides in Lisbon, Portugal where she writes contemporary and historical fiction, designs book covers, illustrates children’s books, and mothers a gorgeous daughter while juggling a day job. She also dabbles enthusiastically in exotic, experimental cuisine, much to the discomfort of family and friends.

Connect with Manuela

Goodreads, Facebook, Author Page, Book Page