*~*Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton – EXCLUSIVE Excerpt & Giveaway*~*

Title:  Rusty Nailed (Cocktail Series Book #2)

Author:   Alice Clayton

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   June 24, 2014

In this sequel to Wallbanger, the second book in the Cocktail series, fan favorites Caroline and Simon negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in San Francisco.

Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So with her hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he’s tired of so much travelling, and he’s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind,” but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?

USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton delivers another delicious, frothy cocktail of a book, shaking up her characters, stirring in laugh-out-loud humor, and serving sizzling romance straight up!

We L-O-V-E-D Wallbanger…it’s hilarious, sexy and has some of the best banter ever created!  If you haven’t yet experienced Simon, Clive and the zucchini bread…you must! 😉

 

 

Title:  Wallbanger (Cocktail Series Book #1)

Author:   Alice Clayton

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

A bestselling hot, hilarious eBook by USA TODAY indie author Alice Clayton, the freshest voice to hit publishing in years. “An instant classic…highly recommended!” (New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Probst).

Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a Kitchen Aid mixer to die for, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O. Adding insult to O-less, she also has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Every moan, spank, and—was that a meow?—punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has—yep, you guessed it—no O. Enter Simon Parker. When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has…well…mixed results. Because with walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick. A delicious mix of silly and steamy, this is an irresistible tale of exasperation at first sight.

 

 

 

Title:  Screwdrivered (Cocktail Series Book #3)

Author:   Alice Clayton

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   September 2, 2014

In the third book in the bestselling Cocktail series, a romantic at heart decides that she will not ever, under any circumstances, fall for the engineer next door.

Viv Franklin is a retired Army captain who now designs software programs. She’s also a romance junkie who longs for a knight in shining armor or a cowboy on a wild stallion or a strapping firefighter to sweep her off her feet. Knowing she’s never going to meet her hero by spending all her time behind her keyboard, she uproots her life to move to California, where she meets an actual cowboy. And—sigh—an engineer. But which man is truly Clark Kent and which is her Superman?

A madcap romantic comedy with unforgettable characters and the promise of true love, Screwdrivered has just what you need.

Title:  Mai Tai’d Up (Cocktail Series Book #4)

Author:   Alice Clayton

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   December 2, 2014

 

Looking for the perfect mix of smart, sexy, and sassy? Mai Tai’d Up continues USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton’s Cocktail series, which began with Wallbanger and continued with Rusty Nailed and Screwdrivered.

Eligible bachelor Lucas Campbell is very available, but very picky. A veterinarian in Monterey, California, his life is perfect: he works, he sails, he loves the ocean and the mountains—so why rock the boat? Then Miss Chloe Patterson comes along.

Chloe has the body of a supermodel, the mouth of a sailor, and the fashion sense of teenage guy in 1990s Seattle. A former Miss California, she walked away from a cushy life, bought an old ranch outside Monterey, and turned it into Our Gang, a sanctuary for rescued and abandoned pit bulls. A woman who’s clearly not afraid of dog poop, she enjoys rehabilitating her “warrior angels.”

Local gossip reports that she ditched her fiancé the night before their wedding (true), and that she moved up north to start a new life (also true). She didn’t want to be tied down (true), but she wouldn’t mind being tied up—especially by that hot vet she’s seen around town a few times (true, true, and have-you-seen-his-butt?-true).

But is Chloe ready to date again? And is Lucas ready to take on not only Chloe, but forty pit bulls? One moonlit sail, two bottles of wine, and a few sailor knots might just do the trick.

Are you dying for more Simon?  *sigh*  Just wait…keep reading!

 

Simon came into the kitchen, nose first. I caught my breath when I caught sight of him in his loose pajama bottoms, rumpled hair, and sleepy expression. I knew if I pressed my face into the exact center of his chest, he’d smell like Downy and warm boy. Heart, as always, skipped a beat.

I hoped that never stopped.

“Zucchini?” he asked while sniffing the air, his eyes still half-mast from sleep but scanning for bread. His eyes weren’t the only thing at half mast…

“Zucchini,” I affirmed, nodding my head. A slow grin crept across his face; nothing could make him happier than homemade bread.

Well, almost nothing.

“You want some?” I asked, twisting on the counter. He walked towards me, and the bread behind me, with a determined look on his face.

“You’re kidding right?” he asked, uncrossing my legs so he could stand between them. “I always want some,”

“Are we still talking about zucchini bread?” I asked, as his hands dug into my hips. Sliding me closer to the edge suddenly, he pressed a wet kiss below my ear.

“I’m hungry, yes,” he whispered, in a voice that instantly told my thighs to part. “And the zucchini bread can wait,”

I moaned. I mean, of course I moaned.

Gone in 60 seconds was everything under my apron, which was flipped up and out of his way. To his knees he went, pulling my hips exactly to the edge of the counter, my legs roughly thrown over his shoulders.

“Christ Simon, what brought this-oh!”

Have I mentioned how much I loved Wallbanger???

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 “tiny circles” “Nightie Girl” “Sweet Caroline” “zucchini bread” Kisses

I seriously don’t think I have ever smiled so much while reading a book. And the second time around only solidified that fact. I read Wallbanger the first time when it was originally released, because I’m a sucker for a good, funny romance…but listening to the audio book the second time…just icing on the wonderful cake that is Simon and Caroline. I was completely enraptured with everything that makes Caroline and Simon so uniquely them. And believe me…they’re very unique. Probably one of the most original couples I have ever read. I could not help my addiction to this book…it was so well written, so funny, so sexy, so engaging…I just loved it!

Caroline Elizabeth Reynolds…Sweet Caroline *bah bah bah* – sorry…it’s really hard not to sing the song once you say that. She is…a breath of fresh air. She’s quirky and funny and sweet…intelligent and charming and honest…authentic and blunt and just flat out awesome. Caroline is someone I could see myself being friends with…she’s very realistic, she’s not perfect…she goes on the insane rants and she’s a little bit chaotic sometimes but all of that only made her more endearing to me. I loved her personality. She’s so freaking funny it should be illegal – the things that came out of her brain had me in stitches, let alone then the situations she got herself into – it was classic. Not over the top but enough to leave me with this deep love and affection for her. She’s passionate about her job (interior designer)…her friends (Mimi and Sophia)…her cat (Clive)…and most importantly…baking (which she just so happens to be fabulous at). Her life is full…good…happy…except she is missing one very important thing…her orgasm. Now you wouldn’t think that is something that is easy to loose but…it apparently happened to Caroline (poor girl)…luckily she lives right next door to the man who is going to bang that sucker back into her life (or vagina).

‘I slapped myself in the face and forced my mind to think of something besides the manwhore I was currently sharing a wall with. Inane things. Innocuous things.
Puppy dogs…doggy style.
Ice cream cones…licking his cone and two scoops.
Children’s games…damn, did I want to do whatever Simon Says…. – Okay, enough! Now you aren’t even trying.’

Simon Parker…holy smokes do I have a crush on Mr. Wallbanger. I mean…come on, he’s a manwhore…I automatically have to love him. But there are a lot of other redeeming qualities about Simon…I think he gets a list…
1. He’s TDH – black hair/blue eyes…tall…and the image of him in my mind is just yum!
2. He’s a photographer…not like an ‘oh that’s a cute hobby’ photographer…like a National Geographic, send him all over the world photographer. Hello – hot!
3. The man has some serious bedroom skills…he didn’t get the nickname ‘Wallbanger’ for knitting!
4. He’s funny…not cheesy or corny but sarcastic and witty – the guy knows how to make me smile…a lot.
5. He’s sweet and kind and a great friend.
6. He gives good woo…great woo…fabulous woo…best woo ever.
7. He listens to old records, makes amazing meatballs, says “Yep.”, smirks and an endless list of other seemingly random yet undeniably amazing things.
8. He’s all rugged and manly but not in an overly macho way.
9. He’s got money but you would never know it….like he’s not pretentious or a jerk about it
10. He loves zucchini bread. Might seem strange…but trust me, I love this mans love for zucchini bread.
Simon is very different because…he’s not over the top or demanding or alpha – he’s just a good guy. He’s funny, genuine, hot and I think that’s awesome. He’s a change of pace from the ‘Christian’s’ and the ‘Gideon’s’ (not that there is anything wrong with those guys) but I loved him just as much…if not more. He’s so sweet and his approach with Caroline was absolute genius…and I loved just about everything that he did (granted…there was a scene in a hot tub that he kind of pissed me off…but I understood why he did what he did later).

‘As he was concentrating on the road, I took the opportunity to catalogue some of his more swoonworthy features.
Jaw? Strong.
Hair? Dark and messy.
Stubble? About two days’ worth and nice.
Lips? Lickable, but lonely looking. Maybe I could check them out, do my own little tongue inspection…
I sat on my hands to stop myself from launching over the console.’

Oh my GAWD…this book had one thing in it that can be so hard to find. Good banter! The dialogue between all of the characters was amazing…very realistic and it never got stale or boring – some of the best dialogue I have ever read. But the banter between Caroline and Simon were just…*sigh*. I could listen to them talk all day and never get bored. Ever. Like…just wow. I am in awe. Even their texting was amazing. Caroline and Simon have an interesting relationship…what really got me was the development and how it progressed from being neighbors who hated each other…to neighbors who tolerated each other…to neighbors who liked each other…to friends…to friends with crushes…to more than friends…to where they ended up. It was a slow, natural progression and it was pretty much impossible not to fall in love along with them. I loved that Simon’s best friends (Neil and Ryan) are dating Caroline’s best friends…and all the antics that stem from that are just…brilliant. I really loved the twist in the end that involved Jillian (Caroline’s boss) and her fiancé, who also happens to be a close friend of Simon’s. See…that makes me think of another thing that I love…there are lot of intricacies that make this story so much deeper than you might think. Lots of little details that when they pop into place it’s like oh wow…didn’t see that coming but I love it!

‘You know those moments when everything is exactly the way it was meant to be? When you find yourself and your entire universe aligning in perfect synchronization, and you know you couldn’t possibly be more content? I was inside that very moment, and fully conscious of it. I giggled a little, feeling Simon’s smile stretch across his face as he pressed into my neck.
“It’s good, right?” he whispered.
“It’s so good,” I answered, and we watched the sunset in spellbound silence.’

This book is hilarious. And not always laugh out loud funny…although there were a lot of those moments…but sometimes it would just be a giggle or a little chuckle…or maybe just something that put a big grin on my face – but how can you not walk away from a book that does that to you and not think it was a positive experience? I mean…this book made me genuinely happy to read it/listen to it. I didn’t want to stop…it was insanely addictive. Alice’s writing style is very conversational and fluid…the flow was never broken once for me and that combined with the awesome characters and this plot that I couldn’t get enough of…well that just leaves me one happy little book worm. It was witty and charming while still being realistic and authentic. And don’t let me steer you wrong – there is angst. There were a few scenes were I got little choked up because I was so in tune with Caroline that I felt like I was seriously feeling her pain…and there was some heart ache. I think the plain and simple fact that I wanted her and Simon to be together so badly, that was the driving force behind my anguish. So…you get it all…you’re happy with her and you’re sad with her – it’s a slippery slope.

‘I started to feel, really feel everything going on inside at that moment. Love. I felt love. And I felt loved…
Here in the daytime, where nothing could be hidden, everything was on display – and covered in messy stuff – I was being loved by this man. No fairy tale, no waves crashing, no flickering candles. Real life. A real life fairy tale where I was being loved by this man. And I mean looooved by this man.
Tongue. Lips. Fingers. Hands. All of it dedicated to me and my pleasure. A girl could get used to this.’

I could probably go on for hours and hours about how much I loved this book – it was just one of those reads that completely sucks you in and I couldn’t help myself. There was not one page that felt forced, stiff or boring…it was like I was right there the entire time. The other thing I liked almost as much as the banter…how inventive this story line was. It was unpredictable and unique…I never knew what was going to happen, and that’s another thing that kept me going from page to page – I was not only curious as to where this was going, I was down right excited! I couldn’t help but be giddy over what could possibly be next because I was loving every second of it – even the angsty parts! I think the fact that it did give me all the emotions that I look for in a book was an added bonus…it’s very difficult to find the balance of enough angst to get you choked up, enough humor to keep you laughing out loud (but not over the top or kitschy) and enough sexual tension and chemistry to keep you drooling…but Wallbanger delivered that for me.

‘I knew it wouldn’t always be this easy. But it sure as hell would be a good time.’

When I originally read this…Wallbanger was a standalone. It ends brilliantly but of course I will always…always…always want more….and guess what….we’re getting it! WOOP WOOP! 🙂 I cannot wait for Rusty Nailed and more Simon and Caroline goodness…because if I’m right (and I usually am) things can only get better…and that excites me.

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Alice Clayton is a novelist with an unholy love for her KitchenAid mixer. Making her home in St Louis, she enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up afterwards, and is trying desperately to get her long time boyfriend to make her an honest woman. Hi sweetie!!

After working for years in the cosmetics industry as a makeup artist, esthetician, and national educator for a major cosmetics company, Alice picked up a pen (read laptop) for the first time at 33 to begin a new career, writer. Combining her love of storytelling with a sense of silly, she was shocked and awed to be nominated for a Goodreads Author award in 2010 for her debut novels, The Redhead Series.

Alice has penned three novels, The Unidentified Redhead,The Redhead Revealed, and coming soon in November 2012, Wallbanger. She thinks you should purchase them immediately. She’s not kidding, not even a little bit. Everyone needs some comedic erotica in their lives. She is hard at work on the third book in The Redhead Series, set to release in Spring of 2013, continuing the saucy and sexual escapades of everyone’s favorite couple, Jack and Grace.

Additionally, Alice loves spending time with her besties on Not Your Mother’s Podcast, make sure you check them out at notyourmotherspodcast.com or over on iTunes. 3 women rushing towards their forties still acting like teenagers. A saucy little mix of sex, love, relationships, pop cultural, celebrity gossip and All Things Jake Ryan.

Alice enjoys pickles, Bloody Mary’s, 8 hours of sleep, and a good pounding.

Finally Alice would also like all her readers and listeners to help her convince Mt. Alice that the only other thing that would make her truly happy is finally bringing home a Bernese Mountain Dog. She is totally serious. And done talking about herself in the third person…