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	<title>Christina Crooks</title>
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	<description>Romance stories with heat and heart</description>
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		<title>Rough Play</title>
		<link>http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/rough-play</link>
		<comments>http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/rough-play#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2011 07:29:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Erotic Romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bdsm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bdsm novel excerpts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erotic romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erotica]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fiction]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.christinacrooks.com/?p=33</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Christina Crooks knows how to keep the suspense flowing while still adding heaps of humor to every scene&#8230;I could not put this book down until I reached the last page.&#8221; -Sensual Reads &#8220;Christina Crooks is not afraid to explore extreme &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/rough-play">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0758261373/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=0758261373"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-34" title="Rough Play" src="http://www.christinacrooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/rough-play_300x200.jpg" alt="Rough Play" width="200" height="300" /></a></em><em></em></p>
<p><em><a href="http://sensualreads.com/?page_id=8812 "><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-200" title="Sensual Reads Reviewer's Choice award" src="http://www.christinacrooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/sr2011RCA125.png" alt="Sensual Reads Reviewer's Choice award" width="125" height="125" /></a></em>&#8220;Christina Crooks knows how to keep the suspense flowing while still adding heaps of humor to every scene&#8230;I could not put this book down until I reached the last page.&#8221;<em> -<em><a href="http://sensualreads.com/?p=7497">Sensual Reads</a></em><br />
</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;</em><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Christina Crooks is not afraid to explore extreme BDSM play, incorporating it into novels which linger in your mind way beyond the final page.&#8221; -<em><a href="http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=6906&amp;Itemid=36" target="_blank">Two Lips Reviews</a></em></span></em></p>
<p>&#8220;Whew! <em>Rough Play</em> is a very hot read. Christina Crooks combines elements of romantic suspense and BDSM to make a unique and gripping tale of kidnapping, blackmail and S&amp;M.&#8221; -<em><a href="http://www.bookofsecretsblog.com/2011/09/review-rough-play-by-christina-crooks.html" target="_blank">Book of Secrets</a></em></p>
<p>&#8220;I was hooked from start to finish, and I absolutely recommend Rough Play for shy and sensual audiences alike.&#8221; -<em><a href="http://firepages.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/rough-play-by-christina-crooks/" target="_blank">Fire Pages</a></em></p>
<p><strong><em>In Christina Crooks&#8217;s suspenseful new novel, a woman&#8217;s search for a missing friend leads her to an erotic playground of fetish and fantasy&#8230;</em></strong></p>
<p>After escaping her sexually dominant husband, dating coach Charlotte is ready to play it safe. But when her client, Gail, disappears after visiting a fetish-oriented club called Subspace, Charlotte must enter the erotic underworld to find out what happened to her.</p>
<p>Club owner Master Martin is willing to help Charlotte &#8212; as long as she agrees to a little role-playing. As Charlotte slowly surrenders to Martin&#8217;s sensual enticements, she finds that her penchant for submission is more intense than ever. But at the same time, as her search for Gail leads her deep inside Subspace&#8217;s catacombs, Charlotte fears it may already be too late to save Gail&#8230; or herself.</p>
<p><span id="more-33"></span><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>Excerpt from <em>Rough Play</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em></em></strong>The slave crawled back up into position, weeping. “Punish this girl severely for having disappointed you!”</p>
<p>“You presume to tell me what to do?”</p>
<p>“No, Master!”</p>
<p>“Then you’re saying you don’t merit punishment?”</p>
<p>“No, Master!”</p>
<p>“I should feed you to a sleen.”</p>
<p>Charlotte whispered to Kartane. “What’s a sleen?”</p>
<p>He whispered back, his breath warm on her ear. “A six-legged beast with enormous claws. It eats meat.”</p>
<p>A creature from science fiction. Gorean fiction. It’d be ludicrous, if it weren’t for the very real violence.</p>
<p>“I’d like to see the others on you. You’re welcome to her,” the punisher invited the other men. They smiled and stirred, many rising with lecherous expressions. Those closed quickly on the nude figure.</p>
<p>“No, Master! Please, this girl wants only to please you!”</p>
<p>He pushed her beseeching hands away. “I know what you want. Not that your wants are relevant. Perform well, and you will please me.&#8221;</p>
<p>One older man grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulled her back by it. Her body arched into a bow, then she fell again onto the furs.</p>
<p>The woman struggled and cried out when two men held her pinned, one for each arm. She snarled and bit one when his arm came near her mouth.</p>
<p>A third kneed her legs open while unzipping. His breath came hard, excited. The girl jackknifed her body trying to escape her fate, but he shoved her back down brutally, covered her body with his, wormed between her legs.</p>
<p>The crowd of men surrounding her blocked Charlotte&#8217;s view. She blinked and took a step back in an attempt to make sense of it all. She angled her head away, needing to not see any more.</p>
<p>She could hear, though.</p>
<p>&#8220;It hurts, please,&#8221; the slave gasped, then whimpered and grunted in time with what Charlotte presumed were the hard, punishing thrusts. &#8220;Please, oh yes, please.&#8221; The woman&#8217;s voice hoarsened to a slavish, purring moan.</p>
<p>Charlotte raised her fist to her mouth, bit on it. Why the hell was she responding this way? Was she slave-hearted too?</p>
<p><strong><br />
More praise for <em>Rough Play</em></strong></p>
<p>&#8220;<em>Rough Play</em> is a very unique twist on your average BDSM romance, and with villains, matchmaking, a whole lot of sexual tension all rolled into one great read!&#8221; -<em><a href="http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=2130" target="_blank">The Romance Reviews</a></em></p>
<p>&#8220;Welcome to the dark side of BDSM!&#8230; For awhile now I’ve enjoyed erotic romance novels set in the BDSM lifestyle. <em>Rough Play</em>just blew my comfort zone out of the water, but in a good way! Get ready to learn what the SM in BDSM really stands for!&#8221; -<em><a href="http://leanne109.blogspot.com/2011/10/tonis-review-of-rough-play-by-christina.html" target="_blank">Books Read &#8216;n Makeup Done</a></em></p>
<p>&#8220;Christina Crooks delivers a story packed with intense and steamy sexiness, uniqueness in both the heroine and plot, and a captivating mystery in her newest release, <em>Rough Play.</em>&#8221; -<em><a href="http://www.theforbiddenbookshelf.com/2011/08/arc-review-rough-play-by-christina.html?zx=c918676e2d96fff4" target="_blank">Tanya, Forbidden Bookshelf</a></em><br />
<strong><em></em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em><br />
</em></strong><em>Rough Play</em><br />
Kensington Publishing<br />
September 2011<br />
ISBN<br />
978-0-7582-6137-3<br />
0-7582-6137-3</p>
<p><strong><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0758261373/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=0758261373">Amazon<br />
</a></span></em></strong><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rough-play-christina-crooks/1102040184">Barnes &amp; Noble<br />
</a><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780758261373-0">Powell’s Books</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ZFGK5W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=B002ZFGK5W"><br />
</a></p>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></div>
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		<title>Sweet and Dirty</title>
		<link>http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/sweet-and-dirty</link>
		<comments>http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/sweet-and-dirty#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2011 07:13:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Erotic Romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bdsm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bdsm novel excerpts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erotic romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erotica]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fiction]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.christinacrooks.com/?p=13</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Have a warm cup of cocoa or a frosty beverage handy as you savor two novellas which explore the sweet and dirty sides of BDSM.&#8221; –Victoria, Two Lips Reviews &#8220;The author has clearly done her research…which makes the stories that much &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/sweet-and-dirty">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ZFGK5W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=B002ZFGK5W"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-14" title="Sweet and Dirty" src="http://www.christinacrooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/sweet_dirty_300x200.jpg" alt="Sweet and Dirty" width="200" height="300" /></a></em><a href="http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=4744&amp;Itemid=36"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-205" title="Two Lips Reviewer's Choice Award for Sweet and Dirty" src="http://www.christinacrooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/sweet_transp_rcaward.png" alt="Two Lips Reviewer's Choice Award for Sweet and Dirty" width="146" height="72" /></a>&#8220;Have a warm cup of cocoa or a frosty beverage handy as you savor two novellas which explore the sweet and dirty sides of BDSM.&#8221;<em> <em>–Victoria, Two Lips Reviews</em></em></p>
<p>&#8220;The author has clearly done her research…which makes the stories that much more real. Fans who like a BDSM twist to their happily ever after should be completely satisfied.&#8221; –<em>Romantic Times</em></p>
<p>“Will make your toes curl.” <em>–Romance Reviews Today</em></p>
<p>“Wonderfully stimulating, titillating.” –<em>Night Owl Romance<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
<em><br />
</em><strong><em>Embrace your most illicit desires&#8230;</em></strong><br />
</span></em></p>
<p>&#8220;Baring It All&#8221;</p>
<p>From her relationships and her home life to her job as a dog trainer, Michelle Gray is too often the obedient one. So when she crosses paths with Ro Kaliph, the owner of an S&amp;M nightclub, she decides to take a few lessons in being more dominant &#8212; but discovers instead that surrendering to Ro&#8217;s every command brings her the most intense, satisfying pleasure.</p>
<p>&#8220;Forbidden Heat&#8221;</p>
<p>Workaholic Nora Sabine has finally made time for a vacation with her fiance. And she&#8217;s pleasantly surprised to learn the B&amp;B where they&#8217;ll be staying is actually a Bondage &amp; Breakfast. Indulging in every blissful sexual punishment, Nora can&#8217;t seem to get enough. But when she meets the inn&#8217;s owner, Sylvester, he takes her over the edge as he introduces her to a fantasy world where ecstasy has no boundaries&#8230;</p>
<p><em><span id="more-13"></span></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Excerpt from <em>Sweet and Dirty:</em></strong></p>
<p>“How are you feeling?”</p>
<p>Nora considered. “Healthy. Recovering. Slightly buzzed. You’re very polite.”</p>
<p>“Politeness is desirable.” Sylvester sounded amused. It pulled her away from her head-tilted review of his book spines. “Common courtesy goes a long way toward avoiding misunderstandings and preserving people’s feelings. Would you like to talk?”</p>
<p>“Yes, please.” She strode back to her chair and folded herself into it with a sigh at how comfortable it was. She smiled at him, more relaxed than she should probably feel. Just being in his presence was at once stimulating and soothing. At the moment she didn’t care to examine the pleasant new feeling too closely, but after all she’d been through in the past hour she appreciated it greatly.</p>
<p>He looked at her without expression. “Just because sexual conventions are freer here at the B&amp;B doesn’t mean social conventions aren’t used.” He placed his own glass of wine gracefully opposite hers. “Your Ryan’s actions appalled me.”</p>
<p>“Me, too. That checklist. He made me sound like a perverted slut.”</p>
<p>“That’s not what I found appalling.” Sylvester smiled at her for the first time. “I don’t judge peoples’ kinks. Even when I don’t share them.”</p>
<p>“Such as golden showers?”</p>
<p>“A fine example.” He sobered, stared at her seriously. “What do you want from the next three days? You expected something quite different, I realize that. It’s my hope you don’t wish to leave.”</p>
<p>She felt her heart leap, a little. Sylvester didn’t want her to leave. “Well, that’s good. Because I don’t want to leave.” She thought about it. “I honestly don’t. I find this environment very interesting. Foreign in the extreme, but interesting. The slaves bowing to Mistress Kiana, for example. And those two women – Black and White. Ryan’s in for a wild ride, isn’t he.”</p>
<p>She searched herself for jealousy but didn’t find it. She wondered what that meant. Maybe she was still in shock.</p>
<p>“You’re not involved in the local BDSM community.” It wasn’t a question. “But you’re curious. Okay. Let’s find out what sort of things interest you.”</p>
<p>“What are you, some kind of…” Pimp, she was going to say, but that didn’t sound right. Or polite. “Facilitator?” she finished.</p>
<p>His raised eyebrow let her know he’d tracked her thought. “I bring together like-minded people, and make sure no one gets hurt. I host the party. I had this property built on twenty-one secluded acres to create a big retreat center that’s sex-positive but not sleazy. Guests are usually friends of friends in the local leather and fetish community, free spirits – I don’t have the inclination to host an overnight just for some businessman who wants to check in for a spanking. I enjoy watching. I like the diversity. But now it’s your turn to talk. What are your fantasies, Nora?”</p>
<p>“Well, you get right to the point don’t you.” And yet she felt the warm glow in her belly expand to heat her nether regions as well. The way he looked at her, as if he knew her dirtiest secret, made her hot as hell.</p>
<p>But she wasn’t going to repeat the mistake of telling someone her biggest fantasy.</p>
<p>“I’m curious about bondage.” There, that wasn’t so hard. But she felt her face heat with embarrassment for admitting it out loud like that.</p>
<p>“Giving or receiving?”</p>
<p>“Receiving… maybe a little giving too.” It could be interesting to have someone all tied up and at her mercy. Maybe someone like Sylvester. She gave him a flirtatious smile.</p>
<p>His expression didn’t change. “What else?”</p>
<p>“Um. I heard flogging could be sort of fun. And being blindfolded. And, uh, nipple clamps.”</p>
<p>“What else?”</p>
<p>She blinked. “I’m not sure there is anything.” Except the Chase &amp; Capture rape fantasy specter she couldn’t evict from her mind. The very idea of something so violent was abhorrent, and yet, just knowing it existed as one of the possible fantasies made her wet.</p>
<p>“This is fun,” she told him, admitting that much at least.</p>
<p>“Negotiating is supposed to be.”</p>
<p>“We’re negotiating?” Her breath came faster.</p>
<p>“That’s what it’s called in the scene when you discuss play limits.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”</p>
<p>He stared hard at her. “Let’s go down a checklist of things, the way you normally would have before you arrived. You can tell me a number between one and five to indicate how you feel about that activity: one means no way, five means it’s a wild turn-on for you. Are you ready?”</p>
<p>“Who would I be… playing… with?”</p>
<p>“That depends on your answers. And their wishes too.”</p>
<p>His calm, aloof demeanor both set her at ease and excited her. She thought of the other men at the dinner table, evaluating them. Master Andre seemed cute. Mage was still a mystery. Little Peter seemed harmless. Sylvester attracted her the most. “I guess I’m ready.” She returned his stare, feeling bold.</p>
<p>“Spanking.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>He waited.</p>
<p>“Oh. Four?”</p>
<p>“Tickling.”</p>
<p>“Three.”</p>
<p>“Branding.”</p>
<p>She cringed. “One!”</p>
<p>“Electrical torture.”</p>
<p>“Isn’t that the same as branding?”</p>
<p>Sylvester shook his head. “Not at all. For example, Mage has an elaborate muscle stimulation kit, with attachments I’d never seen before. And he has an astonishing number of other electrical toys. It can be quite sensual.”</p>
<p>“Do you know this from personal experience?”</p>
<p>“We’re not discussing me right now. A number, please?”</p>
<p>Her curiosity spiked again. Damn but this conversation was making her want to try everything… with him. “Four.”</p>
<p>“Threesome.”</p>
<p>She considered. “One. Well… maybe. Two guys, maybe a three.”</p>
<p>“Feathers, fur, food.”</p>
<p>“Four.”</p>
<p>“Hair pulling.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t sound fun. Two.”</p>
<p>“You’d be surprised. Role playing.”</p>
<p>”It depends.” In her fantasy, the man stalked her then had his way with her. Should she tell him that? She felt tempted, then pushed the fantasy back underground where it belonged. “Could you give me an example?”</p>
<p>“Doctor/nurse. Teacher/student. Boss/secretary. Torturer/prisoner.” He looked at her. “Predator/prey.”</p>
<p>“Could you explain that last one?”</p>
<p>He was quiet for so long she wasn’t sure he heard her. Then, “Consensual nonconsent. One of the most common role-playing fantasies for women is to be taken against their will.”</p>
<p>The air in the room seemed to turn electric, plucking at her nipples, teasing her intimately until she felt short of breath. She tried to hide her reaction. “Yes, I’ve heard that’s a common one.”</p>
<p>“Give it a number.”</p>
<p>“I… can’t.”</p>
<p>His stare burned her. “You can’t? I think you can.” He gave her a fierce smile, showing teeth. “Is it being kidnapped and used as a sex toy? Or, chased and brought down and brutally fucked? Maybe a date rape, or a home break-in, or a cruel ravishing while tied to a pirate ship’s mast.”</p>
<p>Her mouth went dry. She wanted to dash from the room, and yet she sat rooted, unable to even look away. She felt her eyes widen and her nipples stand erect, no doubt clearly outlined under the tissue-thin material of her dress. She tried to remember how to be the cool-headed, knowledgeable person she was at work.</p>
<p>People consulted her, looked up to her for her experience, her capable management, her enthusiasm for researching anything she didn’t know. But nothing she’d encountered in the workplace or elsewhere prepared her for this sensation of willing helplessness under his gaze. He was talking her language. If he wasn’t careful, she’d… she’d what? Beg him to rape her?</p>
<p>To calm herself, she reached for her glass of wine. “I’m not sure that’s….” To her horror, her hand was shaking. She set the wine down abruptly.</p>
<p>”Some men have the same violent desires, Nora. To take, to dominate a struggling victim. As a fantasy only. Nothing here happens that isn’t consensual. You’re safe, I promise.”</p>
<p>He looked off into the distance. Then, “Some men mistakenly believe a woman doesn’t care who stars in her fantasy. Of course she does.”</p>
<p>He referred to Ryan. He believed she was still affected by Ryan’s foul trick on her, she realized with relief. He had no idea what dirty thoughts played in her mind.</p>
<p>Or did he?</p>
<p>She went on the offensive. “Do you have those fantasies, Sylvester?”</p>
<p>“We aren’t talking about me.”</p>
<p>“We’re talking about fantasies. You’re explaining them so well. Do you dream of torturing your helpless victim, then spreading her legs and plowing her, defiling her as she struggles underneath you? Do you fantasize about stalking a woman, capturing her and forcing her to perform degrading acts on your filthy body? Does it do it for you, having a woman naked and whimpering while you press her up against the slick walls of her shower, begging you stop and crying when push your big cock up between her legs?” Oh god, talking about it was getting her way too hot. She decided to throw caution to the winds. “Do you want to force me, right now?”</p>
<p><strong><br />
More praise for <em>Sweet and Dirty</em></strong></p>
<p>&#8220;The heat sizzles off the page. You will definitely want to crank the AC up while reading these.&#8221; -<em>Romance Junkies</em></p>
<p>“Sometimes our darkest fantasies have a way of manipulating our everyday lives, and Nora learns this lesson all too well. I love how her awakening to the world of BDSM enlightens her to what is truly important and real in her life and in her relationships&#8230;This is a hard book to put down, so I suggest finding a comfy place to crash for a few hours of unadulterated reading pleasure.&#8221; -<em>Coffee Time Romance &amp; More</em></p>
<p>“Overall, <em>Sweet and Dirty</em> is entertaining, arousing, and will not insult your intelligence.” &#8211; <em>Lisabet Sarai, Erotica Revealed</em></p>
<p>&#8220;Christina Crooks has written a racy and adventurous anthology that is not for the faint of heart. It is a well written book which does include some BDSM that can be a little wicked! These are certainly not the typical romances and the heroines both explore their sexuality in a way that is freeing and exciting!&#8221; -<em>Bookaholics Romance Book Club</em></p>
<p><em>Sweet and Dirty<br />
</em>Kensington Publishing<br />
January 2010<br />
ISBN 978-0-7582-3873-3<br />
0-7582-3873-8<strong><em><br />
</em></strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ZFGK5W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=B002ZFGK5W"><br />
Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Sweet-and-Dirty/Christina-Crooks/e/9780758238733/?itm=7">Barnes &amp; Noble</a><br />
<a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9780758238733-2">Powell’s Books</a></p>
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		<title>Hands On</title>
		<link>http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/hands-on</link>
		<comments>http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/hands-on#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:04:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contemporary Romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contemporary romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marionette artist heroine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[puppeteer romance]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;If you love your romance full of palpable emotion and sweetness between two great characters, with just enough smexiness to add some heat, then you definitely need to read this! This is a keeper for me, and I may even &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/hands-on">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00436F00C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=B00436F00C"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-10" title="Hands On" src="http://www.christinacrooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/HandsOn200_300_or.jpg" alt="Hands On" width="200" height="300" /></a></em><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">&#8220;If you love your romance full of palpable emotion and sweetness between two great characters, with just enough smexiness to add some heat, then you definitely need to read this! This is a keeper for me, and I may even go back and read it again later!&#8221; -<em><a href="http://www.amongthemuses.com/2010/11/arc-review-hands-on-by-christina-crooks.html?zx=16da2a2cb1ab2467" target="_blank">Among the Muses</a></em></span></em></p>
<p>&#8220;<em>Hands On</em> has a fascinating story line that grabs your attention from the first page supplying the reader with emotional turmoil to make your stomach drop. A great read!” -<em><a href="http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=27359" target="_blank">Fresh Fiction</a></em></p>
<p>“<em>Hands On </em>is a captivating read with plenty of red-hot passion, heartache and misunderstandings.&#8221; -<em><a href="http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/contemporary/CCHands_On.shtml" target="_blank">Romance Junkies Reviews</a></em></p>
<p><strong><em>Want to make Fate laugh? Try telling her who’s in charge.</em></strong></p>
<p>Puppeteer Ginnie Anderson’s life seems destined to fall around her ears. Much like the rented bungalow that’s collapsed in a rainstorm, endangering her marionettes. Her livelihood in need of protection, she can’t refuse her landlord’s offer of temporary shelter in his magnificent home. Under his roof, though, she finds her grasp on her independence slipping—and herself falling into his arms.</p>
<p>Harry Barrett never makes the same mistake twice, particularly when it comes to manipulative women. Yet when Ginnie’s past threatens, Harry must either hold tight to his sense of self preservation, or let go to capture Ginnie’s fragile heart.</p>
<p><em>Hands On</em><br />
Samhain Publishing<br />
October 2011<br />
ISBN<br />
978-1-60928-246-2<br />
ASIN<br />
B00436F00C<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609282884/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=1609282884" target="_blank">Amazon<br />
</a><a href="http://store.samhainpublishing.com/hands-on-p-6540.html?osCsid=597f0e7c592e0f7cce0dc617aff62dd1" target="_blank">Samhain</a><br />
<a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/74-9781609282882-0" target="_blank">Powell&#8217;s Books<br />
</a><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hands-on-christina-crooks/1100397913?ean=9781609282882&amp;format=paperback" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.romancenovelexcerpts.com/hands-on/">Read a long excerpt from </a><em><a href="http://www.romancenovelexcerpts.com/hands-on/">Hands On</a></em><a href="http://www.romancenovelexcerpts.com/hands-on/"> here!</a></strong></p>
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		<title>Thrill of the Chase</title>
		<link>http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/thrill-of-the-chase</link>
		<comments>http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/thrill-of-the-chase#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:25:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contemporary Romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contemporary romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[racer heroine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sports romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tomboy heroine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.christinacrooks.com/?p=28</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“When I got to the end of Thrill of the Chase, I wanted more. I wasn’t ready to let go of Sarah and her world.” - The Book Vixen “There is some great racing action and great character-development on the part &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/thrill-of-the-chase">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GDJI38/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003GDJI38"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-190" title="Thrill of the Chase" src="http://www.christinacrooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/thrill_caps_300x200_2_12_12.jpg" alt="Thrill of the Chase" width="200" height="300" /></a>“When I got to the end of Thrill of the Chase, I wanted more. I wasn’t ready to let go of Sarah and her world.” <em>- The Book Vixen</em></p>
<p><em></em>“There is some great racing action and great character-development on the part of the three main characters. It was really a joy to watch develop.” <em>- Crystal, My Reading Room</em></p>
<p><em>“</em>Thrill of the Chase is a high octane ride that will throw you for a loop<em>.” – J. Thomas, The Long and the Short Of It Reviews</em></p>
<p>“Let me tell you now that the fun is in the Thrill of the Chase.” <em>- Lil, Love Romances and More</em></p>
<p>Sarah’s a whiz at tuning engines and winning races. Winning Craig, the local drag race hero, proves more difficult. He only has eyes for gorgeous women who are hot in the sack, not grubby tomboys. Sarah’s world gets an overhaul when her father hires Gordon Devine. Soon she’s torn not only between two men she wants, but between the drag race winner she is and the woman she feels pressured to become.</p>
<p><em>Thrill of the Chase</em><br />
Five Star Publishing<br />
November 2007<br />
ISBN<br />
978-1-5941-4670-1<br />
1-5941-4670-5<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GDJI38/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=B003GDJI38">Amazon<br />
</a><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Thrill-of-the-Chase/Christina-Crooks/e/2940000902349/?itm=5&amp;USRI=christina+crooks">Barnes &amp; Noble<br />
</a><a href="http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/christina-crooks/thrill-of-the-chase/_/R-400000000000000253628">Sony<br />
</a><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/13190">Smashwords</a></p>
<p><strong>Read a long excerpt from <em>Thrill of the Chase</em> <a href="http://www.romancenovelexcerpts.com/thrill-of-the-chase/">here!</a><br />
</strong><strong>Listen to an excerpt from <em>Thrill of the Chase</em> audiobook <a href="http://bimfiles.thedevranch.net/audioclips/thrill_of_the_chase.mp3">here!</a></strong></p>
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		<title>L.A. Caveman</title>
		<link>http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/l-a-caveman</link>
		<comments>http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/l-a-caveman#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:22:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Contemporary Romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contemporary romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feminist heroine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office romance novel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.christinacrooks.com/?p=23</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“L.A. Caveman is a full of hysterical laughs and hot sexual tension… L.A. Caveman brings the fun and drama to extreme heights while building a beautiful romance between the leads.” &#8211; Miranda, Joyfully Reviewed &#8220;I chuckled, I laughed, I gasped &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://www.christinacrooks.com/2011/l-a-caveman">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003O85X8E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003O85X8E"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-181" title="L.A. Caveman cover" src="http://www.christinacrooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/LACavemanFINAL2_300x200_72.jpg" alt="L.A. Caveman cover" width="200" height="300" /></a>“L.A. Caveman is a full of hysterical laughs and hot sexual tension… L.A. Caveman brings the fun and drama to extreme heights while building a beautiful romance between the leads.” &#8211; Miranda, <a href="http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-reviews/l-a-caveman-by-christina-crooks" target="_blank">Joyfully Reviewed</a></p>
<p>&#8220;I chuckled, I laughed, I gasped and I tingled. Ms. Crooks has penned a riveting, funny tale about a woman in a man’s world. If you have ever worked in a male dominated industry then you know what it feels like. To see this character make her way through was a fantastic voyage.&#8221; -<a href="http://seriouslyreviewed.blogspot.com/2010/06/la-caveman-by-christina-crooks.html?zx=affcafc0fba51e86">Seriously Reviewed</a></p>
<p>&#8220;Crooks definitely has a sultry slow-burning writing style that builds anticipation at each turn of the page. L.A. Caveman is an excellent novel and Christina Crooks continues to win me over with her work!&#8221; -<a href="http://firepages.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/l-a-caveman-by-christina-crooks/" target="_blank">Fire Pages</a></p>
<p>&#8220;A delightful story of two people who have lots of issues to overcome but couldn’t be more right for each other. L.A. Caveman is a well written, funny, sexy, sweet story that you will enjoy.&#8221; -<a href="http://sirenbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/christina-crooks-la-caveman.html">Siren Book Reviews</a></p>
<p><strong><em>Keep it strictly business? Her heart demands something more&#8230;</em></strong></p>
<p>Stanna struggles to keep her job as a men&#8217;s magazine columnist. The last thing she needs is a fight with her hopelessly chauvinistic brand-new boss, Jake. The attractive man turns the office into an undeniably sizzling environment, but his column suggestions are positively Neanderthal! She&#8217;s determined to reform Jake. He&#8217;s determined to train Stanna. Neither is willing to acknowledge the electrifying attraction that pulls at them both.</p>
<p><em>L.A. Caveman</em><br />
ASIN: B003O85X8E<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003O85X8E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=chriscrook-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=B003O85X8E">Amazon<br />
</a></p>
<p><strong>Read an excerpt from <em>L.A. Caveman</em> <a href="http://www.romancenovelexcerpts.com/l-a-caveman/">here!</a></strong></p>
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