Third - Torc’s Salvation by Melany Logen

Torc has been hired to retrieve a Delicant, a prized pleasure slave, and return her to her birth family. Rescuing the beautiful slave is easy for the solitary killing beast. Being able to harness his lust as she constantly offers herself to him is another story.

Enslaved since childhood, Ailyea has no concept of life without a Master ordering her every move. She's completely selfless, knowing only how to give pleasure. Ailyea is terrified when she finds herself under Torc's control, and it's not just his fangs that throw her for a loop. He doesn't abuse her — won't even use her for sex. And she finds herself wishing he would.

Torc is determined to teach Ailyea to become her own person before he leaves her alone in a dangerous, bloodthirsty universe where females are scarce and in high demand. Ailyea has a few lessons for him, too — if she can convince him that she genuinely wants the sex she offers. Along the way, both must confront the deeper feelings between them — before they reach her planet and have to part ways forever.

Honorable Mention - The Lawman’s Wife by Lara Santiago

The Wives Tales 3
Grace needs a man to bid on her and will say "I do" to the Devil.

The impeccable Lawman Jonathan Brent never expected to marry until he sees the woman who haunts his many dreams put up for bid at an auction. He buys Grace for the pittance of ten dollars, then goes on the run to protect her and her daughter Emma. [Erotic Futuristic]

Honorable Mention - Roping Savannah by Jory Strong

Part of the Fallon Mates series.

Draigon d'Amato will do what is required of him. He will choose a Vesti co-mate and accept the human woman the Council scientists have determined is his match. But while he might be reconciled to his fate, as soon as he sees Savannah Holden, duty becomes desire and he can't claim her fast enough.

Unfortunately for him, Savannah is a policewoman intent on making a difference on Earth. And she's already taken a Vesti for a lover. Not just any Vesti, but Kye d'Vesti, whose clan has a reputation for bending if not breaking the laws Draigon feels compelled to uphold.

For Kye, sharing a bond-mate goes against every instinct of his Vesti heritage. But with criminals determined to prevent Savannah from getting too close, keeping their feisty and independent mate safe and out of trouble is a job for two men.

Draigon and Kye discover sharing the bodyguarding duties has certain…benefits, and their "duty to pleasure" is one they embrace with great enthusiasm. Until one of them takes their "duty to protect" her literally, with a devastating result.

Historical:

First - Burning Tigress by Jade Lee

Living in Shanghai has proved one thing to Englishwoman Charlotte Hicks: she wants more from life than an Englishwoman normally receives. When she finds a set of erotic scrolls left behind by her friend, she decides to begin with learning what those scrolls depict. Serving as First Boy in an English household has also proved to Ken Jin that he needs more from life, but when he learns that Miss Charlotte had found sacred Tigress scrolls, his first mission is to wrest them from her possession and return them to their rightful place. Stubborn as ever, Miss Charlotte refuses, unless he agrees to teach her what the scrolls truly mean. The latest in Lee's Tigress series, following Hungry Tigress and Desperate Tigress (both 2005), offers a more humorous tone, but have no fear: Lee's deft eroticism hasn't lost any of its power. With her latest variant on the Tigress practice, Lee's star continues to burn bright. (Nina Davis)

Second - Sin by Sharon Page

A taste of the forbidden…

Venetia Hamilton is no stranger to erotic art—her father’s lush paintings are one of society’s secret pleasures. But Venetia has never experienced true desire. Not until she meets Marcus Wyndam, the Earl of Trent—a powerful man who holds her future in his hands and awakens her curiosity with one searing kiss. His expert touch is only the beginning of her carnal education, but something more dangerous than submission may be the price she pays for such unimaginable delight…

Third - Master of Desire by Jessica Trapp

Blackmailed into exposing the naughty secrets of the nobility, she became The Spy of the Night in a desperate bid to secure her son's future.

When the king's bounty hunter captures her, all honor and duty fall aside in a night of forbidden desire. But sins of her past thwart their future when she escapes and he is imprisoned for her crimes.

Now he will stop at nothing to own her, body and soul.

Honorable Mention - Ask for It by Sylvia Day

England, 1770. Beneath the silk and lace of London society lies a secret, elite organization of spies. Protecting the Crown from its enemies is hazardous, but for Marcus Ashford, protecting his heart from an unyielding passion is the far greater peril…

A MATTER OF DANGEROUS INTRIGUE…
As an agent to the Crown, Marcus Ashford, the Earl of Westfield, has fought numerous sword fights, been shot twice, and dodged more than any man’s fair share of cannon fire. And yet nothing excites him more than the primitive hunger his former fiancé, Elizabeth, arouses. Years ago, she’d jilted him for the boyishly charming Lord Hawthorne. But now, the elegant widow is his to defend, and he will do so while tending to her other, more carnal needs, showing her the depth of a real man’s desire…

…AND UNDENIABLE PLEASURE
Dangerous secrets led to the murder of Lady Hawthorne’s husband. Secrets she now holds in a diary many would kill to obtain. But to entrust herself to the protection of the most seductive man she’s ever known? Outrageous. Unthinkable. Irresistible. For it was Marcus’s strong passions and burning desire that frightened her into abandoning him years ago—and her answering craving has never waned. Now, he means to be at her service, in every sense. And perhaps the only sensible course isn’t to resist temptation, but to surrender to it completely…

Inghilterra, 1770. Sotto la seta e i pizzi della società londinese giace un segreto, un'organizzazione di spie d'elite. Proteggere la Corona dai suoi nemici è pericoloso, ma per Marcus Ashford, proteggere il suo cuore da una innegabile passione è il più grande dei pericoli...

Un questione di intrighi pericolosi...
Come agente della Corona, Marcus Ashford, il conte di Westfield, ha lottato contro numerosi nemici, è stato ferito due volte, ed è stato più volte in mezzo ai fuochi di cannone. E tuttavia niente lo eccita di più che del desiderio primitivo che gli suscita la sua ex fidanzata, Elizabeth. Anni prima, lei lo ha respinto per l'affascinante Lord Hawthorne. Ma ora, deve difendere l'elegante vedova, e lo farà mentre le sottoporrà altri, più carnali bisogni, mostrandole la profondità del desiderio di un vero uomo...

... e un'innegabile piacere
Pericolosi segreti conducono all'assassinio del marito di Lady Hawthorne. Segreti che lei tiene in un diario che molti ucciderebbero per ottenere. Ma può fidarsi della protezione del più seducente uomo che abbia mai conosciuto? Oltraggioso. Impensabile. Irresistibile. Anni prima c'era la forte passione di Marcus e il bruciante desiderio che la terrorizzava nell'abbandonarsi a lui anni prima, e la propria risposta. Ora, lui dice di essere al suo servizio, in ogni senso. E forse l'unica cosa giusta è non resistere alla tentazione, ma arrendersi completamente...

Honorable Mention - The Courage to Love by Samantha Kane

First in the Brothers in Arms series.

Kate Collier is still recovering from a vicious rape and trying to make a success of her dress shop when Jason Randal and Anthony Richards return to London from the Continent, intent on winning her. She's known them for years, ever since they served with her late husband in the Peninsula against Napoleon. She'd been in love with them for almost that long. To discover they feel the same is a shock, but Kate isn't ready to turn her life back over to a man, or men.

Jason and Tony prove hard to resist, however, especially when their close friendship blossoms into desire for each other as they make Kate's body burn with passion. The combination of their insatiable desire for her and their journey into a sexual relationship with one another is irresistible to Kate.

A nightmare from her past tries to keep them apart, but the three long for a life together in spite of society's censure, and they will not be denied.

Novella:

First - Five Alarm Neighbor by Anna Leigh Keaton

Gracie Terrence has lived next door to firefighter Steve Sheldon for two years. She’s lusted after his hot body since day one, but Steve is a taken man. Gracie is no home wrecker and keeps her fantasies locked safely behind closed doors. Besides, all she wants is one hot night with him.

After getting dumped by his fiancée, Steve decides it’s time to have a little fun with Gracie. She makes his blood heat.

But when one night turns to two, and emotions complicate their simple affair, can they survive the inferno of their growing love?

Second - Rodeo Man by Nikki Alton

Rodeo Man by Nikki Alton: LA Magazine writer Anna Hartley is on assignment in Wyoming when she meets champion rodeo rider Grant Olson. Lean, blonde, rugged, and sexy, he's enough to make a city girl trade in her high heels for a wild ride, Western style.

Third - Defending Serenity by Loribelle Hunt

Boyd Graham spent ten years in prison for defending the woman he didn't dare love. The town bad boy, he didn't need anything good in his life, especially when that good came in the form of a cop.

Lynn Jameson spent the years atoning for sin. One night of passion and its consequence was enough to teach her to distrust sentiment. As the new police chief dealing with a smuggling ring on the Florida Gulf Coast, the last thing she needs is Boyd showing up.

Can they find a way to come together or will they be forever at odds?

Honorable Mention — Invisible Touch by Summer Devon

Book 1 in the Shrink Wrap series.

When Bonnie spurns the sexual advances of a real creep, she suddenly finds herself invisible to any man she finds attractive. She soon learns that the creepy man she turned down is also an amateur sorcerer who has placed an invisibility curse on her. Now he's threatening to make it permanent unless she agrees to spy on his boss, a man Bonnie finds irresistible. She just can't keep her hands from exploring his sexy body!

At first Jared thinks he's going crazy. He knows he's embracing a delicious female but he doesn't know if the invisible being is an actual woman or ghost. When things heat up between Jared and Bonnie, they find a way to communicate. Now they have to figure out how to thwart Jared's enemy or Jared will never get a good look at the woman he's felt…all over.

Honorable Mention — Return To Me by Anna Leigh Keaton and Madison Layle

A woman of mixed race born into slavery found love in the arms of her owner's son. Separated by his death and her murder, she’s cursed to live a ghostly life on the land she once longed to flee.

Dr. Travis Moreland—internationally renowned expert on paranormal phenomena and a spiritual medium—helps spirits cross over to find peace, but he’s never met a succubus. Hearing of homeowners desperate to rid themselves of one such specter, his curiosity is peaked.

After he meets Dominique, however, he questions his sanity and longs to respond to the siren's call... Return To Me

Paranormal / TT:

First - Fallon’s Revenge by Mackenzie McKade

Vengeance is what she sought…eternal love is what she found.

Young and inexperienced, Fallon McGregor is an immortal with one thing on her mind. Revenge. She’ll do anything to destroy the demon that killed her daughter and made Fallon his flesh and blood slave. One step ahead of her tormentor, she knows her luck is running out. She needs to discover the mysteries of the dark—and fast. When she meets Adrian Trask she gets more than she bargains for in tight jeans and a Stetson.

Adrian will share his ancient blood and knowledge with Fallon, but he wants something in return…her heart and her promise to stay with him forever.

But Fallon doesn’t have forever. Once her nemesis is destroyed she will seek her own death. Tormented, she must choose between a promise made and the love of one man.

Vendetta è quello che cerca... amore eterno è quello che trova.

Giovane ed inesperta, Fallon McGregor è una immortale con una sola cosa in mente. Vendetta. Farà qualsiasi cosa per distruggere il demone che ha ucciso sua figlia e fatto di Fallon la sua schiava di carne e sangue. Un passo davanti al suo torturatore, sa che la sua fortuna sta per finire. Deve scoprire i misteri dell'oscurità - e presto. Quando incontra Adrian Trask ottiene più di quello che voleva in jeans attillati e Stetson.

Adrian dividerà il suo sangue antico e la sua conoscenza con Fallon, ma vuole qualcosa in cambio... il suo cuore e la sua promessa di rimanere per sempre con lui.

Ma Fallon non ha per sempre. Una volta che il suo nemico sarà distrutto cercherà la propria morte. Tormentata, deve scegliere fra una promessa fatta e l'amore di un uomo.

Second - Bloodlines: Conduit by Mechele Armstrong

Think all blood is the same? Think again.

Copper has always been in her twin sister's shadow. But now her sister's been kidnapped, and only Copper can save her. Trouble is, she'll need help -- from a domineering vampire who knows just how special Copper truly is.

Bastian knows Copper is a rare woman, and not just because of the mind-bending passion she makes him feel. Copper is a Conduit -- a rare human whose blood can magnify a vampire's powers. Now he has to protect her, claim her for his own...and somehow keep his vampire brethren from discovering her secret.

Copper has what she’s always wanted, to be unique and special. But being the Conduit isn't a bed of roses. She could be used by Bastian's vampire enemies for all eternity -- or killed to prevent it. And how can Bastian himself resist the urge to taste blood so rare?

Third - Seduced by Magic by Cheyenne McCray

Copper Ashcroft is an accomplished D'Anu witch, but the magic she wields is a potent force—strong enough to hurl her into a mysterious Otherworld when a spell backfires. Before Copper can escape, another being is pulled into her realm—Tiernan, a powerfully virile Tuatha D'Danann warrior. Blond, blue-eyed, and shamelessly seductive, Tiernan could be Copper's savior…and his touch sets her body on fire.

Like others of his kind, Tiernan stands alongside the D'Anu witches to battle the demons of the Underworld. Obligation to his cause and his people cautions against any entanglement with Copper, yet each second spent with this beautiful, uninhibited woman stirs an insatiable hunger. Desire explodes into carnal bliss, but the visions that haunt Copper's dreams are growing stronger, and they foretell a terrifying evil waiting to be unleashed…

Saving the city will take more than brute strength…more than witchcraft. Only together can Copper and Tiernan find a way to overcome the dark forces—and seize a passion that has bewitched them both.

Copper Ashcroft è una accodiscendente strega D'Anu, ma la magia che detiene è una forza potente, forte abbastanza da costringerla in un misterioso mondo ultraterreno quando un incantesimo le si ritorce contro. Prima che Copper possa fuggire, un altro essere viene trascinato nel suo regno, Tiernan, un potentemente virile guerriero Tuatha D'Danan. Biondo, occhi azzurri, e seducente senza vergogna. Tiernan potrebbe essere il salvatore di Copper... e il suo tocco infiammare il suo corpo.

Come gli altri della sua specie, Tiernan sta al fianco delle streghe D'Anu per combattere i demoni del mondo sotterraneo. Dedito alla sua causa e alla sua gente è cauto circa ogni coinvolgimento con Copper, tuttavia ogni secondo che passa con questa bellissima, disinibita donna risveglia in lui un'insaziabile fame. Il desiderio esplode in una gioia carnale, ma le visioni che perseguitano i sogni di Copper stanno diventando più forti, e predicono una malvagità terribile che aspetta di essere liberata...

Per salvare la città ci vorrà più della forza brutale... più di un incantesimo. Solo insieme Copper e Tiernan potranno trovare un modo per vincere le forze oscure, e domare una passione che ha stregato entrambi.

Honorable mention - Enthralled by Laura Baumbach

A suicidal young man, Colin Dobson, seeks death, but finds an unconventional reason to live in the arms of a seductive, dark stranger. Rowland Campbell is an ancient and powerful vampire on the brink of death after a surprise attack by vampire hunters. Dark desires are awakened, as one strives to survive and the other begs for deliverance from the burden of life.

Un uomo con manie suicide, Colin Dobson, cerca la morte, ma trova un ragione di vita poco tradizionale nelle braccia di un seducente, oscuro sconosciuto. Rowland Campbell è un anziano e potente vampiro che si trova quasi in punto di morte dopo un attacco a sorpresa di alcuni cacciatori di vampiri. Oscuri desideri vengono risvegliati, mentre uno lotta per sopravvivere e l'altro implora di essere liberato da una vita insopportabile.

Honorable mention - d’Argent Honor 2: Eternally His by Ann Jacobs

Book 2 in the d'Argent Honor series.

d'Argent Honor…fine-tuned over a millennium to fight evil, its hunters are focused now on stopping an evil vampire in his mad quest for revenge on the d'Argent queen who refused his suit.

In self-imposed seclusion for centuries, Stefan d'Argent emerges to join the hunt. His assignment: to seduce the Fox's next intended victim in order to protect her. When Stefan sees Julie Quill, touches her, makes love to her, he realizes he puts his own heart at risk.

Vampire compulsion or lust at first sight—Julie doesn't understand the immediate, irresistible desire Stefan generates in her, but that doesn't matter. She loves him, believes his incredible story…and wants to join him in his shadow world. One erotic bite…one slip into vampiric ecstasy could make it happen.

But Stefan fears repeating the experience that sent him into seclusion centuries earlier, of killing the woman he loved while trying to convert her. A near-death experience tips the balance, giving him the courage to make her…eternally his.

http://www.passionateink.org/index.php

Past Year Winners:

2005 - 2006