Please help me welcome USA Today Best Selling Author, M.Q. Barber. We are celebrating the newest release in her Neighborly Affections series, Finding Their Balance. M.Q. has been a friend since I began my career in publishing and I have learned a lot from her. Take a peak at her newest release.
Three’s the naughtiest kind of crowd.
Getting to the one-year mark is hard enough in a relationship between two lovers. For three, just getting through the day can be half the battle.
Between Alice’s headstrong insistence on pushing her sexual limits and Jay’s need to confront an abusive former lover, Henry has his hands full keeping both of his partners safe and happy.
But despite all the challenges — and unexpected dangers that lurk in their hedonistic world — the three have formed a union that brings each of them to the edge of something new. Something they may not be able to hold on to…
Getting to the one-year mark is hard enough in a relationship between two lovers. For three, just getting through the day can be half the battle.
Between Alice’s headstrong insistence on pushing her sexual limits and Jay’s need to confront an abusive former lover, Henry has his hands full keeping both of his partners safe and happy.
But despite all the challenges — and unexpected dangers that lurk in their hedonistic world — the three have formed a union that brings each of them to the edge of something new. Something they may not be able to hold on to…
Short excerpt from Finding Their Balance:
Alice abandoned work at noon Wednesday for tea at a fetish club. Her coworkers wished her luck at the dentist’s office.
When she arrived home, Henry stood surveying a freshly showered Jay seated on the end of the bed. Dark hair damp, body nude, he enticed more than the promise of a dainty meal.
Hip hugging the doorframe, she fiddled with her blouse’s top button. “Are we stripping down and skipping tea?”
Henry beckoned. Obedience earned her a commanding kiss and flushed her with heat.
Jay’s eager whimper swirled around them.
“Don’t tempt me.” Caressing her throat, Henry slipped her first button free. “But do remove your clothes. The lovely summer dress is yours.”
The dress hung over the closet door. Deep cream with green spiraling up the left side. Ivy? Knee-length, sleeveless, a slight A-line drape with a high neckline. Modest. Dark brown pants and a cream-colored shirt bracketed Jay on the bed. If his outfit included a tie, five bucks said he’d match her green ivy.
“Hey, stud.” Working her blouse open, she bent and kissed Jay’s cheek. “You leaving room in the waistline for all the tea-party snacks we’ll be eating?”
“Fancy little cakes?” With a sly grin, Jay coaxed out her giggle.
“Absolutely.” She shrugged off her top. “Do little cakes come in other kinds?”
Loosing a mocking growl, Henry tossed boxers into Jay’s lap. “Behave, my dears, or you’ll not eat any treats at tea.”
Sock-footed, Jay stood and flowed into the shorts. Pants next, open and clinging to his hips while he swung the shirt around and slipped his arms in. God, fucking with that hasty, half-dressed thrill--
“Distracted?” Clasping her waist, Henry jolted her from open appreciation. “You’ve forgotten to undress.” Fingers dangerous and nimble, he unhooked the hidden fastener and lowered the zipper. “Or perhaps you wanted me to take charge of you?” Pushed past her hips, her pants slumped to the floor.
Alice abandoned work at noon Wednesday for tea at a fetish club. Her coworkers wished her luck at the dentist’s office.
When she arrived home, Henry stood surveying a freshly showered Jay seated on the end of the bed. Dark hair damp, body nude, he enticed more than the promise of a dainty meal.
Hip hugging the doorframe, she fiddled with her blouse’s top button. “Are we stripping down and skipping tea?”
Henry beckoned. Obedience earned her a commanding kiss and flushed her with heat.
Jay’s eager whimper swirled around them.
“Don’t tempt me.” Caressing her throat, Henry slipped her first button free. “But do remove your clothes. The lovely summer dress is yours.”
The dress hung over the closet door. Deep cream with green spiraling up the left side. Ivy? Knee-length, sleeveless, a slight A-line drape with a high neckline. Modest. Dark brown pants and a cream-colored shirt bracketed Jay on the bed. If his outfit included a tie, five bucks said he’d match her green ivy.
“Hey, stud.” Working her blouse open, she bent and kissed Jay’s cheek. “You leaving room in the waistline for all the tea-party snacks we’ll be eating?”
“Fancy little cakes?” With a sly grin, Jay coaxed out her giggle.
“Absolutely.” She shrugged off her top. “Do little cakes come in other kinds?”
Loosing a mocking growl, Henry tossed boxers into Jay’s lap. “Behave, my dears, or you’ll not eat any treats at tea.”
Sock-footed, Jay stood and flowed into the shorts. Pants next, open and clinging to his hips while he swung the shirt around and slipped his arms in. God, fucking with that hasty, half-dressed thrill--
“Distracted?” Clasping her waist, Henry jolted her from open appreciation. “You’ve forgotten to undress.” Fingers dangerous and nimble, he unhooked the hidden fastener and lowered the zipper. “Or perhaps you wanted me to take charge of you?” Pushed past her hips, her pants slumped to the floor.
What NetGalley readers are saying:
Barber has a lyrical quality to her writing. Each detail perfectly executed to create a world in which the reader can get lost. Every step of the way you feel the forward motion of the characters. — Mommy’s a Book Whore
This book is 5th in a series but you absolutely do NOT need to have read the other books to thoroughly enjoy this. … I felt like this story was pretty unique. Henry, the Dom, was an odd duck to me, but a gorgeous, sexy, smart and talented duck. I loved Jay, he is adorable, sexy, quirky, funny and so much more. — Amy, Goodreads
Barber has a lyrical quality to her writing. Each detail perfectly executed to create a world in which the reader can get lost. Every step of the way you feel the forward motion of the characters. — Mommy’s a Book Whore
This book is 5th in a series but you absolutely do NOT need to have read the other books to thoroughly enjoy this. … I felt like this story was pretty unique. Henry, the Dom, was an odd duck to me, but a gorgeous, sexy, smart and talented duck. I loved Jay, he is adorable, sexy, quirky, funny and so much more. — Amy, Goodreads
About the Author
M.Q. Barber likes to get lost in thought. She writes things down so she can find herself again.
Often found staring off into space or frantically scratching words on sticky notes, M.Q. lives with one very tolerant, easily amused husband and one very tolerant, easily amused puppy.
She has a soft spot for romances that explore the inner workings of the heart and mind alongside all that steamy physical exertion. She loves memorable characters, witty banter, and heartfelt emotion in any genre.
Her advice? Get a solid grounding in how language works, and then just write. Write every idea that comes along, even if it’s just a single line. You never know which line is the start of a thread that leads to a novel.
The former Midwestern gal is the author of the Neighborly Affection contemporary romance series. Pick a safeword, grab a partner or two, and jump in.
Signing up for the author’s newsletter at www.mqbarber.com will deliver free stories in the companion series TUESDAYS WITH JAY to your inbox each month.
Visit M.Q. Barber at www.mqbarber.com or facebook.com/mqbarber.
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