Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Dream Vacation
By Deanna Wadsworth

Pride of the Caribbean, Book 3

Lewis Martel is attending a wedding on the cruise ship Pride of the Caribbean. He’s looking forward to a relaxing getaway celebrating the grooms’ happiness—a happiness Lewis desperately longs for in his own life. A believer in true love, he has yet to find that one man to be his best friend and other half.

Lewis soon discovers all is not what it seems aboard the LGBT friendly cruise ship. From his first night aboard, Lewis is inundated by vivid dreams of an ancient time full of shadows in the night and mysterious warriors. The haunting—and often sexy—dreams become so all-consuming, Lewis looks for every chance to fall asleep and immerse himself in this dream world.

A trip to an antique shop on St. Martin brings the reality of these lucid dreams to the fore. Lewis is faced with a past he can’t recall and a lover he’ll never forget. Can the paranormals living aboard the Pride help Lewis understand his new reality or will ancient demons ruin his chance at happiness with the other half of his soul?

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Excerpt:

It would be a few hours before everyone checked in and the ship launched, so maybe the crowds would stay away all afternoon.

As promised, Kendra had a pitcher of margaritas and a big smile as she waved Lewis over.

“Ooh, look at you,” he teased. “Hubba hubba.”

Kendra laughed. “Hopefully there are single guys on this ship who think the same.” She wore a sexy royal blue one-piece swimsuit with wide openings all up the sides and a very low-cut front.

“I can see a little under-boob and side-boob,” he told her, adjusting the towel she’d gotten him and sitting on the lounger to kick off his sandals.

She lowered her sunglasses and winked at him. Then she picked up a strappy silver stiletto. “I’m working the whole sexy pool wear this week. Got a cute suit for each day.”

A big guy with a hairy chest walked by and grinned at Kendra. “I don’t usually like one-pieces, but that suit is eye catching, ma’am,” the guy remarked, rubbernecking as he walked away.

“I’d say it’s working,” Lewis said with approval.

“A tad too hairy for me, but I’m not limiting my options.” Smiling wide, Kendra poured Lewis a margarita. “These are amazing.”

“Thanks,” he said when she set the drink on his side of the small table between them. He admired the hairy guy’s big chest as he ordered a drink at the bar. Mmm-mmm, Lewis loved big men, especially if they came with a big dick. And all that hair to play with was just an added bonus.

Pulling off his tank so he would tan evenly, Lewis laid back on the lounger and took in his surroundings. A man played a steel drum in the corner, lending the pool deck a delightfully tropical atmosphere. A dark-haired woman manned the bar, and she looked like she was doing a good job of entertaining the hairy guy and her other patrons. All around them people smiled. Like Kendra, he had high hopes for a wonderful vacation.

“Did you download the ship’s app?” Kendra asked. “The travel agent said it’s a new feature.”

“Yeah, I downloaded it this morning before we left home.” They lived a few hours north in St. Petersburg and had gotten up at the butt crack of dawn to arrive at the Port of Miami for early boarding.

Kendra scrolled the app on her phone. “Looks like you can book all your excursions from here. Wanna go snorkeling?”

“Is it in a chlorinated pool without sharks?”

She chuckled and set her phone aside. “No, don’t think so.”

“Then no.” He reached for his beach bag and withdrew his water bottle and book.

“How’s the margarita?”

“Oh!” Lewis picked up the drink. “I haven’t even tried it yet.” He took a healthy sip and was delighted by the flavor. “Damn, these are good.”

“I know, right?”

He took another sip, feeling the warm fingers of intoxication moving through his blood stream. Totally relaxed, he set the drink down and opened his book.

“What are you reading?” Kendra wanted to know.

“The Undead Apprentice by D.A. Noire.” He flashed her the cover depicting a sexy red-eyed vampire. “Skip’s friend Josh recommended it to him, and then Skip recommended it to me. It’s the perfect vacation read—a vampire romance.”

Laughing, Kendra buried her pretty nose in the latest biography of some progressive politician. “You’re such a dork.”

“I’m the dork? This from the dork reading a book about politics on vacation.”

“I’m expanding my mind, Lewis.”

“We’re on vacation. I’d rather expand my mind by reading a fantasy romance.”

“Dork,” she sang, sipping her drink and turning the page.

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

A buzzing phone ended the debate of who held the Biggest Dork title. Kendra glanced at her device. “The grooms are here. They started a group text.”

Lewis groaned. “Ugh! I hate those. Especially when everyone starts liking everyone’s texts, then you just get more notifications. So annoying.”

“It’ll be easier to keep everyone in the loop this way, Mr. Crab Ass.”

He ignored her and clasped his hands to his chest dramatically. “I love group texts,” Lewis sang then snarked, “Said no one ever.”

“True,” she agreed as the device in her hand buzzed multiple times. “But we’re in one.”

“I’m glad my phone is on silent.” Lewis finished his margarita, then poured another. “What are they saying?”

“Looks like Marcus is at the coffee shop with Aleek, and some ‘we’ I don’t know are in their cabin.”

More phone buzzing as she scrolled through. “All the Singletons are still in line boarding. Another unknown number with someone named Jenny is stuck in traffic, but it’s fine, because the ship doesn’t depart for another two hours. And the grooms are headed to an appointment with their wedding coordinator. They look forward to seeing us all at eight for dinner with the captain.”

Lewis set down his cocktail and opened his book. “All we need to know. Turn your damn buzzer off.”

With a shrug, she flipped her phone to silent and tossed it in her bag. She turned her face into the sun. “We’ve got nothing to do but sit here, read, drink margaritas, and soak up the sun for the rest of the day.”

“Sounds perfect,” he agreed. “You have sunblock on, right?”

“Yes, Mr. Bossy Pants.”

“Enough with the nicknames.”

“But they do annoy you so,” she said wistfully.

“Now, that I’ll agree with.”

As promised, Noire’s excellent writing captivated Lewis within a few pages. Despite the title, Skip promised a romance between an ancient vampire named Danior the Devil and a college guy. A romance equaled a perfect vacation read. So much better than a boring book about politicians. Who wanted to read that? Not like anybody in government would write an honest tell-all about the crooked people in Washington or expose the Roswell aliens.

So engrossed in the trials of Danior and his apprentice Christopher as they navigated life as college freshmen, Lewis barely noticed Kendra topping off his margarita. When she ordered a second pitcher, it dawned on him he was quite drunk.

“This is some bullshit, Kendra.”

“What?”

“You got me drunk,” he complained, his voice slurring a bit. The deck spun and he couldn’t keep his eyes focused to read any longer. “We haven’t even left port!”

Kendra laughed. “Take a nap and drink some water.”

“Fine, but you better set a damn alarm so I don’t fall asleep and get burned.”

Dutifully and with a smirk she pulled out her phone and began tapping. She showed him the screen with a timer counting down. “I set it for one hour. Honestly, Lewis, you can’t hold your liquor.”

“I know that,” he whined. “You know that.”

“Here, drink this and sleep for a bit,” she said again, holding out a bottle with a sympathetic smile. “I promise not to let you burn, and we won’t miss dinner.”

Doing as she told him, he rolled onto his stomach—his favorite position to sleep. He took his tank top and another towel then bunched them into a pillow. He was already tired from getting up so early, and the alcohol made his head swim. He hoped it would run through his system before the boat started sailing and rocking. His spinning mind couldn’t handle sea sickness too.

“I’ll just take a little nap,” he muttered, drifting off to sleep to the sound of his best friend’s laughter, beautiful island music, and thoughts of vampire lovers dancing through his mind … …

… … midnight vespers had finished moments ago. Sleep might be the wisest choice for the few hours I had, but my secret friend in the orchard called.

My feet flew over the grass, and I didn’t need a lantern to see, for I tread this ground daily. The secluded French monastery was the only home I recalled. Illness had taken my siblings and father. My mother had gifted me to the abbey when I’d been a mere child.

Given another option, I wouldn’t have chosen to live in a monastery. I’d even run away once. After three frightening days, a great storm hit. Soaking wet and cold, I’d realized I had nowhere to go and nothing but the simple cloth on my back. So here I was again: a novice monk with nothing.

Except my new secret.

As I slipped into the shadows, my heart skipped with excitement and a thrill raced along my spine. The cool night air flitted up my robes, teasing my bare skin.

I’d first heard the whispers a month ago. A gentle, sultry voice that told me to “come.” I ignored it in the beginning, imagining my fevers had returned with hallucinations. Though only nineteen summers old, abdominal pain and nausea had plagued me for years.

Perhaps I should’ve confessed to Abbot Charles about the whispers, but my life was nothing but endless days of work I did not enjoy. I had lost everyone who cared for me, and had nothing to claim as my own. I enjoyed the intrigue of having a secret.

Eventually the voice had convinced me to slip out in the darkness and meet him in the abbey’s orchard.

What had transpired that first night had changed my life.

And had me returning every chance I could.

Wary of Brother George watching me—not with concern, but to tattle—I varied the times I slipped away so as not to be noticed. Brother George had taken my piety upon his shoulders since I’d run away, and it was a most unwelcome burden.

“Liam, come to me.”

The specter-like voice made my blood sing, and I all but ran toward the promise of pure, forbidden pleasure. When I’d managed to sneak out several nights ago, I’d left my woolen hose in my trunk, not wanting anything to hamper or delay the release my specter gave me. He’d been pleased, and his approval gave me greater happiness than I’d ever known.

“I’ll never leave you,” he whispered. “You’ll be with me forever.”

That promise alone had me pumping my legs faster.

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Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate Deanna Wadsworth’s new release, We are away 3 e-copies of Book 1 The Boyfriend Cruise!

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About the Author:
Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. She has served multiple board positions for different RWA chapters, including President of the Rainbow Romance Writers in 2017. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. An avid reader, she also loves gardening, cooking, music, and dancing. Often she can be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.


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