Welcome to the book blitz for UNTAPPED,adult romantic thriller from the Bad Boy Crime series, by Logan Chase. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on his giveaway.
UNTAPPED by Logan Chase
About the Book
Title: UNTAPPED Series: Bad Boy Crime Series Author: Logan Chase Release Date: March 28, 2017 Genre: Adult Romantic Thriller Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Some desires are better left uncovered…
Erik Bertinelli is the son of the vilest mob boss in all of New York’s underbelly. He’s the enforcer, the hitman for the syndicate, and the type of guy who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. His hideaway is as unconventional as they come… the New York Public Library.
With a thirst for knowledge and a grand getaway at his fingertips, he loses himself daily in the dusty tales of old. Life is too f*cked up most days of the week. Peace would be beyond welcomed.
Grace Adams desires more than anything to live fully alive, and yet, she’s doing just the opposite of that. She’s a librarian at the New York Public Library and spends her days wishing like hell that she could disappear into one of the romance novels she reads.
With an imagination that would shock her family and friends, she keeps to herself and lives in the colorful parts of her mind – alone. Untapped.
When the same deliciously dangerous alpha male keeps showing up between the bookshelves, her daydreams quickly dive into passion that feels too good to be true. The kind that could burn anyone involved. The kind she would do anything for. Maybe even kill…
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Excerpt Grace
“It’s finally starting to get cold.” Thomas glanced over at me and smiled as we jogged side by side. His freckles were fading now that summer was gone, but a faint splattering of them was still there.
“This isn’t cold.” I snorted and reached up to tug at my ponytail as we ran past the University. The library rose up in the distance, and I felt a sense of belonging. I’d been working there for a while, and even though I had some difficulty with some of the staff, most of the people there liked me. And it was where I could find Erik.
“Hey. Did I lose you?” My brother reached over and tugged on my sleeve.
“Oh yeah, sorry. There’s this new guy at the library, and I think I’m going to ask him out.” I turned the corner and slowed for a minute as my lungs screamed for air.
“A new guy, hm?” He didn’t look too thrilled. “I don’t like it.”
“You’re my older brother, dimwit.” I stopped by a cement bench and dropped down to fix one of my tennis shoes. “You’re not supposed to like it.”
“When do I get to meet him?” Thomas ran in place as he scanned the lawn in front of us. His smile widened as he lifted his hand and waved. “Kara. Nancy. Hey girls. Looking good.”
“Oh brother.” I stood up and reached up to adjust my hair again as I turned to see who he was waving at. Cheerleaders. Had to be. Their shorts looked more like panties, and they were wearing sports bras. “There should be a dress code out here. That’s just offensive.”
He laughed. “Just because you dress like a Granny doesn’t mean you have the right to be ugly about other girls dressing their age.”
“Oh yeah?” I lifted my eyebrow and ran my hands down my long-sleeve t-shirt. “And you’d be okay with me wearing what they have on?”
“What?” His brow pulled tight. “Hell no. That’s not happening.”
“Right.” I rolled my eyes and started to jog away from him. “What did you want to talk about that we couldn’t talk at home where it was warm and cozy?”
“Mom and Dad were there, Grace.”
“You could have come by my apartment.” I glanced over at him, noticing the dark circles under his eyes now that I was really looking. He’d been a little on edge lately, but he was nearing his last senior semester at NYU. I assumed it had everything to do with that. What other stress could he have in his life? He was president of the largest fraternity on campus and everyone worshiped the ground he walked on.
Everyone but Jenna. I forced myself not to chuckle. My poor brother had been after my best friend for years, and Jenna was oblivious to it. Now he was too late. She was dating a hottie bad boy from the coffee shop where she worked.
“I hate going to your apartment.” He shook his head. “It’s embarrassing enough getting caught in a movie that has a sex scene with your little sister, but to go to her apartment and hear the perverts next door bonking every fifteen minutes is sick. No fucking way. Count me out.”
“They’re in love, Thomas. It’s cute.”
“Fucking all the time is cute?” He lifted his hand as he paled a little. “You know what? Don’t answer that. We’re good just talking out here.”
“Alright. Spill then.” I laughed as he gave me a ‘watch it’ look. My brother was a bit of a prude from what I knew, but we never really talked too much about our love lives. That was gross.
Love life. What a fucking joke. I’d never been tongue kissed by a guy, much less anything else. After my mother had Thomas when she was sixteen, she used a scare tactic to keep me a virgin, and it worked well.
I’d never been around anyone that left me wanting to defy her and my father and spread my legs anyways. Not until Erik Bertinelli. The thought of him left my heart racing, my body tightening. The things I wanted him to do to me were over the top, horrible, embarrassing.
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Author Logan Chase
About the Author Romance is a genre that is oftentimes written by women, but my novels give you the chance to see through the eyes of some of the men that perhaps you fantasize about, and the opportunity to read about passion from the other side for a change. Stories told about real relationships, legit problems and past experiences… unless you’re an ex, in which case any resemblance to women living or dead is merely a coincidence. 😉
My name is Weston. I’m a full time firefighter during the day, but I’m not here to put out any fires. I’m here to start them. Hope you enjoy my stories and feel free to reach out at any time. I love to flirt.
Welcome to the book blitz for ROGUE IN LOVE: THEA AND LEX, the first book in the adult contemporary romance series, Love Against the Odds, by Inger Iversen. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
ROGUE IN LOVE, THEA AND LEX (Love Against the Odds #1) by Inger Iversen
About the Book Title: ROGUE IN LOVE: THEA AND LEX Series: Love Against the Odds #1 Author: Inger Iversen Release Date: March 24, 2017 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Missing Teal and Trent from Inevitable: Love & War? Check out Rogue in Love, the beginning of a series of standalones featuring Trent Reed’s new employees!
Ten years ago, Lex made the difficult choice to skip town, abandoning the young girl who’d offered him her innocence and a place in her heart. However, when Lex is called back to Blackwater to say goodbye to his dying confidant, he is confronted by the broken-hearted woman he left behind and given the task of helping her mend the gaping hole his absence created.
When Thea and Lex reunite, sparks fly and secrets are unveiled.
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Excerpt #4 She paused in front of the door, fist raised and ready to knock, when a thought occurred to her. Lex had mentioned he’d seen Abbott earlier, and all of Blackwater knew damned well that on a Saturday night there was only one place to find Abbot and that was at Blackies.
“Shit,” she whispered fiercely as she backed away from the door. If it had been any other bar, she wouldn’t have given a damn, but Blackies? Known for its cheap hookers and cheap booze, it was the one bar not one respectable Blackwater resident would ever show their face. Sure, Blackwater was full of hoodlums and fools, but even most of them steered clear of Blackies. Turning away from the door, Thea made her way to the kitchen.
She yanked open cabinets, rifling through them until she found an old bottle of whiskey. Hunting high and low for shot glasses, she came up empty.
With an annoyed growl, Thea plopped down at the table and opened the bottle. “Fuck it.” A long swig later and Thea found herself sputtering and coughing up a damned lung. Wheezing, Thea thumped her chest until she was able to breathe again. “Shit, that always looked easier in movies.” Wiping her watering eyes, she lifted the bottle again, and this time she took a careful sip; the liquid formed a burning trail down her throat and pooled in her belly.
What the hell was Lex doing at Blackies? If all he wanted was liquor, then he could have ended up at any other bar, why had it been that one? Braving another gulp, Thea closed her eyes and tried to imagine Lex picking up another woman. The thought seared her blood more than the liquor ever could.
Feeling foolish for one, drinking alone, and two, not having the guts to ask Lex the question himself, Thea bounded up, liquor bottle in hand, and stomped down the hallway. This time, without hesitation, she burst into the bathroom only to see Lex, all naked, tatted, two-hundred and some pounds of him covered in soap with her little pink razor between his fingers, eyeing it as if it were a snake seconds from striking. Thea couldn’t help but stand frozen in place, viewing him through the see through shower curtain. His tanned and toned ass flexed as he turned, confusion marring his now clean, but still hairy face.
Lifting the razor, he asked, “What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?”
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Author Inger Iversen
About the Author Inger Iversen was born in 1982 to Anne and Kaii Iversen. She lives in Virginia Beach with her overweight lap cat, Max and her tree hugging boyfriend Joshua.
She spends 90 percent of her time in Barnes and Noble and the other ten pretending not to want to be in Barnes and Noble. .
Welcome to the release day book blast THE IVORY QUEEN, a novella in the young adult fantasy/fairy tale retelling series, Order of the Bell,by Jacob Devlin. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and details on his giveaway.
THE IVORY QUEEN (Order of the Bell #1.5) by Jacob Devlin
About the Book
Title: THE IVORY QUEEN Series: Order of the Bell #1.5 Author: Jacob Devlin Publisher: Blaze Publishing, LLC Release Date: January 10, 2017 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | !ndigo
Synopsis Twenty-five years ago, the venomous Queen Avoria was banished from the enchanted realms of Florindale and sentenced to spend eternity inside a cursed mirror.
After a seemingly endless tumble through the mirror’s abyss, Avoria awakens in a gloomy metropolis in the darkest corner of Wonderland. There she meets the shrewd King of Hearts, Cornelius Redding, and the two strike a turbulent alliance. As Avoria helps Cornelius execute his conquest of Wonderland, she plots her own vengeance against the world that cast her out. In the city’s cold shadows, Avoria finds pawns in the souls that defied her, truth in the reflection that calls to her, and power in the past that forged her. And thus, the Ivory Queen begins carving a path to the ultimate throne.
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THE CARVER (Order of the Bells #1) by Jacob Devlin
About Book 1
Title: THE CARVER Series: Order of the Bell #1 Author: Jacob Devlin Publisher: Blaze Publishing, LLC Release Date: July 19, 2016 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | !ndigo
Synopsis THE GIRL IN THE RED HOOD has been looking for her mother for six months, searching from the depths of New York’s subways to the heights of its skyscrapers . . .
THE PRINCE looks like he’s from another time entirely, or maybe he’s just too good at his job at Ye Old Renaissance Faire . . .
THE ACTRESS is lighting up Hollywood Boulevard with her spellbinding and strikingly convincing portrayal of a famous fairy. Her name may be big, but her secrets barely fit in one world . . .
Fifteen-year-old Crescenzo never would have believed his father’s carvings were anything more than “stupid toys.” All he knows is a boring life in an ordinary Virginia suburb, from which his mother and his best friend have been missing for years. When his father disappears next, all Crescenzo has left is his goofy neighbor, Pietro, who believes he’s really Peter Pan and that Crescenzo is the son of Pinocchio. What’s more: Pietro insists that they can find their loved ones by looking to the strange collection of wooden figurines Crescenzo’s father left behind.
With Pietro’s help, Crescenzo sets off on an adventure to unite the real life counterparts to his figurines. It’s enough of a shock that they’re actually real, but the night he meets the Girl in the Red Hood, dark truths burst from the past. Suddenly, Crescenzo is tangled in a nightmare where magic mirrors and evil queens rule, and where everyone he loves is running out of time.
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Author Jacob Devlin
About the Author When JacobDevlin was four years old, he would lounge around in Batman pajamas and make semi-autobiographical picture books about an adventurous python named Jake the Snake. Eventually, he traded his favorite blue crayon for a black pen, and he never put it down. When not reading or writing, Jacob loves practicing his Italian, watching stand-up comedy, going deaf at rock concerts, and geeking out at comic book conventions. He does most of these things in southern Arizona.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Nicole Blanchard, is revealing the cover to DEAL WITH THE DRAGON, the first book in her adult fantasy romance series, Immortals Ever After, releasing May 1, 2017. See below for the cover, information on the book, and a pre-order link.
DEAL WITH THE DRAGON (Immortals Ever After #1) by Nicole Blanchard
About the Novella Title: DEAL WITH THE DRAGON Series: Immortals Ever After #1 Author: Nicole Blanchard Publisher: Bolero Books LLC Release Date: May 1, 2017 Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance Links:Goodreads | iBooks
Synopsis My birthright was stolen from me.
It should’ve been my throne, my crown, but I was banished to a temple when my darkest secret was discovered. Now, I’m forced to live out the rest of my life alone, as nothing more than a forgotten princess.
Until my brother makes a deal with a dragon.
In exchange for peace between our lands, my brother promised Rhysander Blaque a bride. Despite our passion, Rhys is a constant reminder that I will never be more than a bargaining chip for the throne that should rightfully be mine.
I may be bound to the last living dragon, but I refuse to be a prize he can claim. He may own my body, but I will always soar free.
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DEAL WITH THE DRAGON (Immortals Ever After #1) by Nicole Blanchard (Full Cover)
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Author Nicole Blanchard
About the Author New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nicole Blanchard lives in Mississippi with her family and their menagerie of animals. She chooses each day to chase her own fairy tale even if they contain their fair share of dragons. She is married to her best friend and owns her own business.
Nicole survives on a diet of too many books and substantial amounts of root beer and slim jims. When not reading, she’s lavishing attention on her family or inhaling every episode of The Walking Dead and The Big Bang Theory.
Welcome to the book blitz for HUNTED, the second book in the adult romantic suspense series, Alias, by USA Today bestselling author, Lisa Hughey. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Hunted: There’s only one thing worse than seeing your unrequited crush every day at the office…and that’s getting trapped with him in a snowy mountain cabin.
Maria Torres has been through hell and back. A former kidnapping victim, she’s used to being famous for all the wrong reasons and having people handle her with kid gloves. And it seems that the man of her dreams, Dwayne Lameko, is no different.
So when an ALIAS client requests her presence on an op, Maria believes she’s ready to spread her wings and prove all her co-workers wrong…especially Dwayne. But when danger follows them into the wilderness, Maria has no choice but to prove to herself and Dwayne that she’s strong enough to handle anything…even his love.
Maria Torres was first introduced in the Family Stone series, Still the One. She finally gets her happily ever after.
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Excerpt #3 Life couldn’t get any better.
Tupua “Dwayne” Lameko sauntered toward his boss’s office, whistling contentedly. Last night had been just what he needed. He was relaxed, sexually sated, and full of good humor. Anticipation fizzed through him. Jillian Larsen, cofounder of Adams-Larsen Inc. and Associates—or ALIAS, as the employees liked to call it—had called him in early this morning, and he was hoping for an exciting new assignment.
He was anxious for heart-pumping action.
Maybe something with physical protection where he got to use his body. But whatever he did, he’d be out of the office and away from—
“Oh.” He stopped, nearly stumbled.
Behind the receptionist’s desk outside Jillian’s office sat Maria Torres. The woman he needed to get some distance from.
For some bizarre reason, she turned him into a bumbling, unconfident rube. “Uh, you’re here early.” Smooth, Lameko.
Maria flushed and ducked her head.
Dwayne took a step back, trying not to crowd her. She’d been through enough and he sure as hell didn’t want to scare the poor woman.
Her silky ebony hair shone in the low office light. And her fingers tightened on the folder she held in front of her like a shield.
Dammit. He had scared her. “Jill here?”
“Go on in.” Her soft tones were barely audible even though there was an expectant hush in the office. “She’s waiting for you.”
Dwayne hustled into Jill’s office and let out a stressed sigh. Why did that woman, who should be the least threatening woman on the planet, always rattle him?
Before he closed the door, he shot one last glance at Maria. Her head was bent while she stared at her desktop.
The vulnerable nape of her neck was scattered with fine hairs—appearing soft, but certainly not weak. She had kicked major ass. Every time he came face to face with her deep burled mahogany eyes, rounded cheeks, lush plump lips, and figure full of curves, his immediate, completely inappropriate, thought was she would be a lusty armful.
And that’s why he was going to hell.
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Author Lisa Hughey
About the Author USA Today bestselling author, Lisa Hughey, has been writing romance since the fourth grade, which was also about the time she began her love affair with spies. Harriet and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys later gave way to James Bond and Lara Croft and Jason Bourne.
Exploring the complex nature of a profession that requires subterfuge and lies fascinates her. She loves combining her two passions into fiction. As evidenced by her Black Cipher Files series.
Archangel Rafe was her first foray into the paranormal but after spending time in the Angelic Realm, it won’t be her last. At their heart, the Seven novels are about the dynamics of family relationships. But the really hot Archangels don’t hurt.
And recently she’s been immersed in the Stone Family novellas, four stories about a blended family of brothers and sister who have a lot more in common than they realize. But of course she couldn’t just write about family and romance. There are complex plots, bad guys, and suspense too.
Lisa loves to hear from readers and has various places you can connect with her, although, shh, Twitter is her favorite.
Welcome to the book blitz for OF GLITTER AND GOLD, a young adult historical romance anthology from the Canary Club series, by Sherry D. Ficklin. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
OF GLITTER AND GOLD, A Canary Club Anthology by Sherry D. Ficklin
About The Book Title: OF GLITTER AND GOLD Series: A Canary Club Anthology Author: Sherry D. Ficklin Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing Genre: Young Adult Historical Romance Release Date: March 27, 2017 Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Set during the flamboyant anything-goes era of 1920’s America, these three tales are filled with intriguing characters and rich imagery from the time period—with flappers, jazz music, gangsters, and lavish wealth. Escape to a different decade today with the compelling stories of the Canary Club Anthology.
Novelette 1- Gilded Cage Masie, the flaxen-haired daughter of notorious bootlegger Dutch Schultz, returns home from boarding school to find her family in crisis. Her mother is dangerously unstable, her father’s empire is on the brink of ruin, and the boy she once loved has become a ruthless killer for hire. To keep her family’s dangerous secrets, Masie is forced into a lie that will change the course of her future—and leave her trapped in a gilded cage of her own making.
Novelette 2- All That Glitters A dame with brains, moxie, and killer curves, June West isn’t your average flapper. She’s managed to endear herself to the son of one of the most powerful gangsters in New York, earning herself a spot in the limelight that she’s always longed for. With the infamous playboy at her side, June has become accustomed to living the high life. Lavish parties, expensive clothes, sparkling jewels—nothing is beyond her reach. But when her carefully woven web of lies finally catches up with her, she must make an impossible choice… come clean about her past and risk losing everything, or find a way to bury her demons—once and for all.
Novelette 3 – Nothing Gold Dickey has been down on his luck since the day he was born. Flat broke and sick of being looked down on, he meets young socialite Lillian at a wild party. The connection is like a strike of lightning. From a wealthy New York family, this debutante is everything he’s been told he can never have—and the only thing he wants. Determined to win her, he knows the only way to get her parents approval is with cold hard cash. So when a shot at the biggest score of his life comes around, he just can’t refuse….
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Excerpt (Nothing Gold) It’s easier than I imagined to sneak into the party. The music is so loud and the crowd so enormous that no one sees me wind my way through the shrubs on the outskirts. The massive estate is far enough away from the city that I had to hitch a ride to get here, and I’ll have to time my exit just right to make the train back to Manhattan.
Brushing off my secondhand suit coat, I enter the party via the back patio. A wide pool is filled with people, most still in their fancy evening wear. My eyes slide past them, searching for the one person at this shindig that I know. I scan past butlers with white gloves holding silver trays covered in champagne glasses, past gleeful dames in short skirts with blood-red lips, and past gents in their glad rags I can tell with one glance cost more dough than I make in a year working at the mill.
When I finally see him, his pinstripe suit, matching fedora, and red pocket square, he’s standing atop the massive staircase on the ledge overlooking the party. Deacon Brewer, the reason I’m here tonight. His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his trousers as he chats up a fella I don’t recognize, along with the dame hanging off his arm. Plastering on an easy grin, I wind my way through the people, helping myself to a glass of bubbly as I head for the stairs. The stone steps are covered in gold confetti, the whole place practically dripping with it. Long, red velvet drapes hang from arched windows, and leafless branches painted gold and draped with crystal beads sit in tall vases in every corner. Nothing has been left un-gilded.
I shake my head at the audacity. Might as well have a neon sign—someone, please rob the joint.
Deacon sees me coming and dismisses himself from his conversation, welcoming me with an open hand.
“Dickey Lewis, glad you could make it, boy,” he offers warmly.
As if I had a choice.
“Of course, Mr. Brewer,” I respond with more warmth than I feel. Truth is that I’m in deep to Deacon after a few bad bets at his club last month, and he opted to make me work it off rather than take it outta my hide. I suppose that makes him clever, but I can’t help the gnawing feeling that this is a debt I may never fully repay. “What’s the score?” I ask, lowering my voice.
Draping an arm across my shoulders, he walks me through the glass doors and into the house. Still crammed with people drinking, dancing, and generally wrecking the joint, he pulls a cigar from his vest pocket with his free hand.
“Upstairs in the den is a lovely Monet, behind which is a very large safe. Cash, some baubles, and a bankbook are inside. I don’t care about the rest; you take what you need. But the bankbook needs to find its way into my hands tomorrow morning by eight am.”
I take a deep breath, rolling my tongue over my teeth before answering, “How am I supposed to get into the safe?”
He barks a deep laugh, slapping me on the back. “Guess you’ll have to get a little creative. Just get in, get out, and don’t let nobody see ya, got it?”
All I can do is nod and watch him swagger away. Sure, I’ve boosted loot before, but always simple jobs, smash and grabs. Nothing like this. What have I gotten myself into this time?
Still, whatever else is in there is mine for the taking, I tell myself. Could be a big pay day, judging by the looks of the place.
I wander casually through the house, trying to look as if I belong while also counting the number of cops and guards watching the area. It’s not as many as I expected. I grab a dark-haired dame by the waist, offering her a charming smile and asking for a dance. We Charleston together for two songs, finally stopping to imbibe more champagne. When I ‘accidently’ stumble into her, she spills the contents of her glass on my jacket, fumbling a wide-eyed apology.
Waving her off with a smile, I hand her my glass, “You take this, and I’ll go find a place to wash up.”
“You could always take a dip in the pool, honey,” she says, batting her eyelashes.
Beside her, a gentleman points up a secondary set of stairs near the front door. “Washroom is up there, I think.”
I mutter a thanks and a promise to return, then make my way up the stairs, continuing to stumble around as if drunk, occasionally opening a door to find a couple necking or a room full of folks smoking the Indian hop in long pipes.
Finally, the thumping of the music fading below me, I make my way to the library. Beyond that, I find the only locked door on the entire floor. Digging into my pocket, I pull out my lock kit, a simple flattened iron jimmy and a hooked pick. Sliding both in the lock, I slide them back and forth, listening for the mechanism inside to release. It doesn’t take long and the door springs open, allowing me to step inside and close it quickly behind me. It’s dark except for the glow of a single lamp atop a massive oak desk, behind which is a tall arched window overlooking the front of the estate. From this spot, I can see the cars lined up along the circular drive, partygoers coming and going in wild abandon. Pulling the pocket watch from my vest, I wipe my fingers across the cracked glass face, checking the time. Only thirty minutes until the train. If I miss it, it’ll be two hours before the next one. Not the end of the world, unless someone notices the lift before I’m gone. That’s a long time to stick around with a pocket fulla stolen goods.
I glance around me, the blood chilling in my veins. Every wall except the one with the window is covered in framed paintings. And I have no idea which one is a Monet.
Scrambling, I begin lifting each, checking the wall behind for any sign of the safe. Finally, on the opposite wall from where I started, I find it. Carefully lifting the heavy canvas free, I set it on the floor and turn my attention to the wall safe. It’s not large, about the size of a bread box with a spinning combination dial in the center. Unsure what else to do, I pull the pocket knife free from my trousers and flick it open, trying to wedge it between the door and the frame. As soon as I do, I know it’s going to be futile. The thing is heavy steel; no way my knife is gonna bust it open. Putting it away, I begin spinning the dial at random, praying I’ll get lucky.
I’m so flustered I don’t hear the door open or the footsteps from behind me until it’s too late.
“It’s my birthday,” a voice offers, making me spin, hands balled into fists to fight my way free from the room.
The dame is tall, her garnet-red hair rolled into bouncy curls and pinned in a messy heap at the back of her neck. Her dress is green, almost the same color as her eyes, and it hugs her slender frame as if it were a second skin. Even the long strings of pearls twined around her neck seems completely natural, not just a decoration but an extension of her. I take a breath, blinking, momentarily stunned. She drapes one hand on her hip, her entire body listing to the side as she points to the safe.
“The combination,” she repeats. “It’s my birthday.”
Finally recovering my voice, I stammer. “I was, uh, just…”
The corners of her mouth turn upward. “Breaking into my father’s safe?”
I don’t know what to say. I feel her in the room, the way one might feel the air change right before a storm, a heaviness that settles in, leaving my soul with a sense of foreboding. My instincts battle inside me. Do I grab her and tie her to a chair, or do I flee? The weight of her gaze makes it impossible to think clearly.
“Relax,” she says, raising a glass I hadn’t noticed her holding to her lips and taking a slow drink. “I’m not calling the guards if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Oh? You’re just gonna let me crack this safe and walk away with whatever’s inside?”
She shrugs. “It’s not my money. What do I care?”
I lick my lips, sizing her up. A spoiled little rich girl who wants to stick it to Daddy. I’ve seen a few of those in my day. I can work with this—if I can get my head back on straight. It’s not like me to get so flustered by a dame, not even a high-quality one like this.
“Besides…” She sets the glass on the desk and saunters toward me. “It’s not like we don’t have enough.”
I catch a hint of her perfume in the air when she brushes by me, lavender and something else I can’t quite place. Taking the dial in her hand, she spins the knob until the door finally clicks, then she steps back, giving me a go-ahead gesture.
I hesitate, flicking glances at the bare skin where her neck meets her shoulder, at the creamy whiteness of her skin, before settling my eyes on her face. “What’s your name, doll?”
She looks down, sheepishly at first, but then raises just her eyes to look at me with an expression of bold defiance. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”
I swallow, considering her offer. She’s already gotten a good look at me, enough to rat me out to the cops. The look on her face is one of challenge, I realize. She’s daring me to trust her.
“Dickey,” I say, pulling the flat cap off my head and holding it over my heart as I bow to her. “Dickey Lewis, at your service, Miss?”
“Lillian Rose Duke,” she answers. “But my friends call me Lilly.”
Replacing my hat, I grab the safe handle and twist, pulling open the heavy door. Grabbing a large wooden box first, I hold it out to her. Moving back, I grab two stacks of fresh bills and stuff them in the pockets of my suitcoat. Finding the bankbook last, I tuck it into the back of my pants before pulling my shirt and jacket over it.
I spin to Lilly, watching as she upends the box, spilling jewelry onto the desk in a pile. She picks through it, finally just scooping it all into her hand and sauntering over to me. Getting so close I feel the warmth of her, she grabs the lapel of my jacket, sliding the gold and stones into the inside pocket.
“Give these to your girl, Dickey Lewis.”
She releases my lapel, but doesn’t step away. Instead, she leans forward. Thinking she’s going to kiss me, I straighten in anticipation, but she just trails her fingers along my collar until she’s cupping the back of my neck.
“I ain’t got no girl,” I admit, my heart pounding behind my ribs.
“Well, isn’t that a shame?” she says, her lips a hair’s breadth from mine.
Unable to resist, I close the final distance between us, clutching her by the waist as I urge her lips to mine. I’ve never tasted gold before, but I imagine this is what it would be like—champagne, honey, and nerves of steel. When she finally pulls away, I’m gasping. Tugging tugs the white linen handkerchief from my pocket, she wipes my face, then hers, of her smeared lipstick before returning the hankie to its place.
“I hope to see you around, Dickey Lewis.”
With that, she spins on her heel and heads for the door, listening for a moment before pulling it open and stepping out. The room is instantly colder, the air thinner. I can finally breathe, can think.
As I slink from the party and disappear into the shadows, making my way down the street to the train station, I can’t force the sight of her from my mind, or the taste of her from my lips.
Even if it takes every penny in my pocket and every breath in my body, I will see Lillian Rose Duke again.
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Author Sherry D. Ficklin
About Sherry D. Ficklin Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people.
She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.
She is the author of several YA novels and in her spare time she co-hosts Curvy Writer Radio.
Welcome to release day for the RIVER’S EDGE BOX SET, all five books in the adult contemporary romance series, plus two never before released novellas, by Amazon bestselling author, Lacey Black. See below for information on the box set, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
That’s the motto of the Stevens family, where nothing is secret and everything is fair game. From Jake, Nate, Will, Travis, and Avery, each Stevens sibling has one big shot at finding love in their small town, Rivers Edge.
Follow the five siblings on their quest for love in the Rivers Edge boxed set. This set contains five full length novels, as well as two novellas and a never before released short story featuring Brooklyn.
Trust Me
Fight Me
Expect Me
Promise Me: A Novella
Protect Me
Boss Me
Trust Us: A Christmas Novella
Trust Me: A Brooklyn Short Story
*Each story can be read as a standalone. For mature audiences only due to graphic sexual content and language.
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Excerpt
Trust Me Maddox
I drive home in comfortable silence. I don’t think I’ve ever been content with comfortable silence with a woman before, which is just another reminder of how Avery is different from everyone else. She doesn’t feel the need to talk all the time for the sake of talking.
As we start to approach the city limits of Rivers Edge, I start to wonder what I should do next. If this were any other girl, I’d drive back to her house with no hesitation whatsoever and take her inside. But this is Avery, and like I said, she’s different.
“So, I thought maybe we’d stop by my house for a bit if that’s okay with you. This way, someone like Jake doesn’t see my truck parked in your drive and make trouble.” Even to my own ears, I sounded a little nervous as I said it. What the hell? It’s not like it’s my first time taking a girl home.
Then it hits me.
It is the first time I’m taking a girl home, to my house. I always go to their place. But the thought of Avery in my house, my bed, just feels right.
“That sounds good,” she says with another shy smile. I love that smile; it’s filled with happiness and innocence. I turn off Main Street and head down Lincoln towards my place. When I reach my house, I pull into the drive and kill the engine. Quickly, I hop out and walk around to her door. When I open it, she seems slightly hesitant, maybe even nervous.
“I can take you home if you want.”
“No,” she quickly throws out there. “I want to be here…with you.” There’s that damn smile again. I extend my hand to her and help her down from the truck and head inside.
When we step inside the dark recesses of my living room, I start to walk towards the lamp but she catches me by the arm, stopping me. I turn to look at her. The only light in the room is what moonlight is filtering through the window. Standing there in my darkened living room, light glowing off her blond hair, she looks stunning. She extends her hand up to cradle my cheek, her other hand runs up my abdomen from my stomach to rest on my chest. I step closer to her, looking deep into her eyes. She must have realized she was holding her breath because she lets out a big breath, which comes out a little shaky. I look deep into her crystal blue eyes, and that’s when I see it. Lust. Desire. Trust.
My resolve shatters like a glass vase with that one look as I push her back against my front door. Our lips are urging each other on as our desire for each other completely takes over. She runs her tongue down my neck, and I almost come completely undone in my pants like a teenage boy by that one simple move. I cradle her ass in my hands and lift her up. She threads her legs around my waist, her hands diving into my hair. I lean against her, pushing her back into the door, and she moans. It’s the sexiest fucking sound I’ve ever heard and all I can think about is being deep inside her, making her moan over and over and over again.
I press hot kisses along her chin, down her delectable neck and lick the spot where her pulse is rapidly beating. “Tell me to stop, Avery. Tell me to stop right now and I will. But if you say nothing, I’m taking you back to my room and burying myself deep inside you. I’m going to make you come and scream my name. All. Night. Long. Tell me you want this as much as I do.”
“I want this,” she whispers without hesitation and that’s all I need to hear.
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About the Author Lacey Black is a Midwestern girl with a passion for reading, writing, and shopping. She carries her e-reader with her everywhere she goes so she never misses an opportunity to read a few pages. Always looking for a happily ever after, Lacey is passionate about contemporary romance novels and enjoys it further when you mix in a little suspense. She resides in a small town in Illinois with her husband, two children, and a chocolate lab. Lacey loves watching NASCAR races, shooting guns, and should only consume one mixed drink because she’s a lightweight.
Lacey’s debut novel, Trust Me, was released in August 2014 and has been a Bestseller twice for Free e-books, including #3 on Amazon and #2 on iBooks, as well as #1 for Contemporary Romance. Submerged also made her an International Bestseller in the summer of 2016.
MASTERING SUSPENSE, STRUCTURE, AND PLOT by Jane K. Cleland
Synopsis Enthrall Your Readers!
Suspense is one of the most powerful tools a writer has for captivating readers–but it isn’t just for thrillers. From mainstream fiction to memoir, suspense creates the emotional tension that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot is your hands-on guide to weaving suspense into your narrative. Award-winning author Jane K. Cleland teaches you how to navigate genre conventions, write for your audience, and build gripping tension to craft an irresistible page-turner.
Inside, Cleland will show you how to:
Implement thirteen no-fail techniques to construct an effective plot and structure for your story Use Cleland’s Plotting Road Map to add elements of suspense like twists, reversals, and moments of danger Write subplots with purpose Improve your descriptions, character development, sentence structure, and more Packed with case studies, exercises, and dozens of examples from best-selling authors, Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot is the key to writing suspenseful, engaging stories that leave your readers wanting more.
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“Indispensable! For newbie authors and veterans alike, this terrific how-to is your new go-to. Don’t write your book without it–it’s a treasure.” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author
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My Review One of my New Year’s resolutions was to read at least twelve books on craft this year. This is my second of 2017. Regardless of what you write, adding a little suspense will always lead to a better story. I found the recommendations in this book on creating, adding, and the pacing of suspenseful elements to be quite useful. There is also a lot of information on structuring and plotting your story. The author includes lots of examples from both fiction and narrative nonfiction which helps drive her points home. I learned some helpful tips, and a lot information I’d previously learned was reinforced. One of my biggest weaknesses is scene setting and she provides numerous ideas on how to improve this aspect of your writing
Bottom Line I found much to like in this book, from new ideas to reinforcing previous ideas.
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About the Book
Title: MASTERING SUSPENSE, STRUCTURE, AND PLOT: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats Author: Jane K. Cleland Publisher: Writer’s Digest Books Publication Date: March 31, 2016 Pages: 242 Category: Fiction Writing Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Amazon |Barnes & Noble | Writer’s Digest
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Author Jane K. Cleland
About the Author Jane K. Cleland’s multiple award-winning and IMBA best selling Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series [St. Martin’s Minotaur] has been reviewed as an Antiques Roadshow for mystery fans. Library Journal named Consigned to Death a “core title” for librarians looking to build a cozy collection, one of only 22 titles listed, along with books by Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. The full article is at www.libraryjournal.com. “Josie” stories have also appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.
Jane chairs the Black Orchid Novella Award, one of the Wolfe Pack’s literary awards, granted in partnership with Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. She is a past chapter president of the Mystery Writers of America/New York Chapter and served on the national board as well. Additionally, Jane is the host of the Writer’s Room, a series of interviews with today’s bestselling crime fiction authors that appear on cable television and online.
Jane also writes noir and comedic plays around the theme of women who love men they hate.
Jane has both an MFA (in professional and creative writing) and an MBA (in marketing and management). She’s on the faculty of Lehman College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system. She also mentors MFA students in Western Connecticut State University’s MFA in Creative & Professional Writing program and is a frequent guest author at other university programs..
Welcome to the book blitz for GAVIN, the first book in the adult thriller series, Gavin Nolan’s Biography, by Russell. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on his giveaway.
In a luxurious hotel off Michigan Avenue, Detective Gavin Nolan arrives on a grisly scene. Two men have been brutally murdered, and one of the victims has a familiar face. The twisted display is like nothing Gavin has ever seen, but it’s the message scrawled in blood on the bathroom mirror that leaves him reeling: Gavin, you could have saved me.
Other men have been viciously slain as well over the last few weeks. As he dives further into the victims’ lives, Gavin and his partner, Derrick, discover that each of the men have a common thread—one that Gavin shares. It’s a reality he has suppressed for years.
On top of Gavin’s personal chaos, the killer is displaying the bodies in a series of specific designs to depict a long ago memory. Recognizing the pattern, Gavin soon is forced to recall the dark event. In order to catch the killer, Gavin must reconcile his past.
Before he becomes the final victim himself.
GAVIN is a sexual thriller that will leave you breathless…
WARNING: This book contains graphic scenes, explicit language, and violent, sexual situations.
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Excerpt #2 Gavin’s favorite band, Slipknot, pulsated in his earbuds. The steely guitar riffs, the raw guttural singing, and the rhythmic drum pounding created a resurgence of raw energy and increased the length and quickness of his pace. This particular album was Gray’s second-to-last recording with the band before his death. Appreciating the posthumous honor, Gavin enjoyed the inspirational bassist’s riffs even more as he ran along Lake Shore Drive.
The tingling in his left leg meant that he’d pushed himself harder. A glistening layer of sweat coated his naked torso, and he felt the sun’s radiant heat on his skin. Even though the music was deafening, he could still hear his raspy breath.
Today was the first real day of summer.
Being an avid runner, he was not as neurotic as some of the others. He did not wear the expensive shorts, the breathable shirts, the specialized hats, or any of the merchandising. More so, he no longer wore a watch. For a long time, he did wear one, and it helped with his pacing here and there. Three years ago, he had forgotten it for his first half-marathon. The freedom of not looking down at the time made him enjoy the race more. After viewing his results, he discovered that his pace was actually better. Now the watch was on the kitchen counter, still keeping time.
From that point on, he just ran to enjoy the exercise. In fact, he liked it simple. His beat-up White Sox hat, a cheap MP3 player with his tunes, a water bottle clutched in his left hand, a decent pair of running shoes with great support, and a pair of shorts were his choice for a warm day. Yes, he did run when it was cold, but the distance was significantly shorter. To him, running in the summer was much simpler.
He caught glimpses of women turning their heads as he passed them. Perhaps his half-naked body made them take a good second look. Courteously, he received the runner’s nod from men, probably eyeing him up as well. Honestly, he did not care. Before he would have felt slightly self-conscious of their stares, but today, especially today, on this hot summer day in the afternoon, he absorbed their looks. The faded, slightly torn baseball cap was tight on his head, and his eyes darted side to side, looking at the views.
Ahead, the glorious tall buildings of Chicago poked jaggedly toward the sky like shimmering steel and glass stalagmites rising toward the brilliant azure sky above. To the left, he saw the beach filling up with people, kids, and dogs playing in the rough, choppy lake water. The heat was intense. He could have just run over and jumped into the water, but instead, he ran toward the pedestrian bridge over Lake Shore Drive. Halfway through the overpass, looking below the steel fence, he saw that the Friday afternoon traffic already swelled up all eight lanes, and the faint sound of blasting horns could be heard over the music. No matter, he was heading for his apartment building on Wells, which was less than a mile away.
He was reaching the twelve-mile point.
Running helped Gavin purge his thoughts of the day, find solutions to problems, and even work on cases. The more stressed he had been at work, or in life, the longer he would run.
The concrete was his therapy session.
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Author Russell
About the Author For nearly two decades, Russell was an executive chef in the restaurant industry, in which he created succulent entrees and managed various types of kitchen operations. In the last seven years, he began to teach future culinarians how to achieve their professional goals in hands-on classroom and lecture settings. With his recent graduate work in the field of sociology, his interests center on organizational behaviorism, social theory, and food insecurity.
Russell has been writing for the majority of his life. Last year, he published a second edition of his freshman novel, The Tale of Old Man Fischer. Slipping into alternative universes allows Russell to enjoy the process of creativity from the novel’s conception to its final draft. Most importantly, inspiration is a continuous piece of his work and results from the world around him. Currently, he lives in Up State New York with his wife, two children, and several cats..
Welcome to the book blitz for THANK YOU FOR HOLDING, the second book in the adult contemporary romance series, On Hold, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Julia Kent and Elisa Reed. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive teaser, and details on their giveaway.
THANK YOU FOR HOLDING (On Hold #2) by Julia Kent and Elisa Reed
Carrie Shelton thought her boyfriend was too good to be true. Her best friend’s brother? A guy who loved antiquing? Who cuddled on the couch while watching foodie YouTube clips and talking about artisanal spices? Who helped her accessorize her outfits?
Right. Fantasy. So when he ran off with Kevin, the owner of an antique shop, right before his sister’s wedding, Carrie’s life went from fantasy to nightmare.
As maid of honor, she can’t back out of the wedding. And her ex is the best man – but now he has his own best man. She needs a date. Stat. Enter Ryan. Sure, he’s a hot male stripper at the O Spa where she works as junior designer, but he’s a few years younger and just, you know — a friend.
Perfect. She needs a friend more than she needs a boyfriend. A weekend of playing her boyfriend so she can save face is a lot to ask, but for some reason Carrie doesn’t understand, Ryan’s all in. Enthusiastic, even. Especially when it comes to physical displays of affection.
Public kisses turn to private confessions, and pretty soon, Carrie can’t tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Because if Ryan’s just pretending he’s in love with her, then why does the chemistry between them — and between the sheets — feel so real?
Carrie can’t settle for almost, though. She’s already done that. She’s not putting her life on hold anymore. Turns out Ryan won’t, either. He’s holding out for more.
ThankYou For Holding is a STANDALONE in the On Hold series. You do not need to have read book 1 in the series, but after reading about Carrie and Ryan’s friends-to-lovers adventure, you’ll want to.
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Author Julia Kent
About Julia Kent New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge, and new adult books that push contemporary boundaries. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.
About Elisa Reed Elisa Reed is a journalist-turned-fiction-writer whose snappy, irreverent prose combines with an irrepressible zest for the simpler, and often intimate, pleasures of life to produce fun(ny) contemporary romance with a focus on second chances.
New England born and bred, Elisa Reed now lives, writes and plays in New Orleans and along the sugar sands of the Gulf Coast.
Welcome to the book blitz for BEAUTIFUL DARK, the third book in the adult contemporary romance series, Beautiful Rivers, by J.L. White. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
BEAUTIFUL DARK (Beautiful Rivers #3) by J.L. White
About the Book Title: BEAUTIFUL DARK Series:Beautiful Rivers #3 Author: J.L. White Publisher: Velvet Pen Books Release Date: March 21, 2017
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Who is Mason Reeves?
Corrine Rivers and her cousins desperately need to find out. Evidence suggests he’s the illegitimate child of her beloved Uncle Grant. The truth is just as hard to bear.
What’s also hard is Mason himself. All over. From his broad, muscular chest and massive biceps to his “screw you” attitude. Because Mason Reeves wants nothing to do with his inheritance or the wealthy Rivers clan, and isn’t afraid to say so.
As Mason’s tragic connections to Corrine’s family emerge, the facts are reason enough for her to stay away. But she can’t seem to resist him, and what’s worse, he feels the same way about her. To everyone’s surprise, Corrine and Mason get in deep, in more ways than one. But it turns out the biggest obstacle to their happiness isn’t Mason’s past.
It’s hers.
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Excerpt #1 He shrugs out of his suit coat, drawing my eyes to his broad shoulders and thick biceps. I want to reach up and squeeze them right through his white shirt. He holds out his coat and I slide my arms inside the warm sleeves. I exhale slightly, not realizing how cold I was until I got some relief. “Aren’t you cold, too?”
“There was snow on the ground when I left Galesburg. This is nothing.”
He settles the heavy coat on my shoulders, then gives my upper arms a gentle squeeze. I’m absolutely swimming in it. As he takes me in, he gets a grin on his face. “You’re so tiny.”
“Too tiny, I know.”
“No,” he says, putting one arm around me and pulling me close, rubbing his hand on my arm to warm me up. “You’re perfect.”
I lean into him, under the guise of needing to warm up. Being this close with his arm around me, it’s happening pretty damn quick.
As he slowly rubs my arm, I look up to him. God, he’s right here. So close I can smell him, a heady, masculine scent that makes me want to bury my nose in the crook of his neck. Our eyes lock and my heart starts to race.
His hand stills on my arm, and he slowly tucks me tighter against him. I bring my hand up to the middle of his firm back, the tips of my fingers just barely clearing the cuff of his jacket sleeve. His eyes scan my face, sweep over the embroidered surface of my mask, and settle on my lips.
Heart pounding against my chest, I can barely breathe. His free hand comes up. Slowly, gently, his fingertips brush the outer edge of the mask’s feathers. Then down to my temple, feather light, then to the outside of my cheek. I’m tingling everywhere.
I tilt my mouth up toward his. He comes to me too, so slowly. His lips part, then he freezes.
My breath catches.
“We would regret it,” he says thickly, giving me a heated look. But even as he speaks, his fingertips are running down the line of my jaw toward my lips.
“Don’t tell me we can’t,” I whisper. “Not after you came here to see me.”
His eyes drop to my lips, then he does a quick scan of the balcony, apparently to make sure we’re not being watched. As if we haven’t been watching half-drunk partiers kissing all night long.
Come on, I think. It’s our turn. Kiss me.
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BEAUTIFUL MINE (Beautiful Rivers #1) by J.L. White
About Book 1 Title: BEAUTIFUL MINE Series:Beautiful Rivers #1 Author: J.L. White Publisher: Velvet Pen Books Release Date: August 30, 2016
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis When fellow Californians Whitney Spencer and Connor Rivers meet in the most unlikely of places—on the Camino pilgrimage in Spain—they fall head first into a brief, impassioned love affair. But Whitney’s on her way back to her career in San Francisco, and Connor is a world traveler whose restless spirit has yet to be captured by anyone.
Tragedy strikes and Connor is called home to help his siblings run the family business, the Rivers Paradise Resort. Yet the adventurer inside him hasn’t gone away; in fact, his wanderlust is on the verge of destroying his family’s fragile stability.
After Whitney’s career brings her to Connor’s resort, the sparks between them flare. Will her reappearance be enough to tame him? Can their love be enough, or are they destined for another gut-wrenching goodbye? .
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BEAUTIFUL FALL (Beautiful Rivers #2) by J.L. White
About Book 2 Title: BEAUTIFUL FALL Series:Beautiful Rivers #2 Author: J.L. White Publisher: Velvet Pen Books Release Date: November 21, 2016
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis When Elizabeth Rivers purchases a row of historical beach cottages to renovate for the family’s luxury resort, she’s worried her new project won’t live up to the high standards of the Rivers family name. Little does she know, that’s not the thing she needs to worry about. Not at all.
Because along with the cottages comes a little problem called Brett Carmichael. Brett freaking Carmichael, historical contractor and son of Lizzy’s nemesis, a woman who mere weeks ago brutally smeared her name through the papers over a property dispute. The last thing Lizzy wants is to deal with that woman’s spawn.
But one reckless moment ignites the downright dangerous chemistry between them, and Lizzy soon learns that Brett Carmichael is a force to be reckoned with. She seems helpless to stop him from claiming her, body and heart, but she’s not so sure she’s able to do the same to him. It turns out, there’s plenty more in his family history to worry about. The reality is, his heart may not really be hers for the taking.
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Author J.L. White
About the Author J.L. White writes sassy, steamy contemporary and new adult romances featuring smart heroines and the swoon-worthy men who adore them. If you’re tired of heroes who are jerks, heroines who are too stupid to live, and relationships that scream “train wreck” instead of “true love”, she’s your girl.
Her first series, the Firework Girls, centers around four amazing, hilarious girlfriends. Her newest series, Beautiful Rivers, follows the young heirs of the luxurious Rivers Paradise Resort as they find love.
Each book can be read as a STANDALONE, comes complete with a HEA, and is guaranteed to make you squirm.
USA Today bestselling author, Meghan March, is unveiling the cover to RUTHLESS KING, the first book in her adult contemporary romance series, Mount Trilogy, releasing October 17, 2017. See below for the cover, information on the book, and pre-order links.
RUTHLESS KING (Mount Trilogy #1) by Meghan March
About the Book Title: RUTHLESS KING Series: Mount Trilogy #1 Author: Meghan March Publisher: Red Dress Press Release Date: October 17, 2017 Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis Get ready for the darker and dirtier side of New Orleans with a brand new alpha romance from USA Today bestselling author Meghan March.
New Orleans belongs to me.
You don’t know my name, but I control everything you see—and all the things you don’t. My reach knows no bounds, and my demands are always met.
I didn’t need to loan money to a failing family distillery, but it amuses me to have them in my debt. To have her in my debt.
She doesn’t know she caught my attention. She should’ve been more careful.
I’m going to own her. Consume her. Maybe even keep her.
It’s time to collect what I’m owed.
Keira Kilgore, you’re now the property of Lachlan Mount.
*Ruthless King is book one of the Mount Trilogy*
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Author Meghan March
About the Author Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.
Welcome to the blog tour for EVEN COWBOYS GET THE BLUES, the fifth book in the adult contemporary romance series, Bluebonnet Texas, by Amie Stuart. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
EVEN COWBOYS GET THE BLUES (Bluebonnet Texas #5) by Amie Stuart
About the Book Title: EVEN COWBOYS GET THE BLUES Series: Bluebonnet Texas #5 Author: Amie Stuart Publisher: Dancehall Diaries Ltd. Release Date: March 13, 2017
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis Tim Caldwell doesn’t do relationships…
Not after his wife walked out on him and their daughter ten years before. He’s got a well earned reputation as a Casanova Cowboy who’s never met a woman he couldn’t talk into bed…until Toni duBois. Disinterest isn’t something he’s is used to. Neither is playing by someone else’s rules.
Toni duBois doesn’t do forever…
After fifteen years away, Toni’s headed home to Louisiana in search of the answer she needs and the redemption she craves. She doesn’t plan on hanging around in Bluebonnet, Texas, any longer that she has to and she isn’t interested in a steamy, sexy entanglement. Regardless of how good looking said entanglement might be.
Rene Caldwell doesn’t do step-moms…
Unfortunately for both them, Tim’s teenage daughter, Rene has opinions. Lots of them. And she’s feeling a certain kind of way about Toni—mostly pissed. So when she pulls out all the stops to keep Toni from getting her hooks into Tim and Toni’s dark past is revealed, no one is safe from the fallout..
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Excerpt #1 Tim avoided Toni’s bar all evening, relying on waitresses instead, and danced with two women who would have been more than happy to take him home, but he found himself using Rene’s presence as a completely legitimate excuse to retreat, even though she’d gone home earlier with Ty. Maybe he was coming down with something.
And he knew damn good and well what it was.
Around eleven he decided to call it a night, but not before one more stop at her bar. She was gone. That was okay. He knew where to find her. He headed out to the beer garden, back to the spot where she’d found him last night. She lay stretched out on the wooden bench, her crossed ankles propped on the armrest, hands tucked under her head. She raised up on her elbows, frowning at him in the moonlight. “Your daughter thinks we’re dating,” she scolded.
“You talked to my daughter?” Tim moved closer until he was level with her feet. He shoved his hands in his pockets, resisting the urge to sit, slip her shoes off and rub them.
“Obviously, yes.” She lay back down and folded her hands across her ribcage, not even offering to move so he could sit beside her. The moonlight gave her hair blue highlights and made her white T-shirt glow. “Why would she say that?”
“Because she knows her old man pretty well.” He chuckled, deciding to take a chance. “Speaking of dates, what are you doin’ later?”
He winced as her own low chuckle quickly turned into a full-fledged belly laugh. She swung her legs off the back of the bench and stood in one fluid motion.
“I’m thinking you’re not talking breakfast, and I ain’t that kinda girl. You want me, you’re going to have to do a whole lot better than that. G’night, Flirty Boy.” She strolled past him, and he fisted his hands, refusing to turn and watch her denim-clad departure.
“Oh…Tim.”
He whirled around at the sound of his name on her lips, caught up, once again, in her accent and her husky, sexy voice. Wondering what she’d sound like naked, beneath him. The thought made his belly tighten in anticipation.
“I got a ride home tonight, too.”
Great, another comedienne. She was turning out to be as prickly as Rene. To hell with her. What the hell had he been thinking, lusting after some woman he barely knew? He had work to do, for cryin’ out loud. Horses to train. A daughter to raise. He damned sure didn’t need Toni’s kind of trouble.
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About The Author Amie Stuart is the last of a dying breed: a Native Texan. She writes sexy, emotional contemporary romances set in small towns. In the past, she’s worked as a receptionist, a daycare office manager, delivered pizzas, and was even a hairdresser for five years–all fodder for the writing gig. That and all those Barbara Cartland romances she cut her teeth on.
None of those careers can compare to her favorite job: writer. She’s a storyteller through and through, even when she’s keeping tabs on her almost-grown sons and many pets, or organizing promo and planning trips for her day job as a personal assistant. She smokes, she drinks, she writes–sometimes at the same time.
THREE WISHES is now available in paperback for the first time! This heartwarming and epic love story from New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Ashley, returns with an amazing new cover. And that’s not all. THREE WISHES is being re-released in eBook form with beautiful, new formatting! So make a wish, grab your copy, and prepare to fall in love all over again. See below for all the details.
Synopsis When Lily Jacobs was born, she inherited Fazire – a genie. Her family had three wishes and they’d only ever used one so Fazire was stuck in the human world. This worked since he’d become a member of the family anyway.
Even with a genie, Lily’s young life wasn’t perfect. To escape the kids making her miserable at school, Lily buried herself in romance novels. One day, when the teasing was just too much, she used one of her wishes. She told Fazire she wanted to find a man like in her books and she made the most complicated wish Fazire had ever heard. Her wished-for man had to be impossibly handsome, virile, fierce, rugged and ruthless (amongst a dozen other things).
He also had to think she was beautiful and he had to love her more than anything in the world.
Nathaniel McAllister wasn’t born to a life where there were such things as genies granting wishes. His life was filled with drugs, crime and neglect. He was running errands for a gangster before he was in his teens and, even though life and hard work led him to wealth and respectability, he always knew, deep down, he was dirty. When Nate met Lily he knew he was no good for her but as virile, fierce, rugged and ruthless as he was, Nate was no match for the pull of sweet, innocent Lily.
Unfortunately, Lily’s wish included that she and her hero go through trials and tribulations to test their love. And Fazire wasn’t only a good genie, he loved Lily – so he gave her exactly what she wanted.
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Excerpt Nate didn’t know what he wanted but whatever it was, it certainly was not Georgia.
He was saved from answering Victor when he spied a youth wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, the hood worn up even though it was a warm day. The boy was slouching down the pavement, head bowed, hands in the front pocket of the sweatshirt, his head swinging this way and that, looking for his mark.
Nate’s guard, already on alert—always on alert—went into overdrive.
Nate’s eyes narrowed as he watched the youth, and Victor started to get into the Rolls. Then, as expected, the boy darted toward his target and Nate heard a woman’s outraged cry.
“Hey!” she yelled.
He watched the boy snatch the woman’s purse, his body tensing for action.
And then his eyes moved to the woman and uncharacteristically, he froze.
“Hey! He stole my purse! Stop him! He stole my purse!” she shouted.
Nate vaguely registered she was an American tourist. Nate also absently noticed that no one moved to assist.
In that brief moment in time, Nate was too busy drinking in the vision that was her, he himself didn’t move a muscle.
She was tall, incredibly tall.
And curvy, delectably curvy.
She had the most unusual colored hair. Hair that he knew from vast experience living in a house with Laura and Danielle for years came through a supremely talented and expensive stylist’s hands.
And she had an exquisite face, flawless skin and a bearing that was extraordinary. She had been given a wide berth around her even on the crowded pavement. Not because she was screaming her head off but instead because she was majestic, radiant, elegant…
Untouchable.
In a stupor from simply looking at her, the boy with her purse charged right by Nate.
Not in a stupor, she realized no one was going to help her, gave up screaming and charged right after the boy.
At the noise, Victor turned away from the car and Nate shifted to watch in astonishment as she deftly and agilely dodged the crowd, her long legs a match for the short boy. Then Nate watched in stunned surprise as she jumped onto the thief’s back with a graceful leap.
Everyone stared in shock but no one lifted a finger except a few started to take photographs.
“Give me back my purse, you thug!” she shouted.
Wrapping her long legs around her prey, one arm around his neck, she slapped him around the head with the other hand.
The thief staggered back then he staggered with intent and slammed her against the side of the building. Her head snapped back and cracked against the stone so loudly Nate could hear it from where he stood twenty paces away.
At the sound Nate jerked out of his stupor and forged forward.
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Author Kristen Ashley
About the Author Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen’s Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning.
Nothing’s changed.
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she’s blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing, it keeps getting better..
Author Zoey Ellis is revealing the cover to CLAIMED BY POWER, the first book in her new adult paranormal romance series, Empire of Angels, releasing April 3, 2017. See below for the cover, information on the book, and a link to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
CLAIMED BY POWER (Empire of Angels #1) by Zoey Ellis
About the Novella Title: CLAIMED BY POWER Series: Empire of Angels #1 Author: Zoey Ellis Release Date: April 3, 2017 Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance Links:Goodreads
Synopsis Not all angels are angelic…
Thea Robinson has never needed anyone’s charity. Sure, her impoverished existence isn’t desired by most, but her ability to manipulate people’s emotions helps her to blend into the shadows of an unforgiving city. When hideous creatures threaten her life, a surly but gorgeous stranger shows up revealing a world she didn’t know existed. She refuses to put up with his rude, arrogant attitude, but how do you dismiss a warrior angel? And does she really want to when his stormy gaze sends delicious thrills straight to her core?
Cam is one of the most ruthless Power angels in the fight against evil. His devotion to kill demons has made him a celebrated warrior in the Angel Realm, even though his motivation stems from grief. When he is assigned to train and protect a half-angel just coming into her abilities, his rage is unparalleled. Until he realizes Thea isn’t like any others. She stirs a carnal passion in him that he can’t shake. He never counted on her being so beautiful… so fierce… so most definitely his.
Claimed by Power is the first book in the Empire of Angels series, a paranormal alpha angel romance series. If you’re a fan of alpha heroes, powerful heroines, paranormal worlds and falling in love, Zoey Ellis’ riveting, sexy tale is perfect for you.
About the end: Although this book can be read as a standalone, Cam and Thea’s story does continue over the next two books.
Sexual scenes and strong language included. Not suitable for readers under 18.
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Author Zoey Ellis
About the Author Zoey Ellis spends her most of her time thinking up stories that explore how love and romance can be tested by the darker side of our personalities and the heart-wrenching challenges that must be overcome for love to win, even if two people belong together.
A lover of the fantastical, Zoey enjoys how intense and vast the challenges can be for couples in the paranormal romance genre. Her goal is to build a body of work depicting thrilling, fantastical romances between demanding alpha heroes and fiery heroines hoping the love they make will scorch ereaders and melt hearts. With a soft spot for angels, dragons and alpha shifters, Zoey blends her love of a Happy Ever After with strangely unique worlds and complex plots.
If you’re interested in hearing about Zoey’s new releases first, as well as her bonuses and giveaways, sign up to her newsletter..
Welcome to the book blitz for THE SUPERNATURAL PET SITTER, the first book in the middle grade fantasy series, The Magic Thief, by Diane Moat. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
THE SUPERNATURAL PET SITTER (The Magic Thief #1) by Diane Moat
About the Book Title: THE SUPERNATURAL PET SITTER Series: The Magic Thief #1 Author: Diane Moat Release Date: March, 2017 Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Every animal can talk to you. You just have to know how to listen.
Pepper Neely is better at this than most, especially because she is in charge of pet sitting all the familiars in her neighborhood. A familiar is a pet magically linked to a witch or warlock. As a gnome, Pepper is no stranger to spells and sorcery. She also knows that, despite their special name, familiars aren’t all that different from regular animals. They get anxious when separated from their people, so Pepper uses her special gnome powers to calm them down. She watches Cranky the high-strung ferret, Frank the laid-back parrot, King Arthur the elderly tortoise, and many others.
Then, something terrible begins happening to the familiars. Someone is stealing their magic! It not only prevents Pepper from communicating with them but breaks their magical connection with their people. When King Arthur’s magic is stolen, his owner’s powers stop working too. Pepper can sense that the tortoise is very scared.
In order to protect the animal’s magic, Pepper decides to track down the culprit. With the help of her best friend, Luna, and her brother, Jax, Pepper fights to protect all of the special pets..
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Excerpt #3 As they moved deeper into the earth, each member of her family (including Pepper) let out a sigh of relief. Even though they spent most of their lives above ground (well, except for Dad), something deep inside each of them relaxed when they were underground.
Pepper fondly touched the walls of the tunnel. Her action was echoed by the rest of the family. Long ago, gnomes were born under the earth. For generations, the earth had been protector and provider. Nonna told stories of huge cities underground, at a time when gnomes went their whole lives without ever seeing the sun or sky. For Pepper, the earth told her different things at different times. Quiet. Dark. Time. Unchanging. Water. Air. Comfort. Safety.
Sometimes she thought she heard the earth speak to her, at other times she had feelings she translated into words. Sacred places lay underground: well-traveled areas, as well as sites where humans had never been.
Pepper sensed this was one of the spots where humans had either never been, or hadn’t been in a long, long time. The cave sloped downhill, and the four followed it straight ahead for five minutes, until they came to a dead-end. Pepper could see a boulder where one shouldn’t have been.
Jax must have seen the same thing. Walking up to the enormous rock, he took hold of it on the right top and right side. He didn’t pull the boulder to him, but rolled it to the left.
He made the movement look easy, but gnomes were much stronger than humans were.
Plus, we know how to move rocks.
The air changed, alerting Pepper to a huge cavern nearby. Together, the family
entered the now-open doorway. Inside, Pepper’s mom rolled the boulder back into place,
then showed them how to secure it from this side. Cool.
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Author Diane Moat
About the Author Diane is a Tennessee transplant, animal rescuer, and nurse. Dog Gone is her debut novel, born from years of hearing animal rescuers say about animal abusers, “If only I could get my hands on that person…” Diane is assisted by her many rescue dogs.
Welcome to the blog tour for THE HEARTBEAT HYPOTHESIS, a new adult contemporary romance series, by Lindsey Frydman. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Audra Madison simply wanted to walk in the shoes of Emily Cavanaugh, a free-spirited teenager who died too young. After all, Audra wasn’t supposed to be here.
Thanks to Emily, Audra has a second chance at life. She’s doing all the things that seemed impossible just two years ago: Go to college. Date. Stargaze in the Rocky Mountains. Maybe get a tattoo. You know, live.
Jake Cavanaugh, a photographer with mysterious, brooding gray eyes, agrees to help chronicle her newfound experiences. She makes him laugh, one of the only people who can these days. As they delve into each other’s pasts – and secrets – the closer they become.
But she’s guarded and feels like she can’t trust anyone, including herself.
And he’s struggling with the fact that his beloved sister’s heart beats inside her..
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Excerpt #2 I pulled out my phone and set it on the table. Sixty daunting seconds later, I’d found Emily’s page and twisted the display so he could see.
Jake tapped on the phone, scrolling for only a moment before removing his finger and looking at me. “Why would you think these are mine?”
“Most of them share the same hashtag: my favorite photographer Jake. That’s you. Right?”
He returned his attention to the phone, this time picking it up, interest lighting his face. “Oh. Yeah, I took these. There’s so many damn hashtags, I didn’t even see my name.”
“Well, her whole page, it’s a done-it list.”
His gaze lifted, along with the corners of his lips. “A what?”
“According to her, she never understood why people made lists of the things they were going to do, so she made a page dedicated to all the things she did do.”
“Sounds like Emily.”
Now thatis a smile. “Well, it’s inspired me to start my own done-it list, but I want to start by re-creating her list.”
Jake set the phone down and slid it across the table. “Re-create it?”
“Yes. Like this one…” I scrolled until I found the photograph. “She threw glow sticks in a pool and went swimming.” I assumed he remembered, since he’d been behind the camera. “I’m going to do that, then put it on my own done-it Tumblr list. Emily only had sixteen done-its, so I plan on redoing all of them.”
After taking a slow sip of coffee, he leaned forward like he was going to share a secret. “Can I make a suggestion?”
I winced, instilled with a burning desire to flee from the coffee shop. There I was, alive and well—with a perfectly functioning heart—and Emily lay six feet under, dead and gone. Jake probably thought—
“You should name it something else,” he said. “Done-its sounds like Cheez-Its, and that’s a little weird, don’t you think? Don’t get me wrong, kudos to my sister for the idea, but uh, she could’ve been more original with the name.” His smile grew, crooked and adorable.
Relief washed over me, and I smiled, too. “I agree done-it is unoriginal, but I can’t think of anything better that isn’t also weirder. Can you?”
With a considering expression, Jake leaned back in the booth, and while he thought, I took a sip of my coffee and cream mixture.
“See. Not as easy as it sounds.” I laughed, warming my fingers around the mug.
Jake chuckled, shaking his head. “Guess I’ll have to get back to you on that one. But where do I come into this?”
I let go of the ceramic and splayed my hands across the tabletop. “I want you to photograph my…poorly named list.”
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Author Lindsey Frydman
About Nana Malone Lindsey has been writing since she was nine years old, when she discovered the awesomeness that is Harriet the Spy. Her books always include a romance, though sometimes there’s an added sci-fi or magical realism twist.
She lives in Columbus, Ohio (where the weather is never quite right). Her BFA in Photography and Graphic Design has granted her a wide assortment of creative knowledge that serves as inspiration (and not much else). When she’s not crafting YA and NA stories, you’ll likely find her spending waaay too much time on Pinterest, playing a video game, singing show-tunes, or performing in a burlesque show—because she enjoys giving her introversion a worthy adversary. (Plus, it’s the closest to Broadway she’ll ever get.)
Lindsey was a proud 2016 Pitch Wars Mentee and thoroughly adores being a part of the wonderful writing community. THE HEARTBEAT HYPOTHESIS is her debut novel.
Welcome to the book blitz for ECHO, the third book in the adult contemporary sports romance series, The Player, by USA Today bestselling author, Nana Malone. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
ECHO (The Player #3) by Nana Malone
About the Book Title: ECHO Series: The Player #3 Author: Nana Malone Release Date: March 21, 2017
Genre: Adult Contemporary Sports Romance
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | GooglePlay
Synopsis
Money, power, prestige…freedom. Echo Coulter is—The Player.
You are a Coulter. You will be perfect. That’s what Echo has been told every day of her life. As the only girl in the Coulter clan, she knows it’s her job to be the glue of the family. But with the Olympics looming, the last thing she wants is to follow the rules. She wants to break free, and she knows just the guy to help her.
Cole Atkins has no interest in spoiled little rich girls. Besides, he’s got the job of a lifetime and just met the girl of his dreams…That is, until she ditches him under the cover of darkness. He can put her out of his head and deal with a spoiled princess for a couple of months right?
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Excerpt #2 He knew where his mind should be. But that didn’t matter because right now it was filled with her, and how the scent of her clung to his skin. Someone that was supposed to be a one-night stand had somehow burrowed her way into his mind. Fine, whatever. He’d figure it out. He could find her again. How hard could it be?
Pulling on a pair of boxers, he looked around his apartment for any trace of her, but found nothing. No excuse to look her up to return something she forgot. If he wanted to see her again, he’d have to find her. And he was surprised by how strong that impulse was.
He’d hooked up a lot, but he’d never had a one-night stand that had gone quite like that. But then, he rarely woke during the night, and so he’d never taken the time to talk, like he had with Cece. Or maybe they’d overshared. He wondered if that was what had run her off so easily. He shook his head to force the thought aside. Not with what had happened between them after their little talk. He wouldn’t believe that they’d been able to connect so strongly physically, if the personal things they shared were what had made her run.
He’d never felt a connection like that before. Maybe her friend had dropped digits. If he couldn’t find her, that was it, he’d let it go. But he at least had to try.
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Author Nana Malone
About Nana Malone USA Today bestseller, Nana Malone’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she “borrowed” from her cousin.
It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.
While she waits for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, in the meantime Nana works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is.
Want to know when the next book is coming? Hit up her Newsletter. You’ll only get updated when there is a new release or a special promotion for her Sexy, Sassy Readers.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Kristen Proby, is revealing an exclusive excerpt to EASY MAGIC, the fifth book in her contemporary romance series, Boudreaux, releasing April 4, 2017. See below for information on the book and series, pre-order links, and the exclusive excerpt.
Easy Magic (Boudreaux Series #5) by Kristen Proby
About the Book
Title: Easy Magic Series: Boudreaux #5 Author: Kristen Proby Release Date: 2017 Publisher: Ampersand Publishing Genre: Contemporary Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis The Boudreaux Series. Sexy. Intriguing. Easy.
Family. Responsibility. Stability.
As the co-CEO of Bayou Enterprises, and the eldest of the Boudreaux clan, Beau is the epitome of these. Now that his baby sister Gabby is happily settled down, Beau has moved into the company loft in the heart of the French Quarter to be closer to his office while his own home is built. He doesn’t have time for anything but the family he adores and the company that drives him.
If only the bewitching owner of the herb shop downstairs from Beau’s loft wasn’t so damn tempting.
Mallory Adams is living the life. The good life. The best life for her. After years of hiding who she is, and the gifts she’s been cursed with, Mallory opened her little shop in the French Quarter, offering herbs and lotions for anything from soothing a sunburn to chasing those pesky ghosts New Orleans is known for out of a client’s home. Some call her eccentric, and some say she’s simply odd, and that’s okay with her. She is a bit odd, but in her experience, all of the best people are.
When an old pipe bursts in the loft above her store, flooding her storeroom, Mallory comes face to face with Beau Boudreaux, and she doesn’t need the clairvoyant abilities that have been passed down through generations to know that she’ll never be the same. Beau is her exact opposite; serious, straitlaced. He wears suits for Pete’s sake and probably wouldn’t know the difference between arnica and flaxseed if his life depended on it. But when he touches her, the electricity is through the roof and she’s smart enough to know that a chemistry like theirs doesn’t happen every day.
Can two people so very different possibly find their way to happily ever after?
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Easy Love (Boudreaux Series #1) by Kristen Proby
About Book 1
Title: Easy Love Series: Boudreaux #1 Author: Kristen Proby Release Date: March 3, 2015 Publisher: Ampersand Publishing Genre: Contemporary Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis
Eli Boudreaux’s family has built ships and boats in Louisiana for generations. He comes from a hard working, wealthy family and his empire is growing by leaps and bounds. At thirty, he is the youngest CEO to ever head Bayou Enterprises, co-chairing with his eldest brother. His head for business and his no-nonsense work ethic is also quickly making him the best the company has seen in generations. His staff admires him, women adore him and Eli’s family is solid. But he’s recently discovered that someone on the inside of his business is stealing from him and he’s determined to find out who.
Kate O’Shaughnessy is hired by companies all over the world to slip inside and investigate every member of the organization from the CEO down to the custodial staff to find the person or persons responsible for embezzling. She’s excellent at blending, becoming part of the team, and finding the weakest link. She’s smart, quick-witted, and she’s now been hired by Bayou Enterprises, specifically Eli Boudreaux. The attraction is immediate and the chemistry is off the charts, but Kate has heard all about Eli’s playboy past and she has a job to do. Sleeping with the boss isn’t a part of that job, even if just the sound of her name rolling off that Cajun tongue and the way he fills out a designer suit does make her sweat.
Eli’s southern charms surprise Kate. The man whose reputation labels him as a ruthless, callous womanizer is not the man she’s coming to know intimately. He’s generous, protective and makes her smile. Cracking through Kate’s cool, reserved demeanor and discovering her love of sexy, expensive lingerie is a challenge Eli can’t resist, but her sweet nature, love of family and sense of humor pull at him in ways no one else ever has.
But when the person responsible for trying to single-handedly dismantle Eli’s empire comes to light, and it’s time for Kate to move on, to what lengths will Eli go to keep the woman he he’s fallen in love with by his side?
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Easy Charm (Boudreaux Series #2) by Kristen Proby
About Book 2
Title: Easy Charm Series: Boudreaux #2 Author: Kristen Proby Release Date: July 7, 2015 Publisher: Ampersand Publishing Genre: Contemporary Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis Gabrielle Boudreaux, the youngest of the Boudreaux clan, is a single mother of her young son, Sam. Running a Bed and Breakfast at the family plantation house at the edge of the Mississippi River, Gabby loves her inn, her boy and her family. She meets new people every day, and takes pride in the house and land that has been in her family for more than five generations. Blessed beyond measure, she’s also lonely, although she would never admit that to anyone. Until Rhys O’Shaughnessy walks through her door, brooding and wounded and the sexiest thing she’s ever laid eyes on.
Rhys has been at the top of his game as a major league pitcher for the Boston Red Sox for more than ten years. Baseball is in his blood. But when he tears his rotator cuff and has to sit a season out, he retreats to Inn Boudreaux at the recommendation of his cousin, Kate, to heal and work toward building his shoulder back to perfect shape with only one goal in mind: to return to the game he loves. But he didn’t plan on being utterly charmed by a devastatingly beautiful woman and her baseball-loving son.
When Rhys’ shoulder has healed and he’s given the chance to return to his team, will he leave the family he’s come to love behind, or will he stay with Gabby and Sam?
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Easy Melody (Boudreaux Series #3) by Kristen Proby
About the Book – Sale $2.99
Title: Easy Melody Series: Boudreaux #3 Author: Kristen Proby Release Date: November 10, 2015 Publisher: Ampersand Publishing Genre: Contemporary Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis Callie Mills never intended to return to New Orleans and the life she left behind more than a decade ago. There was no need to open old wounds when she had the life she’d worked hard for in Denver. But when she’s fired from her awesome job in Colorado and her father dies, she has no choice but to return home to run the derelict bar left to her in the heart of the French Quarter. Callie must not only face bad memories but turn The Odyssey into something she can be proud of.
And who better to help bring in crowds of people than Declan Boudreaux?
Declan is a sought-after musician who knows he’s good at what he does and loves doing it. Known to pack the house, he also loves women and doesn’t expect to be knocked back a step by the beautiful new owner of The Odyssey. Callie is sharp, gorgeous and funny, and makes him yearn for something he never has before… Commitment.
But when Callie’s able to turn the business around with renovations, making it one of the hottest bars in the Quarter, will she sell out and leave her past behind once and for all, or will Declan be able to convince her that’s she’s where she needed to be all along…in his arms..
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Easy Kisses (Boudreaux Series #4) by Kristen Proby
About the Book
Title: Easy Kisses Series: Boudreaux #4 Author: Kristen Proby Release Date: June 21, 2016 Publisher: Ampersand Publishing Genre: Contemporary Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis The Boudreaux Series. Sexy. Intriguing. Easy.
Simon Danbury, an internationally sought after motivational speaker, helps women from all walks of life with love, self-esteem, dating and career building skills. Handsome, witty and wealthy, Simon seemingly has everything a man could want.
But appearances can be deceiving.
While Simon may have the answers for millions of women all over the world, when it comes to his own love life, he’s a giant, sexy mess. Divorced, and convinced that he’ll never love again, the very last thing he expects is one Charly Boudreaux.
Charly doesn’t want to be at this seminar in the middle of nowhere, but her sister made her go. She’s the one who has her life together. Great career, amazing family, nice home, and loyal friends. So what if she doesn’t have a man? She doesn’t need one. If she’s learned anything in her almost thirty years, it’s that men are more trouble than they’re worth.
And they have a nasty habit of breaking your heart into a million tiny pieces.
So she’ll sit through all of Simon’s touchy feely crap and go home and get on with her life. Except Simon isn’t really spouting crap, and when he smiles at her, the butterflies are ridiculous.
Never mixing business with pleasure, Simon finds Charly, a bright spot in a universe that’s been dark for too long. But will he be able to resist her?
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Author Kristen Proby
About the Author New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps. .
Welcome to the book blitz for BIRTHRIGHT, the first book in the young adult paranormal romance series, Legacy, by Jessica Ruddick. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on her giveaway.
BIRTHRIGHT (Legacy #1) by Jessica Ruddick
About the Book Title: BIRTHRIGHT Series: Legacy #1 Author: Jessica Ruddick Release Date: March 20, 2017 Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance Link: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis How do you live with yourself when you decide who dies?
Ava Parks would have killed for an iPod for her sixteenth birthday. Anything would have been better than coming into her birthright of being a seeker for the Grim Reaper, an arrangement made by her fallen angel ancestor in exchange for his re-admittance to heaven. And she isn’t just any seeker—she finds souls that have the potential for becoming angels and sentences them to death.
A year and two souls into her role as a seeker with her conscience overflowing with guilt, Ava comes up with a plan to thwart the system. When it goes awry, she is forced to submit the name of a classmate, Cole Fowler, an ornery, rough around the edges guy who always seems to come to her rescue, whether she likes it or not. Her feelings for Cole prompt her to intervene, and she saves him from death, upsetting the Grim Reaper’s agenda.
While Ava schemes to find a way to save Cole, she learns he has some secrets of his own. She lets him believe he is protecting her, and not the other way around, until a final showdown with the Grim Reaper forces Ava to make choices Cole may never forgive.
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Excerpt As soon as I opened the front door, the hair on the back of my neck stood up and a tingle ran down my spine. The scent of cinnamon filled my nostrils. It was like having those little candy Red Hots shoved up my nose. Dread in the form of a knot settled in the base of my stomach.
Xavier.
Xavier was…I wasn’t sure what he was. Was he the descendant of a fallen angel like me? Was he an angel himself? Or was he something else, something more sinister?
He certainly looked it. He certainly acted it. He exuded evil.
He was lounging on our couch, his arms spread out over the back of it and his right ankle propped on his left knee. His black hair was slicked back, and he’d grown a goatee since the last time I’d seen him. As usual, he was dressed in a black suit with a red tie, what I mentally referred to as his “villain suit.”
I couldn’t believe he was the same man who used to read me bedtime stories and tuck me in when my mom had to work nights.
A smile stretched across his face and his black beady eyes watched me enter the room. The only thing that could possibly make him more snakelike was if a thin red forked tongue flitted out of his mouth.
I’d be less surprised than if a hippo flounced around my living room in a pink tutu in true Fantasia style.
My mom sat stiffly on a chair across from him. It was our home, but Xavier was in control here. Her eyes met mine, and she shrugged her shoulders slightly. She had no idea why he was here either. We hadn’t expected him for at least a couple more months.
“Welcome home, Ava,” Xavier said. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
“No, thanks. I’ll stand.”
He chuckled. “Suit yourself.”
Xavier took a moment to inspect his cuticles, as if he weren’t in the middle of our living room, as if we weren’t waiting for him to say whatever it was he came to say so he would leave again. I’d say he was oblivious to the effect he had on us, but that wouldn’t be true. He knew, and he relished it.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “What do you want?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Is that any way to treat a guest in your home?” He looked at my mother. “You should really teach her better manners.”
I laughed bitterly. “Calling yourself a guest implies that you’re wanted here.”
“Ava,” my mom said, her tone sharp.
Xavier just threw his head back and laughed. “No, Mary, let the little vixen spew her venom. I like it. It’s honest. Honesty is underrated in society today, don’t you agree?”
I glared at him.
“I have your next assignment.”
My glare faltered as I fought to keep the air moving in and out of my lungs. An assignment from Xavier meant the blood of an innocent would be on my hands again.
When I said I worked for the Grim Reaper, that was oversimplifying it a bit. There’s actually more than one. Think about it—with all the people who die every day in the world, how could there possibly be just one?
The particular Grim Reaper I worked for was special, though. He collected souls that were worthy of being angels. It was my job as a seeker to find those souls.
How’s that for an after school job?
“Forgive me, Xavier, but isn’t it a little soon?” my mom said quietly. “She hasn’t even had a chance to get settled in her new school.”
He glanced at her before returning his attention to me. “She can handle it. Besides, it’s time.”
“But her last assignment was just last month!” my mom protested. “Are you sure—”
“I’m very sure.”
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. The knot of dread in my stomach exploded, seeping into the rest of my body. I breathed deeply, desperately trying to keep control. The last thing I wanted was to lose it in front of Xavier.
“How long do I have?”
“Two weeks.”
Two weeks. I had two weeks to put a plan into motion that would change lives irrevocably.
My classmates’ faces popped into my mind. I hadn’t bothered getting to know anyone or even learning names. I told myself it was easier that way, easier being a relative term.
But did any of them have a white aura? When I was at school, I always blocked them out. Otherwise, the barrage of auras became a colorful assault on my senses. School was difficult enough as it was. I didn’t need the added distraction. Moving around so much had left gaps in my education, so even though I was pretty smart, I perpetually struggled to maintain decent grades. Why I even bothered anymore was a mystery, though. I would probably end up a waitress just like my mother. It was hard to develop a career or even think about college with our transient lifestyle.
I squared my shoulders and looked Xavier in the eye, faking the bravado I lacked. “I guess I’ll see you in two weeks.”
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Author Jessica Ruddick
About the Author Jessica lives in Virginia with her college-sweetheart husband, two rambunctious sons, and two rowdy but lovable rescue dogs. Since her house is overflowing with testosterone, it’s a good thing she has a healthy appreciation for Marvel movies, Nerf guns, and football.
