Title: Black Hat Hacker
Series: Chicago Syndicate #6
Author: Soraya Naomi
Genre: NA Mafia Romance
Release Date: March 28, 2017
Kindle Unlimited
“I absolutely adored this story and can't wait for more from this author!” - Bookgasms Book Blog“From page one, sparks fly, the plot thickens fast, and the sex scenes are amazingly well-written - so are the emotional scenes, and a few are heartbreakingly beautiful.” - Reader Review“Absolutely loved Black Hat Hacker! From the title all the way through till the very end!” - Reader Review
You don’t know me.
But that’s only because I don’t want you to.
I have the most lucrative job in the country as a hacker in the notorious underworld. I’ve built entire systems and destroyed evidence for career advancement while stealing and exploiting data for personal gain.
I’m the black hat hacker for the Chicago Syndicate and hold all the dirty secrets of the most powerful men in the U.S. in the palm of my hands, just a keystroke away from mass ruination.
However, no one knows my dirty secret, a decision from my past that’s just aching to blow up in my face and shatter my future. Especially when a certain wavy haired brunette begins to demand my attention with her odd ways and her carefree attitude.
She’s a woman who makes me go against everything I’ve ever believed.
A woman whom I’m forbidden from having my usual one-night stand with, even if she was available.
A woman whom I have to keep from getting herself killed, whether she likes it or not.
You don’t know me, but neither does she…yet.
I read many genres but favor intense, seductive, and provocative novels where the male character loves fiercely, without remorse or boundaries. I also adore forbidden love tales and have an odd fascination with kidnapping romances. No, I don't secretly want to be kidnapped, though!
I have a passionate obsession with the written word and indulge in chocolate pastries much too often. My debut novel For Fallon (Chicago Syndicate, #1) was released on July 26, 2014. I’m honored that For Fallon won “Best Breakout Novel 2014” in the Novel Grounds Semi Annual Literary Awards.
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The Heartbeat Hypothesisby Lindsey Frydman
Publication Date: March 20, 2017
Genres: Adult, Entangled: Embrace, New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
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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.
EXCERPT:
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 that is 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.”
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. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Profile ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
Author: Mignon Mykel
Title: Altercation Series: Prescott Family #4 / Playmaker Duet #1 Genre: New Adult/Sports Romance Release Date: March 21, 2017
Sometimes it's the fight that proves your worth.
Porter Prescott spent years fighting to be his own person. His goal of playing for a hockey club not associated with the Prescott name finally comes true. But just as he's leaving for the next chapter in his life, he meets her. Asher Spence spent a lifetime learning she was worthless and unwanted. She learned that sometimes the only person you can count on is yourself, and even then, you can fail. What starts out as picture perfect can only come crumbling down. No one listened to her pleas before, Why should they listen to them now that she's found a place to finally call home? But sometimes, it's the fight that takes you out of the game. This DUET can be read as a standalone from the Prescott Family series. However, please note that this is book one in a duet. Book two, Holding, will be releasing within three weeks of Altercation's release, concluding the duet.
I moved to stand where she’d be able to see me, not really caring if I was blocking the view for some other person waiting. I widened my stance and with my arms crossed over my chest, I kept my eyes trained as far back as I could see. My gaze shifted over the different travelers coming in; the only person I wanted to see was a brunette with crazy colored eyes.
And then I saw her. The feeling that overtook me was like a drowning man getting his first breath of air. A starving man getting a fucking full-course meal. She didn’t see me yet, but she would in time. There were maybe eighty people between us and she was nearing. Her hair was braided over her shoulder, wisps of hair falling out and framing her face. She was wearing leggings and those damned boots of hers, but I was surprised to see her shirt was the girly type, long with cuts up the sides, nearly to her waist, and lacy sleeves that played peek-a-boo with the colors adorning her arm. She didn’t carry a bag, just her phone in one hand. I licked my bottom lip before biting it gently, trying to stop the smile from spreading on my face. Didn’t want to look like a complete moron. Forty feet. Her gaze was down at the floor, no doubt watching where she was walking. It didn’t surprise me she was careful like that. Thirty feet. Look up, Asher…Look up. Twenty feet. Her face lifted and, like a magnet, her eyes locked on mine instantly. And the smile on her face? God damn. There was no sense stopping my full-ass smile now, not with the one she just shot my way. If you would have told me, four months ago, I would be the most celibate man in the history of earth, all for the glimpses of smiles from that girl there with more secrets behind her eyes than I could ever hope to uncover, I probably would have laughed in your face. Four months ago, I was gearing up for my rookie season in South Carolina. Four months ago, I was a kid with a big name, going to a team that had nothing to do with said big name. Four months ago, it was rumored I would be the new hot shot in town. Nico certainly didn’t fail to show me the gossip sites, seemingly run by a bunch of puck bunnies. But four months ago, I walked into Starbucks for a goodbye coffee with my sister, and met the girl with secrets. And four months ago, I became addicted without so much as a taste. Now that I’ve had that taste? Shit, I couldn’t wait for more.
Holding (Playmaker Duet #2) - Releasing 3/28
Sometimes holding on, impedes moving on.
First comes love, then comes marriage... But before the ceremony could start, Porter's world was knocked off it's axis. He fought for years to break down Asher's walls, to see past her ghosts...but some ghosts may be too hard to fight. Asher knew better than to believe she could keep her past in the past, Keep the filth of who she was, from touching the Prescott family. But as badly as she wants to keep Porter away ...she needs his family more. What you see is what you get... And even the most astute eyes can't see the biggest ghost. Sometimes holding on is the only choice you have.
Mignon Mykel is the author of the Prescott Family series, as well as the short-novella erotic romance series, O'Gallagher Nights. When not sitting at Starbucks writing whatever her characters tell her to, you can find her hiking in the mountains of her new home in Arizona.
Breaking Gravity (Fall Back #2) by Autumn Grey Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance Cover Design: Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations Release Date: March 29, 2017 Synopsis
I've always followed my dreams with ruthless determination.
My life was going well. Success was at my fingertips.
Until it wasn't.
All it took was three seconds to send my world crashing down around me, ripping my dreams to shreds.
Then I meet her, with her large hazel eyes that slay me at first glance.
And everything starts to make sense again.
I try to keep my distance.
To remind myself I am her mentor.
That we can't be more,
but every time I push away, I'm pulled deeper into her.
The line between student and teacher is blurring.
One kiss.
One taste.
They’re all it would take to cross the line.
GoodreadsPurchase LinksAmazon US: http://amzn.to/2nFE3tD Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2orJFF2 Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2nFELqT Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2nFPIJ0 Giveaway$25 Amazon Gift Card Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b1257f8d16/? Also AvailableFall Back Skyward (Fall Back #1) by Autumn Grey Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance Purchase LinksAmazon US: http://amzn.to/2lV6Xof Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2mftP2S Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2muzylQ Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2ldTr0h About the Author
Autumn Grey is the author of Havoc, Obliterate, Mend (Havoc series) and Fall Back Skyward. And just like her characters, she is quirky, sometimes funny and definitely flawed. She writes sexy contemporary romances full of drama, steamy kisses and happy ever afters.
Connect with AutumnNewsletter: http://eepurl.com/bZEWzP Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2ldfWCx Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/2m9ePD7 Twitter: http://bit.ly/2lUq1mN Instagram: http://bit.ly/2mLNnbF Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2ldgng9 Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2lUnXuY BookBub Author Page: http://bit.ly/2m9qIJt
From New York Times Bestseller, Corinne Michaels, comes a new second chance standalone romance. I spent twenty years waiting for Trent Hennington to open his eyes and see me. But it was all for nothing. He chose to keep himself guarded and let me walk away, proving that my time and efforts were wasted. I'm done being invisible. It's time to move on. A single dance sets my new reality into motion, and I welcome it. After all, Cooper Townsend is perfect. He's kind, sexy, and attentive--everything a girl could want. I thought I got it right this time. That my heart could mend, and I would be happy. Apparently, some things really are just too hard to walk away from.
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He’s the boss. But she’s ready to take charge. In this provocative and sexy* office romance, a cheeky new hire tempts a hotshot sports agent to mix business with pleasure. Jenny: Job interviews are a bitch under the best of circumstances, but when your potential boss is the world’s biggest prick, that’s when you should simply walk away. It’s just that I need this job so badly—and I’m mesmerized by Ethan Mason’s piercing gaze. Men like him aren’t supposed to exist in real life. But under the tailored suits and GQ looks, Ethan simmers with barely restrained ambition. And no matter how hard I work to fight the attraction, I’m going to get burned. Ethan: You don’t become a top agent without learning how to close deal. I always get what—or who—I want, by staying cool and in command. Then Jenny Jackson walks into my office with her lush curves and “screw you” attitude and blows away my intentions of keeping things professional. All I can think about is exploring the perfect body hidden beneath those conservative clothes or shutting her saucy mouth with one hot kiss. Jenny’s worth breaking the rules over—if I can convince her to break the rules for me. *By sexy, we mean sexy. Like, 18+ sexy.
Sloane Howell lives in the Midwest United States and writes dirty stories. When not reading or writing he enjoys hanging out with his family, watching sports, playing with the dogs, traveling, and engaging his readers on social media. You can almost always catch him on Twitter posting something goofy.
Visit his web page www.sloanehowell.com to sign up for his mailing list to get updates on new releases, promos, and giveaways. Thanks for reading.
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★ BEGGING FOR BAD BOYS ★
A STEAMY ROMANCE COLLECTION OF
SINFUL STORIES THAT WILL HAVE YOU ON YOUR KNEES
Are you ready for our heart-wrenching, panty-melting bad boys?
USA Today and Top Best Selling Romance authors have come together to give you this tempting bundle of 13 sinful bad boys that'll have you on your knees and begging for more!
Each book is a standalone romance with a guaranteed sweet-as-can-be happily ever after with NO CLIFFHANGERS. Get an ice cold glass of water before digging into these brand new, never-before-seen hot reads!
Burned Promises by Willow Winters
My world is caving in on itself; the scars of my past threatening to consume me. I was ready to fall from the top of my empire and I didn't give a damn. But then she showed up; falling back into my life and into my bed. My sweetheart. I should let her walk away again; I'm a bad man, but I'm too selfish. This time, I'm keeping her.
Dirty Debt by Lauren Landish
It's time to collect on the biggest debt anyone in the city owes me. Jacob Waters, the bastard that killed my father. He's an abusive prick and he'll pay the ultimate price. But before I take him down, I'm taking his most prized possession. His precious Sarah.
Bound to the BB - Crystal Kaswell
Brendon. My best friend's brother. The smoking hot tattoo artist miles and miles out of my league. He wants me. He wants me bound. I've had a crush on him since I can remember, but can I really handle him like *this*?
Protector by Bella Lovewins
Robin - I bump into the bad boy who broke my sister's heart nine years ago, and everything changes. I never expect forbidden fireworks, secrets and danger at every turn, and a hero in my corner when I need him most.
Redeeming Viktor by Alexis Abbott
A passionate one-night-stand ends in heartbreak. Five years later, and he's back, but can what they have be rekindled once he realizes they have a daughter?
Hostage by Vivian Wood
World-weary ex-soldier Sam isn’t expecting to find beautiful, broken Kat in the snow. When he takes her back to his hunting lodge and cleans her bruises, she tries to flee. Scared for her life. Sam is determined to protect the delicate blonde from the world, even if that means putting his life on the line. Now that he’s found her, he won’t let her go…
Lumberjack Boss by Tabatha Kiss
Wealth. Power. Wood. Three things I had more of than anybody else until Hazel showed up to protest my latest project. She won’t take my money. She doesn’t care about my family’s influence. Maybe a little wood is what she needs... and I’ve got more than enough to give her.
Bloodlines by Aubrey Irons
Once upon a time, he was my prince not-so-charming. But there are no happy ever afters with life in the Dark Saints Irish mafia. I swore I’d never come back to Boston after he pushed me away six years ago. But that’s before there was a price on my head, and I needed protection. I won’t fall for him again. Giving in to temptation this time around doesn’t mean a broken heart. It means we’re dead.
Hard Rock Promise by Athena Wright
I thought it'd be an easy job when my friend asked me to "babysit" her out-of-control brother — her playboy, arrogant, *sinfully sexy* older brother.
As the bassist in the rock band Cherry Lips, Gael's had more than his fair share of women. But his dirty, sexy words ignite my body, just as his promises of forever ignite my heart. Is Gael playing me or playing for keeps?
Crossfire by KB Winters
I'm Jameson O’Leary. When I find a sweet Irish babe on the side of the road, it’s time to get down and dirty—on and off my bike. I just pray baby girl doesn't get caught in the crossfire.
One Night Stand by Kylie Walker
Heather Blair was only going to check up on her assistant. To see how the wedding was going. She hadn’t planned on being snowed in or make a night of it with a tall, dark and sexy billionaire. Have a one night stand her assistant told her! When she finds out who he really is, the question is, will she run out the door or into his arms?
Signed SEAL'd Delivered by Holly Hart
Ripped muscle and strict discipline, that's what SEAL's are made of and exactly why Jax was hired for the job. When Jax sees Alex, the girl he loved all those years ago, his years of hard work and his career are put to the test.
A Fake Wife by Sierra Rose
Charlie’s plan: Sweep into town, pick up a fake bride, get his inheritance, and leave like the wind after a quickie divorce in Caribbean paradise, untying the knot fast enough to cause whiplash.
Jaime’s plan: Getting intimate, then signing papers over Piña Coladas and saying adios wasn’t quite her style. She knew a happily ever after with Charlie was never going to happen... unless fate intervened.
Bella Love-Wins is a USA Today Bestselling author (Alphas for the Holidays, Shifters in the Snow: Bundle of Joy, and Shifters in the Shadows). She loves writing steamy, high-action romance stories about bad boys, billionaires, and alpha males who know what they want and aren't afraid of laying claim to the women who catch their interest. She craves a happy ever after ending. In her spare time, Bella enjoys reading, hiking, the countryside, and traveling to destinations unspoiled by commercial tourism, like Las Vegas.
For the next while, you'll find her plotting and writing about her latest stories in Toronto.
Willow Winters -
I like my action hot and my bad boys hotter. And I don't hold back on either one in my writing. I'm so happy to be a #1 Contemporary Bestselling Romance Author. I'm so grateful and honored! I actually started writing after having my little girl, Evie, December 2015. All during my pregnancy with her I read. I only wanted to read romance, and I read EVERYTHING. I would read a book a day — sometimes two. In January 2016 I was staying up late with her and just thinking of all these stories. They came to me constantly. And I finally sat down and just started writing. I always wanted to do it so I figured, why not? I never thought I would reach this point of success, to be honest. It’s insane to me that I have so many fans. And I love each and every one of them for all of their support.
Lauren Landish -
Lauren Landish is a #1 Contemporary Bestselling Romance Author. Her Sports Novel Blitzed reached #2 on the US Amazon Kindle Bestseller list and #1 in Canada in May 2016. Additionally, her other books have frequently cracked the top 10 and 20 on the Amazon Kindle Bestsellers lists.
Writing has always been her first love and she's happy to write for women who are thirsty for a little heat in the bedroom!
Lauren now resides in North Carolina with her boyfriend and her fur baby.
Alexis Abbott
Alexis Abbott writes about bad boys protecting their girls! With super steamy sex, gritty suspense, and lots of romance, she's a fixture on Amazon's best-seller and all-star lists.
She also writes as Alex Abbott for her erotic thrillers and contemporary romance. She lives in beautiful St. John's, NL, Canada with her amazing husband. Vivian Wood likes to write about troubled, deeply flawed alpha males and the fiery, kick-ass women who bring them to their knees. Vivian's lasting motto in romance is a quote from a favorite song: "Soulmates never die." Be sure to follow Vivian through her Vivian's Vixens mailing list or Facebook group to keep up with all the awesome giveaways, author videos, ARC opportunities, and more!
Other Authors
Crystal Kaswell
Tabatha Kiss
Aubrey Irons
Athena Wright
KB Winters
Kylie Walker
Holly Hart
Sierra Rose
Bella -
Lauren -
Willow -
Sign up for my Naughty List to get all the newest bad boy releases, sales, great giveaways and a FREE Bad Boy Billionaire Romance → Newsletter
If you would like to order signed paperbacks, you can do so here: Paperbacks
Crystal Kaswell
Vivian Wood
Holly Hart
Kylie Walker
Release Tour Title: Vengeance in Bloom Series: Love Unauthorized Book Two Author: Jennifer Michael Cover Designer: RBA Designs: Romantic Book Affairs Release Date: March 23, 2017 Add to Goodreads Vengeance is sweet. Collateral damage is inevitable in a game of revenge. Loyalty is gone, and hearts have been shattered. Paisley and Burke now face the aftermath of deceit, but can they do so together or will their love be a casualty? Deceit in Bloom book 1 As a child, Jennifer Michael dreamed of being an author. Life and adulting eventually pushed that dream down to a mere fantasy, which was where it stayed for years. Then, through a stroke of luck and a Kindle, she found the indie romance world, and the dream that was long ago deemed unattainable became a reality. Writing fulfills pieces of her she lost long ago. Jennifer writes stories that range from sweet and sultry to dark and daring. Behind her computer, she’s constantly dreaming up where she’ll go, what new characters she’ll meet along the way, and what genre she will concur next. From her house in southwest Florida, she spends far too much time wishing she were at the beach with a good book. She’s an avid reader of fiction, but is a huge fan of gritty stories with deep emotion or dark twisty plot twists. She’s also known to indulge in guilty pleasure television shows. She gets sucked into the world of characters from all mediums. She loves to hear from her readers so make sure to check her out on social media.Social Media GoodReads |Facebook |Facebook Reader Group |Twitter |Instagram
Title: 24 Roses
Author: Elena M. Reyes
Genre: Contemporary/Erotic Romance
Release Date: March 27, 2017
Blurb
24 roses. 24 days filled with declarations of love. 24 moments where life will mark her as mine. I’ve loved Anahi Pratt since she moved in next door at the age of twelve. With her knobby knees and a mouthful of braces, she made my heart thump harshly inside my prepubescent chest. One look into the greenest eyes I’d ever seen, and I was hooked for life. Owned. However, I was tongue-tied and confused and did the only thing I could: offer my friendship. Over the years, those feelings never changed. Instead, they grew—morphed into something deep and profound. But never once did she see me as more than a friend. Never did she see the man that worshipped the ground she walked on. The man that needed to be what she wanted. Needed. I stayed on the sidelines until that day: A crash. Her life on the line and my world came to a screeching halt. Life is short and changes in the blink of an eye, a lesson I suddenly understood. There wasn’t a second to wait. No more hiding behind the guise of friendship. She was mine, and it was time I claimed her.
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Excerpt
“How can you say that with this hideous scar on my thigh?” Fuck, she could be as stubborn as a mule.
“That scar…” I hissed out, my eyes searching the floor around her feet for the broken glass I’d heard fall through the door. It was nothing big. A small figurine broken in two pieces. Taking the remaining steps between us, I paused in front of her. “This is proof that what could have been tragic…wasn’t.” Taking her face in my hands, I tipped it up and lowered my forehead to hers. “It means that you are okay and here with me. That a drunken asshole crying over his divorce didn’t take the most important thing in my life away.”
“Stop.” Prying my hands from her face, she brought them between us and squeezed. “It isn’t your job to fix this. I was the one that left the jerk I’d agreed to have dinner with mid-meal and drove off in a rush. I was the one that didn’t notice the car not stopping as his light turned red. I was the one that put herself in this position time and time again.”
“Fuck are you talking about, Anahi?” Every muscle within me tensed as I waited for her to explain herself.
“That I should’ve listened to you when it came to the men I dated.”
Staring into her sad green eyes, my heart clenched. Her pain was mine. “Shit happens, and it was not your fault.”
“Had I been paying attention and not thinking about the ‘what ifs I…” Anahi’s face bloomed with a sudden rush of embarrassment.
“Tell me.” She shook her head. “Please.”
“You want to know? Because trust me, I remember everything about that night.” Letting out a bitter chuckle, she stepped back and released my hands. I missed her warmth immediately. “Fuck!” Ani yelled out while turning around. Placing her hands on the top of her dresser, she hung her head. A sob was caught in her throat, and I rushed forward to wrap her in my arms.
The pain medication she’d been on tended to make her emotions fluctuate a bit.
“Talk to me, babe.” With my arms secured around her waist, I pulled her in closer. Ignored what the feel of her warm skin against my own created. “Let me in.”
“I’m sorry.” Wiping at her eyes, Anahi took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Didn’t mean to pull the crazy chick card on you.” This was said with a laugh, but there was real hurt behind the action. “There’s too much going on upstairs, and I don’t know how to handle it. Between nightmares and anger, it’s a constant roller coaster.”
“Start from the beginning,” I hummed against the top of her head. “You’ve never wanted to give me details about that night. Always vague and avoiding—something about what happened is hurting you. Let me in, dollface.”
“Why do you always call me pet names?” Diversion tactic if I ever heard one; that, and she needed her ego stroked. Not that I minded in the least. For some unknown reason, Ani felt as if the small scar over her sculpted brow was this heinous thing that offended the world.
“Because I can.”
A huff, and then a smack to my arm. “That’s not an answer.”
“And neither is yours. Tell me what’s eating you up inside, Ani.”
“Every time I close my eyes, I see those high-beam lights coming at me followed close by the sound of screeching tires.” A shiver so hard ran through her that it rocked me to my core. All I could do was hold her tighter, with my presence show her that I was here for her. “Next came the sound of metal bending—caving in on itself—as a searing pain shot up the side of my body. It burned. The intense jolt caused me to almost black out, but even as everything intensified around me, I had only one thought in my head.”
“Say it,” I whispered low into the crown on her head.
Running her fingers over my hand, she shook her head. “Doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, Bryson, but it’s those what ifs that eat me alive. I’ve lost time I don’t know if I could ever get back.”
“You want to know what tortures me about that night?” Turning her around so my blue eyes could meet her green ones, I placed my hands at her hips and squeezed them lightly before holding her in place. No more hiding. Anahi wasn’t running away from the damn truth that was currently smacking us in the face.
Bringing a shaking hand up, she cupped my jaw. “What?”
Elena M. Reyes was born and raised in Miami Florida. She is the epitome of a Floridian and if she could live in her beloved flip-flops, she would.
As a small child, she was always intrigued with all forms of art—whether it was dancing to island rhythms, or painting with any medium she could get her hands on. Her first taste of writing came to her during her fifth grade year when her class was prompted to participate in the D. A. R. E. Program and write an essay on what they’d learned.
Her passion for reading over the years has amassed her with hours of pleasure. It wasn't until she stumbled upon fanfiction that her thirst to write overtook her world. She now resides in Central Florida with her husband and son, spending all her down time letting her creativity flow and letting her characters grow.
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Author: Jennifer Rebecca
Title: Whiskey Lullabye Series: Southern Heartbeats, Vol. 2 Release Date: March 27, 2017
Sixteen years ago Aliza Wilson met the love of her life. He was everything Aliza had ever hoped for in a man, kind, generous and he gave her a beautiful life. But fate had other plans for her future. Plans that changed her life irrevocably. Now Aliza must face a new fate, and that scares her more than anything.
Sixteen years ago Holden “Holt” Stone found the woman of his dreams. She was utter perfection. But his best-friend got her first. Now he must sit on the sidelines and watch the woman he wanted, be happy with someone else. Holt is no stranger to pain and heartache, hell that came with his service in the Marine Corps, he's no stranger to death, but watching someone he loves struggle to move on is a new kind of hell. Can Aliza and Holt find a way to fix their broken pieces, before it’s too late? Whiskey Lullabye is the second volume in the Southern Heartbeats Series and is the continuation of Stand. This is Aliza’s story.
The warm, late spring sun is shining through the window when I wake up softly this morning. Sam is pressed up behind me. Close enough, I can tell he’s feeling playful. His left hand is at my breast and I feel his morning beard across my cheek as he leans down to kiss the side of my neck, just under my ear. I hear the soft smile in Sam’s morning scratchy voice as he says, “Morning, baby,” I love quiet moments like this.
“Good morning, handsome,” I give back as Sam’s hand trails over my belly. Softer than it was when we first met when I was young and in college, but it did carry his two babies, so he loves it, and moves down to greener pastures. I rock into him. Not once in the last fifteen years, have I gotten tired of him. Sam grabs my long, dark blonde ponytail tipping my head back so he can thoroughly kiss me. I love his kisses. The soft sweet ones, the teasing ones, and the ones like this that get down to business. I moan into his mouth and Sam meets it with a growl of his own. Things are just starting to get good when I hear two little voices chanting down the hallway, “Let’s go Blazers. Let’s go Blazers. Let’s Goooooo!!!! The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire. We don’t need no water let the mother effer burn!!!!” Sam’s forehead is pressed down on my shoulder and his arms are wrapped tight around my belly. So tight, I can feel him shaking with laughter. “Sam!” I screech when the shock of my precious angels chanting an inappropriate song from the 80’s. I know exactly where they got it, that rat! I reach over to swat the stinker with a pillow from my side of the bed, but he’s already moving. Throwing his shorts on the floor as he struts to the shower. Letting me see exactly what I will be missing today and I will be missing it. Damn, my man is good looking. “What?!” Sam says on the run. “Soccer waits for no one!!!” he’s laughing as he runs into the shower. *** Twenty minutes later, my girls are pounding pancakes and bacon with tall glasses of orange juice. Fueling up for the big game. Six and under soccer is no joke. Sam walks in and I feel my breath catch in my throat. These are the moments I live for. My kids doing normal everyday things, the sexiest man I know, who after all this time, still looks at me like he won the lottery. I catch Sam’s secret smile as he walks over to the coffee pot and pours himself a cup. I catch a kiss on the cheek as he passes. “I’m sure going to miss you guys today,” I say and it’s true. I never miss a game, but my best girlfriend from college is coming in today and I need to get to the market and prep dinner, put clean linens on the guest bed, and pick up any wayward toys that have made their way back out of the girls’ rooms. Really, the things I need to do without a five and a three year old under foot. “Don’t even worry about it,” Sam reassures me. “We’ll be fine today, right girls?” who throw their fists in the air with a “Heck, yeah!” Sam’s influence and personality are all over those two. Sometimes, I think I was just the oven that baked the cake. “Plus, it’ll be totally worth it at supper time when I get to dive into your famous pot roast and green beans,” He says while patting his stomach which is just as flat as it was at twenty one when I got my first glimpse of him. “All right girls, you about done?” I ask them. “You don’t want to be late for the big game,” I smile at the three most important people in the world to me. This moment, like so many others, is why I breathe, why I wake up in the morning. Sam gives me one more, soft kiss and the girls each hug me fiercely on their way out the door. Those three are going to have such a fun day. I shut the door behind them and go back to the kitchen to clean up my mess from breakfast. I love to cook and I am not the cleanest cook either, but my family loves it. And is there really anything better than cooking for the people you love? Nope, I didn’t think so. At least not to me. After I have put the last of the dishes away, I clean up the girls’ toys and pajamas they’ve left all over in their wake for soccer glory. I make the beds and wipe down the bathroom counters. I throw on jeans and my favorite slouchy sweater. I have just enough time to run to the market and get home before Hannah gets here when there is a knock at the door. I run down the stairs with a smile on my face. Sam is amazing, but he’s a mess sometimes. Always forgetting something. “What did you guys forget this time?” I shout as I throw open the door. But it’s not Sam I see standing there. It’s his best friend, Holt, and by the devastated look on his face, I know why. Everything changes in a moment.
Jennifer is a 33 year old lover of words, all words: the written, the spoken, the sung (even poorly), the sweet, the funny, and even the four letter variety. She is a native of San Diego, California where she grew up reading the Brownings and Rebecca with her mother and Clifford and the Dog who Glowed in the Dark with her dad, much to her mother’s dismay.
Jennifer is a graduate of California State University San Marcos where she studied Criminology and Justice Studies. She is also a member of Alpha Xi Delta. 10 years ago, she was swept off her feet by her very own sailor. Today, they are happily married and the parents of a 7 year old and 6 year old twins. She lives in East Texas where she can often be found on the soccer fields, drawing with her children, or reading. Jennifer is convinced that if she puts her fitbit on one of the dogs, she might finally make her step goals. She loves a great romance, an alpha hero, and lots and lots of laughter. |