Today C.R. Ellis is here today to share her new romance WHY STARS CHASE THE SUN! Check it out and be sure to get your copy today!Title: Why Stars Chase the SunAuthor: C.R. EllisGenre: Contemporary RomanceAbout Why Stars Chase the Sun:JADE Twenty-four hours. A no-strings-attached adventure with the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen—this was my alcohol-slash-lust-fueled proposal, and given before I could consider the potential ramifications. While his looks alone are enough to make a girl swoon, it’s the rest of him—a perfect balance of mysterious, sweet, and effortlessly charming—that draws me in. Through his cryptic comments and half-answers, he’s quickly become an enigma I’m determined to solve. One way or another, this adventure promises to snap the stagnant, lackluster pattern my love life has been locked in lately. Is it naïve and a little reckless to think this won’t blow up in my face? Probably. But the bigger question is the only one I need to answer… Is the chance to soar among the stars worth the risk of being burned when the sun eventually rises? EMMETT Love is a mistake I won’t make again. My rules are simple. Keep things surface-deep. Don’t make plans. And never, ever get attached. One look at her is all it takes for me to break my first rule. One conversation with her is all it takes for me to question everything. Which means accepting her proposal is bound to be a mistake. She has no idea who I am or what kind of demons I live with, so I tell myself there’s no harm in spending one day with her. But the more I lose myself in her, the more she brings me out of the darkness and into her light, the harder it’ll be to let her go. When reality comes crashing down on us in the worst way possible, I have to decide between walking away…or risking everything for the woman who breaks all of my rules.GET YOUR COPY TODAY!AmazonAbout C.R. Ellis:C.R. Ellis is a Texas native who writes contemporary romance novels with plenty of drama and humor, and just enough heat to ignite e-readers and paperbacks everywhere. She can almost always be found attached to her laptop with coffee nearby and her two trusty canine sidekicks by her side. When she’s not writing or plotting, she enjoys going to concerts with her sweet husband, dragging him along to see rom-coms at any theater that serves booze, checking off the next destination on her ever-growing travel bucket list, and trying new recipes. Her passion for writing stems from her lifelong love of reading, and she often binge-reads entire books in a day. She’s an unapologetic book hoarder, and her paperback collection is rivaled only by her massive shoe collection.Connect with C.R. EllisWebsite | Facebook | InstagramEnter C.R.’s Giveaway:a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Title: Cross Drop
Series: On the Edge
Author: Elizabeth Hartey
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 19, 2018
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Nikki
I’m not a saint. Never claimed to be. I’ve played the game and scored my fair share—both on and off the field. This is why I should have known better than to fall for a hockey player. But I did. I fell fast and hard.
Now I’m left with the painful consequences, reminded every day of how reckless I had been by giving him my heart so easily—so willingly. Dalt broke me in the cruelest of ways, and because of him, I’ll never be able to love again.
Dalt
Nikki changed me. She made me want to be a better man. My days playing off the ice were over because she owned every little piece of my heart…until she left, leaving behind a gnawing ache where my heart used to be.
Now she’s back, and it’s painfully clear she hates me, ignoring me, pretending like I’m nobody to her. But that’s just too damn bad. I want answers. I want a goddamn explanation.
As a lover of the northeast US, Elizabeth moved with her husband to the Poconos several years ago to open a Chiropractic Clinic. Four children and a menagerie of animals later, she has finally found time to fulfill her lifelong dream of writing novels. The wild ride of writing books is one of the most difficult things she’s ever done in her life. But the opportunity to get her stories out of her head and down on paper and send them out into the world is also one of the most wonderful things she’s ever done. A dreamer at heart, romance is the genre she spends most of her time writing and reading into the wee hours of the morning. And having readers fall in love with her characters as much as she does is almost as exciting as giving birth (just not as painful!) When not juggling work responsibilities and writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking the beautiful hills and woods around her home, swimming, knitting, watching old classic movies and traveling.
Title: Ride Me
Series: Jaded Ivory
Author: Rebecca Brooke
Genre: M/M Romance
Regret. I’m a man living with regret. It eats at me night and day.
Eights years ago, I ran from Reagan instead of facing the music. I was sure he would shut me out if he knew the truth, so I beat him to the punch. I left and never looked back.
Or at least I tried not to.
To this day, Reagan is always in the back of my mind, trying to make me remember the fun we had. I always wonder what he would have thought if I’d told him everything.
The regret echoes in my head.
Now he’s standing in front of me, looking for answers I doubt he’s ready for.
Can Reagan accept me for who I really am?
Rebecca Brooke grew up in the shore towns of South Jersey. Writing has always been a love for her, as well as reading. She loves to hit the beach, but always with her kindle on hand. She is married to the most wonderful man, who puts up with all of her craziness. Together they have two beautiful children who keep her on her toes. Rebecca is the author of contemporary, new adult, and paranormal romance.
Incognito, an all-new standalone new adult romance from USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis is LIVE!
A troubled popstar forced into hiding… A sweet small-town girl overcoming tragedy… And the kind of love that only happens once in a lifetime. Dakota’s dreams of attending Juilliard were shattered the night tragedy struck her family. It’s one year later, and she’s now enrolled at the local university trying to piece her life back together. Shawn is one of the world’s most famous faces, having lived under a spotlight since his star exploded when he was fourteen. Now jaded by an industry forcing him to perform music he no longer enjoys, he craves normalcy and the opportunity to rediscover his muse. When a crazy stalker gets too close, and death threats start mounting, Shawn’s management team comes up with a plan—one which will allow him to work on his latest album while staying incognito on a middle-American college campus. Romance is the last thing on Dakota’s mind, but after she crosses paths with a hot, prickly cutie with rock-hard abs and smoldering good looks, she can’t shake him from her thoughts. Shawn can’t afford to bring any girl into his fucked-up life, but the gorgeous blonde with the sad blue eyes captivates him in a way no girl ever has, and he finds himself falling hard and fast. But outside forces are conspiring against them. When danger draws closer, and secrets are revealed, will their love survive? Download today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited! Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2JAcTk0 Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/IncognitoSD Add to GoodReads: http://smarturl.it/IncognitoGR About Siobhan: USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis writes emotionally intense young adult and new adult romantic fiction with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She is the author of the international bestselling Kennedy Boys, Saven, and True Calling series’.Siobhan’s family will tell you she’s a little bit obsessive when it comes to reading and writing, and they aren’t wrong. She can rarely be found without her trusty Kindle, a paperback book, or her laptop somewhere close at hand. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management. She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.
Connect with Siobhan: Subscribe to romance newsletter: http://smarturl.it/KennedyBoysList Amazon Author Page: http://smarturl.it/SiobhanDavisAmazon Author website: http://smarturl.it/SiobhanDavisWebsite Goodreads profile: http://smarturl.it/SiobhanGoodreads Facebook page: http://smarturl.it/SiobhanDavisFacebook Twitter profile: http://smarturl.it/SiobhanDavisTwitter Author Blog: http://smarturl.it/SiobhanDavisBlog BookBub Author Page: http://smarturl.it/SiobhanDavisBookbub Today C.R. Ellis is here today to share her new romance WHY STARS CHASE THE SUN! Check it out and be sure to get your copy today!
Title: Why Stars Chase the SunAuthor: C.R. EllisGenre: Contemporary RomanceAbout Why Stars Chase the Sun:JADE Twenty-four hours. A no-strings-attached adventure with the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen—this was my alcohol-slash-lust-fueled proposal, and given before I could consider the potential ramifications. While his looks alone are enough to make a girl swoon, it’s the rest of him—a perfect balance of mysterious, sweet, and effortlessly charming—that draws me in. Through his cryptic comments and half-answers, he’s quickly become an enigma I’m determined to solve. One way or another, this adventure promises to snap the stagnant, lackluster pattern my love life has been locked in lately. Is it naïve and a little reckless to think this won’t blow up in my face? Probably. But the bigger question is the only one I need to answer… Is the chance to soar among the stars worth the risk of being burned when the sun eventually rises? EMMETT Love is a mistake I won’t make again. My rules are simple. Keep things surface-deep. Don’t make plans. And never, ever get attached. One look at her is all it takes for me to break my first rule. One conversation with her is all it takes for me to question everything. Which means accepting her proposal is bound to be a mistake. She has no idea who I am or what kind of demons I live with, so I tell myself there’s no harm in spending one day with her. But the more I lose myself in her, the more she brings me out of the darkness and into her light, the harder it’ll be to let her go. When reality comes crashing down on us in the worst way possible, I have to decide between walking away…or risking everything for the woman who breaks all of my rules.
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“Okay, so you don’t do relationships, but you would want more than just a night of meaningless sex with me?”
He nodded, eyeing me suspiciously when I bit my lip as gears shifted in my head. A plan came to me all at once, and I had to put it into action before logic stopped me. “Then let’s do it. All at once, in one day, and you can be content knowing it isn’t a ‘real’ relationship.” He raised a quizzical brow, but I could see his eyes dance with humor, so I cut him off before he could respond. “All I’m proposing is twenty-four hours of each other. Getting to know each other, experiencing the little things with each other, and then we can decide what comes next, or just go our separate ways. We can leave out the last names, so there aren’t strings. So, one day with no strings unless we both agree to more after twenty-four hours. You said we control our own destiny, right? This is me controlling mine.” Who is this woman and what has she done with Jade Preston? The Jade Preston from twelve hours ago never would’ve fathomed making such a proposal to a perfect stranger. And yet, here I was throwing out the idea before my brain had a chance to process what my mouth was saying. The need to be in Emmett’s orbit was eclipsing all traces of logic in my mind. I kind of liked this Jade. Emmett shifted in his seat and narrowed his gaze so he could study me. I could tell he was intrigued by my proposal, but I had no idea what he’d actually say. Everything from his billboard-ready body, to the way he’d taken my hand and ushered me outside, screamed controlled composure. He cleared his throat and leaned toward me. “How do you know I’m not a serial killer? I’m in, but I’m adding an amendment. I’ll tell Jasmine my last name because she’d be the world’s shittiest friend if she let you do this without knowing anything about me.” I was a little surprised I hadn’t thought of that in the first place. Then again, the whole proposal had been such an impulsive suggestion I hadn’t thought a lot of the details through, like where we’d be spending these twenty-four hours. Did we go to my place? His? Too many questions about logistics swam in my brain, but I didn’t want to let them take flight and ruin my excitement. “Okay, seems reasonable. But I’m giving Lance my information too.” His lips twitched and a brow arched skeptically. “Hey, I could be a murderer. Or some crazy woman who wants to kidnap you like Kathy Bates in Misery.” “I don’t think so,” he responded, running a hand over the short stubble of facial hair along his jawline. I was starting to like this plan more and more. I’d cut off his sex joke, but obviously sex was on the table. There was no way a woman could spend twenty-four hours with a man like Emmett and not find her lips covering every inch of his body.
About C.R. Ellis:C.R. Ellis is a Texas native who writes contemporary romance novels with plenty of drama and humor, and just enough heat to ignite e-readers and paperbacks everywhere. She can almost always be found attached to her laptop with coffee nearby and her two trusty canine sidekicks by her side. When she’s not writing or plotting, she enjoys going to concerts with her sweet husband, dragging him along to see rom-coms at any theater that serves booze, checking off the next destination on her ever-growing travel bucket list, and trying new recipes. Her passion for writing stems from her lifelong love of reading, and she often binge-reads entire books in a day. She’s an unapologetic book hoarder, and her paperback collection is rivaled only by her massive shoe collection.
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Enter C.R.’s Giveaway:Venby K. Webster & Ker Dukey Publication Date: June 29, 2018 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia, RomanceRead for FREE in KindleUnlimited: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU The Vetrov name comes with expectation. My role in this world is simple: do as Father asks and live my life how he planned it. My future is already written: run the empire. Old Values. Old Rule. Old Money. Until her. Everything I do lacks purpose. Everything I do is empty. Women. Money. Power. It meant nothing. Until her. When the Volkov rose showed up at my home a disgraced package, hand-delivered by a Vasiliev prince, I began paving my own path. I vowed to make her bloom once more. She consumed me. Her. Her. Her. But you can’t love a rose and expect not to be damaged by her thorns. She cut me too deep. And I bled out. My soul fled. All that’s left is a cold, calculating monster. I am Veniamin. Volcanic. Victorious. Valiant. Vetrov. When you enter my world to play games, prepare to lose. In the end, I always find the thorn in my side, and I pluck it right out. Haven’t read book one? Catch up here! Vlad (The V Games, #1) Available in Kindle Unlimited! Amazon: http://amzn.to/2sZLPD5 UK: http://amzn.to/2GFRlwv CAN: http://amzn.to/2oyPlhZ AUS: http://amzn.to/2F5G2jSAbout K. WebsterK Webster is the author of dozens romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers. Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen.Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter About Ker DukeyMy books all tend to be darker romance, edge of you seat, angst filled reads. My advice to my readers when starting one of my titles…prepare for the unexpected. I have always had a passion for storytelling, whether it be through lyrics or bed time stories with my sisters growing up. My mum would always have a book in her hand when I was young and passed on her love for reading, inspiring me to venture into writing my own. I tend to have a darker edge to my writing. Not all love stories are made from light; some are created in darkness but are just as powerful and worth telling. When I’m not lost in the world of characters I love spending time with my family. I’m a mum and that comes first in my life but when I do get down time I love attending music concerts or reading events with my younger sister.Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Facebook Group Today C.R. Ellis is here today to share her new romance WHY STARS CHASE THE SUN! Check it out and be sure to get your copy today!Title: Why Stars Chase the SunAuthor: C.R. EllisGenre: Contemporary RomanceAbout Why Stars Chase the Sun:JADE Twenty-four hours. A no-strings-attached adventure with the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen—this was my alcohol-slash-lust-fueled proposal, and given before I could consider the potential ramifications. While his looks alone are enough to make a girl swoon, it’s the rest of him—a perfect balance of mysterious, sweet, and effortlessly charming—that draws me in. Through his cryptic comments and half-answers, he’s quickly become an enigma I’m determined to solve. One way or another, this adventure promises to snap the stagnant, lackluster pattern my love life has been locked in lately. Is it naïve and a little reckless to think this won’t blow up in my face? Probably. But the bigger question is the only one I need to answer… Is the chance to soar among the stars worth the risk of being burned when the sun eventually rises? EMMETT Love is a mistake I won’t make again. My rules are simple. Keep things surface-deep. Don’t make plans. And never, ever get attached. One look at her is all it takes for me to break my first rule. One conversation with her is all it takes for me to question everything. Which means accepting her proposal is bound to be a mistake. She has no idea who I am or what kind of demons I live with, so I tell myself there’s no harm in spending one day with her. But the more I lose myself in her, the more she brings me out of the darkness and into her light, the harder it’ll be to let her go. When reality comes crashing down on us in the worst way possible, I have to decide between walking away…or risking everything for the woman who breaks all of my rules.GET YOUR COPY TODAY!AmazonAbout C.R. Ellis:C.R. Ellis is a Texas native who writes contemporary romance novels with plenty of drama and humor, and just enough heat to ignite e-readers and paperbacks everywhere. She can almost always be found attached to her laptop with coffee nearby and her two trusty canine sidekicks by her side. When she’s not writing or plotting, she enjoys going to concerts with her sweet husband, dragging him along to see rom-coms at any theater that serves booze, checking off the next destination on her ever-growing travel bucket list, and trying new recipes. Her passion for writing stems from her lifelong love of reading, and she often binge-reads entire books in a day. She’s an unapologetic book hoarder, and her paperback collection is rivaled only by her massive shoe collection.Connect with C.R. EllisWebsite | Facebook | InstagramEnter C.R.’s Giveaway:a Rafflecopter giveaway
Title: Do Not Respond
Author: M.R. Field
Genre: Romantic Comedy/Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 29, 2018
Blurb
âStick to the rules and you wonât have a problem working for this arrogant, sanctimonious cad.â
The Rules of DNR: How to Survive Working for Cole Lawson
Do Not Emails are meant to be sent to yourself onlyânever to be re-read or responded to.
Vent about your mean boss and donât focus on the scruff on his chin. Ignore the butterflies that flutter as he stares back at you and concentrate on his condescending tone.
I wish Iâd listened.
I wish Iâd never drank my body weight in vodka and sent him a venting email, telling him exactly what I really thought about his Lycra-wrapped package and the way he makes my body hum.
The last thing I needed was to break those DNR rules and send an email to my boss.
Work is about to get a lot more interesting. What have I got myself into?
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Releasing on the following platforms
on July 3, 2018
Excerpt
I stand and move my laptop to the other side of the desk and shuffle in my chair, tidying around it before watering my bamboo plant. My water bottle is empty, so I walk to the bathroom to refill it; I open the door and freeze.
Oh, my God.
Standing in the opened shower door is a very naked, wet, lean, and did I mention naked, Cole. The water continues to fall across his body and Iâm trapped looking at him. How is water not going everywhere? His left arm is up against the wall as his other hand is moving up and down his cock. My pulse quickens and my grip tightens on the doorknob. I stand mesmerised, watching his shoulder muscles move with every stroke.
Holy shit heâs filled out since I saw him shirtless at the beach last. I canât get over what my fingers ran over last night. He groans and I bite my lip, taking one more peek at his hand and then bum. Yes, it looks even better out of suit pants.
I remember squeezing that.
Okay. Not helping my libido. Time to do something about it.
I step in and close the door, flicking the lock behind me. Coleâs head turns to me, his hand halting, still grasping his hard cock. I run my eyes down his body and lick my bottom lip. I watch his taut muscles as I rest my eyes on his hand. His thumb brushes over the head of his cock and warmth gathers between my thighs.
I want him inside me so badly but his hand enthrals me. I walk towards him and join him in the shower room, closing that door behind me as well. My gaze flicks up to his. Water runs down the back of his head, covering his hot body.
The open doorway makes it almost impossible for me to not join him. But I want to watch him.
âI dare you,â I beg.
âTo do what, Letty?â He asks seductively. Luring me in, making me move closer.
âShow me.â I move my hand towards my chest. âI want you to finish.â
âIâll show you what you do to me.â His voice deepens, his eyes darkening. His elbow tenses. His hand tightens. The head of his cock throbs. He shifts his hand up along his shaft, and my eyes couldnât leave him if I tried.
Author Bio
M R Field is an author from Rural Victoria and has completed a Bachelor's degree with Honours from Latrobe University, Melbourne. After growing up with the river at her front door, she returned back to her hometown after many years of living in the city. She now lives a tranquil lifestyle with her husband, two young children and effervescent dog, Zephyr .
M R Field has always held a love for writing, filling journals as a child which progressed to more eloquent pieces as an adult. After ten years of creative instruction, she decided to turn these ideas into manuscripts. She adores creating new story lines and is a big fan of a happily ever after, but believes strongly in making her characters work for it.
She has recently decided to join the independent publishing world with her debut novel, Fragments, which released late 2014, alongside its subsequent novel, Splinters that released in 2015. Fractures, her latest novel released on October, 25th 2016. Do Not Respond, a standalone comedy, is releasing June 2018.
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PRE-ORDER ALERT! Reserve your copy of The Solution to Unrequited by Len Webster TODAY!!! GET IT EVERYWHERE: Amazon → https://amzn.to/2IsWLeR Apple → https://apple.co/2JyoY9h Barnes & Noble → http://bit.ly/2lDm590 Kobo → http://bit.ly/2tya3BU BLURB: Atomic number: 33 Name of chemical element: Arsenic Symbol: As Every solution has a poisonous flaw … even between best friends. The agreement: Fall break together. The struggle: A road trip from North Carolina to Massachusetts. The reason: To find a way back into each other’s lives. The issue: AJ’s not ready to let Evan reclaim the parts of her he made his. The hindrance: Connecticut. About Len Len Webster is a romance-loving Melburnian with dreams of finding her version of ‘The One.’ But until that moment happens, she writes. Having just graduated with her BBusCom from Monash University, Len is now busy writing her next romance about how a boy met a girl, and how they fell completely and hopelessly in love. She is also not a certified explorer, but she’s working on it.Follow Len Everywhere! BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/len-webster Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lennwebster Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/lennwebster Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lennwebster Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/lennwebster Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennwebster Website: https://www.lenwebster.com
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My lies? Impeccable. My heart? Cold as ice. My only job? To convince her what we had was as real as the diamond I intended to place on her finger. The battle was someone else’s. I was merely a soldier, recruited by a wealthy stranger who made it unapologetically clear that my future—and everything I’ve ever worked—for depended on the successful completion of this mission. I was prepared for war. But I wasn’t prepared for Love Aldridge … Jude “You know she’s way too good for you, right?” Lo says, rocking Ellie on her hip as she stands in my kitchen. “Yep.” “Like … way.” She laughs through her nose, studying my outfit. “It’s weird seeing you like this.” “Like what?” Lo rolls her eyes. “You know. No ripped jeans or vintage Ramones t-shirts. Hair actually combed for once.” I know I look like a schmuck with my pressed slacks and cashmere sweater and shiny Italian loafers and hair parted on the side and slicked with brill cream, but this is all part of Hunter’s master plan. “If you want to hook Love, you have to use the right bait,” he’d said, comparing his ex-wife to a fucking fish. “God, this place is amazing,” Lo says, carrying Ellie from the kitchen to the living room, where she hones in on the kind of view we only ever dreamed of. “Sure beats our fourth floor walk-up.” She smirks. “Yeah. Just a little.” “I Venmo’d you the rent money this morning,” I said. “Next six months are covered. There’s some extra for food and Piper’s meds.” Lo turns to me, her smart-ass expression fading. She’s tough as rocks, but I swear I see a hint of tears brimming in her eyes. She doesn’t have to say a word. I know what this means to her. After her deadbeat ex was hauled off to prison a couple years back for running drugs (unbeknownst to all of us), she found herself a twenty-three-year-old single mother with a toddler and a newborn, no job, and no way to feed them. At the time, I’d been out of the Army for a few years, had just finished my plumbing apprenticeship, and landed a decent job at Premier Plumb and Supply in Brooklyn. As soon as Lo finally admitted to me that she was struggling and about to become evicted, I found a hole-in-the-wall two-bedroom above a pizza shop and moved them in, vowing to help her get on her feet. Now, during the day, Lo stays home with the girls. At night she waits tables at some exclusive restaurant on 67th Street, heading into the city shortly after the girls go down for the night. Tips are decent and the hours are shit, but she doesn’t complain because this has always been temporary. The plan was for her to start nursing school at Touro, and she was going to start this summer. But I lost my job a few months back due to cutbacks, and one of us had to make sure the rent was still being paid. “You sure you want to do this?” Lo asks, biting her lower lip as Ellie runs her chubby fingers through her hair. Piper is seated in the cognac chair across from the TV, messing with a remote that I’m pretty sure belongs to the fireplace. “What choice do I have?” I’d spent the last three months applying for jobs, but all the ones I could find had shitty pay, zero benefits, or shady reputations. I booked every music gig I could find, playing at any bar that would so much as take me for an hour or two at night, but it didn’t make up for the lost wages, and most of it went toward Piper’s meds anyway. “We could always move,” she says. “It costs money to move, Lo. And we don’t have that right now.” My tone is short and I don’t mean to come at her that way, but I don’t need to be reminded that what I’m doing is nothing less than heartless. “As soon as this is over, we can look into moving somewhere cheap and safe. With good people and even better schools. All this stress, this bullshit? It’s about to end.” Taking a seat at a kitchen bar stool, I slump my elbow on the counter and exhale. “She seems really nice,” Lo says. “Sweet.” “I know.” “And she just went through a divorce,” she adds. “She’s probably already heartbroken. And you’re just going to come in and—” Fuck. “I know.” Lo doesn’t manage our finances. She doesn’t see that we’re one rough month away from being out on the street, one unexpected bill away from Piper not having her EpiPen or inhaler when she needs it. A million dollars and a record deal. That’s what this deal is worth to Hunter LeGrand, that’s what he laid on the table. And before I had a chance to so much as think it over, he was elaborating on the fact that he’s “well connected” and he can “make shit happen” and he has no qualms about “blacklisting people like you” should they deserve it. He also felt the need to remind me that singer-songwriters like me were on every street corner in Manhattan, that I could always make a living busking in the subways or singing covers on YouTube if this deal didn’t pan out because he’d personally see to it that my name would never be in lights. “The girls are probably hungry,” I say to Lo, checking my watch. “Let’s grab something.” My sister moves Ellie to her other hip, her eyes snapping to the floor. “It’s okay. We should get going so we can catch the five.” “I thought I was taking you guys out for lunch … made us reservations at Serendipity III.” “I’m sorry, Jude. After seeing her … it just doesn’t feel right spending your blood money on frozen hot chocolate.” My sister can be so fucking dramatic sometimes. “It’s not blood money, Lo,” I say, half-chuckling. “No one’s getting offed.” “You know what I mean.” She speaks quickly and her gaze moves to mine. “Come on, Pipes. Let’s go.” Piper places the fireplace remote on the table where she found it and slides off the leather chair, dashing across the living room toward her mother, her dark pigtails bouncing. A second later, the three of them head to the door, only before they leave, Lo turns to me. “The place is great and all, Jude, but don’t get too comfortable in case this whole thing blows up in your face. Because it will. And when it does, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” They leave before I have a chance to respond, and I’m left with my kid sister’s words echoing in my head, resonating off the deepest fragments of my conscience and all the parts of me that wish I never walked into Blue Stream Records that random Tuesday in May, flash drive demo in hand, and crossed paths with the CEO himself in the elevator lobby. I should’ve known when Hunter said, “I don’t normally take unsolicited demos, but you seem like exactly the kind of act I’m looking for right now,” that he wasn’t talking about music. Not at all. Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Winter Renshaw is a bona fide daydream believer. She lives somewhere in the middle of the USA and can rarely be seen without her trusty Mead notebook and ultra portable laptop. When she’s not writing, she’s living the American dream with her husband, three kids, and the laziest puggle this side of the Mississippi. And if you'd like to be the first to know when a new book is coming out, please sign up for her private mailing list here ---> http://eepurl.com/bfQU2j
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