Title: Finding North
Expected Release Date: December 26, 2015
Blurb
Red Maine’s blue-collared bad boy, North Underwood, has a dirty little secret—Will Tanner.
Friends since kindergarten, North had been the one to jump first, and his fall into Will’s bed ten years ago had been no exception. Will and North had been inseparable, but things change, people grow apart, and even a blazing flame can dwindle to a dying ember over time. The more things change the more they stay the same. After a run in with a bottle of Bundy rum, Will and North find themselves in a compromising and all too familiar position. Blurred lines, bad decisions, and one wrong foot after another lead these two down a spiral of sarcasm, secrets, and sex, but when North’s hetero status is called into question he can’t figure up from down. And despite Will telling himself he wouldn’t fall again, he’s head over heels and wandering without a compass. Love is love. Love is truth. Love … shouldn’t be this damn hard to figure out.
Author Bio
Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA TODAY and international bestselling author of the Sugartown, Savage Saints, and Taint series.
Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU 2015. A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore MAC addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny north coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child. A romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture? Published titles to date: Welcome to Sugartown (Sugartown Series #1) Enjoy Your Stay (Sugartown Series #2) Greetings from Sugartown (Sugartown Series #3) Now Leaving Sugartown (Sugartown Series #4) REVELRY (Taint #1) KICK (Savage Saints MC #1) TANK (Savage Saints MC #2)
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Two bestselling authors, two sexy alpha brothers in one explosive book!
FINALLY! It's release day!
The Maddox Brothers
By Ella Jade and Lacey Wolfe
SPECIAL RELEASE PRICE $1.99
Get lucky with the Maddox Brothers...
Successful brothers Hudson and Liam Maddox are living the lives they’ve always dreamed of. Neither is looking for a relationship, more interested in keeping their single status with the ladies. That all changes when Kennedy and Chelsea enter their lives.
Hudson
Hudson has been focusing on his career and building a solid business in the real estate industry. The charismatic attorney has recently been named the most eligible bachelor in town. He's never been interested in settling down until he collides with the easygoing Kennedy. She invades his orderly life in a matter of days. Has this carefree younger woman been what's missing in his meticulous world?
Liam
Content with his life, Liam has built his own construction business and takes pride from it's excellent reputation. After having his heart broken years ago, he’s decided not to take any relationship too seriously. But then the woman who tore his heart up years ago returns and hires his company for her home renovations. Trying to keep his cool around Chelsea is damn near impossible. All he has to do is complete the renovation and then never see Chelsea again. As if it was that simple.
Contains adult content. Not intended for readers under 18.
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I walked through hell, some of it caused by myself. Things were torn away from me that I would never get back. Hearts were broken beyond repair. Then mayhem ensued, and I lost who I was.
Music was always part of it. Music almost killed me. It dragged me in, caught me up, and almost destroyed me. I lost who I was and became someone I never wanted to be. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The release, the buzz, the electric guitar's rage against all that was f'ed up in the world. It took me away and made me feel something when I was a soulless nothing … until the high wore off. Music also brought me back. I woke to a Zeppelin song, face down in my own vomit, next to a pile of coke and with three naked women at my feet. Disgusted with myself, disgusted with them, I walked, and I walked alone. One chance meeting, a golden opportunity, a chance of a lifetime changed it all. The sins of the past are behind me now. The day has finally come when I will walk onstage, not as an opening act, but as the act. Hours before my dream comes to fruition, though, I run into a girl, one f'ing girl, and I am back on the path of destruction.
“I’ve tasted better.” His eyes lazily gaze down my body, causing me to squirm inside, but I hold it together. He takes the Blow Pop and rubs it across my lower lip before I am able to react. “So have you.”
“Enough,” I whisper. “That’s enough.”
He rolls his blood shot eyes and lets out a slow sigh. “Not yet it’s not.”
“You’re high. That’s your problem, you know. You hate me when you’re sober, so why not make that your reason to ‘just say no.’ ” I air quote the anti- drug catch phrase.
His eyes dance in amusement. They are lighter, clearer, less mucky, and how messed up is that? He’shigh!
“I’d rather be like Nike and just do it.” He makes the swish with his finger, and I can’t help staring at it. It’s long and thick and— “You liked it.”
“I’m not a piece of ass,” comes out louder than I intended, and he looks at me more sternly. Then I whisper, “I told you that the other night.”
“Then you came all over my face.”
When I gasp, he pulls his shades down, turns around, pops the Blow Pop back in his mouth, and then grips the arm rests as we ascend into the air. I quickly unwrap another sour apple Blow Pop and pop it in my mouth. Then I look out of the corner of my eye to see he’s smirking.
“That flavor suits you better.”
AMAZON * B&NAMAZON * B&N * KOBO
USA Today bestselling author MJ FIELDS's love of writing was in full swing by age eight.
Together with her cousins, she wrote a newsletter and sold it for ten cents to family members. She self-published her first New Adult romance in January 2013. Today she has completed six self-published series,The Love series, The Wrapped series, The Burning Souls series, The Men of Steel series, Ties of Steel series, and The Norfolk series. MJ is a hybrid author who publishes an Indie book almost every month, and is signed with a traditional publisher, Loveswept, Penguin Random House, for her co- written series The Caldwell Brothers. Hendrix is available now, Morrison will be released on December 22nd, 2015. There is always something in the works, and she has three, yes, three, new series coming out this summer, and fall. MJ was a former small business owner, who closed shop so she could write full time. MJ lives in central New York, surrounded by family and friends. Her house is full of pets, people, friends, and noise ninety percent of the time, and she would have it no other way.
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Title: Carnal Desire
Series: Onyx Club #3
Author: Sebastian Ex
Genre: Erotic Romance
Cover Design: Book Cover By Design
Release Date: November 23, 2015
Blurb
My name is Nathan Stone, and I’m part owner of a BDSM club called The Onyx Room – and I’m not like any other man you’ve ever met. I own the club with my two best friends, Matthew and Brandon. I’m the dungeon Master who runs The Onyx Room. Matthew and Brandon support me. I’m also in love with my girl. Bianca and I have been together since the night she got in my car to sell me her body. She thought I’d take her for an hour to sate my carnal desire, but what she didn’t know was that I’d seen her before and purposely bought her to save her from herself. Bianca needed more than a Dominant. She needed a Master. My name is Master Nathan Stone, and welcome to my world. *Possible triggers, coarse language, graphic sex and adult themes.
Excerpt
Bianca requires aftercare as much as she needs the sting of the pain. I clean her wounds, and apply a liberal amount of Neosporin ointment and let the wounds breathe. I then cover her up with the thin blanket and sit on the bed beside her. “Slave.” Her eyes flicker open. “Here you go.” I unscrew the water bottle and hold it to her lips. She automatically reaches out so she can take the bottle, but I lightly smack her hand away. “I’ll take care of you.” Bianca smiles, then puts her lips to the bottle as I tip it so she can drink.
“Thank you, Master,” she dreamily says before placing her head on the pillow and falling into sleep. Walking away from the bed and to the opposite side of the playroom, I take my phone out of my pocket and call Matthew. “Hey,” he says when he answers. “Hey, I’m supposed to do an inventory check today but Bianca is starting to fall. We’ve just had a mini scene, but she’s out of it. Can you go in and start it, and I’ll be there in a few hours. I need to make sure she’s okay.” “She alright?” “Not great, but I’m hoping this time I can get to her before her mind fucks her over.” “Dude, whatever you need.” “Thanks, can you go in and start inventory?” “Yeah, I’m taking Ella to see Debra her OBGYN, check the baby and make sure everything’s alright, then we can head in and start on it.” “Thanks, we’ll be there before the club opens, but I just can’t get there for a couple of hours.”
“Yeah, man, don’t worry yourself. I’ve got it covered, look after your girl.”
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Author Bio
Sebastian Ex is a native of Sydney, Australia, having grown up in a tight-knit family mostly surrounded by women. From a young age he had a passion for all things green and outdoors, when he hit mid-teenage years he did an apprenticeship as a landscape gardener.
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Release Blitz Title: Emily's Protectors Author: K.L. Donn Genre: Contemporary Romance Cover Designer: Tammie Smith - https://www.facebook.com/RNGDCOVERSANDDESIGN Release Date: November 12, 2015 She was on the run. Emily Baxter has been running from a stalker determined to catch her. By chance she hears of Maxwell Secures and decides to fight one last time. Not realizing her biggest battle will be with herself. They were hired to protect her. Dane Johnston and Cooper Sheppard always knew they were meant to share a woman. They never anticipated the blond bombshell that was thrown their way. In need of protection, they jump at the chance to help. He wanted her for himself. Will they be able to protect Emily when she need’s it most? Or will her stalker finally get what he wants?BUY NOW http://amzn.to/1HGypr8 Waking up early the next morning, Emily was shocked at the position she was in. In front of her was Dane’s handsome face. He looked so relaxed in sleep; so peaceful. He was even bigger up close. She knew he was huge before, but now? Having his body pressed up against hers, her head just under his chin and her legs only going as far as his shins she thought, Christ, he’s enormous. He had one hand cupping her ass cheek from underneath her and one under her shirt laying in the dip of her waist. It was… different. Nice but definitely different. She hadn’t had many men touch her before, but the way he held her felt good. Turning her head, she looked up to see Coop behind her with his front plastered to her back; they were practically one unit lying there. He was so close she could feel his erection nestled in between her ass cheeks. Blushing at the thought, she wiggled a little. Hearing a loud groan behind her and feeling a hand flex in her hair tightly, she stopped moving around. A whisper in her ear had her halting altogether. “Baby girl.” Coop breathed out, snaking his other hand around her middle and placing it just below her breasts, pulling her closer to him. “Fuck.” He hissed out when she went to turn over and brushed his erection with her hip. “Wh—“ clearing her throat she tried again. “What are you guys doing in here?” she whispered not wanting to wake Dane. “You’re beautiful in the mornings.” He smiled at her, running one hand down her cheek. “We heard you moaning last night and came in to see if you were ok. You were having a nightmare so we climbed in trying to wake you, but as soon as we touched you, you calmed down and we stayed,” he said logically. I was having a nightmare? And they stayed? Why would they stay? She questioned herself over and over again. Getting up, she decided to let it go. Well shit, getting out of bed with two huge-ass men wrapped around you is not easy. She sighed, struggling to get up because neither of them felt inclined to let go of her. After rustling around for a few minutes, she was finally free and went to jump off the bed only to get tangled in the sheet. She damn near did a face plant if it wasn’t for the hands that grabbed her so quickly, stopping her just millimeters from hitting the carpeted floor. Letting out a very un-ladylike squeak as she was flipped to her feet, she came face to chest with a sleepy looking Dane. Smiling sheepishly she mumbled out a thanks, grabbed her bag, and ran for the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her and leaning against it. Krystal is a 28 year old stay at home of 4 children, 3 boys, and 1 girl, she has a love for reading that she shares with them anyway she can. Her daughter is forever asking her to write a children’s book just for her, that she might consider. She has been with her hubby, Steve, for 11 years, happily married for 9 of them. She was first an avid reader, then an enthusiastic blogger, and has now finally had her dreams come true and become a writer. More often than not she can be found at home with her family, reading, writing, or scrapbooking. She is a coffee addict, book-aholic, and loves to hear from her fans. Find K.L. Donn here: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/KL-Donn/e/B012LJJYZO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14100370.K_L_Donn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KLDonnAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/author_kldonnRead Keeley's Fight now on sale for only 99 cents! http://amzn.to/1Nb7jwM
Detective Drake Nash: hot, alpha, bossy, and… mine. Now, if someone could tell his ex that... I don’t care if the summer fayre is coming to Holly Woods and she’s on the planning committee. What I do care about is sugar-filled food, bright lights, late nights… and danger. The type that won’t come in the form of Nonna’s new cantankerous British parrot, Gio. (Please see the damage done to Mom’s new curtains.) Unfortunately, when the danger comes, it comes in the form of something Holly Woods has never seen. The town is rocked to its core, and once again, I’m in danger. Only this time, it isn’t because of my clients—this time, I’m in danger because of who I am… Because of my heritage. And despite the HWPD’s best efforts, the bodies keep on piling up. Drake’s determined to protect me. I’m determined that I can do it myself. Danger. Mystery. Darkness. Malice. It’ll be a miracle if any of us make it out of this with guns unfired, cupcakes still frosted, and hearts intact… AMAZON US *** AMAZON UK *** iBooks *** KOBO
It’s better for my sanity if I get this conversation with Nonna over and done with. Oh my fuck. I have to meet the parrot, too. Holy fuckballs. What if the colorful rat sides with her? Oh, who am I kidding? Of course it’s gonna side with Nonna. Shit. Clearly, I can be swayed by the desperation of my future sister-in-law. I’ve really gotta get a handle on that crap. This should be Devin having this conversation, not me. That thought hits right as I pull up behind Mom’s car on the drive. I take a deep breath, apprehension coiling in my lower stomach, and get out of my car. This feeling always hits whenever I get to my parents’ place, but today, it’s particularly strong. I know that Nonna will play the innocent card and make everything a lot harder. I walk across the front yard, and a loud squawk rings in my ears. My heart stops for a brief second, and I bite my tongue. That thing is loud. How are Mom and Dad coping with that? I knock on the front door twice before I push it open. “Ye cruel wench! Ye vile wench! Cazzo! Cazzo!” Nice to meet you, too, Gio. “Hello,” I call hesitantly, closing the door behind me. “Aye! Ye bloody wench!” “Oh, shut up, you little shit!” Mom yells. I walk into the front room in time to see her cover the offending bird’s cage with a bedsheet. “Wench! Wench!” Gio squawks from beneath the black sheet. Mom smacks the cage. “I’ll wench your beak real soon!” Oy vey. Things have sure gotten violent in the Bond family home. Nonna shuffles into the front room and, upon seeing Gio covered, gasps. “Kellie, you-a let-a him go-a!” Mom snorts. “Believe me, Liliana. If I could imprison the little shit, I would! My curtains are ruined!” I glance at the window. There’s a giant rip in one of the drapes. The ones she bought two weeks ago. Nonna gasps and rushes across the room, her cane nothing more than a steadying tool. “Gio!” she exhales, whipping the sheet off. “You-a okay?” The concern on her face is comical. Oh, Nonna. “Vile wench! Vile wench!” Gio shrills, violently flapping his bright-green wings. “Kellie, ye vile wench!” I squint. Doesn’t seem like Gio’s conversational skills are up to much unless he’s going to hop on the Black Pearl. “Hello?” I try again, stepping fully into the front room. Nonna is leaning forward, cooing at the parrot, and ignores me. Mom turns, her nostrils flaring. She’s mad. “Nonna, do you know you can hear that thing halfway down the street?” I inquire. “He is-a no thing,” Nonna murmurs. “He is-a Gio!” Yeah, whatever. Gio’s wings flap again, and Nonna stands. Two beady, black eyes focus on me, and it’s surprisingly uncomfortable. A high-pitched noise that sounds awfully like a whistle emits from the cage, and I blink harshly. “Did he just—” Gio interrupts me with a loud, unmistakable wolf whistle. Holy shit. The parrot just wolf-whistled at me.
By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies - usually wine - and writes books.
Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.
She likes to be busy - unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.
TITLE: COMPLICATE ME
BY: BEST SELLING AUTHOR M. ROBINSON
RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 14TH
COVER DESIGN: THE FINAL WRAP
Synopsis:
It was complicated, it was also just the beginning.
A decision.
A simple choice.
There is always that one moment in life where things could have been different. That one moment where you could have chosen a path that would lead you down a certain road.
A different life.
It was easier to pretend that we were still best friends, and that she was my girl and I was her boy.
Pretending was better than knowing the truth...
I. Ruined. Us.
I had her.
I lost her.
I love her.
All I did was complicate us.
â
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My brown eyed girl sat on our blankets with her arms wrapped around her knees, hiding her face. The tiny frame that I adored so much shook uncontrollably, only heightening the deepest sobbing that escalated with each passing second. It was such an intimate moment, not to be shared with anyone, especially me. Alex didnât cry. I watched her bawl for the first time in my life. I had never seen anyone cry like that before, and it shook me to my core, slicing me whole, and making me feel like I was dying. Carving a memory that I would take to my grave.
There was no going backâ¦
No erasing.
No do overs.
No deleting.
What I witnessed tonight would be my purgatory; I would now close my eyes and forever see her falling apart in front of me. Shattering before my very own eyes and I found it hard to breathe.
Hard to move.
My feet were glued to the goddamn floor as she continued to weep, sob, bawl, violently sucking in air that wasnât available. I accepted it all; each tear that fell from her face becoming pieces of me. Circulating through my veins and blood, it flowed endlessly, a river of her sadness and sorrow and of my broken promises. No beginning or ending to her cries, just an infinite current, flooding the hole where my heart should be. The shadow of her trembling petite body reflected off the walls, leaving a trail of regrets in its wake.
Mine.
Hers.
Ours.
Growing up in a small town you overheard a lot of things. People talking, stories told, town gossip. You listened a lot. You learned a lot. Tourists, townies, friends, and especially family all shared wisdom and advice that you think you will never need.
Bunch of bullshit.
They say you have that one moment in life where things could have been different, that one moment that changes the course of your life or the direction you could have taken. That one moment that could forever change you and everything you wanted to be true, everything you wanted to believe.
One simple decision could alter your entire future.
My entire world.
I would forever remember this moment for the rest of my life. This is the moment that changed everything. This is the moment where I took another direction, another road that led me to my own demise.
My own regrets.
I should have walked in there. I should have apologized. I should have begged for her forgiveness. I should have promised that I would never hurt her again. I should have done whatever it took to make her look at me the way she had our entire lives.
But I didnâtâ¦
I did none of those thingsâ¦
Not one.
Nothing was said between us.
No words.
No actions.
I was a coward and couldnât do it. I couldnât see her like that. I couldnât look into her eyes and know that I had hurt her. That I had disappointed her. That I ruined her love and lost her respect for me.
The boy who promised he would never hurt her.
The boy who swore he would always protect her.
The boy who vowed he would never let anything happen to her.
That same boy was me.
I was the reason she was bawling.
I was the reason she was hurt.
I was the reason she was broken.
She knew the truth. It had finally caught up to me⦠I shattered her illusion that I was hers. I ruined the one good thing I had in my life. The girl that owned my heart was bleeding out for me in a way that I had never seen before. The house was no longer our safe place.
I had brought my hurricane with meâ¦
I couldnât risk the possibility of losing her permanently if I walked in there and admitted my truths. She wouldnât love me anymore, she wouldnât look at me the same anymore, and she wouldnât be mine anymore.
My brown eyed girl.
The girl that I had loved all of my life.
The same girl that I would love for the rest of my life.
Alexandra.
I gave her the only comfort I could in her moment of despair. I turned around and left. I walked down the stairs and got into my truck. I turned the engine on and drove my sorry ass home. I took a shower and never once looked at myself in the mirror. I pretended that nothing changed. That I didnât cause her pain, and that she didnât know the truth. That I didnât see her sobbing and that she wasnât even bawling to begin with. That we were still just best friends, and that she was my girl and I was her boy.
My Half-Pint and her Bo.
It was better than knowingâ¦
I ruined us.
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PREORDER BLITZâ
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Title: FORBID ME (The Good Olâ Boys 2)
Release Date: November 24th
Cover Model: Kevin Lajeunesse
Cover Design: The Final Wrap
SYNOPSIS:
It was only a matter of time until the truth came out.
I never thought it would come to thisâ¦
I tried, God knows I tried to stay away from her but eventually I crossed that line and broke that trust. I could no longer go back and I sure as fuck didnât regret a single moment of it. I knew there would be hell to pay, I knew the wrath Iâd be facing but I would willingly take the burns and scars just to have the love of my best friend's sister.
If there is one person Iâd willingly go to hell and back for it wasâ¦
Lillian Ryder
Standalone within a series. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Strong language and sexual content, not intended for readers under 18.
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She narrowed her eyes at me and started to walk backwards down the hall and into her bedroom with me following close behind. Our eyes locked the entire time, both of us knowing where this was going. She sat on the edge of the bed, while I leaned my shoulder against the doorframe, my arms folded over my chest with one leg crossed over the other. I took in her disappointment that I hadnât followed her to the bed. I let a few seconds linger between us, wanting to remember her and this moment. Just. Like. This. âStand up,â I ordered in a harsh tone. She didnât think twice about it. âTake off your dress.â She reached for the hem. âSlower.â She gradually lifted her dress over her creamy thighs, and I rubbed my fingers over my mouth already tasting her. She threw her dress on the floor and stood in front of me in nothing but her bra and panties. âTurn for me.â She did. âYouâre so beautiful,â I murmured, loud enough for her to hear. She reached for her bra. âNo.â She cocked her head to the side with a questioning expression. âThatâs my job. I get to strip you completely naked. I get to make you wet. I get to taste you. I get to make you come. Do you understand me?â She nodded and swallowed hard. The bedroom was the only place Lily ever took orders, the thought alone made her wet. âLay on the bed and close your eyes.â She was about to say something and I arched an eyebrow. âBe my good little girl and donât make me repeat myself.â She crawled on the bed making sure to give me a view of her voluptuous butt swaying with each movement she made. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I pushed off the wall and ripped off one of the hydrangeas from the vase on her bedside table. I took off my ball cap, setting it on the edge of the bed and placed the hydrangea on the tip of her nose. I kept her house stocked with them now just because I loved seeing her smile every time she looked at them. I spent too many years not seeing that smile. I slowly moved it down her body, barely touching her skin but enough to where it left goose bumps in its wake. Once I reached her pussy I pressed down firmer, moving it back and forth against her clit. She sucked in a breath of air. I continued to play with her for a few seconds. Setting the hydrangea on the nightstand, I took off her bra and then her panties, bringing them up to my face and smelled her wetness.
Best Selling Author M. Robinson loves to read. She favors anything that has angst, romance, triangles, cheating, love, and of course sex! She has been reading since the Babysitters Club and R.L. Stein.
She was born in New Jersey but was raised in Tampa Fl. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D in psychology, with two years left.
She is married to an amazing man who she loves to pieces. They have two German Shepherd mixes and a Tabby cat.
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Emily Barnes likes things measured and timed, just like any baker. When she loses the apartment that she needs to run her home-based muffin business, she's faced with a choice: couch surfing at her very loud best friends' separated by thin walls or house sitting an otherwise empty Upper East Side luxury apartment overlooking Central Park. Obviously it’s a no-brainer for this smart cookie.
Declan Hayes is used to people asking things of him and saying no. However, for Maggie, his parent’s cook and housekeeper, he would do just about anything, including going over to his parent’s apartment to check on her pseudo niece who is staying there. His plan was to get in and get out, but the second he saw her, something changed. Something about her sparked the normally cold and dismal place to life; she made it warm and inviting. He finally understood the phrase “there’s no place like home.”
Can Emily and Declan trust the timing of their lives or adjust the lens from which they see them?
Hope, faith, trust and...love?
Will these things be enough for Emily and Declan to get the one thing they both never thought they needed in life?
It’s a good thing they are “Floured” because life is about to get sticky.
Aunt Maggie practically begged me to apartment-sit while she was in California for a much-needed vacation. She said that I would be doing her a favor, but I was on to her. She knew that I didn't like depending on other people; it was the main reason that I moved as far away from my family as possible. It's not that I didn't love them—because I did—I just didn't ever want to end up like my mother. She depended on my father for everything. She gave up her life for him, and what did it get her? After seventeen years of marriage, it got her nada, zip, zero, zilch. No, I would never be that woman. My sister was headed down the exact same road, and that's how I ended up in this mess in the first place. Once again, she got involved with the wrong guy. If I had a dollar for every time she said, “He's the one,” I would be rich. It wasn’t that they weren't both smart and beautiful women; it was just that they both seemed to still believe in white knights and happily ever afters. I used to see my father that way, but when he traded in my mother for a younger model and left my sister and me behind without a backward glance, it made me see things differently very quickly. Now, I chose to believe that I am the master of my own fate. I could save myself, thank you very much. Besides, who ever said I needed to be saved? This was just a bump in the road, a little setback, a wrinkle in time. You know what they say, that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. When one door closes, another one opens.
Maggie is not really my aunt, but my mom and she had been best friends since junior high. I was closer to her than I was my actual aunt, and I knew she would do anything for me, including asking her employer to allow me to stay in their home while they were traveling in Europe, and she was on the other side of the country. She was the housekeeper and cook for a very prominent couple, and from the sound of it they spent more time traveling than they did at home. Most people would probably take advantage of the situation, but not Maggie. She was one of the most trustworthy people I knew. She had worked for them for years and was desperate to set me up with their son. She assured me that he had his own apartment and rarely visited his mother and father. I’d read articles about him in the business journal; he was very successful and had done great things to expand the family business since taking it over, but I had no interest in dating; I didn’t have time for it. I’d never even been to the apartment before, but based on the posh Upper East Side address, I knew it would be nice.
I closed the door to the apartment with my giant fake designer purse slung over my shoulder, my suitcase rolling behind me, and headed to the subway station. At least I would be able to save some money for a new place while I stayed at the deluxe apartment in the sky. Don’t judge me, you sang that line too. I got off at Seventy-Seventh Street and walked the quarter mile from the station to the building.
“Good afternoon, Miss.” I almost lost it when the doorman greeted me in his green uniform jacket with the matching captain’s hat. Why did my grandmother subject me and Libby to watching reruns of the Jefferson’s when we were kids? I began to panic, hoping I had some cash in my purse, because if this guy was anything like Ralph he surely would be expecting a tip. “Miss Barnes, I presume,” he said as he followed me into the opulent lobby after holding the door open for me. How did he know who I was? He must have seen the concern in my eyes. “Not to worry, Miss Maggie said we should be expecting you.” Something about the way he said Maggie’s name made me wonder if something was going on between the two. “That and we don’t see a lot of residents arriving on foot pulling their own luggage behind them,” he said with a bright smile that instantly made me feel at ease.
"Oh, right."
"I'm Billy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Barnes." He offered me his hand, but instead of shaking mine, he raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it. I couldn't help but blush at the sweet older man. I hope I'm right about him and Maggie; they would be adorable together.
"And they say chivalry is dead, Billy. Please, call me Emily."
"Very well, Emily. Welcome. Here is the key to the apartment, fourteenth floor; just use it to operate the elevator. All the arrangements have been made with Eastern Express. They will be here in the morning, and I believe you will find all of your deliveries already upstairs. If you need anything, just press nine on the house phone, and it will ring my desk."
I entered the elevator and inserted my key that allowed me access to the fourteenth floor. Wow, okay, so I might not have believed in fairy tales anymore, but the apartment was magical. The elevator opened straight into an elegant gallery that led into the formal living room which boasted high ceilings, crown moldings, hardwood floors, and views of Central Park that were to die for. The room was impeccably decorated—it looked like something you would see in a magazine. I dropped my bags, raised my arms out, and began to spin around in circles like a little girl. To my right was a formal dining room; I could only imagine all the beautiful people that had sat at the long table under the massive crystal chandelier. On the other side of the living room was a library with an enormous desk and floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with hardbound books—the room shared that same magnificent view of the park as the living room. I felt like an intruder as I began to explore the apartment for a bedroom. Maggie had insisted that I stay in the main apartment rather than her quarters. What I could only imagine was the master bedroom was right next to the library. Beveled antique mirrors flanked the tufted headboard. I couldn’t help but run my hand over the luxurious matelassé bedding. The room boasted a closet that was probably bigger than my old apartment. No way was I sleeping in there. The next room I entered was dark and very masculine. It had navy-blue walls and rich mahogany furniture. I felt a bit like Goldilocks when I sat on the bed and decided that it was too firm. I continued down the hall and found another bedroom. It, of course, was beautiful, but I decided to keep on looking. A giant family room was next. In comparison to the elegance of the rest of the apartment, it felt the most casual, the most like home. Don’t get me wrong, the television was the biggest one I’d ever seen and the brown leather furniture was clearly expensive, but it looked like you could get comfy under the cashmere blanket that hung off the back of the sofa. Just off the family room was an average-sized bedroom. The room felt like a garden with linens that were printed with blossoms and birds in pink and green. The room was just right. A set of stairs led up to Maggie’s apartment that was beautiful in its own right. It was a complete one-bedroom apartment, and I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw a collage of photos of Libby and me throughout the years. I returned downstairs and entered the kitchen. It was my dream come true; a baker’s delight with granite counter tops that were perfect for rolling out dough and commercial-grade stainless steel appliances. I nearly fainted when I saw the two side-by-side double ovens. Maybe I had died and gone to heaven. Inside the pantry, I found all of the supplies that Billy had said were delivered. I was so excited to begin baking that I ran to my earlier abandoned luggage and into my room to change my clothes.
I never thought that I would write a novel, although my English teacher my freshman year in college told me that he would hunt me down if I wasn’t published by the time I was thirty. Well, thirty came and went. I was busy being a wife and working mother of two, and nobody came looking for me.
I doubt my sister thought she was about to change my life forever when she got me a book of “mommy porn” for my birthday in 2012, but that’s exactly what she did. After reading the first book in the trilogy, I rushed out and got the other two books. I became obsessed and read the series several times before learning about Fanfiction. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t get enough. The idea fascinated me and I thought, “I can do that.” I was a nervous wreck when I posted my first story, a one shot about my new favorite couple. One story lead to another and then another. My readers encouraged me to write something that was all mine, so that‘s what I did. Thank you to everyone who told me that I could do it. It wouldn’t have been possible without you.
I love reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with my family. Thank you for going on this journey with me.
My life is a secret. His life is dangerous. We’re both stubborn, calculating, and controlling. Mark Dixon doesn’t know what he’s getting into. He doesn’t know his games could cost us our lives. I have to do what is necessary to keep us alive, and that means guarding my heart. But I know I’m defenseless against him, and in the end, he’ll force me to surrender. Now Available for Pre-order! Release Date: January 19th Watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/145322264 About the Author Corinne Michaels is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author of The Salvation Series (Beloved, Beholden, Consolation and Conviction). She’s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife. After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. Both her maternal and paternal grandmothers were librarians, which only intensified her love of reading. After years of writing short stories, she couldn’t ignore the call to finish her debut novel, Beloved. Her alpha Navy SEALs are broken, beautiful, and will steal your heart. Contact Corinne: Website: http://www.corinnemichaels.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CorinneMichaels Instagram: http://instagram.com/authorcorinnemichaels Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCMichaels Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7753662 Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/corinnemichaels/ Blurb: Kelsey
Being around Parker Taylor is like walking a tightrope; the feelings of lust and hate come with the sway of my emotions. One foot in front of the other keeps my life balanced until he causes my steps to falter. One day, I hate his perfect self, and the next, I want to have his babies. He’s a bad habit I can’t allow myself to become addicted to … Parker Being around Kelsey Whitten makes my blood rush and not only south. One minute, I’m pushing her up on the bathroom counter, and the next, she’s cussing at me from those sweet lips of hers. One taste from her smart mouth and I'm sign-me-up-for-a-twelve-step-program addicted. She’s habit-forming and that doesn’t work for me … |