From NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a sexy new standalone sports romance…OUT OF BOUNDS!Ready to be swept off your feet? Meet the witty, sexy, dirty-talking quarterback Drew in OUT OF BOUNDS! Grab your copy today!"Out of Bounds smolders with heat, desire, and wicked swoon-worthy excitement!"~Beneath the Covers Book Blog"So much passion and intensity that you wouldn't expect in a sports romance, but once again, Lauren Blakely BRINGS IT”~Shayna Renee Spicy ReadsThe first rule of football--don't screw with a streak.My career is finally looking up, and I'm leading a new pro team down the field every Sunday. No way will I mess with that. But when I meet the most stunning and captivating woman I've ever seen, I tell myself one night will have to be enough.But it's not. And now I can't get her out of my mind. Even when I'm playing. Even when I need to focus. Even when I’m on the hottest streak of my life.And it turns out, she's not just some random woman I met. She works for the team. My team.***I only have one goal this season--do my part as the team's lawyer to keep them out of trouble. Help rebuild their reputation on and off the field. There's no room for error and certainly no room for a secret tryst with a player . . . even if he's the quarterback.Right?Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play"The perfect mix of sexiness, laughter, and sweetness."~Two Book PushersAdd it to Goodreads here!https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32319429-out-of-bounds ✮✮✮Celebrate the release of OUT OF BOUNDS! ✮✮✮ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!About Lauren Blakely: Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US over three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1.5 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that's full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With twelve New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than seventy times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone hit romances like BIG ROCK, MISTER O, WELL HUNG, and THE SEXY ONE which were all instant New York Times Bestsellers. In January she'll release FULL PACKAGE, a standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter.Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter ** Goodreads
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Title: That Was The Year
Series: Moments #2
Author: Jenny Bravo
Release Date: Nov 22, 2016
People don't belong to people.
Reese Weller has lived by this mantra since she turned ten, and it's never made more sense than at this moment. With her best friend Wendy out of state, and her sometimes-best-friend Vivian married, Reese is left alone in the single world... and she's about to crash and burn. Enter Liam Blake. The boy she pushed away. The one person she may actually need to need right now. The only problem? She's the last person he wants to see.
In a world where Reese and everyone she knows hurts, That Was the Year asks the big questions:
Can people learn to forgive?
Can two people, lonely and lost, find peace in each other?
And most importantly, how?
Captured in a whirlwind year of Reese Weller's chaotic life, the follow-up novel to These Are the Moments will have you flipping pages all night long.
One
She knew this bed.
Or, at least, she thought she did.
Waking up, Reese felt like she was prying her eyes open from a coma, the lids heavier than they’d ever been in her life, her head aching in a way that felt less like a migraine and more like an axe through her skull. She willed herself to pick up her head. She insisted that she open her eyes.
Nothing.
That’s when she remembered the alcohol. And as soon as she remembered it, she felt it. Sloshing around in the pit of her stomach like a fish in its bowl.
She remembered the party. Her party. Turning twenty-six had been a pretty big deal, so throwing the party had been a pretty big deal, too. Bottles had filled the trash can. Shots had caked their throats. And God, had they thrown them back.
Open your eyes, Reese, she told herself. Open your stupid, alcoholic eyes.
And by some miracle, her left pupil graced the world again.
But this was not her room.
That was not her vintage dresser.
That was not her rose-colored wall.
Lift your head, Reese. Lift your morally-questionable head.
Again, the pep talk worked. Slowly and painfully, she dragged her body upright, which was covered up by a fluffy gray comforter that was also, coincidentally, not hers.
This was not her room, but she did know it. She knew the sheer, golden curtains. She knew the ornate mirror next to the closet door.
This was Sophie’s room.
If she was here, then where was Sophie?
“What the—”
That’s when she saw him. Beside her, a tan back with broad, man shoulders tucked into the comforter beside her. A nest of black hair on his head and beneath his armpits. And he was snoring, she noticed now, lightly.
“Holy shit,” she whispered. She could save this. If she acted fast. She placed her hands on his skin, very tentatively, shaking him awake. “Lane. Lane, get up. Lane—”
He didn’t get up.
So, she decided to bolt.
If she could just find her clothes.
Scattered around Sophie’s room, her clothes fell like evidence. She tugged her pants over her legs, shoving her underwear into her pocket. She slipped the shirt over her head, her bra nowhere to be found. Probably under the bed. She’d need to get it later.
Get out, get out, get out.
Reese opened the door.
And Sophie did, too.
Sophie’s face, normally sunny and disgustingly kind, had a warranted look of confusion caked over it.
Reese thought fast. “Morning! Man, what a night, huh?”
“What the… did you two…” Sophie connected the dots, seeing her boyfriend lying naked in the bed. Then yelled, “LANE!”
“Sophie, it’s not what you think,” Reese said.
Because really, who knew for sure?
Yes, Reese had been naked in bed with Sophie’s boyfriend.
Yes, they’d both consumed enough alcohol to stock a liquor store.
But did that necessarily mean that Reese had hooked up with Lane? No, it did not.
Lane sat up. “Oh my God, Sophie.”
“Let’s all just take a breath here,” Reese said.
She hadn’t seen it coming.
She hadn’t seen the fist until it connected with her face.
She hadn’t seen the punch until she felt the sting of her cheek.
“Get out of my house!” Sophie yelled again.
Reese pressed her hand against her cheek, buckled over, not knowing if Sophie was yelling at her or Lane.
“Okay, okay,” Reese said, backing up, surrendering. “I’m just going to go to my room and—”
“Get out, get out, get out!”
That one was definitely directed at Reese. “What about him? He cheated on you, not me.”
The fire in Sophie’s eyes could burn a village.
Reese ducked the next swing of Sophie’s arm, and charged into the living room and out of the house, calling back, “Okay, but I want my bra back!”
Wendy answered the phone on the first ring. “What’s the damage?”
“Well, I screwed up. And it’s all your fault. Where did you go last night?”
Driving away, Reese knew that she’d crossed more lines than normal. She could feel the faintest bit of guilt settling into her stomach.
Sophie’s my friend, she thought. She’s my friend… right?
“I’m at Vivian’s,” Wendy said. “Are we talking bail-me-out-of-jail bad or pregnancy-test bad?”
Reese gritted her teeth. “That is one messed up scale. You see, what happened is—”
Reese didn’t sugarcoat it.
She spread out every detail like food at a picnic.
This always went the same way: Reese would tell her story and Wendy wouldn’t judge. That’s why Reese loved her. Wendy always listened intently before she doled out her advice. Sometimes, Reese would even take it.
“Oh God,” Wendy said. “You really did screw up.”
“Ya think? Now, I’m kicked out of my place in last night’s clothes and all I want in this world is a mountain of ice cream. Or maybe a breakfast taco. I’m too exhausted to decipher my own taste buds.”
“Here’s what you’re going to do. You’re not going to like it.”
Reese tapped her foot on the brake, crawling to a stop at the red light. “I swear to God if you tell me to come to Vivian’s—”
“You need a place to crash. Plus, I’m here until tomorrow. We can have a good old fashioned slumber party.”
Reese was almost sold. “Just let me get through this work day first.”
They were filing soon.
And she was already so late.
Not to mention un-showered.
“Hey, it’s better than your mom’s house,” Wendy reasoned.
“I hate it when you make sense,” Reese said, groaning.
Reese let her head fall against the steering wheel.
Rita.
She’d completely forgotten about her family birthday dinner tonight.
“Okay, I’ll see you tonight after my birthday dinner from hell,” Reese said, sighing. “I’ll be the one with the melodrama.”
“See you later, little home-wrecker.”
Out of all the bad things Reese had done, which was a rapidly growing list, somewhere near Bible-length at this point, sleeping with another girl’s boyfriend had never been one of them.
And it kind of made her sick.
More accurately? It made her sick how much it didn’t make her sick.
JENNY BRAVO spent her childhood in Disney princess nightgowns and climbing trees barefooted. These days, she usually wears shoes. As a part-time writer, she drinks too much coffee and writes feverishly in the fringe hours. Otherwise, she blogs at jennybravobooks.com and plays on Twitter. While she calls New Orleans home, she also considers herself a resident of Narnia, Hogwarts and Neverland.
Gena Showalter’s THE DARKEST TORMENT is now available in paperback! The Queen of Paranormal Romance, USA TODAY bestselling author Gena Showalter, returns with THE DARKEST TORMENT, the eagerly anticipated twelfth novel in her Lords of the Underworld series! Grab your copy today!Order THE DARKEST TORMENT here!Amazon * Barnes * Book Depository * GooglePlay * iBooks * BAM * Kobo * IndieBoundTHE DARKEST TORMENT Synopsis:Can Beauty tame her Beast?Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he’s back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he’s unable to withstand the touch of another…and he’s quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she’s taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she’s plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them…and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she’ll have to teach him to love…or lose him forever.Includes Q&A featuring J. R. Ward, Jeaniene Frost, Nalini Singh and more!Add it to your Goodreads Now!EXCERPT: Baden reached the keeper of Defeat’s door and knocked hard enough to crack the wood. Note to self: Buy a new door. “Coming, coming.” A patter of footsteps rang out and the door swung open, revealing Strider’s mate, Kaia. She greeted him with a dagger in hand, her mass of red hair anchored in pigtails, her eyes bright with fury. She’s armed…a true threat. Kill her! Baden did his best to ignore the beast, staring over Kaia’s shoulder. He scanned the room, checking for hidden threats out of habit. Well. Her decorating style could probably be classified as a hoarder died here. “Did you reach your sister?” “Yep. She’ll meet you at Downfall in an hour.” “Thank you.” “Save your thanks and do me a favor.” She gave the hilt of her dagger a kiss. “Next time you’re with Hades, demand to know each of William’s hideouts.” The urge to protect suddenly overwhelmed him. Protect William? Or Hades? Both. Destruction snarled inside his head. They are mine, and I will annihilate anyone who even thinks to harm them. His mouth watered. Her blood, I’ll taste it. His hands itched. Her bones, I’ll break them. As a predator, Kaia sensed his intentions and reacted accordingly, crouching, readying for attack. Rational thought intruded: No, no. Not her. But Destruction had already pulled back his fist to strike. At the last second, Baden regained a semblance of control, raining the fury upon the wall with punches and kicks. The beast roared as more and more of Baden’s friends sprinted from their rooms, grabbing hold of him to try to stop him. They dare try to restrain me? Again, the beast was able to overtake him, flinging one warrior after another across the hall. He laughed. “How do we corral him?” someone shouted. “Keeley.” Torin’s voice poured over the intercom. “You’re needed in Strider’s room. ASAP.” “No time. We need Katarina,” a female called. “She calms him, I think.” A handful of warriors rushed him at once, tackling him to the floor, but again, flinging them away wasn’t difficult. Power expanded his limbs, reinforced his bones. He was able to work his way to his feet. I might fall, but I’ll never stay down. A grinning blond stepped into his path. The male named Strider. Killing him would be a pleasure. Baden screamed at Destruction. He’s my friend. They all are! “Hey! Over here.” One of the women said, “I’m going to rip you a new asshole—in your face.” Not my friends, Destruction told Badenas he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off her feet. Anya. Destruction had made of point of learning the identities of the residents. Know your enemy… “No!” Lucien shouted, tackling him from behind. The goddess of Anarchy twined her legs around Destruction’s neck and, as he stumbled, squeezed with surprising strength. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Katarina and the one named Ashlyn rounding the far corner. Both females stopped to gap at him. He paused, he wasn’t sure why, giving Baden the opportunity to regain a bit of control. Not enough to claim ownership of the body, but enough to slow him down as their wills clashed. He bellowed to the rafters. “Run, Ash and take the girl with you,” Maddox demanded. “She’s only making him worse.” Katarina…leave? Baden and Destruction worked together to pull Anya off their shoulders and drop her. They sidestepped Lucien and stalked to the woman who’d haunted them. The woman who belonged to them. If only for a little while. “Go!” multiple voices screamed at once. The warriors were giving chase, trying to beat him to the object of his fascination. Ashlyn attempted to tug Katarina away, but Katarina shook off her hold and stepped forward. Toward him. The moment she reached him, she framed his face with her delicate hands. He had to crouch to allow the action, which wasn’t exactly a prime position to mount a proper defense--butworth it. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked. He drew in a breath, his usually useless lungs suddenly infused by the sweetness of her scent…as if he were coming back to life. “They are threats.” “Wrong. There are no threats here.” “They are threats,” he insisted. She brushed her thumbs over the rise of his cheeks, gentle, so gentle, and yet still the action stung. But he didn’t pull away. The air between them thickened and crackled with awareness. He liked it. The others stopped their pursuit and maintained a proper distance, whispering with incredulity. “Is this really happening or am I hallucinating?” someone asked. “Does the human have a magic hoo-ha?” “You have a job to do,” Katarina reminded him, ignoring the others. “Why don’t you go do it, and I’ll take care of the threats here?” He snorted. “You’re not strong enough.” That earned a raised brow. “So you’ve told me.” “Dude. Isn’t she married?” Kaia asked. He snarled at the Harpy, though his gaze remained on Katarina. She’d lost weight and looked more fragile than ever, and yet her beauty took his breath away. Breath he now needed to survive? “Baden,” she said. “Destruction,” he corrected. “Since he’s affected by you, I’m willing to bet you’re affected by him. Why don’t I call you Baduction?” She smiled at him, inviting him to play with her. “And a hat tip to you. If your newest job is to stare at me, you’ve got it nailed.” He didn’t know how to play, but he liked seeing her like this. Happy rather than despondent. He shouldn’t care what she felt. Caring left him vulnerable. He scowled at her. “Stay out of trouble today.” “I will, but not because you ordered it. Because I’m a girl and girls are made of—” “Sugar and spice,” he interjected, remembering the rhyme. Boys were made of snakes and snails. “Wrong. Girls are made of vodka and ice. The two combined increase our tolerance for masculine nonsense.”And don’t miss the previous titles in the Lords of the Underworld Series!THE DARKEST NIGHTTHE DARKEST KISSTHE DARKEST PLEASURETHE DARKEST WHISPERTHE DARKEST PASSIONTHE DARKEST LIETHE DARKEST SECRETTHE DARKEST SURRENDERTHE DARKEST SEDUCTIONTHE DARKEST CRAVINGTHE DARKEST TOUCH
About Gena Showalter: Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over fifty books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, and the White Rabbit Chronicles. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs. Visit her at genashowalter.com.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | GoodreadsCover Design: Cassy Roop / Pink Ink Designs Release Date: November 21, 2016 SynopsisA soaring career... A fractured heart... Left in shattered shards of stained glass. Aspiring author, Callie Clark, finally achieves her most-coveted goal, landing a contract in a highly sought-after publishing company. Reeling from the pain of a broken heart, Callie puts her love life on hold. Focused solely on her career, the dream she’s faithfully held onto becomes taunting, and the higher she climbs, the faster she falls. When tragedy winds itself through triumph, Callie learns to open her heart again. But it might be too late when a visitor from her past resurfaces and threatens the dream she clings to.GoodreadsGiveawaySigned paperback of Beauty Mark & $15 Amazon Gift Card Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0cba4250379/? About the AuthorStephie Walls is a literary whore - she loves words in all forms and will read anything put in front of her. She has an affinity for British Literature and Romance novels and an overall love of writing. She currently has five novels out, four short stories, and two collections; all provocatively written to elicit your imagination and spice up your world.Connect with StephieNewsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/2e7Foli Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2eOIDiz Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2eIsDiI Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2e7GZrd Twitter: http://bit.ly/2eCp0hQ Instagram: http://bit.ly/2ekDmQk Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2erK6NV Cover Design: MadHat Books Release Date: November 21, 2016 SynopsisI’ve made mistakes. Some of those mistakes have ruined lives, including my own. Because of this, my past is something I have kept to myself, so when I found a woman who also wanted her past to remain hidden, it felt like the universe was pushing us together. It turns out the universe had nothing to do with that. If a person’s past doesn’t exist, the present may not unravel the way it should. I found out the hard way, when I learned that my wife is not who I thought she was…living with a past I should know about. Her continuous self-destructive behaviors let me know she clearly has a plan—possibly one I never should have been a part of. I keep trying to save her, but she’s making it hard. Now, both of our pasts have simultaneously rolled into the spotlight—colliding head-on, and causing the present to come crashing down on top of us. I learned that since our pasts are part of who we are, they will always be the foundation of our present and our future. The question I have is, will either of us walk away in one piece?GoodreadsGiveawaySigned paperback of A Missing Heart Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0cba4250380/? About the AuthorInternational Bestselling Author, Shari J. Ryan, hails from Central Massachusetts where she lives with her husband and two lively little boys. Shari has always had an active imagination and enjoys losing herself in the fictional worlds she creates. When Shari isn't writing or designing book covers, she can usually be found cleaning toys up off the floor.Connect with ShariNewsletter: http://bit.ly/2fnWuAB Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/1VSrO8t Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/1NzXSLp Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/1TwFt16 Twitter: http://bit.ly/2efHfqF Instagram: http://bit.ly/2fxCTNt Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2fnURTg Cover Reveal Title: On Thin Ice Author: Carrie Aarons Genre: Romantic Suspense Release Date: December 7, 2016
BLURB
Nathan Rush is a small town man who has never dreamed of a bigger life.
GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32827635-on-thin-ice
AUTHOR BIO
Author of romance novels such as Red Card and the Captive Heart Duet, Carrie Aarons writes sexy, swoony and sarcastic characters who won't get out of her head until she puts them down on a page.
AUTHOR LINKS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieAarons Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCarrieA Amazon: http://amzn.to/1P556r9 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14160972.Carrie_Aarons Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/carriescharmers/
Jameson King.
My best friend’s brother and the person who could make an Olympic sport of ignoring my relentless teasing and taunting.
I was a live-in-the-moment girl flirting with a man who always looked to the future. He was traditional, carrying the weight of his whole family on his broad shoulders, and I had been taught to never fall in love, focusing on my career instead of a future with anyone.
He tried to deny me, tried to deny the passion simmering between us, bubbling under the surface of every game we played.
But all that changed during one week in Jamaica. Falling into bed with Jameson was easy, but falling in love was out of the question.
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I flung the curtain open and stepped out, staring down at my breasts as I cupped them, pretending I didn’t see Jameson at all. “Lu, what do you think of my breasts in this bra? Do they look perky enough?”
I looked up, gasping in shock at seeing Jameson. “Oh, no,” I said, lifting my hand to caress the skin of my chest. “Jameson, I didn’t know you were in here.” Luella was snorting, trying to hold in her laughter at my exaggerated show. “But while you’re here, why don’t I get your opinion?” I cupped my boobs again, lifting them for inspection. “Do they look perky enough in this bra?”
Finally taking a moment to meet his eyes, I prepared myself for a look of embarrassed shock. Instead, I was greeted with overwhelming heat. If his eyes could reach out and touch me, they would have singed my skin. The smile slipped from my lips and I swallowed, trying to wet my dry mouth.
His eyes scanned all the way down to my pumps and back up to the breasts I lifted for his inspection. A lifetime seemed to pass as his stare stroked a fire across my skin. My breath stuttered out between my lips at the way he took me in. It threw me off and I was struggling to collect myself.
“Like what you see, Jameson?” Lu asked, laughter filling her voice.
His eyes blinked a few times, pulling himself from the trance. Looking between us, he seemed to make a decision. Standing tall, I prepared myself for whatever he would throw my way.
He focused his eyes on me and let them slide up my body again. But this time was different, it was an intentional ogling that shocked me. Jameson never stared at me like that. I would catch him every once in a while, checking me out, but never so openly ogling my body.
When he dropped the bag at Lu’s feet and started taking steps toward me, a fluttering kicked up in my chest. But I set my jaw and held his stare. Whatever his plan was, I would win.
Nothing could have prepared me for when he squatted down and hoisted me up over his shoulder. I let out a loud yelp and braced my hands on his firm ass. As he began walking with me still over his shoulder, I beat at his back and demanded, “Put me down, Jameson King!” His response was to slap my ass and keep walking. “Luella, help me!”
That traitor only laughed.
“Jameson, put me down!”
“Fine,” he said calmly, dropping me to the floor.
A victorious smile formed on my lips until I saw he had brought me into the fitting room. He winked before turning back to Luella, who was still laughing in her chair, and said, “Ignore the moan of pleasure coming from in here. It’s just me fucking Evie.” Her smile falling was the last thing I saw before the curtain closed and he turned to me.
My back hit the mirror as I backed away from him.
“Jameson,” I tried to reason. “Don’t you-”
My words were cut off as he covered my mouth with his hand, only letting muffled groans escape. “Oh yeah, Evie. Rub all over my dick. That’s a good girl.”
My eyes were going to pop out of my head from shock hearing Jameson talk dirty to me with his sister right outside. My body just leaned against the glass as I stared into his cocky eyes. They held victory because he had the upper hand and knew it. How was I losing?
I had reached out to grab his crotch when the curtain was ripped back and Lu’s eyes flicked from me to him, her lip curled in disgust. “Fucking gross, Jameson.”
Tossing his head back, he let out a deep laugh and removed his hand from my mouth. “Maybe that’ll teach you guys to stop playing with me.” He edged out of the small enclosure, kissing Lu on the head on his way out. “See you later, baby sister.” He gave me a wink before turning to walk out of the gold room, tossing over his shoulder, “Enjoy your dress shopping.”
We stood frozen, watching his retreating back. “Well, shit,” I muttered, dropping my shoulders in defeat.
Lu smirked. “Looks like you need to up your game, Evelyn.”
Where You Can Find Me – Released Nov 2015
Luella King has experienced loss all her life. After losing her parents and the most important person in her life, she hesitates to open up to anyone and instead plays it safe. One night, she throws caution to the wind and gives into her desires with a sexy stranger.
Fearing her sudden and unexpected loss of control, Luella runs away from him. A chance second encounter pushes her to open her eyes and give the stranger a chance. There’s something about Jack MacCabe that makes her feel safe enough to lower her guard. Despite how busy he is with his job as a security specialist, they continue to spend more time together and with each date and late night message she finds herself falling in love. When a serial killer wreaks havoc on their city, Jack's dangerously close proximity to the case reignites Luella's fears of losing someone important to her. Surrendering her fears in order to keep Jack by her side challenges Luella to her limits, while Jack is under pressure to catch the serial killer before it's too late. As Jack and Luella draw closer to one another, the killer closes in on their next victim. Soon Jack and Luella find themselves entrenched in a mystery they never saw coming. **Warning: This book may contain minor triggers due to sensitive topics. Title: Hollow Author: Karlee Winters Genre: Contemporary Romance Release Date: November 1, 2016 Synopsis Things aren’t always what they seem… To outsiders, Ashlynn Summers has it all: she’s the star of her own TV cooking show, respected by her community, and a devoted wife. Until she discovers something that shakes her rock-solid world. Now, all she wants is to focus on getting her life back on track. Volunteering at a homeless shelter renews her sense of purpose, but when she meets the insolent Luke Brault, Ashlynn can’t help but think there’s more to him than meets the eye. Although Luke keeps to himself, his daughter is his sole priority. Guilt surrounding his single father status has eaten away at him, leaving a gaping hole. He and Ashlynn become friends, yet Luke fears his past will destroy the bond they’ve created. When they discover their pasts are intertwined and unimaginable secrets are revealed, Ashlynn and Luke find themselves on shaky ground in the aftermath. Suddenly, building something solid on a hollow foundation seems impossible. Can they find a way to repair the damage of the past, or is it too heavy for them to bear?Purchase your copy today! Amazon US |Amazon UK | Amazon AU Excerpt “The video’s gone viral.” I peered at my assistant, Kiki, from behind my coffee mug. Her dark brown eyes widened, darting nervously between me and her tablet as technicians, gaffers, and interns filtered in through the studio. “I thought you said yesterday it wasn’t that bad,” I whispered as I forced a smile and waved at Corrine, my make-up artist as she walked in. “I-I know, and it wasn’t. At first. But I checked again this morning and your video’s had eleven million views over the past twenty-four hours.” I sucked in a sharp breath. I was used to being in the public eye, having every little move I made scrutinized by strangers who felt entitled to judge me. Ever since the launch of my cooking show, From Ashes, where I showed viewers how to make gourmet meals out of scraps and leftovers, I’d learned that everyone is a critic and those critics are a lot braver behind a computer screen where their fingers do the talking. “Has Steve seen it yet?” She bit down on her bottom lip and worried it between her teeth. “I don’t know. His door’s been closed all morning.” As if on cue, Steve’s door swung open and he stepped out of his office, clapping his hands together. “All right, people, listen up! I’ve got stuff I need to get done, so let’s get this shoot going. Where’s my star of the show?” His eyes roamed around the room until he spotted me. “There she is!” He started moving toward me, but stopped mid-stride when he realized no one was moving because their eyes were glued to their phones. “I said move it, people! I’m not paying you to stand around.” Everyone immediately jumped into action, bustling around the studio to prepare for my segment. Steve approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Hey Ash, let’s grab lunch after we wrap this up, okay?” I nodded and smiled brightly at my boss, despite feeling like I was agreeing to walk into the lion’s den. It took three hours to film the thirty-minute segment, and by the time we finished, I was more than ready to leave. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but I swore every time someone picked up their phone, they were watching me lose my shit on camera. I tried not to think about it. I tried to remain focused. I wanted to believe that it was all in my head. I’d worked with a majority of these people for the past three years; surely that meant they were my friends. But then I remembered I was in Los Angeles, a place where your friends are the ones to push you down a flight of stairs before asking if you need help up. “You all set?” Steve asked, clapping me on the back. “Yeah, let me just grab my purse.” We made our way outside the studio, passing by Sharla, one of the newest interns, on the way. Steve winked at her and she blushed. I smiled politely, pretending to ignore the fact that my forty-two- year-old boss was watching her nineteen-year-old ass walk away. “Damn,” he mumbled as he pulled out his car keys and unlocked the doors to his brand new Jag. “The things I could do to that ass.” “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” “Probably best. That way you have plausible deniability for my next sexual harassment complaint.” “I don’t know which is worse, the fact that you’re expecting another complaint, or that even knowing what will happen, you still plan to make a move on her. I’m surprised you even still have a job at this point.” We slid into the car and bucked our seatbelts. Steve pulled down his sun visor and smiled at his reflection before pulling out of the parking lot. “They’re not going to fire me. I’m the best producer this network’s seen. Besides, Karen and I have a deal. She keeps the execs off my back, and in exchange, I dust off the cobwebs from her pussy a couple times a year. She may not be as young as I’d like, but the things she can do with that mouth—” “Oh, God, stop,” I groaned, shaking my head. “Let’s just end this conversation before it goes any further. You’re my boss and producer.” “For a TV show. There’s plenty of sex on TV.” “Yes, but I talk about cooking. The only thing that ends up naked is the chicken.” He laughed and merged onto the freeway which was congested with cars. The sky was painted a dusty orange color as thin beams of sunlight attempted to pierce through the smog. Giant billboards loomed off to the side, reminding drivers that physical perfection is just a scalpel and a phone call away, and right beside it was a board with the number to call for when you need to sue because perfection didn’t turn out like you thought it would. We arrived at my favorite lunch spot, a small Korean BBQ place hidden in the back of a nearly deserted strip-mall. The hostess showed us to a table in the corner and turned the grill on that sat in the center of the table. A few minutes later, our server brought out a tray full of side dishes for us to try alongside slabs of raw meat. “Ashlynn.” He grabbed a slice of beef and placed it on the grill, using his chopstick to poke at it until it laid flat. “So, the reason I asked you to lunch is because I actually have to talk to you about something.” I didn’t say anything, already knowing what the “something” was. “Look, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the network execs saw the video,” he continued. “And now they’re worried about your mental state.” “My mental state is fine.” “They’re not convinced. They’re worried that your outburst was just the tip of the iceberg.” I sighed and rolled a piece of meat with some lettuce. “Steve, you know me. You know I’m not crazy.” “Yes, but I can’t deny that what I saw was a bit troublesome.” “I’m not crazy,” I repeated. “You were running around the hotel lobby, holding a butcher’s knife, threatening to carve his heart out and feed it to the homeless.” “Yeah, I was pissed. I’m still pissed. When you go out to dinner and find your husband of six years having an affair with your best friend, you’re gonna be pissed.” Two days before, I’d agreed to meet my friend Staci for dinner at a new hotspot in Santa Monica because the chef and I had gone to culinary school together. We decided to grab ice cream before parting ways, and that’s when I saw it. Right across the street was my husband, Ben, with his tongue shoved down the throat of my best friend. Their hands sloppily grabbed and groped each other, as if they were sixteen-year-old kids, desperate to finish their make-out session before curfew. He was supposed to be working late at the office. He was supposed to be loyal. He was supposed to be mine. It was a strange sensation feeling betrayal that deep. I’d always imagined that all my emotions would hit at once, sweeping over me like a tidal wave. But it didn’t happen like that. Rather, it started at my feet, as if that’s the only place where shock couldn’t get to quickly enough to numb them. Tiny little pin pricks of agitation, crawling along the nerves, slowly coiling up my ankles, along my calves, wrapping around my knees until they buckled. By then, the shock was beginning to thin, and a solid mass of pain snaked through my intestines, squeezing my stomach with a vice-like grip until I was sure I was going to pass out. The pain curdled as it seeped through my ribs, poisoning my heart until it was black, transforming from pain into something much viler: fury. Anger took my brain hostage, twisting every thought until I was no longer in control of myself. I was simply a marionette, and resentment held the strings. How dare he. How dare she. I stared at my left hand, the gaudy two-carat emerald-cut diamond glinting beneath the bright florescent lights. Mocking me. Taunting me. Ridiculing me until all I wanted to do was rip it off my finger and use it to serrate his heart the way he’d eviscerated mine. I watched them on the sidewalk for a couple minutes, before they greeted the doorman like an old friend and stepped through the revolving doors of the Larkspur Hotel - a place he’d once told me was too cheesy for someone like me when I’d asked to spend our anniversary there. I realized then that he hadn’t wanted to take me there because it was theirs. He didn’t want to tarnish the memories of his affair with those of his wife. “He says they’re in love,” I scoffed, taking an angry bite of my food. “Sixteen months, that’s how long this has been going on behind my back, and now he wants a divorce so he can be with her.” “I’m really sorry, Ash,” Steve said placing his hand over mine. “I know how much they meant to you.” “Hilary was my maid-of-honor at our wedding. I’ve known her since we were twelve. I was in the Burger King bathroom with her when she got her first period, and I spent an entire weekend watching The Notebook after Ken Carlson dumped her right after she gave him her virginity. We were supposed to get pregnant together and raise our families next door to each other so that our kids could be best friends…We…” My voice cracked and I stopped to let out a shaky breath. Not wanting to risk another viral video, I cleared my throat and took a sip of water. “Sorry.” “Look, I know you’re going through a rough time, so maybe it’s a good thing that the network wants you to take some time off.” My eyes cut to his and my whole body stiffened. “I’m sorry?” His shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh. “The network execs think maybe you need to take some time off the show. You know, just until things settle down.” “Some time…” I said slowly, letting the bitter taste of each syllable slide off my tongue. “And how long exactly is some time?” “I’m not sure. They didn’t specify.” “Are you fucking kidding me with this Steve?” “I’m afraid not. They’re worried about the bad press.” “Isn’t that why we have a public relations specialist? Besides, I thought all press was good press.” “Pretty sure that only works if you’re a washed-up movie star looking for attention. Your show is about bringing families together with food. How do you expect us to keep airing it after this?” He plucked his phone from his pocket and typed something in before turning it towards me. Images of me standing in the hotel lobby, wielding a large butcher’s knife in my hand popped up. My mocha colored hair was no longer hanging neatly in loose waves, but rather, flying recklessly around my face as my lips pulled back in a snarl. My usually pale green eyes looked wild. Unhinged. Destroyed. “You can see why the execs are a bit worried,” he continued as he scrolled through various photos. “Okay, I get it, you can put it away now,” I replied, waving him off. “Isn’t there something you can do? Talk to Karen. Surely you can think of a way to get her to agree to keep me on…” “Ash—” “Please,” I begged. “This show is everything to me. I just lost my husband and my best friend, and because we didn’t have a prenup, I’ll probably lose half of everything else I own. Don’t take my show away from me, too.” He sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Okay. Just sit tight and lay low. I’m not promising anything, but I’ll see what I can do.”About The Author Karlee Winters is a romance writer living beneath the hot Arizona sun with her husband and their cat, Kaylie. She devotes her days to working, and her nights writing, allowing the characters in her head to come to life. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, binge-watching Netflix, or playing video games. A romantic at heart, she has a love for stories, and all things ending in happily ever after. Karlee loves to meet new people. Stop by and say hello!
Title: Solid Ground
Series: Wounded Love #3
Author: Megan Green
Release Date: Nov 17, 2016
From piggy back rides to promise rings.
Joey Roberts and Nichole Hadley were inseparable from the moment they met on the playground. Years later, with graduation looming and their future about to begin, they were positive nothing could tear them apart. Until one bad decision. More than a decade following their breakup, Joey returns to town after suffering a devastating injury in Iraq. With a new job on the police force and a new house to fix up, he knows he’ll have no trouble keeping his mind and body occupied. But when a call brings him face to face with a broken and battered Nichole Hadley-Reynolds, it ignites a flame he'd long thought extinguished. Joey was certain he’d forgotten Nichole. Nichole doubted she still held a place in his heart. Will this be the start of a second chance at lost love? Or will they remain floating adrift, forever in search of... Solid Ground?
You know how, in movies, when people wake up in the hospital, they never seem to know where they are? The camera fades in, and everything is sort of fuzzy as the person lying in the bed takes in their surroundings. The bright lights. The sterile smells. The way they never quite seem to be alone, regardless of whether someone is actually in the room with them. You’re supposed to feel sympathy for this character. Feel bad that they’ve gone through something so traumatic and out of the ordinary that it takes several minutes for their brain to catch up.
You know what I feel for those people?
Jealousy.
I know exactly where I am when my eyes finally crack open. I don’t get those few minutes of blissful unawareness before I remember what happened that landed me here.
I remember everything.
You see, this isn’t the first time I’ve woken up alone in a hospital bed.
And it won’t be the last time either unless you wake your ass up and do something about it, a little voice niggles at the back of my mind.
That’s also something I’ve experienced before. That voice of reason always hangs out somewhere in my head.
Too bad I never listen to her.
I brace my hands on each side of my legs in an attempt to push myself up into a sitting position. The second I put pressure on my left hand, a blinding pain shoots up my arm and into my shoulder. Glancing down, I find my hand and forearm are encased in a cast.
Great. Another broken bone.
“What did you and Daddy do this morning?”
Cade’s eyes brighten as he recounts his day, “Daddy said you needed to sleep after you got home from the hospital. So, after he picked me up from Mrs. Wilson’s house, we went to get pancakes, and then he took me to the park. Zach was there. We played on the monkey bars. I crossed them five times before I fell, Mom!”
I eat up every bit of his excitement. “You did? Wow! I bet that’s some sort of record.”
He nods emphatically. “I’m pretty sure it is. Zach was so mad. He used to be better than me, remember, Mom? But he only crossed three times. I beat him by two whole times!”
“He was amazing out there. Best monkey-bar crosser I’ve ever seen; that’s for sure,” James interjects, interrupting the moment between me and Cade.
We both turn to look at him again, and I finally register his appearance. He’s dressed nice—neatly pressed black slacks with a crisp white button-down, rolled up to his elbows. In his left hand, he’s holding a huge bouquet of red roses, arranged perfectly with sprigs of baby’s breath shooting up between them. They’re gorgeous. And I can’t stand the sight of them.
After every one of our episodes, I always get one of two versions of James. The first version is the James I’ve come to know. The James who blames me for everything. He shows up the next day, telling me he’s sorry, but if I’d just listen to him, obey him, like I vowed to do on our wedding day, then these things wouldn’t happen. It doesn’t matter that he might be angry because a judge ruled against him or that he might have had a particularly bad day at work. If he comes home and takes it out on me, it’s still somehow my fault.
And then there’s this James. I’ve only seen this James on a few occasions since the night we brought Cade home from the hospital. This James is charming. He brings flowers. He promises that things will be different from now on. That he’ll never hurt me again. That he’ll go back to therapy. He tells me how much he loves me and Cade and how he couldn’t survive without us. He apologizes for not only hurting me this time, but also for every other time before. He cries. He sobs. He tells me I’m the only woman on earth he’ll ever love. He makes me feel sorry for him.
I hate this version of James. As crazy as it sounds, I prefer the former. At least with that James, I know where I stand. I know that, no matter what I say or do, it’s never going to be right. And I’ve come to accept that things are not going to change. This is my life, so there’s no use in wishing for something different.
But then this James…this James confuses me. This James reminds me of the way things were before we were married and while I was pregnant. This James reminds me that things weren’t always so bad, and it gives me hope that things can go back. That we can be happy again. That Cade might finally have two loving parents, like he deserves.
This James is a liar. I know that. After falling for it several times before, I know nothing is going to change. Not in the long run. We might have a few good weeks following his plea where he dotes on me and Cade, making us believe we’re the most important things in his world.
But, inevitably, things go back to the way they were. All it takes is one bad day, and we fall back into the same pattern as before—James coming home angry, James coming after me, Cade running next door to stay with Mrs. Wilson until I come to get him. That’s something we established after he was old enough to understand what was going on.
“When Daddy is mad, you go next door until Mommy comes and gets you.”
These are the things I taught my toddler. While other mothers are teaching their kids the ABCs and 123s, I’ve been teaching mine what to do while his father beats the shit out of his mother.
Love, Lies & A Bleu Christmas
A Follow-Up Novella to Love, Lies & The D.A.
Release Date: November 15th, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
Pages/Words: 257/47,000
Format: EBook & Paperback
Synopsis
When Bleu Resorts owner, Jada Kole decided it would be a good idea to keep a secret from her husband, it never once occurred to her that he might have an even more stunning secret than hers.
The last year of Jonathan Kole’s life has been marred by complications, pressure and is beyond stressful both at his law firm and at home. Jada being overseas for an extended period doesn’t make things any easier to deal with.
But secrets have a way of getting out. Add a sultry blonde and a child to the mix and Jada and Jonathan’s happily married life quickly turns into a very dark shade of bleu. As things fall apart, it turns from bad to worse when one of them ends up on the wrong side of the law and something ominous enters their lives.
With Jada and Jonathan battling problems inside their marriage and things disintegrating in every direction on the outside, will San Francisco’s biggest power couple be able to get their lives in order? Or will it bring about the demise of their world and their child’s?
Excerpt – Opening Scene (SPOILER ALERT)
“Vous avez un cancer du sein.”
Translation: “You have breast cancer.” Four words no woman wants to hear.
It was on the night of the grand opening of my Paris hotel one week ago and after a long day, while taking a shower, I felt a small lump in my right breast.
After several tests and a biopsy, Dr. Benneteau, the oncologist called…
Days later, I still can’t get over the shock.
As I stare at the gray clouds that cover the Eiffel Tower, my phone rings, snapping me out of my thoughts. My husband Jonathan’s face illuminates my screen.
“Hey, baby. How are my two favorite men in the world?”
“Overwhelmed. I just had a break and I wanted to be sure I checked in with you. Any idea when you’re going to be home?”
Not anytime soon.
“Apart from seeing your handsome face and my sweet son for a couple days, I really can’t rationalize flying across the Atlantic for two days. I have to head over to Austria to make sure everything is on schedule with the property there.”
“I miss my wife, and Jordan misses his mom.”
My chest aches at the sound of his words. “If you really want, I’ll come home but it would be so much less pressure on me if I just stayed.”
He sighs at the end of the line and mumbles a disgruntled, “Okay.”
“It’s not like you’d have time for me either if I came, is it? You couldn’t even make the grand opening of Paris Bleu. All you’ve been telling me is how crazy it has been trying to get everything in place at the various branches of the firm.”
“That’s true. I just miss you that’s all. Things just seem so much easier to handle when you’re here.”
His words warm my heart. “I miss you too. I’ll be home as soon as I am able, I promise. In the meanwhile we always have FaceTime. But don’t you ever forget how much I love you.”
“I love you too, babe. I have to go. I’ll be in touch soon.”
I end the call.
I may not have gotten over the shock of my diagnosis, but from the moment I found the lump, I’ve spent all my time researching it, and I have another appointment with the doctors this afternoon.
Jonathan’s been overwhelmed of late since his sister Megan moved to Switzerland and his right-hand man, Cooper, lost his wife after a battle with—breast cancer. I don’t want to worry him. Besides, it’s just stage two breast cancer…or at least that is what I continue to tell myself.
I have already made up my mind about what I’m going to do—handle it on my own. Have a double mastectomy so this never ever resurfaces again and tell my husband when I get home. That way, the problem will be handled; they’ll see that I’m healthy and we can all just move on with our lives. I’ll be saving them the agony of going through this anyway…
My Review
4 Star Review by Ashley
When I heard Rebecca Rohman was bringing my favorite of her couples back I jumped at the chance to read Love, Lies & a Bleu Christmas. Jada and Jonathan are back! That opening line really grabbed me and I was instantly invested in what was going to happen. If you're familiar with this couple you know there is one thing these two are good at drumming up- drama. There was no shortness of life happening to the Kole's in this short but jam packed story. I really liked the relationship that they both had with their son, Jordan. That little boy with his enthusiasm and innocence was just the right touch to lighten some of the heavy topics covered in the story. Despite all that was going on both professionally and personally, these found a way to work together to get back to each other. This book was intense and steamy and nail-biting all at the same time. Love, Lies & A Bleu Christmas Buy LinksLove, Lies & The D.A. – Book #1 In The Series
Jada McLean is about to get married in nine days, when she walks in on her fiancé in a little more than a compromising position. Days later, she’s on a trip that she intends to be relaxing and a prelude to her fresh start, when she runs into the rude, obnoxious, but gorgeous Jonathan Kole.
Jonathan Kole is San Francisco’s newest District Attorney. When he finds himself deeply attracted to a stunning beauty, he has no idea that she’s about to get into BIG trouble with the law—and he’ll be the one presiding over her trial. To make matters worse, his father is the lawyer representing her in the high-profile case.
When a series of events force them together over New Year’s weekend, Jonathan’s feelings and ethics will come into question, while Jada comes to terms with the fact that she is falling for the man that will be responsible for attempting to put her behind bars… Little do they know, they’re both about to fall into a whirlwind so deep, it will send both their lives spiraling out of control.
About Rebecca Rohman
Rebecca Rohman is a wife and designer currently living in the northeastern United States. She was a sales manager for a tourist magazine, and for many years prior, she was involved in marketing for a jewelry company and fine wine distributor.
About fifteen years ago, she started writing her first romance novel purely to entertain herself. In early 2012, she decided to complete and release it. Since then, she has released three additional novels and one novella. Love, Lies & A Bleu Christmas, was released mid-November 2016.
Titles by Rebecca Rohman
Love, Lies & A Bleu Christmas | A Problematic Love | Love M.D. | Love, Lies & The D.A. | Unravel | Uncorked
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