Today we have the chapter reveal for DIRT by Cassia Leo! Check them out and pre-order your copy today!Title: DIRTAuthor: Cassia LeoSeries: Evergreen SeriesRelease: January 12, 2018
About Dirt
A hard-hitting, emotional new series from New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo.
Jack and I had everything. Then, in one brutal instant, the universe tilted on its side, discarding us into black nothingness. Now, I have a cocky a**hole for a husband. The only way we communicate anymore is when we’re fighting or f**king. With nothing left to lose, I write Jack a goodbye letter and head for Portland, where I quickly meet a neighbor who helps me find a job. My new neighbor—broody, tattooed ex-soldier Isaac Evans—is complicated. Nevertheless, we form a fast friendship, bonding over our mutual desire to create something beautiful from the wreckage of our lives. But despite the distance between us, Jack and I are still trying to make things work—fighting and f**king dirtier than ever. And he doesn’t appreciate my new friendship with Isaac. Not one f**king bit.
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Chapter 1
Laurel
I hugged Jack Jr. tightly against my breast, and he molded his soft, warm body to mine. His eyes remained closed as his tiny fingers curled around the fabric of my blouse, his rosy lips puckering as he geared up for more food.
“You sucked me dry, little fella,” I whispered, leaning in to press my nose against the downy-soft, golden hair on the top of his head. I inhaled his scent and my muscles unspooled. “But I’ll be back to feed you soon. I promise.” Why do babies smell so damn good? Before I got pregnant with Junior, my favorite smell was orange blossoms. As a teenager, I often got scolded by my mom for picking the flowers off the orange tree in our backyard in Portland. I’d rub the creamy petals between my fingers, bruise them with my fingernails, then sniff my hand for hours until the scent wore off. When I was pregnant with Junior, my favorite scent became the rich aroma of the forbidden coffee I could no longer drink. After Junior was born, and my decaf days came to a glorious end, I realized how wrong I’d been. There was absolutely no scent as sweet and soul-quieting as the smell of the top of a baby’s head. Bonus points if the baby was lying peacefully on your chest sound asleep. “Are you ever going to put him down?” I flicked my head sideways, startled by Jack’s clear, baritone voice. He stood in the doorway of Junior’s nursery, the silhouette of his six-foot-three athletic body framed by the warm light in the hallway. His head was tilted to the side. He’d probably been standing there admiring us for a while. After six years together, I knew Jack’s body language and facial expressions better than I knew my own face. I stood from the rocking chair and stole one more sniff of Junior’s head before I placed him gently on his back in the center of the crib. I adjusted the left sleeve of his pajamas, pulling it down to make sure it covered his entire chubby arm. I didn’t want to imagine him waking up cold and alone in here. Jack appeared at my side as I switched on the video baby monitor. “He’s going to be fine,” he murmured, reaching down to stroke the soft patch of hair on Junior’s head. “In fact, he’ll probably enjoy some time alone. After all, he is just like his daddy; sometimes, we need a break from the constant attention from the ladies.” I rolled my eyes and headed for the door. “Making jokes only makes leaving him slightly less scary, you know,” I said as we stepped into the hallway of our five-bedroom dream home in Hood River, Oregon. I couldn’t wait to fill up every one of these bedrooms with brothers and sisters for Jack Jr. Jack chuckled as he followed closely behind me. “Less scary is an improvement,” he replied, grabbing my hand to stop me in the middle of the corridor. “You promised Junior you’d be back soon. Can you also make me a promise?” The hallway lights made his dark hair look glaringly shiny, but I couldn’t help but notice how weary his blue eyes looked tonight. Since Junior arrived three months ago, I’d been so focused on my baby boy’s vulnerability, his scent, his beauty, I hadn’t slowed down enough to appreciate how those were the same qualities that made me fall in love with Jack. Suddenly, my worries about leaving Junior with my mother for the evening evaporated. All I wanted to do was kiss Jack, grab hold of that dark hair and make love to him for hours. I wanted to replace the weariness in his eyes with dark hunger, or maybe a glint of mischief. I squeezed his hand and smiled at the thought of possibly having sex with him in public tonight. We hadn’t done that in a while. “What kind of promise?” I asked. He shook his head. “Nope, you’re not allowed to ask. Just promise me you’ll say yes.” My stomach vaulted at the sound of those words. They were the same words Jack spoke when he asked me to marry him. I wondered what he would ask this time. The phrase “just promise me you’ll say yes” had become like an inside joke, our own private, unspoken promise to each other that we would always do whatever it took to stay together. The last time he had uttered this phrase, he asked me to stop taking my birth control pills. With Junior here, it was easy to trust that whatever Jack asked me for this time would turn out to be exactly what I needed. I tilted my head back so I could look up and into his crystal-blue eyes. “Yes, I can make you a promise.” His expression became sober. “Promise me you’ll be present tonight.” He fixed me with a piercing gaze as his large hand cupped my face. “It’s just you and me for the next three hours. Promise me.” I smiled. “I promise. Just you and me. And I’ll even put my cell phone on vibrate.” As I said the words, a sharp finger of fear prodded my subconscious, telling me it was a bad idea to risk missing a phone call tonight. The exhaustion in Jack’s eyes melted away as he smiled. “I can deal with that, but you have to promise me one more thing.” “What’s that?” His smile turned almost menacing as he looped his arm around my waist and drew me close. “Promise me you’ll lemme smash that blonde bombshell booty,” he said, landing a light swat on my ass. I shook my head as I recalled how we often had sex in public during our first year together, in our senior year at Oregon State University, Cascades. For some reason, once we graduated and moved in together, having sex in public seemed like something we couldn’t get away with so easily. We decided public sex-hibitions — or throw downs, as we more commonly referred to them — would be reserved for special occasions like anniversaries or vacations. Truthfully, Jack and I kicked off our relationship by having sex on the first date. He was always a very difficult man to resist. When he showed up at my apartment to pick me up that night, I couldn’t resist his suggestion that we should stay in and make paper masks of ourselves, then put them on and ask each other first date questions as if we were the other person. I had never laughed so much on any date. Ever. But when he asked — while pretending to be me — if I’d ever had sex with someone on the first date, I couldn’t help but respond with, “I’m Jack-fucking-Stratton. I’ve fucked a lot of girls on the first date. But none as gorgeous as you.” Jack always knew how to keep things fresh and alarmingly sexy. Six years in and my body still craved him almost every second of every day. Today was our three-year wedding anniversary. We’d only had sex twice since I gave birth to Junior three months ago, and both of those times were truly awkward. The first time was painful. My C-section incision hadn’t fully healed yet, and even trying to have sex with him behind me was uncomfortable. The second time we tried, Jack was so afraid of hurting me, he stopped midway through. There’d been a lot of oral sex happening in this house since then. Luckily, a few weeks had passed since our last attempt, and I had repeatedly assured him I was fully healed up now. I was certain that even if the sex did hurt a little, it would still be worth it. I couldn’t understand couples that didn’t consider sex an important part of a relationship. I never felt more complete, more present, more alive than when my body and mind were entwined with Jack’s. I smiled as I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I think I know just the place for a proper throw down.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Ooh. Tell me more.” As he leaned in to kiss me, my mother’s voice interrupted us. “Are you two making out again?” she said, standing at the top of the stairs with her hands on her hips as she gawped at us. “Well, don’t let me stop you.” Jack laughed and I shook my head as we moved toward her. “We’re just trying to keep you entertained while you’re on vacation, Beth,” Jack said. My mother cocked an eyebrow. “If I wanted to watch porn, I’d open up your laptop and have a look at your internet history.” “Mom, don’t be gross,” I protested, trying not to laugh. Jack smiled as he held out his elbow for my mom to grab hold as they descended the stairs in front of me. “I made a special collection of links for you. They’re in a folder labeled Tantric Geriatric. You’ll love it.” I rolled my eyes. Jack and my mother exchanged jabs like this all day. My mother was staying with us for a few days, so Jack and I could have some time to ourselves and get some much-needed uninterrupted sleep. She was leaving tomorrow to go back to the house where I grew up in Portland. Though she pretended as if she was desperate to get home to her Craftsman cottage in the city, and I even teased her about how she was dying to get back so she could see the handsome new neighbor she’d been going on about, I knew she was going to miss Jack’s pretend insults as much as she would miss Junior and me. My mother practically shoved me toward the front door. “I order you to go have fun,” she said, smiling as Jack opened the door and stepped outside. “And don’t come home until you’re too drunk to walk.” I shook my head. “Thanks, Mom. Please call if you need anything. And don’t answer the door for anyone. There’s a house that got broken into a few streets away.” She waved off my paranoia. “Stop worrying so much. We’ll be fine. See you later, babe.” I blew her a kiss, then I closed the door behind me.
* * * “I have to admit, having sex on the waterfront was one of my favorite public throw downs ever,” Jack said, pulling his Tesla into the long driveway of our four-acre estate. “But do we really have to wait until our fourth anniversary to do it again?”I tugged the silky fabric of my skirt straight as I pressed my thighs together. Though my body was still raw with the evidence of the dirty deed we’d just committed, I couldn’t wait to get Jack inside and pounce on him again. I hadn’t realized how much I missed the sensation of him moving inside me, and how good he was at making me feel beautiful. “We can do that anytime we can snag a babysitter,” I replied as he turned the car off. He made no move to exit the Tesla. “Well, babycakes, you’d better get ready to interview a fuck-ton of babysitters.” I laughed. “Babycakes? That’s a new one.” Jack rarely used the same term of endearment twice in a row. He liked to keep me guessing. He scrunched up his nose. “Yeah, that one was kind of creepy. Now that I’ve tried it out, I think I can bury that one in the nickname graveyard.” “Try the incinerator,” I said, reaching for the door handle. “Duly noted,” he replied, exiting the vehicle. Jack and I glided unhurriedly along the flagstone walkway, which was lined with sparkling pathway lights. As we made our way toward the steps leading up to the covered porch, I stopped in the middle of the path and closed my eyes as I inhaled the sweet scent of the lavender and honeysuckle I’d planted with my mom’s help. That was when I made a wish, a corny wish, but I didn’t care. I wished that every person could find someone they loved as much as I loved Jack. I wished every child could feel as loved as Junior was. And I wished every anniversary could be as perfect as this one. “No… No, no, no!” Jack’s voice grew louder with each no. They say mother’s intuition is scientifically proven to exist. I knew by the tone of Jack’s voice, without even opening my eyes, that my world would never be the same. I knew in that instant, I would regret leaving Jack Jr. tonight for the rest of my life. Though I knew something was wrong, I wasn’t prepared for what we found. At some point, while we were lost in our blissful celebration, the front door of our home had been forced open. This discovery was what had made Jack cry out in disbelief. Father’s intuition must also be a thing, because he told me later that, even though the door was still closed, the moment he saw the gouges in the wood near the handle, he had felt that same sense of dread. That feeling that the universe had suddenly tilted on its side, discarding us into black nothingness. The house was ransacked. Furniture upended, paintings and flatscreen televisions torn off the walls, shards of shattered vases littered the floors. Complete and utter chaos. The master bathroom doorknob looked as if it had been shot off. We found my mother’s lifeless form huddled against the bathtub, my baby boy’s dead body clutched tightly in her arms.
TrailerSpotify PlaylistAbout Cassia LeoNew York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo loves her coffee, chocolate, and margaritas with salt. When she’s not writing, she spends way too much time re-watching Game of Thrones and Sex and the City. When she’s not binge watching, she’s usually enjoying the Oregon rain with a hot cup of coffee and a book. Find her on... Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website GiveawayEnter the Facebook Giveaway
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Title: Purrfect Santa: Howls Romance
Author: Jessie Lane & Chasity Bowlin
Genre: Paranormal Romance Novella
A woman afraid to love …
Nikki knows what it is to lose those you love. With her focus on her orphaned sister, she hasn’t given herself the chance to process her own grief over the loss of their parents. Life is chaos and the last complication she needs is a mate.
A lion alone for too long …
Joe Miller knows chaos. Being orphaned as a child, he’s never had a family to call his own. Crashing with a friend for the holidays, he’s hoodwinked into playing Santa Claus at a local mall. The last thing on his mind is finding a mate.
A love worth the risk …
With her baby sister on her hip, sadness in her eyes, and a longing in her heart, Nikki waits in line with her sister to see Santa. From the moment he scents her, Joe is in deep. It’s going to take everything he has to convince Nikki the love outweighs the risk to her heart. Luckily for Joe, he has fate and Nikki’s adorable baby sister on his side. After all, who can say no to the Purrfect Santa at Christmas?
Chapter One
If one more kid tried to pull his beard, he was going to roar. Joe looked at the small spawn of Satan currently sitting on his lap and held in the urge to growl. The kid was maybe five years old, had blonde hair, blue eyes and dimples galore. His first thought was she was adorable. Now, after she’d pulled on his Santa beard during the picture, he knew better. She was nothing but trouble. If he really were Santa, he would give her coal in her stocking and a letter advising her parents to put her in the naughty corner. “Smile, Santa!” The photographer’s words were more of a warning than a cue to get ready for the second picture. So Joe played his role, ho ho ho’d, and smiled for the camera while the brat on his lap asked him for a pony. There had been a time when Joe hadn’t dreaded Christmas so much. Back when he was a kid and everything about Christmas had still seemed so magical. Not so much anymore. It sucked when you spent the holidays alone. To say he was a bit bitter about the holiday season was an understatement. Which was part of the reason he couldn’t believe he was here at The Mall of the Smokies, being the damn Santa. How had he gotten wrangled into this position again? His buddy Sam. Buddy. So much for never leaving a man behind, he thought. There he sat, covered from head to toe in red velvet that was none too fresh and none too clean, thanks to the boozy sweat of the previous wearer. Of course, he’d also had more than one kid with a leaky diaper on his lap that day. And Sam, where was Sam? Nowhere to be seen. Joe and Sam had served together in the Marine Corps, but once Sam had completed his term of service, he’d come back home to help run the family business, a lodge in the mountains of East Tennessee. Joe, having nowhere to go after getting out of the service himself, had taken Sam up on his offer to crash at the Bearadise Lodge. There was just one catch. The Lodge was sponsoring Santa’s Workshop at the local outlet mall, and they were short one Santa. Apparently, the old Santa had been fired for drinking on the job. Damn that Sam! After only one day of being Santa, Joe could see why the previous hire had been driven to drink. These kids were hell on his nerves. Like the blonde brat who was once again pulling on his beard. He was just about to give her a little growl when she hopped off his lap and ran giggling to her mother, who gave him an unapologetic glance before dismissing him entirely. This job would have been so much easier if he were in a shifter-run community. Then he could growl all he wanted. Instead, he was dealing with humans and had to keep his feline traits under wraps. As the next kid, a little boy about the age of four, climbed on to his lap and proceeded to fart, Joe did his best not to cringe. Bullets and bad guys he could deal with. Snot-nosed kids were apparently his downfall. He’d only been at this for a day and he was thinking of telling Sam he could shove this Santa job where the sun didn’t shine. Joe didn’t even want to think about doing this until Christmas Eve. Three days away. Three long, miserable, endless days of bratty kids, droopy diapers, and disaffected parents more interested in their phones than their kids. In fact, as the next kid proceeded to sneeze all over him, Joe considered walking out right then. But then something happened that kept him glued to his seat. His sharp lion senses caught a new smell among the crowd. Peppermint and sugar cookies. Mate, his lion roared inside his head. The one person that was cosmically meant for him and him alone. The woman that Mother Nature deemed his. He scanned the crowd until he finally saw her at the end of the line, waiting to come see him. Short, with generous curves that would fill his hands, she had black hair pulled to the top of her head in a messy bun. He wondered what color her eyes were, being too far away to see them. Scanning the rest of her body, he suddenly stopped when he came to the thing that shocked him the most. A kid on her hip. Was it her child? From this far away, he couldn’t scent the small one. Had someone already laid hands on his mate? His lion roared again, only this time it was in protest. No one should touch his mate but him! He would slaughter the man who had dared give his mate a cub. “SANTA!” the elf behind the camera shouted. Joe snapped his attention back to the man he was going to eviscerate for taking his concentration away from his mate, only to find a scared human staring at him. It was then he realized the child on his lap was shaking in fear. The elf inched forward to whisper so the others in line couldn’t hear. “You growled at him, Santa! Say you’re sorry.” His stomach sank. To say he felt like a colossal piece of shit was an understatement. He had been so wrapped up in his emotions that he had let his lion slip out a little in public, which was a big hell no in the shifter rules. Joe looked at the little boy on his lap and gave the kid a big smile, trying to play off what had happened. “How would you like a stuffed lion for Christmas? They go grrrrrrr.” The little boy looked at him with wide eyes that slowly turned from fear to curiosity. “You can make a stuffed lion that growls?” Joe nodded. “Sure can. I can put the elves to work on it right away if that’s what you want.” The little boy scrunched his face up in thought but then shook his head no. “I really want a bike for Christmas, Santa. Can I have that instead of the lion?” Relieved that the boy was no longer scared, Joe gave him a big grin and a wink. “I’ll see what I can do.” “Yippee!” The boy squealed as he jumped off Joe’s lap and ran to his mother, who was waiting for him next to the photographer. Joe watched as the boy happily walked away, then quickly turned his attention back to his mate, who was watching him from the back of the line with big wary eyes. The mating scent was too strong. He couldn’t tell whether or not the child was hers, but that didn’t matter. She was his. And if that meant he had to accept another man’s cub into his home to claim his mate, then that’s what he would do. Although he would take great pleasure in rubbing his scent all over both woman and cub every chance that he got. Just to make sure that everyone knew that they were now his and his alone.
Jessie Lane is a best-selling author of Paranormal and Contemporary Romance, as well as, Upper YA Paranormal Romance/Fantasy.
She lives in Kentucky with her two little Rock Chicks in-the-making and her over protective alpha husband that she’s pretty sure is a latent grizzly bear shifter. She has a passionate love for reading and writing naughty romance, cliff hanging suspense, and out-of-this-world characters that demand your attention, or threaten to slap you around until you do pay attention to them.
She’s also a proud member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA).
Chasity Bowlin lives in central Kentucky with her husband and their menagerie of animals. She loves writing, loves traveling and enjoys incorporating tidbits of her actual vacations into her books. She is an avid Anglophile, loving all things British, but specifically all things Regency. She also writes steamy contemporary and paranormal romance.
Growing up in Tennessee, spending as much time as possible with her doting grandparents, soap operas were a part of her daily existence, followed by back to back episodes of Scooby Doo. Her path to becoming a romance novelist was set when, rather than simply have her Barbie dolls cruise around in a pink convertible, they time traveled, hosted lavish dinner parties and one even had an evil twin locked in the attic.
Title: Level
Series: The Fighters Series Novella #5.5
Author: T.C. Matson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 29, 2017
I’m man enough to admit I screwed up. I’m not proud of my actions, but it is what it is.
I learned from them and now I’m more determined than ever to prove to Paige my heart is hers.
Asking her to marry me was the easiest decision.
Walking down the aisle was simple.
Holding her for the rest of my life—check.
Being a sexy, excellent husband—check.
Staying undefeated—Damn right check.
But Karma has a funny way of getting back at me
And with her sneaky fingers wrapping around my throat
She sets my ass up and I’m in some serious trouble.
Paige
Who would’ve known Levi would become my husband after all the mess?
Giving him a second chance was easy.
Becoming his wife was even easier.
But I never would’ve known life had extra plans for us.
Fighting is what Levi does the best, until he’s surprised with two different types of challenges he’s never experienced.
Sucker punched—check.
Stumbles—check.
Challenge accepted—for sure.
Levi might have his flaws and faults, but I couldn’t ask for a better man to hold my hand through life.
Or maybe it’s me holding his hand.
Can Levi can step up and overcome the obstacles that have been thrown his way or will he be leveled?
“Dreaming in Reality…You dream in reality when you pick up a book and get lost in it. In my writing, I strive to take you to a place where reality and fantasy become a blurry line. Everything should be relatable. It could happen…couldn’t it?” ~ TC Matson TC Matson loves to let her character’s voices be heard. With a head full of stories, she puts her keyboard through a beating daily. With an understanding that love isn’t always instant and full of flowers—her writing mirrors it. She’s a romance junkie at heart and an avid reader. Add those two together and she will devour books within hours, getting lost in the world the author creates. Matson resides in the peaceful Piedmont area of NC with her husband and three boys, where staying hopped up on caffeine is the key to her sanity. Chaos is indefinite and a sense of humor is an absolute must.
Author: L.M. Pruitt
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 20, 2017
There are three things Jeannie Jackson knows for certain: 1. Relationships are more trouble than their worth.
2. There's no such thing as too much of a good thing.
3. She's never going back to Cotton Creek.
When tragedy strikes, pulling her back to her hometown and right in to the arms --and bar--of the last man she ever expected to see again, Jeannie starts to wonder what else she's been wrong about and whether love, like every other vice, is too addictive to walk away from....
With roots sank deep in Florida soil—the land of oranges, alligators, Publix, and hurricanes—L.M. Pruitt has been writing about the peculiarities and quirks of the region and its people for years. There may not be actual vampires in the area but there are mosquitos which, quite frankly, is close enough.
Ms. Pruitt holds a bachelor’s in criminal justice (hence the more macabre nature of books such as Silk and The Andersons) from Florida State University and is in the process of earning two additional degrees in history and political science (because you never know when the intrigues of the Tudor Court will come in handy). She resides in Florida with one black cat who happens to be a champion mosquito killer.
From #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy comes another stunning blend of heart-warming romance and spine-tingling suspense in her popular Callaway Series… Talented graphic artist and animator Annie Callaway has been commissioned by a Hollywood studio to create the next superhero blockbuster movie, but a bout of creative block has Annie searching the Southern California beach scene for inspiration. A local Irish bar in an old train depot, run by the ruggedly attractive and somewhat mysterious Griffin Hale, piques her interest, and she finds herself weaving fantasies about not only Griffin but also the quirky characters who work there. The last thing Griffin Hale needs at his bar is a nosy artist looking for personal stories to turn into movie plots. He has carefully cultivated a scene of complete normalcy for people who need it more than Annie could possibly imagine, and it's his job to protect them. But the beautiful redhead with the compelling green eyes is difficult to turn away. Annie's fantasy world where good always conquers evil is not the life that Griffin has lived, and he can't help but think she'll never be satisfied with anyone less than a superhero. After a string of bad relationships, Annie willingly admits that most real men don't live up to her muscle-bound, cape-wearing protectors of the world, but when her stubborn curiosity propels her into a danger she never expected, she begins to realize that some heroes work in the dark…and a man who fights for you is a man worth fighting for. While Griffin is determined to keep Annie alive, he's not at all convinced he can give her the happily-ever-after she's looking for. But then some stories take an unexpected turn…
iBooks | Amazon | B&N | Google | KoboPRAISE FOR BARBARA FREETHY BOOKS "A fabulous, page-turning combination of romance and intrigue. Fans of Nora Roberts and Elizabeth Lowell will love this book." NYT Bestselling Author Kristin Hannah on Golden Lies"This book has it all: heart, community, and characters who will remain with you long after the book has ended. A wonderful story." -- NYT Bestselling Author Debbie Macomber on Suddenly One Summer "Barbara Freethy is a master storyteller with a gift for spinning tales about ordinary people in extraordinary situations and drawing readers into their lives." -- Romance Reviews Today "I love The Callaways! Heartwarming romance, intriguing suspense and sexy alpha heroes. What more could you want?" -- NYT Bestselling Author Bella Andre
A man walked into the bar. He wore dark-gray slacks, a white button-down shirt, and a striped navy-blue tie. His brown hair was cut very short, his face cleanly shaven. And he was the last person Griffin wanted to see. But whatever Paul Daniels had to say needed to be said with a bit more privacy. He tipped his head toward a table in the corner, then poured two shots of bourbon and walked around the bar, sitting down across from a man who inspired both loyalty and frustration whenever they met up. "Could you look more like a fed?" he asked. "I didn't have time to change," Paul Daniels replied. He took the shot with a swallow of satisfaction. "Smooth." "You must be off the clock." "Almost." That answer didn't make him happy. "I told you we need to take a break." "And we did. It's been two months," Paul replied. "Megan is a twenty-four-year-old woman. She's jittery, fragile, and isn't doing well in isolation. She needs people around her that she doesn't have to lie to. It won't be for long—a week, maybe ten days." "You always say that." "And I'm mostly telling the truth." He drank his shot, breaking his own rule about not drinking while working, then said, "Where is she?" "In the car." "Alone?" "Rob is with her." Paul paused, resting his forearms on the table, as his brown-eyed gaze settled on Griffin's face. "She's not any happier about this than you are, but I think this would be a good place for her." "Where is she from?" "A long way from here. I'm not worried about danger finding her; I'm worried about her cracking or running. Some people can live a lie with no problems. Others can't." He knew that better than anyone. The door opened again, and for a split second he thought it might be the person Paul had brought to the bar, but the woman with reddish-blonde hair and sparkling green eyes was much more familiar and even more disturbing. She'd been very attractive in the orange bikini she'd had on yesterday, but it had been hard to get past the enormous fear in her eyes. Today, wearing white jeans and a clingy blue top, she looked beautiful and back on her game. But why was she here? He couldn't believe it was a coincidence. "Damn," he muttered. "Ex-girlfriend?" Paul asked, raising an eyebrow as he followed his gaze. "No, but not someone I wanted to see." "You never want to see anyone. I'm still surprised someone as unfriendly as you decided to open a bar." Sometimes—like today—he asked himself the same question. But while there were a lot of people in the bar, he didn't have to interact with very many of them. As the redhead's gaze lit on him, a smile spread across her face. He felt like he'd just been struck by a hot, bright ray of sun. It warmed up places in his body that had gone cold a long time ago. "I'm going to get Megan and bring her in," Paul said, getting to his feet. "I'll let you deal with whatever this is." "What?" he asked, a little distracted by the woman making her way across the bar. "I'll be right back." He had a lot more he wanted to say to Paul, but his friend was already gone, and the woman he'd pulled out of the ocean yesterday was almost at his table. He stood up, his nerves tightening. He could sense danger from a mile away. He didn't know why this woman was trouble; he just knew that she was.
Barbara Freethy is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of 60 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened Fog City Publishing in 2011 and has since sold over 7 million books! Twenty-three of her titles have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists, including one title, SUMMER SECRETS, which hit #1 on the NYT. In 2014 Barbara was named the Amazon KDP Bestselling Author of all time! She was also the first Indie writer to sell over a million books on Barnes and Noble.
Known for her emotional and compelling stories of love, family, romance and suspense, Barbara is a six-time finalist and two-time winner in the Romance Writers of America acclaimed RITA contest for her novels DANIEL'S GIFT and THE WAY BACK HOME. For more information, visit her website at www.barbarafreethy.com
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Title: Buried in Lies
Author: T.L. Smith
Genre: Romance Suspense
His lips told me he knew me.
His hands touched like old lovers.
His eyes held secrets of a past I’d never known.
I was lost you see.
Lost as the flowers that grew in the meadow.
The devil told me he knew me.
But lies had a way of unraveling, even if we didn’t want them to.
The devil had a trick, for his love was full of acid. Acid that burnt at every touch, every linger, and I let it burn all the way to my core.
A devil made you sin. And my devil was the worst.
But now that devil wanted my last kiss, and it wasn't one I was willing to give.
He could take the acid and leave the burn behind.
I was keeping my heart, even if I died trying.
Title: La Famiglia
Series: A Men of Gilead Novel
Author: Deanna Wadsworth
Genre: M/M Romance Novel (standalone)
Release Date: January 23, 2018
Forrester Giordano comes from a huge, nosy Italian family, and with their homophobic jokes and slurs, he’s decided to stay in the closet. He finds respite in his bookstore in the quaint village of Gilead—where he has a huge crush on one of his customers, Kyle Benson.
Kyle is determined to live his dreams, and though life isn’t easy being deaf, one by one he’s making them come true. He’s scored a great job practicing law, bought a cute bungalow where he can finally have a big flower garden, and he has a dog he loves, Jasper. Now he just needs one thing to complete his happiness: a family of his own to make up for the one he never had.
Forrester and Kyle’s relationship starts off hot and heavy, and neither man can deny the depth of their connection. When Forrester’s little brother gets mixed up with their heroin-dealing cousin and his mother falls ill, Forrester has a decision to make—maybe the hardest of his life. For the first time, he’s found a man worth coming out for.
Unfortunately nothing ever goes according to plan with la famiglia.
“So, Forrester.” Kyle said his name in a way that never ceased to send shockwaves down his back and straight to his cock. “How does one go about trading in books around here?”
Forrester pressed his groin closer to the back of the checkout counter, not wanting his thin khakis to reveal what Kyle’s voice did to him. He knew it wasn’t an accent anymore, but the soft way Kyle spoke lured him in like a siren’s song.
Since no one else waited to check out, Forrester took a moment to soak in those gorgeous hazel eyes, then smiled impishly. “First you have to bring them in.”
“That would be helpful.” Kyle’s generous mouth cracked a grin.
He tried his damnedest not to picture those downright kissable lips wrapped around his cock while he ran his fingers through Kyle’s sun-streaked hair.
He’d always had a thing for blonds.
He plucked up one of the flyers from the counter. Somehow he managed to sound professional, educated even, when he handed it over. “Our policy is we only take gently used books.”
“Mine are in great shape.”
“I bet they are,” Forrester drawled.
“They’re like new,” he insisted. “No folded corners, never dropped one in a tub either.”
“Good to hear. I hate it when people ruin a good book.” Dammit, now I’m picturing Kyle in a bathtub!
“Me too.” Kyle folded the flyer and tucked it into his pocket.
“For every book you trade in, we give 15 percent off the purchase of a new book or 25 percent off a used one. And for every three books, you get a free used book or half off a new one.”
Kyle flashed those pearly whites, making his eyes crinkle and his dimples deepen so much Forrester longed to flick his tongue inside them. “Guess I got some free books coming.”
“I guess you do,” he quipped. “Do you want to buy these today or wait till you do the trade?”
Kyle withdrew his card. “Nah, I’ll buy them now. I’ve been dying to see what happens since you got me hooked on this series. And Scott already signed this one.”
Forrester offered him a sideways smile. “I’ll just give you 15 percent off on good faith.”
“Gosh, you don’t have to do that.”
Good Lord, the guy said gosh. Could he be more adorable?
When Forrester noticed Holly watching them, he resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at her. Instead, he shrugged off Kyle’s modesty and entered the discount into his computer. “No problem. Just make sure you bring me some good stuff, capisci?”
“Will do. Thanks a lot.”
Forrester swiped his card, then offered Kyle another inviting smile. The one Ma called his suck-up smile. “Can I get you anything else? Answer any more of your questions?”
Kyle kept smiling. “No. You’ve been pretty thorough, as usual.”
“You sure?” he prompted, unable to stop flirting so shamelessly. “You don’t need to know anything else? What’s on the bestseller list? Today’s weather? The meaning of life?”
“Forty-two.”
Official report: Forrester was in love with Kyle Benson.
Or at least in serious lust.
His grin widened so big he swore his face might crack. “A Hitchhiker fan. I should’ve known.” He tore off the receipt and slid it forward for Kyle to sign.
“Hells yeah.” Kyle laughed.
Forrester bagged the books. “Receipt with you or in the bag?”
“Bag’s fine.” He accepted his purchases, then cleared his throat and fiddled with the bag. “All right, um, thank you, Forrester. Always a pleasure.” He extended a hand and Forrester took it, electric jolts running through his blood at the feel of those lightly calloused fingers.
“No problem,” he managed, not letting go.
Kyle kept his gaze locked on Forrester, blinking and glancing from his eyes to his mouth. Warming, Forrester ran his thumb across the back of his hand. He couldn’t believe his forwardness, but Kyle had some kind of tractor beam sucking him in. Powerless against its pull, he stroked the soft skin once more with a nervous, light touch, pulses of heat and desire stirring inside him.
Forrester let go and cleared his throat. “Um, Kyle?”
“Yeah?”
The phone rang, shattering the moment.
Sighing, he snagged it on the third ring. “Thank you for calling A Novel Idea. This is Forrester, how may I help you?”
“Hey, it’s me.”
Only real friends or family could answer a phone with an “it’s me.” Lucas Beale was the former. Though totally weird, and he hated sports of all kinds, Lucas was Forrester’s “boy best friend”—Holly having the honor of being his “girl best friend.” He didn’t know what he would do without either of them.
“Hey, Lucas, what’s up?” He tried not to sound annoyed at the telephone cockblock.
Kyle waved goodbye. “I guess I’ll see ya later, Forrester.”
“Can’t wait.”
“Can’t wait for what?” Lucas asked in confusion.
He covered the receiver, hoping he didn’t sound lame to Kyle. “I mean… uh, I can’t wait to read that book together?” His entire body froze in one breath of anticipation.
Kyle cocked his head to the side, then smiled. “Absolutely.”
Still grinning, Kyle turned and walked away.
Ignoring Lucas as he started talking again, Forrester watched Kyle’s spectacular ass as he headed to the door. A woman was coming in and, like a perfect gentleman, Kyle held the door for her. Outside, Kyle slid on and strapped his helmet. Then he threw his leg over and straddled the chrome-and-black Sportster parked out front.
I got something he can straddle and ride…. Forrester’s skin flushed all the way to his toes. Was Kyle a top or a bottom? Being versatile, he really didn’t care. As long as there was manly skin touching his, lots of kissing, and he got to come, Forrester was a happy camper. But the prospect of finding out what Kyle liked made his entire body warm.
He watched Kyle put his bike into gear and walk it back out of the space. As it did every time Kyle left, a deep ache settled in his stomach.
God, I just need to marry him.
Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. She has served multiple board positions at her local RWA chapter and is the current President 2017 for Rainbow Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. She loves music and dancing, and can often be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.
Title: Addicted to You Box Set
Author: K.M. Scott
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Crave (Addicted To You #1)
I want her. I crave her. She’s my addiction.
The world knows me as Ian Anwell, New York Times bestselling author, but Kristina makes me want more.
Much more.
I need him. I love him. He’s my obsession.
Everyone thinks they know Kristina Richards, but I’m more than what they see on the screen.
So much more.
I’m his muse, and this is our story.
Adore (Addicted To You #2)
Addiction and obsession brought Ian and Kristina together, and real life tore them apart.
For Ian, Kristina is everything. What began as an obsession has morphed into that something more he so wanted. Kristina is his muse and so much more,
but now both of them must make choices that may change everything.
For Kristina, Ian offers all that she’s ever wanted. Love. Passion. Adoration. But these come with a price, and the cost of loving him may be more than she’s willing to pay.
Shatter (Addicted To You #3)
For Ian Anwell, addiction is a way of life. He can’t remember a time when he wasn’t addicted to something—heroin, alcohol, whatever made him feel good.
But his newest addiction is better than all the others combined. Kristina makes him feel like the man he’s always wanted to be.
But addicts have a habit of wrecking things, even those they hold dear.
For Kristina Richards, Ian is everything. Love. Lust. Obsession. But even as she falls deeper in love with him and the madness they create together,
she finds something she never expected to find in her time with him.
She finds strength she never knew she had.
Claim (Addicted To You #4)
Ian and Kristina’s love has been tested over and over, but now one final test may be too much for them to overcome.
The only part of his life other than Kristina that meant anything to Ian—his career—lays in shambles.
Now he’ll have to decide if he can forgive the woman he loves for betraying his most important secret.
Kristina will do whatever it takes to get Ian back, and this time it won’t be easy. But their love means too much for her to give up now.
And just when they think they’ve finally found happiness, their love will be challenged one last time.
K.M. Scott writes contemporary romance stories of sexy, intense, and unforgettable love. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she's been in love with romance since reading her first romance novel in junior high (she was a very curious girl!). Under her Gabrielle Bisset name, she write erotic paranormal and historical romance. She lives in Pennsylvania with a herd of animals and when she's not writing can be found reading or feeding her TV addiction.
Be sure to visit K.M.'s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/kmscottauthor for all the latest on her books, along with giveaways and other goodies! And to hear all the news on K.M. Scott books first, sign up for her newsletter today and be sure to visit her website at http://www.kmscottbooks.com
It’s cover reveal day for J. Lynn Bailey’s STANDING SIDEWAYS. Check it out and be sure to grab your copy January 30th!
Title: STANDING SIDEWAYS
Author: J. Lynn Bailey
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Day: January 30th
About Standing Sideways:
When Livia Stone suddenly loses her twin brother, Jasper, she must learn to navigate her new life alone. As she faces tragedy and starts down a road toward self-destruction, Daniel enters Livia’s life—at a moment when she needs it most.Standing Sideways is a poignant, relevant, and touching story of survival, courage, and compassion that will have readers crying, laughing, and most of all, debating the issues affecting the lives of parents and teens alike on a journey of hope and forgiveness.
Exclusive Excerpt:
Simon James is your normal-looking boy with moments of clarity, which, I think, has kept him in a good position not to go to prison. And I think Jasper helped him stay on the right path—until now.
Every time we touch, I feel like he needs this as much as I do.
First, in the beginning, it was just our tongues that became entangled. It was simple and easy. And comforting. But, for some reason, we just needed more. Then, things progressed quite quickly.
Fingers pushing.
Arms squeezing.
Tongues everywhere.
And, now, we meet here four times a week to have sex.
I feel him harden against my stomach, and I look into his eyes. He’s been crying. Since Jasper died, I’ve never seen the evidence that Simon James, resident bad boy/not bad boy, cry, but I’ve seen the aftermath. I don’t ask if he’s all right because I know he isn’t.
I’d gladly give up my therapy appointment for Simon. I’d give up my therapy appointment with Dr. Elizabeth for him if I knew he would go. If I knew it would help. I’m not even sure his parents have come out of their drug-induced coma long enough to know that Jasper is dead.
His dull blue eyes, plagued with bad memories, prove the bright blue is sitting back, hidden behind the bruises that he carries underneath his clothes. The ones I see. And the dull blue tells a different story than what comes from his mouth. The darker story. The one he pretends Jasper and I don’t know, the one he doesn’t want us to know.
Simon would have an excuse.
I fell down the stairs.
I burned myself.
I ran into the wall.
About the Author:
J. Lynn Bailey has loved to write since she learned to read, around the second grade. When she isn't running after her children, watching COPS, or on the hunt for her next Laffy Taffy joke, you can probably find her holed up in her writing room feverishly working on her next book. She lives in Northern California with her family.
Enter J. Lynn’s Giveaway:
Title: Panty Snatcher
Author: Chelsea Camaron
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 30, 2017
I don't do commitments.
I am Zane Collier, player, manwhore, and bachelor for life.
My friends made a bet. One, I refuse to lose.
Regardless of the history Sawyer and I share, I'll remain the one hit wonder for life.
I am the panty snatcher.
So why can't I get hers?
***This is a small town, second chance, stand alone romance that is a fast paced short story. If insta-attraction, insta-lust, insta-love, and insta-ever after aren't your thing then this isn't the book for you. If it is then, prepare yourself to meet Zane, and wish this Panty Snatcher would snatch yours!!***
Chelsea Camaron is a small town Carolina girl with a big imagination. She is a wife and mom chasing her dreams. She writes contemporary romance, erotic suspense, and psychological thrillers. She loves to write blue-collar men who have real problems with a fictional twist. From mechanics to bikers to oil riggers to smokejumpers, bar owners, and beyond, she loves a strong hero who works hard and plays harder.
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