Sunday, March 31, 2019

BOOK BLITZ: Smoke City by Keith Rosson #GIVEAWAY


Smoke City
Keith Rosson
Published by: Meerkat Press
Publication date: January 23rd 2018
Genres: Adult, Magical Realism
Marvin Deitz has some serious problems. His mob-connected landlord is strong-arming him out of his storefront. His therapist has concerns about his stability. He’s compelled to volunteer at the local Children’s Hospital even though it breaks his heart every week.
Oh, and he’s also the guilt-ridden reincarnation of Geoffroy Thérage, the French executioner who lit Joan of Arc’s pyre in 1431. He’s just seen a woman on a Los Angeles talk show claiming to be Joan, and absolution seems closer than it’s ever been . . . but how will he find her?
When Marvin heads to Los Angeles to locate the woman who may or may not be Joan, he’s picked up hitchhiking by Mike Vale, a self-destructive alcoholic painter traveling to his ex-wife’s funeral. As they move through a California landscape populated with “smokes” (ghostly apparitions that’ve inexplicably begun appearing throughout the southwestern US), each seeks absolution in his own way.
Now in Paperback!
EXCERPT:
The years bled together. Each waking morning—or afternoon, truth be told, or evening—couched in a familiar bloom of panic. After that, after Vale realized where he was, who he was, came the rest: sickness, fear, assessment of damage, all of it stitched together with the fine red thread of guilt.
Art & Artists had once called him a “relentless avatar of our contemporary, post-nuclear unease.”
He woke to the alarm, studded in fresh bruises. New scabs on his knees and his teeth loose in his mouth. His lack of memory familiar in itself. Sunlight fell in the room in fierce, distinct bands.
He stood shivering in the shower, the water lancing against him while lava, hot and malicious, compressed itself behind his optic nerves. This pulsing thunder in the skull, and moments from the Ace High the night before came to him slowly, like something spied through a fun house mirror. He bent over to pick up a sliver of soap and with his trembling hand batted a rust-dotted razor lying on the rim of the bathtub. The razor slid down the tub, luge-like, and Vale reached down for it, trying not to gag as dark spots burst like stars in his periphery. He stumbled and stepped on the razor. The crack of plastic, and thin threads of blood began to snake toward the drain. It was painless.
“Oh, come on,” he croaked. “Shit’s sake.” He’d smoked nearly two packs of Camels the night before and sounded now like something pulled howling from a crypt. He tried to stand on his other foot to examine the cut and couldn’t manage it. He put his foot back down and stepped on the broken razor again, and now the floor of the tub was awash in an idiot’s Rorschach of red on white. He retched once and shut the water off, resigned to death—or at least collapse—at any second. The towel hanging from the back of the door reeked of mold, and he gagged against it and dropped it to the floor. He left bloody, shambling one-sided footprints to his bedroom.
Apart from the painting hanging above his bed (the sole Mike Vale original still in his possession), the fist-sized hole next to the light switch was the room’s only decoration. There was a dresser pitted with cigarette burns and topped with a constellation of empty beer bottles. An unmade bed ringed with dirty sheets. The alarm clock on the floor. Plastic blinds rattled against the open window.
He dressed slowly and stepped to the kitchen. Flies dive-bombed bottles mounded in the sink, on the counters. The light on the answering machine was blinking. He pressed the Play button, already knowing who it would be—who else called him?—and there was Candice’s voice.
“The only man in the country still using an answering machine,” she said. “Okay. This is me saying hi. Give me a ring when you discover, you know, fire and the wheel.” Her voice then became steeped in a cautious, thoughtful cadence, a measured quality he remembered more clearly from their marriage. “Richard and I should be heading up through there on tour for another Janey book soon. It’d be good to touch base, get dinner. Call me.”
It was September, the last gasp of summer. The apartment was explosive with trapped heat. A swath of sunlight fell across the countertop. Just looking at that glare hurt his eyes, his entire body, made him feel as if rancid dishwater was shooting straight into his guts. A nameless sadness, the sadness, the exact opposite of the Moment and so much more insistent, tore through him like a torrent. Like a rip of lightning, there and gone, and Vale sobbed. Just once. One ragged, graceless gasp. Pathetic. He stood sweating over the answering machine, ashamed of himself.
He was out the door five minutes later, blood wetting his sock, cold coffee and aspirin hammering a bitter waltz somewhere below his heart.
Time had once called him “a shaman of America’s apocalyptic incantations, one who catalogs our fears and thrusts them back at us in a ferocious Day-Glo palette.”
On his way to the bus stop Mike Vale, the shaman, the avatar—looking down in his shirt pocket for a cigarette—ran directly into a telephone pole, hard enough to give himself a nosebleed.


Author Bio:
Keith Rosson is the author of the novels The Mercy of the Tide and Smoke City, and his short fiction has appeared in Cream City Review, PANK, December, The Nervous Breakdown, and more. He's been twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize and a finalist for the Birdwhistle Prize for Short Fiction. He's also an illustrator and graphic designer, with clients that include Green Day, Against Me, the Goo Goo Dolls, and others. A fierce advocate of public libraries and non-ironic adulation of the cassette tape, he can be found at keithrosson.com.



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Saturday, March 30, 2019

BOOK BLITZ: Aries 181 by Tiana Warner #GIVEAWAY


Aries 181
Tiana Warner
Publication date: March 25th 2019
Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction
A crime spree to steal aerospace technology. An intern with the brains to stop it.
When Jess uncovers evidence that her boss is stealing technology to build his company, her coveted internship at Aries turns from dream job to catastrophe. Worse, her boss cons another young woman into becoming his accomplice, and the duo’s chemically enhanced skills and weapons help them become the most infamous supercriminals to sweep the tech world. Before they pilfer every aerospace lab in North America, Jess must use her ingenuity to stop them—risking her career, her relationships, and maybe even her life. 
EXCERPT:
The Aries Research Lab
A dead engineer was an inconvenient way to start the week.
From the passenger’s seat of his Bentley, Tony used his phone to post a new job opening.
“Get her car out of the parking lot. Torch it so it looks like tragedy struck on her way in.”
“Yes, sir,” said Reah, weaving through traffic as she took him to the Aries office.
Accidents were uncommon in the research lab. The work involved too much time behind a computer for that. But when the occasional ‘whoops’ did happen, it was an annoyance. Covering them up was a pain. Finding a willing and qualified replacement was worse.
“Warehouse,” said Scott when Tony entered the lab to check the damage. “She was modifying the propellant.”
Tony stifled a curse. Of course it was the propellant—the substance too stubborn to realize its own potential.
“Show me.”
He and Scott crossed the lab with its white lights reflecting off white tiles, white walls, white tables, and white lab coats. The five other engineers kept working, unease leaking from their pores like sweat. With only seven of Tony’s two hundred employees cleared for the lab, the hole left by their dead colleague was more of a chasm.
Tony was unruffled. Their non-disclosure agreements were thorough enough for a situation like this.
“What’s the damage?”
“She, uh—she was completely burnt, Doctor Ries.”
That much was obvious. Scott’s fluorescent-pale skin and lab coat were smudged, leaving a goggle-shaped clear spot around his eyes. Holes split the toes of his shoes, revealing socks with hamburgers printed on them.
“Was anything else destroyed?”
An empire of technology filled the warehouse. These were his top achievements, past and future. No accident, no matter how messy, could quash the pride he felt every time he entered it.
He flung open the double doors. The stench of burnt metal and hair tickled his gag reflex.
“Minor damage to the surrounding area,” said Scott, dabbing his sweaty brow with a singed sleeve. “No property was ruined.”
Delightful.
It took a moment to blink the warehouse into focus. Dim, cold, and vast, the place could have passed for a storage facility. Walkways snaked between mounds of technology.
An early prototype of the Aries satellites—what the world came to know as the Aries 180 fleet—stole Tony’s attention as he entered. The size of a bald eagle and mounted on a podium, it was the one now-useless technology he refused to incinerate. He caressed it as they passed.
Yet, despite all that filled the floor, the place was a cold vacuum, a void. Like the invisible substance called dark matter, every space in the warehouse represented an irksome gap in knowledge. Empty corners, walkways, every molecule of dead air held promise. As creator of the Aries universe, Tony intended to use any means necessary to fill those gaps.
Tony’s watch vibrated. He looked at it to find a text.
Reah: Need your clearance to get her purse. Locker 4.
He replied, 5 mins, and quickened his step.
The temperature rose as he and Scott drew deeper into the warehouse. A drone whirred overhead, taking photos at intervals. More drones hovered beneath the three-story ceiling, LED lights marking their presence. He would have to review the surveillance images later to see what happened. He might enjoy popcorn with it.
They stopped at the explosion site. The concrete floor rippled, like it had melted and hardened again. Every adjacent surface was dented and singed. Five dry chemical fire extinguishers lay nearby. Most intriguingly, a black, body-shaped imprint traced the floor like a shadow, a dusting of ash in its center.
Tony scattered the ash with his toe. “Looks like this place was pretty lit.”
Scott cast him a sideways glance.
The culprit was the twelve-foot vat towering beside the scene of the accident. Smoke wisped from the top, Tony’s hopes and plans disappearing with it into the black ceiling. The heat wrapped around him like a wool blanket.
“So the propellant isn’t going well,” said Tony, like a challenge.
“It just reacted badly,” said Scott. “I’m confident we’ll get it in time.”
“Hm.” Don’t placate me, Scotty. What churned inside that vat represented tens of millions of dollars.
Sure, every aerospace company had rocket propellant, but no one had this. This was his next opportunity for international success—his next Aries 180 fleet, so to speak. If only the damn stuff would stop failing him. The setback choked his sense of control like a vice around his throat.
His father had told him there was no point in going into business unless you were going to be the best. Rather, the advice had been something like, “You wanna run a business, you gotta do whatever it takes to get on top. Might as well quit and be a shit-scraper if you’re gonna be a pussy about it.”
Tony held that wisdom close. Using methods no one else was brave enough to try, he was on his way to upgrading Aries from a humble Canadian startup to the world’s most cutting-edge aerospace company.
His watch vibrated.
Steve: Korean Space Agency wants you to join the call.
Korea would have to wait. He was already late for an appointment with the bank.
“What are you going to do to fix it?” he said to Scott.
“We’re, uh, looking into it.”
“I hired all of you because you’re the smartest engineers in the world. You’re telling me you don’t know?”
Scott hesitated. Tony hated hesitation.
“There are other engineers who might know more about high-energy liquid tetrapropellant, Doctor Ries.”
“I’ve scoured universities. I’ve head-hunted in the Silicon Valley. They’re too—” Tony waved a hand. “They’re not ready for the scope of the job.”
Scott didn’t need to know how many applicants failed the psychological evaluation. A PhD and a 150 IQ meant squat when the candidate couldn’t pass a basic obedience experiment.
Tony’s watch buzzed again. He ignored it.
If he wanted this propellant, he would have to get his engineers something to work from. Sometimes, they needed a push. Call it inspiration, or pieces of the aerospace puzzle.
This was a gap in the matter that made up his universe. It needed to be filled.
“Give me a week. I’ll get you the data.”
Global Nanosats was making headway in liquid propulsion. They could be of use.
He pulled out his phone to check his calendar. An email notification appeared, reminding him of a development meeting in twenty minutes. He swiped it away.
Stress tickled the base of his brain. He would have to make time to get that data between his other appointments, or cancel a few. This was more important.
He’d known for a while that he was overexerting himself. His universe was expanding faster than he could manage. If he wasn’t careful there would be a stellar collision. He couldn’t keep filling these voids alone.
He needed someone to help him get this information—someone smart, fearless, and malleable. He needed a personal assistant.


Author Bio:
Tiana Warner is the best selling author of the Mermaids of Eriana Kwai trilogy. Her books have been acclaimed by Writer's Digest, Foreword Reviews, and the Dante Rossetti Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia. Tiana enjoys riding her horse, Bailey, and is an active supporter of animal welfare.



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Friday, March 29, 2019

NEW RELEASE: Break of Dawn by Anne Conley

New Release!  This one was inspired by Hurricane Harvey, and is dedicated to all the  first responders who dropped everything--jobs, family-life, missed vacations--and drove to Houston with a flat-botttom boat, and cases of water to get the people out of rising flood waters.



One woman in hiding. A man desperate to escape his future. A union that can’t ever happen.

A bad girl meets a good guy who is just trying to do the right thing.
Dawn takes jobs—the jobs people need done, but don’t want to get their hands dirty with—because she’s good. But this job may be her last. She not sure if she’ll survive it.
Jackson is reluctant to fit into his father’s mold. The Mayor’s son, he’s ready to live his life on his own terms, but it seems his life is already laid out for him.
When he rescues her from a “job” in the middle of a hurricane wracking their fair city, the two paths collide.
And the consequences could be dire.

Buy links: 
kobo 
NEW! Google Play 

Excerpt:

Her first thought was of his proposition. She couldn’t imagine what he would want, except sex. She wasn’t immune to his charms in that regard, but Dawn repeated her earlier thoughts to herself. He wouldn’t want just sex. He looked like the sort to dissect things, talk about feelings, put labels on what they were and shit. She wasn’t the sort who did that type of thing. Not anymore.
Her second thought was all about the creature comforts. She hadn’t brushed her teeth, needed a shower, and if she ever wore this fucking body suit again, it would be too soon. Dawn needed clean underwear in the worst way, and her bed screamed at her from where it sat across town.
And she wanted to look at the laptop that had Twitch so fired up.
She sighed, and Jackson’s gaze snapped to hers. “You said you lived by Freed Park?”
She nodded, just now starting her pancakes. The buttery, syrupy batter melted on her tongue, and she let out a small moan. Jackson stared at her with a stark heat in his eyes that had her swallowing hard.
“It’s all underwater over there. Like, a ton of water.”
She ate another bite, shoveling it down because it tasted amazing. She honestly wasn’t hungry but didn’t know when she would get another chance to eat a meal cooked this well. Breakfast might be all the people got. She could be relegated to granola bars, or worse, the rest of the day.
She was smart enough to know not to turn down perfectly good food.
So Dawn ignored him and cleaned her plate, letting out a soft belch when she was finished before pushing the plate away. Jackson picked it up and threw it in the trash in the corner before coming back to sit in the seat next to her. The air thickened between them, and he tugged her chair closer to him, placing her between his knees. He leaned down so they shared the same air. It was totally unnecessary in the largish space of the room that only held the two of them, but she allowed it.
Reveled in it, actually.
She could see his greenish-gray eyes in the light of the morning. At night, they had glittered in the darkness, but she hadn’t been able to tell what color they were.
Dawn was hopelessly lost in them. His sandy-blond hair was cut short on the sides, still standing up on the top of his head, but it had been tamed a bit since last night. And his breath smelled slightly minty.
Son of a bitch had found a toothbrush.
“I think I can use you,” he said, breaking the pregnant silence with words that held a double entendre she couldn’t not laugh at. He blushed, and it was cuter than she cared to admit. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Okay. I do need you, but not the way that came out.”
She sighed, angry at her curiosity for rearing its head. She just knew she was going to get in too deep with this guy. Dawn could feel it in her gut.

About the Author

Anne has written her entire life and has the boxes of angst-filled journals and poetry to prove it. She’s been writing for public consumption for the past several years. She lives in rural East Texas with her husband and children in her own private oasis, where she prides herself in her complete lack of social skills, choosing instead to live with the people inside her head.
Currently, she has five romance series. Playing with Fire explores the trials and tribulations of a small team of fire fighters in the fictional mountain town of Pamona Gulch. In Pierce Securities, she gives us Ryan, Evan, Miriam, Zack, Quinten, Jordan, Hollerman, and Simon. Her favorite series, Book B!tches, is all about a group of women in Mystic, Texas who get into all sorts of shenanigans. In Stories of Serendipity, she explores real people living real lives in small town Texas in a contemporary romance setting. In The Four Winds, she chronicles God’s four closest archangels, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, falling in love and becoming human.


Follow her on:


BOOK REVEAL: In Other Words by Jennifer Woodhull


In Other Words
Jennifer Woodhull
Publication date: April 30th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Dexter
We became close friends in college. When Sinclair returns home to Dallas after two years in New York, I introduce her to my best friend Cole. The good-looking playboy ballplayer is the perfect kind of guy for the woman I’m sure would never be interested in me…even if seeing them together breaks my heart.


Sinclair.
He was the nerdy PhD candidate. I was the cheerleader. We made unlikely friends. Moving back home after two years away, he looks hotter than ever. When I start dating his ballplayer best friend, things get complicated. He doesn’t see me as girlfriend material…but I can’t get him, or my feelings for him, out of my head.


Author Bio:
Jennifer Woodhull is based in the Southern United States, spending time in her second home of England, and traveling as often as she can. Her love of travel permeates her work, and her characters often find themselves exploring new and foreign surroundings.
A keen observer of human behavior, Jennifer often draws inspiration from something as simple as a fleeting connection, or the glimpse of a unique trait or characteristic. Her favorite place to write is on airplanes.
"The drone of the engine, the scores of people, all traveling to something or from something, and being disconnected from digital distractions are a combination that provide the perfect place to write," she says. "If you see a woman in seat 9F who is balancing her Macbook on her lap because it's time to close your tray table, please have patience. I'm just trying to finish one more sentence."

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BOOK BLITZ: The Last Wingman by Daisy Prescott #GIVEAWAY


The Last Wingman
Daisy Prescott
(Wingmen #6)
Publication date: March 7th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
The Last Wingman is a standalone enemies to lovers romance.

Jonah Kingston is the last wingman standing.
June Moxee doesn’t care if he’s the last man on earth.

I haven’t exactly avoided relationships, but love has never been a priority. Solitude doesn’t bother me and being alone doesn’t mean being lonely. Until she moved to the island and I had to reconsider everything.
June seems content running her yarn shop, knitting with the local church ladies, and avoiding me. She’s a temptress in a hand-knit sweater. And for some reason, she’s not a fan of mine. It might be the tattoos. Or the beard. Or the fact that we’re polar opposites.
A woman has finally caught my attention. Too bad she thinks she hates me. Good thing I’m stubborn enough to try to change her mind.


Now on Kindle Unlimited!
EXCERPT:
An old-fashioned brass bell jingles when I open the door to June’s store. The narrow space is made even tighter by the floor-to-ceiling cubbies that line the two long walls. In the back of the store, a picture window frames a view of Saratoga Passage like a painting.
Tucked in the corner near the window is a comfy-looking wingback chair, and next to it, an oversized basket filled with balls of yarn. The shop is cozy and feminine, comfortable like a sweet grandmother’s house.
A grandmother who listens to “Sex and Candy” on low volume.
Not what I was expecting.
“Hello?” I call from my spot near the door. There’s no sign of June or anyone else inside. Double-checking the door for a Be back soon note and not seeing one, I step farther into the space. “Hello?”
A soft thump followed by more thumps comes from the desk area. Metallic pings and something heavy hitting the floor precedes a feminine voice yelping “Ouch” and “Fuck!”
June doesn’t seem like the type to drop f-bombs. Maybe she’s hired a ’90s-music-loving teenager with a foul mouth.
“Everything okay?” I follow the noise to the partially open door near the register.
“Fine. Fine! Nothing to see here! I’ll be with you in a second. Thanks for your patience.” What sounds like rapid-fire beanbags hitting a cornhole board contradicts her words.
As I see it, I have two options. I can ignore whatever is going on inside the closet and wait, or I can ignore her lie and step in to help.
I go with the second choice.
Swinging the door open, I’m greeted with a scene of colorful chaos. A box balances on its side on the edge of a high shelf, most of its contents now on the floor around June’s feet. She’s keeping the box aloft with both hands, but doesn’t have the height to shove it back into position.
“Here, let me help you.” I step into the small space behind her and reach above her head to stabilize the cardboard container before she ends up concussed.
“I don’t need your help.” Reluctantly, she releases her grip.
“Okay.” Disappointed and a little hurt by her obvious annoyance at my presence, I give the corner a final shove to guarantee we’re out of danger. “You’re welcome.”
“I said I was fine.” Continuing to face the shelves, she doesn’t turn her head to speak to me. In fact, she sounds downright angry.
“Got it. Well, I’ll get out of your way.” Resigned, I decide to abandon my mission and retreat to the safety of my own business, both literally and figuratively.
What happens next is more her fault than mine. Had she used a step stool and not tipped the box over, there wouldn’t be balls of yarn strewn across the floor, creating a minefield. Easily-tripped-over round objects that cause me to lose my balance and reach for the closest available thing to stop myself from landing on my ass.
Unfortunately, I grab June by the waist, surprising her. She’s not prepared to act as my anchor. Unstable, we both stumble backward.
Lucky for June, I break her fall. Unlucky for me, she lands on top of me.
We’ve never even hugged before this moment. I think we might have shaken hands once when Dan introduced us, but the memory isn’t clear. There wasn’t an electric shock when we first touched or met eyes, no love-at-first-sight zings upon initial contact—unlike now when my body is on high alert that we’re not only touching but lying flush against each other.
“I’m so sorry!” June wiggles, her movement drawing my attention to her clothes. How did I not notice she’s wearing a full skirt made of thin material? My imagination easily erases its existence altogether.
“Don’t apologize. This was completely my fault.” My words come out a grunt as I try to catch my breath.
My hands still grip her waist, making this position more awkward by the second. Unbidden, my fingers flex against her softness. Bad idea. Feeling my dick thicken, I tell myself not to move, not to even breathe. Oxygen is overrated.
Shifting on top of me, she bends her knees and gets her feet under her enough to stand up in a single, ninja-quick movement. Instead of waiting for me to stand or extending a hand to help me, she exits through the door and closes it behind her.
I’m left sprawled out on the floor, balls of yarn and possibly a needle poking me in the back. “No good deed goes unpunished,” I mutter to myself as I scramble to my feet. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”


Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author Daisy Prescott writes romantic comedies about real love.
Love with Altitude, Daisy's new series of standalone Rom Coms, is set in the mountains of Colorado. The Wingmen books star regular guys who often have beards, drive trucks, and love deeply once they fall. Modern Love Stories feature characters in their thirties and forties finding and rediscovering love in unexpected and humorous ways.
Born and raised in San Diego, Daisy currently lives in a real life Stars Hollow in the Boston suburbs with her husband, their rescue dog, Mulder, and an imaginary house goat. When not writing about herself in the third person, Daisy can be found traveling, gardening, baking, or lost in a good book.



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Thursday, March 28, 2019

BOOK BLITZ: Bastien's Bite by C.A. Worley #GIVEAWAY


Bastien’s Bite
C.A. Worley
(The Light Summoners, #1)
Publication date: March 25th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Alina Ray has always lived quiet life. When she starts having problems with a group of creepy supernaturals, she turns to her witch friend, Shane, for help. She never imagined his solution would be to push her into the arms of the city’s most powerful vampire. Will Alina resist what’s offered, or will she fall prey to Bastien’s bite?
Bastien James has been living the high life. He has money, power, and a different female on his arm every night. When he meets Alina, he realizes his life has had no real purpose. Keeping her safe seems to be his new reason for living. Bastien plans to help Alina navigate her new reality—for the rest of their immortal lives.
EXCERPT:
The entire alley started to slowly blur, like a fog was rolling in. I couldn’t hear them, but the creatures maws widened and I knew they were making that horrible screech I’d only heard once.
Suddenly they were gone and I exhaled in relief. A minute later, all thee fighters were walking into the room, looking no worse for wear.
Aside from Shane’s torn charcoal shirt, none of them had a mark on them. I wanted to go to Bastien first, which was crazy. I hardly knew the male.
My best friend opened his arms and I ran into them. A low growl vibrated through the room, followed by a quiet oomph.
When I looked over to Bastien, he was rubbing his ribs and the female was looking mildly annoyed. I ignored the urge to throw myself at the sexy male vampire.
I studied Shane’s face. “You’re okay?”
“I’m great.”
“You shouldn’t have gone out there. I told you they were dangerous.”
“This isn’t my first rodeo, doll face.”
“But—”
“She’s right,” Bastien cut in, glaring at Shane.
I stepped out of my friend’s embrace. “Thank you for helping him, Bastien. And you, too, uh, sorry, I don’t know your name.”
“Sasha.”
“I’m Alina.”
“I know.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. Her tone was clipped and I got the feeling that was just how she was, blunt and to the point.
I was starting to sweat again and I rubbed the back of my neck. “I don’t feel so well.”
I stepped closer to the couch and suddenly Bastien was there, pulling me to him while barking at the other two to leave the room.
Because I’d shut my eyes, I didn’t see them go. I was too busy concentrating on my uncooperative body to worry about it anyway.
My hand found the skin of his forearm and my mind settled. Bastien was fast becoming my lifeline.
“I didn’t take enough of your blood.”
“What?” I mumbled, my face in his chest.
“You’re overloaded with excess energies and your bone marrow is producing more blood than your body can handle.”
“Is that why biting me helped?”
“Yes, only I didn’t take enough. I should have taken more but I didn’t want to without your permission.”
“You bit me without permission, stopping my seizure, so I doubt I’d have said no to you taking more.”
He laughed darkly. “Oh, little dove, do you not know what happens when a vampire feeds for longer than a minute or two?”

I’d heard it could be highly pleasurable, but I’d never spoken in detail to anyone who’d been bitten. Shane was my only real friend and all he’d
ever said was it was worth the effort to be on the receiving end.

I shook my head.
“Would you like to find out?” his asked, his voice dropping an octave.
My core heated to a boiling temperature and my chest heaved for air. Gods help me, but I did. I did want to find out.
I could rationalize it was because I wanted his help to stave off my seizure. That was part of it. The rational side of me was flashing the green light for this very reason.
The other part? Well, that was the part that hadn’t had sex in two years.
I wanted to feel his unspoken dark promise. Like a moth to the flame, I was inexplicably drawn to him.
When I’d come to on the couch, I’d been aroused. I was turned on before I’d seen his stunningly sharp features, his bright green eyes and his midnight hair.
His gentle touch and care for me confirmed he would not harm me. When I’d touched his face, my mind was calm and I felt like I could look at him forever.
Before he touched me again—because I was going to let him if he still wanted to—I needed to warn him of my curse.
“You should know that when my skin comes into contact with someone else’s I get, ah, visions. Like pictures of their future.”
Bastien didn’t seem at all surprised by my confession and some of my anxiety over telling him eased off.
“Did you pick up anything when I drank from you?”
“No.”
His emerald irises blazed and I licked my lips. “Then I’m thinking I’m immune to it. So I’ll ask again, do you want to find out what it’s like to be bitten? This time while you’re fully aware?”
“Yes,” I whispered, wanting him with a fierceness I wasn’t going to question right now.
A clicking purr of pure male satisfaction emitted from his chest. He fisted my ponytail and angled my face. I was surprised when his mouth pressed to mine instead of to my neck.
His lips were salty sweet and I hummed with approval over their flavor. His tongue demanded entrance, which I avidly gave. I was so enamored, he could do anything right now and I wouldn’t stop him.
Suddenly I was off the floor, lifted into his arms and moving. I felt us lower to the couch, never breaking the kiss. I was straddling his lap, my dress practically up to my waist.
I wiggled, settling my core over his hardened length. I shamelessly rocked my hips and we both moaned. I was on fire. I needed more so I rocked again.
He tore his lips from mine and I whined. Bastien’s chuckle did things to me and I wanted to please him even more.
He trailed scorching kisses across my jawline and down my throat. He licked and sucked at the skin on my neck. My hips gyrated in the same rhythm as his mouth.
“Oh, gods,” I panted.
“Bastien will do, Dove.”
“Bastien.”
“I love my name on your tongue. Be a good girl and say it when you come for me.”


Author Bio:
C.A. Worley is the alter-ego of Romance Author Cass Alexander. Where Cass tends to focus on humor in her publications, C.A. loves to write fantasy. She chose to write under the two different monikers so as to not confuse (or tick off) her readers.
C.A. currently resides in the Midwest, but was born and raised in the South. She spends her days working from home and her evenings are spent shuttling her kids to and fro. Her dinners are subpar, but she makes a mean dessert.
When she's tired of living her sons' travel sports schedules, C.A. enjoys a glass (or four) of wine. She needs the liquid courage to click the publish button for her fantasy romance novels.
Her motto is, "Be Brave," and she tries to live it every day. It takes a healthy dose of courage to get through this thing we call life.



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BOOK BLITZ: Roar & Lizzy by Debra Kayn #GIVEAWAY


Roar & Lizzy
Debra Kayn
(Slag Motorcycle Club, #1)
Publication date: March 25th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He’s an aggressive Norwegian biker.

As President of Slag Motorcycle Club, Portland Chapter, Roar Akram is proud of the club’s Nordic heritage and criminal ways. He opens The Fire Ring as a cover for club business. But the server he hires at the bar becomes his biggest distraction. Lizzy with her sweet smile tempts him in every way. In his life, he takes what he wants. Whether it belongs to him or not. And, he wants Lizzy.

She’s a passive independent waitress.
One day, Lizzy Wheaton has a job and the next, she’s hired as a server at The Fire Ring. With a high medical debt hanging over her head, she gladly goes to work at the bar for a man who scares her to death. The closer she gets to Roar, the more she notices the trouble that’s hitting the club. But time with Roar has a funny way of changing her—making the forever kind of love possible.
They live in a hostile world.
With the sole purpose of gaining the Fed’s attention for their illegal activities, Slag Motorcycle Club will become the biggest threat to every motorcycle club from Montana to California.
EXCERPT:
He set her up straight and turned her head. “Is that why you’re holding back? Do you think since I had you, I’m done?”
She nodded.
“Do you want me to prove I want you?” He trailed his fingers down her jaw and dawdled on her neck. “Right here?”
“Coco’s upstairs.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.” She moistened her lips. “I’m not like you and your club. When I have sex, I like it to stay between you and me.”
His gaze intensified and he dipped his face closer to her. “If there were a chance you’d lose me tomorrow, would you not want to make love to me today?”
The way his voice grew huskier and more singsong had her vagina dancing. She couldn’t figure out if he were sweetness poised as a Norwegian biker or giving her a line of bullshit.
“That’s not funny.” She pushed against him to get off his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her, not letting her go.
“I’m not laughing.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “No one knows what will happen. Not you. Not me. I would show you how I felt, regardless if someone was watching because it’s important that you know how I feel.”
The sentiment was endearing, but it brought her back to the worry that what happened within his club was more dangerous than he let on. Slag Motorcycle Club had more going on than running the bar.
“Where did you go today?” she asked, dropping the subject of sex.
He sighed and leaned back, gathering her hands in his. “I went up into Washington and visited another Motorcycle Club.”
“Why?”
“Why not?” He brought her hands to his lips. “Clubs gather, work together, and keep in touch. Much like friends do in your life.”
She studied him. It was a cookie cutter answer, and she needed to know more.



Author Bio:
Debra Kayn is published by Grand Central Publishing, Simon & Schuster Publishing, Carina Press - Harlequin Enterprises Limited, and repped by agent, Stephany Evans of FinePrint Literary Management. She has over fifty contemporary novels available worldwide where heroes and heroines come from the most unlikely characters.
She lives with her family in the Bitterroot Mountains of beautiful North Idaho where she enjoys the outdoors, the four seasons, and small-town living.



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Wednesday, March 27, 2019

BOOK REVEAL: Dawn of a Legend by R.K. Lander


Dawn of a Legend
R.K. Lander
(The Silvan, #3)
Publication date: May 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Book three in The Silvan, a best-selling series by award-winning author R.K. Lander. “Page-turning epic fantasy you will not be able to put down.”
A past to claim
A power to wield
A destiny to fulfil
To the enemy, Fel’annár is just a half-blood bastard, but to the Silvan people, he is their crownless warrior prince. Returning from battle in the mountains, he grieves for one who was lost, a death that triggers a mystery Fel’annár and his company of chosen brothers must unravel. But why do the trees speak of a beautiful monster?
Fel’annár will learn the ways of the Kah Warrior from a legendary commander while facing the disdain of another who struggles to accept this ‘ignoble son’ for who he is, not for what he represents. Meanwhile, Fel’annár’s royal half-brother reveals a plan to restore the Great Forest to its past splendour of multi-cultural harmony. But the Forest is falling apart under the final onslaught of a ruthless traitor and the Silvan people are turning away from their ruler. Can Fel’annár come to understand what role he must play in this plan before it is too late? Can the brothers put aside their resentment towards each other for tearing their families apart and learn to trust one another? Can love prosper in the midst of battle and hardship as dark enemies converge on the Motherland?
Danger lies in wait for an elf who is slowly coming to terms with his heritage, learning to wield a natural ability and accepting the nature of his unfolding destiny.
The greatest warriors of their time will come together once more—in the name of justice. In the name of love.
Start your Silvan adventure today!

Book One: Path of a Novice
Book Two: Road of a Warrior (Best Indie Book Award winner 2018)
Book Three: Dawn of a Legend – coming soon
Book Four: Rise of a Warlord – 2020
Previous books in the series:


Author Bio:

I write epic fantasy for adults. I love battles, warriors, great adventures - elves, monsters and generally weird things, but above all, I love a good story with compelling characters.
My first project is The Silvan Series, with book three, Dawn of a Legend ready to launch April 2019. I hope you'll enjoy my stories and perhaps click the 'follow' button. And I would love to see you over at rklander.com. You'll find some story extras there and freebie if you're interested.


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BOOK BLITZ: Alpha Challenge by Lia Davis #GIVEAWAY


Alpha Challenge
Lia Davis
(Shifter of Ashwood Falls, #10)
Publication date: March 25th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Feral. Unstable. Hungry.

Words that describe a rogue, not a den mother.

Rhea Scott has crawled out of the darkness lingering in the deepest part of her soul. Keeping her grounded are her pack, the kids she protects and cares for, and a partner she keeps at a distance. Mating with Alec would be a fatal mistake—he’d crash and burn with her if the darkness ever won.

Nothing will stop Ashwood leopard Marshal, Alec Andrews, from claiming Rhea. The stubborn female thinks she's protecting him by denying the mating pull, but she’s wrong. He’ll tear down the walls she’s built around her heart and show her they belong together.

The war is supposed to be over, but a new enemy has risen from the fallen Onyx Pack's ashes. After children are kidnapped, Rhea's wolf goes into maternal protection mode and she won't rest until the kids are home safe. No one is going to stop her, especially that hotheaded, sexy, alpha male, Alec Andrews.
EXCERPT:
Standing, she stretched and picked up her cup. Just as she thought, cold. She crossed the living room to her kitchen. She placed the cup in the microwave and push the quick start button to warm her cocoa. A knock sounded on her front door.
Glancing at the clock and noting it was still early—7:00. The knock sounded again and she went to answer it. Alec’s handsome, cocky smile greeted her when she opened the door.
Damn if all her lady parts didn’t spark to life seeing him. Her wolf nudged her move closer, take a bite. Stepping aside, she motioned him inside. “Come in.”
He stuck his hands in his pockets as he moved farther into the living room. “I came by earlier, but you weren’t home.”
“I went for a run.” She closed the distance between them.
He looked into her eyes and she could see his cat looking back at her. Damn, he smelled good. “Why are you here, Alec?”
His gaze narrowed and he tilted his head slightly. “Come to see you.”
There was something else beside him just stopping by. No matter how much he’d chased her, he never showed up out of the blue. He’d call first. “You saw me earlier.”
Okay, that might have been uncalled for, but she was tired and amped up at the same time. She didn’t have the energy to fend him off.
He opened his mouth then closed it. After several more attempts he finally formed words. “We need talk.”
She raised a brow. “We do?”
Frowning, he stepped closer so the heat from his body washed over her. His scent enveloped her, tearing down her resistance against him. It’s been too long since she’d had sex. She couldn’t do it with anyone as long as her mate was in the Pack.
“You should leave.” She turned to put some space between them.
Alec grabbed her upper arm and pulled her into his body. She whimpered and internally cursed herself for the weakness. He pressed his lips to her neck and her pussy ached and pulsed. Damn him.
“I want you so bad it hurts. I’m tired of waiting, Rhea.” His breath was hot against her flesh.
When his words sank in, her heart danced and her blood heated. Her wolf howled. “What…wait.”
Pausing, he studied her with brows drawn. “Don’t run from me, from us. If I’m not your mate tell me, and I’ll leave.”
Leave? Her heart hammered and her stomached soured at the thought of Alec not being in her life every day. He couldn’t leave the Pack because he was the Marshal, which meant she’d have to be the one to leave. She’d known he was her mate from the moment she met him thirty years ago. However, she was in mourning and still messed up from the head job Royce did on her. Becoming the den mother had helped her heal and focus. Alec had become a friend.
When he finally admitted she was his, she tried to deny it. She ran and pushed him away because he didn’t deserve someone as broken as she was. Someone with a past like hers.


Author Bio:
In 2008, Lia Davis ventured into the world of writing and publishing and never looked back. She has published more than twenty books, including the bestselling A Tiger's Claim, book one in her fan favorite Ashwood Falls series. Her novels feature compassionate yet strong alpha heroes who know how to please their women and her leading ladies are each strong in their own way. No matter what obstacle she throws at them, they come out better in the end.
While writing was initially a way escape from real world drama, Lia now makes her living creating worlds filled with magic, mystery, romance, and adventure so that others can leave real life behind for a few hours at a time.
Lia's favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers, but it's her home and she loves it!


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Tuesday, March 26, 2019

BOOK BLITZ: Taming the Troublemaker by Kadie Scott #GIVEAWAY


Taming the Troublemaker
Kadie Scott
(The Hills of Texas, #3)
Published by: Tule Publishing
Publication date: March 21st 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
One daring kiss with the playboy tempts the good girl, but can she tame him?
Autry Hill may be a cowboy to his boots, but he’s also gained quite the reputation as a charmer and playboy. His parents aren’t sure he’s ready to take the reins of the family’s prosperous Texas ranch, so they set up a challenge: No women or scandal for the next six months and the ranch house he grew up in is his. Easy peasy, Autry thinks. He’s already tired of late nights and romancing, until elementary school teacher Beth Cooper happens to cross his path. Suddenly Autry is losing his heart, his mind, and what’s left of his reputation.
Good girl teacher Beth Cooper is far too practical to fall for Autry Hill, even if she had a crush on him way back when. The man’s been breaking hearts since middle school. But when he becomes her unexpected champion and then they work together to help one of Beth’s troubled students who’s about to lose everything, she sees a different side of Autry – serious, compassionate, determined and dedicated. And that Autry is nearly impossible to resist. Does she need to?
EXCERPT:
Autry made his way to the parking lot, happy to be heading home early. Getting punched by Lawson Miller in a bar had not been on his agenda tonight. Not retaliating had been a feat of inhuman control he hadn’t realized he possessed. He rubbed a hand over his cheek and hoped like hell he hadn’t got Michelle in a heap of trouble. He’d say this for Larson, the guy could sure pack a hell of a wallop.
“I’m getting too old for this shit,” he muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face. The dark growl of thunder nearby agreed with him. Good thing he was leaving early. Maybe he’d avoid the approaching storms and get home ahead of them.
Back to the ranch, the house that was nearly his, and the general restlessness he’d been experiencing for months now. Like he was standing at a crossroads, but none of the roads had signs, so he wasn’t sure which way to go. He’d seen how happy his siblings were, settling down with one person who knew them like no one else and loved them. Not that he was ready to settle down, by any means, but take the ranch and build up the dreams in his head? That he could do.
But first he needed to win this damn bet.
Tell that to Stella Aikens, who’d sidled up to him at the bar, obviously tipsy. “I saw what Larson did. How’s your poor face?” Not wanting to be rude, Autry had thanked her only to be landed with a hand on his thigh way too close to his crotch and a whispered, “I hear you’re amazing in bed…”
Holy shit. What happened to flirting? A little effort? He wasn’t some sure thing.
Granted, once upon a time, he would’ve taken Stella up on the invitation. Not because he was all that interested. More like why say no to what she was clearly offering? But that had been a hell of a long time ago. Had the women in La Colina County not got the message that he wasn’t into a quick fuck anymore?
He flipped his keys in his hands in restless twirls, hardly registering the tinkling sound of metal on metal as he did. Or maybe Mom’s right and I sowed my oats. Now I’m figuring out what’s important in life.
Autry gave a mental snort. No way was he telling his mother that her homespun sayings had actually sunk in at any point.
“Um, hi, Autry.”
The slightly nervous female voice pulled him out of his musings and Autry glanced up to find Beth Cooper sitting on the tailgate of a truck parked beside his. She slipped her heels back onto her bare feet and hopped down, teetering for a second on the uneven ground.
Immediately he reached out to steady her and his body stirred with interest, a reaction he shut down as quickly as it started. Beth with her big blue eyes and sweet personality. He’d put her squarely in the “off-limits” box way back in high school. The woman was an elementary school teacher for heaven’s sake, definitely not the girl he took behind the bleachers in the gym and…
Autry turned off that mental image with a haste born of desperation. Off-limits. He also realized he was staring at her, not having responded to her greeting. Beth was giving him that look, one that said she worried about him sometimes. He’d caught that look from her before.
“Hi, Beth.”
“Is this your truck?” The edge of nerves made itself present in the way she fluttered her hand as she waved at the Tundra beside them.
“Yes,” he said slowly.
She grimaced and mumbled something like, “Of course it would be you.” Only he wasn’t entirely sure that’s what she’d said. Then she tugged on her skirt, a nervous habit he recognized from when they were kids.
“So…” She gave him a cheery smile. “I have a funny story.”
Autry hid a sigh. After a hell of a couple weeks, leading up to a hell of a night with Larson and then Stella, he didn’t have time for whatever Beth thought was funny. “Beth, I need to go home. It’s a long drive.”
“That’s fine. I get it. But I need to explain why my purse is… um… is locked in your truck.”
Autry paused as her words sank in, then had to stop himself from taking a couple steps back as shock skittered through him. Beth Cooper—sweet, innocent Beth—was… hitting on him?


Author Bio:
Award-winning contemporary romance author, Kadie Scott, grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.
No matter the genre, she loves to write witty, feisty heroines, sexy heroes who deserve them, and a cast of lovable characters to surround them (and maybe get their own stories). She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.


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BOOK BLITZ: Taken by Lies by Ella Miles #GIVEAWAY


Taken by Lies
Ella Miles
(Truth or Lies, #1)
Publication date: March 26th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

At 16 I was taken.
Kidnapped by a boy I thought I could love.
Then he sold me as if I were property.
For three years I endured.
Beatings.
Torture.
Pain.
I never broke.
I was strong, determined, resilient.
But then one day it happened…I broke.
Setting me free.
I should have run away, found a new life, and started over.
Instead, I returned.
To find the man who sold me.


EXCERPT:

Broken.
For one thousand and ninety-five days I’ve done everything to keep myself from breaking.
Shut off my mind off during the beatings.
Escaped the depths of the darkness in the night.
Locked down my body during the rapes.
Imagined a new life when I was tortured.
Gritted my teeth through the violations.
Tried every tactic I needed to survive.
Closing myself away.
Envisioning a better life.
Plotting my revenge.
None of the strategies worked long term.
I hate Enzo for what he did to me, but my need to extract revenge was never enough to keep me alive.
I would try blocking my reality out by pretending my stomach didn’t constantly ache, and my body wasn’t bruised, my bones shattered.
That would keep me alive for a few weeks.
But then came the loneliness.
Being alone was worse than the pain. Not having a friend, a family, or anyone who loved me, that was what made me give up hope more than anything.
It’s been over three years since I was taken.
When those strong arms grabbed me, and the hood went over my head, I didn’t know what my future held.
Nothing.
I am nothing.
I am nobody.
I am a ghost.
A commodity to be bought and traded.
I was sold for one million—that was my worth.
I look down at my naked, bruised body. There isn’t a patch of skin that hasn’t been colored. I doubt I’m worth as much now as I was when I was originally sold.
Who would want a pile of bones like me?
The boat rocks, and I heave. There is nothing in my stomach to come up, though. Sometimes I think it would be easier if I would just starve to death, but no matter how much I’ve tried, my body won’t give into the sweet release. My body has adapted and learned to survive on far less food and water than what it should be capable of.
I’ve tried finding weapons to end my life, but there are none to be found on this yacht.
I’ve searched, no man carries a gun—not even a knife.
I don’t understand the men who keep me.
Nothing about it makes sense. I don’t even know who is in charge. Who is my master? They all share in the torture. They all revel in the pleasure of watching me slowly disintegrate.
No.
I won’t break.
That’s the only thing keeping me sane for the last one thousand and ninety-five days.
The thrill at watching the men in frustration as I continue to hold on to who I am and what I’m capable of.
Their primary goal is breaking me.
I overheard them placing bets on how long it would take and who would deliver the final blow.
Three months…
Six months…
One year…
When I made it one year, they stopped betting. I think most of them thought I would never break at that point.
I won’t.
I can’t.




Author Bio:
Ella Miles is a USA Today Bestselling author, top 100 Amazon Bestselling author, and Kindle Press author. She writes steamy romance with a twist. She's currently living her own happily ever after near the Rocky Mountains with her high school sweetheart husband. Her heart is also taken by her goofy four year old black lab that is scared of everything, including her own shadow.
Ella is the author of the Amazon bestselling book TOO MUCH. She is also the author of the UNFORGIVABLE series, ALIGNED series, MAYBE series, and DEFINITELY series. Get NOT SORRY & ALIGNED: EVER AFTER for FREE by visiting her website:


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