Friday, February 28, 2014

Release Event: Adam's Fall by Liv Morris (Excerpt/Giveaway)

Adam’s Fall (Touch of Tantra, #2) 
by Liv Morris 
Adult Contemporary Romance/Suspense
Released: February 25, 2014 

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Buy from Amazon // B&N!

Adam and Kathryn’s tantric love story continues once again told in his point of view…

When roguish playboy Adam Kingsley meets the stunning Tantra instructor Kathryn Delcour, he falls hard, becoming captivated by her strength and beauty. An intense sexual chemistry sizzles between them from their first shared glance to the soul cleansing Tantra session they experience together.

While Adam recovers from injuries after saving Kathryn’s life, she instructs him in the sensual practice of Tantra. He becomes her willing student as their tantric lovemaking brings Adam to sexual highs he never dreamed were possible.

But Adam’s life takes an unexpected turn when newly exposed secrets surrounding his birth father force him to make a seemingly impossible choice. Avenge those he loves and let everything he holds dear crumble around him, or allow the guilty to go free. With Kathryn by his side, Adam faces the fight of his life.

Adam's Fall is the concluding book in the Touch of Tantra series.

“Kathryn’s mesmerized me with some kind of tantric magic. I’m bewitched without an ounce of fight left within me. She knows my dilemma, my hesitancy to surrender and loosen the grip I have on my past, and she’s won.”
- An excerpt from Adam’s Apple (Touch of Tantra #1) An erotic bestseller.


EXCERPT:


“Forget about the press shit for a minute. I want to talk about Kathryn,” Tom says, starting in before the door’s fully shut. He’s moved his chair right in front of me. With his football player build, I’m going nowhere until he’s finished. “She’s quite the woman to tame you this quickly. Patrick and I always bet it would be this way. One solid whack from the right woman and you’d fall like a dead tree. Boom! So what are you two? Boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“Yes, I’m pretty much willing to be her anything right now.” It’s the truth, because I would wear any label for this woman. I regain my composure and say, “I have no idea where this thing between us will go, but she hasn’t run screaming from me yet. Even after almost getting shot by Simon and hiding me from him last week.”

“Well you know how to show a girl a good time.” Tom wiggles his bushy brows. "Maybe she’s an adrenaline junkie. Or just after your junk.”


About this Author:

Liv Morris resides in Manhattan with her husband of twenty-eight years. Relocating eleven times during her husband's corporate career, Liv qualifies as a professional mover. Learning to bloom where she's planted, Liv brings her moving and life experiences to her writing.  

A native of the beautiful Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri, Liv feels blessed to have a supportive and close family. Her three grown daughters are scattered across the country, but thankfully call home on a regular basis.

She received a B.S. in Communication from the University of Maryland. Currently, Liv is writing and publishing her short story series, Love in the City. Two short stories ranked in Amazon's top best sellers list in Contemporary Romance. Her novel, Adam's Apple, is due for release this summer.

Author Links:

www.livmorris.com
https://www.facebook.com/livingwrite
https://twitter.com/LivMorrisAuthor


GIVEAWAY:
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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Release Blitz: Hero by Leighton Del Mia (Excerpt/Giveaway)



Hero
by Leighton Del Mia 
Dark Erotic Romance
Release Date: February 27, 2014 

Add to Goodreads!
Buy from Amazon // B&N!

Calvin Parish


They call me Hero.
 I defend.
 I protect.
 I ask for nothing in return, and that makes me good.
 Doesn’t it?

That which makes me the ultimate predator also feeds dark impulses I’ve learned to control—until I bring her too close. For years I’ve watched her from afar, but what started out as duty has become obsession.

Cataline Ford


I work hard.
 I play by the rules.
I’m content.
 My scars are quiet and invisible, and that keeps me hidden.
 Doesn’t it?

One fateful walk home, I’m taken by someone I didn’t know I should fear. Captive and afraid, nobody will tell me why I’m confined to this hauntingly beautiful mansion. I’m given everything; I have nothing. He takes what he needs from me, and for that I hate him. But I might have loved him once.

And just because you’re reading this doesn’t mean I survive him.


EXCERPT:


Because I’m lost in my thoughts, I don’t hear Cataline enter the room. Her tight black dress cuts across her mid-thighs, and her cleavage teases from a plummeting neckline. She’s done her makeup for probably the second time since arriving at the mansion.

“What is this?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.

“What?”

Jasmine drifts under my nose as she walks away from me to her seat.

“I told you not to dress up for dinner.”

“I thought you’d like it,” she says, lowering herself gracefully into the chair. Her back is straight as a rod, and her fingers are laced. “You don’t?”

Norman decorates the table with food as I stare Cataline down. He clears his throat. “For dinner, we have—”

“Leave us.”

He pauses. Though my eyes are still fastened on Cataline, I know he’s watching me as he bows his head. “As you wish, sir.”

I stand and slowly walk the line of the long table. My footsteps echo through the hall, appropriately menacing. I’ve just come from a burning building but am back in my suit and tie to maintain appearances. And my ridiculous glasses, which I remove and toss aside. She’ll believe I’ve just returned from the office. When I’m standing over her, she tugs up the neckline of the dress and blinks at me. I resist smirking as she tucks hair behind her ear twice.

“Well,” she says, “aren’t we going to eat?”

“I’m going to eat.”

“I’m not?”

“As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one meal at this table, and it’s you.”

My ears pick up her slow swallow, my eyes the curl of her hands in her lap. “That sounds like a threat,” she says quietly.

I bend over, flatten one hand on the table and wrap the other around the arm of her chair. “It’s not. This is a threat: if you’re not naked and spread out on this table in two seconds, I’m going to spank you so hard, you won’t know up from down.”


About the Author:

Leighton Del Mia lives behind large sunglasses and under massive headphones. She can usually be found behind and under these things at any Starbucks on the West Coast, which is where she writes twisty books between sips of black coffee.

Author Links:

www.facebook.com/leightondelmia
https://www.goodreads.com/leightondelmia
http://www.twitter.com/leightondelmia
http://www.leightondelmia.com





GIVEAWAY:


Keep Me (A Hero Novella)

“I will disappoint you. I will hurt you. If I could be different, I would. But I don’t think I can.”

Declarations and sacrifices have been made. After three years, a better life is finally on the horizon. But when the past leaves marks that are both painful and permanent, is there ever such a thing as starting over? Can memories be replaced or forgotten—and should they be?

Keep Me is a follow-up novella for Hero readers who want a glimpse of life after breakfast. It is only intended to be enjoyed after Hero and is not a standalone. It is entirely optional and not essential to the original plot.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Release Day Launch: Hard As You Can by Laura Kaye (Review/Giveaway)

Title: Hard As You Can
Series: Hard Ink #2
Author: Laura Kaye
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Avon Books
Format: ARC Paperback
ASIN: B00DB3A1AC
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Source: Laura Kaye
Rating: 5/5

Purchase Here: Amazon

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he’s shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister’s sake, Crystal can’t get too close. Until her job and Shane’s mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He’s exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can—and never let go.

Review:

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED AFTER 12PM.

About this Author:

Laura Kaye is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Laura's hot, heartfelt stories are all about the universal desire for a place to belong. Laura grew up amidst family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

http://www.LauraKayeAuthor.com






GIVEAWAY:
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Laura will also be hosting a Facebook party for HARD AS YOU CAN on 2/25 from 12-9pm EST: https://www.facebook.com/events/416084181828110

Release Day Launch: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Excerpt/Giveaway)



White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Buy from Amazon // B&N // Kobo // iTunes!

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.


EXCERPT:


“I don’t think of Zayne that way!”

She laughed. “What man-parts-loving female in this world doesn’t think of Zayne that way? I can barely keep myself breathing when I see him. All the guys in school have squishy waists. I can tell Zayne doesn’t. He’s the awesome sauce with extra sauce.”

That he was and he so didn’t have a squishy waist, but I tuned Stacey out at that point. I really did need to cram for this test and I also didn’t want my fantasies involving Zayne to occupy my mind right now. Especially after I’d woken up this morning, carefully tucked under the covers. The bed had smelled like him: sandalwood and crisp linen.

“Oh, sweet baby Jesus in a manger,” Stacey murmured.

I clenched my jaw, cupping my hands over my ears.

She jabbed me in the side with her elbow. At this rate I’d be covered in bruises before lunchtime. “Our bio class just got a billion times more interesting. And hotter, lots and lots hotter. Holy mother, I want to have his babies. Not now of course, but definitely later. But I’d like to start practicing soon.”

The cell wall is a thick and rigid layer covering the plasma something, something plant cells…

Stacey stiffened all of a sudden. “Oh my God, he’s coming—”

Composed of fat and sugar—

Something slender and shiny fell from who knew where, landing in the middle of Sam’s notes. Blinking tightly, it took me a couple of seconds to recognize the faded and half peeled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sticker covering the back of the silver cell phone.

My heart slammed against my ribs. Gripping the edges of the notebook, I slowly lifted my gaze. Unnaturally beautiful golden eyes met mine.

“You forgot this last night.”


About this Author:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Author Links:

http://www.thedarkelementsseries.com
http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/
https://twitter.com/jlarmentrout
https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476934.Jennifer_L_Armentrout


GIVEAWAY:
Harlequin Teen is giving away a large Harlequin Teen Tote. 
International Giveaway. 

Tote Includes: 
· Harlequin TEEN branded tote 
 · The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa (trade) 
 · Pawn by Aimee Carter (hard cover) 
 · Crash Into You by Katie McGarry (hard cover) 
 · Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter (hard cover) 
 · 2 copies of White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
 · 1 pair of black harlequin branded socks (they are so comfy!)

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Monday, February 24, 2014

Cover Reveal: Tattoo by Cambria Hebert

TATTOO by Cambria Hebert
Take It Off #7
New Adult Contemporary
Expected publication: March 10th 2014
Add to Goodreads!


A tattoo gets them in trouble… He will get them out.

After years of cultivating an undercover identity, Brody West is finally off the case and free to live a life of his own. All that time spent in the company of criminals and killers left him a little jaded… and with an identity crisis. He isn’t sure who he is anymore, or who he wants to be.

To give him time to think, he takes a few days off to go fishing. On his way out of town, he makes a routine stop at the bank and finds himself flirting with the girl behind the counter.

But his flirtation is cut short when criminals burst into the bank and shoot her right before his eyes.

In attempt to administer first aid, Brody reveals a tattoo on his upper arm. A mark that will drag him and the girl into the kind of situation he was trying to get away from. But he can’t walk away because he’s the only thing capable of keeping Taylor alive and bringing down the guys who shot her—guys who are seriously dangerous.

***This is a new adult contemporary novel and contains sexual content and graphic language. It is not intended for young adult readers.***


About this Author:

Cambria Hebert is the author of the young adult paranormal Heven and Hell series, the new adult Death Escorts series, and the new adult Take it Off series. She loves a caramel latte, hates math and is afraid of chickens (yes, chickens). She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and children (both human and furry) where she is plotting her next book.

Author Links:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambria-Hebert/128278117253138
https://twitter.com/cambriahebert
https://pinterest.com/cambriahebert/pins/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5298677.Cambria_Hebert
http://www.cambriahebert.com



Friday, February 21, 2014

Cover Reveal: When Tidal Waves Call by KaSonndra Leigh

WHEN TIDAL WAVES CALL by KaSonndra Leigh
The Lost Immortals #3
Science Fiction, Dystopian
Expected publication: June 2014
Add to Goodreads!


The utopian society that Chela Prizeon once lived in is corrupted—divided by fear of an ancient prophecy and scarred by past betrayals between the humans and exiled celestials. So when given a chance to explore the world on the other side of the Borderlands, Chela seizes it, gaining an unlikely ally in the process. Perhaps beyond the veil, she and Faris will find a way to save his land, the sleeping world, and begin a new life, free from lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Chela fights a darkness growing stronger each time she uses her power. She also finds herself falling under the alluring spell of someone she once considered her greatest enemy. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths will change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Chela must struggle to understand the complexities of her forbidden world—and of herself—while facing significant choices about loyalty, sacrifice, honor and love. 

Told from engaging multiple point-of-views, When Tidal Waves Call, by #1 Internationally best-selling author KaSonndra Leigh, brings the Lost Immortals Saga to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian-fantasy world that has captivated readers in When Copper Suns Fall and When Silver Moons Rise.


About this Author:

KaSonndra Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She now lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to write about people of all ages doing fantastical things in magical worlds. She considers her two sons (aka the X-Men) the most authoritative editors around.

She loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora's Box (good writer's block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass.

Author Links:

www.kasonndraleigh.com
http://kasonndraleigh.blogspot.com/
http://www.amazon.com/KaSonndra-Leigh/e/B0066W7GY4/
http://www.pinterest.com/alestasia/
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Thursday, February 20, 2014

Tour: Girl in Love by Caisey Quinn (Review/Giveaway)



Title: Girl in Love
Series: Kylie Ryans #3
Author: Caisey Quinn
Genre: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Caisey Quinn
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00I7X5ML4
Release Date: February 2, 2014
Source: InkSlinger PR
Rating: /5 

Purchase Here: Amazon Kindle // B&N

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: She's living her dream...

Kylie Ryans is the biggest thing to come out of Nashville since, well, since Trace Corbin. With a hit album and a powerful label behind her, she appears to be the girl who has it all.

But appearances can be deceiving.

Fresh out of rehab, Trace Corbin is ready to take on the world. Just not the girl he walked away from. Because if there's one thing he knows for certain, it's that the people you love are the ones who have the power to destroy you.

As their worlds collide, they'll have to make the ultimate choice. Follow their dreams, or give it all up for love.

They say love conquers all, but for Kylie and Trace, it just might wreck everything they've worked for.

Review:

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED AFTER 12PM.

About this Author:

Caisey Quinn lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She is the bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series as well as several New Adult Romance novels featuring country girls finding love in unexpected places.

Author Links:

http://www.caiseyquinnwrites.com/
https://twitter.com/CaiseyQuinn
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCaiseyQuinn
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7041163.Caisey_Quinn


GIVEAWAY:
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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Release Day Blitz: Tragic Desires by A.M. Hargrove (Giveaway)



Tragic Desires (Tragic #2)
by A.M. Hargrove
Published February 18, 2014

Add to Goodreads!
Buy from Amazon // B&N // Smashwords!

My name is Gemini Sheridan. At least that’s what I thought it was for 23 years. Then one day a slight adjustment on the wheel of my mountain bike set into motion a series of catastrophic events that changed my life forever. Now I’m running from the headaches that threaten to destroy me… from the assassins that threaten to kill me… from the truth that exposes who I really am… and from the man that wants to save me. Because he now owns my heart and I fear him above all others.

My name is Drexel Wolfe and I’m a private investigator. Nothing ever stands in the way of what I want because when I see something I just take it. All of that changed the night my life collided with Gemini Sheridan’s and now everything is one hot damn mess. And the worst part of it all is that I’m trying to save her ass and I don’t know why the hell I’m even bothering. Well, that’s not exactly true. Fact is, I can’t stop thinking about her. She’s crawled into every thought I own, asleep or awake. I have serious plans for her that include making her mine. What she doesn’t know is that when I play, I play for keeps. Nothing and no one will get in my way or stop me… not even Gemini Sheridan herself.




















About this Author:

One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn't do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase. Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodge ball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head. Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what laptop out the window. She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone, called her boss and quit her job. Grinning, she made another call to her hubs and told him of her new adventure (after making sure his heart was beating properly again).

So began A. M. Hargrove's career as a YA/NA and Adult Romance writer. Her books include the following: Edge of Disaster, Shattered Edge and Kissing Fire (The Edge Series); The Guardians of Vesturon series (Survival, Resurrection, Determinant, reEmergent and Beginnings); Dark Waltz and Tragically Flawed.

Other than being in love with writing about being in love, she loves chocolate, ice cream and coffee and is positive they should be added as part of the USDA food groups.

Author Links:

http://amhargrove.com/
https://twitter.com/Amhargrove1
https://www.facebook.com/AMHargroveAuthor
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5338829.A_M_Hargrove



















GIVEAWAY:
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Cover Reveal: Uncovering You by Scarlett Edwards (Excerpt/Giveaway)

UNCOVERING YOU by Scarlett Edwards
Dark Romance
Expected publication: March 27, 2014
Add to Goodreads!


When I wake up in a dark, unfamiliar room, I have no idea what's waiting for me in the shadows. My imagination conjures up demons of the worst kind.

Reality is much worse:

A collar with no leash. A prison with no walls. And a life stripped of meaning.

I am presented with a vile contract and asked to sign. It outlines the terms of my servitude. The only information I have about my captor are the two small letters inked at the bottom:

J.S.

Armed with only my memories, I must do everything I can to avoid becoming ensnared in his twisted mind games. But in the end, it all comes down to one choice:

Resist and die.

Or submit, and sign my life away.


EXCERPT:

“Lilly.”

Oh God. It’s him. There’s no mistaking that rich, masculine treble.

What’s he doing down here?

“M-Mr. Stonehart,” I stutter, turning. I curse my inability to hide my surprise. He totally caught me off-guard. I have to look up to meet his eyes. Then up some more.

The face that I find is so striking it should belong to a Greek god.

He’s younger than I expected. Late thirties, maybe early forties.

That means he started his company when he was younger than me!

Dark scruff lines his angular cheeks. His jet-black hair is styled in long, natural waves. My fingers itch to run through it.

Totally inappropriate.

He has a prominent nose that might be too big on a less imposing man, but on him, it’s perfect.

In short, he’s a package of the purest masculinity I’ve ever seen.

And then there are his eyes. Oh my God. His eyes. They pierce into me like honing missiles. They are the deepest black I have ever seen. They would be frightening if they weren’t so beautiful. When the light reflects a certain way, you catch a glimpse of the purple underneath.

They are like midnight sapphires. His eyes reveal a cunning intellect. Those eyes do not miss a thing.

Add all that to his towering height, his wide shoulders, his confident-yet-at-ease posture… and Stonehart cuts an intimidating figure.

My gaze darts to his left hand before I can stop it. No ring. He’s unmarried.

He looks down at me, expectantly. His eyes narrow ever so slightly, and I feel like I’m being dissected, measured up, and tucked away in some small corner of his brain. I imagine this is what a gemstone feels like under the magnifying class of the most critical appraiser.

Stonehart clears his throat. I come to with a start, realizing I haven’t said anything in ages. I open my mouth, but the capacity for speech seems like a foreign concept to my brain. “I—”

Somebody bumps into me from behind. I stagger forward. I’m not used to these shoes, so my heel steps the wrong way. My ankle twists under me, and I start to fall.

I don’t fall far. The hand still on my elbow tightens, and Stonehart pulls me into him.

I plaster myself onto the solid steel wall the man has for a body. I catch a scent of his cologne. It’s a deep, musky smell with a hint of charred spruce that is all male. It scrambles my thoughts even more.

“Sorry!” a rushed voice calls out. From the corner of my eye, I see the postman giving a hurried, apologetic wave.

Although the sequence lasts less than a second, it feels like an eternity. Pressed up against him like that, I don’t want to move. I know that I couldn’t have made a worse first impression.

Stonehart eases me off him with a firm yet gentle grip. Our eyes meet. I flush the most vibrant red. His fingers graze my forehead as he brushes a lock of hair out of my face.

Any tenderness I may have imagined vanishes when Stonehart takes out his cell. He long dials a key and growls an order. “Steven. See the delivery boy leaving right now? Have his building pass revoked.”

I gape. Stonehart keeps speaking. “Wait. I thought of one better. Bar his company from accessing the building.” There’s a pause. “For how long? Indefinitely. FedEx can talk to me when they have an improved employee selection program in place.”

The phone call gives me just enough time to compose myself. My heart’s still beating out of my chest. But nobody has to know that.

I speak without thinking. “You’re going to restrict the entire company from serving this building because of that?”

Stonehart humors me with an answer. “A company’s employees are its most important asset. Their behavior reflects the organization as a whole. If FedEx decided that clown is good enough for them, it tells me they’re sloppy. I do not do business with sloppy organizations.”

“What about the other tenants in the building?” I ask. “Won’t that piss them off?”

When I hear myself and realize how improper my question is, my cheeks flame red again.

Stonehart’s eyes darken, as if he cannot believe I asked that question. I open my mouth to apologize for my imprudence, hating the way my professional skills have evaporated into thin air. I’m cut off by a short, barked laugh.

“Miss Ryder.” He sounds amused. “I believe that is the most direct and honest question anybody has dared ask me in weeks.” He takes my elbow again and leads me to the elevators. I have to take two quick steps to match one of his long strides.

“Yes,” he continues. “They will be ‘pissed off.’ But the perk of owning a building—” he hits the elevator call button, “—is that you get to make executive decisions.” He gives me an unreadable glance as the doors open. “That is, at the risk of being questioned by inexperienced interns.”

If that isn’t a loaded remark, I don’t know what is. I flush scarlet red for the third time since I’ve met him. I’ve never had a man throw me so off balance.

The elevator is packed, for which I’m infinitely thankful. The trip up will give me some time to properly compose myself.

Gratitude turns to panic when the crowd files out, meek as mice, when Stonehart steps in. None of the people waiting in the lobby follow us.

The doors close. I’m alone in here with him. My heart’s beating as fast as a hummingbird’s wings.

He catches me staring. “Impressed?” he asks.

“They know you,” I manage.

His dark eyes flash with amusement. “Astute.”


About the Author:

I’m Scarlett Edwards. I wrote my first book as a college sophomore. After six months of edits, it made its debut as Yours to Savor.

That was at the start of 2013. I’ve written more books since then. You can find them all here.

It’s funny how quickly life changes. I used to think I’d need a degree to get a “Real Job.” Then I wrote a few books, they got somewhat popular, and now I’m living the life as a full-time romance author.

Thanks to all my readers for making my dreams come true!

Author Links:

www.scarlettedwards.com
https://www.facebook.com/Author.Scarlett.Edwards
https://www.goodreads.com/ScarlettEdwards


GIVEAWAY:
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Release Day Launch: Taking Something by Elizabeth Lee (Excerpt/Giveaway)



Taking Something (Give Me Something #2)
Elizabeth Lee
Published February 18, 2014

Add to Goodreads!
Buy from Amazon // B&N!

I know what you're thinking. “You were such a jerk, Nick!” Believe me, I know I screwed up the best thing I had going in my life, but that was kind of my thing. I’d learned how to run cons before I could even form complete sentences, and I'd always been selfish. But I changed. Lila forgave me, my brother and I were getting along, and I was trying to make a name for myself in the music world.

At least that was what I was trying to do when I negotiated my way into the recording studio with pop superstar Sadie Sinclair. I thought it would be a piece of cake—charm my way into her heart and into her record label's good graces.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I got mixed up in a web of lies, manipulation, and deception. A web that had me questioning my motives and desires altogether.

Was the fame and fortune really worth the price?


EXCERPT:


“Look, I totally get your reservations about me,” I placated her, even though I knew I was more than qualified to produce her album. It was cookie cutter pop music. Anyone with half a brain could do it.

“I may not have much experience with actual singers, but I've been mixing music since I was a kid.”

“You're just a deejay, Nick. And no offense, but that is not the same as a music producer.”

“You're right. Spinning records is about playing to a crowd. Finding that perfect rhythm for any circumstance. Sometimes they want a carefree club mix to dance around to. Other times they want a slow, sensual song to grind up on someone to. I know how to read people and that's beneficial in both cases. I'm a people pleaser, but I'm also an artist.”

“How so?”

“Well, for one I can read you. I know that you want people to hear a new side of you. To hear the grown-up version of Sadie Sinclair.”

“That's not reading me, Nick. I told you that yesterday,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Yes, you did,” I conceded with a nod. “But it's not always about what you say. I can tell by the way you walk—the commanding click of your heels across the floor and the sway of your tight little ass. You want to sing the kind of music that causes a stir. You're tired of singing songs about people falling in love and teeny-bopper breakups. You want to sing songs about people making love. About passion and desire. About longing and fulfillment.” Her eyes glazed over as she stared into mine. Her lips parted as she let out a slow, steady breath.

I stepped closer to her and reached out, brushing my hand down her arm. “You want to sing songs that get under people's skin. Leaves them wanting more. You want to seduce them with your sound.”

“I do,” she answered mindlessly, watching my hand stroke up and down her arm.

“You don't want to just sing songs, Sadie Sinclair. You want to sing... sex.”

Her eyes fell shut as she thought about what I was saying. I was going out on a limb with my assumption. For all I knew, she wanted to sing gospel hymns to a reggae beat. Lucky for me, the way she looked at me—like she wanted to eat me alive—was a proper assessment of exactly the kind of person she was. She finally opened her eyes and when she did, I knew I had her on the hook.

“Okay then, let's hear it,” she insisted, pointing at the computer I was holding in my hand. “I want to see if you're any good.”

“Oh, I assure you that I'm more than just good.” She was trying to play hardball, but if she thought for one second I didn't see the glimmer of lust in her eyes, she was crazy. “Take a seat, Miss Sinclair.” I pulled back one of the chairs for her. She hesitated, like she didn't want to seem too anxious to comply. I fired up my computer and pulled up a folder of tracks I'd been working on. Careful not to mess up her hair, I slipped a pair of headphones over her ears.

She started to protest. “What are you doing? We can listen to it—”

“In order to get the full Nick Kline experience, I need to get completely”—I paused leaning in inches from her face—“and totally in your head.” She breathed me in and relaxed into her chair. I was one song away from convincing Sadie Sinclair that I was the perfect choice for her. Musically and more.


About this Author:

When I'm not writing or playing the part of wife and mother, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand. Here's the thing about being born and raised in a small town—you have a very vivid imagination! Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!

Author Links:

www.facebook.com/elizabethleewrites
www.twitter.com/elwrites
http://elizabethleewrites.blogspot.com
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6542627.Elizabeth_Lee


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Monday, February 17, 2014

Release Day Blitz: Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash (Excerpt/Giveaway)



Forget Me Not (Collective #1) 
by Stacey Nash 
YA Speculative Fiction 
Release Date: February 17, 2014 
Publisher: Entranced Publishing, Rush

Add to Goodreads!

Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother's favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they're no longer pretty pieces of jewelry -- they're part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry's power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device -- and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she's Enemy Number One.

She's forced to leave her father behind when she's taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’ lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.


EXCERPT:


The gas meter beeps when he reaches the top of the staircase. Coming upstairs seems kind of strange. I mean, surely gas leaks would have to be a kitchen thing. The beeping sets my teeth on edge, and I just want it to stop. Maybe there’s something wrong, but here in the upstairs hall?

“That doesn’t sound good,” I mutter.

“It means there is indeed…”

He twists, angling himself toward my open bedroom door, and his gaze locks on my dresser. The back of my neck prickles, a sure sign something about this just isn’t right. What the…I step past him and pull the door closed, but he pushes me aside and slams it open. Panic shoots through me, but I’m fast enough to dart around him. Turning my shoulder and reaching for the box.

He lunges toward me, grabs me from behind, and his arm pins my neck to him with a shoulder crushing grip. He pushes me against the dresser, and the box falls open, its contents spilling across the top. Heart pounding, my throat burns with a scream. I’ve got to get him out of here. He must know about my pendant, the brooch. Dammit. I wriggle to escape his vice-like grip, but it’s no use -- he’s too strong.

My hand darts toward the pendant. I snatch it, but he grabs my wrist. Adrenaline tries to pound my heart right out of its home in my chest. If only I can get the jewelry on, I might be able to make its magic work and hide.

“Tech breech confirmed,” he speaks into his collar in a matter-of-fact tone; then he turns his gaze to me. “Give me the pendant.”

There’s a tiny ripping sound, like velcro torn open. A young guy in a black leather jacket flickers into my bedroom. A sharp gasp leaves me. I can’t escape one attacker, let alone two. Where the heck are these men coming from? I’m not going down without a fight, so I kick at my captor’s shins. The leather jacket guy wrenches the man’s grip from my shoulders and punches him square in the chin, knocking his head to the side. Shaking his head, the gas man stumbles backward.

The jacket guy raises his knee and drives a foot into the other man’s stomach. The straight, hard kick makes a loud thud and forces the dude to double over and curl in on himself. The leather jacket guy crouches and drives his fist straight up into the man’s chin. It knocks him flat on his back like a felled tree.

My chest rises and falls with my quickened breath. My heart thuds like a booming drum. The mysterious rescuer turns toward me, holding my gaze with intense, steady jade eyes. He grabs my assailant by the arm, and they both flicker out of my room.

My mind spins.

Legs, arms, body -- I can’t move, but it doesn’t matter. Moving is the least of my worries. Who were they, and what just happened? The meter seemed to lead him straight to Mom’s pendant. Gas man, my ass.

I clutch my head in an attempt to stop my mind spinning, but my hand slides off my sweaty forehead and falls against my tightened stomach. What if they come back? The guy in the jacket…

What was that? The brooch, the pendant…my disappearing reflection. They wanted it. Damn.

Sweat trickles down my forehead and into my eyes. I wipe it away with a trembling hand. Questions hurtle through my mind, all jumbling together as they race faster and faster in my mind. Seconds, minutes, hours I don’t know, but a single thought emerges through the haze of my mind.

Will.


About this Author:

Stacey grew up in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. It is an area nestled between mountains and vineyards. Full of history and culture, it provides wonderful writing inspiration. After dabbling with poetry during her teen years, Stacey stopped writing until after university when she was married with young children. Now she loves nothing more than spending her days with her children and writing when inspiration strikes.











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Friday, February 14, 2014

Promo Blitz: Asking for Trouble by Rosalind James (Excerpt)



Asking for Trouble (The Kincaids #3)
by Rosalind James
Contemporary Romance
Published: February 1, 2014

Buy from Amazon!

Sometimes you go looking for trouble. And sometimes, trouble finds you.

Alyssa Kincaid knows she needs to make some big changes. A move to San Francisco is the first step. Now it's time to get serious, and to get the rest of her life on track. If only her messy life would cooperate. And if only it had Joe Hartman in it.

Joe knows one thing for sure: Making a move on his best friend's little sister, the beloved youngest sibling in the closest thing to a family he's got, would be asking for trouble. Unfortunately, Alyssa always does seem to be asking for trouble. And it's getting harder and harder for Joe to resist answering.


EXCERPT:

She hit the door, heard the chime behind her, and knew her new boyfriends were following right along. Until they realized that she was meeting the bike rider, because she could sense them slowing to a stop.

Joe barely looked at her, just reached for her arm and swung her behind him. She peered around from the shelter of his broad back, saw the three guys stopped halfway between the bulk of Joe and the liquor store entrance, looking like they weren't quite sure what to do next.

"You should take better care of your lady," Tall Guy said at last. "Not leave her all alone and lonely like that. She might get into trouble."

"I'm here now," Joe said.

The guy laughed, showing his bad teeth. "What? You looking for a fight? Three of us, man."

"I'm not looking for anything," Joe said, and she could see his hands flexing, could sense the readiness in him, like he was poised on his toes, even though he was standing solid. "But I'm happy to take anything that comes my way."

"Hey, man," the guy said with a shrug, taking a half-step back. "Just hanging out." He turned, would-be casual, and the three of them sauntered off, back to their pals, Alyssa presumed.

Joe stood still a moment, watching them go. Then he turned to Alyssa. "You OK?"

"Yeah," she said, her arms wrapped around herself, shivering with cold and tension. "Just freezing." She smiled, and could feel her teeth chattering. She'd really thought he was going to fight. Three guys.

He unzipped the heavy jacket and handed it to her. "Put this on." He watched her struggle with the zipper for a minute, her fingers too shaky for the task, then brushed her hands aside and zipped the jacket for her as if she were a child. Then he took off the helmet and gave her that, too. "I don't have another one with me. Wear this."

She hefted the weight of it. "Uh, Joe. I can't ride a motorcycle. Maybe you could just wait for a cab with me."

"You don't have to ride a motorcycle," he said. "I'll do the riding. You just have to hold on."


About this Author:

Rosalind James is the Kindle-bestselling author of the “Escape to New Zealand” series and the new U.S.-based “Kincaids” series. Rosalind is a publishing industry veteran and former marketing executive who attributes her success to the fact that “lots of people would like to escape to New Zealand! I know I did!”

Author Links:

http://www.rosalindjames.com
https://www.facebook.com/rosalindjamesbooks
https://www.twitter.com/rosalindjames5

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Cover Reveal: The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter (Giveaway)

THE QUEEN OF ZOMBIE HEARTS by Gena Showalter
The White Rabbit Chronicles #3
Expected publication: September 30, 2014
Add to Goodreads!
Pre-Order from Amazon // B&N!


I have a plan.
We'll either destroy them for good, or they'll destroy us.
Either way, only one of us is walking away.

In the stunning conclusion to the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, Alice "Ali" Bell thinks the worst is behind her. She's ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, the leader of the zombie slayers…until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends. It's then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters…and the worst has only begun.

As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies…and she isn't the girl she thought she was. She's connected to the woman responsible for killing—and turning—Cole's mother. How can their relationship endure? As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima—even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.


About this Author:

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, the Angels of the Dark, the Lords of the Underworld, and the Otherworld Assassins series.  In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazine, and have been translated in multiple languages.  She lives in Oklahoma with her family and menagerie of dogs, and truly believes love conquers all.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/The White Rabbit Chronicles Facebook








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Cover Reveal: All Lined Up by Cora Carmack

ALL LINED UP by Cora Carmack
Rusk University #1
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Expected publication: May 13, 2014
Add to Goodreads!
Pre-Order from Amazon // B&N // iTunes!


In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.

But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.

Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.

Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.

And neither of them knows how to walk away from the attraction they feel.


About this Author:

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Author Links:

http://coracarmack.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/CoraCarmack
https://www.facebook.com/CoraCarmackBooks
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6535659.Cora_Carmack

Book Blitz: In Pursuit by Olivia Luck (Excerpt)



In Pursuit 
by Olivia Luck 
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication date: February 11th 2014

Add to Goodreads!
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Eddie Neff needs space. Not the type that country stars croon about, but physical distance from her emotionally distant father and the tatters of a broken relationship. So when the opportunity to relocate her life and interior design business arises, the answer comes easily.

Adjusting to life with Claire, her gregarious new roommate, is more than simply testing comfort limits. With just one meeting, Eddie finds herself unable to resist the draw of Harris Grant, Claire’s brooding and overprotective older brother.

Harris doesn’t fit her idea of a safe relationship. He pushes Eddie to face her deepest insecurities and fears of abandonment. And Harris holds on to his own painful loss, unable to overcome personal demons.

Eddie and Harris must learn to conquer their internal struggles. But as they navigate their new love, outside forces fight to drive them apart.


EXCERPT:

That evening, I’m back in the apartment, running late. I’m rifling through my messy tote bag in the middle of the foyer, searching for my keys, when the door is yanked open and two tall, toned blonds in professional attire stand on the other side. Claire’s legs are shoulder width apart, like she is ready to strut down a runway. Her silky blue blouse is tucked into a slim black pencil skirt. At the bottom, her feet are hidden by designer shoes that probably cost as much as I pay in rent. He wears a tailored navy suit and a crisp white shirt. A gray tie is knotted carefully at his neck. In a word? Sex. Flutters of awareness ignite licks of desire down to my toes.

“Oh!” I gasp, dropping my bag on my foot in surprise, causing some of its contents to fling across the ground. “Ouch!”

“Is my little mouse clumsy?” Claire asks with a laugh.

The more I hear that nickname, the less I enjoy it.

“Quite,” I confirm. I drop down to my knees to pick up my things. Then I spot it, next to a pair of shiny mahogany loafers. A tampon rolled right out of my bag and landed conveniently next to Harris’ foot. I don’t think it’s possible for this moment to get more embarrassing, until he crouches down to retrieve my lost item. An elegant hand extends to pick it up, and he waves the offending sanitary device in front of me.

“This belong to you?” His voice is gruff, not an ounce of warmth in it.

“Yes, thank you,” I mutter. I swipe it from his grasp, and scramble around the wood floor to collect the rest of my belongings. Claire just barely muffles her laughter, but I can hear her short giggles, probably at my expense.

I right myself and smooth my shorts around my legs, knowing full and well that my cheeks are bright red. “Let me try this again. Hi, guys.”

“Eddie, I’m Harris. I didn’t formally introduce myself when I saw you yesterday.”

I look up and up and up from where my eyes are trained at the floor and catch his gaze. His steel gray eyes meet mine and hold firmly. I want to turn away, but I’m trapped. He’s locked me in place with his sharp attention.


About this Author:

Olivia Luck lives in the middle of America with her loving husband and her obsession with writing. She wrote her first romance novel at age eight. When she’s not reading, editing, or writing, you can find her in the kitchen learning to cook. Olivia loves to travel and spend time with her family.

Author links: 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7359664.Olivia_Luck
http://olivialuckauthor.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/OliviaLuckAuthor
https://twitter.com/AuthorLuck

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Tour: Sugar Kisses by Addison Moore (Excerpt/Giveaway)



Sugar Kisses (3:AM Kisses #3) 
by Addison Moore 
Publication Date: February 11, 2014


Add to Goodreads!

Sugar Kisses—nothing tastes sweeter than revenge… 

Roxy Capwell couldn’t be more miserable. She just had her heart stomped on by her cheating boyfriend, and the last thing she’s looking for is love. She hates men. 

Cole Brighton couldn’t be happier. He’s a player of the highest order, there’s not a girl at Whitney Briggs University that he can’t tag and bag. He loves the ladies. 

Roxy’s dream is to own and operate her own bakery one day, but with no oven in her dorm, and a lucrative baking competition on the horizon, she agrees to move in with her best friend’s brother, the obnoxious, womanizing, Cole Brighton. 

Between the heavenly scent of baked goods, and Roxy’s perfect body strutting around the apartment, Cole can’t think straight. So when Roxy’s ex starts sniffing around again, Cole volunteers to play the part of her new boy-toy and things get heated both in and out of the kitchen. 

Roxy discovers she might not hate every man on the planet, and Cole discovers nothing tastes better than Roxy and her late night SUGAR KISSES. 

Roxy is ball of stress and anger. 
Cole is all ego and sex. 
Their attraction is unstoppable. 
And when their bodies collide—it's combustible.


EXCERPT:

Roxy comes in close with that I’ll cut you look on her face but I don’t move, hell, I don’t breathe.

“If you ever think of landing those lips on me again I will make sure it’s the last kiss you ever share with anyone.” Her chest heaves, her cheeks darken a deep shade of red calling her bluff.

“Oh yeah?” I take a step in and push my face toward hers. “If you ever land those lips on me again I’ll make sure it’s the last kiss you ever share with anyone”—a cocky smile cinches up one side, and I can tell it’s pissing the hell out of her—“other than me.”


About this Author:

Addison Moore is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who writes contemporary and paranormal romance. Previously she worked as a therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for nearly a decade. She resides on the West Coast with her husband, four wonderful children and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading.

Author Links:

http://addisonmoorewrites.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Addison-Moore/140192649382294
https://twitter.com/AddisonMoore


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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Release Day Blitz: Sugar Kisses by Addison Moore (Giveaway)

Sugar Kisses (3:AM Kisses #3) 
by Addison Moore 
Publication Date: February 11, 2014

Add to Goodreads!

Sugar Kisses—nothing tastes sweeter than revenge…

Roxy Capwell couldn’t be more miserable. She just had her heart stomped on by her cheating boyfriend, and the last thing she’s looking for is love. She hates men.

Cole Brighton couldn’t be happier. He’s a player of the highest order, there’s not a girl at Whitney Briggs University that he can’t tag and bag. He loves the ladies.

Roxy’s dream is to own and operate her own bakery one day, but with no oven in her dorm, and a lucrative baking competition on the horizon, she agrees to move in with her best friend’s brother, the obnoxious, womanizing, Cole Brighton.

Between the heavenly scent of baked goods, and Roxy’s perfect body strutting around the apartment, Cole can’t think straight. So when Roxy’s ex starts sniffing around again, Cole volunteers to play the part of her new boy-toy and things get heated both in and out of the kitchen.

Roxy discovers she might not hate every man on the planet, and Cole discovers nothing tastes better than Roxy and her late night SUGAR KISSES.

Roxy is ball of stress and anger.
Cole is all ego and sex.
Their attraction is unstoppable.
And when their bodies collide—it's combustible.
















About this Author:

Addison Moore is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who writes contemporary and paranormal romance. Previously she worked as a therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for nearly a decade. She resides on the West Coast with her husband, four wonderful children and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading.

Author Links:

http://addisonmoorewrites.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Addison-Moore/140192649382294
https://twitter.com/AddisonMoore


GIVEAWAY:
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Release Blitz: Twist Me by Anna Zaires (Excerpt/Giveaway)



Twist Me 
by Anna Zaires 
Dark Erotica

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Kidnapped. Taken to a private island.

I never thought this could happen to me. I never imagined one chance meeting on the eve of my eighteenth birthday could change my life so completely.

Now I belong to him. To Julian. To a man who is as ruthless as he is beautiful – a man whose touch makes me burn. A man whose tenderness I find more devastating than his cruelty.

My captor is an enigma. I don’t know who he is or why he took me. There is a darkness inside him – a darkness that scares me even as it draws me in.

My name is Nora Leston, and this is my story.

WARNING: This is NOT a traditional romance. It contains disturbing subject matter, including themes of questionable consent and Stockholm Syndrome, as well as graphic sexual content. This is a work of fiction intended for a mature, 18+ audience only. The author neither endorses nor condones this type of behavior.


EXCERPT:

It’s evening now. With every minute that passes, I’m starting to get more and more anxious at the thought of seeing my captor again.

The novel that I’ve been reading can no longer hold my interest. I put it down and walk in circles around the room.

I am dressed in the clothes Beth had given me earlier. It’s not what I would’ve chosen to wear, but it’s better than a bathrobe. A sexy pair of white lacy panties and a matching bra for underwear. A pretty blue sundress that buttons in the front. Everything fits me suspiciously well. Has he been stalking me for a while? Learning everything about me, including my clothing size?

The thought makes me sick.

I am trying not to think about what’s to come, but it’s impossible. I don’t know why I’m so sure he’ll come to me tonight. It’s possible he has an entire harem of women stashed away on this island, and he visits each one only once a week, like sultans used to do.

Yet somehow I know he’ll be here soon. Last night had simply whetted his appetite. I know he’s not done with me, not by a long shot.

Finally, the door opens.

He walks in like he owns the place. Which, of course, he does.

I am again struck by his masculine beauty. He could’ve been a model or a movie star, with a face like his. If there was any fairness in the world, he would’ve been short or had some other imperfection to offset that face.

But he doesn’t. His body is tall and muscular, perfectly proportioned. I remember what it feels like to have him inside me, and I feel an unwelcome jolt of arousal.

He’s again wearing jeans and a T-shirt. A grey one this time. He seems to favor simple clothing, and he’s smart to do so. His looks don’t need any enhancement.

He smiles at me. It’s his fallen angel smile—dark and seductive at the same time. “Hello, Nora.”

I don’t know what to say to him, so I blurt out the first thing that pops into my head. “How long are you going to keep me here?”

He cocks his head slightly to the side. “Here in the room? Or on the island?”

“Both.”

“Beth will show you around tomorrow, take you swimming, if you’d like,” he says, approaching me. “You won’t be locked in, unless you do something foolish.”

“Such as?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest as he stops next to me and lifts his hand to stroke my hair.

“Trying to harm Beth or yourself.” His voice is soft, his gaze hypnotic as he looks down on me. The way he’s touching my hair is oddly relaxing.

I blink, trying to break his spell. “And what about on the island? How long will you keep me here?”

His hand caresses my face now, curves around my cheek. I catch myself leaning into his touch, like a cat getting petted, and I immediately stiffen.

His lips curve into a knowing smile. The bastard knows the effect he has on me. “A long time, I hope,” he says.

For some reason, I’m not surprised. He wouldn’t have bothered bringing me all the way here if he just wanted to fuck me a few times. I’m terrified, but I’m not surprised.

I gather my courage and ask the next logical question. “Why did you kidnap me?”

The smile leaves his face. He doesn’t answer, just looks at me with an inscrutable blue gaze.

I begin to shake. “Are you going to kill me?”

“No, Nora, I won’t kill you.”

His denial reassures me, although he could obviously be lying. “Are you going to sell me?” I can barely get the words out. “Like to be a prostitute or something?”

“No,” he says softly. “Never. You’re mine and mine alone.”

I feel a tiny bit calmer, but there is one more thing I have to know. “Are you going to hurt me?”

For a moment, he doesn’t answer again. Something dark briefly flashes in his eyes. “Probably,” he says quietly.

And then he leans down and kisses me, his warm lips soft and gentle on mine.

For a second, I stand there frozen, unresponsive. I believe him. I know he’s telling the truth when he says he’ll hurt me. There’s something in him that scares me—that has scared me from the very beginning.

He’s nothing like the boys I’ve gone on dates with. He’s capable of anything.

And I’m completely at his mercy.

I think about trying to fight him again. That would be the normal thing to do in my situation. The brave thing to do.

And yet I don’t do it.

I can feel the darkness inside him. There’s something wrong with him. His outer beauty hides something monstrous underneath.

I don’t want to unleash that darkness. I don’t know what will happen if I do.

So I stand still in his embrace and let him kiss me. And when he picks me up again and takes me to bed, I don’t try to resist in any way.

Instead, I close my eyes and give in to the sensations.


About this Author:

Anna Zaires fell in love with books at the age of five, when her grandmother taught her to read. She wrote her first story shortly thereafter. Since then, she has always lived partially in a fantasy world where the only limits were those of her imagination. Currently residing in Florida, Anna is happily married to Dima Zales (a science fiction and fantasy author) and closely collaborates with him on all their works.

After graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics, Anna spent eight years on Wall Street analyzing stocks and writing research reports. In 2013, she became a full-time author, pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels.

Dima Zales is the love of her life and a huge inspiration in all aspects of her writing. Every book Anna writes is a product of their unique collaborative process.

In addition to reading and writing, Anna enjoys drinking tea (coconut oolong, anyone?), watching addictive TV shows, and discussing book ideas during long walks with her amazing husband.

She loves hearing from her readers, so please don't hesitate to contact her through her website or connect with her on Facebook, where she hangs out way too often. Also, please visit her husband and collaborator, Dima Zales, at www.dimazales.com and check out their fantasy & science fiction books.






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