Excerpt Reveal : Beautifully Brutal by Nicole Edwards

Posted on 06/12/2015 by shellbellereads

Beautifully Brutal

By Nicole Edwards

Release Date: June 16, 2015

Synopsis

Sometimes love isn’t beautiful…

Sometimes the only way to describe it is beautifully brutal.

If you think you know him… You’re wrong.

If you think you know his family… Wrong again.

If you think you know his story… You don’t.

If you did, you’d likely wonder how the hell a man like Maximillian Adorite managed to make it to this point in his life. At twenty-nine, he’s experienced more than most people could only ever imagine, all thanksto his family. Organized crime they call it. Mafia.

No matter how they spin it, it comes down to one thing. Max gets what he wants. Except for the one thing he wants most.

Her name is Courtney Kogan.

And now that he’s had a taste of her, Max knows he’ll never be able to let her go.

The Southern Boy Mafia series is a spinoff from the Sniper 1 Security series. It has been set up to be read without reading Sniper 1 Security, however, the characters will frequently cross over.

Pre Order : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

Excerpt

Sixteen Months ago.

“Holy shit,” she said softly. “That’s a nice car.”

“You like it?” he asked, sounding proud of himself.

“Who wouldn’t?” The newest model convertible Corvette Stingray was likely the sexiest car of them all. She’d always had a fondness for sports cars, but she’d never been truly fond of Corvettes. At least not until they recently released the Stingray again.

Max stepped in front of the car, blocking her view of the car. “Happy Birthday.”

“How…?” Confused she studied him. “How did you know?”

“What? That it was your birthday or that you’d want that car?”

Courtney peered around him. “That… That’s for me?”

“It is,” he told her. “Now go check it out.”

Feeling slightly off kilter, Courtney slowly moved around the car, her gaze darting between Max and the sleek shark gray metallic car.

“Seriously, Max. This is… Well, it’s incredible, but you know I can’t take this car.”

“Yes you can,” he told her simply.

The top was open so she peered inside, taking in the sexy jet black leather interior. She wondered what it would feel like behind the wheel.

“Get in,” he told her as he opened the passenger side door.

When he slipped into the car, she grinned. What the hell. It wouldn’t hurt to take it for a test drive, right?

And then, when they got back she’d tell him she couldn’t keep it. Because falling in love with him was one thing, accepting a car that likely cost him close to a hundred grand was something entirely different.

——————————————————————–

“Pull over,” Max instructed when they were hidden by a copse of trees deep on his land. He’d wanted her to test drive the Corvette, but admittedly he’d had something else in mind as well.

Another birthday present for her.

Courtney stopped the car, frowning when she looked over at him.

“Don’t look so upset,” he said with a smile. “Now get out.”

If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of concern in her eyes, but he shrugged it off. He didn’t want to think that she’d fear him for any reason. She’d surprised him earlier when she muttered for him not to hurt her and he had to wonder where that was coming from.

Then again, she knew him, knew what he was capable of. But in the same sense, if she ever thought he would hurt her, she didn’t know him at all.

Once she met him at the front of the car. Max turned to her, taking her into his arms and crushing his mouth to hers, his hands trailing the thin fabric that covered her. She’d worn a skirt, which had been his suggestion and again, he’d had something in mind when he made the request. He had to wonder whether she’d figure that out yet or not.

Easing her back onto the hood of the car, Max pulled back enough to look at her.

“Kick off your shoes. Wouldn’t want you to scratch the paint.”

Courtney grinned, and her shoes hit the ground.

“Now for my next gift,” he told her.

“And that would be?” She asked, grinning.

“An orgasm. On the hood of your car.”

Hmm. I like the sound of that.”

The following Books by Nicole Edwards are ON SALE

Conviction

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BWcSYP

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cIJkak

Addicted

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KZ8bpa

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cIJjDr

Entrusted

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1GoFKOD

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cIJrCJ

Without Regret (Releasing July)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BWdoWJ

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1BWdBt1

______________________________________________________

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author Nicole Edwards launched her professional writing career in July of 2012. Having been an avid reader all of her life and a huge fan of creative writing, it seemed the likely path for her to take. Since then, she has released fifteen books and has no plans to stop. As her full-time career/hobby, Nicole writes steamy contemporary and erotic romances. Nicole is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who was born and raised in Texas. Married with three kids and four dogs, she has plenty of interaction to keep her imagination brewing. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happy Ever After segment as well as Indie Reader’s best seller list. She has forged her way as an independent author. Although she has a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, she prefers to be hiding out in her writing cave, talking to the fictional characters that have built up in her head over the years. When she isn’t writing or plotting her next book (sometimes translated to “playing on Facebook”), Nicole loves to read and spend time with her family and her dogs.

Stalk Nicole Here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Instagram | Amazon | Blog

ENTER THE GOODREADS PAPERBACK

GIVEAWAY HERE: http://bit.ly/1GwIpI1

Excerpt Reveal: Beautifully Brutal by Nicole Edwards

Posted on 06/11/2015 by shellbellereads

Beautifully Brutal

By Nicole Edwards

Release Date: June 16, 2015

Synopsis

Sometimes love isn’t beautiful…

Sometimes the only way to describe it is beautifully brutal.

If you think you know him… You’re wrong.

If you think you know his family… Wrong again.

If you think you know his story… You don’t.

No matter how they spin it, it comes down to one thing. Max gets what he wants. Except for the one thing he wants most.

Her name is Courtney Kogan.

And now that he’s had a taste of her, Max knows he’ll never be able to let her go.

The Southern Boy Mafia series is a spinoff from the Sniper 1 Security series. It has been set up to be read without reading Sniper 1 Security, however, the characters will frequently cross over.

Pre Order : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

Excerpt

Twenty months ago.

Courtney tried to pull away from Max, her heart pounding against her chest. Max was going to kill Weston, He was going to kill him and it was all her fault…

At that point, she’d been with Max for several months, getting deeper and deeper into a relationship with him, but never had she actually gotten any information to take back to her father. Nothing that would take Max down, nothing concrete enough to do any damage to the Southern Boy Mafia and she felt as though she was running out of time.

So, she befriended Weston, pretended to like him until she convinced him that she wanted him. And then, she’d gotten his phone number, called him and invited him to meet with her.

He had.

But the young man hadn’t given up any information that would have hurt Max.

“What’d she offer you?” Max asked Weston.

Weston’s head shifted, his right eye opened ever so slightly, his gaze meeting hers. She could hardly make out the color of his iris because the lid was so swollen and purple from the bruises that marred his once handsome face.

“Did she offer her pussy?” Max asked, his tone lethal. “Is that what she offered you?”

“God, no!” Courtney screamed.

She hadn’t offered him anything. She’d merely tried to talk to him. Sure, the flirting might’ve eluded to more, but she’d never intended to do anything with him. She wasn’t a whore.

“He didn’t…” she uttered, her throat closing around her words. “He didn’t betray you.”

“No? He met with you in the park, sat with you for two fucking hours and talked. What’d you talk about? The goddamn weather? If he didn’t betray me, what did he do, Courtney? Confess his undying love? Ask you to run away with him? What?”

“I betrayed you.” Weston said through swollen lips. “I shouldn’t have talked to her.”

“He didn’t!” Courtney yelled. “He didn’t tell me anything.”

“But you tried, didn’t you?” Max yelled at her directly. “You tried to get him to talk.”

Courtney’s gaze dropped to the floor as she nodded. She’d tried, but Weston had revealed very little. Not even enough to take back to her father.

“Anything you have to say to me, Weston?” Max asked.

Lifting her gaze to the broken and battered man in front of her, she wanted to plead for Max to let him go, but she knew better. He was going to die. This was what happened in Max’s world. This soulless man was the leader of the Southern Boy Mafia, the ruler of the dark and dirty underworld that she found herself living in.

He was the man she’d fallen for. And she hated that, hated that she’d betrayed herself. Even now, even knowing what was going to happen, she couldn’t deny her feelings for Max. He was doing what had to be done. He weeded out the weak links in his organization in order to move forward. It made sense even if she hated it.

The following Books by Nicole Edwards are ON SALE

Conviction

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BWcSYP

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cIJkak

Addicted

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KZ8bpa

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cIJjDr

Entrusted

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1GoFKOD

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cIJrCJ

Without Regret (Releasing July)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BWdoWJ

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1BWdBt1

______________________________________________________

About the Author:

Stalk Nicole Here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Instagram | Amazon | Blog

ENTER THE GOODREADS PAPERBACK

GIVEAWAY HERE: http://bit.ly/1GwIpI1

Excerpt Reveal: Amber To Ashes by Gail McHugh – Torn Hearts Series – Book 1

Posted on 06/08/2015 by shellbellereads

Amber To Ashes

Torn Hearts Series – Book 1

Release Date: June 9, 2015

By Gail McHugh

Pre-Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Collide and Pulse comes a gritty new novel about a shattered young woman who unexpectedly falls for two best friends.

They were a storm I never saw coming, an unforeseen heartbreak on the edge of a dangerous cliff.

Amber Moretti’s life changes in the span of minutes. An orphaned outsider, she is desperate to start fresh the moment she walks onto campus. In the time it takes to cross the university’s dining hall, she meets two men who bring color, air, and light to her darkened world.

They became my addiction, each a needle to my next hit, my high.

Brock Cunningham’s appeal is dizzying, a potent force Amber can’t deny. A green-eyed smooth talker, he instantly attracts Amber. It doesn’t take long for him to consume her every thought, her every breath.

Ryder Ashcroft, a blue-eyed, tattooed, and pierced bad boy, turns Amber off immediately—that is, until he kisses her, stealing a piece of her heart, her soul.

They were as opposite as fire and ice, yet I ached for them equally.

Never knowing she could be broken down in so many unexpectedly beautiful yet petrifying ways, Amber finds herself falling for both men.

Immoral? Maybe. I say undeniable. Uncontained.

But one devastating event changes everything, shattering each of their lives…and Amber isn’t sure she can recover from it.

Pre-Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

“What are you, Casey?” Ryder asks over his shoulder as he scrubs his hands with antibacterial soap.

“Your little cancer warrior,” she answers with a small smile.

“That’s right.” He dries his hands and turns, a proud grin cracking his mouth. “The bravest one ever.”

I grab Casey’s hand and hold it tight, knowing nothing I’ve ever seen, heard, or felt compares to what she’s facing. This child’s living with a fear I can’t comprehend. One that’d slay all of my fears put together.

“Ready?” Ryder asks, his tone soft and caring, everything it should be.

Casey nods, clenching my hand. My heart swells, anxiety building thick in my throat as Ryder slips on a pair of medical gloves and cleans the area around her port with Betadine swabs.

Casey looks at me, the cool blue of her eyes misting over. “Are you scared of needles?”

“No,” I say, running my free hand along the back of her neck. “Are you?”

“I used to be.” She sighs, a single tear slipping down her face. “But not so much anymore.”

It takes everything in me not to drag her little body off the table and run out of the apartment with her. I wipe the tear from her cheek, my need to hide her away, sheltering her from the sinister storm she’s in the middle of, growing with each unsteady breath.

“A little cold,” Ryder warns before spraying the anesthetic on her skin.

“Hurry, Ry,” Casey pleads, her voice weak yet panicked. “It doesn’t last that long.”

“I have to make sure you’re numb, Case.” Ryder ducks his head and stares into her eyes, trying to keep her focused on the silly faces he’s making.

His tactic works.

Casey’s tiny giggles bounce around the kitchen, their musical notes blocking out the sound of Ryder popping the cap off a weird-looking needle. With a small, clear tube like a tail—and plastic wings stretched out on either side—it reminds me of a dragonfly. Ryder presses his gloved finger against Casey’s port a few times, his attention honed in on her face as he says, “Knock, knock.”

“Who’s there?” Casey smiles at me, completely unaware that Ryder’s pricked her skin with the needle.

“Aardvark.” Ryder pushes the medicine through the syringe, his attention cutting between Casey’s face and the needle.

“Aardvark who?” she manages, a thin sheen of sweat dotting her upper lip.

“Aardvark a hundred miles for one of your pretty smiles.” Ryder pulls the needle from her chest, and before she can blink, he rests his lips against her forehead, kissing away her remaining fear.

Close to immobile, my heart tugs, the magnitude of what this man means to this little girl—what they mean to each other—scraping tears up my dry throat. I swallow the sound before it can leave me, warmth pinching my stomach into a beautiful knot as I observe them.

“It’s over?” Casey asks, uncertainty flashing in her eyes.

“Yeah, kiddo. It’s over,” Ryder answers, his voice heavy with relief as he applies a small piece of gauze over her port. “You’re all set, warrior. Go get cleaned up, and we’ll get ready to leave.”

With Ryder’s aid, Casey slides off the table and heads for the bathroom, the bounce in her step less tangible as she slips around the corner. Quiet reigns, the events from the last few minutes whispering across my mind as Ryder looks at me with exhausted eyes. Stress lines cut across his forehead, wariness drowning his beautiful features. Overcome, I watch him swipe a tired hand over his face and turn, resting his palms against the counter. As though having no control over my body—a magnet pulling in my gut—I stand and move toward him, each tentative step I take carried out with shallow, quick breaths. I come up behind him, lift a shaky hand and tap his shoulder, my pulse lurching as he turns and meets my gaze. Our connection strikes, a bolt of emotions paralyzing us as we stare at each other.

I touch my fingers to his stubbled cheek, my conscience crying out that my actions are wrong, so very wrong, but my heart mutes the warning as I move my palm to the back of his neck.

His muscles go taut, restraint lighting the fiery blue of his eyes. “Amber, don’t.” The words come out not as a rough warning but a soft plea. “Don’t do this.”

“I have to,” I whisper, trembling. “You’re . . . amazing, Ryder. What you did for her, everything you do for her . . . I just . . .” I drop my eyes to his chest, my heart galloping as I register his hands gripping my waist. Their heat sears through me, a thrill jumping from cell to cell. “You’re tender, cocky, gentle, and an asshole all at the same time. You’re kind, giving, nurturing. You’re . . . everything.”

My lips find his, testing, teasing, barely touching. Our breathing comes faster, harder as I pull him down, our foreheads pressed together as we stare into each other’s eyes. “Please . . . I just . . . Just once more. That’s all I need.”

I think . . . hope.

With hunger demolishing all traces of restraint from his gaze, Ryder buries his hands in my wavy curls and looks at me a beat before capturing my lips in a slow, passionate kiss. I sigh into his mouth, my senses drowning in his familiar flavor as I fall in step with his calculated strokes. On a deep groan, he draws me closer, his tongue dipping in and out, out and in. Still, nothing about his touch is rough, yet everything in it screams that he needs me in this moment.

In this wicked space and time of his life.

Every lick and nip is a soft caress, like he’s trying to burn the sensation of my lips into his memory. My pulse hammers in staccato mode as I melt the full weight of my body into his. With my blood swimming through my veins, and sinking further into everything that is Ryder, I feel the emptiness of his soul slice through me. A dull ache pinches my heart, spreading its misery through my muscles as he cups my cheeks and deepens the kiss with a gentleness I never knew he possessed. My breath catches, wiped from my lungs as he glides his lips along my jaw, down the base of my throat. The cadence of his exotic growl slips through my ears, dizzying my head in the sweetest way.

“Christ, I fucking want you so bad,” Ryder whispers hoarsely. He drags his lips back to mine, his kiss urgent, greedy. However, he brings it down a notch, his movements revisiting slow, sensual, worshipping this moment for everything it is. Worshipping me for all I am. “So badly, peach. More than I’ve ever wanted anything or anyone. You drive me crazy. Your smell, skin, eyes.” He sucks my lip between his teeth, a groan punching from his chest as he runs his fingertips along my bare arms.

Goose bumps pop, deliciously pricking my skin as I tighten my grip in his hair.

“Your little giggles, pouts, personality. Every single fucked-up scar you own in and out. All of it. All of you.” He licks into my mouth, his tongue exploring mine with precision as his hands find my nape, their hold possessive. “Fuck. It should’ve been me. Not him. Me.”

And just like that, our moral compasses spring due north, Brock the center of its attention—our attention. We slowly break the kiss, our breathing choppy from the loss.

__________________________________

A self-proclaimed chocoholic, married mother of three, and a lover of writing for as far back as she can remember, Gail McHugh is the author of two New York Times bestselling novels. The COLLIDE series (which includes COLLIDE and PULSE), was acquired by Atria Books on September 17th, 2013.

“The first of two sexy contemporary romances about a woman torn between her seemingly perfect boyfriend and a dark, mysterious stranger who will stop at nothing to have her.” – Publishers Weekly on COLLIDE, a Top 10 Romance pick!

You can follow Gail on the below social media sites:

Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

Excerpt Reveal: King by T. M. Frazier

Posted on 06/05/2015 by shellbellereads

The King

Release Date: June 15, 2015

By T. M. Frazier

Pre Order : Amazon / Amazon UK

Synopsis

Homeless. Hungry. Desperate.

Doe has no memories of who she is or where she comes from.

A notorious career criminal just released from prison, King is someone you don’t want to cross unless you’re prepared to pay him back in blood, sweat, sex or a combination of all three.

King’s future hangs in the balance. Doe’s is written in her past. When they come crashing together, they will have to learn that sometimes in order to hold on, you have to first let go.

King is the first book in a two part series. Tyrant is the name of the second book due out August 2015.

Pre Order: Amazon / Amazon UK

Excerpt

King

Tattooing Doe was the single most erotic moment of my life. Marking her perfect, pale skin with a tattoo I’d designed for her made me so fucking hard I had to adjust myself every thirty seconds in order to concentrate on my work.

When I was done, I handed her the hand mirror, and she walked over to the full-sized mirror that hung on the back of the door, like she’d seen dozens of my other clients do before. When she held up the hand mirror, she gasped.

“What?” I asked in a panic, hoping she didn’t already see what I’d hidden in the tattoo. I was an asshole for putting it there. I was an asshole for tattooing her in the first place.

I was just an asshole.

But I couldn’t help myself. My name needed to be on her. It wasn’t enough just to call her mine. I needed to mark her as well. So hidden in the vine work under the quote I found that I thought was perfect for her, was my name.

KING was woven into the design. In order to see it you had to tilt your head or otherwise you wouldn’t notice it. But it was there.

I would tell her eventually of course, but I wanted it to be my secret for a while. She’d stopped being my possession a while ago, a lot longer before I cared to admit, but I still felt the need to mark her as mine.

I still liked the idea of owning her.

Only now, she owned me, too.

She didn’t notice the name. Tears filled her eyes. She stood there staring at the hand mirror in just her panties. Little cheeky ones where her ass hung out of the bottoms. Her tits were only inches from my face. Her tears of happiness made my dick twitch. Although her sad tears evoked the same response.

My dick wasn’t partial to which kind of tears he liked.

I took the mirror from her hand and lifted her up onto the counter. “You like it?” I asked, pushing her panties down her legs.

“I love it,” she panted, wrapping her legs around me, drawing me close. Her wetness soaking my boxers. I pushed them down with one hand. I’d been hard for three hours, the entire time I’d been working on her, and couldn’t wait any longer. I pushed inside her tight, wet heat.

We both moaned at the contact.

“You love it?” I asked, needing to hear her say it again.

“Yes, I love it!” she said as I thrust up into her, hard. “I love it. So much. I love you.”

I froze when I heard the words, and when I did, her eyes flung open.

“I didn’t mean—”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Oh my god, I have that word vomit thing. I’m sorry. Shit, I just meant that—”

“Shut the fuck up!” I demanded, thrusting hard to get her attention. She closed her eyes, and her head fell back. “That’s fucking better. Now, keep that pretty mouth of yours shut while I fuck you.”

“Okay,” she whispered, breathless.

“Shut up,” I said again, and she closed her mouth. “Shut up so I can fuck you…and show you how much I love you.”

She nodded and although her eyes stayed shut, a tear rolled down her cheek. I sucked it off her chin before it could fall to the floor.

Then, I fucked her.

Hard.

I showed her how much I loved her until I couldn’t tell where I started and she began. Until all that was in that room was me and her and the thing between us that kept pulling us together like magnets. Until we were lost in sensations and orgasms.

And in each other.

I fucked her until we were one person, and in a way we were, because I’d lost myself along the way and I found myself again in the most unlikely place.

I’d found myself again in the haunted eyes of a girl who was just as lost as I was.

Or maybe, we didn’t find each other at all.

Maybe, we just decided to be lost together.

_____________________________________________________________

Author Bio:

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier resides in sunny Southwest Florida with her husband and three feisty fur kids.

She attended Florida Gulf Coast University where she specialized in public speaking. After years working in real estate and new home construction, she decided it was finally time to stop pushing her dreams to the back burner and pursue writing seriously.

In the third grade she wrote her very first story about a lost hamster. It earned rave reviews from both her teacher and her parents.

It only took her twenty years to start the next one.

It will not be about hamsters.

Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

Excerpt Reveal : The King by T.M. Frazier

Posted on 06/04/2015 by shellbellereads

The King

Release Date: June 15, 2015

By T. M. Frazier

Pre Order : Amazon / Amazon UK

Synopsis

Homeless. Hungry. Desperate.

Doe has no memories of who she is or where she comes from.

A notorious career criminal just released from prison, King is someone you don’t want to cross unless you’re prepared to pay him back in blood, sweat, sex or a combination of all three.

King’s future hangs in the balance. Doe’s is written in her past. When they come crashing together, they will have to learn that sometimes in order to hold on, you have to first let go.

King is the first book in a two part series. Tyrant is the name of the second book due out August 2015.

Pre Order: Amazon / Amazon UK

Excerpt

“I hate the way you made me feel. Well, most of the time.” I spat. I was tired of dancing around the truth. “I hate the confusion you bring into my already confused life. I need this back and forth shit to end.” I took a deep breath. “I can’t take it anymore. You like me. You hate me. You like me. You want to kill me. You want to fuck me. You want me to stay. You want me to live. My head is fucking spinning over here.” My buzz faded faster than the setting sun. “You should leave. I don’t want you here,” I added.

“I know. I don’t care.” King said.

“Oh, I’m fully aware that you don’t care. That I know.”

“You don’t know shit, Pup.” King barked.

“Oh yeah? So you didn’t just spend the entire night at the carnival all over me, saying sweet shit to me, making me feel like this stupid thing between us is something more than just a stupid thing, only to whip out your dick with someone else the very first chance you got? Go back to the fucking house, King. Go back to that girl. I hope she’s everything you wanted.”

“I can’t,” King said evenly.

“Why not? Seemed easy for you before.”

“Because, Pup, I can’t because I don’t want to. No matter how hard I try to fight this, I’m drawn to you. You think I like this back and forth shit? You think you’re the only one who’s fucking confused here?” He shook his head like he couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. “I’m drawn to you,” he repeated turning my chin up to him.

“What do you expect? Am I supposed to fall at your feet and thank you for being ‘drawn to me’?” Not only was he confusing, he was fucking infuriating. “Drawn to me? You’re drawn to me! Well, let me just take off my fucking panties then, and let’s do this shit. Yeah, you were really drawn to me. Tell me something, KING. Do most first dates end with the guy getting sucked off by another girl? I mean, I’ve never been on one, so you tell me. I could be wrong here. Because if the answer is yes, then this date has gone fucking swimmingly!”

“I’m…FUCK! “You think you know everything but you don’t. All you do is run those pretty lips of yours and expect me to be able to just give into you!” King threw his hands up in the air. “You make me fucking crazy, you know that!” he shouted.

“I make YOU crazy? How the fuck do you think I feel? Most of the time I don’t know if you want to kill me or fuck me!” I screamed, every single word he spoke ignited my anger until it wasn’t something I could even begin to hold back.

King had the audacity to actually smile. He leaned forward and whispered seductively against my cheek, “Can’t I want both, Pup?”

I pulled back and stood up.

“NO! You can’t! And stop calling me, Pup. It’s a stupid fucking name. I’m not your fucking pet!”

I paced the dock. My rage was at a boiling point I couldn’t turn off. This was his fault. He’d made me into this lunatic.

King stood and grabbed my face with both hands, forcing me to look at him. “Yes you are,” he said, as he lowered his lips and brushed them softly against mine in a move so gentle, so unlike him, it took me a few seconds before I registered what was happening.

Then, my anger returned, in full force. Using both my hands, I pushed against his chest until he had no choice but to release me.

“Fuck you! You don’t want to keep me!” I shouted over my shoulder as I made my way to the front of the house and started down the gravel driveway. “Do you think I’m stupid? You wouldn’t be getting your jollies while I’m in the next room if it was me you wanted.”

A large hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.

“Let go of me!” I shouted.

“Listen, Pup. I’ve tried it your way. I tried gentle just now, but you didn’t listen. Now, we’re going to do it my way, and you’re going to fucking listen. Don’t make me have to cuff you again.” He warned.

Author Bio:

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier resides in sunny Southwest Florida with her husband and three feisty fur kids.

In the third grade she wrote her very first story about a lost hamster. It earned rave reviews from both her teacher and her parents.

It only took her twenty years to start the next one.

It will not be about hamsters.

Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway : Trusting Liam by Molly McAdams…A Taking Chances Novel

Posted on 06/01/2015 by shellbellereads

Trusting Liam

A Taking Chance and Forgiving Lies Novel

Release Date: June 9, 2014

By Molly McAdams

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Taking Chances, From Ashes, and Stealing Harper, comes the new unforgettable adult romance Molly McAdams’ fans have been waiting for—the sizzling story of a young woman who must place her trust in the one man who can break through her defenses.

A night they will always remember…a connection neither can deny…a secret that could destroy it all…

When Kennedy Ryan moves to California, she never expects to come face-to-face with Liam Taylor—the intriguing man who has haunted her thoughts for a year. A man who led her to breaking every one of her rules for a single night of passion that ended up meaning more than it was ever supposed to. Accustomed to disastrous experiences with men, Kennedy shields herself before he can break down more of the carefully built control she’s clung to for the last four years. But every time she sees Liam, she feels her resolve weakening.

Liam Taylor has been asked to help socialize his boss’s nieces. But what he thinks sounds more like a babysitting job ends up leading him to the only girl who ever slipped away before morning—a girl he thought he’d never find again. And now that she’s within reach, Liam’s determined to never let her go.

But when a secret from her past tests their relationship, will they be able to cling to the trust Liam has worked so hard to build?

Pre Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

Trying not to wake him, I slowly slid out from under his arm and off the bed to search for my clothes. Once I was dressed, I told myself to just leave, but I couldn’t help it—I turned to look at him in the light. I needed to be sure I hadn’t made him up.

The images from last night tore through my mind again when I saw the large, tattooed arm resting where my body had just been. The muscles were well defined even relaxed, and the face had a boyish charm now that he was asleep. Such a difference from the predatory stare and knowing smirk I kept seeing in my mind. Before I could stop myself, I gently ran my fingers through his dirty-blond hair that, now in the sunlight, I could see had a red tint to it. And I knew if he opened them, those arctic blue eyes would once again captivate me.

But I couldn’t risk that.

I’d already stayed too long; I’d already made a mistake with him. Drunken one-night stands weren’t my thing. Drunken one-night stands with strangers in Vegas were even worse.

Straightening, I turned and walked quietly from the room.

Author’s Bio

Molly McAdams grew up in California but now lives in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with her husband and furry daughter. Her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling and long walks on the beach, which roughly translates to being a homebody with her hubby and dishing out movie quotes. When she’s not at work, she can be found hiding out in her bedroom surrounded by her laptop, cell, Kindle and fighting over the TV remote. She has a weakness for crude-humored movies, fried pickles and loves curling up in a fluffy comforter during a thunderstorm…or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way she can pretend they aren’t really happening.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter – Goodreads

____________________________

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt Reveal: Beyond The Cut by Sarah Castille – Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club Series – Book 2

Posted on 05/27/2015 by shellbellereads

Beyond The Cut

Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club – Book 2

Release Date: June 2, 2015

By Sarah Castille

Synopsis

SHE’S HOLDING ON TIGHT.
As a teen, Dawn ran from a life on the streets straight into the arms of Jimmy “Mad Dog” Sanchez, a biker who promised to be her knight in shining armor. But his love was just another cage. Years later, Dawn’s former life still has its hooks in her and she’ll do whatever it takes to break free. When Cade “Ryder” O’Connor, a member of a rival club, makes her an offer, Dawn finds herself in a different, hotter kind of trouble with one irresistible Sinner…

WILL HE GIVE HER THE RIDE OF HER LIFE?
Cade is an outlaw biker with allegiance to one thing and one thing only: The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club. But when it comes to the stunningly sexy, fiercely independent Dawn Delgado, Cade finds himself…hungrier for more. Trouble is on Dawn’s heels and he wants to be the answer to her prayers, whether she wants him to be or not. What can’t be denied is the red-hot attraction between them. However, as they fall deeper, the danger rises and Cade may have to sacrifice it all…in Beyond the Cut by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Castille.

Pre- Order : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

“You don’t go out without me. You do not go to see male strippers. You don’t see other men. No clubs. No dates. No drinking. No Benson.” Cade barked out each rule as he mounted the stairs leading up to his room. The chandelier overhead rattled with each step he took, but upside down, over his shoulder, the only thing Dawn was in a position to appreciate was the worn wooden floor, and Cade’s very fine, tight ass.

He pushed open the door to his room, and then slammed it closed and dropped her lightly to the ground. “You answer the phone when I call or text. You don’t hang with the brothers dressed in the kind of dress a man wants to tear off you.”

Dawn gripped the door handle to regain her balance as Cade stalked across the floor to the window. The room pulsated with the intensity of his emotion, or maybe something was alive beneath the piles of clothes, pizza boxes, bike gear, and magazines. At least it didn’t smell as bad as it looked, just a tad . . . fetid, but laced with the fragrance of his cologne.

“Don’t you think you’re taking this too far? I mean, Jimmy’s not about to grab me from a bar or a club. At heart he’s a coward. That’s why he’s always approached me in the dark or from a distance.”

“This isn’t about him.” His puzzled frown almost made her laugh. “You’re mine.”

“I’m not yours.” Dawn folded her arms. “But since we’re laying it on the line, and if you’re wanting me to stick around, I have terms, too. You don’t go to strip clubs, even for a drink. Nor do you let sweet butts wriggle in your lap. You don’t flirt with women or bring them back to the clubhouse. You’re a one-woman man unless you want a woman who isn’t me, and then I walk out this door.”

Tension coiled in the room between them. He stared at her for so long she was afraid she’d crossed some hidden line and nothing would ever be the same again.

“I guess now that we have that straight, I’ll take care of those cuts and bruises,” she said to fill the silence. “You got a first-aid kit in here?” Her gaze swept over the room, bare of any decoration save for the detritus, a gritty contrast with the huge four-poster king-sized bed and heavy dark wood furniture, remnants from the days before the country house had become the Sinner clubhouse.

Cade scowled. “I’m not finished saying my piece.”

Dawn wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the rest of his “piece” if it involved any more one-sided rules and restrictions. She studied the room again for any sign of first-aid equipment, trying not to look at all the empty condom boxes or the shiny wrappers strewn across the floor or think about what they meant.

“I got something else to say.” Cade’s voice held an uncharacteristically sharp edge. “What are you looking at?”

Her cheeks heated and she scrambled for words. “Lots of . . . pizza boxes. What kind of pizza do you like?”

“Pizza?”

“I don’t know that much about you. What kind of pizza do you like?”

“Meat.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “Can you be more specific? Pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon—?”

“Just meat. Lots of it.” His brow creased. “You?”

“I’m kinda into veggies. Not that I don’t occasionally indulge in a Slim Fred’s Meat Feast when I’m hanging with Banks at his place watching the fights, but usually I like to keep it healthy.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “What else you want to know?”

Hmmm. A rare insight into Cade and what made him tick. She wanted to know everything, but from the way he was looking at her—focused, intent, like a predator sizing up its prey—she would have to be judicious with her questions. “Music.”

“Mostly ’seventies legends like Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Allman Brothers and hard-rock bands like W.A.S.P. and Great White.”

“Typical of a biker and not very revealing.” Dawn sighed. “I don’t suppose you harbor a secret love for Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift?”

Cade’s nose wrinkled. “Girl crap. Don’t listen to it.”

“I like ‘girl crap,’ as you call it. I also like jazz.”

“That’s ’cause you’re a girl.”

“I’m a woman.” She lifted an eyebrow in censure and he gave her a smoldering, sensual look that made her instantly wet.

“That I fucking know. And ’cause of that, there’s no hanging out with Banks, ’cause he knows that, too.” He crossed the floor toward her, eating up the distance between them with easy strides of his long legs. “You want to listen to girl crap and hang out and eat pizza, you do it with me. And forget the veg. How are you gonna keep those curves if you’re just eating green shit?”

He was so close now she could feel the heat radiating off his body, breathe in his scent of leather, crisp spring air, and the sharp odor of blood. “You like my curves?”

“Love your curves, babe. Couldn’t have made it through that fucking ambush if I didn’t have these curves to think about.”

_______________________

The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club Series

Rough Justice – Book 1

From New York Times bestselling author Sarah Castille comes Rough Justice, a scorching new series featuring red-hot, hard-riding bikers and the women who can’t help but love them…
IT TAKES A GOOD, STRONG WOMAN
Raised in a motorcycle gang, tough, beautiful Arianne Wilder has always dreamed of a normal life. But no sooner does she escape her father’s domineering grasp than she wakes up to find herself in a rival gang’s clubhouse—at the mercy of the dangerously sexy Jagger Knight.
TO TAME A MAN WHO’S HELL ON WHEELS.
The alpha leader of the notorious Sinner’s Tribe, Jagger Knight is all muscle, all biker, and all man. But somewhere inside this hard, tattooed outlaw, Arianne senses a kindred spirit—and she can’t ignore their tempestuous attraction. Can she beat him at his own game in a revved-up blaze of glory? Or will their passion spark a war that’s the end of the road for them both?

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Beyond The Cut – Book 2

Release Date: June 2, 2015

Pre Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Sinner’s Steel – Book 3

Release Date: October 6, 2015

HE’S HELL ON WHEELS.
Tall, dark, and dangerously handsome, Zane “Tracker” Colter is the strong, silent type of tattooed muscle biker who drives women wild. But as a master of strategy for the outlaw MC club, Sinner’s Tribe, he doesn’t have time to play around with groupies and biker chicks-especially when he can’t stop thinking about Evie, the girl who got away…

SHE’S PLAYING WITH FIRE.
Evie’s been in love with Zane ever since they were children-until he broke her heart and disappeared. Now he’s back in her life, bigger and badder than ever. Zane is stunned by how beautiful and confident Evie’s become, using her artistic talent to customize motorcycles. He wants her so bad, he’d ride through fire to win her back. There’s one problem: Evie is dating his deadliest rival-the leader of the Black Jacks-and if Evie and Zane hook up, there’ll be hell to pay… in Sinner’s Steel.
Sarah Castille’s Sinner’s Tribe series is:

“Raw, rugged, and romantic.” -Eden Bradley, New York Times bestselling author
“A sexy and dangerous ride!”-Roni Loren, New York Times bestselling author

Pre Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

____________________________________________________

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Sarah Castille, writes contemporary erotic romance and romantic suspense featuring blazingly hot alpha males and the women who tame them. A recovering lawyer and caffeine addict, she worked and travelled abroad before trading in her briefcase and stilettos for a handful of magic beans and a home in shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

Sarah loves to connect with readers. Sign up for her newsletter to hear about new releases:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Excerpt…. Beyond The Cut by Sarah Castille – The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club Series – Book 2

Posted on 05/22/2015 by shellbellereads

Beyond The Cut

Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club – Book 2

Release Date: June 2, 2015

By Sarah Castille

Synopsis

Pre- Order : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

“I’m not injured everywhere.” The deep rumble of his voice made her skin tingle.

“Seriously?” Dawn swallowed hard as her hands followed the shirt up his torso, her fingers brushing over heated skin and hard muscle. God, he was magnificent, all taut pecs and rippling abs. Even the bruises couldn’t mar the perfection of his body. “How can you be thinking of sex at a time like this?”

His voice dropped, husky and low. “’Cause you’re standin’ between my legs wearing a tiny pair of shorts that only cover the top of your ass cheeks, and a damn tight top that doesn’t hide what you’re thinking.” He leaned forward in the chair, so close she could feel his breath on her skin. “And nothing underneath.”

Dawn’s breath hitched and her blood heated, thundered through her veins. Until this moment, focused on Cade’s injuries, her attire had been totally irrelevant. “How do you know I have nothing underneath?”

Cade traced lazy circles up the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, pausing at edge of her cotton PJ shorts. Dawn stilled as her brain clouded with desire. It was always this way with Cade: A chemistry so potent she was surprised they didn’t combust.

“Let’s see.” He slid his finger inside her shorts and stroked along the sensitive crease at the top of her thigh, sending a zing of electricity straight to her core.

“Hmmm. Can’t tell. Spread for me, baby. Let me in.”

Her face flushed. God, the things he said did all the wrong things to the right parts of her body. “Cade . . . this isn’t the time. You’re hurt. Let me look after you.”

He grabbed her hips, pulling her so close she could feel his heat through her clothes. Dawn breathed in his scent of blood and grass, mixed with heady aroma of leather and manly musk, and a delicious shiver ran up her spine.

“You are taking care of me,” he said. “Man gets in a fight. Hurts all over. He wants to feel good. He wants something to make him forget the pain. And you—all soft and sexy and smellin’ like flowers—will do the trick.”

“I thought you came here for help.” Dawn made a token effort at resistance and raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize it was a booty call.”

“You got the nicest booty I ever seen.” Cade slid a hand down her hip, and then gave her ass a squeeze. Before she could move away, his finger was inside her shorts, stroking over the bare skin of her folds. She gasped as moisture flooded her sex, and her nipples tightened beneath her thin cotton tank. Had she really thought things would be different from every other time they’d been together?

“Naughty girl,” he whispered. “You go to bed without your panties and someone might take advantage.”

_______________________

The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club Series

Rough Justice – Book 1

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Beyond The Cut – Book 2

Release Date: June 2, 2015

Pre Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Sinner’s Steel – Book 3

Release Date: October 6, 2015

“Raw, rugged, and romantic.” -Eden Bradley, New York Times bestselling author
“A sexy and dangerous ride!”-Roni Loren, New York Times bestselling author

Pre Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

____________________________________________________

Author Bio:

Sarah loves to connect with readers. Sign up for her newsletter to hear about new releases:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Spotlight + 5 Star Reviews…Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father and Jesus Freaks: The Prodigal by Andrea Randall

Posted on 05/08/2015 by shellbellereads

Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father (Jesus Freaks #1)

Add to Goodreads

Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

Kennedy Sawyer is the valedictorian of her upper middle class, liberal high school.

Roland Abbot is the charismatic, attractive televangelist from New Life Church with a dark past and an illegitimate child.

Ignoring the cautions of her mother and the confusion of her Ivy League-bound friends, Kennedy enrolls at the conservative Christian Carter University where her sights are set on Roland Abbot—her birth father.

Kennedy’s intentions are to learn more about her father than the Bible. However, roommates who are quick to evangelize to strangers, an RA who seems to be hiding something, and friends in the most unlikely places challenge everything she’s ever held as true in the raging battle of us vs. them.

EXCERPT

Mom turns the car left and we pass through the gates of the main entrance to the university. Excitement triples inside me as I swallow the beauty of the grounds. I visited probably ten public and private universities between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, and nothing was as shiny as this campus. I can’t even believe it’s real grass, and I almost ask my mom to stop the car so I can touch it.

I grin as I plan one more gentle act of rebellion from the passenger seat of the car. Reaching forward, I press the “6” on the stereo, and suddenly the sounds of Casting Crowns— a wildly popular Christian band—fill the car. My mom’s eye-roll and turning down of the volume elicits a laugh from me.

She hastily pushes another button, and Boy George serenades us. I laugh harder, and she finally joins in.

“Kennedy,” she says in a moment of seriousness when the song ends. “I don’t understand how you’re being so calm about all of this. There isn’t even anything here you want to do.”

I lean my head back on the headrest. “No, Mom. There’s nothing here that you want me to do. I’m undecided, remember? Anyway, I don’t now why you’re being so insane. I’m an adult.” “These kids…” she starts in a wide-eyed whisper as if we’ve taken a detour onto another planet.

“Are people,” I cut in.

“Who can vote,” she snaps back. I ignore her. “They’re people with parents and high school diplomas and dreams for the future. Besides, they’ll probably be more afraid of me than I am of them.” I barely believe what I’m saying. Politics aside, the kids who enroll at Carter University are bona fide Jesus Freaks. Capital J. Capital F. I might be Christian as far as the outside world is concerned, but my fledgling knowledge of the Bible and sporadic church attendance won’t fly inside this lion’s den. Which is why I’m keeping it all a secret.

My knowledge of the Bible (which is slim) and my commitment to walking with Christ on a daily basis (I don’t even really know what that means) will be on silent lockdown while I acclimate to my new surroundings. Most importantly, though, no one—and I mean no one—will know that Roland Abbot is my birth father until I’m good and ready. Which might be never.

Robin’s Review

Andrea Randall is stepping outside of the box with her new Jesus Freaks series. Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father is completely different from anything I have ever read. My first thought was to classify this novel in the Christian fiction genre, but Randall confirmed that she considers her new series to be new adult. No matter the genre, she has taken a big risk in trying something different, and I absolutely applaud her!

Kennedy Sawyer is an incoming freshman at Carter University in Asheville. She is a liberal Episcopalian teenager from Connecticut who will be attending an extremely conservative, evangelical Christian university. Roland Abbot is the charismatic televangelist preacher from New Life Church, which sits on the edge of the Carter University campus. Roland is a superstar among evangelical preachers. And unbeknownst to anyone from Carter University, he is also Kennedy’s birth father. Although Kennedy could have had her pick of colleges, she chose to attend Carter University with hopes to learn more about Roland Abbot. Kennedy has done everything she can to prepare herself for what she knows will be a difficult transition; however, nothing can prepare her for what is to come during her freshman year.

As I began reading Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father, I knew this novel was going to be different. I think it is important to share with everyone who reads this review that I personally consider myself a Christian. I am familiar with many of the topics and issues that Kennedy faces when she arrives at Carter University. It was apparent Andrea Randall researched extensively for this novel. Her depth of knowledge, combined with her outstanding writing, has resulted in a fantastic novel, and I expect to see the same quality as the series progresses. Our protagonist faces some bigger than life issues with this story. Kennedy questions everything she understands about her own faith while navigating through her freshman year. She questions her own upbringing. Why would her birth father decide to give up his parental rights? She begins to see that things aren’t always black and white. Kennedy also has a couple of boys that she is attracted to. And because she has been raised differently than most students at Carter University, she struggles with normal teenage issues in a different way than her fellow students.

It was not hard for me to become invested in this story. Randall quickly engaged my interest. I appreciated reading about her characters and how they each added to the story. When I needed to take a break from reading, I looked forward to the moment that I could pick up my Kindle to continue. If you are intrigued by Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father, I encourage you to consider reading it. Andrea Randall has earned a 5-star rating from me for this beautifully written novel!

Jesus Freaks: The Prodigal (Jesus Freaks #2)

Add to Goodreads

Buy from Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

The morning after Kennedy Sawyer confirmed to the world that she is the daughter of internationally renowned televangelist Roland Abbot, she’s faced with a new challenge: What kind of daughter does she want to be to him? The sometimes kind, the title kind, or the all-in kind?

In the months following her decision, Kennedy is faced with sex, drugs, extended family, lying, threats, booze, strip clubs, and wavering faith among her family and friends.

Exploring how much honesty is too much, Kennedy pushes the boundaries of all of the relationships around her to see if God really lies somewhere beneath it all.

EXCERPT

I’ve never seen the inside of a strip club. Not on TV, the internet, or in magazines. And, certainly not in person. But, I guess the negative discussion surrounding places like this always led me to believe it would be kind of dark and smoky. Walking past men who look about the size of the trucks they drove here, I slide into a table in the back. “Coffee or coke?” A young woman who can’t be that much older than me—if she’s older than me at all—stands in front of me with her hip jutting out to once side, and her hand resting on it. Lifting my eyes, I’m forced to immediately lower them. She’s barely wearing anything. I swear I see more clothing at the public swimming pool. Spandex “shorts” show the sides of her butt, and her bra-looking top reveals her entire midsection, which is speckled with star and fairy tattoos. When I’m finally able to train my eyes on her face, I notice that she also has a large tattoo across her chest. Twisting thorns and vines with roses every other inch. “Coffee or coke?” she repeats. It seems, as she stands there trying not to look bored, that I feel more naked than she does. “Coke.” “You been here before?” Her eyes wrinkle at the sides in amusement. I stare back, unable to say anything. She snaps some gum between her teeth. “Thought so. I’ll be right back with your Coke, sweetie.” Before she turns around, I notice her name tag says “Destiny.” I run my hand over my face, trying to reason if that’s her real name, or not. If you worked in a place like this, would you want people calling you by your real name all day? Or, would you want to pretend. Use another name to make you feel like this was all just make-believe, and not your real life at all. As she walks away, shaking her hips, I spot matching angel wing tattoos on her shoulder blades. Cute. If anyone asked my dad’s name, I wonder, staring at my hands, did he give it? Did he tell them that he was happily married with two children at home? Would he preach the gospel to them as they dangled their breasts in his face? God, I hope not.

Robin’s Review

Andrea Randall continues her Jesus Freaks series with a second novel titled The Prodigal. Jesus Freaks isn’t a typical new adult series. It’s completely different and refreshing, and honestly, The Prodigal is just what I needed to read right now. Reading dark psychological thrillers can be very draining, and I have read quite a few of them lately. When I read The Prodigal? I found myself contemplative, introspective and relieved to be reading something more positive.

Kennedy Sawyer is in the midst of her first semester at Carter University in Asheville, North Carolina. Raised by her mother and stepfather in a liberal Episcopalian household, Kennedy decided to go to Carter University because she wanted the opportunity to get to know Roland Abbot, her biological father. The Prodigal is narrated from several different perspectives including Kennedy and Matt Wells. We are also able to enjoy perspectives from her friend Jonah and Roland Abbot.

The Prodigal picks up where Sins of the Father ended. Kennedy announces she is the biological daughter of Roland Abbot to the congregation of New Life Church. Roland is an internationally-known televangelist and the pastor of New Life Church, which sits adjacent to the conservative Christian school. Kennedy is forced to share her secret with the world to counter an accusation that she is having an affair with Roland. It’s an emotional moment for Kennedy, filled with tremendous support from her classmates and her biological father.

One of the more interesting aspects of The Prodigal is the focus on the relationships Kennedy has with her family and friends. Yes, Kennedy is slowly developing a personal relationship with God, but this part of the story feels completely natural for someone who is very new to a conservative Christian environment. She begins to understand there is a complicated and emotional history between her mother and Roland. Even her stepfather perceives there are some unresolved emotions between her biological parents.

Kennedy becomes a close friend to Matt Wells in The Prodigal. Matt’s father is a pastor who is suffering from burnout. She sees the tension that exists between father and son, but Matt is not willing to discuss what is happening. While Kennedy slowly grows closer to God, Matt seems to be pulling away. I found this juxtaposition between Matt and Kennedy to be extremely thought-provoking. It’s the most intriguing narrative of The Prodigal, in my opinion, and I look forward to learning how their story will be resolved.

I really like Kennedy Sawyer. She is smart. Even when Kennedy doubts herself, she is one step ahead of everybody else. Kennedy is a fierce character who is perceived as a threat by some people and a heroine to others. Her values change. Kennedy takes an honest look at what her life was like before she arrived at Carter University. She also considers how different her life would be if she went to a different college.

Jesus Freaks: The Prodigal is a beautifully-written novel. Andrea Randall’s writing is crisp. It evokes interest. She grabbed my attention with appealing characters. I found myself wondering what I would do in situations the characters are facing. I am honestly enjoying this series. I’ll admit Jesus Freaks has me considering my own spiritual health, even as I read a story that is entertaining. If you are open to reading something completely different in the new adult genre, I highly recommend the Jesus Freaks series and The Prodigal. My rating for The Prodigal is 5 stars!

AUTHOR PROFILE

I started writing poetry long before writing fiction. I firmly believe Poetry is a solid foundation for all other forms of writing. It taught me that a single word can make or break the world.

I write fiction because my characters have a story and they want me to tell it.

I hope you enjoy the pieces of my soul that I share with you.

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Blog

Happy Release + Excerpt: Her Wild Hero by Paige Tyler … X-Ops Series – Book 3

Posted on 05/07/2015 by shellbellereads

Her Wild Hero

X-Ops Series – Book 3

By Paige Tyler

Synopsis

Name: Kendra Carlsen
Rank: Trainer, Dept. of Covert Ops
Objective: Get out of the office and into the field

Name: Declan MacBride
Rank: Tracker, Dept. of Covert Ops
Status: Bear Shifter
Objective: Protect Kendra at all costs

The steamy Costa Rican jungle brings out the bear in Declan MacBride when he and new operative Kendra Carlsen are ambushed. In the midst of relying on each other to survive, and fighting his explosive attraction to Kendra, this shifter is about to lose control…

Buy: Amaznon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

X-Ops Series
Her Perfect Mate
Her Lone Wolf
Her Secret Agent
Her Wild Hero

Excerpt

Declan’s first thought was to run straight toward the force attacking from the north, which was most likely where he’d find their leader. Take him out and the rest of the men would be lost.

But Declan couldn’t do what his gut and his training shouted at him to do. He had to protect Kendra and get her the hell out of there.

He jumped up, scooped Kendra into his arms, and ran in the only direction that seemed to be clear to them—south. He hated being herded anywhere, but it was the best option available.

Behind him, he heard Tate, Brent, and Gavin trying to get their ragtag group to work together in an organized retreat. Declan had a pretty good sense of the numbers they were up against. If Tate couldn’t make that happen, there was a good possibility no one was going to make it out of this jungle alive.

“What happened?” Kendra asked.

Declan expected her to be freaking out or shouting for him to put her down. But instead she was holding on tightly while trying to see over his shoulder. Hell, she was probably calmer than most of the men around them.

“Whoever has been shadowing us all day finally decided it was time to start the ambush.”

He jumped a small stream. Carrying Kendra, his weapon, and his rucksack, he couldn’t move as fast as he normally would, but he still could have outrun the others if he wanted to. But running off into the jungle wouldn’t help keep her safe. Even now, he could hear the bad guys sprinting hard to get ahead of them, repositioning themselves to keep the jaws of the ambush clamped closed.

___________________________

Author Bio:

Paige Tyler is the USA Today bestselling author of sexy, romantic fiction. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines who fall in love with them. Visit her at http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Category Archives: Excerpt Reveal

Excerpt Reveal : Beautifully Brutal by Nicole Edwards

Excerpt Reveal: Beautifully Brutal by Nicole Edwards

Excerpt Reveal: Amber To Ashes by Gail McHugh – Torn Hearts Series – Book 1

Excerpt Reveal: King by T. M. Frazier

Excerpt Reveal : The King by T.M. Frazier

Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway : Trusting Liam by Molly McAdams…A Taking Chances Novel

Excerpt Reveal: Beyond The Cut by Sarah Castille – Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club Series – Book 2

Spotlight + 5 Star Reviews…Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father and Jesus Freaks: The Prodigal by Andrea Randall

Happy Release + Excerpt: Her Wild Hero by Paige Tyler … X-Ops Series – Book 3

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: