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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Trust by Kylie Scott

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Trust
A Mature YA Novel
By Kylie Scott

 

Amazon US | Amazon Aus | Amazon UK | iBooks US | iBooks Aus | Kobo | Nook

 

Synopsis

Being young is all about the experiences: the first time you skip school, the first time you fall in love…the first time someone holds a gun to your head.

After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen-year-old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered. Unwilling to put up with the snobbery and bullying at her private school, she enrolls at the local public high school, crossing paths with John. The boy who risked his life to save hers.

While Edie’s beginning to run wild, however, John’s just starting to settle down. After years of partying and dealing drugs with his older brother, he’s going straight—getting to class on time, and thinking about the future.

An unlikely bond grows between the two as John keeps Edie out of trouble and helps her broaden her horizons. But when he helps her out with another first—losing her virginity—their friendship gets complicated.

Meanwhile, Edie and John are pulled back into the dangerous world they narrowly escaped. They were lucky to survive the first time, but this time they have more to lose—each other.

 

 

 

Excerpt

“You were going to give it up to Duncan Dickerson?” he sneered. “Are you serious?”

I halted, staring at him. This was not good. “How do you know about that?”

“Anders overheard you and Hang talking.”

“Bastard.”

“Well?” he demanded, acting all authoritarian. Idiot.

“To be fair, I didn’t know his last name was Dickerson,” I said. “That’s unfortunate. Though, I wasn’t actually planning on marrying him, so . . .”

“Not funny.”

I shrugged.

“You barely know the guy.”

“Um, yeah. None of your concern. We’re not talking about this.” How mortifying! My face burned bright. People should just gather around and cook s’mores. “I appreciate that we’re friends. You mean a lot to me. But this is going to have to fall under definitely none of your damn business, so go away please.”

“We’re talking about it.” He advanced a step.

“No we are not.” And I retreated.

“You were going to let a complete stranger touch you.” Advance.

Retreat. “People do it all the time. You do it all the time.”

“But you don’t,” he said, taking the final step, backing me up against the side of his car and getting all in my face. “Edie, this is your first time we’re talking about. Isn’t it?”

“Yes, and it’s going to be messy and painful and probably horribly embarrassing and I just want it over and done with.” I tried to meet his eyes but failed, settling for a spot on his right shoulder. “You’re not a girl; you wouldn’t understand. Also, last time I checked, you’re not the gatekeeper of my hymen, John Cole. So back the fuck off.”

He said nothing.

Deep, calming breaths. “Look, someday I’ll meet someone I really like and we’ll have a deep and meaningful relationship and go at it like bunnies. But I don’t want to be the dumb virgin in that scenario.”

He slowly shook his head.

“Also, I do not want to die a virgin.”

“What? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Hey, you and I both know death can occur at any time.”

“This is crazy.”

“I’m seeing a therapist!” I told his shoulder. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m a little bit messed up these days. It’s hard for me to trust people. That’s not going to change anytime soon.”

He screwed up his face at me. “Wha—”

“I’m just trying to be practical.”

“Well, you’re being ridiculous. None of this makes sense.”

“It does to me.”

Again, he said nothing.

In fact, he said nothing for so long that I finally looked him in the eye. The anger had left him, replaced by an emotion I didn’t recognize. Worst of all, he still smelled like summer. A little sweat and the open night air, everything I loved. Liked. I meant liked.

“What?” I said, finally.

He let loose a breath. “I’ll do it.”

 

“

 

Michel’s Review

Wow!  Trust by Kylie Scott blew me away!  Kylie Scott ventured into the dramatic world of teenage angst and conquered those drama babies with a big dose of harsh realities, valid fears, and gave them the tools to become strong, independent adults with an arsenal of emotional experiences and new perspectives in life.  In other words… she gave them a chance to learn to trust themselves and trust their hearts by making them face themselves in a life changing situation where the scars were internal rather than external.  A life or death situation bonded two completely different types of people and opened their eyes to the realities of their lives.  It changed their perspectives and changed the course they were on.  It gave them the strength they didn’t know they needed to step outside of their individual destructive paths and reach for a better path.

Most teenagers can’t see past right now and really don’t have a concept of what they want for their future lives.  They can’t comprehend life beyond the drama induced world in which they are living in.  To them it’s a state of permanence rather than a stepping stone of becoming a mature adult.  They don’t understand that the moment they graduate high school that none of the crap they dealt with matters anymore.  Their choices and actions at that time in their lives can influence their future paths but the peer pressure is gone.  They are now accountable only to themselves.

Edie and John were put in each others paths during a convenience store robbery where they witnessed tragic horrific murders.  They were lucky to survive the ordeal but they didn’t come out of it without scars.  It opened Edie’s eyes to the way she saw herself as an individual and made her take a stand against bullying by choosing to remove herself from the negative environment.  She switched schools and refused to become a target. When she runs into the boy who saved her life, she knows she made the right decision. This boy sees her as a person rather than the poor fat girl.

John was on a bad path.  He was a party boy and small time school drug dealer.  After the robbery he began to see his life was on the same path as the guy who robbed the store.  When he sees the girl from the store at school and notices how positive her life is, he wants the same thing.  With her help, he’s changing into a boy with a bright future rather than a low life drug dealer.

These two find refuge in one another.  They become deeply bonded friends who give each other the confidence to become better people.  They help each other accept themselves and see the good rather than the bad.  In the process they find a love built by strength of character rather than surface beauty.

Kylie Scott captured the soul of a teenager in todays world and gave them the tools to become confident adults.  This book was more than a teenage romance, it was a suspenseful novel that allowed the characters to grow emotionally as individuals.  Life is never easy and it’s even harder when you don’t have the emotional maturity to handle the angst.  This novel is about learning to Trust oneself and Trust those who are willing to invest themselves in you.

I loved this novel and would recommend it to readers of all ages!

____________________________________________

 

 

kyliescottimageKylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/

 

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Wrecked by JB Salsbury

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Wrecked

By JB Salsbury

Buy: Amazon / B & N / IBooks / Kobo

Synopsis

When you can’t trust yourself, how can you ask anyone else to?

It’s been months since Aden Colt left the Army, and still the memories haunt him. When he moved into a tiny boat off the California coast, he thought he’d found the perfect place to escape life. Then Sawyer shows up and turns his simple life upside down. Beautiful and sophisticated, she seems out of place in this laid-back beach town. Something is pushing her to experience everything she can-including Aden. But as much as he wants her, starting a relationship with Sawyer puts them both at risk. For Aden, the past doesn’t stay there; it shows up unexpectedly, uncontrollably, and doesn’t care whose life it wrecks.

Excerpt

Oh no, fuck no!

I thought he was kidding. I should’ve known better. Aden’s intentions with me since I stupidly boarded this boat have been my torment for his enjoyment. He loved watching me squirm over the bait tank and when I proved I wouldn’t shy away from a challenge, he pulled out the big guns. From his flirty smiles to his teasing touches, he’s discovered my weaknesses and is exploiting them for his own entertainment.

Now this? Raw fish probably still warm from fighting for its life.

And now I’m God knows how many feet above water sitting on a two-seater bench held up by rusty ladders and staring down a piece of glistening pink meat.

“You have to eat it, it’s a rite of passage.” He offers the meat to my lips and I quickly turn my face away.

“I’m really not hungry.” As if the idea isn’t enough to turn my stomach, watching him clean the fish before sectioning off enough for lunch wasn’t much of an appetite builder.

“Of course you are.” He brings the piece to his own mouth and takes a bite, closing his eyes with a moan as he chews.

I feel a rush of bile hit my throat, or maybe it’s beer, either way it’s warm and it burns. “That’s disgusting.”

“You’re telling me you don’t like sushi?”

My eyes widen. Sawyer would say she’s never had sushi. But Celia’s a different story. She ate a live cricket in the eighth grade on a dare. She didn’t even flinch. “I like sushi, just not directly from the…um…source.”

“Doesn’t get fresher than this.” He takes another bite and I can’t deny that his response to eating it does give it some appeal.

“I think I need soy sauce or that green stuff.” What’s it called?

“Just try it.”

“I really don’t want to.”

“Oh come on.” He smiles in that cute crooked way that makes my heart dip and dive. “Live a little.”

I chew the inside of my mouth debating the cost/benefit of taking a bite of this fresh-out-of-the-ocean fish. On one hand, I’ll impress Aden. That in and of itself is worth the ick factor. But what if I throw up all over his boat? Is the chance of impressing him worth totally humiliating myself? I groan when I realize what I’m doing, exactly what I swore I wouldn’t do. I’m making an internal pros and cons list. I close my eyes and steel my resolve and my spine. Don’t think, just decide. I pop open my eyes followed by my mouth.

“Yeah?” He stares at my parted lips.

I nod, hoping he’ll hurry before I change my mind.

Lifting the rose-colored flesh forward, he places it between my teeth. It’s a small bite so I close my lips around his fingers expecting him to pull away…but he doesn’t. For a moment I’m suspended in his gaze, totally stuck while his hot fingers rest between my lips. This should be grossing me out; after all, I watched him gut this fish with his bare hands and to wash off all the blood he merely dipped them into the ocean. But all the thoughts of raw fish and a stranger’s finger do nothing to stave off the warmth blooming in my belly. My tongue pulls the meat deeper into my mouth, brushing against the rough pad of his forefinger. He bites his lip but finally drops his hand.

He watches intently while I chew and swallow.

“How was it?” His voice is low and gruff.

Lost in the heated moment, I barely tasted it. “Good.”

His hand cups the back of my head and he pulls me toward him, stopping just short of our lips touching. “I can’t fucking take this anymore.” His breath is sawing in and out, bursting against my mouth with impatience. “Let me.” It’s a demand, not a question.

A kiss. I don’t need to channel Celia or flip a coin…I know what I want.

I lick my lips and close the slight distance between us.

Michel’s Review

Wrecked by JB Salsbury is an intense, emotionally charged novel that will leave the readers with new views on emotional issues many suffer from.

The novel begins with an intense horrific scene that gives the reader an understanding of suffering that Aden Colt is dealing with after he’s discharged from the Army.  He suffers from severe PTSD and is barely surviving the civilian world.  He is suffering from extreme survivors guilt.  He has a hard time controlling his anger, his emotions, and his actions. With the offer of a rental management job from his uncle , he came to Ocean Beach to escape his memories and distance himself from those he loves from fear of hurting them.  He’s barely hanging on much less in control.  It all changes when the quirky tennant, Celia Forrester, returns to Ocean Beach.  From the stories he has heard, Celia is a free spirit with a vivacious appetite for life.  The woman standing in front of him is anything but that.  She is an uptight woman with a lot of obvious fears.  As he gets to know her he begins to see that woman, a woman who faces her fears head on and is willing to try conquering them all.  Most of all ,she’s a woman that gives him inner peace with her acceptance and understanding.

Sawyer Forrester reluctantly agreed to take her dying twin sister, Celia’s, place in Ocean Beach while closing up her apartment.  Her sister wanted her to step outside of her comfort zone and experience her life.  Sawyer has suffered from extreme OCD and obsessive fears all of her life.  She has lived in a neat little colorless, lifeless box all of her life.  Celia wants the best for sister and feels like a walk in her shoes may be the change Sawyer needs.  She didn’t know how right she was until it became so wrong.

Celia ( aka Sawyer) and Aden connected on a much more personal level.  They were able to draw out each others fears and offer comfort to one another.  The only problem was it was all based on a lie.  Aden had been betrayed before in the worst way and Celia’s (aka Sawyer’s) betrayal can be the last strand that completely unravels the loose strings holding Aden together.

Both Aden and Sawyer face their biggest fears but they pay a high price.  They will both be completely Wrecked before the fragile pieces of their lives are put back together.

JB Salsbury wrote an emotional novel that pulled at my heartstrings.  I would highly recommend this book.

_________________________________

 

6888697New York Times bestselling author JB Salsbury spends her days lost in a world of budding romance and impossible obstacles. Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. Since 2013 she has published six bestselling novels in The Fighting Series and won a RONE Award. JB Salsbury lives with her husband and two kids in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

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Release Blitz + Excerpt : Hot Valor by Lynn Raye Harris – Hostile Operations Team Series – Book 11

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Title: Hot Valor
A Hostile Operations Team Series Standalone
Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: July 18, 2017
Blurb
They told him she was dead. They lied…
Colonel John “Viper” Mendez is having the second-worst day
of his life. Accused of using the Hostile Operations Team to assassinate a
foreign official, he’s gone from being a respected military black-ops commander
to a fugitive in the space of an hour. On the run, hunted, and stripped of his
honor, Mendez has nowhere to go—and few people he can trust.
Russian spy Ekaterina “Kat” Kasharin is a carbon copy of the
woman Mendez once loved. Twenty-one years ago, Valentina vanished from his
life. Kat claims to be her twin—but Kat’s lying. Ordered by her superiors in
Russian Intelligence to abandon the man she loved—or watch him die—Kat had no
choice but to obey.
But twenty-one years is a long time to love a man from afar,
and Kat won’t stand by as a traitor plans his death—even if it means risking
her heart and her life to save him. She can never reveal her true identity—or
the secrets she keeps locked away. Secrets he would hate her for. Working with
him is strictly business, and she won’t let emotions get in the way. But the
attraction between them is smoking hot—and it’s not long before they’re burning
up the sheets.
When the truth comes out, the mission implodes. Everything
Mendez thought he knew was a lie. He’ll have to pull it together though before
a deadly foe succeeds in taking away all he loves. By the time he realizes Kat
might be most important of all? It could be too late to save her…

 

Purchase Links
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS
GOOGLE PLAY
 
Excerpt
Katya had dropped her backpack and fished out guns and
ammunition. She was currently checking her weapons. She looked up at him, one
delicate eyebrow arching. Her beauty was a grenade to his brain. A lightning
rod to his cock. He wanted to fuck her and it pissed him off. He’d been with
her less than eight hours and he wanted to strip her naked and make her scream
his name.
He hadn’t had sex in months now, not since he’d broken it
off with Sam. He wasn’t the kind of man who could walk into a bar and pick up a
woman for a night of casual sex. At his rank, and with his job, it wasn’t wise.
Foreign governments sent spies for just such occasions. Seduce the commanders,
get information. Happened all the time, even though it seemed like a plot out
of a bad spy movie. He’d seen it more than once. Idiots who should know better
had their heads turned by free pussy—and lost their careers over it.
Therefore, he did not fuck around lightly. Even when the
sexual drought took its toll and he was so sick to death of his hand he
couldn’t even work up the enthusiasm to jerk himself off.
“Where did you find this place?” Katya asked.
He dragged his brain back from the brink of a full-blown
waking fantasy. He’d been about to undress her and see if she tasted as hot as
she looked. See if she had a fucking scar on her left thigh. He still wasn’t
convinced that she didn’t.
Safer for her if she didn’t. Safer for him, too. Because
he’d go fucking ballistic if she had that scar. If she was Valentina instead of
an identical twin. He couldn’t even imagine what kind of person she’d have to
be to lie for twenty-one years. To let him think she was dead and buried.
“We’re safe here, don’t worry,” he said roughly.
“That’s what I thought at the other place. Turns out it
wasn’t true.”
“We won’t be here long.”
She shot him a questioning look. “Really? Where are we
going?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
 
 
Author Bio

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lynn Raye Harris burst onto the scene when she won a writing contest held by Harlequin. A former finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award and the National Readers Choice Award, Lynn lives in Alabama with her handsome former military husband and two crazy cats. Lynn writes about hot military heroes, sizzling international billionaires, and the women who dare to tame them. Her books have been called “exceptional and emotional,” “intense,” and “sizzling.” To date, Lynn’s books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

Author Links
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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 6 Star Review + 2017 Favorite: The Sound Of Light by Claire Wallis

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The Sound Of Light

By Claire Wallis

Release Date: July 17, 2017

Buy: Amazon 

 

Synopsis:

My littlest girl has always been a bit peculiar. It was nothing I could ever put a finger on, but I always knew there was something inside her that made her a different kind of special. A deeper kind.

K’acy’s got a light around her, one that’ll just about knock you over, especially if you don’t see her coming. She’s got music in her soul, too. Deep, resonating music that echoes and hums, just like the notes that come from the bass guitar she’s had attached to her hip since the day she turned thirteen years old.

She’s got a hell of a secret, yes, but she does what she’s got to do to make it one worth having. She takes care of people. She changes their stories. I spent my life telling both of my girls that you always gotta do what’s right, even when it hurts, and it makes me proud to know she was listening.

I saw the way she looked at that boy on the day they met, and I knew right then that things were going to change. Two different people from two different worlds is nothing but a recipe for heartbreak, and when the lies pile higher and higher, it can change a person into something they’re not.

It took me dying all those years ago to finally figure out just exactly how special my K’acy really is, and even though I’m not with her anymore, I don’t want that boy and his family to change her. I want her to keep doing what’s right, even when it hurts.

Because that’s who she is inside. That’s her deeper kind of special.

**This stand-alone novel from Claire Wallis is intended for readers age 17 and up.**

Crowd at a concert with hands up in the air

 

Excerpt

I’m playing my StingRay again. This time, I’m by myself, in the back of a dive bar called The King’s Court. It’s my regular Wednesday-night emotional-housecleaning gig. The one I use to forget about the rest of the world. I don’t get paid to stand here, slapping my fingers against the strings in a solo performance that’s, more often than not, completely devoid of an audience much larger than a half dozen. I do it because I need to. Because it helps me forget.

Jarrod is sitting at the bar nursing a beer. He’s the only person who’s religiously here on Wednesday nights, and I like it that way. Flying under the radar is just fine with me. I don’t need “regulars”; I just need music.

The StingRay sits against the perfect pocket formed by the front of my hip, tied to me with a thick strap of leather and a set of strings that go straight to my heart. I play for two solid hours, thinking of nothing but the music coming out of me. My foot presses down on the compressor pedal from time to time, serving to both balance the sound and decompress my soul.

Then, just before I finish, I start playing the bass riff that’s been echoing through me nonstop since I shook Adam Sinclair’s hand on Monday afternoon. The moment Jarrod recognizes the song, he looks up at me. He’s never heard me play a Chili Peppers song before, and he’s wearing a look of amused bewilderment. Hell, I’m confused myself. But “Soul to Squeeze” comes out of me in an unstoppable pulse of flawless notes. And, though I don’t say them out loud, the lyrics roll through the inside of my head like they somehow belong there. It’s disconcerting. I’m gonna catch hell from Jarrod for it, that much I’m sure of. But still…when I finish the song, I feel cleansed.

“What the fuck was that?” Jarrod asks, walking up to me just after I zip my gig bag closed. I stand, sling the StingRay over my shoulder, and turn to him. I can smell the beer on his breath.

“‘Soul to Squeeze.’ Why?”

“I know what song it was, smartass. I wanna know why the hell you were playing it.”

“I don’t know. It’s just been stuck in my head for the past couple of days. I had to purge the earworm.” It feels like we’ve undergone some kind of bizarre personality flip. This time, I’m the one turning away from him, just to keep from showing him too much. Too much of what, I’m not sure.

“Earworm? Since when do you get earworms that involve Anthony Kiedis?”

“Since Monday, I guess.” I start walking toward the front door, hoping to avoid any more questions. I have no reason to feel like I have something worth hiding, but if anyone’s gonna call me out on an awkward reason for playing a particular song, it’s Jarrod. He knows I don’t play anything without purpose.

“And what happened on Monday to get this particular earworm tunneling into your little brain far enough for it play on repeat for two entire days?”

“Nothing.” I open the front door and walk out into the night, turning to the right and heading to the closest bus stop.

Jarrod coughs into his hand, spitting a rough “bullshit” out with the sound. I stop and turn on my heels, staring him down as best as I can without raising my hackles, or his. I don’t say anything.

“Fine. Don’t tell me then. But you have to know that if you don’t, I’m gonna assume all kinds of stuff. Like maybe the Chili Peppers ‘discovered’ you on YouTube and want you to come on tour with them. Ooo, no…I’ve got it! Maybe you had a crazy sex dream about Flea. Like the kind where you’re screwing on stage or something. Maybe that’s what this is all about. Which is it, K’acy? The tour or the sex dream?” He nudges me on the shoulder with his outstretched hand, like a big brother would prod his little sister. I can’t help but smile.

“It’s neither, you big douche. It’s just someone I met at work. They remind me of that song for some reason.” I see the bus coming down the street. I turn away from him again and hurry toward the stop. I don’t want to miss this one because another 43D isn’t scheduled to come for another forty-five minutes. He follows close behind me.

“You met an old person who reminds you of the Red Hot Chili Peppers? You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Maybe it isn’t an old person.”

A split second later, the bus meets me at the curb and the doors open. I step on, leaving him standing on the sidewalk alone. As the bus drives past Jarrod, I look out the window and see him frozen there, wearing his Kranky Records “hugs and/or drugs” T-shirt and one hell of an enormous grin.

Michel’s Review

Spoiler Free Review

I was so excited when I heard the news that  Claire Wallis was releasing a new book.  Her debut novel Push was released in the spring of 2014 with the follow up of Pull in winter of 2014.  Both of those novels made my top favorite books of the year.  They were both six star reviews.  The writing was beyond excellent and delivered in quite a different manner than most novels.  The story was delivered from multiple perspectives and POV’s that slowly gave the readers an in depth insight on the main characters personalities and actions.  It became more than a story, it became a testimony of life in all it’s beauty and ugliness.

After three years of waiting for another novel from this very talented author, she has finally released a new novel, The Sound Of Light.  The Sound Of Light is completely different than her previous novels and has a completely different kind tone.  Where her first novels had a dark undertone, The Sound Of Light has a bright, positive quality that shines brightly through the words on the pages.  The readers will become enamored with K’acy McGee because of her inner beauty.  She is an angel of sorts in a very ordinary human body.  God gave her an extraordinary gift that could be used with malice or compassion.  It was her responsibility to look beyond the black and white and decipher the right and wrong of her gift.  She knew what she was meant to do from a very young age but she had to learn how to use her gift wisely.  When she fell in love it muddied her decision making process and she let her emotions drive her until she realized it was turning off her light.  Now she has to choose between the man she loves and the power of her gift.  The choice may send her into the darkness.  Her gift was given with love and love may be the one thing that destroys her.

The writing in this novel is beyond superb.  Reader’s get to know K’acy and experience her gift from multiple POV’s.  They also get to know her through her personal POV and understand how music soothes her soul.  She is one of those characters that shines brightly even in the darkest moments.  Although this novel is not as dark with a sinister plot, it is still very complex and the revelations of K’acy McGee are astonishing.

Claire Wallis has once again used her gift of storytelling in an original way that will keep the readers glued to the pages.  I highly recommend reading The Sound Of Light.

_____________________________________

 

Author Bio:

7942379Enamored with the process of creating messy characters filled with imperfections and wicked inclinations, Claire believes that you don’t actually have to like a character to fall in love with them – a good story, after all, is best served with a hearty side of evil (just ask Disney). Claire’s first New Adult novel, Push, was released by MIRA Books on May 1st 2014. The story speaks to her appreciation of enigmatic male characters, perfectly capable of charming themselves straight into your unwilling heart. She enjoys writing about characters that are, at any given moment, both loathed and loved. You know, the ones that refuse to be forgotten.

Claire Wallis has penned hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles over the last ten years, with science playing the lead role in almost all of them. Though non-fiction writing will forever be her first love, fiction has unexpectedly swooped in, hooked her by the soul, and become her true love. As a result of this coup d’état, Claire’s writing career has made a complete U-turn, and instead of rocks, plants, insects, and microbes, she is now putting human characters in the lead.

Claire’s previous jobs include working at a limestone quarry, hawking vegetables at a farmer’s market, clerking at the dollar store, and convincing new mothers that they need to renew their subscription to that parenting magazine in order for their child to survive. She lives in Pennsylvania with her amazingly awesome husband and son.

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Atheists Who Kneel And Pray by Tarryn Fisher

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SURPRISE! #AWKAP is LIVE!!! Who’s ready for Yara and David?
Available NOW on

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | iTunes | B&N

Atheists Who Kneel And Pray

By Tarryn Fisher

Buy: Amazon

Yara Phillips is a wandering muse.

She dates men who need her, but always moves on to something new, never staying in one place for very long.

David Lisey is in need of a muse.

A talented musician lacking lyrical inspiration. When he first sees her, he knows he’s found what he’s been looking for.

Yara believes she can give David exactly what he needs to reach his full potential:

A broken heart.

David’s religion is love.

Yara’s religion is heartache.

Neither is willing to surrender, but religion always requires sacrifice.

 

Yara’s Yesterday Spotify List:

https://open.spotify.com/user/1226318453/playlist/6h5mCg008D4VxjkWuudzQ7

 

Dear Yara,

The bands in London, November 12th. Want to catch up?

David

So casual. So nonchalant. You’d think we were only acquaintances, that we’d once sipped a couple of beers together instead of tattooing love on our skin and reciting marriage vows. I read the e-mail again and analyze the shit out of it. How can I not? I count out the words: thirteen. The punctuation: four. His name, my name. A flippant, casual turn of phrase: catch up. In the end, there’s only so much psychoanalyzing you can do to a thirteen-word e-mail. I move on with my life, feeling rather pathetic. But not before I e-mail him back. And okay, sure, I don’t move on with my life. What does that even entail? Forgetting? Forgiving? Being happy? Besides, I know what he wants to talk about. I know why he’s coming.

Hi David,

Yeah, sounds good. Let me know when and where.

Yara

My e-mail is a word shorter.

I’m that petty.

 

Tarryn was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. She immigrated to America with her parents when she was thirteen, and spent the next eighteen years in South Florida where she earned her degree in Psychology, wrote her first novel, and had two children. In 2012, on a whim, she moved her family to Seattle, Washington where she currently makes her home safely away from the sun. Tarryn is the founder of Guise of the Villain, a fashion blog, and has written eleven published novels. Tarryn is a Slytherin.

Website:

www.tarrynfisher.com

Facebook:

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Instagram:

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Twitter:

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Release Boost + Excerpt + Giveaway: His Turn by JA Huss – The Turning Series – Book 3

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His Turn

The Turning Series – Book 3

By JA Huss

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

 

Synopsis

I look her body up and down as I circle her.
Mine?
I smile A devious, deviant, I’m gonna make you sorry you ever started playing this game with me smile.
And then I take her hand.
I lead her to the elevator.
We go up to my apartment.
I tie her wrists together with rope.
Raise her arms above her head.
And chain her to the ceiling.
It’s my turn.

Excerpt

“Why are you so nervous?” I ask Jordan. We’re sitting in Smith’s bar. The table is elaborately set for a nice dinner, our glasses are full of expensive alcohol, and our cocks are happy. Why does he look like shit is about to hit the fan? “She had a good time,” I say, sipping my brandy.

“Yeah,” Jordan says. His eyes are glued to the elevator doors, just waiting for her to come downstairs. “But it was sneaky, ya know?”

“What was sneaky about it?”

He shoots me a look that says, Come on.

“She gave in, Jordan. We didn’t make her do anything.”

“Right.” He sighs. “But you’re what, just pretending we didn’t have that conversation this morning? You know, the one where you said, ‘I’m gonna fuck with her head so bad, she’ll spin like The Exorcist?’”

“It was a joke.” I laugh. “All we did was make her feel good tonight. She loved every fucking minute of it. Even when I choked her with my cock. She couldn’t get enough.”

“That’s because she was drunk on your dick at the time, Bric. But that feeling is gonna wear off and she’s gonna run the entire night through her head, and then—”

“Then she’s gonna realize we know what the fuck we’re doing. That’s all.”

“No,” he says. “She’s gonna realize you’re just playing with her emotions. Like you do with every fucking woman you’ve ever been with.”

“So?”

“So then she’s gonna up her game, Bric. And this is gonna turn into a mind-fuck shit-fest. I like her,” he says. “Maybe more than like her, OK? I don’t want her thinking I’m like you.”

“You are like me,” I say, getting pissed off. Why the fuck is he sharing her with me if he likes her so much?

But I don’t ask that question.

Because I like her too. Just not in the same way.

“See,” Jordan says.

“See what?” I ask

“That fucking evil grin you’ve got on your face. I know you well enough, Bricman. Well enough to see the Machiavellian wheels turning inside your head. Do not play with her emotions.”

“Why?” I ask, my temper rising. “Is she some kind of fragile flower?”

But then I realize this intrigues me.

“Stop it,” Jordan says. “She’s not a puzzle, OK?”

“Then why are we even playing?”

He huffs out some air. Runs his fingers through his still-wet hair. “Because she’s not…” He trails off.

“She’s not what?” I ask. What the fuck is wrong with him tonight?

“She’s not my type.”

“OK,” I say, not really understanding.

“I mean I’m not really her type.”

“Hmm,” I say. “Do you love her?”

“No,” he says. “Definitely not. But I like her. I could see myself playing with her for a long time. And if you fuck it up, that won’t happen. You, of all people, understand how fucking hard it is to get a girl you can trust in this game. One who just gets you, ya know? We get each other, Bric. I realize it’s only been a few weeks, but we know each other. I just like her. And we have an understanding. I get to boss her around and be a dick, but she knows I’m not a dick, right? She knows I’ll show up the next day and treat her nice and give her a gift. She knows I’m just playing. We’re playing.”

“It’s a game. Same as this,” I say.

“Dude, come on,” he says, almost fully exasperated now. “You are a sick motherfucker, OK? You know this, right?”

“Then why am I even here?”

“Because we’re good together, ya know. Not great. Yet,” he adds. “Not what you had with Smith and Quin, obviously. But we understand each other. We work well as a team. She liked that up there.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“The problem is you’re in a weird place right now and I’m afraid you’re gonna take it out on Nadia. Don’t do that, OK?” He stares at me. “Just be…”

“Just be your back-up?” I ask, huffing out a laugh.

He shrugs. But that’s it. That’s what he wants. Don’t overpower him. Don’t take her away from him. Don’t make her rethink her strategy. Just help him keep her.

It takes me a minute to decide if I’m angry or not.

I decide I’m not. I don’t give two fucks about this Nadia girl. And my goal really was to break her. So I shrug. “Fine,” I say. “You want a wingman. Fine. I’ll help you out, Jordan. But when I need a favor, I’ll expect the same in return.”

 

Michel’s Review

Spoiler Free Review

I am not sure if I was dreading reading this book or anticipating the breaking of player number three, Elias Bricman.  Throughout this series Elias Bricman has been the master manipulator controlling all the players with mind games.  On the surface he is an impeccable, wealthy gentleman but beneath the surface lies a deviant, kinky control freak. Who the real Elias Bricman is has been a complete mystery to the readers.  JA Huss gave readers a small glimpse of the human side of Elias in the previous book but she also gave us a disturbing view of the man known as Bric.  I was holding my breath going into this book.

In typical JA Huss style I think she shocked the readers and took this book in a completely different direction than most readers anticipated.  The first thing she did was change the rules of the game.  She added two new players who in turn changed the game into something else all together.  Elias was the player being manipulated even though he thought he was in complete control.  He was the one who was broken down and carefully put back together one piece at a time.  The end result was a new and improved Elias Bricman who accepted what he couldn’t control and opened his heart for all the possibilities of love, friendship, and complete happiness.

Once again JA Huss delivered a sizzling hot but very complex story that ended the game and opened new doors.  The Turning Series ended with all the players winning the game.  It also promised a new game with a new game master in control.  I am looking forward to being a spectator in this upcoming game.

The Turning Series
 Taking Turns – Book 1

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Synopsis

I’ve never been afraid of the dark…but that doesn’t mean I wanted to live in it. And maybe everyone wants what they can’t have, but I should’ve thought it over before I accepted the key and unlocked the door to their forbidden world.

Number One is mostly silent. He watches me with them very carefully. His gaze never wanders. His interest never wanes.

Number Two is mostly gentle. But it’s the other side of him I like best. The wild side.

Number Three is mostly reserved. He refuses to cross the line. Even when I beg.

It was carnal, it was sensual, and it was erotic. That’s it. That’s all it was supposed to be. A trip into the dark. A peek into the forbidden.

I just didn’t expect to like them.

 

*****

 Turning Back – Book 2

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Synopsis

I lived in the dark for three years. My whole world revolved around the whims and happiness of three men. It was just a trip into the forbidden. A way out of a bad situation and forward into nothingness.

Quin, with his easy smile and charming good looks. He was always there for me… Until he wasn’t.

Smith, and his dispassionate attention. He was never there for me and he never regretted it.

Bric, the one who listened, but only to himself. Self-absorbed, self-obsessed, and self-serving. He was never the one I wanted.

And now he might be the only one I have left.

It was good while it lasted, I guess. But it could’ve been so much more. It could’ve been so much better.

And that’s why I’m turning back.

 

*****

His Turn – Book 3 

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

 

Synopsis

I look her body up and down as I circle her.
Mine?
I smile A devious, deviant, I’m gonna make you sorry you ever started playing this game with me smile.
And then I take her hand.
I lead her to the elevator.
We go up to my apartment.
I tie her wrists together with rope.
Raise her arms above her head.
And chain her to the ceiling.
It’s my turn.

_______________________________________

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___________________________________
Author Bio
JA Huss is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending.

 

Author Links

Sneak Peek: Beautiful Mistake by Vi Keeland

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Beautiful Mistake 

By Vi Keeland

Release Date:July 17, 2017

Available for Pre-order on iBooks, B&N, Google Play, and Kobo now!

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The first time I met Caine West was in a bar.

He noticed me looking his way and mistakenly read my scowling as checking him out.

When he attempted to talk to me, I set him straight—telling him what I thought of his lying, cheating, egomaniacal ass.

You see, the gorgeous jerk had wined and dined my best friend–smooth talking her into his bed, all along failing to mention that he was married.

He deserved every bit of my tongue-lashing and more for what he’d done.

Especially when that lazy smile graced his perfect face in response to my rant.

Only it turned out, the man I’d just told off wasn’t the right guy.

Oops. My mistake.

Embarrassed, I slunk out without an apology.

I was never going to see the handsome stranger again anyway, right?

That’s what I thought…until I walked into class the next morning.

Well, hello Professor West, I’m your new teaching assistant.

I’ll be working under you…figuratively speaking.

Although the literal interpretation might not be such a bad thing—working under Professor West.

This was going to be interesting…

ADD TO GOODREADS

 

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An excerpt from Beautiful Mistake…

 

The class was completely empty. I wasn’t even sure he knew I was still in my seat. If he did, he was good at ignoring me as he packed up his laptop.

“Contrary to the rumors you’ve probably heard, I don’t bite.”

I jumped when he spoke. Now that the lecture hall was no longer filled with students, the acoustics of the large space bounced his deep voice all over the walls.

I stood and began my walk of shame down to the front of the classroom. There was no doubt I owed the man an apology, even if he wasn’t a professor—a professor who would be my new boss for at least the next fifteen weeks. I wanted to kick myself in the ass for not apologizing last night before I left the bar. Now it would seem like I was only doing it because of the situation I was in.

Which was true, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t want it to seem that way.

I took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry about last night.”

His face was unreadable. “I figured you might be, right about now.”

“I obviously thought you were someone else.”

“So I assumed. You thought I was the asshole. The one with the big dick, was it?”

I shut my eyes. For the last ninety minutes, I’d replayed the entire exchange from last night over and over in my head. I thought I’d remembered everything I said, but apparently I hadn’t. When I reopened my eyes, Professor West was still watching me. His stare was pretty damn intense.

I started to babble. “My friend Ava went out with this guy Owen for a month or so. He was full of shit from day one, but she didn’t see it. Actually walked up to her when she was leaving work one night and said, ‘Do you mind if I walk you home? My mother always told me to follow my dreams.’ She fell for it, the entire act, from the first day. Then one Saturday, he was supposedly out of town on business, and she was across town running errands for her mother. She took a shortcut through Madison Square Park on her way back from the grocery store and ran into him. He was with his wife and kids.”

“And you thought I was him, apparently?”

I nodded. “She came in during my shift and started drinking Long Island iced teas. When Owen walked in, she pointed to where he was standing and said he was the one in the blue shirt.”

“And we were both wearing blue shirts, I take it?”

I couldn’t help but smile, thinking of Ava last night. “Actually, no. Ava’s not much of a drinker. Turned out she was more sloshed than I thought. Owen’s shirt was brown—not even black that could be mistaken as navy or something.”

I saw Professor West’s lip twitch.

“Anyway, I’m really sorry. I barely gave you a chance to speak, and then when I realized what had happened, I was so mortified I didn’t even stop to apologize.”

“I accept your apology for last night. Even though you shouldn’t be approaching a man in the hallway to tell him off alone, your intentions were admirable.”

I should have shut up and been grateful he’d accepted my apology. Should have. “Why can’t I approach a man in the hallway?”

He leveled me with a stare. “Because you’re five foot nothing in a loud bar, and no one would have heard you if I’d dragged you into the men’s room and locked the door.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “I can take care of myself.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t. I said you shouldn’t put yourself in those situations.”

“But you insinuated that I couldn’t by making that statement.”

He zipped his leather bag closed. “Ms. Martin, I just accepted your apology for calling me an asshole last night. Would you like me to retract that acceptance?”

God, I really was an idiot. Being around this man seemed to turn me into a psychopath. “No. I’m sorry. I acted like a jerk, and I’d like to start over, if that’s possible.”

He nodded. “Everything prior to this morning is forgotten.”

“Thank you.”

“But this morning is not. I won’t accept lateness. Don’t let it happen again.”

I swallowed. “It won’t.”

He lifted his worn, brown leather laptop bag over one shoulder. “Meet me here at five tomorrow. We’ll go over the syllabus and the classes you’ll teach, as well as my grading rubric.”

That was smack in the middle of my shift, but I’d figure something out. “Okay.”

“Are you done for the day?”

“I am. I actually have to get to work. I’m covering Ava’s shift because she isn’t feeling too well after last night. We both work at O’Leary’s.”

“You waitress there?”

“Waitress, bartend, occasionally tell off patrons.”

That earned me a full smile from Professor West. God, he should do that more often. No, forget that. He definitely shouldn’t.

“I’ll walk out with you.”

We walked through the halls together and out to the parking lot. When we arrived at my car, I stopped. “This is me. So…five o’clock tomorrow?”

Professor West looked at my beat-up old Subaru. “You’re parked in a spot reserved for the Provost. You got a parking ticket.” He squinted. “Actually, it looks like you have two parking tickets. Was your inspection expired or something?”

Crap. “Umm…no. I keep an extra ticket in the glove compartment and stick it on my windshield when I’m forced to park illegally.”

His brows shot up. “Inventive.”

“Obviously it doesn’t always work.”

“Obviously.”

“They need more parking. When you’re late, it’s impossible to find a spot.”

He studied me. “Lateness is a frequent occurrence for you, I take it?”

“Unfortunately, it is.”

“Then I should clarify something I said earlier.”

“Oh, no, that’s not necessary. I won’t be late for your class.”

He took a step closer and leaned in. “I’m glad to hear that, Ms. Martin. But that’s not what needs clarification.”

I swallowed. God, he smells good.

“Earlier I told you I didn’t bite students.” He smiled, and I felt the wickedness from it shoot down to some interesting places. “I don’t. But I make no promises about not biting feisty TAs.”

 

 

★★★★

We hope you enjoyed this extended preview!

 

 

 

 

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Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author. With more than 1.5 million books sold, her titles have appeared in over eighty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in sixteen languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

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Excerpt Reveal: The Sound Of Light by Claire Wallis

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The Sound Of Light

By Claire Wallis

Release Date: July 17, 2017

Pre Order: Amazon 

 

Synopsis:

My littlest girl has always been a bit peculiar. It was nothing I could ever put a finger on, but I always knew there was something inside her that made her a different kind of special. A deeper kind.

K’acy’s got a light around her, one that’ll just about knock you over, especially if you don’t see her coming. She’s got music in her soul, too. Deep, resonating music that echoes and hums, just like the notes that come from the bass guitar she’s had attached to her hip since the day she turned thirteen years old.

She’s got a hell of a secret, yes, but she does what she’s got to do to make it one worth having. She takes care of people. She changes their stories. I spent my life telling both of my girls that you always gotta do what’s right, even when it hurts, and it makes me proud to know she was listening.

I saw the way she looked at that boy on the day they met, and I knew right then that things were going to change. Two different people from two different worlds is nothing but a recipe for heartbreak, and when the lies pile higher and higher, it can change a person into something they’re not.

It took me dying all those years ago to finally figure out just exactly how special my K’acy really is, and even though I’m not with her anymore, I don’t want that boy and his family to change her. I want her to keep doing what’s right, even when it hurts.

Because that’s who she is inside. That’s her deeper kind of special.

**This stand-alone novel from Claire Wallis is intended for readers age 17 and up.**

Crowd at a concert with hands up in the air

 

Excerpt

I’m playing my StingRay again. This time, I’m by myself, in the back of a dive bar called The King’s Court. It’s my regular Wednesday-night emotional-housecleaning gig. The one I use to forget about the rest of the world. I don’t get paid to stand here, slapping my fingers against the strings in a solo performance that’s, more often than not, completely devoid of an audience much larger than a half dozen. I do it because I need to. Because it helps me forget.

Jarrod is sitting at the bar nursing a beer. He’s the only person who’s religiously here on Wednesday nights, and I like it that way. Flying under the radar is just fine with me. I don’t need “regulars”; I just need music.

The StingRay sits against the perfect pocket formed by the front of my hip, tied to me with a thick strap of leather and a set of strings that go straight to my heart. I play for two solid hours, thinking of nothing but the music coming out of me. My foot presses down on the compressor pedal from time to time, serving to both balance the sound and decompress my soul.

Then, just before I finish, I start playing the bass riff that’s been echoing through me nonstop since I shook Adam Sinclair’s hand on Monday afternoon. The moment Jarrod recognizes the song, he looks up at me. He’s never heard me play a Chili Peppers song before, and he’s wearing a look of amused bewilderment. Hell, I’m confused myself. But “Soul to Squeeze” comes out of me in an unstoppable pulse of flawless notes. And, though I don’t say them out loud, the lyrics roll through the inside of my head like they somehow belong there. It’s disconcerting. I’m gonna catch hell from Jarrod for it, that much I’m sure of. But still…when I finish the song, I feel cleansed.

“What the fuck was that?” Jarrod asks, walking up to me just after I zip my gig bag closed. I stand, sling the StingRay over my shoulder, and turn to him. I can smell the beer on his breath.

“‘Soul to Squeeze.’ Why?”

“I know what song it was, smartass. I wanna know why the hell you were playing it.”

“I don’t know. It’s just been stuck in my head for the past couple of days. I had to purge the earworm.” It feels like we’ve undergone some kind of bizarre personality flip. This time, I’m the one turning away from him, just to keep from showing him too much. Too much of what, I’m not sure.

“Earworm? Since when do you get earworms that involve Anthony Kiedis?”

“Since Monday, I guess.” I start walking toward the front door, hoping to avoid any more questions. I have no reason to feel like I have something worth hiding, but if anyone’s gonna call me out on an awkward reason for playing a particular song, it’s Jarrod. He knows I don’t play anything without purpose.

“And what happened on Monday to get this particular earworm tunneling into your little brain far enough for it play on repeat for two entire days?”

“Nothing.” I open the front door and walk out into the night, turning to the right and heading to the closest bus stop.

Jarrod coughs into his hand, spitting a rough “bullshit” out with the sound. I stop and turn on my heels, staring him down as best as I can without raising my hackles, or his. I don’t say anything.

“Fine. Don’t tell me then. But you have to know that if you don’t, I’m gonna assume all kinds of stuff. Like maybe the Chili Peppers ‘discovered’ you on YouTube and want you to come on tour with them. Ooo, no…I’ve got it! Maybe you had a crazy sex dream about Flea. Like the kind where you’re screwing on stage or something. Maybe that’s what this is all about. Which is it, K’acy? The tour or the sex dream?” He nudges me on the shoulder with his outstretched hand, like a big brother would prod his little sister. I can’t help but smile.

“It’s neither, you big douche. It’s just someone I met at work. They remind me of that song for some reason.” I see the bus coming down the street. I turn away from him again and hurry toward the stop. I don’t want to miss this one because another 43D isn’t scheduled to come for another forty-five minutes. He follows close behind me.

“You met an old person who reminds you of the Red Hot Chili Peppers? You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Maybe it isn’t an old person.”

A split second later, the bus meets me at the curb and the doors open. I step on, leaving him standing on the sidewalk alone. As the bus drives past Jarrod, I look out the window and see him frozen there, wearing his Kranky Records “hugs and/or drugs” T-shirt and one hell of an enormous grin.

_____________________________________

 

Author Bio:

7942379Enamored with the process of creating messy characters filled with imperfections and wicked inclinations, Claire believes that you don’t actually have to like a character to fall in love with them – a good story, after all, is best served with a hearty side of evil (just ask Disney). Claire’s first New Adult novel, Push, was released by MIRA Books on May 1st 2014. The story speaks to her appreciation of enigmatic male characters, perfectly capable of charming themselves straight into your unwilling heart. She enjoys writing about characters that are, at any given moment, both loathed and loved. You know, the ones that refuse to be forgotten.

Claire Wallis has penned hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles over the last ten years, with science playing the lead role in almost all of them. Though non-fiction writing will forever be her first love, fiction has unexpectedly swooped in, hooked her by the soul, and become her true love. As a result of this coup d’état, Claire’s writing career has made a complete U-turn, and instead of rocks, plants, insects, and microbes, she is now putting human characters in the lead.

Claire’s previous jobs include working at a limestone quarry, hawking vegetables at a farmer’s market, clerking at the dollar store, and convincing new mothers that they need to renew their subscription to that parenting magazine in order for their child to survive. She lives in Pennsylvania with her amazingly awesome husband and son.

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: His Turn by JA Huss – The Turning Series – Book 3

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His Turn

The Turning Series – Book 3

By JA Huss

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

 

Synopsis

I look her body up and down as I circle her.
Mine?
I smile A devious, deviant, I’m gonna make you sorry you ever started playing this game with me smile.
And then I take her hand.
I lead her to the elevator.
We go up to my apartment.
I tie her wrists together with rope.
Raise her arms above her head.
And chain her to the ceiling.
It’s my turn.

Excerpt

I spend the whole day stewing about Nadia and her covert attempt to take back control. I have gone through every emotion. Anger came first. Bitch. Why is she even playing if it’s just gonna be a mind fuck?

But then I got to thinking about that. The mind fuck part. Because I’m kind of an excellent mind-fucker. I mean, shit. I went to school to be a psychiatrist. I got pretty far into it before I dropped out. I have a medical degree. I run a sex club. I’ve been playing this goddamned game for more than a decade. And even though I’ve been on a losing streak for a while now, I’m damn good. I’m due for a win. I will win this.

The key to a proper mind fuck is the element of surprise. The target thinks they’re ready for the unexpected, until they’re not.

Nadia was probably pretty pleased with herself last night. She probably ended that call with a huge smile on her face. One hundred percent satisfied.

And she’s expecting retaliation. She had to know I’d tell Jordan about it. She had to know I’d find out she never called him. She had to know I’d be pissed off today.

When I realized that… well, that’s when I calmed down and started piecing together a psychological profile on her.

Nadia Wolfe. Twenty-something. Beautiful. Talented. Ballerina. Control freak. New in town. Rising star. Player of games.

She’s so stupidly simple to figure out, I almost feel sad that she’s not more of a challenge.

I decide the ballerina aspect is my best first move. They are a different sort of person, so most of what I just described probably stems from her choice of occupation. She likes control because she’s forced herself to be in control of things to get where she is in her art.

Think about it. Ballerinas, right? They get up early to go to class or rehearsal or whatever the fuck it is they do first thing in the morning. They have to control themselves in very specific ways. They have to control their muscles, their emotions, their pain threshold, and the pleasure center in their brains. They have to psych themselves up to fit their bodies into the mold of dancer.

They have to conform in many ways. Deviation from the standard is unacceptable, even though they are expected to excel and stand out.

They must look a certain way, behave a certain way, and submit to the whims of those who control their future.

Success, therefore, is not defined by their own perceptions of themselves, but by the perceptions of others. And those perceptions are directly related to athletic skill, beauty, and youth.

It’s a trifecta of psychological disorders waiting to happen.

I smile.

I’ve got you, Nadia Wolfe. I have your ticket, darling. I know what drives you now.

Michel’s Review

Spoiler Free Review

I am not sure if I was dreading reading this book or anticipating the breaking of player number three, Elias Bricman.  Throughout this series Elias Bricman has been the master manipulator controlling all the players with mind games.  On the surface he is an impeccable, wealthy gentleman but beneath the surface lies a deviant, kinky control freak. Who the real Elias Bricman is has been a complete mystery to the readers.  JA Huss gave readers a small glimpse of the human side of Elias in the previous book but she also gave us a disturbing view of the man known as Bric.  I was holding my breath going into this book.

In typical JA Huss style I think she shocked the readers and took this book in a completely different direction than most readers anticipated.  The first thing she did was change the rules of the game.  She added two new players who in turn changed the game into something else all together.  Elias was the player being manipulated even though he thought he was in complete control.  He was the one who was broken down and carefully put back together one piece at a time.  The end result was a new and improved Elias Bricman who accepted what he couldn’t control and opened his heart for all the possibilities of love, friendship, and complete happiness.

Once again JA Huss delivered a sizzling hot but very complex story that ended the game and opened new doors.  The Turning Series ended with all the players winning the game.  It also promised a new game with a new game master in control.  I am looking forward to being a spectator in this upcoming game.

The Turning Series
 Taking Turns – Book 1

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Synopsis

I’ve never been afraid of the dark…but that doesn’t mean I wanted to live in it. And maybe everyone wants what they can’t have, but I should’ve thought it over before I accepted the key and unlocked the door to their forbidden world.

Number One is mostly silent. He watches me with them very carefully. His gaze never wanders. His interest never wanes.

Number Two is mostly gentle. But it’s the other side of him I like best. The wild side.

Number Three is mostly reserved. He refuses to cross the line. Even when I beg.

It was carnal, it was sensual, and it was erotic. That’s it. That’s all it was supposed to be. A trip into the dark. A peek into the forbidden.

I just didn’t expect to like them.

 

*****

 Turning Back – Book 2

  AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Synopsis

I lived in the dark for three years. My whole world revolved around the whims and happiness of three men. It was just a trip into the forbidden. A way out of a bad situation and forward into nothingness.

Quin, with his easy smile and charming good looks. He was always there for me… Until he wasn’t.

Smith, and his dispassionate attention. He was never there for me and he never regretted it.

Bric, the one who listened, but only to himself. Self-absorbed, self-obsessed, and self-serving. He was never the one I wanted.

And now he might be the only one I have left.

It was good while it lasted, I guess. But it could’ve been so much more. It could’ve been so much better.

And that’s why I’m turning back.

 

*****

His Turn – Book 3 

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

 

Synopsis

I look her body up and down as I circle her.
Mine?
I smile A devious, deviant, I’m gonna make you sorry you ever started playing this game with me smile.
And then I take her hand.
I lead her to the elevator.
We go up to my apartment.
I tie her wrists together with rope.
Raise her arms above her head.
And chain her to the ceiling.
It’s my turn.

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Author Bio
JA Huss is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending.

 

Author Links

Cover Reveal + Excerpt: About That Kiss by Jill Shalvis

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From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes the next sexy, standalone novel in the Heartbreaker Bay series…

 

About ABOUT THAT KISS:

When love drives you crazy . . .

When sexy Joe Malone never calls after their explosive kiss, Kylie shoves him out of her mind. Until she needs a favor, and it’s a doozy. Something precious to her has been stolen and there’s only one person with unique finder-and-fixer skills that can help—Joe. It means swallowing her pride and somehow trying to avoid the temptation to throttle him—or seduce him.

the best thing to do . . .

No, Joe didn’t call after the kiss. He’s the fun time guy, not the forever guy. And Kylie, after all she’s been through, deserves a good man who will stay. But everything about Kylie makes it damned hard to focus, and though his brain knows what he has to do, his heart isn’t getting the memo.

… is enjoy the ride.

As Kylie and Joe go on the scavenger hunt of their lives, they discover surprising things about each other. Now, the best way for them to get over “that kiss” might just be to replace it with a hundred more.

 

Pre-Order ABOUT THAT KISS in ebook or paperback, releasing 1/23/18

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes & Noble

 

Add to your Goodreads

 

EXCERPT:

Kylie Masters watched him walk into her shop like he owned it while simultaneously pretending not to notice him. A tricky balancing act that she’d gotten good at. Problem was, like it or not, her attention was caught and captured by the six foot, leanly muscled, scowling guy now standing directly in front of her, hands shoved in his pockets, body language clearly set to Frustrated Male.

She sighed, gave up the ridiculous pretense of being engrossed by her phone, and met his gaze. She was supposed to smile and ask how she could help him. That’s what they all did when it was their turn to work the front counter at Reclaimed Woods. They were to show potential clients their custom made goods when what they really wanted was to be in the back workshop on their own, individual projects. Kylie’s specialty was dining room sets, which meant she wore a thick apron and goggles to protect herself and was perpetually covered in sawdust.

And she did mean covered in sawdust. Wood flakes dusted her hair, stuck to her exposed arms, and if she’d been wearing any makeup today, they’d have been stuck to her face as well. In short, she was not looking how she wanted to be looking while facing this man again. Not even close. “Joe,” she said in careful greeting.

He gave her a single head nod.

Okay, so he wasn’t going to talk first. Fine. She’d be the grownup today. “What an I do for you?” she asked, fairly certain he wasn’t here to shop for furniture. He wasn’t exactly the domesticated type.

Joe ran a hand through his hair so that the military short, dark silky strands stood straight up. He wore a black t-shirt stretched over broad shoulders, loose over tight abs, untucked over cargos that emphasized his mile-long legs. He was built like the soldier he’d been not too long ago, as if keeping fit was his job – which given what he did for a living, it absolutely was. He shoved his mirrored sunglasses to the top of his head, revealing ice blue eyes that could be hard as stone when working but she knew that they could also soften when he was amused, aroused, or having fun. He was none of those three things at the moment.

 

And don’t miss the first books in Jill Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay Series, SWEET LITTLE LIES, THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE, ONE SNOWY NIGHT, ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE and CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE! Grab your copies HERE!

About Jill Shalvis:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

 

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