Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Turn It Up by Kim Karr – The Detroit Love Duet – Book 2

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Turn It Up

The Detroit Love Duet – Book 2

By Kim Karr

Release Date: May 16,2016

Buy : Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Synopsis

Charlotte Lane was the tomboy who lived next door.

Eyes the color of the summer sky.

Mounds of curly blond hair.

A little bit of sassy and a whole lot of sweet.

She was my best friend. My confidant. My salvation.

But when circumstances tore us apart, it put more than just miles between us. I hated her. Blamed her for my worst nightmare. And I never wanted to see her again.

Then one wrong turn brought her back into my life and now she’s under my skin. In the midst of all the chaos surrounding us, she’s what’s changing me. Practically bringing me to my knees. Driving me to want to be a better man.

But nothing is ever easy.

And as our worlds begin to crumble…so do we.

Our bond withstood the test of time, but when the future brings the unexpected, it will either draw us closer or tear us apart.

Can we weather the storm?

TURN IT UP TEASER 2

Excerpt

Jasper Storm

What kind of person willingly drives a thirty-six-foot racing machine at breakneck speed through ten-foot waves?

The kind that isn’t put off by the possibility of smashing his nose against the steering wheel if he has to come to an abrupt stop when racing around the track—that’s who.

Today though, Lake St. Clair tops out with uninhibiting two-foot waves at the most, and my speed is tempered by the amount of passengers on board.

Classic Beatles is playing from the speakers on deck. Drew is leaning back in the cushions of the wraparound benches behind me with a beer in his hand. Jake and Shannon are sitting up in the sun loungers on the bow, both also with brews in hand.

Sitting at the helm, Charlotte is standing next to me in a simple black bikini that shows so much skin it is driving me crazy, her mounds of blond curls blowing in the wind making my fingers itch to run through them, and her sunglasses preventing me from seeing her blue eyes. I wrap my arm around her and guide her to stand in front of me. “You take the wheel.”

“I haven’t driven a boat in years.”

Standing, I pull her even closer. My board shorts feeling tighter by the second. “It’s like riding a bike.”

Looking over her shoulder at me, she gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll give it a try,” she says.

Just that slight touch of her lips ignites a fire that starts to flame through my veins. When she takes the wheel, my body is ablaze. Unable to keep my hands off her, I compromise my need to touch her by covering my hands over hers. The cast prohibiting me from making the full connection I’m craving. I hate that she still bears the mark of her attack. I shove that thought away.

It’s a beautiful day, sunny as fuck and not a cloud in sight. The wind has picked up a little the further out we go, and when the softness of her hair brushes against my neck, it sends a shiver racing down my spine.

Taking a seat in the captain’s chair, I pull her onto my lap. The slight curves of her body fit me perfectly. Unable to compromise any longer, discreetly, my hands roam her body. Sliding down her thighs, up her arms, tucking under the small fabric at her hips. I can’t help myself.

Ten minutes or so goes by as we pass over the water like it’s a sheet of glass. I kiss her—her neck, her throat, her jaw. Take a little nip at her shoulder and then soothe it with my tongue.

Concentrating on driving, I’m surprised when she unexpectedly tips her head back so we can kiss.

The instant douse of arousal I feel is unlike that from the small flirtatious moves I’ve been making. This is full-out sexuality. Our lips meet, softly, gingerly. She’s sitting on my thigh, and her ass is against my cock. She shifts a little and I groan softly against the wet slide of her tongue, and all the muscles in my body knot in sweet tension. The fire in my veins bursts into flames from the slight friction, and all I want is more. The pull and push of the connection we share seems to be growing stronger every time we’re together.

Unlatching her lips from mine, she turns back and focuses on the open water.

She feels it too.

The tightening in my cock, the rapid beat of my pulse, and the taste of her left on my tongue puts me into a state of overdrive. I hold onto her fingers, squeeze them, press my naked chest to her bare back, and try to temper my need for her.

Taking what I can, I then inhale a deep breath. Unable to calm the storm raging inside me, I know I have to take action. This isn’t a storm of conflict, this is one of pure male need. “You have to stand up,” I murmur into her ear.

Again, she tips her head back. “Why?”

“You know why.”

The little vixen shifts a little more and grinds a little harder against my cock.

“Behave,” I growl and quickly stand up, bringing her with me, and then I ease up on the throttle and put the cabin cruiser in neutral.

“What’s going on? Jake asks.

I switch the engine off. “Taking a quick dip,” I tell him as I narrow my eyes at Charlotte.

She shrugs all innocent like.

“Remind me to spank you later,” I whisper in her ear.

Surprisingly, I see a thrill in her eyes.

Waggling my brows at her, my little problem is only growing, so I quickly hop up to the side of the boat and dive into the lake. The water is fucking freezing out this far and just what I need. For now anyway.

Splash. Splash.

TURN IT UP TEASER 1

5Star

Michel’s Review

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Turn It Up by Kim Karr.  Set The Pace, the first book in the Detroit Love Duet ended on a huge cliffhanger.  I was dying to finish the rest of the story.

Turn It Up should not be read as a stand alone novel.  It picks up where Set The Pace left off.

I am not going to go into great detail about Turn It Up because I don’t want to give the readers spoilers for either book.  I will say that the Detroit Love duet is a complex romantic suspense that revolves around Detroit and the car industry.  It is a murder mystery that spans a 20 year period which includes deaths in the past and deaths in the presence.  The mystery of the past was the first negative step in the decline of Detroit City.  The recent deaths revolve around the horrific incidents in the past and may affect the future of the City.

Storm Motors is bringing life back to Detroit City.  It is the only hope the bankrupt city has.  It could bring new industry back to the city.  It could revive the declining auto industry.  Someone wants to stop Storm Motors from opening it’s doors.  Someone wants the secrets to remain buried.

One generation destroyed the city.  It destroyed their children.  The new generation is living in the aftermath of the destruction.  They want to rebuild their city and finally find healing from the past.  When bodies start dropping the past is rearing it’s ugly head.

In the midst of all the chaos and excitement, Jasper Storm and Charlotte Lane find each other again.  This time around they are adults in control of their own lives.  This time around nothing can tear them apart.  They will face the monster together and build a strong and hopeful future.

Kim Karr outdid herself with the Detroit Love Duet.  I was glued to the pages and deeply invested in the story.  The plot was complex, witty, and kept the readers guessing.  When all the final revelations are revealed, it leaves the reader reeling.

I highly recommend the Detroit Love Duet by Kim Karr.

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The Detroit Love Duet

 

 

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Set The Pace

The Detroit Love Duet – Book 1

By Kim Karr

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Every city needs a hero, but Detroit’s white knight just might be a villain.

A rough childhood branded Jasper Storm trouble. A bad boy. Not worth a damn. His love of cars was the only thing that could battle his delinquency. With the need for speed in his blood, he overcame his wayward ways. Mostly. Now the broken city of Detroit hails him their shining star. And the man behind a new cutting-edge automobile is ready to turn this bankrupt town around.
Charlotte Lane was the tomboy who lived next door. She was his best friend. He was her protector. Then tragedy struck and she disappeared, forever—or so he thought.
Everything Jasper does in life is fast. He talks fast, f*cks fast, and drives fast. But when one reckless turn brings him face-to-face with the childhood he has tried very hard to forget, he finds himself on the edge of wondering if he shouldn’t slow down.
Time hasn’t erased who they are though. Jasper has many reasons to hate Charlotte and keep his distance, which is easier said than done. Soon she’s infiltrating his every thought and he can’t stay away. Back in town with an agenda of her own, she should push him aside. Make him turn around. Walk away herself. Yet she can’t.
With the past lurking between them, they proceed with caution. That is until one sex-filled night leads to murder, and things are forced to change. Now that Detroit’s biggest ally has suddenly become suspect number one, will Charlotte—the girl Jasper once kept safe—be the one to save him?
***

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Turn It Up

The Detroit Love Duet – Book 2

By Kim Karr

Release Date: May 16,2016

Buy : Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Synopsis

Charlotte Lane was the tomboy who lived next door.

Eyes the color of the summer sky.

Mounds of curly blond hair.

A little bit of sassy and a whole lot of sweet.

She was my best friend. My confidant. My salvation.

But when circumstances tore us apart, it put more than just miles between us. I hated her. Blamed her for my worst nightmare. And I never wanted to see her again.

Then one wrong turn brought her back into my life and now she’s under my skin. In the midst of all the chaos surrounding us, she’s what’s changing me. Practically bringing me to my knees. Driving me to want to be a better man.

But nothing is ever easy.

And as our worlds begin to crumble…so do we.

Our bond withstood the test of time, but when the future brings the unexpected, it will either draw us closer or tear us apart.

Can we weather the storm?

********************

kim karr bioI live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I’ve always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

 

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Sway by Adriana Locke

 

 

Title: Sway
Series: Landry Family #1
Author: Adriana Locke
Genre: Contemporary Romance
 Release Date: May 16, 2016

 

Blurb

 

BARRETT LANDRY has it all.
Power, prestige, and plenty of women, the dapper politician’s life is pretty phenomenal. But in the midst of the biggest campaign of his life, he needs to focus. The last thing he can afford is a distraction.
 ALISON BAKER is a work-in-progress.
As a single mother to HUXLEY, she’s rebuilding life on her terms. She’s focused on family, faith, and a future for her son that can’t be taken away. Putting her child first means not being careless, no matter what.
A chance encounter forces Barrett and Alison to redefine what they really want out of life. But everything comes at a cost … and sometimes, even for love, it’s a price too steep to pay.

 

Purchase Links
AMAZON US / UK

 

Excerpt

“I want a chance to win you over,” he breathes, peering at me. The way his eyes search mine make it seem like time stands still. “Will you let me try?”

He forces a swallow and the look of hesitation, the internal fight he’s having, isn’t lost on me. It’s there, right beneath the surface, and when I add my concerns to the mix, it’s enough to make me balk. Just a bit.

“I’ll think about it,” I whisper, holding on to the little strand of courage I have left.

“Say yes.”

Instead of responding, I ask, “Where’d you get that scar over your right eye?” I reach out and press gently on the raised skin. I expect him to pull back, but he doesn’t.

My hand shakes as I touch his warmed skin. His forehead is silky and smooth. I’d like to run my hands over every inch of it, feel it ripple beneath my fingertips.

The corner of his lips twitch. “Lincoln hit me in the head with a baseball.”

“Bad reflexes on your part?”

“Wicked curveball on his,” he says, his face breaking out into a full smile.

“I thought he played center field?”

“He does. But he pitched some growing up.”

We stand inches apart, my hand gently brushing down the side of his face. Although I feel like he’d stand here all night and talk to me, it’s not possible.

“I really need to get back to work,” I say, trying to unlock my eyes from his.

“Dinner? This week?”

I can barely resist the look in his eye, the one that implores me to say yes. The one that makes me believe he really does want to have dinner and spend a few hours with me.

I need to get away, put some space between us while I can.

“We ran into each other tonight,” I shrug. “If we’re supposed to see each other again, then I guess we will.” I start to turn away before I completely buckle under his gaze.

“How am I supposed to get ahold of you? I don’t have your number,” he calls after me.

Heading up the steps to the Savannah Room, I glance at him over my shoulder. “You’re the Mayor. Figure it out.”

5Star

Tracey’s Review

Well, Adriana Locke has gone and done it again, written a book that I have fallen completely in love with. Every time she releases a new book, I think, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is my favorite, I just love it so much!’ And then, she writes another one, and it happens all over again.

I have to say that Max Quinn from THE PERCEPTION held my heart for a very long time, with his constancy, and his sweet Southern sexiness. What wasn’t to like? But, folks, I’ve gotta tell you, Adriana has written a man that will completely give Max a run for his money, because Barrett Landry is here, and, oh, my word.

Barrett Landry, mayor of Savannah, GA, is everything you’d expect a successful Southern politico to be. Rich, sexy, a true ladies’ man, he’s enjoying all of the perks of his position, and living a pretty sweet life. Alison Baker, once married to a powerful man herself, knows what a life in the spotlight is like, and has come away with less-than-positive experience. Now all she wants is to make a good life for her son and herself, far from the notoriety that once followed her. When a chance encounter brings Barrett and Alison into each others’ sphere, life as they each know it takes an unexpected turn.

SWAY is thoughtfully crafted, and instilled with Adriana’s signature focus on family. Each member of the Landry family, along with Alison’s family and friends, bring personality, humor, and, most importantly, unswerving support, to both Barrett and Alison, and Huxley, Ali’s son, had my heart from his first scene. There are plenty of distinctly unlikable characters, as well, which just adds to the political intrigue that runs throughout the story.

I am absolutely in love with this story, and with the relationship between Barrett and Ali. He is completely swoon-worthy, made even more so by his utter commitment to making things work with Ali. Although the differences between them say that they shouldn’t, the two of them just work, and it’s pure pleasure experiencing it along with them.

“What if this is all wrong?” I ask.
“What if it’s all right?”
“What if we mess this up a million different ways?”
“What if we nail it every way we go at it?” he smirks.
“What if you decide you hate me?”
He laughs, kissing me on the nose.
“What if you decide you’re going to love me forever? Because that, Ms. Baker, is what I’m going to make sure happens.”

Seeing Barrett aspire to become the man that he truly is at heart, and watching the relationship between the two of them unfold, moved SWAY firmly into one of the top spots of my favorite Adriana books, and one of the most enjoyable I’ve read recently. 5 sweet, sexy, ‘I love a man that knows what he wants’ stars for this one. I cannot wait for the rest of the Landrys to get their turn, and will have each book at the top of my TBR.

***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***

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Author Bio

 

USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.

She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice and there’s always a piece of candy in her pocket.

For sneak peeks, giveaways, and more, please join Adriana’s Facebook Group, Books by Adriana Locke, or her Goodreads group, All Locked Up.

 

Author Links

Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: The Bird And The Sword by Amy Harmon

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The Bird And The Sword

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

By Amy Harmon

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Synopsis

Swallow, daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heaven or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, daughter. Stay alive.

The day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would sell his soul and lose his only son to the sky.

My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother’s words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free.

But freedom will require escape, and I’m a prisoner of my mother’s curse and my father’s greed. I can’t speak or make a sound, and I can’t wield a sword or beguile a king. In a land purged of enchantment, love might be the only magic left, and who could ever love . . . a little bird?

The-Bird-and-the-Sword-PRINT-FOR-WEB

 

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Excerpt

He waited for me to continue, but I was holding myself tightly, refusing to think at all, so I wouldn’t share more than I wanted to.

“They would have killed us. All of us. You saved so many.”

“I killed so many.” My voice snapped back at him, lashing out like a snake. He left his bed and came toward me. I turned and braced myself for his touch, but he stopped before he reached me.

            “Yes. You did. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” His tone was frank. Admiring. I wanted to scream. My fingers curled into fists at my sides.

“I am not a sword.”

“What?” he asked, surprise coloring the word.

“I am not a sword!”

            I squeezed my eyes shut against the hot tears that rose immediately. I didn’t want to share any of this with him. But my thoughts were unruly, and he was listening intently.

“I am not a weapon. I don’t want to be a weapon!”

“You are what you are. I am what I am. It matters little what we want.”

“I am not a weapon.” The words were a cry, mournful and resistant. I felt him draw closer, but still he didn’t touch me, and for that I was grateful. If he touched me I would break down.

“I never wanted to be king. But it is what I am. It matters little what we want,” he repeated. I turned and stared up into his face, filled with an anguish that wouldn’t abate.

“You’re wrong. It is the thing that matters most.”

“Why?” he murmured, his eyes intense.

“Because without desire, there is only duty.” My lips trembled, and I bit down on them, bidding them to be still.

He pressed a thumb against my mouth, freeing my lower lip from the grip of my teeth. “Do you desire me?”

I jerked, resisting the coiled need that suddenly sprang from my belly and filled my chest. His eyes flared and his breath caught, and I wondered what I’d given away. I could only guess. I stepped around him, but he caught me up, lifting me off the ground, one arm beneath my hips, one braced around my back. He walked back to the thick furs where he slept and laid me down on them.

“This is not my duty. Or my desire.”

“It is both,” he responded, his arrogance setting my teeth on edge.

 

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Author Bio:

Author_AmyHarmonAmy Harmon is a Wall Street JournalUSA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in twelve countries, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written ten novels – the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her newest release, The Bird and The Sword will be released in the spring of 2016. She will release From Sand and Ash in October of 2016, via Lake Union Publishing.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Blitz + Excerpt : Stout by Georgia Cates – Lovibond Series – Book 2

 

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Stout Cover Art_SmallerCraft beer and the sexy men who brew it.

A beautiful neighbor. A complete stranger. That’s all she was when I moved in next door.

Adelyn Maxwell is my neighbor but she’s no girl next door. The more I come to know her, the more I discover she’s a good girl with a lovely dark side. And maybe I don’t want her to stay on her side of the fence.

I want to disturb the rhythm of her pulse.

I want to see the way her hair spills on the bed when she lies beneath me.

I want her to teach me the dirty pretty things she desires behind closed doors. And she does.

But mostly I want to leave my mark on the most intimate, untouched part of her body. Her heart.

A seemingly insignificant intersection of our lives neither of us recalls suddenly becomes a pivotal moment in our future. We aren’t strangers at all. And our paths aren’t crossing for the first time.

These twists and turns of fate will become one of two things: a wrecking ball to tear us apart or the connection to bond us together forever.

 

 

AmazoniBooks | Kobo

Stout_Teaser_6B (1)

Oliver Thorn’s POV

“Control. And how I feel when you exert your strength over me. Domination. Power. Control. All of it turns me the fuck on.”
“Why?”
“There’s something primal and exhilarating about a man who takes complete control in the bedroom. That’s what it’s about for me. I want to feel desire. Real desire. I need a man who will grab me and make me feel small and vulnerable and feminine. Without hurting me.”
She releases my hands and sits upright, still mounted on top of me. “Outside of the bedroom, it’s all a level playing field. I’m an independent woman, and I control everything in my life. But in the bedroom . . . I want to be controlled by a strong man.”
“And choked.”
“I need an alpha male. I crave the dominance and show of strength he has over me.” She reaches for my hands and intertwines our fingers. “You’re the first man I’ve trusted in years. I couldn’t have let anyone else put their hands on me that way. It had to be you.” She releases my hands and leans over me, propping on her lower arms, but her hands grasp my face. She presses a soft, closemouthed kiss on my lips. “Only you, Thorn.”
She wants an alpha. A controller. A choker.
God help me, I like what I just did to her. I want to do it again. And that’s totally fucked up.
I spent my childhood being controlled, dominated, choked. What kind of person does it make me if I do those things to her? Even if it’s what she wants?
“I can’t, Max.”
She presses her forehead to mine. “You can. You did.” I did. And it was wrong.
So. Fucking. Wrong.
“But not again.”
“I saw your face. You liked my submission. You liked putting your hand on me like that. You weren’t repulsed. And in those few moments when you held my life in your hands, I belonged to you. I knew it. You knew it. And you liked it.”

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georgia-cates

Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent fourteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an author and hasn’t looked back yet.

When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. When she’s being domestic, she’s listening to her iPod and visualizing scenes for her current work in progress. Every story coming from her always has a song to inspire it.

Representation: All questions regarding subsidiary rights for any of my books, inquiries regarding foreign translation and film rights should be directed to Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich.

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: The Ending I Want by Samantha Towle

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Samantha Towle has released her new book THE ENDING I WANT and we are so excited to share more info about the book with you – enjoy an excerpt below and a little note from Samantha. Make sure to enter the giveaway below too – Good luck!

BUY THE BOOK

*The Ending I Want will be releasing at $2.99 special from 5/10-5/13 – Grab your copy!*

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iTunes US | iTunes UK |Kobo

the ending i want ebook

Synopsis

Taylor Shaw had the perfect life—until she was sixteen. That was when everything changed. From that moment on, life went from bad to worse…to the worst.
After recovering from a brain tumor, months later, she suffers the tragic loss of her whole family.
Since that fateful day, she’s been coasting through life.

Now, the brain tumor has returned, and Taylor decides she’s had enough. She’s going to take her fate into her own hands.
No more hospitals. No more surgeries. No more anything.
She’s going to join her family.
It’s her decision.
What she longs for.
The ending she wants.

She just has a list of things to do before she goes.
First, go to England.
Second, kiss a stranger…

Only, Taylor didn’t expect Liam Hunter, the stranger—with his handsome face, his six-foot-three of gorgeousness, and his oh-so-hot English accent—to change things.
To change her.
To change the ending she wanted.

What is a girl, who is standing on the edge of nothing, to do when offered the chance of everything?

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A Note from Samantha: Writing The Ending I Want has been a cathartic and exhausting process for me, but I have loved every second of writing it. I relate to this story more than any of the stories that I’ve written before. Maybe that’s because there’s a piece of me in this book. And not in Taylor having a brain tumor, because fortunately I’ve never had to endure anything like that. But for me, it was the need to feel free from something that has crippled me for many years, just like Taylor is crippled by her own pain. Taylor wanted to die to be free. I never wanted to die, but I did want to be free, in a way that’s hard to explain. But now, after years of feeling trapped by my demons, things that have held me back in life, I’ve found a way to get the freedom I needed. I’m still a work in progress, but I’m working better now than I ever did before – just saying this cryptic stuff out loud is a big step for me. So, writing Taylor in the way I did was a big deal for me. I really hope that you love this story, and see strength in Taylor’s choices rather than weakness.

The Ending I Want Teaser 1

Excerpt

Go to England. Kiss a stranger. Have lots of sex,” his deep voice rumbles out the words I wrote.

He glances at me over his shoulder, a shit-eating grin on his face.

I don’t even bother with trying to get the list back now. What’s the point? He’s already seen it.

Bastard.

I fall back into my seat, my face feeling like a blowtorch went at it. “You’re an asshole,” I mutter.

He turns to face me, my list in his hand but still held out of my reach. “Aw, don’t be like that, Taylor, from Boston. I was just curious to read it.”

I’m pretty sure he’s going for contrite, but he’s failing miserably.

I glare at him. I’m going for death-by-laser stare.

It doesn’t work because he gives me a panty-dropping smile. I’d like to say I’m unaffected, but I’m not; however, I don’t let him know that.

“Curious? I don’t think so. An effing thief? Yes.”

He laughs. “I’m sorry. But you don’t need to be embarrassed. It’s a good list.” He looks back to my list. “Have sex with a stranger,” he continues on reading. “Have sex with a stranger outdoors. You do know I can help you with all of these, right?” He lifts a brow at me.

I give him the middle finger.

He laughs again and looks back to the list. Then, he stops laughing and stares at me with what can only be described as complete horror. “You’ve never had oral sex?”

Fuck.

Why the hell did I put that on my list?

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5Star

Michel’s Review

Wow!  The Ending I Want by Samantha Towle is a must read book.  It touches upon every aspect of life and the choices made along the way.  The important thing is to take every moment and make it the best moment in your life.  Live life to the fullest and give it your all.  Whether it’s happiness, pain, heartache, or despair, it’s important to make every moment matter.

Taylor Shaw knows she’s dying.  Her intentions are to live her last moments doing the things she always wanted to do in life.  She wants to challenge herself, conquer her fears, and experience the frivolous things she would of never considered.  She made a list at the age of sixteen when she facing deaths door.  She is once again knocking on the door and this time she has chosen to enter.  She is going to enter on her own terms with no regrets.  She’s going to free herself of the guilt she has lived with for the past five years.

First on the list is to go to England.  In order to achieve that goal she must tackle another thing on her list, conquer her fear of flying.  Getting on the plane took all the courage she had.  Sitting there waiting to take off is torture.  Then something magical happens, a handsome stranger sits in the seat next to her.  The only thing she can do to get her mind off of flying and complete another task on her list is to kiss a stranger.  That one kiss is going to change her final days.  She’s going to experience living life to the fullest.  She’s going to learn what it means to fall head over heels in love.  She is going to discover that she wants to live more than anything else.  It’s too late.  She chose her fate and refused to get the medical care she needed.  The only thing she can do is make the most of the time she has left.  She is going to love Liam Hunter with her entire heart.  She is going to leave her heart with the man who showed her how precious life is.

Liam Hunter is a very successful businessman.  Work has ruled his life.  He forgot that the little things are just as important as the monumental achievements in his career.  When a beautiful girl with a list kisses him on the plane, it is the beginning of something wonderful.  It’s the beginning of everything he never knew he wanted in life.  He has finally found the one thing that makes all of his accomplishments pale.  He has found that once in a lifetime love.  He plans to help Taylor complete her list and make her his forever.

Taylor is keeping secrets.  Liam has become prince charming.  Time is running out.

Together they will live and love with all their hearts.  But will they get the ending they want?

Read the book.

Once again Samantha Towle has written a beautiful, passionate love story that will stand the test of time.

 

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AboutTheAuthor
samantha towle

New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and international bestselling author Samantha Towle began her first novel in 2008 while on maternity leave. She completed the manuscript five months later and hasn’t stopped writing since.

She has written contemporary romances, THE MIGHTY STORM, WETHERING THE STORM, TAMING THE STORM, TROUBLE, REVVED and REVIVED.

She has also written paranormal romances, THE BRINGER and the ALEXANDRA JONES SERIES, all penned to tunes of The Killers, Kings of Leon, Adele, The Doors, Oasis, Fleetwood Mac, and more of her favourite musicians.

A native of Hull and a graduate of Salford University, she lives with her husband, Craig, in East Yorkshire with their son and daughter.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Instagram

 

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Pre Release + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway : Gone From Me by Linda Winfree

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Gone From Me

Hearts Of The South Series – Book 10

Genre: Romance, Romantic Suspense

By Linda Winfree

Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play | Samhain Publishing | iBooks/iTunes

Synopsis

Their life was a fairy tale—until it all came tumbling down.

Hearts of the South, Book 10

Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Amy Bennett isn’t sure when her own Prince Charming went AWOL from their marriage, but she’s certain of one thing. She wants him back. She and Rob had it all: law-enforcement careers they loved and each other. Yet somehow he’s wound up sleeping on the couch and emotionally beyond her reach.

Rob is trying to put the pieces back together, but battling his own demons while starting over in a small-town sheriff’s department is pushing him—and his marriage—to the breaking point.

His very first missing person’s case threatens to end anything but happily ever after for the families involved. Then a young man goes missing too, and the pressure has Rob reaching for the nearest lifeline. The one that’s dangling by the barest of threads—his wife.

And though Amy’s grip is strong, her love may not be enough to keep Rob from slipping away.

Warning: Contains a husband who’s holding too much in, and a wife who’ll do anything to get him to let go, even meet him halfway on their last piece of common ground—in bed. Also: cop bonding between cops who talk like cops.

gonefrommeexcerpt

Excerpt

Tall grass, dried from the blazing summer days, crunched under their duty shoes. Heat hung over the dirt road, and not even the pools of shade cast by tall water oaks offered relief. The red clay, already rutted and dusty after the recent rains, baked under the early-afternoon sun, and a black snake sunned himself beside the ditch.

Zeke’s forlorn truck sat next to the turnoff to the sprawling fields. On one side of the dirt track, green corn stalks, tassels golden and silky, reached toward the blue cloudless sky. On the other, neat rows of peppers and squash, heavy with ripe produce, ran up to the far woods. Cicadas buzzed in a quivering rise and fall of distant sound. The police radio beeped and squawked, a garbled transmission between Chris and dispatch, a license-plate check. Around the abandoned Ford, a bubble of silence pulsed. The window was down, a cell phone and wallet on the dash. The keys, on a John Deere fob, dangled from the ignition. Empty fertilizer jugs littered the bed. A tidy stack of bushel baskets waited next to the vehicle.

Around the truck, the grass was beaten down, trodden low by farm vehicles, tractors and booted feet. Rob leaned down to better see inside the truck, but didn’t touch anything. “When was the last time you heard from him?”

“Yesterday at lunch.” Worry roughened Dale Jenkins’s voice. “His mama tried to call him last night and there was no answer, but that’s not real unusual. She called Britt this morning when he still didn’t answer, and he never came home last night.”

“Why didn’t Brittany call us?” Rob straightened and pulled out his notebook to begin jotting.

“She said it’s not unusual for him not to come home some nights.”

Really. That was new. Rob scratched down a note, but kept his face impassive. “Have you talked to any of his friends today? Other relatives he’s in contact with?”

“His grandma hasn’t heard from him. My wife’s been calling his friends, and none of them have seen or heard from him.”

Rob cast a look at the cell phone on the dash. “Did you touch anything in the truck?”

“No. When I got here and saw his stuff like that, I walked the field and through the woods down to the stream, just seeing if I could find him.” Dale wiped a hand across his tense jaw. “I been friends with Tick Calvert a long time, and my wife likes that Dateline show. I knew better than to touch anything when I didn’t find him.”

“Okay.” Rob stared at the truck, then down the turnoff and into the woods. Turning, he nodded at Troy Lee. “Will you get Parker out here with the dog? And bring me the evidence kit from the trunk.”

With his phone, he snapped a series of photos of the scene and the truck’s interior.

“Chris is on his way.” Troy Lee stopped beside him and set down the multiple-compartment box that housed the evidence kit. Rob removed two pair of latex gloves and snapped them on, one pair over the other. Rather than open the door, he reached through the open window and retrieved the cell phone. The home screen glowed to life to reveal myriad missed calls from his parents and Mike Smithwick, plus various texts from Brittany and a couple of friends. Rob swiped his thumb across the screen and the keyboard popped up for a passcode entry.

He glanced sideways at Jenkins. “Do you know his passcode?”

“Four-one-two-zero.” Jenkins cleared his throat. “It’s part of Emma’s birthday.”

Rob navigated to check for the last outgoing texts and calls, both of which dated to late the previous morning. A phone call to his mother around eleven, then a text to Brittany at twelve.

Rob placed the phone in an evidence bag, labeled and sealed it. He squinted across the field, quiet and deserted under the midday sun. “Mr. Jenkins, other than the situation with Brittany this week, has Zeke had other difficulties you know of? Has he been in any trouble or talked to you about any problems he’s had lately?”

“No.” Jenkins pushed up the bill of his battered cap with one finger and scrubbed a hand over his forehead. “He’s always been a real good boy. We weren’t happy about Britt being pregnant with them so young and not married and all, but since they got married, he works hard to take care of her and Emma.”

The grass surrounding the produce field showed no evidence of recent foot traffic. Maybe he’d never even made it into the field. “You said you talked to his friends. Is it possible he’s with one of them?”

“No.” Jenkins shook his head. “He might ignore Britt and he might ignore me, but that boy would never ignore his mama.”

5Star+

Michel’s Review

I was surprised to receive  the announcement of Linda Winfree’s next book in The Heart Of The South series.  This series began in 2008,  The last release was several years ago.  I almost forgot about this fantastic series.  The first nine books were so good!  I immediately requested this ARC for review. On May 10, 2016 , Gone From Me by Linda Winfree will release.  If you are a fan of romantic suspense, southern  romance, and small town romance, Gone From Me is the perfect book.  It can be read as a stand alone book and does not have to be read in series order.  If you are new to this series, I can guarantee you are going to want to read the previous books in the series.

Linda Winfree has a natural story telling gift.  The reader immediately gets sucked into the story.  There is always a great cast of characters, a complicated plot, and a very emotional romance.  The characters are always easy to relate to because they are ordinary people, like you and me, with ordinary problems we all encounter at some point in our lives.  Add the descriptive passages that draw the reader into the deep south and the small town environment, and it makes the book feel more like a movie.

Gone From Me was quite different from the romances that readers have grown accustomed to in the past few years. It stands out because the author approached some very tough issues and moral values.  Linda Winfree did not have to use explicit sex scenes or repetitious angsty scenes to validate the characters story.  She used descriptive words that were delivered in a honest and compassionate way.  She allowed her characters to experience their lives, the good and the bad, and become better people through their trials and errors.  At the same time she establishes a passionate relationship that takes work and commitment.

Rob and Amy have had their share of problems in the last year.  It has tested their relationship, their commitment to one another, and how they perceive their lives.  Every marriage has it’s hiccups.  Every marriage takes work.  Finding the solutions together is what makes them stronger in the outcome.

Not only are Rob and Amy struggling with marital problems, they are also dealing with issues at work.  Rob is working on a difficult missing persons case that spirals out of control.  Rob is determined to prove he has the investigative skills to solve the case.

The case is not cut and dry.  When a dead body shows up it changes in a new direction.

It’s time for Rob and Amy to solve their problems and solidify their careers.

I was glued to the pages.  After I finished this book I wanted to go back and read this series again.  I am so happy that Linda Winfree is writing again!

I highly recommend Gone From Me by Linda Winfree.

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headshot -- Linda WinfreeHow does an English teacher end up plotting murders? She uses her experiences as a cop’s wife to become a writer of romantic suspense! Linda Winfree lives in a quintessential small Georgia town with her husband and grand-dog Poe. By day, she teaches English/Language Arts and is an all-round education nerd; by night she pens sultry books full of murder and mayhem.

To learn more about Linda and her books, visit www.lindawinfreewrites.com, follow her on Twitter @lwinfreewrites, or connect with her on Facebook at http://facebook.com/lindawinfreewrites. You can also contact Linda via email at lindawinfreewrites@gmail.com. 

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email

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Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: Last Mile by Katie Ashley – Vicious Cycle Series – Book 3

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Last Mile

Vicious Cycle Series – Book 3

By Katie Ashley

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

Katie Ashley, the New York Times bestselling author of Redemption Road and Vicious Cycle, returns to the dangerous and seductive world of the Hells Raiders motorcycle club….

After her father was murdered in the line of duty, ATF agent Samantha Vargas is determined to take down the scumbags of the drug trade. When her partner takes on a case to infiltrate the Hells Raiders MC, Samantha agrees to go undercover as his old lady but is surprised to find herself drawn to the very man she is investigating.

Benjamin “Bishop” Malloy has worked hard to carve a place for himself both in and out of the MC world. Working days as a mechanic, he spends his nights rebuilding motorcycles with the hope of one day owning his own shop. After taking one of the club’s new hang-arounds under his wing, Bishop is conflicted over his growing attraction for the man’s girlfriend.

Even though she’s determined to bring down the Raiders, Samantha discovers their world isn’t as black-and-white as she thought. And as the stakes grow higher, she’s in danger of losing more than her heart.

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Excerpt

I rose off the picnic bench. As I set my longneck down, I could feel Bishop’s eyes burning into my back. When I glanced at him over my shoulder, his eyebrows rose questioningly. Slowly, I turned around. As I met his blazing baby blues, I held out my hand. His body shuddered slightly before he leaned up to put his hand in mine. I tugged him up off the bench, pulling him close to me.

His warm breath against my cheek, causing me to shiver with building anticipation. “What are you doing, Sam?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I replied, “Getting you to take me somewhere we can be alone.”

He pulled back to look at me. Both longing and regret flickered on his handsome face. “You gotta know that nothing good is gonna come with me being alone with you right now.”

“I know.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

It was the same question raging through my mind. Did I want to fuck Bishop to get in even deeper with him because of the case or was it because I was starting to feel more for him than I should? In the end, I tuned out the voices in my head. “Yeah, I am,” I responded, my voice resonating with certainty.

With a brief nod, Bishop tugged on my hand and started leading me away from the others. We went around the back of the clubhouse and then passed the pawnshop. As we continued walking, the lights grew dimmer and dimmer until we found ourselves in shadowy darkness. Bishop stopped us in front a tall chain-link fence that ran the length of the property.

After gazing around, I swallowed hard. I’d never had sex out in the open before, and I could feel my once firm resolve slowly fading. “Here?”

“It’s really the only place we can be alone with all the brothers being in from out of town. I gave up my room in the clubhouse.” A lustful gleam burned in Bishop’s eyes as he pulled me against him. I could feel the hardened length of him through his jeans. “But if you want, I’ll put you on the back of my bike and take you anywhere you want to go.”

Deep down, I knew it was right here and right now, or I was going to lose both my nerve and my buzz.I brought my arms up to wrap around his neck. “I just want to be with you.” I drew his head down to where our lips were almost touching. We stayed like that for a few seconds, both of our chests heaving and our bodies trembling. This was our figurative cliff, and we were just inches from free-falling off it. Before we could think any more about it, Bishop crushed his lips against mine.

For such a hardened, tough guy, his lips were so very smooth. They felt as soft as velvet as they moved against mine. I tightened my arms around his neck, drawing him as close to me as I could. My breasts strained against the bulging muscles of his chest.

I couldn’t seem to get close enough to him. I had to fight the urge to jump up and wrap my legs around his waist and grind myself against him. As his warm tongue entered my mouth, I moaned. He proved within seconds he was one hell of a kisser. He was also one for multitasking, because as his tongue caressed mine, his hand palmed my breast through the fabric of my dress. My nipple pebbled under his fingertips, and I gasped when he pinched it between his thumb and forefinger. While one hand continued to knead my breast, the other dipped below the hem of my dress. I sucked in a breath when it skimmed against my thigh before journeying farther upward. It had been too damn long since a man had touched me, and as Bishop’s hand cupped me, my head fell back, banging against the fence.

“Fucking hell. You’re drenched,” Bishop said in a ragged voice.

“I know,” I groaned. Gazing up at him, I said, “Please, don’t stop touching me.”

“Hmm, I like the sound of you begging.” His fingers began to work me over my panties, but I wanted more. I wantonly kicked my legs apart, spreading them as far as I could for him. Bishop read my mind by jerking my panties to the side and thrusting two fingers deep inside me.

“Oh yes!” I cried, moving my hips against his hand. At that point, I didn’t give two shits if anyone at the party could see or hear us. I just wanted to come.

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5Star

Michel’s Review

Last Mile by Katie Ashley is the third book in the Vicious Cycle series that features the Malloy Brothers and the Hells Raiders MC.  The Hells Raiders have been through the wringer with the Mexican Cartel, the authorities, and the rival MC’s.  It’s time to go legitimate and leave the illegal activities to the other chapters.  The Georgia chapter of the Hells Raiders has lost too much.  The Malloy family has grown and they have children to protect.

Bishop Malloy is all for going legit.  He has big dreams of building his own Bike shop.  He’s ready to go a different path in life.  First the club needs to have clearance from the other chapters and national leaders.

The ATF has been trying to infiltrate the Hells Raiders MC.  After they get word that the Georgia chapter has been dealing with the Mexican Cartel and running guns, they are ready to make their move.  They plant two ATF agents posing as a couple into the club as hang arounds.  Samantha and Marley are going to become part of the Hells Raiders world.

Samantha hates bikers after witnessing her father’s death as a child.  She is more than willing to take as many down as possible.  Her memories and perceptions are nothing like what she encounters at the Hells Raiders clubhouse.  When she meets Bishop Malloy her attitude towards bikers begins to change.  She’s beginning to see that there is more to a biker than the patch he wears on his vest.

After the violence at the national rally things begin to change for the club.  They pissed off some of the other chapters and have paid the price.  They lost some of their own and now they are at war within their own club.

Bishop and Samantha are beginning a beautiful friendship after sharing their grief.  Samantha is still keeping secrets.  Bishop is falling hard.  Their relationship is doomed.

I was glued to the pages and thrilled with the outcome of Bishop Malloy’s journey to finding love.  Read the Vicious Cycle series by Katie Ashley.

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10580112_323682794456743_8111805298674043201_n-1Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition Series, Runaway Train Series, as well as several New Adult and Young Adult titles. Her latest series, Vicious Cycle, has been picked up for publication by Penguin Books.

She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Sons of Anarchy, Downton Abbey, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo. 

With a BA in English, a BS in Secondary English Education, and a Masters in English Education, she spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.


She is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Never Let You Go by Monica Murphy – Sequel to Never Tear Us Apart

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You don’t want to miss the conclusion to

Katie and Will’s story.

Never Let You Go by Monica Murphy is NOW LIVE!

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Never Let You Go

Sequel To Never Tear Us Apart

By Monica Murphy

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Synopsis

The second novel in this darkly sexy contemporary series from bestselling author Monica Murphy wraps up an emotionally powerful two-part tale of forbidden love.

The truth hurts, they say—and my pain cuts deep. While I was falling for Ethan, he was deceiving me the entire time. He held a huge secret, protected by his lies. When I discovered what he was hiding, the truth shook my world, threatening to ruin us forever. Ruin me. But I soon realized that what we share can’t be destroyed.

The connection between us is too strong. It always has been. I can’t deny him any longer. And I can’t deny my truth: I’m in love with Ethan.

I don’t want to let him go.

While we’re trying our best to make this relationship work, other forces are fighting against us. My family, who wants to keep me safe. The media obsessed with my tragic past. The public that feeds off of it. Even Ethan’s father—the man who nearly destroyed me all those years ago. He’s doing his best to finish the job.

Despite my love for Ethan, the doubts creep in, clouding my mind. Is he worth the pain? Will our love survive, or will we have no choice but to end it—end us—once and for all?

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Excerpt

“Maybe I care,” she retorts. “Think about what this will do to us.”

“What could it do? Force us to admit that yes, we’re in a relationship now? What’s wrong with that?”

“This so-called relationship only happened because you sought me out and then lied to me!” Her voice is shrill, her eyes wild, and she visibly shakes. She’s angry.

At me.

“I never meant—” I clamp my lips shut when I see her hostile expression. She looks ready to pounce. Christ, maybe she’s right. Maybe we shouldn’t have met today. Our hurt feelings are still too close to the surface, too raw and painful.

“Do you really think meeting me today was a mistake?” I need to know her answer, though I might not like it.

Katie watches me, pressing her lips together. I wait for her response, air lodged in my throat, my heart tripping over itself in my chest. I feel like it’s all come down to this. “This won’t work,” she whispers.

“What won’t?”

“Us. The two of us . . . together. We need to accept it.” Her face almost crumples but she somehow keeps it together, all while she slaughters my heart with her words. “We shouldn’t be seen together in public. If anyone recognizes us, it will become this—thing, and soon the media will be talking. About us and our sick relationship. And I don’t want that. I don’t think you do either.”

My spine stiffens involuntarily and I slowly back away from her, holding my hands up in front of me in pure defensive mode. As if my position can ward o the blow only her words can deliver.

I thought my father knew how to pack a punch, saying just the right thing to make me internally bleed. A few choice words from Katie Watts and I feel like I’m near death.

“You want me gone? I’m gone,” I tell her, but I don’t budge. I’m hoping she’ll stop me. Despite the pain she’s causing, I don’t want to walk away from her. Even though it feels like my heart is about to crack into a million tiny pieces. I swear she already broke my heart when she first found out who I really was and ran, exiting my life like she was never in it.

Now she doesn’t want to be seen with me in public. Doesn’t want Lisa to know. The rational side of my brain understands why she might feel that way. But the irrational side, the emotional side, is screaming in agony over her rejection, demanding that I hurt her back.

My vengeful side makes me think of my father.

I rub a hand across my chest to ease the radiating ache, but it doesn’t help. The way Katie watches me isn’t helping either.

“It’s for the best,” she whispers. “The minute she spots us, she’ll tell . . . everyone. And then we’re in trouble. They’ll twist our relationship into this weird, sick thing, and I can’t. I can’t bear it, Ethan. I’ve already suffered through too much and so have you. This—we’re not worth it.”

My mouth drops open. We’re not worth it? She’s the only person in my life who’s worth anything.

“I’m—I’m sorry.” The choked words leave her and I can’t say anything in return.

She turns and leaves, her steps hurried, her at black shoes slapping against the pavement as she scurries away. I watch her go, don’t stop her, don’t say her name. I don’t do a damn thing, as if I’m paralyzed, and I wonder for one crazy moment if I might be.

But I’m not. I’m just struck numb by her words, by her worry. She’s right. I know she’s right. The media will turn our relationship into a train wreck, and with good reason.

We are a train wreck. We shouldn’t have happened, but we did. No one else knows what it’s like to be me. No one under-stands what we went through together except her and me. But she has walked away from me yet again. Practically ran, and I did nothing about it.

Breathing deep, I tell myself to stay strong. Either this will work or it won’t—but I want it to. I’m desperate to keep that connection between us.

Yet I need to understand and respect her feelings. Forgive her for walking away from me so easily. It’s damn hard. That tiny, vulnerable part buried deep within me, that little boy who never felt wanted, the one who spent his entire life moving through it essentially alone . . .

He is devastated.

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never tear us apart

Never Tear Us Apart

Book One

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

Crazy how eight years can disappear in an instant. One look at Katie Watts, and I’m a fifteen-year-old again–the one who risked everything to save a terrified girl from her twisted kidnapper. She’s grown-up now–beautiful, quiet, composed–and telling her story to the world. A story that involves me in more ways than you can imagine. She used to call me her guardian angel. Sure, I risked my life, but she was worth dying for.

I need to make contact with her. Just to ensure that she’s safe.

Somehow we reconnect. We become friends . . . but I want more. I want to make her mine. And she wants me too. Does she know who I am? Has she figured me out? Not yet. But she will. In the meantime, I need to make sure that whatever hold that animal had on her is gone.

So, yeah, I’m stealing these moments with her. Savoring them. Knowing, dreading, that she’ll soon find out who I really am. And everything will fall apart. All because of that twisted, perverted monster sitting on death row. Her kidnapper. A convicted serial killer.

My father.

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CMP_Edit-8-2I write books. I have the best job ever. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Writer of new adult contemporary romance-ish stuff. Published with Avon and Bantam. Mom and wife. Native Californian.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Spinning Out by Lexi Ryan – The Blackhawk Boys Series – Book 1

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Spinning Out

The Blackhawk Boys

By Lexi Ryan

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Buy: Amazon / B & N IBOOKS / Kobo

Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Amazon AU

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THE BLACKHAWK BOYS, an edgy, sexy sports romance series from New York Times bestseller Lexi Ryan. Football. Secrets. Lies. Passion. These boys don’t play fair. Which Blackhawk Boy will steal your heart?

Synopsis

Secrets can cost you…
Twenty-one year old Arrow Woodison is a fuckup. A Division I running back on his way to a Heisman and a top draft pick, the world was his oyster, and he threw it all away with a semester of drugs, alcohol, and generally pissing off anyone who dared care about him. Now he’s lost it all—suspended from the team, not to mention college, on house arrest, and forced to spend a semester at home and get his shit together. The cherry on his fuckup sundae? Sleeping in the room next to his, the live-in nanny and his best friend’s girl, Mia Mendez. His secret. His mistake. And a reminder of everything he regrets.

Secrets can define you…
Since the accident that killed her brother and wounded her boyfriend, Mia Mendez has devoted her life to caring for her alcoholic father and her forever-changed boyfriend. She depends on her position with the Woodisons to support her family, but Arrow’s return home threatens her job. And her heart. She’s not sure what’s worse—the anger in Arrow’s eyes when he looks at her or the attraction that keeps pulling them back together.

Secrets can destroy you…
Desperate to be together but paralyzed by nightmares and guilt, the only way forward is to face the truth about what happened the night of the accident, even if it means revealing secrets that could tear their worlds apart.

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Excerpt

Mia

 

I wake to a thump and sit up in bed. It’s three in the morning and my room is dark, but there’s more thumping. Someone’s kicking the wall between my room and Arrow’s.

My heart clenches as I picture him on the other side having wild sex with some girl. Maybe some old fuck buddy came over after I went to bed. Hell, for all I know it’s Gwen visiting her stepson’s bed.

I dismiss the idea as quickly as it comes. Arrow can’t tolerate Gwen, and he may have changed, but he’s never been one to fuck girls he can’t tolerate.

There’s another thump, then I hear Arrow’s voice. “No. Don’t.” Rough, choked words. And more thrashing. “Why?”

I throw off the covers and run to his room, opening the door without a thought.

I don’t know what I expected to find. Arrow is sleeping alone, tangled in his covers.

Frozen, I stare at him. Moonlight spills in through the open curtains and casts shadows across his face. Sweat glistens on his forehead, and his face twists in a grimace.

I step closer. I could touch him, but I shouldn’t. “Arrow?”

He kicks. His arm flies out and hits the wall.

“Arrow,” I repeat, louder this time.

He grabs my hand at the wrist and flies upright in bed as his eyes pop open. He’s breathing hard, and anguish is all over his face. For a minute, I feel like I can see inside him—all the terrified, vulnerable parts he hides from the world. I can see inside him and I know exactly what I’m looking at, because my dreams make me feel the same way.

“What are you doing here?” he asks in a low whisper. The anger from earlier is gone from his voice.

“You were having a nightmare.”

His eyes rake over me—greedy, hungry, desperate. “What? No red lace nightie? Or do you save that for my dad? Like mother, like daughter?”

I gasp before I can stop myself. Why doesn’t he just punch me? His fist to my face would hurt less than those words.

I yank my hand away, spin on my heel, and walk toward the hall. As I reach for the knob, he’s behind me. He slams his palm against the door, and it closes with a violent thunk. “I’m sorry,” he whispers behind me, his breath on my neck. “I’m sorry I said that.”

I keep my gaze on his hand. Arrow has the best hands. Big, strong, beautiful. And the first time they touched me . . .

I squeeze my eyes shut at the unwelcome memory, and shrug. “I need this job,” I say slowly. “Your stepmother has made it clear that she’ll fire me if we can’t get along, and we both know your dad will fire me if you ask him to. But please don’t. Please don’t screw it up for me.”

“Mia,” he says softly, and I feel him step closer, the heat of his body against my back. The rough pads of his fingertips brush the hair from my neck, then his breath, hot and sweet, tickles against that tender skin.

I’m frozen, divided between the wish for his kiss and the fear of it. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. Hot tears roll down my cheeks, and I don’t know what I’m apologizing for. For taking this job? For going with Brogan that night when Arrow asked me not to? For entering his life to begin with?

Yes. All of that. More. “I’m so sorry.”

He drops one hand from the door and the other from my neck. My body grows cool as he steps away.

“Stop apologizing,” he says.

I turn the knob and head to my room. I don’t look back.

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5Star

Michel’s Review

Wow!  Spinning Out by Lexi Ryan is a great start in her new series, The Blackhawk Boys.  Spinning Out has everything a reader looks for in a book.  There is romance, a love triangle, mystery, emotional angst, and a great cast of characters.  This books taps into the emotional well and has the readers experiencing the journey right along with the main characters.

Arrow Woodison had it all until he met Mia Mendez.  From that day forward his life changed in drastic measures.  Popularity, football, and wealth could not keep his life from spinning out of control.  It could not keep his heart from falling in love with his best friend, Brogan Barrett’s, girlfriend Mia Mendez.  Falling in love with Mia was the beginning of a nightmare that would forever scar his soul.  It would destroy his future prospects in professional football.  He would lose his best friend.  It would almost destroy his relationship with his father.  Most of all it would change how he perceived himself as a man.  He let his life spin out of control and now he is paying the price.  He is living with guilt, remorse, heartbreak, and hopelessness.  The only thing that remains the same is his love for Mia Mendez.  He may not have the power to change her heart but he does have the power to help her heal from the damage he has caused in her life.  He is determined to help her live her life once more and move on from the destruction he has caused in her life.

Mia Mendez is struggling to get by.  Her father is a drunk.  Her brother that was a convicted felon and drug addict is dead.  Her mother abandoned the family when they needed her the most.  It would seem that all of her family’s problems revolve around the actions of the Woodison family.  Mia is a smart girl and knows there are two sides to every story.  She also knows deep down the Woodison family is not responsible for her family’s downfall.  She has taken a job as the Woodison family’s nanny in order to support her father and get back in school.  It doesn’t matter if she is head over heels in love with Arrow Woodison.  She has to let go of those feelings because those feelings destroyed Brogan Barrett, the man she should have loved with all her heart.  She destroyed a good man.  Her betrayal caused her brother’s death. She died right along with him.

Love can be the best thing in life but it can also be the one thing that destroys everything good in life.  Mia and Arrow are learning that life goes on even though their hearts were destroyed.

An undeniable love.  A horrific accident.  Deep hidden secrets will change not only Mia and Arrow’s life but also every person they hold dear.

Lexi Ryan wrote a fantastic book!  I was glued to the pages.  I connected with all of the characters.  I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Read Spinning Out by Lexi Ryan!

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The Blackhawk Boys Series

THE BLACKHAWK BOYS, an edgy, sexy sports romance series from New York Times bestseller Lexi Ryan. Football. Secrets. Lies. Passion. These boys don’t play fair. Which Blackhawk Boy will steal your heart?

Spinning Out Cover

Book 1 – SPINNING OUT

Buy: Amazon / B & N IBOOKS / Kobo

Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Amazon AU

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Book 2 – RUSHING IN

Christophers Story

Release Date: August 30th, 2016

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Book 3 – GOING UNDER

Sebastian’s Story

Release Date: December 6, 2016

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lexi ryanAbout the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author Lexi Ryan’s novels have been described as intense, emotional, and wickedly sexy. A former college professor, she now writes full-time from her home in Indiana, where she lives with her husband, two children, and a neurotic dog. Find her on Facebook or Twitter to chat about books, TV, and her children’s latest antics.

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SO Amazon

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 6 Star Review + 2016 Favorite: Deception by Aleatha Romig – Infidelity Series – Book 3

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BK3 Deception E-Book Cover (2)DECEPTION, book THREE of FIVE in Aleatha Romig’s INFIDELITY series.

“Infidelity – it isn’t what you think”

It all began in Del Mar, a chance meeting with a single rule–one week only.

Or did it?

Lennox ‘Nox’ Demetri and Alexandria ‘Charli’ Collins had every intention of following it but rules are made to be broken. In CUNNING they are reunited with Nox setting down new rules for the game and Charli having no choice but to follow them.

Now, once again, the game has changed. Nox and Charli’s hot sensual encounter has grown into something more but it is threatened with secrets and regrets. Is it their love and intense sexual chemistry that’s pushing them together or something darker, a puppetmaster behind the scenes pulling the strings on their love affair?

Shadowy villains lurk around each corner and everyone is suspect as Nox’s and Charli’s pasts collide with the present and threaten to compel them back to their predestined fates.

Can deals brokered in the past be negated by something as pure as love and as steamy as the attraction shared by Nox and Charli? Or was it all a deception—starting with that very first meeting?

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists and turns, the depth of this epic romantic suspense continues to reach new levels as past and present intertwine. The Infidelity series will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next.

Have you been Aleatha’d?

DECEPTION is a full-length novel, over 300 pages, and the third of five books in the INFIDELITY series – It isn’t what you think!

(This series is not about nor does it advocate or condone cheating)

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DECEPTION - ANY WOMAN

 

 

Pat leaned back against the couch. “I had a good feeling seeing you with Lennox. Besides, you have that whole one-week history…” He fingered the rim of his wine glass, and I tried to ignore how it reminded me of my martini glass only hours before. “I’m sure you can work through this.”
“He has my number.”
“If these were normal circumstances, I’d tell you to forget all about him. I mean, who needs someone like Lennox Demetri? I can only imagine it’d be awful to have a boyfriend who redecorates a room for you, practically weeks after you move in. One who cares enough about your dreams to pay for your education and buy you whatever you want or need, one who gives you the ability to tell Uncle Alton and Aunt Adelaide to stick their conditions up their tight asses. And girl, his looks. Damn, nobody wants to put up with those sexy blue eyes. I mean the way they light up when you walk into a room and he looks at you like he’d eat you whole. I can see how that would get old fast.” He took a drink of his wine. “Honestly, I’m not sure how you managed to stay for this long.” He shrugged. “There’s always good ole Bryce.”
I sat forward, put my wine glass on the coffee table, and after placing my elbows on my knees, cradled my head. “I don’t need Bryce. Why do I need a man?”
“If you don’t know the answer to that question, my opinion of Lennox Demetri has just plummeted. I mean, I’m sure you have a vibrator.”

 

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SBJ2016Favorite

6+star

Robin’s Review

Aleatha Romig is one of the best at writing romantic suspense, mystery and thrillers. She took the Indie world by storm with her Consequences series, and now, she’s doing it again. In my opinion, her Infidelity series is her best writing yet, and I can’t express enough how much I LOVE it! Please don’t judge this series by its name: “The Infidelity series does not advocate or glorify cheating.  This series is about the inner struggle of compromising your beliefs for your heart.  It is about cheating on yourself, not someone else.”

Using a metaphor, I’ve come to compare the reading of the Infidelity series to the act of peeling of an onion. Everyone knows onions are made up of several layers. Betrayal, the first novel of this series, only skims the surface of the onion. Readers are introduced to Lennox Demetri and Alexandria Charles Montague Collins as they spend a week in Del Mar – a chance meeting where they experience an instant connection. In Betrayal, Romig makes it so easy to fall in love with these characters.

Romig breaks the surface of the story in Cunning – she begins to peel back the outer layers of the onion. Nox and Charli are reunited, and we begin to suspect there’s a whole lot more to this story than two people randomly meeting in Del Mar. We are given more background information about several key players. Overall, the Infidelity series begins to feel more like a mystery.

Deception, the third book of the Infidelity series, picks right up where Cunning ended, and it’s full of drama from the start! Deception is where we really start getting into the meat of this story. Nox and Charli’s past and present begin to collide in Deception, and you begin to wonder just who, or how many, might be pulling the strings. Did their meeting in Del Mar really happen by chance?

With each chapter of Deception, we are given new possibilities to consider. Infidelity is a series that WILL make you think. Every detail of Romig’s story has been written with purpose. Layers of truth are continually uncovered in the dialogue. Clues are hidden in the text. Even characters introduce their own theories! All of these things had me questioning what I thought I already knew. One thing is certain: the novels of the Infidelity series will challenge you to get to the bottom of things.

More often than not, spoilers are not much fun to read. Because of the nature of the Infidelity series, I’m not going to go into much detail about what Aleatha Romig reveals in Deception. Generally speaking, Romig delves into the backgrounds of the Demetri and Montague families in this novel. I found the background of the Demetri family particularly fascinating. You should expect several “aha!” moments when you read Deception. In true Romig fashion, you’ll begin to see connections form between characters and in the plot. Are these connections merely coincidence, or is something more sinister taking place?

I was able to note real character growth in Nox and Charli. Because of their backgrounds, trust is a very important issue to both of these characters. Their relationship evolves in Deception. They both seem to be growing as individuals – opening up about their pasts, learning to trust one another and extend love freely. Mixed in with background information and plot reveals, you should expect romantic and steamy moments between our main characters.

I can’t give anything less than 6 stars for this novel. For entertainment value alone, Deception earns a 6-star rating, but Aleatha Romig’s writing is crisp, creative, and the story flows incredibly well. Look out for the KILLER cliffhanger of this 2016 favorite!

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BETRAYAL 1One week. No future. No past. No more.

Alexandria Collins has one week to live carefree—no ghosts of her past or pressures of her future haunting her. Reinventing herself as “Charli,” she is knocked off her feet by a sexy, mysterious man who brings her pleasure like she never imagined. With her heart at stake, she forgets that decisions made in the dark of night reappear in the bright light of day.

 

“Some of my tastes are unique. They aren’t for everyone. I understand that.”

 

Lennox “Nox” Demetri is wealthy, confident, and decisive—he knows what he wants. From the first time he sees Charli at an exclusive resort, he knows he wants her. Although he is usually the one to make the rules, together they agree on one:

 

One week. No more.

 

When betrayal comes from those closest to Alexandria, she must decide how far she is willing to go to survive. Choices are not always easy, especially when they involve the heart, body, and soul. After all, Infidelity is a business, and some rules are meant to be broken.

 

“Is it really cheating if you’re doing it to yourself?”

 

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants, and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, this new epic dark romance will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next. Have you been Aleatha’d?

 

BETRAYAL is a full-length novel and the first of five in the INFIDELITY series.

 

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CUNNING 1“He owns you. Whatever he tells you to do you do”.

 

One year. No future. A past that won’t go away.

Lennox “Nox” Demetri broke his own rule by making a deal. It may not have been directly with the devil, but that doesn’t mean Satan himself isn’t watching. Was it fate that brought Charli into his life and his bed? What will happen when rules are broken and secrets are revealed?

“New rules…my rules.”

Alex “Charli” Collins found pleasure with Nox like she’d never known. That was before she knew his last name. Now that Infidelity is involved and the rules have changed, what will result when real life and fantasy collide?

Is it really cheating if you’re doing it to yourself?

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, the depth of this new, epic dark romance reaches new levels and will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next.

Have you been Aleatha’d?

CUNNING is a full-length novel, 360 pages, and the second of five books in the INFIDELITY series.

Infidelity – it isn’t what you think.

 

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aleatharomig1Aleatha Romig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly thirty years. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!

Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011 through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than half a million e-readers. Aleatha released the first of her series TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE, INSIDIOUS, in the fall of 2014. These standalone thrillers continue Aleatha’s twisted style with an increase in heat. In the fall of 2015, Aleatha will move head first into the world of dark romance with the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series.

Aleatha is a “Published Author’s Network” member of the Romance Writers of America and represented by Danielle Egan-Miller of Browne & Miller Literary Associates.

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