Tag Archives: Mystery and Suspense

New Release + Release Blitz: Unexpected by Aleatha Romig

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*Paul*

What will happen… when Jenn learns the truth that has been brewing deep inside me?
…when she learns my desires have been restrained?
…when containing them is no longer possible?
Will she flee when there’s no place to run?

Traveling to the isolation of a tropical island, we agree to lay our marriage and our future on the line. It’s the only way to face the demons—my demons—that threaten our life together.
For us to make our marriage work, we must break down barriers, reveal the hidden places, and shine light where darkness has taken root.
This reprieve from life is meant to be about us, our marriage, and our future.
It is…until the unexpected happens…

Will our marriage survive? Will we?

This suspenseful, steamy stand-alone novella follows Paul and Jenn Masters, characters previously introduced in the novella UNCONVENTIONAL. This quick, spicy story may be read completely on its own or even before UNCONVENTIONAL.
If you enjoy a fast and furious, heart-thundering ride that leaves you breathless and perhaps a bit hot and bothered, check out New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig’s THE VAULT novellas: UNCONVENTIONAL and UNEXPECTED.

Have you been Aleatha’d?

 

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Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana, USA. 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 over 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 a with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams and bring your imagination to life!

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 stand alone thrillers continue Aleatha’s twisted style with an increase in heat.

In the fall of 2015, Aleatha moved head first into the world of dark romantic suspense with the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series that has taken the reading world by storm. She also began her traditional publishing career with Thomas and Mercer. Her books INTO THE LIGHT and AWAY FROM THE DARK were published through this mystery/thriller publisher in 2016.

In the spring of 2017, Aleatha released her first stand-alone, fun, and sexy romantic comedy with PLUS ONE, followed by the sweet stand-alone, ONE NIGHT.

Aleatha is a “Published Author’s Network” member of the Romance Writers of America and PEN America. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

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Excerpt Reveal + Pre-Order: Memento Mori by Lexi Blake

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Six men with no memories of the past

One leader with no hope for the future

A man without a past

Jax woke up in a lab, his memories erased, and his mind reprogrammed to serve a mad woman’s will. After being liberated from his prison, he pledged himself to the only thing he truly knows—his team. Six men who lost everything they were. They must make certain no one else gets their hands on the drugs that stole their lives, all while hiding from every intelligence organization on the planet. The trail has led him to an unforgiving mountainside and a beautiful wilderness expert who may be his only hope of finding the truth.

A woman with a bright future

River Lee knows her way around the Colorado wilderness. She’s finally found a home in a place called Bliss after years lost in darkness. The nature guide prefers to show her clients the beauty found in the land, but she also knows the secrets the mountains hold. When she meets Jax, something about the troubled man calls to her. She agrees to lead him to the site of an abandoned government facility hidden deep in the forest. She never dreamed she was stepping into the middle of a battlefield.

A love that could heal a broken soul

Spending time with River, Jax discovers a peace he’s never known. Their passion unlocks a side of himself he didn’t even know he was missing. When an old enemy makes his first move, Jax and River find themselves fighting for their lives. But when his past is revealed, will River be caught in the crosshairs of a global conspiracy?

 

 

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“This place is beautiful,” he said when she hesitated.

She nodded but didn’t move from her seat. “I love it here. I went to college in Denver, but I always missed this place. When I was younger, my dad had a house in Creede. He started the business there, but when he could, he moved us out of town. My dad was a loner, I suppose. Creede has a population of four hundred and Dad thought that was way too many people.”

“I know the feeling. I lived in London for a while. That was definitely too many people.” He kept his tone even. It was odd. Now that he was here, that hunger he always felt was tempered by her fear. He’d thought he would take anything offered to him, but he couldn’t having met her. If the blonde had offered herself up, he would have turned her down. Over the two hours they’d sat in the booth, eating fried food and drinking beer, he’d figured something out. Some people were more special than others. River was special. He should be more cynical. He could hear Damon Knight telling him to be cautious, but he couldn’t make himself do it. Perhaps it was the fact that he didn’t have a long well of history to draw from and to teach him that this was likely a mistake.

It didn’t feel like a mistake.

“Wow. I’ve never been farther than Kansas City.” She still wasn’t moving and her voice had taken on a tremulous tone.

His heart constricted, and it was surprisingly easy to not listen to his dick. His dick was pleading with him to get aggressive. His dick was trying to convince him that if he could get inside her, she would accept him.

Yeah, he wasn’t going to listen to his dick.

“If you’ve changed your mind, I can call my brother to pick me up. I have a phone and so does he. His number is programmed in. I don’t want to scare you. I had a good time talking to you tonight. It was one of the nicest nights I’ve had in a long time.” Ever. It was the best night ever. It was the first night he felt normal, though he wasn’t exactly sure what that word meant. Comfortable was a better one. That tight feeling in his chest had eased as he’d sat in the booth with River and Tucker and Heather.

Although he’d hated lying to her.

She finally turned, looking at him. Her eyes shone in the moonlight. “You mean that, don’t you?”

He wanted to touch her. He’d had to force his hands not to move toward her all night long. The most he’d allowed himself was to have their hips and shoulders touch as they’d sat next to each other. He’d decided it had been a good thing he’d sat next to her because he was fairly certain he had a case of Big Tag’s crazy eyes, and she would have seen them had he sat across from her.

“I do mean it. Please don’t get me wrong. I want you. I would like nothing more in the world than to take you into that cabin, lay you out, and make a feast of you. I want to kiss you and when I say that I don’t merely mean your lips. I want to put my mouth all over your body. But more than I want that, I want you to like me.” It was important somehow. He wouldn’t see her after tonight, but he couldn’t stand the idea that she was afraid of him.

Everyone was afraid of him. Everyone he knew was waiting for his powder keg to blow, but he’d sworn to himself earlier in the evening that it wouldn’t blow around her. He would protect her even if it was only for one night.

 

 

 

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

 

New Release + Release Blitz + Excerpt: Opportunity by Kennedy Layne

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The final book in Kennedy Layne’s sexy, suspenseful Office Roulette trilogy, OPPORTUNITY, is available now! Find out more about it below and pick up your copy today!

 

About OPPORTUNITY (Office Roulette #3)

USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne brings you the thrilling conclusion to the Office Roulette trilogy…

Gareth Nicollet had been born into wealth, but he’d learned at an early age that money wasn’t everything it was cracked up to be. Regrettably, he’d made a meaningful choice early on in his life that now threatened his future with the woman he loved.

Cynthia Ellsworth valued many things, but trust and loyalty were at the top of her list. She’d always known the man who shared her bed had secrets, but she never thought in a million years that he had the ability to destroy her career and her heart with a single blow.

Someone once said that greed was balanced by fear, but that wasn’t entirely true when there was nothing left to lose. Unfortunately, Gareth’s secret is the very reason the roulette wheel is spinning and Cynthia’s life hangs in the balance.

Get your hands on OPPORTUNITY now!

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✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2JgBxlw

 

Get a sneak peek at OPPORTUNITY

It seemed to her that she could sense the moment Gareth was going to speak. She’d never been attuned to a man the way she was with him, and that included many more than Kurt Langston. In hindsight, all Kurt had done was distract her with adventure that she hadn’t seen fit to provide for herself.

Cynthia supposed she should be thankful to him for one lesson, because he’d taught her that she hadn’t needed a man to make her happy. She was proud of who she’d become, though she could admit to holding men to higher standards more often than they could meet.

It was unfortunate that Gareth had come immediately after her valuable lesson, when the sting was still fresh.

She’d always tended to act first and suffer the consequences later. It was in her genetic makeup to be out in front of any issue. She made decisions, in and out of her personal life, and stuck to them. Maybe it was time she give a little bit.

“We could always table this discussion until later,” Cynthia managed to draw out around a moan he initiated by working on a knot in her right calf that had been bothering her all day.

She lifted the lashes on her right eye to witness his reaction. He hadn’t even flinched at her confession. She could at least give him the benefit of the doubt about why he’d kept the fact that Brad was his brother a secret.

She owed him that much, didn’t she?

To prove that she wasn’t just delaying the inevitable— which she’d asked for— she raised a knee so that her foot rested against the growing bulge in his pants.

“Are you trying to distract me with sex, Cyn?”

“Is it working yet?”

 

Missed the first two books and want to catch up? Get your hands on them now!

 

About MEANS (Office Roulette #1)

From USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne comes a sexy trilogy that involves greed, power, and the desire to do it all over again…

Smith Gallo has everything a man could ever want at the tip of his fingertips, except of course the woman he loves. To what lengths will he be willing to go to make his ambitions come true?

Laurel Calanthe is one successful stock pick away from making partner when she finds herself in desperate need of an alibi. There’s only one problem. The man who can save her from being arrested is her only competitor and the one who now holds her fate in his hands.

Greed is a powerful motivator in the game of making money, but desire can overcome even the strongest motive.

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2MJYj73
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2Jj7XMh
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2JdvrT2
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2xJG4M0

 

 

About MOTIVE (Office Roulette #2)

The Office Roulette trilogy continues with an epic battle between blame and forgiveness…

Rye Marshall had it all—wealth, prominence, and the love of his life. But nothing lasts forever, and his perfect world came crashing down around him. When the dust settled, he found himself alone and starting from a clean slate.

Grace Dorrance had made many mistakes in her life, but one stood out above the rest—an epic ending to a complex and passionate relationship. She left her former lover’s life in complete ruins and tried her best never to look back at the wreckage.

Seconds chances are hard to come by, but even more difficult when Grace is arrested for a murder she didn’t commit. This gives Rye the perfect motive to forgive and forget, allowing for new beginnings. Unfortunately, someone’s playing a game of office roulette with everyone’s lives.

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2PabWOw
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2xGOSlX
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2xGBHkS
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2xDVAch

 

About Kennedy Layne

Kennedy Layne is a USA Today bestselling author. She draws inspiration for her military romantic suspense novels in part from her not-so-secret second life as a wife of a retired Marine Master Sergeant. He doubles as her critique partner, beta reader, and military consultant. They live in the Midwest with their teenage son and menagerie of pets. The loyal dogs and mischievous cats appreciate her writing days as much as she does, usually curled up in front of the fireplace. She loves hearing from readers–find out how to connect with her at www.kennedylayne.com.

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New Release + Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: A Pilgrimage To Death by Alexa Padgett

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Today we have the release day blitz for Alexa Padgett’s A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH! We’re super excited to share this upcoming thriller with you! Check it out and be sure to get your today!

Title: A Pilgrimage to Death

Author: Alexa Padgett

Genre: Thriller

About A Pilgrimage to Death

They murdered her sister. They threatened her church. Their day of reckoning is at hand.

Cici Gurule is a freewheeling, progressive reverend who’ll stop at nothing to protect her flock. When she finds the dead body of a parishioner in the nearby Santa Fe National Forest, she’s horrified to realize the victim bears the same stab wounds that ended her twin sister’s life one year earlier.

 

Together with her detective friend and loyal pair of Great Pyrenees, she vows to hunt down the killer before she’s forced to officiate another funeral. Soon, however, Cici discovers her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation… and her death was no random act of violence.

 

Now that the criminals are out for Cici’s blood, the pastor must catch the wolf by the tail before it goes in for the kill.

 

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane mystery thriller. If you like motorcycling sleuths, fast-paced action, and a dash of humor, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s edge-of-your-seat novel.

 

Get Your Copy Today!

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Exclusive Excerpt:

The eerie feeling expanded as they turned the last corner back toward her house. Out front was a large, black pickup. It was wedged between Justin’s police car and a compact sedan. Cici’s steps slowed when Justin cursed, low and vicious.

“Do you know who that is?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level. Hard to do with the adrenaline dump that now pumped through her veins. She didn’t need that spot in her head pinging danger! for Cici to realize the black beast of a truck growling mere feet from her doorstep meant trouble.

Justin shook his head as he half-stepped in front of her, causing the hairs on Cici’s arms to rise. He might not know the person in the truck—hard to see through the dark tint—but the vehicle clearly upset him as much as her.

Mona backed up against Cici’s leg while Rodolfo tugged at the end of his leash, his snarl deep and guttural.

The driver’s side window rolled down about three inches. Cici squinted, but all she made out was a dark beanie pulled low over the person’s eyebrows, and large, black plastic sunglasses.

The person threw something out the window. Rodolfo leaped forward, tugging the leash from Cici’s hand as she flinched back. The dog sprinted toward the truck.

“Rodolfo, heel!” Cici called. The dog quivered to a halt, whining, as the truck’s engine roared. Within seconds, it sped down the street.

Cici’s breathing remained labored as she hurried forward, snatching up Rodolfo’s leash. The dogs whined again and nuzzled against her, bumping her hips with their heads.

Justin snatched the paper from the street. He stood there, at the curb, scanning the message.

“Did you get the license plate?” Cici asked.

Justin shook his head, still staring after the truck. “Covered in mud or something.” He swallowed, glanced down at the paper in his hand.

“What does that say?”

“I’m not sure you should read it.”

“Not really your choice.” Cici switched the dog leash to one hand and held out her free one. “The person came to my home. The message is clearly for me.”

Justin handed it over with obvious reluctance.

Your sister didn’t know when to stop snooping.

 

Enter Alexa’s Giveaway!

A Rafflecopter giveaway

 

About Alexa Padgett:

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.
Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Connect with Alexa:

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New Release + Release Blitz + Excerpt: One To Keep by Lexi Blake

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Stefan Talbot likes order and control. He approaches his life with the same meticulous precision that he uses to put paint on his canvas. Nothing good comes from chaos, and that is why he has refused to allow himself to get close to Jennifer Waters. They are like fire and ice. Though she is younger, her talent as an artist is unquestionable. But she lives her life like she paints—with wild, passionate abandon. It is intoxicating and terrifying, and he can’t get her out of his head.

Jennifer ran from Bliss to put Stef behind her. She had come to the mountain town seeking a mentor but found much more than she bargained for. Cool and distant, Stef was like a marble statue and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break through his shell. She moved to Dallas to start over, but nothing is going as planned. When the art gallery where she works is robbed and a precious painting is stolen, Jen is accused of the theft. Jen is thrilled when her bail is met, until she realizes her savior is Stef and he has a few conditions. First and foremost, she has to return to Bliss.

Against the backdrop of the Winter Festival, Stef and Jen’s attraction catches fire. But the dark forces behind the robbery in Dallas have followed Jen home. A criminal syndicate believes she still has the stolen painting and they’ll kill to get their hands on it.

 

AVAILABLE NOW

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EXCERPT:

 

Stef turned back to Jen. “Let’s move, Jennifer. I have a plane ready. We need to be at Love Field in an hour. I have an officer waiting to process you out.”

Jen’s head whirled. “Plane?”

“Yes, plane. We’re going back to Bliss.”

“No way.”

Cool, gray eyes slitted, and she could practically feel the will rolling off him. Stef was tense, and she knew it was a bad idea to push him, but she couldn’t help it.

“I’m serious, Stef. I’m not going anywhere with you.” She couldn’t go back to Bliss. Panic threatened to swamp her. He was here. He was right here in front of her, and her heart didn’t give a damn that he was a bastard. For the first time in months, she felt desire for something besides her art. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, go down that path again.

He got into her space, a move he’d perfected seemingly long before he met her. She held her ground. Even though he didn’t touch her physically, he seemed to surround her. Suddenly her whole world was Stef, his gray eyes, the heat of his body, his masculine, clean scent. He filled her every sense.

“I’m not going home with you.” She forced herself to say the words.

His lips hitched up. “At least you admit Bliss is your home.”

That wasn’t what she’d meant. Bliss, Colorado, had felt like home when she’d been there, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bliss wasn’t big enough for the two of them. “It’s your home. Hell, Stef, it’s your little kingdom, and you like to play the king, don’t you?”

“Yes, because everyone does what I say.” Stef’s low growl made her breath speed up. “Everyone in Bliss bows down to me. Have you been gone for so long that you forget Max regularly kicks my ass? And Nell and Henry are currently protesting my gardening practices.”

He was too close for comfort. She gave in and took a step back. She could see plainly that he was satisfied with her discomfort. “Don’t try to play the poor rich boy with me. You’re a puppet master. You like to pull the strings and see how people dance. Well, I’m not in your kingdom anymore, and there’s no way you can get me there again. So you can take your money and go back to Colorado.”

It was stupid. Even as she said the words, she wanted to take them back. She’d spent the last twenty-four hours terrified in a jail cell. She would have to be the stupidest woman in the world to turn him down, but she’d never thought around Stef. Since the moment she’d met him, she’d been a quivering mass of emotion and desire every time he entered a room.

“Stubborn thing. I’ll make it easy on you.” His hands caught hers, and before she could think she felt cold metal surrounding her wrists. He flicked the cuffs on with the cool precision of a man who often cuffed the women in his life.

“What are you doing?” She stared at her hands. At least this time they were in front of her. She preferred it that way. Damn, her life had taken a wrong turn when she could compare and contrast her experiences with men who handcuffed her.

“Taking you home, Jennifer. Whether you like it or not.”

He leaned down and picked her up. She was in his arms, nestled close to his chest. She looked up at the square, inflexible line of his jaw. His arms tightened around her, and she was caged more closely than she’d been in the holding cell. She had the suspicion that this time Stef would be harder to escape from than before. He kicked open the door and started down the hall.

Yep, like it or not, she was going back to Bliss.

 

 

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

 

New Release + Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Respect by Jay Crownover

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From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jay Crownover, comes the next title in her The Breaking Point romantic suspense series, RESPECT. Don’t miss the amazing excerpt below, and order your copy today!

 

 

About RESPECT:

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who called a corrupt kingdom home sweet home.

Protected and sheltered from the worst the world had to offer, she fell in love with the crumbling city that burned and blazed around her. Every dirty corner, every scary shadow, found a place within her heart. So did a man who was violent and dangerous, just like the streets she claimed as her own.

He was all business and brutality, except when it came to her. With her, he was calm, caring, and heartbreakingly patient.

He warned her over and over that he wasn’t the man for her, but she refused to listen. She never expected either the streets or their enforcer to hurt her, since she’d given her heart so completely to both.

She should have known the streets in the Point were always going to be savage, and so was the man committed to keeping control of them in the hands of criminals and bloody kingpins.

Blindsided by a betrayal which cut so deeply she was sure the wounds would never heal, the princess fled the home she loved and the man who broke her heart. Throwing away her rusted, twisted crown was supposed to help her forget. All it did was make her long for everything she left behind. She told herself she would never go back, but in this tormented kingdom, family is everything. Eventually, she has no choice but to return.

While she was gone, the people who loved her worked hard to make the city safe, and the man who destroyed her sank deeper into the darkness. Going back shouldn’t feel like surrender… but it does. As this pretty princess hovers on the edge of the unknown, the past attacks with a vengeance. It’s a good reminder that puppy love eventually grows up and turns into something with sharp teeth and one hell of a bite.

She never asked for the keys to the kingdom. She’d much rather go out and build her own.

 

 

Grab your copy today!

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Add to your Goodreads

EXCERPT:

~Karsen~

I had no plans to leave the Point. It was ugly, mean, hard, and unforgiving, but these streets were home and I couldn’t imagine being happy anywhere else. This place had long since made my hands and the edges of my soul dirty. It was something I would be hard-pressed to hide should I go anywhere else. I’d have to spend my days trying to camouflage the filth I was so familiar with. Here, no one looked twice at the pretty teenager with shadows in her eyes and blood on her hands. I was one of many.

I wasn’t interested in leaving behind my sister or her fiancé, Race. We were an odd, dysfunctional family, but we made it work.

I didn’t want to be too far away from my mother, who was living in a group home as she slowly, painfully tried to recover from her alcoholism and PTSD from an accident she caused that ended up taking the life of a young mother and her child.

But more than anything, I absolutely didn’t want to leave him.

I couldn’t imagine a day going by without catching a glimpse of Noah Booker. I mean, he was impossible to miss. Six-and-a-half-feet tall, body built like a professional athlete, dark and brooding with the prettiest gunmetal-gray eyes, he was the entirety of every one of my teenage fantasies. I barely noticed the jagged scar dividing one side of his face. White and raised, it cut one of his black eyebrows in half, slashed over a high cheekbone, and ended somewhere under the chiseled edge of his hard jaw. He never talked about it, but Race, Booker’s boss, let it slip that Booker got the scar when he was locked up. Or maybe it wasn’t as much of a slip-up as a thinly veiled warning. Race never kept it much of a secret that my infatuation with his massive, dangerous, ex-con enforcer made him extremely uncomfortable. He’d warned me over and over again that Booker wasn’t for me. And he’d made it clear to the man who broke knees and smashed heads for a living that he was to stay as far away from me as possible.

They called it puppy love. It wasn’t.

To me, it was a vicious kind of love, filled with teeth and claws that I could feel digging at my insides every single time someone patted me on the head and told me how young I was, how much life I had yet to live. This love was rabid, and I was tired of having it on a leash. I wanted to let it free, wanted to let it sink its razor-sharp fangs into the man who had awoken the primal need inside of me. It was only fair he felt the same kind of crushing bite and painful pressure around his heart that I did every single day.

I was solely focused on getting to Booker. It barely registered I was done with high school and had new doors opening all around me. I couldn’t care less about getting my hands on my diploma. A piece of paper with Karsen Carter written on it in pretty calligraphy meant exactly nothing to me. The only thing I was focused on was the fact I was finally old enough to make my own choices. And I’d always picked Booker. Over and over again he was my number one priority.

 

 

And don’t miss the first titles in The Breaking Point series, HONOR and DIGNITY! Grab your copy today!

 

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A Rafflecopter giveaway

 

About Jay Crownover:

Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, the Point Series, the Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.

 

 

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Teaser Reveal + Giveaway + Pre-Order: A Pilgrimage To Death by Alexa Padgett

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Today we have the teaser blitz for Alexa Padgett’s A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH! We’re super excited to share this upcoming thriller with you! Check it out and be sure to pre-order today!

Title: A Pilgrimage to Death

Author: Alexa Padgett

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: August 14th

About A Pilgrimage to Death

They murdered her sister. They threatened her church. Their day of reckoning is at hand.

Cici Gurule is a freewheeling, progressive reverend who’ll stop at nothing to protect her flock. When she finds the dead body of a parishioner in the nearby Santa Fe National Forest, she’s horrified to realize the victim bears the same stab wounds that ended her twin sister’s life one year earlier.

Together with her detective friend and loyal pair of Great Pyrenees, she vows to hunt down the killer before she’s forced to officiate another funeral. Soon, however, Cici discovers her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation… and her death was no random act of violence.

Now that the criminals are out for Cici’s blood, the pastor must catch the wolf by the tail before it goes in for the kill.

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane mystery thriller. If you like motorcycling sleuths, fast-paced action, and a dash of humor, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s edge-of-your-seat novel.

 

Preorder Your Copy Today!

Amazon ~ Nook ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ~ Goodreads

 

Enter Alexa’s Giveaway!

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About Alexa Padgett:

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.
Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Connect with Alexa:

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New Release + Blog Tour + 4.5-Star Review: The Museum of Mysteries by Steve Berry and M.J. Rose

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Cassiopeia Vitt takes center stage in this exciting novella from New York Times bestsellers M.J. Rose and Steve Berry. THE MUSEUM OF MYSTERIES is now available! Check out the tour below, and pick up your copy of THE MUSEUM OF MYSTERIES today!

 

THE MUSEUM OF MYSTERIES Synopsis:

In the French mountain village of Eze, Cassiopeia visits an old friend who owns and operates the fabled Museum of Mysteries, a secretive place of the odd and arcane. When a robbery occurs at the museum, Cassiopeia gives chase to the thief and is plunged into a firestorm.

Through a mix of modern day intrigue and ancient alchemy, Cassiopeia is propelled back and forth through time, the inexplicable journeys leading her into a hotly contested French presidential election. Both candidates harbor secrets they would prefer to keep quiet, but an ancient potion could make that impossible. With intrigue that begins in southern France and ends in a chase across the streets of Paris, this magical, fast-paced, hold-your-breath thriller is all you’ve come to expect from M.J. Rose and Steve Berry.

 

Grab your copy of THE MUSEUM OF MYSTERIES here!

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Google Play | Kobo

 

 

EXCERPT:

I closed the drawer. “This is extraordinary.”

“It is. But don’t uncork any of the bottles. Oddly, the scents are still potent. Five years ago we were doing research on them when the box disappeared. Then, as we now know, it found its way into the auction.” He pointed to one. “I can attest to the fact that this bottle contains fumes with some kind of hallucinogenic properties. I experienced a wild vision when I made the mistake of taking a sniff.”

Something about the box, the stones on top, the thick glass bottles, the iron corners, even the drawer, gave me pause. As if it were familiar, yet not. The feeling had started back in the shop, before the theft, while it had sat on the counter. There’d been no time to explore those feelings before all the excitement intervened.

But now—

A thought raced through my brain.

Somehow I knew that there should be vellum labels affixed to the bottom of each bottle. How? Why? I had no idea. Only that it was true. I gently touched one of them, then stopped and looked at Antoine. “May I take it out, if I don’t open it?”

He nodded.

I had to see if I was right.

I lifted out the bottle. Underneath was a label. Discolored and deteriorated with age. A word, written in a sepia script, had faded but could still be read.

Belladonna.

I replaced the bottle and reached for another.

Even before I lifted it out I knew that under it would be Diospyros.

And I was right.

I removed a third, but before I could peek beneath it I heard the grating sound of stones being ground beneath the soles of shoes and turned to see a man leaping toward me. Antoine shoved the newcomer away, then shouted for me to grab the box and run. Before I could move, a booted foot made contact with my arm. Somehow, I kept hold of the bottle in my grasp, but I was driven down to the wet ground. I tried to recoil and go on the offensive but another blow found my brow.

Red hot pain exploded across my skull.

Then, nothing.

 

 

4.5 Star

Tracey’s Review

THE MUSEUM OF MYSTERIES came up on my reading list at just the right time. Romantic suspense is one of my favorite sub-genres, and when you throw in the elements of time travel and magic, well, I am all in. Authors Steve Berry and M.J. Rose have teamed up to write a novella that blends characters from their respective book series and given readers a delicious and mysterious story.

Casseopeia Vitt is the kind of heroine that I can get behind. She’s smart, savvy, and completely unafraid to take risks to find the answers that she wants. I have not read any of author M.J. Rose’s books, but I can’t wait to get into them, because she really knows how to write my kind of lead female character. And, although we don’t get nearly enough time with Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone, I’d like to see more of him, and look forward to reading more of Mr. Berry’s work.

My only complaint here? THE MUSEUM OF MYSTERIES, an easy 4.5 stars for me, is too short! I could happily have read more about these characters and their experiences with the artifacts from the museum, and would love to see them all again. Lovers of all things mysterious and slightly to the left of explainable will enjoy this book very much, and I highly recommend it.

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

 

 

 

Steve Berry & MJ Rose’s THE MUSEUM OF MYSTERIES – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

July 18th

Book Junkie Reviews – Excerpt

Literature Goals – Review & Excerpt

July 19th

Clarissa Reads It All – Review & Excerpt

Read-Love-Blog – Excerpt

July 20th

Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

July 21st

Ginreads – Review & Excerpt

Simply Crystal – Review & Excerpt

July 22nd

Cinta Garcia de la Rosa – Excerpt

Wild and Wonderful Reads – Review & Excerpt

July 23rd

Puja Mohan – Review

We do what we want Book reviews and more – Review & Excerpt

July 24th

A Book Nerd, a Bookseller and a Bibliophile – Review & Excerpt

Rachel Loren’s Love of Reading – Review & Excerpt

July 25th

Book Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt

CJR the Brit – Review

KDRBCK – Review & Excerpt

July 26th

Forward Writes – Review

What Is That Book About – Excerpt

July 27th

Jax’s Book Magic – Excerpt

Shelf_Life – Review

 

 

About Steve Berry:

STEVE BERRY is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of fourteen Cotton Malone novels and four stand-alones. He has 23 million books in print, translated into 40 languages. With his wife, Elizabeth, he is the founder of History Matters, which is dedicated to historical preservation. He serves on the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board and was a founding member of International Thriller Writers, formerly serving as its co-president.

 

Website | Facebook

 

About M. J. Rose

New York Times bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice… books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.

Please visit her blog, Museum of Mysteries at http://www.mjrose.com/blog/

Rose’s work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah magazine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com

Rose lives in Connecticut with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield.

Website | Facebook

New Release + Blog Tour + Excerpt: Motive by Kennedy Layne

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About MOTIVE (Office Roulette #2)

The Office Roulette trilogy continues with an epic battle between blame and forgiveness…

Rye Marshall had it all—wealth, prominence, and the love of his life. But nothing lasts forever, and his perfect world came crashing down around him. When the dust settled, he found himself alone and starting from a clean slate.

Grace Dorrance had made many mistakes in her life, but one stood out above the rest—an epic ending to a complex and passionate relationship. She left her former lover’s life in complete ruins and tried her best never to look back at the wreckage.

Seconds chances are hard to come by, but even more difficult when Grace is arrested for a murder she didn’t commit. This gives Rye the perfect motive to forgive and forget, allowing for new beginnings. Unfortunately, someone’s playing a game of office roulette with everyone’s lives.

Get your hands on MOTIVE now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2uLJKb9
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2xGOSlX
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2xGBHkS
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2xDVAch

EXCERPT:

Rye actually debated on closing the distance between them, picking her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist, and carrying her back into her bedroom to love her the way she deserved until she collapsed into a deep sleep. But delaying the inevitable wouldn’t be good for either of them.

That wasn’t to say it wouldn’t have been a nice distraction. The sexual tension between them hadn’t been alleviated in the least during the past few months that they had begun seeing each other regularly. Hell, half the time they barely got in the door before their combined tangle of clothing was hitting the floor.

Rye would have given anything for tonight to have been in the same realm as their usual trysts. Unfortunately— and he hated to admit this— there were some things that were completely out of his control.

“Grace, I’m having Justin meet us at the police station tomorrow morning at eight o’clock.” Rye automatically stood when he saw the immediate tension settle in her shoulders. He should have chosen option A. To prevent himself from closing the distance between them, he crossed his arms and remained where he was to avoid the upcoming backlash. She would no doubt fight him on this decision, but he refused to have her become a target for Brad Manon’s killer. “We’re going to clarify our alibis with the police and amend our statements. Our lies—”

“You mean my lie, don’t you?” Grace unfolded her arms and took a step forward, her soft baby blues darkening as she harnessed the anger at his good intentions. “All you did was cover for me after you learned the truth. We should leave well enough alone. After all, I’ve been cleared. There’s no need to rock the boat needlessly.”

Rye grit his teeth at her stubbornness. Why was she always making things difficult between them? It hadn’t always been this way.

“You call being targeted by a killer being in the clear? Someone obviously knows that we gave false statements to the police.”

“And that someone’s plan backfired, so he or she is back to square one.”

“No, square one would have been you telling Detective Nielsen the truth that night.” Rye ran a hand through his hair in frustration before venturing into territory that was bound to be even more explosive than coming clean with the police, but he needed an answer to something. And he needed it now. “I’ve had enough of this cat and mouse game, Grace. Tell me the truth. Why are you so hell bent on protecting me when I don’t need it?”

“Because I didn’t protect you when you needed it the most.”

Missed MEANS (Office Roulette #1) and need to catch up? Get your hands on it now!

About MEANS (Office Roulette #1)

From USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne comes a sexy trilogy that involves greed, power, and the desire to do it all over again…

Smith Gallo has everything a man could ever want at the tip of his fingertips, except of course the woman he loves. To what lengths will he be willing to go to make his ambitions come true?

Laurel Calanthe is one successful stock pick away from making partner when she finds herself in desperate need of an alibi. There’s only one problem. The man who can save her from being arrested is her only competitor and the one who now holds her fate in his hands.

Greed is a powerful motivator in the game of making money, but desire can overcome even the strongest motive.

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2mqy7ml
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2Jj7XMh
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2JdvrT2
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2xJG4M0

About Kennedy Layne

Kennedy Layne is a USA Today bestselling author. She draws inspiration for her military romantic suspense novels in part from her not-so-secret second life as a wife of a retired Marine Master Sergeant. He doubles as her critique partner, beta reader, and military consultant. They live in the Midwest with their teenage son and menagerie of pets. The loyal dogs and mischievous cats appreciate her writing days as much as she does, usually curled up in front of the fireplace. She loves hearing from readers–find out how to connect with her at www.kennedylayne.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter | Instagram

New Release + Release Blitz + Excerpt: Motive by Kennedy Layne

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The next book in Kennedy Layne’s sexy, suspenseful Office Roulette series, MOTIVE, is available now! Read a sneak peek, find out more about MOTIVE below, and pick up your copy now!

 

 

About MOTIVE (Office Roulette #2)

The Office Roulette trilogy continues with an epic battle between blame and forgiveness…

Rye Marshall had it all—wealth, prominence, and the love of his life. But nothing lasts forever, and his perfect world came crashing down around him. When the dust settled, he found himself alone and starting from a clean slate.

Grace Dorrance had made many mistakes in her life, but one stood out above the rest—an epic ending to a complex and passionate relationship. She left her former lover’s life in complete ruins and tried her best never to look back at the wreckage.

Seconds chances are hard to come by, but even more difficult when Grace is arrested for a murder she didn’t commit. This gives Rye the perfect motive to forgive and forget, allowing for new beginnings. Unfortunately, someone’s playing a game of office roulette with everyone’s lives.

Get your hands on MOTIVE now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2uGWekp
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2xGOSlX
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2xGBHkS
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2xDVAch

 

Read an sneak peek from MOTIVE!

 

Grace had needed Rye to stay across the room. She was able to think better when he wasn’t touching her, but then again, he knew that. Well, if he was going to go down that road, so could she.

“Apparently, my connection to Brandon is out for all the world to see and dissect. No one really knows that you and I reconnected, and it needs to stay that way. Now that I’ve been cleared, the media will hopefully move on. The media, police, and public are always looking for connections in cases like these, and they’ll hit pay dirt when they figure out our history. You need to go to work and stick to your daily routine until this whole thing blows over.”

“Don’t you see that this gives us the advantage? Let us be the ones who control the narrative before this asshole tries to use this against us,” Rye suggested confidently, taking the coffee cup from her hand and setting it gently on the countertop. He leaned in close so that the entire front of his body was touching hers, causing an instant reaction. “I know how much it bothers you to lose control of the situation.”

Grace could have easily kept arguing, running them in circles until they each had to call a stalemate. Fortunately, an impasse would be in her favor, but all she could think of was that this could very well be the last time he was in her apartment for quite a while… at least until the police had caught the individual responsible for Brad’s death.

“You’re so mean,” Grace whispered encouragingly, tilting her head back as she finally allowed him to press his warm lips against her neck. Did he truly believe that she would fall for this type of persuasion? It would have been laughable had her body not responded to his in kind. Well, it seemed that she would have to improvise and turn the tables to her advantage. She ever so slowly ran her right hand over his wrinkled shirt until she was cupping the bulge in his pants. The vibrations of his groan traveled to every erogenous zone in her body. “Why don’t we think on the merits each other’s positions while we take a shower?”

Rye pulled back, his smoldering gaze zeroing in on her and clearly trying to find the angle she was working in her bid to get him to see things her way. He was a very highly intelligent man. He had to see that he would lose without her cooperation.

“Are you attempting to distract me with sex?”

“Aren’t you doing the very same thing?” Grace countered, purposely slipping past him and heading for her bedroom without looking back. She made sure to emphasize the sway in her hips as she walked away. “Why don’t we see who comes out the victor?”

 

Missed MEANS (Office Roulette #1) and need to catch up? Get your hands on it now!

 

About MEANS (Office Roulette #1)

From USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne comes a sexy trilogy that involves greed, power, and the desire to do it all over again…

Smith Gallo has everything a man could ever want at the tip of his fingertips, except of course the woman he loves. To what lengths will he be willing to go to make his ambitions come true?

Laurel Calanthe is one successful stock pick away from making partner when she finds herself in desperate need of an alibi. There’s only one problem. The man who can save her from being arrested is her only competitor and the one who now holds her fate in his hands.

Greed is a powerful motivator in the game of making money, but desire can overcome even the strongest motive.

 

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2LjjcID
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2Jj7XMh
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2JdvrT2
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2xJG4M0

 

About Kennedy Layne

Kennedy Layne is a USA Today bestselling author. She draws inspiration for her military romantic suspense novels in part from her not-so-secret second life as a wife of a retired Marine Master Sergeant. He doubles as her critique partner, beta reader, and military consultant. They live in the Midwest with their teenage son and menagerie of pets. The loyal dogs and mischievous cats appreciate her writing days as much as she does, usually curled up in front of the fireplace. She loves hearing from readers–find out how to connect with her at www.kennedylayne.com.

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