Cynthia Eden's Blog, page 14

ICE COLD SAINT – Character Profile

Character: Saint

Book: ICE COLD SAINT

Job: Bounty Hunter/Ice Breaker (Cold Case Solver)

Likes: Tracking down prey and throwing his marks in jail

Dislikes: Losing control, wasting time, and being framed for murder

Weaknesses: Generally, none, or, none until he meets Alice…

He’s never claimed to a hero, and in fact, most of the world thinks Saint is a monster. Fair enough. He’s got a darkness inside, and he knows it. His latest case has him tracking down a suspected Black Widow. He swears he’ll never fall into her web.

But he’s never met a woman like Alice before…

ICE COLD SAINT – Available now!

It’s book release day! ICE COLD SAINT is available now in ebook and print.

“I’m here to take you down.” – Saint

“You said that wrong. What you meant was that you’re here to fall in love with me.” – Alice

Saint is in the family business…the business of hunting killers and closing unsolved cases. He knows his reputation—most people think he is a monster. Dangerous, cold, deadly…and with no conscience.  But it takes a guy like him to get the job done. And his latest job? Well, that job has him tracking down a suspected Black Widow…the beautiful and ever-so-seductive Alice Shephard. A woman who is linked to the disappearance of three men.

Beauty can be the coldest lie of all.

Whispers and scandal follow her every step, but Alice doesn’t seem to care. Is she responsible for the disappearances—and possible deaths—of three ex-lovers? Saint will find out. He’s stepping into her web, and if she’s guilty, he’ll personally lock her away, just as he has done on case after case before. Emotions never get in his way.

Wanting her isn’t a surprise. Needing her is.

Alice seems immune to his charm. Fair enough, mostly because Saint isn’t known for charm. But he is hell on wheels when it comes to seduction, and the attraction between him and Alice is electric. When he touches her, need rocks through him, a desire so fierce that it threatens to consume them both. But Saint can want her and still lock her away. No problem. Or…

Problem. What if she’s not guilty?  

When Alice saves his life, Saint realizes there is more to her than meets the eye. Maybe she’s using him, maybe everything is a game to her, or maybe…maybe Alice is the real victim in the story and not the villain. Unlikely, but…what if? What if all along someone else was attacking from the dark? What if someone else is determined to claim Alice, to eliminate all other men from her life?

And what if Saint might just wind up losing the one person he needs above all others?

They call him Saint, but everyone knows he’s a monster…and he’s ready to let his dark side out to hunt.

Author’s Note: As part of the Ice Breakers, Saint is intent on solving cold cases. But his latest case heats up—or rather, goes molten—the instant he meets Alice. She’s supposed to be a villain. Fair enough, he’s not exactly hero material. Can two villains fall in love? Time to find out. These two don’t play nicely, they love hard and dirty, and they will take on the world for each other.

ICE COLD SAINT – Releases on 9/13/22

“Don’t worry. I’m not about to fall into her web.” – Saint

Spoiler alert…There should probably be some worry. ICE COLD SAINT releases tomorrow!!

Like all of my “Ice Breaker Cold Case Romances”–this tale is a stand-alone read full of steam, twists, some humor, and danger.

𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥. 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞? 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

Read the Prologue & First Chapter of ICE COLD SAINT

ICE COLD SAINT will release on 9/13/22, but you can read the prologue and first chapter right now.

Meet Alice Shephard…

Character Profile: Alice Shephard

Book: ICE COLD SAINT

Job: Owner of Abracadabra, a speakeasy in Savannah, GA

Alice is currently the suspect in the disappearances of her three exes…and she certainly knows a thing or two about how to make someone disappear because her father was a magician. He taught her all he knew about the fine art of misdirection.

𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧…You get your audience to look to the left, when all the while, the real action is happening to the right…or even under the audience members’ very noses.

“𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥, 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞?”

“𝐈’𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞.”

Alice is not some sweet and innocent heroine. Her past is dark, she’s dark, and she is not looking for a hero to rush in and save the day. A good thing, because Saint has never been called anyone’s hero…

ICE COLD SAINT – Coming in Two Weeks!!!

It’s just two weeks until the release of ICE COLD SAINT…so how about a teaser??

She stiffened. “I’m not afraid.”

𝑌𝑒𝑠, 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒. 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑤. “Do you want more from me?” A deliberate question.

“What might that more be?” Alice returned with one eyebrow rising.

“Oh, you know, someone who isn’t afraid of what might happen in the middle of the night. Someone who can keep you safe, even from yourself.”

She swallowed. “A hero. How…cute.”

“Nah, baby. That’s not what you want. You want someone who can handle the dark. Who isn’t going to run if things go to hell. And that would be me. You know it, deep inside. It’s the reason you let 𝑚𝑒 inside.”

ICE COLD SAINT – TEASER

Ready for a tease from ICE COLD SAINT?

His lips twitched. Not a full smile, but definite amusement. For just a fleeting moment. “What makes you think I want you?”

She almost laughed again. Alice realized she hadn’t enjoyed this much fun in…hmm, she couldn’t remember when. Ages. “Seriously? I know lust when I see it in a man’s eyes. When you looked at me inside Abracadabra, let’s just say your gaze was blazing.”

His jaw hardened.

Well, well. Someone didn’t like being called out on his desire. Too bad.

“I guess you’re used to men wanting you,” he said, his voice a deep and dark, utterly delicious rumble that slid over her. “So you just assume we’re all the same.”

She would never make that fatal assumption.

“But I’m not here to seduce you, Alice.”

“No? Then what are you here to do?”

His hand lifted. She tensed automatically, then wanted to curse herself. His fingers reached out and stroked her cheek. The caress was as gentle as a breath of wind on her skin. She could feel the calluses on the edges of his fingertips, but his touch was ever so careful. She even wanted to turn into his touch, as crazy as that—

“I’m here to take you down.” His voice was serious and a bit sad. And utterly, utterly certain.

So she did turn into his touch. She nuzzled a little against his hand and heard the swift inhalation of his breath. But Alice didn’t smile at his reaction. Now wasn’t the time for a smile. However, it was time for a little bit of truth with her mysterious stranger. Testing, she let her lips skim over his hand…

She saw him tense. Felt it.

His hand jerked back from her.

Alice lifted her chin. “You said that wrong.”

His hands were at his sides. The one she’d touched with her mouth? That hand had curled into a fist. So very telling. For a moment, she admired the dark swirls on his fist. His tats were interesting. Something she’d noticed while he’d drank his old fashioned inside. The tats covered the back of his hands. Slid up his wrists. Did they go higher up his arms? Hard to say since he was wearing that ancient-looking jacket.

𝐹𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑠. Right. Because she needed to set this poor man straight. Alice let a little sigh slip from her. “What you meant was that you’re here to fall in love with me.”

“That’s damn well not what I meant.”

Alice stepped toward him. She put her hand on his chest.

“Lady, you are playing with fire,” he warned.

“I’m not playing.” His heart raced beneath her touch. “I don’t play. That’s probably the first thing you should learn about me.”

“I already learned plenty.”

Alice filed that revealing bit away for later. “You bust into my life and say that you’re here to take me down.”

“There is the little matter of three murders tied to you…”

She pressed up on her toes. She liked his mouth. Firm but sculpted lips. She liked his jaw, too. Hard and strong. There was a little cleft in his chin that she found delightful. It didn’t soften his fierce, handsome face, though. If anything, the faint cleft somehow made him seem sexier. His dark, thick hair had been shoved back from his forehead, and faint stubble covered his jaw. “You’re not a cop.”

“No?”

“No. You don’t look like a cop, and you certainly don’t act like one.”

“You don’t know me. Don’t make assumptions.”

“Ah. I could say the same thing to you.” She was staring at his mouth. Definitely considering kissing him simply for the hell of it. “Damn.” Regretful. She began to ease off her toes and back down. “I know what you are.”

“And what am I?”

Obviously… “The bad guy.” Another sigh. More forlorn this time. “That’s the only kind of guy I’m attracted to.” She was most certainly attracted to him. “Sort of a talent I have. Some women go for men who bring them flowers and treat them to candlelight dinners. Me? I tend to get drawn to the men who are trouble.”

“Are you sure that you aren’t trouble?”

Oh, she was. “The worst kind of trouble,” Alice affirmed without hesitation. “Remember that about me and stay away, would you?”

“Why? If I don’t stay away, will I end up like your last three lovers?”

She didn’t flinch. Didn’t gasp. Didn’t put her hand to her heart dramatically as if those cutting words had just, well, cut ℎ𝑒𝑟. Even though they had.

𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑡 “End up like them?” She pondered that. Pretended to ponder it. “You mean enormously satisfied and ruined sexually for everyone else?”

A beat of silence. He cleared his throat. “No.” A rasp. “I meant dead.”

FROZEN IN ICE – .99 Sale

Have you read Archer and Delilah’s story? If you haven’t, then this is an excellent time to snag FROZEN IN ICE…because it’s just .99 in ebook!

Each month, I try to offer a deal to my readers, and for August…it’s Archer’s turn.

𝐈𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬…𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫?

Delilah “Lila” Darrow doesn’t belong in the world of the rich and famous, but for one night, she’s going to wear the fanciest dress she can find and pretend that she does. Her plan—get close to reclusive billionaire Archer Radcliffe and find out…is he a murderer?

She knows exactly what Archer likes. She knows how to slip beneath his guard. She knows how to make him fall for her. With the right tools, Delilah believes she can finally make Archer pay for the crime he committed so long ago.

𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠…𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧.

Delilah is part of a group of crime solvers called the Ice Breakers—an online team made up of individuals who have the goal of solving cold cases. Five years ago, Delilah’s sister disappeared without a trace. Since then, Delilah has made it her mission to close as many unsolved cases as possible. Archer Radcliffe will be the latest target in her quest.

Except…Archer turns the tables on her. He sees through her lies. Tries to seduce her. And, he also swears his innocence.

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦? 𝐎𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫?

Now that he has Delilah at his side, Archer can finally get the justice—the vengeance—he has craved. The only problem? The beautiful Delilah will be in danger. But Archer intends to stick close to her. So close that the world will believe they are completely in love. So close that a deadly enemy will want to strike. So close that just maybe—if he’s not careful—Archer might begin to fall for the woman he intends to use…

***

FROZEN IN ICE is book one in my “Ice Breakers” romantic suspense series. The Ice Breakers are a bit darker than my “Wilde” stories, but the tales contain plenty of heat, action, twists, and some fun (because you know–why not???). And, of course, you will get your happy ending, always!

ONE HOT HOLIDAY – Free!

I’ve got a present for you! I just couldn’t let this month end without a little Christmas In July fun.

So…I am giving you my USA Today best-selling Christmas romance, ONE HOT HOLIDAY, for free!

Want your present? You can get your free copy here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/4n9e7emshv

𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐇𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐇𝐎𝐓.

Hiding out for the holiday season in the heart of the South? Not something that Haley Quick ever expected to have on her to-do list but then…she never expected her ex to want her dead, either. Turns out, life is full of surprises. Time to deal. Haley has ditched New York for a crazy little dot on the map known as Point Hope, Alabama. It’s a town gone extra crazy for the holidays, and Haley is sticking out like a sore thumb with her very much Grinch-self.

But then she meets sexy sheriff Spencer Lane…Tall, muscled, and made with an extra dose of sex appeal, he is exactly the kind of man that Haley should be avoiding. He’s charming, he looks way too good in a Santa hat, and, oh, yes, he’s her new landlord. The hits just keep coming. She can’t afford to let Spencer learn all of her secrets, a tough job since she is living with the man. No sex, though. It’s purely a business relationship. Except…the holidays in the South sure do get HOT. Or maybe that’s just sexy Spencer. Usually, Haley falls for the bad guy. It’s the whole reason she’s running for her life. She can’t help but wonder…What would it be like to fall for a man like Spencer?

𝐇𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡.

Sheriff Spencer Lane can’t believe his luck. The most beautiful, fascinating woman he’s ever seen has just dropped into his life like a gift from, well, the big guy in red. Only the problem is that Haley seems to think Spencer is some by-the-book, nice guy. Probably because of the badge. And if she wants him to be the hero, that’s a role that he’s happy to play for her. But the truth is, Spencer has plenty of darkness inside, too. An ex Navy SEAL, he knows how to get sh—um, stuff done. He also knows how to be very, very naughty.

When danger threatens his Haley, all bets are off. No one is going to hurt her. No one is going to threaten her. Not in his town. Not on his watch. The nice guy will show Haley just how bad he can be.

EX MARKS THE PERFECT SPOT is available now!

What happens when you are trapped on a tropical island with your gorgeous ex…

And danger is closing in on you?

Time to find out because EX MARKS THE PERFECT SPOT is available now!

“Chelsea.”

She spun toward him.  Lowered the phone. Her bottom lip trembled. “Colt…what is happening?” 

Two abduction attempts in twenty-four hours. “Do you trust me?” he asked her.

“No. Absolutely, I do not. We’ve been over this. Why would you think that I trusted you?”

Well, shit. “You’re gonna need to start.” If you want to stay alive.

Her gaze darted to the knife. Then back to his face.  She swallowed.  “You look very comfortable holding that knife.”

He was comfortable.

“As comfortable as you looked holding the gun in that garage.”

He had been comfortable with that weapon, too.

She bit her lower lip.  He didn’t like the gathering fear in her eyes. Not fear about her attack. Fear that seemed directed at him. “Who are you?” Chelsea asked.

Colt opened his mouth.

And heard the fierce knocking at the door. The hotel security staff. The cavalry had arrived. Too late, though, because the bad guys were long gone. 

***

EX MARKS THE PERFECT SPOT is officially available, and if you are in the mood for a tropical escape, I hope you’ll give this book a read! Happy summer and happy reading to you!