Brenda Sparks's Blog, page 44
June 20, 2014
Cover Reveal for Tycoon's Convenient Bride and Baby by the amazing @ShoshannaEvers
Title: The Tycoon's Convenient Bride...and BabyAuthor: Shoshanna Evers
Genre: Contemporary Romance 18+
Sexual Content: Steamy
Publication Date: July 28, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Indulgence
Event Organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.
Synopsis
The Tycoon's Convenient Bride...and Baby is a sexy contemporary romance by New York Times bestselling author Shoshanna Evers.
Add to Goodreads
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Shoshanna Evers has written dozens of sexy stories, including The Man Who Holds the Whip (part of the bestselling MAKE ME anthology), Overheated, The Enslaved Trilogy, and The Pulse Trilogy (from Simon & Schuster Pocket Star).
Her work has been featured in many anthologies such as Cowboy Heat and Smokin' Hot Firemen, the Penguin/Berkley Heat anthology Agony/Ecstasy, and numerous erotic romance novellas including Bedhead and Ginger Snap from Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
Her two bestselling non-fiction writing anthologies include How To Write Hot Sex: Tips from Multi-Published Erotic Romance Authors, and Successful Self-Publishing: How We Do It (And How You Can Too).
Shoshanna is also the cofounder of SelfPubBookCovers.com, the largest selection of instantly customizable, one-of-a-kind, premade book covers in the world.
Shoshanna Evers has been listed on Amazon as one of the "Most Popular Authors in Romance," as well as on the Contemporary Romance, and Erotica "Most Popular Authors" lists.
Reviewers have called Shoshanna’s writing “sensuous, delightful, and sizzling” with stories where “the plot is fresh and the pacing excellent, the emotions...real and poignant.”
Shoshanna used to work as a syndicated advice columnist and a registered nurse, but now she’s a full-time romance writer and a home-schooling mom. She lives with her family and three big dogs in Northern Idaho, and loves to connect with readers on Twitter @ShoshannaEvers, and Facebook at Shoshanna.Evers.
Sign up to be notified when the book comes out! ShoshannaEvers.com/newsletter
Connect with the Author: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads
June 18, 2014
Indie Writers Monthly Magazine Juneaganza
It's JUNEAGANZA!!! *sigh* Okay, I'm running out of titles for the IWM Blog Tour, and it shows. The only other one I had left was "Juney Tooty Fresh & Fruity,"
which doesn't even make sense.
Just an alien, out for a stroll.
MOVE ALONG NOTHING
TO SEE HERE. IWM, by the way, is an acronym for "Indie Writers Monthly," and is a blog and magazine put out by 5 great speculative fiction writers, wherein these writers give you tips on publishing, writing, selling your books, and also generally being devastatingly good-looking. Seriously: we're like supermodels, if supermodels had been crossed with Greek Gods and Goddesses. (No offense to you Norse-mythology lovers out there, but let's face it: Nobody's ever thought Odin was the bees knees, lookwise.)
This is part four (I think?) of this modestly-titled tour, which presents to you
ALL THE REASONS YOU SHOULD BE READING
INDIE WRITERS MONTHLY
THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY FACT-BASED
AND IN NO WAY EXAGGERATED
SO YOU CAN'T SUE US PROBABLY.
Part 1 appeared on Sizzling Hot YA Books, and told how reading IWM will teach you how to time travel.
Part 2 appeared on lit, a place for stories, and told how reading IWM will give you super powers.
Part 3 appeared on Laws Of Gravity, and showed how IWM brings your childhood friends to life.
Part 4 was on Life Is Good, and pointed out that we have The Blutonian Death Egg, and so you'd better let us be in charge.
And so we come to number 5:
WE CAN CLONE YOU.
No foolin'! Did you ever get up in the morning and think to yourself "Why am I getting out of bed like a sucker and going into my job when I could send my CLONE to do the work and I could just lay around all day watching Jerry Springer and eating last night's leftover pizza, speaking of which, is there any pizza left over from last night, and is Jerry Springer still on TV?"
I think that, like, ten times a day. (I am not proud of myself.)(A little, I am.)
Aside from that obvious use of cloning technology, having a clone -- or clones -- of yourself would be useful in numerous other situations, like if a team of ninjas comes to the door to steal back the Jade Dragon, and you've got to make a quick getaway, your clones can distract them. Or you could form a band! Has there ever been a band made entirely of clones? Not that the government will admit. Enough said.
How do we, at IWM, have access to this technology? Simple: We have an actual scientist, and she's not a hostage or anything! Meet Sandra Ulbrich Almazan,
Almost certainly NOT a clone.
So far as we know.
...bona fide scientist AND author.
Sandra has a degree in molecular biology, which I am about 80% sure is a 'science' of some sort, and she our purposes is that Sandra is the author of (among other things) the Catalyst Chronicle series of books in which cloning plays a major role, as the main character is sent to another universe to gather materials to clone her own grandfather.
works in an enzyme lab, which means she almost certainly has superpowers and/or a sort of intelligent mold that she keeps as a pet, but what's important for
FOR NEFARIOUS PURPOSES! Is there any other reason to create a clone? Not that the government will tell you.
Sandra's contributions to IWM include posts about conventions and contests, tips on writing, and frequent essays about the important lessons gained by reading and writing, from role models to diversity. She also writes haiku, and one of her poems appeared in one of our first issues of the IWM magazine.
Poet, author, scientist... almost seems like more than one person could manage alone, isn't it?
Briane Pagel, and Bronze Henry Winkler.
Can you guess which is which?
HINT: The Bronze one is Henry Winkler. Don't forget, the IWM June issue is on sale on Amazon for just $0.99. That is a FULL PENNY CHEAPER than a McDonald's burger, and I would know. Click here for that.
which doesn't even make sense.
Just an alien, out for a stroll.MOVE ALONG NOTHING
TO SEE HERE. IWM, by the way, is an acronym for "Indie Writers Monthly," and is a blog and magazine put out by 5 great speculative fiction writers, wherein these writers give you tips on publishing, writing, selling your books, and also generally being devastatingly good-looking. Seriously: we're like supermodels, if supermodels had been crossed with Greek Gods and Goddesses. (No offense to you Norse-mythology lovers out there, but let's face it: Nobody's ever thought Odin was the bees knees, lookwise.)
This is part four (I think?) of this modestly-titled tour, which presents to you
ALL THE REASONS YOU SHOULD BE READING
INDIE WRITERS MONTHLY
THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY FACT-BASED
AND IN NO WAY EXAGGERATED
SO YOU CAN'T SUE US PROBABLY.
Part 1 appeared on Sizzling Hot YA Books, and told how reading IWM will teach you how to time travel.
Part 2 appeared on lit, a place for stories, and told how reading IWM will give you super powers.
Part 3 appeared on Laws Of Gravity, and showed how IWM brings your childhood friends to life.
Part 4 was on Life Is Good, and pointed out that we have The Blutonian Death Egg, and so you'd better let us be in charge.
And so we come to number 5:
WE CAN CLONE YOU.
No foolin'! Did you ever get up in the morning and think to yourself "Why am I getting out of bed like a sucker and going into my job when I could send my CLONE to do the work and I could just lay around all day watching Jerry Springer and eating last night's leftover pizza, speaking of which, is there any pizza left over from last night, and is Jerry Springer still on TV?"
I think that, like, ten times a day. (I am not proud of myself.)(A little, I am.)
Aside from that obvious use of cloning technology, having a clone -- or clones -- of yourself would be useful in numerous other situations, like if a team of ninjas comes to the door to steal back the Jade Dragon, and you've got to make a quick getaway, your clones can distract them. Or you could form a band! Has there ever been a band made entirely of clones? Not that the government will admit. Enough said.
How do we, at IWM, have access to this technology? Simple: We have an actual scientist, and she's not a hostage or anything! Meet Sandra Ulbrich Almazan,
Almost certainly NOT a clone.
So far as we know.
...bona fide scientist AND author.
Sandra has a degree in molecular biology, which I am about 80% sure is a 'science' of some sort, and she our purposes is that Sandra is the author of (among other things) the Catalyst Chronicle series of books in which cloning plays a major role, as the main character is sent to another universe to gather materials to clone her own grandfather.
works in an enzyme lab, which means she almost certainly has superpowers and/or a sort of intelligent mold that she keeps as a pet, but what's important for
FOR NEFARIOUS PURPOSES! Is there any other reason to create a clone? Not that the government will tell you.
Sandra's contributions to IWM include posts about conventions and contests, tips on writing, and frequent essays about the important lessons gained by reading and writing, from role models to diversity. She also writes haiku, and one of her poems appeared in one of our first issues of the IWM magazine.
Poet, author, scientist... almost seems like more than one person could manage alone, isn't it?
Briane Pagel, and Bronze Henry Winkler.Can you guess which is which?
HINT: The Bronze one is Henry Winkler. Don't forget, the IWM June issue is on sale on Amazon for just $0.99. That is a FULL PENNY CHEAPER than a McDonald's burger, and I would know. Click here for that.
June 15, 2014
“Enjoy a morbidly assortment of heartache, tears, and sadness …immediately felt connected … flow is beautiful … this book is what perfection really is!” - Toni L.June 13, 2014
Book Blitz and Giveaway: Splendor by Janet Nissenson
Title: Splendor (Inevitable #2)
Author: Janet Nissenson
Genre: Contemporary Romance 18+ / Stand-Alone Novel
Publication Date: June 17, 2014
Publisher: Bookbaby
Event Organized By: Literati Author Services, Inc.
SynopsisBritish hotelier Ian Gregson had it all – wealth, good looks, power, and a share in his family’s worldwide, multi-billion dollar luxury hotel chain. His very name was synonymous with sophistication and elegance, and any woman he wanted could be his with just a look. But the only woman he truly desired was strictly forbidden to him for too many reasons to count. Tessa Lockwood was young, beautiful, and lonely, despite the fact that she was a married woman. Her life had not been an easy one, and the extravagant world she caught glimpses of as an employee of the Gregson Hotel Group was far beyond anything she could ever dream of. She could no more imagine herself ensconced in that sort of luxurious lifestyle than she could attracting the attention of her handsome, debonair boss. Ian and Tessa secretly long for each other from afar, never daring to reveal their forbidden attraction to the other, until circumstances bring them together in a very unexpected way. And from that point on, nothing will stand in Ian’s way to finally make her his. AUTHOR’S NOTE – despite what you might be thinking at this point, there is NO cheating in this story – just an incredibly romantic hero who will make you swoon with the way in which he sweeps the heroine off her feet.Pre-Order Links: Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Copia
About the AuthorAuthor Bio Janet is a lifelong resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, and currently resides on the northern California coast with her husband Steve and Golden Retriever Max. She worked for more than two decades in the financial services industry before turning her focus to producing running events. She is a former long-distance runner, current avid yoga practitioner, is addicted to Pinterest, likes to travel and read. She has been writing for more than three decades, with her first ebook Serendipity published in December 2013. Splendor is book two of six in the Inevitable series, each book a standalone with no cliffhangers.Connect with the Author: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Book Website | Pinterest
Enter the giveaway for your chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card or one of three Splendor ebooks. Entry-Form
June 11, 2014
Book Blitz and Review: The Touched Series by Nancy Straight
Title: Touched Series: Blood Debt, Centaur Legacy, Centaur Rivalry, Centaur Redemption Author: Nancy Straight Publisher: Self-published Age Group: Young Adult Genre: Paranormal Romance / Greek Mythology
Blood Debt, Book 1 Synopsis:
Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her motherâs last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a Centaur touched by Zeus.
As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her family acknowledges her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her motherâs transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her motherâs past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately desires.
Centaur Legacy, Book 2 Synopsis:
Camille and Drake are on the run from the head of the Centaur Council, seeking the mythical pasture of Thessaly and a family heirloom that may keep them safe. As their journey progresses from the rolling hills of Ireland to the snow covered forests of South Dakota, Cami learns more about her motherâs secrets, including a twin brother and a Centaur legacy that puts a death warrant on her entire family.
Camille and Drake don't know who to trust or where to hide. Camilleâs family is quick to come to her aid, but who among them can be trusted?
A supernatural benefactor forces Drake to choose between being the man he wants to be and the Centaur warrior Camille needs him to be.
Centaur Rivalry, Book 3 Synopsis:
The Centaur world is rocked as news spreads of the Lost Herd, Camille's existence, and her Centaur protector. A death order against Camille's father and family sends all into hiding.
Camille and Drake leave the country pursued by the Lost Herd as well as by Centaur Council enforcers. Camille's twin brother Cameron is manipulated by the Council Head and is quickly becoming her newest enemy.
Amid unexpected new protectors, enemies, and romances, Camille and Drake make their plans to travel to Africa to confront the Centaur Council. They hope acceptance of Camille as Chiron's heir, yet knowing that her link to the Lost Herd could require them to kill or to be killed.
Centaur Redemption, Book 4 Synopsis:
Cami and Drakeâs honeymoon is cut short as they escape attacks by the Council Enforcers and head to South Africa for the meeting of the Centaur Council, which has ordered a death sentence on Cami and all members of the Lost Herd. The Council Chairman is her grandmother, her most dangerous foe. Surrounded by family and friends, Drake and Cami face the Council, Camiâs power-hungry uncles, an ambitious twin, taking the battle all the way to Zeus to attempt to win the freedom of the Tak herd.
BUY LINKS: Amazon Links:
Blood Debt: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Debt-Touched-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B008L79YRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393295217&sr=8-1&keywords=Blood+Debt
Centaur Legacy: http://www.amazon.com/Centaur-Legacy-Touched-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00AB77ZTG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1393295262&sr=8-4&keywords=Nancy+Straight
Centaur Rivalry: http://www.amazon.com/Centaur-Rivalry-Touched-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00CKU148K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1393295262&sr=8-6&keywords=Nancy+Straight
Centaur Redemption: http://www.amazon.com/Centaur-Redemption-Touched-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00I67AXV0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1393295262&sr=8-3&keywords=Nancy+Straight
Barnes & Noble Links:
Blood Debt: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-debt-nancy-straight/1112345662?ean=2940045020367
Centaur Legacy: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/centaur-legacy-nancy-straight/1113887495?ean=2940016303741
Centaur Rivalry: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/centaur-rivalry-nancy-straight/1115215166?ean=9781484952986
Centaur Redemption: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/centaur-redemption-nancy-straight/1118433637?ean=9781495913693
Smashwords Links:
Blood Debt: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/204708
Centaur Legacy: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/240906
Centaur Rivalry: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/307012
Centaur Redemption: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/403939
GIVEAWAY:
4-$25 Amazon Gift Card
Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/shar...
Author Bio:
I LOVE Starbucksâ White Mocha Latte and Mountain Dew, (but not together). I have a lead foot so I set cruise control when I drive, even in 25 MPH zones. I almost never win when I play Angry Birds, but have my 9 year old close, so he can clear the hard levels for me. I grew up on a farm and am opposed to eating fresh chicken (not opposed to meat - just opposed to any meat that was alive a few hours before lunch). I am a huge fan of the show, Big Bang Theory, on CBS. I share my life with two fantastic sons, three rotten dogs and a husband that I adore.
Twitter: @NancyStraight
Blog: www.NancyStraight.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-Straight/243616005687882 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4114202.Nancy_Straight
My Reviews of the books in the Touched Series
5 StarsOh my goodness where to start. It's always difficult for me to review without giving away the plot. But here goes...
Blood Debt is a roller coaster ride that had me yelling "NOOOOO!" only to turn around and be cheering by the end of the book.
The author kept the story fast paced and so interesting that I had trouble putting it down long enough to sleep. I fell in love with the hero and I completely related to the heroine. The characters are well developed and the plot deeply layered.
My only complaint is that I discovered this book before the second book in the series has been released. I wish I didn't have wait for Book 2, Blood Ties, to be released. I will definitely purchase it!
Mrs. Straight, wove a detailed, rich ethos about the Centaur bloodlines that intermingles mythology and modern society seamlessly. If you enjoy paranormal romances/fantasy, this book will not disappoint.
5 StarsCentaur Legacy is the second novel in the Touched Series. In it, readers follow Camille and Drake as their adventures continue. On the run from the head of the Centaur Council, their journey takes them from Ireland, to South Dakota, to Florida, and back. Secrets are reveled as their destiny becomes filled with danger. Unfortunately, the two don't know who to trust or where to hide. And just when you think you know where Ms. Straight will take the story, she twists and turns the plot to take your breath away.
Centaur Legacy left me wanting more. The characters were well developed and captured my heart. I loved Cami's strength and Drake's protectiveness, not to mention Beau's chivalry. Like Blood Debt before it, this book was a definite winner that I didn't want to put down. I highly recommend it others for it is another fantastic read by Nancy Straight.
5 StarsNancy Straight does it again!!! That was the first thought that went through my head when I read Centaur Rivalry. Like the previous two stories, this was a non-stop, page-turning, thrill ride.
In this story Cami and Drake face enforcers, go into hiding, flee around the world, deal with prejudice, and discover a new breed of beings. They even have a pesky dog to contend with a one point and through it all their love manages to survive. Theirs is the kind of love fairly tales are made of. A modern Romeo and Juliette, only with a happy ending--at least up to this point in the series. ;)
The Touched Series is an original, fast-paced series. The plot grips you from page one and the writing is superb. The characters are full of life and well written. Unlike with some series, readers are treated to seeing their favorite characters again and again in each book. (And for this reader, that is a MAJOR brownie point. There is nothing I hate worse that having a character I love only appear once or twice in a series.)
If you are looking for a paranormal YA story that will make you laugh, and characters you will love, then read Centaur Rivalry.
5 StarsI have loved this series since I read âI stared at the phone. I had his number. I had his name. Twenty-two years.â âthe opening line in Blood Debt. Throughout the series, readers have been treated to watching Camille and Drake grow not only as a couple but as individuals, and the way the series ends for them will leave you cheering.
Nancy Straight has woven a masterful journey, full of twists and turns, and she finished the series as strongly as it begun with the story, Centaur Redemption. I will not give away any plot twists or ruin the wonderful surprises I was treated to throughout the series, so I will simply say this.
If you enjoy an original paranormal story that you wonât want to put down, youâll absolutely love the Touched Series. From Blood Debt to Centaur Redemption the writing was fun and engaging, the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat and the action kept me turning the pages. A round of applause from me to Ms. Straight for her creativity and talent.
June 8, 2014
Book Blitz: Intercepting Love by LP Dover
Title: Intercepting Love Author: LP Dover
Genre: Adult Romantic Suspense
Hosted by: Lady Amber's Tours
Blurb:
Both have what she wants … but only one has what she needs.
Working with professional athletes and helping them recover from their injuries has always been Kate Townsend’s dream, but after an accident left her scarred and heartbroken years ago she refuses to let what happened in her past happen again. Staying focused is the key, as well as not letting her feelings interfere with her job … no matter the circumstances. All of that is easier said than done when not only one, but two men crave her healing touch, igniting every single desire she’s denied herself for so long.
Cooper Davis, NFL’s star quarterback and most eligible bachelor, packs up and leaves his home to move across the states to the East Coast after an injury results in the embarrassing trade to another team. Bitter from the pain, he deals with his problems through drugs and alcohol—almost ruining his football career—until he meets the one woman who makes him want to feel; the same woman who refuses to give up on him no matter how many times he screws up. He has to have her, and he’s not going to stop until he makes her his. Especially, now that someone else threatens to take her away.
Motocross champion and local bad boy Luke Collins never takes no for an answer. For the past four months he’s used his charms to get what he wants, and now he’s so close to getting the girl of his dreams … if she’ll give in just once. One time is all he needs, and he’s never been known to fail, but he’s also never had to fight for a woman’s affections. Only one man will win their way into Kate’s heart, but which one will intercept the other and take what they want? Which one will she choose?
Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK3jQhfMoCY
Excerpt:
“You don’t have to worry about him making the moves on me, Luke. He said he wouldn’t touch me unless I asked him to. I think we’re both safe.”
Placing his hands against the wall, Luke trapped me in and murmured in my ear, “Hmm … he’s better than I thought. You know he’s just playing games with you, right?”
“Everyone plays games in their own way, Luke. Even you do, but it’s not going to change anything,” I told him.
“Good,” he murmured huskily. “Although, I’d have to say that’s where me and him differ.” He trailed his finger down my cheek and past my neck to my collarbone. “I’d be afraid you would never ask me. That’s why I have to take what I want until you tell me no.”
Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling author, L.P. Dover, is a southern belle residing in North Carolina along with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she even began her literary journey she worked in Periodontics enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.
Not only does she love to write, but she loves to play tennis, go on mountain hikes, white water rafting, and you can't forget the passion for singing. Her two number one fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime and those songs usually consist of Christmas carols.
Aside from being a wife and mother, L.P. Dover has written over nine novels including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, and her standalone novel, Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read is romantic suspense and she also loves writing it. However, if she had to choose a setting to live in it would have to be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae.
L.P. Dover is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.
Links:
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/lpdover
Website- http://www.authorlpdoverbooks.com/
Blog - http://www.lpdover.blogspot.com/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/LPDover
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6526309.L_P_Dover
Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/L.P.-Dover/e/B00AFVV8TG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1380503353&sr=8-2-ent
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/LPDover/
June 7, 2014
Book Blitz and #GiVEAWAY: Exodus 2022 by Kenneth G. Bennett
BOOK DETAILS:Title: EXODUS 2022
Author: Kenneth G. Bennett
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller (pre-apocalypse)
Audience: NA/Adult
Release date: May 20th, 2014
Publisher: Booktrope Publishing
Summary:
Joe Stanton is in agony. Out of his mind over the death of his young daughter. Or so it seems.
Unable to contain his grief, Joe loses control in public, screaming his daughter’s name and causing a huge scene at a hotel on San Juan Island in Washington State. Thing is, Joe Stanton doesn’t have a daughter. Never did. And when the authorities arrive they blame the 28-year-old’s outburst on drugs.
What they don’t yet know is that others up and down the Pacific coast—from the Bering Sea to the Puget Sound—are suffering identical, always fatal mental breakdowns.
With the help of his girlfriend—the woman he loves and dreams of marrying—Joe struggles to unravel the meaning of the hallucination destroying his mind. As the couple begins to perceive its significance—and Joe’s role in a looming global calamity—they must also outwit a billionaire weapons contractor bent on exploiting Joe’s newfound understanding of the cosmos, and outlast the time bomb ticking in Joe’s brain.
Excerpt:
The prisoner stepped from an elevator onto Marauder’s weather deck, flanked by Collins and another ex-SEAL. He stood there. Blindfolded. Handcuffed.
Collins pushed the man further onto the deck.
The sky was clear, a rare thing in Southeast Alaska, and Eagle Peak lorded over Admiralty Island like a stoic king, its jagged snow-covered slopes jutting crisp and white against a pale-blue sky. Lush forest blanketed the lower slopes of the great island with trees so huge and healthy, one could almost taste the oxygen flowing from their limbs.
Three enormous brown bears prowled the banks of a brawling stream at the center of the cove, stabbing flashing salmon with daggerlike claws, oblivious to the mammoth ship a stone’s throw away.
Beck nodded at Collins, who untied Ellis’s blindfold but left his hands bound.
Ellis stood blinking in the sunlight, bewildered by what he was experiencing: the cries of seagulls and sea lions. The steady breeze against the ship. The verdant backdrop.
Ellis’s eyes fell on Beck, and his body stiffened. “What the hell is this?” he asked.
“I pictured you bigger,” replied Beck, strolling forward. “Big and pompous. Like your writing.”
“Hell of a thing for you to call anyone pompous, Beck.”
Ellis’s face was pale, his eyes bloodshot. But he did not look afraid, and stood straight and tall. His demeanor in person did not match the weak, intimidated man Beck had perceived on the video feed, and this fact irritated Beck greatly.
“If you think my stories have damaged your…empire,” said Ellis, “wait until this gets out.”
Beck laughed. “What makes you think anything’s going to get out, Mr. Ellis?”
Concern flickered in Ellis’s eyes, but he made no reply.
“Look around you.” Beck gestured at the sea and mountains. “This is Southeast Alaska. Admiralty Island, Icy Straits. Last anyone heard, you were in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan! Eight thousand miles from here. Your colleagues, your family—everyone believes you’ve been captured by the Taliban. No one, Mr. Ellis—no one outside of this ship—has the slightest inkling that you’re here. Safe and sound, in the good ol’ U.S. of A.”
Ellis stared at Beck but didn’t respond for a long time. Gulls whirled and cried overhead. The breeze picked up, whistling across the deck. “Fits,” Ellis said at last. “It fits.”
Beck waited.
“Spoiled rich kid. Unlimited resources. Unlimited ego. Knowing you, Beck, this whole endeavor will be paid for with tax dollars.”
Sheldon Beck’s smile vanished and a vein began pulsing in his neck.
Ellis kept going. “So what’s the game here, Beck? You have your thugs capture me in Kabul in the middle of the night, bring me all the way here—for what? So you can kill me?”
“You attacked me,” said Beck, pacing now. “Out of the blue, with no warning … planting your stories like roadside bombs. You attacked me.”
“I told the truth,” Ellis cried, over the wind. “American public has a right to know about Erebus, don’t you think? I mean, they’re paying for your army—whether they want to or not. Don’t you think they have a right to know what’s going on? Doesn’t that fit with your conservative principles?”
“Your stories are lies.”
“What’s a lie?” Ellis asked. “That Erebus has made billions off defense contracts? That your private, for-profit soldiers in Afghanistan outnumber the real military? That your troops routinely ignore US law? That Erebus operatives torture and kill when it suits them? Show me where I lied.”
Beck’s muscles contracted like heavy steel cables. His jaw quivered. “I love this country,” he said softly. “I’m trying to save it. You and the rest of the Left are a…disease. Taking America down.”
Ellis laughed. “Who’s that speech for?” He glanced at Collins and the other fighters positioned around the deck. “These guys? I don’t think they’re buyin’ it, man.”
Beck stepped forward and clubbed Ellis across the face with the back of his hand. The reporter crashed to the deck, hands still bound, blood spraying in a wide arc as he fell. He discharged a strangled, raspy cough and said in a thick voice, “Another murder then. In cold blood. Only proves my point.”
“Stand him up,” Beck commanded, and Collins jerked the prisoner to his feet.
“Unbind him.”
Collins removed the cuffs and Ellis massaged his wrists. Shook his hands out. Blood streamed from his nostrils, cascaded down his shirt and pooled on the polished teak deck, but he made no attempt to stanch the flow.
Beck moved closer, eyes locked on Ellis. “We’re going to fight, you and I,” he said. He removed his shirt and tossed it away, revealing heavy, thick muscles. “You attacked me—and my company—from afar. Now you can confront me face-to-face. Man-to-man.”
“I’m not playing this game,” said Ellis.
Beck glanced at one of the ex-SEALS waiting near the elevator: a compact bull of a man named Wilden. “Give him a weapon.” Wilden turned and fished a fiberglass case from a compartment in the wall.
“I’m not a fighting man,” Ellis said, voice calm, head high. “You’re a trained killer. I won’t fight you.”
Beck circled closer. “You will attack me. Well-armed. With two weapons, if you like.” He nodded at Wilden, who snapped the fiberglass case open, revealing a collection of gleaming blades.
“I will be unarmed,” Beck continued. “And you will attack me.” He stopped inches in front of Ellis’s face. “Because, if you do not,” he said softly, “your wife, Anne-Elise, and your daughter, Sarah, will vanish from your home in Silver Springs, in the middle of the night. Just as you disappeared from Kabul. And they will never, ever, be heard from again.”
For the first time since he’d arrived on the solarium deck, Ellis’s composure broke. His jaw tightened, his hands clenched into fists. “Beck,” he said. “Please. Leave my family out of this. You have a problem with my articles, take it out on me. Kill me. Or tell me what you want.”
“I want you to fight,” said Beck. “Choose your weapons.”
Ellis ripped two thick fiberglass-handled knives from the foam-lined case, tucked one into the top of his right boot, and crouched low, with the remaining blade outstretched.
“Certain guys on my crew,” said Beck, “might like to get to know your wife, come to think of it. Beautiful woman.” He chuckled. “Might like your daughter even better, knowing them. How old is she now, Ellis? Seventeen?”
Ellis leapt forward, gripping the knife as he drove for Beck’s throat. Beck easily sidestepped the older man, grabbed his arm, and yanked him forward, pulling him off-balance. Ellis stumbled and Beck whirled and shoved him hard into a wall. Ellis thunked against a steel barrier and collapsed to the ground. The knife he’d been holding skittered across the deck and he lay on his back, moaning. Beck’s men laughed.
Beck picked up the knife and tossed it back to his adversary. “I said fight.”
Ellis rolled to his knees, then stood, slowly, clutching the knife once more. Mimicking Beck’s actions—staying low and loose—Ellis came for his enemy more warily this time, jabbing with the blade, edging his opponent back, into a corner. He was sweating heavily now, heart thumping, redlining. When it seemed there was nowhere for Beck to go, Ellis lunged again, flying forward, slashing low, and rising as he charged.
Beck ducked, and twisted away hard at the last instant, smashing the reporter’s outstretched arm with a hop kick, like a move from an Irish dance. Another spinning, booming kick hurled Ellis into a railing, where he collapsed like a rag doll.
Beck, barely winded, leaned over his bleeding, battered quarry and laughed. “What do I have to do to get you to fight, old man?”
Ellis blinked and his eyes swam in pale sockets. His brain stuttered. Tried to reengage. Like a computer restarting after a crash.
“Should’ve had that daylight-basement door fixed, Ellis,” Beck said mildly, turning away. “Makes for very easy access, you know? Off the street, out of sight. Poorly lit. Haven’t been keeping up on your home maintenance, have you?”
Ellis struggled to his feet, clearly suffering now.
“That’s how my men went in,” said Beck, “to place the cameras that are monitoring your family now. And how they’ll go in tomorrow night to take your wife and daughter.”
Ellis gasped, his voice a ragged whisper. “Beck, please. They’ve done nothing to you. Nothing at all. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll write articles praising your company. I’ll swear that everything I said was a lie.”
Beck laughed. “Little late now, my friend. Your reporting cost us three billion in contracts.”
“Beck—”
“Your reporting,” Beck said slowly, his rage evident even in his controlled, measured delivery, “sparked investigations. Congressional hearings. I had to appear. It was messy. Awkward.” He paused. “And now you want to make it all good? I don’t think so.”
“Please,” said Ellis. “My family—”
“No good, man,” said Beck. He stopped pacing and looked at Ellis. “What’d you call me in that last piece?”
Ellis gawked at him stupidly, his skin slick with sweat and blood.
“Thug is the word you used,” said Beck. “You called me a thug.”
Ellis licked his lips. Nodded. Wide-eyed, like a terrified child.
Beck said, “Would a thug offer his adversary a knife, while he himself remained unarmed?”
Ellis shook his head and kept his eyes locked on Beck. “No.”
“Would a thug give his adversary two knives, while he struggled barehanded?”
“No. He wouldn’t,” said Ellis.
“Would he offer his adversary a gun? Bullets? While he fought with nothing?”
Ellis turned to find Wilden standing in front of him, face impassive, inscrutable. He held a metal case this time, and the lid was open.
Ellis’s eyes flicked between Wilden’s face and the objects nestled in the container’s foam liner. A snubnose .38 and a handful of loosely scattered rounds. The bullets looked huge in the compact case, and the metal glinted in the late afternoon light.
Beck sauntered away from Ellis, toward the far railing. He called over his shoulder, yelling against the breeze. “They’re real bullets, Ellis. And it’s a real gun.”
Ellis stared at the gun, ears ringing. He wondered if he had a concussion.
Beck said. “And if you can load it and fire before I get there, then you win.”
Wilden set the case on the ground and backed away. Beck reached the far railing and began to turn. Slowly. Almost casually.
Ellis gawked a split second more, as if what he thought he’d heard Beck say couldn’t possibly be right. Like he’d missed something. Like it was all a joke and he just hadn’t figured it out yet. Like the case would explode in his face if he touched it, or one of Beck’s men would stab him in the back when he knelt down.
The hesitation lasted only a nanosecond and then Ellis was dropping onto the case, falling on top of it and fumbling with the gun. He knew guns. Handguns specifically. He owned a Baby Browning .25 and a Ruger Speed Six .22. He’d taken a firearm-safety course with his daughter. They’d been to the range a few times.
Ellis struggled with the .38’s cylinder—he couldn’t find the latch—and registered a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision. A shape flying toward him. He focused on the gun. Fingers working. The .38 was different from his guns. He could figure it out, but—
He found the latch, the cylinder opened, and he slid a single round into the chamber. One bullet. No time to load more. Ellis slapped the cylinder closed, lifted the gun.
And Beck was there, coming like a freight train. He smashed into Ellis’s chest, feetfirst.
The gun boomed. But the shot went high. Into the air.
Ellis bounced violently against a steel post, bones cracking on impact. Beck caught the gun, spun, and clubbed Ellis across the head with it, then scooped one of the knives from the deck and rammed it into his enemy’s thigh.
Ellis howled in agony and crashed to the ground, blood spurting from his leg.
“No one,” Beck roared, grabbing Ellis by his shirt and lifting him off the ground, “fucks with me and lives to tell about it!”
Muscles bulging, face taut with rage, Beck lurched toward the railing, holding Ellis a foot off the ground. “No one…fucks…with…me!”
Ellis regarded Beck with milky, terrified eyes. The left side of his face was smashed and bleeding. A jagged shard of bone pierced the skin like broken glass.
“Kill me,” Ellis coughed, spitting blood. “But leave my family alone.”
Beck laughed. “Oh, I’m not going to kill you, Ellis,” he said cheerfully.
They’d reached the railing and Beck twisted Ellis’s body around so that he was facing the shoreline, where the three enormous brown bears continued to feed.
“They are.”
Beck heaved Ellis’s mangled body from the deck and hurled him off the ship. The reporter tumbled through the air—too battered to try to right himself. Fifty feet he dropped, smacking the frigid blue-green water like a sack of cement. A Zodiac manned by two of Beck’s crew waited by the side of the ship. They hauled Ellis out of the water and motored toward the salmon stream. And the bears.
Book links:
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20641630-exodus-2022
LibraryThing: https://www.librarything.com/work/14672242
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/books/37400967/Exodus-2022
Excerpt: http://www.kennethgbennettbooks.com/2014/01/26/EXODUS-2022-a-new-sci-fi-thriller-coming-may-2014/
Buy links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Exodus-2022-Kenneth-G-Bennett-ebook/dp/B00IRL8O2U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394549551&sr=8-1&keywords=exodus+2022
Author links:
website: www.kennethgbennettbooks.com
GR: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5131305.Kenneth_G_Bennett
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Exodus2022
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kennethgbennett/
Kenneth G. Bennett is the author of the young adult novels, THE GAIA WARS and BATTLE FOR CASCADIA, and the new sci-fi thriller, EXODUS 2022. A wilderness enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing and kayaking, Ken enjoys mysteries, science fiction, action adventure stories and, most especially, novels that explore the relationship between humans and the wild. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son and two hyperactive Australian Shepherds.
THE GAIA WARS series was optioned for film by Identity Films, LA in 2012, and both GAIA and BATTLE have been featured as Top 100 Bestsellers in Teen Literature and Fiction on Amazon. Kirkus Reviews called THE GAIA WARS “A solid first entry of a promising, imaginative new young-adult fantasy series featuring a well-crafted character.”
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Book Blitz and Giveaway: Crimson Fire by Bella Harte
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance ~ YA FantasyPublish Date: 22nd May 2014
Tour Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Blog Tour: 1st – 14th June
Cover Artist: Jessica Allain Art
Book Blurb:It was meant to be fixed… her destiny back on track, how wrong could she be…
Just when Scarlett thought everything was back to normal, well as normal as life can be with a posse of Seraphoenix Angel Guardians looking out for you. She wakes to find her life plunged into a whole new nightmare, where time itself has changed and she appears to be the only one aware of it.
In this new reality everything has altered, Leo and the Seraphoenix are missing. Even her parents are different, as they turn against her when she is unexpectedly framed for things she didn't do. To make matters worse she is unceremoniously shipped off to a supposed reform school for out of control teens in the wilds of ‘god-knows-where’ escorted by someone she recognises and really wished she didn’t.
Nothing is what it seems at the new school and the pupils are less than hospitable. Scarlett finds herself in one deadly situation after another at the mercy of all those around her, and there is no-one she can trust with her secret.
Can Scarlett escape the menacing clutches of evil in this new reality?
Will Leo come to her rescue?
********
So you thought you knew all about Angels ~ here's some you've never met before
The Seraphoenix
A whole new breed, who are as sexy as hell and decidedly dangerous!
Find out how it all began in: Scarlett Phoenix ~ Book I
Book Buy link:
Amazon Universal Buy Link: myBook.to/CrimsonFire
Add to your TBR @ Goodreads:
Goodreads ~ Crimson Fire
Excerpt:Aaron laughed out loud. It was an infectious, sexy laugh and Scarlett pressed her lips together to stop smiling, as the tense atmosphere diffused instantaneously.
“I’m sorry,” he apologised. “I’m not laughing at you it’s just that saying always makes me laugh…”
Scarlett shrugged again and stared at the fire as she bit her lip.
“Look,” he said leaning forward in the chair. “For what it’s worth, I don’t believe your file either. You just don’t seem the type to be engaging in those activities… Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, I’m a pretty good judge of character and this written profile is not what I’m seeing sitting in front of me,” he paused thoughtfully for a moment. “That is, unless you are a seriously good actress.”
She stared at him, his face was divine and he had an undeterminable aura that made it impossible to lie to him.
Leaning back on the sofa, she spoke softly. “There would be no point in me lying to you; you’d be able to see through any untruths in a heartbeat and besides, I don’t lie.”
He stared at her raptly, his eyes boring into her. She moved on the sofa, tilting her head as she held his gaze.
“You are very perceptive,” he mused with great interest. “So tell me, how do you know anything about me?”
Author Bio:Bella Harte has been writing for well over a decade, and completed several novels before deciding to go in a whole new direction and write for the Young Adult genre. More specifically the YA PNR – Young Adult Paranormal Romance category.
Her first published YA Novel was ‘Scarlett Phoenix’ - Book I in The Seraphoenix Saga in 2012, with Book II:- ‘Crimson Fire’ being scheduled for release in 2014 and Book III:- ‘Red Ashes’ for 2015.
She has also been working on two other YA PNR series:
The Angel of Death Series
Book I – Reaper Book II – Touched Book III – Afterlife
Nine Lives Series
Book I – The Glaring Book II – Midnight Calling Book III - Hunters Moon
Aside from writing, Bella has also worked as a fashion designer and interior designer. She lives in a quiet part of rural England with her gorgeous husband, who doesn't mind in the slightest if she vanishes for hours at a time into her writing cave.
Author Links:
Blog: www.bellaharte.blogspot.co.uk
Website: www.bellaharte.wix.com/author
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BellaHarteBooks
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BellaHarteBooks @BellaHarteBooks
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/BellaHarte
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bellaharteauthor
Amazon Author Pages: Amazon Author Page UK or Amazon Author Page USA
LinkedIn: LinkedIn
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June 2, 2014
Book Blitz: Chocolate by Storm Chase
Title: Chocolate Author: Storm Chase Genre: Romance Erotica Hosted by: Lady Amber's Tours Synopsis Star is a top escort with a lucrative sideline in Bondage and Discipline. However, a wrong move lands her in Siberia as the unwilling leading lady in a series of extreme S&M films. Refusing to give in to fear, Star fights back, eventually driving her captors to present her as a gift to Alexei, a prison officer who is feared throughout the state. Star quickly discovers Alexei has a penchant for kinky sex, and a tough exterior but a kind heart â and a seemingly unending supply of chocolates. She falls in love, unaware that Alexei is hiding a secret even darker than her own past. Chocolate is a fun read with a feisty heroine and a hero with a soft center.
Storm Chase was born September 2012. Her alter ego is Ellen Whyte, a syndicated author who has published roughly 3000 articles and 10 print books. The alter ego is the steady type; Storm is the tearaway who's dedicated to making it work with epublishing. Author Linkshttp://www.amazon.com/Storm-Chase/e/B00B2JG93Uhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Storm-Chase/e/B00B2JG93Uhttps://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/stormchase Buy Links https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/291208 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLZAW7A http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FLZAW7A
An excerpt from Chocolate: An Erotic Romance in Siberia by Storm Chase Star sat down at the table and tucked in. As the egg yolks mixed with the bacon and creamy sauce, she moaned slightly. âOh my God, this is better than sex!â Alexei was looking somewhat startled. âGlad you like it.â Star nodded. âMate, this is even better than chocolate!â He smiled and went back to his iPad. He was a strange man, Star thought. Sheâd been frightened of him at first, and so had Ivan and Sorge, which proved something was up. Yet though he was cool and distant most of the time, he was generous too. The food was brilliant, he constantly filled up the bedroom drawer with soaps and creams, and bed last night had turned out fantastic; if you didnât count that sneaky thing with the collar. When he smiled, he was quite good-looking. She liked the way his eyes lengthened, and the way his smile lit up his face. Pity he didnât smile a lot. He didnât exactly look bad tempered. It was more like he was analysing everything. As if he was standing a little bit apart from the world around him. Star wondered if he was on drugs but dismissed it. He wasnât one of those buff âmy body is my templeâ types but he was lean and lightly muscled. A gym nut maybe but more likely a runner, Star considered. She looked about her. The house was comfortable and there were no pipes, bongs or even ashtrays. Everything was clean, tidy and organised. Efficient, that was the word. No, he wasnât the type to mess about with any sort of happy dust. If this deal were going to work, she would have to figure him out. But first she had to get that collar off. âFinished?â Alexei had put down the iPad. âIt was the best thing Iâve ever put in my mouth. Ever.â He gave her a slight smile. âGood. You can do the dishes; Iâm off for a run.â He looked out the window. âItâs too cold and wet for you to come along.â So she was allowed outside? That sounded all right, Star thought. âIf you do go out, just be careful not to go too far into the woods.â âBecause of the wicked wolf?â âBears. They come to steal rubbish.â Star stared at him. âBears? Where is this place?â âDivnogorsk in Siberia.â âBlimey!â Star was taken aback. âItâs not snowing.â âIt will in a few weeks.â âSo Iâm winter entertainment?â âGot it in one.â Alexei pushed the iPad towards her. âHere. Youâll want to catch up with things. Send some email maybe. If you like comics, Iâve got Batman, Batgirl, Superman, all the classics. In the original English.â He smiled. âBut do the dishes first, ok?â Star stared at him. âYouâre the weirdest fucking Dom Iâve ever come across,â she burst out. He just looked at her. âWhat makes you think Iâm a Dom?â Star touched the collar. âWhatâs this then?â âI like it,â he said easily. âItâs decoration? Iâm not a fucking Christmas tree, am I?â He wasnât looking mad so Star thought theyâd better have it out. â And I had a look in your drawers, mate. Whips, chains and all sorts of fun toys. If youâre not a Dom, what are you?â He enjoyed the way her accent varied from her native London tones to a put-on refined twang but he didnât quite get everything she said. Still, it didnât matter. This was the Star heâd seen a glimpse of in Ivanâs film. Fearless, forthright, vulgar and fun. He wasnât going to tell her about the GPS chip in the collar. Or that it was the only way he could think of to let her run around without him worrying about her getting lost or trying to run away and landing in serious trouble. Also, there was always the remote possibility that someone might come looking for him one day. If that happened, and if they decided to take Star, the collar would give him an edge. Best to let her think it was part of the job. âYou shouldnât label people, Star,â he said lightly. âItâs not PC, you know.â Leaving her open-mouthed, Alexei went off for his run. Star sat and thought for a while. She opened the front door, just to see what would happen. There were no alarm bells but a blast of icy rain made her shut it hastily again. Then she shrugged and did the dishes.
June 1, 2014
Book Blitz: The Crimson Series Box Set
Title: The Crimson Series Box Set Author: Amos Caddidy Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy Hosted by: Lady Amber's Tours Book Description: For a limited time only, all three books in the Crimson Series are collected together in this box set. A Dark Urban Fantasy saga, filled with supernatural intrigue. There are twists, turns and characters that will make your legs go weak...
Amos Cassidy - a team of two. Amos is a 30 year old Diva and Cassidy a 37 year old mum of three. Aside from a passion for writing and a love of reading they also share an addiction to coffee, love anything Joss Whedon and are constantly playing tug of war over Jensen Ackles. They have been writing together for five years, having written three books in 'The Crimson Series', and their latest novel - the first book in a brand new series - 'The Rain: Rebirth', which is out now. Buy Links (for the box set): Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Series-... Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crimson-Serie... Author Links: Website: http://amoscassidy.com/ Crimson Series Blog: http://crimsonseries.wordpress.com/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amos-Cassidy-World/172592816124684 Twitter: https://twitter.com/amoscassidy Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5762034.Amos_Cassidy Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/amoscassidy/
EXCERPT (from Crimson Midnight): 1. GOODBYE FOR NOW Rose stood in the bedroom doorway, shoulder propped against the doorframe, thumbs tucked into the pockets of her low-rise Levis. She cocked her head, watching Gregâs backside moving back and forth like an overactive piston. Had it always been that hairy? She cleared her throat. âI guess youâre busy,â she said, âmaybe I should pop back later.â The piston halted and Greg practically threw himself off his bed partner as if she were an unwanted hot potato. âFuck! Rose! Fuck!â âYeah, I can see that,â Rose said. âWhat are youâ¦I mean, when did you-â âGet here?â she glanced casually at her wristwatch. âAbout five minutes ago.â She noticed him surreptitiously pull the bedspread up to cover his crotch. âWhat are you doing here?â he asked. âI thought Iâd surprise you.â She pushed herself off the doorframe sauntering into the room. âI guess I succeeded.â A petite five foot four, with the elfin doe-eyed features of a Manga sketch topped with long golden hair, Rose didnât look like a threat. In fact, she was pretty certain that she would have been cast as the lead in any production of âLegally Blondeâ on looks alone, but the tussled brunette, frozen on the bed, saw something in Roseâs sapphire gaze that galvanised her into action. She shot off the bed making a grab for a pair of lacy red underwear on the floor. âSit!â Rose said. The brunette froze, her fingers mere inches from the lacy garment that would cover her Brazilian-waxed bits. Yeah, Rose wished sheâd missed that bit. Rose smiled, but it didnât reach her eyes. âPlease donât leave on my account. This wonât take more than a minute.â She strode casually to the bedside cabinet on the brunetteâs side of the bed, and felt her shrink away. Ignoring her she began to rummage inside. Greg pulled on his boxers. âWhat are you doing?â âGetting my stuff.â She pulled out a couple of paperbacks, her overnight cosmetics bag and her hardback copy of âThe Kama Sutraâ. It felt tacky and sticky. Rose cracked it open and frowned. âYou got spunk stains on my book.â She threw the book onto the bed wiping her hands on her jeans. She shoved the rest of her stuff into her backpack, which lay on the floor by the bedside table. Swinging the pack onto her shoulder she headed for the door. She felt Greg behind her, his breath hot on the nape of her neck. âWhat, so thatâs it? Youâre just gonna leave?â He made a grab for her shoulder and she shrugged him off. âThreesomes are really not my thing,â she said and carried on down the hallway. She needed to get out of here quick before⦠âThis is all your fault you know!â She paused, hand on the banister. Now this she had to hear. She turned to face him. He had his arms crossed across his broad chest, tanned and speckled with dark hair. She had loved lying on that chest. Her eyes travelled up to settle on his face. He wore his favourite expressionâ smug. âEnlighten me.â He shrugged, âIf youâd put out more often this would never have happened. A man has needs you know, and youâre always busy-â And then he was on the floor clutching his nose. Rose blinked staring at her fist, feeling the anger, which had erupted so suddenly, dissipate. The roaring in her ears subsided and she heard Greg whimper. âWhaâ¦Wha ya do tha fa?â Some questions donât deserve a response. Rose turned on her heel and walked away
