Linda Nightingale's Blog, page 70

Love for Sale under contract with The Wild Rose Press

Soon, I should be receiving galleys for my new book, a fantasy romance titled Love for Sale, about a sentient android, indistinguishable from human.  I don’t yet have a cover but here’s an image I have sent the cover department, hoping they will use it.  If not or if so, it goes in a book video!

Isn’t he handsome?  He could bring me flowers anytime.

 

 

PROPOSED BLURB:

March Morgan still believes in true love, but her faith in finding her soul mate is slowly vanishing. She’s been married but never in love. So, it is a miracle to find that fantasy exists on the last page of a glossy women’s journal. Mayfair Electronics, Ltd., in black and white, offers Love for Sale. The London firm has engineered sentient androids indistinguishable from human. She flies to England and meets the man she has been searching for her entire life.

Christian requires no programming to love March at first sight. He’s handsome, cultured…absolutely perfect…and a little different from the other androids. He has an unexpected independent streak.

March signs on the dotted line, buying her dream man. They return to Houston, but soon her past and his future threaten their Happily Ever After—indeed their lives.

PROPOSED EXCERPT:

At a light touch on her shoulder, she spun. He stood inches from her, the airspace between them electric charged. “Liz was here, and in my bedroom! Why? Were you doing her in my bed?”

“No.” He had the decency to look stunned, his eyes widening and darkening. “She was teaching me to dance. The closet doors are mirrors.”

March resisted the urge to slap his perfect face. “Why? You aren’t going to be a stripper.”

He shrugged. “You don’t trust me.”

“I don’t trust her.” March’s face felt hard and cold. God, how she hated the emotions seething in her. She was almost physically ill.

“She cannot tempt me.” He shook his head slowly, his eyes glittering blue. “Don’t you understand I am attuned to you alone?”

“You weren’t supposed to be able to get angry.” She was unraveling, like a ball of yarn thrown across a room. “You did.”

Her heart shattered as he turned and walked away. Grief winded her. At the door, he glanced over his shoulder, again shaking his head. He was stunningly handsome, looked sad and hurt, but there was no apology in his intense gaze. Hands fisted at her sides, she tried to control the storm of fear, anger, resentment and pain.

“Where the hell are you going?” Her voice came brusque, short.

“For a walk to let you think and cool down.” Light and shadow chiseled his face, and her breaking heart skipped a beat. “I am not going to Liz. I have learned all I need to know from her. I shall never see her again.”

“You can’t walk out. It is impossible for you. You are faulty in some circuit somewhere. I’m going to return you.”

The most beautiful man in the world froze with his hand on the door. “Please don’t. This is a misunderstanding.” He blew out a long breath. “However, if that is what you want, I must advise you that Mayfair Electronics, 21 Dover Street, London, W1S 4LT will accept return of a flawed unit for a full refund.”

“Stop! You sound like a robot.” Her fisted hands struck the air.

He didn’t flinch. “I am a robot. That’s why this is an inane conversation.”

“Inane? I find you with another woman in the bedroom, and this conversation is silly? Oh, no, Christian. Did you invite her here?” Why couldn’t she stop hurting herself and let him go, lock the door and email Mayfair for a courier pickup?

Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned against the door. “She knocked. I answered and kept her outside until it started to rain. She was talking about the club and telling me, again, that I’d be a success as a male dancer. Being a success at something would be a bloody miracle. At any rate, half-jokingly, I asked her to teach me to dance. The End.”

“Not quite. Why did you slip her out behind my back?”

“I wished to avoid a scene like this.” His voice shaded deeper, darker. “And I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“There, it’s said. You can come back in now and stop pretending you’re leaving.” She waved a hand, half-heartedly beckoning. “You’ve got nowhere to go.”

He inhaled sharply as if she had punched him in the stomach. “I’m quite aware of that fact. I do not like seeing you this upset. Please call Mayfair tomorrow. I’ll voluntarily deactivate. They will dispatch a FedEx pickup for me.”

 

The Green Rose by Stephanie Burkhart

Stephanie will be awarding $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLURB:

On the continent of Gaia, evil is brewing. Turncoat wizard, Balthyser, kidnaps the kings of Dahaka and Tapin. He wants the green rose, a source of powerful magic.

Princess Sonia of Tapin is forced to hunt down the rose in exchange for her father’s life. It’s the ultimate betrayal of Gaia’s peace, but she has no choice if she wants to save her father.

Prince Ivánstan of Dahaka accompanies her on the journey. Both face challenges and obstacles that test their strength of character during the hunt for the rose. Dare Sonia put her trust and faith in a man she hardly knows to secure Gaia’s peace or will the continent’s harmony be shattered forever?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

Racing forward, he spotted her near Tapin’s tents surrounded by three beasts. Tall and slender, she possessed a strong, wild beauty he found intriguing. Long chestnut brown hair flowed down her back. Her eyes were golden yellow with obsidian irises. She’d been bonded! Only the noble bonded. Her high, exotic cheekbones and patrician features were steeled in courage and determination. The primal urge to mate with her made his heart pound in his chest.

A falcon, the heraldic symbol of Tapin, was prominently displayed on her tunic.

A bird screeched. A wyldebeast craned its neck upward and the descending falcon slashed its talons over the creature’s face, spraying blood.

“Well done, Hiro!” exclaimed the woman.

A second wyldebeast lashed at her. She stumbled backwards, tripping on a rock. Her wrist struck the ground hard, sending her sword sprawling several feet away from her, leaving her vulnerable.

“Draco, defend the Tapin noblewoman!”

Ivánstan’s dragon, now overhead, shot a blast of flame from his mouth, scorching the fur of an advancing beast. The creature collapsed and rolled over, attempting to use the ground to extinguish the flames on its body.

The remaining wyldebeast raised his hand, its fingernails moist, poised to strike the noblewoman. Ivánstan lunged forward and sliced off the creature’s wrist just inches in front of her face.

“Thank Nyla!” she cried.

The beast howled in pain and spun to face Ivánstan. Draco latched its thorny claws into the creature’s shoulders, lifting it into the air.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. She served 11 years in the US Army and currently calls Castaic, California her home. Stephanie was married in Denmark in 1991 and has two young sons. She adores chocolate, is addicted to coffee and enjoys early morning walks. She’s also an assistant den leader for her son’s Cub Scout den and is a Boy Scout mom. She writes paranormal, contemporary, and steampunk romance and has two children’s books published with 4RV Publishing.

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

PINTEREST:

BUY LINKS FOR THE GREEN ROSE:

PUBLISHER’S SITE

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-280/The-Green-Rose-Stephanie/Detail.bok

AMAZON KINDLE:

http://amzn.com/B007QUBU2E

BARNES & NOBLE NOOK:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1109853031

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thegreenrose-769936-143.html

SONY EBOOKS:

http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/stephanie-burkhart/the-green-rose/_/R-400000000000000673505

For additional intriguing excerpts  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/11/book-blast-green-rose-by-stephanie.html

Shadow Catcher by James R. Hannibal

James will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLURB:

From James R. Hannibal—a veteran combat pilot with Top Secret clearance from the U.S. government—comes an electrifying high-tech thriller in the great tradition of Tom Clancy…

Over ten years ago, Air Force major Nick Baron was part of a failed special ops mission that left a B-2 stealth bomber at the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Now, leading his men—the Triple Seven Chase team—Baron must find the bomber and dispose of it for good before any unfriendly nation can steal the onboard technology for its own purposes. But as the team embarks on its mission, there are greater dangers waiting.

When the CIA intercepts a call signal from an operative in China long thought dead, the Triple Seven Chase team is given the perilous task of retrieving the lone soldier from deep within the Chinese wilderness. There is only one plane for such a dangerous mission: the Shadow Catcher, a plane with capabilities beyond anything that has ever flown.

What Baron and his men don’t know is that the enemy is already among them—and that the Shadow Catcher itself may be the ultimate prize.

EXCERPT:

From Chapter 2

The sun burned a dull orange hue into the hazy gulf horizon as the Illustro finally slowed to a drift. Leaning against the rail next to Drake, Nick could see nothing but green water in all directions, a seductive illusion of solitude. In truth, the Iranian coast lay less than fifty miles off the port bow, far too close for his comfort. A soft whirring drifted up from below. Down at the waterline, he saw a small section of seawater bubbling and frothing against the hull like a hot spring.

“What’s that?” asked Drake, following his gaze.

“It’s a subsurface thruster,” said Nick. “The ship’s dynamic positioning system will hold our coordinates within a couple of meters. It looks like we’re over the objective.”

“That’s right.” Walker emerged from the pilothouse. “But we don’t want to hold this position any longer than we have to, so let’s get started.”

The three of them abandoned the warm glow of the Arabian sunset for the cold fluorescent light of the ship’s main lab. White powder-coated cabinets and counters stretched the full length of the room, except for the forward wall, where the Triple Seven’s lead engineer labored before a wide bank of black computers. Above him, a large LCD monitor displayed a steadily growing mosaic of tiny black and gray squares.

“Are we nearing completion?” asked Walker.

Dr. Scott Stone looked up from his keyboard and reseated the glasses that had drifted down his sharp nose. “The submersible is covering the final section now, sir. It will complete its run momentarily.” With the last word, a tiny burp escaped his lips. The engineer grimaced and raised a hand to cover his mouth. His face turned green.

“How ya doin’, Scott?” asked Drake, perching himself on a stool at the long central table.

Stone did not answer. Instead, he stood up from his workstation, stumbled out the portal, and leaned over the rail.

Drake grinned. “That good, huh?”

“Does he realize there’s another deck below that rail?” asked Nick.

“I had Doc Heldner give him some meds,” said Walker. “She even gave him some gingersnaps.”

They heard Scott let out a heaving belch, followed by a series of sickening splats from the deck below.

“I think he just gave ’em back,” said Drake.

Walker frowned at the pilot. He took a sip of black coffee from a foam cup, paused to savor the black liquid, and then turned and stretched a hand toward the large screen. “Gentlemen, this jumble of mass confusion is a photo-map. We dropped off an autonomous ROV yesterday and then moved off-site while Dr. Stone monitored its progress. It doesn’t look like much now, but once Stone’s program unscrambles the mess, we’ll get a detailed look at our objective.” He focused his scowl on Scott as the seasick engineer trudged back to his workstation. “At least that’s what he tells me.”

“The ROV is on its way back up,” said Scott weakly, dabbing his face with a small white towel. He sank into his chair. “Let me run the resolution software. We should have an image in under a minute, sir.”

Nick gazed expectantly at the screen. At first, the picture remained an incomprehensible collage of black and gray photos. Then the hundreds of individual boxes began to move. They shifted, rotated, and adjusted until finally they merged into a single, coherent image: a massive B-2 stealth bomber, the Spirit of Kansas, lying in the silt at the bottom of the Persian Gulf.

Nick glanced at Drake. Realization washed over his teammate like an angry flood. His eyes grew wide, his jaw tensed. “That’s our jet,” he exclaimed. “My jet.”

Looking back at the crisp ROV image, Nick could clearly see the blown hatch where Drake had ejected from the aircraft ten years before. Memories of their first combat mission together came racing back.

HUMINT had predicted a meeting between Saddam Hussein and Tariq Irhaab, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. The Triple Seven Chase, then just a test squadron, had the only reconnaissance asset that could get to the target, an experimental stealth jet called Dream Catcher. Just hours before the Shock and Awe campaign began, Drake had slipped through the enemy radar fence in the Spirit of Kansas, carrying Nick and Dream Catcher in the B-2’s weapons bay, and Danny Sharp, one of the Dream Catcher’s developers, in his copilot seat.

The mission was supposed to be a cakewalk.

It wasn’t.

The bay doors jammed half open during deployment, ruining the bomber’s stealth and sending Nick and the Dream Catcher tumbling toward the desert floor. Nick had no choice but to eject, right in the path of a platoon of Republican Guard. Drake could have left him. He should have, to save the B-2. Instead, he came back for his teammate, taking out the platoon’s missile launcher so that a rescue chopper could get in close enough to grab him. Unfortunately, the launcher got off a shot before Drake’s bomb took it down. The last time Nick saw the bomber, it was limping south toward the gulf, trailing smoke and fire.

Drake tore his eyes away from the monitor to glare at Walker. “Of course, that can’t be my jet,” he said, tilting his head. “While medevac took Nick, Danny, and me back to the States, you salvaged my jet and towed it out to deep water. You scattered it into a thousand pieces over the Arabian Basin.” He gestured at Nick, his volume beginning to build. “Nick and I sat next to you while you testified before the oversight committee. We corroborated everything you told them!”

Nick winced. Drake still hadn’t put it all together, that Nick had kept the truth from him almost as long as Walker had.

“Stand down, Major,” Walker fired back. “What would you have me do, tell a pack of two-bit politicians that we left a stealth bomber at the bottom of the Persian Gulf?” He folded his arms and snorted. “They can’t keep their mouths shut. The Iranians would have picked the wreck clean by now, two billion dollars’ worth of stealth technology out in the open. We had to keep it need-to-know.”

The colonel’s scowl deepened as he took another sip of coffee. “The first salvage op went bad, very bad. We started to bring her up, but one of the main cables snapped, then the other one. Two divers were killed immediately. The third was pinned under the bomber. I went in to get him out, but there was nothing I could do. I lost the entire team.” He cast a glance at Nick. “After that fiasco, Major Baron and I decided it was better to leave the bomber where it lay.”

Drake turned to Nick in shock, suddenly grasping the full truth. “You knew about this the whole time?”

Nick opened his mouth to respond, but after a decade of knowing this day would come, he could not find the words to say.

“I brought Major Baron into the loop as soon as I returned to Washington,” said Walker. “I needed a sounding board, and I wanted a member of the ops team to be prepared in case word got out about the asset. Baron is the team lead. He had the need to know. You didn’t.”

The revelation that even Nick had kept the secret from him robbed Drake’s anger of its fire. He shifted his gaze to the floor. “Did Danny know?”

“No,” answered Nick quietly. And he would never know. Danny had died the previous September. This lie was only a small part of the guilt that Nick still harbored in the wake of his death.

“If it’s been safe this long, then why recover it now?” asked Drake.

“An Italian marine science group is planning to map the gulf floor,” said Nick. “We can’t wait any longer.” He hesitated. “I’m sorry we kept you in the dark.”

“Get over it, both of you,” said Walker coldly. “We need to get this done. I don’t like digging up graves in the Iranian’s backyard. We’ve kept that bomber quiet for a decade, but now that we’re out here, I feel exposed.”

Nick placed a hand on his teammate’s shoulder and looked up at the ghostly image of the B-2. A chill swept over him. He thought of the horror that lay beneath: the crushed body of a forgotten patriot and two fully armed five-thousand-pound bombs.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

James R. Hannibal is a former US Air Force Stealth Bomber pilot with over a thousand hours of combat experience including over-watch, close air support, and HVI captures. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1997 with a bachelors of science in Middle Eastern Studies and earned a masters of science from Central Missouri State University in Aviation Safety Sciences. His flying career included the A-10 Warthog, B-2 Stealth Bomber, MQ-1 Predator, T-38 Talon, T-37 Tweet, and the Boeing 737, 757, and 767. When he is not flying or writing thrillers, James occasionally reviews for the New York Journal of Books.

Buy links:

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G3L6N6K/

B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-maker-james-r-hannibal/1117225112

IndieBound – http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780425266885

Kobo – http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/shadow-maker-1

BAM – http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Shadow-Catcher/James-R-Hannibal/Q601624991

Powell’s – http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780425266908-0

Walmart – http://www.walmart.com/ip/31893105

Publisher – http://www.penguin.com/book/shadow-maker-by-james-r-hannibal/9780425266892

Social Media:

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/JamesRHannibal

Twitter – http://twitter.com/JamesRHannibal

Website – http://stealthcommand.com/

Shadow Maker:

How far will collateral damage from a CIA drone strike reach?

When a suicide bomber shatters the peace of a winter afternoon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., former pilot and undercover Cerberus operative Nick Baron receives an eerie invitation from the chess app on his phone—a mysterious figure named The Emissary wants to play.

Nick and his covert unit—the Triple Seven Chase team—soon find themselves drawn into battle against an unknown opponent who has resurrected an ancient order of assassins: the legendary Hashashin. And there is a long-awaited prophecy being fulfilled by a series of violent attacks which may culminate in a final apocalypse over Jerusalem.

As the Triple Seven fight to stop each attack, Nick tries to keep The Emissary on the hook by playing their digital chess game. The lines between the game and the fight begin to blur, as every time Nick loses a piece on the board, he loses one of his men. And if Nick cannot find a way to stop the terrorist mastermind, a checkmate may kill millions…

Wraith:

After the towers fall on 9/11, Lieutenant Nick Baron and the rest of the 81st Fighter Squadron are desperate for action. But CENTCOM puts them on the sidelines, leaving the young Warthog pilots restless—and reckless. Then the unthinkable happens. During a high-risk training flight, a rookie wingman slams into the ground.

In the darkness that follows, Nick wonders if he will ever learn to trust a wingman again—or even learn to trust himself. He will soon find out. Despite the black mark on his record, Nick’s application to the elite Stealth Wing is approved. A recruiter for a new covert team has taken note of Nick’s unique combination of skills. Suddenly Nick is swept into Operation Cerberus—a top secret mission that will take him from a harrowing flight over a black testing facility to a fight for his life on the Iraqi Dunes.

“Hannibal brings together a terrific mix of real air technology with intrigue and nonstop action. A true suspenseful story that will keep you turning the pages until the exciting finale; it really is a great tale.”—Clive Cussler

“Get out of the way, Nelson DeMille. Brad Thor—you’ve got competition!”—Raymond Benson

“A feast for thriller lovers!”—Grant Blackwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Kill Switch

 

 FOR MORE EXCITING EXCERPTS FOLLOW JAMES ON HIS TOUR:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/11/book-blast-shadow-catcher-by-james-r.html

The Academy: Thief by C.L. Stone

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn commenter will run a $25 Amazon/BN gift card via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Kayli Winchester is a dirt-poor girl living out of a hotel, forced to be the parent for a drunken father and teenage brother who she’s desperate to keep in school. The only way she scrapes by is to utilize her one skill: pickpocketing. But even though she’s a thief she has a moral code: no kids or old ladies, only targets who can defend themselves. Not that they see her coming…

Thinking she’s been working under the radar, Kayli has no idea The Academy has been watching and taking notice. Now a team that needs her skill has offered her a way out of her predicament and it’s her last chance: work with them, or face jail time. Kayli resists at first, but slowly the boys reveal they can be trusted. With Marc, the straight man, Raven, the bad-boy Russian, Corey and Brandon the twins as different as night and day, and Axel their stoic leader, there’s a lot Kayli can learn from these Academy guys about living on the edge of the law. If only she can stay on the good side instead of the bad.

Especially when the job they offer her is more than any of them bargained for. After it’s done, the hunters have become the hunted and their target is now after Kayli. The Academy boys do their best to keep her hidden, but a thief like Kayli will never sit still for long.

Meet an all-new Academy team in Thief, the beginning of the Scarab Beetle series.

Enjoy an excerpt:

“I don’t know what you want me to do,” I said, but my voice was nearly gone, thick with the fear that he was way too close and seemed to think he knew what I wanted. I didn’t want him to know he was right. I don’t know why. My pride was too strong. I’d been this way for so long, I didn’t know how to give in. I didn’t know how to trust.

He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something else but stopped, and his eyes drifted down to my mouth and held. My breath caught in my throat.

Before I could think to even push him off, his mouth claimed me. He kissed me hard enough that my head pressed back into the wall. His hands slid back to cup around my jaw to keep me from pulling away. His lips pressed down, mouth parted.

I kissed him back. I don’t know what came over me, but I wanted to feel those promises. I wanted to believe, for the moment, that maybe I could just let go, like he said, and trust that I could be accepted for who I was. Was I just like him? Could I be like that? Could I find a place just for me among these guys and waltz in and be with them? I opened my mouth, inviting him in, just a little.

Like opening the gates, his mouth claimed me again. In every possible place I could think to hide, he found me. My mind blanked out. I didn’t have room for anything else other than him and his kiss that told me everything would be all right. His kiss sank into me over and over again. Lips pressed against mine, tugging at my skin, at heart strings, at my core.

When he finally released my mouth so I could breathe, his lips trailed over my face, across my eyes and my brows.

“Why did it have to be you?” He breathed out as he whispered against my face. “I was hunting a thief, and I found a beautiful wreck.”

About the Author: C. L. Stone once lived in Charleston, SC, and currently lives among Cajuns. She writes about cute boys and uncomfortable situations, usually mixed together. You can email her at clstone@arcatopublishing.com. Sign up for email updates, get exclusive info on upcoming release dates, get notified when freebies are offered, and sometimes sneak peeks!

http://clstonebooks.com/

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Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes, Google, or All Romance eBooks.

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Portrait of Passion by Lynne Barron

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What’s a Viscount to do when a mysterious lady with a secret past and a reputation frayed around the edges suddenly appears in London in hot pursuit of his naive young cousin, setting the gossips’ tongues wagging, stirring his family into pandemonium, and driving him mad with her irreverent ways?

If the Viscount in question is Simon Easton, the answer is quite simple. Seduce the beguiling lady. But Miss Beatrice Morgan isn’t your average tarnished lady. She’s lived a slapdash life wandering the globe like a gypsy, painting fantastical portraits of Duchesses as Sirens and landscapes featuring a crumbling old fountain, all the while harboring a secret desire to return to Idyllwild, the only home she’s ever known.

What Simon does not know is that Beatrice just might be willing to sacrifice her honor, her virtue, her very heart to reclaim Idyllwild.

Enjoy an excerpt:

“Easton, are you all right?” Beatrice asked quietly. “You haven’t said a word, well apart from that bit about the butler.”

“And the part about you just rising from your bed,” he reminded her just as quietly and watched her eyes widen before she laughed—a dark and husky laugh that rolled over him like a wave.

“I thought I should be proper and ignore that part,” she said. She turned and walked across the room as she added, “After all, one of us should be. And today it seems it shall be me.”

Simon swallowed a bite of lemon muffin quickly before he could choke on the chuckle that tried to escape.

“You? Proper?” he teased. Mabel’s head swung around and she glared at him.

“I can be, you know.” She had stopped in front of the sink and he saw that she was pouring milk into a glass. She turned and started back across the kitchen before continuing. “I know how. I simply choose not to be. Much more fun that way.” She handed the glass to him and stood watching while he took a sip before handing it back to her.

He stood in absolute awe as she proceeded to take a long swallow from the glass he had just handed back to her.

“What do you think?” she asked, licking the foam from her upper lip.

Think? How could he possibly think? How could he think when he was standing in the kitchen with her looking up at him while she licked her lips? How could he be expected to think when she was wearing what had to be her nightgown with her hair still in its braid from the night before? How was he to think with her bare shoulders and bare toes on display?

About the Author:Write About What You Know.

Every Creative Writing Teacher and College Professor said these words to Lynne Barron in one form or another. But what did she know?

She knew she enjoyed the guilty pleasure of reading romance novels whenever she could find time between studying, working and raising her son as a single mother.

She knew quite a bit about women’s lives in the Regency and Victorian era from years spent bouncing back and forth between European History and English Literature as a major in college.

She knew precious little about romance except to know that it was more than the cliché card and a dozen red roses on Valentine’s Day.

Then she met her wonderfully romantic husband and finally she knew.

Passion, Love and Romance.

And she began to write.

If you would like to learn more about Lynne Barron and the Idyllwild Series, please visit her website at LynneBarron.com or follow her at Facebook or Twitter.

Buy the book at Ellora’s Cave, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

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DEVIATION by Christine Manzari

 

This post is part of a cover reveal for the re-release of Christine Manzari’s DEVIATION. One randomly drawn winner will be awarded a $25 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Being a Sophisticate of the Program seems like it’d be a pretty sweet deal: a little genetic alteration and anyone can be smarter, faster, and stronger. It’s a dream come true. All you have to give up is your freedom.

Cleo is a Sophisticate and she has a bright future in the Program. But she has a secret. When she gets upset, bad things happen. Explosive things. Things she can’t control.

When her secret is discovered, she’s sent to the Academy to train in the military branch of the Program. She’s destined to be a human weapon in the war that’s been going on since Wormwood occurred nearly 30 years ago. She soon learns that although her ability is unique, there are others like her — other Sophisticates with lethal skills and odd code names like Archerfish and Mimic Octopus.

Immersed in a dangerous game of supernatural powers and dubious motives, Cleo doesn’t know who to trust. Ozzy, the annoyingly attractive cadet who has perfect aim in weapons class and deviant lips behind closed doors, begs her not to use her powers. He’s the golden boy of the Program, but can she trust him? Or will she find herself a target, caught in his crosshairs?

Enjoy an excerpt:

We stood quietly, looking at the monument.

“All right then. Had enough?” Sterling asked. “Time to get back to the stadium before Farnsworth comes to.”

“Are you kidding?” Arabella grabbed our hands, dragging us through the cemetery and around the back of the building. The light was starting to fade as the sky began to morph from pinks and oranges into deep purples. “Don’t you want to see his original burial spot?”

“I didn’t really want to see his current burial spot. I just wanted your player’s card,” Sterling admitted as she dragged him along.

We wove in and out of the ancient grave sites, making our way down a worn path, under trees, and to the back corner of the graveyard which was cloaked in too many shadows for my comfort. Soon, we were standing in front of a traditional looking headstone with a carving of a raven underneath words that said “Quoth the Raven Nevermore.”

Arabella stood there for what seemed like an eternity, staring at the tombstone that wasn’t even the current resting spot of the poet anymore.

“He was an orphan, just like us,” Arabella murmured.

“How did he die?” I asked.

Arabella tore her gaze from the raven. “It’s kind of a mystery. He was found on the streets of Baltimore, delirious and in distress. He kept calling out the name Reynolds and the last words he spoke were, ‘Lord, help my poor soul.’ All of the medical documents have been lost. Some theorists think it was murder, some suicide, some cooping.”

“What on earth is cooping?” Sterling asked, kicking at a pile of leaves at the base of the headstone.

Arabella turned to face Sterling. “Hard to explain, you’ll have to look it up. But for the sake of simplicity, let’s just say he was forced to do something he didn’t want to do.” Arabella turned back to the tombstone. “Just like us.”

“That’s all very fascinating, but I’m afraid story time is over,” spoke a deep, strange voice.

I whipped around just in time to see half a dozen large men emerge from the shadows. Before I could even think about struggling, one of the men had caught me in a tight grip and another was putting something across my nose and mouth. I kicked out blindly, bucking in the strong grip of the man holding me. As a sickly, sweet, cloying scent filled my mouth and nostrils, Poe’s words echoed in my thoughts. Lord, help my poor soul.

And then everything went black.

About the Author:

The first thing Christine does when she’s getting ready to read a book is to crack the spine in at least five places. She wholeheartedly believes there is no place as comfy as the pages of a well-worn book. She’s addicted to buying books, reading books, and writing books. Books, books, books. She also has a weakness for adventure, inappropriate humor, and coke (the caffeine-laden bubbly kind). Christine is from Forest Hill, Maryland where she lives with her husband, three kids, and her library of ugly spine books.

Website: www.christinemanzari.com

Email: christine@christinemanzari.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChristineManzari

Twitter: twitter.com/Xenatine

Instagram: instagram.com/xenatine

Pinterest: pinterest.com/xenatine/

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/Christine_Manzari

Buy the book at Amazon, Smashwords, or Smashwords.

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A Spy Unmasked by Tina Gabrielle, a novel in the Crown Secret Service Novels

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter to win $15 Amazon giftcard and ebook of A SPY UNMASKED. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The mission did not go quite as Robert Ware–known in society as the new Earl of Kirkland–planned. A spy in the service of His Majesty, Robert is a “guest” at a masquerade party as he retrieves vital information for a murder investigation. Until he’s quite unexpectedly interrupted by an exquisite, masked woman with glittering green eyes. And a pistol she has cocked and aimed right at him…

Lady Sophia Merrill has defiantly taken up justice’s shining sword, determined to expose the brigand who murdered her eccentric but brilliant father, and stole his latest invention. Now she must masquerade as Robert’s betrothed in order to infiltrate the Inventor’s Society and find the killer. But the undeniable potent attraction between them not only imperils the investigation, but Sophia’s reputation… and both of their lives.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Frustration roiled inside Sophia. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t like the idea of working together any more than you do.”

“I highly doubt it,” Robert said.

“It’s true,” she insisted.

“You appear quite eager to go along with Wendover’s plans.”

“I’m eager only to seek justice for my father’s murder.”

He hesitated, and his gaze roved and lazily appraised her. “You do realize we’ll attend the house party next week as an engaged couple.”

She felt her face grow warm, and she looked up at him with an effort. “In name only.”

“It makes no difference. We’ll have to socialize. Act as a loving couple. Sit beside each other during the evening meal and stare longingly into each other’s eyes. It’s not too late to change your mind.”

“I won’t.”

He flashed a smile, his teeth white against the bronzed perfection of his face. “Perhaps we should practice to be certain we can pull it off.”

He took a step closer and cupped her face with his hand. His palm was calloused, not as smooth as she would have expected of a lord’s hands. But then again, he wasn’t solely an earl.

He leaned close until she could see the specks of blue in his brilliant eyes. A strange fluttering began in the pit of her stomach as he lowered his head inch by inch until his breath fanned her lips.

About the Author:

Award-winning author Tina Gabrielle is an attorney and former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. She often picked up a romance and let her fantasies of knights in shining armor and lords and ladies carry her away. After multi-publishing for a prestigious law journal, she fulfilled her dream of writing fiction. A Spy Unmasked is the first book In The Crown’s Secret Service series. The second book in the series, At The Spy’s Pleasure, is coming in April 2015 from Entangled Publishing. She is also the author of adventurous Regency historical romances, In The Barrister’s Bed, In The Barrister’s Chambers, Lady Of Scandal, and A Perfect Scandal from Kensington Books.

Publisher’s Weekly calls her Regency Barrister’s series, “Well-matched lovers…witty comradely repartee.” Tina’s books have been Barnes & Noble top picks, and her first book, Lady Of Scandal, was nominated as best first historical by Romantic Times Book Reviews.

Website: www.tinagabrielle.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinagabrielle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaGabrielle

Blog: http://thevioletfemmes.wordpress.com/

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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Pie Girls by Lauren Clark

Lauren will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Wouldn’t you like to know more about the author?  She graciously agreed to answer my blog questions.  May I introduce Lauren…..

What is your greatest temptation:

In men:  Oh, my! I’d have to say another that looks like Mark Wahlburg. Something about his boyish grin. And the amazing abs. And he seems like a nice guy. The guy next door, which is always appealing!

In food:   I’m a sucker for sweets! I love a great pie … and I’ve included my grandmother’s recipes for Lemon Sponge Pie, Chess Pie, and Chocolate Pecan Pie in the back of Pie Girls! Yummy!

In clothes:    I love a dress that you can throw on and it always looks fabulous. I adore anything BCBG Max Azria.

What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)? Like Searcy in Pie Girls, I have a bit of a shoe predilection. Of course, I can’t afford Jimmy Choo or Prada, but I certainly have fun dreaming about owning them!

If you could have any kind of car, what would it be? I actually love my Prius. I’d love (someday) to have a newer, shinier one with a sunroof and the new high-tech dashboard.

Your dream home – mountains or ocean? I’d love a home in the mountains overlooking a huge, clear-blue lake. I grew up visiting one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, and I’ve always loved the thought of having a vacation home there someday.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it? Thankfully, no!! I do, occasionally, get stuck on a chapter or character I’m developing. What works best for me is talking it through with one of my author friends or my mom!

What are you currently working on?   I’m currently writing the sequel to Dancing Naked in Dixie, which was my second novel. Dixie tells the story of Julia Sullivan, a NYC travel writer sent to the Deep South to cover a story in Eufaula, Alabama. When she arrives, and begins her research, she gets much more than she bargained for when she discovers the city’s historic district is in danger of being replaced with a condominium development. Julia ends up falling in love with the city and fights for the preservation of Eufaula’s historic landmarks.

Are you nervous about friends reading your book? LOL. Always. I want to create the best, most satisfying novel possible. I want my friends to enjoy the book and my readers to be happy!

Where are you from? I’m from Upstate New York, about 30 minutes from the Canadian border. My entire family is still there, and we enjoy going back for long summer trips (to escape the hot and humid Mobile, Ala. weather) and in the winter time so that my boys can enjoy playing in the snow!

If you could hop on a plane now, where would you go? Definitely Santorini, Greece. I’ve always been fascinated by the people, food, and culture. The photographs are amazing. After reading about the island in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, I decided I have to go someday!

BLURB:

Princess, Southern belle, and spoiled-rotten social climber Searcy Roberts swore on a stack of Bibles she’d never return home to Fairhope, Alabama. After marrying her high school sweetheart and moving to Atlanta, Searcy embraces big-city life—Carrie Bradshaw style.

But now, Searcy has a teeny, tiny problem. Her husband’s had a mid-life crisis. He’s quit his job, cancelled her credit cards, and left her for another man.

Searcy returns to Fairhope, ready to lick her wounds. But when her mother falls ill, she’s is thrust into managing the family business—only to discover the beloved bakery is in danger of closing its doors forever.

Enlisting the help of the adorable bike store owner next door, an array of well-heeled customers, and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Searcy hatches the plan of the century to save Pie Girls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT – Chapter 9

“Are you sure that the baby’s mine?”

I feel faint and the room starts to tilt and swim. “Whatever are you talking about?” I demand, doing my best to sound indignant. “Of course it’s ours.”

Alton turns his body to face mine. “I’m asking, because it’s impossible,” he explains.

My lips part. I try to form words. What is he trying to tell me?

“Searcy,” Alton leans closer. ” I had a vasectomy. Six months ago.”

“What?” I squeak. “How? When?”

“You were in California with Phillipa.”

My hands begin to quiver. I brace myself on the sofa.

Vasectomy?

Six. Months. Ago.

I feel sick. I want to throw up. Or launch myself out the window.

My husband’s gaze doesn’t waver. He’s serious.

“You see,” Alton continues gently. “The baby can’t be mine.”

I  can’t speak or take a breath. All at once, I am furious. How dare he do this to me? Of all of the underhanded, rotten, selfish things to do to a wife. How could he take this away from me? From us?

Usually, I’m a calm, rational person. But without another thought, my right hand clenches into a fist. My fingers curl tight and the tips press into my palm. My arm bends at the elbow and I draw my body back, gathering momentum.

take aim.

As my first jets through the air, cutting a path straight for my husband’s gorgeous face, everything screams to a slow-motion finish.

His face registers a mix of doubt, surprise, and then…in the last second…out-right terror.

I punch Alton square in the mouth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lauren Clark writes contemporary Southern novels sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets. A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored coffee, local book stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her big loves are her family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends.

She is the author of four award-winning novels, Dancing Naked in Dixie, Stay Tuned, Stardust Summer, and Pie Girls, as well as a short story, A Very Dixie Christmas, published in the Merry & Bright holiday collection. Lauren is a member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association and the Mobile Writers Guild. Check out her website at http://www.laurenclarkbooks.com.

Website

http://www.laurenclarkbooks.com

Blog

http://www.laurenclarkbooks.com/blog

Twitter

@LaurenClark_Bks

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauren-Clark/235315706518284

Pinterest

Kindle: http://amzn.to/X8rCq1

Nook: http://bit.ly/1pHBVuo

iBooks:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/pie-girls/id906182442?mt=11

FOR MORE FUN EXCERPTS, FOLLOW LAUREN ON HER TOUR:

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Up the Tower by J. P. Lantern

The author will be awarding a backlist ebook copy to a randomly drawn winner at every stop during the tour and a Grand Prize of a $25 Amazon GC will be awarded to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during this tour.

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BLURB:

Disaster brings everybody together. A cloned corporate assassin; a boy genius and his new robot; a tech-modified gangster with nothing to lose; a beautiful, damaged woman and her unbalanced stalker—these folks couldn’t be more different, but somehow they must work together to save their own skin. Stranded in the epicenter of a monumental earthquake in the dystopian slum, Junktown, there is only one way to survive. These unlikely teammates must go…UP THE TOWER.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

Before anything else—before the riot, before the flood, before the gap and the deaths and the fires and the pain—before all of that, Ana just wanted to get the hell out of Junktown.

But she was stuck there with Raj, and Raj had all the bodyguards, so she couldn’t very well leave on her own. Walk into Junktown without any protection? No, thank you. She had a knife on her, but that was hardly enough. The knife fit neatly in a small, luxury Cardion-brand sheath at her side.

The rest of her outfit was direct out from a fashion magazine. She wore tight black Cardion slacks, her patent leather Aushwere ankle boots sexy and stylish and perfect for inner-city walking. Her dark blue blouse was Cardion again (there had been a sale); already she had noticed the way Raj had been hugging his eyes to how it cupped and clung to her body. He would have been looking a bit more, perhaps, but she wore her favorite Kadaya Sarin-brand leather jacket, allowing her a bit of modesty with the long sleeves and tight collar, despite the thinness of the material. She was a woman dressed to impress, but also was no whore—she had her man. He liked her dressed attractive, but not like some slut. Ana knew what he wanted, because that was her entire life, as she saw it, from now on.

They were inside the ground floor of a tall building. Cleanbots rushed around them, sweeping up dust, guided along by retrofitted eyebots that spied out areas of dust and disrepair.

“Here’s where we’ll have the lobby,” said Raj, opening his hands out wide to the open space.

Ana had presence of mind to hold her tongue.

What she wanted to say was, “Really, dear? Here in the first possible place that someone could enter from the street? That’s where you’ll have the lobby? That’s so inventive. You’re so smart.”

What did she say was, “Oh! It will look beautiful, I’m sure.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

J.P. Lantern lives in the Midwestern US, though his heart and probably some essential parts of his liver and pancreas and whatnot live metaphorically in Texas. He writes speculative science fiction short stories, novellas, and novels which he has deemed “rugged,” though he would also be fine with “roughhewn” because that is a terrific and wonderfully apt word.

Full of adventure and discovery, these stories examine complex people in situations fraught with conflict as they search for truth in increasingly violent and complicated worlds.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171112.J_P_Lantern

Blog/website: http://jplantern.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JpLanternBooks

twitter: @jplantern

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MU46DL4

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Beautiful Outlaw by Emily Minton

Synopsis

After the last fourteen years of

surviving as a walking, talking, living doll, Laura feels dead inside.


 


She has sacrificed everything for

her family, marrying a man she could never love. Her husband doesn’t beat her,

doesn’t berate her. He transforms her, forcing her to live as a stand-in for

his long dead wife. She stays silent as piece after piece of herself

disappears, willing to do anything to protect the people she loves.


 


When his demands go too far, she

finally tells her brother the ugly truth.


 


Wanting to protect her without

putting the rest of their family at risk, he sends her to the one place he

knows she’ll be safe. He places her into the hands of his best friend, Vice

President of the Savage Outlaws MC.


 


Once again, she is transformed into

someone new; Shay.


 


Bowie has spent many nights

dreaming about his best friend’s little sister. The reality is so much sweeter

than his dreams. He wants to be more for Shay, needs to protect her, but he’s

not sure if he knows how.


 

 


Can an Outlaw show her how

beautiful life should be?


 

Excerpt

I push Shay in front of my body. She tries to pull away, but I tighten my grip and lean down to whisper in her ear.  “Don’t move.”


My voice has her shaking; her fear is so strong that I swear I can taste it, but this shit has to be done.  Putting my hand under her chin and lifting her eyes to the crowd.  I run my other hand up to cup her breast, making sure the boys get my point, as I start to talk.  “Take a good look, brothers.  This here is mine.  If I even hear of one of you laying a finger on her, I will fuckin’ kill you.”


A few hoots and hollers fill the room, but I ignore them. I look around, just to be sure everyone understands.  “I claim her as my property.  She’s my Old Lady. Stay the fuck away from her.”


With that, I lower my hand from her face and place it on her arm.  I pull her along as I make my way to my room.  As soon as I step inside, I slam the door.  Looking down at her, I lay out the rules.  “Never fight me in front of those boys, and I mean fuckin’ ever.  If you don’t like what I do, tell me when we’re alone.  Throw all the sass you want behind closed doors, but never show anything but complete respect in front of them.”


Her face is hard.  Instead of the tears I expected to see, her eyes are burning with anger.  “So, I can say whatever I want right now?”


Her voice comes out in a hiss, as she crosses her arms.  Every inch of her is vibrating with fury, and she looks hot as hell.  I nod, trying not to crack a smile.   “Yeah, any fuckin’ thing you want.”


She lifts a hand, point a finger at my chest.  “Next time you decide to treat me like a piece of meat, give me a little warning.  Tell me you’re about to parade me in front of a bunch of bikers and let them look their fill.  Don’t scare the hell out of me like that.”


“Is that all?” I ask, still working to keep my laughter in check. 


She moves forward, her finger now poking me.  “I’ll treat you with respect, but you are going to do the same for me.  I’ll play your little lap dog in front of your friends, but you better not do something like that to me ever again.  If you do, I’ll be out of here and back at Nina’s before you can even blink an eye.”



The humor of the moment dies a fast death, and I reach down and grab her.  Walking her back to the bed, I push her down and climb over her.  As I cage her body below mine, I start to speak.  “Never fuckin’ threaten me again.  You’re not going to Nina’s or any damn where else.  You’re mine, and you better never forget it.”

 

Buy Link


     
      
 
Author Bio



USA Today Best Selling Author,

Emily Minton is a Kentucky native. She claims she bleeds blue–Wildcat Blue!

Emily loves to read, and this love of the written word led to her writing

career.






Social Media Links





Facebook-

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorEmilyMinton




Twitter-

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Pintrest-

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Website-

http://www.emilyminton.com/




Goodreads-

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171978.Emily_Minton




Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Emily-Minton/e/B00FHIMV3O/

 

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