Victoria Adams's Blog, page 76

Flashing my Wednesday Briefs #WedBriefs #FlashFiction

Welcome to this week's Wednesday Briefs.
This is a raw (unedited) m/f time travel romance. It's a 500 to 1,000 word excerpt inspired by: Absolutely power corrupts absolutely, plus the photos below.  Chapters 1 through 5 are available on the free read tab at top of blog. Sunrise 58

Sian led J'dol up to her office, bouncing with the energy of a five-year old. "Ok. Pull that chair closer and sit next to me." She plopped onto her desk chair and booted up her computer. "This is a computer. Trying to explain what it is and how it works would break my brain." She waited until J'dol had settled next to her.She clicked on her search engine icon and Google's page appeared on the screen. "This is Google. Before you ask, Google is all the elders who ever lived and knowledge that they had all put in one place. Say you want to know what clouds are. You type – what are clouds made of and you click here."A new screen shot appeared on her monitor. "See this." She pointed at the URL -  http://www.universetoday.com/73198/what-are-clouds-made-of/  "It's the address of this article that explains what clouds are made of.""Clouds are made up from water that goes from the lakes to the sky. What is that painting?" He pointed at the computer screen."It's called a picture. And that is a picture of Earth from outer space."J'dol rubbed his forehead, started to ask a question and stopped.Sian smiled. "Earth is the planet we live on. Space is beyond the edges of Earth." Sian glanced at her fingernails. "I want to ask a question, but I don't want to insult you.""Please ask. I will not be insulted.""Did you ever go to school? Are there schools in the future?""Warriors are not educated in anything other than war.""So you can't read?" She traced her finger over the screen where the cloud article appeared. "You don't know that these are words?"J'dol stared at the screen and shook his head."Can I ask what a warrior learns?""How to fight? How to survive?""But you knew what clouds were?"J'dol settled back in his chair. "The elders teach us many things. They explain the world to us when we have questions." He pointed at the screen. "Show me more."Sian clicked on Bookmark, scrolled down and selected theatre. "This is where plays are performed. Entertainment. Singing. Acting. Dancing."J'dol smiled. "The minstrels come in the summer and entertain us with songs and dance. They have little figure plays for the young ones.""Puppets?"J'dol shrugged. Sian quickly typed in a search for puppets and showed the pictures to J'dol. He nodded. "Yes. Like those. The children find them very entertaining and show the plays all winter."After scanning her bookmark list, she selected church. A magnificent photograph of a grand cathedral appeared on the screen. It was composed of carved stone arches, stained glass windows with rows of wooden benches leading form the back to the altar. "This is one of my favourite churches. I think it is just so beautiful. Christians pray to a God in a place like this. Other religions worship differently in their form of churches. Do you have a God?"J'dol frowned. "Worshipping is bad. Those worshipped are evil.""Um?" Sian bit her lip. How could she have a religiously correct conversation?"The only people who are worshipped are the Miz-happen and they are evil. I was angry when I saw that painting of the Queen and I thought you worshipped her." He matched her gaze. "I am happy that I was wrong and you do not worship her. She controls everything and everybody. Many generations ago, the people of my village fled. The elders say our ancestors had nothing after the reboot and had to create life all over again."J'dol lowered his head. "Whenever we create something to make our lives better. She sends soldiers to take it. Whenever she needs new slaves, she takes them. People who are taken, never return.""We have a saying, absolute power corrupts absolutely." She lowered her head and shook it. "And that is very sad." J'dol placed a finger under her chin and lifted it. "Please do not be sad. Someone as beautiful as you should only be happy. How can I make you happy?""Just love me."

Now onto the other flashers. 
Go to this link Wednesday Brief authors  or go to individual authors


M.A. ChurchCarol PedrosoShelly SchulzJon KeysNephylimAvery DawesCia NordwellRavon SilviusKazy ReedJohayanTali SpencerJulie Lynn Hayes





Rest of the month's highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance 4 – Cover Reveal – David Burnett – To Fall in Love Again5 – Lisette Brody – Desert Star
6 - Newly Released - A Holiday Anthology Vol 2 7 - Weekend Writing Warriors8 – Dana Leipold - Burnt Edges 9 - Deborah Nam-Krane – The Pioneer Series10 - Flash Fiction and Book Hooks


11 – Celia Breslin - Destiny12 – Elmer Seward – Hearts in the Storm14 - Weekend Writing Warriors15 – Melissa Foster – Seaside Sunsets17 - Book Hooks and Flash Fiction19-21 – Winter Warm Up Blog Hop24 - Flash Fiction 25 – 26 – Christmas post28 - Weekend Writing Warriors31 – Jan 1 – New Years Post

Shan Purcell's Degrees of Losing

IF YOU ARE HERE FOR  SANDY GOLDSWORTHY'S AFTERMATH- PLEASE SCROLL DOWN. I, ACCIDENTALLY, SCHEDULED TWO BLOG SPOTS ON SAME DAY AND DIDN'T NOTICE UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO CHANGE.



Degrees of Losing by Shan Purcell
What would life be like if you could recall every detail of your entire life? 

Casey has hyperthymesia, a rare condition which means that she has perfect recollection of her past, a burden which imprisons her in her memories. There is no joy in the present, no thought of the future; only the inescapable past playing constantly in her mind. 

Then one day she meets Joe, a man without a past. Or is he? 

Together they find a present, which has the potential to save them both but also forces them to confront a future that challenges their love of life and each other. 

Degrees of Losing is a story about love and loss, memory and time, and what it means to be somebody.
BUY LINKS AMAZON UK AMAZON US BARNES AND NOBLE


About Shan Purcell
Shan Purcell was born in Sydney, and raised in Perth, Western Australia from the age of one. She attended St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, before studying Psychology at the University of Western Australia. Shan moved to North West of the UK in 2002.  She completed a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Salford in 2005 and has been working in marketing in the education sector since then. Shan, 37, now lives in Hale in Greater Manchester with her partner and her dog, Gizmo.   AUTHOR LINKS https://www.facebook.com/degreesoflosinghttps://twitter.com/spurcellwrites
TOUR GIVEAWAY 2 PAPERBACK COPIES OF THE BOOK. OPEN INTERNATIONALLY 


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Newly Released Sandy Goldsworthy's Aftermath

Title: Aftermath
Series: The AfterWorld Saga
Author: Sandy Goldsworthy
Just Released: December 2nd, 2014
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Page Count: 361
Genre: Paranormal Romance Action Adventure
Content Warning: Adult language, violence, and sexual content
Age Recommendation: 14+
Synopsis:
After losing her father, Emma Bennett moves to her aunt’s small town of Westport to finish out her senior year of high school. Emma wants to forget the pain and loss of the past few weeks, finding relief in the company of Ben Parker—a local boy who she has an instant attraction and uncanny connection with. When Ben seems a little too preoccupied with other responsibilities and has no time for her, Emma turns to the town’s hottest flirt—Lucas Crandon—for affection. Unfortunately, she realizes a little too late that, sometimes, bad boys really can be bad for you.

Life as an undercover agent for the Afterworld’s Bureau of Investigation isn’t an easy job. When Ben Parker finds his soul mate, Emma, in a small town, he finds himself forced to choose between doing his job or rekindling a relationship with the love of his existence. After Ben is notified that a notorious immortal is loose somewhere near Westport, he realizes that his love life will just have to wait. There is a criminal to apprehend before he can have his girl.

When lives are at stake and immortals are on the loose, can two soul mates find their happy ever after?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads


About the Author
Sandy Goldsworthy was born and raised in a small Wisconsin town. Her passion for writing began when her high school English teacher inspired her to be more descriptive in her work. Today, Sandy is writing the second book of Emma and Ben’s story. When she’s not writing, Sandy enjoys spending time with her husband, Mike, and two children, Brittany and Kyle, or playing with her English Mastiff, Miles.

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

GIVEAWAY

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Rest of the month highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance
2 – Shan Purcell – Degrees of Losing3 - Book Hooks and Flash Fiction 4 – Cover Reveal – David Burnett – To Fall in Love Again5 – Lisette Brody – Desert Star7 - Weekend Writing Warriors8 – Dana Leipold - Burnt Edges 9 - Deborah Nam-Krane – The Pioneer Series10 - Flash Fiction and Book Hooks


11 – Celia Breslin - Destiny12 – Elmer Seward – Hearts in the Storm14 - Weekend Writing Warriors15 – Melissa Foster – Seaside Sunsets17 - Book Hooks and Flash Fiction19-21 – Winter Warm Up Blog Hop24 - Flash Fiction and Book Hooks25 – 26 – Christmas post28 - Weekend Writing Warriors31 – Jan 1 – New Years Post

Spotlight on Alan Hamilton's Stalemate

 Walter had shared a home and a sort of life with her for over sixteen years. When he came to think of it, that’d been a bit like a game of chess too. He’d gone from the enthusiastic opening – through a midgame of jogging along – to the endgameof barbed neutrality, a sort of emotional desert where no win was possible, a kindof stalemate. That had been the pattern for the last five years.
Summer 1930 and Walter Bruce is told he has a terminal disease. With nursing care and an easier job he could have five more years. With neither he may not see out the year. But he’s got a wife to keep – one too selfish and idle to be his nurse. When he finds out she’s been deceiving him about her past for years he comes to a stark decision: if she won’t take care of him he’ll have to take care of her – for good. He plans her removal like one of the chess problems he loves. It will be the perfect murder; he’ll get away with it and enjoy his last few years in comfort. But his carefully laid plans unravel, entangling him in a slowly closing trap where truth and lies become confused…
Set in between-the-wars Liverpool, Stalemate is a gripping tale of moral choices and terrible punishment.

About the Author

Alan Hamilton finds that real events, where there is a mystery or something unexplained, leave so much to the imagination they give the writer of fiction license to make it up. At heart he’s a conspiracy theorist though his head tells him accident is usually more likely – albeit far less interesting. As an antidote to the urge to write creatively, Alan is a publisher’s editor for non-fiction, academic books and journal articles. He lives by the sea in the South West of the UK. His hobbies are cooking and cryptic crosswords in the national newspapers, winning first prize twice in ten years.
http://www.alanhamilton.info/
https://twitter.com/Alwhammy
https://www.facebook.com/alan.hamilton.1291?v=wall
BUY LINKS
AMAZON UK
AMAZON.COM
BARNES & NOBLE
GOODREADS
KOBO
SILVERWOOD BOOKS
GIVEAWAY 2 SIGNED PAPERBACKS (UK only)2 ECOPIES (International)

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Rest of the month highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance

2 - Sandy Goldsworthy - Aftermath2 – Shan Purcell – Degrees of Losing3 - Book Hooks and Flash Fiction 4 – Cover Reveal – David Burnett – To Fall in Love Again5 – Lisette Brody – Desert Star7 - Weekend Writing Warriors8 – Dana Leipold - Burnt Edges 9 - Deborah Nam-Krane – The Pioneer Series10 - Flash Fiction and Book Hooks12 – Elmer Seward – Hearts in the Storm14 - Weekend Writing Warriors15 – Melissa Foster – Seaside Sunsets17 - Book Hooks and Flash Fiction19-21 – Winter Warm Up Blog Hop24 - Flash Fiction and Book Hooks25 – 26 – Christmas post28 - Weekend Writing Warriors31 – Jan 1 – New Years Post

Snippet from A Guy and A Girl on Weekend Writing Warriors #8sunday

Welcome to another weekend of Weekend Writing Warriors. My 8 sentence snippet this week is from my latest release NA contemporary romance – A Guy and A Girl. Scene Set – Brief confrontation between Chelsea and her ex-boyfriend, Todd. Chelsea speaks first.




"Ow! You're hurting me." She jerked her arm free."You care. I know you do.  You have to because I care for you. I love you, Chelsea. Please say you love me."


Tagline
Lies, deceits and secrets - not a good way to begin a relationship.
Blurb
After an ugly past forced Hunter Connolly to escape to Europe, the talented hockey player is back in North America and determined to land a position with a professional team. But he can’t hide from his past forever, especially when his beautiful classmate, Chelsea, forces him to reexamine his life. Soon, hockey is not his first priority anymore.
Chelsea Henderson is a bright co-ed working towards her dream of being a professional dancer. She forms a unique friendship with one of her father’s newest recruits and would love nothing more than to take it to the next level. However, there’s just one small problem. He doesn’t know she’s his coach’s daughter.
Amid the deceptions, danger lurks closer than they could ever imagine. Will fate contrive to rip the young lovers apart? Or will Hunter and Chelsea have their shot at love?


What people are saying about – A Guy and A Girl
5 Stars - I loved this book...I think that it was an awesome story. It was interesting on how everything came about as well as some surprises on who was doing what. I liked how the couple had issues that would be real life issues as well. Very well written, can't wait to read more books by Victoria as well as maybe some more in relation to characters in the book.

5 Stars - What a great romance. Fast paced. Chock full of tension. Little bit of hockey Little bit of dance. Lots of love.

5 Stars - I'm not really sure where to start with this book. The story took so many twists and turns. The suspense in the first part of the book was good, and the twist, I didn't see coming. I expected the story to end when the conflict resolved itself, but I enjoyed that the author chose to continue the development of the relationship between Hunter and Chelsea. I think a lot of stories are written so that the happily ever after comes right after the conflict, but in this story, the reader is drawn through more than one conflict, it shows the growth of each character and a progression of a relationship that is more like real life. Think about it, in our real life relationships, most of us don't go through one crazy experience and then BAM...everything works out. I think that's what made the story so real to me. All the challenges faced by Hunter and Chelsea helped to build and strengthen the relationship. The time frame may have been a little short for the amount of things going on, but that didn't affect my opinion of the story. I was still able to become invested in the story and enjoy it.

Buy Links – Exclusively at - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L2GRD1U

Link back to Weekend Writing Warriors - www.wewriwa.com



December highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance 1 – Alan Hamilton – Stalemate2 – Shan Purcell – Degrees of Losing3 - Book Hooks and Flash Fiction 4 – Cover Reveal – David Burnett – To Fall in Love Again8 – Dana Leipold - Burnt Edges 9 - Deborah Nam-Krane – The Pioneer Series7 - Weekend Writing Warriors10 - Flash Fiction and Book Hooks14 - Weekend Writing Warriors17 - Book Hooks and Flash Fiction19-21 – Winter Warm Up Blog Hop24 - Flash Fiction and Book Hooks28 - Weekend Writing Warriors31 - Book Hooks and Flash Fiction

Spotlight on Linda Andrews and A Gift From St. Nick

Imagine if you were a child and you saw this sign on a local doorway posted by the Red Cross: “This year Saint Nicholas cannot make a proper distribution of presents to the poor children of Belgium. Therefore it will be necessary to have useful things to give to the little ones: a pair of slippers, a warm dress, or something of the sort for distribution through the hospitals, children’s refuges, and crèches [day nurseries].”Truly how many of us fortunate souls would have cried at the prospects of no toys? It's like the Grinch and Scrooge got together and  cancelled Christmas. But in this case, the sign was very real, and the year was 1914. The beginning of World War 1 and the majority of Belgium was occupied by the German Army.Tough times were behind them. Tougher times were ahead. Saint Nicholas may not have been able to deliver his presents but the many people around the world stepped into the breach and sent gifts while a little thing called the Commission for Relief in Belgium (run by the citizens of the neutral countries of Holland, Spain, and America) traveled behind enemy lines to deliver those presents on boxing day (December 26th).What made this charitable drive so unique was that the majority of the gifts were donated from children of one country to another. And while there were traditional gifts of dolls and books, children who had nothing offered bunches of American corn tied with the American flag and attached notes of sympathy and goodwill. The US Navy carried the first shipment of gifts and dispersed them in England to the Belgian refugees housed there. And while half the ships came from America, the rest of the world remember the children too. Ships came from England, Canada and as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Having read about the spirit of generosity, I couldn't help using it in my World War 1 series, Love's Great War. In the first, A Gift from St. Nick, a schoolteacher must convince a German-American ship's captain to take the toys her students donated to one of the Belgium-bound transports. In the second book, The Christmas Ship, we meet the schoolteacher's brother as he works for the CRB to see the gifts distributed. In keeping with the tradition, every year my children would clean out their closest and give the toys they didn't want so they would have space for their new presents. What about you? Do you celebrate the Christmas season by sharing?

Hans Lubeck lost his birthright to a woman's deceitful games. Ten years later, he's on the cusp of fulfilling his dream of captaining his own ship. And another woman could jeopardize everything.
Schoolteacher Lenore Kerrigan devotes her time to her pupils and good works. She has no use for a man or the damage he could do to her reputation.
But this holiday season, fate and an island of matchmakers have other plans. Will they accept the gift of a lifetime, or will the past steal away any chance at happiness?
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gift-St-Nick-Historical-Romance-ebook/dp/B00P76LL3C/And as my gift to you, the first book in the series, Hearts in Barbed Wire, is free until November 30th, 2014. Only on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Barbed-Wire-Historical-Romance-ebook/dp/B00J4YICBW/



 Rest of the month highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance  30 - Weekend Writing Warriors

Spotlight on Susan Buchanan's The Christmas Spirit

PRESS KIT
Christmas is coming, but not everyone is looking forward to it. Rebecca has just been dumped and the prospect of spending the holiday period with her parents is less than appealing.Eighty- two year old Stanley lost his beloved wife, Edie, to cancer. How will he cope with his first Christmas without her? Jacob’s university degree hasn’t helped him get a job, and it looks like he’ll still be signing on come New Year.Workaholic Meredith would rather spend December 25th at home alone with a ready meal and a DVD box set. Can anything make her embrace the spirit of the season?The enigmatic Natalie Hope takes over the reins at the Sugar and Spice bakery and café in an attempt to spread some festive cheer and restore Christmas spirit, but will she succeed?

AUTHOR BIO
Susan Buchanan has written three novels in the chicklit and contemporary fiction genres: Sign of the Times, The Dating Game and The Christmas Spirit. She lives in Central Scotland with her partner, Tony, and their baby daughter. She is currently working on her fourth and fifth novels, What If and another Christmas themed book, both due to be released in 2015.Blog - www.susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.ukTwitter - susan_buchananFacebook - www.facebook.com/susan.buchanan.authorGoodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4216164.Susan_Buchanan

BooksThe Christmas Spirit - http://amzn.to/1gcpTrc (UK) & http://amzn.to/KUArMU (US)Sign of the Times - http://amzn.to/GKqZGd (UK) http://amzn.to/IYN0Fc (US)The Dating Game - http://amzn.to/RuSl7Y (UK) http://amzn.to/WZQtZK (US)
GIVEAWAY 2 Ecopies of Susan’s book THE DATING GAME
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Rest of the month highlights on Victoria's Pages of Romance 28 – Linda Andrews - 30 - Weekend Writing Warriors 

Flashing my Briefs on this week's Wednesday Briefs #WedBriefs

IF YOU ARE HERE FOR BOOK HOOKS - PLEASE SCROLL DOWN
Welcome to this week's Wednesday Briefs
This is a raw (unedited) m/f time travel romance. It's a 500 to 1,000 word excerpt inspired by: hat, mud, branch, have your character slip down, have a character jump into a pool (switched pool to lake – same idea, big body of water), plus the photo below. Chapters 1 through 5 are available on the free read tab at top of blog.
Sunrise 57

J'dol stopped on the edge of the deck and looked at the sword. "Those bright stones on the hilt, mind does not have those. Why would one decorate a weapon of death?"Sian flinched at his description of the weapon. "Those bright stones would be called gemstones. Rubies and emeralds to be exact. Although those are fake." She bent low and picked up the sword. "Compared to yours J'dol, this weighs nothing."He held out his hand, taking the sword. He swung it, being careful not to hit anyone. "This is a child's. One used to train a young warrior." He flicked his finger on the blade. It released a dull sound.  He flicked his finger on the blade. It released a dull sound.
"That is wrong. It should sing." His brow furrowed. "Where is my sword?""Why do you own a sword?" Kathleen grabbed at her floppy sun hat as a gust of wind threatened to blow it off her head.J'dol tilted his head, puzzling over why this silly woman would even ask such a question. "All warriors carry swords. How could they defend themselves otherwise?"Kathleen's husband, Craig, chuckled. "Do you have a cannon?"J'dol pursed his lips and shook his head. "No. Only the Miz-happen have those?""What's a Miz-happen?""The enemy?" J'dol tried to hide the annoyance in his tone. These new people were strange and senseless. Why would a warrior not have a sword or even want to own a cannon? He peered into the lake water.Sian stepped beside him. "It's so heavy I think it sunk into the mud when you got knocked into the water."J'dol kept his voice low. "Who knocked me into the water?"Sian rubbed his arm. "You don't remember? A flash of light hit you and you went flying.""Flying? Like a bird?" He raised his eyebrows."No, it's just a saying."Sian's neighbours joined them and scanned for the sword. J'dol slipped off the dock into the water and cautiously moved his foot, hoping to bump into the hilt and not the blade."Wait a sec. I'd get a branch. You can use it to search. I know that thing is sharp." Sian scurried off the deck then returned with a long dead piece of branch.J'dol poked around in the mud. The water grew murky as he stirred up the silt. The stick hit something. He reached down, picked up a large stone and tossed it aside. As he shifted, his heel touched a hard object. J'dol trickled his fingers across it and smiled. He gripped the hilt and raised his sword out of the water then turned and placed it on the dock.He scooped handfuls of water over it, cleaning off the last of the mud.As he hopped onto the deck, Kathleen said, "So I ask again. Why do you have a sword? And don't say because you're a warrior. Those are called soldiers and they carry guns."Craig laughed. "The Renaissance Festival is next week. You are one of those guys who goes around pretending to be from Ye Olde England."J'dol opened his mouth to speak, but Sian cut him off. "This is J'dol. A friend."Craig held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."J'dol reached out and shook his hand."So the Mis…whatever you called them, that have the cannon are the enemy and you've come to protect all the fair damsels of Orondonto?" Kathleen grinned.J'dol caught the pleading look Sian was giving him. He swept his arm forward and out and dropped into a deep bow. "My pleasure to serve, M'lady."Kathleen giggled. "Ooh, I've always wanted to be called that.""Well, I think it's time we got this guy into the house and check that he's ok." Sian reached down and picked up the stray sword."Guess we'll head on home. He looks fine to me." Craig slapped him on the back.J'dol stifled the urge to punch him. He was not a comrade. Back slapping was not done by strangers. He grimaced. But he was in a different time. Different ideas. He grinned and waved.As he and Sian returned to her cottage, he asked, "What is a Renaissance festival? And Ye Olde England?""Renaissance is sort of another word for medieval which is a time period from long ago, which is where I thought you were from.""I am from the future. Why would you think I was from the past?" J'dol pulled open her door and held it for as she entered."Chivalry isn't dead." She laughed as she said, "Come on up to my office. I'll Google it and show you."He placed the sword on the table in the living room and caught up with her. "Google it?""Oh, J'dol." She climbed up the stairs leading the way to her office. "It is going to be so much fun teaching you about my time."He gripped her hand. "I want to stay with you in your time." He pulled her close, placed his hands on both sides of her face and pressed his lips on hers.A jolt surged through him when she responded. He had no idea why or how he got here. But this is where he was going to stay. And nothing but death would rip him away from Sian.

Now onto the other flashers. 
Go to this link Wednesday Brief authors  or go to individual authors


M.A. ChurchCarol PedrosoNephylimAvery DawesKazy ReedJim DunawayMatthias WilliamsonElyzabeth VaLeyCia NordwellTali SpencerJon KeysJulie Lynn Hayes

Weekly Meme - Book Hooks and A Guy and A Girl #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor

Welcome to Victoria's Pages of Romance and Book Hooks. This week's 6 to 8 sentences are from my NA contemporary romance – A Guy and A Girl

Scene Set – Chelsea arrives home and discovers her ex-boyfriend sitting on her stairs. (it's her turn to have a problem that she doens't know about yet.) She speaks first. (yes, there's some editing :-) to get to 8 sentences.)

"What're you doing here?"
Todd squinted from the glare of the headlights and replied, "Let me explain."
"Get lost."
"But I can't exist without you."
She crossed her arms, protectively over her chest and said, "I don't care."
"Don't say that." Todd's nostrils flared and his brow darkened with anger. He grabbed her wrist.


TaglineLies, deceits and secrets - not a good way to begin a relationship.
BlurbAfter an ugly past forced Hunter Connolly to escape to Europe, the talented hockey player is back in North America and determined to land a position with a professional team. But he can’t hide from his past forever, especially when his beautiful classmate, Chelsea, forces him to reexamine his life. Soon, hockey is not his first priority anymore.Chelsea Henderson is a bright co-ed working towards her dream of being a professional dancer. She forms a unique friendship with one of her father’s newest recruits and would love nothing more than to take it to the next level. However, there’s just one small problem. He doesn’t know she’s his coach’s daughter.Amid the deceptions, danger lurks closer than they could ever imagine. Will fate contrive to rip the young lovers apart? Or will Hunter and Chelsea have their shot at love?

What people are saying about – A Guy and A Girl
5 Stars- I loved this book...I think that it was an awesome story. It was interesting on how everything came about as well as some surprises on who was doing what. I liked how the couple had issues that would be real life issues as well. Very well written, can't wait to read more books by Victoria as well as maybe some more in relation to characters in the book.
5 Stars - What a great romance. Fast paced. Chock full of tension. Little bit of hockey Little bit of dance. Lots of love.
5 Stars - By the end of this book I had tears running down my cheeks.
4 Stars - The story is solid, the love is solid, I'm looking forward to reading more books by Victoria Adams

Buy Links – Exclusively at - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L2GRD1U

Award winning Beautiful Evil Winter by Kelly K Lavender

Title: Beautiful Evil Winter Author:  Kelly K. LavenderPublished:  November 13th, 2013Word Count:  60,000Genre:  Suspense ThrillerRecommended Age:  18+Synopsis:  Beautiful Evil Winter is about an international adoption in one of the most dangerous countries in the world. When Sophia and her husband Ethan set off to Russia to adopt a baby boy, little do they realize they are headed straight into the open arms of the Mafia. To make matters worse, an untrained, inexperienced adoption coordinator orchestrates the effort to complete the task and keep the American couple safe as they deal with ironfisted syndicate control of orphaned children. Beautiful Evil Winter is a modern-day odyssey about the human capacity for hope, the traumas that shape our lives, and the hardship we’ll endure for love. What will devoted parents do for their child? Anything.Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReadsAwards and Honors for Beautiful Evil Winter:The Eric Hoffer Awards - Commercial Fiction - Honorable Mention. The Hoffer Awards spotlight "...writing of significant merit."The National Indie Excellence Awards - The New Fiction FinalistDan Poytner's Global EBook Awards-Bronze Medalist SuspenseReaders' Favorite International Book Awards-Triple Genre Finalist- Suspense, Thriller and Romance SizzleReaders' Favorite International Book Awards-Honorable Mention SuspenseReaders' Favorite International Book Awards contestants include New York Times Best-Selling Authors and celebrities, comedian Jim Carey won an award this year. Excerpt:
Will it happen this time? The ban announced last night—will it ruin everything? Dad says Russian law takes effect the moment it’s ratified. I’m so worried, Ethan.” I rub my eyes and lean my head back while the jet engines roar in the background. My head throbs and my hands sweat as we try to begin our 13-hour journey. We’ve been sitting on the tarmac for two hours due to a mechanical problem. Ethan grabs my hand and squeezes it softly, leaning over to plant a kiss on my forehead. I gaze at his face, bags frame his red eyes. I look out the window to distract myself. It’s a sunny cold day, the sky clear of clouds and full of promise for flight. “One step at a time, Sofia. We’re closer than we’ve ever been. Remember that,” he says soothingly. Turning back to him, my body becomes rigid as anger spills over me like hot molten lava. “You’re thinking the same thing I am! We should be overjoyed at the prospect of meeting our son! This is a time for celebration, a time for effervescent bottles of uncorked champagne! But this do-it-yourself adoption is a nightmare! How much longer can we handle disappointment after disappointment? The closer we think we are—the farther away we are,” I vent. The conversation with Natasha on the phone last night burns in my brain. “Adoption very risky in Russia now. The ban make Mafia watch money very close.” How could she say that on the eve of our trip? I play back what Natasha said. “This trip big gamble for you. l work to keep adoption away from Mafia. If I do not, police arrest you for human trafficking or Mafia take you. Better to go to prison. My name not appear anywhere, only yours. Phone will be disconnected. And I never know you.” “Hello, folks. This is your pilot I apologize for the delay. The maintenance crew is working diligently to insure the safety of our trip. Thanks again for your patience.” I glance over at Ethan, who’s dozing now. “Honey?” I place my hand on his arm, but he doesn’t stir. Guess the fatigue finally caught up with him. If he had a drink, he’d be comatose. I think I’ll go to the restroom before the plane takes off. “Be back in a minute.” I carefully unclasp my seat belt and try to skitter by him without disturbing him. As I walk past the rows on either side, I glance at the tendrils of ear plugs reaching upward like small sun-seeking plants, and the hand-held devices, passengers attached to them like farmers admiring prized vegetables pulled from the fields. As I reach the door, the occupied sign forces me to pause and begin to turn around. Suddenly, I hear the click of the door unlocking. What luck! I’ll just dash in and dash out. Hopefully, I won’t have to hold my breath to stay in there. My face twists in repulsion at the thought. A haggard looking middle ̶ aged man with a large paunch emerges and smiles too brightly at me. That look—that look of recognition like I’m a favorite relative, but I’m not. His lids half close as he squeezes past me taking his slow sweet time. And he looks back at me before he stumbles down the aisle way. Yuck. I push the door open and inhale a shallow breath. The smell of pump soap greets me. All clear. I can breathe. Ting, Ting. The strained voice of the stressed-out flight attendant echoes through the tiny bathroom cabin. “Within the next twenty minutes, The Captain will be turning on the fasten seat belt sign. Until then, you can use your electronic devices. We apologize for the inconvenience” Turning from the sink to the opposite side to grab paper towels, all 5’2” 115 pounds of me twists like a corkscrew to move around. A quick swipe of the towels, a glance at my nostrils, a push of the lever, and I’m free to escape into the main cabin. As I near my seat, I notice that “Mr. Too Brightly” is sitting next to Ethan. Damn! I have to sit next to him! Looks like comatose Ethan has just re-positioned himself to face the aisle way. Why doesn’t this plane offer two across seating instead of three? My steps slow, but I don’t want to wake Ethan up to swap seats since he’s so tired. As I stand next to our row of seats, Mr. Brightly realizes with a dazzling repugnant smile that I’ll be seated next to him. “Don’t tell me you’re with that guy,” he says, gesturing at Ethan. “He’s out cold. Between the screaming baby and me trying to wedge past him, he hasn’t moved an inch.” He smirks, his smile now a beacon of light. I grit my teeth and carefully squeeze by Ethan’s knees grabbing the headrest of the seat in front of me for support. Glancing back over my shoulder, I see him looking at Ethan. I focus on the seat space next to him, zeroing-in on the instructions on the pocket pouch for my seat. Someone scribbled in red pen, HELL A MILE HIGH. As I wiggle into my seat and grope for my seatbelt, he watches my every move.   
About the Author:My fascination with fiction began in middle school when I entered a book-reading contest and won. As an ardent fan of the resonating narrative and the cliffhanger, I decided to dedicate myself to becoming a skilled writer. When college professors spotlighted my writing in the classroom, it anchored my interest in becoming a novelist. I continued to pursue my education at UCLA where my writing earned praise from an award-winning author. Of equal and enduring importance, in my life, is a passion for horses. As an avid, lifelong equestrian and horse owner, I now live on a ranch with my family,which we share with a menagerie of four-legged friends.Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | WebsiteGiveaway Details: There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:One Lucky Winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Giveaway is International.a Rafflecopter giveaway





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