R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 168

B@@K REVEAL: Forgotten Pieces by Tori Fox

Forgotten Pieces
Tori Fox
(White Creek #3)
Publication date: February 27th, 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Eight years ago, I fell for Ryder Thompson.He knew me in a way no one else did.He held my heart in his hands.Until he brought it crashing to the floor.I picked up the pieces, vowing to never let him in again.And I never thought I would see him again.Then one day, he reappeared in my life.I promised myself I would ignore him.I lied.—————————————————
Tacoma Calloway made me a better man.To this day I swear upon it, no matter how broken I am.We weren’t meant to be together when we first met.We were two lost souls finding solace in the other.But eight years later, I still want her.I forbid myself from loving her then.And I am unable to love her now.If only my heart would listen.It won’t.

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Author Bio:
Tori Fox loves books. So much so she decided to write one. It didn't go well. But after genre changes, many rewrites, and lots of editing she finally finished. And now that she is done, she doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. Besides writing you can find her curled up on the couch with her dog reading a book or lost in a makeup store purchasing more makeup than is necessary for a human. She is also a fan of hockey and whiskey, especially together. Tori lives with her fiancé in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

BOOK BLITZ: Hometown Girl Forever by Kirsten Fullmer #GIVEAWAY

Hometown Girl Forever
Kirsten Fullmer
(Hometown #3)
Publication date: August 11th 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Lizzy is making changes. Her recent move to Smithville and her job at the spa, as well as her boho-chic alpaca farm, are perfect. However, her overbearing socialite mother will not stop interfering with her plans. The woman may have run her life back in Boston, but Lizzie is determined that those days are in the past!Elliot, a successful big-city architect, is visiting Smithville to check on his latest Spa design. The last thing he expects to find is a gorgeous gypsy-style spa manager and her demanding mother. Elliot is instantly drawn to Lizzie, but doesn’t understand her mixed signals. Unused to small town life, he is completely out of his element and in for one surprise after another.Lizzy can’t help but be attracted by Elliot’s charms, but he’s exactly the type of man her mother would choose for her. Once Again, Smithville folk interfere with plans at every turn, forcing Lizzy and Elliot to face their personal dilemmas, and each other, head on.

Goodreads / Amazon—EXCERPT:Elliot followed Tara into the spa, steadying his coffee cup, carefully stepping around a short, thin man who was shoveling the flowerbed as if the devil himself were prodding him. The man’s eyes bulged and his glassed hung on the tip of his nose.“That’s Bobby,” Tara said as they stepped into what would become the spa lobby, “and over there are Gloria and Marge.”Unsure which of the gaggle of women she was referring to, he nodded and gripped his coffee cup tighter. The women all nodded as he passed. The room was just as cluttered as it had been the night before, but now, instead of boxes, the room was filled with piles of items pulled from the boxes, as well as women of all sizes, ages, and types. Flattening against the wall so the redhead could pass, he scanned the room. “Who is in charge here?” he croaked, afraid to ask.Tara scanned the noisy room. “There she is, come on…” she said, dragging Elliot forward by the elbow.Elliot shuffled through the piles of supplies as Tara called out to friends. Being a good-sized man, he had to twist and turn to fit through the narrow spaces Tara easily passed. Forced to hold his half-full coffee cup over his head, Elliot muttered apologies for stepping on feet and bumping into women. Finally they reached the other side of the large room.Gaping behind him at the sea of supplies and bodies he’d traversed, Elliot was caught off guard when he turned to see the gypsy woman he’d met the day before standing in front of him with a clipboard.Her eyes were bright, and her riot of black curls were held back from her face with a headband. She wore a cream-colored tunic unlike anything Elliot had ever seen. It was rumpled, loose, and long to her hips, and the top of the bodice was comprised of multiple layers of lace. Over the frock she wore a loose-weave grey jacket that hung open, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Soft netting hung out the bottom of the frock at her hips, and around her neck she wore what he could only categorize as a necklace, but was actually a long chain with charms and feathers and scraps of lace shimmering all around it.He stared at her in shock, not only because of her clothing, but because it was her. The strange bohemian woman had danced in and out of his scattered dreams all night. His eyes roamed over her all the way to the floor, taking in her grey leggings and laced boots, unable to miss her very shapely legs, before traveling back up to her face. This gypsy woman was going to run his spa?Her perturbed expression clearly asked if he was finished gaping.Feeling quite the clod, he hurried to extend his hand, forgetting momentarily that he held a coffee cup.Lizzie jumped back, raising the clipboard in order to miss the torrent of black liquid as coffee sloshed over the rim of the cup.Elliot jerked the cup back and staggered sideways into a pile of boxes, splashing coffee across his slacks and shoes.“Let me help you,” Lizzie said, tossing her clipboard on a stack of boxes and grabbing a towel from a nearby pile of linens. Bending, she brushed at the coffee on his shins and shoes.Embarrassed and numb with what he could only describe as uncharacteristically cloddish behavior, Elliot stood like a statue, his coffee cup held at arm’s length, still dripping onto the hardwood floor.

Author Bio:
Kirsten is a dreamer with an eye for art and design. She worked in the engineering field, taught college, and consulted free lance. Due to health problems, she retired in 2012 to travel with her husband. They live and work full time in a 40' travel trailer with their little dog Bingo. Besides writing romance novels, she enjoys selling art on Etsy and spoiling their three grandchildren.As a writer, Kirsten's goal is to create strong female characters who face challenging, painful, and sometimes comical situations. She believes that the best way to deal with struggle, is through friendship and women helping women. She knows good stories are based on interesting and relatable characters.

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BOOK BLITZ: Hellion by Shannon McKenna #GIVEAWAY

Hellion
Shannon McKenna
(The Hellbound Brotherhood, #1)
Publication date: February 7th 2020
Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller

Find out why New York Times bestseller Maya Banks hails McKenna’s books as “A nonstop thrill ride…”He’s a ticking bomb…Eric Trask is counting the days before he blasts out of Shaw’s Crossing forever. He and his brothers were raised at GodsAcre, a mysterious doomsday cult deep in the mountains, and are the only survivors of the deadly fire that destroyed it. The townspeople see them as time bombs just waiting to blow, but Eric’s going to prove those bastards wrong. He’s an ex-Marine, fresh off a tour in Afghanistan, working three jobs and barely sleeping. Utterly unprepared for Demi Vaughan’s dazzling green eyes, lush pink lips and sexy curves. She’s the town princess…he’s a dangerous outcast. It was a sure recipe for disaster.But the closer he gets to Demi, the more impossible it is to resist…Forbidden fruit is the sweetest…Demi Vaughan has big plans for life post- college, and Eric Trask, notorious bad boy with a complicated past, is not part of them. So when he saunters into the sandwich shop where she works she tells herself he’s just tall, ripped, smoldering eye candy, nothing more. Eric was damaged. Marked by violence and tragedy. He’d be the ultimate bad boyfriend, and right now she was too busy even to shop for a good one. But his hot eyes and hard body, his sensual smile and that rough, sexy voice of his shook her resolve. After all, she was leaving this place forever. A little taste of heaven…what could it hurt?But Shaw’s Crossing has deeper, darker secrets than Eric or Demi could guess. The evil that destroyed GodsAcre is lying in wait…and it will stop at nothing to keep Eric and Demi apart…AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hellion, Book One, ends on a cliffhanger, but it leads right into HEADLONG, Book Two, Demi and Eric’s continuing story, dated seven years later and available for preorder now! The other titles in The Hellbound Brotherhood are a connected series, but each book features its own couple and has its own HEA.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Bookbub—EXCERPT:Eric had been trying so hard to walk the line. Head down, eyes forward, pocketing every spare penny to put toward his future. Then Demi Vaughan came into his line of vision, with her glossy brown curls and her hip-swaying walk, and whammo. His better judgment got coshed on the head, tied up and stuffed into the trunk of a car.This was such a dumb move. On so many levels. He was the Prophet’s spawn, she was a rich girl, the town princess, the college grad. He was practically broke, she lived in the biggest house in Shaw’s Crossing. He was an orphan with a past best not talked about, and she was the granddaughter of the guy whose family gave the town its very name.That was the girl he got a raging hard-on for. Because evidently he liked to punch up the challenge. Keep it interesting for himself. True to form.He kept seeing the scene tomorrow, at the river, in his mind’s eye. Demi soaking wet. Clingy, scanty clothes. Her cloud of dark hair floating around her. Nipples tight from the cold.He hit the accelerator. The sudden burst of speed knocked the wobbling window right off its track, and it fell down inside the car door with a loud, decisive thunk.Aw, shit.He could still hear his better judgment back there, trapped in the trunk. Howling, kicking out the taillights, trying to be heard. But he just couldn’t listen to it.Stay down, you noisy dickwad. I got things to do.

Author Bio:
Shannon McKenna is the NYT and USA TODAY bestselling author of over twenty action packed, turbocharged romantic thrillers, among them the wildly popular McCloud Brothers & Friends Series, along with two new scorching romantic suspense series, The Hellbound Brotherhood and The Obsidian Files. She loves tough and heroic alpha males, heroines with the brains and guts to match them, terrifying villains who challenge them to their utmost, adventure, blazing sensuality, and most of all, the redemptive power of true love.Since she was small she has loved abandoning herself to the magic of a good book, and her fond childhood fantasy was that writing would be just like that but with the added benefit of being able to take credit for the story at the end. The alchemy of writing turned out to be messier than she'd ever dreamed, but what the hell, she loves it anyway and hopes that readers enjoy the results of her experiments. She loves to hear from her readers.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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BOOK BLITZ: The Lawyer's Secret Baby by Polly Carter #GIVEAWAY

The Lawyer’s Secret Baby
Polly Carter
Published by: Blushing Books Publications
Publication date: February 5th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Just when you think things are finally looking up…Harley Brand, social worker and single mother, has come through some dark times, but feels ready to start anew, including renewing her relationship with the man of her dreams. Without warning, one pretty Perth spring morning, the worst nightmare of her life begins. Due to unintentional circumstances it looks as if her future may be cruelly snatched away from her. Broken hearted and terrified of what the future holds, she turns to her best friend, Jessamy Lushpin, PI, who promises to fix things for her.Arian has returned to Australia to continue his law practice and find the woman who got away, the love of his life–Harley Brand. He’s older, more mature and not the same man Harley ran from years ago. This time there will be consequences for her naughty behavior.Can they find the love they lost and begin again? Will Harley’s closely guarded secret destroy them or make them stronger? Will Arian be able to break through her walls and ensure their happily-ever-after?Publisher’s Note: this contemporary romance is intended for adults only and contains elements of mystery, suspense, danger and power exchange. If any of these offend you, please do not purchase.

Goodreads / Amazon—EXCERPT:“Oof! Oh, sorry…” she mumbled but as her eyes rose to the face above her the words died in her throat. “Arian!” she gasped in disbelief, staring into the eyes of the man blocking her path.“Hal! Is that you?” Arian Fletcher said in shocked surprise. “My God, it is. Come here. Let me look at you.” His hands took hold of her shoulders and she could feel the iron tension in his grip. “Crikey, Hal, you’re shaking like a leaf! Come here.” He pulled her closer to the cafe wall so they were out of the way of passing pedestrians and, without letting her go, reclined back against it and studied her.Harley’s legs felt like cooked spaghetti and she had to lean against his hands for support, able only to stare at him in disbelief. If she had thought her life had a dream-like, albeit a bad dream, quality to it before, it had suddenly turned utterly surreal. She might think him a phantom, conjured by her thoughts of him over coffee, except that her shoulders were aching from the firmness of his grip.“As beautiful as ever,” he said. “And you’ve cut your hair! I like it, but I’m glad you kept this.” He fluffed her fringe. “Very cute.” His eyes trailed over her face and down the rest of her. “But, God, Hal, you’re so pale and thin.” His brow creased in a worried frown, he reached up to gently touch her face as though even the brush of a feather might bruise her. “What’s wrong? Are you all right? Are you ill?”From the instant she’d seen him, her whole being had filled with his presence and the world about her had ceased to exist. He looked a little older; the last traces of boyhood had disappeared, not just from the passing of years but also from battles fought and experiences endured. Tiny creases had formed above his long, thick black eyebrows and at the edges of his deep brown eyes and generous mouth, not so much laugh-lines more grim determination ones. His black trousers and white business shirt didn’t hide the bulk and hardness of his muscular chest and arms, which, like everything about him, exuded ripe alpha-male power. He was gorgeous. He was married. Her life was a mess. She hated the world.

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BOOK BLITZ: Perfect by Tricia Copeland #GIVEAWAY

Perfect
Tricia Copeland
Publication date: February 6th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

One driven woman. Five passionate paths to the perfect spouse.Chloe refuses to compromise when it comes to romance and success. Powering through her sophomore-level college business classes, she’s done with the effort of distance-dating her high-school sweetheart. But when he proposes just as she hits it off with a hunky basketball player, she worries following her heart could send her bright future to the bench.As Chloe matures to become a rising star in the fashion industry, love knocks another four times. But while each potential suitor eventually pops the question, only she knows her ultimate happy ending.Whose arms will embrace Chloe when she chooses her forever man?Perfect is a standalone clean contemporary romance. If you like tender moments, lighthearted comedy, and endings you choose yourself, then you’ll adore Tricia Copeland’s option-filled tale.Buy Perfect to pick your ideal walk down the aisle today!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo—EXCERPT:“You’re quiet. What’s wrong?” Bree glances at me and back to the windshield as she stops with a jerk in our parking space.“Just tired.” I pull the handle and push my shoulder against the door. Heaving my pack to my shoulders, I meet her in front of the car.She hooks an arm in mine as we walk to the apartment building entrance. “I usually can’t shut you up. Talk to me. What’s going on?”“I miss Adam. It’s been a month since we’ve seen each other. I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”“What do you mean? Stay here or stay with him?”“I love him, and we’re miserable apart. But we’ve got two more years of school.”“Only two more weeks till summer break.” She skips ahead of me and presses the elevator button. “Let’s do a girls’ movie night. We’ll order pizza and eat popcorn.”We evaluate movie and takeout options on the elevator ride. She complains that I always want to watch Titanic, and I veto her hamburger dive restaurant choice. Reaching our floor, we wind through the maze of halls. As I make the last turn, I stop short.Sweeping his bangs from in front of his blue eyes, he stands.“Adam?”“It’s about time!” Crossing to me, he picks me up and twirls me around.I step out of his embrace. “What are you doing here?”He slides a page from his back pocket and holds it out to me. “I just picked up this.”I take the sheet and unfold it. Adam Stephen Hamilton Schedule for Fall Semester, the top reads.“You’re going to school here?” My mouth hangs open.“I hope that’s okay!”“Of course. It’s amazing!”“Well, in that case, I have something else.” He drops to one knee and slides a box from his pocket. “Chloe Hahn Pham, will you marry me?”I look to Bree, who shrugs, and then back to him, barely able to process what is happening. My breath catches in my throat. “I—”His eyebrows shoot up. “I’m sorry. You know I’m not great with stuff like this. Maybe I should have made a sign or had music, or something. If this is too soon—”“No. I was going to say I love you. Yes. It’s perfect!”

Author Bio:
Award-winning author Tricia Copeland grew up in Georgia but now lives outside the mile-high city of Denver, Colorado with her husband, three kids, and multiple four legged and finned friends. An avid runner, hopeless romantic, and paranormal fan, she also enjoys hiking, trivia, and Scrabble.Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / Youtube

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BOOK BLITZ: False Memory by Meli Raine #GIVEAWAY

False Memory
Meli Raine
(False Memory, #1)
Publication date: November 15th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

It all started with the bereavement flowers with my name on them.Not the best way to wake up, right? I work in a flower shop. I know a funeral arrangement when I see one.I know a killer when I see one, too. And one is standing in my hospital room right now, straight behind the man who saved my life.I can’t tell anyone the truth, because that’s the fastest way to really die. So I do the next best thing. I “lose” my memory. I fake my amnesia.Pretending not to remember a brutal attempted murder has its perks. The killer is backing down, spending less time around me, loosening the noose.The less I claim to recall, the more my rescuer, Duff, works to help me “remember.” I hate lying to him.But he doesn’t understand that my memory is dangerous. To me. And to him.Fooling everyone isn’t easy. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.Except it’s starting to look like I’ve been fooling myself.In more ways than one.Read Book 1 in the newest series from USA Today bestselling author Meli Raine.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google PlayFREE for a limited time only!—EXCERPT:Sensation turns to pain when you have no control. A full-body flush of horror rip-ples across my skin. Mom frowns as she senses it, her eyes tracking my arms, my legs, my face.“There,” the nurse says, looking up at the red numbers on the IV machine. She fid-dles with a clear tube. “That’ll help her.”The doctor seems satisfied, a small huff of breath his only reply.“Lily? Lily, what’s wrong?” Mom asks as my arms, my legs, every inch of skin turns to hot air, floating away as I disintegrate. The pain is my only tether.My killer turns so fast, facing me, that I can’t look away in time.Our eyes meet.I close mine.I open them. I can’t help myself.It’s worse than I thought. My killer smiles at Duff, who looks back at him, not smil-ing, but clearly engaged. Familiar.Duff is in on it. Duff was trying to kill me, too. He didn’t pull the trigger, but he’s in on it.He has to be.For the first time since I’ve woken up, I wish I were dead.Because I’m about to be, if they get me alone.

Author Bio:
Meli Raine writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes — and the women who love them. Meli rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bookbub / Newsletter

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BOOK BLITZ: Vow of Silence by Melynda Price #GIVEAWAY

Vow of Silence
Melynda Price
Published by: Entangled Publishing
Publication date: May 27th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

A killer is hiding in Plain sight…The hunt for a serial killer leads Homicide Detective Josiah Troyer back to his Amish roots. To catch a madman preying on young women, Joe must return to Lancaster County and regain the trust of a shattered community.The FBI knows Joe is the best chance they have of solving this case. By returning to Lancaster, he will face shunning, and resentment from the people he once called family and friends.Hannah’s heart was broken when Josiah abandoned her eight-years ago to live with the Englishers. Forced to wed a man not of her choosing, her husband’s untimely death has left her struggling to put her life back together.When unspeakable tragedy strikes again, Josiah unexpectedly returns, investigating the murder of her sister and two other young Amish women. Hannah quickly discovers the man that’s come back is not the same one she fell in love with.Gone are Josiah’s easy smiles and gentle ways. He’s harder, colder—a true Englisher… But not even shunning can stop the attraction from consuming them both, and Josiah soon opens Hannah’s eyes to a world of passion and pleasure she never imagined. Choosing Josiah would mean walking away from the only world she’s ever known.Josiah’s investigation begins to unravel when he discovers the killer is closer than he thought. Soon, he’s in a race against time to save the only woman he’s ever loved before she becomes the next victim.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / KoboOnly 99¢ for a limited time!—EXCERPT:“Ya left me…”Joe froze, barely hearing her accusation over the pounding of his heart, every muscle in his body going ripcord tight. She had no idea. And he resented her implication that any of this was his fault. He’d sacrificed everything for her—given up who he was so she could have the life she’d always wanted. Joe was careful not to look at her, but it was impossible to keep the anger from his voice when he replied, “Has the thought not crossed your mind even once in the last eight years, that I did it for you?”“For me?! If ye’re expectin’ me to thank ya for breakin’ my heart, Josiah Troyer, then you’ll be waitin’ till hell freezes over!”Joe tossed the hammer aside and shot to his feet. His temper too short, and his emotions were running too high for him to soften his words. “Would ya rather I stayed and made an adulteress out of ya?” With his anger, the lilt of his Pennsylvania Dutch accent returned. It tasted foul on his tongue, further fueling his anger. As he advanced on her, Hannah’s vibrant blue eyes widened with surprise. She stumbled back, countering his advance until she couldn’t retreat anymore.Joe planted his hands against the chipped siding, caging her in his arms and growled, “I would’ve gotten us both shunned because make no mistake, if I’d stayed, ya would’ve been mine, husband or no’.”She gasped sharply at his confession, staring at him with scandalous shock. Hell, he should really scandalize her and kiss the woman senseless. But he’d only be torturing himself, because Hannah Beiler-Adams was not his to have.“Ya musn’t say such things, Josiah.”“Why not?” he challenged. “Can’t handle the truth? I suppose it’s easier to keep on hating me.” He spun around, needing to put some distance between himself and the only woman that had ever owned his heart.Her voice was a soft whisper behind him. “I was angry… I still am… But I never hated ya, Josiah. I hated myself.”She sounded so sad, so…defeated. He turned back to face her, and his heart clenched. The crushing ache made it difficult to breathe. “Why would you say that?”“I wasn’t a good wife,” she confessed. Her eyes filled with tears, turning them into luminous pools of regret that reached into his chest and ripped his heart out.“I seriously doubt that—”“It’s true. I never loved Jacob the way he deserved. He was a good man, Josiah.”Of course, he was. Joe never would’ve found the strength to leave if he hadn’t been.“He deserved the love of a good woman, not the leftovers of a heartbroken mess who couldn’t let go of the past. He knew I was in love with ya and he married me anyway.”It was easy to see she had many regrets. If he could, he’d take her pain away, but he wasn’t sure that the truth wouldn’t hurt her more.

Author Bio:
Melynda Price is a bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary romance. Her novels have finaled in and or won many awards such as the RONE, USA Today BBA, Golden Quill, National Readers’ Choice, Write Touch, and New England Readers’ Choice.What Price enjoys most about writing is the chance to make her readers fall in love, over and over again. She cites the greatest challenge of writing is making the unbelievable believable, while taking her characters to the limit with stories full of passion and unique twists and turns. Salting stories with undertones of history whenever possible, Price adds immeasurable depth to her well-crafted books. She currently lives in Northern Minnesota with her husband and two children where she has plenty of snow-filled days to curl up in front of the fireplace with her Chihuahua and a hot cup of coffee to write.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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BOOK BLITZ: Ten Seconds to Dead by L.A. Clayton #GIVEAWAY

Ten Seconds to Dead
L.A. Clayton
Publication date: January 20th 2020
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Ten seconds may be all she has left …Kate Edison witnesses her father’s death and, in order to keep his memory alive, decides to follow in his footsteps by joining the CIA. She molds herself into becoming exactly what the CIA is looking for—and captures their interest, both personally and professionally. But before she can finish the CIA process, Kate is offered a position as an espionage agent in another highly secretive government agency, which she accepts.While completing her agency training, Kate is catapulted into a shadowy world where wealth and power are the ultimate goal, and those in charge will stop at nothing to get it. While on the job, Kate uncovers secrets that, if revealed, would cost her life, but if kept, could bring down a nation. Isolated and unsure of who to trust, she brings in a fellow agent, but pulling him into the web of conspiracy and lies puts a target on both their backs – and it will take every skill they’ve ever learned as agents to stay alive long enough to stop the enemy no one else can see.

Goodreads / Amazon—EXCERPT:“Ms. Edison, this is Officer Lyon.”This was it. All my hard work, all the hours of studying—all the sacrifice came down to this moment. This phone call.“I appreciate the opportunity, Officer Lyon,” I said, nervousness swirling in my belly. The phone in my hand felt big and heavy. I was sitting on my old bed, in the room I’d grown up in. The call needed to be made over a landline, and the best option was at my mom’s house. Though, if my mom had known what call this really was, she would have kicked me out of her house and slammed the door.The room hadn’t changed much. My desk, where I had spent so much time, was still across from my bed, my old and likely useless computer still perched on top. The maps that showed the origins of all the languages I had intended to learn—marked with different-colored pushpins—still covered the wall above my desk. The same funny-nerdy science posters still flanked the maps. One read, “YOU MATTER. Until you multiply yourself times the speed of light squared. THEN YOU ENERGY.” That one still made me smile. Remnants of the sticky-sweet perfume I had used in my youth, in quantities far too large, still hung in the air.Officer Lyon was all business. “This will be your first official interview with the Central Intelligence Agency. I must advise you that this call will be recorded, as well as all future calls, interviews, and interactions with the CIA throughout your interview process with us, however long that may be. This will likely be our most casual interview, so relax and answer the questions naturally. Please state your full name.”I cleared my throat. “Katherine Elaine Edison. But please, call me Kate.”“Ms. Edison.”Right. I should have assumed formality would be important here. Mistake number one, check. That would be my last.“I am curious to know if you have any notion as to why the CIA is interested in you.”I didn’t mind talking about my accomplishments—I worked hard, after all—but I didn’t want to come off sounding self-important either. I thought through my words carefully. “Well, I speak several languages and graduated at the top of my class in both my undergrad and law school. I assume that has something to do with it.” I could have also mentioned that those schools were Ivy League, that my double major in international law and diplomacy and in journalism were both preferred programs at the CIA, and that I didn’t just graduate at the top of my class—I was the top of my class, as in the number-one student. But I assumed he already knew all of that and that it was how I had landed the interview in the first place.If I came off sounding pompous, Officer Lyon didn’t react. “Those are all likely things that did add to your qualifications. What exactly do you think we do here in the CIA?”Again, an answer I had to think about carefully. “I am aware that there are many different positions within the CIA: analytics, language, science, engineering, and technological positions, to name a few. Also, of course, directorate of operations.”The last one—directorate of operations—was where I wanted to be. Where I was meant to be. Where my dad had been. The clandestine service of the CIA. This was my goal.“Of course … the spies. I should tell you that if this is an area of interest for you, you will have to get in line,” Officer Lyon said. Derisiveness dripped from his words.I wasn’t sure if he was trying to discourage me or motivate me with that comment. But I definitely felt the latter. I had worked hard for this opportunity. I kept myself out of trouble—not too hard a task when a person’s studies took up all of the daylight the sun had to offer and then some—and I was careful to only keep up friendships with people who also valued education and abiding by the law. I was always the girl who chose her studies over parties. When my friends were in need of a break from the monotony of school, they would go the beach for a weekend. While they were gone I cherished the quiet, taking the time to study harder. I never found school monotonous; I craved learning.Officer Lyon asked questions for another thirty minutes. Then, before hanging up, he scheduled a face-to-face interview with me for the following week and recommended a book for me to read beforehand.I smiled. I knew the book. I’d read it years ago.

Author Bio:
L.A. Clayton has been an avid reader her entire life, devouring books at an alarming rate. Her husband often jokes that if she didn’t buy so many books they could retire. She went to bed one night a reader and woke up with a fresh memory of a dream she’d had the night before, sat down and became a writer. L.A. Clayton lives in St. Louis, MO with her husband and their four young children. She makes time for writing in between wiping noses and packing lunches.

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BOOK BLITZ: Feisty by Julia Kent #GIVEAWAY

Feisty
Julia Kent
(Do-Over Series, #3)
Publication date: January 28th 2020
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

I’m not too proud to admit that finding Mr. Right involves swiping right. Right? Welcome to dating in avocado toastland.Here I am, on my first blind date, ever, courtesy of a smartphone app and my two annoying best friends.So what is Chris “Fletch” Fletcher doing, walking across the room, looking at his phone like he’s pattern matching a picture to find a real person he’s never met before?Oh.Oh, no.The guy I drop-kicked in seventh grade cannot be my blind date. The guy who earned me this infernal nickname.That’s right.
Feisty.—

More from New York Times bestselling author Julia Kent as Fiona “Feisty” Gaskill gets her chance at love – drop-kick included.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play—EXCERPT:“Fletch?” I gasp as Perky smiles and walks away, abandoning me in my time of need.“Hey, Fiona. What’re you doing here?” He looks down at my drink. “Nice penis.”“Excuse me?”He points to my chai latte. “Perky did a good job. I was in here last week and she made some beautiful flower patterns on my latte.” He frowns, then his eyebrows shoot up. “Hold on. Those weren’t flowers, were they?”I laugh.“Wow. And they seemed so… detailed. And gorgeous.”My sides are splitting.“Please… stop… flowers…” I gasp.“That latte did give me a sudden desire to go to a Georgia O’Keeffe show, though.”I rush to take a sip of my chai latte and make the penis go away. Fletch watches me, mouth spreading into a wider grin, his green eyes shining as he crosses his arms over his chest.It’s only then that I realize he’s wearing real clothes. A crisp, light purple dress shirt, open at the neck, tucked into khahis. He has actual leather shoes – and not for weight lifting or cross-training – on his feet. His hair is styled but not sticky, and he has a close, clean shave.His aftershave is divine.“You’re not in workout gear. Or a paramedic’s uniform,” I say as I blot the foam on the tip of my nose, wondering if it’s ruined my makeup.“And you look lovely tonight. A little overdressed for a Beanerino latte with Perky,” he says, waving to her from across the room as she swings a hand towel in the air like she’s a date-night air traffic controller.“I have a date.”“So do I.”“You don’t have a man bun, do you?”He looks down at his crotch. “Is that like camel toe for guys?”

Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 19 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French and German, with more titles releasing in 2020 and beyond.From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bookbub / Amazon / Newsletter

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BOOK BLITZ: Masters' Mistress by Jamie Schulz #GIVEAWAY

Masters’ Mistress
Jamie Schulz
(The Angel Eyes #1)
Publication date: February 1st 2020
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Romance

A man bound by chains. A woman burdened by regret. Will love set this tortured pair free?In this nightmarish future where women own men, Bret Masters refuses to serve anyone. But after spending years evading slavers in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, he’s furious when he’s finally caught and sold. So, although his mistress has a pretty face and deliciously tempting curves, he vows to escape.Angel Aldridge hides her pain behind fences as sturdy and vast as her ranch. And even though her newly acquired slave is a ruggedly handsome cowboy, she’s not about to let her fantasies endanger the people she swore to protect. But between her always-watching enemies and her wounded heart, she’s reluctant to admit she may need him in more ways than one…As the two toil side by side, Bret is surprised to discover Angel’s vulnerability and her compassionate nature. And the more time they spend together, the harder she finds it to resist her feelings and to soothe her lonely soul. But when they’re stranded alone together, the barriers between mistress and slave may not be strong enough to withstand their red-hot attraction.Can Bret and Angel overcome their fears to sow the seeds of lasting love?Masters’ Mistress is the steamy first book in The Angel Eyes futuristic dystopian cowboy romance series. If you like complex characters, gritty western settings, and slow-burning desires, then you’ll adore this enthralling story.

Goodreads / Amazon—EXCERPT:Bret remained silent, his stomach twisting and his heart beating faster with every step he took. He could feel sweat soaking into the cloth tied over his eyes and trickling slowly down his chest, but cold enfolded him like a heavy frost.After what seemed like hours, the stairs finally ended and Bret’s guard ushered him forward. He wanted to resist, but the fear and his pride wouldn’t let him.Something soft brushed harmlessly against him, but its unexpectedness sent Bret over the edge. He whirled around, dislodged the guard’s hold on his arm, and prepared to confront an aggressive opponent.“Now,” the auctioneer’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker in a pleased tone that turned Bret’s heated blood to ice and stilled his frantic scuffling, “here’s what most of you have been waiting for, and a fine breeder he will make! What shall be the starting bid?”With a stunned mind and hesitant feet, he stumbled forward as the guard towed him toward the sound of the crowd. She brought him up short and fastened his leash to a bolt in the floor, all while the auctioneer spoke. The guard removed the blindfold from his eyes and, as he blinked in the brilliant light that filled the Auction Hall, he heard a rash of astonished female exclamations.“Oh my, he’s beautiful!”“Is he as good as he looks?”“Put your money down and find out.”A brief spattering of laughter echoed around the room.Bret shifted uncomfortably and bared his teeth in fury, disgust, and embarrassment. He pulled on the chains with an inadvertent yank, wanting to run so badly he could taste it—a bitter, coppery flavor, like blood on his tongue.Wide-eyed, he took in the crowd of faces leering up at him. He forced himself to look away, to take a deep breath, and tried to relax before he collapsed and embarrassed himself further.“Twelve hundred,” one woman shouted above the others, unwilling to wait for the auctioneer to begin.
“Twelve! My, that’s a heavy starting bid, but start with it, we will,” the auctioneer said in a happy, greedy tone before she began her banter.Bret only listened with half an ear as the price multiplied. Instead, he attempted to ignore the sea of faces staring at him by gazing around the glamorous room.
He stood on a stage-like dais with a set of wide stairs running down either side to the audience floor below—both glowed a satiny silver and sparkled under the bright lights. The luminous color repeated itself in the silk curtains that draped the back of the round room. Rows of silver chairs lined the full length of the black and white checkered floor below where Bret stood. Women filled the seats, and they were staring up at him with hungry eyes. His skin tightened and bile burned the back of his throat as those eyes raked over his naked body without so much as a thought about him. It made no difference who won him. He wouldn’t stay long, no matter where he ended up.Yanking at the chains again, Bret looked away and wished in vain that he could cover himself from their avid stares. Instead, he gazed toward the men in the far back. All dressed in black suits and under heavy guard, they waited patiently for their owners. Bret searched the crowd in the rear, not expecting to identify anyone; yet, contemplating the small sea of male faces, he stopped short to stare in disbelief. One individual stood out like a flashing beacon in the dead of night. The face was unclear, but the man he scrutinized possessed the same stature, the same appearance, the same stance. Bret’s breath caught in his throat.It can’t be…“Forty-five hundred,” someone cried as if in triumph, but Bret barely heard.As he stared, the too-familiar man in the back of the room nodded to another person in the crowd. Bret combed through the fervent faces closer to the platform and caught the slightest indication of acknowledgment from a tall woman, her vibrant blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail. Without a glance at Bret, she looked toward yet another woman on the opposite side of the room and lifted a hand to her simple coiffure. The second woman gave an almost indiscernible response before lifting her gaze to him.Her eyes impressed Bret. They were the brightest, the darkest, the deepest, most heavenly blue he had ever seen. They were an ocean for a man to get lost in, alluring with just enough wariness to spark his need to rise to the challenge. Slow-ly, his vision pulled back enough to see her eyes were only the beginning of her beauty. Her sun-kissed skin appeared silky smooth. Her nose was straight, above a luscious mouth with full, pink lips. Her ebony-colored hair framed a fine-boned oval face and hung past her shoulders in a mass of gently curling waves. She wore no makeup, which made her seem a little plain compared to all the flash and glamor around her, but Bret found her appearance wholesome and stunning.He sucked in a breath and berated himself. She’s just another woman who’ll hurt you. Stop hoping for the impossible.In the middle of the shouting bids, Blue Eyes stood up, showing a short, curvy figure, which Bret, despite his inner chastising, examined with male appreciation. Lifting her chin in what looked to him like stubborn determination, she addressed the auctioneer in a loud, demanding voice that brought everything to a stumbling halt, “What’s wrong with his feet?”Her unexpected question plunged the room into silence.The auctioneer glanced at a group of women sitting off to the side and cleared her throat before she answered. “Nothing.” Her composure was clearly shaken. “Why do you ask?”“Because,” Blue Eyes retorted while crossing her arms, “there’s something wrong with them, and his ear too. Did any of you notice his ear’s infected?”The auctioneer flicked another swift glance toward the same woman to her right. “Well, no,” she replied as her gaze refocused on the blue-eyed woman. “How do you know it is?”Those heavenly blue eyes turned cold and her jaw hardened. “Because I asked him.”So this was the woman he spoke to outside earlier. Bret almost wished he hadn’t been blindfolded during that conversation. He would’ve enjoyed seeing her up close. He also now understood her concerns about his health and chuckled in silent scorn—the stingy bitch wanted to depreciate his value.Heat flashed over Bret’s skin and his body tensed. He lifted his chin and glowered at the audience, his blood pounding rage through his veins. They wanted his body, but they only saw a breeding slave standing naked on a stage, not a man with a heart and a mind. And one of them thought his price was too high? Shaking his head, shame joined the fury that swept through him, momentarily blocking out the fear, as he yanked at his chains again. He was worth a hell of a lot more than forty-five hundred!“Are we done, or are we still declaring?” the last bidder asked, eyeing him as if she wanted to retract her bid.He caught her gaze and his lips curled in his nastiest smirk.“No, we’re not,” the blue-eyed woman said and broke his menacing glower at the other bidder. He focused on the small woman with the same malice, but his glare didn’t appear to bother her. In fact, she didn’t even look at him.“If anyone bothered to ask him about his health,” she continued, “you’d have known of his injuries as well, but then I suppose that’s too much to hope for.”Bret frowned, confused. She sounded bitter, but he couldn’t understand why. She wasn’t chained up and forced to stand naked in front of strangers to be sold like an animal.“And, Darla,” she said, twisting her stiff posture toward the same group of women the auctioneer had glanced at, “if your guards talked to these men instead of beating them all the time, they might be a little more responsive, not to mention obedient.”The scorn that infused her last word deepened Bret’s frown.“Not this one,” a young guard who stood near the stairs leading down to the checkered floor said. “Why do you think he’s chained so heavily?”The auctioneer’s glare silenced the chatty guard in an instant. An uncooperative slave would bring a much lower price.Blue Eyes lifted a pointed eyebrow at the guard’s comment and tilted her head. “Because most of the guards here are sadists who enjoy beating the spirit out of men.”“No one forces you to come here to get your slaves,” an audience member chided her.“It’s not like I have much choice though, is it?” Blue Eyes shot right back.“That’s some heavy criticism, Angel,” the auctioneer said with a slow shake of her head and another quick glance to her right.Angel… Bret thought, savoring her name in his mind as his eyes scanned over her. The name seemed to fit her outward appearance, but he doubted its implied connotation extended to her heart. Don’t be a fool, his inner voice rebuked him again. She’s just like all the rest.Straightening her shoulders, Angel replied, “I only criticize what needs changing.”The auctioneer bit her lip. Her eyes shifted to Darla, who nodded her head and spun her fingers in a quick get-on-with-it motion.The auctioneer, rubbing her palms on her black slacks, refocused on Angel and said in a calm voice, “The bid is forty-five hundred. If you wish to make a bid, then make it. If not, please sit down.”“Yes,” Angel said, her blue eyes as cold as ice and hard as granite, “I wish to make a bid: Ten thousand, gold.”Several spectators gasped at the size of her offer, while the rest of the room went deathly silent. She met Bret’s eyes as stunned whispers filled the air, and he shivered with trepidation as a caustic smile curled her pretty pink lips.

Author Bio:
Jamie Schulz lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her family, her husband, and their fur babies. Writing has always been a big a part of her life, and she hopes to one day reach the best sellers lists.Cowboys, ice cream, and reading almost any kind of romance are among her (not so) secret loves. To her, every one of her stories, no matter how dark, must have a happy ending, and she strives to make them impossible to put down until you get there. She balances her free time between reading her favorite romance authors--in genres ranging from erotica and dark romance to sweet historicals and contemporary romance--and spending time with her family.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Bookbub / Amazon

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