R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 21

B@@K REVEAL: Tricked in October by Starla DeKruyf

Tricked in October
Starla DeKruyf
(Pineridge, #2)
Publication date: October 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

In this best-friends-to-lovers romance, mistaken identity leads to a Halloween hook-up that might not be so mistaken after all.

After losing her husband last winter, the thought of hosting a Halloween couples costume party is the furthest thing from Kelsey O’Henry’s mind. Besides raising three young children, managing O’Henry’s Bar and Grill, and caring for her alcoholic mother, she has more important things to worry about. Like the stack of unpaid business loans that threaten the bar’s existence. As well as her newfound feelings she’s developed for her best guy friend.

Davis Vance is tired of being followed around by cameras. He misses the days before he and his twin brother became “Renovation Dudes”—hosts of an HGTV show. When Davis learns Kelsey could lose the bar at the end of the fall season, he sees it as an opportunity to not only help his friend, but as a way out of renewing his HGTV contract.

There’s just one problem—lately Davis’s feelings for Kelsey have been less friendly and more romantic. And on the night of the bar’s Halloween party, both Kelsey and Davis can no longer ignore their desires. Will their passionate evening be a one-night stand—only a flicker of heat during the crisp autumn, or will she risk her pride and accept his help?

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Author Bio:

Starla DeKruyf started writing when she still had words left to say and everyone stopped listening. Her love of romance novels began when she borrowed her friend’s copy of Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume and kept it hidden from her mom. When she’s not slinging coffee, volunteering with youth, or taxiing her kids around, you can find her jamming out to her playlists and writing her next swoony romance, usually by hand. She lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, three children, their English Mastiff, and a rescue pup.

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B@@K REVEAL: November by Sybil Bartel #PreORDER

November
Sybil Bartel
(The Alpha Elite Series)
Publication date: October 29th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Airman.

Hacker.

Mercenary.

Hacking one of the government’s top agencies was my first mistake. My second was thinking they wouldn’t find me. Nineteen hours later, five armed men kicked down my door.

They gave me a choice—prison or recruitment.

The Air Force took me in and trained me to be the best Cyberspace Operations Officer they’d ever had. Being the gatekeeper for the military’s strategic operations was an honor, but it put a target on my back. I never traveled without security—until I made my third mistake.

Twenty-two hours later, covered in blood and barely able to stand after events I wasn’t at liberty to discuss, I erased my past, changed my identity, and went off the grid. Then I joined Alpha Elite Security. I was invisible… until she saw me.

Code name: November. Mission: Disengage.

NOVEMBER is a standalone book in the exciting Alpha Elite Series by USA Today Bestselling author, Sybil Bartel. Come meet Nathan ‘November’ Rhys and the dominant, alpha heroes who work for AES!

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Author Bio:

Sybil Bartel is a USA Today Bestselling author of unapologetic alpha heroes. Whether you're reading her deliciously dominant mercenaries, bodyguards or military heroes, all of her heart-stopping, page-turning romantic suspense novels have sexy-as-sin alpha heroes!

Sybil resides in South Florida and she is forever Oliver’s mom.

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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Crow by C.M. Marin #GIVEAWAY

Crow
C.M. Marin
(The Sinful Guardians MC, #1)
Publication date: August 30th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

CROW

One minute I’m content just enjoying life with my club, running one of the businesses we own, and the next a woman sneaks her way under my skin for the first time in my life.

I never saw her coming.

Wild hair, almost black, and dark brown eyes star in my fantasies, but Paisley keeps herself out of reach. She’s shielded behind a solid brick wall that I want to knock down more than I’ve ever wanted anything. As I get to know her, my hero complex grows as fast as the chemistry burning between us. Maybe it’s just the former soldier and the sergeant at arms in me talking, but I want to protect her from both my past and whoever sent her running to Montana.

And I will protect her, because this woman is mine.

PAISLEY

Three months ago, I found out how much cruelty can flow through someone’s veins. My whole world collapsed, and suffocating fear for the most precious thing life has ever given me sent me running.

Now, Montana is my new home. For how long? Only time will tell.

But when fate puts a sturdy, intense biker in my path, everything changes. The connection between Seth and me is palpable, and it grows stronger every day that I get to know him. It lures us together despite my efforts to stay away. And clearly, I fail at staying away. Because soon, what scares me the most is no longer the dreadful ghost of my recent past.

Now, I’m terrified I’ll have to run away again and lose the man I’m falling in love with.

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—

EXCERPT:

I know that staring down at the nasty mush of food splashed across my kitchen sink is going to awaken the urge to vomit the rest of the lunch I ate three hours ago—most likely before I even manage to get my breathing under control. My churning stomach is the only proof I need. But for a long couple of minutes, the loathsome prospect of a repeat doesn’t set off enough motivation for me to move. But maybe motivation isn’t the problem. Maybe I’m simply not sure it’s wise to take the leap yet. If my legs shake with as much fervor as my hands when I try to walk away from the repugnant smell, the chances of cracking my skull on the hard, light gray tiles of my kitchen floor are sky-high. It doesn’t help that my brain has started to race despite myself, trying to come up with an explanation for the discovery that forced me to puke into the sink, the sickness arising too suddenly to allow me to race to the bathroom. It’s searching for any explanation that would give me even the slightest flicker of hope that the past fourteen months of my life haven’t been a pure lie.

A complete sham.

But as I finally push off the countertop and stagger back to the kitchen island despite the risk of collapsing on the way, my gut, my heart and my head are all on the same page. When my gaze falls back to the few papers that literally made me sick, every part of me knows that the last fourteen months have come to an end. There can’t be many explanations for the papers I found hidden under a loose board of the living room hardwood floor ten minutes ago.

These papers have changed my life. It sounds dramatic, but it’s not. It’s a fact.

My eyes stay anchored to the passport displaying the picture of the man I’ve loved for the past fourteen months, despite the need to fight back a new wave of nausea as more food threatens to make its way up my throat. Through my frenzied heartbeat, my trembling body, and my roiling stomach, I keep reading the name adjoined to the very familiar face with sharp features and soft blue eyes, topped with a mop of light brown hair. The first name is the same I’ve always called him. Brendan. But the last name isn’t his. At least, it’s not the one I thought belonged to the man that I thought was the love of my life until about fifteen minutes ago. And now, the face I’m staring at is the one of the man I love, but strangely, it also isn’t.

If not for the three other pieces of paper I found with the passport, I could have let my mind wander through far-fetched explanations like how the man I’ve shared so much with was some kind of secret agent who had to keep me in the dark for safety reasons. I might have let my love for him convince me of that. But the other papers are spread out here, right before my eyes, and two of them drape a layer of cold chills all over my skin, worsening the shaking that’s taken over my body. The two train tickets scheduled for the same day Brendan booked me a spa day don’t leave much doubt as to what’s going on.

Just for you. You deserve a long day of being pampered.

Those were his words when he gifted me the thoughtful spa day a few days ago, kissing me like I was a treasure. His treasure. But I’ve never been a treasure to him, and he’s never been some undercover hero fighting the most dangerous criminals in the world. I’m a fool, and he’s a fraud. A fraud that is intending to leave Oregon in less than a week.

Why is this happening? Why is he doing this? To me? To us? The possible answers to those questions send an even stronger wave of sickness rolling through me than the papers in front of me, so I’m not even going to think about it. At least not now. Does knowing why matter anyway? To me, in this moment, it doesn’t. All that matters to me is that the man I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with is planning to rip away from me the most precious thing life has ever given me. The last piece of paper on the counter is proof of that. I didn’t even know it had arrived yet. The past three weeks have been nothing but adjustment and trying to sleep when I can, so it’s no surprise that administrative stuff hasn’t entered my mind once. But it has been on Brendan’s, obviously. Now I’m back to staring at one of the last names appearing on the document; Travis. Brendan Travis. I’m then reading my own name again, not knowing if it’s a consolation or not. I don’t know much anymore, except that the man who is now a stranger to me is planning to do something heartless and unfathomable. But so help me God, the only way I’m going to let that happen is if I’m dead. And when the door of my apartment opens and footsteps get closer before I have time to put away the incriminating documents, I’m sweating with the thought that something irreversible is really going to happen.

Author Bio:

C.M. Marin is an author of romantic suspense and contemporary romance.

She’s a small-town girl all the way. Quiet and nature are all she really needs… as long as there are books and a box full of assorted teas within easy reach!

She hasn’t found her own happily ever after yet, but she sure loves to write about falling in love and finding forever. With a touch of suspense, just the right amount of sexiness, and plenty of love, she writes books for every lover of romance around the world!

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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Resolved by Nikki Kiley #GIVEAWAY

Resolved
Nikki Kiley
Publication date: September 1st 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Can a perky optimist and a moody bachelor overcome their differences to discover that opposites make the best matches?

SarahI will let nothing get in my way as I navigate my demanding position on the Home Design Network, especially not a grumpy, gorgeous 6’4 man built like a tank. Jeremy Chance may resent that he’s been assigned to be my babysitter—and he voices it, rudely often enough—but as we tackle the job before us I can’t help but feel drawn into his quiet appeal.

JeremyReasons I should never offer home repair help.1. Everyone takes you and your time for granted2. The job is never just fifteen minutes3. The customer is ALWAYS right (especially when they’re WRONG.)4. And now I’ve been saddled with an ambitious, take no prisoners workaholic who has no clue what she signed up for

But something about Sarah’s Hayes sweet, frazzled determination tugs at my well-buried heartstrings and I can’t stop myself from helping this hardworking charmer succeed.

Author’s Note: A steamy, swoony, laugh-out-loud workplace romantic comedy with a grumpy hero determined to save the day and a feisty heroine who is realizing that there’s more to her co-worker than just a man that can get the job done. This is a stand-alone romance with a HEA!

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—

EXCERPT:

The eighty-five-degree heat combined with the storm that just hit was doing a number on my hair. Tendrils escaped the tight bun as soon as I walked out of arrivals and waited for my Uber driver. Thank God I had the sense to pack in my carry-on an extra set of clothes, toiletries, and black heels. You could never be too careful.

Living with Mom had prepared me for whatever eventuality might come up since she was always one foot out the door from being evicted or dumped. My go bag was always at the ready. I had planned to stop and leave my luggage at the hotel, but those plans were nonexistent now. I was already late—what a first impression.

The drive over to the new satellite office of the Home Design Network was undoubtedly fascinating. Colorful graffiti and street art decorated the buildings we passed. We drove by many repurposed warehouses now used for office space. Rolling my shoulders from the tension built up in the back of my neck when we passed tourists walking around in bikini tops and short shorts. Maybe I wouldn’t have to worry about the dress code after all.

My Uber driver, an older Cuban man, was silent during our drive over after we tried to communicate, but my high school Spanish was not cutting it. He must have read the word tourist tattooed across my forehead since he looked at me through the rearview mirror and warned me.

“Ten cuidado de noche. De día no es tan malo.”

“What? Mi español es…rusty? Are you telling me that it’s dangerous here?”

“Dangerous at night.” He said with a thick accent.

I smiled and nodded back at him, because all men saw was a defenseless young woman with victim potential. He hadn’t seen my knife with its removable box cutter blade, nor the Taser I usually had on me and would have if circumstances were different. But all of my self-defense tools were now in New York City in my checked luggage. And that’s if I’m lucky.

He stopped his SUV in front of an old industrial building in the Miami Design District. From what I read in the briefing it was once an old rum distillery, long abandoned, and now a shared office space concept. The open loft space would give us a place for potential clients and the design team to meet, plus a space to house the expensive video equipment and cameras. The painted white brick walls, massive archways, and attractive moldings would lend themselves well to our brand. I could see it already—grapefruit, orange blossom, and thyme, Home Design Network’s signature scents delivered by nanoparticles through air vents in the building. The decor of the front offices would be tasteful and modern. Our newest in-house designers made sure the branding was on point. When you arrived at reception, a wall of oversized screens played our top-rated shows on a constant loop and would greet the visitors to our satellite office.

As I stepped inside the building and rolled my suitcase behind me, the cool air of the building was such a contrast to the outdoor heat and humidity, a gruff voice interrupted my thoughts. “Took you long enough. You’re late.”

I swiveled to face the rude asshole who’d addressed me without even a proper introduction—and I froze in place.

Holy hot dog…

I looked up and up and up. His shaggy blond hair needed a haircut, a scruffy beard that hid a nasty scar from an old accident, a body built like a cover model of a romance novel the ones that show manchest. He was handsome, even with the scowl on his face. As Rebecca’s assistant, I knew who he was. I’d dealt with all the back-end stuff that had to do with the show she produced for Home Design Network. I was cognizant of every detail that had to do with our production and construction crew, and this was the brilliant but grumpy middle brother, Jeremy.

My mom’s first lesson for me was how to charm a man to get them to do whatever I wanted. Tanya Hayes’s problem comprised of once she got them, she couldn’t keep them.

I stuck out my hand, chin up, and full frontal with gritted teeth. I turned on the charm. “Hi, I’m Sarah Hayes. You must be Jeremy. Very sorry you had to wait. My luggage never arrived at Miami International, which caused me to get delayed when I needed to fill out the paperwork.”

He looked at my hand for a few seconds before deigning to shake it. What a complete jerk. His indignation at having to wait for me here was almost palpable.

I took in the open-aired center court area before me, potted tropical plants, an espresso bar for visitors, the common area furniture being a set of long sofas facing each other with padded cushions, and small tables with chairs placed at corners. And to think he’d been waiting all this time, here. What a hardship.

“My, my—this place looks like a real dump, and you’ve been here all this time. You should try being at the airport, where there were nowhere to sit while I waited for my nonexistent luggage. I had to stand for an hour just to put in a complaint about my missing suitcases.” Too late, sarcasm dripped from my every word.

It went over his head, or he didn’t care because he continued as if I just didn’t make him appear inconsiderate and self-absorbed for his comment. “Why didn’t you call? Let Rebecca know, so I didn’t have to wait over two hours. It’s what any considerate person would have done.”

Oh no, he did not just go there. After everything, I had been through today. I just had it with the impoliteness, and I had reached my tipping point. “Are you freaking kidding me? Rebecca was aware of the delay because of the weather. Since she texted me, I wrote to her about what was happening with my luggage situation. She did not make me aware of the fact that you were waiting or when you were supposed to come. So, if you want to file a complaint look to the one who’s footing the bill.”

He gave me a dumbfounded expression, his jaw clenched. We both knew he would not be complaining to Rebecca. I bet he didn’t see me coming. They never did.

Author Bio:

Nikki Kiley is an aspiring author of Contemporary Romance. Since she was a young girl, she dreamt of writing stories that would entertain and move her readers, like she was and still is, by talented authors.

When not working the day job running a medical office, she spends hours crafting and writing stories about heroes and heroines earning their chance at love. She makes her home in Puerto Rico with her husband, two young adult children, and a gentle giant, the bull mastiff, Kira.

She loves the beach, her Nespresso maker, and cupcakes (S’more in particular).

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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Bride of the Corpse King by Emily Shore #GIVEAWAY

Bride of the Corpse King
Emily Shore
Publication date: September 1st 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

~From Bestselling Kindle Vella Author Emily Shore

“I will have you on my throne. And worship you like the goddess you are.”

Flowers have followed Isla Adayra her whole life. Things are no different in the City of the Dead.

After volunteering to be Bride of the Corpse King to save her family, Isla sets a course to woo the God of Death. From seducing him with her corpus roses to accepting his mark of Death, Isla must keep him from reaping her soul.

With Death in his cursed form, the Corpse King, Allysteir, meets his match with Isla and her passion. It isn’t long before his feeble heart falls for the girl who eats forbidden fruit and grows roses and thorns from her flesh. But could she truly tempt Death? And break their land’s Curse?

For fans of A Touch of Darkness comes a dark and rapturous fantasy retelling starring a brooding and tortured Corpse King and a heroine strong enough to conquer the God of Death…

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

—

Author Bio:

As a bestselling Kindle Vella Author for fantasy romance, I love to feature strong, badass heroines, dark, tortured love interests, spicy romance, and queer inclusivity. My past work includes a Top 100 YA anti-trafficking dystopian: The Uncaged Series.

After finding my voice late 2020, I am celebrating my newer debut works. Bride of the Corpse King: A Hades and Persephone Retelling and Bride of Lucifer are my top Kindle Vella books. Learn more at “Emily’s Vella Verse” on FB or connect with me on any social media pages, especially Tiktok!

An abuse survivor and trained advocate, I’ve worked as an awareness speaker all over Minnesota including the MLA and MEA conferences attended by hundreds of educators and librarians. As a recently out and proud bisexual feminist, my passion through my advocacy work and writing is to celebrate and normalize queer characters, showcase trauma-overcoming themes, and to empower female audiences, including my two daughters.

Please subscribe to Emily’s newsletter at - www.emilybethshore.com - to keep up with my series projects, author promos, and contests to receive fun prizes!

Emily lives in Saint Paul with her husband and two daughters. When not writing enemies to lovers with sex positive and empowered females smashing the patriarchy, Emily is pursuing grad school for domestic abuse advocacy.

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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Red Rain by Lara Bernhardt #GIVEAWAY

Red Rain
Lara Bernhardt
Publication date: August 30th 2022
Genres: Women’s Fiction

A bittersweet story of friendship and overcoming grief from a critically acclaimed author.

Olivia Montag is a professor who doesn’t have all the answers. The devastating loss of a child ended her marriage, and she’s been overlooked for a job promotion one time too many. Not sure what comes next, she leaves it all behind and volunteers to teach English to schoolchildren in India.

Ten thousand miles away, she connects with fellow volunteers and finds purpose in teaching. Until one by one the girls in her classes stop showing up. Then she meets Mukesh, an Indian man with a heart for invention, who may be the only one who can help her students. This is her chance to impact real change, even if that means trusting new friendships and her own instincts.

It turns out, there might be strength in asking for help, and embracing a painful past may clear the way for a brighter future. Sometimes in the darkest storms, you can choose to dance in the rain.

Eat, Pray, Love meets Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in this poignant but uplifting story of finding your purpose.

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—

EXCERPT:

Olivia Montag questioned her sanity. Anyone she’d shared her plans with had questioned it for months now, some with raised eyebrows, skeptical silence, and shrugs as if to say, “If that’s what you want.” Some had opted for a more straightforward approach and outright bursts of, “Have you lost your mind?” But she’d brushed them all aside, reassuring them—and herself—that she knew what she was doing. She needed this. She’d read Eat, Pray, Love. This was how people found themselves again after their lives fell apart.

Until this moment, she’d remained stubbornly convinced she was right and completely ignored the naysayers. Excitement had buoyed her steps as she’d boarded the plane to leave, Mom giving one last look of concern as she waved goodbye. The thrill of adventure and the certainty she was embarking on a life-empowering trip of a lifetime (and perhaps delirium brought on by lack of sleep) got her through the thirty-six-hour journey, including transfers and layovers, to New Delhi, India.

She’d slept most of several days, enjoying the exotic newness of it all when awake, slowly adjusting her day/night cycle. Watching flocks of green parrots fly overhead as she soaked up tropical sun by the pool of her five-star luxury hotel, she’d breathed deeply and congratulated herself, awash in the knowledge she’d been correct. This was exactly what she’d needed. A fresh start, halfway around the globe, as far from her previous surroundings as she could possibly run.

Now, stepping off the rusted-out, rattletrap bus that brought her from Kochi, Kerala, after a long-delayed, nearly five-hour flight from New Delhi, and clutching her single bag of possessions, she entertained the notion that perhaps she should have listened to the naysayers—at least a little bit.

The crowded bus station, constructed of bare concrete and worn from years of hard use, bustled with people. Most of them appeared to be running hours behind schedule, and the spot she occupied apparently intersected with everyone’s trajectories, judging by the way they all jostled and bumped her.

If her ex-husband could see her now. She could picture the look of disgust and the head shake that had become such a familiar sight the last few years. If she’d done something really stupid, he might also roll his eyes. Yes, this adventure probably would’ve earned an eye roll along with the head shake. And his running commentary about what smart people did and didn’t do. “Smart people don’t just run off to India,” she could hear him say. “Especially with no idea where they’re going or how they’ll get there. That’s just not smart.” The longer she stood there, lost and wondering how long she should stand in the bus station watching more competent people en route to their destinations before seeking help, the more she thought she deserved her ex’s scorn.

Author Bio:

Lara Bernhardt is a Pushcart-nominated writer, editor, and audiobook narrator. She is Editor-in-Chief of Balkan Press and also publishes a literary magazine, Conclave. Twice a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award for Best Fiction, she writes supernatural suspense and women’s fiction. You can follow her on all the socials @larawells1 on Twitter and @larabern10 on Facebook, BookBub, and Instagram.

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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Rogue Wolf Hunter by Kait Ballenger #GIVEAWAY

Rogue Wolf Hunter
Kait Ballenger
(Rogue Brotherhood, #1)
Publication date: August 30th 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

A sexy wolf shifter romance like you’ve never seen before! – Perfect for fans of Supernatural!

Hunters of the paranormal, the Rogue Brotherhood are an elite group tasked with protecting humanity…but what happens when danger collides with desire?

Jace McCannon has one loyalty: the Rogue Brotherhood. Despite his mixed blood, his hatred for the werewolves he hunts is legendary. But in his search for a sadistic killer, Jace finds himself face-to-face with a stunningly seductive packmaster…and longing for a night with his mortal enemy.

Nothing can stop Frankie Amato from defending her kind – or from catching the rogue responsible for killing women in her territory. For that, this alpha female needs Jace’s skills more than she wants to admit. But as their investigation exposes evil truths, need burns into a passion that dare not be fulfilled. For to do so will have deadly consequences for them both….

Rogue Wolf Hunter is the first in a sexy paranormal romance series by Kait Ballenger filled with powerful alpha males and the sexy independent women who bring them to their knees…

The Rogue Brotherhood Series:1. Rogue Wolf Hunter2. Cold Demon Hunter 3. Dark Witch Hunter

“Kait Ballenger is a treasure you don’t want to miss” – NYT and USA Today Bestseller Gena Showalter

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—

EXCERPT:

“Okay. Now do whatever feels comfortable.”

Jace bent his knees and arched forward like a large animal waiting to pounce.

“Channel your energy wherever its strongest. Focus on pushing all your energy there.”

He raised a single brow. “What energy?”

“What do you mean, ‘what energy’?” She sighed, exasperated with him.

She’d been more than a little on-edge lately. A combination of her lonely nights, working with Jace, Amarok’s unintentionally oppressive presence, and the knowledge that there was still a killer on the loose in her territory. Something had to give. And soon.

“You keep saying focus on the energy and I don’t feel any energy.”

She sighed and walked to his side. “Straighten up again.”

He rolled his shoulders back to stand at his full height, towering over her. The closeness of his body to hers sent a fresh wave of heat straight through her. “It’s the energy inside you. The kind you feel when the moon is full. That sort of stirring. Right here in your chest.” She placed her palm over his solar plexus. She looked up, and their eyes locked.

Something heated flared in his gaze, feral and untamed. But she couldn’t address it.

Not without revealing how much his absence from her bed had affected her.

Apparently when the lingerie hadn’t worked, he’d taken a different approach and ghosted her.

Like he was bidding his time until she came to him.

And from the fire in his eyes now, he had no doubt she would. Eventually.

Her will wasn’t made of titanium, though she wanted it to be.

She tore her gaze away. She had to fight to get the words out. “It’s right here. It pulls at your whole being, like something connected to your soul.” She glanced at the floor. “Do you feel it?”

Jace placed his hand over hers, his voice an aroused growl. “Only when you touch me.”

Frankie couldn’t help herself. She met his eyes again, and her breath caught.

They stood in total stillness.

He stroked his thumb over the top of her hand. “I’m sorry I can’t give you what you want,” he said, barely above a whisper. “Not without ruining everything you need.”

She swallowed, trying to find the ability to speak. “I’m sorry, too.”

He kept staring, and Frankie wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Unintentionally, she inched closer.

Jace cleared his throat and stepped back.

Her hand fell from his chest to hang limp at her side. Yeah, she was an idiot. Thinking she could have him both ways. He wanted her. He’d made that much clear, but the distance he’d placed between them over the past few days said he wouldn’t play second-fiddle to Amarok. He’d only have her again if she was ready to go all in, and in the meantime, their constant flirtations were driving her wild—exactly like he intended.

It was all or nothing with Jace.

And he was playing to win.

She stepped away from him. Learn to take a hint, Frankie, she chastised herself.

Jace cleared his throat again. “I can feel it when the moon is full. But I can’t feel it now. So how am I supposed to gather it?”

“You’re going to have to learn how to feel it.” Her palm tingled from where she’d touched his skin. Her arms didn’t feel right hanging at her sides, so she crossed them over her chest. She wanted to wrap them around him. Instead, she tightened them around her body, trying to hold herself together. “You’ve probably suppressed it so long that you can’t feel it anymore. Can you think back to the last time it was there?”

“When I hunt.”

“What do you mean?” she said.

He stared at the wall as if he didn’t want to look her in the face. “When I’m out hunting… well, you know.” He glanced at her to gauge her reaction.

“Wolves? Our people?”

Jace frowned. “Only the criminal ones. Ones who hurt humanity,” he amended quickly, making it clear that despite all her darker dealings as a packmaster, he didn’t consider her to be one. “When I’m hunting, I can feel something stir inside me. Almost like an animal living under my skin. A beast.”

“Is there any way we can simulate the feeling you get when you hunt?”

He squared his jaw and rubbed his temples in slow circles, a slight smirk crossing his lips. “Not unless you bring Rock in here and let me tear into him.”

“Aren’t you funny?” she said coldly. “What’s your problem with him, Jace?”

“I have a problem with any man, wolf or otherwise, who has what I want.”

A moment of silence passed between them as he scanned the length of her body and her skin seemed to catch fire. He could caress her with one look.

“Come here,” he said.

Without thinking about what she was doing, Frankie shuffled forward a few inches, then stared into his eyes and froze.

He pulled her against his body. He laced his fingers through her hair, and a blush heated her cheeks.

“If you stand close to me, I might be able to shift.”

“Why does this strike me as an obvious ploy?”

“I don’t need a clever ploy to make you want to be in my arms, Frankie.” His grip on her tightened, and she could feel his erection push against the soft skin of her stomach. He leaned his face into hers, and she fought hard not to gasp as his lips lingered dangerously close to her ear.

His warm breath danced over her skin. “Just stay with me,” he whispered again.

Author Bio:

Kait Ballenger is the award-winning author of the Seven Range Shifter and The Rogue Brotherhood paranormal romance series, where she weaves captivating tales filled with dark, sexy alpha heroes and the independent women who bring them to their knees.

When Kait’s not preoccupied writing “intense and riveting” paranormal plots or “high-voltage” love scenes that make even seasoned romance readers blush, she can usually be found spending time with her family or with her nose buried in a good book. She lives in Florida with her husband and two young sons.

 

Visit Kait's website or sign up for her newsletter at www.kaitballenger.com

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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Emerald Eyes by Aurelia Yates #GIVEAWAY

Emerald Eyes
Aurelia Yates
Publication date: August 30th 2022
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

After the death of her mother and losing her job, Sarah realizes there’s nothing keeping her in the small town where she grew up, and she travels to New York to stay with her best friend. Upon her arrival, she literally falls for a sexy, dark man with mesmerizing emerald-green eyes.

Chance encounters continue to bring them together, and Sarah finds herself drawn into a sinful world she’s never known. Wilder is unlike any other man, and although she tries, she can’t resist him or his dominating temperament.

Try as she might, Wilder will not let Sarah escape him, and with a stalker coming after her, he is determined to protect her with everything he has—even when he has to punish her in the bedroom for disobeying his commands.

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EXCERPT:

I’m about to ask my driver to go to Red when all of a sudden, I spotted her in the window. She’s coming out of the building. It’s at that moment I feel as if I am not breathing. Time seems to stand still as I moved closer to the vehicle’s window. I can see she is just as I remember—stunning. Her hair is down, and the wind is lightly blowing it, giving off the illusion that she is floating. She’s wearing a smile that would brighten the Devil’s day. I take in the sun-dress she is wearing, the slightly fitted top of the dress showing the outline of her full breasts. Instantly, my soldier in my pants comes to attention. Then, as my smile appeared, it disappeared.

When she turned around to look back at the front door, a young man appeared. He takes her by the hand, then leads her down the sidewalk. My jaw goes stiff. My vision started to fade. I wanted to murder that mother-fucker for touching what’s mine. Before they get out of my view, I take a picture, then send it to Blaze.

“Blaze, find out all the information you can about this fuck-tard.”

Blaze sends back a text. “On it.”

Seeing Sarah with another man makes my blood boil. I’m enraged. I don’t want any man touching what is mine. I tell Finn, my driver, to follow the pair but to stay discreet. A couple of blocks, later they entered a coffee shop. Through the dingy front window, I see their silhouettes as they sit down in a booth at the front of the shop. I’m barely able to make anything out because the windows look so grungy. I shiver to think how clean the shop actually is.

I’m observing their interaction, trying to see if she is into him. When he reached over to take her hand, I checked out. I feel the anger seeping through me like I’m about to blow. I know the outcome will be catastrophic. I sensed my body moved but can’t stop my actions. It’s when I opened the door to the coffee shop that I realized where I’m at.

I squinted my eyes as I looked upon him. The man she is sitting across is holding her hand. He noticed me and his eyes rounded, as if he sensed I’m about to rip his appendages from his body. Sarah turned in her seat to face me. I’m in motion to start making my way over to her. I feel my phone vibrate. I take it out, viewing the caller ID—Blaze. Fuck!

Author Bio:

Aurelia writes contemporary romance and enjoys reading it just as much! She lives in Alabama with her husband, daughter and fur babies. She spends most of her time taking care of her loved ones And plotting stories. Excited to begin this new journey, she’s looking forward to sharing her stories.

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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Pleasure in Pain by Coda Languez #GIVEAWAY

Pleasure in Pain
Coda Languez
(Birth of a Sin, #2)
Publication date: August 29th 2022
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Mafia, Romance

Originally on Kindle Vella!If she couldn’t catch him with honey…Violence will have to do.Power, Money and Beauty; Ira Dante had it all.She was the woman of his dreams.All Tristan had to do was say “yes” and she would give him anything he could dream of.But all that money came from trafficked drugs, stolen weapons, and mountains of bloodied corpses. All that power lead to sadistic rages and nightmarish madness. Underneath her beauty was a monster that threatened to rip him apart.

Simply put:Ira was batshit insane.

So Tristan refused; their relationship was built on pretty little lies hiding the hideous truth and as a vigilante, he spent years working against criminal empires like the Dante Family.Unfortunately, Ira was a woman who never took ‘no’ for an answer and she has long learned that all is fair in love and war.

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Book 1 – A Beautiful Lie – is only 99c for a limited time!

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EXCERPT:

Ira looked down at him from her perch on the table, her titanium fingers releasing those soft brown locks before lovingly brushing through the strands, “Oh Sweetie. You’re not going anywhere.” She smirked, licking her intact bottom lip; his bitter bite on her mouth was nowhere to be seen.

His electric blue eyes glared at her from under stringy brown bangs. “You psychotic whore! Let me-“

A loud BANG echoed in the room as Ira suddenly slammed his face against the steel surface. A white light seared his eyes, and his mind tumbled away from him. He gasped, grunting as tried to lift his head, only for that heated, monstrous, cybernetic hand to slam his face back down to the table.

“Here are some basic facts, ArchAngel…” She snarled, her lips close to his ears, her breath scalding his pallid skin, “You are NOT going anywhere.” She lifted his head by his hair as if to peel off his scalp. “You are in NO position to demand.” She jerked her wrist to the side, twisting his head to look up at her. Her eyes were pools of inferno, staring deep into his cerulean depths. “You. Are. MINE!” She let go of his hair, her thighs next to his throbbing head. The demonic digits of that abominable arm tapped on the steel surface. “Understood?”

Tristan shuddered, his shock, his rage giving way to fear, and somber defeat. “What do you want from me?”

She tilted her head as more tears escaped Tristan’s swollen eyes. “I have a very long list of things I want from you…”

She got off the table and pressed the index finger of her prosthetic arm onto the steel surface. A loud screech burrowed into Tristan’s ears as she dragged it around the table.

“FUCK!” If it wasn’t the pulsating thuds against his temples, it was now that scream of metal on metal tearing into ears. He clenched his teeth, feeding that agony into his returning rage.

Rage.

Sadness.

Mixing with a healthy dose of fear.

When the metallic screech halted, he lifted chin from the table, his lips quivering before glaring up at her.

Why was she looking at him like that?

Those fiery eyes gazed at him affectionately.

There was a slight smile on Ira’s face and a soft purr in her throat.

Not too long ago, he would’ve been nuzzling his face against her orange curls, kissing the top of her head, her cheeks, and those voluptuous lips for looking at him like that.

Now?

He hated it.

He hated the mixed feelings in his gut.

He kept silent, conflicting, turning deep within his stomach, his eyes narrowed in electric azure slits as Ira took a seat.

Her eyes burned with ravenous heat as she lowered her hand into a tote beside her stiletto boots. Her eyebrows lifted, and her smile widened into a demonic grin.

She lifted the sought after tool from the bag and set it on the table, red fingernails punctuating its presence with a delicate caress.

Sick and twisted curiosity forced his gaze downwards.

A pair of pliers came into view.

Long-nosed pliers that were impeccably clean, shining in the stark spotlight of the room.

He took in the sight of the clamped shut pliers before her voice, deep and laced with a predatory growl, penetrated through the cold silence.

“So let’s start from the very top of this list. Right now, I want to know you on a deeper level.” The metal fingers of her left hand strummed along the table surface, even measured taps echoing, “No more secrets, no more lies.”

Author Bio:

Coda Languez is a Software Engineer by day and an Artist/Author by night. She is lover of all things anime, horror, and comic related, making her a true geek in all aspects. Heavily influenced by the works of Satoshi Kon, Kouta Hirano, Francesca Lia Block, and Clive Barker, Coda mixes black comedy, horror, magic realism, and dark romance into her works, creating an 'it's complicated' relationship between readers and her anti-heroic, even villainous protagonists.

When she is not programming in her day job or writing psychological terrifying romances and dark action comedies in the night hours, Coda often binges on anime, fantasy, and sci-fi sagas and indulges in competition reality tv (a guilty pleasure). She is the mother of an adorable toddler and his Pembroke Welsh Corgi brothers, and wife to an awesome and often exasperated husband.

For information on Coda's latest works, visit codemonkeyarts.com or connect with her on social media via @codemonkeyarts.

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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Veronique's Journey by Patti Flinn #GIVEAWAY

Véronique’s Journey
Patti Flinn
Publication date: September 1st 2022
Genres: Adult, Historical

In 18th century France, the choices for a young black woman of modest means are slim.

Véronique Clair loves her parents and their small home in the countryside of Burgundy but dreams of using her talent for sewing and embroidery to make her own way, without having to rely on a man.

When Véronique’s well-meaning parents find her a suitor of elevated station their happiness turns into her despair. Véronique must make the difficult choice between agreeing to an arranged marriage–with its promise of elevated status in society–or embark upon an unpredictable journey across France and into a world she’s never known.

…for a young woman of honor, only the heart can guide the way.

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EXCERPT:

The pastor began to speak but was interrupted as a former childhood friend of mine entered behind us, causing many of us to turn around and look. She was red-faced with embarrassment. Big with child and holding onto the hand of two small children on either side of her and sporting a freshly blackened eye. She held her chin up and hustled her babies into a seat as her husband came in behind her, his face a mask of arrogance, daring anyone to say anything. He took the seat beside his family, slouched in the chair like a pouting child.

I leaned to whisper to my mother, eyes still on the man. “He will beat or breed her to death. The bastard. When he was courting her he had nothing but fine words about how well he would treat her. Now she is stuck with him, forever.”

“Oui,” Maman nodded, her pretty features turned down in a frown. “It is a shame. He is angry that he is a married man…”

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