R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 238

BOOK BLITZ: Fading to Black by V.H. Luis #GIVEAWAY

Fading to Black
V.H. Luis
(Uninhibited #2)
Publication date: November 20th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

We’re flawed. Both full of scars and tormented by the shadows of our past. But in each other’s arms we find solace, we find perfection.Adam Black. Gorgeous, demanding, a sinful dream that once was my reality.I was his… until I walked away.For months I’ve managed to curb my Adam addiction. I’ve focused my energy on my painting career. I’ve found success. Still there is a dangerous urge within me I can’t resist, one that tempts me to be reckless. My life isn’t complete.Something is missing… he’s missing.I left him, but fate again has made us collide. And this time I won’t turn away—I won’t be the only one revealing the scars of my past.I was his… am his… and this time he’ll be completely mine.

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Author Bio:
V.H. Luis is the author of the Black Series, an erotic romance trilogy that follows the love affair of Evelyn Snowe and Adam Black. Her debut book WAKING to Black, was released May 2, 2018, and the subsequent sequels FADING to Black, and SURRENDERING to Black, will follow shortly thereafter.I’m a born and bred Miami Girl–and proud of it! I would wear shorts and flip-flops everyday of the week if I could. Growing up in Miami, surrounded by my parent’s heritage has made me proud of my Cuban ancestry. Cafecito and a guava pastry for breakfast? Yes, please! Salsa music while I tidy the house? Of course.If I’m not busy scribbling notes about a story, I’m painting, listening to music, or spending time with the love of my life–my son. If I decide to travel, I bring the whole family (in-laws included), or at least I try to, because life is too short not to spend it with family; one of the many lessons my father taught me.

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BOOK BLITZ: Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie #GIVEAWAY

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri
Annette Marie
(The Guild Codex: Spellbound, #2)
Publication date: November 16th 2018
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

When I found myself facing down the scariest black-magic felon in the city, practically daring him to abduct me, I had to wonder exactly how I ended up here.It all started when I accidentally landed a job as a bartender—but not at a bar. At aguild, populated by mages, sorcerers, alchemists, witches, and psychics. Good thing this lame-o human is adaptable, right?Then my favorite guild members—three sexy, powerful, and intermittently charming mages—asked for my help. Did they want access to my encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails? Oh no. They wanted to wrap me up in a pretty ribbon and plunk me in the crosshairs of a murderous rogue to lure him out of hiding.So that’s what we did. And that’s why I’m here. About to be kidnapped. Oh, and our grand plan for safely capturing said murderous rogue? Yeah, that completely fell apart about two minutes ago.Why did I agree to this again?
—Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn’t a reverse harem. It’s 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.
Tori has no problem getting herself into trouble in every book in the Guild Codex series, but each one is a complete adventure—no cliffhanger endings.
—THE GUILD CODEX: SPELLBOUNDThree Mages and a Margarita (#1)Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (#2)Two Witches and a Whiskey (#3)

Goodreads / Amazon—EXCERPT:“This is really nice,” I gushed, unconcerned by the apartment’s lackluster finishes. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, and having spent the last ten months sleeping on my brother’s sofa, I was ready to overlook anything less than holes in the walls.Which, unfortunately, had been included in all the apartments we’d viewed so far, along with complimentary mold, cockroaches, and suspicious odors. That wasn’t including the batshit crazy landlords. Did normal people not dabble in real estate investment, or did all the well-adjusted landlords have tenants already?“It’s clean,” Sin observed. “Running water. Heat. Wait, does it have heat? It’s cold in here.”“Well, it is a basement.” I flapped my printout. “It says all utilities are included in the rent. How sweet is that?”Sin wrinkled her nose suspiciously. “It’s too cheap. There’s got to be something wrong with it.”“Maybe there’s a hobo living in the crawlspace.” I pointed at a half-height door tucked in a corner of the living room. “That’s a crawlspace, right?”We crossed the room and I crouched at the door, Sin leaning over my shoulder. I pulled it open. Inside was nothing but impenetrable darkness.“Use your phone’s flashlight,” Sin suggested. “There must be a light switch or—”Chill air whispered over my skin and all the hair on my body stood on end—then arctic wind blasted me in the face.I recoiled, crashing into Sin’s legs. She landed on her ass as the wind howled out of the crawlspace, whipping dust through the room. My printouts went flying and we scrambled backward on our butts with the papers spiraling toward the ceiling.The darkness in the crawlspace leaked out from the doorway and pooled on the floor like ink. Shadows writhed and something pale materialized in the threshold—a skeletal woman on her hands and knees, toothless mouth gaping, empty eye sockets dribbling black blood.I took one look at the moaning specter and screamed like the sissy girl that I am.Sin let out her own terrified shriek as the ghostly woman dragged herself out of the crawlspace, her long hair trailing on the floor. She stretched a hand toward us, blackened fingers curled like claws, and icy gusts lashed at our faces. Still screaming, Sin grabbed my arm, her fingernails digging into my skin. Sharp pain cut through my panic.I jammed my hand into my pocket and whipped out my trump card—yes, a literal card.My trusty Queen of Spades was more than it appeared: a sorcerer’s artifact embedded with a spell that reflected magic. Was there any magic here to rebound? I had no idea. Would it work on a ghost? Also no idea. I wasn’t a sorcerer. I was a crime-of-convenience thief and I had only the vaguest notion how to use the card.But it was the lone magical defense I had, so I thrust it at the phantom and shouted, “Ori repercutio!”The air rippled and the gale-force wind reversed direction. It slammed into the woman, flinging her back into the crawlspace. Her head hit the door frame with a whack.“Ow!” she squeaked.Sin’s scream cut off. In unison, we launched to our feet. We weren’t screaming anymore, but I for one was even more freaked out. The woman was too solid to be a ghost, but holy freaking shit, that body did not belong to a living being—papery skin clinging to bones, empty sockets for eyes, stringy hair down to her knees.The ghost woman sprang up, raising her hands like claws. “Begone from this place,” she moaned. “Begooooone … or else!”I tilted my head toward Sin, not daring to take my eyes off the not-a-ghost. “Hey, Sin. Is that … a vampire?”“No.” She pulled a handful of vials with colorful liquid contents out of her purse. “Not even close.”Selecting a bottle, she dropped the others back into her bag and unscrewed the top. A hideous smell like burnt iron singed my nose.“No!” the woman shrieked—except she didn’t sound like a woman anymore. Her voice was two octaves higher and painfully nasal. “Don’t!”Sin held out the bottle threateningly. “Show us your real form or I’ll drench you!”“Noooo! Go away!” The woman stomped her foot. “Stupid humans! This is my house!”Raising her hand higher, Sin started to tip the bottle.“Uuuuugh. Fine.” The woman threw her hands up—and her body melted. It lost solidity and shrank, then reformed into something new.The creature was dark green with skin the waxy texture of pine needles. Even with twigs sprouting off its large head in place of hair, it barely reached my waist, and a mixture of spruce branches and pine cones hid its torso. Thin arms and legs stuck out of the twiggy mess, its hands and feet comically oversized.Its eyes, narrowed angrily, dominated its face, the crystalline green irises unnaturally bright and entirely lacking pupils—just giant green orbs.The creature pointed an accusing finger at us. “This is my house! Leave or I’ll turn you into bean sprouts!”I cleared my throat. “Okay, not a vampire,” I said to Sin. “What is it?” “This,” Sin replied grimly, “is a faery.”

Author Bio:
Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

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BOOK BLITZ: Nick and Eve by Elle Rush #GIVEAWAY

Nick and Eve
Elle Rush
(North Pole Unlimited, #3)
Publication date: November 19th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Nick’s plan: dodge his grandmother’s matchmaking attempts by claiming Eve is his date for Christmas. He probably should have asked Eve first.Although Nick Klassen is grateful when Eve rides to his rescue after he breaks down outside of December, Manitoba, he can’t run fast enough when his meddling grandmother tries to set him up with the pretty tow-truck driver. Then he gets an idea.Between juggling extra hours at work and a never-ending Christmas to-do list, Eve LeBlanc doesn’t have time for a new man in her life. But ever since she picked Nick up on the side of the road, she’s been running into him everywhere.His flirtations started innocently enough but when his grandmother invites “his girlfriend” to the family’s Christmas dinner, Nick realizes if he wants to stop pretending about Eve, he must come clean. Once Eve learns of his deception, he’ll need Santa’s help to turn their fake relationship in the real thing.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play—EXCERPT:Eve rolled to a stop in the driveway. “This is impressive.” Strings of unlit Christmas lights framed his grandmother’s two-storey house and circled the spruce tree in the front yard. Plastic candy canes stuck in the snowbanks lined the sidewalk, and a pinecone-studded wreath twice the size of the one on the tow-truck’s grill hung from the screen door.“You should see the inside. Can you wait till I’m certain her car will start? She hasn’t run it in a couple weeks,” Nick said.His grandmother must have been watching from the window, because the front door opened before they hit the first step. “Come in, it’s freezing out here,” she said.The entranceway and the adjacent living room were fully Christmas-bombed, from the reindeer-shaped sofa cushions to the double-decker white candy bowl stand, which had a Frosty face and top hat stuck to the top of the wire frame. Nick held back a snicker as Eve spun in a three-sixty and breathed a quiet, “Whoa.”“You’re not kidding,” he whispered back.“I’m Adelaide Klassen. Who might you be?” his gran asked. She was dressed for her appointment. After a lifetime of seeing her in business suits at the office, it was always a shock to Nick’s system to see his grey-haired grandmother in jeans and a plaid, flannel shirt.Eve gave Adelaide’s hand a hearty shake. “Eve LeBlanc, tow-truck driver.”“It’s lovely to meet you. Are you a special friend of Nick’s?”Nick sighed. She was starting, and they’d been in the house for thirty seconds. “No, Gran, she’s not my girlfriend.”“I just picked him up on the side of the road. I must say he is the cutest stray I’ve come across in a while,” Eve added with a smile.“Don’t encourage her!”

Author Bio:

Elle Rush is a contemporary romance author from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. When she’s not travelling, she’s hard at work writing books which are set all over the world. From Hollywood to the house next door, her heroes will make you sigh and her heroines will make you laugh out loud.Elle has a degree in Spanish and French, barely passed German, and has flunked poetry in every language she’s studied, including English. She also has mild addictions to tea, yarn, Christmas decorations, and HGTV renovations shows.

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BOOK BLITZ: Cowboys for Christmas by Kim Law, Liz Talley, Terri Osburn #GIVEAWAY

Cowboys for Christmas
Kim Law, Liz Talley, Terri Osburn
(A Holly Hills Anthology)
Publication date: November 19th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

3 cowboys… 2 weeks… 1 wedding!Claire, Georgia, and Mary Catherine couldn’t be more different, but they promised they would be there for one another no matter what. And when they all gather in Holly Hills, Texas, for Mary Catherine’s Christmas wedding, they’ll find they have one thing in common: hearts that are about to be branded—by unforgettable cowboys.In “Love Me, Cowboy” by Terri Osburn, wallflower Claire would be more excited about the wedding if it didn’t mean running into Mary Catherine’s brother—the bull rider she once had a scorching one-night stand with…Ivy League volleyball coach Georgia never wanted to see Holly Hills—or another cowboy—again. But a sexy veterinarian is making her rethink her vow to never marry a Texas man in “Kiss Me, Cowboy” by Liz Talley.
Claire and Georgia both think that Mary Catherine is getting hitched to the wrong man, despitehow perfect he is. And in “Marry Me, Cowboy” by Kim Law, a local rancher with a wild reputation gives Mary Catherine a glimpse of what might have been—and what could still be…

Goodreads / Amazon—SNEAK PEEKS!
Love Me, Cowboy by Terri Osburn
Crossing the short distance to where he’d left his tools near the back of the truck, Tyler bent down and lifted with his left arm, only to have the box drop back to the floor with a crash. He gripped his left shoulder as his face contorted in pain.“Tyler? What’s wrong?” Claire was afraid to touch his arm for fear of hurting him more. “Tell me what to do. I don’t know how to help.”“It’s fine,” he said through a clenched jaw, then took several deep breaths, keeping his eyes closed. “I just forget sometimes.”Claire caught herself taking deep breaths with him and had to make herself stop. “Forget what?” she asked.Dropping his hand, Tyler opened his eyes and slowly lowered his shoulders. “The face wasn’t the only thing damaged in the accident. As I said at the Thirsty Cowboy the other night, my shoulder got torn up pretty bad, too. Doc has me in physical therapy and it’s mostly healed, but the weight of the toolbox was too much, I guess.”He guessed? The man had taken years off her life with that reaction. The pain must have been excruciating to take his breath like that.“Thank goodness you won’t be doing that anymore.”“What do you mean?” he asked, working his shoulder up and down. “Picking up the toolbox? Not with that arm, I won’t.”“Not the toolbox,” Claire said with a roll of her eyes. “Riding bulls. No more climbing onto the back of a beast that would rather kill you than let you stay there.”Tyler’s face turned serious. “I have every intention of getting back on a bull.”“You can’t be serious.”“Dead serious.”Claire threw a hand on her hip. “If that’s supposed to be a joke, it isn’t funny.”“I don’t make jokes about my life.” His eyes darkened. “My life. I’m a bull rider, and I’m going to continue being one. No matter what you or my sister or anyone else says.”Jerking the toolbox off the ground with his good arm, Tyler slammed it onto the truck bed, then hopped up after it. Claire had to shuffle around to the back so she could use the bumper to climb up, but she wasn’t about to let this stubborn cowboy walk away from this argument.“Your sister loves you,” she yelled, storming across the empty flatbed. “And I . . .” She what? Loved him? Unfortunately so, but she wasn’t about to tell him. “I care about you, too. That bull could have killed you.”“And I could get hit by a truck tomorrow. Doesn’t mean I’m going to hide in my house.”“That isn’t the same and you know it.” Why couldn’t he see what getting back on a bull would do to the people around him? How they’d feel if the worst happened?Tyler turned so quickly, Claire nearly charged into him. “What if someone told you to stop teaching?”“What?”“Didn’t your parents push you to be a lawyer? To do your civic duty and join the family business of running towns and making decisions for other people?”Her situation was nothing like his. “Being a teacher isn’t going to get me killed.”“No? How many school shootings have we had in the past few years?” Tyler asked. “Life is random, Claire. A meteor could kill us all tomorrow. You have to live while you can, the way you want.” His voice dropped as his eyes held hers. “I’m a bull rider. That’s what I do.”Claire felt deflated. He was right. It was his life, and only he could decide how he wanted to live it. But that didn’t stop her from wishing he would choose another way.“It’s going to kill your sister when you climb back on one of those bulls.”And it will kill me, too, she thought.“I can’t do what she’s done, Claire. I can’t walk away from the thing I love because it’s what other people think I should do.”The need to grab him and hold on was so strong, Claire did the only thing possible.She backed away.“That banner probably needs to dry before being hung up. I’ll get someone to help me with it tomorrow.”“Claire, don’t—”“Mom’s expecting me for dinner.” Claire looked at her watch. Then at her feet. Anywhere but at the cowboy with his hand out. “You should head out, too. Thanks for helping the kids.”“You’re welcome,” he said, but she barely heard the words as she hopped off the truck and stepped through the open warehouse door into a chilly December evening.—Kiss Me, Cowboy by Liz Talley
Reed didn’t say anything. Just watched her. The way her glossy lips shone in the neon glow, the way her eyes roved over the dance floor, the way that dress hugged every curve of her body.Georgia’s gaze returned to his, and she must have seen the glint in his eyes. “I’m not going to sleep with you, you know.”“What?”“The way you’re looking at me, breaking in on my dance with Rusty, I can tell.”“Rodney.”“Who?”“His name was Rodney. Not Rusty.”“Oh,” she said.“And I never said I wanted to sleep with you,” he said, hoping she couldn’t see straight through his bullshit. “I said I wanted to dance with you. See, those are two different things. For dancing, you usually keep your clothes on.”“Depends on how you dance,” she said, cracking a smile. In her gaze he could see her trying to gain control. Her boldness seemed part of her protection. After Paul Milligan made the comment about Georgia growing up next door, he’d asked Tyler about his fiery damsel in distress. He now better understood the BMW, the fancy boots and jacket. He’d never been poor—quite the opposite—but he could imagine coming home to a town that had pigeonholed her. Not easy.“Well, I suppose I could be talked into naked dancing by the right girl.”“Too bad I’m not the right girl.”—Marry Me, Cowboy by Kim Law
Mary Catherine glanced causally around as she headed back to the bar, and this time she found Jax leaning against the far side of the counter.He’d also found her.His hat was pushed back on his head and those blue eyes she remembered so well were trained on her. And they didn’t seem anxious to move on anytime soon. Her breath hitched in her throat.“Buy you a drink?” A dark-blond cutie asked when she stopped by an empty stool. “You’re the one getting married, right? I’m Tony. Me and my buddies here would be glad to protect your integrity tonight.” All five men gave her wide smiles.She laughed with good humor. Her integrity didn’t need protecting, but she was there for some fun. And these guys were harmless. They’d been at the bar for a while now and didn’t seem to be looking for more than an entertaining Friday night off the ranch. “You and your buddies good at protecting a girl’s integrity, Tony?” she teased.“The best.” He motioned for the bartender, and when asked what she wanted, she took another peek at Jax.“Tequila,” she said. She winked at Tony. “Top shelf.”Cuervo was her go-to for forgetting denim blue eyes.Her brother came in then and caught her eye. He scanned the men now surrounding her and gave a wink—probably after also concluding that her integrity was intact—then turned his gaze away to take in the remainder of the crowd. Tyler was two years younger than her and was most definitely a town heartthrob. He’d been gorgeous for most of his life. Now he had a nasty slash across his left cheek.It had only made him more good-looking.A gaggle of women made their way over to him, and his broad face broke into a wide grin. The poor rodeo star, recovering from a bad throw from a bull. He didn’t seem to be suffering too much, that was for sure.Mary Catherine shook her head at the unfairness of it all. If a woman came in with a scar like that, men would turn the other way. She rolled her eyes and leaned back against the bar, enjoying the night. The back of her neck suddenly tingled, and she knew without looking that he was looking at her.The bartender set down the shot, and she tossed it back in one quick motion. It burned all the way down. She hissed in a breath between her teeth then took another peek at Jax.Yep. Still looking. One eyebrow lifted subtly. That pissed her off. The man hadn’t spoken to her in ten years—other than to offer a foursome with two other women the night she’d been in here after her college graduation—and now, of all times, he showed up and wouldn’t look away.As if something about her interested him.Too damned bad. And ten years too late. She was an engaged woman now.She motioned to the bartender for another drink.“A girl who likes her tequila,” Tony muttered, leaning into the counter beside her. His eyes glowed with delight. “That’s pretty hot.”Mary Catherine gave him a toothy grin. “Down boy. I’ve just decided I’m going to be drinking a lot tonight. Which means you have to behave.” She patted his shoulder. “I’m not expecting you to buy what I’m about to put away, though, so that’s the bright side. But I will take you up on that integrity thing. You keep me safe, okay? At least until my girls get back.”She motioned to the dance floor with the second shot, where Georgia was dancing with Reed McCormick, and Claire was once again running from a handful of men. They’d been following her around all night as if she were a dog in heat.“You got it.” Tony nodded like an obedient puppy and scooted in closer. He was taking the job seriously. The other four followed suit. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw no less than three women now crowding around Jax.Maybe the four of them would have a foursome tonight.Probably it was his regular Friday-night routine.She downed the second shot and one of the guys ordered her a third, and then she returned to that night ten years ago…
Liz Bio:
A finalist in both RWA's prestigious Golden Heart award and RITA award, Liz Talley has found a home writing sassy contemporary romance. Her stories are set in the South where the tea is sweet, the summers are hot and the men are hotter. Liz lives in North Louisiana with her childhood sweetheart, two handsome children, three dogs and a mean kitty.

You can visit Liz at www.liztalleybooks.com to learn more about her upcoming books.

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Terri Bio:
Author of the Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling Anchor Island Series, Terri Osburn started putting words on the page in 2007. Five years later she was named a finalist in the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart contest for unpublished manuscripts. That led to signing with an agent in June of 2012, and the publication of her debut novel, Meant To Be, with Montlake Romance in May 2013. Since then Terri has gone on to sell more than a million books worldwide, and her work has been translated into German, Turkish, Italian, Spanish, and French. Ms. Osburn resides in middle Tennessee with her college-student daughter, four frisky felines, and two troublesome terriers. When she isn't writing, she's either traveling the world to meet new readers, or taking on a home improvement project to justify the purchase of all the power tools now filling her garage.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Kim Bio:
As a child, award-winning author Kim Law cultivated a love for chocolate, anything purple, and creative writing. She penned her debut work, "The Gigantic Talking Raisin," in the sixth grade and got hooked on the delights of creating stories. Before settling into the writing life, however, she earned a college degree in mathematics and worked as a computer programmer. Now she's pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels. She has won the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award, has been a finalist for the prestigious RWA RITA Award, and has served in varied positions for her local RWA chapter. A native of Kentucky, Kim lives with her husband and an assortment of animals in Middle Tennessee.

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BOOK BLITZ: The Attraction Equation by Kadie Scott #GIVEAWAY

The Attraction Equation
Kadie Scott
(Love Undercover #2)
Published by: Entangled: Lovestruck
Publication date: November 13th 2017
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

She’s the exception to his every rule…FBI agent Max Carter lives his life by a strict set of rules—rules that don’t allow for distraction, deviation…or a relationship. But tell that to his matchmaking mama. To avoid yet another set-up, he announces he has a girlfriend. And now has to produce said girlfriend at Christmas dinner. Maybe Santa has a suitable actress in that red bag of his…Gina Castillo is about to break her building’s iron-clad “no pets” policy to give her little brother the perfect Christmas gift—a dog. Too bad Max, the most inconveniently sexy tenant in the building, catches her red handed. Gina expects to be evicted, but instead finds herself blackmailed into playing the role of his girlfriend.Two lies plus one dog should equal a hot mess of a holiday, but attraction and Christmas magic might just defy the rules…

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EXCERPT:But then…footsteps. Headed her way. She hopped away from the door and looked frantically around the room. Nope, still nowhere to hide.Oh, God. I am so busted.Only one day of breaking the building’s No Pets rule and now she was going to have to find her best friend another place to live.Yep. I’m so totally screwed.Her heart decided it wanted out of this hot mess and went for the escape hatch up her throat, but lodged there as the door opened.Max stood there. Just Max.They stared at each other for a long moment before she leaned to the side to peer around him. No Super lurking in the halls. No nosy neighbors. No animal control person threatening to take away the dog. They were alone.“I took care of it,” he said.Gina did her best to swallow her heart back into its rightful place in her chest as she stared at him. “What does that mean?”His mouth tilted at one corner. “I didn’t dump their bodies in the river, if that’s what you’re thinking.”Ha. Ha. Now the man was a comedian. She waited for a real answer.Max shrugged. “I told them I tripped and fell, then I sent them on their way.”The guy had been in the middle of yelling at her, or his silently fuming version of it. Why on earth would he cover for her?For the second time that night, she got the distinct impression he was trying not to smile, despite how his expression didn’t change at all, other than a sardonically lifted eyebrow. Her expression must’ve reflected the combination of incredulity, relief, and suspicion that was going on inside her.“You’re welcome, by the way,” he added.Gina squeezed the dog close to her chest, stroking its soft fur for comfort. “Thank you,” she acknowledged belatedly.“Your secret is safe with me…for now.”Damn. She should’ve known her head was still on the chopping block. “What do you mean, for now?”“I took care of it, but if you want me to keep taking care of it, I need something from you.”Yup. Here came the axe. Gina edged away, nerves and disappointment both dogging her steps. Hottie McBlackmailer turned out to be a perv. She lifted her chin. “I’m not sleeping with you.”Max crossed his arms, and she swallowed at the sight of defined muscles under the fine material of his shirt. “I don’t want sex.”She stopped scooting back and eyed him, trying to determine how serious he was. “No?”Max slammed her with a charming smile, one that softened the harsher lines of his face and had her stomach fluttering in response. However, like in the hall earlier, his blue-eyed gaze remained distant, and she didn’t quite trust that I-have-my-own-agenda light in his eyes.“No,” he said. “I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

Author Bio:
Award-winning contemporary romance author, Kadie Scott, grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.No matter the genre, she loves to write witty, feisty heroines, sexy heroes who deserve them, and a cast of lovable characters to surround them (and maybe get their own stories). She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.

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BOOK BLITZ: Operation: Get Holly Laid by Callie Vegas #GIVEAWAY

OPERATION: Get Holly Laid
Callie Vegas
Publication date: November 16th 2018
Genres: Erotica, Romance

Holly loves Christmas. Or she did until she found her fiancé, Trey, cheating on her. In HER bed.The best way to get over a guy Is to get under another one, or so her friends tell her!Her besties come up with a plan to help her get over Trey for once and for all.They devise a plan which they call ‘Operation: Get Holly Laid.’Join Holly and her friends in their laughter, sex, tears & the odd temper tantrum as we find out, did Holly get laid?

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—EXCERPT:As I pull into my driveway, I notice my Christmas tree lights are on, Trey must be home early from work. After climbing out of my car, I pull my skirt further up my legs to show more thigh. I was shopping earlier and bought a gorgeous, sexy red Basque, complete with a white fur trim. I thought I’d be home first and have time to put it on and surprise him when he came home. Smiling I think to myself, I’ll have to save that for another day.I drop my bags just inside the door and softly close it behind me. There’s music playing and with only three weeks to Christmas the sound of sleigh bells ring throughout my house. “Trey, I’m home,” I call, but when I don’t get any answer, I drop my keys on the hallway table and start towards the stairs.The closer I get to my bedroom, the louder the music becomes. Someone’s feeling festive. I wonder if Trey is surprising me with his own little Christmas routine. Laughing to myself I push open the door, already shedding my top. The scene behind my bedroom door makes me blink in surprise. I’m thinking Trey will be laid on my bed with his red trunks on—maybe a Santa beard—saying, “Ho, ho, ho.” He is laid on my bed, but he’s not wearing any trunks, he’s wearing a nubile young girl who is bouncing up and down on his cock, her tits swinging and bouncing from side to side. They’re both moaning so loud they don’t even hear me enter the room. I’m almost captivated as the girl leans back, resting her hands on his knees as she lifts her pussy off his cock. Repeatedly. I can’t watch anymore.“What the fuck is going on?” Like a moth to a flame I’ve moved closer to the bed. I reach out, grab her hair and pull her back until she is lying down, hopefully I’ve snapped his cock in half.“Oi, let go, you bitch.” This is from the girl whose hair I have wrapped around my palm. “Who are you calling a bitch? You’re fucking my fiancé!” I stalk around the bed, dragging her with me despite the fact she’s still attached to Trey’s cock.“Holly, let go of her hair. You’re breaking my dick!” Trey tries to lift the whore off his cock.“I’ll do more than that when I get hold of your dick.” The slag looks at me, trying to pull her hair out of my hands. I let go and she clambers off Trey, gathering her clothes before running out of the room, naked. “Run, whore, before I can catch you,” I call after her, but I barely give her the time of day as I turn back to face Trey. He has the audacity to cover his dick with his hands as he scrambles off the bed. “Holly, I can explain…”

Author Bio:
I write HEA, steamy romance. I am a hopeless romantic at heart with a dirty mind. 

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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.

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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.

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BOOK BLITZ: Never Touched by Laney Wylde #GIVEAWAY

Never Touched
Laney Wylde
Published by: Crimson Tree Publishing
Publication date: November 12th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

What if you woke up from your worst nightmare, only to find the world watching it? On repeat . With relish.What if those viewers found you? Cornered you until you performed the nightmare live?Would you run? Fight?Or charge admittance?
This is Sawyer’s reality. She’s a survivor—gritty and determined—but the struggle to put it all behind her is something that’s with her every second of every day. Her abuser is in jail now, but he’ll never truly let her go. When she tries to shelter in something good, the darkness inevitably follows. The effects of the abuse flow through her life like ripples of pain in this raw, at times darkly comedic, coming-of-age saga that explores what it means to survive the unthinkable—and find the courage to rise up and keep fighting.Sure to satisfy fans of SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK and 13 REASONS WHY, Never Touched is a New Adult contemporary drama by breakout author Laney Wylde. Richly written with complex characters and a compelling storyline, it’s perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover’s HOPELESS, Rebecca Donovan’s REASON TO BREATHE, and Jessica Sorensen’s THE COINCIDENCE OF CALLIE & KAYDEN.Please Note: Story contains graphic sexual content, including mentions of abuse. Strong language throughout.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo —Are you a book reviewer?
Request a review copy here!—EXCERPT:He shook his head. “You’re an idiot.”I pushed his arm off my thighs. “You’re an ass.”“Yep,” he said with a nod. I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling at the pride he found in his flawed personality. Wrapping his arms around his bent knees, he stared at me, like he was gathering information for his next move. I held my ground—no smiling—though barely. After a long minute, he finally said, “You’re cold.”I glanced down at my hands, which were a pale shade of violet and reflexively quivering against each other to get warm. My body flinched when Jake took them between his, pressing them together and then making a hollow between his palms. He brought our hands to his lips and exhaled softly into the space between his thumbs, creating a small cave of warmth for my fingers. I swallowed past my suddenly dry throat at the cozy shivers racing up my arms.Jake’s dark eyes raised to mine, making me suddenly aware of the terror that was probably plain on my face. Parted lips, wide eyes, and my breath that had halted some time ago. Why was he touching me? What did he want from me?Why did I feel good when he touched me?It wasn’t supposed to feel good, right? I shouldn’t like the feel of his skin on mine. Men only touched to hurt. I shouldn’t want that.But when he said, “You might be warmer if we sat together,” I nodded and stood, moving so he could take my chair, so I could curl up in his lap.Huddling my arms against my chest, I rested my head on his shoulder. My eyes shut cautiously so I could take in the scent of his skin. He wrapped his coat over my back before relaxing his cheek into my hair. I kept my eyes closed, half from fear, half from the desperate need to feel what it was like to just be held.I had felt nothing like it before.

Author Bio:

Laney Wylde is enamored with all things southern California--the traffic, smog, surprise earthquakes, and non-indigenous palm trees. Consequently, it's the landscape her strong and sometimes lovable female leads paint their stories on. Her New Adult novels Never Touched and the After Twelve series are bright with provocative themes, steamy romance, and inappropriately timed humor.When Laney isn't writing, she's singing Taylor Swift with her little boy or asking her husband not to tell her about his work as a surgical resident while she's eating. She daydreams about using her math degree to get into law school, then realizes that would be too much work and that she should just play pretend court on paper instead. While she loves a good book, nothing beats 30 Rock with a bag of popcorn and M&Ms.
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BOOK BLITZ: Still Savannah by Sandra Owens #GIVEAWAY

Still Savannah
Sandra Owens
(Blue Ridge Valley, #3)
Publication date: October 23rd 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He was her first love, the boy who broke her heart. When her life falls apart she turns to the man he is today. She is a wounded soul, and he is just the man who can help her heal, but only if he dares to risk his heart again. Known simply as Savannah, a beautiful face on the covers of glamour magazines, Savannah Graham has the perfect life… or so it seems to the world. Behind closed doors her reality is far from perfect. When a person she should be able to trust threatens her, she returns home to Blue Ridge Valley, the only place she feels safe. The valley is also where he lives, her first and only love.Adam Hunter stepped out of Savannah Graham’s life nine years ago so she could follow her dream. She was his first love, and there is still an ache in his heart for what he lost every time he sees her face on the cover of a magazine. Now she’s home, needing protection, and he can’t refuse. When the danger is over, she will return to her glamorous life. So she’s not the only thing he has to protect, he also needs to safeguard his heart.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo—EXCERPT:“Savvy?”“Mmm?” I opened my eyes to see Adam peering at me.“Why are you in bed with me?”“I couldn’t sleep. What time is it?”“It’s early. Come here.” He pulled me to him, spooning me. “Go back to sleep.”“’Kay.” But I couldn’t, not with his body wrapped around mine and his face buried in my hair. I wanted to stay cocooned by him, though, so I pretended to sleep while soaking up everything about this moment—his body heat, his scent, his skin pressed against mine. His breaths evened out, and when I was sure he was asleep again, I pulled his hand against my chest, linked our fingers, and pushed back so that every part of me was touching him. He gave a sigh of what sounded like contentment that brought tears to my eyes.Our chance had passed. I knew that, but I would selfishly horde these special moments until it was time to leave him again. Apparently I did go to sleep because when I woke up, Adam was on his back and I was sprawled over him with one of my legs captured by his.Unable to resist, I touched his bottom lip with a finger, smiling when his lips twitched. Before he opened his eyes and found me covering him like a blanket, I started to ease away.The arm he had around my back tightened. “Going somewhere?”“I guess we should get up.”“Is that what you really want to do? I’m asking because you were molesting my mouth a few seconds ago. Thought maybe you had something else on your mind.”“No,” I whispered. “It’s not what I want.”He flipped me over, and with his chest over mine, he looked down at me. “Tell me what you want, Savannah.”“This off.” I tugged at the T-shirt he’d worn to bed.I’d only been with two men, Adam and Jackson. With Adam, intimacy had been a beautiful thing. The boy who had loved me had made love to me as if I were his treasure. Jackson in bed had been all about power and control. It had been ugly and humiliating. I wanted Adam to wipe those memories away. I wanted to be treasured again.“This won’t mean anything. Are you sure you’re good with that?”No, I wasn’t. I wanted it to mean everything, and his words sent an ache to my heart. But he was right. We weren’t Adam and Savannah anymore. We were only two consenting adults who would share some time together before we each went back to our lives.I put my finger on his lips. “Shhh. Make love to me, Adam. That’s all I’m asking for.”His eyes turned soft as he lowered his mouth to mine. His lips brushed over mine, teasing at first, then growing hungrier. The kiss grew deeper, more passionate, the soft caresses firmer and more demanding. It felt as if sparks flew around us, electrifying the air. He slid his hands to my back, slipping under the camisole I’d worn to bed. His fingers trailed up and down my spine, causing me to shiver as pleasure followed the path of his hands. When his tongue probed the seam of my lips, I opened for him. I would always open for this man.While his tongue explored my mouth, I was busy exploring his body. The new muscles he’d acquired since we were together—the ones I’d been dying to touch—were firm and rock-hard against my fingertips. Heat poured from him, warming me. I had the stray thought that if Adam was always next to me, I’d never be cold again.“Are you sure you want this?” he said again.I liked that he asked, and I knew if I said no, that he would stop. “I’m sure. Are you?”“God, yes.”There was so much emotion in those two words, as if this meant more to him than just sex with a random woman. He rolled away, pushed off the bed, and stood.“Adam?” Had he changed his mind? If so, I might die.“Condom,” he murmured as he headed for the dresser where he’d left his wallet.I watched him, appreciating the view of his back, of the shoulders that had grown in width since high school. When he turned, condom in hand, his beautiful eyes held mine prisoner as he prowled back to me. My heart, already thumping in my chest, beat even harder.He stopped at the edge of the bed, his gaze still on me, and dropped the condom on the night table. When he put his hands on the waist of his sweatpants and raised a brow, giving me one last chance to say no, I sat up and pulled my camisole over my head. A thrill shot through me when he exhaled a long breath as the blue of his eyes darkened.“So beautiful,” he whispered and then pushed his sweats down his hips.No, he was the beautiful one. Being here with him, the way he was looking at me with heat burning in his eyes, made me feel intoxicated, as if I’d consumed an entire bottle of wine. He leaned over and kissed me again. This kiss was different. It was gentle and tender, and if I didn’t know better, I would have thought he had feelings for me. Don’t start thinking like that, Savannah, I warned myself. He’d broken my heart once, and I wouldn’t let him do that to me again.“I’m going to feast on you,” he said, stretching out next to me. He cupped a breast. “I’m going to taste you here.” He danced his fingers down my stomach to my sex. “And here.”“Are you asking permission?”“No, Savannah. I’m taking what I want.

Author Bio:
A best selling, award winning author, Sandra Owens lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Her family and friends often question her sanity, but have ceased being surprised by what she might get up to next. She's jumped out of a plane, flown in an aerobatic plane while the pilot performed death-defying stunts, has flown Air Combat (two fighter planes dogfighting, pretending to shoot at each other with laser guns), and rode a Harley motorcycle for years. She regrets nothing. A member of Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll, Sandra is a 2013 Golden Heart® Finalist for her contemporary romance, CRAZY FOR HER. In addition to her contemporary romantic suspense novels, she writes Regency stories.

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BOOK REVEAL: #Vacay by Cambria Hebert

#Vacay
Cambria Hebert
Publication date: December 3rd 2018
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

A #Hashtag and BearPaw Resort Crossover NovellaVACATION MODE ON#Vacay Itinerary:—Make new friends—Meet a big dog—Kiss in the snow—Don’t get lost—Ignore the press—Don’t make national news—Drink all the cocoa—Wear all the hoodies—Eat all the food—Get lit!

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Author Bio:
Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house). Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

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