R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 321

COVER REVEAL: Politically Incorrect by Jeanne McDonald

Cover Reveal Politically Incorrect
Author: Jeanne McDonaldGenre: Contemporary Political RomanceCover Design: Jada D'Lee DesignsPublisher: Enchanted Publications
Expected Release Date: August 16, 2016
Jeanne McDonald is an author, a mother, a wife, a student of knowledge and of life, a coffee addict, a philosophy novice, a pop culture connoisseur, inspired by music, encouraged by words, and a believer in true love.  When she's not spending time with her family, she can be found reading, writing, enjoying a great film, chatting with friends or diligently working toward her bachelor's degree in literature.  A proud Texan, Jeanne currently resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family.
Website    |   Facebook   |   Twitter  |  Goodreads   |   Amazon  |  Google+   |  Smashwords



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Sex. Lies. Greed. Power. Scandal. Politics.
Nothing gets by Elizabeth McNeal. As a forty-five year old divorcee and a nationally renowned political strategist, she can claim to have seen it all. Most of her adult life she’s focused on two important things ─ her daughter and her career. Now, challenged by a new campaign and a new candidate, Elizabeth is forced to reevaluate the things she most values and make some major decisions that could impact her future.
William Baxter is a thirty-four year old Democratic Congressman for the great state of Texas who’s vying for an empty seat in the U.S. Senate. Accustomed to standing out in a crowd, Liam takes pride in being true to himself and the people he serves. He refuses to fall in line with the stereotypical persona of a politician. Backed by one of the richest men in Texas, Liam is offered the chance to work with D.C.’s most elite political strategist. With the odds already against him because of his party affiliation and age, it’s an offer he can’t refuse.
Apprehensive about their age differences and driven by politics, Elizabeth finds herself keeping score of their sensual game for control. For the woman who thought she’d seen it all, the man in the eccentric ties and a dashing smile teaches her a new game to play. Rules are made to be broken. Lines are meant to be crossed. But in the high stakes sport of politics, where one bad decision can destroy a campaign, can they afford to rewrite the rules to meet their desires or will they choose to remain politically incorrect?






                              

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REVIEW: She Dims the Stars by Amber L. Johnson

From Goodreads:


Who is Audrey Byrd?
Ask her ex-best friend, Cline Somers, and he’ll tell you that she’s the girl who inexplicably stopped talking to him when they were fifteen years old, leaving him with nothing but questions and bitterness for the better part of the next six years.
Ask his roommate, Elliot Clark, and he would say that Audrey is the enigmatic girl who randomly showed up outside a window one day and turned his whole world upside down in a matter of moments.
Ask Audrey herself and she’ll tell you that she has no idea who she is, because her entire life is a lie. However, the older she gets the more she needs answers about who she really is.
What she discovers is a tangled web of secrets better left in the dark.
Some truths do more harm than good. 
***Recommended for readers 18+ due to sensitive subject matter, language and situations.
Amazon Kindle $3.99
~My Review~
Wow.Upon finishing this book, I needed some time to reflect. To absorb the gravity and rawness of what I'd just read.
90% or 10%, She Dims the Stars hit home for me. For several personal reasons, I could relate to the different characters. It's a tale of friendship and growing up; it's a young love blooming in a desert of uncertainty. It's also a tale of despair and hopelessness masked in bright facades.
Audrey, Elliot, and Cline are uniquely developed characters who suck you right into their story. Audrey is quirky and fiery on the surface, but broken inside. Elliot is tender and loving, but he's also smart and won't be taken for a fool. Cline is endearing with his comedic relief, the eternal kid who will never really grow up. The bond which forms through the experiences they share is amazing to read.
Ms. Johnson has done it yet again. As a fan of her work, this should no longer be a surprise to me, yet I'm still blown away when the next book is better than the last. Dims was pure magic. I can't wait to see what she creates for us next.
*I was provided an advanced copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

LOOK at ME! A Risky Dance Series by Monika Summerville

MONIKA SUMMERVILLE

EDITOR: Siren BookstrandCOVER DESIGNER: Christine Kirchoff


A RISKY DANCE

Adult Romance with a little BDSM

[Siren Allure: Erotic Consensual BDSM Romance, sex toys, HEA] Riley Frost is an attorney. He played in the BDSM community as a Dom and liked to be in control. He'd never found a woman with a sense of adventure and passion, until one night when he walked into a bar and... Sophie Pantagen is the vice-president of her father's company, Pantagen Industries. For the past ten years she's spent a couple evenings a month having one-offs with men whose names she never new. That was until one night in a bar when Riley and Sophie find each other at a time when both are looking for something. They're not sure what it is they want, but think they may have found it. Sophie's father is a cut-throat business man and when he thinks Sophie tells company secrets he comes after her with vengeance. Pantagen Industries begins to fall apart. Sophie is fired from her position and threatened by her father with an Edgar Allen Poe nightmare result. ** A Siren Erotic Romance






Riley Frost walked through the front door at Fellow’s Bar and Grill and, Ben, the bartender, waved. He nodded and sat down on a barstool at the end. The room wasn’t overly crowed and there were enough women in the place that he thought he’d come out on top. He hoped to find a nice curvy woman to curl up with for the night. The noise and laughter helped bring his tension down a notch.Ben walked to his end and set a glass of Loch Lomand single-malt-whiskey in front of him. It was Riley’s favorite and the bar kept it stocked for him.

“My headache thanks you, Ben.” He accepted the glass.

“Steven should be back from a break shortly, Mr. Frost. Care for a game of chess?” the bartender asked. “It would give me a chance to win back some of my losses from last month.”

“Perhaps. I’m a little on the prowl tonight. Is it too late to get a pulled pork sandwich or something?”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Riley nodded, picked up his glass and a newspaper off the end of the bar, and walked over to an empty table.

Ben came out from behind the bar. “We can do the sandwich. Chef wants to know if you want coleslaw, chips, or fries?”

“Chips are fine. There’s no need to heat up the fryer.”

“Good.” Ben smiled and went back to the kitchen.

Riley read through the headlines on the front page of the paper and then heard the front door open. A woman about five-foot-ten walked in and went straight to the bar. He did a double take and found it hard to take his eyes off of her.

She wore an emerald green, mini-tank dress that had lace in all the right places. It hugged her hips tightly and when she turned to the bar, he saw it had no back. The sides were cut low under her arms and the curve of her breasts showed just enough. Her long, brown hair would slide side to side when she moved and he thought he saw a scar on the middle of her back. Her legs alone caused Riley’s cock to stir and he thought he may have found his catch for the night.

An older man with dark-graying hair walked up to her. Riley almost started to crack up laughing. The guy wore his hair in a fluffy 80s style cut and had a walrus mustache. The woman smiled and spoke with him. The man put his hand on her arm and she peeled it off and shook her head.

“Woo...turn down, dude. Things are looking very good,” Riley said to himself, and took a sip of his whiskey.

Ben brought his sandwich over and set the plate down on the table. Riley stopped him from leaving.“The woman at the bar, dead center, with the green dress and brown hair, what can you tell me?”

The bartender looked over his shoulder and nodded. “She is gorgeous, but I think she may be a professional.”

“Really?” Riley felt a bit surprised. She looked too classy to be a hooker.

“I don’t know it for a fact, but she comes in here every other week or so and never leaves alone.”

“Good, her drink’s on me, Ben.” He’d never seen her before and he spent a lot of time at Fellow’s.

“I’ll see to it. She’s a single-malt woman. May I give her some of the Lomand?”

“Very good idea.” Riley nodded and started to eat his food.

He saw Ben walk behind the bar and prepare the drink. The woman still spoke to the 80s throw back. The bartender put the drink in front of her and pointed toward Riley. She looked over her shoulder just as he slid a potato chip into his mouth. Her eyebrow arched and she turned back to Ben and pushed the glass back at him. They exchanged a few words and the woman picked up the drink and walked toward Riley.

She set the glass down and leaned over with her hand on the table. Riley had a perfect view of the tops of her breasts and he almost lost his breath.

“I don’t accept drinks from strangers, but thank you.” She straightened up.

“Why don’t you have a seat? I’m Riley Frost, now we’re not strangers anymore.”

She stared at him for a moment with caramel colored eyes and then turned back to the bar. He admired her rear and his cock became hard as a rock, it wanted her so much. She is mine, he thought. As she slid onto a stool, she motioned for Ben to bring another drink.

The other man sat next to her and continued to make his moves. He tried to put his hand on her thigh and she moved it.

Riley stood, finished his drink, and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. He took a bill out and picked up the full glass of whiskey she’d left on his table. On her left side, he moved between her and Mr. Walrus Mustache, to crowd the guy away from her. Riley put the cold glass against her bare back.She sat up, leaned into his hand, and looked at him over her shoulder. Riley didn’t look back, but flagged Ben. He handed the bartender a one-hundred dollar bill and then leaned toward the woman.

He moved his lips to a millimeter from hers and whispered, “The Loch Lomand is a thousand times better than that swill you’ve got. Have a lovely evening.” He brushed his lips over hers and let his hand slide over her breast as he set the drink in front of her. Her nipple felt hard as a bullet. He smiled and started toward the door.

Oh yeah, I give her less than five minutes. She’s mine, he thought. He went out the door, turned left and stood at the corner of the building.



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A LOST DANCE

Adult Romance

[Siren Classic: Erotic Contemporary Romantic Suspense, HEA] Turner Black works for a group in Seattle that helps find people who were separated from loved ones for one reason or another. He’s hired to find the half-sister of a man, Stewart Tarver. Their shared father has passed away and left the half-sister part of a large inheritance.

Turner finds Rae Smith. She works as a stripper at a dance club in Tracy, California. She always wanted to be a ballet dancer, but the death of her mother took that dream away and Rae started to strip when she turned eighteen years of age. From one club to another, she is happy to just survive.

Turner and Rae are drawn to each other and, although the sex is great, she isn’t big on commitments and doesn’t want to deal with the inheritance game. And someone tries to kill her and then kidnaps her for sale to a slave trader in Hong Kong. Will she be able to trust Turner?




Turner found her performance one of the best he’d seen and this trip turned out to be worth it. She definitely could be the Rae he’d searched for. He could see the little girl who held the stuffed rabbit from the old picture.

He showed his investigators badge to the bartender and explained that he needed to speak to her. The owner came out and asked him why. All Turner told the man was that her brother looked for her due to a death in the family.

After about a half hour, she came out from behind the stage. Her hair was tied up in a Scrunchy and she wore tight jeans with a pale blue cable knit sweater. Instead of the three inch spiked heels she had on a pair of flat tennis-shoes.

She walked up to the bar alone and sat on a stool two down from him. “Jake told me why you’re here. I think you may have me confused with someone else. I don’t have a brother.”

“My name is Turner Black and I’ve been hired by your half-brother, Stewart Tarver, to find you, Miss Sibley.” He looked at her as she leaned over the counter and snagged a bottle of vodka and a shot glass. She really was gorgeous and he admired her ass as she moved back down to the stool. Her eyes were a light carmel color and she had a little sprinkle of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

“The name is Smith, not whatever you just said.” She took a sip from the shot glass.

Turner took the old picture out of his pocket. She looked at it. He watched her and saw her eyes squint. It was a dead giveaway and he’d learned how to read people over the years.

When she sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, he knew she remembered that photo.

“According to your half-brother, this picture was one of the few times you met him and your father.” He knew by the look in her eyes it was familiar.

She pushed it back at him. “I’m sorry, Mr. Black. It’s not ringing any bells.”

This goddamn woman is stubborn, Turner thought.

****

When Rae looked at the picture she saw a little girl with a stuffed rabbit in one hand and an older boy stood next to her and held her other hand. That stupid rabbit was the only thing she had left of her mother and would never give it away.

“I think it does ring bells, Miss Sibley.”

“Smith, as I said. I’m Rae Smith.”

“Your father passed away about a year ago and your half-brother’s looked for you since.”

“Mr. Black, I never met my father or any brother. I’m an only child. My mother died when I was twelve. I’ve been on my own ever since. She never said anything to me about a brother.” She swallowed the vodka and put the lid back onto the bottle.

“Miss Smith, I know your history.”

“You know nothing about me.” She slid off the stool and started back to the dressing room. Grabbing her jacket and bag, she walked out the back door of the building, rounded a corner and there stood Mr. Black by a dark grey Toyota Prius. Good gas mileage, she thought, arched her eyebrow and started to walk past him.

“Miss Smith, could I give you a ride home?”

“No thanks,” she said and kept moving down the sidewalk.

The engine started in the car and she realized he followed her. When she got to the corner, she stopped and looked at him.

“So, you’re a stalker and all that other story was bullshit?” She bent at the waist and looked at him through the window.

“No, I’m not a stalker. Can I buy you some coffee? There is more to explain.”

She started across the street and as he motored through, she turned left and headed another direction. Her apartment was only a few blocks away, but if she cut through the alley, she could go in the back way. He wouldn’t be able to follow her.

She saw a light flash in the corner of her eye and looked over her shoulder. Her pace picked up and the alley turned about one-hundred feet away.

“Look, what do you have to lose? You’d be able to finally open that dance school you always wanted,” he shouted from the car window.

Rae stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him. There wasn’t any way possible he could know what she wanted.



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A FLAME DANCE

Adult Romance

[Siren Classic: Erotic Contemporary Romance, HEA] Jarrah Hejazi is an ex-Marine, who defended his country and now owns a security company. He's worked, but forgot to live. On a visit with friends at Safe Haven, he meets Grace McKay and a boy named Jonah. Haven is a place where street kids get help and feel safe. Little does Hejazi know that within a couple of months his life will change one-hundred percent. Grace McKay, an ex-marine, works at Haven. She'd heard the owners talk about their friend Hejazi and when they meet, there's more she wants to know. Hejazi and Grace surrender to their attraction and work to find the brother of Jonah. The brother was taken by Feathertop, who gives street kids a safe place to live and then trains them to pick pockets, rob cars and homes. Dealing with a team member off the grid, and being chased by people who want them dead, Hejazi and Grace have to figure a way to keep it together. ** A Siren Erotic Romance





“How did you fair, Jarrah?” Rae asked.

“The kid beat me twenty out of thirty games.” He looked over his shoulder. “I have some information.”

Grace followed them out of the room and down a hallway toward the offices. He stopped and lowered his voice. “His name is Jonah Sullivan and he’s eleven years old. He has a brother named Jacob who’s fourteen. They were dumped at a park and ride in Reno by their mother and after they lived on the street for a few days met some guy named Feathertop who brought them to Sacramento.”

“Unbelievable, the kid's been with us for six weeks and all we knew was his nickname.” Rae shook her head.

“This guy Feathertop gives them the nicknames and insists they use them always.”

“I’ve heard of that guy. He’s sort of like Fagin in Oliver Twist. He promises them food, safety and in exchange they’re taught to pick pockets, steal purses and I’ve even heard they’ve robbed some houses,” Grace said.

“I was over in Sacramento this morning and think I may have seen his crew. We were protecting the singer Veronda and I don’t know how many worked the crowd, but they were good.”

“Let me see what I can find out about Jonah Sullivan.” Rae looked toward her office.

“It’s sad. I mean, to be dumped by your mom and then his brother brought him here and told him to wait until he came back. Poor kid.” Hejazi shook his head.

Grace now found she admired this man’s heart. He felt for Kit.

“Turner will be here to pick me up around five-thirty, oh and Grace will be joining us.” Rae grinned.She wanted to crawl into the carpet and hide. When she looked at Hejazi, he smiled.

“Great, I won’t be a third wheel,” he said.

Grace stared at his dark eyes and realized she couldn’t determine what color they were. They were either black or dark brown, but they mesmerized her and when she became aware that he stared back, she blushed.

“Rae, could I ride with you and Mr. Black?” she asked.

“You could ride with me. I don’t know my way around here and you can direct me,” Hejazi said before Rae could answer.

Grace smiled. “Sounds good.”

“I should go find a place to stay the night. How about I meet you out front at five o’clock?”

“That’s fine.”

****

Hejazi found a Holiday Inn and booked the room for the next five days. He wanted to spend some more time with that kid, Jonah, and see if he could find out more about Feathertop. He also wanted to get to know Grace McKay.

With his connections to the military and feds he could easily find out about her, but decided he’d rather get the low down direct from the source.

It was over fifteen years since he’d been with his last girlfriend. On his first tour of duty, when he’d gone home to Chicago for two weeks leave, his girl, Marissa, acted strange when they met back up. After a couple of days, she’d told him that she’d fallen in love with an insurance salesman. The news kicked him in the balls and he’d decided to put his time and energy into the Marine Corps’ and starting his security group. He never wanted to feel his heart tear in half again.

Fifteen years passed with a blink of an eye and this coming October he’d turn forty years old. He’d gotten to a point where he could monitor the business from wherever he decided to live. The men in his group could handle the job professionally and didn’t need him to be present all the time.

Grace McKay was a beautiful woman and ex-military which gave them something in common. Her height caught his attention, too. His six-foot-five build made it difficult to date smaller women, not that he dated. The fleeting thought that he wouldn’t have to bend at the waist to kiss Grace made him smile while he shaved. Their bodies might even fit together nice and snug, too.

He looked at himself in the mirror. “You’re putting your cart way before your horse, asshole. She’s probably married,” he said to his reflection. “Or she’s involved with someone and you won’t have a chance. You have work to do in a month and don’t need the aggravation.”



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Monika Summerville is an avid reader, loves good tense movies, and works hard on her writing. She lives in Western Washington State with her four cats, Agamemnon, Tazmania, Jasper and Jericho.

She has written A Risky Dance and A Lost Dance for Siren BookStrand. The third book - A Flame Dance - is available now.

✯ WEBSITE ✯ FACEBOOK ✯


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RELEASE TOUR: Safe to Love You by Jude Ouvrard

by

Jude Ouvrard
Editor: The Pedantic Punctuator
Proofreader: MNoelle Editing
Cover Designer: Kari March DesignsOfficial genre of book: Contemporary Romance/Drama


This book contains scenes that might be disturbing to some readers. Scenes of violence and domestic violence.


Abbie…

After wasting years of her life to an abusive man, the love Abbie Rylee once felt for him is replaced by fear. One last fight for her freedom leaves her hurt but fulsome after a gentleman saves her from the brutal hands of her evil ex-boyfriend.

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Presley Williams has been moping around for too long after being dumped by a beautiful model. It's not until a chance meeting and an opportunity to be the hero that he starts to feel alive again. Craving the flame who brightens his life, the tattooed photographer sets out on a mission to find the girl who left him breathless.

When Abbie and Presley see each other, their mutual attraction flares first. The unconventional guy seems like an intriguing choice for the still-wounded Abbie, but is he actually someone she can feel safe with? Will she be able to move on, continuing with her life unscarred?


The hot water washed against my face as I tried to scrub off the memories once again. Nothing seemed to work. I closed my eyes and tried to think of nothing but the washing of my face. For over a month I’ve been haunting with the thoughts and memories of her…Kelly.

I groaned, just the thought of her name made my stomach ache.

As the water dripped off my face I looked into the mirror and focused onto the ridiculous expression of a pathetic man. What is happening to me?

You are so lame, Presley. Get over it.

I have a good family, good friends and a job I love. That should be enough to keep me happy or on track but I’m losing it.

I thought she was a great girl. An honest girl. I can't believe it. She used me, used my name, and I gave it my all during her photo shoot. It was one of the best I have ever done. We had great chemistry going on, I thought we were getting along great. I even bought a new lens and new equipment, just to please her. I wanted to make it a special day for her, because I thought she deserved it.

I should've known, the second I gave her the portfolio, her attitude would change. She went from super sweet to super bitch. I'm just too naive sometimes. I should've known better. Never date a girl in the business; it brings you nothing but trouble. We had fun while it lasted, but the way it ended was agonizing for me. I liked her free spirited attitude and how wild she was. I was never madly in love with her, but I expected more than to be thrown out like garbage when she was finished with me.

When I met her a year ago, she was working on a photography set as an assistant. We talked a little at the time, but nothing too serious. Kelly was good friends with one of the models I was shooting. I gave her my card, something I do all the time. She’d done a few modeling gigs in the past, but nothing major yet. I'm a busy photographer, but I still enjoy working on portfolios for up and coming models.

Kelly called me, a week after we’d met and we went out for drinks. We discovered we both share a passion for tattoos and music. We had a blast that night; we played pool, drank beers and I thought why not see her again?

We caught up with one another a few more times before we started seriously dating. She had a troubled past and I knew about it, but that didn’t matter to me. Everyone has a past; hers just happened to be a little more challenging. Kelly was sweet and I enjoyed being with her. She made me laugh, she was a real goofball and I needed that in my life.

After a couple of months, she was staying pretty regularly at my place. I liked falling asleep and waking up next to her. We hadn't talked about making the situation permanent, but I believed she was starting to consider it. My life with Kelly mirrored the life of Hollywood stars. Most nights we partied until the early hours, bouncing from one party to the next as if that was our job. Kelly had a lot of friends and even more connections. I had never known this sort of life before I met her.

’Do you think we're ever going to get tired of this?’ Kelly asked me once, in the middle of one of the biggest events we had been invited to. With my camera in one hand and her in the other, I lost myself in the music and atmosphere that surrounded us.

‘I don't know, Kel, but let's just enjoy while it lasts,’ I chuckled. ‘I’ve met some important people tonight; one guy said I should hear back from him later this week. A tattoo magazine shoot–that would be great if it worked out.’

‘Maybe if you keep getting important contracts, your family will stop hating me.’ Kelly had looked pained when she spoke. She’d never done anything wrong around them, but my family had heard rumors about Kelly’s history as a wild child, and disapproved of the way we spent our time.

‘They don't hate you, Kel. They just don’t understand our crazy lifestyle.’

My dad, my brother and my sister never liked Kelly. After I introduced her to them, they warned me to be careful, but I didn't listen. With Kelly, I was having so much fun, I felt like a teenager again. We were always on the go, doing whatever the hell we felt like doing. Almost to the point of selfishness. Running our lives the way we wanted to, became our top priority and to hell with everyone else.

Things changed after I offered to work on her portfolio. Kelly was truly happy about the offer, and it made me happy to help her out. The day of her photo shoot, she was ecstatic. I knew exactly what theme to go for; showing off her ink and making sure she looked her absolute best. I gave her some quick prints that night and the following day, I gave her the professional quality photos. Everything changed that day. I’d given her what she was after–-professional photographs taken by a well-known and well-respected photographer. She didn’t need me anymore and by the time I got home from work that night, Kelly was gone. She packed up everything at my apartment, and left without so much as a goodbye. When I tried to contact her, she wouldn’t return my calls. Days later, I heard from a mutual contact that she’d packed up and headed to Europe, determined to make it as a professional model.

During my crazy relationship with Kelly, I had been seriously slacking at work. One of my major New York contracts was coming up in two weeks and I needed to get my shit together. I had a mantra, which I kept telling myself, almost constantly, while I came to terms with Kelly’s behaviour: Be a man, Presley! This is your life. Your reputation. Everything you've worked so hard for over the years. It’s time to get back in the game. Be better. Be stronger. Man up!

I know life will continue to throw curveballs at me; I’m just tried to convince myself that Kelly was one of those curveballs. I knew it was time to walk away from the hurt, and learn from it.

Getting dressed for the day, I shake my thoughts away and think of something else. No more Kelly. I pick my favorite jeans and t-shirt, tousle my hair just a bit and get something to eat.

Tonight, my favorite band is in town, playing a gig. I decided this is going to be my night. I need to start afresh and move on from the Kelly situation. First though, I need to call Joshua, my brother. I haven't seen him much lately and I miss his company. We get along well; at least, we did until Hurricane Kelly happened.

''Joshua, do you still have my ticket to the concert, or did you find someone else to take it?'' I ask.

"I knew you'd decide to come! I still have it, it's yours, man.''

''Great! I'll meet you at the bar before the concert.'' Already I feel my mood lifting—for the first time in weeks. This is already shaping up to a good night.

''Alright!” Joshua sounds pleased. “Ali is coming along, too,'' he adds and I can hear the smile in his voice when he mentions his girlfriend.

“Great! See you then! Take care, Josh.'' I'm smiling. Shit, I'm finally smiling again. Baby steps, but I already feel better.

I've been pretty boring lately. I haven’t gone out much in recent weeks, I was too upset about the Kelly situation, and quite frankly, I thought I was missing her. It never occurred to me that she was going to be the girl I married, but honestly, being with her was crazily addictive. I didn’t care about anything else when I was with Kelly. Her wildness engulfed me, blinded me to everything else. All that existed was Kelly–the parties, the drinking and fuck...that sex. I was carried away by her intoxicating lifestyle and I drank it up faster that the shots of tequila she used to pour down my throat.

At first, after she left, I missed it. Then, after a while, I figured out that maybe it wasn’t right to live like that on a long term basis. After months of living the life of a rock star, a break was needed. Hell, my body needed it.

So for a long while, I stayed in my apartment most of the time; did some painting, worked on my photos or caught up on sleep. To be honest, I’d had my feelings crushed by her and I turned into a bit of a hermit.

I realize that it has to change. I want a social life again–-I need to get out and about, with my real friends, not the fake people I spent time with when I was with Kelly. I’ve missed hanging out with my siblings. I'm done moping around because of a girl. She kicked down my pride, and it hurt; but today is the beginning of a new chapter in my life.


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Body Ink & Soul ✯ Music Ink & Love ✯ Not Afraid to Love You



"Drama, true love, tattoos...and everything in between!"

Jude Ouvrard is an author who writes from the heart, and reads with passion and devotion. Jude enjoys stories of drama, true love, tattoos, and everything in between. While writing is her therapy, reading is her solace. Life doesn't get better than books and chocolate, and maybe a little bit of shopping.

A romance lover, Jude writes about love, pain, heartbreak and matters that will challenge your heart. A book can tell an unexpected story, no matter which directions it takes. Jude embraces words that have haunted her for years.

Jude is a working mom who dedicates her time to a law firm and writing books. She has an energetic superhero son, and a supportive boyfriend of many years. Her family is her rock; she could not survive without them. Born a country girl, she transformed into a city woman who now lives in Montreal, Canada. Although French is her first language, Jude decided to write in English because she liked the challenge.

Website ✯ Twitter ✯ Goodreads ✯ Amazon ✯ Facebook

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PreORDER BLAST: Twila's Tempest by Natasza Waters #GIVEAWAY

by

Best Selling Author Natasza Waters

Editor & Publisher: Magic Wand Editing
Cover Designer: Dawne DominqueOfficial Genre: Adventure Romance


Drake Addison, retired Marine, understands the dangers of the sea, but there’s a storm coming, and she’s all of five foot three.

A dark horse among the Treasure Coast’s elite, Drake’s passion and wealth tempt him. His first love is building yachts. Meeting Twila, he sees she has a passion as well—caring for the elderly, including his parents, but she’s trapped.

Like unearthing a gold doubloon, with one kiss from Twila, he craves a thousand. He makes an excuse to remain in Port St. Lucie and teach Twila about the sea. His mistake: misjudging the heart of one woman, the soul of another, and the ferocity of the one headed their way.

Sometimes, a little knowledge is dangerous, but for Twila—it’s deadly.



“Drake!” Twila’s sharp call whipped his head around. “Oh, God, do you see it?” Twila’s hand covered her mouth, her eyes round with fear.

“Quick.” He snagged the belts and lashed Twila in the captain’s chair, and then threw one around his own hips, snapping the clips on the console and cinching the belt tight. He gripped the wheel with all his strength. Feet apart, bracing his legs.

“What the hell is that?” she yelled.

“Hang on, Twila.”

Her scream rang in his ears as he steered straight into it. He’d read about ‘em, even seen them, but never one like this. “Shiiiiit,” he roared as the Rebecca rode up the enormous wall of water. So enormous, she could break the Rebecca in half and send them to the bottom. He closed his eyes and prayed to God Almighty.




Releases June 19thAmazon US ✯ Amazon Int'l ✯ Goodreads




After majoring in English in her early years, Natasza altered course. A lifelong working relationship with the marine industry began when she became an officer with the Coast Guard.

Crafting stories with pieces snipped from real life and the sea—particularly the West Coast, find its way into plots puddled in action and suspense with unsung heroes and heroines aplenty. Her bestselling series, A Warrior’s Challenge beginning with Code Name: Ghost has won two R.O.N.E. awards and honors the service members who keep our countries safe, and the strength it takes to love a warrior.

A twenty-four hour day finds Natasza drafting her next novel, networking, and thinking about doing her laundry, but instead, she just buys a new pair of socks. Sleep you say? Not so much!

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 Natasza sends out quarterly newsletter and every new newsletter subscriber is enter into a $25 Amazon Giftcard giveaway.


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LOOK at ME! Beyond Ice by Helene Levey Zemel

by

Helene Levey Zemel


After the death of his wife, Dr. Martin Singh has become more and more involved in his work. He and his associate, Professor Jim Harrison, believe that they may be on to some important scientific discoveries that will help to prolong human life. They are intent on keeping their discoveries under wraps for the time being because they don’t believe that the scientific community is quite ready for what their research reveals. They set up a secret laboratory in the beautiful wilderness of the Maine North Woods and are excited because Martin’s son, Pete, and his young bride, Liz, will soon be joining them at the laboratory.

As the story opens up, we find Julie Miller, a Long Island housewife and well respected high school music teacher, looking forward to the start of the new school year. While busy at work preparing her music students for the school’s annual musical production, she suddenly falls ill with a life- threatening illness. This upsets the entire Miller family including family dog, Seymour. Julie turns to the Internet to find support from fellow sufferers. One of the members of her Internet forum recommends that she attend a conference given by the brilliant but reclusive Dr. Martin Singh and his associate. Could this offer Julie hope or might it lead her down a dangerous path?


The Discovery

Later that day, Seth returns home from his senior year classes. He pulls up into the driveway and gets out of the car. He rings the doorbell expecting Elena to open the door. When nobody answers, he fumbles for his key, finds it, and opens the door. He is surprised when Seymour does not come to greet him. A sense of panic comes over him. His heart starts pounding in his chest.

Seth leaves the hallway and walks into the living room. He finds the dog limp on the floor. He crouches over Seymour. The dog appears to be breathing. He rubs the dog’s body firmly, and Seymour lifts his head. The dog appears dazed and bewildered.

“What’s the matter, Seymour? What happened to you? Where is mom?”

Seth calls out Julie’s name several times while searching the house. By now he is in a panic, and he breaks out into a cold sweat. He can barely move his fingers as he calls his sister on his cell phone. After two rings, Alexandra answers her cell phone.

“Hi Seth. What’s up?”

“Alex, please come home as quickly as you can. Mom is missing from the house and something seems to be wrong with Seymour.”

“Perhaps mom just took a walk or went out with Aunt Irene.”

“Why would she go out on such a cold day? She would certainly have told us if she had plans with Aunt Irene. Besides Aunt Irene is probably still at school.”

“I don’t know. You’d better call Dad. He’ll know what to do about Seymour. I’m leaving school right now. I should be home in about twenty minutes. Give Aunt Irene a call, too, to see if she might know Mom’s whereabouts. Try to stay calm until I return home.”

Seth ends the call with Alexandra and then calls David at the veterinary clinic. The receptionist answers the telephone and hears the panic in Seth’s voice.

“Seth, what’s wrong?”

“Mom is missing and something’s wrong with Seymour,” Seth blurts out in a panicked voice.

“Oh my God, Seth. I’ll get your Dad, immediately. Hold on.”

“Thanks.”

The receptionist finds David in one of the examination rooms and tells him there has been an emergency. David speaks to Seth and tells him that he is on his way home. David gets one of the veterinary technicians to come into the room to stay with the dog that he had been examining and its owner. He explains to the dog’s owner that an emergency has come up at home. David apologizes and tells his patient’s owner that his associate will be in to see them in a few minutes as he must return home. David puts on his overcoat and takes a medical kit with him. He pulls his SUV out of the veterinary clinic’s parking lot and starts on his way back home. When he arrives at the house, he opens the door and is greeted by Seth.

“Thanks for coming so quickly, Dad. Mom’s missing and I found Seymour collapsed on the floor. I’m scared something has happened to Mom.”


Amazon US ✯ Amazon paperback ✯ B&N ✯ Goodreads


Helene Zemel spent her childhood and young adulthood studying for a career as a concert pianist. She received a B.A. in Music from Hofstra University and an M.A. in musicology from Queens College which is part of the City University of New York. She performed in numerous piano recitals and spent many years teaching piano. Ms. Zemel also held various positions in business including accounting, marketing, and insurance sales. She received an M.B.A. from New York Institute of Technology.

Ms. Zemel grew up on Long Island and also raised her family there. The opening beach scene was inspired by her childhood on the island. In March of 2015, after the death of her husband, she retired to Oklahoma City where she is enjoying the friendliness of the people. This is her debut novel.

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RELEASE TOUR: In Irina's Cards by Christine Hart

THE VARIANT CONSPIRACY

by

Christine Hart

Editor & Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Cover Designer: Covers by RamonaOfficial Genre: NA Paranormal Sci-Fi Romance


In Irina’s Cards is the story of 19-year-old Irina Proffer who discovers a world of fringe genetic science and supernatural mystery. Following visions inspired by a strange deck of tarot cards, Irina learns of an amazing variation in her genetic code. She has the ability to see the past, present and future, in her life and the lives around her.

Irina sets out from her northern home for BC's coastal capital to get answers. She is drawn in by a powerful first love and a compelling, yet dangerous mystery. Working at Innoviro Industries and meeting other 'variants' brings Irina closer and closer to the dark truth about her origins. She finds herself at the heart of two overlapping love triangles as she scrambles to escape her employer's grip. At the close of the novel, Irina realizes she has merely scratched the surface of a frightening conspiracy on a global scale.


I’d like to set up this excerpt if I can. This section is taken from Chapter 4. Title character Irina is still coming to terms with the fact that ‘variant’ really means mutant with a noticeable gift or ability. We get a chance to see Irina having a vision. And we get a first glimpse at the aquakinetic, pyrokinetic, and impossibly strong variations in three other core characters.
—

We reached the end of the Harbour and the coastline opened up around the corner. I saw a sign for ferries to the US in front of a giant concrete breakwater and a pub decorated with a helm wheel and a mural with starfish and orcas. The hazy soft blues of the ocean and sky were broken by the jagged edges of American snow-capped mountains on the horizon. The seaside sidewalk had a mix of young families, dog-walkers, and spry seniors in trendy windbreakers.

“You know what they say about the people here in Victoria, right?” said Jonah, as he watched me watch everyone else.

“No, I can’t say that I do. More money than they know what to do with?”

“True, but not as bad as Vancouver. Ever heard of the saying ‘newlyweds and nearly deads’ or as my mom says, ‘God’s waiting room.’”

“Kind of a dark way to look at things, isn’t it?”

“My mom’s a dark lady, but hilarious. I hope you don’t mind, but I also invited Cole and his sister. You’ll love this little restaurant. It’s got awesome food and live music, but not too hipster-ish,” said Jonah.

Something dropped in my chest. If Cole brought his sister, we were just a group of friends going for dinner. I felt silly for having thought that we were going on a date. We turned another corner and Jonah pulled the car over next to a brick building with a 50’s style neon sign that read ‘Cymbals’ next to a caricature of a drum set. I followed Jonah through the wrought iron gate and looked up at the oak tree on the lawn next to the patio. Tiny fresh leaves and new buds covered the gnarled old tree. It was also home to dozens and dozens of sneakers, canvas shoes, skate shoes, oxfords – basically any kind of shoe with laces to tie together.

The air felt warm enough to linger, so I walked over to the tree and looked upward. I smiled. I reached up to one of the lower branches and touched one of the shoes. The yard and the tree melted away. I saw the face of a girl with faintly bluish skin and platinum hair. She turned and I saw two leather-like wings flex and relax. Her shirt had been cut to make room for her wings which stretched out past the frayed edges of the fabric. She was standing in a sewer or catacomb.

Faces milled around the winged girl. It wasn’t quite like a party, maybe more like a camp. An older lady standing next to the winged girl reached down to the ground. She pinched the concrete and plucked something, maybe a stone, off the surface. The stone wriggled. It was a camouflaged beetle, exactly like the one I’d seen on my first day in the city. She lifted the beetle to her mouth and I reeled back.

The yard outside Cymbals surrounded me again in a blink. Jonah stared at me. I noticed my arm had stayed raised beneath the shoes and withdrew it.

“Are you all right?”

I heard fear in his voice.

“Rubin mentioned that you were psychic, but I never knew what it actually looked like. I mean, I’ve never witnessed anyone ‘see’ something if that makes sense.”

“Oh, I … what does it look like? It’s still pretty new for me. I’ve always been alone when that happens, but I hadn’t even wondered what somebody watching me gets to see.”

“You looked sort of, gone. And then your eyes rolled back for a moment. I thought you were having a seizure.”

I looked around the yard and fortunately we were alone. Still, I didn’t want to keep talking about this stuff where we could be overheard. More importantly, what was Rubin doing sharing my personal information while giving me his best poker face?

“Let’s go inside. I’m hungry.” I didn’t much feel like sitting down to a social night anymore.

Cole waved from a table on the other side of the building. Sitting next to him, a girl with purple dreadlocks looked up from her purse and smiled.

The restaurant was full and the combined conversations created a loud chatter. Dim candlelight, a few glass chandeliers, and an antique-looking piano in the corner set a romantic atmosphere that sparked another twinge of embarrassment. On the other hand, the abstract and industrial mixed media wall décor had me looking around for art and film students. Aside from a few biker bars, the edgiest hangout I knew of in Prince George was an indie coffee shop – and it had only been open for a few years when I left.

We made our way around and between tables. Everyone in the restaurant looked like an artist or an intellectual. I felt like an ugly duckling in my plain, boring clothes, but I was glad for the first time since starting my new job that not all of the blue dye had gone from my hair. Jonah reached the table and pulled out a chair for me. We sat down and Cole scowled.

“Dude, what’s up with the timeline fail? We’ve been here for like, half an hour,” said Cole.

“Ignore his attitude. I’m Faith,” the girl said as she extended her hand to me and grinned happily. The flickering light glinted off a stud in her nose and a ring in her eyebrow. She wore dark makeup on her eyes and mouth. She had the same coffee brown eyes as Cole. I couldn’t tell if it was her features or the eyeliner and lipstick, but she looked striking in a bold, exotic way. As we shook hands, her gaze shifted over to Jonah.

We looked at our menus in awkward silence, waiting for a server, sipping our water. I sighed and put down my menu. I could feel Cole’s eyes on me as I watched Faith stare at Jonah, the only person still looking at his menu. I gave in and glanced back at Cole briefly with a small smile. This was all heading in the wrong direction. The time for tact expired along with my patience.

“So I take it we’re all mutants here,” I said casually.

Jonah sprayed water onto his menu and coughed. Cole looked at me urgently. Faith’s mouth made a small ‘O’ under her confused frown.

“Seriously, I came here, to Victoria, because I started having visions of this place and I wanted answers. All I’ve gotten is cryptic nonsense. Other than meeting you people, I’ve learned next to nothing. Rubin is all vague double-talk. It’s getting old. I want to know what you all know.”

Jonah looked at me and took a breath as if to say something. He decided against it and looked around our corner of the restaurant. Nobody paid any attention to us. He placed his hand over the droplets of water on his laminated menu. The water coalesced into puddles under his palm. As he concentrated on the small pool, it lifted off the menu and spread into a donut shape. The circle broke and the stream became a spiral, getting thinner and thinner until it evaporated into steam, absorbed into Jonah’s hand.

Faith’s frown turned into a smile as she looked at Jonah. She picked up one of the unlit candles on our table and pinched the wick between her thumb and forefinger. As she released it a flame sprang to life.

“Well, I’m not breaking this table, that’s for damn sure,” said Cole.

“That’s okay. I saw your street-fight with that bouncer when I first got to town,” I said.

Cole rolled his eyes, but I couldn’t worry about his temper. I wanted to keep talking about Innoviro and Ivan. “So, now that we’re making progress, albeit moving into some surreal comic book world, tell me what’s the deal with Innoviro. What the hell does this company really do?” I felt my adrenaline rise.

“I’m not risking my job so you can get a head start on whatever Ivan has in mind for you. You’re acting like there’s something bad going on here. He helps people like us.” Cole looked over at Jonah. “For some of us, being different is actually a health risk.”

“Dude, leave it alone!” said Jonah.

Faith frowned again. “You’ve met Rubin. He’s like a recruiter. He told you that much at least, didn’t he? He works with Ivan to find people like us and help, if they need it.”

“And what if I don’t need help?” I said.

“You may help others. We’re not all different in the same way. Some of us were born this way and some of us were … made,” said Faith.

“Ivan will talk to you about all of this soon enough. We’re really not allowed to and I think the reasons for that will start to be obvious. It’s not the kind of research the government likes. You can’t put this kind of stuff in a job posting and you definitely can’t chat about it at parties.” Jonah looked around the room again.

“So they’re doing tests on people.” I felt the unease in my gut churning faster. “On us.”

“It’s not like that. We are doing research and development work, but it varies. Sometimes we’re looking at mutation in other animals or plants. We look at weather and geography to understand how a person’s gifts are advantageous or dangerous, depending on where and how they live. Imagine me living in a desert, for example. And we’re not catastrophically testing on people. Sometimes we’ll take a small tissue or fluid sample from a person, but nothing barbaric,” said Jonah. “We’ve also got to make money. Innoviro takes research contracts from public and private firms doing anything from environmental research to mining and industrial development. Ivan keeps a low profile under the guise of confidentiality for his legitimate clients.”

“Are you guys even qualified for this? Or are you all older and more educated than you look?”

“Hey, we’re not screwing around here! Jonah and I were recruited directly from our graduate programs. I was working on a master’s in geology and Jonah had nearly finished his thesis in microbiology. Don’t you think research like this is best conducted by someone who understands it first hand? Could you imagine trying to convince a serious scientist to take this on, in lieu of a real career? You’d have to divulge every secret Innoviro has just to get them to believe the work can be done, let alone get a commitment.” The table crunched under Cole’s grip.

“And how about you?” I nodded at Faith, “Are you some kind of brain surgeon?”

“I’m an IT technician. I specialize in network administration and hardware integration.”

“Wow. I feel like a complete dunce.” I had nothing unique or meaningful to contribute to Innoviro. Nothing but a tissue sample.

“Don’t be intimidated. Remember that you were recruited for a reason. You probably won’t get to know everything the company does. We don’t discuss the details of our work with anyone but our supervisors,” said Faith.

“Lots of projects are shared on a need-to-know basis. But it’s not bad,” said Jonah. “You’ll understand more when Ivan gives you a full tour. Let it happen on his schedule.”

“I can go along for the ride here, but you’ve got to see how this looks from my point of view, getting drawn to a strange city by visions – which are an entirely new phenomenon to me. Have I mentioned yet that I got jumped the other night?”

“What?” said Cole and Jonah in unison.

“And you know why I didn’t get a look at him?” I said.

The boys had quizzical looks on their faces, but Faith looked anxious.

“Because there was nothing to look at,” I said. “Some enormous thing picked me up off the ground and threatened me.”

“You need to tell Rubin. Or Ivan, but not everyone in this restaurant.” Faith scanned the room tensely.

“No kidding.” I lowered my voice. “But since I don’t have a way to get a hold of Rubin, I have to keep my fingers crossed that he’s keeping tabs on me.”

“I’m sure he is. It’s his job to keep us safe,” said Jonah.


Amazon US ✯ SoulMate Publishing ✯ Goodreads


Tell us a bit about In Irina’s Cards and The Variant Conspiracy trilogy.I’d definitely classify this NA trilogy as a cross-genre story. They’re a racy blend of paranormal and sci-fi with a strong romantic sub-plot. The story follows a group of renegade mutants tracking an evil corporate conspiracy from the West Coast of North America into the Mojave Desert and hopping to London, Greece, Egypt, and Kenya. But why don’t I just share the blurb? In Irina’s Cards is the story of 19-year-old Irina Proffer who discovers a world of fringe genetic science and supernatural mystery. Following visions inspired by a strange deck of tarot cards, Irina learns of an amazing variation in her genetic code. She has the ability to see the past, present and future, in her life and the lives around her. Irina sets out from her northern home for BC's coastal capital to get answers. She is drawn in by a powerful first love and a compelling, yet dangerous mystery. Working at Innoviro Industries and meeting other 'variants' brings Irina closer and closer to the dark truth about her origins. She finds herself at the heart of two overlapping love triangles as she scrambles to escape her employer's grip. At the close of the novel, Irina realizes she has merely scratched the surface of a frightening conspiracy on a global scale.

How did you get started as a writer?I’ve been a writer most of my adult life, but I didn’t set out to be. I went to university with law school in mind, but my first year English teacher encouraged me to be a writer. I didn’t embrace the change right away, but I took a few writing courses. I was 18 when I published my first story in the student newspaper. When I saw my byline in print, I was hooked! I changed gears into a BA degree with an English major and Professional Writing minor, the latter of which was intended to prepare students for working at newspapers and magazines, as well as corporate communications departments and public relations firms. I figured out pretty quickly that journalism wasn’t my thing. I focused on communications instead. I didn’t switch to fiction until my mid-twenties, experimenting with children’s picture books and short stories before I hit my stride writing young adult. When I realized some of the themes and plots I wanted to explore were more mature than most young adult publishers would tackle, I started considering the new adult market. In Canada, new adult is still being incorporated into the publishing landscape, so the opportunities up here are slim. Fortunately I found an amazing home for The Variant Conspiracy at NY-based Soul Mate Publishing.

Is there anything you’d like your readers to know about you?First of all I’d like my readers to know how grateful I am that they found me and gave me a chance. With a dizzying array of choices in contemporary fiction, I value every single reader who chooses to spend time with my stories and characters. Second, I’d like everyone to know that my story ideas come from the heart. I want to entertain and inspire, but I also want my readers to think deeply about human nature, modern society, and the future of our world. It sounds heavy for NA fiction. Hopefully my work is fun at the same time!

What do you think makes a good story?Above all, I think a story needs a rollercoaster plot. From there, relatable and likeable characters are critical. When I shape my story ideas – both novels and shorts – I think about the stories and characters from my favourite authors that really stuck with me over the years. Who are those favourite authors? To name just a few, I’ll start with contemporary authors like Neil Gaiman, Charlaine Harris, Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling, and Stephen King. Going back a bit farther, I love John Wyndham, Ray Bradbury, J.R.R. Tolkien, and H.P. Lovecraft. Although my personal list of amazing writers is miles longer, those are the really recognizable names that top my picks for master story-crafters.

What do you get up to when you’re not writing fiction?I used to work in the corporate world, specifically marketing and communications. I did mostly business writing – from copywriting, blogging, and press releases to huge policy documents, instruction manuals, and contracts. These days I’m a mom to two toddlers, ages 4 and 1 at the moment.I also have a bizarre habit of breaking stuff and making stuff for my Etsy shop Sleepless Storyteller. I take apart watches, computers, electronics, and vintage jewellery to create new wearable art. It sounds odd and it is, but turning trash into treasure is too much fun to stop at my own jewellery box. I had to start selling online to make room for new creations.


Located on BC’s beautiful West Coast, I write from my suburban Burnaby home staring at North Vancouver’s iconic Coast Mountains. I love writing about places and spaces with rich history and visually fascinating elements as a backdrop for the surreal and spectacular.

In addition to my undergraduate degree in writing and literature, my background also includes corporate communications and design. I am a current member of the Federation of BC Writers and SF Canada.

When not writing, I have a habit of breaking stuff and making stuff – in that order – under the guise of my Etsy alter-ego Sleepless Storyteller. I share my eclectic home and lifestyle with my husband, baby daughter and preschool son.

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PROMO TOUR: Smiles From Tears by Nadia Tariqi

by
Nadia Tariqi


A memoir with soul.

Smiles from Tears is a collection of funny and insightful stories told from the perspective of a growing child, a young woman, and later, a loving mother.


The Mirror

My childhood was wasted away in the war between Iran and Iraq. My father was in the military so I’ve spent most of my time without him, just with my mother who was, at the time, sad and depressed. I think you’ll agree that this isn’t a pleasant childhood. Until recently, I was blaming others, especially my mother, for that.

Sometimes something would remind me of my childhood; without expressing the cause, I just turned to aggression or silence.

One day, when the bitter memories of childhood came to me again, unlike always, I felt the need to talk to my mother. At first I was complaining, as usual, and my mom tried to anxiously justify things. Her efforts to calm me only made me madder, and my tone became aggressive.

With eyes filled with tears, I asked her, “Why did you never respect my talents? I always loved literature and poetry, and what did you do? You just suppressed and humiliated me…”

As I was talking to my mother, Amir Reza was standing beside. He shook me while talking loudly to get my attention. His loud voice made me angrier as I kept speaking to my mother. “Why didn’t you listen to me ever? You think it was easy to be ignored by you? I had to call you a hundred times for you to answer me just once!”

My mother was about to burst into tears. She couldn’t say anything.

Just then, Amir Reza’s insistent voice finally got under my skin, and I burst with anger and yelled at him.

“What? What do you want, Amir Reza? Why don’t you leave me alone?”

My anger scared him and he began to cry. In a shaky voice, he told me, “Look, I drew this for you. I just wanted you to see how beautiful it is but you didn’t even look at it…”

For a moment my head swung and I felt like I was stuck up in the air. I looked at my mom. She had a bitter smile on her face as she said, “Why you don’t listen to your son now?”

In a moment all that anger was gone. I couldn’t stop crying as I hugged Amir Reza. My little boy turned up to be my answer again, a mirror to show me myself…



Amazon US ✯ Amazon paperback ✯ Goodreads


Nadia Tariqi is a poet and author. In 2016 Nadia Tariqi moved from her home country of Iran to Sweden. Despite having had to leave behind her family and friends, she is rebuilding her life and smiling again.



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RELEASE TOUR: Running Wild by J.L. Sheppard #GIVEAWAY

by

J.L. Sheppard

  Editor & Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Cover Designer: Designed by DOfficial Genre: Contemporary Romance


When the perfect life Alyssa Holden planned turns out to be a life of lies, she runs to her brother, the only person she can trust. She has no idea she’s running straight into a world of badass bikers who live and ride by their own rules. One tatted rebel in particular calls to her wilder side, and while everything in her draws her toward him, every experience she’s had with men warns her away.

Jace Warren is doing what he’s done his whole life—trying to survive, making the best with what he’d been given. The only life that makes sense after the military is Hell Ryder’s Motorcycle Club, but the sweet innocence of his army buddy's sister promises a different life, one a man like him can only dream of. Problem is, being his MC brother’s sister puts her off limits. Hard as it is, he keeps his distance. Then she kisses him, and all bets are off.



A woman moaned.

Allie hadn’t meant to look, but unwillingly, she turned her head. The door wide open, so inevitably, she caught sight of them. She stood there seeing, yet unbelieving, frozen with her eyes glued to an image she’d never forget no matter how much she craved to.

Jace.

Shirtless sitting up on the edge of his bed, his head angled back, eyes closed, lips parted. A dark-haired woman draped over him, kissing his neck, her legs wrapped around him. Her black leather skirt hiked up to her waist, his hands cupping her bare ass.

Her heart clenched, squeezing in her chest so hard it hurt. Deep and searing her from the inside out.

Jesus.

How it hurt.

And she didn’t know why.

He wasn’t hers. He was a biker who couldn’t stand her. Single, free to screw however many scantily dressed women he wanted. Her brother warned her bikers did it often, and still somewhere deep inside, she held hope Jace was different. He wasn’t just a biker, he was the man who took his niece to dinner weekly, the man who’d roughed up her ex-fiancé, then held her while she cried.

It was more than that, too. She wanted to believe the man who affected her in a way no other man ever had, the man whose arms she’d felt safe in couldn’t be anything like her brother described.



Amazon US ✯ B&N ✯ The Wild Rose Press ✯ Goodreads


J.L. Sheppard was born and raised in Miami, Florida where she still lives with her husband and son.

As a child, her greatest aspiration was to become a writer. She read often, kept a journal and wrote countless poems. She attended Florida International University and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors in Communications. During her senior year, she interned at NBC Miami, WTVJ. Following the internship, she was hired and worked in the News Department for three years.It wasn’t until 2011 that she set her heart and mind into writing her first completed novel, Demon King’s Desire, which was published in January of 2013.

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LOOK at ME! The Works of Rachel Jones #GIVEAWAY

Desertion and death of her family leaves Jillian Russell alone in the world. A medical diagnosis takes away her performance career. Starting over in Charlotte, North Carolina, she opens a ballet company which takes all her resources and leaves no time to build new relationships. Trauma surgeon, Alan Armstrong, is determined to fix Jillian’s life before he moves on to set up a rural community clinic that had been the top priority in his life, until he met Jillian. Will their undeniable connection cause them to change their ambitions so they can be together? Or will they walk away from each other to continue on the paths they had chosen before they met? Jillian lingered behind, thinking about her students. This was the best group of seven-year olds she had taught since opening the school. She enjoyed teaching all ages but this group was the highlight of her week. Sighing, she wondered if maybe it had something to do with the fact Lily would have been seven this year. Brushing the thought away, she moved to the piano and focused her attention on arranging the music for the dance company’s rehearsal the next night.Her school of ballet was impressive but her dance company was her crowning glory. Expanding her lungs to their fullest she exhaled, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment. The North Carolina Ballet Company, now in its fifth year of existence, continued to experience growing pains and would for several years to come. As they grew in number they also grew in depth and dimension, becoming a cohesive group of artists excited to tell many stories through dance. Their progress was measured by the reputation they enjoyed for offering professional performances to the surrounding communities.“You have a good-looking group of ballerinas, Jilly,” remarked David as he crossed the studio floor, followed by Alan.The familiar voice brought a smile to her face. She had met David soon after moving to Charlotte when she was searching for a financial advisor. They had spent a lot of time together working on the financial end of setting up her school. When she took the plunge a year later, with David’s encouragement, and started the North Carolina Ballet Company, he was her biggest fan. Feeling she could trust him with her life, she was grateful he had accepted her invitation to be a part of the company’s initial board of directors.Turning around at the sound of the tenor voice her eyes darted from her friend to the familiar form standing beside him. Her smile disappeared.“You!” Jillian took a step back. “What are you doing here?”“What’s wrong?” David’s gaze bounced back and forth between his friends. “Do you two know each other?”Her eyes remained fixed on the doctor as if she were seeing him for the first time. He was tall, about six feet she estimated, with thick brown hair and he had the most gorgeous, deep set brown eyes. It was like looking into pools of chocolate and she was finding it hard not to stare. She shifted her gaze to her friend. “I recall seeing him at the hospital, after the explosion.”“Oh, come on, Ms. Russell. I performed the surgery on your shoulder and I was your doctor for two days—until you fired me. And all you have to say is, ‘I recall seeing you’?”“If memory serves it was a day and a half. And I’d prefer not talking about anything having to do with the explosion, if you don’t mind.”“I see. Well, I hope your recovery is going well.”“Yes it is thank you.” Amazon US ✯ Amazon Int'l ✯ B&N ✯ Smashwords ✯ Kobo ✯ iTunes ✯ Goodreads



From childhood, Virginia Manning has planned for a career as a concert clarinetist. Blindsided by family circumstances, her plans are interrupted, taking her down a path she would never have chosen. As a music teacher, Virginia’s relationship with the football coach goes from problematic to romantic. After Blake’s brush with death, a scared Virginia runs away looking for the contentment music has always brought to her life. Because Blake Oliver has experienced disappointment and pain, he opts for a fresh start in a small New England town. Accepting the position of football coach, he isn’t looking for love when it finds him. But when Virginia leaves to pursue a performance career, Blake realizes it’s not where you live but having someone to love that matters. His only problem is making her understand that as well.


Blake was awake when Virginia entered the ICU cubicle. She pushed a chair against the hospital bed so she could hold his hand. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he said. Virginia looked at the tiny lines etched on his face. She wished she had magical powers and could erase them and all the pain he had endured the last few days since the accident. “The nurse said I could sit with you. Where’s your father?” “Stephen took him home to sleep for a while. He’ll be back later.” Blake shifted toward her and released a groan. “I hate to see you hurting.” “My nurse was just here asking if I wanted pain medicine. He’s coming back. I would have waited to take the pain killer if I had known a beautiful woman would be stopping by to visit.” “Good,” she said. “I’m glad you’re not one of those macho men who think it’s not masculine to take pain medicine when you need it.” “Normally I wouldn’t. But since I’ve had surgery on my leg and I’m dealing with cracked ribs, a punctured lung, and a ruptured diaphragm, I’m willing to compromise my macho image and take the pain killers.” Virginia frowned at the reminder of what he had been through. The nurse returned with a syringe in his hand. He scanned Blake’s armband and the barcode on the syringe then made a few clicks at the bedside computer. As he pushed the medication into Blake’s IV line, he said, “Mr. Oliver, this will help with the pain, but it will make you drowsy. Sleep’s not a bad thing since your body needs rest to heal.” Virginia smiled, knowing he would be escaping from his pain if only for a while. “I’m going to sit here and hold your hand until they throw me out.” Blake’s eyes flickered open and shut a few times then remained closed. She whispered a prayer for strength, to help her be strong for him. The beeps of the heart monitor became rapid and other alarms sounded. Blake’s nurse rushed into the cubicle. He hit the red button on the wall and shouted, “I need help in here. He’s in V-fib.” Virginia jumped up from her chair as the space filled with hospital personnel. She was pushed back and then outside. Leaning against the full-length window to support her trembling legs, she was aware of the dampness of her skin. Terror gripped her heart as she watched the surreal scene through the glass partition. The nurse performed chest compressions and in the dream state dominating her consciousness, she wondered if Blake’s chest would hurt later from the contact. Unable to move, her mind became mesmerized by the organized events unfolding in front of her. A man with neatly combed hair in a white coat said, “Give Amiodarone, three hundred milligrams.” Someone echoed, “Pushing Amiodarone, three hundred milligrams.” Another set of hands gave the man paddles attached to the defibrillator on the crash cart. “Set to two hundred joules. Clear,” he said as placed the paddles on Blake’s chest and discharged the shock, causing his body to jump. Virginia watched as everyone paused and then someone uttered the words, ‘sinus rhythm,’ which brought a collective sigh of relief. Most everyone dispersed leaving only a few people at the bedside. Blake’s nurse came to her and said, “He’s stable, but he’ll be sleeping for awhile. We’ll be watching him closely.” Virginia brushed at the tears on her cheek. The nurse took a box of tissue from the counter and pushed it toward her. “I know this was a harsh thing to witness. You should go, try to rest and you can come back later.” “Will he be all right? Could this happen again?” “Mr. Oliver’s body has been through a lot. But he’s young and healthy. I’m sorry, but I need to get back inside.” “Please, take care of him.” These were the same words she uttered as she passed the nurses’ station after each visit. But this time, the words were a special plea after witnessing how precarious his medical situation was. If she stayed, her heart would once again be vulnerable as in the past. Virginia turned and walked away, trying to process what had happened as she moved toward the waiting room to call Blake’s father. The pain in her heart was genuine. An intense pain that went beyond her heart and stirred her soul. Was this what it felt like to lose someone who had become so entwined in your life? She wasn’t sure she would want to go on living if Blake didn’t survive his injuries. Amazon ✯ Amazon Int'l ✯ B&N ✯ iTunes ✯ Kobo ✯ Smashwords ✯ Goodreads

Motto: Despite the struggles, love survives.While she continued to work her full-time RN job, it was thoughts of what she would do after retirement from her career in healthcare that spurred Rachel to begin writing her first manuscript in March of 2012. Needing guidance and support with her new endeavor, she joined local and national writing groups.Release day for Rachel’s debut novel, To Dance One More Day, occurred in June 2014. Her second book, Taking A Chance On Love, released in October 2015. She is working on her third manuscript and is planning her first series. Rachel’s books reflect her love of the performing arts. Working as a registered nurse for twenty-five years has influenced the threads of medical drama woven into her storylines. A music enthusiast for decades, Rachel resides in Kennesaw, Georgia with her husband of thirty-eight years and their spoiled Labrador retriever. She is a member of Georgia Writers Association, Georgia Romance Writers and is a PRO member of Romance Writers of America.Amazon ✯ FaceBook ✯ Twitter ✯ Goodreads ✯ Website ✯ Pinterest ✯ YouTube

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