R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 73

BOOK BLITZ: Tabou by Rachel Rossano #GIVEAWAY

Tabou
Rachel Rossano
(Beckett Riley)
Publication date: September 1st 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Trapped between societal boundaries, siblings Tom and Theia Edwards thought they knew all about the family business they just inherited from their father. When the true nature of his dealings are revealed, they are thrust into the savage world of drug smuggling for a Mexican cartel.

Forced to continue the work their father once did or suffer the consequences of having their darkest secret exposed, they embark on a journey that will reel them into a nest of vipers full of deceit and betrayal at every turn. But underestimating the forbidden and unbreakable bond between Tom and Theia can prove to be just as deadly to anyone standing in their way.

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—

EXCERPT:

“Get the fuck out of my house,” he spat, blocking Theia from Tenoch’s view.

“That’s no way to speak to your guests, gringo. We just stopped by to say hello and discuss some… unfinished business. But first, I want to meet that lovely little creature hiding behind you,” he said, the corners of his mouth ticking upwards into a punchable cheshire grin. “Come here, mamita, let me have a good look at you.”

Before Tom had a chance to take one step in Tenoch’s direction, one of the guns on Jake was now pointed directly at him. “What do you want?” he demanded, looking back at Theia who had tears streaming down her face.

“Well, Tom, we seem to have a couple of problems. One: you are refusing to continue a particular service your papi used to provide. And two: you know what I do, and that doesn’t sit well with me. But no worries, I found a solution now since I know what you… do,” he said, eyeing Theia with his cocky grin still plastered on his face.

Author Bio:

Beckett Riley resides in the sunshine state where she writes in between taking care of a four-year-old daughter, three dogs, six chickens, a grumpy barn cat, and a husband (sometimes in that order according to him). She loves writing erotic stories as much as she enjoys reading them. Dark romance and happily ever afters with hot, possessive, guys bring tears of joy to her eyes so please excuse the alpha males roaming her pages, they know not what they do.

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RELEASE BLITZ: Playing it Safe by Amy Andrews #GIVEAWAY

Playing it Safe
Amy Andrews
(Sydney Smoke Rugby, #7)
Published by: Entangled: Brazen
Publication date: September 6th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

Donovan Bane loves playing rugby for the Sydney Smoke. And if that means he has to keep his sexuality a secret, that’s a sacrifice he’s prepared to make. At least until after he retires, anyway. He doesn’t want to be the first pro rugby player in Australia to officially come out while still playing. The team doesn’t need the media shit storm and he’d rather be known for his footy skills. Which means no dating, no relationships, no sex. Nothing but playing ball.

Until one man suddenly changes everything…

Beckett Stanton is out and proud—and not looking for a guy who isn’t. Been there, done that, complete disaster. Unfortunately, on the first day of his new job working for the Sydney Smoke, he locks eyes with Donovan Bane and he’s a goner. Big, gruff, and athletic isn’t usually Beck’s type, but for some reason this man is ticking all his boxes. And it’s clear the feeling is mutual. It’s also clear that Donovan is not out, and doesn’t plan to be anytime soon. Still, Beck can’t resist being the man to show Donovan everything he’s been missing.

For the first time, Donovan doesn’t play it safe and allows himself to indulge in things with Beck he knows he can’t have. But when their relationship gets serious, he knows he has to choose between the career he loves and the man he loves, because how can he possibly have both?

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EXCERPT:

“Why are you giving yourself early wrinkles?” He lifted his hand then, smoothing a finger along the furrows in Donovan’s forehead.

It was such a light touch yet Donovan felt it everywhere. Just as he felt the spicy accents of Beckett’s cologne wafting over him on a warm pillow of pheromone-laden air.

“Because…I don’t know how to…do this.”

“This?” Beckett’s hand fell to his side.

“I don’t know how to do gay.”

“Donovan…” Beckett’s warm chuckle, the way he always called him by his full name, set up home inside Donovan’s belly and lit a fire. “Being gay isn’t something you do. It’s something you are.” Beckett tapped his chest lightly, right above his heart. “So, however you do your life is fine. Really.”

“Fine?” Donovan stared at him. “I’ve been ignoring this”—he tapped his chest in the exact spot Beckett had tapped—“since I was fifteen.”

“Yeah, but not anymore, right? So you start from today.”

“How? When I have to stay in this damn closet?”

“Hey.” He lifted his hand and cupped Donovan’s jaw, and the tangle of emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him hushed at the touch. “The first step is always the hardest. Finally accepting who you are, saying it out loud, often takes place in the closet, you’re not on your lonesome there. Don’t underestimate how far you’ve come.”

Donovan wished Beckett’s hand didn’t feel so fucking good cradling him like that. Wished his voice wasn’t so soothing and his words so damn sensible. Wished he didn’t want to shut his eyes and just lean into all that calm rationality. It made him believe everything could be alright, that he could actually step out of the closet with this man and everything would be okay.

But it wouldn’t be.

“And now you get to choose what you want to do.” Beckett waggled his eyebrows suggestively as his hand slid down to rest against a bicep decorated in swirls of dark ink. “What do you want to do, Donovan Bane?” he asked, a smile hovering on lips that had introduced him to a whole new world.

One that was still frustratingly out of reach.

Donovan shook his head as the weight of the unknown threatened to crush him. He backed up a step or two, and Beckett’s hand slid from his arm. He turned and paced into the living area. It was easy for Beckett—he’d been living a full life as a gay man for a lot longer. He knew all the rules. All the do’s and don’ts. The…conventions.

Donovan was utterly clueless.

Standing near the couch, he turned and faced the other man. “I don’t know. That’s the thing…I don’t know how it works with two gay men.”

Beckett gave a crooked smile. “Pretty much the same as two straight people.”

“No, I mean…” Fuck. Absently, he started cracking his knuckles. What did he mean?

“Donovan,” Beckett said quietly, his smile gentle. “Is this about the sex stuff?”

“No. Yes.” Donovan stopped cracking his knuckles. “Maybe.” He started to pace from the couch to the bean bag and back again. “I mean…I don’t even know how to do the sex stuff.”

A low chuckle slid from Beckett’s lips. “Oh, trust me, you know how to do the sex stuff.”

Donovan stopped pacing and glanced at Beckett. “What? That thing just now? That’s what it is?”

“Sure.” He shrugged. “Sometimes.”

“See, I don’t know any of this. I’m just a…big…gay…virgin. In every sense of the word. This is my first rodeo.”

Beckett laughed full and throaty. “A gay virgin?”

“Well, I don’t know, do I?” He started to pace again, cracking his knuckles in time with the falls of his feet. “I mean, is there such a thing? Because, I have had sex before, so I’m technically not a virgin? Does sex with a woman count in—” Christ, he didn’t know…some mental ledger?

“The land of the gays?”

Donovan shot Beckett—who was clearly enjoying himself a little too much—an exasperated glare. He just grinned bigger as Donovan paced.

“Do gay men consider other gay men who haven’t had sex with a man a virgin?” he continued.

“Wow, you really do overthink things, don’t you?”

Author Bio:

Amy is an award-winning, USA Today best-selling, double RITA nominated Aussie author who has written seventy plus contemporary romances in both the traditional and digital markets. Her books bring all the feels from sass, quirk and laughter to emotional grit and panty-melting heat.

At sixteen she met a guy she knew she was going to marry and several years later she did. They have two grown kids who have flown the coop for distant shores which enables their travel fetish.

She loves good books and great booze although she'll take mediocre booze if there's nothing else. For many, many years she was a registered nurse which means she knows things. Anatomical things. And she's not afraid to use them!

She's just taken a sea change and gets to create stories whilst overlooking the mighty Pacific Ocean.

To keep up with her new releases you can join her mailing list here - http://www.amyandrews.com.au/newslett...

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BOOK BLITZ: A Touch of Brimstone by McKenzie Hunter #GIVEAWAY

A Touch of Brimstone
McKenzie Hunter
(Magic of the Damned, #1)
Publication date: August 19th 2021
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, New Adult

They say you should never make a deal with the devil, but what about with the Prince of the Underworld?

Fresh off a breakup and an eviction, I started my day like any other: a book in one hand, a coffee in the other, and faking that can-do attitude inspirational memes are made of. I was ready to take on the world—and I did.Unfortunately, it was the Underworld.

One freak accident later, I’m standing face to face with the sexy-as-sin and dangerously powerful Prince of the Underworld. He has a few burning questions for me—like how a mere human unlocked the door to the Underworld’s prison and released its prisoners.

I’d sure as hell like to know, too, because I have no freaking clue.

Now, instead of a forgettable bookstore clerk, I’m newly famous for doing the impossible. The wrong people want to thank me, and the rest want me dead. Spoiler alert: The Dark Prince definitely doesn’t want to thank me.

I’ll do anything to get my life back to normal and he’ll do anything to recapture the escapees. We make a deal: He’ll keep my enemies at bay, and I’ll find a way to return the prisoners.

What could possibly go wrong?

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—

EXCERPT:

“I’ve been pulled into something that I definitely don’t want to be in, dealing with people I hope to never encounter again. I want it to be over. I want to have nothing to do with this situation or you dreadful people.” I lifted my hand, presenting the markings. “If working with you is the only way, then I’m in. If we are working together, no more threats. I don’t care how thinly veiled they are. You will not bully me. Are we clear?”

His expression changed but it was still indecipherable. Understanding? I don’t think that was it. Amusement? Definitely. Portentous? It better not be.

His lips curled slightly into a small, tight, mirthless smile. He looked over his shoulder at Anand who flashed a grin. “I’ve been commanded to behave,” Dominic said to him. The laughter in his voice made its way to his eyes.

“Little Luna.”

“It’s just Luna,” I shot back.

“Luna. You are correct. I want to find the person behind this, especially if it is a Dark Caster. I know their history and the chaos and destruction they enjoy. It needs to be stopped. And to do so, we will have to work together.”

I’d been abducted and attacked by a vampire, sniffed by a lion, interrogated by a witch, and nearly devoured—or whatever his intentions were—by a wolf. I had every right to be overly cautious and I didn’t like the subtle undertones in his response. A limited alliance.

Author Bio:

McKenzie, as a child, discovered that her life could be a whirlwind of adventures by simply opening a book. To this day, reading is still her favorite activity. She has a fondness for fantasy and mystery, which is probably why she writes urban fantasy.

When McKenzie isn't working on her next book she is usually binge-watching paranormal and comedy shows, maintaining her title as "favorite auntie", or trying to create a tasty low-calorie pizza. McKenzie loves to hear from her readers. Feel free to contact her via her website, Facebook, or email.

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BOOK BLITZ: Enchanted Kisses by Chelsea Bobulski #GIVEAWAY

Enchanted Kisses
Chelsea Bobulski
(Tara Gallina)
Publication date: September 2nd 2021
Genres: Magical Realism, New Adult

What’s a girl to do when death is the worst and best thing that can happen to her?

Lily cares for three things above all else: nature, her father, and her best friend, Caiden.

Caiden isn’t the typical hot guy, but his eyes glow—sometimes literally—with a confidence and charm that make Lily’s heart flutter wildly.

When she kisses him for the first time, he disappears into a swirl of gold and silver that leaves her questioning her sanity.

Three months later, Caiden reappears to explain what happened and who he really is, but Lily is too angry to hear it.

She needs time to figure out her feelings, time she doesn’t have because she’s being hunted by death—Death Sentries who know the truth about her lineage and want her for gifts she doesn’t know she possesses. Those gifts in Death’s hands can shift the balance between life and death on Earth and cause mass destruction.

Now, Lily must protect herself against manipulative Sentries sent to capture her, decide if she can trust Caiden, and resist or give into the explosive attraction between them.

But when she learns the truth about Caiden and his original intent toward her, Lily’s head and heart go to war. Before long, she’s left to question if her life is worth protecting or if her father and the world are safer without her in it.

*For mature young adult readers and all ages above.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Caiden yanked a light-blue sundress from a hanger. “I always liked you in this one.” He threw it over his shoulder and then reached for the belt of my robe.

I stepped back, my hands flying up in protest. “What are you doing?”

“Suddenly shy?” His brows lifted. “You think I don’t know what you’ve got on under there? Your Tinkerbell favorites. Which I’ve seen on you. Not to mention, your bikini bares far more skin, and you wear it in public.”

I stepped away from his reaching arms. “Well, everyone dresses like that at the beach. And when I changed in the same room with you in the past, you were always distracted. Watching TV or reading. It’s not like you were interested.” Or had he been, and I was too naïve to notice?

He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Does this work for you?” Before I could respond, he said, “Come now. If I’m to have you back before your father wakes, we need to get moving.”

I couldn’t even comprehend how he could take us to the Realm of Life and have me back home before sunrise. Part of me thought this was a dream and I would wake in the morning to Caiden still being gone.

I glanced at the clock. 10:13 p.m. Here goes nothing. I tossed the robe to the floor, yanked the dress from Caiden’s shoulder, pulled it on, and fluffed my hair while sliding my feet into a pair of sandals.

“Perfect,” Caiden said, surprising me. I glanced at his face.

His eyes were wide and glowing with intense color.

“You looked?” I squealed, his turquoise orbs growing brighter. “And your eyes…”

He smirked. “I always look.”

I folded my arms, about to huff, “You what!” when his entire body shimmered with gold.

“It’s everywhere.” I pointed to his arm and then his face. I considered lifting his blue shirt to see if it covered his stomach, too.

“Does it frighten you?” he asked, in the same nervous tone as earlier.

“Why would I be frightened? I like it.” I couldn’t stop myself from caressing his arm. The texture was smooth but fuzzy, like static energy coated his skin. He twitched and clutched my hands.

“We should go,” he said, his voice suddenly husky.

Author Bio:

Tara Gallina is the author of the NA romance The Forever Series, and the YA retelling Fated to Die. She writes and reads romance in a variety of genres but has a soft spot for retellings.

She believes in fairies, true love, and happily ever after. When she's not writing, she loves to visit gardens, European castles, and Caribbean beaches. She's passionate about interior design, obsessed with throw pillows, is addicted to vinegar, favors the color pink, and only drinks wine that tastes like melted sugar.

She grew up in a small town by the beach but soon after moved to Orlando, Florida with her patient hubs, two older sons, and two fur-babies. With local theme parks like Disney World and Harry Potter, it's no wonder her life is filled with fantasy and make believe.

Daily needs: sunshine, laughter, morning coffee, family.Daily wants: castle, English accent, princess hair, anti-age venom.

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BOOK BLITZ: Just a Phase by M.J. Marstens #GIVEAWAY

Just a Phase
M.J. Marstens
(Not Another Teen Wolf, #1)
Publication date: August 31st 2021
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Bullshit is spelled ‘You’re a werewolf’.

First, my parents tell me I’m going to be “checking into the Red Roof Inn” every month, and now, they tell me I’m a werewolf?!

Add to that I need to pick a mate and enter into some wolfy marriage—NOPE.

Not.

Going.

To.

Happen.

They can’t make me.

Everyone thinks this is just a phase but nineteen is the new two—and I’m going to show them how terrible I can be.

Buckle up, bitches, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

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—

EXCERPT:

“I’ll tell you in exchange for something,” I bargain.

Rue squints at me warily.

“What?”

“I’ll tell you where we’re going and what we’re doing, if you give me a kiss.”

I hear Rue’s heartbeat speed up at these words. She might say she wants the omega as her mate, but her body is finely tuned to mine. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, and I nearly groan at the sight. Her eyes are heavy-lidded, and she’s sending out all the right signals. She just needs to turn off her brain. I see her body war with her mind, and I know the moment her flesh wins. Her lithe frame becomes soft, and she leans in towards me.

“One kiss—that’s all.”

“One kiss,” I promise, leaning over.

“Well, not now!” Rue shrieks. “You’re driving!”

I chuckle at her outrage.

“Okay, when we get there, then.”

Exactly thirty seconds later, I stop the car.

“What are you doing?” she demands.

“We’re here—and I want my kiss.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Backup, buddy! You’re not getting that smooch for free. You tell me where we are right now.”

Rue peers out her window into the night. She hasn’t admitted it, but I know she can’t see anything. I wish she would tell me more about why she’s not like a normal wolf, but trust will come with time. If I want her to confide in me, I need to respect Rue’s boundaries.

“We’re at my grandma’s house,” I finally confess, making her gasp.

“Your grandma’s house?!”

“I told you I was going to feed you homemade tortillas and margaritas. What better place than at my grandma’s where you can meet my family, too.”

“But—but—but—” she splutters, “we could’ve done this back at the mansion!”

“Nah. I only make tortillas and margaritas at my abuela’s. Do you not want to meet them?”

“It’s not that—it’s just this is like tenth date shit, ya know?”

“I’m working with only three and a half days, so I’m speeding things up,” I remind with a wink.

Rue snorts.

“I’d say. Well, don’t think you can just skip all the bases and go to home plate, mister!” she admonishes severely.

“I know that’s a sports analogy, but I don’t get it,” I admit.

Rue’s tinkling laugh dances around us, and I can sense her irritation at my date plan fading away.

“Not a human saying you know, huh? It means that first base is kissing, second base is er, feeling one another up… third base is—shit. You know what? I don’t even know what the bases really are anymore except for first and home. Everyone changes them, but first is always kissing and home plate is when you finally bump uglies. You know—”

“Yes, I know,” I cut in. “Humans make sports analogies for sex?”

“Yep.”

“Strange. If I promise not to shoot it in your hoop before you dribble my balls, can we just try a kiss?”

Rue clutches her stomach as she bends, giggling hysterically.

“That’s not a saying!” she wheezes.

“Well, how am I supposed to know which sports analogies work and don’t work?”

I get out of the car and walk over to her side. Smoothly, I open her door and pull her out to me.

“Now, about that kiss.”

Author Bio:

Bestselling author M.J. Marstens mixes romance, suspense, comedy, and sassy characters who can say whatever they are thinking because it is just a story. When she is not creating steamy scenes or laugh-out-loud fiascos, she is refereeing her three children that she homeschools. In her free time, she loves to eat, sleep, and pray that her children do not turn out like the characters she writes about in her books. To read more about MJ, please visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/M.J.Marstens/.

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BOOK BLITZ: Red by Marteeka Karland #GIVEAWAY

Red
Marteeka Karland
(Salvation’s Bane MC, #9)
Published by: Changeling Press
Publication date: August 27th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

I should send her far away from me. But one kiss and I know she’s mine. I’ll kill to protect her.

Rosanna: Salvation’s Bane’s been good to me — more of a family than I’ve ever had before. And I want that. But I’m not a kid any more, and I know what I want. Red. I need him to see me as more than just another mechanic. No matter how good I am, working beside the man is never going to be enough. I’m going to break him down. Get under his skin, until he realizes I’m a grown ass woman, and I know my mind. And if that bitch of an ex wife of his doesn’t leave us alone, she’s the next thing I’m gonna break.

Red: I’m headed for a special hell. Rosanna knows her way around cars, I’ll give her that, and she looks sexy as hell with a wrench in her hands and a spot of grease on her nose, but she’s just a kid. I know she’s got a past she can’t or won’t talk about, and she may think she’s all grown up, but she’s younger than my son, Anthony. Pretty sure that makes me some kind of a pervert. And now that Anthony’s the assistant DA, he’s got a bee up his ass to take me down. Be damned if I’ll let him take Rosanna with me. I should send her far away from me and this life, but one kiss is all it takes to pull me under. I could no more give her up than I could give up the air that I breathe. I’d kill to protect her. And from the looks of things, I may have to.

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—

EXCERPT:

“Get the lead out, boys,” Red gruffed to the dozen or so men in the garage he owned. “We got less than forty-eight hours to deliver these two cars and I still need to go over them to make sure you fucks didn’t miss anything.”

“Go to hell, Red!”

“Like we ever miss anything, you motherfucker!”

“Fuck you.”

One guy just flipped him the bird without looking up from under the hood of the car he was working on.

“Lazy as you fuckers are, if I let it slide once, you’ll fuck me over the next time and it’s my ass in trouble with Thorn.” Red tried not to grin, but it was hard. He worked with good men and loved every one of them like a son. At least, he loved them like he wanted to love his own son. That ship had sailed, though.

“I can help if you need me.”

The groan came before Red could repress it. “No,” was all he said.

“But –”

“Said no, girl. Now get on with you.”

Her name was Rosanna Creamer, and the image her name presented just… stuck. Because, seriously, he could envision her creaming on his cock for hours and hours. Every day. Forever. She was also so young any thoughts he had about her were probably illegal. If not, they should be. He was forty-eight years old. Rosanna said she was twenty-three, but he had his doubts.

The disappointed look on her face got to him every time. He wanted to call her back and give her a job to do, but if he did, the kid would walk all over him.

“Fine. But I’m ten times better than any of those fuckers,” she muttered.

“No swearing.” He said it automatically, like he might scold a naughty child. The second he did, he winced.

“Fucking fine, motherfucker,” she shot back. There was venom in her voice, but Red didn’t mind. His head whipped around almost of its own accord to watch her stomp away. Because, really, she had an ass to make angels weep. When she hit this level of angry, she always flounced off with that little ass jiggling like his hand might make it jiggle if he’d smacked it. Sure enough… yeah. There she went. And just like that, his cock was at full attention.

“Fuck,” he muttered, rubbing his hand over his mouth.

“And don’t think I don’t know you’re looking at my ass,” she shot back over her shoulder. Then, just to torment him, she flashed him a cocky grin and bent over at the waist to pick up a wrench from the garage floor where some dumb fuck had left it.

He turned away from her. Had to. Otherwise, he’d have her bent over the hood of the GTO she was working on.

Author Bio:

Romance author by night, emergency room tech/clerk by day, Marteeka Karland works really hard to drive everyone in her life completely and totally nuts. She has been creating stories from her warped imagination since she was in the third grade. Her love of writing blossomed throughout her teenage years until it developed into the totally unorthodox and irreverent style her English teachers tried so hard to rid her of. Now, she breathes life into faeries, space hunters, werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, and a few just plane ole ordinary people. She loves to see the awkward, self-conscious band geek get the captain of the football team and make him beg for it.

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BOOK BLITZ: Reckless by Janet Elizabeth Henderson #GIVEAWAY

Reckless
Janet Elizabeth Henderson
(Benson Security, #1)
Publication date: July 24th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

If the mission doesn’t kill him, his sexy partner just might!

Dimitri Raast and Megan Donaldson have a common enemy—the head of an organisation that specialises in human trafficking and sexual slavery. They have similar motivation—Dimitri’s sister was taken by the organisation, and Megan’s sister is threatened by it. They have the same goal—eliminate their enemy and save their sisters. Given they have so much in common, you would think working together would be a piece of cake.

You would be wrong.

While Dimitri brings skills and experience from years as a US army ranger to their partnership, Megan brings a background in failed career choices and an ability to cause trouble wherever she goes. Yet, even with so much at stake, Dimitri can’t resist Megan’s particular brand of crazy. She’s wild, she’s sexy and she’s fearless. An irresistible combination for a man who lives his life completely in control. Now, after almost a year with one all-consuming focus, Dimitri finds himself torn between rescuing his sister and protecting the woman he wants from herself.

Before she gets them both killed.

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—

FREE for a limited time only!

—

EXCERPT:

Rachel’s laughter was still ringing in Megan’s ears hours later as Dimitri navigated their car through central London’s traffic.

“I don’t like being bait.” Even though that was exactly what she was.

“You’re not bait. You’re my partner. We’re in this together. You saving your sister. Me saving mine. Partners.” To his credit, Dimitri even managed to keep a straight face while he said it.

They were stuck in the endless traffic around Piccadilly Circus. “Why is this called a circus anyway? I don’t get it. It isn’t a square, or a roundabout, so I can understand that the town planners wouldn’t want to call it that. But circus, that makes no sense at all.” She turned in her seat to face Dimitri. “Do you think there was an actual circus based here at some point?” She couldn’t see it. The grand Victorian buildings, with their white stone facades and weird little turrets and domes, didn’t look like the sort of place you’d house animals.

“Can we focus on the job?” Dimitri swerved around a double decker bus and into Shaftesbury Avenue, the home of London theatre.

“I came down here to see a play once, when I was in secondary school,” Megan said. “Shakespeare. I can’t remember which one. I was more interested in getting the attention of Hamish McIntosh at the time.” She remembered the kiss they’d managed to sneak in, in the theatre foyer when the teachers weren’t looking. Good times. Now Hamish was a farmer up near Aberdeen and Megan was bait.

She spotted a large banner over a theatre. “Helen Mirren and Libby Collins are doing a play.” With a grin she turned to Dimitri. “When this is all over we need to go. They’re two of my all-time favourite actresses. Helen Mirren especially.”

“Who?”

“Seriously? How can you not know who Helen Mirren is? She’s like acting royalty.” She gaped at him. “You’re one of those guys, aren’t you? I should have realised.”

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, irritated with traffic, and probably with her. “What guys?”

Poor ignorant man, he needed her help. “Guys fall into two categories. Die Hard and Star Wars.”

“You’re making this shit up.”

“The Star Wars guys watch everything sci-fi, think they’re intellectuals and can quote comic books. The Die Hard guys think movies ended with John McClane.”

A sceptical look was all she got for her efforts to educate the guy. “That’s it? Comic-Con geeks and John McClane wannabes?”

She waved a hand. “I’m over simplifying. The point is, you’re a Die Hard guy. Prove me wrong. Name a movie you’ve seen that was made after Die Hard.”

Honestly, she could almost smell rubber burning while he thought about it. At last, he grinned in triumph.

“Die Hard 4,” he said.

Author Bio:

Janet is a Scot who moved to New Zealand fifteen years ago. Among other things, she’s been an artist, a teacher, a security guard at a castle, a magazine editor, and a cleaner in a drop in center for drug addicts (NOT the best job!). She now writes full-time and is working on her 19th book. Her books have won several awards, including the Daphne du Maurier award for excellence in mystery and suspense. When she isn’t living in her head, she raises two kids, one husband, and several random animals. She survives on chocolate and caffeine.

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BOOK BLITZ: Rumpled Rhett by Rachel Rossano

Rumpled Rhett
Rachel Rossano
(Once Upon a Duchy, #3)
Publication date: August 31st 2021
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Romance

Rhett is a Huntsman, skilled, secretive, and mysterious. A wanted man, he spends his life on the move. His sole retreat is the outskirts of an isolated village in the northern reaches of the duchies. Then one fall, he arrives to find his hovel burned to the ground and the village reeve offering a new arrangement.

Catherine knows her father, the village miller, only cares about what she can bring him. The latest scheme of marrying her to the Huntsman is not the miller’s first attempt to sell her. Cat’s dread wanes when she meets the Huntsman. There is something honorable about him, and he treats her with respect, unlike her father or brother. Perhaps she can escape her father’s influence forever.

Despite his suspicions, Rhett agrees to the deal and frees Cat from her father’s tyranny, at least for a time. But can he protect her when enemies from his past catch up to him?

Inspired by Rumpelstiltskin.

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—

EXCERPT:

Rhett

“Ah, the nomad returns!” Duggan raised a half-filled beer mug to take a swig. A rotund man, the reeve’s belly sagged over his belt as he got to his feet.

The few other patrons warily quaffed the last of their drinks and made their way to the door. All of them avoided even glancing my way. I didn’t care. I had business with the man before me, not them.

“My house burned down.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I narrowed my gaze on Duggan’s flushed features.

“It went up in flames one night.” Duggan huffed out a dramatic sigh before draining the last of his beer. “We tried to stop the blaze, but—” He shrugged one of his plump shoulders beneath his fur-lined robe.

“We had an agreement. I protect the village, and in exchange, I get land and its tending while I am away.” I let the facts and my glowering silence sink through his thick skull.

He owed me. The village owed me. My reputation as the Huntsman kept most thieves and bandits from targeting the community. Only the foolish and foolhardy occasionally attempted to harass me, but I swiftly enlightened them.

In return, I had requested only two things. I wished to live at peace for a few months every winter, and I needed someone to guard my shelter when I was gone the rest of the year.

“We tried to save it,” he protested mildly.

“And didn’t bother to rebuild it,” I pointed out. Frost-tipped grass had peeked through the ash heaps. Months had passed since the fire by the looks of things.

“We considered it.” His voice was even and calm, but he continued to avoid looking at me. “But we needed the wood to expand the mill and—”

“The tavern.”

“We had none left to rebuild your house as well. So, we decided to work out a better situation.”

I let my silence speak for me. I had been content with my situation. It suited me well.

True, I hadn’t been particularly fond of the hovel I had been allotted, but it had been enough. I valued its attributes: warmth, isolation on the edge of the village, and comfort enough for my winterly retreat from my reputation.

“Come, let me show you.” He motioned toward the square outside.

“No.” He had planned this for all I knew, and the village’s enforcers awaited me beyond the expensive new tavern windows. “First, you explain.”

Duggan pursed his mouth like a spoiled child who had just been reprimanded by his mother.

“Explain.”

“We all discussed it…asked ourselves what a man needs…decided there were a few ways to improve things…”

I cleared my throat.

“So, we took it upon ourselves to—”

“The point?” My voice lowered and warned of my waning patience.

“We have chosen to give you land, a house, and a wife.” Duggan turned and banged his mug on the bar top. “Another!” he bellowed.

“A wife?” I stared at him in complete confusion. “How did you come to the conclusion that I needed a wife?”

“A house without a wife is empty.”

Exactly how I like it, I thought. But Duggan continued.

“She can cook for you, clean for you, and fill the house with comforts that make it a home. There is nothing like coming home to a warm meal on the table, hot mulled wine in one’s cup, and the pleasures of a woman’s company to keep one content.”

The image in my head was much less appealing—chatter, demands for expensive accouterments, expectations of me being home on time, and…children. My mind caught on the last thought. I did need children to carry on my family name and the traditions of the huntsman. Distant memories of my mother’s stories impressing upon me the importance of my father’s lineage and the bloodline I carried pressed in on me. Shaking free from their hold, I grimaced. That didn’t mean I had to do it now or even ever.

“Don’t discount it until you have tried it, Huntsman. A woman’s touch is what you need.”

“No. I need a secure place to rest.”

Duggan shouted his approval. “A house, a wife, some land, it is about time you settled down.”

“I have no intention of…”

Duggan was already out the tavern door and yelling to someone across the village square. “Master Billier! The Huntsman has returned. Bring your daughter to the meeting house.”

My lip curled of its own accord. Billier was the town miller, and fat, thanks to his position running the only mill for miles around. That didn’t stop the man from being despicable. I avoided him when I could and wrestled my temper and conscience every time I couldn’t. I wanted nothing to do with any scheme in which he was involved. Last year he had claimed that his daughter could spin straw into gold in an effort to sell her off to a traveling nobleman. I wouldn’t entrust any living thing into his care, not even a cat, and I cherished no love for the furry creatures, thanks to their effect on my eyes and nose.

Duggan beckoned from outside. “Come, Huntsman. Billier fetches his daughter to the meeting house. She’s as fair and biddable a lass as any other.”

A woman was far less deserving of Billier’s care than a cat. I decided to allow the farce to continue a bit longer, the better to understand their intentions. Surreptitiously checking my access to my weapons, I followed the reeve in the direction of the dark meeting hall.

As Duggan rushed about lighting a fire in the hearth and a few of the lanterns against the walls, I staked out the corner farthest from the door. The reeve had only lit the corner nearest the door before it opened to admit the greasy-haired miller and his daughter.

She was small. Petite and barely a handful of feet high, she could fit beneath one of my arms, and I could carry her off without much effort. Not that I would. However, there was a dignity, a solidness to her tiny frame that made her father keep his distance despite his evident eagerness to sell her assets.

“She cooks, cleans, and keeps house well enough for a girl. Has a fair enough figure, so I am told. Come on, girl, show off your wares.” Billier shoved his daughter forward so that she stumbled.

Only a brief glare in her father’s direction betrayed her anger. Still, she obeyed. Back straight and shoulders tight, she walked with confidence despite a slight limp. Perhaps she had an injured hip, knee…no. I watched for a few more steps. Something was wrong with her foot, and walking on it pained her, causing a slight hitch in her breathing. Her betrayal of the weakness was so minute that I had almost missed it.

My attention swung to her father. Had he injured her? It would fit his malicious personality. What he could not bully, he humiliated. One look at his daughter’s tightly wound body, and it was easy to imagine him pressuring her to do something solely for his benefit. But what was he getting out of her marrying me?

“Leave,” I demanded.

“What? If she doesn’t please you—” Billier sputtered.

“You two.” I jerked my chin at the two men. “Leave.”

“Come.” Duggan caught Billier’s arm. “Best let him talk to her.”

Billier’s glare at his daughter intensified as the reeve guided him toward the door outside. “You mess this up, girl, and—” Whatever he intended went unsaid as Duggan closed the door behind the two of them with a sharp tug.

The girl relaxed infinitesimally. However, she also eyed me warily and oriented herself to duck behind a table should I become more clearly dangerous.

“What is your name?” I asked. I hadn’t seen her about the village before, but then I rarely spent any time in the village.

“Catherine, but everyone calls me Cat.”

I laughed. It came out as a rusty sound, as though I didn’t do it often, which I didn’t.

Her eyes narrowed. “My name isn’t funny.”

“No, but the irony is.” Then I realized by her blank expression that I would need to explain. “Cats make me sick, the four-legged variety that is.”

She didn’t smile. Instead, she simply nodded. “Then it is good I am not that kind of cat.”

“It is.”

Silence descended between us. Faintly through the door behind her, we could hear her father raging. My concern for Cat’s safety grew. I didn’t think Billier was capable of murder, but one never could tell by looking at a person. Also, accidental murders happened, like beating someone to death in a fit of rage.

Author Bio:

Rachel Rossano specializes in clean romantic fiction set in historical-feeling fantasy worlds. She also dabbles in straightforward historical romance and not-so-strict speculative fiction. A happily married mother of three children, she divides her time between mothering, teaching, and writing. She endeavors to enchant, thrill, entertain, and amuse through her work. A constant student, she seeks to improve her skills and loves to hear from readers.

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B@@K REVEAL: The Setup and The Substitute by Jiffy Kate

Release Date: September 16

He’s a single dad trying to make it in the Major Leagues and she’s a substitute teacher looking for her next adventure. 
Owen Thatcher has been ghosted by his ex, leaving him to pick up the pieces of their family in the midst of being traded to a new team. After striking out with nanny after nanny, he’s desperate to create a stable life for his two kids. 
Sophie Callahan comes from an affluent family but this free spirit is nothing like the stereotypical trust fund baby. While she waits on the perfect job to open up, she’s making it work as a substitute teacher.
But a ruggedly handsome baseball player makes her an offer she can’t refuse. 
And it’s a whole new ball game when these attractive, available adults are under one roof. Add to your Goodreads TBR List!  



Meet the Jiffy Kate

Jiffy Kate is the joint pen name for Jiff Simpson and Jenny Kate Altman.

 

Together, they spend their evenings and weekends spinning tales and hoping one day they hit a best-sellers list.

 

You can connect with them and follow along with their shenanigans on social media.

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BLEEDING SOULS SAVED BY LOVE! Saving Her Soul by Reagan Phillips NOW LIVE!

 Saving Her Soul by Reagan Phillips The King of the Wicked Warriors MC: North Carolina Chapter has a problem. Someone is screwing his daughters, and he wants their heads.
Suspecting the culprit is a member of his own club, he hires out, offering a monetary reward for any man who can bring him the trader's identity.
Griffen Thomas has lived the nomad life since his PTSD from Iraq caused friction in his home chapter of the Warriors in Vagas. He's been on the road, traveling town to town, paying his way with odd jobs, until word of the King's reward finds him.
How hard can it be? Trail the girls at night. Find who they're meeting. Collect the reward. Only the King's daughters are good at not getting caught. All except the youngest. She's sweet and friendly and has curves in all the places curves should be. Imagining anyone taking her virginity but himself becomes Griff's obsession.
One by one, he takes down the girl's suitors, leaving the sweet Caroline to the last. One night with her would be worth a priceless amount, but will the hunter become the hunted? Or will Griff have the strength to turn Carolina in, knowing the punishment the rest of the sisters have faced?
Bleeding Souls Saved by Love! A Fable Retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses
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