R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 81
July 22, 2021
B@@K REVEAL: On Christmas Tree Cove by Sarah Vance-Tompkins #PreORDER
On Christmas Tree Cove
Sarah Vance-Tompkins
Published by: Tule Publishing
Publication date: October 27th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
This Christmas calls for a special touch of magic…
December was always a special time for seaplane pilot Morgan Adair, but after losing her parents six years ago, the holiday is a quiet affair. When her siblings announce plans to sell the family home, Morgan longs to experience her favorite, now-forgotten tradition one more time: a lighted tree that, for over a hundred years, has appeared floating on a boat in the harbor every Christmas Eve.
The Taylors were always rivals to the Adairs in the once-thriving fishing village of Christmas Tree Cove, but Jesse Taylor was much more. He wanted to be understanding when Morgan set aside their plans to escape to Chicago in order to hold her family together, but his future as a successful freelance photographer soared on without her.
As Morgan dives deeper into the history of the mysterious holiday appearance, she discovers that true love has always been at the heart of the annual tradition. Can the wonder of Christmas and a few surprises along the way rekindle that love for Morgan and Jesse too?
Author Bio:
Sarah Vance-Tompkins was born in a small town in northern Michigan. She spent every summer exploring the sugar sand beaches near Sleeping Bear National Park. She left her heart behind when she moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California. She received an MFA in Film Production and went on to work in feature film development in Hollywood. She has worked as a reporter for a weekly entertainment trade publication, written press releases, the directions for use on personal lubricant bottles, and breathless descriptions of engagement rings for an online jewelry store. She lives in a small town north of Los Angeles with her husband and two unruly cats.
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BOOK BLITZ: A Dangerous Man by Raven Stone #GIVEAWAY
A Dangerous Man
Raven Stone
(Kingdom of Blood and Forest, #2)
Publication date: July 20th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
I was supposed to kill him.
But that night, he sent me to a different kind of heaven. The screaming, shaking, full of pleasure kind. Twice.
Now he’s all I can think about. When I finally find him again, I’m determined to get under him, and get over him.
But John Degarr isn’t like my other men, with his large, sexy body and his warm grey eyes. He’s also an incredibly efficient killer. The person scary people turn to when they’re scared.
And he’s a vampire.
This man is dangerous, but not for the reasons he scares everyone else.
When he touches me, when he holds me, I want things I’ve never wanted before. I say and do stupid, clingy things.
I want more of him.
But he wants the one thing I give no one.
Because that one thing can destroy me.
A Dangerous Man is a paranormal romance with MF love, a bit of MM love, and chocolate mousse references. This book includes a woman who isn’t shy about her needs, a bisexual vampire who won’t ever have to choose, and the werewolf son he adores. This is the second book in the Kingdom of Blood and Forest series, but it can be read as a standalone.
—
EXCERPT:
So I’d never killed anyone, and it hadn’t been part of the deal. The mark had chosen me. I was stuck. Time to make lemonade out of lemons, and get the fuck out of here.
I led him up to the hotel room, and took a deep breath.
I can do this.
I glanced over my shoulder.
“This is my room,” I said breathlessly. “Well, mine and Lara’s, but she won’t be back for a while.” I added a little giggle at the end.
That was good, right?
I made the mistake of looking at him, and the smile slipped right off my face.
God, the way he was looking at me.
His dark grey eyes were completely focused on me, as if the hallway, the world around us, didn’t exist. He stared at me like I was some sort of combination of chocolate and wine, and he’d been denied both for a long damn time. That gaze spoke of things; of taking his time, of consuming me slowly, of making me feel him everywhere, from my head to my toes.
A frisson rippled over me.
His thumb rubbed my hand. “Open the door.”
For a second I forgot to breathe, and then my other hand was on the doorknob, turning it and letting us inside. He followed me in, closing the door behind him with his foot.
He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me to him. Then he wrapped his fingers around my chin, and lifted my face to his.
Oh, shit.
Then he was kissing me. Kissing me like he would consume me from the inside out. Heat poured through me, pooled in my belly, and then burned lower. He brushed my nipple with his thumb, and I gasped as heat struck my core.
Fuck.
They hadn’t said anything about him knowing how to kiss. About me wanting him. But they wouldn’t, would they? He was supposed to go for the blonde.
I growled.
Fuck the blonde. This mark was mine.
He laughed softly. “Have I got your attention now?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
His hand trailed down my side. “I got the feeling there was something going on between you and your friend. A bet, perhaps? See who’s first to get a vampire up to the room?”
I blinked.
Close the fuck enough.
I let a shy smile come over my face. “You got us. It was a bet.”
“And you weren’t expecting to win?”
I shook my head.
“Why?” His hand cupped my face, sending sparks down me. “You’re beautiful, and so much more interesting than she is.”
He thought I was interesting?
“Because –” I bit my lip, stopping myself from telling him that he was supposed to like blondes.
God, what was wrong with me? I never slipped like this. It must have been the alcohol, or the heat.
“– because we both know I’m not.” I took a step back, slipping away from his touch. “Don’t we, John?”
Too late, I realized my tone had changed with that last part. He gave me a sharp glance, telling me he’d caught my fuckup. He’d seen that hint of my true self. But it wasn’t my fault. We’d gone off-script, and in those situations I always tended to sound more like me.
“Drop the act.” He pierced me with his gaze. “I don’t want to see the girl you pretend to be around your friend.”
“Then who do you want to see?” I asked. My voice was breathy; so much closer to the person I was pretending to be that it was a relief.
It sounded like I wanted him. Which was the goal, right? To get him in bed and stake him?
Except I was turned on by him. The arousal spreading through me felt like a low-grade fever. It was fucking with my head.
“You,” he replied. He reached out and skated his fingers down my neck, making me shiver. “The girl who just growled at me.”
Fuck.
Author Bio:
Raven Stone is a paranormal romance author. She writes about bisexual, poly vampires and the men and women who love them. She enjoys M/M romances, poly romance, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and dark chocolate.
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July 21, 2021
B@@K REVEAL: Glitter & Greed by Melanie Munton #GIVEAWAY
Glitter & Greed
Melanie Munton
(Brooklyn Brothers, #4)
Publication date: August 24th 2021
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
We are the Rossetti’s.The exiled “sixth family” of the New York mafia. We’re the good guys.People don’t fear us…much. They respect us.The five of us? We’re the Brooklyn Brothers.And we protect what’s ours.Don’t ask me what made this girl different, what made her stand out. I’m not proud of it, but it wasn’t exactly my first ever lap dance. The last thing I expect is for the same woman I’ve been obsessing over for two months to waltz right into my gym.
Catalina “Cat” Vasquez is the most alluring, sensual woman I’ve ever met. She has secrets, and I want all of them. It’s the only way I can protect her. Because it seems I’m not the only one who’s been looking for her.
Just my luck that I would fall for a woman who has connections with the Mexican cartel. Who would have thought her stalker would be the same man who’s about to wage an all-out war on my turf?
I’m a fighter by nature.I fight for what’s mine.And I’m not about to lose to someone who wants to steal Cat away from me.If he thinks his guns will save him from my fists, he came to the wrong city.
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Author Bio:
Melanie grew up in the Midwest, but she loves living in the Southeast (where the beaches are!) now with her husband and daughter.Melanie's other passion is traveling and seeing the world. With anthropology degrees under their belts, she and her husband have made it their goal in life to see as many archaeological sites around the world as possible.She has a horrible food addiction to pasta and candy (not together...ew). And she gets sad when her wine rack is empty.At the end of the day, she is a true romantic at heart. She loves writing the cheesy and corny of romantic comedies, and the sassy and sexy of suspense. She aims to make her readers swoon, laugh out loud, maybe sweat a little, and above all, fall in love.Go visit Melanie's website and sign up for her newsletter to stay updated on release dates, teasers, and other details for all of her projects!Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub
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BOOK BLITZ: Can't Tie Me Down! by Janet Elizabeth Henderson #GIVEAWAY
Can’t Tie Me Down!
Janet Elizabeth Henderson
(Sinclair Sisters, #1)
Publication date: April 22nd 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
There aren’t many jobs available in the tiny village of Arness, Scotland, which is why Mairi Sinclair works online—as a virtual girlfriend. For a weekly fee, she emails, messages and sends photos to desk-bound geeks around the world. Nothing dodgy, mind you, she keeps her clothes on! Mairi loves her job, because the last thing she wants is to be tied down to one man forever. Life is so much simpler when you can keep men at a distance.
And that’s why she’s upset when her virtual boyfriends start turning up in town. Someone has hacked her online presence and given out her real life address. To make matters worse, they’ve told the world that she’s looking for a husband and the first virtual boyfriend to romance her properly will win the role in real life. Mairi needs help to fend off the hordes. She needs help to hide and find out who sold out her details. Fortunately, local mechanic and one time boyfriend, Keir McKenzie, is more than willing to help her—for a price. He too wants a chance to win Mairi’s heart and tie her down forever.
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Only 99¢ for a limited time!
—
EXCERPT:
Because at eight thirty on a Saturday morning, she opened her front door to find Captain Kirk smiling at her—a five-foot-four Pakistani Captain Kirk.
“You are surprised.” He beamed. “This is good.”
Mairi blinked several times, but no, he was still there. “Amir?”
“Who else would it be on this fine Scottish morning?” He tugged at the hem of his gold captain’s uniform.
“Amir? In Scotland? At my house?”
He opened his mouth to say something else, but Mairi needed a minute. She held up her hand. “Just a sec.” And shut the door.
“Who was that?” One of Mairi’s three older sisters, Agnes, was dressed for a shift working reception at a hotel in Campbeltown. She wore a navy pantsuit, black heels and a crisp white shirt. Her golden blonde hair was in a neat French knot, and her makeup was minimal. She looked every inch the hotel manager she aspired to be, and no doubt would be, once she’d passed her final exams. “Mairi, pay attention. Who’s at the door?”
“Amir.” Mairi wondered if more coffee would help her brain cope with finding one of her online boyfriends on her doorstep.
“Amir who?” Agnes headed for the kitchen alcove in their living area.
“He’s an online boyfriend.”
Agnes stopped dead and turned slowly toward her. “One of your geeks is here? In person?”
Mairi nodded.
“How does he know your address? I thought the agency you work with said those details would never get out. I thought all those guys were supposed to stay firmly online.”
“Yeah.” There was nothing else to say.
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: The Moon Shadow by K. Rea #GIVEAWAY
The Moon Shadow
K. Rea
(The Wolfrik Trilogy, #1)
Publication date: February 3rd 2021
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy
AN EXILED WOLF.A VAMPIRE PRINCE.A LOVE THAT WILL BRING A COURT TO ITS KNEES.——————————————-When Evelyn Wolfrik, an exiled wolf-shifter, walked into a Court of Shadows nightclub she had one plan — find the vampire that executed her parents, put a dagger in his heart, and get out.
Being caught by Aiden Kensley, the dark vampire prince, before she could exact justice wasn’t part of the plan. Now that the little wolf is in his hands, Aiden refuses to let her go….
With a wolf rebellion rising, if Evelyn makes one wrong move the Court of Shadows, her people, and her heart could be lost forever.
—
EXCERPT:
One second [Aiden and Jude] were huddled in the semidarkness; the next, a ring of fire surrounded them. Then their swords were aflame
Musicians beat out a rhythm on the drums. Jude and Aiden touched blades briefly, then, as the music shifted, so did they. They turned into two men fighting tooth and nail against each other, with each other, for each other. One went high, the other low; their sparring a dance. They went round and round. The flames circled higher and closer than I expected. Still, they dueled. I saw as Jude stumbled. Jolie gasped, and one of Jude’s swords went flying. The crowd cheered as his other sword was also knocked away with a flick of Aiden’s wrist.
Jude stepped away from Aiden. Aiden stepped back in turn, allowing Jude to back away unscathed. Jude melted into the darkness, yet Aiden’s swords kept moving, never stopping. The fire appeared to engulf him but didn’t stop. His swords spun and danced around him, giving him the illusion of wings made of flame until suddenly they were gone. The entire circle pitched into complete darkness and silence as the drums ended. The crowd cheered, I alongside them as my eyes adjusted to change in light.
The black figure that was Aiden strode toward me. With the swords in his hands, sure-footed, unmarked, and smelling of hot metal, he wrapped his arms around me carefully and kissed me soundly. The clapping and delight from the fae around us rose into a happy ruckus. He slipped into his shirt, then maneuvered us through the fae to the other side of the clearing, away from the bonfire and into the shadows…
Author Bio:
K. Rea is a part-time romance writer and full-time mom. When she isn't writing or playing with her daughter, she's reading and crafting. She lives with her husband and family in Florida.
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July 20, 2021
#RachelReviews: The Bassist and the Best Friend by M.B. Feeney
Released: June 2021; 260 pages
BLURB:
Christian Young often needs to escape.
He escapes into his friendships with his band, Rare Breed, he escapes into his own mind, and after he meets Leah Prince, he escapes into her.
Leah is living the student lifestyle and is enjoying every minute. Teaching a dorky bassist how to make coffee art shouldn’t lead to more but it does. He understands she’s not looking for anything serious, but does it stop him wanting more?
note: Book can be read as a standalone but refers to characters and events from the first book.
MY THOUGHTS
In book two of the Rare Breed series, we return to Feeney’s New Adult Rockstar Romance world. While the timeline in Bassist mirrors Busker (book one), the change in point of view allows the reader to get the know these lovely characters even better as Feeney reveals new facets of their lives and personalities through Christian Young’s eyes. And, yes, she manages to do this without the second book feeling repetitive… not an easy feat.
Chris is the bassist for Rare Breed, a fledgling band trying to navigate school, launching a career, and for most of the guys, unstable home lives. If not for the tight-knit relationships, akin to brotherhood, of his friends, Chris might give up on it all.
Just like the first installment, I found myself sucked in and rooting for these kids. A tear or two may have also been shed because Feeney isn’t afraid to put her toe in the darker waters of reality. Life doesn’t come on a shiny platter. There is heartache and heart break. Of course, those moments make the good times all the sweeter.
Don’t take my word for it, though. Grab a copy for yourself and disappear into a world of musician’s sore fingers, lyrics, miscommunications and revelations, and adorable coffee art.
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The Busker and the Barista (book one)
B@@K REVEAL: The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick #PreORDER
The North Wind
Alexandria Warwick
(The Four Winds, #1)
Publication date: January 13th 2022
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance
Lush. Dark. Romantic. Introducing a newly reimagined tale written in the vein of Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone.
Long before civilization, there were the gods. And before the gods, there was the earth, the celestial bodies, and air given flesh. They are the Anemoi—the Four Winds—and they have been banished to the four corners of the world.
Wren of Edgewood is no stranger to suffering. Her parents are gone. Survival is all she knows. For three hundred years, the land known as the Gray has been encased in ice, surrounded by a great barrier called the Shade, which protects the townsfolk from the Deadlands beyond.
But day by day, the Shade weakens.
Only one thing can stop the Shade’s fall: a mortal woman taken captive across the barrier, bound in wedlock to the dark god who reigns over the Deadlands. He is the North Wind, the Frost King, an immortal whose heart is said to be as frigid as the land he rules.
And the time has come for the Frost King to choose his bride.
The North Wind is a standalone, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, the first in a series sprinkled with Greek lore. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Laura Thalassa, and Scarlett St. Clair.
Author Bio:
Alexandria Warwick is the #1 fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is the author of The Demon Race and the North series.
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BOOK BLITZ: Outlaw by R.L. Caulder #GIVEAWAY
Outlaw
R.L. Caulder
(The Pack Prophecy, #2)
Publication date: July 16th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Behind every woman scorned is probably a person who made her that way. For me, it was more than one.
It was an entire pack.
I was exiled for exposing a murderous traitor. I was rejected by my mate, our bond shattered forever.
Even after being chosen by our goddess, my powers and title will never be enough for them to stand by me.
Now plagued by frequent and debilitating visions of battle and death, my mates and I must fight to assemble an army with no one but our goddess at our back.
Because war is coming, and not everyone will survive.
But I was chosen for a reason. I will lead an army if I must. I will stand in the gap and protect my people and their future, no matter what they’ve done. I will fulfill my prophecy.
Even if it means my death.***Author Note:. This book has a 18+ warning and is intended for mature audiences. It is book two in The Pack Prophecy series which will end in a cliffhanger.
—
EXCERPT:
She hadn’t been raised with a pack and I didn’t have a grasp on how the human world operated as a society or what standards were imposed, but they couldn’t have been good if this young girl was already viewing her body in a negative light. I imbued my statement with conviction, needing her to understand she was perfect just the way she is, “You are beautiful, Morgan. Unique. Brave. Radiant.”
Quick to deny any form of a compliment, she laughed once, dry of any amusement as she shook her head lightly in my hand, “I have no curves. I’m flat as a board and no guy even looks my way. I’ll never find a mate.”
Dropping my hand from her chin, I glanced at Tian and saw his eyes were closed and his breathing steady, hopefully truly asleep. Dropping onto the ground with my legs crossed in front of me, I gestured for Morgan to do the same. Thankfully she did, complying without any backtalk.
Reclining back with my hands on the ground, I looked up and took in the fir trees surrounding us. “Tell me what you see when you look at the trees.”
“Uhm…” She trailed off in confusion.
“Don’t overthink it. Just tell me the first thought that comes to mind.”
“Well, they all just look like pretty fir trees. I don’t know what else to say.”
A soft smile tilted the corner of my lips up as I glanced back down at her. “You don’t see that some are taller or shorter than others? That some are thicker with more branches and some are just beginning to come into their true form, many years later after the seed turned into a tree?”
She groaned and facepalmed, “Are you really comparing me to a tree right now?”
Her exasperation made me chuckle before I answered. “It’s a valid comparison. We are not all built the same, although we all have human forms, they vary in shapes and sizes, just like these trees do. But when you looked at these trees, you didn’t see all of those dissimilarities. You saw them for what they were–pretty trees. We are our own worst critics.”
Her face morphed from slight annoyance to a thoughtful one, and I took it as a good sign as I continued on. “Some people may prefer one tree shape or size to another, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I promise you that when you find your mate, you’re going to be the exact tree he prefers.”
You really committed to that tree metaphor.
Well, it’s all I could come up with on the spot, okay? Don’t judge me.
Lux’s snarky comments made me huff out a breath of air. I hadn’t had much of an opportunity in life to learn how to have girl friends. Sofia and I hadn’t had the opportunity to truly explore the budding friendship, so I knew I was somewhat helpless when it came to understanding other women.
Morgan felt like a little sister to me already. Both of our parents were dead and she only had one person in her life– Pop. I had only truly had Milo as a friend growing up. No parental figure after Maya passed. I have struggled with so many things throughout my life, but self doubt was the biggest, and I didn’t want that for Morgan.
I’m sure Pop did the best he could with raising her, but he would never truly understand a woman’s mind and the struggles we go through when trying to fit into whatever society deems to be perfect.
For me it had been hating myself for being a human in a pack full of wolves, feeling like I would always be less. To her, there were obviously some ridiculous notions of what a woman has to look like in this human society.
Her gaze once more was glued to the ground as she inquired, “Why is it so hard being a girl? I feel so many emotions and I don’t always know how to handle them. I have no one to talk to about it. It’s just Pop and I.”
Scrunching my nose up, I responded, “It is hard. But I think it is easier when you have strong women around you to remind you of your worth. Like earlier when you told me you believed in me– that meant more to me than I can describe. So, I’ll always be here to remind you how incredible you are, little wolf. You have me now.”
She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth but not before I saw it quiver a bit. A few tears rolled down her cheek and my heart hurt, seeing her struggling with whatever emotions were rolling through her mind. Sitting up, I tugged on her arm until she was sitting in my lap as I cradled her to me. Her arms went around my neck as she cried, “I miss my mom. She would have loved you.”
The burning sensation that told me my own tears weren’t far behind pricked at my eyes. “I miss my mom too,” I whispered.
Author Bio:
R.L. Caulder is the author of The Pack Prophecy and Darkness Rising series. She lives in her writing cave away from the intense heat of the Florida sun with her husband and pets keeping her company.
If you're looking for ways to interact with R.L., you can find her on facebook in her group:The Cauldron: R.L. Caulder Reader GroupWebsite / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Bookbub / Instagram / Newsletter
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July 19, 2021
BOOK BLITZ: Played by Cara Dee #GIVEAWAY
Played
Cara Dee
(Auctioned, #4)
Publication date: July 15th 2021
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
The Auctioned Series is a journey packed with action, nail-biting suspense, family, and love. In Gray and Darius’s fight for freedom and a future where they aren’t haunted by the ghosts of their pasts, they’ll make you laugh, cry, possibly yell at your e-reader, and swoon just a little bit.
One last mission. One last operation—and the stakes had never been higher. Truth be told, Darius was exhausted. He didn’t want his past mingling with the life he was building with Gray and the kids, but he had no choice.
They were facing their biggest threat yet, and in order to even stand a chance, Darius had to revert to the man he’d once been. He had to set aside fatherhood and love and be the grunt, the private contractor, the soldier who went deep behind enemy lines.
It was time to rally the troops. With Gray by his side, Darius cashed in the last of his favors and put together a crew that would hopefully help them bring an end to this chaotic year. The desert waited for them. Again. So did Las Vegas.
The problem with Vegas…?
Just when you thought you knew how to play the game, it played you.
This story takes place in Cara Dee’s Camassia Cove Universe, a fictional town where all books/series’ stand on their own, unless otherwise stated. The Auctioned Series should be read in the following order: Auctioned, Stranded, Deserted, Played, and Finished.
—
EXCERPT:
“Pizza delivery!” Ryan’s booming voice echoed and sent a pack of birds fleeing the trees. “I have two brothers here too, bitching about how I drive!”
The cavalry had arrived.
Darius descended the steps and lit up a smoke. Sorry, knucklehead, the two-smoke limit wasn’t in effect tonight.
First to appear out of the shadows was his brother, the person Darius preferred to work with the most. A skilled marksman and sniper, bold, two steady hands, a happy-go-lucky grunt who knew how to go oorah.
“Brother.” Ryan handed over a stack of pizza boxes and eyed the cabin. “You’ve come a long way since last time. Good shit.”
“Maybe next time you bring the family,” Darius replied. Because they had to fucking stop meeting up only for work they’d supposedly quit doing.
“Amen.”
After leaving the pizza on the porch, Darius went to greet the next two men. River and Reese Tenley. They’d met in the field maybe ten years ago. A set of batshit-crazy twin brothers who’d taken more risks than Darius had. Mainly because River’s job had usually involved handling sensitive information, and as soon as that was the case, you had a red laser dot on your forehead. His brother, Reese, had been in charge of security. He was loud and outgoing where River was quiet and observant.
“For the record, Riv was bitching, not me,” Reese stated. “Ryan was always good at operating heavy machinery.”
“I love you too, sunshine,” Ryan hollered from the porch.
Darius shook his head in amusement.
“Good to see you again, guys.” He shook their hands firmly.
“Not too good,” River noted with a wry smirk.
Darius chuckled.
“Fuck it. I’m stoked.” Reese looked it too. “Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t retire a minute too soon, but it’s still a rush, innit?”
No one could deny that.
“I am too fucking old for these rushes, boys.” The voice emerged from the darkness and revealed Alicia Dawson, a petite ballbuster with an impressive résumé. Everyone coming here tonight was in their early to mid-forties, but Alicia had the most experience, though not that many years in the field.
Once a wunderkind who’d started college at fifteen, she’d been recruited into the private sector from MIT when she was just two shits high. Granted, she was still only two shits high. She’d worked all over the place, it seemed. For one, she was former CIA. As a biochemist specializing in chemical warfare, she’d always been able to pick freely among employers. So it was no wonder she’d returned to the private sector eventually. That was where the money was.
“Ally.” Darius smirked and offered to grab her luggage.
She huffed and handed it over, then promptly lit up a smoke. Fuckin’ menthols. “I guess these heels weren’t made for walking in grass. Christ—ever the heathen, Quinn.”
She didn’t like the woods. She preferred penthouses, deathtrap heels, and lipstick the color of blood.
“How the fuck are ya, darlin’?” Reese asked.
“I’m rich, bored, and I’ve been trying to pin something on Lange for years. I guess that works in your favor,” she replied coolly.
Darius smiled. “By the way, we have a funder.”
Alicia smirked and raised her hand.
Ryan had never met Alicia before—they only knew each other through the grapevine—so while Reese handled introductions between the two, Darius shifted his focus to the next car that pulled up.
“We can talk and eat at the same time. I’m starving,” Ally announced.
Darius spotted two guys, so that had to be Elliott and Tariq. They were close, and both lived in the LA area. Elliott Jones shared a similar background to Darius. Semiretired, twenty years in high-risk security and extractions, and these days, he ran a bodyguard business.
Tariq Amin was a short guy nicknamed The Fly. Because he was the proverbial fly on the wall who got access to information nobody wanted to share. He’d started out as a photographer in combat zones who’d seen the demand for interpreters early on. He was fluent in nine languages, and Darius had worked with him more than a few times, especially in the Middle East.
“I see retirement’s working out great for you, Quinn.” Elliott slapped his hand into Darius’s and shook it.
“I got five years of peace.”
Elliott grinned. “That’s more than most, I guess.”
Darius chuckled and shook hands with Tariq too. “Good to see you both. There’s pizza and beer on the porch. Dig in.” He saw their last arrival parking now too.
Dante Williams. Another fucker with an impressive résumé. Born in Jamaica but came to the US before he’d started first grade. He was ex-Army, ex-NYPD, ex-PMC, and now worked as a consultant in risk assessment, all while running a martial arts center in Queens.
“Of course you have to live in the middle of fuckin’ nowhere, Darius,” he said with a laugh.
“Of course I do.” Darius smacked Dante’s shoulder and offered to grab one of his bags. “You’ve been promised food and a briefing, so let’s get to it. How’s your ma? Do you tell her I miss her cooking?”
“She asks about you sometimes.” Dante slid him a crooked smirk. “She worries for your restless soul.”
Darius barked out a laugh. “Oh—I guess that’s one thing you can appease her with. I’m settled down and have two kids now.”
Dante did a double take. “What the fuck? I wasn’t too shocked to hear you’d hooked up with a guy, but kids? You fuckin’ with me? How many times have I heard you swear you’d never have any?”
Darius chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. Safe to say, he had a fair bit of shit coming his way for all the years he’d been vocal about never settling down.
The two joined the rest on the porch, where the table was already filled with open pizza boxes. Despite having brought two extra chairs to the short end of the table, Darius had known it wouldn’t be enough. But he had no issues using the railing. Ryan was already seated there with pizza and beer for them.
Darius grabbed a slice and got comfortable too. “Y’all need foreplay first, or can I dig right in?”
“If that’s what you tell Gray, I feel for the kid,” Ryan said with his mouth full of pizza.
All right, so the first laugh at Darius’s expense was out of the way.“Don’t be gentle with us, hon,” Alicia said. “Just cut to the chase. I’ve been waiting far too long to end that motherfucker.”That was a good place to begin.
Author Bio:
I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex.
There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly.
Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.
I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.
Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.
I'm a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write.
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July 17, 2021
BOOK BLITZ: Backup Offer by Liz Crowe #GIVEAWAY
Backup Offer
Liz Crowe
(Stewart Realty, #9)
Publication date: July 13th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
An ex-boyfriend, his massive dog, her house, and no hotel room in sight. What could go wrong?
After Blair ended things with Brandis, she was determined to get away–and stay away from him for good. She put family, friends, and the life she knew in Michigan in her rear view mirror and started over. As owner and head chef of her own place in Louisville, she stays plenty busy, especially since “Blair’s Kitchen” is the darling of the restaurant scene. She’s managed to avoid Michigan for almost a decade, but when her best friend needs her help, she drops everything and heads home.
Brandis has spent the last ten years coming to terms with addiction, personal tragedy, and the loss of the woman he loved. He’s now the third generation to run his family’s construction business, and he’s managed to reconstruct tattered relationships with his family. He’s even adopted a dog, thanks to some donated renovation time spent at an animal shelter. He’s got everything he needs—except a for one thing.
When the contractor she paid to build her restaurant’s expansion vanishes, leaving her with a giant mess, Blair only hesitates a moment before calling Brandis for help. But when he rushes to her side to evaluate the crisis, there isn’t an available room in a twenty mile radius. So they settle in to a routine—her, her one-time boyfriend, and his giant, slobbering dog in her small house. It doesn’t take long for the temptation of close proximity to give way, and while Blair tries to keep it all physical, Brandis has other ideas.
The end of the Stewart Realty saga brings the second generation full-circle in ways many never expected, but no one regrets.
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EXCERPT:
“He’s doing really well, Blair.”
She froze, her jaw locked, her heart pounding in her ears. “Don’t,” she squeaked out.
“Seriously, I think you guys should…”
“Don’t you dare, Gabriel Freitag.” She kept her voice level. “Don’t you even think about daring. I couldn’t bear to keep watching him fail, or for you to have to watch me watching him.” Her voice cracked. She didn’t believe she was having this conversation after all these years. Fury blinded her.
“Listen, hear me out. He’s really great now. His company is gangbusters. He’s added this whole handyman thing, he calls it the Honey Do Crew. And he’s mentoring at-risk kids out of juvi, hiring them for scut work and making sure they get supervision so they can learn a trade. He… he got a dog, Blair.”
She was shocked that there was anything left to of it to break, but the look in her brother’s eyes shattered what remained of her heart. Brandis Gordon. The great mistake of her young life. The thing that had come between her and her family, and her friends. He’d been a golden boy, rising star football player, stellar student, handsome son of attractive, successful parents who were her own parents’ best friends. They’d celebrated every single holiday together, traveled and vacationed as a giant, rowdy group, partied as a unit for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, the works.
Until she and Brandis had gone and fallen for each other the way only teenagers did—fully, and with the sort of gusto and conviction which had, for a time, been the one thing she’d lived for. When he’d come apart on so many levels and in so many ways, it had blasted holes in relationships between the close-knit families. She shuddered and held up both hands as if in surrender.
“I left him, and my family, behind on purpose. Because I had to do it. Brandis and I will never be anything but a memory. Period. I have to get some sleep.” She whirled on her heel and marched into the bathroom. Once inside, she slammed the door, leaned against it, and slid to the floor, grabbing a hand towel on her way down to muffle the stupid, inevitable sobs.
Author Bio:
Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in Central Illinois. She's spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a social media consultant and humane society development director, in addition to being an award-winning author.
With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, at times frustrate, and always linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.
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