R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 9
November 16, 2022
BOOK BLITZ: Valkyrie by Kitty Thomas
Valkyrie
Kitty Thomas
Publication date: October 24th 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
ODIN:On the day I met the witch, she prophesied my death.She said it was fate and couldn’t be changed.
I’ve gathered my warriors. I’ve laid my traps. I’ve moved my pieces across the board.
She is the piece that unlocks everything, I know she is.
And she’s wrong. Everything can be changed.
FREYJA:
A powerful god seeks to destroy my people unless I go live with him.
“You don’t have to marry him. You don’t even have to sleep with him. He just needs a witch.”
I’ve been told this multiple times, but I don’t trust this man.
He’s keeping something very important from me… and he’s such a charmer.
I may allow him into my bed, but I can never let him into my heart.
Note: This is a standalone.
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SNEAK PEEK:
“I want to talk about the mark,” I say, skimming right past all of that. If he thinks he can distract me or pacify me with ice cream and cherries like a small child, he’s crazy.
“We don’t need to talk about it. It doesn’t concern you,” Odin says.
My spoon makes a loud clanking sound against the bowl. “Excuse me, but a glowing magical handprint on my throat one hundred percent does concern me.”
“No it doesn’t. You don’t have to worry about it. It’ll go away on its own.”
“I thought you said it couldn’t be undone and that it’s beyond you,” I say, mocking his overly serious tone of only moments ago.
“It can’t be undone and it is beyond me. I have no control over that mark, but I do know it will fade on its own as long as no further steps are taken.”
“But what does it mean? And steps for what?” He’s not going to slither off the hook that easily.
“I have control of the berserker. You don’t have to worry.”
“The berserker? Is that the name of that thing I saw you shift into?”
He levels me with a hard, serious look. “You haven’t met the berserker.”
“Oh Odin, teach me to be scary like you,” I singsong.
“Little girl, you have no idea the fire you play with.”
“I am fire.”
He considers me for a moment and nods. “I think that’s a fair description. You’re also a valkyrie. And it’s clear you didn’t know that before today.”
“What’s a valkyrie? Or does that not concern me, either?”
He just stares at me for a long time. Only this time it’s not lust, it’s a power move. I bet all his little underlings look away. I bet he thinks I’m about to look away. I don’t. I just hold his gaze.
“Can you tell me the rules? Is blinking allowed or do I lose if I blink?”
“You are the most infuriating…”
“I don’t have to be here. You could have chosen to leave the Vanir alone. I don’t even know why I’m here. What do you need me for, Odin? Besides the obvious.”
The one thing I’ve been able to ascertain that he wants from me is the same thing every man wants from me, and Odin hasn’t disguised his desire to have me in his bed.
He leans closer, speaking each word slowly, clearly, and precisely as if I need this all spelled out again. “You signed a contract… with your blood… and if you think I’m letting you out of it or that you can annoy me to death…”
“I may have to stay in Asgard with you, but I don’t have to stay at this table. And since dinner is over and you seem to have no intention of telling me anything worth hearing, I’ll take my leave.”
I stand and turn to go, but his hand wraps around my wrist, stopping me. Just this simple touch sends a harsh bolt of desire spiraling through me.
His voice is low and calm when he speaks. “The mark is a partial mating claim. My berserker thinks you’re his fated mate.”
I whirl back around at this news. “I’m sorry… what? Oh, no, absolutely not… I am not going to be mated to… that thing… or to you for that matter.”
“That’s right. You’re not. I have control of the berserker. I don’t know how long it will take for the mark to fade but it will fade if the mating remains incomplete. I’ve never marked anyone, but with most berserkers it’s two or three weeks.”
I realize he’s still holding my wrist, his thumb softly stroking the back of my hand.
“Why does the berserker think I’m his mate?”
“Because you’re a valkyrie.”
“I’m not going to ask you again what a valkyrie is.” I’m tired of his childish games.
He sighs. “Valkyries work for me. They collect the bravest fallen warriors in the human world for an army I’m building.”
“The army the Vanir fought?”
“There were a few berserkers in that fight, but no, it’s a different army, for a different purpose.”
He’s still stroking the back of my hand. I’m not even sure if he realizes he’s doing it. But I can think of nothing else.
“I don’t work for you,” I say.
“Oh really? You signed a contract… in blood…”
He seems prepared to pull this speech out at my every protest. “I meant, in my capacity as a valkyrie… I don’t exist to serve you.” I don’t even know that I believe his valkyrie line. And it does sound like a line, probably just more of his seduction tactics.
He chuckles. “I’ve never met a valkyrie that was also a goddess. Maybe you’re supposed to lead the valkyries, the way I command the berserkers.”
“I think you should let go of me, now,” I say, holding his gaze.
He jerks his hand away as if burned. His shocked expression tells me he didn’t even realize he was stroking me like that for so long.
“Sure, you’ve got control of the berserker. No need to worry.”
**Valkyrie (c) Copyright 2022 by Kitty Thomas. All rights reserved. Excerpts used with permission of the author.
Author Bio:
KITTY THOMAS writes dark stories that play with power and have unconventional HEAs. She began publishing in early 2010 with her bestselling COMFORT FOOD and is considered one of the original authors of the dark romance subgenre.
To find out FIRST when a new book comes out, subscribe to Kitty's New Release List: KITTYTHOMAS.COM
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Ravaged by Naima Simone
Ravaged
Naima Simone
(Burned, Inc., #2)
Publication date: November 15th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
From USA Today bestselling author Naima Simone comes an electrifying romance about a pro basketball player and a graphic novelist who can’t seem to stay in the friend zone.
Miriam
It’s no coincidence that my family’s breakup service is called BURNED Inc. I know what it’s like to be dumped. I’ve been there.
Long story short, I’ve got a rule when it comes to my love life: no athletes. As it happens, my best friend, Jordan, is a professional basketball player. He also has a delicious body and sexy tattoos.
But rules are rules.
Jordan
Miriam is my best friend. She’s also the love of my life, the woman I’ve been dreaming about since we met. But she doesn’t do athletes.
I get it. I really do. And I just want Miriam to be happy. Which is why I set her up with a teammate to help her find the man she deserves—even though I can tell she’s into me from that one hot-as-hell night we shared months ago. Still, rules are rules.
But here’s the thing: I’m a competitor.
And sometimes you have to break the rules to win.
—
SNEAK PEEK:
“Why were you about to leave?” Jordan brushes his lips across my forehead, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. “No, let me guess. Got too close for you. Too real. And what do two people like us, who come from f*cked-up homes where we saw the worst people had to give to each other, know about intimacy, right? It scares the hell out of us. Or it should. And normally, it does. But not with you, Miriam. And you can feel safe with me. I won’t hurt you. Won’t use whatever you share with me against you. So don’t run. Stay.”
Stay.
A shudder ripples through me, and I don’t try to stifle it. Stay. I’ve been wanted for several reasons. My IQ. My talent. Sex.
But no one’s ever asked me to just be. And not with them.
For how long?
The question sits on my tongue like a five-hundred-pound anvil, but I don’t voice it, too afraid of the response. Besides, for once, I’m also content to just be.
Tilting my head back, I rest it on his shoulder. This up close and personal with him, I can catalog every detail on his face. The black pupil with the very thin ring of brown. The tiny scar on the edge of his right cheekbone. The deep dip above his top lip that lends it the bow shape. The almost-there-but-not-quite cleft in his chin.
I’ve drawn him countless times in the last few weeks. So many that his face is as familiar to me as my own. And yet, I could analyze him for hours and still find new elements that would fascinate me. Jordan Ransom could become a new field of study, and I would easily earn my doctorate in him.
“Tonight, I told Daniel I couldn’t see him any longer.”
His eyes narrow, but he doesn’t speak. Yet my heart pounds in my chest, and the beat grows louder, the volume so deafening I can barely hear my own voice.
“It wouldn’t have been fair,” I whisper.
“Why not?” he asks, and that dark, low timbre is midnight and sin. Temptation wrapped in sex.
“You know why.”
He bends his head the scant inches separating us and only stops when his mouth hovers a breath above mine. “Say it,” he orders, his lips so close they nearly brush mine.
“Because he isn’t you.”
Jordan doesn’t move, and I can taste his kiss, but he doesn’t eliminate the remaining space between us. Doesn’t take my mouth and give me what I can now admit I came here for. No, instead he stares at me, his expression inscrutable. Unease twists inside me, and for the first time since he placed me on his lap, I want to climb off, insert space between us.
“We’re going to f*ck,” he states, and while the word sends a lightning bolt of heat straight between my legs, it tightens the screw on my unease, deepens it. Because his tone is flat, almost disconnected.
“Yes.” We are. I need him tonight. And I won’t be able to stop at a kiss. I’m too empty, too hungry. I haven’t felt complete since the last time he filled me.
“And I’m going to be your mistake.” His fingers thread through my hair, sifting before fisting the curls and bringing them to his nose. He inhales, his eyes closing and, for a moment, freeing me from their hold. It’s in this instant that a flicker of emotion flashes across his face. Pleasure. Pain. Both. But when his lashes lift, his expression is back to being a mask of inscrutability. “Don’t misunderstand me. I’m still going to f*ck you. I find I’m so goddam desperate to be inside you I’m willing to have you any way I can. But I just want to make sure I know where we stand.”
Oh God.
Regret pierces me in the chest, sliding between my ribs like the sharpest blade. I have a lot to answer for. The latest being from a couple of nights ago. I run the moments after our kiss through my head. I never called him a mistake, never said I regretted what happened on my couch. But viewing my actions, my silence, through his lens, I can see how he’d interpret them that way. And coupled with how I friend-zoned him after the first time we had sex, calling that a mistake . . . well, damn.
Briefly closing my eyes, I hate myself for causing this bold, beautiful man even a second of self-doubt. He’s no one’s mistake. No one’s regret. And I can tell him that. I could write him a fucking sonnet about that.
Or I could show him.
Author Bio:
Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”
She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.
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November 15, 2022
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Famine's Feast by Raisa Greywood
Famine’s Feast
Raisa Greywood
(Club Apocalypse, #3)
Publication date: November 11th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
The Club kitchen is about to get even hotter…
Exacting and demanding in the kitchen as he is in the bedroom, Jake McBride expects one thing from both his employees and his women: obedience.
Despite her mysterious past, Jake finds himself falling for his sweet, unassuming new sous chef. Not only is Olivia quickly learning to meet his rigid standards in the kitchen, her eager gaze practically begs for him to claim her. To own every inch of her gorgeous body until she’s ruined for any other man.
When Club Apocalypse is vandalized and secrets brought to light, Jake questions Olivia’s loyalties—and his own heart. If his suspicions are right, the woman he loves can’t be trusted. But if he’s wrong, there is a bigger threat on the horizon… and it could cost him everything.
—
EXCERPT:
“Where’s the fire, Rivera?” Jake called out.
She quickened her pace. “You told me not to be late, sir.”
“Danged runners.” Bearing down, he caught up, then cut in front to force her to stop. “Why were you going to kill yourself?”
“I wasn’t. I—”
“I saw you, Olivia. You made your imminent swan dive abundantly clear.”
Her jaw worked and a vein pulsed in her forehead. “Sir, am I off the clock?”
“What the hell kind of question is that?”
“Am. I. Off. The. Clock? Will you fire me if I answer truthfully?”
The fear left his body but was replaced by another kind of tension. Would she finally say all the words she’d hidden behind Spanish curses? He wasn’t sure how he wanted to respond, but his cock shot hard at the thought of what she might tell him.
“Nobody is going to fire you for telling the truth.”
“Good.” She took a step back, then looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with furious tears. “You’re a jerk, Jake McBride. I hate you. I hate your tasteless food with too much pepper and not enough salt. I hate that you can’t even smell it when you mess up, and that you don’t believe me when I try to say something.”
Mess up one steak and never hear the end of it.
Was it possible she suffered from hyperosmia? It would explain her gift with sauces and flavor profiles, even with such limited experience. Damn. If he’d even guessed at something like that…
And now…he was jealous.
“Go on,” he finally said, enjoying the way her tentative, halting speech smoothed into a delicious accent that made his cock stand to attention.
“I hate that you can’t make a decent omelet to save your life. I hate your constant criticism when you know I’m doing a good job, and I especially hate that it’s worse when I do something better than you.”
“Is that all?” he asked, hiding a smile. It might have taken a near-death experience, but he was delighted she was finally saying what he’d needed to hear.
The moonlight was nearly gone, meaning he couldn’t see her very well, but one last shard of silvery light caught her face. Her dark hair hung to the middle of her back in loose spiral curls from a ponytail at the base of her neck, and her brown eyes sparkled. A faint sheen of sweat on her face made her glisten, and she’d never looked more glorious.
“No.” She jammed a finger into his chest, making him move back a step. “I absolutely cannot stand that I still want to hear you tell me I did a good job. Just one time.”
Interesting. If he’d realized Olivia had a praise kink, he might have handled things differently. Then again, maybe that wasn’t a good choice, considering they were coworkers. Too bad his dick thought it was an excellent idea.
“Anything else?”
“Yes.” She took a deep breath and scrubbed a hand over her eyes. “I’m walking on eggshells every day because of you. I hate that my nerves misfire and it feels like ants are crawling all over me every time you speak or move. I hate the way your shoes sound like dog whistles. I hate your stupid soap because it makes everything smell wrong, and I hate that you’re too nose-blind to recognize it. And I really hate that I’m thinking about breaking parole so they’ll send me back to jail, just so I can get away from your arrogant ass!”
“No,” he replied softly, taking a step toward her. “You’re not going to be doing that.”
She snorted and turned away. “You have no idea how close you are to a carving knife between your ribs every time you open your mouth. I wouldn’t lose a minute’s sleep, and best of all, they’d send me to Perryville instead of Navajo County Detention.”
“What’s so great about Perryville?”
“It’s further away from you.”
Author Bio:
USA Today bestselling author of filthy smut, empty nester, and cat snuggler.
Raisa has worked as a teacher, an actuary (her husband called her a bookie—which isn’t too far from the truth), mother, and scout leader. She’s happily married to her husband of over twenty years, and is now enjoying semi-retirement writing the books she always wanted to read with kick-ass heroines and sexy, sexy men.
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November 14, 2022
B@@K REVEAL: The Last Minute First Lady by Tinia Montford
The Last Minute First Lady
Tinia Montford
Publication date: December 22nd 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
WHAT’S ONE ITSY, BITSY, LITTLE LIE?
Cassian Anders will be the youngest governor in Illinois history… If he wins.
That’s all everyone seems to talk about these days. Jolie Coldwell isn’t one of them. As a journalist, her priorities comprise digging up dirt on crooked politicians and local cover-ups. When her latest exposé on a congressman lands her in hot water, her days are reduced to covering the senior center’s casino night.
Unexpectedly, news breaks: the on-air investigative segment needs a replacement. This promotion advance could her career.
She needs a breaking story. She needs it now.
The road to office is ruthless compared to the courtroom. Without warning, Cassian Anders’ popularity rating falls, threatening his position on the ballot. He will do whatever it means to secure votes. Now, not only is he engaged, but he’s getting married to his non-existent fiancée…
He’s never relied on luck, but when a convenient but unorthodox wife falls into his lap? He makes her a deal.
He needs a wife. He needs it now.
Will Jolie and Cassian be able to fool the public long enough? Can she handle the public poking around in her past, one she would rather keep under wraps… Above all, can she be a model first lady or are they destined to be a scandal?
Author Bio:
Tinia (TUH-NIA) Montford is a Pisces who’s a sap for romance, especially when there’s (tons of) kissing. Loves eighties sitcoms and will consume anything with chocolate. She graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in English and Graphic Design.
She is a world traveler having climbed a volcano in Nicaragua, scaled Angkor Wat in the blistering sun, and roamed the Acropolis of Athens. Oh, she also dabbles in short stories occasionally.
If you can’t catch her writing, you can bet she’s overindulging on poke bowls, listening to the same four songs, or chilling with her adorbs doggie. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Fiction.
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Savoring Christmas by Shanna Hatfield
Savoring Christmas
Shanna Hatfield
(Rodeo Romance, #10)
Publication date: November 10th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
He’s a former rodeo star who gave up his career to run the family ranch.
She’s an aspiring chef with a food truck, a dream, and no interest in another man coming along to ruin her plans.Troy Lucas walked away from his winning rodeo career to run the family ranch after the death of his grandfather. Now, being a rancher, a farrier, and even team roping just for fun can’t seem to keep him satisfied. He didn’t think he’d miss his glory days in the rodeo when he came back home – in fact, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be. Still, he can’t deny the hole inside that keeps reminding him he’s longing for something . . . more.Chef Lark Gibson has only one thing on her mind: opening a restaurant in Portland. Until that day comes, Lark will take her food truck to as many events as possible and make sure her customers are always begging for more. The last thing she expected was to find herself distracted by a knight in dusty Wranglers, until a handsome cowboy comes to her rescue and catches her off-guard.
Will the approaching Christmas season lead this hungry cowboy and ambitious chef to realize that what they think they want isn’t what they really need? Find out in Savoring Christmas, a sweet romance full of humor, heart, and holiday fun.
—
**Until December 24th, 10% of the proceeds from every book purchased (any Shanna Hatfield book including ebook, audio, paperback and hardback formats) will be donated to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. (Find more info here!)
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EXCERPT:
Jay started putting away the supplies she’d brought and glanced over his shoulder at her. “Tell me more, Lark.”
“More? About what? I told you all there is to know about the runaway steer.”
Jay shook his head as he filled the napkin dispensers. “I don’t care about that. Tell me about this cowboy who caught your eye.”
“He didn’t catch my eye,” she huffed. Her protest seemed a little rushed and forced even to her.
When her brother chuckled, she knew he was aware of her interest in her cowboy-hat-wearing hero.
“Fine,” she admitted. “He may have earned a second glance.”
“Or fourth, from the way you were studying him.” Jay looked over his shoulder at her. “Admit it, you like him.”
Lark shot a hair band at her brother. “I’m not admitting anything, bro. I just met him. I don’t know enough about him to like or dislike him.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Jay muttered.
Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.
Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.
To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield
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November 13, 2022
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Just One Night by Felice Stevens
Just One Night
Felice Stevens
Publication date: November 9th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
In the rough and tumble world of New York City, these men don’t mind getting down and dirty—in business or each other.
It isn’t every day a gorgeous stranger shows up in my bedroom wearing not much more than an arrogant smile. When I discover he’s a high-priced escort and a surprise birthday present from my sister…now she’s gone too far.
Except I haven’t been able to stop kissing him long enough to tell him to leave.No one has to know he’s spent the night. And when we’re done, he’s gone and out the door. Never to be seen again.
Well, not exactly.Because for some crazy reason, I can’t quite forget Archer Strong.
It’s a job like all the others. Another evening of million-dollar seduction and fake desire that’s made me the most exclusive escort in New York City.But after one kiss from billionaire real-estate mogul Madden Steele, I’m not pretending anything.
And when he wants to see me a second time, I break my rule of one and done.Because just one night with Madden isn’t enough. I want to see him again.And again.
Now he’s asking for something more. Something that could solve all my problems, and his. But it’s something I can’t give him.Or can I?With an enemy from inside Madden’s family scheming to take control of his company and destroy me, we’re in for a fight. Holding on to each other might be the biggest risk of our lives, but it’s the only way to reap the greatest reward—love.
From Lambda Literary Award-winning author Felice Stevens comes a passionate story of two men fighting the demons of their past and unexpected desire for each other. Expect steamy encounters, backstabbing relatives, lots of cuddling and junk food in bed.
—
EXCERPT:
I slid my hand to his nape, grasping him hard and bringing him flush with me. “Let’s go to bed.”
Wide-eyed yet still possessing that air of arrogance that was a fucking turn-on, Madden shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
He walked out of the bedroom, leaving me in the unusual position of feeling frustrated. Frowning, I slipped on my briefs and pants, and set off to track him down. The apartment was huge, at least five thousand square feet, and with a killer view. It made sense—if you had more money than God, you’d live in the closest thing to heaven.
I saw him on the balcony, standing by the railing, and went to him. “It’s beautiful here. How old is this building?”
He inched away from me. “About ten years. But this space wasn’t renovated until two years ago.”
I’d read that his father died a couple of years earlier, so maybe that had something to do with the timing. What I didn’t know was why I bothered to ask him that, or anything else personal. It went against everything I stood for in my business: nothing personal, and certainly no in-depth questions about life. Kissing a client was a rarity, and yet I couldn’t stop staring at his mouth. I wanted to plunge my tongue past those soft lips and battle with his. Feel his hot breath stutter in my ear.
Jesus, get a grip. He’s no different from any other client.
“Well, it’s beautiful. Shall we go inside?” I slid behind him and pressed my mouth to the pulse pounding at his throat. “Unless you want people to watch us.”
He twisted away from me. “Look. My sister is crazy. This whole idea is. I’m fine as is. I’ll pay you whatever you were going to charge her, and you can leave. What do you want, a check or direct deposit to your account?”
Madden pulled away and strode inside, leaving me to scramble after him. Dammit. I should say screw it and leave. I had my money already, so there was nothing to lose.
Except knowing what it was like to fuck Madden Steele.
Author Bio:
Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner. Her characters have to work for it, because just like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.
Felice is the 2020 Lambda Literary Award winning author in best Gay Romance. She lives in New York City and has way too much black in her wardrobe. If she's not writing, you'll probably find her watching reality TV or procrastinating on FB in her reader group, Felice's Breakfast Club.
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November 12, 2022
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Ropes by Lore Townsend
The Ropes
Lore Townsend
Publication date: November 9th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Erotica, Romance
What happens when everything you ever thought you wanted…isn’t?
Noel Carter had her life all planned. She moved to the right city and got a job in a restaurant above a kink club. She spent her nights down there, watching, learning. Being a Domme is all she’s ever wanted. Until one night, she catches the eye of the owner of the club and most infamous bachelor in town. Suddenly all her dreams get turned upside down.
One look. That’s all it took for Dane Vincent’s life to veer drastically off course. Everything he wants. Everything he desires. Everything he’s told himself he can never have may have just walked into his club. He’s made his fortune. He’s set aside his lifestyle. Is he willing to change all that for a woman? A woman who has no idea who he really is or the secrets he’s worked so hard to keep hidden.
She’s mysterious. She’s deceptive. She’s stunning. If Dane can untangle her desires…she may just set him free.
—
EXCERPT:
Noel turned the old-fashioned brass handle and swung into her apartment twenty minutes later giddy and exhausted. She was filled to bursting with excitement and questions, fear and uncertainty. Luckily, Gabby appeared at her door not ten minutes later, stealing her off to sun and salt water of the beach, ready to help her process in the way only Gabby could.
“Okay, tell me everything, right now!” They lay side by side on Noel’s large beach blanket, slowly drying off after a swim.
Noel took a deep breath and tried to find a way to put her night with Dane, the swirl of emotions, the shared glances, the sensation of his skin on hers, into words. “Where do I even begin?”
She grinned wider as her friend’s head threatened to explode.
It took nearly a full hour to take Gabby through the date, her friend not even allowing her a break from storytelling when they wandered up to the coffee stand on the boardwalk to get iced drinks. When Noel was finally recounting their conversation at the cafe as they settled back onto the blanket with their coffees, Gabby interrupted.
“So, he is like a prince trapped in his ivory tower or something?”“It was strange, like he only just realized it, but yeah. That’s the feeling I got.” “Girl, you gotta bust him out!”Noel laughed. The thought of her doing anything to Dane was doubtful. She wasbarely keeping her own shit together, so it seemed unlikely that she could offer any help to someone else. And, despite how it seemed, despite some of his comments over the course of their date, Dane must be in control. Quietly, calmly in charge of everything around him. How else could he have gotten so far? How else could the businesses be so successful? Noel wanted to allow this to be the red flag she needed to walk away.
The last thing she needed was to get caught up in a crush on a dominant man, but she knew damn well she would push forward with whatever this was between them—red flags be damned. It was too good, too enticing. And besides, the world he controlled was one that she dreamed of entering. If only she could get a handle on what it was that she actually wanted, and then get the nerve to ask for it. Noel sighed at the thought. Fat chance of that ever happening.
Author Bio:
Lore writes spicy, inner demon battling love stories. She loves tackling big issues in relationships and watching her characters struggle with their pasts and their visions of the future together.
A PNW girl through and through, Lore lives in Seattle with her husband. She enjoys cloudy weather (thank goodness), escaping the cold in February, and audiobooks of all kinds.
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November 11, 2022
BOOK BLITZ: Seaspoken by Sarah Delena White
Seaspoken
Sarah Delena White
Publication date: July 19th 2022
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance, Young Adult
An ocean consumed by rage. A challenge that demands blood. A love that defies everything.
Battle-hardened warrior Evya Atathari longs for a truce between her sea-dwelling tribe and the elven invaders. But her mother, the powerful and vengeful Seamother, will stop at nothing to see the elves destroyed.
Then the Seamother enacts a brutal rite of challenge for Evya’s hand to gain a powerful ally in the war. But even as the greatest warriors of the sea vie for her favor, her heart is captured by a man who should be her mortal enemy.
Keliveth Dalzana is a failed prophet of the elven king’s court—until a vision leads him to Evya and a chance at ending the war. Drawn to Keliveth’s idealism, Evya agrees to help him win the deadly contest for her hand and establish a peace treaty through their marriage. Together, they dare to dream of a better future.
But when their own peoples turn against them, Keliveth and Evya must find the courage to embrace their true destinies—and decide how great a price they can pay for their love.
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EXCERPT:
“Do you really believe we’re doomed to fight each other?”
“Yes.” A tear trickles down my cheek as I force the word out. Anything to keep him from taking one more step into the angry sea.
The singer’s laugh rolls through the mist. “I don’t believe that. Our peoples used to be friends. Tell me from your heart—do you believe the One Who Is has destined us only for war?”
The waves dance higher as his voice passes over them, and I shudder. The ocean is listening.
The Seamother is listening.
Depths take him, he’s going to get both of us killed if he doesn’t stop talking. I slip into the water, shifting back into my sea-dwelling form as I do. With a few flicks of my lithe tail, I speed through the shallows until I reach another large rock, this one only a few yards from the singer. I crouch behind it and speak in a whisper. “Please, leave before the Seamother hears you!”
“My name is Keliveth. Keliveth Dalzana.”
The singer’s simple words send ice through my veins. A Dalzana. A prophet of the elves, too powerful and dangerous to trust. And yet … this makes his claims about the Creator plausible. My head spins as I try to sort out what I dare believe about this man, and I say the first thing that comes to mind.
“I didn’t want to know that.” I would rather have gone on thinking of him as the dream-singer. As someone who didn’t have to be my enemy.
“Why not?” His voice is so earnest, so sincere, that it makes my next words all the more bitter.
“Because someday soon I will meet you on the battlefield.” My voice quavers. “And when that happens, either you’ll die with my spear through your chest, or I’ll be turned to ash by your magic.” I pause, gulping back sudden tears. “It’s worse when you know the names of the ones you kill.”
“Well, then, I guess you shouldn’t kill me.” I can almost hear a smile in his voice, and I clench my fists. Does he think I’m joking?
“I’m leaving,” I snap. “Don’t follow. My people will spear you and shred you to pieces.” I push away from the rock, ready to swim back down to the palace and leave this absurd dream world behind.
His voice cuts through the darkness again.
“Tell me your name. Then I won’t be able to kill you either.”
A pang shoots through my heart. If only it were that simple.
A wave swells before me, rising so much higher than the rest of the breakers that the stone outcroppings that dot the shallows are buried. I grip the rock I hide behind as the water rushes over my head. All thoughts are chased away by the sight of the wave as it arcs above me and crests in glittering white foam.
The Seamother has found me.
Author Bio:
Sarah Delena White writes eclectic speculative fiction that weaves world folklore and ancient concepts into vibrant, original story worlds, with a fine balance of poetry and snark. When she’s not writing, she can be found exploring nature, creating art, and seeking to make the perfect cup of coffee.
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November 10, 2022
B@@K REVEAL: Pretty Evil by Zoe Rosi
Pretty Evil
Zoe Rosi
Publication date: January 17th 2023
Genres: Adult, Thriller
You’ve done a bad thing. She has you in her sights. Now you’re going to pay.
Meet Camilla Black: an affluent, respected, influential fashion magazine editor, who lives it up in her beautiful Mayfair apartment. But Camilla’s glamorous life is a lie. Behind her poised exterior beats the cold dark heart of a vigilante killer, a murderer hell-bent on wreaking vengeance upon bad men.
Camilla expects to get away with murder. She’s careful. And anyway, it’s worth the risk. She’s making the world a better place with each predator she kills. But when one of her victims’ bodies is unexpectedly found, his gruesome death is splashed all over the papers.
To make matters worse, she’s now being pursued by Detective Wheelan, a new addition to the Met with laser-sharp focus and a worrying habit of solving impossible crimes…
She knows she should stop, but she can’t. Some men just deserve to die. Will Camilla’s insatiable appetite for justice be her downfall, or can she outsmart the police?
Revised edition: Previously published as Predator, this edition of Pretty Evil includes editorial revisions.
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Author Bio:
Zoe Rosi has a background in journalism and copywriting. She worked as a reporter for local and national newspapers before moving into the fashion industry as a copywriter. Zoe had four romantic comedies published before writing her debut thriller. It was while working as a fashion copywriter that Zoe had the idea for Pretty Evil, which she describes as The Devil Wears Prada meets American Psycho.
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Love You More by Julia Kent
Love You More
Julia Kent
(Love You, Maine, #3)
Publication date: November 10th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Colleen Luview’s love life is cursed. No—really. The small-town nurse is notorious in her touristy mountain community. After every third date she’s ever had, the guy ends up in her emergency room.
She’s untouchable now, and it’s not her fault.
Resolved to branch out and find a way to have a life with a partner, children, meaning, and free from being a love pariah in a town devoted to it, she decides to leave her beloved Love You, Maine—where every day is Valentine’s Day—to find a bigger dating pool.
And a better nickname.
Moore Mottin hates feeling like damaged goods. Married and divorced twice before thirty, he has a fourteen-year-old from a teenage pregnancy, was cheated on during his second wedding, and now even his best friend, Luke Luview, considers him the butt of every bad-luck joke when it comes to love.
When Luke’s sister, Colleen, picks him up from the airport and a freak snowstorm forces them off the road, he rescues her from an icy pond and finds an old hunting cabin for shelter and safety. Vulnerable and shaking, the two give in to long-simmering feelings for each other, but when they’re discovered in the worst way possible, what seemed like a new lease on life turns into a life-altering mess.
Can Moore and Colleen overcome all the obstacles holding them back from a love that’s been in front of their faces all this time?
If you’re looking for a story featuring two star-crossed lovers doomed by unfair reputations, featuring a smooth-talking single dad who runs a jewelry store and his best friend’s sister, set in a small town in New England, with a calico cat named Sandwich, a heroine with a dry wit and a can-do attitude, and a hero who just wants a good relationship with his estranged child and the chance to find permanent love…then this is your book.
Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and maybe some peanut butter for your burger (what? It’s a thing…), and get your happy meter ready as you read the third book (a standalone!) in the Love You, Maine series—where love isn’t just a feeling…it’s a way of life.
✓Standalone
✓One-night stand
✓Forced proximity
✓Best friend’s sister
✓Single dad
… and a calico cat named Sandwich
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Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.
She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com
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