Heather Gunter's Blog, page 30

Release Day Launch: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L Armentrout

I'll admit to being a huge JLA fan and not being able to go past anything she writes.  
Don't Look Back is another fabulous addition to her catalogue that you won't want to miss - and the good news is that it's available now.




“This engrossing thriller packs a heady atmospheric punch with plenty of theatrical scares" ~ Kirkus Reviews
“Armentrout has written another winner. From the first page to the last, she builds both terror and confusion to the point where readers will be hooked and on the edge of their seat. This standalone contains all of Armentrout’s usual trademarks– a strong and determined heroine, witty comments and hot guys–but she adds in an extra layer by ratcheting up the suspense to the highest degree and follows it up with an ending no one will see coming.” ~ RT BOOK REVIEWS 4 1/2 Stars TOP PICK

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all—popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her—even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory—someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?




I didn’t recognize the name on the street sign. Nothing about the rural road looked familiar or friendly. Tall, imposing trees and overgrown weeds choked the front of the dilapidated home.

Windows were boarded up. There was a gaping hole where the front door had been. I shivered,
wanting to be far away from here…wherever here was.

Walking felt harder than it should be, and I stumbled off the chilly asphalt, wincing as sharp gravel dug into my feet.

My bare feet?

I stopped and looked down. Chipped pink nail polish peeked through the dirt…and blood.  Mud caked the legs of my pants, leaving the hems stiff. It made sense, seeing as how I wasn’t wearing any shoes, but the blood…I didn’t understand why there was blood staining the knees of my jeans.

My vision clouded and dulled, as if a gray film had been dropped over my eyes. As I stared at the weathered asphalt under my feet, large and smooth rocks replaced the tiny stones.  Something dark and oily seeped over the rocks, slipping through the cracks.

Sucking in a sharp gasp, I blinked and the image was gone.

Hands trembling, I raised them. They were also covered with dirt and scratches. My nails were broken, bloodied. A silver ring wrapped, encased in soil, around my thumb. Air froze in my chest as my gaze crawled over my arms. The sleeves of my sweater were torn, revealing pale flesh covered in bruises and gashes. My legs started to shake as I swayed forward. I tried to remember how this had happened, but my head was empty—a black void where nothing existed.

A car drove by, coasting to a stop a few feet in front of me. Somewhere in the trenches of my subconscious, I recognized the flashing red and blue lights as a source of safety. Elegantly scrawled along the black-and-gray side of the cruiser were the words ADAMS COUNTY SHERIFF’S  DEPARTMENT.

Adams County? A flash of familiarity came and went.

The driver’s door opened, and a deputy stepped out. He said something into the radio on his shoulder before he looked at me.

“Miss?” He started around the cruiser, taking tentative steps. He looked young for a deputy. Barely out of high school and able to carry a gun seemed wrong somehow. Was I in high school? I didn’t know. “We’ve received some calls into dispatch concerning you,” he said gently. “Are you okay?”

I tried to respond, but only a hoarse squeak came out. Clearing my throat, I winced as the motion scratched and pulled. “I…I don’t know.”

“Okay.” The deputy held up his hands as he approached me, as if I were a skittish deer about to bolt. “My name is Deputy Rhode. I’m here to help you. Do you know what you’re doing out here?”

“No.” Knots formed in my belly. I didn’t even know where here was.

His smile strained. “What’s your name?”

My name? Everyone knew their name, but as I stared at the deputy, I couldn’t answer his question. The knots started twisting more. “I don’t…I don’t know what my name is.”

He blinked, and the smile was completely gone. “You don’t remember anything?”

I tried again, concentrating on the empty space between my ears. That was how it felt. And I knew that wasn’t good. My eyes started to tear up.

“Miss, it’s okay. We’ll get you taken care of.” He reached out, lightly taking hold of my arm. “We’ll get this sorted.”

Deputy Rhode led me around the back of his cruiser. I didn’t want to sit behind the Plexiglas, because I knew that wasn’t good. Only bad people sat behind the glass in police cruisers. I wanted to object, but before I could say anything, he settled me into the seat and wrapped a coarse blanket around my shoulders.

Before he locked me in the bad part of the car, he knelt and smiled reassuringly.  “Everything’s going to be okay.”

But I knew he was lying, trying to make me feel better. It didn’t work. How could everything be okay when I didn’t know my own name?



# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.



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Release Day Blitz: Out of the Shallows (Into the Deep #2) by Samantha Young

Title: Out of the ShallowsSeries: Into the Deep #2Author: Samantha YoungRelease Date: 15 April, 2014Release Day Event Organised by: Shh Mom's Reading


Live young. Live hard. Love deep.

Jake and Charley’s story concludes in Out of the Shallows…

Somehow, after everything they’ve been through, Jake Caplin and Charley Redford have made their way back to one another. But finding each other and staying together are two completely different things. As Charley fights for the future she wants for herself and with Jake, parents, exes, friends, and her own distrust, are resolved to yank her back into the real world.

While Jake is determined how deeply they feel for one another will get them through their issues, Charley has to wonder… is love alone really ever enough?



I couldn’t actually dispute any of that, which made me even more pissed, hurt, defensive, scared and … confused.

I started to shiver. “I … I can’t do this.” I turned away.

I hadn’t taken two steps when I felt his hand wrap around my wrist. Jake tugged me, forcefully, pulling me around so I stumbled into his chest. His lips crashed down on mine, his kiss hungry, desperate, angry …

For a moment I forgot everything else but the hard pressure of his mouth on mine, the smell of his cologne, the feel of his body. I was surrounded.

Drowning.

And I let it happen.

His lips moved from my mouth to my chin, along my jaw, as his hand slid up my waist, his thumb just grazing my breast. I sighed, my body arching into his. I was hot. Hot and wanting. Nothing else mattered but the way I felt when he touched me.

His voice was ragged in my ear. “I’ve missed you so much. I love you so fucking much.” He squeezed my waist and pulled me closer, his mouth reaching for mine again but those three little words had broken through the spell of lust created by Jake’s proximity and the four beers I’d had.

“Stop,” I whispered, pushing gently on his chest.


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Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She's been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestselling novel ON DUBLIN STREET. ON DUBLIN STREET is Samantha's first adult contemporary romance and has been sold in twenty six countries.


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Live young. Live hard. Love deep.Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.

Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.

As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.

And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…

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Cover Reveal: Drifting Into Darkness by J.M. La Rocca

Drifting Into Darkness is the latest book from J.M. La Rocca and today we get to share the cover with you ...
but don't stop at the cover - read on for an excerpt to get a feel for what's to come!


Title: Drifting Into DarknessAuthor: J.M La RoccaRelease: May 9, 2014

I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, that there was a path we were all supposed to be on and the choices we made led us to those paths.

My path led me to work on the Johnson farm in Texas, where I met Landon, the owner’s son. He worked there during the day and raced cars for fun at night. He was a bad boy with a reputation that exceeded my own. The guy all the girls wanted to change, the one that hooked up with random girls because he didn’t do relationships.

He was exactly the kind of guy I wanted to stay away from, but there was something about him. It wasn’t just his looks, although they didn’t go unnoticed. There were layers I wanted to peel back and reveal. I wanted to know the real Landon Johnson.

All the choices I made led me to him and he would change my life forever.



He lifted a hand to my cheek. “Close your eyes for me.” I frowned for a moment before I complied. His other hand grazed my cheek and I could feel the goose bumps rise on my arms. “Picture me in your head,” he said softly. I pictured him standing there in front of me. “Do you have it?” I nodded. “Now picture a few years down the road. Can you see me?” I nodded and smiled. I knew where he was going with this. “Can you see yourself with me?” I nodded again as I felt his lips press against my forehead and work their way down. “In your mind, do I look freaked out?” I bit my lip and shook my head. He didn’t look freaked out at all. The future Landon looked content and happy. In my mind, he was taking me for a horseback ride on Charlie, out to this very pond.

I opened my eyes and raised my hands to his face. The feeling that I’d felt before was in the pit of my stomach; the feeling that this was meant to be. And somehow, even though I’d only known him for over a month, I knew deep down it was true. “You don’t look freaked out at all.”

His lips curved into a smirk before they were smashed against mine. Our tongues were tangled in a soft passionate kiss, while his hands slid down my arms, past my waist. He gripped my ass as he brought me closer to his body, causing me to gasp into his mouth. I could feel how hard he was as he pulled me as close as I could possibly get. My mind whirled with hunger to feel him and it drove me to rock my hips against him.

He made me feel so much in my heart and mind that I needed to be close to him this way. I needed to feel that connection we both shared in a more intimate way.

I pulled back from him, breathing heavily, and grinned at what I was about to say. “I’m ready.”

He grinned with me and captured my lips with his as he made his way out of the pond. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tightened my legs around his waist to ensure I wouldn’t fall.

Slowly, he lowered me down to the blanket, breaking the kiss. The way he was looking at me caused chills to flow through my body. It was hard for me to think that I met him a little over a month ago, yet there I was, falling for him. It was so much to take in, but I wanted to cherish this moment forever.



J.M. La Rocca was born in Chicago, IL. At an early age, her family relocated to lower Alabama where she began her love for writing. She currently resides in Pensacola, FL with her husband and twin sons. As a stay at home mom, La Rocca was able to pursue her love for writing. It was always an unrealized dream to write her own book. With the encouragement of her mother, La Rocca began to set to paper her ideas for her first book.



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Blog Tour: Beautiful Ties by Alicia Rae

Title:   Beautiful TiesAuthor:  Alicia Rae Genre: Contemporary Romace, 18+Publish Date: March 25, 2014  Publisher:  Self PublishedCover by: Sarah Hansen, Okay CreationsEvent organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

Book Four in The Beautiful Series(Standalone)

While watching her brothers find their happily ever afters, Abbey dreams of falling in love. Smart, fun, and sexy, Abbey is also independent and works hard alongside her brother, Kyle. When Kyle joins his business ventures with his wife’s cousins, Jason and Damon, Abbey struggles with keeping things professional.

Jason is instantly enamored with Abbey, and he becomes determined to win her over. Although she does not want to mix business with pleasure, he uses his good looks and sweet charm to work his way into her heart. All the while, Abbey begins building a friendship with a neighborhood child, Pearl. Abbey’s heart warms to Pearl, and their friendship quickly blossoms into a loving relationship.

Can Abbey find a way balance her growing feelings for Jason and her need to take care of Pearl? Or will Abbey need to sacrifice one relationship for the sake of the other?



Alicia shares with us the inspiration behind Beautiful Ties ...I couldn’t wait to start writing Abbey and Jason’s love story in Beautiful Ties.

Jason is instantly enamored with Abbey, and he becomes determined to win her over. Although she does not want to mix business with pleasure, he works his way into her heart with his good looks and sweet charm.

Pearl, Abbey’s seven year old neighbor, came to me completely out of the blue. From the first minute she arrived at Abbey’s door to sell Girl Scout goodies, I knew those sweet emerald green eyes of hers were about to make a permanent imprint on both of my character’s hearts.

I hope you all love Pearl as much as I do.
~ Alicia Rae


Once we arrived at the office building, my mood started to lighten. Working side-by-side with Jason made physical labor so much easier to endure. We even had a radio blaring in the background.

By eleven o’clock, he had taken off his shirt during a break from tearing out the old carpet. My eyes would sneak quick glances at him here and there, wanting to memorize every fine detail of his bare upper physique. With every yank on the Berber, his muscles rippled from his arms all the way up to the wide expansion of his sculptured shoulders. His body was in prime condition. Watching him was way more intriguing than wetting the wallpaper and scraping it off with an oversized razor blade. I vowed to myself right then and there that I would never own a house with wallpaper, no matter how cute of a design it had.

After finishing lunch, Jason tipped his head back to chug his bottled water. My gaze lingered on his exposed stomach, and suddenly, I started counting. He didn’t have a six-pack. He had an eight-pack. I recounted to make sure my eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on me. His body started vibrating when I reached the number seven this time, so I glanced up at him. He was looking at me with a mixture of heat and amusement.

My mouth parted. I was uncertain what to say at being caught gawking at his strikingly attractive body.

“Cat got your tongue?” he teased with a wicked glint in his eyes.

I struggled to find words, racking my brain for a quick denial. At the last second, I noticed the radio behind him. An idea popped in my head, and I pointed toward the music. “Nope. I was just trying to read the display behind you to see what station this is.” I felt guilty for lying, but I could not give him the satisfaction of knowing he had been right.

He actually turned to look at the radio, and then he turned back to me. His mouth lifted with a mischievous grin. “Nice try.” He winked.

I rolled my eyes at his confidence. He was probably one of those men who knew he was hot and flaunted it. I was the innocent moth, and he was the flame. I spontaneously decided to live in the moment and play with fire. My breathing paused while I slowly walked toward him. His eyes watched me curiously as he tried to figure out what I was up to.

Winging it, I kept my voice as even as possible as I said, “Seriously, this station stinks. Can we change it?”

I could tell from the look he was giving me that he knew I was bullshitting.

He humored me anyway. “You don’t like Third Eye Blind?” he questioned with a lively spirit evident in his tone.

“I do,” I drawled, deliberating on my next thought. “But I’m in the mood for something more…upbeat.”

His brows rose as he observed my every move while I continued to stroll over to the radio.

“Upbeat? Is that code for chick music?” he asked.

“No.” I laughed.

Jason moved to stand at my right as my hand changed the station. I stopped on one of my favorite stations. Lady Antebellum’s “Just a Kiss” poured from the speakers. The alluring slow-paced song instantly transpired the air in the room. Of all the songs that could have been playing on this station, it was this one—romantic and about the beginning phase of falling in love.

Tilting his head at me, his gaze bore into mine as we both absorbed the words.

“This is the kind of music you listen to?” he asked in a soft and heartfelt tone.

I saw a certain softness in his eyes that I had never seen before. The way they pulled me in deeper each time made it seem as if time was standing still. The effect intrigued and terrified me at the same time. My chest tightened, taking all of the air from my lungs, and my blood thundered ferociously in my veins. I knew I needed to look away, but I couldn’t. He was so close to me, and I felt hypnotized by him. The strong attraction brewing between us was becoming harder and harder to deny. Every minute I spent with him made me feel a little more and fall a little deeper, and I was beginning to forget all the reasons why I was supposed to stay away.

Jason wordlessly outstretched his right arm, hooking it around my lower back, and he tugged me closer while never breaking eye contact. His hard body pressed along my softer one. The sensations of his hands on me caused a warm spark to ignite within me. My breathing accelerated—or maybe it was his. I was not sure whose it was because all my concentration was on those sky-blue eyes burning into me. I lifted my hands to his chest for balance. I splayed my fingers outward to feel his toned curves, and I felt his heartbeat increasing beneath my palms.

The familiar energy between us blossomed to new heights.

“How long are we going to ignore this between us?” he finally questioned in a low, husky tone, dropping his gaze down to linger on my mouth. Then, he glanced back up at me. “Because I don’t believe your reasons for staying away,” he added.


Alicia Rae is a Contemporary Romance Author who lives in Dekalb, Illinois, with her husband and three beautiful boys. Alicia has a passion for reading all types of romance, writing to bring a story to life, and photography.

Thank you to my dear sister, Kels, who showed me a few years ago how much I truly missed reading. And to my loving husband, for not throwing away my Nook, and planting the seed of writing into my mind. I am forever grateful. Xo

Readers, words cannot thank you enough for supporting me along this incredible journey. I hope you enjoy my novels as much as I do writing them. I thank each and every one of you.

Believe in yourself and follow your dreams...



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In the Spotlight: Love Unfeigned by Nadine C. Keels

Love to the chords of a classic jazz band… 

From the first time Lorraine, a plucky and competitive girl, contends on the playground against Isaiah, an impish boy whose smile gleams in more ways than one, the two of them can’t help knowing each other. Neither can they avoid passions and misfortunes lining the path to young adulthood, and when the breakup of Isaiah’s family disrupts the haven he’s shared with Lorraine, their natural relationship is eventually threatened by jealousy, grave trauma, and abandonment. As one year follows another, and another, what might it take to reunite these two companions in love: love undeniably real and unbounded by time?

"Everything didn’t have to turn out perfect. I just wanted you there.”




She
While it wasn’t the most familiar phenomenon to her awareness, that electric sensation still screamed, noiselessly, and flickered rapidly with ambiguous memory, tingling from the nape of her neck and upwards over her scalp to taunt the roots of her softly waved, raven hair, as the sensation had once or twice in her distant, or perhaps immediate, past. She, with her gloved hands full of holiday shopping bags, had left the sidewalk and had been on the verge of setting off on a precisely-timed jaywalk to return to her car, which was parked across the busy downtown street, but time, space, and sound were suspended in a sharply severed second.

Sight was no longer physical. She paused, her dark, questioning eyes now on an unmoving search for something unseen and meagerly remembered. What was it, and what had triggered its arousal? She had the sudden urge to call out a name, to get something’s—someone’s—attention, but she wasn’t clear on what name it was that she should be calling.

She might have stood there for an instant too long if her own attention hadn’t, at that moment, been seized by a vehement shout somewhere behind her, issued by an identifiable, masculine voice she hadn’t heard in years.

“Lorraine!”

Her head inclined toward the shout just prior to her looking up in time to see a car coming at her, apparently braking but still approaching too fast.

Mercy. She was in the street.

A panicked blaring of the car’s horn sounded before she felt a hand grab her arm, and she was yanked back onto the sidewalk. Her footing was precariously shaken, due to the vigor of the pull on her arm and the narrow heels of her ankle boots, and so began the quick, awkward shuffling of hers and another person’s feet, in lieu of a fall, until she was stilled with her back pushed up against a department store window, one of her shopping bags on the ground and both her arms now tightly gripped as she looked into the close, alarmed gape of sepia eyes facing her. Sepia eyes that she knew.

She didn’t hear the frantically irate expletive yelled at her through the window of the passing car that had nearly hit her, nor did she notice when she dropped another bag as she stared at the young man holding her against the department store glass, the mists of their equally short and heavy breathing against the wintry air mingling between their faces. Her eyes moved almost wildly down to the man’s full lips and smoothly bearded jaw and then flew back up to meet his gaze, which she did not know had taken an especial note of the contour of her nose.

“James,” she declared in a winded murmur.

His anxious grip on her arms slackened while he eased her off of the window, but he did not let go of her. His hands slid up to her shoulders, giving them a slight squeeze, enhancing the warmth that was already enclosed inside of her wool coat and scarf, and then his hold eased downward, stopping at her wrists. She was the only one near enough to see that he jolted when the space between the end of one of her gloves and the sleeve of her coat came into view.

An unbidden sigh escaped her mouth. Recollection, unbounded by time, ensued.

Visit the Official Page for Love Unfeigned.

Nadine. A French name, meaning, "hope."

Spreading hope to her readers and listening audiences, author, editor, and speaker Nadine C. Keels of Seattle, Washington (US) is well-known for The Song of Nadine, the powerful lyrical poetry seen in four of her several books and found on her spoken word album, Hope. Lyricized. Drawing from her lifelong passion for highly enjoyable and transformational fiction, Nadine has written a number of novels and novellas, including Love Unfeigned and The Movement of Crowns Series. In response to inquiries from other aspiring authors, Nadine put together a simple reference entitled Write Your Genius, Genius! A Rather Quick Guide to Book Writing. Being the founder of Prismatic Prospects, a communication company based in Seattle, Nadine has served as editor and co-editor for a number of titles, and it is her aim to be a proven wellspring of inspiration for creativity and innovation in the marketplace.


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Release Event: Lost in Me (Here and Now #1) by Lexi Ryan

Lost In Me is the first book in the Here and Now series, a spin-off of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Hope series. This sexy amnesia love triangle is intended for mature readers.


The last thing I remember is having drinks at Brady’s and trying to avoid eye-contact with my life-long crush—the gorgeous, unattainable Maximilian Hallowell. They tell me that was a year ago, but I have no memories of anything since then. What I do have is this ring on my finger that Max says he gave me, and this much-thinner body I’ve dreamed of most of my life. Aside from a case of retrograde amnesia, everything seems almost…perfect.

But the deeper I immerse myself into this new world of mine—planning a wedding to a man I don’t remember dating, attempting to run a business I don’t remember starting—the clearer it becomes that nothing is as it seems. Do I have the life I’ve always wanted or is it a facade propped up by secrets I don’t even know I have?

I need answers before I marry Max, and the only person who seems to have them is the angry, tatted, sexy-as-sin rocker Nate Crane. And Nate wants me for himself.

Lost In Me  is not a standalone novel, as the story continues in Here and Now book two, Fall To You, releasing in June.








He’s going to expect me to have sex. I mean, of course—that only makes sense. Engaged couples have sex. I’m nervous. No, I’m terrified. No matter how many times I had sex in the last months, I don’t remember it, so I might as well still be the virgin I was at the time of my last memory.

After talking to Nate tonight, I’m not worried he’ll be bothering me or running to Max. I should be happy. My secret is safe, and I can focus on my upcoming marriage.

So why does the idea of having sex with my fiancé feel like cheating?

Pushing aside the thought, I go back to the lockers to strip out of my clothes. A towel secured under my arms, I return to the steam room and step in this time.

Sinking into a chair, I lean back and close my eyes as the heat relaxes my muscles and quiets my mind.

I drift off to sleep, and just as my dreams tug me under, my mind skates along the edge of a memory—Max and me in the gym before we started dating. I asked him to be my trainer. It’s there, a memory as clear as the ones I never lost, and I wrap myself in the comfort of it. Me. Max. No affairs. No angry rockers with broken hearts.

“Hey, sleeping beauty,” someone whispers in my ear.

My muscles are so relaxed, I don’t want to move. I stretch my arms and legs, and my towel falls to my waist as I open my eyes.

“Oh, damn, Hanna.” Max stands before me, his chest bare, a towel tied around his hips. I can’t quite make out his face in the steam, but I don’t need to see his expression to know he wants me. Desire radiates off every water molecule in the room—a breath held and waiting for release.

I extend my stretch, arching my back in a move that thrusts my breasts toward him.

“Sorry it took me longer than I expected.” His voice sounds strained as he offers his hand. “I had a new client come in just as I was trying to lock up.”

I take his hand and stand, but when I reach to grab my fallen towel, he holds me fast.

“Please don’t,” he says.

Maybe I’d be self-conscious in another setting, but here in the steam, I turn sexy and wanton under his gaze. I feel nothing but determination under the weight of the unwanted ache in my heart while talking to Nate. Determination to prove to myself that this is the man I love—no one else.

With that first recovered memory in my grasp, I’m hopeful for the first time in days. I drop my gaze to his towel and arch a brow. “I sense a double standard.”

He groans and drops his mouth to mine. His kiss is long and slow and thorough. He tastes like cinnamon gum and strokes his tongue against mine as he cups my breast in his hand.

“I believe it’s my turn to touch you,” he whispers against my lips. His thumb rolls over my nipple in the slow, sensuous motion of a man who plans to take his time. “And touching you in here ranks high on my list of fantasies.”

I curl my nails into his back and nip at his bottom lip. Because I don’t want him to take his time. I want him to touch me and kiss me until I’ve forgotten the sound of Nate’s voice, until I’m so sure of our love and our future that my anxiety fades.

With his free hand, Max cups my other breast and treats it to the same slow torture.

“Max,” I whimper, arching toward him, wanting more.

“How was the party?”

“What?”

His lips curl into a smile. “God, I love that I can make you lose your mind like that.”

I slide my hands into his hair. “You can. You do.”

Trailing kisses down my neck and over my collarbone, he makes his way to my breast and opens his mouth over my nipple. Slow, steady, achingly meticulous, he circles it with his tongue before pulling it into his mouth. My breasts grow heavier with every stroke of his tongue, the ache between my thighs more insistent. The steam has set my senses on fire, and the brush of his knuckles down my side is as thrilling as the first time a boy went up my shirt.

Just when I think I’m going to have to beg for more, he takes my nipple into his mouth and sucks—long and hard. My knees go weak and he has to hold me tight as I slip in his arms.

“Come over here,” he murmurs. He leads me to the tiered benches and takes a seat on the bottom row. His erection is thick and tall under the towel, but when I reach to uncover it, he stops my hand. “Leave it. You tempt me too much.”

“But I like touching you,” I object.

“You like making me lose my mind.”

A giggle slips from my lips. “It’s a nice feeling.”

“Come here.” He tugs me forward until I’m straddling him, the hard length of his cock needy and glorious between my legs. As he returns his mouth to my breasts, sucking and licking in turn, I rock against him. My thighs squeeze him as the sensation of his mouth on my breasts mixes with the pressure of his erection through the towel.

His hands slide around me and over my ass, kneading the flesh of my cheeks as his mouth works at my breasts.

Whimpering, I arch my back and shift my hips just so, and suddenly pleasure snaps through me like a whip. My hips want to rock, to circle, to grind against his length, but I force them to still.

“Move against me,” he commands. “I want to feel you move.”

The friction of the towel against my swollen clit is almost too much, almost uncomfortable, but it’s a good kind of discomfort, and his cock swells bigger and more insistent between my thighs. I don’t know if I could stop if I wanted to. Unless it was for something different. Something more. How easy would it be for him to move this towel and slide into me right now? My fear is gone, replaced by red-hot aching need.







Anna Nalick—Breathe (2am)Barenaked Ladies—Odds AreDave Matthews Band—The Space BetweenMatchbox Twenty—If You’re GoneShakira, Rihanna—Can’t Remember to Forget YouSarah Bareilles—I Choose YouJason Mraz—I Won’t Give UpNine Inch Nails—Something I Can Never HaveA Great Big World—Say SomethingP.M. Dawn—I’d Die Without YouJason Walker—Down Macy Gray—I Try
James Blunt—You’re Beautiful 


Once a college English professor, I now write full time. I live in rural Indiana, where, when I’m not writing, I get to hang out with my husband and two kids–a six-year-old boy and a two-year-old hellion, er, girl. Not surprisingly, reading and writing remain my favorite activities, though both come in bits and pieces these days, not the big hunks of time I enjoyed before I had children. When I’m feeling virtuous, I like to go running (I use that word liberally. I’m really, really slow) or do yoga. Don’t worry, I’m always careful to balance out such activities with a hearty serving of ice cream or a chocolate martini.



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Cover and Synopsis Reveal: Freed (Unlovable #2) by Lynetta Halat

Freed by Lynetta Halat is book #2 in the Unlovable series and today we bring you both the cover and synopsis.

Title: Freed (Unlovable, #2)Author: Lynetta HalatRelease date: April 5, 2014Genre: New Adult / Contemporary RomanceSeries: Freed is the conclusion to the Used storyline.Cover Designer: Sommer Stein at Perfect Pear Creative DesignPhotographer: Toski Covey Photography

Truth. Pain. Freedom.

An awakening like no other.

When life is determined to buck you off, dig in and ride hard.

The bull. The most dangerous lies are the ones we tell ourselves. To survive, I have to face the truth. Easier said than done when it’s not all black and white. There’s the in-between, and this murky void is where I always tend to land.

The horns. Lies don’t always hurt. My lies protected me, but when they are exposed and I can no longer outrun the many shades of truth, I’ll be in for one hell of a reckoning.

The ride. From the outside, my life looks like one big adventure after another. But, there is no freedom in anarchy, and that’s the way I’ve lived my life. Until now. Until Ransom.

Denver Dempsey was a slut for oblivion. Now, she’s a slut for love. And it’s that kind of thinking that got her in trouble in the first place. Ransom awakens Denver in ways she never imagined, but when her true feelings send her reeling, will they catapult her into the arms of Greer—her ex best-friend-with-benefits? After never loving anyone, herself included, she now loves two. One kept her alive. One teaches her how to live. If they didn’t both love her … if hearts weren’t bound to be broken, it would be the stuff dreams are made of.

Will Denver remain locked up in the bullpen, or is she strong enough to open the chute and be freed?




“Tell me what you feel,” he demands.

My mouth’s gone completely dry, so I have to swallow hard and wet my lips before I can speak. Even then, I don’t know how I manage, “I feel … good.”

“Good?” The smile in his voice burns so bright I can see it through my blindfold. “You can do better than … good.”

I search my feeble mind, grasping at words that will please him. I am nothing if I can’t please him. He’s made damn sure of it. “Your voice scratches across my skin like charcoal, and I am only what you sketch me to be. Your scent wraps around me like a winter’s night, making me long for the blanket of your skin, yet my body blazes from your withheld touch.”

“Very good,” he praises.

I imagine him standing over me, gazing down on me like he owns me because he does. He’s shirtless in only his faded button fly Wranglers. His dark skin glistening from the sweat of exertion, excitement dancing in his eyes like rays of sunlight on the sea, and his full lips beckoning me to kiss him. I squirm as much as I’m able. “I wish I could see you.”

“All in good time, little fighter,” he soothes. “You’re doing so well.”

Suddenly, his lips hover over mine, but I know better than to close the distance. “Kiss me,” he commands.

Hmm … my pleasure …





Since the dawn of time, Lynetta Halat has lived to read and has written innumerable stories and plays. A lover of good books, bad boys, and kickass tunes, she'd always dreamt of penning books that people could connect with and remember. She also has a secret penchant for wringing the emotions out of unsuspecting readers, and she collects reader's tears in much the same way that wine connoisseurs collect their favorite vintage.

Her first novel, Every Rose, was the perfect catalyst to launch her into the world of publishing, effectively burrowing her way into the hearts and minds of readers throughout the world. She followed that with Everything I've Never Had, her bestselling adult romance novel. Now, she has penned Used and Freed, New Adult Romances that she hopes sinks their teeth into you and don't let go.

Her love of the English language prompted her to pursue a Master's degree in English from Old Dominion University in Virginia, where she also minored in snark and interpretive dance. She lives somewhere along the Mississippi Gulf Coast with her adorable husband, two amazing sons, and two loveable dogs. When she's not writing riveting stories, she likes to focus on her macramé art and her scouring of eBay, where she buys locks of hair from her favorite rock stars, most especially Bret Michaels and Dave Grohl.



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Cover Reveal: Eraser: Blue (Eraser Volume 2) by Megan Keith

I'm so excited for the second installment in this H.O.T. series.  Sir is beyond perfect and I'm really hoping we'll get to find out his name ... but for now we have to be content with the cover ... here it is ...

Book Title: Eraser: Blue (Eraser, volume two)Author: Megan KeithGenre: EroticaExpected Release Date: April 18, 2014Cover Designed by: Kari Ayasha at Cover to Cover Designs





He was mysterious, brooding and sexy.She was his for only one night.It was a night she would never forget.His rules have changed.Now he’s back. He’s staking his claim.He is done with waiting.He is the powerful drug that Mackenzie craves.She wants more - wants him - whoever he is...∞
NOTE:  This novella picks up right where the first one ended, you need to read that first.



∞Haven’t read Eraser yet?  Get volume one for only 99c!
Synopsis:
A man with no name.Mysterious.Dangerous.Brooding.Sexy.Once a week he frequents the bar where Mackenzie works.  He orders the same drink, scotch on the rocks, and he sits back on the same lounge chair, quietly watching… waiting…He has money - that much is obvious.  He wears his tailored suits well.  He smells divine, of expensive cologne, and orders his scotch from the top shelf.He drinks alone, but he never leaves that way.  With a snap of his fingers, a flick of his eyes, a glimmer of a smile, he gets the attention of the most attractive women in the bar.This time his focus is on Mackenzie.  Instead of feeling nervous Mackenzie is enthralled, intrigued…
and aroused.
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Release Day Launch: Business As Usual by Denise Grover Swank

Title: Business As UsualSeries: Off the Subject #3Genre: New Adult Contemporary RomancePublish Date: April 10, 2014Organised by: InkSlinger PR

Lexi Pendergraft has given up on finding love after a disastrous encounter with her last boyfriend. Instead, she's determined to help her brother Reed—who gave up everything to give her a chance at a semi-normal college experience after her rape a year ago. Reed has a secret he's keeping from Lexi and his fiancee Caroline, and he refuses to tell them what it's about, even when it's destroying his relationship with Caroline.

Ben Masterson is determined to make it through his final semester of his senior year at Southern University, suffering from sleep deprivation and exhaustion while trying to keep up with his courses and working three part time jobs after losing his full ride scholarship last fall. The last thing he needs is Reed Pendergrafts's little sister complicating things. Yet Ben can't get her off his mind, especially when he realizes that she keeps turning up in a black wig where he bar tends. Lexi's determined to keep her real identity from him, the question is why?



The song ends and I look across the room, hatred filling every pore of my body for the person who’s putting Alexa through this charade. Tina’s watching us with amusement. I look down into Alexa’s face and she steps away from me. Our song is done. Our commitment is up.

Only I’m not ready to let her go yet. Maybe I can save her at least part of her embarrassment.

I cradle her cheeks and stare into her eyes, looking for any sign that she finds my touch revolting. But her breath comes in short bursts and her pupils are dilated. My thumb strokes her right cheek bone, and it amazes me how smooth her skin is. I should stop prolonging my torture, but I don’t want to hurry this moment. I want to sear it into my brain.

I lower my face to hers and her mouth parts in anticipation. Our lips touch lightly and I run my tongue along her upper lip. Her hands return to my shoulders as she takes a step closer, pressing her chest to mine, her mouth parting as she sighs. My tongue accepts the invitation, twining with hers.

Her arms tighten around my neck and I slide a hand behind her head. Blood rushes to my groin and the way she’s pressed against me, she has to know I’m getting a hard-on, yet she doesn’t step away. She presses closer instead.

Still, I take my time with the kiss, making it last. I want more, so much more, but we’re on a dance floor, surrounded by at least thirty people, being watched intently by a group of perverts in the corner. I want to keep this pure. I want to take the thing Tina meant as a punishment for Alexa and turn it into something meaningful. At least for me. But the way Alexa clings to me tells me the experience has power for her too, even if it’s just because she’s sacrificing herself for some other guy.

I finally lift my head and stare into her lust-filled eyes and I want to curse the gods who put her in my path only to take her away.

“Thank you,” she breathes out with a sigh.

“Do think that was enough to appease her?”

Her eyes cloud with momentary confusion. “Oh…yeah.”

“If it’s not, I want you to promise me that you’ll ask me for help.” I sound like a pervert myself, but the thought of someone like Tattoo Guy pawing her nauseates me.

She seems to understand my intention because she gives me a grateful look. Tears fill her eyes. “Thank you.”

I want to kiss her again, to take her out the back door and away from Tina and her vile crew, but that’s not what Alexa wants. I step back and interweave my fingers with hers. It takes every ounce of fortitude in my body to take her back to that table. When we get there, I pull out her chair to show this table full of disgusting low-lifes how to treat a woman.

Tina claps her hands. “I think there might be hope for you two yet.” She waggles her eyebrows at Alexa, then looks up at me. “I told you Reed’s—”

Alexa leans forward, her eyes wild. “I think I need another drink.”

I stare at her in disbelief. She’s trying to interrupt Tina because she thinks I don’t know who she really is—Alexa Pendergraft, baby sister to that asshole Reed Pendergraft. And with a sigh, I realize it’s better this way, all around, because I would throw everything away to get one shot with this girl.



New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.

You can find out more about Denise and her other books at: www.denisegroverswank.com.


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Cover Reveal: Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2) by Aly Martinez

Today we get to bring you the cover for Stolen Course book 2 in the Wrecked and Ruined series by Aly Martinez.  If you're a fan of tattoos and muscles you're going to love this one ... but don't take my word for it, see for yourself!!


Title: Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2)Author: Aly MartinezRelease Date: May 21, 2014Genre: New Adult RomanceCover Design: Book Covers by Ashbee Designs


I fell in love with Manda Baker eight years ago, and I loved her to the core of her soul. We were supposed to have that elusive happily ever after and spend a lifetime together. But that was all before she was STOLEN from me.

Her best friend, Sarah Erickson, killed her. It wasn’t intentional. It was far worse. Everyone claims it was just an accident, but I can see through the lies. Even if it’s with my dying breath, I will make her pay for what she did.

Fate hates me. It robbed me of my first love and left me to navigate through this world emotionless and numb. Then, one day, spiteful fate gave me a woman to fill my shattered soul and make me feel again. It gave me Emma Jane Erickson. Now I spend my days searching for the answers that will ruin Sarah and my nights falling in love with her sister—the one person who is bound and determined to save her.

But what happens when everything you know to be true explodes around you? Who will be left to pick up the pieces, and who will need to be saved from the wreckage?




 “Oh, God. Please, not Manda.” 
Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in Chicago, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.



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Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1) 

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I met Sarah Kate Erickson when I was twenty-one years old. I was lucky enough to keep her for seven years before a tragic accident stole her from me. She didn’t die, but sometimes I think it would have been easier if she had.

I lived in a haze for those four years after the accident. Catering to her every need, even though she hated the very sight of my face. I tried to hold on to her and the future that we were supposed to build together. But you can’t hold on to someone that doesn’t exist anymore.

It wasn’t until I met Jesse Addison, a barista at the local coffee shop, that I realized I didn’t just lose Sarah that tragic night, I lost myself as well. Jesse taught me how to let go of the past and learn to love again. But what happens when your past haunts your present and the woman you used to love refuses to accept the woman you can’t live without?

**Intended for readers 18+. Each book in this series can be read as a standalone.**


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