B.L. Blair's Blog, page 75

My Blood Runs Blue by Stacy Eaton

   Blurb:“I’m still a cop, and my blood runs blue.” Officer Kristin Greene has always felt that something was missing from her life. Even though her job with the Fawn Hollow Township Police Department keeps her busy, she continues to feel as if there is something else out there she is meant to be doing. Kristin finds herself investigating a homicide where a young woman has had her throat ripped brutally out. As she begins to dig for the answers, she finds herself thrown into a world she never knew existed. When Julian and Alexander crash into her life, she finds herself being pulled into a love triangle that has been going on longer than she has been alive. Kristin in determine to figure out who they are and why they keep calling her Calista. Join Kristin as she fights to learn the truth about the recent murder, the two seductive men who have entered into her life and the real truth about herself in a suspenseful tale that weaves paranormal into to the realistic world of law enforcement. Excerpt:“Julian, if you want someone else to go after him, I can send Gabe—” he started to say.   “No, Alexander, I can do this alone. I want him. I need to finish this myself,” I was quick to reply.   “You’re taking this personally, Jules.” He put his hand up to stop me when I would have interrupted. “You know it is better to not have a personal attachment to your assignment. I have allowed you to stay on this case because I know how good you are and how focused you can be. I also figure that maybe your close attachment to him might help you find him, to allow us to finally grieve and move on.” He looked down at his desk, knowing he had made a mistake in his words as he fingered the expensive pen in his hand.   I caught the “us” in there. Yeah, you loved her, too. But she chose me.   I couldn’t repress the sigh as I looked down at the beautifully hand-sewn Oriental rug at my feet, not really seeing it, but noticing its bright reds and blues, the same colors that were swirling around in my mind. Red for hatred and blue for the loss I had suffered. I was taking it personally, I knew that, but I would not allow any other warrior to find Damon and take him to the other world. This would be my vengeance, and mine alone.   I looked back up at him with that heated emotion stark in my expression as he continued.   He tried to redeem his words, and I almost laughed. “We cannot allow Damon to keep up with this behavior. Killing our females and children is not what we are about. If he continues, our race will end.”   “Master, I know it is not. I will be fine; I can distance myself from the attachment. You, of all people, know that,” I said calmly.   “Fine, so be it, but Gabriel is going with you this time,” he said, with a flick of his hand.   “You don’t need to send a babysitter with me, Alexander,” I retorted, as anger bubbled under my skin.   He regarded me with a quick tight-lipped expression which told me he was about to lose his cool. “It is not to watch over you, Julian. It is to assist you.”  Buy Links:Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Runs-Blue-Stacy-Eaton-ebook/dp/B00QXRCOYEBarnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-blood-runs-blue-stacy-eaton/1100455039?ean=9780985758417 About the Author:Stacy Eaton has been a full-time police officer since 2000. Her current assignment is as Detective of her small town department. She enjoys crime scene investigation; taking a passion in putting the pieces together to figure out the crime. She is also a business owner where she helps people get the awareness out for the causes they care most about. She is a mother of two, a son proudly serving in the United States Navy and a young daughter. Her husband is also in law enforcement. She is very much into photography and carries her Nikon Digital SLR with her almost everywhere, just in case. Website: http://www.StacyEaton.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacy-Eaton/191880767522183Twitter: https://twitter.com/StacySEaton 

Bad for Me by Codi Gary #BFMBlast

All she has to do is take a chance...







Publication Date: April 6, 2015Genre: Contemporary RomanceCallie Jacobsen isn't about to open her heart to just anyone. Not so very long ago, trusting someone changed her life forever—and not in a fun way. Now she's better off focusing on her career, her friends, and her dog. So when former Marine Everett Silverton takes an interest in her, Callie's more than a little wary. No matter how charming he is, men are a bad idea. In fact, she's got the scars to prove it. But Everett isn't convinced Callie should shut everyone out—especially not him. He may be a hero to the people of Rock Canyon, but he's got his own demons, and he bets they're not that different from Callie's. Still, he knows it's going to take more than chemistry to get her to let her guard down. Everett will do whatever it takes to show her she's safe with him. All she has to do is take a chance, take a step … and take his hand. Excerpt:“Looks like you could use a hand.”“Son of a bitch!” Surprised, Callie spun around from her kneeling position so fast that she fell over, landing in the softening muck with a splat. She’d been too busy cursing the shredded tire and the pouring rain to hear Everett behind her until he spoke.Callie shook her mud-covered hands and was sure she heard a snort of laughter from Everett over the pouring rain and Ratchet’s muffled barking inside the Jeep.“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that sneaking up on someone is rude?” Callie glared up at Everett, who was holding his hands down to her. Even though he wasn’t smiling, she’d have to be blind not to catch the amused gleam in his eyes.Jackass.Ignoring his offer of assistance, she climbed to her feet, but her bruised pride earned her even more mud as her jeans were soaked through. She tried to wipe off the muck, but it just smeared.“They have, which is why I didn’t sneak; I walked. I saw you huddled over and figured I could help.”“Thanks, but I’ve got this,” she said.Thunder erupted over their heads, and Callie felt like the sky was laughing at her too.“You sure? You’re shivering like crazy, and I can have this changed in under four minutes. I’ll have you know I hold the Silverton family record for fastest tire change.” Lightning lit up the sky, highlighting his cheeky grin. “And I’ve been told more than once that I’m good with my hands.”She didn’t want to smile at his gentle teasing, but she was cold and miserable, and he was offering her a way out. “I was just going to call triple A for a tow—”“It will be faster if I just change it; believe me. Here.” Everett reached around her and opened the door to the Jeep. “Hop in, and I’ll grab the spare from the back.”Callie’s face burned with embarrassment. “It’s not there.”“What?”“I meant to buy another one, but these suckers aren’t cheap and I just . . . I never got around to it.” She leaned her head against the door, laughing humorlessly. “Pretty stupid, huh?”“Well, yeah, but there’s no use in me lecturing you when you already know.”Callie glanced at him sharply. “Thanks a lot, Dad.”“Come on; I’ll take you to Jose’s Tires, and we’ll get you a new one.”“I told you; I can’t afford it right now—”“I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”“Um, no. I don’t like being in anyone’s debt.” She squirmed under his thoughtful gaze and added, “Thank you, but I must decline.”“Well, I must insist. You can’t just sit here on the side of the road until payday, and triple A will ding you for using one of your get-out-of-trouble calls.” Another crack of thunder shook the sky. “Look, I get it. You don’t know me from Adam, but I can get you over to Jose’s and get you a line of emergency credit. That way, you won’t owe me anything, and I don’t have to stand out in the rain. Sound fair?”Her insides churned, and she cursed. If she’d just gotten a new spare when she’d bought her last set, she wouldn’t be sitting in the rain at the mercy of a large former marine.Who you can’t seem to get out of your head.And now she was about to get into a car with him and have to make small talk. What if he started flirting with ideas that she was interested in him as anything more than an acquaintance?Why? Because you actually feel something for him, unlike every other guy since Tristan? You gotta start to move on sometime.But moving on meant putting her trust in another man, and she wasn’t sure she could ever make that mistake again.“Okay,” Everett said. “I really don’t want to stand out in the rain while you debate whether or not I’m some dirt bag trying to scam you, so how about I run up to Jose’s, get the tire, and come back?”He was giving her an out and still offering to help her. If she was smart, she would take him up on the offer and climb up into the safety of her Jeep, away from him and his warm brown eyes. He’s Fred’s son, and everyone says he’s honorable. It’s not like you’re driving to Mexico. It’s right up the road. He didn’t even have to stop—most people wouldn’t have.“Wait,” she said when he started to turn away. Grabbing Ratchet’s leash and her purse from inside her car, she ignored the voices in her head. “We’re coming.” 
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An obsessive bookworm, Codi Gary likes to write sexy small-town contemporary romances with humor, grand gestures, and blush-worthy moments. When she's not writing, she can be found reading her favorite authors, squealing over her must-watch shows, and playing with her children. She lives in Idaho with her family.
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Chasing the Other Tisdale by Jessica Jefferson

  Blurb: She’s the other sister…
  Overshadowed by the beauty of her older sister, Lillian is better known as the other Tisdale; unremarkable and unsure how she will ever deliver on the promise of her family's name. 
  He’s a rake in need of reforming… 
  Will Colton leads a frivolous existence, embracing notoriety instead of managing his family’s fortune. Determined to forget his financial burden and his father’s growing resentment, he maintains a lifestyle dedicated to pleasure and self-indulgence. When Will is invited to the Tisdale estate for an extended holiday, he never expects to become friends with the forgettable Lillian. But when a family secret comes to light, he must choose between leaving London and protecting the honor of one woman or staying and risking the reputation of another. 
  Upon his return, Will finds the girl he left behind has come out of the shadows and into her own. Lillian’s finally the center of attention, and not all of it good. With his own reputation in tatters, can a reformed rake lure her out of the hands of London's bachelors and back into his own arms? Can he escape his past and reclaim her heart, or has he lost her forever?
 Excerpt:
Her stomach rumbled. Lilly wrapped a knitted throw around her shoulders and left her room in search of food. She padded quietly down the hall, careful not to wake her sisters as she passed each of their rooms. 

The kitchen was deserted except for a faint glow from the hearth. There were some oatmeal cakes under a glass dome on the largest work bench at the center of the room. She helped herself to one, then poured herself a glass of buttermilk to help wash it down. 
 
“What kind of cakes are those?” 
  She startled, the sound of the voice causing her to drop the glass. It shattered against the stone, sending buttermilk splattering across the floor. 
  “Mr. Colton?” 
  He smiled lazily. “It would appear this time you’ve found my hiding spot.” 
  Lilly pulled the wrap tighter around her shoulders, suddenly aware that she was wearing only her robe and nightclothes. “So it would seem.” 
  “I’ll help you clean that up,” he said, standing up from his own stool. He faltered a little, one of his legs giving way out from under him. He clasped the side of the wood bench, saving himself from a less than elegant tumble. 
  It was then that she smelled the strong odor of whiskey. “Mr. Colton, have you been imbibing?” 
  He grinned, his eyelids heavy. “Yes, I have. But a more telling question would be, am I drunk?” 
  She steadied her own self against the bench. “Well, are you?” 
  “Almost,” he said. Then he winked. 
  “You stay there,” she commanded, taking an old cloth from a bucket by the hearth. “You don’t appear as if you’d be much help, given your current state.” Lilly started to pick up the broken pieces of glass from the floor, aware of his gaze on her. Self-consciously, she finished wiping up the mess and returned the rag back to its bucket. 
  “I suppose I’ll head back to my room now,” she said, her voice wavering slightly. There was something particularly unnerving about being alone with a man deep in his cups ... and at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a bit excited by the prospect. 
  “Don’t go,” he said, propping an elbow on the table and setting his cheek in his hand. “You haven’t touched your cake.” 
  She looked down at the cake, her appetite replaced with anxiety. “I suppose I’m not as hungry as I thought.” 
  He patted the table. “Then give me the cake and just stay and talk with me.” 
  “If my sister finds you ...” She could only imagine the trouble she’d be in if Ambrosia were to find her sharing midnight oat cakes with a scoundrel like Will Colton. 
  He shook his head. “She won’t. Just one cake, then I swear I’ll go back to my room like a good boy.”
  Lilly looked around the room, then perched herself on the edge of the stool. “One cake, then straight to your room with you. Ambrosia won’t take kindly to you wandering about the house in your condition.” 
  He eagerly reached out, snatching the cake off her plate. “These are quite good.” 
  She nodded. “Cook’s oatmeal cakes are the reason Thomas comes home so often.” 
  Lilly watched him eagerly devour the treat, then lick each one of his fingers, making small noises of gratification. 
  It was the single most sensual thing she’d ever witnessed in her life.
 About the Author:
Jessica Jefferson makes her home in northern Indiana, or as she likes to think of it—almost Chicago.  She is heavily inspired by classic sweeping, historical romance novels, but aims to take those key emotional elements and inject a fresh blend of quick dialogue and comedy.  She invites you to visit her at jessicajefferson.com and read more of her random romance musings.
Links and social media: http://www.JessicaJefferson.comhttp://www.embracingromance.comhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Jefferson/545243542195152 https://twitter.com/authorJessicaJ/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7376474.Jessica_Jefferson http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Jefferson/e/B00GI20W2K
Chasing the Other Tisdale, Compromising Miss Tisdale and Taming Miss Tisdale from Soul Mate Publishing, available now on Amazon!
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March 2015 Giveaway

This month's giveaway is a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card.  Enter each day for more chances to win.    a Rafflecopter giveaway

Trailer for Dead in a Dumpster

Dead in a Dumpster: Leah Norwood Mystery #1
 

Trust by Tim Mettey

Nicholas Keller has come to terms with his Thusian heritage and has finally achieved some normalcy in his life. But when new neighbors move in next door at the beginning of his junior year, everything changes. He is launched into an impossible search, uncertain of who to trust, and this time it’s not just his own life that hangs in the balance—it’s the lives of countless others and everyone he loves.
 
Excerpt:
It had been nearly three months since I was told that I was part of an ancient group called the Thusians, the secret guardians of mankind destined to sacrifice our lives at any given time. I would have thought that after finding this out everything would have become really complicated for me, but it hadn’t. It was nice and quiet.
Everything I went through to get to this point was worth it, because now I had Elle. I still couldn’t believe how such a wonderful, amazing girl ended up with me. We were inseparable during the summer. Unfortunately now I was keeping more secrets from her. It was for her protection, but I still hated it.
Elle and I were lying in my front yard under the shade of the towering oak trees, enjoying each other’s company like we had done most of the summer.
“Nicholas, what’s wrong?” Elle asked for the hundredth time.
“Sorry, I’m just preoccupied today.”
“It’s okay. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t me.”
How could it be her? She was nothing but wonderful, my reason for living.
“Elle, it’s not you. You know that. I’m just thinking about the last interview I did. It wasn’t very good.”
Last year when I confronted the mob of reporters at the school’s entrance, I told them if they would leave me alone I would do interviews. To my dismay, Cora, my aunt and guardian, made sure I did every interview they requested. It had now become the thing I dreaded most. I had to relive the worst day of my life, the 10-10 Earthquake, like it was some recurring nightmare from which I couldn’t wake up.
“Sorry, Nicholas, I know how much you hate doing interviews, but at least that was your last one until next summer.”
In addition to me only doing interviews in the summer, Cora had told the media that I would only answer questions over the phone. She also required that they never say where I live or where I go to school, even though they were camped outside of my school last year telling the world all of that information. Cora thought, better safe than sorry.
Cora had even talked to Ester Theasing, the head of the Thusian Council and a friend of ours, about doing the interviews to make sure it was safe for me because of Xavier and the Seekers who were trying to eliminate me and any other Thusians. Ester didn’t have a problem with it.
Chase Letterby started visiting us more midway through the summer. After the attack last year he left as soon as his doctor talents were no longer needed. No one had heard from him for a while. Even his regular TV appearances had stopped. But as more time passed during the summer, he started to frequent our house again. Cora didn’t seem to mind his company, despite his countless attempts to get her to go out with him. He was fixed on the one woman he couldn’t have, Cora.
Elle and I continued to lie beneath the trees. She went back to reading her book while rubbing my head. Her hand moved slowly through my hair, making me forget all of my worries. With every pass, a wave of relief went through me. I had positioned myself on her lap facing our driveway, so I could watch my new obsession. A large house was being built next door. It was hard to believe that the lot had been completely wooded just a month ago, and now the house looked close to being completed. Cora was not happy about the new house and the new neighbors that came with it. She still wanted our privacy, and the trees surrounding us had given us ample protection, but now they were gone. She even tried to buy the lot, but it had been sold exactly a week after we moved in last year.
The workers swarmed over the site like ants working hard on their hill. It was amazing to see such a large home being built so quickly. For some strange reason it was fascinating to me. I had no interest in design or architecture, but it still captivated my attention.
Cora and I had been in five different houses in six years, but never a brand new house—one freshly built just for us. Our new neighbors were about to get the fresh start I had wanted after the earthquake, but never got. Maybe that was the reason for my obsession.
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00FJ5PAQK
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trust-tim-mettey/1119720888?ean=2940046002942
Other: www.timmettey.com

About the Author:
Tim Mettey serves as CEO and Disaster Relief Coordinator at Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian and disaster relief organization. Tim uses his many experiences and expertise in responding to disasters around the world to set the background for his The Hero Chronicle series. Tim struggles with and has overcome his learning disabilities with reading and writing to create this series, and hopes his journey can be an inspiration to others. He says, “Our disabilities do not define who we are, they make us stronger.”

Website: www.timmettey.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tim.mettey
Twitter: @TimMettey
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/timmettey/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6562334

Ariel by Donna McDonald

ParanormalDate Published: February 16, 2015


Despite her sharp scientific mind and her degree in bio-molecular genetics, Dr. Ariel Jones hasn’t figured out how her life changed so much in a single day. Before she can blink and ask about what is going on, she’s being shot with a billion nanos and some very potent wolf blood.
Now she can suddenly turn into a giant white wolf with the bloodlust of a starving animal. And she’s an alpha wolf…or so she is told by the even larger, very male, black wolf who was used to create her. Hallucination? She wishes. Whether human or wolf, Reed talks in her head and tells her how to handle things…or rather how to kill them…starting with the men who hold them all captive. Too bad he can’t tell her how to put her life back like it was.
Admittedly, there are perks to being a werewolf, such as meeting sexy werewolf guys like Matthew Gray Wolf. It’s not like the science labs were overrun with sexy men in white coats. She also doesn’t mind learning about a side of herself she never knew existed. It's great changing into a real wolf whenever she wants, but being a living experiment wasn’t part of the scientific career she’d planned for herself. Neither was falling for the local werewolf alpha, but what else is a newbie werewolf caught in her burning time going to do?




EXCERPT
Ariel shook with cold as she came up out of a deep, drugged sleep. Naked and shivering, she determined that she was lying on a small cot.
As she struggled to open her eyes, she could just barely make out the forms of Dr. Crane and his white-coated asswipe of an assistant. They were staring into the cages where they’d stashed the other two women who had been captured alongside her. There was a bunch of growling and hissing which kept getting louder as the men talked.
Dr. Crane looked extremely pleased with whatever was happening. The knowledge pissed her off, but her dark thoughts of doing vicious and hideously cruel things to both men surprised her.
Ariel lifted a pale hand in front of her face, which blurred out of focus, but finally came back in. So far, nothing overly unusual had happened to her body, unless you counted the sick headache she had at the moment. She felt strange though—very strange. Her stomach growled with fierce hunger and there was a steady fire burning between her legs. Those two white-coated bastards had better not have touched her. If they did, she was cutting off their man parts and throwing them in the recycler. Later, when she was more alert, she promised herself she would check her body closer.
A loud clanging against the bars of her cage had her covering her ears. Sound—all sound—hurt terribly and increased her headache. A percussion band played in her head as she fought the pain.
“I’m afraid your doctoral thesis is now a complete failure, Dr. Jones. Apparently, the metamorphosis strand is a deterrent to transpecies mutation as well as being something to shorten a person’s life. Now I have to decide what to do about you. We can’t just turn you loose in society and have you telling everyone what we’re up to here. You were certainly a waste of a couple billion very expensive nanos we can’t get back. Sadly, you’ve become the only failure case, rather than the pinnacle of our success.”
It took her a lot of effort, but Ariel finally managed to manipulate her hand enough to get her middle finger to stand up alone. Crane’s laugh at her silent rebellion grated on every nerve she had, not to mention how much his voice hurt her ears.
“When I get out of here, I may kill you just to watch you hurt,” Ariel croaked, her mouth dry as dust.
Crane laughed harder and walked away. At his departure, the growling and hissing in the cages next to her ceased. When the room was totally silent once more, she drifted back into a peaceful oblivion where she could pretend nothing had happened.
***
Dr. Jones—Ariel. Wake now, but do not shift. Wake in human form. Think of yourself as human and you will be one.
Ariel rolled to her side on the canvas cot and tried to pull the scratchy cover she’d found over her naked body. Even with her knees scrunched up, it was far too short. She covered her eyes with a hand as she fought off the nightmares which were now continuously talking to her. There must have been hallucinogens in what they gave her.
I am not a hallucination. I am Reed—a three hundred year old alpha. You are a two day old version. It is very wise of your wolf to hide itself from those who seek to harm you.
Ariel groaned and rolled to the other side. “Head hurts. Stop talking to me.”
I know you are in pain, but you must fight off the drugs now. Crane returns soon. He is planning to move you to another facility and dissect your body to find out why conversion failed with you. They have identified another experiment victim and she arrives tomorrow. You must rescue the others and kill Crane before he can turn more.
“Kill Crane? Sure. I’d love to do that,” she repeated, covering her eyes with her hands.
Yes. I regret the extremeness of the step, but Roger Crane must not be allowed to continue his work. You will have to destroy the lab as well. Accidents happen all the time in Alaska. I doubt Feldspar Research will fund any other scientist if we completely destroy the proof of Crane’s success.
“O—K.” she said groggily, working her body into an upright position. Sitting up hurt as much as anything else did. “And I thought my divorce was traumatic. Either my nightmares are getting bossy or I’m hearing real voices in my head.”
Putting a hand up to her head, she rubbed the base of her skull where they had shot something into her brain stem.
“Hey nightmare, since we’re on a speaking basis, do you know what the hell Crazy Crane shot me with in the back of my head?”
My blood—I believe. He took it at the pinnacle of my wolf’s lunar cycle. Since I was already in my wolf form when he caught me, hitting the lunar pinnacle was evidently strong enough to cause a species turning. I had heard the legends, but human turnings have not been done since the middle ages. Packs prefer to propagate organically. Unfortunately, Crane found a way to take the choice from me.
Ariel laughed. Her intuition spoke to her all the time, but it usually didn’t announce she was a wolf in human form. “Hey Nightmare, are we going to keep talking in my head?”
Yes. I am your alpha. You are an alpha in training. So yes—we will talk in your head—until we can do so differently. I cannot shift from my wolf until the bullets and collar are removed from me. Silver has a restraining effect.
“Being shot with your blood doesn’t make you my dad or anything, does it?” Ariel could have swore her nightmare wolf tried to laugh. He huffed like a dog doing it.
No. But it does make you my responsibility until you take a mate who can look out for you. Being part of a pack is like having a large family. I think you might like it once you understand it.
Ariel snorted. “So I’m an alpha. Does being alpha mean you’re top dog or something?”
We are canis lupis, not dogs. Alaska is home to more than eleven thousand wolves. More than half are what humans call werewolves. This is what you have become, Ariel Jones. You are now both human and wolf, as are the other two females. They are your charges and the first of your pack. They are your responsibility and will look to you for guidance on how to adjust to their new lives.
His comments—which she was starting to believe weren’t just voices in her head—had Ariel standing on wobbly legs and walking to the bars of her prison. In the cages next to hers, two multi-colored wolves paced restlessly. They were less than half the size of the black wolf, but still real enough to convince her she wasn’t just having a nightmare. Oh no—she was living one.
“Brandi. Heidi. Relax. We’re going to escape. I promise.” When both multi-colored wolves sat and turned to her expectantly, Ariel shook her head. She knew their names and could command their obedience. Though she’d never been a person given to swearing, there were no normal words to express the enormity of her shock. Was she truly going to one day be a wolf as well?
“Un—fucking—believable,” she whispered. She turned her head until she saw the edge of the giant black wolf as he leaned against one side of his cage. “Reed? Is the giant black wolf you?”
Yes, Ariel. The giant black wolf is me. You should see the alpha of the Wasilla Pack. Matt’s wolf is even bigger.
She felt like peeing herself when the black wolf turned his head and met her gaze like a human would during a conversation. He had the greenest eyes she’d ever seen on a man or animal. They were filled with a kind of determination she’d never felt before, but had a feeling she was about to get an education in it.
Crane returns. I know it is him. His stench will haunt me for the next hundred years of my life.
“Okay. I’m wide awake now and mostly willing to believe you,” she said, hoping all three wolves understood she was working her way to acceptance as fast as she could. She went back to her cot and huddled under the short cover. “Hey Reed, did I get bigger or something?”
Yes. And you are strong enough to kill the men who will be trying to kill you. You have to try, Ariel. It is important to me that you and the other women survive. When they open the cage to take you out of it, call your wolf to help. She will be more than happy to answer. I’ve been helping you hold her back until the time was right.
“My mind is having a hell of a time trying to believe all of this is real, but I’m sure as hell not ready to die. Let’s say I believe you. What does my wolf look like?”
Until she comes, none of us will know. I just hope she’s big and strong. Rest now and pretend to be weak. You do not want them to know what you really are until it is too late.
Ariel leaned back on the cot and tried to look as pathetic as possible so her captors would believe she was just as harmless as they assumed she was.
Inside, she was praying that Reed—or whatever inner voice was helping her survive—was right about her being able to free them all.



About the Author

Donna McDonald is an active dreamer and finds writing to be the best way to use her creativity.
Needing to satisfy both sides of her brain, she is a cross-genre author of contemporary, fantasy, and paranormal romances. Her books appear on bestseller lists for humor, romantic comedy, space opera, and more.
She craves laughter from her readers and focuses her attention on making that happen as often as possible. She loves to hear from anyone who has read her books.

Author Links
Website
Facebook: Donna Jane McDonald
Donna McDonald SciFi Romances
Twitter: @scifiwoman13
Blog


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5 copies of Ariel in ebook format (any channel)

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Holton Series Blog Tour

 HOLTON SERIESAuthor: B L BlairGenre: Contemporary RomanceBook #1, Convince Me: http://amzn.to/1BJe2aDBook #2, Notice Me: http://amzn.to/1wnwodFBook #3, Trust Me: http://amzn.to/14l8mZc

CONVINCE ME~ SYNOPSIS ~Anna is afraid of love, but Steven changes everything.
Anna West just wants to start over in a new town far away from her past. The only child of a mixed race couple, Anna learned about the ugly side of human behavior at an early age. After watching her abusive father mistreat her mother, Anna knows that love is not for her.
Steven Carson has always known what he wanted, and from the moment he saw her, he wanted Anna. Steven is ready for love. He is ready to settle down, start a family, and he knows Anna is the one for him. Now all he has to do is convince her to take a chance on love.
Convince Me is the first book in the Holton Series but may be read as a standalone novel.
~ PURCHASE ~AMAZON
~ EXCERPT ~All thoughts of a plan immediately flew out of her head when the door of her car swung open and a deep, soft voice asked, "Are you alright?"Anna turned and looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen.  Eyes that were the color of a cloudless sky on an early spring day.  They were framed with dark thick lashes that lightened on the tips.  The lean, clean face went well with the eyes.  It was a pleasant face, not too hard or too soft, but a man's face nonetheless.  It was lean and powerful.  He had strong cheekbones and a straight nose.  Light blond hair fell across his forehead.  She stared at him unable to move.  Her heart began to pound, and her body reacted to his nearness.  She had never reacted so strongly to any man before, and she forced herself to take a deep breath.He leaned into the car and asked again, "Miss, are you alright?"This time his voice propelled her into action.  She shook off the fog that had come over her and nodded once before saying, "Yes, I am fine.  Just a little shaken.  Was anyone hurt?"She glanced again at the man staring at her with a concerned look on his face.  Their gazes locked, and he watched her silently with his calm blue eyes.  He seemed very close, and Anna leaned back against the seat to get farther away.  His broad shoulders filled the doorway, and she felt a small jolt of fear.  She hated feeling physically intimidated.  But the fear quickly faded as he looked at her a moment longer then a slow, gentle smile crossed his face.  Anna felt her heart stop.  She willed it to begin beating again."There is only you and me," he said softly.  

NOTICE ME~ SYNOPSIS ~She would do all she could to make him notice her!
Andrew Moore had always thought of Victoria as family. She was his best friend’s little sister and his little sister’s best friend, but recently something had changed. Andrew was thinking about Victoria in a completely different way. She would never fit into his quiet, conservative world. They were too different to have a future together, but he couldn’t help noticing her.
Victoria Carson has been in love with Andrew since her sixteenth birthday, but Andrew never noticed her as anything other than his best friend’s little sister. She fled from her hometown so that she wouldn’t have to watch Andrew build a life with someone else. But things had changed. Andrew was now a widower, and Victoria had returned home. It was time to make him notice her.
Return to Holton, Texas to see if Victoria can get Andrew to notice her. Notice Me is the second book in the Holton Series but may be read as a standalone novel.
~ PURCHASE ~AMAZON
~ EXCERPT ~As always, her heart stopped when she saw him.  Victoria knew she had seen better looking men, had even dated better looking men, but Andrew always moved her.  For a moment, she enjoyed the simple pleasure of just looking at him.  His broad shoulders filled out the conservative blue suit and his powerful arms and legs made him a lean, dominant picture.  His thick brown hair had fallen across his forehead, and Victoria’s hand itched to brush it back.  He was talking softly to his sister explaining the papers in his hand.  Victoria watched his mouth move and waited for the smile that always made her toes curl.  It happened and Victoria took a deep breath.  She thought she should be used to that reaction by now, but it still caught her by surprise.  She quickly closed the door behind her.Andrew looked up at the sound, and Victoria found herself looking into his piercing green eyes.  They had narrowed and trained on her immediately.  The intense green gaze locked her into place.  She stood very still while his eyes roamed over herShe now walked slowly across the room with his eyes following her.  She watched him straighten and his back stiffen.  He was uncomfortable around her, and Victoria hoped this was progress.  She had waited twelve years for him to notice her as something other than a child."Hi, Drew.  How are you?" she asked softly.As always, he stiffened at her shortening of his name.  No one called him anything except Andrew, but Victoria had decided she needed to be different.  She wanted to make sure Andrew knew she was unlike anyone else."How many times have I told you not to call me that?" he asked impatiently, raising one eyebrow.  Victoria’s heart skipped a beat.  She had always found that gesture very sexy.She smiled again.  "I don’t know.  How many times have you told me not to call you that?"She laughed at the frustrated look that crossed his face.  At least, he wasn’t ignoring her.  She knew she could irritate him.  She just hoped she could also attract him."Come on, Drew, lighten up."  She walked over to him, placed her hand on his shoulder, and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.  He accepted the salute but did not return the gesture.  Apparently nothing had changed.

TRUST ME~ SYNOPSIS ~Could he learn to trust her?
Rachel Lewis hid her looks behind dark framed glasses and drab clothes. As the head librarian in Holton, she was satisfied with her life and her appearance. Rachel wasn’t looking for love, but Paul captivated her. He lived in a completely different world, but she wanted him more than she had ever wanted any other man.
Paul Hart was handsome, rich, and successful. As the owner of a thriving business, he was happy with short-term relationships and jaded women. Paul had been betrayed too many times to trust a woman, but Rachel intrigued him. She wasn’t like any woman he had ever known. Could he learn to trust her?
Return to Holton, Texas for Victoria and Andrew’s wedding to see if Rachel can win Paul’s trust. Trust Me is the third book in the Holton Series but may be read as a standalone novel.
~ PURCHASE ~ AMAZON
~ EXCERPT ~ 
Sabrina went into her sale’s pitch, and Paul listened absently as he looked around.  He actually liked the house.  It was lovely and had plenty of room for entertaining.  He didn’t have a lot of large parties, but in his business, he did occasionally host a dinner party or two.  The house was perfect for his needs.  He wandered through the rooms on the first floor before stepping out onto the patio.  Rachel followed him.“Paul,” she said.He turned to see her standing just inside the doorway.  Sabrina was still in the living room.  Rachel took a step closer.  “I didn’t mean to upset you.  I was just surprised.  You hadn’t said anything about moving to Texas, much less Holton.”He nodded.  She was right.  He had sprung it on her rather suddenly.  They hadn’t spoken much about his business the past three weeks.  Their time together had been so limited that they had stuck to the basics.  He had mentioned to her that the office was not running as smoothly as he liked, but he hadn’t gone into any detail about the operations or the fact that he felt he needed to be here for longer than just a few months.She took another step closer to him and reached for his hand.  “I’m sorry if my reaction was negative.  I would love for you to move here.”  She paused a moment and then briefly looked over her shoulder at Sabrina.  Rachel smiled that mischievous smile he had come to love.  She stood on her toes and whispered in his ear.  “I hope to get you to break Rule #4.”Paul pulled back and looked at her, a frown on his face.  He didn’t have a rule four.  “What is Rule #4?”“Relationships are only temporary,” she said saucily as she walked back into the house.Paul grinned.  Okay, maybe he had read her right.  They appeared to be on the same page now.

~ ABOUT THE AUTHOR ~B. L. Blair
B. L. Blair writes simple and sweet romance and romance/mystery stories. Like most authors, she has been writing most of her life and has dozens of books started. She just needs the time to finish them.
She is the author of the Holton Romance Series and the Leah Norwood Mysteries. She loves reading books, writing books, and traveling wherever and as often as time and money allows. She is currently working on her latest book set in Texas, where she lives with her family.
Social media links:FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER  
~ Tour Host ~HEA Book Tours, PR & More: http://heabooktours.blogspot.com/

March 2015 Giveaway

This month's giveaway is a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card.  Enter each day for more chances to win.  Visit my website to enter: http://www.blblair.com/giveaway.html. 

just pru by Anne Pfeffer

Contemporary Women's FictionDate Published: March 2, 2015


When twenty-five-year-old Pru Anderson—braless, pajama-clad, and clutching her cat, Chuck—is rescued from her burning Los Angeles apartment, the thing that scares her most is meeting the neighbors. New people make her hide in the bathroom, counting by sevens, but when her home is destroyed, she must turn strangers into friends …  or crawl back to the controlling parents she only recently escaped.
What would her idol, Pepper Hathaway, do? That’s a no brainer: the detective-slash-supermodel heroine from Pru's favorite TV series would take no prisoners while looking fierce in a tankini and stilettos. So when the chance comes up to live with playwright Ellen, Pru sets aside her fears and goes for it.
Thus begin the adventures a girl who's never had a job, a friend, or a first kiss. Swept into Ellen's whirlwind life, Pru begins to build her own, as director's assistant for a new play, muse to brooding actor Blake, and possible love interest to adorably neurotic neighbor, Adam.
Only one thing can derail Pru's exhilarating journey. Well, actually, it's two things—and they're in a car headed straight for LA to torpedo her life. When the past that nearly destroyed her comes calling, who will she be: a Prudence or a Pepper?

Early Reviews of Just Pru
"Just Pru is a laugh out loud, heartwarming story ….Pfeffer does an amazing job with Pru’s character…. The supporting cast is … easy to fall in love with and to cheer for...." 5 StarsThe Self-Publishing Review
"A five star read all the way.... a happy, funny tragicomedy of errors with a cast of delightful neurotics."  Literary homebody.com
"Pru is hilarious..... Totally a perfect story, IMO. How often does that happen? Like never." 5 stars Candacesbookblog.com


Excerpt
Chapter One
From Pru’s Journal:
How can you know if you’re normal when you’re always alone? You have no one to compare yourself to. I mean, I have my mom and dad, and I’m pretty normal compared to them. But then… a lot of people are normal compared to them.


**
As the rich CaraMellow ice cream slipped along my tongue, I popped a few potato chips in my mouth for contrast. Ah, the soothing combination of sweet, salt, cream, and crunch.
No good. Its magic wasn’t working.
Shifting my size 16 tush around on the sofa, I focused on the TV. It played an old episode from Model Cop, my favorite show ever on the Wholesome Family Channel.
Today, the show’s awesome heroine, Pepper Hathaway, was tracking down a serial killer in between fittings for a runway show at Fashion Week. It was hard to juggle her two jobs as a police detective and supermodel, but she excelled at both. Pepper ended every episode with a wink to the camera and her life motto: Remember, folks. Do Good, Look Good!
She was amazing.
I sighed. I bet Pepper didn’t get job rejections like the one I’d had today. Dear Loser, the letter said. We are relieved to say we cannot offer you the position of Low-Level Proofreading Gnome at our crummy little start-up online encyclopedia. No matter how unknown and undesirable our company is, you are more so.
Sincerely,
Executive Drone
Okay, so they didn’t use those exact words, but it’s what they meant. As I lifted my spoon, caramel dribbled down the front of my flannel nightgown. I scraped it off with a potato chip and ate it.
Mmraow. My cat emerged from one of his many hiding places. I suspected he hid on purpose, just to annoy me. “Hey, Chuck-Chuck.” I scratched his orange-and-white striped back. It lasted only a few seconds. Done with human contact, Chuck strolled away, tail in the air.
On the TV, Pepper was returning home to her elegant apartment in the Big City. Hey, girlfriend, she called out to her funny, devoted homosexual roommate Tad. They sat down and sipped Chardonnay. She was so cool.
I bet Pepper could pay her rent. I bet she didn’t run out of money just two months after moving into her place. I could justify having bought a used car, but perhaps the fifty-inch flat-screen TV had been excessive. Then there were those unfortunate yard sale purchases, but I had needed furniture, after all. I needed that Victorian-style vanity and the faux-leather recliner.
I could still hear my father’s voice, cool and cutting. You won’t last a month in Los Angeles. Mark my words, you’ll be back in Oregon before you know it.
 Well, ha ha on him, I’d lasted two months now.
And ha ha on me, because I didn’t know if I could last a third.
 Tears prickled the backs of my eyes. I wished I could talk to Dr. Abbot, my wonderful therapist back in my hometown of Clayton. He had died unexpectedly last week. I’d hardly left my apartment since I’d gotten the news.
On the TV, Pepper was modeling her latest fashion purchases for Tad. I scraped the bowl with my spoon while contemplating her minuscule waistline. Was that real or digitally enhanced? Could a person’s body organs really fit into such a tiny space?
Not mine—I was sure about that. My body organs undoubtedly filled giant caverns, which was why I’d been blessed with my five foot ten inch, big-boned body.
A ringing began—yet another fire alarm. Great. We’d had two go off already this month, I thought grumpily, and they’d turned out to be cases of burned toast—a total waste of time.
I struggled up from horizontal, made my way to the living room window, and peered out. It was 8:00 on a June evening. It had just turned dark. Below loomed the building’s quiet, empty courtyard.
Just as I thought—no flames, no people fleeing for their lives.
The sofa called to me, yet the alarm blared on.
I should probably investigate, even though it meant I might have to talk to someone. And for what was probably a false alarm. I stumbled to my bedroom dresser and wrestled a pair of plain white panties up under my nightie. Where had I thrown my bra? When you’re a size 36D, you do not venture forth into public without one.
My eyes swept my twin-sized bed, the flowered rug, the vanity whose drawers I used to store cat toys. No bra to be seen.
Feet thudded down my hallway.
WHOMP! A fist hit my front door.  “Vacate the building now! Everyone out!” The man’s voice resounded through my door, then grew fainter as he moved away from me.
In an instant, sweat beaded my forehead. Vacate the building?
A siren, then others, wailed from the street. A megaphone-amplified voice blared from outside. “Immediate evacuation is required.”
“Chuck!” I shrieked. That ingrate. He’d probably hidden from me again. I dropped to my belly and crawled commando-style around the bedroom, checking under the bed and dresser. No sign of his malevolent green-eyed gaze. I checked the open laundry hamper. He wasn’t there either.
Outside, shouts and cries came to me from a distance, sirens grew louder, and banging noises intensified. I rushed again to the open living room window. Spotlights now lit the courtyard below, which had transformed into a disaster scene. Groups of people milled behind barricades. Firefighters twice the size of ordinary humans unfurled hoses and set ladders up against walls, while smoke drifted from some windows on the fourth floor, where I was.
Holy moley! Were we really on fire?





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