H.J. Bellus's Blog, page 7

Chapter 1 of Yesterday is Gone

Enter GIVEAWAY HERE —> http://bit.ly/2N3zBD0

 

ENJOY CHAPTER 1 OF YESTERDAY IS GONE

 

Jules

Every flag on Main Street is half-staff in honor of the late Senator Jack Jones, the reason I’m back in my hometown. It’s been over five years since I left the night of graduation and never looked back.

My chest tightens as each flag goes by. The tears of sorrow I’ve held back fall freely. Papa Jack will forever be missed. He loved visiting California every month even though he pissed and moaned about all the damn traffic and people. It was when he was on the beach with Nana’s at their beach house and at peace with a smile consuming his face that I knew it was all smoke.

“What in the hell is going on there?” I whisper to myself.

The parking lot to Gravy Dave’s is overflowing with vehicles. Shit, cars even line Main Street. Somebody is having one hell of a celebration. I let out a rush of breath, thankful it’s dark. I’m not ready for this. The sad fact is I’ll never be prepared for it.

Everything looks the same and different at the same time. I slow down, taking it all in. The movie theater is boarded up. The marquee light flickers dimly, advertising the upcoming county fair and rodeo in one month. Even in the faint glow of the street lights, I can see the beauty of the blossoming petunia baskets that adorn each pole on the main drag.

Old memories of cruising Main in my old ’79 Chevy attack me. Even though I don’t want to smile, I find myself doing so. This town was my everything at one point in time. It seems it can pull me right back in, making me feel like a teenager at heart. The only beauty shop in town, Solutions, comes into view. The same tacky sign from the ’80s remains bold in a fresh coat of paint.

I learned several lessons in that old building, from you never look like the picture in the magazine to how to roll a condom on a dick. I snort, thinking to myself how I miserably failed that lesson.

The other part of Main Street that makes me sick, besides the half-staff flags, is that the old “O-So-Good” drive-in had been refurbished into a credit union. It was the hopping place we all swarmed to after every football victory. The owner insisted on curbside service complete with the trays that rested on our windows. Every time we’d end up on Jessie’s tailgate, swarmed by friends and sipping on ice cold sodas.

The soft glow of street lights fades off into the distance as I hit the country roads, buzzing by the familiar lights of farms and homes. The years have drifted by, yet I can put a name to every home. Before too long, Jessie’s old home flies by, and then I’m pulling down the mile-long drive to my childhood home. Papa’s old red truck is parked in his spot right outside the garage. He’s always had so much junk in there that I never remember a time anyone could park in it. Nana’s white Cadillac dutifully sits next to Papa’s truck.

The pang of guilt and sorrow strikes. Their monthly visit wouldn’t make this trip back home any better. I may have run, but never from them. We kept our connection over the years. I stop my mid-size Toyota RAV4 hybrid right next to the entry gate along the chain link fence and smile, remembering Papa’s grumbles over my foreign rig. The porch light welcomes me home. But it’s the three worn and loved rocking chairs on the porch that give me the strength to take the next step.

The post Chapter 1 of Yesterday is Gone appeared first on Author HJ Bellus.

Yesterday is Gone

Coming Soon

✩ ✩ PREORDER AVAILABLE AT #AMAZON! ✩ ✩

Preorder

TOXIC by HJ Bellus & Kathy Coopmans is Live!

TOXIC by HJ Bellus & Kathy Coopmans is LIVE on ALL PLATFORMS!

PURCHASE TODAY!
AMAZON US | AMAZON INT. | iTUNES | KOBO | B&N




I’m toxic. She’s pure. I can’t stay away.

I saved a life by taking another. It throttled me into a vortex of endless darkness with booze and sex as my only solace.

Until her.

Maria Richards brought light back into my life even through my drunken haze. For weeks, I treated her like trash. Felt guilty as hell the moment I left her bed and breakfast.

Life has a funny way of bringing back your past sins. A second chance with Maria stumbles in my path. It’s time to right my wrongs and be the man I burn to be.

I’ve never believed in redemption, and now it’s my only hope.

GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/ToxicTBR

AVAILABLE NOW!

AMAZON US | AMAZON INT. | iTUNES | KOBO | B&N

 

Release Day Giveaway
Enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card http://bit.ly/2N5pk4O

WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER


http://authorhjb.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/video-1530898357.mp4






CONNECT WITH THE AUTHORS!

HJ BELLUS
SIGN UP FOR THE AUTHOR’S NEWSLETTER
AMAZON | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
FACEBOOK READER GROUP

KATHY COOPMANS
Subscribe to receive release notifications from Kathy: http://bit.ly/2yzrffs
SIGN UP FOR THE AUTHOR’S NEWSLETTER
AMAZON | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
FACEBOOK READER GROUP

HOSTED BY

The post TOXIC by HJ Bellus & Kathy Coopmans is Live! appeared first on Author HJ Bellus.

TRICK is NOW LIVE!!

Title: Trick
Series: Diablo’s Throne MMA
Author:HJ Bellus 
Genre: MMA Romance
Publisher: Crave Publishing
Release Date: June 5, 2018

 

He’s quiet, a thinker who is always three steps ahead of the game—in and out of the ring. 
 
Trenton “Trick” Jameson is a mystery, even to his fellow fighters at Diablo’s Throne. They only know him as the Country Boy Brawler who left home to chase his dreams. His band of brothers have no idea what he’s lost or left behind…
 
And that’s the way Trick wants it.
 
With a champion title tied to his name, his future is endless until the raven-haired beauty became his game changer. Mack owned him the moment she stumbled into his world. 
 
Trick could have never seen the sharp turn his life was about to take. Everything always catches up with you, whether you like it or not. And now, all he’s fought for is on the verge of being destroyed. 
 
What’s a fighter left to do?
 
Fight.
 

HJ Bellus is a small-town girl who loves the art of storytelling. When not making readers laugh or cry, she’s a part-time livestock wrangler that can be found in the middle of Idaho, shot gunning a beer while listening to some Miranda Lambert on her Beats and rocking out in her boots.

HOSTED BY:

The post TRICK is NOW LIVE!! appeared first on Author HJ Bellus.

JAG is now LIVE

JAG by HJ Bellus is LIVE on Amazon & KU!

AMAZON US | AMAZON INTERNATIONAL | PAPERBACK

Diablo’s Throne MMA #2 / Contemporary Romance

No matter how fast he runs, there’s one thing Jag can’t escape.

His past.

It has the power to destroy the man he’s worked so hard to become.

Jag is slated to be the next MMA champion. It’s been years in the making. The hype surrounding his prized fight is ignited by his charismatic personality and smoldering good looks.

But it’s all a shield protecting the storm brewing inside of him…

And now, there’s a new girl in town Jag can’t seem to stay away from. She’s quiet, mysterious, and sexy as sin.

His demons. Her secrets. They collide when least expected.

GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/JagHJBtbr

AVAILABLE NOW!

AMAZON US | AMAZON INTERNATIONAL | PAPERBACK

Start the Diablo’s Throne MMA series today!
CRUZ, Book 1: AMAZON US | AMAZON INTERNATIONAL
Goodreads TBR: http://bit.ly/CruzTBR





MEET THE AUTHOR :
HJ Bellus is a small town girl who loves the art of storytelling. When not making readers laugh or cry, she’s a part-time livestock wrangler that can be found in the middle of Idaho, shotgunning a beer while listening to some Miranda Lambert on her Beats and rocking out in her boots.

SIGN UP FOR THE AUTHOR’S NEWSLETTER
AMAZON | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
FACEBOOK READER GROUP

The post JAG is now LIVE appeared first on HJ Bellus|| USA Today Best Selling Author.

Jag Coming Soon {READ THE PROLOGUE}

PREORDER TODAY

Prologue

8 Years Old

My ears hurt as Mom’s and Dad’s screams echo around the tiny apartment. My tummy rumbles and aches in the hollow. I look down the hallway both ways before darting to the kitchen. Everything is empty. The light in the fridge dims, but I can make out a case of Dad’s favorite beer. A silver wrapper on the counter gets my attention. I reach for it to see a solo Pop-Tart in it. I grab it and sprint back to my room.

I get cozy in the back of my closet before taking the food out of the package. It’s gone before I realize, and my tummy still aches and groans for more. I pick the crumbs off the floor and on my knees until they all disappear.

Booms. Cracks. Screams. I cover my ears, all thoughts of being hungry long forgotten. I swear I can smell her blood from my hiding spot. It goes on forever until there’s only silence lingering around us. I don’t move. I never do. I close my eyes and pray in my head that he would die. I want him gone forever. Mom isn’t much better, but she never hurts me with her balled-up fists, only her open hands.

“José! Get the hell out here, boy.” Feet stomp down the hall.

My heart thunders with each beat. My lips tremble and chin quivers as I rapidly blink, praying so hard he won’t find me. The cracking of the door crashing into the wall startles me. I press my back further into the wall, wishing I’d magically fade away. It never works.

“You dumb little fucker!” The door to the closet flies open.

A red-faced monster with bulging veins in his neck stares back at me for a tick before hoisting me up to him by the collar of my shirt. I hate his smell. Evil, alcohol, and my worst nightmare; it’s the scent that makes me sick every single time.

“I’m so goddamn tired of you and your momma ruining everything. All I ever do is fucking work and come home to this shit hole.” He shakes me. “I’m so fucking tired of it, José.”

I know better than to talk or try to smooth anything over, so I take every single thing the devil has to hand over. I’m flying through the air. When my back hits the hardwood floor, all the air leaves my body as my spine rattles my teeth. It’s just the beginning. A fist full of knuckles connects to my ribs, then my chest, and finally my collarbone. He stumbles on his feet, swaying back and forth. The alcohol I hate so much is about to become my savior. My dad crumbles to the floor. His head bounces off the wood, and he’s passed out for the night.

I scramble to my feet and run. I don’t bother to check on my mom since she’ll claim it was all my fault in the morning. It’s still daylight out. God, I can’t wait for school to start again. At least then I’ll have eight safe hours away from my home. I race down the street until my legs wobble. I slow down but don’t stop. I’ll never be able to get far enough away.

“Hey there.” A large hand lands on top of my shoulder, making me wince. “Where you going in such a hurry?”

I look up and then cower back when the giant comes into view.

“Papí.” A new voice chimes in.

I look to the side to see a little girl holding the giant’s other hand. She’s really pretty with curls and a yellow dress.

“You okay, son?” The man kneels down in front of me.

My eyes go wide, and I nod my head.

“Are you sure?” He gazes at my neck.

I look down to see my shirt collar tugged to the side and a bruise already forming. I nod faster, suddenly scared out of my little head.

The kind eyes of the man soothe me even though he’s two times the size of my dad. I should be scared, but there’s something special about him.

“My daughter, Layla, and I are going for dinner. Would you like to join us?”

I shake my head.

“What’s your name, son?”

I shake my head again.

He turns to his daughter and talks to her in Spanish. I know enough to pick up on the gist of it.

“Go upstairs and get tamales from Abuela.”

The little girl nods and races off with her yellow skirt flowing in the breeze. She’s so careless like the other kids at school. I’ve never known what that feels like. The man eases himself down on the sidewalk. His large sneakers rest on the pavement. He waves his hand for me to sit down. So I do.

“My name is Dexter, little man. Lots of people call me Boss.” He gives me a downward sideways glance. “I fight for a living. The good kind of fighting.”

I scoot away from him, panicked all of a sudden.

“I use my fist in a good way. It’s all disciplined.”

I nod and continue to listen to the man talk about what he does for a living. Before long, the little girl comes back with a Ziploc bag of tamales. Boss doesn’t hesitate pulling open the bag and handing me one. I have it unwrapped and eaten before he starts on his. He hands me another, along with a cold Coca-Cola. The three of us sit and eat until the sun goes down. And I never went back home that night. Before he took me to a safe place and promised my dad would go to jail, I found a piece of paper to write a note to the Boss.

Boss,

Thank you for the fode. Thank you for talkin to me. I will only fight for good to.

Jag

PS- I like my nu name.

***

13 Years Old

I know what being scared feels like. I’ve been there time after time, and what I’m experiencing now is so much worse. I’ve let down everyone who believes in me, and that’s more painful than anything my parents inflicted. Boss got me out of there and into a good foster home, and now it’s going to all go away.

My head bounces on the wall behind me once, twice, and three times. I let my eyes flutter shut and remember the day Boss told me I’d jab my way back to life and be someone. It was the same day he fed me tamales and took pity on a boy he didn’t even know from a stranger on the street. He nicknamed me Jab like a punch that night, but I couldn’t spell it right and signed the note Jag, and it’s stuck ever since.

The door to the suffocating interrogation room bursts open, and Boss steps in. My heart sinks when I see his scrunched eyebrows and worry lines across his forehead. He clenches his fists, and his neck tightens in strain.

“I’m sorry, Boss. I’m so sorry.”

Boss places his palms on the top of the green metal table in front of me, getting in my face. “Don’t be telling me sorry, boy. You best better be fixing to pull your head out of your ass.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Jag, I love you like a son, and this is your last chance. Hope your stunt of robbing a convenience store with a group of assholes was worth it. One more chance when you get out of juvie. Show up at the gym the minute you get out.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be there.” I stand up from the chair and without thinking wrap my arms around his neck. Boss doesn’t hesitate before he wraps me up in a hug. Thought my life changed the day he saved me, but I was so very wrong. This is the moment.

The post Jag Coming Soon {READ THE PROLOGUE} appeared first on HJ Bellus|| USA Today Best Selling Author.

New Release! When Opposites Collide Boxset by HJ Bellus & Kathy Coopmans

When Opposites Collide boxset by HJ Bellus & Kathy Coopmans is live!!!
Available on Kindle Unlimited
US | UK | AU | CA
Three full-length novels chalked full of dirty talking, alpha men, and women who fight for what they want. 
Find out what happens when OPPOSITES COLLIDE .




RELEASE DAY GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway



THE HITCHHIKER

“You can run, but can you hide?”

Life was perfect.
I was on top of the world winning one case after the other leaving no survivors in the wake of my devastation. They may see a pair of long legs in Louboutin heels, but remember my name when I’m finished with them.

Caitlin Winslow, the best, cut-throat defense lawyer in California.
I never play to lose.
It’s not in my DNA.
The actions of ethics don’t exist in my domain.

Satan, my father, who shaped my life turns up dead. Kill shot to the back of the head in his sleep. The people who murdered him aren’t stopping with his death. They’re after me.

I ran in the dark of night. Karma that evil bitch meets me step by step and forced me to stick out my thumb on the side of the lonely highway. I’m now the HITCHHIKER begging for redemption.

Oh, how life has a funny way of smacking you in the face.

Katch Sterling storms into my life, and now I’m in his car.
Broody.
Dark.
All-man
My complete opposite.
Who would’ve thought my world would come full circle on that lonely highway with a hired killer…

BLANK CANVAS
I loved to draw and paint, throwing those spectacular colors across a blank canvas and turning it into something unique. Young, carefree, with the world in the palm of my hands. The options limitless.

My world ended the night the door creaked open. It was their first of many visits. Life as I knew it went blank. It became a survival game and counting my only solace to get through the pain.

It all became too much. I ran into the darkness of the night. That blank canvas long forgotten and incomplete. The ways of the streets became my new home. Drugs and sex my new survival. Until one night, it all went too far.

I was happy to know the pain would finally end; welcomed being murdered in a lonely alley. All of the weight on my shoulders and vicious memories would be forgotten once I took my final breath.

Life hates me, and I didn’t die. A second chance was handed to me, but what happens when I don’t want it?

This time, I have the chance to make my own art.
One person’s Blank Canvas is another’s Graffiti.

BRICK
My Sin. Her Redemption.

I’m the man your momma warns you about. The one you never want to meet in a dark alley.

I fight and protect me, mine, and my own. Take a bullet for anyone I love. No damn job is too gruesome for me.
And I’m the most loyal motherf*cker you’ll ever encounter.

I live on the wrong side of the law, and I’m damn proud of it. It’s rooted deep in my soul, stems from the scars of my past.

A pool of blood, a lifeless woman, and a missing child lead me into chaos, smack dab in the middle of it.

Why?

To protect what’s mine. Life has never had perfect timing. My sins and her redemptions are about to collide, leaving me changed forever.

 
ADD TO GOODREADS :: http://bit.ly/2pYpIJb

Available on Kindle Unlimited
US | UK | AU | CA



MEET THE AUTHORS:
HJ Bellus
HJ Bellus is a small town girl who loves the art of storytelling. When not making readers laugh or cry, she’s a part-time livestock wrangler that can be found in the middle of Idaho, shotgunning a beer while listening to some Miranda Lambert on her Beats and rocking out in her boots.
SIGN UP FOR THE AUTHOR’S NEWSLETTER
AMAZON | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
FACEBOOK READER GROUP



Kathy Coopmans
USA Today Best Selling Author Kathy Coopmans is a Michigan native where she lives with her husband, Tony. They have two son’s Aaron and Shane.
She is a sports nut. Her favorite sports include NASCAR, Baseball, and Football.
She has recently retired from her day job to become a full-time writer. 
She has always been an avid reader and at the young age of 50 decided she wanted to write. She claims she can do several things at once and still stay on task. Her favorite quote is “I got this.”

SIGN UP FOR THE AUTHOR’S NEWSLETTER
AMAZON | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK 
TWITTER | FACEBOOK READER GROUP

Hosted By:

The post New Release! When Opposites Collide Boxset by HJ Bellus & Kathy Coopmans appeared first on HJ Bellus|| USA Today Best Selling Author.

Royal Love

EXCERPT REVEAL: Whiskey & You by HJ Bellus

WHISKEY & YOU by HJ Bellus is set to release on March 20th.
#ADD this #RomanticSuspense to your TBR on Goodreads today!
http://bit.ly/2DJg5D6
Sometimes it’s the hero who ends up needing a lifeline…
 
Jack Jarvis York is a ruthless and vindictive oil tycoon who knows no boundaries when he’s been double-crossed. Debtors beware. He’ll slit your throat for a nickel. And make no mistake, he will collect.
 
You never screw with a man’s pride, money, or oil. It’s Texas Law. Unwritten, yet gospel. They don’t call him the king of Texas for nothing.
 
When a debtor can’t come up with his money, JJ takes his wife as collateral…
 
What starts out as a trade-off between bitter men turns into an emotional collision of desire and forbidden love so dangerous, it threatens to destroy even the strongest of empires. 
 
No amount of money will ever rebuild everything that’s been shattered. Jack is left standing in the middle of his own chaos.
 
Greed and power are the least of his worries now. Death is knocking on his front door, wanting to collect. 
 
The woman he’s given his heart to just might become his collateral this time around. Past sins may trump everything…



PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW! 
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

EXCERPT REVEAL

You went home alone again last night, Boss?” Kemp leans back on the truck, crossing his arms with his dark aviators covering his steely eyes.

I drain the rest of my black coffee and toss the cup on the ground. I match his stance, leaning back on my Ford truck. “Last time I checked, you ain’t my fucking babysitter.”

We both continue to stare ahead while holding a conversation. “You gotta get over her. We are worried about you.”

“Again, don’t need no damn babysitters. I am over her.” It’s a lie, point blank. I miss Whitley, and it’s only been a handful of days. She was my companion, and I realize more than ever all this sorrow is over the fact I don’t like being lonely.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Boss.”

All of my employees know damn well how Whitley was my world. I protected her, and she flourished. Hell, they’d been under strict instructions for years not to let one hair on her pretty little head get touched.

“It ain’t like that, and you damn well know it. I just miss her. Worry about her.”

He stands up and pats my shoulder. “You’re doing the right thing. You gave her the world, and now it’s time for her to make it her bitch. A little lady will come along for your ugly ass.”

I smirk and flip him the bird. Bastard knows I’ve always been the better-looking one and hasn’t been able to live that shit down. I notice a cloud of dust rolling down the road; it’s about show time.

“You gonna tell me what you found on this slimy bastard?” I pull down my aviators and watch as our company nears.

“Nope. Can’t wait to see the shock on your face.”



“Bastard.”

We stand side-by-side, arms crossed over our pristine white button-up dress shirts and sleek black suit coats. Dressing the part is always high on my priority list. Gotta dress the part every single day to be taken seriously. A lesson I learned from Preston.

“I am trusting you, man.”

Kemp snorts and throws his head back in laughter. “J.J., you could ask for anything after I drop this little bit of news.”

I turn my head and raise an eyebrow. “Anything?”

He nods. “We could have his nuts on a silver platter if you’re into that kind of thing.”

We face back to the road, the dust cloud getting closer and closer as the seconds tick. Kemp has always been my best friend and right-hand man. I trust him with anything in my life, and I’ve never seen him with a shit-eating grin like he’s sporting now.

Kemp is the techie of our operations, the king dweeb when it comes to technology and codes. Better than any private investigator I could hire. I’m the front guy keeping everything running like a well-oiled machine. Together we’ve proven we are an unstoppable duo.

Kemp knows Jordan has been on my radar for a long fucking time now. Once you land a spot on my radar, the next plan of action is to take everything you have and destroy you.

The parade of trucks roars past us, each of them without a second glance, until the last one. A massive silver GMC truck screeches to a halt, and none other than Jordan Vincentino leaps out. He slams the door behind him like he’s some goddamn king or something. He’s scared. I can sense it. This bastard may be smarter than I give him credit.

I don’t flinch or even acknowledge him. I remain standing with my hands crossed over my chest with my no-shit attitude printed clear for anybody to see.

“Two days in a row. What’s the honor, York?”

Jordan kicks up dirt with his expensive alligator skin boots as he nears me. I shrug. I’ll let Kemp do the talking until I know where we stand on this whole situation. Kemp uncrosses his arms and takes a step toward Vincentino.

I have to give it to the guy because he doesn’t flinch or back down. Kemp is one of the biggest sons of bitches I know. Played all four years of college football on the defensive line for Alabama and is still in the same shape. He could walk on any NFL field and kick ass in his current condition. I have him in the looks department, but he’d destroy me when it came to a fist-to-fist battle.

MEET THE AUTHOR:
HJ Bellus is a small town girl who loves the art of storytelling. When not making readers laugh or cry, she’s a part-time livestock wrangler that can be found in the middle of Idaho, shotgunning a beer while listening to some Miranda Lambert on her Beats and rocking out in her boots.

SIGN UP FOR THE AUTHOR’S NEWSLETTER
AMAZON | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
FACEBOOK READER GROUP

HOSTED BY:

The post EXCERPT REVEAL: Whiskey & You by HJ Bellus appeared first on HJ Bellus|| USA Today Best Selling Author.

{READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!} Whiskey & You Prologue and Chapter 1