Serena Akeroyd's Blog: All Things Serena! , page 246
April 3, 2014
Book Trailer Premiere: The Girl in 6E by Alessandra Torre
Book Title: The Girl In 6E
Author: Alessandra Torre
Genre: Erotic Thriller
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
My life, inside this apartment is simple. It works, as long as I follow the rules.
1. Don’t leave the apartment. Not in case of fire, not to mail a letter, not to run an errand. The door stays shut, and I stay inside.
2. Don’t get attached to clients. I take off my clothes, I stand in front of the camera, and I perform. What they want, I give. Their secrets, I keep. Everything I tell them, is a lie.
3. Don’t kill anyone. I’ve obeyed that rule for over three years.
My life, inside this apartment was simple, and it worked. Then, I started breaking rules. Alessandra Torre is a new author who focuses on contemporary erotica. Her first book, Blindfolded Innocence, was published in July 2012, and was an Erotica #1 Bestseller for two weeks. The sequel to Blindfolded, Masked Innocence, will be released in February 2014.
Alessandra lives in the Southern United States and is married, with one young child. She enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and playing with her dogs. Her favorite authors include Lisa Gardner, Gillian Flynn, and Jennifer Crusie. Learn more about Alessandra on her website at www.alessandratorre.com, or you can find her on Twitter (@ReadAlessandra) or her Facebook fanpage.

April 2, 2014
London Bound by Nana Malone (Chase Brothers #1) Publication...


London Bound by Nana Malone
(Chase Brothers #1)
Publication date: April 1st 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
It wasn’t exactly like spunky, photography student, Abbie Nartey ran away from her life…except, that she left under the cover of darkness and put three thousand miles between her and her ex-boyfriend’s betrayal. She went to London searching for her dream. She never expected to find love, or herself.
Heir to his family’s tech fortune, sexy, Alexi Chase, is looking for freedom—from his family and from his past. What he’s not looking for is love. With secrets like his, he can’t afford to let anyone get too close. But a chance rescue has him wondering if the price of keeping secrets is too high.
Will Alexi risk losing love to keep his past hidden? Will Abbie trust herself enough to love again? Or will their pasts keep then from accepting true love?
This book contains mature themes and is intended for audiences 18+
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20872658-london-bound
Purchase:
—Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/London-Bound-Chase-Brothers-Volume/dp/1496142934/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395856706&sr=8-1&keywords=London+Bound+nana
—B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/london-bound-nana-malone/1118885427?ean=9781496142931
—iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/london-bound/id826817674?mt=11
—Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/london-bound-1
——
AUTHOR BIO
USA Today Best Seller and iTunes Breakout Books author,Nana Malone’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin.
It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.
While she waits for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, in the meantime Nana works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is.
Nana also writes sizzling erotic novellas as Q. Malone:http://www.amazon.com/author/qmalone
Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4341612.Nana_Malone
http://nanamalone.com/
https://twitter.com/nanamalone
Release event: Never Let Go by Nicola Haken
Author:Nicola Haken
Genre: New Adult
Release Date:April 2, 2014
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
In the final book of the Take My Series, Emily and Dexter are finally on course to a happy future. Arriving back in the UK with Aunt Sarah in tow, everything seems to be slotting into place. For the first time in his life, Dexter has found his purpose. Surrounded by family, friends and the woman he adores, he has at long last made peace with his demons and is determined to fight for the life he now knows he deserves.
With best friend Rachel back by her side and a resolve to work things out with her parents once and for all, Emily’s life is also on the right track. Or so she thinks…
When a tragic revelation threatens to destroy Emily’s world, it sends her spiraling down a path leading to more secrets, lies and heartache – leaving her questioning her whole life and everyone in it. To top it off, Emily almost lost one of the most important men in her life once before, is it about to happen again?
“This is it, doll. Our future. I need you to hold on to it and never let go.”
Nicola lives in Rochdale, England with her husband and four children (six if you include the dogs!) She is the author of New Adult/Contemporary romance novels Inevitable, Saving Amy and the Take My Hand series. When she is not busy playing with her imaginary book friends (or talking about them with real life friends!) she can usually be found carrying out her ordinary mum/housewife/all round slave duties. Oh, and if the kids ever ask, she moonlights as the Pink Power Ranger while they’re sleeping…
“I don’t have time for this, Dad,” I muttered on a heavy sigh.
“Please, son. Don’t go, not yet. Let’s have another coffee, then if you still feel the same, we’ll go back to how things were. Apart.”
“No, I don’t mean right now. I mean I really haven’t got time to keep hating you. There are so many things wrong with what you’ve just told me, there are three thousand reasons why I should walk out of here and never look back, and I genuinely don’t know how you can ever make this right with Emmie. But… I won’t be here in twelve months time, Dad. I can’t spend those months fighting with you – reasoning with you… struggling to understand what you did.
“In order for me to have any hope of enjoying these next few months of life, I can’t afford to dwell on the past. I don’t understand the decisions you’ve made in your life, Dad, but I accept them, and… I forgive you.”
I noticed tears bubbling up in the corners of my dad’s eyes and I had to force myself to look away before mine started falling too. It took all my strength not to be mad at him. Why couldn’t he have done this years ago? Back when I really needed him.
“And they’re sure? The doctors?” he asked with a slight tremor in his voice. Why does everyone ask that? It seems like doctors are classed as superheroes until they tell you something bad.
“Positive. I had my first chemo session a couple of weeks ago. I have another in two days. That should slow it down… but only by a few months and nothing’s guaranteed.”
“Months?” he repeated – barely a whisper. I noticed my dad look down at his mug and I suspected it was to hide his suddenly damp eyelashes. “Christopher…” he breathed, refusing to look at me. “I don’t want to lose you too.”
What the hell was I supposed to say to that? ‘Oh okay then, Dad. I’ll stay alive just for you.’ I knew my anger was unjustified and so I swallowed it down with a sip of coffee.
“I don’t want it either,” I admitted.
“I’m so sorry, son. I’ve missed out on so much. I don’t deserve to be a father.”
“Whoa,” I said, straightening my back in my chair. “Don’t you start the feeling sorry for yourself bullshit. Whether you deserve to be or not, you are a father. So if your next line was going to be that you’d be better off leaving Emmie to get on with her life without you, don’t you dare. Don’t you fucking dare. You’ve let us both down, Dad. It might be too late to make it up to me but you better spend every single day of the rest of your life making it up to Emily.”

April 1, 2014
Bending the Rules by L.K. Lewis Publication date: April 1st...


Bending the Rules by L.K. Lewis
Publication date: April 1st 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
“Drake isn’t just someone I love, he’s the one I love the most in this world. He’s my best friend, my breath, my everything. I realize in this moment that the true reason I’m on this journey to find Drake is not just because I miss him and want him back, I’m also missing a huge part of me. Until we’re together again, my life isn’t complete. Without him I’m not whole.”-Morgan
“… I’m so sorry I couldn’t go to you. It was nearly impossible not to but Morgan we wouldn’t be standing here right now if I had. You found me Baby. When you met me on your first day at Baylor what seems like a lifetime ago you found me. Only this time I’m not letting you go.”-Drake
Struggling to get her life back on track after being left suddenly and inexplicably by (secret) boyfriend –not- boyfriend and boss Drake Baylor Jr., Morgan Lane searches the globe to find Drake knowing that the only way to truly live the life she’s worked so hard for is with him by her side.
Banished to Zurich, Switzerland by his father after being caught Breaking the Rules, Drake has nine months to get the European Division of Baylor Industries back on track. Again, he must obey the rules so that he can hopefully return to his life with Morgan and take the helm of Baylor Industries.
Everything is going according to plan as usual for Adrian Thompson who has just gotten Drake banished to Switzerland as part of his plan to get Morgan (his college sweetheart and hopefully future trophy wife) back in his life for good. With a little help from Lana Lane, Morgan’s mother, Adrian is hoping to have Morgan wearing his ring by New Year’s Eve.
After a few months of being wooed by old flame and now boss Adrian, and without so much as a word from Drake, Morgan hesitantly accepts Adrian’s invitation to join him for New Year’s Eve in St.Moritz Switzerland. Foiling Adrian’s plan, a “chance encounter” finds Morgan back in Drake’s arms.
Will Drake and Morgan be able to overcome the distance and time that is now between them along with a few of the hurdles that life has thrown their way? Morgan and Drake are once again faced with figuring out how to start their new future together- this time not Breaking the Rules, only Bending them.
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20707000-bending-the-rules
Purchase:
—Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bending-Rules-Breaking-2-ebook/dp/B00ILYDS9C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396022585&sr=8-1&keywords=bending+the+rules+lewis
——
AUTHOR BIO
LK Lewis lives in Northern Michigan with her Husband and 3 year old son.
Born and raised in Michigan, LK spent her early twenties chasing the man of her dreams (now husband of 8 years) around the country, residing in both New York, and Portland, Oregon. While living in Portland, LK attended East West College of the Healing Arts, and is now a Massage Therapist, Makeup Artist, and Spa/ Boutique Owner.
When LK isn’t working, writing, or chasing her son around, she enjoys boat days, playing in the sunshine, and giggling with her husband. You may also find her on twitter most days, especially live tweeting when The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Sons of Anarchy or The Walking Dead is on. Check her out, you may enjoy her colorful commentary!
Author links:
http://lindsaylewisbooks.blogspot.ca/
https://twitter.com/LKLewisauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7242319.L_K_Lewis
(via Marina’s highly-rated, Naughty Nookie tale is… | Serena...
Cover Reveal: Ocean's Submerged by M.A. DeOlmos
Book Title:Ocean Submerged
Author: M.A. DeOlmos
Genre: New Adult
Release Date:4/16/2014
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
Twenty-seven year old Ocean Hawthorne thought he’d known loss and pain when his twin sister Stormie died. It was his fault the world would no longer see her beautiful smile or hear her captivating laughter. The former world champion in the vicious world of MMA fighting thought he’d been through the worst and has now carried that guilt and pain with him since.
Then he met Livie Acosta. The moment he laid his eyes on the exotic beauty, he was hooked. In that split second of looking into her wild and hurt eyes, his heart began to beat again. He knew then that he would never be able to let her go… but was that the right thing for him to do? Because yet again, Ocean found himself surrounded by a familiar darkness, a pain so strong that even breathing hurt, and living felt impossible. He’d pushed too far in the effort to love and help her, and now… now he didn’t know if he’d ever see her again.
Lawrence Hawthorne has been through the ringer when it came to hurt and disappointment, but nothing could have prepared him for the possibility of losing Livie. He’d just found her and now—well, now he didn’t know what to think. To him, Livie was more than just a girl, more than just a friend. To Law, Livie was someone he needed to help and protect, even from herself, and he’d failed that simple task.
Will the Hawthorne cousins who have sworn to protect Livie survive her selfish act, or will they crumble, yet again?
Prologue
Ocean
The tires of my Range Rover screeched outside as Liv took off, making my skin crawl. It was a given something wasn’tright with Liv, but this wasn’t her typical nervous breakdown behavior. No, this was much worse. I could feel it deep inside of me; the familiar feeling of my life spiraling out of control was beginning to take hold of me. When she asked me to let her go, there was so much more meaning behind those words. She wasn’t just having a panicattack; Liv was acting out of desperation, and I know exactly what people are capable of when they act out of desperation. Fuck this shit! If I was going to let her say goodbye to me, we were going down together!
“Law! Law, we need to go now! Where the hell are you?”
Walking around the maze of a studio,my nerves were unraveling with each passing second. Turning the corner, I punched the wall, my fist going straight through the dry wall.
“What the fuck asshole! I was taking a fucking piss. What the hell was that for?”
“We need to go. Something’s not right with Liv, and I’m not staying here. Socome with me or stay I don’t give a shit, but I’m leaving.”
He looked me up and down, then back to the hole I just put through the wall.
“Yeah, I’m coming with you. Head out, I’ll lock up the back and be right out.”
I turned around, walking away before he even finished his sentence. I needed Liv in my arms; I needed to see she was okay. The drive to our condo was the longest fucking drive ever. I jumped in my seat when my cell phone went off with Liv’s ringtone. I pulled it out quickly, answering it on the first ring.
“Baby, you okay? I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to get pissed. Baby?”
All I could make out were the haunting screams and cries coming out of Liv. Her voice was hoarse and strained as ifshe had been screaming for hours. I heard her say goodbye in between her screams and then a loud crash on the other end. My heart wanted to bust out of my chest and I wanted to fucking beat the shit out of Law for driving so fucking slow!
“FUCK LAW, DRIVE FASTER, GO GO GO!”
I said kicking the shit out of his dashboard.
The next turn Law took, the truck nearly tipped over. I punched the gate opener busting the gadget to shreds. As the gate started to open slow as fuck, I jumped out of the truck and took off running. The adrenaline, pain, fear, and hate shredding my veins open was afeeling I experienced not too long ago.They were the same feelings I had after my bike accident as I held my sisters dying body in my arms on the side of the road. I flew up the stairs, not seeing or feeling anything except for my need to get to Liv before I was too late. I couldn’t let her die too; I wouldn’t survive it.
Tears started pouring from my eyes on their own. When I reached our door, I kicked it open without a secondthought. The smell and the sight of blood knocked the little wind I had left in my lungs out of me. My body burned in its entirety as I took in in the site of Liv up against the wall on the floor cutting herself with a big ass piece of glass. When she pulled her wrist out in front of her, I snapped out of my shock, but was too slow. She dug the shard of glass deep into her wrist slicing upwards. When she got to her elbow,she turned white and fell over.
“No, baby no! Livie… Livie open your eyes. LAW CALL THE FUCKING AMBULANCE! Don’t leave me baby;please, I can’t fucking lose you too. LAW! I won’t make it Livie. Fuck you for doing this! I love you Livie, don’t leave me, please!”
My name is Melissa DeOlmos, a newbie to the world of indie writing. I live in sunny side Palm Bay, Florida with my two lovely crazies ages five and two, along with my Law Enforcement champ of a husband. I could say that writing novels has been a passion that I’ve always pursued, but I can’t. Writing for me has always been my own secret escape into a land of wonders, opportunities, loves and so much trouble that I sometimes wonder if I need medication for the stories that pop into my head. I am now deciding to share my mystical mind and stories with the world, so that hopefully others may also find that little something extra they’ve been looking for. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy my books.

March 31, 2014
All My Restless Life to Live by Dee DeTarsio Publication date:...


All My Restless Life to Live by Dee DeTarsio
Publication date: April 29th 2013
Genres: Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Award-winning author Dee DeTarsio combines life’s darker side with humor and tenderness in a wonderfully charming look at love and the afterlife.
Life is a soap opera, especially for Elle Miller, who is a TV producer. (Ellen dropped the “n” in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.) When her laptop crashes, she borrows her dead dad’s computer and gets way more than she bargained for.
As Elle tries to save her career with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, she takes a trip to the Emmys, and finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV. Friends, family, and clues from “the other side” all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life … and living a good life.
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17861309-all-my-restless-life-to-live?ac=1
Purchase:
—Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/All-My-Restless-Life-Live-ebook/dp/B00CYPZ8YM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1395879693
—B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-my-restless-life-to-live-dee-detarsio/1117516409?ean=9780615776798
——
AUTHOR BIO
Dee DeTarsio is a graduate of The Ohio State University and lives in southern California with her family. She did not teach herself to read at an early age or write stories by the time she was in kindergarten. She was still wetting the bed and playing in the can cupboard.
Author links:
http://deedetarsio.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dee-DeTarsio/112679022125465
https://twitter.com/DeeDeTarsio
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4400284.Dee_DeTarsio
Blitz: Rising From the Ashes by Jessica Prince
Book Title: Rising from the Ashes
Author: Jessica Prince
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
People make mistakes when they’re young, but how they choose to come back from those mistakes is what matters in the end.
Savannah Morgan found true love at a very early age, but one rash decision — one that she would regret for the rest of her life — was all it took to end her relationship with the love of her life.
For seven years, Jeremy Matthews has accepted being “”just friends”” with the only woman he’s ever loved. Finally deciding that enough is enough, Jeremy relentlessly pursues Savannah until he forces her to see just how right they are for each other.
When Savannah’s past mistake is revealed, threatening the future she so desperately wants, the fate of their relationship lies in Jeremy’s hands. Will he be able to forgive Savannah, or is the relationship truly over?
When struggles and obstacles threaten the foundation of Savannah and Jeremy’s relationship, will they choose to let each other go, or rise from the ashes of the past to claim their happiness?
I looked back out my window at Jeremy, taking in the broad chest, ripped abs, and muscular arms pushing the mower around my front lawn. Sweat was running down his sexy-as-sin torso, pulling my eyes to the worn out jeans that were resting low on his hips. The white T-shirt he’d shown up in earlier had been discarded and was hanging out the waistband of the back of his pants. He was a walking advertisement for sex, and even my neighbors couldn’t help but come outside to appreciate him.
I let out a sexually repressed sigh and went back to my conversation with Lizzy. “He’s bulked up a bit over the years, but yeah, for the most part, he’s always been pretty cut.”
She was silent for several seconds. “No offense, babe, but how in the ever-living hell did you give up having sex with that for the past seven years?”
I leaned my head against the glass and squeezed my eyes shut. “With an iron will.”
She started laughing on the other end of the phone. “How’s that working out for ya right now?”
“Well, considering I’m two seconds from knocking his ass out just so I can take advantage of him, I’d say not so good.”
Do you need more, or will these work, or do you need a few more? Jessica was born and raised in Texas—where she’ll stay because she claims the cost of living in Texas excuses the god-awful weather. She is first and foremost a wife and mother. Because of those two things, she’s also a self proclaimed wino and coffee addict.
She’s always been and avid lover of all types of books, but romances are her main favorites. Jessica’s husband likes to say reading is her obsession, but she likes to call it her passion…there’s a difference.

March 30, 2014
T L HADDIX's FIREFLY HOLLOW!
Firefly Hollow - WEEK BLITZ
By T. L. Haddix
Romance w/ Light Paranormal Elements
Date Published: 9/23/2012
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The mysterious recluse…
Owen Campbell holds himself apart from other people. Badly scarred from emotional wounds that have never healed, he doesn’t expect to find true love or happiness. He remains isolated in a prison of his own making, determined to not let anyone close enough to hurt him again. But his willpower is shaken to the core when Sarah Browning enters his world.
The girl next door…
Sarah Jane Browning is three years into her college degree when a call from home changes everything. Back at the family homestead in the heart of Appalachia, she’s forced to reevaluate her hopes and dreams for the future.
Distraction from her heartache comes in the form of her parents’ neighbor. Whispers about “odd Owen Campbell” abound in their small community, and Sarah’s curiosity is aroused. When she breaks the rules and trespasses onto his land, what she finds is beyond her wildest imaginings.
As Sarah struggles to overcome tragedy and loss, her burgeoning relationship with Owen is sorely tested. Will love conquer all, or will the secrets from Owen’s past tear them apart forever?
EXCERPT
Checking back over her shoulder after a few steps, Sarah frowned when the deer continued to mimic her path. Dismissing the incident as the curiosity of a wild young deer that hadn’t yet learned humans were the enemy, she let her mind drift. Before long, she heard the sound of water trickling rapidly over rocks, and as she rounded a curve, she saw a small stream curving through the mountainside. The branch of water cut into a shallow hollow, one side protected by a higher ledge of earth that was full of mountain laurel.
Sarah stopped to take in the sight and drew in a cleansing breath. As she looked around, she realized the deer had followed her and stopped a short distance away. The bench of land it stood on converged with the deer path alongside the stream.
If Sarah hadn’t known better, she would have sworn the deer wore a look of consternation. The animal bent its head to nibble at some greenery on the ground, but kept its eyes on her. It almost seemed to glance between her and the water, as though weighing the danger of coming closer for a drink.
“Maybe if I turn away, you’ll feel bolder.” The deer path crossed the branch at a narrow point, and she decided to go a bit further. The water cascaded down a small waterfall above the narrow point, pooling in a shallow area that would be the perfect spot for a thirsty deer to get a cooling drink. Hopping across the water, Sarah followed the trail. To her surprise, the path didn’t continue to the flat bench on the other side of the small ridge, but climbed up and around the rocky outcropping. Curious, she climbed the incline. The sight took her breath away, and for a moment, she didn’t believe what was in front of her was real.
The rocky outcropping the water cascaded down was a sort of natural dam. On its other side, a large pool of water had collected. Fifteen feet across and nearly that wide again going in the opposite direction, the pool was surrounded by sloping granite on all sides except the front, where the water dropped over the edge. The water was blue-green, going from light aqua to deeper cobalt, and the banks of rock and earth protected it on all sides.
On the opposite side, a craggy granite cliff rose about ten feet out of the water, overhanging slightly to form a shallow cave. The mountain seemed to curve around the pool and, mesmerized, Sarah continued around, crossing the branch once more at a point above the pool. From there, she was able to climb on top of the granite boulder that created the cliff. Easing to the edge, she carefully sat down, her legs dangling over the side.
When the curious deer appeared at the edge of the pool below, Sarah laughed. The deer gave a small jerk at the sound, eyeing her warily.
“I’m sorry.” She felt utterly insane, carrying on a conversation with a deer, but it had followed her like a curious puppy. Sarah realized that keeping quiet would feel even more absurd. “It’s so beautiful here. I had no idea any place like this existed.” She looked around, noticing that the trees didn’t arch out over the pool the way she thought they would have.
“I’ll bet it’s really hot here in the summer, and that water feels so good and cool. Or does the pool dry up, I wonder?”
For a while, she just sat, braced back on her hands, her face lifted to the sky. The peace imbued in the place washed over her. When she felt ready, she let herself remember Kathy’s words to Paul, and their laughter. The memory made Sarah sad and still made her cringe with embarrassment, but she realized that she didn’t feel quite as angry about it as she had.
“Thank you, God, for letting me hear that today. At least I don’t have to face Paul until Monday,” she said to the sky. “And… and maybe, if that’s what he likes, then maybe he’s not as special as I thought he was. Let him have his buxom girls. At least I don’t look like a milk cow, unlike someone I could name.”
A snort came from below, and Sarah jumped. She’d forgotten the deer. Looking down, she saw that it had moved to the edge of the exposed granite and settled down on a soft patch of leaves.
“What are you snorting at?”
When the deer shook its head, Sarah laughed. Even though she knew it was probably batting away flies with its ears, the deer acted almost human.
She glanced down at her watch and was shocked when she saw the time. She was going to have to run in order to make it home in time for supper. With a muted curse that she’d heard her father say when he hit his thumb with the hammer, she scrambled to her feet and looked around. Another bench ran down from the side of the boulder opposite where she’d come up and fell naturally into the one the deer had been on when she’d first seen it.
“That saves me a little time.” With one last look at the deer, which had gotten to its feet when Sarah did, she headed down the bench. “I’ll come back someday,” she promised over her shoulder. “Try to not get shot or anything.”
For a day that had gone so badly, she thought as she ran, things had turned out to be okay.
* * *
For a long time after the girl had gone, Owen stood on the edge of the pool, looking after her. With his enhanced hearing, he could follow her progress down the trail and back onto Browning land.
He didn’t know what to think. He’d never encountered another human in all the time he’d been exploring the woods. His parents had seen to that over the years; no one dared come onto Campbell property without his father’s permission. Now that the property belonged to Owen, he guessed he was the one who’d have to do something about trespassers.
He bent his neck, taking another sip from the water. As the girl had guessed, it was cool and delightful.
Owen sighed, a sound that came out in deer form much as it did when he was human. The pool was one of his favorite places to roam, one of his safe places. If the girl came back as she promised, he didn’t know what it would mean for him. He couldn’t risk being caught, and he wasn’t willing to give up his solitude. If the girl threatened that… he hated the thought of having to go to her parents, but if it came to that, he’d do it.
T.L. Haddix
T.L. Haddix was born in Hazard, Kentucky, a small town in the center of the Appalachian coal fields. Taught to read by her grandmother, T.L. has had a life-long love affair with books, devouring whatever she could get her hands on. From childhood favorites such as the Trixie Belden series and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” books, to her current favorites from authors like Tami Hoag, Alex Kava, J.A. Jance and Lisa Kleypas (among many others), T.L. still finds refuge in the written word.
“Growing up, I wanted to be everything – astronaut, police officer, doctor, teacher, reporter, psychologist – there was no clear choice for me. I wanted to do it all. Becoming a writer has allowed me to do just that, because I can live vicariously through my characters.”
A resident of eastern Kentucky, T.L. is hard at work on her next book, when she isn’t chasing after her three cat-children with her husband.
Author Links
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog
Buy Link
Amazon
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Cover Reveal: Beached by Ros Baxter
Book Title: Beached
Author:Ros Baxter
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date:April 1, 2014
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
A beached mermaid; a sexy mercenary with too many secrets; and a mission impossible.
When the clerk at a burger joint is assaulted for trying sell a filet-o-fish to a mysterious blonde, it’s just the beginning of the clash between Land and Sea that’s either going to end in Armageddon or salvation.
The world is going mad - on the land and under the sea - and the mermaid princess Lecanora is an envoy on a special mission.
There are just a few problems.
For a start, she didn’t reckon on how hard it would be to leave her home behind and adjust to life on The Land, with its confusing obsession with wearing clothes and its penchant for pointless but highly desirable calories.
Nor did she realise the most evil magician the world has ever seen wanted to take her for his very own.
And who would have thought a gun-toting mercenary could rock the world of a Pacifist Princess from a place where passion is a four letter word?
As the forces of darkness gather, Lecanora must come to terms with exactly what she would do to save the home she has always known, and the Land she has come to love.
For fans of MaryJanice Davidson and Charlaine Harris, and everyone who ever dreamed of being a princess, a mermaid, or a kickass heroine.
Book 2 of the Aegira Chronicles (Book 1 is Fish Out of Water)
Lecanora peered through the little glass window, standing slightly to the side and trying not to be seen. Larry was holding the man’s palm, looking at his watch. Rania was pacing up and down beside the bed. Larry kept shaking his head, repeating the gesture with the palm and the watch. As he turned to reach for his stethoscope out of his bag, Lecanora could see he was smiling, the biggest smile she’d seen on the man since she had met him.
As he turned to his bag, she finally got a full view of the man lying on the bed.
As she did, the floor seemed to slide giddily under her. She wondered if her blood sugar was low again, and unwrapped another of the food products Rania had pressed into her hand before she had gone into the hospital room. A Twinkie, Rania had called it. A lovely name, Lecanora decided. She stuffed the tiny cake into her mouth, zeroing in again for a look at the man on the bed. This time the giddy slide was less, but still there.
It was him, she decided. He was having this effect on her.
Strange.
She stood back carefully and took a mental inventory. He was shockingly dark. His face was hard and angular, and even from this distance and with his face rested in sleep she could see two scars on it, and a strange shape to his long nose that indicated a break in his youth. One scar was pale and white, the other fresher and darker. But as well as being hard and bleak, the face was also lush. Full lips were half open as he muttered something in his sleep, rolling slightly and showing off a long throat and a dark beard.
As though he sensed her watching, he turned in her direction in his sleep. Lecanora quickly ducked behind a tall trolley to her right, but she could still see him. Her superb eyesight allowed her a complete view of his face, which was a study of vulnerability in sleep. He was so open to her it momentarily robbed her of the capacity to Land-breathe, and she coughed quickly and commanded her brain to engage. A deep cleft in his chin lent him a childish air.
As she watched, a young woman approached her. She was quite beautiful by Land standards, and she seemed to favour bold colours. A dark red stained her nails, not unlike the blood-tattoos favoured by the rebel Leigons, and an even bolder crimson outlined her lips around the edges, although the inside part was lighter, like maybe the colour had worn off. Brilliant blue sparkly dust outlined her eyes. Lecanora was quite transfixed by the whole effect.
‘Can I help you?’ the young woman asked, and Lecanora shuddered. Her voice was high and screechy. Lecanora closed her eyes briefly to try to stop her face from reacting with surprise, and her fingers from snaking into her ears.
Lecanora took in the woman’s attire — all white, with a small badge and an official-looking pin adorning her breast. She appeared to be an employee of the hospital. ‘I am with the people in that room,’ she said.
The woman pressed her lips together, like that made sense. Then she sighed. ‘Well,’ she said. ‘Don’t you think you better go in then, honey?’
‘No,’ Lecanora said. ‘But thank you.’
The woman pressed her lips together again, and Lecanora could almost smell her determination. ‘Well, you can’t hang around out here I’m afraid.’
‘So I must enter that room?’
‘Please.’ The woman nodded. She inclined her head towards the man lying on the bed. ‘He’s made a remarkable recovery in the last few hours. He’ll be coming around soon.’
The woman looked at Lecanora carefully, and began to speak more slowly, like she thought maybe Lecanora had difficulties with comprehension. ‘Here,’ she said. ‘Let me help you in.’ She hooked her arm through Lecanora’s and guided her to the door.
Lecanora stood still in the doorway as the official left. Rania looked up from the discussion she had been having with Larry.
‘Babe,’ she said. ‘There you are. Come in. Doug’s almost all better. That shit of Rick’s is out of this freakin’ world. We’re just waiting for him to wake up. I want to make sure I’m here when he does. He’s going to be so freaked out.’
Lecanora could not find the right words to answer her sister coherently. She was still reeling from the impact the sleeping Land man had on her. She backed up against the bed, muttering something about needing to get a drink, but before she could escape, a strong hand grabbed her wrist and spun her towards the bed. She found herself face to face with eyes of the deepest brown, a colour she could not have imagined even existed at the bottom of the ocean. But it was more than their colour. They were so expressive. She wondered if it was because they had just woken from a coma. They were eyes in which she felt she could read all the pain and courage and fears of a life.
She cleared her throat to try to make the right sounds, in the correct order.
But nothing came.
Because the man of the deep brown eyes and scars, the Land man of the dimpled chin and vulnerable eyes, was looking right at her.
Like he was as surprised as she was by what he saw.
His warm, strong fingers rubbed gently at the underside of her wrist, shooting hot shivers into the coldest parts of her.
He looked well. Very well. Not the broken thing Rania and Larry had described.
‘Doug,’ Rania growled, poking him in the ribs. ‘Say hi, for fuck’s sake, you’ll scare her.’
‘Hi,’ the long brown man said, raising a hand feebly. ‘We’ve met,’ he said. ‘In my dreams.’ He looked over at Rania. ‘Sheriff — you’ve got some explaining to do.’
The man pulled himself up from the bed and pulled out a tube that had been attached to his arm. He yanked Lecanora towards him by her wrist. As strong as he was, Lecanora knew she was stronger than him. She could feel it. She could have resisted easily, without even breaking a sweat. Instead, she let herself be dragged in towards him like a shark to the slaughter. Closer, closer, until her chest was resting almost parallel to his.
She sat there, feeling his warm breath on her face and her cold blood turn red-hot.
‘Very pleased to meet you, Dream Girl,’ he said. ‘Very pleased indeed.’
Ros has been writing stories since she was eight years old, but she likes her new stuff better than her old stuff. She writes fresh, funny, genre-busting fiction. She digs feisty heroines, quirky families, heroes to make you sigh and tingle. And a dash of fantasy from time to time.
In real life, Ros works in policy for the Australian Government and in her non-existent spare time she coordinates tomorrowgirl, a short story competition for remote Indigenous girls. Ros lives in Brisbane’s North with her husband Blair, four small but very opinionated children, a neurotic dog and nine billion germs.

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