Serena Akeroyd's Blog: All Things Serena! , page 248

BAD BOY VS MILLIONAIRE by CANDY J STARR!

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Bad Boy vs. Millionaire - Cover Reveal
By Candy Starr
New Adult

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When fate forced Hannah Sorrento to take on the management of indie rockers, Storm, she managed to survive but, when she found out she’d been played by their mercurial front man, Jack Colt, the betrayal hit her hard.

She flees to Tokyo, where her father orchestrates a deal to save their collapsed financial empire.  A deal that involves a gorgeous millionaire.

Tamaki is everything Jack isn’t and, with their similar backgrounds, he and Hannah form a bond.  He offers her safety and security as well as a return to her luxurious lifestyle.  But the passion Jack arouses in Hannah won’t be denied.

In the second Bad Boy Rock Star book, Rock Star vs Millionaire, can Hannah forgive Jack or will she take the sanctuary Tamaki offers?

EXCERPT


Jack was in the kitchen, making breakfast. How could a man look so good first thing in the morning? With his tussled hair and baggy pj bottoms… and I didn’t even want to think about his arms in that tank top. That curve from his shoulders down his arm. A classically trained ballerina could not move as gracefully as that curve in his muscle as he . If I thought too hard about it, the only decision left in this world would be whether I wanted to trace that indent with my finger tip or my tongue.

"Want a coffee?"

I jumped, hoping he couldn’t read my thoughts.

I sat at the kitchen bench with my gaze fixed firmly on my hands.

"So, what’s the plan for today?" he asked.

I hadn’t really thought about it.

"I guess I should start looking for a place to live."

"You can stay here as long as you like, you know. It’s okay." He grinned at me. I’d add that to my collection of the other four or five genuine Jack Colt smiles I’d got in this life.

"With you sleeping on the couch, I don’t think so."

The words hung in the air. Emotions flitting over both our faces, words we didn’t want to put out there. Jack didn’t have to sleep on the couch. I had taken over his bed and that bed had a huge Jack Colt-shaped emptiness that had haunted my dreams.

He squeezed by me to get cups out of the cupboard. In the small kitchen space, I couldn’t help but be aware of his physical closeness, the feeling of his body almost brushing against mine and the smell of his skin that even the fresh coffee couldn’t hide. I wanted to press against him and feel his heat. I wanted him to be mine to touch and caress but he wasn’t. Too many questions hung over us. He’d told me that he wanted me, he wanted to be with me but I still had no idea if I could trust him.

I moved to sit on the sofa, putting some space between us.

Maybe I should just ask, I thought. Bring it all out into the open. Tell him how I felt, my fears and worries. Let him know what was holding me back. But the words didn’t exist in me. This wasn’t some talk show. We were real people and real people didn’t let it all out. They held it deep inside, hugging it to themselves. When you told people how you felt, that gave them the power.

If I was a normal girl, I’d have these straight forward emotions that I could talk about. I’d be able to lay it out on the table, take it or leave it. But, instead my emotions squirmed inside me, burrowing deeper and deeper.

 
Candy Starr
Candy J. Starr used to be a band manager until she realised that the band she managed was so lacking in charisma that they actually sucked the charisma out of any room they played. “Screw you,” she said, leaving them to wallow in obscurity – totally forgetting that they owed her big bucks for video equipment hire.

Candy has filmed and interviewed some big names in the rock business, and a lot of small ones. She’s seen the dirty little secrets that go on in the back rooms of band venues. She’s seen the ugly side of rock and the very pretty one.

But, of course, everything she writes is fiction.

Author Links


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COVER REVEAL: Kelly Gendron's LUCKY NUMBERS!

Book Title:Lucky Numbers: TroubleMaker Book Three

Author:Kelly Gendron

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Release Date:April 29, 2014

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

One locked safe, a troublemaking tattoo, and two determined people… add up to unlocked secrets and a love that just won’t stop. Luke “Lucky” O’Conner is a committed bachelor. His motto…“Nobody’s ever getting this Lucky.” So when Kaley Harlow walks into his tattoo shop and somehow leaves with the only record of the numbers to his new safe tattooed on her sexy little hip, Lucky’s motto is threatened. If he wants to see those numbers again, he has to get close. Closer than he’s ever gotten to any woman. And he has three weeks to do it. Kaley Harlow, a happily washed-up former child star, is out to ruin her reputation. She’s through with people looking at her like she’s still that innocent little girl in pigtails. Not to mention, her agent has just signed her up for a movie contract. But, really, all Kaley wants is to start a new life and finally go to college. When Lucky happens into Kaley’s life for the second time, the hot, tattooed badass is exactly what she needs to sabotage her image. But this badass has a secret, one that could ruin more than just Kaley’s reputation.

“It’s called A Mirage of Impulse.”

He scrubbed a hand over his chin. “I didn’t take your friend for such a passionate person. I like it,” he said, eyes fixed on the vibrant canvas.

“Don’t let the high heels, fake red fingernails or what I like to call daggers, and the fancy clothes fool you. She’s a pretty awesome person,” she laughed.

He stared straight ahead and continued to deny her his attention. Either the painting enthralled him or she’d been right all along. He was the type of guy who got off by making a girl work for it—for him. Kaley might have been that girl a few years ago but no more would she beg for any guy’s attention. She drummed to a different beat now, one that was a bit louder and a whole lot bolder.

Hand entwined with his, she thrust her shoulders back, and faced him. “You think you saved me back there, don’t you?”

His head tilted and he looked down at her from the corner of his eye. “Yes. I do.” He turned, giving her his full attention. “As I told your friend, unlike my former employee, I can tell when a woman’s not interested. And, love, you were lookin’ for some kind of escape from that guy back there.” He glanced at her mouth for another second that felt like a minute before looking back up at her. “It’s your eyes. I told you, they’re a dead giveaway.”

“Oh, yeah,” she lifted her chin, “and just what are they saying now?”

Her cocky boldness got her a slight jerk from his hand. Her body fell forward against his hard one. His dark hazel gems fell too. They drifted over every inch of her body. Every heated place she wanted him to touch. She licked her bottom lip, and then she bit it. Beneath cloaked eyes, he observed the whole ordeal. Her breasts swelled against the thin material of her dress, and for the first time that night she remembered she had on a thong. Her pussy pulsated and the string tugged tighter between her ass cheeks. She wanted him, right there. Wanted him to slip his hand up her dress and…

The side of his mouth lifted and those dark eyes twinkled. “Do you really want me to say that out load?”

Again, like at the tattoo shop, the man insinuated that he had the ability to read her eyes. Ignoring the building heat between her shaky thighs, and his deliberate comment, she lifted her head. “You’re a real smooth one. Aren’t you, Lucky?”

“Lucky?” The other side of his delicious mouth lifted to complete the sexiest smile ever. “I see we’ve graduated from what my football coach used to call me.” He squeezed her hand, running a thumb over the top of her fingers. The little touch soared through her entire body. He bent down closer to mouth. “Now, don’t go letting the dapper clothes, or my charming smiles fool you. I’m not all that smooth. In fact, I’ve been known to be a little rough at times.”

“Hmm…” She lingered on his remark, what he meant by it and how it had made her hotter than hell. Glancing over his shoulder, she shifted back to him with a smile. “I’m sorry to disappoint you but you’re not going to get the chance to be smooth or rough right now for it appears my friend is on her way over here to save me.”

“And I’m sorry to disappoint you, Kaley, but your pretty awesome friend obviously doesn’t have the ability to read your eyes like I do.” His voice lowered, “‘Cause we both know you ain’t in any need of being saved, at least not yet.” Kelly resides in a quiet suburb somewhere between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY. Her day job? Kelly’s worked in the healthcare field for years, representing a group of reputable nursing facilities in the WNY area. She’s been faithfully writing for three years. However, she wrote her first book ten years ago but had to put it down to raise her son as a single mom. When her son got a little older, she was able to pick it back up. That’s when she settled into her newly married life and started to seriously write again. Kelly loves to hear from her readers! Visit her Blog, FB Page, Goodreads, Twitter. You can find all the links on her Website~ www.kellygendron.com.

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5 DAY COUNTDOWN TO THE RELEASE OF END OF THE BEGINNING!Marina...

5 DAY COUNTDOWN TO THE RELEASE OF END OF THE BEGINNING!

Marina is tired of questions; she’s tired of needing answers.  But as always, on Blue Ridge, that’s impossible.  And with Nate’s treachery having been revealed, Marina is left with more unanswered questions to drive her crazy.  

She trusted her lover, had believed in him implicitly, but with his lies, how can she?  Can their relationship survive the hard truths of his past?  Can they survive with a murderer roaming around Blue Ridge?  And will Marina’s own past come back to haunt her?  

It’s the end of the beginning for Nate and Marina, but is it the end full stop? 

Find out in End of the Beginning

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COVER REVEAL: Jeri Williams' EVERYTHING

Book Title:Everything

Author: Jeri Williams

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date:April, 2013 Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Dacey’s Harper is a 22 year old college student who lives in a very small town where everyone knows her name, to everyone in town she is known as the niece of the town crazy and is next in line to jump on the crazy train. Dacey however, is doing her best to keep it all together; including an unsympathetic father, a stepmother who has raised her as her own, a larger than life stepsister who at times she doesn’t even know what to do with and not to mention her Adonis God of a boyfriend. Top that off with her spicy Latin best friend and, let’s not forget her crazy aunt who has the world’s best one-liners, Dacey has her hands full but all that changes with one phone call and Dacey is left questioning EVERYTHING.

I lay curled up in that ball crying until I couldn’t cry anymore.

        My phone buzzed with text messages, then phone calls several times, but I didn’t answer them. They weren’t from Aria or Opal, so it didn’t matter.

        The morning sky turned to afternoon and still I lay there; I couldn’t move. If I moved, more shit would happen to me, the world would find something else to throw my way. So I lay there. The afternoon sky turned to dusk, and I heard the front door open and close. Aria was home, and I knew she would come looking for me, knowing she saw my car. Sure enough, 10 minutes later the door opened and her head popped in.

        “There you are. Why are you in here?”

        I didn’t answer.

        “Are you sleeping?”

        I was glad my back was to the door; I pretended to be asleep.

        “Dacey?”

        She stood there for a few more minutes, then closed the door quietly so as not to wake me. I didn’t want to talk to anyone not right now, not for a long while.

        The dusk sky turned to evening, and there was a soft knock and Aria stuck her head in again, saying softly that Trevor was here and wanted to come in.

        “Did something happen, Dacey?” her voice wavered.

        I didn’t have a chance to reply because he came in the room and asked Aria to give us some privacy.

        She didn’t know, so she closed the door and left.

        “Dacey, why haven’t you answered my text or calls? I’ve been worried.”

        I still had my back turned to him, and he didn’t make an effort to face me…I wanted everything to go back to normal and  I was silently wishing for; because the world couldn’t shit on me this much in three months, could it? It wasn’t this mean, was it?

        “Why are you here?”

        “I wanted to check on you and make sure you were OK, and I want to finish our talk.”

        “I’m alive, and talk.” I avoided using the word “OK” because I was far from OK.

So far from OK, I would never be OK.

Jeri Williams lives a super fabulous lifestyle (by fabulous, she mean’s kinda lame) in the hot Florida sun and loves reading of any kind (except instruction manuals and cereal boxes). She has always written stories and made her family listen to them since she was young, although this is her first book she has ever published. She is a mom of an up-and-coming Jerry Seinfeld (in girl form) and also enjoys being right and knowing everything, although she is hardly ever right and really doesn’t know anything and is obsessed with inventing miniature zoo animals you can carry around in your pocket (although not really).

Release Day Event: Forever by Miranda P Charles

 

 Forever

Time for Love #1 

By: Miranda P. Charles

Blurb

Rebecca Andrews knew she was lucky to be hired as a private nurse for an elderly lady who was going on a one-month trip aboard a luxury cruise ship. But there was one big problem. The client was the grandmother of her ex-boyfriend—the guy she was still in love with; the guy who didn’t love her back.

Zach Carmichael couldn’t say no to his grandmother’s plea to join her on a month-long cruise for her eightieth birthday. But he didn’t expect his spritely gran to bring two private nurses with her. One of them happened to be the woman who broke his heart—the one he believed lied to him about her feelings.

Aboard a luxury liner, their passion for each other flared again. Was it just a temporary flame brought about by the romance of being in a cruise? How could they give love another chance when they were both afraid to put their hearts back on the line?

Link to Follow Tour http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2014/02/now-booking-release-blast-for-forever.html

BUY LINKS

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J4S6YWC

B&N Nook:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forever-miranda-p-charles/1118942235?

ean=2940149538980&itm=1&usri=miranda+p+charles

Apple iTunes:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id840129965

GooglePlay:  http://play.google.com/store/books/details/Miranda_P_Charles_Forever?

id=wckeAwAAQBAJ

All Romance Ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/produ...

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...

Author Info

Ever since I was a young teenager, I have loved reading romance novels. My auntie used to send me boxes of her books and I would devour them one after another.

Every so often, I would read a mystery or a suspense or a paranormal novel as I love those genres too. But romance is still my favourite. :)

For many years, I wrote technical and non-fiction materials for professional use and had only dreamt about writing a novel. Then, one day, after a period of binge-reading sexy romances, I decided to sit in front of my computer and start writing my first fiction book. The result? My debut novel Will To Love, the first in the hot and sexy Lifestyle by Design series. After that, I knew that I would love to tell more beautiful love stories through my books.

I live in Sydney, Australia with my amazing husband who lovingly cheers me on in my journey as a novelist.

Author Links

Website:  http://mirandapcharles.com

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/MirandaPCharles

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/MirandaPCharles

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The Boyfriend List by R.S. Novelle Publication date: February...

The Boyfriend List by R.S. Novelle 
Publication date: February 10th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
The Boyfriend List follows twenty-year-old Reagan in her quest for the perfect relationship after a somewhat tragic spring break breakup leaves her disillusioned about love… again.

Reagan had always prided herself on making levelheaded, practical, analytical decisions about everything. Everything, that is, except where guys are concerned. Which was proven to her, once again, when her “boyfriend” opts to take another girl on their oh-so-romantic trip to his lake house. In order to prevent future heartbreak, she creates a checklist of all the qualities she wants in a man, and vows not to give her heart away again until she can determine if they fit every last criteria.

After scouring campus with her two best friends in her tricky journey, her detective work returns a pile of unworthy rejects, and it seems as though her choices are narrowed down to only two options: the hot stranger who’s inspired her new project, and her best guy friend Ian, who she’s always kept at bay due to his perceived playboy reputation.

Reagan gets more than she bargained for with her new set of rules, however, and is surprised to find that love, and the perfect boyfriend, may have been within reach the entire time. But will Ian’s reputation ruin his chances to prove his worth? And can Reagan let go of her insecurities long enough to even give him a chance?

The Boyfriend List is a light, New Adult romance about friendship, trust, and learning to let go in order to embrace what real love can offer.

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20639389-the-boyfriend-list?ac=1

Purchase:

—Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Boyfriend-List-Book-ebook/dp/B00I8N3NO6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-2&qid=1394815402

—B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boyfriend-list-renee-novelle/1118356382?ean=9781495346866

—Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/401976


——


AUTHOR BIO
Renee’ Novelle is Preceded by a long line of published family members, including Pulitzer Prize nominated author and Poet Laureate of Kentucky, Jesse Stuart.

As a child, Novelle was already gaining recognition for several of her works, and in her formative years, she continued this trend by earning local awards for her short stories and poems. 

Inspired to cultivate her talent, Novelle pursued freelance journalism and has found placement of 75 of her pieces in both online and print publications since 2008. Additionally, she has written multiple screenplays, and contributed her savvy, effective writing style to many non-profit and for profit organizations. She launched several blogs over the years, which garnered international attention. 

In 2013, Novelle returned to her first love – fiction. She writes psychological and paranormal thrillers, as well as contemporary fiction and new adult fiction. For a complete schedule of upcoming releases, please visit www.RSNovelle.com

Though she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Communication, Summa Cum Laude, she considers herself a constant student of the written word. She’s an avid reader, an enthusiastic quote poster, and rarely takes “no” as a final answer. She has an unhealthy obsession for theater, dance, music and art, and strongly believes that wine is simultaneously the beginning of, and resolution to, all of life’s problems. She believes in following dreams, and that in the end, you always end up where you’re meant to be.

Author links:
http://www.rsnovelle.com/ReneeNovelle/Home.html
https://www.facebook.com/ReneeNovelle
https://twitter.com/rs_novelle
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7249191.R_S_Novelle

EXCERPT:

Maybe she needed to get some fresh air, she decided. Go for a walk, clear her head. Anything to distract her focus from her thoughts and reset her mind back on her paper.

Decision made. She shut down her computer, set aside her books and wrapped her long hair into a somewhat sloppy bun on the top of her head. Reagan had contemplated a light sweatshirt to ward off the last cold brisk of winter that clung to the night air in stubborn resignation, then decided against it. But before she’d even left her bedroom, she turned back and yanked it off her bed after all. Apparently she was having a hard time making up her mind about everything that night.

Zipping it halfway up her torso, just below her breasts, she crept quietly out the front door and turned to lock it behind her. A quick breeze whipped its way around the corner and down the corridor, and as a shiver worked its way up her spine, she was thankful she’d listened to her intuition. Maybe she should do that more often.

But just as Reagan turned to go down the stairs and head out on her walk, she was met – nearly head on – by an unexpected sight. Ian stood before her, mildly drunk but mostly sober, looking as surprised to see her as she was to see him. It was clear he’d been out for a night of fun, though she’d seen him far worse on more occasions than she could count on both hands. But it was also just as clear that, once again, he’d come home alone. She couldn’t help the little smirk of satisfaction that turned up at the corners of her mouth on that discovery, though internally she chastised herself at the thought.

 “And just where do you think you’re going?” His voice danced over the words with dramatic flair, an indicative side effect of his inebriated condition.

It took her a minute to find her voice. “I need a break.” She finally explained, “This essay’s killing me and I want to clear my head.”

 “Nice jacket.” He flicked the toggle of her zipper, and Reagan felt it flutter in her core. “Want some company?”

The flutter was moving faster at the suggestion. His eyes had grown dark, almost as dark as the night sky, and she thought she saw something in them that begged her to say yes. Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure she needed her sweatshirt any longer, since the temperature seemed to have risen up all around her, working a pink tint into her cheeks. She was glad it was so dark out, hopefully he couldn’t tell this time. “Aren’t you just getting in though? You’re probably tired…right?”

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes… she chanted in her head. The truth was she very much would’ve loved his company, maybe a little too much, but she wasn’t certain she trusted herself around him yet…alone…in the middle of the night. There were too many possibilities, too many temptations that her imagination could come up with. If she acted on any one of them, and was wrong in her assumption, well the let down could be brutal at best.

“Tired? Me?” He shook his head and made a face at the suggestion. “The party was just getting boring. Too many of the same people, not worth the time.” Was he implying that she was worth his time then? Reagan certainly hoped so, considering how long they’d been friends. But she couldn’t help wondering if there was something more behind the words. “So what do you say? Can I walk with you?” And as he tilted his head in that subtle way that only Ian could, a dimple working it’s way into the corner of his cheek, she felt her breath rush out of her lungs.

He’d put the ball back in her court again. Damn him! There’d be no getting around it this time, she’d have to give him a definitive answer. And quickly.Reagan knew she should say no. There was something inside, warning her that it wasn’t a good idea. As though accepting his innocent invitation would somehow change things. Alter their relationship and shift their energies toward one another in a way that could never be put back again. But, when she really thought about it, hadn’t they kind of done that already?

And yet everything inside of her wanted to scream yes, and keep the momentum of what they’d started earlier in the day moving forward. It wanted to let him take her hand in his, entwine her fingers around his, as though it was the most natural thing in the world for them to be doing. All she could manage though was a simple nod, stiffened by the breath she held tightly in her chest. It was almost as though she was afraid to acknowledge what she wholeheartedly wanted, even to herself, because doing so would only leave her open and vulnerable to a future of regrets and failures.

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Book Blitz: Amanda Lance's OUTLAW

Book Title: Outlaw: A Wanted Series Novel

Author: Amanda Lance

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release Date: TBD Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

I shouldn’t have done that job. I shouldn’t have stolen that girl. And I sure as hell shouldn’t have fallen for her. Charlie Hays knows two things: how to steal, and the red—the rage that keeps him going. In Wanted when a last minute heist goes bad, he kidnaps the only witness, Addie Battes. But just when everyone begins to think he has gone and made the biggest mistake of his criminal career Charlie wonders if he hasn’t made the best one. Every love story has two sides… A native of New Jersey and lifelong nerd, Amanda Lance recently completed her Master in Liberal Arts at Thomas Edison State College after her BA in English Literature and AFA in creative writing. She currently resides in Easton Pennsylvania with her boyfriend and their spoiled hound dog. She is a cliché book nerd who is terrible at math, clinically obsessive, and prone to addictive behavior. She may or may not be a recluse.

Expecting her to run away, I never imagined her to move her hand on top of mine. It was a simple thing, but it made me relax and release the rail—the first of many things I was ‘bout to let go.

       Like a couple of magnets, our arms moved together too, making the rest of my anger fall away. It was the first time in a long while I hadn’t felt the pinch of rage on the surface, and it reminded me of being naked in front of a girl for the first time…that fear of bein’ laughed at, your pride hanging out to dry. But as spooked as it made me, I knew even then that it wasn’t all bad, that maybe it was an okay way to feel—that she made me feel that way.

       “Did anybody bother you?” I asked. She smiled and I knew she was gonna answer like a smartass.

“Polo’s whistling got to me after awhile.”

I couldn’t hide my smile. “That ain’t what I meant.”

        “I know,” she admitted. “No, no one bothered me. It was like I was invisible.”

I nodded, pretty sure that my brain and mouth wouldn’t work again if I tried to express what I wanted to. Instead, I just sighed and she did the same.

“Polo said you, um—paid off some people to leave me alone?”

The ship gossip. I should have figured. I shook my head. “He wasn’t supposed to do that.”

“So it’s true?” she said between biting her lip.

I didn’t have to answer for her to already know the answer, so I kept quiet and stared out at the water. I didn’t regret paying off some of the guys, but I wish she hadn’t known about it, neither. I wanted her to have confidence in me, to think I could handle things all by myself. I’d wanted people to be able to rely on be before, though not nearly that bad, and it didn’t feel as important as now.

“And here I thought I was blending in so well.”

Was she serious? I looked at her and grinned. “Not with those legs.” If I had a sock I woulda jammed it straight down my throat, ‟cause apparently she didn’t like me talking ‟bout how nice her legs were. I almost wanted to laugh—if she only knew what I was really thinkin’ most of the time.

     She took her hand away from mine, and the second she did I looked away from her, too embarrassed at myself to even apologize again. And even though I wasn’t looking straight at her I could feel that awkwardness between us—pictured how bad she was blushin’.

I didn’t think I’d get so lucky to have her touch me again when she rested her forehead against the side of my shoulder. Even though we weren’t touching skin to skin, it startled me so bad that I almost turned to stone ‘cept for looking down at her. Maybe she was messing with me, but I didn’t care. This felt way too good.

Taking it a step further, I started playing with her messy hair, laughing to myself that there was any of it still up at all. Unable to help myself, I put my nose up against her hair and pulled out that tie thing in there and breathed deep. With all her other smells, I was sure I caught a whiff of the sea there.

Addie’s heart started to beat faster when I made sure her hair thing was around her wrist. Mine went in faster too and I blamed that for why I was so dizzy. When I told myself that though, I knew it was a lie. She was what was making me dizzy, what was giving my lungs such a hard time and tearing up my stomach the last couple of days. And though it hurt like hell, it was still the best I’d ever felt in my whole damn life.

I’d never been in love before, but now that I was—I could understand how people went crazy.

SOMETHING WORTH SAVING by Chelsea Landon

 

Something Worth Saving

by Chelsea Landon

Release Date: Feb 4, 2014

Hosted by: Southern Belle Book Blog

Synopsis

Something Worth Saving is a story about a woman questioning her relationship with her longtime boyfriend. Raw and emotional, he doesn’t know how to show her his intentions are pure.

They have love, but is that enough?

 

Blurb

I’ll tell you a story about two people who loved with everything they had and fought for what they believed in despite the world around them. They fought for something worth saving.

     The story is something beautiful. It’s a story about me.

     My reality, the story I’m telling, is that I share Jace Ryan with the world and he keeps us safe. The warmth of his heart and body, all beautiful, and worth saving.

     Some would now venture to wonder, what’s missing then?

     And I ask myself that a lot.

     But it’s the nights that get me because you see that there? That hesitation? The question where I asked myself what’s missing?

     You see everything around us tests our will, our faith, and our ability to tell right from wrong, to believe there’s good when there’s only evil. 

     To me, it’s a fate among the toughest deciding on its path. It’s the restless sounds at night that I awake to wondering what I’m missing. The ones that crept deep in my bones and reminded me that this story, while still being written, had taken a turn into something darker, a place I never thought we would be.

     It was one night, one fate and something tragic destroying something beautiful.

     Heavy sheets of smoke curling and rolling together constricting my visions of this life I had.

     You see that there?

     That wrenching pain in your gut knowing not everything as it seems?

     Look closer. That nervous energy you now have, stumbling over words you can’t say, a voice muffled under a mask, a moaning plea to be saved, slurred words on the tip of your tongue, there’s the something tragic.

     When I have nothing left to give, nothing left to say, it’s him that brings me back to the moment, in the arms of my firefighter, the warmth of his heart and body, struggling to save his family.

 

Buy Links

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Something-Worth-Saving-Chelsea-Landon-ebook/dp/B00I7BKORS/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1394205590&sr=8-1&keywords=chelsea+landon

Amazon paperback - http://www.amazon.com/Something-Worth-Saving-Chelsea-Landon/dp/1495419061/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394205590&sr=8-1&keywords=chelsea+landon

Barnes & Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/something-worth-saving-chelsea-landon/1118592430?ean=9781495419065

Kobo - http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/something-worth-saving

Excerpt

Aubrey

Offensive Attack – Something Worth Saving

I was the closest to the flames, and the smoke was too much. Sputtering coughs, I heard the sound of glass breaking, and I was lost in the smoke.

Everyone has a story. Some beautiful. Some tragic.

For a moment, and though it didn’t feel like a moment, this was something tragic.

It was one night, one fate, and something tragic destroying something beautiful.

Heavy sheets of smoke curling and rolling together, constricting my visions of this life of mine.

You see that there?

That wrenching pain in your gut, knowing not everything is as it seems?

Look closer. That nervous energy you now have, stumbling over words you can’t say, a moaning plea to be saved, slurred words on the tip of your tongue — there’s the something tragic.

When I have nothing left to give, nothing left to say, it’s he who brings me back to the moment, in the arms of my firefighter, the warmth of his heart and body, struggling to save his family.

His voice was muffled under his mask, slurred.

Just as I feel like I’m going to fall, it’s the warmth of his breath against my neck that keeps me there, on the edge, with him.

 “Stay with me, honey.” His voice was muffled by his mask, a harsh gravelly sound, followed by the hiss of each breath he took. “Please. Please just stay with me.”

I said something, though I’m not sure what, and he pushed my hair back, cupping my face with his gloved hand. I felt the warmth.

“You’re okay …hold onto me. I got you.”

I looked up at him, smoke and flames curling around us. He stared at me for a long moment, and though I knew he had so many questions right then, he had one thing on his mind. Saving us. “Our b-b-babies…”

Tucking me into his chest, he carried me through the heavy smoke to safety.

The air was thick. Black soot surrounded me. My skin felt tight, my lips and cheeks burning so much I felt them cracking.

I remember laying my head against his chest as he took quick steps. My arms wrapped around his neck, holding on as tight as my weak arms would let me.

“Breathe, baby …please, just breathe …” Removing his breathing mask, he placed it against my face, urging me to take a breath. I didn’t want to. I didn’t feel I should be able to. “Breathe for me! Please just fucking breathe …” His voice faded.

I wanted my babies alive. But me, I wasn’t sure I was worth saving.

I deserved whatever punishment fate handed me. The fear inside marks us in ways we’ll never fully understand, and draped over my heart are fears I can’t change.

Playlist

1.         A Beautiful War – Kings of Leon

2.         Breathe Me – Sia 

3.         Grey Blue Eyes – Dave Matthews

4.         Closer – Nine Inch Nails

5.         This Moment – Katy Perry

6.         As I’m Leaving – David Gray

7.         In My Veins – Andrew Belle

8.         Be Still – The Fray

9.         Darling Nikki – Prince

10.       Stroke Me – Mickey Avalon

11.       The One I Love – David Gray

12.       Say Something – A Great Big World

13.       Syrup & Honey – Duffy

14.       Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd

15.       You Found Me – The Fray

16.       All Through The Night – Sleeping At Last

 

Character Casting

 

Author Bio

A stay-at-home mom, Chelsea Landon spends her days drinking entirely too much caffeine, baking sugar-sweet treats she never eats, and jotting down notes for her novels. A dreamer at heart, she’s creating happily ever afters. She’s a lover, a writer, a dreamer, would rather type than speak, wants to remember everything, loves lots of ice in her drinks, and is slightly introverted. 

Ten Fun Facts about Chelsea Landon

1.         I love Pinterest. LOVE it.

2.         Love coffee. Even more than Pinterest.

3.         I’ve always wanted to be a bartender. See #4.

4.         My favorite movie is Cocktail. Which has inspired my next book Come Sundown.

5.         I travel a lot. Road trips are considered a past time to me. I could get in a car and drive for hours with my music blasting and no destination in sight.

6.         If I could go anywhere tomorrow it would be Australia.

7.         I constantly feel like a bad parent. Little tiny lives depend on me and that stresses me out. 

8.         Because of #7, I’m sure I have anxiety.

9.         My favorite book is The Outsiders but followed closely by anything Janet Evanovich writes.

10.       My favorite color is teal. I hate gray. I wish it would decide what color it wants to be. Black or white. Funny enough, I have a lot of gray shirts. And clearly teal can’t decide what color it wants to be either, can it?

Contact Links

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/chelsealandon13

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Chelsea_Landon

Website – http://www.chelsealandon.com

Email - Clbooks13@gmail.com

 

Giveaway

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Look After YouGenre – New AdultPublication date – 5th April...

Look After You

Genre – New Adult

Publication date – 5th April 2014

Authors notes – Recommended for ages 18+ due to heavy subject matters of rape, violence, explicit language and sexual situations.

Synopsis:

The birth of your firstborn child is supposed to be the best day of your life, a joyous occasion. Well that’s what twenty-eight year old Ava Jacobson thought. That is until her life takes a drastic turn for the worse and her daughter is born three months earlier than planned, weighing only two pounds, two ounces. A distraught Ava is thrown into the deep end of motherhood and instead of being able to hold her baby like other moms, she has to sit back and watch her daughter fight for her life in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, while her fiancé, Sebastian Gilbert is in the midst of a messy war in Afghanistan. Ava is left to pick up the pieces with the help of her only friend, Caleb Summers. When her vulnerable state hits an all time high, she finds solace in an unexpected pair of intense green eyes. Eyes that belong to her daughter’s doctor, Ashton Bailey, and she falls, like she has never fallen before. However, for the sake of Sebastian she desperately tries to fight against her newfound feelings for Ashton, but eventually the pull between the two is so strong that it is impossible for her to stay away. Then when Ava is convinced things can’t possibly get any worse, a cloud of blackness closes in on her as the secret demons of her past come back to haunt her, with news that will irreversibly shake her entire world forever. As Ava’s roller coaster ride she calls life begins to circle the drain, she quickly learns that even through the darkness of evil, there is always that one person who will look after you and have the ability to pull you away from the brink of no return, when nobody else can.

Excerpt:

Two pounds, two ounces. That’s how much my baby girl weighed when she was born. That was ten hours ago. This wasn’t supposed to happen yet. I was supposed to have another thirteen weeks of pregnancy before I gave birth to my baby. I was supposed to have her nursery painted in pink with teddy bears surrounding the walls, her crib assembled with gorgeous soft blankets. I was supposed to have a baby shower, being showered with gifts and guessing the size of my baby. I was supposed to have time to come up with a name or at least discuss the possibility of names with my boyfriend. I was supposed to work up until my maternity leave, have at least a month of waddling around like a penguin and complaining about back pain or Braxton Hicks contractions. I wasn’t supposed to give birth to her by C-section ten hours ago without my birthing partner and my boyfriend, without any warning, without understanding why my body had decided it wasn’t fucking good enough to carry my baby full term, without having her in my arms like most other moms do the minute their baby is born, without…without…without…fuck!

About The Author:

Independent author Elena Matthews was born in Manchester, United Kingdom, where she lives with her other half, but even after eight wonderful years, she is still waiting for that epic proposal. Elena enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family, especially her four-year-old niece, who is the apple of her eye. (A little monkey too!) Elena is positive she is the love child of Jekyll and Hyde. Thankfully, the joys of being an auntie, means she can hand her back to her mum and dad when she’s all tired out! (Elena, not her niece.) Elena spent three years of her life at Salford University studying media production, to decide at the end of her degree she no longer wanted to pursue a career in the media. Instead, it took her another two and half years to realise her calling. Writing. Now she lives and breathes her writing. She even had to tell her colleagues at work whenever she is found daydreaming at her desk, it’s because she is conversing with her characters.

Stalk The Author:

Facebook – www.facebook.com/authorelenamatthews

Twitter - www.twitter.com/authorelenamatt

Website – www.authorelenamatthews.co.uk

Giveaway:

1x £10/$10 Amazon GC 2x Look After You ARC ebook copies a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

PROMO BLITZ: Savanna Young's WILDE RIDERS

Book Title: Wilde Riders

Author: Savannah Young

Genre: Romance

Release Date: February 11. 2014

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

FOUR WILDE BROTHERS…ONE WILDE COUNTRY BAND

WILDE RIDERS is the first novel in a spicy new contemporary romance series about four sexy brothers, their small-town bar and their local country band. WILDE RIDERS can be read as a STAND ALONE NOVEL or as part of the SERIES.

Cooper Wilde spent his entire adolescence counting the days until he could escape rural northwest New Jersey. Now at 26, he can’t believe he’s coming back. But his late father’s bar, Haymakers, is in financial trouble and his older brother, Jake, has asked for Cooper’s help.

Riley Smith, 25, is fresh out of her Ivy League MBA program and wants to make an impression on her employer, H & C Bank. Her first solo assignment is a fraud investigation on a business loan they made to Haymakers.

Even though Old Town is less than 90 minutes from New York City, Riley feels like she’s stepped into another world in this remote, one-bar town. Riley can’t wait to do her business and get back to the city as quickly as her sports car will take her…until she meets Cooper Wilde. He’s not like the other guys in this rural town and Riley feels inexplicably attracted to him.

The drive into New Jersey is exhausting. My only saving grace is that most of the traffic is going into the city instead of out of the city like I am. You’ve got to love those bridge and tunnel guys. I wouldn’t date one but I have a little bit of respect for them. The commute into Manhattan turns a nine hour work day into an eleven hour one, if you’re lucky. I can feel my stomach start to knot as I get further away from the city and further away from civilization. Pretty soon I’ll be in the sticks surrounded by woods and farmland. I can almost smell the manure that will no doubt take days to completely rid from my nasal passages. I pray that I don’t run into any animals, especially cows, which are huge, smelly and completely freak me out. The only live animals I ever care to see have to fit comfortably in a handbag, like a Chihuahua or Teacup Poodle, for example.

I have an appointment with a man named Jake Wilde. He asked me to come early, before the place opens at noon, so he could give me his full attention. I try to imagine what someone named Jake Wilde would look like and all I can come up with is an old gunslinger like Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven.

As I pull into Old Town the place looks exactly like I thought it would. The buildings in the town square are old and I image the place hasn’t changed much in the last hundred years or so.

Haymakers is just past the town square, down the hill from the deli, next to the gas station. Those were the exact directions I was given, in those words. I take that to mean the town only has one gas station and one deli.

When I pull into the parking lot, there’s only one other vehicle sitting there. It’s an old beat-up Dodge Ram. Nothing like fitting the country bumpkin stereotype like a glove. I have a brief moment of panic and wonder if it’s safe to park my BMW in the dirt lot. Then I remind myself where I am. Who is going to mess with it in the middle of the day? A stray deer from the woods out back? The only thing I probably have to worry about is it getting dusty.

I take in a deep breath. I have to be thankful there’s no manure smell yet. The quicker you do this, I remind myself, the quicker you can get back to the lovely asphalt jungle you call home.

I’m hit with a gust of wind as soon as I get out of my car. How is it possible that Old Town is even windier than lower Manhattan? I didn’t think I’d ever find a place windier than Wall Street. Even the Windy City didn’t seem this windy when I had business in Chicago.

When I enter the bar, I try to smooth down my thick hair, which I know is probably a complete mess from the gust. I’m surprised by the homey feel of the place. How could someone like me possibly feel at home in a country bar? Even if I was wearing jeans and cowboy boots, if I even owned jeans and cowboy boots, I wouldn’t fit in at a place like this.

I hear someone clear his throat and I turn to see a guy about my age, mid-twenties, standing next to me. I can’t help my surprise when I see he’s wearing khakis and a polo shirt, like he just stepped off of a golf course. He looks as out of place in this country bar as I feel.

“Are you Jake Wilde?” I ask.

The guy gives me the faintest hint of a smile but it’s almost as if it pains him to give that much. His deep brown eyes look even more distressed and I can’t help but wonder what’s behind those sad eyes.

He rakes his fingers through his thick dark hair. “A little windy out, isn’t it?”

My hand automatically goes to my hair and I try to casually flatten it down again. I imagine I must look like I just stepped out of a wind tunnel.

“Your hair looks fine,” the guy tries to assure me. But he’s got that hint of a smile on his face again and it makes me wonder if he’s lying just to make me feel better.

“I’m Cooper Wilde,” the guy says as he offers a hand.

I don’t know why I suddenly feel nervous about shaking it. It’s a business meeting. That’s what people do. But the way this guy is looking at me gives me the feeling that he might be interested in more than just business.

But I’m not, I remind myself. Not only because I’ve all but sworn off men, I’m here to do a job. I’ve been working for H & C Bank for two years and this is my first solo assignment as a lead investigator. If I continue to do well, I’ll be well on my way to becoming a Vice President before I turn thirty. I don’t need a man to throw me off my career trajectory. And definitely not some guy in a country bar in rural New Jersey.

I take his hand and give it a quick shake but I can’t bring my-self to look into his smoldering eyes again. “I’m Riley Smith.”

“I figured that,” Cooper says.

“Why is that?”

That hint of a smile has returned to his face again. “We don’t often get women in business suits in the bar.”

I’m not sure why I’m suddenly overcome with the urge to get a real smile out of Cooper Wilde. I don’t know even know the guy but it somehow seems important. I get the feeling he hasn’t really smiled in a while and it’s long overdue.

Not that I’ve had much occasion for real smiles myself lately.

“My brother will be here in a minute or two. He’s just printing a few documents from the computer. Purchase orders and receipts.”

I nod and look around the place. From the outside, I thought it was going to be a dive but the place actually has character. I can tell the wooden bar is old, and it looks hand carved, as do the barstools. There’s a large stage area that looks new. That’s one of the expenses I was charged with investigating. I try to image what the place looks like filled with patrons watching a local band play on a Friday night.

“Ms. Smith?” I hear a deeper male voice say.

I look up to see another guy approaching. He also looks around my age, mid-twenties, but he looks more like what I’d expect inside a country bar. He’s wearing a white button down shirt with jeans and cowboy boots. His hair is lighter than Cooper’s and his face is rounder, more boyish, but there’s definitely a family resemblance between these two guys. They’re both about the same height, around six feet, with athletic builds, like they play sports.

“I’m Jake Wilde,” the lighter haired guy says.

I try not to laugh as I look at Jake. He’s young, attractive and nothing like Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven. So much for my speculation about his name.

I notice Jake has papers in his hands. “Maybe we should have a seat at one of the tables.” He motions to a table closest to us.

“Would you like something to drink?” he asks. Jake has one thing that Cooper doesn’t. An absolutely killer smile. It’s the kind of smile that can probably get any girl into bed in a matter of minutes. Well, any girl except me. I no longer fall for guys with smiles like that. It hurts too much the next morning when they say they’ll call you, and give you that smile, and you know they’re lying and you’ll never hear from them again.

“I’ll take some water,” I reply.

Jake actually winks at me before he turns to head towards the bar. The guy knows how to charm people I’ll give him credit for that.

I notice Cooper now has the papers in his hand. Without saying anything, he sits down and I follow.

“I think this is everything you’ll need as far as the fraud investigation is concerned. We’ve got purchase orders for all of the improvements as well as receipts for the completed work. You’re sitting at one of the new tables right now. And you can see the new stage from here. I’d be happy to take you up to the new roof, if you’d like to see it.”

Cooper pushes the stack of papers toward me. I quickly thumb through them. I’ll make a few phone calls when I get back into the city to verify everything and cover my butt. At first glance, though, everything looks clean. It doesn’t seem like a case of fraud, more likely poor bookkeeping.

“The loan hasn’t been paid in months,” I say even though that’s not really my department. I’m here only for the fraud investigation. They’ll be dealing with someone else regarding the default on the loan.

“I know,” Cooper says, and I can see more darkness over-shadow his already dark eyes. “I’m going to try and fix that.”

Jake comes back with three bottles of water. “Bottle okay or would you like a glass?” he asks.

“Bottle is fine,” I say.

Jake sets the bottles down on the table and takes the seat right next to me. I’m a little taken aback by how much space he commands. And not just because of his size. It’s his energy—his being—that’s so large.

“So what did I miss?” Jake asks.

Cooper eyes his brother and I can see there’s a little bit of animosity between them. Or at least there is on Cooper’s part. Jake seems kind of oblivious to it.

Cooper rubs his temple and says, “I was just telling Miss Smith that we’re willing to cooperate with her investigation in any way we can. I’ve given her all of the documents she’ll need.”

“Great,” Jake says. He gives me another one of his charming smiles then looks at me like he’s undressing me with his eyes.

I reflexively pull my suit jacket tighter even though I’m revealing nothing. I’m wearing a conservative button-down banker’s suit but I still feel like Jake can see through it somehow.

“I’ll look at the papers more closely when I get back to the city. I assume these are copies I can take with me?”

“Of course,” Cooper replies. The guy is all business. It’s in sharp contrast to his brother who seems more like a non-stop-party kind of guy.

“Did you decide if you want to see the roof?” Cooper asks.

When Jake laughs, Cooper glares at him.

“What?” Jake says. “If that’s supposed to be a pick up line, you’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“It’s not a pick-up line,” Cooper says through clenched teeth.

Still grinning, Jake asks, “You’re really going to show her the roof?”

“It’s not necessary,” I state. The last place I want to be is in the middle of these two guys’ drama. There’s obviously a lot more going on than just showing me the roof.

Jake leans close to me and I catch a whiff of his cologne. It’s a spicy and masculine. “Why don’t you let me show you the new stage we had built?”

I can feel the heat radiating from his muscular body and I’m quickly reminded by my body’s reaction that I haven’t had sex in over six months.

I gulp. “That’s not necessary.”

I can feel several beads of sweat roll down my forehead. I’m getting hot, and it’s not because of the temperature of the room has changed. It’s Jake’s closeness to me.

I jump from my chair. “I have everything I need.” I feel like waving the papers in front of my face like a fan but I refrain. I just need to get out of the bar and away from Jake. Then I’ll be fine.

That’s what I tell myself anyway.

Cooper rises from the table and gives me an odd look. I wish I could figure out what it would take to make the guy smile but I can’t stay next to Jake a minute longer. He’s like catnip and I’m the cat. I need to escape and get some fresh air.

“Thank you both for your cooperation,” I say.

“You’ll let us know if you need anything else?” Cooper asks.

“I will. It was a pleasure meeting you.” I put out my hand for Cooper to shake.

This time, when he touches me, I make a point of looking into his eyes. They seem to have gotten even darker and deeper in just the last few minutes and that makes me even more curious about him.

Business, I remind myself. You’re here for business and then it’s back to the city.

“It was nice meeting you, too,” Cooper says and once again, he only gives me the hint of a smile.

When Jake clears his throat, it breaks the moment between me and Cooper. I’m embarrassed that I lost control. I’m supposed to be a professional.

I noticed Jake has his hand out and I realize he wants me to shake it. The last thing I want is to do is touch Jake. I don’t want to get caught up in his charismatic web like a fly.

I give him a ridiculous wave instead and I feel like an idiot when he frowns.

“I’d better get going,” I say as I turn and make my way toward the door.

When I look back at the two brothers, they’re both staring at me. I don’t know why that makes me so nervous. I don’t plan on ever seeing either one of them again.

When I’m finally outside, I take in a deep breath of what I think will be fresh air and instead, I’m assaulted by the small of cow manure.

Great. Just great.

I hop into my car and turn the air conditioning up as high as it will go. I take in another deep breath and try to get the stench of cow dung out of my nasal passages. I can’t believe I’m shaking. I’m not sure if it’s because of Cooper or Jake. Maybe it’s a little of both. But I’m definitely rattled.

I just need to get out of Old Town and get back to the city, I tell myself. Then things will get back to normal.

As I put the car into reverse and begin to pull out of my parking space, I keep thinking: I just need to get out of here and get back to the city.

When I step on the accelerator to go forward, I drive right into an old Chevy pick-up truck that’s headed straight for me. Romance novelist Savannah Young grew up in rural northwest New Jersey in a place very similar to the fictional Old Town, which is featured in her books. When she’s not at her computer creating spicy stories, Savannah is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds

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