Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 52
September 7, 2015
Fairy, Texas ~ Only $.99!
Available on Kindle and in paperback
Laney Harris thinks there might be monsters in Fairy, Texas.
She’s right.
When her mother remarried and moved them to a town where a date meant hanging out at the Sonic, Laney figured that “boring” would have a whole new meaning. A new stepsister who despised her and a high school where she was the only topic of gossip were bad enough. But when she met the school counselor (and his terminal bad breath), she grew suspicious. Especially since he had wings that only she could see. And then there were Josh and Mason, two gorgeous glimmering-eyed classmates whose interest in her might not be for the reasons she hoped. Not to mention that dead guy she nearly tripped over in gym class.
Boring takes on an entirely new dimension in Fairy, Texas.
If she’s going to survive in this small town, she’ll have to learn to wing it.
About the Author
Margo Bond Collins is the author of urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them—and sometimes fight them.
_____________________________________________
Connect with Margo
Newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/03A21E5E161401F0
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins
Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net
Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin
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September 6, 2015
Cover Reveal: Atlantis Quest by Gloria Craw
Atlantis Quest
by Gloria Craw
Release Date: 02/02/16
Entangled Teen
356 pages
Summary from Goodreads:
After all they’d cost me, I thought I was done with the Truss clan. I was wrong. Nikki Dawning, my mortal enemy, has been kidnapped, and I’ve been asked to spy on the Truss to find her.
The pull between Ian and I has never been stronger, but he can’t help me this time. I have to rely on Theron, a bad-tempered cousin I didn’t know I had. To make matters worse, the people I trust on have been keeping secrets.
I’m starting to feel like a weapon in a war I don’t understand. How far am I willing to go to protect the descendants of Atlantis and the common good when I’m not sure what the common good is anymore?
Only one thing is certain. If I’m the next Laurel clan chief, I can’t let myself be manipulated…by anyone.
Book One:
Atlantis Rising
by Gloria Craw
Release Date: 01/06/15
Entangled Teen
352 pages
Summary from Goodreads:
I am different. I have always been different, but no one can know or my life will be in danger. So I hide in plain sight, wearing drab clothes and thick glasses and trying to be invisible. I’m so good at hiding, no one has ever noticed me. Until Ian…the mysterious and oh-so-cute boy I know I need to avoid.
Now I have been seen. And more terrifying still, I am wanted—by those who would protect me and those who would destroy everything and everyone I love. But if they’re all terrified about who I am, wait until they see what I can do…
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iBooks
About the Author
Gloria Craw grew up in the desert southwest, inspired every day by the wide skies and rich colors around her. After high school, she attended the University of Utah where she majored and got a degree in anthropology. These days, she lives in the ‘burbs’ just outside of Seattle, Washington where she is the shepherd of a husband, four daughters and a very hairy dog.
Author Links:
September 5, 2015
Happy Release Day! Hot-Blooded Lust by Ravyn Rayne
Title: Hot-Blooded Lust ( Federal Agent Chronicles Book 3)
Author: Ravyn Rayne
Publisher: Blushing Books
Published: September 4, 2015
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Erotica
Cast in secrets and doubt, an investigation this red-hot is certain to cause an uproar.
Agent Joel Connor receives a phone call that friend of the family and fortune teller Grace Stine was murdered. Agent Kaitlyn Rivers joins him along with the Paranormal, Occult, and Ritualistic Crimes Division heading the investigation.
Sexy and buxom Agent Emily Carter and tanned well-built Agent Franklin Noble could easily be underwear models. Will jealousy and lust tear Joel and Kaitlyn apart or strengthen their new relationship?
Office spankings, lust potions, and fiery romance combine in this romantic erotica.
Available for FREE with Kindle Unlimited Amazon | Blushing Books
Meet the Characters in Hot-Blooded Lust
Kaitlyn Rivers
FBI Agent, Kaitlyn Rivers loves her job with the Violent Crimes and Major Thefts Task Force. For years she’s worked with Joel and flirted her way into his heart. They are currently involved in a secret relationship, though most of the office knows or will soon find out. Kaitlyn has a record for crashing bureau cars, is a workaholic, and knows how to keep a secret. Other nicknames: Kai.
Joel Connor
Mildly impatient, Joel is the supervisory agent with the Violent Crimes and Major Thefts task force. Recently divorced, he has three daughters that know how to keep him busy. For years he’s been interested in Kaitlyn but had intended to keep it professional because he’s her boss. He’s got a fascination with erotic spanking and disciplining Kaitlyn to keep her in line.
Franklin Noble
FBI Agent Franklin Noble works for the Paranormal, Occult, and Ritualistic Crimes Division. Known for being a stud, Franklin likes his job but also likes the taste of women, sampling a new lady every night. Suave, sophisticated, and successful, Franklin has it all. It’s no wonder the girls all flock to him. Plus he could be an underwear model, if his FBI career didn’t get in the way.
Emily Carter
FBI Agent Emily Carter works for the Paranormal, Occult, and Ritualistic Crimes Division. With fourteen sisters and no brothers, Emily was brought up Catholic. Known for her looks, men flock to her wanting to buy her drinks, take her home, but never meet their parents. She struggles with dating and finding the perfect boyfriend that cares for her. Emily gets along well with her FBI partner, Franklin, though she knows he’s a stud and is careful not to mix business and pleasure.
Excerpt
“Anytime you want to climb on that pole again, Kai, I’m game.” Joel grinned. Wiping that smile off his face seemed near impossible. He’d been teasing me about it since the moment I climbed on top of the bar and danced.
“You’re never going to let me live it down, are you?” I actually didn’t mind, not that I’d tell Joel. My cheeks burned remembering that night. Although I was just doing my job, I knew how turned on it made him. If it weren’t for the fact we were in a bar on duty, I’d have given him a lap dance. Joel’s tongue would have probably hung out of his mouth. Being an FBI Agent was tough work, most of the time. The few moments where I could have some fun and let loose, why shouldn’t I?
Joel’s lips trailed a soft path of kisses across my jaw. I curled beneath the sheets of his mattress. “Joel, we can’t.” Though I wanted to, I wasn’t quite comfortable with it. The reason had nothing to do with him being my boss. We were over that. “Your kids are in the next room and the walls are thin.”
“They’re asleep.”
I laughed. “Yeah, for now. You’re loud. There is no way it won’t wake them up. The neighbors at my place give me slack when I run into them getting the mail.”
Joel whined and reached for my hip, pulling me against him. “Then why did you insist on sneaking over? You’re such a tease.”
“I am not!” I playfully shoved his chest. I tried my best to keep my voice down to a minimum. It’s not that I didn’t like his kids, I just thought it was too early for us to be doing weekends together. Which is why I opted to sneak over after they were in bed. I didn’t think ahead to the fact that we’d have to keep our voices down and that Joel was a loud moaner during sex. Not that I was particularly quiet, but he had the tendency to make sure everyone could hear us.
“Want to play a game?” he asked. His thumb stroked my hip, inching my shirt as the pads of his fingers grazed bare skin.
“Like Monopoly?” I wasn’t in the mood for board games.
Joel leaned his head forward, chuckling softly. He reached for me, brushing his lips against mine. I dragged my fingers into his dark, thick hair. “I had something more adult in mind.”
“Oh?” My hands paused their ministrations, trying to image what Joel would have thought up. He struck me more as a strip poker kind of guy, but we were already half-naked. Where was the fun in that? Joel climbed out of bed and headed for his closet. I whimpered in protest. “Where are you going? I’m right here.”
“I know a game that will be fun for both of us.” He brought one of his work ties out from the closet.
“If you’re planning on tying me to the bed, you know we have handcuffs for that.”
“No need. Unless of course you’re naughty. Close your eyes,” he said, and I did so, feeling the tie cover my eyes as he secured it at the back of my head. I was blindfolded. This was new for us.
My heart skipped a beat. I trusted Joel, but it still made me nervous. “What do you plan on doing?” I asked.
“Kai, you complained that I’m loud when we have sex. I’m going to make sure that you’re the one making all the noises. Better keep your voice down, I’m not sure I locked the bedroom door.”
Six Questions with the Author
What are you currently working on?
I just finished writing the first book in the series Dystopian Reign. The first book is titled, The Victorian Shift. I started the second book late this afternoon and it’s titled The Western Movement. It’s an interesting blend of historical mixed with dystopian (and of course romance) that follows a twenty-five year old young woman that escapes prison when the facility is under attack.
Tell us a little about your release, Hot-Blooded Lust.
Hot-Blooded Lust is the third installment in the Federal Agent Chronicles. Just like the first book in the series, Hot-Blooded Lust follows the life of Agent Kaitlyn Rivers as they investigate the murder of a fortune-teller, who happens to also be someone Joel knows.
Any more Federal Agent Chronicle stories in the works?
Yes, Fire Licked is scheduled for release in November from Blushing Books. That novel is about a sexy fireman and follows FBI Agent Leslie Hunter.
How do you write so fast?
Good question! I’m very prolific and also task-focused. This is my full-time job, so I treat it as such, spending at least eight hours a day in front of the computer writing (or at least attempting to). I concentrate heavily on meeting a word count daily when I write.
You always have fun swag. What’s your favorite piece that you’ve made?
I love making mini book charms as necklaces and also book boxes that feature my book cover. The book boxes are great for storing goodies when I have a book event. The necklaces (and also bracelets) tend to be a huge hit at events. Everyone always loves them and they’re all handmade. I’m always sharing pictures of the goodies on Facebook.
Do you plan on writing any more YA books under your other name, Ruth Silver?
Yes. I recently finished the prequel to Aberrant. It is titled, Cabal. I’m waiting to find out the release date for that young adult novella. I also am (still) working on the sequel to Elfinland (Orenda Book 2). It’s half-written at 21k words. I just need to sit down and finish that novel as well.
Grab the First Book in the Series
Burning Desire by Ravyn Rayne
Federal Agent Chronicles Book One
Published May 6, 2015 by Blushing Books
Saving people is FBI Agent Kaitlyn Rivers drug of choice. That’s not the only thing she loves about her job. The sexual tension is mounting between Kaitlyn and her alpha boss, Agent Joel Connor.
Assigned into an undercover operation to stop a serial child abductor with the pathetic Cole Sommers, Kaitlyn is silently thrilled when Cole is forced off the case and Joel steps in.
Intense romance, steamy sex scenes, and a nail-gripping case that will attract fans of crime dramas and thrillers. This action-packed erotica is sure to leave you pleased three times over!
Available for FREE with Kindle Unlimited Amazon
Continue the series
Title: Dating Wars
Series: Federal Agent Chronicles #2
Author: Ravyn Rayne
Publisher: Blushing Books
Published: July 6th, 2015
Finding love in all the wrong places.
When a serial rapist and murderer targets women on an online dating website, FBI Agent Leslie Hunter must pose as a potential match at a bar. How hard could it be? She’s been dating online for years.
While undercover, Leslie meets a handsome gentleman. She can’t tell Kevin her profession without ruining the investigation. How long can she keep this man out of danger without revealing she’s an FBI Agent?
A taste of pole dancing, phone sex, and spankings combined with a lick of danger. A romantic erotica story that’s sure to leave your heart racing and pleased afterwards.
Available for FREE on Kindle Unlimited Amazon
Prefer paperback?
Grab the first two books in the series in a combined paperback edition. Now available on Amazon!
Excerpt
“Hey sexy.” I hear Kaitlyn’s voice and my eyes widen glancing up, as the dancers are once again on the bar.
“Kai?” I can’t stop myself from calling her by name. I’ve always seen the dark-haired agent in a pants suit, one rare occasion a skirt. This is something else entirely.
Kevin removes his drink from the bar. “You know the dancer?”
Kaitlyn is up there wearing nothing more than a red g-string bikini. Her brunette locks cascade down her back and her makeup looks like a hooker must have put it on her. She’s got thick turquoise eyeliner and lime green glittery eye shadow.
“Long story. We used to work together.” It’s not a lie but in the way Kevin’s mind is ticking, he must think I had been an exotic dancer. Not the case! Though, what harm could come from him believing it to be true? It is safer for everyone, than Kevin knowing I’m working undercover.
Kevin laughs and his cheeks redden. I’m guessing it’s the beer. He’s looking over Kaitlyn a little too intimately and long for my pleasure.
“Quite a story, I bet,” Kevin says. “Maybe you can share it on our second date?”
About the Author
Ravyn is a sassy, fun-loving, and adventure-seeking young woman. She loves to travel and can’t wait for her next vacation, 
wherever it might be.
Ravyn writes romantic erotica. She began writing romance novels in college, spending her down time either reading a book or writing fiction. Please don’t make her choose between the two, she loves them equally.
She has been published professionally since 2013. Prefer less steamy novels? Try her out here.
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Tsu | Goodreads | Amazon | Blushing Books
Ravyn’s Available Books
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August 25, 2015
Release Day: Siren’s Kiss, a Mythic Kiss Story and A Falling In Deep Collection Novella ~ by Margo Bond Collins
It’s release day for Siren’s Kiss, available for only $.99 on Amazon Kindle!
Her kiss might save the world . . .
Unless his kiss kills her first.
It’s been almost two thousand years since the mer-shifter Skyla walked the streets of Athens—not since her heart was broken by a human man and she exchanged the land and sky for the ocean depths. Ever since, she has lived in the underwater ruins of Atlantis, studying with the priestesses of the goddess Amphitrite, refining her mermaid powers and ignoring her human half.
But her studies are interrupted when she is called upon by Poseidon himself to investigate rumors that the world above is being polluted by the magic of creatures from another realm—and worse, that the ocean kingdom of the mer-people might be next.
When her inquiries in modern-day Greece lead her to an American detective asking similar questions, Skyla realizes that the magical problem she’s been sent to research is bigger than she anticipated—and that one human’s kisses might be more dangerous to her, and her world, than she ever could have imagined.
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Skyla
This is not a love story.
It’s been over two thousand years since I walked these shores, and even then, the man who broke my heart was centuries gone, sailed away into death—the last journey into yet another land where I will not follow.
Truth be told, though, he left me long before he died, gone away to rejoin a wife he hadn’t seen in twenty years, to reclaim a rocky, wind-swept island for a son he barely knew.
Gone home, to spin stories about his absence like his wife spun his death-shroud—picking out the stitches at night and reweaving them anew to postpone the inevitable moment when the stories wear thin and you find the monsters have been in your home all along, posing as suitors who would win your heart.
The poets lie, you know. They say our songs seduce the sailors, draw them into the ocean to drown.
But if the ocean sings to them, it is not our doing—no more than the earth’s call to us is theirs.
And Odysseus never tried to resist.
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About the Author
Margo Bond Collins is the author of urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them—and sometimes fight them.
_____________________________________________
Connect with Margo
Newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/03A21E5E161401F0
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins
Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net
Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/
Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/MargoBondCollins
August 16, 2015
July 24, 2015
Summer of Love by Debra Elizabeth #Free #Ebook
June 25 was supposed to be the best day of Jessica Blackstone’s life, but a family accident sends her perfect life into a tailspin. Trying to cope with the tragedy, she retreats to the family beach cottage for some much needed solace.
John Smith has been burnt by love, and is not interested in another relationship, that is, until he meets the beautiful and fragile Jessica. Can these two lost souls find love and heal their fractured hearts?
Get it for FREE on Amazon
Get for $.99 Nook / iBooks / Kobo
July 22, 2015
Available for Pre-Order: Sanguinary by Margo Bond Collins (expanded and revised)
Only fifty years left before vampires rule the world.
LOVE IS STRONGER THAN BLOOD
When Dallas police detective Cami Davis joined the city’s vampire unit, she planned to use the job as a stepping-stone to a better position in the department. But she didn’t know then what she knows now: there’s a silent war raging between humans and vampires, and the vampires are winning.
Against Reese’s advice and best judgment – and he should know, he’s a vampire – Cami is going undercover, determined to solve a series of recent murders and discover a way to overthrow the local Sanguinary government to help win the war for the human race. Reese will not let her be pulled under by a darkness she cannot oppose… his love will not allow it.
– See more at: http://www.boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/sanguinary#sthash.K9XwPnU0.dpuf
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About the Author
Margo Bond Collins writes urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them—and sometimes fight them.
_____________________________________________
Connect with Margo
Newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/03A21E5E161401F0
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins
Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net
Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/MargoBondCollins
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Win a Paperback Copy of Opposing the Cowboy!
Enter the Goodreads Giveaway for the chance to win a paperback copy of Opposing the Cowboy
Never trust a good kisser…
Yoga teacher LeeAnn Walker has no desire to see the unspoilt beauty of her grandmother’s ranch violated by a greedy oil company. But unless she finds the paperwork confirming she owns the mineral rights, that’s exactlywhat could happen. The worst part? The guy spearheading the whole mess is none other than the hot and sexy stranger LeeAnn just kissed to make her ex jealous.
Jonah Hamilton thought his day was looking up until he found out the gorgeous blonde who kissed the hell out of him is the same stubborn woman he came to town for. And she’s not too happy to find out she might be forced to allow drilling on her land.
But Jonah has a job to do, even if LeeAnn tempts him to turn his professionalism into something much more personal…
Excerpt
Chapter One
What an ass-hat.
LeeAnn Walker pushed herself up onto her hands and feet, leaning into downward dog until she felt the stretch across the backs of her calves. She tried to concentrate on perfecting the pose in an attempt to push the memory of the previous night’s teary phone call out of her mind.
I can’t believe Darrell cheated on me.
Angie, the instructor, called out directions in a soothing voice. “Push up onto your toes, then slide your torso along the ground and between your arms.”
Pay attention, LeeAnn.
Shifting into cobra, she shook several loose tendrils of blond hair out of her eyes and arched her back enough to glance up at the wall clock.
If we wrap up in the next ten minutes, I should have time to take a quick shower and grab breakfast at the new diner. What’s it called? Wagon Yard? Chuck Wagon? Something like that.
“Back up to down dog,” Angie intoned.
Damn Darrell all the way to hell and back.
The two-timing bastard. I can’t believe he’s marrying someone else.
Time to rein those thoughts back in. Bursting into tears in the middle of yoga class would defeat the purpose of the exercises, right?
Breathe.
Stretch.
There were lots of things about her life that were great.
She had good friends.
Her part-time job working at Cowbelles, her best friend Kylie’s gift shop, covered her immediate expenses.
She was getting better and better as a yoga teacher and had almost finished her instructor’s certification—in only two or three months, she would be able to run any class TexZen offered. Hopefully, the studio would give her a full-time position.
So it doesn’t matter if Darrell Cheating Jerkwad Vincent broke up with me to marry someone else.
I am calm and centered.
Yeah. Right.
Follow Angie’s instructions.
Move. Don’t think.
She closed her eyes and leaned back on her mat, though she certainly wasn’t in the right frame of mind for the meditation session that ended the class.
At the front of the room, Angie crossed her legs lotus style. “Om,” she intoned, holding her thumbs and forefingers together.
LeeAnn blew out a sigh, then crossed her legs and joined the chant.
Nama-freaking-ste.
…
LeeAnn Walker.
Reaching into the battered leather bag on the seat beside him in his green ’56 Chevy, Jonah Hamilton pulled out a file and flipped through the pages.
He needed to know more.
She wasn’t the first person who’d refused to let Natural Shale Oil and Gas drill on their land. But this was the first time he hadn’t been able to figure out why.
Driving past her ranch this morning and staring over the fence at the property he so desperately needed access to hadn’t given him any new insights, either.
It’s not like she can’t use the money.
The house and main barn seemed sturdy enough, though they needed a coat or two of paint—but the outbuildings were practically falling in on themselves. And looking at the state of the boundary markers made him itch to saddle up and ride the fences.
When he’d spoken to the woman on the phone the first time two months ago, she’d been polite, but firm, in her refusal to meet with him.
By last week she’d been downright hostile, even going so far as to hang up on him midsentence.
But every survey that Natural Shale had done suggested that her land was the perfect place to drill. And as the company’s landman, it was his job to arrange for drilling access.
Jonah Hamilton did not fail. That’s why the company had put him on the job. He always got what he wanted, what the company wanted, in the end, no matter how much the landowner initially protested.
LeeAnn Walker was no different.
Time to do a little research, and then apply some in-person charm.
But first, breakfast.
Grabbing the well-worn Stetson from the passenger seat and settling it on his head, he slid out of the truck and headed into the diner.
…
As she walked out of the studio, LeeAnn’s stomach rumbled at the smell of bacon frying. Even as she reminded herself that vegetarians shouldn’t crave pork products, she followed the smell around the corner to the diner that had only recently opened.
Wagon Wheel Diner, she read on the sign as she drew nearer. She glanced at her watch.
Half an hour ought to give me enough time to grab breakfast and still open Cowbelles on time. I can stick to pancakes.
Of course, she hadn’t counted on the line of people snaking up to the order counter. She should have known better—anyplace new was bound to be even more crowded than the usual Stockyards District restaurants, and few places served breakfast.
Shifting from one foot to the other, she checked her watch, then froze as a familiar laugh drifted through the restaurant. Her gaze followed the sound back to its origin.
Darrell Jerkwit Cheater Vincent.
Sitting right there at a table with a group of businessmen, as if he had every right to smile and laugh and act as if he weren’t a despicable example of humanity.
Jerk.
Her stomach clenched. It wasn’t like Fort Worth was a small town, even if working in the Stockyards District sometimes made it seem as if it were. She had options. She didn’t have to stick around.
In fact, it would be better if she got out of here before he saw her at all.
Dick.
She spun on her heel to march out the door and smacked into a muscled wall of masculine chest—then bounced right back off, her arms pinwheeling for a moment, before the toe of her sneaker caught on a chair and she landed flat on her butt on the hard, ceramic tile floor.
As if the impact had knocked it out of her, her next thought about Darrell popped out of her mouth in a breathy whoosh as she landed.
“Man slut.”
“Pardon me?” Although the collision had rocked him back on his boot heels a little, the man she had careened off seemed otherwise unaffected as he held out his hand to help her up.
The guy looming over her reminded LeeAnn of someone, though she couldn’t figure out who.
Maybe an actor or a model? He’s that hot.
Part of her realized that her stare was turning rude, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. And he knew exactly what effect he was having on her—she could see it in the way his deep, dark blue eyes sparkled in amusement. His hair matched his eyes—it was a black so deep that it seemed to have blue highlights.
A cleft chin that movie stars would kill for.
And a muscular chest that a girl could bounce right off.
“Like Superman comics,” she whispered.
“Are you okay?” He leaned in closer and reached out with both hands as if to steady her as she scrambled up.
No ring, she noted. Not that I care.
“I’m fine.” LeeAnn backed away. “Sorry about that.”
Everyone in the Wagon Wheel was staring at her now. Although she wanted to, she didn’t risk looking at Darrell. Bad enough he had dumped her. She couldn’t bear the thought of him watching her as she made a fool out of herself.
The burn of a deep flush crept up her neck, then flashed across her cheeks.
“Excuse me,” she whispered, brushing past the gorgeous man who was now blocking the exit.
“Really, are you okay?” the beautiful man said, once again reaching out as if to touch her shoulder.
She froze for the barest instant, then turned her head just far enough to look into those navy blue eyes.
Almost against her will, her gaze flicked back toward Darrell.
He was watching, but he was far enough away that he almost certainly hadn’t heard their conversation.
And the sneaky, lying, cheating son of a bitch was smirking.
Swinging back around to fully face the man in the doorway, she acted on impulse. She might not know who this amazing, beautiful, Superman-looking guy was, but in that instant, she didn’t care.
Maybe she could, for a moment, show Darrell…something.
This is probably a bad idea.
She ignored the tiny voice in the back of her head.
“Work with me,” she whispered to the man in front of her.
He had only a second for a confused look to flicker across his face before she stood up on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, threaded her fingers through the silky hair just brushing the nape of his neck, and pulled him down to kiss her.
It took one interminable heartbeat for him to respond, long enough for LeeAnn to realize that this might have been the worst idea she’d ever had.
Or maybe the second worst idea, right after Darrell.
And then he took over.
Arms banded with muscles circled her waist, crushing her against that unbelievably broad chest. His tongue teased at her lips, and she found herself melting into him for a long, blissful moment.
When he finally pulled away gently, setting her feet back on the ground, she blinked. Slowly, she unwrapped her arms from around his neck, breathless and dazed.
“Let’s skip breakfast,” he said in a suggestive tone, loud enough to be heard through the suddenly silent diner.
“O-okay,” she stammered, following as he tugged her out the door.
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About the Author
Margo Bond Collins writes urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them—and sometimes fight them.
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Connect with Margo
Newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/03A21E5E161401F0
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Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
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July 21, 2015
Happy Release Day! Taken Love by Casey Clipper
Title: Taken Love
Author: Casey Clipper
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Cover
Synopsis
The international bestselling contemporary romance The Love Series comes to a conclusion with Taken Love. Questions will be answered, relationships and lives hang in the balance, and everything you thought you knew about the Murphy family will be turned inside out in the matter of one tragic event.
Smith has worked for the Murphy family for years. A powerful and dangerous organized crime family that rules the Northeast. He spends his days and nights with only one goal, to get through to the next day, watching his boss’s back. A past he avoids at all costs leaves him with a cold, lonely bed and no possibility of future relationships. Until she needs his help. His good conscious won’t allow the young woman to pay for her mother’s indiscretions. One rash decision has him doing the one thing he’s never done in all the years he’s worked for the Murphy family.
Cara O’Hara has lived a hard life. A life altered by her father’s death when she was a young girl. Now she spends her days trying to care for her mother, who’s lost to a world of drugs, alcohol, and sex. Cara has nothing. No friends, relationships, or any semblance of a normal life. But nothing prepares her for the threat that Cara’s mother has now hindered her with. A debt her mother owes but can’t repay. A debt that the collectors decide taking Cara as payment is perfectly acceptable. She unexpectedly finds herself fighting for her life, literally, as she’s dragged from her home and shoved in to the trunk of a car. In that moment, her life is forever changed.
Can Smith help save Cara from the men who will inevitably end up placing her in an early grave? Will Cara’s overwhelming presence distract Smith from the mundane life he’s created for himself? What happens when both their worlds collide on an unexpected and unwelcome course? How does Smith handle his attraction to the beautiful woman whose life he’s devoted to saving? How does Cara deal with a man who’s closed off in every way? And what happens when the men who want Cara seek revenge?
Everyone will pay, including those important figures in the Murphy family.
**Warning: Taken Love consists of some violence and “I knew it!”, “OMG”, and “I hate that man!” moments. This is a contemporary romance, which involves the mob and isn’t always pretty. There is some form of violence in this story (mild compared to other romance novels but still present). If you don’t think that’ll be to your liking, please do not read this novel.
Novels in The Love Series:
Silent Love (Book 1)
Unexpected Love (Book 2)
Dangerous Love (Book 3)
Taken Love (Book 4) – the final installment
Teaser
Excerpt
Cara hated herself. Absolutely, positively loathed herself. Why was she unable to keep perspective around Hunter? Why couldn’t she comprehend he wasn’t her boyfriend−current or future−fiancé, husband, or any other form of commitment? She kept sucking herself back into a false relationship. While at the Murphy home, she’d been treated as if she was Hunter’s partner. And she’d lost sight of reality. While the women spent all evening joking around with one another, they talked about their husbands. Smith was included in that mix along with Cara. She bought it hook-line-and-sinker. Watching Courtney with her in-laws and her husband and the entire family dynamic that the close-knit group exhibited made her long to become a part of their world. Until she looked into Hunter’s eyes. She was a fool.
As they road silently back to Hunter’s home, Cara decided it was time to take control of her own life. Trapped for too long as prisoner by everyone else, she was done.
“I need to know what’s going on with the debt my mom owes.” She broke the thick, silent tension in the enclosed space. “I need to visit my mother and see if I can get the information from her. It’s past time I get out of your house, Hunter, and move on.”
They pulled down his street without Hunter responding. When he parked the car in the garage, Cara jumped out and rushed into the house and up to her bedroom without looking back. She didn’t want to talk to Hunter. She just wanted this entire mess over with. She wanted to start a new life. At the age of twenty-eight, she wanted to finally start living her life.
A soft knock on the door was her only warning before it opened. Smith stepped inside the room, his hands shoved into his perfectly tailored suit.
“Why the hell are you always dressed for a business meeting?” she groused, her frustration and anger spilling over.
He blinked, shocked.
“Don’t you own a pair of jeans? Khakis? A fucking T-shirt?” She jumped off the bed. “Always so pristine and crisp. Always so contained. Well, except when you don’t want your space invaded, right? Tell me, Hunter, is there anything not ironed and hanging immaculately in your closet?”
She pushed past him and stormed into his room. Fucking Hunter and his inability to look a mess. Never a hair out of place, not a day with stubble, teeth always brushed.
Cara tossed opened his closet door and sure enough, suits upon suits, all hung in a perfect row as if a department store employee had racked his wardrobe. She yanked one of the dark suits out of the closet and tore it off the hanger and tossed it across the room.
“Oh look, your jacket’s on the floor. Might want to pick that up before it wrinkles.” She grabbed another one and ripped the pants off and tossed them randomly over her shoulder. “Messy, messy suits. Everything’s a mess. Can’t have that.” She opened the drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe. The top drawer, filled with black socks all matched, ended up across the room.
Fury fueled her. Her blood boiled in her veins. She hated Smith and his refined stature. Always poised, always calm. No emotion. Nothing.
“Cara, stop it,” Hunter warned.
She ignored him, her mind a red haze of hatred. Anger consumed her. Anger for all she was going through. For all she’d been through. Irate that no one fought for her, that she couldn’t fight for herself. Furious at her mother, at Hunter, at Mr. Murphy. Hatred that there was absolutely nothing she could do to gain even a nibble at life. She was a victim and prisoner of everyone around her.
Cara continued her assault on Hunter’s clothes. It felt good to rip apart the suits and drawers, tossing everything around the room. It gave her some form of control over him. He couldn’t stop her. He couldn’t control her anger. No one could. Stupid designer suits. Stupid comforting bedroom. Stupid Smith.
Suddenly a strong pair of arms grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her.
Giveaway
Purchase Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA
About The Author
Contemporary Romance Author of The Love Series, Casey Clipper is from Pittsburgh, PA. She’s a noted sports fanatic, chocolate lover (all right, maybe that could be classified more as an addiction), and is slightly obsessed with penguins (I mean, come on, they’re forever dressed in tuxes!). Like you, she’s an avid romance reader and loves to lose herself in a good book. Casey is an active member of the Romance Writers of America, Contemporary Romance Writers, the Three Rivers Romance Writers, Passionate Ink, ASMSG, and IAN.
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July 16, 2015
Favorite Romance Novels by Catherine E McLean, author Hearts Akilter
My genre is futuristic romance. Oddly enough, it was in 1998 that I discovered that’s the type of story I wrote. Back then, the genre was enjoying an exhilarating heyday.
But at that time, I wrote sci-fi short stories, which were being published, and I was just beginning to work on novels. By the time I had a futuristic romance novel ready to market, reader’s tastes were into paranormal romances (vampires and shapeshifters), not futuristics or sci-fi romances.
Even now, where I see a glint of hope that futuristics are making a comeback, it’s difficult to find futuristic tales that I want to read. Why? Because the authors make it impossible for me to suspend my disbelief that the characters were like real people, in a real setting, contending with a real problem. It’s a case of too much outlandish fantasy and not enough realism.
For both my books KARMA AND MAYHEM and HEARTS AKILTER, the publishers didn’t use the term futuristic for them but marketed them as paranormal, fantasy romance. Which means there must be more readers for those key-word romances than what futuristics would garner. After all, sales are their goal.
As a result of this futuristic quandary, I don’t have a personal list of top ten books. However, I can list the following authors and the stories they wrote (most of them a long time ago) that forever linger in my memory because the characters, plot, and romance touched my heart and mind. These are keepers, books I will reread again and again—
Justine Davis – Sky Pirate (and the series)
Jayne Ann Krentz – Shield’s Lady
Elizabeth Moon – Vatta’s war series
David Webber – Flight of the Furies (not a romance, but a futuristic)
Oddly enough, every time I go online to a bookstore, I search for stories worth reading that take place in a future time and place and which have a plot and realistic characters that intrigue. I also keep hoping that with the re-issue of the above listed books, new readers discover them and will discover my stories.
Hearts Akilter
Applicable genres: fantasy/sci-fi romance, romance, humor (lighthearted)
Length: Novella
Coming soon from The Wild Rose Press
Visit her website (http://www.catherineemclean.com/) to enter to win a $25 gift card as part of the book launch.
Love, vengeance, attempted murder, and a bomb…No reason to panic.
When a medical robot insists he’s having a heart attack, Marlee Evans, a pragmatic maintenance technician, has every reason to panic. There’s a bomb inside him. Since Marlee can’t risk the bomber discovering she’s found the device, her only option is to kidnap Deacon Black, an unflappable bomb expert, and secretly convince him to disarm it. Things go slightly awry when Deacon sets a trap for someone who is trying to kill him, and inadvertently captures Marlee instead. Instantly intrigued by her refreshingly forthright and gutsy attitude, he’s smitten. Unfortunately for Deacon, Marlee recently hardened her heart and swore off men, especially handsome ones with boy-next-door grins. But as Marlee and Deacon attempt to identify and prevent the bomber from detonating the device, they discover that love may be the most explosive force of all.
Available for Pre-Order Now
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1faTnHp
Nook: http://bit.ly/1HDMrii
The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/1HDhwAT
Excerpt
HEARTS AKILTER
By Catherine E. McLean @ 2015
The bomb. Right. Dismantle the bomb. In this lift? No, that was insane. “Marlene, if the bomb goes off accidentally—”
“It’ll blow the station to kingdom come?”
He nodded.
“Not to worry.”
She said that with such nonchalance that he found himself speechless. He cleared his throat. “Why not? Did you snatch the portable Bomb Disposal Unit, too?”
“Better.”
“What’s better than a BDU?”
“Garbage incinerators.”
“What?” He glanced out into the darkness beyond the lift.
Giant machinery stood silhouetted and veiled in shadows. “Where are we?”
“Deck forty-three, Ring D zero three. Relax. Don’t panic. They once accidentally incinerated a torpedo in number four, over yonder.”
She pointed to the left. “Nobody heard or felt it explode, and there wasn’t even a drail’s worth of damage done to the incinerator, or anything else.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It happened three years ago. I was there, a deck above.
Never mind.”
Henry manipulated his finger appendage, grabbing and briefly tugging the shirt sleeve of Deacon’s good arm. “Marlee would never lie about anything so important.”
“Does she lie about unimportant things?” He instantly regretted his caustic remark.
“I do not know.” Henry spun sideways, facing Marlee. “Do you lie about unimportant things, Marlee?”
“I have been known to tell a white lie now and then to spare someone’s feelings, but on the whole—” She looked away from Henry.
As her blacker than black eyes met his gaze, Deacon felt pinned to the wall.
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About Catherine E. McLean
Besides Catherine being a wife and mother, she has ridden and exhibited Morgan Sport Horses. She’s an avid clothing and costume designer, an award-winning amateur photographer, a 4-H leader, and a Red Hatter who loves bling.
She lives on a farm nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. In the quiet of the countryside, she writes fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal stories where a reader can escape to other worlds for adventure and romance.
Her short stories have appeared in hard-copy and online anthologies and magazines. Besides having two novels published, soon to be released is her lighthearted fantasy/sci-fi romance HEARTS AKILTER. Catherine also gives writing workshops, both online and in-person. A schedule is posted at http://www.writerscheatsheets.com/workshops.html
Catherine’s website for writers is http://www.WritersCheatSheets.com and she blogs at http://writerscheatsheets.blogspot.com/
Hub Website: http://www.CatherineEmclean.com
Connect with Catherine at: http://www.catherineemclean.com/contact-me.html
