Twinkle (Sugandha) Varshney's Blog, page 223

All That I Am by Rachel Brookes

Title: All That I AmSeries: Men of Monroe #1
Author: Rachel BrookesGenre: Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: May 20, 2017


Blurb
A kickass home décor boutique – tickA sassy mouth and absolutely no filter – tickA wall so strong no man could ever tear it down - tick, tick, tick!
Or so I thought.
Until I meet Detective Ben Hunt, the owner of exquisite blue eyes, a god-like physique and a seductive smirk that makes me weak at the knees. He charges into my life like a force of nature. No matter how hard I try to keep the walls up around my heart, he’s made it his mission to shatter them. I have no chance of resisting him, but I would make sure I won this tug of war.
Which was what I wanted.
Right? When did the idea of losing myself to him start to sound so good?
I wish Ben was the only battle I faced. There’s a reason this small town needs a good detective. One way or another I’m going to have to brace for impact, because no wall I build can stop the new threat thundering toward Monroe.
After all, secrets only stay a secret for so long around here.

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Prologue

SASHA

Thirteen years earlier.“Mom! I’m home.”

Summer break had arrived, and all I could think about was lying out with Missy, shopping trips into the city with Mom, and spending Sundays dancing and causing underage havoc at my family’s bar, Hamilton’s.

I shrugged off my bag, dropped it on the couch, and then strolled through the house, listening for any signs of where my mom was.

As soon as I walked into the kitchen, I stopped. The familiar aroma of chocolate didn’t greet me, and my mom’s perfume didn’t linger in the air. I turned around quickly and looked to the counter where a fresh plate of brownies always sat on Friday afternoons. But today, for the first time, there was nothing.

I left the kitchen and searched the house.

Living room. Empty.

Dining room. Empty.

Bathroom. Empty.

Everywhere. Empty.

I began to panic. After school, I never arrived home to an empty house. Mom made it very clear that she’d always be here when Drew and I got home. For as long as I could remember, she’d told us that her favorite thing about being a Mom was being able to be home for us.

Now she wasn’t here.

“Sasha.”

I jumped at Dad’s voice calling my name behind me. I turned quickly, smiling, expecting to find Dad and Mom together. As soon as I saw him on his own, my smile fell. He stood in the foyer with his arms folded across his chest, and he didn’t look like my Dad. He looked like a shadow of himself. His eyes would always twinkle when he looked at me, but now they showed nothing but sadness.

“Where’s mom?” I asked as my heart raced.

“Come here, Sash,” Dad said low, his voice cracking.

Hesitantly, I moved toward him. When I was within reach, his hand shot out and grabbed mine and I was pulled toward him.

“Dad, what’s going on?”

We moved through the house in silence. Every step I took, my anxiety soared and my confusion grew. What was going on? Dad held open the back door, and I stepped out onto the porch. Drew leaned against the railing, looking out over the yard, but turned when he heard us arrive. His face was as blank as Dad’s.

I took a seat on the porch swing and held one of the yellow cushions Mom and I had purchased during one of our epic shopping trips close to my chest. “Where’s mom?” I asked softly. “What’s going on?”

If it were anyone else, including Dad, I would of thought he was at the store or at work, but not Mom. She was always here. Our family had traditions. Friday’s were our time.

Dad, Mom, Drew, and me.

“I love you more than anything, Sasha,” Dad said, his voice strangled with emotion and his eyes shimmering with tears. He sucked in a deep breath before saying the words that would forever change my life. “She’s gone, Baby Girl. She left.”

Gone.

Left.

His words hit me hard.

My throat closed as his words sunk in. The tormented look shadowing his face didn’t lie, but I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to believe there was some kind of mistake, but why would my Dad lie to me about something like this? Gone and left were final. There was no mistaking what they meant.

“Baby Girl, did you hear me?”

“What do you mean she’s gone?” I stammered, as the first tear fell over my cheek.

Dad wrapped his arms around me and hauled me against his chest. The usual comfort his arms provided had no chance of healing the hurt spiraling through me.

There was no way she’d leave. Why would she have told me this morning that she breathed for us? That her heart beat for us. My mother was everything I dreamt of becoming, and now I was being told she was gone?

“This can’t be real.” I shook my head. “There has to be a mistake.” My voice became more frantic and louder with every word. “How do you even know she’s gone? Maybe she’s just at the store. Or popped into work.”

I was clutching onto anything that would lessen the pain tearing through me.

“She isn’t at the store.” Dad spoke softly. “She isn’t at Hamilton’s either.”

I tore myself away from Dad and ran back inside. I had to see for myself. I went into every room and found nothing. I hesitated outside my parent’s room and then slowly entered. The dresser was bare. Mom's jewelry was gone, her favorite perfume gone, her lipstick gone. I stumbled into the closest and was smacked in the face with a brutal reality. Mom’s clothes, shoes, and her suitcase were gone.

Nothing was left.

Everything was gone.

Feeling numb, I walked into my room and lay on my bed. I buried my face in my pillow as the first sob left my chest. Tears saturated my pillow, and my chest ached from trying to catch my breath.

As I pulled the pillow closer, the crinkle of paper sounded. With shaking hands, I pulled out a folded piece of paper from beneath my pillow and held my breath as I saw my mom’s familiar handwriting. I inhaled sharply and unfolded it.

Baby girl,

Please never forget how much I love you. You will always be in my heart, and every breath I take is for you.

Forgive me,

Mom x

The words became blurry as fresh tears hit my eyes. Why would she do this? My mother chose to leave me? Why wasn’t I enough? My chest screamed at me. The pain was excruciating, and I felt like my heart was going to stop.

I didn’t hear my bedroom door open and didn’t know anyone was in my room until I felt my bed dip beside me.

“Squirt, come here,” Drew whispered as he grabbed my hand and pulled me against his body.

I went willingly to him and crashed against his chest. His arms circled me, and I cried against his shirt, soaking the cotton with hot, heartbreaking tears.

“How could she do this?” I choked out through another wave of tears. “What did we do wrong?”

“We did nothing. You did nothing wrong.” The strength in his voice made me look up at him. “We are the Hamilton kids. We will get through this. I promise you, Sasha.”

My brother. My protector.

“I’ll never let anything or anyone hurt you again. You have my word and my protection for life.”

I believed him.I had to believe him.



Author Bio
Rachel Brookes is from the east coast of Australia and writes angst ridden love stories with a pinch of craziness, a dash of drama, a cup of romance, and a bucket load of sexiness. With five novels currently published, she is constantly writing and getting ready to release her next hero and heroine into the world. An avid reader, Rachel can often be found with her kindle in her hand, and getting lost in a happily ever after. She has an unhealthy obsession with The Walking Dead, and social media, and loves hearing from readers.

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Screw You by Kasey Millstead

Title: Screw You Author: Kasey MillsteadGenre: New Adult Romance  Release Date: May 20, 2017


Blurb
I, Emma Black, am a nerd.  A social outcast.  The senior who has avoided the cafeteria for the past two years, ever since I got yogurt dumped on my head.
When the popular girls initiate a plan to humiliate me, I find I’m also naïve. Gullible.
But, I’m also smart in ways they can’t imagine.
It doesn’t take me long to discover that revenge is a dish best served with a smoking hot guy and pretty little crown.
One finger. Two words. Screw you.

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Excerpt
“How many drinks have you had?” Dane asks, grinning.“Umm…”  I count on my fingers, trying to recall.  “Maybe four?  Or, like, five?”  I shrug.He takes a sip of the rum and Coke I made him, before bringing his eyes to mine.  “I really a sorry, Emma.  I feel like shit about the whole thing.”“Shit happens,” I say nonchalantly, not letting on how much the whole scenario humiliated me.“Assholes cause it,” he agrees.I giggle.  “You’re funny!  How is it you can be funny and hot?  You can’t be both.  You have to choose one or the other,” I announce bossily, but jokingly.  Kinda. “I guess I’ll choose funny then.  Looks fade, after all.”“Gah!  You’re smart, too?  This is so unfair!”He leans toward me, his soft puffs of breath skating over my face.  “You know, you’re funny and smart and so fucking beautiful, Emma.  But you’re also humble and kind, and sweet enough to give a guy like me a toothache.”“Oh, my god,” I whisper. 
He leans in further and then his fingers hold my chin, keeping me in place, as his lips sweep across mine.  I open up for him and his tongue invades my mouth.  Soft, sweet, slow.  He tastes like peppermint breath mints with a hint of spicy rum.  I kiss him back with an intensity I didn’t know I possessed.


Author Bio

Kasey Millstead is a wife and mother of four children. She lives in a picturesque location in country New South Wales, Australia.

Kasey is the author of the #1 bestselling Down Under Cowboy series. She is also the author of The Steele Investigations series, Fighting to Stay and Illicit Desire.

When she is not busy writing, racing around after her children and husband or trying to avoid doing housework, she enjoys nothing more than curling up with a good book and getting lost in the world of Happy Ever After.



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Dane by Leddy Harper

Title: DaneAuthor: Leddy HarperGenre: Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: May 17, 2017


Blurb
Dane Kauffman: Rich, smart, handsome, and selfless. He’s content with the direction of his life, until the moment he stares into her green eyes.
Eden Clare: Determined, headstrong, and independent. Searching for a job, answers, and a purpose, she has no room for anything else. Until she glances in his direction.
Crossing paths, tempting fate—Dane must make the ultimate decision. Sacrifice everything to get what he wants, or to continue to be benevolent.

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Leddy Harper had to use her imagination often as a child. She grew up the only girl in a house full of boys. At the age of fourteen, she decided to use that imagination and wrote her first book, and never stopped.

She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters.

She is now a mother of three girls, leaving her husband as the only man in a house full of females.

The decision to publish her first book was made as a way of showing her children to go after whatever it is they want to. Love what you do and do it well. Most importantly Leddy wanted to teach them what it means to overcome their fears.

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THE CHAUFFEUR by A.P. Hallmark

THE CHAUFFEURby A.P. HallmarkGenre: Romance


April Sanders is beautiful and educated. She’s also a chauffeur. Her elite client list is quite extensive, and Jason Rowe is one of them.

From the moment he lays eyes on her, he tries to gain her attention, but unlike the other women he’s encountered, she isn’t impressed. Imagine his surprise when he learns she’s been hired to drive exclusively for the family.

Remaining the dedicated professional, April rejects Jason’s advances. That is until she receives the approval of the family matriarch. Her life will never be the same.

When a business deal goes sour between Jason and a competitive business associate, April gets caught in the crossfire. After a series of suspicious and ominous incidents threaten the Rowes’ inner circle, Jason’s possessive and protective nature knows no bounds where Ms. Sanders is concerned.

The Rowe’s are powerful and have powerful connections. When a member of the family is wounded, there’s no stopping the force behind them.


Just as I’m perusing my schedule for my next customer pickup, Kyle texts and asks me to stop by 2335 Lakeview Drive to meet with him and his mother about the driver position. I couldn’t be more surprised at the coincidence and text back that I’m right out front. He requests that I meet him at the entrance.

I quickly add a bit of lip gloss, lock my car, and just as he said, meets me in the lobby. We silently ride the elevator to the twenty-fifth floor, and when the doors open, he escorts me to a small conference room where a stunning woman is standing, waiting for us.

Kyle stands next to his mother to make the introductions.

“Mother, this is April Sanders She comes highly recommended, and has already been cleared through security. April, this is Grace Rowe.”

“Everyone knows you, Mrs. Rowe. Your charity work is exemplary, and the social events you plan around those charities are well known. It’s an honor to meet you, ma’am.”

I wonder if Emily knows Kyle is her son and then it hits me—Jason Rowe. Could it be?

“My son has been singing your praises, April. I understand that you just met the other evening?” she asks, tilting her head, waiting for my answer.

“Yes, ma’am, that’s correct.”

“I also understand he has outlined the terms of the position?”

“He explained that your current driver is retiring and that you need someone right away. He also said there would be health insurance and an apartment.”

“That pretty much covers it,” she says, scribbling on a piece of paper “Here’s the starting salary. There’s also an annual bonus at Christmas. Is this acceptable to you?”

The number leaves me speechless. She tilts her head again, and I inwardly chuckle at how familiar that action seems to me.

“Yes, ma’am. Quite acceptable, thank you.”

“Can you start tomorrow?”

Surprised that she wants me to start so soon, my brain runs through my current obligations before I answer.

“I’d like to give some notice, but if you need me right away, I’ll do it as soon as I return to my car.”

“Yes, I’m afraid I do need you right away. You see, John will need to show you around before he leaves us, and that doesn’t give you very much time with him, so as soon as possible is vital,” she explains as she looks at Kyle.

“Son, will you go get your brother and sister so that we can introduce them to April?” Kyle nods and hurries to follow her instructions.

While Mrs. Rowe is advising me to contact Human Resources, the door opens, and I hear their voices.

“April, this is my sister, Nicole and this is my brother, Jason. Guys, this is April Sanders. She’ll be our new driver, so be nice to her. Jason, don’t scare her off.”

“April,” he says, gently shaking my hand. “I finally get to see the color of your eyes. They are breathtaking.”





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A.P. Hallmark resides in Reno, Nevada, near her youngest daughter and four grandchildren. A paralegal in real life, she started her love of reading at the young age of fifteen, beginning with her first Harlequin Romance … and Fabio.

Her male characters are strong and possessive, her women are strong and feminine. With two powerful lead characters, her stories are filled with adventure, romance, and sometimes their will to be the last one standing gives her readers a fun ride.

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FOOD & ROMANCE GO TOGETHER VOL 1: AN ANTHOLOGY

FOOD & ROMANCE GO TOGETHER
VOL 1: AN ANTHOLOGY Genre: Romance, short stories


6 short, sweet stories perfectly pairing food and romance. Each include a yummy recipe.

Pumpkin Blossoms by Sue Stewart AdeJillian yearns for love and falls for a dog and her sister’s former boyfriend. But the dog bolts and the boyfriend seems to still have feelings for her sister. Can she find love with a man who can’t see who she really is?

Coffee Cake Chaos by Ryan Jo SummersAvianna Goodman needs cash. That's why she agreed to cater her ex-boyfriend's engagement party. Seeing Sawyer again confirms Avianna still isn't over him. The biggest mistake Sawyer Steele ever did was walk away from the one girl he was crazy about. Now Avianna's back in his life--and he can't have her.

Apple Pie Delight by Sonja GunterLost loves reunite after forty years of deceptions. Can a Sun-Kissed Apple Pie bring Toril Swanson and Erik Sutton together again?

Peanut Butter Kisses by Jody VitekBeth Canton attends her ten-year class reunion to catch a glimpse of her long-time, school-girl crush, Hank McGrath, but doesn’t hope or even dream of anything more. She leaves with more than a glimpse, while Hank can’t get enough of her peanut butter kisses.

Boston Crème Breakdown by Randi PerrinKestin just wants to return to life as normal after returning home from the war, but there's no way his life will be the same again. Looking for easy money to make bills, he stumbles over an ad to teach perpetually-single Erica to cook, and can’t resist answering it. He never expected to actually get the job—or to be attracted to her.

The Chocolate Queen by April & Holly MarcomIn a world sprinkled with superheroes, you never know when the person beside you is one of these few elite. When Clarissa begins to fall for a guy who harbors a super secret, it feels like she’s not good enough. But he may just help her discover a super sweet secret of her own. From “Coffeecake Chaos” by Ryan Jo Summers

Sawyer blinked, drawing back. “What makes you think you didn’t get the catering job?”

“Isn’t that what you came here to tell me? Why you went to such extremes to find me to deliver your mother’s decision in person? She gave the job to another caterer.” She knew her voice was rising but she didn’t care. “I wasn’t good enough back then to date you and I’m not good enough now to cater your party.” She crossed her arms over her chest, ending with a sigh.

Sawyer held out his hands to her. “Wait a minute. Back up a second, Aviana.”

“Why did you come here?” Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would ever ask such a question of him, like this, but her pride demanded it.

He lowered his hands. “To tell you that you’re hired. You have the catering job.”

She blinked. “I do?”

“Yes, you can get that roof for your aunt and uncle now.”

“Your mother picked me to cater your event?”

He nodded. “With some heavy prompting from me. It’s my celebration after all. I think the coffee cake was a strong convincer.”

Aviana could only imagine how that conversation had gone between them. She had the job? “At my asking price?”

“Of course.”

“So why didn’t she just call me with her decision? Like she said she would?”

Sawyer leaned back, head tilted to one side. “Aren’t you glad to see me? Or did the light dancing in your eyes when we met yesterday lie?”

Her eyes danced?

“Even now, upset with me as you are, your face tells me you still yearn for me .Does your face lie to me?”

“No, but what does it matter? How can you want me and still pledge yourself to another? It isn’t fair to any of us.”

He scrubbed his face and then pulled her to him. “Aviana, I need to know. Do you love me?”

“Yes, I do.” The admission tumbled out before she could reconsider.

He exhaled a heavy sigh. “Good.” He wrapped his hand behind her neck and drew her close, kissing her.

He tasted of fresh mint and cinnamon. He felt solid and warm. Her fingers reached out to explore, lifting his sweater and going under it to find the matured, toned muscles.

His fingers twined in her hair. Bolts of white heat rippled over her and a moan escaped her. Her eyes slid closed as his fingertips moved to slowly drag along her back.

Pulling breathlessly apart, she gasped for air. “Wow.” She ran her tongue over her lips. He’d grown into a great kisser.

“You taste like chocolate.”

She smiled. “Guilty pleasure.” She was pleased he was just as winded as her. It felt just like when they had made out years ago.

Then that contemplative, serious look returned to his eyes, sobering her. “Do you trust me? Completely?”





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RYAN JO SUMMERS I was born in Michigan and grew up surrounded by books, pretty much all piled and stacked in my room. I had bookshelves to hold them since I could remember. Christmas and birthdays were easy, just buy me books. My tastes in subject matter and genres grew as I matured. It seemed only natural to write as well as read. The first book I wrote was at age ten and was about a twelve page story that I also illustrated and stapled together into book format. I was so proud! If only I still had that about somewhere. Since then, I never stopped writing. Some articles made it into magazines, some stories made honorable mention in contests, my journal has grown thicker. Writing poetry also serves as therapy to life's hurts, a trait apparently inherited from my dad's aunt. Writers, poets and songwriters run through my lineage. I guess you could say I come from a line of wordsmiths.In 2012, selling "Whispers in her Heart" for publication has been not only a dream come true of becoming a novelist, but also a pinnacle of thirty odd years of writing. With each new story, novel or novella that comes out, I grow as a writer and take another step on this incredible journey called life.Facebook ✯ Website ✯ Twitter ✯ Amazon

SUE STEWART-ADE lives in Pana, Illinois, with her husband, Larry. When Sue was growing up, she lived right across the street from one of the greenhouses which made Pana famous as the City of Roses. Her grandfather worked in the coal mines. Some of her memories are as beautiful as Pana's prized roses; others are as dark as the coal mined beneath the town. She chose to include her maiden name "Stewart" because she never wanted to forget where she came from and the people who helped her.For thirty years Sue taught English in Pana and presently teaches for Lake Land College. Her favorite part of teaching has always been creative writing. She loves words, their passion and their healing power.In her writing, Sue explores mother/daughter relationship and has worked with Hope Edelman author of MOTHERLESS DAUGHTERS. Her book FRIENDS FOREVER is a suspenseful read about friendships and mothers. How far will a mother and friend go to protect a child?Facebook ✯ Website ✯ Twitter ✯ Amazon

Born and raised in Minnesota, JODY VITEK has remained close to home. She has traveled throughout the United States and to the Bahamas. Although her family never moved during her childhood, she attended six different schools and made many friends over the years.Growing up, Jody enjoyed reading V.C. Andrews' the Dollanganger series, starting with Flowers in the Attic, S.E. Hinton, and Stephen King to name a few. As an adult her author's list and choice in genres has broadened. You could say Nora Roberts has been her favorite romance author. Jody has shelves of books read, yet to be read, and those she plans to keep.After graduating high school, unsure of what she wanted to do, Jody decided against going to college and became a nanny. During her two years of caring for the two children, Jody was fortunate enough to travel with the family across country to Montana to a guest ranch and another vacation to Cancun, Mexico.Jody met her future husband before she was to leave the state for another job. Unable to move away, she contacted and informed the employer of her decision. Three months later Jody was engaged. A year later she became Mrs. Jody Vitek. They have survived over twenty years of marriage and plan on spending many more together.Jody and her real-life law enforcement hero have been lucky enough to travel to the Bahamas, Florida, and drove through many states on their way to Quantico, Virgina. Most recently they took their three children on a Disney cruise to the Bahamas.If there is one thing Jody has learned during her lifetime - there is a higher power and the higher power has plans for us we don't even know about.As a full-time administrative assistant, mother of one (two if you want to include her hero) and another child on the way, Jody never dreamed she would be a writer. She was going back to work after the birth of their second child. She returned for only six months before leaving to become a stay at home mother.Jody began writing her first manuscript, which is now filed away in a box, and has started others only to be shelved for another writing project. Jody wouldn't have the opportunity to write if she were still a working mother (the higher power).After being home for four years, Jody and her family were blessed with a higher power miracle. Another child was on the way. A four-year post-vasectomy baby! Imagine their surprise.Writing was postponed for a year and was slow to pick back up. Now back in the chair with fingers tapping on the keyboard, Jody is moving full steam ahead in her writing career.Facebook ✯ Website ✯ Twitter ✯ Amazon

RANDI PERRIN has spent her entire life writing in one form or another. In fact, if she wasn't writing, she'd likely go completely and utterly insane. Her husband has learned to recognize when the voices are talking in her head and she needs some quality time with an empty Word file (the key to a successful marriage with a writer).A pop-culture junkie, she has been known to have entire conversations in movie quotes and/or song lyrics. (You'll see this come up in her writing as well.)She is the author of Virtue of Death, Promises of Virtue, Wreck You, and a story included in the anthology Unintentional. Facebook ✯ Website ✯ Twitter ✯ Amazon

SONJA GUNTER Born and raised in the cold and beautiful Minnesota, she escaped to Illinois for seventeen years to raise two boys, and now calls Florida home. She and her husband, whose always her hero, have a new family to worry about; Cookie, an Assui-Po dog, Oreo, a black and white cat who thinks he is a dog, and Chip, a ragdoll cat, who their sons compare to Eeyore.She loves to travel, read, and bowl. You can catch her writing her next novel at the lanes.Sonja encourages you to check out her web site, sonjagunter.com, for more into and don’t be surprised if she lets her Norwegian heritage come through in her stories. You betcha!Facebook ✯ Website ✯ Amazon

During the day, APRIL MARCOM works as a substitute teacher for grades K-12. But in the evening, the alluring world of romance takes over as she pours it out on paper. Her favorite thing to do, though, is to spend time with her sports-car-loving husband and three incredibly energetic children. She also loves chocolate, her five very rowdy dogs, and livin’ the simple life out in the country. April grew up a southern bell in Mississippi, but is now a proud Oklahoman.Facebook ✯ Website ✯ Twitter ✯ Amazon


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The Rebellion by S.L. Scott

Title: The RebellionSeries: Hard to Resist #5
Author: S.L. ScottGenre: STANDALONE Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: May 18, 2017


Blurb
I met my muse at fifteen. I’d just gotten busted for smoking behind the school gymnasium. She inspired me with her laugh and nonjudgmental attitude and, before I knew it, we were inseparable. Then I left to pursue my rock star dreams—dreams she encouraged.
I got over Jaymes Grenier no problem. I never think about that little bow at the top of her pink lips, or the way her green eyes admired mine. Nope, I barely recall the way she fit so perfectly in my arms when I held her at night. The sweet way she would whisper she loved me has long faded from memory.
These are the lies I regularly tell myself in hopes of believing them one day. Yeah, I was told I’d get over my first love.
I didn’t. 
Derrick Masters marked me the moment we met back in ninth grade. He called me over—all bravado and bad boy mystery wrapped in a James Dean-esque package. Dark hair and blue eyes with a rebel without a cause charisma. He was everything I was warned about, but I couldn’t resist. I was his from that moment on.
His career took off almost as soon as he did. I knew it would. I just thought I would be beside him as his partner in crime, best friend, and lover. That’s what we had always been … before he left me behind to fend for myself.
Fend? Fight is more like it.
I’ve been fighting ever since. 
Fighting for survival.
Fighting for a better life in a world determined to keep me down.
I don’t have the luxury of letting my head live in the lure of La La Land. His dreams may have come true, but mine were extinguished. These days I fight for something bigger than me, bigger than we were ever meant to be.
When his dreams come crashing back into my reality, is this a second chance at that fairy tale ending or another heartbreak in the making?

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On the front porch, leaning against the wood column in all his newfound glory, stands the most breathtaking man I’ve ever seen. As a teenager, I thought he was the best-looking boy I’d ever seen, and based on how I’m struggling to breathe just from looking at him now, I think he still holds the title. But now he’s a man.Ace is talking about what some kid named Shiloh got in trouble for today at school, but I’m still staring at Derrick Masters.Derrick Masters.My very own Perseus, though right now I’m thinking he was more my Achilles heel in the grand scheme of things.Derrick Masters is standing on my mother’s front porch like he belongs there. A smile that shines like the star he’s become appears and he waves. Not sure if it was the grin on his face or the wave that sends me tripping flat on my face into the grassy lawn, but I’m cursing the curb when I lift up and look right into the dark blue eyes I’ve tried to despise.“Are you okay?” he asks, trying to help me up. His voice is deep, the timbre the same one that always made my heart beat a little faster. It’s not that thought that runs through my mind. It’s his hands on me, grappling to help me to my feet.He’s touching me.Derrick Masters is touching me and I consider lying there longer just to savor the feel of his calloused fingers again. Ace tugs at my ankle like that will help me up. “Mommy, you fell.”Mommy.Mommy.Derrick knows I’m a mommy.Oh my God. What does he think?Does he hate me? Disappointed in me? Happy for me? Or not care at all?I would care if I found out he has kids.Maybe he already knew . . .Maybe I’ll just lie here as long as I can until he goes away.Ace lies down next to me and rests his face on my hand. Looking at me with wide eyes, he asks, “Are we playing a game? This is fun.”“Yes, I quite like it here.”I hear Derrick chuckling just above me, enough to feel his warmth covering my body like sunshine as I lie in the cool grass. I might be mistaken but it sounds like he’s behind me now. On the ground with me.Ace’s eyes look over my head. “My friend is here too.” He giggles. “See? Right there.”Lying like a dead fish, I smile at my cute son not quite ready to face Derrick Masters. “What’s your new friend’s name?”“Derrick. He plays a guitar like you, Mommy.”After a tap on the back, Ace’s new friend speaks, “Hi.”I miss Derrick’s hands on me, even if it was just helping me up. Ace is a ball of laughter and gets up. I watch until he runs behind me. “I’m here now. We’re all here. This is fun. Oh look, the moon.”I can’t avoid him forever and the grass is grounding, literally, and settles my anxiety over just this kind of thing happening. I’ve embarrassed myself and he’s found out I’m a mother in the course of one sexy smile and a wave. I shake my head and close my eyes annoyed with myself for acting so foolishly in front of him. He was once my everything. When I roll onto my back, the top of our hands meet in an innocent touch that neither of us bothers to retreat. Finally building enough nerve, I turn my head and look straight into his eyes again. “Hi,” I whisper.That devastatingly charming smile reappears, and he says, “It’s good to see you, Jaymes.”





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Author Bio

Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling and avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She's obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist. Her favorite color is blue, but she likens it more toward the sky than the emotion. Her home is filled with the welcoming symbol of the pineapple and finds surfing a challenge though she likes to think she's a pro.


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Waiting to Fall by Alyson Reynolds

Title: Waiting to FallSeries: Waiting Duet #2Author: Alyson ReynoldsGenre: New Adult/Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: May 16, 2017


Blurb
Finn Crawford never thought his life would change with one stupid dare. Or that he would make the mistake of taking things too far with his twin sister’s best friend. Now he’s fighting off an attraction he didn’t expect.

Cora Donovan doesn’t want a relationship, especially one with the guy who’s always been there for her when she needed it most. Just being in the same room as him makes her body heat up in ways she never thought possible.

There’s only one other thing that might stand in their way of being together, if they can actually figure out how to make it work. Neither of them want to hurt Olivia, and if they broke up, that’s exactly what would happen. Sometimes it’s hard to determine if love is worth the risk.

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Romance writer. Wife. Mother of two. Avid reader. Queen of multitasking.
Originally from the south, Alyson likes to incorporate what she knows into her books. She's lived not only on the east coast, but the west coast and a few places in between. Alyson loves sharing stories about her crazy family to anyone who will listen. Her guilty pleasures consist of coffee, country music, brunch, breaking the rules, and pedicures. And she will always be a daddy's girl.
When Alyson isn't chasing around her two kiddos, she's normally writing. Or reading. Her Kindle library is out of control. Alyson writes mainly contemporary novels and novellas with a bit of new adult mixed in.


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Fallen Crest Forever by Tijan

Title: Fallen Crest ForeverSeries: Fallen Crest #7Author: TijanGenre: Young Adult/New Adult/Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: May 16, 2017


Blurb
Mason Kade is the dream. 
He is the promise. 
He’s offering what so many would fantasize about, and it’s not that I don’t want it/him/us. 
It’s the opposite. 
There might be ghosts haunting me, but this man who's my soulmate is asking me for forever. 
How can I say no to someone who already gave me my happily ever after?


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Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new YA series along with so many more from north Minnesota where she lives with a man she couldn’t be without and an English Cocker she adores. 


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Trigger by J.L. Drake

Title: TriggerSeries: Devil's Reach #1
Author: J.L. Drake
Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC Genre: MC RomanceRelease Date: May 16, 2017


Blurb
I was raised by the Devil himself.Formed into a man that was unreachable.I went from the boy with bruisesto the man with a trigger.Killing is the only thing the calms the itch.The demons inside were a constant battle.…until she changed everything.When you spend most of your timein the dark, is it smart to step into the light?
“Too strong to run, too proud to hide, for this I’ll pay, for this I’ll die.”

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J.L. Drake cross promotes all of her characters in the Devil’s Reach series throughout her first trilogy. This series starts with Book #1, Broken.
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Bestselling author J. L. Drake was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, later moving to Southern California where she lives with her husband and two children.
When she's not writing, she loves to spend time with her family, travelling or just enjoying a night at home. One thing you might notice in her books is her love for the four seasons. Growing up on the east coast of Canada the change in the seasons is in her blood and is often mentioned in her writing.
An avid reader of James Patterson, J.L. Drake has often found herself inspired by his many stories of mystery and intrigue.

She hopes you will enjoy her stories as much as she has enjoyed writing them.


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Where it All Began By Lorana Hoopes

Christian FictionDate Published: re-released April 2017Publisher: H&H Publishing




Sandra Baker thought her life was going perfectly until she found out she was pregnant. Her boyfriend doesn’t want the baby and pushes her to have an abortion. After the procedure, Sandra spirals into depression losing her relationship and nearly her job. When she meets Henry, a Christian man, who displays God’s love, she begins to wonder if God can forgive her and more importantly if she can forgive herself.




EXCERPT
The delicate paper menu held only a few choices, and my eyes widened at the prices. I should have thought to ask where we were going before I agreed. I didn’t have the money to spend so much on dinner, especially since Peter had moved out and money was much tighter. My heart thudded in my chest as I quickly scanned for the cheapest item on the menu; even the side salad was nearly fifteen dollars. How do people afford this? Well, the salad comes with bread and a bowl of soup, so at least it should be enough to fill me up.                The waiter, clad in a white dress shirt and perfectly pressed black pants, appeared just as I laid the menu down. “Have we had enough time?” he asked politely, glancing at each of us before focusing his attention on Philip, who took the lead in ordering.                 “Yes, we’ll have two glasses of your finest red wine and two plates of the steak and lobster, grilled medium well.” He handed his and Raquel’s menus to the waiter.                “Very well,” the waiter nodded and turned his attention to me.                I swallowed. “Um, I’ll have the side salad and the tomato soup.”                The waiter cocked his head. “Will that be all miss?”                My face flushed, and just as I was about to answer, Henry jumped in. “Yes, and the same for me please.” He handed our menus to the waiter.                The waiter nodded. “Yes, sir, and anything further to drink?”                Henry glanced at me; I shook my head. “No, water will be adequate for now, thank you.”                As the waiter turned away, I regarded Henry. Who was this man, and why was he being so nice to me? He caught me staring and shot me a small wink as he picked up a piece of bread.


About the Author

Lorana Hoopes is an inspirational romance and children’s author originally from Texas. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three children. When not writing, she can be found singing or acting on stage or kickboxing at her gym. You can also find her hosting her show Write the World where she interviews authors and writers. If you are an author and want to be featured, be sure to contact her.
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