Twinkle (Sugandha) Varshney's Blog, page 254

NO REMORSE by DESIREE A. COX

No Remorse by Desiree A. Cox Genre: Murder Mystery
Cover Designer:  Book Cover By DesignRelease Date: April 29, 2017


Playing with fire can get you burned … or killed.

Chase Effridge, the handsome young playboy/college professor, is dead. A devoted and faithful husband he was not. Professor Effridge led a secret life where mistresses and enemies were no strangers to him. When his secrets begin to surface, his seemingly perfect life takes a turn for the worst. One mistress with a baby, and another whose boyfriend found out about their affair, are the equivalent of adding fuel to the fire.

Effridge’s estranged wife, Carlotta DuPree, tops the suspect list, but swears she’s innocent. Her cold demeanor and ill-wishes toward her husband do nothing to help her story. She claims to have an alibi, but can it be verified?

The list of suspects keeps growing as the interrogation process proceeds. Each conversation does little to unravel the complexity of Chase’s life, and provides little clarity as to who can be eliminated and who can’t. Instead, the discussions tend to reveal a new person of interest, and shroud those already on the list with more suspicion. Everyone seems to have a motive.

Will this crime ever be solved?



A double release calls for two celebrations!
Join the parties and help celebrate the release of both No Remorse and Unselfish Love:
Double Book Release Facebook Party on April 29andMystery & Romance - A Double Treat Facebook Party on April 30

No Remorse - DAC

Desiree was born and raised in Iowa. She married her high school sweetheart and moved to the Philadelphia area after high school. She’s been happily married for over twenty-five years. She’s the mother of two sons and a daughter.

Writing, in one form or another, has always been something she’s enjoyed. Desiree also enjoys traveling and spending time at the beach.

Desiree was chosen as Authorclassified.com’s 2015 Romance Author of the Year.


Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Google + ~ InstagramAmazon ~ Amazon (2) ~ Goodreads ~ Website ~ Blog ~ NewsletterThe Romance ReviewEmail:  desirecox69@gmail.com

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Playing to Win by Karen Frances

Title: Playing to WinSeries: A Beautiful Game #2Author: Karen FrancesGenre: Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: March 29, 2017


Blurb
Fletcher Adams, international football star, finally seems to have made the changes in his life that he desperately needed. The past is firmly behind him, where it belongs. He’s settled back in Scotland and enjoying his football career more than ever. Now, he’s focused on Playing to Win, and not just any end of season trophy. No, the trophy he wants more than anything is Jessica.
Jessica Taylor, once again, has to rebuild her life after her ex-boyfriend attacked her, and deal with the aftermath of his death. Her focus is on regaining her strength and determination, and with help and support from Fletcher, she’s certain to find light at the end of a dark tunnel.

Not everything goes to plan for the young couple, and it’s not long before Jessica thinks it’s a bad idea to make plans for the future. After all, the last plans she had for her life were cruelly snatched away. Fletcher has to prove to Jessica that he has changed from his wild days as a player off the field. Is love going to be enough to keep them together, or will they allow the past to come between them?

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Author Bio
Karen Frances currently lives just outside Glasgow, Scotland, with her husband, five children and two dogs, although she does dream of living somewhere warm and sunny. Her days are spent helping her husband run their busy family business. She spends some of her free time trying to keep fit and prepare healthy meals for her family, when their busy schedules allow them to sit down at meal times together. The rest of her free time she uses to plot and write and occasionally read.


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Where Promises Die by R.C. Stephens

Title: Where Promises DieAuthor: R.C. StephensGenre: Contemporary Emotional RomanceRelease Date: February 20, 2017


Blurb
Haunted by a childhood trauma that leaves her orphaned, eleven-year-old Grace finds herself on the doorstep of the Duncans, her new adoptive family, broken and unable to speak. Catapulted from a bustling New York City life, she must find a way to call the rural town of Sade, Iowa her new home. Twins Eisav and Jacob Duncan immediately take a liking to Grace, wanting to erase the dark shadows etched on her perfect features.
As the twins vie for her affection, it becomes clear which one makes her smile.
Grace never has a choice for falling in love.
What starts as a way to coax his adopted sister to speak and smile, blossoms into the kind of love that lasts a lifetime.
In this small town it shouldn’t be a crime to fall in love . . .
Isaac Duncan warns his son to stay away from the forbidden fruit. Eisav never listens.
Now an intricate web of lies and secrets stand in the way of Eisav winning back the only woman he has ever loved.
In a place where yesterday’s promises were broken, Eisav must learn what it truly means to love and cherish . . .
But is he too late?

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Author Bio

As far back as R.C. Stephens can remember she was a sucker for a good romance. Of course there had to be a prince charming even if he ultimately was a dark knight and there had to be a happy ending.
She watched the movie Dirty Dancing way too many times growing up and Jean Claude Van Damme movies too. Go figure!
After years of saying she would write a book one day, she finally put pen to paper and carved out the plot line for what would eventually become the best selling Twisted Series. Now R.C. is just finishing up her seventh book and can't seem to stop the stories running through her mind. Visit R.C. on her FB page to find out what's new in her life and what releases she has coming up.


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F*ck Boy by Michelle McLoughney

Title: F*ck Boy
Series: Screwing the Boss Author: Michelle McLoughneyGenre: Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: March 28, 2017


Blurb
The Fuck Boy

Ridge Franklin is 20, tan, shirtless and presently clipping my hedges. Did I mention built like a brick sh*thouse, hot as Hades and a total f*ck boy? If I had a soul left, I’d sell it to feel his rough hands on me. I can’t stop thinking about him, but Ridge is off limits to a woman like me. He’s too young, too terrifying and too intense. Ridge makes me feel things, things I’ve never felt before. Dirty things.
The Trophy
Ava Hartman is 35, beautiful, a rich old man’s trophy wife, and currently sipping her third mimosa before 11am. I see her watching me, from the window of her gilded cage, I feel the energy between us. Long legs, innocent brown eyes and with a body built for sin, I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anything. I know her secret, and I’m willing to use it in order to get what I want. Her, and her hot lush body, underneath mine. Again, and again and again.

I want her. I need her. I’m going to take her. In every way possible.

F*ck Boy is a filthy little story with a HEA


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Michelle McLoughney is an Irish author and child prodigy. That's a lie. As a child she pretended she was a prodigy, and also that her father was Ming the Merciless. Thus, a career in fiction was born, or, lying for a living. Whatever. Michelle writes books that have hot men and kick ass heroines. Also, books that have hot women and kick ass women. There's a theme running here somewhere! Probably that hot kickass women should rule the world. Michelle likes cake and pie. In fact she has never met a cake that she didn't like, first world problems. Please connect with Michelle in any way you'd like. She's a Facebook regular and appreciates the feedback. And cake. Send cake.


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Torn by Sky Corgan

Title: TornAuthor: Sky CorganGenre: Contemporary/Dark RomanceRelease Date: March 29, 2017


Blurb
He's a beautiful bastard, and he seems determined to make my life a living hell. I can't decide if I'd rather kick him in the dick or screw him, but I know what he wants to do to me. All of the deliciously sinful things that I crave.
We met by chance at a club, and the chemistry between us was undeniable. Then I started working for his mother, and he suddenly found me unworthy. Now he's doing everything in his power to make me quit or get fired. I'm not the kind of woman to let a man walk all over her, though.

He presses all of my buttons, both intimately and emotionally. I'm torn between the need to resist him and the desire to give into his demands. If I let him have his way, though, I'll lose everything.

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Excerpt
I bend to climb into my car. Holden is on me in an instant, pulling me back and closing my car door. I'm so startled that I allow him to back me up against my car, to pin me there. Tears are gathering beneath the surface. I refuse to look at him, refuse to let him see that he's breaking me down.

“I can make you submit.” He reaches up a hand, and I flinch away, squeezing my eyes shut to keep the tears from spilling. The backs of his fingers whisper across my cheek. Then he cups my chin, tilting my face up.

“I hate you.” My voice is weak and pathetic.

“A lot of people hate me. But I still get what I want from them.”

Is that what is going to happen? The thought fills me with despair. He's already whittled me down so much.

My mind is going a million miles per hour. I'm trapped, suffocating, about to panic. I'm two seconds short of freaking out when I feel something that totally turns logic on its head.

Lips. His lips on mine. Kissing me. So hard.

I open my eyes and a muffled sound comes out, perhaps an objection. I can't really tell.
The kiss deepens. His tongue darts out to taste my mouth. And then the sick realization hits me that I like this. I like the feel of his mouth on mine. I like that he's holding me so tightly. I'm not supposed to. I'm supposed to loathe the very thought of him putting his hands on me, but I don't. Something inside of me has snapped—the part that keeps me grounded. I don't know if I'm coming or going anymore. I don't know what's happening. All I do know is that he smells incredible and that his lips feel amazing pressed against mine.



Author Bio

Sky Corgan is the USA Today bestselling author of Bully. She lives in Texas where the sun is hot and the men are hotter. When she's not typing away at her next steamy romance novel, she enjoys hanging out with friends and attending kinky BDSM clubs. Many of the events in her books are based on things that actually happened, and she greatly fancies infusing real life with fantasy.


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The Orphan of Mecca By Harvey Havel

Literary FictionDate Published: 9/17/2014Publisher: America Star Books

America Star Books Presents The Orphan of Mecca, Book One by Harvey Havel

Frederick, MD October 16, 2014 – America Star Books is proud to present The Orphan of Mecca, Book One by Harvey Havel from Albany, NY.

A brief synopsis of the book: "Amina prepares for college on what is expected to be an exciting first day of higher learning. When she steps onto the university campus for the first time, however, she bumps into Raja Gupta, a young, persuasive, and hot-headed university intellectual who lures her into joining a student group whose cause is the liberation of East Pakistan from West Pakistan. What follows is a stormy and passionate romance detailing the lives of both Raja Gupta and Amina Mitra as they both attempt to survive from one of the worst genocides of historical record—a genocide that ultimately leads to the birth of the poor and crippled nation known today as Bangladesh. This novel is written with historical accuracy and is Book One of a trilogy that charts the rise and fall of these two characters, as well as the son that is orphaned after Amina Mitra is forced to abandon him in the Great Mosque of Mecca."
Visit us online at www.americastarbooks.com, Facebook and Twitter.


About the Author

Harvey Havel is a short-story writer and novelist. His first novel, Noble McCloud, A Novel, was published in November of 1999. His second novel, The Imam, A Novel, was published in 2000. 
In 2006, Havel published his third novel, Freedom of Association.  He has published his eighth novel, Charlie Zero’s Last-Ditch Attempt, and his ninth, The Orphan of Mecca, Book One, which was released last year.  His new novel, The Thruway Killers is his latest work.  The Orphan of Mecca, Books Two and Three, will be released next year as well as a book, An Adjunct Down, which he just completed.  His work in progress is called In the Trenches, about a Black American football player.
He is formerly a writing instructor at Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey.  He also taught writing and literature at the College of St. Rose in Albany as well as SUNY Albany.
Copies of his books and short stories, both new and used, may be purchased at www.barnesandnoble.com, www.amazon.com, and by special order at other fine bookstores. 
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Holding onto Hope by Beverly Preston

Title: Holding onto HopeSeries: Beyond the Mathews Family #2Author: Beverly PrestonGenre: Steamy Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: March 29, 2017


Blurb
The biggest gifts often require the greatest sacrifices.

Italian winemaker, Antonio Giovanni is tall, dark, and handsome with an accent sexy enough to leave a trail of women’s panties in his wake.

Including Hope’s.

Master Sommelier, Hope Tidwell travels the globe seeking out the finest wines. She refuses to let relationships get in the way of her career and abides by a strict set of rules:

No ties.
No expectations.
No risks.

Lucky for her, those rules work just fine for Antonio.

Until they don’t.

When Hope’s sister asks her to do the one thing she’s sworn never to do, she can’t say no.

Can she?

She never intended to travel down this road.

When unanticipated and devastating events throw the trajectory of her life so far off course, she can’t even recognize her world anymore. Suddenly, the rules no longer apply.

Will Hope be able to do the one thing that terrifies her the most?

*Please note Holding onto Hope was previously released as The Italian


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“Stay,” he suggested in a tone so sinfully rich it made her head swim.

“Can’t.” Hope bobbled on one foot, slipping the other into her leather crisscross Louboutin black pump. A smile tipped the curve of her mouth, catching Antonio’s reflection in the full-length mirror. He lay naked, sprawled out across the bed looking rumpled and warm, watching with wide-eyed interest as she bent to fasten the tiny buckle at her ankle.

“Rimani Qui?” Antonio repeated the request in Italian, the pull of his accent intoxicating and powerful. His light-grey eyes, full of playful offerings, gleamed in the early morning sunshine pushing through the window.

An involuntary laugh escaped her parted lips, attempting to conceal the hint of regret riddling her voice. “I’ve already extended my trip. My boss might think I’m taking a vacation on her dime if I stay any longer.”

It took every ounce of composure to keep her wits about her. Out of all the lovers Hope encountered during her travels, Antonio was always the hardest to leave.

Antonio Giovanni was the epitome of all men that women dreamed of. Tall, dark, and handsome with an accent sexy enough to leave a trail of women swooning in his wake. The man wore charisma like a fine silk suit…flawless and molded to perfection in all the right places, leaving just enough concealed to make you wonder what lay hidden beneath the faultless exterior.

“Si, I think you need some rest and relaxing. Come back to bed, bella.”

Drawing a long breath through her nose, she envisioned a week-long Tuscan rendezvous curled up beside him, under him, on top of him. Hope’s lashes dusted shut at the delicious image. Tempting.

“I really have to go or I’ll be late for my meeting with Tracy. I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of your sister-in-law.”

Taking hold of the extended handle of her suitcase, she started for the door. Antonio rolled to his back. Reaching an arm above his head, he caught her around the hip, halting her rush. A low laugh simmered in her chest at his tenacity.

“You have plenty of time. Tracy said she’d be in her office between nine and ten.” Antonio slipped a strong hand beneath the hem of her indigo wrap dress. His thumb played mindlessly along her bare thigh, coaxing a shiver up her spine. “And it’s only eight thirty. Let me take care of you before you go.”

“I have to be there at nine, otherwise I’ll be cutting it close to make my departure on time, and I can’t miss my flight again.” Her voice diminished, feeling his long, strong fingers curl around the back of her leg, pulling her close, until her knees rested against the silk bedding. The subtle aches in her inner thighs, sweet and electrifying, brought reminders of the night before.

Digging a heel into the mattress, Antonio inched his body further across the king-sized bed until his head dropped over the edge. The stark white sheet purposely arranged low on his hips, exposing the dark, trimmed hair at his groin. Heaven lay just beneath the silky sheets.

A small, wistful sigh of appreciation floated from her lips, taking in his lean body and sculpted abs. He looked nothing short of breathtakingly exquisite.

“Si’. I’d hate to make you miss your flight again.”

He didn’t sound one bit remorseful.

“Liar,” she teased, barely able to hear her own voice over the pulse hammering in her ears. “I think you’re trying to torture me.”

“Si, I could torture you all day. Stay,” he murmured, taking a gentle bite of her outer thigh.

She smiled down at him, running her fingers through his thick, dark hair. If she didn’t leave in the next sixty seconds, she’d be straddling his face in sixty-one. A tousled mass of golden brown curls fell over her shoulder as she hinged at the waist, placing a long kiss goodbye to the edge of his scruffy jaw.

“So beautiful,” he murmured. Pushing the loose tresses from her face, he twisted, brushing his lips to hers. Taking her mouth, he deepened the kiss, their tongues dancing in a smooth, masterful art of seduction. The provocative pressure, demanding yet playful, drew a low groan from her throat.

“Ciao,” she whispered contritely in his ear.

“Email me the next time you’ll be in Italy. Ciao, bella.”
Hope smiled, brushing the tip of her nose to his. Her upside-down stare connected with his, soaking up the last few glimpses of silvery grey before walking out the door.


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Beverly Preston is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotionally rich and sinfully sexy stories about the ultimate alpha good guy; the kind of man you want to drag you to bed and put a ring on your finger. She also has a passion for strong, humorous, female characters and stories ingrained in a solid sense of family and loyalty.
She lives in Las Vegas with her husband, four kids, and two golden retrievers. If she’s not spinning richly emotional stories, you’ll find her on her spin bike.


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If You Fight by K.M. Scott

Title: If You FightSeries: Corrupted Love #2Author: K.M. ScottGenre: Erotic Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: March 29, 2017


Blurb
If you fight, will we last? 

Serena All my life, everyone around me made sure I was weak. My father. My sister. And now the man my father forced me to marry. But Oliver doesn't know what I know. Strength can come even in the hardest times, and if you're willing to fight for love, nothing can stand in your way.

For the first time in my life, I'm fighting back, and with Ryder by my side, I'm never letting myself be weak again. 

Ryder They want us to be their pawns, but I won't let them use her like that. I promised I'd protect Serena, and if it costs me everything in this world, I will.

Even if it means returning to the one place I swore I'd never go back to again.


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Author Bio
K.M. Scott is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy contemporary fiction. When she's not writing, you can find her reading a book, watching tv or movies, or cooking a new dish for family and friends.


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Ready For His Rule by Angel Payne

  [image error]
 Captain John Franzen. Inside the lines... It's the definition of life for Tracy Rhodes, and she has no choice about that. Lines--lots of them--are what happens when one is sworn in as second-in-command of the free world. But the lines are crushed beneath the boots of Captain John Franzen, assigned as a special advisor to her security team for a high-profile event in Vegas. The towering warrior with the haunted stare shatters her composure, invades her libido, and makes her yearn for things she shouldn't. Sweaty, illicit things...with her body pinned beneath his... Outside the boundaries... John Franzen, six and a half feet of rigid composure on the outside, is a lost man on the inside. Why the hell is he even alive? A guy isn't supposed to survive eleven years in Special Forces, especially after the crazy missions he's been assigned. Accepting the security gig in Vegas is just a favor to a friend--a way to fill time that's become too damn empty lately. Until the cushy "babysitting job" becomes the most treacherous mission of his life--and the politician he's protecting becomes the woman in his bed. The lover beneath his bonds... The submissive he longs to claim forever. Breaking all the rules... She's destined for marble halls and an oval office. He's wired for dirt and violence. Will her passion be enough to tame his demons...to claim the ultimate wild boy as her own? [image error]
AMAZON US I AMAZON UK I iBOOKS I NOOK I KOBO He pulled back, watching his hand curl on itself in midair. He thought of all the damage that fist had done, to so many shitheads and losers over the years, but was now a symbol of utter helplessness—inches from a person he was aching to help. Fate was getting in all its best taunts today. His spirit hadn’t agonized this much even when the news about Nichols had come out. And the pain in this stall is about you…how? Easy answer. It wasn’t. But no way in hell was he leaving her in here, all but drowning herself in several senses of the word. If she ordered him all the way out of the shower, then he’d abide—and simply sit on the tile outside. One puddle for another; no difference to him physically—but he would stay here for her, whether she asked for it or not. Even if it fucking killed him. For now, he chose to simply settle back on his haunches. Nearly as an afterthought, reached and cranked the spray off. In the eerie silence after, Tracy joined her quiet sniffs to the heavy drops of the draining water. John re-balled both his hands, hating even the inches between them. To not even touch her, let alone resist the baser need to clutch her close… Fuck. Waterboarding had nothing on this shit. And the worst part hadn’t even sunk in. She’s just following your lead, asshole. That was the worst part. In protecting her from his secret side, he’d been locked out of her secrets too. In shielding her from his darkness, she’d made sure he stayed right there—in the dark. Away from the ability to even give her some light… Moron. You. Same sentence, Keoni John Franzen. Finally, she snuffled with more determination. Jerked up her head a little, long enough to slide him a furtive side-eye, but nothing more. She pulled her hand all the way back in, tucking it beneath her chin as she settled her head against the wall again. “I want to talk to Craig.” A brutal exhalation left him. His throat tightened. His chest compressed. Hell, nothing was comfortable. Nor was it meant to be. “I know you do,” he murmured. “I’m…scared.” Screw uncomfortable. Everything was agony—especially when she wouldn’t even let him do anything about it. No. When he’d pushed her away out in the bedroom, letting her walk away with the impression that he wouldn’t do anything. “I know you are.” At least he had words. Paltry proxies, but they’d have to suffice somehow. “I have no idea what to do.” “But you don’t have to figure it out alone, ku`uipo.” Her face contorted again, though not with impending tears. Her eyes flared with irritation. “Don’t call me that.” He barely repressed a grin. “You’re gorgeous when you’re all hissy kitten.” “Yeah? Well, I have Tigress claws, remember?” “Fine, fine.” He held up both hands. “Maybe you just want ‘ma’am’ again?” “And maybe you just want me to hunt down a flattening iron.” His chuckle was impossible to tame. Her glower went from simmering to smoky. He had no idea there were so many nuances of gray. In her eyes, they were all fascinating. “Maybe you can just close your eyes and pretend I’m Craig.” The offer was sincere—he was up for any creative solution here—but her laughter, high and biting, was nowhere near a vote of approval. “That’s so not going to happen.” He frowned. “Why not?” “Because I’d know the difference.” “How?” “John.” Her laugh mellowed to a watery eye roll. He suddenly knew how Luke must feel when a test wasn’t studied for. “I’d know the difference between you and any other man.” And just like that, no more feeling like her teen kid. Feeling everything like the jerk who’d probably made the biggest mistake of his life with her earlier, and would spend the rest of his mortal days cussing himself out for it. “Fuck.” Might as well start now. “Ku`uipo.” Her tigress side flared in a swift snarl. “What didn’t you understand about not calling me that?” “And what don’t you understand that I’m only here to help?” The backlash, his higher ground pick of a reply, was still better than choice two: smashing one hell of a kiss on her feisty lips. “It slipped. So skewer me.” Her regard softened. “It’s okay. Just…be careful.” Now he was the one clinging to his scowl. “You don’t even know what it means.” “I can guess by your tone.” “And that’s a bad thing?” “When your voice alone makes me want to come over there and maul you? Yeah.” She glanced again, letting her stare linger longer—to his intense pleasure. More intense than he wanted to admit, but couldn’t deny. Not when the heat from his skin met the wetness of his clothes and created a new experience for him. Steam Bath—in SenSurround. “Tracy.” He heeded her request—the tone was new; perhaps the first time he’d ever used it outside a bondage dungeon before—though its replacement was just as merciless. Perhaps more so. He issued her name as a declaration…a command. Nothing he’d ever use on his battalion members, because this asked for a different kind of obedience. No. Demanded it. “What?” She’d dropped her head but lifted it again. Her eyes had turned huge as a pair of London moons. “Do you…want…to maul me?” For the first time since he’d crawled in here, her body loosened. She opened up a little, still staring with the moon in her eyes—only now, joined by the comets in her energy. Untamed rogue comets—all aimed his direction. “‘Want’ isn’t the word I’d use.” Flames licked the edges of her voice—and now the length of his cock. Fuck, how this woman got to him. How her spirit and sass challenged him. How her desire affected him… “Tracy.” He didn’t hesitate about wielding the dungeon command now. Doubly deep, three times as severe. “Wh-what?” Oh, yeah. He also liked it when her defiance wobbled a little. What would it be like to make it shake a lot?” “Get over here and maul me.” [image error] USA Today bestselling romance author Angel Payne has been reading and writing her entire life, though her love for romances began in junior high, when writing with friends on "swap stories" they'd trade between classes. Needless to say, those stories involved lots of angst, groping, drama, and gooey kissing. She began getting a paycheck for her writing in her twenties, writing record reviews for a Beverly Hills-based dance music magazine. Some years, various entertainment industry gigs, and a number of years in the hospitality industry later, Angel returned to the thing she loves the most: creating character-based romantic fiction. Along the way, she also graduated with two degrees from Chapman University in Southern California, taking departmental honors for English, before writing five historical romances for Kensington and Bantam/Doubleday/Dell. Angel found a true home in writing contemporary-based romances that feature high heat and high concepts, focusing on memorable alpha men and the women who tame them. She has numerous book series to her credit, including the Kinky Truth series, the Secrets of Stone series (with Victoria Blue), the W.I.L.D. Boys of Special Forces series, and the acclaimed Cimarron series. Temptation Court, a new series being launched through the Dark Nights Discovery project, debuts in 2016. Angel still lives in Southern California, where she is married to her soul mate and lives on a street that looks like Brigadoon, with their awesome daughter and Lady Claire, the dog with impeccable manners. When not writing, she enjoys reading, pop culture, alt rock, cute shoes, enjoying the outdoors, and being a gym rat. [image error]
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Con Man by T. Torrest

Title: Con ManAuthor: T. TorrestGenre: Romantic ComedyRelease Date: March 24, 2017


Blurb
Lucas Taggart is the best con man in the business, so to speak.

A former-geek-turned-hottie, Luke is now an image consultant and life coach to the rich and privileged in New York City. His eight-week program is designed to transform ugly ducklings into swans by instilling some much-needed confidence, and hey, a makeover never hurts.

But when Ainsley Carrington signs up as a client, Luke's world is thrown into a tailspin. Ainsley doesn't need an image consultant; her image is already perfect just the way it is. Luke immediately finds himself grappling with his attraction to the introverted beauty as all his old insecurities come bubbling back to the surface.

Thankfully, his new friend Mia is around to help him out. Soon enough, the teacher becomes the student as lines get blurred and professionalism gets thrown out the window.

The thing is, Luke doesn't date his clients. Ever. But fighting his desire is proving more difficult than he ever imagined. Especially since the cocky and arrogant "confidence man" has just completely lost his cool. 

***CON MAN is a romantic comedy novel intended for ages 18+ due to some offensive language and graphic sex/sexual situations.***
READ WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MOOD FOR: cocky, fun, dramatic, insightful, relatable.


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CHAPTER ONE
The gorgeous redhead leaned forward across my favorite table at my favorite restaurant, and from the look in her eyes, I already knew what was coming next.

“So, what do you think?” she asked. “Should we take this conversation back to my hotel room?”

The two of us were seated at a prime patio table at Ocean, a fairly classy restaurant bordering the south end of Central Park. We’d been having a pleasant conversation from our outdoor post, enjoying the mid-summer breeze which was made blessedly cooler from the shade of our umbrella. We’d been planning to indulge in a leisurely meal as we talked, but Charise’s question ensured that this little luncheon was going to be cut rather short.

I eased back in my chair and assessed the fiery-haired bombshell seated across from me. Her invitation was unmistakable, and I found myself letting out with an exasperated breath. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

“Well, maybe I should have been a little clearer,” she purred, sliding a finger to trace along the swell of her ample breast. “I’m hoping you’ll be able to, ah, teach me a thing or two about what a man really wants.”

“That’s not what I do.” I’d encountered this scenario a time or two, and I’d learned it was best to just confront the situation head-on, without mincing words. “Look, Charise, I think you’ve been misinformed about what kind of service I provide. I’m not a sex therapist; I’m an image consultant.”

I’m the founder and CEO of Swan, Inc., New York City’s preeminent makeover service. People who felt stuck in the “ugly duckling” stage of their lives came to me for transformation. My services provided much more than a simple makeover, though. Aside from helping these ladies out with a new hairdo and some clothes, I also offered some intensive remodeling of a client’s self-esteem. Reputedly, these methods helped to unleash a woman’s inner sexpot.

It kinda went with the territory. The sex appeal was simply a happily unexpected side effect of the confidence training I provided.

Charise blinked a few times in my direction, clearly confused. “I was told that you teach women to be absolute maneaters. And after I saw the change in Darla Haagen… I mean, she was positively glowing by the time you got through with her. She said you were a godsend. She said she never experienced a better eight weeks in her entire life. I’m sorry. I guess I just assumed…”

“Sometimes people do. I’m not offended.”

Most of the time, a new client and I will have engaged in a series of emails prior to our first meeting. Even if we haven’t, it was easy enough for them to do their homework on their own; my website clearly lays out what it is that I do. But sometimes, like in the case with Charise, here, people jumped to their own conclusions and thought they were merely hiring a high-priced escort. Hell, even if I was in the sex therapy business, actual sex isn’t a part of the therapy provided.

I gave Charise a smile, trying to put her at ease regarding the mixup. Essentially, the woman had just offered herself up on a silver platter only for me to turn her down. Rather than dwell on her undoubtedly bruised ego, I decided to point her in the right direction. “In fact, if you’re looking for a sex therapist, I can recommend someone for you. I have a friend out in Arizona—his name is Justice Drake and he’s the best at what he does. But he and I don’t work in the same field, understand?”

Charise tipped her head to the side and eyed me curiously. “No. I guess I don’t understand. I thought I was hiring you to teach me how to please a man.”

“Yes, to a point. Essentially what I do is teach you how to please yourself.” Charise’s lip curled, confirming that her mind was spinning all over again. Before she could jump to another conclusion, I added, “I teach confidence. That’s it. When you think about it, that’s the sexiest trait of all, wouldn’t you agree?”

I could see the shift in her posture as my words finally sunk in. “But I already have confidence.”

“Yes, you certainly do. Rightfully so.”

She gave me a flattered smile for that. “So, I guess this isn’t going to be a good fit, is it?”

“I’m sorry, no, it’s not.”

There was an awkward pause between us as the situation sank in, until finally, she let out with a resigned sigh. “Well,” she said agreeably as she rose from her chair. “It looks like my little sex-school adventure is going to turn into a shopping marathon instead.” She gave me a smile and held out her hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Luke.”

I came around to her side of the table to give her a hug. “You too, Charise.”

When we pulled away from each other, there was a devilish twinkle in her eye as she purred, “You know, Luke… Just because I’m not hiring you for sex, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun off the clock. Armed with nothing but false information and your photograph, I flew all the way out here from Houston, and I have to say, you’re even more delicious than your picture. I’d hate to think the sexy vacation I was planning is actually going to be a complete letdown. I could use some company over the next couple of months while I’m here.”

I couldn’t contain my smirk as I answered, “That is one tempting offer, Charise. Truly. But I’m going to have to respectfully decline your generous proposition. Something tells me you’re going to have one hell of a vacation without me. Here,” I added, pulling out my wallet and digging around for my friend’s business card. “Maybe after you’ve torn up New York for a few days, you’ll decide to reroute to Sedona. Give Drake a call. He really knows his stuff.”

She took the card from my hand, flicking it around her fingers as she said, “I will. I promise.”

One of my brows raised as I added, “Although you strike me as someone who’s already well-schooled in this area.”

Charise grinned as she gave me a last peck on the cheek before jaunting across the patio and into the park.

My morning appointment was a bust, and my afternoon appointment wasn’t scheduled to be here for another two hours. Since now I had some time to kill, I decided to take a walk to clear my head. I asked Fernando to hold my table, then slipped out of the gated patio and into the courtyard.

There were a few high-end boutiques that bordered this end of the park, so I did a little window shopping. Eyed up a new suit in the display at Brooks Brothers; checked out a new watch in the front case of Tiffany’s. When my stomach started growling, I became aware of my abandoned lunch, and stopped off at a corner pushcart to get a dirty-water dog with the works.

I loved the city. New York was the best place in the world to test a person’s mettle. You could live out your every dream or disappear into a sea of faces. Do whatever you wanted to do; be whoever you wanted to be.

I headed back to Ocean and hit the men’s room to clean up before my next appointment, throwing a couple bucks in the attendant’s tray and giving a quick glance in the mirror as I ran a hand through my hair.

I wasn’t always this good-looking.

Before you can accuse me of being an arrogant, conceited jerk, I’ll tell you that the personal assessment of my handsomeness is mentioned without spectacle or vanity of any kind.

Well, maybe a little pride, but that’s it. And I’m only proud because it took a ton of hard work to get myself looking this way. Countless hours at the gym, consultations with fashion gurus, and a whole helluva lot of mental reprogramming all combined to create the man you see standing before you today.

Fact is, before I was one of the “beautiful people,” I used to view an attractive person with the same sort of indifference as I would an air balloon.

Pretty to look at, but there’s no substance to it.

Strange that I should’ve made my living as an image consultant, right? If I had such disregard for external beauty, then why did I make it my mission to help women achieve the height of theirs?

And no. Before you can ask, I’ll tell you emphatically that I did not start this whole venture as some elaborate scheme to pick up chicks. I’m not looking to hit on them. I’m looking to help them.

Unfortunately, the sad fact is this: I’ve been where these women are now. I know from firsthand experience what it’s like to be ignored or downright snubbed for not looking like those people you see on your television screens. Society as a whole has always been impressed with such superficial qualities in a person. Looking good is the easiest way to catch a guy’s eye, and if a woman is coming to me to help her land a man, she’s going to have to understand that men appreciate external beauty above all else.

At least they think they do.

That’s why the second part of my service is even more important than the first. Yes, I’ll whip your body into shape. Yes, I’ll hook you up with hair and makeup professionals. But while all that is happening, I’ll be working on your internal assets. Pointing out your positive attributes, trying to teach you how to use them to your advantage. Building your confidence in little baby steps until you’re ready to do it on your own.
At the end of it all, you’ll have reached a point where you don’t even need that spa-day makeover, but you’ll get it just the same. Although by then, it’ll merely be icing on an already delicious cake.



Author Bio

T. Torrest is a fiction writer from the U.S. She has written many books, but prays that only a handful of them will ever see the light of day. Her stories are geared toward readers of any age that know how to enjoy a good laugh and a dreamy romance.

Ms. Torrest was a child of the eighties, but has since traded in her Rubik's cube for a laptop and her Catholic school uniform for a comfy pair of yoga pants. She's a pop-culture junkie, a movie aficionado, and an enthusiast of talking about herself in the third person. A lifelong Jersey girl, she currently resides there with her husband and two sons.

She also really digs it when she hears from readers, and is known to use words like "dig" in a non-sarcastic way. You can find out more about her books at her website: https://www.ttorrest.com/ 

She also LOVES to get friend requests on Goodreads and Facebook, and personal messages from readers via email: ttorrest@optonline.net


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