Twinkle (Sugandha) Varshney's Blog, page 278

SEAL's Baby by Naomi Niles

[image error]   Garrett has spent most of his adulthood living the life of a billionaire playboy. Unfortunately for him, that lifestyle has been put on temporary hiatus while he is placed in the Witness Protection Program as he gears up to testify against a powerful drug smuggler. Trading his mansion for quarters on a ranch in Montana, his life has been turned upside down.  AMAZON US I AMAZON UK [image error]

Billionaire In Hiding by Claire Adams

  [image error]  Garrett has spent most of his adulthood living the life of a billionaire playboy. Unfortunately for him, that lifestyle has been put on temporary hiatus while he is placed in the Witness Protection Program as he gears up to testify against a powerful drug smuggler. Trading his mansion for quarters on a ranch in Montana, his life has been turned upside down. Sarah’s life is also in disarray, though there is no drug kingpin after her head. Instead, her job decided to downsize and eliminate her corporate position. With her hopes of providing for her family dashed, she returns home to her mom and dad at the ranch. Sarah quickly notices that Garrett isn’t like the other ranch hands, but she doesn’t know exactly why. Soon, she finds herself falling in love with him as the two begin a whirlwind romance. But their love affair comes to a crashing halt one night thanks to the secret he's been hiding. Can there love make it through it all?  AMAZON US I AMAZON UK a Rafflecopter giveaway [image error] FACEBOOK  [image error]

Beautiful Sacrifice By Gen Ryan

 HALF-PRICE SALETitle: Beautiful SacrificeAuthor: Gen RyanSeries: Thin Red Lines/ Book 2Genre: Romantic Suspense, Thriller, CrimeRelease Date: August 27, 2016
Publisher: Hot Tree PublishingDesigner: Claire Smith
  Avery Grant has only known a life of fighting crime. Following in her father's footsteps, she graduates top of her FBI class and plans to move quickly up the ranks. She has her entire life planned out until she meets Detective Evan Bradley.

Evan is everything that Avery vowed to avoid. Married to his job, Evan fights every day to do what's right, whatever the cost.

Faced with a satanic cult that is sacrificing the innocent, Avery and Evan must work together to apprehend the criminals before any more innocent lives are lost. As they both struggle to navigate through their pasts and growing affection, Avery and Evan fight against a ticking clock and their own feelings.

Will they be able to solve the case and avoid another beautiful sacrifice?
All purchase links HERE
Book 1
Beautiful Masterpiece
 HALF-PRICE SALE 
All buy links HERE
His shirt had tightened and become more taut against him when he’d folded his arms across his chest, and this only further sent my body into a wild frenzy. Frustrated that he was having this effect on me, I straightened my shirt, attempting to gain some composure. “Ms. Professional,” he said as he looked me up and down. A hint of hunger lingered in his eyes as he studied me intently. He licked his lips, and I didn’t move from under his stare. I looked at him, letting him know I wouldn’t back down from him. My barriers, my walls, were not coming down. Plus, what was wrong with how I dressed? It was professional and didn’t get me any unwanted attention. “You know nothing about me.” He seemed like a man who hid behind humor and his big gun who had the occasional on point observation. He’d been right about me being professional and it pissed me off. Because no matter how I tried to shake the way my body responded to his dazzling eyes and the way he kept touching his gun, I couldn’t help but wonder how big his gun really was. Snap out of it, Avery. I took my hand and smoothed out my shirt again. Who did he think he was? I barely knew him, and he thought he knew me so well. Sure, he was hot. He dripped testosterone and exuded sex with every move of his mouth. And that little bump on his nose was endearing. He had probably broken his nose a few times, and I secretly wondered what had caused the breaks. But regardless of how fucking delicious he was, he didn’t know me.“I know that you’re impenetrable. Like an unbreakable vault.” He was right. I was impermeable. He would do well to remember that. It didn’t mean I had to like that he’d guessed that about me.“Yes, well, you’re a jerk.” Wow, great comeback, Avery. It wasn’t like me to lose control and this guy, he was already under my skin. I was flustered, sweat beaded on my forehead, and I was pretty sure I needed to change my panties.“Ouch.” He grabbed at his heart. “Here.” He went in his breast pocket and pulled out a card. “My information. Strictly professional of course.” He winked at me and gave me a smile, his perfectly straight teeth dazzling me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, snatching the card and shoving it in my pocket. Website I Facebook I Twitter I GoodreadsYou can find Genevieve curled up reading paranormal romance and romantic thrillers, or frantically typing her stories on her laptop.

Psychology is her trade by day, teaching and molding the minds of college students. Her interest in psychology can be seen in her books, each including many psychological undertones. Although she loves teaching, her passion, her true love, lays in the stories that roam around her in head. Yes, they all come from her mind-the good, the bad, and the totally insane. 

She lives in Massachusetts-no not Boston-with her husband, daughter, and American Eskimo dog. With each story she shares, she hopes her love for writing and storytelling seeps through, encompassing the reader and leaving them wanting more. a Rafflecopter giveawayRafflecopter Share Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ea80a6ed183/

The Alchemist's Son By Athena Daniels

A town with a dark secret. A detective digging for the truth. A discovery that leads to an unthinkable sacrifice.Author:  Athena DanielsTitle:  The Alchemist's SonSeries:  Beyond the Grave, book 2Genre:  Contemporary Romantic Thriller
Release Date: August 31, 2016
 
The thrilling conclusion to Sage and Ethan’s journey that began in The Seer’s Daughter. For one hundred years, a demon has been watching, waiting, plotting…
White witch Sage Matthews has inherited a gift that makes her both integral to an ancient prophecy and a target for a demon-possessed serial killer. Assigned to catch the killer, Detective Sergeant Ethan Blade falls wildly, and inconveniently, in love with the one woman he doesn’t know how to protect.
Together Sage and Ethan delve into the prophecy, and the more they learn, the more deadly their situation becomes. At midnight on the night of the blood moon, an ancient doorway will open, and a master demon and his horde will pour through and unleash hell on earth. Only Sage can stop their onslaught—but not if the demon kills her first. 
With the blood moon looming, Sage discovers she can join forces with “the alchemist’s son” to destroy the demon. But who is the alchemist’s son? And will he be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice required to end this struggle between light and dark forever? Amazon:  US | UK | AU | CANook I Kobo****************************** The Seer's Daughter (Book 1) ON SALE FOR 99 CENTS  “Thought I told you not to move.” His voice was barely recognizable, little more than a sexy rasp. He motioned to the chair where his utility belt lay. “Do I have to use my cuffs, or will you stay still?”

Cuffs? Oh hell, yes! An image of herself, restrained on the bed while Ethan teased and pleasured her needy flesh, flashed into her mind.
Amazon: US | UK | AU | CAiTunes I Smashwords I Nook I Kobo******************************
“Where do we go from here?” Ethan repeated her words with an edge she hadn’t used.

She trembled, but not from fear. The part of him that was pure primal male rolled off him and scorched her skin.

“There are many things I need to say to you about what happened today, but I don’t know the words to convey everything to you so you’ll understand. I only know how it feels inside.” He tapped his chest, over his heart, with a closed fist.

“And words can be misinterpreted.” There was no denying the raw sexuality in his tone. He took his hands off the sill, dropping them to the collar of her V-neck T-shirt. “I’m going to show you instead.”

With one quick movement, he ripped the fabric down the middle, exposing her lacy black bra, and she gasped. He held her arms back, trapped in the torn material, his eyes darkening as he watched her chest rise and fall.

Brushing his palms down her arms, he shoved what was left of her shirt to the floor. He trailed his fingers across her collarbone, barely touching the parts of her breasts that swelled over the top of her bra.

“Fuck, Sage, you make me want to be anything but gentle.”

“I don’t remember asking you to be.” Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon
Athena Daniels lives on the northern beaches of sunny Western Australia, where she writes romantic suspense and paranormal romance.Athena is the author of romantic thriller Desperate and the first two books in the Beyond the Grave series, The Seer’s Daughter and The Alchemist’s Son. The Seer’s Daughter was a Top Pick at The Romance Reviews and was featured in AusRom Today’s January 2016 top-twenty list of “Lust-Have Sci-Fi, Paranormal, and Fantasy Novelists.” Athena has a natural curiosity about the “more” there is in life, and holds several qualifications in metaphysics and natural therapies. She is a neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner, life coach, and feng shui specialist. To learn more about Athena, or to take a sneak peek at what’s coming next, visit her online or connect with her on social media.
Sign up for Athena's newsletter HERE. a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Once Upon a Midnight

ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT
Genre: Paranormal Romance ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE EPILEPSY FOUNDATION

Just in time for Halloween 
20 New York Times, USA Today & Amazon Bestsellers deliver one sizzling anthology to meet all your romantic heat requirements. Jam-packed with alpha males, paranormal hotties, vampires, werewolves, shifters, Greek Gods & More. This limited edition set is sure to be THE box set of the year, so don't miss out!


Amazon US ✯ Amazon Int'l ✯ B&N ✯ iTunes ✯ Goodreads

Dakota Cassidy - Fangs Of Anarchy: Forbidden AlphaWorlds and forbidden love collide when vampire biker Irish McConnell and werewolf librarian, Claire Montgomery hunt for a killer.

Stephanie Rowe - Dark Wolf Rising (Heart of the Shifter)Shifter Cash Burns vanished from her life ten years ago, but when an assassin closes in on Brynn McKenzie, Cash is her only chance to stay alive.

Renee George - A Shade of Midnight (Midnight Shifters Book 4)With the lives of her two loves on the line, will Mina be forced out of the light of her new life and back into the shade of her past?

Melanie James - Fur Ever YoursThe Fates etched Rafe & Mina's destiny in stone long ago. Now, one twisted wolf seeks to destroy them both. Will he succeed or will Mina and Rafe's bond be strong enough to survive?

Claudy Conn - Lady XLady X has to escape her Dark Warlock father. To do so, she travels into the past and slams into a hunky wizard with an agenda.

Toni Aleo - Broken PiecesFrom the moment Oceanus von Stein, second-in-command to the Patchwork family, caught sight of Taegan Conner, daughter of the leader of the Wolves, he knew he would never love another. Only now, she has been promised in marriage to another, an arrangement to strengthen her family's alliances--and she gets no say in the matter. Can they find a way to be together, or will they both always be two Broken Pieces?

Kelly Cozzone - Fated by FireGareth Cadell fights to save the survival of his red dragon clan. He -didn't expect to find his soul mate in the process. Can he end up saving them both?

Tracey Jane Jackson - Bound by SecretsBrodie has waited centuries for his mate and Payton is more than he could have ever expected, particularly when she challenges him at every turn.

A.D. Justice - The GrudgeTwo brothers. Best friends. Immortals. One woman - the subject of their mutual obsession. Immortals can hold a grudge for a very long time.

Julia Mills - The Fate of Her Dragon Sleepless nights, a man haunting her every thought, his voice calling, begging, needing...her...Not even the Universe has the answers and time is running out... The Fate of her dragon may be the death of them all!


Gena D. Lutz -- Created Darkly, a Kris Chase novelNecromancer Kris Chase's purpose is simple. Blindly raise the dead for the primary elite, selfnecro-governed group, the Center. The problem is, she couldn't care less about what the Center expects from her. Instead, she is more content with snuffing out the life-force from every vile creature she can get her hands on; the same monsters her brethren indiscriminately create... for the right price.

Diane Rinella -- Moonlight SerenadeInstead of leading Dale to the woman of his dreams, a psychic guides him to a lucky charm--Glenn Miller's guitar pick. Does the key to Dale's happiness lie with the famous bandleader or the deceased rocker of the same name? Maybe the ghost in the grey fedora knows ...

Aubree Lane -- Catamount Ridge Exactly what’s happening up on Catamount Ridge was a mystery, but with the mountain lions acting so strange, it fell Jessie and Derek to track down the elusive beasts. The cats odd behavior was troublesome, but Jessie has a bigger problem on her hands. For in the light of day, Derek seems far more dangerous than any normal mountain lion.

A.K. Michaels -- The Black Rose Chronicles, Deceit and LiesThe Black Rose is a highly trained assassin. Her newest assignment is the mysterious, enigmatic and deadly Vampire, Cassius Allarde and she has to decide if he warrants her execution. Will she survive her meeting with the mighty Vampire?

PM Briede -- The Fate of DemonsHer entire reality is threatened when Octavia Howard is forced to work with the one creature she fights to protect her home from, demons.

Jami Brumfield -- Bear-i-licious CowboyAshlee has given up on love, despite her best friend's insistence that she get back into the game. When she is forced to attend a dating mixer she discovers a world that was hidden from her, a dangerous world full of supernatural creatures she never imagined were real. Tucker is an alpha bear more concerned with protecting his pack than finding a mate, but his goddess has other plans and forces him to choose a woman to call his own.

Amanda Washington - Lucky BlowWhen an enslaved demigod earns her freedom, but loses the one thing that matters more, she'll have to join forces with an old flame and steal from a cast of powerful gods to get it back.

Wynter Daniels -- Spirited SeductionRyan's murdered sister's ghost appears to him to warn him that her friend Emily will be next. Emily shunned her psychic abilities after she became the target of a killer while working with the police years ago, but she can't ignore her friend's dire message from beyond the grave. Despite their differences, passion sizzles between the couple until sinister, unseen forces threaten to tear them apart forever. *previously published

Nicole Garcia - Reckless DescentWill one fallen angel's drastic mistake result in spending the rest of his eternal life in damnation, or will he be set free from the shackles of Hell and finally experience the love he has always been waiting for?

Michele E. Gwynn -- Darkest CommunionTorn from his beloved by jealousy, and cursed to walk the night alone for eight-hundred lonely years, a dark and twisted love triangle comes full circle in Bucharest, Romania for a vampire, a gypsy, and the woman they both desire.



Dakota Cassidy ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Stephanie Rowe ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Renee George ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Melanie James ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Claudy Conn ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Toni Aleo ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Kelly Cozzone ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon

Tracey Jane Jackson ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website 

A.D. Justice ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Julia Mills ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website 


Gena D. Lutz ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Diane Rinella ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Aubree Lane ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

A.K. Michaels ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

PM Briede ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Jami Brumfield ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Amanda Washington ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Wynter Daniels ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website

Nicole Garcia ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon

Michele E. Gwynn ✯ Twitter ✯ Facebook ✯ Amazon ✯ Website


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Infected Waters by Alathia Paris Morgan

INFECTED WATERS:
A TITANIC DISASTER

by Alathia Paris MorganGENRE: paranormal historical horror fiction



Everyone knows the tale of the Titanic…a doomed voyage…here is what actually happened on April 14, 1912. Murder, chaos, and the undead threaten to sink the ship faster than any iceberg.

As a nurse, Nora Ryan was prepared for the common illnesses, but what she discovers instead is an infection modern medicine has yet to name.

Head steward, Jonathan Davis was not expecting to meet Nora and he certainly wasn’t expecting to fight a deadly infection alongside her. As the first victim of this strange illness dies and passengers are rapidly becoming infected; these two strangers must find a way to stop these undead creatures from taking over the ship.

The trip home from England to America becomes hectic for the Lambert family when they overhear startling rumors from their second class stateroom. People are dying, and the dead are taking anyone they can sink their teeth into with them. Will their family make it to their destination or will they be caught in the rising tide of infection that intends to leave no living being behind?



“Aren’t you worried that you could catch whatever he has?” Jonathan asked as he tried not to take a step back in fear.

Pointing to his obvious scrapes, Nora replied, “The only way for this type of infection to spread would be if you had an open wound and it touched yours. I would like to know what caused it though.” Nora rose to empty the water and returned with a bottle of alcohol to cleanse the gashes. “Find someone you can trust. Have him come and hold this man down while I pour this over his wounds. I can’t stitch him up until the infection goes away.” Nora continued to prep by collecting bandages to wrap his legs, chest and shoulder.

Jonathan left to do as she asked. He returned a short time later with two of the men who had helped to carry the patient to the infirmary.

“Keep watch outside, and don’t let anyone inside.” Jonathan warned one of the men. “Now you, grab hold of his arms while I hold his feet,” he commanded his other subordinate.

“Are we ready?” Holding a towel next the patient’s neck to catch any alcohol that dripped, Nora was in place.

“Yes.” They both answered in unison.

“Tightly, now. Even unconscious, his body will react.” Nora began pouring the liquid over the shoulder wounds.

The man simply moaned and shook his head back and forth.

Waiting for his body to recover slightly, Nora moved into position by his chest.

“Lift him up onto his side under the shoulder, and do it gently. I need to make sure I get the entire side of his chest area covered. Quickly, so it doesn’t hurt his other wounds.” Nora knew the wounds on the back of his leg were going to hurt worse since they appeared to be much deeper.

Wincing as the liquid poured out, Nora wasn’t expecting the reaction from the unconscious man.

The scream of pain from the man erupted and Patrick, the man holding his arms, lost hold of him as he jerked. In the process of trying to regain hold of his shoulders, Patrick accidentally pressed on the shoulder with the scratches, causing the man to bite his wrist.

“What the bloody hell?” Patrick yelled as he tried to detach the man’s teeth from his arm. “He won’t let go! Bloody hell, that hurts!”

Jonathan let go of his hold on the man’s feet and leaned forward to pry the man’s teeth from Patrick’s arm.

“Wait. If you rip the teeth away, you’ll cause more damage to his arm.” Nora cautioned as she tried to be gentle.

“Forget what she says. Get this mad man off me now. AGHHH!”

Jonathan reached behind the patient’s head and pinched the base of his neck, causing him to release Patrick’s arm.

Covering the dripping wound immediately, Nora pulled Patrick over to the side. “Press this on it and don’t move.” Turning to get the alcohol and a fresh bandage, Nora didn’t want Patrick to think about what was coming next.

Moving his arm over the basin, Nora sighed as she lifted the bandage to uncover a perfect impression of teeth.

“It’s torn, but not ripped to shreds. Once we get it clean I can stitch it, yet when it heals, the skin will be so tight it might tear either way.”

“Just pour the stuff already. Bandage it up. I’m going to go lie down in my bunk and get drunk,” Patrick stated as he eyed Jonathan, willing him to say anything contrary.


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Alathia is known to those around her for having an a long time love affair/obsession with Dr. Pepper, she has asked to be buried with a can so that it never runs out in the after life. Always bossy, she uses her mothering instincts to help others and share awareness of abuse in child and domestic situations.

A B.S. in History and English gave wings to her vivid imagination in book form. A supportive and loving husband has given her the chance to make her dreams a reality. Their three daughters and three dogs keep her busy while writing is a great way for her to wind down and destress.

AMAZON ✯ WEBSITE ✯ FACEBOOK ✯ GOODREADS ✯ TWITTER


MoB Promotions

MAYHEM & MAGIC

This action-packed COMIC BOOK series tells
a brand-new story in Sarah Fine’s RELIQUARYuniverse!Bestselling author Sarah Fine (Marked, Sanctum) gives hard-boiled noir a magical edge
in this stand-alone four-issue comic book adventure—where crime collides
with conjuring in the spellbinding world of her Reliquary series.Featuring an action-packed script by Alex De Campi (No Mercy, Grindhouse)
and stunning art from Dennis Calero (X-Men Noir). Issue #1Freelance thief-for-hire Asa Ward’s latest job is heisting a powerful magic relic from a gangster’s lair. But what should be an easy payday quickly becomes larceny the hard way—when he’s dragged into a three-way crime war where mind-bending, body-racking magic is the most lethal weapon of all. And just when Asa thinks he’s scored, the ruthless kingpin he’s ripping off strikes back…threatening the only life Asa values more than his own. Issue #2Backed into a corner by the crime boss Conti, Asa must do the gangster’s bidding or lose what he cherishes most. That means infiltrating a swank, secret auction and stealing the enchanted objet of honor from an even more dangerous underworld big shot. But with a brutal enforcer standing in his way, Asa will need the quickest wits, fastest fists, and meanest magic to even the odds, get the goods, and stay alive. Issue #3Asa is caught between a rock and several hard places when his mission to snatch a precious artifact from a crime lord’s auction is crashed by a rogue commando raid. Surrounded by weapon-wielding enemies, dubious allies, and magic both sinister and seductive, the only way out is paved with double crosses and triple threats. But Asa would rather take the risks than reap the consequences: life under the thumb of sadistic mobster Zhong Lei. Issue #4 - Released September 7thThe magical relics everyone’s after are in Asa’s hands. But keeping them might put his neck in a noose. The Headsmen are determined to confiscate the dangerously powerful artifacts—and their cunning agent Laird has Asa on the ropes. But can all the magic and muscle in Miami stop Asa from salvaging the swag, collecting his bounty, rescuing his beloved…and making good his escape before the bad guys know what hit them? About Sarah FineSarah Fine was born on the West Coast, raised in the Midwest, and is now firmly entrenched on the East Coast. When she's not writing, she's working as a child psychologist. No, she is not psychoanalyzing you right now.
Author Links         This promotion is brought to you by Pure Textuality PR.

Till the Rivers All Run Dry By Jim Lester

Coming of Age, Historical Fiction Date Published:  July 27, 2016


In 1941, when thirteen-year-old Ricky Parker’s family is uprooted from their home in Arkansas and relocated to Venezuela, Ricky thinks his life is over. But what he finds in a rough and tumble oil camp on the banks of Lake Maracaibo is the adventure of a lifetime. An adventure filled with Nazi spies, treachery, betrayal, true love, and even murder.While touching on issues that remain relevant today, such as racism and America’s reliance on foreign oil, this coming-of-age novel is a page turning, high-octane suspense tale of star-crossed young lovers set in exotic wartime Venezuela.


 Excerpt
One Friday evening right before the Fourth of July in the summer of 1941, I answered the front door and my whole life changed.  Two men in suits stood on the porch. One of them was an older fellow, wearing a cheap brown suit and a high starched collar that was wilting from the summer heat. The band in his rumpled fedora was stained with sweat. He had a droopy mustache that was part black and part white and an Adam’s apple that looked about the size of a baseball.   The other man was younger and had on a nicer suit. He removed his hat and showed off a thick head of blond hair. His face was pasty white, and I knew right off that he’d never done a lick of farmwork in his life.  “Is Mr. Chester Parker at home? We’d like a word with him if it would be convenient.” The younger man sounded like Mr. Hunter who taught English over at El Dorado Junior High, where I had just finished the seventh grade. They both talked real educated and proper-like.  “I reckon he’s out back,” I said. “Y’all come on in and I’ll get him.” I looked past the two men on the porch and saw some angry-looking dark clouds gathering off to the east, promising a summer rain.   The two men stepped into the living room. The older man removed his hat and scratched his bald head.  Before I could fetch Daddy, Mama stepped into the living room from the kitchen. She was wearing her big red apron that was dusty with flour from making the biscuits for supper. She had a dot of flour on her nose. “Who is it, Ricky? Did you . . .” She pulled up short in the doorway and drew in a quick breath.  “Howdy, Dixie,” the older man said. “How you been?”  Mama eyed the man like a dead garden snake she’d found on the back porch. “Evening, Mr. Taggert. I reckon I’m fine.” Mama’s tone filled the living room with a chilling frost.  The older man ignored Mama’s coldness. “This here is Mr. George Quinn. He’s from Washington. We need to have a word with Mr. Ches if we might.”  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Washington? What on earth would some stranger from Washington, DC, want with my father?  Mama wiped her hands on her apron. “Ricky, run on out to the shed and fetch your daddy. Be quick now.”  I scampered back through the kitchen and out the screen door and sprinted across the yard to the shed. I found Daddy hunched over his worktable lost in thought, staring at the parts of a radio he had spread out in front of him.   Daddy could fix anything as long as it was mechanical. Big machines, little machines. It didn’t make any difference. My father could fix all of them.  His pipe was clinched tight in his teeth and the sticky sweet smell of his burning tobacco filled the tiny shed.  “There’s a pair of fellows in suits here to see you,” I said, a little breathless from the run across the yard. “I don’t think they want you to fix anything. I think they just want to talk.”    Daddy smiled and stood up from the worktable. “Then I guess we better go in the house and see what’s going on.”  My father was a tall man, skinny as a rail as the saying went. He had black hair slicked back with Brylcreem. Some folks said he looked Italian, but that was mainly because he’d spent so much time out in the sun that his skin was all brown and leathery looking. He always wore a blue work shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows even in the summer.   Daddy had been a drilling supervisor at Murphy Oil and a real good one from what everybody said, but one day back in ’39 something happened out on one of the rigs and Daddy came home, put his lunch pail on the high shelf up in the pantry and announced that he’d never work for Murphy or any oil company again. And that was that.  My father didn’t do much but hang around the house for a few weeks. He’d sit at the kitchen table and take old radios apart and put them back together. Finally other folks started bringing him their busted radios and percolators and mix masters and stuff to fix and Daddy cleared out a space in the old shed out near the chicken coop and went into the small appliance repair business.  Daddy never hurried anywhere. Even after I told him about the two visitors, he ambled across the yard as if he were just heading up to the house for a drink of water.  Back in the living room, Mama had served ice tea to the two men, who were sitting on the blue sofa when Daddy and I came in. They stood up and shook hands all around. Mama brought Daddy a glass of tea. He drained half of it in one gulp.   “It’s good to see you again, Mr. Ches,” Taggert said.  Daddy nodded. “What can I do for you?” He sounded unfriendly and I could tell my father didn’t have much truck with the Taggert fellow.  The first plunks of the summer rain hit the roof. The smell of Daddy’s tobacco overpowered the living room.  Taggert and Quinn sat back down, balancing their hats in their laps. Mama leaned on the doorsill, wiping flour off her hands with her apron.  “Mr. Ches,” Taggert said. “We need to talk some business if you have a few minutes.” Daddy shrugged.  Taggert turned and looked at me. “Son, why don’t you run outside and play for a while. This won’t take long.”  “It’s raining,” I said, indicated the front window where the summer storm was pelting the glass. Taggert gnawed on his lower lip.  “Come on, Ricky.” Mama came to Taggert’s rescue. “Let’s you and me run out to the henhouse and fix up those stalls like we been promising to do since school let out.”   I didn’t want to leave the living room. Something was going on. Something big. You could just feel it in the air. You could see it on Daddy’s face, hear it in Mama's voice. This was important. And I had to go out and fix up the stalls in the henhouse. I was not happy.   But I went.   By the time Mama and I hammered all the loose boards back into the chicken stalls, replaced the straw, swept out the walkway, and went back to the house, Taggert and Quinn were gone. Daddy sat in the chair in the living room, staring out the window at the rain. The drops pounded the glass and ran down the panes in fast flowing rivulets.   It was getting dark, but Daddy hadn’t turned on any lights. He just sat there in the chair, smoking his pipe and staring out the window. He didn’t even turn around when Mama and I came back into the house. He just sat and stared and smoked. I’d never seen him look like that.   “Daddy? Are you all right?” I stood in the doorway to the kitchen, fighting back that awful sense that something was bad wrong.   My father didn’t say anything. Blue smoke drifted out of his pipe and floated toward the ceiling. The room got darker and darker.  Two weeks later, he and Mama and I took a train down to New Orleans, got on a big ship, and headed for Venezuela.               
About the Author

Jim Lester is the author of two previous coming of age novels-Fallout, which Booklist called " a fast paced, clever coming of age story, Salingeresque in spirit and The Great Pretender, which received consistently excellent reviews on Amazon. He is also the author of the sports history book Hoop Crazy: College Basketball in the 1950s.
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Lady of the Bridge By Laura Kitchell

Historical RomanceDate Published:  September 2016





Forbidden love between a warrior princess and an elite samurai makes for an adventure set during the early days of the Tokugawa shogunate. Join this couple in a race across 17th century Japan where political unrest has created dangerous ronin, civil uprisings, and war-ravaged castles. Caught in the middle of the struggle between Shogun's rise to rule and the old regime, this warrior princess is forced to battle for her life.In the end, she must choose between family honor and her heart's desire.Other Books by Laura Kitchell:



Lady of the Imperial CityPublished: May 2015Historical Romance
Love isn’t forbidden to Lady Kirei as long as it’s with a proper gentleman of Kyō and she doesn’t mind sharing him with his wife. Her provincial upbringing makes her socially unacceptable as a true wife, yet as a lady by birth and a court favorite, her position makes it impossible for her to seek a match below her station. She’s trapped.
When a nobleman of similar provincial upbringing arrives in town and becomes an instant favorite of the emperor, he is sent to Lady Kirei for tutoring on city ways. Lord Yūkan is smitten, but she’s not a conquest to be won. She’s a woman of substance and worth, and she’s off limits.
Despite his unrefined manners, Lord Yūkan’s aristocratic bloodline shows through his fine taste and quick mind. It doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome, too. As he begins to touch her heart, Lady Kirei is ever mindful that they can’t commit, especially when her uncle schemes to make her a consort to a prince.
Will her family’s honor relegate her to the shadow-life of a consort, or can love find a way?

About the Author
Laura Kitchell lives in Virginia. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Chesapeake Romance Writers. She lived in Japan as a child and has a love and respect for Japanese history and culture.
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Passion of Sleepy Hollow by Lexi Post

Passion of Sleepy Hollow by Lexi Post Genre: Paranormal Erotic RomanceRe-Release Date: September 14, 2016

When present day headless horseman Braeden Van Brunt meets the original Katrina Van Tassel, he cannot resist her pull on his heart, but her own heart may still be with his look-alike ancestor. How can he love a woman living in a different time period and put the past to rest, especially when the dead don’t rest in Sleepy Hollow?


Recluse Braeden Van Brunt is not happy to be the Headless Horseman…until he meets Katrina Van Tassel, owner of the Sleepy Hollow Inn, whose allure bewitches him from the front desk into the bedroom. When he discovers Kat and the village of Sleepy Hollow are cursed to exist only in the present day for one weekend a year, he realizes the sacrifice he must make if he wants to keep her.

Katrina Van Tassel lives between slivers of time. She thought she was through grieving her betrothed’s death, but her dreams flare to life when his mirror-image arrives requesting a room. Drawn to Braeden, she is taken to greater heights of intimacy than she ever imagined, but she can’t be sure if her heart is with him or with the love from her past.

Knowing he must conquer both time and ghosts to keep the only woman he’s ever loved, Braeden must put the past to rest. But the dead won’t rest in Sleepy Hollow.

Author Note: Passion of Sleepy Hollow was previously published by Ellora's Cave in 2014.



Her blue eyes, so full of life, looked everywhere but at him as multiple emotions crossed her face. He didn’t want the one that meant he irritated the hell out of her. She was like a roulette wheel and he needed it to stop so the ball fell in his favor. Lifting his finger, he replaced it with his lips.Just a gentle kiss, like the night before. But her intake of breath parted her lips and he couldn’t resist. Not wanting to scare her off, he slipped his tongue inside slowly to explore.When her hands came to rest on his waist, he deepened the kiss, moving his hand behind her head to hold her in place. A tiny sound escaped from her throat and his cock came to life. He needed her closer.Suddenly, she pulled away and stared at him. “Fine.”“Fine?” Nothing was fine. He wanted to keep kissing her. What was she doing?She brushed past him and opened the kitchen door. “Fine, you can stay. I need to get my quilt and pillow from my room.”The door shut solidly, leaving him to stare at the wooden grain. “What the hell?” He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. Obviously, he had no skill with the opposite sex anymore. His long abstinence since the debacle with Reed had taken its toll.His blood cooled at the thought of his best friend. He should know better than to get close to people. He was better off behind the screen of his computer where it was safe. Kat was not safe. But God, she was fun.He opened the kitchen door and strode down the hall to her room, his room…their room if he had his way.
Kat closed the door to her room and leaned against it. Her heart raced so fast it could beat a squirrel up a tree. Licking her lips, she closed her eyes. Braeden’s kiss brought back all those wonderful feelings she used to have with Brom. The ones where her toes curled inside her buckle shoes and her body quivered.She crossed her arms over her stomach. She hadn’t had those with anyone else since. Not even slightly. What was she going to do? She’d been desperate to get away, and now he would be staying the night. She opened her eyes. Staying in her room. Oh Lord.Moving to her chest at the end of the bed, she pulled out a pillow and threw it on the floor. She’d already changed the sheets because he was supposed to leave. It had been so hard not to bury her face in his unique scent. It reminded her of the forest after a rainstorm, musky, comforting, making her want to snuggle in for a winter hibernation.Ugh, what was she thinking? He was Stephen’s brother, a Newtimer, and he would leave tomorrow.Oh no. The village would be long gone by then. What would happen to Braeden then? She glanced toward the door, listening to the floorboards creak under his weight. Quickly, she pulled her quilt from the chest and grabbed the pillow.Too late.The door opened and he ducked inside, obliterating the opening from her sight. He stood stock-still, studying her once again. The lantern light softened his features, proving how different he really appeared from Brom.Straightening her shoulders, she stepped toward him. “Your room is all set. I’ll just make my bed in the parlor.”He didn’t move, and she couldn’t go through the door unless he did.“Braeden? You need to step aside for me to leave.”“And what if I don’t want you to leave?”Her breath caught in her throat as tingling sped from her head to her toes. She swallowed hard. “What do you mean?” She turned away to give herself a moment without looking at his handsome visage. “Did I forget something?”The floor creaked behind her and she stepped forward to inspect the water pitcher. If he touched her again, she’d be lost. She turned to review the bed. “I assure you these are clean sheets.”The door closed.She spun and the quilt knocked the pitcher off the table onto the floor with a crash. “Oh no.” She knelt, suddenly wanting to cry, though the pitcher wasn’t anything special. In fact, it had a crack along the handle and was bound to break soon anyway.“Come. It’s okay.” Braeden’s hands on her arms helped her to stand and sent fire through her already taut nerves.Gently, he enveloped her in his arms. Her heart slowed as a feeling of rightness settled through her. With her face against his chest, she could hear his strong heartbeat.“Kat.” The soft-spoken word came from deep within him and she met his gaze. “Don’t be mad at me.”The loneliness she glimpsed in his eyes undid her. Before she could think about what she did, she hooked her hand around his neck and pulled him forward for a kiss.

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Lexi Post is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of romance inspired by the classics. She spent years in higher education taking and teaching courses about the classical literature she loved. From Edgar Allan Poe's short story “The Masque of the Red Death” to Tolstoy’s War and Peace, she's read, studied, and taught wonderful classics.

But Lexi's first love is romance novels so she married her two first loves, romance and the classics. From hot paranormals to sizzling cowboys to hunks from out of this world, Lexi provides a sensuous experience with a “whole lotta story.”

Lexi is living her own happily ever after with her husband and her cat in Florida. She makes her own ice cream every weekend, loves bright colors, and you will never see her without a hat.


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