Twinkle (Sugandha) Varshney's Blog, page 290

The Right Kind of Trouble by Shiloh Walker

   [image error] Desire won’t take no for an answer in The Right Kind of Trouble by Shiloh WalkerIn the small Southern town of McKay’s Treasure, everybody knows that the handsome local police chief, Gideon Marshall, has been carrying a torch for Moira McKay. It’s also no secret that Moira has been rejecting Gideon since…forever. But after an attack from a mysterious stranger bent on taking down the McKay family, Moira becomes filled with distrust toward most men. Now she wonders whether she’s been wrong about Gideon all along―and if it’s not too late to admit him back into her life…and into her bed...Gideon has finally convinced his wasted heart to give up on Moira, who he’s loved since he was sixteen years old. Moira’s attack changes everything, however―and he vows to protect her. But how much is he willing to risk for a woman who’s always kept him at bay…until now? And is it too late for Moira to tell him that her love for him has always been locked deep in her heart―and he holds the key? [image error] AMAZON US I AMAZON UK I BARNES & NOBLE I BOOK DEPOSITORY I iBOOKS I INDIEBOUND    Gideon was staring at her, his chest rising and falling in a harsh rhythm. She thought maybe that if she reached out then, he might have turned and walked out. So she just pushed her jeans down her thighs, along with her panties. Naked now, she stood there waiting. She figured this was best. If he turned around, if he rejected her while she was naked, vulnerable, maybe it would even the scales. The old wooden boards of the floor creaked a little as he took one step, then another toward her. She licked her lips, hardly daring to breathe. “And what about tomorrow, Mac?” he asked. “You going to push me away . . . again?” She saw the answer he thought to be true in his eyes. Slowly, she shook her head. “Mac?” She held out her hand. For the longest time, he didn’t move. Then he did—toward her. In the time it took for her to take a deep breath—whether it was to blow out in relief or to brace herself, she didn’t know—Gideon had hauled her up against him and she found herself pressed against the wall. She went to kiss his neck, but he tangled a hand in her hair and yanked, forcing her gaze to meet his. So she stood there, trembling and barely able to think past the want while he tore at the zipper of his jeans. He let go of her hair but only so he could pick her up and brace her against the wall at her back. A moment later, he came inside her, hard and forceful, and the screams trapped inside her lungs seemed to explode throughout her entire body instead. She could feel that scream—it had a taste, a rhythm, a need all its own and it belonged solely to the man who held her pinned to the wall. [image error] Amazon | BN | Book Depository | IndieBound | iBooks Amazon | BN | The Book Depository | Kobo | iBooks | Indie [image error] Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid. She loves reading and writing anything paranormal, anything fantasy, and nearly every kind of romance. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. Her Secrets and Shadows series includes Burn for Me, Break for Me, and Long for Me. She has authored dozens of works of romantic suspense, contemporary and paranormal romance, and urban fantasy under the name J.C. Daniels.   [image error] FACEBOOK I TWITTER I INSTAGRAM I WEBSITE [image error]  

Man of Honor by Diana Gardin

[image error] Drake Sullivan has served as the strong and steady savior his entire life. But when his alcoholic mother's funeral dredges up some old, dark, emotions, he finds himself struggling to put the bottle down himself. His inner demons are threatening to tear him apart, despite the fact that the sexiest woman he's ever met keeps showing up in every area of his life again and again.For Mea Jones, one night with Drake wasn't enough. As much as she hates to admit it to herself, he got under her skin three years ago during their one-night stand, and she's been trying to forget him ever since. But now their best friends are getting married, and the fact that they keep getting thrown together is making it harder to ignore his striking face and hulking, perfectly sculpted ex-Ranger's body.When the electricity between them can no longer be restrained, the fireworks that ensue are hotter than the sun. But will their relationship be able to survive the darkest secret from Mea's past rearing its ugly head? Or the demons within Drake working to bring him down the same path that destroyed his mother? [image error] Amazon US I Amazon UK I B&N I iBooks I Kobo I Google Play His expression carries a hint of danger and a sexy confidence that’s all Drake. His biceps bulge through his gray long-sleeved Henley, and it pulls taut over the broad planes of his chest. I can’t help it; my eyes scan every inch of him slowly. Hungrily. A gradual flame has been burning since I saw him this morning, and seeing him now, straddling his ATV, looking all windswept and sexy, it’s going to spread into an uncontrollable fire really quick. His faded jeans fit him just right; I can see the strong ridges of his thigh muscles as he clenches the seat. “Mea.” My eyes look to his, startled at the sandpaper tone in his deep voice. “Get on my ride.” My eyebrows fly up. “What?” “Get on. I won the bet. That’s what I want. You behind me on this four-wheeler.” Oh, hell. The usual Mea would never allow a man to order her around. The usual Mea would usually tell him exactly what he could do with his bet and turn my back. But with Drake, I don’t want to be the usual Mea. The usual Mea is lonely, deep down. She doesn’t let anyone get close enough to see the profound slices that mar her heart and the war wounds that afflict her soul. The usual Mea gets by with shallow, surface emotions that are usually enough to fool those around her, and deflecting questions that get too personal, cut too deep. But that Mea is bone-weary and Drake is slowly wearing away at the wall she’s built around her so artfully. I don’t hesitate. Climbing off my ATV, I walk the few short steps it takes to get to him and climb on the back. My arms go around his slim waist and my face lies against his back. He smells like outdoor air, pine, and scented soap. It’s becoming my new favorite scent. His right hand reaches back, curling around my thigh with deliberate possession. When he looks back at me, there’s no humor in his eyes. “Ready?” It’s a loaded question. Am I ready to ride on the back of this ATV with him? Yes. Am I ready to trust him with my safety? Yes. Am I ready to give my body over to him, passionately and with abandon? Yes. Am I ready to trust him with my heart? Not yet. It’s locked up too tight, and I’m not sure I can even remember where I hid the key. [image error] Amazon US I Amazon UK I B&N I iBooks I Kobo I Google Play Amazon US I Amazon UK I B&N I iBooks I Kobo I Google Play [image error] Diana Gardin is a wife of one and a mom of two. Writing is her second full time job to that, and she loves it! Diana writes contemporary romance in the Young Adult and New Adult categories. She's also a former Elementary school teacher. She loves steak, sugar cookies, and Coke and hates working out. [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

Sniper by Julie Morgan

Sniper Tom Brody enjoys his life in the Special Ops. He also enjoys his best friend, Antonella, maybe a little too much. Brody and Antonella have an agreement: friends to never cross that line.
Toni has hidden her feelings from Brody for as long as she can remember. Both want to cross the line, so much so, they act on it just before his next deployment.When life appears to pick back up upon his return home, tragedy strikes. When an idle threat becomes a reality, Brody will encounter a fight he never thought he would have to face; search and rescue for the woman he loves.
About the BookSniperby Julie Morgan
SeriesSpecial Ops #2
GenreAdultContemporary RomanceMilitary Romance
PublisherIndependent
Publication DateAugust 2, 2016
  The Special Ops Series    About Julie Morgan Originally from Burleson, Texas Julie always had a love of books, especially paranormal stories. Julie finally took the leap and began writing with encouragement from her family.
Having worked in IT her entire career, Julie now spends her free time writing. Living in Central Florida with her husband and daughter, her favorite pastime is reading children’s stories to her daughter, especially those around animals.Author Links             This promotion is brought to you by Pure Textuality PR.​

Fix You By Gen Ryan

Delicious M/M RomanceAuthor: Gen RyanTitle: Fix You (Trade Me Collection)Genre: Gay RomanceRelease Date: August 23rd, 2016Publisher: Hot Tree PublishingCover Artist: Soxsational Cover Art Maxwell Craver pretends his entire life to be someone he’s not. It used to be easier to lie to himself and to everyone who cared for him until Jason Lewis comes along and changes everything. For the first time, Maxwell thinks that maybe he can finally be his true self.
Jason Lewis has always been open about his sexuality. When he hires Maxwell to restore his new car, their connection and heat are instant. By agreeing to help him overcome his fears, Jason vows to fix him, even if it means breaking his own heart. Hot Tree Publishing Exclusive M/M Romance Collection
Trade Me is a new genre-linked collection of 30,000 - 50,000 word novellas. With so many sexy trades to pant over, Trade Me stories offer heat, swoon-worthy men, and HEAs that will leave M/M romance lovers completely satisfied. 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. SIGN-UP: https://goo.gl/forms/Vi1M2xI1X3xyaBdq1

Hard Core Law by Angi Morgan

Hard Core Law by Angi Morgan Series: Texas Rangers: Elite Troop, #4Genre: Romantic SuspenseMass Market Paperback Release Date: July 19, 2016
Digital Release Date: August 1, 2016


HE'D BREAK THE LAW TO GET HIS KIDS BACK

The twins were all Josh Parker had in this world. So when they were kidnapped, he couldn't rely on his Texas Rangers star to get them back safely. Or involve Tracey Cassidy, the only person he trusted to care for his children. A family of criminals was asking him to break the law if he ever wanted to see his children again. But when Tracey caught wind of his plan, she knew no matter how big Josh's heart was, he had a future with his twins to look forward to. They needed their father. And this was one burden he wouldn't have to shoulder alone.




Click here to read an excerpt.


Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iBooks ~ KoboGoogle ~ Book Depository ~ Harlequin


Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iBooks ~ KoboGoogle ~ Book Depository ~ Harlequin

Angi Morgan writes “Intrigues where honor and danger collide with love.” She combines Texas characters in realistic and dangerous situations with actual locations. A Publisher’s Weekly best-seller, Angi’s work is featured world-wide and has been a finalist in the Bookseller’s Best Award, Romantic Times Best First Series, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the Daphne du Maurier. She has recently been honored by Romance Writers of America as PRO Mentor of the Year. Catch up with Angi online where she shows off her foster Labradors along with her own four-legged friends.


Facebook ~ Facebook Fan Page ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ InstagramAmazon ~ Goodreads ~ Blog A Picture a Day ~ YouTube Channel

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The Blogger & the Hunk By Jane Matisse

Author: Jane MatisseTitle: The Blogger & the HunkGenre: Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: September 3, 2016Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Cover Designer: Claire Smith The Blogger

Penelope Luciano, a virginal wallflower who lives the life of a hermit, has always been overlooked. But everything changes when she trades her quiet night with a book for a rare night out with her friends.

The Hunk 

Jack Goodman, a confident skirt chaser, has always been a womanizer. But everything changes when he meets clumsy Penelope, and their first kiss turns into a night of passion.

When Penelope sneaks out the morning after, neither one expects to see each other again until they are thrown together in unexpected circumstances.

When pride and self-doubt get in the way, it's up to both the blogger and the hunk to attain their equal footing and find the strength to chase what they really want. Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads
Jane Matisse is a professional introvert who began reading romance novels at the age of thirteen. She graduated with a BA in English Literature in 2014 and has been working hard ever since to put her degree to good use. Although it took her two years to finally finish her very first rough draft, she is thrilled to be releasing her debut The Blogger and the Hunk soon. Matisse loves all things Jane Austen, will choose tea over coffee any day, is a Phantom of the Opera aficionado, and has been an avid book blogger since 2013. She currently lives in SoCal with her family and three fur babies: Max, Thumper, and Percy. 

Splinter by Sarah Fine

Mattie Carver has relinquished the world of magic, with all its dark temptations. In six weeks, she’ll marry Ben Ward and claim the safe, small-town life she craves. But Mattie’s talents as a reliquary—someone able to smuggle magic within her body—make her a valuable commodity, even to those she trusts the most. Forced out of retirement by a painful betrayal, she must seek the help of the man she’s tried desperately to stay away from: Ben’s estranged brother, Asa.
Asa, a sensor and magic dealer, may have saved Ben months ago, but he’s complicated Mattie’s life beyond imagining. Trailed by lethal mobsters through Chicago’s seamy magical underbelly and an eerie traveling carnival, Mattie struggles to endure the priceless magic she’s holding and her feelings for Asa. Once, she thought she’d chosen her path. Now the only option may be to succumb to the destiny that’s choosing her, and hope she’s strong enough to survive.About the BookSplinterby Sarah Fine
SeriesReliquary #2
GenreAdultUrban FantasyParanormal Romance
Publisher47North
Publication DateAugust 2nd, 2016
    Splinter Excerpt
By the time I reached the front door of the cottage, I could already smell dinner. Onions, garlic, bacon. “Ben?” “Kitchen,” he called. “My afternoon splenectomy got canceled.” I frowned. The patient, a nine-year-old schnauzer mix named Gordon Lightfoot, had been diagnosed with cancer of the spleen just a few days before. “Why?” “They decided they wanted to put him down instead,” Ben said as I joined him in our kitchen. He handed me a glass of merlot. “They took him home and are spending the weekend with him. He’ll come back on Monday.” My throat got tight at the news, but Ben looked unruffled. He’d had longer to process the decision. “You could have saved him.” He nodded. “But it would have been expensive. They said they couldn’t afford it.” “Couldn’t you have . . .” I took a quick sip of my wine. I’d been about to suggest he offer to do it for free, or for a much lower fee, something he used to do all the time. But we were still repaying the debt he’d racked up with his addiction to Ekstazo pleasure magic . . . and to other types of magic as well. He used Knedas juice on you, didn’t he? Asa whispered in my memories. I squeezed my eyes shut. “That’s too bad. Are you okay?” “Just part of the job.” His fingers caressed my cheek. “You look tired, babe.” I let out a weary chuckle and set my wine glass on the counter. “Isn’t that a socially acceptable way of telling someone she looks terrible?” He took my face in his large, warm hands. “You look as beautiful to me as you ever have, Mattie.” Liar, I thought. But I stayed quiet. He kissed my forehead. “I came home early to cook dinner for you. Bucatini with bacon, tomato, and onions. Something hearty to put some meat back on your bones.” I pulled away from him. “My mom called you, didn’t she?” “Am I not allowed to talk to my future mother-in-law? She wanted to make sure you had a nice, relaxing evening. Said you’d had a busy day filled with hair and dresses and tricky flower arrangements.” That would be what my mom told him. No matter how bad things were, she’d embroider the edges of the truth with a pretty silver lining. It was like she believed that naming a bad thing gave it power, but if we just talked around it, maybe it would simply go away. “Yeah. Who knew wedding planning was so exhausting?” Hey, I’d learned from the best. Ben ushered me onto the screened porch, where we could see the emerald buds dotting the branches of the trees that lined our yard, the daffodils poking their little green heads through the soil in the flower beds. We ate our dinner in near silence, him gobbling down pasta while I picked at my food. It smelled good, but I already felt full, like my stomach had been stuffed with something huge and brittle and too much weight would cause it to splinter. After we were finished, we did the dishes together. Ben’s hands snaked around my waist as I dried my hands with a towel. He bowed his face into my hair. “You didn’t believe me when I told you that you were beautiful to me.” I folded the towel over the edge of the dish rack. “I never said that.” “You don’t think I know you well enough to tell? Come on, Mattie.” His fingers spread, stroking across my ribs. I fought the urge to pull away, knowing he could probably feel each one. “I never said that, either.” A breath of laughter warmed the top of my head. “Because you don’t say much of anything these days.” “I’m stressed out. It’s no big deal, just a lot of details to manage.” “Then let me help. I’ll take time off—” “You can’t, and you know that.” He sighed. “I know.” He was determined to pay off the debt to the contractor who’d renovated the vet clinic, and he wanted to get it done before the wedding. “But I want to do something for you.” He tilted his head and kissed the side of my neck. “I love you so much, and I just want to make you happy.” His hand slid around to my stomach and began to dip into my pants. I grabbed his wrist. “Not tonight, okay? I’ve had a really long day.” His hand stilled, but he continued to nuzzle the side of my throat. “I’d be happy to relax you.” I closed my eyes and tried to summon my desire, but all I could find was a wary exhaustion. “You’re so sweet, Ben, but I’m just not up to it.” “I’ll do all the work—I promise.” While I lay like a rag doll beneath him? The idea—just another reminder of how much I’d changed—made my stomach turn. “No.” His tongue slipped along my skin. “Come on. It’s been months . . .” I leaned away from him. “It hasn’t been that long.” He pulled me against him, letting me feel his arousal. “It’s been twelve weeks and three days.” “You’ve been counting?” I ducked under his arm and took a few steps back, crossing my arms over my chest. He ran his hands through his light-brown hair, shot through with golden strands. “Can you blame me? I’m dying here, Mattie.” “You’re dying? Way to make me feel guilty.” He let out a long breath. “I only meant that I want you. I miss you. I love you, and I want to be close to you. Can you blame me for that?” “No,” I said quietly. “I love you, too. But I haven’t felt like myself lately, okay? Just give me a little time to pull myself together. I’m getting there. And you deserve the best of me.” “I deserve all of you!” He moved toward me, his arms out as if to enfold me, but I put my hands up to keep him back. He stopped and his expression hardened. “Goddammit, Mattie, what the hell is wrong with you? It’s like you want to be sick. Like you’re using it to keep me at a distance. Why don’t you just admit it?” “Because it’s not true! I’m trying to get better.” “Oh, really?” His honey-brown eyes flared, and he walked over and opened the cabinet above the coffeemaker. He reached in and took out a pill bottle. “I counted these. You haven’t taken a single one in the last two weeks.” “Because they don’t help. The attacks still come. And they make my thoughts all fuzzy.” He slammed the bottle onto the counter. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to get better if you’re not even willing to follow your doctor’s advice.” He grimaced. “Especially after what we’ve spent on copays and prescriptions over the last nine months.” When he saw my stunned look, his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. That came out all wrong.” “Or maybe you said exactly what you meant.” “I’m just tired. Maybe we can talk about this tomorrow when my head’s on straight.” He turned and trudged toward our room, but paused and looked back before he entered. “I’m going to get make it an early night. Join me?” “I’ll be there soon.” His jaw clenched, but he nodded and disappeared into the room, leaving me standing in the kitchen. I carried the pills into the living room and sank into the couch, cradling the gently rattling bottle to my chest. The eerily familiar noise was like a fuse sparking to life, burning down until it triggered the explosion of memories. Pockets full of magic disguised as the most mundane things—floss, baby oil, Pez. They rattled when he walked, when he ran, when his legs flopped to the bed the one time he was too sick to take care of himself and let me do it for him. Come with me, Mattie. We’re a good team. We can figure this out. Together. I hadn’t asked him just what he wanted to figure out. How to get away from Frank Brindle, the boss of the West Coast? How to get Ben free without giving up our freedom in return? Or how to figure out the tangled, messed-up, inevitably doomed thing the two of us were together? “You know very well what I meant, Mattie,” Asa whispered. My eyes flew open, and there he was, sitting on the rug, a lean arm slung around his bent knee, looking relaxed even though he’d apparently just broken into my house. “I don’t have any idea,” I replied. “And how did you get in here?” “You let me in.” He rolled his eyes. “How is it that you can deal with a shitload of ancient Strikon pain magic inside your chest but not be able to deal with your own heart?” “You helped me with the magic. This is different.” He crawled toward me, predatory and smooth in the darkened room. My heart lurched as he came closer, but I was like prey, paralyzed by the look in his eyes. He stopped only when his face was an inch from mine. “No, Mattie. It’s exactly the same.” His mouth descended on mine, and a flash of relief lit me up. But the moment our lips touched, the pain stabbed straight through my chest, from my breastbone to my spine and everywhere in between. I gasped, jerking up, my eyes flying open, air squeaking from my throat in hitching breaths. I was alone in the room, alone with myself, alone with so much hurtful truth that I couldn’t contain it all. I doubled over, desperate to stay quiet so Ben wouldn’t hear. But it was all I could do not to scream as the agony radiated down my spine and up my neck, threading searing pain across my breasts. I clamped my hand over my mouth and drew my knees to my chest as a dark knowledge shifted and turned inside me, cutting my insides with its jagged edges, forcing me to look, as much as I wanted to go on pretending it didn’t exist. I hadn’t let go of Asa. Somehow, he’d stayed with me, haunting me. Because I’d let him. Because a part of me missed him, wondered where he was and what he was doing, wondered if he ever thought of me, wondered if the life he’d offered was something I should have explored. And it was ruining me, body and soul. I managed to sit up. Fumbling, I unscrewed the cap of the pill bottle and let two pale blue ovals fall onto my palm. I tossed them into my mouth and swallowed, then winced as they slowly slid down my dry throat. “I made my choice,” I whispered. Yes, it had been tempting. And yes, so was Asa himself. Painfully so. But I was never meant for a life like that or for a man like him, both endlessly complicated in ways I’d only just begun to understand. And if I didn’t move on, I was going to lose the life I had. “I’m not going to let that happen.” I pushed myself off of the couch and headed for the bedroom.The Reliquary Series      
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.
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This promotion is brought to you by Pure Textuality PR.   

Bound by Blood by Victoria Renteria

[image error] Captive and bound by the one person who vowed to cause her harm since her very first breath, Kylee Parker finds herself facing the demons of her past. Lost among the shadows, she struggles to maintain her sanity in hopes of surviving. In the clutches of the underground mafia, she fights to find an escape from the person who gave her life.Alexander Grant’s sole focus has been his work: serving his country and taking down the bad guys. While leading an elite group of soldiers on a highly classified mission in South Korea, he finds himself thrust into the throes of passion with the woman who changed everything. But when danger comes calling and she is kidnapped, he must choose between his heart and his job.Will he jeopardize the career he is bound to . . . or risk it all to save her? [image error] Amazon US I Amazon UK I Amazon CA I Amazon AU [image error] Amazon US I Amazon UK I Amazon CA I Amazon AU [image error] Former Director for a major corporation, Victoria has spent most of her life inside of a book. When she wasn’t reading, she was busy scribbling down stories of her own. Meeting her husband while he was in the United States Army, Victoria quickly adapted and learned the role of the military spouse.After finishing her Business Management Degree in college, she spent years working in the corporate world where her writing quickly fell to the wayside. Finally, taking time away from the corporate world, Victoria has been able to dive into her stories and create a whole new world for you to live in.She now resides in the sunny Tampa, Florida area with her husband, son, and two amazing boxers. When she isn’t writing, you can find her on the beach or hiking. Maybe even writing on the beach . . . [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

Last Night by Lorhainne Eckhart

Last Night by Lorhainne Eckhart Series: Kate and Walker: Deadly, Dangerous & Desired, #3Genre: Romantic SuspenseRelease Date: July 31, 2016


New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Lorhainne Eckhart brings you LAST NIGHT, the next book in Kate and Walker: Deadly, Dangerous & Desired a high-stakes suspense and sizzling, red-hot romance series!

The adventure continues for Kate & Walker in LAST NIGHT as Walker proposes marriage to Kate realizing he can’t live without her. Only an intruder from Walker’s past puts both Kate’s life and his relationship with her, in jeopardy.

Don’t miss all the books in this sizzling romantic suspense series

Kate and Walker: Deadly, Dangerous & Desired
One Night
Edge of Night
Last Night











Book One: One Night
Book Two: Edge of Night

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lorhainne Eckhart’s books have been described as Longmire meets old-school Dallas, and she recently received the 2015 & 2013 Readers’ Favorite Award for Romance & Romantic Suspense for her titles The Price to Love and  Lost and Found. With over forty titles under her belt, her big family romance series are loved by fans worldwide. Books that celebrate love, family, commitment, hope, and making a relationship work. With flawed strong characters, characters you can relate to. Lorhainne writes the kind of books she wants to read.

She is frequently a Top 100 bestselling author in multiple genres, such as romance, western, military and mystery/suspense. She has written multiple series, including The Outsider, Walk the Right Road, The Wilde Brothers, Saved, The Friessens, and her two newest additions, Married in Montana, and her high-stakes suspense and sizzling, red-hot romance series, Kate and Walker, Deadly, Dangerous and Desired.

You can chat with Lorhainne on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AuthorLorhainneEckhart, Twitter @LEckhart, and her  blog at http://www.lorhainneeckhart.com/blog/ )

***Limted time offer** New York Times Bestselling Author Lorhainne Eckhart has entertained 100,000’s of readers with her big family romance series – and she is giving away free novels. Subscribe to her mailing list to receive your FREE STARTER LIBRARY: http://gem.godaddy.com/signups/162081/join

The Governor's Daughter by Jerri Hines

The Governor's Daughter by Jerri Hines Series: Winds of Change, #1Genre: Historical Romance
Cover Designer:  Erin Dameron-Hill at edhGraphicsRelease Date: June 14, 2016


Cathryn Blankenship has no desire for a season in London! Why on earth would her father want her to leave her home in Charles Town? Upon Cathryn’s steadfast refusal, Governor Blankenship is forced to assign a young lieutenant to watch over Cathryn on the journey and ensure his daughter’s appearance in London. Cathryn finds Lieutenant Jake Pennington the most aggravating, maddening man she has ever met...a man Cathryn soon admits she is in no hurry to see leave.

But fate has other plans for her in a world she is ill prepared to enter. She descends into a place where love and betrayal go hand and hand, where greed and treachery are second nature, but moreover the threat her father believes he has sent her is awaiting her arrival. When fate tears her apart from her Lieutenant, Cathryn finds herself desolate and alone. Soon, Cathryn makes fateful decisions that will send her back to her home.

A home far different than the one she left. A war rages. Soon, she discovers her life is in danger and the only one that can save her is the one who left her heartbroken.

Author's Note: This book was previously published with Whiskey Creek Press as The Judas Kiss and The Promise under the Tides of Charleston Series.



A chill was in the air. Pulling her shawl tighter around her, she stood in the night’s breeze and inhaled deeply.

Tacy hadn’t said a word. There was no need. Cathryn realized Tacy feared she was asking for trouble. She was. She had to see him.

Above her, a quarter moon sat in the cloudless sky and reflected off the still ocean water. Cathryn stared upward hoping…praying Jake would appear. Then he was there.

“I’m glad to have found you here,” he said, walking up beside her.

“I’ve been warned, Lieutenant, not to linger long in your company. Mrs. Montgomery is afraid people will begin to talk. I don’t think she wants to be held responsible for my tarnished reputation.”

“I see nothing wrong,” he said. “Your maid is within reaching distance and I imagine can hear every word we say.”

She turned abruptly right into him. His hand went around her waist. Instinctively, she looked up into his eyes.

Mesmerized, she couldn’t breathe as he reached over and caressed her face. She melted with his touch…his look. In an endless moment in time, she couldn’t take her eyes off of his. She thought he was going to kiss her, but the moment passed.

He released his grip. Her heart sank. Feeling dejected, she turned from him.

“Don’t, Cathryn. Mrs. Montgomery isn’t wrong to be concerned,” he said. “The ship is tight quarters when two feel as we do. I see you every day. You are within my reach. The ship will dock tomorrow and everything will change.”

She whipped back around. Her eyes blazing, she challenged him, “That is why you came tonight? You have come to say goodbye to me. Do not lie. I can see it in your eyes.

“Tell me…tell me, Jake. Are you are leaving me? Is that what you have come to do? To say it was nothing, only the close quarters upon a ship! How dare you! Make me want you and now back away. Don’t you tell me what I’m supposed to feel!”

“Tomorrow is a different day,” he said. “You will see how it is. I have my own responsibilities as you have yours. Remember when you first came aboard, you said you were only biding your time for a year? Now you believe you want something else. How do you know what you will feel on the morrow?”

She wanted to scream at him that she had never felt what she did when she was around him. Why did this have to change? He had told her he was only a simple lieutenant.

She didn’t care. Oh, Heavens! She had fallen hopelessly in love with him.

“So you don’t care for me,” she cried. “Don’t tell me such! I could not take those words.”

“I don’t know what I want you to take with you,” he whispered. “It is for your best if we take this no further. You will see.”

Her temper exploded. She hit his chest with her fist, over and over again. “For my best! How dare you try to tell me leaving me is for the best! How can you say such—”

She didn’t have a chance for another word. He cupped her face in his hands and his lips came down upon hers, softly at first, then harder. Trembling in his arms, her lips pulsed against his with her own desire.

Somewhere in the madness, the reason for meeting this night escaped her mind. Only being with him…in his arms with his lips upon hers mattered. He kissed her again and again, ravishing her mouth.

Gasps of pleasure escaped her. Her body was shocked at the depth of emotion he provoked within her. She was lost in his essence.

Slowly, his lips broke from hers. “See what you made me do. This is why I can’t—”

She wouldn’t let him say the word. Instead, she pleaded, “No, please, Jake, don’t leave me. Don’t tell me I won’t see you again.”

“It’s not to be, Cathryn. By God, I wish it was.”

“Don’t tell me that, Jake. Tell me what to do so we can be together.”

“I can’t ask that of you.”

She took his hand and kissed it, terrified of losing him…losing what they had before it had a chance to begin.

“Why? Tell me, Jake. Why? Can you not give me hope? This can’t be goodbye. It can’t. I would die.”

He stood in silence for a moment. His gaze fixed upon hers reflecting a longing that both suffered. He took her one last time in his arms and kissed her. Breaking from her, he caressed her face one last time, turned and walked away.



Jerri Hines is an Amazon bestselling author of the Winds of the Betrayal series and Southern Legacy serial that were inspired by her fascination with history. She is a Southern gal who has lived the last thirty years near Boston with her Yankee husband. She believes in love and the power it holds. It is the reason she writes romances. Her next release under Jerri Hines will be the much anticipated conclusion to Winds of Betrayal, Set Fire To the Rain, coming in 2016.

She is also an Amazon Bestselling author under her penname, Colleen Connally. Her historical romance series, Secret Lives, is riddled with romantic suspense and a touch of paranormal. Fragmented, Book One Boston's Crimes of Passion, marks her first contemporary suspense thriller. Framed, Book Two, will be released in 2016.

She is a supporter of The Home For Little Wanderers in Boston and the Alzheimer's Association.




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