Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Changeling's Crown by Juli D. Revezzo

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Changeling’s Crown
Juli D. Revezzo
Genre: upper YA/New Adult paranormal romance
Publisher: Raven Queen Publications
Date of Publication: June 2014
ISBN: 978-1499390193
ASIN: B00KPJ27UW
Number of pages: 190
Word Count: 46,500
Cover Artist: Boulevard Photografica

Book Description:

When Ianthe began her career as a faery godmother, she stumbled so badly that Snow White will probably never speak to her again. After a long suspension, she’s finally been given a chance to redeem herself…but everything on this latest assignment is going wrong.

But why?

Worse, she definitely doesn’t need an attractive mortal man distracting her from her duties. Of course, needs and wants are two different things.

Briak has had his eye on Ianthe for a very, very long time, but he’s been waiting for just the right moment to make his move. Despite the fact all hell’s about to break loose on his watch, he can’t resist the opportunity to insert himself into her earthly assignment. Can he convince Ianthe of her true calling and thereby win her heart? Or will his subterfuge ultimately cost him her love?

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/50HNfdHQ1l8

Available at Amazon

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Excerpt: 

Sunlight filtered into the office, tinkling musically as it bounced off a globe standing to the far side of the room. A lone dust mote floated through the air to fall onto the crystalline floorboards and as it hit, Ianthe Hypericum cringed when she heard it clack against the floor, like the tinny clap of an iron breakfast bell. Normally the sound didn’t bother her. Normally she found it lovely.

Not today.

Nervous sweat ran down Ianthe’s back as she awaited her latest assignment. Maybe the Faery Godmother High Council hadn’t changed their decision. Maybe Ms. Siabelle had called her in to revoke her wand for good.

Why wouldn’t she? After all, so many of her recent assignments had ended in disaster. The High Council frowned upon her performance even before Snow White’s daughter had run off with that traveling band of thieves. Ianthe still couldn’t quite figure out how it had happened. She’d spent nearly fourteen hundred years on probation for it. How it hadn’t driven her crazy enough to join those in the dark side of the groves, she had no idea. It’d been a close call.

Some faery godmother she’d turned out to be! She didn’t want to think what might happen if she blew another assignment. They’d turn her out, maybe send her to the shoemaker’s shop as punishment, and she didn’t want that. Everyone knew the shoemaker’s shop was a dungeon compared to the human world.

What a disgrace for her family, if the council banished her there! They were having a hard enough time, socially, dealing with her failure with the Snow White family. Banishment would undo them. She had to succeed at this assignment, she just had to!

The door opened and an older woman, wearing a gray Armani suit, stepped through.

Ianthe stood and curtseyed, her lilac taffeta skirt rustling. “Good morning, Ms. Siabelle.”

The old woman pushed her glasses up her pert nose with a thick finger. “Ah, Ianthe. I see you’re on time, for once.” She scuttled around the huge oak desk like an overweight crab.

Ianthe folded her hands in her lap, twisting her fingers as she waited for her boss to settle down.

“I trust all is well.”

“Yes, ma’am,” she said. “The Smith-Weiss affair’s all cleaned up.”

“They’re happy, then?” Ms. Siabelle asked.

Ianthe bit her lip. Hard. No, she wouldn’t say the couple was happy. Not unless the faery godparent council had changed its definition of single parent households. Still, she made her report on her latest assignment. “The couple is—April is…Chuck will be—” She blew out a deep breath. “They’ll get there. Plenty of babies grow up without their fathers. It’s for the best.”

“Is it?”

“April Smith and Charles Weiss weren’t made for each other, no matter how much we wish it.” She frowned at the old faery godmother. “You knew there were problems going into that assignment.”

Ms. Siabelle remained quiet in the face of Ianthe’s accusation. She twitched the platinum chain on her glasses and turned her attention to her computer. “Yes, well, that isn’t the issue today.” Adjusting her glasses to her liking, she turned her head, gaze softening as she peered at Ianthe.

Ianthe could feel a million tiny lightning bolts trying to find their way into her heart. She could barely breathe under the elderly overseer’s gaze and she begged the faery gods to be on her side, just this once.

Ms. Siabelle cleared her throat.

Here it came. Ianthe tried not to cringe.

“The Faery Godparent High Council has decided to give you another chance, child.”

She blinked. “Say that again?” Unbelievable!

“I said we’ve decided in your favor.” Ms. Siabelle turned in her chair, and standing, crossed the room to a tall filing cabinet. Batting away a stray sunbeam, she wrapped old fingers around the silver handle gracing the top drawer, tugged it open, and drew a finger in the air above the files. They flipped by themselves, one after another, as if she pulled them. But she held her finger too high. “If the couple can’t make a go of it even after what you’ve done, it’s not your fault.”

“I did try.”

“I told the council so. Ah, here we are.” She stepped back as one file slid free. It spun in the air before her a moment, then Ms. Siabelle reached out and took hold of the thin folder. Ianthe wrung her hands as Ms. Siabelle sat back down and began to read. “Hmm... It says here that you’re to be assigned to a young man.” Her brow rose. “And his soon-to-be ex-wife.”

Ianthe sat up straighter. A divorce? Oh, no. More battles over the children. She found being saddled with the choice of which parent would be best heartbreaking. “Surely you must be mistaken. Isn’t there some forlorn lover I can look after instead?” This guy was probably as ugly as the frog prince, while the wife, well… she’d met some doozies!

“No, the assignment is quite clear. You’re to assist Randall and Mallory Davies.” Ms. Siabelle shut the gleaming folder and folded her hands atop it. “According to their files, it’s a clear case. Randall’s not sure he wants the divorce and Mallory—well, I don’t see why she couldn’t be persuaded to drop the case. Should be a piece of cake, as they say down there.”

She’d said that about Snow White’s daughter, but Ianthe thought better of reminding her. “I’m not sure.”

“Are you saying you don’t want the assignment, my dear? I thought you hoped for a chance to get your wand and title back.” Her nose twitched. “And everything else that goes with it. Coaches and ball gowns and such.”

All of which had gone out of style with the age of classic faery tales. Right now, Ianthe didn’t feel like contradicting her. “I do, ma’am. It’s just that—”

“Good. I’ll see the paperwork’s sent through; meanwhile—” She wiggled her finger over the file and it rose from the desktop, floating like a bird into Ianthe’s less than eager hands. “Why don’t you get started?” She shook her head sadly. “Seems Randall and Mallory are in dire need of a happy ending, as you’ll see.”

Ianthe sighed. The pages flipped open before her, and she took in the photographs. Randall, his employees. One stood out: a man with a handsome angular face, tousled brown hair, and deep, coffee-colored eyes.

She leaned forward to study the picture, wondering who he was. Too handsome to ignore, she thought. Was he the reason for the couple’s troubles? She could see that being the case.

Maybe this assignment wasn’t going to be so bad, after all.

She shoved the file into her oversized purse and exited the office to take to the hall, a renewed confidence in her gait. She could do this. Surely, she would finally live down that fiasco of an assignment with Snow White’s daughter. Maybe it would even garner her a promotion. Full Godmotherhood!

Dare she dream?

She was already daydreaming for she plowed right into an oncoming faery.

She blinked at him. Geldon P. Techsmauch.

“I’m sorry, Geldon. I didn’t see you,” she said.

Son of a goblin, how she hated him! She stepped back, hoping to escape him as soon as possible.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going?” he snarled.

When she stepped around him he planted his right hand against the wall, blocking her escape. “Where do you think you’re rushing off to in such a hurry?” he asked. “You can’t have a princess awaiting you. You’re on probation after all. Or are you late for a class? Beginning wand construction one-oh-one?”

How’m I supposed to go anywhere with you in my way, you horsefly’s butt? What was he doing, besides being a nuisance? “I said I’m sorry.” She tried not to snarl back, but it was hard. She tapped a finger to her lips. “Didn’t I hear you just came back from Desire Island? How’d that go?”

His mud brown eyes narrowed. “You heard wrong. It was Devil’s Island.”

“Ah.” She nodded. “My mistake.”

“Yes, you make many.” He turned on his heel. “So, I see you have more studying to do. Good luck with it, Hypericum. You’ll need it.”

Ianthe’s fists clenched and she wanted to stamp her foot against the citrine floor tiles, but the sound would reverberate through them as if she’d shattered a glass wall and tell the whole kingdom how angry she was. The nerve of Techsmauch! He was such an ass! Why did he constantly make her life a living hell? She didn’t want to run the risk of meeting up with him again tonight. So she turned back the way she’d come. She’d take the sub-elevators down to the Earth level if she had to in order to avoid facing him again.

A wrinkly, gray skinned goblin met her at the elevator and beckoned her inside. It was stuffed full of trolls. Many smelled as if they needed a nice, long bath. No one would ever catch Techsmauch dead in a sub-elevator so it seemed the best way to avoid him.

She sniffed once or twice and wrinkled her nose at the smell. The doors closed and she slowly released her breath. Afraid to inhale, she wondered how long it would take to reach Earth level. Don’t worry. We’ll arrive before you pass out from the trolls’ stench. She hoped.

All she could think about was the shower she’d take once on Earth. She’d have to freshen up if she wanted to get close to her assignment. Troll-stench was known to drive away any and all who came near. That was no way to begin this assignment.

She checked her purse, pulling forth the file Ms. Siabelle had given her. She could swear she’d seen that employee before, but where?

Briak. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. Was it possible she had the name incorrect? Maybe the k constituted a typo. The name niggled in a way she didn’t like, but he looked so kind. Had she ever helped him? Or someone in his family?

Maybe I’m mistaken. How many handsome ranch hands were there in Clover Glen, Florida, after all?

***

About the Author:

Juli D. Revezzo is a Florida girl, with a love of fantasy, science fiction, and Arthurian legend, so much so she gained a B.A. in English and American Literature. She loves writing stories with fantastical elements whether it be a full-on fantasy, or a story set in this world-slightly askew.

She has been published in short form in Eternal Haunted Summer, Dark Things II: Cat Crimes (a charity anthology for cat related charities), Luna Station Quarterly, Crossing the River, An Anthology in Honor of Sacred Journeys; The Scribing Ibis: An Anthology of Pagan Fiction in Honor of Thoth, and Twisted Dreams Magazine. She’s the author of The Antique Magic series and the Paranormal Romance Harshad Wars series.

She is a member of the Independent Author Network and the Magic Appreciation Tour.

Website: http://julidrevezzo.com

Blog: http://julidrevezzo.com/blog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JD-Revezzo/233193150037011

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111476709039805267272/posts

Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5782712.Juli_D_Revezzo

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a1002694572/Juli-D-Revezzo/

Pintrest: http://pinterest.com/jewelsraven/

Twitter: @julidrevezzo

Newsletter signup at: http://bit.ly/SNI5K6

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Tour giveaway

2 prize packs containing a 25% off gift certificate and pen for The Wild Rose Press, and signed Raven Queen Publication bookmark, US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: The Curse of Prometheus by Morgan St. Knight

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Curse of Prometheus: 
A Tale of Medea
Morgan St. Knight 
Genre: Paranormal/urban fantasy
AISN: B00HRG6FEA 
ISBN-13: 978-0991396092 
Number of pages: 276
Word count: 107,000

The ancient world's most notorious sorceress has just become the modern world's only hope for survival.

Book Description: 

How do you fight a god of light who has been seduced by darkness? That’s the challenge Medea Keres must meet. Posing as a wealthy young heiress in modern day Atlanta, no one knows she is the original Medea, the sorceress from ancient Greek legends.

As priestess of the witch goddess Hecate, Medea is charged with hunting demons that would otherwise overrun the world. Now she must face a far greater adversary. One of the twelve shining Olympian gods has turned rogue, violating the edict against human sacrifice. As the body count quickly rises, Medea knows her enemy is getting stronger.

With the help of the underworld nymph Orphne and the hero-god Heracles, she must find a way to unmask the evil so that the other Olympians will take action.

But as she probes deeper into a blood-soaked labyrinth of suspense and intrigue, Medea finds a net of deceit and treachery that will require all of her cunning to escape.

Available at Amazon

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Excerpt:

Pasiphae turned back to Heracles, her nose wrinkling instinctively at the sight of the two corpses he was carrying, one slung over each shoulder.

“And these would be?”

“Someone I need help with,” I offered tentatively.

Circe raised an eyebrow. “I know you understand the healing arts better than that, Medea. These two are a long way past help and... Heracles, what are you DOING?”

Her voice became progressively shriller as Heracles approached one of the hall’s spotless divans. It was upholstered in beautiful pastel pinks and mauves.

“Just putting these chaps down, my dear,” Heracles said cheerfully. I’d chosen the least mutilated corpses among the field hands, but they were still quite a mess.

“You most certainly are not!” Circe’s golden eyes were already flashing. Heracles froze in mid-stoop, quickly re-adjusting his balance to stop the bodies from falling onto the sofa. I couldn’t help giggling a bit at the comic pose, but I don’t suppose he saw anything funny about it.

“For pity’s sake, it took me nearly a hundred years to perfect the magic to weave dawn’s light into fabric. I will NOT have you putting those—things—on the furniture,” Circe fumed.

She turned to me.

“It’s always delightful to see you Medea, and your friends,” she condescended to give a slight nod towards Orphne. “And I realize you’re living a more Bohemian lifestyle these days. But really! You can’t tell me your human friends would appreciate you bringing two dead bodies when you come to call. Couldn’t you just bring chocolates?”

“I’m not going to leave them here, Aunt Circe,” I reassured her. “And I promise I’ll bring some chocolates next time I come. But first, I need you to help me find out something about them.”

She snorted impatiently.

“They’re dead and they’ve started to rot. There, that’s two things about them. Will you kindly remove them now?”

I smiled and shook my head.

“I mean something specific. And you and Pasiphae are the only ones I know who have the skill to do it.” I was buttering them up shamelessly, and they knew it.

Heracles cleared his throat diplomatically.

“Not that they’re really any sort of burden to me, but do you mind if I put these fellows down now? I think one of them is seeping.”

Pasiphae rolled her eyes. “Certainly, just toss them anywhere. We don’t mind oozing corpses on the floor at all. Why not invite the Harpies over for a potluck while you’re about it?” Now that was overstating the case a bit. The evil half-bird, half-woman monsters were voracious eaters. If they left anything uneaten, they fouled it with their shit out of sheer spite.

Circe held up her hands in a gesture of defeat. “Just let me handle it,” she said, facing Heracles and lifting her arms. The two bodies floated off his shoulders and remained suspended in mid-air. He stood up, making a relieved sound in his throat. Sure enough, there was a large smudge on his skimpy outfit.

“Here, let me,” I said. I went over and put my hand on the stain. Of course I could have done it without touching, but what the hell, why not cop a feel if the opportunity arose? The muscles of a god are nothing to miss if you get the chance.

I removed my hand after a few seconds, and the tunic was immaculate.

“Could we please get back to the issues at hand?” Pasiphae interrupted as she gestured towards the floating bodies. “What do you need us to do with those?”

“I need you to bring them back to life, so they can tell me about their deaths,” I said.

Circe and Pasiphae looked at one another. Whether or not they were communicating telepathically, I was certain they were thinking the same thing.

“Well, that settles it. You’ve become completely unhinged.” Pasiphae said with resignation. “Why would you bring two dead humans here for something that you could just as easily ask Hecate to do? In the privacy of your own home, if needed. You’re her priestess, after all. And if I’m not mistaken, she is an underworld goddess, no? This should be a specialty of hers.”

“Yes,” I admitted. “But I can’t get her involved just yet. I’ve got... a slight problem to deal with.”

The refreshments had arrived. Wine was being poured at a table surrounded by more divans, and another nymph had brought in a tray of pastries soaked in honey.

Circe gestured to the seating area, extending the move a bit to wave the bodies away to a corner of the room. They hung like sulking children denied a place at the grownups’ table.

“Tell us all about it. And make sure to include all of the juicy details.”

I wondered if she’d regret her invitation once she heard what I had to say.

***

About the Author: 

Morgan St. Knight live in Atlanta, and is a lifelong student of mythology, the occult, and comparative religion. With more than 25 years of experience as a journalist, Morgan enjoys the occasional foray into fantasyland to escape the grim realities of life. He is currently working on the sequel to "Curse of Prometheus" and is developing a second paranormal series which also takes place in the South.

http://www.talesofmedea.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tales-of-Medea/697399940306618

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morgan.stknight.5

Twitter: @morganstknight

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Tour giveaway:

1 Kindle Fire HDX 7 16 GB (with special offers)

5 Kindle Copies of Curse of Prometheus: A tale of Medea

To win, you just have to follow Morgan on Twitter @MorganStKnight and send a tweet that says "Entering giveaway for CoP". Only one tweet is necessary, but you must send that one tweet to know you're interested in entering the giveaway.

Additionally, Morgan will be giving away 2 copies of "Curse of Prometheus" each week of the tour. Everyone who enters for the Kindle giveaway on a given week is automatically entered for that week's book giveaway.

And yes, if you win a copy of the book, you are still in the running for the Kindle giveaway.

Book Spotlight & Giveaway Two in the Afternoon by Cora Cade

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Two in the Afternoon
A Day of Pleasure
Book 2
Cora Cade
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Samhain
Date of Publication:  July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61922-298-4
Word Count: 26,000
Cover Artist: Lyn Taylor

Book Description:

When it comes to hand-to-heart combat, no hold is barred.

Molly Ryan survived one attack, and she’s not about to be a sitting duck for another. With her attacker harassing her from his jail cell, she packs up her life in Chicago, follows her Delta Force brother to North Carolina and gets work in a pub.

Men in uniform are definitely off her menu, but her boss’s friend, Army Ranger Callum Eversman, is one hot hunk she’d like to sample.

Home on a two-week furlough, Cal has agreed to watch over Molly as a favor to fellow Ranger Noah Harper. Accomplishing his mission without her noticing? That’s going to be tough, as any idiot can see their sparks of attraction from a mile away.

Despite her hands-off-military-men policy, Molly is tempted to indulge, just this once, in a no-strings-attached fling. No dating, no kissy face, no hearts involved. But when her past threatens her future, there’s only one man to turn to. The one who’ll risk everything—body, heart, and soul—to protect her.

Available at the Samhain Store


***

Excerpt:

Copyright © 2014 Cora Cade
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication  

Propping her bare feet on the edge of the ancient desk, Molly Ryan took a well-deserved pull of her beer. Before dropping her head back to ease the tension in her shoulders she closed her aching eyes and sighed heavily. It was nearly two in the afternoon, which meant she’d been locked in the pub’s office for roughly six hours, getting caught up on the weekly invoicing, payroll and upcoming supply orders.

The office had no window to enjoy the lake view, but she knew it was a glorious, sunny summer day. It was well worth the sacrifice of her Sunday off to know that she’d put a major dent in her work week, though. With Noah and Tennyson off on their honeymoon for the next two weeks, they’d left Molly in charge of more than just her normal duties.

Managing a busy pub like the Drunken Duck was enough work, but taking on Noah’s responsibilities as owner added a little more tension to her shoulders. To be fair, it was a challenge she was more than up for. Noah had left his brother, Chris, as her second in command for the duration, giving plenty of help.

She heard the service door open down the hall. Undoubtedly it was Chris to check in with her. He had a normal work week as an architect and helped out in the evenings and weekends as needed. He was likely stopping after seeing her sporty red coupe in the empty parking lot.

“Hey, Mr. Sexy Pants, I’m in the office. Bring me another beer on your way!” She couldn’t help teasing him. He’d spent the previous night fighting off advances from Lexie, his latest crazy chick, as Tenn would call her. At one point Lexie had cornered Chris next to the bar, put a slim hand down the front of his tuxedo pants, and called him Mr. Sexy Pants loud enough for half the bar to hear. Watching Chris turn ten shades of red while attempting to pull the tenacious girl’s hand from his pants had caused Molly to fall off her bar stool in hysterical laughter. Even after landing squarely on her ass and spilling her scotch down the front of her bridesmaid dress, effectively ruining it, she still couldn’t stop laughing.

As the office door opened behind her, she pushed off from the desk. The movement sent the chair whirling around, making the tiny room spin in a quick half turn.

“Hey… Oh.” Well, that wasn’t Chris standing in her doorway. Where Chris was leanly muscled, this guy looked like a hulking linebacker, with heavily muscled arms and a chest broad enough to block the sun. He had a black duffel bag slung over one shoulder, exposing the underside of a thick biceps and a heavy tribal tattoo ending at the elbow.

Intensity pulsed off of him. Light mocha skin, a smoothly shaved head, and steely gray eyes, he exuded a quiet watchfulness that was at odds with his stern demeanor. He had an obvious perpetual scowl set on his face. A face, upon closer inspection, that had a full mouth and broad features and a light scar running across his left cheek, just under the eye.

He watched her watching him, and no one spoke for a moment. Molly belatedly realized she was sitting in front of a ridiculously hot stranger in her pajamas. Not even her cute pajamas. When she’d rolled out of bed after a night of just a little too much scotch and not enough sleep, she hadn’t even considered running into anyone. Her apartment was three blocks away, the pub was closed every Sunday, and most of the town was also recovering from Noah and Tenn’s wedding reception.

Who was this guy, and where had he come from? And could she keep him?

If the vixen in black pajama bottoms with pink skulls was Noah’s new bride, then Cal was in a lot of trouble. It went against his code to covet a fellow soldier’s woman. But he was hard-pressed to take his eyes off the petite beauty with a shock of unruly auburn hair and a full, pouty mouth. She darted her tongue across a lush bottom lip, causing his libido to stand at attention.

It was well past time to stop cataloging every attribute of the woman before him, especially if she was Noah’s. “I’m looking for Noah Harper. Is he around?”

“Noah?” She shook her head, as if clearing it, before going on. “He’s not in, but I’m the manager of the Drunken Duck. Can I help you?”

It was relief, first and foremost, that washed over him. Cal was grateful he’d had a chance to speak with Noah earlier in the week. Molly wasn’t Noah’s wife, but the woman he was here to look after.

***

About the Author:

Nestled away in a small town in Ohio, I spend my days adding delicious books to my library, snuggling with my four rotten dogs, and debating the finer points of life with the dear husband.

When I'm not tucked away with a book you can be find me tapping away at my laptop.   With coffee.  And my iPod.

FB: www.facebook.com/CoraCade

Website:  www.coracade.com

GR: www.goodreads.com/coracade

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Tour giveaway 

5 ebook copies Two in the Afternoon

2 $10 Amazon Gift Cards

1 Swag Bag of Surprise Goodies- open to US Shipping

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight & Giveaway Addicted by Tracy Wolff

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Ethan Frost returns in the breathtaking conclusion to New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Tracy Wolff’s seductive novel Ruined—perfect for fans of Release Me and Bared to You.

Praise for RUINED:

“Tracy Wolff knows how to steam up the pages, and she proves it again in Ruined. If you’re looking for a hot read, curl up with Ethan Frost.” —New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J. Kenner

“Fans of Fifty Shades of Grey will love Tracy Wolff’s Ruined! Heat sizzles off the page and the oh-so-sexy Ethan Frost will make you swoon!”—USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy

Want to get to know Tracy better? Check out this exclusive interview!

About ADDICTED:

As Chloe Girard discovers, there’s love . . . and then there’s addiction.

Ethan Frost is everything a woman could want in a man. He’s rich, gorgeous, powerful, one of the most eligible bachelors in the world.

But that’s not why I’m with him.

I love Ethan for all the things no one else gets to see: his innate kindness, his reckless spontaneity, his unwavering determination to use his brilliance for good. I love the way he looks at me, the way he touches me. The way he makes me forget the wreckage of my past and the twisted fear that still lives inside me.

But sometimes it terrifies me how much I crave him, how much I need him just to breathe. I always thought it would be my past that ruined us, but there’s a darkness in Ethan I never dreamed existed. Can we survive as his secrets surface—threatening to unravel us both?

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks |  Google Play | Kobo

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Excerpt:


Ethan.

I haven’t cried since those moments yesterday, clutched in Tori’s arms after that horrendous walk home, but as I stand here I feel tears well up in my eyes all over again. Of course Ethan had my car fixed. Of course he had it brought back to me.

That’s just the kind of guy he is.

“Well, I guess he’s not a total asshole,” Tori drawls from her spot beside me.

“He’s not an asshole at all.”

“But I thought—”

“It’s complicated,” I tell her, walking the last few yards to my car.

“Isn’t it always?”

She really has no idea. I reach into my purse, pull out my spare set of keys. And then I’m in the driver’s seat, cranking the ignition. Sure enough, it starts right away. Not to mention the fact that it all but purrs. Something tells me the faulty starter isn’t the only thing Ethan had taken care of on my little Honda.

I want to be angry at his presumption, I really do. But it’s hard to be upset when he’s doing what he always does—and what up until yesterday, I always loved about him. He’s taking care of me in whatever way he can, whatever way I’ll let him. Besides, I took most of my anger out on the hapless Vitamix last night. I don’t have any rage left. At least not toward Ethan. Not right now.

“So, I guess I’m heading back upstairs,” Tori says after a minute. “Unless you need me for something?”

“No. I’m good. Thanks, Tor.”

“No problem. Knock him dead, Chlo.”

“I’m not even going to see him today,” I protest.

She smiles wryly. “Of course you’re not.”

“I’m not.” I can’t. Just the thought of seeing Ethan makes me shaky. I may not be angry at him, but that’s a far cry from wanting to see him. And I don’t. I really don’t. Not now, when all I can see is Brandon’s mocking grin. When all I can hear is him calling Ethan his brother. His brother.


Maybe it’s cowardly, maybe it’s self-preservation. To be honest, I don’t really care. All I want to do is get through the day without any more casualties.

Surely that’s not too much to ask.

Except obviously, it is. Because as I move to set my briefcase on the passenger seat, I see a thick, cream envelope on the passenger side floorboard. It’s facedown, but I don’t need to see the Frost Industries return address to recognize Ethan’s stationery. He’s sent me so many letters and packages over the last few weeks—all on or accompanied by official company letterhead—that I’m pretty sure I’d recognize it in my sleep.

For a second, I’m tempted to take the coward’s way out. To leave the envelope where it lies and pretend I never saw it.

Except I’ve never been a coward. And though there’s a part of me that thinks there’s no excuse Ethan can make, no story he can tell, that will make what happened yesterday okay, there’s another part of me that wants him to try. That wants to see what he has to say.

It’s a double-edged sword, one I’m afraid I don’t have the skill—or the heart—to keep balanced on. And yet, even knowing how dangerous it is to my own mental health, I reach for the envelope.

For long seconds, I just hold it in my hands, watching it like I expect it to spontaneously combust. When it doesn’t, I eventually lift it to my nose and breathe in the elusive, barely there scent of it.

Like rain on a sunny, summer day.

Like blueberries and warm, sweet maple syrup.

It smells like Ethan and the truth of that nearly brings me to my knees.

***


Also in the Ethan Frost series: RUINED by Tracy Wolff!

About Tracy Wolff:

Tracy Wolff collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. Now an English professor at her local community college, she writes romances that run the gamut from contemporary to paranormal to erotic suspense.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog

***

Giveaway

Tracy is giving away a $50 gift card to www.spafinder.com to celebrate the release of ADDICTED! Enter below:


Additionally, Random House is giving away two prize packs: a $25 gift card to Babeland and a copy of RUINED! Enter here!




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Book Spotlight: Fallen by Laury Falter

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Guardian Trilogy 
Book 1
Laury Falter
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Audeamus LLC
Date of Publication: April 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-9855110-3-6 
ASIN: B00280MFEY
Number of pages: 274 pages
Amazon 

Book Description:

Fallen - the first book in the Guardian Trilogy...

Maggie is unaware of the terrifying fate that awaits her. It isn’t until she lands in New Orleans for a full year at a private high school and her unknown enemies find her does she realize that her life is in danger.

As a mystifying stranger repeatedly intervenes and blocks the attempts on her life, she begins to learn that there is more to him than his need to protect her and that he may be the key to understanding why her enemies have just now arrived.

***

EXCERPT 2

“So you’re warning me away from you?” I was appalled. “Then why are you doing this…guarding me at all? Why the torment? Why watch over me when you know that…that we should be more?” I felt on the verge of tears, which amazed me. How could pain be so sharp in the afterlife? “Answer me, Eran. Why?”

He sighed. “Because it is my job.”

I gasped, more offended than I’d ever been. “I’m a job to you?” I stared at him and waited for his head to rise but he refused to look at me.

“Yes,” he said weakly, defeated. His beautiful, rugged voice released as a whimper and the pain inside me grew. “You are just a job.”

I didn’t think it was possible but the emptiness I’d felt with Eran being gone those many weeks held no comparison to the magnitude of what I was experiencing right now.

I felt as if I had been gutted.

“No…” I shook my head. “I don’t believe you because you see, Eran, I can feel your emotions run through me. Whether you want to admit them or not, I know how you feel about me.”

Stunned, his head jerked up, his brilliant blue-green eyes drilling into mine. “You feel me too? How can that be?”

“I don’t know. But I do know that I feel in you the same emotions I have.”

He groaned and turned away. “That’s not possible…” he muttered, pausing. When he spoke again his voice was strained, determined. I drew in a breath as the intensity of these emotions ran through me. “It doesn’t matter. I won’t let this happen. This will not happen…I will not let us be together.”

“Because you are my guardian? Then let me make it easy on us…You’re fired.”

“It doesn’t work that way, Magdalene,” he said, quieter but still resolute.

“I didn’t want you to watch over me, Eran. I never asked for it.”

As if he’d become an entirely new person, his reply was flat and detached. “You’re a messenger. You require a guardian. It’s as simple as that.”

“Then we’ve just solved the issue, didn’t we?” I said causing him to finally look up. “This will be my last message. It’s from me to you…goodbye Eran.”

Turning swiftly, I walked away just before the tears came.

***

About the Author:

Laury Falter is a bestselling author of young adult romantic suspense and urban fantasy. She has three series out: the Guardian Trilogy, the Residue Series, and the Apocalypse Chronicles.

 http://www.lauryfalter.com

 http://www.twitter.com/LauryFalter

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laury-Falter/196033543803745

 http://www.goodreads.com/lauryfalter

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Deep in Death by Coleen Helme

Deep in Death – Release Blitz

A Shelby Nichols Adventure – Volume 6

Paranormal Mystery

Date Published: July 22, 2014

  

Running “errands” for her mob-boss employer, Joey “The Knife” Manetto, often ends with Shelby in trouble, making her cautious about continuing her association with him. Instead, she focuses on a new client who hires Shelby to find her missing mother. What seems like a routine case turns into something more sinister and deadly than she ever imagined. In the meantime, Uncle Joey has summoned Shelby to his office, where she runs into her former nemesis. Shelby inadvertently hears something that makes her fear for the lives of Uncle Joey and his hit-man, Ramos. This time, Uncle Joey is not sure he wants to involve Shelby in something he knows could get her killed. Keeping Shelby’s involvement to a minimum has disastrous results, sending Shelby on a dangerous path. As her investigation unfolds, Shelby finds death at every turn, and soon realizes she is in over her head. Can she escape from danger in time? Or will she find herself deep in death?

EXCERPT

A twinge of pain burned through my arm, and I gently rubbed the spot where I’d been shot nearly three weeks ago. Getting a shot in the arm may sound like a simple thing for most people, but when it’s done by a bullet, it’s a whole different story. At least it was healing nicely, and the scar wasn’t too big, but every once in a while my arm ached like it had happened yesterday, probably because I was overdoing it again. After a few seconds the pain subsided, and I finished pulling on my shirt and got dressed.

Today was my first day back at work since the shooting, and I was ready to take on a new project. This time the job was a client from my consulting agency, which suited me just fine. My last job for Uncle Joey, the local mob-boss, had gotten me both arrested for murder and shot by a bullet in the arm, so I was a little nervous about doing anything for him again.

A few months ago I had to tell Uncle Joey my secret that I could read minds so he wouldn’t kill me. We’d worked out a compromise, and over the course of our association, we’d even become close. Crazy as it sounded, I’d started to think of him as my real uncle, even though he wasn’t. Since most of his errands seemed to get me into trouble, he’d also saved my life a few times. Well, to be honest, it was his hit-man, Ramos, doing most of the saving. But it was Uncle Joey who’d told him to watch out for me.

I sighed every time I thought of Ramos. He had a troubled past which only I knew about, and I’d helped him come to terms with it. Besides saving my life several times, there was also a physical attraction that I only dared admit out loud to my best friend, Holly. Of course after seeing him, she had a crush on him too, and since we were both happily married, I had to think it was all right. But with all of that going on, I had to wonder about myself. I mean, Uncle Joey was a big, bad mob-boss who had threatened to do me bodily harm, and Ramos was his hit-man. They were the bad guys and I had a soft spot in my heart for them. Was something wrong with me?

My husband, Chris, had no qualms about severing all ties with Uncle Joey, and it put me in a hard spot trying to please them both. But since the last job, things had changed. After I got shot, Chris had a long talk with Uncle Joey, and I hadn’t heard from him in three weeks. In some ways it was a relief, but in others, I kind of missed him…and Ramos…well…mostly Ramos. Still, I wasn’t about to call and offer my services. Not considering what had happened last time. Nope. I wasn’t ready to get shot again. In fact, I would be pretty happy if I never saw another gun in my life.

I took a deep cleansing breath and checked the time. I had an appointment with my client at ten this morning, and it was time to go. Her name was Tiffany and this was her senior year of college. Since I didn’t have a real office, I’d told her we could meet at the campus library in-between her classes, and with her busy schedule, meeting on campus worked out great for both of us.

I drove through town with my windows down and breathed in the crisp fall air. It was the first part of October and the sky was the perfect color of blue. The trees were just beginning to change into brilliant autumn colors, and framed against the blue sky, the pure beauty and serenity lifted my spirits. With everything I’d gone through lately, I knew I was lucky to be alive.

I parked at the visitor parking meters near the library and headed toward the front of the building. It had been several years since I’d been there last, and a wave of nostalgia washed over me. I’d only been to one year of college before I’d talked Chris into marrying me. It was love at first sight for me, but it had taken some gentle persuading on my part to help Chris see how perfect we were together. Right after our marriage, we’d gone off to law school in another state. Josh had been born exactly nine months later followed by Savannah two years after that. There were times when I regretted not finishing college back then, but I wouldn’t trade the life I had now for anything.

I loved my family and, as it turned out, I had a pretty good career without a degree, and I was proud of what I’d accomplished. Of course, if I hadn’t gotten shot in the head during a bank robbery, which left me with the ability to read minds, it might be a different story.

It was still hard for me to believe how my life had turned upside down simply because I’d stopped at the grocery store for some carrots. Who would have thought? Now I had my own consulting agency where I could get paid for helping people, and most of the time, all I had to do was read their minds. Not that it was always that easy, but after getting shot, I’d take some simple cases for a while.

A young woman sat on a bench near the fountain where we’d planned to meet. Her gaze caught mine and her eyes widened slightly before she recognized me. As I approached, she smiled and gave me a quick wave. She had long blond hair and a sweet face, but her somber eyes seemed out of place for someone her age, like she’d gone through some hard times.

Since she was a college student, I was a little nervous that she couldn’t afford my one-hundred-and-fifty-dollar-an-hour fee. But we’d talked about that before I agreed to meet her, and she’d seemed fine with it then. She stood to greet me.

“Shelby Nichols? Hi. I’m Tiffany Shaw. Thanks for meeting me.”

“Hi Tiffany, nice to meet you in person,” I answered.

“I know this is kind of informal, but it’s such a beautiful day. Do you mind staying out here in the sunshine?”

“I think that’s a great idea.”

“Good.” She resumed her seat on the bench and I sat beside her. She was thinking that she wasn’t sure how to start. What she needed might not even be possible, but she’d read about me in the paper and figured if anyone could help her, it was me. She’d been saving up for years to hire a private investigator and wanted the best. After a little digging, she’d heard rumors that I had premonitions. It didn’t faze her in the least. In fact, after all this time, she thought it might be the only thing that would solve the case. She just had to make sure her dad didn’t find out, since he was the over-protective sort. He’d tell her she was throwing away her money, and probably accuse me of taking advantage of her.

That certainly put a lot of pressure on me, and my stomach tightened with dread that her father would disapprove. But since she was thinking about not telling him, maybe he’d never need to find out. Considering her age and circumstances, I had hoped she’d hired me for something easy, like finding out if her roommate was after her boyfriend. But no, she was thinking about her mother, and that she was probably dead, and I knew nothing was ever as easy as I wished.

“I’d like to hire you to find my mother.” Her lips tightened and pain flashed through her eyes. “You see…I’m getting married in a few weeks and I really want her to be there.” She didn’t add ‘if she’s still alive’ like she was thinking.

She’d always imagined her mother would be at her wedding, and now that it was actually happening, she couldn’t stop wondering where her mom was and what had happened to her. The day her mother had gone missing was the worst day of her life, and thinking about it brought all the horror back, but she knew she would never move on unless she had some answers.

“Tell me what happened,” I said gently.

She took a deep breath. “It’s been nearly six years, and I know that’s a long time, but just hear me out before you decide if you can take the job or not.”

“Okay.” I encouraged her with a smile. “Go on.”

“Like I said…it will be six years on the twenty-eighth of October since she went missing. That night, she drove to the office where she worked to drop something off and never came back. They found her car parked in the parking structure with the keys in the ignition. Her purse was on the passenger seat. Nothing was taken, and there was no sign of a struggle. It was like she just disappeared off the face of the earth.”

“What did the police tell you?”

“Well…they dusted for prints, checked her office, put out a missing person’s report, questioned her colleagues at work, and brought my father in for questioning.” She hated that they had suspected him. He was innocent. He had nothing to do with it. He loved her mom. It still made her angry. It was part of what had made the day so bad. She not only lost her mother, but her father was never the same after that.

“What happened to your father? Did they charge him with anything?”

Tiffany shook her head. “No. They had no evidence that he was involved, but the police always suspect the husband first. So it was bad enough that my mom disappeared, but the fact that they thought my dad had something to do with it made it ten times worse.”

She sighed, wondering for the thousandth time what kind of person she would be right now if she still had her mom. She’d probably be a lot happier, that was for sure. “My dad’s doing better now. He even got married a couple of months ago.”

“That’s good,” I said.

“Yeah.” She was glad he had finally moved on, and wished it was something she could do. But the ache just wouldn’t go away, especially with her upcoming wedding. This was the most important day of her life, and her mother should be there. So where was she? What had happened? Who had taken her? Why hadn’t she come home?

In her heart, she knew her mother never would have left unless she was forced into it. Speculation from the police and others of affairs, with her mom running off with another man, only deepened the wound, and she wouldn’t believe any of it. That’s why a small part of her had to believe her mom was dead, but what if she wasn’t? What if someone was holding her captive? It could happen, and she just couldn’t give up until she knew for sure.

“What did the police decide about the case?” I asked.

“Officially, she’s missing and presumed dead. At least that’s what they declared so my dad could re-marry. I don’t know what happened to the case files. But I’m hoping you can dig them up and maybe find something that got passed over. I know it’s a long shot, but I’ve never had the resources to hire a private investigator until now. Do you think you could look into it for me?”

I bit my bottom lip. The chances of finding out what happened at this point were pretty slim. My mind-reading ability wouldn’t be of much use, although I could still question her dad. Even though she didn’t think it was him, I’d learned that some people were really good at keeping secrets, and I wasn’t about to rule him out. I could probably get my hands on the police file and talk to the detectives who handled the case, but beyond that, I didn’t have much hope.

About The Author - Colleen Helme

As the author of the Shelby Nichols Adventure Series, Colleen is often asked if Shelby Nichols is her alter-ego. “Definitely,” she says. “Shelby is the epitome of everything I wish I dared to be.” Known for her laugh since she was a kid, Colleen has always tried to find the humor in every situation and continues to enjoy writing about Shelby’s adventures. “I love getting Shelby into trouble…I just don’t always know how to get her out of it!” Colleen lives in the Rocky Mountains with her family. Besides writing, she loves a good book, biking, hiking, and playing board and card games with family and friends. She loves to connect with readers and admits that fans of the series keep her writing.

Author Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

BUY LINKS

Amazon Author Page

GIVEAWAY

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Book Spotlihght: Swingset by Joanna Kadish

Swing Set
by Joanna Kadish
Erotica
Amazon

Blurb:

Shelly and her husband Steve are bored with their sex life. They search for something a bit more stimulating, leading them to try a new world of oral sex classes, internet pornography, and sex clubs. Their enjoyment reaches heights they never could have imagined, and yet they keep pushing the boundaries, soon they're involved in partner swapping and triads. This journey of self-discovery takes them to some unexpected places, and they learn surprising new things about each other.

Along the way three women come together and learn to support each other, amid deepening friendship and loyalty. Written in a style that is best described as Tom Perrotta meets Alison Espach, Swing Set shows from a woman’s point of view how free-ranging sexual experimentation can affect a relationship, and how a hobby can become an obsession in a thoroughly modern, internet-savvy world where sex is simply another haute appetite.

Excerpt:

I strolled down the street away from my car, into the quickening dusk, my spirits ascending as the rich tones of his deep voice swelled like the notes of a violin through the phone, my heartbeat quickening with desire. I was wearing a sand-colored linen suit, looking very elegant on the outside, but inside I was all quivering need. I longed to be loved by someone new, I’m not sure why, maybe because we had obsessed so many times over these videos and pictures on the Internet. And also, there was so much I couldn’t talk about with Steve, I was always too afraid I’d say something wrong, some little thing that I didn’t mean to sound hurtful but he would take it that way. I was living with the legacy of a Holocaust survivor, not an easy thing for someone whose parents were not only hostile to each other, but they were both poor listeners.  They talked over each other. The scene was getting really heavy, and I was reeling from everyone’s trauma, past and present.

A hint of a breeze rustled my hair, but I didn’t notice it—that’s how far gone I was, shivering even in that warm, humid air, my teeth chattering. To the west, the sky loomed expansive, cloudless, a deep purple with pinks and lavenders lingering along the horizon. I was blind to the beauty around me. I focused completely on his voice, breathing deeply when he started speaking again, a shudder running though my body. A sweet lemony scent from the abundance of evening primrose filled my nostrils.

“Come here now and have sex with me,” he said.

“My husband’s expecting me. I told him five minutes ago I’d be heading home around now. I’m not a good prospect. You’d be better off looking elsewhere.” To my ears, my own voice sounded a plaintive longing as I demurred, my days of impetuosity long gone. But I couldn’t stop these raw feelings of physical want that kept rising inside me, along with the need to be adored without all the baggage and recriminations that colored my relationship with Steve.

“Oh, baby, I need you more than he does.”

“I feel the same way.” My desire for him was bubbling within me, in mortal danger of spilling over and causing some mishap. “But I’m married. I can’t sneak around, not even when we’re not getting along, like now.”

“He’s more important than your happiness?” He sounded animated.

“At the moment…yes.” Couldn’t he see that I couldn’t just take off—that my husband would kill me?

I told him good-bye as firmly as possible and clicked off. I was driving my car with a mile to go yet when my cell phone rang again like a five-alarm fire. I fumbled for it, picking it up at the last ring, idly wondered if it was Steve calling to yell at me for being late. He was probably hungry, waiting for me to eat. I floored the accelerator.

“I’m nearly there,” I said without listening for Steve’s scold.

“Without my help?” His breathless, deeply masculine voice carried through the airwaves, invading the inner recesses of my car. “Without me…?”

“Who’s this?” I stalled, although I instantly recognized that singular voice. I felt a prickle of heat warming my groin.

“You sound luscious when you’re uncertain…makes me want to kiss you.”

***

Book Spotlight: Never Upon a Time by Meredith Jade

Synopsis

You’ve always hated her, but you might not know the whole story. . .

Edith may not be brazen and enchanted like her twin sister, Ember, but in a world of dying magic, perhaps her simple desires are enough.

After a Selection Banquet gone awry, Edith is left without a suitor or a plan. Befriending a little white fox and occupying herself with a philanthropic project outside castle walls, Edith soon rebuilds morale and musters enough courage to reach out to her estranged twin sister.

But Ember’s been harboring an evil secret - and thwarted love and jealous can turn acts of merit into classic tales of wickedness in this new twist on an old tale.

Excerpt

“Away with you! Or I will scream as if I’m being murdered.” Gretchen’s voice grew shrill.

The fact that the word “murder” was in a small child’s vocabulary scared Edith more than the threat itself. “I will go, I will go,” she said hurriedly. Edith decided to leave her cape and make a run for the Wood. Secrecy was more important than the shawl and gifts, so she decided to make a getaway and hoped abandoning the cape would perhaps serve as a reason to return. Whether or not she wanted to brave such a return was still up for debate.

“Father and Mother will be walking up the same pathway you took to come here. To avoid them, you must go a different way or stay parallel and concealed in the forest beside it. Unless you want to bump into them?” Her tone was sarcastic. “I’m sure after yet another futile day of hunting and foraging for squirrels, they’d love to see you.”

Edith didn’t acknowledge Gretchen. Instead, she ran headlong toward to forest’s edge for fear of what might happen if Ember discovered that her most hated rival was at her cottage. When she reached the edge of Elfin Wood, a curious pull behind Edith’s ribcage had her look over her shoulder for one last glance at the dilapidated cottage. She saw her nephews standing at the window. Rune was waving profusely, hands full of the cookies Edith had made. Dash, whose eyes could be seen peeking happily from under the hood of his aunt’s cape, blew kisses with razzleberry tart stained hands. Edith clutched her chest and stepped into the tangled brush of the Wood.

Buy Links

Amazon Paperback  

Kindle 

About the Author

Meredith Jade was raised in a small town by parents who taught her to love reading. From the moment she could hold pencil to paper, she wrote. After graduating college and traveling abroad teaching English in Uttaradit, Thailand for a year, she came home. Writing was that home. Her writing has a range of inspirations, all a result of her voracious reading as a child and young adult. Anything from Victorian Literature to bird watching guides to NY Times best sellers have served as an agent for her imagination. Never Upon a Time is her first novel.

Connect with Meredith

Email: meredith.jade7@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meredith-Jade/648465681892404?ref_type=bookmark

Blog: http://thereaderproject.wordpress.com

Twitter: @meredithjade

Fabulosity Reads Book Promotions is a book touring website that promotes authors and their precious works to an extensive audience using blogs, twitter, Facebook and other Social Media, with the aim of introducing them to an appreciative readership.

They offer a diverse range of both complimentary and affordable products to help the reach of your book go that much further.

Book Spotlight: The Lorelein Giant by Malcolm Moss

The Lorelein Giant
Astatin #1
by Malcolm Moss
Erotica
Amazon

Blurb:

The astatin trees of Lorelei provide the single source of fuel for the galaxy. Prince Casi, the lone son of the great king, works alongside his people to harvest the rare gas and organize treaties to remain a neutral party to ongoing wars for neighboring planets.

When the rebel army arrives in Lorelei with intent to claim their only resource, the two kings agree to an unconventional arrangement: no man or woman will be harmed as long as Casi weds the rebel princess, Aphae.

Bound by an arranged marriage and extensive cultural differences, the unlikely couple are faced with a consummation neither truly wants. Futures look grim until Casi's physical assets earn the attention of his icy bride.

Content Warning: The Lorelein Giant contains sexually graphic scenes between a man and woman.

Cover Art by Joshua Allen Mercier. Editing by Short Side of Tall.

Book Spotlight: Lovely, Dark and Deep by Susannah Sandlin

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Lovely, Dark, and Deep  
The Collectors, Book 1
Susannah Sandlin
Genre: Romantic Thriller 
Heat level: moderate; language; violence
Publisher: Montlake Romance
ASIN: B00H27TJ6U
Number of pages: 320
Word Count: 95,000
Get it at Amazon

Book Description:

From award-winning author Susannah Sandlin comes a heart-pounding romantic thriller that pits a quick-witted scientist and a scarred ex–combat diver against a ruthless billionaire treasure hunter with ties to the White House.

When biologist Gillian Campbell makes an offhand comment about a family curse during a TV interview, she has no idea what her words will set in motion. Within days, Gillian finds herself at the mercy of a member of the C7, a secretive international group of power brokers with a dangerous game: competing to find the world’s most elusive treasures, no matter the cost, in money or in lives.

To save her family, Gillian teams up with Shane Burke, a former elite diver who’s lost his way, navigating the brutal “death coast” of the North Atlantic to find what the collector seeks: the legendary Ruby Cross of the Knights Templars, stolen by Gillian’s ancestor and lost at sea four hundred years ago.

***

Excerpt:

He wasn’t sure what woke him, but the first thing Shane Burke saw when he cracked open his eyelids was the bottle of Jack Daniel’s, tipped over and resting on its side. He could’ve sworn he finished it off last night but there was at least an inch of rich amber liquid still resting inside.

Good. Now he didn’t have to wonder what he’d have for breakfast.

The second thing he saw was a great pair of legs. Well, technically, a great pair of ankles above a pair of leather sandals, and then the legs.

Obviously, he was starting his Saturday morning with hallucinations.

Only one good solution for that. He dangled an arm off the side of his bed and almost had his fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle when one of the leather sandals kicked his buddy Jack Daniel’s under the bed, clipping his hand in the process.

“Ow.” Hallucinations didn’t take his booze and kick him in the knuckles.

Ignoring the throbbing in his hand and the stabs of hangover agony behind his eyeballs, Shane rolled onto his back and squinted at the rest of his non-hallucination.

Shoulder-length hair that fell in a sheen of dark chestnut brown, fair skin, fierce brown eyes, red lips compressed in a tight line, black skirt and white blouse, big briefcase-style purse. Had he picked her up at Harley’s last night? If so, he had to cut back on the sauce.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I forgot your name.” Pity, ’cause she was a hot little number, way classier than the regulars at Harley’s. It’s not like he got laid so often that he could afford to forget it when he did.

“We haven’t met.” She propped her hands on her hips and muttered something that sounded like, “And you’re supposed to help me?”

Help her with what? Wait, maybe she was a charter. Had he chartered The Evangeline out to a tour group or fishing party today? Surely he’d remember if there was money coming in.

Color him officially confused. He struggled to a seated position and gave her another look. “What am I supposed to help you with?”

She crossed her arms and raked a ball-shriveling gaze the length of his body. “I came here to offer you a job, but I don’t think you’re up to it.”

He tugged the sheet up in self-defense. “I’m not at my best. Ever consider making an appointment? Not dropping in at the crack of dawn?” He had no idea what time it was but it couldn’t be that late.

“It’s past noon. And I didn’t figure, given your financial situation, that you’d be so picky about what time of day someone offered you money.” She shook her head. “Never mind. This was a mistake.”

She banged her head on the low doorway out of the master cabin, which served her right, the sanctimonious shrew.

***

About the Author:

Susannah Sandlin writes paranormal romance and romantic thrillers from Auburn, Alabama, on top of a career in educational publishing that has thus far spanned five states and six universities—including both Alabama and Auburn, which makes her bilingual. She grew up in Winfield, Alabama, but was also a longtime resident of New Orleans, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football, cheap Mardi Gras trinkets, and fried gator on a stick.

She’s the author of the award-winning Penton Legacy paranormal romance series, a spinoff novel, Storm Force, a standalone novelette, Chenoire, and a new romantic thriller series, The Collectors, beginning this month with Lovely, Dark, and Deep. Writing as Suzanne Johnson, she also is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series. Her Penton novel, Omega, is currently nominated for a 2013 Reviewer’s Choice Award in Paranormal Romance from RT Book Reviews magazine.

Website and blog www.suzannejohnsonauthor.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SusannahSandlin

FB: http://www.facebook.com/SusannahSandlin