Blog Tour: Granted Wishes by Tanya Vought

Granted Wishes
By Tanya Vought
Publisher: Booktrope
Published: February 23, 2015
Genre: Romance

A decision that will change her life forever.

After the loss of her husband, Gracelynn Calhoun has struggled with her life and career. Forced to take a four week vacation or be fired from her job, she surprises everyone including herself and agrees to the vacation.

The owner of Antonetti Suites, Giovanni works hard and doesn’t have time for relationships or love. That is until he literally crashes into Gracelynn. She brings back all the feelings he thought he would never feel again.

With the odds stacked against them in every way possible, will they forge ahead together or will this be the end of the road for their newfound love? Will the whispers from above bring them together or will misunderstandings ruin what could be an amazing second chance at love?

Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (PB) | BN | Goodreads

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Excerpt:

The dark, somber sky matches Gracelynn Calhoun’s disposition. Her heart beats rapidly in her chest as she grips the steering wheel of her Hyundai Accent. From her windshield, she notices the barren trees that once held her favorite fall foliage. Looking at them makes her feel just as empty as the trees in the Layton Hills Cemetery. She releases her right hand from the steering wheel, and clutches her angel necklace as tears pour down her cheeks. She closes her eyes, continuing to hold the necklace, remembering the day her beloved gave it to her. She lets go of her necklace, opens her green-grey eyes and wipes her cheeks.                      

While walking to her beloved’s tomb, leaves crinkle under her favorite pair of black, high-heeled shoes. As she reaches the stone, tears trickle down her face and she drops to her knees. She immediately starts cleaning around his grave, removing all debris.

She stares at the gravestone, and drags her fingers over the intricately carved angel wings. She reads aloud, even though she doesn't need to. "Angelo Grant Calhoun. 11/28/1980 - 11/30/2012. "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." More tears stream down her face. She reaches up and touches the top of the stone, resting her hand in the middle of the stone, like she’d be touching Angelo's heart.  “I miss you so much, Angelo. How can I move on with my life…move on without you?” she cries to the gravestone. "I love you so much. I wore your favorite dress and shoes, hoping that you’d see me today. How crazy is that?" She laughs through tears, wipes her cheeks with her hand and grabs her necklace. “I still remember the day you gave me this,” she expresses to the gravestone. “How can I move on when you were my whole life? I’ll love you forever and always.” The wind picks up suddenly and all the leaves that she had just cleaned up go flying around her. She looks around now, with the leaves in her hair, and hears disembodied laughing. She tries to pick the leaves out of her hair, now full of dead foliage. She looks around the stones, but spots no one else. “I'm losing it. No one is here, Gracelynn. Get a grip,” she tells herself as she stands back up, and continues to clean herself off.

She bends down to wipe her beloved's stone again, and her phone rings. Startled, she falls down and lands on her butt. "Good grief," she shrieks. Her phone rings again, and she opens her small purse to take out the phone. It’s Ben calling.  She stands up and looks around, hoping there isn't anyone around who witnessed the entire ordeal. "Hello, Ben. What can I do for you?" she asks as she brushes the back of her behind, wondering what he wants.

"Hello, Gracie," he purrs into the phone. Oh boy. This must be a doozy for him to talk like this on the phone. “Cassie and I have some things we’d like to go over with you. When are you coming in?”  This time around, he sounds monotone, neutral. She glances at her watch, and realizes she’s late for work. "Oh man, Ben, I'm sorry I'm late. I didn't realize the time. I'm at the cemetery and I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she tells him while wiping her right hand down her dress in a nervous gesture.

"Oh, Gracelynn. I'm such an ass,” Ben says through the phone. “I forgot you were going there this morning. Take all the time you need and I'll see you in say, a half hour?" he asks her and hangs up, leaving Gracelynn more confused than before.


***

About the Author:

Who has been instrumental in inspiring you as a writer?

That is a great question. My two best friends. They are both authors and told me to not give up. They were supportive, encouraging and told me to keep on with my story! I’m forever grateful to them for making me finish my dream… and make it reality.

What are you currently working on? 

I am actually writing a demon story at the moment. It’s much deeper and darker than Granted Wishes. I am thrilled to be working on this and show readers a deeper and darker side of me. 

Tanya Vought is a hopeless romantic. She loves reading, writing, singing and doing crafts with her children. What started as a lifelong dream became reality. She’s overjoyed that readers will get to read her debut, Granted Wishes. She loves her characters sexy and sassy. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two amazing and imaginative children.

Website: http://www.thebookobsessedmomma.blogspot.be/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TanyaTheBookObsessedMomma
Also on Twitter: @Tanya_TBOM
Instagram: @writer2015
email:tanyavought@yahoo.com

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: The Curse Servant by JP Sloan

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The Curse Servant
The Dark Choir 
Book 2
J.P. Sloan
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Date of Publication:  February 26, 2015
Number of pages:  346
Word Count:  99,400
Cover Artist:  Conzpiracy Digital Arts

Book Description:  

The one person standing between Hell… and an innocent girl… is a man without a soul.

A regular life isn’t in the cards for Dorian Lake, but with his charm-crafting business invigorated, and the prospect of a serious relationship within his grasp, life is closer to normal than Dorian could ever expect. In the heat of the Baltimore mayoral campaign, Dorian has managed to balance his arrangements with Deputy Mayor Julian Bright with his search to find his lost soul. Dorian soon learns of a Netherworker, the head of a dangerous West Coast cabal, who might be able to find and return his soul. The price? Just one curse.

Sounds easy… but nothing ever is for Dorian. A dark presence arrives in the city, hell-bent on finding Dorian’s soul first. Innocents are caught in the crossfire, and Dorian finds it harder to keep his commitments to Bright. When the fight gets personal, and the entity hits too close to home, Dorian must rely on those he trusts the least to save the ones he loves. As he tests the limits of his hermetic skills to defeat this new enemy, will Dorian lose his one chance to avoid damnation?

Available at Amazon

***

Excerpt: 

I knew this wasn't going to be the typical meeting with Julian Bright when, instead of the usual political organ-grinders at the campaign headquarters, I found a soccer mom duct taped to a chair, foaming at the mouth. Her grunting and growling echoed off the bare sheetrock walls of Julian's office, vacant except for the three of us.

I peeked through the blinds covering the locked storefront to make sure none of volunteers were back from the morning rounds. Satisfied we were alone, I turned to Julian.

He waved his arm at the woman in a lazy circle. "So, this is why I called."

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Amy Mancuso. You know her?"

I shook my head.

"She's a volunteer. Her team was working Cold Spring by Loyola when she started swearing and spitting at the residents. By the time her team captain called me, she'd kicked someone's dog. Terrier, I think. Or one of those purse dogs."

I winced. "Remind me not to hand out yard signs for you. Jesus."

"It's not like we do background checks on volunteers. I figured she probably missed some meds or something."

"But you called me instead of the paramedics."

"Right."

"Why?" I asked as I took a step toward her.

Amy's grunting halted as she straightened in her chair. Her head swiveled slowly in my direction, and her eyes sent the creeping chills up my neck.

With a nerve-rattling tone she growled, "Is that Dorian Lake I smell?"

I'd never enjoyed the sound of my own name less.

Julian turned a shoulder to me and whispered, "That's why."

"Gotcha."

I slowly approached Amy, pulling my pendulum from my jacket pocket in a slow, non-threatening motion. Last thing I needed at that moment was to send a crazy person into a panic. I assumed she was crazy. My pendulum would determine whether she was unnaturally energized or the usual cat-shaving flavor of lunatic.

Her eyes were dilated; her mouth twisted into the most unsettling smile one could imagine on the face of an otherwise average woman.

"Have we met?"

"Poor little Dorian lost his soul."

Okay, this was probably a legitimate problem.

I dangled the pendulum in front of Amy. The little nugget of copper spun from the end of its chain in a perfectly Newtonian fashion. Nothing pulled it contrary to the laws of Nature. I couldn't even feel a tug on the chain.

She continued, "Lost his soul, he lost his soul. Dropped it down a rabbit hole."

"I suppose you think you're being clever?"

"Is he doomed or is he dead? Will he damn your soul instead?"

This conversation had lost all of its charm.

"Who am I talking to?"

She sucked in a huge gulp of air and craned her neck at a painful angle toward the ceiling. A sick squealing noise leaked from her lips as her arms trembled. When she finally released her breath and sank back down into her chair, she simply chuckled.

"We're going to find it, you know. And when we do, we're going to eat it."

I leaned in as close as I dared and whispered, "If you think I'm afraid of you, then you need to know something. I'm not impressed."

"It won't be long now."

"Did someone send you, or is this just a courtesy call?"

She smirked. "We're going to enjoy this."

I was knitting together a clever response when a loud rip of tape crackled through the room. Her hand slammed up underneath my jaw, fingers clamping around my throat. My head filled with blood, and I tried to cough through the gag reflex. The harder I beat on her hand to let go, the wider that creepy smile got.

***

About the Author:

J.P. Sloan is a speculative fiction author ... primarily of urban fantasy, horror and several shades between. His writing explores the strangeness in that which is familiar, at times stretching the limits of the human experience, or only hinting at the monsters lurking under your bed.

A Louisiana native, Sloan relocated to the vineyards and cow pastures of Central Maryland after Hurricane Katrina, where he lives with his wife and son. During the day he commutes to the city of Baltimore, a setting which inspires much of his writing.

In his spare time, Sloan enjoys wine-making and homebrewing, and is a certified beer judge.

Web page: www.jp-sloan.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JPSloanAuthor

Twitter: @J_P_Sloan

Tumblr: http://jpsloan.tumblr.com/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6569197.J_P_Sloan

***

Tour giveaway 

5 Digital copies of The Curse Merchant, Book 1 of the Dark Choir series

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight: Prime by Windsor Harries

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Title: Prime
Author: Windsor Harries
Genre: Science-Fiction

Since birth, Toch has prepared for his destiny: to become the Prime, the being who would save his race from the oppressive Spidon. Perfected over uncountable generations, the genetic power that will free them lies dormant until he reaches maturity. Until then, with the help of his friend and Protector, he needs to stay hidden—and safe—from the Spidon.

Everything goes according to the Plan, until a traitor reveals the truth about Toch, putting the future of their entire race in danger . . .

Excerpt:

“We cannot find the ant we seek. They hide it well.”

The Spidon commander was weary. It had been aboard this ship, circling this pathetic planet, for most of its adult life, and it longed for a new post, a more exciting assignment. Babysitting these ants—no more advanced than rote insects—was tiresome. It longed for real battles, for a challenge. All the ants were just like that ambassador who had informed him of the plot involving this so-called Prime—they whinged and bowed with cowardice.

However, this Prime, if it truly existed, interested the commander. For the first time above the loathsome planet, it was intrigued by the possibilities. Perhaps, finally, an ant with some fight in it. The commander wanted to find the Prime not only for the security of the Spidon—for the stories of the Defenders were truly harrowing—but also as a personal challenge. Perhaps this Prime could offer some interesting distractions.

The commander exploded its order at the officer who’d brought the bad news. “No excuses! Find it.”

The officer, intimidated by the commander’s anger, replied, “Without knowing this type of ant’s gene pattern, we cannot detect it.”

“Idiot! Search for the Defender gene pattern.”

“We have already. There is nothing.”

The commander said, more to itself than to the officer, “It will have mutated.”

The officer continued, “Until the ant matures, we won’t be able to detect the foreign pattern.”

The commander’s rage was stoked again. “I know that. You bring excuses instead of bringing me the ant.” The commander turned abruptly to the communications officer. “Then we use other means. Open the channels.”

The communications officer adjusted some controls. “The channels are open.”

The commander had always enjoyed direct communications with the ants. It knew the fear the sound of its voice brought to their hearts, especially when it rang out unexpectedly, as now.

It called out, appreciating the dramatic impact this would have. “Ants! We seek the ant you call the Prime. Send me this Prime you have bred to defeat us. We will demonstrate our might. Deliver this Prime to a liaising station. If this does not occur within two hours, there will be a Lesson. Comply now.”

The commander signalled for the channel to be closed. It imagined the turmoil its words had just inspired, imagined the quaking ants sitting around the speakers and hearing the ultimatum, terrified of the impending consequences. These were the moments that made the commander’s tenure at this post bearable.

It was looking forward to meeting this Prime.

***

About the Author:

Windsor Harries was born and raised in Toronto, Canada in the heady years between TV's heyday and the internet revolution. He has been writing ever since he can remember. His early influences include Edgar Rice Burroughs and Doctor Who (Tom Baker, of course). For his mild-mannered secret identity, he works as a marketer in the financial services industry. He had written numerous books, but Prime is his first published novel.

Links
www.windsorharries.com
www.facebook.com/windsorharries
www.goodreads.com/windsor_harries

Book Spotlight: Lucian's Soul by Hazel Gower

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Lucian’s Soul
Hazel Gower
Release Date: February 12, 2015
Genre: Erotic Romance, M/F, Para Demons/Angels
Publisher: ARe

Book Description:

Since the beginning of time, humanity has made one fatal mistake... Angels and demons are not who humans think they are.
For millennia it has been up to the king of the demons, Lucian, to save humans and shifters from the horrors the angels inflict upon the world and the innocents living within it.

He’s grown weary of the war and his passion for saving his charges has faded. But there is hope. It is said when the angels are close to achieving their goal, and Lucifer himself barely cares anymore, the tides will turn and love will cure all.

Lucifer will find his one. His soul mate. A mate who will love him unconditionally, lending him strength and power more deadly than anyone could imagine. And now...that time has come.

About the Author:

Hazel Gower is the mother of four terrors between the ages of four and nine. She started writing down her story ideas in high school, and never really stopped. Writing is her salvation. After she’s gotten all the kids in bed and has cleaned up, she sits at the computer, or sometimes with a notebook and a pencil, to relax, write, and escape.

Website: www.hazelgower.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HazelGowerAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HazelGower1

Cover Reveal: Fall of Knight by Steven Cross

Title: Fall of Knight

Author: Steven Cross

Genre: YA psychological thriller

Publisher: Booktrope Publishing

Release Date: April 7^th, 2015

A normal teenager Dean Knight is not.

With a mental illness that threatens to take over his sanity; a sister who’s deep in her own problems; and a wasted mother who couldn’t care less about it all, Dean is left to battle real life on his own. School, bullies and medications are his realities.

Then there are also the ghosts, the hallucinations and of course – the monster.

In the middle of it all, when everything seems to lose purpose, hope comes shining down on Dean’s miserable life. Her name is Ella and for one reason or another, she actually wants to be close to Dean. With Ella’s help, the lost teenage boy decides that he could finally win a battle or two – both in real life and in his writing.

But hope is a tricky thing. And the monster seems to know that.

When secrets buried down for almost a decade come out in the open, what do you do?

Steve Cross’s first successful writing project was a play about a werewolf that his eighth grade English class performed. Though the play was never published, the warm fuzzy feeling from its public performance has never quite left Cross, who continues to sink his teeth into a variety of writing projects. His first publication was a haiku, followed by two middle grade novels published by POD publishers and a young adult novel published by Buck’s County Publishing.

A fanatical St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan; a lover of all kinds of YA fiction, as well as the writings of Dean Koontz and Stephen King; a fan of all kinds of music – from Abba to the Zac Brown band, Cross dreams of the day he will write a best-selling novel or sell a screenplay for seven figures, so he can retire and write more best-selling fiction.  Until that day, he and his wife Jean, Missourians born and bred, will continue to toil in the field of education and live in peace with their two dogs and two cats and wait around until their daughter Megan and son-in-law Sean give them grandchildren to spoil.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevecrosswords

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steven.cross.56

Website: http://thecrossesblog.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/987662.Steven_Cross

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Shadow of Loss by Josefina Gutierrez

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Title: The Shadow of Loss
Author: Josefina Gutierrez
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Evelyn Gonzalez keeps losing people, which is always hard, but has she lost something much more?  Has she lost her soul?  Evelyn has a nervous breakdown and is institutionalized, after months of sorrow and pain she is thrust back into the world.  The world of teenage angst and Calculus.  But can she trust people again?  Especially after hurtful assumptions and judgments made her miss her junior year of high school.  Evelyn is just trying to heal what she lost and graduate from high school.

***

Excerpt:

“Uh sorry…am I sitting in your spot?” I ask him.  When he turns around I notice it is the guy that helped me this morning.

“Nah.  You’re good,” he says and winks, “We meet again.  I’m Matt,” he extends his fist.

“It would seem so,” I awkwardly tap his fist.

He then goes on to ramble, apparently he doesn’t need me to say anything, because he talks like we have known each other since birth.  I have to breathe, but I just let out a sigh instead.  “…so you see he is usually content with a blotch on a piece of paper, as long as you can come up with a seemingly logical, illogical, explanation for how society has undermined your very existence,” he says.  I’m not even sure what he’s talking about, so I just nod and say, “Yup.”

“Ya know I like this mysterious slash hippie vibe you have going on,” he exaggerates by waving his arms up and down my heavy frame, “Like you aren’t a tree hugger per se because you have those boots, which are pretty badass for this town.  But you also dress like you just don’t give a fuck and would punch someone in the face if they looked at you wrong.  Am I right?  Oh please tell me I’m right,” he grins like the Cheshire cat.

“I’m not sure what to say to any of the blibber-blabber that came out of your mouth,” I say and immediately regret it.  Shit.  Shit.  Shit.  I probably offended him, “I’m sorry,” I obsessively pull on my jacket sleeve.  I can feel my left arm burning.

“Nah.  You’re good.  More than good my mysterious hippie friend,” he says and pats my shoulder.  “I have this flyer for an epic party I’m throwing this Saturday.  Well every Saturday actually.  You will be tripping balls…if you had any…you should come and soak in my awesomeness.”

“Uh thank you…humbleness isn’t really high on your list huh.”

“I am awesome.  It is a fact.  You know—” he begins to say and is cut off by a loud bang at the front.

***

About the Author:

Josefina Gutierrez is a Young Adult eBook author and a forever student.  Josefina writes Young Adult Multicultural, Sci-fi, and Fantasy literature in her free time when she’s not embarking on adventures with her son and gnomes Fitzgerald and Bartholomew. Josefina’s current projects in the works are a New-Adult fiction eBook and a Fantasy dystopian eBook, the first in a series, due out in 2015.

Links

https://www.facebook.com/yajosefinagutierrez
https://www.josefinagutierrez.com
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8522485.Josefina_Gutierrez

Book Buy Links:

Amazon | BN | BookShop |


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Giveawaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Witch's Diary by Kate Baray

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Title: Witch’s Diary
Author: Kate Baray
Genre: Urban Fantasy

A romp with Max Thorton becomes more, but Kenna McIntyre's standing by her tried and true method of dating--she's moving on. Having successfully dodged Max's calls and crushed any remaining sparks, Kenna learns that one of their encounters has produced startling results--a pregnancy she didn't believe possible and activation of her fire witch powers.

Can she reconcile her past relationship failures with a future that includes Max--if only as the father of her child? And what about her knitting, crafting, home-body mom who turns out to be a bad-ass fire witch fighting for the good of humans everywhere? Can Kenna be a devoted mom, a crime-fighting daughter, and a newly awakened witch without losing her sanity?

With the help of friends Lizzie and Jack, her shockingly capable mom, and a feisty little magical book that refuses to be silenced, Kenna might just have a shot.

Witch's Diary is fourth in the Lost Library (Paranormal Urban Fantasy) series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone novel. Witch's Diary is approximately 225 pages.

***

About the Author:

Baray writes urban & paranormal fantasy, frequently with a romantic twist. She writes and lives in Austin, Texas with her pack of pointers and a bloodhound. Kate has worked as an attorney, a manager, a tractor sales person, and a dog trainer, but writing is her passion. When she's not writing, she volunteers with a search and rescue team, sweeps up hairy dust bunnies, and watches British mysteries.

Links

Amazon Pre-Order: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TFIUGKM
Facebook: /KateBaray
Newsletter Sign-up: http://eepurl.com/WD6UD
Book List: www.katebaray.com/books
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24929906-witch-s-diary

Giveaway

There’s a giveaway for 2 eBook copies of “Defensive Magic” and one signed copy (US, UK, AU and CA only).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight: Help Me Move On by Angie Hemmings

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Help Me Move On
The Southern Ties Series
Book 1 
Angie Hemmings 
Genre: Romance 
ISBN: 978-1502871800 
Number of pages: 248 
Word Count: 81079 

Book Description: 

Ally Dunn is a small town girl with big dreams planning a wedding that would never happen. Ally’s life revolved around being Eric’s wife…until she watched his best friend Isaiah step off that plane, his arm in a sling and Eric's casket behind him. Her grief consumed her, their last conversation not one filled with love but an argument over her favorite flower. He knew her favorite flower, he was just busy…fighting for his country. Isaiah made a promise to Eric, he would keep Ally safe even if that meant saving her from herself. Isaiah takes Ally away when her grief becomes too much but their return brings about something she never expected.  

When Ally meets Colton Walker she knows her life will never be the same. She never planned to move on from Eric, the mere idea of moving on would send her into a panic. How do you move on from the man you loved, the man who shared your dreams, who made your heart feel whole? But Colton doesn’t push her, he doesn’t pressure her, he gives her everything she ever needed and he does it effortlessly.

Falling in love with Colton was like taking her next breath; she didn’t have to think about because it came naturally…only a cloud hangs over Ally. Isaiah trains her in Krav Maga, Eric trained her in gunfire. Colton sees all of this, asking the one question she can’t answer, why? Why would a woman who lives in such a small town need to know such aggressive self-defense? Isaiah vows to keep her safe, going so far as to track her every move…but why?
 
Surviving Eric’s death almost killed Ally, the hole in her heart never truly healed until Colton. Falling in love with Colton was easy, fighting for her life when everything she thought she knew was wrong…that was a completely different story.

Available at Amazon

***

About the Author:

Angie Hemmings is a self-proclaimed romance addict.  Her love for romance began at an early age but after years of reading romance novels she found herself wanting more which led to her first novel.  She's originally from Mount Airy, a small town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and she loves the art behind creating a new story.  Getting lost in the romance, the struggle between her characters is what makes Angie Hemmings continue her work and writing is what she loves. 

www.angiehemmings.com 
@angiehemmings04
https://www.facebook.com/pages/angiehemmingscom
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7398893.Angie_Leonard_Hemmings

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Torrid by Jayne Blue

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Torrid 
Book One
Jayne Blue
Genre:  Erotic Romance/Romantic Suspense 
Number of pages: 200
Word Count: 55,000
Cover Artist: Wicked Smart Designs

Book Description: 

Sometimes, the thing you want belongs to someone else…

Jack - Once upon a time I had everything. The perfect family. The perfect life. In one horrible year, it went away.  I can never have it back but I can hurt the man responsible for taking what was left. I know how to steal something even more important from him. He doesn’t see how she looks at me instead of him. I can make her burn for me, make her addicted to me before I send her back.

And it will be so easy.

Tora - I’ll cross any line to get to the truth, no matter who I have to hurt. I don’t have a choice. I’m not afraid to use sex to get what I want. I know you think that makes me a whore. But until you understand what’s at stake, you can’t know.

Don’t judge me until you do.

Sometimes, you have to take what you want no matter what it costs.

Available at

Amazon | AmazonUK | Nook | Kobo | Google Play | iTunes

***

Excerpt:

Jack leaned in the doorway of the study giving me a cool smirk and my blood simmered. I’d been so careless. My mind spun, trying to weave the lie that might satisfy Jack as to why I was in this room alone. I didn’t belong here and he knew it. Seth accepted my lies so easily. Jack, I suspected, was a different species altogether.

“You seem to have a habit of sneaking up on me,” I said. He was casual, I would be too.

“You seem to have a habit of sneaking off,” he said. He moved away from the door and came toward me.

“She didn’t like me very much, your stepmother,” I said. I would stick to as much of the truth as I dared. He doesn’t know anything, I reminded myself. Until five minutes ago, I’d been careful.

“Me either,” Jack said. He was no more than a foot away from me. He had his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, making his suit jacket lay open. His crisp, white shirt stretched across his broad, strong chest. “Were you not good enough for her little boy, Seth?”

I sat back on the desk, crossing my arms in front of me I let my bare feet dangle. I had tossed my shoes in a heap by the door. Out there, I owned the dress Seth made me wear. It served my purpose to act as his trophy. In here though, it was just Jack. And he had a way of looking through me that made me feel naked.

“I didn’t know her very long,” I said. “She barely knew me before she died. I didn’t take her opinions personally.”

When Jack smiled, his eyes flashed. “You think you would have survived if she had?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean...how long have you been engaged to Seth? Two months, three? My guess is she was just starting to do her number on you.”

“Maybe,” I said. “But, like I said. I didn’t it take personally. I find a lot of people make assumptions about me at their peril.”

Jack nodded. “I think I can see that.”

“So what were you hoping to find by sneaking off back here?” I said. The second I said it, I knew I’d found my hook. Jack’s eyes darkened.

“Just looking around,” he said. “You know this wasn’t originally Miranda’s house. My father bought it for my real mother just a few months before she passed away. We never lived here though. It needed renovations. Miranda ended up doing them. What do you think of the place?”

“It’s big,” I said. A pulse beat toward Jack’s throat and I wondered if that was his tell. It beast faster as soon as he started talking about his real mother. “I think I would have gone with a more modern, less ostentatious flare.”

Jack nodded. “Maybe you’ll still get the chance. That’s what you’re after isn’t it with Seth? The money. The house. That’s the rumor everyone’s spinning.” His words were cruel but his eyes held mischief.

It was bait I was smart enough not to take. So, I cast my own. “What are you after? Seth got everything didn’t he? The money. The house. But you...you’ve always done fine on your own haven’t you? What could Seth possibly have that you still want?”

I smiled and tucked my hair behind my ear. Something in Jack’s expression shifted when I did it. He froze, the smirk melted off his face and a shadow came over him. He moved in close and cupped his hand around the back of my head, tilting it sideways. His breath was hot against my cheek. Until now, it was Miranda’s scent, Miranda’s presence that filled my senses in this house. In an instant, Jack Manning wiped all of that away.

I misread the gesture as he came close to me. Or maybe I didn’t. But, when Jack’s skin touched mine, it ignited something that I’d known was there from the second I saw him.  My flesh burned hot where he touched me. I took in his clean, musky scent. My eyes locked with his. His brown eyes widened and flashed, seeing something in mine that he maybe hadn’t expected.

I could say I don’t know why I did it. I could say it just happened. But that would be yet another lie. I wanted him. I wanted something that was real even if it was just for one moment.

Jack brushed my earlobe with his thumb and I brought my hands up, sliding them across his shoulders and up along the back of his neck. I drew him down to me and brought my lips to his.

I kissed him.

There was the slightest tension in his arms but then he responded. Jack pulled me against him so every part of me touched him. I might have been naked since I had only the thin silk of my dress protecting my skin from his touch. His chest was firm and warm, his skin hot under my fingers as I drew him down even closer. As I pulled him forward, his weight pressed me further on the desk. He kissed me back slow and deep, his tongue probing, his lips a feathery touch against mine. He was holding back. When he finally broke away, the pulse at his throat beat furiously. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath.

Jack didn’t say anything but kept his eyes locked with mine until he took two steps backward and turned toward the door. He took the knob in his hand and for an instant, I thought he was leaving. Instead, he quietly closed the door and engaged the lock. Then, he turned back toward me, his eyes smoldering. Heat flared between my legs as he came back to me with four strong strides.

***

About the Author:

Like most authors, Jayne’s been writing stories all her life in her head and trying out dialogue into her steering wheel.  Her goal is bringing to the page strong heroines, snappy dialogue, interesting predicaments and overall good stories. Throw that all in with some scorching sex scenes and she’ll call it a day.

Jayne’s real life is far less daring. She and her husband and are in the process of rearing a small herd of children. In between her “day job” as a lawyer and media consultant, Jayne has acted as band mom, theatre mom, football mom, wrestling mom and taxi service. Her favorite “homemade” dishes usually have a Costco label on them somewhere.

Jayne lives in the beautiful Irish Hills area of Michigan on a lake where her interesting neighbors always keep her entertained, her husband makes his own wine, and the fish are always biting.

http://www.jayneblue.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8266441.Jayne_Blue

https://www.facebook.com/jayneblueauthor

https://twitter.com/AuthorJayneBlue

***

Tour giveaway 

2 ebook copies of Torrid

2 “starter libraries” of the first books in Jayne’s other series

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Cinderella and the Ghost by Marina Myles

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Cinderella and the Ghost
The Cursed Princes 
Book Four
Marina Myles
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Genre: Historical/paranormal romance
ISBN: 9781601832832
Publisher: Kensington

Description:

A stroke of paint and a stroke of luck. Will they come together to create magic at the stroke of midnight?

When her demanding stepmother died, Ella Benoit knew just how far their fortunes had fallen, unlike her spoiled stepsisters. So she never expected the bequest from her late father. A chateau in France and the freedom to live her own life, all at once!

The chateau has seen better days, but Ella knows she can put the ruined house to rights. The life-size portrait of its first owner, Jean-Daniel Girard, seems to watch her work with approval, even pleasure. With bright blue eyes, strong features, and an athlete’s body, the viscount is a tempting sight even now, more than three hundred years after his tragic death. But the more she looks at the portrait, the more convinced Ella is that she’s met Jean-Daniel before. In another life, perhaps—or maybe, as the form who haunts the halls at night, invading Ella’s dreams…

Available at: Amazon | BN | iTunes | Kobo | BooksaMillion

***

Excerpt:

As Ella passed the drawing room, she halted. Eerie goose bumps blanketed her arms. Drawn to the room, she felt as though she’d been in it before.

She crossed the threshold under a sudden trance. Icy stabs of déjà vu assaulted her because the ornate furnishings and draperies seemed extremely familiar. Perhaps, she considered, I’ve seen the room in one of Adelaide’s real estate or decorating magazines.

Taking a few steps forward, she noticed a huge blank spot on the east wall. The area’s wallpaper not only showed a variance in color, it outlined a missing, life-sized painting or tapestry.

How odd. Why had the art work been removed? Where was it now?

An unrelenting force summoned her closer to the blank spot. Her inquisitiveness grew. If the missing object was indeed a life-sized painting, it must have taken forever to complete. She wondered about its subject. A landscape? More likely, a portrait.

Prodded to start a hunt, she went through several rooms on Château de Maincy’s main level. She searched the front parlor, the back parlor, and the music room. Her favorite was the ballroom. As she entered, a spark met her toes. Wide-eyed, she noticed that rays of sunshine cast a sparkling aura over its faded parquet floor. A glittering chandelier hung in the center of the gold-toned room and anchored the enormous space.

When the chandelier caught a beam of sunlight, Ella received another spark. She put her hand to her warm cheeks. She could almost hear strains of a quadrille—and the drone of chatter as if she were at a party.

Not a party. She rephrased the thought. A ball.

Eyes blurred, she slipped into a deeper trance. Suddenly, she was wearing a stunning costume and was stepping into waltz with a debonair nobleman sporting a mask. The nobleman pulled her tightly against him. Other guests wearing masks looked on.

It was a masquerade ball! More scenes flashed before Ella. Warm wind gusted into the room and then—

Exiting the trance, she realized that the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Why in heaven had she experienced that?

Her father had written that Ella had been at the château before. Yet she had no conscious memory of the visit. Maybe, she thought as she rubbed her eyes, the atmosphere of this house is too seductive to resist.

Still reeling from the vision, her attention shifted to a long-case clock in the corner. Its shattered face was visible through a hinged glass panel that hung ajar. The top of the clock bore a large, vertical gash.

How odd.

Ella inched closer. The open door revealed that the time-piece had been frozen at twelve o’clock. She touched the immobile hands—and in the bright light of the room, she noticed that the clock’s maker had etched his name and creation date into a groove bordering the clock’s pendulum.

Montbleu ~ 1703.

All at once, Ella remembered standing in front of the long-case clock, precisely like this. But how could that be? She must have repressed memories from her visit here as a child. Yet, she couldn’t explain the vision of herself dancing with the handsome man.

Once she confirmed that a life-sized painting wasn’t hanging in the ballroom, she made her way up the grand staircase. Inexplicably, she felt drawn to where she was going. When she reached the second floor of the house, she studied a wall of faded frescoes depicting late seventeenth century life. When something told her to go on, she padded to the third floor landing.

A palpable hush filled the corridor ahead of her. Then a charged stream of energy rushed through the hall. Since all the curtains were drawn over the arched windows, the hallway sat in darkness and shadow. Ella should be doing so many things. Unpacking. Cleaning. Deciding which bedroom would be hers. But a sense of urgency prompted her feet to continue.

What will I find in this part of the house? Glimpses of the valiant but very dead Jean-Daniel Girard?

Gulping, she opened door after door and peeked in. She finally came to a storage space, with an additional staircase leading up to an attic. Creeping up those stairs, Ella surveyed the articles on the landing. Broken mirrors and articles of furniture draped in white sheets lay strewn about. Tangled strings of cobwebs swathed the wood paneling.

A glowing beam of sunlight angled into the room. Ella’s pulse sped. In the corner, she spotted an item covered with a black cloth. The object reclined against the far wall—and appeared to be larger than she was. Pushing the curtains open, she allowed more sunlight to bathe the space. Hands quivering, she moved back to the draped item and pulled away the black cloth.

The painting’s gilded frame was stunning. On it, Ella located a nameplate.

Jean-Daniel Girard—Viscount de Maincy
1677-1703

Slowly, as though her life was being altered with every centimeter, her stare ascended to the nobleman’s astonishing face. Instantly, the world fell into a compelling silence.

Jean-Daniel Girard was tall, muscular, and inarguably handsome. In fact, his good looks were so striking that Ella could barely breathe as she gazed upon them. More than that, she knew she’d seen his face somewhere before. While she racked her brain about where she’d seen it, her gaze roamed over Jean-Daniel’s sold body, penetrating aquamarine eyes, and angular features. He could be described as classically handsome. The epitome of male beauty, really. And thankfully, that classic quality helped him transcend the fanciful clothing and wig he wore.

Ella took a step in and studied him some more. True to subjects painted in that era, he wasn’t smiling. Rather, he seemed a pensive and a bit melancholy. However, she could tell from the laugh lines bracketing his generous mouth that he grinned often.

Incredibly lifelike, Jean-Daniel seemed capable of emerging from the painting right then and there. Ella’s skin tingled.

Her gaze drifted to the adorable dog sitting at the viscount’s feet. A splendid example of a hound, it possessed a gleaming brown-and-white coated, an open mouth, and a protruding tongue. Oddly, the dog seemed to be smiling.

“I can tell you loved your master,” she murmured.

Mesmerized by the man in the painting, Ella stared at his image for what felt like hours. The more she analyzed it, the more she noticed its “lost soul” quality. She crossed her arms. No, that wasn’t it. Instead, there seemed to be something underlying the viscount’s solemn face. As if he weren’t solemn at all. As if he possessed a sense of unfinished business.

To die so young…

She finally looked at the portrait’s backdrop. A vivid depiction of Château de Maincy surrounded Jean-Daniel. A cluster of servants was working in the fields adjacent to the splendid house. Wide-eyed bluebirds perched on the tree branches over his wigged head.

So that’s the way the estate looked in its heyday.

Stepping closer, she zeroed in on Jean-Daniel’s astounding eyes. They seemed to come alive—and for the briefest moment, he did as well. If only they were on a first-name basis! The thought exhilarated her.

While she and the figure locked stares, a new layer of goose bumps sprang up on Ella’s arms. She retreated. Despite the warmth of the room, a chill barraged her body.

“Jean-Daniel Girard is quite swoon-worthy, non?” whispered an unfamiliar voice.

***

About the Author:

Marina Myles’s love of books began as soon as she read her first fairy tale. During her college days in Dallas, she received degrees in English Literature and Communications—and enjoyed the unique experience of being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Now that she lives under the sunny skies of Arizona, she hasn’t left her glamorous life behind completely. After all, she gets to divide her time between her loving family, her loyal Maltese, and worlds filled with fiery—but not easily attained—love affairs.

Visit her at www.marinamyles.com

Represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency

www.facebook.com/marinamylesauthor

www.twitter.com/#!/marinaauthor

www.amazon.com/author/marinamyles

***

Tour Giveaway

10 free iTunes downloads of CINDERELLA AND THE GHOST during my blog tour.

U.S. residents only.

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Book Spotlight: Quinn's Virgin Woman by Sam Crescent

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Quinn's Virgin Woman
Sam Crescent
Release Date: February 11, 2015
Genre: Erotic Romance, M/F, Contemp
Publisher: ARe
Buy Link: All Romance

Book Description:

Claiming his woman will be his greatest mission yet!

After completing his last mission Quinn Powell is leaving the Navy SEALs behind to tackle what just might be his greatest challenge yet, claiming Kaley Woods. The woman is both his sister's best friend and Quinn’s greatest weakness, two things that would send any sane man running in the opposite direction. But then Quinn’s not the type to run.

When Kaley heard that Quinn was coming home, she wondered if he’d still affect her in the same way. Now that he’s living in her apartment, she has her answer. Everywhere she turns, he’s there—strong and intent—his effect on her more powerful than ever. She knows he’s returned in search of something. What she doesn’t realize is he’s come determined to make Kaley his…in every way possible.

***

Excerpt:

Quinn Powell stared down at the picture his sister, Dorothy had sent him. It was of her birthday party, which he’d not been able to attend, and beside her stood Kaley Woods, her best friend. His sister had celebrated her twenty-first birthday three years ago and this picture had been taken then. Dorothy had always been a force to reckon with. The moment she met Kaley in nursery school they’d been best friends. No one could separate the two even if they wanted to. Their parents were overjoyed by their strong friendship as neither would do anything to risk the other. Kaley wouldn’t go out to any wild parties, which meant Dorothy found other ways to occupy her time. Dorothy wouldn’t sit in the library all day reading books, so Kaley found ways to be with her friend. They were like chalk and cheese, yet the best of friends. Watching them grow up had been fun. Quinn was a good ten years older than the girls and had been expected to get them out of trouble even though they were rarely in trouble. Kaley rarely spoke more than a few words at a time to him and he’d done anything to try to.

Over the years he’d noticed that about Kaley. She was a shy girl, almost withdrawn, apart from when she was with Dorothy. His sister brought Kaley out of her shell and forced her to live in the real world rather than her world of books.

He ran his thumb over her picture, falling for her smile like he’d fallen for every single part of her over the last few years. She was a beautiful woman yet hid behind large clothing and glasses she didn’t need. He’d seen her slide them up into her hair several times as she moved around the house. Whenever he entered a room, the glasses would conveniently fall down onto her face, hiding her away. He didn’t know what she was hiding away only that it would no longer work. He wanted her and had left her to live her life for the past six years without any interference from him. When she’d turned eighteen, Quinn had had every intention of getting to know her better, to seduce her. Dorothy asked him to let Kaley live her life, to go to college without the fear of an older, scarier boyfriend. His sister cared about him but she also cared about her friend. Quinn respected Dorothy enough to stay well clear. Dorothy only asked for him to give Kaley a chance to live her life through college. She’d not said anything about the future. He’d given his sister Kaley’s college years, and the last time he spoke to her, he’d made his intentions known. He was coming back home to make Kaley his. His sister no longer demanded he stay away and had in fact started to send him pictures.

He was a Navy Seal and had the pleasure of working with a fine group of men who all worked for special top-secret operations that risked his life on a daily basis. He’d just signed the papers for his final mission. He was getting out and, at the age of thirty-five, he was going to finally marry his woman.

Handing everything over, he grabbed his bag and looked toward his friend, Dale.

“Are you sure about this? There’s nothing more exciting out there.”

Quinn shook Dale’s hand. “I don’t need excitement anymore. I’ve got everything I wanted out of this life. It’s time for me to move on.”

“The guys are all going to miss you.”

“I may be out but that doesn’t mean you can’t come and visit me. I’ll be expecting you.” He withdrew his hand, offering a smile. “Come visit me and I’ll buy you all a beer.”

“Will do. The men are going to want to see the woman that has you leaving our asses.” Dale tucked the form under his arm. “How are you getting home?”

“Plane, taxi, Dorothy has refused to come and get me. She’s at the apartment where I’ll be staying.”

“Okay. Your sister is waiting to give you a long talk, right?”

“You know her well. She’ll be ready to have my ass if I in any way ruin her friendship with Kaley.”

“Ah, the mystery woman has a name.”

Shaking his head, Quinn turned and headed out into the sunshine. He loved the summer a hell of a lot more than he did the winter. Everything always looked brighter to him. Climbing in the back of the guys’ car, he laughed as they talked nonstop about his leaving. They were all good men and he’d miss them.

Quinn stood in the airport and he took out the picture his sister had sent last. It had been taken four months ago at Kaley’s twenty-fourth birthday. His sister knew about his feelings for her friend and had expressed her concern, but she hadn’t stopped sending pictures of Kaley.

His woman smiled back at the camera. In front of her was a large, chocolate-frosted cake. For the first time in a picture the glasses were not present and he was able to see her dark brown eyes. She smiled and it lit up the whole of her face, making his chest tighten and his cock harden unbearably. Her hair was unbound and curled around her shoulders. The dress she wore showed a great deal of cleavage, more daring than anything he’d seen her in as the hem ended before her knee. Kaley was pressing the knife into the cake. She practically sparkled with joy.

Quinn had already set the wheels in motion for him to be out of the Seals. This picture had only confirmed what he would do. It would only be a matter of time before another man saw what he did and fought past her boundaries to get to the woman within. He saw the sensuality within her. The need in her eyes to be taken, to be loved, shone brightly back at him. There was so much need inside her he was surprised Dorothy hadn’t pushed one of her male friends onto Kaley. His sister hadn’t, and so, Quinn was finally ready to make Kaley his. He’d be the one to unlock the passion inside her. He alone would reap the rewards, and when it was all over, he’d be the one she fell in love with.

All he needed to do was persevere. It wasn’t hard. He’d been a Navy Seal; seducing a woman would be a walk in the park.

***

About the Author:

Sam Crescent is passionate about fiction. She loves a good erotic romance and so it only made sense for her to spread her wings and start writing. She began writing in 2009 and finally got that first acceptance in 2011.

She loves creating new characters and delving into the worlds that she creates. When she’s not panicking about a story or arguing with a character, she can be found in her kitchen creating all kinds of havoc. Like her stories the creations in the kitchen can be just as dubious but sometimes things turn out great.

Website: http://samcrescent.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sam.crescent

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamCrescent  

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Magical Love by Gail Hamilton

Is There a Formula for True Love?

When two people fall in love it’s magical…but sometimes the magic needs a little nudging… Or so biochemist, Jason Lucas, thought when he developed a formula to help love-challenged people like himself find true love. Ironically, in "Will He Be Mine," the millionaire scientist unwittingly begins a searing relationship with one of his test subjects and comes to question the feasibility of any love-enhancer formula.

Determined to stop all testing on his love enhancer, Jason elicits the help of his assistant, Lydia, to collect the last samples from nerdish test subject, Damone Reid. This quest propels the curvaceous, African-American woman into a wild adventure in "Man on The Run," fueled by a rejuvenated, romantic Damone, who sweeps her away and off her feet.

Unfortunately, Damone’s samples go astray, and end up in Penny Clark’s perfume. In "Animal Magnetism," Penny is thrilled to find she has unusual skills around wild animals. Intrigued by her abilities, rugged veterinarian, Garth Snowdon, soon falls under her spell. But after one night of explosive passion their love is put to the test when Garth discovers Penny’s heartbreaking secret.

"Magical Love" tells the stories of three couples whose lives change drastically after using the love enhancer formula. Yet despite the heated romances, the emotional intimacies, doubt creeps into the relationships—is it true love or is it the formula?

The door sported a sign that said "Danger. Do Not Enter" in big red letters

Smoothing her hair, straightening her clothes, determined to put her best foot forward, Penny grasped the door handle.  Pulling it open, she stepped decisively inside.

And froze!

She was in a bare concrete corridor with barred cage doors on one side.  All were closed except the one opposite Penny, which stood wide open.  Only feet away, a man was backed up against the wall. 

 Backed up for good reason.

An enormous Siberian tiger, loose in the corridor, was fixed on him, lips pulled back in an ominous snarl.

Without moving a muscle, the man hissed urgently at her out of the side of his mouth.

"Whoever you are, get out before the tiger sees you!"

No part of Penny's body would move.  No part of her brain was able to give a command.

Not when the great cat's head swiveled around and fixed Penny with its terrible yellow eyes.

Slowly, it lifted its head, cocked it to one side, and then took a step in Penny's direction.  

Penny found out what it meant to die a thousand deaths inside of an eye blink.  She actually felt her heart slow down, beating in huge, lolloping thuds as though struggling in heavy molasses.  The tiger took a second step toward her.  Then another, until it was near enough for her to feel the heat of its breath as it sniffed at her harshly.  Its fierce yellow gaze burned into her.  The striped head, up close, was massive.

"N-n-n-nice k-kitty," she heard herself croaking out idiotically.  "Why don’t you go back into your c-c-c-cage?"

The huge cat’s lips quivered, again revealing a terrifying flash of fangs.   But the tiger’s tail, which had been lashing the whole time, suddenly slowed. The menace seemed to die quietly away.  With a final, assessing stare at Penny, the animal turned away and padded through the open cage door into the dimness inside.

Instantly, the man sprang away from the wall and clanged the cage door shut.   Next, he clamped an arm around Penny’s waist and swept her out through the metal door into the sunshine and the normal world where loose tigers did not roam.

It was a good thing the man’s arm was strong.  Once outside, Penny’s knees gave way.  She would have sunk to the ground had not the fellow held her upright. Instead, she collapsed against him.

For an endless moment, they stood leaning together.  Penny could feel the man’s heart thumping like a steam hammer. When her own heart started to remember how to beat like it wasn’t going to explode any time soon, Penny came to herself enough to stand on her own and peel herself off the man’s chest.

“I…oh goodness…I’m s-sorry s-so s-sorry—tiger big—s-sorry—”

She was incoherent.  And felt as though the man’s shirt buttons were imprinted on her flesh.  

“You should be,” the tall, broad-shouldered man suddenly roared in her ear.  “Don’t you know not to walk through a door that says, ‘Danger. Do Not Enter?’  What part of that don’t you understand?”

Penny jumped and stared.  The face next her was volcanic.  Two pale blue eyes blazed out at her. Muscles stood out in ridges all along the man’s jaw.

“You could have been killed!” he sputtered.  “Killed with one swipe of that cat’s claws.”

“I thought you saw me on a camera and were asking me to come in,” Penny cried.

That, at least, stopped the next hot burst.  The angry mouth opened and then shut again.  The jaw muscles smoothed down a bit.  The man ran rigid fingers through a wavy, dark windblown hair and struggled visibly to get a hold of himself.

“The…the tiger didn’t hurt me.  It went back inside the cage.”

Two male brows slid together thoughtfully.  A great deal of the volcanic heat in his face subsided.  The man began to look Penny over closely.

“No,” he said with a tone of incredulity, “she didn’t.  That tiger was badly abused and came to us pregnant.  She’s usually ready to maul anything within reach.  But when you…well, I’ve never seen her calm down so quickly. Who are you anyway?"

“Penny Clark.  Here about the job.  I came through the fence looking for Dr. Snowdon.”

“That’s me.” The man seemed to shake himself. “Sorry about the yelling but you gave me one helluva scare.  With the animals we keep, we can’t afford a single security breach.”

Yeah, right.  So just how had Dr.  Snowdon himself managed to get cornered in there with no means of escape in sight? 

As the man motioned for her to follow and set out toward the house, Penny knew this wasn’t the time to ask.  Inwardly she debated just making a dash for her car.  How badly did she need a job that involved near death by tiger?

“Call me Garth,” the fellow said over his shoulder. 

As they approached the house, Garth’s hand slipped lightly to Penny’s waist to guide her into the rear garden.  Just as he was thinking the waist was nicely trim and supple, he got a full whiff of her perfume, Lucky Love. He had to stop himself from wheezing.

Migawd, what is that perfume!  It could knock over a horse!

Quickly, he stepped out of range, and seated Penny on a stone bench. This woman had recklessly walked straight through an off-limits door and almost into a tiger’s jaws.  He couldn’t afford anybody careless enough to make a possibly fatal mistake. 

On the other hand, she hadn’t screamed or done anything stupid when Sabir approached her. Also, his chest still throbbed with the memory of her body collapsing against him.  She had made an impression on him.  A very strong impression.

Gail Hamilton has been creating novels since the great romance boom of the eighties, writing for Harlequin and other publishers. She has been a farm hand, English teacher, ad copywriter, and once rode a British Bedford truck across the Sahara and back to see Timbuctu. All of it is fodder for her fiction. She is drawn to action, romance, adventure and characters with a distinctly odd twist. These show up in her many romance novels and her fast-moving historical novel, The Tomorrow Country.

After trying urban life in Europe and Toronto, Gail returned to live on the family farm where she grew up. In this rural corner hugging the north shore of Lake Ontario, Gail digs into the rich, raucous local history. She cherishes a secret passion for animated movies and loves snapping photos of nature all around her, reading the constant changes like a newspaper every morning. What better place to hatch brand new tales for everyone’s enjoyment

Visit Gail’s website at www.gailhamiltonwriter.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Spotlight & Giveaway: The Ex File by Alexis D. Craig

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The Ex File
Behind the Blue Line Series
Book 1
Alexis D Craig
Genre: Erotic Suspense, Police Procedural, Hot Romance
Publisher: Hot Ink Press
Date of Publication: 7 Feb 2015
Number of pages: 148
Word Count: 59,931
Cover Artist: Laura Hidalgo of BookFabulous Designs

Book Description: 

Second Chances Can Be Lethal

Narcotics Officer, Sean O’Leary is bitter after a messy divorce that has reinforced his solitary nature, leaving him only with his dog and a sword collection. He could never imagine that  his former best friend may be the only woman to bring happiness into his lonely life.

Ellie Gardner knows loss; especially after she was banished from her best friend/crush's life by his jealous wife. Although the regret of walking away from the love of her life still stung, a chance encounter with Sean may change everything.

When Ellie and Sean reconnect, they could never expect it'd be in such an explosive way, leaving them both to gain the fulfillment of their 'what if's.

Finding love is hard enough without the past breathing down their necks, especially when said past has no intention of letting go. When Sean's ex, Pia Mastriani returns, Ellie must face her nemesis' relentless tactics to get Sean back, including eliminating Ellie if necessary.

Sean and Ellie’s relationship is put to the test but will they fare well while they go rummaging through The Ex File?

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/2Uqk2-CdX9I

***

Excerpt:

Retirement parties and funerals have several things in common, the largest of which is they both resemble family reunions, only with infinitely more baggage. Ellie Gardner didn’t particularly enjoy heading to either, but did so out of duty and respect. It was the least she could do.

The party at the police union hall was in full swing by the time she snuck in the back door.

Her plan was simple, drop her gift, hug her friends, pay her respects, and bolt. Thirty minutes, tops, at least in her mind. These kinds of things depressed her, even with the cash bar she was leaning against currently.
She’d changed out of her front desk aide clothes as soon as her shift had ended and was now comfortably ensconced in her ‘off-duty’ attire of a Clash t-shirt and jeans, both holdovers from her college days, and a new pair of black Chuck Taylors. If she was going to be emotionally uncomfortable, at least she didn’t have to worry about her appearance.

“Sweet tea vodka, two shots.” She smiled at the bartender and pushed a ten across the counter. She figured fortification was going to get her through the night, though not too much lest the pendulum swing wildly in the opposite direction. It wasn’t often that one of her former lovers was retiring, and was there with his new wife. Though they’d remained friends, the level of impending awkward had surpassed ‘thermonuclear’ the moment she’d opened the car door.

“Make that four,” a gruff and familiar voice behind her told the bartender as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

 “Hey stranger.”

Fuck. Make that one ex-lover and one unrequited crush. “Hey, Sean.” She smiled over her shoulder and found herself immediately ensnared in the topaz blue eyes that still showed up in her dreams occasionally. Sean O’Leary was six feet, one inch of Irish devilry, in addition to the badge and gun. Black hair that he’d let grow down to his broad shoulders and a smile that inspired in her a desire to fling her panties at him. The old Jack Daniel’s t-shirt and the well- worn jeans were doing nothing to disabuse her of that notion, either. His hand trailed fire from her shoulder and down her arm before he sidled up to the bar on the stool next to her. Being his friend was hard, and being his best friend, for the short while she had been, had been damn near impossible.

He lightly tangled his fingers in her raven curls, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Anyone else would have gotten cut for that level of familiarity. “I almost didn’t recognize you with your hair long.”
‘Long’ was a relative term. She’d let her hair grow a couple inches beyond her normal pixie cut for the hell of it, and was still getting reacquainted with the ringlets. “Just trying something different.” Though the last time he’d seen it, she’d been damn near a dead ringer for Halle Berry.

This time he just touched one curl, rubbing it between his fingers. “Well I like it, it suits you.”

Ellie was grateful for the darkness of the bar as she felt her cheeks heat in pleasure at the compliment. God, she was pathetic… and damn, how long did it take to fill a shot glass?

“Thanks. I’m liking the longer look on you, too.”

His laugh couldn’t be heard over the music as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, it’s been for work, and I just haven’t felt like getting it cut.” He surveyed the room, filled with uniforms and casual clothes pretty evenly, before turning back to her with a curious look. “I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me, but I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.” It had only been three years since she and Sean had last spoken; since he’d been married and his wife was… not fond of Ellie was the politest way to say it. He slid twenty to the bartender and handed her back her ten.

Ellie gave her ten back to the bartender, “A donation,” she said with a small grin. She then took both her shots in quick succession before turning to face Sean fully. “Of course I’m here. Sarge is one of my favorite people on the planet, and besides,” she patted the expertly wrapped gift on the stool next to her, “his wife commissioned a piece from me.”

In her spare time, Ellie sometimes made shadow boxes for people, because she believed in keeping memories special, even if she wasn’t particularly prepared to revisit them herself.

Sean toasted her before tossing back his first shot, “And I’m sure it’s beautiful.”

She blushed again and nodded her thanks as another friend came over. Sean met her eyes with his in silent goodbye before pushing off the bar to evaporate into the crowd. Not that she followed his perfectly jeans-clad ass as he departed or anything.

***

About the Author:

Alexis is a writer with a couple of day jobs. Working for two different police agencies, it's a juggling act to find time to write.

She is also an aunt, godmother, avid cyclist, serial hobbyist, ghost hunter, and collector of stray animals. Her husband is a loving, patient man.

The author of Imminent Danger, Undercover Seduction, and Give Me Shelter with Lachesis Press, and she has three more novels coming out in 2015, The Ex File on February 7th, Dead and Disorderly on May 23rd, and Bulletproof Princess on August 8th from Hot Ink Press.

www.alexisdcraig.com

@Dispatchvampire

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexis-D-Craig-Author/147234841955791

http://www.pinterest.com/alexisdcraig/

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