Thursday, May 16, 2019

Blog Tour: UNBREAK ME by Maria Vickers!




Unbreak Me Maria Vickers MM romance/ghost story









They were supposed to be together forever. That was the plan, but through a cruel twist of fate the night before their three-year anniversary, Tex Davis lost the one man he would ever love, Memphis King. A year has passed and he still hasn’t been able to move on. Everyone tells him it’s time, but what do they know? Memphis was his partner in love and life. Losing him, broke Tex. Tex has been given an opportunity to move from New York to Seattle. His friends and family are encouraging him to take it, but he has already decided to decline the offer because that would mean leaving Memphis behind. Then something happened. Whether it be fate or something else, Memphis came back to him. Tex’s first love is supposed to help him move on, but not even Memphis can bring himself to force Tex to let him go. Is it so wrong to want to spend forever with the person you loved most? Both hearts are begging to be unbroken.




1 –
One year. One year since Tex had lost Memphis. One year since his lover had been killed, and it had yet to get easier. Everyone kept telling him it would, it never did. There were times he thought about ending it all, and then he would feel something…hear something, making him change his mind.
Actually, sometimes he thought he was losing it.

And today, he called in sick to work, unable to get out of bed until this afternoon. When he finally emerged, he only relocated to the living room after grabbing a full bottle of Southern Comfort, plopping down on the sofa. The very sofa he and Memphis picked out together. It had been their first major furniture decision when they decided to move in together. The moment the delivery men left, Tex and Memphis broke it in thoroughly, wearing themselves out.

Tex’s eyes looked around the room. It seemed so empty without Memphis, and he felt so lost without his lover. He’d been sitting here for hours? Minutes? It had to be some amount of time since the bottle was half gone and he was feeling a drunken morose engulfing him, and he could not stop the bitter question from leaving his lips, the very question he had been asking daily since losing his best friend, lover, other half…his everything. “Why? Why Memphis? Why did you have to go? Why did it have to be you and not me?”
Shaking his head, Tex sniffled and brought his glass filled with amber liquid to his lips. “When you left, it completely broke my heart…I’m still broken. I need to hear you say that you love me one more time. A million more times, but that won’t happen. Can’t happen.” He took another gulp, draining the glass before wiping his nose with the back of his hand.
Pouring himself another glassful of liquor, he breathed out as drops of saltwater fell on his coffee table. He should probably stop drinking and put himself to bed to finish wallowing there, but he couldn’t. It had been one year. One year since that fateful night…unlucky night more like it. One year since he’d heard Memphis’s voice, touched his body, and the loss Tex felt that night remained just as acute tonight as it did then. He thought time was supposed to heal the wounds, to lessen the pain…lies. All lies. “It’s my fault, Memphis. If I hadn’t been spiteful and allowed that monstrous bitch, jealousy, to cloud my judgment…if only. If only. I regretted everything, regretted that the last words I spoke to you were bitter and vile. I can’t forget you, can’t move on. I’m lonely without you, Memphis. It hurts so much that you aren’t here.” He wailed like a banshee, his cry full of sorrow and pain.
More tears were falling, but he ignored them like he’d done every time they sprang up. It was easy to do after all this time; besides, they didn’t matter. Nothing mattered any longer and hadn’t for a year. He sobbed again and then got angry. “I wish you could come back to fix me, fix what you destroyed when you left, but that’s a pipe dream. You got mad, said your piece, and then stormed out of here. If you had just waited…” Tex choked on his words.
“You went the other way. Why? Why the other way? Was it because of the bar? The one where we met? Memphis, do you remember? I was sitting at the bar and you walked up to me and gave me that stupid, cheesy pickup line, ‘I seem to have lost my phone number, can I have yours?’ So stupid. I remember I said, ‘That’s a shame because I lost mine too. I guess we’re both screwed.’ You winked at me then. I should have known something bad was going to come out of your mouth…sexy mouth.
‘Not yet, but we could be.’ I laughed. You were always good at making me laugh, making me smile.” Shaking his head and snickering, he poured another glass. If he destroyed his liver, if he got alcohol poisoning, then maybe he could be with Memphis again.
Tex downed the entire glass, hoping that the pain would deaden or that he would stop feeling anything. Maybe if he drank enough, he could join Memphis. Grabbing a pillow from the couch, Tex threw it across the room, and it bounced off the window overlooking the streets of Manhattan. “You were supposed to go right! You were supposed to go to Christy’s apartment!” He wailed, “Why weren’t you at your sister’s? Why did you have to go the other way? She looked horrible because she had been sick, even her blue hair looked green.” Tex snorted mirthlessly.
It’s been a year and Tex floated through life, unable to move on. “I know I should continue to live for us…for you, but I don’t know how,” Tex’s words ended on a shout, full of rage, and his face was red from more than just the alcohol.
“There has always only been you. You got me when no one else did. You loved me…I loved you. Three years. We were together one night shy of three years. We never got to see four.” Tex fell back and stared up at the blue ceiling with white fluffy clouds painted on it, his tears falling down his face like two rivers. There was no point in wiping them away because there was no end to them, and he couldn’t staunch them even if he tried. Memphis was gone and would forever remain gone.
He chugged the rest of the amber liquid from the bottle and fell to his side onto the couch, resting his head on the cushion. More tears fell. They never stopped. Even if they weren’t falling down his face, his soul cried and mourned the loss of his friend and lover. The pain hadn’t stopped since the day he lost Memphis.
Sitting up, Tex grabbed the bottle of Southern Comfort and raised it into the air, choosing to do away with the glass. “A toast to you and your lost life. Memphis, I still love you, and I wish every single god damned day that you were still here beside me. Each day that passes reminds me that you will never be part of my life again, that you will never hold me, never tease me again. You were funny, caring, sexy, and all mine. Forgive me…God, please forgive me for that night, for accusing you of cheating. I know you loved me. Jealousy is a fucking bitch. Somehow, I’d gotten it into my head that you were leaving me when you weren’t. I found out after. Sometimes I think I killed you. I’m sorry. So, so sorry.” He whimpered as he took in a shaky breath. “Memphis, I will always love you and only you.”
I wish you were here to fix the heart you broke when you died, Memphis, Tex thought to himself as he closed his eyes. Before he fully submitted to the effects of the alcohol though, he felt a set of lips press against his. “Memphis, love…” he slurred, his words tapering off as he finally allowed himself to completely fall into the void.




   Fingers running through his short brown curls and the heaviness of someone sitting next to him had Tex leaning into the touch and smiling. “Memphis, I’m trying to sleep,” he argued, pretending not to like the feel of his lover soothing him. 
   Reality hit a split second later.
   Tex’s eyes popped open, but all he saw was the blackness of his blanket because when he slept, he liked to bury himself and only the top of his head could be seen. Pushing it down and away from him, he twisted his head this way and that, trying to figure out why it felt as if someone was playing with his hair when the apartment should have been completely empty save for him. Events from the previous night filtered into his brain, and he shook his head, still scanning the room. 
   Another thought occurred to him. He was so focused on if it could be Memphis, there was a more logical explanation–thanks to Christy and Wil for planting the idea in his head. Spider! He panicked and grabbed his head, trying to dislodge the bug if it existed, but he found nothing. Instead, much like the night before, he fell off the bed onto the floor, this time hitting his hard head with a loud thud.
   “It wasn’t a spider,” Memphis told him, although watching Tex scramble as he did, had been funny as hell. He didn’t know what happened earlier, one minute he had been here in this apartment with Tex, and the next, nothing…blackness. Nothing scary or oppressive, just a void. Some might call it purgatory, but he didn’t think so because if that was the case, why was he allowed to leave and come back to his Tex? 
   Head snapping up, Tex tried to find the source of the voice, and this time he did, a little easier than last time. With the curtains drawn and the sun beginning to set, the room was dimly lit, and on the bed, on Memphis’sside of the bed, was a…something. Tex wasn’t exactly sure how to describe it. It wasn’t a figure, but it wasn’t exactly nothing either. A mist? No. Smoke? Not really. Shadow? Sort of. It was just there. 
   “Me-Mem…Memphis?” Tex asked hesitantly. His heart was beating wildly and he was on the verge of hyperventilating as his eyes widened, waiting in anticipation for the answer he would receive. And he didn’t know which way he wanted the…thing to answer. If positive, Tex might be crazy. If negative–in a way–it would be like losing Memphis again. Fuck, he was a wishy-washy asshole!
   “Do you remember the night we met? I think I might have told you, but I don’t remember, but the reason I approached you was that I didn’t want Jordan to have you,” Memphis told Tex as if this whole situation was completely normal. 
   Tex gaped at the bed. The thing sort of had a form, but not really, and while it seemed Memphis voice came from it, it didn’t mean that it was Memphis. “Jordan? What do you mean?” He recalled something about Jordan and that night, but he couldn’t think right now because even if it wasn’t actually Memphis speaking to him, it was his voice. Tex couldn’t stop himself from asking while he tried to decide if he should scream and run for his life to admit himself into the nearest psych ward, or if he should rejoice because his lover had finally come back to him. 
   “We played pool to decide who would approach you that night. I lost, and when he went to the bathroom to piss out the five beers he drank, I made my move. It was a toss-up if we would remain friends, or if he would punch me in the nuts and never speak to me again.” 
   “No guy would ever punch another one in the sack.” Tex still wasn’t sure, although, that did sound like something Memphis would say, and definitely something Jordan would threaten if he was pissed off. 
   Memphis chuckled. “You do remember Jordan, right?”




Available on Kindle Unlimited!




FOR THOSE OF YOU WAITING ON JORDAN’S STORY….IT’S COMING!
Unbreak Me will have a side story for Jordan titled Found You.

It is an MM contemporary romance and will appear in With Love From New Orleans Anthology. Available for preorder for 99 cents.


Jordan Cash came to New Orleans to have fun with his latest fling, however, within twenty-four hours of arriving, he’s been abandoned and finds himself wandering around the city doing the tourist thing alone. Everyone is finding someone to love, but that’s not in the cards for him. He’ll spend his days cheering on his friends and having the time of his life. 
He never expected to run into a man who immediately catches his attention in the middle of a graveyard. Did the Voodoo Queen put a spell on him from the beyond? 

***

To say that Archer Wolfe is directionally challenged is the understatement of the year. He broke his cellphone and can get lost in the very city he lives in. It’s no surprise he gets turned around, and while trying to find his way, he pushes Jordan into a stone crypt. Not the best way to make a first impression. 
Archer isn’t looking for love or anything else, but there is something about the smooth-talking Jordan. It was supposed to be a fling, simply some fun, but he is realizing he doesn’t want Jordan to disappear. 

***

Once you’ve found someone who calls to your soul, how do you let go? 







Maria Vickers currently lives in St. Louis, MO with her pug, Spencer Tracy. She has always had a passion for writing and after she became disabled in 2010, she decided to use writing as her escape. She believes that life is about what you make of it. You have to live it to the fullest no matter the circumstances. From a young age, she has always loved books and even dreamed of being an author when she was younger. Growing up in the Navy, she used to weave tales for her siblings and her friends about anything and everything. And when she wasn't creating her own stories, she had a book in her hand. They transported her to another world. She hopes that with her books, her readers have the same experience and that they can relate to her characters. Getting sick changed her life forever, but it also opened doors for her that she thought would always be out of reach.




Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Cover Reveal: IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW by Samantha Chase!


We are so excited to be sharing the cover of IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW, the next book is New York Times bestselling author Samantha Chase’s new Magnolia Sound series. Be sure so pre-order your copy today so you don’t miss out on this new small town romance!

 

About IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW

Golden child Mason Bishop has finally had enough. Tired of bearing the weight of his parents’ expectations, he’s determined to break free and forge his own path. It’s time for him to go after the things he really wants—including the girl he never forgot.
Scarlett Jones is done being ruled by her insecurities. She’s ready to be seen as something other than one of the guys, and she’s done thinking she’s not good enough for the social elite—especially the Bishops.
When he runs into Scarlett at a concert, Mason believes it’s fate bringing them together. But fate only gets you so far. If he wants a real chance with Scarlett, it’s going to take a whole lot of charm to convince her he’s worth it.

Add IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW to your Goodreads TBR!

 

Pre-order IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW today! Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

   

Don't miss the other books in the Magnolia Sound series!

 

Sunkissed Days | Remind Me | A Girl Like You | In Case You Didn't Know

 

About SAMANTHA CHASE

Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Newsletter | BookBub

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Cover Reveal: INTO TEMPTATION by Elle Keating!

Today we have the gorgeous cover reveal of Elle Keating’s Into Temptation!  Check it out and be sure to preorder your copy today!

 

Title: INTO TEMPTATION

Author: Elle Keating

Genre: Paranormal romance

Release Date: June 3rd

About Into Temptation:

Twenty-eight-year-old Lilly Rains would settle for - no, embrace - the idea of Purgatory as atonement for her sins. The newly assigned parish priest has conjured less than righteous thoughts, forcing Lilly to question her sanity for being attracted to a man of the cloth and more importantly, whether she can perform her job as the principal of St. Robert’s Catholic School.   But the handsome and mysterious priest is not what he seems. He has been sent to retrieve Lilly’s wavering soul, preying on a faith that has been rattled by her past. But where there is darkness, there must also be light and God has decided it is time to intervene. A Guardian has been assigned to protect Lilly from the evil surrounding her. However, when the priest and the Guardian begin to pursue her for their own purposes, Lilly is left with an impossible decision.   Will she choose the forbidden man she loves or the Guardian who will be eternally devoted to her?  

Pre-Order Your Copy Today!

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon FR

Add on Goodreads

 

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

“Please let me walk you home.” “It’s just two blocks,” she said. His hand fell away from the small of her back. “Humor me?” he asked. Lilly rolled her eyes and smiled, “Fine.” They started to walk toward her home when he again wondered who this Ray was. Why it had looked as if Lilly had wanted to knee Ray in the groin at the pub. They were a half block in when his curiosity got the better of him. “Is Ray your ex-boyfriend?” “Absolutely not. Obnoxious men who can’t take no for an answer have never been a turn-on. Ray is not my type.” “What is your type?” he asked. She pursed her lips and hesitated. Me. I’m what you want. “You know, I’m not sure. I guess I haven’t found it yet. But that’s my fault. I probably should start dating.” “Start dating?” he asked. Her choice of words captivated him. They crossed the street, bringing them to her block. He didn’t want this conversation to end. “Um… yeah,” she said, sheepishly. She looked away and focused on the gravel beneath her feet. A thousand questions swirled through his head. “You must miss the companionship, the intimacy a relationship can bring.” “Well, it helps when you don’t know what you’re missing.” Stunned, he peered over at her. She did the same thing she had done in the bar when she realized that she had misspoken. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can’t believe I just said that.” “Are you telling me that you’ve never been…” She stopped abruptly and turned toward him. “Yes.” Her fists were clenched at her sides. She looked mortified and pissed off at the same time. “This has been an enlightening night for you. In just under an hour, you have learned that your principal doesn’t attend Mass, which according to my contract is grounds for dismissal. And now, you’ve had the unfortunate experience of witnessing a twenty-eight-year-old admit she’s still a virgin.” Something primal within awakened. Her subtle mannerisms, the way she bit her lip and twirled her hair around her fingers were enough to make his cock twitch. But now, knowing that she had never been with a man was enough to make him want to claim her right there on the sidewalk. “I believe I never was given the opportunity to answer your question.” She crossed her arms over her breasts and started walking toward her house. “What question?” she asked. “You asked me if I thought the priesthood was what I had expected,” he said. “William, don’t do this.” “Do what?” “Attempt to diffuse an embarrassing situation. I’d much rather go home and forget the past hour has ever happened. You know, before I told you that your principal is not a practicing Catholic and has a nonexistent sex life.” She wasn’t trying to be humorous, but he couldn’t help but smile at her. They were nearing her house when he said, “I’m going to answer your question anyway.” He touched her arm and she stopped her brisk pace. “No, the priesthood is not what I had expected. I had anticipated that there would be moments when I would experience loneliness and long for companionship. But I underestimated that all-too-human need for intimacy.” “But… but you’re happy? With the life you’ve chosen?” she asked. Her eyes bore into his and he could feel her searching for something. “Yes. But each day is a struggle.” Her lips parted as if she was going to say something, and then they sealed shut. He wondered what was going through her mind. She no longer appeared embarrassed but intrigued. William was pleased that his admission, though in his mind he had swapped out ‘priesthood’ for the living hell that he was in, had stopped her from wanting to melt into the cracks of the sidewalk. Without thinking, he reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Her breathing hitched and her lips again parted. God, he wanted to taste her. “And some days are more challenging than others.”  

About the Author:

Elle Keating is the author of romance novels with sexy heroes and fierce females. Her first book, Thrill of the Chase (Dangerous Love, #1), was published by Forever Romance’s digital imprint, Forever Yours, in 2015. Cut to the Chase (Dangerous Love, #2) soon followed. Most recently, Elle self-published Wanting More (Dangerous Love, #3), Back to the Start (Dangerous Love, #4) Feels Like Falling (Dangerous Love, #5) and the standalone novel, Keeping His Commandments. When Elle isn’t torturing her heroes and heroines (don’t worry, there’s always a happily ever after), she is a public school administrator and enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children in New Jersey. For more on Elle and her books, visit ellekeating.com.

Connect with Elle:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

 

Release Day: UNBROKEN by Jay Crownover!

 

From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes UNBROKEN, the prequel novella in her brand new Loveless, Texas series! Check out the amazing excerpt below, and grab your copy today!

 

About UNBROKEN:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes a captivating novella about a rugged rodeo star who will do anything to protect the people he loves.

When rodeo star Crew Lawton loses everything in a bad bet, he has no choice but to take a new job to pay off his debts – even if it means becoming the face of an expensive male skincare line. Crew is used to getting sweaty and rustling in the dirt, not posing for photo shoots. And he’s certainly not used to being bossed around by a woman who doesn’t even know the difference between bulls and broncs. But Crew owes money to dangerous criminals, and he’ll do anything Della says in order to pay them back and keep them far away from his family in Loveless, Texas…

The launch of her new men’s line for her family’s company means everything to Della Deveaux, and she’s not willing to let some rugged, arrogant cowboy ruin her campaign. Crew Lawton is the last man she would have chosen to represent her chic, sophisticated brand. Unfortunately, her father already invested millions in Crew’s stupidly handsome face. Yet the more time they spend together, Della and Crew realize that opposites do attract. But when the time comes for Crew to face his past mistakes, will he be able to protect his family…and the woman he’s come to love?

 

GRAB YOUR COPY OF UNBROKEN TODAY!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books 

Google Play | Kobo

 

Goodreads

    EXCERPT: “This the one, Ms. Priss?” I turned in a circle, hating how restrictive and stiff the refined suit felt. There would be no staying on the horse for eight seconds in something like this. I doubted I could even bend over and pull my boots on in this getup. I failed to see how being dressed like I was going to high tea with the queen was going to convince normal men with a little extra cash to buy the junk in my hair. It felt like overkill, but I would chew my tongue off before telling Della that. I knew how much this campaign meant to her, and I needed her to keep me around so I could get paid. .. and get to kiss her again. Della circled around me, eyes scanning from head to toe. A small frown tugged her perfectly arched brows down into a V, and her lush, soft mouth pulled into a pout I was becoming achingly familiar with. She lifted a hand and touched the knot of the silk tie where it rested at the base of my throat. She fingered the delicate material and heaved a sigh. “You look perfect, but something is still off.” She met my gaze with a scowl. “Can you try and look a little less like you’re being tortured? That might help the overall image.” Her snippy tone and the upturn of her nose made me grin. I rolled my head around, causing my neck to pop and my shoulders to relax. Della’s expression softened when I was no longer standing at attention, but she still let out a dejected-sounding sigh and reached for my tie, releasing me from the expensive noose. “You have a body made for designer clothes, but something is lost when you put them on. I feel like we’re trying to wrap the Mona Lisa in silk or something. Frankly, it’s annoying that you make denim and flannel look just as good as Versace and Prada.” Once she had the tie off, she told me to go ahead and get back into my own clothes. I asked her what the plan was for the shoot and a brief flare of panic and doubt lit up her catlike eyes. She forced a smile and told me she would figure it out. Since I was totally a fish out of water in this scenario, all I could do was follow orders like a good soldier. I stripped out of the fitted vest and worked on the tiny buttons of the shirt. I was handing them both off to the flirty wardrobe girl who was enjoying the impromptu striptease when Della’s “Wait a second!” had both of us freezing on the spot. She was looking at me in the mirror, eyes roving over my half-dressed form. She wandered over to where my jeans and boots were tossed in a haphazard pile on the floor. After a second of rooting around, she came toward me, my black wifebeater in one hand and my boots in the other. “Put these on with the pants.” She looked at the wardrobe girl with a lifted brow and had to snap her fingers in the woman’s face to get her attention. “Go find me a pair of suspenders, leather if you have them.” The other woman scurried off to do as she was told and I dropped to the seat to pull on my boots. “I keep trying to turn you into something better.” I looked up at Della as she snorted out a laugh. “But from the start, you were perfect the way you are.”  

Be sure to pre-order JUSTIFIED, the first novel in this brand new, sexy series!


About JUSTIFIED:

The New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series delivers a romance about a rugged Texas sheriff who must protect the woman who was once his sworn enemy...

Case Lawton comes from a family of criminals. So as the sheriff of Loveless, Texas, he's determined to do everything by the book--until he's called to Aspen Barlow's office after a so-called break-in. The last thing he wants to do is help the woman who cost him custody of his son. But Aspen isn't the heartless lawyer Case remembers, and he starts to question his long-held grudge...

Aspen is scared for her life, and Case is her last hope for protection. But to get him on her side, she'll have to reveal the painful truth from all those years ago. Now, as they work together to track down a dangerous criminal, Case and Aspen learn to trust each other. And as the threats escalate, it becomes clear there's a thin line between love and hate... because there's nothing Case wouldn't do to keep her safe.

 

Pre-order your copy of JUSTIFIED today!

  About Jay Crownover: Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series, the Saints of Denver series, the Point series, the Breaking Point series, the Getaway series, and the Loveless, Texas series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.    

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Release Day: A PERFECT LIE by Lisa Renee Jones!

Secrets. Lies. A man. There's always a man. And there's always a truth to be told. 
I'm Hailey Anne Monroe. I’m twenty-eight years old. An artist, who found her muse on the canvas because I wasn’t allowed to have friends or even keep a journal. And yes, if you haven’t guessed by now, I’m that Hailey Anne Monroe, daughter to Thomas Frank Monroe, the man who was a half-percentage point from becoming President of the United States. If you were able to ask him, he’d probably tell you that I was the half point. But you can’t ask him, and he can’t tell you. He’s dead. They’re all dead and now I can speak.
“Can I join you?” he asks, motioning to the table. There’s interest in his eyes, the kind a man has for a woman, but who knows, maybe it’s real or maybe it’s not real. Maybe he knows who I am and sees a path to power and fame. The way Tobey wanted me for money and power, right up until the moment I’d called his number aka his agenda; thus, he has not called me since I left. Maybe Harvard will lie even better than Tobey did. Maybe Harvard will at least kiss better than he did, and the lies would taste like temptation rather than convenience. At least then, if I’m used, I’ll enjoy being used. Whatever the case, it’s clear I might actually be angry with Tobey and that aside, the interest that Harvard has shown in me, must be controlled before my Denver sanctuary is destroyed. “You can join me,” I say, “but only because I’m trying to save the rest of the place from the attorney in the house.” I am pleased when Harvard laughs, where Tobey would have scowled, proving that Harvard has a sense of humor, which is rare for those in my life. I’ve barely completed this thought when he moves forward and claims the seat next to me, not across from me, settling his briefcase on that chair instead. In the process, his leg brushes my leg and for the briefest of moments, I’m transported back to the place that I’m now trying to forget: to Austin, to Drew’s leg next to mine, his wink, and I do now what I did then. I jerk back. If Harvard notices he doesn’t react. “Since we haven’t been formally introduced,” he says, resting his naked hands on the table. “I’m Logan. Logan Casey.” “Logan Casey,” I repeat trying to ground myself in the present, at least for now, but some part of me is still swimming in that memory, which naturally has me wondering if this man is a shark in the water around me. “Two first names,” I add. “Sounds like your parents fought over who got to pick your first name. Did they draw straws for which choice became your middle name?” “You’re actually right on target,” he says, laughing again, and it’s a nice, masculine laugh, and oddly this thought feels familiar while Logan does not. “No one has ever guessed that,” he adds. “My mother won the name war. The women always win. Speaking of names. Do you have one?” “Hailey Anne Pitt,” I say, “and in my house, my father won the name war.” Because in my father’s world, I add silently, the women don’t win the wars. At least, not that he knows, not in an obvious way. I’ve learned this well. “Well then, Hailey Anne Pitt,” he says, “what’s a Stanford girl like you, doing in a place like this? You’re a long way from school.” I’m smacked in the face with a lesson I’ve long ago learned and forgotten with this man; strangers do not always remain strangers and all offhanded remarks can come back to haunt you. “That was a joke,” I say, shutting the door connected to my real life, and a path that leads to my father. “I hate attorneys, remember?” He narrows his eyes on me, and for no reason other than instinct, I believe he’s looking for a lie that he won’t find. I’m simply too well-taught from birth, too skilled at being more than one person to allow such a detection. Well that, and the fact that I really do hate attorneys, which is why I’ll be a good one. “That was a joke?” he confirms. “Yes,” I say. “Are you amused?” “Yes, actually. I am. What does a lawyer-hating smart ass like yourself do for a living?” “When not busy taunting those who went to law school,” I say. “I’m an aspiring artist.” Both honest answers, if you put a “was” in front of the “aspiring artist” which I’d thought that I’d come to terms with, but the knot in my stomach says I have not. Logan motions toward the art room. “Your career explains why you ended up here.” “I guess it does,” I say, as this place serves me well to reconnecting to the Pitt part of my life, which is a place I really need to be right now, for all kinds of reasons. “Are you good?” Logan asks, as if he’s read my mind. My father’s words answer him in my head. Art is useless unless you’re famous, he used to say often, because of course, it was inconceivable that I might be good enough to be famous. “Art is like movies and food,” I say, shoving aside that bad memory. “Good is subjective.” I don’t give him time to reply. I ping the conversation back toward him. “What kind of law do you practice?” “Corporate,” he says, and this time he pings back to me. “Do you live in the neighborhood?” “Yes,” I say simply. “Do you?” “I bought a building a few years ago where I live and work which means this is my home turf, and why I know you’re new here.” “I am,” I say and since he’s clearly going to ask for details, I quickly preempt with an on-the-fly story. Actually, it’s the suggested story, Rudolf included in my file. “I came here for a job, and my new boss owns a house he’s rented to me for dirt cheap.” “And what does an artist do but create art for a living?” “I’m working for a private art acquisitions firm. I now hunt for treasures for a living.” This lie is actually my dream job that I’ve never been allowed to entertain. The horror flick loving waitress delivers my coffee and brownie. “Thank you,” I say, because every politician’s daughter has manners beaten into her. “No problem,” she says, “but if you come to your senses and want a better version of that coffee, just shout.” She eyes Logan. “I already know you want a crappy tasting coffee, on endless pour and a chocolate chip cookie. Coming right up.” “Thanks, Megan,” he says, giving her a wink that I don’t classify as flirtatious, just friendly, and Megan is gone. “Obviously you’re a regular,” I comment, “and they even like you.” “And they like me,” he confirms, “despite knowing I’m an attorney. “Because you’re good looking and use it to your advantage.” He arches a brow. “You think I’m good looking, do you?” “Oh, come on,” I say, crinkling my nose. “Everyone thinks you’re good looking. I’m simply stating a fact. We use what we have and those of us that are smart, know what we have.” I move on from what is really quite inconsequential. “Why work here, not at home, or in the office?” “I find I get a lot of work done with a cookie, coffee, and no access to streaming television,” he explains. No one in my D.C. crowd would make an admission of being human and distractible. Some people in my situation might take comfort in that fact, but I don’t. Logan’s an attorney, and my gut, which I’ll confirm with research, says he’s a powerful one, the kind that radiates toward my father. Maybe that’s a coincidence and maybe it’s not. Maybe he’s testing how well I execute my cover story. The possibilities are many. Though in all fairness to Logan, perhaps I’d lean toward his innocence, if not for the laundry list of recent events such as Tobey being gay and the FBI agent, who is likely working for my father, that I slept with to prove I was a) still desirable and b) not a killer.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series.
In addition to the success of Lisa's INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is also the author of the bestselling WHITE LIES and LILAH LOVE series.
Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women's Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Release Blitz: HOLD ME CLOSE by Shannyn Schroeder!

Today we have the release blitz for HOLD ME CLOSE by Shannyn Schroeder! I am so excited to share this sexy new romance with you—check out the release festivities and be sure to grab your copy today!

Title: HOLD ME CLOSE

Author: Shannyn Schroeder

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: O’Leary’s, Book 6

About Hold Me Close:

Taming a spirited, fun-loving O'Leary may be harder than he realized...   After more than a year in Ireland, Maggie O'Leary is finally coming back to Chicago with a plan for her future. Confronting the tragedy that destroyed her is her first step. But to do that, she needs to work in her family's bar--something her family doesn't want. Luckily, her best friend, Shane Callahan, is her biggest support--and lovable in a way she doesn’t remember.   Determined to protect Maggie, Shane refuses to leave the bar when she's working late. And when Maggie boldly tells him that she wants him to help her conquer her final fear—sex—Shane knows a single night together won't be possible. The idea of a spirited Maggie in his bed is everything, but will she believe he wants her heart too?  

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Something to Prove:

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Exclusive Excerpt:

Maggie stared out the window as Shane took streets through the city to get her to her mom’s house. Asking him to pick her up had been a good choice. She could’ve asked Moira, but her sister would try to talk her out of her plan. Shane was the best listener she’d ever known. He’d proven it again today. The guy even remembered the name of her therapist. Who did that? Shane. Always Shane. He’d been there for her through the good and the really, really bad. Even when it was hard, and she’d tried to push him away because she didn’t think she could be around any guy after being raped, he stayed. Not in an obnoxious I know what’s best for you way, but in an I care about you way. Without him, she probably never would have had the guts to travel. After he pulled up in front of her mom’s house, he put the truck in park but didn’t turn off the ignition. “Coming in?” He let out a small chuckle. “You decided to come home without telling your family. Then you had me pick you up from the airport. They’re going to have plenty to say, and I don’t want to be caught in the crossfire. I think I’ll head home.” “Chicken.” “Smart.” “Whatever.” She yanked on the handle and jumped from the cab. Shane met her and grabbed her suitcase. After setting it on the curb at her feet, he held her hand. “I’m glad you’re finally home.” “You’re gonna get sick of me.” “Never.” He slammed the door. “Give me a call if you want to get together later.” “My family will probably fill my night. And then some. I’ll call when I need to escape.” She hefted the bag and stared at the front door. Although she knew Shane had gotten back behind the wheel, the truck didn’t move. Of course he’d wait for her to go inside. She waved at Shane and walked up the steps. The last time she’d made this trip, she entered a living room filled with her siblings all crying. Their mother had had a heart attack and was in the hospital. The whole episode made Maggie realize how much she was missing. Not just for herself, but with her family. As the youngest, she’d always been able to count on having her family there. It had never occurred to her that at some point they might not be. She turned the knob on the door and found resistance. She fished out her keys and let herself in. With the door closed at her back she paused and took a slow inhale. No dinner smells. And quiet. She couldn’t remember a time when home was quiet. “Mom?” she called, hoping her mom was there. “What? Who is it?” A relieved sigh joined the smile on her face. “It’s me, Maggie.” She turned the corner and walked through the living room and dining room. Her mother stood at the door to the kitchen. The teacup in her hand shook. Maybe a surprise homecoming wasn’t the best idea. “What’s wrong?” Eileen asked. “Nothing. I’m home. For good.” Her mom set her tea on the table. “When did this come about? And without so much as a phone call.” Maggie hugged her mom and breathed in the scents of Jean Naté cologne and Estée Lauder makeup. Mom gave her a quick pat on the back. “How do you feel?” she asked Eileen. “Fine. Same as I have been every time you’ve asked. I’ve had enough of the coddling.” She took up her cup again and sipped before sitting at the dining room table.  

About Shannyn Schroeder:

Shannyn Schroeder is the author of the O’Leary series and the For Your Love series, contemporary romances centered around large Irish-American families in Chicago and the Hot & Nerdy series about nerdy friends finding love. Look for her new series – The Dating Challenge in 2019. When she’s not wrangling her three kids or writing, she watches a ton of TV and loves to bake cookies.  

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Monday, May 13, 2019

Release blitz: LAYBACK by Jennifer Rebecca!

Today we have the release day blitz for Layback by Jennifer Rebecca! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today:

 

Title: Layback 

Author: Jennifer Rebecca

Genre: Sports Romance

 

About Layback:

Not too long ago, I had one goal: Win an Olympic Gold Medal but an injury took me out of the running for the Ladies Figure Skating competition at the last Olympic Games. Nancy Kerrigan was grandfathered in. I was not. Translation: I was disqualified. DQ’d. I was out in the cold on my keister. But when an offer to fill a spot on a pairs team lands in my lap, I take it. It seems like an answered prayer—that is until a competitor is found brutally murdered in her room at the competitor’s village and my partner is the number one suspect. I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands. Again. Sweet Kristi Yamaguchi, save me from overly cocky men. My name is Sophia Eleonore Dubois and holy mother of Dorothy Hamill my life is still complicated . . .

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Exclusive Excerpt:

My phone bounces around on the nightstand as it softly plays Britney Spears. It’s time to work, bitch. And this morning I have a practice skate with Luc. We have been working so hard these past few weeks and things are finally coming together. I am so thankful for this opportunity that I don’t want to let Luc and our coaches down so I try and get to the rink extra early so that I am warmed up and ready to go. I don’t want any of them waiting on me. I look back over my shoulder to where Kane is sleeping. His eyes are still closed, and his breaths come evenly. Good, he’s still asleep and after last night’s revelations, I don’t want to wake him up. We are finally in a good place again and I’m not going to throw Luc in his face the very next day. I’m not going to be the one to rock the boat this time. I gently lift the covers and cautiously slide out from underneath them. If I was focused on anything other than not waking Kane up, I would have noticed that he, and other parts of his anatomy, were very much awake long before his arm tightens around my waist and hauls me back into the bed. “Eeek!” I squeal as he surprises me. “Where are you going, Tink?” Kane rasps, his voice still husky with sleep and other things. “I don’t know if I’m ready to let you leave this bed yet.” “Well, you don’t have a choice because I have an early practice this morning,” I inform him with a little softness in my voice so that he knows that I am not choosing the rink over him. “But I’ll be back later.” Kane lets go of me and I slide out of bed and start pulling clothing that I had left here before we stopped speaking from drawers. I notice that Kane is flinging the covers back and pushing up from the bed to stand nude in all his morning glory—and I do mean glory—which I see prominently when he turns to the side before facing away again. His firm backside is turned towards me and I watch the muscles in his body play as he stretches out. “Wh-what are you doing?” I ask before I give my brain a chance to catch up with my mouth. I should probably get some coffee in me before I sign my life away. “Getting up,” he says with a smirk playing about his mouth. “I . . . uhh . . . I see that,” I mumble as I stare at his erection. I can’t help it. It’s like there’s a sexual tractor beam that draws my eyes directly to his long, hard cock. “My eyes are up here, baby,” he says with a chuckle and my eyes snap up to his. “I meant that I was getting out of bed to go with you.” “Oh . . .” Well, that’s not at all embarrassing. Kane has the ability to wipe all thought from my brain with a set of glutes that I know for a fact that I can bounce a quarter off of them because I have already tried. I lose my train of thought as I watch Kane pull a pair of lighter wash jeans out of a drawer and slide them up his legs without underpants. They way that the smooth material molds to his muscular legs and . . . other assets shows how well-worn they are. Not to mention spending the day knowing that there is nothing standing in between my hand and what I so desperately want but a few buttons and some well worn material is going to play havoc in my mind all morning. He pulls a white t-shirt over his head then grabs a gray hoodie and tosses it on the bed before grabbing a pair of socks and running shoes. “Sophie?” he calls my name making me snap to attention. “What?” I ask still distracted by the thought of him going commando. I wonder if I would be able to tell if he was even a little bit hard because the material is so soft and pliable. If I was paying more attention to what I was trying not to pay attention to I would definitely have my answer. “You were staring . . .” he trails off in explanation. “Huh?” I slow blink once . . . twice . . . three times to clear the fog from my brain but all I can see is Kane’s huge . . . uhh . . . “You’re staring.” He smirks. “And if you keep on staring at me like that Tink we’re going to be about an hour late.” That snaps me back into consciousness. “No!” I shout as he prowls closer. “We don’t have time.” “I’ll be quick,” he hums as he pushes me back onto the bed and somehow scooping up the shirt of his that I slept in last night and pulling it over my head to throw down to the floor like the practiced sex magician that he is—leaving me naked. “How quick?” I ask before I can stop my mouth from asking what my brain knows that it shouldn’t. I don’t have time to play with Kane. I can’t be late for practice. “Fast,” Kane says as he flicks open the buttons on those jeans that he wears all too well and lets his hard length spring free. He leans down over me. And I was going to be early anyways, now I’ll just be on time. That’s good enough. I can afford to be fast with Kane. “Not too fast,” I complain. “No, baby. Not too fast,” he says just before he crashes his mouth down on mine and slides deep inside me. Kane hits that spot that makes my eyes roll back in my head and all rational thought goes right out the window.    

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About the Author:

Jennifer is a thirty something lover of words, all words: the written, the spoken, the sung (even poorly), the sweet, the funny, and even the four letter variety. She is a native of San Diego, California where she grew up reading the Brownings and Rebecca with her mother and Clifford and the Dog who Glowed in the Dark with her dad, much to her mother’s dismay.   Jennifer is a graduate of California State University San Marcos where she studied Criminology and Justice Studies. She is also an Alpha Xi Delta.   10 years ago, she was swept off her feet by her very own sailor. Today, they are happily married and the parents of a 8 year old and 6 year old twins. She can often be found in East Texas on the soccer fields, drawing with her children, or reading. Jennifer is convinced that if she puts her fitbit on one of the dogs, she might finally make her step goals. She loves a great romance, an alpha hero, and lots and lots of laughter.  

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