Today we have the teaser reveal for Stripping Her Defenses by Amanda Adams! Check it out and preorder your copy today!
Title: Stripping Her Defenses
Author: Amanda Adams
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 15th
About Stripping Her Defenses: Regret is a strange thing…sometimes it drops a man to his knees. But sometimes it’s more like a slow drip poison. I’ve only ever regretted two things in my life. Walking away from her was one of them...
Duty? Honor? Love? After ten years in the military, they all mean nothing to Daniel, nothing but pain. He's home now, but war—and the secrets that followed him—hold him in an unrelenting grip. It’s dangerous to fall in love, dangerous to believe the past will stay buried where it can’t hurt the people around him, where it can’t hurt her.
But one look at Chloe and he remembers a time when all he worried about was getting his hands on her. Does he deserve a second chance? Hell no. But he's got a new mission now: Strip every single one of Chloe's defenses and win back her heart. He'll use any means necessary to seduce her. And when the past comes calling, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her. Because when he's on a mission, he always gets his mark.
Exclusive Excerpt:
Regret is a strange thing. It can be powerful, so crippling it will knock a man to his knees, or so soft and insidious it’s like a slow-drip poison in the mind.
On any given day, I feel both sensations. Not for the decision I made, but for what it cost every single one of the men on the team that day. The truth changed each of us. Not one of us, had we known, would choose to bear this burden. But now that we’ve seen behind the magic curtain, it’s too late to go back. Troy is gone.
And since time travel isn’t an option...
My six years of war have ended, and I don’t feel like I belong in a suburban home, any more than I belong in this strange echo of a previous life I am destined to live. But now I’m home, back in Texas, with my sister making a fuss upstairs and everything I own in a handful of boxes on her basement floor. The house, the town, the sights and the sounds; none of it has changed, but I have. I could never be the same man I’d been when I left. Standing here, with sunlight streaming in through the windows and the smell of the neighbor’s barbecue filling the air of my sister’s immaculate, 100 year old craftsman style home with a porch that seems to stretch for miles, Americana reigns. I half expect a little girl named Betty June to ride up on her Schwinn bicycle, sporting pigtails and bobbysocks, to sell me a ticket to an ice cream social. I am so far removed from what happened in that cave in the mountains of Afghanistan that I should be relieved. Happy. Content.
Not haunted by the ghost of a man the entire world believes to be dead. It’s not his fault, but I resent him, just a little, for the weight of the secret we all now carry. Then again, I can walk down the street, eat at a restaurant and drive a car without constantly looking over my shoulder. It’s hard to hate a guy, a good man who can never go home again, when he has a target on his back.
“Daniel, are all of the boxes out of the truck?” My sister Sara’s voice echoes down the stairway, to the harsh surfaces of the finished basement as I bend over the last box, squinting to read the handwriting on the lid. The words looked something like “Iesh,” which probably meant they were Josh’s things. No one can read his handwriting without a magic de-coder ring.
“Yeah, I got the last of them,” I call out. Everything I own is in this room, and some things I wish I didn’t. The package that arrived yesterday from Italy with no return address? I haven’t opened it yet. I know who it’s from and I know what it will bring to my life. Chaos. Risk. Secrets. More secrets.
Shoving it into the bottom of my duffel bag, I head back up the ancient wood stairs. Painted lime green and scuffed from years of footfalls, they creak with every step.
Standing at the top of the stairs, Sara brushes her hands on her jeans then crosses her arms while she awaits my ascent. “I guess the nice thing about you military guys is that you don’t have a ton of stuff lying around.”
“That’s one way to look at it.” I left everything behind. Most of the stuff on the floor downstairs had been in storage the last few years, since the day I shipped out. I’m not even sure I’ll open the boxes. Everything I need to survive is in my oversized duffel bag next to the bed.
Everything I need to survive, and the one secret that might cost me everything, including the one woman I’ve never been able to forget.
About the Author:
Amanda Adams writes super-sexy, new adult and contemporary romance. A full time author, Amanda spends her days trying to walk more and type less. If she eats a salad for lunch, she makes sure to reward herself with chocolate after (as any reasonable woman would do.) Amanda believes in true love, love at first sight, and every other cliche because lightning struck her in high school and she's been happily married to her sweetheart ever since. However, she also knows, from personal experience, that life can big one great big, painful mess as well. Amanda believes in keeping things real. Her books are free of cheating--with a guaranteed HEA--but hold on tight: it's going to be one hell of a bumpy ride.
Like a Phoenix from the Ashes, True Love Can Arise from Illness and Death.
An aspiring fashion designer, Amy’s life changes when her mother suddenly falls ill. Her mother needs lifesaving surgery, and it’s up to Amy to acquire the funds.
A famous and highly valued football player, Josh has an incredible lifetime of excellence in his sport. His life crumbles when his mother and sister are killed in a car crash while on their way to see his last game of the season. Distraught with self-loathing and self-blame, Josh descends into a life of alcoholism and loose women that threatens to ruin his football career and possibly his life.
Mission Impossible?
A friend sets Amy up with a job as a PA at the LA PR Agency which represents Josh’s football team, the Gladiators. Her task is to whip Josh into shape mentally and physically for the next football season.
From Worst Person in the World to Love of a Lifetime?
Shocked to her core, Amy discovers that Josh is the worst person in the world. His daily protests, unsavory habits and loose women are unbelievable. Josh is equally annoyed with Amy. As Amy gets Josh to see some hope, a spark is kindled…
Will that spark grow into a flaming romance? Or will they return to their regular lives?
Excerpt
A series of female giggles pierced the silence. She looked upstairs to where the sound resonated and saw two women in barely there bikini’s running down the steps. Behind them was Joshua Mancini himself wearing a pair of shorts and a black t-shirt. He was chasing the women.
Amy geared herself up to meet her new employer. Even if she was appalled at the state of the house she had to make that first impression a good one.
As he got closer she saw that he was truly handsome indeed with his sleek muscle and untamed pride. What she saw online was totally drool-worthy, but those images had nothing on the real-life Joshua Mancini who was six feet six, extremely well built with a ridged wall of a chest that bulged against the soft fabric of his t- shirt. He was breathtaking to look at with his black shiny, spiky hair, tanned skin and piercing eyes with an unusual mix of blue and green. Turquoise. That was the color. It was turquoise like the sea in somewhere like the Caribbean. Not that she’d ever been, but she’d seen enough pictures.
He was the kind of man that made you want to stare, even against your will. She quickly adjusted herself and her focus. It would do her no good to go all girlie weak-kneed and turn into some babbling buffoon in front of him. She had to look professional.
He looked her over with appreciation as he made his descent down the stairs and stopped a few paces away from her, making her feel like a dwarf even in her heels that added an extra two inches to her mere five feet and four inches. The women joined him and giggled as they tried to fix each other’s hair.
“Good, the stripper’s here,” he said with a wide smile that revealed super gorgeous dimples in his exotic high cheek bones. It took her a second or two to realize that he was referring to her.
“No, no I’m from the agency,” she replied quickly.
“I’m Amy, your new PA.” That was when he looked up at her and narrowed his eyes. “If you could just point me in the direction of the office I’ll get started.”
There, that was professional.
To her surprise, however, he started to laugh. It was the usual sort of off balanced laughter you’d expect from someone who was truly wasted and didn’t know what they were even laughing at. “Those people are jokers.”
“This is no joke. I’ll take care of all your paperwork and everything.” She offered a smile.
“Ha, ha. Everything? Well you can start in there.” He set his square jaw in a firm line and pointed to the mess in the living room. “Clean that up will you.”
Her mouth dropped. She attempted to protest but he just walked away, leaving her there to gawk at the crazy mess.
Khardine Gray is a contemporary romance author who lives in England with her husband and two kids. She is well travelled, cultured, and a woman with a passion for dancing and ice skating.
When not writing you can catch her shopping, indulging on pizza and hot chocolate, or hanging out with her family and friends.
No need to spend money on an airline ticket. Simply pick up one of Khardine's books to become immersed in the fascinating stories and characters she creates.
Khardine Gray is giving away an e-copy of her latest release, The Shape of My Heart. For your chance to win, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on August 11, 2017, and is open to entrants worldwide.
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We’re so thrilled to share this sale with you! All three books; Race the Darkness, Hunt the Dawn, and Saving Mercy are on sale for 99¢ (reg $6.15).
RACE THE DARKNESS
Series: Fatal Dreams Series, Book 1
Genre: Dark Romantic Thriller
Cursed with a terrible gift...
Criminal investigator Xander Stone doesn't have to question you-he can hear your thoughts. Scarred by lightning, burdened with a power that gives him no peace, Xander struggles to maintain his sanity against the voice that haunts him day and night-the voice of a woman begging him to save her.
A gift that threatens to engulf them
Isleen Walker has long since given up hope of escape from the nightmare of captivity and torture that is draining her life, her mind, and her soul. Except...there is the man in her feverish dreams, the strangely beautiful man who beckons her to freedom and wholeness. And when he comes, if he comes, it will take all their combined fury and faith to overcome a madman bent on fulfilling a deadly prophecy.
Her gaze locked with his—locked so hard the entire world vanished and all that existed were her and him and his hand feeling the steady beat of her heart. Whatever the fuck she was about to say, he was gonna believe her. She could tell him he was a two-headed, purple squirrel, and he’d go out, find a nut, and climb a tree.
“Xander. I vow to protect you from pain. I vow never to leave you unless you want me to leave. I vow never to hurt you the way Gran hurt your father. Because hurting you would be hurting myself. Your pain is my pain. And my pain is yours. But together we are strong and invincible. Don’t you feel it when we touch? It’s all I can feel. All I want to feel. You and me. Us. Together.”
Her words did more than enter his ears; they melded into him as bone-deep truth. He’d never do anything to hurt her and—damn—he trusted that she wouldn’t hurt him. As sick as it sounded, maybe his faith in her was born from the suffering she’d endured. She understood pain. Understood the depth and damage pain caused in a way few others ever would. That kind of knowledge made her incapable of wounding anyone else.
“Say something. You’re looking at me funny.” Her voice trembled just a bit. He could practically hear her doubting whether she should’ve spoken the words of her heart.
“What you said… Those words…” Christ. He didn’t have experience talking about his feelings. “Everything.”
She cocked her head to the side, questions wrinkling her forehead.
He was screwing this up. “Your words mean everything to me.” He could show her easier than he could tell her. He slid his hands up her neck, framing her face, staring at her, absorbing every detail. “You’re my…” Fearless. He caught himself before he said the word. To base how he felt on a story wasn’t real. She was real. And the emotions warming him were real. “Everything.”
He lowered his mouth to hers. She tasted sweet, of cinnamon and sugar, and for some reason, his heart ached with a fullness of feeling it had never experienced before.
He scooped her up in his arms, cradling her to his chest, his mind flashing back to the day he found her—and to holding her this same way. God, she had weighed so little, had seemed so fragile, but she was strong. Stronger than he’d ever be. Knowing what she’s gone through, what she’d survived—yeah. Strong was too weak a word to describe her.
He carried her up the stairs to his bedroom, his mouth never leaving hers. With a gentleness born of reverence, he settled her on the bed. He broke the kiss to stare at her once more. Her eyes were closed, her face relaxed, her lips deliciously puffy and pink from a good kissing. He fucking loved pink.
HUNT THE DAWN
Series: Fatal Dreams Series, Book 2 (stand alone)
Genre: Dark Romantic Thriller
Out of darkness and danger…
You can't hide your secrets from Lathan Montgomery-he can read your darkest memories. And while his special abilities are invaluable in the FBI's hunt for a serial killer, he has no way to avoid the pain that brings him. Until he is drawn to courageous, down-on-her-luck Evanee Brown and finds himself able to offer her something he's never offered another human being: himself.
Dawns a unique and powerful love
Nightmares are nothing new to Evanee Brown. But once she meets Lathan, they plummet into the realm of the macabre. Murder victims are reaching from beyond the grave to give Evanee evidence that could help Lathan bring a terrifying killer to justice. Together, they could forge an indomitable partnership to thwart violence, abuse, and death-if they survive the forces that seek to tear them apart.
While he hauled his motorcycle onto the road, he didn’t look away from her. She stood bereft in the middle of the pavement, staring out over the pasture. Emotions infused the air around her. Shame. Hate. Embarrassment. Sadness. Fear. Desperation.
He recognized that tangled combination of scents. Knew them intimately. Knew the feeling of being hurt and vulnerable and powerless to stop the pain. Knew how memories, like the one he witnessed, had left wounds on her soul and Junior had just ripped off all the scabs.
She was raw, bleeding emotionally in front of him and yet holding it together by a spider’s thread. He could see the effort in the way she stood straight and stiff.
Fury simmered low in his gut. After he got her squared away, maybe he’d pay a visit to Junior. Show the asshole what it felt like to be the victim.
He walked the bike to her. After he straddled the seat, he held out his hand to her. She grabbed him, her grip hungry.
“Climb on up.”
She tossed her leg over the seat, using his hand to balance her weight.
He sat at the same time she did, her body settling against his back.
Holy Jesus. He couldn’t activate the ability to think—his brain short-circuited from her nearness. Everything disappeared but the feeling of her open thighs wrapped around his ass with nothing but a tiny pair of black shorts and his jeans between them.
Her sweet musky scent, almost like honey, but better—way better—folded around him like a celestial pair of wings. The scent of her entered his nose, flowed into his lungs, then out to his extremities, spreading a cooling wave of solace that he wanted to savor, but couldn’t. Not with her perched behind him, waiting for him to drive down the road.
He placed her hand against his stomach, pressed it tightly to him. His abdominal muscles twitched under her touch.
“Hold on.” He let go of her hand and she slid her other arm around his waist. She pressed her front to his back, holding as tightly to his body as she’d held his hand. She was a clingy little thing. Not that he minded. Her touch felt like—what was the word he wanted to use—kismet. Exactly as he’d always imagined a lover’s touch. Two pieces fitting perfectly together.
He kicked the machine in gear, trying to ease it forward instead of his normal burst of speed. She rested her head on his spine, nestling her cheek across the fabric of his shirt before settling.
His heart grew, straining against his chest wall, threatening to come up his throat in a shout of
absolute ecstasy.
SAVING MERCY
Series: Fatal Truth Series, Book 1
Genre: Dark Romantic Thriller
He’s found her at last…
Cain Killion knows himself to be a damaged man. His only redeeming quality? The extrasensory connection to blood that he uses to catch killers. His latest case takes a macabre turn when he discovers a familiar and haunting symbol linking the crime to his horrific past—and the one woman who might understand what it means.
Only to lose her to a nightmare
Mercy Ledger is brave, resilient, beautiful—and in terrible danger. The moment Cain finds her the line between good and evil blurs and the only thing clear to them is that they belong together. Love is the antidote for blood—but is their bond strong enough to overcome the madness that stalks them?
The rain came down gray and thick as a shroud, blurring his vision of the world. He flipped on the wipers and pulled out of the hospital parking lot onto the road. Fat blobs of smacked the windshield loud as marbles being tossed against the glass. Was that hail? As if it mattered. His car was trashed.
Cain had covered the passenger seat and all Mac’s blood with a blanket he kept in the trunk. Even though his view of all that crimson was blocked, his mind knew it was there and his eyes kept wandering to the blanket, calling up the image of the dark stickiness coating the seat and the floor. All that blood was playing touchy-feely with his sanity. And he wasn’t in the mood for games.
He drove past a gas station, a fast food restaurant, a person walking alongside the road. His foot hit the brake before his brain had a chance to talk him out of it.
Mercy.
Her hair was slicked to her skull, her clothes—his clothes—were sucked to her body, doing a shitty job of hiding her curves. At least the T-shirt she wore was black, not white. He pulled over to the berm and watched her in the rearview mirror.
She stopped walking, stared at the car—knew it was him—but didn’t move. Could he blame her for not wanting to be around him after what he’d said to her? Not really. And yet, he couldn’t leave her alone and walking in the rain with Payne still out there. Not to mention that she didn’t have anyone or anywhere to go.
She still hadn’t moved from her spot. He left the car running, opened his door and got out. The rain slapped him—frigid, bordering on icy, soaking his clothes and dripping in his eyes. The pressure of it hitting the wounds in his bicep and shoulder made him wince. But that was all the attention he’d give to the pain.
“Get in the car.” The words came out harsher than he’d intended.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, lifted her head, and somehow managed to stare down her nose at him even though she was almost a foot shorter. “No.” She said the word as if it didn’t matter that they were standing in the middle of a downpour.
“Get in the goddamned car.” This time the words came out loud and angry sounding. Like that was going to win her over. What was his problem?
“Fuck you.” She looked miserable—all wet and shivery and yet feisty and taking none of his crap.
He should soften his tone. He should try to be nicer. He should, but his inner asshole seemed attracted to her inner bitch. “Where are you going? No where. You don’t have anywhere to go. You don’t have any money. You don’t have friends.” His voice softened and filled with some emotion he couldn’t name. “You don’t have anyone looking out for you, caring for you, able to help you in a pinch. You got no one.” He sucked in a breath and when he spoke next his voice was soft and pleading. “Except me.”
The moment he finished speaking he wanted to retract every goddamned one of those words he’d spoken. “I’m…Shit…” He ran a hand through his soaking hair. “Goddamn it. I’m a dick. Okay?” He softened his tone. “Now will you please get in the car?”
Her shoulders straightened, her chin lifted, and she walked forward without looking at him. He expecting her to stomp past the car, but she yanked open the passenger door and got in. Seconds passed where he just stood here, getting even more wet, and staring at the back of her head poking above the headrest.
“Now what?” He asked himself. Just what was he going to do with her? Drop her on Dolan? Yes. No. Yes. No. No. No. The last time he tried dropping her on someone she’d almost gotten hurt. If Mac hadn’t been able to keep her safe, he sure as shit wasn’t going to trust Dolan with her.
He got back in car. Every inch of him soaked. He brushed his hair back off his face and wiped the water from his eyes.
She stared out the passenger window, refusing to look at him. He reached over and touched her shoulder. Underneath his hand, her body tensed, then trembled. Shit. Was he scaring her?
He wrenched his hand off her and wanted to use the damned thing to slap himself around a little. Maybe then he’d get it through his stupid brain that she was fucking frightened of him. Too many words flooded his mind and he didn’t know which ones to say. The I’m-sorry ones. The I-won’t-hurt-you ones. The I’m-an-asshole ones. The I-don’t-know-what-to-do ones.
She turned to him. Rain slicked her cheeks. Or was that tears? Her beautiful eyes were the color of tropical waters—deep and fathomless. He held up his hands in a show of surrender and she flew across the console at him.
He closed his eyes, braced for the blows, but none came.
Instead, slender arms wrapped around him, her hair, cold and wet dripped against his chest, but her cheek over his heart was warm—so warm.
Maybe he’d had a stroke or something because this felt like she was hugging him. And that couldn’t be. Could it? He opened his eyes and looked down at her.
Yep. She was wound tight around the front of him. And suddenly his brain let him feel the total sensation of it. Of being held tight as if he mattered to her. He let his arms fall around her and squeezed, pressing her tighter to him. Damn, this felt good. She felt good. It was oddly comforting to have her clinging on to him so tight.
He closed his eyes and memorized the pressure of her arms around him and the way her hands pressed into his back. The way she felt in his arms, the subtle ripple of her spine and ribs underneath his fingers, the way her skin felt warm against his when every other part of him was cold.
If he’d been given a Stop Time button. This was the moment he would’ve used it. Here, holding her—the gentle lullaby of rain playing in the background—was the only perfect moment of his entire life.
About Abbie Roads
Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor known for her blunt, honest style of therapy. By night she writes dark, emotional novels always giving her characters the happy ending she wishes for all her clients. SAVING MERCY is the first book in her new Fatal Truth Series of dark, gritty, romantic suspense with a psychological twist.
The Shaughnessys are back! Samantha Chase's A SKY FULL OF STARS is here and we couldn't be more excited about it - be sure to grab your copy!
The stars are about to align in the newest Shaughnessy brothers romance!
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
Brilliant astrophysicist Dr. Owen Shaughnessy feels more connected to the cosmos than to people. He’s great with calculations, but when he leads a team of scientists to study a famous meteor shower, he doesn’t factor in his free-spirited artist assistant Brooke Matthews.
LOVE CAN DAZZLE YOU
Polar opposites in personality, the friction between them threatens to derail the project. But the beauty and mystery of the night sky draw Owen and Brooke together—and she’s going to surprise him in ways the stars never could.
“You talk a lot,” he stated very matter-of-factly.
And that had her laughing again. She liked his bluntness. “I know. Sometimes it works for me, sometimes it doesn’t. I tend to chatter more when I’m nervous. Most of the time I don’t even realize I’m doing it. The words just keep coming and I’ll end up flowing from one topic to another with no end in sight.”
“You mean like now?”
Brooke immediately stopped talking and considered him. “Oh. I guess I was kind of yammering on there.”
“Why are you nervous?”
Was he kidding? She shrugged and twisted the shoulder strap of her purse. “You make me that way.”
Owen’s eyes went wide. “Me?” he asked incredulously. “I make you nervous?”
She nodded. “You’re a little intimidating.”
“Me?” his voice came out almost as a squeak
Brooke nodded again. “You are a highly respected man, Owen. I’m sure you’re used to sitting around and talking with people who are more on your level. I’m afraid of saying something ridiculous and putting my foot in my mouth.”
“Brooke, I…I don’t even know how to respond to that. I’m intimidated by you.”
She already knew that just by how her uncle had prepared her, but she was curious about how he saw himself. “Why?”
“I may be respected here on campus or in my field of study, but…that’s it. Outside of the lab and away from the telescope, I’m fairly invisible.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
He gave a mirthless laugh. “Trust me. As you learned the other day, my brother is one of the most popular rock stars in the world. Do you think anyone sees me when he’s around?”
In that instant, she did just want to reach out and hug him.
“I have five siblings including Riley—four brothers and one sister,” he said, not meeting her gaze. “They all have impressive jobs and wonderful lives. All of my brothers are married and have kids. Well, Riley and Savannah just found out they’re pregnant so…” He stopped abruptly and this time he looked directly at her. “Forget you heard that,” he said quickly. “No one is supposed to know! Dang it.”
And that was totally adorable—he didn’t even curse.
Unable to help herself, Brooke reached out and placed a hand on his arm. They both seemed a little shocked by the contact. He was…muscular. Much more so than she would have imagined. Forcing herself to not focus on that, she gave him a reassuring smile. “You don’t have to worry. Their secret is safe with me.”
Owen nodded and gave her a small smile. “Thank you.”
She felt like they were having a moment.
And she didn’t really want it to end.
Patience…
“Okay,” she finally said, taking a step back. “Tell me what I can get you from Starbucks and I’ll meet you in your office in an hour.”
Don't miss the other books in the Shaughnessy Brothers series!
MADE FOR US
CAN'T MAKE TIME FOR LOVE?
The Shaughnessy brothers have spent the years since their mother's untimely death taking care of each other and trying to make their father proud. Oldest son Aidan is hard-working, handsome, successful-and still single. Sure, he'd like to have his own family someday, but who has the time?
SHE'LL SHOW HIM HOW TO FIND IT
Zoe Dalton, a stunning designer Aidan meets on one of his construction jobs, has the beauty and heart to make Aidan realize how much he could be missing. But it's not easy to break down walls you've spent years building up. Now there's a major storm bearing down on the North Carolina coast, and it could be catalyst enough to force Aidan and Zoe into some major decisions of the heart.
Aubrey Burke is on the run from an about-to-be-disastrous mistake when resort owner Hugh Shaughnessy catches her climbing through his office window. Until Aubrey tumbled into his life, Hugh had relied on work and discipline to safeguard a heart damaged by family tragedy. Now his careful world will never be the same.
SHE LIVES FOR THE MOMENT
Hugh's approach to life and love is the opposite of Aubrey's, but she soon finds herself falling hard for the handsome hotel mogul. There's a darker reason behind her ""live for today"" attitude than Hugh could possibly know, but for the first time Aubrey dares to hope this man's love might make it worth taking a chance on the future.
Falling in love with your best friend? Easy.Telling them how you really feel? Impossible.
Quinn Shaughnessy believes there's a lot more to life than romance, and he always thought his best friend Anna agreed. But now she's coming out of her shell and dating...and Quinn starts seeing her in a very different light.
Anna can tell Quinn anything, except the big secret she's been hiding for years-that she's fallen in love with him. Now Anna is determined to make a life for herself that doesn't include hopeless pining. But just as she's ready to move on, Quinn seems determined not to let go-and the way he's looking at her might be enough to finally change them from best friends to best everything.
Entertainment reporter Savannah Daly is completely unfazed by pretty-boy rock stars. She's just here to get her interview and write her story. When she's assigned to write a tell-all about Riley Shaughnessy, she expects to be put off by a shallow rock star lifestyle. Instead, Riley brings her home to the shores of the Carolinas where she's immediately embraced by his sprawling, rambunctious family. She expected spotlights and cameras; she gets a welcoming, loving family and a side of Riley she never could have guessed.
Darcy Shaughnessy needs a break. Tired of her nonexistent dating life and poor job prospects, she decides to spend the holidays with her brother and his wife in sunny L.A. Nothing could be more relaxing—but of course, nothing goes as planned. In a cruel twist of fate, the lively Darcy finds herself snowed in up in Washington state with a brooding—and deliciously handsome—artist.
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.
Sometimes you just can't resist playing with
fire…
By day, Aaron Clarkson suits up, shakes hands,
and acts the perfect gentleman. But at night, behind bedroom doors, the tie
comes off and the real Aaron comes out to play. Mixing business with pleasure
got him fired, so Aaron knows that if he wants to work for the country's most
powerful senator, he'll have to keep his eye on the prize. That's easier said
than done when he meets the senator's daughter, who's wild, gorgeous, and 100
percent trouble.
Grace Pendleton is the black sheep of her
conservative family. Yet while Aaron's presence reminds her of a past she'd
rather forget, something in his eyes keeps drawing her in. Maybe it's the way
his voice turns her molten. Or maybe it's because deep down inside, the
ultra-smooth, polished Aaron Clarkson might be more than even Grace can handle…
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad,
California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook,
ripped jeans, and laptop, and drove cross-country to New York City in under
four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while
waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four
walls, she met her husband, best friend, and discovered the magic of classic
rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English
program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter
the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to
demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her
husband and daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is
incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in
love.
We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Katie McGarry's NOWHERE BUT HERE! NOWHERE BUT HERE is a Young Adult Contemporary Romance and is a part of Katie McGarry’sThunder Road Series, published by Harlequin Teen. Grab your copy today!!
About NOWHERE BUT HERE:An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible
Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.
Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.
No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.
NOWHERE BUT HERE Trailer:
About Katie McGarry:
Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.
Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.
From Oz's Point of View. Set up: Emily has been separated from her parents and after a long night of worrying, her emotions and exhaustion catch up to her and it causes Oz to have his first fluttering of emotion for Emily.
WIND BLOWS IN FROM THE NORTH AND A FEW pieces of Emily’s dark hair sweep across her face. One minute Emily’s a bright flame, then a gust snuffs out her light. Her body sways like a top at the tail end of a spin and I lunge forward.
Emily’s knees give out and her eyes roll back into her head. I catch her inches before she crashes onto the porch. She’s light as I swing her into my arms and her head circles onto my shoulder, reminding me of one of those rag dolls Violet used to play with when we were kids.
“Emily!” Eli’s on top of me, attempting to yank her out of my arms. “Open your eyes.”
Her eyelids flutter, but remain closed as her hand limply clutches my shirt. Eli rams his arms underneath mine and he makes Emily a rope in a tug-of-war. I should let her go. I should want to let her go, but then Emily goes and screws it up for me. “Oz.”
It was a damn whisper, but I heard my name on her lips and so did Eli. His eyes flash to mine and Cyrus’s words repeat in my mind. That girl trusts you. And screw us both for that.
“She’s exhausted,” I say. “Hasn’t slept at all tonight.”
Eli’s expression hardens as he glares at me. I’ve seen Eli throw a coma-inducing punch for less defiance and I readjust the sleeping girl in my arms. A reminder if he decks me now, he’ll be putting his daughter at risk.
Temporarily surrendering, Eli cups Emily’s face in his hands and angles her toward him. “Emily, please open your eyes.”
She does. It’s barely a crack and they’re completely glazed.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” Eli affirms.
“I want my mom and dad,” she mumbles.
“You’ll see them tomorrow.” Eli pushes a strand of hair from her cheek. “You’re safe here. I promise.”
She rejects Eli by curling into me. Her head fits perfectly in the crook of my neck and I loathe the wave of protectiveness that rumbles through my body. Emily’s fingers tighten their grip near my shoulders and the impulse is to shield her from the guys gawking at this intimate scene. Yeah, this is club business, but Emily never asked for any of this.
Amanda Adams writes super-sexy, new adult and contemporary romance. A full time author, Amanda spends her days trying to walk more and type less. If she eats a salad for lunch, she makes sure to reward herself with chocolate after (as any reasonable woman would do.) Amanda believes in true love, love at first sight, and every other cliche because lightning struck her in high school and she's been happily married to her sweetheart ever since. However, she also knows, from personal experience, that life can big one great big, painful mess as well. Amanda believes in keeping things real. Her books are free of cheating--with a guaranteed HEA--but hold on tight: it's going to be one hell of a bumpy ride.
Khardine Gray is a contemporary romance author who lives in England with her husband and two kids. She is well travelled, cultured, and a woman with a passion for dancing and ice skating.
When not writing you can catch her shopping, indulging on pizza and hot chocolate, or hanging out with her family and friends.
No need to spend money on an airline ticket. Simply pick up one of Khardine's books to become immersed in the fascinating stories and characters she creates.
Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor known for her blunt, honest style of therapy. By night she writes dark, emotional novels always giving her characters the happy ending she wishes for all her clients. SAVING MERCY is the first book in her new Fatal Truth Series of dark, gritty, romantic suspense with a psychological twist.
The stars are about to align in the newest Shaughnessy brothers romance!
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
Brilliant astrophysicist Dr. Owen Shaughnessy feels more connected to the cosmos than to people. He’s great with calculations, but when he leads a team of scientists to study a famous meteor shower, he doesn’t factor in his free-spirited artist assistant Brooke Matthews.
LOVE CAN DAZZLE YOU
Polar opposites in personality, the friction between them threatens to derail the project. But the beauty and mystery of the night sky draw Owen and Brooke together—and she’s going to surprise him in ways the stars never could.
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