Rachel Caine is the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 internationally bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including the #1 smash hit bestselling thriller Stillhouse Lake, the internationally bestselling Morganville Vampires series, the Great Library series, the Weather Warden series, the Outcast Season series, the Revivalist series, and the acclaimed YA novel Prince of Shadows. The pilot for the crowdfunded show MORGANVILLE is now available on Amazon Prime as streaming video.
Rachel is very pleased to have participated in DEAD AIR, a new combined project from acclaimed producer/publisher Serial Box,
She was born at White Sands Missile Range, which people who know her say explains a lot. She has been an accountant, a professional musician, and an insurance investigator, and ultimately a corporate management executive before leaving to write full time. She and her husband, comic historian/actor/artist R. Cat Conrad, live in Texas.
With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it's worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.
The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library...or see everything it stood for crumble.
SWORD AND PEN by Rachel Caine
Scholar Murasaki stood next to the formal throne of the Archivist, and touched her fingers lightly to the old, old wood. “I thought it would be more … ornate,” she said. “And also perhaps more comfortable.”
Khalila suppressed an urge to smile. This place wasn’t meant for it. The receiving hall of the Archivist of the Great Library, a vast marble space with lotus columns marching into the distance. There was only one automaton here: a two-story-tall Horus standing behind the chair. It was an impressive, beautiful thing of black and gold, with bright turquoise eyes. Horus held a scribe’s tablet in one hand, and a stylus in the other … but the stylus had a knife edge, and was the size of a sword. Impressive, and terrifying.
The throne sat on a raised golden platform, which rested on the back of golden sphinxes. There were seven steps leading up to it, a number sacred to the ancient Egyptians. Four burning braziers, one at each corner: another sacred number. The place smelled of bracing, burning herbs.
Through some trick of engineering, the air in this chamber felt cool despite the damp heat outside.
And Khalila knew she was observing to avoid her own sense of disquiet. She felt small here, which was by design; this was a place meant to make a mere human feel utterly meaningless … save for the one who sat in that lofty chair.
Though Scholar Murasaki—an elderly Japanese woman—seemed more than capable of dwarfing the chair, and the room. Which was what made her perfect.
“I don’t feel I am worthy of this honor,” Murasaki said. “I did not expect it when I was summoned here.”
“You won by acclamation through Conclave,” Khalila said. “Exactly as every other Archivist has been chosen throughout the millennia. There’s no reason for you to hesitate.”
Our Pre-Release Review of SWORD AND PEN:
~By LITERAL ADDICTION's Scholastic Siren, Sara
Sword and Pen, the fifth and final book in Rachel Caine‘s Great Library series, is a must read. For those of you who are up to date on the series, you’ve probably been waiting on pins and needles. I know I have.
This series is an alternate-history fantasy. The turning point is the great library at Alexandria is not burned; however, the series is set in modern time. Knowledge is power, and power corrupts.
You need to read the series in order. If you haven’t started yet, just get them all, you won’t want to stop.
Ms. Caine has developed amazing characters with unique relationships throughout the series. As in real life, not everything is perfect, and not every ending is tidy. While I don’t think anyone is ever happy when a series ends, I don’t feel at all unsatisfied with this finale. On the plus side, the author does tend to revisit favorite characters in short stories on her website. If this is news to you, enjoy! There is a wealth of free reading material.
LITERAL ADDICTION gives Sword and Pen 5 skulls and highly recommends both it and the entire series to readers of YA, Dystopian, Urban Fantasy, lovers of history, and anyone just looking for some fabulous entertainment.
Hey-oh, Literal Addicts! Long time no blog... Sorry for the hiatus and the awful outdated look to the site (I will have to remedy that very soon!), but I'm back with a few exciting things in the near future nonetheless. Today, I’m super excited to share MY upcoming release (yes, you read that right, your Pack Alpha is now a published author. Eep!), YOUR MOVE, included in the FINDERS KEEPERS: THE PURSE boxed-set.
This anthology features eight books based on a single writing prompt, so there's a little something for everyone--romcom, romantic suspense, inspirational romance, romantic mystery, etc. But the one thing I know that you'll get...ALL the feels!
Curl up with eight romances where each heroine discovers a surprise in her purse that sends her on a wild ride to her happily-ever-after! https://amzn.to/31EmNpe
FINDERS KEEPERS: THE PURSE will hit Amazon on 9/10/19. You can pre-order now—all 8 stories!—for only $0.99. That's WAY less than your morning cup of coffee from your favorite shop.
Being a first-time author--aside from those 3 horror shorts that were picked up and published in Sirens Call--being included in this incredible group of talented writers has been surreal and an absolute pleasure for me, and I cannot wait for you all to read it.
And now, without further ado, here’s a peek at YOUR MOVE, my contemporary romance mystery contribution to this fabulous boxed-set, written as Rayvn Salvador, my nom de plume. The heroine, Detective Melisandre Watson, is actually a side character from my full-length work in progress, THE RELIC, a thriller that I hope to get back to very, very soon, and which you will be teased about a bit at the end of YOUR MOVE.
Their past is the key to everything, but the move to the future has yet to be made.
Years ago, Detective Melisandre Watson made a decision to walk away from the love of her life, but she never stopped thinking about him. Now, embroiled in the biggest case of her life, she suddenly realizes how alone she really is and wonders about her life choices. It doesn’t matter, though. Vaughn Romano is gone, and no other man has ever made her feel the way he did.
When Mel’s case suddenly takes an interesting turn, she starts to doubt everything in her life. She can’t catch the perp, she has another mystery she can’t seem to solve, and her love life is non-existent. But then fate intervenes, making her face something that she never thought to confront again, and bringing up things and feelings from her past she thought long forgotten.
The onus is on her. The question is, will she make the right move and choose love?
So....there you have it. My baby. I'm really, really proud of this book. It took a lot out of me, especially since I didn't think I would ever write a romance. A horror or thriller, sure. A fantasy as ML Olson or Chelle Eden, absolutely. But not a romance. Yet, here it is. :) There were a lot of self-doubt moments and lots and LOTS of cold sweats along the way, especially after I sent it to some super highly respected industry professionals to review and got feedback. It was tough love, and OH so needed, and the book that you will hold in your hands next month will show that.
So, a BIG shoutout to Liz Berry for telling me how it is--how it REALLY is!--and helping me make this baby shine! To my beta readers Dianne, Marta, Lisa, and Janelle for taking a chance on me and telling me their thoughts in the book's infancy. To my editor, Laura, for picking up all those things that even my editor brain couldn't see. And last but certainly not least, to Kristen Proby for bearing with me as I stuttered and stammered and begged and pleaded for a possible cover quote and then sent her like five different versions to look at (I just sent her the final version yesterday by the way, that's how long I dallied and hemmed and hawed. LOL) and still telling me not to be scared and that I had this.
While I'm here, I want to give an extra-special shoutout to Jen Talty, who took a massive chance on me by asking me to be a part of this anthology. She had never read a word I had written, but had the faith that I could do it and has been my biggest cheerleader going forward. And when she finally got a chance to read what I came up with, her feedback and praise and encouragement made me blush deeper than the pink on that cover that she so graciously made for me. :) When you all read my dedication in YOUR MOVE, a lot of that is for Jen. And for my writing group, Badass Bitches be Brainstorming. Erika, Brandon, I love you guys bunches!
But enough gushing and carrying on. I want to introduce you to the other incredible authors and stories in this anthology!
WINE WEDNESDAY
[Romantic Suspense]
What started as a reunion ends in a deadly twist and an unexpected finish.
JEN TALTY: Welcome to my World! I’m a USA Today Bestseller of Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, and Paranormal Romance.
I first started writing while carting my kids to one hockey rink after the other, averaging 170 games per year between 3 kids in 2 countries and 5 states. My first book, IN TWO WEEKS was originally published in 2007. In 2010 I helped form a publishing company (Cool Gus Publishing) with NY Times Bestselling Author Bob Mayer where I ran the technical side of the business through 2016.
I’m currently enjoying the next phase of my life…the empty NESTER! My husband and I spend our winters in Jupiter, Florida and our summers in Rochester, NY. We have three amazing children who have all gone off to carve out their places in the world, while I continue to craft stories that I hope will make you readers feel good and put a smile on your face.
MISSADVENTURES OF MABEL LEE
[RomCom]
Mama always warned her that her sense of adventure would only lead to trouble. Tall. Dark. Delicious. Trouble.
CASEY HAGEN: USA Today Bestselling author Casey Hagen pens her snarky, passionate stories from the salty air of Kennebunk, Maine. She’s a born and raised Vermont native, a New England girl to the core, with Ben & Jerry’s in her heart and real Vermont maple syrup pumping through her veins.
She’s the proud mother of three girls and a new, first-time grandma with an insatiable addiction to Fall Out Boy, and a new, rather concerning obsession with tattoos and piercings. Can you say “cool grandma?”
The inked and pierced grandma spends her time tucked away in her office, coated in cat hair, alternating between tearing her hair out trying to find the perfect words and being one step ahead of her three scheming fur babies she is positive are plotting her demise with every swirl around her ankles at the top of her office stairs.
She loves writing stories about real people, with complicated histories, relatable everyday problems, and giving them the hard-won happily-ever-afters they deserve.
And she thanks every last one of you who picks up one of her stories.
Casey is done talking about herself in the third person.
*Casey out*
FLUTTER
[Military Romance]
He’d cracked the wall around her heart.
NICOLE S. PATRICK: Nicole S. Patrick has always loved to read, and in her teenage years, she “borrowed” her mom’s books to sneak away and become lost in the world of romance. After more than ten years in the corporate world of tech recruiting and HR management, she decided to stay home and raise children. But with so many romantic stories and characters floating around in her head, when the kids napped, she was compelled to put those words on a page and pursue this crazy dream of becoming published. Nicole writes romantic suspense and her heroes are those alpha males in uniform. She lives in New Jersey with her real-life hero, her husband, and her two sons.
NO MORE DARKNESS
[Inspirational Romance]
When a chance encounter warms the heart and lights the way home.
STACEY WILK: Stacey Wilk wrote her first novel in middle school to quiet the characters in her head. It was that or let them out to eat the cannolis and she wasn’t sharing her grandfather’s Italian pastries.
Many years later her life took an adventurous turn when she gave birth to two different kinds of characters. She often sits in awe of their abilities to make objects fly, it snow on command, and remain dirty after contact with water. She does share the cannolis with them for fear of losing her fingers.
Because of the extraordinary characters now in her home instead of in her head, including a king who surfaces after dark and for coffee, she writes novels about family: those that we are born to and those that we pick up along the way. You can find her message in her middle-grade fantasy novels as well as her women’s fiction novels. Family are those that love you when you need them.
When she’s not creating stories in make-believe places, she can be found hanging with the cast members of her house, or teaching others how to make make-believe worlds of their own.
THE LETTER
[Contemporary Romance]
He lost his true love. Will he ever find another?
ROBIN STONE: Robin started writing stories when she was five years old. She wrote essays, articles, and over a million words of nonfiction before turning to fiction in 2011. She watched erotic romance authors having way too much fun, and after writing her first erotic romance, she was hooked.
She writes erotic romances starring handyman heroes. Robin’s imagination is filled with delivery men, landscapers, and carpenters. Her sex-positive books (M/F, M/M, and M/M/F) are emotional stories that keep readers coming back for more.
Robin lives near Boston and likes reading, travel, and eating good chocolate. She loves hearing from her readers.
KILLER LOVE
[Contemporary Romance]
When the past and present collide, love can be a real killer.
LISA RICARD CLARO: Lisa Ricard Claro is an award-winning author and Pushcart Prize nominee whose work is published across multiple media to include articles, essays, short stories, children’s educational books, and her hands-down favorite: melt-your-heart Romance novels featuring unforgettable characters who tangle their lives and their hearts on the road to a life-changing love.
After years of spinning her stories from a landlocked Southern town, Lisa heeded the call of her inner mermaid and moved to the beach with her husband, cat, and two dogs, because nothing soothes her spirit and sparks her creativity like saltwater and sand. Margaritas are also a plus, because mermaids love that salty stuff!
Lisa also has a heart for rescues, and you’ll find a rescued pet companion in every one of her books. After all, even if messy and covered in fur, love is what life is all about.
UNCHARTED LOVE
[Contemporary Romance]
Their journey to love is battered by secrets from their pasts.
JUDY KENTRUS: I was born and raised in NJ and moved to PA ten years ago. I’m a romantic at heart, having married my high school sweetheart and we raised a wonderful son and daughter. My books are fun, romantic suspense that will make you laugh, cry and sigh from their HEA’s.
And there you have it! They look great, right!?
Thank you for being here! I appreciate you reading and sharing in my excitement. Remember to pre-order FINDERS KEEPERS: THE PURSE while it’s still only $0.99--that price won't last forever! And keep watch on the FB page or my Author Page for more info.
You can also find me as Rayvn Salvador on Amazon, BookBub, Book+Main Bites (there's actually a baby snippet over there if you want to check it out!), Goodreads, and Twitter.
*Unfortunately, our companion Tumblr archive blog isn't working right now so I can't leave you a COMMENTS link to chat *sad face*, but feel free to use the page's URL to share if you want, and let me know what you think at any of my social sites! XO
Heather Killough-Walden is a California native currently living in Texas with her husband, child, and King Charles Cavalier. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Big Bad Wolf series, The Kings series, the Lost Angels series, the October Trilogy, the Neverland series, and The Chosen Soul series. Heather’s educational background includes religious studies, archeology, and law. She has traveled all over the world but hopes to one day live in a town with a world-class hockey team. (Let’s Go Pens!)
Keep up with Heather online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Pinterest, Audible, Tantor Audio, YouTube, Bookbub, and on her Amazon author page!
It has forced the Sovereigns of the Thirteen to exist in a brand new world that only they are aware has changed.
In this brand new world are new humans, and alongside them in the shadows and hidden doorways, new non-humans. Some are strange and splendid. Others are wonderful but wrong.
Melody Margaret Tannym is eighteen years old, and she goes by the name Mimi amongst her friends. Mimi is a dragon. However, one of her friends is quite special too - or about to be - and neither one of them has any clue. This new world carries with it new forces, and those forces play upon the young man, altering him as much as the altered world and plunging Mimi and her companion into the dangerous underworld depths of the new supernatural kingdoms.
Worse yet, the colliding dimensions weakened a very old barrier, one that has kept a primordial and powerful atrocity at bay for countless millennia. Only one creature, one darkly brilliant soul, stands between this evil force and the new world. But Bantariax the Great Black Dragon can only remain vigilant against his deadly foe for so long. For even he in his ancient draconic splendor has his weaknesses… beautiful and precious beyond measure. And new worlds have brought new chances for his enemy to prey upon them.
"Withered" is a bridge novella by Heather Killough-Walden linking The Big Bad Wolf series, The Lost Angels series and The Kings series to the upcoming Monsters series.
“Monsters: The Good, The Bad, The Cursed” will release October 31, 2018.
Monsters is a brand new paranormal romance series set in the same universe as The Big Bad Wolf books, The Lost Angels series, and The Kings.
Exciting, right!? I hope you are as excited as I am. Go out and pick up WITHERED, and get ready for THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE CURSED coming soon.
Feel free to leave comments HERE.
Good morning, everyone! LITERAL ADDICTION is very proud to be hosting Zoe Sharp today!
Zoë Sharp was born in Nottinghamshire, but spent most of her formative years living on a catamaran on the northwest coast of England. After a promising start at a private girls' school, she opted out of mainstream education at the age of twelve in favour of correspondence courses at home.
Zoë went through a variety of jobs in her teenage years. In 1988, on the strength of one accepted article and a fascination with cars, she gave up her regular job to become a freelance motoring writer. She quickly picked up on the photography side of things and her photo-journalism took her as far afield as the United States and Japan, as well as Europe, Ireland and the UK. She is now a full-time fiction author and creator of the Charlie Fox series of crime thrillers.
Zoë wrote her first novel when she was fifteen, but success came in 2001 with the publication of KILLER INSTINCT − the first book to feature her ex-Special Forces heroine, Charlotte 'Charlie' Fox. The character evolved after Zoë received death-threat letters in the course of her photo-journalism work.
Later Charlie Fox novels − FIRST DROP and FOURTH DAY − were finalists for the Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel. The Charlie Fox series has also been optioned for TV.
As well as the Charlie Fox novels, Zoë's short stories have been published in anthologies and magazines, and have been shortlisted for the Short Story Dagger by the UK Crime Writers' Association. Her other writing has been nominated for the coveted Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, the Anthony Award presented by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, the Macavity Award, and the Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers' Association.
A keen library supporter and public speaker, Zoë blogs regularly on her Blog page. She also witters on Twitter (@AuthorZoeSharp) and fools about on Facebook (ZoeSharpAuthor). She was formerly a long-term contributor to the acclaimed Murderati blog—alas, now defunct. She's a regular blogger at MURDER IS EVERYWHERE and also has a presence on goodreads.
Zoë lives in the English Lake District. Her hobbies are sailing, fast cars (and faster motorbikes), target shooting, travel, films, music and reading just about anything she can get her hands on.
We suggest you check out Zoe's entire backlist but, today, we're covering Zoe’s new standalone novel, DANCING ON THE GRAVE.
DANCING ON THE GRAVE
Release Date 6/30/18
ISBN-13: 978-1909344402
Buy from Amazon/ B&N/ iBooks/ Kobo / Smashwords
Add to your GoodReads shelf.
For newly qualified crime-scene investigator, Grace McColl, it’s both the start of a nightmare and the chance to prove herself after a mistake that cost a life.
For Detective Constable Nick Weston, recently transferred from London, it’s an opportunity to recover his nerve after a disastrous undercover operation that left him for dead.
And for a lonely, loveless teenage girl, Edith, it’s the start of a twisted fantasy—one she never dreamed might come true.
From the author's notebook
Having worked both as a professional photographer and lived on the eastern side of the Lake District, I’d always had a hankering to use both those elements in a novel. I first tried out the character of Grace McColl in a short story called Tell Me and felt she deserved more space to develop.
Then the Washington Sniper attacks a few years ago caught my imagination and I started to ferment an idea about what it might be like if that kind of incident happened here in the UK. And not just here, but somewhere known for its calm tranquillity, like the Lake District.
Coupled into that, I wanted to examine the nature of fame in today’s society, of people’s idea of what it actually meant and what they might be prepared to do in order to achieve it. And finally, perhaps most strongly, this is a story about loyalty, about ties created in bloodshed, and how tightly they bind.
I wrote the bulk of this novel a few years ago. Just as I finished it, thinking it was complete fiction that could have no basis in reality (certainly not here in England) a man called Derrick Bird went on the rampage on the western side of the Lake District, shooting 23 people and killing 12 of them before taking his own life. It made me put the book aside for a long time. As I’ve thought on many previous occasions, you have to be very careful where your imagination leads you…
Our review, by LITERAL ADDICTION’s Scholastic Siren – Sara:
Check out the rest of the DANCING ON THE GRAVE blog tour!
Rachel Caine is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of more than fifty novels in a diverse range of genres and categories. She's been honored with multiple awards from RT Booklovers Association and the Texas Library Association, and was honored with two spots on the 2012 "Most Favorite Books of UK Schoolchildren" list. She started writing at 14, and wrote steadily (but privately) until the age of 28, when she got her first novel deal for Stormriders(as Roxanne Longstreet). She published several horror novels under that name, and switched to romantic suspense as Roxanne Conrad. In 2003 she launched into the urban fantasy genre under the name Rachel Caine. In 2006, she created the Morganville Vampires series in young adult, and premiered the TLA-listed novel Prince of Shadows in 2015, and the new Great Library series with Ink and Bone in 2016.
In 2017, she began writing thrillers with the smash bestsellers Stillhouse Lake and Killman Creek.
Rachel also has written many short stories in a wide variety of anthologies and collections, and screenplays for both feature film and television. She wrote all scripts for the 2014 production of Morganville, a web series adaptation of her bestselling young adult series (now available streaming on Amazon Prime and Vimeo).
Rachel and her husband R. Cat Conrad live and work in Fort Worth, Texas.
SMOKE AND IRON by Rachel Caine
It had all started as an exercise to fight the unending boredom of being locked in this Alexandrian prison cell.
When Jess Brightwell woke up, he realized that he’d lost track of time. Days blurred here, and he knew it was important to remember how long he’d been trapped, waiting for the axe to fall—or not. So he diligently scratched out a record on the wall using a button from his shirt.
Five days. Five days since he’d arrived back in Alexandria, bringing with him Scholar Wolfe and Morgan Hault as his prisoners. They’d been taken off in different directions, and he’d been dumped here to—as they’d said—await the Archivist’s pleasure.
The Archivist, it seemed, was a very busy man.
Once Jess had the days logged, he did the mental exercise of calculating the date, from pure boredom. It took him long, uneasy moments to realize why that date—today—seemed important.
And then he remembered and was ashamed it had taken him so long.
Today was the anniversary of his brother Liam’s death. His elder brother.
And today meant that Jess was now older than Liam had ever lived to be.
He couldn’t remember exactly howLiam had died. Could hardly remember his brother at all these days, other than a vague impression of a sharp nose and shaggy blondish hair. He must have watched Liam walk up the stairs of the scaffold and stand as the rope was fixed around his neck.
But he couldn’t remember that, or watching the drop. Just Liam, hanging. It seemed like a painting viewed at a distance, not a memory.
Wish I could remember,he thought. If Liam had held his head high on the way to his death, if he’d gone up the steps firmly and stood without fear, then maybe Jess would be able to do it, too. Because that was likely to be in his future.
He closed his eyes and tried to picture it: the cell door opening. Soldiers in High Garda uniforms, the army of the Great Library, waiting stone-faced in the hall. A Scholar to read the text of his choice to him on the way to execution. Perhaps a priest, if he asked for one.
But there, his mind went blank. He didn’t know how the Archivist would end his life. Would it be a quiet death? Private? A shot in the back? Burial without a marker? Maybe nobody would ever know what had become of him.
Or maybe he’d end up facing the noose after all, and the steps up to it. If he could picture himself walking without flinching to his execution, perhaps he could actually doit.
He knew he ought to be focusing on what he would be saying to the Archivist if he was called, but at this moment, death seemed so close he could touch it, and besides, it was easier to accept failure than to dare to predict success. He’d never been especially superstitious, but imagining triumph now seemed like drawing a target on his back. No reason to offend the Egyptian gods. Not so early.
He stood up and walked the cell. Cold, barren, with bars and a flat stone shelf that pretended at being a bed. A bare toilet that needed cleaning, and the sharp smell of it was starting to squirm against his skin.
If I had something to read . . .The thought crept in without warning, and he felt it like a personal loss. Not having a book at hand was a worse punishment than most. He was trying not to think about his death, and he was too afraid to think about the fate of Morgan or Scholar Wolfe or anything else . . . except that he could almost hear Scholar Wolfe’s dry, acerbic voice telling him, If only you had a brain up to the task, Brightwell, you’d never lack for something to read.
Jess settled on the stone ledge, closed his eyes, and tried to clearly imagine the first page of one of his favorite books. Nothing came at his command. Just words, jumbled and frantic, that wouldn’t sort themselves in order. Better if he imagined writing a letter.
Dear Morgan,he thought. I’m trapped in a holding cell inside the Serapeum, and all I can think of is that I should have done better by you, and all of us. I’m afraid all this is for nothing. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being stupid enough to think I could outwit the Archivist. I love you. Please don’t hate me.
That was selfish. She should hate him. He’d sent her back into the Iron Tower, a life sentence of servitude and an unbreakable collar fastened tight around her neck. He’d deceived Scholar Wolfe into a prison far worse than this one, and an inevitable death sentence. He’d betrayed everyone who’d ever trusted him, and for what?
For cleverness and a probably foolish idea that he could somehow, somehow, pull off a miracle. What gave him the right to even think it?
Clank.
That was the sound of a key turning in a heavy lock.
Jess stood, the chill on his back left by the ledge still lingering like a ghost, and then he came to the bars as the door at the end of the hall opened. He could see the hinges move and the iron door swinging in. It wasn’t locked again when it closed. Careless.
He listened to the decisive thud of footsteps against the floor, growing louder, and then three High Garda soldiers in black with golden emblems were in front of his cell. They stopped and faced him. The oldest—his close-cut hair a stiff silver brush around his head—barked in common Greek, “Step back from the bars and turn around.”
Jess’s skin felt flushed, then cold; he swallowed back a rush of fear and felt his pulse race in a futile attempt to outrun the inevitable. He followed the instructions. They didn’t lock the outer door. That’s a chance, if I can get by them.He could. He could sweep the legs out from under the first, use that off-balance body to knock back the other two, pull a sidearm free from one of them, shoot at least one, maybe two of them. Luck would dictate whether he’d die in the attempt, but at least he’d die fighting.
I don’t want to die,something in him that sounded like a child whispered. Not like Liam. Not on the same day.
And suddenly, he remembered.
The London sky, iron gray. Light rain had been falling on his child’s face. He’d been too short to see his brother ascend anything but the top two steps of the scaffold. Liam had stumbled on the last one, and a guard had steadied him. His brother had been shivering and slow, and he hadn’t been brave after all. He’d looked out into the crowd of those gathered, and Jess remembered the searing second of eye contact with his brother before Liam transferred that stare to their father.
Jess had looked, too. Callum Brightwell had stared back without a flicker of change in his expression, as if his eldest son was a stranger.
They’d tied Liam’s hands. And put a hood over his head.
A voice in the here and now snapped him out of the memory. “Against the wall. Hands behind your back.”
Jess slowly moved to comply, trying to assess where the other man was . . . and froze when the barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his neck. “I know what you’re thinking, son. Don’t try it. I’d rather not shoot you for stupidity.”
The guard had a familiar accent—raised near Manchester, most likely. His time in Alexandria had covered his English roots a bit, but it was odd, Jess thought, that he might be killed by one of his countrymen, so far from home. Killed by the English, just like Liam.
Once a set of Library restraints settled around his wrists and tightened, he felt strangely less shaken. Opportunity was gone now. All his choices had been narrowed to one course. All he had to do now was play it out.
Jess turned to look at the High Garda soldier. A man with roots from another garden, maybe one closer to Alexandria; the man had a darker complexion, dark eyes, a neat beard, and a compassionate but firm expression on his face. “Am I coming back?” he asked, and wished he hadn’t.
“Likely not,” the soldier said. “Wherever you go next, you won’t be back here.”
Jess nodded. He closed his eyes for a second and then opened them. Liam had faltered on the stairs. Had trembled. But at the end his elder brother had stood firm in his bonds and hood and waited for death without showing any fear.
He could do the same.
“Then, let’s go,” he said, and forced a grin he hoped looked careless. “I could do with a change of scenery.”
Long time, no chat everybody! I'm here today with a fun post sponsored by the amazing Berkley to introduce you to some amazing books.Jayne Ann Krentz is the author of more than fifty New York Times bestsellers, including the upcoming romantic thriller Promise Not to Tell. Jayne has written contemporary romantic suspense novels under that name, as well as historical and futuristic romance novels under the pseudonyms Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle, respectively.
Keep up with her online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.
Now, let me tell you a little bit about the book we're spotlighting today...
Seattle gallery owner Virginia Troy has spent years battling the demons that stem from her childhood time in a cult and the night a fire burned through the compound, killing her mother. And now one of her artists has taken her own life, but not before sending Virginia a last picture: a painting that makes Virginia doubt everything about the so-called suicide—and her own past.
Like Virginia, private investigator Cabot Sutter was one of the children in the cult who survived that fire... and only he can help her now. As they struggle to unravel the clues in the painting, it becomes clear that someone thinks Virginia knows more than she does and that she must be stopped. Thrown into an inferno of desire and deception, Virginia and Cabot draw ever closer to the mystery of their shared memories—and the shocking fate of the one man who still wields the power to destroy everything they hold dear.
The New Lady Sleuths of Historical Mystery
By
Jayne Ann Krentz
The female detective has been around for quite a while – think Agatha Christie – but it seems to me that we are watching the rise of a new genre: the lady sleuths of historical mystery and suspense.
These unusual and intrepid heroines are women of their eras – the stories are often set in the Regency or Victorian period – but they defy the conventions of their times which is, of course, what makes them so interesting.
These are not your traditional “puzzle” mysteries nor can they be labeled “cozies.” They are novels of intrigue and suspense featuring fully realized female characters with unique skill-sets who solve crimes, have dangerous adventures and, yes, sometimes get entangled in romantic relationships.
I’m having a fabulous time discovering new authors in this genre. If this sounds like something you might enjoy – or if you’ve got someone on your holiday gift list who loves historical suspense and mystery – below is a selection of titles that have come to my attention. I think they are excellent examples of the new lady sleuths of historical mystery and suspense.
A CURIOUS BEGINNING, by DEANNA RAYBOURN: The first title in the Veronica Speedwell
novels. Set in Victorian England, the
novels feature a delightfully outrageous heroine with an intriguing past who is
a professional butterfly hunter and a fearless sleuth.
A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN by SHERRY THOMAS: This series features a real twist on the Sherlock Holmes legend – meet the fascinating and very unique Charlotte Holmes.
BEAUTY LIKE THE NIGHT by JOANNA BOURNE: A novel in Bourne’s terrific Spymaster series
set against the backdrop of Napoleonic France and Regency England. Lush, elegant, well-researched and romantic.
DEATH BELOW STAIRS by Jennifer Ashley
Kat Holloway is a cook who takes a position in a Mayfair mansion and soon finds herself immersed in the odd household of Lord Rankin. Kat can deal with the family’s eccentricities as long as the various members of the clan stay away from her kitchen. But murder below stairs changes everything.
CITY OF LIES by VICTORIA THOMPSON
The
first in the A Counterfeit Lady series featuring Elizabeth Miles, a woman on
the run. Here’s the setup: Elizabeth has some unusual skills and she
uses them to relieve so-called respectable men of their ill-gotten gains. But she
has recently outwitted a brutal man who has sent his thugs after her.
THE ANATOMIST’S WIFE by ANNA LEE HUBER
Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister's estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own macabre purposes.
That’s my starter list. I’d love some more suggestions from you. Got a title or author working in this new genre you’d like to recommend?
Wishing you the best of the holidays and a sparkling New Year!
Sincerely,
Jayne
GIVEAWAY!!
If you want a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card, and a book/galley/bound manuscript by each of the authors participating click HERE!
Berkley Bookmas is chock full of exclusive content from authors like exclusive excerpts, deleted scenes, author recipes and more! For tomorrow's fun, be sure to check out these incredible blogs!
· GReads!
And stay up-to-date with the rest of the tour.
A.E. Via is an author
in the beautiful gay romance genre and also founder and owner of Via Star Wings
Books. Her writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to
scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take
readers to new, thought-provoking depths.
When she’s not clicking away at her laptop, she devotes herself to her family—a husband and four children. Adrienne Via has tons of more stories to tell, but she really would like to hear yours. Via Star Wings Books is currently accepting submissions for established and aspiring LGBTQ authors.
Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak on upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.
Keep up with A.E online at her Website, her Blog, on Facebook, on GoodReads, on Twitter, and on Amazon.
We're here today to talk about her new book, Blue Moon III: Call of the Alpha.
Blue Moon III: Call of the Alpha
BLUE MOON Book #3
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Blue Moon 3 was given to me by the author to do an honest review, the fact that I love the author has no standing on how I felt about the book.
I have been waiting since Blue Moon 2 to read this book and while it wasn't the book I thought it was going to be... it ended up being so much more. There was so much depth and emotion with this book and I honestly couldn't have asked for a better read. When I found out about BM3 I thought that it was going to be Call and Alpha's the beginning, but it was actually their dynamic as a couple and how it worked between them. This book was Lion and Omega's beginning and dare I say everyone else were more like supporting characters in a way.
Lion and Omega were hot front the first meeting and you could almost feel the need, the tension, the chemistry coming off the pages between the two of them. Nothing was held back and I think that was an important thing with this book. Nothing was done with these two or any of the other characters in half measures. There was no instant love or anything like that with this book. It was like a slow burning fire that simmered until it couldn't be contained anymore and then it just exploded outward sweeping you up into its flames and burning you alive... but in a good way.
Omega was my favorite because he represented a lot of people in that they tend to fight... I guess destiny in this instance. We know what will happen in the back of our minds but we look for any and everything wrong with it happening when it reality it's what you need and that was it for Omega. He needed it, but had misconceptions about what it would mean for him and Lion. He had so much feeling locked up and pushed away that it all came bubbling to the surface and spilled over. It was raw and it was intense and it made me cry.
Lion... Oh man... He is a new character we are introduced to and he is our Alpha male in this story. Everything about him screams Alpha and its in your face and powerful. I liked that he didn't try to bully Omega into anything and he took his time with the man. It was almost like he treated Omega like he was a wounded animal... except this wounded animal could kill someone without breaking a sweat. He was sweet, yet firm and when he realized what the real problem was he didn't play games, he got right to the point with Omega. No bullshit, no filler. It was refreshing to read.
This book like I said wasn't the book I was expecting, but it was the book we needed as readers of this series. The twist in this book was both heartbreaking and obvious in some instances. But I think a lot of readers will look past the obvious parts because you don't want to believe its true. I am sorry for how she rips those blinders off your faces, but it will get better.
I honestly loved every second of this book and I give it a solid 5 black skulls.
GIVEAWAY:
The author is offering up some goodies for this tour. Enter using the Rafflecopter below.
Rachel Caine is the #1 internationally bestselling author of fifty novels, including the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires young adult series. Her novel Prince of Shadows won multiple awards, and was named to the prestigious Spirit of Texas Reading List. Her Great Library series launched in 2015 with Ink and Bone, an international bestseller and critical success and winner of multiple nominations and awards. Ink and Bone was named to the Lone Star List for 2016 by the Texas Library Association. Paper and Fire, the second in the series, releases July 2016.
In 2014, in partnership with Blake Calhoun of Loud Pictures and Felicia Day of Geek & Sundry, she wrote and produced a Morganville Vampires web series, DVDs, and downloadable and streaming video. http://www.morganvilletheseries.com/
Rachel has also written bestselling urban fantasy (the Weather Warden, Outcast Season, Revivalist and Red Letter Days series), as well as innovative paranormal romantic action/adventure for Silhouette Bombshell.
She also published an original novel for the television show Stargate SG-1 (Sacrifice Moon) under the pseudonym of Julie Fortune in 2005. She previously published horror and suspense novels under the names Roxanne Longstreet and Roxanne Conrad.
Her contributions to short fiction anthologies number in the dozens, and in 2015/2016 alone her works include stories in X-Files: The Truth Is Out There, Unbound, Scary Out There, Gods of H.P. Lovecraft, and Out Of Tune.
In March 2016, she released Midnight Bites, a collection of Morganville Vampires short fiction, to great success.
One of Rachel's mystery novels, Exile, Texas, has been optioned for film by Khartoum Films, and she has also written the script.
Rachel Caine and her husband, award-winning artist and comic historian and actor R. Cat Conrad, live in Fort Worth.
Keep up with Rachel at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.
Welcome to the Sunstone's Fire Release Blitz!
A deadly family curse looms as Nate and Haylee fall in love. Can they find a way to break the curse and have a happily ever after or is Haylee’s fate to suffer the same curse as her ancestors?
SUNSTONE’S FIRE by Lia Davis kicks off a brand new, #gothicromance series, Cursed in Stone, which is co-authored by Lia and fan favorite, Kerry Adrienne! Learn more about the series at www.cursedinstone.com and check out their Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all the latest news in this spooky new world!
About Lia Davis
In 2008, Lia Davis ventured into the world of writing and publishing and never looked back. She has published more than twenty books, including the bestselling A Tiger’s Claim, book one in her fan favorite Ashwood Falls series. Her novels feature compassionate yet strong alpha heroes who know how to please their women and her leading ladies are each strong in their own way. No matter what obstacle she throws at them, they come out better in the end.
While writing was initially a way escape from real world drama, Lia now makes her living creating worlds filled with magic, mystery, romance, and adventure so that others can leave real life behind for a few hours at a time.
Lia’s favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers, but it’s her home and she loves it! Sign up for her newsletter, become a member of her fan club, and follow her on Twitter @NovelsByLia.
Connect with Lia: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Authorgraph | Amazon Author Page
Sunstone's Fire
CURSED IN STONE Book #1
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Aspiring author, Nate Wilson wants some space from his overbearing family and a job he doesn’t like. A week on the Oregon coast sounds like paradise and just what he needs to get the creative juices flowing. Unfortunately, his plans are derailed when a storm moves in and a ghostly figure flashes in his headlights, sending him skidding off the road and into a tree. Lucky for him, he ends up in front of a Bed and Breakfast, and the beautiful owner may do more to spur his creativity than any beach could.
Hesitant witch and inn owner, Haylee Clark is cursed. Well, not her exactly—at least not yet—but all of the women in her family have suffered the same fate. They fell in love, only to have that passion turn sour and their husbands die tragically, leaving them brokenhearted. So far, Haylee has done well to avoid that destiny, but when the captivating Nate Wilson crashes into her life, he awakens something within her that she never thought to feel.
When the pair stumbles upon a hidden room where Haylee’s grandmother used to conduct her rituals, they unknowingly unleash a dark entity hell-bent on destruction, and discover that a family heirloom is the source of the Clark family curse. Despite the spell, they can’t deny their attraction, and give in to the magic between them. But the closer Haylee and Nate get, the more the curse tries to tear them apart. If they don’t find a way to defeat the evil, they may lose more than their hearts.
GIVEAWAY:
Your favorite paranormal romance dream team from Dark and Dangerous and Dark and Damaged is back with a brand new box set. BAD BOYS OF THE NIGHT: 8 Sizzling Paranormal Romances is here to warm you on those chilly winter nights.
For a limited time, you can get this smokin’ set for just .99 cents:
Included in the set is:
Bad Wolf, Shifters Unbound series by Jennifer Ashley.
Wolf Shifter Broderick is stuck looking after his three younger brothers and a Collar-less Shifter who is driving him crazy, but he’s putting up with them for Joanne, the human woman he wants to take as mate. When Broderick is captured, mistaken for a Guardian, it’s Joanne who figures out that hackers are after the Guardian Network, the database that holds the deep secrets of Shifters past and present.
Shadow Fall, Shadow series by Erin Kellison.
A man with all Custo’s sins isn’t cut out to be an angel. One moment he’s fleeing Heaven; the next, he’s waking up stark naked, called by a woman who’s afraid of the dark. Shadow gathers around Annabella as she performs, a magic that allows her to move between worlds. Her abilities attract a primeval wolf, and it stalks her relentlessly. Custo stops at nothing to keep her safe, and though danger proves seductive, they fight for redemption and love.
Warrior’s Heart, Iron Portal series by Laurie London.
Librarian by day, Zara Kane is a thief by night, stealing artifacts that belong to her homeland. When she learns a man she once loved has been wrongly imprisoned, she uses her para-abilities to orchestrate a daring escape.
Vince Crawford isn’t afraid of anything, but when the woman he’s never stopped loving and the son he never knew he had are threatened by a ruthless enemy, he will stop at nothing to keep them safe, even if it costs him his life.
The Vampire Voss, The Dracula Vampire series by Colleen Gleason.
In 19th Century London, vampires live alongside the uppercrust members of Society…
Even after centuries of lust, hedonism, and women, Voss, rarely finds himself bored. He is a rogue of the first order who loves nothing more than a warm woman, excellent vintage, and even a puzzling challenge to keep his mind active. But when one of his seemingly harmless manipulations
Hunger, Vampire’s Realm series by Felicity Heaton.
A vampire assassin hardened by centuries of service, Tor is a man of discipline and loyalty, never straying from his mission, and has purged all his weaknesses, including his emotions. But the moment he meets the broken, fiery female he is to escort to Oslo, something dangerous awakens in him, something possessive and powerful, and when he is pulled into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the man who betrayed her, Tor discovers he will do anything to protect the woman slowly claiming his heart and give her the vengeance she desires—even break all the rules.
The Mating Challenge, Werewolves of Montana series by Bonnie Vanak.
Alpha werewolf and ranch owner Aiden Mitchell desires the curvy, vivacious Nikita Blakemore, alpha female of the Blakemore pack. He will have her as his mate and no other. To force her hand, Aiden maneuvers her into hosting a Mating Challenge, the ultimate warrior competition for werewolves, where males fight for the right to mate and breed with a female alpha. Fiercely protective of his future mate, Aiden will do anything to make her his own, even fight to the death…
Dark Flame, Flame series by Caris Roane.
Committed to the rule of law, vampire Border Patrol Officer Robert Brannick falls hard for a beautiful
Diablo Springs by Erin Quinn.
When she escaped Diablo Springs years ago, Gracie Beck swore she’d never return. But all that changes on the night of her grandmother’s death when Diablo Springs lures Gracie’s teenage daughter to its treacherous border. Gracie races to the rescue—only to find herself trapped in the undercurrent of a hundred year old curse and the menacing spirits that still terrorize the town. She isn’t prepared to deal with Reilly Alexander—a man from her past who she’s never forgotten—at the same time. Reilly is determined to help Gracie and prove his to love to her, but they’ve come to a dangerous place where every lurking shadow should be feared….
Pick up BAD BOYS OF THE NIGHT, because naughty is oh so nice!
Here's an excerpt from one of the books in the set, Caris Roane's Dark Flame.
Smoldering Hunger
Dark Kings #8
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EXCERPT:
“Sophie?”
She blinked and looked down to find Claire watching her with a worried look in her brown eyes. Sophie shot her a smile, but Claire cocked her blonde head to the side and put a hand on her hip, telling Sophie she wasn’t buying the act for a second.
“Just lost in thought,” Sophie said with a shrug.
Claire raised her brows as she regarded Sophie. “By that look, I’d say it was a man.”
A man? Darius was so much more. His presence seemed to make the earth still, waiting for his order. He commanded without a word, dominated with a look from his dark brown gaze.
Man? No man she’d ever met could be so strong and imposing.
And sexy.
Her mouth went dry thinking of the hard line of his jaw and his lips that were soft and insistent. His eyes could cut coldly, but they could also blaze with a fire so hot that it could melt the sun.
She knew what desire looked like reflected in his chocolate-colored depths. His eyes softened, turned downright sensual as he held her gaze, challenging her to try and look away.
All the while his gorgeous body with rippling muscles brought her higher and higher, giving her ecstasy the likes she’d never known.
And never known she could have.
If she hadn’t been sore the next morning when she woke, she might have thought it all a dream.
“I don’t know who he is, but you need to see him again,” Claire said, breaking into Sophie’s thoughts again. Her smile was wide, a knowing look in her eyes.
Sophie swallowed and smoothed a hand over her hair to make sure the thick length was still in place. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Uh, huh,” Claire said with a wink. “Two weeks ago you walked in here with a flush to your skin and a smile on your lips. You wore the look of a woman who had been rode well. Ever since, you occasionally get that look in your eyes. I’m telling you as your friend, Soph, go see him again. Because if I could find a man who could make me look like that after sex, I’d chain him to my bed.”
This time Sophie’s laugh wasn’t forced. She knew all too well Claire’s issues with men. She was a petite, pretty woman who had a bright smile and infectious laugh, and yet every guy she was interested in preferred someone else. Worse, it was all the wrong sorts of men who were attracted to Claire.
If Sophie thought her years without a date was a long time, Claire wasn’t behind her by far. It was why the two of them had become such good friends.
Sophie leaned down and whispered in Claire’s ear, “The sex was out of this world, but he’s also out of the picture.”
She walked away, leaving Claire with her mouth gaping and questions in her eyes. Sophie inwardly laughed, because it was a rare thing when she got to shock Claire. Normally, it was Claire who astonished her on a daily basis.
Sophie turned the corner and found a man leaning against the wall staring at her. He was drop dead gorgeous in his dark red sweater and jeans.
He wore a small smile about his wide lips as his golden eyes stared at her. His long black hair was pulled back showing off the hard planes of his face.
It unnerved her how he watched her, as if she were something to be studied under a microscope. Sophie pulled her gaze away from him, and stopped dead in her tracks when spotted Darius.
Her heart thumped in her chest and her stomach fell to her feet. She couldn’t decide if she was excited to see him or surprised. Especially after just thinking of him.
The strands of his long, dark blond hair was windblown. Just disheveled enough to make him even sexier. His hair, in addition to the five o’clock shadow of a beard, made her blood race and her hands itch to touch him, to run her hands up his chest and over his thick shoulders once more.
He watched her with his deep brown eyes without a hint of any emotion. While she was reeling from seeing him after so long and her body instantly beginning to throb with need, he felt...nothing.
Sophie knew what kind of disaster lay with Darius. She swore to never go down that path again. As tempting as he was – and good Lord was he tempting – she fortified the walls around her heart.
She walked into her patient’s room without a backward look to Darius. If only it was as easy to erase him from her thoughts as it was to look away.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.
She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.
Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.
Keep up with Donna online:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads / Pinterest / Tumblr / Audible / Tantor
Dark Alpha's Claim
REAPER Book #1
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There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I am coming for you...
My whole existence is based on taking what Death wants. Born to eliminate Fae guilty of unforgivable crimes, my reckless, wild nature makes me the perfect assassin to carry out Death's bidding. I've seen more sinister and violent dealings than anyone could ever imagine. But it was the sight of her face that stopped me cold. I've never wanted a woman-never mind a human-so badly; never felt my heart, hardened by death, burn brighter and hotter until it burst into flames. She is everything I desire. The kind of woman that compels you to stake your claim on her, to let the world know that she's yours. A Reaper saving her life will only attract danger, but I vow to protect her at all costs from the Fae that hunt her, and keep safe the woman who has claimed me, body and soul.
EXCERPT:
The man exiting the library saw her but didn’t hold the door open. She shook her head. Where were the men who held doors and were still gentlemen? Apparently, they went the way of the dodo bird.
“Jerk,” she mumbled beneath her breath as she entered the library.
As soon as she stepped inside, Jordyn smiled. There was a special smell to a library. It was leather, wood, and the pages of books.
She’d always had a love of books. The feel of the weight of it in her hand, the smell of the pages, the words written that could give her facts or take her off on a visual story.
Now wasn’t the time to wander the aisles though. Jordyn walked up to the counter. “Excuse me. I have a book being held.”
“Your name?” the woman asked without turning around.
Jordyn frowned at the back of her. It was like the woman studied what a librarian should be and copied it from the tight bun, the glasses, and the frumpy, plain clothes. “Jordyn Patterson.”
The woman looked at her watch. “With just a few minutes to spare.” She bent and pulled out the book from the beneath the counter and turned, setting it down beside her.
Jordyn was taken aback at the woman. She was pretty with her dark hair and pale blue eyes. Not at all what she expected with such a bitchy voice from the phone, or the image she got from the back of her in her prim button-down, cardigan, and long, plaid skirt.
“Here,” she said, handing the card over to Jordyn to sign out the book.
Once she filled it out, Jordyn pulled the book into her arms. “Thanks for holding it.”
“You have two weeks. The book will need to be returned then,” the librarian said as she met Jorydn’s gaze.
“Yep.” Jordyn turned her back on the woman and rolled her eyes.
Had she been able to find the book online, she wouldn’t have had to deal with the librarian from Hell. If the book held as much information as Jordyn hoped it did, she was going to have to widen her search for it, because a book like it belonged in her own library, not the city’s, where no one would check it out.
Jordyn fought the urge to open the book as she walked down the steps of the building. By the time she reached the bottom, her will crumpled. She had it open and was flipping through pages in a heartbeat.
Her eyes scanned page after page as her brain soaked up everything. Jordyn couldn’t wait to get home and begin making notes.
With her stomach rumbling again, Jordyn turned to find some food when she ran into someone. Her shoulder was jarred so that she nearly lost her hold on the book. “Sorry,” she said and looked up into the most amazing silver eyes.
“Must be an interesting book,” he said.
She nodded, unable to find words for a moment. The man was the most gorgeous person she’d ever seen. Her reaction to him was instantaneous, earth-shattering.
He was mouth-wateringly gorgeous, heart-stoppingly magnificent. His short coal black hair was wavy and full. Her fingers itched to run through the locks and see if they felt as shiny as they looked.
His beautiful face was lean and hard, with his chiseled jaw and chin. Not to mention his wide, thin lips. His gaze was direct, intense. Relentless.
While he sized her up, she let her gaze fall to his chest. An olive green long-sleeved tee showed off broad shoulders and arms that rippled with muscles. She imagined when he took off that shirt that he would be toned and supple, with just the right amount of hard sinew. Black jeans were slung low on his narrow hips with black boots completing his look.
“It is,” she finally answered when she looked back up into his face.
“Fae, huh?” He glanced down at the page before his silver eyes returned to hers.
His gaze was molten, holding her still and making her blood heat. The desire, the yearning to have his lips on hers made her heart skip a beat and her stomach flutter.
Jordyn had never felt such attraction before. Another gust of wind hit her, but she didn’t feel the chill. Her body was too heated.
That’s when she registered the Irish accent. “Research.”
“Good luck with your research,” he said and bowed his head.
Jordyn had the urge to stay and talk to him, but her stomach growled, reminding her she had little time to get food and make it back to the office. She reluctantly walked away from the handsome Irishman to the pub down the street.
It was the first time in a long time that she actually wanted to interact with a man, because the Irishman knocked her off her feet with just a few words and an intense look from his silver eyes.
In no time, she had an order of chips to go. With food in hand, she hailed another taxi and gobbled the grease-soaked potatoes and flipped through the book. Though she found herself looking out her window for another glimpse of the Irishman.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.
She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.
Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.
Keep up with Donna online:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads / Pinterest / Tumblr / Audible / Tantor
Title: Unloved
Author: K.D. Wood
Genre: Paranormal, New Adult
Publisher: Blue
Tulip Publishing
Unloved
UNWILLING Book #2
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The kid wasn’t supposed to be real.
Back home, after her ordeal in New Zealand with Andrew, Neely McIntire has convinced herself the awful memories she cannot seem to shake are nothing more than bad dreams. But, when the picture of a child that could be her clone lands in her mailbox, everything she has fought to regain starts to crumble.
Even with the extra support from Hayden’s brother, Nathan, Neely is ready to break under the pressure that seems to be coming from all sides. Hayden wants to move their relationship to the next level. The Tribal Guard is stalking her. Worst of all, Andrew’s mother, Margarette, has given Neely an ultimatum: deliver her monster as promised or put everyone Neely loves at risk…starting with Hayden.
Drowning in secrets, Neely must convince Andrew to help her save the people she loves. But when Andrew introduces her to the child, Neely’s resolve wavers. Will she be able to sacrifice a child wearing her face? Or will she make the choice to save someone she never expected to love?
**This is the second of 3 books, it’s recommended that they be read in order to fully enjoy the experience of the story**
Andrew
July, one yea
ANDREW HAD PURPOSELY CHOSEN THE HEAVYWEIGHT, padded envelope for this letter. A familiar ominous sensation squeezed his ribs tighter as he glanced in the rearview mirror at the child asleep in the car seat. This time, the band of tension around his ribs tightened with something new. Panic.
“I’m doing this for him. Lucas needs her,” he whispered to the face in the mirror, but that guy didn’t seem to believe the words. “Okay, so I need her too,” he admitted.
The phone screen went dark and hid the email from Masa. His warning that The Guard would be coming for them turned Andrew’s stomach sour.
As he opened the door the night air, heavy with brine, swirled into the car. He’d waited until midnight so no one would see. Now the building wasn’t just deserted, but full of a darkness that held secrets and fear. For his son, he’d walk through hell before giving up any chance to keep him safe. The car door clicked softly closed, and the lights flashed when he pressed the LOCK button on the key fob. Thankfully, Lucas didn’t stir.
The paper and Windex smell of the post office curdled his dinner. His stomach rolled with nausea, which caused sweat to bead on his forehead. His shoes squeaked louder with each step across the lobby’s slick tiles. As he opened the mail slot, it produced a startling squeal sounding enough like a scream that his heart thumped harder against his ribs. Half the envelope hung in the dark void but he couldn’t let go. Releasing the letter held wonderful and horrible possibilities. He swiped at the fresh goosebumps that crawled up the back of his neck, now slick with cold sweat
Will this hurt her more?
He’d already taken so much from Neely, all while professing love. Will this be one more on my very long list of sins?
The clouds covering the moon’s face swirled into wisps of mist, and moonlight brightened the room. He glanced over his shoulder as light splashed onto the car’s black paint and reflected silver. Beams spilled through the back glass and leached the brilliant red and gold away to transform the child’s hair into a white cloud of curls. Lucas slept on soundly, safe, close, perfectly adorable, and so much like her.
“My son needs his mother,” Andrew whispered, as the envelope hit with a thud against the bottom of the chute. “And I need Neely’s help.”
The shore road’s lights became a blurred stream of neon pinks and yellows on the drive home. Carrying Lucas into the house and tucking him into bed left Andrew with too much time to think about what he’d done.
He walked out onto the deck, closed his eyes, and inhaled. The salty air instantly energized his muscles and caressed that other side of his nature.
“I hope this is the right decision,” he whispered to the stars. The creation story his grandmother had told him came flooding back and his heart grew heavier with the memory of her warm smile.
“Somewhere in all that dark sky and water The Mother and The Father are parted,” Gran had whispered to him in the dark. “They are destined to forever mourn the loss of each other, giving the world light now at the cost of their separation.”
“Sacrifice,” he said softly as the echo of waves slapping the sand bounced off the house.
Will that be my fate?
He
missed Gran terribly on nights like this. She’d been the only person in the
How different would my life be
now if she’d lived? But my Gran is dead, and now
A cold shiver ran down
his spine at the thought of Margarette getting her hands on his son. He glanced
toward the play of lights reflected by the nightlight onto the bedroom window
and smiled. His phone buzz
He’d
never anticipated what his desires might cost him when it had only been Neely’s
love he wanted. Now the price he might have to pay for having fallen in love
with her suddenly seemed very high. Especially every time Masa sent a new
warning. His emails always came as kind of a shock. He’d known Masa his whole
life as a family friend and never guessed he’d been so much more to Margarette.
And now to him. Masa had shown more unconditional
Andrew shoved his hands
Unwilling
UNWILLING Book #1
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Neely McIntire’s dreams warn her about the future, but will not protect her from the danger hiding in plain sight. On graduation night, she plans to tell her best friend, Hayden Nelson, that she's in love with him. Instead, they argue. Neely's hurt feelings leave her vulnerable, giving her secret admirer, Andrew Huckley, the opportunity to put his mother’s monstrous plan into motion. When Neely gives in to her broken heart and pushes him away, Hayden knows he must fight to recapture the spark he felt in their last kiss. But will he find her in time to reverse the damage or will she be changed forever?
**This is the first of 3 books, it's recommended that they be read in order to fully enjoy the experience of the story**
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Hey, everyone!
I'm super thrilled to be here telling you about book #2 in Michelle M. Pillow's WARLOCKS MACGREGOR series...
First, a little bit about Michelle...
Author of All Things Romance New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author
Michelle M. Pillow, is a multi-published, award-winning author writing in several romance fiction genres. She has been a #1 Amazon Bestselling Author, on the Amazon bestseller list multiple times, the winner of the 2006 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, and nominated for the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award 2011. She has a BGS in History/Business with an English Minor, and a Photography Degree. In 2009 she and fellow author Mandy M. Roth started their own highly successful self-publishing endeavor named The Raven Books.
Readers can contact through her website: www.MichellePillow.com
Michelle
has titles published
Links:
Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** SPELLBOUND Goodreads ** Michelle M. Pillow Goodreads ** Michelle Pillow Newsletter
Now some info about the new release and the series...
Spellbound
WARLOCKS MACGREGOR Book #2
Release today, 7/7/15!
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Let Sleeping Warlocks Lie…
Iain MacGregor knows how his warlock family feels about outsiders discovering the truth of their powers, its forbidden. That doesn’t seem to stop him from having accidental magickal discharges whenever he’s around the woman who has captured his attention. Apparently his magick and other “parts” don’t seem to care what the rules are, or that the object of his affection just might be his undoing.
Warning: Contains yummy, hot, mischievous MacGregor boys who may or may not be wearing clothing and who are almost certainly up to no good on their quest to find true love.
Excerpt:
Jane meets Iain’s family.
“Iain MacGregor,” she whispered longingly, looking up. The woods were quiet. Strips of moonlight shone through tree limbs that reached like surreal black fingertips across her vision. A single tear slid down her cheek. She touched her mouth, imagining his kiss.
Taking a small pocket knife out of her cargo pants, she looked about. A mystic had once told her that if she left pieces of herself around while she lived, it would expand her haunting territory when she died. Jane wasn’t sure she believed in sideshow magic tricks—or the Old Magick as the mystic had spelled it on her sign. She had no idea what had possessed her to talk to the palm reader and ask about ghosts. Still, just in case, she was leaving her stamp all over the woods.
She cut her palm and pressed it to a nearby tree under a branch. Holding the wound to the rough bark stung at first, but then it made her feel better. This forest wouldn’t be a bad eternity.
The sound of running feet erupted behind her and she stiffened. No one ever came out here at night. She’d walked the woods hundreds of times. Her mind instantly went to the creepy girl ghosts chanting by the stream.
“Whoohoo!”
Jane whipped around, startled as a streak of naked flesh sprinted past her. The Scottish voice was met with loud cheers from those who followed him. “Water’s this way, lads, or my name isn’t Raibeart MacGregor, King of the Highlands!”
Another naked man dashed through the forest after him. “It smells of freedom.”
Jane stayed hidden in the branches, undetected, with her hand pressed to the bark.
“Aye, freedom from your proper Cait,” Raibeart answered, his voice coming through the dark where he’d disappeared into the trees.
“Murdoch, stop him before he reaches town. Cait will not teleport ya out of jail again,” a third man yelled, not running quite so fast. “Raibeart, ya are goin’ the wrong way!”
“Och, Angus, my Cait canna live without me,” Murdoch, the second streaker, answered. “She’ll always come to my rescue.”
“I said stop him, Murdoch, we’re new to this place.” Angus skidded to a stop and lifted his jaw, as if sensing he was being watched. He looked in her direction and instantly covered his manhood as his eyes caught Jane’s shocked face in the tree limbs. “Oh, lassie.”
“Oh, naked man,” Jane teased before she could stop herself.
“That I am,” Angus answered, “but there is an explanation for it.”
“I don’t think some things need explained,” Jane said.
Learn More: http://michellepillow.com/title/spellbound/
Newsletter: http://michellepillow.com/newslettersignup/
Be sure to grab LOVE POTIONS, the first book in the Warlocks MacGregor Series…
Love Potions
WARLOCKS MACGREGOR Book #1
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*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's Review HERE
A little
Erik MacGregor, from a clan of ancient Scottish warlocks, isn't looking for love. After centuries, it's not even a consideration
Lydia Barratt just wants to be left alone to grow flowers and make lotions in her old Victorian house. The last thing she needs is a demanding Scottish man meddling in her private life. Just because he's gorgeous and totally rocks a
But Erik won't give up and just as Lydia
Amazon ** Amazon UK ** Barnes & Noble **
Hey everyone!
LITERAL ADDICTION, as always, is very happy to be helping the wonderful Stacey Kennedy spread the news about her latest release today.
STACEY KENNEDY is the USA Today bestselling author of the CLUB SIN series. Growing up, Stacey’s mind wandered the path less traveled and that path most often led to love. She has always broken
CONNECT WITH STACEY: Website | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Twitter | GoodReads
Connect with Loveswept Publishing: Facebook | Twitter | Website
We’re here today to help Stacey celebrate the release of Commanded, book #6 of her CLUB SIN series. Check ‘
Commanded
CLUB SIN Book #6
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A dedicated cop, Sawyer Quinn blows off steam by immersing himself in
his role as a Master at the hottest club in Las Vegas. But when Sawyer goes
after the
There’s something different about Sawyer: a commanding strength that pulls Chloe into a vortex of heady desire. But when she learns about his double life as a Dom, she’s shocked—and afraid she could never complete him. Then he saves her life, and just like that, Chloe knows she will be able to give him anything he desires. She is his—wherever and however he wants to take her.
Check out the rest of the Club Sin series, as well...
CLUB SIN Book #1
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*Read LITERAL ADDICTION’s Review HERE
Buy from: Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | Google Play | Random House and other retailers
A novel of erotic discovery and forbidden desire that goes beyond Fifty Shades of Grey.
Presley Flynn is ripe to experience her secret fantasies … and Dmitri Pratt wants nothing more than to fulfill them. Once inside the elite Club Sin in Las Vegas, Presley is nervous but excited—and determined to surrender to her every desire. Dmitri is her Master, and his touch is like fire. With each careful, calculated caress, he unleashes her wildest inhibitions, giving her unimagined pleasure.
Presley is different than the other submissives Dmitri has mastered. The BDSM lifestyle is new to her, and so are the games they play at Club Sin. From the start, Presley stirs emotions in Dmitri far beyond the raw purity between a dom and the perfect sub. For the ecstasy they share goes beyond the dungeon, igniting a passion that claims the very depths of the heart.
Claimed is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.
CLUB SIN Book #2
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Buy from: Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | Kobo | BAM
*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's Review HERE
In a novel that’s perfect for fans of Fifty Shades of Grey, Stacey Kennedy returns to Club Sin with another wicked and wild tale of submission, seduction, and love.
At Las Vegas’s exclusive Club Sin, Aidan Knight is the Master, unleashing the erotic yearnings of his submissive lovers. But his dominant façade conceals a devastating loss—something he instantly recognizes in his personally trained submissive Cora Adams. Sworn to unearth her secrets, Aidan uses his seductive skills to ignite her wildest desires until Cora yields to the pleasure she can find only with him.
Cora came to the BDSM club to act out her sub-and-dom fantasies without ever revealing the heartbreak that haunts her. But Aidan’s masterful touch is bringing her closer to the edge … and deeper into a world of control and surrender. He refuses to allow her to submit to any other man—nor does she want to. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing. For as they give in to passion, they must lay bare their souls for a love that could heal—and free—them both.
Bared is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.
Desired
CLUB SIN Book #3
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“Sexy, sensual, and totally se
Freed
CLUB SIN Book #4
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*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's Review HERE
CLUB SIN Book #5
JUST RELEASED TODAY - 3/10/15!
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USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy returns to the tantalizing world of Club Sin in an enticing novel of control and surrender.
Porter Marshall has nearly achieved his goal of becoming a Club Sin Master, but his new sub poses a much bigger challenge than he anticipated. Despite their mutual attraction and red-hot dungeon sessions, Kenzie Hart plays her own games. Her bratty, you-can’t-break-me attitude masks terrible personal hurt—pain that only the exquisite touch of a skilled Dom can release. But when Porter suggests taking their connection to the outside world, Kenzie denies him . . . which only makes him want her more.
Kenzie can’t ignore the raw, fierce bond she has with Porter. But she can’t give in to his dangerous demands, either. Is the passion they share real, or is he using her to solidify his status at Club Sin? And yet, who else can she trust with the shattering secrets she holds within? As Porter expertly brings her to the point of no return, Kenzie surrenders her body—and, piece by piece, her heart.
Tamed is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.
Hey everyone!
It is my extreme pleasure to be here to tell you all about Claire Ashgrove's re-released Inherited Damnation series again now that all of the books are available! But first, let me tell you a little bit about Claire...
Building on a background of fantasy game design, a fascination with history, and a lifetime love of books, Award-Winning Author Claire Ashgrove brings to life action-filled, passionate journeys of the heart. Her paranormal series, The Curse of the Templars, marries the history of the Knights Templar with the chilling aspirations of the most unholy--a must-read for speculative fiction fans. For romance fans, she also writes as the National Bestselling Author Tori St. Claire and historical romance as Sophia Garrett.
In her non-writing time, she owns and operates Finish The Story, a full-scale editing house co-founded
To learn more, visit her at: claireashgrove.com or toristclaire.com. For all the latest updates look for the Untamed Spirit blog, via any of her websites.
You can also find Claire on GoodReads, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
INHERITED DAMNATION
INHERITED DAMNATION is an 8 book paranormal romance series being released as one book every three weeks between January 27
Damned at birth, eight immortal children of a high priestess are compelled to kill the one that holds their heart. They can never fall in love. Driven by the need to finally destroy their evil sire and break the curse, each struggles to balance their desire for innocence against the dark needs of their conflicted souls.
The series contains mythos shared between the volumes, but each book stands on its own with a newly featured couple.
Keep up with all things Inherited Damnation over on the Inherited Damnation Facebook page!
Cursed to Kill
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #1
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One of eight children born to an ancient Celtic priestess and sired by a
When Cian walked into her rare bookstore months ago, Miranda Phillips never imagined she'd lose her heart to the handsome playboy. Her reward for doing so was
Tormented by Darkness
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #2
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Cursed by her incubus father centuries ago, the last thing Rhiannon McLaine wants is to fall in love.
The night she delivers flowers to detective Mick Farrell, however, everything changes. Deep-seated attraction flares into untamed passion. In the morning, Rhiannon awakens to find she’s lost her heart. Now, unless she can convince Mick of her secret past, she’s destined to take his life.
When Rhiannon asks Mick to go camping with her, instinct
warns him to refuse. Though he hungers for her love and the goodness she
represents, he’ll do anything to keep her from discovering the darkness within
his soul. Yet a weekend in the woods is the perfect place to indulge in
temporary desire
Surrounded by ancient Celtic rites and magic, can Mick see beyond Rhiannon’s duplicity and recognize her love? Or will the revelation of her true demonic nature doom Rhiannon to a mortal life alone?
Destined to Die
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #3
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Haunted by his mother’s betrayal, Belen McLaine surrendered
to his demonic half long ago. For centuries, he’s roamed, doing all he can
Faith Winters shared one glorious date with Belen complete
with fireworks, but he stayed away until the night of her brutal attack. As
For Belen, even if it means hurting Faith, he must not succumb to love. If he fails, his father’s curse promises he’ll take Faith’s life.
Bound by Blood
INHERITED DAMNATION #3
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US / Amazon
UK / Amazon
Beth Whitley has finally put her life back together after her husband’s betrayal and is determined to piece together the clues to her past. But she never imagines an ancient scroll bearing the name of a Celtic ancestor will plunge her into a world of demonic ritual. Nor does she suspect that a kiss shared with genealogist Fintan McClaine will unveil the secrets of her dreams and a burning desire.
Fintan McClaine wants freedom from the dark curse he’s suffered for centuries. When Beth arrives with evidence that she shares ancestral ties with his Selgovae Celt tribe, he must confront the truth of his inherited damnation. As he struggles to convince Beth the truth within her dreams, she awakens a dangerous and forbidden yearning in his heart.
To save them both, Fintan must convince Beth to believe in herself and her ability to overpower his unholy sire. If he fails, he will remain an eternal slave to his tainted blood and lose Beth forever.
Fated for Sacrifice
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #5
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Buy links available on the Author’s Website
Amazon / Amazon UK / Amazon
When Reese Hamilton is abandoned in the snow-laden woods,
she must find her way to Dáire McLaine’s cabin—a
Dáire McLaine will do anything to escape his demonic blood and attain mortality, even if that means defying nature’s laws and manipulating Reese’s thoughts for his own means. But when he delves into her hidden secrets, the staggering emotion he encounters makes it impossible to deny the forbidden longings of his own heart. He’s yearned for Reese over the years. Yet to love Reese will demand the ultimate sacrifice—his life.
Doomed to Torment
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #6
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Buy links available on
Isolde McLaine left Hatherly Hall and its darkly handsome owner Angus Shaw to escape her incubus father's curse. But when word reaches her that Angus is selling the piece of British history, she returns to talk sense into him. Little does she
For three and a half months, Angus has done his best to put Isolde and the one unforgettable kiss they shared behind him. Yet when she returns, scolding him for selling his deceased wife's estate, he's sharply reminded of the passion she awakens
Torn between protecting his child and the love he feels for Isolde, Angus must find the strength to trust in Isolde before her demonic sire claims his son.
|
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #8
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JUST RELEASED TODAY, 6/23/15!
Buy links available on the Author’s Website
Taran McLaine knows the agony of his incubus father's curse more intimately than his siblings. A century ago he murdered the only woman he ever loved. When he finds her alive, he's faced with the ultimate heartbreak. They have no chance at a future--he's done all he can to insure that on his day of judgment the ancestors will deny him a mortal life.
Years ago, Solene Larouche embraced Taran and the dark curse that cloaked him. She knew the risk she faced, but when Drandar pulls her back to life, she agrees to aid the demon and damn Taran to eternal suffering. One look at the man who held her heart so long ago, however, changes her mind. She must find a way to free him, even if it means condemning herself to eternity as Drandar's slave.
As Samhain approaches,
Solene and Taran conspire to destroy Drandar. But will their combined
EXCERPT:
“Taran?” Concern filled her quiet question.
He should have known better than to attempt to hide from her. She could read him long before he even became aware of his own emotions. Dropping his head to her shoulder, he whispered, “I never meant to hurt you. I am so sorry.”
Though she said nothing, her arms encircled him. The strength of her embrace conveyed understanding. More, it spoke of forgiveness.
An end that would come with the recitation of his mother’s Samhain ritual.
He rolled off her body and sat up. “Solène, I need the scroll.”
The cushion gave behind him as she sat. Though he couldn’t see her expression, he felt her frown in the sharpness of her voice. “Is this not enough, Taran? Us?”
Damn the tide that divided them! He stood, anger snapping through him. “I cannot live like this.” Wheeling on her, he thrust an arm to the window. “You cannot imagine what it’s like to walk those streets wanting to kill the woman I cannot live without!”
An instant of regret smacked into him as she winced. But too many years of conflict overrode sympathy. His dark spirit grabbed at the anger, driving him a step closer. His fingers twitched, the urge to take her dainty neck between his hands as fierce as it had ever been. “Give me the scroll, Solène. Before you regret the decision to refuse me.”
Hello, my literal addicts!
I'm here today to tell you all about a super
Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance Boxed Set
Now available worldwide for a special introductory price of only $0.99!
Buy from: Amazon / Amazon UK / Amazon
This ebook boxed set features all-new, never-before-published hot paranormal romances by eight New York Times and USA Today best-selling romance authors. Tortured alpha-male bad boys will ignite your darkest, most secret desires in these stories about vampires, shifters, dragons, fallen angels, werewolves, demons, psychic warriors and ghosts.
Now, let's find out a little bit more about each author and book in the set...
JENNIFER ASHLEY
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jennifer Ashley
Jennifer’s/Allyson’s/Ashley’s more than fifty novels have won RWA’s RITA award, the Golden Quill, RT Reviewer’s Choice awards, and the Prism award, among others. Jennifer’s novels have been also been translated into French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Norwegian, Hungarian, Italian, Thai, and other languages.
Jennifer enjoys writing and reading above all else, but her hobbies include cooking, hiking, playing flute and guitar, painting, and building miniature rooms and dollhouses.
Jennifer (as Jennifer) is the proud creator of the HIGHLAND PLEASURES, SHIFTERS UNBOUND, NVENGARIA, and REGENCY PIRATESseries.
You can keep up with Jennifer online at her
Lion Eyes
SHIFTERS UNBOUND #7
Bree has just decided to give up trying to be a Shifter
groupie when a lion Shifter slams into her truck and tells her to *drive*.
Seamus is on the run from hunters, other Shifters, and who knows who else. All
Bree knows is that he’s compelling, needs her help, and most intriguing of all,
wears no Collar
Caris is the proud creator of the GUARDIANS OF ASCENSION, DAWN OF ASCENSION, THE BLOOD ROSE, MEN IN CHAINS and THE AMULET series.
You can keep up with Caris online at her
Blood Flame
THE FLAME #1
Vampire Officer Connor of the Crescent Border Patrol tries to
suppress his desire for the powerful witch, Iris Meldeere. Because the woman
possesses the ability to kill him with the tips of her fingers, how can he
possibly fall in love with her? When a double homicide throws them together, he
soon finds his deepest fantasies fulfilled as Iris succumbs to his seductions.
But as they battle together to stay alive, and love begins to consume them
both,
You can keep up with Erin online at her
Tempted by Flame
DRAGONS OF BLOODFIRE #1
A powerful dragon shifter has waited six hundred years to
avenge the loss of his family, but the beautiful mediator
Felicity’s wonderful imagination brings us the HER ANGEL, VAMPIRES REALM, VAMPIRE EROTIC THEATRE, SONS OF LYRA, DAUGHTERS OF LYRA, VAMPIRE VENATOR, and IN HEAT series, as well as the SHADOW AND LIGHT Trilogy.
You can find Felicity online
Her Sinful Angel
HER ANGEL #8
Cast out of Heaven and now the king of Hell, Lucifer is a powerful fallen angel warrior with a heart as cold as ice and soul as black as the bottomless pit. For millennia, he has ruled his realm with an iron fist as he plots the demise of his ancient enemies. When one of those enemies dumps an unconscious mortal female in the courtyard of his fortress and leaves her there, Lucifer finds himself entranced by the beguiling beauty and tempted beyond all reason. But is the enchanting Nina an innocent pawn in the eternal game or part of a plot against him?
She lives in Arizona with her husband, two daughters and three dogs (all of whom have made debuts in her stories—the dogs, that is, not the husband and kids.)
Erin is the creator of the MISTS OF IRELAND series as well as numerous stand-alone novels.
The Resurrection of Sam Sloan
BEYOND #2
When
a reaper is trapped in Maggie’s estranged husband’s body, she knows only that
the man with her husband’s eyes feels like a stranger . . .
Laurie is the magic mind behind the SWEETBLOOD and IRON PORTAL series.
You can keep up with Laurie online at her
Rebel's Desire
IRON PORTAL #4
A jaded Iron Guild warrior cares about nothing except battling a ruthless enemy, but when a beautiful woman literally runs into his arms, he realizes she holds the key to his success. As passion ignites, he must decide whether to sacrifice the woman he’s falling for or dare to trust his heart again.
BONNIE VANAK
She is the force behind the KHAMSIN EGYPTIAN, THE ANCIENTS
You can keep up with Bonnie online at her
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Redemption
WEREWOLVES OF MONTANA MATING MINI #4
A cursed alpha wolf promises to free an enslaved
COLLEEN GLEASON
Colleen lives in the Midwest United States where she is fortunate enough to be working on her next book.
She loves to hear from readers via her website, Facebook, or GoodReads.
Raging Dawn
A GARDELLA VAMPIRE HUNTERS STANDALONE
Vampire Hunter Max Denton must work with the daughter of the man who betrayed his family when they travel to an English estate in 1912, posing as servant and mistress. Downton Abbey with vampires.
Sound great, right!?
Eight all-new, never-before-published hot paranormal romances by eight New York Times bestselling authors. Tortured alpha-male bad boys will ignite your darkest, most secret desires in these stories about vampires, shifters, dragons, fallen angels, werewolves, demons, psychic warriors and ghosts.
- Eight New York Times Bestselling Authors
- Eight brand-new, standalone romance books (no cliffhangers) EXCLUSIVE to this set during launch month
- 90% off retail when sold separately
- Only available for a limited time
EXCERPT FROM LION EYES BY JENNIFER ASHLEY
Something hit Bree’s pickup full force
“Bree? Are you still there?” came the strident tones of her mother. “If you’ve hung up on me …”
The man landed on the seat, closed a huge hand around Bree’s cell phone, and threw the phone out the open window.
Bree’s frozen moment of amazement broke. She clung to the steering wheel, opened her mouth, and screamed as loudly as she could.
The man was across the seat in a heartbeat, clapping a strong and dirt-streaked hand over her mouth. “Drive,” he said, his voice so guttural she could barely understand the word. “Now!”
No way in hell was Bree going anywhere with this guy. She’d fight him off, run back inside the bar, yell for help. Who cared that the groupies were unfriendly? She’d hide out in the bathroom and let the bouncers deal with him.
Two more men materialized out of the dark. They had shotguns, and they pointed them at the man and at Bree.
“Go!” the man roared.
The shotguns boomed. Bree’s truck wasn’t there to receive the blast, though, because she’d stomped on the gas.
The pickup jumped forward and hit the ground, wheels spinning. A thick cloud of dust boiled up behind them as Bree shot out of the parking lot to the road.
The road itself was dirt, washboard rough, slippery with dust that weeks without rain had made bone dry. Another shot rang out behind them, and Bree’s right mirror shattered.
She screamed again and pushed harder on the gas. The truck shimmied and danced, but Bree had helped Remy rebuild this baby, and she knew it inside and out. She expertly maneuvered up and down the washes and out to a paved road.
Bree raced down this empty stretch of back highway for a minute or so, until multiple glances behind them told her no one was following. Not yet, anyway.
She swung to the grass at the side and slammed the truck to a halt. “Get out,” she said firmly.
The man who looked back at her in the dark didn’t move. He was a Shifter—she’d guessed that the moment he’d leapt with the grace of an acrobat into the cab. His large body took up most of the passenger seat, dark T-shirt stretching over a tight chest and arms that could lift this pickup if he wanted to. His hair was cut short but a mess, black, she thought, though it was hard to tell in this light.
His eyes … They were golden, intense, pinning her as Bree stared at him in shock. Lion eyes, whispered through her head.
The Shifter wildcats—Fae cats, they called themselves—had been bred to mix the best qualities of big cats, but individual Feline clans tended to favor one species or other. Leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, and mountain lions were most common. Tigers were very, very rare—so rare Bree knew about only one of them.
And then there were the lions. The Morrissey family, who ran the Austin Shiftertown, were black-maned lions. She’d seen photos of the men of that pride on the Internet, but she’d never seen this Shifter.
He cranked around in his seat to look behind them. “It’s not safe to stop here,” he said in an accent that sounded faintly ... Scottish? Irish? Bree was no expert on accents other than those around her hometown. “Keep going.”
Bree didn’t answer. She was staring at his neck, more of it revealed when he’d turned his head.
He wasn’t wearing a Collar.
All Shifters wore Collars. It was the law. Collars had some kind of chip in them that triggered a series of nasty shocks when the Shifter who wore it became violent. There were those who claimed that the Collars also contained Fae magic, meant to control the Shifters, though Bree was a little skeptical about the magic part. But then, shape-shifters had turned out to be real, so who knew?
This Shifter had no chain of silver-and-black links around his neck, no Celtic knot at his throat. No red line around his neck to show that he’d pulled his off either—the Collars were embedded into the skin for life.
Bree was terrified at the same time her insatiable curiosity rose and demanded to be satisfied. It would get her killed one day, that curiosity, her mother always said. Well, maybe today was the day.
“Are you feral?” she asked cautiously.
Feral Shifters were those who had left any civilized behavior behind and were becoming wild animals, nothing more, no matter what their shape. Bree had heard they usually stopped bathing and wearing clothes, and this guy was definitely dressed—jeans, T-shirt, and motorcycle boots. Though she saw black smears on his skin, he didn’t look like he’d missed many showers.
He stared at her with those golden, lion eyes, and said, “Maybe. Not yet. Now, go.”
“Or, I can go, and you can get the hell out of my truck.”
“Damn you,” he said, his voice quietly desperate. “I’m dead the minute I hit the ground.”
Bree’s heart pounded sickeningly, but she remained in place. “You weren’t at the bar. Are you from one of the Shiftertowns around here?”
He was over the seat and right next to Bree before she could blink. His foot slid alongside hers and pushed the gas.
The truck leapt. Bree grabbed the steering wheel, cranking it around before they slid into the ditch. The pickup hit the pavement, shimmying until Bree righted it and sent them down the road in the correct lane.
At least the Shifter had moved his foot once she’d got the truck going.
“I don’t care where you take me,” he said. “Just get me away from the hunters.”
Bree peered down the dark road, a straight stretch, empty this late. They were a long way from Austin, a long way from anywhere, really.
Lights appeared behind her. The hunters? Hard to tell, but the lights were coming up too fast. The Shifter next to her twisted in the seat to look back at them. “Hell—go!”
The headlights got larger, far quicker than they should have. Bree’s breath came too fast, her blood pumping. She’d been chased before. She hadn’t liked it then, and she didn’t like it now.
“All right, all right.” Bree shoved her foot down on the gas, the truck rushing forward. The speedometer crept past sixty, seventy, eighty.
“Who are you?” she repeated over the engine’s noise. “What Shifter clan are you with, and why aren’t you wearing a Collar?”
The man said nothing. Bree risked turning her head to find herself pinned by his golden stare.
“Why do you know so much about Shifters?” he demanded.
Bree waved her hand at her made-up face as she focused on the road again. Her eyeliner had started to run, forming black tears. “Hello? I’m a Shifter groupie. We know everything about Shifters. The clans, the prides and packs, the family trees. What you can do and can’t do, where you live, who your mates are, what the Collars do. I’m not as into it as some of my friends back home—they would know exactly who you were and where you came from. Kind of creepy, right?”
He kept scrutinizing her, like a big cat trying to decide whether or not to pounce on a gazelle. “My name’s Seamus.”
“Nice Irish name. You Irish?”
“No.”
He snarled it. Bree let out her breath. “All right. No need to bite my head off.”
More scrutinizing. Maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned biting—he was the most predatory Shifter she’d ever met. Probably because he didn’t have a Collar. Why didn’t he? What …
The black truck in her rearview put on a sudden burst of speed. The crazy driver shoved the truck between Bree and the right-hand side of the road, on the very narrow shoulder. One wrong bump, and they’d both flip.
Apparently, the driver didn’t care. Three guys in the bed of the other truck had shotguns, and they lifted them and pointed them at Bree and Seamus.
“Shit!” Bree yelled. Her instinct was to slam on the brakes and let the other truck shoot forward, but the truck might hit her, and they’d all be whirling across the road to likely death.
“Pull over and give us the Shifter!” the driver called through his open window.
“No way in hell!” Bree shouted back. Only one thing to do. “Hold on,” she told Seamus.
Seamus must have seen something in her expression, because he stopped snarling and closed his hands around the seat.
What the hunters didn’t know was that this truck had belonged to Remy Fayette, Bree’s brother, before his military stint in the Middle East had ended his life. A missile had taken out the helicopter he and his team had been in, while carrying out a rescue mission. The army had given Remy a hero’s burial, and their mom a flag and a little money in the bank every month. Bree kept the truck in his memory.
Before Remy had given up his wild life for the discipline of the army, he’d spent his time modifying cars and trucks and racing them—legally and not so legally. Bree sent him a silent blessing as she flipped a switch to deploy the nitrous oxide boost.
The pickup shot forward, jerking Bree and the Shifter. The truck following them dropped instantly behind. Ninety miles an hour, a hundred. Bree hung on to the steering wheel for dear life.
The headlights behind them swiftly grew smaller. Seamus was clutching the seat so hard his fingers tore the upholstery.
“Whoo—hoo!!” Bree yelled. “Eat that, dirtbags! Thank you, Remy Fayette. I love you!”
As usual, when Bree thought of her brother, her eyes filled with instant tears. Not now. She had to drive, to see the road.
She also had to get them to ground somewhere. Bree couldn’t keep this speed without attracting every highway patrol in the county, but if she slowed down, the guys chasing Seamus might find them.
Nothing for it.
“I’ll take you to a Shiftertown,” she said. “Which one are you from?”
Seamus’s gaze was on her again, unrelenting. “No. No Shiftertowns. Just put enough distance between us and them.” He had a hand on the door handle, as though contemplating when it would be safe to jump out. What the hell?
Something bad was going on here. At the same time, Seamus was a Shifter, and those guys chasing him were ready to shoot him. He’d be safe in a Shiftertown, where hunters didn’t dare go—they weren’t allowed to bother Collared Shifters. But if Seamus refused to go to a Shiftertown, then where?
“I have an idea,” Bree said. “I know a place you can lie low. Not the best choice, but no one will think of looking for you there.”
Seamus didn’t answer. He glanced behind them again, and his body finally relaxed. The headlights were gone.
Bree turned off the extra juice. The truck slowed abruptly, rattling and bumping. Remy had taught her how to drive a rod though, and Bree maneuvered the truck to handle the sudden change in speed. She took the next corner, heading off into the darkness of the back roads.
“Where?” Seamus asked, his voice harsh.
“You’ll see,” Bree answered. “I’m just telling you now, though—you get to explain why you threw away my cell phone while I was talking to my mom.”
Grab the boxed set for just $0.99 to read this story and seven others…
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Carnal Risk
by Kym Grosso
CLUB ALTURA Book #1
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance, Suspense
Powerful CEO, Garrett Emerson’s, life and corporation are built on a foundation of risk taking and top secret priorities. He works hard, but plays even harder. When tragedy strikes, the charismatic and sexy billionaire takes the gamble of his life by bringing a beautiful consultant into his inner sanctum, exposing her to his exclusive society of extreme athletes who are adventurous both in business and pleasure. Inexplicably drawn to the intriguing woman, Garrett teaches her to face her fears, bringing them both to new levels of ecstasy.
Selby Reynolds, a high profile technology specialist, reluctantly accepts an engagement at Emerson Industries. Discovering secrets and uncovering clues to a murder, she’s swept into Garrett's dangerous but seductive life of luxury. Captivated by the world renowned capitalist and adventurer, she’s convinced he could crush her heart. As he pushes her sexual limits and their erotic play intensifies, Selby finds it impossible to resist the one man who turns her darkest fantasies into a reality.
When Selby’s life is threatened by a killer, carnal lessons of trust are put to the test, forcing them to choose who is friend and who is foe. Can Selby give her heart to a man who revels in the excitement of flirting with death? Will they prevail against an enemy who threatens to tear apart Garrett’s world, including the fragile connection with the woman he seeks to claim as his own?
About Kym Grosso
Kym Grosso is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of the erotic paranormal romance series, The Immortals of New Orleans. The series currently includes Kade’s Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 1), Luca’s Magic Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 2), Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 3)
In addition to romance, Kym has written and published several articles about autism, and is passionate about autism advocacy. She also is a contributing essay author in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum.
Kym lives with her husband, two children, dog and cat. Her hobbies include autism advocacy, reading, tennis,
“Rule number one. I decide what access you have and when. Until we know what happened, you will most definitely not have physical access to Evan’s office or any of his physical belongings, including his laptop.” Garrett didn’t miss a beat as he turned to her and continued, “I’m well aware of your, how should I say, ability to acquire his files by other means. So while I appreciate you attempting to get them in a legitimate way, you will not have access to all the files until I’m comfortable that you have a solid understanding of what we do here. Clearances only tell me that you can be trusted with information. They don’t tell me that you grasp why we are doing the things we are doing here. So for now, I need you to focus on infrastructure. Convince the board that the outsourcing is mutually beneficial for both our companies.”
“Outsourcing information systems at Emerson Industries to DLar-Tech? I can do that in my sleep. But in the files you gave me, they referenced something called a PFx Prototype. Now I don’t know what that is, but if it’s in his files, they may ask…”
“They won’t ask you.”
“But…”
“Rule number two. I make the rules. If it comes up, I’ll stop the discussion. Tomorrow’s about introducing you to the board, establishing credibility. Your résumé speaks for itself, but Lars is responsible for bringing you in.”
“So I’m interviewing?” She smiled.
“Something like that. Decision’s already been made. I know it. They know it. But it’s essential they feel comfortable with you.”
“I’ll do my best to sell them on the outsource plan. I can do this.”
“Rule number three.” As Garrett considered his next words, he lifted his eyes to hers, attempting not to stare as she toyed with the hem of her skirt. She shifted on the couch, and he swore he saw the faintest hint of a small tattoo on her inner thigh. Interesting. Miss Reynolds was a dichotomy of personalities. Her business woman persona was rigid in many ways, yet she bent rules when needed. Perhaps part of her yearned to rebel?
“Here’s the thing, Selby. My company isn’t just about technologies. I’ve built this by taking risks.”
“Don’t you mean danger?”
“To some but not us. Nor our customers either. We do this to experience life in a way that most people never see. The exhilaration of dropping from the sky.”
“Exhilaration?”
“Yes. The kind that takes your breath away. Like the best fucking sex you’ve ever had in your life. Do you know what that feels like?” he asked, never moving to touch her. He watched as she struggled to keep an impassive expression.
“Um, I don’t think that’s something you really need to know.”
“Oh but I do, Selby. And do you want to know why?”
She nodded, her fingers moving to her bloodstained blouse, where she fidgeted with a button.
“Because these are things that remind us we’re alive. Sex. Fear. Anticipation.” Garrett had had enough of pretending. Fuck it. I’ll apologize to Lars later. He stood and walked behind the sofa. Placing his palms on her shoulders, he steadied her before she had a chance to move. He knelt, bringing his lips to her ear. “Here at Emerson Industries we strive to bring customers face-to-face with the mind-blowing rush they want. Sometimes it’s a high-tech operation that requires calculated strategy. Sometimes it’s as easy as ramping up technology in a way to let Mother Nature provide the high. Stratospheric skydiving suits and helmets, to experimental polymer surfboards. We understand needs, enabling that rush. We push boundaries.”
“I’ve read about your company, how you built it,” she challenged.
“But you haven’t felt it, have you, Selby?” he pressed, his lips brushing against her ear. The subtle scent of her perfume teased his nostrils. Her fingers glided up over his and he knew he had her. He would make her understand, teach her. She’d breathe in the rush of the high, and never be the same.
“Mr. Emer…Garrett,” she began. “I can’t…I don’t do the things you do. I just can’t.”
“But you want to feel it. That rush from base jumping or from riding a wave. We all have our own threshold of how much is enough, how far we’d go. Tell me, Miss Reynolds, do you really want to learn about our culture?”
“But of course I do,” she quickly responded.
“What’s enough for you? Where’re your limits? How do you get your rush? Hacking into places you shouldn’t be? No, no, no, that’s much too easy,” he breathed. “Singing in front of a live audience? Is that where you come alive? Grinding your ass into my cock the other night? Did that do it?”
“I didn’t mean to…we need to talk about that.”
“Yes, I think we do, because I know you’re capable of pushing the envelope, too, sweetheart. I want to feel you tremble, Selby.” Garrett placed his lips on her neck and heard her sigh. He dragged the tip of his tongue behind her ear, tasting her skin. His dick was hard as rock, but he’d take her only after she trusted him, after she learned why this company was so damn important to him. “That rush you feel right now. That’s what I’m going to teach you. In the bedroom and out.”
“Who said we’re going to…?”
“Limits. Boundaries. They’re all meant to be bent, sometimes even broken. And I suspect we’re going to break a few together.” Garrett slipped his fingers over her lapel, gliding his hands across her collarbone. Her head lolled back against him, her eyes closed. He smiled at her acquiescence. Jesus, it shouldn’t matter what she did, but there was something about her. “Tomorrow, we’re going to rock the shit out of this board meeting. You’ll do this for me and then we’re going on a personalized tour. Participation isn’t optional.”
Hello everyone!
LITERAL ADDICTION is thrilled to be promoting for the fabulous Stacey Kennedy once again today. This time, to announce the release of book #2 in the MAGIC & MAYHEM series, Witches Be Burned.
STACEY KENNEDY is the USA Today bestselling author of the CLUB SIN series. Growing up, Stacey’s mind wandered the path less traveled and that path most often led to love. She has always broken rules and she continues to feed off emotion – staying true to her heart. Those traits are now the bones of her stories. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who puts any of the heroes in her books to shame, and their two young children. If she’s not on mom duty or plugging away at a new story, you’ll find Stacey camping in the summer, hibernating in the winter and obsessing over Penny Dreadful, Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy.
Connect with Stacey: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
As mentioned, I’m here today to help Stacey spread the word about Witches be Burned. Check it out!
JUST RELEASED TODAY - 5/19/15!
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In Stacey Kennedy’s paranormal romance novel, a rookie guardian sworn to protect the undead risks life and love in a world of violence, witchcraft, and seduction.
And make sure to check out book #1 of the series, Werewolves be Damned…
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Read LITERAL ADDICTION’s 5 Skull Review HERE
Nexi Jones—part witch, part guardian, and wannabe kick-ass warrior—can’t throw a punch or conjure the simplest magic. But that doesn’t stop her from hunting the werewolves who slaughtered her human family. She’ll have her revenge, but only if Kyden, the elite guardian, would get the hell out of her way.
Kyden can’t decide if Nexi wants to get herself killed or if she just has no clue what she’s doing. But her father made it clear: keep Nexi safe…or else. Of course, the more Nexi runs toward revenge, the more she needs Kyden’s aid, and as she grows into her power and confidence, so does his desire to protect her. The only problem? She’d rather he dropped dead.
But when a vampire paints a bull’s-eye on Nexi’s back, she’s hard-pressed to deny Kyden and the help he’s offering. Even if it means getting her revenge will be a little bit harder. At least it will still be as sweet.
Hello everyone! LITERAL ADDICTION is very excited to be promoting for Shiloh Walker once again today!
Shiloh also writes as author J.C Daniels.
J.C./Shiloh has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more
You can keep up with Shiloh online at her
I'm here today to tell you about Shiloh's BARNES BROTHERS series.
“That was smooth.”
She practically came right out of her skin. Whirling around, she glared at Trey. He stood less than two feet away.
“You...” Heaving out a breath, she pressed a hand to her racing heart and then looked past him into the hotel restaurant. Max had settled into her seat and Baron was shouldering his way deeper into the crush.
Nobody looked their way. At all.
“Mr. Barnes—”
“It’s Trey,” he said, his voice mild.
Narrowing her eyes, she continued to speak. “Unless you needed something, I’d like to go on up to my room. My panel is at eight thirty in the morning. I don’t know who thought that was a good idea, but I need some sleep if I’m going to be functional.”
“Okay.” He shrugged. “I just wanted to tell you thanks for the coffee.”
As he cut around her, she reached up and pressed her fingers to her temples. “You are a very frustrating man, you know that?”
She watched as he turned around, still walking, backward. “So I’ve been told. You didn’t need to apologize. You didn’t know. We’ll just chalk it all up to an.
Then he headed off down the hall.
She should have just let it go.
Just let it go at that. Really.
“Oh, it’s been an experience. Not really the kind I was shooting for, but yeah. It’s been an experience.”
This time, when he turned around, he didn’t keep walking backward. Instead, he moved toward her, his steps slow, his eyes thoughtful. “Yeah? Exactly what sort of experience were you shooting for?”
Ressa thought about the ring he’d worn, the one he’d taken off and how he’d stumbled and fumbled through trying to explain it.
She thought of the storm of emotion that had been in his voice, in his eyes. It wasn’t just grief—there was a storm of emotion that she couldn’t even begin to understand.
Then she thought about the faint smile that tugged at his lips, that heat she’d seen in his gaze.
Don’t. Just don’t—her common sense screamed.
“I’ve got wine in my room. I was going to drink the whole bottle. Want to save me from myself?”
“I don’t drink much these days,” he said softly. Then he blew out a breath. The words were laden with things unsaid. Then he shrugged. “But I can maybe keep you company.”
This is the third book in Ms Walker's Barnes Brothers series featuring these passionate siblings and if you are in the mood for a contemporary tale that will tug at your heartstrings then this book will certainly fit the bill.
If you enjoy contemporary romance with steam and a solid storyline than this book is for you!
Make sure to check them out!!
Hey gang, I'm here today to tell you all about Cynthia Eden's new release!
USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her parano
Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings. She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.
Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.
(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about
Keep up with Cynthia online: Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
As I mentioned, I'm here to tell you all about Cynthia's new release, the second in the LOST series! But, in case you missed me telling you about book #1, here you go. :)
Broken
LOST Book #1
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The first novel
Ex-SEAL and LOST founder Gabe Spencer is accustomed to the unusual in his job. But when knockout Eve Gray steps into his office, he’s rattled. For the mysterious woman is a dead ringer for the heiress thought to be the latest prey of the serial killer who goes by the name Lady Killer.
When Eve awoke in an Atlanta hospital, her past was a blank slate. Then she recognized her own face in the newspaper and vowed to learn the truth. Determined to confront the nightmares hidden in her mind, she never expects to find a partner in Gabe.
As Gabe and Eve work together, their explosive attraction becomes irresistible. Gabe knows that his desire for Eve is growing too strong, bordering on a dangerous obsession, but nothing pulls him away from her. And when another Eve lookalike disappears, Gabe vows to protect Eve at all costs. While Eve may have forgotten the killer in her past, it’s clear he hasn’t forgotten her.
Twisted
LOST Book #2
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Hey everyone!
I'm here to let you all know about an amazing bundle coming your way May 19, 2015!
13 Brand New Stories by 13 Fabulous Author at 1 Awesome low price of 99 CENTS!!
Romancing The Paranormal Box Set
By
Stephanie Rowe, Robyn Peterman, Victoria Danann, Kym Grosso, Dakota Cassidy, Claudy Conn, Teresa Gabelman, Melanie James, Gena D. Lutz, D'Elen McClain, Julia Mills, Brandy L. Rivers, and Cynthia St. Aubin
Add to your GoodReads Shelf
Pre-Order Now: Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon
Haunted by a tormented past that has come to reclaim him, a former assassin must choose between saving the world, or protecting the one woman who can touch his heart and redeem his soul.
Robyn Peterman - Fashionably Hotter Than Hell (Book 5 of the Hot Damned Series)
What does a Vampyre do when the woman he’s chased for two hundred years is still trying to get away? He plays dirty.
Welcome to my own personal Hell.
Where life is steamy and the sex is sizzling.
Only I would be blessed with a Vampyre mate that I’d have to chase for two centuries.
Now to my great dismay, I have competition for her very existence—not for her hand, for her life.
Name: Heathcliff.
Occupation: Vampyre Warrior—one of the deadliest in the world.
I plan. I fight. I win.
Always.
It’s just never taken this damned long.
Raquel may run and she may hide, but she is mine and I will no longer accept no for an answer. We were made for each other and nothing will change that simple fact…except maybe the Trolls or the Wraiths or the recluse Vampyre that wants to drink my mate dry.
Damn it, I thought the chase was difficult…keeping Raquel alive might prove to be my undoing.
Victoria Danann - Konochur: Wolf Lover
In the middle of a war with dragon shifters, a human widow of a werewolf may get another chance at love, but feelings of guilt threaten a blossoming attraction to the one wolf everyone thought was untamable.
Dominant vampire leader, Kade Issacson, is devastated when his fiancée, Sydney Willows, is nearly killed by a demon and her transition into the supernatural tests the limits of their bond. Deep in the heart of New Orleans, they struggle to keep her alive while searching for an escaped killer who promises to end Sydney’s life once and for all.
Dakota Cassidy - What Not to Were
Werewolf Calla Allen’s ready to take her relationship with hot warlock Nash Ryder to the next level—the one where, after months of dating, they finally make the long anticipated woot-woot. (Yay!) It’s been a long road getting to where she is in her life, and Calla finally feels comfortable enough to share that with the man she’s fallen wildly in love with. And gorgeous Nash is more than ready to commit—until he wakes up after an incredible night of passion and finds all memory of Calla on the missing list. (Boo!) Now she has to make him remember or lose him forever. And the proverbial clock is ticking…(EEK!)
Claudy Conn - Harley-Awakening
Harley is a Hybrid that doesn't want to serve revenge up cold. She wants to serve it up now and she wants serve it up HOT.
Teresa Gabelman - Forbidden Hunger
A shifter without a pack, Janna Lawson goes in search of the man who her mother died trying to protect. What she finds is Garrett Foster, a man who has the power to decide her fate and causes a hunger inside her that is forbidden to them both.
Melanie James - Gertie's Paranormal Plantation
When you run a shelter for paranormal creatures, you can’t afford to let your guard down. When carefree—and quite naïve—witch Gertie O’Leary welcomes an enchanting new guest to the plantation, she finds herself caught up in an ancient struggle. Marie Laveau and the gang will have to pull together once again to save Gertie’s love life. Love, lust and laughs await on the Paranormal Plantation.
Gena D. Lutz - Sonnet Vale: Paranormal Hunter
Paranormal hunter, Sonnet Vale, has the unique ability to hunt and kill vampires. But a chance encounter with a handsome stranger is about to change everything, teaching Sonnet what it's like to be hunted and possessed.
D'Elen McClain - Fang Chronicles: Tyboll
A grumpy bear shifter, a stubborn she-bear shifter, and more growls than a bear clan can possibly handle. Will the two kill each other or discover they make the perfect mated pair?
Julia Mills - Her Dragon's Heart
Jace MacQuaid, the youngest Dragon Guardsman since the original knights has just found his mate, Melanie Whelan…the one the Universe made for him…the light of his soul. Of course, to claim her he will have to fight a force so dark not even the oldest of dragon kin has the answers. Fate really stepped in it this time.
Brandy L. Rivers - Seductive Solutions
When Toryn’s trusted friend begins failing, he’ll search for a way to free him of the destructive bond. Isa might have a solution for Scotty’s problem, if Toryn can help her find the courage.
Cynthia St. Aubin - From Hell to Breakfast
He's a supernatural bounty hunter with a broken heart and a loose zipper. She's a succubus with a smart mouth and a long rap sheet. When her crimes become his problem, they're in for one hell of a ride.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Stephanie Rowe
USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Rowe is the author of more than 40 novels, and she is a four-time nominee for the RITA award, the highest award in romance fiction. She has kept readers spellbound with her dark paranormal romances, including her popular Order of the Blade series. She touches their hearts with her emotional and funny contemporary romances, and she'll be launching a new cowboy series this summer with three sizzling novels. In addition, she has received high praise for her riveting romantic suspense series set in the wilds of Alaska.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads / Pinterest
Robyn Peterman
NYT
and USA Today best-selling author, Robyn Peterman writes because the people
inside her head won’t leave her alone until she gives them life on paper. She
writes snarky, sexy, funny paranormal and snarky, sexy, funny contemporaries.
Her addictions include laughing really hard with friends, shoes (the expensive
kind), Target, Coke Zero Cherry with extra ice in a
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads / Pinterest / Tsu
Victoria Danann
USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Victoria Danann, is making her debut into Contemporary Romance with releases in May and June 2015. Her Knights of Black Swan series won BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES TWO YEARS IN A ROW (2013, 2014). Reviewers Choice Awards, The Paranormal Romance Guild.
Victoria's
paranormal romances come with uniquely fresh perspectives on
"imaginary" creatures, characters, and themes. She adds a dash of
The
first book
For books published in 2013, Black Swan won three awards. 1. Best Paranormal Romance Series 2. Best Paranormal Romance Novel - A SUMMONER'S TALE 3. Best Vampire~Shifter Novel - MOONLIGHT. In 2014, Solomon's Sieve won Best Vampire Novel.
If
you're interested in Victoria personally, she is also a classically trained
musician who defected to Classic Rock music. Until 2013 she was the utility
player for Houston's Roadhouse band, which means she played rhythm guitar,
keyboards, sang backups and female leads. Her band covered everything (note for
note) from Styx to Led
She lives in The Woodlands, Texas with her husband and a very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads / Pinterest / Author FanGroup / Black Swan Fanpage
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads
Dakota Cassidy
Dakota Cassidy is the national bestselling author of more than a dozen books of contemporary and paranormal romance. She lives for a good laugh in both her life and her writing.
Her goals are simple: banish the color yellow forever, create world peace via hot rollers and Aqua Net, and nab every tiara in the land by competing in the Miss USA, Miss Universe, and Miss World pageants. And of course, write really funny, sexy, romantic books!
Dakota lives in Oregon with her dogs and her husband, who puts the heroes in her books to shame. She loves, loves, loves to connect with readers, so visit her online!
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads
Claudy Conn
However, my daughter lectured me and said that I should write about myself like I write my stories—so here goes…
While I have a fanciful imagination, I am a Capricorn—‘sure and steady’, and the obvious conflict leaves me jumbled. I have a computer, yes (invaluable), but I still jot down ideas on a scrap piece of paper, or a napkin in a restaurant. My imagination follows me wherever we go and sees so much more than meets the eye, and very often my husband will ask, ‘where are you now, baby?’
My
dad was the one who clicked
We
love horses and riding and when we migrated from New York to North Carolina we
brought our barn with us—and yes, I’d rather muck out a stall than clean a
house! My Irish, blue-eyed husband had to have a wolf and so we brought in our
little hybrid wolf pup to our home. She is ¾ wolf/ ¼ German shepherd named
Cherokee. Her 3 yr.
Ireland and Scotland gave us the Fae and the Druids. In Ireland you can still visit the ‘Faery Mounds’. Think of the possibilities. I have and I’d love for you to join me as I explore them. So then, come with me and let’s see where we can go…
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads
Teresa Gabelman
Teresa
Gabelman is the Best Selling Author of the 'Protectors Series'. Being a
full-time writer has allowed Teresa to connect more with
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Melanie James
Bestselling author, Melanie James spent 14 years as an IT systems administrator before tiring of the hustle and bustle of the technology world. She's doing what she loves, by writing steamy paranormal, contemporary, and romantic comedy books. Melanie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in Leadership and Development, with a minor in Women's Studies. She is currently working on her Master's Degree in Adult Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She is married to a wonderful man, who supports her dreams and goals. She has two children, three step-children, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and an adorable grand-baby.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads
Gena D. Lutz
Gena D. Lutz lives in the blistering heat of Arizona with her husband and four kids and two very high maintenance dogs, a Chihuahua and Australian Shepard. When she is not busy writing, Lutz can be found watching the classics, like Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, marathon style. Lutz enjoys reading, riding horses, playing poker and looks forward to the day she can travel the world.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads / Tsu
USA Today Best-Selling Author, Holly S. Roberts, is her new adult and erotic writing pen name and Suzie Ivy is her tough crime fighting alter ego pen name.
Her
two dogs, Dizzy, a Rottweiler with anxiety issues, and Duchess, her overweight
Chihuahua,
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads / Tsu
Julia Mills
I am a sarcastic, southern woman that would rather spend all day laughing than a minute crying. I have 2 of the most amazing daughters ever created, a menagerie of animals and a voracious appetite for reading. I decided to write the stories running through my brain and am having an absolute blast!! I read my first book, Dr Suess' Cat in The Hat, by myself at 4 and have been hooked ever since.
I
believe a good book along with shoes, makeup and purses will never let a girl
down. I know for a fact that all heroes
I
am still working on my
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Brandy L. Rivers
Brandy L Rivers is the author of the Others of Edenton and Others of Seattle series. There are more Others of Edenton and Others of Seattle books in the works.
As an avid reader, Brandy has always loved writing. She became serious about it as a stay-at-home-mother. She has a file full of manuscripts she plans to edit and put out there eventually.
She lives in Western Washington with her husband and three kids, where she is already working on future stories in each of the series and several other projects.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads / Pinterest / Tsu / Instagram / Google+
Cynthia St. Aubin
I like gravy.
This has nothing to do with the rest of my bio, but I thought you ought to know.
About the writing thing...
I
wrote my first play when I was six and made my brothers perform it for my
parents. I charged gum wrappers for admission (a steal, in my opinion,
considering I had handed out the gum wrappers ahead of time). While I seriously
doubt you'll be seeing any of my formative work on Broadway anytime soon, I can
credit these early experiments with the first of many important lessons I
learned about writing: no matter how brilliant your manuscript is, some kid can
go streaking butt-ass
Everyone
watches the naked kid because running across the living room with your cheeks
flapping in the breeze is
Cue
the
I
never quite gave up on the writing thing, even as I tried my hand at being a
dusty academic turned Executive Assistant (they paid me to nag! How cool is
that?), but in those quiet moments when expense reports
Yes, I know they have medication for that. It's called vodka.
Since they discourage drinking at work, I started writing instead. What came out was an amalgamation (vocabulary!) of all the things I love: funny stuff, art, psychology, food, people, and paranormal critters!
Et voila! The Case Files of Dr. Matilda Schmidt, Paranormal Psychologist were born.
When I'm not sitting in my office watching cat videos and pretending to write, I like cooking, knitting (badly), and reading anything that makes me laugh (like my bank statements).
I live in Colorado with my brilliant husband and three surly cats.
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LITERAL ADDICTION is very happy to be promoting for the wonderful Jill Shalvis again today!
Jill is the bestselling author of over four dozen romance novels, including her newest sexy contemporary romance RUMOR HAS IT, book four in the Animal Magnetism series set in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho. 
Jill is known for stories that are sexy, fun and full of heart. Besides the Animal Magnetism series, she is also the proud creator of the Lucky Harbor, Wilder, Sky High Air, Firefighter, American Heroes: The Firefighters, and South Village Singles series.
The 4-time Rita nominee and 3-time National Readers Choice winner makes her home near Lake Tahoe.
Visit her website at www.jillshalvis.com for a complete book list and daily blog. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and GoodRead
For our readers new to Jill’s ANIMAL MAGNETISM series, here is everything you need to know, including our review of Still the One.
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It’s Brady’s nature to
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Holly Reid learned the hard way to never depend on a man for anything. Now, of all men, it’s the last one she wants to see, and the only one she needs. Her father has gone missing in the Bitterroot Mountains and she could use someone with tracking skills to help find him.
For Holly and Adam, each with their ghosts, a trek this desperate, this unpredictable, and this intimate, will have its share of risks—including opening their hearts one more time.
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Special Ops soldier Griffin Reid doesn’t exactly have happy memories of growing up in Sunshine, Idaho. He’s only come back to recover from a war injury, and while he refuses to admit he’s in a weakened state, he finds comfort in the last person he’d expect.
Kate Evans teaches fourth grade science in Sunshine, the place she’s always called home. Dreaming of graduate school and a happily-ever-after, she’s desperate to break out of the monotony of Sunshine. Luckily, a certain sexy man has just come back into her life.
To Griffin, Kate as
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*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's Review HERE
From the New York Times bestselling author of Rumor Has It and the Lucky Harbor series comes the story of a woman whose world is turned upside down by one
Veterinary intern Emily can’t believe she wound up in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, instead of the Los Angeles clinic she had always imagined. Now she has to put her plans to move to L.A.
Then Wyatt, her gorgeous one-night stand from a Reno vet conference, introduces himself as her new boss. And Emily is just as drawn to his seductive looks and quiet strength as she was on that very steamy night. She soon learns that Wyatt isn’t just a laid-back doctor, but a delicious alpha male tempting her away from her carefully laid-out plans...
Still the One
ANIMAL MAGNETISM Book #6
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Darcy Stone is game for anything—except sexy Navy vet and
physical therapist AJ Colten, the guy who’d rejected her when she’d needed him
most. Now the shoe is on the other foot and he needs her to play nice and help
him secure grants for his patients.
AJ admits it—Darcy is irresistible. But he’s already been
Sunshine was too damn small, Darcy thought. Not only did
everyone know everyone, but no one had ever learned to mind their own business.
Darcy started to move back to her
“Ice the leg,” he said, and without waiting for a response, headed toward Ronan.
Damn, the man had a way of moving, his body shifting with barely sheathed loose-limbed power and grace, and both Darcy and Zoe watched him go.
“He’s got such an edible butt,” Zoe whispered. “Do you think he knows it?”
“I don’t think he cares.” Besides, his being hot didn’t
change the fact that he was a bigger problem for her than Johnny could even
think about
“So why do you do it?” Zoe asked her.
Darcy tore her gaze away from AJ’s ass. “Do what?”
Zoe took her big sister status very seriously. But then
again, in spite of the fact that there
“
“Maybe you should date him.”
Zoe laughed. “We’re not suited.”
“Because?” Darcy asked.
“Well
Yeah. Just a bit.
“We’d butt heads,” Zoe said. “But I’ve always thought that
maybe you two might
“A minute ago you were worried he might kill me.”
“Well, sleeping with him might go a long way toward making sure he wouldn’t.”
Darcy snorted. “Go away, Z.”
“In a minute. He did so much for you after your accident.”
This was absolutely true. Darcy had had five surgeries, and
once she’d been okayed for physical therapy, AJ had taken over her care. He’d
been a drill
And wasn’t that just the problem. She hated knowing that she hadn’t been able to save herself, that she’d needed help. “You’re right,” she agreed softly. “He’s done a lot for me.”
“I
A miracle. Darcy got that. She was grateful for that, so very grateful he’d gotten her out of a wheelchair and onto her own feet again. Sure, she’d never win a track meet and she was always going to be somewhat unstable on her own two legs—especially the right one which still enjoyed buckling on her at the worst of times—but yeah. AJ would forever be a hero for what he’d done for her.
Which wasn’t to say she liked him.
In fact, during her PT she’d actually hated him. She’d
dreamed nightly about strangling him, drowning him
Very satisfying dreams, too.
And if there’d been a few others, some that had involved a different kind of altercation altogether between them, of the naked and sweaty variety, well, those were her little secret.
Across the large room, past all the exercise equipment to the mirrored wall, Ronan lay flat on his back now, working with a large rubber band around his ankles, doing strengthening exercises.
On his knees at his side, AJ guided him, and wrong as it might be, the sight of the two built guys working so hard together made her pulse race just a little bit.
During a quick beat of rest for Ronan, AJ glanced over the carved muscles of his shoulder to meet Darcy’s gaze.
She stopped breathing.
“Actually, I think you’ve got that backward.” He was hard on her.
Very hard.
And she resented that. It was almost as if he expected her
to soften her edges, to be something she wasn’t—like maybe one of those soft,
sweet,
Or, thanks to her accident,
“Maybe you could just try a little bit harder to be
more
Darcy didn’t have words for what she felt for AJ, but she was pretty sure “friendly” wasn’t going to make the list. And yet if AJ had been there for Darcy in a huge way, so had Zoe. Always. So Darcy blew out a breath and managed a smile for her sister. “Sure,” she said. “I’ll try.”
Hey gang, I'm here today to tell you all about Cynthia Eden's new release and series!
USA Today Best-selling
author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was
named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her parano
Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings. She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.
Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.
(Back in the day…) Cynthia
graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she
studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she
likes to write about
Keep up with Cynthia online: Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
As I mentioned, I'm here to tell you all about Cynthia's new release and series.
Broken
LOST Book #1
Add to your GoodReads Shelf
Buy from Amazon / B&N / Apple / Kobo / BAM / Audible
The first
novel
Ex-SEAL and LOST founder Gabe Spencer is accustomed to the unusual in his job. But when knockout Eve Gray steps into his office, he’s rattled. For the mysterious woman is a dead ringer for the heiress thought to be the latest prey of the serial killer who goes by the name Lady Killer.
When Eve awoke in an Atlanta hospital, her past was a blank slate. Then she recognized her own face in the newspaper and vowed to learn the truth. Determined to confront the nightmares hidden in her mind, she never expects to find a partner in Gabe.
As Gabe and Eve work together, their explosive attraction becomes irresistible. Gabe knows that his desire for Eve is growing too strong, bordering on a dangerous obsession, but nothing pulls him away from her. And when another Eve lookalike disappears, Gabe vows to protect Eve at all costs. While Eve may have forgotten the killer in her past, it’s clear he hasn’t forgotten her.
Hey everyone! Happy Spring!
LITERAL ADDICTION is thrilled to be promoting for the fabulous Paula Brackston again today!
Paula Brackston lives in a wild, mountainous part of Wales. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, and is a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport. Before becoming a writer, Paula tried her hand at various career paths, with
mixed success. These included working as a groom on a racing yard, as a travel agent, a secretary, an English teacher, and a goat herd. Everyone involved (particularly the goats) is very relieved that she has now found a job she is actually able to do properly.
When not hunched over her keyboard in her tiny office under the stairs, Paula is dragged outside by her children to play Swedish tennis on the vertiginous slopes which surround them. She also enjoys being walked by the dog, hacking through weeds in the vegetable patch, or sitting by the pond with a glass of wine. Most of the inspiration for her writing comes from stomping about on the mountains being serenaded by skylarks and buzzards.
In 2007 Paula was short listed in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers. In 2010 her book ‘Nutters’ (writing as PJ Davy) was short listed for the Mind Book Award, and she was selected by the BBC under their New Welsh Writers scheme.
She is the proud creator of The Witch’s Daughter, The Winter Witch and her newest release, The Midnight Witch.
You can keep up with Paula online at her Website, on Facebook, and on GoodReads.
I’m here today to help Paula promote and celebrate the Trade Paperback release of The Midnight Witch, which will be hitting stores 3/24/15, and tell you about The Silver Witch, which is coming 4/21/15.
Add to your GoodReads Shelf
RELEASE IN TRADE PAPERBACK 3/24/15!
*Read an Excerpt
*Check out LITERAL ADDICTION's 4 1/2 Skull Review HERE
"The dead are seldom silent. All that is required for them to be heard is that someone be willing to listen. I have been listening to the dead all my life."
Lilith is the daughter of the sixth Duke of Radnor. She is one of the most beautiful young women in London and engaged to the city’s most eligible bachelor. She is also a witch.
When her father dies, her hapless brother Freddie takes the title. But it is Lilith, instructed in the art of necromancy, who inherits their father’s role as Head Witch of the Lazarus Coven. And it is Lilith who must face the threat of the Sentinels, a powerful group of sorcerers intent on reclaiming the Elixir from the coven’s guardianship for their own dark purposes. Lilith knows the Lazarus creed: secrecy and silence. To abandon either would put both the coven and all she holds dear in grave danger. She has spent her life honoring it, right down to her charming fiancé and fellow witch, Viscount Louis Harcourt.
Until the day she meets Bram, a talented artist who is neither a witch nor a member of her class. With him, she must not be secret and silent. Despite her loyalty to the coven and duty to her family, Lilith cannot keep her life as a witch hidden from the man she loves.
To tell him will risk everything.
In celebrate of the upcoming 3/24 release of Midnight Witch in Trade PB, here's a deleted scene from the book!!
Exclusive deleted scene from THE MIDNIGHT WITCH!Midnight is the most bewitching hour of them all… From Paula Brackston, the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch’s Daughter and The Winter Witch, comes a magical tale that is as dark as it is enchanting. Set in high society Edwardian England, a young witch faces the choice between love and loyalty to her coven… "The dead are seldom silent. All that is required for them to be heard is that someone be willing to listen. I have been listening to the dead all my life." Lady Lilith Montgomery is the daughter of the sixth Duke of Radnor. She is one of the most beautiful young women in London and engaged to the city’s most eligible bachelor. She is also a witch. When her father dies, her hapless brother Freddie takes on his title. But it is Lilith, instructed in the art of necromancy, who inherits their father’s role as Head Witch of the Lazarus Coven. And it is Lilith who must face the threat of the Sentinels, a powerful group of sorcerers intent on reclaiming the Elixir from the coven’s guardianship for their own dark purposes. Lilith knows the Lazarus creed: secrecy and silence. To abandon either would put both the coven and all she holds dear in grave danger. She has spent her life honoring it, right down to her engagement to her childhood friend and fellow witch, Viscount Louis Harcourt. Until the day she meets Bram, a talented artist who is neither a witch nor a member of her class. With him, she must not be secret and silent. Despite her loyalty to the coven and duty to her family, Lilith cannot keep her life as a witch hidden from the man she loves. To tell him will risk everything.
The Silver Witch
Add to your GoodReads Shelf
COMING 4/21/15!
Read an exclusive Excerpt
A year after her husband's sudden death, ceramic artist Tilda Fordwells finally moves into the secluded Welsh cottage that was to be their new home. She hopes that the tranquil surroundings will help ease her grief, and lessen her disturbing visions of Mat's death. Instead, the lake in the valley below her cottage seems to spark something dormant in her - a sensitivity, and a power of some sort. Animals are drawn to her, electricity shorts out when she's near, and strangest of all, she sees a new vision; a boatful of ancient people approaching her across the water.
On this same lake in Celtic times lived Seren, a witch and shaman. She was respected but feared, kept separate from the community for her strange looks. When a vision came to her of the Prince amid a nest of vipers she warned of betrayal from one of his own. Prince Brynach both loved and revered her, but could not believe someone close to him wished him harm, even as the danger grew.
In her own time, Tilda's grief begins to fade beside her newfound powers and a fresh love. When she explores the lake's ancient magic and her own she discovers Seren, the woman in her vision of the boat. Their two lives strangely mirror each other's, suggesting a strong connection between the women. As Tilda comes under threat from a dark power, one reminiscent of Seren's prophecy, she must rely on Seren and ancient magic if death and disaster are not to shatter her life once more.
Don't they sound great!? Make sure to check out Paula's other books, The Witch's Daughter and The Winter Witch, as well! I loved Midnight Witch and can't wait to dig in to The Silver Witch!
CONTEST:
Want a chance to win a Trade PB copy of The Midnight Witch?
Paula’s Publicist is offering up a print copy to a US RESIDENT winner.
To enter, share about the book online wherever you love to share about your book obsession (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc) and share the link to your post HERE along with your email address and I’ll pick a winner at the end of the Event period.
Good luck, and as always, Happy Reading!
Hey everyone!
LITERAL ADDICTION is very happy to be helping Lia Davis spread the news about her latest release today.Lia Davis is the author of the bestselling shifter series, Ashwood Falls, a mother to two young adults and three kitties, a wife to her soul mate, and co-owner to Fated Desires Publishing, LLC. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers. But it’s her home and she loves it!
An accounting major, Lia has always been a dreamer with a very active imagination. The wheels in her head never stop. She ventured into the world of writing and publishing in 2008 and loves it more than she imagined. Writing is stress reliever that allows her to go off in her corner of the house and enter into another world that she created, leaving real life where it belongs.
Her favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties.
Greenridge Pack princess, Reagan Summers, will protect her wolves at all cost. After finding out about his illegal activities that harmed so many innocents, she kills the Alpha Wolf her father arranged for her to marry. Afraid and on the run, she turns to the only person she trusts, her true mate, Logan.
Birchwood Pack Alpha, Logan Webb, watched Reagan walk out of his life over ten years ago. When she contacts him needing help, something in her voice puts his wolf in full protection mode. But seeing her in the flesh wakes a raw, primal desire long buried.
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
An Alpha's Fate was as sweet and sexy story of overcoming obstacles, answering the pull of true love, taking responsibility, and healing.
Reagan was forced by her father to mate with an abusive Alpha. Ten years of abuse and discovery of a terrible secret led to her ultimate snap. Her wolf had finally had enough and took her revenge. Going to the only person she felt safe enough to trust in the heat of the moment, Reagan returns to her true mate Logan for help.
Logan has never stopped loving Reagan despite the fact that she broke his heart. When she needs his help, he's helpless to turn her away. Together, they realize that their love can overcome just about anything, and the future, together, looks pretty darn good.
If you're an Ashwood Falls fan, I definitely recommend this novella. Even if you're not, it's a wonderful short and romantic read.
*One small note: If you're reading a pre-ordered or release day copy, I did notice there were several editing issues. This has been addressed with the author, and a new copy will be uploaded as soon as Kindle Direct allows it. I hope you will all enjoy the read for the story, however, as it is a fun tale...
Unfair fight
No. No. Bile rose, threatening to force Reagan’s lunch to make a gruesome return. The snow-white walls of her home closed in around her and the air seemed colder. How had she not known?
Because they weren’t true mates.
She stared at the open journal as fury built inside her, putting her wolf further on edge. The names neatly hand written in black ink blurred. For ten years, she’d done all she could to protect the wolves of Greenhedge, the least she could do since being forced to mate the male who became Alpha—a title rightfully hers. All her efforts were wasted. The bastard sold packmates to a rogue Pack to be made into monster assassins in exchange for what? She didn’t know. She sure in the hell didn’t see any extra money go into the run
down den.
Fucking power-hungry bastard.
The front door swung open, slamming into wall. A low growl went through her as she meet the poor excuse of an Alpha’s stare. Lifting the journal, she shook it at him. “You lied to me.”
He stalked toward her, his eyes glowing with his wolf. “You are out of place, Mate.”
Was she? She thought not.
“My place is protecting my Pack from monsters like you.” Anger had all but consumed her. It was one thing to blackmail her into the loveless mating and slap her around, but to hurt her Pack?
Mason stopped before her, then gripped a handful of her hair, and jerked her to him. Pain shot through her skull. She gritted her teeth and focused on his energy, his Alpha power. As his mate, she had the ability to use his strengths. Something he hadn’t realized she could do. Or maybe he thought she didn’t know how.
“You have crossed the line for the last time, asshole.”
He bared his teeth and flipped her so he could shove her torso on the desk. Her vision blinked out as her head hit the wood. When he started to tug her pants down, she roared and jerked her head up, slamming it into his nose.
Crying out, he released her and stumbled away a few steps. Not wasting time, she shifted into her wolf faster than she ever had and lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. Her wolf had taken over and for once the woman relished in it.
The thought that it was unfair to fight another while they were in human form was a whisper. One her wolf ignored. Mason Doyle had fucked over his last victim.
CONTEST:
Lia is offering up a $50 gift card to a lucky winner during the blitz. To enter, find the Rafflecopter widget below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as 'Done'.
Good luck, and as always... HAPPY READING!
Hey everyone!
LITERAL ADDICTION, as always, is very happy to be helping the wonderful Stacey Kennedy spread the news about her latest release today.
STACEY KENNEDY is the USA Today bestselling author of the CLUB SIN series. Growing up, Stacey’s mind wandered the path less traveled and that path most often led to love. She has always broken rules and she continues to feed off emotion – staying true to her heart. Those traits are now the bones of her stories. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who puts any of the heroes in her books to shame, and their two young children. If she’s not on mom duty or plugging away at a new story, you’ll find Stacey camping in the summer, hibernating in the winter and obsessing over Penny Dreadful, Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy.
CONNECT WITH STACEY: Website | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Twitter | GoodReads
Connect with Loveswept Publishing: Facebook | Twitter | Website
We’re here today to help Stacey celebrate the release of Tamed, Book #3 of her CLUB SIN series. Check ‘em out…
CLUB SIN Book #1
Add it to your GoodReads Shelf!
*Read LITERAL ADDICTION’s Review HERE
Buy from: Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | Google Play | Random House and other retailers
A novel of erotic discovery and forbidden desire that goes beyond Fifty Shades of Grey.
Presley Flynn is ripe to experience her secret fantasies … and Dmitri Pratt wants nothing more than to fulfill them. Once inside the elite Club Sin in Las Vegas, Presley is nervous but excited—and determined to surrender to her every desire. Dmitri is her Master, and his touch is like fire. With each careful, calculated caress, he unleashes her wildest inhibitions, giving her unimagined pleasure.
Presley is different than the other submissives Dmitri has mastered. The BDSM lifestyle is new to her, and so are the games they play at Club Sin. From the start, Presley stirs emotions in Dmitri far beyond the raw purity between a dom and the perfect sub. For the ecstasy they share goes beyond the dungeon, igniting a passion that claims the very depths of the heart.
Claimed is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.
CLUB SIN Book #2
Add it to your GoodReads Shelf!
Buy from: Amazon | B&N |
*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's Review HERE
In a novel that’s perfect for fans of Fifty Shades of
At Las Vegas’s exclusive Club Sin, Aidan Knight is the Master, unleashing the erotic yearnings of his submissive lovers. But his dominant façade conceals a devastating loss—something he instantly recognizes in his personally trained submissive Cora Adams. Sworn to unearth her secrets, Aidan uses his seductive skills to ignite her wildest desires until Cora yields to the pleasure she can find only with him.
Cora came to the BDSM club to act out her sub-and-
Bared is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.
Desired
CLUB SIN Book #3
Add to your GoodReads Shelf
Buy from Amazon / B&N / More buying options
“Sexy, sensual, and totally se
Freed
CLUB SIN Book #4
Add to your GoodReads Shelf
Buy from Amazon / B&N / More buying options
*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's Review HERE
CLUB SIN Book #5
JUST RELEASED TODAY - 3/10/15!
Add it to your GoodReads Shelf!
Buy from: Amazon | B&N | More buying options
USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy returns to the tantalizing world of Club Sin in an enticing novel of control and surrender.
Porter Marshall has nearly achieved his goal of becoming a Club Sin Master, but his new sub poses a much bigger challenge than he anticipated. Despite their mutual attraction and red-hot dungeon sessions, Kenzie Hart plays her own games. Her bratty, you-can’t-break-me attitude masks terrible personal hurt—pain that only the exquisite touch of a skilled Dom can release. But when Porter suggests taking their connection to the outside world, Kenzie denies him . . . which only makes him want her more.
Kenzie can’t ignore the raw, fierce bond she has with Porter. But she can’t give in to his dangerous demands, either. Is the passion they share real, or is he using her to solidify his status at Club Sin? And yet, who else can she trust with the shattering secrets she holds within? As Porter expertly brings her to the point of no return, Kenzie surrenders her body—and, piece by piece, her heart.
Tamed is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.
Advance praise for Tamed
“Tamed is sexy, sinful, and
addictive. You won’t want to put this book down!”—New York Times bestselling
author Jen McLaughlin
“Captivating, sensual, and downright sexy, Tamed had
me glued to my seat from beginning to end.”—New York Times bestselling
author Missy Johnson
“Stacey Kennedy blew me away with this BDSM tale
that focused more on the building of the relationship than the actual act.
Refreshing, honest and raw, Tamed is on my list of favorite
novels this year.”—Ashley Suzanne, bestselling author of the Destined series
and Raven
Praise for the Club Sin series
“Claimed sucked me in! Stacey
Kennedy weaves together the intense BDSM lifestyle with the soft touch of a
sweeter, more traditional love story in a novel with an engaging heroine at its
heart.”—J. Kenner, New York Times bestselling author
of Release Me
“Deliciously sexy, Claimed will
captivate you at once, leading you on an erotic journey that you won’t want to
end. A fabulous talent, Kennedy shines in this fast-paced and exciting novel.”—New
York Times bestselling author Cheyenne McCray
“Tender, emotional—and smoking hot!”—Savanna
Fox, author of the Dirty Girls Book Club series, on Claimed
“Bared is a seductively haunting
tale of control and surrender that will tantalize existing fans of the series
while enticing new readers into the passionate world of Club Sin.”—Eliza
Gayle, New York Times bestselling author of Submissive
Beauty
“Bared is a hot blend of raw
sensuality, and Stacey Kennedy is an author to watch!”—Eden Bradley, author
of The Dark Garden and Dangerously Bound
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
Another great Club Sin story by Stacey, with wonderfully complex characters and a much deeper story than simply the sexy dungeon scenes.
I've been a fan of Kenzie all along, she's just so incredibly spunky. At some points during Tamed she seemed a bit over the top, but given what she was trying to escape it was warranted. And explained beautifully by the author. Kenzie used acting out as a coping and defense mechanism, and watching Porter tame her was something truly beautiful to behold.
I loved that the portrayal of the lifestyle in Tamed was one of control focused on trust, safety, concern, and care, which all led to some intense and wickedly awesome passion. Porter was 100% in Kenzie's corner, and not willing to even do things to give her pleasure if it meant doing her harm psychologically. He was even willing to save her from herself. I'm not in the lifestyle, but I think that those who are would appreciate the way that Ms. Kennedy went about this. It felt very real to me, and was about the 'important' things, the things that those who don't understand the lifestyle either don't realize or forget when they think it's just kink.
As always, I highly recommend the Club Sin novels, and I enjoyed another one!!
How amazing do they sound!? They ARE!! Make sure you check them out if you haven’t already.
Hey everyone!
I'm very happy to be helping to promote for the wonderful Amy Lane today.
Amy Lane is a mother of four and a compulsive knitter who writes because she can’t silence the voices in her head. She adores cats, Chi-who-whats, knitting socks, and hawt menz, and she dislikes moths, cat boxes, and knuckle-headed macspazzmatrons. She is rarely found cooking, cleaning, or doing domestic chores, but she has been known to knit up an emergency hat/blanket/pair of socks for any occasion whatsoever, or sometimes for no reason at all.
She writes in the shower, while at the gym, while taxiing children to soccer/dance/gymnastics/band—oh my!—and has learned from necessity to type like the wind.
She lives in a spider-infested, crumbling house in a shoddy suburb and counts on her beloved Mate to keep her tethered to reality—which he does, while keeping her cell phone charged as a bonus. She’s been married for twenty-plus years and still believes in Twu Wuv, with a capital Twu and a capital Wuv, and she doesn’t see any reason at all for that to change.
CONNECT WITH AMY: Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook
I'm here today to tell you all about Amy's LITTLE GODDESS series, which she is currently in the process of re-releasing.
Vulnerable
LITTLE GODDESS Book #1
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Working graveyards in a gas station seems a small price for Cory to pay to get her degree and get the hell out of her tiny town. She’s terrified of disappearing into the aimless masses of the lost and the young who haunt her neck of the woods. Until the night she actually stops looking at her books and looks up. What awaits her is a world she has only read about—one filled with fantastical creatures that she’s sure she could never be.
And then Adrian walks in, bearing a wealth of pain, an agonizing secret, and a hundred and fifty years with a lover he’s afraid she won’t understand. In one breathless kiss, her entire understanding of her own worth and destiny is turned completely upside down. When her newfound world explodes into violence and Adrian’s lover—and prince—walks into the picture, she’s forced to explore feelings and abilities she’s never dreamed of. The first thing she discovers is that love doesn’t fit into nice neat little boxes. The second thing is that risking your life is nothing compared to facing who you really are—and who you’ll kill to protect.
“Vulnerable unleashed a paranormal world unlike any other: a chaotic, exhilarating cocktail of supernatural species and unfettered love.” – Damon Suede & Mary Calmes
The first time I saw them turn into cats, I was literally knocked on my ass in surprise. I wouldn’t have seen it, I thought, if it weren’t for that extra sense Arturo gave me with that one extracasual touch. The second time I saw them, I had to swallow past the lump in my throat. Some people wait their whole lives for the happiness these two had when they weren’t people. Maybe, I thought, it was worth it to live outside the world, if you could just be that happy.
I almost missed my chance for that with Adrian.
He'd been driving his glass pack Harley to the station three or so nights a week since I’d started working, and I’m sure the locals just loved all that noise, but I really just ignored him. Too high-class tough for the likes of me, right? I first noticed him about a week after I realized that Arturo’s eyes were too far apart and his ears were pointy.
I remember that night—Mom had been ragging at me all day. Clean your room. When are you gonna get a boyfriend? Get some sleep for crimes' sake—you look like a drug addict! I’m not here just to do your laundry. (Like I’d asked her!) You’ve got to let something go, you can’t do this forever! The usual. Some of it was well meaning, I know, but when I tried to explain to her that it was worth the crappy hours to go to school, she got this look on her face like she got when I was ten years old and still believed in Santa. Like she didn’t want to disappoint me or hurt my feelings or anything, but Santa wasn’t real and I didn’t have a rat’s chance in a cat factory of getting out of this suckass town.
So into all of this, Adrian walked. That night I was pounding out a paper on Edgar Allan Poe for my English 1B class, and I was nailing the keys hard, because I was going to get a fucking A on this paper just to prove to her that Santa is real, and I was getting a bus ticket for Christmas. It was February, and I had three months until graduation with my AA in Liberal Science, which doesn’t sound like jack when you’ve got a real degree, but nobody I knew from high school was getting one so I was pretty jazzed. The last thing I needed was another supernatural demigod like Arturo to come in and give me shit, so the last person on the planet I was prepared for was Adrian.
Where Arturo was Latino and lovely, Adrian was…. My God, how do I describe Adrian? His hair was white blond—Nordic looking, right? Six feet or so (goodness and glory, must they always be tall?) and wiry, with a face so fine and sharply featured he looked like he’d been carved from ice. He had Roderick Usher hair, gossamer around his face like a spiderweb I could pet, and his eyes were blue. Autumn-sky blue. The kind of blue that needs gold to set it off, but silver to shine by itself.
Sounds good, yes!? Stay tuned for the re-release of Wounded, LITTLE GODDESS Book #2 very soon.
In celebrate of the re-release of Vulnerable, Amy is offering up some goodies for the tour. You can check out the other stops on these dates, as well:
Sun, Mar 1 – Books Make Me Happy
Mon, Mar 2 – The Novel Approach
Tues, Mar 3 – Literary Escapism
Wed, Mar 4 – Literal Addiction Paranormal Book Club
Thu, Mar 5 – The Book Tart
Fri, Mar 6 – MM Good Book Reviews
Sat, Mar 7 – Joyfully Jay
Hey everyone!
It is my extreme pleasure to be here to tell you all about Claire Ashgrove's re-released Inherited Damnation series! But first, let me tell you a little bit about Claire...
Building on a background of fantasy game design, a fascination with history, and a lifetime love of books, Award-Winning Author Claire Ashgrove brings to life action-filled, passionate journeys of the heart. Her paranormal series, The Curse of the Templars, marries the history of the Knights Templar with the chilling aspirations of the most unholy--a must-read for speculative fiction fans. For romance fans, she also writes as the National Bestselling Author Tori St. Claire and historical romance as Sophia Garrett.
In her non-writing time, she owns and operates Finish The Story, a full-scale editing house co-founded with Bryan Thomas Schmidt. She lives in Missouri and enjoys cooking, studying ancient civilizations, and spending downtime with her two sons and too-many horses, cats, and dogs.
To learn more, visit her at: claireashgrove.com or toristclaire.com. For all the latest updates look for the Untamed Spirit blog, via any of her websites.
You can also find Claire on GoodReads, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
INHERITED DAMNATION
INHERITED DAMNATION is an 8 book paranormal romance series being released as one book every three weeks between January 27th and June 23rd, 2015.
Damned at birth, eight immortal children of a high priestess are compelled to kill the one that holds their heart. They can never fall in love. Driven by the need to finally destroy their evil sire and break the curse, each struggles to balance their desire for innocence against the dark needs of their conflicted souls.
The series contains mythos shared between the volumes, but each book stands on its own with a newly featured couple.
The first volume, Cursed to Kill, is available now!
Keep up with all things Inherited Damnation over on the Inherited Damnation Facebook page!
Cursed to Kill
INHERITED DAMNATION Book #1
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One of eight children born to an ancient Celtic priestess and sired by a demonic incubus, Cian McLaine suffers from a centuries-old curse. Though his immortality allows him to enjoy the pleasures of mortal life, he is plagued by the desire to kill. As long as he doesn't fall in love he can keep the compulsion at bay.
When Cian walked into her rare bookstore months ago, Miranda Phillips never imagined she'd lose her heart to the handsome playboy. Her reward for doing so was abandonment. Cian left as mysteriously as he appeared, in the middle of the night with no explanation, no goodbye. Now he's back, and passion flares just as hot. But Cian has secrets. If Miranda is to survive, she must uncover the truth and free his darkened soul.
Sounds delicious, yes!? It's been getting rave reviews so be sure to check it out, and stay tuned for book #2, Tormented by Darkness coming on 2/17!
GIVEAWAY:
Claire is offering up 3 eCopies of Cursed to Kill to readers that drop by the hosts during the first leg of the Extravaganza. She is also offering up an entire eBook set of the books and/or a $50 Giftcard to 2 lucky winners that stops by the hosting for the entire Extravaganza.
To enter, use the Rafflecopter widgets below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as Done.
Good luck, and as always.... HAPPY READING!!
*COMMENTS FOR THE EVENT CAN BE LEFT HERE!
Hello my Literal Addicts!
LITERAL ADDICTION is thrilled to be promoting for the wonderful Heather Killough-Walden again today, this time to celebrate her KINGS series and its latest release, The Unseelie King.
Heather is a California native currently living in Texas with her husband and child. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Big Bad Wolf series, The Kings series, The Chosen Soul series, The Lost Angels series, the Neverland series, and the October Trilogy. Heather’s educational background includes religious studies, archeology, and law. She has traveled and lived all over the world but hopes to one day live in a town with a world-class hockey team. (Let’s Go Pens!) Visit Heather’s website at www.killough-walden.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter.
Keep up with Heather online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.
As mentioned, I'm here to tell you all about Heather's KINGS series, check it out...
THE KINGS Book #1
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Buy from Amazon / B&N / iBooks
*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's 4 Skull Review HERE
The Phantom King
THE KINGS Book #2
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Buy from Amazon / Audio from B&N
*4 Skull Rating! Thoughts: "Another good one by Miss Killough Walden, & the game just keeps getting more intense. I really love Thane & I think that he & his queen could do some really special things in time to come. :)"
Thanatos has ruled Purgatory as the Phantom King since time immemorial. King of a vast plane of solitude, he is a free spirit, a lone rider, a tattooed man of wind and dust and nonexistent boundaries. Then he turns around one morning to find himself face to face with Siobhan Ashdown, a woman with hair as red and wild as his soul, eyes like melted gold, and a spirit as elusive as his own. Time stops, the world tilts, and the fact that she attacks him right off the bat does little to deter his romantic convictions—or his desire to sink his fangs into her neck.
The Warlock King
THE KINGS Book #3
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*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's 5 Skull Review HERE
The Seelie King
THE KINGS Book #5
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For thousands of years, two realms of unspeakable magic and mystery have existed in peace side by side. One is a land of light, of kindness, of dreams, and of color. The other is rendered in the gray lines of wickedness and seeped in the unbearable beauty of all that is forbidden. The first is ruled by the Seelie King. The other is ruled by Caliban… The Unholy.
Minerva Trystaine has always been the quiet twin, bullied by reality’s fierceness into a life of solitary sensitivity. What she witnesses, she feels. Living in a world that breeds one misfortune after another, she has had no choice but to sequester herself from outgoing life and any hope it might have otherwise offered her. She hides in her music, her hopes and dreams silent but for the harmony she gives them upon rare occasion, allowing them to be heard in perfect pitch by the rest of the world.
But when Minerva’s sister, Selene, is forced into a fantastical realm of supernatural magic and mystery and taken as queen of the seelie kingdom, the twins are reunited with a world they can scarcely remember – but could never forget. They are Wishers. Born of furious magic and fueled by the need for justice, Wishers are the most feared magic users in the fae realms. For this reason, they were all but annihilated thousands of years ago. Minerva and her sister are the last of a slaughtered breed.
Just as Selene accepts her place on the seelie throne, Minerva struggles to come to grips with her changed world. But as she faces off with her lost-and-found identity, and with the unbelievable power swimming through her veins, she realizes she must also contend with the fact that Wishers are no more safe in this day and age than they were millennia ago. Someone wants her dead.
And the one man she should probably fear most, the one fae lord more dangerous than any other, the notorious and cruel Leanan King – just happens to be the only man in all the realms who can protect her.
The Unseelie King is the sixth book in Heather Killough-Walden’s acclaimed paranormal romance series, The Kings. Within its pages, a dark lord finds long lost hope in a beautiful, powerful soul, a lost spirit finds faith in tempting and forbidden magic, and a fierce and willful love finds the unbelievable strength to do what must be done to survive against overwhelming odds.
an eBook copy of whichever KINGS book you need next from Amazon or B&N.
LITERAL ADDICTION is very happy to be promoting for Rebecca Zanetti again today!
New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over twenty-five dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and contemporary romances. She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat...and a huge extended family. Her current publishers are Kensington, Grand Central, and Entangled. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off...and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out.
Connect with Rebecca online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and at Goodreads.
Rebecca is the creator of the awesome DARK PROTECTOR, MAVERICK MONTANA and SINS BROTHERS series. Her upcoming series are: The Realm Enforcers and The Scorpius Syndrome. I highly suggest that you check out all of Rebecca’s books, but for today, I’m here to promote and celebrate Marked, the latest release of the DARK PROTECTORS series.
For new readers, here’s everything you need to know about the DARK PROTECTORS…
The Kayrs family leads not only the vampire nation, but also the Realm, which is a coalition of vampires, shifters, and witches. Years ago, an evil vampire race called the Kurjans declared war on the Realm by creating a deadly virus that infects vampire mates. The virus attacks chromosomal pairs and takes mates from immortal to human, and maybe down to death. No cure for the virus has been found for mates, and the vampires, who are male only, know that time is running short.
In addition, the demons declared war on the Realm, going so far as to kidnap the youngest Kayrs brother and torture him for five years. He has been rescued, damaged but still alive. The eldest Kayrs, the king, is out for revenge, no matter the cost.
The prophets of all the races predicted the coming of a young psychic named Janie who is destined to change the world. How, nobody knows. The vampires found her as a young girl, and one of their leaders adopted her and raised her with love and determination. In the final four stories of this series arc, Janie is an adult, and it’s time for that change—if she lives long enough.
Fated
DARK PROTECTORS Book #1
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Marry Me
Cara Paulson does not give up easily. A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to fighting for whatever she wants, keeping a cool head, and doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter Janie. But “whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous looking stranger with an attitude problem…
Or Else
Sure, the mysterious Talen says he’s there to protect Cara and Janie. He also says that he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire. Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…
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A DARING RESCUE
Emma Paulsen is a geneticist driven by science. But she’s also a psychic, so when a dark, good-hearted vampire frees her from the clutches of the evil Kurjans, she realizes he must be the man who’s been haunting her dreams. But with a virus threatening vampire mates, Emma may discover a whole new meaning of “lovesick”…
A DEADLY DECISION
As King of the Realm, Dage Kayrs has learned to practice diplomacy. Still, it’s taken three hundred years to find his mate, so he’ll stop at nothing to protect her–even if it means turning his back on his own kind…
Tempted
DARK PROTECTORS Book #2.5
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CONSTANT DANGER
On the run from a mental institution and her vindictive half-brother, it’s safe to say that Sarah Pringle’s happy life as a schoolteacher is on hold. Too bad that as far as self-defense goes, “run and hide” is the best she’s got. And with the monsters that started her escape hot on her heels, that’s not going to cut it for long…
INSTANT LUST
That is, unless Sarah has a bigger, badder, hotter monster on her side. Max Petrovsky is right at the top of the list of alpha male ass-kickers. And he knows exactly what Sarah’s up against. Good thing, because the minute he sees her something primal kicks in, turning everyday attraction into red-hot desire. As long as they’re cooperating, why not mix some pleasure with business? Of course, Max should probably tell Sarah he’s a vampire himself…
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Ready Or Not
Moira Dunne is a witch—the quantum physics kind. Time and space are her playthings. Which might explain why her one-night stand from a hundred years ago has turned up to “claim” her—and request her family’s assistance with the war he’s brewing. But the more she learns about Connlan Kayrs, the more she comes to think this is normal behavior for him…
There’s Nowhere To Hide
When Conn and Moira tumbled on the moonlit grass, Conn hadn’t meant to mark her as his mate for all time. She was only twenty! But it wasn’t easy to wait for her. It was even harder to forget her. So when he finally returns for his wicked-hot witch, he’s ready to let the sparks flying. Even if he burns up in flames…
Consumed
DARK PROTECTORS Book #4
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Sometimes You Mate For Life
Katie Smith is the best of her class, part of an elite hunting force trained to eliminate werewolves from the hills of Western Virginia. She’s good at it because she has the kind of focus and drive that won’t back down no matter how steep the odds. Call it southern sass. Whatever it is, there’s no denying her willingness to risk everything for the only man she’s ever cared about—a man on the verge of losing his very humanity…
Sometimes You Mate To Stay Alive
For the past ten years Jordan Pride has dedicated his life to protecting his people from a deadly shifter virus. But in a rare moment of distraction, Jordan’s guard drops just long enough for his fate to take an irreversible twist. Unless the woman he loves surrenders everything to him, again and again, under a full moon rising…
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A TIME FOR WAR…
A casualty of the war between the demons and the vampires, Jase Kayrs has been missing for six long years. His older brothers want answers—but they’re going to have to get them from an unlikely source. For when Kane Kayrs tracks down Amber Freebird, what he finds is a blonde, vegan pacifist who has no intention of using her skills in his war…
A TIME FOR LOVE…
Amber enjoys her life of chaotic freedom and has no intention of falling in line just because a sexy-as-sin vampire insists on order. Unfortunately, he discovers she may be the only hope they have of finding his brother, and there’s no way he’s going to let her go—even if it means mating her to gain her cooperation. The two are as different as can be, yet when the dominant Kane and the untamed Amber finally unite to rescue Jase, they just may find that opposites really do attract…
Twisted
DARK PROTECTORS Book #5.5
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Maggie is a wolf shifter who was captured and experimented on by the Kurjans. Now that a cure has finally been found for shifters (although not for vampire mates or witches), she can concentrate on creating a new life for herself and finally accepting that her memories are gone forever. Most memories, that is. Sometimes in the hazy world between dreams and dawn, she hears a Scottish voice, dark and deep, that sounds suspiciously like wolf-shifter Terrent Vilks. A man she happened to anger by kidnapping a few years back. Hey, it was for a good cause.
Terrent Vilks knows more than he’s let on for the past several years. After digging for answers, he knows exactly why the demons want Maggie dead. And he remembers his past with Maggie…very well. She is finally where he wants her. Now all he has to do is discover what exactly the Kurjans did to her, beat the demons into so much submission they leave her alone, and get her to fall in love with him. Again. Good thing he’s used to wrangling monsters.
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Jase Kayrs was the fun brother. The warm, charming, easy-going brother of the vampire leaders. Until he was taken and tortured by demons with their evil mind tricks for nearly five years. Upon his return, he’s dark, violent, and not the man they all thought they knew. Not the man he once was. He’s haunted that the only reason the demons would have let him live was to use him as a weapon against his family—but he can’t figure out when or how he’ll explode. Plus, once again the demons are after Jase with a vengeance…or rather, a female demon he rejected is out to destroy him.
Then the king asks Jase for a favor…a big one. To mate with one of their allies in order to save her. She’s everything that’s good and light in the world…while he’s at home with darkness. Yet he agrees…knowing mating may be the only chance to save them both.
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Caleb Donovan was never meant to be a prophet. At heart he’s a conqueror, his appetites far more carnal than spiritual. He’s not inclined to repress his passions and surrender to fate. After all, that’s what cost him Lily—three centuries ago. She married another, because it was ordained. Now that he’s in the same benighted calling—and forced into proximity with her—all the old desires are roaring back to life…
After widowhood and centuries of celibacy, Lily is eager to explore the wild side of life, except now she’s vulnerable to another forced relationship, with an enemy. But this time she’s determined to choose her own path. And if hot, furious Caleb comes charging to the rescue, it might just change both their destinies.
FEATURE REELEASE!!!
Janie Kayrs has known Zane almost her whole life. He was her friend in the dream world. She trusted him. But that was before he kidnapped her, spiriting her away to an isolated cabin to learn what her dreams never told her. Like how dangerous he looks. How he got on the wrong side of the negotiating table. And how much sexier he is in real life…
Zane is a battle-hardened warrior, used to command and solitude. But Janie has drawn him from the minute they met. His need for her could destroy everything he’s worked for, but the risk is too sweet not to take it. They call her the Chosen One. But when it comes down to the questions of peace or war, life or death, safety or passion, it will be Janie who makes the choice…
Now that you are all well acquainted with the DARK PROTECTORS series, let me give you an exclusive sneak peek into Marked...
EXCERPT:
Janie’s fine eyebrows arched. “Isn’t that how you do everything? Alone?”
The soft question held a sharp edge. “No. Soldiers follow me, and I have a mother and two brothers.”
Janie began shaking her head before Zane had finished speaking. “Do you work with them or around them? Protecting them without sharing what you’re doing?” Her eyes darkened. “What you’ve done?”
Either insightful or psychic, the woman had nailed him. He removed his hand and settled back in his chair. Away from her . . . and the truth. “I do what I have to do.”
She glanced down at her hand and frowned. Taking a deep breath, she pushed off from the chair and landed between his knees, her palms on his thighs. The fire lit her from behind, turning the highlights in her auburn hair into compelling flames. “Working alone gets you killed. The people in your life, the ones who love you, they need to share in the burden. To help and to plan.”
Did she consider herself one of the people who loved him? “That’s sweet, Belle.”
Her fingers dug into his legs. “I’m not being sweet. This is smart, and you have to trust somebody at some time. Duty doesn’t always have to be painful.”
“Doesn’t it?” His voice lowered as he leaned toward her, his senses on alert. “When was the last time you shared? Stopped being a reassuring smart-ass and told somebody, anybody, how scared you are? How overwhelmed by fate?”
Her eyes dilated, and her mouth opened and closed before she pushed out words. “That’s different.”
“Is it?” Taken aback and getting pissed at her accurately profiling him, he flattened her hands under his. “Look at the position you’ve put yourself in, trying to share. You’re on your knees, as vulnerable as a woman can be.” He could break her neck without flexing a muscle. The woman needed to realize her precarious position and back the hell off.
Instead, she lifted her head and stared him right in the eye. “I do understand my position, and I do realize how dangerous you are. Yet I’m willing to take the chance, to be fragile, to show you what trust looks like. What courage can look like.”
The calm statement burned his ears and sped up the blood in his veins. She was braver than any soldier he’d ever met. Lifting his hand, he allowed himself one moment to touch the smooth skin along her cheekbone, humming at the delicate structure. “You’re so soft, Belle,” he rumbled.
She swallowed and leaned into his touch.
Heat flowed into his torso, expanding him into somebody strong enough to protect her. Determination slid just beneath his skin.
As if reading him, sadness filled her eyes. “You’re not listening.”
He helped her up and stood, backing her into the wall. “I listened.” One knuckle under her stubborn chin lifted her face. Her scent surrounded him, driving him to follow his plan. “I just didn’t agree.”
Temper brushed a muted red across her cheeks.
Ah, the pretty one usually got her way, now didn’t she? He grinned, even knowing he played with fire. “Thanks for the suggestion, though. For the record, any time you want to get on your knees, I’m there.”
The punch to the gut was expected and thus didn’t hurt. But it did deserve a response.
His mouth connected beneath her jaw, pressing a hard kiss to her neck. The simple touch nearly knocked him back on his heels. Soft and sweet, her skin felt too smooth to be real. Her head fell back, anchored by the wall, her legs parting to grant him access.
He’d conquered before, and the urge now held a resemblance to battle. To triumph and take. So badly he wanted her under him, pinned for good. Sighing his name.
He kissed down her jugular, feeling the pulse pounding. She slid her hands up into his hair, holding him in place as she plastered her soft body against his. The soft tug awoke the beast inside him. The one who scented his mate. Those incredible curves molded to his hardness, giving way and cushioning him. The driving urge to pleasure her forced him to slow down and explore. To taste and tempt, wandering up to the soft spot behind her ear.
He wouldn’t go near her mouth, because if he kissed her, he wouldn’t stop. One taste of that mouth, of her, would seal his fate.
Sounds great, doesn't it!? Be sure to check it out...
CONTEST:
Rebecca is giving away $50 GiftCard for this tour. To enter, click on the Rafflecopter Giveaway Link below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as 'Done'.
Good Luck, and as always… HAPPY READING!
Hey everyone,
LITERAL ADDICTION is very happy to be telling you about a new author and amazing series today.
Elle Kennedy is a RITA-nominated author grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University.
Keep up with her online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.
Elle is the proud creator of the OUT OF UNIFORM, AFTER HOURS, WELCOME TO PARADISE, THE HUNTED, SMALL TOWN SCANDALS, and KILLER INSTINCTS series.
I'm here today to tell you about her KILLER INSTINCTS series and its new release, Midnight Action. Check it out...
Midnight Rescue
KILLER INSTINCTS Book #1
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Midnight Alias
KILLER INSTINCTS Book #2
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Midnight Games
KILLER INSTINCTS Book #3
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Their dance might have seemed innocent to the people around them, but each brush of their bodies heightened her arousal. Each time his palm grazed her tailbone, her skin sizzled. Each time his cheek brushed hers, her breathing grew more labored.
Still, no matter what Jim thought, she was a pro, and thus perfectly capable of suppressing her desire.
Of course, that didn’t mean she had to stop testing his ability to remain professional.
With a mischievous smile, she looked into his eyes and said, “By the way, the shower blow job you mentioned before? I orgasmed the second I swallowed that first drop.”
A strangled growl left his mouth.
And suddenly they weren’t dancing anymore. But still moving. Moving very, very fast, in fact, as Jim dragged her toward the staircase on the other side of the ballroom.
Morgan had no idea where he was going or what he was thinking. He ignored the inquisitive eyes boring into his back as he gripped Noelle’s hand and led her up the spiral staircase. He didn’t know where it led, or where they’d end up— all he knew was that if he didn’t get inside this woman right fucking now, he was going to pass out.
“Jim,” she said uneasily. “This isn’t the time to . . .”
She didn’t finish and he didn’t care. His lower body was aching, his cock so stiff he could barely walk. He was a man on a mission, his gaze focused straight ahead like a missile homing in on a target.
At the top of the stairs was a small landing opening into a wide hallway with half a dozen doors, but the red velvet curtain to their left was what caught his eye. Gripping Noelle’s forearm, he pushed open the thick velvet and immediately liked what he saw— a shadowy space the size of an opera box. No, it was an opera box, Morgan noted when he spotted the curved railing at the edge and the row of plush, red-upholstered seats.
He turned to Noelle. “Come here,” he ordered.
She stayed put. “I don’t take orders from cavemen, thank you very much.”
His gaze swept over her. He’d lied before. He was totally digging the dress. And the hairdo. The shoes. The vixen-red lipstick. Christ, he wanted to kiss those fuck-me lips more than he wanted his next breath.
“Come. Here,” he growled.
“Make me.”
Just like that, his control snapped like a bungee cord. Forget breathing— his brain stopped working right along with his lungs, his vision nothing but a thick haze of lust as he grabbed her by the arm and yanked her toward the railing. He spun her around so she was against it, then moved in behind her and ground his aching groin over her ass.
Noelle’s moan cut the air, soft enough that he doubted anyone down below had heard it. And if they did, he didn’t give a fuck. He’d turned into an animal, a desperate, hungry animal with one thought on his mind.
He scrunched up her dress and shoved the material all the way up to her waist. She was still covered in the front, but naked from the lower back down, and when he glimpsed her bare ass, a groan left his lips.
“Oh Jesus.” He stroked her tight buttocks with his palm, then undid the button of his trousers.
Letting out a ragged breath, he reached inside his boxer-briefs and pulled out his granite-hard cock. With Noelle in front of him, he wasn’t worried about anyone catching a glimpse of the little soldier, but there was nothing shielding her. If anyone in the ballroom so much as craned their neck, they’d get a hell of an eyeful: Noelle bent over the railing, fingers curled over the cool steel, cleavage spilling out of her dress.
Cursing softly, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her backward, repositioning them so they were against the wall, several feet back and out of view of any guests.
The second he rubbed the head of his cock along the crease of her ass cheeks, she gasped in pleasure. “Oh God. Please.”
The quiet plea was enough to make him shudder.
Holding her dress up with one hand, he gripped her hip with the other and drove into her from behind.
Fuuuuuck.
It felt so criminally good he literally saw stars. Heat and moisture surrounded his erection, her inner muscles clamping around him like a hot, pulsing glove. The sexual excitement burning in his blood was stronger than any burst of desire he’d ever felt in his life.
But no, that wasn’t true. He’d experienced this same blast of need before. Earlier today, when he’d been balls deep in Noelle. Nineteen years ago, when he’d been buried inside the most beautiful girl in the world.
It was her. It was always her.
The realization spurred his emotions, propelled his hips forward. He slammed into her, struggling for breath, desperately trying to hold on to his crumbling restraint. But there was nothing controlled about this.
With Noelle, it was impossible to hold back.
His chin rested on her shoulder as his hips pistoned hard, his cock furiously thrusting into her tight channel, over and over again. Her unique scent drugged his senses, and the fine hairs at the nape of her neck tickled his cheek and made him shiver.
A moan slipped out when his next thrust hit deep. “Oh God,” she whispered. “More. Faster.”
The tempo went from fast to frantic, as he relinquished all common sense and gave in to raw, primal need. His balls slapped Noelle’s perfect ass with each demanding stroke, and he knew from her little mewls of pleasure that she was getting close.
When she threw her head back and trembled in orgasm, it was like stepping into a room engulfed in flames. His heart stopped and his body burned, and triumph blinded his vision, because it was so rare to watch this woman come apart. So rare to hear her throaty cry of surrender and see the sated slump of her delicate shoulders.
“Coming,” he ground out. “Oh fuck.”
The hot waves of pleasure started deep in his balls and shot out in every direction, turning his limbs to jelly and his mind to mush. His release filled her, dripped down his still-hard shaft, and even as he tried to catch his breath, he reached into his pocket for a black silk handkerchief and hastily cleaned them up before their clothes got ruined.
The climax had been so intense he still saw black spots, still had trouble breathing. With a hoarse groan, he withdrew from her tight sheath and tucked his semierect cock back in his pants. As he zipped up his trousers, the hem of Noelle’s dress slipped from his fingers, the silky material floating to the floor with a soft rustle.
“How about now?” Her voice shook slightly as she turned to face him. “Out of your system?”
“No,” he said thickly. “You?”
She opened her mouth, but was cut off by a sudden buzz of voices from the ballroom. Frowning, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and approached the railing.
Morgan followed her, resting both hands on the steel rail as he gazed below.
He immediately pinpointed the source of commotion. A small crowd had formed near the ice sculpture he’d been admiring earlier, and holding court in the center of the group was a man in a black tuxedo jacket and white dress shirt.
“I think our host is here,” he said.
Noelle nodded. “Looks like it.”
They watched from the box, but the new arrival was blocked from their view, surrounded by several taller men who didn’t seem inclined to move out of the way. Morgan glimpsed a head of dark blond hair, an aristocratic profile, and a flash of straight white teeth, but it wasn’t enough.
Annoyance filtered through him. “Let’s go downstairs. I can’t see shit from here.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the crowd parted to reveal the center of attention. Maurice Durand. The man was in his late sixties. Medium height, fair complexion, handsome face . . . that face.
Morgan couldn’t quite place the man, but he knew him. He wasn’t sure how, but— son of a bitch.
At that moment, Durand turned to speak to someone, offering Morgan a perfect view of his eyes.
He froze, unable to fathom what he was seeing.
Those eyes.
The color of dark roast coffee, deep and intense and completely unsuited for that lily-white skin and light hair.
In his lifetime, Morgan had come across only two people with that particular combination of chocolate eyes and pale skin.
All the air seeped out of his lungs as his brain made the connection.
“Ariana,” he breathed.
Hello everyone!
LITERAL ADDICTION is thrilled to be promoting for the fabulous Stacey Kennedy once again today to let you all know about the release of FREED!
STACEY KENNEDY is the USA Today bestselling author of the CLUB SIN series. Growing up, Stacey’s mind wandered the path less traveled and that path most often led to love. She has always broken rules and she continues to feed off emotion – staying true to her heart. Those traits are now the bones of her stories. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who puts any of the heroes in her books to shame, and their two young children. If she’s not on mom duty or plugging away at a new story, you’ll find Stacey camping in the summer, hibernating in the winter and obsessing over Penny Dreadful, Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy.
Connect with Stacey: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Connect with Loveswept Publishing: Facebook | Twitter | Website
I'm here today to help Stacey spread the news about the release of Freed, CLUB SIN Book #3.5. For those of you not yet familiar with the series, you can check out my last series spotlight and reviews for the previous books HERE. But for today, let me tell you all about Freed...
CLUB SIN Book #3.5 (Desired - book #3, Bared - book #2, Claimed - book #1)
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance – BDSM
Amazon | B&N | More buying options
Advance praise for FREED:
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Vivacious Valkyrie - Marta (with thoughts from Pack Alpha, Chelle):
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
Notes from Chelle: Another sinfully sexy CLUB SIN book by Ms. Kennedy. I'm still amazed how she can suck me in with these, not being - for the most part - a fan of BDSM. It's just a sign of good writing. :)
Excerpt:
Mary drove past the iron gate minutes before six o’clock and up the cobblestone driveway toward the Georgian-style mansion. Set back from the road, the redbrick residence was decorated with black shutters and white pillars. Flowers embellished every inch of the grounds, as did olive and Australian willow trees. Dmitri Pratt and Presley Flynn’s home was breathtakingly beautiful yet commanding in its own way, too.
She approached the circular portion of the driveway, and parked her car behind a limousine. As she turned off the engine to her Mercedes convertible, Mary tried to figure out whom the limo could belong to. Since the chauffeur was waiting patiently in the vehicle, she doubted it belonged to her dear friend Dmitri. Besides, he had always preferred to drive himself.
Curious now, she grasped the wine bottle off the passenger seat, and as she exited the car the stifling Vegas air engulfed her. Her high heels clicked against the stone driveway as she made her way to the dark hardwood front door. When she reached the entrance and knocked, the light breeze fluttered the hem of her mauve sundress.
Only seconds passed before the door opened, and Dmitri’s girlfriend, Presley, greeted her, wearing a strapless yellow baby-doll dress. Mary thought even with dark eye makeup around her gorgeous emerald-green eyes and her curled blond hair, Presley still looked much younger than Mary’s own fifty years.
“I’m so glad you could make it, Mary,” Presley said with her sweet smile. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Mary returned the smile, stepping into the house and hugging her friend tightly. Since Presley had come into Dmitri’s life, she had made it a point to invite Mary over for a weekly dinner. At first Mary had refused the kind offer because she worried it would bring back too many memories. Dmitri reminded her of her late husband, Charles, whom she missed dearly. Though after Presley’s numerous invites Mary felt rude saying no. Now she enjoyed their get-togethers, even looking forward to them. She released Presley and said, “Thank you for having me. How are things?”
“Couldn’t be better. I told you, or I think we talked about, my hours at the clinic being cut back, which is good and bad financially, of course, but it’s giving Dmitri and me more time together.” Presley’s soft, gentle voice was so welcoming.
“Wonderful news.” Mary offered the bottle of wine. “A treat for dinner tonight. A nice white that I think will complement whatever you’re serving.”
“Yum. Thank you. Let’s go into the kitchen and talk a bit before we eat.” Presley turned and headed in that direction, her curls bouncing around her shoulders.
Mary smiled, as Presley reminded her a lot of herself when she was twenty-five years old—passionate about life. She removed her high heels, leaving them at the door like she always did, and looked around the foyer. A huge balcony curved around the entire upper floor, leading to a grand wooden staircase. Dmitri’s interior designer, someone that Mary had recommended when he built the home just over four years ago, had outdone herself. From the art on the walls, to the decorative sculptures, the house exuded wealth. One of her favorite paintings was the Edgar Degas—she wasn’t sure if it was a print or an original, Dmitri could afford either. She always admired the entrance no matter how many times she’d seen it before.
Her gaze lowered to the cherry hardwood floors, and her stomach tightened. In the basement was a secret not many knew of unless they were members of the elite and exclusive BDSM dungeon Club Sin. A club that Mary had never attended—in fact, she had no idea what it looked like, only that the club existed.
Even if Dmitri owned the dungeon and would no doubt allow her membership, many of the members were his close friends and presumably closer to his age, thirty-five years old, or younger. It was one thing to visit your friends’ home for dinner; it’s quite another to have a dialogue half naked and dressed for play. Besides, most of Club Sin’s members were still single and she doubted any of them had children—the differences in their lives were vast, and therefore playing at the club lacked in appeal in more ways than one.
After Charles, her husband and the father of her children, and also her best friend and Dom, passed away, just over four short years ago, her need to play in BDSM clubs died with him.
She sighed through those still-painful memories and followed Presley when she heard voices coming from the living room. Glancing to her left, she noted Dmitri sitting on one of the leather couches. His features were stern and focused on his conversation until his eyes met hers; then he smiled.
With his blond hair and piercing blue eyes, Dmitri was a handsome young man. Though she’d known Dmitri for more than ten years, the relationship between them had always been strictly platonic. “Mary,” Dmitri said, waving her into the room. “Please come in.”
She immediately noticed another man with a dark head of hair showing hints of gray on the sides. When he rose from his seat, her breathing faltered and her gaze drank him in.
“Mary Schmidt,” Dmitri said. “Please meet Elliott Foster.”
Elliott was tall, at least six-foot-three, and compared to Mary’s five-foot-six frame, he towered over her. He had a powerful physique, obviously a man who cared for himself and lived a healthy lifestyle. It’d been quite a while since she’d allowed herself to have an interest in another man, but this guy, she couldn’t look away.
He was undeniably gorgeous, and he looked to be right around her age.
Excitement shot through her when the side of Elliott’s mouth arched in a half-smile. He offered her his hand in greeting. “It’s my pleasure.”
“Likewise.” Mary slid her hand into his and heady warmth seeped from his strong fingers into hers; she felt drawn in to his spell.
His grip tightened slightly and he observed her. Nervously, she shifted on her feet from side to side, suddenly very unsure in her own skin.
She removed her hand from his, and couldn’t help but cast her gaze downward. Partly anxiety but partly a result of his presence, a natural response for her, and unfortunately something he would also detect and understand himself.
A long pause passed before Dmitri cleared his throat, drawing Mary’s attention. “Elliott is a close friend. We do a lot of business together.” His normal conversation pulled her back into their surroundings.
“Oh, do you work at the casino as well?” she asked, keeping her focus on Dmitri, attempting to settle the racing of her heart. Without having Elliott confirm it, she knew he was a Dom—for those in the lifestyle, it was instinctual. She could tell by his observation of her, the knowing smile, and the desire in his eyes. Possibly even in the way he commanded his space within the room. She didn’t know if he played at Club Sin or somewhere else, but experience led her to identify a sexual Dominant.
“I invest in many companies,” Elliott replied, his voice smooth and alluring, holding mystery. “Dmitri’s casino is one of them.”
She sensed his stare and peeked at him. When their eyes locked on each other, her stomach somersaulted. She realized this was the first time she’d been around a mature Dom since Charles had died.
The effect rattled her, because she was aroused, interested, and she liked it.
An unnerving ache sizzled between her thighs, reminding her she’d been neglecting her own needs. When Charles was alive their relationship was very sexual and they enjoyed their play in and out of the dungeon. She’d always been a submissive and fiercely reacted around a Dom. Now she realized she still craved the power a Dominant held—the confidence, and the kink he could offer.
Dmitri said, “We’re looking to expand at the casino, so I casually was inquiring to see if Elliott might want to be involved.”
Elliott smiled, yet it was his chocolate-brown eyes that held Mary’s focus. They were commanding, capturing her as he said, “And I casually said yes.”
Dmitri laughed at Elliott’s remark, but Mary couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t ignore the heat coursing through her. This man had a serious effect on her and she wasn’t sure what to do about it.
Someone brushed against her arm, drawing her gaze away from Elliott’s stare. She inhaled sharply, discovering Presley had entered the room. An awkward moment passed as Presley looked from Mary to Elliott, then her smile beamed. “You know, I made a little extra for dinner tonight. Would you like to stay, Elliott?”
Mary tensed, awaiting his answer. On one hand, she would enjoy knowing more about this man; on the other, heady guilt was riding her for even thinking that. She still missed Charles. She still loved him. In her heart, she still belonged to her Dom.
Elliott’s gaze zeroed in on Mary before his grin turned devilish. “I would love to stay for dinner, thank you.”
“Just give us a few more minutes, doll,” Dmitri said to Presley and motioned to the papers on the glass coffee table. “We’re just wrapping up the details.”
Mary clenched her teeth, sensing Elliott’s focus remaining on her. She instantly shivered and swore his stare was similar to fingertips dragging over her flesh. Doing her best to hide her unexpected reaction, she followed Presley into the chef’s kitchen. She inhaled the warm hints of spices and settled her hip against the island, narrowing her eyes on Presley.
Presley gave a tight smile. “He’s handsome, isn’t he?”
“Presley,” Mary warned.
“I’m just saying, he is.” She laughed softly. “Besides, isn’t it nice to meet someone else in the lifestyle?”
Mary frowned. What is this? Is she matchmaking tonight?
Though Presley was referring to the relationship of a submissive and Dom when the two lived the BDSM lifestyle, enjoying the power exchange and kink, Mary hadn’t been involved in it since Charles passed. “If I wanted to meet others in the lifestyle, I would have arranged it myself, without your meddling.” She crossed her arms. “I didn’t come here tonight for a date, if that’s what you thought you were arranging.”
Presley opened the oven and peeked in before she glanced over her shoulder. “It’s not like I planned it or something. I don’t mean to step on toes or anything, but I thought it’d be rude not to invite him to stay for dinner. Even if Elliott wasn’t in the lifestyle, I still would have asked him.” She shut the oven and added, “Why, does it make you uncomfortable?”
Yes!
Mary withheld her response, knowing it shouldn’t make her uncomfortable. If Elliott wasn’t a Dom, having another dinner guest wouldn’t be a problem. Yet she sensed something with him that made her feel unsteady. The heat burning through her reminded her she was attracted to him and that he was a Dominant, a man who was skilled in controlling women and getting what he wanted.
She lifted her chin, forcing the thoughts away. She was no longer a submissive and certainly was not going to act on her body’s response to him. Her fingers absentmindedly reached for her diamond necklace—Charles’s claim of her—which was the collar that marked her as his. No one could replace him. “You’re right. It would have been rude of you not to ask him. Just no matchmaking, got it?”
“Of course,” Presley replied with a smile. She moved toward the counter, grabbing the tray of buns. “But maybe it’ll be nice to talk with someone who isn’t”—she glanced over her shoulder and grinned—“my age.”
Mary laughed, picking up the bowl of summer salad. Nice way of not saying she was old, she thought. Regardless of the years between them, she’d grown fond of Presley in the few months she’d known her.
Though lingering tension followed Mary as she walked through the kitchen toward the circular dining room, she could not be happier for Dmitri and all of the success he had achieved as well. When Charles first hired him to work at the casino, Dmitri had seemed strained, as if something heavy was weighing on him. His years of employment with her late husband was how she’d got to know Dmitri, and over time he became more relaxed and another part of their family. Not only had he and Charles gotten along very well, but Dmitri was a Master and needed to release that controlling nature, so when he got involved in the lifestyle he became a more well-rounded young man.
Charles had introduced Dmitri to Chains, a local BDSM club, and mentored him. They had known Dmitri since he was in his twenties, and he had gone from a kid who struggled through life to a confident thirty-three-year-old man.
Her late husband would have been proud of the man, and Dom, Dmitri had become.
Mary entered the dining room and placed the salad on the antique table, knowing Presley’s intentions were good. Perhaps Presley thought Mary was missing something in her life.
Maybe she was.
She’d always known she’d lost a piece of herself when Charles passed away. In the year Charles was sick with terminal pancreatic cancer, she hadn’t been interested in anything sexual at all. She only wanted her husband well again. Then in the years since his death, she hadn’t watched a BDSM scene, except for a few adult movies, which were much different from being in the club and seeing a live display.
It’d been a long time since she had sex or any sexual physical contact, with or without the kink she had once craved and needed in her life. She sighed as she aligned the fork next to the plate and noticed Presley watching her. “All right, spit it out.”
Presley looked down, fiddling with a napkin. “Do you think you’ll ever date again?”
“I’ve already met the man I was meant to be with and he’s gone.” Presley’s eyes saddened, but Mary pushed past the thickness in her throat. “You don’t get two chances at something that beautiful.”
***
Forty-five minutes later, Elliott sipped his scotch on the rocks, leaning against the cool, dark brown leather chair in the sitting room. His stomach was full and he was now regretting that second helping.
Hearing voices in the distance, he glanced toward the kitchen, listening to Mary laughing with Presley as they finished cleaning up. He had offered to help, but both women responded with a resounding no. He smiled, letting the scotch warm him.
With the home’s open floor plan they could see each other across the way, and Mary clearly felt him staring—when she looked up directly at him all the blood in his body pooled into his cock. Brown eyes that held a gentle soul, yet a fiery confidence, watched him. Mary’s features were delicate; she had a thin nose and long, shaggy brown hair that surrounded her oval face, with bangs that fell over her brow. The faint creases he noticed earlier around the corners of her eyes showed her age—early fifties, Elliott figured.
She looked at him for a moment longer before she turned to Presley and laughed at something Presley had said. Elliott’s world faded with the power of Mary’s smile. Maybe there was a touch of sadness to it, but she still radiated with life.
Mary’s beauty stopped the world from moving around him.
For the briefest of seconds her gaze returned to him, and Elliott restrained his groan. She heated perfectly under his stare, intoxicating him. Her dark, sensual expression made his thoughts turn wicked, including a tempting image of being on top of her and staring into those soft eyes while he thrust in deep. But every time she’d suddenly move her focus away she puzzled him.
Her blatant aroused reactions proved she’d played in the BDSM lifestyle before. Only an experienced submissive would react in the manner she had with a Dominant near. Though looking at her lacing her hands in front of her and the way she cast her gaze down, she almost portrayed an innocence about the lifestyle.
That was something he’d determine later. He turned to Dmitri. “Call me when the paperwork is ready and I’ll drop by your office and sign it.”
Dmitri watched Mary, then nodded to Elliott. “Perfect.”
Elliott had enough sense to know something stayed on Dmitri’s mind. Many years ago, they had met at a club while on vacation in San Francisco. Small world, he’d thought at the time. But they had exchanged cards with the thought of working together at some point. Within a year, they had done some business together, investing in a small marketing company out of New York. Then Dmitri had invited Elliott to his exclusive BDSM dungeon, Club Sin. When he had heard the members were in their twenties and thirties, Elliott graciously declined.
He wanted an experienced woman, and in his case, age mattered.
Elliott glanced to Mary and he all but salivated. That type of woman was what he wanted. Educated with a Dom. Experienced in the lifestyle. A woman whom he could arouse by not even touching her. A lady that blushed innocently, yet could also play with kink and own her pleasure.
Dmitri chuckled. “Interested?”
“It’s obvious, I take it?” Elliott murmured, then turned to Dmitri and said with a smile, “Is she single?”
“From what I know, I believe so.”
Meaning Dmitri knew she didn’t have a steady lover, but Elliott figured that also meant Dmitri wasn’t sure if Mary had a Dom. Emotion crossed Dmitri’s face that Elliott couldn’t quite place. He was curious now to learn more about her, but he also heard the women approaching, so he quickly asked, “Would my interest be all right with you?”
“Of course,” Dmitri replied with an arched brow. “A man would be good for her. A Dom would be even better.”
Before Elliott could dig in to that statement further, the women entered the room. He hastily downed his drink and then rose from his seat. “I could use another.” He smiled at Presley, then asked the group, “Would anyone else like an after-dinner drink?” Presley nodded, as did Dmitri. Then Elliott turned to Mary. She hadn’t taken her eyes off him. Her breath grew raspy and her cheeks were flushed. Intriguing. “Some wine, Mary?”
She licked her lips. “White, please.”
He couldn’t remove his focus from her damp lips, creating all sorts of naughty sexual images in his mind. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he turned to confirm the other drink requests, realizing he’d been caught.
A hint of a smile crossed Dmitri’s face. “White for both Presley and me, thank you.”
Elliott turned to Mary, who stared at him with wide, excited eyes. Yeah, he understood her desire. He felt it, too. “Come, beautiful, help me gather the drinks.”
She took a step forward, as if drawn by his order, not wanting to refuse. Which was exactly why he’d phrased the request as he had and not posed it as a question. He watched her, wondering over her next move. Sure, he was testing the waters, but he needed to understand this little puzzle.
Mary drew in a deep breath, lowering her head, trying to recover her emotions. When she regarded Dmitri all heat had vanished from her face, her gaze was guarded. “White wine, you said?”
Obviously sensing the challenge between his two guests, Dmitri smirked. “Two, please.”
Elliott thought her response was ever the more fascinating. Not only did she shield her arousal so fiercely, not allowing it to awaken and be obvious to him, but she seemed hell-bent on keeping him at bay.
In that one second, her actions told him: I turned to Dmitri to ask because I’m not following your order. I’m getting my friends a drink.
Little did she know Elliott loved a challenge. In his life, he conquered businessmen who were known to make grown men cry. He’d gotten investors to dive into risky businesses. He loved those stone walls in life that needed to be broken down to succeed.
Mary had unknowingly become his next conquest.
She turned to him with her chin lifted high. “Are you ready to serve the drinks?”
His frown pulled at the corners of his mouth as he took the final step to close the distance. He leaned down by her face, and the sweetness of her flowering scent spiraled around him. “I do believe I already said that I wanted you to help me get the drinks.” He arched a brow at her. “Did you not hear me?”
“I heard you.” She hesitated. “I—”
“Good,” he interjected with an easy smile. “For a moment there I thought you had a problem with your hearing.”
She laughed softly, avoiding his gaze. “No, my hearing is just fine.”
He noted the flush of her cheeks returned as he leaned away. “Then please come with me so we can enjoy some drinks.” A power play with him she would lose, of that he was confident. And he rather enjoyed hearing her following behind him as he entered the kitchen.
Nice try, though, he mused to himself.
He reached the kitchen island and removed three glasses from the side cabinet as Mary went to the fridge and pulled out the bottle of chardonnay. Once she moved to his side, he sensed her become still, almost frozen in time. He took the bottle from her and she stared at him with dazzling eyes, burning with a light he’d not seen in some time—fierce attraction.
He uncorked the bottle and asked, “Are you a member of Club Sin, Mary?”
She shook her head. “No, I prefer not to play with young men.”
He smiled, filling up the first glass. “You are clearly a submissive, so do you play elsewhere, then?”
“No.” She peeked at him before she pushed the second glass closer to him. “I’m no longer in the lifestyle.”
Surprise flickered through him, and he hurried to finish filling the second and third glasses. He placed the bottle down and turned to her. She stared at the wine bottle, not moving, barely breathing, it seemed.
Unable to stop himself, pulled by the attraction, he trailed a finger over her bare shoulder and her gaze snapped to him. He waited for her to lash out at him, but her mouth stayed shut. She wasn’t even blinking.
He lowered his gaze and watched his finger running up and down her arm, and murmured, “Now, why would a submissive who reacts as beautifully as you do not play anymore?”
“I”—she inhaled sharply and moved away from his touch—“it’s not something that interests me any longer.”
“Funny,” he retorted. “Your body seems to disagree with that statement.”
She snapped her head up, eyes narrowed. “By that, you mean?”
Her glare struck him hard in the chest, being the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He loved a woman with fire in her blood. The stronger the personality, the better. “I would say that in my experience as a Dom, and that is about thirty years of experience, that you’re aching to play.”
She stared at him for a few seconds before casting her gaze down. “You’re wrong.”
“Am I?” He moved closer, getting right in her space. “I bet I could prove you’re wrong.”
She looked to him again; the angry glare was gone. His cock twitched as he listened to her deepening breaths. Slowly, he lifted his hand, giving her the chance to move away, but again she stayed put. He gripped her arm, pressed his body against hers, and she leaned in to him, probably not even realizing she’d done so.
Held captive by her mouth, he traced a thumb over her cheek. Yeah, darlin’, a kiss would be nice, wouldn’t it? “Now tell me again what you just said when I asked why you don’t play.”
Silence greeted him.
Her eyes were dark, deliciously aroused. He would bet money her lower lips were as puffy, red, and wet as the ones on her face. Leaning down, he brought his mouth close to hers, letting her feel the touch of a Dominant, and allowing her to experience the nearness of a commanding man.
“You lie to yourself, beautiful.” He dragged his finger over her bottom lip, hearing the hitching of her breath. “I smell your need. I feel that your lush body is ready and willing.” Dropping his hand from her chin, he stepped back, and watched her brace her hands on the island.
Intrigue and burning attraction had him reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a card from his wallet. “I hold a BDSM play party every two weeks at Dmitri’s casino.” Which was a gathering of kinky people who didn’t want to attend clubs, public or otherwise. “We have one scheduled for tomorrow night at eight o’clock. This card will give you access.”
He offered her the card, but she didn’t accept it, so he placed it on the counter. “I promise that you would be comfortable there. Everyone is around our age, and all are looking for exactly what we want. A fun, private party to explore our sexual lifestyle.” Pulled by the electricity between them, he moved closer. “I want to play with you, Mary.” He brushed his lips across her cheek, relishing her shiver while he whispered in her ear, “Stop lying to yourself, so that I can.”
CONTEST:
In celebration of the series and new release, Stacey is offering up a $100 Amazon GC and a 50 Shades of Grey Beginners Submit To Me Bondage Kit.
To enter, find the Rafflecopter widget below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as ‘Done’.
Good luck, and as always… HAPPY READING!!
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Hello everybody,
LITERAL ADDICTION is super thrilled to be promoting for S.J Harper again today. You probably already know the ladies that make up S.J. Harper (we’ve had Jeanne on the site many, many times), but it’s always great to have them here…
S.J. Harper is the pen name for the writing team of Samantha Sommersby and Jeanne C. Stein, two friends who met at Comic-Con in San Diego and quickly bonded over a mutual love of good wine, edgy urban fantasy, and everything Joss Whedon.
Samantha Sommersby left what she used to call her “real life” day job in the psychiatric field to pursue writing full-time in 2007. She is the author of more than ten novels and novellas including the critically acclaimed Forbidden series. She currently lives with her husband and cocker spaniel, Buck, in a century old Southern California Craftsman. Sam happily spends her days immersed in a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons are real, myths and legends are revered, magic is possible, and love still conquers all.
Jeanne Stein is the national bestselling author of The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles. She also has numerous short story credits, including most recently the novella, Blood Debt, from the New York Times bestselling anthology, Hexed. Her series has been picked up in three foreign countries and her short stories published in collections here in the US and the UK.
She lives in Denver, CO where she finds gardening a challenge more daunting than navigating the world of mythical creatures.
Jeanne and Samantha together, are the proud creators of the new FALLEN SIREN series.
Author Links:
S.J. Harper: Website / GoodReads / Facebook
Samantha Sommersby: Facebook / Twitter
Jeanne Stein: Facebook / Twitter
For those of you new to the books, let me get you caught up…
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Add to your GoodReads Shelf
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*Read LITERAL ADDICTION’s Review HERE
Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.
She’s cursed. He’s damned. Together, they make one hell of a team. Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.
Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.
Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.
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Join Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.
She’s sacrificed. He’s suffered. They’ve both been betrayed.
Now it’s time for a reckoning.
Special Agent Emma Monroe has a secret. She’s a Fallen Siren, cursed by the gods and banished to Earth for her failure to prevent the kidnapping of Persephone. As an FBI agent she saves the lives of others believing redemption could be one rescue away.
Her partner Zack is a werewolf and former Black Ops sniper who once carried out a string of questionable assignments. Now he’s determined to atone for his past. Ironically, there’s a portion of his past Zack doesn’t remember—an affair with Emma. Giving into their attraction for one another almost led to their undoing. Now it’s back to business as usual.
While trying to unravel the mystery behind a series of kidnappings in Southern California, Emma and Zack become entangled with political tensions in the vampire and Were worlds. Not to mention the struggles they face in their relationship with one another. With so much uncertainty, they come to realize the only thing they can really count on is one another…or can they?
Sound great, don’t they!? Make sure to check them out…
But wait, there’s more! Do you want to meet one of of ‘S.J Harper’ in person? You can! You can meet Jeanne, tons of other amazing UF and PNR authors, LITERAL ADDICTION’s officers and other well known featured bloggers, and loads of fellow book addicts and paranormal junkies at the Coastal Magic Convention in Daytona Beach, FL Feb 5-8 2015.
Coastal Magic is a super casual, urban fantasy and paranormal romance focused convention in Daytona. With panels designed to start interesting discussion, and meet & greets with fun themes, we’ve got something for every fan. Join us for reader, blogger, and author shenanigans, and lots of “supernatural” inspired activities. Saturday’s charity book sale and signing is open to convention attendees, and FREE to the public. Come take a bite out of the beach with us!! Feb 5-8, 2015. Registration opened 7/1/14, so get your ticket HERE.
Keep up with all things Coastal Magic at the Website / Facebook Page /Facebook Event / Twitter / Pinterest
Find out more about a bunch of the Coastal Magic Featured Authors by following our Coastal Magic Featured Authors page…
CONTEST:
Sam and Jeanne are giving away a Kindle Fire for this tour!
To enter, find the Rafflecopter widget for the Event below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as 'Done'.
Good luck, and as always... HAPPY READING!!
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Hello everybody!
NYT Bestselling Author Alyssa Day has a Halloween "treat" for fans of her The Warriors of Poseidon series. HALLOWEEN IN ATLANTIS, a novelette addition to the series, releases on October 29th!
Alyssa Day is the pen name (and dark and tortured alter ego) of RITA award-winning author Alesia Holliday. As Alyssa, she writes the New York Times and USA Today best-selling Warriors of Poseidon, League of the Black Swan, and Cardinal Witches series, and won RT BookClub’s Reviewers’ Choice award for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012. She graduated summa cum laude from Capital University Law School and practiced as a trial lawyer in multi-million dollar litigation for several years before coming to her senses and letting the voices in her head loose on paper. Please visit Alyssa at www.AlyssaDay.com.
You can also follow her online at Facebook, Twitter, and on GoodReads.
Halloween in Altantis
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Buy from: LINKS COMING SOON...
Now that Atlantis has finally risen to take its place on the world stage, the Atlantean warriors are having to face some new and interesting dangers -- like Halloween parties.
Arrogant warrior Liam doesn't understand the beautiful, bubbly human whose entire function in life appears to be to plan parties, but he can’t seem to keep away from her, either. Jamie, who considers herself to be completely unflappable--the hallmark of a great event planner--doesn't understand why the far-too-serious Atlantean manages to get under her skin with every single encounter. Even if he is the sexiest man she has ever seen.
When the two of them are thrown together to solve a mystery surrounding the queen's missing jewels, sparks fly, secrets are revealed, and Halloween has never been hotter.
This novelette (longer than a short story, shorter than a novella) is perfect for reading on a coffee break - or in between handing out candy to trick-or treaters.
Release Blog Tour Dates & Contests...
Each blog on the release tour for HALLOWEEN IN ATLANTIS, has treats for it's readers! Check out each stop for promotional info, guest posts, interviews, excerpts, and chances to win a $5 online giftcard and a copy of Alyssa's ALEJANDRO'S SORCERESS. (Contests open INT)
Wednesday, October 29th
Thursday, October 30th
- Literary Escapism
- Book Lovin’ Mamas
- Coffee, Books, Life Blog
- Reading Between The Wines
- Romancing The Dark Side
Friday, October 31st
Contest:
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Hello everybody!
I'm here today to tell you all about an awesome new box set from some incredible authors called Shifters After Dark.
SM REINE
SM Reine is an author of paranormal and urban fantasy from Reno, NV best known for "The Descent Series," which is about an exorcist on the run from God. She likes long walks on the beach, overcast days, total mayhem, and kittens.
Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter
Dannika Dark is a USA Today Bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She was born on a military base in the U.S. and traveled the world before she was nine. Now she’s rooted in the south with her head firmly in the clouds. At age twelve, Dannika began writing post-apocalyptic stories. That passion evolved to poetry and song lyrics, but it wasn’t until years later that she realized her passion for writing fantasy. When Danni is not writing, she enjoys a great sci-fi or fantasy movie, Tex-Mex, heaps of chocolate, and unleashing her dark side.
Author Links: Website / Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter / Newsletter
MARIE HALL
Marie loves books that make you think, or feel something. Preferably both.
And while she's a total girly girl and loves glitter and rainbows, she's
just as happy when she's writing about the dark underbelly of society.
Well, if things like zombies, and vampires, and werewolves, and mermaids
existed. (Although she has it on good authority that mermaids do in fact
exist, because the internet told her so.)
She's married to the love of her life, a sexy beast of a caveman who likes to
refer to himself as Big Hunk. She has two awesome kids, lives in Hawaii, loves
cooking and occasionally has been known to crochet. She also really loves
talking about herself in the third person.
If you want to see what new creations she's got up her sleeves check out
her blog: www.MarieHallWrites.blogspot.com or contact
her personally at mariehallwrites@gmail.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6444714.Marie_Hall
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mariehallwrites
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/MarieHallAuthor
KATE DANLEY
Kate Danley's debut novel, The Woodcutter (published by 47North), was honored with the Garcia Award for the Best Fiction Book of the Year, the 1st Place Fantasy Book in the Reader Views Literary Awards, and the winner of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Other titles include: Queen Mab, the Maggie MacKay: Magical Tracker series, and the O'Hare House Mysteries.
Her plays have been produced in New York, Los Angeles, and DC Metro area. Her screenplay Fairy Blood won 1st Place in the Breckenridge Festival of Film Screenwriting Competition in the Action/Adventure Category. Her projects The Playhouse, Dog Days, Sock Zombie, SuperPout, and Sports Scents can be seen in festivals and on the internet. She trained in on-camera puppetry with Mr. Snuffleupagus and recently played the head of a 20-foot dinosaur on an NBC pilot.
She lost on Hollywood Squares.
Author Links: Website / Twitter / Blog / Facebook / Newsletter
MELISSA F OLSON
Melissa Olson was raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and studied film and literature at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After graduation, and a brief stint bouncing around the Hollywood studio system, Melissa landed in Madison, WI, where she eventually acquired a master's degree from UW-Milwaukee, a husband, a mortgage, a teaching gig, two kids, and two comically oversized dogs, not at all in that order. She loves Madison, but still dreams of the food in LA. Literally. There are dreams.
Subscribe to “The Scarlett Letter” newsletter – always with exclusive content!
Author Links: Facebook / Website / Twitter / Amazon
PHOENIX SULLIVAN
Phoenix Sullivan has been publishing fantasy and science fiction stories under her various pen names before most of you were born. Marion Zimmer Bradley was her first editor. Today she's General Manager for Steel Magnolia Press, helping to bring sexy, thrilling, and fantastical stories to ereaders near you.
In days gone by, Phoenix was a registered vet tech, working with small animal clinics and wildlife rehab centers. She lives now on a Texas farm, sharing her days with a small herd of ponies, three dogs, two cats, a goat, some chickens and the occasional rat snake. Life doesn't get much better...
Sign up for Fresh Leaves, the Steel Magnolia Press newsletter, for the latest in new releases and great deals.
http://steelmagnoliapress.com
Shifters After Dark
Buy from Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon Ca / B&N / Kobo /iTunes / GooglePlay
OF WINGS AND WOLVES by SM Reine - $3.99 value
Summer Gresham's unique shapeshifting nature is a well-hidden secret, so the 20-year-old coed is baffled to be singled out for a prestigious internship. She’s even more stunned to discover the man who wants to hire her—Nash Adamson—specifically requested her…and won’t take no for an answer. A rebel angel in exile, Nash has more than a few secrets of his own. Summer is the key to his freedom, and her warmth and beauty stirs something inside of him, almost making him forget he’s imprisoned. Then Summer finds herself at the crux of an ancient war, and angels don’t care how many mortals get caught in the crossfire. Torn between saving Summer and freeing himself, Nash has to choose what matters most: their love, or his freedom.
SEVEN YEARS by Dannika Dark - $3.99 value
Lexi Knight hasn't seen Austin Cole since her brother's funeral seven years ago. Austin's no longer the boy she once knew, but a dangerous bounty hunter with dark secrets. When he reveals to Lexi that he's an alpha Shifter, her world is flipped upside down. But there's a shocking twist no one saw coming, and now her family is in danger. Can Austin salvage a relationship from the ruins of their past? Reality meets Paranormal Romance in this bestselling series about family, second chances, and finding that person who completes you. Cliffhanger-free, HEA, 17+
HOOD'S OBSESSION by Marie Hall - $3.99 value
Lilith Wolf, the daughter of the Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood has a problem, she's an unmated female in heat. She has to get away from the males of her village unless she wants to find herself involuntarily hand fasted to the first one to tame her wolf. So when Giles Damien comes to her calling due the pact she'd signed with Rumpelstiltskin years ago, she doesn't really think twice about the fact that she'll be journeying to Fyre Mountain. Even though that means she'll be crossing paths with an angry water dragon, a pub full of rowdy Merry Men, and rock dwarves with a taste for flesh... but she'd never counted on falling in love. These are the other fairy tales no one ever told you about...
THE DARK OF TWILIGHT by Kate Danley - $3.99 value
Aein always longed to become a member of Lord Arnkell's army, ever since she was a child working in the stronghold's kitchen. When that day finally comes and she is sent to patrol the border's swamp with fellow warrior, Lars, it seems like her dream has come true. But something has followed her home. When Lord Arnkell's wedding is interrupted by a werewolf attack, the dream shifts into a nightmare… and Aein is the only one awake. Book One in the brand new epic fantasy series Twilight Shifters. A boxed set exclusive!
BLOODSICK by Melissa F. Olson
All her life, Sashi’s mother warned her not to get involved with werewolf problems. But Sashi, a witch who uses her magic to help cancer patients fight their illness, has never made a habit of ignoring pain. When she meets an abused shapeshifter that no one else seems willing to help, Sashi will risk everything –including her fledgling relationship – to save a woman who can’t save herself. An Old World novella from the author of Dead Spots, Trail of Dead, and Hunter's Trail.
HEARTSONG by Phoenix Sullivan
By night, in her Gabriel Hound form, Brinn runs with The Wild Hunt. When she's unwittingly thralled by brother princes Alain and Pellinore, only one thing can free her: the blood of her captors. But freedom is not so easily won as the three of them form a grudging bond that soon turns intimate. Love should be easy, but The Wild Hunt wants Brinn back, the Questing Beast wants Pel, and Alain wants the impossible--to keep them both at his side. (an Arthurian-era fantasy, 17+)
Hey everyone!
LITERAL ADDICTION is happy to be here to tell you about an interesting new zombie fiction book today, Ryan Hill's Dead New World.
Growing up, Ryan Hill used to spend his time reading and writing instead of doing homework. This resulted in an obsession with becoming a writer, but also a gross incompetence in the fields of science and mathematics. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Ryan has been a film critic for over five years. He lives in Raleigh, NC, with his dog/shadow Maggie. Ryan also feels strange about referring to himself in the third person.
Connect with Ryan at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | GoodReads | Tumblr | Instagram
When the the leader of a powerful cult kidnaps the woman Holt loves, he teams up with his best friend to save her from a fate worse than death.
Fans of Jonathan Maberry's ROT & RUIN and AMC's hit series, The Walking Dead will devour Hill's action packed take on the Zombie genre. DEAD NEW WORLD is now available at Amazon and Curiosity Quills. Get to know more about Ryan in this exclusive letter to readers.
Dead New World
Excerpt 1 from DEAD NEW WORLD by Ryan Hill
Shots came at us from both tree lines. Bullets whizzed past my head, hitting the vehicles with a loud clang. I lowered my head to take cover. It seemed like the bullets flew at us from every direction.
“Snipers in the trees,” someone said.
The squad blindly fired at the shooters, who hid in the thick trees. Looking through my sight, I saw a muzzle flash. I manically squeezed the rifle’s trigger, the shots making a thump sound because of the silencer. A body fell down, bouncing one by one off the tree branches until it hit the ground.
The snipers didn’t ease up. Bullets continued to ricochet off car frames, and spit up bits of asphalt from the road, at a steady pace. Even with the flurry of shots, these guys didn’t seem to be expert marksmen. Looking back at the others, I saw three men―including Jackson, our medic―sprawled across the asphalt, blood pouring out of a hole in their helmets.
Dear God, this can’t be happening.
They were better shots than I’d assumed.
Another bullet snapped past my head. I fired back into the trees. Switching out an empty magazine, I peeked over at Ambrose. “Where’s the air support?”
Ambrose, calmly taking pot shots at the snipers on the other side of the highway, called out to Martin for a status update.
“Birds on the way,” Martin said between shots.
A few more snipers fell out of the trees, and the firing died down a little. When we were the only ones shooting, I checked to see how everyone else fared. Seven of the squad’s twelve members were still alive. Our LT and the medic were wasted. Anders still didn’t seem to have his shit together.
Everything went silent. The air reeked of blood and gunpowder. A breeze made the tree branches call out to us in a shimmer.
Great. What now?
Martin looked around. “Should I call off the birds?”
“Are you kidding?” Ambrose asked. “I don’t care if there’s nobody left out there or not. I want those tree lines lit the hell up. They can just disintegrate the bodies.”
We knew there were some left out there when we heard the moans. Those awful, grisly moans.
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Genres: Erotica, Paranormal, Romance
*LITERAL ADDICTION's Review Coming Very Soon - Read currently in progress... :)
Synopsis
An erotic paranormal romance…
Dimitri LeBlanc, sexy and charismatic beta of Acadian Wolves, survives a brutal attack after his wolf succumbs to a dark force, threatening his very existence. Waking up, tied to a bed, his amusement transforms into lust as a beautiful stranger heals his beast. Intrigued by his mysterious savior, the tables quickly turn, when in the heat of a dark desert night, he rescues her from a barbaric Alpha. Dimitri is inexplicably drawn to the alluring woman, and the discovery that she’s his mate rouses his hunger to claim her as his own.
Gillian Michel, a New York City photographer, conceals a secret hybrid past and mystical abilities. An entire lifetime, she’s deliberately avoided wolves, but a seductive encounter with an irresistible beta leaves her craving his touch, his lips on hers. Passion ignites her desire, leaving her yearning to submit to the powerful wolf who tests her sexual limits.
Deep in the heart of New Orleans, Dimitri and Gillian seek a cure to the parasite maligning his mighty beast. Still on the run from a malevolent force, they lure their enemy into the bayou. Will Gillian sacrifice her gifts to save the man she loves, destroying her own immortality? And will Dimitri eradicate the evil that has invaded his soul while protecting his mate from an adversary who threatens to kill them both?
Warning: This book contains several erotic love scenes and is intended for adult readers only.
About Kym Grosso
Kym Grosso is the award-winning author of the bestselling erotic paranormal romance series, The Immortals of New Orleans. The series currently includes Kade’s Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 1), Luca’s Magic Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 2), Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 3) , Logan’s Acadian Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 4), Léopold’s Wicked Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 5) and Dimitri (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 6).
In addition to romance, Kym has written and published several articles about autism, and is passionate about autism advocacy. She writes autism articles on PsychologyToday.com and AutismInRealLife.com. She also is a contributing essay author in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum.
Kym lives with her husband, two children, dog and cat. Her hobbies include autism advocacy, reading, tennis, zumba, traveling and spending time with her husband and children. New Orleans, with its rich culture, history and unique cuisine, is one of her favorite places to visit. Also, she loves traveling just about anywhere that has a beach or snow-covered mountains. On any given night, when not writing her own books, Kym can be found reading her Kindle, which is filled with hundreds of romances.
Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads
Dimitri cracked open the door, cupping chocolate mousse in one hand as he entered the bedroom. He spotted Gillian’s robe, which was lying across the guest chair, and wondered if she’d gone to take another shower. But as he glanced to the bed, Gillian pushed upward to sit, bunching the covers over what he believed to be her naked body.
“What do you have?” Her eyes went wide, spying the decadent confection.
“Ah, cher, if there’s one thing you can count on with me, it’s that I’m true to my word. Dessert in bed is something we all should experience,” he said, climbing onto the comforter. The mattress dipped as he walked across the surface on his knees until he was at her side. He laughed, attempting to balance himself and the delicacy he’d brought.
“You’re funny, you know that?” she grinned.
“I’m determined.” With surprising grace, he settled next to her. He crossed his legs and gave her a sexy smile.
“I thought you were a beta, not an Alpha,” she observed. Despite his status, everything about him screamed dominance. She wondered if he was even capable of submitting.
“I’m beta of Acadian wolves, but then again, you already know that.” Dimitri dipped the spoon into the creamy mixture and held it up to her lips. “Eat.”
She parted her lips at his demand. Her eyes met his as he slid the mousse into her mouth. She moaned in delight as the rich cocoa coated her tongue. Closing her eyes, she savored the taste and then quickly opened them, realizing the way she must have looked. He’d practically just given her a food orgasm in under ten seconds. Clever, clever wolf.
“You distract me,” she admitted.
“You like?”
“What’s not to like?” Her eyes fell to his mouth and she swiftly looked away. She nervously plowed her fingers through her hair. “You could have killed Chaz…but you didn’t.”
“And?” He took a bite and licked his lips.
“You could have been Alpha,” she stated, accepting another spoonful.
“I’m good right where I’m at in New Orleans. Cali is nice, but it isn’t home.”
“Don’t all wolves want to be Alpha?”
“No. Sometimes being Alpha chooses us, but it’s not something we always choose. My Alpha, Logan, didn’t want to be Alpha…but that’s a story for another day.”
“But out there in the desert tonight, it was clear to me that you were the smartest, the strongest…”
“You’re goin’ to make me blush,” he teased, shaking his head. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what he was capable of; he knew all right. So did every wolf in Acadian wolves. “Let’s just leave it at this, shall we? I wasn’t about to kill Chaz so I could run his pack. I don’t want to leave home. I’ve got my own Alpha and pack.”
“Do you submit?” she asked softly. The question seemed innocent enough when she’d thought it yet the air was laced with sexual tension. Her lips curled in amusement.
“The question is, ‘do you?’” he replied in turn. “Open.”
“Never,” she promptly answered, yet her lips widened at his demand.
Dimitri laughed, watching her obey his command. He supposed tigers didn’t submit, but things were not always as they seemed.
“What?” she asked. The tip of her tongue traced over her bottom lip. “What’s so funny? Do I have chocolate on my face?”
“So you never submit?”
“Of course not. I mean, it’s not like I don’t take directions when I’m working but I’m not a doormat.”
“What about in other ways?”
“What other ways? Wait…are we talking about, you know?” Gillian blushed.
“What do you think we’re talking about? Last bite…here you go. Open.” Dimitri smiled as she listened to him once again. Perhaps she was incapable of seeing what she was doing. “To answer your original question, I will submit, but only to my Alpha. I do it for the pack. It benefits all of us. We are more powerful collectively than we could ever be on our own.”
“Well, I guess that makes sense, but I’m not in a pack. Tigers don’t do packs.”
“But wolves do.”
“Yeah, but I’m not…”
“You’re hybrid. Somewhere inside you, your wolf lies in wait.”
“No. No, she doesn’t,” she said flatly. Gillian felt her pulse race at the thought of turning wolf. “I’m a tiger.”
Dimitri considered Gillian’s denial of her wolf. Maybe she was right. He’d never met a tiger hybrid. It was rare. He’d seen her shift, and she was one hundred percent feline, yet his gut told him there was more. Something about the way she’d already submitted without intending to do so.
“Well, my little kitten, you know what you are. But the lesson for you is that often the strongest submit for reward. Within a pack and in other areas of life as well.” I’d like you to submit to me, he thought. Hell, yes…on your hands and knees, with me driving into you from behind. The fleeting thought was all it took to stiffen his dick.
Noticing a smudge, he reached out, cupping her chin. He dragged his thumb across her bottom lip, catching the chocolate. When she wrapped her fingers around his wrist, Dimitri hesitated, wondering if she would stop him. Instead of resisting, she pressed her cheek into his hand and closed her eyes. Her lips took his thumb into her mouth, licking its tip.
The temptation was too great, Dimitri knew. He’d be taking advantage if he made love to her. His stomach churned, aware that with any other female, he’d bed her and leave her without a second thought. Wolves were sexual creatures, yet Gillian wasn’t truly lupine. It wasn’t fair to her to let her think that they could have some kind of a long-distance relationship. Exercising what he didn’t know existed in control, Dimitri gently pulled his hand away.
~*~*~*~*~
And for those new to the series, here is everything you need to know about the rest of the books...
Buy from Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | B&N
After a series of girls are ritualistically murdered on the cold streets of Philadelphia, seasoned detective, Sydney Willows, is forced to work with sexy, alpha vampire, Kade Issacson. While working the case, Sydney finds herself inexplicably drawn to Kade, fighting the passion she feels towards him. Kade, determined to solve the case and mete out justice, is captivated by the independent, fiery detective. As he attempts to protect her from a very real murderer, Kade grows concerned that the beautiful, but very human detective, could easily end up dead should she tangle with supernatural forces that are beyond her control.
The investigation leads them into a dark and dangerous world, deep in the heart of New Orleans, where together, they search for the perpetrators of the Voodoo killings. Sydney soon becomes the target of the killer and ends up fighting for her life and love in the Big Easy. If she makes it out alive, will she give into the intoxicating desire she feels for Kade?
Buy from Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | B&N
Sexy vampire, Luca Macquarie doesn’t do love; especially not with humans. Yet, ever since he rescued Samantha Irving, he can’t deny the enigmatic attraction he’s developed for the alluring mortal woman. Concerned for her safety, he’s determined to bring Samantha back to her coven. His mission is to go find the novice witch and bring her home, nothing more, nothing less; falling for her is not supposed to be part of the plan.
Samantha doesn’t want to be a witch, yet that’s exactly what she is. After failing to elicit her magic, she escapes to the mountains in an attempt to resume a semblance of her previous human life. When an arsonist torches her cabin, Samantha’s worst fears are realized. Aware that her life is on the line, she reluctantly agrees to return to New Orleans with Luca.
In the Big Easy, Samantha and Luca embark on a spellbinding journey, searching for a mystical amulet that promises to release her obligation from an ancient, lethal vampire who’s been threatening her life. With cryptic clues and clandestine allies, will Luca and Samantha destroy the dangerous amulet before others acquire it, setting forth a chain of catastrophic consequences? And will Luca give into his erotic desire for the witch who magically captures heart?
Buy from Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | B&N
*Read LITERAL ADDICTION’s Review HERE
An erotic paranormal romance…
Charismatic and powerful Lyceum Wolves’ Alpha, Tristan Livingston, is out for revenge after a devastating attack on his pack. Not only did he survive a building collapse, he orchestrated the rebuild of his chic, state-of-the-art nightclub within a week. Determined to mete out justice, he rescues a beautiful witness who may be the key to helping him find the perpetrators.
Dr. Kalli Williams, dedicated veterinarian, is hiding a secret that endangers not only her own life but the lives of wolves across the country. After being tortured by a savage vampire, she’s reluctantly agrees to help the sexy Alpha in his quest to identify suspects; ones who’d kill her on the spot if they knew she existed. As Kalli places herself in the hands of the dominant wolf, she soon finds she wants nothing more than to submit.
Tristan, committed to ruling his pack as a lone wolf, is inexplicably drawn to the mysterious and enticing woman, who seems more than human, but not quite supernatural. As he discovers her secret, he teaches her the meaning of trust, helping her learn how to be true to her nature. After living a lifetime alone, will he succumb to the visceral need to claim her, acknowledging the soul binding connection between an Alpha and his mate? And will he prevail against the menacing enemy who threatens to destroy Lyceum Wolves?
Warning: This book contains several erotic love scenes, including m/f/m menage, and is intended for adult readers only.
Buy from AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | Smashwords
Deep in the heart of New Orleans, Acadian Wolves’ Alpha, Logan Reynaud, rescues a beautiful woman in the dead of night. Intrigued by the mysterious human, the commanding Alpha is determined to elicit all of her secrets, including her deepest fantasies. After tragedy strikes, Logan discovers dangerous adversaries are planning an attack in his city. Driven by responsibility and honor, Logan must protect both his pack and the woman who’s captivated his attention.
Dr. Wynter Ryan, a leading virologist, is fascinated with her charismatic protector. As the chemistry ignites between her and the dominant Alpha, she relinquishes her ties to the past, embracing ecstasy and submission within his arms and intrepidly acquiescing to her own adventurous instincts. Succumbing to desire, she learns to trust her Alpha, discovering what it means to be wolf.
Passion and mystery on the bayou stirs Logan’s wolf, demanding he claim his mate. Yet Wynter’s a distraction he can’t afford when his priority is to lead his new pack. Will Logan surrender to the uncontrollable need to claim Wynter as his mate? And will he be able to keep her alive, finding the killer who threatens the Acadian Wolves?
*Warning: This book contains several erotic love scenes, including m/f/m ménage, and is intended for adult readers only.
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*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's Review HERE
Hello everyone! LITERAL ADDICTION is very proud to be promoting for the wonderful Elisabeth Naughton on the site today!
Before topping multiple bestseller lists—including those of the New York Times, USA Today, 
and the Wall Street Journal—Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A rabid reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Naughton now writes full-time. Besides topping bestseller lists, her books have been nominated for some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, such as the RITA® and Golden Heart Awards from Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Golden Leaf Award. When not dreaming up new stories, Naughton can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home. Visit her website at www.ElisabethNaughton.com to learn more about her books.
You can also connect with Elisabeth on Facebook, on Twitter, on GoodReads and via her Newsletter.
Elisabeth is the proud creator of the STOLEN, AGAINST ALL ODDS, FIREBRAND and ETERNAL GUARDIANS series. The latest book in the ETERNAL GUARDIANS series, Twisted, was just dropped on September 25th and I'm here today to help Elisabeth promote and celebrate!
For those of you not yet familiar with the ETERNAL GUARDIANS, I'd like to get you all caught up. Let's start with the new release so it's nicely featured, and then I'll tell you some more about the other installments of the series, including what I thought of them. :)
Twisted
ETERNAL GUARDIANS #7
Release date 9/25/14!
Buy from Amazon | B&N | iTunes | ARe
*LITERAL ADDICTION’s Review Coming Soon…
Nick –Leader of the half-breeds and the last true hero. He’s spent his life fighting a dark pull toward the gods. A pull he now knows is linked to his father Krónos and the Titan’s plan to escape from the Underworld.
But Nick’s hidden powers are coveted by more than just his father. Imprisoned by Hades, Nick battles every form of torture imaginable as the sadistic god schemes to break him. Only one thing is keeping him sane. One woman who gives him the strength to fight the relentless darkness. She has a dangerous plan of her own, though, and as Nick’s powers grow stronger, even she might not be enough to alter his destiny.
As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, Nick’s allegiances are tested. And no one knows whether he will choose to fight for good or succumb to the sinister lure of evil. Not even him.___
_________________
EXCERPT:
“Scars are tattoos with darker histories,” Cynna said quietly, tracing the uneven skin to the edge of his lips. “I wonder what this one would say if it could speak.”
Secured in the chains, Nick waited for her to ask. Waited for more, but it never came. Sighing, she lifted her hand from his face and set it back on his shoulder, then her fingers gently brushed his back again in a languid, sensual way that made the hairs on his skin stand at attention and another shiver ripple down his spine.
“Your constant defiance frustrates Zagreus,” she said. “He senses you’re growing stronger. He’s going to double his efforts soon.”
Frustrating the shit-for-brains Zagreus was the only pleasure Nick got anymore. He scoffed. “I think he already doubled his efforts yesterday.”
Her hands skimmed across his shoulders, and gods, that felt good, like she was tickling his skin. He fought from closing his eyes and relaxing into the wicked sensations running up and down his spine.
“Yesterday was only a sampling of what he has planned for you. The females he’s trapped here are Maenad nymphs, trained by the god Dionysus. They thrive on sexual energy. He will use them on you again and again until you can’t take it anymore.”
So the nymphs weren’t willing participants either, just as Nick had guessed. They were prisoners too, being forced to do something they probably didn’t want to do but couldn’t stop once they got going.
Like Cynna?
Her touch made his mind skip to what she was doing now. And that made him think of what he’d endured.
Death by sex. Though Nick liked sex as much as the next guy and had plenty of his own dark desires—most centering around Cynna these days—the thought of being tortured like that, by those females, turned his stomach.
Her hands slid under his arms and around his ribs until they rested against his chest. Then she moved closer, her heat seeping into his back, her succulent breasts pressing against his spine, her lean hips cradling his ass. And feeling her so close shut down his brain function, brought his full attention to where she touched him, pushed aside every other thought. His pulse picked up speed, and heat shot from beneath her hands, to his belly and straight into his groin, making him even thicker and harder.
“He wants you to break,” she whispered close to his ear.
Wait, before you enter to win, do you want to meet Elisabeth in person? You can! You can meet Elisabeth, tons of other amazing UF and PNR authors, LITERAL ADDICTION's officers and other well known featured bloggers, and loads of fellow book addicts and paranormal junkies at the Coastal Magic Convention in Daytona Beach, FL Feb 5-8 2015.
Coastal Magic is a super casual, urban fantasy and paranormal romance focused convention in Daytona. With panels designed to start interesting discussion, and meet & greets with fun themes, we’ve got something for every fan. Join us for reader, blogger, and author shenanigans, and lots of “supernatural” inspired activities. Saturday’s charity book sale and signing is open to convention attendees, and FREE to the public. Come take a bite out of the beach with us!! Feb 5-8, 2015. Registration opened 7/1/14, so get your ticket HERE.
Keep up with all things Coastal Magic at the Website / Facebook Page / Facebook Event / Twitter / Pinterest
Hello my literal addicts!
I’m here today to promote and celebrate the new book of the SKINWALKER/JANE YELLOWROCK series by Faith Hunter.
New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter writes dark urban fantasy and paranormal thrillers, including the SKINWALKER series featuring Jane Yellowrock, and the series. series, featuring rogue-vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock, and the ROGUE MAGE series, a post-apocalyptic, alternate reality series, featuring Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage. She has a new series under wraps.
Under the pen name Gwen Hunter, she also writes action-adventure, mysteries, and thrillers.
You can keep up with Faith online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.
For those of you not yet familiar with the JANE YELLOWROCK/SKINWALKER series, here is everything you need to know to get caught up...
Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind-a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. But now she’s been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katie’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps…
Jane, a shapeshifting vampire-hunter-for-hire, crosses paths with a stranger who has arrived in New Orleans, enlisted to hunt vampires who have gone insane-or so he says…
*Read LITERAL ADDICTION’s 5 Skull Review HERE
But what he doesn’t tell Jane is that there’s something different about these vamps. Something that makes them harder to kill—even for a pro like Jane. Now, her simple job has turned into a fight to stay alive…and to protect the desperately ill child left in her care.
*Read LITERAL ADDICTIONS's 4 1/2 Skull Review HERE
Jane Yellowrock is a shape-shifting skinwalker who always takes care of her own—no matter the cost…
When Evan Trueblood blows into town looking for his wife, Molly, he’s convinced that she came to see her best friend, Jane. But it seems like the witch made it to New Orleans and then disappeared without a trace.
Jane is ready to do whatever it takes to find her friend. Her desperate search leads her deep into a web of black magic and betrayal and into the dark history between vampires and witches. But the closer she draws to Molly, the closer she draws to a new enemy—one who is stranger and more powerful than any she has ever faced.
Broken Soul
JUST RELEASED TODAY - 10/7/14!!
Jane Yellowrock is a vampire killer for hire--but other creatures of the night still need to watch their backs....
When the Master of the city of New Orleans asks Jane to improve security for a future visit from a delegation of European vampires, she names an exorbitant price--and Leo is willing to pay. That's because the European vamps want Leo's territory, and he knows that he needs Jane to prevent a total bloodbath. Leo, however, doesn't mention how this new job will change Jane's life or the danger it will bring her and her team.
Jane has more to worry about than some greedy vampires. There's a vicious creature stalking the streets of New Orleans, and its agenda seems to be ripping Leo and her to pieces. Now Jane just has to figure out how to kill something she can't even see....
They sound utterly fantastic right!? They absolutely are! Don’t miss out and make sure you add them to your TBR and find them from your favorite bookseller as soon as you can if you have not yet taken the Jane Yellowrock ride.
CONTEST:
The publisher is offering up a copy of Broken Soul to a U.S Resident winner.
To enter, find the Rafflecopter below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as 'Done'.
Good luck, and as always… HAPPY READING!
Hey everyone!
I'm very happy to be promoting for the uber fabulous Larissa Ione again today.
Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.
Keep up with Larissa online - Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads
Larissa is the proud creator of the incredible DEMONICA and LORDS OF DELIVERANCE series. She also has a Native American based Vampire series called MOONBOUND CLAN VAMPIRE.
I cannot say enough good things about Larissa's work, so if you haven't had the pleasure of checking out her books, do! For today, however, I'm going to tell you about her MOONBOUND CLAN VAMPIRE series and its newest release, Chained by Night.
Bound by Night
MOONBOUND CLAN VAMPIRE Book #1
Add to your GoodReads Shelf
Buy from Amazon / B&N / Indiebound / Borders / Powell's
*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's Review HERE
Leader of the vampire clan MoonBound, Hunter will do what he must to save his people from extinction—or worse, a torturous eternity as vampire slaves and subjects of human experimentation. To keep his enemies at bay, he has agreed to mate a rival clan leader’s daughter in return for peace between the clans and an ally in the looming war with the humans.
Do you want to meet Larissa in person? You can! You can meet Larissa, tons of other amazing UF and PNR authors, LITERAL ADDICTION's officers and other well known featured bloggers, and loads of fellow book addicts and paranormal junkies at the Coastal Magic Convention in Daytona Beach, FL Feb 5-8 2015.
Coastal Magic is a super casual, urban fantasy and paranormal romance focused convention in Daytona. With panels designed to start interesting discussion, and meet & greets with fun themes, we’ve got something for every fan. Join us for reader, blogger, and author shenanigans, and lots of “supernatural” inspired activities. Saturday’s charity book sale and signing is open to convention attendees, and FREE to the public. Come take a bite out of the beach with us!! Feb 5-8, 2015. Registration opened 7/1/14, so get your ticket HERE.
Keep up with all things Coastal Magic at the Website / Facebook Page / Facebook Event / Twitter / Pinterest
CONTEST:
I'm offering up winner choice of Bound by Night or Chained by Night in eBook from either Amazon or B&N
To enter, find the Rafflecopter widget below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as 'Done'.
Good luck, and as always... HAPPY READING!!
*Note: the Rafflecopter widgets aren't Mobile friendly. In order to see and enter the Rafflecopter, you must use a browser. You can use the browser on your Phone or Tablet, however, you'll probably just have to scroll in to see the widget and manipulate it better.
Eden Bradley aka Eve Berlin writes erotica and erotic romance for Bantam/Delta, Harlequin Spice, Berkley Heat, and Samhain Publishing. Several of her books have been Romantic Times Top Picks, and her novel FORBIDDEN FRUIT, was profiled in Cosmopolitan magazine’s Red Hot Reads.
In 2010 she launched her new pen name, Eve Berlin, exclusively for Berkley Heat, with the debut of her erotic romance, PLEASURE’S EDGE, winner of the 2010 Holt Medallion Award!
All of her book ratings at Goodreads reflect her favorite books, from those she loved to lifelong keepers.
Eden is the mastermind behind the MIDNIGHT PLAYGROUND, DANGEROUS, SAN FRANCISCO DOM, andCELESTIAL SEDUCTIONS series.
Keep up with everything Eden at her Website, on Facebook, and on GoodReads.
I'm here today to tell you all about a sexy new series called Invitation to Eden, an exciting series from 27 of the biggest names in sizzling hot romance. Join us as we take you on an exciting adventure to Eden, where anything…and everything goes, and Eden's contribution, Pleasure Point.
Pleasure Point
An INVITATION TO EDEN Book
SAN FRANCISCO DOM Book #3
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The island always knows what you need…
Miranda lives in paradise— the exclusive Eden resort, the ultimate in fantasy retreats.
Roan, the resort’s dungeon consultant, lives part-time on the island and full-time in the past.
When the sexy Dominant and the sultry pastry chef both receive one of the island’s mysterious invitations they spend a sizzling week together in the dungeon suite. They’re left breathless, wanting more… and hopelessly falling.
Both have been scarred by loss, both have created a nearly impenetrable shell. The intensity and intimacy of kink might be the perfect recipe to open Miranda’s heart again. But can the man who fulfills her every secret desire ever give her what she needs the most?
EXCERPT:
Roan led her to a small sofa upholstered in diamond-tucked red leather and waited for her to sit before seating himself next to her.
“So, here we are,” he said, reaching for a tumbler of water on the table in front of them and pouring her a glass, handing it to her. “Summoned by the Master of the island.”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
He touched his fingers to the glass, gave it a small nudge. “Drink, Miranda. And tell me what you think of this place.”
She found herself sipping from the glass, following his instructions.
This is crazy.
She set the glass down on the table and took a moment to look around, noticing the gorgeous and luxurious equipment. There were red leather spanking benches, gleaming chrome chains dangling from the ceiling, some ending in red and black padded leather cuffs. At regular intervals along the slick red and black walls in between the seating areas were shining chrome racks holding floggers, paddles and whips. And the entire room was reflected in enormous, chrome-framed mirrors mounted on the walls. Beautiful and wicked-looking.
“It’s spectacular. Nothing but the best for the Eden resort, so it doesn’t surprise me. But I think I expected there to be other people here,” she said, glancing around, her nerves beginning to prickle at the back of her neck simply from being in the same room—this deliciously wicked room—with Roan Abrams.
“Did you?
You knew where you were going, then?”
“Of course. The invitation said to go to Club Sin.”
His eyes were dark, searching her face. “You knew this wasn’t a bar? A dance club?”
“I work here. On the island.”
“Ah. So do I. Well, I come in as a consultant. Tell me what you do here, Miranda.”
“I’m the head pastry chef. But according to the invitation I have the next week off.”
He reached out and stroked her cheek with one warm fingertip, like a tiny shock of need against her skin. There was a small but cocky grin on his generous mouth. “You bake sweets, do you?”
He was too damn handsome. Too commanding. Too… everything. She pulled back. “Which I’m sure you’ve eaten, if you’ve been on the island.”
“I’m certain I have. Working with sugar suits you.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
God, why was she being so rude to this man? Maybe because his stunning good looks and natural dominance were making her think about things she shouldn’t even be considering.
Like his hand coming down on her bare ass. Pulling her hair hard while he kissed her breathless.
God…
He leaned closer, lowering his voice, and she caught his scent—something spicy and earthy. Provocative. “No? I believe I know at least two things about you. One, you were invited here to meet me apparently, since, as you pointed out, we are the only ones here. And two,” he paused, his voice a quiet murmur, “the pulse in your lovely throat is racing.”
“Oh.” She put her hand to her neck for a moment, saw him watching and dropped it down to her side. She had to get herself under control. She cleared her throat. “Why do you think we were invited here? I don’t know what the Master could have been thinking.”
“Am I so repulsive to you, then?”
“What? No, of course not.” Then she saw the teasing twinkle in his eye, the slight curve of his lips, and her cheeks flamed. “I mean, no. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“You weren’t.”
Her gaze narrowed on his. “And you’re having an awful lot of fun playing with me.”
“Ah, I hope to.”
She shook her head. “You’ve got the wrong girl, Mr. Abrams.”
Doesn’t he?
“Roan,” he said. “And I’m fairly certain—quite certain—I don’t. I have a particular knack for these things. You are definitely the right girl, in the right place. With the right Dominant. And even if I were fallible in this regard, Mr. Vardalos is rarely wrong about these things—sending out the invitations. From what I’ve heard.”
“I’ve heard plenty myself, but I don’t know how much of it to believe and how much is simply clever marketing for Eden.”
“I doubt the resort needs much in the way of marketing since it’s by invitation only. Our benefactor has plenty of money—he didn’t build this place because he needs to turn a profit.”
“He’s my employer, not my benefactor. I work hard for my paychecks.”
“Of course. I never meant to imply anything else.”
She really had to calm down and stop being so damn defensive. This man wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.
Oh, you are such a liar. Half the conversation has been calculated mind-fuck.
It was working, damn it. She crossed her legs against the warm ache between them.
She cleared her throat again. “So, what do you do for Mr. Vardalos?” she asked.
“I designed this place, for a start. About four years ago. And the Victorian spanking suite, and the other BDSM suites. He has me back here periodically to make changes, to check equipment, come up with new ideas.”
“You designed this place? The club?
“Yes, and much of the equipment.”
“Oh…” It came out on a soft breath. Her fingers tightened on her small clutch purse. This man—this Dominant—was definitely going to be more than she was ready for. He was the real thing, high caliber in the kink realm, obviously. No weekend player. Oh, yes, far too real for her, no matter how insanely attracted to him she was. “I think…I think this was a mistake.”
“Again, Miranda, I’m certain it wasn’t.”
She stood. “No. It was definitely a mistake. Look, Roan…I don’t mean to be rude. Really. But I’m not…this is not for me. None of this. You. This place. I have to go.”
“Miranda—”
© Eden Bradley 2014
Make sure to check out the other books in the series from Elena Aitken, R.G Alexander, Avery Aster, Opal Carew, Mari Carr, Jessica Clare, Delilah Devlin, Sarah Fawkes, Cathryn Fox, Eliza Gayle, Lauren Hawkeye, Joey W. Hill, Steena Holmes, Adriana Hunter, Julia Kent, Roni Loren, C.C MacKenzie, Sharon Page, Carly Philips, Suzanne Rock, Daire St. Denis, Tawny Stokes, Kimberly Kaye Terry, and Erika Wilde.
Join in the Facebook party today, 9/17: https://www.facebook.com/events/1474884726101337/
~A $25.00 Amazon Gift Card
~A signed print copy of my BDSM novel THE DARK GARDEN
~A swag pack
~e-copies of Eden's vampire novellas THE SEEKING KISS and BLOODSONG, Books One & Two in my Midnight Playground series
To enter, find the Rafflecopter widget below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as 'Done'.
Good luck, and as always.... HAPPY READING!!
Hello everyone!
I'm here today to tell you all about an incredible new box set by Kristen Painter, Elizabeth Hunter, Grace Draven, Danielle Monsch, and Cate Rowan called Darkly Dreaming.
Darkly Dreaming
A 5 book fantasy romance box set
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Buy from Amazon US/ Amazon UK / Amazon Ca / Amazon DE / Amazon AU / B&N / iTunes / Smashwords (Just $.99 right now!)
Fall into magic and fall in love with Darkly Dreaming, a five book fantasy romance collection from award-winning and bestselling writers Elizabeth Hunter, Grace Draven, Danielle Monsch, Kristen Painter, and Cate Rowan. Darkly Dreaming contains five fantasy romance novels intended for adult readers.
Sometimes love is the most dangerous magic of all. In HEART OF FIRE by Kristen Painter, Jessalyne leaves a sheltered life to tame her dangerous magic by becoming apprentice to a powerful sorceress, but she’ll need the deadliest man in the realm to get her there safely. If they don't kill each other first.
MAGIC. MAYHEM. MURDER.
Eager to find her place in the world and understand the frightening gifts she’s been born with, Jessalyne Brandborn leaves her sheltered life to become apprentice to the most powerful sorceress in Shaldar. She hires Ertemis, the deadliest man in the realm, to get there.
With the Legion’s bounty on his head, Ertemis is reluctant to escort Jessalyne but needs the money she offers – especially if he’s ever to find out who his father is. On the way, he discovers benefits to Jessalyne’s naiveté; she treats him like an equal, not an outlaw.
Swayed by Ertemis’ gruff charm, Jessalyne starts to trust him and her emotional walls begin to crumble.
Little do they know that within them lies the hope of the dying elven race, the renewal of Shaldar's beleaguered kingdom and an incredible chance at love. If they don't kill each other first.
Exclusive Excerpt - HEART OF FIRE by Kristen Painter
Water dripped from several openings in the cavern ceiling but the sandy floor was mostly dry. Plenty of open space remained between the boulders scattered across the ground. It would do for shelter.
Ertemis removed his leather breastplate and hooked it over his saddle horn. He yanked his shirt off and stood bare-chested in the firelight. “You cannot stay in those wet clothes, no matter how nicely they cling to you.”
Jessalyne hugged her arms over her breasts. “I’m fine.”
“You’re shivering. Take those wet rags off. Or do you wish help?” He raised a brow, his mouth curving seductively.
“No.” She moved to the other side of the cavern, away from him. The firelight set his skin aglow, defining every muscle. He looked like living stone. How would it feel to be held in those strong arms?
Ertemis picked up a branch the thickness of a man’s arm and snapped it like a twig before tossing the pieces onto the fire. With some of the longer branches, he built a tripod at the edge of the fire. He draped his cloak and shirt there then began unbuttoning his trousers.
“What are you doing?” Jessalyne yelled.
“I’m not sleeping in wet clothes. And as you still haven’t taken a stitch off, I’ll be over to help you when I’m through.”
“You will not!” She turned around and stared at the rugged cavern walls. Beast. Must he carry on this way? Nice one moment, barbarian the next. Obviously, he enjoyed torturing her. She would never be able to sleep in the same room, or cave, with a naked man. Even thinking the words made her cheeks warm. Especially since she knew exactly what that naked man looked like.
Something pulled her off balance. She gasped. He was unlacing her bodice.
He whispered into her ear. “I wouldn’t turn around unless you wish to see for yourself how impressive I am in my all-together. Again.”
His hot breath sent a shudder down her spine. “You’re shameless and wicked.”
“Aye.” He tugged once more and the bodice came loose. “That I am.”
Once the bodice was off, his hands went around her waist. He held her for a moment, the warmth of his skin sinking through the damp fabric. Then his fingers spread over her hips possessively. She inhaled hard. A thick, liquid heat gathered in her belly. He pulled her close, removing any space between them. The contact was so sweet it hurt, but the pain was worth the pleasure. Rational thought disappeared. Every inch of him was hard, hot muscle. No wonder few women ever refused him.
Award winning author Kristen Painter likes to balance her obsessions with shoes and cats by making the lives of her characters miserable and surprising her readers with interesting twists and incredible worlds. She writes both paranormal romance and urban fantasy.
The former college English teacher can often be found on twitter @Kristen_Painter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KristenPainterAuthor where she loves to interact with readers. She’s also the co-founder of RomanceDivas.com, an award-winning writers’ forum. Sign up here: http://eepurl.com/xT-9L to find out when her next release is coming out.
Kristen writes the amazing HOUSE OF COMARRE, CRESCENT CITY and ALL FIRED UP series, as well as several sexy single titles and Continuity Novella series called SIN CITY COLLECTORS that she started with Amanda Carlson.
Author links- Website / Blog / GoodReads / Twitter / Facebook / Mailing List
Kristen is offering up a digital bundle of fantasy novels by the participating authors of Darkly Dreaming.
To enter, find the Rafflecopter widget below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as 'Done'.
Good luck, and as always....HAPPY READING!!
*Note: the Rafflecopter widgets aren't Mobile friendly. In order to see and enter the Rafflecopter, you must use a browser. You can use the browser on your Phone or Tablet, however, you'll probably just have to scroll in to see the widget and manipulate it better.
Blurb:
USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.
Presented By
And check out the rest of the series, as well!!
"Yasmine Galenorn creates a world I never want to leave" - Sherrilyn Kenyon
Yasmine Galenorn's Otherworld series is long running, best selling, and has unique, well developed world building. This rich environment has more than one story to tell... and it's time for a new one to begin.
FLIGHT FROM HELL IS OUT TODAY!!!
FLIGHT FROM HELL is the novella bridge-piece that loosely links Yasmine’s existing Otherworld series with her upcoming Fly By Night series. To help celebrate the release of the novella, Yasmine has a contest happening on her site, and today is the LAST DAY to enter!!! Click HERE for prize details and instructions for entering.
Flight From Hell
OTHERWORLD Book #15.5/FLY BY NIGHT Book #0.5
When Carter, half demon, comes to Menolly and her sisters, asking for their help, they think he's just had a tiff with Shimmer, his blue dragon girlfriend.
But after talking to Alex Radcliffe, the owner of the Fly By Night Magical Investigations Agency where Shimmer works, they suspect that she has been kidnapped by an old enemy of Alex's. Now, Alex joins forces with the D'Artigo sisters in a desperate race to find Shimmer before Julian, a powerful vampire from Alex's past with a grudge to settle, can use the dragon to wreak havoc on Seattle as revenge.
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Vivacious Valkyrie:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
Fans of the Otherworld series will no doubt rush to get this novella as it's a chance to catch up with the lives and antics of the D'Artigo sisters but it's so much more than just a short read. This book introduces new characters which will feature in the authors new Fly By Night series. This is a short crossover story that is expanding Otherworld and giving greater depth and dimension to the people who inhabit it but rest assured it's still the same glorious ride that readers have come to expect from this amazingly talented author.
This story introduces Shimmer a dragon who is exiled from the Dragon Reaches for five years and sent Earthside to work for Alex a vampire who runs a magical investigation company. She goes missing, and Menolly and her sisters, (half human, half Fae and all attitude!) are asked to investigate. Menolly is already trying to solve the mystery of rogue vampires in Seattle and can't help but question whether or not there's a connection . Alex is an unknown and can Menolly and her sisters really trust him? As their investigation hots up its clear that a powerful and deadly foe without conscience is targeting Alex and anyone caught in the crossfire is in danger. Struggling to find Shimmer whilst catching the murderous vampires plaguing the city will put all their lives in peril but with an enemy who has revenge on his mind and anger in his heart to fight , there is no choice. Fight or die trying!
Next summer, in the Fly By Night series, we'll meet new characters and have new adventures, but each book will have Yasmine's signature depth and edge. Answering questions about the similarities and differences between the two series, Yasmine recently posted this on her blog:
- They ARE both set in the same universe/same city/same time.
- The Fly By Night Series is NOT just another venue for the D’Artigo Sisters. The focus will be on Alex and Shimmer—there will be crossover of minor characters, but the two series are definitely their own and Fly By Night belongs to Alex and Shimmer.
- The Fly By Night Series will be from Shimmer’s viewpoint, and she and Alex hang out in vastly different circles than the D’Artigo sisters overall.
- FLIGHT FROM HELL is an OTHERWORLD novella that introduces Alex and Shimmer to you—here, the characters do interact but the Fly By Night Series will be focused on the Fly By Night world.
- Fly By Night is more of a mystery/thriller series. I’ll give you these spoilers:
- Alex and Shimmer are not privy to the demonic war going on.
- The FBN books will be more standalone. While the characters will evolve, there’s not all that much of an overwhelming series arc.
- The FBN gang is a little more humorous, though the series is not really ‘lighter’ than Otherworld.
You can read the rest of this post on Yasmine's blog HERE.
Click on the FLIGHT FROM HELL cover above to see its info page on Yasmine's site (with excerpt and playlist). And each of the covers below will take you to their individual pages. Now is a perfect time to get to know the Otherworld series, or catch up where you left off!!
Witchling Book 1
Changeling Book 2
Darkling Book 3
Demon Mistress Book 6
Blood Wyne Book 9
Courting Darkness Book 10
Shaded Vision Book 11
Shadow Rising Book 12
Haunted Moon Book 13
Autumn Whispers Book 14
Crimson Veil Book 15
Priestess Dreaming Book 16
It is my extreme pleasure, to let you all know about a brand new series just released from 4 of our favorite authors!
It’s called MASTERS OF SEDUCTION – what else can you call a series that revolves around devastatingly hot Incubi alpha males, right?! Each of the heroes is the Master of a powerful House within the Incubi realm, and each of these lethally sexy males is accustomed to getting what he wants—in and out of the bedroom. Of course, the bigger and badder they are, the harder they fall!
First, even though I’m sure you know each of them, let me once again introduce you to the brilliant minds behind this sizzling new series…
LARA ADRIAN
Lara Adrian has an ancestry that goes back to the Mayflower and the court of King Henry VIII, but currently lives in New England with her husband, surrounded by centuries-old graveyards, hip urban comforts, and the endless inspiration of the Atlantic Ocean.
As a child, she used to sleep with the covers up to her chin, afraid she’d become the midnight snack of a deadly vampire. After discovering Bram Stoker and Anne Rice, she started to wonder if her fear wasn’t actually a secret desire to walk in a darker world, to live dangerously and live out her fantasies with a man of seductive, preternatural power!? The twining of the two – her fear and desire – are what fuel her fantasies today and what we see come alive in her writing.
Lara is the proud creator of the bestselling MIDNIGHT BREED series.
You can keep up with her online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.
DONNA GRANT
Donna Grant is the award winning author of more than forty novels spanning multiple genres of romance – Scottish Medieval, historical, dark fantasy, time travel, erotic, and paranormal.
Donna was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.
Her childhood dream was to become a professional ballet dancer and study under the amazing Mikhail Baryshnikov. Though she never got to meet Baryshnikov, she did make it to New York City and performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later, Donna’s love of the romance genre and the constant stories running through her head prompted her to sit down and write her first book. Once that book was completed, there was no turning back.
Despite the deadlines and her voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two young children, three cats, and one long haired Chihuahua. She’s blessed with a proud, supportive husband who’s learned to cook far more than frozen chicken nuggets.
You can find Donna online at her Website as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
LAURA WRIGHT
Laura Wright is the bestselling author of the phenomenal MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (MOTV), WICKED INK, and BAYOU HEAT series, as well as, some great standalone novels (for a complete list of Laura’s standalone romance titles click HERE). In case you’re not familiar with Laura yet, here’s her bio so you can learn some more about her:
Laura Wright spent the early years of her life immersed in the worlds of singing, acting and competitive ballroom dancing. But when she started writing, she knew she’d found her true calling. Laura lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband, two children, three dogs, two frogs and two fish. She’s been thrice nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, and loves hearing from her readers.
Connect with Laura: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads
ALEXANDRA IVY
Alexandra Ivy is the pseudonym of Deborah Raleigh, who is the author of thirty three books and novellas for Kensington Publishing. Writing under the name Alexandra Ivy, Deborah published “When Darkness Comes”, the first book of theGUARDIANS OF ETERNITY series in January 2007. She has been an avid reader since she could hold a book in her hands, and has always dreamed of putting her own dreams down on paper.
Let’s take a look at Deborah’s bio (that was written by her), so we can learn some more about this fantastic author:
“I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.”
“Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!”
"I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.”
I also suggest that you check out Alex’s IMMORTAL ROGUES, BAYOU HEAT, and her new SENTINELS series as well!
You can keep up with Alex online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.
Alrighty, now that I’ve introduced you to the lovely ladies behind the new series, let me tell you a little bit more about the collection…
*Add to your GoodReads Shelf
*Buy from Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon Ca / B&N / iTunes / Kobo
Publication Date: July 14, 2014
Format: Trade Paperback and eBook (all formats)
Authors: Lara Adrian, Donna Grant, Laura Wright and Alexandra Ivy
Surrender to sinful pleasures and forbidden passions with Masters of Seduction, the sizzling new paranormal romance novella series from New York Times and internationally bestselling authors Lara Adrian, Donna Grant, Laura Wright and Alexandra Ivy.
This all-new, never-before-published boxed set contains the first four novellas in the Masters of Seduction series:
Because I absolutely loved this new collection, and I wanted you to have something a little bit special for stopping by today, I have an exclusive – never seen anywhere else but on LITERAL ADDICTION, and never to be seen elsewhere unless you buy – excerpt from Donna Grant’s Soulless to share with you all. Check it out…
Exclusive EXCERPT:
The silence that assaulted Canaan was deafening. Gone were the screams and moans that he had become accustomed to in the Oubliette.
He was down on the balls of his feet, his legs bent, his fingers upon the ground with his head lowered. Darkness surrounded him, but it wasn’t oppressive and crushing. This darkness was…soothing. Peaceful.
Comforting.
Canaan moved his hand and felt grass beneath his fingers that had him remaining in his current position. Grass. He couldn’t remember the last time he had touched it, felt it. Smelled it. He drew in a deep breath inhaling the rich, moist air. There was a hint of coolness in the air, a signal that Fall would soon arrive.
Canaan slowly straightened and lifted his head to look around. He was deep in the middle of the woods, the trees standing like silent sentries. Unable to stop himself, he glanced behind him and saw the very air ripple between two trees. Within the ripple he caught a glimpse of Muriel standing in her office, her gaze angry and narrowed.
He was more than surprised that she didn’t come for him or sent her army after him immediately. No doubt he would be hunted soon enough.
Not that it mattered. He had some hunting of his own to do.
How amazing does it sound!!!?? It really was excellent.
CONTEST:
GRAND PRIZE: $10.00 gift card & SWAG pack with goodies from all 4 authors
RUNNERS-UP: Four (4) runners-up will each receive a SWAG pack with goodies from all 4 authors.
To enter, find the Rafflecopter widget for the Event below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as 'Done'. Good luck, and as always... HAPPY READING!
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Hello my lovelies, LITERAL ADDICTION is super thrilled to be promoting for S.J Harper again today. You probably already know the ladies that make up S.J. Harper (we’ve had Jeanne on the site multiple times), but it’s wonderful to be re-introducing you to the team and their fabulous work…
S.J. Harper is the pen name for the writing team of Samantha Sommersby and Jeanne C. Stein, two friends who met at Comic-Con in San Diego and quickly bonded over a mutual love of good wine, edgy urban fantasy, and everything Joss Whedon.
Samantha Sommersby left what she used to call her “real life” day job in the psychiatric field to pursue writing full-time in 2007. She is the author of more than ten novels and novellas including the critically acclaimed Forbidden series. She currently lives with her husband and cocker spaniel, Buck, in a century old Southern California Craftsman. Sam happily spends her days immersed in a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons are real, myths and legends are revered, magic is possible, and love still conquers all.
Jeanne Stein is the national bestselling author of The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles. She also has numerous short story credits, including most recently the novella, Blood Debt, from the New York Times bestselling anthology, Hexed. Her series has been picked up in three foreign countries and her short stories published in collections here in the US and the UK. She lives in Denver, CO where she finds gardening a challenge more daunting than navigating the world of mythical creatures.
Jeanne and Samantha together, are the proud creators of the new FALLEN SIREN series.
Author Links:
Samantha Sommersby: Facebook / Twitter
Jeanne Stein: Facebook / Twitter
For those of you new to the book, let me get you caught up…
Add to your GoodReads Shelf
Buy from Amazon / B&N / iTunes / ARe
RELEASE DATE 6/11/14
Emma Monroe is a Fallen Siren, cursed by the gods and banished to Earth for her failure to prevent the kidnapping of Persephone. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now she works for the FBI and is on temporary assignment in Charleston. Solving this next missing persons case could be the key to ending her ancient curse—unless the temptation that’s her new partner gets in the way.
Zack Armstrong is a Werewolf. Tall, dark, and dangerous, he currently works for one of the bureau’s elite Child Abduction Rapid Deployment teams. In many respects the man is every bit as mysterious as his secret and perilous past. But there are two things he’s certain about, that he’s going to get his man and his woman.
When Zack finds himself suddenly shy a partner and a third child goes missing in Charleston, Emma goes from consultant to CARD team member in the space of a few hours. The abductions of the first two boys ended in murder, an outcome that neither Zack nor Emma can abide. As they race against time to track down the kidnapper and rescue the latest victim, they find themselves fighting something just as treacherous—a growing attraction that can’t be ignored or denied.
EXCERPT:
Since we haven’t heard from either Taft or Biller, I have to assume there still hasn’t been a ransom demand in the Anderson case either. So what is going on in this kidnapper’s head? What’s the motivation? He kept the first boy one month, the second, two weeks. The length of time between crimes is also shortening. There’s been no evidence of sexual assault in either case. We’re running out of time. Is the kidnapper losing patience, becoming more desperate? Why? There’s obviously a need he’s trying to meet, a need these boys are not satisfying.
Or maybe his motivation is changing. Perhaps there was some specific expectation, or should I say explanation, for taking Andy Boroson—assuming Andy really was the first. And now he’s simply losing interest in keeping the boys longer because it’s the rush of the abduction, the thrill of the kill that’s driving him.
I shudder.
It’s a truly frightening prospect. If that’s the case, we could be in for a long haul.
And more victims.
Zack turns off the road and into a parking space along a block of quaint, brick-faced shops. I follow him out of the SUV and into an eatery. The sign out front says Cannon. It’s only eleven thirty so we have our choice of booths lining the sides of the small restaurant.
Zack chooses the one farthest from the long, scarred wooden bar already bustling with patrons. A smiling, busty waitress hands us menus and in that distinctive Southern way, tells us, “Just wave a hand, handsome, when you’re ready to order. I’m Gwen.”
That, of course, was directed at Zack. He doesn’t seem to notice the obvious flirtation, or maybe he’s just pretending he didn’t notice for my benefit.
“I bet you get that a lot, huh handsome?”
Zack eyes are on his menu. “Didn’t figure you for the jealous type.”
“Jealous?”
He doesn’t bother to look up. “I understand. It’s probably difficult having to watch me share a moment with Gwen when what you really want it to have me all to yourself. I wouldn’t mind dividing my time. Just say the word. There’s plenty to go around.”
I let a beat pass. Then another.
His eyes lift to meet mine.
I drop the menu on the table and lean forward. “I should warn you,” I tell him, my gaze steady, the tone of my voice low and laced with something just this side of wicked. “If I were to ever say the word, there would be no dividing of your time. You’d have neither the energy nor the inclination.”
A slow smile forms. “Are we flirting?”
“I don’t flirt.”
“’Cause that felt a lot like flirting.”
Add to your GoodReads Shelf
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RELEASE DATE 8/1/13
*Read LITERAL ADDICTION's Review HERE
Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.
She’s cursed. He’s damned. Together, they make one hell of a team. Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.
Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.
Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.
Sound great, don't they!? Make sure to check them out...
GIVEAWAY:
Sam and Jeanne are offering up a $50 Giftcard at the end of the tour.
To enter, find the Rafflecopter widget below, follow the directions, take action, and mark as 'Done'.
Good luck, and as always...Happy Reading!
*Note: the Rafflecopter widgets aren't Mobile friendly. In order to see and enter the Rafflecopter, you must use a browser. You can use the browser on your Phone or Tablet, however, you'll probably just have to scroll in to see the widget and manipulate it better.
But wait, there's more! Do you want to meet one of of 'S.J Harper' in person? You can! You can meet Jeanne, tons of other amazing UF and PNR authors, LITERAL ADDICTION's officers and other well known featured bloggers, and loads of fellow book addicts and paranormal junkies at the Coastal Magic Convention in Daytona Beach, FL Feb 5-8 2015.
Coastal Magic is a super casual, urban fantasy and paranormal romance focused convention in Daytona. With panels designed to start interesting discussion, and meet & greets with fun themes, we’ve got something for every fan. Join us for reader, blogger, and author shenanigans, and lots of “supernatural” inspired activities. Saturday’s charity book sale and signing is open to convention attendees, and FREE to the public. Come take a bite out of the beach with us!! Feb 5-8, 2015. Registration opened 7/1/14, so get your ticket HERE.
Keep up with all things Coastal Magic at the Website / Facebook Page / Facebook Event / Twitter / Pinterest
Find out more about a bunch of the Coastal Magic Featured Authors by following our Coastal Magic Featured Authors page...
Hello everyone!!
I am SOOOO thrilled to be back promoting for the wonderful Keri Arthur again today, this time to tell you all about her new series, SOULS OF FIRE and its debut novel, Fireborn.
Keri Arthur, author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson Guardian series, has now written more than twenty-eight novels. She’s received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards and has won RT’s Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. She lives with her daughter in Melbourne, Australia.
Her other incredible releases include books in the RIPPLE CREEK WEREWOLF, NIKKI AND MICHAEL, MYTH AND MAGIC, DAMASK CIRCLE, SPOOK SQUAD, HARRI PHILLECKI, PI and DARK ANGELS series.
Connect with Keri online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.
If you're not familiar with Keri's work, I HIGHLY recommend everything she has written. Keri's books are an auto-buy for me, even without reading the synopses because I know that I will enjoy them no matter what they're about. Keri has an incredible voice, and knows how to write an incredible Urban Fantasy Romance.
For today though, let me tell you all about Fireborn...
Fireborn
SOULS OF FIRE Book #1
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Buy from Amazon / B&N / BAM / Powell's / iTunes
*As featured in RT Magazine
All of us dream.
Some of us even have pleasant dreams.
My dreams might have been few and far between, but they were never, ever pleasant. But worse than that, they always came true.
Over the course of my many lifetimes, I’d tried to interfere, to alter fate’s path and prevent the death I’d seen, but I’d learned the hard way that there were often serious consequences for both the victim and myself.
Which was why the flesh down my spine was twisted and marred. I’d pulled a kid from a burning car, saving her life but leaving us both disfigured. Fire may be mine to control and devour, but there’d been too many witnesses and I’d dared not use my powers. It had taken me months to heal, and I’d sworn—yet again—to stop interfering and simply let fate take her natural course. But here I was, out on the streets in the cold, dead hours of the night, trying to keep warm as I waited in the shadows for the man who was slated to die this night.
Because he wasn’t just a man. He was the man I’d once loved.
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and tried to keep warm in the confines of the abandoned factory’s doorway. Why anyone would even come out by choice on a night like this was beyond me. Melbourne was a great city, but her winters could be hell, and right now it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a mutt—not that there were any mutts about at this particular hour. They apparently had more sense.
The breeze whisked around the parts of my face not protected by my scarf, freezing my skin and making it feel like I was breathing ice.
Of course, I did have other ways to keep warm. I was a phoenix—a spirit born from the ashes of flame—and fire was both my heritage and my soul. But even if I couldn’t sense anyone close by, I was reluctant to flame. Vampires and werewolves might have outed themselves during the peak of Hollywood’s love affair with all things paranormal, but the rest of us preferred to remain hidden. Humanity on the whole might have taken the existence of weres and vamps better than any of us had expected, but there were still far too many who believed nonhumans provided an unacceptable risk to their existence. Even on crappy nights like this, it wasn’t unusual to have hunting parties roaming the streets, looking for easy paranormal targets. While my kind rarely provided any sort of threat, I wasn’t human, and that made me as much a target for their hate as vamps and weres.
Even the man who’d once claimed to love me was not immune to such hate.
Pain stirred, distant and ghostly, but never, ever forgotten, no matter how hard I tried. Samuel Turner had made it all too clear what he thought of my “type.” Five years might have passed, but I doubted time would have changed his view that the only good monster was a dead one.
And yet here I was, attempting to save his stupid ass.
The roar of a car engine rode across the silence. For a moment the dream raised its head, and I saw again the flashes of metal out of the car window, the red-cloaked faces, the blood and brain matter dripping down brick as Sam’s lifeless body slumped to the wet pavement. My stomach heaved and I closed my eyes, sucking in air and fighting the feeling of inevitability.
Death would not claim his soul tonight.
I wouldn’t let her.
Against the distant roar of that engine came the sound of steady steps from the left of the intersection up ahead. He was walking toward the corner and the death that awaited him there.
I stepped out of the shadows. The glow of the streetlights did little to break up the night, leaving the surrounding buildings to darkness and imagination. The ever-growing rumble of the car approaching from the right didn’t quite drown out the steady sound of footsteps, but perhaps it only seemed that way because I was so attuned to it. To what was about to happen.
I walked forward, avoiding the puddles of light and keeping to the darker shadows. The air was thick with the growing sense of doom and the rising ice of hell.
Death waited on the other side of the street, her dark rags billowing and her face impassive.
The growling of the car’s engine swept closer. Lights broke across the darkness, the twin beams of brightness spotlighting the graffiti that colored an otherwise bleak and unforgiving cityscape.
This area of Brooklyn was Melbourne’s dirty little secret, one definitely not mentioned in the flashy advertising that hailed the city as the “it” holiday destination. It was a mix of heavy industrial and run-down tenements, and it housed the underbelly of society—the dregs, the forgotten, the dangerous. Over the past few years, it had become so bad that the wise avoided it and the newspapers had given up reporting about it. Hell, even the cops feared to tread the streets alone here. These days they did little more than patrol the perimeter in a vague attempt to stop the violence from spilling over into neighboring areas.
So why the hell was Sam right here in the middle of Brooklyn’s dark heart?
I had no idea and, right now, with Death so close, it hardly mattered.
I neared the fatal intersection and time slowed to a crawl. A deadly, dangerous crawl.
The Commodore’s black nose eased into the intersection from the right. Windows slid down smoothly, and the long black barrels of the rifles I’d seen in my dream appeared. Behind them, half-hidden in the darkness of the car’s interior, red hoods billowed.
Be fast, my inner voice whispered, or die.
Death stepped forward, eager to claim her soul. I took a deep, shuddering breath and flexed my fingers.
Sam appeared past the end of the building and stepped toward the place of his death. The air recoiled as the bullets were fired. There was no sound. Silencers.
I lunged forward, grabbed his arm, and yanked him hard enough sideways to unbalance us both. Something sliced across my upper arm, and pain flared as I hit the pavement. My breath whooshed loudly from my lungs, but it didn’t cover the sound of the unworldly scream of anger. Knowing what was coming, I desperately twisted around, flames erupting from my fingertips. They met the sweeping, icy scythe of Death, melting it before it could reach my flesh. Then they melted her, sending her back to the frigid realms of hell.
The car screeched to a halt farther down the street, the sound echoing sharply across the darkness. I scrambled to my feet. The danger wasn’t over yet. He could still die, and we needed to get out of here—fast. I spun, only to find myself facing a gun.
“What the—” Blue eyes met mine and recognition flashed. “Red! What the fuck are you doing here?”
There was no warmth in his voice, despite the use of my nickname.
“In case it has escaped your notice,” I snapped, trying to concentrate on the danger and the need to be gone rather than on how good he damn well looked, “someone just tried to blow your brains out—although it is debatable whether you actually have brains. Now move, because they haven’t finished yet.”
He opened his mouth, as ready as ever to argue, then glanced past me. The weapon shifted fractionally, and he pulled the trigger. As the bullet burned past my ear, I twisted around. A red-cloaked body lay on the ground five feet away, the hood no longer covering his features. His face was gaunt, emaciated, and there was a thick black scar on his right cheek that ended in a hook. It looked like Death’s scythe.
The footsteps coming toward us at rapid speed said there were another four to deal with. Sam’s hand clamped my wrist; then he was pulling me forward.
“We won’t outrun them,” I said, even as we tried to do just that.
“I know.” Sam’s voice was grim. Dark.
Sexy.
I batted the thought away and risked another glance over my shoulder. They’d rounded the corner and were now so close I could see their gaunt features, their scars, and the red of their eyes.
Fear shuddered through me. Whatever these things were, they weren’t human.
“We need somewhere to hide.” I scanned the buildings around us somewhat desperately. Broken windows, shattered brickwork, and rot abounded. Nothing offered the sort of fortress we so desperately needed right now.
“I know.” He yanked me to the right, just about pulling my arm out of the socket in the process. We pounded down a small lane that smelled of piss and decay, our footsteps echoing across the night. It was a sound that spoke of desperation.
The red cloaks were quiet. Eerily quiet.
A metal door appeared out of the shadows. Sam paused long enough to fling it open, then thrust me inside and followed, slamming the door shut and then shoving home several thick bolts.
Just in time.
Something hit the other side of the door, the force of it enough to dent the metal and make me jump back in fright. Fire flicked across my fingertips, an instinctive reaction I quickly doused as Sam turned around.
“That won’t help.” His voice was grim, but it still held echoes of the distaste that had dominated his tone all those years ago. “We need to get upstairs. Now,” he added, as the door shuddered under another impact.
He brushed past me and disappeared into the gloom of the cavernous building. I unraveled the scarf from around my face and hastily followed. “What the hell are those things? And why do they want to kill you?”
“Long story.” He reached a grimy set of stairs and took them two at a time. The metal groaned under his weight, but the sound was smothered by another hit to the door. This time, something broke.
“Hurry,” he added rather unnecessarily.
I galloped after him, my feet barely even hitting the metal. We ran down a corridor, stirring the dust that clung to everything until the air was thick and difficult to breathe. From downstairs came a metallic crash—the door coming off its hinges and smashing to the concrete.
They were in. They were coming.
Fear leapt up my throat, and this time the flames that danced across my fingertips would not be quenched. The red-gold flickers lit the darkness, lending the decay and dirt that surrounded us an odd sort of warmth.
Sam went through another doorway and hit a switch on the way through. Light flooded the space, revealing a long, rectangular room. In the left corner, as far away from the door as possible, was a rudimentary living area. Hanging from the ceiling on thick, metal cables was a ring of lights that bathed the space in surreal, violet light.
“Don’t tell me you live here,” I said as I followed Sam across the room.
He snorted. “No. This is merely a safe house. One of five we have in this area.”
The problems in this area were obviously far worse than anyone was admitting if cops now needed safe houses. Or maybe it was simply a development linked to the appearance of the red cloaks. Certainly I hadn’t come across anything like them before, and I’d been around for centuries. “Will the UV lighting stop those things?”
He glanced at me. “You can see that?”
“Yes.” I said it tartly, my gaze on his, searching for the distaste and the hate. Seeing neither. “I’m not human, remember?”
He grunted and looked away. Hurt stirred again, the embers refusing to die, even five years down the track.
“UV stops them.” He paused, then added, “Most of the time.”
“Oh, that’s a comfort,” I muttered, the flames across my fingers dousing as I thrust a hand through my hair. “What the hell are they, then? Vampires? They’re the only nonhumans I can think of affected by UV.”
And they certainly hadn’t looked like vampires. Most vamps tended to look and act human, except for the necessity to drink blood and avoid sunlight. None that I’d met had red eyes or weird scars on their cheeks—not even the psycho ones who killed for the pure pleasure of it.
“They’re a type of vampire.”
He pulled out a rack filled with crossbows, shotguns, and machine pistols from under the bed, then waved a hand toward it, silently offering me one of the weapons. I hesitated, then shook my head. I had my own weapon, and it was more powerful than any bullet.
“You’ll regret it.”
But he shrugged and began to load shells into a pump-action shotgun. There was little other sound. The red cloaks might be on their way up, but they remained eerily quiet.
I rubbed my arms, felt the sticky warmth, and glanced down. The red cloak’s bullet had done little more than wing me, but it bled profusely. If they were a type of vampire, then the wound—or rather the blood—would call to them.
“That blood might call to more than just those red cloaks,” he added, obviously noticing my actions. “There’re some bandages in the drawer of the table holding the coffeepot. Use them.”
I walked over to the drawer. “I doubt there’s anything worse than those red cloaks out on the streets at the moment.”
He glanced at me, expression unreadable. “Then you’d be wrong.”
I frowned, but opened the drawer and found a tube of antiseptic along with the bandages. As medical kits went, it was pretty basic, but I guess it was better than nothing. I applied both, then moved to stand in the middle of the UV circle, close enough to Sam that his aftershave—a rich mix of woody, earthy scents and musk—teased my nostrils and stirred memories to life. I thrust them away and crossed my arms.
“How can these things be a type of vampire?” I asked, voice a little sharper than necessary. “Either you are or you aren’t. There’s not really an in-between state, unless you’re in the process of turning from human to vamp.”
And those things in the cloaks were neither dead nor turning.
“It’s a long story,” he said. “And one I’d rather not go into right now.”
“Then at least tell me what they’re called.”
“We’ve nicknamed them red cloaks. What they call themselves is anyone’s guess.” His shoulder brushed mine as he turned, and a tremor ran down my body. I hadn’t felt this man’s touch for five years, but my senses remembered it. Remembered the joy it had once given me.
“So why are they after you?”
His short, sharp laugh sent a shiver down my spine. It was the sound of a man who’d seen too much, been through too much, and it made me wonder just what the hell had happened to him in the last five years.
“They hunt me because I’ve vowed to kill as many of the bastards as I can.”
The chance to ask any more questions was temporarily cut off as the red cloaks ran through the door. They were so damn fast that they were halfway across the room before Sam could even get a shot off. I took a step back, my fingers aflame, the yellow-white light flaring oddly against the violet.
The front one ran at Sam with outstretched fingers, revealing nails that were grotesque talons ready to rip and tear. The red cloak hit the UV light, and instantly his skin began to blacken and burn. The stench was horrific, clogging the air and making my stomach churn, but he didn’t seem to notice, let alone care. He just kept on running.
The others were close behind.
Sam fired. The bullet hit the center of the first red cloak’s forehead, and the back of his head exploded, spraying those behind him with flesh and bone and brain matter.
He fell. The others leapt over him, their skin aflame and not caring one damn bit.
Which was obviously why Sam had said my own flame wouldn’t help.
He fired again. Another red cloak went down. He tried to fire a third time, but the creature was too close, too fast. It battered him aside and kept on running
It wanted me, not Sam. As I’d feared, the blood was calling to them.
I backpedaled fast, raised my hands, and released my fire. A maelstrom of heat rose before me, hitting the creature hard, briefly halting his progress and adding to the flames already consuming him.
My backside hit wood. The table. As the creature pushed through the flames, I scrambled over the top of it, then thrust it into the creature’s gut. He screamed, the sound one of frustration rather than pain, and clawed at the air, trying to strike me with arms that dripped flames and flesh onto the surface of the table.
The wooden table.
As another shot boomed across the stinking, burning darkness, I lunged for the nearest table leg. I gripped it tight, then heaved with all my might. I might be only five foot four, but I wasn’t human and I had a whole lot of strength behind me. The leg sheared free—and just in time.
The creature leapt at me. I twisted around and swung the leg with all my might. It smashed into the creature’s head, caving in its side and battering him back across the table.
A final gunshot rang out, and the rest of the creature’s head went spraying across the darkness. His body hit the concrete with a splat and slid past the glow of the UV, burning brightly in the deeper shadows crowding the room beyond.
I scrambled upright and held the leg at the ready. But there were no more fiery forms left to fight. We were safe.
*~*~*~*~*
Make sure to check out the rest of the Fireborn Tour for Reviews, Interviews, and more:
6/23 - SciFi Chick
6/24 - I Smell Sheep
6/25 - On Starships and Dragonwings
6/26 - Manga Maniac Cafe
6/27 - Fang-Tastic Books
6/30 - Tynga's Reviews
7/1 - Ramblings From This Chick
7/2 - Urban Fantasy Investigations
7/3 - A Book Obsession
7/4 - Rabid Reads
7/7 - Wicked 'Lil Pixie
7/8 - A Great Read
7/9 - My Bookish Ways
7/10 - Supernatural Snark
7/11 - Not Yet Read
7/14 - HEAs Are Us
7/15 - Live to Read
7/16 - The Book Pushers
7/17 - Paranormal Book Club
7/18 - Awesomesauce Book Club
7/21 - Nyx Book Reviews
7/22 - LITERAL ADDICTION
7/23 - Supernatural Snark
*~*~*~*~*
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Hello my lovelies, I'm back and ready to share some new book goodness with you all!
To start things off, I'm very happy to be promoting for the wonderful Rachel Firasek again today!
Rachel Firasek spends her days daydreaming of stories and her nights putting the ideas to ink. She has spent a dull life following the rules, meeting deadlines, and toeing the line, but in her made up worlds, she can let the wild side loose. Her wonderful husband and three children support her love of the written word and only ask for the occasional American Idol or Swamp People quality hour.
She has a philosophy about love. It must devastate or it isn’t truly worth loving. She hopes that you all find your devastating love and cling to it with all your heart!
Connect with Rachel at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.
Rachel is the proud creator of the CURSE OF THE PHOENIX, TEARS OF SIN, and PASSION OF THE SOUL series, as well as some great single titles.
I'm here today to help promote and celebrate her awesome CURSE OF THE PHOENIX series and it's new bundle!
For those of you new to Rachel's work, I highly suggest you check out her entire backlist, but for today, let me tell you all about the CURSE OF THE PHOENIX series...
Curse of the Phoenix Bundle
CURSE OF THE PHOENIX Series books #1-#3
Add to your GoodReads Shelf
Buy from Amazon / B&N / BAM / Entangle
Book One: The Last Rising
Book Three: The Last Beginning