Title: Confessions of a Wedding Planner
Series: Bliss #1
Author: Michelle Jo Quinn
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 27, 2016
Blurb
He may be the best man, but he’s the worst man for her… Wedding planner, Veronica Soto-Stewart believes everyone deserves a fairy tale–even her ex-boyfriend. Unable to refuse his request, and with the help of Bliss Events motley crew, she finds herself creating the most magical event for the perfect couple. But nothing is ever perfect… And not all happy ever afters can be planned… Levi Laurent can’t believe his luck. Thanks to his best friend’s wedding, he finally has a shot at the woman he’s always wanted–Veronica. From San Francisco to Paris, and back, he pulls out all the stops, so she knows where she really belongs–with him. But Veronica wants nothing to do with the rich, sexy, irresistible playboy. Can Levi convince Veronica that her perfect happily ever after is closer than she ever realized?
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Excerpt
I couldn't make myself comfortable. As I continued to shrug, he clasped my shoulders tighter. If I leaned against my car, his hips would press against me. I sagged in defeat and avoided direct contact with his eyes. This was worse than him thinking we could be friends.
"Since you're big, bad boss of this whole operation, what's going on with the bachelor party?" The man wriggled his eyebrows at me when I looked up. It was such a laughable action. Levi was the ultimate bachelor...and rebel. He kept his hair long, rarely shaved, and often dressed in button up shirts with the first three buttons undone and sleeves rolled up, showing off his constant tan. He exuded bad-to-the-bone. And he loved it. No doubt he had particular ideas on what Jake's bachelor party should be like. I had more than enough of a fight to deal with, why would I add a few more in the way of silicon-filled strippers? "What bachelor party? I'm not in charge of that. I've never planned one, and don't intend to start. It's your job as the best man to figure it out." I poked my finger at his chest. Hard, warm chest, with a steady fluttering from his heart. "Is it?" He took my hand in his and flattened my palm on his chest, halting my ministrations. I stared at my fingertips touching his exposed skin. “Maybe you and I can get together soon, just us, and you can give me ideas.” A number of salacious scenes flashed in my mind. I gulped, realizing my mistake, but the heat had ebbed up my neck and cheeks. Drawing back my hand, I replied, "If you need help, you can call Chase." I spun around to the back of my car, reached in and took out a card from my purse, ignoring the blush on my cheeks and hoping he would, too. The hand that was squeezing my shoulder smoothed its way down to the small of my back when I faced him again. I tried not to focus on the sudden, pleasant warmth in my belly. This was Levi, Casanova of the Bay area…and beyond! He took the proffered card. "She's the expert on all things...naughty." Chase would kill me if she found out I gave him her number. "I have to go." He removed his hand from my back and held my door open for me. As I settled in my seat, he stuck his head in my car and surprised me with a swift kiss on my cheek, rendering me speechless with how pleasant it felt. Levi had never been this close to me before. I’d never allowed it.
After shutting the door closed for me, he leaned his arms over the opened window and cocked his head to one side. Playfulness washed over his face. "Veronica, you may not like me, but whether you like it or not, I will be around whenever Jake asks me to be there. So you'll have to get used to us being together...a lot." It felt like he was trying to say more, but I simply nodded my head, and started the car. I waited for him to back away, before I sped off. I was flustered enough to accidentally run over the guy.
Author Bio
Michelle's love for writing blossomed when her father gave her a diary. Instead of recounting her daily life, she wrote stories of fictional people. Like most of her characters, she believes in Happily Ever After. Naturally, she finds harmony in writing romance. An unabashed, self-proclaimed foodie, Michelle loves to try new food whenever given the chance. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy obsession with dark chocolate and coffee, and prefers to spend money on paperback rather than shoes. She enjoys watching foreign films and reading a swoon-worthy books. Michelle is an active member of RWA and several of its chapters. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, two kiddos, and a morkie pup named Scarlett.
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Book: The Writerâs Desire (Exploring Desire Book 2)
Author: Katie Devoe
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis
Natasha Carson doesnât believe in fairytale endings. And she doesnât want a Prince Charming. She had that with Christopher and look where that got her. Suffocating. Tolerating a respectable teaching position she never loved and lying to everyone about her true passion: writing smut.
So Natasha does the only thing she can. She leaves it all behind. The perfect boyfriend. The great job. New York City. Even the gorgeous grad student, Adam LaRue, who tempted her with sexual ecstasy and promises of making her every desire a reality.
As she explores the sex clubs of Berlinâs kinky underbelly, Natasha canât help but wonder if she made a mistake. But when a chance encounter brings Adam into her life, sheâs forced to confront her true feelings and deepest fears. With only a few days together, Natasha must make a choice: run away or relinquish control.
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Author Bio
Katie Devoe grew up in New York City and has lived in Los Angeles, Madrid, and Barcelona. Sheâs worked as a barista, bookseller, cheese-maker and organic farmer. Her idea of a dream day is curled up in a cozy sweater, drinking Fortnum & Mason tea, and reading.
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OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES
Book 1 â The Professorâs Secret
Natasha Carsonâs life is perfect. Sheâs a respected novelist, the youngest fiction professor at a prestigious university, and every night she comes home to the perfect man who absolutely adores her. Thereâs only one problem. No one, not even her boyfriend, knows that she pens bestselling BDSM erotica in secret. And thatâs exactly how she wants to keep it.
Then Adam LaRue enters Natashaâs classroom and her life, threatening everything. The gorgeous grad student isnât just a kinky temptation â he knows her secret. And makes it clear that one way or another, heâll have her in his bed.
As she watches her life crumble around her, Natasha must ask herself, Is it really as perfect as everyone believes?
The Professorâs Secret is an erotic tale of self-discovery and what happens when the line between fiction and reality blurs.
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Title: Inseverable
Series: Carolina Beach #1
Author: Cecy Robson
Genre: Contemporary Romance/New Adult
Release Date: June 21, 2016
Blurb
How can you imagine forever with someone who's leaving everything behind? Callahan, a former army sniper, wants to make an escape from his past and everything he experienced at war, but most of all, just not feel. Feeling leads to pain and he's suffered enough. When he inherits a house on South Carolina's Kiawah Island, he packs his bags, lured by the peace and seclusion he thinks it will bring. But, Callahan never counted on meeting anyone like Trinity . . . Trinity has always been the cute, and funny one, who most guys overlook in pursuit of her "hot" friends. She became used to being everyone's pal, until the day the young man she was attracted to, was drawn to her in return. He became her first great love, and first crushing heartbreak when she found him in bed with one of her closest friends. To move forward, and to carry out her commitment to helping those in need, Trinity enlists in the Peace Corps, but not before returning to Kiawah for one last memorable summer. She just never imagined it would be so unforgettable. Callahan doesn't want to get close to anyone-let alone Trinity. He finds her perkiness insufferable and her attempts to entice a smile distracting. After all, he's in Kiawah to leave all feelings behind. But when it comes to Trinity, who feels everything, it's hard not to feel something. Neither expected to fall in love. And no one could have predicted how inseverable they'd become.
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Excerpt
Prologue
Callahan Three days. That’s all I have left until this shit ends. Three days shouldn’t feel like forever, not compared to the eight years I’ve bled to the Army. Thing is, good men have been killed in less time. In as quick as a blink, a squeeze of a trigger, or a small breath right before a grenade blows is all the time it takes to shove someone right out of life and well into death. That’s what makes three days as long as it is. Three days is plenty of time to die. My eyes tear when the wind picks up and shoots grime through the small hole of my lookout point. This blown out piece of cinderblock is only big enough to allow me a view of the street below, but not so small I don’t get smacked in the face with more filth. The tarp flaps above me as I spit out another layer of the dirt-sand mix spackling my teeth. Christ Almighty, I need a swig of the water resting near my elbow. But my thirst, like everything else has to wait. I have a job to do. I adjust my hips against the cracked cement of my bed, bathroom, and home all rolled into one, thankful that the agonizing ache stretching over the lower half of my body has settled into a now familiar numbness. Out of all the points I’d scouted, and all the accumulated years spent in this position, I should be used to it. And in a strange way, it should almost be home. Yet nothing ever has been home. But in three days, maybe something finally will be . . . I shove my thoughts away and breathe as my fellow Rangers stalk along the street. It’s then I see them, a mother and daughter walking straight toward my team. Less than one city block separates them from the men counting on me to keep them alive. The hell? How did they get past the other sniper unreported? Rogers is new on watch. But the quick paces these two are taking should have clued him in that something’s up. I train my scope on their faces; their expressions are blank, unreadable. ‘Cept that’s not what keeps my attention. The little girl can’t be more than five. So why the fuck isn’t her mother holding her hand? I lift my radio and bark a warning, dropping it beside me as I lock my scope dead center on the woman’s head. The radio crackles and Modreski chimes in, yelling at his team to hold their positions. He asks me what my plan is, knowing if something’s caused the short-hairs on my neck to rise, he and the boys damn well need to listen. But I don’t hear him, with a breath and a squeeze of the trigger, I leave a kid without a mother. Just beneath the sleeve of her abayah―the dress completely covering her body―I see it, a detonator that would trigger the explosives likely strapped to her chest. A few Rangers I know―Simons and Boreman, rush forward. I start to mutter a curse, pissed at her for making me shoot her in front of her kid. But the curse lodges in my throat when I see the kid isn’t looking at her mother lying next to her dead.
She’s watching my advancing team as she lifts the detonator clasped tight in her hand.
Author Bio
Cecy Robson is a new adult and contemporary author of the Shattered Past series, the O’Brien Family novels and upcoming Carolina Beach novels, as well as the award-winning author of the Weird Girls urban fantasy romance series. A 2016 double nominated RITA®finalist for Once Pure and Once Kissed, Cecy is a recovering Jersey girl living in the South who enjoys carbs way too much, and exercise way too little. Gifted and cursed with an overactive imagination, you can typically find her on her laptop silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their stories.
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GOODREADS Giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway Wickedly Twisted: Fairy Tales for Adults
By: Cassidy K. O’Connor, Gracen Miller, Louisa Bacio, A. D. Roland, Sheri Lyn, and Lia Davis Releases July 26, 2016 Pre-order today at Amazon: http://amzn.to/29Fl1wm Add it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30977248-wickedly-twisted A collection of six wickedly twisted tales from classic fairy tales by six of today’s hottest authors. To Steal a Prince’s Heart by Cassidy K. O’Connor is a twist on the fairy tale Robin Hood. No self-respecting girl starts out wanting to be a thief but that’s what happens when war takes the King and all able bodied men off to war. Robin Hood and her merry band of women steal to feed their village, she never expected the Prince to steal her heart. When her true identity is revealed will the Prince stand by her or will she be forced to rescue herself? Celia’s Connection by Gracen Miller is a twist on the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears Celia Goldilocks just wants to live her life in peace, but when her past comes calling, her life is upended. With a bounty on her head, she escapes to a cabin owned by three bear shifters. Unfortunately, they’re her father’s biggest enemy, but can they be her salvation instead? The Brothers Ménage by Louisa Bacio is a twist on the fairy tale Two Brothers Who says all fairytale princesses are cursed? As time runs out, the brothers from the wrong side of the tracks must weigh if a lifetime with Daphne is worth sharing their own secret, and if it’ll make a difference. Bearskin by A. D. Roland is a twist on the fairy tale Bearskin A dirty hobo who claims he’s wearing the Devil’s magic jacket befriends a slightly skeptical nurse. Can he convince her he's telling the truth in time for her to break the curse? Pan’s Curse by Sheri Lyn is a twist on the fairy tale Peter Pan The race is on. A jealous fairy has put a curse on Peter Pan, and it's up to Captain James Hook and his crew to follow the clues and save him before time runs out, or he'll be gone for good. If she can't have him, no one will. Can James and Peter have their Happily Ever After? His Big Bad Wolf by Lia Davis is a twist on the fairy tale The Boy Who Cried Wolf Neal turns to Shannon for help to track down the rogue wolf, but working together stirs emotions neither of them expected, and a fiery passion that makes it impossible for them to stay away from each other. But is Neal ready to learn all of Shannon’s secrets? Find out more about the authors: Cassidy K. O’Connor Website: http://www.cassidykoconnor.com FB page: https://www.facebook.com/cassidykoconnorauthor?ref=hl Twitter: https://twitter.com/CKOConnor_auth Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8474402.Cassidy_K_O_Connor Gracen Miller Website: http://www.gracen-miller.com/ FB page: https://www.facebook.com/gracen.miller Twitter: https://twitter.com/GracenMiller Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1378521.Gracen_Miller Louisa Bacio Website: http://louisabacio.com FB page: https://www.facebook.com/louisabacio?fref=ts Twitter: https://twitter.com/louisabacio Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4353334.Louisa_Bacio A. D. Roland Website: https://ashsartanddesign.com/ FB page: https://www.facebook.com/adrolandauthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleyauthor Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2838760.A_D_Roland Sheri Lyn Website: http://www.sherilynauthor.com/ FB page: https://www.facebook.com/Sheri-Lyn-Author-1404626999860565/?fref=ts Twitter: https://twitter.com/sherilynauthor Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14742317.Sheri_Lyn Lia Davis Website: http://authorliadavis.com FB page: https://www.facebook.com/novelsbylia/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelsbylia Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829989.Lia_Davis
Book: The Writerâs Desire (Exploring Desire Book 2)
Author: Katie Devoe
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis
Natasha Carson doesnât believe in fairytale endings. And she doesnât want a Prince Charming. She had that with Christopher and look where that got her. Suffocating. Tolerating a respectable teaching position she never loved and lying to everyone about her true passion: writing smut.
So Natasha does the only thing she can. She leaves it all behind. The perfect boyfriend. The great job. New York City. Even the gorgeous grad student, Adam LaRue, who tempted her with sexual ecstasy and promises of making her every desire a reality.
As she explores the sex clubs of Berlinâs kinky underbelly, Natasha canât help but wonder if she made a mistake. But when a chance encounter brings Adam into her life, sheâs forced to confront her true feelings and deepest fears. With only a few days together, Natasha must make a choice: run away or relinquish control.
Buy Links
Author Bio
Katie Devoe grew up in New York City and has lived in Los Angeles, Madrid, and Barcelona. Sheâs worked as a barista, bookseller, cheese-maker and organic farmer. Her idea of a dream day is curled up in a cozy sweater, drinking Fortnum & Mason tea, and reading.
Social Links
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES
Book 1 â The Professorâs Secret
Natasha Carsonâs life is perfect. Sheâs a respected novelist, the youngest fiction professor at a prestigious university, and every night she comes home to the perfect man who absolutely adores her. Thereâs only one problem. No one, not even her boyfriend, knows that she pens bestselling BDSM erotica in secret. And thatâs exactly how she wants to keep it.
Then Adam LaRue enters Natashaâs classroom and her life, threatening everything. The gorgeous grad student isnât just a kinky temptation â he knows her secret. And makes it clear that one way or another, heâll have her in his bed.
As she watches her life crumble around her, Natasha must ask herself, Is it really as perfect as everyone believes?
The Professorâs Secret is an erotic tale of self-discovery and what happens when the line between fiction and reality blurs.
Buy Links
Title: Spectacular Rascal
(A Sexy Flirty Dirty Standalone Romance)
Author: Lili Valente
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Release Date: July 26, 2016
Blurb
A Sexy Flirty Dirty Standalone Romance F*ck being good. When you’ve been screwed over by Mr. Wrong, let a Spectacular Rascal show you how good it feels to be bad. My best friend and boss at Magnificent Bastard consulting—get revenge on your ex or your money back—is the smooth, successful New York businessman type. But me? I’m the other guy—the one you don’t bring home to mama. The tattooed, rough-around-the-edges, 100% primal badass. I won’t pull out your chair, sweetheart, but I will pull your hair. I’ve got what it takes to make sure your dangerous dick of an ex thinks twice before he knocks on your door again. Or I thought I did, until I meet my latest client: Catherine Jones, a.k.a. Polka Dot Panties. Former college running partner, sexiest woman I’ve ever almost de-virginized, and the only girl I’ve never been able to get out of my damn head. Now my one-that-got-away is looking up at me with those big green eyes, daring me to take on an ex as dick-ish and dangerous as hers. Well, you know what they say—it’s all fun and games until you’re making out on top of a mobster’s limousine. Soon Catherine and I are in deep. We’re on guard, on the run, and on top of each other every chance we get. But outsmarting her mobster ex is the least of my worries, especially when I start thinking our falling hard act isn’t an act at all. But after all this time, can a guy from the wrong side of the tracks find his forever with the sweet and sexy polka-dot-pantied girl next door? Warning: SPECTACULAR RASCAL is a stand-alone erotic romance told from the hero’s point of view. No cliffhanger. Lots of dirty talk.
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Author Bio
U.S.A. Today Bestselling author Lili Valente has slept under the stars in Greece, eaten dinner at midnight with French men who couldn’t be trusted to keep their mouths on their food, and walked alone through Munich’s red light district after dark and lived to tell the tale.
These days you can find her writing in a tent beside the sea, drinking coconut water and thinking delightfully dirty thoughts. Lili loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her via email at [email protected] or like her page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLiliValente You can also visit her website: www.lilivalente.com
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Sit back and send the kids outside to play because RED HOT SIZZLE is finally here!Fourteen new book boyfriends are here to woo you in this big box with over 2000 pages of romance! Treat yourself to this sizzling, sexy sampler of NYT, USA Today, and best-selling authors. Are you ready to dive into decadent stories about hit men, tech moguls, shifters, new neighbors, bosses, lumberjacks, military men, motorcycle guys, and rock stars? These great books are just the thing for those long, lazy summer days sunning at the beach, hanging out beside the pool, or lounging around on vacation. Some are sweet, some are just for fun, and some are Red Hot!Grab this box set of best-selling books before it’s gone forever!Amazon B&N Google Play Kobo iBooksThis sizzling set includes the following red hot stories:Chloe by Lacey Silks ~ Axel Wagner saved me in more than one way, and then I ruined it by letting him touch me. He's no longer just an employer--he’s my everything. Dream On by Blair Babylon ~ A new story about Alexandre and Georgie, the Duke and Duchess of Valentinois, and other rock stars. Bumpy Ride by Olivia Rigal ~ You’d think I’d know better. Better than to fall for a biker, and one from a different MC. Better than to get knocked up by a Nomad who vanished without a trace. Better than to try and hide it from my family. Banshee by Sarah M. Cradit ~ I was eighteen when I died. But then, at eighteen, I was reborn. Picked by the Billionaire by Daizie Draper ~ The fiery rebound-sex arrangement a dumped and already broken florist dives into with a tech mogul puts her heart in peril again. Two Much for You by Sky Corgan ~ Two hot men just moved in across the street. I never thought they would show up on my doorstep. And what they want is far from conventional. Two Wingmen and a Baby by Daisy Prescott ~ Hold onto your ovaries because this short features John, Tom Cat, and sweet Baby Day. Surely two alpha men can take care of one baby, right? Witch In the Window (Bend-Bite-Shift Next Gen-1) by ~ Olivia Hardin ~ As if college finals aren't bad enough, Chelsea's witch radar tells her the delivery man who frequents her front door is more than he seems to be. Right: A Hitman Romance by V. J. Chambers ~ Giovanni Gallo meant to kill Sable Clarke, not fall for her. What seems wrong actually turns out to be something so right. Tutoring the Wolf by Jacqueline Sweet & Devon March ~ When she's forced to tutor to a bad boy shifter, Cassie has no idea how much she'll learn about herself, or how much fun she'll have doing it. Yours by Kim Linwood ~ Bianca met the man of her dreams in paradise, but their real lives are an ocean apart. Can he convince her that their love is worth the risk after the fairy tale ends? Blooming Hearts by Felicia Tatum ~ First love blooms as Francesca and Cade slowly begin their descent into the depths of true love. Taking Charge by Shannon Macallan ~ Miranda expects Charleston to be hot, humid and boring as hell. What she finds instead is an entirely different heat with a cadet from a South Carolina military academy. Chasing Shadows by Sophia Barron ~ When Delilah’s witchy ways threaten to pierce Joe’s shadows; the jaguar shifter must choose between darkness and light for eternity. Will bonds of love save their world or destroy it? BUY IT NOW!Amazon B&N Google Play THEN Enter to win here! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Re - Release Day - Pulled Apart: Belfast Bound #3 - Leigh Stone
Book - Pulled Apart: Belfast Bound #3
Author - Leigh Stone
Release Day Blitz - 26th July
Hosted by Hooked on books & Cherry0Blossoms Promotions
Pulled Apart - Belfast Bound #3
SYNOPSIS: Itâs been a long journey to get here. A long, painful journey, I have the scars, nightmares, and panic attacks to prove it. I never would have believed, all those years ago, that Oliver Watson would have been my worst nightmare. Iâm not sorry that heâs dead. Iâm just sorry that it wasnât at my hand. I hate him. I hate what he did to me. I hate what he has taken from me. More than anything, I hate him for taking the coward's way out. He was supposed to rot in prison for his crimes, not leave me to be the only one to face what happened.
Iâm Juliet Monroe. Iâm twenty-five years old and I have been through hell. Iâve learned so much about myself. The thing that Iâve learned most is just how strong I can be, but as strong as I am, without my friends, I wouldnât be here. Iâve learned that friends can be your lifelines, friends can be your support, friends can be your saviours, and sometimes, they might just save your life.
**WARNING** This book is intended for mature audiences (18+) only. The storyline is a rape survivor's retelling of their story, and as such may cause distress. While acts of violence are depicted, it is vital to the main premise of being able to move on with hope.
Titanic Signing Belfast, 2018 - March 24th.
Held in the iconic Titanic Belfast museum - Saturday March 24th 2018, this international book signing will be an event that will not be forgotten! Afterwards we head on to the Europa Hotel for 'A Night to Remember' with a Gala Dinner and partying on into the wee hours.
Hooked on book's & Cherry0Blossoms Promotions
http://www.authorleighstone.com
I'm Leigh Stone, I live in Northern Ireland, just outside the capital city of Belfast, in a house I share with my teenage daughter, and our personal zoo (1 Labrador mix, 3 cats, and 2 rabbits!).
I'm first and foremost a reader, and a fast reader at that, often devouring books in a single sitting over a period of hours. I have always had aspirations to write and become a published author, but as a teenager I was encouraged to look for a different profession, as being an author "wouldn't pay the bills."
It was that reading that lead a friend of mine to suggest that I had read so many of those books that I could probably write my own! It seemed like a good idea, and I thought that I would give it a try :) a few months later Lex's Melody was well underway, and the rest as they say is history!
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Title: Dragon in the Blood
Series: Vale of Stars #2
Author: Juliette Cross
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Release Date: July 26, 2016
Blurb
When desire bites, there’s no patience for a slow burn. While all seems quiet in Gladium Province, the Morgon Guard—the global justice force for the dragon hybrid race—knows their enemy is rebuilding its forces in the underground. Valla Moonring, an assassin for the Order of the Morgon Guard, is ordered on a mission into the Wastelands of Aria—a formidable, icy wilderness fraught with all manner of dangers, including outlaws, deadly weather, and big-game predators. To her great distaste, she’s partnered with a Nightwing Security operative, Conn Rowanflame, a Morgon with the aggravating ability to get under her skin. While she takes her mission seriously, Conn’s confident charm throws her off balance, a dangerous place to be in conditions like these. Especially when cold nights require close contact. Sensual attraction binds them ever closer, igniting a passion of unexpected force—the soulfire. But when the hunters become the hunted, their bond could prove perilous. Even fatal…
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Excerpt
Conn slowed his descent as treetops came into view beyond the fading mist, which had thinned to nearly nothing in the past hour. Whipping open my wings, I landed softly on the hard ground among a grove of evergolds. Even in this frozen tundra, the giants famous for their flora of fire-gold leaves grew tall and thick-branched in abundance. I lifted my visor to a brilliant burst of color that contrasted against the brown earth and snow-swept embankments.
Bowen landed quietly behind me. “How about some lunch before we set out on foot?” He removed and tucked away his visor and unpacked his crossbow from its sheath on his back for the first time on this journey. “Let’s get into the cover of trees,” said Conn, moving along the natural path. “And lunch sounds perfect.” “Benta’s breakfast wasn’t enough for you?” I asked, meeting his long stride. “I always have an appetite, sweetheart.” “While you two continue flirting, I’ll find some small game nearby. Set up the hotpad over near that big evergold.” Without a sound, Bowen disappeared into the trees. “Flirting?” I scoffed. “I wasn’t flirting.” “I was.” Conn grinned. “Stop it.” “I haven’t even gotten started yet.” “You’re infuriating.” “So you’ve said before.” “Listen—” I put up both gloved hands to stop his snarky banter for just one second. “I’m glad we’re finally alone.” “Me, too.” His lopsided grin made my heart flutter. Exhaling a frustrated sigh, I stopped under a thick oak with ample coverage from above and unhooked my chest pack before dropping it to the ground. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about…about last night.” “Mmm. Last night.” He removed his own pack and gloves, then pulled out the small, electronic hotpad. After opening the tripod that kept it off the ground, he turned it on. Gisa ordered us to use the hotpad instead of fire when we were in the open to avoid alerting predators or criminals to our presence. Conn stood and propped his hands low on his hips. “Would you like a second round?” “No…no.” I cleared my throat and shook my head, my ponytail sliding on the smooth leather of my jacket. “Actually, that should never have happened. I shouldn’t have let that happen. But I—” “Couldn’t resist,” he finished, a devilish smile brimming his beautiful face. “It’s okay. It happens a lot.” “You’re such an ass.” I rolled my eyes. “I could’ve resisted.” “Could you?” He broke his rigid stance and sauntered closer, a feral glimmer in his gaze. By instinct, I backed up a step, my wings scraping the rough bark of the evergold behind me. He moved into my personal space. “What are you doing?” I asked, heart hammering. He flattened one hand against the tree above my head, his finger grazing the arch of my wing. I shivered. “Are you sure you could resist?” I cleared my throat. “Of course,” I said, trying to sound confident, but my voice betrayed me and broke. “Well…I couldn’t.” He brushed the back of his knuckles along my jaw. I held still, caught. “Actually, I want to taste you again. Right now.” Even stone-cold sober, I felt drunk from a single touch, longing to fall back into his arms and let him show me what his hazel-gold eyes promised without a word. He leaned close, his warm breath grazing my ear. “Let me taste you again, Valla.” I planted my hands on his chest, wishing there weren’t the layers of thermal suit and leather between my palms and his rock-hard chest. He nuzzled the shell of my ear with his nose, then his lips. “Let me.” His darkened voice pleaded and demanded at the same time, spreading warmth between my legs. What had gotten into me? I pushed him out of my way and stormed toward a densely wooded area. “Where are you going?” he laughed. “Running away?” “I’ve gotta go to the bathroom,” I yelled over my shoulder. “Not by yourself, you’re not.” His footsteps crunched across the thin blanket of snow and leaves behind me. I whirled, heat burning up my neck, now from anger not lust. “Whoa, there, big boy.” I threw up a hand, halting him several feet away. “Look. You’re not my keeper. And just because we shared one kiss doesn’t mean anything. I’m going to relieve myself by myself. Do you understand?” His wings twitched at his back. Agitated. Whatever.
“And stop scowling at me,” I called back as I spun and trekked off the path into the brush.
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Author Bio
Juliette lives in lush, moss-laden Louisiana where she lives with her husband, four kids, and black lab, Kona. Multi-published author of paranormal and urban fantasy romance, she loves reading and writing brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own. You can discover more of Juliette and her books on her website.
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April 2023
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