Category Archives: New Releases

RELEASE BLITZ ~ Dylan (Bad Billionaires After Dark) by Melissa Foster

Jan 3

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Dylan
Bad Billionaires After Dark 
by Melissa Foster

Date of Publication: December 21, 2016


Blurb

 

Bad Billionaires After Dark are a series of stand-alone hot and sexy romances.

Indulge your inner vixen with these sexy billionaires!
Meet the Bad Boys… Four fiercely loyal, sinfully sexy, uber alpha brothers, about to fall head over heels for their leading ladies.

 

Everything’s naughtier after dark…
Sinfully sexy bar owner Dylan Bad has a thing for needy women. He’s a savior, a knight in shining armor, and his mighty talented sword has no trouble bringing damsels in distress to their knees. Enter Tiffany Winters, a gorgeous cutthroat sports agent who looks like sex on legs, f**ks like she’s passion personified, and wouldn’t let a man help her if she were dangling from a ledge and he was her only hope. One night and too much tequila might change their lives forever. The question is, will either one survive?

 


BAD BOYS AFTER DARK
Mick
Dylan
Carson (coming soon)
Brett (coming soon)

More After Dark books:

WILD BOYS AFTER DARK (Available Now!)
Logan
Heath
Jackson
Cooper

 

The BILLIONAIRES AFTER DARK series is part of the LOVE IN BLOOM big family romance collection.
Each book may be read as a stand-alone novel, or as part of the series.

 


Available From

Amazon (Kindle – US)
 Kobo
 Google Play
 iBooks
 Smashwords
 Amazon (Paperback – US)
 B&N Nook
 

About Melissa Foster

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance (M/F, M/M, F/F), romantic suspense, thrillers, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success.

Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.

Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on Facebook or her personal website.

Never miss a brand new release, special promotions or inside gossip again by simply signing up to receive your newsletter from Melissa.

Find Melissa Foster Online

Website * Mailing List * Goodreads * Amazon * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

 


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RELEASE BLITZ ~ It’s You (book 1) by Katy Regnery writing as KP Kelley

Jan 3

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itsyou_bannerrb

It’s You, (book 1)
by Katy Regnery writing as KP Kelly

is NOW LIVE!

“Simply amazing! It’s You is everything we wished for Jacob and Bella except better. The love between two characters has never been felt so strongly through the pages as it has with Jack and Darcy. An absolute must read for any fan of true love, soulmates and men with sexy beards.” – New York Times bestselling author, Heidi McLaughlin

 

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BUY NOW

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Check out the trailer HERE:

Read the AMAZING five-star reviews on Goodreads: 

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Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery comes her first duo of paranormal romances!

ONCE UPON A TIME…
the most beautiful boy in the world kissed me.
I’ve never been able to forget.
Perhaps it was his jet-black hair,
or the changing copper-color of his eyes,
the intense way he looked at me…
or the fact that he awakened my passion for the first time,
at once otherworldly yet heartbreakingly real.
But after that kiss, I never saw him again.

His name was Jack Beauloup.
Jack, my “Beautiful Wolf.”

Twenty years passed. He has returned. For me.

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Don’t miss out on It’s You, book 2
Release date: January 17th

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Pre-Order NOW:

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Apple:
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Kobo:

 

Blurb:

The thrilling conclusion of Katy Regnery’s first paranormal romance series!

HAPPILY EVER AFTER…
To some, they’re just words signifying a fairytale ending.
For me, Jack Beauloup, they represent an unyielding desire:
Forever with Darcy Turner, the unexpected love of my life.
A love that has placed her human life in danger.

According to Pack Law, my binding is an abomination that must be severed.
It’s ignited a fiery hatred that I must confront and control.

But what is bound cannot be broken.
I will keep Darcy safe.
Even if it means giving up on my dreams.
Even if it means giving up my life.

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About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract and Katy’s first novel was published in September 2013.

Twenty-five books later, Katy claims authorship of the multi-titled, New York Times and USA Today Blueberry Lane Series, which follows the English, Winslow, Rousseau, Story, and Ambler families of Philadelphia; the six-book, bestselling ~a modern fairytale~ series; and several other standalone novels and novellas.

Katy’s first modern fairytale romance, The Vixen and the Vet, was nominated for a RITA® in 2015 and won the 2015 Kindle Book Award for romance. Katy’s boxed set, The English Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1–4, hit the USA Today bestseller list in 2015, and her Christmas story, Marrying Mr. English, appeared on the list a week later. In May 2016, Katy’s Blueberry Lane collection, The Winslow Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1-4, became a New York Times E-book bestseller.

In 2016, Katy signed a print-only agreement with Spencerhill Press. As a result, her Blueberry Lane paperback books will now be distributed to brick and mortar bookstores all over the United States.

Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, two dogs, and one Blue Tonkinese kitten create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.

Author Links:

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RELEASE BLITZ ~ The Nameless by Kristen Hope Mazzola & Dawn Robertson

Jan 2

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thenameless_banner


The series is complete! Find out what happens in the gripping conclusion of
The Huntress Series in THE NAMELESS by Kristen Hope Mazzola & Dawn Robertson!

NOW LIVE & FREE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED!

 

thenameless

BUY NOW!

Amazon US:
Amazon UK: 

ADD TO GOODREADS: 

I am a good person.
In fact, I am the best of the best. I am a saint. I made the greatest sacrifice of my life in hopes of forgiveness from my sins. I saw the light and he saved me from the darkness.
I am Nameless.
Does anyone know who I really am?

War, conflict. Female soldier with a gun

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Start the series now!

THE HUNTRESS

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Amazon US:
Amazon UK: 

I am not a good person.
In fact, I am the worst of the worst. I was dragged down into the gutter and have thrived in this seedy underbelly where I was recreated. Reborn as Eleanor McGuire, socialite and professional hitwoman. The filthiest, dirtiest, high profile pieces of garbage, I end them. I am the huntress. Corrupt men are my prey.

Dawn and Kristen want to warn you: this is not for the faint of heart! But if gore, violence, and extreme sexual situation are your cup of tea, this is the read for you.

THE HOPELESS

the-hopeless

Amazon US:
Amazon UK: 

I am not a good person.
In fact, I am the worst of the worst. I am a god. I give life and I taketh away. I can ruin someone at the drop of a hat and often do it for fun. Yet the world would never know. I smile for the cameras and live the privileged life. But with every vile existence comes the opportunity for redemption.
She is my Redemption.
I am the Huntress.
Society doesn’t realize how deadly I truly am.


About the Authors:

Kristen Hope Mazzola

I am just an average twenty-something following my dreams. I have a full time “day job” and by night I am an author. I guess you could say that writing is like my super power (I always wanted one of those). I am the lover of wine, sushi, football and the ocean; that is when I am not wrapped up in the literary world.

Please feel free to contact me to chat about my writing, books you think I’d like or just to shoot the, well you know.

A portion of all my royalties are donated to The Marcie Mazzola Foundation.

Author Links:

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Dawn Robertson

Three times best selling author Dawn Robertson was born and raised in Connecticut before relocating to Florida in 2013. The same year first novel, Hers debuted as an Amazon Best Seller. Replicating that success with two additional novels in the following years.

The Indie publishing world has grown to love her raw writing style depicting strong
women in real life situations, topping the charts in erotica, romance, and romance-suspense. Robertson has even insinuated that the female characters in her book mirror her real life. But, that I’ll leave to speculation.

When Dawn Robertson is not writing she is a full-time Real Estate professional in Florida, and mother of three amazing children.

Author Links:

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RELEASE BLITZ ~ Under Construction by Aria Cole

Jan 2

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When Paige Brennan moves into her new apartment she doesn’t expect it to come with the neighbor from hell. His late night antics keep her up all hours, with every knock and bang made worse by their shared bedroom wall. When Paige finally bumps into the noisy night owl, she’s determined to give him a piece of her mind, even if his broad shoulders and rogue grin leave her hot under the collar.

Stone Garrett is obsessed by the beauty next door, her smart mouth and dangerous curves driving him to utter distraction. She’s way out of his league but he’s hellbent on proving he can be everything she needs and more. Passions boil over after another late night exchange ends with Stone’s hand down his pretty new neighbor’s impossibly short sleep shorts. But does love exist beyond their shared bedroom wall? Or are they destined to only be an unforgettable one-night stand?

Warning: Heavy duty pickup trucks, chiseled, sun-kissed abs, and dusty jeans that hang just perfectly off the hips…Under Construction is a panty-melting ride through a sexy construction zone. You’ll never look at a man in a hard hat the same again!

 


 

 

 

Aria Cole is a thirty-something housewife who once felt bad for reading dirty books late at night, until she decided to write her own. Possessive alpha men and the sassy heroines who love them are common, along with a healthy dose of irresistible insta-love and happily ever afters so sweet your teeth may ache.

For a safe, off-the-charts HOT, and always HEA story that doesn’t take a lifetime to read, get lost in an Aria Cole book!
Follow Aria on Amazon for new release updates, or stalk her on Facebook and Twitter to see which daring book boyfriend she’s writing next!

Sign up to get a NEW RELEASE ALERT from me!

 

 


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BLOG TOUR ~ Hate Story by Nicole Williams

Jan 2

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Nina can’t let herself fall in love with the man she’s going to marry. Both of them have experienced the sting and sham of love and have no intentions of falling victim to it twice. Love is expensive—hate is free.

Three years. A million dollars. A solution to both of their problems. They planned it all, from the story of their first meeting to the date of their divorce. Nothing could go wrong.

But what they didn’t consider was chemistry, and Nina and Max have no shortage of it. After too many near-kisses, Nina convinces herself that hating Max is better than loving him, and the more she gets to know this soon-to-be-husband of hers, the more she discovers just how very much she truly, madly, and deeply . . . hates him.

This isn’t a love story. This is the other kind.

 

He hadn’t stopped smiling at me, and it wasn’t the friendly kind of smile. It was the kind that made it seem like he was in on some secret I wasn’t privy to. The kind of smile that made me feel like I was being trifled with and made the punch line of a hundred jokes I had yet to hear.
I wanted to wipe the cocky smile off his face, but that would have required touching him and even I wasn’t gutsy enough for that. A woman did not touch a guy like him unless she wanted him to be her undoing. Nope. You didn’t play with fire. You didn’t touch it. You didn’t even come close.
Fire. That was all I saw when I looked at him. I was playing with it by agreeing to this kind of arrangement with him.
Even the way he lounged in the chair was smug. Like it was his throne and he was just waiting for minions to come bow before him.
“You’re younger than I thought you’d be.” He broke the silence first.
Though it was faint, I could just make out an accent. It was European, but I couldn’t nail down the country. To look at the bastard, you’d think he was Scandinavian—blond hair, blue eyes, commanding frame—but his accent was too sharp to hail from the land of Vikings.
I was tempted to glare at the tipped smile aimed at me, but I didn’t want to lead him to the impression I cared. I gave him my version of the same smile, abandoning my “no expectations” policy for the prospect of pissing him off. “You’re older than I thought you’d be.”
His smile shifted into the realm of a smirk, like he knew I was lying. So yeah, maybe I was lying about thinking he was older, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of confirming his silent accusation. He was older than me, but not by much. He might have been closing in on thirty, but he wasn’t past it.
He leaned forward in the chair. When his gaze circled my face to my fiery red hair, his brow elevated. Yes, I am the stereotype. Be warned.
“Prettier too.”
I stiffened. He was fucking with me now. I’d already agreed to marry him. How much more did he think he could screw me over?
I gave him a cursory glance and kept the unaffected look on my face. “Uglier.”
He cocked a brow like he knew better. “And the personality of ten women rolled into one.”
“Intimidated?”
His head shook once. “Intrigued.”
“Irritated?”
His eyes investigated me again. It felt intrusive, definitely not cursory. “Impressed.”
“As impressed by me as the woman in heat who was just mauling you over by the bar?”
“You mean the woman who gave me this?” He pulled something out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket and set it on the small table between us.
It was a hotel card key. With a lipstick kiss pressed into it.
“Classy place, this five-star hotel.” I glanced back at the woman at the bar. She was still there, watching him as though he was the height of the male species. “Did you tell her the reason you were here?”
His attention stayed on me. “Yes, I told her I was here to meet the woman I was going to marry.”
My stomach wrung. This was the man I was going to marry.
Holy shit.
“And she didn’t ask for her room key back?” I asked.
“She didn’t give it to me until right after I mentioned that.” His stare was intense. Too intense. I felt like every secret—every piece of who I was—was strewn out on that table for him to see. “Women love a man who isn’t afraid of commitment. It’s like an aphrodisiac.”
“You know what else women like?” I didn’t pause for an answer because I guessed he didn’t have a clue. “A man who’s humble.”
He fought a smile and leaned back in his chair when a server approached with a couple of drinks on a tray. “No, they like to think they do, but they don’t.” His head shook authoritatively. “They like the cocky bastard who goes after what he wants and doesn’t take no for an answer.”
Because the server was shielding some of me from his view, I allowed myself to shift. I was getting fired up, and if he kept saying the same kinds of things with the same kinds of looks on his face, that drink was going to wind up in his face.
That was when I noticed what the server had set in front of me. A tumbler with something amber in color. The same thing she was setting in front of him. Although from the curve of her smile, she was offering to give him a blow job on the side, compliments of the house.
“What is this?” I asked. Him. Her. Whoever wanted to answer.
“Scotch,” he answered, ignoring the server lingering between us.
My nose curled at the drink.
“Expensive scotch.”
“I don’t care if it came from the fountain of youth. I won’t drink it.”
His forehead creased with what appeared to be irritation, but I couldn’t be sure. Maybe it was confusion, like he couldn’t decide what to make of me. “You would have me believe you wouldn’t take a sip of that if you knew it would give you eternal life?” When I shook my head, his head tipped. “Why?”
“Because I value my free will far more than long life.” I pushed the drink away until it clinked against his. “I’d rather live one day free than an eternity in a cage.”
He was quiet for a moment. The server stayed between us, staring at him, waiting.
“Then why are you here?” he asked me finally.
I leaned forward and hoped my stare was as powerful as his. “Because free will is expensive.”

 


 

 

 

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Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.
 

Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.

 

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RELEASE DAY BLITZ ~ Unstoppable by Heather Long

Jan 1

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UNSTOPPABLE by Heather Long

What happens when an unstoppable force immovable object meets an immovable object?

unstoppableboomers 


Follow the blitz for your chance to enter the giveaway! 
Five winners will get: one eCopy of THE JUDAS CONTACT, Boomers #1!

 

Giveaway Link:

 

Link for FB, Twitter and other social platforms:

 

Follow the Release Day blitz!

January 1st

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RoloPolo Book Blog  Spotlight + Excerpt

The Silver Dagger Scriptorium  Spotlight + Excerpt

Small Girl, Her Man and Her Books  Spotlight + Excerpt


Title: Unstoppable
Series: Boomers #3
Author: Heather Long

unstoppableboomers

Genre: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Superhereos
Release Date: January 1, 2017
Publisher: All Romance eBooks LLC

Synopsis:

Joss Archer

Codename: Lieutenant 
Abilities: Soldier, Security Specialist, Private Contractor
Mission: Identify and Capture Bio-Enhanced Humans

A private contractor with military experience, retired Army Lieutenant Joss Archer took a job where she thought she could make a difference.  In her world, superheroes wear dog tags, not capes.  Dedicated to the principles of defending her nation and loyal to a fault, she is ready to resist any manipulation when she’s captured by what she believes are bio-enhanced mercenaries.  The more she learns who her bosses are working for, the more she realizes she may be on the wrong side of this war…

Drake

Codename: Tank
Abilities: Enhanced strength, and impenetrable skin
Mission: Locate Michael & Rex

A man on a mission, Tank has never questioned their goals in traveling through time to prevent the horrible world he and the other Boomers grew up in from ever coming to pass…until now.  His fellow Boomers are pairing off, but worse, they are making emotional decisions regarding their mates’ safety over and above the mission.  Betrayed, now the Boomers are missing two of their own, stuck tending to a violently wounded hero who hates them all, and Tank has to not only protect his Captain’s lady, but he has to break the soldier they captured to find out where his people are…

Find out more at: Amazon | ARe | iBooks | Kobo

Read an excerpt from DEADLY GENESIS:deadlygenesisboomers

The fire escape entry into the apartment would be better. It was near midnight before he made his move. The building had gone quiet, the faintest hum of the television volumes reduced so as not to wake those going to sleep. Rising, he stretched carefully and ignored the protest his muscles made after prolonged stillness.

Training kept his steps light as he slipped over the edge of the roof and descended the fire escape ladder to the first level. The rickety metal wasn’t the best for disguising his presence, but he made nary a rattle. After utilizing a small laser to free a pane of glass, he reached in and unlocked her window.

Entry brought him into her living room. The television was on, sending flickering light to dance shadows across the room, but the sound was off. Drake went still the moment he entered. He traded the laser in his palm for a small auto-injector loaded with a fairly strong narcotic. It would knock her out and allow him to remove her without a struggle.

Joss Archer won the lottery based on her rigid adherence to protocol and her decision to live off campus. The profile he’d studied on her indicated a straight shooter, honorable to a fault, and well trained. Numerous commendations decorated her military file. No movement disturbed the darkness of the apartment, and the show on the television looked like some kind of drama. Ignoring it, he scanned the layout of the apartment. It was a two bedroom, with a large living room and a kitchen attached.

He made it as far as the sofa before he sensed the trap. Not enough time to react or do much more than brace himself as two prongs slammed into his chest followed by a few thousand volts.

Electricity scorched his system, but Drake withstood the onslaught. Bowing his head, he fought to relax his muscles as they clenched with every jolt zinging through him. His adversary rose, her hand on the Taser control as another series of shocks ripped through him.

The fierce look on Joss’s face drained away as shock filled her eyes. Drake gritted his teeth at the surge in voltage before the device shorted out and the energized assault ceased. Though his overloaded nervous system continued to fire and his heart raced on its own personal marathon, Drake’s spiking adrenaline flooded his system and counteracted most of the effects.

“You done?” It came out far more menacing than he intended, but at the moment, she was lucky he needed her alive and had a personal objection to harming fellow soldiers or he would put her ass through that damn wall. The fucking Taser hurt.

Even as she straightened, the dumbfounded surprise melted from her expression to be replaced by cool competence. If he hadn’t already been struggling with the agony she’d inflicted, he would have admired her. “I was trying to do it the easy way.” Dropping the Taser, she drew out a Beretta M9.

Drake didn’t give her time to draw bead on him. The intent to shoot him reflected clearly in her expression. The dance of shadows from the television provided his only cover, so he didn’t bother. Charging her, he tried to control the force at which he struck her. The gun went off, and the bullet burned a scrape along his biceps.

The soldier bounced off him and hit the wall. A faint crack accompanied her impact and she slumped. Not trusting her compliance, he zip tied her wrists then her feet. Next, he field stripped the Beretta and tossed the parts into different potted plants throughout the apartment. Ripping off a part of his shirt, he tied it around the wound on his arm before he began a systematic sweep.

Identifying two electronic devices, he disabled them and then used a magnetic device in his pouch to wipe her computer and the backup server in her closet. It took him just under six minutes to complete the sweep and prepare her for extraction. Sirens closing in on the block warned him he’d overstayed his welcome.

Slinging the woman over his shoulder, he exited via the fire escape and ascended to the roof. Lights had come on in the apartment below, and he heard a woman’s frantic voice on the phone… “Only one shot. Yes, sir, I’m still here. Yes, I hear the sirens…no there were no other sounds.”

The smoking mother had heard the gunshot. His biceps burned as if sharing the memory. His left hand gave a jerk, and he damn near dropped his cargo. The electricity jolting in his system still seemed intent on scrambling his neurons.

Thank God Ilsa deactivated their chips or his might have been burning a hole through his cerebrum. He crossed several buildings, traveling two blocks from her place before descending to where Garrett waited with the van. The poisoner gave him a bland look when he dropped Joss into the rear and wrapped her into a rug. He spared one minute to check her pupillary response and her pulse before giving her the injection.

“You do realize you were supposed to give her that before you carried her here?” Amusement peppered the other Boomer’s words.

“No comment.” Closing the door, he took a seat next to the prone woman. “Drive.”

Other Books in the Boomers Series:

YESTERDAY’S HEROES yesterdaysheroes_final-189x300
(BOOMER’S PREQUEL)

Synopsis:

Aurora “Rory” Graystone

Codename: Halo

Abilities: Superior reflexes, I.Q. and aptitude for calculating probabilities

Mission: Find missing teammates

Rory knows she’s being watched, and she’s not about to let the hunter catch her in his trap.  She’ll confront her stalker, a man she suspects is involved in the disappearances of other superheroes – if she can ignore the sensual heat that fills her every time he’s near…

Michael Hunter

Codename: Hard Target

Abilities: Expert tracker and sniper

Mission: Kill Rory Graystone

One of five desperate men sent back in time to save the future, Michael believes eliminating Rory is the key to his mission.  But even as he takes aim, a split second of doubt causes him to miss his shot.

Drawn together by passion, and on a collision course with fate, can Rory and Michael work together to change the future?  Or have they set in motion the horrific history the time-travelers are trying to prevent?

Prequel is available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | ARe

 

THE JUDAS CONTACTjudascontactboomers

Doctor Ilsa Blaine

Codename: Doc

Abilities: Designs programmable bioware, enhanced understanding of brain chemistry

Mission: Research, analyze and troubleshoot the team’s active microchips

On the cutting edge of neuroscience, Ilsa is developing microchips that can be inserted into the brain and deliver information. The applications are endless, but her current goal is just to get dogs to return to their owners should they ‘become lost.’ When her college roommate turns up asking for lunch, she’s hardly prepared for the chaos that ensues or the revelation her chip changed the world and the lives of five heroes from the future. And now they need her help…

Garrett Fox

Codename: The Viper

Abilities: toxins, poisons and assassination, he can kill with a touch

Mission: Protect Ilsa Blaine

One of five desperate men sent back in time to save the future, Garrett volunteers to be the doctor’s guinea pig as she studies their neuro-chips. It’s not his first time being a lab rat. In close quarters, the unthinkable happens, an attraction that could kill Ilsa. Drawn together by science, and on the fast track to destiny, Ilsa must prove to Garrett he isn’t toxic to everything and save his team from their chips before they can end them…

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. An alliance with Halo has given their leader a taste of hope. For these five lonely soldiers, the single emotion may prove their most dangerous threat.

Find out more at: Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | ARe

 

DEADLY GENESISjudascontactboomers

Amanda Kincaid

Codename: Corkscrew 
Abilities: nuclear fission and fusion, absorbs energy and fires beams of radiated heat 
Mission: recovery of lost memories and sanity 

Kidnapped and experimented on by R.E.X. labs, Amanda’s memories are foggy. She can’t recognize friend from foe and she strikes out with everything she has. Only one man penetrates the storms surging in her mind, a soothing stranger with hypnotic eyes… 

Simon Masters

Codename: Soothsayer 
Abilities: telepath 
Mission: save Corkscrew or terminate her 

Cautious, methodical Simon has always been careful to keep his innermost self, contained. Simon must confront his fears—and his deepest secrets—to help the powerful mutant rein in her abilities in. 

With new enemies closing in and dark revelations unfolding, the Boomers face their greatest challenge yet and the deeper into her psyche Simon pushes, the more her madness threatens them all… 

Winning never felt so much like losing. The team has recovered Corkscrew, but she is lost to insanity. Simon, the most cautious of them all, must risk everything to bring her back from the brink, but losing this gambit could cost them Simon as well.

Find out more at: Amazon | ARe | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

About the Author:heather-long

National bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime. From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories—her characters drive the books. When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

Connect with Heather: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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RELEASE BLITZ ~ Xavier (The Recherché Series #3) by Brit Lauren

Dec 31

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Now LIVE!

Xavier
The Recherché Series #3
by Brit Lauren

Blurb

I’m selling your fantasy. Are you buying?
Life has a way of throwing you a curveball when you least expect it. My curveball tore away everything I loved and left me with nothing. Now, I’m a male escort. I make good money, really good money and I’m living the life most guys would probably sell a limb for, but I’m not happy. I haven’t been since she left me six years ago. Six long years, and there she is…as a client.
Alexa Trent broke me once, and I’m not sure any amount of time heals the kind of wounds she inflicted. The question is, can I remain professional with the woman I both loathe and love? Lust and hate are so very close, and with her wealthy husband looking on, hatred shouldn’t be too hard to muster.

Excerpt

“Fuck her.”Will’s voice is a gruff command, and my gaze snaps to his. He hasn’t moved but I can practically see the tension building in him. 

Yanking Alexa to her feet, I spin her away from me, forcing her to face him. She gasps as I wrench her back against my chest by her hair, which is still wrapped around my wrist. 

“Take your underwear off,”I growl against her ear before nipping her earlobe. I want to demean her, to make her feel worthless and unvalued. Because I don’t value her, not now. Each breath she takes is nothing more than a ragged gasp hitching in her throat desperately. She slides her hands down her sides and I feel her shimmy her hips from side to side as she takes her underwear off. I bite back a groan as her now bare arse cheeks press against my cock. Releasing her hair, I grab her hips and shove her towards to bed roughly, making her stagger a few steps. I’m being an arsehole to her, but it’s the only way. I can’t do gentle or even respectful when it comes to her. This man wants to watch his wife get fucked, which means he gets off on the idea of her being a whore. 

I’ll treat her like a whore. I grab the condom from the pocket of my discarded trousers and slide it on before I climb on the bed and lay flat on my back with my head towards hubby. She stands beside the bed, her eyes shooting between me and him. I want her to ride me, because I don’t want to look at him. I’m not sure I want to look at her either but I can’t deny that Alexa has always been gorgeous. It’s easier to watch her and get lost in her body, easier to forget that it’s her. 

“I don’t have all day,”I say coldly. My cock is standing up, ready and waiting. I popped a Viagra before I came here, but honestly, I wouldn’t have needed it. Alexa has always made my dick turn to stone. Because aside from the fact that she’s a shallow bitch, her body is perfection and her face looks like a damn work of art. Yes, Alexa Daniels was the girl every single guy wanted to fuck. And I got her, or so I thought. 

She crawls onto the bed, tentatively gazing down at me. I grip her hips and wrench her forward. She half falls over me and swings a leg over my hips. Her palms slap against my chest and our eyes meet for a moment. Something passes between us and I don’t know whether it’s regret, resentment, lust, or a combination of all three. Honestly, this situation is so messed up, but who am I to call time on this shit? This is my job. She could have said something the second I walked in here and she didn’t. Maybe she’s just not keen on the idea of being fucked by a stranger. Maybe she’d rather get fucked by me, even if she knows I hate her. 

Her gaze never leaves mine as I slowly force her down on my waiting cock. Her lips part and her eyes close, her long lashes casting a shadow over her high cheekbones. 

She slides all the way down until I’m balls deep inside her, and I bite my bottom lip hard enough that I taste a hint of blood. She gasps and tosses her head back, sending waves of dark hair cascading down her back until it’s brushing my fingers at her hip. Her back bows and her tits strain against the lace of her bra, making me want to tear it off and suck on her perfect fucking nipples. She rolls her hips, bringing her eyes back to mine. And there it is, the connection, the spark, everything that made us, us. Time and distance seem to fall away in an instant and it feels as though nothing has changed and I’m right back to where I was six years ago, fucking obsessed with Alexa Daniels. And I hate it. I want her to feel as rejected and hurt as I did until the need becomes unbearable.

Xavier Buy Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US


Other Books in the series 

I’m selling your fantasy. Are you buying?

They say that love is the most powerful force in the universe. They’re wrong. Sex, lust, passion, these are the emotions which human beings crave. And they’ll spend any amount of money for a taste.

I’m the guy that makes your heartbeat rise with a look, your breath falter with a touch. It’s my job. My name is Thor Jameson and I’m a male escort. No, I’m THE male escort. My reputation is unrivalled and well deserved.

I’ve always been for sale, until the one thing I didn’t even realise I wanted was thrust in my face by chance. For once, I’m not selling, and she’s certainly not buying.

Amazon UK

Amazon US

I’m selling your fantasy. Are you buying?

My name is Kaden Ryan and I’m a male escort. I never intended to become an escort, but an opportunity fell into my lap and I took it. It was simple: get paid for sex, an orgasm, a night of pleasure. It’s certainly an easy way to work my way through medical school.

But not everyone’s fantasy is as simple as an orgasm. Some women like the game, and one in particular wants to push me to places I never thought I would go, paid or otherwise. She’s going to be the one to give me a real education

 
Amazon UKAmazon US

About the Author


Brit Lauren is a pen name of LP Lovell. LP Lovell is an Indie Author from Salisbury, England. She’s known for her sick sense of humour, her outrageous comments and a general lack of brain to mouth filter. Fuelled by copious amounts of Diet Coke, she likes to create feisty female characters who bring their men to their knees. If she’s not writing then LP can be found riding her horses, or walking her ever present writing companion; Tulula the dog.
LP Lovell’s first novel; Besieged was published in February 2014, and was an international Amazon best seller. The sequel Conquered is due for release in September 2014.

LP loves to hear from readers

Brit Lauren – Author Page on Facebook
LP Lovell – Author Page on Facebook
Brit Lauren on Goodreads
LP Lovell on Goodreads
LP Lovell on Twitter

 

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RELEASE BLITZ ~ Reigning Her In by Dani Wyatt

Dec 31

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THIS NOVELLA WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE HOT FOR TEACHER ANTHOLOGY AS RIDING THROUGH.

I’d come to accept the predictable routine of my life until I saw her ass in those riding pants. Constance Montgomery…damn, with her legs spread on the leather of the saddle has my mouth watering and things inside me shift. Seems my program is about to change. All the years of indifference to any female form all come tumbling down. My hard rule to never get involved with a student is about to be broken. With her.

Reed Sawyer is at the top of his game. An elite equestrian trainer with looks to kill and he’s staring straight at me. Only, he’s not my trainer because my parents make all those decisions. I’m tired of being under my parent’s thumb. Maybe it’s time I pushed the envelope a little. And Reed Sawyer looks like just the right wall to start pushing on.

A naïve, sheltered girl. A brooding, perfectionist with years of pent up need. The sparks fly. The walls come down. Hot lessons are learned.


Author’s Note: A hot instructor, a riding crop and that old phrase about a guy being hung like a…Well you get the idea. Jump on for a ride that will have you reaching for a cool Mint Julip and a fresh pair of panties. It’s scorching hot, sweet and filthy romance with instant everything.

 

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I’m supposed to be here to help her, but I can’t help what happens next.  She squeezed my fingers. A gentle tug was all it took.
My mouth nearly crushes hers as I take our first kiss.

Her lips taste innocent as they open, my tongue lighting up with the first flavor of her.  Something rumbles out of me like a pained groan, because it hurts.  This kind of intensity hurts in a spectacular way.

Her tongue answers me with its movement, her own sweet, tiny sounds that make my dick shatter the ceiling of the space available in my pants.  He’s curling in half as he grows, and I hope she doesn’t notice.

If I had my way, I’d hear that tiny moan every second of every day for the rest of my life.  It’s more than beautiful; it calls to me.

 

It’s lips and soft moans and the soft click of teeth meeting teeth before I break away, my hand grasping possessively around the side of her face.  My thumb rasping back and forth in an attempt to feel as much of her soft skin as it can.  My fingertips digging harder than they should into the back of her neck, bringing my forehead to rest on hers.

“I’m sorry.”  My face is flushed, I’m shaking.  “I shouldn’t have done that.”

My head is throbbing, along with my balls.  They are tight against my body and something inside me is born.  Something that wants her in a way that frightens me.  An obsession explodes and I’m not sure I can tame it enough to keep from hurting her.  I want my cum dripping from her; I want to feel her flesh to flesh from the inside.  I need her vulnerable, available, spread for me to enjoy and make filthy with me.  Never before has a woman ignited this kind of lust, these kinds of thoughts, and frankly I’m scared shitless.

“I’m not sorry,” she murmurs as I desperately try to regain control of the animal she’s created in me.

 

The air in the room seems to disappear.  My lungs ache but inside my head, I think, who needs oxygen?  I have only one need and she is the only way to satiate that need.

The idea that this innocent beauty and I are sharing similar thoughts is enough to make me nearly cum in my pants.  Drops of liquid are already soaking through the fabric below my waist, and I think I would need another ten layers to hide her effect on me.

The sight of her cheeks rising pink, the way her nipples greet my gaze from under the faded hospital gown, make me want to tear the offending fabric into shreds and have her never be clothed around me again.  Who is this dominant beast?  I’m the ever reserved, commanding, cool leader.  Always in control.

Not now.  If I had my way, I’d slam the furniture against the door of this room and take her right here.  A single word thrums in my head.  It won’t stop as much as I try to push it away.

Mine.  Mine.  Mine.

 

I fight the urge to crawl on top of her and make her filthy in ways I never imagined before her. But with the taste of her lips, thoughts of my cum inside her are fighting with the civilized parts of me to maintain some control.

I imagine slicing my tongue between her dripping cunt lips for the first time.  It’s one of many things I’ve never done before.  My words growling into her body, saying every filthy word I can think of as I breathe her in and swallow her flavor.

I imagine the subtle differences in the texture of her skin on my tongue, the ripples and folds, the hard nub where I want to draw her between my lips and consume the very essence of her.  I want to make love to her with my mouth for hours.

 

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Dani Wyatt loves her alpha men; make them military, cowboys, MMA — any uber alpha with a wicked possessive streak and an insatiable libido. Receive a free exclusive unpublished title when you join Dani’s private readers group for updates, free chapters and discounts.
She’s a 40 something regular lady who just happens to love badass alpha males who pull your hair and love their women with a lethal passion.
When she’s not writing (which is not often) she is probably laughing about some irony (like A-1 Steak Sauce is vegan), riding her horse, wondering why The Walking Dead can’t have a new episode every night, or looking cross-eyed at some piece of technology sent to ruin her day.
 
Author Links
 

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RELEASE DAY BLITZ ~ Hate Story by Nicole Williams

Dec 30

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Nina can’t let herself fall in love with the man she’s going to marry. Both of them have experienced the sting and sham of love and have no intentions of falling victim to it twice. Love is expensive—hate is free.

Three years. A million dollars. A solution to both of their problems. They planned it all, from the story of their first meeting to the date of their divorce. Nothing could go wrong.

But what they didn’t consider was chemistry, and Nina and Max have no shortage of it. After too many near-kisses, Nina convinces herself that hating Max is better than loving him, and the more she gets to know this soon-to-be-husband of hers, the more she discovers just how very much she truly, madly, and deeply . . . hates him.

This isn’t a love story. This is the other kind.

 

 

“Okay. So how do you think this is going?” Max tipped the broom handle between us. “You and me?”
My forehead pinched together. “You and me the plan? Or you and me the surprise?”
Max’s brow answered my question.
“And this topic is what you consider not-so-deep?” I nudged him and moved to finish stocking syrups.
“All I’m looking for is a simple estimation. Since we were just talking about school, give us a grade for how you think this is going.”
“A grade? Like A, B, C, D, F?”
“Exactly like that.”
I shook my head. “Did you have a rough day at work today? Lose an Olympic-size swimming pool of money or something? Are you needing your daily ego stroking to come from somewhere else today?” When I glanced back at him, I found Max leaning into the door he’d relocked, arms crossed and waiting.
“Our relationship is unique,” he said. “Intricate. I’m asking not because I need my ego stroked, but because I care. If I need to make some changes, I’m willing to. Anything you need, whatever you want, that’s what I’ll give you. But first, I have to know how I’m doing.”
If a man could get a woman pregnant from a piercing stare and a collection of words, I’d just gotten myself good and knocked up. With twins.
“You know how it’s going,” I said, trying to focus on the syrups instead of what—or who—I wanted to focus on.
“I know how I think it’s going. I’d like to know how you think it’s going.”
My mouth went a little dry. Having these kinds of talks was hard for anyone—they were next to impossible for me. “Well, you haven’t gone and confessed your undying love or scared the hell out of me by asking me to be your baby mama, so you’re keeping your promise to take it nice and slow.” When he gave a mini bow, I rolled my eyes. “Not to mention you aren’t too shabby in the sack, you don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink, and you share the remote well.”
Max’s face went flat. “Not too shabby?”
“Oh, please. You know how good you are. Stop fishing for compliments.” A flush crept up my neck as I thought of the most recent evidence to support that theory.
A slow, crooked smile spread across his face. “I want a grade.”
“Like comprehensive? Or broken down by category?” I was stalling, and Max knew I was stalling.
“You’re making this way too difficult,” he grumbled.
“An A minus,” I said abruptly. “I’d give you an A minus.”
“Why not an A plus?”
I kept my head turned so he couldn’t see my smile. Only Max Sturm would be outraged by an A minus. “Because there’s always room for improvement. And I wouldn’t want it to go to your head, that’s why not an A plus.”
The door creaked when he shoved off of it. He made no move to tame the way he was checking me out, leaning into the counter as I organized the syrups. “Something’s definitely going to my head.”
My gaze roamed his zipper region. “I was talking about the one north of your neck.”
“And I’m talking about the one at the end of my dick. My, at present, hard dick, thanks to you.” He came up behind me, fitting himself against my backside as his hands moved around to work on my jeans.
“Max,” I protested, my eyes closing a second later when his dick nuzzled deeper into my backside.
“Nina. I’m taking your body. Here. Now.” His chest pressed into my back as he lowered my zipper. “Accept that so we can move on to the next part.”

 

 

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Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.
 
Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.

 

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BLOG TOUR ~ Brake Failure by Alison Brodie

Dec 30

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Title: Brake Failure
By: Alison Brodie

 
Publication Date: January 9, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
 
Brake Failure is a contemporary romance with a kick-ass heroine. The story is set in one of the most fascinating periods of America’s history: the months leading up to Y2K “melt-down.”

 

“Is it too late to tell him you love him when you’re looking down the barrel of his gun?”

 

Ruby Mortimer-Smyth is an English debutante, destined for Lady’s Day at Ascot and taking tea at The Savoy. She knows the etiquette for every occasion and her soufflés NEVER collapse.

She is in control of her life, tightly in control. Until fate dumps her down in … Kansas.

Ruby believes that life is like a car; common-sense keeps it on the road, passion sends it into a ditch. What she doesn’t know is, she’s on a collision course with Sheriff Hank Gephart.

Sheriff Hank Gephart can judge a person. Miss Mortimer-Smyth might act like the Duchess of England but just under the surface there’s something bubbling, ready to explode. She’s reckless, and she’s heading for brake failure. And he’s not thinking about her car.

With the Millennium approaching, Ruby gets caught up in the Y2K hysteria. She joins a group of Survivalists, who give her a gun and advise her to stockpile basic essentials, such as gasoline and water-purifying tablets. So she bulk-buys Perrier, Gentleman’s Relish and macaroons.

Ruby, far from home, is making Unsuitable Friends and “finding herself” for the first time. She falls in with a gang of Hells Angels and falls foul of the law. At every turn, she comes up hard against Sheriff Hank Gephart, whose blue eyes seem to look deep into her soul. She desperately wants him but knows she can never have him.
She’s angry at the emotions he arouses in her. Pushed to her limit, she bursts from her emotional straightjacket.

As the clock strikes midnight of the new Millennium, she’s on a freight train with three million dollars, a bottle of Wild Turkey and a smoking gun.

What happened to Miss Prim-and-Proper? And why did she shoot Mr Right?
______

Note: Alison Brodie wrote this story from first-hand experience. She lived in Kansas during this time and was stunned by the hysteria, unnerved that the US government was spending $150 billion preparing for Armageddon. As Lionel Shriver says in “We have to Talk About Kevin”: ‘1999, a year widely mooted beforehand as the end of the world.’



What Others Are Saying

5 * “OMG…I freakin’ LOVED this book…going on the list of one of my favorites of 2016.” – Star Angels Reviews

5* “Everyone needs to read this book. It’s blooming brilliant.” – The Reading Shed

5* “Hilarious.” – Lauren Sapala, Book Reviewer and Writers’ Coach

5* “A laugh-out-tale that will keep you flipping the pages as fast as possible.” – Tome Tender

5* “Empowering…comical…refreshing.” – San Francisco Book Review


 

Pre Order Your Copy NOW!

 

 

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That afternoon, Ruby parked outside Shady Acres. She couldn’t wait for Gephart to ask her out on a date. Then she could tell him she was married. Ha!
He sat in reception. In full uniform. Why couldn’t he have changed into civilian clothes? Now he would make her look like an offender. Or was that his intention? Just because she’d put a few scratches in his police car.
‘Hi, Ruby.’ He stood up, crushing a plastic cup in one hand and tossing it in the bin.
She stared pointedly down at his belt. ‘Are you going to put me in handcuffs?’ she asked sarcastically.
He winked. ‘Not if you’re good.’
Ruby blushed. Why was it that every time she gazed into his eyes, she felt as if a hand was pressing down on her chest? She was only thankful that once she started reading to the old lady, Hank Gephart would go.
The receptionist was busy dealing with two elderly gentlemen, so Ruby and Hank had to wait to sign-in. Ruby felt strangely jittery in the big man’s presence. She only wished he wouldn’t stand so close. She inched further along the reception counter and, wanting to hide her nervousness, started squaring up the brochures into neat piles.
He came closer. ‘Ruby, I don’t like you mixing with Hells Angels.’
She felt his warm breath on her cheek. ‘Is there a law against that?’ Refusing to look at him, she picked up a brochure and found herself reading about incontinence.
‘No, but-’
‘Then, presumably, I have the freedom to choose with whom I associate?’
‘Yeah, but I’m warning you-’
Warning you. Angrily, she grabbed up another brochure and flicked through it at speed, false teeth and hearing-aids flashing by. ‘Why do you have to be so aggressive? Why can’t you say, “may I suggest?”’
‘Okay.’ He rested his arm along the counter and leant towards her. His eyes were blue, very blue. ‘May I suggest you keep away from them?’
‘No, you may-!’ She stopped abruptly. A matronly nurse was hovering beside them.
‘Well, Hank,’ the nurse said gaily. ‘Is this your lady friend you’ve been telling us about?’
Hank beamed down at Ruby with proprietary pride. ‘It sure is.’
‘I’m not his lady friend,’ Ruby mumbled.
‘Nice to meet you, Ruby,’ the nurse said. ‘I’m Amy.’ She beckoned with a finger as if tempting two small well-behaved children to an exciting treat. ‘If you want to come along, Mrs Amstruther is waiting.’
As they walked along the corridor, Ruby noticed two pretty nurses break off from their conversation to study her. She sensed that Hank had been gossiping about her. She caught up with Amy, determined to quash whatever rumours were flying around. ‘I am not at all familiar with Geph- I mean, Hank.’
The nurse stopped at a door and knocked. ‘I love your accent.’
Ruby persisted. ‘I have merely bumped into him on various occasions.’
‘We know.’ The nurse winked and opened the door. ‘You two go on in.’
As Ruby spluttered indignantly, Hank took her by the elbow. ‘Mrs Amstruther?’ he called. ‘I’ve brought my friend to meet you.’
‘Come in, come in,’ a quavery voice replied.
Ruby stepped across the threshold and froze.
Mrs Amstruther was blind.
The old lady was sat up in bed, dressed in a faded, flower-print bed-jacket, her eyes wrapped in bandages; her skin appeared almost translucent, the pink skull showing beneath a mop of dazzling white hair. She smiled sweetly, reaching out a tentative hand.
Ruby felt a pang. Mrs Amstruther shouldn’t be here; she should be in a cottage-garden in Devon with a wicker table laden with a cream tea and a vase of freshly cut delphiniums; and surrounded by her grandchildren.
‘Dear Hank,’ Mrs Amstruther murmured. Ruby stepped forward, and put her hand in the old woman’s. ‘Hello, I’m Ruby.’
‘Oh, how lovely to hear an English voice! You’re so kind, Ruby; volunteering to read to a boring old lady like me.’
‘It’s my pleasure.’
‘Hank didn’t bully you, I hope?’ Mrs Amstruther said in mock gravity.
With an ache of sadness, Ruby gazed down at the old woman so far from home – a home she would never again see. Ruby realised the childish bickering between her and Gephart was pathetic. The discord she had brought into the room, evaporated. ‘I didn’t need to be bullied. I was delighted with Hank for asking me.’
‘Do take a seat, Ruby, dear,’ the old woman said.
Ruby pulled an armchair closer to the bed. The room was sunny, the walls covered in framed photographs of children at the seaside. Beyond the window, at the far perimeter of a vast lawn, a freight train rumbled passed, the melancholic blast of its horn fading into the distance. Gephart, too, was watching it.
Mrs Armstruther’s hand was searching the rumpled bedding. ‘Ruby, could you possibly read a few pages of Wind in the Willows? My son loved it when he was little.’ She brought out a book from under the covers. ‘It’s so annoying not being able to see. Thankfully the bandages come off at the end of the month.’
‘So it’s not …?’
‘What, dear?’
‘Permanent?’ Ruby asked, taking the book.
‘Oh, no, it’s just cataracts; the curse of old age.’
Ruby, discovering the old woman would recover her sight, felt a lightness of spirit; felt she could embrace all her fellow beings – including Hank. He was standing, studying the photos on the wall. Catching his eye, she smiled at him, tilting her head towards the door, a silent message that he could leave.
He wrinkled his brow, evidently unable to gauge her meaning.
She tried again, running her fingers through the air towards the door.
He gave her a stupid look.
‘Are you going?’ she mouthed silently.
He nodded to signify that he understood. Then he shook his head, walked over to the armchair by the window, sat down and rested his hands squarely on his knees.
He was obviously staying.
‘Have you ever read Wind in the Willows, Ruby?’ Mrs Amstruther asked.
‘Yes, years ago.’
The old lady laughed. ‘Mole is delightful, isn’t he? Who is your favourite character?’
‘Toad. I loved it when he dressed up as a woman to escape the police.’ Ruby instantly regretted the words. ‘Of course, I don’t identify with Toad,’ she added hastily, forcing herself not to look at Gephart. ‘I just think he’s a loveable rascal.’
‘Isn’t he just!’ Mrs Amstruther settled back to enjoy the story, and Ruby began:
‘“The Mole had been working hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home …”’
Why is P.C. Plod hanging about anyway? Surely he’s not interested in riverbank creatures.
‘“First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash till he had dust in his throat and eyes and splashes of white-wash all over his black fur, and an aching back and weary arms …”’
He’s staring at me; I know he is.
‘“Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below …’”
This was too much! Ruby glared at him. ‘Haven’t you got a murder to solve?’
‘What?’ Mrs Amstruther jerked in confusion.
Ruby was appalled by her thoughtlessness. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, Mrs Amstruther, I was talking to Hank. You see, I don’t want to keep him from his work.’
He folded his arms across his chest and grinned. He was obviously taking delight in her embarrassment. ‘I’m off-duty,’ he said.
For the sake of the old lady, Ruby had to speak sweetly, but there was nothing stopping her from raking the man from head to foot with hostile eyes. ‘Do you always wear uniform when you’re off-duty?’
‘I do when I haven’t had time to get to my locker and change.’
She couldn’t bear to look at that smug face a second longer. She snatched up the book and continued to read. ‘“Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below-’” She stopped in confusion, her cheeks a fiery red.
‘Oh, I’ve read that bit already.’
She could sense him laughing at her. And he was!
He stood up, his eyes dancing mischievously. ‘I’ve got a feeling Ruby can’t concentrate with me here. I’m flustering her pretty little head.’
Her relief that he was going was rapidly replaced by horror. That awful man was insinuating she fancied him! As he passed by, he bent and kissed her on the cheek. ‘I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby … Sweet Cheeks,’ he said softly, squeezing her shoulder.
Wide-eyed and apoplectic, she watched him walk to the door.
‘He’s such a lovely man,’ Mrs Amstruther said after he had gone.
Ruby couldn’t trust herself to speak.
‘The nurses say he’s very handsome. Is he?’
Ruby was still pinning the door with a look of fury. ‘O-h-h, you don’t want to know what I think.’
She picked up the book, her decision made.
She was no longer angry; in fact, she was rather jubilant. Like any institution, this building would have a goods delivery entrance. Well, Gephart, she thought complacently. You’re about to have a long wait because Sweet Cheeks, here, is going out the back.


 

 
Alison Brodie is a Scot, with French Huguenot ancestors on her mother’s side of the family.  Alison was a photographic model, modelling for a wide range of products, including Ducatti motorbikes and 7Up.  She was also the vampire in the Schweppes commercial. 

A disastrous modelling assignment in the Scottish Highlands gave Alison an idea for a story, which was to become Face to Face.  She wrote Face to Face as a hobby and then decided to send it off to see what would happen.  It was snapped up by Dinah Wiener, the first agent Alison sent it to.  Three weeks later, Alison signed a two-book deal with Hodder & Stoughton.  Subsequently, Face to Face was published in Germany and Holland.  It was widely reviewed, ie:  “Vain, but wildly funny leading lady.” -Scottish Daily Mail.  It was also chosen as Good Housekeeping’s “Pick of the Paperbacks.” 

Unfortunately, Alison then suffered from Second-Book Syndrome.  The publisher’s deadline loomed and she was terrified because she didn’t have an idea for a story!  She found the whole experience a nightmare; and this is why she cautions first-time authors to write more than one book before approaching an agent.  She managed to finish the book – Sweet Talk – but it bombed.

While writing Sweet Talk, she moved to Kansas and lived there for two years.  She loved the people, their friendliness, their free-and-easy way of life, the history and the BBQs!  Sadly, her visa ran out and she had to come back to the UK – although her dream is to one day live permanently in America.  Now, Alison lives in Biarritz, France.

Alison has taken the exhilarating steps to becoming an indie author.  Her second ebook, THE DOUBLE, is out on Amazon Kindle with some great reviews.  “Excellent.” – San Francisco Book Review.

Alison writes contemporary romance.  She aims for a strong plot line, set against the background of a world-changing event, coupled with touches of humour, sexual tension and character transformation.
She loves to hear from her readers.

 
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