RELEASE DAY BLITZ – Buy Me Box Set by Alexa Riley

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 The Mistresses have been bundled together and now include the novella His First and Only, which was in the For the First Time bundle.

This book includes the entire BUY ME series, featuring a menage, a light BDSM story, a virgin hero and heroine, and a winter/summer romance.

There’s a taste for everyone in here, so go on and take a bite.

 

Warning: BUY ME is full of alpha heroes, sassy heroines, and lots of gooey steam. It’s sweet enough, dirty enough, and gosh darn it, people love it.

 

All About the Series HERE


 

Buy the book

 

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA

Free on Kindle Unlimited

 


 

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“If you don’t stop, I’m going to take you back to the room and give you what you’ve been begging for. Or is that what you’re after?”

Mandy giggles and leans into Charles, and I watch from behind them, trying my best not to eavesdrop. It’s not hard to overhear from just a few paces away, and I’m also trying my best not to look envious of the couple, but I can’t help that either.

I clear my throat to remind the casino owner that I’m still here, and they turn to look as if surprised to see me. Mandy blushes and looks away while Charles just smiles his devilish grin. Mr. and Mrs. Townsend have built the Snake Eyes casino into something wonderful, and I’m here today to talk about some opportunities for our casinos to work together.

I’ve owned the Blue Diamond casino for a few years now, taking it from a downtrodden, shabby dive to a shining jewel. I’ve been looking to expand some of our entertainment venues, and Charles is looking for the same. If we are able to work together, we both look to double our revenue, and it’s hard to turn down something like that. It’s unusual for casinos to promote one another, but Charles and I are birds of a feather. We both have a head for business and a strong work ethic. Although since Charles has gotten married, I can see he’s slowed down just a bit.

I would have slowed down with Tiffany. The thought enters my mind before I can stop it, and it hits me in the gut. I’m usually in better control of myself than that, but being close to a couple who are obviously so in love is eating away at me. My jealousy is palpable, and I have the urge to go throw up.

For years I searched for her. Do you know how many Tiffany Smiths are in the world? Fifty-two thousand, seven hundred and fifty-nine. And that’s assuming she didn’t change her name. I’ve gone through countless private detectives and more money than a normal man could make in a lifetime trying to find her. False hope and women pretending to be her have broken me over the years. I’ve built my empire in the hopes that one day she might find me. Hell, I even named my casino after her. I’ll never forget her bright blue eyes. I see them every time I close my own. Somewhere in my heart, I always thought we would find one another, but maybe she’s with someone else, moved on. The thought makes me clench my fists and grit my teeth. I only have myself to blame. I should have found her by now.

“You doing okay, Ethan?” Charles’s words snap me out of my angry guessing game, and I just nod, following him through the casino lobby.

“Have you seen Foxy’s new show?” Mandy asks, obviously trying to bring us back to business.

“No, I’m afraid I haven’t had the time. But I’ve heard great things.” We pass one of her posters for the old show, and I get a funny feeling in my stomach. It happens every time I see something that reminds me of my Tiffany. The poster is of a woman, turned away from the camera with only her head and shoulders visible. Her hair is white blonde with a pink bow pinned in it. The words Foxy Bow are emblazoned across the bottom in glitter. The picture doesn’t show her face, but the blonde hair makes me think of my girl. This is Vegas, though, and a bottle of bleach is on every street corner.

“Oh, we need to have these changed out. They are the old promotional banners. Come around the front and see the new one. I think they installed it just this morning.”

“Sure, sounds great.” I don’t know why I’m melancholy all of a sudden, but I think it’s because Tiffany is on my mind so much lately.

As we walk through the casino, I try to pay attention to the conversation. Charles and Mandy are discussing plans for the casinos and what they want as far as the future of our partnership is concerned. I spend most of my life working to get noticed by someone I haven’t seen in ten years. Someone who may or may not want to see me. Someone who may or may not even be alive.

I stop that train of thought as soon as it enters my mind. I would know if my soul was gone. I would feel it in my bones if she wasn’t still breathing. I’d know it.

The day I was pulled apart from her was the worst day of my life. When I was put in the back of that cop car by DCP, I begged them to take me back. I knew that if I was separated from her, something bad would happen. If I didn’t have my eyes on her at all times, he would get to her. I just knew her father was waiting for his chance.

When we got down to the police station, it turned out that they had found a relative of mine. I’d gone into foster care after my mother died. I was placed with the Mark family, who just happened to live next to my Tiffany. When I was at the darkest point in my life, it was like God sent her to me. To shine light on my dark world.

They found my grandfather, but he had recently passed, leaving everything he had to me. A pile of money and a casino that wasn’t turning a profit. As soon as the cops let me go, I raced back to Tiffany, only to find her gone. I beat the shit out of her father but later realized he didn’t know where she went either. So I started looking for her and building a life for us. Taking what my grandfather left me and increasing it tenfold. For her. For us.

“There she is. Our star.” Mandy waves her hand up, and I follow her line of sight.

I look up, seeing a huge banner stretched across the front entrance of the hotel, and as her ice blue eyes stare back at me, my knees go weak. It’s her. It’s my Tiffany. Clutching my chest, I nearly collapse to the floor, and Charles and Mandy rush to help me.

“Where?” I manage to choke out, but they don’t respond. They look at one another as if they’re confused. Like my whole world isn’t about to explode.

“Where is Tiffany?!” I bellow, and it echoes off the black marble walls.

“She’s about to go on stage. What the fuck is wrong, Ethan?” Charles is still holding my arm to steady me, but I break free and run as fast as I can to the other side of the casino. My legs burn and my chest aches. It can’t be possible. It can’t be true. Please God, let it be true.

I don’t know what happens, or who I knock over to get there, but when I get to the entrance, security is there to try to stop me. I feel a sudden rage come over me and I turn, punching someone who puts a hand on me.

I see Charles out of the corner of my eye. He’s holding up his hands and telling people to let me pass. He must see that I’m in a fury that won’t be stopped.

When I get past the entrance, I walk into a dark room, seeing the stage at the end, and I watch the curtains part. A bright light centers on the woman, and all the air leaves my lungs.

Standing there, glowing with perfection, is my girl.

 

 


 

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Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.

They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!

Author Links

Twitter  Facebook Website  Goodreads
 Amazon Page  Instagram

 

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COVER REVEAL – Sweetest Venom by Mia Asher


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Blaire’s epic love story concludes in Sweetest Venom
by Mia Asher!

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Add to your TBR:

Cover Designer: Mae I Design
RELEASE DATE: April 3rd, 2016


Blurb

Ronan
I fell in love with a lie …
She was beauty and destruction.
Kissing her was a tender song.
Fucking her, a wild poem.
Loving her, my downfall.
But she was mine.
Or so I thought.

Lawrence
I told her I wanted her body and not her love.
I lied.

Blaire
One man offered me his love.
The other, the world.
I’m falling, falling, falling …
And there’s no end in sight.

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Haven’t met Blaire yet? Now is your chance, Easy Virtue is NOW ON SALE!

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Grab your $0.99 copy at the following retailers:

Amazon US:
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About the Author:

My name is Mia Asher.
I’m a writer, a hopeless romantic, a wanderer, a dreamer, a cynic, and a believer. And, oh yes…I might be a bit crazy – but who isn’t?

Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Pinterest


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RELEASE BLITZ ~ Hell Bent by Katheryn Kiden

 
 
IT’S LIVE!
 

Parties, graduation, and having the time of your life is what it’s supposed to be like when you turn eighteen, Unless you’re Isabelle Irons. For Izzy, her eighteenth birthday came with an apartment with her best friend, the stresses of running a recording company, and the biggest lie of her life. In one moment her very identity was stripped away. Everything she knew about herself was based on a lie, and those she trusted most were in fact, the keepers of that lie. 
 
For years Bennett Price been building up a persona. A false face to show to his fans and the world, but it’s time to shed the facade and reveal what lies beneath. When he finally takes the chance on making his life his own, the changes may bring him more than he bargained for. 
 
After a chance meeting in the most awkward of circumstances, on the worst night of her life, could they possibly find each other? 
 
Izzy may be hell bent on her own destruction, but Bennett is hell bent on making her his.
 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Other Books by the Author:

 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 


 
 
Katheryn was born in Maine and raised in Maine. Growing up, she

was the only girl out of five children. Out of four loving, but hard-assed,
brothers she has been set on fire TWICE, shot at, left her with a burning car
and a five gallon container of gas, scared out of her mind every time they got
behind the wheel, and has enough hilarious stories and amazing memories to fill
a million books. It made her independent and every female character she writes
reflects strength and independence.


Katheryn books are full of page turning suspense, humor, and enough steam to overheat your e-reader.
“There are no weak women, just weak moments.”

 


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COVER REVEAL ~ Dirty Bastard by Emily Minton and Shelley Springfield

 

Title: Dirty Bastard
Series: Grim Bastards MC
Authors: Emily Minton & Shelley Springfield

 

Genre: MC Romance

Release Date: April 25, 2016
Cover Artist: Cover Me Darling

 

 

She’s a biker chick with an edge.

Daughter of an MC president, Trix Slade is used to living on the wild side, but nothing prepares her for being kidnapped by the Grim Bastards MC. Hellbent on getting back home, Trix will do anything to get away from her captors–anything. There’s only one problem, Boz is as sexy as he is wild– a tempting combination for a woman like Trix.

He’s a bastard with a soul.

The Bastards’ president, Boz Creed, wants to bring Trix’s father down and knows the best way to get to him is by using his precious daughter. Determined to get the revenge he seeks, Boz is willing to do anything to get what he wants–anything. There’s only one problem, Trix is as sexy as she is stubborn–a deadly combination for a man like Boz.

Can love between two rival clubs survive without someone taking the ultimate fall?
 

 


 


 

 


His lips press against mine again in a soul shattering kiss. It’s slow and gentle, soft. This kiss is unlike any we’ve ever shared before; unlike any kiss I’ve ever had in my life. It is pure love coming off both of us, melding us together as one.
Slowly pulling away, he pushes me over onto my back. He makes his way down my body, only stopping to place a kiss on both of my pebbled nipples before pulling my legs apart. His talented mouth covers my core as his tongue slips between my folds and runs over my sensitive clit. He sucks my clit into his mouth, scraping his teething over the sensitive nub. One of his fingers slips into me, gliding in and out at a leisurely pace.
His tongue circles my clit once, then again, before he sucks it into his mouth. He adds another finger, then curves them up to reach my G-spot. The gentle suction, along with his finger rubbing my flesh, pulls an earth shattering orgasm from my body.
Bringing my hands to his dark locks, I moan out his name. “Boz.”
I’m still catching my breath as he makes his way up my body, once again stopping to place a kiss on each of my breasts.  Then his lips are on mine again, for another gentle yet deep kiss. I can taste myself on him. The flavor of the two of us combined is completely intoxicating, causing an aftershock to course through my body.
He pulls away long enough to grab a condom and roll it on, then brings his mouth back to mine. His hardness is nudging at me, asking for entrance.  Instead of sinking in, he runs the head of his cock through my juices before settling back where he belongs.
Lifting my hips just enough for the tip to ease in, I look him in the eyes. “You are amazing.”
His eyes are locked on mine as he enters me inch by inch, slowly sliding deeper. “Never felt anything better, darlin’.”
I lift my hips again, forcing him to move with me. He slowly pulls out of my depths then glides back inside. He pulls out again and again, thrusting back in a bit harder each time. I wrap my legs around his waist, resting them right above his ass, then lock my feet at the ankles. After that, I simply hang on and enjoy the pleasure of him filling me.
“Nothing could be better than this,” I say with a sigh, closing my eyes.
His thrusts gain speed, going a bit deeper each time. His hips rock back and forth, grinding against me each time he bottoms out. When he changes angles, causing his pelvic bone to brush over my clit, the constant friction has me getting closer and closer to coming again. When he finally goes all the way in again, my entire body is on fire as pleasure fills me.
 
I toss back my head and moan out my love for him. “Only you.”
 

 


 
 

 


USA Today Bestselling author, Emily Minton is a Kentucky native. She is proud to call the Bluegrass State home. She claims she bleeds blue–Wildcat Blue! She has been married to her husband, David, for over twenty years. They share two wonderful children.
Emily loves to read and has more books on her kindle than most people could read in a lifetime, but she intends to read every single one. She has published nine books, but there are many more are floating around in her head. She hopes to get them all on paper before long. She loves sharing her dreams with her readers.

 
 

 

Shelley was born and raised in Kentucky and doesn’t see herself leaving the bluegrass state anytime soon. Shelley and her husband have been together for sixteen years, and they share three beautiful daughters and one handsome son.Although Grim Bastards is her first published novel, she has been a fan of romance reads for many, many years. Shelley loves all sorts of genres of romance but Contemporary, New Adult, and Romantic Comedy are her all-time favorites.

 
 
 

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BLOG TOUR ~ Fated by Regan Ure

 

 

 Title: Fated

Series: Forever #2

By: Regan Ure

 

Publication Date: March 22, 2016

Genre: YA Fantasy

 


 

Seventeen-year-old Keri Edwards has led a hard life. She is the daughter of the most ruthless Alpha in the territory. In the shadow of cruelty, he molded her to follow in his footsteps. Her father’s unexpected death has freed her and made her the Alpha of a powerful pack.

Forced to lie and deceive the people closest to her has led to the rejection of her mate, Blake Stevens. He walked away instead of claiming her. In his eyes she is the one who betrayed him, her actions unforgivable.

There is no time to deal with her heartache as she takes on the biggest task of her life, becoming the Alpha she was trained to be. Settling into her new role has dangers, and when Blake appears out of the blue, wanting her as his mate, she can’t trust his motives.


 



 


 

Forever Series #1

 


 

Regan is a South African who is married to an IT specialist. She is also mom to a daughter and son. She discovered the joy of writing at the tender age of twelve. Her first two novels were teen fiction romance. She then got sidetracked into the world of computer programming and travelled extensively visiting twenty-seven countries.

A few years ago after her son’s birth she stayed home and took another trip into the world of writing. After writing nine stories on a free writing website, winning an award and becoming a featured writer the next step was to publish her stories.

If she isn’t writing her next novel you will find her reading soppy romance novels, shopping like an adrenaline junkie or watching too much television.

RELEASE BLITZ ~ Sweet Love by KC Lynn

 

 

Title: Sweet Love
(The Sweet Series #1)
Author: KC Lynn

 

Release Date: March 24, 2016
TBR Link: Goodreads

 
Purchase Links
Synopsis

Two cups of a protective, dirty talkin’ alpha who loves his Cupcake.
One tablespoon of a sweet southern baker who loves her Sexy Sawyer, even when he’s being a hothead. 
 
A slice of the past that shows up on their doorstep, turning their world upside down with a life-altering plea. 
 
A dash of passion. 
 
A pinch of heartache. 
 
A sprinkle of hope. 
 
Mix together in a large bowl, creating a difficult choice, a testing of one’s faith, and a man who will do anything to protect his family—even if it means accepting a decision that could result in losing the one he loves most. 
 
Bake at 350° for a rich serving of life with a love that could withstand anything. Even the unthinkable. 
 
A timeless recipe that is sure to fill your heart with a generous helping of sweet love. 
 
*** 
This is a longer length novella that follows Sawyer and Grace’s journey after Sweet Temptation, book two in the Men of Honor series. It is told in dual POV, has an HEA, and no cliffhanger. Sweet Temptation should be read prior to this novella. It is recommended to read the other books in both the Men of Honor series and the Acts of Honor series as all the characters play recurring roles. However it’s not necessary. 
 

Warning: Due to mature subject matter, such as explicit sexual situations and coarse language, this story is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.



 


 

Excerpt

“What are you doin’ here?” I ask, licking my suddenly dry lips.

“I came here for you. We have some things to discuss.”

Uh oh… My pulse races for a whole other reason now. Does he know about my visit at the hospital today?

“Like what?” I whisper.

“Like this.” Hooking an arm around my neck, he yanks me against him then claims my lips in a heated caress.

My fingers curl in his shirt, a blissful sigh escaping me as he suddenly makes everything in my world right again.

A growl vibrates from him just before he picks me up off my feet, letting them dangle inches off the ground. My arms encircle his neck and I cling to him, absorbing his warmth.

“Too long, Cupcake,” he groans against my lips. “Been too fucking long without this.” He blows through the swinging door to the kitchen and sets me on the island. His large, warm hands slip under my skirt and run up my thighs to grip my hips. I suck in precious air as his mouth moves to the tender flesh of my throat. “No more, Grace. You hear me? You’re my wife, which means I get your taste, your body, and your heart every fucking day. You belong to me.”

 


 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Coming Soon from KC Lynn
 
 
An Act of Obsession 
Coming – Summer 2016
Add it to your Goodreads
 
Synopsis

She’s beautiful yet scarred beyond repair.
He’s powerful and lethal, in and out of the ring. 
 
One act of kindness brought Sophie Parish far more danger than she could have ever imagined. Now she’s on the run, leaving behind her family and the only dream she’s ever had. 
 
Retired EFC fighter Kolan Slade’s life has been one endless battle after another. He has a dark past with an even darker desire—the only one he’s ever known. 
 
Until he meets Sophie. 
 
Intrigued by her raw beauty and the secrets she’s trying to hide, Kolan craves to know who she is and what she’s running from.
 
Protecting her becomes his obsession and he’ll sacrifice it all to save her. But in the end her love will have him questioning himself and everything he thought he knew.
 
***
 
This is book three in the Acts Of Honor series, the spin-off series to Men Of Honor. Kolan and Sophie’s story is told in dual POV, has an HEA with no cliffhanger, and can be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend reading prior books in both series, as characters play recurring roles throughout.
 

 


About the Author
 

K.C. Lynn is a small town girl living in Western Canada. She married her high school sweetheart and they have four amazing children: two lovely girls and a set of handsome twin boys. It was her love for romance books that gave K.C. the courage to sit down and write her own novel. When she is not in her writing cave, pounding out new characters and stories, she can be found living between the pages of a book, meeting new tattooed, hot alpha males with very big…Hearts.

 
Follow KC
 

Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

 


 


Giveaway

4 – $25 Amazon Giftcards

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COVER REVEAL – Roadside Assistance by Marie Harte

 

 

Title: Roadside Assistance

Series: Body Shop Bad Boys #2 

Author: Marie Harte

 

Publisher: Sourcebooks 

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 Release Date: September 6, 2016


 

Blurb

 

Foley Sanders loves his mom, his best friend, and cars. His job at Webster’s garage is a little slice of greased heaven, and he’s been content for years. But watching his friends find happily ever after has him dwelling on the statuesque firecracker with a hate-on for men.

Cynthia Nichols is tired of feeling defensive about her size, so she’s decided to quit dating. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t noticed the annoyingly sexy giant whose cars are crowding her lot. Apologetic, persistent Foley charms her into a date… that goes horribly wrong.

Cyn might act as if she doesn’t like him, but her heated glances tell a different story. Before she knows it, Cyn is falling for Foley. Hard. But guys like Foley don’t date bigger girls, and he’s got a shady past—filled with skinny blondes. When things move too far too fast, she ends things before he can crush her heart into tiny pieces.

Foley knows Cyn is the woman for him. But if she won’t believe in herself, how can she believe in him loving her? Then tragedy strikes, and he’s not sure of anything anymore.

 


Pre-order Links

AMAZON: US / UK


 

Also Available

 

 

Releasing on June 7

AMAZON: US / UK

 


 

Author Bio

 

 

Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit Marie’s website and fall in love.

 
 

Author Links

FACEBOOK

 TWITTER


 

Giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ ~ Sass by Laramie Briscoe

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SASS
BY LARAMIE BRISCOE

RELEASE BLITZ

We have to give it a little sass…..

Release Date: March 24, 2016

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon ➼

Amazon UK ➼

Amazon CA ➼

Amazon AU ➼

ARE ➼

Google Play ➼

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Kobo ➼

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BLURB

I, Cassandra Straight, have loved Reed Shamrock to distraction since I was a teenager. I even watched him fall in love with someone else and almost get married.

A year ago, when he walked into his house and found his fiancée’s face in his best friend’s crotch, his life changed forever and it hasn’t been the same since.

On his first night out since the horrible incident, we run into the ex-skank. Seeing the devastation in his eyes, I made a promise that I would help him get over her. I told him that a pretend relationship between us would work. It would help him move on.

I didn’t count on my heart or his getting in the way. And I sure as hell didn’t count on not being able to tell when pretend turned to reality. When it all implodes, the only thing left is the truth.

Sometimes though, the truth? It hides and we have to dig deep to find it. To make it come to the surface, we have to give it a little talking to. We have to give it a little Sass.

Included in the back of Sass is an exclusive sneak peak of “Renegade” – the first book in a new series for 2017!

Add it to your TBR lists on Goodreads:




ABOUT LARAMIE

Laramie Briscoe is the best-selling author of the Heaven Hill Series & the Rockin’ Country Series.

Since self-publishing her first book in May of 2013, Laramie Briscoe has published over 10 books. She’s appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling E-books Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. She’s been called “a very young Maya Banks” (Amazon reviewer) and her books have been accused of being “sexy, family-oriented, romances with heart”.

When she’s not writing alpha males who seriously love their women, she loves spending time with friends, reading, and marathoning shows on her DVR. Married to her high school sweetheart, Laramie lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband (the Travel Coordinator) and a sometimes crazy cat named Beau.

Social Media Links

Website:

Email:

Facebook:

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GIVEAWAY – 3 EBOOKS OF SASS.


CHAPTER REVEAL – Sliding Down the Sky by Amanda Dick

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Release Date April 11th

 

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Callum Ferguson has grown up in the shadow of the sins of his father. The worst moment of his life came not at the age of sixteen, when he threw his father out of the house, but later in life, when he realised he was just like him. With a predilection for alcohol and violence, he sees his destiny every time he looks in the mirror.

 

Sass Hathaway, hell-raiser and successful musician, thrived in the limelight – until one night she lost it all. Drowning in an ocean of uncertainty, nursing a crippling case of self-loathing, her brother offers her a chance to find herself again.

 

His idea of salvation is a dilapidated bar. His proposal; she help him and his wife renovate and run it. However, when she and Callum cross paths, they both discover that salvation comes in many forms.

 

You can’t escape your past, you can only come to terms with it so that you can move on – but accepting your past is only the beginning. Then you must decide whether you’re strong enough to follow your heart.

 

(This can be read as a stand-alone, but reading ‘Absolution’ is recommended in order to get the most out of this story).   

 

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Prologue

 

“The sense of loss is such a tricky one, because we always feel like our worth is tied up into stuff that we have, not that our worth can grow with things we are willing to lose.” – Tori Amos

 

Callum

 

I spent a good part of my life hating my father. I hated the booze, I hated the way he treated my mother, and I hated the way he looked at me. I hated the man he was. I was as scared of him as I was ashamed of him. Then came that day, the day everything changed.

I remember that moment as if it were yesterday. Like all the moments in my life that shaped me into the man I am, they linger. They burn through my veins like neon, lighting me up from within. It doesn’t matter how deeply I try to bury them, I know they’re there. They carve scars deep into my heart and soul. Much like my tongue might caress the gap where a tooth used to be, my brain goes over and over these moments until they finally become part of my history. I don’t realise it at the time, but I will never be the same again.

Life can be stripped down to a few critical moments. We rarely recognise these moments as they’re happening. It’s not until much later, when the storm has passed, and with the benefit of hindsight, that we finally see them for what they are.

I was just like him.

The realisation itself was a dye, tainting everything. It leaked into my actions, my moods, the very essence of who I thought I was, until there was no point fighting it anymore. The situation I now found myself in was simply a culmination of all of that.

Jail cells had a particular smell, and this one was no different. A unique blend of vomit, urine and misery, overlaid with the not-so-delicate scent of bleach.

So far I’d managed to keep the booze down. I should’ve eaten, but that would’ve been counter-productive. My goal, if I’d been thinking clearly enough to have one, was to get rip-snorting, memory-erasing, coma-inducing drunk – drunk enough to forget about everything – but I couldn’t even manage to do that right. I should’ve been disappointed in myself, but I couldn’t even muster up the necessary disgust anymore.

The room seemed to tilt and I leaned forward to keep up with it, my head in my hands. I tried not to think. I didn’t want to think, but even when you don’t want to think, it happens anyway. Just like when your heart hurts so much, you convince yourself that this is it – it can’t get any worse. Then someone twists a knife and you find a new level of pain.

That’s what had happened to me tonight. I’d found a new level of pain, and it was cutting me to ribbons.

I swallowed back a combination of vomit and tears, my nostrils twitching as I fought against the impulse. I was not going to throw up or cry. I just wasn’t. I wished I had my phone. How many calls had I missed? What was going on out there?

I was in the cell with a couple of other guys, one much older, sleeping it off on the bench that ran across the opposite wall. The other guy was younger than me. I looked up at him out of the corner of my eye. He’d barely moved in the hour since I’d been thrown in here, and he hadn’t uttered a word. He was like me – the strong, stupid type. He just sat there, his back to the wall, watching everything. He didn’t look drunk, but then some of us hid it well. Instead, he looked like a simmering volcano. That look in his eye was all too familiar.

Like me.

Like Dad.

Only, my anger was waning. Teetering on the brink for so long, I could feel it burning away, taking with it the soul-destroying sense of betrayal and even the confusion. Now, I was just broken. Broken, and drunk, and too exhausted to search for a way out of this mess.

I sank my fists into my hair and pulled tight. It was pure distraction, like stomping on my foot to take my mind off a sore thumb. Maybe, if I ripped my hair out by the roots, it’d take my mind off the ache in my chest.

Self-preservation kicked in though, and I let go, choking back a sob that sounded more like a gasp. I wanted to sink into a deep ocean of self-pity, allowing the water to swallow me up without a trace, but I didn’t have that luxury.

I was wasting time. I had to get out of there. I had to get the hell out of there and see her, before it was too late.

I lurched to my feet, the floor leaning sideways as I hurled myself at the bars.

“Hey!” I shouted. “I need my phone call!”

Nothing.

“Can anyone hear me?”

“You’re wasting your time.”

I turned, still hanging on to the bars to keep my balance. The younger guy regarded me from across the cell, his eyes narrowing as if I was something he’d just scraped off his shoe.

“I need my phone call,” I said again.

“You have to wait, just like the rest of us. They’ll be back.”

He was right. I should’ve known that. This wasn’t my first rodeo. My heart sank and the despair was instant and absolute, wrapping cold arms around me and squeezing so tight, I had trouble breathing.

While I sat there, suffocating in self-pity, she could be dying.

She could be dying, and I wasn’t there.

 

AP - about the author.jpg

 

Amanda Dick is a night-owl, coffee addict, movie buff and music lover. She loves to do DIY (if it’s not bolted down, she’ll probably paint it, re-cover it or otherwise decorate it) and has tried almost every craft known to man/womankind. She has two sewing machines and an over-locker she can’t remember how to thread. She crochets (but can’t follow a pattern), knits (badly) and refrains from both as a public service.

 

She believes in love at first sight, in women’s intuition and in following your heart. She is rather partial to dark chocolate and believes in the power of a good vanilla latte.

 

What lights her fire is writing stories about real people in trying situations. Her passion is finding characters who are forced to test their boundaries. She is insanely curious about how we, as human beings, react when pushed to the edge. Most of all, she enjoys writing about human behaviour – love, loss, joy, grief, friendship and the complexity of relationships in general.

 

After living in Scotland for five years, she has now settled back home in New Zealand, where she lives with her husband and two children.

 

Her debut novel, “Absolution”, was released on 29 October 2013 (with the second edition releasing on 6 January 2015). Her second novel, “Between Before and After”, was released in May 2014. Her third novel, “Into the Void”, is scheduled to release in July 2015.

 

Author Links

 

Web  Twitter  Facebook  Instagram  Goodreads  Amazon Page


 

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BLOG TOUR ~ Saved By The SEAL by Diana Gardin

 

 

Title: Saved By The SEAL
(STANDALONE Battle Scars novel)
Author : Diana Gardin 

Genre: Romance 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
He saved her life. She showed him how to live it . . .
When he sees a woman drowning, Grisham Abbot immediately leaps into action. The Navy SEAL forgets his training, his past, and the explosion that forever scarred his body and his mind. He can only remember what he was born to do. But saving Greta Owen is a complication Grisham is definitely not ready for. She’s stunning and gorgeous—like sunlight after months of darkness. Yep, Grisham is so, so screwed.
Greta knows that the smart thing to do would be to run from Grisham. He’s a wounded warrior, and his head is a big-time mess. The problem is that Greta wants to make him her mess. One kiss and she’s completely in over her head. And if this SEAL risked himself to save her, then she must find a way to bring him back to life . . .



 
 


 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 


 

Diana Gardin was born and raised combing the coasts of Southeastern Virginia. She is now a happy resident of South Carolina as she married into an enormous Carolina-rooted family. She loves the beach, and even more than that she loves to read while sitting on the beach.
 
While writing was always a passion of Diana’s, she enrolled in college to become an elementary-school teacher. After eight years of teaching in both Virginia and South Carolina, she decided to stay at home with her first child. This decision is what opened her eyes to the fact that she still very much loved to write, and her first novel was born. Diana is the author of several works of New Adult Romance, including The Ashes Series, The Nelson Island Series, and the Battle Scars Series.



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