Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition (March 21, 2017)
New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak welcomes readers to the town of Silver Springs, where surprises wait around every corner!
The search for her birth mother brought Cora Kelly to the New Horizons Boys Ranch. Getting a job there was easy enough, but confiding in Aiyana, the ranch’s owner, that she’s really her daughter? Cora’s not sure she can do that, not unless she’s confident the news will be welcomed. And once she gets to know Elijah Turner—Aiyana’s adopted son and ranch manager—that decision becomes even more difficult.
Although Elijah can’t deny his deep attraction to Cora, he’s always struggled with trust. Anyone with his past would, and there’s something about the ranch’s newest employee that isn’t exactly as it seems. But if the feelings she awakes in his guarded heart are any indication, she might be just what he’s long been waiting for.
Finding Our Forever is the newest work from author Brenda Novak, and admittedly the first of her works that I have read. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be adding more of her books to my to-read list, especially the future books in this series.
This series starter lays the groundwork for what I have a feeling is going to be an amazing series. This story kicks things off with two people affected by adoptions, but in two different ways. One is searching for the adoptive mother who gave her away at birth, the other is enjoying the family he was adopted into as a young boy. The woman’s search leads her to both the truth of her past as well as to a love she never expected. I loved all the aspects of this story. From the setting to the characters, it was all done beautifully. As the story progressed, I experienced so many emotions and it was fantastic. I will say there was quite a big secret the heroine was keeping from her love interest and I was a nervous wreck that the truth would tear them apart. Luckily, all ended just as I had hoped it would.
If you’re looking for a well written, well-rounded story with fabulous characters and a wonderful story line, this is a book for you! Thank you, Ms. Novak, for a great read and a series I look forward to following in the future!
Four Loves
About Brenda Novak
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak has penned over 45 novels. A two-time Rita nominee, she’s won The National Reader’s Choice, The Bookseller’s Best, The Bookbuyer’s Best and many other awards. She runs an annual online auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com. To date, she’s raised over $2 million. Brenda considers herself lucky to be a mother of five and married to the love of her life.
by Rachel L. Demeter Fairy Tale Retellings, #1 Publication Date: March 15, 2017 Genres: Historical Romance, Fairy Tale Retelling, Gothic Romance, Adult
Experience the world’s most enchanting and timeless love story—retold with a dark and realistic twist.
A BEAST LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF HIS PAST
Reclusive and severely scarred Prince Adam Delacroix has remained hidden inside a secluded, decrepit castle ever since he witnessed his family’s brutal massacre. Cloaked in shadow, with only the lamentations of past ghosts for company, he has abandoned all hope, allowing the world to believe he died on that tragic eve twenty-five years ago.
A BEAUTY IN PURSUIT OF A BETTER FUTURE
Caught in a fierce snowstorm, beautiful and strong-willed Isabelle Rose seeks shelter at a castle—unaware that its beastly and disfigured master is much more than he appears to be. When he imprisons her gravely ill and blind father, she bravely offers herself in his place.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Stripped of his emotional defenses, Adam’s humanity reawakens as he encounters a kindred soul in Isabelle. Together they will wade through darkness and discover beauty and passion in the most unlikely of places. But when a monster from Isabelle’s former life threatens their new love, Demrov’s forgotten prince must emerge from his shadows and face the world once more…
Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty of the Beast brings a familiar and well-loved fairy tale to life with a rich setting in the kingdom of Demrov and a captivating, Gothic voice.
Beauty of the Beast is the first standalone installment in a series of classic fairy tales reimagined with a dark and realistic twist.
Disclaimer: This is an edgy retelling of the classic fairy tale. Due to strong sexual content, profanity, and dark subject matter, including an instance of sexual assault committed by the villain, Beauty of the Beast is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
? Book Trailer ?
?EXCERPT?
~ The East Tower ~
Arms sprang out from the darkness. They spun her full circle and slammed her body against the king’s portrait. Isabelle gasped, more in shock than from pain, as she stared into Adam’s deformed face. The lantern flickered behind his massive form, casting his cloaked body in silhouette. But she saw enough to know he was far from pleased. Rage and frustration radiated from his body like a palpable force.
“I warned you to stay out of here,” he said, his voice dangerously cold and deep. Those rugged vocals vibrated against her body and seeped into her marrow. “What part of forbidden didn’t you comprehend?” His voice lashed out from the darkness like a hurtled knife, and the word “forbidden” seemed to whisper another meaning altogether. Isabelle tried to answer but failed to find her voice. Indeed, her vocal cords had turned to solid ice, as numb and cold as the blood rushing through her veins. She couldn’t breathe; she felt like she was suffocating.
“My mother gave me that musical box on my fourth birthday,” he said, the sensual lull of his voice causing the fine hairs on her nape to stand erect. “And now your recklessness has destroyed it. Have you nothing to say?”
“I—I’m sorry.” He offered no reply; only the ragged sound of his breathing and the hammering blizzard broke the silence. “Please—I didn’t mean any harm.”
She struggled under the weight of Adam’s colossal body and battled to free herself. He merely gave a low chuckle and pressed her firmly against the portrait. He looked otherworldly at that moment, like an angel of death seeking vengeance. Both beautiful and monstrous, his cool, sapphire eyes overflowed with warring emotions. In spite of his harsh and ruthless exterior, she detected a quaver in his voice and saw that his large, cloaked shoulders trembled. The darkness in his soul cast a shadow that embraced her; as she peered up at him, she knew he was drowning in the turbulent waters of a past time.
“What a disappointment,” he went on, his voice growing deeper still, mocking her words from so many days ago, “You’re like any other woman.”
“I—I’m sorry. Please, Adam. I—” Her gaze shot past his body and over the wreckage of a past life. She thought of her private chamber again—of the stale perfumes and outdated garments.
Her flight or fight instinct seized hold of her. She attempted to scramble free, but he merely grabbed her shoulder and whirled her back against the portrait. Gloves wrapped his hands; his long, silk-clad fingers grasped her shoulder and kept her firmly in place.
He stood intimately close.
Far too close.
As close as Raphael had been that night.
“Going somewhere, ma belle? After you’ve worked so hard to find my East Tower?”
Hands like two steel bands held her wrists in place. Hot breaths, which faintly smelled of wine, seared her cheeks and assaulted her senses. Her breasts flattened against the pressure of his strong chest, and she felt that same chest swell and deflate in perfect sync with her own. One large hand slipped down her elbow and glided across her extended arm. The lush material of his gloves drew a shudder from her heaving chest. His breathing grew more ragged, shallower, and the erratic beat of his heart banged against her own.
Anger and desire warred on his face, twisting his features into a mess of both monster and man. “Find anything of interest, aside from my musical box? Come, come. You went through such great trouble to get here,” he asked, his voice now threaded with both anger and something else.
Yes, Isabelle recognized that something else. It was the same note that had entered Raphael’s voice that night…
She attempted to duck under his arm, but he moved swiftly, capturing her in the crook of his elbow. Reeling her toward him, he emitted a low, haunting chuckle that swelled the eastern tower to its rafters. She was back where she’d started—pinned against the portrait, Adam’s body serving as a flesh-and-blood blockade.
Hunger radiated from him, enfolding her in a current of sizzling power. His silk-clad hand grazed the curve of her breast as it moved down her body in a painfully slow caress. Even more alarming was her reaction to him. Her treacherous body responded with a crush of hot and cold pulsating waves. Then he whispered a taunt in her ear, and his liquid baritone slid down her backbone like honey; it swirled inside her, finding its home in her most intimate area.
He leaned closer still. His face’s uneven skin brushed against her neck, the black waves of his hair tickled her chin… His thick arousal expanded against her, reminding her of what he was capable of—and of her sheer vulnerability.
His lips teased the base of her throat. Cursing her traitorous body, Isabelle gasped at the gentle scraping of his teeth. His tongue and lips tormented her throbbing pulse—just barely, stirring her skin in a mere ghost of a touch.
?Meet the Author?
Rachel L. Demeter lives in the beautiful hills of Anaheim, California with Teddy, her goofy lowland sheepdog, and her high school sweetheart of fourteen years. She enjoys writing poignant romances that challenge the reader’s emotions and explore the redeeming power of love.
Imagining dynamic worlds and characters has been Rachel’s passion for longer than she can remember. Before learning how to read or write, she would dictate stories while her mother would record them for her. She holds a special affinity for the tortured hero and unconventional romances. Whether crafting the protagonist or antagonist, she ensures every character is given a soul.
Rachel endeavors to defy conventions by blending elements of romance, suspense, and horror. Some themes her stories never stray too far from: forbidden romance, soul mates, the power of love to redeem, mend all wounds, and triumph over darkness.
Her dream is to move readers and leave an emotional impact through her words.
Don’t be a stranger! Rachel loves to connect and interact with her readers:
EPISODE TWO: As a calculated assassin, Ripley thrives on always being in control. But when the woman he’s sworn to kill makes an offer he can’t refuse, his control is what he risks losing most.
Ripley They call me RIP. I’m a killer. A murderer. A psychopath. In the eyes of the righteous, I’m a monster, born of sin and depravity. I want to protect her, but I’m not a good man. I want to love her, but I no longer feel. She gets under my skin, though, and has awakened something inside of me. Something I’d kill for. I’m not her savior—not even close. In fact, I’m worse than the hell she’s already suffered. I’m her vengeance. Tit for tat, as they say. And if she’s not careful, I’ll be her ruin. Dylan For months, I’ve watched him. I’ve fantasized him as my savior, my lover. My ticket out of the hell I’ve lived in for the last six years. I never dreamed he’d be my nightmare. Had I known what he really is, I’d have never gotten in the car that night, but life is full of cause and effect. And sometimes the choice on offer isn’t a choice at all. It’s the result of something already in motion, and we’re merely left to survive the ripple effect. *This is an erotic suspense/erotic romance not recommended for readers under the age of 18 due to graphic violence and sex.
This series continues to get dirtier, grittier and more intense as we go.
We get to know more about Ripley and how he works – the inner workings of his brain. He’s no prince charming and he definitely shows no mercy to anyone. He’s a man we fear yet his intensity draws us in.
“For a monster, he’s stunning.”
Dylan is a firecracker. She’s learned to live life in the worst of ways and understands one thing – life will kill you, if you let it. She will not be a victim. She holds nothing back when it comes to Ripley and has no problem voicing her opinion, even though she knows he could easily end her life without thinking twice of it.
“But this is my world, and getting fucked over is all I’ve known.”
Keri has no boundaries when it comes to her writing. She’s got a fucking wicked mind and I would mind being trapped there for awhile. I love how she is able to take the most disrespectful and degrading things and makes them desirable in that moment; yet you can see how messed up it is too. You know it’s wrong, but you just can’t stop the curiosity.
I am ready for Episode 3 to take me even further into this dark and erotic world……
I open my eyes to the sting of sterile scents, like disinfectant and alcohol. A quick scan of my surroundings shows crisp white sheets, the cool fabric brushing against my legs—my bare legs. The dripping of water from before pounds louder, without the chasing echo. Scents. Sounds. Touch. As if my body has turned into a sharper frequency, everything around me seems more alive. More intense.
Attached to my left arm is an IV whose tube connects to a bag labeled saline, hanging off a hook sticking out from the wall. Two white patches are stuck to my arm, and I can’t begin to imagine what the hell they are. Maybe he mutilated me? What the hell is this guy, a doctor?
The stabbing pain from before has dulled to an ache of intense hunger or the craving of pills, I can’t discern. Nausea still grips me the same way it had when I drank too much cinnamon liquor one night and ended up at the side of the toilet with my sugar crashing. I’m not a diabetic or anything, but I remember Chanel gave me a glass of orange soda and the jitters disappeared. I feel cool and sweaty at the same time, clammy and exhausted.
I stare down at myself, noticing a thin white shirt. My bra has been removed along with my panties, leaving me naked beneath the oversized garment that must belong to my captor. The heavy comforter, far too elegant and plush for the mattress on which I’m lying, covers only my ankles, as if I’d kicked it off. Or someone else had.
What did he do while I was out?
I perform a quick mental rundown, only remembering flashes of the bathtub, which I’m certain was nothing but a dream. From my fingers to my toes, I concentrate on any pain. Wriggling my toes doesn’t point out a weird absence of one, flexing my calves, thighs, nothing. I attempt to pull my knees together, testing whether or not it produces an ache that might suggest he’d raped me, but chains keep me from crossing my legs.
In my pathetic assessment, I find there’s no damage, nothing to suggest mutilation of any sort. And no evidence of blood on the sheets.
With my arms still bound, I turn to the faint musky scent on my skin and breathe in the clean aroma. He did bathe me.
He. Rip.
His name loops over and over inside my head in some desperate bid for my conscious half to hang on to it. As if I’d forget the name of the killer who tied me to a wall in his dark and dingy basement.
My mouth is bone dry and I push a swallow past the burn in my throat.
The single light that illuminates my surroundings is both a blessing and a curse, as I begin to see things in the wall of darkness that separates my little halo. Hallucinations? Maybe. The drugs still swimming through my body certainly don’t rule out that possibility. A pale white spectral figure dangling from the ceiling shakes my core, and I screw my eyes shut, hoping it’ll fade away. The withdrawals have settled over me, commandeering my mind, and have me seeing things that don’t make sense.
Like the terrors of my youth.
Keri Lake is a married mother of two living in Michigan. By day, she tries to make use of the degrees she’s earned in science. By night, she writes dark contemporary, paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Though novels tend to be her focus, she also writes short stories and flash fiction on the many occasions distraction sucks her into the Land of Shiny Things. For news, updates and sneak peeks at the sexy cover model candidates for her annual Cover Model Contest, subscribe to her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/HJPHH
Three weeks ago, James Maxwell’s wife died in a car accident, but he hasn’t been able to tell his five-year old daughter the heartbreaking truth behind her mother’s death. Instead, he packs them up and leaves for a summer resort in upstate New York to spend a few peaceful weeks and to gradually break the news. But a spirited and outspoken maid at the resort has figured out his secret.
A hater…
After witnessing her mother’s violent death at the hands of her stepfather, Madison Smith has turned aimless and bitter toward the world—men, in particular. Her dead-end job at the local resort and her convenient girlfriend barely keep Madison from falling apart. When she meets James, however, she’s driven to protect his child from the darkness she sees inside him.
A forbidden kiss…
But Madison doesn’t expect to find that very darkness irresistible. Drowning in guilt and memories, neither does James expect to be drawn to the sharp-witted woman who has made his life miserable. When their tempers flare, a brutal kiss triggers a need that blurs the lines of hate and desire. As their lust spins out of control, they must decide if their attraction is worth fighting for or if love is the real enemy.
Please Note: This book is intended for mature audience. 18+ ONLY.
About Saffron A. Kent
Romance Writer and Reader. Coffee Addict. White Russian Drinker. Imaginary Ballet Dancer. Wanna-be Poet. Lana Del Ray & Gillian Flynn Worshiper.
My stories are grey-shaded and NC-17. I write what I love to read. And what I love to read is always twisted and angsty and emotional. My characters desperately need therapy. They tend to kiss a lot too, among other naughty things.
I LOVE to chat with readers about reading and writing so come follow me!
Today is the blog tour stop for Gina L. Maxwell’s Sweet Victory! Grab your copy of this sexy new MMA fighter romance and follow along the tour today!
About Sweet Victory:
Sophie Caldwell might not like asking for help, but help is what she needs if she’s going to save her family business from her uncle. Her grandma left one rule for Sophie if she wants to gain sole ownership before she’s thirty—get married. Yeah, fat chance of that happening since she hasn’t had a boyfriend in years, and now she can’t get her uncle off her ass.
British-born MMA fighter Xander James has never lost a fight, and he’s not about to start now. He’s on the brink of a comeback that could make him a UFC champion, but his landlord wants to take away his last chance by shutting down his gym. Hell, no. Fortunately, his landlord’s niece has a problem of her own. Time for a proposal she can’t refuse.
Sweet Victory has all the elements I love in a story, a MMA fighter, a fun outgoing girl that I would even hang out with and a story full of passion. I love that this continues Gina L. Maxwell series on the MMA fighters and it can be read as a stand alone.
Xander and Sofia each own a business in a retail development that her uncle is trying to sale right from underneath them. Fearing that they will lose their beloved businesses (Xander’s gym and Sofia’s bakery) they decide to do the one thing that can stop her uncle from selling- get married and end it as soon as the time line is up. These two find themselves not only finding friendship with one another but also hot sexy passion! It is really nice to get both perspectives on their relationship as it unfolds as well.
I was intrigued by the story line but felt like I could predict most of what was to come. Please remember, I do read on average 3 romance novels almost every week, so sometimes I just kind of know what will happen. However, if you love a love story playing out the way you hope and wished it would- you will LOVE this book. This is a fantastic series for any reader who loves series and getting to know all the characters as well as their personal stories. Gina L. Maxwell does a fantastic job of keeping the characters in each book and the best part is they are always H.O.T alpha males!
About Gina L. Maxwell:
Gina L. Maxwell is a full-time writer, wife, and mother living in the upper Midwest, despite her scathing hatred of snow and cold weather. An avid romance novel addict, she began writing as an alternate way of enjoying the romance stories she loves to read. Her debut novel, Seducing Cinderella, hit both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists in less than four weeks, and she’s been living her newfound dream ever since.
When she’s not reading or writing steamy romance novels, she spends her time losing at Scrabble (and every other game) to her high school sweetheart, doing her best to hang out with their teenagers before they fly the coop, and dreaming about her move to sunny Florida once they do.
For three years, ballet teacher Natalie Taggart has lived across the hall from grumpy, reclusive, sexy Greer Wilde. Save for a handful of hellos and the occasional heated glance, they never spoke to each other.
Until the morning Greer lands on her doorstep, bleeding, beaten, and bullet-riddled.
Greer doesn’t need or want her help. He has only one goal: revenge. And nobody—not his brothers, and certainly not his too-hot-for-his-sanity next-door neighbor—is going to get in his way.
Excerpt
Too complicated, he reminded himself. Too close.
His angel.
But maybe that was exactly why he should give in to the urge. If he got her out of his system, he’d be able to put more distance between them. As long as she was an unknown, she’d be an enticement, a distraction, but once he had her, she’d fall from the damn pedestal he’d placed her on and he could get on with his mission.
Mind made up, he faced her. “Do you want to fuck?”
Laughter burst from her in a disbelieving huff of air.
“Wow. That was romantic.”
“I’m not talking about romance. I don’t do romance. I’m talking about hot, hard, down and dirty fucking. No strings, no emotions. Just you, me, and an itch that needs scratched.”
“Oh.” Her breath hitched. “Oh, you’re serious.”
“I’m rarely not.”
“That’s a shame. You’d look good with a smile.” She studied him from across the length of the couch, and the heat in her eyes sent blood rushing to his cock. He didn’t bother hiding the bulge growing at the front of his pants. No point since she already knew what he wanted. The ball was in her court now. What happened next was all up to her.
“I thought I was too complicated,” she said finally.
“You are.”
She stayed silent for another long beat, and he saw the exact moment she made her decision. Her breathing quickened, and color bloomed across her cheeks. “If I say yes?”
“If you say yes…” He leaned over and tugged on her feet peeking out from under her nightshirt. He pulled her legs straight, traced his hands up her firm calves to her knees. She had a scar on her left kneecap about three inches long. He leaned over and dragged his tongue along it as he pushed her legs open. “I want these legs around me.”
His hands continued northward, tracing the soft flesh of her inner thighs. She wasn’t wearing underwear, but he stopped just short of touching her. “If you say yes, I’ll fuck you until you can’t walk. And then when you come screaming, I’ll flip you over the back of this couch and do it all again from behind.”
ABOUT TONYA BURROWS
Tonya Burrows wrote her first romance in 8th grade and hasn’t put down her pen since. Originally from a small town in Western New York, she suffers from a bad case of wanderlust and usually ends up moving someplace new every few years. Luckily, her two dogs and ginormous cat are excellent travel buddies.
When she’s not writing about hunky military heroes, Tonya can usually be found at a bookstore or the dog park. She also enjoys painting, watching movies, and her daily barre workouts. A geek at heart, she pledges her TV fandom to Supernatural and Dr. Who.
Throne of Truth, the thrilling conclusion to Crown of Lies from New York Times Bestseller, Pepper Winters, is available now!
Throne of Truth by Pepper Winters
Publication Date: February 28th, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
TWO YEARS
Since my life changed for the second time and not necessarily for the better. Two years since I traded prison bars for streets and hunted a runaway who I’d met in an alley.
TWO DAYS
Since I forgot how to lie, woke to fists, and chased after the girl who’d been stolen from me.
TWO HOURS
To save her, rescue her, keep my lies intact. She looks at me full of hate. I look at her full of confession.
TWO MINUTES
For our relationship to switch from mutual dislike to floundering with unknowns. I’ve hurt her. Now, she’s hurt me. I guess we’re even.
TWO SECONDS
For her to listen, to see, to finally know who I am. The answer comes with hardship. The answer isn’t what she wants to hear.
I’m a huge Pepper Winters fan. I loved Crown of Lies so much and Throne of Truth was a good ending to the angst filled, love-lust hybrid story that is Penn and Elle. Good, but not fantastic. It literally PAINS me to write that because of all of the love and respect that I have for Ms. Winters (Pepper, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry. I love you, but I’m sorry!) I don’t want to go into too much detail because I don’t want to give anything away, but Pepper did an amazing job putting these two through the ringer! It was heart-wrenching to read about the struggles that Elle and Penn faced throughout their story, but I knew in the end that everything would be fine and that I would be happy with the outcome (I mean, if I could make it the whole way through Q, and still be happy, then I can literally do anything, amirite?) The ending was ramping up to be phenomenal! And it was, until it wasn’t anymore, and then it came back around to being good again. So yes, in the end I got what I wanted, but I just feel like there was a little extra fluff that was added in there unnecessarily. Seeing as how Ms. Winters is amazingly spectacular and (if I haven’t said so yet) I absolutely love her, I know that she finished the book exactly how she wanted to finish it. And rightly so, it’s her story and that is how it manifested itself to her. It just wasn’t as strong of an ending as I was looking for as a reader. If I haven’t said it before (ha!) I’ll say it again. Pepper, I love you and you’re amazing
Pepper Winters is a multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today International Bestseller.
After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an multiple #1 iBooks bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotica Thriller. With 19 books currently published, she has hit the bestseller charts twenty-six times in three years.
Pepper is a Hybrid Author of both Traditional and Self-published work. Her Pure Corruption Series was released by Grand Central, Hachette.
Her books have garnered foreign interest and are currently being translated into numerous languages, including already released titles in Italian and Turkish. Audio Books for her entire back-list will be available in 2017.
The wait is over! The highly anticipated FIRESTORM,
the tenth book in the DARK KINGS Series is now available!
.
Firestorm (Dark Kings Series, Bk #10) by Donna Grant
Blurb:
SCORCHED BY DESIRE
Dimitri lives to protect the secret of the Dragon Kings from the human race. Bound by a bond stronger than blood to the Kings, Dimitri uses his strength and prowess to defend a thousand-year-old secret. But when an oh-so-sexy, slightly absent-minded archaeologist wanders into his midst, Dimitri will have to give up his rules, and give in to desire…
When Dr. Faith Reynolds stumbles upon an ancient skeleton that appears it comes from a dragon, she’s completely taken aback. A woman of science, there’s no way in her mind that this mythological creature can exist. But when a devilishly handsome man named Dimitri intercepts her path to uncovering the truth, Faith’s curiosity turns into all-consuming passion. She’s never felt this way about any man before. But when Dimitri reveals his biggest secret, can she learn to love the man—as well as the dragon within?
Dmitri still hadn’t decided about Faith Reynolds. Her dedication to her job was unquestioned. He wasn’t accepting her answer of just finding the cave, though.
To have chosen this cave above any others? This one, which happened to have a dragon skeleton inside?
While he’d walked the site after meeting Dr. Reynolds, he overheard conversations. Many of the volunteers didn’t believe it was a dragon. They suspected it was a new species of dinosaur. The few locals he saw milling about were curious, wondering how the new find would help tourism.
He spotted a few “crazies” as Tamir called them, watching from a distance, but no one got close. Though he was curious about the two men Tamir had encountered earlier.
The way Tamir had acted as he spoke about the incident made Dmitri wonder if word hadn’t somehow reached the Dark Fae.
Or Ulrik.
Once volunteers began leaving for the night, Dmitri found himself climbing back down to the cave. He’d expected to find Faith shutting things down for the day, but she continued to work.
He didn’t want to be intrigued by her, but he was. If only his fascination had to do with how she’d found the dragon. He would discover what had led her to the skeleton, but that wasn’t what kept his gaze locked on her.
It’s not what kept his body strung tight as a bow.
She was average height, but there was nothing typical about her looks. Much to his dismay. His tastes ran toward the Fae since he preferred to stay away from humans. Yet, there was no negating the fact that lust burned through his body from the first moment her sherry eyes locked with his.
There was a . . . simplicity about Faith that he appreciated. No makeup was needed to enhance her natural beauty. At first glance, she seemed almost ditzy since her mind ran a million miles a second, but her intelligence and zest for life were apparent with one look.
Her sandy blond hair hung straight and glossy to her shoulders and was parted to one side with long bangs that she swiped out of her eyes repeatedly. The locks tantalized him by exposing the slender column of her neck and the delicate skin behind her ear.
Unblemished fair skin beckoned him to touch, to caress.
To lick.
He clenched his teeth at the need that surged through him. When she turned, he watched the pulse at her throat and fought the longing to press his lips against it to feel the warmth of her body.
Her oval face held a look of innocence and excitement he hadn’t seen in a long time. While her high cheekbones and sensual mouth added to her beauty, it was her eyes that caught him. They looked at the world as if it were a large sandbox waiting to expose its treasures.
His palm still prickled from their brief touch earlier. The shock that had gone through him had been electric. The charge surged through him faster than lightning and left him reeling—and aching for more.
Unable to look away, he watched as she stood and then bent over at the waist. The sight of her firm ass high in the air had the blood rushing to his cock. No mortal had ever had such an effect on him before. It unsettled him—and angered him.
He forced his eyes away and turned his mind to more pressing matters. He’d been sent because of the skeleton, but there was something about Faith that didn’t seem to add up.
The most important question: how had she known where to look to find the bones?
Faith became so engrossed in her work that she didn’t hear others talking to her. Even when Tamir called her name, she was often too preoccupied with digging up the skeleton.
Dmitri had watched her for hours. In that time, he’d listened to her hum and watched her touch the bones with such reverence that it shook him.
Though he’d come to the cave to watch her, it gave him time with the skeleton, as well. By the size, he knew it was an adult. Which of his dragons had gotten left behind? They’d been his responsibility, and he’d failed.
The longer he stared, the more he felt the weight of regret. The world had been created for the dragons. It was their birthright, their home.
Yet they were no longer welcome.
And he feared nothing would ever change that.
The Dragon Kings who found mates with human females were lucky. Those mortals welcomed the dragons and the Kings. But most of the globe was made up of individuals who wanted nothing more than to destroy the Dragon Kings, imprison them, or run tests on them.
So he and the others remained hidden.
But the dragon inside him—the fierce, savage creature that he was—silently cried out for revenge. And his family.
A fan of audio books?
Great news! The audio book for FIRESTORM is also available on March 7, 2017.
Narrated by the awesome Antony Ferguson, you will fall deeper into the Dark Kings’ world.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children and an assortment of animals in Texas.
THE CONFESSIONS OF YOUNG NERO takes readers through the early life of Rome’s infamous Nero. Through the machinations of his mother, Agrippina the Younger, Nero became emperor at the age of sixteen, the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. But the road was a frightening one. The young boy, an intelligent, sensitive and watchful child, had a series of psychological shocks from an early age. His cruel uncle Caligula and his scheming cousin Messalina threatened his life, and his domineering and ambitious mother Agrippina married and poisoned two men en route to securing the throne for her son. Agrippina viewed Nero’s power as an extension of her own will. But once on the throne—like the teenage boy he was—Nero did not want to take orders from his mother. Soon the world was not big enough for the two of them. Thereafter he was remembered as a hedonist and tyrant who “fiddled” while his people burned. But the truth behind the caricature, revealed here, shows Nero to be instead a product of his mother’s relentless ambition, and the incest, violence, luxury, and intrigue that have gripped Rome’s seat of power for generations.
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AUTHOR BIO:
MargaretGeorge is the author of the bestselling Autobiography of Henry VIII; Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles; The Memoirs of Cleopatra; and Mary, Called Magdalene.
Today we have the sexy new release from Nina Croft, Falling for the Bad Girl! We are so excited to share this title with you! Grab your copy and follow the tour today!
About Falling for the Bad Girl:
As a second generation detective, Nathan Carter is a cop, through and through, one who definitely sees things in black and white. But his work ethic—and libido—are thrown off balance when he heads up the case against jewel thief, Regan Malloy. Because with one sizzling look, she’s got him hot and hard. And he’s been that way, ever since.
Growing up, Regan’s favorite hobby was learning to crack safes, and she was very, very good at it. Still, she’d always tried to keep to the straight and narrow, and only strayed when she believed a friend was in desperate straits. Now she’s out of prison and starting over. If only she could forget that she’d spent the last three years fantasizing about the stunningly gorgeous detective who locked her away.
It’s inevitable that they meet up again—in bars, hotels…and hotel beds. Despite their differences, they can’t keep their hands off each other. Still, it’s just desire. If they give it enough time, it’ll burn itself out. Because a good boy and a bad girl can’t possibly make it work. Can they?
She put her glass down and caught him staring. “What?”
“I was just thinking what a beautiful woman you are.”
“You think I’m beautiful?”
“When you walked into the bar tonight, I thought…what’s the chance of a beautiful woman like that spending time with a man like me?”
Something flashed in her eyes. Anger maybe, but it was gone before he could identify it. “Maybe I have zero taste.”
“Are you going to spoil this?”
She sucked in her lower lip and then flicked it with her tongue, leaving it glistening. Blood sank to his groin. “This?” she asked. “Is there a ‘this’ to spoil?”
He shrugged. “You’re back from a long vacation, feeling lonely. I’ve had a hard day at the office.”
“Tomorrow we both get back to real life.”
“But tonight, we’re here together… So what do you want to do, Regan?”
“You have any ideas?”
“You know, I’m not sure. This isn’t my usual habitat.”
“And I’m guessing I’m not your usual woman.”
“Hell, honey, it’s been so long, I’ve no clue what my usual woman is.”
Her eyes widened at that.
Jesus, he had hundreds of ideas, all of which ended with his dick buried deep inside her. He was beginning to think she was on the same wavelength. And while he didn’t understand why, everything inside him was screaming to take this to its obvious conclusion.
Don’t ask questions.
He leaned in toward her and spoke quietly. “My dick’s been rock hard since you sat your pretty self at my table.”
She didn’t say anything, but the next moment her bare foot slid up his leg under the table. He held himself still as her toes came to rest on his groin. Heat flooded him as she massaged his cock.
Her eyelids drooped, and her nostrils flared. “You weren’t lying,” she murmured. “Hmm, so what should we do with this?”
Again, he had a whole load of ideas. Well, maybe only one. But he still couldn’t get a feel on her emotions. Why was she doing this? “Are you going to lead me on and then dump my ass? Payback?”
There was that flicker of emotion again, and her eyes narrowed. “Payback for what, Nate? You think you’ve done something wrong?”
Logically, no. He’d done his job. No more.
“Maybe it’s you who’s going to spoil this,” she continued. “Because that would be so easy.”
“Perhaps I just need a little gesture of good faith.”
She pursed her lips, and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She removed her foot from his groin, reached beneath the table, wriggled a couple of times. When her hand reappeared, she was dangling a scrap of black lace from her fingertips.
He swallowed. “Jesus, you’re a bad girl.”
About Nina Croft:
Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia, which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of nine-to-five work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.
Nina writes all types of romance, often mixed with elements of the paranormal and science fiction.
Lucas Thorn wasn’t born a cheater. All it took was a single moment—say, a certain disastrous incident on the night before his wedding—and boom. Reputation destroyed forever and always. So now he owns it. He has a lady friend for every night of the week (except Sundays—God’s day and all), and his rules are simple: No commitments. No exceptions.
But a certain smart-mouthed, strawberry blonde vixen is about to blow that all to hell.
Avery Black has never forgiven Lucas for cheating on her sister. And suddenly being forced to work with him is pretty much a nightmare on steroids. Of course, it does afford her the opportunity to make his life as difficult as possible. But no good revenge scheme comes without payback. Because he didn’t become the Lucas Thorn without learning a few things about women.
Now Avery’s lust for vengeance has turned into, well, lust. And if Lucas stops cheating, it’s definitely not because he’s falling in love…
Excerpt #2
Shaking, I ran my hands through my hair and was about ready to have a nervous breakdown when my phone rang.
“Yeah?” I grabbed my coat and headed out of the restaurant.
“She’s a clinger.” That’s all Thatch had to say before I burst out laughing. “She asked for my phone number.”
“How else is she supposed to have another booty call with the good doctor?” I grinned like a smug bastard, enjoying his panic, and then I warned him to stay away. “You know this is your fault, right? You know that inviting a woman to your apartment usually means that she’ll start envisioning her shit all over the place—and next thing you know, she’s about to have your baby.”
“SHE’S NOT PREGNANT!” He started cursing again. “Look, you know I have commitment issues.”
“No.” I rolled my eyes. “Shocker.”
“Like you should talk, you selfish bastard.” Thatch sighed loudly. “Break up with her for me?”
“Not a chance in hell.”
“But—”
“Nope.”
“Lucas Thorn.”
“Maybe if you had tits, and even then, that just makes shit weird, Thatch.”
I hit the elevator button and waited while Thatch started complaining about why sex can’t just be sex.
“You’re telling me.” I snorted into the phone. “Look, I gotta go. Just remember Austin and Avery are best friends, meaning, you screw her, her friend is most likely going to try to find a way to screw me. Girls go to the bathroom together. If they do the nonserious stuff in teams, you bet your ass they’re going to treat a breakup the same way.”
“That really wasn’t helpful, not at all, Lucas.”
“Or”—I shrugged and hit the button for my floor—“you could just make the sex really, really bad next time, say, finishing in like thirty seconds and screaming ‘Porcupine!’ or something.”
He was quiet, then said, “I can’t decide if that’s genius or stupid.”
“You never know until you try. Think of Christopher Columbus. Everyone thought he was stupid for sailing toward the New World, and look! He proved them wrong. The earth was in fact round, my friend.”
“Did you just compare yourself to someone who discovered an actual continent? Because it seems like you did, and this is after you told me to yell ‘Porcupine!’ when I orgasm.”
“Well, when you repeat it back like that . . .” I grumbled as the elevator doors opened to my floor. “Look, I gotta go. Leave me out of it though.”
“No promises,” he said just as I ended the conversation and greedily searched for Avery.
She wasn’t behind her desk.
Nor was she under it—I had to check because hiding and pouncing was exactly the kind of thing I could imagine her doing, just so she could scare the shit out of me and get it on camera or something. Then again, she wasn’t seventeen anymore, but this was still Avery we were talking about. Ergo, I still looked.
Frowning, I turned around in an effort to casually strut into my office and slammed right into Avery, knocking her backward onto her ass.
Folders went everywhere.
Papers scattered across the floor.
And her wedged heels somehow managed to fall from her feet, though they still dangled around her ankles.
“Are you okay?” I leaned down to grab her hand, but she didn’t take mine.
“Yeah.” Her cheeks reddened. “Sorry, I was just dropping off some files, and then I saw that these were addressed to another department and thought I could drop them off and . . .” Her voice trailed off as she flashed me a worried look, like I was going to fire her any minute.
Instantly feeling like an ass, I grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her into the air. “I’m not going to fire you.”
“Okay,” she huffed, tears welling in her eyes.
“Shit, Avery.” Earlier I’d been taking out my frustration with my family on her. Apparently, the distance and years hadn’t changed this aspect of our relationship, because this was a familiar pattern. I made her feel bad or guilty about something that wasn’t her fault—something she had no control over.
Especially the fact that I was extremely attracted to her—and knew it was wrong then, just like it was wrong now.
About the Author:
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
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