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Head of the personal safety division for Hawk Elite Security, Tan is serious about teaching his clients how to stay safe. But, with a file two inches thick confirming Elizabeth Whitney as a world champion athlete, he’s prepared to take on his newest assignment as the vacation he hasn’t had in over five years. A little instruction, a couple hockey games on the side, and he’ll be on his way to the next spoiled rich kid.
Elizabeth takes one look at Tancredo Byrnes and it doesn’t matter that she can perform a triple lutz-toe loop blindfolded; clumsy becomes her middle name. Though trusting people outside her family has never been her strong suit, she finds herself drawn to the easy-going man who is supposed to make her into a superwoman. But she’s been burned by those fickle feelings of attraction before and isn’t about to let them ruin her life again.
As their training intensifies, the threats to Elizabeth darken, and Tan realizes that what should have been a cake walk is a fight between life and death.
And his focus had been best utilized at work, anyway. Until now. Until he’d taken the position at the gym and begun to manage personal security, anyway. During an operation, he was part of a team. Sometimes, his new position left him alone—for long stretches of time. He found he had way more time with himself than he wanted. To think. To analyze. To regret.
He shoved aside those thoughts as she made her way out of the locker room in her black leggings—holy long legs—that had swirls of glittering rhinestones and sequins all over them. The tank top matched—black but, thankfully, free of all the crap that would scratch the hell out of him. Her shoes were tiny little white canvas boppers, also covered in shiny shit.
At least she’d had the sense to remove the expensive stuff. Her ears were bare as were her neck and wrist. “Where do we start?” she asked.
“You do realize you might get sweaty, right?”
“I’m ready when you are.”
Tan shrugged.
They stretched first. And he let himself be impressed by her flexibility, the obvious attention she paid to her muscles. “Do you still skate?”
“No,” she answered quickly, not expounding, as she lowered her head once more to her knees and let her hands dangle over her feet.
The job had been handed to him less than twenty-four hours ago, with little to go on except for the father’s concern and a little background. Apparently, she wasn’t going to talk either…yet. But he’d learned, sometimes it takes a while to get the client talking.
Loose now, and obviously comfortable in her own skin, Elizabeth kept her muscles warm by moving. She shook out her arms and paced. Fluid grace.
“Let’s start with a stalker scenario.”
She snorted a laugh. “That’s easy. I’m going to cross the street…and probably run.”
“Maybe this guy can run, too.” Tan twisted at the waist, stretching the muscles of his lower back. “He gets you from behind. Come here.”
She rolled her eyes but did as requested.
“You’re running and he gets your arm.” Grabbing her arm, Tan pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her chest and giving her a lift off the ground. Wow, she was light.
Immediately, she threw her head back, catching the side of his jaw. He grunted, the surprise making him drop her. She slammed her foot onto his instep, elbowed his gut, which left him breathless, then turned and kneed him in the groin.
He moaned and slowly lowered himself to the floor so he could lie in the fetal position. Holy crap. Taken down by a sparkling princess. Thank God he was the only one around today.
She leaned over, and her hair brushed against his cheek. “How about you tell my dad I passed, and we’ll call it even.”
Not in a million years, he promised as she picked up her bag and walked out the door.
Title: TOO HOT TO HANDLE
Author: Tessa Bailey
Series: Romancing The Clarksons, #1
On Sale: November 29, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Mass Market: $5.99 USD
eBook: $2.99 USD
Previously released as an eBook in May 2016, the first book in Tessa Bailey’s Romancing the Clarksons series is now available in print for the first time!
When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . .
The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn’t seen in years. When rescue shows up—six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty certain she’s gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .
Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he’s about to be sorely tempted. There’s something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn’t just for tonight—he’s forever.
Tessa Bailey really knows how to get a new series up and running and have you begging for more!!
Too Hot To Handle is the start of the Clarkson’s adventures after their mother passed away. These four siblings have a very strong love/hate relationship amongst them. And learning about each of them along the way in this book is what will keep you interested in the books to come.
In this book, Rita finds herself being the black sheep of the family after a terrible incident during a show and then burning down their mother’s restaurant. So she finds herself explaining to her siblings what their mother’s final wish was, they find themselves on a road trip to New York.
Til fate steps in and halts them in a small town in Nex Mexico. And as fate would have it, Rita meets her match – Jasper. These two couldn’t be more less alike if they tried. But their attraction to one another can’t be denied either. With only a day in town, Jasper has some motivation to keep them even longer.
I love these siblings. Being 1 or 4 siblings myself, I totally get this dynamic. My siblings and I may not always get along, but we will always have each other backs. These four siblings are all unique in their own ways and I know that each of their stories will be amazing.
Another great start to an amazing series by Tessa.
BUY THE BOOK HERE
THE ROMANCING THE CLARKSONS SERIES
Too Hot To Handle, #1
Too Wild To Tame, #2
Too Hard To Forget, #3
RAFFLECOPTER
“So.” He plunked his beer down on the bar. “Where were you four headed in that big, rusty Suburban before Hurley reeled you in?”
She looked pensive as her shit-stomping boots started to sway back and forth, bumping the wooden rungs of the stool. “We need to be in Coney Island by New Year’s Day. So we can jump into the Atlantic Ocean.”
“Why—what?” He dropped onto the stool beside her, his drink forgotten on the bar. “That’s pretty high on the list of things I didn’t expect.”
“Oh, I know the feeling.” A beat passed. “It was our mother’s last wish.”
“I’m sorry.”
She nodded, brushing her hair back in a jerky motion, as if she were uncomfortable having someone’s undivided attention. He’d never had cause to use the word preposterous before, but that was the only way he could describe her lack of confidence. Despite the inappropriate name, the Liquor Hole was his life’s work, and, at the moment, it was nothing more than an unworthy backdrop for Rita. And, God, he was staring at her hands like an aggressive palm reader. “Most mothers want to avoid having their children turn into floating ice sculptures. What was her reason?”
“Good question.” A hint of sadness winked in her eyes, and Jasper wished he’d let the subject drop. This was what happened when he avoided talking about sex. He stumbled right into deceased parents. And yet he wasn’t sorry. Not even a little bit. He wanted to know everything. “I think…she meant it as some sort of symbolic bonding experiment. But I don’t know. We’re kind of unbondable.”
“Got the feeling I interrupted a near-melee this afternoon.”
“Aaron called my soufflé decent.” A strand of dark hair caught on her lips when she shook her head. It took one hundred percent of his impulse control not to tug it away, but she beat him to it, anyhow. “It sounds silly now.”
“Nah.” Jasper couldn’t help leaning in to get a whiff of cooking spices. “He would have had it coming just for dressing like a preacher on a weekday.”
Another one of those quiet, smoky laughs. “I guess there’s a fine line between politician and preacher.”
“Politician?” Jasper shivered, then recalled the threat Rita’s brother had leveled at his head back on the highway. “Still, I can’t help but like him for wanting you safe from a stranger. He can’t be all that bad if he worries about you.”
“Worried might be an exaggeration,” Rita said.
When her golden-brown gaze lit on his mouth, Jasper realized he’d moved into her personal space without any conscious thought. One of her knees brushed the denim covering his hip and, God help him, if the bar were empty he would’ve been between her split thighs before she could call for Jesus. For someone who hadn’t felt more than a passing appreciation for the opposite sex in years, his libido was sure trying to play catch-up tonight.
“What are you thinking about?”
Lie. He had to lie. I want to strip you down and fuck you on this seat, but I’m trying my hand at being a gentleman, was not an acceptable line. It was too aggressive when she seemed spooked merely from his close proximity. But she was leaving, leaving his town tomorrow, and the slow-game option had been ambitious for Jasper when he knew nothing about it. So he’d tell the truth while leaving out the oh-so-dirty reality in his pants. “I was thinking it would have been a goddamn shame if you’d broken down one town over.” His voice was gravel, so he cleared it. “More than a shame. I’m kind of finding it hard to think about, if you want to know the truth.”
For long moments, he couldn’t hear a single sound in the loud bar. No music, no crunching ice or raucous laughter. And, somehow, he knew she couldn’t hear the noise, either. It was there in the perplexity of her expression. He expected her to call bullshit or make a joke, but she didn’t. She shocked him instead.
“I’ll think I’ll take that kiss now.”
When I cast TOO HOT TO HANDLE in my head (and on my Pinterest boards o’course!) I used a more introverted version of Emilia Clarke as Rita Clarkson. All the shiny effervesce and beauty of a brunette Emilia, with more dark makeup and clothing. This is the picture I sent to my editor when casting for the cover, because I think it captures Rita’s personality: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/508132770433476759/
As for Jasper, he is described in the book as a young, revamped Matthew McConaughey and I think his personality totally matches that of a young carefree (non naked bongo playing) version of the actor. I promise he doesn’t say “alright, alright, alright,” but he does have that cool guy, ladies love me spirit. Scott Porter from Hart of Dixie would be my choice to play Jasper in a film https://www.pinterest.com/pin/508132770433788636/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans, and laptop, and drove cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend, and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband and daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
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An all new second chance love story by the New York Times Bestselling author of the beloved Driven series.
It all started with the invitation. To my ex-fiance’s new wedding.
I should have ignored it. Thrown it away. Set it afire. But I didn’t. I replied.
With a plus one.
And then my assistant accidentally mailed it.
Enter Hayes Whitley. Mega-movie star. The man who has captured the hearts of millions. But I gave him mine years ago. He was my first love. He was my everything. Right until he up and left to chase his dreams without so much as a simple goodbye.
When he showed up out of the blue ten years later, I should have known to steer clear of him. I should have rejected his offer to take me to my ex’s wedding. I should have never let him kiss me.
But I didn’t.
And now we’re left wondering if the pieces of the life we once shared still fit together somehow. First loves are hard to forget. The question is, do we want to forget? Or do we risk the chance and see what happens next?
Kristy does it again!! Talk about a sweet read.
Saylor is starting her life over again. She left her fiancé a week before their wedding. It’s been 9 months and she’s struggling through making her cupcake business thrive. But she herself is doing so much better than she was 9 months ago – living the life he wanted and not her. But now she finds herself being invited to his new wedding. But what she doesn’t expect is for her assistant to accidentally put the response card in the mail.
Hayes moved away 10 years ago to chase his dreams. He left without a reason or saying goodbye. Saylor and Hayes were high school sweethearts. His move and lack of any communication devastated her.
When Hayes shows up at her cupcake business, shocked doesn’t begin to describe how Saylor feels. Old memories come firing back and all the emotions she thought she tucked away come crashing upon her. And to add insult to injury, he suggests attending her ex-fiancé’s new wedding with her. Just to make them see she has moved on and is doing better of with him.
Yea – easier said than done. Hayes biggest regret is walking away from Saylor. But Saylor is determined to keep him at bay and just get through the wedding shenanigans. But when things become to obvious to ignore, will Saylor put her trust in Hayes again.
This book was so good. I hated Hayes in the beginning but damn he won me over by the end. And I loved Saylor. She’s not a pushover. She held her ground and held her head high.
Kristy wrote another fantastic story and I can’t wait to see what she brings us next!
New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines, and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.
She’s a mixture of most of her female characters: sassy, intelligent, stubborn, reserved, outgoing, driven, emotional, strong, and wears her heart on her sleeve. All of which she displays daily with her husband and three children where they live in Southern California.
On a whim, K. Bromberg decided to try her hand at this writing thing. Since then she has written The Driven Series (Driven, Fueled, Crashed, Raced, Aced), the standalone Driven Novels (Slow Burn, Sweet Ache, Hard Beat, and Down Shift), and a novella (UnRaveled). She is currently finishing up Sweet Cheeks a standalone novel out November 14th.
Her plans for 2017 include a sports romance duet (2 books: The Player, The Catch) and the Everyday Heroes series (3 books: Cuffed, Combust, and Cockpit). She’s also writing a novella for the 1,001 Dark Night series that will be out in February 2017.
She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Author | Driven Group
***
All Rose Hart wants to do is put her past behind her, but it seems she can never escape the drama. Attempting to take control of her life she moves out with a new roommate, Sarah Boswell. Unfortunately, Sarah’s past is littered with questionable choices that affect Rose in ways that could alter her life forever.
Kane Thornton is one of Castle’s top foot soldiers in his empire of crime. He enters Rose’s life on orders from an uncle she never knew existed. For two years he kept a healthy distance, torn over being loyal to Castle and succumbing to his secret love for the woman he has been ordered to protect and not love. He never thought he would be capable of feeling this way over anyone again. His tragic past made him cold…emotionless. Rose was alluring. His need for her insatiable. Despite everything he thought he stood for, he knew he had to do everything he could so she would be his.
Bound together in a world of crime Rose was thrust into, their lives become entwined as they fight to keep their love alive despite the chaos of love, lust, and danger. The greatest battle they will face is the one that has the power to destroy them.
This is a romantic suspense novel and is told by the main character’s’ POV.
This is book three in the Castle series but can be read as a standalone. However, I recommend reading the prior books in the series, as characters play recurring roles throughout
Warning: This book deals with mature subject matters such as coarse language and explicit sexual situations. It is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.
***
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Emily Bowie is from a small town in Western Canada. She went to university and earned two degrees before she decided to take a chance at doing what she loved most – writing.
She has published two books thus far: Allure of the O’Neal Sisters and Behind the Closed Door. Her third book Allure Behind Rose will be out fall 2016.
She married her high school sweetheart and they have two amazing children.When she is not writing she can be found reading a good book, making digital scrapbooks and being physically active—whether it is at the gym, going for a walk, or playing /keep up with her children.
***
What does this book have that makes it wonderful to read? Flawed characters that you can only love? Yes! Danger? Yes, there is! Stalker who is jealous, angry, and out for revenge against a once best friend? Why Yes! Two lovers entangled in a heist and a wine heist at that? OH yes! Hot sizzling romance? Oh hell yes! I am so excited to write a review for a book that is a hot romance all the while having the main characters being in a criminal ring! It is even has a smidge of Single White Female to it. Sounds like it could be a hot jumbled mess of a story but it is so far from it! Emily Bowie wrote Allure with so many different elements that the book is a serious page turner the whole entire time and just flows so beautifully. I found myself surprised, shocked, in love, heartbroken, panicked and even baffled at what was taking place, that I had no choice but to read it in a day in a half.
I love Rose and Kane as a couple who come together on purpose because of Castle, the main boss, and her very own mother. Yes, her very on mother is in the criminal circle and brings her daughter Rose into- what? See what I mean, things that I never expected to happen, happen in this book. The pure fact that Rose and Kane are the modern day Bonnie and Clyde is thrilling and exciting but to add hot scenes with moments of true love-makes my heart swoon. Without giving anything away, this book is such a nail bitter! Do these two finally realize how much they mean to each other before is it to late? I can’t tell you!!! You have to read this wonderfully written romantic thriller that will leave you guessing after every chapter. It is that good my friends!
Publisher: Scribner; Reprint edition (October 4, 2016)
“An absolutely dazzling triumph…A singularly inventive collection” (Jewish Book Council) of linked stories set in a German-occupied town in Poland during World War II, where tales of myth and folklore meet the real-like monsters of the Nazi invasion.
Critically praised, beloved by readers, In the Land of Armadillos has an evocative new cover and title, They Were Like Family to Me. Now in Paperback! Available October 4.
Blending folklore and fact, Helen Maryles Shankman shows us the people of Wlodawa, a remote Polish town. We meet a cold-blooded SS officer dedicated to rescuing the Jewish creator of his son’s favorite picture book; a Messiah who appears in a little boy’s bedroom to announce that he is quitting; a young Jewish girl who is hidden by the town’s most outspoken anti-Semite—and his talking dog. And walking among these tales are two unforgettable figures: silver-tongued Willy Reinhart, commandant of the forced labor camp who has grand schemes to protect “his” Jews, and Soroka, the Jewish saddlemaker, struggling to survive.
Channeling the mythic magic of classic storytellers like Sholem Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer and the psychological acuity of modern-day masters like Nicole Krauss and Nathan Englander, They Were Like Family to Me is a testament to the persistence of humanity in the most inhuman conditions.
“One of the most original and consistently captivating short story collections to have appeared in recent years…(They Were Like Family to Me) is a singularly inventive collection of chilling stark realism enhanced by the hallucinatory ingredient of top-drawer magical realism, interrogating the value of art, storytelling, and dreams in a time of peril and presenting hard truths with wisdom, magic, and grace.” —Jewish Book Council
Helen Maryles Shankman’s stories have been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes. She was a finalist in Narrative Magazine’s Story Contest and earned an Honorable Mention in Glimmer Train’s Short Story Award for New Writers competition. Her stories have appeared in The Kenyon Review, Gargoyle, Cream City Review, 2 Bridges Review, Grift, Jewishfiction.net, and other publications. She is the author of the critically acclaimed novel The Color of Light and the story collection They Were Like Family to Me. She lives in New Jersey, with her husband and four children.
I am thrilled to be celebrating NYT Bestselling author Tessa Bailey and her sexy, scintillating Crossing the Line series today! Book four, RAW REDEMPTION, comes out on June 20th, and to get ready for the final compelling conclusion to this beloved series, I am excited to share today details ands steamy excerpts from each novel.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy these four sexy snippets from the Crossing the Line novels!
She’s gone rogue.Seraphina Newsom isn’t looking for vengeance…she wants justice. Three years ago, Sera’s brother was ruthlessly gunned down by one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous mob kingpins. The investigation has stalled out, deemed “too dangerous” by the police commissioner. So to track down the evidence she needs to take down her brother’s killer, Sera turns in her hospital scrubs, joins the NYPD, and goes undercover. Unsanctioned. Alone.
He’ll live to keep her safe.
With his father behind bars, Bowen Driscol has reluctantly taken over his family’s sprawling South Brooklyn crime operation. New York’s finest have other plans. By threatening the safety of his sister, they “convince” Bowen to extricate a rogue cop who’s in over her head. But when he meets Sera and feels that deep, damning shiver of desire course through him, Bowen knows there’s only one way to keep her safe without blowing either of their covers…by claiming her as his own.
ON SALE NOW FOR 99¢!
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“Listen to me, if I wanted to fuck you, I’d end anyone or anything who got in my way. Nothing would stop me. Not a locked door. Not some lowlife. Nothing.”
“If?” she repeated, embarrassment cooling her desire. “You don’t want to?”
His laughter was harsh. “Want to? Want to?” One of his hands loosened its grip to drop down and grasp the bulge in his pants. “I didn’t even know it was possible to ache this bad. It hurts to breathe, baby.”
The heat came rushing back in full force. “Then I don’t understand.”
“I can’t. We can’t.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “See, I’m wondering if keeping my hands off you will buy my way out of hell. God knows I’ll have experienced the worst hell has to offer already. You think he’ll make me go through it twice?”
The suffering in his voice lacerated her. There was so much more going on here than sexual frustration, although there was definitely a healthy dose of that. He seemed to think there would be consequences for getting physical with her. But that didn’t make any sense. Since when does a man who rules streets with fear care about consequences for anything? This man took what he wanted and damn the outcome. Right?
Without thinking, she took the hand he’d dropped and brushed a stray piece of hair off his forehead. His body went liquid, melting against her for long moments while she held her breath. “Aren’t there other ways to buy yourself out of hell?”
“Not for me.”
***
Never start a fire you can’t control…
Connor Bannon is supposed to be dead. Dishonorably discharged from the Navy SEALs, he’s spent the last two years working as a street enforcer in Brooklyn for his cousin’s crime ring. Through a twist of fate, he’s now in Chicago, working undercover to bust criminals. But when a cute little arsonist joins the team-all combat boots, tiny jean shorts, and hot-pink hair-Connor’s notorious iron control slips.
Erin “she’s getting away” O’Dea knows two things. She hates authority. And… Nope, that’s it. When she’s forced to operate on the “right” side of the law, her fear of being confined and controlled blazes to the surface. The last thing she expects is a control freak like Connor to soothe her when she needs it most. Worse, something behind the sexy ex-soldier’s eyes ignites a dangerous inferno of desire. One that invites Erin to play with fire. And one that could get them both killed…
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Connor broke away, allowing them both to suck in oxygen. “Stay. I’m sorry. Stay.” He bent his knees to bring them eye to eye. His spoke of torture, but he was trying to hide it. “Look at me. I can handle this. I want you here. Don’t leave.”
“I don’t know if I can handle it,” she whispered.
His heavy breaths ceased. “What do you mean?”
She drew out a lighter from her back pocket and ignited the flame. It cleared her head a little, allowing her to search for the right words. Words that wouldn’t sound crazy. “I like touching you. It makes me feel really…good. And there isn’t a whole lot that makes me feel good, you know?” Her throat closed up. “I wish you could touch me, too. I don’t think I can stay here knowing I’m hurting you by making myself feel good…and I don’t think I can stop touching you. It feels like a must.”
A flare of panic flashed across his face. “I shouldn’t have said what I did earlier. You just caught me off guard.” He massaged his forehead with four fingers. “Did I scare you? Is that why you’re really leaving?”
“No.” She shook her head. “No.”
“Okay. Jesus. Okay.” He was silent a moment, but gears were turning behind his eyes. “You need to touch me and I need you to stay. Let’s give each other what we need. All right?”
Why was this so damn confusing? She’d only met this man yesterday and they were already tangled up in her web of fucked-up issues. He should want to be clear of her, shouldn’t he? No one else had ever bothered with her this long before. “Why? Why do you need me to stay? I—”
“I won’t rest,” he growled. “I’ll think about you somewhere, scared like you were last night, and I’ll go fucking crazy.”
Her heart lurched, dislodging her pride. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. If the only reason you want me here is to play nursemaid to the crazy girl, that’s not going to work for me.”
“You know there’s more to it. You know.” He visibly centered himself with a deep breath, appearing to debate with himself. “I’ve got my own skeletons, Erin. They don’t rattle so much when you’re around. Your touching me…it makes me hot. But it soothes elsewhere.”
She knew her expression was pathetically hopeful, but couldn’t find a single shit to give. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he repeated. “I’m not going to lie, Erin. Yes, I want to sleep with you like hell. But only if it’s healthy. Would you trust me enough to go slow? A little at a time?”
Her pulse hammered out of control. “You touching me?”
Connor watched her closely. “When you’re ready. Not before. Never before.”
This is where she should climb down the fire escape and vamoose toward the street. A weight pressed down on her rib cage, making it difficult to draw a breath. It felt like the point of no return. But Connor’s eyes grounded her.
Safe. He’s safe.
“Okay, baby. Slow.”
His body drained of tension. “Thank you.” He leaned in and brushed their lips together, gently, reverently. “First, we talk.”
***
Falling for a con man is the most dangerous game of all…
Con artist Austin Shaw’s been in disguise so long he’s not sure where his fake identities end and he begins. Now that he’s been strong-armed into working for a specialized undercover unit working with the Chicago police—criminals with unique “skills”—the last thing he needs is to risk his iron control. Especially when it comes to a certain stunningly sexy hacker who tempts him with every look of disdain.
Polly Banks will never, ever trust a con man. On the trail of a ruthless crook who destroyed the only family she’s ever known, Polly is unnerved by the shadow who follows her every move. The one who makes her pulse pound and breath short with lust. Austin. He’s infuriating, enigmatic, and pure sex appeal, and she’s determined to resist him.
But an untrustworthy man of disguise can become anyone he wants…including a man that Polly must trust if she’s to escape their dangerous game alive.
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“Drop the gun.” He issued the order through clenched teeth. “I find the idea of hurting you distasteful.”
She twisted her body, an attempt to regain control of the Beretta. “I can’t believe you don’t have the decency to put your dick away before charging at me.”
Call him sick, call him whatever you liked, he liked Polly talking about his dick in any capacity. Look at it. Want it. “I’m the furthest thing from decent.”
“No shit.” They were breathing heavily, inches from each other’s mouths. And hell if the swollen bastard between his thighs didn’t react favorably to having her close, even though she might have come there to murder him in cold blood. Pity, his cock didn’t deal in semantics.
“One last chance, Banks. Drop the gun or I’ll take it away from you.”
She pretended to think about it. “See, I’m not really in the mood to cry uncle.”
“Are you in the mood to cry Austin? Now that could be interesting.” She attempted to jerk the Beretta away again, giving him no choice but to dig his thumb into the pressure point on her wrist, releasing her grip automatically. “There now.” Keeping his attention trained on Polly, he placed the gun out of her reach on an overhead shelf. “That wasn’t so difficult, was—”
Her freed fist drilled him in the stomach. A grunt burst past his lips, but masculine pride kept him standing upright. Well, masculine pride and another fist flying in his direction, this time at his head. He shot a hand out to intercept the punch, using the grip to drag Polly off the sink and twist her arm behind her back.
“Aiming for this moneymaker face, sweet?” He clucked his tongue. “Now that’s just cruel.”
“Let me go,” she demanded, her voice vibrating with anger. Although he detected more embarrassment than anything else. He’d never seen her anything but confident. Ready for a challenge. It didn’t sit well that he’d scored her pride, so he let go of her arm. He had questions that needed answering, though, so as soon as he refastened his pants—not an easy feat when his cock still stood at attention—Austin pressed her body back against the sink, blocking both avenues of escape with his arms.
“How did you find my address? I’ve made it impossible.”
Some of her confidence returned in the form of a chin lift. Jesus, he would’ve liked to see that chin pointed toward the ceiling as she wailed for more tongue. “You should know by now that nothing is impossible for me.” Intelligence glimmered in her eyes. “I know you asked Derek to pay you by money order. I tracked the last several serial numbers to four different check-cashing places in the neighborhood.” Her shrug appeared grudging. “That was smart, not using the same place consistently. But I was able to pinpoint your general location down to a three-block radius, nonetheless. This building is the only one not run by a professional management company, and the most likely to rent without a proper credit check and accept cash deposits.”
It took an effort, but Austin managed to hide the chest-expanding awe she’d inspired. “And my apartment number? How did you manage to glean that information, my hot little sleuth?”
“I’m not your anything, Shaw.” She narrowed her gaze. “And your buzzer has the name I.M. TheTits on it.”
***
Loving her might cost him everything…
Disgraced cop Henrik Vance is having a shit year. Banished to a derelict undercover squad, he’s been tasked with hunting down the daughter of Chicago’s most dangerous criminal. His obsession with saving the beautiful girl destroyed his career. And this time, it might cost his life.
Ailish O’Kelly doesn’t need a hero. She’ll save herself from her father’s violent criminal dynasty, thank you very much. Unfortunately, the sexy as sin cop who crashes her hideout isn’t hearing reason—especially not after the kiss that becomes much more.
His boss wants her as an informant. Ailish wants Henrik to keep whispering filthy things against her skin. But she knows too well the evil they’re up against, and when it comes down to protecting the man who owns her body and soul, she only has one choice…
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Henrik’s sigh blew her hair back like a stiff gust of wind. “While I’m with you, Ailish, I’m working. There are lines I can’t cross.”
Even knowing it was a little evil, nothing could suppress the pop of excitement in her belly. She was alone with a man—a gorgeous man—who wanted her. But had to keep his hands off. It was a tease’s paradise, and they were both screwed. Or not screwed, depending on your point of view. “We can’t sleep together.”
“No.” He dropped his needful gaze to her breasts again. “We can’t.”
She executed her best nonchalant shoulder shrug. “Oh.”
“You’re smiling again.”
Ailish couldn’t stifle her chuckle. Man oh man, she really liked this big ol’ man, and they’d only just met. He deserved a fair warning about what he was getting himself into. “Henrik, you should probably put as much distance between you and me as possible. I really like that you want me. And I probably won’t be able to help trying to keep it that way.” She drew a lazy circle on his abdomen with her index finger, watching in awe as the ridged muscle shuddered under her touch. “For instance, I’d love to tell you I’m wearing cheap white panties and you can see clear through them in the right light.”
His body did this kind of heave, right at Ailish, flattening her backside against the sink. Their mouths were suddenly so close, she could feel his hot puffs of breath on her lips, feel his chest lifting and falling where it met her breasts. “I don’t like hearing that you’ve talked to other men that way.”
“I haven’t,” she whispered. “I don’t. I usually just—”
“I do not want to know.”
Henrik made a subtle move, just a downward roll of his hips that dragged his erection over the crotch of her leggings. But it wasn’t really subtle at all because he stopped right over her clit and nudged forward. She nearly jumped out of her skin, it was so unexpected, her body’s deluge of need so extreme. “H’oh boy.”
His mouth sifted through the hair covering her ear. “Tease me as much as you want. Just don’t try to send me packing again. Are we clear?”
“I told you I don’t like being ordered around.”
He rasped the stubble of his jaw against her neck. “You’d love the way I do it.”
***
LOVE SICK
A Memoir
“Unflinchingly honest and vulnerable, Martin’s book says all the things people need to hear and few are brave enough to voice. Full of humor, absurd situations, and wry observations, her story inspires us to never stop looking for love.” – Stephanie Savage, co-creator Gossip Girl
“This is an honest book that does not hesitate in pulling its punches. Packed with emotion, it will leave you turning the pages in anticipation…” – New York Journal of Books
“Many women spend their thirties trying to get settled in their careers, friendships, and love lives, Cory Martin spent hers trying to do all that while dealing with an insane medical curveball. An incredible story told with honesty, humor, and hope.” – Leila Gerstein, creator Hart of Dixie, writer Gossip Girl, The O.C.
“Candid, wise, funny, heartbreaking and ultimately inspirational: in an unpredictable world, Cory Martin’s Love Sick reminds us of what really matters.” – Matt Ward, writer Madam Secretary, Suburgatory, My Name Is Earl
“I expected Cory Martin’s memoir about a girl’s diagnosis and struggle with multiple sclerosis to be heart-breaking, but I didn’t expect it to also be a hilarious, hip, and sexy trip through her adventures in dating and her un-jaded quest for true love. You’ll cry but more importantly you’ll laugh.” – Marianne Wibberley, writer Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, National Treasure
From a former writer on the once popular television show, The O.C., comes LOVE SICK (Write Out Publishing, February 9, 2016, $24.95, hardcover) a smart and witty account of dating while navigating a life of uncertain health. This powerful memoir speaks to a new generation of women, sparking the conversation: when you’re dealing with illness and you’re still single, what do you do? Face it alone, or look for love?
At 28, Cory Martin thought she had it all, a budding career as a writer in Hollywood, an apartment of her own, and a healthy obsession with yoga. But when she found herself on the floor of her apartment wailing into the phone, ‘but I don’t want to be sick,’ her entire world came crashing down.
A doctor had just revealed that she had multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease, her good friend was getting married that weekend and the only people she wanted to call were her parents. In a time when she was supposed to be coming into her own as an adult, all she could think was who’s going to want to marry me now?
As she embarked on a medical quest, subjecting herself to countless MRIs and a painful spinal tap that landed her in the ER, Cory simultaneously threw herself head first into dating. But no matter how many doctors she saw or men she met there would never be a cure for MS. And if you think it’s hard to get the guy you’re dating to give you a ride to the airport, try getting him to drive you to the hospital. Add to that an unfortunate incident with a blue thong and a cute young doctor, and Cory quickly realized that just as there was no concrete method to diagnose and treat the disease, there was no surefire way to find “the one.”
Written from a place of strength and vulnerability, LOVE SICK is an unforgettable tale of heartache, perseverance and love. True to life and relatable, it is a story of facing one’s fears head on with humor and grace. There is no magical ending and no grand epiphany. Instead it is Cory Martin’s desire to be loved and feel normal that makes her journey so poignant.
Write Out Publishing is an independent press based in Los Angeles, publishing books and short stories. Its mission is to “write out” the world’s problems one story at a time. They are committed to donating ten percent of the profits from each work sold to a charity of the author’s choice. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is the beneficiary of the ten percent from LOVE SICK.
____________________________
Cory Martin has written for television and authored a variety of books. She is the writer behind the documentary Titans of Yoga and her work has appeared online with XOJane, The Mighty and Elephant Journal. She lives in Venice, CA.
LOVE SICK: A Memoir
Publication date: February 9, 2016
$24.95, hardcover
268 pages
www.writeoutpublishing.com
From time to time I find myself drawn to memoirs or autobiographies. Cory Martin’s publisher contacted me in regards to receiving an arc in exchange for an honest review. I saw that it was a memoir but to be honest, what made me jump on board to read it was that Cory written for the hit television show, “The O.C.” which just happens to be one my all-time favorite shows. So I jumped at the chance to read her memoir.
Anyway, as I started reading this book, I was just completely amazed about how honest, real and raw she is. She doesn’t hide anything – she explains exactly what she was thinking, how she felt, when she was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis). There were times I just wanted to hug her and take away her frustrations, anger and confusion.
Love sick isn’t about the ins and outs, dos and don’ts of MS. It’s about Cory’s daily, weekly, annual journey of what it’s like to find out you have MS and then what happens afterwards. But she also makes you laugh with her quirkiness and openness about her thoughts and feelings. Cory brings up many important questions that I am sure anyone diagnosed with an incurable disease will have. She doesn’t hold back on anything.
I enjoyed reading about Cory’s journey and all the ups and downs she had. Even though Cory may not have seen it when she was going through everything, she was and is an extremely strong woman. She never gave up on learning more about MS. Yes, doing google searches probably causes us all to get more information than we probably want or need, but when you are getting undecided answers from doctors – what are you to do?? And Cory is flat-out honest in her path to figure out what exactly is causing her to have all these unusual aches and pains.
I applaud Cory for writing this memoir. I urge anyone to read this – it’s very thought-provoking and moving. And the best part – 10% of the profits from this book will be donated to the National MS Society.
Anyone who purchases the book from the link below, will receive 20% off an ebook and/or hardback copy. Just enter the code READLOVEBLOG20
At what point did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
Before I became a writer in any sense, I was an avid reader. I remember the first book I actually learned how to read – Dr. Seuss’s Are You My Mother? To this day I can still feel that excitement when I read the words to my mom and she praised me for getting them right. From then on I read every book I could get my hands on. Eventually I learned to write and that started to transform from classroom assignments to my own explorations in writing. In high school, I frequently found ways to turn ordinary writing assignments into creative writing pieces. Junior year we had to write a piece about fate vs. free will and what that meant to us. While the other kids in my class wrote their straightforward opinions, I wrote my paper as a ‘choose your own adventure’ book. I compared fate and free will to these books and explained it by giving the reader the option on how to read my paper. It wasn’t until college however that I really decided that I wanted to be a writer. When I first left my small town in Indiana to go to school in LA at USC, my major was undecided. I’d looked at journalism and communications, but they didn’t appeal to me that much. So I stayed undecided and I took a required GE class on writing papers and instead of writing mine as assigned I once again turned it into a creative writing piece. This time however the professor acknowledged my skills and then wondered if I’d ever considered majoring in Creative Writing. I hadn’t. In fact, I didn’t even know you could major in it. So I chose Creative Writing and I’ve never felt more sure of a decision since.
Creative Writing classes mainly focus on short stories and poetry, how did you end up working in Hollywood?
When you go to a school like USC that’s known for producing some of the Hollywood greats, you kind of get sucked into it. But truthfully, the industry has always fascinated me – there’s something about the draw of celebrity and fantasy that a shy Midwestern girl finds hard to resist (yes, growing up I wanted to go to school with Donna, Brenda and Kelly – because life in 90210 looked perfect). Also, I thought making a living as a novelist would be too hard, and all you hear about in Los Angeles is writers selling scripts for a million dollars. So I devised a plan. I’d work in Hollywood so that I could make enough money to retire and write novels. Funny thing is, the first thing I ever got paid to write was a novel.
You were fairly young the first time you got paid to write, what was that experience like?
I was twenty-four when I wrote the first novelization of the television show The OC. It was crazy because I was also working as an assistant to Stephanie Savage, the producer behind Gossip Girl, The OC, Astronaut Wives’ Club and others. I was basically working ten to twelve hours a day on the TV shows and movies she was producing and spending whatever extra time I could find to write the novel. I remember I got the assignment in December. I figured, since all I had ever read about writing novels was that it took writers years to write books, that I would have at least a year to write this one. Boy was I wrong. I turned in one chapter in mid-December. I thought Scholastic would send me some notes and I’d keep going from there. Instead, they called in January and asked if I could have the book done at the end of the month. I was flabbergasted. In my head I thought I was going to be the next great American writer and I did not want to be rushed. I needed extra time. They gave me until the end of February. I got the work done and went on to write two more of those novels for Scholastic. Since then every other book I’ve written I’ve done in shorter and shorter amounts of time. The last book I wrote, Yoga for Beginnners, I wrote in three weeks. My memoir, Love Sick, however? That’s a whole other story.
Okay, so how long did it take you to write your memoir?
Eight years. Now that doesn’t mean that I sat at my computer every day for eight years straight and wrote the thing. In fact it was quite the opposite. I wrote in spurts. When I first came up with the idea for the memoir, I had just been diagnosed with MS and my mind was flooded with thoughts on how it would affect my life and I knew there had to be a story in there somewhere. So one month after that fateful day at the MS specialist’s office I signed up for a memoir writing class at UCLA extension. I wasn’t expecting much in terms of the instruction (yes, I still have a USC bias), all I wanted was for someone to give me assignments and hold me accountable to a few deadlines and give me some feedback on my writing. What I got was far more than that. Deanne Stillman, the instructor and an accomplished writer herself, gave us amazing prompts and assignments each week and those became the first fifty pages of the memoir. Well, the first fifty in the original version, but that’s beside the point, because also in that class was a writer by the name of Chris Miller. He’s one of the writers behind the movie Animal House. He wrote for the Lampoon and has his own memoir, The Real Animal House. Anyway, the only reason I bring this up is because after we had to read our first assignment aloud in class, Chris came to me afterwards and said. “You’re really funny. You’ve got what it takes to do this.” I was so flattered because I had never thought of myself as funny. In fact, if you meet me in real life I am quiet and am constantly rethinking what I say. But hearing that the man who helped create the iconic movie that is Animal House thought that I had something to offer as a writer was the first bit of encouragement I needed to keep going. From there the book got written in bursts of fifty pages here and there and a thousand different rewrites. And that’s why it took eight years.
How did you come up with the title?
The original title was M.S. to M-R-S. It was a play on words, or letters shall I say. I came up with it when I was twenty-eight and all my friends were getting married around me. I thought my time would come soon and wouldn’t it be clever if I wrote a book about MS and dating and eventually got married, thus turning the M.S. into an M-R-S in front of my name. Of course, years later when I realized this was not going to happen and making life choices based on trying to keep a title of a book was not the best way to go about life, I dropped that title and started searching for something new. I kept a little notes section going in my phone and whenever I had a title idea I would write it in there. For almost a year I did this and nothing was sticking. Then one day I was out for a walk and it hit me. Love Sick. It was the perfect play on words. A few days later I looked it up on urban dictionary and found this: “A deep often depressing feeling of wanting to find love. To be longing for love; to be without a companion to share one’s life with, though it is desired deeply.” And I knew I had made the right decision.
A big part of the struggle you went through in dealing with MS was wondering when you should tell people or if you should tell at all. When did you tell people? And do you have any advice for others dealing with this?
Honestly, up until about five months before Love Sick was about to come out I kept the MS a secret from most people. Except for my family and my close friends, no one knew. Then one day in October, 2015 I saw that Playboy announced that they were getting rid of nudes from their magazine. And I thought, oh my gosh, I have a story that would go perfect with this. There was a chapter that used to be in my book that talked about all the things I wanted to do with my body before it failed me. It was a bucket list of sorts, only I called it my wheelchair list. In this piece of writing I talked about the kinds of things that you would only fantasize about if you were dealing with the fact that one day soon you might end up in a wheelchair or lose control of your body. On that list was posing naked in Playboy. It was a tongue in cheek look at what happens when you face something like MS and you let your imagination run free. Anyway, I pitched the story to XOJane, the online women’s magazine, and they liked it. Two days later that article ran. I posted it to my own Facebook and Instagram pages and watched the comments roll in. People from all stages of my life were commending me for my braveness, and that’s when it occurred to me I wasn’t just showing off another piece of my writing I had literally outed myself to all of my friends that I was dealing with MS. If you had told me years ago to go and do that I would’ve thought you were crazy. I would’ve been scared out of my mind to post something so personal about something that I believed made me so ugly and unlovable. But posting it under the guise of my writing made me realize that I had a story to tell and that I could help others by sharing it. It also helped me to get over any fear I had of telling others about my disease, or publishing my memoir. Now, I don’t recommend to others who might be in my situation that they should go out and shout their health matters to the world, but if you have a story to tell or you believe others can relate then I think you should share it with them. This doesn’t have to be so public either. It can be on a case-by-case basis. Think about who you’re going to tell and why you’re telling them. Is it because you want them to know that you understand a struggle they’re facing? Is it because you need help or support? Or is it because you’re beginning a relationship with them and you don’t want to have secrets? Whatever the reason, make sure it is one that will be satisfied by you telling the person. Because I have learned from experience that if you tell the wrong people and you are not ready for their reaction it can be devastating.
Your story, or life for that matter, has not been easy and yet you have such an optimistic and humorous approach to it. How do you do this?
You know, I wish I could tell you, because if I could I would sell that idea in a heartbeat. I would make myself the next self-help guru and knock Tony Robbins on his feet. What I can tell you is that I am very lucky to have the family I have. My parents have been extremely supportive and they always made me feel like I could accomplish anything I wanted. But also, they kept me grounded. While I was a fairly good student growing up, I had a few bad grades on tests and assignments here and there. I remember the first time I brought a bad grade home. I was scared to death to show my parents. But when I finally mustered up the courage to give it to them, they laughed and hung the big F on the refrigerator. They wanted me to own what I had and not be ashamed. And that’s the lesson: If you can’t own your shortcomings or your failures or the shit life deals you, and laugh through it all then life is going to be quite difficult. So now I own what I’ve got.
Besides writing, yoga seems to be the one thing in your memoir that gives you respite from the disease. Can you talk about this?
Ah, yoga. You would think I’d have come to it after getting the MS diagnosis as a way to stay healthy. But honestly, I found yoga a year prior to receiving my prognosis. It was after a bad break up with a not so nice guy. Our relationship was extremely unhealthy, we ate like crap together and never worked out. I was probably in the worst shape of my life after that breakup. So I decided to make a change and again, own my shit and take responsibility for it. I signed up for a six-week transformation program at my local health spa. It included yoga, time with a nutritionist, another workout plan and acupuncture. It was amazing. I got back in shape and despite the fact that I had always thought yoga was weird and too soft for me, I became addicted to it. At first it was all about the physicality of the poses, being able to do crazy things with my body that I probably hadn’t done since I was a kid on a jungle gym or in gymnastics class, but then it became about far more. It started to seep into other parts of my life and I started to feel so great, and when things started to get more serious with the testing and the doctor’s ideas of what was actually wrong with my body, yoga was there to help me keep a sense of calm. Obviously, if you’ve read my book you know that it’s become a far bigger part of my life, but I don’t want to give anything away. Instead I want to leave you with this, yoga is not always about the poses, if you practice it often enough it becomes a way of life, and for me, nothing has ever rang more true.
How do I reach you? Or better yet, how can I internet stalk you?
You can email me at corymartinyoga@gmail.com
Or find me on Facebook at /corymartinyoga
Or Instagram at @corymartinwrites