December 2015 – Page 4 – Read-Love-Blog

Dirtiest Secret by J. Kenner….Excerpt Reveal

From the New York Times bestselling author of such “racy, sizzling Stark novels” (RT Book Reviews) as Release Me and Say My Name comes the provocative first Stark International Novel—the beginning of the S.I.N. series.

It was wrong for us to be together, but it was even harder to be apart.

The memory of Dallas Sykes burns inside of me.

Everyone knows him as a notorious playboy, a man for whom women and money are no object. But to me, he’s still the one man I desperately crave—yet the one I can never have.

Dallas knows me better than anyone else. We bear the same scars, the same darkness in our past. I thought I could move on by staying away, but now that we’re drawn together once more, I can’t fight the force of our attraction or the temptation to make him mine.

We’ve tried to maintain control, not letting ourselves give in to desire. And for so long we’ve told ourselves no—but now it’s finally time to say yes.

Dirtiest Secret is intended for mature audiences.

Amazon US ** Amazon US Print ** Audible ** iBooks ** B&N/Nook

Excerpt:

Even by Southampton standards, the party at the nine-thousand-square-foot mansion on Meadow Lane reeked of extravagance.

Grammy Award–winning artists performed on an outdoor stage that had been set up on the lush lawn that flowed from the main house to the tennis courts. Celebrities hobnobbed with models who flirted with Wall Street tycoons who discussed stock prices with tech gurus and old-money academics, all while sampling fine scotch and the season’s chicest gin. Colored lights illuminated the grotto style pool, upon which nude models floated lazily on air mattresses, their bodies used by artisan sushi chefs as presentation platters for epicurean delights.

Each female guest received a Hermès Birkin bag and each male received a limited edition Hublot watch, and the exclamations of delight—from both the men and the women—rivaled the boom of the fireworks that exploded over Shinnecock Bay at precisely ten p.m., perfectly timed to distract the guests from the bustle of the staff switching out the dinner buffet for the spread of desserts, coffee, and liqueurs.

No expense had been spared, no desire or craving or indulgence overlooked. Nothing had been left to chance, and every person in attendance agreed that the party was the Must Attend event of the season, if not of the year. Hell, if not of the decade.

Everyone who was anyone was there, under the stars on the four acre lot on Billionaires’ Row.

Everyone, that is, except the billionaire who was actually hosting the party. And speculation as to where he was, what he was doing, and who he was doing it with ripped through the well-liquored and gossip-hungry crowd like wildfire in a windstorm.

“No idea where he could have disappeared off to, but I’d bet good money he’s not pining away in solitude,” said a reed-thin man with salt-and-pepper hair and an expression that suggested disapproval but was most likely envy.

“I swear I came five times,” a perky blonde announced to her best friend in the kind of stage whisper designed to attract attention. “The man’s a master in bed.”

“He’s got a shrewd head for business, that one,” said a Wall Street trader, “but no sense of propriety where his cock is concerned.”

“Oh, honey, no. He’s not relationship material.” A brunette celebrating a recently inked modeling contract shivered as if reliving a moment of ecstasy. “He’s like fine chocolate. Meant to be savored in very limited quantities. But so damn good when you have it.”

“More power to him if he can grab that much pussy.” A hipster with beard stubble and a man-bun wiped his wire-rimmed glasses clean with his shirttail. “But why the fuck does he have to be so blatant about it?”

“All of my friends have had him.” The petite redhead who pulled in a six figure wife bonus smiled slowly, and the flash of her green eyes suggested that she was the cat and he was the delicious cream. “But I’m the only one of us to enjoy a second helping.”

“All your friends?”

“How much pussy?”

“At least half the women here tonight. Maybe more.”

“Man, don’t even ask that. Just trust me. Dallas Sykes is the King of Fuck. You and me? Mere mortals like us can’t even compare.”

About the author:

J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and internationally bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 internationally, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him.” A four time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).

WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM YouTube Amazon Author Page

I’ll Be Home For Christmas by Lori Wilde…Book Spotlight & Excerpt

I’ll Be Home for Christmas

A Twilight, Texas Novel

By Lori Wilde

Avon Romance

October 27^th, 2015

Mass-Market ISBN: 9780062311412 * $7.99

E-ISBN 9780062311429 * $5.99

About the Book

Nothing says Christmas like New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde and Twilight, TX, and now Lori returns to Twilight for a brand new heartwarming holiday tale. The matchmaking members of the Cookie Club are up to their old tricks again!

Christmas in Twilight, Texas, is all merriment and mistletoe. The Cookie Club is whipping up their most festive sweets, the townspeople are scrambling to get their holiday shopping done, and Joe-a hometown guy with a restless heart-is dreaming about the woman he wants to kiss most…

…And who happens to be staying at his sister’s place over the holidays, while Joe’s sister is away. But Joe isn’t quite sure he wants to be a living Christmas present to runaway law student Gabi Preston.

Joe thinks the sassy sweetheart he nicknames “Trouble” won’t inconvenience anything but his healthy sex drive. But when he discovers the reasons Gabi escaped from her life, he aches to give her everything she’s never had. As the magic of the season draws them together, the gift of love is the only one worth giving…

Purchase Here:

I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS –

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I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS on Goodreads

A TWILIGHT, TEXAS series on Goodreads

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Lori Wilde has sold seventy-eight works of fiction to four major New York Publishing houses. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Christian University and a certificate in forensic nursing from Kaplan University. She is a member of the International Association of Forensic Nurses.

Her first NYT bestseller, the third book in her Twilight, Texas series, The First Love Cookie Club has been optioned for a television movie. The town of Granbury, Texas, upon which her fictional town of Twilight, Texas is loosely based, honors Lori with an annual Twilight, Texas weekend each Christmas. www.twilighttexas.com

A popular writing instructor, Lori is a two time RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. She’s won the Colorado Award of Excellence, the Wisconsin Write Touch Award, The Golden Quill, the Lories, and The More than Magic. Her books have been translated into 27 languages and excerpted in Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Complete Woman, and Quick and Simple magazines. She lives in Texas with her husband, Bill, and her two New American Shepherds.

Connect with Lori Wilde

Website – http://loriwilde.com/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/loriwilde

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LoriWildeBooks/

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38217.Lori_Wilde

Excerpt:

Relieved, Gabi turned back to the room and for the first time really saw the inside of the tent. It was, in a word, surprising.

For one thing, the interior was a lot more luxurious than she expected. The approximately eight hundred square feet of circular space included an impressive limestone fireplace on the north side of the room, surrounded by a plump sectional sofa. To the east was a full kitchen with butcher- block countertops and stainless- steel appliances. Between the living room area and the kitchen sat a small dining room table and four wooden chairs hand painted in a whimsical chicken motif. To the south where Gabi stood was a full- sized, white wrought- iron bed dressed with a yin- yang patterned comforter. Paneled walls partitioned off the west side, which she supposed housed the bath-room. Hand- scraped, knotty pine flooring invited her to take off her shoes and relax. A skylight let in what light remained of the overcast day.

Maybe tent living wouldn’t be too weird after all. She stepped deeper into the home and turned to glance behind her. On the back of the door was a Christmas wreath and a plaque that read “Home Sweet Yurt.”

A yurt.

So that’s what this was.

The room was chilly, and she looked around for a thermostat, only to realize there wasn’t one. Was the fireplace the only heat source? That was an intimidating thought. Umm. Maybe there was another flight back to LA tonight.

Suck it up.

No running away. She could do this. It would be like fancy camping. Except that she’d never been camping and had no idea how that worked.

Outside, she heard the ping of an axe again. Clearly yurts were not soundproof, but at least the noise reassured her that He- Man had decided to respect her privacy and he’d gone back to his business.

Good. Great. This was the perfect time to fetch her luggage from the car and start settling in.

She breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the keys she’d dropped along with her purse when she’d run panicky into the yurt. Head down, she pulled open the front door, strode forward— And plowed smack- dab into a wall of blue-flannel-wrapped muscles.

Yeeps! She jumped back, lost her balance, and wobbled precariously on the edge of the deck.

Harlequin Spotlight…An Amish Noel by Patricia Davids

AN AMISH NOEL

By Patricia Davids

Synopsis:

Luke Bowman’s homecoming is turning Emma Swartzentruber’s carefully ordered world upside down. Gone is her rebellious girlhood crush, and in his place is a handsome man who seems committed to serving the community. Luke’s even agreed to work for Emma’s ill father, whose last wish is to see his daughter wedded to a stable, loving man.

But Luke—a man who flirted with the outside world with disastrous consequences—is hardly marriage material for a good Amish woman. Yet this Christmas, when her family is flung into crisis, Emma finds that he may just be the one to capture her heart for good.

Holiday Bon Appétit and a Book:

Merry Christmas from me, Patricia Davids. If you love pecans the way I do, you’ll want to enjoy this delicious holiday recipe all year round. They are called Kentucky Pecan Bars and they are YUM. Pair them with a cup of hot peppermint cocoa and you’ll have a real treat to savor while you enjoy my latest book, An Amish Noel.

Ingredients

Crust:

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small dice

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

1 2/3 cups pecans

6 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1 cup honey

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons bourbon

Zest of 1 orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the crust: Adjust the oven rack to the bottom position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, salt and butter until the butter is pea-sized. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough begins to pull from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, gather together and pat into a rectangle. Roll the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle that measures about 13 by 15 inches. Trim the rough edges and ease the dough into the prepared pan, pressing it onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides (trim the dough more on the sides as needed). Prick the dough a couple times with a fork. Cover with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the dough starts to set up, about 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and continue to bake until the crust is just golden, about 5 minutes more. Let it cool completely.

For the filling: Meanwhile, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and spread the pecans out on a baking sheet. Bake until toasted and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool and then coarsely chop.

Bring a couple of inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the white chocolate in a heat-safe bowl that sits comfortably in the saucepan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread it evenly on the crust and let it set up.

Beat the honey and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the eggs. Pour in the melted butter and continue to beat. Add the flour, bourbon, orange zest and vanilla. Sprinkle the pecans over the white chocolate and pour in the honey mixture.

Bake until the top of the filling is golden brown and the center sets up, 30 to 40 minutes. Cover and put in the refrigerator until cool. When ready to serve, cut into 36 even bars.

Recipe courtesy of Damaris Phillips, From The Food Network website.

My Writer’s Space:

I write in a corner of my bedroom these days. My daughter and her two children recently moved in with me following her divorce. My office became my granddaughter’s bedroom. That’s okay. People are more important than things. I don’t have as much space now, but I have everything I need on my desk. I have my favorite print in front of me. It inspires me to keep moving forward. I have mementoes of my travels and trinkets from friends and family and my research books. It’s a place where I can shut the door and work.

About the author:

After her daughter left home, Pat’s love of reading evolved into a serious desire to write. In 1996, she began work on her first novel. It proved to be more difficult than she expected. In researching how to write, she discovered a local writers group and soon joined both the Wichita Area Romance Authors and the national organization, Romance Writers of America. Pat credits the help of the wonderful members of both organizations with teaching her the craft of writing and giving her insight into the publishing industry.

Still, after seven years of writing and three completed manuscripts, all she had to show for her efforts was a pile of rejection letters. Then, in the summer of 2002, Pat met Deborah Raney, a fellow Kansas author, and learned about the growing inspirational romance market. It was a lightbulb over the head moment. Pat revised her third book for yet another time and the rest is history.

The Last Round by Emmy L. Montes…. Teaser Tuesday

Please visit Emmy’s FB page as she is giving away an e-book ARC of this book!

https://www.facebook.com/E.L.MontesAuthor/?fref=ts

Wicked Reunion by Michelle A. Valentine…Release Day Event

It’s time to meet your newest rockstar obsession, Jared Kraft, in WICKED REUNION by Michelle A. Valentine! WICKED REUNION is the ultimate second chance romance – Jared and London’s story is available now!

About WICKED REUNION:

College sweethearts London Uphill and Jared Kraft were inseparable. He was a rising baseball star with a promising future, and she seemed destined to become “Mrs. Kraft.” Then a tragic night and a series of devastating mistakes caused Jared to walk away from his life, leaving London without any explanation and tearing the couple apart.

Five years later, Jared has reinvented himself by putting down the bat and picking up a guitar to play for the red-hot band Wicked White. In all that time, London hasn’t gotten over her forever love—or the pain—despite seeking solace in the arms of the one man no one dreamed she’d run to.

When Wicked White’s lead singer goes MIA, Jared finds the time—and courage—to return to his hometown and face the mess he made. He’s shocked at how London’s life has changed, yet he’s determined to prove their love is worth fighting for. Is this breakup too big for any hope of a reunion tour? Or can London open her heart to Jared once again?

Add WICKED REUNION to Goodreads here!

Buy WICKED REUNION now: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Missed meeting Ace in WICKED WHITE? Grab it now! Amazon | Barnes and Noble

EXCERPT

My mouth drops open and I can’t do anything but stare. It’s like seeing a ghost—something you never in your life ever expected to see—and I just can’t look away. I resist the urge to reach down and pinch myself to make sure this moment is real.

Is this his idea of some twisted joke? I mean, there’s no way in hell that Jared Kraft is standing in my doorway with a dozen yellow roses after five years without a single word.

Shit like that only happens in movies, and my life for damn sure isn’t some glamorous fairy tale.

I stand there, staring like an idiot, while my brain tries to work out exactly what’s going on here. I furrow my brow. This has to be a dream. No way this man has the nerve to just show up here like this—not after all this time.

I step back and take a long moment to study his face. He looks exactly the same as the last time I saw him, only his hair is longer—more shaggy and unkempt—the style I’ve seen him wear whenever I see pictures of him with his band, Wicked White. To prove to myself that this really is a dream, I reach down and bunch some skin up on my arm and then pinch with all my might.

“Ouch!” I yelp as I inspect the flesh my nails dug into.

My breath catches the moment I realize that the man who used to be my everything—the man who took off five years ago, leaving me and his family behind without so much as a good-bye or piss off—is standing on my porch.

When my eyes meet his, so many questions rage through my mind, but before I can open my mouth to ask a single one, anger begins to boil over inside me. How dare he just come waltzing into my life after all this time?

My body reacts of its own accord and my hand darts out to snatch the flowers out of his hand. His eyes grow wider when I slam them down onto my porch and then smack his face as hard as I can.

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ABOUT MICHELLE A. VALENTINE

Michelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance. Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.

Be a little naughty – join Valentine’s Vixens on Facebook for sneak peeks at Michelle’s upcoming works, as well as fun and chatting with her and other readers!

The Promise of Surrender by Liliana Hart…Release Day Event

About The Promise of Surrender:

Mia Russo spent ten years working undercover, entrenched in the dregs of society before handing in her shield. Opening her own pawn shop is a piece of cake in comparison. All she needs is the bad attitude she developed on the streets and the shotgun under her counter to keep law and order. Until the day Zeke McBride walks into her shop.

Zeke knows Mia has every right not to trust him. He was the one who chose the next op instead of her. And all he can hope is that somewhere under the snarl and cynicism is a woman who can forgive. Because whether she trusts him or not, they’re going to have to work together to bring down the gang that’s decided Mia is their next target.

Buy Links:

eBook ** Paperback

Excerpt:

She had him pegged for a cop the second he stepped out of the beat-up pickup truck.

He opened the back of the cab and pulled out a cardboard box, maybe a foot long and wide. His worn sneakers scuffed against the graveled parking lot, and even through the surveillance cameras that covered every square inch of her property, she could see the outline of his backup weapon strapped to his ankle.

“Lord, save me from rookies.” Mia stopped processing her inventory to watch him out of curiosity. She’d spent the weekend at an estate sale and ended up with more boxes than she’d planned. That was usually how it went, but she had a knack for things that would sell for a profit.

The guy was tall and thin as a rail, his hair long and shaggy, and he had a partial growth of beard on his face. She could see why they’d want him for undercover work. He had the naturally too-thin build that made him able to pass for a junkie. He was just a baby, maybe a year or two out of the academy, and he had no idea the toll that working undercover would have on his life.

“Get out while you still can, boy.” She shook her head sadly.

There was no warning them—the rookies. They thought working undercover was like it was on TV—sexy and dangerous—living life on the edge between good and evil. And then six months into the job they realized it wasn’t so sexy, but it sure as hell was dangerous. They were lying to spouses and family and friends, living a double life, and they were doing things the soul would never be able to reconcile. All for the greater good.

His jeans and T-shirt looked like he’d gotten them straight from a thrift store and he wasn’t quite comfortable in them. He was used to being pressed and polished. A silver-spoon kid. He’d probably been a patrolman, used to the uniform, and the dead giveaway was the way he kept tapping his elbow against his side, checking for his duty weapon.

He walked like a cop. And his eyes scanned the area like a cop—like he was trying to see where his backup was located just in case he needed a rescue. Surely working undercover hadn’t changed that much in the last ten years. This guy was lucky to be alive if his commander was sending him out with that much green on him.

Mia wasn’t the most patient of people on her best days. And today wasn’t one of her best days.

About Liliana Hart:

Liliana Hart is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author in both the mystery and romance genres. After starting her first novel her freshman year of college, she immediately became addicted to writing and knew she’d found what she was meant to do with her life. She has no idea why she majored in music.

Liliana is an avid reader and a believer in all things romance. Her books are filled with witty dialogue, steamy sex, and the all-important happily-ever-afters her romantic soul craves. Since self-publishing in June of 2011, she’s sold more than 1.2 million ebooks all over the world.

Facebook |Twitter | 1001 Dark Nights |THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER on Goodreads

Crash by Stacey Brandon & Karen Bell…Release Day Event

It’s release day for Crash by Stacey Brandon & Karen Bell! I am so excited to share this new contemporary romance! The authors are sharing an excerpt and giveaway with us, so be sure to check it all out and follow along the tour!

About Crash:

Charli has a plan for her life. It does not include the hot guy at table four. This is the first time she’s seen him at The Crash, the bar where she works most evenings. From the moment he arrives with his power suit, condescending friends, and unnerving stare, he’s hijacked her thoughts. It doesn’t help that he keeps finding ways to insinuate himself into her life.

Logan has a plan for his life. It does not include the quirky little waitress at the new bar his friends discovered. He has a lot of obligations and very little time. If he needs a female distraction once in awhile, she isn’t the type of woman he normally looks to. Despite all of this, she has become what he wants most of all.

Working to overcome all the things threatening to separate them won’t be easy. Can they find a way to meet in the middle if it holds the promise of happily ever after?

Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Exclusive Excerpt:

After looking to make sure both Kyle and Liv are occupied with something besides watching me, I risk another look at Logan’s table, but he isn’t there. Has he left?

It’s probably better for me if he has, but I feel disappointed nonetheless. Turning my head back toward my destination, I feel the bone wrenching shock of crashing into what must be a cement wall.

“Ugh!” I always thought it was funny when cartoon characters hit their head and literally saw stars, but for the first time I realize that it can be a real phenomenon.

Feeling myself going down, I’m soon flat on my ass and surrounded by the broken glass of several beer bottles. I’m also covered in the liquid that was previously contained in those broken bottles. Now I’ll have to leave work to shower, or risk spending all night smelling like a drunk on a major bender.

“Damn! Chuck, are you okay?”

Looking up, I realize my cement wall is tanned, muscled, and in possession of amazing gold-flecked, green eyes. “What did you call me?” I croak as I try to figure out how to get up without embedding glass into my hands. The image, of Frankenstein-style stitches covering my palms, is enough to make me take this seriously.

Running his hand through his hair, Logan sighs. Then he bends down and scoops me up into his arms like it’s nothing at all. I know I’m not heavy, but it really looks like it took absolutely no effort on his part.

“Charli, I’m so sorry. I really am.” He whispers near my ear as he continues to hold onto me and the warmth of his breath makes me shiver lightly.

“Are you sorry for calling me that stupid name again? Or for making me bust my ass?”

It’s a legitimate question and I feel the chuckle reverberate through his chest. Maybe I should be upset that I’ll have a bruised backside by tomorrow, maybe I should be upset that I now have a mess of glass and beer to clean up, and maybe I shouldn’t feel this excitement at being held tightly against the rock hard body of a shit hot guy that pissed me off so recently, but…

“Both, I guess,” he says, and when he smiles down at me, I find it hard to remember what I’d even asked him.

This man has a beautiful smile.

Stacey Brandon & Karen Bell Bio:

Once upon a time, these two hookers became best friends…

Stacey Brandon and Karen Bell both live in the same small Texas town on the Gulf Coast, are happily married and the proud Moms of awesome kids. Stacey owns and runs a photography studio and Karen designs and sews her own children’s clothing line. They met over fifteen years ago when they decided to turn one large professional space into a single home for both businesses.

Well, that’s all the boring facts expected to be included in an “about the author” page, right? The reality is so much more fun. Stacey and Karen and their families spend holidays together, travel together… and generally turn every situation into something crazy and chaotic. They are both fluent in English, Sarcasm and Profanity and have decided the irrefutable proof of their best friend status is how often people assume they are “together” when in public. The poor husbands are good sports about it… and might even encourage this misconception at times for sheer entertainment value.

When Karen battled cancer… and kicked its ass… in 2014, they learned to value every day and quit worrying about what others think. Do what you love! Karen is happy to take advantage of the situation though. She loves to remind everyone she “had the CANCER, dammit!” and now she can always and forever claim the last brownie 😉

Links:

Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Instagram

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You Are Dead by Peter James…Book Spotlight and author Q&A

Synopsis:

You Are Dead is the eleventh thrilling crime novel in Peter James’s Roy Grace series.

The last words Jamie Ball hears from his fiancée, Logan Somerville, are in a terrified cell phone call. She has just driven into the underground car park beneath the block of apartments where they live in Brighton. Then she screams and the phone goes dead. The police are on the scene within minutes, but Logan has vanished, leaving behind her neatly parked car and cell phone.

That same afternoon, workmen digging up a park in another part of the city unearth the remains of a woman in her early twenties…who has been dead for thirty years.

At first these two events seem totally unconnected to Roy Grace and his team. But then another young woman in Brighton goes missing—and yet another body from the past surfaces. Meanwhile, an eminent London psychiatrist meets with a man who claims to know information about Logan. And Roy Grace has the chilling realization that this information holds the key to both the past and present crimes. Does Brighton have its first serial killer in over eighty years?

Author Q&A:

1 Tell us about YOU ARE DEAD–the eleventh novel in the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series. Does it pick up exactly where WANT YOU DEAD left off?

Sure! You Are Dead is my 11th Roy Grace novel. A young Brighton woman arriving home from work phones her boyfriend, to tell him she has just driven into their underground car park and can see a man acting strangely. Her boyfriend tells her to drive straight back out but before he finishes speaking she screams and the phone goes dead. He calls the police and rushes home himself – and she has vanished.

That same afternoon, workmen digging up a park in another part of the city, unearth the remains of a woman in her early twenties, who has been dead for thirty years. At first, to Roy Grace and his team, these two events seem totally unconnected. But then another young woman in Brighton goes missing – and yet another body from the past surfaces. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace has the chilling realization that there is a connection between the past and the present. Does Brighton have its first serial killer in over eighty years? A monster who has resurfaced after lying low for three decades?

You once wrote that you published your first story at 16. What has changed about your writing process between now and then?

I’ve had vastly more experience in life since then. And I think that I probably have a slightly better handle and understanding of the human condition.

Is there anything you wish you could say to your 16 year-old writing self?

Have belief in yourself. I think success requires a number of elements – an element of ability, an element of self-belief, an element of perseverance and, always, luck.

For fans just starting out in the series, would you suggest they start at the beginning or can they pick up with “You Are Dead”?

Every Roy Grace novel is a standalone, and they can be read in any order, although going through from the beginning of the series readers will get more out of the running threads.

Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you deal with it?

I actually believe it is a myth, and it is used as an excuse! I think it comes out of not having properly worked out an idea, and becomes a self-indulgent excuse. “Oh my dears, I have writer’s block….”. Writers are writers and in my view can always write, if they want to. I’ve come to a dead end sometimes during the course of writing a story, but when I’ve analysed the problem, I realised that I hadn’t thought it through. A thirty minute walk around the block or across fields with the dogs will normally do the trick!

Book Links:

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About the Author
Peter James is the #1 international bestselling author of the Roy Grace thriller series. Before writing full time, James lived in the U.S. for a number of years, producing films including The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. A TV adaptation of the Roy Grace series is currently in development, with James overseeing all aspects, including scriptwriting.

James’s novella ‘The Perfect Murder’, started its world stage premiere in 2014, and his first Roy Grace novel Dead Simple has now been adapted for stage, and will tour the UK in 2015. In 1994, in addition to conventional print publishing, James’s novel Host was published on two floppy discs and is now in the Science Museum as the world’s first electronic novel.

Famed for his in-depth research, in 2009 James was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Brighton in recognition of his services to literature and the community, and in 2013 he was awarded an Outstanding Public Service Award by Sussex Police with whom he rides along regularly. He has also been out many times with the NYPD and the LAPD in the US and with many other police forces around the world, as well as doing extensive research with offenders in prisons and psychiatric institutions. He has served as two-times Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association and is a board member of the US International Thriller Writers.

He has won numerous literary awards, including the publicly voted ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards People’s Bestseller Dagger in 2011 and was shortlisted for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize for Perfect People in 2012. James’s novels have been translated into thirty-six languages and three have been turned into films.

All of his novels reflect a deep interest in the world of the police, with whom he does in–depth research and has unprecedented access, as well as science, medicine and the paranormal. A speed junkie, who in his teens was selected to train for the British Olympic Ski Team, he holds an international motor racing license and switches off from work by racing his classic 1965 BMW. James divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill in London and near Brighton in Sussex.

Visit Peter James’s Website: http://www.peterjames.com
Visit Peter James on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peterjames.roygrace
Visit Peter James on Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterjamesuk

Cover Reveal & Giveaway….By the Rules by Elisabeth Staab

By The Rules releases 1/19/2016

About By the Rules:

He thinks I want him because of the rumors around town. Because I think he’s easy. I want AJ, because he’s AJ.

No liars. No suits. Absolutely no straight guys…

AJ Fabin’s list of rules keeps him safe. Since getting kicked out of his parents’ home and attacked by a former escorting client, his rules and his life in the tiny town of Evergreen Grove provide a quiet haven. He may be lonely, and he may stick out like a sore thumb, but the folks like him well enough. When he’s not dodging his old pimp, things are peaceful.

Hayden Price is having a quarter-life crisis. Engaged to a woman he can’t connect to and working a job he secretly hates, he comes to Evergreen Grove to help his mother through a health scare. Returning to his childhood home makes Hayden reevaluate a lot of things, including himself. When he meets AJ and finds he can’t stand the mouthy jerk—almost as much as he can’t stop thinking about him—he has a lot more to change than his career.

To be together, they’ll both have to break all of their rules.

Links:

Amazon: http://tiny.cc/BTRAMZ

iBooks: http://tiny.cc/BTRi

B&N: http://tiny.cc/BTRBN

Are: http://tiny.cc/BTRARe

Goodreads: http://tiny.cc/BTRGR

All other buy links will be sent out via Elisabeth’s newsletter as SOON as they are live.

Excerpt (AJ’s POV):

I jog down Main Street to get to Cassie. I’m reaching for the door to Delia’s Coffee Shop and Bakery when the damn thing swings wide to reveal a younger man wearing a suit and tie. At least I think he’s younger. I’m nearly blinded first by his face, and then by the door smacking me in mine.

When I swing around to confront him we collide, hard chest meeting hard chest. I put my hand up to brace myself and wind up grabbing a firm pec, only missing smacking faces when he jumps back with one arm out to avoid smashing his to-go cup. We get close enough that his stubble scritches against mine and I smell mint on his breath as he pulls away.

I guess I should appreciate that in spite of getting harassed by my old pimp and nearly having my nose broken (again) this morning, Cranky Businessman didn’t add second degree burns to my Early Morning Shit List.

“Jesus, man. You know people are coming out of here carrying hot drinks, right?” His accent is strange, but I hear a definite hint of ballsy New Yorker in there, which makes him seem even more of a cocky bastard with his tall, broad body and that pricey Brioni suit he’s wearing. His eyes flare before he they narrow and sharpen. He glares at me, coal-dark stare scraping from the top of my rainbow hoodie to the bottoms of my sneakers in judgement.

Yeah, well. Screw him very much.

GIVEAWAY:

To eneter to win a paperback copy of the first two books in this series, AT THE STARS and ACTS OF CREATION, comment on this blog post. Winners will be chosen on Wednesday, 12/16. (U.S. entries only please)

About Elisabeth:

Elisabeth Staab loves passionate stories and happy endings. Her books have been called “emotionally delicious,” “action-packed,” and “gloriously snarky.” When not writing romance, she enjoys date night with her husband, reading Harry Potter with her kids, and marathoning her favorite books or TV series. Find out more at ElisabethStaab.com, follow along on Facebook and Twitter, and keep up with new releases and giveaways by signing up for her newsletter.

About the cover:

Cover Photography by Michael Stokes

Cover design by Babski Creative Studios

Lawless by T.M. Frazier…. Blog Tour & Review

Lawless is book three in the King Series

and is Bear and Thia’s raw, and gritty tale!

NOW AVAILABLE

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1NGbEpb

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1SIGSQO

iBooks: http://apple.co/1QcsC1R

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1HQU3im

Paperback Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YsctJZ

Blurb

Thia is prim and proper. Bear is leather and lawless. It will never work between them. It’s a lie they almost believe.

Excerpt

“I’m going to remember this as the worst time in my entire life. The very worst.” She shook her head. “There is nothing I can do to change that. Girls my age are playing sports, going to dances and parties, kissing boys. And that’s never been me. I’ve had a full time job at the grove and a part time job at the Stop-N-Shop. I’ve done nothing over the last few years except work my ass off and watch my family fall apart. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse…now all this.” She waived around to the house and to me and let out an awkward laugh. She took another hit off the bowl, passing it back to me. Her coughing much less than it was on her first try.

“Ti, how old are you?” I asked, clearing my throat as I ventured into territory I knew I shouldn’t. She was a pistol, even if she was a sad one, but there was a wave of innocence about her that had me both feeling bad for her and salivating for a taste of her.

This is for her, not you. I told myself. It was only a partial lie.

“Seventeen,” She said, sniffling. “Eighteen soon.”

“You ever been kissed?” I asked, her eyes met mine. “And not a peck on the cheek or a brief smack of the lips, but a real fucking kiss? One that leaves you without air in you lungs and your thighs pressing together in search of more?” I said, my voice coming out deep and strained. My cock coming alive at the thought of tracing my tongue along her pump lips.

“Why?” She whispered, and as soon as the words left her mouth I knew there would be no coming back from what I was about to do.

I pushed off the fire pit and pulled her up off the chair, pressing her tits into my chest and my straining cock against her stomach. I tipped her chin up and looked into her confused emerald greens. She followed my thumb with her eyes as I traced her bottom lip. There were too many lines marring her face, questioning what it was I was up to. I knew she would try to pull away at any second, try to stop me. But it was too late for that.

I was beyond stopping.

Just one taste.

“Answer the question,” I pressed.

“No,” she said with a slight shake of her head, and before she could try to argue, I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers.

I was already going to hell.

Might as well enjoy the ride there.

OMFG!! I don’t know what to say other than T.M. – you have done it again!!

Lawless is Bear’s story. And if you have been following the series, you know that Bear has a very effed up history. He’s King’s best friend and in their eyes, brothers.

Thia – she’s a tough little cookie. Don’t let her outside appearance steer you wrong. She might come across as put together, but she’s got her own shit to handle.

These two are yin and yang. They met 10 years ago when she was still a kid and he was still a prospect. Never expected to run into one another again. Until life deals a curve ball.

This story will have you screaming, laughing and leave you breathless. There is no rainbows or flowers or happy unicorns in this story. It’s raw, gritty and ugly. But it’s honest and real. T.M. doesn’t sugarcoat anything and just lays it all out there.

The pace is awesome. But you will find yourself checking your progress at 50%, 75%, 90% and begging for that huge moment to come. And she gives you to you alright….right at the mother effin end!!

Talk about cliffy – geezus!! I am hanging on here by my pinky fingers!!! And let me tell you – I love when I am left dangling like this! I know a lot of people can’t handle that, but damn, it has you so amped up that you when you do get that follow up later on, it makes it all worth it!

Another flawless book by the fabulous T.M. Frazier!!!

The finale to Bear and Thia’s epic love story.

Pre-order Soulless (Book Two) Lawless Series

Releasing February 23rd!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1U0xEAg

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1NKiPfZ

About the Author

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier resides in sunny Southwest Florida with her husband and three feisty fur kids.

She attended Florida Gulf Coast University where she specialized in public speaking. After years working in real estate and new home construction, she decided it was finally time to stop pushing her dreams to the back burner and pursue writing seriously.

In the third grade she wrote her very first story about a lost hamster. It earned rave reviews from both her teacher and her parents.

It only took her twenty years to start the next one.

It will not be about hamsters.

Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

GIVEAWAY

Signed Copy of Lawless (2 Winners)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Viking Warrior Rising by Asa Maria Bradley…Review

Synopsis:

Immortal Vikings are among us.

Leif Skarsganger and his elite band of immortal warriors have been charged to protect humanity from the evil Norse god Loki.

Under attack from Loki’s minions, Leif is shocked to encounter a dark-haired beauty who fights like a warrior herself. Wounded and feverish, the Viking kisses her, inadvertently triggering an ancient Norse bond. But when Naya Brisbane breaks away and disappears before the bond is completed, Leif’s warrior spirit goes berserk. If Leif doesn’t find her fast, he’s going to lose himself to permanent battle fury.

But Naya doesn’t want to be found…and he’ll do anything to find her. Because they’re both running out of time.

My Review:

SQUEEE! That’s exactly how I’ll sound when the next book in this series comes out! Viking Warrior Rising is the first in a new paranormal romance series and the debut for author Asa Maria Bradley. I was pretty blown away by the worldbuilding. It’s complex but easy to follow, giving me one of those rare reads when putting the book down is a hardship. Bradley mixes ancient Norse mythology with modern government conspiracies. It’s fun and fascinating.

In my many, many conversations I’ve had with fellow readers about this book, I’ve likened Viking Warrior Rising to early Black Dagger Brotherhood, and, like that series, this first installment is about the leader, but instead of ancient vampire warriors we have a band of Viking warriors. Leif is their King and when our heroine Naya triggers an ancient Viking bond, things get interesting. Leif’s inner berserker has chosen her as it’s mate and now it’s up to Leif to convince Naya to complete the bond. Understandably she’s a little skittish…at first.

The band of Viking warriors promises lots of great stories to come and I, for one, will be lined up to read them all.

Four Loves

Book Links:

Amazon | B&N

About the author:

Asa Maria Bradley grew up in Sweden surrounded by archaeology and history steeped in Norse mythology, which inspired the immortal Vikings in her paranormal romances. She also writes romantic suspense and now lives on a lake in the Pacific Northwest with a British husband and a rescue dog of indeterminate breed. Visit her at www.AsaMariaBradley.com.