Love Online by Penelope Ward…Excerpt Reveal

 

EXCERPT REVEAL FOR

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From New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author

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Love Online EXCERPT teaser

Copyright © 2018, Penelope Ward

Needing a few seconds to prepare, I closed my eyes the moment I knew he was about to turn on the camera.

I don’t know why I was so afraid to see him. Maybe I was worried his looks would somehow change the way I viewed him. I hated that I’d even had that thought. I didn’t want to be unattracted to him physically because I was so very drawn to him in every other way. Shouldn’t those be the ways that mattered? I was scared I would somehow feel differently about him, and he deserved better than to be judged on his physical appearance.

“You can open your eyes,” he said.

My heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest.

Here goes.

One, two, three…

When I saw him right in front of me, my mouth fell open.

Oh.

Oh my.

Oh wow.

Big, glowing eyes. Perfect nose. Stubbled, angular jaw. Full lips. Strong arms. I just kept blinking because I couldn’t believe my eyes. He looked like a model or a movie star. A rush of insecurity hit me.

Is this a joke?

No, it wasn’t.

It was really him.

Ryder.

Oh my God.

The lust consuming me made me feel almost guilty. But I was so damn relieved that he was truly as beautiful on the outside as I believed him to be on the inside. He was almost too beautiful, if there were such a thing.

He looked nothing like the vague image I’d formed in my head, which was sort of like a silhouette without a clear face but with a brown beard, kind of like a hipster. Not sure why I’d pictured him like that. It was kind of funny how off base I was. This was not what I’d been expecting. Because how could someone so thoughtful, attentive, creative, and considerate be so strikingly handsome that he made me speechless? And it was clear now that his sexy voice absolutely fit him.

“You’re…” I hesitated.

“Oh shit.” He laughed. “What are you thinking?”

“No. No, no, no. Nothing bad at all. I just don’t even know how to articulate it. You’re…beautiful, Ryder. Absolutely beautiful.”

He let out a breath. “And you’re…handsome, Eden. Very handsome.” His impish grin was so sexy.

I chuckled. “I know beautiful is an odd term for a man, but you are. All this time you’ve been hiding from me when you’re drop-dead gorgeous. Why?”

“You really did think I was ashamed of my looks, huh?”

“Well, I’d be lying if I said that didn’t cross my mind. I wondered if there was something you were self-conscious about. That always made me a little sad. But it never mattered to me, because I’ve been connecting with you on a deeper level.”

“I think that’s exactly why I didn’t want to change things,” he said. “Why fix something if it ain’t broken?” When I fell silent, he asked, “What are you thinking?”

A nervous energy overtook me. “Nothing. I’m…still just taking you in.”

“Okay. Let me know when you’re done so I can stop sucking in my abs.”

Love Online Ebook

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new, sexy STANDALONE novel.

We met in the least likely of places. It started out innocently enough. I was “ScreenGod” and she was “Montana,” but of course, those weren’t our actual names, just the virtual cloaks we hid behind.

Logging in at night and talking to her was my escape—my sanctuary.

Her real name was Eden, I’d soon come to find out.

From the first time we connected online, I found myself transfixed.

She was an addiction.

At first, we knew nothing about each other’s real identities…and she was adamant that we keep things that way. Anonymity had no effect on our unstoppable chemistry, though. If anything, it allowed us to open up even more in ways we may not have otherwise.

Eden was funny, intelligent, gorgeous—everything I’d ever wanted in a woman.

But I couldn’t really have her.

I had accepted things would have to stay the way they were—until the day I found a clue that led me straight to her.

So I took a chance.

And that was when our love story really began.

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Stepbrother Dearest

Stepbrother Dearest

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Co-written Novels

The Rush Series (2 Book Series)

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Excerpt Reveal…Memento Mori by Lexi Blake

 

 

 

 

Six men with no memories of the past

One leader with no hope for the future

A man without a past

Jax woke up in a lab, his memories erased, and his mind reprogrammed to serve a mad woman’s will. After being liberated from his prison, he pledged himself to the only thing he truly knows—his team. Six men who lost everything they were. They must make certain no one else gets their hands on the drugs that stole their lives, all while hiding from every intelligence organization on the planet. The trail has led him to an unforgiving mountainside and a beautiful wilderness expert who may be his only hope of finding the truth.

A woman with a bright future

River Lee knows her way around the Colorado wilderness. She’s finally found a home in a place called Bliss after years lost in darkness. The nature guide prefers to show her clients the beauty found in the land, but she also knows the secrets the mountains hold. When she meets Jax, something about the troubled man calls to her. She agrees to lead him to the site of an abandoned government facility hidden deep in the forest. She never dreamed she was stepping into the middle of a battlefield.

A love that could heal a broken soul

Spending time with River, Jax discovers a peace he’s never known. Their passion unlocks a side of himself he didn’t even know he was missing. When an old enemy makes his first move, Jax and River find themselves fighting for their lives. But when his past is revealed, will River be caught in the crosshairs of a global conspiracy?

 

 

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“This place is beautiful,” he said when she hesitated.

She nodded but didn’t move from her seat. “I love it here. I went to college in Denver, but I always missed this place. When I was younger, my dad had a house in Creede. He started the business there, but when he could, he moved us out of town. My dad was a loner, I suppose. Creede has a population of four hundred and Dad thought that was way too many people.”

“I know the feeling. I lived in London for a while. That was definitely too many people.” He kept his tone even. It was odd. Now that he was here, that hunger he always felt was tempered by her fear. He’d thought he would take anything offered to him, but he couldn’t having met her. If the blonde had offered herself up, he would have turned her down. Over the two hours they’d sat in the booth, eating fried food and drinking beer, he’d figured something out. Some people were more special than others. River was special. He should be more cynical. He could hear Damon Knight telling him to be cautious, but he couldn’t make himself do it. Perhaps it was the fact that he didn’t have a long well of history to draw from and to teach him that this was likely a mistake.

It didn’t feel like a mistake.

“Wow. I’ve never been farther than Kansas City.” She still wasn’t moving and her voice had taken on a tremulous tone.

His heart constricted, and it was surprisingly easy to not listen to his dick. His dick was pleading with him to get aggressive. His dick was trying to convince him that if he could get inside her, she would accept him.

Yeah, he wasn’t going to listen to his dick.

“If you’ve changed your mind, I can call my brother to pick me up. I have a phone and so does he. His number is programmed in. I don’t want to scare you. I had a good time talking to you tonight. It was one of the nicest nights I’ve had in a long time.” Ever. It was the best night ever. It was the first night he felt normal, though he wasn’t exactly sure what that word meant. Comfortable was a better one. That tight feeling in his chest had eased as he’d sat in the booth with River and Tucker and Heather.

Although he’d hated lying to her.

She finally turned, looking at him. Her eyes shone in the moonlight. “You mean that, don’t you?”

He wanted to touch her. He’d had to force his hands not to move toward her all night long. The most he’d allowed himself was to have their hips and shoulders touch as they’d sat next to each other. He’d decided it had been a good thing he’d sat next to her because he was fairly certain he had a case of Big Tag’s crazy eyes, and she would have seen them had he sat across from her.

“I do mean it. Please don’t get me wrong. I want you. I would like nothing more in the world than to take you into that cabin, lay you out, and make a feast of you. I want to kiss you and when I say that I don’t merely mean your lips. I want to put my mouth all over your body. But more than I want that, I want you to like me.” It was important somehow. He wouldn’t see her after tonight, but he couldn’t stand the idea that she was afraid of him.

Everyone was afraid of him. Everyone he knew was waiting for his powder keg to blow, but he’d sworn to himself earlier in the evening that it wouldn’t blow around her. He would protect her even if it was only for one night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

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Excerpt Reveal….Mixed Up Love by Natasha Madison

 

 

 

Hunter

When my business partner asked me to do him a favor, I had no idea he was sending me on a blind date his mother arranged for him. I walked in the bar, saw the woman drinking her third martini, and knew I was in for an eventful night.

After the unexpected second date, she didn’t know my real name or who I really was. By that time, the lie was too far gone, and I wanted her too much to admit the truth.

Laney

It’s not every day you find out your ex-boyfriend is engaged.

I shouldn’t have agreed to the blind date. My mother insisted, and I wasn’t in any position to turn down a night out.

I will admit, I definitely shouldn’t have ordered that fourth martini before said blind date even arrived.

The man turned out to be swoon worthy, handsome, condescending—a perfect distraction. Then I found out he was a liar.

I’ve never been in over my head to this degree.

Then again, I’ve never been in love.

 

 

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Walking into the restaurant, the hostess stands there with a smile on her face while I look around and see if maybe there is a guy sitting alone. I notice a couple of guys at the bar, but they look like they are together. Most of the tables are taken but none of them with a single man. “Good evening. How many I help you?” she says.

“I’m supposed to be meeting someone, and I don’t see him, reservations under Anthony,” I say, still looking around. The clanking of plates and cutlery fill the room along with soft music coming out of the speaker. She looks down at the pad in front of her.

“Yes, Anthony, table for two?” she asks, and I look at her and nod. She grabs two menus and another one that I’m assuming is the wine list. “If you can follow me,” she says and walks to the right of the restaurant. Passing a couple of tables, she sits me at a table for two near the bar and in front of the outdoor patio. “Here you go. Your waiter will be right with you.” I take the seat facing the front door so I can see everyone coming in and out. I grab the linen napkin on the table under my utensils and place it on my lap. I grab the brown menu and open it, my eyes scanning to see what they serve here.

I’m not sitting here for more than a minute when the waiter comes to the table, pouring water into the two glasses on the table. “My name is Henry, and I’ll be your server for the evening. Can I start you off with a cocktail while you wait?”

“Oh, that sounds so good. I’ll have two.” I laugh, not really joking. “Give me two martinis, two olives with one ice cube.”

“Very well,” he says and nods at me. I giggle to myself, scanning the restaurant and people watching. I see a couple of men sitting at the bar facing me as they talk to each other. I look out at the street and watch as cars zoom through and around other cars. Henry comes over a couple of minutes later with two martinis on his tray. He places them both in front of me. I smile at him, raising a glass to him, then take a long gulp. Yup, no sipping here, not after the news I just got. “This is fantastic,” I say. “I’ll take another.” He just nods and walks away, no doubt judging me in his head. But it’s not every day you find out that your gay ex-boyfriend is engaged to another woman. I don’t even think there is a greeting card for that shit, but I could be wrong.

I finish off the first martini in record time. The heat of the alcohol slowly creeps up, making my cheeks flustered. I’m glad I took an Uber, I think as I grab the second martini and bring it to my lips. I’m one sip into drinking my second martini when I see a man walk in the door, and the glass stops midair. The only thing going through my mind is holy shit.

His black suit molds to his body with a crisp white button-down shirt underneath, and he left the top two buttons open, showing a hint of his tan skin. His black aviator glasses hide his eyes, but it doesn’t matter. His hair is cut short, his face is clean shaven, and his lips—oh my god, his lips are so full, which conjures an image of me sucking his bottom lip to run through my mind. I shake my head; it must be the vodka. “No more drinks for me,” I say under my breath, looking down at the drink in my hand. Then I make the mistake of looking up again, and I see the woman at the hostess stand turn and look around the room.

Her eyes stop on me as she points at me, smiling at the man who doesn’t even pay attention to her. He dips his head to her and makes his way over to me. I still can’t see his eyes, but there is no denying that I feel his stare right through me. “Oh, shit,” I whisper to myself, and as he comes closer, I see that his jaw is square, and his chest is wider than I thought. I don’t think I inhale or exhale a breath while he walks around the tables, finally stopping at mine. He takes off his glasses, and I finally see his smoky gray eyes. “Are you Laney?”

I don’t know what happens, but my throat closes. I try to talk, but no words come out of my mouth, so I don’t say anything. My mouth opens and then closes again, but not a sound is made. Instead, the waiter comes back, smiling. “Here are two more.” I look at who I think is my blind date as he glares at the man, and I laugh nervously.

“It isn’t what it looks like,” I tell the man standing beside the table.

“Really? I find it hard to believe. It looks like you’re sitting here waiting for something bad to happen.” He then looks around, eyeing everyone in the place, and it’s a good thing I’m not standing because my legs would give out.

 

 

 

 

When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…
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Dark Alpha’s Hunger by Donna Grant…Excerpt Reveal

We are beyond excited to be sharing an excerpt from Donna Grant’s DARK ALPHA’S HUNGER with you today! DARK ALPHA’S HUNGER is the highly anticipated 6th installment of the Reapers series. If you’re a fan of paranormal romance, you’re going to want to get your hands on this!

 

About DARK ALPHA’S HUNGER

Dark Alpha’s Hunger is the sixth paranormal romance novel in New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant’s Reapers series featuring a brotherhood of elite assassins who wage war on the Fae at Death’s behest–and the women who change their hearts.

There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I’m coming for you…

Where Death leads, I follow. Nothing will stop me from my duty – not even the darkness that claims me. It’s the music that leads me from the dark, returning me to my brethren and a new foe that has risen. Learning who hunts Thea could be the key to unraveling what we need to know to defeat our enemy. The Half-Fae’s music stirs a passion within me that I’ve never known. For her, I will break my vow of silence. For her…I will risk everything.

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Excerpt:

Even over the noise of the city, Eoghan heard the violin. As soon as the first strains of the song reached him, everything else faded away. He couldn’t ignore the music any more than he could stop using magic.

He hadn’t known what drew him to Dublin—until he heard the strings. The closer he got to the pub, the more the music seemed to wrap around him, tugging him near. And holding tightly.

Eoghan didn’t mind. In fact, he sought out the sound. He needed to know who played the instrument. Was it the pretty woman who’d helped pull him through the portal? Or someone else?

Remembering Rhi’s words about his eyes, he called forth a pair of sunglasses and put them on before entering the tavern. The place was packed with people as eager as he was to hear more of the music. He shouldered his way through until he found a place near a wall. Normally, this kind of crowd sent him the other direction, but tonight, he didn’t think of leaving.

As soon as his gaze landed on the woman swaying as she played the violin, he inwardly smiled. Her blue hair wasn’t something he would ever forget. The mix of various shades of blue suited the tempestuous nature he’d glimpsed in her gaze the night before.

She had her eyes closed, completely lost in the music, moving from one song to another without missing a beat—as if she were performing for the notes, not the people. Slow or fast, it didn’t matter. The woman had serious skill.

Then again, he expected nothing less from a Halfling.

He eyed her black jeans encasing long legs and the black lace, long-sleeved shirt that scooped low in the front to reveal just a hint of cleavage. The black, high-heeled boots elongated her legs.

There was a flash of sparkle through her hair. Eoghan then spotted the mismatched earrings through the strands. One was a crown that hung from rhinestones, and the other a scepter.

Some might argue that her blue hair and shiny jewelry drew attention, but Eoghan knew the truth. Most only saw her hair or the solid black clothes and looked away in disgust or stared at her tresses, trying to figure out the exact shade. Few ever really noticed her face.

It was the perfect disguise for a half-Fae wanting to blend in.

Compared to her bandmates who were eating up the attention of the crowd, the Halfling was almost removed from it all. As if she preferred solitude but endured people in order to share the music that fell as easily from her as breath.

Eoghan’s lungs seized when she suddenly opened her eyes and locked gazes with him. Even from a distance, he knew those orbs held every shade of brown imaginable from a mix of raw umber and caramel to flakes of dark brown.

There was the slightest parting of her lips to let him know she recognized him. Now that he knew she was the one who had led him out of the darkness as well as pulled him through the portal, he owed her a great debt—one he feared might never be repaid.

He intended to cast magic that would alert him if she were ever in danger from humans or the Dark, but especially from Bran. He planned to do it as he followed her home.

When the band played their last song and walked from the stage, Eoghan made his way to the back of the pub to wait. He knew as soon as the door opened that it was the Halfling before she even stepped out.

He hadn’t planned to talk to her or even let her know he was near, but then he looked at her face. The next thing he knew, he’d spoken. The words sounded rough and raw, even to his ears.

Her head swiveled to him, and he walked from the shadows straight to her. The soft curve of her lips when he told her that he was in her debt made his blood heat. It took a moment for him to realize that it was lust that burned through him. It had been a long, long time since he’d felt it.

Memories from the night before as he’d covered her body with his when the dolmen exploded filled him. He recalled the softness of her body, the warmth of her skin. The smell of mint from her hair. He wanted so badly to touch her that he fisted his hands.

Death had sent him on a mission. Already, Eoghan wasted valuable time seeking out the Halfling. He needed to cast his magic and leave.

But she was near enough to touch. By the stars, it had been too many eons since he’d last yearned for the touch of another. If only the Halfling would raise her hand to his cheek or even his shoulder. Anything.

So long as she put her hand on him.

“I’m Thea. Thea Keegan,” she said. She raised a brow. “And you are?”

He parted his lips to answer when something materialized behind her. The Dark smiled at Eoghan. Without hesitation, Eoghan grabbed her against him and spun, bending over her and acting as a shield so the force of the magic landed on his back.

Blistering pain zapped through him as ball after ball of magic pummeled him. There was no time to fight the Dark, not with Thea. He glanced at her before he teleported both of them away to the roof of a building.

His knees gave out, pitching him forward. Eoghan caught himself with one hand and struggled to keep from falling on top of her.

“You can let go,” she said.

His muscles were locked with pain. It took a couple of tries before his arm finally released her. She moved from beneath him and climbed to her feet. Eoghan dropped his head and used both hands to keep from falling on his face.

“Dear God,” she murmured from beside him.

He closed his eyes and let his body heal the wounds. The Fae’s magic ate away at his skin, muscle, and bone like acid. One of the perks of being a Reaper was faster healing, as well as stronger magic than other Fae, but that didn’t make the pain any less excruciating.

The minutes ticked by without another sound from Thea. She remained beside him, and he could only imagine what was going through her head. Though he was immensely grateful that she wasn’t bombarding him with questions.

When most of the throbbing diminished to a level where he could breathe easier, Eoghan rocked back onto his haunches and rested his hands on his thighs. Then he opened his eyes and turned his head to her.

Thea’s face was a mix of panic, alarm, and curiosity as she set her violin case by her feet. Her brown eyes held his as she squared her shoulders. “I believe you were about to tell me your name.”

No hysterics, no demands, no fear. The more he was around Thea, the more he liked what he saw.

“Eoghan.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Eoghan. I don’t suppose after what happened last night and just a moment ago that you’d feel the need to fill me in, would you?”

He rotated his shoulders, stretching out his newly healed skin before he removed the remnants of his shirt. Then he climbed to his feet and used his magic to replace the garment with another.

Thea’s eyes briefly widened, but she stood her ground and waited.

“Why do you color your hair so?” he asked.

She hesitated only a minute before replying. “I like to do something different.”

“It’s not to keep other’s eyes off your face?”

Her brows snapped together. “How . . . ? Why would you ask that?”

“Those like you either embrace who they are or hide. The hiding seems to be instinctual, I’ve found.”

“Those like me?” she repeated, her frown deepening. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Eoghan looked out over the city. He really wished Cael or one of the other Reapers were there to tell her. He was never very good at imparting such news.

“Eoghan,” she urged.

His gaze swung back to her. “Why do you dye your hair?”

This time, she didn’t pause in answering. “Because people look at it and not my face. And before you ask, I don’t know why I don’t want others to look at me.”

“It’s because you have Fae blood.”

She swallowed nervously and dropped her arms. “I see. Did I bring us up here?”

“I did that.” When she stared at him blankly, Eoghan sighed. “You’re getting a crash course in this, and I’m sorry about that. I’m a Light Fae. The man who attacked us in the alley is Dark Fae. You can spot them because of their red eyes and the silver in their black hair.”

Thea nodded slowly, her face blank.

“I had no intention of telling you any of this. I was going to leave, but the Dark showed up.”

She continued to nod, her face folding into anxious lines.

“Are you understanding me?”

“You’re Fae. I’m half-Fae.”

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Aye. That’s the gist of it.”

“I need more.”

Eoghan ran a hand down his face. What she wanted was for him to talk more. After so many millennia of silence, he was finding it difficult.

“Do you not want to tell me?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Until you pulled me from the portal stones, I went a very long time without speaking.”

“Oh.” She shoved a lock of hair from her face. “If it’s too much, then don’t—”

“The Fae come from another realm, but our civil war destroyed vast parts of it. Most have chosen Earth as their home. Ireland, in particular. The Light Queen takes the north, and the Dark take the south.”

Thea blinked, her lips forming an O.

“I’m part of an elite team who is hunting a rather nasty Fae bent on slaughtering Death. Aye, Death is a person,” he said when he saw the question fill her eyes. “Bran has become a nuisance that has to be stopped. He was the one who sent me to that other realm with a beast that was hunting me. I heard your music and followed it right to the doorway the Halflings and Druids built eons ago to go between realms.”

She blew out a long breath. “I think I need a drink.”

“It’s the mention of the Druids that got you, isn’t it?” he teased.

Her look of disbelief faded as she rolled her eyes. “You don’t look like someone who jokes.”

“I’m not, but you looked like you needed the distraction.”

She smiled, laughing softly. “I did. Tell me how you know I’m part Fae?”

“You’ve the look of us. It’s your beauty, but a Fae always recognizes another. Does no one in your family know?”

Thea hunched her shoulders as she shivered against the cold. “I’m an orphan.”

“So am I.” He wasn’t sure why he told her that. It was a part of his past that he rarely thought about. “We should get you out of the night air.”

She looked at his outstretched hand. “You brought us here, right?”

“I did. And I’m going to take you wherever you want to go.”

“Really?” she asked with a tantalizing grin. “Anywhere?”

He nodded. “Anywhere.”

“I want to see the pyramids of Egypt.”

Eoghan kept his hand out and waited for her to take it. She studied him as she reached for her violin case. As soon as her palm slid into his, he teleported them to the great pyramid.

“Bloody hell,” she murmured and stumbled back, nearly dropping her case when she spotted the monuments.

He steadied her with a hand as her head tilted back to take in the grand structure before her.

“You really are Fae.”

It had been a long time since Eoghan was around anyone with so much enthusiasm. He was supposed to be finding the other Reapers, though Death hadn’t told him how to do that. But he couldn’t seem to leave the beautiful, beguiling Thea just yet.

Her head turned to him. There was a huge smile on her face as her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I’ve always wanted to travel. The pyramids have always fascinated me. Thank you for this.”

The smile that had begun to form on his face died when he spotted the veiled Fae about two hundred yards away. A quick glance around showed five more.

It looked as if he didn’t need to find the Reapers. They had found him.

Pre-order DARK ALPHA’S HUNGER today!
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———————

About DONNA GRANT

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children and an assortment of animals in Texas.
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Excerpt Reveal….Love Machine by Kendall Ryan

 

 

 

A best-friends-to lovers standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan.

After a rather uncomfortable ladies’ night involving a cucumber-wielding instructor with judgy eyes, I’m forced to admit my weaknesses. Rather than point blame at my lack of a sex life, I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

As a junior executive who’s clawed her way up the corporate ladder, failure is not in my vocabulary. Confident and bold in other areas of my life, I have to admit it’s time to up my bedroom game.

Asking my friend Slate Cruz is really the only option. Slate is like a walking billboard for sex. The man gets more ass than a toilet seat. There’s no way I’ll want more from this playboy than a little inspiration to revive my inner sex kitten.

Except, what happens if I do?

 

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“I can’t believe I struck out every single time,” Keaton says with a whine. “I tried all night and not one goddamn penis wanted me to touch it. God, my fucking feet hurt so bad.”

I loop my arm around her waist, partially to comfort her and partially to hold her up as we stagger down the sidewalk to her apartment. It’s almost two in the morning, and the streets are deserted. Only the predawn stars are watching over us.

“Don’t think of it as striking out. Think of it as . . .” I wave my hand, searching for a positive spin. “Being selective. You just didn’t meet a good match, and it’s better to go home alone than with the wrong guy.”

She growls loudly in frustration. “I’m notlooking for a friggin’ husband; I’m just trying to get laid! There’s no point in being picky. Face it, Slate, it’s not me who has the high standards here. Guys just don’t like me. End of story.”

I stop in my tracks. “That’s not true.”

She sways in my arms to face me with tipsy defiance. “Really? Because literally everything that happened tonight says different.”

“So you had one bad night? Big deal. Plenty of guys like you.”

“Prove it,” she insists, her eyes brimming with need and wounded pride.

Her body is so warm, her scent so sweet, and it all feels perfectly natural to just lean in and . . .

Our lips meet. She squeaks in surprise, but before I can pull away and apologize, she kisses me back. Hard.

Her hot, soft mouth crushes against mine, opening with an intense hunger, her tongue demanding entrance, and I can’t help devouring her right back. I couldn’t stop, even if I wanted to.

Why the hell haven’t I done this before? What have I been missing out on all these years?

All my reservations and doubts are swept away in a wave of desire. No overthinking, no self-doubt, just chemistry. Pure, primal instinct. Our tongues touch and my heart rate triples because, holy fuck . . . I’m kissing my best friend.

And, fuck me, I really, really like it.

We break the kiss, both flushed and breathing a little harder, a powerful new tension buzzing between us. Goddamn . . . just that one moment of contact was enough to send every drop of blood traveling from my brain straight to my dick.

Keaton’s never given me wood, not even once. Okay, that’s a lie. There was this one time that she rubbed my shoulders and her boob brushed my arm by accident, but that was just biology. That’s all that was.

“That was . . .” I pause.

It should have felt weird, like kissing my sister. I’ve always had a strictly platonic relationship with Keaton. But I can’t lie. It was perfect. Like a textbook-perfect kiss, chemistry and attraction, and just the right amount of tongue. And I want to do it again as soon as possible.

“Yeah,” Keaton murmurs. Her gaze has darkened. She licks her lips and glances up at her apartment building. “Want to come inside?”

 

 

 

 

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She’s a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she’s appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

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Excerpt Reveal…Broken Love Story by Natasha Madison

 

 

 

 

Samantha:

I had the perfect life; a husband who loved me, and two kids who were my world.

Until someone else answered his phone and my perfect life shattered.

When he died, I was left with answers he couldn’t give me and a box full of lies.

He left me broken.

 

Blake:

I fell in love when I was fifteen, knowing she was the one.

For five years, she was my everything—my every breath, every heartbeat, every thought.

She made me promise to move on, promise to find love again, but I broke those promises because I can’t move on.

 

Two broken souls brought together by tragedy and heartbreak.

Can a broken love story be fixed?

 

Pre-Order releasing July 10th
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Samantha

 

Standing in front of the full-length mirror in my room, I smooth down my black skirt. My blond hair is tied up in a ponytail, my cheeks are sunken in more than normal, and the blackness around my eyes indicates I haven’t slept well since this whole thing happened. Since I found out that not only did my husband die, but that he also married someone else.

 

I sit on the made bed and look down at my wedding band. My thumb of my right hand touches it, and the lone tear that falls out of my eye lands straight on it. “Mommy.” I look back at Lizzie, who is standing in the doorway wearing a black one-piece dress similar to mine with ballerina flats.

 

My mother-in-law went shopping yesterday and bought us all new outfits for today. “We need to put our best foot forward,” she said as I watched her walk in with the six bags. “We can’t let people talk.”

 

I turned around and walked out of the room, going upstairs. Shutting myself in my bathroom with my back against the door, I cried quietly, trying to hide my sobs. “We can’t let people talk,” I whispered to myself. The hatred I had begun feeling when I remembered my husband.

 

Lizzie walks to the side of my bed and sits next to me. “I hate this dress,” she says when I put my hand around her shoulder and bring her to me, kissing her head.

“I know, baby,” I whisper, “but after today, it’s going to be all over.”

 

“That’s what Grandpa A said.” She mentions the name she calls my father-in-law. Grandpa A because you can’t get better than an A.

 

“Is everyone ready?” I hear Ethan yell from downstairs. “The limo is picking us up in twenty.”

 

“Let’s go, baby,” I tell her, getting up and holding her hand while we walk downstairs. My in-laws are both sitting in the kitchen. My mother-in-law in a black skirt and top while my father-in-law has on a black suit. “Where is Daisy?” I ask them.

 

“Elliot is upstairs changing her. She spilled milk on her dress,” Judy tells me, looking at Lizzie. “You look like such a big girl.” She blinks her tears away.

 

Elliot comes down the stairs with Daisy on his hip, smiling at me when he walks in. “Okay, you girls go sit in the living room while us grown-ups talk,” my father-in-law says, and the girls both know to leave the room. When he knows they are both out of earshot, he starts. “Today is going to be tough, tough for us all, but we have to stand together. We have to be the family that we are.” I lean against the counter while he talks. “The situation with the other one has been taken care of, and she has been served papers.” I look at him and then at Elliot and Ethan, both of them looking down when our eyes meet. It’s almost as if they feel guilty for meeting this woman. My father-in-law continues, “After all this is done today, we are meeting with the lawyers in person, so we can go over the will, start the paperwork for the insurance, and make sure she doesn’t touch a thing that belongs to him.” I stop listening at this point, turning to look out the window at the backyard.

 

The swing set that he built in one day to make sure the kids could use it when he left the next day. The patio set he had delivered to us, so I could have somewhere to sit while I watched the girls while he was living with another woman. I shake my head, walking out of the room. I sit on the couch, and the girls come to sit next to me, one on each side. “Today is going to be really hard,” I whisper to them, “but we have to be strong for Daddy.” They both look at me, their eyes exactly like their father’s. “But, if at any time, you need to leave or you need me… I don’t care who is talking to me or who is around; you come and get me.”

 

“Grandpa A said we had to sit and wait,” Daisy whispers just as Elliot comes into the room and kneels in front of us.

 

“What is this meeting about?” he asks, smiling at us. The circles around his eyes are just as black as ours. He hasn’t left our house since this happened.

 

“Mommy said if we need her that we can go to her,” Daisy says, looking at him and then me, “even if Grandpa A said no.”

 

He leans in, whispering, “You can come to me too, and I’ll make sure that you get Mommy.”

 

“Okay,” Lizzie and Daisy both whisper at the same time, and then the doorbell rings.

We get up, put our jackets on, and one by one file into the black limo that has come to take us to the funeral home. We arrive before everyone else. “We get an hour with him, and then they will open the door,” Adrian says as Judy grabs her tissue and dabs her eyes.

 

I look around the funeral home. I’m not sure what I’m looking for, not sure where he is. I haven’t seen him since he kissed me goodbye four days earlier. His last words to me were, “Call you when I can.” That phone call never came.

 

I follow my in-laws to the big brown door that is closed. “I want to go in before the girls.” Everyone turns to look at me.

 

“We can keep them in the lobby,” says the lady who greeted us at the door. She told me her name, but I just didn’t listen.

 

I nod at her as she turns to ask the girls if they want hot chocolate. Daisy’s eyes get big as Lizzie turns to look at me. I nod my head, giving her permission, so she can go with the woman.

 

The doors open, and I don’t even know what to expect. I’ve never been to a funeral. Never known anyone well enough to pay my last respects. Judy and Adrian walk in first, followed by Ethan, and Elliot waits with me. I step foot into the room, and it’s so cold that I shiver. The smell of flowers hits me right away, making me turn my head. The number of flowers and wreaths shocks me; the whole room is almost full. Some wreaths blocking others. Rows and rows of brown chairs line the room, all facing toward the front of the room. My eyes land on the brown wooden casket at the front of the room. The open half showing you the white satin inside. I walk down the aisle toward him, and then my eyes land on him. Eric. I can’t take another step forward because my knees give out, and I fall. Elliot isn’t fast enough to hold me up, and my knee lands with a thud. But the pain doesn’t matter because nothing could take the place of the pain in my heart. The sound of wailing fills the room as I look up at my dead husband.

 

I feel arms around me; I feel myself lifted; I feel myself almost floating. He isn’t the Eric who kissed me goodbye; he isn’t the Eric who I made promises to; he isn’t the Eric who made all my dreams come true. This isn’t him.

 

The man with makeup caked on his face isn’t my Eric. My sobs overtake my body as I look at him, expecting him to open his eyes. Expecting something, anything but this. “I want the casket closed,” I say, my voice soft. “I want it closed.”

 

“Samantha,” my father-in-law starts, “it’s—”

 

I shake my head. “I don’t want the kids to see him like that,” I say softly. I know that for me they wouldn’t even consider it, but for the girls, they would move heaven and earth. “They need to remember him alive and smiling, not like that,” I say, pointing at the casket.

 

“Dad,” Ethan says after me, “I agree.”

 

“Me too,” Elliot says from beside me. “Close it.”

 

He just nods at us, then walks to the man standing in the corner. The man looks at him as they have a hushed conversation and then just nods his head. “Do you need some water?” Ethan says to me, and I nod. I don’t bother listening to what else he says; instead, I get up and go to the casket. Standing before the brown box, I look at him, really look at him. You see some bruising under the makeup, and his nose is a little swollen. His hands are folded over his stomach, resting on his black suit. The suit he wore when we got married. Why? I ask him in my own head. Why did you do it? I ask him, hoping I can hear him whisper something to me, whisper anything back. To answer my questions, to give me something; anything to make me understand why he did what he did. Why he left me with so many fucking questions and not one answer.

 

The man comes over to close the casket. Eric’s face disappears slowly, the shadow filling his face till the casket finally shuts. “I’m sorry for your loss,” the man says, nodding at me. “If at any time you want it open, we can open it back up.” I turn around now, looking at the chairs that will fill up as soon as the people start coming in. Ethan consoles my mother-in-law, and Elliot stands where we were just sitting, his hands in his pockets.

 

“I’m getting the girls,” I tell them and then walk out with my head held high but my shoulders slumped. Defeated is a word that you use so many times not really understanding what can actually defeat you. I know now, my husband dying, him cheating on me, my kids without a father, my dreams of growing old with him gone. Beaten straight down to my core, straight down to my bones.

 

I walk over to them as they look up. “Let’s go, girls,” I tell them as they both get up and walk to me. Lizzie takes one hand, Daisy takes the other, and we walk back into the room that holds a piece of our hearts. The room where their father lies, with no answers and no tomorrow.

 

We stand in that room for four hours while people come up to me and give me their condolences. I nod my head and play the part of the grieving wife. I am the grieving wife, but I’m also the wife whose husband didn’t love her enough to just be with her. The wife who knew her husband was slipping away but couldn’t catch it in time. The wife he said he would love and protect. The wife who stands here between his girls wishing that for one second he suffered horribly. The wife who has to pick up the fucking pieces and lie to her girls about what a great guy he was. The wife who, at the end of the day, just wasn’t good enough.

 

We listen as people tell us how amazing he was, how much he loved his family, and how much he loved his girls. The whole time, I’m yelling on the inside, ready to stand in the middle of the room, throw my head back, and yell at the top of my lungs. But I don’t do what I want. I don’t tell them what a fraud my husband was. I don’t tell them that it was almost all lies. I don’t tell them that the day he died, they called his other wife and not me. I don’t tell them that I wasn’t the one with him when he died.

 

I stand here thinking about this other person—his other wife—and wonder how she would handle this. How she would be with my in-laws. Would she just let them control her and do everything for her? Would she want it to be open and weep for him beside the casket instead of standing next to it?

 

I look around the room at all the people who came to pay their respects, and my eyes find someone I’ve never met before. Someone I’ve never seen before, and our eyes connect. His green eyes stare into mine as I watch him nod to me and turn to walk out. As he walks out of the crowded room, I strain my neck to watch his back. I don’t have long to think because Elliot comes up and whispers, “It’s time.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…
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Excerpt Reveal…Saving Beck by Courtney Cole

 

 

Reminiscent of the beloved novels by Mary Kubica and Jodi Picoult comes a chilling portrayal of a son’s addiction and its harrowing effects on both him and his mother from New York Times bestselling author Courtney Cole. SAVING BECK releases July 17, 2018. Check out the sneak peek below, and pre-order your copy of SAVING BECK today!

 

 

SAVING BECK Synopsis:

There comes a time when offering your life for your child’s doesn’t work, when you realize that it’ll never be enough.

The cold needle in his warm vein was a welcome comfort to my son at first. But then it became the monster that kept us apart.

Heroin lied, and my son believed. It took him to a world where the last year didn’t happen, to a place where his father was still alive. What Beck didn’t understand was that it couldn’t bring his father back from the dead. It couldn’t take away his pain, not permanently.

You think it can’t happen to you, that your kids, your family, will never be in this situation.
I thought that too. But you’re wrong.

Step into our world, and see for yourself.
Watch my golden boy become a slave to this raging epidemic. Watch me try and save him.

Drug addiction comes with a price.
Trust me, you’re not equipped to pay it.

Don’t miss this heart wrenching, evocative, yet hopeful novel—it will leave you forever changed.

 

Pre-order SAVING BECK here!

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EXCERPT:

The hospital is a beacon of light and hope as we pull in. I barely remember to put my car in park before I jump out and I leave it in the middle of the lane, the tires wrenched haphazardly toward the curb.

“Ma’am, you can’t park there,” a guy in a security uniform says with his fake badge, but I don’t answer. I toss him my keys and push my way to the doors, and that’s when I see him.

My son.

They’ve pulled him out of the ambulance, and he’s so still, so white. He’s got the body of a man and the face of a boy, and he’s got vomit in his hair. One hand dangles over the edge of the gurney, orange flecks dripping from his fingers to the floor, but no one notices, no one cares.

“Beck,” I breathe, and he doesn’t open his eyes. “Beck,” I say louder, as loud as I can. His mouth is slack, but he’s not dead, he can’t be dead because someone is pumping his heart with her fist. She’s running next to the gurney, and she’s pounding on his heart, making it beat.

“Coming through,” she yells at the doors, and there is a team of people working on him. They’re frantic, and that’s not good.

I chase after them, through the emergency room, through the people, but someone grabs me at a giant set of double-doors, the gateway to the important rooms.

“You can’t go in there,” a nurse tells me.

“That’s my son,” I try to tell her, but she doesn’t care. “Beck,” I scream, and I try to see through the windows, but I can’t because he’s gone. “I love you, Beck. Stay here. Stay here.”

The nurse grasps my arm, and I can’t stand anymore. My legs are tired and the adrenaline… it numbs me. I collapse beside her and she tries to hold me up, but she can’t… I’m on the ground.

My face is wet, when did I start crying?

“You have to save my son,” I beg her, my fingers curled into her arm. I stare into her eyes. Hers are green, ringed with blue, and she looks away. Something about her seems so familiar, something about those eyes.

“We’ll try, ma’am,” she says uncertainly. It’s the uncertainty that kills me. “We’ll do everything we can. I’m going to take you to a quiet room, and give you a blanket. Is there anyone I can call for you?”

I shake my head. “No. I already called my sister.”

“Okay,” the nurse says quietly and her name tag says Jessica. She takes me to a waiting room, a quiet private one, the ones they use when the outcome might not be good. I know that because I’ve been here before.

I swallow hard and she puts a cup of coffee in my hand.

As she does, she pushes a stray hair out of her face and her bracelet catches my eye. A simple chain with a silver dolphin on it. I’ve seen it before.

“You were here the night my husband was brought in,” I realize slowly. “Weren’t you? Do you remember me?”

It was a year ago. A year, two months… I check my watch… six days and twenty-two hours ago. Of course she doesn’t remember me.

But Jessica nods.

“I’m so sorry about your husband,” she tells me now, her voice quiet and thick. “I swear to you, we did everything we could.”

“I know,” I tell her. Because I do. The accident was so bad, there’s no way anyone could’ve survived. Except for Beck. He lived. But Matt...his injuries were insurmountable. That’s what the doctor told me that night.

I stare at the door, and this is the same room and that is the same door, and this is the same blue-tiled floor. For a minute, I’m back in that moment, and the doctor is coming in. I’d waited for hours and his face was so grave and I knew, I knew, before he could utter a word.

I shook my head because I didn’t want to hear what was coming next, but he spoke anyway.

Matt’s injuries were insurmountable, he’d said. We did everything we could.

But everything wasn’t enough, and my husband died.

“Is it a different doctor tonight?” I ask suddenly. “I need a different doctor. One who can save my son.”

I know it’s illogical. I know it was never the doctor’s fault, but it doesn’t matter because Jessica is nodding. “It’s a different doctor tonight,” she tells me. “Dr. Grant, and he’s very, very good.”

“Okay,” I whisper. “Okay.”

“If you need anything, you tell me,” Jessica says and I can see that she means it. She likes me. Or she feels sorry for me. It doesn’t matter which. I nod and she’s gone, and I’m alone.

Just like I was a year ago, and just like that night all I can do is pace.

I’m a caged mama wolf and there’s nothing I can do, but I know that if I stop moving, Beck might die. My energy is attached to his energy. I have to move. It all depends on me.

So I walk in circles.

I walk six paces, over the six white tiles, then I turn, taking three steps over the blue. I tread back six paces over the white, and then turn again, taking three more over the blue.

I will not stop, Beck. I won’t fail you. I won’t.

It becomes rhythmic, and I match my breaths with my steps. I’m a machine, a time-keeper, a being made of clock-work as I walk in circles, marking time. Every step I take, Beck is still alive. I feel it in my heart. It’s all up to me.

 

 

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About Courtney Cole:

Courtney Cole grew up in rural Kansas and now lives with her husband and kids in Florida, where she writes beneath palm trees and is still in love with the idea of magic and happily-ever-after. She is the author of Saving Beck.

 

 

 

 

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Excerpt Reveal….Faded Gray Lines by Cora Kenborn

Love is the deadliest lie.
Faded Gray Lines by Cora Kenborn releases on JUNE 28th!
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Love is the deadliest lie.

Leighton

I’m jaded. The truth is a bitter pill to swallow.
My first taste of love was my first betrayal.
Now, all I want is to start over, but they want my life.
Everyone says all’s fair in love and war.
Except I’m done playing fair.
I’m tired of turning my back on his darkness when it’s the light that always burns me.
I’ve danced with the devil. Now it’s time to become one.

Mateo

I’m a criminal. Let’s not sugarcoat the truth.
Her morals never had a chance in my corrupt world.
Now, all I want is to forget her, but they want her soul.
Loyalty is its own reward where I come from.
Except she’s become the prize.
They’ve taken my shining star and dimmed her light.
Some say I’m a monster. They haven’t seen anything yet.

This is a dark mafia romance STANDALONE.

EXCERPT:

His large palm still gripped my shoulder, and my hand shook as I squeezed his fingers. Electric shocks jolted up my arm, but I forced myself to maintain the contact, lifting our entwined hands and settling them between us. He watched every movement, his eyes never straying. It was as if once he looked away, the moment would evaporate.

I wouldn’t let that happen. This moment meant everything.

For years, I’d held onto the belief that he’d walked away from me without a second thought. I’d tried my best to hate him for the events that led up to his abandonment and the mind games that plagued me afterward. However, what he’d said to me at Brody’s left me starving for the truth. I had to know, even if what I found out left me in more jagged pieces than before.

“What did you mean when you said I didn’t know the whole story?”

“Now’s not the time for this, Leighton.” Mateo let out a heavy sigh and pulled away from me, severing our brief connection.

He could pull away all he wanted, but I wasn’t backing down. “Really? Where else do we have to go?”

His eyes narrowed. “You want to hear the truth?”

The sudden predatory danger radiating off him shook me. I was honestly confused if I did or didn’t, but I stood my ground. “I think I deserve it.”

Mateo let out a sardonic laugh. “You think this is about what you deserve?” He stalked toward me, backing me up until my spine bumped against the hard marble of the kitchen island. “What exactly do you think happened that night, Star? You think I just didn’t feel like having the perfect life with the perfect girl and decided to piss it all away?”

“I—I don’t…” My words broke off and stuck to the inside of my throat like molasses. All I could breathe in was the scent of his leather jacket as he planted a hand on either side of me. We were so close that if he took a deep breath, his black T-shirt would rub against my tank top and judging from the outline of the six-pack hugging the fabric, I wouldn’t survive the impact.

My gaze still traced the lines indenting his shirt when his hands settled on my hips, and I found myself being lifted into the air. My lips had just started forming the word “no” when my ass landed on the cold marble of the island with a hard slap, and Mateo slid in between my open knees.

“Have a seat, Star,” he said as if I weren’t already in place. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t speak. The deadly look in his eyes would’ve been enough to silence me. “What I have to say may knock you off that pedestal you’ve put yourself on.”

My chest heaved as he wedged himself tightly in between my legs.

“You think I sacrificed you? You immediately thought the worst and damned me without knowing the hell I went through. Get ready, little lamb. You’re about to find out the meaning of real sacrifice.”

Faded Gray Lines is best read after Blurred Red Lines – now available!

Amazon → https://amzn.to/2J0kabM
FREE with #KindleUnlimited

About the Author:

International bestselling author Cora Kenborn writes twisted romances about damaged bad boys and feisty heroines. She promises her readers a happily ever after, although she may or may not take them on an emotional rollercoaster before giving it to them. (Okay, she totally will.)

A Southern girl from North Carolina, Cora says “y’all” way too much and has a lifelong addiction to sweet tea. She refuses to “adult” without coffee, thinks pajamas are acceptable daywear, and considers note-taking during true crime shows to be perfectly normal. On the rare occasion that Cora has free time, she spends it avoiding laundry and convincing her family that Hot Pockets are an acceptable dinner.

Oh, and autocorrect thinks she’s obsessed with ducks.

Connect with Cora!

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The Darkest Warrior by Gena Showalter…Excerpt Reveal

 

The Queen of Paranormal Romance, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter, returns with THE DARKEST WARRIOR, a searing Lords of the Underworld tale featuring a beastly prince and the wife he will wage war to keep. Check out the sneak peek below and pre-order your copy of THE DARKEST WARRIOR today!

 

THE DARKEST WARRIOR Synopsis:

He is ice…

Puck the Undefeated, host of the demon of Indifference, cannot experience emotion without punishment, so he allows himself to feel nothing. Until her. According to ancient prophecy, she is the key to avenging his past, saving his realm and ruling as king. All he must do? Steal her from the man she loves—and marry her.

She is fire…

Gillian Shaw has suffered many tragedies in her too-short life, but nothing could have prepared the fragile human for her transition into immortality. To survive, she must wed a horned monster who both intrigues and frightens her…and become the warrior queen she was born to be.

Together they burn.

As a rising sense of possession and obsession overtake Puck, so does insatiable lust. The more he learns about his clever, resourceful wife, the more he craves her. And the more time Gillian spends with her protective husband, the more she aches for him. But the prophecy also predicts an unhappily-ever-after. Can Puck defeat fate itself to keep the woman who brought his deadened heart back to life? Or will they succumb to destiny, losing each other…and everything they’ve been fighting for?

 

Preorder THE DARKEST WARRIOR here!

Amazon | Kindle | Nook | B-A-M | Kobo | Book Depository | Audio

 

 

 

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

 

 

EXCERPT:

The three-day journey took a toll on Puck. No campsites, no food or water. At least he managed to avoid the rifts leading to traps.

Finally, he reached the sand tower. The Oracles lived up top, with a view of…everything. Too weak to climb, Puck used the last of his magic to create a sand staircase.

He needed to acquire more magic, which meant he would have to kill someone, and soon.

Should he slay one of the Oracles? History claimed the trio created Amaranthia as a safe haven for anyone with magical inclinations. Their supply of magic must be limitless, even unending.

At one time, the thought of harming a female would have disgusted him. Now? Possessed by the demon of Indifference? Bring it. A source was a source.

Business first. As he stepped onto the upper level without rails or walls he discovered three females standing together, each draped from breast to thigh in colorful scarfs. A fine, dark mist obscured their faces.

In lieu of a greeting, he said, “You know why I’m here.” They must. “How do I regain what’s mine? Freedom from the demon. The Connacht crown. Unification for the clans. Protection for my realm. Sin’s black heart on a golden platter. Princess Alannah.”

He would take her as his due.

As winds grew more violent, the women asked in unison, “What is our credo, Puck the Undefeated?”

All of Amaranthia learned their credo from the crib. Nothing given, nothing gained. The more personal the gift, the more detailed the answer.

What was more personal than his blackened heart?

Will be unable to render a kill afterward.

Worth it.

Determined, he withdrew a dagger from a sheath at his waist and thrust the blade into his rib cage. Warm blood poured down his chest. Pain devoured his strength with the same tenacity as Indifference, scorching every nerve ending in his body. Eventually his knees gave out. But even as he fell, he continued to hack through muscle and bone. Finally, success.

As an immortal, he would recover…soonish. Here and now, his mind would remain conscious for a minute, maybe two. Plenty of time to get what he needed. Sin had taught him well: the entire course of your life could change between one breath and another.

With a flick of his wrist, the still-beating heart rolled toward the Oracles. Twitters of acceptance rang out, followed by voices, one Oracle speaking after the other.

“You love our home, our people, despite your…limitations. But what has been spoken cannot be undone. What is to happen, will happen.”

“One prophecy can work alongside another, and what was can be made right.”

“To save us all, wed the girl who belongs to William of the Dark…she is the key…”

“Bring your wife to our lands and lead the dark one here after. Only the male who will live or die for the girl has the power to dethrone Sin the Demented.”

When had his brother earned the moniker “the Demented”?

“Only then shall you have all you desire.”

“But do not forget Ananke’s shears, for they are necessary…” Together the Oracles whispered, “There is no other way.” In the ensuing quiet, Puck’s thoughts whirled. William of the Dark. He’d never heard of him, or the girl the male would “live or die for.” The two needed to be brought to Amaranthia, one after the other. Very well.

As a heavy gloom toyed with the edges of his mind, he ordered and set his tasks.

Find William of the Dark. Wed the girl he loves. War with Sin.

One prophecy would not supersede the other. Instead, the two would work in tandem. Meaning, William would not kill Sin, would only dethrone him. The rest would be up to Puck.

Nothing would stop him from completing each task. William. Wed. War. One day, Puck would wear the Connacht crown, save his people and unite the clans.

Finally the gloom stopped toying and started devouring, swallowing him whole. He knew nothing more.

 

About Gena Showalter:

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she’s appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfans

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Excerpt Reveal…Chasing Him by Kennedy Fox

 

 

John Bishop isn’t your typical single dad.

Reserved, impatient, and utterly clueless.

Running the family’s bed and breakfast has many perks. Working long hours, picking up after the guests, and hearing couples going at it all night long aren’t any of them. Hooking up with girls who come to the ranch for horseback riding lessons? Best perk of them all.

That is until a baby shows up at his doorstep with a note claiming it’s his. Growing up on a ranch was anything but easy, but raising a newborn is proving to be the hardest task he’ll ever tackle. Leaving the bachelor life behind, his only priority is to hire a nanny who can teach him a thing or two about parenting—except he doesn’t anticipate her being gorgeous and quirky with an unhealthy football obsession.

Mila Carmichael has many talents—making balloon animals, creating origami art, and remaining in the friend zone. Often seen as one of the guys, she’s struck out more times than a rookie baseball player.

Seeking a new adventure, she flies to Texas to visit family and is offered a position she can’t refuse. Helping out a new dad should come easy to her, considering her past experience, but what she doesn’t anticipate is him being an attractive Southern temptation.

But that’s only the beginning.

While growing close to his family and falling madly in love with the baby girl who’s stealing their hearts, things are bound to get complicated. Everyone knows not to mix business with pleasure. That means no late movie nights, no stolen glances, and definitely no kissing behind closed doors. Too bad the universe has other plans—one that’ll threaten taking away the main thing that binds them together.

 

𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥

Chasing Him will go live on iBooks/Kobo/B&N on June 26th and then be taken off and go live exclusively on Amazon June 28th!

Amazon US | Amazon International | iBooks | Kobo | B&N

 

 

 

John’s POV

 

It’s been three days since Mila started working for me and so far she’s been a complete blessing. I know Maize’s in safe keeping and that’s all I’ve ever wanted though I can’t say I’m getting any more sleep.

After lunch, I fall asleep again and this time I’m woken up by a guest bitching about a toilet issue. Usually, I’m friendly and have a smile plastered on my face, but honestly, I’m pissed. Mama caught wind of me snapping at someone and practically threatened to fire me, which I know would never happen, but it was a wake up call that I need more sleep at night and that’s not going to happen until Maize is sleeping in longer stretches. Any little noise I hear, I’m wide awake and then I can barely fall back asleep. By the time I do, it’s time to get up for work. I feel as if I could sleep for a week straight.

After falling asleep for the third time today, I force myself to stand the rest of my shift. I’ve had so many ridiculous things happen today that I swear it’s Friday the thirteenth. By the time I make it home, I’m so fucking exhausted that I can barely keep my eyes open. When I walk in, I see Jackson flirting with Mila and it annoys the fuck out of me.

“Jackson, kitchen,” I bark when Mila walks into the room to check on Maize.

“What?” He looks at me, slyly.

Leaning against the counter, I cross my arms over my chest and give it to him straight. “Listen. There’s a few rules you need to adhere too.”

He sarcastically nods his head, which pisses me off further.

“Don’t look at my nanny like that ever again.”

“Like what?” he asks.

I narrow my eyes because he knows damn well what I’m talking about. “I don’t need you scaring her away and leaving me without help. So don’t hit on my nanny. Don’t flirt with her, ask her out, and don’t you dare fuck my nanny.”

He arches a brow and crosses his arms as if to ask if I’m done—as if to challenge me on everything I just listed.

“Basically, stay away from my nanny. Got it?”

Jackson bursts out into laughter. He’s doubled over trying to catch his breath but I’m as serious as a heart attack, ready to punch him in the chest and threaten his life if he breaks my rules.

“Why? Are you fucking her?” he asks, laughing with amusement. “God knows you’re worse than me.”

“No. Hell no. Those rules are for everyone, and if you break them, I’ll break your fucking neck.”

He leans over and whispers loud enough for just me to hear. “But you want to.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brooke Cumberland & Lyra Parish are a duo of romance authors who teamed up to write under the USA Today Bestselling pseudonym, Kennedy Fox. They share a love of You’ve Got Mail and The Holiday. When they aren’t bonding over romantic comedies, they like to brainstorm new book ideas. One day, they decided to collaborate and have some fun creating new characters that’ll make your lady bits tingle and your heart melt. If you enjoy romance stories with sexy, tattooed alpha males and smart, independent women, then a Kennedy Fox book is for you!

Keep up with all their social media platforms for updates & info!

WEBSITE | NEWSLETTER | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

 

 

Excerpt Reveal…Mister Tonight by Kendall Ryan

 

 

 

 

From New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan comes a standalone romance about a swoony single dad and the new neighbor he falls for.

Last night was the most embarrassing night of my life.

I was THAT girl.

You know, the highly intoxicated chick celebrating her thirtieth with her two best friends—the ones who are happily married. And the more I drank, the more I wanted to do something reckless to celebrate.

By reckless, I meant the sexy and alluring man dressed in a business suit standing near the bar. You know his type—tall, dark, and handsome. I was sure he was out of my league, but I’d had just enough alcohol that things like that no longer seemed to matter. I’m not fat, mind you, but you can tell I like French fries, so there’s that.

He took me home and I enjoyed the hottest birthday sex of my life, well until it came to a screeching, and rather unwelcome halt.

There’s nothing quite like being interrupted mid-ride with a little voice asking:

“What are you doing to my daddy?”

Just kill me now…… or so I thought.

Come to find out the man I rode like a bull at the rodeo is my new landlord.

 

 

 

PRE-ORDER NOW

 

Kindle US | ✦Kindle UK | ✦iBooks | ✦Nook | ✦ Google | ✦Kobo | ✦Audio

 

 

Casual flings didn’t tend to handle the whole single-dad thing well. Single moms, on the other hand, fucking loved it. The idea of a man devoted to his kid had them panting for days. But casual, no-strings hookups? To them, me being a dad screamed one of two things: I was either an irresponsible asshole who couldn’t properly wrap it up, or I was a total commitment addict trying to lure them in with my adorable four-year-old child in need of a new mama. Either way, it usually didn’t go over well. But so far, Kate was handling it fine.

Then she crossed the room toward me, and a single thought pervaded my brain.

Fuck, she’s sexy.

All those curves and her throaty laugh, coupled with her confidence? I was a total sucker for a confident woman who knew what she wanted.

“Happy birthday,” I whispered, placing my hands on her waist and drawing her in close.

Just because this would most likely be a one-time thing didn’t mean I wanted to rush through it. Quite the opposite, actually. I wanted to savor and enjoy every minute of this. Starting with the perfect kiss.

“It’s almost midnight,” she murmured, her lips just inches from mine.

Placing one hand on her cheek, I guided her mouth to mine, sealing my lips over hers in a slow, soft kiss.

She responded perfectly, opening her mouth in a silent invitation for my tongue to slide against hers. My hands found those curves wrapped under that black fuck-me dress I’d been admiring, and God, she felt even better under my palms than I could have imagined. Soft and warm and so inviting.

I pressed one more slow kiss to her lips and pulled back to study her reaction. I rarely did this kind of thing. Having her here was surreal . . . and really fucking turning me on, knowing what was probably about to happen.

“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked, slipping my hand around her waist. If she’d changed her mind or wanted to slow things down, I wanted her to know that was fine too.

“I can think of other things I’d rather be doing with my mouth,” she replied, her voice low and sultry as she ran her fingertips over my chest.

God, I love a woman who knows what she wants.

 

 

 

 

 

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She’s a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she’s appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras

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