Ricochet by Keri Lake…..Release Blitz

Title: Ricochet 
Author: Keri Lake
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: July 9, 2015
 
The only sure way to destroy a man is to take what he cannot live without.
Three years ago, I had everything.
A beautiful wife.
 
A son.
 
A reason for living.
 
Until a ruthless task force, assembled under Mayor Michael Culling, with a brutal strategy to make the streets of Detroit ‘safe’, ripped away everything I loved in a deadly hunt called The Culling.
 
They tried to kill me, too. I wish they had. Now I’m cursed by the memories of that night, and the words I whispered to my dying wife.
A promise—to avenge the wrong and set it right.
 
I’m no longer Nick Ryder. I’m a masked vigilante. Faceless. Loveless. Fearless. A man with nothing left to lose—one who’s seen the dark and violent truth behind the city’s flawless veneer.
Michael Culling doesn’t know who I am. Or what I want. All he knows is that I’ve kidnapped his beautiful wife.
An eye for an eye—isn’t that how the saying goes? And Aubree Culling is the perfect pawn to destroy him.
If she doesn’t destroy me first.

 

 

With my right hand, I pinned her flailing fist, then released her throat and seized the other. She stilled, flat against the wall, with my body pressed into hers. 

 

 


“You had everything to do with it.” I pushed harder, my muscles steeled. “He didn’t just wrong me, he annihilated me. And there you were, stroking his cock, smiling beside him all the while.”


 



“All you saw was a smile, then. You should’ve looked deeper. So what? I’m your revenge? Your ticket to hurting him?” She sneered. “Guess what? He doesn’t give a shit about me. He never did. So, go ahead, Nick. Kill me.” She lifted her head away from the wall, only inches from my face. “Snap my fucking throat, if that’s what you plan to do. You’d be doing him and me a favor.”

 

 

 

 

Her body pulsed with tension, the tremble beating against me, through me, inside of me. Anger. Hate. 

 

 

 

 

So much hate.

 

 

 

 

With one quick twist of my hands, I could’ve snapped her neck, been done with the whole plan and exited my miserable fucking existence on the wings of a bullet to my skull.

 

 

 

 

Instead, I slammed my lips against hers. Loving the struggle of her body trying to push me away. Hating the fact that her lips tasted like sweet salvation, beckoning me to whatever web of deception she’d been weaving since I’d taken her. Her delicious smell pervaded my senses—water on the flames burning inside of me, steaming up my mind.

 

 

 

 

Three years.

 

 

 

 

The last time I’d devoured a woman’s lips was three years ago, and that had been out of love. Kissing Aubree was something else entirely. Not gentle or tender. I kissed her violently, with all the fury locked inside of me, our frantic breaths clashing with one another. 

 

 

 

 

Her moan vibrated inside my skull, as her hands clenched to fists, trying to break free from my grasp. 

 

 

 

 

She opened her mouth wider, dragged my lip between her teeth, and bit me. 

 

 

 

 

Aggression surged through my body and rattled the cage of something dark inside of me. 

 

 

 

 

I wanted more. More pain. More rage. I wanted to tear into her while cursing her name. Purge myself of the hate until it was spent.

 

 

 

 

I broke the kiss, breaths heaving, as I glared down at her. “What do you know about Brightmoor?” I rasped.

 

 

 

 

“I don’t know anything about Brightmoor,” she gritted out.

 

 

 

 

Lies. “Yeah? Then, why did you have the fucking blueprints tucked in your purse? Devil’s Night plans safe and sound, beside your goddamn lipstick and compact.”

 

 

 

 

Her chest rose and fell as I kept her captive against the wall, her stare deadpan. “I didn’t—”

 

 

 

 

“Don’t lie to me.” I pressed harder, lips to her ear. “I fucking hate liars,” I whispered, inciting a shudder in her that brought a smile to my face. “Why did you have the chip?”

 

 

 

 

“I stole it.”

 

 

 

 

“You stole it.” I wanted to laugh at the stupidity of such a thought, but my voice lacked any ounce of humor or inflection. “I don’t think you did, Pistol Lips. I think he gave it to you. His little pet.”

 

 

 

 

“I fucking hate you.” Venom laced her words as she stared back at me, those golden eyes blazing with vehemence.

 

 

 

 

I licked my lips and glanced down at her pert breasts, and smiled. Squeezing her captured wrists with one hand, I reached up under her dress, only grazing the patch of lace that kept my finger from being inside of her, knowing everything she was too stubborn to admit.

 

 

 

 

Her lids turned heavy, as drunken eyes riveted on my lips. 

 

 

 

 

“Tell me how much you hate me.”

 

 

 

 

“Don’t,” she warned, and I caught the scrape of her tongue across her teeth.

 

 

 

 

Grabbing a handful of hair, I tugged her head back until her neck stretched taut, and like a creature of night, I wanted to bite down into that supple flesh and rip her throat out. Dragging my tongue along her shoulder, I made my way to the base of her neck and bit her collarbone. She let out a gasp and I released her wrists. Lust blazed through my veins, when her fingers tangled in my hair and her leg curled around my hip, drawing me against her. 

 

 

 

 

“You know what, Aubree? I fucking hate you, too, but goddamn … you taste so good.”

 

 

 

 

Hell was having her skin against mine and craving her so badly I wanted to crawl out of my own body. .

Keri Lake is a married mother of two living in Michigan. By day, she tries to make use of the degrees she’s earned in science. By night, she writes dark contemporary and paranormal romance. Though novels tend to be her focus, she also writes short stories and flash fiction on the many occasions when distraction sucks her in to the Land of Shiny Things. 
 
She loves hearing from readers

 

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First Verse by Emily Snow….Release Day Blitz

 

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Title: Second Verse

Author: Emily Snow

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: LM Book Creations

Release Date: July 2015

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SECOND VERSE  EMILY SNOW IBOOKS EBOOK COVERSynopsis

Kinsey Brock knew Emmett Hudson would be a star the moment he swaggered into her life. Hell, by the time she was released for the crime his scheming sister accused her of he already had a number one single.

Now, eight years and a helluva lot of heartache later, Kinsey’s long since given up on the boy who stole her breath away and took all the love she had. She has someone in her life, and he’s all she needs. She’ll challenge anyone who tells her otherwise. But after a chance encounter sends Emmett hurtling back into her life, every emotion she’s forced herself to forget since he gave up on her is pushed to the surface.

Because this time, the country megastar’s not giving up on her.

No matter how furious he is about the discovery of the other man who’s become Kinsey’s world.

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emily_snow3Emily Snow is The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Devoured series, Tidal, Wrecked, and Uncovered. She loves books, sexy bad boys, and really loud rock music, so naturally, she writes stories about naughty rockers. Visit her on Facebook, on her blog at emilysnowbooks.blogspot.com, or chat with her on Twitter @emilysnowbks for news, teasers, and contests.

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Sealed In Blood by Jenna Fox….Blog Tour & Review

 

 

Synopsis
Determined to forget her ex-fiancé and gather the remains of her betrayed heart, Charisma Claiborne scrapes together her hard earned pennies for a dream trip to Las Vegas.  On her first day in town, she has an accident with an eccentric casino owner.  Enthralled by his good looks, she falls into his bed for a steamy one night stand.
But Hunt Blackwater is more than a mysterious, gorgeous casino owner.  Rumors of a Native American curse and a string of inexplicable deaths follow in his wake – but the most terrifying is his ability to reach right into Charisma’s soul and make her want the things she’s convinced herself she can do without.
Unwilling to get in over her head, Charisma cuts her trip short and returns home, but trouble seems to follow her.  With remembered whispers of curses in her ears and the lingering smell of death in her nose, she wonders if she is his next victim.  Things go from puzzling to harrowing as Charisma comes face to face with the greatest betrayal she could ever imagine.
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REVIEW:

Sealed in Blood is a very quick read and doesn’t leave you hanging.

I must say I was floored at how quickly things transpired and how Charisma acted after her first initial bump in with Hunt.  But I didn’t let that deter me from continuing the story.
Charisma is a charming young woman just trying to enjoy life.  She visits and old friend in Vegas and things from there don’t go so well.  Let’s just say that Charisma is definitely put through the gauntlet.
Hunt is definitely a very dominant man and doesn’t hide that.  When it comes to Charisma, there is a pull to her that he understands but has to somehow explain to her and not push her away.
I enjoyed the plot and how quickly everything unfolded.  I personally enjoy a story that has more depth and detail to it.  However, this book was made to be a quick read and Jenna does a good job of keeping the book moving along at a great pace.
And I enjoyed that I wasn’t left hanging at the end of the book.  I rather enjoyed how Jenna ended the book and found myself smiling.
About the Author
Jenna Fox is a multi-published author of erotic romance residing in Eastern Tennessee. Besides juggling a busy family life, Fox reviews and critiques for other authors and crafts her own dark erotic tales. Stories always feature a mysterious alpha male with unexpected twists to shock the reader. She believes in HFN and HEA endings, although not always in a romantic or conventional way.
Her work is born from real life experiences, an overactive imagination and a consuming caffeine addiction.  Fox is a listener of bad-ass music and a watcher of classic slasher films. In short, she’s a multi-tasker – a writer, a storyteller, able to make a boo-boo all better with just one kiss and a proud, world class expert at screwing up recipes and scaring away closet monsters.  She believes in ghosts and God and is absolutely convinced chocolate soothes the savage beast.
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That One Night by Josie Wright…..Excerpt Blog Tour Stop

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That One Night by Josie Wright Blog Tour @AuthorJWright

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 26th, 2015

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions (http://bookenthusiastpromotions.com @BookEnthuPromo )

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Synopsis:

All it takes is just one moment to change the course of your life. For me, it was one perfect night.

I have always had a thing for my brother’s best friend, Ben. When I found him on my parents’ couch, drowning his sorrows in a whiskey bottle, my attempts to comfort him quickly turned into a night of raw and intense passion.

My foolish heart hoped he might feel the same way I do.

But Ben wasn’t there to stay and I woke up the next morning alone with a broken heart.

I attempted to forget the guy with a smile to die for and a touch that sets me on fire.

I thought I was over him.

I thought he was gone forever.

Until, eighteen months later Ben returns and learns my secret. Now, he is hell-bent on winning me back.

He plays dirty.

And he won’t stop until he gets what he wants—me.

But he has secrets of his own.

Secrets that could destroy everything we might have and everything we are.

JWThatOneNightTeaser2

Excerpt

We more or less jog back to the house, talking a lot of non-sense and laughing. I blame it on the cold or the sudden influx of fresh air to our brains. When the house comes into sight, he nudges my shoulder.

“Whoever gets to the house first, gets a wish?”

“What, do I look like a genie?”

“No, but I can rub you places if you want.” He smirks at me.

I bump into him, making him step off the paved road and fight for balance, before I sprint ahead like a bat out of hell and yell behind me. “Dream on. I’ll so win. And then you’ll be my bitch.” I’m running so fast I can actually feel my lungs burn. I suppose running after a toddler isn’t exactly the same as working out. And yoga doesn’t seem to have done much for my stamina. I feel like I’m going to collapse, but I’m not willing to give up. I have about hundred feet left to run when I can hear his footsteps behind me.

When he passes me, he doesn’t seem to be out of breath at all.

“Who’s going to be whose bitch, huh? Is that all you got Gilbert?”

Such a cocky fucker. He overtakes me and gets to the house before me, casually leaning against the porch while I trot over there feeling like death warmed over. It’s not fair. He looks absolutely breathtaking, the way he has his arms crossed over his chest, his feet are crossed at his ankles while his body is leaning against the bars of the porch railing. His head is tilted slightly back, nearly reaching the handrail. He has a shit-eating grin on his face.

I give him a death glare and am about to walk past him up the stairs onto the porch, when he grabs my arm and yanks me toward him. He turns me so my back is now against the porch and cages me in with each hand grabbing one of the bars on either side of my head. Suddenly, breathing becomes even more difficult.

“What about my wish? You won’t go back on your word, will you, Frankie?”

I can only shake my head. You know, like intelligent people do. Forming coherent words and phrases…pfft, so over it.

“Good,” is all he says before he lowers his head, coming closer and closer. I feel like I’m going to faint. I know I should stop this. I know it isn’t the best idea. I know it could break my heart, again. Chances are it will. And if it breaks this time, if he breaks it this time, there won’t be a coming back from it. Knowing all of this, I still can’t manage to tell my heart to stop doing the little somersaults and I can’t tell those damn butterflies in my stomach to chill the fuck out. Instead, I lick my lips in anticipation. When his lips eventually connect to mine, I feel like my lungs are finally able to fill with air. It feels as if I’ve been holding my breath forever—not just the last minute, but the past eighteen months. His lips are soft, yet demanding against mine and his tongue is insisting on getting access. I part my lips slowly, not expecting my body betraying me. When his tongue connects with mine, a quiet whimper sneaks past my lips—but not quiet enough. Ben hears it and it seems to spur him on. He presses his body closer to mine, his tongue engaging mine in a dirty little tango. We’re lost in the moment, in the sensation of tasting each other. When the front door opens, we both startle and quickly step away from each other—like two teenagers nearly caught by their parents. He seems to be able to get his bearings quicker than I do, sidestepping me and walking up the stairs.
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Meet the Author

Josie Wright has always been a bookworm, spending every free moment with her nose buried in a book. While others were out partying, she spent her evenings with Heathcliff, Sydney Carton or Snape. Romance, fantasy, thrillers – you name it, she read it.

Thanks to the Kindle, she finally arrived in the 21St century and discovered the Indie literature world. Josie has been lost to it ever since. With her love for the written word and her promiscuous feelings for countless book boyfriends, the next logical step was to start writing. The voices in her head and her imaginary friends wanted out to play and so she wrote her debut novel “That One Night”, that’s to be released early summer 2015. And the good news is, there are more voices and imaginary friend where Ben and Frankie came from.

Josie is a financial expert by day and a writing junkie by night. The rest of the time she’s a bit of a hippie, a bit of a goth and many things in between. Josie loves to spend time with her husband when she can tear herself away from her book boyfriends. She loves video games, movies, good food and even better music. She’s addicted to chips, long baths and shoes. Oh, and books of course. Definitely books.

 

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Ruin & Rule by Pepper Winters…Blog Tour & Review

ruin & rule it's live

Meet Killian in Pepper Winter’s new MC Romance!

NOW AVAILABLE

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ruin & rule

BLURB

“We met in a nightmare. The in-between world where time had no power over reason. We fell in love. We fell hard. But then we woke up. And it was over . . .”

RUIN & RULE

She is a woman divided. Her past, present, and future are as twisted as the lies she’s lived for the past eight years. Desperate to get the truth, she must turn to the one man who may also be her greatest enemy . . .

He is the president of Pure Corruption MC. A heartless biker and retribution-deliverer. He accepts no rules, obeys no one, and lives only to reap revenge on those who wronged him. And now he has stolen her, body and soul.

Can a woman plagued by mystery fall in love with the man who refuses to face the truth? And can a man drenched in darkness forgo his quest for vengeance-and finally find redemption?

“Ruin & Rule is a full-length book at 436 pages and ends on a cliffhanger. Cleo and Kill’s story continues in SIN & SUFFER.”

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Prologue

We met in a nightmare.

The in-between world where time had no power over rhyme, reason, or connection. We met. We stared. We knew.

There was no distortion from the outside world. No right or wrong. No confusion or battles from hearts and minds.

Just us. In our silent dreamworld.

That nightmare became our home. Planting ghosts, raising fantasies. Entwined together in our happily skewed reality.

We fell in love. We fell hard.

In those fleeting seconds of our nightmare, we lived an eternity.

But then we woke up.

And it was over.

Chapter One

I always believed life would grant rewards to those most worthy. I was fucking naïve. Life doesn’t reward—it ruins. It ruins those most deserving and takes everything. It takes everything all while watching any remaining goodness rot to hate.

—Kill

[ORN_SB]

Darkness.

That was my world now. Literally and physically.

The back of my skull hurt from being knocked unconscious. My wrists and shoulders ached from lying on my back with my hands tied behind me.

Nothing was broken—at least it didn’t feel that way—but everything was bruised. The fuzziness receded wisp by wisp, parting the clouds of sleep, trying to shed light on what’d happened. But there was no light. My eyes blinked at the endless darkness from the mask tied around my head. Anxiety twisted my stomach at having such a fundamental gift taken away.

I didn’t move, but mentally catalogued my body from the tips of my toes to the last strand of hair on my head. My jaw and tongue ached from the foul rag stuffed in my mouth and my nose permitted a shallow stream of oxygen to enter—just enough to keep me alive.

Fear tried to claw its way through my mind, but I shoved it away. I deliberately suppressed panic in order to assess my predicament rather than lose myself to terror.

Fear never helps, only hinders.

My senses came back, creeping tentatively, as if afraid whoever had stolen me would notice their return.

Sound: the squeak of brakes, the creak of a vehicle settling from motion to stopping.

Touch: the skin on my right forearm stung, throbbing with a mixture of soreness and sharpness. A burn perhaps?

Smell: dank rotting vegetables and the astringent, pungent scent of fear—but it wasn’t mine. It was theirs.

It wasn’t just me being kidnapped.

My heart flurried, drinking in their terror. It made my breath quicken and legs itch to run. Forcing myself to ignore the outside world, I focused inward. Clutching my inner strength where calmness was a need rather than a luxury.

I refused to lose myself in a fog of tears. Desperation was a curse and I wouldn’t succumb, because I had every intention of being prepared for what might happen next.

I hated the sniffles and stifled sobs of others around me. Their bleak sadness tugged at my heartstrings, making me fight with my own preservation, replacing it with concern for theirs.

Get through this, then worry about them.

I didn’t think this was a simple opportunistic snatch. Whoever had stolen me planned it. The hunch grew stronger as I searched inside for any liquor remnants or the smell of cigarettes.

Had I been at a party? Nightclub?

Nothing.

I hadn’t been stupid or reckless. I think…

No hint or clue as to where I’d been or what I’d been doing when they’d come for me.

I wriggled, trying to move away from the stench. My bound wrists protested, stinging as the rope around them gnawed into my flesh like twine-beasts. My ribs bellowed, along with my head. There was no give in my restraints. I stopped trying to move, preserving my energy.

I tried to swallow.

No saliva.

I tried to speak.

No voice.

I tried to remember what happened.

I tried to remember…

Panic.

Nothing.

I can’t remember.

“Get up, bitch,” a man said. Something jabbed me in the ribs. “Won’t tell you again. Get.”

I froze as my mind hurtled me from present to past.

I’ll miss you so much,” she wailed, hugging me tighter.

“I’m not dying, you know.” I tried to untangle myself, looking over my shoulder at the final call flashing for my flight. I hated being late for anything. Let alone my one chance at escaping and finding out the truth once and for all.

“Call me the moment you get there.”

“Promise.” I drew a cross over my heart—

The memory shattered as my horizontal body suddenly went vertical in one swoop.

Who was that girl? Why did I have no memory of it ever happening?

“I said get up, bitch.” The man breathed hard in my ear, sending a waft of reeking breath over me. The blindfold stole my sight, but it left my nose woefully unprotected.

Unfortunately.

My captor shoved me forward. The ground was steady beneath my feet. The sickness plaiting with my confusion faded, leaving me cold.

My legs stumbled in the direction he wanted me to go. I hated shuffling in the darkness, not knowing where I came from or where I was being herded. There were no sounds of comfort or smothered snickers. This wasn’t a masquerade.

This was real.

This is real.

My heart thudded harder, fear slipping through my defenses. But full-blown terror remained elusive. Slippery like a silver fish, darting on the outskirts of my mind. It was there but fleeting, keeping me clear-headed and strong.

I was grateful for that. Grateful that I maintained what dignity I had left—remaining strong even in the face of the unknown terrors lurking on the other side of my blindfold.

Moans and whimpers of other women grew in decibels as men ordered them to follow the same path I walked. Either death row or salvation, I had no choice but to inch my way forward, leaving my forgotten past behind.

I willed snippets to come back. I begged the puzzlement of my past to slot into place, so I could make sense of this horrible world I’d awoken in.

But my mind was locked to me. A fortress withholding everything I wished to know.

The pushing stopped. So did I.

Big mistake.

“Move.” A cuff to the back of my head sent me wheeling forward. I didn’t stop again. My bare feet traversed…wood?

Bare feet?

Where are my shoes?

The missing knowledge twisted my stomach.

Where did I come from?

How did I end up here?

What’s my name?

It wasn’t the terror of the unknown future that stole my false calmness. It was the fear of losing my very self. They’d stolen everything. My triumphs, my trespasses, my accomplishments and failures.

How could I deal with this new world if I didn’t know what skills I had to stay alive? How could I hope to defeat my enemy when my mind revolted and locked me out?

Who am I?

To have who I was deleted…It was unthinkable.

“Faster, bitch.” Something cold wedged against my spine, pushing me onward. With my hands behind my back, I shuffled faster, negotiating the ground as best I could for dips or trips.

“Step down.” The man grabbed my bound wrists, giving me something to lean against as my toes navigated the small steps before me.

“Again.”

I obeyed.

“Last one.”

I managed the small staircase without falling flat on my face.

My face.

What do I look like?

A loud scraping noise sounded before me. I shied back, bumping against a feminine form. The woman behind me cried out—the first verbal sound of another.

“Move.” The pressure on my lower back came again, and I obeyed. Inching forward until the stuffy air of old vegetables and must was replaced by…copper and metallic…blood?

Why…why is that so familiar?

I gasped as my mind free-fell into another memory.

“I don’t think I can do this.” I darted away, throwing up in the rubbish bin in the classroom. The unique stench of blood curdled my stomach.

“Don’t overthink it. It’s not what you’re doing to the animal to make it bleed. It’s what you’re doing to make it live.” My professor shook his head, waiting for me to swill out my mouth and return white-faced and queasy to the operation in progress.

My heart splintered like a broken piece of glass, reflecting the compassion and responsibility I felt for such an innocent creature. This little puppy that’d been dumped in a plastic bag to die after being shot with BB gun pellets. He’d survive only if I mastered the skills to stem his internal bleeding and embrace the vocation I was called to do.

Inhaling the scent of blood, I let it invade my nostrils, scald my throat, and impregnate my soul. I drank its coppery essence. I drenched myself in the smell of the creature’s life force until it no longer affected me.

Picking up a scalpel, I said, “I’m ready—”

“Holy fuck!” The man guiding me forward suddenly whacked the base of my spine. The hard pain shoved me forward and I tripped.

“Wire—get me fucking reinforcements. He’s started a motherfucking war!”

Wind and body motion swarmed me as men charged from behind. The darkness I lived in suddenly came alive with sound.

Bullets flew, impaling themselves into the metal sides of the vehicle I’d just stepped from. Pings and ricochets echoed in my ear. Curses bellowed; moans of pain threaded like a breeze.

Someone grabbed my arm, swinging me to the side. “Get down!” The inertia of his throw knocked me off balance. With my wrists bound together, I had nothing to grab with, no way to protect myself from falling.

I fell.

My stomach swooped as tumbled off a small platform and smashed against the ground.

Dirt, damp grass, and moldy leaves replaced the stench of blood, cutting through the cloying sharpness of spilled metallic. My mouth opened, gasping in pain. Blades of grass tickled my lips as my cheek stuck to wet mud.

My shoulder screamed with agony, but I ignored the new injury. My mind clung to the unlocked memory. The fleeting recollection of my profession.

I’m a vet.

The sense of homecoming and security that one little snippet brought was priceless. My soul snarled for more, suddenly ravenous for missing information.

I skipped straight from fumbling uncertainty into starvation for more.

Tell me! Show me. Who am I?

I searched inside for more clues. But it was like trying to grab on to an elusive dream, fading faster and faster the harder I chased.

I couldn’t remember anything about medicine or how to heal. All I knew was I’d been trained to embrace the scent of blood. I wasn’t afraid of it. I didn’t faint or suffer sickness at the sight of it pouring from an open wound.

That tiniest knowledge was enough to settle my prickling nerves and focus on the outside world again.

Battle cries. Men screaming. Men growling. The dense thuds of fists on flesh and the horrible deflection of gunshots.

I couldn’t understand. Had I fallen through time and entered an alternate dimension?

Another body landed on top of mine.

I cried out, winded from a sharp poke of an elbow to my ribs.

The figure rolled away, crying softly. Feminine.

Why aren’t I crying?

I once again searched for fear. It wasn’t natural not to be afraid. I’d woken up alone, stolen, and thrown into the middle of a war, yet I wasn’t hyperventilating or panicked.

My calmness was like a drug, oozing over me, muting the sharp starkness of my situation. It was bearable if I embraced courage and the knowledge that I was strong.

My hands balled, grateful for the thought. I didn’t know who I was, but it didn’t matter, because the person who I was in this moment mattered the most.

I had to remain segmented, so I could get through whatever was about to happen. All I had was gut instinct, quiet strength, and rationality. Everything else had been taken.

“Stop fighting, you fucking idiots!”

The loud growl rumbled like an earthquake, hushing the battle in one fell swoop. Whoever had spoken had power.

Immense power. Colossal power.

A shiver darted over my skin.

“What the fuck happened? Have you lost your goddamn lovin’ mind?” a man yelled.

A sound of a short scuffle, then the fresh whiff of tilled dirt graced my nose.

“It’s done. Throw down your weapons and bend a fucking knee.” The same earthquake rumbled. The weight of his command pushed me harder against the damp ground.

“I’m not bending nothing, you asshole. You aren’t my Prez!”

“I am. Have been for the past four years.”

“You’re not. You’re his bitch. Don’t think his power is yours.”

Another fight—muffled fists and kicks. It ended swiftly with a painful groan.

The earthquake voice came again. “Open your eyes and follow the red fucking river. Your chosen—the one you hand-picked to slaughter me and take over the Club—he’s dead. Did you ever stop to think Wallstreet made me Prez for a fucking reason?”

Another moan.

“I’m the chosen one. I’m the one who knows the family secrets, absorbed the legacy, and earned his way into power. You don’t know shit. Nobody does. So bend a fucking knee and respect.”

Another tremor ran down my back.

Silence for a time, apart from the squelch of boots and heavy breathing. Then a barely muttered curse. “You’ll die. One way or another, we won’t put up with a Dagger as a Prez. We’re the Corrupts, goddammit. Having a traitor rule us is a fucking joke.”

“I’m the traitor? The man who obeys your leader? Who guides in his stead? I’m the traitor when you try and rally my brothers in a war?” A heavy thud of a fist connected with flesh. “No…I’m not. You are.”

My mind raced, sucking up noises and forming wild conclusions of what happened before me. Was this World War Three? Was this the apocalypse of the life I couldn’t remember? No matter how I pieced it together, I couldn’t make sense of anything.

The air was thick with anticipation. I didn’t know how many men stood before me. I didn’t know how many corpses littered the ground, or how such violence could be permitted in the world I used to know. But I did know the cease-fire was fragile and any moment it would explode.

A single threat slithered through the grass like a snake. “I’ll kill you, motherfucker. Mark my words. The true Corrupts are just waiting to take you out.”

The gentle foot-thuds of someone large vibrated through the ground. “The Corrupts haven’t existed for four fucking years. The moment I took the seat, it’s been Pure Corruption all the way. And you’re not fucking pure enough for this Club. You’re done.”

I flinched as the sulfuric boom of a gun ripped through the stagnant air.

A crash as a body fell lifeless to the grass. A soft puff of a soul escaping.

Murder.

Murder was committed right before me.

The inherent need to nurture and heal—the part of me that was as steadfast as the beat of my heart—wept with regret.

Death was something I’d fought against on a daily basis, but now I was weaponless.

I hated that a life had been stolen right before me. That I hadn’t been able to stop it.

I’m a witness.

And yet, I’d witnessed nothing.

I’d been privy to a battle but seen nothing. Knew no one. I would never be able to tell who shot whom, or who was right and who was wrong.

My hands shook, even though I managed to stay eerily calm. Am I in shock? And if I was, how did I cure myself?

The woman beside me curled into a ball, her knees digging into my side. My first reaction was to repel away from the touch. I didn’t know who was friend or foe. But a second reaction came quickly; the urge to share my calmness—to let her know that no matter what happened, she wasn’t alone. We faced the same future—no matter how grim.

Voices cascaded over us, whispers mainly, quickly spoken orders. Every sound was heightened. Being robbed of sight made my body seek other ways in which to find clues.

“Get rid of the bodies before daybreak.”

“We’ll go back and make sure we’re still covered.”

“Send out the word. It’s over. The Prez won—no anarchy today.”

Each voice was distinct but my ears twitched only for one: the earthquake rumble that set my skin quivering like quicksand.

He hadn’t spoken since he’d condemned someone to death and pulled the trigger. Every second of not hearing him made my heart trip faster. I wasn’t afraid. I should be. I should be immobile with fear. But he invoked something in me—something primal. Just like I knew I was female and a vet, I knew his voice meant something. Every inch of me tensed, waiting for him to speak. It was wrong to crave the voice of a killer, but it was the only thing I wanted.

Needed.

I need to know who he is.

Wet mud sucked loudly against boots as they came closer.

The woman whimpered, but I angled my chin toward the sound, wishing my eyes were uncovered.

I wanted to see. I wanted to witness the carnage before me. Because it was carnage. The stench of death confirmed it. It was morbid to want to see such destruction, but without my sight all of this seemed like a terrible nightmare. Nothing was grounded—completely nonsensical and far too strange.

I needed proof that this was real.

I needed concrete evidence that I wasn’t mad. That my body was intact, even if my mind was not.

I sucked in a breath as warm fingers touched my cheek, angling my face upward and out of the mud. Strong hands caressed the back of my skull, fumbling with my blindfold.

The anticipation of finally getting my wish to see made me stay still and cooperative in his hold.

I didn’t say a word or move. I just waited. And breathed. And listened.

The man’s breath was heavy and low, interspersed with a quick catch of pain. His fingers were swift and sure, but unable to hide the small fumble of agony.

He’s hurt.

The pressure of the blindfold suddenly released, trading opaque darkness for a new kind of gloom.

Night sky. Moonshine. Stars above.

Anchors of a world I knew, but no recognition of the dark-shrouded industrial estate where blood gleamed silver-black and corpses dotted the field.

I’m alive.

I can see.

The joy at having my eyes freed came and went as blazing as a comet.

Then my life ended as our gazes connected.

Green to green.

I have green eyes.

Down and down I spiraled, deeper and deeper into his clutches.

My life—past, present, and future—lost all purpose the second I stared into his soul.

The fear I’d been missing slammed into my heart.

I quivered. I quaked.

Something howled deep inside with age-old knowledge.

Every part of me arched toward him, then shied away in terror.

Him.

A nightmare come to life.

A nightmare I wanted to live.

If life was a tapestry, already threaded and steadfast, then he was the scissors that cut me free. He tore me out, stole me away, changed the whole prophecy of who I was meant to be.

Jaw-length dark hair, tangled and sweaty, framed a square jaw, straight nose, and full lips. His five-o’clock stubble held remnants of war, streaked with dirt and blood. But it was his eyes that shot a quivering arrow into my heart, spreading his emerald anger.

He froze, his body curving toward mine. Blistering hope flickered across his features. His mouth fell open and love so achingly deep glowed in his gaze. “What—” A leg gave out, making him kneel beside me. His hands shook as he cupped my face, his fingers digging painfully into my cheekbones. “It’s not—”

My heart raced. Yes.

“You know me,” I breathed.

The moment my voice webbed around us, storm clouds rolled over the sunshine in his face, blackening the hope and replacing it with pure hatred.

He changed from watching me like I was his angel to glowering as if I were a despicable devil.

I shivered at the change—at the iciness and hardness. He breathed hard, his chest rising and falling. His lips parted, a rumbling command falling from his mouth to my ears. “Stand up. You’re mine now.”

When I didn’t move, his hand landed on my side. His touch was blocked by clothing but I felt it everywhere. He stroked my soul, tickled my heart, and caressed every cell with fingers that despised me.

I couldn’t suck in a proper breath.

With a vicious push, he rolled me over, and with a sharp blade sliced my bindings. With effortless power, so thrilling and terrifying, he hauled me to my feet.

I didn’t sway. I didn’t cry. Only pulled the disgusting gag from my mouth and stared in silence.

I stared up, up, up into his bright green eyes, understanding something I shouldn’t understand.

This was him.

My nightmare.

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REVIEW

Ok – I must take a few minutes (possibly hours or even days ) to catch my breath and then try to form something that isn’t a bumbling thought.
Who…
What…
Where….
Huh…..
WOAH!
Yea – that was pretty much me through this entire book.  And damn it had me wanting more and more with each read word.
Pepper Winters is definitely at her finest with this book.  It’s not a dark as her others books, but it’s definitely a greyish dark read.  But this book just claws and digs its way through you.  Pepper is a mastermind of writing the twisted and dark books.  She gives us a cookie crumb trail to follow in the story.  However, this story the cookie crumbs are here, there and everywhere with nothing making any sense yet all of it somehow linked together.  AND I LOVED IT!!!!
We are walking the same path as our Heroine – trying to piece together all the broken parts, half truths, blotchy memories, secrets…..GAH!!!! Trying to walk through the maze and figure out the puzzle is what makes this book so incredibly awesome.  The characters are amazing – both of them are very strong and stubborn.  He’s an asshole that can’t see past his vengeance.  She’s trying to figure out who the hell SHE is!
It’s chaotic, messy, mind-blowing but so damn intriguing.  You have all these questions and as you get some answers, more questions pop up and you are sent on a new crazy path.
Pepper does a phenomenal job of delivering us one hell of a story and executing it brilliantly!!  The twist and turns that make our heads spin, the achingly beautiful romance that will rip our heats to pieces – all of it just keeps us enthralled in the story.  After you finish, you will be so invested in this story, that I can see us begging for an early release on Sin & Suffer.
ruin & rule bt teaser

About the Author:

 

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Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Her Dark Erotica books include:

Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1)

Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)

Her Grey Romance books include:

Destroyed

STALK Pepper: Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

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Searching For Always by Jennifer Probst…Blog Tour Stop & Review by Courtney

 

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SearchingforAlways

 

Searching For Always by Jennifer Probst

Searching For, #4

(June 30, 2015, Gallery Books)

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Probst sparks a blissful mind-body connection as her “sexy, satisfying” (Kirkus Reviews) new series continues!

She’s an expert in helping others de-stress, but Arilyn Meadows is running on fumes. Along with her job counseling singles seeking soul mates at the Kinnections agency in Verily, New York, she’s a yoga teacher, animal shelter volunteer, anger management therapist, and helping hand to her beloved grandfather. No time to find Mr. Right—but after discovering her yogi boyfriend in a compromising asana, Arilyn would rather dog-sit for her honeymooning friend Kate than risk her heart on another downward dog. And when police officer Stone Petty—radiating masculinity and bad-boy attitude—is sent to her for mandatory lessons in cooling off when the job gets too hot, Arilyn vows to ignore his seductive glances and sexy grin. But there’s no halting their sizzling flirtation—a red-hot, high-speed chase that’s breaking all the limits.

Goodreads link:   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492311-searching-for-always

Review:

Searching For Always is the 4th book in Jennifer’s Searching series and you can definitely read this book as a standalone.

Arilyn is very calm and likes to keep things in order.  She doesn’t like things to get out of control and pretty much leads a life of zen.
Officer Petty has a tendency to lose control and allow his anger to get over on him.  He is ordered to take a 6 week course in getting control of himself and reign that anger in.
However, he is the one person who is able to push buttons on Arilyn that she struggles to maintain her patience.  And yes, these two prove that there is a very thin line between love and hate.  However, neither one wants to admit that their attraction is beyond the physical part. Their banter and bickering just added to the whole book.
Jennifer does a fantastic job of walking us through this relationship – ups and downs and everything in between.  Jennifer really knows how to make a story come to life; making everything feel so real.  As they say, opposites attract and Arilyn and Stone definitely fit that perfectly.
Jennifer is another one of my go-to authors for contemporary romance.  She knows how to give you all the chills and feelings for a modern romance but adds that heat and sex appeal to give it added flare.   Her writing is definitely one of kind!
Highly recommended series and again – each book can be read as a standalone!

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PURCHASE NOW

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1C4kiyk

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

Kobo: bit.ly/1KkwJYd

iTunes: apple.co/1Nq4W8O

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Author Information

Jennifer-Probst-1-Crop-258x300Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.

She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon’s Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team at www.jenniferprobst.com.

Website: www.jenniferprobst.com

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferprobst.authorpage

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/jenniferprobst

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2965489.Jennifer_Probst

Fighting To Breathe by Aurora Rose Reynolds….Blog Tour & Review

fighting to breathe live

Meet Lea & Austin in this amazing love story!

**10 cents from every book sold will be donated to fighting cancer one chapter at a time**

NOW AVAILABLE

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1HE0gNL

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1KEyik0

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1KB71R8

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

fighting to breathe cover

Blurb

Lea Lamb and Austin Wolf were young when they fell in love. They never imagined the future could hold anything other than together-forever.

When Lea’s father dies in a tragic fishing accident, she’s crushed under the weight of her grief and catches a glimpse of another type of future, one she knows she’s not strong enough to face.

Austin is angry. For the past fifteen years, he’s believed the woman he loved with every ounce of his soul left him without so much as a backwards glance.

When Lea unexpectedly returns to their hometown, all the years of heartache inside Austin bubbles to the surface and presents itself as blinding rage.

Faced with the truth about the past, a newly discovered secret, these former lovers will learn that if they want to have any chance at the future they’d given up on all those years ago, they will have to rescue one another from drowning in pain so debilitating it will leave them both fighting to breathe.

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REVIEW

Fighting to Breathe is breath-taking novel.  It’s heartfelt and very will tug at your emotions.
I love that this story has the background of these two, Lea and Austin, as a couple in their teenage years.  It gives a lot more depth to their emotions, both ugly and beautiful.
Lea returning home after she left due to a tragic accident, says a lot about her character.  And she is returning knowing that another unsettling event will take place.  And on top of that, she has to deal with possibly running into the one person she thought she’d never be without.
There is a lot of emotions that swirl throughout this book.  Love, hate, confusion, trust, desperation, hurt, anger, hope, fear…..I could go on and on.  Lea takes on a lot by returning and really having no idea what her future holds afterwards.  She is extremely strong in being able to handle so much.  But when she never fully deals with her feelings and past tragedies, things tend to catch up.  Austin is something else, let me tell ya.  This man has so much hurt and anger built up, I am surprised that man hasn’t combusted.  And when he sees her the first time, his reaction is exactly as I expected.  But its what he does throughout the story that really wins me over.
I love this story.  Aurora does a phenomenal job of painting the whole picture and making you feel as if you are watching this story unfold before you.  The setting is gorgeous – I loved every aspect of that!  The characters are very well written and the secondary characters add more depth to the story.
This is one book you definitely need to add to your TBR list and read soon!
fighting to breathe teaser 1

Excerpt

“CAN WE STOP by the liquor store on the way to dinner?” Mom asks from the passenger seat of my car.

“Should you be drinking?” I frown then turn onto the main road—well, really the only road in town.

“What’s it going to do, kill me?” she jokes, making me inhale a sharp breath. “Honey,” she says quietly, and I look at her briefly, wondering how the hell she can be so casual about this. “I’m dying. When it will happen, only the good Lord knows, but it is happening, and there is nothing you or I can do about it. I have made my peace with it, and I want you to do the same.” She reaches over to pat my thigh.

“Make peace with it?” I repeat, shaking my head in disbelief.

“Yes, make peace with it. If you think about it, I’m lucky. I know I’m going to die. I know that sooner rather than later God is going to come take me home, and when he does, I will be ready. I will have had a chance to say goodbye to the people I care about and right any wrongs I’ve caused. I’m lucky, honey.”

“What about me?” I wring my hands on the steering wheel, feeling my chest get tight as I fight back tears.

“I love you, honey. I loved you before you were even a sparkle in my eye, and I will always be with you. I know this isn’t easy for you. I know there are going to be a lot of tears shed, but we’re lucky, honey.”

I press my lips together to keep from saying something I might regret. I’m not lucky; in fact, I’m unlucky to the tenth power. How many people have I lost, how many people do I have to loose before it’s enough.

“Oh look! Sheryl!” She yells, pulling me from my thoughts as she reaches over, pressing the horn on my steering wheel while her other hand shoots across me so she can wave out my window. Looking to where she’s waving my heart begins to beat wildly

against my ribcage when I see not Sheryl, but Austin walking into one of the many bars that litter Main Street, only it’s not just Austin—it’s him and a woman with her arm wrapped around the back of his waist as he holds the door open for her.

Even from the distance separating us, my lungs compress at the beauty that is him. The years have been good to him. His hair is still shaggy, only now a little lighter; his face is tan and covered in a beard that makes his crystal blue eyes stand out even more. My eyes travel from his face to his torso, which is covered in a dark green thermal that shows off the muscles of his arms, chest, and tapered waist, then down to his denim-covered thighs. When my gaze sweeps back up, his eyes are on me, and I see them crinkle in confusion then realization that soon turns into anger.

“You missed the liquor store,” my mom complains as I speed up.

About the Author:

aurora new bio

Aurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat who’s husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in New York City with her Husband and pet fish. She’s married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband and cookie. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires it’s beauty.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Giveaway —  $50 Gift Card

 

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A Savage Affair by Olivia Hayes….Release Day Event

Book: A Savage Affair (Novella)

Author: Olivia Hayes

Releases 6th July

Genre: Erotic Romance


Synopsis
 

The first time Colt Savage sees Marin Wiley he is captivated by her stunning beauty, her shameless confidence, and her fierce independence. Suddenly his world is brighter, his life filled with her laughter, his future a vividly clear picture overflowing with love and happiness.
Marin never expected to meet a man while she was performing at a bachelor party. She certainly never thought she’d be drawn to him like a moth to a flame. When Marin’s world starts to crumble Colt is by her side with his witty humor, sexy dance moves, and a body that just won’t quit.
When a misunderstanding threatens to pull them apart, making them question everything they thought they knew about each other, will they be able to put the pieces back together and find their future with one another, or will they go their separate ways with the painful memories of a shattered hope?


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Meet the Author
 

Olivia Hayes is a native of Savannah, Georgia and now lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia with her loving husband and two children. With her southern roots, Olivia dreamt of one day writing books with the backdrop of coastal Georgia and South Carolina. When she’s not reading, writing, or working her day job, Olivia enjoys spending time entertaining friends and family.
Other Books in the series
Genre: Erotic Romance
Synopsis
True love. Meaningful friendships. Two things that don’t come easily and appear when least expected.

Privileged and perpetually single Lexie Donovan could totally do without the single part, but every guy she meets is taken or uninterested. It’s probably for the best since she’s buried under planning the wedding event of the year. But when Lexie invites three women to move into her house, a chain of events is set in motion that brings her a love that will change her life forever.

Beth Garrett has finally made a future for herself, despite her dark past, but she keeps most people at arm’s length, especially men.  When she agrees to move in with a girl she barely knows, she doesn’t expect to find a family, friends, or the tall, sexy bad boy who will become the center of her world.

Girl next door Remington Savage is keeping a huge secret from everyone, even her best friend Lexie, but she’s figured out a way to talk about it without divulging the truth. What she doesn’t know is that the whole world is about to find out exactly what she’s been hiding, in the most incredible way.

After her friend, Beth, offers her the opportunity of a lifetime, Kate Parker has everything she wants, except a man to share her life with. Her brain wants to choose the one who appears to be the perfect package, but her heart yearns for the man who warms her bed and seems to only want one thing from her.

For these four women sharing a house will mean more than any of them could have planned for. Their lives will intersect in ways they never imagined; through love, friendship and heartbreak. Forming bonds that will last forever. 


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Giveaway

 

Redemption Lane by Rachel Blaufeld….SALE!

Redemption sale

redemption lane

SYNOPSIS
Sometimes the past bleeds into the future.
Bess, a wild party girl running from herself, literally falls victim to her demons when she collapses in the most unexpected of places.
Lane, a tightly wound, up-and-coming CEO who can’t seem to stop enabling his brother, doesn’t know what hit him when Bess falls at his feet and into his life.
It was a night she doesn’t remember, and one he can’t forget.
But rather than stay and help the needy college coed, Lane decides to teach his brother a long overdue lesson––a decision that later comes back to haunt him and only adds fury to the transgressions of his past he is already fleeing from.
Years later, Bess and Lane meet again. She doesn’t know him, and he doesn’t share that he knows what happened on that ill-fated night when she almost died. After all, he has a web of complicated lies from his own youth to protect.
Both are seeking salvation in the arms of others and ignoring the truth—that the only road to redemption lies in confronting your past.
When the past and present collide, is there any chance at redemption?
“Redemption Lane is a complex story with even more complex characters, but then, that’s what I love about Rachel Blaufeld’s work. She makes you think and feel and as you read their stories, you can’t help but fall in love with these imperfect characters as they try to overcome their struggles.” ~ Bookaholics-Not-So-Anonymous

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TEASERS

erotic couple kissing in the water

redlane LANE & BESSnew teaser RL

EXCERPT

“Happy holidays, Bess,” he said as he moved closer and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.

When did this totally inappropriate flirting and touching start?

“Umm, Mr. Wrigley, I’m not sure I’m understanding you exactly. What are you really doing here? In Pennsylvania? Back at the WildFlower after your deal was closed? On Christmas by yourself? And who let you back here?” The pitch of my voice rose a little with each question until I was practically squeaking as I flailed a bit, waving my hand up and down the staff corridor.

But I wasn’t quite finished because then, boldly and out of left field, I asked, “Why me? Why are you back here talking to me?”

He leaned back on his heels, a tiny glint in his eye as he said, “Let’s see. I came back to Pennsylvania to see my brother for the holiday, except he had plans to go skiing up here. So, I came up with him and his lady friend. We had dinner last night, but today was their day on the slopes, which left me all alone.”

Licking his lips, he ran his hand through his dark hair and leaned close once more. “As for why I’m back here with you, I can’t really say. I only know I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since our unbelievably boring dinner in the tavern, or the coffee we shared in the back room the morning after.”

His expression softened. “There’s just something about you, Bess. You’re sweeter than the aroma of the blueberry muffin I devoured with you, prettier than the sun setting over the ocean back home, and tangier than the lemons you squeeze into your water. Something I can’t put my finger on pulls me in and makes me want to be close to you, probably the same thing that makes you want to run. Hell, it makes me want to flee so fucking fast, but I’m not. So, just don’t.”

He stopped talking and looked intently in my eyes. I stared back, studying the blue of his irises. They were so blue, but more a cornflower shade than ocean. There was something untouched and innocent about them, which was probably misguided to think on my part, considering that standing in front of me was an extremely successful, well-traveled, worldly, and probably well-fucked man.

My throat dry, I choked out, “I’m not sure what to say. Actually, I don’t think any of this is appropriate, and we should probably just part ways.” Completely unnerved, I pinned my lower lip between my teeth, and could almost taste a tinge of coppery blood as I bit down on it.

And then I got lost in his eyes, like blue skies floating above me. My mind drifted, barely registering the arms that reached out and framed me against the door. The sky came closer. It was so, so blue, not a cloud in it. And then he kissed me. Lane’s lips touched mine softly, and I braced myself against the wall. I was falling or floating, I didn’t know which.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR
Rachel Blaufeld is a social worker/entrepreneur/blogger turned author. Fearless about sharing her opinion, Rachel captured the ear of stay-at-home and working moms on her blog, BacknGrooveMom, chronicling her adventures in parenting tweens and inventing a product, often at the same time. She has also blogged for The Huffington Post, Modern Mom, and StartupNation.
Turning her focus on her sometimes wild-and-crazy creative side, it only took Rachel two decades to do exactly what she wanted to do–write a fiction novel. Now she spends way too many hours in local coffee shops plotting her ideas. Her tales may all come with a side of angst and naughtiness, but end lusciously.
Rachel lives around the corner from her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her family and two dogs. Her obsessions include running, coffee, icing-filled doughnuts, antiheroes, and mighty fine epilogues.
Find me on my website / Twitter / Facebook
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Sweet The Sin by Claire Kent….Blog Tour & Review

Sweet the Sin Revenge Saga # 1

By: Claire Kent

Releasing July 7, 2015

Loveswept

Sweet the Sin

Blurb

 

In the first novel in USA Today bestselling author Claire Kent’s deeply sensual story of love, lust, and deception, a woman searching for the truth discovers that she’s sleeping with the enemy.

 

Portrait artist Kelly Watson keeps her relationships simple and steamy, with no strings attached. She’s had a hard time trusting other people since she was a child, when her father was murdered for trying to blow the whistle on corporate corruption. Nearly twenty years later, Kelly finds herself in the arms of a seductive stranger—the very same man who may have ordered her father’s death. And even as she plays him, using hot sex as a means to revenge, Kelly is tormented by one question: Is she committing the ultimate betrayal?

Caleb Marshall has spent decades forging a high-powered career, rejecting intimacy for the convenience of fast women and cheap thrills. But Kelly intrigues him, pushing commitment buttons he didn’t know he had. Still, something is wrong. Despite their physical and emotional chemistry, Caleb feels the fear inside of her. Now the only way to keep her safe is coming clean, before secrets and lies destroy their connection—no matter how deep, intense, and addictive it may be.

EXCERPT

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so deeply attracted to a man. He wasn’t even her type. He was too old for her—with a dusting of silver in his hair—and she normally preferred blue-collar types. Military men. Cops. Firefighters. Construction workers. Men with calloused hands.

Not like this guy at all.

“I know who you really are,” he said, easing even closer to her so that her breasts brushed lightly against his chest for a moment. “You believe in love, don’t you?”

It was so far from the truth, Kelly almost laughed. She hadn’t believed in love since her father was murdered. “You are so wrong about me, it’s not even funny. I bet I believe in love even less than you do.”

“What do you believe in, then?” He was touching her hair again, skimming the tips of his fingers down the length of one loose strand.

She could hardly believe he was a stranger. It felt like she knew him—all the way down to the core. “I believe in being self-sufficient, just like you do.” She leaned toward him just enough to graze her nipples against his shirt before she pulled back.

“Do you?” There was a slight flush to his cheeks now, and it looked like he was breathing more quickly. He was definitely turned on. Just as turned on as she was. “What else do you believe in?”

“I believe in seeing the world as it really is and not dreaming of romantic fairy tales, just like you do.” She knew this about him, as well as she knew it about herself.

She saw the affirmation in his eyes, mingling with the blaze of desire. “And what else?”

“And I believe in sex.” They were in a public park, but she didn’t care. Responding to the challenge he posed, she slid one hand down his chest, then his belly, until she reached his groin, which she gave a brief caress.

She hadn’t been wrong. He was aroused. Hard in his jeans.

His breath hitched at her touch, and she could see he was holding himself back. “What do you believe about sex?”

“I believe people can come together for mutual gratification without all the baggage the world has built up around it.”

“Ah,” he murmured thickly, settling one hand on the small of her back. “Free love, then? To go with the puppies and flowers?”

“Not love. Sex. There’s no overlap unless you make it so.”

“I don’t make it so.” He pushed her hips toward his body until she could feel his arousal against her middle.

She was fighting to catch her breath, her pussy pulsing with desire, and her mind struggling to keep up with his quick wit. “Somehow, I knew that about you.”

“I’ve met a lot of women who make such claims, but then they’re crying when I don’t call them the next morning.”

“I’ve met a lot of men who do the same thing.”

He shook his head, pushing his erection against her very slightly. To the people in the park, they must look like they were just hugging, but a hug was very far from what was going on between them.

To Kelly, it felt more like battle. And she liked it. A lot. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this turned on, this invested in a conversation.

“So, you don’t cry?” he asked, his brown eyes smoldering with lust, excitement, and intelligence.

“I haven’t cried since I was ten years old.”

That was true too. She hadn’t cried since the months after her father died. Her whole world had changed that year.

“I still have no proof this is nothing but pretense on your side.”

“Because I’m a woman? Because I have a sweet face? You’re old enough to know that appearances deceive. You can fuck me now, and I’d never give you a second thought. You’d never hear from me again.”

“If I fuck you,” he murmured, “I promise you’ll think of me again.”

“There’s no way you’re that good.”

“You shouldn’t say such things. You’ll only be proven wrong.”

“Your arrogance is astounding, but I still haven’t seen you follow through.”

“You want me to follow through?” It was a genuine question. She could see that he was waiting for an answer as he watched her, even through the growing desire.

“Oh, yeah.”

She’d had sex with strangers before. All she’d ever had was sex with strangers. She didn’t normally have sex on a Saturday morning in the park, but there was no good reason not to.

She wanted this man—like he was a challenge that must be met, a battle that must be won.

“We’ll see,” the man said, sounding faintly skeptical, as if he still didn’t believe she took sex as casually as he did.

“See how, exactly?” She raised her eyebrows in a question, a call to action.

The man met the call, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the wooded area nearby. He snapped his fingers, and the dog stopped chewing his Frisbee and jumped to his feet to follow.

Kelly’s breath caught in her throat as they neared the trees. “The car might be more comfortable.”

“I’m not going for comfort here.” His grip was firm and strong and authoritative as he pulled her after him.

She felt a wave of panic as they entered the trees, not at one of the trails, but in the thickly grown area closest to where they’d been standing.

The woods were dark, unknown, everything hidden—masking horrors she just couldn’t face.

When they’d gone a few feet in, she couldn’t make herself go any farther. She physically couldn’t do it, yanking her hand out of the man’s.

He turned around with a resigned expression. “That’s what I thought.”

He thought she’d given up. He thought he’d won.

But he wasn’t going to win this, her phobia about the woods be damned. She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him against a large tree. “What did you think? That we would go deep in the woods where you could safely hide, where no one could ever see what we were doing? This is far enough.”

There was more risk of being discovered, this close to the edge of the woods. They would be out of sight, but not very far.

Kelly didn’t care. The fear of being caught was far milder than her fear of going deeper into the woods. Even now, a chill had broken out on her skin, almost distracting her from her arousal.

Almost.

REVIEW

I have to give it to Claire – she had me so entrapped in this book, that when it ended, I am going….”really – you’re going to make me wait til book 2?!?”
You already know who Kelly and Caleb are from the blurb, so I won’t rehash all of that.  But I will tell you that Kelly may shock a few readers but she is her own woman and I love that about her. Caleb is the typical asshole who believes that he can have anything he want and really, he does.  He doesn’t let anything stop him from getting what he wants and is ruthless in getting it.
Claire really doesn’t waste time in getting right into the heart of the story.  Kelly is put into a position where it’s hard for her to say no and walk away.  Caleb has always been able to keep his relationships simple and never get involved.  But when it comes to Kelly, he seems to enjoy her company.  But everything isn’t always as it seems.
The story is told from both Kelly and Caleb’s POV and it definitely helps give you a better inside on what they are each thinking as the story moves along.  This isn’t a light and fluffy read.  There are some twisted and messed up scenes that will leave you going “WTF!?!”  Claire does not sugarcoat anything choices that Kelly makes or the type of man Caleb is.  I really felt myself understanding Kelly’s choices and hoping nothing blows up in her face.  There were times when I felt things dragged on a bit, but that didn’t last long or make me want to put the book down.
Just when you think that we finally get the answers we want, BAM!!!  Yes, the book ends in a cliffhanger and damn what a cliff we dangle over.  I am beyond excited to see where Claire takes us in the next book.
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Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Claire Kent has been writing romance novels since she was twelve years old. She has a PhD in British literature and, when she’s not writing, teaches English at the university level. She also writes contemporary romance under the pen name Noelle Adams.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Website: http://clairekent.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoelleAdamsAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/noelleadams3

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6861359.Claire_Kent

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Ebook copies of:

CLAIMED by Stacey Kennedy

MY OBSESSION by Cassie Ryan

DEEP AUTUMN HEAT by Elisabeth Barrett

TAKE THE FALL by Marquita Valentine

YOUR TO KEEP by Serena Bell

SWEET THE SIN by Claire Kent

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Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/04/sweet-sin-revenge-saga-1-by-claire-kent.html