The Offer by Karina Halle….Release Day Event

 

The Offer ebookShe thinks he’s an arrogant playboy.

He thinks she’s an uptight prude.

But he’s about to make her an offer she can’t refuse.

Nicola Price used to have it all – a great career, the perfect boyfriend, an excessive shoe collection and an apartment in one of San Francisco’s best neighborhoods. But when she gets knocked up and her asshat boyfriend leaves her high and dry, Nicola’s perfectly crafted world comes tumbling down. And stays that way.

Now, Nicola is the proud single mom to a five-year old daughter and living a giant lie. She can barely afford their ghetto apartment and all the men she dates run when they hear she comes with a child. She’s struggling and scared – and nowhere near where she thought she’d be at age thirty-one.

Her saving grace comes in the form of a tall, handsome and wealthy Scotsman Bram McGregor, the older brother of her friend Linden. Bram understands a thing or two about pride, so when tragic circumstances place Nicola at rock bottom, he offers them a place to live in the apartment complex he owns. It’s pretty much the perfect deal, so as long as she doesn’t mind living beside Bram, a man that, despite his generosity, seems to antagonize her at every turn.

But nothing in life is free and as Nicola gets her feet back on the ground, she discovers that the enigmatic playboy may end up costing her more than she thought.

She might just lose her heart.

Those McGregor brothers are nothing but trouble…


Book Links:

Amazon:http://amzn.to/1Bcz0mO

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-offer/id1006020226?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-offer-8

 

 

 




EXCERPT
When reality starts to fade in a bit, I find myself being walked to the door of my apartment building, my arms draped over both Kayla and Steph. We go up the stairs and now I’m standing in front of my door, wobbling back and forth, trying my hardest to look as sober as possible.
Steph goes to knock on the door but it’s already open. I guess we are being loud, giggling, in the hallway.
Bram looks at the three of us and my God is he a sight for sore eyes.
“We brought her home,” Steph says, motioning with her hand for Bram to get out of the way, “your shift is over.”
“No,” I tell them as they shuffle me inside. “He can stay.”
I know the three of them are exchanging a look over my head.
“I’ll make sure she goes to bed,” Bram explains. “No funny business, I swear.”
“Pinky swear?” Steph says and I turn to see her holding out her pinky to him. “You know I don’t break those.”
Ugh, Steph and her damn pinky swears. She wouldn’t even be married to Linden if it weren’t for one.
But Bram does a pinky swear with her.
“No funny business,” Steph warns him.
“Good thing I’m not funny!” I yell as I flop down on the couch. The room is beginning to spin.
“Nic, that was, like, five minutes ago,” Steph says. She reaches over the couch and pats my head. “Do you want us to undress you because Bram’s not allowed.”
“No one undresses me but me!” I yell, throwing my fist up into the air.
“Have fun with her,” Steph says to Bram. “And remember, she’s untouchable. Don’t make me make your brother punch you in the junk or something.”
Bram makes a scoffing noise. “Last time he tried to do that, I got him back good. You just ask him what happened on January 16th, 2005 and why he’ll never eat pudding again.”
“I mean it,” Steph threatens and I hear her and Kayla leave and the door closing.
I close my eyes too. Drift away for a moment. The spinning has stopped and there’s a beautifully cool breeze wafting over my skin.
“I’m not supposed to touch you,” Bram’s gruff voice says and when I open my eyes, he’s crouched in front of me, a lock of dark hair over his forehead. His face is shadowy in the dark, the only light now being from my bedroom behind him.
“That’s okay,” I mumble into the couch. “You can touch me. I say it’s fine.”
“How about I bring you something to sleep in? Do you have a favorite nightshirt? I always see you in that top that your nipples try and poke right through.”
“No, not the nipple shirt.”
He goes to get up. With a lazy hand, I grip his shirt. “Don’t leave. I’m fine here.”
“I can’t imagine you being comfortable.”
“I’m drunk. Everything is comfortable. Except I wish I had a cheeseburger. I would eat it and use it as a pillow. Or maybe use it as a pillow and then eat it.”
“I see.”
I raise my brow at him. “You just want to go through my underwear.”
“Oh, I’ve already gone through your underwear.”
“Lies.”
“I wore them on my head and danced around your apartment.”
“Did you really?” I ask, totally serious.
“Come on,” he says grabbing my forearms. “If you want to sleep in your clothes, that’s fine. But I’m bringing you to your own bed and taking off your shoes.”
“Can you brush my teeth too? I need clean teeth.” I let him pull me to my feet and I pitch to the left, heading right for the coffee table. But I’m in his arms, his capable arms, and he’s holding me to him.
“You have capable arms.”
“You have an exquisite arse,” he responds and half leads me, half drags me out of the living area and into the bedroom.
“I like the way you say arse,” I say with a giggle, exaggerating his accent. “I like the way you say everything.”
“I’m glad, because I foresee a lot of arse talk in the future.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I try and swat him away. “All talk and no arse pinching.”

 

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term “Hybrid Author.” Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she’s a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA…whenever possible.


Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.

LINKS:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

GOODREADS

Rough Ride Romeo by Lori King…Blog Tour Stop

Rought Ride Romeo

Rough Ride Romeo Cover Image

Rough Ride Romeo

Crawley Creek 2

Cowboys don’t cry, but Roman “Romeo” Freemont certainly has enough tragic history to spend his days teary-eyed. Instead he’s turned to women and liquor in an effort to soothe his aches and pains, but when a petite brunette with a feisty temper comes crashing into his world, he realizes what he’s been missing.

Francesca “Franki” Scott has walked through fire herself. Nowadays she just isn’t a people person, and she’s definitely not interested in a wannabe playboy ranch owner either. She has a mission and it could mean life or death for someone close to her if she gets distracted.

Closing the gap between these two wounded souls could mean surviving yet another tragedy. Will their determination to hide their pain from themselves be their downfall, or will they come through this rough ride together?

Warning: Explicit Romance

Links to Buy:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1G8tgwv

Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/or3y2s9

Amazon AU: http://tinyurl.com/othynfh

Amazon CA: http://tinyurl.com/o2oa46o

RRR 4

Excerpt

Roman was concerned for Franki’s well-being. Or at least that’s what he kept repeating in his head as he climbed the stairs and walked directly to the door marked Sunflower Room. She’d looked pale when she skipped out of dinner early, and he just wanted to check on her.

Rolling his eyes as he stared at the wooden door, he scoffed silently at his own thoughts. The truth was that he wanted to see her again, and perhaps question her about what’d happened between them earlier. It was clear there was attraction on both their parts, but she didn’t seem happy about it.

Lifting his hand, he knocked softly and held his breath until the door opened. The lamp was on behind her, and it gave her a soft glow as she frowned up at him. Her beautiful hair was down again, and it curly wildly around her face and shoulders. Bare shoulders. She wore some sort of stretchy material over her breasts that left her shoulders and soft belly bare down to her hips where a pair of low rise shorts clung to her curvy hips. Seeing all that bare skin made his knees weak, and he leaned heavily against the door jamb.

“Roman?” she crossed her arms over her bare midriff and took a step backwards. “I thought you were Marilyn, is everything okay?”

When he tried to speak his voice came out as croak and he had to clear his throat, and start again. “No. I mean, yes, I mean, everything is fine. I just wanted to check on you. You ran out of dinner so quickly, and you looked a little…I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to wake you again.”

He wanted to kick his own ass for his rambling. Never in his life had a woman made him this off balance. Charm was his game, and he played it well, so why was he suddenly unsure of himself?

“I’m okay, just really tired. The road trip version of jet lag I guess. Thank you, for checking on me.” She said, giving him a small smile. She reached for the door, but then hesitated and glanced over her shoulder at the interior of the bedroom as if unsure of her next move too. The light washed over her face and he noticed the tear tracks on her cheeks and a slight puffiness to her eyes. His stomach clenched and before he could stop himself, he tugged her into his arms, delighting in the softness of her curves against him.

11083903_627645400701516_1878836126614372280_n

FORGET ME KNOT (Crawley Creek Book 1) is on sale for only $.99 cents!!

Forget Me Knot Cover Image

Synopsis

Lacy Denvers has lost her job, and lost her way. All she wants to do now is get her career back on track and find some stability again, but first, she wants to mark something off her bucket list: She wants to learn to ride a horse. Her dream vacation to the Crawley Creek Cattle Ranch turns into a lesson in patience when the North Dakota winter proves unpredictable as ever. Wrapped in a cocoon of snow, Lacy finds the ranch to be a hidden treasure trove of cowboy eye candy, and her mouth is watering even as her brain is telling her to run.

After a devastating tragedy, a young Drannon Russo ended up fostering with the Crawley family, and found a home. He’s only moved away once and had to lean on family for support when his dreams were shattered. Being a cowboy on a ranch is a pretty lonely existence. When a beautiful redhead shows up looking for a fresh start he’s determined to give them both what they want.

Will this vacation into the heart of cattle country turn out to be a mistake, or will Lacy and Drannon find their future in each other?

Warning: Explicit romance

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Mdjr2Z
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/oz69san
Amazon CA: http://tinyurl.com/o6zzhhz
Amazon AU: http://tinyurl.com/l827fxy

Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/q3atutn
ARE: http://tinyurl.com/oljc5hk
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/ofxohx6

11165335_655283891271000_6943936515459969664_n

10426232_655284134604309_6839915824707900889_n

https://www.facebook.com/groups/wewroteyourbookboyfriends/

Join We Wrote Your Book Boyfriends for lots of games and prizes!!

loriAuthor Bio

Best-selling author, Lori King, is also a full-time wife and mother of three boys. Although she rarely has time to just enjoy feminine pursuits; at heart she is a hopeless romantic. She spends her days dreaming up Alpha men, and her nights telling their stories. An admitted TV and book junkie, she can be found relaxing with a steamy story, or binging in an entire season of some show online. She gives her parents all the credit for her unique sense of humor and acceptance of all forms of love. There are no two loves alike, but you can love more than one with your whole heart.

With the motto: Live, Laugh, and Love like today is your only chance, she will continue to write as long as you continue to read. Thank you for taking the time to indulge in a good Happily Ever After with her. Find out more about her current projects at http://lorikingbooks.com, or look her up on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LoriKingBooks or Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoriKingBooks.

Giveaway

Lori is giving away a signed copy of Forget Me Knot and a $10 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blame It On The Kiss by Robin Bielman….Excerpt Blog Tour Stop

 

 

BIOTK -Banner

 

 

 

Blame It On The Kiss BlameItOnTheKiss_FC

Robin Bielman

The one guy she shouldn’t want…

Honor Mitchell has lived with guilt and regret for a long time, so when she promises to do the things on her dying best friend’s wish list, she’s determined to follow through and do something right for a change. But when she’s thrown together for wedding duties with the one man who complicates her vow–just by looking at him–she has to put her faith in Bryce Bishop’s pledge to help her, no strings attached.

Bryce’s near one-night stand with his ex-girlfriend’s best friend a few months ago might have been a mistake, but helping the beautiful, free-spirited Honor with her promise isn’t. His trust in women is shot, but he can’t help but play his best man card to his advantage and help Honor tick off the items on his ex’s list, even if it puts him in a no-win situation. Because his assistance might get Honor what she wants, but suddenly being the do-good guy puts his plans–and heart–in serious jeopardy.

Buy Links: Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * iBooks * Goodreads

 

Excerpt:

Honor slowed her steps to enjoy the quiet morning and pulled her first fritter from the bag. Still early, the shops were silent, and she gazed into the windows as she walked and ate. She crossed over Bluff, glancing south to the sea, dustings of sunshine sparkling off the water a few blocks away.

Two more fritters, another block. The sun grew more insistent. A car horn sounded, drawing her attention to the street. Dylan, Cooper’s best friend, waved from his beat-up convertible and shouted, “Hey, Honorlicious.”

“Hey, Dylan. Keep your eyes on the road.”

He saluted and she turned to watch him drive off. Duct tape covered his right taillight and a black and white “Be Excellent to Each Other” bumper sticker with a picture of Abe Lincoln helped hide chipped paint. She smiled, dug out another fritter, this one loaded with powdered sugar, and whirled back around.

Where she collided with a hard chest, inhaled the powdered sugar, and proceeded to cough in a fit of chokehold proportions.

One big warm hand wrapped around her upper arm. A second hand patted her back. He said something, but she couldn’t make it out since she was about to hack up a lung. She knew his voice, though. And his delicious smell. His hands stayed put until she finally quieted down.

Through watery eyes, she glanced up at her roadblock. His gray T-shirt had coffee stains splattered across it. And… she sucked in her bottom lip… fan-fritter-tastic, she’d spit up on him, too.

She moved her almost-empty coffee cup to her other hand and wiped away the evidence of her spew. Mortified and at a loss for words, she kept right on rubbing his chest like a total lunatic.

And because he had a really nice chest. It distracted her from the apology that finally landed on the tip of her tongue.

“You done?” Bryce’s deep, sexy voice brought her back to her senses. What the heck was she doing?

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. I’ll buy you a new shirt, ­or clean this one.” She finally met his amused, and also very amiable, eyes. “Fritter?” She held up the bag.

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I was reading a text and not watching where I was walking. You okay?”

“Yes.”

They stared at each other for several super-charged seconds before he took the bag and looked inside. “There’s only one left.”

“It’s all yours.” No way did she plan to put any more fritter near her mouth.

He pulled the baked treat out and took a bite. She watched him like he’d been coated in powdered sugar, too, and she wanted to lick it off him. Not good. Sooo not good. She looked away, reminding herself she was behaving like the worst kind of friend.

 

Giveaway:

Prize pic
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

About the Author: When not attached to her laptop, USA Today Bestselling Author Robin Bielman can almost always be found with her nose in a book. A California girl, the beach is her favorite place for fun and inspiration. Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can’t live without jumpstarts all of her story ideas. She is a 2014 RITA Finalist, loves to frequent coffee shops, and plays a mean game of sock tug of war with her cute, but sometimes naughty dog, Harry. She cherishes her family and friends and loves to connect with readers.

Links: @RobinBielman Facebook Website Good Reads Instagram

 

 

Tyrant by T.M. Frazier…. Cover Reveal

tyrant full

Tyrant is the second installment in the King Series and the exciting conclusion to King!

Add to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/1L2s7I0

Release Date: August 17th.

Blurb

I. Remember. Everything.

Only now I wish I didn’t.

When the fog is sucked away from my mind like smoke through a vacuum, the truth that has been beyond my reach for months finally reveals itself.

But the relief I thought I would feel never comes, and I’m more afraid now than I was the morning I woke up handcuffed in King’s bed.

Because with the truth comes dark secrets I was never meant to know.

I will put the lives of those I love most at risk if I let on that my memory has returned, or if I seek help from the heavily tattooed felon who owns me body and soul.

I don’t know if I’m strong enough to resist the magnetic pull toward King that grows stronger every day.

He’s already saved me in more ways than one. Now it’s my turn to do whatever it takes to save him.

Even if that means marrying someone else…

tyrant cover

KING. IS. COMING!

Meet King on June 15th!

Pre-order NOW AVAILABLE

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1ALhF4i

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1AOJb0q

iBooks: http://apple.co/1KreL6J

Nook: http://bit.ly/1B7H73R

Add to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/1RHJAGk

king is coming

About the Author

t.m. frazier

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

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

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

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

It will not be about hamsters.

 

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

Ricochet by Keri Lake… Cover Reveal

Title: Ricochet 

Author: Keri Lake

Genre: Dark Romantic Suspense

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.

 

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.

 

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP:  http://eepurl.com/HJPHH

 

She loves hearing from readers …

 

 

HOSTED BY:

Better When It Hurts by Skye Warren… Blog Tour & Review

What Colin doesn’t know can’t hurt him.At least that’s what I tell myself about the secrets I keep. I don’t have a choice, not if I want to keep my daughter safe. And keep him Colin safe too. There are enemies in the shadows waiting to strike from all sides. I’m holding them out with my bare hands, but it’s hard not to get crushed in the process.And the truth has a way of coming out.If I’m not careful, the past I’ve been working so hard to hide, the pain I’ve been fighting so long to outrun, will wipe out the man I love.

Court’s Review

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be my last.
Better When It Hurts is a very gritty and fairly dark read.  The premise tells you exactly what you are getting into and doesn’t sugar coat anything.  The story isn’t all rosy and pretty – it’s terrifying and gripping and you won’t be able to stop reading.
Lola does what she needs to do to pay the bills and keep a roof over her head.  Blue has returned and wants nothing but to get what he is due from Lola.  Blue doesn’t hide what he wants and Lola knows that she will give him whatever he wants, anyway he wants.  The interactions between these two is real and raw – nothing is fancy or pretty.  Without giving anything away outside of the blurb – what you see is what you get.  Blue doesn’t change who he is because of a woman.  It’s because of that one woman, he is how he is.  Lola may have a new persona to everyone else, but Blue knows what and who is underneath her façade.
Skye does a fantastic job of painting the perfect atmosphere for this story.  The Grand where both Blue and Lola work is an old luxury hotel stripped of it’s glory and turned into a strip club where sinners bask in their glory.  Blue is an arrogant asshole who has been put their the ringer and back.  Lola grew up in the same foster system as Blue and did what she had to in order to survive.  Skye doesn’t mask the truth of their relationship or what happens between them.
“He’s beautiful and terrifying. He’s everything I loved and everything I’ve come to hate – a man who takes what he wants. Even if what he wants is me.”
If you enjoy darker reads, you will definitely enjoy this book.  Skye does an outstanding job of writing this twisted love story.  Not every love story is rainbows and sunshine.
I am looking forward to her next book in this series and will definitely be going back and reading the first one.
BUY LINK: Kindle | iBooks
| Nook | Google
Play
| ARe | PRINT

EXCERPT

 

The door slams open, and Blue strides into the room. A burst of sound follows him in the seconds before the door swings shut. I shrink back against the lockers before I can help it. That doesn’t stop him. It doesn’t even slow him down as he steps right into my space, just inches from my face, still breathing hard.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” His eyes are still wild from the fight, violence and victory mixed together.
I try not to flinch. “I wanted to…to talk to you about something.”
“How did you know I was fighting tonight?”
I’m not going to tell on Candy, even if he’ll figure it out as soon as he sees her here. Instead I bite my lip and try to remember the speech I was going to give him. “Congratulations?”
That wasn’t it.
He shakes his head. “No, Lola. This isn’t one of your little games. I’m not one of the men you can lead around by my dick. Not anymore.”
And then I do flinch, because the reminder of our past is too painful not to. “I’m not trying to lead you anywhere,” I whisper.
His lips curve into a cold smile. “No? You brought me here, didn’t you? Just you and me and the rest of the world locked out. You made that happen.”
Something pricks my eyes—tears. No no no. I can’t possibly cry in front of him. I don’t know why I’d cry at all. This is my life. I’m long past wishing for something different, aren’t I? I look down at the concrete floor so he won’t see me struggle.
Of course he doesn’t accept that. His fingers—sweaty and gloveless—lift my chin. “Why’d you come here, Lola?” His voice is suddenly lower and strangely seductive. Maybe that’s how fucked-up I’ve gotten, that cruelty turns me on. “What do you want?”
My fingers fumble as I pull the wallet from my back pocket. It’s still warm from my body as I hold it up. “This is yours. I stole it. I—I took it by accident.”
That wasn’t what I’d meant to say at all. I’d meant to explain the situation like it happened—that I’d woken up with the wallet in my bed. That I had no memory of it, but obviously there had been a mistake. I’d taken nothing from the wallet, no harm no foul.
Instead I’d stuttered like I was thirteen again, stealing everything I could slip into my pockets, confessing to my foster dad before he whipped me with his belt.
Blue takes the wallet from me, his expression speculative. It’s almost as if he’s never seen it before, even though I know it belongs to him. I rifled through his things, touched the stone-faced plastic image on his license. And he knows I invaded his privacy that way, just like I invaded his pocket when he brought me home.
He tosses the wallet onto a bench behind him, dismissing it. His hand lands on the locker beside me, blocking me in. His eyes meet mine. “You still steal.”
“No,” I say, but his wallet calls me a liar. Naturally he’d remember the worst thing about me. I’d helped him remember. “Not anymore. Not usually except…I must have been drunk or something.”
“You didn’t used to drink.”
“A lot’s changed.” I used to hate the taste of beer. It reminded me too much of foster brothers with groping hands and tongues. I still couldn’t touch the stuff, but every now and then I used alcohol to try and numb the pain. It was just a shame it never worked.
His gaze scans my body, unapologetic as it measures me, probes me, demands all my secrets. “I can see that.”
I shrug, pretending to be unaffected. No, I am unaffected, damn it. “You see more than this every night.”
“Less. When you’re naked up there onstage, that’s what you show to every man.” His eyes are hooded. “This is what you wore for me.”

AUTHOR BIO

Skye Warren is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of dark romance. Her books are raw, sexual and perversely tender. For those new to her work, consider the bestseller Wanderlust, Prisoner or the Dark Nights series starting with Trust in Me.

AUTHOR LINKS: Website | Amazon
| Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

 

GIVEAWAY

The author is offering 1 e-copy of the first book, Love the Way You Lie, (both the books in the series can be read standalone) to each stop of the tour.

The giveaway ends June 19th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BetterWhenItHurts_SkyeWarren

The Undergrad Years by Avery Aster…. Blog Tour

Gossip-Girls-PR-Undergrad-Years-Blog-Tour

 

xo-blake-magic-size

 

For fans of the dark comedy film Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down comes an erotic exploration in domination and submission where Ivy League students let their naughtiest desires run wild…

If you think my besties Lex, Taddy, and Vive have had some bad luck earlier this year, cut to me at Glamorama. Last thing I remembered was dancing with Diego and Miguel from my English class, when the room started… spinning. And not in a good way! We got sick. Think Regan in The Exorcist. Taddy was rushed to the hospital. Holding on for dear life, I was carried out by the boys and taken back to their dorm.

Now I’m waking up in Diego’s bed and Miguel keeps staring at me from across the room. I’ve wanted to get into these dudes’ pants since the first day of class. But Diego told me he likes to be tied up and—wait for it—spanked. WTF! The news on TV reports that last night we all got roofied. And Vive just texted me saying that someone is out to kill her. Could this semester get any more bizarre? -–Blake Morgan, college freshman, gay best friend, virgin.

goodreads

 

available_on_the_Amazon

Court’s Review

The third installment in The Undergrad Years, XO, Blake, is all about Blake, the Gay Best Friend (GBF).
Blake is the sweetheart of the group and the only one who doesn’t come from fame, fortune and money.  But he’s definitely in a league of his own.
The gang is finally at college and Blake is pining after two Latino men that make his blood boil.  But once again – mayhem creeps in.  It seems as if none of them can catch a break.  However, the silver lining for Blake is that he definitely lands in good hands.
Lex, Vive, Taddy and Blake get through the trauma together and keep their whit and humor at the forefront.  This one isn’t as hilarious at the previous two books, but it still has it’s charm.
We get to see the closeness of Blake and his parents and see where he gets his awesome personality from.  Avery does an exceptional job of writing this series and keeping this characters very honest and raw.
I really recommend this series – each book is very quick and can be read alone.

 

xo blake quote card one


 

Truly Taddy

 

Jetting to Martinique for a modeling assignment with three of Europe’s hottest magazine photographers—Gustave, Fabian, and Leon—should’ve been easy, breezy beautiful. Never did I expect to look up and see a hole in the ceiling of our plane that was bigger in size than my Birkin bag.

Shit! We’re nose-diving toward Eden Island. I pictured how my New York Times obituary might read when I’m gone, “Taddy Brill, Manhattanite, dethroned descendant of the Austrian House of Brillford royalty, dies at age eighteen, penniless, unloved, and a virgin.” I swear this crap only happens to me. Suddenly, Leon pulls me with Fabian and Gustave. Adrenaline racing through me, our bodies clung as one. We prepared to…crash.

The Undergrad Years is a New Adult contemporary miniseries about first loves, independence, and everlasting friendships. Interact with Avery while reading Love, Lex on Instagram and Twitter @AveryAster using the hashtags #UndergradYears #NewAdult. Swag and reader contests can be found on Avery’s blog at: AveryAster.com

Join The Undergrad Years cast as Taddy, Lex, Blake, and Vive welcome you to Invitation to Eden, a series from 27 of the biggest names in romance…an island where anything…and everything can happen. We hope you’ll enjoy your stay! Eden is located just a two hour plane ride from Miami, Florida, in the mysterious Bermuda Triangle. Once it was wild and untouched, but now is inhabited by the Master and his staff. The Master wanted to share the magic of the island with others who needed it, so he had a European castle reconstructed on the small outcropping of land in the southern Atlantic ocean. Log on to the Smutketeers’ Invitation to Eden Book Club!

goodreads

available_on_the_Amazon

Court’s Review 

Yours Truly, Taddy is the second installment in the Undergrad Years and is just as hilarious as the first.
This story is all about Taddy, Lex’s BFF and her travels abroad for a modeling gig.  These four – Taddy, Lex, Vive and Blake have the greatest friendship around.  These four definitely will do anything and everything together and not bat an eye.
The story is told from Taddy’s POV and is quite entertaining.  She needs the money from this modeling opportunity to pay for her college tuition or she won’t be attending with the other 3, like they have all planned.  However, nothing ever goes according to plan.
Their adventure begins before they ever arrive at their destination.  The interaction between the secondary characters and these four is quite entertaining.  Filled with lots of humor and whit, you will find yourself laughing and chuckling throughout this whole book.
Avery does a really great job of writing this light-hearted and very humorous book.  And I really enjoy getting to know more about these characters as we go along.  They are quite the group.
If you want a quick, easy and funny read – pick up this series.

 

 

 

 

 


 

celebritydreamcastYOURSTRULYTADDY


Love Lex

 

 

 

This summer, I’d planned to celebrate my eighteenth birthday in Europe with my fellow Manhattanites—Taddy Brill, Blake Morgan, and Vive Farnworth—until I caught my boyfriend screwing my mother. According to the police report, this vomit-inducing incident happened around the same time I’d supposedly blown-up my mother’s penthouse. Like I’m walking around Soho with a stick of dynamite in my Louis Vuitton purse—not! Now, my besties and I are in jail.

Officer Ford Gotti, the Harley-wheelin’ biker cop who arrested us, keeps sticking his perfectly-sculpted nose into my case. His inked body is jacked like a superhero, and he says I can trust him. He wants me to fess up. I won’t. Not again. Why should I? My friends and I had a previous stint in juvie that nearly destroyed us. I gotta protect them and keep my mouth shut. Right?

—Lex Easton, women’s studies major, motorcycle enthusiast, and virgin.

 

goodreads

available_on_the_Amazon

 

 Court’s Review

Love, Lex is the first installment in The Undergrad Years and gets things off with a very quick start.

I love Lex’s whit and humor in this book.  She isn’t your typical slender, drop dead gorgeous popular socialite.  She’s normal and has all the insecurities most girls do.  However, her parents are famous and so are her friends.

As Lex is turning 18, they she wanted to celebrate it doesn’t pan out so as she expected.  Her humor, friends and an unexpected person however make sure it’s a memorable one.

Lex, Vive, Taddy and Blake are definitely a group of friends I would want.  This book had me laughing the whole time and I truly enjoyed the dialogue in this book.

Avery does a great job of giving you a quick synopsis of things from their pasts that help enlighten what is currently going on in the story.  These characters are all unique and definitely add their individuals quirks into the story.

In this Coming of Age Romance book – this one will stand out as it mostly based on humor and the wittiness in these characters. It is a quick read and you will find yourself smiling the whole time.

This series is one you will find yourself running to when you need that pick-me-up or a good laugh!

Bring on the next book!

 

 


 

Avery-quote-card


 

We’re giving away SEVEN fabulous prizes and one of those prizes has THIRTY winners!

$25.00 Amazon Gift Card

$20.00 Amazon Gift Card

$15.00 Amazon Gift Card

30 ARCS of Always & Forever, Vive

1 autographed copy of Love, Lex

1 autographed copy of Yours Truly, Taddy

Win your name (as a character) in Avery’s next book

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


New York Times, USA Today bestselling author Avery Aster pens The Manhattanites, a modern romance series of juicy melodramas multilayered on love, friendship, scandal, and drama to the hilt. As a resident of New York’s Upper East Side and a graduate from New York University, Avery gives readers an inside look at the city’s glitzy nightlife, socialite sexcapades and tall tales of the über-rich and ultra-famous. “I write about what I see in my metropolis that never sleeps–beautiful people on the quest for a passionate thrill,” Avery says. By and large, Avery’s characters are ripped straight from the headlines, speak their minds and always get what they want.

Undressed #1 (Lex & Massimo) launched The Manhattanites series. Unscrupulous #2 (Taddy & Warner) is the prequel. Also, stay tuned for the sequel with Unsaid #3 (Blake & Miguel) coming summer 2014.

The Manhattanites is for fans who miss TV shows like Sex & The City or watch Girls (HBO), Revenge (ABC), and The Bold & the Beautiful (CBS) . Avery’s characters are over the top. They have cray-cray fun, speak their minds and always get what they want. Each novel may be read as a stand alone.

Note: Avery Aster practices “follow my ass and I’ll follow you back!”

Join Avery’s Newsletter and get a free ebook: http://eepurl.com/CQ665

Like Avery’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AveryAster

Follow Avery’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/averyaster

Follow Avery on Instagram: http://instagram.com/averyaster

Follow Avery on Tumblr: http://averyaster.tumblr.com

Fan Avery on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/averyaster

Add Undergrad Years to your TBR shelf http://www.goodreads.com/series/125017-the-undergrad-years

Pin Avery on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/averyaster

Follow Avery on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/averyaster

Follow Avery on TSU: http://www.tsu.co/AveryAster

Ravaged by Elisabeth Naughton….Release Day Event

Ravaged RDL Banner

 

We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Elisabeth Naughton’s RAVAGED! RAVAGED is a Paranormal Fantasy Romance novella in Elisabeth’s Eternal Guardians Series! This is a 1001 Dark Nights novella so it is exclusively available as Amazon Kindle and Paperback! Grab your copy today!

 

RAVAGED - Cover

Amazon US Kindle ** Amazon Paperback ** Amazon UK Kindle

 

EXCERPT:

“Better.” Sappheire, Athena’s right-hand Siren and the leader of Zeus’s female warrior army, nodded at Daphne’s side. “You keep practicing and you’ll get there.”

Daphne wasn’t so sure. All Sirens went through rigorous training in a variety of different areas—combat, seduction, warfare, strategy—and she’d passed each section with high marks from her trainers. But she couldn’t take her final Siren vows until she conquered the marksmanship exam. And at the moment, her aim wasn’t even close to one-hundred percent, which was why she was out here now, on the training field behind Siren headquarters, working on her shot long after the other recruits had retired to the mess hall for dinner. So far she’d failed the test three times. Until she could hit a target repeatedly dead center—without injuring herself—she was SOL. Which meant her dream of being a full-fledged Siren kept hovering in the distance, just out of reach.

“That’s a nice thought,” she said, lowering her bow and shaking out her hand. “I’m not sure how realistic it is, though.”

“Persistence will pay off.” Sappheire’s luxuriously sleek mane—a mixture of blonde and chestnut and ginger locks—swayed as she turned Daphne’s way, and those brilliant blue eyes for which she was named sparkled. “If this is your calling, it’ll happen. Just don’t give up.”

Dressed in form-fitting black pants, a tight, black, low-cut tank that showed off her cleavage and muscular arms, and kick-ass stiletto boots that elongated her legs, Sappheire pressed the button at the end of her bow, shrinking the weapon down to a six-inch metal bar. She’d lost the leather breastplate and arm guards she usually wore in the field, but she still looked as menacing as any warrior. And not for the first time, Daphne was glad this Siren had taken a liking to her instead of harassing her as she did some of the other recruits.

Slipping the weapon into her boot, Sappheire added, “Athena’s been watching you.”

Watching her fail? Daphne winced. She wasn’t sure she needed to know that, not when she already felt like a major loser.

Daphne shrank her own weapon. She was dressed the same as Sappheire—tight black pants, fitted black tank, crazy high boots it had taken her years to learn to walk in—but where Sappheire wore the outfit with confidence and grace, Daphne still felt awkward in the take-notice-of-me-now getup. “Well, if nothing else, I’m sure she’s entertained.”
Ravaged - Teaser 1

 

RAVAGED Synopsis:

AriOnce an Eternal Guardian, now he’s nothing but a rogue mercenary with one singular focus: revenge.

His guardian brothers all think he’s dead, but Ari is very much alive in the human realm, chipping away at Zeus’s Sirens every chance he can, reveling in his brutality and anonymity. Until, that is, he abducts the wrong female and his identity is finally exposed. It will take more than the Eternal Guardians, more even than the gods to rein Ari in after everything he’s done. It may just take the courage of one woman willing to stand up to a warrior who’s become a savage.

 

Ravaged - Teaser 2

 

 

Elisabeth Naughton - Author PhotoAbout Elisabeth Naughton:

Before topping multiple bestseller lists—including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal—Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A rabid reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Naughton now writes full-time. Besides topping bestseller lists, her books have been nominated for some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, such as the RITA® and Golden Heart Awards from Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Golden Leaf Award. When not dreaming up new stories, Naughton can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home. Visit her website at www.ElisabethNaughton.com to learn more about her books.

 

 

Website** Facebook** Twitter ** Newsletter** Author Goodreads ** Novella Goodreads

 

InkSlinger PR Blogger Banner - New

A Pound Of Flesh by Sophie Jackson…ARC Review

 

A Pound Of Flesh releases tomorrow, 6/9

23492593

 

Synopsis:

Lose your heart to your new bad boy book boyfriend. Wes Carter – sexy, edgy, behind bars, with emotional scars as permanent as the ink on his skin, just waiting to be healed by love…

Fans of Samantha Young, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Jamie McGuire, Katy Evans and Prison Break will find this powerful love story utterly addictive and unforgettable.

Their love is forbidden. But won’t be denied… Can true love heal the deepest scars?

For Kat Lane, teaching inmates at a New York prison is her way of upholding the legacy of her beloved father, murdered fifteen years ago. But when new student Wes Carter walks into her classroom, she’s shaken by the strength of her attraction to him. Carter is as handsome as he is dangerous, as mysterious as he is quick-witted – and he ensures people keep their distance. Yet vibrant Kat bypasses his defences and challenges him to reveal the real man behind the intimidating reputation. As their emotional barriers crumble, their inescapable but forbidden feelings cannot be ignored. But will Kat’s discovery of Carter’s role on the night her father died force them apart…or bind their hearts for ever?

A Pound of Flesh is a tale of loyalty, redemption and all-consuming love against the odds, introducing an irresistible bad boy hero…

 

My Review:

In the very first sentence of the synopsis of A Pound Of Flesh, the debut work from author Sophie Jackson, it says that you will lose your heart to your new bad boy book boyfriend and no other statement could be more true. I loved this book so damn much…from start to finish it brough about a ton of emotion and I completely fell in love with Wes Carter. He’s 100% my new bad boy book boyfriend and totally owns my heart.

Kat and Carter meet almost a lifetime ago, in the most horrible of circumstances. Neither one of them forgot the other. Neither on of them ever saw each other since that one horrible night. Until now, when fate throws these two lost souls together again in another set of unlikely circumstances. In an attempt to honor her beloved father’s memory, Kat winds up teaching at a prison. The very same prison Carter is serving time in. They don’t realize it at first, but their forbidden mutual attraction pulls them together again and eventually they will come to realize they had both been designed to come together again. The wounded good girl and the monetarily privileged, mad at the world bad boy. From the outside they seem like the most unlikely couple…but their hearts will never be able to deny that they are meant to be.

Oh my, this book totally rocked my world. I ignored all responsibilities today and devoured this book. I couldn’t stop reading. Carter is every bad boy I have every loved rolled into one delicious damaged package. My God, how I just loved him. He is smart, has a beautiful mind and a soft soul at the very center of him, but with a rough and sexy exterior that had me swooning. He reads the classics and has wicked tattoos. Rides motorcycles but gives thoughtful gifts. I just adored him. Kat is equally amazing with a strong sense of self and an innate need to be what Carter needs. I can’t blame the girl. She fights for him and for the love they’ve found. Fights her disapproving mother and all of society’s standards. Fights even Carter’s disbelief at times and his thoughts that he’s no good for her. I shed too many tears to count while reading their highly emotionally charged scenes and wanted nothing more than for these two broken people to come together and make a newly healed whole. I won’t give anything away but I will say that the epilogue had me crying big fat happy tears and now I’m in a major book hangover!

It’s hard to believe this book is the first work from this author, because it was just that good! I cannot wait to see what Ms. Jackson has in store for us next with Max’s story (and I hope we will get to see glimpses of what Carter and Kat are up to!). Thank you, Ms. Jackson, for absolutely giving me my next bad boy book boyfriend…I won’t soon forget this story!

 

J signature

 

4andahalfloves

Four-and-a-Half Loves

 

Book links:

Amazon  |  B&N 

About the author:

Sophie Jackson, a schoolteacher from northwest England, writes fan fiction under the handle Jaxon22. Her first novel was the award-winning A Pound of Flesh. – See more at: http://www.simonandschuster.com/series/A-Pound-of-Flesh#sthash.uqPW7rSd.dpuf

 

Revived (Revved #2) by Samantha Towle….Cover Reveal

We are SO excited to share Samantha Towle’s cover for Revived (Revved #2) with you!! Enjoy a sneak peek excerpt below! Revived is scheduled for release on July 12th!!!

Revived.Ebook.Amazon

Synopsis

India Harris didn’t have the best start in life. Abandoned as a baby, she and her twin brother, Kit, spent their lives in foster care, only having each other to rely on. Then, at a young age, a relationship with the wrong man left India pregnant. Wanting to give her son the life she never had, she put herself through school and graduated with honors.

Now, at the age of thirty, she’s a highly respected therapist.

At the top of his game as a Formula One driver, Leandro Silva had everything—until an accident on the track left him staring death in the face. After enduring twelve months of physical therapy, Leandro is now physically able to race, but his mind is keeping him from the track. Frustrated and angry, Leandro’s days and nights are filled with limitless alcohol and faceless women.

Entering the last year of his contract, he knows he has to race again, or he’ll lose everything he spent his life working for. Forced into therapy to get his life back, Leandro finds himself in the office of Dr. India Harris.

Falling for his uptight therapist is not part of Leandro’s plan.

Having unethical feelings for her patient, the angry Brazilian race car driver, is not part of India’s plan.

But what if the wrong person is the only person who is right?

 

add-to-goodreads-button

Excerpt

Leandro

 

My eyes move to the magazines on the table. There’s a sports mag peeking out from under the fashion mags.

Leaning forward, I pull it out, instantly wishing I hadn’t.

Top of the magazine is a picture of me, with the caption ‘What the bad side of Formula 1 looks like’.

Nice.

So, now I’m the bad side of F1. Good to know.

I already know what the media say about me. How I’ve turned from a great racer into a drunk, and a whore.

They’re not wrong on the whore part – well, whore is a bit harsh, I don’t charge for my services. And I wouldn’t say I’m a drunk. I just like to drink, a lot.

I shouldn’t read the article, I know this, but the sadistic part of me has me turning those pages.

Finding the article, eyes scanning the text, I pick out the usual shit.

Why is Silva no longer racing? Physically he’s healthy. Is it mental problems? Fear over racing because of his accident. Is that why he drinks – drowning his misery in alcohol? Such a shame to see, a once great driver, fall from grace so dramatically.

Frustration and rage grip my chest like a vice.

Fuck this. I don’t need this shit.

Even though I can’t race, it’s not like I actually need to.

I don’t need to race. I just need to drink and fuck. That’s all I need now. All I’ll ever need.

Liar.

I am a liar, and a chicken shit. And that’s why I’m sitting in the waiting room of a therapist.

Maybe I’m beyond help.

Tossing the magazine back on the table, I get to my feet ready to leave this place, just as the door opens, revealing the epitome of what I could really do with screwing right now.

My eyes trail up the toned, tanned legs, to the fitted pencil skirt that I would happily hitch up to see the magnificent pussy that I bet lies beneath. A pale pink blouse is tucked into that skirt, covering what look like a fantastically sized pair of tits. Silky blonde hair sits on her shoulders. Hair that I would enjoy getting my hands all tangled in, while I fuck those bright red lips of hers, enjoying seeing that lipstick smeared all over my cock.

My dick pulses in my jeans, more than ready to proposition her with the offer.

“Mr. Silva.” She steps forward. “I’m Dr. Harris. But please call me India.”

She’s Dr. Harris?

This, hitch-your-skirt-up-and-let-me-fuck-you-right-now, woman is my new therapist.

Well that’s just fucking great. It’s not like I can bang my therapist.

I put my cock on hold, and giving her my best smile, the one that always has panties dropping to the floor, I say, “And you can call me Leandro.”

 

AboutTheAuthor

samantha towle

New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and international bestselling author Samantha Towle began her first novel in 2008 while on maternity leave. She completed the manuscript five months later and hasn’t stopped writing since.

She has written contemporary romances, THE MIGHTY STORM, WETHERING THE STORM, TAMING THE STORM and TROUBLE.

She has also written paranormal romances, THE BRINGER and the ALEXANDRA JONES SERIES, all penned to tunes of The Killers, Kings of Leon, Adele, The Doors, Oasis, Fleetwood Mac, and more of her favourite musicians.

A native of Hull and a graduate of Salford University, she lives with her husband, Craig, in East Yorkshire with their son and daughter.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

♥ READ THE SERIES ♥

Book 1 – Revved

revved

Synopsis

Race car mechanic Andressa “Andi” Amaro has one rule—no dating drivers. With a good reason behind the rule, she has no plans on breaking it.

Carrick Ryan is the bad boy of Formula One. With a face and body that melts panties on sight, and an Irish lilt that leaves women on their knees, begging for more. He races hard and parties harder. The youngest driver to ever sign with F1, he’s still at the top of his game five years later, breaking hearts on and off the tracks.

When Andi is offered her dream job working in the glamorous world of F1, she leaves her home in Brazil, positive she can handle working for Carrick. But she’s not prepared for the off-the-chart sparks that fly the moment they meet.

Now, Andi has a crush on the one man she can’t have, and her resolve is about to be put to the test, because Carrick has decided he wants Andi, and he plans on testing her to the very limit…

add-to-goodreads-button

Available NOW

Amazon Kindle US | UK

Amazon Paperback US | UK

iBooks US | UK

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000039_00014]

Amber to Ashes by Gail McHugh….Excerpt Reveal

amber to ashes

Blurb

From the New York Times bestselling author of Collide and Pulse comes a gritty new novel about a shattered young woman who unexpectedly falls for two best friends.

They were a storm I never saw coming, an unforeseen heartbreak on the edge of a dangerous cliff.

Amber Moretti’s life changes in the span of minutes. An orphaned outsider, she is desperate to start fresh the moment she walks onto campus. In the time it takes to cross the university’s dining hall, she meets two men who bring color, air, and light to her darkened world.

They became my addiction, each a needle to my next hit, my high.

Brock Cunningham’s appeal is dizzying, a potent force Amber can’t deny. A green-eyed smooth talker, he instantly attracts Amber. It doesn’t take long for him to consume her every thought, her every breath.

Ryder Ashcroft, a blue-eyed, tattooed, and pierced bad boy, turns Amber off immediately—that is, until he kisses her, stealing a piece of her heart, her soul.

They were as opposite as fire and ice, yet I ached for them equally.

Never knowing she could be broken down in so many unexpectedly beautiful yet petrifying ways, Amber finds herself falling for both men.

Immoral? Maybe. I say undeniable. Uncontained

But one devastating event changes everything, shattering each of their lives…and Amber isn’t sure she can recover from it.

amber to ashes banner

Excerpt #1

“What are you, Casey?” Ryder asks over his shoulder as he scrubs his hands with antibacterial soap.

“Your little cancer warrior,” she answers with a small smile.

“That’s right.” He dries his hands and turns, a proud grin cracking his mouth. “The bravest one ever.”

I grab Casey’s hand and hold it tight, knowing nothing I’ve ever seen, heard, or felt compares to what she’s facing. This child’s living with a fear I can’t comprehend. One that’d slay all of my fears put together.

“Ready?” Ryder asks, his tone soft and caring, everything it should be.

Casey nods, clenching my hand. My heart swells, anxiety building thick in my throat as Ryder slips on a pair of medical gloves and cleans the area around her port with Betadine swabs.

Casey looks at me, the cool blue of her eyes misting over. “Are you scared of needles?”

“No,” I say, running my free hand along the back of her neck. “Are you?”

“I used to be.” She sighs, a single tear slipping down her face. “But not so much anymore.”

It takes everything in me not to drag her little body off the table and run out of the apartment with her. I wipe the tear from her cheek, my need to hide her away, sheltering her from the sinister storm she’s in the middle of, growing with each unsteady breath.

“A little cold,” Ryder warns before spraying the anesthetic on her skin.

“Hurry, Ry,” Casey pleads, her voice weak yet panicked. “It doesn’t last that long.”

“I have to make sure you’re numb, Case.” Ryder ducks his head and stares into her eyes, trying to keep her focused on the silly faces he’s making.

His tactic works.

Casey’s tiny giggles bounce around the kitchen, their musical notes blocking out the sound of Ryder popping the cap off a weird-looking needle. With a small, clear tube like a tail—and plastic wings stretched out on either side—it reminds me of a dragonfly. Ryder presses his gloved finger against Casey’s port a few times, his attention honed in on her face as he says, “Knock, knock.”

“Who’s there?” Casey smiles at me, completely unaware that Ryder’s pricked her skin with the needle.

“Aardvark.” Ryder pushes the medicine through the syringe, his attention cutting between Casey’s face and the needle.

“Aardvark who?” she manages, a thin sheen of sweat dotting her upper lip.

“Aardvark a hundred miles for one of your pretty smiles.” Ryder pulls the needle from her chest, and before she can blink, he rests his lips against her forehead, kissing away her remaining fear.

Close to immobile, my heart tugs, the magnitude of what this man means to this little girl—what they mean to each other—scraping tears up my dry throat. I swallow the sound before it can leave me, warmth pinching my stomach into a beautiful knot as I observe them.

“It’s over?” Casey asks, uncertainty flashing in her eyes.

“Yeah, kiddo. It’s over,” Ryder answers, his voice heavy with relief as he applies a small piece of gauze over her port. “You’re all set, warrior. Go get cleaned up, and we’ll get ready to leave.”

With Ryder’s aid, Casey slides off the table and heads for the bathroom, the bounce in her step less tangible as she slips around the corner. Quiet reigns, the events from the last few minutes whispering across my mind as Ryder looks at me with exhausted eyes. Stress lines cut across his forehead, wariness drowning his beautiful features. Overcome, I watch him swipe a tired hand over his face and turn, resting his palms against the counter. As though having no control over my body—a magnet pulling in my gut—I stand and move toward him, each tentative step I take carried out with shallow, quick breaths. I come up behind him, lift a shaky hand and tap his shoulder, my pulse lurching as he turns and meets my gaze. Our connection strikes, a bolt of emotions paralyzing us as we stare at each other.

I touch my fingers to his stubbled cheek, my conscience crying out that my actions are wrong, so very wrong, but my heart mutes the warning as I move my palm to the back of his neck.

His muscles go taut, restraint lighting the fiery blue of his eyes. “Amber, don’t.” The words come out not as a rough warning but a soft plea. “Don’t do this.”

“I have to,” I whisper, trembling. “You’re . . . amazing, Ryder. What you did for her, everything you do for her . . . I just . . .” I drop my eyes to his chest, my heart galloping as I register his hands gripping my waist. Their heat sears through me, a thrill jumping from cell to cell. “You’re tender, cocky, gentle, and an asshole all at the same time. You’re kind, giving, nurturing. You’re . . . everything.”

My lips find his, testing, teasing, barely touching. Our breathing comes faster, harder as I pull him down, our foreheads pressed together as we stare into each other’s eyes. “Please . . . I just . . . Just once more. That’s all I need.”

I think . . . hope.

With hunger demolishing all traces of restraint from his gaze, Ryder buries his hands in my wavy curls and looks at me a beat before capturing my lips in a slow, passionate kiss. I sigh into his mouth, my senses drowning in his familiar flavor as I fall in step with his calculated strokes. On a deep groan, he draws me closer, his tongue dipping in and out, out and in. Still, nothing about his touch is rough, yet everything in it screams that he needs me in this moment.

In this wicked space and time of his life.

Every lick and nip is a soft caress, like he’s trying to burn the sensation of my lips into his memory. My pulse hammers in staccato mode as I melt the full weight of my body into his. With my blood swimming through my veins, and sinking further into everything that is Ryder, I feel the emptiness of his soul slice through me. A dull ache pinches my heart, spreading its misery through my muscles as he cups my cheeks and deepens the kiss with a gentleness I never knew he possessed. My breath catches, wiped from my lungs as he glides his lips along my jaw, down the base of my throat. The cadence of his exotic growl slips through my ears, dizzying my head in the sweetest way.

“Christ, I fucking want you so bad,” Ryder whispers hoarsely. He drags his lips back to mine, his kiss urgent, greedy. However, he brings it down a notch, his movements revisiting slow, sensual, worshipping this moment for everything it is. Worshipping me for all I am. “So badly, peach. More than I’ve ever wanted anything or anyone. You drive me crazy. Your smell, skin, eyes.” He sucks my lip between his teeth, a groan punching from his chest as he runs his fingertips along my bare arms.

Goose bumps pop, deliciously pricking my skin as I tighten my grip in his hair.

“Your little giggles, pouts, personality. Every single fucked-up scar you own in and out. All of it. All of you.” He licks into my mouth, his tongue exploring mine with precision as his hands find my nape, their hold possessive. “Fuck. It should’ve been me. Not him. Me.”

And just like that, our moral compasses spring due north, Brock the center of its attention—our attention. We slowly break the kiss, our breathing choppy from the loss.

amber to ashes teaser 1amber to ashes teaser 2

Are you Team Ryder or Team Brock?

Find out in Amber to Ashes Releasing on June 9th!

Pre-order NOW AVAILABLE

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1RQ3L59

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KJMG8J

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

Nook: http://bit.ly/1APcTCS

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1FCcq2k

amber to ashes pre-order

About the Author:

gail mchugh bio

A self-proclaimed chocoholic, married mother of three, and a lover of writing for as far back as she can remember, Gail McHugh is the author of two New York Times bestselling novels. The COLLIDE series (which includes COLLIDE and PULSE), was acquired by Atria Books on September 17th, 2013.

“The first of two sexy contemporary romances about a woman torn between her seemingly perfect boyfriend and a dark, mysterious stranger who will stop at nothing to have her.” – Publishers Weekly on COLLIDE, a Top 10 Romance pick! You can follow Gail on the below social media sites:

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

amber to ashes excerpt