Prologue…Damaged Goods by L.J. Shen

Underneath the goody-two-shoes persona is damaged goods…but can the bad boy across the street save her?

Damaged Goods, an all-new angsty, enemies to lovers, sports romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen is now available!

Bailey Followhill is the perfect daughter.
Sweet. Charitable. Pretty. Control freak.
Not a hair out of place, not an inch out of line, she is everything her troublemaking sister Daria isn’t.
But when her A game turns out to be a lukewarm C- at Juilliard, Bailey’s picture-ready life starts fraying faster than the worn satin ribbons of her pointe shoes.
She’s becoming a piece of gossip.
The Troubled Child. A drug abuser.
No longer the girl her best friend once knew.

Lev Cole is so golden, he’s got the Midas Touch.
Prized quarterback. Football captain. Hottest guy in SoCal. A textbook cliché.
But with a girlfriend he doesn’t love and a career path he doesn’t value, Lev is coasting.
The only two things he cares about―Bailey and becoming a pilot―are out of reach.

But Lev is done being satisfied with the life others have chosen for him. He wants to pick his own cards. To demolish the seamless kingdom of lies his family stitched together on the ruins his mother left behind.

The question is, can he save his best friend and his dream before too much damage is done?

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Keep reading for a look inside Damaged Goods!

PROLOGUE 

Lev 

Age fourteen 

I’m standing over my mother’s grave, wondering why the fuck my eyes are dry. 

I couldn’t look at the coffin back inside the church. Knight said she looked pretty. Calm. At peace. But also…nothing like herself. 

I squeezed my eyes shut the entire way through, the way I did when I was really little and went on spooky rides at theme parks. Now I’m freaking out because maybe I made a mistake, because it was the last time I could look at her face not through a picture. 

That’s the thing about losing someone—there are so many losses along the way that make up a big loss. 

No more cuddles in bed on rainy days.

No more heart-shaped fruit in my lunch box. 

No more singing lullabies to me when I’m sick, with me pretending I’m embarrassed and annoyed by it when actually Mom singing lullabies is the best thing to happen to this universe since sliced bread. 

Bailey is hugging me so close, my bones are about to dissipate to dust. She’s about four inches taller than me now, which is stupid and embarrassing and just my luck. My face is hidden deep inside her hair, and I pretend to cry because it seems rude and screwed up if I don’t. But the truth is, I’m not sad or gloomy or any of those things. I’m fucking pissed. Angry. Enraged. 

Mom’s gone. 

What if she’s cold? What if she’s claustrophobic? What if she is struggling to breathe? What if she’s scared? Reasonably, I know she isn’t. She’s dead. But logic isn’t my friend right now. Not even an acquaintance. Hell, I doubt I could spell the word in my current state. I feel like Bailey is physically keeping me together. Like if she loosens her arms around me, I’ll collapse into thousands of little marbles, scatter and disappear into the nooks and crannies of the cemetery. 

Everyone files back to their cars. Dad claps a shaking hand over my shoulder and steers me away from the grave. Bails reluctantly releases me. I clutch the tips of her fingers. She’s gravity. She’s oxygen. In this moment in time, she’s everything. 

Sensing my unspoken need for her, Bailey turns to my dad. “May I please catch a ride with you, Uncle Dean?” 

Thank you, Jesus. 

“Yeah, Bails, sure,” Dad says distractedly, laser-focused on Knight’s back. My brother is going through his own stuff right now and my dad is trying to ensure he doesn’t lose another member of our family. Usually, I’m cool with being the low-maintenance, “background” kid. Not today, though. I just lost my mom at fourteen. I want the world to stop, but it disrespectfully keeps on spinning and functioning like my life wasn’t just destroyed. 

Before we hop into the car, I clutch Bailey’s fingers and pull her to me. “If I told you I want to run away from here, somewhere really far, like…I dunno, Kansas far, what would you say?” 

Her big blue eyes hold mine like my eyeballs are about to fall off. “We ride at dawn, bitch.” 

“Really?” I ask. 

She nods once. “Try me, Lev. You’re my best friend. I’ll never let you down.” 

It’s weird, but the possibility of Bailey and me running away from all this is the one thing holding my ass together right now. She might be everyone’s good girl, but to me, she’s a bad addiction. 

The drive is silent. I’m a page torn out of a book. Out of place and floating aimlessly. All I have is the memory of once belonging. Then, we’re in front of my house. Everyone trickles inside in their black frocks. They look like ghouls. Home without Mom isn’t a home. It’s a pile of bricks and expensive furniture. 

Invisible ivy roots me to the ground. Bailey is the only one who notices. She loiters behind with me, and suddenly, I really hate that I’m putting all my dreams and hopes on her. Because she could be gone tomorrow too. Bus accident. Freak heart attack at fifteen. A kidnap-and-murder plot. The options are endless, and I have really shitty luck with people. 

“Kansas?” She grabs my fingers, playing them like they’re keys on a piano. 

I shake my head, too choked up to produce actual words. 

“We don’t have to go inside.” Her hands slide up to grab my arms and keep me standing. How did she know I’m close to falling? “We can hang out at mine. I’ll make fondue. We can watch South Park.” Her blues gleam like sapphires. 

Fresh irritation floods me. Bailey is being soooo understanding, even though she doesn’t understand jack shit. She does have a mom. A healthy one. And a dad. And a sister who isn’t an addict. Her life is perfect, while mine is a pile of calamities. 

She’s a blossoming flower, and I’m dirt, but that’s okay because the thing about flowers is they’re buried in dirt, so I know exactly how to cut her off. 

Shaking her off, I swivel and stomp my way out of our cul-de-sac. She races after me, calling my name. Her Mary Janes clap the ground urgently. 

“Lev, please! Did I say something wrong?” 

To be fair to her, she stood no chance at saying anything right. But screw being fair. I’m hurting, and she is baggage. Just another person to love and to lose. 

I pick up my pace, running now. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m eager to get there. The sky—completely blue just seconds ago—cracks like an egg. Thunder rolls, gray washes over it, and rain starts pouring in thick sheets. It’s summer in SoCal and shouldn’t rain. The universe is angry, but I’m angrier. 

Whenever Bailey manages to catch the sleeve of my shirt, I speed up, but even after thirty minutes of running in the rain, soaked to the bone, she doesn’t quit. Somehow, we find ourselves in the woods on the outskirts of town. The thick, tall branches and blankets of leaves intertwine together like laced fingers above us, creating a makeshift umbrella. I can sort of see my surroundings now, and it’s pretty and it’s calm and far enough away from that stupid cemetery. I stop running when I realize I’m not gonna escape the new reality: Mom’s dead. 

I finally understand the term heartbreak. Because that thing in my chest? Split open clean in two. 

I turn around, my lungs scorching. Bailey is pale and sodden, her black dress clinging to her body. Her lips are blue and her skin is so pale, I see a map of purple and red veins under her flesh. 

“Go home,” I growl. But I don’t want her to go home. I want her to never leave. 

She steps closer, tilting her chin up defiantly. “I’m not leaving you.” 

“Fuck off, Bailey!” I fold in half, screaming. I feel like she kicked me in the stomach. 

She’ll leave. She’ll let you down. Don’t fall for this, Lev. 

“I’m so sorry.” Her eyes are full of tears, and she flexes her fingers, itching to grab me. 

Hug me. 

Go away. 

Fuckfuckfuck.

My mouth opens again and more bullshit spews out. “Don’t be sorry for me. Be sorry for yourself. You’re the loser who hangs out with an eighth grader instead of people your own age.” 

“I wish it didn’t happen.” She ignores my insults, trying to grab my fingers again and play them like a piano, like she does every time I’m upset. 

Laughing, I rasp, “I wish you didn’t happen.” 

“I wish it were me who was dead.” Her face is covered with tears and pain and mud, and I can’t do this anymore. I don’t care how much I’m hurting, I can’t ruin the only good thing about my life right now. She gives me something to fight for when every cell of my body wants to give up. 

“Now you’re just talking outta your ass.” I spit phlegm between us.

She shakes her head, quivering fingers darting to her hair, massaging her scalp. I believe her. And it kills me that even though I feel like someone slashed me open and my guts are pouring out, I still wouldn’t want Bailey to be in Mom’s place. 

“I’m not. I’m serious. I would die before willingly watch you suffer.” 

There’s a beat of silence. Then I open my mouth and the most feral, scary, loud cry I’ve ever heard tears out of it. It echoes in the sky and bounces off the trees. A flock of ravens takes flight from the treetops. 

And then I go to the only place I need to be right now—I go mad.

For more information about L.J. Shen and her books, visit her website: 

https://www.authorljshen.com

Dirty Fithy Rich Love by Laurelin Paige…..Prologue Reveal

 

 

Dirty Filthy Rich Love by Laurelin Paige

Release Date: September 11th

 

 

Preorder Dirty Filthy Rich Love TODAY:

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Head to Laurelin’s website to read the FULL PROLOGUE to Dirty Filthy Rich Love:

https://laurelinpaige.com/dirty-filthy-rich-love-prologue-reveal

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb:

I’ve discovered Donovan Kincaid’s secret.

It’s dirty and filthy and rich – as dirty and filthy and rich as he is – and it haunts me as much as he ever did.

Even after knowing what I know now, I still want to talk to him, to touch him. But there’s an ocean between us, and I’m not sure it can be crossed with something as easy as a phone call or a plane ride.

Yet I’m willing to try.

He doesn’t know this yet, but this time I’m the one with the power. And maybe – just maybe – if the air were cleared and all our secrets bared, there could still be a chance for us.

And this dirty, filthy thing between us might end up being love after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ripple Effect by Keri Lake…Release Day Blitz

 

 

 

Ripley

They call me RIP.
I’m a killer. A murderer. A psychopath.
In the eyes of the righteous, I’m a monster, born of sin and depravity.
I want to protect her, but I’m not a good man.
I want to love her, but I no longer feel.
She gets under my skin, though, and has awakened something inside of me.
Something I’d kill for.
I’m not her savior—not even close. In fact, I’m worse than the hell she’s already suffered.
I’m her vengeance. Tit for tat, as they say.
And if she’s not careful, I’ll be her ruin.

Dylan

For months, I’ve watched him.
I’ve fantasized him as my savior, my lover. My ticket out of the hell I’ve lived in for the last six years.
I never dreamed he’d be my nightmare.
Had I known what he really is, I’d have never gotten in the car that night, but life is full of cause and effect.
And sometimes the choice on offer isn’t a choice at all.
It’s the result of something already in motion, and we’re merely left to survive the ripple effect.

*This is an erotic suspense/erotic romance not recommended for readers under the age of 18 due to graphic violence and sex.

 

Prologue

 

Ripley
Ripple effect: noun
1. a spreading effect or series of consequences caused by a single action or event

 

    “Do you want to live?” The barrel of the gun presses into my temple, still warm from the bullets that were shot into my stepmother, who now lies in a lifeless heap in the corner. “This moment will determine whether or not I pull the trigger.”
   The stranger’s breath smells of warm tobacco and liquor.
   Thick red blood pools at my boots, and my eyes follow the scarlet trail across the wooden planks to the wounded man, crawling on his elbows toward the door.
   I just sliced through the back of his knees with a blade, like a robot at the gunman’s command. Sixteen years of being a relatively normal kid ripped out of my hands, as I watch my first victim, about to make myself a murderer.
    My lips are dry. So is my throat, fuzzy and scratchy like cotton. Fear will do that, but so can excitement.
   Staring down at my hands, coated in his blood, I suddenly long to wash him off of me, to keep him from infecting me, but I can’t yet. I have to finish him. That’s what the stranger with the gun has asked me to do.
   Kill my father.
   With slow, stalking steps, I follow behind, until he turns over onto his back, and the gore of the last hour bleeds out of more wounds than I can count.
   “Tell me, boy.” His voice is raspy, gravelly, and carries a slight gurgle from whatever is backing up in his throat. In spite of the panting rise and fall of his chest, he lets out a hearty laugh and slaps a hand to his heart with a hacking cough that sprouts a glob of blood onto his lip. “What’s yours … feel like?” Blood coats his teeth and choppy words confess he’s losing to death. “Tell you what … mine felt like. Your momma … she was … a beautiful kill. Fucking … begged me not to hurt you. Told me … I could do whatever … I wanted to her. So long as I left … you alone.” Another laugh and he twists to the side, vomiting blood onto the floor beside him. After a pause, he wipes his face across his sleeve and continues, “So I did … everything … to that whoring cunt.”
   I tighten my fingers around the blade’s hilt, and despite the rage that snakes through my veins, I don’t yet finish him. I’ve waited too long for this. Night after night, I fantasized of these very seconds and the final words I’d say to him.
   With the gun pointed at my back, I find the courage to kill or be killed. “Every … stab. Like butter. And when I slit her throat …” A sickly cough ends on a choking fit and the wet clap in his chest tells me I punctured his lung earlier. “Last thing she mouthed … was your name.”
   I kneel down beside him and reach out a hand that he bats away. I’m stronger than what little resistance is left in him, and I grip his skull, staring into his dark, soulless eyes. Both of mine are a different color—one blue, like my mother’s, and one hazel. One offers the ability to see a man’s true colors, the other allows me to watch him die without remorse. “You want to know how it feels to hurt you?” The detachment in my voice is foreign to me. Calm.
   His lips stretch into a bloodstained smile. “Yes. Tell me. Tell me … how it feels.”
   I stab the knife into his throat and give a brutal turn of the blade, watching his eyes widen in horror as his hand flies to the hilt. Gripping his hair tight, I tip his head back and guide his eyes to mine. “I feel nothing.”
   His brows dip with a frown and focus on mine for a moment as he gasps for the air that’ll never save him now.
   I push off of him, surprised at the apathy washing over me while he grasps at the gaping wound in his windpipe. Surely a son should feel something for his father. And yet, I don’t. He’d beaten the love out of me a long time ago, leaving nothing but a hollow that has since filled with hate.
   From behind, a firm grip of my shoulder has me looking down to the gold lion ring on the hand curled there, and back to the man wearing a black shirt and slacks, who stands behind me.
   “Well done, Ripley.” He puffs his cigar and gives a squeeze of my shoulder. “Well done, my boy.”
   The man who freed me from my cage disappears into the dark room behind me, and when I turn my attention back on the one I’ve just killed, a terrifying reality settles over me.
   I’ve traded one cage for another.

 

 

 

.

 

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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, paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Though novels tend to be her focus, she also writes short stories and flash fiction on the many occasions distraction sucks her into the Land of Shiny Things.

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Excerpt Reveal…Tattered Gloves by J.L. Berg

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USA Today Bestselling Author J.L. Berg’s first YA title, THE TATTERED GLOVES, releases January 24th – but we couldn’t wait to give you a peek! Read the haunting prologue below and preorder your copy today!

 

 

ttg-amazonAbout THE TATTERED GLOVES

Available January 24th, 2017

Head down.
Don’t look up.
Never make eye contact.

Those were the words I lived by growing up, the words that protected me in an unsafe home. But words are only letters and eventually even they couldn’t keep his hands off me.

Hoping to leave behind the shattered life of my past, I find myself in a boring, small town, with an aunt I’ve never met and at a school I loathe.

But soon I learn, not everything in this world is as black and white as I’ve determined. Sometimes those we are so quick to judge often need a second, third or even fourth time to make a first impression.

And often, there are friendships and even love waiting just around the corner, if we are brave enough to take the first step.

Am I brave? Or will I hide behind these tattered gloves of mine forever?

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Read the Prologue:

Head down.

Don’t look up.

Never make eye contact.

These were the rules I’d learned to live by while growing up in a house where men frequented but did not stay. When I was very little, I’d always assumed my mother had a lot of friends. Big, strong, manly friends who protected us since I didn’t have a daddy.

How naive I had been.

The men who had visited only wanted one thing, and my mother was happy to give it — for a price.

She’d never made any desperate attempts to shadow this particular part of her life or protect me from it.

The most I’d gotten was a flippant warning when I started showing signs of puberty.

“Willow, you might want to keep out of sight more now,” she’d said.

Thanks, Mom.

And then, when I’d garnered more than a glance or two, she’d say, “Stay in your room at night. Don’t come out.”

But, even with all the rules and warnings, I couldn’t keep them all away.

I couldn’t keep him away.

He’d managed to snuff out every bit of me in a matter of minutes.

Whatever remnants of innocence I’d had from my childhood was gone like a puff of smoke.

But, in our darkest hours, sometimes, even the weak could find the light.

I did, and this… this was my story.

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Watch the Trailer:

About J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series, The Walls Duet, and the Lost & Found Duet. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she’s not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

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Halo by R.C. Stephens…Blog Tour & Review

Title: Halo
Author: R.C. Stephens
Release Date: Nov 1, 2016
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I fell in love with Thomas Wells and knew he was my forever.
I was sixteen when I gave him my heart.
Our love was the kind to last a lifetime.
But Thomas was broken.
The first day we met he told me he was going to become a Navy SEAL.
At nineteen he enlisted.
At twenty he married me.
At twenty five he left me pregnant and didn’t turn back.
I knew he was suffering….
I also knew I couldn’t save him.
He left me broken.
I was scared and alone.
Until I met Ryder St. John a wounded soldier…
He was lost.
I was lost.
Together we made sense.
I fell in love again…
What Ryder forgot to mention was that he held a secret so explosive that it could shatter both our worlds.
    
Prologue
Rogers Park, Chicago
Christmas morning 2002
Thomas
I lie in bed waiting for Halo to wake up. I know Christmas was a big deal around her house when she was growing up. Even though her parents are gone I still want her to feel the magic of the holiday. When I was a kid Christmas was another shitty day in my life. Nothing to celebrate. Another mark on the calendar moving me closer to the time I could leave my father and my dirty past behind.
Halo begins to stir in bed, shifting toward me with her eyes shut. A sweet smile plays on her pink, lush lips and my chest bursts with love for this woman.
“Hey.” Her morning voice is raspy and thick. She opens her eyes. I couldn’t love this woman more even if I tried. She’s my everything.
“Hey yourself.” I grin as my eyes roam over her rosy nipples. The memory of making love last night gets me all hard again. I would take her right now if I didn’t have something planned. I let out a grunt.
She stretches out her arms and her body moves into a delicious curve. I lean down and close my mouth over her nipple. Damn, she tastes good.
I groan. “Baby, you can’t be teasing me now. It’s Christmas morning and I got stuff waiting for you under the tree downstairs.”
“Stuff?” Excitement grows in her eyes. “Like presents?” She instantly pops up to her knees, bouncing on the bed. She’s too cute. It’s taking everything in me not to claim her right now. I want to give her Christmas.
Seeing her smile means everything. Not too long ago she was drowning in darkness. The healthy gleam in her eyes tells me she’s feeling good now. It will make my news a little easier to deliver.
“Yes, baby, the stuff is presents.” Before I can say anything else she pops out of bed and grabs her T-shirt off the floor. I must have thrown it there last night during our lustful attempt toactually make it to the bed as opposed to having sex on the floor again.
There’s nothing wrong with floor sex but it can get hard on the back and Halo’s knees. Halo throws on the shirt and darts down the hallway. I hear the small patter of her footsteps as she makes her way down the stairs. I slip on my boxer shorts and follow her. I placed a number of presents under the tree and she won’t know which to open first.
I swiftly walk down the stairs to the living room where our Christmas tree is shining bright. I look out the window to see a small dusting of snow falling from the sky. Halo seats herself on the floor in front of the presents. This is my second year with a Christmas tree and her second year without her parents—bittersweet.
“Which one do I open first?” she asks like a little girl rubbing her palms together. It makes me laugh. I mean we are young. I’m twenty and she’s nineteen. We were both forced to grow up too quickly. I guess it’s memorable times like this that we cherish.
“If I knew presents made you this excited I would try to get more.” I chuckle.
“It’s not just the presents, Thomas. It’s Christmas. Do you feel that? It’s magical.” She stares out into space with a peaceful look on her face.
“Sure baby, I’m feeling it.” I look down to the chub in my shorts from this morning’s perusal of her body.
“Thomas,” she chides, punching my shoulder.
I chuckle again. “I’m just joking, this day is special for me too.” She’s too cute. I lean in, pressing a soft kiss on her lips. I pull away and lean toward the first box I want her to open. “This one.” I pass her a little red box wrapped in pink ribbon. She opens it in a hurry. It’s a thong from Victoria’s Secret. It’s not meaningful, but I couldn’t help picture how hot she would look in it.
“Thank you.” She leans forward and places a kiss on my lips. Then she rises to her feet and walks over to the closet by the front door. She retrieves a box from the closet and comes back to the tree.
“This is for you,” she says, extending the box with one hand. I pull her toward me, guiding her to sit in my lap. Then I open my gift. It’s a dog tag. Engraved. “I will always love you. You are the light in my darkness.” My chest grows tight.
I enlisted in the navy and went through SEAL boot camp, passing with flying colors. Then I was shipped out to Coronado, California a year ago for more training. Becoming a SEAL was a dream I had all my life. Originally I wanted to be a SEAL to get away from my father. Then I met Halo. She was only fifteen and perfect. She made me want to be a SEAL for an entirely different reason—I wanted to prove myself worthy of her.
I haven’t told her yet, but I’m deploying. I was putting it off until I knew the depression was better. I also know that she could feel me itching to leave. My friends from boot camp had already been assigned to teams that had left for Afghanistan. Being a newlywed meant I could put it off for a while. Now I was deploying. I worried she would take it hard. That’s another reason I wanted to make Christmas extra special for us.
“Halo, it’s perfect, baby.” I lean over and give her a kiss. “You are the light in my darkness. I know you know I need to leave. I wanted to talk to you about it, but…”
Her finger presses to my mouth. “I know…I know you need to go. I’ve known for a while. I guess I was selfish trying to keep you here all this time.”
“There isn’t a selfish bone in your body. You were having a hard time and it was completely understandable. You’re stronger now. You’re going to be okay. You’re busy with school and you have Jenny. You will be fine without me, Halo. I don’t think you realize how strong you really are.” I pause for a minute because I want her to open her next gift. “Here, open this.” I pass her a little silver box; this one has a little gold bow on top. She turns on my lap so she is sitting with her legs wrapped around my waist. She opens the box and her jaw drops.
“Thomas, it’s perfect,” she gasps taking it out of the box. It’s a silver locket.
“Here, let me.” I take it out of her hand and show her the engraving on the back.
You’re my Halo, my ray of light.
I will always find my way back to you
She laughs.
“We clearly think alike.” She nods, proud of herself. It’s true her name is quite original. We’ve used “halo” as a term of endearment many times. It’s a reminder that when a person is drowning in darkness, another person can show them the light.
“It’s perfect, Thomas.” 
“It opens up. You can put two pictures inside,” I explain, showing it to her.
“I will have to get some pictures made.”
I place the necklace around her neck and her palm closes over the locket, holding it close to her heart. I place the tags around my neck.
“Baby, I ship out tomorrow. I’ve known for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t want you walking around sulking for my last days at home. I thought it’s better we had a quick goodbye.” I speak the words softly, but inside I’m cringing, hoping she isn’t mad.
“Thomas…” Tears roll down her cheeks. “I know this has been coming. I know you need to go. It’s okay. I’ve told myself it’s okay since we had our first date four years ago. I’ve been preparing myself mentally for this. You will be great and you will do good in this world.” She leans forward and places a wet kiss on my mouth. I can feel her tears on my face. I love her so damn much it hurts.
“Baby, I love you. I’ll probably be gone for a while. I’ll try to stay in touch as much as I can but I’ve been told that I may be off radar for long periods of time…” I pause because my next words aren’t easy. I take a deep breath. There really is no easy way to say this… She’s young and beautiful and we fell in love and married young. If something were to happen to me she needs to know that she needs to move on.
“Don’t say it, Thomas.” Her tears continue to fall and she nods. “You’re it for me, baby.” She says it adamantly and I believe her. I was her only boyfriend and her first everything.
“Halo, listen to me.” My thumb grazes her cheek, wiping away her tears. “I’m a SEAL now. We go on high-risk missions. I need to know that if something happens to me that you won’t check out. You need to find yourself a new husband and make a life. You are nineteen years old and the most beautiful thing I have ever seen walk this earth. I know I’m asking for a lot here, but I need to hear you promise me you will. Now that being said, I promise you that I will do my damnedest to come home to you. I will find you in the dark; you can trust that. Just in case, please say the words.” I beg her as if it’s my least breath. I know she would always keep her promises to me and this one is important. My own tears spill.
I’m a realist. Living a difficult life makes you into one. There are no ifs about it. I wipe gently at her tears and look at her with pleading eyes, chipping at her stubborn walls until they are fully broken. 
“I promise.” She nods then claims my lips hungrily. The thought of her being with another man makes me crazy possessive. I know deep down I need to do everything I can to stay alive, but the reality of being a SEAL doesn’t always allow for that. The heat between us ignites and within seconds I yank down my boxer shorts and have my cock buried between her legs as she rocks on top of me. I need to own every inch of her because that conversation about her moving on has just done crazy things to my insides. As I bury myself inside her, I cleanse my mind. There is nothing else—just me and her. The way it should always be. 
my-review
 This was a heartwarming story to read. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I don’t normally gravitate toward contemporary romance, but I really loved the storyline.

Thomas and Halo were high school sweethearts, each from different sides of the tracks. Because of this, there were many challenges that they had to overcome. When tragedy shatters Halo’s world, Thomas is there to help put the pieces together. She never thought that he would be the one to shatter her heart all over again.

Ryder is a man with a past that he has no recollection of. He meets Halo while he is in the hospital recovering from an encounter with an IED and they connect immediately.

The lives of these three people are woven in the most heartbreakingly incredible way. If you like a light-hearted story complete with steamy romance and a twist, then this is the book for you!

Emily signature
As far back as R.C. Stephens can remember she was a sucker for a good romance. Of course there had to be a prince charming even if he ultimately was a dark knight and there had to be a happy ending.

She watched the movie Dirty Dancing way too many times growing up and Jean Claude Van Damme movies too. Go figure!
After years of saying she would write a book one day, she finally put pen to paper and carved out the plot line for what would eventually become the best selling Twisted Series. Now R.C. is just finishing up her seventh book and can’t seem to stop the stories running through her mind. Visit R.C. on her FB page to find out what’s new in her life and what releases she has coming up.
   

 

Preppy by T.M. Frazier…Excerpt Reveal

 preppy_excerpt-1

PROLOGUE

PRESENT

PREPPY

Tiny flashes of dim light spark in the darkened corners of my mind. Slowly, it turns from dusk to dawn, awakening my thoughts as the inner light grows brighter and brighter.

I hear a sound, a faucet running, and I realize it’s the blood rushing through my ears. When it reaches my heart I choke as it comes back to life like a bass drum. Boom. BaBOOM it beats, on and on, until it falls into a quick yet steady rhythm. The new life inside me grows louder, stronger, until death fades away and I awake on a gasp.

My eyes spring open. I try to take in air, but nothing happens. I try again and my lungs burn as they finally decide to cooperate. I can breathe, but it hurts like a son of a bitch.

I’m fucking alive.

My first thoughts shock the shit out of me. They’re of a girl. A sad looking girl with shiny black hair and huge dark eyes sitting on the edge of the water tower.

My heart falls out of rhythm, beating faster and faster until it’s thrumming against my chest like the vibration of a jackhammer.

Her.

Although my vision is blurry as shit, my thoughts of her are clearer than they’d ever been, and for the first time in my adult life, I’m fucking scared.

I don’t even need to see the big motherfucker standing over me with a baseball bat to know I am completely and totally fucked.

  Love. Never. Dies.

Find out why in Preppy by T.M. Frazier

releases on October 25th.

preppy_preorder

Pre-order your copy at the following retailers:

Amazon US:  http://amzn.to/2cTDLel

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2dLPjxf

iBooks: http://apple.co/2dTC9Pe

Nook:  http://bit.ly/2dvflpI

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2dyWedL

 preppy-cover

Blurb

Samuel Clearwater, A.K.A Preppy, likes bowties, pancakes, suspenders, good friends, good times, good drugs, and a good f*ck.

He’s worked his way out from beneath a hellish childhood and is living the life he’s always imagined for himself. When he meets a girl, a junkie on the verge of ending it all, he’s torn between his feelings for her and the crippling fear that she could be the one to end the life he loves.

Andrea ‘Dre’ Capulet is strung out and tired.

Tired of living for her next fix. Tired of doing things that make her stomach turn. Tired of looking in the mirror at the reflection of the person she’s become. Just when she decides to end it all, she meets a man who will change the course of both their lives forever.

And their deaths.

For most people, death is the end of their story.

For Preppy and Dre, death was only the beginning.

This is the fifth book in the King Series and it’s meant to be read after Soulless.

 preppy-part-one-1

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.

Checkmate: This Is War by Kennedy Fox….Prologue Reveal

Checkmate Banner

BOOK 1 EBOOK

Title: Checkmate: This Is War

Series: Checkmate Duet #1

Author: Kennedy Fox

Genre: Enemies to Lovers Romance

Release Date: October 3

Goodreads

Synopsis

Travis King is the worst kind of asshole.

He taunts me for being a good girl and mocks my high standards.

He’s cruel, crass, and has enough confidence to last two lifetimes.

And I hate him.

It wouldn’t matter so much if he were avoidable.

But considering he’s my older brother’s best friend and roommate, I see him more than I’d ever want to.

His sculpted abs and gorgeous eyes are wasted on such an arrogant man, which makes me hate him even more.

Even though I’ve had a crush on him since I was ten, the feelings weren’t mutual and he’s made that very clear.

He’s always loved getting under my skin and one night against my better judgment, I let him in my bed.

I’ve succumbed to his manwhore ways, but that doesn’t change a thing.

Because the King is about to get played at his own game—and lose.

Checkmate.

Beautiful exotic young woman

Young handsome macho man with muscle abdominal and open jacket sitting in armchair.

Excerpt

PROLOGUE

VIOLA

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, lived a young princess who awaited a prince who would give her everything she ever dreamed of… love, passion, loyalty. He’d be the sweetest, kindest, most heartwarming gentleman a girl could ever ask for. And he’d be perfect.

…Excuse me while I vomit.

There is absolutely, positively, no way that a man like that exists on this earth. I used to think he was, but of course, I was proven wrong. I was young and naive, and didn’t know any better.

And he was Travis King.

I remember how clear the sky was as I sat on my rooftop outside of my bedroom window. Summer was fading away and the start of my seventh grade year was right around the corner. The stars were super bright and as I counted them, I heard Travis’ father screaming from the house across from mine. He did that a lot and occasionally, I’d see Travis through the window of his bedroom. He’d put on his headphones to tune out the yelling, as if it was something to which he was accustomed. But that night he didn’t go to his bedroom. He ran out of his front door, slamming it behind him, and began pacing his front yard. I swallowed, watching him intently as his hands balled into fists at his sides.

When the Kings moved across the street from us, Travis and my older brother, Drew, instantly became best friends. They were both going into their first year of high school and I was sad I wouldn’t be at the same school as them anymore. Well, mostly about Travis. Drew had made it very clear he didn’t like his little sister tagging along, but Travis never made me feel like I was a nuisance.

As I watched him kick the dirt on the sidewalk, he looked up at me. His lips were turned down and I could see the anger in his eyes. My breath stilled as he watched me watch him, and I was certain he’d tell my brother I’d been spying on him.

Instead, he walked across the street, climbed up the trellis and sat down next to me. He stayed silent for a long while, but then he finally turned and spoke.

“I hate my dad sometimes.”

“Why does he get so mad?” I asked.

He looked away and rested his arms over his bent knees. “He drinks. Sometimes too much.”

“Does he hurt you?” He didn’t look at me. “Or your mother?”

He winced. “No. Just yells.”

We sat in silence, both lying on our backs as we looked up at the sky above us, the stars so bright and big.

“You can sit up here anytime, you know? My parents won’t mind.”

“Drew would,” he said matter-of-factly. “He’d call me a pansy.” He chuckled.

“Drew calls everyone that.”

He laughed again.

I turned my head and looked at him. “I don’t think you’re a pansy.”

Travis tilted his head and looked into my eyes and everything went serious. I watched his throat move, swallowing hard. He licked his lips and moved in close. Feeling his breath against my skin made me so nervous, I instinctively turned my head.

“Are you excited about going into high school?” I spit out, trying to change the subject, looking back up at the stars. I could’ve sworn Travis was about to kiss me. It would’ve been my first kiss.

Moments passed and he finally responded. “Yeah, I guess. It’ll be nice getting back into basketball season and staying late for practices and games.”

I knew what he was implying without saying the words. Less time at home.

“Why do you think she puts up with it?” Curiosity got the best of me, and I could no longer keep it in. “Can’t she leave him?” I asked.

He shrugged. I supposed it wasn’t that simple for adults, but to me it just sounded like common sense. Why would anyone want to be with someone that treated them like crap?

That wasn’t the last time Travis snuck up the rooftop and sat with me under the stars. We shared details with each other that we hadn’t shared with anyone else before. It was our secret little spot where we could talk or just sit and stare up at the sky.

It was easy.

He wasn’t my brother’s best friend.

I wasn’t his best friend’s little sister.

And the lines between us weren’t blurred.

I was only twelve years old, so I truly believed prince charming existed. As I grew older, I came to realize he never really did. Because if he did, he most certainly wouldn’t be available. And he most definitely wouldn’t be interested in a girl like me. I’m not saying that because I want anyone to tell me otherwise, but if such a man existed, he’d have no chance with me anyway. Because for some only-God-knows-why reason, my heart only beats for one man. My pulse only increases when he walks into the room. My cheeks flush and my body hums when he looks at me. I feel the blood in my veins as my skin heats from his very existence. He’s the epitome of perfection.

…Too bad a decade later, he’s a complete asshole.

Travis King.

He’s no knight in shining armor; more like a royal jackass. He may look like a prince on the outside, but on the inside he’s a cocky, arrogant womanizer that I want to shove over a cliff.

All right, that might sound dramatic and all, considering I just confessed my feelings about him, but those are feelings of hate…not love.

From being head over heels for him as a young girl to loathing him as a woman, Travis King needs to remember the golden rule—never admit defeat.

It was game on.

PreOrder Now

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AMAZON * AMAZON UK * B&N * KOBO * iBOOKS

About the Author

Kennedy Fox

Kennedy Fox is a duo of bestselling authors who share a love of You’ve Got Mail and The Holiday. When they aren’t bonding over romantic comedies, they like to brainstorm new book ideas. One day, they decided to collaborate together under a pseudonym and have some fun creating new characters that’ll make your lady bits tingle and your heart melt. If you enjoy romance stories with sexy, tattooed alpha males and smart, independent women, then a Kennedy Fox book is for you! Both authors are from Manhattan living the glamorous bachelorette life, or perhaps they’re just confusing themselves with an episode of Sex and the City (Total #Girlcrush SJP). Either way, they’re looking forward to bringing you many more stories to fall in love with!

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For Logan by Soraya Naomi….Release Day Blitz & Review

 

 

Title: For Logan
Series: Chicago Syndicate #5 
Author: Soraya Naomi
Genre: New Adult Mafia Romance
 Release Date: August 27, 2016
Blurb
After a lifetime of loss, Logan Wade has no faith in things such as justice. He screws and discards women with ease, and deep down, he doesn’t even know who he is anymore. He’s an agent who’s defecting to the Chicagoan mafia, the Syndicate.However, Logan’s tightly scheduled plans derail when he meets Rosalia Calderone, the mafia counselor’s daughter, who’s ten years younger, reckless, and doesn’t know when to keep quiet. Shrouded under the secrets of her parents, Rosalia has been kept out of mafia business her entire life until unforeseen circumstances thrust her into Logan’s path. As she grows closer to him, Rosalia sees that there’s much more to Logan than what he shows the world. Even though she realizes it’s dangerous to fall for a closed-off man like him, she’s a girl who always follows her heart.What starts as a forced acquaintance turns into an illicit affair where risks are taken and bonds are broken, and Logan and Rosalia learn that love can be disastrous.

Every action has a consequence, and matters of the heart are no exception.

A New Adult Mafia Romance.

A complete standalone.

From Soraya Naomi, Amazon Bestselling Author of For Fallon and For Luca.

Novel Grounds Semi Annual Literary Awards 2014 winner of Best Breakout Novel For Fallon (Chicago Syndicate, #1)
Purchase Links
 
AMAZON US / UK

 

 my-review

 

Just when I think Soraya can’t get any better, her next book knocks the last book out of the park!  For Logan is edgy, riveting, intense and flat-out enticing!!  I couldn’t stop reading once I started.

For Logan is Logan and Rosalia’s story.  And it’s one hell of whirlwind story.  Just when you think sh*t can’t get any more deeper or condescending with the mafia, Soraya proves you wrong!

“Ultimately, we all lie, cheat, and steal to hold on to moments of happiness.  Even people whom we least expect.”

Logan is a CIA agent working with the Chicag Sydicate (mafia).  He’s not sworn into the mafia so everything he does is to prove his worth.  Rosalia is James’ daughter (former mafia boss) – Yea, that alone makes this a very intense situation.

For anyone who has read the previous books, will really appreciate this book.  We get a behind the scenesf what really went down with Dimitri and his Ukrainian Mafia becoming obsolete in the previous book.  For those of you who have not (shame on you lol), fear not – you won’t be lost at all, trust me.  But after reading this book, you will want to go back and read the rest!!

“I ultimately make the wrong choice, setting in motion a chain of destruction that ruins many lives.”

Soraya really knows how to weave a story of romance and suspense together.  She is able to build up the story with the prefect tempo and added tension to keep you gripping the pages.  I found myself wanting to know what would happen between Rosa and Logan but also trying to figure out how everything is going to work out.

What made me love this book even more was that with all the suspense, action and holy hot scenes, Soraya threw in scenes that tore at my heart and my tears welled up.  She gives you everything in this book!!!

If you want a true mafia book, Soraya is your go-to woman!!  She brings it all!  If you have never read anything by her before, I urge you try to her.  She will knock your socks off!!!

“An America agent, an Italian mob princess and a Ukrainian mafia little prince.  We’re a mismatched trio that fit together in ways others can’t understand.”

 C signature
5LovesRLB
Prologue

 

Rosalia 
“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned,” I confess in the small booth and shut my eyes, causing two tears to roll down my cheeks in regret.

 

Sometimes we take risks and they don’t play out as we expected, but it’s better to regret something you did do than to regret something you didn’t do. Living with what could’ve been is far worse.

 

“You haven’t sinned,” a familiar, deep voice comments.
My gaze shoots up to the lattice screen in time to see him exiting the compartment. Then he yanks open my door. I’m met with stormy, sapphire eyes – the color of a cloudless sky – that have haunted my dreams for many nights.
Logan steps forward, but I push him out of the confessional with both of my palms on his hard chest. “Where have you been?” I demand, wiping my tears away angrily.
As my vision clears, I’m astounded by how much he reminds me of the man I fell in love with. His navy dress shirt is tucked into his slacks, showing off his toned torso. Nonetheless, this is the man that is my Heaven and my Hell. My current Hell; but the time we lived in Heaven together isn’t easily forgotten.
He studies me for a long moment, as if I’m a figment of his imagination. Then he runs his fingers through his dirty blonde hair and messes up the strands, making him much too appealing in his anguish.
“Rosa,” he says in a tormented tone. Reaching for me, he cups the back of my head and threads his fingers through my long, black hair.
His sandalwood cologne invades my nostrils and brings back memories that are best left in some dusty corner of my mind. He lowers his forehead to mine, and I clutch his shirt as the passion he incites in me still pumps furiously through my veins. His thumb strokes the dimple on my cheek while we stare at each other.

 

“I should hate you,” I mumble, confused.
“No. I’ve come to explain.”
“Explain what? You broke my heart and left. Everything’s ruined!”
“I had to leave to set things straight and so that I didn’t get killed in the process, Rosa,” he snarls. Yet, in a softer tone, he adds, “But I had to see if you’re okay.”
We’re standing face-to-face, and as he tilts my head up, I recognize the flame of love in his dark irises. As usual, we lose control the second his mouth slants over mine. He commands my emotions with the heat of his touch. Logan’s lips urge mine apart, guiding me hungrily into his masterful kiss. One large hand covers my ass while he palms my head. On their own accord, my arms wind around his neck. Our teeth clash and our tongues dance in a teasing foray – desperately recapturing a love that others tried to extinguish.
He growls and lifts me up into his arms effortlessly. My jade, knee-length dress rides up my hips when I hook my legs around him before he carries me to the elevated altar of the church, surrounded by devotional statues and lit candles. I’m shoved onto the two-step carpeted stairs in front of the altar while we grind into each other. Logan nips a path up my throat as I gaze up at the painted angels on the dome ceiling. He pulls my lips between his teeth and bites the corner of my mouth.

 

“I need to fuck you,” he groans huskily, pressing his rock-hard erection against me.
We’re both breathing heavily, forgetting where we are – in the Parish of the Blessed, in the middle of the day, with people inside the sacristy.
This is what he’s done to me. Even after everything, I’m unable to deny him. I’ve chosen to be bad right along with him, and I’m choosing it again.
We’ve always been reckless. We’ve broken a family apart. And now, we’re about to fuck in the church where the wedding will take place in less than twenty-four hours.

 

Author Bio

 

I read many genres but favor intense, seductive, and provocative novels where the male character loves fiercely, without remorse or boundaries. I also adore forbidden love tales and have an odd fascination with kidnapping romances. No, I don’t secretly want to be kidnapped, though!

I have a passionate obsession with the written word and indulge in chocolate pastries much too often.

My debut novel For Fallon (Chicago Syndicate, #1) was released on July 26, 2014. I’m honored that For Fallon won “Best Breakout Novel 2014” in the Novel Grounds Semi Annual Literary Awards.

Sign up to Soraya’s newsletter to keep up to date with release dates: http://eepurl.com/b0MS85

Author Links

 

Giveaway

Close to You by Kristen Proby….Release Day Blitz

Close To You - Available Now

 

Kristen Proby is known for writing heartfelt characters with deep connections and sizzling passion. In her brand new Fusion Series from William Morrow, she seduces readers’ senses with the sexy, contemporary romance in which five best friends open a hot new restaurant together. Today, we are thrilled to bring you CLOSE TO YOU, the second book in the Fusion Series! CLOSE TO YOU brings readers the next story in this amazing cast of characters. Grab your copy of CLOSE TO YOU today and check out the special offer below!

 

 

CLOSE TO YOU - cover

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the second novel in her sizzling Fusion series.

Camilla, “Cami,” LaRue was five-years-old when she first fell in love with Landon Palazzo. Everyone told her the puppy love would fade—they clearly never met Landon. When he left after graduation without a backward glance, she was heartbroken. But Cami grew up, moved on, and became part-owner of wildly popular restaurant Seduction. She has everything she could want…or so she thinks.

After spending the last twelve years as a Navy fighter pilot, Landon returns to Portland to take over the family construction business. When he catches a glimpse of little Cami LaRue, he realizes she’s not so little any more. He always had a soft spot for his little sister’s best friend, but nothing is soft now when he’s around the gorgeous restauranteur.

Landon isn’t going to pass up the chance to make the girl-next-door his. She’s never been one for romance, but he’s just the one to change her mind. Will seduction be just the name of her restaurant or will Cami let him get close enough to fulfill all her fantasies?

Order Your Copy Today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

PROLOGUE

~Landon~

“Are you packed?” my sister, Mia, asks through the phone. Her voice is husky with sleep, which makes sense since it’s the middle of the night back home in Portland, Oregon.

“I leave tomorrow, Mia. Of course I’m not packed.” She snickers. I just finished up my last debriefing meeting, my last day as an officer in the Navy. I grip the zipper of my flight uniform and sigh. “It’s not right.”

“I know,” she says quietly. “But you’re safe and whole, and you could be dead, Landon, so I’ll take it.”

I frown, staring at myself in the mirror as I unzip my uniform for the last time. I’ll never wear it again, never pilot a plane again.

What the fuck am I supposed to do now? The Navy gave me options, but if I can’t fly, there’s no sense in it. Flying isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am.

“You’re overthinking,” Mia says.

“I’m a pilot, Mia. This is what I love. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.”

“You’re alive,” she says.

“Am I?” I murmur, then shake my head and wince at the neck pain that still nags me from time to time. Ejecting from an F- 16 will cause a crick in the neck. And a loss of an inch in height that may never return, along with an entire Naval career.

Son of a bitch.

“This has been the longest four months of our lives, Landon. We’re all anxious to see you.”

“I’ll be home in a few days,” I reply as I pull a T- shirt over my head and throw the last of my belongings in a box that the Navy will have sent to me from Italy.

I loved being in Italy for the past few years, and God knows I didn’t plan to leave it like this.

But I am. Maybe Mia’s right; at least I’m alive and I can walk and live a normal life.

I just can’t fly.

And that’s what hurts more than any injury from the crash.

“What time should I come get you from the airport?”

“No need,” I reply, regretting calling my sister and waking her up. I just didn’t know what else to do when I came in here and was faced with boxes and the end of a career I love. “I’ll get there.”

“Landon— ”

“It’s okay, really. I’ll see you in a few days.”

“Be safe,” she says. “And, Landon?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s going to be okay.”

I force a grin and a nod, though she can’t see either. “Of course it is.”

We say our good- byes and I sit on the edge of the bed, scrub my hands over my face, and take a deep breath. I hope she’s right.

 

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Order CLOSE TO YOU during release week, fill out this form, and receive an email with the Exclusive Short Story, GROW WITH ME, featuring Will and Meg from Kristen Proby’s PLAY WITH ME in the With Me in Seattle Series after Release Week!

 

 

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And Don’t Miss the First Novel in the Fusion Series, LISTEN TO ME!

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes ** Kobo

 

 

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Author Pic - Kristen ProbyAbout Kristen Proby:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

 

 

 

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For Logan by Soraya Naomi…Cover Reveal

 
 
Title: For Logan 
Genre: New Adult Mafia Romance (a complete standalone)
Release Date: August 27, 2016
 
 
Blurb For Logan by Soraya Naomi – release date August
27, 2016
After a lifetime of
loss, Logan Wade has no faith in things such as justice. He screws and discards
women with ease, and deep down, he doesn’t even know who he is anymore. He’s an
agent who’s defecting to the Chicagoan mafia, the Syndicate.
However, Logan’s
tightly scheduled plans derail when he meets Rosalia Calderone, the mafia
counselor’s daughter, who’s ten years younger, reckless, and doesn’t know when
to keep quiet. Shrouded under the secrets of her parents, Rosalia has been kept
out of mafia business her entire life until unforeseen circumstances thrust her
into Logan’s path. As she grows closer to him, Rosalia sees that there’s much
more to Logan than what he shows the world. Even though she realizes it’s dangerous
to fall for a closed-off man like him, she’s a girl who always follows her
heart.
What starts as a forced
acquaintance turns into an illicit affair where risks are taken and bonds are
broken, and Logan and Rosalia learn that love can be disastrous.
Every action has a
consequence, and matters of the heart are no exception.
A New Adult Mafia Romance.
A complete
standalone.
      From Soraya Naomi, Amazon Bestselling Author
of For Fallon and For Luca.

 

Novel Grounds Semi Annual Literary Awards 2014 winner of Best Breakout
Novel For Fallon (Chicago Syndicate, #1).
 

Excerpt NA
Mafia Romance For Logan by Soraya Naomi – Release Date August 27, 2016

PROLOGUE
Rosalia
“Forgive me, Father, for I
have sinned,” I confess in the small booth and shut my eyes, causing two tears
to roll down my cheeks in regret.
Sometimes we take risks and
they don’t play out as we expected, but it’s better to regret something you did do than to regret something you didn’t do. Living with what could’ve been is far worse.
“You haven’t sinned,” a
familiar, deep voice comments.
My gaze shoots up to the
lattice screen in time to see him exiting the compartment. Then he yanks open
my door. I’m met with stormy, sapphire eyes – the color of a cloudless sky –
that have haunted my dreams for many nights.
Logan steps forward, but I
push him out of the confessional with both of my palms on his hard chest. “Where have you been?” I demand, wiping my tears away angrily.
As my vision clears, I’m astounded by how much he reminds me of the man I fell in love with. His navy dress shirt is tucked into his slacks, showing off his toned torso. Nonetheless, this is the man that is my Heaven and my Hell. My current Hell; but the time we lived in Heaven together isn’t easily forgotten.
He studies me for a long moment, as if I’m a figment of his imagination. Then he runs his fingers through his dirty blonde hair and messes up the strands, making him much too appealing in his anguish.
“Rosa,” he says in a tormented
tone. Reaching for me, he cups the back of my head and threads his fingers
through my long, black hair.
His sandalwood cologne invades
my nostrils and brings back memories that are best left in some dusty corner of
my mind. He lowers his forehead to mine, and I clutch his shirt as the passion
he incites in me still pumps furiously through my veins. His thumb strokes the
dimple on my cheek while we stare at each other.
“I should hate you,” I mumble,
confused.
“No. I’ve come to explain.”
“Explain what? You broke my
heart and left. Everything’s ruined!”
“I had to leave to set things straight
and so that I didn’t get killed in the process, Rosa,” he snarls. Yet, in a
softer tone, he adds, “But I had to see if you’re okay.”
We’re standing face-to-face, and as he tilts my head up, I recognize the flame of love in his dark irises. As usual, we lose control the second his mouth slants over mine. He commands my emotions with the heat of his touch. Logan’s lips urge mine apart, guiding me hungrily into his masterful kiss. One large hand covers my ass while he palms my head. On their own accord, my arms wind around his neck. Our teeth clash and our tongues dance in a teasing foray – desperately recapturing a love that others tried to extinguish.
He growls and lifts me up into
his arms effortlessly. My jade, knee-length dress rides up my hips when I hook my legs around him before he carries me to the elevated altar of the church, surrounded by devotional statues and lit candles. I’m shoved onto the two-step carpeted stairs in front of the altar while we grind into each other. Logan nips a path up my throat as I gaze up at the painted angels on the dome
ceiling. He pulls my lips between his teeth and bites the corner of my mouth.
“I need to fuck you,” he
groans huskily, pressing his rock-hard erection against me.
We’re both breathing heavily,
forgetting where we are – in the Parish of the Blessed, in the middle of the
day, with people inside the sacristy.
This is what he’s done to me.
Even after everything, I’m unable to deny him. I’ve chosen to be bad right
along with him, and I’m choosing it again.
We’ve always been reckless. We’ve
broken a family apart. And now, we’re about to fuck in the church where the
wedding will take place in less than twenty-four hours.

About Author
Soraya Naomi

I read many genres but favor
intense, seductive, and provocative novels where the male character loves
fiercely, without remorse or boundaries. I also adore forbidden love tales and
have an odd fascination with kidnapping romances. No, I don’t secretly want to
be kidnapped, though!
I have a passionate obsession with
the written word and indulge in chocolate pastries much too often.
My debut novel For Fallon (Chicago Syndicate, #1) was released on July 26, 2014.
I’m honored that For Fallon won “Best
Breakout Novel 2014” in the Novel Grounds Semi Annual Literary Awards.
Sign up to Soraya’s
newsletter to keep up to date with release dates:
http://eepurl.com/b0MS85
For more information
about the novel and author:
WEBSITE – www.sorayanaomi.com
FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/sorayanaomi.author
TWITTER
www.twitter.com/Soraya_Naomi
INSTAGRAM
www.instagram.com/soraya_naomi
AMAZON AUTHOR
http://tinyurl.com/jwadol3

All The Rage by T.M. Frazier….Blog Tour & Review

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Are you ready to meet Rage?

Now is your chance!

All The Rage by T.M. Frazier is LIVE!

all the rage now available [30509]

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1VE1UEz

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1O8FR7q

iBooks: http://apple.co/1YJhg9B

Nook: http://bit.ly/1Pc5z5W

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1XZmr6H

Blurb

They call me Rage.

My real name is like a shadow, always close behind, but never quite able to catch up.

I fly under the radar because no one ever suspects I’m capable of the kind of brutal violence I commit each and every day.

You see, I’m a girl. I’m nineteen.

And I’m a killer.

This life is all I know. It s all I want to know. It keeps the s**t buried that I need kept buried. It allows me to live without thinking too much.

Without dwelling on the past.

Until him.

It all changes when an ordinary boy becomes my next target.

And my first love.

I have to choose.

The only life I ve ever known has to die, or he does.

Either way, I ll be the one pulling the trigger…

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All the Rage is a STANDALONE

Prologue

It was once said that if you love someone enough you should let them go.  If they come back to you, they were always meant to be yours.

It’s kind of bullshit.

My story was a little different than most.  I was a little different than most.

Because in my story, if you love someone enough, you should first drop the gun.

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review

I knew after we met Rage in Soulless, that we’d be seeing her again in her own book.  And she’s freaking rocks!!

Rage is exactly what you can expected when it comes to TM, but with added wit and humor injected into it.  All The Rage can be read as a standalone but if you’ve read Soulless,  your interests have already been piqued.

Rage isn’t what you would describe as a “normal” person when it comes to her reactions and feelings.  She’s tried fitting in but when she does, she realizes she isn’t herself.  But she does find a way to fit in the world as herself.

Rage is assigned to “babysit” Nolan on her next assignment.  And babysitting is the last thing she ever wants to do.  She’s an arsonist, a hitwoman.  She is to watch Nolan and learn more about him and his family, from afar.

Nolan is stuck at his grandparents cottage, healing from a serious hockey injury.  He’s your typical boy next door.  Nothing glamorous about him. However, Nolan somehow finds himself at the bottom of his pool, drowning and the only person to save him is Rage.  And so begins their story.

TM delivers a suspenseful, gritty and dark plot with some added humor tossed in.  There’s a lot of mystery surrounding both Rage and Nolan.  They both only give enough information needed and nothing more.  Rage has always been able to get the job done and move on to the next.  But as she slowly learns who Nolan is, her job becomes harder to continue.  Nolan is the first person to ever calm the anger and rage within her and she has no idea how to handle that.

I love how TM is able bring us refreshing new characters and keep her stories moving forward with a whole different twist.  Every character has their own demons and  yet we always find ourselves hoping a HEA in their story.

Bravo!!  I am looking forward to more!!

 

C signature

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About the Author

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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.

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