Thrillers – Page 8 – Read-Love-Blog

Junkie by Heather C Leigh….Excerpt Reveal

Excerpt

“Don’t worry about the dishes.” Boss’s southern drawl was less obvious this morning, but I still picked up a hint of it here and there. “My housekeeper will take care of them.” He buttoned his jacket, turned to leave the room, and I panicked.

“Wait!”

Boss pivoted until his shrewd gaze landed on me. Once again, when I was the sole focus of those intense blue eyes, my voice failed. His eyebrows rose as if to ask, what the fuck do you want?

I cleared my throat and stood behind my chair, fingers gripping the wood slats. “Ummm, what should I do?” One of my hands found its way into my hair. I wrapped a curl around my finger over and over. “I mean…” I took a quick glance around the huge kitchen. It was incredibly uncomfortable just to be in this stranger’s house, but to be here without him somewhere nearby, knowing other men were all over the place? My anxiety level skyrocketed.

Boss snapped his fingers and a man in a black suit, pressed white shirt, and black tie appeared from who knew where, to stand at Boss’s side.

“Boss.”

“Jase, bring Miri back to her room.”

I swallowed thickly. He was locking me back up. The illusion of being treated kindly splintered to pieces as reality sunk in. I wasn’t a guest. I was a prisoner.

“Miri, I have work to do and will be otherwise occupied for a few hours. One of my men is out shopping for some clothes since it seems I have nothing in the house that will fit you.”

I stared at the floor, not knowing what to do. I wanted to scream at Boss for thinking he could lock me up and keep me here, but really, where would I go? I needed H, and Boss was willing to give it to me. It was knowing I had no choice in the matter that had me shrinking back from Jase as he moved to take my arm.

“No!” I stepped away and tensed every muscle in my body, poised on the balls of my feet, ready to bolt.

Boss grimaced, and spoke in a low voice to his man. “Jase, wait here.” Suddenly, a hand clamped tight around my wrist. I was tripping over my own feet to keep up as Boss dragged me through the kitchen and down the hall to the regal staircase.

“Wait! Please, don’t lock me in.”

My plea went unanswered. I dug in my heels when we reached the bottom step. Boss spun around and shot me a glare so dark I nearly passed out from pure terror. The kind man from the kitchen was gone. Boss, the violent drug lord, the bloodthirsty bastard I heard about on the streets, curled his lip in a derisive sneer. Without a word, he grabbed me by the waist and threw me over his shoulder. My head dangled down his back and my long hair obscured my vision.

“Stop!” I curled my hands into fists and pounded uselessly on his backside. “Put me down!”

I may as well have been a fly buzzing around his head for all the good my protesting did. Boss climbed the stairs and stalked into “my” bedroom to rudely toss me onto the bed. I scrambled to my feet before he could shut the door.

“You can’t do this!” Panicked, I struck out and clawed at his neck and face, terrified at the thought of being locked away in this room.

Lightning quick, Boss pinned my wrists in one hand and shoved me down on the mattress, his heavy body holding me in place. I kicked out at him, aiming for his groin while screaming for help. Boss trapped my legs between his thick thighs and hovered over me, his furious face bright red and just inches from mine, welts from my nails standing out in stark relief on his skin.

Boss squeezed my wrists until I whimpered. “Don’t test my patience, Miri. You came to me, you begged me for help, you entered my fucking house. You want more of my drugs? You need to learn how things are done in this world, doll. If you can’t deal with the consequences of your actions, you shouldn’t have started shooting heroin and you most certainly shouldn’t have come here. Now,” he growled. “…this room will be your new home and if you value your life, you will not question a single word I say.” His grip on my wrists tightened to the point I cried out. By now he was so close, our noses almost touched. “Remember, I don’t owe you shit. If anything, you owe me.”

Boss gave me one last terror-inducing glare before releasing me and stepping back. He raised a hand and touched one of the scratches on his neck. When he examined his finger and saw blood, his face darkened.

“That was your one mistake.” He looked down and inspected his clothes. “You’re lucky it didn’t get blood on my suit. Make another mistake and you won’t live to see tomorrow.” Boss spun on his heel, left the room, and slammed the door. The click of the lock sealed my fate.

My mind was filled with so many questions—Why was he doing this? What did he want from me? How long would I be here? But I couldn’t focus long enough to come up with any answers. I was too busy shaking from head to toe, gasping for air and fighting the tears stinging my eyes.

What did I get myself into?

I’d jumped out of Mason’s frying pan, directly into a roaring bonfire named Boss.

Thank you for reading this SNEAK PEEK of Junkie!

The Broken Doll Series is a dark romance duet about a heroin addict who falls in love with the drug lord holding her captive and drops on September 13th!

Pre-order this highly anticipated release TODAY!

Junkie (Book One)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2bI47Mm

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

Want a Spoiler Free Bonus Scene of Jagger?http://amzn.to/2bgZfye

Download here: http://bit.ly/2bMqC1v

http://amzn.to/2bgZfye

Jagger (Book Two) Releases September 27th

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2bcNfvW

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2bKBKy0

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/retrieval-6

Junkie

Book Summary

I’m a heroin addict. A junkie. A whore. I’ll do anything to get my next fix.

Anything.

Including walking right onto the property of Austin’s most ruthless and feared drug lord to beg for some H. I don’t know his name, only that people call him Boss. Oh, and that he won’t think twice to put a bullet in my head.

But like I said, I’ll do anything to get my next fix. Even if it costs me my life.

Or changes it forever.

Meet Heather C. Leigh

Heather C. Leigh is the author of the Amazon best selling Famous series. She likes to write about the ‘dark’ side of fame. The part that the public doesn’t get to see, how difficult it is to live in a fishbowl and how that affects relationships.

Heather was born and raised in New England and currently lives outside Atlanta, GA with her husband, 2 kids, and French Bulldog, Shelby.

She loves the Red Sox, the Patriots, and anything chocolate (but not white chocolate, everyone knows it’s not real chocolate so it doesn’t count) and has left explicit instructions in her will to have her ashes snuck into Fenway Park and sneakily sprinkled all over while her family enjoys beer, hot dogs, and a wicked good time.

My favorite authors are Dan Wells, Ken Follett, and Stephen King.

Happy reading!

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The Cabin by Natasha Preston…Spotlight Feature & Giveaway

There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new young adult thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar, a New York Times Bestseller,and Awake

They think they’re invincible.

They think they can do and say whatever they want.

They think there are no consequences.

They’ve left me no choice.

It’s time for them to pay for their sins.

A weekend partying at a remote cabin is just what Mackenzie needs. She can’t wait to let loose with her friends. But a crazy night of fun leaves two of them dead—murdered.

With no signs of a forced entry or struggle, suspicion turns to the five survivors. Someone isn’t telling the truth. And Mackenzie’s first mistake? Assuming the killing is over…

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2c2MCGJ

B&N: http://bit.ly/2bQSNyZ

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

BAM: http://bit.ly/2c2NDOS

Can you survive The Cabin?

Starting on August 30, we’ll be releasing a series of questions every Tuesday and Thursday at different locations.

Here’s how you play:

1. Take a look at the schedule below.
2. Go to the location on the specified date.
3. Find The Cabin graphic with the question.
4. Solve the question.
5. Head here to submit your answer for that day’s question.
6. Complete all 8 questions and be entered in to win a $500 Visa gift card! We’ll also be drawing a winner each week who will win a Sourcebooks Fire book bundle!
7. Make sure to submit all answers by September 25, 2016.

Saturday, August 8

I cracked my eyes open and they were immediately stung by the evil morning light. It didn’t help that the room was a bright yellow. Groaning, I ran my hands over my face. I felt like I’d been hit by a bus. My head throbbed, and every time I swallowed, I felt as if I were downing sawdust. To make matters worse, this time Blake wasn’t waking me up. My hangovers weren’t usually this bad. Last night, I had drunk a lot, but nowhere near enough to feel as awful as I did. When had I become such a humongous lightweight? Blake lay on his side, with one arm and one leg thrown over me. He looked peaceful. Whatever weighed on his mind during the day didn’t trouble him while he slept.

Biting my lip, I watched him sleep, feeling a bit like a creeper. I had never had a one–night stand, so my experience with the morning after was nonexistent. I knew the general idea was to leave ASAP, but in this situation, that was impossible. We were spending the weekend in the same secluded place, and it’s not like I had my own car.

Oh God. I had a one–night stand! I tried to calm myself. It’s fine. You’re an adult, remember? Adults do this all the time. But I didn’t. Why had I allowed myself to sleep with Blake when I hadn’t even known him twenty–four hours?

Shut up, it’s fine. You’re allowed to be into a guy, to have a good time.

I had to get a grip. There was nothing I could do to change what had happened. But neither of us needed to freak out or make this awkward—-and by neither of us, I meant me. We were attracted to each other and acted on it. We were both into it, both consenting adults. It’d be fine. Besides, I felt too ill to worry much anyway.

Pushing myself up, I flopped and fell back against the mattress. My heavy stomach rolled. Oh God. I had no energy. I needed water, aspirin, and to throw up the remaining alcohol that was still sloshing around in my system.

Never again. Never ever, ever, ever again.

My movements woke Blake. He removed his hand from my stomach and rubbed his face. “I feel like death,” he groaned.

Blushing because of the situation we were in, I replied, “Join the club.”

He smiled at me. “How do you not look like hell in the morning? I mean, you’ve got that stunning, post–sex glow that’s turning me on.”

Seriously? “How can you feel like crap and still want sex?”

He replied, “Have you ever seen yourself, Mackenzie?”

His comment made me bite my lip. I didn’t think I was that pretty, but I kind of loved how he saw me. Everyone wanted someone to think they were special, and my ex never had. Blake made me feel sexy and appreciated, which was nice, even if I broke my own rules.

“I…” I what? What did I want to say?

Chuckling quietly, he shoved himself up and reached for his jeans. “I need food and strong coffee. Do you know what everyone has planned for today?”

Following his lead, I grabbed my clothes and started to get dressed. I flicked my gaze at him to make sure he wasn’t looking at me. He was. “We’re going down to the lake to swim. Aaron wants to feed everyone barbecue food all day; then we’re making a bonfire in the evening.”

Blake stilled. “You’re making a fire in the middle of the forest?”

“A small bonfire. We’re not setting trees alight.”

“At least not purposefully,” he muttered. “I’m overseeing that.”

“Oversee away. I’m sure Aaron would love the help.”

“It’s not Aaron I want to hang out with.”

Holy…

I bit my lip. “Well, good.”

He lifted an eyebrow while staring into my eyes. “Yes, it is.”

If he kept looking at me like that, I was going to explode. I already felt too hot.

YA Retellings Blast & Giveaway

Get Back-to-School Ready with this YA Retellings Blog Blast!

Recently, we asked several Entangled TEEN authors of YA Retellings the following question, “What book or story would you like to see updated for the young adult market?”, and where possible, we’ve shared their responses below with you!

**Gaby Triana’s Wake the Hollow – YA Retelling of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”:**

Forget the ghosts, Mica. It’s real, live people you should fear.

Tragedy has brought Micaela Burgos back to her hometown of Sleepy Hollow. It’s been six years since she chose to live with her father in Miami instead of her eccentric mother. And now her mother is dead.

This town will suck you in and not let go.

Sleepy Hollow may be famous for its fabled headless horseman, but the town is real. So are its prejudices and hatred, targeting Mica’s family as outsiders. But ghostly voices carry on the wind, whispering that her mother’s death was based on hate…not an accident at all. With the help of two very different guys—who pull at her heart in very different ways—Micaela must awaken the hidden secret of Sleepy Hollow…before she meets her mother’s fate.

Find the answers.

Unless, of course, the answers find you first.

Gaby’s Answer to What YA Retelling She’d Like to See in 100 Words or Less:

As a huge fan of haunted house stories, I’d love to see a retelling of the Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. First published in 1959, this was and still is, one of the finest examples of psychological terror ever known in the horror genre, and because I love stories that scare you with what’s not there rather than what is, I would love to see this interpreted for a teen audience. Are we caught up in Eleanor’s mind, or is a real poltergeist haunting her? “Whatever walked there, walked alone.” Yeah, definitely this one.

Buy Wake the Hollow:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

**Vivi Barnes, author of Olivia Twisted, which is a YA Retelling of Oliver Twist:**

Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite―break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Olivia might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Olivia and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…

Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.

Olivia Decoded:

This isn’t my Jack, who once looked at me like I was his world. The guy who’s occupied the better part of my mind for eight months.

This is Z, criminal hacker with a twisted agenda and an arsenal full of anger.

I’ve spent the past year trying to get my life on track. New school. New friends. New attitude. But old flames die hard, and one look at Jack—the hacker who enlisted me into his life and his hacking ring, stole my heart, and then left me—and every memory, every moment, every feeling comes rushing back. But Jack’s not the only one who’s resurfaced in my life. And if I can’t break through Z’s defenses and reach the old Jack, someone will get hurt…or worse.

Vivi’s Answer to What YA Retelling She’d Like to See in 100 Words or Less:

I first saw the movie To Kill A Mockingbird when I was a teenager, and I believe it played a large part in opening my eyes to the realities and consequences of racism. Considering the state of the world today, I would love to see the story retold as a young adult novel with a Muslim-American Tom Robinson. I think capturing the attention of young adults through literature is one of the most effective ways we can change the world for the better.

Buy Olivia Twisted (Olivia Twisted, #1):

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

Pre-order Olivia Decoded (Olivia Twisted, #2):

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

**Cindi Madsen’s All the Broken Pieces – YA Retelling of Frankenstein:**

What if your life wasn’t your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

Cindi’s Answer to What YA Retelling She’d Like to See in 100 Words or Less:

Hmm. What retelling would I love to see? I’m a big fan of the classics, and twists on them. I’ll read just about any Pride & Prejudice retelling. Beauty and the Beast is also a favorite. But I’d love to see a modern retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. I think that there could be a lot of possibilities and different ways to go, but I think one with a lot of tension and romance and kissing (my fave), would be amazing! And I just found out Entangled Teen recently acquired a Count of Monte Cristo retelling called STING, by Cindy Wilson! *makes grabby hands*

Buy All The Broken Pieces:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

**Jenny Trout’s Such Sweet Sorrow – YA Retelling of Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet:**

Never was there a tale of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo…

But true love never dies. Though they’re parted by the veil between the world of mortals and the land of the dead, Romeo believes he can restore Juliet to life, but he’ll have to travel to the underworld with a thoroughly infuriating guide.
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, may not have inherited his father’s crown, but the murdered king left his son a much more important responsibility—a portal to the Afterjord, where the souls of the dead reside. When the determined Romeo asks for help traversing the treacherous Afterjord, Hamlet sees an opportunity for adventure and the chance to avenge his father’s death.

In an underworld filled with leviathan monsters, ghoulish shades, fire giants, and fierce Valkyrie warriors, Hamlet and Romeo must battle their way through jealousy, despair, and their darkest fears to rescue the fair damsel. Yet finding Juliet is only the beginning, and the Afterjord doesn’t surrender souls without a price…

Buy Such Sweet Sorrow:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

**A.L. Davroe’s Nexis – YA Retelling of “Cinderella”:**

In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship…and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

A.L.’s Answer to What YA Retelling She’d Like to See in 100 Words or Less:

I’m a huge fan of retellings of stories that are a little less well know. Even better? Gender swapped stories! That’s a field rich for the harvest and I don’t know why we’re not all jumping on that boat. Although, I hear Channing Tatum is going to be in a gender-swapped version of Splash. That’s gonna be something to see…

Buy Nexis (Tricksters, #1):

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

**Kendra C. Highley’s Finding Perfect – YA Retelling of Pygmalion in reverse:**

This Entangled Teen Crush book contains swoony situations, adult language, and a perfectly imperfect hero with an eye for calculus and a heart of gold.

How far will you go for perfection?

For “Perfect Paige” Westfeld, today is “D” Day. As in, she just got one on her calculus test. With her dreams of Stanford, her reputation, and her parents’ expectations at stake, Paige needs to find a way to save face before everything she’s worked for goes up in flames.

Ben Franklin (yes, he’s related) is from the wrong side of town, with the wrong clothes and the wrong kind of life. He also knows an opportunity when he sees one, and he’ll be happy to tutor Paige—if she makes him into the kind of guy her best friend, the hottest girl in school, will date.

It’s the perfect arrangement. And Paige is determined not even the inconvenient—and utterly imperfect—attraction simmering between her and Ben will ruin it…

Kendra’s Answer to What YA Retelling She’d Like to See in 100 Words or Less:

I’d love the see Samson and Delilah told as an epic love story between two enemies, in a dystopian where magic is real (think An Ember in the Ashes). Samson, an eighteen-year- old with unusual strength has been helping his country’s army fight off an invasion by Delilah’s countrymen. Delilah, a renowned beauty, is blackmailed into starting a relationship with Samson to spy for her country in exchange from saving her sister from slavers. Against all odds, they fall in love, but Delilah still has to betray Samson. The twist would be that she frees him from his captors in the end, and they escape together.

Buy Finding Perfect (Finding Perfect, #1):

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

**Alyxandra Harvey’s Red – YA Retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood”:**

Bad girls burn hot…

Red is the color of Kia Alcott’s hair.

It’s her temper, which blazes hot and always gets Kia into way too much trouble. And it’s the color of fire. Fires that Kia can start…just by thinking about them.

When her latest “episode” gets her kicked out of school, Kia is shipped off to her grandmother, who works for the wealthy Blackwoods. It’s an estate shrouded in secrets, surrounded by rules, and presided over by a family that is far from normal…including the gorgeous and insolent Ethan Blackwood.

Ethan knows far more about the dangers of the forest surrounding the estate than Kia can ever imagine. For this forest has teeth, and Ethan is charged with protecting the outside world from its vicious mysteries.

But inside, even the most vibrant shade of red doesn’t stand a chance against the dark secrets of the Blackwood family…

Buy Red:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

**Emily McKay’s How Willa Got Her Groove Back – YA Retelling of Pride & Prejudice:**

This Entangled Teen Crush book contains an unbelievably hot bad boy, an unbelievably famous actress, and all the drama that comes with adding both to your family. Oh, and a forbidden flirtation with a soon-to-be stepbrother

When your life feels like a bad movie, rewrite the script.

When Willa Schofer’s father comes home from a business trip with an über-famous new fiancée, Willa’s senior year blows up in paparazzi-fueled flames. Overnight, she has a new house, a new car, and a new soon-to-be stepbrother—the unbelievably hot, unbelievably arrogant, Finn McCain. Thank god he’s constantly pushing her buttons, or she might do something irresponsible. Like fall for the jerk.

Just when Willa’s decided to avoid him for, oh, ever, Finn lands in the center of her senior project team. Seriously—how hard is it to shake a guy? At least her work on the project snagged the attention of the (second) hottest guy in school. He might only be into her because of her famous stepmom, and he’s not quite as exciting as a certain annoying housemate, but at least she’s allowed to crush on the guy.

Because crushing on your annoying stepbrother? So not cool.

Willa and Finn Book 2 coming November 14, 2016

Buy How Willa Got Her Groove Back (Creative HeArts, #2; Willa and Finn, #1):

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

Enter for a Chance to Win the Entangled YA Retellings Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now It’s Your Turn!

What YA Retelling are you dying to read, but – as far as you know – hasn’t been written yet? Let us know in the comments section!

The Widower’s Wife by Cate Holahan….Book Spotlight and Excerpt

Synopsis:

Ana Bacon, a young housewife, tumbles off a cruise ship into the dark and deadly waters, but did she take her secrets with her?

Investigator Ryan Monahan is a numbers man. So when his company sends him the Bacon case, which could net a ten million dollar payout, Monahan doubts that her death is just a tragic accident. But the husband has a substantial alibi and a number of witnesses claim to have seen Ana fall. So the official ruling seems to be substantiated.

Still, the more Monahan uncovers about Ana’s life, the more he realizes how many people would kill to keep her secrets hidden. And the closer he gets to the truth, the greater the odds grow that he, too, will take a fatal fall.

Cate Holahan looks at the dark underbelly of a marriage from the perspectives of the detective and the victim in her tense and enthralling page-turner, The Widower’s Wife.

Excerpt:

Book Links:

Amazon | Goodreads

About the author:

Catherine “Cate” Holahan is an award-winning journalist and former television producer.

Her articles have appeared in BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe, The Record and on web sites for CBS, MSN Money, NorthJersey.com, BusinessWeek.com, and CNBC. Her short fiction won first place in the 19th annual Calliope competition, a magazine published by the writer’s group of American Mensa. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two daughters, ages 5 and 4, and dog Westley.

Dark Turns is her first novel.

Hard Rules: Dirty Money #1 by Lisa Renée Jones….Release Day Blitz

Hard Rules:Dirty Money #1 – Release Week Promos by Lisa Renee Jones

Date of Publication: August 9, 2016

Blurb

How bad do you want it?

The only man within the Brandon Empire with a moral compass, Shane Brandon is ready to take his family’s business dealings legitimate. His reckless and ruthless brother, Derek, wants to keep Brandon Enterprises cemented in lies, deceit, and corruption. But the harder Shane fights to pull the company back into the light, the darker he has to become. Then he meets Emily Stevens, a woman who not only stirs a voracious sexual need in him, but becomes the only thing anchoring him between good and evil.

Emily is consumed by Shane, pushed sexually in ways she never dreamed of, falling deeper into the all-encompassing passion that is this man. She trusts him. He trusts her, but therein lies the danger. Emily has a secret, the very thing that brought her to him in the first place, and that secret could destroy them both.

***

A note from Lisa:

I am SO excited for this series to come out, because it is so unlike my other series. I am hoping my readers love it just as much as I did when I was writing it! And there will be FOUR full-length novels in this series. I don’t have cover or buy links for them yet so, PLEASE be sure to sign up for my text list and/or newsletter, both found here: http://lisareneejones.com/text-list. That will be where/how I communicate when these titles, and others, are available for pre-order, on sale or when I have a big giveaway!

XOXO,
Lisa Renee Jones

Available From

Amazon (Kindle)
B&N Nook
Kobo
iBooks
Google Play
Other

About Lisa Renee Jones

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series, which is now in development for a television show to be produced by Suzanne Todd of Team Todd (Alice in Wonderland). Suzanne Todd on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy – a modern girl we all can identify with. I’m thrilled to develop a television show that will tell Sara’s whole story – her life, her work, her friends, and her sexuality.

In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is presently working on a dark, edgy new series, Dirty Money, for St. Martin’s Press.

Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily.

Find Lisa Renee Jones Online

Website Mailing List Goodreads Amazon Facebook Twitter Instagram

Hosted by:

Floor 21 by Jason Luther….Blog Tour & Review

We’re happy to be hosting Jason Luthor’s FLOOR 21 blog tour today! Please leave a comment to let him know you stopped by!

About the Book:

The last of humanity
is trapped at the top of an isolated apartment tower with no memory of how they got there or why. All travel beneath Floor 21 is forbidden, and nobody can ever recall seeing the ground floor. Beneath Floor 21, a sickness known as the Creep infests that halls of the Tower. A biological mass that grows stronger in reaction to people’s fear and anger, the Creep prey’s on people by causing them to hallucinate until they’re in a state of panicking, before finally growing strong enough to lash out and consume them. Only a small team known as Scavengers are allowed to go beneath Floor 21 to pillage the lower levels in
search of food and supplies.

Jackie is a brilliant young girl that lives far above the infection and who rarely has to worry about facing any harm. However, her intense curiosity drives her to investigate the bottom floors and the Creep. To deal with her own anxiety and insecurities, she documents her experiences on a personal recorder as she explores the secrets of the Tower. During the course of her investigation,
Jackie will find herself at odds with Tower Authority, which safeguards what
remains of humanity, as she attempts to determine what created the Creep, how
humanity became trapped at the top of the Tower, and whether anyone knows if
escape is even possible.

For More
Information

Floor 21 is available at Amazon.
Discuss this book at PUYB
Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

My love for books has always been in the thriller/horror genre and my love of reading has over time pushed me into many other categories such as this one, YA and Dystopia. I read the blurb for Floor 21 and was quite intrigued by it and had to see what Jason does with this story.

Floor 21 is written in a first narrative and I don’t think this story could have been told in any other way. We get to see things in recordings from Jackie and Vic. If this story was told any other way, it wouldn’t have that same urgency or unique mystery to it. Reading about the Tower and the Creep from their view points keeps this story strong moving at a great pace.

While I had some issues with Jackie and her personality, she’s young yet extremely intelligent, her mannerisms and the way she talked at times, didn’t always mesh with her suppose intelligence. I felt that Jason wrote some very interesting characters with different attributes. Although we don’t get to know these other characters very well, through the eyes of Jackie and Vic, we have a good understanding these characters.

Jason did a great job of keeping me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the mysteries of the Tower and the Creep and how things came to be. There are still quite a few outstanding questions and mysteries, which I am hoping in the next book we get answers to.

Overall, a great YA dystopia read. I highly recommend to others who enjoy this genre.

Book Excerpt

When you stop and think about it, I mean, our lives don’t make sense. We couldn’t have always lived up here, right? It gets me pretty antsy thinking about it because, I mean, this is a tower, so we had to have come up the stairs at some point.
Didn’t we?

I don’t know, and thinking about it gets me frustrated. When I’m in this kind of mood, I go to the rooftop and look out. You can actually see other towers rising up in the distance. Some aren’t even that far from ours. I stare at them, and I’m just like . . . is anybody over there? Is anybody looking back at me? Does anybody know or remember we’re trapped in this place?

Or are we all that’s left?

After I’ve gotten myself sufficiently depressed, I’ll stare over the edge of the roof, trying to see how far below I can look. Thing is, it’s impossible to see much. This tower just vanishes into the Darkness. Nobody, and I mean nobody, even knows why.
It’s just blackness down there.

Oh, about Floor 12. Yeah, that’s where the Creep really starts. The Creep? It’s
this . . . gunk. Super-disgusting stuff that you shouldn’t touch because it makes you feel weird, and the lower down the Tower you go, the more you see it. It starts to cover the walls, and it’s kinda gross. It’s really slick, like saliva, and it looks all muscle-y. Almost alive. Good thing you don’t have to worry about it when you’re higher than Floor 11. Still, I
wonder what it is. We all do. I know that when you touch it, you can start hallucinating.
I did once. Well, okay, I’m lying. I’ve touched it a few times when I’ve been
on the lower levels, which is why my parents made the rule that I couldn’t head down there in the first place. I mean, I don’t pay attention to them, but I get why they don’t want me going that far below into the Tower. The Creep makes you see . . . things. Shadowy things. Sometimes they’re right
in front of you, but most of the time, they’re in the corner of your eye. They
say that by Floor 21, you don’t even have to touch the Creep to hallucinate,
which is a total trip. Must suck to live down there.

About the Author

Jason Luthor has spent a long life writing for sports outlets, media companies and universities.
His earliest writing years came during his coverage of the San Antonio Spurs as
an affiliate with the Spurs Report and its media partner, WOAI Radio. He would
later enjoy a moderate relationship with Blizzard Entertainment, writing lore
and stories for potential use in future games. At the academic level he has
spent several years pursuing a PhD in American History at the University of Houston, with a special emphasis on Native American history.His inspirations include some of the obvious; The Lord of the Rings and
Chronciles of Narnia are some of the most cited fantasy series in history.
However, his favorite reads include the Earthsea Cycle, the Chronicles of
Prydain, as well as science fiction hits such as Starship Troopers and Do
Androids dream of Electric Sheep?

For More Information

Visit Jason Luthor’s website.
Connect with Jason on Facebook and Twitter.

Gun Shy by Lili St Germain…Excerpt Reveal

Excerpt

Cassie

I brew coffee downstairs, being careful not to make too much noise. He hates it when I’m loud. He likes to wake up gradually. I trudge upstairs, my bare feet freezing on the threadbare carpet.

I bring the coffee and I set it beside him. I pull one curtain open, just the way he likes it. It’s been snowing again. It’s so beautiful out there. So empty.

“Good morning,” he says. I turn away from the snow, my retinas pulsing and blind in the center of my vision from the stark white burst of light outside.

Sometimes, if I can get on his good side when he first wakes up, he’ll be nice to me for the rest of the day. Lately that happens less and less, but I still try.

“Sleep well?” he asks, sipping his coffee. He hands it to me and I take a sip. I don’t like coffee the way he has it, but he insists on sharing with me, probably to ensure I don’t poison him. He’s a smart man. Thinks of everything.

I ache between my thighs. I’m reminded of the night before. Of the guy who crept into my bedroom and fucked me until I hurt.

“Like the dead,” I reply. I had to check and make sure he was in a deep sleep before I showered the evidence away last night. I couldn’t risk him waking up and hearing me.

He smiles lazily, his eyes still puffy from sleep. The smile that could dazzle the entire female population has a hard edge to it. “I can see the cogs turning in your brain, Cassandra. What are you daydreaming about?”

I sit on the edge of the bed. My legs are tired and my head hurts.

“I remembered what a sociopath is.”

“Oh, yeah?” He props himself up on one elbow, the coffee finished, the cup discarded somewhere on the dresser beside him. “Enlighten me.”

“Somebody who’s empty inside. Somebody who needs to take from everybody else to fill them up. Because they were born wrong. Because there’s nothing inside them.”

He smiles; his lazulite eyes crease up ever-so-slightly at the edges. I imagine how beautiful he would have looked as a young child; how his mother would have melted whenever he smiled up at her. Because his eyes deceive. They don’t look empty. They’re beautiful, full of the souls of everyone else he’s sucked dry and left in his quest to find that something, that perfect thing to fill him up.

I can see myself in his eyes. My soul. He’s taken it from me.

“Do you feel empty?” I whisper.

He rests a hand on my upper thigh, all trace of his smile gone as he matches his fingers to the bruises he left on me in the night, in the dark. “Not when I’m inside you.”

The man I’ve been fucking for the past year, or rather, the man who’s been fucking me — his eyes gleam in the harsh sunlight that casts a brightness over the bedroom, bathing it in some macabre stage lights that scream: Action! But this isn’t make-believe, and the curtains won’t fall at the end of our grotesque little act, and after we’re done here, I won’t be able to peel my mask off and toss it on the ground as I exit the stage.

I swallow thickly. I wish he’d get tired of me.

“I heard you in the shower last night,” he says, his fingers squeezing into my flesh. “After I left you, you thought you could just wash me off like nothing happened, huh?”

My cheeks burn as I try to twist away from him; He sits up in bed and reaches for my throat, crushing my windpipe as he pulls my face to his.

“You need to learn,” he says, “that I know everything about you, Cassie. I know what you think. I know where you are. I know where you’re going. I know more about you than you know about yourself, darlin’.

I choke.

“Say sorry,” he says, loosening his grip.

“I’m sorry!” I wheeze, my throat burning as tears stream down from my eyes.

“Not like that. Show me how sorry you are. Apologize.”

He pulls the covers back and fists a hand in my long hair, wrenching me down into his lap.

I do what I’m told. I show him just how sorry I am. I’m not sorry for washing him off me last night, though. I’m sorry that he ever came to this godforsaken town and ruined our lives.

PRE-ORDER EXCLUSIVELY ON iBooks

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

Add to your TBR here: http://bit.ly/1O9Plbg

RELEASE DATE: June 27th, 2016

Blurb

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL?

In the middle of a fierce snowstorm in Gun Creek, Nevada, a teenage girl disappears without a trace.

The second girl in as many years.

Identical cases. Identical conditions. Only last time, the girl was found. Dead, floating face-down in the creek that feeds the town’s water supply.

The killer was never found.

As the small town mobilises and searches for newly vanished Jennifer Thomas, one suspect comes to the fore. But did he do it? Or is there something else at play? Something nobody could have anticipated?

For Jennifer’s classmate Cassie Carlino, the worst is yet to come. As she pins MISSING posters to store windows and joins the search, she begins to suspect that Jennifer’s disappearance might be much closer to her than she could have ever imagined.

About the Author

Lili Saint Germain

Lili writes dark, disturbing romance. Her #1 bestselling Gypsy Brothers series was created in a serial format – quick, intense episodes released frequently with some wicked cliffhangers. The Gypsy Brothers series focuses on a morally bankrupt biker gang and the girl who seeks her vengeance upon them. The Cartel series is a prequel trilogy of full-length novels that explores the beginnings of the club, to be released in 2015 by HarperCollins.

Lili quit corporate life to focus on writing and so far is loving every minute of it. Her other loves in life include her gorgeous husband and beautiful daughter, good coffee, Tarantino movies and spending hours on Pinterest.

She loves to read almost as much as she loves to write.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Pennies (Dollars Series) by Pepper Winters….Cover Reveal

She was poor. He was rich. Together…they were bankrupt.

Pennie$ is Book One in the Dollar Series

releasing Summer 2016!

Pre-order your copy here:

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

Nook: http://bit.ly/1TXN1uq

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

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1Plgtvw

Add Pennie$ to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/1X2jy4I

Amazon will be available at a later date.

To be notified when available: http://eepurl.com/120b5

Blurb

“At 18 I had pennies, but money didn’t make me bold. At 19 I had dollars, but it didn’t dull the pain of being sold. At 20 I had hundreds, but then I met him and was found. At 21 I had thousands, but all I wanted was to be bound.”

“At 23 I had dollars, but life changed and made me rich. At 25 I had hundreds, but it wasn’t enough to stop my killing itch. At 27 I had thousands, but my reputation didn’t set me free. At 29 I had millions, but I met her and could finally see.”

Tasmin was killed on her 18th birthday. She had everything planned out. A psychology degree, a mother who pushed her to greatness, and a future anyone would die for. But then her murderer saved her life, only to sell her into a totally different existence.

Elder went from penniless to stinking rich with one twist of fate. His lifetime of crime and shadows of thievery are behind him but no matter the power he now wields, it’s not enough. He has an agenda to fulfil and he won’t stop until it’s complete.

But then they meet.

A beaten slave and a richly dressed thief. Money is what guided their separate fates. Money is what brought them together. And money is ultimately what destroys them.

She was poor.

He was rich.

Together…they were bankrupt.

Pre-order the Entire Series HERE!

Dollars (Book Two)

Release date to be determined

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1XTx4b4
iBooks:http://apple.co/24lfptd
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1VxvqM7
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1XKTYRS
Google Play: http://bit.ly/24jqbzX
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1X2jy4I

Hundreds (Book Three)

Release date to be determined

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/20VVm3I

iBooks:http://apple.co/22AJEwX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1OZDwq2

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1UvlFM6
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1X2jy4I

Thousands (Book Four)

Release date to be determined

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1XTz4jR
iBooks:http://apple.co/1VzRiGQ
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1TYvR0R
Kobo: http://bit.ly/27ZPxrq
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1TQwkEe

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1X2jy4I

Millions (Book Five)

Release date to be determined

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1XTAfzE
iBooks:http://apple.co/1Poli7j
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1ZebBbC
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1TOtyPS
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1sqgfcl
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1X2jy4I

About the Author

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

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

THANK YOU!

Allan Topol, author of The Italian Divide…author Q&A

Allan Topol, The Italian Divide Q&A

How and why did you first start working on The Italian Divide?

Several years ago, my wife and I took a trip to Italy—purely vacation. I had no intention of writing a novel about Italy. However, I became enamored with this exotic country and intrigued by its politics, its regional differences, and the economic problems that it faced. I decided then to write a novel using Italy as the backdrop. As a result, I did extensive research in the US, both on the internet and in the library. Then I made several more trips to Italy to develop the factual background and make sure all of the site descriptions were accurate.

What was your inspiration for this story in particular? For Craig’s story and character in general?

Craig Page is my fantasy character. Living in Washington, I have gotten to know a number of people working in US intelligence agencies as well as the intelligence agencies of foreign governments. While I have worked as a lawyer and written novels, I have fantasized about being a top secret agent myself. In developing Craig Page, I had an opportunity to bring those fantasies into play and to create a character who doesn’t tolerate bureaucrats; doesn’t suffer fools; and is willing to take risks to accomplish his objectives. Craig is also someone who has a sense of fairness and justice. The Italian banker murdered at the beginning of the book was Craig’s friend and the financial benefactor for Craig’s racing. Craig is determined to find out who was responsible for this banker’s death.

Much of The Italian Divide’s plot involves international banking. What gave you the idea to combine an international spy novel with this specific topic, which many readers might not know too much about?

I happened to read in a newspaper article about Chinese investors taking over some Italian banks which were vulnerable financially. I thought this was an intriguing fact and could be worked into a novel because the Chinese are in fact attempting to gain a foothold in various parts of the world, including western Europe. I recognized there were some risks utilizing international banking because readers might not know much about this subject. However, I thought it would be good to inform readers while keeping the banking discussion quite short and clear so that it did not confuse readers, but merely informs them.

Similarly, I wanted to inform and educate my readers about the political situation in Italy and specifically about the differences and conflicts between the north and the south in Italy. Those differences and conflicts are real. The country was not unified until 1861 and the differences persist. Again, I wanted to educate and inform my readers while not taking away from the story. After all, The Italian Divide is meant to be a fast moving, entertaining suspense story, and I have been careful to avoid letting it get bogged down in factual details.

I have also been careful to make certain that The Italian Divide, while it is the fifth novel involving Craig Page and Elizabeth Crowder, is also very much a stand-alone book. The reader will not have to have read any earlier book in order to fully understand this one.

The novel takes place in a bunch of locations all over the world – Italy, China, and the USA. How many of these places have you actually visited?

I have visited all of the places in the novel. I have eaten in all of the restaurants and drank all of the wines. My objective in the book is to describe those places with sufficient detail that the reader will feel as if he or she is there. And at the same time not have too much description that slows down the flow of the novel.

The book reads very cinematically. Do you write like that on purpose, or is that just the way it comes out?

People have always told me that my books read very cinematically, including producers and agents in Hollywood with whom I am working to try to get some of the books developed into movies or a television series. I don’t write that way on purpose. It’s just my style of writing.

Are there any other genres of writing you’ve wanted to try, or are you a thriller mystery writer through and through?

While I am a thriller writer, I view myself as writing in a special niche of that genre. Specifically, I am writing a geo political thriller which weaves in history and current affairs. As a result, my books are not the standard thriller mystery books. They all have this strong international component.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get into it?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer from the time I was in high school and college. I didn’t take any writing courses, but I did have a writing tutor in college. I was fortunate when I wrote my first novel to find an editor at William Morrow who liked the book and was interested in publishing it.

What are you currently reading?

Books on history and current events (particularly involving Russia) which I am planning to use for a future novel.

Can you tell us anything about your next project?

After the commercial success of The Washington Lawyer, I decided to write a sequel to that book. However, I wanted it to be sufficiently different, so I took Kelly Cameron, a young FBI agent, who had only a cameo role in The Washington Lawyer, and made her into the protagonist of my next novel.

What’s one thing you want readers to take away from The Italian Divide?

I would like them to take away an understanding of the history, current political situation, and economic risks that confront this wonderful and exotic country of Italy.

About The Italian Divide:

When prominent Italian banker Frederico Castiglione is murdered in an apparent jewelry robbery gone wrong, things are not what they seem. Former CIA Director Craig Page is enjoying his new life as Italian race car driver Enrico Marino but when he hears that his friend and sponsor has been found dead, he suspects foul play. Shortly after Castiglione s death, Italian banker Andrew Goldoni is asked to sell or else. When he refuses, his daughter goes missing.

Craig embarks on an investigation to solve the riddles underlying Castiglione s murder and rescue Goldoni s daughter, but the pieces don t quite fit. The murderers are Russian, but the takeovers are based in China, and somehow Roberto Parelli, the Italian separatist candidate for President, is involved.

With the help of Elizabeth Crowder, CIA director Betty Richards, and director of EU Counter Terrorism Giuseppe, Craig discovers a complicated web of mysterious political and financial takeovers across Italy, all linked back to Craig s sworn enemy, Zhou Yun, and Roberto Parelli.

In “The Italian Divide “loyalties lie deep, dangerous alliances are made to be broken, and organized crime is omnipotent. Allan Topol s latest Craig Page thriller is an electrifying foray into the world of international intrigue. Against blackmail, extortion, and treason, can Craig Page still prevail?

Book Links:

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

About the author:

Allan Topol is the national bestselling author of twelve novels of international intrigue, including Spy Dance. His novels have been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, and Hebrew. He is a graduate of Carnegie Institute of Technology, who majored in chemistry, abandoned science, and obtained a law degree from Yale University. A partner in a major Washington law firm, and an avid wine collector, he has traveled extensively, researching dramatic locations for his novels. You can join him on Facebook. Please let him know if you would like to receive his free newsletter. Allan is available for speaking opportunities on subjects of international affairs, dealt with in his novels.

Collared by Nicole Williams…Release Day Blitz

Buy the Book

Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Nook Kobo Ibooks

When a seventeen-year-old girl vanishes,

A community is shaken.

Parents turn desperate.

Friends hold vigils.

And the boy who loves her searches.

When a year goes by,

The community is recovering.

Parents feel hopeless.

Friends feel helpless.

And the boy who loves her continues his search.

When ten years go by,

The community has forgotten.

Parents cling to the past.

Friends move toward the future.

And the boy who loves her . . .

Brings her home.

Jade Childs spent ten years in captivity, but now that she’s back, the real battle for survival begins. The media shadows her. Flashbacks haunt her. Her old life evades her. Her so-called new life rejects her. She spent too many years in the dark to recognize the light. She spent too long repressing her feelings to remember how to express them. She spent a decade abandoning hope and cannot dare letting it back into her life. Jade’s not just defined by what happened to her—she’s collared to it.

When the twenty-seven-year-old woman is found,

A community wants to know the story,

Parents want to forget the story,

Friends want to be a part of the story,

And the man who still loves her faces the greatest challenge yet: letting her go.

He exhales like there’s some war being fought inside him. I don’t think he’ll answer. He has a right to keep his secrets—god knows I should be able to empathize with that.

His hand dangling over the steering wheel curls into a fist. “The woman I wanted to spend my life with was gone. I wasn’t in the mood to find a backup.”

My chest does that thing again—contracting like someone just hit me in the ribs with a hammer. When Torrin glances at me, it looks like someone’s swinging a dozen hammers at him too.

I can’t keep looking at him watching me like that. I know we’re feeling the same thing—the ache of what could have been. The pain of accepting it never can be again.

I find myself focusing on the dashboard. I don’t notice it right away, but when I do, I touch the bright coral smear running down the front of it. “You never cleaned it.” I trace my finger down the dried nail polish, reliving the moment like it was happening right now.

“I could never bring myself to.” Torrin’s eyes land on the stain from the bottle I accidently spilled when I was painting my toenails on a drive to the beach. “I couldn’t bring myself to just . . . erase it.”

I don’t know a tear’s slipped out until it falls onto my arm that’s still reaching out, touching the stain. It’s only one tear, no more are coming, but Torrin doesn’t miss it.

He sighs and clenches the steering wheel a little harder. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. How to act around you. I don’t think I’m doing anything right.” His knuckles are white when we exit the freeway. “This is all very surreal. What happened. You being back. I’m totally lost.”

I don’t know why he’s apologizing. The only time I’ve felt like life hasn’t siphoned every last drop of emotion out of me is when I’ve been with him.

“You’re treating me exactly like you used to.” My fingers fall away from the dash. The good memories have turned to painful ones, a spilled bottle of nail polish included. “I’d rather have you act like nothing happened and I’m the same person you remember than have you second-guess everything you say and do.”

His knuckles loosen around the steering wheel. He rolls his fingers, popping them.

“Just do what comes naturally to you.” I turn in my seat to face him. “I’ll do what comes naturally to me, and maybe things will get easier.”

We’re stopped at the light leading to the zoo, and he looks at me. His forehead is folded into creases. “What comes naturally to me?” He doesn’t pause long enough for me to reply. “I’m not sure that would be helpful to either of us.”

It’s not my chest that hurts when he says that—it’s my stomach. It’s not really pain though—it’s something else. I haven’t felt it in a long time, and I know I shouldn’t feel it right now.

I can’t let that look in his eyes keep doing this to my stomach. I can’t let the way his chest is rising and falling harder now affect mine.

The light changes, thankfully, and his eyes move from me to the road. The air inside the cab takes a while to clear though despite the cracked windows.

“That’s when I started to fall in love with you—after my dad died and you acted the exact same around me. You treated me the same as you had every day before. Still rubbing it in my face when you scored higher on a test. Still knocking on my door and seeing if I wanted to shoot hoops. When everyone was understanding of me wanting to lock myself in my bedroom, you got me to play basketball.” He smiles at the windshield like he’s watching the twelve-year-old versions of us playing a game of Around the World. “You brought me back . . . when everyone else just kind of left me behind.”

I find my eyes drifting back to the nail polish stain. “And when did you finish falling in love with me? When I finally let you win a game of one-on-one? Or was it the night we . . . you know?” Thinking about that night makes me blush. Talking about it makes me shift.

Torrin glances at me for a moment. “I’ll never finish falling in love with you.”

Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.

Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.

Website Facebook Twitter Blog

Collared by Nicole Williams….Blog Tour & Review

Buy the Book

Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Nook Kobo Ibooks

When a seventeen-year-old girl vanishes,

A community is shaken.

Parents turn desperate.

Friends hold vigils.

And the boy who loves her searches.

When a year goes by,

The community is recovering.

Parents feel hopeless.

Friends feel helpless.

And the boy who loves her continues his search.

When ten years go by,

The community has forgotten.

Parents cling to the past.

Friends move toward the future.

And the boy who loves her . . .

Brings her home.

When the twenty-seven-year-old woman is found,

A community wants to know the story,

Parents want to forget the story,

Friends want to be a part of the story,

And the man who still loves her faces the greatest challenge yet: letting her go.

I truly have no idea where to even start this review. I knew what I was getting into when I read the blurb of Collared – Hell, it’s what made me want to read it. What I didn’t expect was to feel so much with this book.

“He’s not supposed to be the one…but he always has been The One.”

Nicole wrote one hell of a story. And it’s not just the screwed up things that happen. It’s how you feel every single emotion that Jade goes. From scared to hopeless. From forgotten to broken. From relief to confusion. From fear to learning to love. Learning to live life.

“It doesn’t take long to lose yourself in such a way you almost find yourself hoping you’ll never be found.”

I will not give tell you one thing that happens in this book. Even the smallest parts will take away from the true nature of this story. The story isn’t an easy one but Nicole wrote it beautifully. There wasn’t one moment where I wasn’t having some sort of emotional “breakdown.” Whether it be totally gutted or unbelievably happy to feeling so much empathy for not just Jade, but everyone involved.

“You found me alive. But then you brought me back to life.”

The characters in this book will touch you and leave a mark. Nicole wrote these characters flawlessly. Not only will you easily see what’s going on, you can seamlessly view everything happening through their eyes. This story is told from Jade’s POV but as Nicole describes how the other characters feel and what they’re going – it’s just so easy to be in their shoes.

“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Nicole, I can’t thank you enough for writing what I can call one of my favorite books of all time. Even though this book took me through so many emotions. I have grown attached to these characters and they have a place in my heart. Thank you!

I feel something swirl at my ankle, then it grabs me. I’m sucked under instantly as the undercurrent slams me to the ocean bottom and tumbles me around. It’s happened before, so I don’t panic. I know that once it’s done with me, it will let me go. Once it’s twirled me around a few times, it will leave me alone.

I can feel it starting to lose momentum when two arms brace around me and break me free. When we pop through the surface, Torrin spins me around, terror drawing up his expression.

“Are you okay?” He holds me with one hand, inspecting me with the other like he’s going to find an elbow or organ missing.

I’m totally wet. I feel ocean water draining out of my ears and nose. My hair feels like a cyclone just had its way with it, and I know my skin’s red and blotchy from the sand exfoliation treatment I just received free of charge.

I laugh. This is what alive feels like. I remember.

It’s adrenaline pulsing so hard in my veins they feel about to burst. It’s feelings that twist my stomach into knots. It’s feeling so cold my body goes numb and so attracted to someone my body feels the opposite of numb.

This is it. Living. I can almost feel the blood warm in my veins as it starts to run again.

“Why are you laughing?” Torrin’s face flashes with relief when he sees I’m okay, but he doesn’t let go of me.

On the beach, my parents slowly make their way back to the beach blankets once they’ve seen I’m okay.

“That was fun.” I rub my stomach because it hurts. From the laughter. I’d forgotten stomachs could hurt from laughing.

“Fun? Not my idea of fun.”

I wipe the water from my face and find just as much sand pasted to it. “What’s your idea of fun then?”

Torrin’s still shaking his head when he suddenly shouts, “This!”

He pulls me under the water with him. He lets me go right away, but I don’t want him to. I don’t want him to ever let go.

I splash him when he resurfaces a few feet away. “Did you just dunk me?”

He splashes back. “I just did.”

“You’ve heard of payback, right?” I move a little closer, ignoring the way I can feel my parents watching us from the beach.

“I’ve heard of it. Not really a big fan though.”

When I lunge at him and try to knock him under, he’s clearly bracing for it because all I do is smash into him. My wet body against his, our arms tangled together, our faces too close to not be aware of where each other’s mouths are . . .

“What’s this payback thing again?” He’s practically gloating, so I come at it from a different angle.

My eyes drop to his mouth and stay there until his lips part from his breaths coming faster. When my hand curves against the side of his face, sweeping down the line of his jaw, I feel his chest moving hard against mine. His arms tangle tighter behind me because I’m slipping through them. When that doesn’t work, he hoists me higher, and his arms form a net beneath my backside.

I need to clear my head before I can’t remember what I’m doing.

My eyes lift to his and hold there. When he blinks, a drop of water rolls off his eyelashes. My hand slides lower until my thumb is touching the corner of his mouth.

“Torrin?” I whisper, my mouth lowering.

“Yeah?” His voice is rough, coming from low in his throat.

I move my mouth just outside his ear. “This . . . is . . .”—I burst free of his hold and slide his legs out from beneath him with my foot—“payback!”

He goes down with a surprised shout and an explosive splash. I’m laughing again, and so is he when he pops his head above the water.

“Well played, Childs.”

“Thank you very much,” I say with a bow, hoping he can’t see right through me the way I feel he can sometimes.

If he does, he’ll know. He’ll know I would have rather kissed him. I would rather still be kissing him. He’ll know that while I’m content to put most of the past behind me, there’s one part I want to pack and bring with me to the future.

Him.

I think he might see it though, because I think I might see it in him too.

The sun catches his eyes just right when he looks at me. “You always had a way of taking the ground right out from beneath me.”

Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.

Website Facebook Twitter Blog