June 30, 2015

Happy Release Day! Betrayal, Obsession #2 by S.M. Phillips


"I gave you one chance, Anna. A chance to run and never look back. That's all you had to do. Run and keep your goddamn head down, yet here we are and it's not just you in the firing line anymore. You better pray that nothing bad happens to my brother, because this time I'll be taking you down with me." Running was the only option that Anna Jameson was given. To up and leave everything that she had ever known and put it all behind her. That was the toughest decision that she'd ever made, and she made it... But was it all worth it? As soon as her anxiety and fear began to slowly ebb away, she could see a faint light at the end of the dark and horrific tunnel that she had found herself in... That light was the dark, sexy and demanding Jensen Blake. A man who played on her every emotion and a man who she swore she would avoid at all costs. Nobody can run forever and the past is about to catch up with her. With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, how many more people will suffer at the hand of Anna's hidden past? Danger, fear and betrayal decide to make an unwelcome appearance and it looks like they're about to become her new best friends.   

   


 

Obsession knows no bounds... Anna Jameson can't wait to escape the hell hole that her cousin has left her in. Desperate to escape her past, the idea of moving to stay with Holly whilst she got her head together sounded like the perfect plan... Until Holly upped and left, leaving Anna to pick up the mess that she left behind. Jensen Blake knows what he wants and will not be told otherwise. Obedience and control are what he knows best. With demons of his own, he has spent most of his adult life traveling from place to place the moment things started to become predictable. When Jensen and Anna are pushed together, an instant dislike simmers between them. Anna hates bad boys. She has witnessed enough of them to last her a lifetime. The sexual attraction between them is evident but will that only make things harder for them both to handle?



For Jess Townsend, life is about to get complicated. Following on from her split with Josh two months ago, Jess has thrown herself into her work full throttle, making sure that the one good thing in her life remains the same. Suddenly she is called into an important meeting at work. Absolutely petrified that she is about to lose her job, she does the only thing she knows how. Panic on the inside and walk through it with her head held high on the outside. Jess soon discovers she is being offered a once in a lifetime opportunity, but will she take it? After dealing with an ex who can't let go and a broody mysterious Adonis who won't accept no for an answer, maybe the opportunity of an escape has arrived at the perfect time. What does fate have in store and what obstacles will be thrown her way?

*Amazon U.K *Amazon U.S ~ Free on Kindle Unlimited.


"Fuck." I slam my fist into the desk before me and feel nothing but rage. I need to go after her. I need to explain. "But isn't this what you wanted?" The voice inside my head whispers. "Isn't this a nice easy way out?" Everything Max has done has always been at a cost to others around him. He wasn't about to make that mistake again. No longer will his selfish ways punish those close to him. Sometimes it's better to have had and lost than to never have had at all. Finally after what felt like forever, Jess was getting a glimpse of control over her life again and allowed her defences to come crashing down, only to have what it guarded to be crushed once again. Now, on the other side of the world away from her friends, she doesn't know what to do. Should she stay or should she go? Is it too late or have they both fallen too far into something that is completely out of their depths?



In the last few months, Jess has been faced with more obstacles than she ever thought possible. Heartbreak, loss and betrayal to name just a few. Will her drama fuelled life finally settle into the happy, care free one that she deserves or is someone hiding and waiting for the perfect opportunity to ruin it all? Life for Max hasn't exactly been plain sailing either. Now that he finally has someone in his life that means more to him than anything he has ever known, one thing is for certain, he's not going to let anyone get in the way of his new found happiness, no matter what the cost. Demons are released, pasts are exposed and their future together is only what they make of it.



Welcome to the crazy and hectic life that is me... A fun, loving mum of one special little boy, girlfriend (I'm sure it should be wife by now!!) and an overall crazy, happy go lucky girl from England.I have always had a passion for reading and writing. Wherever I am, my book reader is never far behind along with a mug of coffee. I found myself wanting to write from a young age, I have quite a few hidden stories on my computer somewhere, maybe I will have to dig them out and play around with them at some point.


Release Day Blitz - Excerpt & Giveaway! Through His Heart, Mind's Eye #3 by Deborah Camp


“Sending you an SOS.”

When psychic Trudy Tucker hears this plaintive cry in her mind and then connects psychically with a little girl’s kidnapper, she is drawn to a small town in Missouri where everyone is suspect – including herself and her lover, celebrated psychic detective Levi Wolfe. As she and Levi work together to sort through whom and what to trust, an innocent life hangs in the balance.





A shudder raced through her and her stomach knotted. Nausea rose up to her throat as darkness descended in her mind.

“I’m sending you an SOS. Sending you an SOS. An SOS.” Can you find me? Can you hear me?

“I hear you,” Trudy whispered, answering the small, trembling voice.

“Did you say something, Rachel? Are you singing something?” This was a different voice in her head. A deep bass, but gentle. Coaxing, cajoling, cunning.

The darkness parted like a curtain in Trudy’s mind and Rachel came into view. She sat in a child’s white rocking chair, her red tennis shoes dangling inches from the floor. A wedge of purple discolored her right cheek. Her lips twitched and her chin quivered.

“Be a good girl and do what you’re told and that won’t happen to you again. No one wants to hurt you. You gotta obey, though. Can’t say ‘no’ to your elders. Your mama should have taught you that.”

“It hurts.”

“Want me to kiss it and make it well?”

Rachel rounded her shoulders, making herself smaller. “Nuh-uh.”

“Okay then. I could make it stop hurting though . . . I’ll read you a Bible story. How about that? Remember what we talked about? God is way up here . . . then there’s his disciples right here . . . and then your elders . . . and you’re way down below that.”

Glimpses of hands . . . moving up and down, illustrating the levels. Dirty nails, dry skinned knuckles.

“Where’s Mommy?”

“Are you hearing me? This is important.”

“I want to talk to Mommy.”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you! God gave you to us. Your mommy is busy serving the Lord and now you’re here serving us because it’s been ordained. Quit touching your face! That won’t help it heal. Come sit in my lap while I read. Did you hear me ask nice? You won’t like it if I have to ask twice. That’s my good girl. You act like this all the time and you won’t get any more boo-boos.”

Was he kissing her? Was he licking her?


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Author of more than 40 novels, Deborah lives in Oklahoma. She has been a full-time writer since she graduated from the University of Tulsa. Her background as a reporter for newspapers helped her to write fast and enjoy research. After she sold her first few books, she quit newspaper work to become a freelance writer and novelist. Deborah's first novel was published in the late 1970s and her books have been published by Jove, New American Library, Harlequin, Silhouette, and Avon. She has been inducted into the Oklahoma Authors Hall of Fame and she is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America. She is also a member of the Author's Guild. She was the first recipient of the Janet Dailey Award.
Through His Eyes (April, 2014) is her first romantic suspense book. It has paranormal elements and is erotic. It’s the first book in the Mind’s Eye series.
Through His Touch (September, 2014) is the second book in the Mind’s Eye series featuring psychic detectives Trudy Tucker and Levi Wolfe.
Lover of the west and the people who tried to tame it, Deborah likes to write about strong, independent women and the men who are their equals. She grew up on a diet of TV westerns which have served her well. Living in Oklahoma has also been a godsend. Since she appreciates men with devilish twinkles in their eyes, she likes to mix laughter in with the love scenes in her books.
Also widely published in non-fiction, she and writes and edits for a magazine focused on small businesses. Deborah taught fiction writing for more than 10 years at a community college. She has been a guest speaker at numerous writers’ conferences, including Romance Writers of America (RWA), Writers, Inc., and the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. She has served as a judge in numerous writing contests throughout the United States and has judged manuscripts in RWA’s Golden Heart Awards and RITA Awards. She is currently working on her next historical romance set in the wild, wonderful west.
In 2012 her books were re-issued on Amazon for Kindle Direct and have attracted tens of thousands of new fans. Her books have made the Amazon bestseller list and “Too Tough To Tame” hit the #1 historical romance spot for Kindle Readers.



Release Day Blitz - Excerpt & Giveaway! Hard To Let Go, Hard Ink #4 by Laura Kaye



Beckett Murda hates to dwell on the past. But his investigation into the ambush that killed half his Special Forces team and ended his Army career gives him little choice. Just when his team learns how powerful their enemies are, hard-ass Beckett encounters his biggest complication yet—a seductive, feisty Katherine Rixey.


A tough, stubborn prosecutor, Kat visits her brothers’ Hard Ink Tattoo shop following a bad break-up—and finds herself staring down the barrel of a stranger’s gun. Beckett is hard-bodied and sexy as hell, but he’s also the most infuriating man ever. Worse, Kat’s brothers are at war with the criminals her office is investigating. When Kat joins the fight, she lands straight in Beckett’s sights . . . and in his arms. Not to mention their enemies’ crosshairs.

Now Beckett and Kat must set aside their differences to work together, because the only thing sweeter than justice is finding love and never letting go.


Taking a deep breath, Beckett knocked on the door.

No answer.

He turned the knob, and the door opened.

“Go away,” came a strained voice.

Beckett poked his head through the opening. Kat sat in a ball in the corner, her legs pulled up to her chest, her arms hugging herself tight.

“Aw, Jesus, Beckett. Really?” Her face was splotchy and her eyes watery, though he didn’t see any tears.

Ten-to-one she was going through some adrenaline letdown right now, too. Which no doubt made it all worse. That shit could fuck you up even when you were used to how it left you feeling drained and shaky, by how all the stress you’d suppressed during the height of the crisis boomeranged twice over after the fact.

He came into the room, closed the door, and turned the lock for good measure. And then he crossed to Kat, scooped his arms under her knees and behind her back and lifted her up against him.

She smacked his chest. “Put me down.”

“No.” He moved to the edge of the bed.

“I don’t need this right now, Beckett. Put me down.”

“Yes, you do,” he said, sitting on the edge of the mattress. He pulled her face in against his throat and smoothed her hair back from her cheek. She trembled against him, just the littlest bit, her skin hot to the touch. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and hugged her tighter. “You did good, kid.”

Every one of her muscles went tight. Her hand fisted in his shirt. And her breath caught as she buried her face against his neck and shoulder.

Then Kat burst out crying.

And it was like being torn apart and put back together, all at once. He hated her pain, but he adored that she wasn’t hiding herself from him, and that she was letting him be there for her.

He didn’t shush her, or try to talk her down, or encourage her to dry her eyes. To be sure, her tears were like daggers in his heart—they hurt like fucking hell. But the only way she was going to feel better was to let this shit out. Ironic realization for him—he did actually see that. But just because you could see what was good for others didn’t mean you had the first goddamned idea how to apply those principles in your own life. And that was a problem for another time anyway.

What mattered right now was Kat. What mattered … was Kat.




   

 


Laura Kaye is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink, Heroes, and Hearts of the Anemoi series. Laura's hot, heartfelt stories are all about the universal desire for a place to belong. Laura grew up amidst family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.



Mikky's Reviews - Excerpt & Giveaway! Empty Nests, Nested Hearts #1 by Ada Maria Soto



Neither James nor Gabe has ever had a real relationship. They might make a connection if they can get past their differences—and their fears.

At age fourteen, James Maron decided to prove he wasn’t gay despite vast evidence to the contrary. Now at thirty-two, he’s getting ready to send his son to college and wondering what he’s supposed to do next. Outside his son, his life consists of an IT job he hates and watching telenovelas with the women in his apartment building. 

Gabriel Juarez is the CFO of a technology giant. He has looks, charm, fantastic wealth, a workaholic personality, and a string of boyfriends who only stick around because he’s too busy to tell them to leave.

A bad laptop/projector interface causes James and Gabe’s paths to cross. Friends, family, and coworkers jump to match Gabe with a nice guy, and James with anyone. But are they too different? Everyone will have to tread very carefully to keep things from ending before they start.


“So,” Dylan started as he scraped the last of the noodles from his plate. “Remember that conversation we were having about the new AP English teacher?”

“If you pull a piece of paper out of your pocket right now, I will never forgive you.”

Dylan grinned and pulled a tightly folded piece of paper from his pocket. “Saturday after next, if you want, you have a date.”

James was pretty sure teenagers were not supposed to be as hung-up on their father’s love life as Dylan was. “No. No, I do not.”

Dylan pushed over a printout from his school’s faculty webpage. There was a phone number handwritten at the bottom. “Thirty-five, no kids. He likes music.” Dylan had highlighted that line. “You like music, he likes music. He said he’d love to take you to see a band he likes.”

“Goddammit, Dylan! I do not need you setting me up with strangers.”

“He’s not a stranger, he’s the school’s AP English teacher, and I wouldn’t have to if you’d get out of the house once in a while. Seriously, Dad, I’m out of here in less than a year. I don’t want you moping around this place alone. I worry about you turning into a crazy old cat lady.”


Empty Nests is the story of two men so different from each other who are brought together by their loneliness, and who are struggling to find a way to be together in spite of their differences.

Gabriel is smart, hard working and a constant reason of worry for his friends who fear for his health and want to see him happy.

He’s really great and down to earth, even if his wealth is considerable and increasing every day.

James’s life has been filled with huge responsibilities and one sacrifice after another since he was fifteen. That was the age when he became a father.

Eighteen years later, he can honestly say that he’s done a damn good job of raising his son. Now, he’s starting to realize how much he had to give up in order to accomplish that.

When he meets Gabe, his life changes once more. 

I liked this story. I honestly did. 

It intrigued me from the beginning, maybe because Ada chose to focus on the characters and their relationship instead of the fact that one of them is filthy rich.

This definitely earned her some extra points.

We get to see Gabe the man, not the magnate even if, many times, he’s seated behind a desk.

And, unless you’re drowning in money, I think you’ll find it very easy to identify with James.

At one point or another in our lives, I think we’ve all struggled with not having enough money or with the fear that we’re not doing the right thing when it comes to raising our children.

He’s a simple guy with enough issues to make him lose hope of ever finding someone to share his life with.

The dynamic between James and his son was perfectly portrayed. Another point for the author. The easy banter and the comfortable friendship suits them perfectly.

And James’s shyness when it comes to intimacy with Gabe is so endearing. 

Now, while there were a lot of things that made me love this book, there were some that grated on my nerves.

Like, skipping from one thing to another just like that. 

This is one of my pet-peeves. Makes me lose focus and it makes it really hard to keep up with what’s going on.

All in all, it was a good read. An interesting story, great characters with whom I easily connected, and enough twists and turns to keep it from dragging. 

I should warn you – it ends with a cliffhanger. If that doesn’t bother you, go for it. 

Yes, I do recommend it and can’t wait to find out how the story ends.

Happy Reading!!




Ada Maria Soto is a born and raised Californian, Mexican-American/WASP, currently living as an expat in New Zealand. She got her Bachelor’s degree in Theater Directing at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, which she attended in a fit of stubbornness. She got a Master’s degree in Film and TV Producing from the University of Auckland in New Zealand which she applied to on a manic whim. Nine years later she’s still in Auckland with a partner, kid, and mortgage.

She has dysgraphia and phonological dyslexia which can lead to some interesting typos.

She is a sports fan dedicated to the Oakland A’s, San Jose Sharks, Auckland Blues, USA Eagles, New Zealand All Blacks, New Zealand Black Caps, and the Chennai Super Kings.





Excerpt & Giveaway! 24-Karat Conspiracy, Precious Gems #4 by E.M. Lynley


Love is the only gold


Former Ranger turned FBI agent Reed Acton faces his biggest challenge yet: a Christmas visit from partner Trent Copeland’s parents. He’s less equipped to handle hugs and holidays than the Taliban or international art thieves. When he’s assigned to track down a set of gold Babylonian artifacts looted from the Iraqi National Museum after the fall of Baghdad, things start to look up.

This time, Trent’s part of the mission, which takes them to exotic Istanbul. The crowded streets and labyrinthine markets fascinate Trent, but soon murder is on their trail. The investigation continues as Reed goes undercover at a US Army base, with Trent masquerading as his spouse. Surprisingly, fastidious and ever-fashionable Trent fits into base life right away and soon takes one of the suspects’ wives under his wing when domestic abuse rears its head.

Their faux marriage leads Reed to appreciate Trent in ways he never expected, strengthening their bond—until Reed has to confront the worst demons from his past: his relationship with his estranged family.


“You settling in okay, then?” Gregson asked Reed on Monday.

“Yeah, so far, so good.” Reed was so good at lying, the words flowed easily. He already hated this undercover assignment as an enlisted soldier.

“You want to stick around, don’t crap on the colonel.”

“Whaddya mean?”

“Didn’t see you at the Welcome Picnic yesterday, Atwater. Old Atkinson is a stickler for protocol,” Gregson said.

“Is that so?” Reed could enlighten Gregson on old Atkinson, but he nodded and kept his thoughts to himself. “Is that going to hurt my chances here already?”

“Can’t say. But he does tend to listen to his direct reports, so make sure you don’t piss off anyone. At least look like you’re doing your job, even if you aren’t actually getting anything done. Appearances matter here. Plenty of guys trying to transfer in.”

“Good advice. Thanks. Had a little misunderstanding about the plans yesterday.”

“You married?” Gregson asked.

“Yeah. A few months now.”

Gregson looked at his watch as a master sergeant strode across the room. “Lunch break’s over.”

“Sit down, men.” The master sergeant returned their lazy salutes. “Take another five.” He turned to Reed. “You Atwater?”

“Yes, Sergeant.”

“I like to keep things relaxed unless one of the commissioned officers is watching. I’m Miller. My wife, Molly, told me she ran into you and your husband yesterday.”

Gregson’s eyes went wide, and Reed chose to ignore it.

“Yes, we had a nice chat in line at the Smokehouse.”

“That’s what she said. Anyway, just wanted to meet you and see if you like cards.”

“Cards?”

“Poker?”

“I’ve been known to enjoy a few hands now and then.”

“Well, if you can get away from the house on Thursday, we have a nice little game going. Or bring your husband along. Interested?”

“Yes, Sergeant.”

“Good. Gregson, you’ll be there too, right? And Cray?”

“Wouldn’t miss it. It’s at my house.” Cray glared at the master sergeant, clearly not thrilled with how Miller had invited Reed over.

“Good. Gregson’ll give you the details. Now, you can get back to work.”

“Thanks, Sergeant.” Reed saluted and Miller frowned, returned the salute, then strode back out the door.

“Got a husband, then?”

“Yeah.” Reed tried to keep the challenge out of his voice.

“Good. Cray hates it when guys stare at his wife’s tits.” Gregson guffawed.

“I sure do.” Cray didn’t sound particularly amused with Gregson’s comment.

“I couldn’t be less interested in your wife.”

“Glad to hear it,” Gregson joked. “Less competition for me.”

“Ha-fucking-ha,” Cray said. He collected the trash from his lunch and wadded it up into a ball, which he hurled at the nearest trash can, knocking it over like a bowling pin.

Gregson laughed loudly as Cray walked out of the lunchroom.





EM Lynley writes sizzling gay romance with a hint of mystery. She loves books where the hero gets the guy and the loving is 11 on a scale of 10. A Rainbow Award winner and EPIC finalist, EM has worked in high finance, high tech, and in the wine industry, though she'd rather be writing hot, romantic man-on-man action. She spent 10 years as an economist and financial analyst, including a year as a White House Staff Economist, but only because all the intern positions were filled. Tired of boring herself and others with dry business reports and articles, her creative muse is back and naughtier than ever. She has lived and worked in London, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., but the San Francisco Bay Area is home for now.