Excerpt & Giveaway! Hidden Impact, Safeguard #1 by Piper J. Drake

He’s not the hero she’s looking for...

As part of the elite Centurion Corporation team, military-veteran-turned-mercenary Gabriel Diaz is a natural defender. He’ll do anything to ensure a mission is successful. Anything but get emotionally invested—he learned the hard way that can be deadly. Easy bodyguard jobs in between the more challenging missions are all he’s interested in now.

Maylin Cheng is desperate and running out of time. Her younger sister has gone missing but no one seems to take her concern seriously. Her last hope lies in asking an aloof bodyguard for help. He dismisses her outright, but all that changes when she is almost killed in a not-so-accidental hit-and-run right before his eyes.

As Maylin leans on Gabriel, she begins to rely on him for more than just her safety. But as their attraction grows, so does the danger surrounding them. When the elaborate web they're trapped in unravels, Gabriel will do anything to protect them. Even if that means putting his heart in the crosshairs.

Book one of the Safeguard series

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Breathe.

She gasped and cool air rushed in, clearing away some of the fog.

“That’s it, sweetheart. Take another breath nice and slow. Slow.” Strong hands patted her down, touched her with gentle purpose. “Does anything hurt? Your neck, your head?”

“The way you took her down, it’s amazing her skull isn’t splattered all over the sidewalk.” Another man’s voice floated over from some distance away. Or was it a shock thing?

Maybe she was in shock.

Did people’s feet get cold at times like this? Only her left one.

“Your left foot is colder because you lost a shoe when I shoved you out of the way.” A thread of amusement ran through the original speaker’s voice. She liked the sound of it. Kind humor, like what she heard in his words, was the sign of a good man. “I’m going to help you to a sitting position, but if anything hurts at all, you let me know right away and we’re laying you back down. Understood?”

“Yes.” She said it out loud on purpose, because she was pretty sure she’d been talking out loud anyway so it’d be good to know if she could do it when she actually meant to.

The same big hands she’d taken note of before took hold of her, one sliding under her neck to give her support as she came up to a sitting position.

“Slow,” her caretaker admonished.

His choice of speeds was frustrating.

Piper J. Drake (or “PJ”) began her writing career as “PJ Schnyder” writing sci-fi & paranormal romance and steampunk. She has recently received the FF&P PRISM award for her work as well as the NJRW Golden Leaf award and Parsec award. 

Now, PJ is exploring the complexity of romantic suspense, incorporating her interests in mixed martial arts and the military into her writing.

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Excerpt & Giveaway! Burn For You, The Protector #3 by Stephanie Reid

Vic Russo is just one of the guys. Except she’s not a guy. A paramedic, affectionately known as Vic within her firehouse, Victoria is a permanent fixture in the friend zone. But when her childhood crush, firefighter Graham McAndrew, becomes single once again, she decides enough is enough. It’s time for Graham to see her as the woman she’s become. There’s only one problem. A photo of her in the arms of another man has captured the nation’s attention.

Jason Meadows is not thrilled to have his police work interrupted by a small media craze. In fact, he’d be content never to see Victoria or that photo-gone-viral again. But a series of fires in town, paired with a growing attraction to the quirky paramedic, make staying away impossible.

Determined to ferret out a potential killer, Jason enlists Victoria’s help as his eyes and ears inside the firehouse. And while threats rise from within, Victoria is forced to choose between the love of her past and the man who’s ignited her fire within.

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She had this. She was in control. Just like she’d practiced with her therapist all those months ago, she focused on calming herself physically by breathing slowly. Then she could focus on calming herself mentally.

She needed a distraction. The human brain couldn’t think about two things at once, and Dr. Haryana had made her practice bringing a serene memory to the forefront of her mind. She’d literally taught Victoria to find her happy place.

Happy place. Happy place. What the fuck was her happy place again?

“Hey.” Jason squeezed her shoulder gently and she pounced on the distraction, concentrating on the warmth of his hand, the solid pressure of his grip. “I’m sure you did enough. I’m sure you did all you could.”

She closed her eyes and kept her focus on his hand and the way he moved his thumb back and forth in a gentle massaging motion.

“Hey, look at me, Victoria.”

She lifted her head, noticing for the first time that his eyes were blue. And not just one shade of blue. The middles were light, like a cloudless summer sky, but the further away from the pupil, the darker they got. Until they were as dark blue as Lake Michigan. His eyes reminded her of running on the beach, her feet sinking into the sand while she devoured the scenery—a horizon of dark blue water, meeting light blue skies.

Well, what do you know? Hello, happy place.

“You did everything you could,” he said.

She inhaled deeply and nodded. “I know.”

He moved closer, closing the distance between them then paused to clear his throat. It was awkward, the way he drew her to him with stiff arms, and she held herself rigid. Mainly because she didn’t want to press any buttons on the radio clipped to his chest. Funny, that she was suddenly capable of noticing details like that.

He shifted slightly, tucking her into his side so the radio wasn’t in the way, and patted her back. She almost laughed—that’s how silly and uncomfortable it felt. But after a moment, she relaxed against him. And the second the tension left her, it left him as well. He held her a little tighter and she brought her arms around him, her hands gripping the fabric of his shirt between his shoulder blades.

“Thank you,” she whispered over his shoulder, suddenly overcome with gratitude for this man who’d helped her regain balance when the world had been spinning away from her. She closed her eyes and a single tear fell from each one. One tear for the men she’d lost in a country far away and another for the firefighter she’d come close to losing today.

Stephanie Reid writes contemporary romances with heart, humor, and a happily ever after. She holds a master's degree in Human Development Counseling and enjoys using counseling theories on her fictional characters (and from time to time her husband).

She draws inspiration for her stories from life experience, and when writing, she frequently asks her police officer husband for his input on all things law enforcement. They've agreed not to discuss the bits of advice she doesn't take when it doesn't serve her plots well, and this makes for a very harmonious marriage.

Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Stephanie now resides with her husband and three children in central Illinois.

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Release Day Blitz! Excerpt & Giveaway: Taking Tiffany, Breaking and Taking #2 by M.K. Harkins

Young socialite, Tiffany Thompson, seems to have it all, everything but love, that is. Guarded since her high school boyfriend’s betrayal, she wouldn’t recognize real love if it hit her over the head. Unless it’s a can of paint, and successful financier Todd Jameson is behind it. Todd fell hard and fast for Tiffany a year earlier, but, unwilling to risk his own heart after a college sweetheart shattered it, he avoids Tiffany and vows to keep his distance. Fate has other plans, however, and changes both their minds. But not everyone is happy with their budding romance. Unbeknownst to either of them, a vengeful enemy stands in the shadows with plans to take Tiffany, and Todd is in the way. Halfway around the world, Angela Bartholomew, a former foe in Tiffany’s circle, is serving a year-long sentence as a volunteer in a Romanian orphanage in payment for her lying, manipulative ways. That or be disinherited by her parents. The spoiled debutante is determined to get home at all cost, but Fate has plans for her, too, and Angela is not prepared for how her life will change. Will love conquer heartbreak, or will greed and revenge ruin all three lives?

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It wasn’t the quick kiss I expected. His gaze dropped to my mouth, and I held my breath. He twirled a lock of my hair between two fingers and brought it to his nose and inhaled deeply.

“Tiffany,” Todd spoke softly as he pulled me closer and buried his head in my neck, leaving a soft, sensuous kiss.

Oh, that felt good. My head fell back a little, enjoying the tingling sensations all through my body. Wow. It was just a kiss on the neck. I had to keep it together, but as his hands roamed over my back, I shivered. My body had a mind of its own, and apparently, it liked what was happening…very much.

Todd continued to kiss his way up my neck. With each touch of his lips, more unexpected responses came from me. Was I moaning? Fletcher scoffed, receiving the message loud and clear. I began to move away now that Fletcher had gotten the hint, but Todd grabbed my hips and pressed against me. 

With one hand on my back, the other on the nape of my neck he leaned in. I stiffened, preparing to object, but his lips found mine before a single syllable was uttered.

His lips. Soft and searching, robbed me of all thought. I was lost. What was I doing? What was he doing? Wait, I didn’t care. I wanted more. It felt so good. Those hands, his hands were caressing my back from my hips to my shoulders. I pressed against him, needing to get closer. His fingers slid into my hair, tugging a little to give him better access to my mouth. His tongue glided in and met mine. That did it. Any control I thought I had, or hoped I had, disappeared. My fingers found their way into his soft, wavy hair, and I pulled him to me. He groaned before he deepened the kiss, and I was gone, gone…sinking further into him. His scent, his touch, the feel of his insistent lips on mine—they enveloped me in a blanket of desire, so strong, I was at his mercy.

MK has always been a voracious reader. After hitting a dry spell of reading material, she decided to write the kind of book she’d like to read. This resulted in the creation of her debut novel, Intentional. (Award for Best Sweet Romance – eFestival of Words- August 2014) Unintentional, her second book, is based on the life of one of the characters in Intentional. Unintentional was written as a stand-alone book. Breaking Braydon is MK’s newest work. It will be published early 2015. When she’s not writing novels, she likes to spend her free time traveling the world, splashing in mud puddles (She lives in Seattle, what can she say?), watching movies and reading (!) MK also runs her own business in her current hometown of Mercer Island, Washington. She LOVES to hear from her readers!

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Character Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway! Perceived Love by Viki Lynn

When psychic Nate Coleman dreams of a murder, he knows it’s a premonition. He can’t forget the image of his ex-lover with a bullet hole through his chest. Nate has no choice but to confront Will and face the skeptical scientist’s ridicule.

Dr. William Ryner doesn’t believe in what he can’t prove. When Nate comes back into his life, it’s not to rekindle their love, but to bring up more of that mumbo jumbo that split them apart.

Despite Will’s refusal to listen, Nate can’t ignore the premonition. And, Will can’t ignore Nate. Before the gunman strikes, Will must either trust in Nate’s ability or rely only on the facts, but if he does the latter, pride could be the death of him.

NOTE: This story is a do-over, and has almost tripled in size! This book was previously published but has been revised and edited in this edition.

Loose Id

Dr. Will Ryder Character Interview Questions-Perceived Love by Viki Lyn

What impression do you make on people when they first meet you?

 How about after they've known you for a while? People think I’m really serious. And at work I am. Outside of work I like to be with friends, laugh and have a good time. With Nate, I’m relaxed. Both of us have a lot of excess energy. So we get out a lot.

What's your idea of a good marriage?

 Do you think that'll happen in your life? Oh fuck yeah. And I already have a perfect man in mind for the role of my husband. He’s the most generous, kind and beautiful man I’ve ever been with, and I plan to make sure we are together for the rest of our lives. We’ll make our marriage work because we talk out things now. We don’t let are disagreements fester. I also I trust Nate with my heart.

What are you most ashamed of in your life? 

Telling Nate that his psychic abilities were crap and not respecting his profession.

If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or imaginary), who would you pick? 

The Australian monk, Gregor Mendel.

Do you think you've turned out the way your parents expected?

 I come from a typical middle class family. They wanted me to excel at my profession and so yeah, I exceeded their expectation. Were they happy when I announced I was gay? Probably not, but they came around.

Nate woke with a start, his heart pounding. He reached for the water glass on the nightstand and almost dropped it. Rarely did he dream of death, but when he did, he took notice. That it was Will he’d seen in his nightmare made it more complicated.

No matter. Nate had a responsibility to explore the possibility that this was a precognitive dream. Beyond that, he didn’t want to think about the consequences of taking action. 

Nate grabbed his sketchbook from his nightstand. He picked up a charcoal pencil and sketched the dream images before they vanished from his mind—the gunman had worn an orange baseball cap and dark hoodie. Nate recognized the oval-shaped plaza with its pruned elm trees and classical bandstand. Will and Nate used to jog the trails throughout Golden Gate Park, and Spreckels Temple of Music had been one of their favorite places to see a concert.

There would be no reason for Will to be on a stage, especially a bandstand in San Francisco. He had moved after their breakup and now lived in London. Yet Nate couldn’t shake off the sense of dread. Maybe he had substituted Spreckels for a place in London? Sometimes his dreams were hard to interpret. Images were often metaphors.

But this nightmare… Shit. The man with the gun could be a metaphor for himself. He did own an orange baseball cap stuffed away in the back of his closet. 

No. No way was Nate the shadowy figure. Sure, at first he’d wanted retribution, for Will to suffer as much as Nate had. The hurt and anger burned for months. Then one summer morning, he had awakened with a feeling of peace. The ache in his chest had lessened. From that day forward, he’d wiped Will from his memory and gotten on with his life.

Nate finished his drawings and tossed the sketchbook and pencil on the floor. 

Next to him, Lulu napped on a pillow. Nate snuggled the furry body to his chest. The cat’s warmth eased his anxiety. 

Lulu meowed at being disturbed as she sprawled into Nate’s arms. He’d taken in the ginger kitten when he found her on his stoop. A bowl of milk a day had convinced her to become his constant companion.

He scratched the underside of Lulu’s chin. “What should I do? He doesn’t live here. And even if I did find his number, he’d laugh me off the phone.”

Lulu tilted her heart-shaped head and blinked those expressive green eyes as if to say Nate was crazy to even consider calling his ex-boyfriend.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. I’d be insane to open myself to his ridicule.” 

Will, a scientist through and through, would never listen to Nate’s warning. Will only believed in what he could prove in a laboratory.

Rainbow Award winner, Viki Lyn is a successful writer of sexy romance, both gay and straight. She likes a challenge and at times breaks the rules of her genre. But always, it’s the romance that drives her stories to their happily-ever-after. You can also find her at Viki Vina Romance – the site of her books co-authored with Vina Grey. Check out their popular Orbus Arcana m/m vampire series!

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Character Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway! Tainted Heart (Mi Corazón Sangrante #2) by Melissa Graves

A year after meeting and falling for the young, mysterious vampire, Dr. Brian Preston is now living and working side-by-side with Kyle Hayes for the agency guiding vampire-human relations at a secret underground facility. As the couple adapts to the demands of Brian’s career tending to vampires, Kyle’s return to school and the needs of their evolving relationship, a dangerous conspiracy puts everyone they know and everything they have been working for in danger. The sequel to 2014’s Bleeding Heart, Tainted Heart is Book Two in the Mi Corazón Sangrante series.

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Character interview - Brian Preston

What do you find attractive in a man?

Oh, god, Kyle isn’t going to read this, is he? 

My dating options were pretty severely limited in high school, and in college and med school I was surrounded by men who were too wrapped up in their careers to really get involved. But I think—okay, I definitely have a huge thing for guys of Celtic descent. I tried to deny that for the longest time, but it’s true. Beyond that, I always go for men who feel strongly about life, whether that’s channeled into their careers or social activities. Passion is a must. I do appreciate neatness, too—a guy doesn’t have to be perfect, but having things in order relaxes me, so if I can count on him to keep a clean home and body, I’m in a better place.

The first thing that went through your head when you saw Kyle

Meeting Kyle as a patient who was suffering from hunger wasn’t exactly the most romantic meeting—then again, maybe it was, despite the circumstances. The minute we made eye contact I felt this tremendous pull toward him, an affectionate curiosity that was so wrapped up in wanting to help him I wasn’t sure how to define it until we got to know each other.

Do you think you’ll insist the author visits you again?

I hope so! Then again, people who visit me regularly are usually patients of mine, and I’m not sure I’d wish misfortune on her. But if she ever manages to find herself living the life of a vampire in need of medical assistance, she knows where to find me.

Before you met Kyle, what was your ideal man?

I went through this phase in med school when I took advice from a therapist I was seeing and pursued men like myself. I had trouble connecting, and her suggestion was to find men I had things in common with. It didn’t work out very well, so I decided to date outside the box after that as much as I could, picking guys on different career tracks, guys from other schools, guys I met at bars and clubs. I definitely developed a taste for men who weren’t as studious or career-oriented as I was—I needed a break from myself every now and then.

You’re going out for dinner. What’s your favorite food?

Oh, god, there is so much amazing food in Chicago. I don’t know if I can pick, but I have a special place in my heart for Asian food, Japanese and Korean, especially. Indian food I have to be in the mood for, but it’s great, too. German food at places with really good beer. Kyle says that I eat enough for the two of us, since he can’t. I’m okay with that! Plus, it just makes feeding him later on easier…

When it gets dark, he texts Brian that he's going to be out late, and avails himself of not one but three vampire-human nightclubs set along a dense strip of Chicago nightlife. Going alone to places like this always attracts immediate attention, and he isn't surprised when he has to pry both humans and vampires off of himself. But he doesn't mind—the blood from the center is humming in his veins, and that buzz takes on a new dimension every time that he swallows a thimbleful of blood from a donor, which he does at least a dozen times over the course of the evening. When he’s more relaxed, he allows bodies against his own, dancing with strangers until strobe lights become normal and everything outside is too dim and still.

The blood changes the world around him. Every color, every sound and every source of light takes on a life of its own. 

He loses track of how many donors he pays. All he knows is he's spent all of the pocket money that Brian gave him for the weekend. 

He feels like a bloated tick. He’s been away too long. Brian. He has to get back to Brian.

A veteran writer of fan fiction with thousands of followers, Melissa Graves wrote her first story at age thirteen, and by age sixteen had met her future husband in an online vampire fiction chat room. A fan of science fiction and fantasy, she has a degree in anthropology and a passion for good chocolate, amateur erotica and fan worlds that celebrate diversity. She is mother to two cats. 

Bleeding Heart, book one of the Mi Corazón Sangrante series, was her debut novel for Interlude Press.

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Excerpt & Giveaway! Behr Facts, Foothills Pride #3 by Pat Henshaw

Big, burly CEO Abe Behr is dismayed to discover someone—possibly a family member—is stealing from Behr Construction, which primarily employs Behr relatives. Abe takes the unprecedented step of hiring an outsider, likeable CPA Jeff Mason, to go over the books and help find the culprit. They are drawn to each other as they talk to workers, including Abe’s two younger brothers and their shifty cousin.

Since he has sacrificed romance all his life to build the business, Abe’s surprised by his feelings for the handsome Jeff. He’s even more shocked when they are confronted by bigotry in the Sierra Nevada foothills community, which is being inundated by gays moving from the San Francisco area. As he and Jeff get closer, Abe must come to grips with coming out to a family and community that aren’t very tolerant. Fortunately, being the head Behr helps him find his footing and grab onto love when it bites him.

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“You ever come up the bank to sit under my tree? Looks like a much more comfortable place to fish. Not as rocky at any rate.” Jeff took a drink of his beer as I again scrambled to keep up. “My dad called it the Fishing Tree. He seemed to think fish congregated off the shore there.”

We sat in silence. It was my turn to talk. I’m pretty good in business situations. Not so much in social ones. At social events, mostly I hold up walls. Shake hands. Grunt a lot. Let others carry the conversational load.

Lorraine set our meals in front of us. The full burger with everything for him. The grilled mountain trout and steamed vegetables for me.

“You do a lot of fishing?” I managed after a long silence.

“Not really.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “My dad said fishing couldn’t be taught. He said it was something intuitive. I never had any idea what I was doing. So I never saw any use in fishing. I never saw any fish either.”

Again, silence as I processed and caught up. “It’s not rocket science. You figure out what kind of fish you want. Where it lives. Lure it to you. Then catch it.”

He looked skeptical and almost self-conscious. “It can’t be so easy,” he said with a little laugh. 

“Why not?”

“What about the different rods, lures, tackle, stuff?” He looked so serious, as if I were missing the point. As if I didn’t understand. He was right. I didn’t.

“Look. You can catch fish with your bare hands. If you want to. The extra stuff is just extra stuff.”

“If you say so.” He shook his head, a smile still on his lips. “Have you ever caught a fish with your bare hands?”

I lifted my hands and looked down at the mess that were my paws. Calluses, nicks, cuts, punctures, blunt fingers, the bandage now off the one with the splinter. These were the hands of a man who’d framed houses as a tall, rangy preteen and had lived in construction ever since. Could I catch a fish with my bare hands?

“Yeah. All it takes is absolute stillness and patience.” I sighed. “Not a whole lot of people have both together. Somebody once told me it’s all about Zen.” Somebody else said the only reason I could do it was because I was too stupid to know it was impossible.

“Zen.” His tone said he was surprised I knew such a word.

“You know, like the Eastern religion,” I answered. “Though why we still call it Eastern is beyond me. It’s really Far West, not Far East to us.” I was grumbling and rambling. Avoiding for some reason.

He rattled me. Nobody ever rattled me. I’m Abe Behr, the big Behr.

He was studying me as intently as I was him. He appeared too beautiful, too perfect, too unscarred. I just hoped his accountant skills were as perfect as he looked.

“What kind of fish you want to catch?” I asked. Staring at him wasted our time.

He pointed his fork to my plate. “How about that? It’s good, right?”

“Trout,” I agreed. “Lots of different kinds of trout.”

He looked like he’d never eaten any in his life.

“This is trout from our lake. Have a bite.”

He’d finished his burger but didn’t make a move on my fish. His expression was split between wanting to dig in and reluctance to do so.

“Just taste it,” I growled. “It won’t bite.”

His eyes snapped up to meet mine. His puzzled stare asked if the stupid bear had deliberately made a joke or not. Then he gave a happy, hearty laugh, and his fork raided my fish.

“So? What do you think?” I asked after he swallowed.

“I think you made a great joke,” he said with twinkling eyes. “And the trout is delicious. Is this why you threw your catch back? Did you know you’d get it cooked perfectly here at the cafe?”

“Naw. I was stalking the pie. Fish was a bonus.”

“They have good pie here?”

“Wait and see.”

Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, was born and raised in Nebraska and promptly left the cold and snow after college, living at various times in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. Pat enjoys travel, having visited Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and Europe, including a cruise down the Danube.

Now retired, Pat has spent her life surrounded by words: Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.

Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion. Fortunately, her supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away while writing fiction.

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