Release Day Blitz! Unwrap Me, Stark Trilogy #3.9 by J.Kenner

From New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner comes an electrifying holiday eBook novella. In Unwrap Me, fan favorites Damien Stark and Nikki Fairchild get ready for Christmas—and this year they’re both on the very naughty list.

Includes a special preview of Dirtiest Secret, the provocative first novel in J. Kenner’s highly anticipated new trilogy!

Damien Stark is my greatest Christmas wish come true. Immensely powerful and devastatingly sexy, he can undo me with the slightest touch, and with just one glance, he can see straight into my soul.

We both have dark secrets, twisted pieces of our pasts that only the other one understands. Though our fierce love and passion keeps me alive, sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if Damien and I hadn’t met in exactly the way we did.

How would my life have been different? Would another man have laid claim to my body and my heart? Or were Damien and I destined to be together no matter the cost?

Unwrap Me is intended for mature audiences.J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

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Praise for J. Kenner and The Stark Trilogy

“Kenner may very well have cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.”—RT Book Reviews 

"I love the captivating writing and passionate characters that pull me into every J. Kenner story. The raw intensity and scorching sexy times mixed with an element of intrigue always keep me on the edge of my seat. She’s a must read author for me." - Gretchen, About that Story 

“J. Kenner's writing is like a fine wine, expertly crafted into a melody of notes that will arouse your senses and warm you to your core. Her sinfully seductive men will command a delicious blush to your cheeks while breathing life into your every fantasy. The masterful attention to detail is what brings you back again and again, and makes her work top-shelf.”

- Hilary S, Bookalicious Babes Blog

Though known primarily for her award-winning and internationally bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 internationally, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, "chicklit" suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a "flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations" and by RT Bookclub for having "cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for him." A four time finalist for Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). 

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Excerpt & Giveaway! The Match Of The Century, Marrying the Duke #1 by Cathy Maxwell

In New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell’s glittering new series, wedding bells are ringing… until the return of a rake throws a bride’s plans— and heart—into a tailspin.

Every debutante aspires to snag a duke. Elin Morris just happens to have had one reserved since birth. But postponements of her marriage to London’s most powerful peer give Elin time to wonder how she will marry Gavin Baynton when she cannot forget his brother, Benedict.

Already exasperated at being yanked from the military to meet “family obligations,” now Ben must suffer watching his arrogant sibling squire the only woman he has ever loved. Joining the army saved Ben from sinking into bitterness, but seeing Elin again takes him back to the day they surrendered to their intoxicating desire.

As the wedding draws near, Elin tries to push Ben far from her thoughts. When danger brings them together, there is no denying their feelings. But can Elin choose love over duty…?

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~*~

Her mother led Elin to her dressing table. She gently pushed Elin to sit on the bench and then knelt on the carpet in front of her, taking her hands and holding them.

“My daughter, we have discussed this. I thought you’d forgiven yourself. It was not a good incident in your life but nothing terrible came of it.” 

“I have forgiven myself.” Elin’s voice sounded false to her own ears. “I just believe Baynton should know.” 

“That his brother took advantage of his betrothed? Is that what you want to tell him?” 

“I wouldn’t say who.” Especially since Baynton and his brothers had a turbulent history. 

There had been three Whitridge sons residing at Baynton, until Gavin’s younger, Jack, had disappeared one night from Eton. Some claimed he’d had run off. Others believed foul play. No matter what, he was never seen or heard from again. 

The disappearance had meant that the old duke had not wanted to let his last and youngest son meet the same end. Or have the same opportunity to escape. The old duke had been an exacting taskmaster. He had high expectations for his heir. Ben often felt he was an after thought. “A spare,” Ben had always claimed, oftentimes bitterly. “Always kept at bay.” 

Because of Jack’s disappearance, his father had kept him at Trenton, the family estate, and had him educated by a succession of tutors with only Elin as a companion. 

As an only child of parent who were often absent from the country, Elin had valued Ben’s company. She’d trusted him and to this day, could not believe he had taken her innocence to strike out at his oldest brother, as her mother had claimed. Everyone knew the brothers were highly competitive. The old duke liked them that way. 

However, to Elin, the loss of her purity was a small thing in the face of the betrayal of a trusted friend. She’d known he’d longed for independence. He’d yearned to buy his commission and set off into the world. 

What she hadn’t anticipated was that he would use her in such a deliberate way. That had seemed out of character. Her mother had assured her it was very much the nature of men and one of the reasons that from now on, her parents would protect her more closely. And so they had.

~*~

Don't Miss the Marrying the Duke Novella

A LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE

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New York Times Bestselling Author, Cathy Maxwell spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, “Why do people fall in love?” It remains for her the great mystery of life and the secret to happiness. She lives in beautiful Virginia with children, horses, dogs, and cats.

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Release Day Blitz! Belong, Seven Year Itch #3 by Jennifer Foor

Ten years ago I fell in love with a married woman. I walked away so she could be happy, moving across the country to make sure I put space between us. We severed ties, and I promised myself I wouldn't look back. 

Since then I committed to someone else, and we have a child and a life many would wish for. Except, it's never been enough for me. There's always been something missing; something I never wanted to admit.

With my own marriage failing, I'm forced to go back to my hometown to bury the man who raised me. I never expected to see her there, and nothing could prepare me for what would happen the moment my arms wrapped around hers again.

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~*~

"You have every right to assume this can't be anything more than a temporary affair. I don't blame you for being cautious, but there is something I want you to know."

She turned around, finally looking right at me with those hesitant eyes. "What?"

"I still love you." I swallowed the lump in my throat as the words came out, silently praying she wouldn't force me to leave. It wasn't every day that I told someone other than my wife I loved them, but in this instance it was the truest statement I'd ever made. "I feel like I've loved you for a lifetime. It’s true. I have loved my wife, but it’s not the same. It’s always been you, Rach. You’re the only woman I know I’ll never be able to let go of. Staying away was my only option. I did it to protect both of our lives, but there’s nothing standing in the way anymore. Please don't deny us a second chance." I paused one more time. "I need you, just as much as I think you need me."

Her shoulders relaxed, and I watched her purse fall from her grip and hit the concrete ground. She shrugged while staring into my eyes. Her lips were trembling, allowing me to almost sense the connection between us. "I'm not strong enough to be with you again. I can't handle anymore heartache. Being close to you scares me, because I’m tired of the pain and suffering."

I took two steps forward, breaking the distance between us. "I'm not capable of hurting you again, Rach. If you give me this chance I promise I won't let you down. Let me be your friend again, and whatever comes with it will be determined by both of us."

~*~

Jennifer Foor is an award winning Contemporary Romance Author. 

She is married with She's best known for the Mitchell Family Series, which includes ten books.two children and spends most of her time behind a keyboard, writing stories that come from her heart.

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Excerpt & Giveaway! Perfectly Imperfect by Harper Sloan

Mirror, mirror ... who's the fairest of them all?

I still cringe when I hear that line. A fairy tale that had girls pretending they were the fairest, the most beautiful, and the most entitled. A fairy tale most couldn't grow out of turned my haunted childhood memories into a living nightmare. Girls who grew up believing that pile of garbage became the meanest of all 'mean girls.'

And those mean girls were right - it was a line meant for all the beautiful people in the world - and I knew the answer would never be me.

The women with long legs, flat stomachs, and perfect chests.

The type of women Kane Masters gravitated toward.

Well, that's definitely not Willow Tate.

No. That will never be me.

Because I'm completely imperfect.

And ... I hate myself.

I have no idea what Kane could possibly see in someone like me when he could have them.

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~*~

“Are you nervous right now?”

I nod.

“Tell me why.” His demand, steady and calm, gives me the courage I need to tell him. To open a vein and bleed my insecurities.

“I’m not perfect,” I whisper.

“And neither am I, Willow. I don’t want perfect. What so many see as perfect, to me, is fake. Perfect isn’t achievable naturally. No one, and I mean no one, is perfect.”

I’m shaking my head before he’s even done speaking, but one long finger comes up and presses against my lips before I can speak.

“No, let me finish. There isn’t beauty in perfection. It’s as fake as the image the word projects. Beauty is found in imperfection, Willow, because to admit you’re not perfect means you’re admitting you’re not whole and absolute. When I think of myself, I see someone willing to admit he’s as far from complete as it gets because, in order to get to that perfection, I need to find the other part of me who will make my life better. To take all the faults I have and fill them, and only then will I be there. You see, the way I see it, the only way to become perfect is to find that perfectly imperfect person who brings it out of you.”

When he stops, I swear I might have stopped breathing. How am I supposed to respond to that? 

“Do you trust me?” he asks, his voice strong and sure.

“Yes, Kane. Nerves or not, I do.”

“Then let me show you what I see when I look at you.”

He brings his hands up, framing my face once again in a way I’m quickly becoming addicted to the feeling of. His warm eyes implore, begging me without words to let him continue. I do not intend to stop him, regardless of the butterflies currently taking over my system. I’m all in.

~*~

Harper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed 'Estrogen Ocean', much to her husband’s chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero--the super alpha kind!

Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn't take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.

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Excerpt & Giveaway! Vegas Love by Jillian Dodd

Hollywood actress, Ashlyn Roberts, just had the worst week of her life. Her ex released a sex tape of them and just when she was convinced her current boyfriend was a keeper for standing by her side, he breaks up with her at a friend’s wedding. She’s planning to drown her sorrows in booze when she meets a sexy stranger as she’s leaving the wedding and they end up in Vegas, married. 

Cash Crawford is offered a dream job working with his brother as a junior talent agent. He’ll put his shiny new law degree to good use and make a bunch of money in the process. His first task is simple: Keep Ashlyn Roberts out of trouble and don’t sleep with her. 

Which might be kind of tough, since they definitely consummated their Vegas wedding. 

Will this one night stand end in the quickie divorce they promised each other? Or will they realize they got lucky in love?

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~*~

She pulls me into a limo. “Where are we going?” I ask. Not that I care. At this point, I’d go just about anywhere with this girl. She’s amazing. And I don’t just mean the sex—which was practically mind-blowing. She’s gorgeous and funny as shit.

“Vegas.”

“I’m surprised you’d want to go there after—” She grabs my lips in her fingertips and shuts them, giving me fish lips. 

“Rule number one,” she says. “No talking about the past. Other than I’m going to say that the last two times I’ve been in Vegas have been big disappointments. Give me a minute. I need to make a call.”

“Who are you calling?” 

“Carter Crawford. He doesn’t know it yet, but we’re going to borrow his plane. I happen to know he’s not leaving here until tomorrow afternoon. Do you know him?”

“The best man?” I ask. I consider telling her that I know Carter quite well, since he’s my brother, but I don’t. She wants a no-names-kind-of night. Which is funny considering everyone knows the actress Ashlyn Roberts, who’s well-known for her blockbuster movie roles, red carpet antics, and bubbly personality. 

“After the breakup with Luke and before I started dating Zach, Carter took me to Vegas,” she says, causing me to tense up. Just the thought of her fucking anyone other than me—particularly my brother—threatens to rip me apart. How can I possibly feel so crazy jealous over her already? It was just sex. Wasn’t it? “I thought our trip would be romantic with a whole lot of hot and sweaty, you know, but nothing happened between us. His brother, Cade, is my agent, and he was just trying to cheer me up.”

I breathe easier, then let my lips graze down her neck. “If hot, sweaty, romantic Vegas is what you want, Hotass. It’s what you’ll get.”

“I need a wig though.”

“Why?”

“So no one recognizes me, silly. I have a fake ID. Sometimes, I just want to go out without it being a scene. Tonight is one of those nights.”

“I bet we can find you a wig in Vegas.”

“Ha, you’re right,” she says as I pull her on my lap and kiss her again.

We fuck on the plane.

Twice. 

Drink some more.

When we land in Vegas, we go directly to a store where she sends me in to buy a wig.

“What kind?” I ask. 

“Long and blond.”

“Hot,” I say. 

“While you do that, I’ll get us set up in a hotel.” 

When I get back in the town car, she tells the driver which hotel to take us to.

“I’ve never stayed here before,” she says, pulling on the wig. “You go get the key, okay? I told them your name was Harry Tripping and not to ask for ID.”

“That’s funny.”

We ride the elevator to one of the upper floors and enter a sprawling suite. “Very nice. You have good taste.”

“Only the best for our wild one-night stand.”

A butler appears out of nowhere. “Anything you need?”

“Nothing he can’t give me,” she says, pulling on my tie and giving me a naughty grin.

I send the butler away then lead her over to the windows. “Look at this view.”

“Ohmigawd! Look! The Bellagio fountains are starting!” She leans against the glass and looks down. “Wow. This is kinda trippy.”

I push my hips into her ass, somehow ready for round—hell, I lost count. Two times at the wedding, a blow job in the limo, joined the mile high club twice, so round—six. Doesn’t matter though, my Johnson is raring to go. I wrap my arms around her waist, kiss her neck, and finger her while she watches the fountains rise. She reaches back and slides her hand down my pants. 

“You’re hard again,” she says, seemingly surprised.

“You turn me on,” I whisper.

“Do me right here. I feel like I should say your name—but this is a still a no-names-kind-of night, right?”

“That’s what you wanted. I’m still calling you Hotass because, you”—I lift her skirt, slide off her panties, and slap her naked butt—“have a very hot ass.”

“Oh!” she says when I spank her. She guides me into her and as I start thrusting, she bends over more—putting her arms out and her hands flat against the glass. 

“This is like a fantasy,” she says, moving against me in time with the fountains. “Do you think when they do the big finale you can come?”

“I’d rather make you come.”

“Spank me again, then.”

I pull back, but not out, giving myself just enough space to smack her ass before plunging deep inside her.

“Oh, god! Do it harder! Oh, fuck, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes!”

And just before the fountains stop, she collapses against the window.

~*~

Jillian Dodd grew up on a farm in Nebraska, where she developed a love for Midwestern boys and Nebraska football. She has drank from a keg in a cornfield, attended the University of Nebraska, got to pass her candle, and did have a boy ask her to marry him in a bar. She met her own prince in college, and they have two amazing children, a Maltese named Sugar Bear, and two Labrador puppies named Camber Lacy and Cali Lucy. She is the author of the That Boy Trilogy and The Keatyn Chronicles Series.

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Excerpt & Giveaway! Live Me, Pieces of Broken #1 by Celeste Grande

Broken…

Shattered…

How can you begin to live again when you’ve already been forced to…die?

Evangelina Ricci is trapped in a world that’s a never-ending nightmare, a constant ache in which consumes her every breath. Unable to bear the torture any longer, she does the one thing she can to take back control.

Run.

With her best friend Jace in tow, Evangelina attempts to escape her darkened past by leaving for college and diving head first into an aggressive schedule, determined with everything she is to make a name for herself. There’s only one problem—she can’t run away from the demons she struggles with. The demons that’ll forever be there, locked inside, battering her soul. Hiding behind a flawless façade, Evangelina faces her ghosts until her world is turned upside down, invaded by…him.

Blake Turner. Sweet, witty, flirtatious and drop-dead gorgeous, he finds Evangelina at every turn. Scared he’ll uncover the truth she keeps so well guarded, Evangelina tries her best to put on her act, deterring him like she has so many times before—only this guy’s different. He’s relentless. Utterly, absolutely and completely relentless. He sees her and he wants her and won’t stop until she’s his.

Will Evangelina succeed in pushing Blake away? Or will he break down her walls and be the person to make her realize life is worth living?

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~*~

I drew my knees into my chest and began to sing. In hysterics, my fingernails gouged holes in the flesh on my shins. The words barely made it past my lips as salty tears invaded my mouth. Right here, I wanted to forget the person who did this to me, who made me this way.

You were only waiting for this moment to be free.

God help me. I couldn’t do this anymore. I just wanted to end it. That would be the only way to make it better. Free myself of the agony. Living this way just wasn’t worth it anymore. I might as well finish myself off all at once instead of shutting down one cell at a time.

I ripped the portals of torment from my ears and threw them down in disgust. “Please, God. Give me a sign. Something. Anything. What am I supposed to do?” I shivered, a weeping lump of flesh.

The silence around me was deafening. The only sound was the sporadic hitch of air that came from your chest after a good bout of hysterics.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Hitch.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Hitch. Hitch.

Frantically wiping up and down my face, I dragged myself off the lounge chair. Going to the perimeter of the roof, I peered down, wondering what it would feel like to free fall to the bottom. Take hold of my fate and say fuck it. Break these chains and finally be free.

I pulled myself up and over the cold cement rail and settled my back against it. Holding on, I stared down at the tiny cars as I inched up on my tippy toes and leaned forward. Maybe I could fly like a blackbird. Dragging my bottom lip between my teeth, I creeped further, teetering on the edge. My stomach lurched, and I swallowed hard.

Pussy.

Another breath and I pushed back, unable to go through with it. That prick wasn’t worth ending my life over. He’d already taken too much of me; I couldn’t allow him that as well.You were only waiting for this moment to be free.

~*~

Celeste Grande grew up loving words. From an early age, it was easy for her to open her heart through pen and paper and come away with something poetic. She never thought anything more than releasing her emotions would come of it though. A workaholic that can’t keep still, in her ‘real’ life, she’s a Certified Public Accountant who dreams of writing sexy books all day long. When she isn’t working, she’s reading, writing, mommying and being a wifey to the love of her life.

She lives in New York, still putting pen to paper and anxiously awaiting the debut of her first novel, Live Me, a new adult romance, in October of 2015.

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Diana's Reviews!! A Kindled Winter by Rachel L. Demeter

“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” — Dale Evans

A week before Christmas, Jeseca Reed sets off for Blue River, Oregon—her childhood home and a vault of tender memories. However, fate takes an unexpected turn when she’s left stranded in the mountains’ vast, untamed wilderness. Desperate and alone, she seeks shelter at a cottage and finds herself in the arms of a mysterious stranger.

Dr. David Drake was once a renowned cardiovascular surgeon. But a devastating tragedy has left him scarred both inside and out, unable to use his hands to operate again. For the past five years, his Blue River cottage has been his sole escape—a safe haven where he can shut out the world, bury himself in his grief, and reunite with his son’s memory.

Together they are summer and winter. Fire and ice. And yet a poignant connection forms between them. Jeseca awakens David and thaws his heart with a romance hot enough to melt snow. But before David and Jeseca can fully embrace each other, they must wade through darkness and confront the ghosts of their pasts …

Equal parts steamy and heartfelt, A Kindled Winter brings the spirit of the holidays to life with a passionate story of second chances and healing love. 

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“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” 

A Kindled Winter is a short story of two people who find love in unexpected circumstances. 

On her way to visit her mother for Christmas in Blue River, Oregon, Jeseca Reed stumbles upon Dr. David Drake, a damaged man who lives his life surrounded by loneliness. 

The two of them come from different worlds: after he lost his beloved family and the job he dedicated himself to, David got used to being withdrawn, guarded and being away from people. On the other hand, Jeseca is his opposite: she comes from a big city, she’s surrounded by people every day, she’s full of life. 

But the one thing they have in common is that both of them lost the people they had loved.

“Ever since the accident, he’d distanced himself from humanity—and rightfully so. He’d found a fragile contentment within his self-imposed solitude—and, in an unexpected twist of fate, Jeseca Reed was changing everything.”

I think that the author proved she can write contemporary romance as well as she does historical romance. Given the fact that the story is short, she kept it simple and very easy to follow. She focuses on the two characters and how their relationship develops: from two complete strangers, their relationship grows in just a matter of days. 

“Then David surprised himself and flashed her a genuine smile. It was the first smile he’d gifted anyone since the accident, and he momentarily felt his heart open to this strange woman.”

One thing I liked was the strong connection between Jeseca and David. She is capable to make him open up to her and confront his past, and realize that he may have a second chance at love and happiness after all. 

“Suddenly, David was struck with a ridiculous thought. He yearned to wrench away those hideous glasses, press his lips against the smooth patch of skin between her brows and inhale her lemony scent… 

I’ve been alone far too long…”

I think the message the author transmits is that everyone should be given a second chance, because these are rare and we should take the opportunity to right things whenever they go wrong. 

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a well-written novel or just a short story based on the things that really matter in life. 

I live in the beautiful hills of Anaheim, California with Teddy, my goofy lowland sheepdog, and high school sweetheart of eleven years. I enjoy writing poignant romances that challenge the reader’s emotions and explore the redeeming power of love.

Imagining dynamic worlds and characters has been my passion for longer than I can remember. Before learning how to read or write, I would dictate stories while my mom would jot them down for me. I hold a special affinity for the tortured hero and unconventional romances. Whether crafting the protagonist or antagonist, I ensure every character is given a soul.

I endeavor to defy conventions by blending elements of romance, suspense, and horror. Some themes my stories never stray too far from: forbidden romance, soul mates, the power of love to redeem, mend all wounds, and triumph over darkness.

My dream is to move readers and leave an emotional impact through my words. ♥

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Excerpt, Author Interview & Giveaway! Out of Chances, Face the Music #4 by Shona Husk

 

Shona Husk’s sexy new adult series about emerging rock band Selling the Sun concludes this month with a story about a woman who doesn’t want to connect, a man who’s forgotten how and the friendships that save our lives.

Dan Clarke knows he doesn’t have a problem, regardless of whatever his band members, his friends, his family and everyone else thinks. Drinking isn’t keeping him from doing what needs to be done, and it helps keep the anger and pain of his ex-girlfriend’s betrayal at bay. If only she would stay away as well, but, since the band’s return to Fremantle, she’s everywhere-on the phone, in his apartment, at his parents’ house-begging for another chance, reminding him of how good they had been together, holding him hostage to the past. It’s no wonder he needs a beer now and again.

Indigo Matthews is all about control: she trains hard, she works hard and she plays hard. Men are for fun, not forever, and she will never end up like her mother, trapped and miserable. A huge Selling the Sun fan, Indigo knows when Dan wanders into her bar that he is a conquest that she has to make. But their connection is stronger than just sex, and regardless of her credo Indigo finds herself going back for more. Then truths about Dan’s life start to emerge, and Indigo finds herself in the one position she swore she’d never find herself.

A DUI, a drunk one night stand and an ultimatum from the band bring Dan’s life to a halt. Picking up the pieces is something he can’t do alone, and there’s only one person that he trusts to give a damn. The one person that he hurt the most. Indigo.

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~*~

At the man’s table she stopped, hip cocked to the side. ‘My buddy over there says that you’re no one famous. I think you are.’

He smiled, but it was cautious. ‘Who do you think I am?’

‘I have five bucks that says you’re the bass player from Selling the Sun.’ There was no money on the table, and the guy she was working with didn’t give a damn, but that didn’t stop nerves from pushing her heart harder or her hands from feeling a little slippery on the tray.

‘And if I am?’ He leaned back and his smile broadened.

‘A free beer?’ She put the one he’d ordered on the table.

He nodded. ‘I am.’

‘Prove it.’ Anyone could say that they were.

‘Drivers licence okay? Or do you require a full hundred points?’ He was still smiling as though this was a game. ‘But that will only work if you know my name. Do you?’

‘What kind of fan wouldn’t, Dan Clarke?’

He lifted one eyebrow as he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out his wallet. He flipped it open, covered his address with his thumb and showed her his name. Daniel Sean Clarke. ‘Happy?’

She nodded, more than happy. Her happy was doing its own happy dance. Now for part two of her daring plan. She’d never slept with any one close to famous, and while she’d fancied Dan from the audience of the concerts, he was here now, right in front of her. She could reach out and touch him. She resisted. Just. ‘What are you doing later?’

‘How much later?’ His blue eyes took on a guarded look, as though he wasn’t sure where this was going.

She didn’t buy that for a moment. He’d broken up with his girlfriend and he must get hit on all the time. Indigo checked her watch. An hour and a half left of her shift. That was probably too long, yet there was no way she could have him out the back of the pub in the middle of the afternoon—no matter how appealing that seemed right now.

‘I finish in ninety minutes.’

‘And then?’ He drew a line in the condensation on his glass, his gaze firmly on her. He was waiting for her to make it clear. Maybe he wasn’t that interested. She could walk away, opportunity taken and declined. But he hadn’t said no.

So she gave a shrug as though the outcome didn’t matter. ‘We do whatever two consenting adults feel like.’

‘Are you hitting on me?’

‘Did I not make it clear enough for you?’ Did he not want to be hit on or was he not as smart as he appeared? She didn’t like either of those options.

Then he smiled and gave her a slow, lingering look that seemed to take in everything, from the top of her head down to her ass. ‘Just checking … I get that free beer while I wait?’

She nodded. She’d kind of promised him that anyway. Was he more interested in the beer than her? She drew in a breath, ready to blow him off at the first sign of rejection. Get in first before she got hurt was her motto.

Dan picked up the glass and took a sip, his gaze still on her. ‘Well, I guess the only question left is your place or mine.’

Do you plot or just follow your muse?

A little of both. I like to know my characters and the main plot points before I start writing, but how I get to those main points is a mystery and there is often a bit of scene shuffling in the middle to get it all together.

Coffee, tea or wine?

Hot chocolate. I don’t like coffee or teas (except peppermint tea) and I don’t drink very often—I don’t mind a good chocolate martini, I have had bad ones ☹

Where did the idea for this story come from?

Out of Chances is book 4 in the series. When I wrote book 1 (Out of Rhythm) I know all the characters really well, but I hadn’t planned on writing their stories (of course when Escape Publishing asked for them I said yes). Dan was in a difficult situation. And I could’ve forced the story to take another route, but I haven’t shied away from writing real issues in this series (it’s NA and people are finding their adult feet, mistakes are made and people have to move on, that’s life). Dan was a complex hero, although some people may not see him as heroic at all, he does grow and change and realize his mistake which shows a strength of character.

Where is Fremantle, WA and why there not somewhere more well-known?

Fremantle is near Perth Western Australia. I chose to set the books there instead of Sydney or Melbourne because I love Freo (as the locals call it) and it has a great live and local scene. Lots of great bands got their start there, so it seemed like a good starting point for my fictional band Selling the Sun.

You seem to like heroes that are a little broken…why?

I don’t like my heroes or heroines to be too perfect. Flawed people are always more interesting—and we are all flawed in our own way. Even though I might write paranormal or sci-fi I want the characters to be relatable. When writing contemporary romance I want the reader to feel as though the character could be a friend or their neighbour or someone they went to school with.

What’s next?

I’m working on Ripley’s story (he is one of Dan’s friends). I’m also working on the sequel to Desire to Fall (science fiction romance), which is getting quite dark.

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SHONA HUSK is the author of the Shadowlands, Court of Annwyn and the Face the Music series. You can find out more information about Shona at www.shonahusk.com or follow her on Twitter @ShonaHusk, or Facebook www.facebook.com/shonahusk

Face the Music, a contemporary romance series, finishes in November 2015 with Out of Chances.

New SFR series coming soon with Desire to Fall.

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