Archive for the ‘Excerpt’ Category

Heart Search : Found ~ Tour continues with sneak peek inside!

Posted: August 2, 2013 in Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance
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The launch of Carlie’s newest book, Heart Search: Book Two, Found continues!

It’s that time and I have some goodies for you.

This is going to be such a fun tour. So much more is coming!

For today I have a sneak peek inside Heart Search: Found!

Make sure to stop by next Monday for my interview with Carlie!

First, feast your eyes on her cover art. I believe she has a signature for her covers now. Further down in my post you can see the cover art for Book One, Heart Search:Lost and you’ll see what I mean.

Heart Search: Found, Book II

Blurb

One bite started it all . . .

Another mysterious disappearance sparks a frightening chain of events for Remy and her family. Events foretold come to pass, and more strange and alarming occurrences assail her life. Where can she turn?

Coven politics continue to threaten Joshua’s existence, but an even bigger menace looms . . .

And Remy’s life hangs in the balance – can Joshua save her?

Fate still toys with mortals and immortals alike, as hearts torn apart by darkness confront perils which could lead to their doom.

Go HERE for my 5 star review

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Enjoy this exclusive peek inside chosen by Carlie herself!

There was another group in the Steakarama; six lads seemed to be out on the razz just like us and were laughing and joking as much as we were. I glanced over and was delighted to see some serious eye candy. Nudging Sadie, who sat next to me, I inclined my head in the other group’s direction.

“Looky over there and tell me I’m not seeing things,” I said grinning. Sadie swiveled her head and did a double-take.

“Phwoar! Which one do you want?” Sadie replied waggling her eyebrows at me.

I laughed. “Hmmm, haven’t decided yet. Better make up my mind fast before the others see them.” Glancing up I saw it was too late as four pairs of eyes swept lasciviously in the lads’ direction. “I saw them before you lot so I get first dibs!” I announced, my eyes gently challenging.

A few good-natured grumbles later, they generously agreed. I turned my head almost casually in their direction and noticed a pair of startling blue eyes gazing back at me. Fluttering my eyelashes and playing coy, I smiled and was pleased when it was returned.

“Ooo, looks like Remy’s pulled!” Sadie announced, giggling.

“Which one?” Kelly demanded, her eyes automatically ogling the six lads.

“Ahhh! The blonde Adonis,” Sadie replied, sighing for effect.

I dragged my eyes back to the table and grinned at my companions. “You can divvy up the rest between you now,” I said magnanimously and revelled in the laughter which swept around our table.

There were quite a few meaningful looks being exchanged between our two tables. The girls were on fine form and some of the comments caused much hilarity.

“See the one in the green shirt?” Kelly asked. “I wouldn’t kick him out of bed on a cold, dark night!”

Christy, who was always the most outspoken and outrageous of us all, piped up with, “I want the one in the black shirt. I’d strip him naked, pour warm chocolate sauce all over those muscles of his and lick it all off . . . slowly.”

“I’ve got a hankering for whipped cream and cherries,” Lorraine said. We all turned to stare at her; she was normally the quiet one who never spoke out. A faint flush filled her cheeks.

“Get you! They say the quiet ones are the worst,” I chuckled and Lorraine grinned back at me.

“I don’t need all that kinky stuff – just gimme one of them stud-muffins and mamma will look after him real good!” Hanna rolled her eyes before continuing. “Anyone got any spare condoms?”

“I’ve only got apple and orange flavoured ones,” Sadie replied, arching her eyebrows and licking her lips. More laughter followed and I had to dab at my eyes with the napkin.

A few minutes later, we left the Steakarama and headed to the nightclub a few doors away.

~~~~~

Heart Search: Found is now available to purchase!

Amazon US / Amazon UK

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Check out the new trailer!

Carlie has done something incredible!

You’re going to want to run right over and get this book. Just sayin!

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DSssMGyA1E?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent]

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Carlie M A Cullen

Carlie M A Cullen was born in London. She grew up in Hertfordshire where she first discovered her love of books and writing. She has been an administrator and marketer all her working life and was also a professional teacher of Ballroom and Latin American dancing until recently.

She has always written in some form or another, but Heart Search: Lost is her first novel. This was launched 8th October 2012 through Myrddin Publishing Group and book two, Heart Search: Found, is due out early July 2013. She writes mainly in the Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genres for YA, New Adult and Adult.

Carlie is also a professional editor.

Carlie also holds the reins of a writing group called Writebulb. Their first anthology, The Other Way Is Essex, was published September 2012 under Myrddin Publishing Group. Their second anthology is in editing.

Carlie currently lives in Essex, UK with her daughter.

You can find Carlie M. A. Cullen at the links below:

Blog/Twitter

I’ve read Heart Search, Book One: Lost and loved it!

Heart Search: Lost (Heart Search, #1)

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Go here to read my 5 Star Review

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Stay tuned for more fun and exciting things to come as the tour continues!

Check out these others wonderful bloggers participating in the tour:

Tour host’s:

Sherry Fundin

Joy Keeney

Donna L Sadd

Michelle Birbeck

We will be revealing more about Carlie’s new release with interviews, reviews and exclusive excerpts

Come join the fun and help spread the word!

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It’s a Blurb Blitz Giveaway! He is coming for YOU….

Posted: July 15, 2013 in Blog Tour, Excerpt, giveaways
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Goddess Fish has put together an awesome Blurb Blitz!

I am a huge fan of suspense, thrillers, and horror and these books by Joan Hall Hovey sound like they have everything in them to make this some scary good reading!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

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Nowhere To Hide

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Eppie Winner ~ Best Thriller    –  1992

SHE DARED TO CHALLENGE A MERCILESS KILLER

Raised in an atmosphere of violence and unpredictability, Ellen and Gail Morgan have banded together, survivors of a booze-fertilized battleground, forming a fierce united front against an often cold and uncaring world. When their parents are killed in a car crash, Ellen becomes the mother figure for Gail.

When fifteen years later Gail is brutally raped and murdered in her shabby New York basement apartment, practically on the eve of her big breakthrough as a singer, Ellen is inconsolable. Rage at her younger sister’s murder has nearly consumed her. So when her work as a psychologist wins her an appearance on the evening news, Ellen seizes the moment. Staring straight into the camera, she challenges the killer to come out of hiding: “Why don’t you come after me? I’ll be waiting for you.”

Phone calls flood the station, but all leads go nowhere. The police investigation seems doomed to failure. Then it happens: a note, written in red ink, slipped under the windshield wipers of her car, ‘YOU’RE IT.’ Ellen has stirred the monster in his lair … and the hunter has become the hunted!

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Defective

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Therapist Melanie Snow is driving to her office when her Honda is struck by a dark-colored van and sent spinning into a ditch, where it catches fire. The driver never stops. A passerby pulls Melanie from the car just seconds before it explodes.

Waking from the coma nine days later, she is devastated to find she is blind.

As Melanie struggles to cope with her new reality, life as a blind woman, her fragile state of mind is further threatened by a madman who is stalking and strangling disabled women. The first two victims were mentally challenged and Detective Matt O’Leary, who carries a torch for Melanie, (even though Melanie is engaged to someone else) tells himself she is not the killer’s targeted prey. But then a woman who lost a leg to cancer is murdered, and another physically disabled woman is stalked. Even with a whole town in terror, Melanie refuses to live her life in fear and reopens her practice in the basement of her home. She has a living to earn.

And Detective Matt O’Leary must find a way to keep Melanie safe until the monster is caught. But how? Her door is now open to the public and the killer can just walk through anytime he chooses.

And he does.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~


A peek inside DEFECTIVE

It was mid-afternoon, overcast, and The East End Mall in Kingsdale was crowded with shoppers. The Eraser, as he liked to think of himself, sat at one of the molded plastic tables by himself, nursing a Pepsi and eating fries from a small cardboard plate, and people watching. It was one of his favorite things to do, especially in nice weather when the girls wore shorts or tight jeans, some with their tanned midriffs bare, skimpy tops that showed off their boobs and skinny jeans that accentuated their tight little butts. Why not? He was a normal guy, he told himself.  He avoided looking at the ones with flab hanging over their waistbands.  He had girlfriend once or twice, but it didn’t last. The last one said he was weird and just stopped returning his calls. Well, to hell with her.

His eye strayed momentarily to the big screen monitor advertising Nike sneakers. Then it changed to a rent-a-car commercial and on to something else, but he’d already looked away. Idly dipping a French fry in the small pool of ketchup on his plate, he popped it in his mouth and went back to girl-watching. They did little for him today. His hand moved to cover the scratch that the retard left on his cheek, though it was fading now. That Polysporin ointment was good stuff.

Music played over the sound system, competing with the jabbering of shoppers, nothing he recognized. Probably supposed to keep people shopping, buying junk they didn’t need.  His gaze narrowed ever so slightly as a young girl with a silver ring in her lower lip and wearing black eyeliner got up from a table not far from him and limped heavily to the waste bin and dumped in the remainder of her meal, a half-eaten hamburger, fries. She sat the tray on top of the stack. Behind her, someone called out, “Hey, Lana,” and the girl turned in his direction and took a step forward so he could see her full-length; she looked past his shoulder and waved. He felt his heartbeat rev up, his throat go dry.

She had short dark hair, and was wearing a khaki skirt and cream-colored blouse. Her dimpled smile, the gleam of white, even teeth barely registered on him. He didn’t even glance behind him at the woman who had called out to her. He had no interest. As he had no genuine interest in the woman who returned the wave, really.

No. It was her foot in its big brown shoe that drew and held his attention. Not brown exactly, but like tea when you put milk in it. Taupe. Yes, that was what his mother called that color. It was all he could see when he looked at her: that big clunking shoe.  So ugly it offended him, as deformities of any kind offended him. Even horrified him. A chill had crept down his back. He had to work extra hard to keep the disgust and pity from his face. She was a mistake. A blight, a tragic spawn. She must be erased. Like when you’re a kid and you draw a picture of something and it doesn’t come out right. You just erase it. Or rip out the page, and start again.

He was the eraser of mistakes. The good Lord had chosen him to do this work. Not that he was blaming God. No, there was no blame to be handed out here. Some small voice told him his reasoning was flawed, that that wasn’t why they had to die. But he wasn’t listening. As people were born of sin, women carried the faulty limbs, twisted features and minds within them. Carriers. As his mother had been a carrier, her womb spewing forth a defective, barely human—thing. Not the defective’s fault either. But since the flaw couldn’t be repaired, the whole issue had to be erased. The burden lifted. The Eraser held that kind of power; he could end suffering, change lives for the better. He remembered well the very moment he had changed his own life   but no time for that now. She was heading for the exit doors. He rose casually from his chair, tossing the remainder of his own fries and drink into the trash, dropped his tray on top of hers, and followed. He was really following the ‘shoe’. His eyes were riveted on the shoe. It filled his vision, his consciousness. That big, ugly shoe that rose and fell, rose and fell, her left hip dipping in sync, the shoe dragging it downward, seeming an entity in itself. When she stepped through the automatic doors into the grey, drizzly day, he was right behind her. Close enough to touch her. He buried his hands deep in his pockets to stifle the urge.

The bus pulled up with a hiss of air brakes and a belch of exhaust, and she hitched herself up onto the step. He followed, paid his fare. His bike was chained and locked in the parking lot; it would be fine. She took a side seat near the driver, and he sat himself two seats behind her and pretended to look out the window.

In the grayness of the day, his reflection in the glass was faint, but almost at once he could see his reflection begin to morph into that of another, as she had once been. A raindrop ran down the window and caught one corner of her mouth like the drool he remembered, couldn’t forget, and he could not tear his eyes away. The small voice in his head spoke to him, sending the familiar chill through him, as if his heart had just received an infusion of ice water. The voice could form words now, where once it was capable only of mindless gibberish. “You know it’s me in there, don’t you. I’m watching you. I’ve come back. I’ll always come back. I’ll never leave you.”

“No! No!”

Fearing he had cried out, he jerked his head around in sudden panic, but no one on the bus was looking at him. One man was reading a newspaper. A woman was talking and smiling at her little boy. Relief swept through him, but he was trembling just the same. A Chinese man seated across from him turned the page in his paperback, paying him no mind.

The girl had put earphones in her ears and her lips were moving to a song only she could hear. Her legs were crossed, the shoe swinging in time, mocking him.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

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In addition to her critically acclaimed novels, Joan Hall Hovey’s articles and short stories have appeared in such diverse publications as The Toronto Star, Atlantic Advocate, Seek, Home Life Magazine, Mystery Scene, The New Brunswick Reader, Fredericton Gleaner, New Freeman and Kings County Record. Her short story Dark Reunion was selected for the anthology investigating Women, Published by Simon & Pierre.

Ms. Hovey has held workshops and given talks at various schools and libraries in her area, including New BrunswickCommunity College, and taught a course in creative writing at the University of New Brunswick. For a number of years, she has been a tutor with WinghillSchool, a distance education school in Ottawa for aspiring writers.

She is a member of the Writer’s Federation of New Brunswick, past regional Vice-President of Crime Writers of Canada, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

 

www.joanhallhovey.com

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Praise for Joan Hall Hovey’s Books

“…suspense that puts her right up there with the likes of Sandford and Patterson…” Ingrid Taylor for Small Press Review

 “…Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King come to mind, but JOAN HALL HOVEY is in a Class by herself!…”
J.D. Michael Phelps, Author of My Fugitive, David Janssen

“…CANADIAN MISTRESS OF SUSPENSE…The author has a remarkable ability to turn up the heat on the suspense… great characterizations and dialogue…” James Anderson, author of Deadline

“…a gripping style that wrings emotions from everyday settings. Oh and by the way …is your door locked?” Linda Hersey – Fredericton Gleaner

“…will keep readers holding their breath until the very end…” inthelibraryreview, Melissa Parcel

“This one is a chiller – you won’t be able to put it down – guaranteed!”– Rendezvous Magazine

“If you are looking for the suspense thriller of the year-look no further…you will find it in Nowhere To Hide…” Jewel Dartt Midnight Scribe Reviews

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Joan will award one randomly drawn commenter a $50 gift certificate for sunglasses at Sunglasses Shack (US/Canada only).

Hey, it’s summertime. Who couldn’t use a cool new pair of sunglasses!

You can get more entries by following the tour here.

Visit each stop, catch some exciting blurbs and excerpts and leave a nice comment. Each comment gets you another entry for some sunglasses! Have fun.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all my giveaways go here.

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Giveaway Tour ~ The Chronicles of Darkness ~ The Box of Infernos

Posted: July 8, 2013 in Action/Adventure, Blog Tour, Excerpt, giveaways, Mystery, otherworldly
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What’s inside the Box of Infernos?

That’s what I want to know.

Join me on this tour of discovery organized by Bewitching Blog Tours and lets find out together!

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The Chronicles of Darkness: The Box of Infernos

The Chronicles of Darkness Book One

Matthew Head

Genre:  Supernatural Mystery

ISBN:  978-1-78299-263-9

Number of pages:  204

Word Count:  85,000

Cover Artist: Matthew Head

Teaser trailer: http://youtu.be/STsB96OFZfw

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Book Description:

In the south of England, in the city of Monks-Lantern, events are starting to unfold which have the potential to threaten all of creation. Isaac Jacobs is a young university student with a haunted past who has long been fighting the supernatural monsters of this world and now he fights them alongside his four friends; Gabbi Gurtpasha, Billie Stamford, Laura Henley and Ben Pokeley.

What starts off as a disturbing but relatively low key investigation soon explodes into something much larger, darker and more fearsome than any of them could have imagined. Just what is behind the slow but steady disappearance of people from the city? Who is the much feared Imperator? What is the worst thing you can hope to see beneath a door in an empty building? How do you define a good man from a bad one? And what terror lies within the Box of Infernos?

A plan which has been in motion for millenia is now coming to fruition and Isaac had better be ready as his life will never be the same again from now on.

Something is coming.

Here is a peek inside!

It is said by some that all of creation can be divided into good or evil. Light or dark. Right or wrong. True or false. Those who say this say it as a comfort to themselves, as they are undoubtedly the ones who will claim to be good, light, right and true and it makes their lives just a little easier if they can believe that those adjectives really apply to them.

It is said by others that all of creation can be classed together – that every being is a combination of good and evil, that there is in fact no true good and no true evil in existence. Those who say this say it also as a comfort to themselves, as it means they can sleep better in their beds believing that there is no true evil lurking in the world, or perhaps in the shadows of their own bedroom.

It’s an unfortunate truth then for both of those groups of people that they are both wrong in their beliefs. There is pure good, there are beings of pure light in existence. And there is pure evil, and rest assured there are many beings of pure darkness in existence. But then there are also creatures who straddle both camps, which are impossible to class one way or the other.

The beings of light are predominantly the angels who sing and blaze in the higher realms, radiating love and beauty. They live their lives in what we as humans have decided to call heaven but that isn’t to say that they don’t make their presence known still in our world from time to time. They aren’t the only beings of light however – there are the Witches of the Veil who pass through worlds offering help and kindness, and legends also tell of ancient beings that swirl in the deserts of the east of the world – always happy to show love and friendship to any who need it.

The beings of darkness can be loosely tied together with the common term of demons, however this broad term does their numbers an injustice. There are many creatures of hate and lies – soul dwellers, ghouls, the Children of Despair, the Ar’karnak, the shadows, malignant fairies – the list can continue almost indefinitely as the dark realms have spawned infinite monsters in the time since the dawn of creation. Higher up than simple demons there are also the primordial beings of chaos and hatred that have long been forgotten by our world although that is not to say that they have forgotten us.

It might seem on the face of it that the beings of darkness outweigh the beings of light, but then it must be remembered that a single match shines brightest when surrounded by the pitch blackness and that a single truth if properly wielded can topple a whole tower of lies.

Still there is another group to look at, the beings that fall in between. Those gloriously grey beings that refuse to be either the deepest black or the purest white. Humans. People. Grey is often seen as a boring, drab kind of colour but in the case of humanity it shines brilliantly. Many people in the world would resist being painted with the grey brush – some may claim to be pure good, some may well claim to be pure evil. But whatever you may think of an individual you must remember the truest truth there is in the whole of the world – they are all grey. They are all somewhere in-between. No person is wholly right ever, everyone has their own faults and everyone makes mistakes and does wrong from time to time. And equally no person is wholly wrong ever, behind the most wicked people you will always find some glimmer of good – a shadow of the person they once were perhaps or an indication of some terrible event which once turned them down darker paths.

The greatest strength of humanity is its ability to comprehend and exhibit the emotion we’d loosely call love. Love binds people, binds families, binds friendships together and holds them close. It pulls you close to people and keeps you with them and through that it can be a source of great joy and great happiness. But despite being the greatest strength love can also perversely be the greatest weakness of a person too. For many it never becomes an issue because their lives are too ordinary. But for some who find themselves dealing with those creatures who dwell purely in the darkness then love can twist and turn. Before long it can lead to terrible choices, awful deeds and heartbreaking consequences.

So then, we can see that there are beings of true light, beings of true darkness and beings of the in-between. All are important and all will play a crucial part in the story which is about to begin before the final move is made and we see whether creation ceases to exist or if it will continue to flourish in all its diversity. For there is one more truth to impart.

Something is coming.

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Giveaway

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Two signed print copies of The Chronicles of Darkness:

The Box of Infernos by Mathew Head – open worldwide!

To enter, click on the rafflecopter link below.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

About the Author:

My name is Matthew Head and I’m a writer from Surrey. Well, I say from Surrey – I was born in Kent, moved to London for a bit and then moved out to Surrey to live with my partner Andrew. I was born in the eighties, raised in the nineties and then I was inspired in the noughties during my time at university where I studied Theology.

Theology is quite possibly the most fascinating subject in the world. Sounds boring I know, sounds like church and everyone knows that church is boring. But it’s not like that at all. It’s packed full of myths and monsters, gods and goddesses – mad, bad, sad ones alive in stories which rival many blockbuster movies in terms of how epic they are. It doesn’t matter whether it’s all real or not – it’s the story that counts. Stories are beautiful because absolutely anything is possible within them. That’s why I love writing because I love the idea of contributing to that and creating stories. Stories that will make you cry, make you laugh, make you scared. Because I think there is some magic in writing – that simple words have the power to make us feel and react so strongly to them.

When I’m not writing or doing my day job then I really enjoy going out and exploring new places. I love going somewhere I’ve never been before, especially if there’s some history linked to the place. Old places are the best – the older the better. You just get this sense that so much has happened there, so many different people have come and gone and yet the place remains.

A few more random facts about me – my favourite pet is the humble goldfish, my favourite dinner is macaroni cheese, I love banana flavoured things but I strongly dislike bananas and the only real phobia I have is a phobia of frogs. Yeuch.

Web: www.chroniclesofdarkness.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheChroniclesOfDarkness

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chronofdarkness

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Chronofdarkness

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6536000.Matthew_Head

Excerpt ~ The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski

Posted: March 15, 2013 in Contemporary Romance, Cover Reveal, Excerpt, New Adult
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Enjoy this sneak peek into The Edge of Always by J. A. Redmerski.

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Author: J.A. Redmerski

Publisher: Hachette Book Group

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Expected release date: November 5, 2013

Pre-order on Amazon  |Pre-order on iTunes

                       

 

He was taking the long road. She was taking the road to nowhere. It just so happened that they led to the same place…

Five months ago, Camryn and Andrew, both dealing with personal hardships, met on a Greyhound bus. They fell in love and proved that when two people are meant to be together, fate will find a way to make it happen.

Now, in the highly anticipated sequel to THE EDGE OF NEVER, Camryn and Andrew are pursuing their love for music and living life to the fullest as they always swore to do. But when tragedy befalls them, their relationship is put to the ultimate test.

As Camryn tries to numb her pain, Andrew makes a bold decision: To get their life back on track, they’ll set out on another cross-country road trip. Together they find excitement, passion, adventure—and challenges they never could have anticipated.

Sexy. Daring. Dangerous. THE EDGE OF ALWAYS takes you on a ride you won’t forget .

THE EDGE OF ALWAYS Excerpt

Camryn shrieks and I start laughing as we dash away from the cows and toward the car.

“Awww, shiiiit!” I yell when I step in a huge pile of it.

Camryn cackles with laughter and we both practically stumble the rest of the way through the field, me trying to scrape the shit off the bottom of my shoe while running at the same time and Camryn’s flip-flops getting caught on the ground trying to keep up with her feet.

“I can’t believe that just happened!” Camryn laughs as we finally make it back to the car. She arches her body over forward and props her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

I’m out of breath, too, but I still relentlessly scrape the bottom of my shoe on the asphalt. “Dammit!” I say, rubbing my foot back and forth.

Camryn jumps up on the hood of the car, letting her legs hang over the front. “Can we finally say that we did it?” she asks with laughter in her voice.

I stand still finally and catch my breath. I look at her, at how beautiful and bright that smile of hers is and I say, “Yeah, babe, I think we can safely mark it off our list.”

“Good!” she says.

Then she points behind me. “Do it on the grass,” she says with one side of her mouth pinched into a hard line. “You’re just spreading it around doing it like that.”

I hop over into the grass and start rubbing my foot back and forth again. “Since when did you become an expert on shit?”

“Better watch your mouth,” she warns, getting into the driver’s seat.

“What are you going to do?” I taunt her.

She starts the Chevelle and revs the engine a few times pressing on the gas. There’s a cruel gleam in her eyes. She props her left arm across the top of the open window and next thing I know she’s driving slowly past me.

I give her the warning eye, but her grin just gets bigger.

“I know you won’t leave me here!” I shout as she goes past me.

Surely she wouldn’t….

She gets farther away and at first I call her bluff and just stand here, watching her get smaller and smaller…

Finally, I take off running after the car.

 

About the Author

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J.A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of THE EDGE OF NEVER lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Web Site

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Two Giveaways~Release Event for Grave Bound by T.R. Graves

Posted: March 2, 2013 in Adult Fiction, Excerpt, giveaways, Romance, Series, suspense
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Release Event Grave Bound 2

Welcome to my stop on the Release Event for Grave Bound organized by AToMR Tours .

Lets celebrate T.R. Graves’ brand new release.

For today, I have the beautiful book cover, the book description, an enticing excerpt and two giveaways!

Sounds like fun, so let’s get started.

GRAVE BOUND

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Title: Grave Bound (Secrets, #1)

Author: T. R. Graves

Release date: March 1, 2013

Genre:  Adult Contemporary

Age Group:  Adult  (17+ – profanity and sexual situations)

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Buy Links:  Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble

Book Description:

Some secrets follow you to the grave. Others send you there.

Emily Riddle has lived her entire life inside a patriarchal commune led by her father. There are many rules, but the most important one, ‘keep it in the commune’, is the most difficult for her to follow… especially since the only people willing to champion her cause live on the outside.

When Emily learns her father has promised her to Lorenzo, a perverted man who has plans for her that extend well beyond marriage and kids, she rebels. Regardless of the consequences, she refuses to marry someone who’d rather beat her than caress her.

A day of hooky that starts out as a tiny act of defiance – sneaking out of the commune for a swim – turns into a day filled with hope. After spending time with Levi, a man camping near the lake, she finds what true romance looks like and catches a glimpse into a future that’s filled with love and admiration rather than hate and submission.

That tiny peek is enough to change the course of Emily’s existence and makes it nearly impossible for her to go back to the commune and pretend she’ll ever be able to tolerate the life chosen for her instead of the life she longs for. One that includes Levi.

Fighting to escape the commune, its leaders, and her fiancé proves to be more dangerous than Emily expected. The secrets she knows, as the leader’s daughter, will either follow her to the grave or send her – and Levi – there.

Enjoy this excerpt

Levi

God dammit!

I fling the sleeping bag off. Then, I snatch the tent’s zipper open and run as fast as I can toward the forest in the same direction Emily went earlier. I have no idea where the fence’s hole is or the exact location of her house, but I’m determined to find it and her.

Emily

I hear Levi as he jerks the tent flap open, the twigs breaking under the weight of his all-out run, and his breath as it comes faster and faster. He meant what he said earlier, and he’s running to save me.

“Em… there’s no way for me to get there quick enough… I want you to tuck my cellphone… somewhere no one will know about it… I want to hear what’s going on… Do you understand me?” he says between breaths. The desperation in his voice frightens me more than I am already.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The newest round of beating on the front door causes my hands to shake, but I’m determined not to let that or my racing heart prevent me from doing what I need to do.

“Listen, Levi. You stay put. The last thing I need is for you to make your way into the fence and for Alex or Bobbi to catch you.”

“I’m coming, Emily. I don’t give a shit what they do to me.”

It’s my job to make him see reason. It’s my job to protect him. From himself.

“Just wait. I’ll have the phone with me. You’ll know if I need anything. If I do, you can call whoever you want. Okay?”

I can almost hear him as he slows. “All right, Em. I want you to talk loud enough for me to know what’s going on… Please.”

“I will. I promise.”

BANG! BANG! BANG!

This round of knocks is so powerful I think the door’s hinges might actually break.

Giveaway

I have one e-book copy of Grave Bound to giveaway.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question:

“Have you ever been in a situation where you had to choose between what you were supposed to do and what you wanted to do?”

E-book giveaway ends March 11th.

If a winner does not have an e-reader, they can can download the Kindle app for FREE to their computer or iPad.

Check this out!

Author March Release Giveaway: The author is also running a Release Giveaway of her own the entire month of March. The rafflecopter giveaway:

 (1) Michael Kors Stainless Steel Unisex Watch

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Click on the rafllecopter link below to enter.

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~

About the Author

Image of T. R. Graves

The author of The Warrior and the Secret series—currently available—and the Moral Dilemma and the Underwater series—to be released in 2013/2014.

She lives in Texas with her husband, their nineteen-year-old daughter, and nine-year-old son. Besides being blessed with a supportive family, she counts her career as an administrator and registered nurse in not-for-profit hospitals among her most fulfilling accomplishments. T.R. Graves’s Books: Warriors of the Cross (Warrior, #1) Guardians of the Cross (Warrior, #2) Enemies of the Cross (Warrior, #3)

Underground (Secrets, #2) – Late Summer 2013 Dark Angels of the Cross (Warrior, #4)– Fall 2013

Worth Dying For (Underwater, #1) – 2013/2014

Worth Living For (Underwater, #2) – 2013/2014

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Reveal ~ Shattered Edge by A.M. Hargrove

Posted: February 8, 2013 in Cover Reveal, Excerpt, Humor, Mytery/Thriller, New Release, Romance, suspense
Tags: , , ,
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Yummy! Yummy! I can’t wait to read the newest release from A.M. Hargrove!

Feast your eyes on this!

Shattered Edge

Description

Their trial relationship was meant to last six months, but things didn’t quite work out the way they planned…

Justin Middleton, who has left a string of broken hearts across the state of South Carolina, has only one thing on his mind, and that’s winning Terri Mitchell’s heart in six months. That’s all the time she’s given him…six short months.  If he can’t do it by then, they’ll go their separate ways.

Terri Mitchell knows she’s lost her mind when she even suggested this harebrained scheme.  She finally thinks her heart is on the mend from her past encounter with Justin. However, when he shows up at her house late one night looking deliciously sexy and irresistible, her iron will to fight him vanishes and the words tumble from her lips before she’s barely aware of what she’s done.

Within weeks, both of them find themselves passionately involved, but when Terri’s brother, Preston, shows up, mysterious things begin to happen, turning their blissful world into something dark and dangerous.

Excerpt

Terri

My best friend was getting married in ten minutes. I was about to walk down the aisle as her maid of honor and I’d never been so nervous in my entire life. My palms were pretty much dripping water and I only hoped my dress wasn’t stained beneath my arms, because I was sure that about right now I was having massive antiperspirant failure. I had practiced walking in these shoes for two solid weeks at physical therapy. My therapists had convinced me (I actually made them pinky swear to me) that I could do this. At this moment I was quite certain that they had fed me some boldfaced lies. I knew when I took my first few steps, that I would stumble, then my bad leg would give out, and I would go rolling instead of walking down that aisle.

Crap in a handbasket!

I looked at Tana, the wedding director, and she nodded, signaling it was my turn. My grip tightened on my bouquet of fresh cut flowers. I was surprised the damn stems weren’t crushed by now. No doubt my fingers would be green by the time the ceremony was over.

My left foot went out, followed by my right. Okay, I had this. I repeated this mantra…left, right, left, right, until I was up at the altar and taking my place next to the spot where Lexi would stand.

I smiled and I’m sure it reached my ears, because I swear I could feel my earrings tickling my cheeks. Then I forgot the promise I made to myself. I totally blanked out because I was so excited about the stupid fact that I had made it down the aisle without looking gimpy. I let my eyes wander across the altar and damn if they didn’t land directly on him.

Shiz!

He looked like the dude in the Ralph Lauren Polo ad…tall dark and alluring. Dressed in a black tux, he was perfect. Justin Middleton, brother of the groom and best man…my heartbreaking nemesis.  I suppose nemesis is relatively harsh, but heartbreaker isn’t. I had dreaded this day now for months. I should be happy for Lexi…she’d been my bestie since freshman year at UVA. But I was pulling the selfish card today. I tried not to, but everything I did was useless. I pasted a smile back on my face and jerked my head to the back of the church so I could watch Lexi walk down the aisle.

Damn, that girl looked gorgeous. Her dress was really something. I’d never seen a bride where anything close to that. Originality…pure and simple. Her dress had an illusion neckline, making it appear sleeveless and off the shoulders, when it actually had sheer fabric that afforded a boat neckline. The dress was fitted and had fabric beads sewn onto it until it hit mid thigh where it was covered in layers of chiffon and stiff ribbon, giving it a totally off the charts look. And she was getting married in the church every Charlestonian would give their left hand…hell their right hand too…to get married in. St. Phillips was the church on every Charleston postcard ever made. You had to be connected to get married there. And the Middletons were certainly connected. Hell, they were Charleston. South of Broad, blue blooded born and bred. Lexi sure lucked out here.

And Pearce…didn’t he look yummy? Not nearly as yummy as Justin, but girls all over South Carolina would be grieving today because one of the most eligible bachelors, not to mention one of the wealthiest, was getting hitched.  Once again, Lexi sure lucked out. But if anyone deserved it, Lexi did.

Now, I sure wish the show could get a move on, because I would love for this thing to get the hell over with. I only had enough plastic smiles to last for a certain amount of time and once they ran out, I was gonna have to hit the road.  I hated to be so snarky about this, but I couldn’t stand around with this happy assed face when I was cracking to pieces on the inside.

The happy couple said their vows and damn it all, I started crying. Thank God the Tana gave us a list with a bag at the rehearsal last night, which included waterproof mascara and eyeliner, or I would’ve looked like Rocky raccoon, resident maid of honor and side kick to Bullwinkle. Yeah, this was gonna be fun.

Now, I had to look forward to picture time and more plastic smiles. I pulled up my bootstraps and watched as Lexi and Pearce walked down the aisle as Dr. and Mrs. Middleton. Oh good lord, they looked so happy. I really couldn’t help the true smile that formed then, because looking at them made me believe in it all…their love was nothing short of bursting from them.

I heard a throat clearing and looked up to see Justin waiting with his arm bent. I’d been so engrossed in watching the happy couple, I’d forgotten I had to walk arm in arm with him.

Well, isn’t this a crap storm?

I didn’t have time to prepare myself. When I put my hand on his arm, I felt the jolt all the way to my toes. I forced myself to look at my feet, when all I wanted to do was to fall into his eyes…his perfectly gorgeous eyes. Lexi always called Pearce, Smoky Eyes, because he had gray eyes. Well, Justin’s were gray too, but his were the color of the sea, right before a storm hit. Deep, dark bluish gray and every time I looked at them I was pulled into their depths…just like I would imagine the sea as it would call to me.  Mysterious, with things unknown lurking below the surface. That was Justin. Beautiful and sometimes frightening because he made me feel things I’d never felt before.

He leaned his tall frame down to my smaller one so he could whisper to me, “You were perfect when you walked down the aisle, Terri. You made me proud.”

That caused my head to jerk up. I shouldn’t have done that because my eyes landed right on his. And there I was, falling into them…deeply, dramatically, and yes, painfully.

“God, you’re beautiful.” Three simple words that nearly made me cry. I felt my lower lip tremble, but forced myself to smile instead.

“Thanks. You clean up pretty good yourself,” my voice trembled.

He smiled and it felt like someone lifted all the blinds and curtains in the church. The light just entered and blazed around him. He was that kind of beautiful. I knew I needed to get away from him. That’s the sort of effect he had on me.

Suddenly, I was back there again…last March.

“Ms. Mitchell, we’re taking you into surgery. You were in a car accident and your leg was broken. We’re going to fix you right up.”

Car accident? Where was Justin? Was he okay? Surgery? The next thing I knew I woke up again in a room and there were my mom and dad.

Several surgeries later, that damn wheelchair, physical therapy and Justin…Justin. God, why couldn’t I forget him? Things had been moving along so well until that wreck. All those surgeries and he couldn’t stop blaming himself. And then Lexi catching him with those two girls and my heart nearly breaking. Yeah, my leg had been broken and I’d been left with a twisted mass of scars, but my heart was the one that felt more damaged.

We reached the back of the church and were whisked off to the side by Tana and the photographer to where pictures would be taken. I was hoping they could put this thing on fast forward, get to the reception, have a little face time with Lexi and get the heck outta Dodge. That was my plan anyway.

Picture after picture and tons of pasted smiles later (I hope Lex didn’t shoot my ass when she saw these pictures), we finally hopped in the limos and left for the reception at the Charleston Yacht and Harbor Club.

I mingled with some of the guests, and made my way around to chat with Lexi and Pearce for a while, but before long, the throbbing in my leg and the aches and pains, had me hunting a chair. I spied one back in the corner so I walked, or at least gave my best imitation of one, over to it and blew out a huge puff of air when the weight left that leg. I was happy Lexi had approved the long dresses that we wore since they hid the scars that covered my disfigured limb. I absently rubbed it, like I often did, wishing for a huge bag of ice.  They ought to invent Spanx you could cram an ice bag into for people like me. Maybe I could join forces with the Spanx lady and we could come out with Spanx on Ice. I bet those professional ice skaters would love that! We could even make a version for hockey players.

“You must have something terrifically funny on your mind by the look on your face.”

That voice of his made me want to strip off every thread of clothing and run naked through the streets yelling, “Take me, take me!” Crap! What kind of sexy did that man have working?

“I guess so. I was thinking about a joint venture with the Spanx lady.  We could call it Spanx on Ice.”

“What?” he asked, bewilderment clouding his eyes.

“You know…for my leg.”

“Oh.” He smiled, nodded and acted like he was with me. I knew better from his odd expression.  He didn’t get it at all.

“Do you even know what Spanx are?”

“No clue.”

I burst out laughing. “Never mind then. They’re something no man should ever know about.”

“Hmm, now I’m intrigued.”

“Oh God! Don’t be.” The last thing I needed was for Justin Middleton to see me in a pair of Spanx.

Mother of God save me now!

This sounds like another great story from A.M. Hargrove! Mark your calendar. Shattered Edge is due to be released on Valentine’s Day!

You can read about Lexi and Pearce in Edge of Disaster.

Edge of Disaster

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Description

Alexia Hammond, broken and destroyed by a tragedy she can’t seem to recover from, is on a downward spiral toward destruction. A life of partying, alcohol, drugs and men has brought her near the edge of disaster. That is until one night while at work as a waitress in an upscale restaurant, she falls under the spell of one of her customers, Pearce Middleton. Once she gazes into his smoky gray eyes, her life takes on new meaning. But can she put her past behind her and allow herself to fall for the exciting and gorgeous Pearce, or will her lewd behavior come back to haunt her and ruin her chances of happiness forever?

Teaser

He had a perfectly beautiful smile on his face and I couldn’t help but smile back.
“What?” he asked.
“What what?” I tried to deflect his question.
“What’s that look about?”
“Oh, I didn’t realize I had a look.” Now only one corner of his mouth turned up. I wanted to sit on his lap and run my fingers through his hair and kiss that corner of his mouth.
“What?”
“What? Me?”
“Yeah you. You had a look on your face.”
I was grinning from ear to ear while reading this part. Loving every minute of this book! And the cover art. Whoa!!

I’ve just finished reading this and will be posting my review soon!

I can’t decide which cover I love more! How about you?

For all things A.M. Hargrove go here.

A.M. Hargrove

A Song for Julia ~ Giveaway

Posted: February 5, 2013 in Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways, New Adult
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21

I had to join this tour organized by AToMR

The cover art for A Song for Julia is fantastic and the excerpt hooked me good!

Cover600x900 song for julia

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Title: A Song for Julia

Author: Charles Sheehan-Miles

Release date: December 15, 2012

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Buy Links:

Amazon

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

Apple

Book Description

Everyone should have something to rebel against.

Crank Wilson left his South Boston home at sixteen to start a punk band and burn out his rage at the world. Six years later, he’s still at odds with his father, a Boston cop, and doesn’t ever speak to his mother. The only relationship that really matters is with his younger brother, but watching out for Sean can be a full-time job.

The one thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success.

Julia Thompson left a secret behind in Beijing that exploded into scandal in Washington, DC, threatening her father’s career and dominating her family’s life. Now, in her senior year at Harvard, she’s haunted by a voice from her past and refuses to ever lose control of her emotions again, especially when it comes to a guy.

When Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war protest in Washington in the fall of 2002, the connection between them is so powerful it threatens to tear everything apart.

Excerpt

It was funny, I thought, as we paid the bill and left the restaurant. Crank was … different. Easy to be around, and he made me laugh. But I was never going to see him after tonight, and that made me kind of sad. For a brief second, I thought of seeing him when we got back to Boston, but seriously? Bad idea. My life didn’t have room for someone like Crank. And from what he’d said, his didn’t have room either. This was all a little off-key, out of place, almost as if it was someone else out to dinner with him, and I was playing a role. I almost never go out with guys. And I never let my emotions get ahead of my brain.

But tonight, as we tried to wave down a cab to head toward Georgetown, I was feeling a little out of control. The way his shirt gathered around his arms, the easy strength in them, the easy grin … I was attracted to him in a way I hadn’t been with anyone in a long time.

I’ve never liked feeling out of control. Not like that. I’d gone there once, head over heels in love, and it did so much damage to my life I didn’t think I’d ever recover. No way I’d ever go there again. Whatever else happened, I was in control of my life. No one else. Certainly not some formless emotion and lust that can take away who you even are. I was fourteen when it happened, almost eight years ago, and the consequences and damage were beyond anything I could have conceived. What I learned was this: letting myself be at the mercy of hormones and brain chemicals and emotions can be deadly.

A cab pulled up, and we got in. I thought of tossing away caution and telling him I wanted to go home with him. One night wouldn’t be so dangerous. One night could be okay. One night could be free and fun and not go anywhere.

The cab driver took a hard right turn, accelerating to get through the light before it changed, and in the process I was pushed across the back seat toward Crank. He put his arm around me, an automatic reaction I’m sure, but I stayed there.

“You all right?” he asked.

“Fine!” I said. “Where are we going, anyway?”

“No idea. Aren’t there a bunch of clubs in Georgetown?”

“I think so. I didn’t get out much when I lived in the area.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Why not? Don’t take offense, but you seem like you were probably one of the popular girls.”

“You couldn’t be more wrong. What makes you think that?” I asked, giving him a challenging stare.

“First impressions, I guess. You still look very professional in that outfit, kind of preppy. Sexy as hell.”

I’m not a blushy sort of girl, but that made me blush. “It’s not exactly club attire, is it? But I don’t want to take the time to go back and change.”

“No worries, Julia. It’s just us, anyway.”

I swallowed and then leaned against him. What had gotten into me?

Lust. That was the only explanation. I could feel the hard muscle of his shoulders and thighs pressing against me, and my body was responding to that—no matter what my mind said.

The cab came to a halt, and the driver muttered something. I leaned forward. Nothing but red tail lights ahead of us for blocks.

“What’s going on?” Crank asked.

“Construction,” the driver said. “Bad. You want me to let you out here?” He looked anxious to dump us out of the cab as soon as possible, to avoid being stuck in the westbound traffic.

I took a breath. My chest was tight, my whole body tense. I rubbed my hands on my skirt, closed my eyes and thought, Screw it. I can do this. It’s just one night, anyway.

“Do you want to…” he asked, just as I started to say, “Let’s …”

We both stopped, and he laughed.

“You go first,” he said.

I bit my lip, and I could feel my cheeks heating up again. “I was going to say …” and my voice trailed off.

“You were going to say?”

He grinned. It was a crooked grin, the left side of his mouth slightly higher than the right, and it made me want to melt into my seat and pull him right after me.

I took a breath and closed my eyes. “I was going to say, where are you staying?”

I kept my eyes closed another fifteen seconds or more. And, let me tell you, fifteen seconds is a long, long time. Finally I opened them, and he was looking at me with an expression I couldn’t interpret. For someone who was always joking, always making snide remarks, he looked serious. Too serious. More serious than I was comfortable with. I didn’t need serious in my life.

I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, then he said, “I’m at some dump in Arlington. Sharing a room with Mark.”

“Oh,” I said, my voice unnaturally tense.

“What about you?” he asked. He spoke very slowly, carefully.

“Um … my parents have a condo in Bethesda. I was planning on heading back there tonight.”

“I don’t want to say goodbye,” he said.

I couldn’t get control of my breathing. I felt lightheaded. Out of control. “Come back to my place.”

He titled his head, leaned close and whispered, “Are you sure?”

I found myself chewing on my lower lip again. “Yes.”

I dropped my eyes and leaned forward, putting my hand on the back of the taxi driver’s seat. “Can you take us to Bethesda instead? Wisconsin Avenue and Montgomery.”

Suddenly it was quiet in the cab. Tense, awkward. I couldn’t believe I’d done this. I did not do one-night stands. But here I was, half-hyperventilating, with this guy I’d only known for eight hours sitting beside me in the cab. And I guess if it was just for now that was fine, but what if he wanted to see me again? What if he wanted to date? What if?

I didn’t think I could handle that.

This was so stupid. Things were so much easier with Willard, before I broke up with him. I was always in control. There was no passion there, true. There wasn’t anything there. But it was comfortable. Easy. I wasn’t afraid.

Crank, though: he made me afraid.

The cab cleared the traffic and turned up at Massachusetts Avenue, and we were speeding out of downtown DC.

“You’re awfully quiet now,” Crank said.

I looked at him, and his eyes were boring into mine, intense, probing.

“Having second thoughts?” he asked. “It’s okay.”

I leaned a little closer. “No. Just … it’s just tonight. We don’t see each other again. We don’t call each other in Boston. We don’t … anything. Okay? We enjoy each other’s company tonight, and then we’re done.”

He stared at me, surprised. And … his face looked disappointed. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing once in his throat. “I don’t know why, but that’s … not what I expected.”

“Don’t get expectations. Not with me.”

He shook his head. “Usually I’m the one who says things like that.”

The cab came to a halt, and he paid it, and we were out on the street. A cool wind blew through the streets of downtown Bethesda, and traffic rolled by us. I took his hand and walked to the entrance of the high-rise, swiped my access card to unlock the front door, and we walked into the lobby.

The night concierge was sitting at the counter, watching a small television. She looked up briefly, gave us a casual wave and went back to her show. Good. If it had been the day concierge, my appearance with Crank would have been reported back to my parents by morning.

We waited in silence for the elevator. The bell when it arrived on the ground floor was loud.

“Nice place,” he said. “Fancy.”

“My parents bought it a few years back when we were living in the area.” I didn’t want to talk about the year I’d lived with my parents here. I didn’t want to think about it. If there’d been any other place I could have taken him, I would have. I didn’t like having this crazy, free moment mixed with my past.

We stepped into the elevator. It rose, quickly, to the top floor. He followed me down the hall, and we stopped at the door while I fumbled for keys. I was shaking with anxiety, nervousness. The weight of this place made me want to scream. But not enough to push him away.

I unlocked the door and opened it, then started to step in. My heart was thumping in my chest, and my throat was tight. Not just because of him. Because of this place. I had no good memories here. Even with the lights still out, looking inside this condo, which I’d stepped foot in only a few times since the day I graduated high school, shook me to the core and made my skin crawl.

I shuddered and then turned back toward him when he didn’t come inside. He gave me a speculative, questioning look. As if he were curious about me, about who I was.

But that wasn’t any of his business.

“What?” I asked.

“You don’t want to see me again,” he said.

I did. But I shook my head no.

“You don’t sleep with guys unless you’re serious with them,” he said.

“I don’t have room for serious in my life.”

He stepped close and brushed my lips with his, then spoke in a low tone. “I want you to be serious about me,” he said. “I can get a girl to sleep with me any time. But there’s something different about you.”

I stared into his eyes. He meant what he was saying. We’d only known each other for a few hours, but I felt a connection too, even if it was only lust. I wanted him. Right now. I felt my breath speed up as I started to speak, “I …”

“Julia,” he interrupted. “I’d love to get to know you better,” he said. “But I’m not going to sleep with you. Good night.”

Then, unbelievably, he leaned forward and kissed me again. Slow. Our tongues just made contact. Wet and warm. Hungry. I wanted to whimper, pull him inside, but he turned and slowly walked back down the hall until he was out of sight.

I just stood there and watched him go, and part of me, a huge part of me, wanted to run after him. But I still remembered.

I remembered what it was like to have a hot, sexy, charismatic guy want me. I remembered what it was like to lose control, to feel that rush of emotion. To be overwhelmed.

I remembered what it was like to have my heart torn out, to have my dreams smashed, to be bleeding and lost in the back streets of Beijing. To have scandal nearly tear my family apart.

No matter how much I might have wanted this guy: I couldn’t go back there. Not now. Not ever. If it wasn’t going to happen for just tonight, it wasn’t going to happen at all.

So, I walked in the condo and closed and locked the door. I didn’t turn on the lights. I didn’t want to see the inside of this place. Instead, I made my way to the couch and lay down, alone.

I didn’t cry. Not here. Never again.

Giveaway

I have one copy of A Song for Julia to give away (mobi or epub).

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question, “Is it easier to break up with someone or to have them break up with you?”

Giveaway ends Feb. 15th.

Thank you and Good Luck!

About the Author

author_photo song for julia

Charles Sheehan-Miles has been a soldier, computer programmer, short-order cook and non-profit executive. He is the author of several books, including the indie bestsellers Just Remember to Breathe and Republic: A Novel of America’s Future.

Author social media links:

https://www.facebook.com/CharlesSheehanMiles

Fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/384693288275181/

https://twitter.com/CSheehanMiles

Website: http://www.sheehanmiles.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/415636.Charles_Sheehan_Miles

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Teaser Tuesday #7 RAPTURE

Posted: January 15, 2013 in Action/Adventure, angels, apocalypse, Dark Fantasy, Excerpt, horror, otherworldly, Paranormal or fantasy, Series, suspense, Teaser Tuesdays
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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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My teaser for today is from Rapture by Phillip W. Simpson

Rapture (Rapture Trilogy, #1)

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I watched when Noah loaded up the Ark.I watched what became of those who were left behind. The misery, the anger, the terror. Some things don’t change. Take these times for instance. Humans knew He would return at some point – in fact, some of you even tried to predict his return – and yet most did nothing about it. Carried on living their lives, murdering, stealing, cheating. Fighting wars, killing innocents. He tried to warn you. Think about the amount of natural disasters that have occurred in the last few years. Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, flooding, plague and pestilence. Animals mysteriously dying in their thousands. No-one paid any attention, and now look what’s happened to them. Chapter 5, pg.59

 Feathery wings arched above her shoulders, their pale luminescence immune to the moon’s light. Chapter 3, pg.31

This is the first book in the series and  I’ll tell you right now, I’m going to read them all!

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More of Bella Andre and The Sullivans

Posted: January 12, 2013 in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways, Series
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Novel Publicity has put together this wonderful tour featuring the amazing Bella Andre. Get to know The Sullivans and enter to win some awesome prizes!

From This Moment On (The Sullivans, #2)

Enjoy the following excerpt for FROM THIS MOMENT ON…

Marcus Sullivan was known for his patience. After helping to raise his seven siblings, he’d learned to wait out tantrums, fistfights, even tears.

But tonight, he was all out of patience.

He’d come to the club tonight to find a woman, to proposition her, to claim her for one no-holds-barred night, but he’d been watching the dancers for long enough to know that he wasn’t going to take a single one of them to bed. None of the women who’d walked in through the thick red curtain in the past thirty minutes had been contenders, either.

Until, suddenly, the curtain parted…and she walked in.

Marcus felt like a fist had slammed straight into his gut.

The woman was young, mid-twenties probably, and so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. Her black leather dress left nothing to his imagination, fitting her like a second skin with wide cut-outs that ran down the side of her insane curves.

She was the one.

As she stood in the doorway and slowly scanned the crowd, every eye in the room was on her. She was magnetic, had that special something that made it impossible to pull your eyes away from her.

And then her eyes met his, illuminated by a beam of light in the dark room, and although Marcus hadn’t drunk nearly enough at Chase’s engagement party to be unsteady on his feet, one look at those clear blue eyes had him fighting for balance.

What was wrong with him?

He needed to remember, at all times, what tonight was about. Pleasure. Not emotion. Not a relationship. It was okay for certain parts of his body below the waist to react like a match had been lit from nothing more than looking at the woman. Everything else was off-limits. He wasn’t looking for a woman to respect.

And he definitely wasn’t going to fall in love.

The dangerous curves began to shift beneath the thin layer of leather as she moved straight toward him, never once breaking stride, even in impossibly high heels. Marcus couldn’t miss the challenge in her gaze, a look that asked if he was man enough to handle her.

He’d always liked his women tall and slim, not barely coming up to his chest like this one. A voice in his head told him she was way too young for him, young enough that if this were any other night, he’d walk away from her now.

But he wasn’t planning on walking away from whatever this woman offered. Not until first light.

And definitely not until he’d had his fill of those curves.

 

…Excerpt from FROM THIS MOMENT ON by Bella Andre ©2012.

Can't Help Falling In Love (The Sullivans, #3)

Enjoy the following excerpt for CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE…

Gabe Sullivan’s captain, Todd, stepped into the room.

“How’re you feeling, Gabe?”

“Good, Captain.”

He moved to sit up straighter on the bed and Todd shook his head. “You’re fine just like that. I know your skull must hurt like hell.” He nodded back to the doorway. “Are you ready to see Ms. Harris and her daughter, Summer?”

No, he thought, he’d be better off never seeing those eyes again.

He’d thought about Megan and her daughter one too many times for comfort. Not just because he was reviewing the rescue, trying to look for what he could have done differently, to have gotten them out faster and more safely—but because he hadn’t been able to forget her strength, how hard she’d fought to stay conscious, and what a fighter she’d been every single second of the harrowing journey from her burning apartment.

Still, he understood that fire victims often felt compelled to say thank you to the men who had saved them. Especially in a case like this, where they’d just barely held death at bay.

“Sure.” He began to nod, but a sharp shooting pain stopped him halfway into the movement.

Catching his grimace, Todd said, “I’ll ask Megan and her daughter to come back later.”

Her name fit her, Gabe had found himself thinking one too many times. Megan was pretty and strong all at the same time. It would be better to think of her as Ms. Harris. Although, he had to wonder, was there a husband? And if so, where had he been during the fire and why wasn’t he here with them now?

“No,” he said, “it’ll be better if I see them now.”

She’d say thank you, he’d tell her he was happy to see her and her daughter doing so well, and that would be that. No more being haunted by her eyes, by the surprising strength she’d shown him as she’d crawled on the floor of her apartment and down the stairs.

A couple of minutes later, Todd walked back in with the mother and daughter. Ignoring the pain in his head, Gabe sat up higher and forced a smile on his face.

And then, his eyes locked with Megan’s and his smile froze in place.

My God, he found himself thinking before he could shove the thought away, she’s beautiful.

The last time he’d seen her face it had been through a thick haze of dark smoke and the knowledge that one wrong move meant their lives were over. Her eyes were just as big and pretty, her limbs looked as lean and strong as they had when he’d been helping to move her along the floor, but now he could see the softness in her, the sweet curves of her breasts and hips in her T-shirt and jeans. He couldn’t stop staring at the startling green of her eyes, the silky dark hair falling across her shoulders, and the way her pretty young daughter was a carbon copy of her, the only difference their hair color, one dark, one light.

She seemed just as stunned as he and for a long moment, the two of them just stared at each other in silence until her daughter ran over to him and threw her arms around him.

..Excerpt from CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE by Bella Andre ©2012.

fall in love

The Sullivans are on tour with Novel Publicity. Follow along for your chance to win amazing prizes. We’ve got special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards. WOW!

You’ll also get introduced to this amazing contemporary romance series via excerpts as well as interviews with and guest posts from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Bella Andre. You’ll definitely want to learn more about the family that has captured the world’s heart.

All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!

To Win the Prizes:

  1. Purchase any of the Sullivan ebooks by Bella Andre for just $4.99 (optional)
  2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity (go here)
  3. Visit today’s featured social media event (that’s where the HUGE prizes are)

About The Sullivans: In this sexy, emotional and funny contemporary romance series, each member of the Sullivan family will eventually find true love…usually where he or she least expects it.

Get the eBooks via Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, the iBookStore, or the Kobo Store.

Audiobooks are also available for the first five in the series (with more coming soon). Plus, keep an eye out for paperback editions coming from Harlequin Romance starting Summer 2013.

All Sullivan Covers

Bella Andre_1About the Author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she’d found her perfect career. Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they’ll love forever, nearly all of her novels have appeared on Top 10 lists at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo.

Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into nine languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her “One of the top digital writers in America” and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has given the keynote speech at Book Expo America on her self-publishing success and has sold more than one million books.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

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Come Fall in Love with The Sullivans and Win Big!!

Posted: January 7, 2013 in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Excerpt, giveaways, Romance, Series
Tags: , , , ,
6

Sullivan Tour Badge
fall in love

The Sullivans are on tour with Novel Publicity. Follow along for your chance to win amazing prizes. We’ve got special romantic swag baskets for each book, an iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and Kobo eReader, and Amazon and iTunes gift cards. WOW!

You’ll also get introduced to this amazing contemporary romance series via excerpts as well as interviews with and guest posts from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Bella Andre. You’ll definitely want to learn more about the family that has captured the world’s heart.

All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!

To Win the Prizes:

  1. Purchase any of the Sullivan ebooks by Bella Andre for just $4.99 (optional)
  2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity (go here)
  3. Visit today’s featured social media event (that’s where the HUGE prizes are)

About The Sullivans: In this sexy, emotional and funny contemporary romance series, each member of the Sullivan family will eventually find true love…usually where he or she least expects it.

Get the eBooks via Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, the iBookStore, or the Kobo Store.

Audiobooks are also available for the first five in the series (with more coming soon). Plus, keep an eye out for paperback editions coming from Harlequin Romance starting Summer 2013.

All Sullivan Covers

Bella Andre_1About the Author: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started writing her first romance novel, she knew she’d found her perfect career. Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they’ll love forever, nearly all of her novels have appeared on Top 10 lists at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo.

Her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into nine languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her “One of the top digital writers in America” and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. She has given the keynote speech at Book Expo America on her self-publishing success and has sold more than one million books.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

And now let’s get to know about The Sullivans

The Look of Love (The Sullivans, #1)

Enjoy the following excerpt for THE LOOK OF LOVE…

Chase almost missed the flickering light off on the right side of the two-lane country road. In the past thirty minutes, he hadn’t passed a single car, because on a night like this, most sane Californians—who didn’t know the first thing about driving safely in inclement weather—stayed home.

Knowing better than to slam on the brakes—he wouldn’t be able to help whomever was stranded on the side of the road if he ended up stuck in the muddy ditch right next to them—Chase slowed down enough to see that there was definitely a vehicle stuck in the ditch.

He turned his brights on to see better in the pouring rain and realized there was a person walking along the edge of the road about a hundred yards up ahead. Obviously hearing his car approach, she turned to face him and he could see her long wet hair whipping around her shoulders in his headlights.

Wondering why she wasn’t just sitting in her car, dry and warm, calling Triple A and waiting for them to come save her, he pulled over to the edge of his lane and got out to try and help her. She was shivering as she watched him approach.

“Are you hurt?”

She covered her cheek with one hand, but shook her head. “No.”

He had to move closer to hear her over the sound of the water hitting the pavement in what were rapidly becoming hailstones. Even though he’d turned his headlights off, as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, he was able to get a better look at her face.

Something inside of Chase’s chest clenched tight.

Despite the long, dark hair plastered to her head and chest, regardless of the fact that looking like a drowned rat wasn’t too far off the descriptive mark, her beauty stunned him.

In an instant, his photographer’s eye cataloged her features. Her mouth was a little too big, her eyes a little too wide-set on her face. She wasn’t even close to model thin, but given the way her T-shirt and jeans stuck to her skin, he could see that she wore her lush curves well. In the dark he couldn’t judge the exact color of her hair, but it looked like silk, perfectly smooth and straight where it lay over her breasts.

It wasn’t until Chase heard her say, “My car is definitely hurt, though,” that he realized he had completely lost the thread of what he’d come out here to do.

Knowing he’d been drinking her in like he was dying of thirst, he worked to recover his balance. He could already see he’d been right about her car. It didn’t take a mechanic like his brother, Zach, who owned an auto shop—more like forty, but Chase had stopped counting years ago—to see that her shitty hatchback was borderline totaled. Even if the front bumper wasn’t half smashed to pieces by the white farm fence she’d slid into, her bald tires weren’t going to get any traction on the mud. Not tonight, anyway.

If her car had been in a less precarious situation, he probably would have sent her to hang out  in her car while he took care of getting it unstuck. But one of her back tires was hanging precariously over the edge of the ditch.

He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Get in my car. We can wait there for a tow truck.” He was vaguely aware of his words coming out like an order, but the hail was starting to sting, damn it. Both of them needed to get out of the rain before they froze.

But the woman didn’t move. Instead, she gave him a look that said he was a complete and utter nut-job.

“I’m not getting into your car.”

Realizing just how frightening it must be for a lone woman to end up stuck and alone in the middle of a dark road, Chase took a step back from her. He had to speak loudly enough for her to hear him over the hail.

“I’m not going to attack you. I swear I won’t do anything to hurt you.”

She all but flinched at the word attack and Chase’s radar started buzzing. He’d never been a magnet for troubled women, wasn’t the kind of guy who thrived on fixing wounded birds. But living with two sisters for so many years meant he could always tell when something was up.

And something was definitely up with this woman, beyond the fact that her car was half-stuck in a muddy ditch.

Wanting to make her feel safe, he held his hands up. “I swear on my father’s grave, I’m not going to hurt you. It’s okay to get into my car.” When she didn’t immediately say no again, he pressed his advantage with, “I just want to help you.” And he did. More than it made sense to want to help a stranger. “Please,” he said. “Let me help you.”

She stared at him for a long moment, hail hammering between them, around them, onto them. Chase found himself holding his breath, waiting for her decision. It shouldn’t matter to him what she decided.

But, for some strange reason, it did.

…Excerpt from THE LOOK OF LOVE by Bella Andre ©2012.

The Sullivans have come to stay for a while on fuonlyknew! For the next two weeks I’ll be bringing you more excerpts from The Sullivans Series along with guest posts and interviews.There’ll be lots of yummy romance and awesome characters!

*Don’t forget to enter for some fabulous prizes!

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