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Archive for the ‘Excerpt’ Category

My Only Friend, The End By Steven Owad ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: December 13, 2024 in apocalypse, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: giveaway, post-apocalyptic

My Only Friend, the End

by Steven Owad

Publication date: December 2nd 2024
Genres: Adult, Literary Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic

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Everyone in town has dropped dead.

Maybe everyone everywhere has.

Surviving the flash extinction was easy.

The hard part—living alone—starts now.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

I spent the next two days nursing a chill fever and watching the fires engulf pockets of the city—more slowly than you might expect, with prodigious walls of steam wherever fire met the Missouri floodwaters. Despite the vivid show, there was something anticlimactic about the way the town died so gradually after everyone in it had died so fast.

The amoxicillin and painkillers aided the convalescence, but they did nothing for my mental health. Whether awake or asleep, I obsessed over my wife and son. I also immersed myself in a sea of questions that had no answers, questions that begat other questions, borne of illness of the body and mind. Some of the more obvious ones:

What to do now? Go find survivors? Stay here and make sure I’m visible when the National Guard comes?

Some were darker: Did Ronnie and Evan suffer, or did everyone everywhere really drop dead at the same time?

The biggest question of all, which I asked myself every few minutes: What the hell happened?

And that question’s obvious cousin: Why didn’t it happen to me?

A fact that ruled out positive answers: No rescuers had come to the aid of the 60,000 souls of Great Falls, Montana. This, combined with the death of all radio signals from near and far, told me this plague or, I don’t know, supercharged virus or whatever had a potentially planet-wide scope. But since I was alive, other people were alive too, right? At the very least another skydiver. A deep-sea diver. Someone who was immune to this … to this what? Was it a virus? Bioterrorism? How could it kill the people on the ground and the people in my plane but spare me? Did my high-speed fall—115 miles per hour—was that what saved me? My unique movement within a certain pocket of air pressure shielded me from a blast from an otherwise apocalyptic pathogen or radiation pulse or microwave beam? If so, were other jumpers still breathing? Or climbers up on Everest? How about miners and spelunkers and sailors in submarines? I couldn’t be the only one left.

About Author Steven Owad:

Steven Owad is an award-winning writer and editor living in Calgary, Canada. His novels have been praised in publications such as Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Kirkus Reviews, and his stage plays have been produced in theaters throughout North America. In his previous life as a newspaper editor, Steven lived in Thailand and Poland, where he begged journalists not to use “impact” as a verb. Before that, there was a degree in English, with a lot of thousand-page Victorian novels. These days shorter modern novels and plays are more his speed. Steven loves the outdoors when there’s no risk of frostbite. Connect with him on Facebook or at stevenowad.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Dying For The Past by Tj O’Connor ~ Review And Giveaway

Posted: December 12, 2024 in Cozy Mystery, Excerpt, giveaways, reviews
Tags: cozy mystery, giveaway, review

THE DEAD DETECTIVE CASEFILES

by Tj O’Connor

October 28 – December 13, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

DYING TO KNOW

Detective Oliver Tucker’s dead—murdered—and back as an earth-bound spirit to help his wife, Professor Angela Tucker, crack the most important case of his life—his own. But, this is not a ghost story; it’s a murder case. Tuck knows why he is back among the living but not one of them—Detective Solve Thyself. Perhaps he was murdered because of his last case—a murder involving a retired mob boss, a local millionaire land developer, a New York hit man, and the local university elite. Or could it be that Bear Braddock, his best friend and partner for more than fifteen years, wants Angela? Tuck knows that everything surrounds Kelly’s Dig where the discovery of Civil War graves may put an end to a multi-million dollar highway project. If it does, who stands to gain the most? Enough to kill? Using his unique skills, Tuck weaves through half-truths and generations-old lies chasing a madman. And he’s not alone—others, dead and alive—are hunting the same killer. Still nothing can change the truth—it is the living, not the dead, who are most terrifying.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

DYING FOR THE PAST

Still an earth-bound spirit-detective, Tuck is on the case of the murder of a mysterious philanthropist with ties to the Russian mob and 1930’s gangsters. With the help of his wife, Professor Angela Tucker, and his former partner, Detective Bear Braddock, they must find the killer and be the first to read “the book”—an old gangster’s journal of the roots of espionage, racketeering, and corruption leading to the identity of modern-day powerbrokers and spies. Tuck finds a colorful cast of allies in a tough Assistant U.S. Attorney General, a secretive FBI agent, and the spirits of a long-dead 1930’s gangster and his sassy girlfriend. As Tuck searches to learn the secrets of “the book,” he begins to unravel his own ancestry of mobsters, adventurers, and wayward spirits. Is being a ghost hereditary?

MY REVIEW

Detective, or should I say former detective, Oliver Tucker, likes to be called Tuck, describes hinself as a puff of dust. That’s because he’s dead. But that doesn’t stop him from detecting and theirs one heck of a muder and mystery to be solved.

While his widow, Angel is on board and accepts he’s still around, albeit as a ghost, friends and his former partner, Bear, are still in denial. I had many a chuckle as Tuck used his ghostly presence to give them a spooky Boo now and then and steered them where he wanted them to go with comments from beyond the grave.

I realized pretty quickly this was the second book in a series, but the author caught me up quickly on the history. The first book is about Tuck’s own murder and how he stayed around afterwards and helped solve his own case. I imagine it was just as fun as this book and I’ll be going back to read it too.

So the skinny is, Angel, Tuck’s widow, holds a swanky charity ball and someone gets murdered right in front of everybody. To top it off, all the charity donations get snatched right out from under their noses.

As Tuck digs into the case, he meets some other ghosts, those being mobsters, the sexy Sassy, and even some relatives from long ago. All of them are tied to this case, which stems from events about a book back during the cold war and before.

Russian spies. Mobsters from the 30’s. Dead guys, several of them. A mysterious book. And a trail that leads to Tuck’s own ancestors. Lots of shenanigans and mystery in this one.

Tuck is a hoot. He gets a kick out of taunting his former partner, Bear. The poor guy is in denial and Tuck likes to give him a creepy boost now and then. Bear better get on board before people start looking at him like they do Angel.

Angel is a sweetie and she’s got a lot of sass herself. She likes having Tuck around and even gets jealous when he has an encounter with the sexy Sassy, another ghost. People are starting to look at her funny as she talks to Tuck, sometimes forgetting others can’t see or hear him. She takes it in stride.

You’d think after solving his own death, Tuck would have moved on, seen the bright light. But nope, his remaining here was a bit of a mystery even to him. He might have some of it figured out, as other ghosts do approach him to help with their murders. Tuck can do what they can’t, he can interact with the living, be heard and talk to them. Well, some of them. So he’s still detecting and will keep on doing it until it’s time to go.

The end of the book was such a hoot. You tore from one event to the next, all of it culminating in the big bang ending. I wanted to read the end, yet I didn’t want the story of Tuck and his gang to be over. I have a feeling there will be more in this series as Harry has some ancestral mysteries yet to solve. One of them being about his mother and father. Hope to see that soon.

5 STARS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

DYING TO TELL

Detective Oliver Tucker never knew how perilous dying was until he stumbled onto William Mendelson—murdered in a hidden vault where Egyptian relics and World War II secrets were once stashed. Now those relics are missing. The secrets are coming out. The dead are talking. Tuck, the detective for the dead—the Dead Detective—is pulled into the case by the spirit of a World War II Office of Strategic Services operative with his own agenda. OSS Captain Ollie Tucker I—Tuck’s namesake—knows the past is catching up to the survivors of an Egyptian spy ring from more than seventy years ago. With the help of his beautiful and brilliant wife, Angel, and his gruff former partner, Detective Bear Braddock, Tuck must unravel a tale of spies, murderers, and thieves. As Tuck’s case unfolds, he confronts the growing distance between his death and Angel’s life—and the solution is a killer of its own.

Praise for The Dead Detective Casefiles:

“O’Connor’s The Dead Detective Casefiles series is a must read for those who like mysteries with a dash of history, a hard-boiled twist, and a pinch of paranormal.” ~ Heather Weidner, Author of the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries “Tj O’Connor is a master storyteller who can have you gasping in suspense one moment and snorting coffee through your nose the next. In the Dead Detective Casefiles, he seamlessly merges mystery, humor, and paranormal so authentically that the reader never gives a second thought to the concept of the main character, Detective Oliver Tucker, actually being dead. ” ~ Annette Dashofy, USA Today Bestselling author of the Zoe Chambers Mystery Series

Book Details:

Genre: PI Cozy Mystery

Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: September 2024

Series: The Dead Detective Casefiles

Read an excerpt from DYING TO KNOW:

One

Dying is overrated. Murder, on the other hand, is not. Trust me, after fifteen years as a detective, I know a lot about both. Like death and murder are always complicated, but not always related. You can have death without murder, but not the other way around. That’s what I used to think anyway. I changed my mind after an episode of my recurring nightmare. I’d been having it for years and it always turned out the same. While chasing a bad guy in the dark, he turned and shot me. I was about to die when something always pulled me from the nightmare. This time, it was Hercule’s hot breath. My four-year-old black Lab was standing beside my bed alternating between low growls and a tongue-lashing. Both demanded my attention. When my eyes first opened, he lapped at my face and nudged me with his big, wet nose. I forced my eyes open wider and at the same time realized that Angel was not snuggled beside me in bed. She was standing across the room and listening at our bedroom door. “Angel, did you hear something again?” She always heard things late at night and always felt compelled to share them with me. “Are you sure?” “Yes, Tuck. Herc can hear it, too. Wake up, will you? What kind of detective are you?” “The asleep-kind.” “Just get up. Please?” Hercule froze, nose down, staring at me as we both heard creaking floorboards in the downstairs hall. I rolled sideways and sat on the side of the bed. Hercule crept away and crouched near the door. For the third time, something interrupted Angel’s sleep. The first two times were just our old house’s creaks and groans, and both failed to wake Hercule out of a stone-cold sleep. Now, after summoning me, he was poised for homeland defense. I got to my feet and gathered my clothes littered in a strategic path across the room. I nearly toppled over slipping on my jeans and a black tee shirt and did manage to trip over my running shoes. Angel motioned for Herc to return to the bed. To me she whispered, “Hurry up.” “Look, if I’m going to get killed tonight, I don’t want to be naked.” I grabbed my 40-caliber Glock from the nightstand and checked the chamber. Then, I retrieved a .38 revolver from our walk-in closet and handed it to Angel. “Just in case.” “Okay. Be careful.” “Keep Herc close, babe. If it’s your imagination, stay awake and lose those pjs. If it’s trouble, give me fifteen minutes—then lose them.” Even in the dark, I could see her eyes roll. “Just be careful.” At the door, I listened but heard nothing. I winked at Angel and Hercule on the bed and whispered, “I love you—you too, Angel.” Hercule wagged his tail. In the hallway, I waited for my eyes to adjust a little more to the darkness. I shifted them to use my peripheral vision, looking for any telltale movement. Still nothing. From the top of the stairs, I could just make out the foyer below and did not see or hear anything. There were no wispy shadows, no running feet, and no creaking floorboards. Yawning, I eased down the stairs with my Glock out in front of me. At the bottom landing, I stopped. Darkness and the grandfather clock greeted me—it chimed two. The downstairs was quiet and I checked the front door. It was still locked and there were no signs of splintered wood, broken glass, or other forced entry. The only sound I heard was my own breathing. The only curious sighting was the half-dressed, frumpy guy in the hall mirror who looked tired and irritated. Maybe Angel would be losing those pjs sooner rather than later. I started with the kitchen and worked my way around the first floor, searching room by room—all five of them—ending in my den. Nothing. The most dangerous thing I found was Hercule’s squeaky frog that scared the crap out of me when I stepped on it. I felt foolish and decided to head back to bed. It hit me when I reached to turn off my desk lamp. The light shouldn’t have been on. I looked around. My briefcase wasn’t in its ritual place on my credenza. It was on my chair and the contents strewn over my desk. Everything was dumped out—my gold detective’s badge and I.D., several files, a notepad, tape recorder, and my .380 backup piece. No, the Walther wasn’t there—the holster was empty. “Angel …” I bolted to the stairs and looked up. Floorboards groaned above me. A door opened in the darkness beyond the landing. Movement—a shadow. Somewhere above, Angel called, “Tuck.” There was a flash at the top of the stairs … a shot. I lunged for the third stair. A figure stepped out of the darkness twelve feet above me. Another flash. “Angel!” *** Excerpt from DYING TO KNOW by Tj O’Connor. Copyright 2014/2024 by Tj O’Connor. Reproduced with permission from Tj O’Connor. All rights reserved.

About Author Tj O’Connor:

Tj O’Connor is an award-winning author of mysteries and thrillers. He’s an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. In his spare time, he’s a Harley Davidson pilot, a man-about-dogs (and now cats), and a lover of adventure, cooking, and good spirits (both kinds). He was raised in New York’s Hudson Valley and lives with his wife, Labs, and Maine Coon companions in Virginia where they raised five children who supply a growing tribe of grands.

Catch Up With Tj O’Connor: tjoconnor.com Goodreads BookBub – @tj37 Amazon Author Instagram – @tjoconnorauthor Twitter/X – @Tjoconnorauthor Facebook – @TjOConnor.Author YouTube – @tjoconnorauthor3905

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The Vicious And The Virile VII By Luki Belle ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: December 12, 2024 in Dark Fantasy, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: collection, dark fantasy, giveaway, Horror

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for The Vicious And The Virile VII organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Luki Belle will award a $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Vicious And The Virile VII

by Luki Belle

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Synopsis

A collection of short horror stories, The Vicious and The Virile VII offers a captivating combination of unique and varied short stories emblematic of the dark fantasy genre.

Karan Lloyd Hamilton: when touring a fictitious national park in India a wealthy American couple, Judas and Priscilla Hamilton are attacked by tigers and get physically separated. The mortally wounded wife, pregnant with male twin, dies giving birth in the wilderness to healthy babies. Only one twin is found and returned to Judas who survived the attack. The grieving father returns to America with his newborn and the corpse of Priscilla. The boy, Karan Lloyd Hamilton, grows up to be a Wall Street investment banker. He bears a physical scar from his traumatic birth which has transformed Karan into a predator by night in the streets of Manhattan.

Kartik Shiv Yuvarajan: the second twin boy of Judas and Priscilla Hamilton did not die but was taken by the mystical tribe of the national park. The tribe hides the baby until he is stolen and given to a tour guide of the park, Arjun. Afraid of the consequences of taking the baby to the American embassy, Arjun adopts the child, gives him the name Kartik Shiv Yuvarajan and then returns to his ancestral village. Kartik bears a similar mark upon his body like his twin Karan. This mark brings about strange physiological changes in Kartik and leads to unexpected events that threatens his life in the village. Arjun must now decide whether to let Kartik know of his identity or whether to flee once again with the teenager.

Hounds of the Monks: a warrior flees with his family to save his daughter from the lustful, cruel king of the land. When the king’s army gives chase to bring back the young girl, the warrior separates from his wife and daughter to protect them. Mother and her girl seek shelter in a monastery only to realize that the holy surroundings may be equally dangerous.

Desert Frogs: a film producer with her adolescent twin sons and a film crew travel to a fictitious nation, Gapharkh, to shoot a few scenes in the country’s legendary desert. A civil war is imminent in Gapharkh between the military regime and the nomadic tribe of the desert. Unexpected connections quickly form between the twin boys and the nomads while the war heats up in the backdrop as the film crew rushes to complete their work. Discovering that there was a dark motive behind allowing the foreign film crew to shoot in the desert, the producer desperately tries to escape Gapharkh with her sons and her crew.

Stolen Princess: Rosemarie, a young woman rescued from prostitution, finds herself alone and homeless when her husband is lost at sea and her in-laws throw her out of her husband’s home. Rosemarie’s fate momentarily worsens when she is raped and almost killed but, miraculously, she is saved by strange old women who take Rosemarie to a secluded, enchanting island. The heavenly place seems like freedom until Rosemarie realizes that there are sinister forces around her who intend to keep her captive in the isle. Rosemarie’s past may be her only salvation.

Bastard of the Mist: Angeline a young widow, arrives at a remote and beautiful rehabilitation center for veterans to work as the assistant of the institution’s co-founder. Angeline is supernaturally gifted. Her dark powers clash with evil forces that exist in the forests surrounding the institution when she discovers a sinister plot by her employer Professor Kvalish, a man with a mysterious past. An unraveling thus begins and threatens the existence of everyone at the rehabilitation center.

Nature’s Call Girl: in a futuristic Earth a global war is ongoing between humankind and nature. Here, a fictitious country Parakrytheon, has built a nation devoid of plant and animals with artificially created weather to protect its humans from natural predators. On a fictitious island Kamin, humans live harmoniously with nature and beast. This place has the resources that Parakrytheon needs to defeat its natural enemy. Twin brothers Hagaath and Laksha, and their sister Kamina, are the means to this end.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Excerpt from Story 3 – “Hounds of the Monks”

The doors of the monastery noisily opened as though the hinges had not been used in the longest time and lacked grease. Shamini slowly stood up and called to her daughter, but Zehera had fainted. Shamini was about to stoop down again when through the open wooden doors appeared a hooded monk in a brown garb, holding a thin candle in the grip of his bare palms, his arms cloaked under the bulky sleeves of his robe.

Shamini could not see the monk’s eyes which were covered under the garb’s hood. From the light of the candle’s flame, she saw that the person was a man, from his chiseled jawline, mouth, and chin.

“Holy monk…please help my daughter…please help us…there are hounds chasing us…please we are fleeing danger…” Shamini said frantically as she knelt beside Zehera.

“Zehera…my girl…Zehera…get up…look…we are safe…look!” Shamini nudged her daughter, gasped momentarily thinking the worst, then hastily put her ear against Zehera’s chest to listen; her daughter’s heart was still beating with life.

“She needs food and water!!” Shamini exclaimed and looked up desperately at the monk who was quietly standing by the door. She tried to lift up Zehera in her arms but lacked the strength to do so.

The door opened wider on its own and now Shamini could see a large rectangular empty room behind the monk.

The place was mostly dark except for at the far end, on the other side of the chamber, in front of an arched entrance, stood two more monks in hoods, holding tall candles in their hands.

“You may enter woman” said a deep youthful voice of the monk who stood by the monastery’s open doors.

“My daughter…” Shamini said in an exhausted tone still trying to lift up Zehera.

“Brothers!” the monk called loudly over his shoulder while placing the candle in his hands by the foot of the doors.

Quietly then the monk lifted Zehera in his arms and turned around.

“Go with my brethren” the monk said as he carried Zehera with him into the large rectangular room behind him.

“She is bleeding and badly injured! The dogs bit her…she has fainted…”Shamini said anxiously while following the monk. The other two monks were approaching her from the other direction, and they blocked her path.

“Your daughter is in holy care. Have faith” said the second monk.

“You woman must come with us” said the third monk “Your body is weak and your soul needs salvation.”

Their voices sounded almost like the first monk to Shamini, their tones were hypnotic. They stood around her,

hooded and taller than her. Their breaths smelled sweet, the fabric of their garbs exuded a flowery freshness, their lips bore faint smiles. Shamini watched as the first monk with Zehera, disappeared through the dark arched entranceway.

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About Author Luki Belle:

Luki Belle works in the media industry. In addition to The Vicious and the Virile VII, she is the author of three other novels: The Delicate Affair of Colonel Baquiste, The Sexy Seven Supernaturals, and Shakti of the Illuminated Lotus. Storytelling has been a fixture since Luki’s childhood when she would listen to stories told by her grandparents, parents, sisters, and cousins reading to her from diverse cultural fiction books. Paranormal characters existing as and amongst humans-while exalting in their mystical powers-have always fascinated Luki. She loves to explore magical, futuristic, fantastical, and ancient realms in her stories where her human and supernatural characters are thrust together, and their conflicted and tormented natures collide.

Amazon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ It’s Mother-Pucking Christmas By Alina Jacobs

Posted: December 12, 2024 in Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: comedy, giveaway, Holiday, romance

It’s Mother-Pucking Christmas!

by Alina Jacobs

Publication date: November 21st 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

When your grandmother stalks the star hockey player on the rival team because “You need a husband, Dakota—you’re not getting any younger!” it’s Christmas crazy on ice.

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It is not, however, the start of our great love story.
I don’t date guys on that team.
He doesn’t do casual, drunken hookups, which is all the captain of the Icebreakers is getting from moi.

I give him the finger and tell him I hope he loses his teeth out there.
He smirks and wins the game because both this Christmas season and this hockey season are a fucking scam.

Then my younger, much dumber brother informs me that he owes his bookie a bunch of money and really needs the Icebreakers to lose their next game, and could I pretty please be an amazing big sis and date their captain then break his heart so he’ll suck and lose the game—otherwise little bro will get killed, or worse, our mom will find out.

As much as I eye roll my overly large, overly loud family, I’d do anything for them.
Including date the captain of the Icebreakers.

Barf.
Ryder is a Boy Scout. He doesn’t swear. He uses words like ma’am and sir. On our date, he opens my door, pulls out my chair, and helps me with my coat. He even volunteers at the local animal shelter and loves handmade sweaters.
No, it is not cute! Three warm, gooey cinnamon rolls dressed up as a six-five, hot AF hockey player are not my type.
At all.
Nope.

Santa better bring me something nice this Christmas for all my pain and suffering!

In bed though?
Let’s just say sleeping with the captain of the Icebreakers… is not going to be a problem.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“You’re stalking my client,” Hudson yelled at the old woman, who was completely unfazed by his anger.

My teammates’ eyes bugged out like the pugs’, then they all collapsed, howling with laughter, at my feet. Even Coach snickered into his gloves.

“You’re the Crusher?” My mouth dropped open. “You’re the one who’s been stalking me for the last five months?”

“Stalker? Pshaw!” Granny Murray was offended. “I’m not stalking anyone.”

“You’re going to be arrested.” Hudson bore down on the woman.

“Don’t arrest my grandmother,” Dakota snapped at him.

“She’s stalking him.” Hudson made a knife hand in my direction. “Do you know how much goddamn money this woman has cost me?”

“I’m not stalking. I’m leaving him presents and nice notes,” Granny Murray shouted.

Hudson slapped a hand to his forehead. “Notes? They’re fucking pornographic.”

“Now see here.” Granny Murray wagged her finger at the tall man. “I’m just trying to rile him up for Dakota.”

“You frightened him, Gran,” Gracie scolded.

“Oh my god.” Erik gasped at my feet, holding his side. “College Boy is afraid of a little old lady.”

I sputtered, “Shut your mouth, Canada.”

“Are you going to ‘oh heck’ him?” Pete snickered.

“Sonny, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. You seem like a nice boy.” The old woman patted me on the arm.

Hudson slapped her hand away.

“As an apology present”—she grabbed Dakota and pushed her toward me—“I will let you have sex with my granddaughter. She puts out, and her boobs are real.” She squeezed Dakota’s chest.

“Oh, uh…” I rocked back on my skates. “That’s very kind of you, ma’am, but no. No thank you.”

Dakota had the nerve to look offended.

My teammates’ mouths dropped open, then they laid into me.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Fucking Boy Scout.”

“Come on, Ryder!”

“Jesus Christ, College Boy.”

“Dude!”

“Shame! Shame to the family. Shame to the team…” Rick slapped his glove.

“I’m not having relations with her,” I stammered. “I don’t even know her.”

Dakota raised an eyebrow.

Pete muscled up to Dakota. “I’ll take the apology present, beautiful. I have a very nice hotel suite—hot tub, big bed. Expense account.”

“No! No expense accounts,” Coach barked.

Erik shoved Pete aside. “How about a two-for-one deal?”

Dakota looked interested. The pretty brunette put her finger to her lips like she was seriously thinking about it.

I sucker punched Erik.

“Hey!” Coach slapped the back of my head.

I didn’t even feel it.

“You’re not sleeping with her. Certainly not both of you, ingrates,” I snarled.

“Ooh, College Boy is mad!” Rick giggled.

“All of you, shut the fuck up!” Coach yelled. “Shaddap!”

I sniffed.

“Ryder, you’re kind of a prude.” Coach turned on me. “Dial it back. You’re almost thirty, for Chrissake, and for someone who says he wants a family, you’re about as effective as a panda in that department.”

Mike applauded.

“But they’re trying to… you know… with a fan. That’s against the rules,” I argued.

Coach sighed loudly.

“Oh.” Dakota piped up. “I am definitely not a fan. In fact, I hate your team. Arctic Avengers all the way. I’d never date the captain of the motherfucking Icebreakers. I will, however, sleep with you all.” She blew me and my teammates a kiss.

“Fuck that!” My friends refused. “We’re not traitors.”

“Dammit, Dakota!” Granny Murray scolded, “All that work down the toilet.”

“Definitely snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory,” Gracie said.

Dakota scowled.

“Well, that is how the Arctic Avengers do it.” I sneered at her.

Dakota gave me the finger. “I hope you lose all your teeth out there.”

About Author Alina Jacobs:

If you like steamy romantic comedies with a creative streak, then I’m your girl!

Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books…

Sign up for my mailing list to get the free novella, AFTER HIS PEONIES, along with special bonus content, giveaways, and more!

http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.