Bad Boys After Dark: Mick By Melissa Foster ♥ Promo Blitz

Bad Boys After Dark: Mick by Melissa Foster

Date of Publication: June 22, 2016

Blurb

The Bad Boys are a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom series.

Indulge your inner vixen…
You asked for naughtier lovers, with the same fierce loyalty as The Bradens – Meet the Bad Boys… Four sinfully sexy, uber alpha brothers, about to fall head over heels for their leading ladies.
.
Everything’s naughtier after dark…
Amanda Jenner is done being a boring-man magnet and has finally taken control of her love life. As any smart paralegal would, she’s researched the hell out of how to seduce a man. She’s waxed, primped, and ready to put her newfound skills into action–and a masquerade bar crawl is the perfect venue for her solo coming-out party.

Entertainment attorney Mick Bad lives by two hard and fast rules. He never mixes business with pleasure, and he doesn’t do relationships, which makes the anonymity of a masquerade bar crawl the perfect place for a onetime hookup.
.
Amanda thinks she’s hit the jackpot when she bags a tall, dark, and sinfully delicious masked man–until she discovers the man she’s made out with is her off-limits boss. Mick’s already crossed a line he can never uncross, and one taste of sweet and sexy Amanda has only whet his appetite. When Mick offers to give Amanda a lesson in seduction–no strings, no regrets, and for goodness’ sake, come Monday, no quitting–the tables turn, and Mick’s totally unprepared for the lessons this sweet temptress provides.

***
BAD BOYS AFTER DARK
Mick
Dylan (coming soon)
Carson (coming soon)
Brett (coming soon)

More After Dark books:
WILD BOYS AFTER DARK (Available Now!)
Logan
Heath
Jackson
Cooper

The AFTER DARK series are part of the LOVE IN BLOOM big family romance collection. Each book may be read as a stand-alone novel, or as part of the series.

Available From

Amazon (Kindle)
Kobo
iBooks
B&N Nook
Google Play
Smashwords
Paperback

About Melissa Foster

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Find Melissa Foster Online

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Defending Hayden By L.P. Dover ♥ Release Tour

Title: Defending Hayden

Series: A Second Chances Novel

Author: LP Dover

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: June 28, 2016
Publisher: Random House
Cover Design by: Mae I Design and Photography
Photo Taken by: Regina Wamba

No one’s tougher than Carolina Cougars linebacker Derek McLaughlin. But when a fatal car accident claims the life of his girlfriend, Derek finds himself caught in a destructive spiral of drugs, alcohol, and meaningless sex. But not even a string of one-night stands can ease the hurt. Football is all he has left. Then fate leads him back to the scene of the crash, and into the arms of a kind, gorgeous woman who sees past his façade to the man he once was . . . and can be again.

When a chance roadside encounter brings Derek into her life, veterinarian Hayden Hunter isn’t fooled by his bad attitude: All bark and no bite, he’s hiding a wounded heart beneath that gruff demeanor. And Hayden wants to be the one to kiss it all better. Soon they both find that a dose of passion is potent medicine. But when a hidden enemy lashes out at Hayden, Derek steps up to do what he does best: put his body on the line in the name of love.

“Sexy and emotional with characters you will root for, Defending Hayden is a great addition to the Second Chances series!”—Elisabeth Barrett, author of the Return to Briarwood series

“Defending Hayden is a smart and heartwarming story that is impossible to put down. Throw in a sexy football player and some lovable animals and you’re all set.”—Stina Lindenblatt, author of This One Moment

Guilt plagued me and I felt sick. Getting out of bed, I paced the room, running my hands angrily through my hair. I didn’t want to hurt Hayden. Keeping her away would protect her from my life. She was bound to leave me anyway. I’d fuck up somehow and it would ruin her. What the hell was I talking about? I’d already fucked her up.

“Derek?” Her voice was like honey, silky and sweet. I’d imagined what it would be like to hear that voice screaming my name as I fucked her over and over. Last night had been the best night of my life, but it had scared the shit out of me. I couldn’t shake it. “Derek, are you okay?” she asked. Stopping midstep, I turned to face her, and her eyes widenened when she got a glimpse of my face. I could only imagine what she saw. So many emotions battled inside me. She held the blanket to her chest, and her lips trembled. “Please tell me this wasn’t just a game to you,” she whispered.

Swallowing hard, I sat down on the edge of the bed and reached for her. She recoiled from my touch. “None of this was a game, Hayden. Last night was fucking amazing.”

Her eyes glistened, but her jaw was firm. “Then why are you looking at me like that? Like you regret what we did.”

I wanted to touch her, but last night had been my only chance. She’d never let me close to her again. “I don’t regret it, but eventually you will. You’re not the only one who’s lost someone they cared about. I can’t go through it again. It’s best to stop this before it goes any further.”

“Any further?” she scoffed. She waved her arm around the room, her anger so thick I could cut it with a knife. “If you didn’t want it to go any further, then why did you bring me here? Why would you do that to me?”

“Because I care about you,” I said, knowing it made no sense to her.

“Then why are you pushing me away?” she cried.

Standing, I got up and walked over to the window. “You wouldn’t understand.”

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she began her literary journey she worked in periodontics, enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.

She loves to write, but she also loves to play tennis, go on mountain hikes and white water rafting, and has a passion for singing. Her two youngest fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime, usually Christmas carols.

Dover has written countless novels, including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, the Gloves Off series, the Armed & Dangerous series, the Royal Shifters series, the Society X series, and her standalone novel Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense, but if she got to choose a setting in which to live, it would be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae.

L.P. Dover is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency and Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management for dramatic rights.

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Just Keep Sweet By Melissa Brown ♥ Blog Tour

Just Keep Sweet (Compound Series #3)

by Melissa Brown

Release Date: June 21, 2016

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SYNOPSIS

Obstacles.

So many obstacles. Nothing but obstacles.

Months ago, I agreed to help Aspen Black take down the Prophet of the FLDS—to prevent her daughter from being married at an early age, and to save innocent lives from systemic abuse on the compound.

The obstacles in this case are mounting, as are my feelings for Aspen. The tension between us is palpable and I know there’s more to our connection than the increasingly difficult case at hand. But, she’s not only married to the Prophet’s brother, she’s equally devoted to her faith. Two obstacles that just may be insurmountable.

But, no matter what happens, I will close this case.

Even if it kills me.

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EXCERPT

After receiving a text the following morning from Aspen, I hauled myself to the station at the ass crack of dawn, the adrenaline of anticipation overpowering the pull of grogginess and the desire to stay in bed a couple more hours.

“Seriously?” asked Megan, the receptionist, looking at me over her reading glasses. She let out a yawn behind her hand as she waited for my response.

I froze. “What?”

“You’ve never been here this early … like ever.” She laughed, holding up the hot pink clock from behind her desk.

“And how would you know that?” I flirted, waving the clock away until she placed it back behind her desk. “You’ve only worked here for five minutes.”

Megan had moved to Arizona a month before and was still adjusting to the area. She was originally from Chicago and had a serious accent—like those guys in the “Da Bears” skit on SNL.

God, I’m old.

“Big case?”

“You know it.” I winked, and she blushed. She’d had a crush on me since the first day we met when I winked at her casually and her cheeks turned a deep red. Since then I was guilty of manipulating that crush for my own gain.

I’m an asshole sometimes.

Leaning in, I lowered my voice and pretended to look down her shirt for a brief second. Her cheeks grew darker. “Listen, um …” I looked around the office. “The case I’m working on is highly sensitive and the girl coming in is from the local FLDS compound—”

Her mouth dropped open. “Oh my God, seriously? I haven’t seen one yet.”

I cringed at her phrasing, which was new for me. Just months ago, I wouldn’t have flinched—hell, I said things like it—referring to the members of the FLDS as if they were animals at the zoo, a spectacle to be observed. Aspen changed all that. They were people. People who needed my help.

“Yeah, well, don’t stare, okay? Just direct her to my office as quickly as you can. The sergeant isn’t exactly a fan, if you know what I mean.”

“Got it.” She nodded, aiming to please me.

“Thanks.” I offered one more empty wink and strolled to my office, leaving the door open in anticipation of Aspen’s arrival. Before I had the chance to log my password into my laptop, I heard the alluring tone of her voice.

“Detective?”

Within seconds, I’d hopped to my feet and crossed the room, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her tight. She tensed at my touch which, although it hurt my ego slightly, reminded me that our relationship was supposed to be a professional one. I released her from my grasp, stepping back and holding my hands in the air.

“Sorry, I just—it’s just so good to see you.”

The corners of her lips turned up, and her normally pale cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. “No, no, it’s all right. It’s wonderful to see you, too, you have no idea … I’m just … Well, I’ve never been one for hugs. My mother used to tease me about it all the time.”

“So in other words, it’s not me, it’s you?” I asked with a nervous laugh.

“Something like that.” She smiled, showing her teeth. Something she didn’t do often. They were bright white and straight, especially for someone who couldn’t possibly have had braces growing up.

Am I really falling over myself because of an impressive set of teeth? What the hell is wrong with you, Cooke? Get your shit together.

For the briefest of moments, I studied her … this young woman standing in my office, trying to figure out what it was that made me feel this way in her presence. I certainly didn’t the first time we met. I couldn’t quite put my finger on when she started to creep into my subconscious. Her hair was a generic shade of brown, pulled back into a long braid that hung to her waist. She was wearing the traditional FLDS thick cotton dress that covered every inch of her body. And her feet were covered with worn sneakers. From a distance, there was nothing remarkable about Aspen at all, really.

But there was more to her, and I knew it. Her eyes were a deep aquamarine, so brilliant in color that I would have thought they were colored contacts if I didn’t know better. Her strong eyebrows only served to pronounce those eyes further. Her skin was clear and pale, like that of a porcelain doll and her lips were, despite never being covered with makeup, a dusty shade of pink. They were full and plump, waiting to be kissed. More than her beautiful face was everything that made her Aspen. Aspen was stubborn, clever, and determined … everything Elizabeth called me on a daily basis. Cut from the same cloth. Perhaps that, ultimately, was the reason I was so drawn to her. Or maybe I simply wanted to protect her.

Nope, couldn’t be it. I protected women every day on the job; it was more than that. It had to be. It was her.

Shaking off my mounting attraction, I got down to business. I wasn’t doing either of us any favors by acting like a stupid-ass teenager in her presence.

“Did you bring the note? Is there anything we can use?”

Aspen reached into her bag, nodding. “Yes, but I’m not sure. I’ll leave that to the expert.”

I studied the note, rage building in my gut with each sentence. So much condescension and entitlement in one little piece of paper. When I reached the part about myself, I could feel my neck grow hot. There was no way he could know of my attachment to Aspen, but I felt as if he could read my mind. It creeped the shit out of me.

Aspen could read my face. “There’s nothing, is there?”

I shook my head, feeling defeated despite the anger flaring in my gut. “I’ve spent some time on our database, and it looks as though a few of the prophet’s customers in the ledger have quite the record.”

“Record?” she asked, following me to my desk. I pulled a chair around for her and gestured for her to take a seat as I finished logging into my laptop.

“Criminal record … some were busted for drugs, one was arrested for indecent exposure.”

Aspen knitted her brow. “What is that?”

“It’s when you show your naked body to someone unsolicited and in public.”

Aspen recoiled as if she’d tasted a sour lemon. “Who would do that?”

“Who would pay to spend time in the prophet’s room of horrors? We’re dealing with some fucked-up characters, Aspen.”

“Good point.”

“Sorry about the language.”

She shook her head and grinned. “I don’t even notice it anymore.”

I gritted my teeth. “That might not be such a good thing, Little House.”

“Hm.” She bit her bottom lip and looked down at the floor.

“What?”

“When you first called me that, I despised you for it. You were making fun of me and I knew it. It was infuriating. But now …”

I swallowed hard, looking into her eyes, overwhelmed by their subtle intensity. “Yeah?”

“You have no idea how nice it was to hear it again, to be here with you. I feel safe again, even though I know I’m not.” She shook her head. “Not in the slightest.”

“You will be,” I said with determination. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Aspen tilted her head to the side, studying my eyes as she narrowed her own. “I believe you.”

A knock at the door startled us both. Aspen jumped in her seat, and I clutched the arm of my chair as I looked up, hoping I wouldn’t see Sergeant Ross beneath the doorframe. Instead, I saw another member of the FLDS, a woman I’d never seen before.

“Holly?” Aspen said, confusion in her voice.

The young woman, not much older than Aspen, had deep blond hair and dark eyes. Her presence was meek, unassuming, like most of the women I’d encountered from the compound. Her mouth was dropped open as she stared at us.

“Aspen?” she asked, looking as confused as Aspen sounded. “What are you doing here?

Mother Before Wife

Wife Number Seven

GIVEAWAY

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AUTHOR PROFILE

Melissa Brown was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. She attended the University of Illinois and is the mother of two fantastic kids. She’s an avid reader who enjoys making handmade gifts for her family and friends, as well as baking and painting. Melissa has an unhealthy obsession with pop culture. She speaks fluent movie quotes from the 1980s (John Hughes = genius), reads celebrity gossip magazines and never misses an episode of Scandal. She enjoys writing contemporary romance, romantic suspense and young adult novels.

All of Melissa’s books are currently available exclusively through Amazon.com and are part of the Kindle Unlimited Program.

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Pinpoint By Olivia Luck ♥ Release Blitz

Book Title: Pinpoint (The Point Series)
Author: Olivia Luck
Genre: New Adult
Release Date: June 2016
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

All my life I followed the rules. I lived under the iron rule of my father and did what was expected of me.

Until now.

I want to live in the big city. Make new friends. Get a great job. Meet a man that makes me swoon. Fall in love.

Sounds straightforward enough, but making my way in a city of six million isn’t as seamless as I’d hoped. And the man is more sour than sweet.

Something’s got to give. And this time it won’t be me.

prologue

A piercing cry echoed through the delivery room as the baby came into the world.

“It’s a girl,” a nurse cried exuberantly.

Exhausted, the child’s mother collapsed onto the stiff white sheets of the hospital mattress while the father watched on in dismay.

Despite the joyous occasion, the father’s mood was remarkably dour. Another one? he thought grimly. Neither of his daughters would be able to take his place at the head of his Baptist congregation.

There was nothing to it.

They would have to have another child. The plan began forming in his mind even as he went through the motions of drumming up a pleased expression. Father had his attention wrapped so tightly around how to get a male heir to carry on his lineage that he almost didn’t notice the flurry of activity teeming around his wife.

Something was terribly wrong. His eyes darted to where a nurse placed his daughter in a clear-sided case as activity swarmed around him. Another nurse hooked her arm around his elbow to lead him out of the delivery room and into the hallway. Dimly, he acknowledged her words – bleeding, emergency, infection, surgery.

In the waiting area, his escort gently deposited him in a hard plastic chair and then scurried off, promising to return with news. Closing in on two in the morning, he realized the room was nearly empty. His other daughter was at home with one of the parishioners from his church, unbeknownst to the struggle her mother faced. Slumping forward, Father rested his elbows on his knees, dropped his head into his outstretched palms, and waited, silently praying for the life of his wife.

Later – he wasn’t sure how much time had passed – the grim-face doctor strode into the waiting room and called his name.

“My wife?” he choked to the man clad in dark blue surgical scrubs.

“She’s resting comfortably in the recovery room.”

“What happened?” Father wasn’t one to tremble, but at this moment, his voice shook. He couldn’t lose her. No other woman was worthy to fulfill the role of his wife.

The doctor began a lengthy medical discussion of what had occurred. Most of the terminology passed outside his understanding of medicine, but he was too proud to ask the doctor to explain.

He understood one word.

“Unfortunately, we had to perform a hysterectomy,” the doctor said gently. “She will never be able to have children again.”

A silent fury crept through him at the injustice of the situation. But he could not reveal the full depth of his emotion. He was a respected member of the community; as the pastor, the community called upon him for weddings, funerals, counseling … No, he could not scream at the doctor for butchering his wife’s body. He could not wail because he would never have the son that he’d dreamed of his entire adult life.

“Come back and see your wife. We’ll bring your daughter in. She’s doing beautifully. Do you have a name picked out?” the doctor said, reading the pastor’s silence as shock.

The pastor cleared his throat. His lips pressed into a taut line. “My wife selects the names for the girls.” He kept his voice to a murmur; afraid any inflection would betray his disbelief and disdain for another girl. Was it so much for a man of faith to want a son to carry on his family name and heritage? He was a pastor, his father was a pastor, his father’s father was a pastor, and so forth. The only way to control who would take over his congregation would be by selecting a husband for one of his daughters. He wasn’t opposed to the notion, but he would prefer to have a son to mold into the ideal successor.

Fighting a sigh, the pastor dutifully entered the hospital room where his fatigued wife lay with a bundle of pink blanket on her breast. He moved to her side, making the appropriate cooing noises, and stroked his hand over the child’s wispy blond strands of hair. It wasn’t as if he had no feelings at all for the baby girl. She evoked a sense of pride and a corner of softness in his heart, but she wasn’t what he truly wanted.

“What would you like to call her?” His voice sounded rough like sandpaper when he spoke. Thankfully, none of the nurses in the room or his wife took notice, likely assuming his wife’s near-death experience had left him tired and shaken.

“Iris,” his wife said resolutely. “My baby girls are my flowers. I already have a Violet and now an Iris.” She gazed at the child with such love and affection, the pastor momentarily wondered if he was looking at this scenario backward. His wife survived the traumatic birth and held their healthy daughter in their arms. What more could he ask for?

A son.

Olivia Luck calls Chicago home. She loves traveling with her husband, baking for her parents, and taking walks with her dog. Olivia started writing when she was eight and paused to dabble in various other pursuits like dance and piano. In the end, she always came back to her pen and notebook.

Get in touch with Olivia, she adores emails: olivialuckauthor@gmail.com

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Prophet By L. Ann Marie ♥ Blog Tour

Book – Prophet: Book One (Princes of Prophecy 1)

Author – L.Ann Marie

Blog Tour

Hosted by Hooked on books & Cherry0Blossoms Promotions

Raised by a father who is somewhat reserved, Dakota

Lightfoot finds a whole new world when he is patched in to the Princes of

Prophecy.

With his abilities and natural leadership, he quickly finds his home

with this new Brotherhood.

Jessie LaPonte-James has always known he would be part of a trio, much as his

father, Danny, and Kate are, and always believed that Darren would be by his

side with Jess Baxter.

But what happens when one of the three isn’t as in-tune with the plan as the others?

This is the story of Jess, Dakota and Jessie.

❤

L. Ann started with the Baxters and is working on her third series, The Princes

of Prophecy MC. While her books feature ex-SEALs and Badass Bikers, L. Ann is

writing about the strong women that these men need in their life to help right

the worlds wrongs and help keep their small part of the world safe. The women

are extraordinary, strong and determined to make a difference.

The men fight for right in every book. Yes they kill people. Yes they shoot at

the bad guys feet to cause them pain. Yes they throw tampons at each other

regularly.

That being said, they do these things while stopping human trafficking,

bringing their Club into legitimate businesses, fight gangs to keep drugs away

from their town and kids, keep women sheltered safely while trying to stop

domestic abuse. These are men that don’t leave a Brother behind. They don’t

treat women as possessions and they don’t cheat. Respect takes on an honorable

meaning. Women and kids are cherished. Everyone is looked out for.

L. Ann has made the perfect Club, tackled the taboo subjects and made it easy

to imagine living in a world where your protection comes from the SEALS and

Bikers.

With readers writing about rereading the series over and over, she feels like

she’s told her characters stories in a way that would make them proud.

Every book will make you laugh, every book will make you angry for the wrong

that happens in the world. Every book will make you cry for the pain that a

character feels.

Don’t take my word for it. Pick one up and try it out. The Baxters book 1 is

FREE. MC Book 1 is .99. Give them a shot and Happy Reading!

Author Links

❤❤

WEB

http://www.lannmarie.com/

CherryO Bloosoms & Hook On Books

❤❤❤ ❤

Finish What you Started By Kathryn Lively ♥ Promo Blitz

Finish What You Started by Kathryn Lively

Contemporary Romance

Totally Bound Publishing

Buy: https://www.totallybound.com/book/finish-what-you-started

About the Book

In this business, it gets hot under the spotlight…

Once a teen idol, Gabby Randall now spends her time behind the camera. With her show Danse Macabre scripted and greenlit for a popular streaming site, she has everything she wants…except her star. Deadlines are looming and she’s desperate to cast the role of a modern-day, motorcycle-riding Grim Reaper. She never thought she’d end up hiring her former co-star, TV’s most beloved geek…and her ex-husband.

Until the day he dies, people will remember Dash Gregory as Freddie “Grody” Grodin, the token geek friend of the cool kids at Wondermancer High. After years of casting agents overlooking him for plum roles, Dash wants to show Hollywood he’s more than a one-note player. He’s ready to break the vicious typecasting cycle, and he’s set his sights on the lead role in a sexy new series too hot for network TV.

When the director yells “Cut!” the star wants to keep up the action behind the scenes. Are Dash and Gabby willing to make ratings history again?

Excerpt

When he returned to the main room, he found the trays folded and back on the rack, and Ace snuggled into Gabby’s side. “Later, buddy.” He snapped his fingers and the terrier bounced toward the bathroom. “He’s too suave for his own good,” he told Gabby with a smile, which soon fell on seeing her suddenly melancholy.

“What’s wrong? Was it dinner? Do you need—?”

“No, everything was great. Perfect.” She moved to sip her wine, but instead set it on the coffee table. “I was just thinking of what we had here tonight, and it played out like a typical night at home.” After a beat she added, “Well, a typical night if we—I—were a couple. Married…whatever.”

“I hear you.” Damn, she looked cute when she rambled. “I haven’t done typical in a while, and it’s not bad. I still owe you a dinner out, though. I do want to celebrate with something fancy.”

“I’d rather do this again.” Gabby kicked off her shoes and tucked one foot under her. Comfy, at home, not bad at all. “I’ve wanted to do something like this every day for the last ten years.”

With you. She didn’t say the words, but he imagined them on her lips as she bit down.

He sensed a flood coming as she blinked rapidly, and he looked around for something to help stem it. He never bought tissues, usually used TP if he needed to blow his nose, and the idea of handing her a full roll seemed absurd. He settled in next to Gabby, ready to lend a shoulder.

“We don’t have to talk about it if it hurts too much,” he said, more for himself. His mother had once offered to pay for therapy to help him through the worst of the breakup, but he’d refused. Work served him well, when he got it, and he preferred to keep his feelings about Gabby to himself.

Well, himself and one other person.

“I’ll be fine.” Gabby stuck a pinkie finger in her eye to rid it of a tear. “You know me, I’ve always been an emotional gal. Remember when we filmed Doctor Arturo’s death scene?” She sighed and looked at him. “I bawled for days.”

“So did he. He’d just bought a house when he was written out.”

“I also don’t normally wear skirts this short,” she said.

He had no reason to object. “Yeah, I wondered about that. You were always a conservative dresser.” Product of a Catholic family, he guessed, but he liked that about her. Gabby wore everything well, but his mind kept returning to the naughty librarian fantasy. Maybe stick a few pencils in her hair, done up in a bun with a few tendrils hanging loose…

“What’s that look on your face?”

“Hm?” The bubble popped, and he shrugged. “I just remembered I need to renew my library card.”

“You are so silly. What does that have to do with what we’re talking about?”

He chose not to say. “I’m sorry. Just a crazy day. So there’s a reason for the wardrobe change?”

Gabby smiled, flushed. “It goes back to that ‘special friend’ misunderstanding.”

“Ah.”

“I hoped to outdo her. Yes, I’m shallow.” She rolled her eyes.

“No, you’re a human with insecurities. Just like me. It doesn’t help we both grew up in show business families where that sort of thing is encouraged.” He could spend the rest of the evening reminding her of all the crap stage parents foisted on their children. You had to have a cuter face than the other boys reading for your part. Your dimples had to go deeper, your freckles had to cross the bridge of your nose just so. How often had Walter and Marie drilled the importance of looking better than every ingénue in California into Gabby’s head?

It didn’t go away easily. He could relate. Though his mother hadn’t been as bad as Marie Randall, she’d put pressure on him more than once during casting calls.

He stretched out his arm, inviting her close. For a moment they sat on the sofa and he held her, and it felt nice. It felt like home, like what the last ten years should have been for them. “You will always have a special place in my heart,” he said. “Whatever happens between us on this show, it can only result in good things.”

She pulled back a bit to regard him. “I want to tell you something.” After a beat she added, “Since our first time in Vegas…there hasn’t been a second time for me. With anybody.”

Huh? “For real? Why are you telling me—”

“I’m not asking for you to say the same thing, Dash. I never expected you to go celibate, and I didn’t think it’d be this way for me. I just got busy with work.” She shook her head. “I wanted you to know because…” she swallowed hard, “I never wanted another first time with anybody else.”

She gazed into his eyes. Her deep brown gaze, smooth as chocolate and calling to his soul, drew him closer. He was done for.

About the Author

Kathryn Lively is an award-winning writer and editor, Slytherin, Whovian, and Rush (the band) fan. She loves chocolate and British crisps and is still searching for a good US dealer of Japanese Kit Kat bars.

COPY & PASTE TO GET KAT’S NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/bq-RML

MORE ABOUT KAT:

Site & Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook Page ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

Q&A with Kathryn Lively

How did you get the idea to write Finish What You Started?

I came up with the initial outline of the story after reading a publisher call for romances featuring “rich and famous” heroes. They were looking for actors, billionaires, and the like. I’m a fan of second chances stories, so I thought why not write a romance where the hero is looking for one in his career and personal life?

The hero, Dash, is a former child actor who can’t break the geek stereotype of his old TV character, and he wants a breakout role in a hot new show. Problem is, the showrunner is his ex-wife. Finish What You Started takes them through the obstacles of getting the show and their new life back on track.

By the time I finished the book, though, the deadline for the call had passed. Can’t win them all, but fortunately Totally Bound loved the story and here we are.

Do you envision this book as the beginning of a series? Where will you take it?

I am shooting for a trilogy, but there will be at least one follow-up story. In fact, I’m less than halfway finished with the first draft. It goes in a slightly different direction than Finished in that it’s more of an opposites attract romance. If you’re into those, keep an eye out.

Previously you have written mysteries and thrillers. How and when did you decide to make the leap to romance?

To be honest, I have written romance in the past. I grew up reading mysteries and the Sweet Valley High books, and I read pretty much anything these days. I like stories with happy endings, and it’s definitely a requirement in romance. In some books I’ve written, which are not categorically romance, couples do get together in the end, so I figure why not write what I love.

What was the biggest challenge in switching genres in terms of the way you write?

Like mysteries, romance stories have conflict. Every writer has a challenge, and I’ll admit sometimes for me writing intimacy is mine. There are romance authors who write sex scenes that make you go whoa, and while I might not write at a super-high heat level I want the couples involved to show a genuine affection for each other. Readers want that connection. It’s what I want when I pick up a book, and I hope I’m getting it right. J

What’s next for you?

This summer I’m in a box set called Curved Lines, which is all BBW and tattooed heroes. My story is calling “Waking Up,” about a woman in a horrible job who finds freedom with the help of a hunky tat artist. Later on is the release of the first of two geek-themed romances, Geek Meets Girl. I’m also 36k into a contemporary small-town romance I plan to shop around.

If you want to know more about what’s coming up, you can get my email alerts here: http://eepurl.com/bq-RML

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Vein of Love By R. Scarlett ♥ Cover Reveal

Title: Vein Of Love

Author: R. Scarlett

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: August 16, 2016

Synopsis

Three centuries ago, Molly Darling’s ancestors signed a contract in blood—daemon blood—to protect themselves from harm. On the eve she turns nineteen, Molly leaves for her birthday party against her parent’s wishes, sick of their warnings about her “betrothal to a demon.”

Except that she’s very much betrothed, and he’s very much a demon—one who’s only agreed to the nuptials to steal Molly’s ancient daemon powers. Brash, arrogant, and built like a Greek god, Tensley Knight keeps showing up to save Molly from otherworldly attacks, only to insult her a moment later.

As Molly learns more about the demon world, she realizes two things: that her family’s safety depends on a successful marriage, while any chance of freedom she’ll ever have calls for Tensley’s demise.

Yet sometimes Molly spots a tortured soul beyond those liquid grey eyes, and there’s no denying the way her skin tingles when Tensley touches it. In Vein of Love, safety requires sacrifice, foe becomes lover, and one must decide whether to kiss…or to kill.

Excerpt

“What took you so long?” he muttered angrily, taking the cigarette from his lips. A gentle, curling tail of smoke expelled from them. His forehead wrinkled when he did a double take, scanning her exposed skin and messy hair.

She swallowed. “You smoke?”

He hiked a dark brow. “When did you start caring?”

She stared back; something seemed off with him.

He held the cigarette between his index and middle fingers and watched her. “What do you want, Molly?” His voice was low, and a hint of irritation weaved through it.

Do it now. She reached up to her sunglasses and removed them, letting them hit the ground. When her eyes met his, he froze. “I want you,” she said.

He cocked his head to the side. “You want me?” He sounded arrogant, but also a bit suspicious.

She moved slowly, each click of her high heels echoing in the silent apartment. She stood in front of him, running a finger along his bare arm, and jumped at the unexpected jolt of energy from the touch. Her cool expression faltered, heat rolling up her chest, leaving her skin blotchy, but she collected herself and continued gliding her finger along his muscular arm. She used her legs to spread his apart. She placed her trembling hands on his firm chest, pressing her entire length against his.

Just give him a taste, then attack.

“Don’t you want me?” She fluttered her lashes at him.

He eyed her.

She worried it wasn’t working; he hadn’t touched her back. It was like feeling up a damn statue. As stupid as it was, embarrassment took over her. As she straightened up, humiliated, Tensley touched her wrist.

His touch sent energy through her veins.

Oh, oh god.

His lips grazed her cheeks, then her throat. When he tugged her completely against him, she could feel his rigid need beneath her. An intense heat coiled between her legs.

Just a taste…

About The Author

R. Scarlett lives in a small quaint town in Southern Ontario, Canada and has an unhealthy obsession with mythology and romance.

From studying English literature and minoring in History, she loves losing herself in a good book and snuggling up to her Brittany Spaniel. When she’s not writing or plotting a delicious novel, she can be found hanging out with friends and family, going on long car rides, exploring small towns, or watching reruns of Sex and the City.

Website | Facebook |Twitter| Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway

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Chasing Swells By A.L. Goulden ♥ Blog Tour

Title: Chasing Swells

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Author: A.L Goulden

Release Date: 6/21/16

♦♦Synopsis♦♦

Dean “DeBaz” Bazner is a Professional Surfer, private about his past and quiet about his future. Like any famous professional athlete he’s got the talent and sponsors, but he hasn’t clinched a World Title since his rookie year. Now in his thirties, with a career clock ticking, he’s pushing his limits to get to number one again. When a travel writer named Azure Thomas is assigned to observe his journey between events, what seems like a dangerous diversion, both in and out of the water, forces him to accept that there’s more missing from his life than another trophy.

She doesn’t know anything about surfing. She doesn’t drool over his celebrity. And she sure as hell doesn’t ask others to haul her crap around. Azure Thomas has been taking care of herself for most of her thirty years, and this is just another assignment in the changing world of freelance journalism. What she doesn’t expect is an athlete who relates to her profound loss and has sacrificed everything except his soul to get to the top of his sport. Dean is more than the hot surfer splashed across magazines and surfing is more than a hobby. Is it possible that what she can’t live without is chasing the next big swell?

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Amazon ♦ I-Books ♦ B & N ♦ Kobo ♦ Smashwords

♦♦About the Author♦♦

I’m a designer, author, wife and dog-lover living in the South Pasadena area of California. I got my BFA in Film Production from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, but my love of a good story came way before college. I remember writing my first full story in fifth grade on a typewriter. I cut and pasted it into a book, complete with cardboard cover and taped binding. Things have changed a lot since then. With the magnificent digital age I can produce books and give them to the world without a sticky mess.

In college numerous instructors and peers praised my dialogue pushed me to hone my storytelling skills. Of course the need to cut and paste was still there, so I went into the world of Production Design and Art Direction for films and television. It gave me the ability to connect design to storytelling in a way that no other career can. The past 18 years have spun a unique perspective on visually emotional tales of relationships and the thread that ties all things together. Now I’m shifting focus on the driving force that brought me here… stories. I hope that I can share a unique perspective on life, love and the pursuit in all of the above

♦♦Social Media Links♦♦

A.L.’s Amazon Author Page | Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Broken Pieces By H. D’Agostino ♥ Cover Reveal

Title: Broken Pieces

Series: Broken Series #4

Author: H D’Agostino
Photographer: Kelsey Keeton of K. Keeton Designs
Designer: Kari March Designs
Cover Models: Cameo Hopper, Grant Lorscheider, and Eric Wadkins

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 11, 2016

One drunken night a nameless one-night stand changes everything for Alison Tanner. Her world suddenly turns on its side, and she has a whole other person to consider. One that will rely on her for everything and love her unconditionally. One that will cause her more guilt that she can imagine because she can’t answer the most important question of all… where’s my daddy?

Time passes and Ally moves on, finding love in one of the most unlikely places. But things are never that simple. What happens when the nameless stranger comes walking back into their lives? How will this affect their child, and is this new love strong enough to weather the storm?

Our hearts don’t always want what’s easy. Sometimes they send us on a path that will eventually break us. Which path will Ally choose, and who awaits her at the end of that journey? Join Ally and the rest of the gang in Broken Pieces, the final book in The Broken Series.

Summary

One drunken night a nameless one-night stand changes everything for Ali

son Tanner

.

Her world suddenly turns on its side, and she has a whole other p

erson to consider.

One that will rely on her for everything and love her unconditio

nally. One that will cause

her more guilt that she can imagine because she can

’

t

answer the most important

question of all

…

where

’

s my daddy?

Time passes and Ally moves on, finding love in one of the most

un

likely places. But

things are never that simple. What happens when the nameless stran

ger comes walking

back into their lives

?

How will this affect their child, and is this new love strong enough

to weather the storm?

Our hearts don

’

t always want what

’

s easy. Sometimes they send us on a path that will

eventually break us. Which path will Ally choose, and who awaits her at the e

nd of that

journey? Join Ally and the rest of the gang in Broken Pieces, the f

inal book in The

Broken Series.

Summary

One drunken night a nameless one-night stand changes everything for Ali

son Tanner

.

Her world suddenly turns on its side, and she has a whole other p

erson to consider.

One that will rely on her for everything and love her unconditio

nally. One that will cause

her more guilt that she can imagine because she can

’

t

answer the most important

question of all

…

where

’

s my daddy?

Time passes and Ally moves on, finding love in one of the most

un

likely places. But

things are never that simple. What happens when the nameless stran

ger comes walking

back into their lives

?

How will this affect their child, and is this new love strong enough

to weather the storm?

Our hearts don

’

t always want what

’

s easy. Sometimes they send us on a path that will

eventually break us. Which path will Ally choose, and who awaits her at the e

nd of that

journey? Join Ally and the rest of the gang in Broken Pieces, the f

inal book in The

Broken Series.

Young Couple Kissing in Love, Woman and Man Dating Portrait

Heather D’Agostino is an avid reader turned Bestselling Author of the Contemporary Romance Series The Broken Series, The Shatter Series, The Second Chances Series, The Cook Brothers Series, and Romantic Suspense series The Witness Series.

She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics.

She currently lives in Central New York with her husband, two children, two dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing she can usually be found at the dance studio, soccer field, or one of the many other places that she plays ‘Supermom’.

HOSTED BY:

Gun Shy By Lili St. Germain ♥ Excerpt Reveal

Excerpt

Cassie

I brew coffee downstairs, being careful not to make too much noise. He hates it when I’m loud. He likes to wake up gradually. I trudge upstairs, my bare feet freezing on the threadbare carpet.

I bring the coffee and I set it beside him. I pull one curtain open, just the way he likes it. It’s been snowing again. It’s so beautiful out there. So empty.

“Good morning,” he says. I turn away from the snow, my retinas pulsing and blind in the center of my vision from the stark white burst of light outside.

Sometimes, if I can get on his good side when he first wakes up, he’ll be nice to me for the rest of the day. Lately that happens less and less, but I still try.

“Sleep well?” he asks, sipping his coffee. He hands it to me and I take a sip. I don’t like coffee the way he has it, but he insists on sharing with me, probably to ensure I don’t poison him. He’s a smart man. Thinks of everything.

I ache between my thighs. I’m reminded of the night before. Of the guy who crept into my bedroom and fucked me until I hurt.

“Like the dead,” I reply. I had to check and make sure he was in a deep sleep before I showered the evidence away last night. I couldn’t risk him waking up and hearing me.

He smiles lazily, his eyes still puffy from sleep. The smile that could dazzle the entire female population has a hard edge to it. “I can see the cogs turning in your brain, Cassandra. What are you daydreaming about?”

I sit on the edge of the bed. My legs are tired and my head hurts.

“I remembered what a sociopath is.”

“Oh, yeah?” He props himself up on one elbow, the coffee finished, the cup discarded somewhere on the dresser beside him. “Enlighten me.”

“Somebody who’s empty inside. Somebody who needs to take from everybody else to fill them up. Because they were born wrong. Because there’s nothing inside them.”

He smiles; his lazulite eyes crease up ever-so-slightly at the edges. I imagine how beautiful he would have looked as a young child; how his mother would have melted whenever he smiled up at her. Because his eyes deceive. They don’t look empty. They’re beautiful, full of the souls of everyone else he’s sucked dry and left in his quest to find that something, that perfect thing to fill him up.

I can see myself in his eyes. My soul. He’s taken it from me.

“Do you feel empty?” I whisper.

He rests a hand on my upper thigh, all trace of his smile gone as he matches his fingers to the bruises he left on me in the night, in the dark. “Not when I’m inside you.”

The man I’ve been fucking for the past year, or rather, the man who’s been fucking me — his eyes gleam in the harsh sunlight that casts a brightness over the bedroom, bathing it in some macabre stage lights that scream: Action! But this isn’t make-believe, and the curtains won’t fall at the end of our grotesque little act, and after we’re done here, I won’t be able to peel my mask off and toss it on the ground as I exit the stage.

I swallow thickly. I wish he’d get tired of me.

“I heard you in the shower last night,” he says, his fingers squeezing into my flesh. “After I left you, you thought you could just wash me off like nothing happened, huh?”

My cheeks burn as I try to twist away from him; He sits up in bed and reaches for my throat, crushing my windpipe as he pulls my face to his.

“You need to learn,” he says, “that I know everything about you, Cassie. I know what you think. I know where you are. I know where you’re going. I know more about you than you know about yourself, darlin’.

I choke.

“Say sorry,” he says, loosening his grip.

“I’m sorry!” I wheeze, my throat burning as tears stream down from my eyes.

“Not like that. Show me how sorry you are. Apologize.”

He pulls the covers back and fists a hand in my long hair, wrenching me down into his lap.

I do what I’m told. I show him just how sorry I am. I’m not sorry for washing him off me last night, though. I’m sorry that he ever came to this godforsaken town and ruined our lives.

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iBooks:http://apple.co/1TjEHqn

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RELEASE DATE: June 27th, 2016

Blurb

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL?

In the middle of a fierce snowstorm in Gun Creek, Nevada, a teenage girl disappears without a trace.

The second girl in as many years.

Identical cases. Identical conditions. Only last time, the girl was found. Dead, floating face-down in the creek that feeds the town’s water supply.

The killer was never found.

As the small town mobilises and searches for newly vanished Jennifer Thomas, one suspect comes to the fore. But did he do it? Or is there something else at play? Something nobody could have anticipated?

For Jennifer’s classmate Cassie Carlino, the worst is yet to come. As she pins MISSING posters to store windows and joins the search, she begins to suspect that Jennifer’s disappearance might be much closer to her than she could have ever imagined.

About the Author

Lili Saint Germain

Lili writes dark, disturbing romance. Her #1 bestselling Gypsy Brothers series was created in a serial format – quick, intense episodes released frequently with some wicked cliffhangers. The Gypsy Brothers series focuses on a morally bankrupt biker gang and the girl who seeks her vengeance upon them. The Cartel series is a prequel trilogy of full-length novels that explores the beginnings of the club, to be released in 2015 by HarperCollins.

Lili quit corporate life to focus on writing and so far is loving every minute of it. Her other loves in life include her gorgeous husband and beautiful daughter, good coffee, Tarantino movies and spending hours on Pinterest.

She loves to read almost as much as she loves to write.

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Bad Boys After Dark: Mick By Melissa Foster ♥ Promo Blitz