Book Blast & Giveaway: Numbers Game
I know, I know . . . another Divergentesque novel? I haven’t read this one, but it does sound intriguing. I’m a sucker for dystopian. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway before you go!
Numbers Game by Rebecca Rode
Treena is nervous for Rating Day. A single number will brand her forever—a valuable citizen, or a pathetic waste of space. Her top-Rated boyfriend is confident their scores will coincide so they can attend the academy together. But when the big day arrives, her true number shocks everyone.
To get her life—and boyfriend—back, she must go undercover and expose a military spy. Doesn’t sound too hard, except that someone wants her dead. And then there’s Vance, the mysterious soldier with a haunted past and beautiful brown eyes. Together, they discover a dark numbers conspiracy, one that shatters the nation’s future. Treena must join up with Vance if she is to survive the dangerous game of numbers—and the terrible war that rages within her heart.
Excerpt
“Your Rating is wrong,” Vance said. “Their precious Rating system says absolutely nothing about you and what you’re capable of.”
I shook my head. “So far, everything I’ve done has proven my number absolutely correct.”
“Treena.” His tone softened. “I don’t know why you that happened to you. But I do know one thing.” He stopped on the step below me, and I whirled to face him. We were the same height now, and his expression was fierce. “You are the most loyal, the most determined, and the most fascinating girl I’ve ever met. No number could ever describe you.”
The deadness inside cracked, and the pain came flooding back. I felt like a five-year-old again. Falling, grasping for a handhold, for something to save me. “It doesn’t matter now. Tali’s dead.”
He gave me a long look. Then he sat down, right on the steps, easing me down next to him. I lay my head on his shoulder and let him pull me close. The warmth of his embrace felt completely and utterly right. For a long moment, I allowed myself to forget about the past few days. There was no empress, no punishment mode, and no mission. There was just us. The world was cool and dark, and his touch sent my heart pumping as if it had just awakened from hibernation.
“Dying isn’t the worst thing to happen to someone,” he continued thoughtfully. “Anyone coward can die. The hardest thing is being left behind, trying to make sense of a world without them.”
I tilted my head back and allowed myself to look up into Vance’s eyes. They were dark, pulling, as if absorbing all the light that entered, saving it for some future purpose. His eyebrows were choppy, untrimmed, and his lips chapped. But somehow, it worked. It was simply . . . him. No surgeries, no tallies of volunteer hours and checklists. Vance just took life one day at a time, keeping his family safe, trying to put the pieces of himself back together. I could see it, the pain in his heart. It was something we shared now.
A warm feeling spread through my chest until I thought it would burst. This was who he really was. The tumultuous battle within him seemed to have trickled away, leaving one gallant, vulnerable boy. A boy who was looking at me as if I were something precious—who looked at me, instead of at my Rating. His eyes flitted between mine, his confidence replaced with uncertainty.
“It feels good to finally choose sides, doesn’t it?”
“Whose side are you on, then?”
His chin was just above mine, and he lowered it until our eyes were level. Then his hand tilted my chin upward toward his. His fingers brushed the side of my face, cradling it gently in his firm hand. I felt his breath on my face, felt the battle within him as well as I felt it in myself. But something pulled me toward him.
“Yours,” he said. He closed the distance between us, slowly, then paused.
And our lips met.
Praise for the Book
“Gripping, from beginning to end . . . a tale as action-packed as Divergent yet as introspective as The Giver. . . . Sure to be an instant classic in the genre.” –R.J. Craddock, author of The Children of Cain series
“Fluent and engaging . . . brimming with fabulous characters and intrigue that will keep you flipping pages. Can’t wait to read the next book in this series!” –Adrienne Monson, author of the Blood Inheritance trilogy
“Had me hooked from the first page to the last . . . Thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend!” -Randy Roberts, BoredShorts TV (Kid History/Kid Snippets)
Author Rebecca Rode
REBECCA RODE is an award-winning author and journalist. She is the author of the inspirational book, How to Have Peace When You’re Falling to Pieces, and writes for Deseret News, KSL.com, FamilyShare, and Provo Daily Herald. However, her true love is writing for teenagers. She enjoys playing with her four children, traveling, reading, and martial arts, and she has a ridiculous addiction to her husband’s chocolate-banana shakes.
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$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 4/9/15
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: The Bargain
Three weeks, twenty-one days, or five hundred and four hours…
That’s all it took to derail my life and twist it into something unrecognizable. One moment I had Evan, the man I thought I’d marry. The next moment shattered the illusion.
Now I have no one.
Except him.
Ryker Vargas, and I don’t really have him. He’d never belong to any one but himself. He sucked me into a web of lies and now it’s too late. I took the bait. I’m a prisoner of the Vargas Cartel.
I never thought I’d be another statistic, another girl abducted in a foreign country, my entire future washed away by an impulsive, split second in time.
But it’s true.
My name is Hattie Covington and I’m a statistic, but statistics never tell the whole story.
AMAZON * AMAZON UK
After spending years practicing law and a million other things, Lisa decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer and she must confess that inventing characters is so much more fun than writing contracts and legal briefs. A native of Colorado, she lives with her husband and three children in Denver. When she isn’t managing the chaos of raising three children and owning her own business, she can be found reading or writing a book.
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Blog Stop: Protect Her Box Set
Human. Angel. Demon.
Three species that have coexisted since the beginning of time, although humankind is blissfully unaware of the predators and protectors that walk among them. But there is a new threat emerging that affects them all.
The story begins when an innocent girl is saved from certain death by a man who straddles the worlds of darkness and light. Their relationship holds the key to saving everyone.
PROTECT HER: PART ONE
Get in. Get the job done. Get out. Get paid.
It’s a simple motto that I’ve lived by for the last five years. It’s kept me alive and made me rich.
There’s no love lost between me and the supernatural beings who walk the world beside us. But when it comes to being able to retrieve valuable information from the dead, Necromancer Riley Stone is the only game in town. They know it. I know it too, and that’s why my services aren’t cheap.
The archangel Benjamin hired me to find out why he has a new demon problem. Three demon interrogations in, and the only thing I know is that the demons are in hot pursuit of a nameless young woman. She’s here on Calamata Island, and the demon officials are willing to risk Benjamin’s wrath to grab her.
But I found her first, and she’s nothing like what I expected. In my line of work, you can’t afford to let anyone get too close. But there’s something about Paige Matthews that I can’t shake, and she needs my help. I won’t turn her over to Benjamin until I help her find out why the demons are after her.
So now I’ve got a demon problem, and I’m in way over my head.
PROTECT HER: PART TWO
Want to know what happens to a human caught in the crossfire between angels and demons? I’m going to make sure that Paige Matthews doesn’t find out.
The job that originally brought me to Calamata Island might be done, but I can’t leave Paige behind. Without me she’s defenseless against the demons that are after her. I just met her, but I feel protective of her, and I can’t walk away. Not yet.
Paige is at the epicenter of something big, and none of it is good. It’s not just the demons that want her. The angels are in on it too being led by the archangel Benjamin.
Paige’s past is being hidden by her amnesia. Those secrets want to be let out. It’s up to me to make sure that she stays alive long enough to find the answers that will finally reveal it all.
PROTECT HER: PART THREE
I want Paige Matthews. The archangel Benjamin’s claim on her soul is one that cannot be easily broken, but I intend to try. Of course, that’s assuming that she would want someone like me once this is all over.
First, we have to get off Calamata Island in one piece. I know someone who can help Paige finally unlock the memories of her past. That’s the key to gaining the upper hand against the demons who are coming for her. Among those is a familiar face; a demon official who stole something from me five years ago. Having a shot at a little vengeance in the process is all right with me.
Everything’s coming to a head, and this is one fight that I intend to win. I just have to make sure that I don’t lose Paige in the process.
EXCERPT FROM PART ONE:
I wanted to ask her questions, like why the demons were after her, but her initial confusion about the attack and look of shock when I mentioned demons told me that she was a civilian. No knowledge of the ugly underbelly that prowled the world beside hers. I envied people like that sometimes. It had been a long time since I had the luxury of that kind of innocence. Unfortunately for the woman, hers was about to go away as well.
Still, asking questions and ferreting out answers regardless of her physical or emotional state was part of my job. I was damn good at it. You just needed to know the right approach depending on the person, or thing, you were interrogating.
I decided to start my line of questioning with the simple stuff and hopefully build a thin layer of trust. People, especially humans, opened up quickly to others that they trusted. “So you know my name. What’s yours?”
Her eyes swung toward mine. Her pupils were dilated and glassy. She was deep into the throes of the effects of the drug. “Paige. Or at least, that’s what I call myself these days.”
It was a strange answer that only encouraged more questions in my mind. I made a mental note to come back to it. “Nice to meet you, Paige. I wish it were under better circumstances.”
That, as much, was true. Paige’s lean, athletic body, long blonde hair, and baby blue eyes were on the money for the type of woman that drew my attention like a beacon. Her full pouty lips begged for me to reach out my thumb and caress them. Even with the dirt, dust, and blood covering her, she looked like a blue-eyed angel.
I cursed myself for being so indifferent to the current situation even as I shifted in my seat from the sudden tightness in my jeans. Clearly I’d been out of the game too long. Work was my sole focus these days, and I had forgotten how liberated I felt after a simple roll in the hay.
“Are you taking me to the hospital? I think I’m hurt pretty bad,” she replied.
“Not as bad as you think. You just need a little rest,” I said. “Why were you in the graveyard tonight, Paige?” Given that she was human, my assumption was that she was a Wiccan. They often held their ceremonies in cemeteries to bolster their spells with the energy of soil. Dead bodies still emanated quite a bit of mystical juice.
“Running,” she said. “Couldn’t sleep.”
Another perplexing answer that made no sense. Demons didn’t hunt and attack regular humans for no reason. Then I corrected myself. Demons didn’t hunt and attack regular humans at all on Calamata Island. On the mainland, one would occasionally step out of line and feed on a human, but that was usually squashed quickly. It wasn’t good for anyone to have the humans be aware of the paranormal minions that walked in their midst.
There was a reason that the demons were showing up en masse and looking for her. I just had to figure out that reason, and then decide if there was any financial benefit for me in it. I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of getting involved in a demon matter, but if Paige was important to them, that could be highly profitable intel.
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About the Author:
Ivy Sinclair cut her romance teeth on classics like Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, and Sabrina. She is a firm believer in true love, a happily ever after ending, and the medicinal use of chocolate to cure any ailment of the heart. Ivy’s guilty pleasures include sushi, endless Starbucks lattes, and wine. Readers of Ivy’s stories can expect smoldering sweet stories of romance that tug at the heartstrings.
Book Blast & Giveaway: Fierce Fantasy Collection
Grab your copy now for just .99 cents!
FIERCE: Sixteen Authors Of Fantasy with Mercedes Lackey
For a limited time only!
Join epic fantasy legend Mercedes Lackey and fifteen additional New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling authors on the adventure of a lifetime!
Over one million words and sixteen realms of fantasy brought together for your reading pleasure. Discover courageous characters fighting for justice and order. Journey between kingdoms of dragons and lands of anarchy as tales of magic and mayhem unfold.
Grab it today, before it’s gone!
AMAZON * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Google Play * iBooks
Find out more information about the bundle on novelbundles.com!
About the Authors and Titles:
Mercedes Lackey – Moving Targets
Stuck watching over four Herald trainees on circuit, Elyn is at her wits’ end—and that’s before a town asks for help with a ghostly infestation.
Michael G. Manning – The Blacksmith’s Son
A journey to discover the secrets of his past reveals a magical heritage and embroils Mordecai in a deadly battle for the future of mankind.
K.F. Breene – Chosen
Prophecy has foretold that when war threatens the world, the Chosen will appear to help the Shadow Warriors reclaim their stolen freedom and lead them out of the Land of Mist.
Morgan Rice – A Quest of Heroes
Thorgin, an outsider and a dreamer, fights to become a warrior in an epic quest that finds him at the center of a maelstrom of royal plots and counterplots that threaten him and everyone he loves.
Michael James Ploof – Whill of Agora
When Whill learns the truth of his lineage, he sets out to face his father’s murderer, but what he learns along the way will change his life—and the realm—forever.
Daniel Arenson – Requiem’s Song
Weredragons, men call them. Monsters. Cursed ones. People who can turn into beastly reptiles. Together they will forge a nation.
Kate Sparkes – Bound
When a young woman accidentally saves the life of an enemy Sorcerer, she finds herself drawn into a world of magic that’s more beautiful, more seductive, and more dangerous than she ever imagined.
David Adams – The Pariahs
Two sellswords—a half-elf and a half-orc—find their war over before it even begins. But trouble is stirring on the home front, conflict which threatens more than just their lives.
Amy Raby – The Fire Seer
Taya must use her fire visions to investigate a series of murders, but the Coalition of Mages has partnered her with her old nemesis, the man who used to bully her when they were young.
C. Greenwood – Magic of Thieves & Betrayal of Thieves
In a province where magic is forbidden, young Ilan, born with the powerful gift of her ancestors, has only one hope for survival—concealment.
David Dalglish – The Weight of Blood
When half-bloods Harruq and Qurrah Tun pledged their lives to a death prophet, they only sought escape from their squalid beginnings. Instead, they become his greatest disciples, charged with leading his army of undead.
K.J. Colt – Bear Heart
In the savage lands of Ruxdor, young Klawdia must fight the champions of four rival clans to defend her future as the first female chieftain.
Shae Ford – Poison
A bandit girl is taken from her home and thrust into a complex world of lords and ladies, where she learns that she must kill to survive.
Endi Webb – The Maskmaker’s Apprentice
Masks of legend. Masks of power. Those who dare to wear them trifle with the old powers and risk ruin and mayhem. But a young apprentice maskmaker cannot contain his curiosity, and accidentally unleashes a deadly terror upon an unsuspecting world.
Michael Wallace – The Dark Citadel
A slave boy and a young queen lead an alliance of spies, servants, and merchants to stave off the encroaching armies of a dark wizard.
Terah Edun – Blades of Magic
As an unstoppable war breaks out, a young girl enlists in the military to unravel the secrets surrounding her father’s execution.
AMAZON * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Google Play * iBooks
Book Blast Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/15/15
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Cover Reveal: Still Life by A.M. Johnson
Title: Still Life
Author: A.M. Johnson
Genre: New Adult
Cover Reveal: March 4, 2015
Release Date: April 2015
Cover Designer :
J.E.B. Johnson
jebjohnsonart@gmail.com
Still Life (Forever Still Series #1}
Loss… a word Elizabeth Haddington knows only too well. Despite the tragedies she’s endured, she’s been able to rise from the adversity she’s faced and begin her life again. Being a self-assured and strong woman, she knows she doesn’t need anyone to make her whole.
Hate, pain, and twisted memories are all Sawyer Bryant’s ever known. He’d slowly lost who he was and what he should’ve become. His only escape was the military… Eight years later, as an ex-Navy SEAL, he’s forced to confront his father and their disturbed and violent past.
Then one day, his life is turned upside down, when he glimpses a woman singing in her car at a set of traffic lights. Thinking he’d never see her again, amazingly he finds her performing with her band at the local bar. This chance encounter brings these two lost souls together. Once Sawyer gets a taste of her melodic voice, there’s no turning back.
For Elizabeth, when she meets Sawyer… she realizes she’s fallen hard. But is this really love she’s feeling or does love build slowly over time?
What happens when fate turns things around on you, creates flashes you can’t turn from… moments that will shape your life?
They are faced with the choice of darkness surrounding them or to rid themselves of the guilt and pain and move toward the light.
This story is about life’s moments. How they can make you or break you, and one man’s hope that… Love, won’t judge him.
Amanda M Johnson is originally from Florida. She now lives in Utah where she is a Full-Time Nurse. She is, however, always first a mother and wife. She began to love reading at a very young age and toyed with the idea of writing ever since she can remember. She loves all things romance. Amanda is inspired by the indie romance community as a whole and embraces the title book whore with great pride.
Blog Stop: Fighting Silence
Meet Till & Eliza in Aly Martinez’s newest fighter series!
Look for my review, coming soon!
NOW AVAILABLE
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1CF0YEq
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Lhhn62
Sound is an abstract concept for most people. We spend our lives blocking out the static in order to focus on what we believe is important. But what if, when the clarity fades into silence, it’s the obscure background noise that you would give anything to hold on to?
I’ve always been a fighter. With parents who barely managed to stay out of jail and two little brothers who narrowly avoided foster care, I became skilled at dodging the punches life threw at me. Growing up, I didn’t have anything I could call my own, but from the moment I met Eliza Reynolds, she was always mine. I became utterly addicted to her and the escape from reality we provided each other. Throughout the years, she had boyfriends and I had girlfriends, but there wasn’t a single night that I didn’t hear her voice.
You see, meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan. However, neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one.
They both happened anyway.
Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting for my career.
Fighting the impending silence.
Fighting for her.
Every night, just before falling asleep, she sighs as a final conscious breath leaves her.
I think that’s the sound I’ll miss the most.
Excerpt
“Hi.” I stood up off the bed as he started climbing through the window.
His eyes went wide when he saw me, causing him to momentarily lose his balance on the windowsill and go crashing to the floor. “God. Damn,” he cursed as he rose to his feet while taking in my new wardrobe. “You… I…um…” His hand went to his lip.
He was rooted in place only a few steps away, but his eyes traveled over every inch of my body and back again.
Till was speechless. I had never felt so empowered in my life.
“Are you okay?” I feigned concern as I slowly approached.
“Not even close,” he told my breasts, making me giggle.
After sliding a hand under the edge of his T-shirt, I raked a fingernail over each of his abs before dipping it into the waistband of his jeans.
“I’m sore today,” I announced, closing the distance between us. My breasts were pressed against him, but he still hadn’t even attempted to touch me yet. I had plans to remedy that. I smirked then stood up on my tiptoes, kissing the base of his neck. “Make me sore for tomorrow too.” At the last second, I darted my tongue out to the hollow dip at the base of his neck. It was meant to tease him, but as the taste of his skin hit my tongue, I was flooded with memories of taking more of him in my mouth. The moan escaped before I’d even felt it coming.
A loud rumble shook his chest, but that was the only warning I received. Suddenly, I was off my feet and sailing through the air. Just as I landed on the bed, Till crashed on top of me. His mouth roughly landed on mine.
“Tell me we can’t do this again,” he demanded as his hands found my breasts.
“We’re definitely doing this again.” I arched into him.
“It’s gonna get so messy, Eliza. Please.” He groaned as I reached into the front of his jeans.
“I’m okay with messy,” I breathed, guiding his hand from my breast and into my panties.
About the Author:
Aly Martinez
Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.
After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.
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GIVEAWAY
$50 AMAZON GIFT CARD (2 Winners)
Double Cover Reveal for two new releases by Len Webster
“So, who was the girl you were talking to on the beach earlier today?” Dean asked, nursing his beer.
Julian scanned the area around the makeshift dance floor and bar. No Blondie. He knew the moment he walked away he should have asked for where she was staying. But no. He went for the ‘you’re going to miss me when I’m gone’ approach. But it seemed to turn out to be the ‘I’m walking away and I’ll lose you’ goodbye. A move only made by an idiot.
Staring at the bonfire, he pouted. “Just a girl.”
Dean let out a low laugh. “Sure,” he slowly dragged.
“What?” Julian raised a brow.
“Mate, I’ve seen you in clubs and on campus. Never seen you stumble like you did. You’re normally in and out with the phone numbers,” Dean explained.
“Whatever,” Julian sighed, knowing his mistakes. “Have you spoken to Willa?” he asked, trying to change the subject.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed Dean shake his head.
“She’s giving me the silent treatment after our fight. She hasn’t been herself since we got here.”
Turning his head, Julian stared at Dean and smiled at the concerned glint in his eye. “Maybe you should leave the beach party and go home to her?”
“She’ll probably tell me to go away.”
“Trust me, go talk to her,” Julian instructed.
“I don’t think—”
“Don’t think. Do.”
Dean passed Julian his beer and nodded. “Okay. I’ll go see what’s wrong with her.”
Julian didn’t bother to look if Dean was walking back to the villa. He knew deep down that Dean loved Willa just as stupidly. Fools are the ones in love. And love is for the fools.
Fools, fools, fools.
But wait.
I’m a fool.
Not a ‘love’ fool.
But one of those fools who wait.
“Excuse me, you haven’t seen my friend have you?” her voice asked.
Julian froze and a smile instantly crossed his lips. He quickly turned around to see Stephanie in a white summer dress that hit her knees. She tilted her head and raised a brow at him.
You’re here, Stephanie.
“Your friend?” he asked, his smile not yet disappearing.
She nodded. “Yeah, he’s this annoying idiot. He wouldn’t be hanging out with you. You seem too serious by the way you’re glaring at that fire.”
Pursing his lips, he nodded his head at every word she said. When she stopped talking he let his eyes roam her face. Taking in the glint in her eyes, her cute nose and her plump lips. He kept his stare on her mouth longer than necessary and he knew that.
I’m going to kiss you, Blondie.
I don’t know when.
I don’t know how.
But I will.
His heart twitched at the thought. Friends kissed. He was sure one would be harmless. Clenching his eyelids tight together, Julian ignored the desire in him to want to kiss her right here, right now. It was all superficial. He enjoyed her exterior. The interior, her personality, was one he was going to take his time learning. She had already fascinated him with her book choice and her smart mouth. He wanted to know more.
“Julian,” she said his name so perfectly it was like each letter was voiced carefully.
Once he opened his eyes, he pushed his desired thoughts away. The hesitant look in her eye screamed ‘friends.’ In the end that’s what they’d be. But he’d be damned if he missed out on the knowledge of what her lips were like on his.
Baby steps, Julian.
“I didn’t think you’d come,” he confessed.
Stephanie shrugged. “You wanted me to come for some reason. And well, my roommate booted me out of the room. I don’t know where the other girls are so I thought what the hell.”
“This feels like a booty call. I am offended,” he teased.
She shook her head. “That was lame.”
“Do over?” he asked.
“Not on your life,” she sassed.
Shoulders sagging, Julian spun around and looked back at the fire. “You’re kinda mean, Blondie.”
Seconds passed and she stood next to him, also staring at the flames. “You should be used to it. We’re friends, remember?”
Looking across the dance room, Stevie noticed Rob standing alone by a table. Guilt settled in the pit of her stomach. It was hard for her to let go of her past and be with him. Something about his eyes and his smile reminded her of the man she left behind all those years ago. Being together was meant to make Jewel, the woman from the bar, jealous but somehow Rob fell deeper. And as hard as Stevie tried, she couldn’t make herself to fall in love with Robert Moors.
Julian.
His name made her flinch. She tried not to remember that name but it had always been hard to. Stevie rubbed the back of her neck at where she had his initial tattooed. It was a spur of the moment decision that he had chosen to do in order to leave her comfort zone. Looking back, she should have had it removed but she couldn’t get herself to do it. Somehow they were the better chapters in her life, even though it was chapters she wished she could just forget. There were days when she wondered if he kept her initial tattooed on his chest. According to him that was where her name belonged. She was foolish to believe him then. They were just a ‘summer fling.’
The times after Thailand had been her darker times. Only her stepbrother, Jarred Harper, brought her back. When she left for London, she vowed to never let her secrets about Julian and Thailand to ever be revealed to Jarred. Sighing, Stevie placed the envelope on the table next to her and glanced back at Rob. It wasn’t something she wanted to do, to tell him it was over, but she couldn’t stay with him. She never had a problem being with men, that she knew well, but Rob was different. Rob was an exception.
If only I met him first, then maybe things could have been different.
Rob had never looked at her the same since she had called it quits. But Stevie knew why he hadn’t. Since he laid eyes on Alison O’Connor, Stevie knew things had changed. No matter how much Rob tried to hide it, she knew he was attracted to the young Sydney socialite. And that secret smile he directed towards Ally as she danced with her little cousin, CeCe, confirmed it.
Shifting her focus back at Noel and Clara dancing, Stevie was envious. Just the way Noel looked at her best friend with such love made her jealous. It was disgusting how jealous she was. She was happy for them but a love like theirs was only for the privileged and the pure. A love like theirs was only for them and no one else. Everyone who watched were intruders. Outsiders looking in.
“It’ll happen for you.”
Turning her head, she instantly smiled at the man next to her. His freckles had always made her smile. If she ever wanted to make someone proud, it would always be him.
“Big talk for someone who already has it,” she said.
Jarred sighed and then gave her a tight smile. “Stevie, don’t be so hard on yourself. What they have, what Annie and I have, you’ll have it someday. You’re a good person that made a mistake. Don’t punish yourself for the rest of your life. You deserve love, just don’t run or you’ll miss out.”
I already had it.
I already ran.
I already missed out.
The guilt weighed heavy on her chest and threatened the resurfacing of the memories she had. She had left him. She gave him no reason or chance. She just wanted to vanish.
I was afraid to be in love with him.
I was afraid that maybe he could love me.
It was too spontaneous.
It didn’t make sense.
“I don’t deserve love, Jarred. You were in London. You saw what kind of person I really am. What I’m really capable of,” Stevie said, remembering those nights he had come to rescue her.
“Don’t. You’ve come a long way since then. You were lost. I don’t judge you base on those times. I know what a kind hearted person you are. You are responsible for that,” Jarred said, pointing at Noel as he kissed his wife.
It was the only thing she had ever done right in her life and that was making sure Clara found her way back to Noel. Convincing Liam had been easy. All it took was alcohol to get him to open up. Clara had been a tougher task—she had almost given up her happiness for Liam’s.
“I didn’t do anything. It was all them.”
Jarred snorted. “You were the one to convince Liam to go to Boston. You know Clara is forever grateful to you.”
Stevie focused down at the envelope and then back at her stepbrother. “I’m going to miss her,” she confessed in a small voice.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, Jarred nodded then said, “Me, too. You know, one day, someone is going to want to love you the way Noel loves Clara… maybe even more.”
Stevie’s heart ached. She wanted a love like theirs but she knew she never deserved one. Not when she had it. Not when she decided it was better to walk away than feel it. And after that last morning in Thailand, she had decided she never wanted to feel anything as intense as she did with Julian. No matter how much she had wanted to.
The truth is, Len Webster is a romance-loving Melbournian with dreams of finding her version of ‘The One.’ She calls Australia home, but secretly wishes a man with a beautiful accent would whisk her away. She’s been called a hopeless romantic and a firm believer of happily ever afters, which she doesn’t object to.
Having just completed her Bachelor in Business and Commerce, Len can be found daydreaming of her next Europe adventure or swooning over Mr. Darcy. Her best friends are a hot cup of tea, red velvet cupcakes, a warm jumper and her MacBook, ready to write to her heart’s content.
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Book Blast & Giveaway: The Rules in Rome
The Rules in Rome
With Hitler’s forces firmly entrenched in Europe, countless heroes seek to end the madman’s reign. Bastien Ley is one of the best. Working in Italy for the Office of Strategic Services, he’s been tasked with sabotaging German convoys. When his team kills an officer headed for Rome, the man’s similarity to Bastien is undeniable, and seeing an opportunity to turn the tide of the war, Bastien makes a bold decision: he will assume the dead officer’s identity. He becomes Dietrich, an Iron Cross–wearing German officer—an ideal position from which to infiltrate the Nazi ranks in Rome. To help with his stressful assignment, his superiors send him a reinforcement in the form of the lovely Gracie Begni, an intelligent and eager radio operator with absolutely no undercover experience.
With a gulf of resentment between them, these two agents must find a way to portray a couple in love. Soon their reluctant alliance becomes much more as Bastien and Gracie find themselves getting lost in their feelings for each other. But as they engage in battle against the deadliest foe the world has ever known, the pair quickly realizes their love may be doomed. As the Rome Gestapo threatens to destroy all they’ve worked for, will Bastien and Gracie survive their charade?
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Excerpt
“Everything about you screams wholesome religious American. Have you even been kissed before?”
Gracie ran her left thumb along the inside of her ring finger. There wasn’t a ring there, not anymore. “Yes, I’ve been kissed before, Captain Ley. But I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
Ley stood and walked over to her, holding a hand out. She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. “Let me guess. Something like this?” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers for a few brief moments.
When he pulled away, she could still feel the imprint of his mouth. Surprised but remembering his question, she nodded. Ley’s kiss had been a lot like Michael’s: soft, sweet, and affectionate.
“In Italy, if you’re pretending to be my girlfriend, I’ll be kissing you often but not like that. Like this.”
He slipped one hand to the back of her neck, the other to her waist, and pulled her close for another kiss. She was startled at first but soon realized she didn’t want to resist. His lips were insistent and inviting, making her heart race. She was glad when Ley’s hand moved from her waist to the center of her back, because her legs were starting to feel unstable. She wanted to fall into him, into his kiss. The way he maneuvered his mouth over hers was making her lose all sense of place and time, and she found herself wishing he’d never stop. When he began to pull away, she wanted to lean her head on his chest and catch her breath, but then she remembered she’d just met Ley and wasn’t even sure she liked him.
She took a step back, staring at him, wondering what had just happened.
“You see, that won’t do at all,” Ley said. “The Gestapo will be all over you. You’re acting like you’ve never been kissed before.”
Gracie sat on the sofa, her eyes still fixed on Ley. She hadn’t ever been kissed like that.
Praise for The Rules in Rome
Readers who hunger for a great espionage thriller with an extra helping of romance will devour The Rules in Rome. A.L. Sowards is at the top of her craft with this terrific WWII suspense novel. It is definitely a book not to be missed!
Gregg Luke, author of Bloodborne and Deadly Undertakings
The Rules in Rome has it all. Romance, adventure, and epic themes illustrating the unconquerable human spirit. From the moment Gracie met Bastien, I knew I would love this book. He’s the perfect hero, Gracie is his match. I fell in love with these characters over and over again. Thank you, Sowards, for another fabulous read!
Stephanie Fowers, author of the Twisted Tales Trilogy and Jane and Austen
Author A.L. Sowards
A.L. Sowards has always been fascinated by the 1940s, but she’s grateful she didn’t live back then. She doesn’t think she could have written a novel on a typewriter, and no one would be able to read her handwriting if she wrote her books out longhand. She does, however, think they had the right idea when they rationed nylon and women went barelegged.
Sowards grew up in Moses Lake, Washington. She graduated from BYU and ended up staying in Utah, where she enjoys spending time with her husband and children or with her laptop. She does not own a typewriter. She does own several pairs of nylons.
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$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/15/15
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Release Day Blitz: Bring the Rain
Bring The Rain by Lizzy Charles
YA Contemporary Romance
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000446_00071]](http://i0.wp.com/sassysavvyfabulous.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/BTR-cover.jpg)
Synopsis
One summer to make the choice of a lifetime…
Everything is waiting in Paris for Autumn—her new home, her mom, the Louvre, and a life where she can experience art, and not just look at it. But to get there, she’ll have to survive the summer in the least colorful place she can imagine — her father’s Oklahoma cattle ranch
Autumn finds the perfect summer distraction in Colt, the one cowboy hotter than the July sun. But Colt is her father’s ranch hand, and he won’t go for the Manhattan-style fling that she’s used to. The closer they become, the more she questions which side of the ocean she belongs.
Then her father reveals an unforgivable secret, and Autumn’s illusions shatter. Will the secret destroy everything? Or could Oklahoma hold the greatest masterpiece of all—a love that could mend her heart?
Excerpt
Light arms make for easy dancing, even to drawn out country tunes. Turns out, cowboys aren’t bad dancers. They know where to put their hands on your waist to help you sway. They share well too, making sure a new hat accompanies each tune. When my chest burns, I know I’ve hit my limit. “Sorry,” I say to the only guy at the party wearing a baseball cap. “I need a break.”
“I can take you outside if you want?” This brown-haired-brute’s eyes are a bit swollen, and lips raw. I swear I saw him making out on the steps during my last spin on the dance floor.
“No thanks, I’m good on my own.” I quickly zigzag through the crowd and slip out the back kitchen door. If it wasn’t for the couple making out in a hammock, I would’ve barreled right into the gray weave. There’s a deserted tree a few hundred yards out from the house. Brushing my ballet flats through the crisp grass, I do a quick snake check. Phew. I take a seat, tilting my head toward the sky. The darkness is alive and glittering.
I breathe out, the beauty above. Stars like this never happen at home. Here, Hercules and the dippers are too obvious. And, with a jostle of my memory, I can find the Queen and the Dragon too. I wish I had my paints and a canvas so I could try to capture it. I’d make my own Starry Night, but my brush strokes would be looser here than Van Gogh’s.
A breeze moves through my hair, reminding me to take a deep breath. It instantly relaxes me; somehow one breath here is better than any oxygen bar in the city. I hate to admit it, but that’s another thing this place has going for it. It’s so much easier to breathe here.
“Can I join you?” a husky voice says from behind. I turn to find a tall, broad-shouldered, sandy-haired cowboy leaning against the tree. He doesn’t wait for my answer; rather he slinks down the trunk to sit next to me. His eyes turn toward the sky, but, even though I know it’s rude, my eyes can’t leave his face. His nose is almost perfect. It’d be easy to sketch with a soft pencil.
“Andromeda,” he interrupts my artistic vision, pointing up at the sky. “The Greater Bear,” he traces the outline in the air. “And my favorite…”
“Oh, please don’t say something about your big dipper.” I put the yellow cup to my lips, finishing my third refill. It slides past my throat. Finally, the beer’s tasting good now.
“Actually, my prime constellation is Aries, the ram. That line though? Golden. I’ll use it next time.”
“A goat?”
He smiles with a silent laugh and shrugs. “Sounds lame,” he turns toward me. His eyes sparkle and my heart jumps into my throat. His jaw is strong and chest obviously solid under his white button down shirt. “But it’s not.” He flips over my hand, tracing the constellation on my palm. Tingles crawl up my arm.
Now, this is a real cowboy.
“Aries is Zeus, in disguise. Ordinary, but full of power. Cool, huh?”
He lets go of my hand and returns his gaze to the stars.
My heart sinks. I want him to look at me. I’m not letting this cowboy get away. I lean in, close to his ear. “What kind of power?” I whisper. After Mom ditching me for Paris, I could use a little fun, and, as my hand caresses his rock hard biceps, I can’t help welcoming a distraction.
He doesn’t answer yet also doesn’t move away from my touch. Good. I take a deep breath and leap. If he didn’t like me, he’d have moved away already. I kiss the stubble on his jaw and he stills like a statue so I flip my leg over him, sliding onto his lap. The constellations spin. I nibble at his lips. His breathing deepens. Those full lips though? They don’t even flinch. I pull back, repositioning to press my lips down his jaw line and then make my way up toward his earlobe.
“It’s not fun if you don’t play,” I whisper.
He laughs, allowing my lips to return to his. He responds now, kissing me with a soft, steady pressure and pulling me close to his rock hard chest. I’ve never been held so securely. My heart trembles and my muscles melt.
“Okay darlin’,” he says, pressing his lips against mine, giving me a kiss that reminds me of chocolate and lemons, before gently helping me off his lap. “I think it’s time we go.”
“Sure,” I whisper. The ground becomes wavy water and my hand disappears in his as I struggle to stand. Take me away cowboy.
He lifts me, giving me his arm to lean on as he leads me through the house, passing Gina and Peter making out on the stairs. He stops, pulling Gina away too.
“Colt? What’re-ya-doin’?” she slurs.
He drops my hand, and it burns with the absence of his touch. “Do you have a ride home Gina?”
She shakes her head as Peter pulls her back to the step next to him. “I drove Autumn.”
Colt unwraps Peter’s arms. “Which is why I’m taking you both home.”
Peter stands up. “Hey man, if she wants to stay, she should.”
Colt only has to point to him and say, “Peter. Come on, you know not to try that with me.” Peter nods, holding his hands up in some mysterious man exchange.
“Fine,” Gina stumbles like a turkey into Colt’s arms. So funny. I laugh so hard, my goose noise sneaks in too.
“Was that a chortle?” Colt lifts his brow with a cocky grin.
“Chortles are very sexy.” I throw my shoulders back.
He laughs as he wraps his arm around Gina to support her and takes my hand, leading us out the front door. “Into the truck, girls.”
It’s warm in the truck, and with Gina to lean on, comfy too. Sleep takes me away with a few bumps of the road. Gina’s shoulder is soon replaced with a leather jacket. The smell lulls me in and out of sleep with Colt’s whistled tune. My shoulder rocks and I wake. He reaches behind me, propping me up.
“Want some?” He hands me a yellow cup of that watered down beer.
“Thanks.” I say. I am so thirsty. I put the plastic to my mouth, taking a small sip. The liquid slides past my tongue. This must be from the bottom of the barrel because it doesn’t taste right. It’s thin and a struggle to swallow. First goal of the summer, do not spit on the hot cowboy.
“Like it?”
“It’s super watery.”
“Yeah.” He laughs and my stomach tickles with the sound. “Have a few more sips.” He holds the cup back to my lips.
I sip again. It’s horrid, laced with iron and something else that I can’t pinpoint. It’s so hard to slide past my throat. What is he, like, trying to drug me? I hold the liquid poison in my mouth.
Wait. What if he is trying to drug me? Holy crap. While he’s focused on the road, I reach for the door handle, trying not to shake. I’m in a truck with a total stranger with his muscles of steel, in the middle of nowhere. What’s wrong with me? I’d never let this happen in New York. My heart beats in rhythm with the buzz in my ears. I need an escape plan, like now.
He flips off the headlights. We’re in complete darkness except for the stars. I glance out the window; a light from a lone farm-house is about a mile away. No one will hear me scream.
We’re completely alone.
Other books by Lizzy Charles
Available NOW!
Effortless With You
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GgZN38
Perfectly Messy
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Ccwuup
Author Bio
When Lizzy Charles isn’t scrambling to raise her two spunky toddlers or caring for premature and sick babies as a neonatal intensive care nurse, she’s in a quiet corner writing or snuggled up with a novel and a few squares of dark chocolate. She married her high school sweetheart, a heart-melting musician, so it’s no surprise she’s fallen in love with writing contemporary YA romance novels.
Connect With Lizzy
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/17Y39bO
Twitter: @LizzyCharles_
Website: http://www.lizzycharles.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7149579.Lizzy_Charles
Email: LizzyCharlesScribbles@gmail.com
Subscribe to her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bbPGQj
Cover Reveal: Remember Tonight
Title: Remember Tonight
Author: Chelsea Landon
Release Date: March 13, 2015
Find on Goodreads
The summer Alanna Rodger turned eighteen, she thought it would be just like the rest of the summers spent on her parent’s farm in Amarillo Texas. That was until champion bull rider Callan James returned home.
Everyone in town knows about the James’ boys and why they disappeared four years ago.
Everyone but Alanna.
She’s warned to keep her distance but there’s something about Callan’s allure that has her wanting a closer look to unravel all of the reasons that he left — ensuring he stays long after his eight seconds in this town are up.
And when he finally does leave town, she knows exactly where to find him.
There’s nothing that can stop her from wanting him… even the four year age difference won’t prevent her from pursuing him. When Callan can’t get past the age difference, he does everything within his power to show her just how dangerous his lifestyle is.
Can she break through his rough exterior?
“I’m not asking for that. Just give me tonight.” I breathed against his lips. The shift in his demeanor reminds me he is a bull rider, all heart, all go with a confidence only they have.
“Don’t hate me for leaving in the morning…” his voice shakes as he speaks, never more vulnerable as he’s ever been, making sure I know what this is going to be.
“I could never hate someone like you, Callan.”
He swallows, his breathing coming a little faster now. “I’m not having sex with you just because you want me to.”
“But—”
Callan shakes his head. “What I will do is show you that there’s more than just being with someone physically and getting off.”
“I…” I swallow. “Uh…”
“You need to believe you’re worth it. Because you are.”
No one has ever said that to me. Even Jackson. But we were young when I was with him. I was fourteen and he was sixteen. He was my first everything and then before I had a chance to really love him, he was taken from me.
His head is down, staring at the weathered wood when he pushes himself from the tractor.
As he walks toward me, his hands are on the hem of his dark shirt, yanking it over his shoulders. I’m begging for his kiss and he’s not denying. His shirt drops behind me on the hay bales, steady and sure palms cupping my cheeks and a kiss so heavy I’m drowning in him.
He takes my body in his hands, a slow descent to the floor of the barn. He sets me down on the hay bale where his shirt is and then kneels before me. I watch the muscles in his stomach and arms as he does so, flexing with each movement. His knees spread once he’s on the ground, sliding against the dirt of the floor.
His hands are on me, rough and wild but yet steady and patient like he’s memorizing a beautiful canvas before him. He’s showing me there’s more than giving my body to someone. I feel it because it’s an emotion, a feeling. His fingers move to the band of my jean shorts, sliding across my exposed skin to meet in the middle to the button. My eyes are on his but he’s not looking at me, he’s watching my body curve around his. His jeans are still on, as mine are, when he grinds his hips into mine and I feel his arousal, hard and straining against his jeans.
His mouth finds mine, eager but controlled. I feel so much right then. Not just sexual frustration but something so much more when I kiss Callan. He gives his heart when he kisses me like this. Everything he says and does shows that. He’s giving now. There’s no teasing anymore. I know this when he gets the button of my shorts undone with one hand.
He’s not rushing, he’s slowly loving. He moves both hands from my waist and lower to the backs of my knees hooking his hands around them. He brings both my legs to rest on his left shoulder. His head moves to the side pressing my calf against his hot ear. He takes his hat off next with his right hand and puts it over my face, laughing.
It smells like him. Dirt and grass but there’s that distinct leather cowboy smell that melts me on the inhale.
I remove the hat to see him staring at me. There’s a slight grin but it’s more that intensity in his eyes that gets me. It’s like the night I met him. I take the hat and place it on my chest. Callan smiles knocking it away and puts his hands back on my hips dipping his fingers inside the waist band of my shorts. He gives me a wink and I lift my hips for him. Slowly he pulls them down and up over my thighs as his knuckles graze my skin. When they’re at my ankles, he tosses them near his hat on the floor.
I’m not sure what he’s going to do next but his mouth is lingering on my skin over the bruise on my calf that’s forming.
“Does it hurt?” he asks, still looking at the bruise.
“No.” I tell him bending my knees and sliding them down his bare chest. He stops grabbing my ankles and spreading my legs for him.
“You’re trouble.” He says when my legs are spread and my lower half is now completely bare for him.
“You’re torture…” Callan’s mouth twists, a half grin that fades quickly as his eyes drop, his fingertips moving and squeezing my upper thighs as he groans, a low throaty sound I want more of.
A stay-at-home mom, Chelsea spends her days drinking entirely too much caffeine, baking sugar-sweet treats she never eats, playing on Pinterest, and jotting down notes for her novels. A dreamer at heart, she’s been creating happily-ever-afters. She’s a lover, a writer, a dreamer, would rather type than speak, wants to remember everything, loves lots of ice in her drinks, and is slightly introverted.
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