BLOG TOUR & BOOK REVIEW for "Concerto (North Security, #2)" by Skye Warren

Samantha Brooks stands onstage as the curtain rises.

Her dreams are coming true.

She doesn’t know that her nightmare is coming, too.

Concerto

the highly anticipated second book in the North Security series

about the violin prodigy

from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren

is available now!

The spotlight lands on Samantha Brooks. Years of practice build to the opening night of a global tour. She plays her heart out, but there are darker forces underneath the stage.

There are eyes watching from the wings.

Liam North fights to keep her safe with every weapon he owns. She’s his greatest pride — and his greatest weakness. The danger comes from somewhere no one expected. Betrayal threatens to destroy everything he’s built. His business. His family. His life.

When the curtain falls, only one of them will be left standing.

Download your copy today!

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~ BOOK REVIEW for Concerto ~

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

Once again, the author comes through with a hot and heavy tale, that is also full of all the emotional feels we love, and a lot of intrigue of which we are just barely beginning to scratch the surface.  

Samantha is out in the world and on her own...  And yet she is not.  She's still living in a rather cloistered, protected environment, continually shadowed by her assigned body-guard Josh.  He is a constant reminder of her past, and yet not the brother she wishes were with her.  Samantha is still inexplicably drawn to Liam, as he is to her; even when they are worlds apart.  Yet even when they are together, there are worlds between them.  Most of that is his doing, still trying to protect her and keep her away from him.  

      He cuts me off with his mouth over mine, a twisted punishment for gratitude he does

      not want, a possession that shows exactly how much he does care about me.

Despite the taboo nature of their relationship, this story feels sexy, not creepy.  Samantha is, afterall, now a grown woman, although admittedly a young and sheltered one.  But in many ways she is mature beyond her years, as she needed to be for most of her life, just to protect herself.  She knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it.  Liam, on the other hand, is still hung-up on the inpropriety of his attraction for her.  Even after a rather significant revelation though, he comes across as a tortured love interest, not a disturbing letch.  This is perhaps bouyed by the fact that he never showed the slightest bit of inappropriate attention to her when she was younger.  (So much so, in fact, that she actually feels rather deprived of human contact during her time being raised by the North brothers.)

Samantha and Liam both make some dubious decisions that have rather severe consequences.  In addtition to which, betrayal comes from some unexpected sources, one of which hit me particularly hard, and I'm not sure will be easily recovered from, if at all.  

      "What will it take - some kind of sacrifice?"

      "You'd love that, wouldn't you?  That would be just the thing for you.  The Martyr.  

      The savior, I don't want you to hurt for me, Liam."

      It doesn't matter what I wanted.  That's what happened.

While nothing was actually resolved in this book, there were several story lines that were at least somewhat furthered.  Most definitely, there is a lot to be resolved in the next installment.  I hope it gives us all of the answers we're looking for, as well as closure, and preferably in a good way!

Excerpt:

One day I had been a man with a death wish—and the next I was responsible for a twelve-year-old girl. And then she grew up into a beautiful woman. At every turn she’s been a surprise.

I touch my fingers to her temple and stroke her cheek. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life it’s that everything will change. Don’t worry about your future. Do this because you love it, right now. Play. Compose. Perform. Sometimes all you have is right now.”

My hand trails down her jaw, until the backs of my fingers rest against her throat. Her vocal cords vibrate as she speaks. Ripples of pleasure and pain resound through my body.

“I’m not performing right now,” she whispers.

I have her tucked into the ivy, as deep as she can go. I’m blocking her with my body—keeping her within reach, keeping everyone else away. It’s the only way I’ve ever been able to breathe.

A knot forms in my throat. “What do you want?”

Right now. The words move between us like the cool night breeze.

It shouldn’t be possible for her to live up to the image in my head, the perfection that I’ve been imagining every goddamn night. Except it doesn’t even do her justice.

She’s living breathing perfection.

Somehow, I’m leaning close. Is it only me who wants this? Her breath brushes over my lips. What do you want? I asked her. “This,” she whispers, and then she closes the centimeters between us.

Four weeks. That’s how long I’ve been apart from her.

It might as well have been four years. A lifetime of silence. The moment her lips touch mine I’m suffused with music, thousands of notes that she’s played for me, a million heartbeats.

By the time she pulls back I’m breathing hard. I can run a marathon barely breaking a sweat. Being near this woman is enough to break my body into pieces.

Start the series with OVERTURE

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About Skye Warren

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

Connect with Skye

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2DEpMn9

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http://www.skyewarren.com

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Social Butterfly PR, 
and have willingly provided an honest review. 

BLOG TOUR & BOOK REVIEW for "Enemies with Benefits (Loveless Brothers, #1)" by Roxie Noir

Enemies with Benefits
(Loveless Brothers, #1)
an all-new contemporary romance 
from Roxie Noir
is now live!

I don’t love him. I don’t even like him.
I just want him.

Eli Loveless was my nemesis from the first day of kindergarten until we graduated high school. Everything I did, he had to do better - and vice versa. The day he left town was the best day of my life.

Ten years later, the day he came back was the worst.

Now he’s my co-worker.

Grown-up Eli Loveless is sexy as sin. He’s hotter than asphalt in the summer. The irritating kid I once knew is gone, and he’s been replaced by a man with green eyes, perfect abs, and a cocky smile.

It’s bad that I want him.

It’s worse that he wants me back.

There are looks. There are smirks. There are smiles that make my panties burst into flame.

And then there’s a shared kiss that leads to the hottest night of my life.

This is no office romance. This is a five-alarm fire.

What’s a girl to do when the man I can’t stand is the one I can’t stop lusting after?

Enter into a friends-with-benefits agreement, of course.

No dates. No relationship. Just blisteringly hot sex, because if there’s one person I could never fall for, it’s Eli.

...right?

REVIEW:

*****(5) out of 5 Stars!

This story was absolutely delightful!  Violet and Eli are just adoreable together.  Okay, well, not at first.  In the beginning of this tale they are down right mean to each other.  We're talking not just rude but seriously vicious and spiteful!

Over time, as they reconnect and try working together as adults, they start to draw closer to one another.  And neither can deny the serious chemistry they share.  These two just about combust on the page!

Before too long, they agree to a strictly physical relationship.  But as with many best laid plans, theirs do not go as envisioned.  Soon, Violet and Eli are falling for each other, although neither is willing to admit it.  

There's some intrigue and suspense related to outside circumstances.  Which eventually do cause angst between our couple.  Luckily, however, there is no cheating or any such thing in this tale.  But it does take some time and effort before these two come back together.  

In the end, they do manage to achieve the happily ever after together that neither of them ever believed possible, but that everyone around them was just waiting for!

I believe this is the first in a new planned series, and I look forward to reading future installments.  I am hopeful that we'll get to see more of the Loveless clan in general, as well as follow up with Violet and Eli in particular.

Download your copy today!
Read FREE in Kindle Unlimited

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Excerpt:

Don’t let him get to you, I tell myself, but it’s a feeble attempt because he’s already gotten to me. Eli’s been getting to me since we were five years old, and platitudes aren’t going to help the situation now.

Just don’t do anything stupid, I tell myself, and that one seems much more reasonable. That one seems like something I can handle.

The door opens. I brace myself. If I had a shield right now I’d put it up.

“Violet?” Eli asks.

Goddamn it.

“Yes.”

“You okay?” he asks, for the second time in two minutes.

“I’m fine,” I say, all the pent-up anger and irritation leaning on that second word.

“I’m just checking,” he says, letting the door shut behind him. “You practically ran out of the brewery like you were going to vomit or have a heart attack or —”

“— or before I finally lose my shit with you in public for acting like I need dart-throwing lessons?”

“Well, you do,” he says.

“I don’t!” I say. “I don’t care about darts! I don’t care that I’m bad at it!”

Eli just laughs. Somehow, we’ve moved closer to each other, close enough that I can feel his laughter rippling through the night air.

“Liar,” he says. “You’re pissed that I’m better than you at something and you’re terrible at hiding it.”

“No,” I say, swallowing hard. “I’m pissed that you followed me out here to keep gloating.”

“I followed you out here to see if I should call an ambulance,” he says.

“Liar,” I say.

I could swear that neither of us is moving, but we keep getting closer by centimeters, degrees. My heart feels like it’s punching my ribcage, my pulse racing. I’m praying that he can’t hear it and that he can’t tell that I feel electrified, like if he touches me I’ll spark.

I’m furious, and I want him, and I’m furious that I want him.

“You think I wasn’t worried when you sprinted out of there?” he says, his low voice getting louder, irritation edging in.

“I didn’t sprint.”

“Do you really think I’m incapable of concern?” Eli asks, his jaw tensing, his eyes glinting, the dark making them gleam gray.

“Not incapable,” I say.

I look him dead in the eye. My heart seizes.

“So I’m not a total monster,” he says, eyes blazing, voice dangerous and low.

His anger’s so real that it’s almost palpable. I feel like I could reach out and grab it, wrestle it with my own.

“I didn’t say that.”

“But it’s what you think.”

His eyes flick to my lips again, like they did inside, only now they stay linger there like he can’t tear his gaze away.

Please, whispers my body.

Hell no, whispers my brain.

“Since when do you care what I think of you?”

“I don’t,” he says, and his mouth finds mine.

About Roxie:

I love writing sexy, alpha men and the headstrong women they fall for.

My weaknesses include: beards, whiskey, nice abs with treasure trails, sarcasm, cats, 
prowess in the kitchen, prowess in the bedroom, forearm tattoos, and gummi bears.

I live in California with my very own sexy, bearded, whiskey-loving husband 
and two hell-raising cats.

Connect with Roxie:

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FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/RoxieNoir/
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Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/roxienoir
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Mailing List: http://roxienoir.com/newsletter

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Social Butterfly PR, 
and have willingly provided an honest review. 

BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Shayna Grissom for "A Soul Reclaimed"

A Soul Reclaimed
by Shayna Grissom
Publication date: April 1st, 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Hell is divided into seven regions. The first region is designated for the purest of souls, the seventh is for the evilest. There was once a king of Hell, but the steward family has ruled for centuries. 

Nora, the stepdaughter of the steward is undone when her mother and step-father take away her beloved tutor, Peter. When Nora confronts the steward and her mother, the discussion is heated and ends with the steward in inexplicable pain. 

Shortly after, Nora finds herself in the Starry Wood. Peter told her of the perils within the forest, and it’s not long before the inhabitants of the wood find her. 

A giant hunter named Aegis comes to Nora’s aid. He is drawn to Nora, compelled to protect her from the steward’s assassins, the giants, and the evil souls who escape the seventh region. 

Together, they travel the seven layers of Hell to discover why the steward is so threatened by a teenage girl.

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~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Shayna Grissom~

1) What gave you the inspiration for the storyline? 

Dreams give me most of my inspiration. Sometimes they are just images or ideas that I expand on, but in this case, the entire story was played out and I wrote it down.

2) Are there any hidden themes in the book that you hope readers will discover? 

There are things the souls misinterpret from the “other world” just as there are myths and legends that we misinterpret from Hell. One of the major themes is that we think we know regarding life and death are probably wrong or misunderstood.

3) Are any of the characters based on real people you know? 

No. Characters from other stories do bring inspiration, but it’s sort of a mashup to create the dynamic I want.

4) Who has influenced you most as a writer? 

Guillermo Del Toro. He mixes fairy tales and horror in such a beautiful way.

5) If you could have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why? 

Virgil (A Divine Comedy) because it no doubt inspired A Soul Reclaimed. Jane Eyre, as I am currently reading her story. Lucille Sharpe because she is my favorite villain.

6) Do you feel that you can ever have too many books? 

Logistically, yes, I suppose it is possible to have too many books. That is why we have libraries and eBooks, fortunately.  

Author Bio:

Shayna Grissom was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. She currently resides in Seattle with her husband, two children, and her beloved pets. Shayna draws inspiration for her writings from binge-watching too many shows with far too much wine. She is a lover of the macabre, the strange, natural sciences, and films that feature vivid colors and imagery. Her favorite film director is Guillermo Del Toro, and her favorite books growing up were Anne Rice novels. 

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BOOK BLITZ for "The Rule of Many (The Rule of One, #2)" by Ashley Saunders & Leslie Saunders

The Rule of Many 
(The Rule of One, #2)
by Ashley & Leslie Saunders
Published by: Skyscape
Publication date: May 7th, 2019
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

Born to a death sentence in a near-future America, rebellious sisters herald a revolution — if they can survive. 

Twins Ava and Mira Goodwin defy the Rule of One simply by existing. The single-child law, ruthlessly enforced by Texas’s Governor Roth, has made the sisters famous fugitives and inspirations for the resurgent rebellion known as the Common. 

But the relentless governor and his implacable Texas State Guard threaten that fragile hope, as Roth consolidates his power in a bid for ultimate authority. 

As Ava and Mira relinquish the relative safety of their Canadian haven to stand against Roth, new allies arise: Owen, a gifted young programmer, impulsively abandons his comfortable life in a moment of compassion, while Zee, an abused labor camp escapee, finds new purpose in resistance. 

The four will converge on Dallas for a reckoning with Roth, with nothing less than their destinies — and the promise of a future free from oppression — on the line. 

Disobedience means death. But a life worth living demands rebellion.

Goodreads / Amazon

Excerpt:

MIRA
Limos and luxury cars line the extensive circular driveway, stuffed with partygoers ready for the welcoming bash. Mrs. and Mr. Cross have already arrived with much fanfare from their son and his doting employees. I wonder if Ciro’s sisters are here.
I hear him get on the microphone, introducing his unwitting parents onto the stage of the overflowing banquet hall, the governor of Alberta and the mayor of Calgary looking on from the front row.
Everything’s falling nicely into place. If only the man of the hour would show.
I look at my watch: 7:30 p.m. He’s late. Ava’s knee bounces furiously, as if she can shake out her anxiety.
“He’ll come,” I say.
From our hideout in the corner of the foyer, shadowed and easily overlooked, we have the best seats in the house. A perfect vantage point to see and be unseen. Ava scans the budding festivities through the glass walls on our left. I keep my eyes on the glass windows straight ahead, seeing past the dazzling flares from the cars’ headlights, holding out for the first glimpse of the president.
A string quartet begins to play, and an electric energy pulsates through the hotel, enlivening the crowd around us with a giddy exhilaration, and I can’t help but feel it too. Eager, I spring to my feet. I pace up and down our tucked-away corner, checking the time, watching Emery from across the room, waiting on her signal.
“Do you hear that?” Ava asks. She stares up at the ceiling. I move beside her as we listen to the muffled roar of whirling blades slicing the air somewhere above the building.
“A helicopter,” Ava says.
“He’s here.”
We look to Emery, who stands near the entrance, her gaze locked skyward. Guests file past as she removes a headscarf from her pocket, drapes the silk over her distinctive curls, and pulls it into a tight knot at the back of her neck. She folds her right arm over her chest, our cue to move.
I feel, rather than see, Barend steal into place behind us, our long shadow, as we push to the end of the foyer. Pawel detaches himself from the crowd and crosses our path as he follows Emery out the front door. “Lots of luck,” he whispers earnestly. Like luck has anything to do with it. It’s all up to us.
Our target is the oversized clock that consumes the entire wall alongside the vacant concierge desk. Ava stops before the number six, and we slip behind a false door and stride side by side down an empty staff hallway. Three right turns, two left, a final door, and we’re outside.
There are no lights behind the hotel and no people. The night is chilly and moonless, but we find the footpath we were directed to take and make our silent way to the small grove of trees just twenty yards out.
Ten paces in, Ava and I turn from the path and weave through the evergreens until we spot the narrow clearing that is to be our stage. We position ourselves in its center, shoulder to shoulder, and wait. Somewhere to our right, concealed within the trees and darkness, Barend stands guard.
When told of the plan, Emery immediately authorized the private rendezvous. She knows pleading our case face-to-face with the president is the only way. Cameras and screens provide a barrier, Emery said. The media paints you solely as American rebels. Let him see how human you are. With Pawel at her side, Emery is to meet and escort the president here, while Ciro entertains his parents and guests, keeping them safely ignorant inside the banquet hall.
The minutes tick off, and Ava starts to shiver from either the cold or nerves. Or is that me shivering? Ava and I brought no weapons with us, to show good faith. No guns, no knives. Just us, with our naked conviction and hope.
This could be our last stop, a final end to the endless chase. A place to plan and plot and devise our crucial counterattack.
Ava nudges me with a sharp elbow. She points to the trees in front of us. Two distinct shapes emerge, a faint silhouette floating behind.
“Ready?” I whisper needlessly. Ava tightens her jaw, and I ball my hands into white-knuckled fists. I take a big gulp of air and exhale slowly. My breath comes out in swirling smoke, reminding me of a dragon. There’s a fire inside me, and suddenly I feel warm and calm. One look from Ava and I know she feels it too.
We’re ready.
The outlines become faces and bodies. Emery appears first, then President Moore, with Pawel a few steps behind. I stare at Moore, transfixed, my eyes glued to the man who can grant us refuge.
He stumbles forward, as if his own eyes have not yet adjusted to the dark. I search his every feature, looking for any hint of surprise, or shock, or understanding. But his face, though startlingly attractive in the starlight, is blank. Indifferent.
“President Moore,” Emery says, “this is Ava and Mira Goodwin.” He looks at us cross-eyed, his round eyes squinting as he takes us in. We all stand motionless, awaiting his response.
“You don’t look identical to me,” the president finally states, his thin voice magnified in the still night air. “One of you’s slightly taller, the other rounder.”
The leader of the free world opens with an insult. My first reaction is to defend my identicalness. Surprising, when all I’ve ever wanted is to be seen as different from Ava.
“Sir—” Ava and I speak at the same time.
The president laughs. “Ah, there it is.” The ground spins as he turns to leave. “This conversation will be moved to a different setting. Just the twins and me.”
Barend detaches from the shadows. Pawel and Emery enclose my sister and me. Ava grabs my arm, her grip tight enough to bruise.
“We do not agree to any change—” Emery starts, but Moore shouts over her.
“Security!”
Everything shatters, all plans and expectations smashed to pieces.
A gunshot rings out, then two more.
“Run!” Emery yells.
The last thing I see is Ava’s face, twisted in fear and fury.
Then something covers my eyes. My mouth.
I’m thrown over a bulky shoulder, the deafening sounds of a helicopter growing louder with every footfall. With every one of my muffled screams.
I’m shoved against something solid. I reach out, arms flailing, but there’s no one beside me. Ava.
I feel the chopper lift into the sky. Two spinning blades taking me higher and higher away from Common ground.

Author Bio:

Hailing from the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders are award-winning filmmakers and twin sisters who honed their love of storytelling at The University of Texas at Austin. While researching The Rule of One, they fell in love with America’s national parks, traveling the path of Ava and Mira. The sisters can currently be found with their Boston terriers in sunny Los Angeles, exploring hiking trails and drinking entirely too much yerba mate. 

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BOOK BLITZ for "One Percent of You" by Michelle Gross

One Percent of You 
by Michelle Gross
Publication date: May 5th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Make no mistakes about it. I know what I look like to others. Young, government-aided, pregnant mom. They see Lucy on my hip, and they see a mistake. I mean, why else would someone have a child so young, right? They couldn’t be more wrong. I’m too busy most days between parenting, work, and finishing up my last year of nursing school to let their judging gaze tear me down until he moves in the vacant house next to the apartments I live in. 

His cold, blunt observation of us doesn’t differ from any other stranger. He doesn’t know me, but he’s already painting a picture of who he thinks I am in his mind. He judges my very round belly, Lucy’s inability to leave him alone, the bags under my eyes, and the fact that I can care less what I look like anymore. 

He’s a rude guy. Stays that way for months too. Then something happens, I’m not even sure what. Judgmental Guy decides Lucy and me—as well as baby Eli, are worth his friendship. 

Turns out, Judgmental Guy isn’t too mean—okay, he kind of still is. But he graduates to Elijah. I build an unlikely friendship with him which deems it necessary for him to start smiling around me and my kids. 

I’m wrong again. Elijah isn’t rude. He’s terrifying. His strange acts of kindness are unraveling me. Elijah is only my friend. 

Right? 

Oh, fudge. I think I’m wrong. Again. 

A full-length single mom slow burn romance.

Goodreads / Amazon

Excerpt:

There was a moment of panic. For a second, I couldn’t see any Funyuns. I realized why. There was only one bag left, and it was partially hidden by all the Lay’s chips next to it. I nodded and smiled as if to say, “It’s all good” when two little hands shot up and snatched the bag before I could.
“Whoa,” I said, staring down at the blonde pigtails.
She slowly turned, peered up, and arched her brow at me curiously. “Are you talking to me?” The kid couldn’t be more than three and there she was completely alone and stealing my damn Funyuns!
“How about you give me those Funyuns?” I asked nicely.
She stared down at the chips in her tiny grip—those were mine—then looked back up. “No. Get your own.” She turned to walk off.
“Where’re your parents? Little shits shouldn’t be all alone even if they’re becoming lil’ thieves at such a young age.”
She scowled, her tiny nose wrinkling up. “She’s right where I left her.” She pointed to a blonde head leaned over one of the freezer sections. The little girl was inspecting me when I glanced back down at her. I saw the way her eyes rolled over my arms before she frowned. “My papaw always tells my mom that tattoos are ugly on women.”
“Oh?” I tilted my head. “Your papaw sounds ugly.”
Her mouth fell open. “You have demons on your arms ’cause you’re one.”
I jumped and hissed. She startled, dropped the Funyuns, and ran screaming to her mom. I bent down, picked up my chips, and chuckled as I walked over to the next aisle and grabbed a pizza—something I could at least heat up easily—then went to the checkout where ugly grandpa’s evil thief helped her mom unload their shopping cart items.
Lil’ Thief gazed up, eyes widening then hardening as tough as one could look at her age. She saw the bag of chips in my hand and tapped her Mom’s side “Mom, mom,” she started.
“What is it, Lucy?” Her mother asked as she grabbed her purse and wheeled the cart forward as the cashier rung up her items. I took in the greasy blonde hair tucked into a messy bun. It probably had been a day or two since she shampooed it. From her chipped nails to her pale, tired face without makeup it was obvious she didn’t give two shits about her appearance. The longer I watched her, the more she irked me. I exhaled loudly as I imagined her living off the government. In a matter of minutes, she’d slide an EBT card through the slot to pay for her items.
Guilt washed over me. My ma had been in this shape while raising me, and most of the food on our table before she met Hank came from food stamps, yet I saw more people abuse the system, so my disdain was real every time I saw people like this one in a store.
No one was like Ma. She was her own breed, and she’d hang me for my petty thoughts, but I couldn’t stop myself.
“That demon worshipper stole my chips.”
Fucking hell. I went from the dude with demons on my arm to demon worshipper real quick. I’d hate to see what this child would have to say about my shops—creepy, demon portraits everywhere. The horror!
The mother’s head snapped up from her purse at her child’s voice. She peered around to where her daughter pointed—at me—before turning a pitiful shade of red. Her eyes were the brightest shade of blue I’d ever seen, or maybe it was because she was so pale and sickly looking. She blushed so hard it made her extremely noticeable.
“Lucy, that’s not nice! Why would you say that?” She wiped her face and tried hard not to stare at me as she spoke to her daughter.
“He stole my Funyuns!” Her daughter’s face was red too. Quite the match, the two of them.
The mom raised up, face squinted in pain as she placed her palm on her back, and that was when I noticed—holy, why hadn’t I noticed before? The woman was very pregnant. Just what society needed—another little terror running wild. She gestured toward the small chip bags beside me. “Grab a bag so I can pay. And apologize for saying that.”
The little girl scooted around the shopping cart and snatched a small bag of Funyuns before turning around to me. “Sorry.” She stuck out her tongue as she glared up at me from a perfect angle where her mom couldn’t see it. Sneaky.
“You should really get a hold on that,” I couldn’t point at the kid with my hands so full, but I jerked my head toward it so that she would understand I was talking about her kid.
“That?” The mom’s eyebrows went up a notch. She forgot the part where she was trying not to make eye contact with me as she frowned.
“Your kid,” I muttered.
“Right, kid,” she told me. “Not that.” She glanced down at her daughter. “Come on, Lucy. Step away from the bad man.”
I scoffed. “I guess that’s better than demon worshipper.”
She straightened up and glared at me. “Would you prefer it if we called you the devil?”
“Suits me.” Kids had no hope of not being little shits when their parents raised them to be just as uptight. I bet she’d love to hear the name of my shops as well.
She scowled and turned around to pay. It surprised me when I saw a debit card slide through the machine. So she had a man she lived off? Popping out babies just to keep him? You’d think she’d at least take better care of herself. “What?” she muttered when I was still staring at her.
I shrugged, unbothered. She closed up her purse, hollered for her kid again before waddling out the damn door.
Good riddance!
I dropped my stuff, slowly covering my eyes with my hands. What just happened finally sunk into my thick skull. I stole a kid’s chips. There was no end to my assholery.
It was a five-minute drive from the grocery store to my new house. The one thing I hated about the place I bought was that it was right next to the projects. I would likely hear all kinds of shit I didn’t want to, but I got a great deal and the house was amazing. Or at least Ma thought so, she was the one that decided for me. I would live in it and pay for it but it didn’t matter what I thought. Apparently, anyway.
I really needed to stop letting her boss me around.
I could almost hear her saying that she’d stop after I found someone else to do it as I pulled into the driveway. Grabbing my grocery bags, I exited the truck. Before I could lock up, I heard a noise from the apartment lot next door.
“Lucy, I’m gonna need your help with these.”
Who knew why I walked around my truck to see when I’d recognized the familiar voice. The woman from the store was helping Lil’ Thief out of a car seat. The moment the kid’s feet hit the concrete, it was like her demon detector turned on. Her eyes darted around before landing on me.
One scrawny arm raised and pointed. “Demon worshipper!”
Ah, fuck.

Author Bio:

Michelle is from a small town in Eastern Kentucky where opossums try to blend in with the cats on the porch and bears are likely to chase your pets—this is very true, it happened with her sister’s dog. Despite the extra needed protection for your pets, she loves the mountains she calls home. She has a man and twin girls who are the light of her life and the reason she’s slightly crazy.

As a kid, she was that cousin, that friend, that sister and daughter, the talker who could spin a tale and make-believe into any little thing so it was no surprise when she found love in reading, and figured all these characters inside her head needed an outlet. They wanted to be heard, so she wrote.

The voices keep growing faster than she gets the time to write.

The stories are never going to end. That’s perfectly okay, though. We never want to stop an adventure.

She writes and loves many different genres so sign up to her mailing list to keep updated on her releases! 

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BOOK BLITZ for "His Little Wife Lie" by Sloan Storm

His Little Wife Lie
by Sloan Storm
Publication date: April 26th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

IT’S NOT A LIE IF WE BELIEVE IT’S TRUE. 

That’s what Griff Foster said right after he asked me to be his wife.

Sweet, isn’t he?
Let’s be real: his proposal had nothing to do with romance. Falling in love isn’t in his DNA. With piercing blue eyes and a hard body to match, he goes through women like candy.
But he saved my life.
I promised I’d repay him. I should learn when to keep my mouth shut.

Griff needs a Mrs. Right Now, and he’s convinced I’m the perfect actress.
In case I have any doubts, there are seven badly needed zeroes on a check with my name on it to help make up my mind.
Ugh.
We’re totally fake. Nothing but lies.
Except the way his lips feel on mine.

Except the way his touch sets my body ablaze.

Except the way my soul aches when he looks into my eyes.
He says that without me, he loses everything.

But if I’ve got the upper hand, why does it feel like he’s in control?
There’s only one thing missing from this arrangement.

What happens to my heart when it’s over?

Goodreads / Amazon

Excerpt:

That was it!
What kind of fucking game was he trying to play? I made a complete fool out of myself, then he tried to turn it around on me! No one was going to treat me like this, especially not him.
Once in my room, I raced toward the closet, grabbed my bag, and dragged it out. Fuck this place!
Tiny Me chimed in. No, no! Wait! What are you doing? The money!
“I don’t care about the money!” I yelped, clutching my fingers into fists. “Don’t you understand? I care about him!” Oh shit. No. No.
I sensed a presence in the doorway. “What did you say?”
“Stay away from me.” I spun in place, biting my lip and sputtering hate. “I’m leaving. You can’t stop me.”
He didn’t listen. Of course. I mean, why start now?
Marching right toward me, Griff continued, “You said you cared about me. Don’t try and deny it.”
Yeah, no kidding. You ass. “Of course, I do! Jesus! Do you know how many men I’ve offered my virginity to? Do you? Take a wild guess.”
Griff didn’t respond. What could he say? He already knew the answer.
I poked him in the chest. “Just one. Guess how that went over?”
Griff’s nostrils flared. His eyes narrowed. I was pissing him off. Well. Good! Now he knew how I felt!
“Move,” I snarled, edging past him.
I felt the handle of my suitcase rip free from my hand. By the time I turned to look and see what happened, he’d swept me up me in his arms, racing for the bed.
No!
“Put me down!” I floated in his embrace until he slammed me with a thump, pinning me beneath him. Struggle was useless, but I gave it everything I had, jerking from side-to-side until the instant his lips found mine.
Oh fuck. No! Yes. Yes. Yeeessss…
The passion from his kiss ripped through my body like wildfire, reigniting the embers he left smoldering inside of me with his refusal. Griff’s pelvis pressed into me, the impossible hardness between his legs threatened to reawaken my lust into an inferno until my wits returned.
“Stop!” I gasped, breaking my mouth free. My palms went flat, shoving against his torso. “Get off of me!”
His gaze gave me the answer. Never. Griff ignored my pleas and gripped harder, making me feel he’d crush me into dust if I uttered another word. Reaching up, I clawed and scratched, digging my nails into the steel of his thick chest. But my rage only stoked him, and he groaned, his mouth invading mine again, filling it with his tongue. My resistance turned to vapor, whisps of hate floating away from me while Griff took what he wanted.
At last, he pulled away. I looked at him, my vision glassy from the struggle, each of us fighting for a breath.
“We can’t.” I exhaled. “It’s a mistake.”
Wait. That wasn’t no. Was it?
He licked his lips and sank his pelvis deeper, driving it hard between my legs. I stifled a whimper.
“You’re right,” he hummed, reaching for one of my tits, cupping it in his grasp. Uhhh. My eyes rolled back in my head, his touch had me on the verge of blackout
“It’s the biggest mistake of all,” he warned. “No turning back. No way out.”
No way out. His words reached into my soul, giving me the answer my brain couldn’t. I don’t want one. Don’t give me one. If you do, I might take it.
Wordless, Griff moved over me, a shadow threatening the last shreds of my chastity. With my legs spread and my innocence at risk, I inched my mouth toward his lips when he whispered his final threat.
“At last.”

Author Bio:

Sloan Storm pens imaginative yarns based on dominant men and the women who challenge them. As such, power plays and passion are the heart of each and every story. 

The writer's creative tendencies may drift as the mood strikes, but the essence of all tales told wind up back at the same place... the polarizing difference between the sexes. 

After all, what else is there in life? 

When not glued to a keyboard creating tales of whimsy, Sloan loves to talk to fans! If you want to connect, you can do it in any number of ways: 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

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BOOK BLITZ for "Taming the Bad Boy" by Jolie Moore

Taming the Bad Boy 
by Jolie Moore
Publication date: April 30th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

From up here on stage, I can see her. Even with her First Lady hair and Sunday school shoes, I can’t take my eyes off of her. 

The music starts. I swing my hips to the thumping bass. Oh-so-slowly I slip one button through a hole, then another, then another. I ease the black silk from my shoulders and toss it right toward her. 

I watch her pale glossy lips form a big ‘O’ before she catches it like a major league baller. The flashing lights blind me. Between beats I can see her blue eyes zeroed in below my waist. 

I know what she wants. I give it to her. With a zip and a tug, the leather pants join the rest of my clothes. In my skin tight briefs, I dance just for her. With the last chord of the song the stage goes dark. 

I know when the lights come up, another guy will be dancing in my place because this is my last time. I’m not doing this ever again. It’s too bad I didn’t get her name. I really liked that shirt. But not enough to go back and claim it. 

If she wants me bad enough, she’ll have to find me.

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Excerpt:

The shirt sailed toward the table. I dreaded it touching the alcohol that had spilled on the wood. Real silk wouldn’t survive it. So I stood and caught it in mid-air. I was rewarded with a broad wink. I pulled the shirt to my chest, and I couldn’t help noticing the heady scent that rose from it. Nari glared at me. After sending a brief apology to the dry cleaner who was going to have to fix it, I balled the shirt up and pushed it deep into my lap.
Lyrics got suggestive. The tight ribbed black tank Rafe was wearing close to his skin, came off as well. I didn’t try to grab for it this time. I was already in for a stiff lecture.
Bumping and grinding, Rafe was butt down on the platform undulating to the beat, the tight leather pants obscuring nothing. The names of movie and sports stars blasted from the speakers. The top two buttons of his pants came undone. Hollywood’s female icons thumped with the bass. The zipper came down.
I knew what was coming. How could I not? I couldn’t look away. I could look all day. Looking was okay. Like the black and white video of the song, lights pulsed, throwing the club into black and white relief.
A quick black out, and the pants were gone. I must have missed the shoes and socks, because Rafe was gyrating on the platform almost as naked as the day he was born, save for some black boxer briefs shot through with silver threads.
Those threads were only on the front center, and back of the shorts, highlighting what was underneath. Before I knew it, he was letting his body go with the flow. It was a nice flow. His skin was golden, and bathed in a sheen of sweat. The lights cast blue, red, and ended in gold on him. Silence. A single beat. And it went dark again.
I didn’t care if Nari thought I was crazy. I clapped and hooted as loudly as his friends and those around me. The lights and music started again, but Rafe was gone.

Author Bio:

I write crazy, beautiful love stories because I believe storytelling is magic. I love complicated heroines with secrets, strong heroes who fall hard, and a long winding road to happily ever after. When I'm not writing, I love to travel to witness the diverse tapestry of humanity, photograph the beauty of the world, visit museums, and watch live theater. I live in West Hollywood, California ten miles from the nearest airport. 

I haven't found my own happily ever after, but I'm not done trying. This year I'm going to go on fifty first dates. Join me as I try to find my Mr. Right or maybe Mr. Right Now. #50firstdates #joliemoore #crazybeautifullove 

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