March 12, 2015 by Tina Williams

RELEASE DAY BLITZ for Love The Way You Lie** by Skye Warren

Dark, Erotic Romance

Adult/18+ Read

We are thrilled to be taking pat in the Release Day Blitz for Skye Warren’s latest dark erotic romance, Love The Way You Lie. Scroll down for the blurb, an excerpt and more! You can also read my review, an interview with the author, check out some teasers and enter a super giveaway where a $50 gift card is up for grabs by clicking here. Tina 🙂

SYNOPSIS

A dark romance about the lies that lead us down…
I’ll do anything to get safe, even if that means working at the scariest club in town.
I’ll do anything to stay hidden, even if it means taking off my clothes for strangers.
I’ll do anything to be free. Except give him up. When he looks at me, I forget why I can’t have him. He’s beautiful and scarred. His body fits mine, filling the places where I’m hollow, rough where I am soft.
He’s the one man who wants to help, but he has his own agenda. He has questions I can’t answer. What are you afraid of?
You.

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1CiX5oz

Photographer: Sara Eirew (http://on.fb.me/1yq0nSa)

BUY LINKS

Amazon: http://www.skyewarren.com/love-the-way-you-lie-amazon/
BN: http://www.skyewarren.com/love-the-way-you-lie-bn/
iBooks: http://www.skyewarren.com/love-the-way-you-lie-ibooks/

EXCERPT

In the first moments onstage, I’m always blinded.
The bright lights, the smoke. The wall of sound that feels almost tangible, as if it’s trying to keep me out, push me back, protect me from what’s going to happen next. I’m used to the dancing and the catcalls and the reaching, grabbing hands—as much as I can be. But I’m never quite used to this moment, being blinded, feeling small.
I reach for the pole and find it, swinging my body around so the gauzy scrap of fabric flies up, giving the men near the stage a view of my ass. I still can’t quite make anything out. There are dark spots in my vision.
The smile’s not even a lie, not really. It’s a prop, like the four-inch heels and the wings that snap as I drop them to the stage.
Broken.
A few people clap from the back.
Now all that’s left is the thin satin fabric. I grip the pole and head into my routine, wrapping around, sliding off, and starting all over again. I lose myself in the physicality of it, going into the zone as if I were running a marathon. This is the best part, reveling in the burn of my muscles, the slide of the metal pole against my skin and the cold, angry rhythm of the song. It’s not like ballet, but it’s still a routine. Something solid, when very few things in my life are solid.
I finish on the pole and begin to work the stage, moving around so I can collect tips. I can see again, just barely, making out shadowy silhouettes in the chairs.
Not many.
There’s a regular on one side. I recognize him. Charlie. He tosses a five-dollar bill on the stage, and I bend down long and slow to pick it up. He gets a wink and a shimmy for his donation. As I’m straightening, I spot another man on the other side of the stage.
His posture is slouched, one leg kicked out, the other under his chair, but somehow I can tell he isn’t really relaxed. There’s tension in the long lines of his body. There’s power.
And that makes me nervous.
I spin away and shake my shit for the opposite side of the room, even though there’s barely anyone there. It’s only a matter of time before I need to face him again. But I don’t need to look at him. They don’t pay me to look them in the eye.
Still I can’t help but notice his leather boots and padded jacket. Did he ride a motorcycle? It seems like that kind of leather, the tough kind. Meant to withstand weather. Meant to protect the body from impact.
The song’s coming to a close, my routine is coming to an end and I’m glad about that. Something about this guy is throwing me off. Nothing noticeable. My feet and hands and knowing smile still land everywhere they need to. Muscle memory and all that. But I don’t like the way he watches me.
There’s patience in the way he watches me. And patience implies waiting.
It implies planning.
I reach back and unclasp my bra. I use one hand to cover my breasts while I toss the bra to the back of the stage. I pretend to be shy for a few seconds, and suddenly I feel shy too. Like I’m doing more than showing my breasts to strangers. I’m showing him. And as I stand there, hand cupping my breasts, breath coming fast, I feel his patience like a hot flame.
This time I do miss the beat. I let go on the next one, though, and my breasts are free, bared to the smoky air and the hungry eyes. There are a few whistles from around the room. Charlie holds up another five-dollar bill. I sway over to him and cock my hip, letting him shove the bill into my thong, feeling his hot, damp breath against my breast. He gets close but doesn’t touch. That’s Charlie. He tips and follows the rules, the best kind of customer.
I don’t even glance at the other side of the room. If the new guy is holding up a tip, I don’t even care. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who follows rules. I don’t know why I’m even thinking about him or letting him affect me. Maybe my run-in with Blue made me more skittish than I’d realized.
All I have left is my finale on the pole. I can get through this.
This part isn’t as physically strenuous as before. Or as long. All I really need to do is grind up against the pole, front and back, emphasizing my newly naked breasts, pretending to fuck.
That’s what I’m doing when I feel it. Feel him.
I’m a practical girl. I have to be. But there’s a feeling I get, a prickle on the back of my neck, a churning in my gut, a warning bell in my head when I’m near one of them. Near a cop. My eyes scan the back of the room, but all I can see are shadows. Is there a cop waiting to bust someone? A raid about to go down?
My gaze lands on the guy near the stage. Him? He doesn’t look like a cop. He doesn’t feel like a cop. But I don’t trust looks or feelings. All I can trust is the alarm blaring in my head: get out, get out, get out.
I can barely suck in enough air. There’s only smoke and rising panic. Blood races through me, speeding up my movements. A cop. I feel it like some kind of sixth sense.
Maybe he feels my intuition about him, because he leans forward in his seat.
In one heart-stopping moment, my eyes meet his. I can see his face then, drawn from charcoal shadows.
Beautiful, his lips say. All I can hear is the song.
I’m not even on beat anymore, and it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because there’s a cop here and I have to get out. Even if my intuition is wrong, it’s better to get out. Safer.
I’ll never be safe.
The last note calls for a curtsy—a sexy, mocking movement I choreographed into my routine. Like the one I’d do at the end of a ballet recital but made vulgar. I barely manage it this time, a rough jerk of my head and shoulders. Then I’m gone, off the stage, running down the hallway. I’m supposed to work the floor next, see who wants a lap dance or another drink, but I can’t do that. I head for the dressing room and throw on a T-shirt and sweatpants. I’ll tell them I feel sick and have to leave early. They won’t be happy and I’ll probably have to pay for it with my tips, but they won’t want me throwing up on the customers either.
I run for the door and almost slam into Blue.
He’s standing in the hallway again. Not slouching this time. There’s a new alertness to his stare. And something else—amusement.
“Going somewhere?” he asks.
“I have to… My stomach hurts. I feel sick.” I step close, praying he’ll move aside.
He reaches up to trace my cheek. “Aww, should I call the doctor?” His hand clamps down on my shoulder. “I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
I grip my bag tight to my chest, trying to ignore the threat in his words. And the threat in his grip. I really do feel sick now, but throwing up on him is definitely not going to help the situation. “Please, I need to leave. It’s serious. I’ll make it up later.”
He’ll know what I’m saying. That I’ll make it up to him personally. I’m just desperate enough to promise that. Desperate enough to promise him anything. And he’s harassed me long enough that I know it’s a decent prize. I’m sure he’ll make it extra humiliating, but I’m desperate enough for that too.
“Please let me go.” The words come out pained, my voice thin. It feels a little like my body is collapsing in on itself, steel beams bending together, something crushing me from the outside.
Regret flashes over his face, whether for refusing my offer or forcing me that low. But this time he doesn’t let me go. “There’s a customer asking for you. He wants a dance.”

March 11, 2015 by Caroline Barker

Review Round-Up – March ’15

Hello readers, we hope you are all well, and reading plenty of gripping stories, of course! Wow – I have to say I was shocked myself when writing this post up, due to the amount of reads that Tina and myself have reviewed over this past month! From Christmas and Valentine’s box sets, to full length novels, and through to short story serials, we really do have more than a mixed bag here!

With many of our ratings now being 5* I am convinced the writing is getting better and better! And, we haven’t even finished with March yet – making for a brilliant year of reading!

Here are our latest reviews, covering our many genres; romance, paranormal, sci-fi, erotica, historical, drama, dark reads, crime and thrillers. We hope you enjoy them just as much as we have. And, with Easter just around the corner – why not treat yourself to a read or two?

(Please click on the titles for our full review posts.)

Love to all our readers, Caroline & Tina ❤

Naughty List by The Naughty Literati’s, erotica, romance (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: The Naughty Literati are a group of authors who’ve come together to showcase their epic talents in stories filled with powerful eroticism and satisfying romance. Our tales range from heartwarming and sweet to scorching hot erotic; medieval to futuristic; humans to aliens and shape-shifters; vanilla committed couples to kinky ménage fun. Keep an eye out for more of our steamy boxed sets coming soon. Thank you for joining us on this naughty journey!

The Nightwind’s Visit by Charlotte Boyett-Compo: Be careful what you wish for. The NightWind hears every whisper, every sigh, every need and he’s coming to grant your every wicked, wanton desire.

Dear Santa…I Want a Man for Christmas by Marianne Stephens: Frustrated with untrustworthy men, Melissa orders a man doll. When delivery guy, Nick, shows up, she has second thoughts about how to satisfy her needs.

Prelude to a Most Unusual Marriage by Katherine Kingston: Guilty secrets torment widowed Elizabeth Fitzhugh. A Christmas visit to the Earl of Chisenholm offers redemption, if she can find the courage to grasp it.

No Gentleman by Francesca Hawley: Librarian Abby Kelly comes west finding a roguish shapeshifter who desires her. Will Goldwolf is no gentleman, but Abby discovers he’s just what she wants.

Jewel’s Menage Christmas by Berengaria Brown: The excitement has left Jewel, Donovan, and Oscar’s relationship. Jewel plans to spice things up, but will Donovan and Oscar rise to the challenge?

Tune Me Up by Lainey-Jo Charles: Jason catches Dani having an intimate moment with a recording of him singing to her, and is ready to move them from friends to forever.

On the Eighteenth of January, ’78 or, A Night at Valley Forge by Regina Kammer: During the infamous winter of ‘77-‘78 at Valley Forge, two soldiers fanboy over their charismatic leader, General George Washington.

The Christmas Leopard by Lynne Connolly: Two gorgeous Italian hunks save art restorer Sandi when she accidentally summons an ancient evil from a mosaic. Their methods are unconventional—and scorching hot!

Christmas Bad Girl by Trinity Blacio: She only had one wish this Christmas. To find the one man who was strong enough to master her in bed and out.

How the Alien Stole Christmas by Belle Scarlett: On board a deep space station Christmas Trent learns her sexy cyber lover, who may not be human, wants to steal her for his own.

Merry Christmas, Kitten by Nicole Austin: Sirena Petra wants one thing for Christmas—an orgasm. And sex toy expert Kenyon Fort has exactly what the lion shifter needs to find more than just her happy place.

Viking in Tartan by Suz deMello: Medieval romance from the Highland Vampires series. A Viking raider brings change to little Clan Kilbirnie, especially to the chieftain’s daughter, Rhona.

Holdin’ On by Alexa Silver: Rock star Max is terminally ill. When Aislin falls into his life, rocking his world, everything changes. Is she his Christmas miracle?

Naughty Hearts (boxed set) by the Naughty Literati, erotic/dark fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, sci-fi (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: Twelve Naughty Valentine’s Short Reads including Contemporary, Dark Fantasy, Menage, M/M, M/M/F, M/F/M, New Adult, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Steampunk & Time Travel from Amazon bestselling authors.

Naughty Balls by Suz deMello: Two college basketball players find themselves alone on V-Day evening. M/F)

Love Potion #69 by Alexa Silver: When Keith and Jenna accidentally fall under the spell of one of her Valentine’s Day love potions, lust is in the air!

My Valentine Lovers by Nicole Austin: All I want for Valentine’s Day is to get barbed by a feline shifter and act out a few of my naughty twin fantasies getting me hot and bothered.

Valentime by Belle Scarlett: Valerie buys a South Carolina plantation and discovers a Valentine addressed to her from a previous owner who bids her to return to him in 1865.

Delia’s Heartthrob by Regina Kammer: Gadzooks! Valentine’s Day is fast approaching – what’s a scientist to do? Edward knows naught of romance. Can steam power prevail over chocolates to win Delia’s heart?

Two Into One Goes Great by Lynne Connolly: A booker at a top model agency learns she’s anything but ordinary when two sexy photographers point their lenses—and more—at her.

Under the Hood by Lainey-Jo Charles: How do you choose between an online crush you’ve never met and a secret crush that you have? Maybe you don’t have to…

Buy Me a Rose by Francesca Hawley: Jessica and Nathaniel Whitewolf celebrate their thirtieth anniversary as True Mates but they’ve lost their bond. Now a hot couples’ retreat will get it back.

Chocolate-Coated Reunion by Berengaria Brown: Jake refuses to talk to Matt after he was very late on Christmas Eve. Matt’s determined to reconnect with Jake on Valentine’s Day.

Cupid’s Curious Case by Marianne Stephens: Alan’s last job as Cupid 84 involves neighbor Amy and a special box of candy. Both secretly desire the other. Can they find true love?

Fifty Shades of Valentine’s Day by Katherine Kingston: Dumped on Valentine’s Day! Melissa only thinks the day can’t get any worse. Until she damages her hot neighbor’s car, and he demands unexpected compensation.

The Reaper’s Valentine by Charlotte Boyett-Compo: Sometimes a Reaper has to do what a Reaper does. It would be wise for a life-mate to remember that!

Werewolves of Shade (Beautiful Immortals #2 & #3) (short story series) by Tim O’Rourke, paranormal romance (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: When the entire population of Shade go missing, investigative reporter Mila Watson knows this could be the big break she has been waiting for. Setting off into the mountains to the village of Shade, Mila soon learns that the village isn’t as deserted as she first believed it to be and that creatures lurk in the shades…

For readers 16+

Werewolves of Shade (Beautiful Immortals #2)

Werewolves of Shade (Beautiful Immortals #3)

Deception/Escape/Penance (Dark Alpha #3, #4 & #5) (short story series) by Alisa Woods, paranormal romance (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Shifters live in the shadows of Seattle, just under the skin of the alpha male, dot-com billionaires who are building a new Silicon Valley in the Emerald City.

Deception (Dark Alpha #3) blurb: Jak has a plan to free Arianna without the witch’s help… but the best laid plans of wolves and men rarely turn out as they hope.

Escape (Dark Alpha #4) blurb: With Arianna’s family looking for her, Jak’s plan to flee the state just got a lot more complicated. But before he can worry about that, he has to break her free of Mace’s hold.

Penance (Dark Alpha #5) blurb: Jak’s plan is a dangerous one… but will he even get the chance to carry it out?

Is love stronger than magic? Or will breaking an unbreakable bond destroy them both?

Willow (Secret Confessions: Sydney Housewives #9) by Christina Phillips, erotic romance (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: Meet the Housewives of Sydney. They are wealthy, elegant, poised, and constantly in the public eye. But what goes on behind closed doors, in the private homes and parties where the cameras and paparazzi aren’t welcome? Delve into the most personal details of their relationships, their friendships and their lives. The only question is: can you handle the heat?

Willow has loved Seb for as long as she can remember, but he has a past that she can’t handle, so she’s never done anything about it. But to not have him in her life is unthinkable, so she holds on to him the only way she can – through friendship. Now his writing career is taking off, and Willow finds herself increasingly jealous of his groupies and increasingly unable to keep her feelings to herself.

An unexpected visit leads to an unanticipated kiss – and Seb and Willow end up in her bed. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to Willow, but can she trust that Seb wants more than a bit of afternoon delight – and can she trust herself to let go of the past in order to gain a future?

Love Bites: A Collection of Short Stories by Valeria Kogan, contemporary romance, dark read (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Love Bites is the provocative debut collection of short stories by Valeria Kogan. From heartbreak to redemption, Love Bites provides a spellbinding interpretation of love and friendship, glamour and guilt, secrets and deceit.

Each story provides a captivating insight into the world of love; its profound impact and effect; and how women relate to their partners.

This cleverly constructed collection of short stories will leave you tantalized and yearning for more. Love Bites is a must-read for every modern woman, reader of romance and romantic enthusiast.

Kissed at Midnight by Samantha Holt, historical romance (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: August Avery, a renowned civil engineer, has found himself the sole custodian of his cousin’s six month old daughter and he needs assistance—fast. He understands how to build railways, to construct bridges and to save the railway tycoons thousands of pounds. He doesn’t understand, however, how to care for a child.

When Ivy Davis turns up at his door looking for work, he believes his prayers are answered. If only the exotic, exuberant young woman did not prove to be such a distraction from his busy workload.

Unsure if she is even up to the task of looking after a baby, Ivy finds herself swayed by the handsome and slightly desperate August into working for him. With her singing career failing before it even started and no other talents, she decides looking after a young child cannot be so hard, surely?

But the child may turn out to be the least of her worries. Her handsome, brooding master seems to keep her awake more than the baby. Add to that her desire to achieve her dreams of singing on stage and the machinations of the indomitable Mrs. Pepperwhite who sees her as competition for August’s hand, Ivy finds this simple job growing harder by the day—as does her desire for her master…

Devil in Duke’s Clothing by Nina Mason, erotic historical romance, (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: Maggie York, a convent-raised foundling, knows the Duke of Dunwoody’s sexual tastes are a shade or two darker than normal, but marries him anyway—partly because she has no other prospects and partly because, try as she might, she can’t seem to exorcize her desire for the dashing ducal devil. Two years ago, she watched him swive and spank her lady’s maid, luring her from the garden of innocence into the orchard of fleshly delights–and she’s been hungry for more ever since.

Robert Armstrong, the duke, is a Roman Catholic whose extreme devotions as a child warped his desires as a man. He’s also a slave to the times in which he lives–and to his king. Everything he is, everything he holds dear, depends on staying in Charles II’s good graces. Unfortunately, Maggie isn’t the bride the king selected for him. Now, to make amends, the duke must choose between the lesser of two evils: whore his wife or be reduced to a penniless commoner.

Whose interests will Robert choose to serve, his own, the king’s, or the woman he loves?

Cautious Surrender (Unearthly World, book IV) by C.L. Scholey, sci-fi erotic romance (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Adan went from a living hell on Earth, only to be thrown into a new purgatory. The Zargonnii vessel she’d thought was her savior is blown to bits in an alien war attack. A wormhole sends Adan and her warrior protector to an unknown world. Her only hope of surviving the ungodly planet is in the hands of Blu, whom she loves. Unfortunately, Blu has another agenda.

Blu’s body burns for the little human female, but his entire adult life has one purpose, to father a son and create a family. If he mates with Adan and makes it back home, he’ll need to keep her close to his side, protecting her from his dangerous life. Human females only produce female offspring in Blu’s world. If they survive this planet, Blu has to decide if he’s willing to give up one dream for another.

Three Rules by Marie Drake, dark mystery drama, romance (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Hope Wellman has a childhood full of horrific memories, a bone chilling recurring nightmare, and a persistent paranoid sense of being followed that she would rather keep repressed. Is evil reaching from beyond the grave to capture the tattered remnants of her soul once and for all, is it only a machination of her disturbed mind, or is there something happening more sinister than even she can imagine?

Attending the funeral of her abuser is the first step in putting her life back together. She struggles with the fact she never told anyone what happened to her, and that the grave they are mourning over is empty. She’d find it a lot easier to move on and believe in the future if he were in the box, ready to be covered with dirt. She fears the last thread of her sanity has snapped when she sees Lucas everywhere she turns, and can’t escape a recurring nightmare. Is her tormentor alive, or is she imagining it? Is her dream triggered by past fears or is it a prediction of the future?

The Color of Happiness by K.P. Gazelle, young adult contemporary drama, romance (reviewed by Caroline)

Book Blurb: Faith Lane is the girl who has everything. At least, that’s what everyone thinks when they see her rocking a killer dress while laughing with her best friend, Tiffany. But Faith’s life is far from flawless. Her peers torment her relentlessly, and her parents expect her to be the epitome of perfection. Criticized and pressured at school and home, Faith retreats into silent acceptance and finds an escape in her passion of dancing. Then she meets Alex – quirky, forever with a pass, and concealing a mysterious secret of his own. And through his encouragement, Faith starts believing in her gift for dance and gains courage to stand up for herself. But will she be able to keep her footing when the events of one night consume her with the need to jump off the rocky cliffs near her coastal home? And what has pushed her to the edge of reason?

Her Gaze (short story) by Angel A., romantic suspense (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: At that moment, Gabe knew he had fallen for her. The first time he laid eyes on Sofy he knew that she was for him and he was hers. However, she was already taken by a dangerous man. A man that would kill before letting her go. But Gabe was willing to put his life in harm’s way to be with the woman he was in love with.

This suspenseful and sexy short story is full of excitement. It gives joy to the imagination and makes the heart beat a little faster.

In Expert Hands by Lily Harlem, erotic BDSM romance (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: Imogen White has it all—a high-flying career, a prestigious London home and friends she knows will fight her corner. She’s going up, and she’s in control, she’s also got the hots for one very important, very sexy client.

Kane Ward is a self-made billionaire whose determination to be the best of the best has left him alone. He has everything money can buy, yachts, jets, and villas in all four corners of the globe, but even he can’t buy time to suit his needs.

And his needs are very specific, his desires a particular shade of kink and his tastes anything but vanilla. So when he sets his sights on Imogen it’s a given that things are going to get dark, that pleasure will be laced with pain and determining his success will be measured by her blushes and gasps and cries of delight. But Imogen doesn’t need to worry, she’s in expert hands and her every fantasy is about to come true—and then some she’d never imagined even in her wildest dreams.

Fallen (Coyote Moon #1) by Ann Simko, action thriller, crime, sci-fi paranormal (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Dr. Dakota Thomas isn’t prepared for the gunshot victim who rolls through his emergency room doors. Michael Ricco looks like a young Marine in a world of trouble, his dog tags, however tell a different story.
How could the military have no record of him? Why was he shot in the back in the middle of the desert, and why were thirteen people murdered to keep his secret? More than that, how could he have a birth date of 1898?
In a world where genetic experimentation pushes the boundaries of what someone would do to live a little longer, the question may be, how many will die in order to keep one person alive?

Yesterday by Sheila Norton, period/historical drama (1960’s), mystery, crime, romance (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: During the riots between the Mods and Rockers in the early Sixties, teenager Cathy finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the events which follow will haunt her for the rest of her life. Forty years later she’s forced to revisit her past, deal with her unhappy memories and try to find out exactly what did happen back in 1964.

Love the Way You Lie by Skye Warren, dark, erotic romance (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: A dark romance about the lies that lead us down…

I’ll do anything to get safe, even if that means working at the scariest club in town.

I’ll do anything to stay hidden, even if it means taking off my clothes for strangers.

I’ll do anything to be free. Except give him up. When he looks at me, I forget why I can’t have him. He’s beautiful and scarred. His body fits mine, filling the places where I’m hollow, rough where I am soft.

He’s the one man who wants to help, but he has his own agenda. He has questions I can’t answer. What are you afraid of?

You.

February 27, 2015 by Caroline Barker

SPOTLIGHT with Giveaway The Frailty of Things by Tamsen Schultz

Title: The Frailty of Things

Author: Tamsen Schultz

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Book Blurb: Independence. Kit Forrester is a woman who wears her independence like armor. Despite keeping secrets and hiding her past, she’s built a life she loves and is accountable to no one. Until, that is, one of the world’s most wanted war criminals sets his sights on her and she must weigh the risk to one against the chance of justice and closure for many—a decision Kit couldn’t make on her own even if she wanted to.

Certainty. As a man who makes his living in the shadows of governments and wars, certainty isn’t a part of Garret Cantona’s vocabulary, and he’s just fine with that. But when Kit walks into his life, he realizes he’s never before been so sure about anything or anyone. Suddenly, he finds he’s looking at the world, his world, in a different light. And now that he is, he’s determined to protect it, and her, in whatever ways he can.

Frailty. No one knows better than Kit and Garret that an appreciation for what is, or what was, or what might be, can be born from the uncertainty and fragility of life. But when a hunt for a killer leaves Garret no choice but to throw Kit back into her broken and damaged past, even his unshakable faith in what they have together might not be enough to keep it from shattering into a million pieces.

Author Bio:

Tamsen Schultz is the author of several romantic suspense novels and American Kin (a short story published in Line Zero Magazine). In addition to being a writer, she has a background in the field of international conflict resolution, has co-founded a non-profit, and currently works in corporate America. Like most lawyers, she spends a disproportionate amount of time thinking (and writing) about what it might be like to do something else. She lives in Northern California in a house full of males including her husband, two sons, four cats, a dog, and a gender-neutral, but well-stocked, wine rack.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TamsenSchultz

Twitter: @tamsenschultz

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tamsen-Schultz/e/B009NVIEGO

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/tamsens

Website: http://www.tamsenschultz.com

The author is giving away 3 $10 Amazon Gift Cards to 3 lucky readers!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

February 20, 2015 by Tina Williams

SUPER SALE! The Photographer Trilogy Boxed Set, by Sarah Robinson

ღ THE PHOTOGRAPHER TRILOGY BOX SET ღ

FIRST TIME ON SALE EVER- Only $0.99! ONE WEEK ONLY!
The boxset contains the never-before-read bonus scene!

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL…

Tainted Bodies (Book 1) is FREE for one week only exclusively through Ever After Romance! Go grab your free copy of the first book now! This is the ONLY time this book has ever been (and probably will ever be) completely FREE!

WHAT! Did I hear that right???

YES! The first book is FREE on Ever After Romance for anyone and the boxset is only $0.99 EVERYWHERE!

Check out the synopsis for the series below:

He takes a picture of every woman he kills.

She takes nothing from anyone.

Kate Jackson is a woman haunted by her past with no direction in life, and surviving only on her close relationship with her sister, Annie. Until she meets charming lawyer, Derrick Kane.

Just when she thinks she might have found the key to learning how to live again, maybe even how to love, The Photographer rips it all away from her with one click of his camera.

Somehow she survived, determined to rise above the trauma life has dealt her. Yet, she doesn’t get away that easy, The Photographer isn’t done with her yet.

The infamous serial killer begins dropping menacing hints at every turn.

Reminding Kate that he owns her. That he broke her body.

The small, quiet life that Kate Jackson had built for herself is over. Pulverized by the twisted workings of the notorious serial killer and the agony of being betrayed by the one man she had trusted her heart to. Trust had never come easily to her, yet she had given it to Derrick. And he destroyed her with it.

Kate is a fighter and refusing to allow a sadistic killer to take everything from her yet again, she delves into the police investigation targeting The Photographer and finally revealing his true identity. Kate is fighting for justice while fighting to reclaim the man she loves, and somehow learn to trust him again.

But when an innocent life is on the line, the cost of justice could be more than love can afford. Kate quickly learns that finding the face behind the mask, doesn’t make you safe.

Monsters are only uglier in the light of day.

**Please note that there is no cliffhanger at the end of this series and everything is fully wrapped up. This box set also includes a never before read, deleted scene about The Photographer’s childhood! DISCLAIMER: Due to violent and dark subject matter, this story is intended for readers over the age of 18 years old.

Click on any of the retailers below to purchase the ebook boxset for only $0.99!

To get the first book, Tainted Bodies, FREE, click on the Ever After Romance button below or here! For Android users, click here! For iPhone users, click here!

Paperbacks: Tainted Bodies (Book 1) | Tainted Pictures (Book 2) | Untainted (Book 3)
*The final paperback does also include the bonus scene from the boxset. Paperbacks are not discounted. The $0.99 is for ebooks only.

Click any site below to follow Sarah Robinson on social media!

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Do you like The Photographer Trilogy? Check out the other books by Sarah Robinson currently available or coming out soon!

♬ Sand & Clay Rocker Series ♬
Contemporary romance surrounding the life of Logan Clay, famous rockstar!
Purchase now at one of the retailers below!

♬ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks ♬

Coming soon–
Kavanagh Legends, from Random House Penguin’s Loveswept!
Add to your TBR on Goodreads now!

Breaking a Legend | Saving a Legend | Becoming a Legend

Sarah Robinson is the Amazon Bestselling Author of the contemporary Rockstar romance series Sand & Clay, as well as the very popular romantic suspense thriller series, The Photographer Trilogy. All of her novels have reached Amazon’s Bestseller Rank in Crime, Crime, Thriller, Contemporary Romance, and/or Romantic Suspense.

In regards to future publications, she is with the Seymour Literary Agency and has recently been contracted by Loveswept, a Random House Penguin imprint, to begin a new contemporary romance series in late 2015.

Sarah Robinson is a native of the Washington, DC area and has both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in criminal psychology. She is newly married to a local police officer, Justin, who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiasts as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescues, as well as volunteering and fostering for multiple animal shelters.

February 17, 2015 by Tina Williams

BOOK BLITZ ~ Every Breath You Take, by Blair Babylon (includes excerpt)

Brand-new New Adult Rock Star Romance

from USA Today-Bestselling Author Blair Babylon!

What happens when a Rock Star in Disguise meets a Billionaire in hiding?

Georgie doesn’t know who she is dating.

At a high society wedding, Georgie Johnson is introduced to Alexandre de Valentinois, a hereditary duke of nothing who flies around the world on his private planes and describes himself as “one of those despicable, idle rich men.” Yet, when pressed, he sings at the wedding in a gorgeous, clear tenor that tugs at Georgie’s soul, and miraculously, he calms her paralyzing stage fright so she can accompany him on the piano, even though she thought she had left her classical music career behind when she went into hiding.

But Alexandre has a dark side. His name is Xan Valentine, and he’s the rock star front man for Killer Valentine. He’s famous, but his paparazzi-dogged lifestyle might expose Georgie and get her killed.

See the book at these retailers:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Google Play

iBooks / iTunes

Kobo

Excerpt:

In the elevator, Georgie stood against the back wall while Alex slid a keycard into a slot above the buttons, backed away from her, and stared at the flickering floor display the whole time, which just about drove her insane until she saw the black dome embedded in the ceiling.

Okay, Georgie didn’t want to end up immortalized as a GIF entitled #GetARoom, either. She twirled her purse dangling from her wrist to pass the long, drawn-out, agonizing seconds while the elevator ascended, the increased velocity dragging at her feet.

Far up in the hotel, the elevator doors parted, and Alex seized her hand again and tugged her out of the elevator. Three doors led off the short hallway, and Georgie realized they were up in the suites.

Alex said, “It’s small. The hotel was sold out. Flicka and her wedding party booked the better suites months ago, so I was only able to get a deluxe.”

Georgie’s heart jumped in her chest, and her hands felt empty because she wasn’t touching him. “Just get us in there.”

His grin bore a touch of desperation as he flung open the door and pulled her inside after him.

Georgie caught a glimpse of a blue and white living room and a dining room with a table for six, and the scent of the white rose bundles filled the rooms as Alex pulled her though the suite. In the bedroom, golden silk draped the bed, and a breeze fluttered the white curtains over the window that was open to a view over the skyline of Paris. She tossed her purse on a nightstand.

Alex grabbed her arms, whirling her around, and he pushed her against the closed door and kissed her. The scent of sweet champagne flooded her mouth, and she breathed deeply. His forearms were braced against the door around her head, almost caging her as he bent to her. Georgie wound her arms around his neck, her fingers sliding into his long hair at the back of his neck. Alex groaned against her lips and reared back, then dipped his head to run his teeth over her neck. He shrugged his suit coat off behind himself, the dark blue fabric falling on the carpeting.

She dropped her hand, caressing his side through his shirt. Bulges of muscle rippled under her fingers. Even while his hot mouth blew champagne-scented breath on her neck, Georgie explored his body with her hands. She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, pulling the fine cloth out of his waistband, and she ducked her hand under his shirt and soft undershirt beneath.

Ridges of muscle met her palm. He panted against her shoulder as she ran her palms and fingers into the furrows between his abdominals and up to the lean bulges of his pecs.

His hands smoothed over her hips, reaching for the zipper down her backside.

This felt tawdry, a quick fuck at a wedding with the guy she had performed a song with, and that was fantastic. Long-term relationships and even repeat sex weren’t on her agenda. Alex probably lived in Europe, and if they ever ran into each other again, they could be amicable and polite, and he would be just another guy that she used to fuck.

Perfect.

February 11, 2015 by Caroline Barker

Review Round-Up – February ’15

Hi readers, we hope that you are all well and looking forward to the arrival of Spring, as Tina and I are. We want to say goodbye to the cold and gloominess, the bugs and viruses, and welcome some clear, blue, sunny skies to wake up to and motivate us to get out and about. I’m sure if it wasn’t for certain responsibilities I would just hibernate with my books and laptop throughout the winter months!

With Valentine’s Day just a few days away I hope that you are all in the mood for love! We have been reading many great romance novels, whether they are contemporary, historical, paranormal, comedy or erotic, and so there are more than enough reads to bury your head into to prepare you for the weekend of love!!

Amongst our latest, thirteen reviews we have two thrillers and a non/fiction travel and food book – if you are planning to go away, or want to try something new to eat, this is a fab read of first-hand accounts with recipes at the end of each chapter!

We hope you enjoy our selection. And whatever your plans, have a lovely Valentine’s weekend! (As always, please click on the titles for our full review!)

Caroline & Tina ❤

Torment (Dark Alpha #1) and Pleasure (Dark Alpha #2) by Alisa Woods, paranormal romance (reviewed by Caroline)

Torment (Dark Alpha #1) – short story

New Adult Paranormal Romance serial

Shifters live in the shadows of Seattle, just under the skin of the alpha male, dot-com entrepreneurs who are building a new Silicon Valley in the Emerald City.

Jak enjoys the female human population of Seattle as much as any wolf, but his heart belongs to a female shifter who’s already mated. Worse, she’s the mate of his alpha’s brother.

Arianna was captured from her pack when she was only twenty and mated to a wolf whose dark side takes full advantage of her unbreakable bond to him. Her nights belong to him, but her days are free to explore other things… including feelings for a wolf she can never have.

Is love stronger than magic? Or will breaking an unbreakable bond destroy them both?
Torment (Dark Alpha 1) is 60 pages or 15,000 words. It’s the first of six episodes in the Dark Alpha serial.
Adult content. Ages 18+.

Pleasure (Dark Alpha #2) – short story

Blurb: New Adult Paranormal Romance serial

Shifters live in the shadows of Seattle, just under the skin of the alpha male, dot-com entrepreneurs who are building a new Silicon Valley in the Emerald City.

Jak and Arianna have found something special in each other’s arms… but is it something they can keep?

Is love stronger than magic? Or will breaking an unbreakable bond destroy them both?

Pleasure (Dark Alpha 2) is 60 pages or 15,000 words. It’s the second of six episodes in the Dark Alpha serial.

Adult content. Ages 18+.

Guildhall Guradian: Thamesian (Thamesians #1) by Aidan Ladsow, paranormal romance, mystery (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: SHE HAS JUST FOUND THE ADVENTURE SHE CRAVED FOR

Italian Art Graduate Gioia Di Terzi has left Rome for England, upsetting all her plans of a future as a Museum administrator. Now working as a civil servant, she settles into a British working-class routine which comes nowhere close to her dreams of English Gothic tales.
That’s before she discovers the Medieval Quarter of the city and steps into its Guildhall, a building which instantaneously fascinates her.
Little does she know she just crossed the supernatural underworld’s threshold…

AFTER CENTURIES AS A GUARDIAN HE MUST COME OUT AND FIGHT

In 1430, Roydon Thamesian made a pact with Vampires who saved his life and became the powerful Guildhall’s guardian.
Ruling the Medieval Quarter, he doesn’t know humanity anymore.
Until Gioia Di Terzi stumbles into his life and he becomes the target of unmistakable attacks from a Hunter…

Plea From a Stranger by Derek A Barrass, thriller, slight paranormal (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: A young woman’s casual visit to a garage accompanied by her young daughter; becomes her worst imaginable nightmare when the owner tricks her and locks them in his basement. June, who was once a nude model for lad’s magazines, is the dream-girl he believes has been sent by fate to be his. He is a psychopath who has killed his wife and the man she left him for. He also hides other crimes from his past which he believes he was entitled to do if anyone crossed him.

Songs of the Maniacs (novella) by Mickey J. Corrigan, new adult, psychological thriller, dark drama, urban crime, romantic suspense (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Who are we when we lose everything, including our personalities? From her office at a mental health institute in the tropics, a troubled young woman counsels deeply disturbed clients while coping with her own heightening concerns. These include frightening consciousness lapses, violent memories of a high school sexual relationship, a menacing stalker, and an annoyingly arousing visitor who may or may not be insane. All this on a single stormy day at a time when a new mental health disorder has become epidemic and is threatening to distort memory and identity, unmooring the validity of reality itself.

A seductive and chilling novella, Songs of the Maniacs takes readers on a fascinating descent into the abyss beneath the lush surfaces of contemporary American paradise.

Broken Dolls by Kitty Thomas, literary erotica 18+ (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: Mina Calloway always finds herself in the hands of the wrong master: Gentle at first, then brutally sadistic and abusive. She no longer believes it’s possible to find a man who will be gentle with her. After seeing a kink-friendly therapist for months, the doctor makes her an illicit offer she isn’t yet smart enough to refuse: “Let me find you a good master.”

Brian Sloan is a borderline sociopath with a dark and brutal past. Only taking his sadistic urges out on the women at a submissive training house allows him to sleep through the night. When Brian sees Mina, she should be ripe for the picking, but her damage is too similar to his own. Can he fight past his demons to protect the one person he considers worth saving?

Note: This book happens in the same world as Guilty Pleasures with reoccurring settings and characters. However, it is not a direct sequel and it isn’t necessary to have read Guilty Pleasures first. If you enjoy this book, however, you may also enjoy Guilty Pleasures by Kitty Thomas.

Travel Bites by The Hungry Traveller, non-fiction, travel, food (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Travel Bites is a collection of short stories that criss-cross the globe. It is the first work by The Hungry Traveller who has combined his two great life passions: travelling and eating!

The Hungry Traveller has been travelling for the last fifteen years and, along the way, has experienced many different sights, tastes, smells and cultures. Central to his travel experiences has been the role of food. Through his unique and very personal style of storytelling, you too can share in the highs and the lows of his stories from around the world. At the end of each story is a recipe for a dish inspired by his adventure.

Travel Bites will capture your imagination and curiosity; and will leave you yearning to plan your next holiday, adventure or escape!

The Hungry Traveller is a travelling enthusiast who loves to eat! When travelling, he enjoys meeting new people and engaging with locals to learn about their culture, history and the food that they eat. He is ‘currently between trips’, saving money, but always has his passport on hand, ready for his next adventure! He always likes to hear about other peoples’ travel experiences and your thoughts on his book!

The Lady Smut Book of Dark Desires, erotic, paranormal, humour (reviewed by Tina)

The Immortal Longing of Brenna Bang by Liz Everly

When a vampire materializes through her computer, successful vampire-romance romance author Brenna Bang finds herself marked for inescapable passion with a tech savvy bloodsucker.

The Lying, the Witch & the Wardrobe by Margery Kempe

Jeanie tries to figure out how to unlock her grandmother’s wardrobe and uncover what happened all those years ago when the goblins came to offer their sensuous erotic fruits.

Sexsomnia by Madeline Iva

Jenny needs to unravel the mystery of what she does at night and who she does it with in order to subdue the sexual demon inside her.

Divine by Elizabeth Shore

Locked in an abandoned mental asylum, an ambitious filmmaker soon discovers she’s trapped with a Dionysian god. He offers her a glimpse of astounding future artistic success—but it will only come true if she’ll perform an erotic ritual to free him.

Concealment (The Cassano Series) by Scarlet Wolfe, contemporary, erotic, romantic suspense (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: Victoria Hart is supposed to be the enemy. She is an undercover detective who infiltrated my hotel and casino as an employee to take down my illegal enterprise. What she doesn’t know is I am fully aware of it. The operation I’m orchestrating is monumental compared to anything her mind could envision.It’s the burning desire I feel when she’s near that I didn’t see coming. An unwavering draw to touch her, and the need to break down her walls is testing my restraint; however, nothing can stand in the way of my ultimate goal. She could destroy everything my brothers and I have worked toward to avenge our father’s death.To keep the upper hand, it is vital to know your enemy. How deeply can I go, peeling back her intriguing layers while still concealing the truth? How much of Victoria can I claim before she’s too close … too close for me to let her go? This novel ends in a cliffhanger and is for a mature audience due to harsh language and descriptive sexual scenes.

A Desperate Wager by Em Taylor, regency historical romance (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: Nathaniel Spencer, the Fourteenth Duke of Kirkbourne wakes up with an almighty hangover and a wager note in his pocket stating he has agreed to marry the Earl of Brackingham’s daughter. And he can’t even remember ever meeting the chit. Clearly his drinking has got out of hand.

Lady Sarah Steele is horrified when her father announces that the Duke of Kirkbourne has agreed to marry her and even more horrified that her father wagered her hand in a game of cards. Not only that, but the earl has not told the duke of the riding accident that left Sarah paralysed when she was sixteen. But he’s dying and she knows he wants to see her settled before the inevitable happens.

Despite Nate’s drinking and Sarah’s possible complicity in the earl’s plan, they agree to marry. But when accidents start to happen, the newly-weds must deal not only with the fact they are practically strangers, but they must find out who is trying to kill one or both of them. Nate’s drink problem and Sarah’s disability are only a couple of the hurdles they must face to find lasting love.

Werewolves of Shade (Beautiful Immortals #1) by Tim O’Rourke, paranormal romance (reviewed by Caroline)

Note: This ends in a cliff-hanger. Part Two will be released 13th February 2015 and is now available for pre-order.

For readers 16+

Strands of Sollus by Cheryl Suchacek, fantasy, erotic (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: A contract from the Order of Aurora sends Myst in pursuit of a stolen magic sword. The job soon finds her partnering with Lotus, the rightful owner of the sword, as well as two beings bound to each other, Tol and Grayoch.

In the course of their mission, the group uncovers that behind the theft are sinister forces bent on resurrecting the dark lord, Maridon, in order to overwhelm the forces of light and take over the world of Sollus.

Facing their enemies, Myst finds that not only does she have to contend with Maridon and his minions, she also has to deal with the growing complications of her relationship with Tol and Lotus.

Tequila & Tea Bags by Laura Barnard, contemporary, romantic comedy, chick-lit (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Sent to live with her cousin Elsie in the Yorkshire countryside, Rose has only one thing on her mind; joining her friends as a club rep in Mexico.

When she hears about a council incentive offering the promise of free flights to the person who clocks the most volunteering hours at the local care home, she’s got her plan set.

But she doesn’t plan on bonding with the old ladies, going after the village bad boy and trying to persuade Elsie not to become a Nun.

Soon she’s questioning who her real friends are and whether her old life is one she wants to return to.

Can the village win her over and will she win the chance to leave it behind? Will she even want to?

January 31, 2015 by Caroline Barker

Promo w/Excerpts In Your Sights (Sydney Triptych #1)

Title: In Your Sights (Sydney Triptych #1)

Author: Elizabeth Krall

Genre: Romantic suspense/thriller

Released: December 10th, 2014

Length: 280 pages

BLURB:

Caroline Bready is being watched. Someone has posted a photograph of her on a mysterious website.

Still struggling to rebuild her life after the unsolved death of her husband, Caroline tells herself that the photo is unimportant. She drifts into an affair with a colleague; the relationship begins casually, but quickly becomes intense and disturbing.

After Caroline discovers the first victim of a serial rapist who has begun to attack women in Sydney, another photograph appears. Are the online images a threat, or simply coincidence?

Against a backdrop of deception and lies, Caroline finds herself drawn to an enigmatic stranger. Is he protecting her, or does he mean her harm?

If Caroline cannot distinguish friend from foe, it could cost her life.

BOOK LINKS

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23785077-in-your-sights

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QV6S4K0

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Sights-Sydney-Triptych-Book-ebook/dp/B00QV6S4K0/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-your-sights-elizabeth-krall/1120923611?ean=2940046461879

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/in-your-sights

REVIEW QUOTES

“Elizabeth Krall skillfully crafts a tale of growing foreboding and outright fear.”

– Readers+Writers Journal

“With superb writing, vivid descriptions, and meaty characters, Krall pulls the reader into the story and does not let go until the words “the end” appear.”

– Gut Reaction Reviews

“The twists and turns in this fast paced and marvelous thriller are well written and the characters are unique, from the main ones to the secondary and villain. My favorite is the actual hero, which you only get to know if you read it!”

– Georgianna, The Reading Café

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Elizabeth Krall is the author of the suspense/thriller “In Your Sights“, the contemporary romance novels “Too Close” and “Ship to Shore”, and an occasional series of short stories themed around holidays, called “Holiday Romances”.

Most of Elizabeth’s career was spent as an editor, but now she works as a print and digital graphic designer. An unexpected side-effect of leaving editing was the resurgence of an interest in writing.

Elizabeth grew up in Canada and lived in London, England, for many years. She has now settled in Sydney, Australia. Her interests include travel, tall ship sailing, photography and blogging.

elizabethkrall.weebly.com

elizabethkrallphotos.wordpress.com

elizabethkrallwriter.wordpress.com

twitter.com/Elizabeth_Krall

EXCERPT ONE: PUNISHMENT

Caroline stood at the turning to the short corridor that led to Reece’s office. She reached down to straighten her skirt, and up to straighten her hair. It was idiotic, she knew that. He had seen her in every state of undress by now, disheveled from sex or sleep, with no makeup or with mascara smeared under her eyes, but nonetheless she wanted to look good if she knew she would see him. His door was ajar, and she stepped forward to where he could notice her. Reece was working, though, all of his attention on his computer, and did not look up until she knocked.

“Caroline! This is a surprise.” Reece leaned back from his screen, and smiled. “What brings you to no man’s land?”

“You volunteered to take part in our trial of the new internet browser, remember? I’m here to install it. It won’t take long, but I can come back if this is a bad time,” she said.

He put his hands against the edge of the desk and pushed his chair back. “Not at all. I could use a break. It’s all yours.”

His office was private, but it was not very large. He sat beside the window, with his back to a wall, facing the door. As she stepped behind the desk, he was hemmed in.

“Sorry.” Caroline took a step back. “Did you want to get out?”

“Not at all. I will sit here and watch a nerd at work.”

She pulled a face at him. “That doesn’t sound very interesting. Or flattering!”

Reece chuckled. “If it were any other nerd, I would have manufactured a desire for tea and escaped. Is that flattering enough for you?”

“Yes.” She angled the keyboard and mouse toward her, and bent over the desk. “You were quiet last night. I didn’t wake up at all when you left.”

“Just call me the stealth lover.”

Caroline felt his right hand touch the inside of her left knee, and as his fingers began to slide up her leg she took a hasty step to the side. “Reece!”

“Caroline?” He looked at her with polite inquiry.

“You can’t do that!”

“Of course I can.”

“Not here, I mean.” The computer claimed her attention with a beep. She gave Reece a look of warning, and began to type.

“Why not here?” His hand was back, the thumb circling on the soft skin at the dimple of her knee. “You like it. That’s all that matters.”

Oh, she did like it. Desire fluttered inside her like a trapped bird. His fingers eased higher, and she said nothing. She couldn’t. Her breaths came fast and shallow. She closed her eyes.

“You are not wearing nylons,” he observed. Then, with a note of disapproval, he said, “But you are wearing panties.”

One finger tweaked the lace edging, and Caroline’s eyes flew open. She looked directly into another pair of eyes, big brown eyes in the laughing face of a pretty, curly-haired woman. Reece’s wife stared at her from the large photo that stood in a frame beside the computer monitor.

Caroline jumped back as though Reece’s fingers had burned her. His touch lingered on her skin, lines and whorls of heat.

He held a hand out to her. “Come back here.” The telltale bulge of his arousal was clear.

She shook her head. “It would be wrong!”

Impatience flickered across his face. “Why?”

“Someone could see us!”

“Not if you close the door.”

She looked at the open door, and shook her head again.

“Hypocrite,” he said in a scornful voice. “You don’t think it’s wrong at all, you just don’t want to get caught. Get out.”

“Reece…”

He straightened up. “Close the door behind you.”

She took blind steps toward the door, and he spoke again.

“Or stay. But either way, close the door.”

She took another step, and reached for the doorknob. She would leave, she would march out of here, and someone else could install his browser.

The door closed behind her. Caroline leaned against it, her palms flat against its cool surface, and looked across the small office into Reece’s knowing eyes.

“You want me, don’t you?”

She nodded, mute with shame. Why could she not have walked away? Why did that demon he had awoken strip her of control over her own body?

“You need me.”

Another nod.

“You can’t walk out of here until you’ve had me inside you. Hard and hot.”

The demon stirred to his words.

“When you behave like this, you deserve to be punished,” Reece said.

He crooked his finger, and she was drawn across the room as surely as if she had been tied to a rope.

With one arm, he swept keyboard and mouse and photo to the other end of the desk. “Bend over. Lower.”

His hand on her back pressed her to the desk. Her breath fogged its gleaming wood and her breasts squashed against its unyielding surface. She felt the touch of cool air on the back of her thighs as he flipped up her skirt, and then on her bottom as he stripped off her panties.

Reece traced two fingers along the curve of one buttock, down along the crease where it joined her thigh. She shivered with anticipation and bit back a moan. His legs roughly pushed her knees apart.

“Now, Caroline, you will take your punishment.”

EXCERPT TWO: LONG BEFORE DARK

Caroline sat on the edge of a stone wall that marked a grave, and smiled. It was an idyllic spot. Such calm, such restfulness. Such quiet! Only the whisper of wind in dry grass, and the rustle of palm fronds. Even the birds had fallen silent.

The sun had set and daylight was fading. The brevity of twilight in Sydney still surprised her, and already the colors were almost gone. She knew that she should leave, because if someone did lock those gates at the top, she would have to walk all the way down to the bottom, to where the old footpath entered the cemetery along the cliff edge, and then walk all the way back up on the other side of the wall.

“Be sure you’re out of there long before dark. Stay in sight of other people at all times.”

Alarm flared inside her as she remembered the inspector’s words.

What did she think she was doing, dawdling in this deserted cemetery as night fell? Far worse things could happen to her than a long walk home. Despite her intentions, she glanced at the bowls club, and she shuddered, remembering the sight of Jayna as she stood below the bright lights in the parking lot.

Metal scraped on stone with a sharp rasp.

A surge of adrenaline and fear sent Caroline spinning around.

What is it? Where? Who?

Her eyes darted from one headstone to another, past crosses and columns, to the shape of a man. She turned to run but caught her shoe on a loose brick, and she stumbled into a rough stone grave marker. She righted herself and looked back at the man: he had not moved.

It wasn’t a man. It was a statue of an angel.

But something had made that noise. She had not imagined it. Someone was nearby.

“Who’s there?” Caroline called, and heard the high thread of fear in her voice. “Who are you? Come out!”

Silence. The growl of a car on a distant street, and the bark of a dog, but no voice replied.

Fear wrapped itself around her. He could be anywhere! Behind any of these stone figures and walls and vaults. She whirled, but saw nothing. The heavy camera swung on its strap around her neck and she steadied it with one hand.

Camera!

Caroline held the camera in front of her like a shield and pressed the shutter button, taking shot after shot in every direction. The strong flash illuminated crosses and statues, angels and columns, and the man walking toward her not 10 feet away.

She shrieked.

“Easy there, darlin’,” he said in a soothing voice. Both hands were held out, and he shone his flashlight onto his face. “Relax. I’m a warden here. Look.” He pointed to the badge on the breast pocket of his shirt. “You get caught out here in the dark?”

Relief made her knees tremble, and Caroline leaned one hand against the vault beside her. The sun-warmed marble felt comforting. “Yes.”

The sound of his chuckle was so reassuring, so safe, that she thought she might cry from the sheer release of emotion.

“It happens sometimes. People get caught up in the sunset, and next thing they know they’re all alone in the middle of a big dark cemetery with heaps of dead folks. They imagine they see all manner of ghosts and goblins!”

“I don’t believe in ghosts. I know I heard something,” she protested, as she fell into step beside him. “Like metal on stone.”

“Oh luv, this entire cemetery is falling apart! Mind your step on these paving stones now,” he said, flashing the light at the broken path ahead. “You likely heard a stretch of rusty old fence fall.”

“Maybe,” Caroline said. No longer surrounded by the looming stone shapes, she was not sure what she had heard.

He guided her to the same gates through which she had entered, and wished her a pleasant evening.

It did not take Caroline long to walk home, and by the time she let herself into the apartment she had decided that the warden was right. Many of the graves had very low stone walls topped with ornate metal fences that had rusted over the decades. A number of fallen fences lay scattered on the ground. She had simply heard one grate against stone as it fell.

She made herself a cup of tea and carried it to the living room, where she pushed back the glass door to allow the warm air to enter. She slid the camera’s memory card into a slot on the computer.

To her surprise, the photographs were not bad. The currawong, in fact, was very good, with focus so perfect she could see individual feathers and the orange gleam of its eye. The sight of a lorikeet hanging upside down to get at something in the palm tree brought a smile to her lips.

She cringed at the first frantic, flash-illuminated shot, everything in stark whites and blacks. She tapped the arrow on the keyboard, wanting to whiz through them as quickly as possible, to not be reminded of those minutes of silly terror in the dark. Vault, tap; cross, tap; weeping angel, tap; angel with outspread wings, tap; man’s face, tap; broken pillar–

A man’s face?

Goose bumps rose on her skin as if summer had become winter, and the tea in her mouth tasted sour. She tapped back. A large pointed headstone rose in the foreground, glaring white in the full force of the flash. Receding into the dark were the gray shapes of crosses and statues. And like a ghost disappearing into the night behind the gravestone was the face of a man.

EXCERPT THREE: A GOOD DECOY

He walked toward the college and wondered if he were making a mistake. Had she seen him on Thursday? Worse, had she photographed him in her frenzy of fear in the cemetery? Or had he been far enough away not to be captured in the flash? He would find out soon enough, if she turned up. Or perhaps not: she found it difficult enough to look at him at the best of times, so how could he tell if she were avoiding him?

If she had gone to the police, he could be in trouble. He told himself that he was a fool, that two hours of looking at her in a classroom were not worth the risk. Yes, he had taken precautions, but would they be enough?

His steps faltered when he saw her. She had turned up.

Caroline was sitting on the same bench where he had seen her and Nola before class three weeks ago, but now she was alone. The spreading plane tree threw broken shadows over the bench. The trees were imports from England, planted decades ago. They always reminded him of marching on parade through London, of the ringing thump of his squadron’s boot heels hitting the pavement in unison.

He slowed, to stretch out these moments when he could look at her, straight at her in the light of day, drinking her in. Her face was in profile and her neck was bent as she handled something in her lap. The breeze ruffled the skirt of the flowered summer dress she wore, and her legs were tucked under the seat, crossed demurely at the ankles.

His heart ached at the sight of her. Despite what he had seen in the dark outside her apartment building a week ago, despite the naked need in her eyes as she had looked at that man, he loved her. She was so beautiful. So beautiful, and so unattainable.

She looked up as he neared, saw him, and smiled.

His first thought was that someone she knew must be behind him, Nola perhaps. But no, she looked right at him.

“Hello,” she said.

Then her eyes flickered, ever so slightly, and he knew.

The men appeared from behind and beside him, police in uniform and in plain clothes.

“You are under arrest for stalking. You are not obliged to say or do anything, but anything you say or do may be used as evidence against you.”

Instinct and training stiffened his body, and he tensed. Hands tightened around his arms. He relaxed, and nodded to them. He would cooperate.

They ushered him to the police van he had not noticed parked at the curb, as he had not noticed the loitering men and had not noticed Nola, running now from the college building to take Caroline in her arms.

He had been right, that morning on the cliff top. She did make a good decoy.

January 30, 2015 by Tina Williams

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January 30, 2015 by Tina Williams

Concealment, by Scarlet Wolfe REVIEW AND TOUR (includes excerpts and giveaway)

This novel ends in a cliffhanger and is for a mature audience due to harsh language and descriptive sexual scenes.

Concealment by Scarlet Wolfe

Blog Tour

Hosted by Everything Marie Tours

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2015

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00057]

Victoria Hart is supposed to be the enemy. She is an undercover detective who infiltrated my hotel and casino as an employee to take down my illegal enterprise. What she doesn’t know is I am fully aware of it. The operation I’m orchestrating is monumental compared to anything her mind could envision.It’s the burning desire I feel when she’s near that I didn’t see coming. An unwavering draw to touch her, and the need to break down her walls is testing my restraint; however, nothing can stand in the way of my ultimate goal. She could destroy everything my brothers and I have worked toward to avenge our father’s death.To keep the upper hand, it is vital to know your enemy. How deeply can I go, peeling back her intriguing layers while still concealing the truth? How much of Victoria can I claim before she’s too close … too close for me to let her go? This novel ends in a cliffhanger and is for a mature audience due to harsh language and descriptive sexual scenes.

Purchase Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Goodreads

Excerpt

Adrian’s POV:

“I’m Adrian Cassano, the owner of this hotel and casino. I was quite impressed with your moves, Ms. Victoria Stuart,” I say with a smirk.

“It’s Vicky, sir, and how did you see that already? I mean–thank you.”

“Can you explain what transpired?”

“He grabbed my ass, which I would’ve excused, but he refused to move his hand afterward, so I had to do it for him.”

I eye her intently. That wasn’t exactly the response I expected. “So, you’re OK with random men grabbing your ass?”

She scowls. “No, but for the sake of my job, I was willing to let it slide once.” She’s giving me attitude, and damn, she’s gorgeous. This will be more enjoyable than I anticipated.

“I see.” Staring into her striking, green eyes for several seconds, I find she’s determined to hold my gaze.

“I think it would be best to move you to an environment where the cliental will not be touching you without your permission. Although the asshole deserved it, I don’t need a lawsuit, and he would not be the last to grab your ass.”

She continues to scowl. At least her attitude suits her day job. Yes, I believe I’m going to enjoy every second of my time with Victoria. She will be easy to torment since she likely feels she has to keep her mouth shut around me. I have a suspicion that is not something she’s used to doing. I’m sure she doesn’t want to lose this job and blow her case. The investigation I’m fully aware of.

Excerpt #2

Victoria’s POV:

Reaching down, I zip up my black thigh high boot. I’d never tell my detective partner, Reggie, but I feel badass and sexy as the zipper tightens the shiny, black patent leather against my toned leg.

“It appears his mother, Denise, has been in and out of mental facilities his entire life,” I say. “His father, Alvin Cassano, died in the Twin Towers during 9/11. Adrian, his three brothers, and one sister were left with a hefty insurance policy, and he enlisted in the Marines after.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed Adrian Cassano to be ex-military,” Reggie says.

“Once discharged, he and his brothers moved to Vegas and built the hotel and casino.”

“Be careful, Victoria.” Reggie is leaning back against my bedroom door, conveying a stern look.

“Seriously? What is your deal over this job?” I ask as I zip up my second boot.

“Have you forgotten we’re partners? I can’t be in there with you, and it’s making me crazy.”

“I’m a cop. I earned this detective job because of my ability since they sure as hell don’t give it to women otherwise. I can take care of myself.”

He slides his hand through his curly, dark hair. “That’s what worries me. You think you’re invincible.”

Meet the Cast

About the Author

Scarlet Wolfe began writing in January of 2013 as a way to distract and heal from some of the grief she was dealing with after the death of her teenage son. She instantly fell in love with bringing characters to life. Releasing contemporary romance throughout 2013, she has branched out this year, releasing erotica and teen.When not writing, Scarlet enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She loves coffee, chocolate, wine, stories about possessive, hot alpha males, and other flavors of ice cream besides vanilla. She hopes her writing will encourage readers to feel more comfortable exploring their sexuality.

Contact Scarlet Wolfe

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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Review *****

Sexy and Suspenseful

Wow, what a sexy read! No one is what they appear to be in this fast-paced erotic romantic suspense: secrets are commonplace; passion sizzles and the stakes are high.

The heroine Victoria, a Police Officer, gets a job as a server at the Cassano hotel and casino. Her aim is to find evidence of criminal activity which she suspects plays a major role in the brothers’ business empire. What she didn’t bank on was being singled out by the boss, the sexy Adrian, and finding herself falling for him.

I just lurved the relationship between this couple! Adrian, an uber alpha male, breaks all the rules to seduce her, at first kidding himself that it is good practice to keep his enemy close, but then finding that he is developing ever stronger feelings for her as he gets to know her. He is wildly attracted to Victoria’s beauty, brains and bravado and wants to keep her safe. Adrian is torn between wanting to protect his family business and wanting to possess Victoria body and soul, the very woman who represents a significant threat to his activities.

Yet how far can a relationship go between a cop and a man who she suspects is part of an extensive crime ring? The scenes between Adrian and Victoria positively sizzle off the page and they are well matched and believable. The supporting characters too are all well-defined and I am looking forward o finding out more about them as the series progresses, especially the other Cassano brothers who also ooze major smex appeal!

When we first meet Victoria I was not sure that I would find her a likable heroine as she comes over as very kick ass. However, a few more pages into the story and I began to find out more about her realising that she hides a lot behind her hard exterior and that there is a lot more to her. Adrian in particular plays a key role in stripping her of her armour as he is keen to find the true woman underneath. He is fully aware that she is a cop and wonders if and when she will admit this fact to him. Victoria is attracted to Adrian unlike any other man yet can she trust him and is he the criminal she believed him to be?

The book ends in a cliff-hanger, which left me itching to read the next instalment. I recommend Concealment to readers who enjoy a sexy and suspenseful adult read with a drop-dead gorgeous alpha male who is torn between the girl of his dreams and the high stake activities of his family business.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

January 26, 2015 by Tina Williams

RELEASE DAY BLITZ for Jade: Special Operations Command, book 2, by S. Reynolds

Blurb:

Conner is taking a big risk, working undercover as a drug buyer. His team is desperately trying to intercept and stop the importation of a wicked new drug into South Florida. In the middle of a buy, he meets a young woman, who seems utterly out of place. Alli Reed is helplessly trapped, having foolishly made the wrong choice. Now, she must deliver the drugs or die.Worse, she the sister of one of the team members: the case just took the worst possible turn!

Jade is only $2.99 and is available through Amazon at the moment

(Will soon be on all major networks)

Buy Links:

US CA UK

Social Links:

Facebook Twitter Website

Email – authorsreynolds@gmail.com

Goodreads

Want to learn more about S. Reynolds?

Author Bio:

Stephanie is a new indie author who loves to write and read. She lives in West Virginia with her two children and her dog. She has a BS in Criminal Justice and has spent her years reading about and exploring the mind. She has many projects scheduled for 2015 and beyond and hopes to also start a fantasy series this year. Her next project will be Ryker, Book 3 in the Special Operations Command Series.