'Firefly Hollow' by T.L. Haddix

Firefly Hollow - WEEK BLITZ

By T. L. Haddix

Romance w/ Light Paranormal Elements

Date Published: 9/23/2012

  

  

The mysterious recluse…

Owen Campbell holds himself apart from other people. Badly scarred from emotional wounds that have never healed, he doesn’t expect to find true love or happiness. He remains isolated in a prison of his own making, determined to not let anyone close enough to hurt him again. But his willpower is shaken to the core when Sarah Browning enters his world.

The girl next door…

Sarah Jane Browning is three years into her college degree when a call from home changes everything. Back at the family homestead in the heart of Appalachia, she’s forced to reevaluate her hopes and dreams for the future.

Distraction from her heartache comes in the form of her parents’ neighbor. Whispers about “odd Owen Campbell” abound in their small community, and Sarah’s curiosity is aroused. When she breaks the rules and trespasses onto his land, what she finds is beyond her wildest imaginings.

As Sarah struggles to overcome tragedy and loss, her burgeoning relationship with Owen is sorely tested. Will love conquer all, or will the secrets from Owen’s past tear them apart forever?

EXCERPT

Checking back over her shoulder after a few steps, Sarah frowned when the deer continued to mimic her path. Dismissing the incident as the curiosity of a wild young deer that hadn’t yet learned humans were the enemy, she let her mind drift. Before long, she heard the sound of water trickling rapidly over rocks, and as she rounded a curve, she saw a small stream curving through the mountainside. The branch of water cut into a shallow hollow, one side protected by a higher ledge of earth that was full of mountain laurel.

Sarah stopped to take in the sight and drew in a cleansing breath. As she looked around, she realized the deer had followed her and stopped a short distance away. The bench of land it stood on converged with the deer path alongside the stream.

If Sarah hadn’t known better, she would have sworn the deer wore a look of consternation. The animal bent its head to nibble at some greenery on the ground, but kept its eyes on her. It almost seemed to glance between her and the water, as though weighing the danger of coming closer for a drink.

“Maybe if I turn away, you’ll feel bolder.” The deer path crossed the branch at a narrow point, and she decided to go a bit further. The water cascaded down a small waterfall above the narrow point, pooling in a shallow area that would be the perfect spot for a thirsty deer to get a cooling drink.

opping across the water, Sarah followed the trail. To her surprise, the path didn’t continue to the flat bench on the other side of the small ridge, but climbed up and around the rocky outcropping. Curious, she climbed the incline. The sight took her breath away, and for a moment, she didn’t believe what was in front of her was real.

The rocky outcropping the water cascaded down was a sort of natural dam. On its other side, a large pool of water had collected. Fifteen feet across and nearly that wide again going in the opposite direction, the pool was surrounded by sloping granite on all sides except the front, where the water dropped over the edge. The water was blue-green, going from light aqua to deeper cobalt, and the banks of rock and earth protected it on all sides.

On the opposite side, a craggy granite cliff rose about ten feet out of the water, overhanging slightly to form a shallow cave. The mountain seemed to curve around the pool and, mesmerized, Sarah continued around, crossing the branch once more at a point above the pool. From there, she was able to climb on top of the granite boulder that created the cliff. Easing to the edge, she carefully sat down, her legs dangling over the side.

When the curious deer appeared at the edge of the pool below, Sarah laughed. The deer gave a small jerk at the sound, eyeing her warily.

“I’m sorry.” She felt utterly insane, carrying on a conversation with a deer, but it had followed her like a curious puppy. Sarah realized that keeping quiet would feel even more absurd. “It’s so beautiful here. I had no idea any place like this existed.” She looked around, noticing that the trees didn’t arch out over the pool the way she thought they would have.

“I’ll bet it’s really hot here in the summer, and that water feels so good and cool. Or does the pool dry up, I wonder?”

For a while, she just sat, braced back on her hands, her face lifted to the sky. The peace imbued in the place washed over her. When she felt ready, she let herself remember Kathy’s words to Paul, and their laughter. The memory made Sarah sad and still made her cringe with embarrassment, but she realized that she didn’t feel quite as angry about it as she had.

“Thank you, God, for letting me hear that today. At least I don’t have to face Paul until Monday,” she said to the sky. “And… and maybe, if that’s what he likes, then maybe he’s not as special as I thought he was. Let him have his buxom girls. At least I don’t look like a milk cow, unlike someone I could name.”

A snort came from below, and Sarah jumped. She’d forgotten the deer.

Looking down, she saw that it had moved to the edge of the exposed granite and settled down on a soft patch of leaves.

“What are you snorting at?”

When the deer shook its head, Sarah laughed. Even though she knew it was probably batting away flies with its ears, the deer acted almost human.

She glanced down at her watch and was shocked when she saw the time. She was going to have to run in order to make it home in time for supper. With a muted curse that she’d heard her father say when he hit his thumb with the hammer, she scrambled to her feet and looked around. Another bench ran down from the side of the boulder opposite where she’d come up and fell naturally into the one the deer had been on when she’d first seen it.

“That saves me a little time.” With one last look at the deer, which had gotten to its feet when Sarah did, she headed down the bench. “I’ll come back someday,” she promised over her shoulder. “Try to not get shot or anything.”

For a day that had gone so badly, she thought as she ran, things had turned out to be okay.

* * *

For a long time after the girl had gone, Owen stood on the edge of the pool, looking after her. With his enhanced hearing, he could follow her progress down the trail and back onto Browning land.

He didn’t know what to think. He’d never encountered another human in all the time he’d been exploring the woods. His parents had seen to that over the years; no one dared come onto Campbell property without his father’s permission. Now that the property belonged to Owen, he guessed he was the one who’d have to do something about trespassers.

He bent his neck, taking another sip from the water. As the girl had guessed, it was cool and delightful.

Owen sighed, a sound that came out in deer form much as it did when he was human. The pool was one of his favorite places to roam, one of his safe places. If the girl came back as she promised, he didn’t know what it would mean for him. He couldn’t risk being caught, and he wasn’t willing to give up his solitude. If the girl threatened that… he hated the thought of having to go to her parents, but if it came to that, he’d do it.

T.L. Haddix

T.L. Haddix was born in Hazard, Kentucky, a small town in the center of the Appalachian coal fields. Taught to read by her grandmother, T.L. has had a life-long love affair with books, devouring whatever she could get her hands on. From childhood favorites such as the Trixie Belden series and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” books, to her current favorites from authors like Tami Hoag, Alex Kava, J.A. Jance and Lisa Kleypas (among many others), T.L. still finds refuge in the written word.

“Growing up, I wanted to be everything – astronaut, police officer, doctor, teacher, reporter, psychologist – there was no clear choice for me. I wanted to do it all. Becoming a writer has allowed me to do just that, because I can live vicariously through my characters.”

A resident of eastern Kentucky, T.L. is hard at work on her next book, when she isn’t chasing after her three cat-children with her husband.

Author Links

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Buy Link

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Read an excerpt from 'Ocean's Infiltrator (Ocean's Gift #2)' by Demelz Carlton

Could you kill the man you love to protect your people?

Capsize his boat. Lure him into the water. Summon sharks... How long will Sirena let Joe live, now he knows her secret?

A story about seduction and sharks, parenthood and penguins, with plenty of beer and boobs to keep it interesting, at some coral islands off the coast of Western Australia, plus a few other places, too.

Sexy mermaids surface once more, to sing up chaos on ship and submarine, sea and shore.

Trouble, take two. This is Demelza's second contemporary fantasy book in the Ocean's Gift series, with more mermaids and mayhem than ever.

You'll never look at mermaids the same way again.

A tiny taste of what's in store:

For the first time, she looked nervous. "No human has ever seen me change before," she admitted. 

"It's the first time for me, too," I replied hoarsely. 

She touched her heels together and gave a flick with her feet. The movement rippled up her body, before she did it again. It looked like her skin was darkening, or was it just the waves washing over her? Another flick, her feet rising out of the water this time, and I saw the blue wasn't just the water. It was like the skin of her legs had grown together, extending over her feet into curved flukes, as blue as the water. It blended seamlessly up her body, though her torso remained pale. 

She turned on her side, her eyes curious. In the skin along her ribs, I saw dark lines that looked like gills. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She'd never looked less human, but I'd never wanted to touch her more. My mouth hung open and I couldn't seem to close it. 

"Are you coming in, or not?" She twisted, arched and dived down. 

I plunged into the water after her.

Ocean's Gift series

This is the second book in Demelza Carlton's Ocean's Gift series, which currently includes:

•Ocean's Gift (Book 1) •Ocean's Infiltrator (Book 2) •Water and Fire

Purchase links 

Amazon * Apple *  Barnes and Noble * Diesel *  Sony * Kobo * Smashwords

About Demelza Carlton

Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.

She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.

Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.

Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.

The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy.

Contact links: 

Website: http://www.demelzacarlton.com 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DemelzaCarltonAuthor

Sirena

Help the humans or let them die? 

This will not be the first time I choose to be an instrument of death. 

The acrid scent of guns and explosives, the staccato of weapon-fire and the screech of stressed steel as a projectile found its mark. Gun-smoke and steam from the ships’ boiler-engines wreathed the scene like fog from colder climates. I heard Da-Xia’s screams through the murk as she laboured to bring forth her child. 

I shooed the sharks toward the ships, away from my mother, my sister and their patient. I kept to the outer reefs with the other younger girls, fewer in number than they would be in the future. As the ships approached, the other girls fled, tails flicking and fading into deeper, darker water. 

I did not. My family stayed, so I remained. They did not fear the danger and I was no less brave than they. Someone had to see to the sharks. 

I watched a human dive from his vessel. I shaped a wave and sent it racing across the surface to him, pushing him back toward his ship to keep him away from my family. He was a German medical officer from the SS Emden, I learned later. 

“Mother, help me! I am hit!” I heard Healer Duyong scream. 

I saw Mother turn to help Duyong. Duty and love warred in her expression, but Mother chose duty, as always. She turned away and dragged the human down deep. 

I watched him die, the boom of guns barely background noise to the sound of my sister screaming then gurgling as she drowned in her own blood, riddled with holes torn by the weapons aboard the humans’ ships. 

Blood blossomed from Mother’s arm, but her call was as strong as the voice she gave to me. No shark approached her as she swam to my sister and her charge, only to find she was too late. Da-Xia’s death was as quick as the shell that took her head. She never felt the shots that killed the child within her. 

To my shame, I raised my voice to sing to the ships over the fire-fight on the surface. My anger was so great that I would have killed every human aboard, shattering their skulls with my song, had I known how. All I could do was fill them with a desire to flee at all cost. 

I felt bitter satisfaction at the captain of the closer ship’s response. He ran his vessel aground on the reef, the keel screeching and shattering as the waves ground it flat. Smoke rose from the deck of the Emden and I remember shaping the waves to skirt the vessel, letting the fire burn without cease. 

The second ship’s captain found a different focus for his siren-induced recklessness. He’d spotted another ship and moved out of range of Mother to attack more humans instead. His Sydney fired on the Buresk. Those on board the Buresk scuttled their vessel, opening up the seacocks, before they took to the boats. Coal dust spread like a dark cloud of corruption beneath the surface as the Buresk descended to the sea floor. 

I turned my eyes from the carnage to assist my mother in healing my sister, but we were too late to do anything for Duyong. Once more, Mother dived into the depths, dragging two bleeding bodies with her. The other girls on shark patrol had long since headed home and I was alone. Heartsick, I headed for the beach. Lit by the fires aboard the vessel I’d wrecked, I shifted to human form and let tears flow as I sobbed on the sand. No eight-year-old child should witness the death of her own sister. 

When Mother returned to find me, her face was grave. “The Council will believe that the humans caused this disaster on their own and that you fled as the other younger girls did. No child in living memory could sink a ship with just her voice - and no lone adult could sink two. You are young to possess such power, yet it will grow greater still as you do. 

You are my heir now, child. You must do your duty young, for I am not.” 

My mouth opened to sob her name, but I swallowed and stood to address her with the respect that was her due. “Yes, Elder Sephira. I will do as the Council commands me.” 

She looked approvingly at the semi-sunken ship. “You must learn to lead, for you have the power within you to take my place in the Council. But you must learn to control it.” 

My anger burned more fiercely than the ship. I wiped my tears away. “Will I get to kill more humans?” I tried to control my voice, but it wavered as I thought of my sister. I’d looked up to Duyong so much and her death tore holes in my heart as if the shells had shredded my body and not hers. 

Mother smiled. “First, you must learn to enslave one, so that he cannot resist you. Duty first, then pleasure.”

'No Regrets' Boxed Set Release Day Launch & Special Announcement from Lauren Blakely

Lauren Blakely's No Regrets Box Set is live today, and we have all the details for you! There's a fantastic giveaway, and...A SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT from Lauren! Check it all out below and then enter the giveaway!

 

The No Regrets Box Set is just $.99 RIGHT NOW! But don't wait!

This price is for a limited time only!

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * iTunes

About The No Regrets Box Set: 

This ebook contains the following books: • The Thrill of It • The Start of Us • Every Second With You

The Thrill of It -

A new adult story of Love. Sex. Addiction. Blackmail. And Power... 

When Harley and Trey meet again in love addiction recovery, they must confront all their temptations, as well as her damaged, broken past and his dark family secrets, before they face the question -- how do you love with no regrets when regret is all you know?


The Start of Us -

A new adult story of First Times. Last Times. Connections. And No Regrets... 

When Harley first meets Trey, she only wants a tattoo. What she gets is the most intense connection she's ever had. Trey can't forget her either and doesn't want to let her go. How can one night be the start of something when tomorrow it has to end?

Every Second With You - 

A new adult story of Sex. Love. Addiction. Heartache. Pain. And Hope.

Harley and Trey face new challenges that will make battling blackmail, sex addiction, and a virgin call girl past look easy…

Enter the Giveaway Here!

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The Surprise Announcement from Lauren!!!

Surprise! The Caught Up in Love series is continuing! Bryan - as in Kat and Bryan - has a younger sister and she goes to college in Los Angeles. She has something in common with Kat - Jess also is a huge fan of the movies and she's putting herself through college as a celebrity photographer. I'm so excited to bring you more of these characters and introduce readers to the "west coast" side of the Caught Up in Love cast of characters and friends. Kat & Bryan will both appear in this story and you'll also get to meet Matthew Harrigan's brother who lives in LA (you know this if you read Far Too Tempting). Here's the storyline and the book releases in August.

About STARS IN THEIR EYES:

Celebrity photographer-in-training Jess Leighton desperately needs to crash the wedding of the year. Snapping just one pic of the A-list Hollywood couple tying the knot will pay her way through school, but with security tighter than the bride-to-be's corset, she'll need more than her camera and smarts - she'll need help from her biggest rival, William Harrigan.

Hot, motorcycle-riding Will is the last person Jess trusts, but he's her only ticket in. Good-looking, charming, and British, he's a triple threat. And he's got that sexy accent to boot.

Soon, sparks are flying off-screen and in front of the cameras as they devise a plan to sneak into the ceremony. But when Jess' new celebrity client raises the stakes with a photo shoot of the maid-of-honor, she wonders if she's in over her head. Blackmail, botox, and the worst Breakfast Club remake in the world? It's all in a whirlwind week's work in Hollywood. The audience loves a happy ending, but in a town where everyone's acting and no one's playing on the same team, can Jess find her own ever after in time?

 

 **STARS IN THEIR EYES is part of the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling CAUGHT UP IN LOVE series. It follows the sister of the hero in Caught Up In Us and can be read as a standalone, though you will likely enjoy the other books in the series.**

Cover design by Helen Williams/All Booked Out

Pre-Order the Title at iTunes right now and add it to your Goodreads TBR!

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About Lauren Blakely:

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending He’s Mine, Playing With Her Heart, and Trophy Husband. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.

Links:

Website \ Blog \ Facebook \ Twitter \ THE THRILL OF IT Goodreads \ THE START OF US Goodreads \ EVERY SECOND WITH YOU Goodreads \ Lauren Blakely Goodreads

'Roman Holiday: The Complete Adventure' by Ruthie Knox Release Day Launch!

Ruthie Knox's ROMAN HOLIDAY: The Complete Adventure is out today! We are so excited to share all of the information with you. Check out a terrific excerpt and enter the giveaway below!

ROMAN HOLIDAY is a contemporary romance published by LoveSwept, an imprint of Random House.

About ROMAN HOLIDAY: The Complete Adventure-

The wait is over with this eBook bundle that includes all ten episodes of Ruthie Knox’s steamy, irresistible serial, Roman Holiday. Like all the greatest road trips, Ashley and Roman’s journey is full of unforgettable twists and turns. But what’s their final destination?

Ashley Bowman has always been impetuous, but even she is a little shocked when she chains herself to a palm tree in the Florida Keys hours before a hurricane is due to blow in. It’s all with the hope of saving her childhood home from a heartless Miami developer. But the moment she meets Roman Díaz she realizes he does have a heart—it’s just encased in ice. Ashley’s determined to get Roman to crack . . . even if she has to drag him all over the eastern seaboard to do it.

Roman can hardly believe he’s been talked into driving across the country with this brazen wild child in a skimpy bikini. He tells himself he had no choice—Ashley insists he meets the elderly snowbirds whose community will be displaced by his career-making development deal. But in truth he knows that there’s something about Ashley that makes him want to get a little wild himself . . . and the closer they get, the more tempted he becomes.

Read the First 2 Chapters!

  EXCERPT:

The driver’s door opened, and black dress shoes appeared beneath gray slacks. The black top of his head crested the door, then disappeared as he ducked down to reach into the car—probably retrieving his hooded cape and sickle, just to complete the look.

But no. When he emerged from behind the door, his evil was far more subtle than she’d expected. The closer he walked, the more this rich Miami land developer looked like television’s version of a bad guy: tall, dark, expensive, beautifully proportioned, and—she had to admit—way more handsome than people were supposed to be in real life.

Ashley liked a handsome man as much as the next girl, but the ones who really got her going always had endearingly imperfect teeth, bad haircuts, unfortunate facial hair—some flaw that made them approachable. She picked the sort of guys who were game to go surfing on a whim or try out sex in a hammock even if they risked ending up in the dirt, slightly bruised and laughing.

Whereas this man—no way did he own a hammock. He was too perfect, his handsomeness nothing less than a loaded weapon aimed at the world. She imagined him bleaching his teeth so white that he purposefully blinded people when he smiled. You’d be gazing at his face, mesmerized by those teeth—which she couldn’t even see right now, but she knew just how they’d look, their contrast to the deep brown of his skin both surprising and delicious—and then you’d blink and he’d be gone, and so would your wallet and your house.

Possibly he’d leave you the hammock.

Of course, it was also possible she was projecting. She’d only been watching him for about four seconds, and she had, admittedly, a fairly strong bias against the guy.

His slick soles crunched over the crushed-shell surface of the lot. He didn’t walk so much as he loped, taking the circular pavers two at a time. His suit was so well behaved that it loped right along with him, too expensively tailored to look awkward for even a heartbeat.

When he’d passed the office, he veered off the path to make a slow circuit around the palm. His expression betrayed nothing as he took in the mound of mulch where Ashley sat. Her bound wrists, tucked tight against her lower back. Her bare arms and barer legs and barest-of-all feet.

He stopped directly in front of her.

“Ashley Bowman, I presume.”

A joke? He delivered the line with such dignity, she couldn’t tell if he meant to be funny.

“That’s me.”

He placed his briefcase on the ground and hunkered down, resting his elbows on his spread knees and clasping his hands lightly between them. Normal people would look awkward doing that, but he made it seem like he’d been born to hunker.

His shirt was black, open at the collar, his sunglasses mirrored. He took them off, and his dark eyes were mirrored, too. Impenetrable.

Good-looking, yes. But good?

She wouldn’t bet a nickel on it.

Not for the first time, it occurred to Ashley that chaining herself to the palm tree had not been her best decision ever. The idea had been to take a stand. Instead, she felt like a virgin staked below a volcano.

A nostalgic sort of feeling, since it had been so very long since she was a virgin. But this guy definitely had some magmalike qualities. Slow-moving. Molten. Dangerous.

The danger explained why all her frayed nerve endings were sizzling.

It had to be the danger. Because attraction under these circumstances would be insane.

Which was why she hadn’t glanced at his package, so conveniently on display in front of her.

No. She had not.

“I’m Roman Díaz. I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but . . .” He spread his hands, encompassing the scene before him. “You’re protesting, I take it?”

“I can’t let you knock it down.”

“Yes. You mentioned that in your voicemail.”

So he’d listened to her messages. She hadn’t been sure, since he had never bothered to call her back. Or answer the letter she’d sent by registered mail. Or admit her to the inner sanctum of his office.

Ashley had done everything she could think of to get his attention, just as soon as her grief had abated enough to let her begin to process a freshly discovered set of horrible truths: That she didn’t own Sunnyvale. Grandma had sold it two years ago without telling her or, as far as she knew, anyone. She’d secretly and sneakily transferred title on the property to Roman Díaz’s development group, Ojito Enterprises, for a generous sum of money that had vanished—though she’d definitely spent some of it leasing the property back from Díaz.

“I’ll buy it from you,” Ashley offered. “Whatever you paid for it, I’ll double.”

He raised an eyebrow.

She had to admire his economy. The mere flick of an eyebrow said it all. He knew she had no savings to speak of, no property of value—nothing to her name but an inherited Airstream trailer full of her grandmother’s junk.

She didn’t have Sunnyvale because he’d taken it from her before she even had a chance to claim it.

He glanced at her bound hands. She’d looped the chain around the tree, then around her wrists, which rested against her back, knuckles brushing the ground. “Is that a padlock?”

“Yes. And I can cover the keyhole with my fingers, so you won’t be able to drill it open unless you cut them off.”

“I could cut the chain behind the tree, where you can’t reach.”

“I’ll rattle it. And probably if you do that, I’ll manage to get hurt, and the media headlines will be all, like, ‘Protester Mangled by Heartless Developer.’”

“What did you do with the key, swallow it?”

She’d shoved it down her bikini bottoms, where it had spent the evening tattooing itself onto her tailbone. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * iTunes * Random House * Audiobook

ABOUT RUTHIE KNOX:

USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. After training to be a British historian, she became an academic editor instead. Then she got really deeply into knitting, as one does, followed by motherhood and romance novel writing.

Her debut novel, Ride with Me, is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with About Last Night, a London-set romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then Room at the Inn, a Christmas novella—both of which were finalists for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Her four-book series about the Clark family of Camelot, Ohio, has won accolades for its fresh, funny portrayal of small-town Midwestern life.

Ruthie moonlights as a mother, Tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She’d love to hear from you, so visit her website at www.ruthieknox.com and drop her a line.

Website \ Facebook \ Twitter \ ROMAN HOLIDAY: The Complete Collection Goodreads \ Ruthie Knox Goodreads

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'Bad Boy vs. Millionaire' by Candy J. Starr

Bad Boy vs. Millionaire - Cover Reveal

By Candy Starr

New Adult

When fate forced Hannah Sorrento to take on the management of indie rockers, Storm, she managed to survive but, when she found out she'd been played by their mercurial front man, Jack Colt, the betrayal hit her hard.

She flees to Tokyo, where her father orchestrates a deal to save their collapsed financial empire.  A deal that involves a gorgeous millionaire.

Tamaki is everything Jack isn't and, with their similar backgrounds, he and Hannah form a bond.  He offers her safety and security as well as a return to her luxurious lifestyle.  But the passion Jack arouses in Hannah won't be denied.

In the second Bad Boy Rock Star book, Rock Star vs Millionaire, can Hannah forgive Jack or will she take the sanctuary Tamaki offers?

EXCERPT

Jack was in the kitchen, making breakfast. How could a man look so good first thing in the morning? With his tussled hair and baggy pj bottoms… and I didn't even want to think about his arms in that tank top. That curve from his shoulders down his arm. A classically trained ballerina could not move as gracefully as that curve in his muscle as he . If I thought too hard about it, the only decision left in this world would be whether I wanted to trace that indent with my finger tip or my tongue.

"Want a coffee?"

I jumped, hoping he couldn't read my thoughts.

I sat at the kitchen bench with my gaze fixed firmly on my hands.

"So, what's the plan for today?" he asked.

I hadn't really thought about it.

"I guess I should start looking for a place to live."

"You can stay here as long as you like, you know. It's okay." He grinned at me. I'd add that to my collection of the other four or five genuine Jack Colt smiles I'd got in this life.

"With you sleeping on the couch, I don't think so."

The words hung in the air. Emotions flitting over both our faces, words we didn't want to put out there. Jack didn't have to sleep on the couch. I had taken over his bed and that bed had a huge Jack Colt-shaped emptiness that had haunted my dreams.

He squeezed by me to get cups out of the cupboard. In the small kitchen space, I couldn't help but be aware of his physical closeness, the feeling of his body almost brushing against mine and the smell of his skin that even the fresh coffee couldn't hide. I wanted to press against him and feel his heat. I wanted him to be mine to touch and caress but he wasn't. Too many questions hung over us. He'd told me that he wanted me, he wanted to be with me but I still had no idea if I could trust him.

I moved to sit on the sofa, putting some space between us.

Maybe I should just ask, I thought. Bring it all out into the open. Tell him how I felt, my fears and worries. Let him know what was holding me back. But the words didn't exist in me. This wasn't some talk show. We were real people and real people didn't let it all out. They held it deep inside, hugging it to themselves. When you told people how you felt, that gave them the power.

If I was a normal girl, I'd have these straight forward emotions that I could talk about. I'd be able to lay it out on the table, take it or leave it. But, instead my emotions squirmed inside me, burrowing deeper and deeper.

Candy Starr

Candy J. Starr used to be a band manager until she realised that the band she managed was so lacking in charisma that they actually sucked the charisma out of any room they played. “Screw you,” she said, leaving them to wallow in obscurity – totally forgetting that they owed her big bucks for video equipment hire.

Candy has filmed and interviewed some big names in the rock business, and a lot of small ones. She’s seen the dirty little secrets that go on in the back rooms of band venues. She’s seen the ugly side of rock and the very pretty one.

But, of course, everything she writes is fiction.

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Excerpt Reveal! 'Business As Usual' by Denise Grover Swank

BUSINESS AS USUAL Synopsis:

Lexi Pendergraft has given up on finding love after a disastrous encounter with her last boyfriend. Instead, she focuses on two things: One, setting up a summer program for underprivileged middle-school aged students. And the second, getting to the bottom of her brother Reed’s recent strange behavior. His secret is destroying his relationship with his fiancée Caroline, and Lexi will do anything to help him save it. Especially after he gave up his dream to give Lexi a chance at a semi-normal college experience, something her parents threatened to steal from her after her rape a year ago.

Ben Masterson is determined to make it through his final semester of his senior year at Southern University. After recently losing his full ride scholarship, he’s suffering from sleep deprivation while trying to keep up with his mechanical engineering courses and working three part time jobs. He thinks he’s lucked out getting a job in the university math lab. The only problem is his boss—Reed Pendergraft.

As part of a role in a community theater play, Lexi wears a black wig and feels a confidence she hasn’t experienced in over a year. When she wears it to a bar close to the theater, she doesn’t think Ben, a bartender there, recognizes her. While Ben’s intrigued about what she’s up to, he’s smart enough to stay far away from his overprotective boss’s sister. Until fate forces him to help her, but why won’t she tell him her real identity?

Read the excerpt:

I flip on the light switch just inside the door and my bedside lamp turns on. Alexa pushes past me and shuts the door behind her.As she looks at me, her fingers lift to her coat, unfastening the buttons, top to bottom. I watch in fascination as she tosses the jacket behind her. It lands on the floor, but she doesn’t pay attention as she pulls her thick sweater over her head, leaving her in jeans and a black lacy bra. 

My breath catches in my throat as my blood rushes south. My erection strains against my tight jeans and I ache to unfasten zipper, but I’m too hypnotized by the strip-tease in front of me. 

She kicks off her shoes and then unfastens her jeans. Hooking her thumbs in the loops, she pulls them down and lets them drop to her feet. 

Then she looks at me with a question in her eyes, as though I would find her lacking. As though she might not be beautiful enough for me. 

I want to tell her she has nothing to worry about. She’s gorgeous. Her wig frames her face and falls lightly over her shoulders. The black of her lingerie is a sharp contrast to her pale skin. Her face has less makeup on it then the other times I’ve seen her with the wig, but she doesn’t need it. I want to tell her she doesn’t need the wig either. I know who she is and I don’t care. I don’t care that Reed is her brother and that I’m risking my job by getting involved with her. I don’t care about anything but making her mine. 

But my tongue lies at the bottom of my mouth, thick and useless as a slug. I can only take in her beauty and thank God she came to me. That I have this shot with her.
She must see the longing in my eyes because she lunges for me, pulling my face down for a kiss. 

I kiss her back, my arms reaching around her back and pinning her to my chest. She frees her arms and grabs the bottom of my shirt, tugging it up and over my head before her mouth claims mine again and her hands start to play with the waistband of my pants. 

I reach to help her, but she bats my hands away and pushes me back against the door with a thud. I barely have time to hope my roommates don’t wake up before she grabs my hands and presses my palms forcefully against the door. 

I’m about to come in my pants.

Pre-Order Links:

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About Denise Grover Swank:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.

You can find out more about Denise and her other books at: www.denisegroverswank.com.

Links:

Blog: http://denisegroverswank.com/blog/
Website: www.denisegroverswank.com
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeniseGroverSwank
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeniseMSwank
Novel Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18053586-business-as-usual?ac=1
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4921525.Denise_Grover_Swank

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'8 Weeks' by Bethany Lopez Release Day Blitz!

Title: 8 Weeks

Series: Time For Love #1

Author: Bethany Lopez

Release Date: March 24, 2014

Summary:

Is eight weeks enough time to earn back the love of someone you've betrayed...the only one you've ever loved?

Shelly has been in love with Cal since they started dating in eleventh grade. Despite everyone saying that the odds were against them, they got married after graduation and built a life together. Now, six years later, she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. Devastated, her first instinct is to call it quits…

After a drunken binge at his best friends’ bachelor party, Cal betrays the one person who has always been there for him, his wife, Shelly. Terrified and realizing she might divorce him, Cal must come up with a way to prove to her that his love is true…

Cal asks Shelly for eight weeks. Eight weeks to convince her that their marriage is worth the fight. Will Shelly be able to trust him again, or will their marriage end the way many others do when faced with opposition… In divorce?

8 Weeks is book 1 in the Time for Love series, but can be read as a stand alone.

Links:

Amazon - http://amzn.to/1h1SfCU

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/8-weeks/id824527046?mt=11

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/409863

Barnes & Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/8-weeks-bethany-lopez/1118708064?ean=2940149279555&itm=1&usri=2940149279555

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18665874-8-weeks

About Bethany:

Award-Winning Author Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. Since then she has published various YA and NA books. She is a lover of romance, family, and friends, and enjoys incorporating those things in what she writes. When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible.

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