#FreeBook #GuestPost ~ The Mad Monk’s Treasure by Kris Bock ~ @kris_bock

Guest Post from Kris Bock:

Kris Bock’s Southwest Inspiration for Romantic Suspense

I’ve lived in 10 states (from Alaska to Rhode Island) and one foreign country (Saudi Arabia, as a child), so I always had trouble answering “Where are you from?” But when I moved to New Mexico, it felt like home. I’ve now been here twice as long as I’ve lived anywhere else. The desert Southwest inspires my work, as I bring suspense with a dose of romance to the land I love. Here are some of my favorite spots in New Mexico - heavy on the adventure. (Place names link to websites about that location.)

Socorro: For most people, this town in the middle of the state is mainly a rest stop between Albuquerque and El Paso, except in October/November when huge flocks of cranes and snow geese fly in to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. But as a local, I know the special sites nearby. Hikes can take you out in the desert or up to the mountains, visiting native petroglyphs or hunting for fossils. Hundreds of rock climbing routes provide adventures for anyone willing to hit the rocks, beginners to experts. Plus, you have a good chance of seeing unusual wildlife, from roadrunners to foxes to great horned owls.

In my treasure hunting adventure, The Mad Monk’s Treasure, the heroine and her best friend live in a fictionalized version of Socorro. They hunt for the lost Victorio Peak treasure, a real Southwest legend about a heretic Spanish priest’s gold mine, made richer by the spoils of bandits and an Apache raider. I drew on personal experiences hiking in the desert for Erin and Camie’s adventures – though fortunately I’ve never stumbled on a rattlesnake nest or gotten caught in a flash flood!

The Mad Monk’s Treasure is the first of the novels. The Dead Man’s Treasure is book 2 and The Skeleton Canyon Treasure is book 3. Each novel stands alone and is complete, with no cliffhangers. This series mixes action and adventure with light romance. The stories explore the Southwest, especially New Mexico.

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Jemez Springs: This small town in the mountains of northwestern New Mexico is known for its hot springs. You can also visit the ruins of an old Spanish church; Soda Dam, a cool rock formation formed from the mineralized water flowing in the river; and Battleship Rock, so named because it resembles the prow of a battleship. (Pictures on my Pinterest page.)

I’ve attended many writing retreats at a camp north of the town, and those experiences inspired Counterfeits, my latest romantic suspense novel. Of course, in the book, the site isn’t quite so relaxing. When Jenny inherits a children’s art camp, she discovers that her grandmother’s death might not have been an accident after all. The men who killed her grandmother are searching for stolen paintings, and they think Jenny and her old friend Rob, the camp cook, are involved. Doing research at a real camp tucked away in the woods, and hiking above Battleship Rock for a scene where Jenny gets lost, helped the setting feel realistic.

Hovenweep National Monument: All right, this one is not actually in New Mexico, but it’s close. Located on the southern border between Colorado and Utah, these ruins once housed 2500 people between A.D. 1200 and 1300. It’s one of many sites left behind by the ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi. It’s a smaller site than some, but that’s part of its charm. You can hike and camp without crowds.

In my romantic suspense Whispers in the Dark, my heroine is an archaeology Masters student working at the fictional “Lost Valley” monument, which is closely based on Hovenweep. The lonely location allows for an almost Gothic atmosphere – mysterious lights in the canyon, spooky moaning sounds, and plenty of people hiding secrets.

Lincoln County: What We Found is the most mysterious of my novels, and that’s true for the setting as well. I loosely based the mountain resort town in my book on Ruidoso, but more for the general location than the town itself. The forested town at nearly 7000 feet elevation is not what most people probably imagine when they think of New Mexico. Yet it seemed like the perfect place for the story of Audra, a young woman who stumbles on a dead body in the woods. More than one person isn’t happy about her bringing the murder to light, and in a small town, it’s hard to avoid people who wish you ill.

This novel was inspired by the true experience of finding a body, as I described in this blog post. I also spent time with a man who raises falcons and hawks (photos on my Pinterest page), and that comes into play in the story. It’s real-life adventures like these, both good and bad, that make New Mexico a great place for a writer!

I’ve left out many wonderful sights, but these are some of my personal special spots. If you make it to the Southwestern United States, maybe you’ll enjoy them as well. Otherwise, you can visit in books. Either way, we’ll be glad to have you!

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About Kris:

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance involving outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. If you love Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, or Terry Odell, try Kris Bock’s stories of treasure hunting, archaeology and intrigue, and art theft in New Mexico. To learn more about her latest work, visit www.krisbock.com or her Amazon page. Sign up for Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

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#SpotLight ~ Haunted Blade by J.C. Daniels ~ @shilohwalker

About the Book: 

Haunted, Hunted…Harassed.

Never let it be said that Kit Colbana had ever been given the easy road. Or even the semi-paved road. Only weeks after dealing with the mysterious—and murderous—being called Puck, she’s got another killer on her hands. Perhaps even two.

Some of the bodies turning up bring up haunting memories of a past she longs to forget, but as always, that past is chasing her at her heels, like a hated shadow.

As the body count racks up, there’s an imbalance of power, particularly among the vampire population, and Kit must yet again deal with ugly memories as one of the monsters who tried to break her is set free to deal with the imbalance of power. Yet while a power struggle rages in East Orlando, there’s another, more subtle battle taking place and Kit feels like the center of it all.

Arrogant? Maybe. But the dead bodies don’t bear the mark of her grandmother’s pet killer by sheer coincidence…and she doubts her nemesis being released is either.

Buy Links: 

Kindle | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords | BN

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Excerpt :

“You’re trying to distract me.” I tugged my shirt down only to realize at some point, he’d already gotten my bra unfastened.  Swearing, I adjusted that and moved so that the table now separated us.  “Not funny, Damon.”

“I wasn’t trying to be funny.” He tugged at his jeans and went to stretch out on the couch, watching me with heavy lidded eyes.

So he was hiding something—and it was a wasted effort because I knew what it was.

“I already know you met with Malcolm. And apparently, you’re distracted—that makes me think you’re worried about something,” I said, pacing closer to him.  “Or you’d figure out how I know.”

His nostrils flared and his body tensed.

He didn’t move from that lazy, slumped position, but his lids lifted and the dark pupils of his eyes flared, darkening his deep gray eyes to near black.  “You’ve talked to him…and Marie.  Both in one day.  I didn’t know you even knew them.  Ambitious, kitten.  You investigating me again?”

I curled my lip at him.  “Funny.”

“I’m not laughing.” He reached up and caught the front of my jeans, tugging hard enough that he pulled me off balance and I ended up falling onto his lap.

He wrapped both arms around me, holding me tight even when I tried to wiggle into a less-awkward position.

“Damn it, you’re a caveman, sometimes,” I said, jabbing him into the gut and twisting around until I was somewhat comfortable. He relented and loosened his grip, letting me sit straddling his lap. “For the record, I am not laughing either.”

Jabbing him in the chest, I added, “No, I’m not investigating you, you dumb ass. He’s telling me that he wants me to do a job—says there’s a blade he wants me to find.”

Damon blinked, the action so slow it was almost comical. He did it a second time, this just simply closed his eyes and shook his head.

“You’re not taking the job,” he said after almost a full minute of silence.

I gave him a withering look.  “You’d do better to reword that, pal, because if I even thought you were trying to dictate how I could work and who I could work for, the two of us would be having the fight to end all fights, right before I kicked your ass out of my apartment, for like…forever.”

But if I expected those words to bring about any apology, clearly, I was mistaken.

Slowly, in a move that somehow conveyed all the power in his big body, Damon rose to his feet.  His hands hung loose at his sides as he studied me, head cocked.  “If Marie was here talking to you, and if you’ve been talking to Malcolm, I’m assuming you’ve already figured out a crucial detail.”

“Just what detail is that, big guy?” I asked, chin going up.

“The prick is dangerous.”

“Newsflash—I knew that quite some time ago.  I didn’t need to talk to Marie, or him, to figure that out.  I steer clear of him anyway.”

Stalking close, Damon reached out and hooked his hand around my neck, drawing me to my toes as he hipped his head.  “Then why are we having a problem here?”

I bit his lower lip, using that as a distraction.  It almost worked.

The knee I tried to drive up between his knees worked better.

Still, between the two, I was able to twist away from him and evade his grasp as I moved farther away.  As he turned toward me, blood welling on his lip, I held up a staying hand.  “We’re about to have even bigger problems if you don’t calm the hell down,” I warned him.

He held his position, watching me with glittering eyes as he swiped the back of his hand over his mouth. The small smear of blood that remained, he cleared with a flick of his tongue.  “We’re going to have a reckoning about this soon enough, you got that?”

“I’m scared.” I curled my lip at him, mostly to piss him off—I was plenty pissed myself.  “Do you honestly think I’m stupid enough to work for him?  He’s either fae or an ancient—or both—and you think I’m that crazy, even after what went down with Puck?”

Damon’s brows shot up, then slowly, his face relaxed.  “You know what he is.”

“Please.” Smoothing my shirt down, I tried to settle myself, but the anger buzzing off him was taking on an erotic edge and that was affecting me in very, very unsettling ways.  “Give me some credit.  I realize I haven’t been around the block as many times as you have, old man, but I’m not exactly an idiot.”

He rocked back on his heels, still eying me narrowly.  “Since you know what he is and you’ve already said you don’t plan to work for him…what’s the problem?”

“You!” Huffing out a breath, I crossed my arms over my chest.  “You big ass, you don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do!  You’re not my alpha! You’re not my sugar daddy, my boss or my master.  I love you, Damon, but you don’t get to control me—I don’t obey your orders but you think you can growl and snarl at me and I’ll meekly obey, after all this time?”

Read more here http://jcdanielsblog.com/haunted-blade-colbana-files-6/

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About the Author: 

J.C. Daniels is the alter ego of author Shiloh Walker and was created basically because Shiloh writes like a hyperactive bunny and an intervention was necessary.  J.C. is the intervention.  The name… J.C. Daniels is a play off of the three people who pretty much run Shiloh’s life.

J.C./Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more…ah…serious works of fiction. She loves reading and writing just about every kind of romance. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest.  She writes urban fantasy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance, among other things.

About Me…seriously

They always say to tell a little about yourself! I was born in Kentucky and have been reading avidly since I was six. Writing became more my focus in middle school-I had a very boring teacher and voices in my head.  There was also a book that didn’t end the way I wanted it to end-don’t ask me the book, because I don’t remember.  I just remember I started writing.  I never stopped.

About me now… hmm… I’ve been married since I was 19 to my high school sweetheart and we live in the mid-west. I started writing full time in 2004, which lets me write during the day and still devote more time to my family- three adorable children who are growing way too fast and my husband who doesn’t see enough of me.

I like to read.  There’s a shocker!

This list will vary, a lot, but personal faves include Nora Roberts, Stacia Kane, Ilona Andrews, Kresley Cole, Julie James, but my all time favorite is SL Viehl.  She writes sci fi and romance, but my favorite of hers is the sci fi series Star Doc.  If you haven’t read them, I think you’re missing out.

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#Review ~ Something Like Happy By Eva Woods ~ @inkstainsclaire

Something Like Happy

By Eva Woods

Review:
Something Like Happy is one of those books that grabs your attention and then takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride. Grab your box of Kleenex and settle in for a wonderful read. 

Annie has suffered horrible tragedies and she is just not able to pull herself back together to see the bright side of life. She is in a bad place emotionally. This poor lady is depressed and alone. She doesn't have any friends to support her. That is until she runs into a lady in the hospital that is beaming with happiness and only sees the sunshine in life. Polly and Annie see the world in two completely different lights.

Polly has received a horrible diagnosis. She has Cancer and only has a few months left to live. I have to say I admired Polly's courage. She such a sweet lady and has so much left that she wants to do. She decides to set out with a happy attitude and make every day special. She wants to do something fun each day for 100 days and she wants someone to help her do it. She chooses Annie to help her and shows up to ask for her help. Annie is hesitant at first. 

This is really quite a story. It hit on all the emotions. There is laughter and joy, tears and sadness. Then there is the deep friendship bond that forms quickly between Polly and Annie. This is a really good case of opposites attract. These two ladies that may have never met if it was not for illnesses become the best of friends in a short amount of time. 

This was a very emotional read for me having lost my husband a little over a year ago to Cancer. I know what it can do to the patient and the family. The toll is can take on them physically, mentally, and emotionally. Eva Woods has done such a great job with this book. If you enjoy a Women's Fiction book that is going to touch your heart then you need to grab this book. You better grab the Kleenex box too because you are going to need it a few times. 

Eva Woods has a great talent for telling a story packed full of emotions. She has created characters that easily become new friends to me as I read. She has added in family drama, relationship issues, tension between friends, illnesses and how they effect the patient and the family. She has done a wonderful job with telling this story that I think several people will easily relate to.

I was given the opportunity to read this incredible story and it has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you.

Amazon Buy Link

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Blurb:

Inspired by the wildly popular #100HappyDays social media challenge, SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY is an emotional and profoundly moving new novel that asks the question: What would you do if you only had 100 days to live? What would you do if you had nothing left to lose? 

Annie is sleepwalking through life. After a series of tragedies upend her marriage and destroy the perfect life she had built for herself, Annie doesn’t believe her heart can be broken any further. Now she’s a 30something living in a run-down apartment with a roommate, working a boring 9-to-5 job, and looking after her hospital-ridden mother. She’s lost touch with her friends and isn’t interested in finding new people to care about. But Annie is okay with that and has resigned herself to a life of solitary binge-watching—after all, if you’ve already lost everything, you don’t have anything left to lose, right?  


But when she meets Polly—an impossibly cheerful and optimistic cancer patient—Annie’s worldview is turned on its head. From her colorful outfits to her bottomless generosity, Polly’s enthusiasm and zest for life could not be more at odds with Annie’s jaded cynicism. Because if terminal illness has taught Polly anything, it’s that in order to discover a rainbow, sometimes you have to put up with the rain. She also knows that time is short. Too short to waste a single day, which is precisely why she wants Annie to join her on a mission…to celebrate life, while she still has the chance. 

Together these two unlikely friends embark on the “100 Happy Days” challenge, with a goal of doing one happy thing each day for 100 days. The tasks are relatively simple: Smile at strangers. Give someone flowers. Be honest. Be silly. Let go. And while Annie is initially skeptical, she soon finds that days spent riding rollercoasters and dancing in fountains with Polly begin to mend her broken heart—even as the progression of Polly’s illness threatens to shatter it all over again. 


SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY contemplates what it means to be happy and challenges readers to embrace life in all its messiness—the ups and the downs, the love and the loss, the joys and the devastations. Because as Annie will discover, happiness—or something like it—is always possible. 

On Sale: September 2017
$26.99 U.S. / $29.99 CAN. 
Hardcover ISBN-13: 9781525811357 

Amazon Buy Link

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ABOUT EVA WOODS:
Eva Woods was inspired to write SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY after surviving her own brush with cancer and the breakdown of her marriage. Raised in a small village in Northern Ireland, Woods now lives in London, where she teaches creative writing and regularly contributes to Marie Claire UK, xoJane, and other publications. She writes crime fiction as Claire McGowan. 

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#GiveAway ~ THE PLAYBOY BACHELOR by Rachel Van Dyken ~ @RachVD

THE PLAYBOY BACHELOR 

The Bachelors of Arizona Book 2

by Rachel Van Dyken

Giveaway: Enter to win 1 of 10 copies of the paperback of The Playboy Bachelor! Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter.

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About the Book: 

NOW IN MASS MARKET PAPERBACK!

She's no Sleeping Beauty. And he's definitely no prince . . .

Margot McCleery could have lived her whole life without seeing Bentley Wellington again-her ex-best friend and the poster boy for Hot, Rich Man-Whores everywhere. But Margot's whiskey-augmented grandmother "buys" Bentley at a charity bachelor auction, and now suddenly he's at her door. Impossibly charming. Impossibly sexy. And still a complete and utter jackass.

Bentley's just been coerced by his grandfather to spend the next thirty days charming and romancing the reclusive red-haired beauty who hates him. The woman he abandoned when she needed him the most. Bentley knows just as much about romance as he knows about love-nothing. But the more time he spends with Margot, the more he realizes that "just friends" will never be enough. Now all he has to do is convince her to trust him with her heart . . .

August 29, 2017

Forever Mass Market; $7.99

Buy the Book:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Google

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Excerpt:

“I’m writing a kissing scene!” she blurted, mentally kicking herself for screaming it in his face. “And the guy’s a complete jackass. Since my only experience with jackasses is you…” Her voice was shaky, just like her body. Could he tell how much she wanted him? How much she hated that her response was this—raw. “I-I figured you were the only one who could show me what it’s like.” Good one, Margot. Do you really have to sound so…desperate?

“What what’s like?”

“A kiss. From a jackass.”

“Got the jackass part.” He treaded water and then grabbed her by the arm and pulled her deeper into the pool until they were on the opposite end, his body pressed against hers. At least his eyes were still locked on her face. “And you’ve never been kissed?”

She rolled her eyes. “Not by someone like—”

“If you keep insulting me, this kiss won’t ever happen, Red.”

“Don’t call me that,” Margot whispered. Was she so weak that she’d forgive his abandonment for one kiss? “Please?”

“This kiss.” His calculated gaze didn’t make her feel any better about the situation. “How long does it need to be? How deep? Where do you want my hands?”

Margot’s mouth dropped open. “That’s not how kisses work! You can’t just map out the kiss. That takes all the romance out of it!”

“Oh, so you want romance?”

“Yes! No! I mean. I didn’t say that!” Her face flamed, and she sagged in defeat. Admitting she wanted romance kind of felt like she was on the losing end of the little battles they’d been having, like she was giving him an in. And if he got in, he’d only hurt her again.

“I was joking,” he said, just before his lips brushed hers. His tongue slid across her bottom lip and then sucked it for a few seconds before he slid it into her mouth and deepened the kiss.

Her lips softened beneath his gentle coaxing, and his hard thighs pressed against hers as a deep hunger awakened within her.

Oh, this was bad.

So bad.

And very, very good at the same time.

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About the Author:

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult, Regency, and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her husband, son, and their snoring boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers!

Social Media Links

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#GiveAway #Interview ~ WHEN THE SCOUNDREL SINS by Anna Harrington ~ @aharrington2875

WHEN THE SCOUNDREL SINS 

Series: Capturing the Carlisles: Book 2

by Anna Harrington

GiveAway! We’re giving away 10 copies of IF THE DUKE DEMANDS! Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. 

Q&A with Anna Harrington: 

Q: What are you currently working on?

A:  I am currently working on Book 4 in the Capturing the Carlisle series, How the Earl Entices, about Ross Carlisle, Earl of Spalding, who is forced to commit treason in order to catch an espionage ring within the Court of St James’s. While fleeing from France, he is caught up in a storm and ends up forcing his way into the cottage of a fisherman’s widow, only to learn that Grace has deep secrets of her own that she’s determined to hide at all costs. The typical heroine-falls-in-love-with-her-kidnapper scenario is turned on its ear, as Ross is the one who is coerced into doing her bidding, and the captive becomes the captor.

Q: Where did you come up with the idea for either your current release or your current WIP?

A: I came up with the idea for WHEN THE SCOUNDREL SINS because I was playing with the idea of the marriage of convenience trope, but I thought, “What if I invert the idea and the marriage of convenience never happens?” Quinton refuses to marry Belle, although marriage would solve both their problems, Belle would prefer not to marry anyone at all, and instead of marrying her himself, Quinn has been tasked to find another man for her to marry. Throw in some castle ruins, skinny dipping in the pond, and lots of whisky, and you end up with a pretty good HEA.

Q: Do you have a favorite snack that you like to munch on while writing? If so would you mind sharing what it is with us?

A: Tea and trail mix! I love to make up a pot of tea, especially on cold afternoons, then wrap myself in an electric blanket and sit out on the porch, writing away. I also keep a big Tupperware container filled with trail mix right beside my computer that I can grab up by the handful.

Q: When you are not busy writing wonderful stories to keep us lucky readers entertained, what do you like to do? Do you have a hobby? 

A:  I love to hike and fly airplanes every chance I get. I’ve been a pilot since I earned my license in Chicago in 1999, and I love traveling around the world to go adventure hiking and mountain climbing; I’m planning to hike the El Camino in Spain next May. But when I’m at home, but favorite thing to do is work in my garden. I’ve got a little garden with about 30 roses of 15 different varieties, 6 hydrangeas, and all kinds of other assorted flowers and plants. I love to work outside all day, starting off with a cup of coffee on the porch and ending with a glass of wine on the patio.

Q: Do you have a favorite background noise you like to having going while you write (TV, Music, kids playing)?

A: I like to play jazz instrumental music in the background because it helps me to focus on the writing. But no singing! If there are any words coming from the music, then I cannot concentrate on the words on my computer and find myself singing along (which I’m sure the neighbors do *not* appreciate!).

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About the Book: 

Six years ago, a childish prank perpetrated by the reckless Quinton Carlisle ruined Annabelle Greene's reputation and any chance she had at securing a successful marriage.  Incensed, she moved to her beloved estate on the Scottish border and has reveled in the solitude...until now when the contents of a family will are revealed.  Suddenly, Belle's single status may cost her the only home she's ever known.  Now, with her only marital prospect a horribly greedy and completely undesirable man, Belle knows just the person to rescue her-the one person who owes her for his bad behavior...

There's nothing Quinn Carlisle wants more than to get out from his older brother's shadow and make a name for himself abroad. So when a mysterious letter arrives, promising adventure, he rushes to the Scottish border...only to find that Belle laid a trap for him.  The awkward, shy bluestocking whom he so enjoyed tormenting is gone, replaced by a graceful, elegant woman who ignites a desire in him he can't resist.  Can Quinn help her save her home-and win her heart in the process? 

On Sale: August 29, 2017

Publisher: Forever

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Price: $7.99 USD

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Excerpt: 

“You look much more like your father now,” she commented, nervously licking her suddenly dry lips but only serving to draw his attention to her mouth. Which made her even more nervous, so nervous that she couldn’t stop the trembling of her fingertips as they wrapped into the skirt of her night rail. “But you’re still a troublemaker.”

A faint smile played at his mouth. “And you’re still a bluestocking,” he countered. Unintentionally simmering a slow heat low in her belly, he reached up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. “Still retreating to the sanctuary of your library.”

“Because books are usually more pleasant than most people,” she answered, swallowing hard when he trailed his fingers down the side of her neck. She forced out, not at all as firmly as she’d hoped beneath the soft touch of his fingers,

“And more trustworthy.”

Ignoring that jab, he slid his hand lower to let his fingers play at the edge of her shawl. “Yet there are things that people can do that books can’t.” His fingers tugged gently at the shawl and pulled it down her shoulder to reveal the scooped neck of the nightdress beneath. His gaze flicked to the small patch of revealed skin at the base of her throat, then back to her eyes. “All kinds of interesting things.”

She should stop him, swat his hand away, shove him back—but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Just as she couldn’t hold back the hot shiver that swept through her or the gooseflesh that formed on her skin. His touch was proving to be as equally intoxicating now as that night six years ago.

“Then I have no interest in learning them,” she countered, although from the way her blood hummed, her body was very interested.

Madness—that after what he’d done to her, she could ever want to be in his arms again. Yet she desired just that, although that could never happen. Kissing him once had ruined her reputation. Kissing him again might destroy her entire future.

She thrust her chin into the air. “I know of your reputation.”

“Thank you,” he half purred.

His finger hooked beneath the wide shoulder strap of her sleeveless nightgown and slid it slowly down her arm. But this time, with a stretch of bare shoulder revealed to his eyes, he didn’t bother feigning propriety by looking away and instead flamed a prickling heat beneath her skin everywhere he gazed.

She pulled in a deep breath to steady herself. Oh, why did she always go light-headed when she was alone with him?

“That was not meant as a compliment.”

“Wasn’t it?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anna Harrington fell in love with historical romances--and all those dashing Regency heroes--while living in London, where she studied literature and theatre. She loves to travel, fly airplanes, and hike, and when she isn't busy writing her next novel, she loves fussing over her roses in her garden.

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#GiveAway ~ HARD JUSTICE By April Hunt ~ @AprilHuntBooks

HARD JUSTICE

Series: Alpha Security, #3

By April Hunt

ABOUT THE BOOK:

As the first female operative at Alpha Security, Charlotte "Charlie" Sparks has her work cut out for her. Sure, she can wrestle a man to the ground and hit a target at 200 yards with the best of them. But sometimes, being surrounded by all that testosterone can drive a woman to distraction—especially when that distraction is six-and-a-half feet of cocky, confident, Alpha-trained muscle.

Ex-SEAL commander Vince Franklin has been on some of the most dangerous missions in the world. But pretending to be Charlie's fiancé on their latest assignment in Miami is his toughest challenge yet. Vince and Charlie are like oil and water; they just don't mix. And when their fake romance generates some all-too-real heat, Vince learns that Charlie is more than just arm candy. She's the real deal—and she's ready for some serious action.

On Sale: August 29, 2017

Publisher: Forever

Mass Market: $7.99 USD

eBook: $5.99 USD

Audio: $21.98 USD

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PREORDER THE BOOK HERE:

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THE ALPHA SECURITY SERIES:

HEATED PURSUIT, #1

HOLDING FIRE, #2

HARD JUSTICE, #3

Series Page on Goodreads

 

Excerpt: 

Vince slipped out of the truck just as she swung open her door. A group of college-aged boys turned the corner, one of whom immediately latched his lurid gaze onto Charlie’s toned legs.

“Hot damn, baby.” The kid whistled. His gaze flickered to Vince. “Why don’t you ditch the geriatric and come party with us?”

“Unless you want this geriatric to rip those lips off your face, keep walking,” Vince growled.

The kid and his friends laughed but kept going. At some point during the exchange, the pimply faced valet attendant extended his hand to Charlie.

“I got her. You get these.” Vince’s bark made the teen jump.

“Yes, sir.” The valet caught the keys Vince tossed his way and hustled over to the driver’s side.

Every inch of Charlie’s body brushed along Vince’s as he plucked her off her seat and set her back on her feet. The hair on his arms lifted as if he’d touched pure electricity, and in a way, he had. Charlie. A live wire. Jolting. Heat-inducing.

Her teeth trapped her bottom lip in a sexy nibble. Vince couldn’t help but glance down to her mouth, seeing that he wasn’t the only one overtaken by a sudden burst of awareness.

“If I’d been the one to offer my hand to you, you would’ve taken a hunk of flesh out of it with your teeth,” Vince half-joked.

She smoothed the front of his shirt, a coy smile dancing on her lips. “Not a hunk. Maybe just a little nibble.”

Sucking in a groan, Vince wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her away from the truck as another large group of college-aged kids stumbled past.

Charlie let out a strangled noise.

“What?” Vince looked at her, confused.

She bit the corner of her mouth, obviously trying to withhold laughter. “You and the look of excruciating pain plastered all over your face. You can’t tell me you’ve never prowled the bars looking for a good time.”

Vince steered them toward the entrance of the club’s outdoor patio. “Yeah, a million fucking years ago. And I didn’t have to prowl for anything. Good times always came to me.”

This time Charlie snorted with her chuckle, and the sound of it made his lips twitch. It was goddamned cute, though he would never admit it aloud and risk a punch to his kidneys.

“It’s a wonder headquarters hasn’t blown up from testosterone toxicity,” Charlie murmured as they stepped to the end of the club’s red-roped line.

The bouncer manning the entrance took a lazy-eyed stroll over Charlie’s body. “You two together?”

Vince cocked a glance to his arm, still wrapped snugly around her waist. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s too damn bad. But you both can go on in. And if your lady’s interested, there’s a bar-dancing competition sometime within the hour.” He eyed Charlie’s legs. “You’re a shoe-in for first fucking prize, sweetheart.”

Vince would’ve loved nothing more than to swipe the smirk off the bastard’s face, but Charlie intervened, threading her fingers through his, and thanked the man for the invite. The people in line grumbled their protests as the bouncer opened the gate and let them onto the club’s patio.

Miami Heat lured in a who’s who of the rich, famous, and privileged. Whereas the indoor section of the club catered to the couples dancing to the loud, theatrical pound of the music, the outdoor patio was a pool party on ’roids.

White Christmas lights wrapped every palm tree and, and as if Miami wasn’t hot enough, bamboo torches lit up the patio’s perimeter. Humidity didn’t seem to be keeping people away, because the line wrapped around the circular bar was three people deep, and growing.

“Don’t people have anything better to do than spend their money on overpriced booze?” Vince asked, inspecting the sea of drunk people.

Charlie lifted her brow. “In Miami? No. It’s all about twenty-dollar drinks and lots and lots of skin. You’re such a people person, Navy. It’s a wonder you don’t have an entire entourage surrounding you all hours of the day.”

“And you’re such the sparkling social gem, huh?” Vince said dryly. A pair of overly bronzed women skirted past, outrageously wearing less than Charlie. “I wasn’t the one who nearly made the pizza delivery boy cry because he mistakenly left behind my order of fried mushrooms.”

“No, but now I’m sure that Christopher will never forget them again. That’s the difference between us. I don’t see any point in hiding my displeasure, where you take the whole brooding in silence thing and turn it into an art form.”

“Some things can’t be changed by making a scene.”

Charlie turned toward him, the side of her breast brushing against his chest. “No, but sometimes it can make you feel a lot bloody better. Unleash the beast, Navy. Or at the very least, loosen the reins. You may be surprised at what happens.”

When he’d been with the SEAL teams, Vince wouldn’t have hesitated to let off a little steam—and without prompting. But both time and experience had taught him the error of his ways. He’d learned it at the end of his Navy career, had it drilled into his head working for bail enforcement, and now with Alpha, it had become almost second nature—except when Charlie was in close proximity. Then all those lessons flew out of his fucking head.

“You want to make ourselves visible?” Vince slipped his hand over her hip and veered her toward the dance floor. “Hope you can dance in those stilts.”

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

April blames her incurable chocolate addiction on growing up in rural Pennsylvania, way too close to America's chocolate capital, Hershey. She now lives in Virginia with her college sweetheart husband, two young children, and a cat who thinks she's a human-dog hybrid. On those rare occasions she's not donning the cape of her children's personal chauffer, April's either planning, plotting, or writing about her next alpha hero and the woman he never knew he needed, but now can't live without.

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