EXCERPT REVEAL: THE DEBT by Karina Halle

 

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THE DEBT

By Karina Halle

Publisher: Metal Blonde Books

Publication Date: AUGUST 29, 2016

The Debt AMAZON

Her life changed in an instant.

And he’s the only one who could have prevented it.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Pact and The Lie comes a new standalone contemporary romance about those McGregor men.

Jessica Charles shouldn’t have even been in London when the unthinkable happened.

She should have been back at home in Edinburgh, perhaps hanging with her boyfriend, having drinks with her sister or doing yoga with her group of friends. She should have been going on in her normal, dependable life as always.

But on that fateful day in August, when a mentally-ill ex-soldier opened fire in public, Jessica’s world changed forever.

Now single and crippled from the gunshot wounds, Jessica finds herself scared and alone, losing faith in herself and humanity with each agonizing moment that passes.

That is until a stranger enters her life. A stranger who makes her live again.

Keir McGregor has always been the strong, silent type. Throw in tall, dark, and handsome and you’ve got pretty much the perfect Scotsman.

Except Keir is anything but perfect. He’s got a past he’s running away from and a guilty conscience he can’t seem to shed. But the more time he spends with Jessica, the more he falls in love with her.

And the more his secret threatens to tear them apart.

He may have been a stranger to her.

But she’s never been a stranger to him.

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29096980-the-debt?ac=1&from_search=true

iBooks: http://bit.ly/TheDebt-iBooks

Kindle: http://bit.ly/TheDebt-Kindle

Kobo: http://bit.ly/TheDebt-KOBO

Nook: http://bit.ly/TheDebt-Nook

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Excerpt

“You’re not going anywhere,” he says. “Sit. I’ll get you another drink.”

“It’s getting late,” I say feebly but I sit down anyway, my leg giving a protest of pain.

“You need something for that?” he says, noticing my wince.

“The scotch will do fine,” I tell him quickly, not wanting him to make a fuss. “But really, I should go.”

“Why?” he asks from the kitchen. I hear the top pop off the bottle, the slosh of liquid in the glass. “Where do you have to be?”

I have to think about that for a moment. He comes over and holds out the glass. “I won’t keep you here if you don’t want to be here. But if you do want to be here, you don’t need to make any excuses.”

I take the glass from him, holding it delicately in my fingers. He stands over me, a massive wall, waiting for some kind of response.

“I just…” I begin. “I…” I take a sip for bravery. Swallow. “I’m not very good at this.”

“Good at what?”

“At…this. Being with a man.”

When he doesn’t say anything to that, I look up at him. He’s got a peculiar smile on his face, his brows raised. “You call this being with a man?”

I clear my throat, feeling my cheeks grow hot. “I mean. I’ve told you before –”

“Yes, how you don’t do relationships, how you don’t do sex.”

“I never said I don’t do sex,” I remind him quickly.

His eyes never stop searching my face. “Then what is it? What are you afraid to say?”

I have the sudden urge to flee and I know it must show because he suddenly points at me and says, “Don’t you dare say you have to go again. I want you to go back to what you said, that you’re not good at this. What is this? Us? You and me? There’s nothing mystifying about you and me, Jessica. You know quite well how I feel.”

I stare at him in shock. I do? “How?”

He looks off with an air of impatience. “I invited you to dinner, you turned me down.”

“But then you said just as friends.”

“And I meant it. But there are different types of friends. It’s up to you to decide what kind we are.”

I put my drink down with a clunk. “Holy pressure.” And now it’s not just my face going hot but my entire body, flushed from head to toe.

“You’re on fire, little red,” he says, his gaze skirting over my limbs in such a hungry way I can almost feel them on my skin. “I have to say, I like this look on you. Hot and bothered.”

“Back with the innuendos again,” I comment but my voice is weak.

“No, no innuendos this time. You came looking for me tonight not because you wanted to confess but because you want something from me. What is it? What do you want from me? What do you think I can give you?”

Jesus. This is so utterly unnerving. His words slice right through me, his eyes still peeling under the layers, trying to get at something I’m not even sure of myself.

If I lie, he’ll know. I can only be honest with him.

“I want…” I take in a deep breath, my eyes breaking away. “I want…company.”

“Company?” He sounds surprised.

I nod. “That’s the truth. I’m lonely. And I’m afraid. And I’m tired of being both those things. I want to be with someone who makes me forget who I am. You make me feel fearless in a way I didn’t think possible.”

There. That’s the truth. Most of it. It hangs in the air, thickening the tension like flour to stock.

He sits down next to me, has a mouthful of Scotch. “Wow,” he says, running his hand over the beard on his jaw. “And here I was thinking you wanted my cock.”

I burst out laughing. So does he, a big wonderful bellow. The tension in the room eases up a notch.

“Sorry,” I tell him when I catch my breath. “I guess they can both mean the same thing.”

He sucks in his lip briefly, his eyes taking a lustful turn. “If you want it to.” We stare at each other for a few heavy beats. Then his focus trails back to my gaze and he says, “Why don’t you stay over?”

And there I have it. The chance to know what those full lips would feel like on mine, what his skin would taste like. I swallow hard.

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About the Author

Halle Headshot

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Racing the Sun, Sins & Needles and over 25 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Waxman Leavell Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.

Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit http://www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.

LINKS:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karina-Halle/140649372629593

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetalBlonde

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4785031.Karina_Halle?from_search=true

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Karina-Halle/e/B0050KE63C/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1407546895&sr=8-2-ent

 

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COVER REVEAL: STITCHED UP HEART by Tarina Deaton

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Title: Stitched Up Heart (Combat Hearts #1)

Author: Tarina Deaton

Genre: Military Romance / Romantic Suspense

Release Date: September 18th

Cover Design: Imagination Uncovered

Photography: R+M Photography

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Synopsis

As an Air Force medic, Bree Marks saw the worst the War on Terror had to dish out. Now a physical therapist, she uses her experience to help other veterans heal from their physical wounds; while she battles her own emotional damage.

Blaming himself for his best friend’s suicide, former Army Ranger Jase Larken, retreated from life. To honor his best friend’s memory and assuage his guilt, he started an outdoor adventure company to help veterans with PTSD.

Bree had better things to do than catch her cheating fiancé in bed with another woman. Jase is something better – for a night at least. For the first time in years, Jase wanted more. When he finds her again, he doesn’t give her another chance to run.

Jase’s possessiveness grates on Bree’s independent nature. She’s dealt with her fair share of alpha-male, door kickers and doesn’t need one telling her what to do now. But as a new danger emerges, Bree and Jase must face their pasts, before someone’s obsession with Bree destroys any chance they have of a future.

Pre order your copy today!

Amazon US | Amazon UK

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Book Trailer

About The Author

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Tarina has spent the last 21-plus years in the Air Force trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. Currently stationed in Washington DC, she will soon be packing up her twin heathens (i.e. 4-year-olds) and moving to the Middle East for a 2-year assignment. As a single mom, her favorite pastimes include repeating the word ‘no’, the phrase ‘not right now’, and napping. Oh, and writing in her “spare” time.

Having never lived in one place for more than four years, her roots aren’t deep, but the friendships she’s formed over the years are.

Verbal contact is not recommended before her first cup of coffee in the morning, but feel free to stalk her: Facebook, FB Author Page, Twitter, Email. Sign up for her newsletter to receive all the latest news, sneak peaks, and find out how she’s coping in the hot, hot desert.

Facebook | Twitter | Email | Newsletter

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RELEASE BLITZ: EXCERPT AND GIVEAWAY: Widower’s Aura by A.J. Renee

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Title: Widower’s Aura

Author: A.J Renee

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 18, 2016

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Synopsis

Living in a world full of colors, Sofia Brazier escapes a career gone south as a juvenile probationary officer in New Orleans. After moving to the small town of St. Fleur, Sofia opens a photography business in hopes of ridding her life of all the dark auras surrounding the damaged souls she once tried helping. Her comfortable new life is upended when widower, and ex-security-forces-turned-handyman hunk, Noah Tyler enters the local pub.

Noah attempts to avoid the voluptuous beauty who has captivated his every thought. That is, until his daughter vandalizes Sofia’s building and effectively seals their fate. After cutting his daughter a break, Sofia begins tearing down the walls he built after his wife’s death.

Just when life finally seems worth living for Noah, Sofia finds herself the victim of a string of crimes. Can he protect Sofia when he failed to protect his own wife?

Order your copy today!

Widowers Aura

Amazon US – http://amzn.to/2byqzb6
Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/2b1SrFP
Amazon CA – http://amzn.to/2byU0dD
Amazon AU – http://amzn.to/2btjt7n

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Excerpt

Noah felt the hair on the back of his neck rise before he even saw her. Her skin shimmered with sweat. A bright blue tank top hugged her breasts, short black athletic shorts clung to her curves, and bright blue sneakers covered her feet. The woman’s legs went on forever. He indulged in a brief fantasy of running his hands up those tan legs, hips, and up to her ample breasts. As his pants got tighter with a growing erection, he forced himself to turn and grab a drink of water.

For his sanity, Noah wanted to ignore her presence. Too bad he needed to speak to her. He couldn’t ignore what she was doing for Lexi. “Excuse me, Sofia?”

“Hello, Noah.” She smiled and continued to the bottom step of the house’s porch.

Noah walked toward her. “Can I talk to you?”

Her eyes locked on his with discomfort, “Yes?”

When they were a few feet apart, her smell hit him hard. Her sweat had yet to mask the sweet smell of peaches. She wasn’t covered in the strong perfume smell so many women seemed to bathe in. He noticed she wore no makeup either. The woman was truly stunning. He placed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

“I wanted to thank you for what you’re doing for Lexi. You had every right to press charges, but I’m very grateful you didn’t. She’s a good kid…” He looked up at the second floor of his house, almost expecting to see Lexi standing at her window. “She’s just had a rough time, and I can’t snap her out it. I hope this close call does it.” He found himself wanting to tell Sofia more, but there was no point. Lexi would do her time with Sofia, and he would walk away with as little contact as possible.

Her head tilted to the side, Sofia’s knowing eyes pierced him. “Sounds like you both have been having a rough time.”

Her comment took him off guard. “Yes. No. Yes.” Noah struggled to breathe at the thought of how rough these last two years had been. When he looked at Sofia, he expected a confused look or even pity but not compassion. Yet her eyes sparkled when she gave him a small smile. Why did he always feel as if she was looking through him or reading his mind?

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About The Author

AJ

AJ Renee loves to travel and see family and friends whenever she gets a chance. She has a love of music, movies, and anything that can make her laugh. AJ believes in reading books with humor and mystery that end in a happily ever after to help ease our minds and hearts of life’s daily struggles. She currently resides in Nevada and spends her time with her air force husband, three young daughters, dog, and cat.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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BLURB REVEAL: House Rules by Rebecca Brooke

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Title: House Rules

Author: Rebecca Brooke

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: October 20

Goodreads

Synopsis

I stuck my dick in a different woman every night.

They lined up, pawing at me. All of them wanting to be part of the bad boy prestige that was Miller Hawes.

Then they flipped the river…

And she was mine. Sexy, compelling and the first woman who didn’t fall at my feet. Why can’t I get her out of my head?

I need to focus on taking over the family business. Except all my attention is on one thing and one thing only.

Tess.

House Rules Teaser

About the Author

Rebecca Brooke

Rebecca a New Jersey native has had a passion for reading all of her life.

No matter the genre, turning her dreams into stories for her readers to treasure is more than she could ask for.

She lives with her family wishing every day could be spent in the summer sun.

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RELEASE BLITZ: REVIEW, EXCERPT, AND GIVEAWAY: I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie by Lani Lynn Vale

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Title: I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie

Series: The Dragon Series #1

Author: Lani Lynn Vale

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release: August 17, 2016

Cover Design by: Cover Me Darling

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30220652-i-like-big-dragons-and-i-cannot-lie 

Keifer Vassago, The Prince of Dragons, has enough on his plate without adding a brunette with a bad attitude to the mix

Fate has a way of screwing all his plans, though, whether he wants them screwed or not.  One second he’s fetching his brother from yet another situation that could possibly compromise the Vassago name, and the next that brunette is grabbing his assets.

Blythe isn’t after anyone’s assets, though.  She’s a good girl.  All she wants is to graduate from nursing school, get a job, and move out of her hell hole apartment.  What she does not have time to deal with is a sexy bearded man that accuses her of grabbing his junk.

She tries to forget about the encounter, but fate’s a cruel bitch.

One second she’s a normal college student barely living paycheck to paycheck, and the next she’s setting her panties on fire with powers from an ancient immortal dragon.

To add insult to injury, she’s hearing voices, and none of them are figments of her imagination. Blythe’s life is turned upside down, and Keifer forces her to adapt even though she doesn’t want to.  She likes her life just the way it is.

Not to mention she wants nothing to do with that arrogant asshole.  She doesn’t care that he rides a dragon.  She also could care less about his stupid beard, and his sexy eyes.

Yeah, who was she kidding?  She wasn’t convincing anybody. 

Oh my heavens to Betsey, I was given an opportunity to have a sneak peek at this bad boy from Lani Lynn Vale. First, I love that Lani’s style of writing that balances family, feels, and loyalty with lots of life follows through into this series.”

– Author Chelsea Camaron

“’I Like Dragons and I Cannot Lie’ is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best PNR I have EVER read!!!”

– Gi’s Spot Reviews

“On a closing note Lani Lynn Vale did it again with another amazing book…”

– Goodreads Reviewer
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I woke up to my lower half on fire.

At first, I thought it was just an aftereffect of my dreams, but when I finally peeled my eyes open, I could smell smoke.

When I opened my lids and looked down, it was to literally find my panties on fire.

I screamed and rolled; rolling so far in the bed that I hit the floor and kept going.

By the time the fire was finally out, my panties were burned to ash. However, my skin was perfectly fine. In fact, the hairs that I’d planned on having waxed later in the week were gone.

It’d given me a fire waxing…minus the wax.

“What the fuck?” I yelled, staring down at my now hair-free mound.

Blasphemy.

My eyes widened and I looked around. Was someone in the room with me?

I started reaching for the lamp but couldn’t find it. There was a pile of things beside the bed that I’d knocked over in my haste to get up. I could only assume that the lamp was one of those things.

“Light, light, light,” I chanted, shifting through the things on the floor.

My candles that I had interspersed around the room all lit at once, and I screamed.

“What the hell is going on?” I shrieked.

Macy started hammering on the wall, or her boyfriend. Whatever. Fuck her.

I narrowed my eyes at the wall.

That stupid heifer! I’m allowed to scream if I want to. She fucks day and night, and she’s going to bang on my wall to get meto quiet down?

Master Farrow has always had excellent stamina with the ladies.

I froze, turning around and scanning the room.

“Who’s there?” I asked nervously.

A deep, rumbly laugh filled my head and my eyes widened.

“Holy mother of God, get out of my head!” I yelled.

The voice in my head continued to chuckle. Oh, this is almost as good as when Prince Keifer came into his powers. He didn’t shriek like you do, though.

review

The futuristic world that Lani Lynn Vale creates in her first paranormal book in The Dragon Series is unique in the sense that dragons and humans co-exist, and with any place or situation where other worldly beasts, their riders, and ordinary people live, there are always those against anything extraordinary and willing to do just about anything to keep their world as they want it.

The storyline is action packed and the relationships between characters are comical as well as endearing, which allow readers to see just how powerful other worldly connections are and what lengths those bonds carry them when everything seems out of their control.

Blythe Barrett is quite the feisty heroine; even though she appears to be boring and an introvert, she definitely can hold her own and with how drastically her life changes by a chance meeting with Keifer Vassago, her ease with taking in everything around her and using that knowledge to help illustrates the type of woman she is.

As the Prince of Dragon Riders, Keifer is a commanding presence and it’s not only in the power he wields, but it’s also in the control he has and how he uses his skill set to benefit everyone he commands. Keifer proves himself time and time again in I Like Big Dragons & I Cannot Lie, and even though he does lose his way a bit, he heeds the advice of those he trusts, and he rectifies his missteps and commits to be who he’s always been even with his new position. 

I love that Lani Lynn Vale modernizes the setting for her celestial characters; she does a great job of fusing old traditions with the dragons and new dynamics of the 21st Century that both help and hinder the protection and safety of the dragons and their riders. Vale also provides enough of a backstory about the dragons, the Meridian, and the immortal abilities that are shared between the riders and their dragons as well as the continual war between the dragon riders and the purists.

I can’t wait to see what Lani Lynn Vale has in store for the other dragon riders and I’m sure readers will still be able to check in with Keifer and Blythe, which pleases me greatly because there’s still a lot to find out about their life together!

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Poison Apples 

I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful.
I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us.
I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. 

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COVER REVEAL: Outsider by Olivia Cunning

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Release Date: September 27, 2016

Outsider Blurb

Reagan Elliot should be living her dream…

She’s touring with Exodus End as their new rhythm guitarist and gaining more notoriety and fame than she ever imagined possible.

She’s earned the devoted love of not only one, but two spectacular men. Her committed threesome with sexy guitarist Trey Mills and her hunky bodyguard Ethan Conner is stable, loving, deep, and satisfying for all involved.

But sometimes the world sees things differently and is determined to destroy what it doesn’t understand.

Can Reagan’s relationship with Trey and Ethan survive the cruel backlash of the media, her family, and a bigoted public? Or will the talented musician lose everything she holds dear in the face of her own burgeoning doubts?

Outsider is the second book in the Exodus End World Tour series. It’s also the sequel to Double Time, the fifth book in the Sinners on Tour series.

Outsider PREORDER Links
Amazon US → https://goo.gl/DUuSs7
Amazon UK → https://goo.gl/jNwnk4
B&N → http://goo.gl/JkiwgC
Kobo → https://goo.gl/U0qc6s

Book One: Insider 

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Olivia Cunning Bio

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Combining her love for romantic fiction and rock ‘n roll, USA Today and New York Times Best-Selling Author Olivia Cunning writes erotic romance centered around rock musicians.

Raised on hard rock music from the cradle, she attended her first Styx concert at age six and fell instantly in love with live music. She’s been known to travel over a thousand miles just to see a favorite band in concert. As a teen, she discovered her second love, romantic fiction–first, voraciously reading steamy romance novels and then penning her own.

Olivia’s first book in her Sinners on Tour Series, Backstage Pass, was published in 2010 by Sourcebooks. Since then, she’s added to her collection of naughty rock stars by continuing the Sinners on Tour series, and starting two new series, One Night with Sole Regret and Exodus End World Tour. She believes there’s a perfect rock star out there for everyone–as long as you like your heroes a little sweet, a little dirty, and a lot sexy.

Visit www.oliviacunning.com for more information.

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RELEASE PROMO AND GIVEAWAY: Nirvana by Shevaun DeLucia

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Nirvana_FrontCover Junior Saunders is searching for the perfect woman: gracious, elegant, and meek. He waits patiently, working long hours and going home alone night after night, believing that this woman exists. But life isn’t always predictable; curveballs can be thrown unexpectedly.

Kinsey Balterson is everything but gentle, delicate, and docile. She says it like it is—a spitfire, full of sarcasm with looks to kill. She’s downright sexy and thrilling in every way possible. Kinsey is a constant reminder of everything Junior detests in a woman, but the moment he lets his guard down, she captures his attention.

Can opposites really attract?

From this moment on, nothing is the same for Junior again. Everything he thought he wanted and needed no longer exists, and now his whole world has been shifted. His reason for breathing consists only of her—Kinsey. She has become his everything.

Kinsey thinks she has this all under control: friends with benefits, no strings attached—no messy feelings. She refuses to be broken again. But what happens when attraction turns into something deeper? Will Kinsey be able to let her walls down so her damaged heart can love again?

Can one person truly heal another’s heartbreak?

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In honor of this new release, the Author is hosting a giveaway on her FB page.

Head over to her page to see how you can win a $50.00 Amazon Gift Cards

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Head over to the Author’s Facebook page to enter this giveaway! Click here

Nirvana August 2

Nirvana August 9

Have you seen the Book Trailer?

What is Shevaun DeLucia working on NEXT? 

• Nirvana is the next book in the forbidden Romance Series, Book #3!

• Release: August 18

Watch the trailer today! #WatchMe

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Shevaun DeLucia, author of the Eternal Mixture Series and A Forbidden Love Series, lives in upstate New York with her husband, four children, and two dogs. As a stay-at-home mom while her children were young, she fell in love with reading. She indulged in the small moments that took her away from the reality of her loud, rambunctious household, bringing her into a world of fantasy. When reading wasn’t enough to satisfy her, she turned to writing, determined to create the perfect ending of her own.

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BLOG TOUR STOP: REVIEW, EXCERPT, AND GIVEAWAY: Midnight Soul by Kristen Ashley

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MIDNIGHT SOUL is here!

This amazing fantasy takes place in our world and a parallel universe where fantasies are true…but perhaps not all you would expect. 

MIDNIGHT SOUL is the highly anticipated finale to Kristen Ashley’s bestselling Fantasyland Series.

Be sure you check out all of the stops on the tour and order the final novel in this amazing series today!

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MIDNIGHT SOUL Synopsis:

Against his will, Noctorno Hawthorne, an undercover vice cop, finds himself embroiled in magic, mayhem and parallel universes. Too late, he meets an amazing woman only to find she’s destined for his identical twin in another world.

And things aren’t going real great there.

Noc is recruited to help save that world.

What he doesn’t know is his destined love resides there.

Franka Drakkar wears a mask. A mask she never takes off to protect herself in a world of malice, intrigue and danger.

When Franka meets Noc and he discovers her secrets, convinced she carries a midnight soul, having shielded herself from forming bonds with anyone, she struggles with accepting his tenderness and care.

When Noc meets Franka, over wine and whiskey, her mask slips and Noc knows it’s her—only her—and he has to find a way to get her to come home with him.

And then make her want to stay.

Order MIDNIGHT SOUL here!

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Add it to your Goodreads Now!

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Review

The Franka Drakkar who readers have seen in previous stories in the Fantasyland series is a malicious, conniving, and manipulative harpy. A woman who uses her darkened soul to wield her torment and inflict pain on any and all unsuspecting people who cross her path, reaping the rewards of distance and hatred from all those she meddles with for personal benefit and satisfaction.

The Franka Drakkar readers meet in Midnight Soul begins much like the other one, but the difference in this story is that there’s someone willing to see behind her mask…willing to scratch under the surface of her tormented soul and understand that the game she plays is for her own protection and an act that she must endure in order to conceal her pain and the brutal treatment she receives from those who are supposed to love her.

And once that mask has been removed and Franka is set free from the wrath of her evil parents, she’s able to become the woman she’s always been underneath – someone quite different from how she’s always been perceived and quite different from the woman she impersonated for self-preservation.

I get that readers might have a hard time with Franka as the heroine of Midnight Soul; she has done despicable things to a number of characters and her actions as well as her attitude would not sit well with many, especially since she meddled with beloved characters from the previous books in the series. But I understand why Kristen Ashley chose Franka as her last female protagonist in the Fantasyland series; Ashley is all about creating troubled characters who find redemption as well as love in unexpected times and ways, and Franka fits that idea well. I’ve always been a firm believer that most people who act with evil intentions do so due to a variety of reasons and once those issues are revealed, there’s a chance to heal and make amends for past digressions. Are some people inherently evil without any redeeming qualities – absolutely, but in this fantastical world that Kristen Ashley created, she gets to determine those who can be saved and those who cannot, and Ashley does a tremendous job of illustrating why Franka deserves another chance – an opportunity to be free of the darkness that has surrounded her since she was born and a way for the light to be let into her life and explored in all its glory, which is exactly what Noc Hawthorne makes happen for his Frannie.

Noc epitomizes all the qualities of a Kristen Ashley alpha male. He’s loyal, handsome, tells it like it is, and fights for those he believes in even when he’s the only one fighting. All Franka needed was someone willing to see beyond her many masks and free the woman within, and Noc does that easily because he SEES her, truly sees who she is in her soul, not the one that she feels is blackened but the one that radiates warmth, love, and goodness.

Both Noc and Franka are loyal and protective to a fault, and Kristen Ashley does an amazing job of establishing a friendship between them before anything turns romantic. With all the events that happened at the end of book 4, it’s necessary for time to be given to work through everything that occurred and then move forward and experience the connection between them and that timeline allows Franka to come to terms with her past and then hope for a future that she never thought she would have.

Some readers might not enjoy the fact that there is not a large amount of dramatic action like there is in the other stories, but I enjoyed that fact and reveled in the insight Ashley gives us in terms of how the other couples are doing and what’s also in the works to keep the natural balance of things in order between the parallel worlds.

Midnight Soul is very much about self-introspection; it’s about dealing with matters that are burdensome and finding a way to move past them in a way that frees both the heart and the body from those dark events. This is true not only for Franka, but also for Noc, Valentine, and Circe. The world had been saved in the previous book, so now that there is no longer a threat of annihilation, it’s time to heal those tormented souls who deserve to feel happiness and love, not pain and guilt, and that’s exactly what Kristen Ashley gives readers in the concluding book of her Fantasyland series.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Poison Apples

MS Teaser 1

Excerpt

~Noc~

“So she’s your type,” Cora said, taking him back into their conversation, “But you’re not gonna go there.”

Noc shook his head. “She’s from here, I’m from home. I’m going home. But it isn’t even about that, babe. Tor got you back. Frey got Finnie back. Won’t go on because you were there, you know. Franka didn’t get her man back.”

“Don’t say that in front of Apollo,” She whispered. “Maddie suggested that and it pisses him off. He thinks she’s incapable of any emotion, much less love.”

“You four couples aren’t the only ones who’ve known love, Cora,” he returned. “Not bein’ a dick, but that’s the way it is. And she’s stone cold on the outside, babe, but inside the woman is in some serious pain. She’s capable of emotion, just like you and me, and I know that because I saw it.”

What he didn’t share was that Franka Drakkar might be capable of more of it, with the pain he saw in her eyes, the guilt that seemed to visibly weigh on her at what she’d done.

She just, for some reason, wouldn’t allow herself to let it show, even maybe fully feel it.

That reason was a mystery and Noc was a cop. Cops were big on mysteries. Solving them, to be precise.

Fuck.

Another reason he had to steer clear of Franka Drakkar.

Cora nodded. “I think your perception of her is right, at least the way she is with you, for whatever reason she gave you that particular Franka. What concerns me, honey, is that it seems to mean so much to you.”

That was what concerned him too.

“Woman’s in pain, she gave me that, she gave me time,” he tried to explain it. “Tomorrow, she’ll be gone and eventually she’ll be just another memory of this place. But you spend hours with a woman drinking whiskey and watching her face light up, the pain she’s trying to hide clearing clean away because she’s never seen a phone before. We’ll just say that’ll be a memory I won’t forget.”

“I’ll bet,” Cora replied, the concern shifting out of her expression, understanding replacing it.

Noc grabbed his knife and started cutting into the tender, moist, perfectly-cooked steak on his plate.

Cora changed the subject.

“I can’t wait to show you my world, Noc. It’s gonna be awesome. You’re gonna love it.”

He looked to her, meat in his mouth and chewing and smiling he said, “Can’t wait either, babe.”

Her face lit up too.

And seeing it, Noc knew that’d be another memory he wouldn’t forget that he’d take home from this crazy world.

There it was.

They were having dinner and Franka wasn’t invited.

Tomorrow morning, she’d be leaving.

So she was a memory of this world.

A mysterious one.

A sad one.

But just a memory.

And Noc had to live with that.

What he wouldn’t admit was that he didn’t like it.

And Don’t Miss the First Books in the Fantasyland Series!

WILDEST DREAMS

THE GOLDEN DYNASTY

FANTASTICAL

BROKEN DOVE

 

About Kristen Ashley

Kristin Ashley - headshot

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorize and she hadn’t taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen’s Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning.

Nothing’s changed.

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she’s blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing, it keeps getting better.

WEBSITE * FACEBOOK * TWITTER * NEWSLETTER * GOODREADS * PINTEREST * INSTAGRAM

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Kristen Ashley’s MIDNIGHT SOUL Review & Excerpt Tour

August 10

Dirty Girl Romance – Review
Vilma’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Once Upon a Page – Review & Excerpt
Garden of REden – Review
Booklover4Life – Excerpt

August 11

After Dark Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
Agents of Romance – Excerpt
Books&Junk – Review
Swept Away By Romance – Review & Excerpt
She Reads New Adult – Excerpt
Readers Retreats – Excerpt

August 12

Book Reader Chronicles – Review & Excerpt
Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
StuckInBooks – Review
Read more sleep less – Review
Under the Covers – Review & Excerpt

August 13

Nose Stuck in a Book – Review & Excerpt
Meli’s Book Blog – Excerpt
The review loft – Review & Excerpt
Renee Entress’s Blog – Excerpt
Red Cheeks Reads – Review
Total Book Geek – Excerpt

August 14

The Book Bellas – Review
Gi’s Spot Reviews – Excerpt
The Heathers Blog – Excerpt
Angie and Jessica’s Dreamy Reads – Review & Excerpt
Book Lovers Hangout – Excerpt

August 15

BLACK HEART REVIEWS – Review & Excerpt
Smut Book Junkie Reviews – Review
Bambi Unbridled – Review & Excerpt
My Book Muse – Review
A Fortress of Books – Excerpt
Books to Breathe – Review & Excerpt

August 16

Evermore Books – Excerpt
KT Book Reviews – Review
Nicely Phrased – Review
Scandalicious Book Reviews – Review
Ramblings of a Bookworm – Excerpt

August 17

Lit. 4 Ladies – Review & Excerpt
Read-Love-Blog – Excerpt
Shameless Book Club – Review & Excerpt
The Fairest of All Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Lucylicious Reads – Excerpt
Night Wolf Book Blog – Excerpt

August 18

Captain Reads A Lot – Excerpt
Confessions of 2 Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Rachel Reads Ravenously – Review & Excerpt
Four Chicks Flipping Pages – Excerpt

August 19

No BS Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Wicked Reads – Review & Excerpt
Random Book Muses – Review & Excerpt
Southern Vixens Book Obsessions – Excerpt
The Silver Dagger Scriptorium – Excerpt

August 20

Bookaholic Confessions – Review & Excerpt
Feeding My Addiction Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Paranormal Book Boyfriends – Excerpt
Three Girls and a Book Obsession – Review

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EXCERPT REVEAL: Dirty Talk by S.L. Scott

dirty talk release blitz

Excerpt

~Luke Anders~

“What if I touched you right where you want to be touched?” I slide my hand up her thigh, inching her skirt up slowly. Her breath catches, the quiet gasp making me smile. “What if I touched you right where you pretend to be so protective? I know you. I know you like it dirty . . . maybe even a little rough.”

She finds her voice, though it’s affected, sexy. “A lot.”

“What is that?”

Clearing her throat, she says, “I like it rough. Really rough.”

The right side of my mouth curves up, my hand stalling just below the apex of her thighs when my phone buzzes. I release a sigh. Grabbing the phone from my pocket, I sit up and read the text: Let’s get the fuck out of here. I look back at the black-haired raven I’ve left squirming on the metal barstool next to me. Pity. I’d like to explore exactly how she likes it, but duty calls. Standing up suddenly, I grab my wallet and slap some bills down for the drinks.

“What are you doing?” she demands, desperation lacing her tone as her eyes go wide.

I tuck my wallet back into the inside pocket of my Vittori suit jacket and kiss her on the cheek. Since I’m there, I add with a wink, “I bet we’d be so fucking good together.” Straightening upright, I smirk. “My apologies. I hate to run, but unfortunately, I have a prior engagement I can’t get out of. Maybe we can pick this up another time. I’ll see you around, sweetheart.”

She huffs. “You’re a playboy bastard, Luke Anders,” rolls off her tongue in frustrated anger as she spins back to the bar.

I know. Not turning back, I nod. It’s not the first time I’ve been called a playboy or a bastard. Name-calling doesn’t bother me. Not getting laid tonight does.

Pushing open the exit door that leads to the alley, my asshole friends are waiting near the car they’ve pulled around.

The rusting red door slams shut, the click of the lock heard loudly behind me. The alley is quiet compared to the loud music that blares inside the club. “Fuckers.” With my arms out wide, I yell, “What the fuck? Where’s the fire? I was closing the deal.”

“We were saving you, man. Trust me on that.” My best friend is standing in front of the car with his arms crossed over his chest. Danny Weston is one of the best people I know, but right now, he’s pissing me the fuck off.

“Saving me from what?”

“Ask Blaise. He has firsthand knowledge.”

When I shoot an annoyed look in Blaise’s direction, he clams up. With hands up in surrender, he backs away toward the driver’s door. “I can’t help that the ladies love me.” Thus confirming he’s already hit that pretty kitty.

I walk to the passenger’s side of the car, punching Danny on the arm when I pass him. “Shit, man, just give me a heads-up next time. I wasted some of my best lines on her.”

Danny claims the front seat, so I duck into the back seat of a restored 1969 black Gran Torino. Cocky behind the wheel, Blaise takes off before we even have our seatbelts on, and says, “Stop hitting on everyone that takes pity on you then.”

“Fuck you. I can get any woman I want. No one’s taking pity on me.”

Danny breaks into the argument, “You guys really need to find a new hobby.”

“One-night stands are plenty entertaining,” Blaise retorts, smiling.

Danny puts his arm on the back of the seat and turns toward me. “I’m not going to lecture you—”

“Again,” I add.

“Again,” he repeats while rolling his eyes. “But we’ve talked about this a fuck ton of times. She’s not Jane and until you figure out what the hell is going on there, or if anything is going on there, these women are all the same—just another disappointment you’re going to have in the morning because they’re not her.”

Blaise verbally steps in, “Damn, dude, why so deep? You’re bringing me down.”

Danny laughs. I don’t. We’ve been friends for many years now, so Danny knows my game. He knows me well enough to know what I’m doing. Until I sort out this mess with the first woman I ever loved, the rest are just regrets waiting to happen, along with the regrets I can’t take back.

But I know him well too. We relate in a way that Blaise doesn’t understand, on a level that one day he’d be lucky to experience. No matter what I’ve been through with Jane, I’ve loved, hard. I know what it means to love and to be loved. I have no regrets when it comes to Jane, except one: letting her go.

dirty talk coming soon

Because first love deserves a second chance

Standalone Contemporary Romance

You met Danny’s best friend, Luke Anders in Models on Top. Now it’s time to really get to know this dirty talking, sexy producer in his own standalone contemporary romance.

Dirty Talk will release on September 1st.

Add Dirty Talk to your TBR here: http://bit.ly/2aJPUjk

Sweet Talk aka Models On Top- Danny is NOW AVAILABLE & FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2aIyNvh

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2b0IBll

dirty talk cover use

Blurb

One month.

One movie.

One shot at a second chance.

I fell madly in love at first sight with Jane Lewis.

The girl with bright blue eyes, a pretty smile, and great ass owned my heart. I thought she was happy with the status quo, but ten years later, I foolishly let her go. Despite dating other women, no one compares to my first love. We are meant to be together, and I’m going to try my damnedest to convince her of that.

Luke Anders tricked me. The deal was sealed before I knew he was behind it.

We agreed to be just friends. Simple. Easy. But it’s not just the weather that’s hot in Texas. I was a fool to think I could resist him. He knows how to work his charms and those kissable lips, that great jaw, and biceps. We are here to work, but he has become downright distracting.

I’m strong. I can handle one month of his flirtatious sexual torture. But if I happen to fall in bed with that sexy bastard for a night, or three, does that make me weak? Asking for a friend, of course.

I guess I’m about to find out when love gets messy, it’s not just the talk that’s dirty.

Passionate young couple having sex in bedroom

Meet S.L. Scott

s.l. scott

New York Times and USA Bestselling Author, S. L. Scott, was always interested in the arts. She grew up painting, writing poetry and short stories, and willing her days away lost in a good book and the movies.

With a degree in Journalism, she continued her love of the written word by reading American authors like Salinger and Fitzgerald. She was intrigued by their flawed characters living in picture perfect worlds, but could still debate that the world those characters lived in were actually the flawed ones. This dynamic of leaving the reader invested in the words, inspired Scott to start writing with emotion while interjecting an underlying passion into her own stories.

Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling and avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She’s obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist. She dreams of seeing one of her own books made into a movie one day as well as returning to Europe. Her favorite color is blue, but she likens it more toward the sky than the emotion. Her home is filled with the welcoming symbol of the pineapple and finds surfing a challenge though she likes to think she’s a pro.

 Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads

 

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EXCERPT REVEAL: Anti-Stepbrother by Tijan

anti stepbrother excerpt reveal

Excerpt

The sun shone into the room, and it took me a few moments to realize where I was. I didn’t recognize the king-size bed, or the black sheets, but then Caden walked past the open door and all the memories flooded into place.

I slept at his place.

I glanced around the bed… I slept in his bed!

“Your alarm’s about to go off in ten minutes,” Caden called from the doorway. He had a cup of coffee in hand and wore only jeans.

I tried to keep my eyes front and center, but I lost. The tattoos were a nice little zig-zag pattern, pulling my gaze down, all the way down. Caden’s slow, smooth chuckle told me he knew what I’d just done. My cheeks only warmed a little.

I shot him a look, falling back to the pillow. “I feel like this should be the first skip day of my school career.”

“You’ve never skipped before?”

I shook my head, rolling it side to side on the pillow. “Am I missing out? Should I embrace my inner deviant?”

He smirked. “You can skip a class for any reason in the world. It’s your life.”

I sat up, eyeing that coffee. “You were supposed to be the bad influence.”

His eyebrow lifted. “I’m not selling it enough?” He lifted his cup. “You want some coffee?”

“I’m wondering if today is the day I try coffee too.”

“You’ve never had coffee?”

“I’m beginning to think I’m lame.” I thought about it. “Really lame.”

“You slept at some guy’s house last night. Think of it that way.” His smirk was back. “Not so lame now.”

I could do one better. “I slept at a fraternity house.”

And you drank beer.”

“It was the second night in a row that I drank beer.”

“See? Not so lame after all.”

“You’re right.” I sat up. “I’m halfway to total badass.”

He grinned. “We cuddled last night, and you could think of it as dry humping. You almost got some last night.”

Except I hadn’t, and we were in the friend zone. Why were my hands curling around the covers into tight balls? I glanced down and forced them to loosen, then shrugged, trying to be the nonchalant badass I was.

“You carried me to bed. Almost the same thing.”

Suddenly, the joking was gone, and his eyes burned. I could feel his heat from across the room, and my body reacted, instantly warming even before he said a word.

“Nothing’s the same as sliding inside,” he murmured after a moment. “The feel of being in there, feeling that clench around you, knowing you can push as deep as you want, as hard or gently as you want. Nope. I’ve gotta step off the joke train for a moment here. Nothing is remotely the same as that feeling.”

Fuck. My pulse spiked.

He tossed me a look. “Maybe I’ll cop a feel the next time.”

I pretended to groan. “One more notch on my badass peg. You better cop a feel next time.”

“Is that all I am to you? A notch on the bedpost? I feel so used, Stoltz.”

Okay. My last name. We were back on familiar ground here. But my grin was still a little shaky.

“Get used to it, Banks. I’m only disguised as this plain Jane. Inside there’s a wild woman just waiting to be let loose.”

He didn’t reply.

He stared at me for a few more seconds, then straightened from the doorway. “There’s nothing plain about you, Summer.”

ANTI STEP COMING SOON

I came to college with daydreams about being with my stepbrother, but what would happen if I fell in love with the anti-stepbrother instead?

Anti-Stepbrother is releasing August 22, 2016!

Pre-order on the following retailers:

iBooks: http://apple.co/1Yg47GW

Nook:  http://bit.ly/22Vj7dD

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/24CzWcI

Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1WGmyFl

(September 12th delivery)

Add Anti-Stepbrother to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/1UCNF0f

anti stepbrother cover

Blurb

He told me to ‘settle, girl.’
He asked if ‘something was wrong with me?’
He said I was an ‘easy target.’
That was within minutes when I first met Caden Banks.
I labeled him an *sshole, but he was more than that. Arrogant. Smug. Alpha.

He was also to-die-for gorgeous, and my stepbrother’s fraternity brother.

Okay, yes I was a little naive, a tad bit socially awkward, and the smallest amount of stalker-ish, but if Caden Banks thought he could tell me what to do, he had another thing coming.

I came to college with daydreams about being with my stepbrother, but what would happen if I fell for the anti-stepbrother instead?

anti stepbrother teaser 2

Author Information

tijan bio

I didn’t begin writing until after undergraduate college. There’d been storylines and characters in my head all my life, but it came to a boiling point one day and I HAD to get them out of me. So the computer was booted up and I FINALLY felt it click. Writing is what I needed to do. After that, I had to teach myself how to write. I can’t blame my teachers for not teaching me all those years in school. It was my fault. I was one of the students that was wishing I was anywhere but at school! So after that day, it took me lots of work until I was able to put together something that resembled a novel. I’m hoping I got it right since someone must be reading this profile! And I hope you keep enjoying my future stories.

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