Beauty And The Billionaire Bear (The Shifter Princes, #2)

Beauty And The Billionaire Bear (The Shifter Princes, #2)

by Sable Sylvan

# OF STARS  5/5                    Genre: PARANORMAL         Pages: 90

Overview:

When Rose Charleston’s father steals a rose from a billionaire bear shifter, only the curvy human woman can save him from the wrath of the werebear. The handsome shifter calls himself “Beast” and demands payments for what Rose’s father stole…and by having weekly dinners with Beast over the course of a month, Rose will earn her father’s freedom.

It’s just dinner: how hard could it be? Each Friday, they’ll have dinner, together, and for the rest of the week, Rose will have free reign of the billionbear’s mansion in upstate Montana…but there are secrets lurking behind every corner. What does the billionaire bear want with her, and why are her dreams haunted by the howls of something in the forest, gardens, and greenhouses outside her room?

Every dinner with Beast grows more intense, the tension between the pair growing, until they can’t keep themselves apart any longer, events coming to a climax the night before Rose is sent back to her home. Will she finally learn the mysterious shifter’s name, or will the only word left on her lips be, “Beast”?

If you love sassy BBWs and bear shifters are what you live for, sexy billionaires are what you dream of, and fated mates are your obsession, check out Beauty And The Billionaire Bear! This book is a standalone novella, part of The Shifter Princes, a series of remixed fairy tales.

Reviewed by Tammy:

I received this copy for free from the Author for an honest review.

This is a remake of beauty and the beast with a twist. This was a great story. Father gets caught stealing a flower for oldest daughter. She risks everything to save him. Daughter falls in love with the beast that happens to be her mate. Will they be able to work out the trust issues?

7/31 SUMMERTIME eREADER GIVEAWAY

 


More than 20 authors will be sharing their best and worst pick-up lines during this EPIC eReader Giveaway! Win dozens of prizes, including swag packs, print or eBooks, gift cards, tote, posters, themed prizes, etc…and of course, a grand prize of four (4) eReaders!

 

Participating Authors:
7/27   Patty Blount
         Shelly Bell
          Sarah Castille
7/28   Lia Davis
         Lisa Nicholas
7/29   Jodi Linton
         Michelle Madow
7/30   Shelly Bell
         Jane Peden
         Kristi Hancock
        Caroline Lee
8/3    Veronica Forand
        Samantha Ann King
8/4    Kerry Adrienne
        Lizzy Ford
8/5    Suzie T. Roos
        Sharon Hamilton
8/6    Linda Bond
        Heather Long
        Alyssa Richards
8/7    Michelle Sharp
        Kristine Bria

 

Want to meet up with our author sponsors? Join the fun at the Summertime eReader Giveaway event page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/477456029079167/ !



CAROLINE LEE


I was a nerd in High School. I attended a math-and-science boarding school in SC, and was surrounded (finally!) by a bunch of other nerds (the story of how I ended up a historian is long and boring, so I’ll skip it).
Now, an author claiming to be a nerd is almost expected, what with geek-chic being a legit style choice these days. But I think I can back up my assertion with some examples.
For instance, we had a student-led pep-band for our basketball games, and one of our favorite chants went:
Sine, Cosine, Tangent, Sine,
Three-point-one-four-one-five-nine!


I had a suitemate who took the SATs nine times because she kept getting a 1590 out of 1600, and that was unacceptable. We had a cheerleading squad—also student-run—that we called the Proactive Synergy Coordinating Squad (PASCs), because we were far too full of ourselves to be mere “cheerleaders.” We souped-up our TI-81 calculators. We started our own cheese appreciation club for crying out loud.
So you’ll have to grant that we were nerdier than most.
Imagine a bunch of seventeen-year-old nerds, living among like-minded individuals for the first time in their lives. Romantic relationships were suddenly a glorious possibility, and we reveled in the chance to (*looks around furtively, giggles, pushes glasses further up her nose*) date. Most of these dating arrangements were made awkwardly (of course) and with great ceremony (of course), which resulted in some of the nerdiest pick-up lines ever.
I present to you the pick-up lines a bunch of teenaged math-and-science nerds come up with when they live together in a closed environment:
Chemistry: “Are you an exothermic reaction, honey? Because you’re making me hot.”
Calculus: “I think you must be the square root of two, ‘cause I’m getting irrational around you.”
CompSci: “You’ve turned my software into hardware.”
Biology: “Skin might be your largest sensory organ, but I’ve got something even bigger.”
Physics: “It’s not the length of the vector, it’s how you apply the force.”
But the winner, the true winner of the “worst pick-up line ever” contest, goes to the Math version:
*Clears throat*
“Hey baby, wanna come back to my place and study some mathematics? We’ll add a bed, subtract your clothes, divide your legs, and I’ll multiply.”
*snort*
I can’t even write that with a straight face. I mean, honestly. It’s horrible.
And no, it didn’t work. None of them worked. We talked a big game, but we were still nerds, and too busy laughing at ourselves.
Smuggling gave him the revenge he needed….
To no one’s surprise, McKee Baird never fought in the War Between the States. His fiercely independent nature made it impossible for him to take orders, and his close friendship with a black man stopped him from fighting for his father’s South. But he’s found his own way to rebel against the new government the United States has imposed on him… and right now, the only thing standing in the way of his smuggling business is the intriguingly uninhibited Becks Middleton.


Their chance meeting gave her the excitement she’d been craving…
Becks has a life of freedom away from Charleston society’s rules. So of course she can’t help but be drawn to the stimulating renegade her mother invites to visit Beckett Plantation, even if she doesn’t approve of his profession. When the opportunity to seduce Mac arises, Becks takes that chance, planning on one night of passion before the dangerous smuggler leaves. But when she accidentally becomes part of his schemes, she can’t reveal the truth without risking his freedom. Joining him on his ship, Becks will face not just her growing love for Mac but a confrontation with authorities that will threaten their very lives.


Can the two of them reconcile their differences before their future is stolen away?


Caroline grew up in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, and her love of the land is completely reflected in her upcoming book, The Brothers of Baird’s Cove: Renegade. Set on a SC sea island at the end of Reconstruction, Renegade addresses the tough issues many Southern historical romances skim over, like the true meanings of freedom and race, and exactly how many crabs it takes to make a batch of she-crab soup. There are zero pick-up lines in the book, nerdy or otherwise, because Mac doesn’t so much “pick-up” Becks as he does “catch her.” Repeatedly (she’s a bit clumsy). But that doesn’t stop them from enjoying everything the Lowcountry can offer them, and then some…

Contact Caroline: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon  


ROBIN COVINGTON

 

The best pick-up line I ever experienced was in college (so many years ago!). I was at a party and I knew the guy who was throwing the party pretty well since we’d been flirting back and forth for several weeks. He invited me to it and I just “knew” that this was the night when we would move beyond the friendship stage. The party was great and it stretched into the wee hours of the morning and as people left, I stayed behind but the guy didn’t approach me or make a move. He  was pretty shy and quiet but I figured I’d read his signals wrong and I got ready to leave but his loudmouth roommate got me to stay as more and more people left.
I finally got fed up and I made my move to leave when the “shy guy” chased me out into the hallway and asked if I had enjoyed the party. I was a little irritated and I let him know that I didn’t understand why he’d invited me to a party and then practically ignored me all night. He stepped forward and grabbed my hand, his cheeks red from his blush as he told me that he’d thrown the party just for me, the sole purpose was to get up the nerve to kiss me goodnight.
He leaned over and laid a kiss on me that made my toes curl. It was fabulous and we dated for a while after that.

 

Crown Prince Nicholas Lytton was never supposed to be ruler of Callanos. He was the “spare to the heir,” pursuing a decadent life of the rich and royal—extreme sports, physical pleasures, and glorious irresponsibility. Until his brother died. Now Nick is to be coronated king, and no one believes he’s ready.

The best way to secure his crown is to do the unthinkable…find a queen.
While Isabel Reynolds works in the palace gardens, she has no desire to draw the attention of the way-too-flirty, would-be king. For she’s not the woman everyone thinks she is. Even if she wanted—or was tempted by—the promise of love, it would only end in disaster. Because while Isabel may be able to catch a king, her secrets would only destroy him…
Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

 

Robin Covington loves to explore the theme of fooling around and falling in love in her sexy, bestselling books. When she’s not writing sexy, sizzling romance she’s collecting tasty man candy pics, hoarding red nail polish, indulging in a little comic book geek love, and obsessing over Dean Winchester. Don’t send chocolate . . . send eye candy!

Robin’s bestselling books have finaled in the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice, the Book Seller’s Best and the National Reader’s Choice Awards.
She lives in Maryland with her handsome husband, her two brilliant children (they get it from her, of course!), and her beloved furbabies.
Drop her a line at robin@robincovingtonromance.com – she always writes back.

 




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Caged Magic

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Caged Magic Blurb

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Risa Faden is a witch whose ultra-powerful shield magic is slowly breaking her mind. But when her beloved goddaughter is snatched by a demon, she’ll risk anything to rescue the baby—including lying to the handsome, intriguing stranger who has the power to help her keep her sanity, save the child…and steal her heart.

Linc Dillinger is a Wing Slayer Hunter whose sexy, rich, bad-boy charm hides a treacherous betrayal that left him emotionally scarred. As a result he risks his life to protect innocents, but is incapable of love—until he meets a beautiful witch who can save his cursed soul. Risa’s fierce courage and loyalty reaches past his barriers and he begins to believe she has the magic to free his caged heart.

But Risa’s lie explodes into dark danger that forces Linc into a hellish high-stakes gamble: He must either win the witch he loves and her godchild…or endure a loss that will destroy them all.

Caged Magic Buy Links

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About the Author

Jennifer Lyon Author Pic

Jennifer Lyon, who also writes as Jennifer Apodaca, lives in Southern California where she continually plots ways to convince her husband that they should get a dog. After all, they met at the dog pound, fell in love, married and had three wonderful sons. So far, however, she has failed in her doggy endeavor. She consoles herself by pouring her passion into writing books. To date, Jen has published more than fifteen books and novellas, including a fun and sexy mystery series and a variety of contemporary romances under the name Jennifer Apodaca. As Jennifer Lyon she created a dark, sizzling paranormal series, and The Plus Once Chronicles, an emotionally sensual adult contemporary series. Jen’s won numerous awards and had her books translated into multiple languages, but she still hasn’t come up with a way to persuade her husband that they need a dog.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

There are 3 tour wide giveaways!

Open to US, CAN, UK

(1) grand prize $50.00 electronic gift card (Amazon or B&N)

(2) runner up winners of one $25.00 electronic gift card each (Amazon or B&N)

Follow the Tour

For more interviews and guest posts with Jennifer plus Caged Magic reviews & Spotlights stop by the tour every day!

The complete schedule can be found HERE!

Excerpt of 461 Words, Sexy Kiss

Caged Magic Teaser 5 Caged Magic Teaser 4 Caged Magic Teaser 2

“But there’s a price.”

She jerked her gaze up. “What?”

He lifted her hand to his mouth, his warm lips sliding over her knuckles. “You’ll let me kiss you first. A deep, owning kiss.”

Her heart started to pound. “You want to kiss me?”

“I want to kiss you so hard you’ll go to sleep and wake up with the taste of me. No one else, Risa. Me.”

Intensity. She’d never experienced this pull, this inability to emotionally distance herself from another person. He had a magnetic effect, tugging her into him. “Is this the soul bond?”

Bronze shimmered in his eyes. “I don’t know. But you’re ripping me open, making me need more than sex. I need your touch.”

Recognition sounded in her like a gong. Touch. They’d both had too much of the wrong kind and not enough of the right. She thought of the way he’d held her last night, even after finding out it had been her father who kidnapped and gave him to the bastards who’d caged him. Yet Linc hadn’t seen her ugliness. Instead, he’d held her until she fell asleep.

Safe in his arms.

And now he was unfailingly honest in what he needed. A kiss. Touch. Unable to stop herself, she wrapped her hands around Linc’s sides. The powerful muscles twitched beneath her palms.

“Kiss me.” She tugged him to her.

Linc curled his palm around her nape and lowered his gaze to her lips.

The air between them thickened. Sizzled. Her lips tingled, and her heart thumped.

He stroked his thumb along the sensitive curve of her throat. Arousal rode her nerve endings, pebbling her nipples and warming her belly. She squeezed her thighs together, vividly aware of her nakedness beneath the shirt.

His mouth touched hers, warm velvety lips gliding over hers with a slow exploration while his thumb lazily caressed her jaw.

No one kissed her like this, as if they needed to learn every secret of her mouth. She tracked her hands over his shoulders, absorbing the warm skin stretched over powerful muscles. Bold hunger flickered, and she licked at his mouth.

A groan rumbled against her palm on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. Pinning her to the wall, he tilted her chin up and consumed her. His tongue dueled with hers, then darted away, exploring and marking her.

Risa shivered as the taste of him hit her tongue, like dark chocolate mixed with real cream and whipped until irresistible. Greed for more pulled out a moan. She’d never have enough of his flavor or the feel of his mouth moving over hers as if he were as starved for her as she was for him. The kiss devoured her.

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Release of Monica May’s Hidden

TITLE: Hidden
SERIES: The New Orleans Temptation Series
AUTHOR: Monica May
RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2015
 Hidden – Book 2 of
The New Orleans Temptation Series

AMAZON –

US – http://bit.ly/Hidden-US

UK – http://bit.ly/Hidden-UK

CA – http://bit.ly/Hidden-CA

After losing her husband, Samantha throws her life into recreating her great aunt’s erotic club on Bourbon Street. She does her best to avoid getting close to any man, but how long can she hold out when Parke enters her life? While trying to avoid her attraction to Parke, Samantha tries her best to make her club a hit by hiring the most beautiful people in New Orleans.During the hiring process, Shelby begs her to hire a woman she met at the battered women’s shelter. Reluctantly, Samantha caves and hires Sunny, not knowing much about her. Will this hire bring down her entire club? Samantha has no idea that Sunny is running from a man, a man that has vowed to find and kill her if she ever ran from him again. As the president of the MC group The Flaming Dragons, his reach is far and wide. Will he find her? Can Jackson, Sunny’s new love interest, keep her safe?

 

 

X-Rated excerpt

“I can’t wait another damn minute, Sunny, I need to be inside of you like yesterday.”



“Then what are you waiting for? Jackson, I’m so wet for you.” He lays me over the arm of the sofa with my ass propped up and my back lying across the cushions.



He kneels in front of me pulling my thong down in one slow sultry motion.



“Do you know how beautiful your pussy is, Sunny?”



“As beautiful as your enormous cock?” I reply.



“You and that dirty mouth. It’s going to get you in trouble, do you know that?”



“I sure hope so.” I smirk.



Without another word, he licks me from the bottom entrance up to my clit. His tongue is stiff and wide as it passes smoothly up my slick channel. He slowly rubs circles around my entrance with his fingers as he batters my clit with the same hard motions of his tongue. I feel the tingling of another orgasm building once again in my core. He quickly shoves two fingers inside of me. I see fireworks as he picks up the speed and intensity pushing me over my peak. He waits for my breathing to slow while gently lapping at my pussy.

Devastated – Book 1 of 
The New Orleans Temptation Series
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Living the American Dream Shelby had everything she could have dreamed of. A handsome husband two wonderful children a beautiful home and a great job. What else could she ask for?In an instant her world is turned upside down when she innocently looks at her husband’s phone. With this Devastating discovery Shelby has to decide if she will walk away from twenty years of marriage or will she find a way to fit into Grant’s erotic world?

Will she walk on the wild side she never knew she had? How far will she go? If she crosses the line will she be able to live with herself when the sun comes up? Or will she let her over conservative personality end her marriage?

★★ RELEASE BLITZ ★★ Finding Us by Debra Presley

Finding Us RELEASE DAY

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Book Title: Finding Us (A Nucci Securities Novel)
Author: Debra Presley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 31, 2015
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

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Book Blurb

Pop star Abby Murphy is living every girl’s dream. She has fame, fortune, and a handsome boyfriend, a guitar player named Sean. That changes the night she finds him in the arms of another woman. Hurt and betrayed, Abby ends their relationship. But Sean won’t accept the breakup, and she soon learns that he’s had a hidden agenda all along. Overnight, Sean transforms from loving boyfriend to dangerous adversary, and Abby no longer knows who she can trust among her friends and family.

Abby turns to her bodyguard, Danny Nucci, a man who will do everything in his power to keep her safe. But when Abby realizes her feelings for Danny run much deeper than she thought, she refuses to give in to her attraction in order to preserve her new found independence as well as protect Danny from Sean’s machinations.

When Abby finally finds the strength to reclaim her life and acknowledge her growing love for Danny, will she be able to let him in? And will Danny be able to overcome his own demons to be the man she needs him to be? Or will she be forced to let him go forever?

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Meet the Author

DebraPresleyButton.4Debra is a native New Yorker who made her escape to the suburbs. She often returns to her hometown to visit her favorite deli for a bagel with butter, because there’s no better bagel than a New York bagel. When not in search of bagels, Debra spends her time running Book Enthusiast Promotions, an online promotions company that helps indie authors spread the word about their books. She’s also the owner of The Book Enthusiast blog.

She started writing lyrics in her wall-to-wall NKOTB bedroom at the tender age of thirteen while dreaming of the day she’d become Mrs. Jordan Knight. That dream never came to fruition, but she has continued to write. Now she’s working on her first novel.

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Steel: Blue Collar Wolves #3 (Mating Season Collection)

Steel: Blue Collar Wolves #3 (Mating Season Collection)

by Ronin Winters

# OF STARS  5/5                    Genre: PARANORMAL         Pages: 59

Overview:

Hunters and Wolves have been enemies for generations – but what happens when a hunter is your true mate?

Steel knows the answer to that question, because his mate might be a hunter, but she’s intelligent, cunning, and drop-dead sexy – everything he’s ever wanted and everything the pack needs in the mate of the alpha.

Convincing her might be difficult, but he’s alpha for a reason. This Red better watch out, because the Big Bad Wolf is going to show her why having a wolf for a mate is just right.

Reviewed by Tammy:

I received this copy for free from the Author for an honest review.

Steel had some major obstacles with his mate. His wasn’t as easy as the others. He had a better understanding of Iron’s strengths. He had some major decisions to make and I am happy he made the right ones. By letting Red go she was able to realize that he was what she wanted and came back to him. I can’t wait to see what Ronin will have them go thru next.

★★ RELEASE BLITZ ★★ Revenge is Sweeter by Michelle Congdon

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RevengeissweeterEcover copyBook Title: Revenge is Sweeter
Author: Michelle Congdon
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: July 30, 2015
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

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Book BlurbI was trained to become an ultimate killing machine. But unlike machines, I have no off switch.

I want revenge and I’m thirsty for blood.

I will hunt down Ryuu and his organization of assassins one by one in order to quench the thirst. Starting with the man I despise the most: Caleb Spencer.

Caleb will suffer and die, by my hand, a slow and tortuous death.

But first, I need to find a way to escape from enemy territory and the many guns pointed at my head.

excerpt

Prologue:

I knew it was a bad idea from the beginning, an idea that would most likely lead to our deaths, but I went along with it. Because why? Because Grady Tanner of course. I have met nobody else like him before. I’ve never cared for anyone else but him before. These stupid things that normal humans call feelings have transformed me from the merciless killing monster I once was to somebody I almost don’t recognize. No matter how much I despise the idea, I’m unable to stop the way Grady makes me feel, and because of that, we are now currently being held at gun point by my father’s biggest rival and worst enemy, and the man whose son I murdered in cold blood. Mikhail Sokolov.

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Meet the Author

Michelle Congdon resides in Sydney, Australia. She enjoys reading books of all sorts of genres, watching way too many movies and TV shows (and Disney cartoons), singing out aloud to her favourite tunes, and going on adventures involving food and travel. Michelle is loud, talks a lot and shares an ever-growing list of book husbands with a friend. She has an overactive imagination, and has tried to put it to good use by sharing stories with anyone willing to listen.

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“Knight Of Ocean Avenue” By Tara Lain

 

Knight Of Ocean Avenue
By Tara Lain


Blurb: 

How can you be twenty-five and not know you’re gay? Billy Ballew runs from that question. A high school dropout, barely able to read until he taught himself, Billy’s life is driven by his need to help support his parents as a construction worker, put his sisters through college, coach his Little League team, and not think about being a three-time loser in the engagement department. Being terrified of taking tests keeps Billy from getting the contractor’s license he so desires, and fear of his mother’s judgement blinds Billy to what could make him truly happy.

Then, in preparation for his sister’s big wedding, Billy meets Shaz—Chase Phillips—a rising star, celebrity stylist who defines the word gay. To Shaz, Billy embodies everything he’s ever wanted—stalwart, honest, brave—but even if Billy turns out to be gay, he could never endure the censure he’d get for being with a queen like Shaz. How can two men with so little in common find a way to be together? Can the Stylist of the Year end up with the Knight of Ocean Avenue?

 

Available for purchase at
         

 

Paperback from Dreamspinner 

 

 



Excerpt

“Okay, I need to ask, and I have nothing on it so don’t get defensive.”
Billy squinched his nose. “That’s not the best way to keep a guy from getting defensive.”
Shaz grinned. “I know. Not subtle, but seriously, why haven’t you taken the contractor’s license test?”
Shit. Defensive.
Shaz held up a hand. “I assume it has something to do with your reading ability, but I thought Clancy and Yerby and all those others on your bookshelves overcame that issue.”
“Yeah. Pretty much.”
“You read well enough to take the test? Because if not, I’ll bet they’ll let someone read it to you.”
“I can read.” He put down his fork.
Shaz leaned over and picked up the fork. “Come on, darling, this is Shazzy Wazzy. I am no threat at all to you.” He scooped some mashed potatoes and flew them like a plane toward Billy’s mouth.
For a second, Billy compressed his lips. Jesus, the guy was impossible to resist. He burst out laughing. The first time he’d ever laughed at this subject. “I’m afraid to take tests. I panic.” His heart beat fast just thinking of it. He snapped the potatoes off the fork and chewed.
Shaz put a hand on his arm, which made him feel calm and excited at the same time. “How do you know?”
“Know what?”
“That you panic when you take tests?”
Billy frowned. “I’ve blown every test I tried to take since the eighth grade. It got so bad I had to drop out of high school. I could have tested out, but I couldn’t take the test, and I never got my GED because I—”
“Couldn’t take the test. My God, that’s awful.”
The frown got deeper. “Like I said, I’m too dumb to take tests.”
Shaz leaned over until all he could see was that pretty face. “This has nothing to do with dumb. Does it?”
Billy stared at his almost empty plate.
“Does it?”
He shook his head.
“What does it have to do with? Who made you afraid?”
“What?”
“I said who made you afraid. Someone did.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you’re a strong, capable man who isn’t afraid to take the whole damned world on his shoulders. There’s no reason for you to be afraid of anything unless someone told you there was.”
He nodded slowly. His heart hammered so hard it felt like his chest would explode. “I got beat up a lot in grade school because I was small and couldn’t read.” He shrugged. “I know. Hard to believe, right? Behemoth that I am. Anyway, my eighth grade English teacher was the worst, I guess. I could barely read, and she gave us test after test. I couldn’t read the books and I couldn’t read the test.” His pulse hammered in his ears. Like he was back there in that god-awful room. “She constantly told me how dumb I was and made sure the whole class knew it. I didn’t grow until I was sixteen. I was still a little runt then and got beat up every day while they called me stupid.” Shit, tears pushed out of his eyes. This was not good. “I have to stop talking about this. I have to go.”
“No, Billy, I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” He fished in his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. He threw some on the table. Maybe a hundred dollars. Then he ran for the door.
“Billy!”
The cool evening air hit him like a bucket of water in the face. Where the hell was he going? He’d driven his truck. It was full of furniture, and Shaz had no way to get home. Billy Ballew did not leave a friend behind.
He stared down the sidewalk. That bench looked inviting. Staggering a little, he walked to it and sat. Just breathe. That’s why he never talked about this subject. Never even thought about it if he could avoid it. If he could just forget it, things would be better.
“Billy.”
He looked up at Shaz, who stood on the steps of the restaurant. The man walked toward him with that graceful saunter of his. “You didn’t go. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you left me here to rot.”
He managed to cock half a smile. “Too dry in California to rot.”
“Wither and blow away, then.” Shaz sat next to him. “I truly am sorry. I didn’t mean to open wounds. I have too many of my own to be picking at yours.” He held out his hand with a palm full of money. “You dropped something.”
“I want to pay for dinner.”
“Nope.”
“The champagne.”
“Nope. The least I can do after spoiling your meal is pay for it.”
“But—”
“Never argue with a queen, darling. We always win.”

 



About the Author

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.
She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!
You can find Tara at
               
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Presented By

PERFECT TOUCH by Elizabeth Lowell

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Perfect Touch: A Novel

By: Elizabeth Lowell

Releasing July 28, 2015

William Morrow

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Blurb

 

Sara Medina is a designer and art dealer from San Francisco. She matches her clients desires with fine and folk art from the world over–living up to her thriving business named Perfect Touch. She still remembers her rural childhood of hard work and poverty on the family dairy farm, but she keeps it firmly in the past as she searches out new artwork and artists that are on the breaking edge of acclaim. After she experienced the cultural riches San Francisco had to offer, she decided her life would be that of an urban career woman rather than a working mom commuting from the suburbs. With the intensive hours and travel required to grow her business to the next level, she has no time or energy left for romantic or family entanglements.

Jay Vermillion recently inherited Vermillion Sky, a ranch that nestles up to Wyoming’s Grand Teton Mountains–and the estates of the rich and restless. As a returned veteran of numerous deployments over the course of two wars, he finds himself wrestling with the demands of a ranch that has been run down during his father’s long illness. Between the urgent need to modernize and revitalize the Vermillion Sky, as well as an unexpected and vicious fight with his former stepmother over the custody of now-valuable paintings that were part of his father’s estate, Jay has no time for finding a wife and creating a sixth generation of Vermillions to ensure the family legacy continues.

When Jay hires Sara to appraise and market his father’s cache of paintings by Harris “Custer” Armstrong, neither one expects the explosive results of their eventual meeting in Jackson, Wyoming. In addition to a mutually inconvenient attraction, they a discover double murder at the edge of the ranch lands and a potential betrayal even closer to home. All trails lead to Custer’s artworks as valuable enough to kill for, especially an unknown painted rumored to be called The Muse.

As Sara and Jay unravel the motive for the killings, they both discover that love, like murder, doesn’t wait for a convenient time. On the heels of that soul-shattering realization, Sara is targeted for murder. Suddenly, the war-weary soldier finds something he is once again willing to die for…

 

 Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/06/perfect-touch-novel-by-elizabeth-lowell.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24871110-perfect-touch?ac=1

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo  

Author Info

Elizabeth_Lowell

Elizabeth Lowell’s exciting novels of romantic suspense include New York Times Bestsellers: Dangerous Refuge, Beautiful Sacrifice, Death Echo, The Wrong Hostage, Amber Beach, Jade Island, Pearl Cove, and Midnight in Ruby Bayou. She has also written NYT best-selling historical series set in the American West and Medieval Britain. She has more than 80 titles published to date, with over 24 million copies of her books in print. She lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with her husband, with whom she writes novels under a pseudonym. Her favorite activity is exploring the Western United States to find the landscapes that speak to her soul and inspire her writing.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

 

Rafflecopter Giveaway (a print copy of NIGHT DIVER by Elizabeth Lowell)

Link to Rafflecopter Page, http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NTIxYWM0YzhjYmFkNDc1MDkxYzA3ZDNmMjhhM2RjOjczNQ==/?

Excerpt 

There were a few moments of silence, then Piper asked softly, “Want me to come out?”

Sara hurried in the direction of the courthouse. “No need. I can handle the Vermilion paintings alone.”

“Ah, yes, Jay Vermilion. He of the deep and delicious voice. Does he look half as good as he sounds?”

“Haven’t seen him.” Sara glanced both ways and trotted across the street against the light.

“Maybe he can warm up your … spring,” Piper said.

“If I get to handle the sale of the Custer paintings, my spring will be just toasty. Yours, too. The Newcastle twins are dancing in place at the thought of owning paintings seen in The Edge of Never.”

“The what?”

“Weepy contemporary movie about a young couple who doesn’t know how to love and doesn’t have the sense to separate.”

“Ugh. If you have to be taught those things, you’ve got more problems than a movie can solve.”

Sara laughed. “I hear you, but it rocked Sundance. That’s where the Newcastle twins saw it and immediately huddled with the director, very hush-hush. The movie is probably going to rock Cannes just as hard.”

“And Custer the moderately well-known Western artist ties in how?”

“There’s a painting of his, Wyoming Spring, that’s featured prominently throughout the movie, including the heart-rending scene where—”

“Spare me the details,” Piper said quickly. “Merchant-Ivory movies make my butt numb.”

“Because of it—the movie, not your butt—the market for Custer’s works will heat up like Vegas in July.”

“What about the big auction houses?”

“The Vermilion estate has probably half of the Custers that were ever painted and nearly all of them that aren’t yet in circulation,” Sara said. “We may not need to go through a big public auction if we can act as the agents. No percentage sharing.”

“Go for it. I’ll get Lou to cover anything on this end for Perfect Touch. She’s got some downtime.”

“What happened? Couldn’t Lou seal the deal with Najafi?”

“Lou’s good, but Najafi would try God’s patience,” Piper said. “How long will you be gone?”

“If Jay Vermilion loses the paintings, I’ll be home tomorrow.”

“In that case, girlfriend, have a long stay in Wyoming.”

“You’ll nag me to come back after two weeks.”

“Not if there’s money involved. Bye. Go get those bucks!”

“Go get some yourself.”

Smiling, Sara pocketed the phone, flipped hair out of her face, and hurried along the sidewalk to meet her future.

With her fingers crossed in her pockets.

 

7/30 SUMMERTIME eREADER GIVEAWAY

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Barclay Publicity’s Summertime eReader Giveaway!

More than 20 authors will be sharing their best and worst pick-up lines during this EPIC eReader Giveaway! Win dozens of prizes, including swag packs, print or eBooks, gift cards, tote, posters, themed prizes, etc…and of course, a grand prize of four (4) eReaders!

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Participating Authors:

7/27   Patty Blount

          Shelly Bell

           Sarah Castille

7/28   Lia Davis

          Lisa Nicholas

7/29   Jodi Linton

          Michelle Madow

7/30   Shelly Bell

          Jane Peden

          Kristi Hancock

7/31  Robin Covington

         Caroline Lee

8/3    Veronica Forand

         Samantha Ann King

8/4    Kerry Adrienne

         Lizzy Ford

8/5    Suzie T. Roos

         Sharon Hamilton

8/6    Linda Bond

         Heather Long

         Alyssa Richards

8/7    Michelle Sharp

         Kristine Bria

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SHELLY BELL

Twelve years ago, I gave up the search for Mr. Right. After countless dates with frogs who never turned into my prince, I’d decided I’d rather be single than endure another night of listening to a man complain about his three ex-wives or brag about how much money he made. Of course, that’s when I got the email that would change my life. Here’s a snippet:

 

Hi Shelly,

My name is Jason and I live in Milford. I hadn’t looked at the Speed Dating site in a long time, and then I received an e-mail that the site was shutting down. So I decided to take a last look and found you there. I guess my profile on the site is fairly accurate, but I never submitted a picture or completed any essays. Just from your profile, you sound like someone I would like to meet. So to fill in the gaps from the profile (and convince you that I’m not some crazy stalker) let me tell you a little more about myself. I also enjoy camping and hiking as well as traveling, mostly the US by car, but someday a bit more. I am a civil engineer and work in Ann Arbor.

 

Boris the dog and I have a house in Milford, walking distance to downtown. We usually get a bunch of exercise walking all over town, but this cold makes it a little more challenging. He likes the cold much more than me. Or maybe the fur coat makes him not care…I’ll see if I can get a photo of myself to send to you…

 

We spent the rest of the day emailing back and forth. He didn’t get a photo of himself, but he did send me one of his dog, Boris and it was love at first site! Jason and I set up a phone call for the following day, and it was in that conversation, I learned his last name was Bell. My mother had told me that when she .met my father, she’d heard “bells” and I would too. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but I had a feeling he was “the one.”

A day later, we met in person. As soon as I saw him, it was as if a piece of me recognized him as my soul mate. We talked for hours and only ended our date because I had a prior event. Rather than wait, he called me that night and we spoke another few hours on the phone.

Five months later, we were engaged and six months after that, we were married.

Then Boris…became my dog too.

BIO

Shelly Bell- BORIS

A sucker for a happy ending, Shelly Bell writes sensual romance often with a bit of kink and action-filled erotic thrillers with high-emotional stakes for her alpha heroes and kick-ass heroines.

She began writing upon the insistence of her husband who dragged her to the store and bought her a laptop. When she’s not working her day job, taking care of her family, or writing, you’ll find her reading the latest smutty romance.

She currently writes for Avon Red Impulse.

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Red Handed (A Benediction Novel)

Shelly Bell- RED_HANDED

An exhibitionist who’s waited her whole life to be seen …

After her stepmother is abducted, Danielle Walker has no choice but to follow the kidnapper’s cryptic instructions. Under the guise of a sex slave trainee, she must infiltrate Cole DeMarco’s BDSM club and find evidence of his offshore bank account … or she’ll never see her stepmother alive again. But Master Cole is no stranger, and despite the dark past they share, Danielle cannot resist his magnetic pull.

The voyeur who’s always been watching …

As Danielle begins uncovering Cole’s secrets, the artistic voyeur arouses her deepest desires, and she surrenders to a fiery passion she never expected. But with time running out to save her stepmother, Danielle and Cole will face off against an evil growing more ruthless by the day … and discover a twisted web of lies, betrayal, and murder that neither saw coming.

iBooks | Amazon | B&N | Kobo

JANE PEDEN

The stupidest pick-up attempt I ever heard was when I was in my early 20’s working for a nonprofit disaster relief agency on an out-of-town job in Pittsburgh raising funds to help flood victims.  After work a group of us from various cities made plans to go out to dinner together.  Everyone agreed to go back to our rooms and change out of business clothes and meet up in the hotel lobby in half an hour.

There was a particularly annoying guy named Bob from the Cincinnati office who had been bossing me around all day because he had been on many of these fundraising assignments before, and this was my first.  (Rule #1: If you are thinking about trying to pick someone up later, it’s not a good idea to be condescending to them earlier in the day.)

            So, he knew what room I was in and as I was getting ready to go down to the lobby he knocks at my door.  When I open it Bob says, I thought we could walk down to the lobby together.  Ok, that’s a little lame, but fine.

            Then he stares down at his hand as if he’s just discovered he is holding his briefcase, and pastes this surprised, sheepish look on his face.  Oh, wow, says Bob, whose own room is about five doors down the hall, I don’t want to drag this thing along to dinner.  Can I just leave it here in your room and pick it up after? (Rule #2: If you think leaving your briefcase in a woman’s hotel room is your only chance you’ll  be invited in, you’re probably right.)

            Needless to say, Bob never had a chance with me (See Rule #1), and I told him I’d be happy to wait right there in the hallway while he took his briefcase back to his own room.  I’ll admit, though, that I flirted with him a bit later in cab on the way back from dinner, just so I could shut him down when we got to the hotel.  He deserved it.

            Bob could take a few lessons from Sam, the hero in my contemporary romance, THE MILLIONAIRE’S UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL.  When millionaire Miami lawyer Sam finds himself alone in Las Vegas  – and spots an elegant blonde also alone in the hotel lounge – he knows he’d much rather the two of them spend the evening together.  But Camilla is as unapproachable as she is beautiful.

            Will Sam have better luck with Camilla than lame-o Bob had with me?  Well, he couldn’t do any worse . . .

BLURB:

TMUP-Jane Peden

One night together will change his life forever…

Camilla Winthrop is about to do something she’s never done in her life—she’s about to ask a man to marry her. Not just any man. She hasn’t seen Sam Flanagan in almost five years, after he coldly walked away from a passionate and intense two-week affair. Now Camilla is widowed and desperate…and marrying Sam is the only way she can protect their son.

The son he never knew about.

A hugely successful attorney in Miami, Sam certainly never expected to see the stunning Camilla come through his door again. Nor can he ignore the desire heating his blood. But after she tells him her situation, Sam is furious. He’ll marry her, but under his terms. And he’ll take everything, including Camilla in his bed…unless she can find a way to thaw the millionaire’s icy heart once more.

BIO:

Jane Peden author photo

Jane Peden is the pen name of a Florida trial attorney who writes sexy contemporary category romances set in the exciting South Florida city of Miami, where millionaire lawyers live extravagant lifestyles and find love when they least expect it. When Jane is not in court, you can find her at the beach with her laptop, dreaming up stories about successful, confident men who know what they want and how to get it, and smart, sexy women who demand love on their own terms. Her books promise sizzling chemistry in the face of insurmountable obstacles. And just when things could not get any worse, an emotional payoff that makes it all worthwhile. Jane grew up in the mountains of western Pennsylvania, but decided early on that the only thing better than escaping the cold for a two-week vacation at the beach was to live there all year around, so she traded her snow boots for a jet ski and has never looked back. Jane lives on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida with her husband, two kids, two dogs, and a fish.

You can reach Jane here: @JanePeden | Facebook | Website | Goodreads

Her debut  book,THE MILLIONAIRE’S UNEXPTECTED PROPOSAL is available here:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo

KRISTI HANCOCK

 

At first I thought, what in the world am I going to write about? I’ve been married for what seems like forever, and I dated my husband exclusively for almost four years before that. So I decided to cheat. My sister is divorced and just experienced the worst pick-up attempt of her life. I’m going to share her nightmare then I’ll tell you the simple thing my husband did to hook me then reel me in.

Sis, who isn’t currently “on the hunt” has an old friend from high school who plays acoustic covers at different bars near where she lives. She likes to go see him with some of her girl and guy friends from high school to indulge in some no-pressure nostalgia. The singer–we’ll call him Mike–knows their little tribe comes just to see and support him, so he visits with them between sets.

Approaching one of Mike’s breaks on a Saturday, an older gentleman sidled up to my sister and started hitting on her. Whatever his come-ons were, they had zero impact on Sis who kept finding more creative and aggressive ways to say “no” while simultaneously flagging Mike down to come save her.

My sister is gorgeous and always has been. I’ve spent my life watching men fall all over themselves to grovel at her feet, leaving me to wonder, What am I? Chopped liver? The point being that I can imagine exactly how this man did whatever he could to garner her attention. He worked hard at it. Before Mike could finish his song and come to Sis’s rescue, the man knocked his drink over. On my sister. On purpose. He then proceeded to wipe it off her exposed legs as she fought off his octopus-like moves.

Then he said, “I’m as bad as my grandchildren.”

Sis isn’t looking for someone at all right now and has only dated guys her own age. Nothing against AARP members, but she isn’t interested in pursuing them or anyone else. Regardless, she’s just not into more experienced men, let alone seeking them out on Match.com. I can only imagine her trying to clean herself up while simultaneously fending him off–while holding down her mini-skirt and sitting on a barstool at a hightop table. Imagine anyone trying to do that without falling off the seat.

Talk about what not to do.

Which begs the question, What in the world did my husband do to land a wild child like me?

 

He didn’t say a word. Mr. H. is a major introvert and barely spoke with anyone in our group of friends. He came to visit his brother in our college town right after I left for a two-month internship, so he had bonded with our group while I was away. One of us graduated shortly after I returned, and our small circle of friends met up in a fast food parking lot before heading to the ceremony.

I said, “I’m thirsty.”

He passed me his Mountain Dew.

We spent the rest of the day together, talking all through her party and into the night.

In the morning, he kissed me when the sun came up. Sigh.

 

Every time I share that story I fall in love with him all over again. We’re living the dream: happily ever after.

Rock His World Blurb

Kristi Hancock- HRrockhisworld

Sasha Ford lives life her way. Tattooed, pierced, and professionally satisfied, the Seattle music-lover has found her groove. She’s living her dream as a free-spirited graphic artist, but the fearless vixen has grown bored with her booty-calls and is on the prowl for a new conquest. Her trademark black eyeliner and scarlet lips serve as both invitation and warning to any man she pursues.

Seven years of college transformed small-town bad boy Avery Kingston into a super-geek. New to the city with his shiny PhD, he struggles to find his social identity by connecting with his tough guy roots. Attempting to merge his past with his present in the counter-culture, he finds himself in over his head—especially when sexy Sasha drags him into her world of mosh-pits and after-parties.

Sasha only expects a one night stand, but their searing chemistry leads them in a direction she’s less than comfortable with. Confronted with the female version of who Avery thought he could be, Sasha’s sexual advances bring out a carnal need to give as good as he gets. Sasha believes she can’t maintain her own identity if she’s in a serious relationship, but Avery wants more than sex from his hot rebel. He must convince her of his love and respect for her fierce independent streak or say goodbye to her forever. Is Avery strong enough to make Sasha break her own rules?

Pre-order Links: Liquid Silver Books | Amazon

About Kristi Hancock

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SONY DSC

After years as a slave to corporate America riding in Learjets and limos, Kristi Hancock dropped out of the business world to teach English and reading at an inner city school. A voracious romance reader since her teens, she was thrilled to discover she could write something more than technical manuals and business proposals. She lives with her husband, a tabby cat, a Maltese, and dozens of colorful fish. She loves being a passenger on her man’s motorcycle as they carve up winding mountain roads and speed across the local lake in their boat. With a Buddha statue on her desk, a teddy bear dressed like Shakespeare on her shelf, and a drawing of a skull with a Mohawk on her wall, she lets her imagination run wild as her characters tell her their naughty stories for all the world to read.

Connect with Kristi: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter