Book Blitz: Serenade

Serenade
Heather McKenzie
(The Nightmusic Trilogy #1)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: April 17th 2017
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Young Adult

Kidnapped and held hostage in the Rockies, a teenage heiress falls for her abductor while her corrupt father and devoted bodyguard fight to get her back. The discovery of true love and dark family secrets turns deadly in this epic coming of age adventure.
Kaya Lowen dreams of living like a normal eighteen-year old, but being heiress to a billion-dollar company has put her life in constant danger. Fiercely guarded by her powerful and corrupt father, she develops close bonds with those who protect her, especially Oliver – a bodyguard who has proven his devotion to her time and again. He wins her heart – until a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger has her questioning everything she believes in. Haunted by true love and reeling from a guilty conscience, Kaya’s world unravels when she’s kidnapped.
Held captive in a rugged wilderness fraught with raging storms, mystical caves and deadly predators, Kaya’s father scours the forest and her bodyguard fights to get her back. But, the discovery of a dark family secret makes Kaya wonder if staying in the arms of her blue-eyed abductor—a captivating stranger with dark secrets of his own – is a safer place to be. At least, that’s what her heart is telling her, her head is saying run…
An epic adventure centered on a smoldering love-triangle, Serenade sings a timeless tale of courage, self-discovery, and life-or-death love that will leave you breathless.

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—

EXCERPT:

This was it, now or never.

I gathered every single ounce of energy I had and steadied my mind to ignore the pain in my foot and the dizziness in my head. Then, with everything I had, I turned and bolted toward the dense forest. The darkness instantly enveloped me. I could see well enough not to run into tree trunks, but branches caught me at every turn. My head felt as if it was spinning like a top, but I forced my legs to keep going. I could hear the men’s voices yelling at each other in an organized manner.
I tripped and found myself on all fours. Get up, girl. There’s nothing wrong with you—get up…
I made it a few more steps before my head connected with a blue spruce, and then I collapsed in a pathetic heap. My arms were so wobbly I could barely wipe at the gash across my forehead. My body was completely failing me. I prayed to God that the dog would just snap my neck and get it over with quickly…
Human footsteps approached. I gulped in some air and tried to push myself up, but the world tipped on its side and I fell with it. Within moments, large hands had my wrists pinned to the ground. I struggled and fought with everything I had left, which wasn’t much.
“Stop fighting,” he said.
His voice created such confusion inside me. I kicked harder.
“Stop… please,” he begged.
His body pinned mine to the ground. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.
“Please, Kaya, trust me. I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise.” He leaned forward and pressed his sleeve to my bleeding forehead, dabbing and inspecting it closely while I had no choice but to gaze up him. How could this beautiful man be a kidnapper? It just didn’t fit.
“It’s just a scratch; no stitches required,” he said, voice trailing off as his eyes met mine.
We stayed like that for a while: me on the ground, him kneeling over me, and our line of sight only on each other—until an unmistakable sound broke through the tree tops.
“They’ll find me,” I said softly, wondering if Oliver was in the helicopter circling over our heads.
He positioned his arms under my body, and, in one graceful motion, he picked me up and into his arms. “Just don’t run. Promise me that, please. I’ll keep you safe. You have my word. Okay?”
He held me tightly—protectively—waiting eagerly for my reply with turmoil in his blue eyes. My whole body hurt, and admittedly, I couldn’t have walked another inch. The wolves or that beast would have got to me long before Oliver would have. I was at my kidnapper’s mercy, laying helplessly in his arms and falling harder for him by the second.
“I promise,” I said.

Author Bio:
Heather McKenzie is a Canadian author and Serenade is her first novel. A professional singer/songwriter with five albums to date, she has been telling stories through music for years and pulls from her extraordinary experiences as a musician to fuel her passion for creating Young Adult fiction. A rocker at heart, a mom of three, an aspiring painter, and a lover of animals, she is kept grounded by her husband at their home in Edmonton.

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Book Blitz: Scarred

Scarred
Mia Kerick
Publication date: March 1st 2017
Genres: LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance, Suspense

From bestselling author Mia Kerick comes a New Adult novel of Gay Romantic Suspense that will keep you up reading all night!
Matthew North waited ten years to heal from the devastating wounds inflicted by the man who abducted and abused him as a child. Living reclusively on a tropical island—with no company but his four cats—he merely avoids the lingering pain.
Wearing twisted ropes of mutilated skin on his back, Matt struggles with a profound hindrance—the scars that deaden his soul. However, on the night he meets lively Vedie Wilson, a local restaurant busboy who expresses his gender by wearing lipgloss and eyeliner along with his three-day beard, things change.
Gradually, Vedie and Mateo unite in friendship. Through a series of awkward encounters, the pair learns each other’s secrets. Vedie learns that an angelic face can front for a scarred soul. Matthew learns that the line between one’s masculine and feminine sides is blurred. Can they embrace the painful stories behind each other’s scars if they’re to find everlasting love? Or will surrendered love come to be yet another blemish on their souls?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Vedie

“Lookin’ good, pretty Miss Vedie.…mmmhmm….” No matter if I’m dressed like a dude or a lady, Joey always stares at me as if I’m a juicy bowl of strawberry shortcake—he licks his lips and I know he wants to take himself a nice big bite of a flavor he can’t get at home. Then he slaps a hand hard against my thigh, and creepy-slow, it climbs my leg. It’s headed for my ass cheek, or my name ain’t Vedie Wilson.
“Hands outta the cookie jar, Joey, my man.” I don’t appreciate it when any dude gropes me without asking for permission first. But the sad truth is I ain’t never gonna like Joey’s hands on me. While he gawks, I pull a shimmery hairband out of my bag and wrap it around my head to hold the damp dreads off my face. “Got yo’self a sweet tooth, looks like, Joey. You’d be wise to get your ass home to your sweet wife, not that you asked me for no words of wisdom.”
“Not gonna even think about going home ‘til I had me some fun,” Joey replies, jamming his hand in his pocket—probably to keep it from curving ‘round my ass.
When I bend down to rinse the sweat off my face he stays quiet and don’t goose me. Maybe this time he heard what I told him about gettin’ his butt home to Miz Joey. But more likely he’s checking out my butt.
“Baybeee… uh huh…. mmmhmm… nice ass you got there in them sweet little shorts….”
I sigh real loud, “I got some shit to do here, big dawg, so’s if that’s all you wanted…” The only way to get this guy to take a hike is to tell him point blank that he’s gotta head on out. “Catch ya on da flip side, ‘kay?”
He leans in so close I can feel his scratchy beard brushing on my neck and I shiver in the bad way. He takes a deep sniff—I guess he likes the smell of sweaty dude—and then finally bails. Right now, I sorely wish the tiki hut restaurant I work at had one of them one-person anything goes restrooms—for a dude, a lady, or whoever you feel like at the moment—but at least now I’m finally alone in the men’s room.
I pull out my makeup bag and quickly powder my nose so’s it don’t shine, and glide a deep shade of maroon over my lips, but I take the time to be an artist with my eyeliner and mascara ‘cause I figure eyes oughta say somethin’. When I look good enough that I’d wanna do me, I figure I’m looking good enough for public viewing. My new perfume smells like the freedom I got down here on Placida Island—coconuts and wildflowers and the ocean and honey— I spray it all over my neck and chest.
As I saunter outta the men’s room, I don’t miss that it’s kinda funny how I went in here looking all-dude but comin’ out, you could mistake me for a lady. Ha! More like a red-hot, sexy mama—smooth and silky everywhere ‘cept for the four-day beard.

Author Bio:
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.
Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

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Book Blitz: Dangerous Victor

Dangerous Victor
Aislinn Kearns
(Soldiering On, #3)
Publication date: March 2nd 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Radha Iyer knows there’s something terribly wrong happening at the casino she manages. Her staff are acting cagey, the finances don’t add up, and then her Head of Security is found murdered in his own home. She’s out of her depth and desperate for help.
Zack Walker has kept to himself since the day an IED left him permanently scarred. When Radha calls Soldiering On for help, his degree in math makes him the obvious choice to go undercover as the new Head of Security to help her discover what’s going on and who’s responsible.
But the conspiracy they uncover goes deeper than either of them could have imagined. When their investigation is compromised, it puts them both in mortal peril and on the run. With nowhere to turn they must rely on each other, but danger and betrayal lurk in every shadow…

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

A sickly smell reached Zack; at the same time a sense of foreboding settled over him. He hadn’t noticed it at first, presuming it was from the kitchen remains. But this was something else.

He swallowed, trying not to breathe as he made his way towards the room. It had to be the bedroom—the only room yet unexplored.
“Stay here,” he growled to Radha. The rustling behind him stopped.
He tugged the sleeve of his hoodie over his hand as he reached for the knob. Careful not to leave any prints, he opened the door.
The smell assaulted him immediately, making him gag. His eyes watered, and he blinked to clear them.
“What is it?” Radha asked.
He didn’t know how to answer. Louis—at least, he assumed it was Louis—lay on the thin carpet. Dried blood, black in the wan light, pooled beneath him. Flies buzzed and writhed around him. He no longer looked human—a specialist would need to tell them how long he’d been there, but Zack’s best guess was about a week—the length of time he’d been missing.
Louis hadn’t fled to Mexico with the casino’s money. He’d bled to death on his bedroom floor.
The puzzle pieces shifted and rearranged themselves in his mind, becoming more entwined and complex, leaving gaping holes of knowledge.
“What?” Radha’s voice was thinner now, anxiety dripping from the word. She shuffled closer, and Zack wrenched the door shut. He spun, blocking her with his body, forbidding her from entering that room. She didn’t need to see her friend like that.
“I’m sorry, Radha.” He kept his arms out, stretched across the hall in case she tried to dart around him. Instead, she stared up at him as tears pooled in her eyes.
“He’s not…” she couldn’t finish.
“I’m so sorry,” Zack repeated.
The tears slipped from her eyes and slid down her cheeks. She let out a gasping sob, and Zack gathered her into his arms and half-carried her out the front door. He breathed in deep gulps of the fresh night air as he held her close.
She cried quietly against his chest, and all Zack could do is offer murmured words of comfort as he stroked her back. When was the last time he’d comforted a woman? Held her close?
Too long.
“We need to call the police,” Zack told her softly as her tears subsided.
She nodded, eyes vague. “Yes.”
“They’ll need to ask us some questions,” he warned her.
“Of course.” The nod was slower this time.
“Radha, you’ll have to tell them about the strange finances at the casino.”
At this, her eyes snapped to his. “Why? We can’t tell them.”
“I think it’s best we do,” he coaxed softly.
“But it doesn’t have anything to do with…” Her eyes widened as it dawned on her. He had to say it aloud, anyway.
“He was murdered, Radha. And there’s every chance it was to do with the casino.”

Author Bio:
Aislinn is an Australian Expat living in Qatar. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in English and History, which she loved, and then went on to do a Masters in an unrelated field. She now largely pretends that last degree never happened.
She is the author of the 'Soldiering On' books, a Romantic Suspense series. She enjoys reading, writing, travelling, and fantasising about her future cottage in a forest. Now that she's published, her next life dream is to own a dog.
This is where she would list her awards if she had any.

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Cover Reveal: Beautiful Assassin

Beautiful Assassin
Skyla Madi
(Syndicate #1)
Publication date: January 2017
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

Spoiler alert. I fall in love with the man who comes in the night.
He watches me down the scope of his rifle, and it’s terrifying and exhilarating, not knowing when he’ll squeeze the trigger.
If he’ll squeeze the trigger.
Maybe I’ll die tonight…
…maybe I’ll die next week.
It’s a sick and twisted game, but it’s ours. And just when I think our story ends at a distance, he comes in close, thrusting himself into my life.
We are at war, he and I, and eventually, he’ll have to kill me.
If he doesn’t, someone else will.

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Author Bio:
Skyla Madi is an Australian writer from Brisbane, Queensland.
She started her writing career fresh out of high school and at 21 she is a giver of both real and fictional life.
Madi is an Aquarian, lover of the written word and author of the #1 BESTSELLING Consumed trilogy.

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Book Blitz: Coming Home Boxed Set

Coming Home Boxed Set
Meli Raine
Publication date: July 28th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

When a mysterious job offer brings Carrie Myerson back to the town where her father was set up for a federal crime, she returns—to face a past more dangerous than she ever imagined.
And a love more passionate than she ever dreamed.
Drug crimes, kidnappings, set-ups and betrayal all unfold as Carrie and her ex-boyfriend, local police officer Mark Paulson, untangle the complicated web of deceit at the heart of her past.
Nothing is what it seems.
Including Mark.
This boxed set includes all three books in the Coming Home series:
Return
Revenge
Reunion

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99¢ for a limited time only!

—

EXCERPT:

It’s him. Mark. My ex-boyfriend.

I can’t look. I just…can’t. Too many memories are in that face. That rugged, handsome face. My heart jumps up like an excited puppy, wagging in my chest, eager to be acknowledged and touched. The rest of me shoves it down.
Officer Mark Paulson stands in front of me in uniform, soaking wet, his hat making the rain fall in streaks in front of him. The curtain of water catches my eye. It’s easier to watch it than to stare at him. If I did stare, though, I know what I would see.
Broad shoulders under that crisp black uniform shirt. A thin scar running under his jaw, where he was knifed in a fight when he did a tour in Afghanistan. Wet, blonde hair I used to love to stroke. Gentle hands that once cupped my face. Eyes that could draw me in with a hot breath. The tender taste of lips meant only for me.
He speaks, pulling me out of the memory. Stop it, Carrie, I think. Stop with the dreams you destroyed.
“You okay?” he asks, looking around swiftly. He’s worried. That’s really touching. It’s nice to know he cares. Three years is long enough for him to stop hating me, right?
And I know he hates me.
He has to. I disappeared one day and never said goodbye to him. When you do that to someone, they tend to really resent it. Especially if they love you.
“I’m, uh…” My voice fails me as I watch the water fall in sheets down his cap. “My tire blew.”
He thumps his hand on the car door. “She’s still around, huh?” I know he means the car, but it feels like a dig. Like he’s cutting into me for leaving.
Like he’s still hurt.
If he’s still hurt, that means the feelings haven’t faded, and if his feelings are still that strong, then mine make more sense. I thought when I left town I would shed so much damage and hurt. Because leaving town meant I could leave behind so much pain.
But leaving Mark? That meant the pain came with me.
I start to shiver. It’s not from the cold and the rain. Those arms. The rain drops gather and ripple down his taut muscles, dotted with a sprinkling of dark hair. I remember when I was in those arms.
I remember every single time he touched me.

Author Bio:
USA Today bestselling author Meli Raine writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes -- and the women who love them. Her books include the Breaking Away series (Finding Allie, Chasing Allie, Keeping Allie), the Coming Home series (Return, Revenge, Reunion) and the Harmless series (A Harmless Little Game, A Harmless Little Ruse, A Harmless Little Plan).
Meli rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.

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ARC Review: The Cruelty

Title: The Cruelty
Author: Scott Berstrom
Publish Date: February 7, 2016
Source: ARC from Feiwel & Friends

Synopsis:

When her diplomat father is kidnapped and the U.S. Government is unable to help, 17 year-old Gwendolyn Bloom sets off across the sordid underbelly of Europe to rescue him. Following the only lead she has—the name of a Palestinian informer living in France—she plunges into a brutal world of arms smuggling and human trafficking. As she journeys from the slums of Paris, to the nightclubs of Berlin, to the heart of the most feared crime family in Prague, Gwendolyn discovers that to survive in this new world she must become every bit as cruel as the men she’s hunting.

My Review:

This book was so unexpectedly good!

Let me clarify what I mean by that. I didn’t know what to expect. All I was given was a short summary and I was intrigued by it, but the book is actually so much better than the summary makes it out to be.

The writing was phenomenal. I could picture every scene in my head since the writing was so descriptive and vivid. What I didn’t like was that the story seemed to lag in some parts. There was a lot of action over the course of the book, but the parts that weren’t action packed seemed to lag and go on forever.

Gwen was so awesome. Most people would just sit around and wallow when they figured out that their dad was taken. But not Gwen. She takes action to go and find him since she feels like she is the only one who can.

I loved her character. She is the type that when she falls, she gets right back up and is usually swinging when she does. She was one tough bad ass chick who needs not to be messed with.

The one thing about Gwen’s character that I didn’t like was her weird connection with Terrance back home. It just didn’t seem like a real connection. Oh, she suddenly meets this boy who she has been going to school with for a while and makes an instant connection with him and tells him all her secrets about this crazy plan she has to find her dad? It just doesn’t seem plausible. But then again, it could be and I have just never had a relationship like that.

The Cruelty is an action-packed story about a girl going against all odds to find her father. Scott Bergstrom does a fantastic job setting the scene and brining Gwen to life. It is a phenomenal read. 

Book Blitz: Stockholm Syndromance

Stockholm Syndromance
Ada Scott
Publication date: November 4th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

He doesn’t have to keep me tied up, but I hope he does…
Eliana
My father kept me locked away from the world, my only purpose in life was to stand in the background while he campaigned for President, or to be sold like a slave to cement his old alliances as a Mafia hitman. All I’ve ever known was his contempt and my loneliness.
Then my deepest darkest fantasy kicked my door down and dragged me off into the night.
He’s the first person I ever met who wasn’t afraid of my father. He’s a machine of war, and he’s making me so… damn… hot.
Eric
The contract is simple: abduct the daughter of Jace Barlow’s nemesis and deliver her safely.
I’m a professional. She’s off limits… but this chick is the hottest kind of crazy. I never met a woman who could take everything I had to give and beg for more, and now I’m dangerously close to addicted.
I need to concentrate on keeping us alive before her father’s goons, the Feds, the cops or the biker gang catch up with us, but the way she licks my gun has me thinking maybe nothing else matters if I can’t have her wrapped around me forever.

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—

EXCERPT:

I wrapped the towel around myself, then undid it and wrapped it around me again, a little lower, tucking the corner in to keep it tight. It was no push-up bra, but the effect was the same.
Eric had cleared the remains of our meal away and a beam of early morning sunlight had fallen across the covers while I showered. Eric had set up a blanket and a pillow on the couch, where he was reclining with his hands behind his head while he waited for me, still wearing only his boxers. He paused halfway through standing up as he took in the sight of me wearing nothing but a towel that was barely big enough to come down to my thighs.
“Where’s your clothes?”
“They’re dirty.”
He crossed the room slowly in my direction, his every muscle-bound movement was poetry in motion. My knees felt weak.
Even after the shower, I could feel the heat of him when he stood close. A drop of water escaped my hair and I felt it cutting a path down my chest, and over the upper swell of my breast. Looking up into his eyes, I could see him following that path and I smiled at the hint that he was every bit as transfixed by my softer curves as I was by his firm ones. I could feel myself being pulled to him, as if the cells of my body might detach and start flowing across the short distance between us if one of us didn’t do something about this unacceptable lack of physical contact.
“Why don’t you kiss me?” I asked.
His lips parted, then he licked them before he spoke without conviction. “That’s… not my job. You should get dressed.”
“What is your job?”
“I’m going to deliver you to my employer,” he said.
“Alive?”
“If I can.”
“Well… did he say you weren’t allowed to have any… fun along the way?”
My heart was back in my throat, my breath shaking again. It felt like it was beating so hard that my breasts were wobbling with every beat. Could he see how excited he was making me? Would he give me what I needed while we had this gift of time together?
“You don’t know what you’re asking…”

Author Bio:
Join me here for free downloads, discounts and news:
http://adascott.com/free-bad-boy-romance-download/
A former office drone, a former nurse, I now spend every waking moment doing what I love, creating and publishing these steamy stories about bad boys from the mafia, motorcycle clubs, and mma that make me, and hopefully you, weak at the knees! Anywhere a bad boy can be found, I'll be there taking notes and making it even sexier :)

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Cover Reveal: Tattoo Killer

Tattoo Killer
A.J. Norris
(A Tattoo Crimes Novel #1)
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: October 18th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Mikey Hardin is a murderer. At least that’s what his ex-wife wants the police to believe…
A tattoo artist and single father, Mikey becomes a suspect in a series of homicides thanks to an anonymous tip from his ex. The case against him seems straightforward, especially since Mikey is connected to the victims, but police detective Harry Hunter knows finding the psychopath isn’t that simple. The physical evidence doesn’t add up. After Mikey is released and amid the turmoil of his life, he meets Grace Bell, a beautiful divorcee, in a chance encounter.
Mikey is everything that straight-laced Grace isn’t…
Grace is tired of living a rigid existence and wants to break free from the routine of her mundane life. The tattoo artist’s free spirit and charm quickly draw her into his world. From the back of his Harley, he teaches her how to let go and have fun, leading to a sizzling passion she never knew existed.
Another woman is found dead, and the killer isn’t finished yet…
Grace is unaware of Mikey’s part in the investigation of the local homicides, but when her estranged father, detective Harry Hunter, finds out who she’s dating, he’s quick to fill her in. Even though he thinks Mikey is innocent, there is a killer in Webster and he’s not stopping until he gets what he wants. Every victim is connected to Mikey, and her father fears Grace will be next.
After Detective Hunter receives a threatening phone call from the killer, he rushes to protect his daughter, but is Grace really the next target of the…
Tattoo Killer?

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Author Bio:
A.J. Norris is a lover of all books but her loyalty remains with her first crush; romance. She graduated from a mid-western college with a degree in absolutely nothing to do with writing whatsoever. It wasn’t until well after college when the build-up of voices inside her head became too overwhelming and needed to be let out, that she began to write. She isn’t following a family legacy of writers, only a need to put words on a piece of paper. Her romantic suspense novel, Tattoo Killer, published by Limitless, LLC releases October 2016. Her Black Wings, book one of The Dark Amulet Series, a paranormal romance, released in July 2016 and book two, Her Black Hearts released August 23, 2016.
A.J. is a movie buff, especially book adaptations, loves watching her son play baseball and communing with other writers. She lives with her family who are extremely tolerant (at least most of the time) of all her late nights behind the computer.

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Book Blitz: Dragonfly Nightmare

Dragonfly Nightmare
Erin Richards
(Once Upon A Secret, #1)
Publication date: September 12th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Suspense, Young Adult

To be a normal teenage girl.
To forget about the past.
To fall in love for the first time.
Is that too much to ask?
Sixteen-year-old Allie Bailey just wants a break—a break from her overly-protected life. And Dragonfly Meadows summer camp is the answer. A summer away from her parents in the California Sierras with her best friend is exactly what she needs.
But once at camp, Allie notices that things are a little off. Paid excursions are cancelled and staff is replaced with shady new people. When the camp’s founder goes “missing,” Allie starts to worry. Unable to let it rest due to her past, she starts to investigate, enlisting the help of Logan Montgomery, her best friend’s older and adorably geeky brother.
When hauntingly familiar flowers appear in Allie’s cabin, she’s not sure what to think—has her past caught up to her? Yet, after Allie stumbles across a murder conspiracy and chases down the truth, she becomes a target. Pushing through her paranoia and fear to find strength, it’s up to Allie to save herself and the campers from a deranged killer before it’s too late.

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You can request a review copy of Dragonfly Nightmare here!

—

EXCERPT:

My life turned a corner today to a kickass summer. A glorious day sliding past go and collecting $200 on the highway to my freedom, two days after the ultimate Independence Day. I wanted to shout my bliss to the world, but I refrained from killing my mother’s eardrums any further. Nerd, much?

For the first time in my short sixteen years, I was headed to summer camp. How stupid exciting was that? For others it was no big deal, or even lame. For me, camp meant paradise, considering I’d begged my parents to let me go for the last four summers and got the big, fat no every flipping time. It wasn’t even about money. Just major overprotectiveness due to The Incident That Shall Not Be Cloned.
Although I was joining the Teen Leadership Program as a Cabin Leader, I was coming apart at the seams to revel in the whole camp experience. Not all would be work, though. My best friend slash partner in crime, Laurel Montgomery, and I had dibs on fun. Escaping the house for two weeks was a major step toward more freedom in my life. I just wished my parents held my same excitement. The thought deflated my insane joy.
My gaze bounced to Mom’s white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. I brushed my fingers over her thigh. “It’ll be okay. You have to let me go sometime.” The four black beads rolled on my leather cuff as I withdrew my hand from her leg. I spun the beads around the band, ignoring their significance for a change.
“I know, Allie. I’m just—”
I curbed the urge to pull more of my hair out before baldness set in. “We’ve hashed this out. You’ve checked out the camp a zillion times. Carla Amadori’s family has owned the joint forever. Laurel and Logan love her, and you spoke to all the other parents.” Overkill if you ask me. “And you know Laurel and Logan will kill anyone who even looks at me wrong.” Even though I kidded, I mentally kicked myself for dredging up that bit of paranoia.
Four years ago on my twelfth birthday, a psycho abducted me and held me at gunpoint for twenty-four hours. My father’s investment brokerage had fired the freak and he flipped. I knew the man from attending various company events. I was lucky he didn’t lay his grubby paws on me or physically harm me. The mental damage was bad enough. Now everyone looked suspicious, and I couldn’t go anywhere without spying one person who looked like a deranged kidnapper. After counseling, I’d learned ways to cope with the trauma, but I still watched my back whenever I left the house. Seriously, I had developed eyes in the back of my head.
The Incident shaped my teenage existence in so many ways. Worst of all, it royally curtailed my freedom. Four smothering years later, because Laurel and her seventeen-year-old brother, Logan, my appointed watchdogs, talked my parents into letting me go, promising they’d stay with me 24/7, I was on my way. Without Laurel’s nagging, I’d be stuck at home this summer with the swimming pool, my cat, and the housekeeper eagle-eyeing my every move.
For the most part, I had buried the memories of the abduction. When I dwelled on them, I made myself believe The Incident was a fictional movie about a girl named Alex. Now, I just wanted to appease my mother before she changed her mind and locked me up at Casa Bailey for the summer. The gates to my prison had opened. By the skin of my dead body, I wasn’t going back inside.
“Happened a long time ago, Mom.” I fingered the bangles on her right wrist. “You have to let it go.” You have to let me go. “Everything will be fine.”
“I know. I know.” Mom’s fingers loosened on the steering wheel. “You have your phone?”
Groaning, I knocked my head on the headrest. “For the millionth time, you know we aren’t allowed to bring them.” The camp was electronic-free, back to nature, home to crappy cell reception. I had no problems living off the grid for two weeks. I wasn’t big on social media or texting anyone except Laurel anyway. The parentals also forbade me to engage on social media, so my phone was simply a phone.
“Right.” Eyes on the road ahead, Mom dug through her purse and withdrew a new smartphone. “Take this.” She stuck it in my hand. “Keep it with you at all times.” A charger landed on my lap.
“Are you kidding me? Mom!” I held the phone as if dog crap coated it. My nose wrinkled. “Paranoid, much?”
“No, I’m not kidding. Don’t tell anyone you have it. Not even Laurel or Logan.”
“You planning to call me every flipping day?” I stuffed the phone in my hobo purse and clutched the bag to my chest, my irritation fading as we neared the school.
“Watch your tongue.” She wheeled the car into the parking lot.
We passed through the familiar scrolled wrought-iron gates of my private school. The campground had a deal with the San Francisco school to use their bus to cart local kids to the camp. Otherwise, you wouldn’t catch me dead or alive on school grounds during the summer.
Vehicles jammed the small parking lot, ignoring the white parking lines. Logan stood by the Montgomery’s silver van. He’d morphed into a taller, sinewy geek with pale skin sorely needing a tan. Maybe he’d buy one at camp, far, far away from me.
Ugh. Why’d he agree to come this summer? Seeing him set off a tumble of thoughts inside my head and an odd crick in my heart I wanted to avoid. I’d once had a tiny crush on the gangly, too-tall-for-his-body loner. Into mixed martial arts, he had a black belt which made him king of the geek squad. Laurel, Logan, and I used to hang like birds on a wire at their home when my parents worked, which was all the time. Then the abduction happened. Next thing, I had the plague as far as he was concerned. He’d disappeared without a word to boarding school in Arizona, and then abruptly returned home this past December for his final semester of junior year. My crush evaporated along with many emotions and feelings that year. We’d avoided one another since his return, both of us burying our heads in the sand. Logan had much ado about the kidnapping, and neither of us had confronted each other about that gruesome event. Talk about lame times ten. Blame, resentment, guilt, sorrow, it all boiled up into a mixed stew when I thought about him. Confusion skewered me most of all. I repeat, ugh.

Author Bio:
Erin Richards lives in sunny Northern California. She writes young adult fiction and adult romance, where you’ll typically find her characters in peril, whether based in reality or a contemporary fantasy setting. Magic, murder and mayhem are all in a days’ work! In her spare time, she enjoys reading, photography, and re-landscaping her backyard, even though she hates digging holes…unless she’s burying fictional bodies! Erin also confesses to a fascination with American muscle cars…and reality TV shows. Keep up with Erin’s latest news, exclusive content, and giveaways and subscribe to her Newsletter.

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Book Blitz: Shatter

Shatter
Lola Taylor
Publication date: June 27th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

Love is an addiction. And its name is Scott Melt-Your-Panties Meyers.
For twenty-five-year-old Amy Miles, moving into her craptastic new apartment was like winning the lottery.
Here, she could start over.
No more nightmares. No more drama. No constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for the boogeyman to strike.
No, she was done with all that. She was going to be a normal girl, dammit.
Then Scott Meyers saunters into her life.
She knows she should stay away from her hot-as-sin apartment building manager. Shouldn’t put her heart out there, or get into another hot, romantic mess.
Two years of heartache, a helluva lot of tequila, and buried regrets should have been enough to make her call it quits on passion.
Except, Amy knows the moment she lays eyes on Scott, she’s not going to be able to run away from the undeniable attraction between them. They’re both damaged goods—and there’s a saying that darkness calls to darkness.
But some ghosts won’t be laid to rest.
When a stalker from Amy’s past returns, hell-bent on ending her life, she realizes happily ever after with Scott is just a dream. For his safety, she should walk out the door and never look back. It’s what the old Amy would have done—run like hell. Away from her past, away from inevitable heartbreak.
Except this time, she’s tired of running.
She’s ready to fight—even if it kills her.

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—

“Why Gentlemen Are Sexy” – by Lola Taylor

Reading romance is like going on a first date every time you open your next book. As you read you’re getting to know the hero, falling in love with him page by page. Some romances are sweeter than others. Some are bittersweet. Some are hotter than hell and steam up the screen of your ereader. And all of that’s fabulous and makes you excited to read more romance.

So you pick up another book off your gigantic TBR romance pile, eagerly gearing up for your next first date… only to discover about fifty pages in that your prince is more like a toad.
Or, more accurately, an asshole.
Symptoms of a First-Class Jerk
I see it all the time in hotter romance. The hero is, well, kind of a tool. He doesn’t hold the door open for you. He’s demanding with little compassion. He demeans or humiliates you. He’s possessive because “he just has problems and a helluva lot of baggage, baby.” But don’t worry, he’ll work on that. (Never.)
He thinks he’s all that. He thinks you’ll stick around because hey, what other options do you have? And who could compete with him anyway? He’s just that awesome (and full of crap).
What he doesn’t realize is that gentlemen are sexier.
I like heroes who treat their women with respect. Who make the heroine feel pretty when she’s just rolled out of bed, who bring her breakfast in bed—preferably after a hot round of “let me show you how much I love you.”
I like heroes who are there for their women no matter what, through the good and the bad. Heroes who would never put the heroine down or make her feel bad about herself. Heroes who encourage the heroine to be independent and bring out the best in her.
I like heroes who are tough as nails without being crazy or possessive. An alpha male who knows how to be a teddy bear around his woman, and who treats her like a queen.
I like reading and writing about gentlemen.
Because, in my opinion, nothing is sexier on a man than confidence—and adoration and respect for his queen.
***
Who’s your favorite swoon-worthy hero? Be sure to mention what series/book he’s from so the rest of us can fall in love with him, too.

Author Bio:
“Lola Taylor” is a pen name created for the romances I can’t show my grandma without blushing. My favorite genre to write is romantic suspense, usually involving hot werewolves, warlocks, or any other type of paranormal creature. Keep the action hot and the romance hotter—that’s my motto! I’m a horror film junkie, I still love Halloween as an adult (seriously, I think I get more excited for it than some kids do), and what precious spare time I have is spent with my family, reading (everything from sci fi to middle grade), playing the flute, painting pretty pictures, or screwing around on Pinterest or Etsy. Hailing from the South, I currently live in the Midwest with five fur babies and my hubby.
You can connect with me on Facebook, Google +, Pinterest, Goodreads, or my email (lolawritespnr@gmail.com). Learn more about me and my books at www.lolataylorbooks.com, and sign up for new release notifications via my free New Release Newsletter.

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Book Blitz: Last Chance

Last Chance: A Second Chances Novel
L.P. Dover
Publication date: August 30th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

One last chance.
That’s all Luke Collins, local bad boy and motocross champion, has to not only find his redemption, but win back the girl he lost. He’ll stop at nothing to make her his, even if it means playing dirty.
Lara Jacobs doesn’t want her heart broken again and refuses to give Luke a second chance. After he left her after their one night stand, she ran right into the arms of her close friend, Grayson Moore. He’s always loved her, and he’s determined to make her see he’s what she needs.
However, in life nothing goes as planned and tragedy strikes. After a fatal accident nearly claims Lara’s life, she’s left inside a world she can’t remember. Her memories are gone, including those of the men vying for her heart. Grayson sees her loss as a possibility to forget her love for Luke, but Luke sees it as an opportunity to start over. All he wants is one last chance to show her that she’s the one he’s been in love with all along.
*** An updated version of One Taste (prequel to Last Chance) has been included at the beginning of the book with all new scenes. ***

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EXCERPT:

“Why can’t I go in there and tell her I’m sorry? She needs to hear it from me.”

“No, she doesn’t because she won’t believe it. You need to do a lot more than tell her you’re sorry. Actions speak louder than words. And until you can show everyone you’ve changed, it’s best you stay away from her. It’ll only make things worse.”
“What if I go in there anyway?” I questioned, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn’t want to fight Evan, but I was getting desperate. I needed her forgiveness, for her to know I never meant to hurt her.
Evan huffed and closed his eyes. “You’ll have to go through me first. Lara doesn’t want to see you. She’s with someone else now.”
It was as if someone had sucker punched me in the gut, the air being ripped out of my lungs as I took the hit. Summer groaned and I glared at her. “Is that true?”
“Yes, but I don’t see how that is any of your business. She’s happy, so leave her be.”
“Fuck that,” I shouted. “I’m going inside.” I tried to push past Evan, but he blocked me. We faced off with each other, the tension rising.
Summer stepped between us with a hand on each of our chests. “Guys, this is stupid. You’re friends.”
I scoffed and backed away. “That’s where I beg to differ,” I said, glaring at Evan. “If our situations were reversed and it was Summer inside, I’d let you go to her. I would give you the benefit of the doubt and accept that you’ve changed. But you’re not going to do that, are you?”
Evan’s face softened and he sighed. “I would, brother, but this night is special for Summer and Lara. The last thing they need is you and Grayson battling it out. I have no doubt he’ll come after you if you go in there.”
I faltered, the anger welling in my chest. “Fucking Grayson? That’s who she’s with?”
“Can you blame her? He was there for her, after everything you put her through,” Summer said.
Peering down at her, I hoped she could see the determination in my face. “You tell her it’s not over. I’m not going to give up.” With those final words, I jumped in my truck and sped out of the parking lot. The thought of Grayson touching her made me so goddamn furious. I didn’t care if she was with him . . . I wasn’t going to give up.

Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she began her literary journey she worked in periodontics, enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.
She loves to write, but she also loves to play tennis, go on mountain hikes and white water rafting, and has a passion for singing. Her two youngest fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime, usually Christmas carols.
Dover has written countless novels, including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, the Gloves Off series, the Armed & Dangerous series, the Royal Shifters series, and her standalone novel Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense, but if she got to choose a setting in which to live, it would be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae.

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Cover Reveal: Fear Me, Fear Me Not

Fear Me, Fear Me Not
Elodie Nowodazkij
Publication date: September 27th 2016
Genres: Romance, Suspense, Young Adult

SCREAM meets FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS in this new young adult romantic suspense novel by Elodie Nowodazkij.
Fear is power. They fear me. They don’t fear me enough. Every year a girl disappears in Gavert County, Texas. Their bodies are found days, sometimes months, later with an angel wing carved on their face. They call me “the Angel Killer” and I’m on the hunt again. But this time, it’s personal.
Seventeen-year-old cheerleader Erin Hortz has been warned about the Angel Killer all her life. She never walks alone in the dark. She doesn’t talk to strangers. She doesn’t accept drinks at parties. All she wants is to finish her senior year with a win at the Miss Junior Queen of Hearts pageant, capture the perfect light over the lake with her new camera, and finally catch the attention of her best friend Nadia’s brother—former football star Dimitri Kuklev. Since his injury, they’ve been spending a lot of time together. And getting to know the real Dimitri—not the one she put on a pedestal in her diary is better than she could ever have imagined. And she’s falling hard.
Nineteen-year-old Dimitri’s injury brought him from football superstar with universities from all around the country knocking at his door to not knowing what he wants to do with his life. Taking classes at the local community college is supposed to get him back on track, but all he wants is to be on the field again. The only person who seems to understand him is the one he swore to keep in the friend zone: Erin. His sister Nadia’s best friend and the reason why he can’t keep a girlfriend. Between their early morning jogs, their time spent at the lake laughing, and their late night conversations, he’s having a hard time remembering why it’s such a bad idea.
But when Nadia doesn’t come home after a party, Dimitri and Erin know they must find her before it’s too late—even if that means risking their own lives and everything Erin’s ever known.
Because the main suspect is Erin’s father.

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Author Bio:
Elodie Nowodazkij was raised in a tiny village in France, where she could always be found a book in hand. At nineteen, she moved to the US, where she learned she'd never lose her French accent. Now she lives in Maryland with her husband, their dog and their cat.
She's also a serial smiley user.

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