Category: New Release

Release Blitz ~ Thorne: Rose’s Dark Awakening ~ by ~ R.B. O’Brien

Title – Thorne: Rose’s Dark Awakening (Book 3)
Author – R.B. O’Brien
Genre: Erotic Romance
Release Date: June 17, 2017
“In the small hours
we are unadorned 
our psyche 
naked 
in death 
no more veiled intuition
we know who we truly are.” ~Sebastian Nox
At last, the highly-anticipated conclusion to William and Rose’s story is here!
When William Thorne meets the unassuming but beautiful Rose (Victoria) Wellington, he begins to unmask the true man he has buried for years under hired personal assistants and obsessive work behavior fighting the tobacco industry. But after another tragedy shakes him, all his demons resurface, awakened with ferocity. This time, he will leave Rose behind to protect her, and he will embrace the William that has kept him stable all these years.

With a confession about to go public in seeking atonement for his past deeds, deeds that very likely will land him in prison, William marvels at his Rose’s growth personally but saddens as she moves on in her love life and her career without him. He, too, tries to move on by hiring a beautiful, submissive personal assistant to fulfill all his salacious needs. Each time he sees Rose, his fight to stay away from the beauty becomes unbearable, but his impending future leaves little to change it.
The Thorne Series is a sensually erotic and deeply emotional story with twists that will make you go back to read from the very first page of the series all over again.

I placed the cool cloth against Rose’s forehead and she moaned, opening her lips slightly as Katie danced the ice into the opening. Rose’s eyes fluttered open and she pushed herself to get up, her eyes darting from me to Katie. She took the cloth in her hands from her forehead. “What happened?” she asked, embarrassed. “Sorry…I…I need to go. I was just…I will be going…”
“Sssssh,” I said. “Lie back down. Let us take care of you.”
 “Us?” Rose said with unease. “So, you two are…an us?” Tears started rolling down her cheeks, and I felt my stomach turn. I didn’t want to see her in any more pain ever again. God. Did I have to keep doing this to her over and over?
Katie looked at me, asking for permission to speak and I shook my head no.
“Rose,” I said sternly. “There is no us here. Katie was starting as my PA today. But guess what?”
Katie began to wipe Rose’s tears from her eyes and Rose looked at me, confused, emotional.
“William.” Rose sucked in her breath to stop the tears. “I need to go. This is too much, William. Please. I can’t handle seeing you…the two of you…oh my god…this…”
“Rose, stop it, and listen. The only us is you and me. I’m not going to fight it anymore. I can’t. I won’t.”
“But,” she started. “You clearly have fought it. You have clearly moved on.”
“Yes. I tried. But I can’t. I realize that now. I’ve always known it. I love you, Rose.” I kissed her lips, cold from the ice, and Katie hung her head.
“I’m sorry, Katie.” I said finally. “I will pay you in full.”
She looked up at me with pleading eyes. “Let me serve you.”
“I can’t, Katie. Not now. I can’t hire you. I was forcing something that I knew wasn’t right. You are lovely. Truly. But I can’t.”
I placed the water at Rose’s lips so she could drink and when she had finished, Katie sat at the top of the bed, Rose’s head on her lap. She stroked her hair back and looked at me. “Let me help before I go. That is what I wanted to ask you earlier. If I could please stay and help you. Serve you.”
I smiled and looked at Katie, her need to please me the only thing she cared about. I looked down at Rose and began to unbutton her dress. She trembled at my touch, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. “William…what…what are you doing?”
I rolled her nipples in between my fingers, now free from the confines of her bra. I had plucked her breasts to sit atop the lacy fabric. I was going to have my way.
“Oh god.” She moaned.
Katie continued to stroke her hair to relax her, and I unbuttoned the rest of her dress to reveal her body, still slightly glistening from the heat and her exhaustion.
“Lift up,” I ordered and removed her underwear.
“William, please…what are you doing?” she asked again.
“What am I doing?” I said with a sarcastic tease. “I am going to make you feel good. And you are not going to stop it unless you use your safeword. You remember it, no?”
Her eyes shut and a tear slipped out.
“Hey. Sssssh. Let us make you feel good. Let me love you the best way I know how.”
“Oh, William. I can’t…No…this isn’t right…I can’t…”
“Ssssh,” I said again. “Safeword or nothing. But you can use it. Otherwise, give in, just as I am giving in. I love you.”
I nodded at Katie and stood up to get some bindings. One thing I knew about Rose: she would struggle to stay still and to accept the sensations.
I threw some double handcuffs over to Katie.
“Put those on her wrists. Then secure them to the bedpost with the other half.”
“Yes, sir,” Katie said, all too eager to please.
I looked down at the slightly trembling Rose and knew that even though she was nervous, she was aroused. “Take off all your clothes, Rose.”
She shook her head and I laughed. “Is that a safeword?”
She squeezed her eyes shut again.
Katie lifted her back and removed the dress. I removed the bra fully and nodded again to Katie to secure her wrists. I began to tie the rope around Rose’s ankles.
“William,” Rose whined, but the lust could not be denied. “I’ve missed you,” she said, surprising me.
I drew myself over her and kissed her. Hard. She began to cry again as her tongue pushed its way into my mouth. “I love you,” she managed to say as the force of her kiss broke for only a moment.
“I want to torture you right now, Rose, to bring you to unimaginable pleasure. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She nodded.

 

“If it’s too much, use your safeword. I am starving for you.”
Thorne: Rose’s Dark Contract (DOWNLOAD FREE)
Thorne: Rose’s Dark Secret (ON SALE 99 CENTS)

R.B. O’Brien has always been drawn to the more taboo side of storytelling, even as a young adult, from hiding books from strict Catholic parents as a teen to getting lost in the erotic sections of bookstores for hours. As a writer, O’Brien explores the darker, erotic nature of relationships, those riddled with the reality of insecurities and human folly, exposing the vulnerability, emotional turmoil, and occasional pain that can come from losing oneself in the heat of passion. 


O’Brien holds a degree in English literature and happily resides in the Northeast of the United States. Her first series, the highly acclaimed Natalie’s Edge trilogy, is now available in ebook format, the third of which, Redemption, was nominated for the Golden Flogger Award for best BDSM romance. THORNE, O’Brien’s second dark romance suspense series is complete and available NOW, a tale where things are not what they seem. O’Brien has just released her award-winning series, formerly the Capture of Rosemary, The IMOGEN series. 

“To write is to descend, excavate, to go underground.”—Anais Nin.

O’Brien is a member on The Nu Romantics, a collaborative group who strives to redefine romance.

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Release Blitz ~ Cody ~ by ~ Jessie Cooke

Title: Cody
Series: Southside Skulls Motorcycle Club
Author: Jessie Cooke
Genre: MC Romance
Release Date: June 16, 2017


Cody Miller has just been released from serving 8 years in prison for avenging the death of his brother.


His only family are those at the Southside Skulls Outlaw Biker Club, where the girl he loves lives, but he hasn’t heard from her since his incarceration and no one is telling him what he wants to hear… that she still loves him.

Macy Linden awaits anxiously for Cody’s return, and how he will react when he learns of her life now. 

No longer the boy she last saw, Cody is now six foot two and two hundred and thirty pounds of solid muscle, driven by the need to complete some unfinished business.

Macy has something else she has been hiding. A big secret that will threaten to drive them apart.

Can they still find the love they once had after all their secrets are revealed?

This is the second book in the Southside Skulls MC Series.
This is a Standalone Romance Novel but is intended to be read after book one – DAX – where characters in that novel are main players in this story too. HEA and No cliffhangers.
Intended for Mature Readers.


(CLICK ME)


Jessie Cooke writes hot romance novels about tough guys, bad boys, bikers, fighters and lovers and the women of strong character who tame them.

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Release Blitz ~ Rough & Ready ~ by ~ Hayley Faiman

Title: Rough and Ready
Series: Notorious Devils MC #5
Author: Hayley Faiman
Genre: MC Romance
Release Date: June 16, 2017
Cover Designer: Pink Ink Designs

Cleo Hill is a married woman, in love with a man she’s never really known—her husband, whom she hasn’t seen in eleven years.

Paxton “Torch” Hill is a Notorious Devil, a man who’s been wrestling with his personal demons since before he knew the horrors of war.

When a threat against his club means danger could be lurking around his estranged wife’s door, Paxton is determined to protect her. Yet, one look at the woman he left behind, and he knows his plans are about to change. 

The past is not an easy thing to forget, especially not for a woman scorned. While Cleo isn’t the innocent catch he once knew, there’s something about that rough and ready man she’s not sure she can deny.

After all—they promised each other forever. 

*Recommended for readers 18+ due to Language, Sexual Content, and Violence

32 years young… born and raised in California, did a stint in Oregon only to return to the Golden State. Lived that life a while until the Lone Star State called to us, Hill Country, Texas is where we call home, where our boots rest and loving that country life. Living the life with one bearded power pole climbing husband, two little boys that are full of energy and drive us crazy plus a chocolate lab named Optimus Prime.


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Release Blitz & Review ~ More Than Need You ~ by ~ Shayla Black

Release Date: June 13, 2017

Designer: Rachel Connolly

Photographer: Sara Eirew

Add To GoodReads Here

I’m Griffin Reed—cutthroat entrepreneur and competitive bastard. Trust is a four-letter word and everyone is disposable…except Britta Stone. Three years ago, she was my everything before I stupidly threw her away. I thought I’d paid for my sin in misery—until I learned we have a son. Finding out she’s engaged to a bore who’s rushing her to the altar pisses me off even more. I intend to win her back and raise our boy. I’ll have to get ruthless, of course. Luckily, that’s one of my most singular talents.

Sixty days. That’s what I’m asking the gritty, independent single mother to give me—twenty-four/seven. Under my roof. And if I have my way, in my bed. Britta says she wants nothing to do with me. But her body language and passionate kisses make her a liar. Now all I have to do is coax her into surrendering to the old magic between us. Once I have her right where I want her, I’ll do whatever it takes to prove I more than need her.

This book is the second in the More Than Words series. The books are companions, not serials, meaning that backstory, secondary characters, and other elements will be easier to relate to if you read the installments in order, but the main romance of each book is a stand-alone.

This book contains lines that may make you laugh, events that may make you cry, and scenes that will probably have you squirming in your seat. Don’t worry about cliffhangers. HEA guaranteed! (Does not contain elements of BDSM or romantic suspense.)

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More Than Want You, Book 1

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More Than Love You (More Than Words, Book 3)

Available for Preorder – Arriving February 13, 2018

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TBRreview

First, you need to read More Than Want You.  It’s a different couple but it builds upon the previous story.  Plus you meet Britta and Griff in the first book and so you can start to know them.  And by the end of that book, you want Britta and Griff’s story because MTWY sorta ends on a cliffhanger but for Britta and Griff.

This book picks up right where MTWY ends, Griff just found out a secret that Britta kept from him and he’s going to confront her about it.  Except Britta is now celebrating her engagement when Griff shows up.

Griff has learned a lot in the 3 years since he broke Britta’s heart.  And that’s thanks to Keeley.  Griff has needed someone like Keeley to help him heal from events in his life.  Griff now knows that Britta is it for him and he’s going to set about to prove to Britta that he’s the man for her and he’s going to do it by any means necessary.

5 stars!

Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty novels. For nearly twenty years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.

Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past eight years.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her teenage daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

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Co-hosts

Blog Tour & Review ~ Gun For Hire ~ by ~ J.J. Montgomery

Gun For Hire

The Maui Heat Series

by J.J. Montgomery

J.J. will be awarding 5 ebook of Gun For Hire to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here. 

BLURB:

The job should have been easy—patrol a swank beach that serves as a backyard for Maui’s rich, kick out the riffraff, and get a tan in the process. But rent-a-cop Samantha Winters didn’t anticipate a deliciously grumpy cop, Sergeant Grady Roark, who comes down to the beach to bust her chops and instead leaves her breathless…and wondering why the one man who could help her seems determined to thwart her at every turn.

Grady is keeping secrets from Sam that have him walking the line between attraction and duty. But when Sam becomes the target of a shadowy organization, Grady will have to choose between the law and the temptation of a woman who has him breaking every rule he’s ever known.

The job should have been easy, but when the bullets start flying, Sam learns nothing is as easy as it seems when you’re a Gun for Hire.

Buy Links:
Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

Excerpt: 

“Why John Deacon, Sam?” Grady’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.
I threw my hands up. “It could be Jesus Christ himself signing my paycheck and I’d still be doing it for the same reasons! The job works for my family. What is your problem with John Deacon? And don’t tell me nothing—you owe me more than that.”
“Maybe I’m just jealous.” Grady stared ahead. “Like you said.”
My stomach did a loop. “Don’t use your charm on me, I’m immune—”
“You think I’m charming?”
“Hell no, I don’t! And particularly not when you’re avoiding my question.”
“But you said I had charm.” He tilted his head and gave me a long, sly look from the corner of his eyes. His teeth flashed white from that tanned face and I nearly had to fan myself when I realized I loved the feeling of Grady teasing me.
I threw my hands up in the air. “I give up!”
He wanted to talk about confusing? All I knew about Grady prior to this day was that he was six-foot-two of gorgeous and about as warm as a polar bear on the North Pole in January. And now—
TBRreview

A great first book! Sam is funny but in a quirky way. She’s a former cop turned security guard (not telling why) and she’s working a beach community in Maui. She’s just trying to do her job, keeping the local nudists off the public beach with the help of Maui PD – if they’ll help her. Grady Roark does not want to help Sam and doesn’t really trust her. Except she suddenly seems to be the target of a hit man. Then Grady is forced to believe her.

Sam and Grady have an unparalleled attraction to each other. Each interaction is heavy with sexual tension. But Grady just doesn’t know what to do about Sam and Sam is not looking for a relationship.

A great story from a first-time author. Exactly what I like: funny, suspense, romance and adventure.

5 stars!


Author Bio: 

J.J. MONTGOMERY writes romantic suspense novels with a sense of humor. Her heroines are as smart as they are smart mouthed and the men in their lives are just trying to keep up. Gun for Hire is the first book in J.J.’s Maui Heat Series. 

If you’d like to know more, including info on her newest book, where she gets her ideas, and how it’s possible she can’t use Facebook, please visit her:

Social Links: 
Website | Facebook |  Twitter  | Instagram 

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Release Blitz ~ Above and Beyond ~ by ~ Kathryn Shay

Title: Above and Beyond
Series: To Serve and Protect #1
Author: Kathryn Shay 
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 13, 2017

A family of heroes, all in dangerous jobs, all irrevocably tied to those they love. Read about the Marino clan in this fast-paced, emotional new series, To Serve and Protect, by NYT bestselling author Kathryn Shay.

Nick Marino is the top guy on POTUS’s Secret Service detail. But he’s temporarily sent to upstate New York to guard the president’s sister, Isabelle Barton, who is being threatened in anonymous notes. There, Nick becomes involved with the widowed mom and twin boys, who quickly win over what he thought was his hardened heart. Amidst the heightened anxiety of tracking down the threats, the constant vigilance and an ever-growing sexual attraction between Isabelle and Nick, these two people must uncover not only the plot against her, but determine what to do about their impossible romance.

ABOVE AND BEYOND provides a deep dive into the life of a Secret Service agent and a close look at being related to the most powerful man in the world, along with the glamor of Washington, D.C. politics. The story will keep you interested and capture your heart.

Prologue  

“I need you to go to Catasaga, Nick. Indefinitely. Isabelle is getting threatening notes. She could be in grave danger.”

Special Agent in Charge Nick Marino stared over at the President of the United States, trying to hide his shock. The Oval Office felt hot all of a sudden, though the cool rain dribbled down outside the open window facing the Rose Garden. “Seriously?”

From behind the big oak desk, the President gave a small smile.

Nick’s reaction was inappropriate. He shook off the emotion. “Excuse me, sir, but I’m surprised. Of course, I’ll do this willingly.” 

Tall and built like a football player, James Monroe Manwaring snickered. “You’re probably furious as hell with me. But there are a couple of perks to the assignment. I’m sending Agent Dwyer in with you.”

“Ah.” He’d never worked with his cousin Whitney, who’d become a legend of her own in the service. Manwaring would know her presence in upstate New York sweetened the pot.

“And in a year, when your time on the presidential detail is up, I’ll see what I can do for you. I hear one of the deputies to the director might be leaving then.” 

Nick would move heaven and earth to get in line for the agency’s head job, and the President knew it. Since Nick had joined the Secret Service eighteen years ago, his sole aspiration was to fill the position. Every single career move he’d made had been calculated with that in mind.

“But there’s more to why I chose you.” The President frowned. “The agency has had too many screwups lately. I need someone I can trust up there.”

In recent years, several incidents had blighted the reputation of the service big-time. Agents had allowed the White House to be breached. They’d been drunk and disorderly on the grounds. And most reprehensible, they’d behaved abominably on advance travel visits. His own brother had been a victim of one of these events, though there were extenuating circumstances.

“I understand, Mr. President. And I apologize for my initial reaction.”

“I appreciate your cooperation, Nick.”

“Do we have any leads on who’s threatening her?”

“No, we don’t. My gut says that it’s me they’re after, through Isabelle. I’ve alienated people, even before I became President.”

He had. As attorney general, he’d busted up a ring of dirty cops, been responsible for a myriad of drug arrests and even taken on two corrupt senators and one judge. Because of all that, when he was elected POTUS, he’d been given the code name Pit Bull.  

Sighing, Nick tried to accept that he was going to be a babysitter for several weeks. The very thought of it frustrated him. Because there was nothing more that Nick Marino wanted than to be in the kill zone.

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Kathryn Shay has been a lifelong writer and teacher.

She has written dozens of self-published original romance titles, including print books with the Berkley Publishing

Group and Harlequin Enterprises, and mainstream women’s fiction with Bold Strokes Books. She has won five

RT Book Reviews awards, four Golden Quills, four Holt Medallions, the Bookseller’s Best Award, Foreword

Magazine’s Book of the Year, and several “Starred Reviews.” Her novels have been serialized in Cosmopolitan

Magazine and featured in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and People magazine.

There are over five million copies of her books in print, along with hundreds of thousands

downloaded online. Reviewers have called her work “emotional and heart-wrenching.”


Release Day Launch & Review ~ My Kinda Night ~ by ~ Lacey Black

Today we have the release day blitz for My Kinda Night by Lacey Black! Grab your copy today!

Title: My Kinda Night (Summer Sisters, Book 2)

Author: Lacey Black

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Photographer & Cover Design: Sara Eirew

About My Kinda Night:

Payton Summer doesn’t have time for love. Between running her own business in her hometown of Jupiter Bay and her monthly night out with her sisters, Payton has no room for men, dating, or the drama that it entails. Her life is fine just the way it is. Yet, her attraction to the one man she shouldn’t want can’t be ignored.

Dean McIntire has one rule: don’t date clients. It’s a lesson he learned the hard way, and sees the consequence every day when he looks at his five-year-old daughter. It’s not a rule he’d break again. Until he meets the gorgeous Payton Summer, and suddenly, Dean finds himself ready to throw the rule book right out the window.

What happens when the sparks of lust can’t be denied? One night turns in to two, and two turns in to more. Payton and Dean find themselves unable to stay away, but can they survive when their secrets are exposed?

*Though part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone. It is intended for those 18 and over due to graphic language, descriptive sex, and the world’s most inappropriate grandparents.

Get your Copy Today!

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Catch up on the series today!

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Exclusive Excerpt:

It’s a Summer sister tradition that on the first Saturday of each month, the six of us get together. We take turns picking the location or activity, anything from margaritas and a movie to wine and painting classes at the small gallery uptown. One thing, though, is as certain as the sun rising over the Chesapeake Bay every morning; there will be alcohol involved.

Always.

Tonight, it’s another stupid painting class. Create and Paint, that’s what this class is called. I prefer to call it “Painting sucks, let’s get drunk!” while I chug my fruity Moscato because that’s the only wine worth drinking. Abby whips out red every once in a while and I swear to God Almighty that I’m going to shrivel up and die like those nasty, sour grapes used to create red wine.

I’m the oldest of six Summer girls. Of course, I’m the boss, the leader, and the best at everything (except painting, obviously). As I approach my thirty-third birthday in a couple of weeks at the end of January, I also realize that spending time with my sisters as much as I do is going to become more of a challenge.

Jaime is three years younger than me. She’s the sister who ran away to college and never came back. Well, at least until her fiancé left her the week before the wedding. She moved home, had to move in with our dad and grandparents, and worked for me at Blossoms and Blooms for a short period of time.

Then she met Ryan. Watching those two discover their love for each other was like watching soft porn. Sparks and hormones flew like fireworks every time those two were within a fifty-foot radius of each other.

AJ is the third sister at twenty-eight, or Alison Jane as her birth certificate states. Though, we’ve called her by her nickname for as long as I can remember. She’s the eighth grade math teacher at Jupiter Bay Junior High, home of the Hawks, where she’s taught ever since receiving her teaching degree. She has also enrolled in online classes for her Master’s degree. As of January twentieth, AJ will be a night student.

After AJ comes Meghan. She’s twenty-six and a hygienist at the local dental office. How someone can work inside another’s mouth all day and not get grossed out is beyond me. But she does it. Daily. Meg is also engaged to Josh, a man who treats her like the princess she is. Meg and Josh became engaged in December during a romantic trip to New York City for their anniversary. He went all out: Empire State Building, fancy dinner, down on one knee. It was perfect, just like they are.

Rounding out the Summer sisters are the twins, Lexi and Abby. Lexi, short for Alexis, gives me a run for my money in the boss department and is a hairdresser uptown. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, Chris, who rarely attends any of our family functions. He’s busy trying to take over the financial world, and believes that the only way to achieve that is to work nonstop. I don’t think it’s all roses and fairytales at the Jacobson house.

Abby, or Abigail, was born mere minutes before Lexi, but is as different as can be. She’s reserved, quiet, and shy in ways that the rest of us aren’t. Abby is an English Literature major and works as an editor for a major publishing house out of California. She’s on her computer all day, and rarely ventures out of her little apartment. It’s my goal in this new year to get her out and into the dating world, especially in light of the fact that her love for her best friend is unrequited. Levi is a great friend, but doesn’t see the wonderful woman before him. He’s too busy sticking his penis inside of every woman in the state of Virginia. (I say that lovingly.)

Let’s not forget our father, Brian, and our grandparents, Orval and Emma. Inappropriate doesn’t quite adequately describe the older couple who helped raise all six of us after our mom died. I was seventeen when she succumbed to ovarian cancer, leaving my father behind to get six girls through the teenage years. Enter the grandparents. I’ve got stories for miles, but we’ll get to those later.

Born and raised in Jupiter Bay, a small town of about eight thousand along the Chesapeake Bay, I’ve become accustomed to the small town lifestyle. I own the local flower shop, where I devote every ounce of my soul to making it a success. I’m not gonna lie, I had my doubts there at the beginning. I didn’t know anything about running a business, but was determined to make it work. It’s a lot of work, especially with a small staff of one other employee to keep overhead down, but I’m successful. And proud of it!

And that brings us to tonight. It’s the first Saturday of the New Year and we’re busy celebrating with sandcastles and wine. Hops and Grapes, a local retailer for microbrews and wines made on the east coast, is the place for tonight’s Paint and Create class. Right now, my beach scene resembles something a kindergartener would draw with finger paints.

“Mix together a little white with the brown until you get the light sandy color you’re looking for. Dab your brush in the water and then in the paint, and make long strokes across the canvas.”

Giggles erupt beside me. “She said long strokes,” Lexi whispers not so quietly.

“I get to make long strokes. Ryan is impressively large in the man-junk area,” Jaime says, gulping the last of her wine.

“Yes, we know. You tell us every chance you get.” This from Abby.

“Yeah, it’s starting to get annoying. If I had an impressive man-sword waiting for me at home every night, I’d never leave the house,” AJ adds.

“Not worth it. I’ll take my rabbit over a man any day. That baby has seven speeds and a rotating head,” I grumble, making a mess out of my sandy beach.

“Stop being so grumpy. Maybe if you actually had the real deal for a while, you wouldn’t be so damn cynical all the time,” Jaime says from across the table. She never takes her eyes off her canvas as she makes smooth, straight brushstrokes.

My face burns and I pray the vultures I share genes with don’t notice. Of course I don’t get so lucky. I’ve always said if it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all. Trying to concentrate on my masterpiece, I keep my eyes down and focused on the sandcastle in the corner of the scene.

“I think there’s more to the story! Do you see her blushing?” Meghan’s laughter flits from the opposite end of the table. How in the hell she can see my face is beyond me. It’s probably that sister-radar all of us possess. It’s so damn annoying.

“I am not.” It’s a weak defense, I know, but it’s all I’ve got.

“Deny it all you want, big sister, but your face is definitely blushing,” Lexi adds.

“Ladies, when you get your sandcastle the way you want it, we’ll add a few details and highlights before moving on to the water.” The woman instructing our class has worn a constant smile the entire hour we’ve been here, and frankly, I’m starting to think she hit the sauce way before our arrival tonight.

“Why does my sand look like cellulite?” AJ asks. “I give up. I’m just drinking from here on out.”

Jaime glances over at our sister’s painting. “My God, that’s horrible. Thank God you’re not the art teacher!”

“Cheers,” AJ replies, raising her glass and tapping it against Jaime’s.

“Any wedding plans yet, Meg?” Abby asks, wetting her brush before swiping it through the paint. Always the perfect student, that one.

“Not yet. We’re thinking fall, though.” Meghan’s face lights up at the mere thought of her pending nuptials to Josh.

“That’ll be the perfect time.” Abby’s able to keep her smile happy when she’s in discussion, but I’ve seen the desolation in it too. Even tonight, I see something in her eyes that makes me sad. I’m sure her best friend is the root of her anguish, but I won’t call her out on it tonight. That’s a conversation to have at another time (with less alcohol).

By the time our three-hour torture session is up, each of us has painted waves rolling onto the beach, with a shovel, pail, and sandcastle. We pose as a group for pictures, each of us proudly displaying the fruits of our labor. My sisters each discuss where they’re going to hang their newest creation, while I contemplate which closet I’ll throw it in.

“Yours is great,” Abby says with a big smile.

“Helen Keller could have done a better job,” I retort with a snort of laughter.

As we say good night and thank the instructor, we all walk out together into the crisp early-January night. Not surprisingly, Josh and Ryan are waiting. Jaime and Meg practically run towards their men, each one jumping into their arms as if it’s been days since they’ve seen each other instead of a few hours. Longing rips through my chest and settles into my stomach, heavy and unrelenting. I try to push those pesky feelings aside, but sometimes, it’s just no use. They plant in my chest and brain and dig in deep.

“Good night,” Abby says, pulling me into a hug.

“You going out tonight?” I ask, recalling her mention of Levi’s gig earlier in the evening.

“No, I’m going to take my new painting home and hang it on the wall.”

“Wow, don’t overdo it now on a Saturday night, Abs. Too much excitement will cause wrinkles.”

“I just, I don’t really go to his gigs anymore.”

“Why?” I ask, though already knowing the answer.

She shrugs her shoulders and gives me a small smile. “Just not feeling up to it.”

I let it go. I already know she doesn’t go anymore is because it’s too painful to watch him leave with some skanky bimbo with a dress size bigger than her IQ. Levi may very well never know what he’s missing with Abby, but the romantic in me is still hopeful of him getting his shit together and realizing he loves her.

Hey, I may be cynical as hell in the love department, but I’m still a woman. And this woman wants only the best and a happily ever after for every one of her sisters.

As for me? Well, I’ve decided that my happily ever after will be in the form of cats. I’ll be the little old lady wearing hair curlers and her bathrobe around town, picking up every stray feline she can find.

And you know what? That’s okay. Not everyone is cut out for the spouse, house, and perfect postcard life. Despite what they tell you in the romance novels or in Disney movies, there isn’t someone out there for everyone. Sometimes, a person is just supposed to be alone.

That’s my destiny.

 

TBRreview.png

LOVE this series! I love the Summer sisters and their crazily inappropriate grandparents. If you want a laugh with sweetness, this is the series for you.

Payton has watched her sister Jaime find love and others find love. She had love, or so she thought, 6 years ago when her fiance broke it off. She’s resigned herself to living a lonely life with cats and going to the monthly nights out with her sisters – and their significant others who come along.

Dean is fairly new to town but has been interested by his client Payton. But he won’t get into a relationship with someone he works with again. Payton just does something to him. Payton doesn’t want a relationship either but she’s attracted to Dean also. And that seems to work for them until it doesn’t and they want more.

5 stars!

About Lacey Black:

Lacey Black is a Midwestern girl with a passion for reading, writing, and shopping. She carries her e-reader with her everywhere she goes so she never misses an opportunity to read a few pages. Always looking for a happily ever after, Lacey is passionate about contemporary romance novels and enjoys it further when you mix in a little suspense. She resides in a small town in Illinois with her husband, two children, and a chocolate lab. Lacey loves watching NASCAR races, shooting guns, and should only consume one mixed drink because she’s a lightweight.

Lacey’s debut novel, Trust Me, was released in August 2014 and has been an Amazon Bestseller twice for Free e-books, as well as #1 for Contemporary Romance. All of the Rivers Edge books have been bestsellers in the Romance and Contemporary Romance categories.

Connect with Lacey:

Email: laceyblackwrites@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaceyblack

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthLaceyBlack

Blog: https://laceyblack.wordpress.com

Enter Lacey’s Giveaway:

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Release Blitz ~ Hard Stick ~ by ~ L.P. Dover

Title: Hard Stick
Series: A Breakaway Novel
Author: L.P. Dover
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Publisher: Random House/Loveswept
He carries a big stick. And he’s not afraid to use it.

On the ice, I’m Kellan Carter, powerhouse enforcer for the Charlotte Strikers. Off the ice, I’m just a regular guy. The last thing I want is to get mobbed by a bunch of groupies who are only after me for my fame and money. My ideal woman knows how to enjoy a little good, clean fun—and maybe some not-so-clean fun too. That’s the kind of girl I’d never let go.
When Kristen Robinson, the gorgeous, down-to-earth bartender I’ve been crushing on, agrees to let me take her out, I’m thrilled. We have an amazing night together, culminating in the most electrifying kiss of my life—and that’s it. Kristen tells me we can’t see each other again, but I know that kiss meant as much to her as it did to me. What I don’t know is that Kristen has a dangerous secret. . . .
I’ve proved to Kristen that she can trust me with her body and her heart. But when her past comes back to haunt her, I need to prove that she can trust me with her life. And I might have to get my hands dirty after all.
** Hard Stick is an action-packed romantic suspense. Just to warn you, the story line does NOT center around hockey. The main character plays but a lot of the book is set outside of the rink. **


“So what happened to Maddox? I couldn’t help but notice his face.”
Dallas and Braeden glanced at each other and chuckled. “Kellan fucked him up in practice,” Dallas replied.
I gasped. “Why?”
He finished off his beer, and I could tell he was feeling it by the lazy smile. “It’s what he does. Maddox was being a dick and Kellan put a stop to it. It’s why he’s our captain.”
“Wow, that’s craziness.”
I ran his card and held it out to him, but he grabbed on to my hand. “You haven’t agreed to go out with him, have you?”
“Who? Kellan?” I asked. The girls gawked at me and snorted.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“No, why?”
“Just asking,” he said with a shrug. He put his arm around the blonde and they started for the door. “It’d be nice to get the five hundred dollars.” They stopped and he smiled at me over his shoulder.
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
Braeden sighed and smacked Dallas on the back of the head. “Stop fucking with the girl.” Then he turned to me. “It was just a stupid bet.”
“Stupid?” Dallas laughed. “You put three hundred on it, so I don’t want hear that shit.” In a drunken haze, he smiled over at me. “Just do us a favor and don’t go out with him until after the weekend. We made a bet that he couldn’t get you by the end of the week.”
Braeden hit him again. “What the fuck? Shut the hell up.” He pushed Dallas out the door and they all followed him. So Kellan agreed to the bet? That was mighty bold of him.
I could hear steps on the hardwood floor behind me. “You all right?” Chris asked.
Turning on my heel, I smiled. “Yep.” If Kellan was trying to win the bet, he wasn’t trying very hard. But then again, maybe five hundred dollars was nothing compared to the money he earned. I used to make a good living, but at least I was able to retrieve the money I had in the bank before my supposed death. Having that money helped, especially since I didn’t make nearly as much working at the pub. Hopefully soon I’d be back to doing what I loved.
“Why don’t you go home? I can finish up here,” Chris offered.
“You sure? I don’t mind staying.”
He shook his head. “Go. You do enough here as it is.”
I hurried behind the bar and grabbed my purse. “Thanks, Chris. After all the training Aylee puts me through, I’m exhausted by nine o’clock.”
“I can imagine.” He laughed. “I know not to mess with you now.”
Aylee taught me many self-defense techniques and how to fight. Before, I had no clue what to do if someone attacked me. After everything that happened with Mitchell and Cole, I had to make sure I was ready for anything. At least now, I wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore.
I waved goodbye to Chris and then walked out the door. The night was cool and I breathed in the clean air; the smell of rain was near. We needed it after the long, dry summer we had. Looking over at my car, I didn’t realize there was a truck parked next to me with someone leaning against it. It wasn’t just anysomeone, either.
“Where were you tonight?” I asked, looking straight at Kellan’s smiling face. He had on a pair of jeans that hung low on his hips with a snug green T-shirt that showed off his perfectly sculpted arms. Why did he have to be so sexy? Not to mention, he had perfectly straight, white teeth, which I thought would be a rarity among hockey players.
“So you missed me, huh?”
His smile was infectious and I caught myself smiling back. “I wouldn’t say missed, but I was curious where you were. I saw what you did to Maddox.”
He shrugged. “It had to be done. Maddox has a large fucking head and needed to be brought down.”
I held up my hands. “You don’t have to explain. I, of all, people know what kind of head he has.” It was the size of the entire country.
Chuckling, he stepped forward, his gaze roaming over my body. “You seem different tonight. It’s not very often you smile.”
I hadn’t had a reason to, but I couldn’t tell him that. “Maybe it’s because I know something you don’t.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Uh, I don’t know, perhaps something about a bet?”
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, the Society X series, the Circle of Justice 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.
L.P. Dover is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency and Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management for dramatic rights.

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Release Blitz ~ Different Sides ~ by ~ Marissa Dobson

Title: Different Sides
Series: Phantom Security Book 1
Author: Marissa Dobson
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Murder? One call is all it takes to shatter Elise Dalton’s heart. Her father’s been murdered and the accused is none other than the man she had given her heart to. Though he’d cut himself out of her life years earlier, being the daughter to the chief of police, she has heard enough gossip to let her know that the choices he’s made have lead him down a path of self-destruction. He isn’t the same man she’d fallen in love with but a part of her doesn’t want to believe he could kill her father in cold blood.
Gun carrying, motorcycle riding, bad boy Flash Arquette has done some terrible shit in his life. He’s even taken the fall for someone, and every time he’s done the time for his crimes. This time, though, he’s innocent and no one’s listening to him. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him except Elise. She had to know the truth. He’s hurt her enough in the past, but he would never have done this to her. The only problem is the convincing evidence against him and his inability to give them proof of his innocence without breaking the contract he signed.
Their lives have taken opposing paths, but as the steel bars close around Flash, Elise realizes she’s lost him for good. The small ray of hope that he could change dies and the grief doubles. When those around Flash come forth with information that he’s been set up, she’s not sure she believes them, but she has to find out the truth. Nothing will bring her father back but she might be able to save Flash from death row.

Chapter One:

Law and order had been drilled into Elise Dalton’s head since she was old enough to understand what it was. According to her father, being the daughter of the chief of police left her with a bigger responsibility. She was supposed to set an example. Live her life on the straight and narrow—and for the most part, she did. The only time she took the detour road was for the man she thought she’d spend her life with—Flash Arquette.
During the freshman year of high school, the Arquettes had moved down the block from her and shook up the once quiet, small town. Mr. Arquette was a drunk who thrived on trouble and violence. If he wasn’t causing a disturbance at the town’s only bar, he was at home beating his sons, Rocco and Flash. How many times had her father locked Mr. Arquette up? Each time, his sister, who lived a couple of towns over, would come and take care of the boys until he was released, only to have the cycle repeat itself within a few weeks.
Now, standing in the front yard of the house she grew up in, she glanced toward the old Arquette place. Twilight was quickly turning to dark, making it hard to see anything except the outline of the house. No one had lived there in years and in the day, the neglect was clear. Tall grass, weeds growing through the cement driveway and around the walkway, the broken window, and missing siding made it clear to anyone that it had been abandoned for years. Just glancing at it made her wonder why her father hadn’t done something all those years ago. Maybe if he could have locked Mr. Arquette up for longer than a few days, the boys would have had a fighting chance. Maybe their aunt would have taken them in and raised them right. If only her father had acted more on the situation, maybe he’d still be alive.
Silent tears rolled down her cheeks while inside, her temper raged. She wanted revenge but she could almost hear her father’s words in her ear. Let the justice system do what it’s intended to do. It takes time but it works. Did it really? If so, it would have saved the Arquette boys. It would have given Mrs. Arquette justice. And Flash…
“Ms. Dalton?”
Hearing her name spoken brought her out of the past. She glanced in the direction of the sound. A sleek black town car was parked at the end of the driveway but it was the man getting out who caught her attention. His sun-kissed skin and black wavy hair reminded her of someone she couldn’t place—though the perfectly tailored suit, and the fact he was being driven by a chauffeur, told her he didn’t belong there.
“Ms. Elise Dalton?”
“It’s a bad time. You’ll need to come back…” She wanted to say ‘never’ but she doubted that was an option. Whatever this man wanted, she didn’t have time for it. She had just come from the funeral home where she’d made plans for her father’s funeral. Right now, all she wanted was to be alone, not to deal with people. She took a step back toward the house, quickly finding her key.
“I only need a moment of your time.” His voice sounded closer, nearly right behind her, but she didn’t turn back to look.
“I don’t know who you are, but right now I don’t care. I’ve asked you to leave once and if you’re persistent I’ll have to call my fa…” Tears sprang to her eyes as she slid the key into the lock. Silently, she fought back the tears, refusing to cry in front of him.
“Elise—”
“I told you, now’s not a good time.” The door opened and she stepped into the doorframe, forcing herself to look at him. His brown gaze caught her attention and for a moment she thought she was looking into someone else’s eyes.
“Five minutes, that’s all I need.” Stepping closer, he placed his hand on the door, crowding her space.
“Fuck, man! Don’t you get it? I can’t do this now. I just…he’s…”
“I get it, but I have a message that can’t wait.”
The anger over this man’s persistence was quickly being replaced by fear. Something about a message made her want to reach into her bag for her gun. She wasn’t on duty so she hadn’t put her gun on her belt. Instead, she’d left it in her bag.
“Are you listening to me?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I don’t want any trouble.” Her father was dead; why would anyone be after her? She had nothing to do with whatever he was investigating. They might have been in similar career fields but they didn’t discuss their work. They were both committed to their jobs, often bringing their work home with them, but it didn’t impact their time together. Hell, she hadn’t even been in town in over a week. I missed the last days of his life…
She watched the man’s lips move but her brain refused to focus until the last word. El. “What did you say? What did you call me?” Her knees went weak, forcing her to wobble and take a step back to regain her footing.
“You need to sit down. Let me help you inside.” He grabbed hold of her arm and she went stiff under his touch. “You don’t recognize me, do you? Shit, Elise, I thought you said you didn’t want any problems because you knew who I am.”
“Sir.” A bulky man in a dark suit came up the sidewalk toward the porch.
“Everything’s fine. Watch the house. I’m taking her inside.” Before she could argue, he swooped her into his arms and strolled into her house. He kicked the door shut behind him as he carried her toward the living room.
“Put me down,” she demanded, even though she wasn’t sure if she could stand. Her body felt as if it was liquid—nothing felt right.
He sat her down on the sofa and grabbed the patchwork quilt off the back, draping it around her shoulders. “I’m not surprised you still have this, but I am surprised you have it out. It must have driven your old man insane.”
“You know…” Her words faded as he leaned over and flicked the light on. For the first time, she was able to completely take in the man before her and her gaze fell on the jagged scar across his cheek. “No…it can’t be. Rocco?” Terrible thoughts crossed her mind as she realized Flash’s brother was in her house. She quickly wondered if he was there to kill her before she realized she hadn’t done anything wrong. She hadn’t been in town when her father was killed, so they couldn’t be concerned she’d been a witness to any of it.
“The one and only.” He squatted down in front of her. “Flash called me.”
“Flash…” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or scream at the mention of him; either way she wanted to do it alone. “I think you should leave.”
“I’m innocent, El, I swear. That’s the message I came here to deliver. That’s what I tried to tell you earlier but I don’t think you were listening to me. You just stared past me.” He placed his hand over hers. “Elise, I’m truly sorry. This is one of those situations that all the money in the world doesn’t fix. You have to know, I would if I could.”
“Really? Because if you’re in town, I’m betting you’ve hired a lawyer for him. A high-powered lawyer…someone who could get him off or at least procure a lighter sentence. You don’t care about me or my father. You’re only here to lighten the load on your conscience.” She pulled her hand out from under his.
“You’re damn right; I hired him a lawyer because—”
“I don’t need to hear your excuses. He murdered a police officer and could be looking at the death penalty.” Her chest tightened at the very thought but she forced herself to continue. “He’s your family. I understand you want to save him, but I don’t need to hear it.”
He rose to his feet, grabbing hold of her wrist and pulling her up with him. “Didn’t you hear me when I gave you his message? He didn’t do it.”
“Bullshit.” She tried to pull her wrist from his grasp but he held tighter.
“When have you ever known Flash to fight against the charges? Even the computer fraud charges, when we both know he didn’t do that. A newborn baby has more computer sense than my brother.”
“The evidence—”
“Is manufactured,” he supplied before she could finish. “Flash would give his life to protect you. He wouldn’t want to see you like this. Your old man could be an asshole, but he was your family. Flash respected that. Your father would have never approved of him and for that reason he took himself out of the equation so you wouldn’t be hurt.”
He broke my heart. Yet, she refused to admit that aloud. “It doesn’t change anything.”
“It changes everything.”
“The evidence they have could put him away for life, if not land him on death row.” She didn’t want to admit it but if Rocco was telling her the truth, then her father might never see justice for his murder. He believed in the system. Now, if she believed the man standing in front of her, the wrong person was going to get convicted and her father’s real killer would go free. She didn’t know what to think.
“Elise, I know you’re upset right now but before you allow this to erase the good times you’ve shared with Flash, give us time to prove his innocence.”
“That’s not how this works.” She dropped down onto the sofa, forcing him to let go of her wrist, because her energy was gone. “You’re not supposed to have to prove you’re innocent. They’re supposed to prove you’re guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“Your father stood for the law and he taught you to believe in the system. Now that you’re older, you’ve had to realize it doesn’t always work that way. The police here have been gunning for Flash for years. They’ve picked him up for little things, never the bust they want. Flash is far from innocent in many things, but murdering your father…no.” He stepped back from the sofa.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Can’t you trust me on this for now? I’ll get you the proof. I just need some time.”
She sat there in silence for a moment debating what he said before finally shaking her head. “No, Rocco, I’m sorry. I can’t. My father was murdered; if not by him, then by someone else. If it really was someone else, he could be getting farther away as we speak. If you want me to believe you, then give me something—anything.”
With every word, she could feel the desperation getting heavier. She wanted to believe him, she wanted Flash to be innocent, but she couldn’t believe any of this on Rocco’s word. She didn’t know him well enough to know if he was lying. If Flash had been standing before her, she might believe it, maybe because she wanted him to be innocent—but more than that she’d know if he was lying to her. Years earlier, she realized he had a tell, allowing her to know whenever he was lying.
“Twenty minutes before the…” He paused, as if he didn’t know what he wanted to call the murder of her father. “He was with me. A confidential business meeting. Shit, Elise, that’s all I can give you. I’m in violation of my contract by telling you that much. I need a few hours and I’ll have the red tape cleared enough that he’ll be alibied.”
“Twenty minutes before? Are you serious? That’s not a strong enough alibi.”
“It is when the meeting happened in New York. There was no way Flash could have gotten back into town in twenty minutes.” He dragged his hand through his hair. “I pulled Flash into this because I needed his skills. It’s going to save his life; otherwise they’d send him up the river until they could shove a needle in his arm, ending his life. Trust me when I tell you he’s not just in this mess because of the life he’s chosen to live. I’ve made enemies in my business and they can’t come after me personally—I’m too well protected—so they go after the only one left to them.”
“What kind of meeting?” she pressed, needing more.
He slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and ignored her question. “I’ve got someone working on the traffic cameras. They’ll find further proof he wasn’t anywhere near Pinewood when this happened.”
“Roc—”
“Twelve hours.” From his pocket, he pulled out a business card. “I need you to trust me for twelve hours and I’ll have Flash out of jail. Once that’s taken care of, I’ll help you find the person responsible. My cell number’s on the back; call me if you need anything. I’m staying in town until this matter is resolved.” He started to walk away from her.
“You never answered my question.”
“I can’t.” He glanced back at her. “Elise, you mean a great deal to my brother, and if I could tell you I would, but I can’t. The information I’ve already told you puts us both at risk. Anything further would be disastrous. I can tell you this: the same organization that signs your check also signs the ones for me and Flash.”
Without another word, he was gone, leaving her more confused than she had been. Leaning back against the sofa, she let the first tears fall. Her gaze scanned the pictures displayed above the fireplace but her mind couldn’t focus on what she was seeing. She was too full of grief and unanswered questions to appreciate the memories called by the images before her. What the hell did Rocco mean? The same organization? That wasn’t possible. Was it?
More confused than before, she pulled the quilt into her lap and stared down at it. The worn quilt had been her favorite since that rainy afternoon she’d spent making it with her mother. Dad had always thought it was precious to her because of the time she’d spent with Mom. Little did he know it was because of the small cloth squares. Each one represented a memory she’d made with Flash. Their first date, first kiss…she even had pieces of the shirt she’d worn as they were moving in to the house down the street. It was so full of memories and on every visit home, she used it. She always figured she chose to leave it there because it was where she could use it the most. After all, she spent more time in Pinewood than at her own condo, but now, she realized, it was a small jab at her father. To have this as a centerpiece of the living room and their time together was a reminder she never stopped loving Flash. He had always been there with her, even once he took himself out of the picture. She ran her fingers over the soft material. How did things get so fucked up?
* * *
It wasn’t the first time Flash Arquette had found himself behind bars. Still, he flinched as the bars slammed shut behind him. With the life he lived, he’d expected to be back after his last stint in prison, but he never would have dreamed it would happen with a murder charge hanging over his head.
Most people in Pinewood considered him a good for nothing criminal but they didn’t know him. Every decision he made seemed to be the right one at the time. If a woman was getting the shit beat out of her by some asshole, he couldn’t stand around and do nothing. He’d seen it too many times when he was a child—when his father had beat his mother and he’d been too young to stop it. Now, he wasn’t. It had cost him a few years in prison for attempted murder, but those years proved worth it when he found out the woman had managed to get out of the situation and was now living her life in Florida. If only someone could have helped his mother like that, maybe she wouldn’t be dead.
“This place is a second home to you, isn’t it, Arquette?” The guard chuckled as he removed the cuffs. “Get used to it. You’re not going to slither away this time.”
Glaring at the guard, he refused to comment. Anything he could say would make the bastard think he was getting under his skin. Everyone at Pinewood Police Department was pretty happy with themselves for taking him down, but soon they’d be put in their place. He had to trust Rocco and his people to get this taken care of.
The guard retreated, leaving him alone in his cell to think on his sins. He rubbed the red marks from the handcuffs. The metal cuffs were tight enough to dig into his skin but he refused to give them the satisfaction. “Fucking bastards.”
The police force had fixed eyes on him for more than a year now, determined to lock him up before his crew had a chance to do any further damage to their peaceful town. Even the town residents had decided he was guilty, no matter the charges. Now they’d want his head. It seemed they weren’t satisfied with him behind bars; they wanted him dead.
Prison was no easy ride, but it was part of his life. Before this mess, he would do his time without a fight. Not this time. This time, he was innocent—and this wasn’t the kind of fake, meaningless claim half the people in prison made. No, this time he hadn’t even been in town when the crime happened.
This wasn’t just a small crime that maybe he’d do a few months or even years for. This was murder and they were already talking about the death penalty. Chief Dalton had been murdered in cold blood and they were pinning it on him.
“Fuck!” Anger overwhelming him, he slammed his fist into the cement wall. “El…” He sank down onto the small metallic frame with a worn-out mattress on top and allowed his thoughts to turn to Elise Dalton. His El, the only woman he’d ever loved.
Did she believe he was capable of the pending charges? They both knew he was capable of murder but did she believe he’d kill her father? No matter the cost to himself, he would have never done that to her. El meant more to him than his own life.
He wasn’t sure if he was angrier about the police department trying to pin the murder on him so they could get him out of the picture, or whether the system both her and her father stood for was failing her when she needed it the most. She believed in the system and fought for justice, but now it was robbing her by arresting the wrong person. With him in jail, they weren’t out there searching for the actual murderer. “I’m sorry, El.”
Her father had never liked him. Flash had never been good enough for his daughter. He knew he didn’t deserve El, but he loved her, and even though Chief Dalton had been determined to keep them apart, he couldn’t stop them. In the end, it was Flash’s own actions that caused him to lose her. She was his everything. The one soft spot he had. To this day—if she called him, he’d be there.
She needed him now more than ever, but where was he? Behind bars accused of killing her father. I’m coming, El. Don’t give up on me, sweetie.
Born and raised in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, Marissa Dobson now resides about an hour from Washington, D.C. She’s a lady who likes to keep busy, and is always busy doing something. With two different college degrees, she believes you are never done learning.

Being the first daughter to an avid reader, this gave her the advantage of learning to read at a young age. Since learning to read she has always had her nose in a book. It wasn’t until she was a teenager that she started writing down the stories she came up with.

Marissa is blessed with a wonderful supportive husband, Thomas. He’s her other half and allows her to stay home and pursue her writing. He puts up with all her quirks and listens to her brainstorm in the middle of the night.

Her writing buddy Pup Cameron, a cocker spaniel, is always around to listen to her bounce ideas off him. He might not be able to answer, but he’s helpful in his own ways.

She loves to hear from readers so send her an email at marissa@marissadobson.com or visit her online at http://www.marissadobson.com.

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Release Blitz ~ Hunks to the Rescue


Title: Hunks to the Rescue
18 Contemporary Romance Novellas
18 NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 13, 2017

Heroes by Day…Sinful Bad Boys by Night


Fantasized about being rescued by a red-hot hunk? Indulge in this box set of alpha rescuers with a delicious talent for romance. 18 stand-alone novellas from New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors will steam up your nights and leave you begging for more.

Whether the hunk you lust for is military, a firefighter, first responder, FBI agent, cowboy, bad boy mafioso, or that sexy, everyday guy who plucks you from danger only to kiss you senseless, this bundle has your hero.

18 hunks. 18 heart-pounding rescues. Brand-new stories. Get ready for a passionate and thrilling ride!

NOVELLAS INCLUDED


Saving Necessity by Margo Bond Collins. For this cowboy, risking his life to save a movie star from a fire is easier than risking his heart.

Tempting Conner by Victoria Pinder. Prince Conner Udine promised his best friend he’d protect his sister, Olivia, from an assassin’s bullet, but he needs to marry fast to save his country and Olivia is far too tempting.

An Unexpected Twist by Krista Ames. Used to fighting wildfires, Boone Michaels isn’t prepared for the sexy stranger who blows into town fighting battles of her own.

Bad Medicine by Deb Christie. An emergency room nurse and an ex-Army ranger with PTSD. One lives day in and day out with grief, the other with guilt. Can he forget? Can she forgive? A single dark secret holds the key.

Destiny’s Secret by Raine English. Eden Wright’s fixer of a Savannah mansion comes with two unexpected extras, a not so friendly ghost, and a hunky paranormal investigator whose agenda includes seducing her.

That Unexpected Kiss by Tamara Ferguson. Can an undercover FBI Agent rescue the woman he loves, when she’s targeted by his father’s killer?

A Silent Heart by Eli Grace. Laurie doesn’t have a voice to tell Tanner how she feels, but she can show him.

Unreachable Heart by Aileen Harkwood. When mountain rescue expert Hart Renker pulls a stunning survivor from a plane crash in the middle of a blizzard, the heat between them could melt the bitterest cold.

Dark Current by Lynda Haviland. Ben Kane hitches up to the dock at Willow’s troubled marina, with a murky past and a body hotter than the Florida sun, Is he destined to be her savior or her downfall?

Unwrapping Treasure (A Granite Lake Romance Novella) by Jody A. Kessler. Two paramedics, one disastrous night shift, and a sexy holiday vacation that changes everything.

Breaking the Rules by Katie O’Sullivan. Undercover at a 5-star resort, police detective and rule-breaker Jake Campbell finds the prime suspect impossible to resist.

Falling for Captain Hunk by Stephanie Queen. Captain Colin “Hunk” Lynch worries his attraction to a fellow law-enforcement professional could be the mistake of his life…if it prevents him from saving hers.

Fire and Ice (A Sunnydale Days Novella) by Constance Phillips. If only someone warned firefighter Brian his old flame, Charlene, would walk into his life. He should be angry. Instead, he wants to rekindle the flames of passion.

Two More Miles by Jan Romes. Keith rescues Ava after she falls at the gym, and the chemistry between them is undeniable.

The Bad in Each Other by Janice Ross. Caleb and Layla choose the worst possible time to hook up, as tragedy strikes and Layla puts everything on the line to enact revenge over the most heinous of crimes.

Come Hell or High Water by Nancy Segovia. Stranded on a rooftop with Dwight during a hurricane, Maisie’s resolve to swear off men weakens as she finds some promises are meant to be broken.

Coaching the Sub by Debbie White. Substitute teacher Shannon has her hands full with bullies in her classroom until Coach “Brock” Andrews gives an assist, while teaching Shannon a thing or two about love.

Path to Grace by Wilder and Quinn. Daughter of a mob boss, Carina wants nothing to do with the family business until she’s in need of a rescue by the family’s “cleaner,” Matteo.

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