Rising Assets by Rebecca Zanetti (book blast and GIVEAWAY) plus other Entangled titles

                                                          

Rising Assets

by 

Rebecca Zanetti

Release Date: 3/31/14

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Friends with benefits was never the plan…
Melanie Jacobs is in trouble. With three jobs—including running her ranch—and dwindling funds, she’s exhausted. Not to mention desperately trying to hide a secret. Unfortunately, her best friend Colton Freeze knows all too well that’s something is going on, and he won’t give up until he knows exactly what he needs to fix.

Then Colton learns the truth—that Melanie’s future happiness rests in the fickle hands of fate, and her chances for having a family are shrinking with every passing day. Her only comfort is Colton, but when a heated argument between them turns into an even hotter kiss, the boundaries of their friendship are erased, leaving only a scorching-hot hunger for more.

Every kiss—every touch—is a stolen pleasure. But will their new friends-with-sexy-benefits arrangement bring them closer together, or destroy everything they once shared?

Tagline: Friends with benefits was never the plan


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Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling Author Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner - only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha males and the women who claim them. She writes dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and sexy contemporary romances.

Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children, and extended family who inspire her every day--or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.









a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Also, three of the novellas from the Lovers Unmasked Anthology are releasing individually for the first time:



                                               

Seducing Mr. Right  

 by Katee Robert

Amazon link




Protecting What's Theirs by Tessa Bailey

Amazon link

                                          

                                     Wicked Games

by Samanthe Beck

Amazon link

Inside Out series by Lisa Renee Jones (ADULT excerpts)

I have the opportunity to share some excerpts from the sensual ADULT Inside Out series by Lisa Renee Jones.  There are both novels and novellas that are part of the intriguing tale started by a woman's find in a storage locker...

                           

If I Were You



Blurb:

The steamy first installment in the Inside Out erotic romance series by Lisa Renee Jones, in the bestselling tradition of Fifty Shades of Grey.

When Sara McMillan finds a stack of journals in a storage unit, she's shocked and enthralled by the erotic life the writer led. Unable to stop reading, she vicariously lives out dark fantasies through Rebecca, the writer--until the terrifying final entry.

Certain something sinister has happened, Sara sets out to discover the facts, immersing herself in Rebecca's life. Soon she's working at the art gallery Rebecca worked at and meeting Rebecca's friends. Finding herself drawn to two dangerously sexy men, the manager of the gallery and a famed artist, Sara realizes she's going down the same path Rebecca took. But with the promise of her dark needs being met by a man with confident good looks and a desire for control, she's not sure anything else matters. Just the burn for more.

Excerpt:

His fingers knot in my hair and I gasp at the unexpected bite of his grip, holding me steady. “Is that all you got?” I demand, shocked at how much I want more. How much I want whatever is beneath his surface.
 
I’m not scared. I’m aroused. I’m ready.
 
His eyes probe mine, his expression hard, intense. “I thought you were a good little school teacher.”
 
“You’re corrupting me,” I declare, “and I seem to like it.” I barely issue the challenge before he’s pulling my mouth to his, and he is kissing me with unrestrained, burning passion. I taste the part of him I want to know, the part he’s afraid of, and I burn to know more. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I am playing with fire, but I cannot stop myself. Beyond reason, I will push him until he reveals everything.
 
*****
We are almost to the gallery, and a knot has formed in my stomach at the prospect of an awkward goodbye, when he suddenly grabs me and pulls me into a small enclave of a deserted office rental. Before I can fully grasp what is happening, I am against the wall, hidden from the street and he is in front of me, enclosing me in the tiny space. I blink up into his burning stare and I think I might combust. His scent, his warmth, his hard body, is all around me, but he is not touching me. I want him to touch me.
 
He presses his hand to the concrete wall above my head when I want it on my body. “You don’t belong here, Sara.”
 
The words are unexpected, a hard punch in the chest. “What? I don’t understand.”
 
“This job is wrong for you.”
 
I shake my head. I don’t belong? Coming from Chris, an established artist, I feel inferior, rejected. “You asked me why I wasn’t following my heart. Why I wasn’t pursuing what I love. I am. That’s what I’m doing.”
 
“I didn’t think you’d do it in this place.”
 
This place. I don’t know what he’s telling me. Does he mean this gallery? This city? Has he judged me not worthy of his inner circle?
 
“Look, Sara.” He hesitates, and lifts his head to the sky, seeming to struggle for words before fixing me with a turbulent look. “I’m trying to protect you here. This world you’ve strayed into is filled with dark, messed up, arrogant assholes who will play with your mind and use you until there is nothing else left for you to recognize in yourself.”
 
“Are you one of those dark, messed up, arrogant assholes?”
 
He stares down at me, and I barely recognize the hard lines of his face, the glint in his eyes, as belonging to the man I’ve just had lunch with. His gaze sweeps my lips, lingers, and the swell of response and longing in me is instant, overwhelming. He reaches up and strokes his thumb over my bottom lip. Every nerve ending in my body responds and it’s all I can do not to touch him, to grab his hand, but something holds me back. I am lost in this man, in his stare, in some spellbinding, dark whirlwind of…what? Lust, desire, torment? Seconds tick eternally and so does the silence. I want to hold him, to stop whatever I sense is coming but I cannot.
 
“I’m worse.” He pushes off the wall, and is gone. He is gone. I am alone against the wall, aching with a fire that has nothing to do with the meal we shared. My lashes flutter, my fingers touch my lip where he touched me. He has warned me away from Mark, from the gallery, from him, and he has failed. I cannot turn away. I am here and I am going nowhere.
 
**********************





Being Me
 
Book description:

I arch into him, drinking in his passion, instantly, willingly consumed by all that he is and could be to me. . . .

Sara McMillan is still searching for Rebecca, the mysterious woman whose dark, erotic journal entries both enthralled and frightened her. Tormented by a strong desire to indulge the demands of her new boss while also drawn deeper into her passionate bond with the troubled artist, Chris Merit, Sara must face a past as deeply haunting as Rebecca's written words. In one man's arms, Sara will find the safe haven to reveal her most intimate secrets and explore her darkest fantasies. But is safety just an illusion, when the truth about Rebecca has yet to be discovered?

Excerpts:
 
I strip away my clothes in seconds, and I’m pretty sure the art of the seductive, slow striptease is really not my forte. I’ll work harder at it when I want to tease him and not me.I just need him right now. I need to be naked with him, all barriers gone. I need him to know that I want to understand him because he matters, because we matter. Because life made me believe that what is blossoming between us wasn’t possible, but maybe, just maybe, it is.
 
*****
My gaze lifts, and I watch him watching me, the grit of his teeth, the tightness of his jaw, the lust and fury in his hot stare. It’s arousing to have this powerful, sexy man respond to me, want me, need me. And he does. I have never been as sure of this as I am now.
*****

The elevator door dings open and I never have the chance to retreat. Chris grabs my hand and pulls me into his apartment. 

Before I can blink, I’m facing the entry room wall, one hand clutching the journal, the other flat on the surface in from of me. Chris steps behind me, framing my body with his bigger one and I feel the hardness of his body as intensely as I feel the hardness of his mood.
 
His hand settles on the center of my back, branding me, controlling me, and he pulls my bag and purse from my shoulder and dumps it on the floor. I feel him shrug away his jacket and he reaches for mine. It catches on the journal and his hand closes around it.
 
The air seems to thicken and for several seconds we hold the journal, both our fingers gripping the red leather. Erotic images created by Rebecca’s words play in my mind and I remember reading one of the entries with Chris. I wonder if he is thinking about that day, too, or something completely different. About Rebecca perhaps? I want to ask, but there is this sharp pinch in my chest that holds me back.
 
Chris takes the journal from me and I have no idea where he puts it. It is gone and my jacket follows. He steps behind me, and I forget everything but him. His hands settle possessively on my hips and his mouth, that delicious, sometimes brutal mouth, brushes my ear. 

“You want pain and darkness, baby, you got it.”
 
Shock slides through me at the unexpected promise and I think of us holding the journal, and of the dark entries inside that terrify and intrigue me. “What happened to me not being able to handle this part of you, Chris?” I ask, and my voice trembles with the question.
 
“Tonight happened,” he replies and there is nothing unsure about his voice, just hard steel and more anger. “And I damn sure want to give you a reason to think twice before it repeats.”
 
Conflicting emotions overcome me. I crave and resist the possessiveness I sense in him. I’m jerked out of this thought when Chris yanks my dress up my hips, exposing my backside. I hear the silk of my panties tear before I feel the bite of the material ripping from my body. His hands caress my backside, and the edgy tension in him is like a wave crashing into me.
 
He leans in, his lips brushing my ear, hot breath fanning my skin, promising delicious, forbidden fantasies only Chris can fulfill. “I’m going to spank you before this night is over, Sara.”
 
The threat is a velvety seduction and taut threat and my response is instantaneous. I cannot catch my breathe, let alone form a coherent reply, but I never get the chance.
 
Chris turns me to face him, shoving my hands over my head and shackling them with one of his. “But first, I’m going to take you to the edge of bliss and pull you back so many times, you’ll think you’re going insane, just like I was when you didn’t answer your phone.” He tugs down the front zipper of my dress to my waist, unhooks my bra, and begins to tease one of my nipples. “Any objections?”
 
“Would they matter?” I whisper, unable to find my voice for the waves of pleasure washing over my body.
 
“Not unless you tell me to stop what I’m doing.” He leans in and nips my lip as he had the night before, laving the bite with his tongue. “But if you say stop, Sara, make damn sure you mean it because I will stop. Understand?”
 
“Chris-”
 
“Answer, Sara.” His fingers slide between my thighs, spreading the slick heat of my sensitive flesh, and leaving my nipples aching for more. I have the distinct impression he’s reminding me why ‘stop’ is a bad word.
 
“Yes,” I pant. “Yes, I understand.”
 
His thumb strokes my clit and slips two fingers inside me, filling me, stretching me. I pant with the pleasure, imagining the moment he is inside me. “Come before I tell you to and I’ll spank you right now.”
 
“What?” I gasp. “I can’t-”
 
“You can and you will.”
 
His words are as powerful as his touch, and I feel the bittersweet build of release. “Why do I get the idea you’d enjoy my failure?”
 
“Because I want to spank you.” His lips brush mine, his fingers stroking me with slow, sultry precision that is driving me wild. “And you want me to.”
 
I do and I have no clue why but the certainty that he will is so intensely erotic that my sex tightens around his fingers.
 
The beginning of an orgasm is almost as alluring as his hand on my backside.
 
His fingers are suddenly gone, denying my pleasure, and I growl my frustration. “Damn you, Chris.”
 
“Damn me all you want but you still won’t come until I say you come.” He strokes my nipple and flicks it back and forth. “I’m going to release your wrists and you will not move them. Understand?”
 
No, I do not understand! I scream in my head, but I nod my agreement, certain doing as he says is my only path to satisfaction.
 
His hand teasing my nipple falls away and he studies me, seeming to assess my willpower, or maybe just torturing me with the absence of his hands on my body. I’m ready to scream with the injustice of it when he sinks to one knee in front of me and his hands settle on my hips.
 
His gaze lifts and snags mine and I want to order his mouth to the most intimate part of my body. Slowly, his mouth lowers, not to the spot I crave him to be, but to my stomach. The soft, seductive touch of his lips, followed by the gentle stroke of his tongue, sends a shiver through me and my belly quivers beneath his mouth. The contrast of how tender he is in one moment and how hard and demanding he can be in the next, fills me with anticipation and is as arousing as anything I’ve ever experienced.
 
Slowly, he trails his lips over the tender skin, his tongue dipping into my navel, laving my hip bone, and finally traveling just above the V of my body.
 
I am breathing hard with the restraint I use to stop myself from reaching for him and the muscles of my sex clench so tightly it hurts. “Chris,” I plead when I can take no more.
 
He rewards my urgency by licking my clit. Yes, please, more, I think, but do not dare say out loud, for fear he will do the opposite. I moan and another lick follows and it’s nothing shy of sweet bliss when his mouth closes down around me. He suckles my swollen nub, drawing deeply on my sensitive flesh and using his tongue at just the right moments until I am going insane. Sensations ripple through me and I have no willpower, no control. I tumble into orgasm and he immediately pulls his mouth from me, denying me full satisfaction, leaving my muscles clenching in partial release.
 
My knees buckle but he is on his feet, wrapping his arm around my waist, and holding me up. He lifts me into his arms and starts walking toward his bedroom. His words replay in my head. Come before I tell you to, and I’ll spank you right now. Chris doesn’t say anything he doesn’t mean and my heart races at the certainty of my punishment.
 

***************************

                                       


The Master Undone





Book description:

From New York Times and USA Today Best Selling Author Lisa Renee Jones...

An Inside Out Novella 

In Mark's POV, this story takes place the day after BEING ME ends. 

*** 

I told him goodbye, and  I will not call him. I know if I do, it will be my undoing, and I'll once again be caught up in his spell. I will once again be . . . lost.  

 
In her private journals, Rebecca laid bare her soul, revealing her obsession for the one man whose erotic demands captivated her imagination--and enslaved her forever. Now, with Rebecca no longer in his life "he" is lost, questioning everything he thought he knew about himself and about control he holds in such high regard. One women will reach out to heal him and then turn away, leaving him haunted. She is nothing he thought he wanted and somehow everything he needs. He tells himself to forget her but he cannot escape his desire for her. He has to have more...

Excerpt:

Once my flight lands in New York, I’m anxious to get to the hospital. I quickly make my way to the baggage claim and locate my carousel.With some fast footwork I’m at the front of the crowd and I’ve just snatched my single piece of luggage, besides the one hung over my shoulder, when I hear, “Mr. Compton?”
 
I turn to find a pretty blonde standing before me, her long, silky hair draping the shoulders of her pale pink, primly cut suit jacket. I arch a brow at her. “And you would be?”
 
“You are the Mark Compton, correct?”
 
“I’m Mark Compton,” I confirm, wondering where this is headed.
 
“I thought so. I recognize your picture from Riptide.” Her perfect pale cheeks flush.“Oh. Sorry. I should introduce myself.”
 
She offers me her hand. “Crystal Smith, the new head of sales for Riptide, and thrilled to be working at one of the most prestigious auction houses in the world.”
 
I don’t reach for her hand. But my need to avoid touching her isn’t control, it’s weakness—and I hate weakness. I close my hand over hers. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Smith.” My palm warms, and I don’t want to be warmed by this woman, or by any woman I haven’t chosen as a submissive.
 
Her lashes lower, and I know she’s hiding her reaction to the touch. 
Despite myself, I am intrigued. Even more so when, almost instantly, she smoothly recovers and her lashes lift, her eyes directly meeting mine. Any sign of whatever she’d felt is gone.
Impressed by her rapid recovery and quick control, I’m surprised by how reluctantly I release her hand. I’m rarely reluctant about anything.“Since when is it the duty of the sales manager to pick someone up at the airport?”
 
Her brows dip and she gives a delicate snort.“It’s not like you’re just anyone.You’re your mother’s son.”
 
I inwardly cringe at the sore spot she’s hit. I love my mother, but there’s a reason why I opened my gallery across the country.“She ordered you to pick me up.”
 
Her lips curve. “Your mother’s as feisty as ever from her hospital bed.”
 
“I’m not surprised,” I manage tightly. Just thinking of my mother in a hospital bed creates a dull throb in my gut. “She’s impossible to say no to, even for me.”
 
“I thought for sure her pride and joy would be the one person who could.”
 
Fighting a wave of something dark I’d rather not name, I struggle to maintain my normal steely composure.“My mother is the only person I can’t say no to.”
 
She gives me an odd, quizzical look.“The only person?”
 
“Yes, Ms. Smith.The only person.”
She frowns.“I’m sorry,” she says, and then waves me toward the door.“My car’s parked in a fifteen-minute spot.We’d better run before I get towed.” She turns and starts walking, expecting me to follow.
 
I stare after her. She’s sorry? What the hell does that even mean, and why do I have this intense need to race after her and ask, when I never run after anyone?
 


 
Revealing Us


 Book description:
You've discovered Rebecca's secrets. You've discovered Sara's secrets. Now Sara will discover "his" deepest, darkest secrets...but will those secrets bind them together--or tear them apart?

Excerpt:
  

I twist around to find Chris standing in the doorway, his hair a damp mess, droplets of water clinging to the black Harley jacket he wears with the same ease he does his power. The en- tire room seems to suck in a breath at the same moment, waiting for what will come next. Waiting for him.
 
His attention fixes on me, and it’s as if no one else were in the room. He sees me. He’s dismissed them.
 
“I told you I was close, baby,” he drawls, seemingly unaffected by the situation. He saunters into the room, and while he’s all casual coolness and sexy swagger, there is a lethal, primal quality just beneath his surface. I might be trying to take control myself, and I want to, but it’s a beautiful thing watching Chris be Chris.
 
*****
 
When I finally exit the bathroom I do so with hurried steps, and run smack into a hard body. With a gasp, I look up as strong hands right me before I fall. “I’m sorry,” I say, blinking as a big man with rumpled dark hair and handsome thirty-something features comes into view. “I didn’t mean . . .” I hesitate.
 
Does he even speak English?
 
He says something in French, and then says, “Pardon” before he departs.
 
An uncomfortable shiver races down my spine and the unexplainable need to follow him has me whirling around, only to find Chris there.
 
His brows dip. “Something wrong?”
 
Yes. No. Yes. “I just bumped into a man, and—”
 
Chris curses and grabs my purse, and I look down to realize it’s unzipped. I’m certain it was zipped before. “Oh no,” I say, and shove it open to find that my wallet is missing. “No. No no nono. This can’t be happening. He took my wallet, Chris!”
 
“What about your passport?” he asks calmly, setting our bags down between us.
 
My eyes go wide and I quickly dig for it. Feeling sick, I shake my head. “It’s gone. What does this mean?”
 
“It’s okay, baby. I forgot to give you your plastic card; I still have it. That’ll get us past the entry in France with some extra effort. And you can use it at the consulate to get a new booklet.”
 
I draw a deep breath and let it out. The way he says “us” is calming. I’m not alone. He is with me every step of the way, not just here and now. I know this, and I want to believe it won’t change. It’s one of the many things about him, and us, that delivered me to the airport today. “Thank God you have my card.”
 
Chris reaches over the bags and caresses my cheek. “I should have warned you how bad the pickpockets are here.”


******************



No In Between

(anticipated release August 2014)

(Unedited excerpt)

  Another man in an expensive fitted suit much like Mark’s gray one, steps to Mark’s side, his features ruggedly male, whereas Mark’s are classical male beauty. And where Mark’s classically clean shaven and handsome, his short blond hair is always neatly groomed, this man’s thick, light brown hair is long enough to be tied at his nape, and the stubble on jawline far more than a shadow.
 
The man says something to Mark and I don’t know why, but I am certain the stranger is his attorney. Mark barely acknowledges what is said to him, stepping forward, closing the distance between us, and I cannot seem to move. He moves with absolute predatory grace, beautiful, powerful, impossible to ignore and I am his prey.
 
I am not immune to Mark’s certain flavor of power and masculinity, but then, I have never denied that fact. But being affected by his larger-than-life presence and wanting him are two different things. 
It's also a way Rebecca and I differed and I cannot help but remember her words. He was magnificent. Really, truly the most gorgeous man I’ve ever known. Instant lust exploded inside me. I wanted to feel him close to me, to feel him touch me. To touch him.
 
She’d started out infatuated and then fell in love, and suddenly, I am angry at Mark for not seeing what he had with her before he lost her. Even more so for trying to push her away by involving Ava and Ryan in their intimate moments, and who knew who else, that I never discovered.
 
Intending to tell him so, I step forward, closing the distance between us and stopping when we are toe to toe, but he speaks before I do. “Ms. McMillan,” he says in that low baritone of his that is both sultry suggestion and hard steel.
 
I lift my chin and meet his stare, and when I do, I see the barely masked heartache in the depths of those steely gray eyes. I see love lost, and my anger is ripped right out of my chest. “Mark,” I whisper, bleeding for him, with him. “It’s good to see you.” And without any conscious decision to do so, I wrap my arms around him and press my cheek to his chest. He doesn’t hug me back but I don’t care. It kills me to realize that Rebecca finally taught Mark what it is to love, and she’ll never even know.
 
“Ms. McMillan,” he warns tersely. “Now is not the time for affection.”
 
I step back, choosing to ignore the deep seductive quality of those words, and press my hands to my hips. “Why don’t you return your phone calls?”
 
His expression is unreadable, the pain I’d seen minutes before carefully banked. “I just arrived into town and I’m certain you’re aware, I’ve had my hands full.”
 
The stranger joins us, his piercing blue eyes finding mine.
 
“This is “Tiger”,” Mark says without ever looking at the other man. “My attorney.”
 
“What is it with you men? You have a problem using a person’s real, God-given name?”
 
“Confirmation of what I suspected,” Tiger comments. “You have to be Sara. And it’s not my God-given name. It’s the one I earned and that means it’s the one I favor.”
 
Taking the bait, I ask, “And how exactly did you earn it?”
 
“I’ll rip your throat out if you cross my clients,” he replies, and I do not like the subtle threat in the words, be it real or imagined.
 
I narrow my eyes on Tiger. “You said ‘confirmation you’re Sara.’ What did that mean?”
 
Mark answers for Tiger. “I told him your propensity toward too much conversation.”
 
“Does he know your propensity toward arrogance?” I challenge.
 
“He does,” Mark confirms, without hesitation, a muscle flexing in his jaw.
 
I cringe at the realization that I’ve hit the nerve of self blame in Mark, a nerve I know has to be as raw and ripe as it gets. “I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “It slipped out. I was just doing that banter thing we do.”
 
He gives me on of those heavy lidded looks of his and says, “Not a problem, Ms. McMillan. I also warned Tiger that you tend toward being painfully honest.”
 
Now I’m the one with confirmation. I did hit a nerve. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”
 
“There’s nothing wrong with honesty,” Tiger comments.
 
I cut him an irritated look. “There is if it hurts someone.” I step closer to Mark. “Can we talk alone for a minute?”
 
“No private conversation,” Tiger replies, rejecting the idea.
 
I gape at Tiger. “You’re protecting Mark from me?”
 
“I’m protecting you both from prying eyes,” Tiger assures me, his tone all business. “Save the hugs and personal conversation for elsewhere.” He glances at his watch. “It’s 3:00. We need to get to our meeting room.”

 **************************



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Getting By (A Knight’s Tale) by Claudia Y. Burgoa (spotlight and GIVEAWAY)

                                       

Getting By--A Knight's Tale by Claudia Y. Burgoa is a New Adult Contemporary Romance novel, published February 18, 2014. 

Synopsis:

When Emma Anderson arrived at San Francisco International Airport, she regretted accepting the distinction of being the maid of honor to Gaby’s—her childhood friend—wedding. It had been years since the last time she set foot in Menlo Park, where her parents had been killed. The rug where she had been shoving her feelings since that day looked bumpier than a camel’s hump. Who could blame her; if she hadn’t been selfish they’d still be around. Ever since that fateful day, Emma has been perfecting the knack of Getting By.

Cade’s wedding in Menlo Park—a city close to San Francisco—might be the perfect place for Jake Knight to shake the memories of his ex, Emma Anderson for good. Single, available women galore for an entire week was the perfect medication, one he intended to take three times a day for an entire week to return to his player days. It was a plan the former spy thought flawless until he came face to face with the maid of honor. Jake’s perfect retreat turns into a flight, fight or hide week of celebrations.

Excerpt:

Nights meant sleep and dreams—my archenemies. The Crowley to my Dean Winchester, the Green Goblin to my Spider-man, the list of superheroes and their opposites was long, and so became the analogies I used on a daily basis. My lack of sleep began with Dad and his conditions for me to continue my art. Then came my parents’ deaths. Those took a toll on me because I mixed dreams with realities and hopes. Not once did I have a nightmare, all of them were sweet and real. Seeing Mom and Dad on those nights filled my gut with nails, and my head pounded with the reminder that they were gone the next morning. Those had been merely fantasies that would never become a reality.

For the past three months I had been evading sleep and working overtime, over the overtime. The dreams of elevators, trips to sophisticated-secluded spots after a week of work and delicious nights with a man who I was required to forget in order to move on, came daily—nightly. They not only hit me with vengeance, but they came tangled with what humans liked to call hope. The urge to crawl inside myself to avoid the need of his touch, kisses and whatever it was that we had not long ago, consumed me. If I had the powers to morph into an animal, it’d be a sea turtle and I’d stay inside my shell for the next hundred years. Past the stage of melancholy and into the real world, I pushed my body outside of the bed and into the shower, where I got ready to face the Clements and the house next door.

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About the Author:

Claudia lives in Colorado with her family and three dogs. Two beagles who believe they are human, and a bichon who thinks she’s a beagle. While managing life, she works as a CFO at a small IT Company. She’s a dreamer who enjoys music, laughter and a good story. Claudia is currently working on Standing By, the second book in the Knight series.

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********************************* 
GIVEAWAY

An e-book version of this title is available to one person who leaves a valid e-mail address and a comment about one of the techniques you use to 'get by'.  A winner will be chosen using Randomizer on April 12.

Honor Reclaimed by Tonya Burrows (cover reveal and GIVEAWAY)

                                         

Honor Reclaimed

by 

Tonya Burrows

Release Date: 5/27/2014

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Synopsis: 

Former Marine scout sniper Seth Harlan is new to HORNET and anxious to prove he can still do his job despite an ongoing battle with PTSD. He remembers all too well what it's like to sit inside an enemy camp, praying for rescue and waiting for death. So when a black ops soldier contacts HORNET to rescue a buddy who was left behind, all sorts of nasty memories strain his newfound stability.

When an interview with a runaway Afghan child bride leads photojournalist Phoebe Leighton to an arms deal involving a suitcase bomb powerful enough to wipe out a mid-sized town, she realizes this is one battle she can't win on her own. Forming an unlikely alliance with a ragtag team of military and government delinquents, she meets Seth, a sniper carrying as many emotional scars as physical, who impresses her with his steely will and ignites passions within her she thought long dead.

Suddenly this mission is about a lot more than an abandoned soldier. Racing against the clock, Seth, Phoebe, and the rest of HORNET struggle to stop that bomb before it reaches its final destination: The United States.

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Bio: Writing has always been my one true love. I wrote my first novel-length story in 8th grade and haven't put down my pen since. I received a B.A. in creative writing from SUNY Oswego and I'm now working on a MFA in popular fiction at Seton Hill University.

When I'm not writing, I spend my time reading, painting (badly), exploring new places, and enjoying time with my family. Give me a good horror movie over a chick flick any day. (And, let's be honest, I'll take a bad horror movie too!) I'm a geek at heart and pledge my avid TV fandom to Supernatural and Doctor Who. I'm also a big fan of The Voice. What can I say? Guilty pleasure.

I share my life with two dogs and a ginormous cat. I'm from a small town in Western New York, but I suffer from a bad case of wanderlust and usually end up moving someplace new every few years. Luckily, my animals are all excellent travel buddies.

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GIVEAWAY

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Justice for Abby by Cate Beauman (guest post, spotlight, excerpt and GIVEAWAY)

Cate Beauman is back with the sixth installment in her bestselling romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County.  Justice For Abby will be available for Amazon pre-orders starting March 27th and on sale through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes starting April 10th!

Cate is hosting a pre-order party on her website complete with giveaways.  Winners will be selected on April 10 so be sure to stop by www.catebeauman.com before then for your chance to win!


I have the pleasure of being able to present a guest post by Cate Beauman:

The Inspiration Behind Justice For Abby

Justice For Abby is one of my favorite stories in The Bodyguards of L.A. County series (Okay, they all are, but I really love Abby and Jerrod!). I truly enjoyed writing their adventure. Oftentimes I found myself caught up in Abby’s rollercoaster ride as she heals from her experiences as a survivor of the Mid-Atlantic Sex Ring. At times I cried with her, and at others, I laughed. She’s so strong and sweet, but she’s vulnerable and struggling. Enter Jerrod Quinn, the perfect man to provide her protection and help her overcome her ordeal in his own quiet way.

Although Abby’s story is one of fiction, sex trafficking is a very real crisis for millions of young women, men, and children all over the globe. My idea for this novel came after a night in front of the television watching crime television. A segment showcasing the mysterious disappearance of a young woman named Amy Bradley bothered me greatly. She vanished from a cruise ship in March of 1998 while vacationing with her family. Unfortunately, Amy has yet to be found, but she is believed to be alive, stuck in the horrific world of human sex trafficking. I immediately began my research into this very troubling epidemic and shortly after wrote Forever Alexa, the story of Abby’s sister dealing with the aftermath of Abby’s disappearance. My readers have requested Abby’s story, and I felt the need to share her experience.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Abby and Jerrod as much as I enjoyed writing these two fantastic characters.

~Cate


The Unofficial Justice For Abby Soundtrack

Music always plays a huge part in my writing process.  With two boys and two dogs in the house, music helps me “get lost” in my story.  I typically listen to Pandora or YouTube and put together a playlist of songs that I feel represent the characters or the situations they face as the novel unfolds.  Here are a few of the songs that I had on “repeat” while I created Jerrod and Abby’s story!  You can listen to them on my website www.catebeauman.com.

The soundtrack, of sorts, for Justice For Abby:
Applause by Lady Gaga
Safe and Sound by Capital Cities
She Is by Ben Rector
I Should Go by Levi Kreis
The Other Side by Jason Derulo
Why Don’t You Love Me? by Hot Chelle Rae ft. Demi Lovato
We Owned The Night by Lady Antebellum
Stars Go Blue by Tim McGraw
Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol
Come Back by Pearl Jam
By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North
Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran



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Nowhere to hide…

Fashion designer Abigail Harris has been rescued, but her nightmare is far from over. Determined to put her harrowing ordeal behind her and move on, she struggles to pick up the pieces of her life while eluding the men who want her dead.

The Mid-Atlantic Sex Ring is in ruins after Abby’s interviews with the police.  The organization is eager to exact their revenge before her testimony dismantles the multi-million dollar operation for good.

Abby’s safety rests in the hands of former US Marshal, Jerrod Quinn.  Serious-minded and obsessed with protocol, Ethan Cooke Security’s newest agent finds himself dealing with more than he bargains for when he agrees to take on his beautiful, free-spirited client.

As the trial date nears, Abby’s case takes a dangerous turn.  Abby and Jerrod soon discover themselves in a situation neither of them expect while Jerrod fights to stop the ring from silencing Abby once and for all.



Read an excerpt from Justice For Abby:

The black bag was ripped from her head, along with several strands of her hair. Abby blinked against the bold light of the naked bulbs hanging from the low ceiling. She glanced around the dingy space in shock as her gaze traveled from girl to girl—six young teens, dirty, bruised, and malnourished, staring up at her through bland eyes while they sat or lay on filthy mattresses on the dirt floor. “What—”
“In.” Victor shoved Abby into a small, windowless room, slamming the door, locking her in with a rusty scrape of something sliding against the heavy metal barrier.
 
She walked on shaky legs to the wooden chair in the corner and collapsed to the uncomfortable seat, clutching her arms around her waist, shivering as she bit hard on her bottom lip while tears rained down her cheeks. Where was she? What was this place? She shuddered, remembering six sets of listless eyes holding hers. 

Nothing good was happening here.
 
She covered her face with trembling hands and gave into her sobs, relieving the worst of her dread, wishing for nothing more than to be home with Lex and Livy. Thinking of her sister and niece, she forced away her tears, taking several deep breaths of stale air. If she wanted to see her family again she needed to pull herself together. She couldn’t get herself out of this—whatever this was—if she didn’t think. There had to be a way out. Her eyes darted around the barely lit space, searching for a weapon, another exit, anything.
 
The door opened, and she rushed to her feet as a tall, well-built man stood haloed in the beam of light from the room beyond. Abby blinked as he stepped forward. “Renzo?” She bolted from the corner and fell against her friend’s firm chest as a wave or relief flooded her. “Oh, thank god.”
 
His strong arms wrapped around her.
 
“I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know what’s going on. I need help. Can you help me?”
 
“What happened?” He eased her back some, but she refused to release him from her grip.
 
“My family—we were on our way home from Virginia Beach. We stopped at a rest area, and two men grabbed me and brought me here.”
 
“You were with your sister and niece?”
 
“Yes, Alexa and Olivia. I think they’re okay, but I need to call and make sure. Will you get me out of here?”
 
“Of course.”
 
She could hardly believe she was leaving. “Thank you. Thank you.” 

She hugged Renzo again as tears of gratitude flowed free. “I knew this had to be some sort of mistake.”
 
“Come on, let’s get you home.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and walked with her to the door. “Oh, wait.” He stopped.
 
“What?”
 
“I can’t let you go.”


Did you enjoy the excerpt?  You can read the first chapter on Cate's website, www.catebeauman.com







About the author:

Cate currently lives in Tennessee with her husband, their two boys, and St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. She is the author of the best selling romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County.  Before her career as an author, Cate worked in special education for 12 years.

“I’m a pretty lucky girl; one day I woke up and my entire life changed. I saw the light, so to speak, and decided I was going to be a writer. Now, three years later, I’m working on my seventh novel, Saving Sophie, and I’m an Amazon best selling author.  I’m very grateful for the support and success I have had.  - Cate “



Contact Cate

Amazon Author Page


Social links:
Twitter: @CateBeauman
website
Facebook
Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY:

E-Book Giveaway Contest

Please leave a comment with a valid e-address about your favorite title in this series and why you like it the best OR about the most recent romantic suspense story that you enjoyed and why? 3 winners will be chosen to receive an e-copy of Justice for Abby using randomizer on April 10, 2014.

Swamp Team 3 by Jana de Leon (release announcement) (and contests)

                                    


SWAMP TEAM 3

 by Jana de Leon is available now at Amazon and BN. It will be available at Kobo, ibooks and in print sometime in the next week.

It is a cozy mystery that is part of the 'Miss Fortune' series.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

BN

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Contests that are still going on:

The Romance Reviews (TRR) is still celebrating its 3rd Anniversary party    link

Night Owl Reviews has plenty of giveaway contests at this link

Writerspace.com has contests at this link

Fresh Fiction has contests at this link

and...there are plenty more in the blogosphere but I just haven't had tine to flit around so feel free to post some if you find them...

Burn for Me by Shiloh Walker (Spotlight Tour and GIVEAWAY)

Burn for Me Spotlight Tour

Burn for Me.
Secrets & Shadows  #0.5
by Shiloh Walker

Release day April 1, 2014


Scarred long ago by the disappearance of his mother, Nichole, Tate Bell aches to spend his days and nights with Ali Holmes, a woman he’s loved for years. But while Ali’s heart pines to be with Tate, her head has reservations…

Ali knows that Tate has never forgiven his father for the fight he had with Nichole right before she left the house—and was never heard from again. Ali thinks that Tate’s unresolved anger is a force to be reckoned with…even though the heat that blazes between them is undeniable. Now both Tate and Ali are left to wonder: Can love really conquer all?


Read an excerpt here
Add to your Goodreads list 

Purchase here:
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
iBooks


Professional Bio

 Shiloh Walker is an award-winning writer…yes, really!  She’s also a mom, a wife, a reader and she pretends to be an amateur photographer.  She published her first book in 2003 and since then, has tried her hand at digital publishing, traditional publishing and self-publishing. Her publishers include Hydra Publications, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, Berkley, Random House and St. Martins. She writes romantic suspense, contemporary and paranormal romance, and urban fantasy under the name J.C. Daniels.

Learn more about Shiloh:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads



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GIVEAWAY

Giveaway Details:
 $25 GC to Amazon or BN, reader's choice.
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sweet Spot by Lucy Felthouse (cover reveal) ADULT title

Cover Reveal: Sweet Spot by Lucy Felthouse (@cw1985)
A Raw Talent book.  (ADULT title)

(unapproved blurb)
 (note from ELF, this does not mean I stole the blurb, lol)

Virginia Miller is an up-and-coming tennis star. She’s gone from a ratty tennis court in a park in south London, England, to the world’s top training facility – Los Carlos Tennis Academy in California. In awe of the talent around her—Travis Connolly, Rufus Lampani and Nadia Gorlando, Virginia is all the more determined to make the most of the opportunity and show that she’s worthy of her place there. Her mentor, Nadia Gorlando, has every faith in her. But Virginia finds herself distracted—Nadia, as well as being a top notch tennis player, is seriously sexy, and Virginia’s mind keeps wandering where it shouldn’t. Will her crush get in the way of her career, or can she find a way to push the other woman out of her mind before it’s too late?

More info and excerpt

Add to your Goodreads shelves:


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Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman!

She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women's Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house. She owns Erotica For All, and is book editor for Cliterati. Find out more at her website. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter.

Other works by Lucy include:

                                                


And don't forget, the e-book of Sexy Just Walked Into Town: A Brit Babes Anthology is free right now!