Blog Tour, Excerpt & #Giveaway: ☆Always Conall☆ by @SibyllaMatilde

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Always Conall
***** Mature Content, Sexual Situations, Adult Situations, Strong Language *****


To him, I was only just Sage, Matt Nichols’ little sister. But I’ve worshiped Conall my whole life. My brother’s best friend. My secret crush. My first and only love. Always hoping he’d really see… me.

And then, a torrent of circumstances ripped through my life. One by one, my family began to crumble. My dad’s heart attack. My brother’s tragic death. My mother’s slipping sanity. And then Conall’s abandonment. He took my heart when he left, but he gave me a reason to grow up fast, to be strong, and to live.

Now, just when things finally start looking up, he’s back in Bitterroot. Standing before me, not the boy he once was, but a man. Just when I’m on the cusp of living again. Just when I’m starting to feel like I could let go of the past and be happy without him, the feelings I set aside for all those years are raging once again through my veins. My tight control is slipping. The future I’ve so carefully mapped out now seems so uncertain.

He’s changed, but he hasn’t. I hate him for leaving, but I love him for coming home.

But will he stay? And do I really, truly want him to after he shattered me before?

“I love you.”

“Sage,” he whispered, “don’t do this. Don’t say that. I’m not worth it.”

“But I do,” I shook my head defiantly. “I love you, Conall.” A drop of rain fell from the tip of his nose to his full lips, and I pulled myself up to capture it with a clumsy, tremulous kiss. My fingers framed his taut jaw. “I love you,” I hoarsely begged. “Please don’t go.”

“Sage,” he warned. His hands settled at my hips, as though to steady me… maybe even to steady himself. He didn’t pull me closer, but he didn’t push me away either. His raging uncertainty fueled my desperation, and I moved with him, guiding my fingers around his neck and pulling myself closer. Molding myself against his body, I lifted my trembling lips to kiss him again.

For a moment, he stood frozen, shocked by my brazen actions. I pulled my body against him hard, turning my head, increasing the pressure of my lips, pushing my tongue into his mouth. Kissing him like I’d always dreamed of doing.

He couldn’t leave me. He just couldn’t.

He was all I had left.

I had to make him stay. So I beseeched him with my kiss, my touch, my sheer overwhelming need. I pleaded with the tears that streamed from my eyes and mixed with the frigid raindrops. Please, Con,” I whispered.

“Please… I need you. I love you.”

And then, as though he was coming alive, his strong hand caught the base of my head, tangling in my hair as he began to kiss me back.

Because of Kian (Bitterroot #1)

Cover Model Spotlight


Brian Laferrier is a 24 year old fitness/muscle model, who resides in Boston but travels often. He started modeling when he was 18 years of age. His favorite kind of music is oldies, he hates video games, as a hobby he writes. What he writes is a mystery, which may be something you will have to ask him yourself. He spends his mornings reading fit magazine, eating a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, naked. No, that’s a lie. He doesn’t do that, nice image though right? He actually prefers a bowl before bed, if he’s naked or not isn’t something he divulged.

While watching his news-feed on Facebook, it has become known that he has a low tolerance to negativity and often expresses ways to banish those thoughts. He loves being outdoors and doing Yoga as a way of stress relief. He takes comfort in the way the Buddhists thinks, which explains why his personality is good natured and humbling.

You can find Brian on Facebook, if you’re bold enough, send him a friend request. Or you can like the CJC Photography’s page to see more of Brian. Just do both, you know you want to….

Link to view more of Brian:

Sibylla Matilde
Sibylla Matilde grew up in the mountain valleys of Southwest Montana exploring the dusty Old West gold country on the back of a horse. She attended a two-room schoolhouse beginning in 1st grade & had the same teacher until she changed schools after 7th. Beginning at about age 12, Sibylla discovered historical romance, feeding off of work of Jude Deveraux & Lisa Kleypas. She loves a book that can make the reader run the gamut of emotions, from the sweet glow of new love to gut-wrenching heartache. She is a true romantic & always has stories floating around in her head, living in a fantasyland until she writes them down to free them.

Music is her emotional trigger. Growing up with a Wagnarian-loving mother, Sibylla was raised to treasure music that digs deep into the psyche, drawing out elation, sorrow, grief, desire. The soundtrack to her life includes many genres spanning centuries. She looooooooves Thirty Seconds to Mars (rather obsessively, actually… but, really, how can you NOT be crazy about this guy!? Jared Leto. Shhh. ) & pimps them out to all her friends through Spotify. She also delights in Met Opera HD broadcasts at her local movie theater & hopes (listening Met?) to someday see Diana Damrau reprise her role as Mozart’s Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte. Sibylla lives with her husband and hero who saved her from her own calamitous, young-adult self. He makes her laugh daily, even when things are tough. He’s proved to her that love really can heal a shattered soul. In 18 years, they have never had a fight, although argue regularly with their two teenage kids who have, unfortunately, inherited their father’s quick wit (unfortunate as it is a quick wit that Sibylla, herself, definitely does not possess – there is a reason she is a writer & not a stand-up comedian). They live a quiet life with their two weird little rescued Chiweenies. Wait… teenagers & little yap-dogs? OK, maybe not so quiet.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Always Conall Prize Pack: includes Signed copy of Always Conall, Signed photograph of Brian  Laferierre,  Always Conall personalized Dog tags.

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Blog Tour, Playlist & #Giveaway: ☆Within These Walls☆ by @authorjlberg

Within these walls, he became my solace, my sanctuary and my strength. 
I am not strong.  I am just a survivor of circumstance.
Isn’t that what we all do?  Survive?
Each of us has our own set of circumstances to muddle through.  Mine are just more…complicated.
Born with a severe heart defect, I’ve seen the inside of a hospital room more than my own bedroom.
I was drowning, a prisoner to the illness that owned me, until he appeared.  He thinks he’s blocked out the world with his tattoos and hard exterior, but I see the real Jude, the one he so desperately wants to forget.
But is he the answer to my prayers or will he break my already damaged heart forever?

My name is Lailah Buchanan, and this is our story of hope, redemption and sacrificing it all for the one you love.

Read the first chapter here!
AmazonB&N | iBooks | Kobo

A portion of the sales during the first week of release will go to a children’s heart charity.

J.L.’s playlist for WITHIN THESE WALLS

Be the Song—Foy Vance – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJeeGL35aQo 
Mercury—Sleeping At Last – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJsF7sHpaPs 
All of Me—John Legend – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=450p7goxZqg 
You’re Beautiful—James Blunt – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oofSnsGkops 
Holding a Heat (Stripped Version)—Toby Lightman – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3QxzqIXU9Q 
Dust to Dust—The Civil Wars – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJbmXvBJhCs 
Human—Christina Perri – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5yaoMjaAmE 
A Drop in the Ocean—Ron Pope – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt8jifKlbTc 
Beating Heart—Ellie Goulding – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrNTOo4KH8c 
You Found Me—The Fray – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFg_8u87zT0 
When the Darkness Comes—Colbie Caillat – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV2je_mOUQg 
Angel—Sarah McLachlan – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1GmxMTwUgs 
Bring Me to Life—Evanescence – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxaaGgTQYM 
Find a Way—SafetySuit – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-WCucYnED0 
Story of My Life—One Direction – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-TE_Ys4iwM 
A Sky Full of Stars—Coldplay – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPRjCeoBqrI 
Slow And Steady—Of Monsters and Men – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRyRymflxtU 
Blue Ocean Floor—Justin Timberlake – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWmyT8DM1r4 
My Immortal—Evanescence – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5anLPw0Efmo 
Breath of Life—Florence and the Machine – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOm2fLucQ9g 
If I Die Young—The Band Perry – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NJqUN9TClM

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she’s not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

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Release Day Blitz & #Giveaway: ☆Worth Forgiving☆ by @ViKeeland

Cover designed by Romcon.com
Model: Jamie Dominic
Photographer: Jamie Dominic Photography
Genre: A New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance novel
RELEASE DATE: August 21st 2014

They say men like a lady in the living room and a whore in the bedroom. I never knew the sentiment was reciprocal. Until I met Jax Knight. A gentleman in public, a commanding, dirty talking rogue in the bedroom.

Daughter of legendary fighter “The Saint,” Lily St. Claire knows firsthand how fighters can be. As the owner of a chain of MMA gyms, she’s no stranger to aggressive, dominating, and possessive men. That’s why she’s always kept her distance. But the day Jax Knight walks through her door she’s captivated by his charm. Stunningly handsome, well mannered, Ivy League educated, and confident, he shatters all the preconceived notions she’d come to think were true about men who trained to fight.

But falling for someone so soon after her breakup wasn’t something she’d planned on. And definitely not something her ex plans to allow.

MMA Series Reading Order

Worth the Fight (Book One)
It didn’t matter that the ref called it a clean hit. Nico Hunter would never be the same.

Elle has a good life. A job she loves, a great apartment, and the guy she’s been dating for more than two years is a catch and a half. But it’s boring…and she strives to keep it that way. Too many emotions are dangerous. Her own past is living proof of what can happen when you lose control.

Then Nico walks into Elle’s office and everything changes…for both of them. But what can the tattooed, hard-bodied MMA fighter and the beautiful and always steady attorney have in common? A lot more than they bargained for.

***Author’s note*** THIS IS A STAND-ALONE NOVEL. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

ONLY $.99 FOR A LIMITED TIME!
Worth the Chance (Book Two)

Meet Liv Michaels

It may have been seven years, but I’d know him anywhere. Sure, he’s grown, filled out in all the right places, but his captivating blue eyes and cocky grin are exactly the way I remember. Even though I’d much rather forget.

Liv Michaels is almost there. She’s smart, determined and weeks away from landing the job she’s dreamed about for years. Time healed old wounds, even her broken heart from the devastation of being crushed by her first love.

Meet Vince Stone

Women love a fighter, especially a good one. Lucky for me, I’m damn good. But there’s one woman that isn’t interested. Not again, anyway.

Vince ‘The Invincible’ Stone is every woman’s fantasy…strong, sexy, confident and completely in control. Growing up surrounded by chaos, he’s learned never to get too attached. Love will drag you down. He adores women, treats them well, puts their own needs before his own…for the night anyway. With the biggest fight of his life coming up, his focus should be on training.

When fate brings Vince & Liv back together again, there’s no denying the chemistry is still there. But can Vince erase the old scars their past left behind? Or will Liv hurt him instead?

***Author’s note*** THIS IS A STAND-ALONE NOVEL. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the 18.

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

                                     

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!

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Release Blitz & #Giveaway: ☆Black Collar Empire☆ by @ANLatro

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BLACK COLLAR EMPIRE by AN Latro is out NOW and as an added bonus, you can get 2 novellas from the series for FREE! Book information for each and the giveaway is listed below.
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After two years away, Seth Morgan has returned to New York, desperate to honor his father’s dying wish for a unified family. But the heir’s welcome is sadly lacking: his family’s criminal empire is divided, the woman he loves hates him, and his brother Caleb has become a cold stranger.

When a brotherly spat becomes a vicious misunderstanding that ends with Caleb dead, Seth is left reeling, and unsure who to trust.

Emma Morgan grew up while her closest cousin was away. She’s been sheltered her entire life from the realities of their family—something Seth has every intention of changing upon his return.

But not everyone in the syndicate is happy to have Seth home, and there are secrets surrounding Caleb’s murder. The deeper Seth and Emma dig, the clearer it becomes that not everyone shares their dream for the Morgan Syndicate, and not everyone wants the heir to ascend.

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00051]

Caleb Morgan is the black sheep of the family. Two years of his brother’s absence has left him cold and alone—except for Emma, the youngest Morgan. Because with Seth gone, there is no one else to teach—or protect—their innocent cousin.
But teaching isn’t always pretty—not in family who peddles in crime.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo
iBooks (*Price change on amazon is pending)
Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00051]

Alone in Cuba, Seth Morgan isn’t mafia royalty—he’s a thug with a gun, and everything to prove. When the shadowy kingpin behind the Cuban syndicate finally takes notice, nothing in Seth’s world will ever be the same.

Before the Empire, there was exile. A novella, set just before Black Collar Empire.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo
iBooks (*Price change on amazon is pending)

AN Latro loves good wine and the ocean, and prefers to write with both. She has a passion for bad boys in books, and stories that make you feel. She can most often be found along the Florida coast.

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Mystery Book Project Reveal & #Giveaway: ☆Social Media, 1☆ by @JAHuss

Social Media is a brand new novella series by JA Huss that will feature one book released every other Wednesday for twelve weeks.
Release dates are:
8-27 – #1 FOLLOW
9-10 – #2 LIKE
9-24 – #3 BLOCK
10-8 – #4 STATUS
10-22 – #5 PROFILE
11-5 – #6 HOME

BOOK 1 COVER REVEAL:

FOLLOW (Social Media #1) by @JAHuss
Publication Date: August 27. 2014
Novella (150 pages)
Adult Contemporary Romance

Description: 
#Women.

I fuck them. I use them. I pay them off. I find another. My demands are never denied. My contracts are always signed. They submit to me. Willingly. Completely. Temporarily. This is how it’s always been.

Until I saw that filthy tweet.

@VaughnAsher My bare pussy. Your tongue. #ThingsIThinkAboutToGetOff

“FilthyBlueBird” thinks she can tease me with hashtags and then hide behind a Twitter handle? She thinks I wouldn’t be more than happy to #RockHerFilthyWorld? She’s wrong.

Her online fantasy is about to collide with her public reality, and it’s about to happen… now.

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

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Release Day Blitz & #Giveaway: ☆Vengeance is Mine☆ by @KaseyMillstead

Title: Vengeance is Mine
Author: Kasey Millstead
Release Date:  August 20, 2014
Target – Spades Motorcycle Club

They call me The Praying Mantis.
Because after I fuck my target, I kill them.
Vengeance is Mine is a dramatic tale of revenge by way of fatal fucking.

“Look what I did,” I say, grabbing a handful of his cock. “I’m such a naughty girl.” I rub my hand up and down, never breaking eye contact with him.
From USA Today bestselling author Kasey Millsteadcomes a book that will leave you gripping the edge of your seat as you live the life of Ella Moore. With a heart that’s been hardened by the tragic death of her parents, she sets in motion a lethal chain of events that will eventually avenge her parents murders.
‘Before my parent’s tragic death, I had never been vengeful person. I was nice, quiet, friendly and definitely a glass-half-full kind of girl. But death has a way of changing everything.’
Ella Moore is the epitome of a badass.
Kasey Millstead lives a quiet life in country New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and their four young children. She enjoys baking, singing (ridiculously out of tune) & spending time with friends and family. Kasey has always harboured a deep love for reading and writing, and she is now lucky enough to be living her dream of being an Author.

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Cover Reveal & #Giveaway: Love Me Later by @libby_rice

Love Me Later
Title Love Me Later
Author Libby Rice
Release Date October 14th
Scarlet Leore enjoys a glittering existence amongst society’s elite. Ethan Blake is a prizefighter knocking his way through school, counting on his winnings to bankroll the dreams that won’t fit in a boxing ring. When the two meet, neither can deny the instant attraction that wells between the hulking fighter and the heiress who is miles and millions out of his league. But a vicious attack leaves Scarlet physically and emotionally battered, and for Ethan, her allure crumbles along with the rest of his life after she accuses him of wielding the knife.
Years later, Scarlet has abandoned the high life for that of a hard-working lawyer, while Ethan has clawed his way to the pinnacle of a business empire. Drawn into his world of high-stakes tech mergers, they dance to a tune of revenge, desire, and finally, redemption. But their world won’t tolerate an attorney falling for her client. They’ll need more than lust and forgiveness. They must bridge the chasm of a tormented past to understand who they are today. Only then can they forge a future in the face of the resurging enemy who once tore them apart.

Pre Order

Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Kobo | iTunes

LibbyRicePhoto-WebResolution
Before becoming a writer, Libby was first a mechanical engineer in the data acquisition industry (voltmeter anyone?). Preferring writing to technical design, Libby headed to law school and eventually practiced patent law for several enterprising years (patent application covering a voltmeter anyone?). Finally realizing that technology just wasn’t her bag, she traded the voltmeters for alpha heroes and the women who love them.

Today, Libby writes contemporary romances from the foot of the Rocky Mountains, where she lives with her husband, a bona fide rocket scientist (he stuck with the voltmeters!). When not writing, Libby loves good food, even better wine, and traveling the world in search of the next great story.

Libby loves hearing from readers! Join the fun at www.libbyrice.com, where you can sign up for Libby’s new-release e-newsletter, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram.

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#TeaserTuesday & #Giveaway: ☆Stay With Me☆ by @sharlalovelace

Stay With Me
Sharla Lovelace
Release: August 22, 2014
From national bestselling author Sharla Lovelace, comes another romantic and heartwarming novel set in the heart of Texas.
Ian was the wild boy every girl dreams of, a renegade who thrived on breaking the law and setting Savi’s body on fire. It was all fun and games and hot excitement, no strings attached, until the one day he got serious—and then disappeared without a trace.
Savi has spent the ten years since committing herself to her work, her daughter, and to not thinking about Ian—or love. Just when it’s possible she might have found the one man who can change her mind, Ian pulls into town, bringing with him all of the lust, danger, and excitement Savi remembers.
As Ian stirs up old feelings and draws Savi back into memories and passion she’s too weak to fight, he’s also digging up dirt on the man Savi is falling for, doing everything he can to prove that Duncan is not who he seems to be. And Savi, unsure whether she can trust either man, will be forced to decide between rekindling a love that never really burned out and building a new one that looks ready to catch fire.

Ian backed up two more steps, crossing his arms over his chest as he rested against my car door. His body conveyed “casual air” at first glance, but I felt the spring-loaded energy coming off him even from that distance, and saw the intensity in his eyes.

Like no time had passed.

And yet it had.

I stepped forward again and gestured to him to move away from my car door. He didn’t flinch or blink as I crossed personal space, just followed my eyes with his.

“Savi.”

“I’m serious, Ian,” I said, steeling myself and looking flatly up into his eyes. “You owe me nothing.”

Up close the pull was stronger, but I refused to let it show. I lifted my chin before I could get weak.

“I may be here a while,” he said finally, his voice softer.

“So I heard.”

“We have to coexist,” he said. “I just don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

I laughed out loud at that, making him look at me with amusement.

“And showing up here like this—you don’t find this uncomfortable?”

“No,” he said, a smile coming back into his eyes. “I find this normal.”

“Of course you do,” I said, forcing a smile on my face. “Look, we’re grown-ups here, right?”

A tug pulled at one corner of his lips, drawing my eyes there. Damn it. “That’s the rumor.”

“We can coexist just fine,” I said. “Now, I have a life to get to, if you don’t mind getting off my car.”

He looked behind him with a smirk. “Still backing in for a quicker getaway, I see.”

I felt the twitch in my shoulders. “From my own house?” I said. “Not really.”

“Old habits,” he whispered, leaning forward a few inches.

Goose bumps sprinkled over my skin, and my mouth went dry. I licked my lips and watched his eyes drop to catch it.

“It’s a busy street,” I managed to say. “Just easier than backing out.”

Ian nodded, not blinking. Then he pushed off the car, forcing me to take a step backward.

“For what it’s worth,” he said as he walked to a bike that made my heart speed up, not stopping, not looking back.

“He’s a lucky guy.”

I watched him straddle that thing in the dusky dark, turn over the throaty engine, and drive away before I slumped against my door.

Release Day Launch, Excerpt & #Giveaway: ☆Seducing Lauren☆ by Kristen Proby

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I’m so excited to share with you a bit of Kristen Proby’s SEDUCING LAUREN today! You can read an excerpt, read all about this new release, and enter a fantastic giveaway! SEDUCING LAUREN is the second title in Proby’s Love Under the Big Sky Series! Check out everything below and then go 1-click this amazing new title!

Seducing Lauren

In the second book in the Love Under the Big Sky series from this NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author of the With Me in Seattle series, life in Montana gets spicy when a woman and her divorce lawyer sign off the papers—and sign on to love.

Now that his best friend, Josh, has happily settled down with his true love on a Montana ranch, small-town lawyer Ty Sullivan starts thinking that maybe single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when Lauren Cunningham’s no-good ex-husband comes after her for an unexpected trust fund, Ty steps in to protect her. But soon he can’t help but think of her as more than a client. Lauren’s in no mood to jump into another relationship, so how can Ty convince her that her mistake wasn’t getting married, but marrying the wrong guy?

And don’t forget to read the first book in the Love Under the Big Sky Series…
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LOVING CARA

As I approach his house, I see his Jeep parked in the drive, the hood up, and a tight, jean-clad ass bent over the side.
Okay, he’s definitely home.
I tentatively wander around the other side of the Jeep and lean against the side, looking at the engine. He hasn’t noticed that I’m here yet, and I’m not even sure how he’ll react to seeing me here, but I can’t seem to stay away. His dark head is bent low, his arms buried in the engine, tinkering with something. His arms are bare as he’s pulled off his T-shirt, which is draped over the windshield. A thin sheen of sweat covers his shoulders and back, and his entire sleeve tattoo, which runs from just above his wrist all the way up to the top of his right shoulder, is on full display, making my girlie parts all tingle and come to life.
Holy Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
He’s so fucking toned it’s crazy. Jeez, his muscles bunch and stretch as he pulls on the wrench in his hand.
“Come on, you motherfucker,” he mutters. I have to bite my lips to keep from laughing out loud.
“So, what seems to be the problem?” I finally ask when he doesn’t notice me, keeping my eyes trained on the engine when his head whips up to look at me. I slowly lift my eyes to his and grin.
“I didn’t hear your car,” he murmurs with a smile.
“I walked.” I shrug and look back down into the bowels of his Jeep. “What’s wrong with your car?”
“You walked from your house?” he asks incredulously.
“No.” I shake my head and chuckle. “From Sips. I had coffee with Cara this morning.”
He stands up straight and leans his palms on the side of the Jeep, watching me. My eyes immediately fall to one drop of sweat slowly making its way down his hard chest.
“You had coffee with Cara?” He smiles.
“Yeah.” I shrug shyly. “I’m sorry to just stop by like this. I was out for a walk and just sort of found myself here.” I feel my cheeks heat and I back away, but he shakes his head and smiles widely.
“I’m glad you came by.” He raises his brows as I continue to stare.
I shake my head and raise my eyes to his, then bust out laughing.
“Why are you laughing?” he asks with a wide grin.
“Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without a shirt. I didn’t realize the tats went all the way up your arm. Who would have thought that under it all you’re just a bad boy?”
His eyes flash with heat as he narrows them on my face, watching me. He pulls a rag out of his back pocket and begins wiping off his hands, but his gray eyes stay on mine. Did I offend him?
“I’m not such a bad boy. Looks can be deceiving, Lauren.” He smirks as he lowers the hood on his Jeep. “But from the look of you right now, you don’t seem to mind the tats.”
“I don’t mind.” I shrug nonchalantly and try to ignore the way my heart picks up speed as he slowly saunters around the hood of the vehicle.
“Do you have any tats?”
“Yeah.”
His eyes widen in surprise and then rake over me from head to toe.
“Where?”
I grin, enjoying this flirtatious banter. “Here and there.”
“I have ways of making people talk, you know.”
“Bright lights and rubber hoses?” I ask with a raised brow.
He tosses his head back and laughs, an all-out belly laugh. “I’m not a cop,” he smirks.
“You might get to see them. Someday.”
He closes the gap between us and kisses me gently on the forehead, not touching me anywhere else.
“I hope someday comes sooner rather than later,” he whispers before pulling back and smiling softly down at me. “I would hug you, but I’m dirty.”
I wave him off, as if it’s no biggie, although I don’t mind so much that he’s a bit dirty and sweaty. “What were you doing?” I gesture to the car.
“Changing the oil.”
“There are places you can go,” I inform him with a perfectly straight face, “where you pull into this big garage, and then you leave your car and go into this small room with five-year-old magazines and stale coffee, and the people there will change your oil for you.”
“Or, smart-ass, I can do it myself in my own driveway.”
“Suit yourself.” I shrug.
“Did you sleep okay on the couch?” he asks, changing the subject.
“Yeah, actually, I did. But I could always sleep just about anywhere.”
“Hence the chaise in your office.” He chuckles.
I nod and stuff my hands in my pockets. “I’m sorry that I interrupted your morning. I was just out for a walk and found myself here.”
“I’m glad you did.” He scratches his stomach, and my eyes follow the movement. His abs are just delicious. For being so dark haired, he has little hair on his chest and stomach, but a light trail of hair falls from his navel and disappears into his jeans. He’s also sporting a V in the muscles on his hips that the heroes in my novels would covet.
“Lo?” he asks with a wide grin.
“Yeah?” I drag my eyes up to his again.
“I lost you for a second.”
I blink rapidly and feel heat fill my cheeks. Jesus, get a grip! You’ve seen hot men before, Lauren. “Sorry, my mind wandered.”


KristenProbyNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

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ARC Review: ☆Among the Echoes☆ by @AlyMartinezAuth

Title: Among the Echoes
Author: Aly Martinez
Publication Date: July 31, 2014
Genre: Erotic Suspense
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My name was Dr. Erica Hill. I was a victim, then a witness, and then I ceased to exist altogether.

I may still be breathing, but stripped of my identity, I have long since stopped living. I am invisible, and my life depends on my ability to stay in the shadows.

But he sees me.

Slate Andrews is the embodiment of everything I have been taught to avoid. He’s rich and famous, and one image of him with a woman would earn millions for any paparazzi lucky enough to snap it. He has vowed to protect me with his life, yet he exposes me with his every breath. I should be stronger and walk away. I should disappear. But I’m terrified he would come after me.

I’m on the run, determined not to take him down with me but absolutely unable to let him go.

My name is Riley Peterson…at least for today.

*Among The Echoes is a stand alone novel which contains material that may be offensive to some readers. Including sexual abuse, graphic language, and adult situations. Intended for readers 18+.*

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4 Stars

Our relationship was established on secrets and lies, but in the end it flourished through truths. Slate told me years ago that we all have scars, and our relationship is no different. It could have easily been ruined from the start, but he fought for me- even when I couldn’t fight for myself.

This was my first book by Aly Martines, and what gave me to push to read it? Would you look at me different if I told you it was the cover? What? You would? Well then it definitely wasn’t that? But I exaggerate, it was the combination of the cover and the first few sentences of the blurb.

My name was Dr. Erica Hill. I was a victim, then a witness, and then I ceased to exist altogether.


I may still be breathing, but stripped of my identity, I have long since stopped living. I am invisible, and my life depends on my ability to stay in the shadows.

Then I read the first couple of chapters and I. Was. Hooked. The story grips you by the throat with the very first line. Though the rest of the book is a bit more of a slow built. I was a little thrown off with the introduction of one of the characters when I realized he wasn’t the hero, but by the second half of the book I understood why he couldn’t have been.
Erica Hill is a survivor, but surviving that night came with a price; her identity. She’s no longer the woman she used to be, that woman is hidden behind a fearful and demure shell.

Slate Andrews is a celebrity in his own right. The heavyweight champion of the world in boxing, he’s looking to escape the flash and glamor of his daily life and just unwind as a nobody in a place where no one knows who he is…including his neighbor. She may come off as a little mouse, but behind her eyes he sees something more, and as he gets to know the woman more, he knows what he wants.

Erica is not typically a heroine that I enjoy reading about. Her experience has traumatized her, and understandably so after what she’s been through. She’s scared of her own shadow and even more scared of falling for the sinfully sexy and protective man next door. But every now and then there were bursts of her true personality and I’d find myself warming up to her more and more.

Slate was…well he was just everything. Aly Martinez has written a super protective hero without having him come across as an OTT caveman. She’s also written a hero that is a perfect mix of sweet with a sinfully sexy side of dirty talker. And I couldn’t help but love every single side of him.

The story is a slow build but a very engaging one. The author reveals the details to you bit by small bit throughout the story, and I personally really enjoyed that. While you may have plenty of questions in the beginning, I can tell you that every single one of them will be answered toward the end. I particularly liked the “twist” that was thrown in at the end there.
Aly Martinez definitely has a new fan in me after this book and I’m really looking forward to (view spoiler)[Leo’s (hide spoiler)] book next. He was such an amazing side character that I just can’t wait to read about him more in his own book.
**ARC courtesy of author in exchange of an honest review**

AuthorPhotoAlyMBorn and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in Chicago, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

Don’t forget to check out Aly’s Wrecked and Ruined series
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