No Secrets Blitz & Giveaway

No Secrets
N. Raines
Publication date: November 29th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance

She wants him…

Alyxandra Franklin crushed on Cris Garcia the first time they met. He wasn’t like the guys in her crowd, the boys in grown-up bodies. No, Cris was a man. A man who’d stand up for his girl, hold her close and keep her love safe. In spite of her feelings, Alyx never made a move on him. How could she? He belonged to her best friend, Gabi. And now it’s too late.

He hates her…

Cris figures if he never sees Alyx Franklin again, it’ll be too soon. She’s nothing but a spoiled stupid rich girl, too busy partying to care about anyone but herself. She’s the reason Gabi, the girl he loved, lost her life.

But he’s wrong. Gabi had secrets. When those secrets blow up his life, Cris is willing to go to any lengths to unravel the lies. Even if that means befriending Alyx—and sleeping with her—to learn the truth.

Goodreads / Amazon / All Romance / Kobo / iTunes

Only 99¢ until December 3rd!

Would you like to read Book 1 in Nona’s serial romance Not the Hot Chick for *FREE*?

Please go here: http://www.nonarainesfreebook.com/

—

EXCERPT:

Brandon nuzzled her ear. “It’s just you and me, baby.”

She pushed him away as she tried to think. Oh, God. If only she hadn’t had all those drinks. Her muzzy state made her clumsy and off-kilter. She meant no, but Brandon wasn’t taking no for an answer. Though she’d slapped away his hand, he kept pushing.

He tickled up her side as she tried to squirm away. “Bet I can change your mind…”

God, she was ticklish there. She couldn’t help laughing, even though she was pissed he wouldn’t take her seriously. “Don’t…no, stop it. I mean it, Brandon. Stop…”

A deep voice cut through her weak giggles and Brandon’s whispered teasing. “You got a problem with your hearing? She said stop.”

They both froze. Alyx couldn’t make out the man’s face in the darkness, but she knew the voice.

Cris.

When he stepped into the light, Alyx stiffened even as her chest flooded with relief. Grateful as she was that someone had intervened, why did he have to be that someone?

He gazed at them stony-faced. His eyes zeroed in on Brandon’s hand on her waist. She felt Brandon’s hand tighten, then drop away as he glared back at Cris. “What do you want?”

“I want you to leave her alone.” He nodded at Alyx.

“Why don’t you just mind your own business?”

Cris ignored him, focusing on Alyx. “Do you want this assclown touching you?”

“Hey!” Clenching his fists, Brandon took a step toward Cris.

Alyx spoke quickly. “I just want to go home.” Though pissed off at Brandon, she didn’t want to see him and Cris get into it.

The air quivered with nervous energy as the two guys eyed each other. Brandon’s jaw was set as though he wanted to lay into Cris, and Cris looked as though he’d like nothing better than to bust Brandon in his preppy, pretty-boy face.

Another voice broke the tension. “Everything cool over here?”

A man stepped out of the darkness and stood beside Cris. Alyx recognized him from inside the bar, the guy who’d been sitting with Cris. Tall and broad shouldered, he was the kind of guy you’d want watching your back when trouble came calling.

“Yeah.” Cris’s even tone belied the tenseness in his body. “It’s all good, man.” He glanced at Alyx. “Where’s your car? I’ll drive you home. You’re in no shape to get behind the wheel.” Then he turned to the big guy, his friend. “Rick, can you follow us so I can get a lift back here to my ride?”

She tottered on her three-inch heels while Brandon sneered. “Well, I uh…my car’s not here. I mean, I came with a friend…but she left without me.” God, did she sound pathetic or what?

Brandon’s nasty laughter rang out behind them as his climbed into his car. “Good luck getting home, Alyx.” He gave the door a slam, then peeled out of the lot, gunning the motor as a farewell fuck-you.

Total silence reverberated before Cris spoke again. “You got some real nice friends.”

He didn’t even try to hide his contempt, obviously convinced she was stupid and irresponsible. Maybe he was right.

“Well, um, I could call a cab.” She unsnapped her tiny purse and wanted to cry when all she found was a compact, a tube of lipstick, and a couple of crumpled dollar bills.

Oh, crap. Not even enough to take the bus, if buses ran this late. What to do? Her brain scrabbled frantically to come up with an answer. “I could call my sister to come get me.” Right, ask her for a favor after you ditched her party. But no matter how pissed Morgan might be, she wouldn’t leave Alyx stranded. Nor would she tattle to their parents.

She felt both men’s gazes on her, the big guy’s soft with sympathy, Cris’s hard and judgmental. She felt every bit the spoiled little airhead they imagined her to be.

The big dude spoke up. “Well, I could—”

“No,” Cris said. “I got this, Rick. Come on, Alyx. I’ll take you home.”

Author Bio:

N. Raines (who also writes as Nona Raines) is a former librarian who lives in upstate New York with her many pets. She’s currently working on her next novel between walking the dog and shooing the cats off the laptop. Her erotic romances are published with The Wild Rose Press and Loose Id. Her transgender romance His Kind of Woman was nominated for the 2014 DABWAHA sponsored by the Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books review blogs. Her most recent work is the romance novella Write to Me and the transgender romance Her Kind of Man.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Welcome to the Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian Reader Appreciation Giveaway!

We’re so glad you stopped by! In this giveaway, EVERYONE who enters will win TWENTY FREE – EXCLUSIVE – ebooks by the sponsoring authors (to be delivered at the conclusion of the giveaway), and one GRAND PRIZE winner will also receive a $1000 Amazon Gift Card! The Winner will be announced on February 1st at our Facebook Event. The winner will also receive an email directly.



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—

Here are a couple of sneak peeks!

ETERNAL NIGHT, by Jade Kerrion

Ashra’s hand trailed across Jaden’s muscled torso. He made it easy for her to be gentle. His body trembled as if he longed for her. His mouth was hungry for her kiss. He arched up against her, as if craving more. His need was like a living creature, wild and aching for her touch.

Eyes closed, Ashra shivered. Only one other person had desired her as much.

And he was dead.

She forced her way through the memories of pale bodies tangled upon cool silk sheets. When her soul-sucking power leeched out, it found no opposition. Images of the human’s life rewound in a blaze of vivid sights, sounds, and sensations.

Ashra looked up at Tera, her smile little more than a barely perceptible curve of her lips. “He fancies himself the protector of the child of prophecy. Was she among those taken tonight?”

Tera nodded.

Ashra chuckled, the sound without humor. “It’s a pity her genetic heritage wasn’t sufficiently superior to prevent her from being culled.”

“There’s more. Go deep.”

She pushed past the blackness at the start of his memories, expecting deeper darkness. Instead, the colors shifted into shades of ochre and gray. Memories, older than his body, resided in his soul; memories of an Earth long since lost to them—a planet surrounded and nourished by water; images of tall buildings glistening beneath a benevolent sun, and of thriving cities filled with the bustle of humans; memories of quiet and intimate conversations beneath a silver moon, the same silver moon that now graced Malum Turris with its light, though a thousand years older and viewed only from beneath the protection of the dome.

She saw herself as he must have seen her, a much-younger icrathari, still hopeful for the future, never realizing that the Earth they had all known and loved was irretrievably lost. Had she ever looked that vulnerable? Had her smile ever been so beautiful, so filled with love as she looked upon—

“Rohkeus?” Oh, blessed Creator, was that stricken whisper her voice?

Ashra pulled back and stared at the human. Her mouth dropped open. Her heart pounded in her chest, its beat erratic. It couldn’t be. It simply couldn’t be—

She looked up at Tera. The other icrathari nodded.

Rohkeus’s soul reborn…in a human.

Ashra threw her head back and laughed, a despairing sound. Her prince, her love, reduced to a human? Her slender fingers coiled into fists. Her golden eyes glittering, she pushed away from him, though her body trembled from the loss of his warmth. No, the human was not Rohkeus; he could never be Rohkeus.

Steeling herself against the gasp of pain that escaped from his lips as the anesthetizing effect of her kiss faded, Ashra rose to her feet with sinuous grace. “He is not one of us. Not anymore.” Nothing had been more devastating than losing Rohkeus to a human assassin. To see his soul reborn in that contemptible and weak race was an insult to the person Rohkeus had been.

“Should we turn him into a vampire?” Tera asked.

“Kill him. Set Rohkeus’s soul free.”

—

A Cross to Bear: A Gabriella Cross Paranormal Romance Book 1

All around her, the sounds of baying wolves echoed in the night. Trees slapped her face as she ran, and she tripped more than once. She was crying now and mumbling to herself, terrified. She dared not look back, knowing that the wolves were pursuing her. She came out of the woods into a clearing leading to a tall hill. The howls came from all directions. Shadows flew through the woods in her peripheral vision, and Gabby cried out. She fell again, skinning her knee badly on a jagged rock. In her terrified state, she felt no pain, but continued as fast as she could and ran up the hill.

A snarl came from directly behind her, and she instinctively turned and cried out. A wolf was bearing down on her fast. She turned and raised a hand as the beast leapt at her with gleaming claws leading the way.

“NO!” Gabby cried.

To her amazement, the wolf changed form in mid-flight and turned into a naked man. He landed at her feet on all fours and snarled at her.

“Get away from me!” she screamed.

The naked man backed away from her warily, glancing down at his human hands with a look of confusion and shock. More wolves were coming out of the woods. They stopped when they saw the one who had turned into a human in the light of the full moon.

Gabby wasted no time considering her luck and ran as fast as she could up the hill.

“Gabriella Cross, stop!” Michael’s voice rose up over the howls.

Gabby could hardly see through her tears. She didn’t dare look back, knowing that she would find death closing in on her. She reached the top of the hill and ran across the flat expanse of rocky earth.

“Gabriella!” came the voice again.

The wolves were gaining on her.

She darted between two pines blocking her way, receiving many scrapes on her face and arms. Half blinded by tears and slapping branches, she stumbled out from between the trees and suddenly came to a steep cliff. She tried to stop, but her momentum was too great. With a terrified cry she fell forward over the cliff.

She frantically thrashed her arms as she fell to her death. Above, on the ledge, a mournful wolf cried out. The ground was coming up fast to crush her, and Gabby closed her eyes, not wanting to see her death.

Then. Suddenly. Gabriella was weightless.

Strong arms held her firmly. She opened her eyes to find a winged beast staring back at her.

Gabby passed out.

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The Fighter and the Baroness Blitz & Giveaway

The Fighter and the Baroness
Sunniva Dee
Publication date: November 29th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Victor Arquette knows the meaning of sacrifice. Destined to legendary status in mixed martial arts, his life is founded on it. Dedication equals sacrifice, and sacrifice means around-the-clock training, no partying, no junk food, no alcohol—and no women.

Helena von Isenlohe is the heiress to Kyria Castle. Due to her father’s lack of financial prowess, the restoration of the ancient German estate rests on Helena’s shoulders. A failed attempt leaves a wealthy man alone at the altar—and the fleeing bride on a plane to the United States.

A chance meeting, and Victor and Helena’s chemistry is undeniable. Except, her presence clutters his focus. Victor shouldn’t crave their nights, shouldn’t be concerned where she is or with whom. And meanwhile in Germany, Kyria Castle deteriorates at a suspicious speed, indebting Helena further to the man she left behind.

Victor and Helena believe in duty. They embrace sacrifice. But when love strikes, it strikes hard, and sometimes you have to choose where your heart is truly at home.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

HELENA

My cheeks warm with embarrassment at the people waiting behind me. A female employee helps me unclasp the diamond bracelet and matching necklace. The crown though is impossible to get out of my princess ’do.

“Can I wear it through the security portal?” I ask, broken shoes in one hand.

“No, I’m sorry. It will buzz,” the security person explains. “The portal is created to alert us to most metals besides gold and silver.”

I can’t tell him I wear gold. Real, irreplaceable, century-old heirlooms. He wouldn’t believe me anyway. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to try.”

He lifts his arms in subtle agreement, a have-it-your-way, and I enter the booth, walk out without incident. Employees from two checkpoints stare at me while I pick my stuff off the band. I shake my head, slowly at first, but then I have nothing to say, no witty comeback, and my flight instinct kicks in. I get up on my toes so I don’t stumble in the too-long skirt and stride as slowly as I can into the transit hall.

I need to not stress the hell out. Just, I wish someone was with me to talk me down. I could call Elfriede. I don’t have my phone. I need a new phone. God, how pathetic am I?

Once I’m sure security isn’t following, I haul butt down the corridor. Tiles are cold under bare feet, it turns out. I’d step into my shoes again, but one of them is broken. Would people stare less if I limped and my heels creak-clacked against the floor?

A high-end fashion store beams in the distance. “We’ll help you blend in. Hurry, hurry,” it calls. I run. Benches are in the way. I’m getting clumsy. I’m panicking. Suddenly, a potted palm tree appears out of nowhere, half-blocking my view of the Promised Land, and my torso doubles around it as I slam to the ground.

I let out an ungraceful oomph. And realize I’m not on the ground after all. No, there’s an arm around me, and miraculously I’m on my feet, wobbly but sort of erect.

“You all right?” an American accent asks.

“I was going to Cloe’s over there,” I explain in German, pointing feebly and not feeling as regal as I’ve been taught. Dark eyebrows contract from within a tanned face above me.

“Sorry?” His arm is still strong around me, really freaking strong, and somehow I’ve got a death grip around it while trying to pry him off.

I translate the same stupid sentence to English. “I was going to Cloe’s. It’s over there.”

His brows are perfectly thick or thin and their arcs are so perfectly perfect they look like they’ve been combed, but then the furrow between them smoothens and I discover his eyes.

Oh.

Author Bio:

Between studies, teaching, and advising, Sunniva has spent her entire adult life in a college environment. Most of her novels are new adult romance geared toward smart, passionate readers with a love for eclectic language and engaging their brain as well as their heart while reading.

Born in the Land of the Midnight Sun, the author spent her early twenties making the world her playground. Southern Europe: Spain, Italy, Greece--Argentina: Buenos Aires, in particular. The United States finally kept her interest, and after half a decade in Los Angeles, she now lounges in the beautiful city of Savannah.

Sometimes, Sunniva writes with a paranormal twist (Shattering Halos, Stargazer, and Cat Love). At other times, it's contemporary (Pandora Wild Child, Leon's Way, Adrenaline Crush, Walking Heartbreak, and Dodging Trains, coming in late March 2016).

This author is the happiest when her characters let their emotions run off with them, shaping her stories in ways she never foresaw. She loves bad-boys and good-boys run amok, and like in real life, her goal is to keep the reader on her toes until the end of each story.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Tsu.co

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Spellbound Hearts Giveaway & Tour

Taken By The Huntsman 
Spellbound Hearts Book 1
by Mistral Dawn 
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Adult Fantasy

Discarded and ignored by those around her for most of her life, Cassie is a lonely human woman struggling to find her place in the world and meaning in her life. Cadeyrn is the Erlking, the leader of the Wild Hunt, a hundreds of thousands of years old Fae who has always known his purpose. He has spent his entire long existence tracking the criminals of Fairie and punishing them for their crimes. 

While hunting for the murderer of a child who has escaped to Earth Cadeyrn comes across Cassie and realizes that she is the one that the great mother goddess has designated as his soul mate. He kidnaps her and takes her to his fortress in Fairie to protect her from his many enemies. He knows she will be angry and that he'll have to work to earn her trust, but he finds his task to be even more challenging than he had thought it would be due to Cassie's difficulty in opening her heart. 

Will Cadeyrn be able to convince Cassie that the bond between them is real and earn her love?

Goodreads * Amazon

Bound By The Summer Prince 
Spellbound Hearts Book 2

The Summer Court is in an uproar. The king has just been executed for unpardonable crimes, and the queen is prostrate with grief over his loss. This leaves the Summer kingdom bereft of true leadership; a problem which is compounded by the fact that the laws of Fairie require balance to be maintained by having a male and a female ruler for both Season Courts at all times. Uaine, the Summer prince, is the only one who can put things right, but he is without a mate. Knowing that he must take a bride quickly, for the sake of his people, even though he is struggling with his own feelings of pain and anger over his father's treachery, he goes for a walk in a forest near the palace to try to clear his head and determine how best to choose a female to rule beside him. 

While walking Uaine discovers a human female running loose in Fairie, which is against the most basic tenets of Fae law. Furious at one more problem he must deal with, he takes her prisoner and locks her in the dungeon; only to discover later that she is his soul-mate. The magical bond between them means they are meant to be together forever, but humans can't feel the magic of Fairie. Will Uaine be able to win her heart and convince her that she can trust him to keep her safe from all the dangers of Fairie...including himself?

Roni is a human con woman and petty thief. Having run afoul of the local crime syndicate in the city where she is staying, she finds herself running for her life. Trouble is no stranger to her, but when she falls through a hole in a wall and finds herself in a world with carnivorous trees and rocks that eat people she realizes she may have found more of it than she can deal with. Rescued/arrested by the prince of the Summer Court, it doesn't take long for her to formulate a plan to use him to get herself home. Unfortunately for her, she soon finds that her heart, which she had thought long ago turned to stone, has begun to feel the love she has been playing at. Will she be able to overcome a lifetime of caution and allow herself to follow her heart? Can a criminal love a cop?

Please be aware that this book contains explicit sexual scenes, depictions of BDSM, and anal play. If these things disturb you, then this may not be the book for you.

Goodreads * Amazon

Intrigue In The Summer Court 
Spellbound Hearts #2.5 

Jillian knows something bad is going to happen! She has been a loyal adviser to the throne and friend of the queen, Briallen, for thousands of years, and now Roni and Uaine's wedding and coronation are to take place in just a couple days. The Summer Court will have a new king and queen, who, it is hoped, can repair the damage and heal the schism the late king created. 

But Jillian can't shake the feeling that trouble is brewing. Many of the Summer nobles aren't happy about the changes that are taking place in the Summer Court, and many of the other Fae just aren't too sure about having a human on the throne...even if she has been blessed by the goddess. When Angelica, the leader of the Pixies, comes to her with news of a plot to murder the prince and princess, Jillian's suspicions are confirmed. Will the two of them be able to unravel this conspiracy in time to save the royal couple? Or will prejudice prevail, and the hope for peace in Fairie be lost forever?

*This is a novella and is number 2.5 in the series. 

**This story contains adult material, BDSM play, and explicit sexual scenes. If that is not your thing, this may not be the story for you. :-)

Goodreads * Amazon

Captivated By The Winter King 
Spellbound Hearts Book 3

Kate is a woman on the run. After years of being physically and emotionally abused by her fiance, she's finally had enough. But leaving might be even more dangerous than staying, so she needs to get as far away as she can as fast as possible. A late night, desperate drive through the pouring rain ends suddenly when a cat appears in the middle of the road. While trying to avoid the half-drowned creature, Kate loses control of her car and crashes through a portal to Fairie.

Ankou is a fallen God of Death and the king of the Winter Court of Fairie, and he's facing pressure from every direction. The magic of the Court is out of balance due to the centuries-long lack of a queen. He is harried constantly by the Court nobles who want him to either step down or take a mate. All the duties of a ruling pair rest squarely on his shoulders. And added to all this is a soul-crushing loneliness. His existence stretches back hundreds of millennia, and in all that time he has never found the one person who could warm his lonely heart. He is exhausted and discouraged, and the last thing he needs is to go tearing off into the night on a fool's errand. But one of his lingering god powers is the ability to sense the right course of action to follow, and his instincts are screaming at him to go to a particular place in the forest of the Winter kingdom and wait. Imagine his surprise when he finds the one he has been waiting for his whole life!

Using a careful blend of patience, seduction, and domination, the Winter king tries to win his soulmate's love. Feeling safe and valued for the first time in her memory, Kate explores her new freedom by agreeing to try the BDSM games her lover suggests. As she experiments with both domination and submission, she learns just how liberating surrender can be. Will Ankou be able to convince Kate that she can trust him with her feelings as well as her body? Will Kate find a way to overcome the trauma of her past and open up her heart to accept the love that is offered to her? Can these two broken people find a way to fit all their disparate pieces together into a stronger, united whole? You'll have to read to find out!

**Trigger Warning: please note that this story contains depictions of domestic violence and other forms of familial abuse. If these types of situations cause you distress, this may not be the story for you.

**Please note that this story contains scenes of violence and explicit sexual scenes including BDSM. If this type of material offends you, this is probably not the story for you.

Goodreads * Amazon

Mistral Dawn is a thirty-something gal who has lived on both coasts of the US, but somehow never in the middle. She currently resides in the Southeast US with her kitty cats (please spay or neuter! :-)). She has written three full-length novels in the Spellbound Hearts series, Taken By The Huntsman, Bound By The Summer Prince, and Captivated By the Winter King.

Amazon * Facebook * Website * Twitter * Google+ * Goodreads

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#FateCoverReveal

Book: Fate
Author: KT Fisher
Series: Kings Of Rebellion MC #3
Genre: MC Romance
Cover Design: Francessca’s PR & Design
Hosted By: Francessca’s PR & Design

Synopsis



*WARNING!*
If you haven’t read any previous books in this series, this blurb contains spoilers.

Elise used to think that future was with Bomber, she thought she would become his Old Lady and live happily ever after with a few biker babies. However, Elise quickly had to accept that her dream was over when Bomber told her he was moving to America with his father. She accepted it, with tears and upset, absorbing the fact that her life would take another path that she originally dreamt. But Elise’s life dramatically changed when she was kidnapped by the Devil MC and there, in her horror was Bomber. He helped her family bring her back to safety with her new found friends, Lauren and Natasha.
Now though, he’s decided to move back to England and re-join her father’s chapter. Bomber is back in her life and Elise has no idea how to manage that reality. Her brother, Scrappy doesn’t want her anywhere near him, but Bomber won’t let her go that easily.
Elise may believe that what they long ago had is over, but he doesn’t. Bomber wants her back, and he’s making that very clear.

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Catch Up Before Fate Is released:

Karma (Kings Of Rebellion MC #1)

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Envy (Kings Of Rebellion MC #2)

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About The Author



K.T Fisher is a British romance author. She was born and raised in Nottingham, surrounded by her family. Now, she has two daughters of her own and decided that she needed to live her dream to inspire her children.
K.T Fisher mostly writes about hot, delicious men. Her books are packed with hot suspense and thrilling dangers, add her signature erotic scenes and you have a steaming romance that you have to read.
Ever since K.T Fisher released her first book, Rockstar Daddy she hasn't been able to stop and has since released many books that are loved by many.

If K.T Fisher isn't writing, she has her head buried in a book. She loves to hear from you, so feel free to contact her.

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Make Me Release Blitz

Book: Make Me
Author: Hazel Jacobs
Series: Black Lilith #3
Cover Designer:Jesh Designs
Hosted by:Francessca’s PR & Design

Synopsis



Harper Styles can’t believe she’s really doing this. It’s one thing to take a job as an escort to pay her way through college. It’s another thing to fly to Ohio and pretend to be some stranger’s girlfriend so he can get through a wedding without his family climbing all over him.

She’s outside of the airport when she meets possibly the most beautiful man she’s ever seen. Later, in the first class lounge, she realizes that this man is her client—Slate, world-famous drummer for Black Lilith.

Slate needs a girlfriend to deflect his parents’ attention from his womanizing, rockstar lifestyle. Unable to convince his best friends to lend him their girlfriends, he’s resorted to hiring an escort to pretend to be his lover and smooth the rough relationship he has with his family.
She asks him for his real name, but he gives her a coy smile that makes her weak at the knees. He also makes it absolutely clear that he will not sleep with a woman he’s paying. As long as she’s technically his employee, he will not take advantage. But the chemistry between them is immediate.
Harper can be anything a man needs, but she’s starting to realize that what Slate really needs is a woman to break through his walls.

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Excerpt

Harper needs a smoke before she kills someone.
Her fingers shake a little as she steps out of the cab and onto the curb outside of JFK Airport. She’d spent most of the drive staring out the window, desperate for something—
Anything to calm her nerves. But they just got louder and more insistent when she starting seeing planes in the air and buses with ‘Airport Express’ written on them. She was really doing this.
The cabby hands her the purple carry-on she’d packed hastily that morning. She thanks him. It’s a bit chilly, even for New York in March, and she pulls her coat tighter around her neck as she fishes in her back pocket for the cabby’s tip.
“Thanks, sweetheart,” he says, giving her a wink.
For a moment Harper panics. Does he know? Is he expecting—
But then he’s gone, and Harper forces herself to relax. She’s got a heavy black jacket on, and beneath it is a simple flannel and blue jeans. Her black hair is done in gentle waves. She deliberately went for an all-American girl look this morning, even forgoing makeup beyond a little light concealer to hide the sleepless night she’d had. No one can tell what she’s doing here. And even if they could, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of girls take jobs to put themselves through college, and even though this job isn’t the sort of job she’d tell her grandmother about, she refuses to let herself feel ashamed, or dirty, or any of the other words that come to mind when people hear the word ‘escort.’
God, I need that smoke.
She heads for the Departures door and makes a quick detour to the gaggle of people waiting outside, their shoulders hunched in the cold and their fingers curled around cigarettes. There’s a garbage bin overflowing with butts and a general air of desperation as these people suck up as much nicotine as they can before they have to get on a flight. Harper isn’t addicted—she’s a casual, nervous smoker. No personal trainer worth her salt would have anything more than a casual fling with cigarettes.
Harper pulls a packet out of her purse. The lighter she brought with her is a cheap throwaway since she knows she won’t be able to get it through security. She can buy a new one when she arrives in Iowa.
She’s never been to Iowa before. She had to Google it last night when her boss-madame—she doesn’t know what to call Angelica Spencer—telephoned to tell her that she’d be getting on a plane in the morning. That her first job as an escort would be literally escorting someone to a wedding of all things, and parading as the man’s girlfriend for his friends and family. Harper thinks he must be some kind of big deal since Angelica emailed her an NDA to sign before giving her the plane ticket. The contract didn’t say his name. It just referred to him as ‘the client.’ But whoever he is, Harper feels kind of bad for him.
Is he one of those social outcasts who can’t get a date?
Her lighter won’t work. She keeps flicking it, her fingers shaking with a combination of nerves and cold, and she mutters under her breath as the damn thing spouts sparks but no flames. The cigarette remains unlit between her lips and she almost wants to cry with frustration. This is not the time for this damn lighter to stop working!
“Need a hand?”
Harper looks up at the voice and feels her jaw drop.
The man in front of her is quite frankly—stunning. He’s hidden most of his body under a heavy suede jacket, but Harper’s been working to be a personal trainer for half her life, so she knows an impressive specimen when she sees one. His biceps bulge beneath the fabric, and she doesn’t need to look any closer to know that there are some rock-hard abs hidden under all of his clothes. He looks like the kind of man that guys at the gym keep posters of for inspiration.
But the body is only half of it. His face is strongly defined and casually handsome. Model worthy, she thinks, and sweet Lord what she wouldn’t give to see this guy in an underwear campaign. He’s got blond hair which looks a couple of days away from needing a wash, and eyes the color of dark chocolate.
She realizes she’s staring when those eyes flicker down to the cigarette still dangling from her lips. She recognizes that he’s holding a lighter and it’s immediately clear that she’s acting like an idiot.
“Oh, thanks,” she says, hastily throwing her own cheap lighter in the garbage behind her.
She turns back and the man extends his hand. He flicks the lighter quickly and the flame launches without a problem. Harper gazes at it for just a moment before leaning forward, sucking in a breath of smoke and mint as the cigarette catches light. She glances up and catches him staring at her lips, which are fuller than average and one of her best features.
“Thank you,” she says again, drawing away and taking another drag of smoke, enjoying the way his eyes never leave her mouth. She pulls the cigarette from her lips and blows out a long stream of smoke.
“Pleasure’s all mine,” he replies. Harper grins at the obvious double entendre. “Don’t suppose I can bum a smoke?”
Harper hands him the packet she’s still holding. He takes it from her and their fingers brush, and Harper shivers because neither of them are wearing gloves. He’s got chipped black nail polish, which usually isn’t much of a turn on for Harper, but on this guy it is. Hell, this guy could probably stand there in a unicorn onesie and she’d find it a turn on. He really is a beautiful man.
He lights his cigarette, seemingly exaggerating the movement of his lips and watching her the whole time. Harper obliges him by admiring the show he’s giving her.
“Thank you,” he says, blowing out a stream of smoke and handing her back the packet.
“Pleasure’s all mine,” she replies as she shoves it back into her bag.
He laughs easily. It’s a deep, chesty laugh. If it weren’t for the smoke coming out of his lips, she would have thought that he was a singer. But singers don’t smoke. Then again, she’s going to be a personal trainer, so she isn’t exactly in a position to judge.
“Are you a singer?” she asks.
He frowns with his eyebrows, but the rest of his face smiles. “No,” he says. “Why do you ask?”
“You have a nice voice.”
He stops frowning. “Thank you,” he replies, delighted. “So do you. But I’m not a singer, I’m a drummer.”
“Oh,” Harper says. She observes his muscles again, wondering if it’s a combination of carrying and beating drums that gave them to him. “Professional?”
“On my better days.” He blows out a lungful of air. Even though they’re surrounded by people, Harper feels like it’s just the two of them. He has this way of looking at her which makes her feel as though she’s endlessly fascinating.
“Must be nice.”
“It keeps me off the streets.”
They smile at each other. Harper can’t remember the last time she felt this easy with a guy. She doesn’t think it’s just his smooth moves. Since she moved to New York, she’s had plenty of men give her nice smiles and let their eyes linger. She’s pretty enough, with a slim figure thanks to her routine, but with one of those ‘girl next door’ faces that she despised in high school, but has since become a blessing and a curse. It makes her approachable.
This guy, for some reason, isn’t just flirting which wouldn’t be enough to set him apart from the others who have flirted with her in the past. He’s giving her the courage to flirt back, though how he’s managing it she can only guess. Usually, she’s looking at her feet, wondering what a man wants, wondering whether she wants him, and wondering if there’s something she’s missing or if it’s all a joke. Usually, she needs to know a guy before being flirty with him, which is why she’s only ever dated friends. Men she knew through mutual acquaintances who weren’t afraid to take the lead in romance. But this man just makes her want to smile and keep smiling, and ask him if he wants to get dinner and a movie, like some high school movie cliché.
“What about you?” he asks.
“I’m tone-deaf…” she says, “…and I can’t keep a beat for anything.”
He grins. “I meant what do you do for a living?” he asks.
I have sex with people for money.
Not technically true. She hasn’t had sex for money yet.
Today is her first time—her first client. And she could just tell him that she’s a personal trainer even though she’s not certified. Yet. Only one year left, and if the mountain of student loans weren’t looming over her like a monster from a fairy-tale, she would have been excited about it. Instead, here she is, getting ready to board a plane with a stranger and fly to Iowa with him. He’ll probably keep her ‘working’ all weekend. She wishes she’d asked Angelica to give her a one-nighter first. A man who just wanted to fuck and leave. How is she supposed to pretend to be a man’s girlfriend in front of his family if she doesn’t know him?
Thinking about that makes her look at her watch. When she sees the time, she panics.
“Shit,” she says, taking one last drag of her cigarette and throwing the butt in the garbage. The man she was talking to looks confused. “Sorry… I’ve got to, ah… sorry…”
She grabs her purple carry-on bag and speed-walks toward the doors.
“Hey, wait!” the guy calls after her.
“I gotta go I’m gonna be late—”
“What’s your name?”
Despite her instincts—she’s never going to see him again, what’s the point in looking back—she turns her head to see him watching her go in confusion. He’s still got the cigarette in his hand. Now that she’s looking at him from a distance, she realizes he’s got a battered brown backpack at his feet.
“Harper!” she calls back before she can think of a reason not to. She’s never going to see him again. And it’s just a first name. But it feels good to think that he’ll have something to call her in his head if he ever thinks about her again. All she’ll have is ‘the sexy drummer,’ which is maybe for the best considering what she’s about to do.
Then she’s passing through the doors and all but running to the check-in counter. She’s got a client to meet at the bar of the American Airlines lounge, and she can’t afford to be late.
She checks her ticket again to make sure she hadn’t dreamed up the First Class designation. Whoever her client is, he’s generous enough to buy a hooker an expensive seat.
Stop calling yourself that. You’re an escort, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
She repeats the sentiment over and over as she joins the First Class queue at the American Airlines desk, though there’s a small part of her that wonders if the men surrounding her in business suits can tell. Maybe she shouldn’t have gone for all-American. Maybe high class would have helped her blend in more.
Her ticket is under her own name. Harper Lee Styles. Her mother thought ‘Harper Lee’ was a good idea at the time. But Harper reminds herself that she will need to introduce herself as Tiffany. That’s the name Angelica picked out for her.
What a cliché, she thinks to herself as she hands over her ID and is waved through to security clearance.
A few minutes in security and an aggressive pat down from one of the lady guards, and she’s speed-walking to the American Airlines airport lounge. She checks her watch again and breathes a sigh of relief. She’s early. She doesn’t need to meet her client for another ten minutes.
She slows down so she can savor this moment. It’s not every day she gets to go into an airport lounge. She wishes her mom and dad could see her now. Then she remembers how she got the First Class seat, and decides that it’s probably best they can’t. She just wishes she’d finished that cigarette.
The lounge is all done up in blue and white and the chairs look ridiculously comfy. There’s a free buffet along the wall with fruits, vegetables, and a pasta salad that looks particularly tempting, and it’s completely deserted. Harper wonders where the rest of the people in the First Class line at the check-in desk are. She shows the bored-looking woman at the reception her ticket. She expects to get some sort of third degree, but the woman just waves her through with a sigh. Harper steps tentatively into the lounge, realizes that no one’s going to come and kick her out, and then she relaxes. She even allows a small smile to grace her face.
At the back of the room, a long black bar beckons. The back wall has a mirror which is obscured by every kind of hard liquor she can imagine. She resists the urge to order something really strong because she needs her wits about her if she’s going to do this.
It’s not just the expectation of flirting, though that is something she dreads, there’s the sex part as well. She’s no blushing virgin, not by a long shot. It’ll just feel… she isn’t sure how it’ll feel. Maybe like it’s hanging over her? Like he’ll be expecting her to start stripping the moment, they get somewhere private, and she’ll have no choice because he’s paid for her? She doesn’t know if she’ll be able to cope with that. Will he expect her to fuck him on the plane?
“Something to drink, Miss?” the bartender asks. She looks younger than Harper but is obviously old enough to serve alcohol.
“Ah… just water, please,” Harper replies.
“You sure? We’ve got champagne.”
Harper’s stomach churns at the thought. “Just water, please.”
Gazing at the mirror while the bartender pours the drink, Harper begins to wonder what her client will look like. The thought is immediately cut off when she sees the sexy drummer’s reflection in the mirror.
She spins around on her stool, clutching the bar for support. How did… what did, she can’t even form the thoughts.
He gazes around the lounge, apparently looking for something. Then his eyes fall on her and he blinks for a moment, before grinning. He starts to make his way over to her and Harper begins to panic. He’d looked confused for a moment like he wasn’t expecting her, but what if he’d followed her there? What if he’s still talking to her when her client shows up? She can’t afford to be seen with another man when she’s already been bought and paid for.
She opens her mouth, but he cuts her off.
“Tiffany?” he asks, his lips turning up in a crooked smile.
Harper’s heart pounds in her chest. No way, she thinks, no way.
“Yes?” she replies hesitantly.
He sticks out his hand, with its chipped polish and leather cuffs which she hadn’t noticed until now. “I’m Slate. I’m your client



Early Feedback

This book was love it was sensual it was hot and it was sexy. Bravo to you Hazel Jacobs on another delicious 5 star read. Thank You! ~ Goodreads Review

Hazel brings us great stories with wonderful writing. This is a definite must read. ~ Goodreads

Make Me is a light and fun read leading to hea, no heavy dramas or angst, includes great main and secondary characters that I would love to read more about in the next book from the series. ~ Best Book Boyfriend

About The Author



Hazel Jacobs is a passionate fan of romance novels and a crazy fan of rock and roll. Never trained as a writer, she began creative writing as a hobby. That quickly evolved into a mission to pen a novel that brings a new generation of readers into the wild realm of loud music and total passion.

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Captured by Christmas Cover Reveal & Giveaway

Captured by Christmas: A Christmas Anthology

Titles Included

Snowbound by Lynn Crandall

The Mistletoe Effect by Lainee Cole

Release Date: December 5, 2016

It’s Christmas, and the season of holly, Christmas trees, and goodwill is drifting on air in merry holiday wishes. Romantic suspense and paranormal author Lynn Crandall and contemporary author Lainee Cole present in their own way two stories of love in Captured by Christmas. However it finds you—under a Christmas tree or drifted in snow in a backwoods cabin—the spirit of the season will wrap you in love.

In Snowbound, Lynn Crandall lets readers check in on favorite Fierce Hearts series were-lynx characters Kennedy Mitchell and Asher Monroe as they uncover the identity of the creature scaring the humans in Octavia, a small rural community in northern Michigan. Plans for an intimate getaway and family-style holiday are crumbling as the snow piles higher and Kennedy and Asher find themselves snowbound with a killer outside their door.


In The Mistletoe Effect, Christmas is second-grade teacher Tess McCall’s least favorite holiday, but she’s doing her best not to let it show. Learning he’s a father to seven-year-old Holly makes Alex Randle anxious about the upcoming holidays. When Tess’s class starts reading to shelter dogs, Holly and the antics of shelter dog Mistletoe lead them all to rediscover the magic of Christmas.

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Snowbound:
Kennedy glanced out the window and noticed the closer they came to Octavia, the deeper the December snow piled. “It is pretty here. There are so many tall pines and, dotted with snow, they feel Christmassy.”
“I think you’ll get the Christmas you want this year, complete with a rustic cabin in the woods and lots of snow.” Asher squinted as the early morning sun they’d left in Laurelwood drifted low in the mid-morning sky.
“I can’t wait to decorate the cabin. I hope the rest of the colony coming later remembers to bring all the decorations.” Images of a real, family Christmas had been dancing in her head for weeks. At twenty-four, she was more than due.
Asher glanced at her slyly. “But since they won’t arrive for a couple days, we’ll have that alone time I was talking about.”
Kennedy fisted him in his bicep. “Stop teasing.”
“Oww. That hurt.”
“Poor baby.” Kennedy blew him a kiss. “That will have to do until later.” She ran her fingers through his tousled blonde hair, enjoying the silky feel of it.
“We could stop at the cabin first, you know. We’re making good time.” Asher swept his finger playfully down her nose.
“Tempting, but no. I need to get to the rescue facility and set up.”
“Hang on!” Asher yelled.
At that moment, Kennedy saw what he saw ahead. A very large lynx, speeding out of the snowy forest on her left and into the road. “Holy shit! Don’t hit him!”
Asher slammed on the brakes and the car swayed in the snow-packed road.
“He’s staring at us.” Kennedy’s pulse raced at their near miss. The lynx’s eyes glistened, fastened on her. “Why did he stop in the road?” She couldn’t believe her eyes.
Asher worked to stop the car while swerving, but just as suddenly as it appeared, the huge lynx ran the few steps off the road and quickly disappeared into the forest on the opposing side.
Kennedy watched silently as Asher brought the car to a complete stop just short of a snowdrift along the side of the road. She blew out a long breath. “Geez, that was close.”
Asher reached over the console and hugged her. “Are you all right? That was harried for a minute.”
His arms around her were warm and assuring. It was the gesture that brought tears. She’d been raised to disconnect from emotions and taking care of herself was mandatory, something she’d done from a young age. She prided herself on her strength. But the coldness of the past would always be a part of her, and a caring touch now resonated through her at a deep level of appreciation. She’d stopped resisting tenderness, and her vigilance for the other shoe dropping had diminished, too.
“I’m fine. How are you?” she asked, pulling away. He was what she expected. Asher, unflustered but a seething. “I never saw that guy coming. I’m glad I didn’t hit him.”
“Have you ever seen such a large lynx before?” A visual of a very real, huge lynx hovered in her mind.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Yeah. Marcus Blue. Killer Marcus.” Kennedy shivered at the thought of the rogue were-lynx who’d been a menace to the colony and a killer. Casey and Michelle, Booker, Lara, Conrad, Asia, Quinn, and Tizzy—each one in the colony, including her and Asher, had suffered under Marcus’s malice.

The Mistletoe Effect:
Alex snapped his fingers. That was it! Tess McCall could be the answer to all his problems! He approached her. “I have a huge favor to ask.”
Tess watched him cautiously. “Okay…”
“Holly wants to adopt Mistletoe.”
She smiled, and he felt the brilliance warm his soul. “That’s great! They seem devoted to each other. Mistletoe goes straight to her every time they come to class.”
“I don’t know anything about dogs. I need to learn but I want this to be for Christmas.”
She crossed her arms. “So what do you want me to do?”
“I’d like you to keep Mistletoe until Christmas. Maybe pretend you adopted her. I’d like Holly to learn how to care for a dog, well, and me, too. Maybe we could come help feed her, walk her. I don’t know, just spend some time with her, getting used to her.”
Tess studied him. She seemed to do that a lot. Did she find him lacking somehow? Mike had admitted she was reluctant to help him, but had agreed to for Holly’s sake. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked her to help with this. Maybe that was overstepping the bounds of what she was willing to do for them.
“I’ll think about it.”
Relief rushed through him. “I don’t want to lose Mistletoe. I’ll talk to Mrs. Shull and let her know.”
“I haven’t agreed to it yet.”
Alex smiled, unable to stop the words before they rushed out. “No, but you will. You care about Holly.”

Lynn Crandall lives in the Midwest and writes in the company of her cat. She has been a reader and a writer all her life. Her background is in journalism, but whether writing a magazine or newspaper story or creating a romance, she loves the power stories hold to transport, inspire, and uplift. In her romances, she focuses on vulnerable, embraceable characters who don't back down.

Lainee Cole’s love affair with books began when she was young, and her mother encouraged her love of reading. By the time she was in seventh grade, Lainee was making up her own stories and poems, exploring various styles of writing. Ah, the drama of junior high. She wouldn't go back to those days for anything! But reading voraciously and exploring different types of writing led her to romances. She loves the challenge of writing romance, developing characters and figuring out what makes them tick. They often take on a life of their own, surprising and annoying her. But they also give her hope and inspire her to follow her dreams. Lainee strives to write stories that will make readers laugh and cry, give them hope, and encourage them to believe in the power of love.

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