Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Book Tour and Giveaway: Writing the Wolf by Steffanie Holmes






Writing the Wolf
Wolves of Crookshollow
Book Two
Steffanie Holmes

Genre: paranormal romance, shifters

Publisher: Bacchanalia House

Date of Publication: May 18, 2017

ASIN: B06W58YNT6

Word Count: 70k

Cover Artist: Aria at Resplendant Covers



Tagline: Rosa just wants to be left alone to write her book, but when werewolves attempt to kidnap her, she realizes her neighbor Caleb is the only one who can protect her. But Caleb is hiding a secret of his own … fur and sparks fly in this hot paranormal romance from USA Today bestselling author Steffanie Holmes.

Book Description:

Sink your teeth into the hot new werewolf paranormal romance from USA Today bestselling author, Steffanie Holmes!

Rosa

I need to escape.

After those racist bastards destroyed my home, I can’t face the world again.

I’ve rented a cabin in the heart of the Crookshollow forest. I’m going to lock myself away and work on my book. I’m going to write my story.

And I absolutely, positively WILL NOT think about Caleb, the hunky labourer who’s fixing up my cabin.

No way.

I won’t think about the way his eyes melt my heart, and his smile melts my panties.

I’m too emotionally raw right now. I can’t handle a fling, especially not with a white guy.

Especially not a guy like him. A guy who shags and leaves. I can’t handle any more heartache.

Caleb

Rosa Parker – clever writer, black woman, total hottie.

The connection between us sizzles – there’s no denying it: this woman is my mate.

When I’m near her, all I want to do is claim her.

If only I wasn’t the biggest threat to her life right now.

With a rogue wolf pack after my hide, I can’t afford a distraction. Even a distraction as alluring as her.

I need to keep my wolfish instincts in check.

But I can’t help myself.

Rosa Parker has got under my skin.

And I won’t stop until I’ve made her mine.

Writing the Wolf is a standalone novel with an HEA. It’s the second book in the hot new paranormal romance series by USA Today bestselling author Steffanie Holmes. Read on if you love spunky heroines, pack politics, and a hero so hot he’ll have you howling for more.

Amazon      BN      iBooks      Kobo      Google Play

Excerpt 1

The toilet didn’t flush.

You can’t be serious. I am not doing this. I’m not living in a cabin with a toilet that
doesn’t work.


I yanked the cord again, harder this time.


The loo made a gurgling sound, but nothing else happened.


“You’ve got to be kidding.”
I said aloud, my voice sounding hollow in the darkness. Great. This is just perfect. I should have listened more carefully to Rita’s warnings about the plumbing. What had she said, while I was busy thinking about the fire again?


Even when I was hundreds of miles away, Old Garsmouth still managed to fuck up my life.


Well fine, I wasn’t going to deal with this problem in the dark. I’d call a plumber in the morning. I
slammed down the lid, and turned on the tap to wash my hand. A tiny trickle came out, followed by nothing except a loud, thumping noise from the pipes.


“Aargh!” I pounded my fist against the wall. Something scuttled across my knuckles.


“Aargh!” I yanked my hand away and stumbled out the door, straight into a tall stranger who was standing on the path.


“Do you need some help?” A deep voice boomed in my ear, with the familiar heavy vowels of a Scottish accent. Huge arms wrapped around my body.


“Aargh!” I flailed my arms about, tearing myself away from his grip. Who the hell was that? Why was some guy walking around my cabin at night?


And why did my body suddenly feel so strange? It was as though I’d stuck my finger in a light socket. All the hair on my body stood to attention. I could only imagine what the frizz on top of my head must look like. My heart thundered in my chest, but this wasn’t fear – it was something else. It almost felt like … excitement.


I fought against the overwhelming urge to throw myself back into the arms of the stranger. What
is that about?


I backed against the side of the loo, and studied the stranger. Even in the moonlight, it was obvious he was the world’s most attractive man. Well maybe not the most … Idris Elba was still alive, of course, and Sam Heughan. But this guy would certainly make top five. And he had the significant advantage in that he was in my immediate vicinity, although I still had yet to ascertain if that was a good thing or not.


He had long, floppy red hair that tumbled around his face in tousled waves. A line of dark stubble crossed his strong, square jaw, and the corners of his mouth lifted up into a cheeky half-grin. Eyes of blue ice looked me up and down with predator-like focus. Even though his thick leather jacket, I could see the dark shapes of a tattoo poking out from the side of his collar. He carried a metal box in his hand. A gold ring dangled from the top of his right ear. God, I’d love to grab that
with my tongue and—

What are you even thinking? This is nuts. That’s a white guy, standing in the dark. Hot
or not, he can’t be there for any good reason.


I backed away further, trying to ignore the desire surging through my body. Stay alert, Rosa.
Ignore your body for the moment. It’s probably having some kind of seizure. If he makes a move, turn and run for the path at the other side of the cabin—

“Are you having some plumbing issues?” The stranger asked, taking a step forward.


I held up a hand. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, in a voice that oozed the
confidence I did not feel. “You’re sneaking around my cabin in the middle of the night wearing all black, you scare me half to death, and the first thing you have to say to me is about the plumbing?


He shrugged, a full-on wicked grin spreading across his face, the kind of grin that might move him
from top five hottest guys on earth into the top three. “Why not? I help lots of women with their plumbing.”


“Don’t be disgusting. Are you here to attack me? I warn you, I’m dangerous when provoked.” I tried to make my feet move back, but they were frozen in place.


“Oh, I bet you are.” There was that grin again. Cocky, self-assured. Sexy as hell. Damn this guy. “In all seriousness, though. I just came to see if you were all right. I’ve brought my tools.”


He jiggled the box in his hand, which upon closer inspection did indeed look like a toolbox. Certainly
not big enough to carry a body around in. That was some positive news.

I still wasn’t buying it. “Do you just randomly walk around the forest in the dark, looking for plumbing disasters? You still haven’t told me your name.”


The guy set down the box, and held up both hands in a gesture of supplication. “My name’s Caleb. Rita hired me to do some carpentry work around the place. I’m staying in the cabin just over there.” He jerked his thumb at the trees behind us. “She asked me to come out and check on you, offer my services for whatever you need.” Caleb grinned again. “Looks like I got here just in time.”




About the Author:

Steffanie Holmes is a USA Today bestselling author of dark and steamy paranormal romance. Her books feature clever, witty heroines, wild shifters, cunning witches and alpha males who get what they want.

Before becoming a writer, Steffanie worked as an archaeologist and museum curator. She loves to explore historical settings and ancient conceptions of love and possession. From Dark Age Europe to crumbling gothic estates, Steffanie is fascinated with how love can blossom between the most unlikely characters.

Steffanie lives in New Zealand with her husband and a horde of cantankerous cats. Learn more about Steffanie at her website: www.steffanieholmes.com. She also writes dark science fiction under the name S C Green.

Want to be informed when the next Steffanie Holmes paranormal romance story goes live?


Sign up for the mailing list! http://steffmetal.com/subscribe

Website: http://steffanieholmes.com

Blog: http://steffmetal.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/steffmetal

Twitter @steffmetal

FB reader group: Books that Bite - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1757403921176035/

Patreon: http://patreon.com/steffmetal







Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Book Blitz and Giveaway: Dark Illusions by D.D. Miers

Dark Illusions
D.D. Miers
(The Relic Keeper, #2)
Publication date: June 20th 2017
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
They say a war is brewing in the unseen world—and I’m the only one who can stop it.
 Eight weeks ago, a woman sacrificed herself for me. She believed with such certainty I would save this world, she used the last of her powers to protect me. But not everyone shares her conviction. The Council has turned to less than savory methods to force out my magic, and as nightmarish visions fill my head, I’m no longer sure I can trust myself.

Attacks from the Necros grow bolder every day. To keep me hidden, the fiercely irresistible sorcerer at my side will take me to his underworld; a place no sane person would dare to follow. But the whispers stalk me everywhere…hunting me, wanting me. And the more I run, the more I realize that safety may be just another dark illusion.

Readers who like The Twenty-Sided Sorceress, The Elemental Series, and The Baine Chronicles will fall in love with Miers’ paranormal universe, and those fighting to defend it war is brewing in the unseen world…are you ready?
Book 2 in the captivating urban fantasy series filled with twists and gripped by a complicated, butterfly-inducing romance. Fans of Shannon Mayer, Ella Summers, Dannika Dark and Rebecca Hamilton will love this series!
Praise for Book One – Dark Summoner
“Mesmerizing. . .had me completely under its spell.”
“Danger, excitement, passion, and turmoil.”
“An exceptional story full of rich characters.”
“This story has one biting her nails and sitting on the edge of her seat while eagerly turning every single page.”
*** FIRST PLACE WINNER *** 2015 International Digital Awards – Paranormal Romance
***Nerdy Girl Book Reviews*** HOT READS FEATURE, RomCon Magazine August 2015 Edition


Author Bio:
D.D. Miers is an ardent book lover, coffee enthusiast, and die-hard romance fan. When she's not writing, she can be found snuggling on the couch with a good book in hand, planning a Harry Potter themed party, or dancing very badly to music. She currently resides in beautiful Southern California with her wonderful husband, a crazy toddler, and the many different characters in her head.

XBTBanner1

Monday, May 29, 2017

Review: The Unyielding by Shelly Laurenston

Stieg Engstrom, Angriest Viking Ever, has got big problems. The human Viking Clans of earth are in danger of being obliterated—along with the rest of the world—and the only one who may be able to save them is a super pain-in-the-ass Crow. Most people annoy Stieg, but this is the one woman he really can’t stand…

Erin Amsel loves being a Crow! Why wouldn’t she when the other Viking Clans are so hilariously arrogant and humorless? She’s not about to let all that come to an end! She just didn’t expect to be shoulder to shoulder in battle with Stieg. Then again, he’s so easy to torment—and also kind of cute.

With the future of the world riding on them, Stieg knows he’ll have to put aside his desperate need to kiss the smirk right off Erin’s face. Wait. What? He didn’t mean that—did he? No! They have one goal: To conquer the idiots. Because nothing bugs Stieg more than when idiots win. If only he can keep himself from suddenly acting like one…

I would never have put these two together. I'm amazed they didn't kill each other and I think the rest of the crew on both sides were also. I knew Erin would be successful because that girl has no quit in her. But dayumn she had to go through a lot to save the world. And Stieg was great even when I kept thinking she's going to go to far and he or someone else is going to kill her. I like Erin though she is unapologetically a bad-ass and she likes it that way lol.

I was tickled to see the whole gang there and cannot wait to see where Ms Laurenston goes with this world. Her books always make me laugh and are just a good fun read. I give this one 5 stars and was given this book via Netgalley in consideration of review.


Sunday, May 28, 2017

Review: Lost Summer by M.T. Stone


Stole Her Innocence And Then She Vanished, So Everyone Blamed Me.Now I’ve Been Given A Chance To Save Her…  Hopefully It’s Not Too Late!

Dylan

We had the time of our lives and I finally stole her innocence.  Then someone stole her.  Now I’m stuck in the hot seat, being grilled under the bright lights.  Sitting here, all I can think about is going out there and finding her.  At this point, however, it’s going to take a miracle just to get out of jail.  Unfortunately, I’m not the type who attracts miracles or even luck for that matter.

Carson
Olivia Bennett is the only woman I’ve ever loved, but I lost her after choosing the Marines over college.  Now her daughter is missing and the blame has been pinned on my only nephew.  With twenty years of military and DEA experience, I know I can hunt down the bastard who took her and bring her back alive.  If I succeed, it will heal some old wounds with my family and give me another shot at winning back the woman of my dreams.

Summer
I return to consciousness face down on a stinky piece of cheap, prickly carpet.  My head is pounding.  I can’t open my eyes.  I try to move my arms, then my legs, but both are tightly bound.   All I hear is the sound of tires humming against the pavement.  I try to scream, but my lips are pressed so tightly together that I can barely muster a moan.  My mind goes blank as I scramble to think of any way to improve my odds.  I have no idea where I am, where I’m headed, who has taken me or why?  My heart races out of control as tears soak the blindfold that relentlessly keeps me in the dark.  I find myself spiraling into utter despair.
**Lost Summer is a full-length (92,000 words) stand alone Romantic Suspense with No Rape Scenes, No Cheating and No Cliffhanger.  If you like a fast-paced book that you can’t put down, you will love this one!

Review:

Not sure where or how I first became aware of this book but the cover certainly got my attention at the beginning and then I read the blurb and I had to read it. Luckily for me at the time it was a free read so I one clicked it. I had other books that I wanted to read but this one had grabbed me so I read it and I wasn't disappointed. This book was an attention grabbing fast paced rocket ride to the finish.

I'll preface my next thought with I don't normally read YA or NA a lot and this one was a NA and it showed. Some of the ways the hero and heroine thought or did things was WTH hell moments for me but as I said that was probably me since I'm considerably older than they are. Actually my kiddos are a little older than them lol. The story and writing were excellent and I'll definitely be keeping my eyes out for more stories by this author.

As I said I got this book on my own and I give it 4 stars. So if this one grabs you the way it did me go and one click It's still a bargain at $.99.




Saturday, May 27, 2017

Book Blitz and Giveaway: Aiding the Dragon by Jessie Donovan





Aiding the Dragon
Jessie Donovan
(Stonefire Dragons #9)
Publication date: May 25th 2017
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Teagan O’Shea is a rare female dragon-shifter leader. While her Irish clan has a tradition of female leaders, they have always had to hide behind a male face publicly to prevent the other clans from viewing them as weaker and then attacking. When the truth leaks, Teagan is faced with a choice—hand over the leadership to a male or invite the challengers to a leadership trial and earn her place. Out to prove having a penis isn’t required to be a leader, she picks the latter.

Aaron Caruso is sent to Ireland under the guise of repairing relations between two clans on the isle of Ireland. However, upon arrival he learns the truth. Determined to secure Teagan’s place so he can escape her alluring eyes and addicting personality, he busies himself with helping her any way he can. A female used him once and he’s not about to go through that again, no matter how much the Irish female tempts him.
As the pair work together on preparations for the leadership trial, both Aaron and Teagan start to see each other in a new light. Both have their own self-imposed loneliness and yearn for something they can’t have. Can Aaron and Teagan not only change tradition but also open their hearts? Or will they each be doomed to live alone to fight their inner battles?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks / GooglePlay

EXCERPT:

Twisting the knob, Teagan entered the small room. Aaron’s back was to her. While she appreciated his broad shoulders and his thick, dark hair, she smiled at how he was tapping his fingers. He always did that when it came to meeting with her, either in person or via a video conference. “Just make sure not to wear down my table with your nails.”

Aaron’s movements stopped. He turned and Teagan hid her surprise. The male had grown a close-cut beard since the last time she’d seen him. The dark whiskers made him look wiser.
And maybe a wee bit sexier. Not that she’d ever tell him that.
Then he frowned and she banished that thought. Grumpy wasn’t what she needed, among many other things.
Aaron growled, “I wouldn’t have to tap my fingers in the first place if you were on time.”
Killian took a step toward Aaron, but Teagan put up a hand. “I’ll deal with him. Eliza is waiting for you. Go with her and search Sadie’s things. Update me on any developments.”
Her brother nodded and exited the room. Like most males in her clan, he obeyed her orders without question.
Aaron, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the table. “Should I get comfortable whilst you use a power play to assert your dominance? Or are you actually going to tell me why I’m here?”
She walked up to his feet and pushed them off the table. “Keep your dirty bloody boots on the floor. Do that again, and I’ll make sure you always have a bucket and rag to clean up after yourself.”
His pupils flashed to slits and back, signaling he was talking to his dragon. “I’m not here to clean.”
She shrugged. “The way I understand it, you’re here to help me for the next few weeks. Bram didn’t say cleaning was off-limits.”
Aaron stood. His dark brown eyes met her green. They were exactly the same height, which was a nice change. Teagan was tall, even by female dragon-shifter standards.
She barely had time to note the flecks in his eyes when he spat out, “Cleaning is off-limits. As is babysitting or being assigned entry-level guard duty. I’m a trained Protector. If it’s not related to my job, then I’ll refuse to do it.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And what? Disappoint your clan leader and destroy his hard work at trying to strengthen our alliance?”
“Bram would see it my way. Besides, you need this alliance more than we do. We already have Lochguard at our back. Who do you have?”
His words stung and her dragon stood at attention.
He was correct that she needed the alliance, but she wasn’t about to put up with bullshit to achieve it. That was the wrong message to send to Stonefire.
She had dealt with many a male acting like Aaron Caruso. She knew what to do.
Fisting his shirt, she pulled him close. For a split second, her dragon reveled in his scent and the heat of his body so close to theirs, but Teagan quickly pushed her beast to the back of her mind. As Aaron’s eyes flashed, she swept his legs with her own. Aaron lost his balance and Teagan guided him to the floor, face down. With his hands behind him and her knee in his lower back, she leaned down to his ear and whispered, “Just because I’m female doesn’t mean you will treat me as any less of a clan leader, understood?”
He turned his head to meet her eyes. “I’m not doing it because you’re female. I’m doing it because you’re irritating.”
Resisting the urge to press a talon against his throat, she replied, “That just earned you guard duty. Maybe twenty-four hours without sleep will teach you a lesson in etiquette.”
She withdrew a key from her pocket and released Aaron. Before he could do more than rise to his hands and knees, she dashed out the sole door and locked it.
His voice was muffled through the door. “Let me out, bloody woman. This isn’t how you treat a guest.”
“Aye, you’re right. It’s how I treat a pest.”



Author Bio:
Sign up for Jessie's newsletter and never miss a release or special: http://jessiedonovan.com/newsletter
Jessie Donovan wrote her first story at age five, and after discovering the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey in junior high, realized that people actually wanted to read stories like those floating around inside her head. From there on out, she was determined to tap into her over-active imagination and write a book someday.
After living abroad for five years and earning degrees in Japanese, Anthropology, and Secondary Education, she buckled down and finally wrote her first full-length book. While that story will never see the light of day, it laid the world-building groundwork of what would become her debut paranormal romance, Blaze of Secrets. In late 2014, she became a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.
Jessie loves to interact with readers. When not reading a book or traipsing around some foreign country on a shoestring, can often be found on Facebook.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

XBTBanner1


Friday, May 26, 2017

Book Tour and Giveaway: Behind the Mask by Various Authors




GUEST BLOG POST by CARRIE VAUGHN

New Superhero Stories Are Possible!Lately, I've been feeling like we've reached peak superhero. Hundreds of comics titles, dozens of TV shows and movies. It's almost easier to talk about what characters haven't gotten screen time than it is about the ones who have.  In some cases, we even have multiple screen versions of the same character. In twenty years movies and TV have gone from only having nipple-suit Batman, to having too much to keep track of.
Is there room for any more superhero stories?
Why yes, of course there is.
What a silly question.In fact, I think superheroes in prose is a great unexplored frontier. Prose is the one place where we can really get inside the minds of superheroes and see what makes them tick.  The place where we can push boundaries and be subversive, get past the explosions and massive duels overthe skies of Manhattan, the four-color Lycra suits and super-team ups, to figure out what all this really means.
I feel like there are two ways for a writer in any medium to approach the topic of superheroes. First, the traditional: The hero faces the villain, confronts their own weaknesses, finds their own strength through their amazing otherworldly powers, and fights to protect the weak, to defend goodness and justice. This might seem tired and cliché, but I think a writer who can come along and tell a great, amazing version of this tried-and-true story has immense, praiseworthy talent. (Captain America: The First Avenger, anyone?)
Then there's the second approach, which is to ask a bunch of questions about superheroes that no one ever thought to ask before. Consider that maybe the hero isn't the hero, and the villain might have something going on under the surface. Wonder what the families and friends of these characters must be like. Figure out who does Superman's dry cleaning, and consider that maybe there's a good reason no one recognizes him when Clark Kent is wearing glasses.
I've been writing superhero stories for a while now, starting with my novel After the Golden Age,in which a forensic accountant -- and not her superpowered parents -- saves the day. I gotta tell you, once you start telling superhero stories, it's hard to stop. (Millions upon millions of comic books...)  Once you build a superhero world, once you start populating it, the questions keep coming. My story for Behind the Mask, "Origin Story," is set in the same world as After the Golden Age.  There's a villain -- but he wasn't always a villain. Not long ago, he was a kid in high school. And it doesn't matter if he's wearing a mask, his old girlfriend would know that face anywhere...
Yeah, these are the stories that are going to keep this genre going for a good long time
Behind the Mask
by Kelly Link, Carrie Vaughn, Seanan McGuire, Cat Rambo, Lavie Tidhar and others


~~~~~~~~~~~~~


GENRE:  

Behind the Mask is a multi-author collection with stories by award-winning authors Kelly Link, Cat Rambo, Carrie Vaughn, Seanan McGuire, Lavie Tidhar, Sarah Pinsker, Keith Rosson, Kate Marshall, Chris Large and others. It is partially, a prose nod to the comic world—the bombast, the larger-than-life, the save-the-worlds and the calls-to-adventure. But it’s also a spotlight on the more intimate side of the genre. The hopes and dreams of our cape-clad heroes. The regrets and longings of our cowled villains. That poignant, solitary view of the world that can only be experienced from behind the mask.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Behind the Mask is a multi-author collection with stories by award-winning authors Kelly Link, Cat Rambo, Carrie Vaughn, Seanan McGuire, Lavie Tidhar, Sarah Pinsker, Keith Rosson, Kate Marshall, Chris Large and others. It is partially, a prose nod to the comic world—the bombast, the larger-than-life, the save-the-worlds and the calls-to-adventure. But it’s also a spotlight on the more intimate side of the genre. The hopes and dreams of our cape-clad heroes. The regrets and longings of our cowled villains. That poignant, solitary view of the world that can only be experienced from behind the mask.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

Origin Story by Carrie Vaughn

Living in Commerce City, odds are you’re going to get caught up in something someday—pinned down in the crossfire of some epic battle between heroes who can fly and villains with ray guns, held captive in a hostage crisis involving an entire football stadium, or even trapped by a simple jewelry heist or bus hijacking.

When my turn came, I got stuck in a bank robbery.

I was waiting in line to make a deposit when a hole opened up in the ceiling. A glowing green laser light traced a perfect circle, and that section of ceiling dropped to the floor, scattering the line of people underneath in a cloud of dust and noise. I was too far back to really see what was happening, just that there was debris and screaming, some of which might have been mine. Then Techhunter rappelled through the hole, wielding a laser pistol and shouting at everyone to get down and lie still.  We did.

He was just one guy.  No henchmen, no partners. That was Techhunter’s M.O. in the news stories I’d read.  He worked alone, with only his machines as backup.  This time, he had a swarm of hovering metallic balls zooming down the hole in the ceiling with him.  They fanned out around the room and trained tiny cannons on everyone.  They probably shot lasers or tranquilizer darts.  Surely in a place like Commerce City, with so many vigilantes and criminal gangs battling each other, bank tellers would be trained how to handle situations like this, but the ones here all stepped back from their counters, arms in the air, staring at Techhunter with trembling gazes.  As if they didn’t live in Commerce City, where this kind of thing happened on a monthly basis at least.

Techhunter didn’t ask for the manager to open any safes; he just drilled through the locks with his laser pistol, collected cash, and emptied a pair of safety deposit boxes into a hard-sided case.  He wore wide goggles that hid most of his face, and a headset with all kinds of wires and antennae sticking from it, probably what he used to control all his devices. His suit was made of some slick material, supple as leather but appearing to be much stronger, probably armored. Pants, tall boots, padded shirt, and a fitted trenchcoat, all in a midnight blue so dark it looked black, except when the light caught it right.

Everyone cowered. Except me. I couldn’t help it, because by that time, I’d had a chance to really look at him. The superhero stalker website Rooftop Watch had posted a half dozen or so pictures of Techhunter over the last couple of years, blurry action shots in semi-darkness, and I hadn’t paid much attention because he was just another guy in a mask. Now, seeing him in person, the way he moved, smoothly and urgently, the way he studied the room and pursed his thin, slightly chapped lips—it was all familiar. I should have thought it was just a coincidence, but I was sure. Even under those face-obscuring goggles, I knew him.

Then he looked across the room at the one person not cowering in his presence. Through the goggles, he caught my gaze. His lips parted and he froze, just for a second. He knew me.

Before I could call his name—or think that maybe I shouldn’t call his name, or find any way at all to ask what the hell he was doing here, a masked villain with a super-high-tech armory—the guy next to me reached out. While I’d been staring at Techhunter, this unassuming young businessman with a goatee and a red tie had very slowly and carefully drawn a gun from inside his jacket. Was he an undercover cop or just paranoid? Didn’t know, didn’t care, because he proceeded to take aim at my old boyfriend.

I grabbed the gun out of his hand and threw it across the room. He wasn’t expecting that, and he stared at me in consternation, stammering out, “What—”

And I was kneeling there, shocked at what I had done, wondering if this made me a bad guy now. Again, Techhunter and I looked at each other, and I started to call out, “Jas—”

But he shouted me down. “You—get up!”

I knew that voice. It was definitely Jason. I stood, and then it all happened very fast. Police sirens blared—the whole incident had only started a couple of minutes ago—and some guy on a megaphone shouted at him to stand down and lower his weapons, and someone else yelled that Techhunter had a hostage. Remote gun spheres altered course to zoom toward the front of the bank and aim their weapons outward.

Techhunter—Jason?—went into action, hauling the case’s strap over his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. He clipped himself to the rope, then clipped me, and at some command, the thing wound up on a winch and carried us to the roof of the bank and then into his stealth hovercraft. The floating gun spheres swarmed back up with him. A dozen police cars surrounded the bank now, and cops poured out of them with weapons drawn, ready to fire until they saw me, the hostage. The hatch at the bottom of the ship closed; Jason went to the cockpit, pulled back on a control stick, and I fell over as the thing tipped back and zoomed away.

Techhunter was not known for kidnapping, but I must have been special.
I wasn’t hurt, wasn’t even scared. I was just waiting for him to stop being busy so I could ask what the hell was going on. The ship was small. The cargo area, which held the rope winch and a few equipment cases, wasn’t any bigger than the back of an SUV. The cockpit was one bucket seat surrounded by control panels, looking out through panels of a wraparound windshield.
We flew for what felt like a long time.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kate Marshall lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and several small agents of chaos disguised as a dog, cat, and child. She works as a cover designer and video game writer. Her fiction has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Crossed Genres, and other venues, and her YA survival thriller I Am Still Alive is forthcoming from Viking. You can find her online at katemarshallwrites.com.

Chris Large writes regularly for Aurealis Magazine and has had fiction published in Australian speculative fiction magazines and anthologies. He's a single parent who enjoys writing stories for middle-graders and young adults, and about family life in all its forms. He lives in Tasmania, a small island at the bottom of Australia, where everyone rides Kangaroos and says 'G'day mate!' to utter strangers.


Stuart Suffel's body of work includes stories published by Jurassic London, Evil Girlfriend Media, Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine, Kraxon Magazine, and Aurora Wolf among others.  He exists in Ireland, lives in the Twilight Zone, and will work for Chocolate Sambuca Ice cream. Twitter: @stuartsuffel

Michael Milne is a writer and teacher originally from Canada, who lived in Korea and China, and is now in Switzerland. Not being from anywhere anymore really helps when writing science fiction. His work has been published in The Sockdolager, Imminent Quarterly, and anthologies on Meerkat Press and Gray Whisper.

Adam R. Shannon is a career firefighter/paramedic, as well as a fiction writer, hiker, and cook. His work has been shortlisted for an Aeon award and appeared in Morpheus Tales and the SFFWorld anthology You Are Here: Tales of Cryptographic Wonders. He and his wife live in Virginia, where they care for an affable German Shepherd, occasional foster dogs, a free-range toad, and a colony of snails who live in an old apothecary jar. His website and blog are at AdamRShannon.com.

Jennifer Pullen received her doctorate from Ohio University and her MFA from Eastern Washington University. She originally hails from Washington State. Her fiction and poetry have appeared or are upcoming in journals including: Going Down Swinging (AU), Cleaver, Off the Coast, Phantom Drift Limited, and Clockhouse

Stephanie Lai is a Chinese-Australian writer and occasional translator. She has published long meandering thinkpieces in Peril Magazine, the Toast, the Lifted Brow and Overland. Of recent, her short fiction has appeared in the Review of Australian Fiction, Cranky Ladies of History, and the In Your Face Anthology. Despite loathing time travel, her defence of Dr Who companion Perpugilliam Brown can be found in Companion Piece (2015). She is an amateur infrastructure nerd and a professional climate change adaptation educator (she's helping you survive our oncoming climate change dystopia). You can find her on twitter @yiduiqie, at stephanielai.net, or talking about pop culture and drop bears at no-award.net

Aimee Ogden is a former biologist, science teacher, and software tester. Now she writes stories about sad astronauts and angry princesses. Her poems and short stories have appeared in Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Daily Science Fiction, Baen.com, Persistent Visions, and The Sockdolager.
Nathan Crowder is a Seattle-based fan of little known musicians, unpopular candy, and just happens to write fantasy, horror, and superheroes. His other works include the fantasy novel Ink Calls to Ink, short fiction in anthologies such as Selfies from the End of the World, and Cthulhurotica, and his numerous Cobalt City superhero stories and novels. He is still processing the death of David Bowie.

Sarah Pinsker is the author of the 2015 Nebula Award winning novelette "Our Lady of the Open Road." Her novelette "In Joy, Knowing the Abyss Behind" was the 2014 Sturgeon Award winner and a 2013 Nebula finalist. Her fiction has been published in magazines including Asimov's, Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Uncanny, among others, and numerous anthologies. Her stories have been translated into Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, and Galician. She is also a singer/songwriter with three albums on various independent labels and a fourth forthcoming. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her wife and dog. She can be found online at sarahpinsker.com and twitter.com/sarahpinsker.

Carrie Vaughn is best known for her New York Times bestselling series of novels about a werewolf named Kitty, who hosts a talk radio show for the supernaturally disadvantaged, the fourteenth installment of which is Kitty Saves the World.  She's written several other contemporary fantasy and young adult novels, as well as upwards of 80 short stories.  She's a contributor to the Wild Cards series of shared world superhero books edited by George R.
R. Martin and a graduate of the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop.  An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado.  Visit her at www.carrievaughn.com.

Cat Rambo lives, writes, and teaches atop a hill in the Pacific Northwest. Her 200+ fiction publications include stories in Asimov’s, Clarkesworld Magazine, and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. She is an Endeavour, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award nominee. Her second novel, Hearts of Tabat, appears in early 2017 from Wordfire Press. She is the current President of the Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of America. For more about her, as well as links to her fiction, see http://www.kittywumpus.net

Keith Frady writes weird short stories in a cluttered apartment in Atlanta. His work has appeared in Love Hurts: A Speculative Fiction Anthology, Literally Stories, The Yellow Chair Review, and The Breakroom Stories.


LINKS:



BUY LINKS:





NOTE: THE PUBLISHER IS OFFERING A SPECIAL CONTEST – ONE COPY OF THE BOOK (CHOICE OF Epub or Mobi) WILL BE GIVEN AWAY TO A RANDOMLY DRAWN COMMENTER AT EVERY STOP (Drawing will be held 5 days after the stop’s date and is separate from the rafflecopter drawing – to enter, the entrant must leave a comment at the stop).  Thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

The authors will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Please use this rafflecopter code on your post:


Thursday, May 25, 2017

Book Tour and Giveaway: Deceiving Bella by Cate Beauman in The Bodyguards of L.A. County series


Book Details:
Book Title:  Deceiving Bella: Book #11 In The Bodyguards of L.A. County Series

Author:  Cate Beauman

​Category:  Adult Fiction, 588 pages

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Createspace

Release date:  October 13, 2016

Tour dates:  May 22 to June 16, 2017

Content Rating:  R (Sex scenes, language, some intense moments)

Book Description:
 
Isabella Colby has always yearned for normalcy. Now that she’s settled in LA, she finally has it. Good friends, a pretty home, and her thriving career as the Palisades’ top skincare specialist are a dream come true. Bella is content until she meets her hunky new neighbor, but her attraction to the blue-eyed cutie is the least of her worries when contacting her long-lost father threatens to destroy her happy life.
 
Reed McKinley is more than ready to forget the past. His seven-year stint as an NYPD detective nearly got him killed. His wounds have healed and he’s starting over as Ethan Cooke Security’s latest recruit. With sixty-hour workweeks and little time to himself, the last thing on his mind is a relationship. Then he bumps into the gorgeous woman next door.
 
Reed and Bella become fast friends. Before long, Reed discovers that Bella is keeping dangerous secrets. Bella may have the answers to decades-old questions he’s been searching for. Reed will risk it all to uncover the truth, but he soon realizes that the deeper he digs, the direr the consequences.
 
“This book captured my attention from the very beginning. The author did an excellent job of developing the characters and helping the reader feel like he was along for the story. I have enjoyed all of the books in this series, but I must say Deceiving Bella is one of my favorites!”


 

Buy the Book:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Kobo  ~ iTunes


Deceiving Bella is the eleventh book is the Bodyguards of L.A. County Series. Check out the first ten books here!



Book One


Morgan’s Hunter, the story of Morgan and Hunter.  (4.2 Stars!)

Buy Now!
 
Morgan Taylor, D.C. socialite and wildlife biologist, leads a charmed life until everything changes with a phone call. Her research team has been found dead—slaughtered—in backcountry Montana.

As the case grows cold, Morgan is determined to unravel the mystery behind her friends’ gruesome deaths. Despite the dangers of a murderer still free, nothing will stand in her way, not even the bodyguard her father hires, L.A.’s top close protection agent, Hunter Phillips.
 
Sparks fly from the start when no-nonsense Hunter clashes with Morgan’s strong-willed independence. Their endless search for answers proves hopeless—until Hunter discovers the truth.
 
On the run and at the mercy of a madman, Morgan and Hunter must outsmart a killer to save their own lives.  
"One thing I noticed right away was Hunter is smoking hot. This author captured his attractiveness well. Many romance authors have said their main character was good looking, but this was one of the very few times where I thought, "Wow. He's hot!" And let me tell you blonde-haired blue eyed guys are not my type. The author deserves some serious props here."

Book Two
 
Falling For Sarah, the story of Sarah and Ethan.  (4.5 Stars / Award Winner!)

Widow Sarah Johnson struggled to pick up the pieces after her life was ripped apart.  After two years of grieving, she’s found contentment in her thriving business as photographer to Hollywood’s A-list and in raising her angel-faced daughter, Kylee…until bodyguard and long-time friend Ethan Cooke changes everything with a searing moonlight kiss.
 
Sarah’s world turns upside down as she struggles with her unexpected attraction to Ethan and the guilt of betraying her husband’s memory.  But when blue roses and disturbing notes start appearing on her doorstep, she has no choice but to lean on Ethan as he fights to save her from a stalker that won’t stop until he has what he prizes most.
 
"This story, although starting sad with Jake's death, goes zero to sixty from there. A creepy, insane , psycho thrown in with HOT manly men always make for an awesome ride."

Book Three

Hailey’s Truth, the story of Hailey and Austin.  (4.4 Stars!)

Hailey Roberts has never had it easy. Despite the scars of a tragic childhood, she’s made a life for herself. As a part-time student and loving nanny, she yearns for a family of her own and reluctant Austin Casey, Ethan Cooke Security’s best close protection agent.
 
Hailey’s past comes back to haunt her when her long lost brother tracks her down, bringing his dangerous secrets with him. At an emotional crossroads, Hailey accepts a humanitarian opportunity that throws her together with Austin, taking her hundreds of miles from her troubles, or so she thinks.

What starts out as a dream come true quickly becomes a nightmare as violence erupts on the island of Cozumel. Young women are disappearing, community members are dying—and the carnage links back to her brother. 
 
As Austin struggles to keep Hailey’s past from destroying her future, he’s forced to make a decision that could turn her against him, or worse cost them both their lives.
 
"WOW. My head is in a whirl from this one. From the high intensity of Suspense, down to the oh-so yummy Romance, by far, Hailey and Austin have the hottest freaking scenes of the three books! ~ It's so good... or I'm so bad because--I hate to admit it--I reread the hotter than Hades scenes! I could read the entire novel again, and that's rare for me." 

- Hammy 
 
Book Four

Forever Alexa, the story of Alexa and Jackson.  (4.4 Stars!)

First grade teacher and single mother Alexa Harris is no stranger to struggle, but for once, things are looking up. The school year is over and the lazy days of summer are here. Mini-vacations and relaxing twilight barbeques are on the horizon until Alexa’s free-spirited younger sister vanishes.
 
Ransom calls and death threats force Alexa and her young daughter to flee their quiet home in Maryland. With nowhere else to turn, Alexa seeks the help of Jackson Matthews, Ethan Cooke Security’s Risk Assessment Specialist and the man who broke her heart.
 
With few leads to follow and Abby’s case going cold, Alexa must confess a shocking secret if she and Jackson have any hope of saving her sister from a hell neither could have imagined.

"FOREVER ALEXA is a book that is impossible to put down. I loved the first three books in this series, Morgan's Hunter, Falling for Sarah and Hailey's Truth, but FOREVER ALEXA is far and above my favorite in the series. That being said, I not only recommend but encourage readers of romantic suspense to give Ms. Beauman's books a try.....you will not be disappointed!!!"

​- NicoleMD
 
Book Five


Waiting For Wren, the story of Wren and Tucker.  (4.6 Stars!)

Wren Cooke has everything she’s ever wanted—a thriving career as one of LA’s top interior designers and a home she loves. Business trips, mockups, and her demanding clientele keep her busy, almost too busy to notice Ethan Cooke Security’s gorgeous Close Protection Agent, Tucker Campbell.
 
Jaded by love and relationships in general, Wren wants nothing to do with the hazel-eyed stunner and his heart-stopping grins, but Tucker is always in her way. When Wren suddenly finds herself bombarded by a mysterious man’s unwanted affections, she’s forced to turn to Tucker for help.
 
As Wren’s case turns from disturbing to deadly, Tucker whisks her away to his mountain home in Utah. Haunted by memories and long-ago tragedies, Tucker soon realizes his past and Wren’s present are colliding. With a killer on the loose and time running out, Tucker must discover a madman’s motives before Wren becomes his next victim.
“I loved the book, the chemistry between all the players, always love it when a man knows what he wants and goes about getting it. Of course I did cry some tears and my spine tingled not just the suspense but the intimate times Tucker and Wren spent together and not just between the sheets.” 


Book Six


Justice For Abby, the story of Abigail and Jerrod.  (4.6 Stars / Award Winner!)
 
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.

“I really thought this would be a routine bodyguard/subject book, boy was I wrong. Cate Beauman's characters popped! By the end of this book (which I read in one sitting) I was exhausted but replete… From paragraph to paragraph this story shifts and changes. The betrayals and surprises come at the reader at a furious pace. And while this story revolves around a very dark occurrence, there are enough moments that will make you smile, chuckle, snort and go "awwwww."

Book Seven


Saving Sophie, the story of Sophie and Stone.  (4.7 Stars / Award Winner!)

Jewelry designer Sophie Burke has fled Maine for the anonymity of the big city. She’s starting over with a job she tolerates and a grungy motel room she calls home on the wrong side of town, but anything is better than the nightmare she left behind.

Stone McCabe is Ethan Cooke Security’s brooding bad boy more interested in keeping to himself than anything else—until the gorgeous blond with haunted violet eyes catches his attention late one rainy night.
 
Stone reluctantly gives Sophie a hand only to quickly realize that the shy beauty with the soft voice and pretty smile has something to hide. Tangled up in her secrets, Stone offers Sophie a solution that has the potential to free her from her problems once and for all—or jeopardize both of their lives.
Saving Sophie is truly a beautiful story... Cate has woven a meaningful story about a courageous woman who overcomes domestic violence to build a life for herself…The author beautifully shows the readers the struggles and fears that Sophie goes through to break free. There is pain in sorrow and beauty in the tears. The heroine is broken and whole. She survives to show us that if you have the courage and the will you can overcome all odds... Saving Sophie is about abuse, courage, romance, honor and so much more.”

- Rebecca
 
Book Eight
 

Reagan’s Redemption, the story of Reagan and Shane.  (4.5 Stars / Award Winner!)

Doctor Reagan Rosner loves her fast-paced life of practicing medicine in New York City's busiest trauma center. Kind and confident, she's taking her profession by storm--until a young girl's accidental death leaves her shaken to her core. With her life a mess and her future uncertain, Reagan accepts a position as Head Physician for The Appalachia Project, an outreach program working with some of America's poorest citizens.

Shane Harper, Ethan Cooke Security's newest team member, has been assigned a three-month stint deep in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, and he's not too happy about it. Guarding a pill safe in the middle of nowhere is boring as hell, but when he gets a look at his new roommate, the gorgeous Doctor Rosner, things start looking up.
 
Shane and Reagan encounter more than a few mishaps as they struggle to gain the trust of a reluctant community. They're just starting to make headway when a man's routine checkup exposes troubling secrets the town will do anything to keep hidden--even if that means murder.

“Cate Beauman's eagerly anticipated book Reagan's Redemption the 8th book in her Bodyguards of La series did not disappoint! I have not found a book in a long time that I just could not put down. I literally stayed up until 2am reading. This book had it all, suspense, great hero, heroine, mystery, and romance. I believe Cate definitely knocked this one out of the part.”

​- Jeannie K
 
Book Nine

Answers For Julie, the story of Julie and Chase.  (4.6 Stars! / Award Winner)

Julie Keller relishes the simple things: hot chocolate on winter nights, good friends she calls her family, and her laid-back career as a massage therapist and yoga instructor. Julie is content with her life until Chase Rider returns to Bakersfield.


Bodyguard Chase Rider isn’t thrilled to be back in the town where he spent his childhood summers. His beloved grandmother passed away, leaving him a house in need of major repairs. With a three-week timetable and a lot to do, he doesn’t have time for distractions. Then he bumps into Julie, the one woman he hoped never to see again. Chase tries to pretend Julie doesn’t exist, but ten years hasn’t diminished his attraction to the hazel-eyed stunner.

When a stranger grabs Julie’s arm at the grocery store—a woman who insists Julie’s life isn’t what it seems, Chase can’t help but get involved. Julie and Chase dig into a twenty-five-year-old mystery, unearthing more questions than answers. But the past is closer than they realize, and the consequences of the truth have the potential to be deadly.
 
“This series just gets better and better! I loved Answers for Julie - as with the whole series, it's a careful balance between suspense and romance, the characters are really well developed, and the plot moved at just the right pace with a fair number of surprises thrown in!”

- LCF
 
Book Ten

Finding Lyla, the story of Lyla and Collin. (4.7 Stars!)
 
Principal Dancer Lyla Markovik-Avery is always on the go. Grueling practices and endless performances rule her busy days--and things are about to get more hectic. Russia is rolling out the red carpet for their beloved star, despite the string of violent terrorist attacks that have rocked the nation.
Bodyguard Collin Michaels' life is falling apart. His long-time relationship recently ended. He's trying to start over, but that's easier said than done. Luckily, Collin has a new assignment on the horizon: keeping a beautiful ballerina safe for the next three weeks.
 
Collin finds comfort in Lyla's easy friendship, but that all changes after a night out on the town. Simple feelings become complicated--something Collin can't afford, especially when tragedy strikes and Collin realizes Lyla's caught in the middle of a dangerous plot for revenge.

Collin and Lyla are forced to flee. They need to reach the border before it's too late, but the odds are stacked against them in a country that wants them dead. With time running out, Collin formulates a risky plan that might be their only chance of making it out alive.

“In reading the synopsis, I wasn't sure how I would like this although I love all of Cate's books. Boy, was this a surprise for me. This book is wonderfully written with so many twists and turns, it was hard to put down. Such a beautiful love story with action, suspense, drama, and a bit of sadness too. I loved Lyla and felt sad because of how she felt she had to live her life. I also loved Collin and how he recognized the journey that Lyla needed to take. Of course, being a man, he is on his own journey of self realization as well. Wonderful story that I KNOW I will be reading again.”


Meet the Author:


International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2015, JUSTICE FOR ABBY was selected as the Readers' Favorite International Book Award Gold Medalist, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers' Favorite Awards.
 
Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on her twelfth full length novel.​

Connect with Cate: 

Website ~  Twitter  ~ Facebook  ~  Goodreads  ~  Instagram
 
LIMITED TIME OFFER: NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVE BOOKS 1 &2 FOR FREE!

Follow Cate on BookBub

to be notified about new books or discounts on earlier books.
Kindle readers! Please go to Cate's page on Amazon and click on the yellow Follow button to be notified when new books are available!
 
Amazon Author Page (buy links for all eleven books)

Barnes and Noble (buy now links for all eleven books)

Kobo (buy now links for all eleven books)

Enter the Giveaway!

Ends June 24