Player by Laura DeLuca

     Joshua Handover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn’t take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn’t know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn’t worth the price he’s paying to be a player. 

Excerpt:

Someone else came over to offer Nadine their congratulations, so Josh said goodbye and went to his locker to get his backpack. He figured he would meet up with Andrea and Rosa in the parking lot. He fumbled with the combination before finally getting the door to swing open. Something glittered on the top shelf and caught his eye. He reached for it, and a small scrap of paper fluttered to the floor.

     At first he wasn’t sure what he was holding. It was a pink plastic tiara with some big gaudy plastic jewels. It was the type of thing he had seen in dollar stores for little girls’ birthday parties. It was practically broken in half, and the edges were sharp. Josh pricked his finger on the jagged point, and a few drops of blood welled from the small wound. He put his finger in his mouth as he bent to pick up the paper that had fallen. When he read it, the broken crown suddenly made sense and he wondered how he could have been so naïve. He should have realized from the instant he saw it what it meant.

“Josh decided to play around

Now one of his girls is under the ground.

Another has a big bump on her head.

And by the end of the dance, the queen will be dead.”

 Buy Links:   Amazon     Smashwords     Barnes & Noble  

About the Author:

Laura "Luna" DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and three children. She has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. Old high school friends would tell you she was always scratching in her notebook instead of paying attention in class and the children she used to babysit for always loved to hear her scary stories at bedtime. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years.  She loves writing young adult novels, because it keeps her young at heart. She is the author of three published works including Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, and Phantom, and has several more projects in the works.

Author Links:

Site      Twitter      Facebook      Goodreads 

Giveaway:

Laura is giving away a print copy of Player during her Tour. For a chance to win just fill out the Rafflecopter Below. This is open to US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 Tour Schedule

Tour Dates February 25th - March 22nd

February

26th - Intriguing Reads - Guest Posts

27th - Booktastic Reviews - Guest Post

28th -Tamaria Soana

March

1st - Tara Len Walker 

1st - A Story of Legends

3rd - Ella Jade

5th - Love, Laughter, Friendship - Guest Posts

5th - Laurel Lane Books

6th - Reading, Writing, and Roses

8th - The Ebook Reviewers

11th - Viari Rose

11th - Krista Ames - Guest Post

12th - Lacey Wolfe

14th -  Deal Sharing Aunt- Guest Post

21st - A Book Lover's Library

22nd - Kristy Centeno

The Naked Truth by Lacey Wolfe

It’s amazing what one can find in strip clubs…

Josh Carter gets the shock of a lifetime when he shows up at a place of ill repute for a business meeting and sees the one that got away gyrating on the stage. Abigail Reese—the girl with so much potential, the girl that took his heart along with his body one night long ago—what brought her to this level?

Though stripping is not what Abigail set out to do, it’s putting food on the table and a roof over her daughter’s head. But just how much can she reveal to Josh without risking it all?

When Josh causes Abigail to lose her job, she has two choices: come clean about her past and her situation or push him out of her life as quick as he came into it. It’s up to her…only she has to think of her little girl too.

Excerpt:

Abigail removed the yellow gloves and went in search of water to curve her thirst. Whenever she was stressed out, she cleaned. As she sipped the water, pride filled her that her place sparkled and smelled of lemon and bleach. Now to get herself clean.

Setting the bottle down on the counter, she began to lift her shirt up over her head.

Knock knock.

Abigail pulled the edge of her tank top back down. She glanced at the clock and thought it was early for the mail man to be here, but he might’ve been ahead of schedule today. Then again, she wasn’t expecting a package at the moment, so it probably wasn’t the mailman. She stood on her tiptoes and peeked through the peep hole. Josh. What was he doing here?

Opening the door, she said, “Hailey’s at school.”

He held an envelope in his hand. He couldn’t possible have the DNA test results already. Then again, he had money, so anything was possible. “I’m here to see you. Can I come in?”

Abigail stepped back out of the way and let him enter.

“It smells good.” He glanced around.

“I was cleaning. I was just about to wash up before you showed up unexpected.”

He grinned. “I thought we could open this together.”

She eyed the white rectangle in his hand. “That’s for you. Not me. I know you’re the father. You were the last man I was with.”

“Before you found out you were pregnant?”

She laughed. “No, as in you’re the last man I’ve ever had sex with.”

“You don’t mean…”

“Oh, yeah, I mean it. I’m a single mother. I don’t have time to date.” He was quiet and she found it amusing. She could only imagine the thoughts running through his head. “Open it up.”

He set the envelope on the table next to him and closed the space between them. “It was five years ago that you and I were intimate. And in all this time, you’ve never gone to bed with another man?”

“You’re still on that?” Men.

His hand wrapped around her neck and he pulled her face to his. “Do you have any idea what it does to me to know I was the last one to touch you?”

She shook her head. “What does it mean to you?”

“How about I show you? Can I?”

She gazed at his lips and licked hers. Before she knew what was happening, she nodded and his mouth crushed against hers. He stole her breath when his tongue swooped in and met hers. She reached out and grabbed his shoulders, bringing her body closer to his.

Her body burst with pleasure, the same way she felt years ago. His arms wrapped around her and lifted her. Her legs intertwined with his waist. Josh spun her around, setting her on the same table the envelope was on.

He ended the kiss, but only to begin a trail on her cheek, to her chin, neck, and collarbone. “Oh God,” she murmured.

She arched into him as his tongue licked the top of her cleavage. Her core ached to be touched. She wanted this man badly. Instinct kicked in and she reached out, yanked a handful of his dress shirt, and smashed her lips to his. Her fingers began working his buttons. Once a few were undone, she slipped her hand inside his shirt and across his firm chest.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered before his thumb flicked over her nipple.

Abigail gasped and then went back to working on his shirt. Just as she reached the last button, she looked up at him and saw the passion in his eyes. But then she wondered what she was doing. Should she be doing this with him? She barely knew the man and for all she knew, when he returned home, she may hear from him again. She couldn’t risk it.

She pushed him away and hopped off the table.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“We can’t do this.”

He came up behind her. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

Oh, she wanted to. And her soaking wet panties were all the confirmation she needed. But her heart couldn’t handle it.

“I think you should go.”

“What about the results?”

Abigail turned back toward him. “Like I said before, those are for you. I don’t need to see them.” She left the room for the shower she had originally set out for earlier.

Buy Links:    Amazon     All Romance eBooks    Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.

Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.

Author Links:  Her Site      Twitter    Facebook

~*~*~*~

Tour Dates: February 1st - 28th

 Tour is for Spotlights only!

4th - Melissa Keir

5th - Ella Jade

8th - Tamaria Soana
11th - Harlie's Books

18th - Reading, Writing, and Roses

19th - New Age Mama

20th - The Ebook Reviewers
20th - Intriquing Reads
20th - Krista Ames

26th - Aimee Duffy

27th - Melissa Kendall

Introductory Tour Sale

With the start of the new year we added some new packages, which we are on sale.

White Rose: Five Stop Excerpt: Tour $10.00 $7.00

Pink Rose: Ten Stop Excerpt Tour $15.00 $12.00

Yellow Rose: Ten Stop Trailer Tour $16.00 $13.00 (we require a link to your trailer, or if you do not have one check out Trailers, their trailers start at $20)

Purple Rose: Multi-Author Ten Stop Tour $25.00 $21.00

Gold Rose: Multi-Book Ten Stop Tour $20.00 $16.00

Lilac Rose: Five Stop Review Tour $15.00 $12.00

Black Rose: a month ad in our sidebar with a personalized ad made by Nekkid Designs is a new al carte option. $10.00 $7.00

We are booking for March and April, hurry and get your spot.

Book a Tour Today!

The Couple by Harlie Williams

A woman has one thing on her mind tonight…sex. Dirty, sweaty, kinky sex with a cowboy. With her man gone more than he is at home, she needs the release.

After being away for two weeks, a cowboy goes looking for someone to play with for the night. Being away is part of the job but not having someone to come home to is hurting his soul. Feeling disconnected in his love life, the red head will be perfect.

Once they meet, can one night of pure passion led to more than just a one night stand for either of them? Communication is the key to every relationship. Can these two find a way to connect emotionally or are they destined for heartache.

Excerpt

“What’s a girl like you doing at a bar like this?” he asked.

Her voice was a purr, like a cat well satisfied with its stolen pitcher of cream. “I’m looking for someone special.”

Hoping that she meant him he asked, “Did you find him yet?”

“Maybe.” The glint in her eye told him he was definitely in the running.  However, I’m not looking to hook up with just any old cowboy.  He must be able to go the full eight seconds and come back for more.”  She eyed him from head to toe.  “Think you can handle that?”

Oh, I can most definitely handle you sweetheart.

Not wanting to seem too eager he replied, “I’m not sure but I’m willing to try.”

“Do or do not.  There is no try.”  He struggled not to let his grin escape.  The fact that she was trying to seduce him made his dick twitch.

“Let’s just say I’m looking to burn off some pent up frustration. A little excess energy.  And I’ve got plenty to burn.”

The way she shivered at his words, he knew he almost had her.  He winked as she licked her crimson lips and blew out a small breath.  Damn what this woman is doing to him. 

He pushed her knees apart with his left leg and was rewarded with the amazing scent of her arousal.  The knowledge she was wet for him had him close to going off in his jeans. 

Houston, we have lift-off!

“Why don’t you have a seat cowboy and we’ll talk about it.”

She gasped when he shocked her with a brush of his lips against hers; fighting with everything he had not to deepen the kiss. 

Patience, patience.

He would play her game for the moment but sooner or later, she would be his.  Tied up and begging for more. 

He asked her, “Now about that eight second ride?”

Publisher Buy Link 

About the Author: 

Growing up in Dallas, I never thought I would write. My goal was to teach the love of books to students. Now as a stay at home mom, I write and teach my son the love of books.

I live in East Texas and I'm married to my own hero who encourages me to write. I can't ask for a better mate.

Author links:     Site     Twitter    Facebook     Goodreads

~*~*~

Tour Dates February 11th - 28th

This Tour is for Spotlights , Interviews, and Guest Posts.

2/12 - Tamaria Soana - Spotlight

2/13 - Melissa Keir - Spotlight

2/14 -  Lacey Wolfe - Interview

2/15 - Reading, Writing, and Roses - Spotlight

2/18 - Kristi Centeno - Guest Post

2/19 - Melissa Kendall - Spotlight
2/20 - The Ebook Reviewers - Spotlight

2/22 - Deal Sharing Aunt - Spotlight

2/26 - Melissa Limoges - Spotlight
Krista Ames -  Spotlight

2/28 - Aimee Duffy - Guest Post

TOUR CLOSED

Crossfire of Love by Ella Jade

Crossfire of Love's Anniversary Tour 
Crossfire of Love will be on sale for $1.99 for the month of March.

Can an arranged marriage lead to love?

Recent college graduate Gabriella has finally married the man of her dreams, the older, charismatic attorney Lorenzo Martinez. She's had a crush on him for as long as she can remember and always imagined they'd one day find their happily ever after. Unfortunately, they enter into a union arranged by their fathers.

Lorenzo is charming, protective, and loyal to his crime lord father Carlo. When Carlo asks Lorenzo to marry Gabriella he jumps at the opportunity. He's been drawn to her for many years and knows by marrying her he's helping to protect her father.

Gabby is resentful and won't be Lorenzo's charity case. But sparks fly and the couple soon gives into their desire, realizing they were meant to be together.
What happens when Carlo's enemies threaten their future? Will someone get caught in the crossfire?

Content Warning: graphic sex, some violence

Excerpt:

Lorenzo walked up the porch steps, turning to stare at her. "Are you coming, Gabriella?" No one but Lorenzo and his father called her by her full name. She liked when Lorenzo said it. He'd always made it sound so formal and sexy.

These were the first words he had spoken to her since they left the courthouse. They were married in the chambers of the prestigious Judge John Cartwright. He'd been a family friend of the Martinezes for many years. He was their go-to man whenever they needed something done fast and legally. Well, legal in her new father-in-law's eyes anyway.

She hurried up the steps and followed Lorenzo inside their new home. It was built within a matter of months after she'd agreed to marry him. Carlo wanted them to have their privacy, but he also wanted to keep them close. He didn't trust she'd hold up her end of the bargain, and keeping her on the property was the best way to ensure she wouldn't run.

It was silly, really. How could she run from a family like this? They had ties all over the world. There wasn't any place she could escape to that they wouldn't know about. She was a woman of her word. She said she would marry Lorenzo and she did. She'd find a way to cope. She always had.

Lorenzo pulled his jacket off, poured himself a scotch, and then loosened his tie. "Would you like a drink?"

"No, thank you," she said.

Most brides would be dancing the night away and drinking champagne by this point in their wedding night. She didn't think that was part of Lorenzo's plan.

"I didn't think you'd go through with it." He sipped the amber colored liquid as he looked her over.

"I said I would."

"I know, but when push actually came to shove, I thought you'd run."

"You don't know me that well," she said. "I don't run."

"Good." He smirked as he put the glass to his lips.

Gabby couldn't take her eyes away from those lips. She'd never had the pleasure of having them on her own. Judge Cartwright hadn't asked him to kiss his bride. She hated herself for thinking about him that way.

"You could've stopped this. Why didn't you?" she asked.

As they stood in front of the judge, she kept hoping he'd put an end to the charade and stop the wedding. It didn't make sense to her why he had agreed to marry her. She didn't have a choice. Her father's gambling debts made sure of that. But she didn't understand why he'd allowed things to get as far as they had.

"I was just as trapped as you were." He downed the rest of his scotch.

She didn't believe that. She knew he respected his dad, but she didn't get why he wouldn't have put his foot down and said no to such a life-altering decision.

"You could've told your father no from the beginning. Why would you agree to marry someone if you didn't have to?"

"Look." He shook his head. "It's done now. We're going to have to make the best of it."

"Make the best of it?" She plopped down on the leather sofa. "I'm twenty-two years old. I just graduated from college, and you want me to make the best of it?"

"I know this isn't what you might have wanted, but it is what it is. You agreed, and now it's done. You can't go back on it now. My father won't forgive that."

Buy Links:   Beachwalk Press    Amazon    Barnes & Noble  

About the Author:

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can't be stopped.
Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she's not chasing after her kids, she's busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you'll get lost in her words.

Author Links:   Site      Facebook Author Page      Twitter

~Tour Schedule~

Tour Dates March 1st - 20th

3/1 Aimee Duffy
3/4- Kristi Centeno

3/5 - Melissa Keir
3/6 - Tamaria Soana

3/7 - Lacey Wolfe
3/7 - Krista Ames
3/8 - Harlie's Books

3/11 - New Age Mama

3/12 - Paulette's Papers
3/13 - The Ebook Reviewers
3/14 - Intriguing Reads
3/15 - Reading, Writing, and Roses

3/18 - Melissa Kendall
3/19 - Deal Sharing Aunt
3/20 - A Book Lover's Library

For the Love of a Spynx by Heather Sharpe

 When time’s the enemy, there’s no room to pussyfoot around.

 Betrayed by her fiancé, Mahri Lassler swears never to risk losing her heart again. She’s convinced she may as well collect cats since she’s on the path to spinsterhood. She adopts a tomcat, and just as they’re beginning to learn each other’s idiosyncrasies, the cat bolts out the door, disappearing without a trace. Her quest to find the darn cat leads her to a confused, naked man writhing on the street. The hopeless look in his eyes touches something deep inside Mahri. Can she trust her heart enough to risk it on a man with no past? Will her love be enough to break his curse?

Excerpt: 

            Unimaginable agony ripped through him, searing every nerve, and igniting his blood. Contorting in pain, his muscles contracted independently, twisting his body into impossible positions.

            What seemed an eternity later, he lay gasping in the dirt. He pulled his lips back in a  painful grimace as he sucked air into his aching lungs and looked around for Brigid. He would think twice before giving her an opportunity to hurt him that profoundly again. In all the battles he’d fought, he’d never felt such pain.

            The clearing was empty. Brigid, the cottage, his horse, the small garden where they’d spent hours talking; all of it, had disappeared without a trace. A shiver of unease raced through his limbs.

            The breeze, gentle now, ruffled his hair playfully. Testing his muscles tentatively, he noticed only a slight tenderness remained after the unbearable agony of before. His muscle and joint pain paled in comparison to a sudden thirst.

            Climbing unsteadily to his feet, he stumbled to the brook. Whatever she’d done to him had messed with his vision. Everything seemed skewed. While trees and other still objects appeared fuzzy, anything that moved snapped with clarity, instantly claiming his undivided attention. A silver sheen blanketed the world before him. It dampened the saturation of the forest colors, but he noticed more small animals scurrying about than ever before.

Closing his eyes to offset the dizzying effects of this visual phenomenon, Morgan stretched toward the musical bubbling of water over stones and lapped several mouthfuls before daring to crack his eyes open. After the tortuous eternity and weird theatrics, he was unsure what he’d expected, but it definitely wasn’t this.

            A furry black face with two short, pointed ears and feline eyes stared up at him from the surface of the water. What the hell?

Publisher’s Buy Link

About The Author:

 Heather Sharpe lives on six acres in Central Kansas with her husband, perfect baby boy, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law. In case the house isn’t full enough, it also includes four noisy dogs, one cat who inspired For the Love of a Sphynx and another who torments him, and a lizard. At night, all of them think they need room on the bed (except the lizard, thankfully). Up until the birth of her son, Heather taught elementary school. Now she chases around her toddler and writes whenever he naps.

Connect with the Author:

Site    Facebook

~*~*~

Tour Dates: January 21- 31st
This Tour is for Spotlights only

 1/21 - Melissa Kendall

1/22 - New Age Mama

1/23 -  Melissa Kier
1/25 - Lacey Wolfe

1/28 - London's Scribbles

Reading, Writing, and Roses

1/29 - Tamaria Soana

1/30 - The Ebook Reviewers 

TOUR CLOSED

Life in Suitcases by Melissa Kendall

After a tragedy changes the course of Elise Morgan’s life leaving her without a family and in foster care, she meets Anthony Scott. It doesn’t take long for them to become fast friends and they do everything together. When Elise manages to get a scholarship to college and Anthony doesn’t. They find themselves separated. As the years pass, they lose touch.

Feeling restless with her life, Elise sets about trying to find what is missing in her life. After breaking up with her boyfriend she takes a trip home hoping to find a sense of peace. One hug reveals that what Elise thought she was missing wasn’t a place or a thing it was a person.

Can she find true love with the one man she thought she might never see again?

Excerpt:

At thirteen, I was too old for most people to consider adopting. No matter how hard Mary looked, she couldn’t find me a foster home. I went from having everything to having nothing. My parents weren’t well off. They were just your average middle-income family with a mortgage. Once the house was sold and all the debts were paid, I wasn’t left with much. There was just enough money to buy a second-hand car when I was old enough and two suitcases full of personal possessions, including a few photo albums. That was all my thirteen years of life added up to: two suitcases.

My first few weeks at Abbott’s were probably the worst of my life. I spent my days  just going through the motions at school. At night, I would cry in bed until sleep finally claimed me. After about three weeks of feeling as if I was drowning in a never-ending pit of despair, I met Anthony. I felt the bed dip behind me one night as I was lying on my side and sobbing particularly hard. I was so upset I didn’t immediately register that it meant someone was lying with me. Then I felt an arm wrap around me and heard a soothing voice in my ear telling me everything was going to be okay.

When I woke up the following morning, I rolled over to see just who had climbed into bed with me. A skinny boy with short brown hair grinned at me.

“Anthony Scott.” He held his hand out.

“Elise Morgan,” I replied. “Thanks for last night.”

“Ain’t nothing.”

We talked for a little while longer, getting to know one another. Anthony was the same age as me, but had been at Abbott’s since he was six. His parents were drug addicts, which caused his removal from their care. After telling him how sorry I was that had happened, I explained my story. It was still so hard to talk about, but I got through it and only cried a little bit.

After that day, Anthony and I were inseparable. We were the best of friends. We did everything together. When I tried ballet, he did too, no matter how much teasing he got from the other boys. When he took up guitar, so did I, even though I sucked at it. Barely a day went by that we didn’t see or speak to each other at least a hundred times. I doubt I would have survived my teenage years if it weren’t for my best friend.

Though the days were fairly easy to survive, the nights were always tough. Curled up in bed alone, the reality would hit the hardest. Memories of families lost and dreams of what could have been plagued each of our thoughts. We spent many a night in each other’s beds providing comfort. Those were always the nights I slept best.

For five years, it was Anthony and me against the world.

All that changed senior year. Anthony and I had both been working toward Cornell. We were in all the same AP classes and had the same GPA. We both applied for scholarships, knowing that was the only way we’d ever get to go to college. When I got a scholarship and he didn’t, reality came crashing down around us. I told him I wasn’t going without him, that it had been our dream. Anthony, always the strong one, told me I needed to go follow my dreams, that I deserved to go to Cornell, and he wasn’t going to let me waste my one chance to get the hell out of San Francisco.

After graduation, we agreed to have one last hoorah over the summer before heading off on our separate paths. We had the best time. We found a little apartment in the city. It was really only big enough for one person, but since it would just be Anthony’s apartment come fall, I didn’t mind it being a bit cramped.

We did everything we ever wanted to do together that summer. We visited museums and art galleries, rode the cable cars, and spent hours upon hours running around Fisherman’s Wharf. We even went to the beach and the zoo.

All the while, our separation loomed. It was constantly present in our thoughts, as if we knew it was going to be our last summer together. We were heading in two different directions come September and might never see one another again.

On a sunny day in the middle of August, I packed my two suitcases and a duffle bag into the back of the beat-up truck I purchased with the money left from Mom and Dad’s estate.

There, in front of Anthony’s apartment building, I said good-bye to my best friend and the closest thing I had to family. Hugging him tightly, I resisted as best I could the tears threatening to fall.

We said I love you and promised to stay in touch and visit when we could. With a kiss on the cheek and yet another hug, he told me to go spread my wings and become the beautiful butterfly he had always known me to be.

 Buy Links:    Amazon      Barnes&Noble

About The Author:

Melissa is a 37 year-old stay at home mum and part-time Software Support Consultant. She lives in Perth Western Australia the most isolated capital city in the world. 

She’s always loved to read and write and spent most of her teens scribbling poetry and short stories on any scrap of paper she could get her hands on. Over the years as daily life pressures got in the way she lost the passion for it. After her son was born, she discovered online books and her interest in writing was rekindled. It has been a large part of her life ever since.

Author Links:   Site    Twitter

  

Giveaway:

Melissa is Giving away a digital copy of Life in Siutcases. To enter to win just fill out the Raffllecopter below.

              

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~*~*~

Tour Dates February 4th - 22nd

This tour is for Spotlights and a few Interviews

2/4 - Aimee Duffy

2'6 - Reading, Writing, and Roses

2/7 - Lacey Wolfe

2/8 - The Ebook Reviewers

2/11 - New Age Mama

2/13- Tamaria Soana

2/15 - Deal Sharing Aunt - Interview

2/18 - Viari Rose

2/19 - Melissa Keir

2/20 - Krista Ames

2/21 - Ella Jade