***Book Blitz*** If She Were Blind By Laney Wylde (The After Twelve, #1)

If She Were Blind
Laney Wylde
(The After Twelve, #1)
Published by: Crimson Tree Publishing
Publication date: October 22nd 2018
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Thriller

Not everyone can get justice the traditional way—that’s where Estlyn Collins comes in. A young lawyer in Santa Monica, her “legal” service, After Twelve, works outside the courtroom to tip the scales when the justice system has failed.
For a price.
Thanks to her powerful underground network, Estlyn’s success rate is stellar, and her inbox stays filled with inquires from the desperate and vengeful. But when one of those names is a ghost from her past seeking vengeance against her, she’s shaken to her core. Off balance and scared to be alone, she makes an impulsive move for a guy. He’s a complication she doesn’t have time for, but it turns out he may also be an unlikely—if unwitting—asset.
Treading the rapidly thinning line between personal and professional, Estlyn pursues her target while outrunning the one on her own back—only to find she may be running into a lot more than she bargained for.
IF SHE WERE BLIND is the first book in the engaging New Adult series AFTER TWELVE by author Laney Wylde. Perfect for fans of the television shows REVENGE, SCANDAL, and VERONICA MARS, the AFTER TWELVE Series is a gritty social-issue drama that delivers steamy romance, intrigue, and the most bittersweet revenge plots. Estlyn’s determination to right every wrong is sure to quench your thirst for justice, yet leave you wanting more.

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—

EXCERPT:

I glance past Dean’s shoulder as a man close to my dad’s age takes nervous steps closer and closer to Dean. Once he’s in his space, he taps his back. Dean whips around to face him. “Excuse me, are you Dean Martinez?”

His eyes are full of suspicion as he studies the stranger. “Um, why?”
“It’s Dwayne. We’ve been chatting on Match.com and are supposed to meet up here at seven.”
Dean’s shoulders slouch and his expression turns sympathetic. “Sweetie, you’ve been catfished.”
“Been what?”
“I’m Dean, but I’m not on any dating site.”
“Really? Because,” the older gentleman displays Dean’s dating profile on his phone for him, “you’re right here.”
Dean grabs the phone and starts scrolling through the profile. “‘Male seeking male, any race or religion, age fifty-five and older.’ Seriously? ‘I love me a sweaty old gay with that curly salt-and-pepper chest hair. The longer and curlier the better. I want it poking above those top shirt buttons. Oh, yeah, let it blow in the wind while we drive down PCH in your Lincoln sedan with the windows cracked. In search of someone I can raise a family of hypoallergenic, small breed dogs with, someone who doesn’t have all their original joints. I’m so over all these sexy twinks who just want me for my hot bod. Looking for a real man to settle down with, preferably in a gay-friendly, fifty-five and older community.’”
I can’t help but give Dean’s blind date a once over. The poor guy is buttoning the second to top button over his ungroomed, grey chest hair as Dean reads. His upper lip looks like the outside of a cold drink on a summer day. Dean gives him back the phone and drops his forehead into his hand. “Cal, did you let Estlyn go to the library?”
“Um…”
He glares at me then chastises, “Cal?”
“Yes?” How was I supposed to know she’d use a computer to catfish unsuspecting old gays?
He turns to the humiliated older gentleman with confident compassion. “Sorry, hon. My friend set you up. Best of luck to finding a man half your age to raise that family of dogs with.”

Author Bio:
Laney Wylde is enamored with all things southern California--the traffic, smog, surprise earthquakes, and nonindigenous palm trees. Consequently, it's the landscape her strong and sometimes lovable female leads paint their stories on. Her New Adult novels Never Touched and the After Twelve series are bright with provocative themes, steamy romance, and inappropriately timed humor.
When Laney isn't writing, she's singing Taylor Swift with her little boy or asking her husband not to tell her about his work as a surgical resident while she's eating. She daydreams about using her math degree to get into law school, then realizes that would be too much work and that she should just play pretend court on paper instead. While she loves a good book, nothing beats 30 Rock with a bag of popcorn and M&Ms.

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***Cover Reveal*** A Heritage of Death By Alexa Padgett (A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery, #2)

A Heritage of Death
Alexa Padgett
(A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery, #2)
Publication date: October 23rd 2018
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

An unconventional pastor. A brutal murder. To solve the case, one reverend will look for help from beyond the grave…

Reverend Cecelia “Cici” Gurule dreams of a bruised and bloodied woman who looks alarmingly like Cici. She’d like to pretend the dream is a nightmare and nothing more, but there are too many coincidences in her waking life to write it off. Like the baby that turns up on her porch–a baby that disappeared weeks before.
Cici and Detective Sam Chastain race to find the woman, but the killer finds her first. As the trail grows cold, Cici’s only chance to solve the mystery before she becomes the next target may be a clue left by her ghostly twin.
A Heritage of Death is the second novel in a compelling female sleuth mystery series for fans of Ruth Ware and Gilly MacMillan. If you like convention-shattering heroines, vivid Southwest settings, and a touch of the paranormal, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s twisty mystery.
Buy A Heritage of Death and hold on tight for a white-knuckle thrill ride today!

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—

EXCERPT:

She opened the door that connected to the kitchen to find both her dogs waiting, tails wagging, for her. While she hugged and pet them, she talked about her day.
“Ready for a walk?” she asked.
Strolling through the streets, Cici passed a few of her neighbors and waved. The heat stuck to her skin, coating her in sweat and an unwelcome, oppressive blanket.
She watched Mona frisk around, her plumed tail wagging. Rodolfo stayed close to her side, his pace sedate, his tongue already lolling. Poor boy. Recovering from near-death took time.
She leaned over and pet his ears.
“I’m so thankful you’re still with me,” she said. He turned his face up toward hers, brown eyes sharp, tongue sliding to the back of his mouth as his canine grin spread.
She walked toward the park at the end of the street, planning to let Rodolfo sit by the side of the cottonwoods while she and Mona attempted some fetch. Mona refused to drop the ball once she collected it, instead darting to and fro, and having a delightful doggy game of tag.
Not Cici’s favorite game but Mona lived for it. They transitioned into the park area and Cici grabbed the ball from her pocket.
She threw it just as a thick wave of dizziness slammed her, causing her to shut her eyes. A strange tugging sensation rippled over her, one she’d felt before. Cici shook her head, trying to force the vision out of her mind.
“No. I don’t like that,” she murmured. “Don’t do that to me, Aci. It’s awful.”
Her sister didn’t listen—not that Cici expected her to.
Cici continued to fight, but Anna Carmen tugged at her consciousness. Come. See. You don’t have much time.
“Aci?” Cici asked, her heart aching at the sound of her twin’s voice, even if it was just in her head—in this nightmare. She succumbed to her sister’s voice, desperate for a deeper, a stronger, connection to her twin.
But her sister was gone, and Cici was back in Grace’s head, how she knew this, she couldn’t say. Just that she knew she was Grace Bruin and she was scared.
***
Becky finally appeared. As soon as Cici, no she was Grace . . . .As soon as she, Grace received the text, she forwarded it to Becky. She snuck out of the police building, her heart hurting for Henry, for herself, but she couldn’t let her baby suffer.
“There were lights in the cabin. And an old SUV. I think.” Becky swallowed, eyes wide in the dark. “I think it’s the sheriff.”
Grace’s heart plummeted. “Take Isabel. Get out of here.”
“I can’t leave you here!”
“You don’t have a choice. Please, Becky. Please.”
“Where can I take her?” Becky asked. “There was a Taos police car here earlier. What if all the police are involved?”
“They might be.” Grace bit her lip, tugging Isabel tighter to her chest. “Go to Santa Fe. To Reverend Gurule. She’ll figure it out. What to tell Henry and everything. Yeah. Go to her.”
“No, Gracie. I’m not leaving you here.” Large tears tumbled down Becky’s cheeks. “I’m the one who wanted to look into this. I’m the reason you’re here.”
“We don’t have time to argue,” Grace said, her voice urgent. “He’ll come back soon. He checks in often.”
“Has he . . .” Becky gulped. “Has he hurt you?”
Grace held out her daughter again. “Save her for me,” she said, her throat clogged with emotion.
“I don’t have a car seat.”
“My car does. It’s out there, right? There’s a key under the driver’s side front tire. In one of those little magnetic boxes. Henry made me get one. He was worried about those stories—you know, babies dying in hot cars.”
“Okay.” Becky sniffled.
Grace pulled the sleeping baby closer to her and kissed her daughter’s soft, sweet face. “I love you,” she whispered.
“Grace . . .”
Grace turned her face away. Tears dripped from her quivering chin. “Go!”
Becky picked up the baby and clattered up the stairs. She turned once and looked back, her eyes wide with fear.
Grace almost called her back as the fear of darkness overwhelmed her.
What would he do to her once he realized the baby was gone? That someone else knew his secret?
Grace opened her mouth, about to plead with Becky to take her, too.
Becky disappeared. The wooden doors slammed.
And the wait for the inevitable pain began.

Author Bio:
With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.
Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.
She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

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***Book Blitz*** Witching Hour: Sinister Legends * Witching Hour Anthologies *

Witching Hour: Sinister Legends
Witching Hour Anthologies
Publication date: October 23rd 2018
Genres: Adult, Horror, Paranormal, Thriller

Bloody Mary…

Bloody Mary…

Bloody…maybe we shouldn’t test that just yet.

Urban legends, fact or fiction, at the end of the day they’re all stories. We know not to spin around the room in the dark whispering her name. We’ve heard about the man with the hook and the terror that stalks the babysitter while she’s home alone.

But there are other tales told around the fire at night. The man finding the steps into hell and sanity flickering away. Mind control experiments by governments, big and small. The woman married to the man of peculiar tastes. There are the haunted hospitals, sleep trials in Russia and more.

Slenderman and Bigfoot are nowhere within these stories; these are only the unusual and dark ones, slanted into truth.

In every legend, there is a seed of truth. Welcome to the Witching Hour.

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—

SNEAK PEEKS:

What Sleep Hid By J.M. Butler

“I’m fine.” Kaya paused, seeing Janis staring intently into the chamber. He didn’t appear to be looking at anyone. His gaze instead was transfixed on a point on the wall.

“Is everything all right?” Kaya peered inside as well.

Janis slipped in front of the speaker. Not moving his eyes, he held down the switch. “We’ve passed day six, and you’re all doing quite well. All your vitals check out. Good breathing. Good focus.” He sounded as if he intended to read a bedtime story. Yet his body language was sharp and tight. “Now I want you to take a moment and look around the room. Look at the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Do you see anything new or unusual?”

Kaya saw nothing. Darryl and the others looked around. They appeared more confused than disturbed.

Darryl scratched his head. “Should we be worried?”

“Are there creatures coming in?” Jeremy dropped his book, looking around wildly.

“What are we supposed to be looking for?” Brenda asked.

“Just anything that seems unusual,” Janis said, his voice as measured and calm as before.

Dr. Nem slapped Janis’s hand. “Stop.” He shoved Janis away and pressed the switch. “Please pay no attention to that. Nothing is different. Everything’s fine.”

Kaya glanced back at Janis. Though he had backed away, his gaze remained fixed on that point. Goosebumps prickled along Kaya’s arms. “What do you see?”

“Possibly nothing.” Janis forced a smile, but a tremor of fear passed through his face.

“Possibly?” Kaya echoed.

The doctor sighed. “Enough, Mr. Janis.”

Janis’s brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to speak, then left.

Kaya followed. She quickened her pace as he passed through the doors. “Wait! What did you see?” The doors thudded shut behind her.

Janis turned on the water fountain and splashed cool water on his face.

Kaya’s heart raced faster. “What did you see?”

Janis wiped his face on his sleeve. “There’s now a fissure in our dimension.”

“A fissure?” Kaya echoed. “Could it be something else? A crack in the glass or the wall?” She hadn’t seen anything though. Maybe he’d imagined it.

“Perhaps.”

“Can you sound more convincing?”

“I’m going to reiterate my first point. This experiment ends in death. You should go.”

“I’m not leaving Darryl here!” Kaya snapped.

“Then you and he will die, and there’s probably nothing I can do to stop it!” Janis thrust his hands into his hair and ripped them out. Fine strands of pale blond hair clung to his fingers. He trembled, closing his eyes. “I’ll do everything I can to keep everyone alive. I will. I promised that.” Though his hands still shook, he strode away.

Kaya watched him, afraid to follow but afraid to return. The terror in his voice, the trembling…that didn’t seem false. Maybe he was only crazy. But her gut warned he wasn’t as wrong as she hoped.

—

The Noise Above Us By Alyssa Brocker

The quiet ticking of Sapphire’s watch is the only sound in the bakery. She’d worked alone many times, but this Saturday morning is different. The slight warmth of the oven, once comforting, now seems too hot, as if it could burn her at any second. The knives, sitting innocently in their correct place, appear almost menacing. She can’t explain it, Sapphire just knows something’s wrong, something’s off.

What happened yesterday is only part of it. This is a gut feeling that something bad is about to happen. Is she being paranoid? Or are her instincts telling her something her mind hasn’t yet figured out. What would her mom say to her if she were here? Sapphire pauses, a soapy spatula still in her hand.
She suddenly feels as though someone is watching her, studying her every movement. Slowly she turns, afraid to look, but knowing she must take the chance.
“Hello… Quinn?” Sapphire calls out for her coworker she knows won’t be here for another half an hour. She audibly gasps when the timer for her cookies alarms. With shaking hands, she reaches in her pocket, quieting the annoying buzzing. Shaking her head, she breathes deeply. She’s being overly suspicious.
The quiet footsteps interrupt her moment of relief. She’s rooted to her place in front of the sink, absolute fear paralyzing her. Suddenly it sounds like someone’s running at her. Remaining still, afraid to even look away from the sink, she’s frozen.
As quickly as they start, they stop. It was as if Sapphire had imagined the entire thing. “Mom… help me.” She pleads for someone who isn’t there, someone who could never be there for her again. Minutes click by, as she remains motionless, too terrified to move. With her hands gripping the edge of the sink, she realizes she has to do something, anything. It’s nearly been a twenty minutes of her staring at the soapy water.
“Uh, I think your cookies are burnt.” Quinn says behind her. Sapphire jumps in surprise. “You okay, Sapphire?” Her small blonde head tilts as she takes in Sapphires state of shock.
“No, Quinn, I’m not.” Sapphire’s voice cracks. “I feel like someone’s here, Quinn. I don’t know if it’s human, a ghost, or even my dead mother. I just know that I’m not alone. I heard footsteps sprinting at me, and I didn’t do anything! I just stood here.” Quinn stays silent through Sapphire’s breakdown. At the end of it, she seems frightened and relieved at the same time.
“You hear the footsteps, too?”

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***Cover Reveal*** Baseball Lover By Rose Croft

Baseball Lover
Rose Croft
Publication date: November 14th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Rose
Sometimes life rears its ugly head and messes up your world.
I know too well. It happened to me five years ago when I lost my fiancé.
It took me awhile to get back on my feet, but I finally got my life in order.
Don’t commit. Don’t get attached. Guard your heart.
Seemed plausible…until a tall, dark and gorgeous man commands my attention.
He is the worst kind of temptation.
Funny, charming, and did I mention hot?
Every woman’s fantasy.
A professional baseball player.
Suit up heart because I have no desire to become one of his stats.
John
Sometimes life drops a little miracle right in front of you.
In the form of a beautiful goddess.
Who’s also intelligent.
Snarky.
Oh, and doesn’t fall for my bullshit.
In fact, I don’t even think she likes me.
That’s okay.
I’m an athlete, and I’m used to challenges.
You don’t make it as far as I have in my sport without having goals in mind.
I’ll pursue her like I’m pursuing the MVP award this season.
And, I will conquer.

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Author Bio:
Rose Croft is a wannabe poet and a writer in her own mind. She's a wife and mom to a beautiful daughter and lives her own happily ever after.

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***Cover Reveal*** Piper Prince By Amber Argyle (Forbidden Forest #2)

Piper Prince
Amber Argyle
(Forbidden Forest #2)
Publication date: April 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

All magic is light. If that light be darkened, shadow and punishment come.

Long ago, a curse fell upon the land—a curse of forgetting and wraiths, a curse that ensured no daughters were born to the pied pipers in over three centuries. The pipers were all that stood between the humanity and utter destruction, so they did the only thing they could: they stole the daughters of the nearby kingdom with their hypnotizing melodies. With the sons born from those unions, they continued to defend against the wraiths and fight the curse, even though they were slowly losing.

Larkin was one of those daughters. Stolen by Denan and married against her will, she found herself falling in love with the very man who had taken everything from her, the man who had made her a princess. Together, they discovered that she was the first woman in three centuries to possess the magic of the pipers, and therefore, the only person capable of breaking the ancient curse.

But breaking the curse means unraveling the very past the curse is intent on keeping secret. The answer lies buried in the crypts of the Black Druids, men who consider Larkin a traitor they’ll kill on sight. Embedded in the intrigues of their court, she unearths a dark conspiracy destined to hasten the destructive power of the curse—a conspiracy aimed at destroying her piper prince.

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Sequel to:

Author Bio:
Bestselling author Amber Argyle writes young-adult fantasies where the main characters save the world (with varying degrees of success) and fall in love (with the enemy). Her award-winning books have been translated into numerous languages and praised by such authors as NYT bestsellers David Farland and Jennifer A. Nielsen.
Amber grew up on a cattle ranch and spent her formative years in the rodeo circuit and on the basketball court. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in English and physical education, a husband, and a two-year-old. Since then, she and her husband have added two more children, which they are actively trying to transform from crazy small people into less-crazy larger people. She's fluent in all forms of sarcasm, loves hiking and traveling, and believes spiders should be relegated to horror novels where they belong.
To receive her starter library of four free books, simply tell her where to send it: http://amberargyle.com/freebooks/

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***Book Blitz*** Kate’s Congressman By Carmela Goff (Bright Sisters, #1)

Kate’s Congressman
Carmela Goff
(Bright Sisters, #1)
Publication date: October 5th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Kate Bright lost the love of her life to tragedy. Now all she wants is to pick up the pieces and shelter herself from further pain. The last thing she needs is the attention of a handsome, arrogant politician who hungers for publicity. But Kate has a hunger of her own, whether she likes it or not. Being with Blake will require her to step into the limelight in spite of her private torment. Do his feelings for her extend beyond the public stage?
Kate’s Congressman is the first standalone novel in the Bright Sisters Romance series.
Watch for other volumes, including June’s Arresting Officer, coming soon.

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—

EXCERPT:

One awkward step from the balcony onto the marble flooring inside sent her lurching toward the floor. She steadied herself, struggling to keep from dropping her champagne flute, and fell into something warm and solid. An arm scooped her up at the waist, firm but gentle, supporting her until she righted herself. For a moment she found herself wishing to stay in this stranger’s embrace, awakening a need for human connection. Then embarrassment took hold as she stepped away from the warm, dark wool of his suit jacket.
“I am so sorry, I guess I just—” Her breath escaped her as she stared up into the eyes of her rescuer, all chiseled jaw and piercing green eyes. She blushed as she realized that strong arm and those broad shoulders belonged to the guest of honor, Congressman Blake Madsen.
“Hey, I assist where I can. Looks like I was in the right place at the right time, for once.” He smiled and seemed to nod to himself, fighting not to give her more than a quick once-over. But eyes didn’t lie, and his told her he liked what he saw, too.
“That may be the first time I’ve actually been helped by Congress,” she said, blushing and wondering where the statement had come from. “No offense.”
He laughed, a throaty sound that warmed her from head to toe and seemed much more genuine than she would have expected from a politician. “Is this a roast or a fundraiser?” he asked. She studied him as he spoke, admiring his features that seemed to be carved from granite. Damn, he was even better looking in person than on TV. She could certainly see how he got elected.
“I’m sorry,” she said, holding up her flute, intact in spite of her clumsiness. “At least I saved my drink. Would have been a shame to spill it on that lovely suit.” She fought a strong urge to place a hand on his lapel, explore the rich wool, maybe reach for that silk tie and unknot it ever so slightly. Her face burned hot as those full lips of his upturned ever so slightly into a smile.
“That would have been unfortunate,” he said. “I think that would mean you owed me your vote.” Her frown caused him to backpedal. “Just kidding. I’m fine with earning it the old fashioned way. I’m Blake Madsen.”
It was her turn to laugh. “Of course you are,” she said. “Anyone with access to a TV or the internet knows you.” And any red-blooded woman with anything resembling a pulse. She kept that bit to herself.
He raised his eyebrows at her. “And you are?”
“Katherine Bright,” Janice said from behind her, approaching them and placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Kate to her friends, of which you are no doubt one, Congressman.”
Blake nodded, held out his hand. She pressed her own into his, fitting like a glove, and forced herself to withdraw it before things became awkward.
“Kate is a brilliant editor,” Janice said, neglecting to mention her post at Home Weekly. “She also arranged the printing of those amazing handouts at the front table. I don’t know what I would do without her.” She was on a roll and not about to stop. “She’s such a hard worker, I’m amazed I managed to talk her into coming tonight. I keep telling her, she needs to get out and enjoy herself more, get back in the dating pool, you know?”
Slick, Janice. Very smooth. Kate was not sure how, but her face burned even hotter.
He nodded. “I can sympathize.”
“That’s right,” Janice said, producing her phone and clicking furiously. “Of course, we all know Blake’s status, since he made the cut.” She passed her phone to Kate with an article loaded in the browser. Sexy Public Servants: The Hottest Eligible Bachelors on Capitol Hill. Blake grinned up at her from position number two on the list, though as far as she was concerned he smoked all the competition. At thirty-two, he was apparently one of the youngest members of Congress.
“Janice, please.” It was Blake’s turn to flush red. “We’re here to sell my campaign, not me.”
Janice smirked as she took her phone back. “Is there a difference? Sorry to interrupt, but the Wallaces just arrived, and you definitely want to make an impression.”
Blake nodded, looking reluctant to leave. “Sorry, Ms. Bright,” he said, “but duty calls.”
Kate shrugged, disappointed to be losing the focus of those intense green eyes. “It’s why we’re here, isn’t it? And it’s Kate, not Ms. Bright.”
He grinned. “Sure thing, Kate. To be continued.”

Author Bio:
Carmela Goff grew up in sunny Southern California, where she studied history and fine arts before returning to her true love, the romance of words. She currently resides in California's Central Valley with her husband and Maine Coon cats. When not dreaming up new stories, she can be found hiking and geocaching and tending to her ever-demanding garden.

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***Excerpt Reveal*** The Sun by Stevie J. Cole

Check out this excerpt for Cards of Love: THE SUN by Stevie J. Cole! Don't forget to add it to your TBR!

Contemporary Romance

Stand Alone
Goodreads

Blurb:

The cliche in love stories is that the good little rich girl falls for the poor bad boy with tattoos. The glamorous prom queen gets knocked-up by the swoon-worthy tattooed god who smells of leather and exhaust from his motorcycle.

That is not how this story goes.

Elias Black may have had a sleeve of tattoos and grown up on the wrong side of the tracks, but he didn’t have a true bad bone in his body.

Until he fell for me. Then he was terribly bad.

EXCERPT:

The single-note hum of the cicadas mixed with the gravel crunching beneath my feet in a weird southern symphony. The sliver of moon hung high in the sky, providing very little light. There’s something eerie about walking through an open field alone in the dark. Something that makes you feel incredibly vulnerable. My imagination ran wild, picturing a Michael Meyers-like figure stalking behind me, butcher knife raised and gleaming under the moonlight. By the time I reached the street I was almost in a jog.

I pressed the unlock button on my key fob and my headlights blinked. I was about three feet away from my car when Elias called my name. He held a burning cigarette to his lips, the glow from the cherry washed his face in a faint red light. He blew a stream of smoke through his lips, then tossed the cigarette onto the asphalt before stepping between me and my car.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my heart thumping swift and hard.

“I don’t know.” 

I stood there for a moment, watching him watch me. Wanting him to say something, anything that would make the desperate ache in my chest give up. 

“You going home?” he asked, his words slurring just enough to tell me he was drunk.

“Yeah.”

“Alone?” 

My jaw tensed. I could have said yes and left it at that, but every time he ignored me, it physically hurt and for some dumb reason, knowing I couldn’t have Elias made the love I harbored toward him root more deeply in my soul. I dug my fist into my hip. “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.”

Stroking his hand over his jaw, he opened my car door then stepped to the side like he was waiting for me to climb in so he could shut it. I hesitated, waiting for him to tell me not to go. Waiting for him to kiss me. Waiting for anything other than goodbye. “Did you need something?”

He took a deep breath, interlocking his hands behind his head and curling his elbows in toward his face, his eyes closed. “I don’t like you kissing him.”

My heart skipped critical beats, but I somehow managed to hold my chin up and push my shoulders back like I couldn’t have cared less. “Well, that’s too bad.” I went to climb into the driver’s seat, but he grabbed my arm. “Let go, Elias.” Please don’t let go.

“Do you love him?”

“What?” 

He inched closer to my face, the smell of cigarettes and beer heavy on his breath. “I said. Do you love him.” 

One, two, three seconds ticked by, our gazes locked, our lips mere centimeters from one another. “What difference does it make?” I managed. 

“Because your mine.”

His warm, parted lips met mine and, suddenly, I was breathless. That kiss felt like being born and dying all at the same time. A supernova heating and growing brighter and brighter until finally its mass was too much for the meager universe and it exploded, sending tiny fragments of stars and suns and moons hurdling into outer space. His hands cupped my cheeks, tilting my head back until it hit the hood of my car. The kiss deepened while bits and pieces of our souls bled together. When his tongue brushed mine, I no longer knew who was breathing for who because there was no end to him or me. Just us. And when the kiss ended, it felt like my entire world collapsed a little.

His forehead pressed to mine. “God, I fucking miss you.” Every word filled with conviction, as though I were a priest and he were sinner. “Just give me tonight. Please?”

My fingers raked over his stubble and into his thick hair. I didn’t want to give him one night, I wanted to hand him every night I had left in my life, but sometimes we must settle. After all, we’re only supposed to live in the moment, and that moment right there, on the side of Highway 180, was one I hoped lasted forever.

About the Author:

Goodreads Choice Award Finalist in 2016.

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About Stevie:
Stevie J. Cole lives deep in the woods of Alabama with her sexy hubs and two precious daughters. She has an obsession with penguins and English chocolate and is terrified of clowns.

Her solo books offer you all the feels you've come to love in a warm, pretty romance with happily ever afters, while her co-authored books with LP Lovell take you on a thrilling ride of suspense and danger with a nice little kick of love.

***Cover Reveal*** Witching Hour: Sinister Legends (Witching Hour Anthologies)

Witching Hour: Sinister Legends
(Witching Hour Anthologies)
Publication date: October 23rd 2018
Genres: Adult, Horror, Paranormal, Thriller

Bloody Mary…

Bloody Mary…
Bloody…maybe we shouldn’t test that just yet.
Urban legends, fact or fiction, at the end of the day they’re all stories. We know not to spin around the room in the dark whispering her name. We’ve heard about the man with the hook and the terror that stalks the babysitter while she’s home alone.
But there are other tales told around the fire at night. The man finding the steps into hell and sanity flickering away. Mind control experiments by governments, big and small. The woman married to the man of peculiar tastes. There are the haunted hospitals, sleep trials in Russia and more.
Slenderman and Bigfoot are nowhere within these stories; these are only the unusual and dark ones, slanted into truth.
In every legend, there is a seed of truth. Welcome to the Witching Hour.

AUTHORS:
Jenniefer Andersson
Alyssa Brocker
Angie Brocker
JM Butler
Lenore Cheairs
Wendy Cheairs
Alana Delacroix
Charlotte Dhark
Trinity Hanrahan
Sienna Haslam
Morgan Heyward
Kristin Jacques

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