Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Holiday Romance Hop - Under The Mistletoe







You're Invited


On December 9-13, join some of your favorite romance authors (and maybe some new favorites) for a fabulous holiday celebration!

Here’s how it works:

Visit the authors’ Facebook pages on each day of the hop and look for the post with #UndertheMistletoe at the top. Authors will be sharing holiday posts and hosting awesome giveaways. Join the fun and enter to win by commenting and sharing posts and liking author pages!

Be sure to check out the Under the Mistletoe Rafflecopter giveaway, too. One lucky Holiday Hop guest will win a Kindle Fire tablet and a $50 Amazon gift card!

Visit the Holiday Hop authors here:


























Giveaway

Release Blitz: The Cornerstone by Kate Canterbary






Title: The Cornerstone

Series: The Walsh Series #4

Author: Kate Canterbary

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Release Date: December 9, 2015






Blurb


A tough-as-nails businesswoman. An arrogant Navy SEAL. A power struggle with no end in sight.

Some people hook-up at weddings. Others break a hotel room bed (and a table, and a desk, and some complimentary bathrobe belts) and discover they've been surviving on bargain basement orgasms their entire lives.

The last one? Yeah. That's all me.

She's driven and demanding…


I wasn't always a bitch. There's a dirty little trick to succeeding in business: the sweet and innocent rarely survive. I fought my way up from nothing, and I don't bend for anyone.

Until Will Halsted ties me to a headboard and makes me his…for now.

One wild, filthy night turns into another, and then...we can't stop. Each time we're together is more addictive than the last, but it's nothing more than a sexy escape from reality.

Or is it?

He's never walked away from a challenge…

I wasn't always a warrior but now it's in my bones and blood. That's what years spent in the Special Forces does to a man. My entire life is classified: where I've been, what I've seen, what I've done, and there's no mission too dangerous.

Until I realize that falling for Shannon Walsh is like trying to swim against a riptide. She's going to tear me up and toss me to the shore, and I'll love every minute of it.

Every time I'm down range, I want her counting the hours until I'm back. Waiting for me. She's done it before; she'll do it again.

Or will she?

They're wrong for each other in every possible way…

Or are they?




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Excerpt


Her pale brows drew together in a vicious scowl, and I recognized I was wrong about Shannon. She wasn't a socialite, not at all. She was a fighter, and a scrappy one at that.

"In other words," she said, "I run this town and I don't need any help doing it."

She shrugged and now that shoulder was all the way exposed. A wild splash of freckles ran across her skin, and I was too tired, too fed up with this conversation, too tightly wound to do anything but imagine tasting her right there. I pushed off from the counter and stared at the sea, all while searching for enough discipline to make it back to my room without doing something unbelievably stupid.

But instead of leaving the bar right then, I stopped beside Shannon and studied those freckles. "Like the tail of a comet," I murmured.

I reached out and traced a line from the ball of her shoulder across her collarbone. Then my gaze shifted to her mouth and those defiant, sinful lips, and my other hand was sliding up her neck and into her hair.

I didn't know why I did it. Maybe it had been too long since I touched a woman. Maybe I couldn't handle the post-deployment horny as well as I used to. Or maybe…maybe I wanted to get into a power struggle with Shortcake.

My forehead rested against Shannon's as I moved into her space, crowding her and feeling all five-foot-nothing of her pressed against me.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Waiting for you to stop me," I said against her lips.











Also Available




99c

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AMAZON US / UK










Author Bio



Kate Canterbary doesn't have it all figured out, but this is what she knows for sure: spicy-ass salsa and tequila solve most problems, living on the ocean--Pacific or Atlantic--is the closest place to perfection, and writing smart, smutty stories is a better than any amount of chocolate. She started out reporting for an indie arts and entertainment newspaper back when people still read newspapers, and she has been writing and surreptitiously interviewing people--be careful sitting down next to her on an airplane--ever since. Kate lives on the water in New England with Mr. Canterbary and the Little Baby Canterbary, and when she isn't writing sexy architects, she's scheduling her days around the region's best food trucks.



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Book Blitz: Ballad - Rockstar Series Book 5 by Anne Mercier







Title: Ballad

Series: Rockstar #5

Author: Anne Mercier

Release Date: November 25, 2015






Blurb


BEN

She walked on the bus and my heart stopped beating. When she looked my way with that sassy smile, it came back to life. Looking at her, getting to know her, I know she's the one for me—but she's so young. Her life is just starting and I've already done my fair share of living. I want her to be mine but is it right for me to ask her to settle down before she's really had a chance to live?

NICOLE
 



He keeps watching me. I can't help but look back. He's gorgeous: tall, messy dark hair, and those intensely blue eyes captivating me. My life hasn't been easy by any means. Because of that I've had to grow up much faster than normal women do. I think that's why our age difference doesn't bother me at all. I wish it didn't bother him because this attraction isn't going away anytime soon and, in truth, I don't want it to. He could very possibly be my happily-ever-after and no matter how much he tries, I'm not going to let him talk me out of it until we give this a fighting chance.





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Also Available




FREE

AMAZON US / UK





AMAZON US / UK






FREE

AMAZON US / UK
B&N / KOBO




AMAZON US / UK





AMAZON US / UK






INCLUDES #1-3

AMAZON US / UK








Author Bio


I was born and raised in Wisconsin and still live here today with my two sons and puppy. (Though one day soon I hope to move to southern California!)

I’m an avid reader who gets inspired by reading the stories from my favorite authors as well as listening to various types of music. I am a huge fan of music, chocolate, fruit, desserts, autumn, M. Shadows, Avenged Sevenfold, and Milo Ventimiglia. Through my books, I am proudly creating new Avenged Sevenfold and Milo Ventimiglia fans one reader at a time.

I absolutely love interacting with readers and invite you to contact me any time via email: Anne@AnneMercierAuthor.com.

“The best part of being an author, to me, is being able to take the reader to that one place they long to go when they need to escape reality. Knowing I can do that, for even one reader, makes what I do worthwhile.” ~ Anne Mercier




Hugs and love,
Anne xoxo



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Cover Reveal: Too Hot To Handle - Zero to 60 by Susan Arden







Title: Too Hot To Handle
Series: Bad Boys
Subseries: Zero to 60 
Author: Susan Arden
Genre: Military Western Romance
Heat Index: Hot enough to strip paint
Cover Design: Mayhem Cover Creations
Photography: ©Rob Lang 
Release Date: January 12, 2016





Blurb


A random hookup too hot to handle? Never say never.

In a torturous game of cat-n-mouse with her step-uncle, it’s Margo’s move.

On the run, she does a body slide right into the arms of a recently discharged Marine. Outside of this crazy fling, there’s zero room in her life for men. Distractions are dangerous to her goal.

From fixing miles of fencing and tending cattle, Rod McLemore is thrust back into the line of duty. And he promptly fails. He crosses the line in a no-brainer mission: go and get the girl. On no hands is he prepared for Margo or her smart-mouth, right hook, and cargo to hide.

Together Margo and Rod are as volatile as flint and gunpowder. Bordering on taboo, their raw attraction is a recipe for disaster. Especially when the stakes are raised.

Their stormy love affair forces them over the edge and out of their comfort zones as they wrangle in-laws, Mother Nature, and a slick conman. A regular trial by fire. But a battle worth fighting means taking a stand. Even if it means they have to lie, steal, cheat.
Or kill.










Available Now

BAD BOY SERIES
 
#1 Tempted by Trouble

#2 Twice Tempted

#3 Stephen McLemore – The Cowboy Rode a Harley

#4 Girls’ Night Out

#5 Brandon McLemore – Leather and Lace

#6 Collared by the Cowboy

#7 Rory McLemore – Breaking the Bad Boy

#8 Catch Y.O.U. 4 Xmas




  AMAZON SERIES LINK











Author Bio


Susan Arden grew up in Miami, attending bilingual schools, which lends itself to her interest in writing multicultural stories. Previously, she taught in public schools and earned National Board Certification as an educator. She’s married and lives outside Nashville. Besides writing in partnership with her husband, they're involved in environmental engineering, have three daughters, and an eccentric Kelpie, three cats and gecko. When she's not writing, Susan reads dark romance and thrillers, adores comedy clubs, and is a closet fanatic about boots.



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Release Blitz: Closer by Sarah Greyson




Title: Closer
Series: The Unit #1
Author: Sarah Greyson
Genre: Romantic Suspense
 Release Date: December 8, 2015

Blurb


Danger. Intrigue. Suspense. Former Green Beret Michael Cartwright thought he left all that behind him….

When Department of Defense Engineer Emma Welby takes on a Top Secret project for the Pentagon, she never expects to be running for her life. With a terrorist cell and a rogue CIA agent after her, the one man who can protect Emma thinks she is a traitor to her country.

Michael Cartwright is haunted by the tours he served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sent on assignment to track down a terrorist, the last person he expects to encounter is the intellectually driven beauty that tempts and challenges Michael in a way that no one ever has.

With danger lurking around every corner, can Michael save Emma and keep his past from destroying his future?

+18 warning – This book is intended for mature audiences.



Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK



Excerpt

A damp, musty smell assaulted her senses. She couldn’t see because of the single bare light bulb hanging in front of her, glaring into her eyes, while she imagined dark, damp corners. Emma tried to peer around the room. Next to the bulb was a metal, beaded string. Against the far wall sat an old green couch. The stairs were behind her. There were laundry hook-ups sticking out of the wall above the couch. The floor was concrete. She was in a cellar of a house, her hands tied to one of the exposed old, wooden beams that ran the length of the ceiling. When she looked up, she could see the wiring and cables stapled to and running atop the beams. Did he live here?

“Don’t you touch me, you freak,” Emma screamed, as she dangled by her bound hands from the ceiling of the cottage’s basement.

“You are going to tell me everything I want to know about your boyfriend before I kill you,” Ingrams commanded as he ran his finger between her breasts.

Emma wiggled and tossed her body away from Ingram’s hand.

“Who is he, Ms. Welby?” Ingrams demanded.

“Go to hell,” Emma exclaimed as she spat in his direction.

He didn’t take kindly to the insult. Ingrams raised his right hand and backhanded her hard across her face. Her lip busted open and she sucked in the familiar metallic taste of blood.

“We can play this game all night. In fact, we can play this game for the next three nights. But I guarantee you, you will tell me what I want to know. The question is, Ms. Welby, how quickly do you want to die?” Ingrams jeered as he wiped the line of blood trickling from Emma’s lip down her chin. Ingrams moved his face closer to Emma’s and licked at the blood removing it from her chin.

“You’ve obviously suffered some kind of psychotic break, you sick man. You said you worked for the CIA. I don’t know anybody that works for the CIA that would treat a fellow colleague the way you’re treating me,” Emma snarled as she swung her legs away from Ingram’s body.

“Tell me about him. How long have you known him? Does he know about the work you do for the DOD? Does he know about Project Hummingbird?” Ingrams growled as he pulled back his right arm and punched Emma in the stomach.

She couldn’t lean forward to block the pain. Her hands were bound above her head and her body was dangling, her feet swinging above the floor.

“Come on sweetie. Make my work easy for me. Don’t put yourself through this unnecessary pain. Just tell me who he is and who he works for, and we can be done here,” he said as he pulled his arm back to ram his fist into her stomach a second time.

Emma felt the wind leave her body. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. He would not break her. If she told him what he wanted to know, she was dead. She had to endure whatever he dished out, just until Michael could save her.

He raised his arm again to strike her but this time she lifted her leg and connected with his groin.

“You bitch,” he huffed as he hunched over in pain. There, that would buy her a reprieve, she thought, just enough to gain some of her strength back. She needed to be strong for Michael. Shit, she needed to be strong for herself.

After rolling on the floor in utter agony for several minutes, Ingrams got to his knees and pushed himself upright. “I am going to kill him with or without your help, Ms. Welby,” Ingrams seethed.

He went to the bag he brought with him and pulled out the duct tape. He walked behind her and wrestled her legs together as she kicked and bucked. He finally managed to hold them tightly and began rolling the tape around her ankles binding both legs.

“There, no more kicking,” he smiled as he stood up and placed the tape back in his bag.

He turned and walked back over to her. Her hands felt like they were separating from her wrists, but she couldn’t give up. How long would he take to kill her? Did he really plan on torturing her first? It was obvious something wasn’t right with this man.

“I must say, Ms. Welby, I didn’t expect you to be so strong. You have a PhD for God’s sake. But you’re delicate like a flower,” Ingrams told her as he ran his hand between her legs. He wriggled his hand in between her thighs and cupped her sex. She squirmed and bucked, but she couldn’t escape him.

“Get your hands off of me,” she yelled as tears fell down her cheeks. Salt mixing with the metal taste on her lips.

“Maybe I will have you before I kill you. You are a remarkably beautiful woman, Ms. Welby,” he insisted as he applied pressure to her clit with his nubby fingers.

“You’d like that, you sick animal? Why don’t you untie me so we can become properly acquainted,” she retorted as she tried to again free herself from his hand. Where are you Michael? “Oh Emma? Emma? Whatever shall I do with you?” he asked as he removed his hand from her sex. “I can’t let you help a terrorist organization. I have to kill you. What you know is too valuable. They won’t stop coming after you until you give them what they want. And what they want is the information on Project Hummingbird. You really can’t expect me, a CIA agent, to let you go now, can you?” Ingrams coaxed while he brushed Emma’s reddened face with the back of his hand.

He lowered his arm, pulled back his fist, and punched her square in the face. “That’s for kicking me in the balls, you bitch.”






Author Bio


Writing is something that has always come naturally to me. Throughout my academic and professional careers, I have always found my way back to writing. Writing a novel has long been a dream of mine, and I've made many attempts. I also read a great deal, like a book every three days. I love reading contemporary romantic suspense novels, so authors like Maya Banks, Nora Roberts, and H.M. Ward are some of my favorites. I also love Abbi Glines and Slyvia Day to name a few. They have taught me so much. But it wasn't until I attempted to read a poorly written, unengaging book that I knew I could do it. That's what inspired me - a really bad book. So after giving up reading this book, I put pen to paper and produced my first novel, and I haven't slowed down since.

I got my start in the world of writing novels late in life, but when the sirens call, you have to answer. I am an English teacher and editor by day but a writer by night. I LOVE language and the written word. At the heart of every interaction is some form of communication; it's what makes the world go around. I truly believe I was born in the wrong century. I would have loved to be alive during the early 19th century when communication was an art form. The book Pride and Prejudice was set then and it is my all-time favorite read.


I want to create your favorite read. I love crafting stories that you can connect to. I want you biting your fingernails in suspense. I want you hot and bothered over my sex scenes. I want you breathless.

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