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Tuesday, November 24, 2020

CUSTOM BUILT BLOG TOUR

  


Title: Custom Built

Author: Chantal Fernando

*new* Series: Fast & Fury, #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Imprint: Carina Press 

On Sale: November 24, 2020

Format: Mass Market Paperback (ebook and audio also available)

Price: $8.99 U.S.

ISBN: 9781335200136

Book Description: New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando brings you Fast & Fury: A sexy new series fully loaded with intense emotions and edge-of-your-seat suspense.


After losing her job, saying goodbye to a lifelong dream, and having an all-around cruddy year, Bronte Pierce needs a break. A job at Fast & Fury might be just the thing to reset her life, even though she knows nothing about custom motorcycles.  But taking a job isn’t the same as keeping it, and her fresh start quickly turns into a fresh nightmare.


Starting with her boss. Crow is hard-headed, stubborn and brutally honest. He may be easy on the eyes, but he runs with an MC, and he’s anything but friendly to Bronte. She suspects he has a softer side—just not for her.


Her whole life, Bronte has known that the only person she can truly count on to save the day is herself. But when a single murder turns into a conspiracy and the threat to her life is more than she can handle alone, it’s Crow who comes through—and her newfound family might just become her greatest strength.





About Chantal Fernando

Chantal Fernando is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series, the Cursed Raven Motorcycle Club series, and the Maybe series, along with several other novels. She lives in Western Australia, where she is working on her next book. 





EXERPT


Stepping inside the warehouse is like a whole other world. There’s beautifully done graffiti on the walls, and the workspace shows off brand-new, sparkling bikes. The main room leads into a wide spacious garage, and it has a cool, urban vibe. There’s music playing over the speakers, and it doesn’t look like they have spared any expense with the interior design. In the middle, there’s a reception area with a large, expensive-looking wooden desk and a little staircase leading to another level, one with bikes in various states of being rebuilt. It’s a pretty awesome space.

“Hello?” I call out when I see no one around. Apparently they really do need staff. I’m assuming I’m supposed to be meeting Crow, but I have no idea what to expect right now.

A door opens from behind the reception area, and a tall, muscular blond man walks out. He’s very handsome. He’s covered in tattoos and looks good even bowing shirt with a white top underneath. I wonder if this is his usual look.

Even with the shirt, he screams bad boy.

The bright pattern isn’t fooling anybody.

Blue eyes lock on me. “Bronte Pierce?”

“That’s me,” I say, shaking his hand as he offers it. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Crow, and I’m in charge here. We have two mechanics coming in and out to help Cam put together the bikes. But it’s a small group since we only do custom pieces.”

So this is who messaged me yesterday.

“So are you Abbie’s partner?” I ask, since Uncle Neville said he owned the place. If he is, she has done very, very well for herself.

He gives me a confused look, then laughs. I don’t want to admit what the sound of his laugh does to me; it’s deep and all consuming. Great, now I’m having weird feelings about my cousin’s partner and I haven’t even met my cousin yet. Way to build a relationship. Oh yeah, and he’s my boss.

Snap out of it, Bronte. You’re here to work, and that’s it.

Once he’s done laughing, he still has a smirk on his face. I’m not going to lie; it kind of annoys me. “No, Temper is Abbie’s partner. Don’t let him hear you ask me that.”

“But you said you’re in charge. I was told Abbie’s partner owns the place.”

His smirk is gone and now he just looks annoyed. 

“Yes, Temper technically owns it, but I am in charge here. Is that going to be a problem?”

Shit. Great, first I was attracted to the boss, and now I’m pissing him off. “Nope. Not a problem. Sorry, I just found out about Abbie, so I’m playing catch-up. You’re in charge. Got it.”

And apparently not a topic I will bring up again.

He looks at me skeptically but gives me a brief nod. “We basically need someone to man the reception, answer phones, order parts and stay on top of all the bookkeeping. Sound manageable?”

I decide that honesty is the best policy. “I have done some admin work before, but I don’t know anything about bikes or ordering parts. But I’m a quick learner and I’m sure I can pick it up.” I give him my best I-am-confident look.

I hope he buys it.

It’s the truth, though. I’ve done work more complicated than this, and I’m eager to learn and be the best at whatever job I am doing. I’m someone who takes pride in her work, and I know that I’m going to be an asset to his team.

“Abbie said you were a private investigator?”

“I was an assistant to one, yes.” I nod.

“Huh. I would have guessed a librarian,” he comments, making my eyes widen. I mean, I was only just thinking the same thing based on how I dressed today, but it’s rude of him to mention that, especially after only just meeting me. “I hope you’re able to handle the job, and don’t expect any special treatment just because you’re Abbie’s long-lost cousin.”

My jaw drops. His comment really gets to me, even though I don’t want to let him see that. “I don’t expect any special treatment.”

“That’s good, but not true, because special treatment got you this job in the first place,” he replies casually, as if his words aren’t hitting every damn nerve.

I should have known that this job was going to come with a catch, and it looks like I’ve found it. An annoying, smart-ass boss.


Copyright © 2020 by Chantal Fernando



Friday, November 20, 2020

BLOG TOUR: PLAYING WITH DESIRE

 

Both men want her . . . but can they both have her?

Playing with Desire, an all-new irresistible contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Erika Wilde, is available now!

All she wanted was one night of sensual bliss. What she got was double the pleasure.

When Summer Hughes is finally given an invitation to The Players Club, she’s beyond ready to spend an evening with a gorgeous, dominant stranger. Declan Burke is pure alpha male and exactly what she’s looking for, the kind of man who will tap into all her dark, forbidden desires and make them all a reality.

What Summer doesn’t count on is Declan’s step-brother, Rick Dunne, who is equally commanding . . . and fiercely protective. Both men want her . . . but can they both have her?

Download your copy today!
Amazon: http://mybook.to/playingwithdesire
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2FgcRfN
Amazon Worldwide: https://amzn.to/3bEGpQe
Nook: https://bit.ly/2ZjE889
Kobo: https://bit.ly/35f9vER
Google Play: https://bit.ly/33d2AJA

Add PLAYING WITH DESIRE to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2ZjE6Nz

Excerpt

As they neared, Summer couldn’t take her gaze off the dark-blond-haired guy. Her attraction to Rick had always simmered beneath the surface, a flirtation they’d both indulged in but he’d never pursued up to this point. But her awareness of the other man was immediate and incendiary, and she knew that intense connection had to do with his sharp, laser-focused gaze that slid down the length of her body with unapologetic lust, along with the seductive smile touching his full lips that promised a night of sinful pleasure.
Her dress molded to her curves, and by the time he was done devouring every dip and swell of her fuller figure, she felt as though he’d stripped away the nude-colored fabric and she was already standing naked in front of him. Her nipples beaded almost painfully, her belly fluttered, and she had to clench her thighs together to appease the throbbing ache in between.
She shifted on her heels, suddenly nervous as the duo stopped in front of her—but more than willing to see where this meet and greet led.
“Hi, Rick,” she said, her voice breathless as she acknowledged the man she already knew.
“Summer,” he replied, the corner of his mouth curling into a sexy, inviting grin before he indicated the man next to him. “I’d like you to meet my stepbrother, Declan Burke.”
His stepbrother? She blinked in surprise as she met the other man’s mesmerizing hazel eyes, now glimmering with amusement over her shocked reaction. “So, you two are related?” she asked, still trying to process that bit of information.
“Sort of,” Declan said, a touch of humor vibrating in his deep voice, despite his more guarded and reserved personality. “My mother married Rick’s father, and we got stuck with each other as siblings. Of course, I’m the better-looking of the two.”
She smiled at his teasing comment. They were both gorgeous men in their own right—clean-cut, smooth-shaven, classically handsome Rick, with his black hair and green eyes and athletically honed body, versus the more rugged Declan, with his dark blond hair, a day’s worth of sexy stubble covering his jaw, and a well-built physique that conveyed subdued power and strength. His wide shoulders filled out the white dress shirt he wore, and there was no mistaking the muscular chest, tight abdomen, and sinewy arms concealed beneath the fabric.
Black slacks hugged Declan’s narrow hips and lean thighs, and she caught herself just as her wandering gaze swept across the ample bulge filling out the front of his pants. He wasn’t hard—yet—and as she bounced her gaze back up to his, she couldn’t help but wonder, if he was that generously endowed when flaccid, how much bigger would he be when completely erect? The naughty images filling her mind made her mouth go dry, as did the insightful smirk on his face.
She swallowed hard to moisten her parched throat and extended her hand toward him. “It’s nice to meet you, Declan.”
Instead of sliding his much larger palm against hers in a traditional handshake as she was anticipating, he picked up her hand and lifted it to his mouth, then skimmed his lips across her knuckles in a feathery kiss. His gaze met hers, pure temptation heating his eyes.
“The pleasure is all mine, kitten,” he murmured.
His husky voice, combined with the intimate pet name he’d just given her, made her weak in the knees. “And here I thought Rick was the charming one.”
Rick laughed. “Don’t let all that sweet talk fool you,” he said with humor. “Declan is only charming when he wants something.”
“It’s true.” Declan shrugged unapologetically as he released her hand, and she immediately missed the warmth of his touch. “I wanted you the moment you walked into the VIP lounge.”
His candid words were filled with a seductive determination she wasn’t immune to—nor did she want to be.

Meet Erika Wilde


Erika Wilde is a New York Times Bestselling author. She is best known for her super sexy Marriage Diaries series and The Players Club series, and has also co-written the Dirty Sexy Series and the Book Boyfriend Series with Carly Phillips, her best friend and writing buddy for the past twenty years. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two daughters, and when she's not writing you can find her exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest. For more information on her upcoming releases, please visit her website at www.erikawilde.com and sign up for her mailing list for updates and news!

Connect with Erika
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OLvHe9
Twitter: https://twitter.com/erikawilde1
BookBub: http://bit.ly/2Ply3lh
GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2MsZBqj
Friend Erika on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2PkVyKZ
Visit her author page: http://bit.ly/2vVITpY
Join her reader group: http://bit.ly/2OLuIut
Stay up to date with Erika by joining her mailing list:
http://bit.ly/2OJIsWE
https://www.erikawilde.com

Liza's Review:

The Players Club is absolutely one of my favorite series ever from Erika Wilde. I absolutely adore this super sexy series and couldn't wait to read Playing with Desire...especially once I realized it would not only be about Summer, but Rick and his step-brother Declan too. OMG, I wasn't even prepared for the sexy times to come in this book!!!


Before I get to all the sexy times in this story, I want to once again rave about the friendships between the women in this group. I love how supportive and loving they are to one another. Seriously makes me wish I could be friends with them IRL. Honestly, I'm super lucky to have more than one group of women that have my back like the ones in this series, but I always love pointing out supportive friendships, and Ms. Wilde does an amazing job with them in her books.


Now onto Summer, Rick, and Declan. OMG, the chemistry between these 3 was so very smoking hot!!! I have wanted a book about Rick for a while, and I loved seeing his dominant side in this story. I have to say I loved his step-brother Declan even more, and I so wasn't expecting that to happen. I loved how both Rick and Declan set out to make Summer's first time at The Players Club memorable. Much like other books in the series, the sexy times are smoking hot and plentiful. I felt such an emotional connection to these characters, my emotions were on a roller coaster ride right along with them. 


I absolutely adored Playing with Desire so very much. This story had everything I love in a romance: laughter, a few tears, and plenty of sexy times. Erika Wilde knocked it out of the ballpark with Playing with Desire, and I can't wait for my next visit with the characters in The Players Club series.


Rating: 5 Stars (A+)


FELIZ NAUGHTY DOG (THE DOGMOTHERS #5.5)


Pru Kilcannon has one goal when she wakes on Christmas Eve – to perform the most “Random Acts of Christmas Kindness” so she can spread cheer and ensure her high school wins the county-wide “RACK IT UP” contest. But when her friends decide to team up with their boyfriends, the ever-helpful Dogmothers enlist the new kid in school as Pru’s partner for the contest. And that means good-girl Pru has to spend the entire day with the broody, moody, and crazy cute bad boy Lucas Darling, and his chaos-causing greyhound, Tor.


As if that wasn’t enough holiday havoc, Pru and Lucas have to accompany the grannies on a secret mission to check out a man Yiayia has met on an online dating service. Gramma Finnie is convinced Aldo Fiore is a mobster, Yiayia thinks he’s her dream man, and Pru just wants to be sure her great-grandmothers don’t get themselves arrested — or worse. There’s no telling what could happen when the Dogmothers spy on an eighty-year-old who might be playing a rather flirtatious Santa at the mall…or might be hiding from the Feds.


But no one expected the real trouble to come from Tor, the former racing dog who causes mayhem and mall madness. As Pru and Lucas attempt to control Tor, supervise the Santa Stalking, and knock out a few random acts of kindness…they also give in to a delicious little Christmas crush that just might lead to some magic under the mistletoe this year!


Release Date: November 20, 2020

South Street Publishing

The Dogmothers #5.5

Contemporary Holiday romance

Review copy provided by publisher


Liza's Review:


Roxanne St. Claire once again gives her readers the perfect Christmas gift with her latest installment in The Dogmothers' series. Feliz Naughty Dog had me laughing out loud repeatedly, shaking my head at Yiayia and Gramma Finnie's antics, and happily sighing as General Pru met her match in Lucas Darling and his greyhound Tor.


I love the Christmas story Ms. St. Claire writes each year. They are always such funny and emotionally satisfying stories, and Feliz Naughty Dog was yet another perfect Christmas tale. Gramma Finnie and Yiayia are such fun characters. I love their friendship and how they always there for each other. I also love how Pru is the honorary third Dogmother, and how she always watches out for her two great-grannies, and the three of them always make me smile. I have to say I loved seeing a different side of each of the Dogmothers in Feliz Naughty Dog. Gramma Finnie and Yiayia had me laughing out loud more than they usually do as they spied on Aldo Fiore for Yiayia. The high jinks from their spying had me wiping tears from my eyes.  Pru is always so serious and on task, yet when Lucas and Tor joined their trip to the local mall, she totally had to give up on her original plans and help out Lucas and Tor. I loved watching Pru and Lucas become true friends as they tried to keep Tor out of trouble, find a missing puppy in the mall, watch out for Gramma Finnie and Yiayia, and try to earn points for "RACK IT UP."


Feliz Naughty Dog was such a delightful, funny, sweet, and beautiful story. I was pulled in from the very first page and couldn't put this book down. I'm big on reading books in a series in order, but even without knowing the entire history of the series feel reading this book would put a smile on your face and love in your heart. I can't wait to see where the Dogmothers take us next in the series!



Rating: 5 Stars (A)


Buy Links


Paperback: http://www.roxannestclaire.com/FelizPaperback

Amazon Kindle: http://www.roxannestclaire.com/FelizAmzKindle

Barnes & Noble: http://www.roxannestclaire.com/FelizNook

KOBO: http://www.roxannestclaire.com/FelizKobo

Google play: http://www.roxannestclaire.com/FelizGP

Apple: http://www.roxannestclaire.com/FelizApple

Amazon Canada: http://www.roxannestclaire.com/FNDAmzCA

Amazon UK: http://www.roxannestclaire.com/FNDAmzUK 

Thursday, November 19, 2020

THE STUD NEXT DOOR COVER REVEAL


 THE STUD NEXT DOOR by Kendall Ryan is coming January 19th!


Life threw me a curveball. An adorable eight-pound, four-ounce curveball with her mother’s eyes and my dark hair. I’d like to think my single-dad game is strong, but honestly? I’ve been struggling a little.

When a beautiful young woman moves in next door and offers to give me a hand, I jump at the chance to hire her as a nanny. Jessa is amazing with my daughter. She’s also patient, kind, and way too pretty.

The number one rule of hiring a nanny? Don’t bed the nanny.

It’s a rule I intend to keep.

But as the days pass, I begin to realize how much my life is missing. Companionship. Romance. Intimacy. When I discover my heart has space for one more female, it’s a lost cause, another curveball. The hot-as-hell nanny is leaving soon for a mission trip to Central America. No sense in letting myself fantasize about Jessa being a permanent part of my life.

The closer we get, the more difficult it becomes to keep my feelings in check, because my heart won’t listen. And neither will my libido.

Well, you know what they say. Rules are meant to be broken . . .


PRE-ORDER NOW ðŸ‘‡ðŸ‘‡ðŸ‘‡
🔸 Amazon US ➜ https://amzn.to/35ztJZx
🔸 Amazon Intl. ➜ https://geni.us/StudNextDoor
🔸 Apple ➜ https://apple.co/3pvgbGJ
🔸 Nook ➜ https://bit.ly/3nvVcBy
🔸 Kobo ➜ https://bit.ly/2IKCmIj

Add to Goodreads ➜ https://bit.ly/3kJ0Crm



UNDER A WINTER SKY RELEASE BLITZ

 


Under A Winter Sky Anthology

 

Four powerhouse authors of fantasy and urban fantasy bring you a feast of romantic midwinter holiday adventures. These heartwarming and pulse-pounding tales celebrate Hanukah, Christmas, the solstice, Yule – and holidays from worlds beyond our own. With fancy-dress balls, faery bargains, time travel, blood sacrifice, and festive cocktails, these stories will delight lovers of fantasy and romance, with a dash of seasonal joy.

Ballgowns & Butterflies by Kelley Armstrong

The North Yorkshire moors are always a magical place, but they’re particularly enchanting at the holidays…especially if one gets to travel back in time to a Victorian Christmas. For Bronwyn Dale, it is the stuff of dreams. Fancy-dress balls, quirky small-town traditions, even that classic one-horse open sleigh, complete with jingle bells. There’s just the tiny problem of the Butterfly Effect. How does a time-traveler make a difference without disrupting the future forever?

The Long Night of the Crystalline Moon, a prequel novella to Heirs of Magic, by Jeffe Kennedy

Shapeshifter Prince Rhyian doesn’t especially want to spend the Feast of Moranu at Castle Ordnung. First of all, it’s literally freezing there, an uncomfortable change from the tropical paradise of his home. Secondly, it’s a mossback castle which means thick walls and too many rules. Thirdly, his childhood playmate and current nemesis, Lena, will be there. Not exactly a cause for celebration.

Princess Salena Nakoa KauPo nearly wriggled out of traveling to Ordnung with her parents, but her mother put her foot down declaring that, since everyone who ever mattered to her was going to be there to celebrate the 25th year of High Queen Ursula’s reign, Lena can suffer through a feast and a ball for one night. Of course, “everyone” includes the sons and daughters of her parents’ friends, and it also means that Rhyian, insufferable Prince of the Tala, will attend.

But on this special anniversary year, Moranu’s sacred feast falls on the long night of the crystalline moon—and Rhy and Lena discover there’s more than a bit of magic in the air.

Blood Martinis and Mistletoe by Melissa Marr

Half-dead witch Geneviève Crowe makes her living beheading the dead--and spends her free time trying not to get too attached to her business partner,  Eli Stonecroft, a faery in self-imposed exile in New Orleans. With a killer at her throat and a blood martini in her hand, Gen accepts what seems like a straight-forward faery bargain, but soon realizes that if she can't figure out a way out of this faery bargain, she'll be planning a wedding after the holidays.

Echoes of Ash & Tears, an Earthsinger Chronicles Novella, by L. Penelope

Brought to live among the Cavefolk as an infant, Mooriah has long sought to secure her place in the clan and lose her outsider status. She’s a powerful blood mage, and when the chieftain’s son asks for help securing the safety of the clan, she agrees. But though she’s long been drawn to the warrior, any relationship between the two is forbidden. The arrival of a mysterious stranger with a tempting offer tests her loyalties, and when betrayal looms, will Mooriah’s secrets and hidden power put the future she’s dreamed of—and her adopted home—in jeopardy

 

 

Releasing November 19, 2020

 

Buy links: https://jeffekennedy.com/under-a-winter-sky

 

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

JUST LIKE THIS BLOG TOUR


 Title: Just Like This

Author: Cole McCade

Series: Albin Academy, #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Imprint: Carina Press (Carina Adores)

On Sale: November 24, 2020

Format: Trade Paperback 

Price: $14.99 U.S.

ISBN: 9781335200907

Book Description: Rian Falwell has a problem.


And his name is Damon Louis.


Rian's life as the art teacher to a gaggle of displaced boys at Albin Academy should be smooth sailing—until the stubborn, grouchy football coach comes into his world like a lightning strike and ignites a heated conflict that would leave them sworn enemies if not for a common goal.


A student in peril. A troubling secret. And two men who are polar opposites but must work together to protect their charges.


They shouldn't want each other. They shouldn't even like each other.


Yet as they fight to save a young man from the edge, they discover more than they thought possible about each other—and about themselves.


In the space between hatred, they find love.


And the lives they have always wanted…


Just like this.


“The romantic longing, themes of bravery and confidence, and moments of cozy domesticity shine.” —Publishers Weekly on Just Like That





Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories featuring beloved romance tropes, where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.


A new Carina Adores title is available each month in trade paperback, ebook and audiobook formats.

  • Just Like That by Cole McCade (available now!)
  • Hairpin Curves by Elia Winters (available now!)
  • Better Than People by Roan Parrish (available now!)
  • The Secret Ingredient by KD Fisher (available now!)
  • Teddy Spenser Isn’t Looking for Love by Kim Fielding (coming December 29, 2020)
  • The Beautiful Things Shoppe by Philip William Stover (coming January 26, 2021)
  • Our Level Best by Roan Parrish (coming February 23, 2021)
  • Learn to Knit in Nine Months or Less by Hettie Bell (coming March 30, 2021)


Buy Just Like This by Cole McCade

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335200907

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335200907_just-like-this.html 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Like-This-Albin-Academy/dp/1335200908

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-like-this-cole-mccade/1136892693

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/just-like-this/id1506928629

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cole_McCade_Just_Like_This?id=_vTbDwAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/just-like-this-3 


About Cole McCade

Cole McCade is a New Orleans-born Southern boy without the Southern accent, currently residing somewhere in Seattle. He spends his days as a suit-and-tie corporate consultant and business writer, and his nights writing contemporary romance and erotica that flirts with the edge of taboo—when he’s not being tackled by two hyperactive cats. 


He also writes genre-bending science fiction and fantasy tinged with a touch of horror and flavored by the influences of his multiethnic, multicultural, multilingual background as Xen. He wavers between calling himself bisexual, calling himself queer, and trying to figure out where “demi” fits into the whole mess—but no matter what word he uses he’s a staunch advocate of LGBTQIA and POC representation and visibility in genre fiction. And while he spends more time than is healthy hiding in his writing cave instead of hanging around social media, you can generally find him in these usual haunts: 



EXCERPT

Rian Falwell had a problem.

And that problem was currently staring at him through a messy tangle of black hair, from beneath a brow dotted with gleaming beads of sweat that—beneath the glassy afternoon light streaming through the windows—turned to glistening motes of amber against dusky brown skin.

Honestly, if Damon Louis was going to come barging into Rian’s studio like this…

He could at least have the decency to wear a shirt.

The P.E. teacher took up far too much space inside the tiny cubicle of a studio, his shoulders so broad they had almost touched both sides of the door frame as he’d stalked inside. He looked as if he’d just stepped out of the gym, with his wide, sculpted, scar-rippled chest glazed in a sheen of sweat and a pair of loose black track pants hanging off his 

hips, the elastic waistband barely clinging to the narrow line cut below his iliac crest. His shoulder-length tumbles of dark hair clumped together, completely drenched, droplets dangling from the tips.

But as overheated as Damon looked?

His dark brown eyes were completely cold—glossed to reflective ice as he folded thick, brawny arms over his chest and took a slow look around the cluttered space of Rian’s studio.

Rian could track the line of his gaze—starting with the gloppy pile of clay on his pottery wheel; a pile that would eventually become a vase, but right now was just misshapen lumps of gray.

Then to the thin sheets of handmade papyrus parchment drying on a clothesline strung across the room, pulped and pressed from the fallen early autumn leaves of the trees around Albin Academy, an experiment Rian had been quite pleased with when it resulted in fine paper with a green-gold translucent fragility, flecked with bits of brown from the leaves’ veins and stems.

Next, the many half-finished canvases propped about on their easels, slashed with angry, bold strokes of paint in abstract designs.

The anatomical diagrams pinned to the walls.

And the extra large sketchbook left open on his worktable, displaying loose, light sketches of male bodies in motion, focused on capturing the flow of sinew in the turn of the waist, the tightening of an arm as it drew back, the extension of the body and curve of the spine during a long, lazy reach.

Damon’s eyes lingered longest on that one, his dark, expressive brows rising fractionally, almost mockingly—and Rian’s face burned.

All of these were his personal projects, all unfinished, but still things he put everything he had into. 

So why was this stone-faced, unsmiling jerk standing here looking over them like he was about to assign Rian a failing score?

What was he even doing here at all?

Those dark brown eyes snapped back to him as if Damon had somehow heard the question snarling in the back of Rian’s mind.

“So,” Damon drawled, and Rian realized this was the first time he’d actually heard Damon speak in his three years at Albin Academy, rather than noncommittal affirmative mutters during staff meetings. His voice was deep, raw, gritty, with a subtle pull to it that didn’t quite seem to echo typical New England accents around Massachusetts. “I thought this was some kinda broom closet. Chambers and Walden know you’re using it for…” He tilted his head. A damp ripple of hair fell across the refined sharpness of his cheekbone, the tip practically licking at the corner of his wide, full, stern-set mouth. “…this?

Rian tensed.

More at the implied scorn dripping from this than at the fact he’d been…uh…

Caught using school grounds for unauthorized purposes.

He doubted Principal Chambers and Assistant Principal Walden would particularly care. Especially when Rian had been using the storeroom as a studio since he’d been hired, and no one had really noticed—though considering Lachlan Walden had only been hired last semester, the assistant principal had more things to worry about than one rogue art teacher moving a few brooms.

So Rian drew himself up, lifting his chin as he reached for the wet rag hanging from the edge of his wheel and began wiping the thick patina of clay from his hands, peeling off the cold, clinging layer. 

My broom closet,” he said firmly. “Attached to my classroom. I’m allowed to use it as I deem necessary as long as it’s for educational purposes.”

This…counted…technically.

He was the art teacher.


Copyright © 2020 by Cole McCade 

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

RELEASE BLITZ: PLAYING WITH DESIRE

 

All she wanted was one night of sensual bliss. What she got was double the pleasure.

Playing with Desire, an all-new sexy contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Erika Wilde, is available now!

When Summer Hughes is finally given an invitation to The Players Club, she’s beyond ready to spend an evening with a gorgeous, dominant stranger. Declan Burke is pure alpha male and exactly what she’s looking for, the kind of man who will tap into all her dark, forbidden desires and make them all a reality.

What Summer doesn’t count on is Declan’s step-brother, Rick Dunne, who is equally commanding . . . and fiercely protective. Both men want her . . . but can they both have her?

Download your copy today!
Amazon: http://mybook.to/playingwithdesire
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2FgcRfN
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Meet Erika Wilde


Erika Wilde is a New York Times Bestselling author. She is best known for her super sexy Marriage Diaries series and The Players Club series, and has also co-written the Dirty Sexy Series and the Book Boyfriend Series with Carly Phillips, her best friend and writing buddy for the past twenty years. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two daughters, and when she's not writing you can find her exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest. For more information on her upcoming releases, please visit her website at www.erikawilde.com and sign up for her mailing list for updates and news!

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Friday, November 13, 2020

FATAL DECEPTION (STEELE OPS #3)


Roman Steele learned a hard lesson about trusting others. While serving his country, he put his faith in the wrong person and lost a leg for his loyalty. So far, civilian life suits him---as long as he doesn't have to deal with anyone. But when he's called in to investigate a break-in at a high-security lab, he finds himself butting heads with the lead virologist, a woman as infuriating as she is beautiful.


When criminals break into Isabel Santiago's lab and steal a deadly virus, she's desperate to find the culprits before they turn her research into a weapon. But first, she must put her trust in the brooding security expert who sees danger around every corner. As she and Roman race to track down the culprits, these two unlikely partners find there's more at stake for them than they ever imagined possible---but only if they stop the enemy in time.


Release Date: November 10, 2020

Forever

Steele Ops #3

Romantic Suspense

Review copy provided by publisher


Nikki’s Review:


I’m not gonna beat around the bush here, this book was phenomenal! I mean, the first two in the series were great, but this one just had that...oomph. I think it had a lot, or everything, to do with the hero, Roman. He’s broody, a bit of an asshole, and a whole lotta sexy. I knew from the start of this series that it would take a very special heroine to bring Roman to his knees. She wouldn’t put up with his bullshit or his standoffish attitude. And that’s exactly what he needed. 


Isabel Santiago is a brilliant virologist, and she’s wonderfully sharp tongued. I loved her instantly. You could feel the heat emanating from the pages when she and Roman were sparring...or eye f**king each other. When they finally got down to hot sexy times I was over the damn moon. The sexual tension was killing me! 


Ok, I mentioned that Isabel is a virologist, and that brings me to the plot. They’re trying to save the world from a deadly virus. A little close to home right now, right? Except the virus in the book liquifies all your internal organs, and gives its victims a really nasty fever and rash. Think Ebola. I honestly didn’t have a hard time enjoying this book because of that aspect. I was able to separate what’s going on in the real world from the books fictional situation. So don’t let this aspect put you off because you’ll be missing out on all the awesomeness. 


I love the camaraderie between the team mates/family members in this series. It’s just a really comfortable feeling, and often times, humorous. I can’t wait for uber smart ass Liam to get his own book!


Fatal Deception has a perfect balance of thrilling suspense and panty melting romance. I knew Roman’s book would be spectacular, and Ms. Hunt definitely delivered!


Rating: 5 Stars (A+)