Saturday Spotlight – Martimus by Seelie Kay

Martimus

Feisty Lawyers Series (Book 5)

by Seelie Kay

About Martimus:

Martimus. An underwater habitat dedicated to pharmaceutical research. Martimus. A facility that staffs its vessel with inmate labor. Martimus. The place where inmates visit and never return.

Agent Cate Creighton is in love. Unfortunately, as the Agency honeypot, she is knee-deep in an assignment that tests the bounds of her new relationship. It seems eight socialites have gone missing, all wealthy twenty-somethings with influential parents. No one seems to care until a former vice president’s daughter disappears.

When the vice-president shares a tale of false arrest, a broken promise of deportation, an illegal diversion into a private prison, and an alleged trip to an unwater habitat called Martimus, Cate and her colleagues must find a way to follow the same path. In other words, they must enter the right prison, meet the right fixer, wind up on Martimus, and hopefully return in one piece. And it looks like Cate is the perfect bait.

That doesn’t sit well with Cate’s lover, former U.S. Navy Seal Warren Hazelton. He intends to protect her until death ‘til do they part.

Fortunately, another possibility appears, in the form of an MISix agent who has interfered in one too many Agency operations. Tillie Henderson owes them and they are all too willing to serve her up on a plate. It’s a race against time as the Agency attempts to lure their adversary out of hiding and into their somewhat ambiguous trap. Maybe then Cate can finally focus on love.

Release Date: May 29, 2019
Publisher: Extasy Books
Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, four flames

Buy links:

Publisher: https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2862-4-martimus/
Amazon: coming June 1
Barnes and Noble: Coming June 1
Kobo: Coming June 1

Excerpt from Martimus:

Tom cocked an eyebrow. “Warren, you’re a former Navy Seal. Isn’t there some sort of limit on the amount of time you can spend under the sea before it starts to seriously impair your health?”
Warren frowned. “Usually two weeks. After that, the lack of exposure to the sun and the constant high-pressure oxygenated environment would begin to take a toll. There’s also a psychological impact. Think sensory deprivation. Your senses are out of whack because you’ve been dumped into a soundproof sponge. There is no normal sensory stimulation. No sunlight, no sound… Even taste and smell become compromised. Coming back to the real world would be an adjustment.
“In addition, those underwater stations are small. People are right on top of each other. Things we take for granted, like privacy, hot showers, home-cooked meals, are in short supply. That can create anxiety, depression, and stress. No way he served that sentence consecutively. He had to take a break in between.”
Warren gazed at Tom. “That environment is more hostile than a prison. You may not be in danger from other inmates, but you are putting your life at risk. Three months sounds like way too much time to be stuck underwater though, especially if you’re not leaving the station for deep-sea diving on a regular basis. They must be breaking up the time somehow, otherwise, they’d have a pretty tough situation on their hands. A lot of contract workers would be headed to a rubber room. It would be extremely difficult to survive a month, much less three, down there.”
“Could they be treating the inmates like guinea pigs?” Hope asked. “Testing their limits? Tracking actual survival rates?”
Warren sighed. “Possibly. It’s not like they have to answer to anyone. They are located in international waters. No country in particular has legal oversight. I imagine they could be doing anything they want without recourse. Unfortunately, when the prospect of a reduced sentence is dangled in front of some people, they grab it, damn the consequences. If one or two inmates suffer some sort of harm or die along the way, they chalk it up to collateral damage.”
“And who’s going to know?” Cate shook her head. “Someone dies, they probably flush them down a chute into the deep sea and they become shark chum. No evidence left behind.”
Hope cringed. “God, that’s kind of evil. But that still doesn’t answer our original question. Where the hell is Fuzzy? Has he already served out his sentence? Has he been released, and if he has, where the hell is he? He’s the one we need to find. He could have a lot of the answers.”
“That lack of governmental oversight is troubling,” Tom said. “If Cassie McIntyre is down there, I can’t believe the CIA isn’t all over it. At least, our government should be doing a welfare check through the Red Cross or something.”
Warren grimaced. “Unless no one knows she is down there. Think about it. They are on the bottom of the ocean, more than two miles under the sea. It’s not like you can just go down there and knock on the door. Any regular monitoring would be impossible.”
Cate nodded. “And we haven’t been able to confirm that she embarked on the same path as Fuzzy. All we’ve got are suspicions. Right now, she’s missing. We need to sit down with her family and get more information. And we need to find other prisoners who contracted with Martimus.
“Otherwise, we’ve got nothing.”

About Seelie Kay:

Seelie Kay is a nom de plume for a writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she writes about love and lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to happen! In possession of a wicked pen and an overly inquisitive mind, Ms. Kay is the author of multiple works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, the Feisty Lawyers series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, The White House Wedding, and The President’s Daughter.

When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.

Ms. Kay is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

Seelie’s Author links:

www.seeliekay.com
www.seeliekay.blogspot.com
Twitter: @SeelieKay https://twitter.com/SeelieKay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seelie.kay.77
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Seelie-Kay/e/B074RDRWNZ/

Prior Books:

An Interview with Seelie Kay:

Q. Why do you write romance?

Because I am fascinated by the games people play to find and secure a lasting relationship, which is not always love. There’s the chase, the courtship, the falling, the surrender. That’s what I try to capture in my stories.

Q. Do you prefer a certain type of romantic hero?

I adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger just hooks me! However, I they have to be paired with strong, independent women who aren’t afraid to fight for what they want, even love.

Q. Why did you write “Martimus?”

This is the final book in the series, so I needed a way to tie up a lot of loose ends. That meant the Feisty Lawyers needed a compelling story to accomplish that. Something in space was beyond the realm of believability, but something at the bottom of the ocean? The possibilities were endless. I went in all sorts of directions at first, but ultimately made Martimus a key step in a much broader journey. The bottom of the ocean is an unforgiving environment. Survival is never guaranteed. Divert a few socialites there to serve out a prison sentence, make then disappear, and you’ve got what I hope is an exciting story!

As a former lawyer, I also developed an interest in private prisons. These are institutions that are governed by a different set of rules and not all institutions follow the same rules. In some cases, the private prison an inmate winds up in can mean the difference between survival and death. In addition, there have been several cases of prosecutors and judges who received a financial incentive to divert inmates to a private prison. Some were so incentivized that people innocent of the crimes with which they where charged have been convicted just so the prosecutor or judge could get their kickback. It is an industry that requires serious regulation and monitoring.

Q. How does your former profession as a lawyer impact your writing?

My friends say I am obsessed with justice and I guess that’s true. After 30 years, the law and the legal world are so firmly embedded in my brain that I can’t flush them out. That has become the lens through which I view the world and that naturally guides my characters and plots. Injustice infuriates me, but it also leads me to great stories!

AuThursday – Shelly Sharp

May28

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I’m a business owner with my husband, I have three adult children and one 17-year-old. I homeschooled my kids for twelve years, I have loved to write since I was a child and now I’m finding time to write books. I’ve published two on Amazon, one last April, and one this February.

How do you make time to write?

I have a goal of a chapter a day. I make a list of all I have to do each day and I write a page between each chore or project on my list.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

No. I write several books at a time so if I get stuck on one book I simply move to another.

Tell us a bit about the genre you write and why you love it.

I have a goal to write five books, all of them a different genre. I love to read many different genres so I want to try to write a book in each genre that I enjoy. So far I’ve written non-fiction and romance. Right now I’m writing a psychological thriller, a suspense trilogy, and a satire.

How are you publishing your recent book and why? (*e.g. Indie, traditional or both)

I self-publish on Amazon, so Indie I guess.

Are you an Introvert or Extrovert? How does this affect your work?

I am definitely an introvert. I think this enhances my work. I can spend a lot of time alone writing. I enjoy my own company and I find my sense of humor hilarious! I am my own best friend and my imagination is amazing which makes for good writing. The books I write are in my mind in movie form, It helps me visualize the characters I write about.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”– Helen Keller

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Publish that book! Hesitation leads to fear. As Winston Churchill said,

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal.” Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

My books are on Amazon.com, I’m also on Twitter and Facebook.

Do you have an excerpt you’d like to share with us?

As they descended the hill, the largest bull with the longest horns Dae had ever seen emerged from behind a bush on the path ahead of them.

Jack stopped and stood very still, but the bull noticed him anyway and began pawing the ground and breathing heavily.

Dae moved up to Jack and managed to get in front of him on the narrow path. Dae wanted to put Rose down, but the child was now sleeping heavily and Jack was too small to hold her. Dae shook the picnic basket at the bull and yelled, but that just seemed to make the creature more agitated and focused on them. Dae turned sideways to protect the sleeping child she carried from possible harm and ordered Jack in a quiet voice to back slowly up the hill, gesturing with the picnic basket.

This, unfortunately, seemed to incite the bull, who bellowed and shook its massive head. When the bull began pawing the ground again and lowering its frightening horns, Dae screamed, “Run Jack!” and turned to run up the hill herself, throwing the picnic basket on the ground and moving as fast as she could with one hand holding up her skirt and both arms cradling Rose…

Buckin’ Chastity is FREE on Nook!

May27

If you own a NOOK and you are looking for a quick, fun, and FREE read.

Buckin’ Chastity is FREE right now on NOOK!

Buck Caulfield wanted to win a buckle not break a leg. He did just that, and “Doc” Chastity Meadows patched him up and then put him to bed.

Chastity never got over Buck because she didn’t have time. She went from setting broken limbs to barely breaking even. Her father’s untimely death left Chastity to take over the family ranch now in dire straits.

Chastity has managed to keep the banker and her ambitious neighbors at bay but for how much longer? An unexpected windfall comes, Buck Caulfield.

He had no idea Chastity owned the ranch he was looking at taking over, but now that he’s found her, he’s not about to let her go, not someone as lovely as his Buckin’ Chastity.

Contemporary western romance author Tina Holland pens a fun romance you won’t want to miss in Buckin’ Chastity, book 1 in The Caulfield Cowboys series.

The Caulfield Cowboys series by Tina Holland
Prequel – Sexing Up the Spy
1. Buckin’ Chastity
2. Dani Loves Dallas
3. Austin Nights in Savannah

Cover Reveal – Faked by Karla Sorensen

May26

Title: Faked

Author: Karla Sorensen

Genre: Sports Romance

Release Date: June 16, 2020
Cover Design: Najla Qamber Designs

Every action has a consequence, and Claire Ward knows it. And yet, even knowing that her decision to swap places with her identical twin sister, Lia, for a night could be disastrous, she still does it.

Why?

Because it will give her an evening with the man she’s been crushing on for years, Lia’s best friend, Finn.

Miss Straight-A Student has thought through all the angles and knows the risk is worth it. And everything would have been fine if Finn had been the one to show up at her door.

But it wasn’t.

Bauer Davis— Finn’s half brother and his exact opposite in just about every definable category is the one waiting for her instead. A professional snowboarder, Bauer is covered in ink, full of attitude, and has a chip on his shoulder the size of Mt. Olympus. The kind of bad boy that Claire has never been attracted to before.

Now the good girl is with the wrong brother for a night, and when the consequence is that they have to pretend to be together for an event, it’s nothing she could have predicted. But maybe, just maybe, what makes Bauer so bad, is exactly what Claire needs.

Well, let’s see … I’m a wife and a mother. If the things that I write bring a smile to someone’s face, then I’ve done my job. I am obsessed with Outlander (both the books and the show). I’m almost exclusively a romance reader, which means some people will never consider me a literary snob. If I could meet one historical figure, it would be Jane Austen. I received my Bachelors in Public Relations and worked in health care marketing before I had my babies. I hate Twitter. I do it, but I hate it. Also, if you want to get on my good side, bring me wine and I’ll love you forever.

HOSTED BY:

Cover Reveal – Nightingale by Giulia Lagomarsino

May25

Title: Nightingale

Series: Reed Security Series #24

Author: Giulia Lagomarsino

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 15, 2020

Florrie

I don’t do well with emotions and yucky love stuff. I do the best I can, but at the end of the day, I’m better at showing someone I love them by fighting for them. That’s the way I’ve always been and how I’ll always be. And I have one helluva fight ahead of me. I’ll do anything for the people I love, but what I didn’t expect was to be fighting the one person I thought would always be on my side. I don’t know if I can ever forgive him for this or if we can ever move forward. Some betrayals are just unforgivable.

Alec

Life is going great. I have the woman I love by my side and a kid that is quickly becoming a huge part of my life. What can go wrong? Then it happens. One phone call changes my world in such a profound way that I’m not sure anything will ever be the same again. I risk losing it all with my decisions, but I have to stand up for what I believe is right. I just hope that when the dust settles, I still have someone on my side.

Sinner (Reed Security Series #1)
Cap (Reed Security Series #2)
Cazzo (Reed Security Series #3)
Knight (Reed Security Series #4)
Irish (Reed Security Series #5)
Hunter (Reed Security Series #6)
Whiskey (Reed Security Series #7)
Lola (Reed Security Series #8)
Ice (Reed Security Series #9)
Burg (Reed Security Series #10)
Gabe (Reed Security Series #11)
Jules (Reed Security Series #12)
Sniper (Reed Security Series – Book 1 of a 3 Book ARC)
Jackson (Reed Security Series – Book 2 of a 3 Book ARC)
Chance (Reed Security Series – Book 3 of a 3 Book ARC)
Phoenix Rising (Reed Security Series #16)
Alec (Reed Security Series #17)
Storm (Reed Security Series #18)
Wolf (Reed Security Series #19)
A Mad Reed Security Christmas (Reed Security Series #20)
Rocco (Reed Security Series #21)
Coop (Reed Security Series #22)
TNT (Reed Security Series #23)

I’m a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, “No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book.” I didn’t think I had anything to share on a blog that a thousand other mothers hadn’t already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven’t been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.

HOSTED BY:

AuThursday – Cee Perkins

May21

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Ok, well, I’m Cee. I have a husband, three adorable kids, three giant dogs, and I write anti-heroine romances. I have a four-book series planned, the first is out now, titled “Corrupt Love: Love Is Dangerous book 1.” I started writing in high school, but like most teenagers, I needed to learn the hard way to follow what I’m good at.

How do you make time to write?

Making the kids nap. Haha. Mostly, I have my mom to thank for that- she moved in with us recently, and she’s been handling the kids so I can work.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

Oh, yes. Corrupt Love was an idea that began way back in 2016, but when I got to Chapter 7, I ran out of steam on it and couldn’t get the story out, no matter what I did. Fortunately, I was able to fall back on an old friend and she finally was able to push me through it.

Tell us a bit about the genre you write and why you love it.

Ah, romance. Who doesn’t love LOVE, really? I’ve always loved the opposites attract trope, and people who make a life together despite differences of opinion and ethics. I love when a happy ending is hard-won and the whole “smooth sailing after the Big Fight” kind of gets on my nerves, so I write (what I hope is) as close to real-life relationships as I can. People aren’t perfect, even after working through a big blow-up with their significant others, and books who portray relationships that way set a standard that I think is too much for most people wanting love. Sure, we all want the perfect wife/ girlfriend or husband/boyfriend, but the reality is, it just doesn’t exist. I don’t like books that make it look common.

I guess it’s sort of in the same vein of model-perfection. Even Jennifer Lawrence has something about her body she doesn’t like, but society makes it so that she has to pretend it doesn’t exist. It makes it so that people who are overweight or battling acne or something like that feel like they’re not “good enough”. I can’t stand that.

Disclaimer- I love Jennifer Lawrence. I don’t think she needs to change anything, I was just using her as an example.

Anyway, all of that to say that I love writing romance because I love love, but I write the way I do because I want to contribute to the growing idea that “perfect” doesn’t exist.

How are you publishing your recent book and why? (*e.g. Indie, traditional or both)

Indie because I’m too impatient and scared of rejection to go traditional haha.

Are you an Introvert or Extrovert? How does this affect your work?

Um… I’d say I’m an introvert with some extrovert qualities. I think it affects me in that I can stay at home, away from lots of people for periods of time, and write characters who are outgoing.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

“I chose to have these children.”

Wait, that’s my meditation mantra. My favorite motivational phrase is probably

“Just keep swimming.”

No matter what happens, just keep going. The bad will pass.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Remember that at the core of being a published author is writing. You are a writer first, then a marketer, decision-maker, self-editor, etc. You’re not expected to know everything immediately, but when you’re lost as to what to do, ask questions. Find groups that have experience and listen to them. They’ve been where you are and will help you cut through a lot of the bs of publishing so that you can stay a writer.

Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

On my website at https://www.ceeperkinsauthor.com/ or on my Facebook page.

Do you have an excerpt you’d like to share with us?

Sure. This is Dan and Corra’s first date.

***

Corrupt Love c OTHER SITES (1) (1) Bottom line, I wanted in his pants that night. Likely to happen? Mmm, probably not. Would I work for that goal anyway? Definitely.

So there I was, sitting across from Dan in that sports bar, trying to sit close enough to him that my boobs brushed his arm every time I leaned over to fake reading the answers on the trivia device. Not surprising, he knew the answers. Not to toot my own flute or anything, but so did I. We made a great team, and we were in First place. Woo. I could die happy with this championship belt. Insert epic eye roll here. But Dan wasn’t taking the bait. I was trying my damnedest to flirt with him, down to pretending to absentmindedly trace my fingers along his neck. God, what would it take to get him to break?

“So, Dan, tell me a little more about yourself. Do you have siblings? Speak to your parents? Have a secret D/s fantasy?” I asked, making Dan choke on his drink. “Sorry, I can be a little off the wall sometimes,” I said to make up for it. But really, I just wanted to see his reaction.

Dan wiped his mouth and gave a little smile. “Ah, no siblings. I speak with my mom regularly, especially lately since my father passed away about a week ago and she doesn’t really have anyone now. She has…a gambling problem and if I don’t check in with her, she can go days without coming up for air.”

“I’m really sorry to hear about your dad. Were you close to him?”

“No, not really. I mean, we had a…tolerable relationship, but he was an alcoholic and sometimes couldn’t function beyond drinking. They gave me the best they could, what with their addictions, and I never wanted them to think I was ungrateful, so I tried to take care of them. Oh, and no D/s tendencies.”

I felt my eyes burn, hearing Dan talk about his parents. What the fuck was wrong with me? They were addicts, but he still spoke of them like they were at least decent. I cocked my head, studying him as a thought occurred. His parents were addicts. They couldn’t have given him a stable upbringing. Is that why he was so rigid and uptight? Because he never wanted to live the life his parents did?

“Um…Corra?” Dan was staring back at me, and I could actually see the insecurity in his eyes. I snapped out of my trance.

“Yeah, sorry. What’s the next category?” I asked, wanting to sidestep the feelings I was feeling for Dan. I didn’t do feelings like this. Especially for Dan, who was so uptight, he could probably iron clothes with his butt cheeks. He was a conquest, nothing else. Jesus Christ.

We got back to the game while munching on appetizers, trying to keep the conversation light. I’m not sure if Dan wasn’t interested in knowing anything about me or if he was too shy to ask, but he didn’t ask questions about me. Not even about what I did for a living. Regardless, I found that I was actually having fun with him. He was smart, which was not something I was used to. Normally, my hookups were dumb as rocks. It was easy to conquer the dumb ones, but with Dan being intelligent, I knew I wouldn’t be able to simply put my hand on his dick and lick my lips. Figuring out how to get around that hurdle would be just as fun as the rest of them, I think.

When the final round had played and we won the game, we high-fived and sat back in our seats, sipping our drinks.

“Now it’s your turn. Siblings? Parents? Secret society membership?” he finally asked.

I grinned. “Yeah, I have parents. They’re great, still married after thirty-six years and two or three affairs. I have an older brother— you may have seen him last night, with the leather vest? Tall, blond, man bun?— that happened from my mom’s first affair. And I have a younger sister who’s a nurse, and a younger brother, who’s in college for software development. We’re a close family, even my dad, and Salty. Hm. I never really thought about that before…my dad never treated Salty any differently than the rest of us.” I looked at Dan then and almost laughed at his expression. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

He shook his head and looked down at the table. “You speak about your parents’ affairs like they’re no big deal. Is…monogamy, not something that’s important to you?”

That drew me up short. I’d never had a relationship, so how could I really answer that? I mean…“Well, I suppose for them, it wasn’t a big deal because they knew they still loved one another best. Even if they had sex outside of their marriage, they always knew they’d come home to each other. As for me, well, I’ve never been in a relationship, so I can’t honestly answer that question.”

Dan’s head jerked up. “You’ve never had a boyfriend?”

I shook my head. “Normally, I’m not interested in someone beyond one night.” Wow, that made me sound awful. Also, made me kind of a liar since meeting him. “You’re actually the first man I’ve had to work for and the first man to make me think the work is worth it.” And that was the damn truth of the matter. The whole crux of my situation, right? Dan didn’t fit my normal, which made me want to pursue him. He was definitely the first to make me think that way.

“Are you serious?” I looked at Dan and realized he wasn’t being rude or accusing. It was genuine disbelief. “Me? You see me, right? My baggage not only has compartments but also its own separate cargo ship,” he said, then clapped his hands over his mouth like he couldn’t believe he’d said that.

“Dan…yes, I’m serious. And yes, I do see you, and I know you have issues. But,” I paused so I could say this carefully, “everyone has something about them that makes them unique, even hard to deal with sometimes. Shit, even my siblings find me hard to deal with sometimes. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I can be kind of an asshole. It’s what gives us personality. And maybe I’m crazy, but my personality thinks your personality is the bee’s knees.” God, I could be such a sap.

Dan chuckled, a slight blush across his cheeks. “Well…my personality is starting to think that your personality is the cat’s pajamas.”

So corny. So cute.

Cover Reveal – A date with an Admirer by Heidi McLaughlin & LP Dover

May19

Title: A Date with an Admirer

Series: The Dating Series

Authors: Heidi McLaughlin & LP Dover

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 19, 2020

February is the month of love, but not for Sophie. One week before Valentine’s Day, she learns her boyfriend of two years has been cheating on her with one of his dental hygienists.

As much as she wants to erase any trace of him from her life, she has no choice but to face him and his new squeeze at a huge Valentine’s Day bash that has fast become the social event of the season. No way is she going alone. What she needs is a beautiful hunk of arm candy… STAT.

Sophie’s best friend, Ellie, proposes the perfect solution to her dilemma. Her brother Tanner, the smokin’ hot surfer, just got back into town and is more than happy to help Sophie prove she’s over her scumbag ex.

What starts as an act between Sophie and Tanner quickly swells into more. It doesn’t take long before Sophie finds herself wanting to ride more than just waves with the toned and tanned hottie. But when passion crashes over the pair, Sophie fears she’s putting her friendship with Ellie at risk.

Can Tanner convince her to give their love a chance? Or will the bonds of friendship repel Cupid’s arrow?

Tanner slowly lets me go. “So, tell me about this party. What all do you need me to do?”

My cheeks burn. There are things I’d love for him to do, but I’m not about to mention them. Closing my eyes, I sigh and open them back up. “Okay, it’s a Valentine’s Day ball, put together by a girl I knew in college. Everyone I graduated with will be there. It’s like one of the biggest events of the year.”

Tanner smirks. “Your ex will be there, right?”

I nod. “Yes. Along with the woman he cheated on me with. I’m sure everyone there knows what happened. I can’t not go.”

“Do you still have feelings for your him?” Tanner asks, furrowing his brows.

“No,” I gasp, knowing it’s the God honest truth. I stare right into Tanner’s eyes, hoping he can see it as well. “I don’t love him anymore. Here recently, I keep thinking I never did. We didn’t have that connection.”

Tanner moves closer, his eyes searching mine. “What exactly do you want from me? Do you want it to look like we’re together?”

My stomach flutters and the nerves make me shiver. “Would that be okay with you?”

His eyes focus on my lips for a few seconds before meeting my gaze again. “If you want this to be believable, we might have to practice. I don’t want to be at the party trying to kiss you, only to have you recoil or look surprised.”

Everything inside of me trembles. Just the sound of his voice and hearing those words turn me on. “That’s not going to be a problem,” I say, whispering the words.

Tanner smiles. “You sure? I’m right here if you want to practice.”

Dammit to hell, I want to kiss him more than anything, but that’s the sexual tension talking. I can’t be acting rash like that, not with Ellie’s brother. Then again, he has a point. We can’t go into the party pretending to be together and not looking like we’re together.

Taking a deep breath, I get to my feet. By the mischievous grin on Tanner’s face, it’s obvious he can tell I’m contemplating it. “Okay,” I give in, “maybe we should practice a couple of things, but not today. I think we should get to know each other a little better first. We have a week before the party.”

He agrees with a nod and stands. “Sounds good to me. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. We’ll spend the day together.”

I like the sound of that, maybe too much. “See you tomorrow,” I say. I walk him to the door and he opens it. He glances down at my lips again and I really just want to say fuck it and kiss him just to see what it’s like, but I totally chicken out.

Something tells me he’s not afraid though. Tanner starts out the door and looks at me over his shoulder. “Sweet dreams tonight, Soph. I’m sure I will.”

Mouth gaping, I watch him get in a black Jeep and drive away. Sweet dreams aren’t exactly what will be happening in my sleep. All that’s roaming through my mind is naughty. Groaning, I shut the door and lean against it.

“What the hell have I gotten myself in to?” I can still smell Tanner’s cologne and it’s intoxicating. “I’m going to be making out with my best friend’s brother. If that doesn’t spell disaster, I don’t know what does,” I mutter out loud. What’s bad is that I know I’m going to like it.

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.

Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.

In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.

When writing isn’t occupying her time, you can find her sitting courtside at either of her daughters’ basketball games.

Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything’s sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it’s with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that’s why she’s seriously addicted to chocolate.

Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children’s book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she’s also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you’ll never see her without a smile on her face.

HOSTED BY:

Cover Reveal – The Bad Girl by A.D. McCammon

May18

Title: The Bad Girl

Series: Westbrook Three

Author: A.D. McCammon

Genre: High School Bully Romance

Release Date: July 16, 2020
Cover Design: Pink Elephant Designs

Arwen Sullyvan is a real nightmare.

Callous. Cold. Calculating.

And the first girl I ever loved. She’s the bad girl of Westbrook high, and I’m their precious golden boy.

For years, she’s delighted in punishing me. All because I’d fallen for her. And, like a fool, I still want her.

Then a drunken confession slipped through those plump lips, and I saw fear swirling in her stormy eyes.

Aidan Shaw is the bane of my existence.

Charming. Gorgeous. Noble.

He’s everything I never knew I wanted, and it scares the hell out of me. I’ve tried to keep my distance and bury those feelings.

But one stupid mistake—one moment of weakness in the face of temptation—was all it took to turn our flame into a fire.

He’s intent on loving me, but not even his golden touch can change my black heart.

He thinks he can break me.

But a savage can’t be tamed.

HOSTED BY:

AuThursday – Nadine Miller

May14

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I’m an Irish romance writer who writes historical and will be releasing my first contemporaries this year. I write mostly clean with a little heat 🙂 I have a law degree but gave up working in law to write romance! I live in a rural area of Ireland with my husband and three children.

How do you make time to write?

I usually write when the children are in school or when I’m sitting in the car at one is their extracurriculars (of which there are a lot!)

Do you believe in writer’s block?

I do! And unfortunately, I’ve experienced it. For me, the more I worry about it the worse it gets. So when it happens I need to just take some time away and read, or binge watch Netflix, or bake! Sooner or later, the words come back!

Tell us a bit about the genre you write and why you love it.

I used to sneakily read my mum’s historical romances and I’ve been a bona fide Janeite for as long as I can remember. There’s something about the regency era, the clothes, the balls, the manners – if you ignore things like lack of plumbing (very easy to do in historical romance) you can just lose yourself in the glamour and romance of the time! And that just makes my heart happy.

How are you publishing your recent book and why? (*e.g. Indie, traditional or both)

I’ve published The Royals Of Aldonia as an indie! It’s been exciting. Protecting The Princess is book two although they can be read as standalones.

Are you an Introvert or Extrovert? How does this affect your work?

I like to think of myself as a hybrid! I enjoy my own company just as much as I enjoy being out and about socialising. I think every writer needs to be a bit of an introvert because you really have to be happy with just your fictional characters for company!

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

It might not always be perfect, but it’s always worth doing.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Write! Just write. Everything else can be dealt with later – covers, marketing reviews. But just keep writing!

Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

www.nadinemillard.com

Do you have an excerpt you’d like to share with us?

“So even though it means you hate me, your safety means more to me than your love. I can live with your hatred as long as it means you’re safe. I’d rather have you out there despising me but alive than live in this world knowing you’re not in it.”
Protecting the Princess