✭༻☆༺ COVER REVEAL ༻☆༺✭

Jay Crownover’s RIVETED (Saints of Denver #3) is coming February 14, 2017! Check out the amazing cover and preorder your copy today! 

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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes the next installment in the Saints of Denver series.

Everyone else in Dixie Carmichael’s life has made falling in love look easy, and now she is ready for her own chance at some of that happily ever after. Which means she’s done pining for the moody, silent former soldier who works with her at the bar that’s become her home away from home. Nope. No more chasing the hot as heck thundercloud of a man and no more waiting for Mr. Right to find her; she’s going hunting for him...even if she knows her heart is stuck on its stupid infatuation with Dash Churchill.

Denver has always been just a pit stop for Church on his way back to rural Mississippi. It was supposed to be simple, uneventful, but nothing could have prepared him for the bubbly, bouncy redhead with doe eyes and endless curves. Now he knows it’s time to get out of Denver, fast. For a man used to living in the shadows, the idea of spending his days in the sun is nothing short of terrifying.

When Dixie and Church find themselves caught up in a homecoming overshadowed with lies and danger, Dixie realizes that while falling in love is easy, loving takes a whole lot more work…especially when Mr. Right thinks he’s all wrong for you.

PRE-ORDER LINKS
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2da9hlV
iBooks: http://apple.co/2d76qOu
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2dDic1L
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2drRVAe
Google:  tinyurl.com/hd2jzvf 

ADD RIVETED TO YOUR GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29992024-riveted

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

Website: http://www.jaycrownover.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJayCrownover?ref=hl
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JayCrownover
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Crownover

••*´¨`*•.☆ COVER REVEAL ••*´¨`*•.☆

Written in the Scars by Adriana Locke releasing 10/20!!!

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Falling in love is easy.

Falling out of love is the hardest thing in the world.

And Elin and Ty Whitt are terrible at it.

The first time the local basketball star smiled at Elin, she was a goner. It was just so damn easy to fall for the dark-haired hometown hero with his charming smile and strong, athletic build.

Thousands of sleepy smiles, aimless drives down country roads, and squeaks of the backdoor after a swing shift later, reality hits. And it hits hard. Falling in love was definitely the easy part. Watching it break apart was impossible.

Through the tears, the second-guesses, the memories of a life built together, the world keeps spinning. With each turn comes clarity and hope—sometimes in the form of a pair of muddy boots by the back door or from the words of a wise friend.

When Ty shows back up with a new found determination to put his family back together, Elin's torn between the fights of the past and the possibility of a new start. This is the man that holds her heart, the man she loves beyond anything else. But this is also the one person in the world that can cause her the most pain.

Life’s not always easy. Love’s not for the faint of heart. But with life comes lessons and Ty and Elin have the scars to prove it. But it's their love written in those scars that will hold them together … or break them apart.

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29996170-written-in-the-scars

Sign up for an email from Adriana on Release Day ----> http://bit.ly/ReleaseDayNotify

AUTHOR BIO
USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.

She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.

For sneak peeks, giveaways, and more, please join Adriana's Facebook Group, Books by Adriana Locke, or her Goodreads group, All Locked Up.

AUTHOR LINKS
Website: http://www.adrianalocke.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoradrianalocke
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorALocke
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8379774.Adriana_Locke
Instagram: https://instagram.com/authoradrianalocke
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authoradrianalo/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Adriana-Locke/e/B00NPBY8FE
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/booksbyadrianalocke
Goodreads Group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/159694-all-locked-up
Newsletter: http://www.adrianalocke.com/

GIVEAWAY
There is a giveaway for a $25 Amazon Gift Card + 2 ARCS of Written in the Scars (3 winners)
Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba3ffd551293

ღ˚ •ღ˚ • RELEASING SOON ღ˚ •ღ˚ •

CAN'T OWN THIS by Pepper Winters writing as Tess Hunter

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I don’t want to own it.
I definitely, assuredly don’t.
All I want is a good career, nice home, and caring man to snuggle with at night.
Instead, I get gorillas who never pass the first date.
Bad luck in the love department follows me around like the pungent whiff of a cat’s litter tray. So when my business partner and bestie decided to flipping marry this thorn-in-my-side’s brother, it put me in an uncomfortable position.
He’s technically my brother-in-law. He’s out of bounds, off limits, and entirely non-husband material.
Therefore, I could never own it even if I wanted to.
And I don’t.
I really, really don’t.
He’s rich, stuck-up, and opinionated. He thinks he can fix my life with a good screw, expert kiss, and a non-sincere invitation to chase him.
I won’t chase him. Why should I chase a man who was born into privilege and expects me to play his game? Just because we had a fun few meetings doesn’t mean I want more.
Only thing is, he now thinks he can own me. That technically we’re family and that means I’m open season and its huntin’ time.
He gave me a choice. He offered something I promised myself I would never ever do.
I can own it.
If I dare…

LINKS
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31832545-can-t-own-this…
Rom Com New Release Alerts: http://www.subscribepage.com/s9u9h4

ღ‿➹ RELEASING SOON ➹⁀ღ

Fountain of Infinite Wishes by Ava Miles releases 10/5!!!

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Shelby McGuinness' luck ran out the day her daddy up and left her family high-and-dry in Dare River. But she pulled herself up by her boot straps to become a successful accountant working for a powerful, if eccentric Southern business woman whose estate houses a magical fountain. As Shelby risks everything to uncover the secret of her father's abandonment with the assistance of the magnetic private investigator, Vander Montgomery, the fountain helps her remember that wishes are always infinite and a family's road back to reconciliation and happiness is always possible.

PRE-ORDER LINKS
Nook: http://bit.ly/292dkA0
iBooks: http://apple.co/2913K11
Kobo: http://bit.ly/28YJKLm
GooglePlay http://bit.ly/28VWaRb

๑★๑★๑ NEW RELEASE ๑★๑★๑

The Divided by Bria Starr is live now!!!

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Adjust. Adapt. Accept.
But never give up hope.

Falling…
                    Falling…
                                        Falling…

When eighteen-year-old cousins, Julie and Mary Anne Adler, are plummeted onto a grassy field surrounded by a post-apocalyptic world, they have no idea where they are, or how they got there. In this unfamiliar wasteland run by a group of refugees called the Sector, the girls search for answers.

But things get complicated when one of the men in the Sector finds himself enamored with Julie. Despite Julie’s own feelings toward him, she knows she and her cousin must return home. Now it’s up to them to find a way to escape this strange and isolating place…

Or die trying.

BUY LINK
Amazon – http://amzn.to/2dAdnmM

EXCERPT
We stand and look around. We're on the edge of a plot of land about the size of a football field, and three-quarters of the edges are lined by a chain-link fence. A large stone wall surrounds the field beyond my view. No mountains. The road, only several feet in front of us, leads three different ways, yet something in my brain is pulling me back to the other end of the field. I turn, hoping to see a sign that will let me know where we should begin. In the distance stands the skeleton of a rusty old water tower flanked by the remnants of what I can only guess was once a typical town.

“Do you see my car?” Mary Anne asks. 

I shake my head. Just as I move to take a step, a loud whistle sounds off, followed by sirens, and my body jumps in surprise. Two vehicles round the corner and charge straight for us. 

Mary Anne stiffens when she sees them, her hands covering her ears from the deafening sound. 

“Run!” I scream, reaching for her arm, but she refuses to move.

The sirens cease, but the engines rev louder as they pick up speed. I can’t leave her, and they’ll easily catch up to us before we even make it halfway across the field. Several men holding guns come into view. 

One man’s raspy shout to, “Get down!” thunders out above the engine. “On your stomach!”

Mary Anne and I glance at each other, her wide eyes mirroring my own fear as we drop to our knees. With my forehead pressed against the cool ground, my aching body is the furthest thing from my mind. Tires are crunching on the street just ahead before they come to a stop, and I know they’ll be here soon.

We shouldn’t be here.

I hear more shouts and voices raised. Lifting my head slightly, the two modified vehicles looking straight out of a Mad Max movie stand before us, four men in each, all carrying firearms. All eight of them jump out and start walking toward us.

“Get back down!” one of them shouts from the road. I quietly resume my place with my head down.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” I hear a smile in this guy’s voice.

“Stand up,” a third man gruffly commands.

I hear movement from Mary Anne’s direction and realize she’s doing what she’s told, only now I’m too scared to stand. “Can you help us?” Mary Anne stammers. “We need to get back to our car.” 

She’s asking them for help? My first instinct is that they are foes, not friends, but I hope she’s right, even though Mary Anne has never been great at reading people.

Footsteps approach. “Get up, girl,” the gruff voice demands again and nudges my leg roughly with his boot.

A small pain from my leg strikes up my body, and I try to ignore it as I slowly rise and observe the men several feet away on the pavement, ready to raise their weapons. I immediately notice they are all wearing matching dark shirts and dark pants tucked into combat boots. The uniforms giving away that they’re military of some sort, along with the guns, worries me that we might be in trouble for unknown reasons. Trespassing?

The gruff man who nudged my leg is standing directly in front of me on the grass, examining me as though I’m an alien. His salt and pepper hair frames his face perfectly, and his sullen eyes give me the impression he’s seen hard times. He appears to be older than my own grandfather, yet I’d have to place my bets on this guy if the two of them were to ever get into a fight. I’ve never seen an older man in such great shape.

I shift my sights back to the grass and concentrate on squishing my toes into the soaked bottoms of my sneakers.

“They’re just girls,” I hear the guy with the smile in his voice say from somewhere in the background. He steps out and stops when he sees me, blinking a few times before his gaze moves to Mary Anne and then back to me again. I feel like cattle on sale as all the men quietly examine us.

“You know as well as I do that girls can cause just as much damage as men,” Gruff responds as he moves to Mary Anne, his husky tone booming in the open air.

AUTHOR INFO 
Bria Starr grew up in a small town in Minnesota and continues to live there with her husband and two kids. She’s a stay at home mom who is very close with her family, loves junk food, and is always cold. Her favorite things include reading books, writing, listening to music, and watching too many movies.

Facebook – http://bit.ly/2cWgDYy
Twitter – http://bit.ly/2d7pCf3
Goodreads – http://bit.ly/2cC0nLo

ღ‿➹ * ˚ ˚ RE-RELEASE * ˚ ˚➹⁀ღ

Weighing of the Heart by Jessica Florence

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What happens when the myths of old become reality?

Thalia Alexander has lived her life in peace until her twenty fifth birthday when she has a strange dream about a man.

A tall, dark, and sexy man that shows up at her work the next morning.

Tristan Jacks is trouble with a capital T, but for some strange reason she is drawn to him like nothing she has ever experienced before. He has this possessiveness and adoration for her that she can’t explain. It’s like they have known each other forever.

Thalia’s strange dreams continue to stalk her as her relationship with Tristan builds to be a love that will last the ages.

And when those dreams and reality start to clash, will Thalia be able to handle the truth?

Could the world of ancient myths truly exist in modern times?

BUY LINKS
Amazon – http://amzn.to/2da0twl
Barnes & Noble – http://bit.ly/2d9JAmS
Kobo – http://bit.ly/1MrR9CC
iBooks – http://apple.co/1pP1q1X

AUTHOR INFO
Jessica Florence, Kaleidoscope of Romance

Author <3 PotterHead <3 Movie Geek Extraordinaire.

Writer of Surviving Valentine. The of The Heart trilogy, Evergreen, Lights of Scotland Series, and The Final Love series.

When she's not writing her next invigorating story. You can find her running her own business, and spending time with her husband and daughter in southwest Florida.

Facebook – http://bit.ly/2cQEWtZ
Twitter – http://bit.ly/2dfdUeG
Website – http://bit.ly/2cRqeBl
Goodreads – http://bit.ly/1wJVCrY

✮ (¸.•´✶ (¸.RELEASING SOON✮ (¸.•´✶ (¸.

Down Shift by K. Bromberg releasing 10/4!!!

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Behind the wheel, racing champion Zander Donavan is at the top of his game. But after too much excess in his personal life, he’s forced to step away. He needs to accomplish something all on his own—outside of his famous father's shadow.

Getty Caster is running away from the abuse that clouds her past. She thinks she’s found the perfect escape—until she discovers a stranger in the beachside cottage she’d been promised. He’s undeniably sexy, but she’s there to heal. Alone.

Before long though, fighting with each other turns into fighting their attraction. And giving into desire sets off a chain reaction that has their pasts colliding. With an unexpected love on the line, can they overcome the fallout to build a future?

LINKS
Amazon: amzn.to/1ZETo6d
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1QE5gR3
iBooks: http://apple.co/1PlnyM9
B&N: http://bit.ly/1ViqTO8
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1KeJzKE

✭༻☆༺ NEW RELEASE BLOG TOUR ༻☆༺✭

Chandler (A Fixed Trilogy Spinoff) by Laurelin Paige is LIVE!!!

SYNOPSIS


I'm good in a boardroom, but I’m better in the bedroom. Much better. I can charm the skirt off any woman in one encounter. I'll even give her an orgasm before I put her in a cab. Or three. No more or she’ll start making plans for the future and I'm not into that.

Or I wasn’t until Genevive Fasbender. She's the first woman in five years that I want to spend the whole night with. And she's the first woman who’s told me I'm not what she wants in a lover, even after multiple O’s. She’s brash and bold and stubborn as hell, and she doesn’t believe it’s possible to satisfy her.

But I’m up for the challenge.

And after an incident in my brother’s office closet―a downright dirty incident―I think I’m just the guy to deliver.

Genevive Fasbender will never know what’s coming.

EXCERPT
Five minutes later, the valet pulls up with my car. Genevieve raises an eyebrow. “A Bugatti?”

I’m so impressed she can name the model that I practically jizz in my pants. “It’s the best.”

She shakes her head, and I swear I hear her mutter something about rich men and their toys, but I don’t respond, too occupied with inspecting my car and then passing the attendant the cash I promised him earlier for returning my vehicle in perfect condition.

I slide into the driver’s seat, and when I look over at Genevieve as she buckles her seatbelt, a wave of pure, unadulterated lust rolls through me. I’m very aware that I’ve trapped her, that she’s now defenseless to my whims. Not that I’d take advantage, but goddamn, to think that I could…

I nearly shiver at my own vile thoughts.

Glad she can’t know what I’m thinking, I flash her a smile. “So. Where am I taking you?”

“I’m staying at the Park Hyatt on 57th Street.”

“Fancy.” The Park Hyatt is one of the nicest luxury hotels in New York. That means this girl has money, which isn’t a bad thing. Just, the swell of my wallet in my back pocket is usually one of my better attributes. If wealth doesn’t attract her, I hope I’m not shit out of luck when it comes to getting an invitation up to her room.

Apparently, I’m transparent because she asks, “Not impressed?”

“Quite the opposite. I’m worried you won’t have a reason to be impressed with me.” Now I’m the one who can’t believe how honest I’m being.

“It’s a valid worry,” she says after a beat, and I can’t tell if she’s teasing or being blunt. Can’t tell if I should prepare for gut-wrenching disappointment or dive into another round of sexy banter.

I concentrate on my driving instead, speeding up before slipping expertly into a tight opening in the adjacent lane.

I’ll admit I’m showing off.

“Smashing,” she says with a tone that vibrates through my body like I’m a tuning fork.

Then, abruptly, she laughs, and I turn my head toward her, alarmed at the source of her amusement.

“I still can’t believe you drive a Bugatti in the city. I can’t decide if that makes you brilliant or as mad as a bag of ferrets.”

“Brilliant, of course.” Though, with her so close, I feel more like I’m going crazy. “What can I say? I like things that are fast.”

“Of course you do.”

“You don’t?” I raise a questioning brow. “Maybe you don’t understand how awesome fast can be.” I put my foot on the gas and race down the next block to prove my point.

The traffic light turns red as I approach the intersection, and I ease the brakes. “See? Fast is fun.”

“The problem with fast is it’s over too quickly.”

Is that innuendo? Her gaze pierces into me, and the air around us feels tight and charged, and I’m suddenly certain that I will die if I don’t get to taste her tonight.

Even if she didn’t mean anything more when she made her statement, I certainly do when I say, “Don’t worry. I know when to take my time.”

She exhales, slowly, and I swear I can feel it. As though she’s already in my arms and her breath is grazing every inch of my bare skin. No matter what happens after this, I know she at least feels this…this attraction. Or whatever it is.

Her voice is low and sultry when she replies. “You’re not talking about cars anymore. But do you really take your time? I’d guess you bolt the minute you’re finished.” She’s so blunt, so direct, and I don’t know if it’s a her thing or an English thing, but I like it.

I also like this conversation we’re having. Because we’re drawing the lines, and that means the potential for tonight is high. So I answer with a nod, making sure she understands that she’s correct in thinking I’ll bolt. Because I will.

BUY LINKS
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2cuaiEp
iBooks: http://apple.co/1OPkqUB
Nook: http://bit.ly/1SWVS1Z

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laurelin Paige is the NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She's a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there's kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters.

Connect with Laurelin:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurelinPaige/?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurelinPaige
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Wqt6nD
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1QHdV59
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereallaurelinpaige/
Website: http://laurelinpaige.com/

Don’t miss a release. Sign up for Laurelin’s Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Q0glD

➹⁀ღ SALE ALERT ➹⁀ღ

BOX SET SALE!!!

The Love Inc. box set by Ella James is only $.99!!!! That is three books for under a dollar!

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A limited time romantic suspense box set from USA Today bestseller Ella James!

Get all three internationally bestselling Love Inc. novels in a bundle for the first time ever. This is a limited-edition box set available only for a few weeks, in celebration of the upcoming re-release of Something Blue, the final book!

SELLING SCARLETT
Elizabeth DeVille doesn't belong at a party like this—one where the gowns cost more than her Camry and cigars run higher than her grad school utility bills. Dragged out of seclusion by her best friend Suri, Elizabeth is merely playing dress-up, rubbing elbows with a crowd that banished her troubled family years ago.

Hunter West is tired. Tired of parties, tired of pretending, and tired of trying to right a wrong that haunts him every day. Bourbon heir and professional poker player by day, by night Hunter is gambling with his life in a high-stakes game of crime and blackmail.

When Elizabeth stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a flame in the void. And, just like everything he touches, Hunter mars her in a record time. To rectify the damage done, Elizabeth needs money she doesn't have, and she's come up with a foolproof way to get it.

Follow Elizabeth—code-named Scarlett—to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And a secret so dark that it could cost her life.

TAMING CROSS
For twenty-three years, Cross Carlson was a playboy. You know the type. Tall, dark, and wealthy. Blue-eyed. Charming. He seemed to have it all so easy. But Cross was harboring a terrible secret - one that helped ruin the life of an innocent girl and almost ended his own.

Finally out of the hospital, Cross is flailing, scarred in both body and mind and stifled by the weight of the secret he still keeps. The only way to absolution lies in a Mexican convent, and going there could cost him everything.

If there's anyone who knows what it's like to screw up big time, it's Meredith Kinsey. Just a few years ago, Merri was an ordinary girl with a job at her college newspaper and white picket fence kind of dreams. Now she's holed up in a Mexican convent, hiding from a drug lord who thinks he owns her.

What happens when the only way out of hell is with the son of the man who put you there? They say love conquers all, but does it really?

UNMAKING MARCHANT
Marchant Radcliffe, owner of the exclusive Love Inc. brothel, is no stranger to darkness. He lost his parents in a plane crash and since college has harbored a secret almost too terrible to bear. He keeps his head above water by pouring his energy into his business--and he's thrived, despite the dark blot on his soul.

Then, after ten years of good fortune, Marchant's skeletons start to peek out of the closet, tossing him down a trail of ruin that begins with arson and could end with murder. Because he's kept his struggles private, he has no one to pull him back from the brink.

After a breakup with her longtime fiancé, Suri Dalton has nowhere to go except her BFF's new penthouse in Las Vegas. The last thing Suri is looking for is a man, but after drowning her woes in wine on the flight over, she stumbles into a torrid make out session with a beautiful stranger--who just so happens to be Marchant Radcliffe, playboy and literal pimp.

What happens when what you see isn't what you get? What do you do when destiny is too alluring to resist and too dangerous to survive?

*This series contains erotic scenes, mature language, and mature themes.

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32052352-love-inc-box-set

PURCHASE LINKS - 99c sale for one day only!!!
US: http://amzn.to/2d5Oez9
UK: http://amzn.to/2cTVwLQ
CA: http://amzn.to/2cvLqQ9
AU: http://amzn.to/2dj9Wk4
Free in Kindle Unlimited

AUTHOR BIO
Ella James is the USA Today bestselling author of fourteen teen and adult romance novels. She's a Southerner who came to Colorado and can't say goodbye to the mountains, despite missing sweet tea, the Gulf Coast, and good barbecue.

Ella is raising two children who will probably grow up believing many untruths about everything from dragons to the necessity of wearing shoes.

AUTHOR LINKS
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SpPtLn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellajamesauthorpage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/author_ellaj
Website: http://www.ellajamesbooks.com

๑★๑★๑ COVER REVEAL ๑★๑★๑

A Love Letter to Whiskey by Kandi Steiner releasing 10/13/16!!!

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It’s crazy how fast the buzz comes back after you’ve been sober for so long.

Whiskey stood there, on my doorstep, just like he had one year before. Except this time, there was no rain, no anger, no wedding invitation — it was just us.

It was just him — the old friend, the easy smile, the twisted solace wrapped in a glittering bottle.

It was just me — the alcoholic, pretending like I didn’t want to taste him, realizing too quickly that months of being clean didn’t make me crave him any less.

But we can’t start here.

No, to tell this story right, we need to go back.

Back to the beginning.

Back to the very first drop.

This is my love letter to Whiskey. I only hope he reads it.

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31549837-a-love-letter-to-whiskey

EXCERPT (pre-final edits)
The first time I tasted Whiskey, I fell flat on my face.

Literally.

I was drunk from the very first sip, and I guess that should have been my sign to stay away.

Jenna and I were running the trail around the lake near her house, sweat dripping into our eyes from the intense South Florida heat. It was early September, but in South Florida, it might as well have been July. There was no “boots and scarves” season, unless you counted the approximately six weeks in January and February where the temperature dropped below eighty degrees.

As it was, we were battling ninety-plus degrees, me trying to be a show off and prove I could keep up with Jenna’s cheerleading training program. She had finally made the varsity squad, and with that privilege came ridiculous standards she had to uphold. I hated running — absolutely loathed it. I would much rather have been on my surf board that day. But fortunately for Jenna, she had a competitive best friend who never turned down a challenge. So when she asked me to train with her, I’d agreed eagerly, even knowing I’d have screaming ribs and calves by the end of the day.

I saw him first.

I was just a few steps ahead of Jenna, and I’d been staring down at my hot pink sneakers as they hit the concrete. When I looked up, he was about fifty feet away, and even from that distance I could tell I was in trouble. He seemed sort of average at first — brown hair, lean build, soaked white running shirt — but the closer he got, the more I realized just how edible he was. I noticed the shift in the muscles of his legs as he ran, the way his hair bounced slightly, how he pressed his lips together in concentration as he neared us.

I looked over my shoulder, attempting to waggle my eyebrows at Jenna and give her the secret best friend code for “hot guy up ahead”, but she had stopped to tie her shoes. And when I turned back around, it was too late.

I smacked into him — hard — and fell to the pavement, rolling a bit to soften the fall. He cursed and I groaned, more from embarrassment than pain. I wish I could say I gracefully picked myself up, smiled radiantly, and asked him for his number, but the truth is I lost the ability to do anything the minute I looked up at him.

It was an unfamiliar, warm ache that spread through my chest as I used my hand to shield the sun streaming in behind his silhouette, just how you’d expect the first sip of whiskey to feel. He was bent over, hand outstretched, saying something that wasn’t registering because I had somehow managed to slip my hand into his and just that one touch had set my skin on fire.

Handsome wasn’t the right word to describe him, but it was all I kept thinking as I traced his features. His hair was a sort of mocha color, damp at the roots, falling onto his forehead just slightly. His eyes were wide — almost too round — and a mixture of gold, green, and the deepest brown. I didn’t coin the nickname Whiskey until much later, but it was that moment that I saw it for the first time — those were whiskey eyes. The kind of eyes you get lost in. The kind that drink you in. He had the longest lashes and a firm, square jaw. It was so hard, the edges so clean that I would have sworn he was angry with me if it weren’t for the smile on his face.He was still talking as my eyes fell over his broad chest before snapping back up to his sideways grin.

“Oh my God, are you fucking blind?!” Jenna’s voice snapped me from my haze as she shoved Whiskey out of the way and latched onto my hand, ripping me back to standing position. I’d barely caught my balance before she whipped around to continue her scolding. “How about you brush that long ass hair out of your eyes and watch where you’re going, huh champ?”

Oh no.

I didn’t even have time to call dibs, I couldn’t even think the word, let alone say it, before it was too late. I watched it, in slow motion, as Whiskey fell for my best friend before I even had the chance to say a single word to him.

Jenna was standing tall, arms crossed, one hip popped in her usual fashion as she waited for him to defend himself. This was her protocol — it was one of the reasons we got along. We were both what you’d call “spitfires”, but Jenna had the distinct advantage of being cripplingly gorgeous on top of having an attitude. She flipped her long, wavy blonde ponytail behind her and cocked a brow.

And then he did, too.

His smile grew wider as he met her eyes, and it was the same look I’d watched fall over guy after countless guy. Jenna was a unicorn, and men were enamored by her. As they should have been — she had platinum blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, legs for days and a personality to boot. Now, before you go thinking that I was the insecure best friend - I had it going on, too. I worked hard, I was talented - just not at the things traditional high school boys valued.

But we’ll get to that.

“Hi,” Whiskey finally said, extending his hand to Jenna this time. His eyes were warm, smile inviting — if I had to pick the right word for him, just one, I’d say charming. He just oozed charm. “I’m Jamie.”

“Well, Jamie, maybe you should make an appointment with the eye doctor before you run over another innocent jogger. And you owe Brecks an apology.” She nodded to me then and I cringed at my name, wondering why she felt the need to spill it at all. She always called me B — everyone did — so why did she choose the moment I was face to face with the first boy to ever make my heart accelerate to use my full name?

Jamie was still grinning, eying Jenna, trying to figure her out, but he turned to me after a moment with that same crooked smile. “I’m sorry, I should have been watching where I was going.” He said the words with conviction, but lifted his brows on that last line because he and I both knew who wasn’t paying attention to the trail, and he wasn’t the guilty party.

“It’s fine,” I murmured, because for some reason I was still having a difficult time finding my voice. Jamie tilted his head just a fraction, his eyes hard on me this time, and I felt naked beneath his gaze. I’d never had anyone look at me that way — completely zeroed in. It was unnerving and exhilarating, too.

But before I could latch onto the feeling, he turned back to Jenna, their eyes meeting as slow smiles spread on both of their faces. I’d seen it a million times, but this was the first time I felt sick watching it happen.

I saw him first, but it didn’t matter.

Because he saw her.

AUTHOR BIO
Kandi Steiner is a Creative Writing and Advertising/Public Relations graduate from the University of Central Florida living in Tampa with her husband. Kandi works full time as a social media specialist, but also works part time as a Zumba fitness instructor and blackjack dealer.

Kandi started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic (like most girls brought up on Disney movies).

When Kandi isn’t working or writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys beach days, movie marathons, live music, craft beer and sweet wine – not necessarily in that order.

AUTHOR LINKS
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KandiSteiner
Website: http://kandisteiner.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7319216.Kandi_Steiner
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kandisteiner

 

✫✬✫✬ COVER REVEAL ✫✬✫✬

Tonic by Staci Hart releasing 10/13/16!!!

BLURB
Joel Anderson doesn’t take anything seriously.

Not his relationships, which have been few and far between since his brutal divorce. Not the drama of working in a tattoo parlor, which seems to be around every corner. When things get him down, he smiles and cracks a joke. But he’s not the kind of man you cross, or you’ll find yourself at the wrong end of his fists.

Annika Belousov takes everything seriously.

Like her job as a reality television producer, given that she typically has something to prove. Or her love life, which is defined by a series of requirements — affluent, ambitious, accomplished, to name a few. Definitely her family, who worked their whole lives to afford her every opportunity, a sacrifice she doesn’t take lightly. When she’s tapped to produce a reality show at Joel’s shop, she doesn’t think twice, just goes in for the kill, as if there were any other way.

The second Annika walks into Joel’s shop, he makes it his mission to crack her open, but she’s not having it. He’s all wrong — too crass, too hairy, too un-serious. But it doesn’t take her long to find out there’s more to him than smirks and tattoos. And what she finds could put her career and his heart on the line.

Not that Joel cares. Because for the first time in a long time, he’s found his tonic.

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31549928-tonic

AUTHOR BIO
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life: a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f and ends with k.

From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's sleeping, cleaning, or designing graphics.

AUTHOR LINKS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacihartnovels
Twitter: https://twitter.com/imaquirkybird
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/imaquirkybird/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quirkybird/