Ari Grant spends her days helping the troubled youth of Glory City, and her nights trying to feel something other than the cold numbness that has settled in her bones. For years, she satisfies this urge with trips to the tattoo parlor or late night clubbing, but everything changes when she becomes a victim of an armed robbery.
She manages to escape notice from the gunman, a former client, but only because she’s saved by Glory City’s own Vigilante. A hooded man who has impeccable timing when it comes to those in need.
It seems Ari isn’t the only one trying to save lost souls or looking for a life outside their job. She’s caught the attention of Nick Sanders, a handsome attorney at juvenile court. Solid and steady, he seems the perfect fit, but Ari has developed an obsession with Davis, the mysterious and sexy director of a local fight club that rehabilitates delinquent boys.
Each of these men fight for the less fortunate, but not everyone has altruistic motives. When Ari’s female clients begin to disappear, she can’t figure out who to trust. Soon enough it becomes obvious that while Ari watches over the kids of Glory City, someone else has taken to watching over her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angel Lawson lives with her family in Atlanta and has a lifelong obsession with creating fiction from reality, either with paint or words. On a typical day you can find her writing, reading, plotting her escape from the zombie apocalypse and trying to get the glitter out from under her nails.
Growing Marissa Dobson’s pride: If she can reach 100 members she’ll give away a $50 Amazon gift card. For 150 members she’ll give away $100 gift card, and if she reach 200 members she’ll give away a $100 gift card, and two $50 gift cards.
Jasmine Monroe once felt like damaged goods. Not anymore. Her latent abilities, although appearing too late to save her from a brutal attack, keep her safe from anyone hurting her again. Secure in that fact, she’s moved on. Until she meets her first love’s doppelganger.
Eryk Vreeland, a misfit and an embarrassment to his upper-class/upper-crust family, is a magician. His shows are renowned, his contributions to charity astronomical, his illusions precise. Except—not everything is an illusion. Sometimes, there is real magic.
Forced together to rescue and protect a young woman, safeguards must come down and, when that happens, their attraction strengthens—beyond their control—until they can barely tell where one person stops and the other begins.
Will they surrender to a legacy or risk a disaster to stay apart?
Weaving romance and suspense with threads of the paranormal
Shanon Grey weaves romance and suspense with threads of the paranormal. MEADOW’S KEEP, Book Two in The GateKeepers Series, about the quaint town of Ruthorford, Georgia and its very special inhabitants, is her newest release. It is currently available for download from Amazon, B & N, and Smashwords. The print version will be released later this month. THE SHOPPE OF SPELLS was the first in her series. PENNYROYAL CHRISTMAS ~A Ruthorford Holiday Story~ is out in e-format as well. Under contract with Crossroads Publishing House, her books are available in e-format and print at most booksellers.
Shanon spent her life on coasts, both the beautiful Atlantic and the balmy Gulf. Hurricane Katrina taught her the fragility of life and the strength of friendship, family, and starting over.
She just found out that her son salvaged notes and pages of her original novel, Capricorn’s Child, which she thought has been destroyed with everything else. (Ironically, a neighbor found her marriage certificate in a tree.) She plans to resurrect her original novel one day.
She currently lives in Coweta County, Georgia, trading the familiarity of the coast for the lush beauty and wonder of the mountains, where her husband fulfilled her lifelong dream—to live in a cottage in the woods, where inspiration abounds.
Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Thank you so much for having me on Books-n-Kisses today! So about me, I grew up mostly in Southern California, met my husband at the dog pound and considering the competition—dogs—I got his attention pretty fast J. We married and have three great sons. These days, I work long hours. In my free time, I hang out with family, occasionally drag myself to the gym, and every once in a while, I get out and see real people instead of the characters living in my head.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
I’ve always loved reading and storytelling, but it was after I was married and we had our three sons that I got serious about the idea of writing. I tried going back to college to pursue a marketing degree, but my passion was writing and I am fortunate enough to be married to a man who supports my dream in every way possible.
Are you a plotter or a punster or combo of both? And you explain the difference?
I’m both. If I’m writing for a publisher, I always have a general outline, and as I work, I’ll add in layers of emotional depth as well as strengthen the conflict and plot.
If I’m working on my Indie books (like The Proposition and Possession), then I start with even less of an outline. It’s more work that way in the long run, but I love the freedom of letting the characters show me what they need in their story. I revise more often, but I think the story can be richer and more authentic for it.
What is your most interesting writing quirk?
I don’t see much about my process as interesting <g>, most of it is frustrating. Maybe that when I’m deep in a book, I don’t process what people (the real ones) are saying to me? My husband will tell me he’s going to the store, then when he returns I blink and say, “You were gone? Where’ d you go?” Now he makes me repeat back to him what he said, LOL!
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
I’m happy to! I’m releasing the second installment of The Plus One Chronicles; POSSESSION. In book one, THE PROPOSITION Sloane sees Kat Thayne and he’s more intrigued than usual. He goes out of his way to get her to agree to his plus-one arrangement, offering her the one thing she can’t turn down—a chance to learn self defense so she will never be a victim again. By the end of the book, it’s clear something powerful is happening between them. But Sloane convinces himself it will burn out and die off.
But in the second book, POSSESSION, everything begins to change. Sloane is facing the brutal reality that Drake, his mentor who has been like a father to Sloane, is dying. It’s ripping Sloane apart and there’s nothing he can do to change it. Although he does move Drake into his house and care for him, but to Sloane, that’s not enough. The more he feels Drake slipping away, the more he’s driven to hold onto Kat. Even though he knows the best thing for her, for both of them, would be to end it before they get in too deep.
In the meantime, Kat’s struggling with her fears from an attack she can’t remember, and coming to trust that Sloane won’t betray her as her ex-fiancé had when she discovers Sloane’s dark side that could destroy them both.
Most of this entire trilogy came to me after my son suffered a very serious injury to his leg. Through his months of recovery, Kat and Sloane took shape in my mind. Kat is much like my son, a determined survivor fighting to get stronger. And Sloane…he’s the hero I have always, always wanted to write. He’s strong and damaged but not a jerk. He may make some bad decisions, but he’s not cruel or mean to people who don’t deserve it. And he sees Kat as a beautiful survivor. I think Sloane has been developing in my mind ever since I was young, maybe 8 or 9 and hanging out in the karate studio my brother owned, watching all those powerful men spar.
As for The Plus One Chronicles part of it, that came from a family member who has a good friend and they “plus-one” for each other when they aren’t in relationships. I began to think: What if a rich, powerful man never dates, never has relationships, but only has a plus-one? A woman who will go to events with him and warm his bed? Who is his man, why is he that way?
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I’m working on Obsession, book 3 in The Plus One Chronicles, which is the explosive conclusion to the trilogy. I’m also going to be starting on the second book in my Once A Marine Series written under my Jennifer Apodaca name. The Baby Bargain was the first book in that series.
Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
Stephen King, I just think he’d be fascinating. I don’t even read him much anymore, but I began reading his books in high school.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Learn to finish the book! When we get bogged down in the middle of the book we’re writing, it’s so easy to get distracted by a new, fresh ideas. Jot down those ideas somewhere, then go back and finish that first book. I also encourage writers to join groups, maybe Romance Writers of America, or an online group. We learn so much that way, and it helps us to stay inspired and motivated.
Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
That always makes me smile. I don’t really have a bucket list. This year is so crazy, I’m just trying to get it all done!
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Laura Wright has a cowboy series coming out, I can’t wait for BRANDED! I can’t remember when it releases, I think it’s late 2014. But I wish she’d hurry up!
What is one book everyone should read before they die?
Good question! I don’t know the answer as I think it’s different for each person. For me, it was TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. I read it when I was young and it exposed me to concepts I knew nothing about.
What is your favorite time of year & why?
I like different times of the year for different reasons. But summer just because we enjoy having BBQs and hanging out by the pool.
Who is your Celebrity crush? And what would you do if you ever meet them?
Does the French bulldog from the Modern Family sitcom count? Otherwise, I usually say Hugh Jackman, and if he could meet me as Wolverine, that’d be perfect!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you so much for having me today! I love books and always enjoy the opportunity to chat about them!
*****
The Plus One Chronicles
A wicked proposition…
A sensual possession…
A dark obsession…
The Plus One Chronicles: Searing passion and fiery vengeance collide in three explosive books.
Rich, sexy and volatile, Sloane Michaels has a dark agenda that keeps his heart on ice. His extreme wealth gives him the control he craves and his skills as an ex UFC fighter the tools he’ll need to extract his ultimate revenge. But when the woman he never believed he’d see again crosses his path, Sloane is caught between the vengeance he needs and a sexual conquest he craves.
Kat Thayne has been in survival mode for six years, hiding behind the sweet creations for her bakery. But when a random carjacking brings her face-to-face with her darkest fears and hottest fantasy, Kat is forced out of hiding and offered a dangerously passionate proposition. One she knows she isn’t strong enough to refuse.
**Please note: Possession is book two of a three book series. Readers should start with The Proposition.**
Savagely sexy billionaire Sloane Michaels ruthlessly controls his life and everything in it. Even his sex partners are carefully negotiated plus-one arrangements, including his latest, the fiery bakery owner, Kat Thayne. But Sloane’s control is challenged when his mentor becomes seriously ill, and his need for Kat, his need to possess her at all costs, rivals only his single-minded goal of vengeance for the murder of his sister.
After surviving an attack six years ago, Kat Thayne escaped her fears in the protective world of her beloved bakery. Then Sloane Michaels storms into her life, making her feel beautiful, strong and sexy. Yet as Kat pushes her boundaries and uncovers a dangerous secret in her past, Sloane’s controlling side emerges. Worried that Sloane will possess her mind, body and soul, Kat fights to keep her hard won independence. But just as Sloane demands her complete surrender, she discovers he has a dark side that could destroy them both.
**Possession is an adult contemporary novel and is not intended for younger readers due to mature content.**
*****
OBSESSION, Book 3 – Coming 9/24/13
A little more about Jennifer:
Jennifer Lyon grew up under the shadow of the Matterhorn at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. She attended Walt Disney elementary school and her very first playmate was her beloved dog, Duke, who was cast in the role of hero in all their adventures.
Clearly Jen was born to daydream. But it took her years to figure out how to turn her imagination into a career as an author. After marrying and becoming a full time mom to three sons, Jen launched her career with the award winning Samantha Shaw Mystery Series and other romantic mysteries under the name Jennifer Apodaca. Later, she took the name Jennifer Lyon, combined her love of witches, alpha males and sizzling romance into another award winning series, the Wing Slayer Hunters.
Jennifer has several new releases coming out this year. THE PROPOSITION, the first book in her new Plus One Chronicles was just released on February 24 and following later in the year will be Book Two: POSSESSION – Coming 5/28/13 and Book Three: OBSESSION – Coming 9/24/13.
Writing under Jennifer Apodaca she will be releasing the first book in her Once A Marine series, titled THE BABY BARGAIN which will be out in March 2013 from Entangled Publishing in their Indulgence line.
Co-owner of the town’s only kennel, Lilah Young has lived in Sunshine, Idaho, all her life. Pilot-for-hire Brady Miller is just passing through. But he soon has Lilah abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire.
It’s Brady’s nature to resist being tied down, but there’s something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more.
*****
Animal Attraction
Animal Magnetism #2
Jade Bennett couldn’t be happier to escape her past for the quiet ranching town of Sunshine, Idaho. Plus, there’s nothing like working for veterinarian Dell Connelly. And though Dell has no intention of settling down, Jade’s strength and sass are enticements no red-blooded male can resist.
*****
Rescue My Heart
Animal Magnetism #3
After a tragic stint in the National Guards, Adam Connelly returns to Idaho and to Belle Haven, the animal shelter he owns with his brothers. All Adam wants is to be alone. Then he opens the door to the past—the woman whose heart he once broke. Still gorgeous, still tough-as-nails, but this time, unusually vulnerable.
Holly Reid learned the hard way to never depend on a man for anything. Now, of all men, it’s the last one she wants to see, and the only one she needs. Her father has gone missing in the Bitterroot Mountains and she could use someone with tracking skills to help find him.
For Holly and Adam, each with their ghosts, a trek this desperate, this unpredictable, and this intimate, will have its share of risks—including opening their hearts one more time.
*****
Rumor Has It
Animal Magnetism #4
He’ll help unleash the new woman in her…
Special Ops soldier Griffin Reid doesn’t exactly have happy memories of growing up in Sunshine, Idaho. He’s only come back to recover from a war injury, and while he refuses to admit he’s in a weakened state, he finds comfort in the last person he’d expect.
Kate Evans teaches fourth grade science in Sunshine, the place she’s always called home. Dreaming of graduate school and a happily-ever-after, she’s desperate to break out of the monotony of Sunshine. Luckily, a certain sexy man has just come back into her life.
To Griffin, Kate as always been his little sister’s friend, but now he’s finding her to be so much more. As both attempt to forge their paths, they must decide if their passionate connection can turn into something lasting…
Adam Jamenson’s courtship of his mate wasn’t the most conventional. In fact, it didn’t exist. Though he knows Bay loves him with every ounce of her soul, he needs to prove to her that he’s worth it. Not only for her, but for himself. While they move on and learn to be the Enforcer mated pair, Bay will find herself on a path that leads her to a history beyond just her and Adam’s mating. When she finds a locket rich in history and memories, she’ll do all in her power to see those involved found and remembered. With Adam by her side, they’ll both find the true meaning of forgiveness.
Author’s Note: This is a novella set between books 4 and 5 to give you a taste of Bay and Adam It is best that you have already immersed yourselves in the Redwood Pack world, however even new readers will enjoy a glimpse of one of the Redwood’s favorite couples.
A little about Carrie Ann:
Carrie Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate – even if it’s just in her books. Happy endings are always near – even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.
Carrie Ann’s Redwood Pack series is a bestselling series that has made the shifter world even more real to her and has allowed the Dante’s Circle and Holiday, Montana series to be born. She’s also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.
Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. You can find her at:
Book-n-Kisses is pleased to be a part of Jennifer & Vicky’s 8 Days of Desire tour….
Hi Ladies,
Thank you for stopping a Books-n-Kisses on your tour. We are excited to have you both here today…
Are you ready to get started?
VD: Yes, I’m sufficiently caffeinated.
JH: Sure!
BnK: For my readers who may not know you please tell me a little about yourself
VD: My mom says I have had a “wild” imagination since the age of two. She tells all of her friends at the retirement community about my books. I have a grown son & daughter. My sister-in-law Vanessa & my daughter Amber read my books. My previous jobs include admin (I was terrible at it), aerobics instructor (it was fun), and market research analyst. The best part of the marketing job was getting to travel to New York, London, Paris, and many other great cities.
JH: I am a mom of three and live in California with my family. I love writing historical romance!
BnK: Tell us about your newest release.
VD: WHAT A WICKED EARL WANTS is the first book in the new SINFUL SCOUNDRELS series. The story features the rakish and tormented Earl of Bellingham (aka Bell) whom readers might remember as a minor character in HOW TO RAVISH A RAKE. Bellingham is on the hunt for a new mistress and finds himself caught up in the life of the beautiful widow Laura Davenport, a vicar’s daughter with a rebellious stepson. When her son’s guardian threatens to take the boy away, a desperate Laura turns to Bellingham for assistance.
JH: THE DUCHESS HUNT is the first book in my new series, The House of Trent. I like to say this is my series about the most dysfunctional family in Regency England! The series tells the story of the Duke of Trent, his four brothers, and his sister. When their mother mysteriously disappears, the duke and his siblings come together to try to find her. Here’s a blurb for THE DUCHESS HUNT:
Simon Hawkins, duke of Trent, is no stranger to scandal. Rumors and innuendo have darkened the House of Trent for decades, and it has fallen to Simon to restore his tattered family name. He lives by a strict code of honor, but when he is called home to investigate his mother’s disappearance, the distinguished duke will tangle with temptation. For there waits the only woman he has ever loved-and the last woman he should desire . . .
Sarah Osborne has spent her life dreaming of Simon’s touch. But dukes do not long for lady’s maids-or so Sarah believes, until a stolen kiss sparks a passion that could be her ultimate undoing. As the couple begins a forbidden romance, a cunning enemy plots to destroy the duke and everything he loves. Now, caught in a blackmailer’s web, Simon faces an agonizing choice: sacrifice his family’s future or break Sarah’s heart.
BnK: Please open your book and read us a few lines.
VD: She entreated Bellingham with her eyes. “It is Montclief, Justin’s guardian. “Please, say nothing of Justin to him,” she said in a low tone.
“Why?” he said. “If he is the guardian—”
“Please,” she said, aware that her voice shook. There is no time to explain. I will do anything you ask, but I beg you not to betray me.”
He arched his brows. “Anything?”
“Yes, anything,” she said, worrying her hands.
He snared her with his blue eyes. “Be careful what you promise.”
JH: “Sarah, look at me.” He cupped her hands in his palms, and warmth instantly flushed through her, combating the cold.
“I…Sarah, I want you. But I don’t want to hurt you. I’m not the kind of man who…uses women.”
“I know you’re not.” One of the reasons she adored him.
“So you see why we can’t, why I can’t…?”
“I’m not a fool, Your Grace,” she said softly. Sarah knew that no matter what happened between them, no matter what power he had over her, Simon would never take advantage of her. “I know what I am doing. What I want.”
Simon flinched. “I don’t want to ruin you.”
“I know,” she whispered. “But sometimes I wish you did.”
BnK: Can you share with us your current work in progress
VD: The next two books in the SINFUL SCOUNDRELS series are WHAT A RECKLESS ROGUE NEEDS and WHAT A DEVILISH DUKE DESIRES
JH: I’m working on THE SCOUNDREL’S SEDUCTION, book 3 in the House of Trent series. This book is about Simon’s older half brother, Sam. Sam is the rock of the family, the warrior, but when he tangles with a woman who might be a traitor for France, his world is rocked right off its axis!
BnK: If you were stranded on a deserted island what are the three items you would have to have to survive.
VD: Wi-Fi, My Samsung Galaxy Phone & 4G LOL. How else will I get rescued?
JH: Books to read, my comfy pillow, and a year’s supply of vanilla lattes. Wait, you didn’t mean for real, did you???
BnK: Thank you Ladies…The wonderful Vicky & Jennifer and their publisher have given me two copies of each book. So that means two lucky followers will get a copy of each book. To enter please fill out the rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
Rex intends to own and drive his own car, but that will cost him millions up front. Last season was a disaster, thanks to a nasty break up, but it taught him a lesson and helped sharpen his focus on what he needed to do: Win every race. And stay away from pretty girls. The last thing he needed was to learn that his new head mechanic, Jimmy James, was the gorgeous redhead pin-up walking around his pit like it was some kind of dance floor.
Gail “Jimmy” James is the first female NASCAR mechanic. As if competing in a man’s world isn’t tough enough, her bombshell figure bellies her genius IQ, and the pit is no place for either. Nothing Jimmy knew about Rex Henderson the driver prepared her for Rex Henderson the man. But Jimmy has no time to dwell on her feelings as strange mechanical problems curse Rex’s car. Whether sabotage or her own mistakes, Jimmy must stay one step ahead of trouble if she’s going to keep her job, and keep her driver alive…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
T. C. Archer is comprised of award winning authors Evan Trevane and Shawn M. Casey. They live in the Northeast. Evan has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, and Shawn is a small business owner. Their collaboration began on a lark with the post WWII film noir story The Pickle My Little Friend, and has evolved into over a dozen works, which includes their new series The Phenom League, and Daphne Du Maurier winner the romantic thriller For His Eyes Only.
Ahhh…..romance. I must confess, I am hopelessly addicted to it. There is no feeling as exciting, no rush more exhilarating, and nothing I can name that gives an energy boost like that of a romantic and hot encounter. I seem to get quite a bit of inspiration from that, the real and the imaginary.
Want to know about one of my romantic fantasies? I am sitting on a beach at an exclusive California beach resort, listening to the sound of the waves and sea gulls, all while sipping a Pina Colada. I am sitting in the warm sand, covered with coconut scented lotion, watching the palm trees sway in the cool ocean breeze, and lusting as the smoking hot, scantily clad men walk by. Living in California, I have participated in similar activities, but more along the lines of the Santa Monica Pier than at the Bel-Air Bay Club. However, we all have fantasies, I know I do….and mine get pretty vivid and sensual. Being a fiction author I find that the more fantasies I have, the more material I have to share with you! So, here is the deal – “Weekends” was inspired by a sexual fantasy that caught on fire. One day, many years ago, I met this gorgeous, hot, sexy, blonde dude named Joe. He was a struggling actor living in Los Angeles (like I myself was at the time) so we met up and had a brief fling. He turned out to be nuttier than a can of Planters, but that is beside the point. (A nutty person in LA???? What????)
So, Joe and I didn’t fall in love and run away together. He was just a “man from my past” who I still think about on occasion. However, his looks were the inspiration for the character “Joe” in “Weekends”. Joe is a fantasy, as is most of the romantic and sexy fiction that I write. I took the crazy, hot man and, instead of being in a relationship with him in real life, and the fruitless task of trying to change him, I just made who I wanted him to be a character in my romance-suspense novel. I fell madly in love with Joe, the one I created, not the real one.
So, what was the real inspiration behind “Weekends”? I must confess, I live in a fantasy world, however, I take a very spiritual approach to my daydreams and fantasies. On some level, I believe that a person’s idle thoughts and daydreams are actual realities in another dimension. Vivid imagination have I? You bet!
As a fiction author, I tend to live in my imagination. I become very emotionally close with my characters (I cried one time writing a scene where one of my characters gets fired), I live vicariously through all of their circumstances, and I tend to see parts of myself in every one of their situations. No, I’m not a nutcase- just a fiction author. Because of this, I create little worlds in my imagination. That is what I do, I create, and sometimes live in, these little worlds. Sometimes these little worlds become published works of fiction for different readers to enjoy, sometimes they just live in my crazy noodle. However, what if there is some truth to this theory? What if, as Mark Twain once said, truth is stranger than fiction?
What does this have to do with writing? Plenty! Fiction is my forte, my strong point. I was not destined to write anything else. ( I don’t have the knowledge or experience to write non-fiction. I can’t compete with all the doctors out there.) My stories come from the little people who live in my head. They come from my imagination. That is what fiction is, plain and simple. To invite a reader into my story, and to keep them there, I have to create another world for them to enter into. As the risk of repeating myself, I create worlds – and perhaps those worlds exist somewhere else? Somewhere far, far away? As a creative person, (that is the kind of mind I was blessed with. Anything technical would confuse the hell out of me…) I feel at my best and most fulfilled when I am doing just that – creating. What am I creating exactly? Only my higher power seems to know for sure, but I have a hunch!
Perhaps I am writing my next life as I am thinking this? Maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic? Both? I just happen to love what I do, and I hope that many readers feel the same.
An innocent-sounding family reunion at an exclusive California beach resort turns into a weekend of murder, deceit, exposed secrets and unexpected intimate encounters. John Peterson has it all: He’s a respected, successful Beverly Hills entertainment lawyer with a loving wife and grown son, the strikingly handsome young film director Joe Peterson. John also has a secret and he decides to gather his disparate family members at the elegant Hotel Del Moor in picturesque Linda Bella, California for some luxurious fun, togetherness and re-connecting before revealing his secret. Unbeknownst to the family, a brutal serial killer is lurking in the midst of all the wondrous festivities.
Lindy S.Hudis is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied drama. She is a former actress, having appeared on such television shows as “Sunset Beach” and “Married with Children”. Her romantic murder mystery, Weekends, is currently available from Lachesis Publishing. She is also a filmmaker, her independent short film “The Lesson”, which she wrote, produced and directed, screened at the Seattle Underground Film Festival. She is co-owner of an independent production company called Impact Motion Pictures. She and her husband Steve, a Hollywood stuntman, have just completed the screenplay adaptation of Charmaine Hammond’s best selling book, “On Toby’s Terms.” She lives in California with her family.
With a messed up family background and a tendency to grow claws and fangs, Tanner Chance isn’t exactly the boy next door. But he’s a decent cop, and he keeps himself on the side of the good guys. Convenient, because when he rescues a survivor of a horrific shifter attack he finds himself instantly smitten—with an honest-to-goodness angel, as innocent as she is irresistible.
Marna may be angelic, but she’s not stupid or weak. She can take care of herself. Tanner is more temptation than protection anyway. Or so she thinks, until someone wearing her face starts taking out some of New Orleans’ more unsavory paranormals. With police and predators both gunning for her blood, Marna has no choice but to trust Tanner…even though what’s sparking between them is hotter than anything holy.
EXCERPT:
The delicate angel had broken.
Did she even realize that tears slid down her cheeks? Tanner Chance kept guard by her side. His hand was on her arm, stroking her.
He couldn’t seem to stop touching her.
They’d found her body in the swamp. At first, he’d thought that she was already dead.
So much blood.
Then she’d moved, and he’d realized just what his sick freak of a brother had done.
Sliced the wings right off an angel.
Her lashes lifted and her eyes, the palest blue he’d ever seen, locked right on him. No, those eyes seemed to see right through him. Tanner cleared his throat. He was a cop. He’d spent too many years seeing blank expressions like that on the faces of victims. “You…you’re safe now.” He’d keep her safe. “You just need to rest.”
She didn’t speak, and he didn’t know what else he was supposed to say to her. He never knew what to say to the victims. He just knew how to make the bastards who hurt them pay.
He was very good at delivering justice. But this time…
An angel.
She had to hate him. She knew who he was. Knew that his brother was the fucked-up asshole who’d tortured her. Tanner cleared his throat and finally managed to tell her, “I’m not like him.”
Her eyes never left his.
And he was still touching her. Her skin was the softest he’d ever felt. The smoothest. Her flesh was golden and perfect.
Or, it had been, until claws had ripped into her back and torn that flesh wide open.
Her breath exhaled softly. “When I’m stronger…”
Tanner leaned closer because he could barely hear her words. “What is it? What do you need?” Anything. He’d do—
“When I’m stronger, you should…stay away from me.”
He glanced at her small hands. They’d had to bind her wrists when they strapped her down. Not to hurt her, but to keep the little blond angel from hurting them.
The angel before him—Marna—she wasn’t some sweet and gentle guardian angel.
She was an angel of death. One who could, and had, killed with just a touch.
He could touch her all that he wanted. That was the way the game worked with angels. But the instant her hand touched him…
Dead.
If she wanted him dead, all she had to do was touch him, and she could send him straight to hell.
She smiled at him. The smile made her seem even lovelier and then the angel said, “When I’m stronger, when I’m free…get as far away from me as you can.” The faintest of pauses then, “Because I’ll have my vengeance.”
She didn’t look so broken anymore.
“Remember…to run, shifter.”
He didn’t move, and he damn well kept touching her. “I’m not the running kind.” Not anymore. The scared kid he’d been had died long ago. Now he fought any bastard who came his way—and he made sure to win his battles.
His angel kept her cold smile and told him, “Wait and see…you will be…”
A little about Cynthia:
USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.
Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings. She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.
Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.
(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people). Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.
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