Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Virtual Book Tour & #Giveaway for Surrender by Violetta Rand


Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Tasty Book Tours, for Surrender by Violetta Rand.  Please leave a comment or question for Violetta to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, for a $25.00 eGift Card to winner’s choice book seller, Loveswept Mug and Romance at Random Nail Polish, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of the tour by clicking on the tour banner above. 





Garrick Dempsey Interview

I’m thrilled to be having breakfast with Garrick Dempsey at his favorite downtown cafe. He orders a Grand Slam and I get coffee, not sure I could chew properly right now, this guy is hot, hot, hot…

Garrick, let’s be honest, you left a prestigious job as a mechanical engineer with British Petroleum to work as head of security at the Devil’s Den? Who does that?

Garrick: *smirks* I don’t care what anyone else does… Family means more to me than money. After my parents died, I reevaluated my life and decided I wanted to spend more time with my sister, Gretchen. The owner of the Den was my dad’s best friend, he offered the job and I took it. I never intended to spend the rest of my life there, just needed time to think and still bring home a paycheck.

What do your sister and friends think about your choice?

Garrick: *shrugs* Gretchen doesn’t like it. As for my friends… *rolls his eyes and smiles* It’s a strip club. Cold beer and front row seats. It’s not the first time I’ve changed directions. My best friend says I traded pigskin for a pocket protector. *chuckles*

You played football?

Garrick: *grins* I turned down a football scholarship to Purdue to go to MIT.

Any regrets, Garrick?

Garrick: Everything happens for a reason. *takes a swig of coffee* Call me sentimental, but if I didn’t leave BP, I would have never met Robyn. Hell, I wouldn’t be here talking to you.

And how does Robyn make you feel? 

Garrick: That’s a loaded question. Gut feeling after we first met? She’s tenacious and smart. Underneath her tough-girl façade was a layer of vulnerability she tried to hide. If I got too close too fast, I was afraid she’d run. I wanted to help her overcome some of her fears. I was up against some pretty formidable foes, ghosts from her former life. Now? *crosses his fingers* Tight. Nothing can tear us apart. I love her.

Correct me if I’m wrong, it only took three days for you…

Garrick: *coughs* Chemistry.

For the ladies… Boxers? Briefs? Or boxer-briefs? 

Garrick: Boxer-briefs, but known to go commando. *arrogant smile*

Any words of wisdom?

Garrick: Don’t judge. There’s good and bad everywhere.


Surrender
By Violetta Rand
Devil’s Den, Book 1

Publisher:  Loveswept
Release Date: January 27, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length:  239 Pages
ISBN:  9781101882672
ASIN:  B00MSS0X6S

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo

About the book: 

Welcome to the Devil’s Den, a Texas strip club where the air is heavy with desire—and sometimes dreams come true.

Ever since her mother kicked her out, twenty-year-old Robyn Gonzalez has been working the poles at the Devil’s Den, saving up to finish college and travel the world. With only her wits and her gorgeous body to rely on, Robyn has learned to be independent—fiercely independent. She’s never been tempted to let a man distract her from her dreams . . . until she meets the dead-sexy Garrick Dempsey.

The club’s new head of security, Garrick had walked away from a career as a mechanical engineer to return to his roots in Corpus Christi. He hadn’t planned on getting to know someone like Robyn, with her sinfully sweet combination of vulnerability and strength, at the Devil’s Den. She acts tough, but only because she’s been hurt. Soon Garrick knows he will do anything to win Robyn’s trust. And if that means surrendering to the red-hot chemistry between them, all the better.




Author Info
Raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Violetta Rand spent her childhood reading, writing, and playing soccer. After meeting her husband in New England, they moved to Alaska where she studied environmental science and policy as an undergraduate before attending graduate school. Violetta then spent nearly a decade working as an environmental scientist, specializing in soil and water contamination and environmental assessments.

Violetta still lives in Anchorage, Alaska and spends her days writing evocative New Adult romance and historical romance. When she’s not reading, writing, or editing, she enjoys time with her husband, pets, and friends. In her free time, she loves to hike, fish, and ride motorcycles and 4-wheelers.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads



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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Book Blast & #Giveaway for In for the Kill by Shannon McKenna

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Welcome to my stop on the Book Blast, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for In for the Kill by Shannon McKenna.  Please leave a comment or question for Shannon to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, for a $20 Amazon/B&N GC, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of her tour by clicking on the tour banner above.

In for the Kill
By Shannon McKenna
McClouds & Friends, Book 11

Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: January 27, 2015
Print Length: 416 pages
Genre:  Romantic Suspense
ISBN:  978-0758273512
ASIN:  B00M4ASP0G



About the book: 

Years ago, the McClouds and their friends rescued little Sveti Ardova from ruthless organ traffickers. Now she’s all grown up, and getting into some scorching trouble of her own . . .

NO SURRENDER

The risks ex-cop Sam Petrie has taken have turned his life into a train wreck. So he has nothing to lose by doubling down as the elusive Svetlana Ardova’s unwanted bodyguard on her ill-advised trip to Italy. Her crusade against modern slavery has blazoned a bullseye on her chest, but when one of the death threats against her almost hits the mark, Sam’s protective instincts go into overdrive. Every lethal obstacle and trap they encounter ups the stakes—and the undeniable heat between them.

Now they’re spiraling in on a deadly and explosive secret—one that could either redeem them or destroy them … and the closer they get, the shorter the fuse …

Praise for Shannon McKenna
"The McCloud series is an auto buy for me." --Maya Banks
"McKenna writes intense, sensual stories." --The B&N Review
"Shannon McKenna makes the pulse pound." –BookPage

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EXCERPT


"I watch the news, Sveti," he said patiently. "I'm a cop. I have friends. I hear things. Plus, you live-streamed, blogged and tweeted the whole thing to a hundred and twenty thousand followers."

"And you are one of them, now? Spying on me?"

He plowed right on past that one, there being no point. "Sneaking into that place with a live video camera on you was suicidal. You should have just passed the tip onto the police, and let them deal with it."

Her chin tilted up. "There were thirty-four trafficked Chinese nationals locked in there, slaving eighteen hours a day! I saw my chance, and took it! People have to see for themselves. It's the only thing that makes it real for them! That's what pulls in the donations!"

"You can't help anyone if you're dead," he pointed out. "But never mind that now. Just tell me about the death threats."

"It was just a letter," she said, defensive. "Hand delivered. It said they were going to kill me. That's all. Nothing came of it."

"When?"

She shook it off. "Months ago, now."

"So why aren't you guarded twenty-four seven?" he snarled.

"I was! For months! Finally I put my foot down, because it was absurd, Sam. I can't live my life like that. Don't worry! It's covered!"

Covered, his ass. But he knew a dead-end conversation when he heard one. He had lots of practice. Those were a Petrie family hobby.

"Fine," he said. "On to the next item that's not my business."

Her eyes dilated. He wished he had the super-senses they said Miles had now. His heart pounded too hard to hear hers, certainly at that distance. He started to close that distance, and she skittered back a pace. It took all his willpower to stay motionless, leaving none to hold back the incredibly ill-advised question. "If you don't want to talk about death threats, then tell me about your love life."

Her mouth tightened. "I would rather not."

"Tell me about loverboy. How long have you been seeing him?"

"You mean Josh? I've known him ever since Nick rescued me from Zhoglo. He's a good friend."

"Define 'friend," he said. "Does it mean, free to fondle your ass?"

The chin tilted up a notch. "You're being invasive."

"Yeah? Would you feel invaded to learn that he's hitting on two girls on the catering staff, in between groping slow-dances with you?"

Her gaze dropped, but she did not look as startled or upset about that revelation as she ought to. "You have no right to judge."

"Wrong," he informed her. "That ten minutes in Ranieri's home office two years ago. No matter how long ago, no matter how you've ignored me since then, that ten minutes gives me the right to give a shit. Tell me about Cattrell. Are you fucking him?"


"No!" The denial popped out, vehement and breathless.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Shannon McKenna is the NYT bestselling author of over ten action packed, turbocharged romantic thrillers, among which are the stories of the wildly popular McCloud series. She loves tough and heroic alpha males, heroines with the brains and guts to match them, villains who challenge them to their utmost, adventure, scorching sensuality, and most of all, the redemptive power of true love. Since she was small she has loved abandoning herself to the magic of a good book, and her fond childhood fantasy was that writing would be just like that, but with the added benefit of being able to take credit for the story at the end.

Alas, the alchemy of writing turned out to be messier than she'd ever dreamed. But what the hell, she loves it anyway, and hopes that readers enjoy the results of her alchemical experiments. She loves to hear from her readers. Contact her at her website, http://shannonmckenna.com, or join the newsletter by signing up here: http://shannonmckenna.com/connect.php.

Connect with Shannon:


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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal & #Giveaway for The Slayer by Kele Moon

Title: The Slayer (Untamed Hearts, #2)
Author: Kele Moon
Genre: Erotic | Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 31, 2015


Synopsis

To Chuito the apartment was a self-imposed prison for a lifetime of sins. To Alaine, the girl next door, it was salvation from her overbearing, religious father.

He was a devil. 
She was an angel.

Two people who should’ve never met, let alone become friends, but it’s not until they give into the dangerous passion that’s been simmering under the surface for five years that things go to hell. 

On the outside, Chuito ‘The Slayer’ Garcia is on top of the world.  He’s successful. He’s wealthy. He's a champion MMA fighter surrounded by friends who support him, but they don’t know what he was before he came to Garnet.

A gangster. 
A thief. 
An addict. 
A murderer.

Now his past is churning up demons he can’t ignore. Chuito knows he needs to go back to Miami to end it, but there's something holding him back, a single temptation he can't resist before leaving.

Alaine. 

She’s the one drug he can’t give up…even if it destroys them both.

“To me you’re coke. Fine. Smooth. Perfectly white. Very bad for me, but so fucking sexy I don’t give a shit. It’s worth going down for.” – Chuito Garcia


A freckle faced, redhead born and raised in Hawaii, Kele Moon has always been a bit of a sore thumb and has come to enjoy the novelty of it. She thrives off pushing the envelope and finding ways to make the impossible work in her story telling. With a mad passion for romance, she adores the art of falling in love. The only rules she believes in is that, in love there are no rules and true love knows no bounds.

So obsessed is she with the beauty of romance and the novelty of creating it she’s lost in her own wonder world most of the time. Thankfully she married her own dark, handsome, brooding hero who had infinite patience for her airy ways and attempts to keep her grounded. When she leaves her keys in the refrigerator or her cell phone in the oven he’s usually there to save her from herself. The two of them now reside in Florida with their three beautiful children who make their lives both fun and challenging in equal parts–They wouldn’t have it any other way.

Book Blitz & #Giveaway for Distractions by Bianca Dean

Distractions Blitz Banner


Distractions 
Publication Date: January 27, 2015 
Genres: ContemporaryRomance


Distractions Cover

 Purchase from Amazon

About the book:  

Red has been trying to move on with her life. She really has. Her first real relationship ended in disaster and she can’t muster the energy to leave the house. Her brother Brenden and their best friend, Gavin, are sick of it. Guilting her into a night out, Red reluctantly agrees only to see her ex having the time of his life with another girl. Small town living would have it no other way. On the verge of a full blown panic attack, Gavin steps in to provide Red the distraction she needs to forget all about her ex. But as things quickly spiral out of control, will Red be able to keep her feelings for her best friend a secret in order to save their friendship?

*This book contains sexual situations and explicit language. This is Book 1 of the Distractions Series.

Add to Goodreads

Distractions-Teaser-5


EXCERPT


I watched as Wilson licked his lips. What the hell am I doing? I couldn't let him kiss me. Then he’d realize that I’ve never been kissed before, and that would be infinitely more humiliating than him not kissing me. I really needed to work on keeping my mouth shut.

“You mean like kissing you?” He asked.

I nodded.

“Can I tell you a secret?” I nodded again, as I watched his baby blues flicker in the firelight. 

“I’ve thought about kissing you for three years. But,” he said as he walked me backward away from the light of the fire. We didn't stop moving until my back hit a tree. 

“Unfortunately, you have two very over protective guys in your life that wouldn't let me get near you.”

“What?” I didn't know what to say. Honestly, I wasn't really even listening to him. I was too busy watching his lips move and imagining them pressed against mine.

“But, I will tell you another secret,” Wilson said as he bent closer to me and brushed his lips against my ear. “I don’t care what they say, I’m going to kiss you.”

My heart beat into my throat. I was about to get my first kiss, and my first kiss was going to be from Wilson Butler, the country boy with all the money in the world. I tried to slow my breathing so I wouldn’t drown him in my beer breath.

“Don’t you think you should ask the lady if you can attempt such a bold feat?” I asked.

With his lips still pressed against my ear, he breathed my name. It was soft and sweet, and it made me melt against the tree.

Breathlessly, I opened my mouth to answer, and when I did, he captured my lips. He cupped the back of my head and nibbled my lower lip. He flicked his tongue against my lips as his arms wound around my body. I suddenly found that it wasn't that hard to let go of all my unease. I wound a hand into the hair touching the back of his neck and pulled him closer.

Wilson made a small hum of approval as my mouth moved against his in a kiss so slow and thorough my body loosened and melted against him. When he stepped back away from me, I suddenly felt shy and I could feel my face heating again.

“You’re beautiful when you blush,” Wilson said as his hand fell from my hip to my hand. He pulled me back toward the fire, our fingers interlaced. As I stumbled after him, it was like I forgot how to walk.

When we got back to where we had been standing, he lifted my hand to his lips and gently kissed my knuckles. “I’m just going to get another beer.” I nodded dumbly and watched as he walked off.

Holy shit. I really just had my first kiss. Finally. I wanted to jump for joy and clap my hands, but instead I kept my feet firmly rooted in the dirt.

“Red, where the hell have you been?” Gavin asked as he stepped up beside me. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“I’ve been right here.” I stood up straighter. His eyes were still boring into me when Wilson returned.

“My lady,” he said gallantly as he handed me a fresh beer. I eyed him and grinned. I swallowed the last of my can and rose the one he brought me to my lips. “Why, thank you, sir.”

My eyes flicked over to Gavin. He was watching us with a look of astonishment. Wilson never even glanced at him, and I guessed that’s what was making Gavin’s teeth clench. I was enjoying the attention and I beamed under Wilson’s gaze.

“So, when would you like me to help you work on your swing?”

“She doesn’t need any help on her swing,” Gavin ground out between clenched teeth. Wilson looked over at him as if noticing him for the first time.

“Oh, hey Gavin.”

Gavin grunted.

“Let me know, I'm pretty open.” I said instead. Wilson smiled and bowed.

“Red, if anyone is going to work on your swing, it will be me. Or Bren.” Gavin swung a heavy arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. I was annoyed but went with it.

“I’ve got a full ride to State. Don’t you think she should learn from someone that’s going somewhere?”

I felt Gavin stiffen against me. I looked down at the hand hanging off my shoulder. He wasn't clenching it, but it held a tight fury, like he was trying very hard not to move it.

This was bad. Very bad. I had to get him away from Wilson and find out why he was so upset. But first, I had to get him away from Wilson. If Gavin snapped and hit Wilson, there’s no telling what kind of trouble he would be in.

“Red!” It was Tommy again. I turned around to see him quickly approaching me and he looked worried.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. I hadn’t seen Brenden in awhile and I was hoping that he wasn't coming to tell me that my brother had done something stupid.

“Come here,” he said motioning me closer as he continued to close the distance between us. “I need you to settle something for me.”

“In a minute,” I said as I turned back to Wilson and Gavin. Their eyes were locked on each other, and neither of them moved, but it felt like they were having some secret conversation in a language I didn’t know how to speak.

Tommy stepped up beside me and grabbed my hand. I resisted at first, wanting to make sure that it didn't come to blows between these two. Gavin’s arm fell from my shoulders as Tommy began to lead me away.

“What the fuck, Tommy?”

He didn’t stop walking until I was far enough away that I couldn't hear anything that Wilson and Gavin had to say to each other. I looked back. Gavin looked tense, and Wilson looked pleased.

“There’s no need to get in between those two.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means,” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It means that Gavin and Wilson don’t really like each other. I would say that they hate each other. So just, try and stay away from Wilson, okay?”

“That’s not an answer.”

Tommy shrugged and moved away from me. I was about to shout after him when I felt a shove from behind. I spun in the dirt and smacked into Gavin.

“Move it.” He grunted as he pushed me deeper into the woods.

“Doesn’t anyone have manners? Ask me nicely,” I grumbled. I walked until I couldn’t feel the pressure of his hand forcing me deeper into the woods. “If I get eaten by a bear all the way out here, it will be your fault.”

“Why were you talking to Wilson?”

“Really? That’s how you want to start? Maybe you should start with, ‘hey Red, how are you? Are you having a nice time?"

“Don’t push me, Red.” I shoved him in the chest. “Why were you talking to him?”

“Because I can talk to whoever the hell I want to talk to.”

“Well, you can’t talk to him.”

“Why not?”

“He’s a fucking scumbag.”

“Seemed perfectly normal to me. Polite even. He may even be the only person that hasn't shoved me somewhere tonight.”

“He’s not normal, okay? He's manipulative and he's an asshole. Do not talk to him.”

“Let’s get one thing straight here. You don’t get to boss me around and tell me who I can or can’t talk to. I don't belong to you. I can take care of myself.” I shoved my finger in his chest, jabbing at the hard planes of muscle over his ribs.

“You just can’t, okay?”

“No, not okay.”

“I said no, damn it.”

“Well, I don't give a damn what you say. Besides, he likes me. We even kissed.” I raised my chin a notch, happy to see my words had shut him up.

His eyes widened. “What?” He roared at me. “He can’t be your first kiss.”

“Well, technically, he wasn't but I’m not splitting hairs.” Gavin was my first kiss, but we were just kids.

Gavin grabbed my arm.

“Let go of me, crazy.”

“What do you mean you kissed?”

“What do you think I mean?” Was he for real? What kind of question is that, and what the hell did he expect me to say?

“Why would you let him kiss you?”

“Because I want to be kissed, you moron. I am still a girl, you know. Despite the fact that I associate with brutes does not negate the fact that I have a vagina. I am a girl and girls liked to be kissed!” Gavin took another step closer, and I stood completely still as he cupped either side of my face with cold hands. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you what you wanted. Isn't this what you want, Red? To be kissed?”

His voice was low and smooth. Wait, is Gavin really going to kiss me? I felt my body shiver and I wasn't sure if it was from anticipation or the breeze that was rustling the leaves.

"Are you cold?" he asked, his hands still gently cradling my face.

I nodded.

Slowly, as if still deciding if he was going to kiss me, he stepped closer. The heat from his body sent shivers down my spine, instantly warming me. I licked my lips as I waited for his lips to descend upon mine. It seemed like forever until the silky texture of his lips met mine, our lips just touching lightly at first. As he increased the pressure, I began to feel my knees weaken.

Gavin snaked a hand around my back and pulled me closer to his body. I felt his warmth envelope me as his lips continued to attack me in a way I never knew possible. I gasped at the feeling of him being so close to me, and he took the opportunity to explore my mouth with his tongue. With increasing fervor, he began to deepen the kiss, and I was afraid I would explode from the butterflies wreaking havoc in my belly.

Gavin backed me into a tree and pressed his body into mine. I wasn't sure what was happening, but I knew I didn't want it to stop. I'd never been kissed like this before, and I wasn't even sure it was possible. I looped both arms around his neck as I tried to pull him closer to me, and he did the same as he slid one hand into my hair and the other on the side of my face as he continued controlling the kiss.

I could feel something pressing into my belly as he continued to push himself harder into me. I moaned into his mouth. As if scalded, he pushed back away from me, leaving me leaning up against the tree for support; I still didn't think my legs would be able to support me.

He stumbled backward a few paces looking at me like he couldn't comprehend what just happened. Gavin shook his head, as he looked at me wide-eyed.

“Stay away from Wilson,” he said before he turned and marched back toward the fire.

It took me a minute to remember how to use my legs. I ran a hand through my hair as I started to walk back to the fire. I tried not to let the tears that were threatening to spill from my eyes fall. I was hurt and confused, and more than a little turned on by Gavin’s lips.

So, he was mad at Wilson for kissing me, and then he went and did the same thing. He didn't want me to talk to Wilson, but he wouldn't tell me why. And he kissed me. That’s not something I can just gloss over. My best friend kissed me. He fucking kissed me. Gavin pressed his lips to mine in the most intimate best friend handshake ever.

When I found him, I was going to throttle him. I would punch him right in the stomach and then tell him to do it again. I licked my lips, trying to taste him on my tongue again.

I burst into the clearing looking around for Gavin, but I couldn't find him. I asked around, and I even asked Bren where he was, but no one had seen him. He just disappeared.

About the Author

Bianca Dean

Bianca Dean, author of Quarterback Sneak and Wanna Play? is a native of New Jersey now living in NYC. Working on her PhD, Bianca loves good food, great movies and stimulating conversation. She's a huge sports fan, and can be found, during the appropriate season, screaming at the television, beer in hand, trying to make people that can't hear her run faster. In the off-season she can be spotted walking her dog or grabbing dinner with friends.

IndieSage PR

Monday, January 26, 2015

Blog Tour & Giveaway for Angel Rising: Redemption by LaVerne Thompson

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Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Bewitching Book Tours, for Angel Rising: Redemption by LaVerne Thompson.  Please leave a comment or question for LaVerne to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, for an ecopy of her book, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also check out the tour schedule by clicking on the banner above.  My review is running late but will be posted within the next 24 hours.

Angel Rising Redemption
By LaVerne Thompson
Redemption, Book 1


Publisher: Isisindc Publishing
Date of Publication: January 2, 2015
Genre: paranormal/ interracial romance
ISBN: 978-0-9859646-9-6 
ASIN: B00ROSP8YO
Number of pages: 248
Word Count: 91,272
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

Book Description:

To walk the earth she must feed her hollow soul.

Some of the most beautiful people in the world are not human they have no soul.  They feel no emotion and are pure evil. You can tell by the color of their dark dead eyes. Samuel Glaus knows this.  He is after all half-human, the son of a human mother and soulless father, and a hunter of the soulless.  He is also in love with one who cannot love him back.

Thalya is a soulless creature, but unlike others of her kind she does not kill to feed her hollow soul. She hungers for emotion and above all she hungers for Samuel’s love. Her enemy. Her redemption. And she’s willing to kill for it.


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Excerpt


Opening up her senses, she sniffed out the most depressed in the city block around her. While she had no human sense of smell, the scents of emotions to her were as potent, as humans would say a bouquet of freshly cut roses.

Right across the street a man entered the park. The scent of his depression floated right to her on the wind. Hot, potent and yummy, she would feed on it for a few days. There were no others of her kind in the area, so she wouldn’t have to warn anyone off. Although, quite a few soulless resided in New York, the size of the area ensured she didn’t run into others if she didn’t want to, which she usually didn’t.

Going back inside her penthouse condo, she walked across thick sand-colored carpet. Her artist friend, Franklin, would have both loved and hated the great room. Loved it for the cool colors—reds, beiges, and golds. Those had been his favorites, but then she’d stuck a long, extra-wide black leather sofa smack in the center of it. He hated leather and black.

Franklin, long gone…just another from her past.

She put on her long coat, and headed for her private elevator. She didn’t need it but she wanted to blend in. Tonight she would act normal. Normal, at least for a human. As an additional benefit, when she walked through her lobby to get to the street, she would open her senses to her immediate surroundings, sampling a taste of surface emotions as she passed by.

Not all of her kind could suck out emotion without touch but as an olden, one from a time long past and more powerful than most, she could. But other things also set her apart from those like her. She did not need to kill her providers or have them kill others to satisfy her needs. Draining humans of their depression, her emotion of choice, more than satisfied her. Humans carried it in abundance. She merely put her providers to sleep and afterwards, they usually woke up feeling less depressed. Hers represented a more symbiotic relationship. She actually helped people, much like a psychiatrist would. Only, instead of talking them out of their depression, she drained it right out of them.

The elevator door opened and she got on.

The hotel where she lived also housed private residences, but a few guests milled around the lobby for the evening. Just enough people around with some serious issues to make her grin and tremble within her ankle-length leather coat.

“Delicious,” she purred. Red knee high stiletto boots clicked as she crossed the polished marble floor. She ignored the appreciative looks of the men and women as she glided among them, intentionally projecting a do not approach compulsion. Look but don’t touch, unless she was the one doing the touching.

The doorman opened the door for her and smiled. “Good evening. Cold one tonight.” Bundled in layers and with a wool cap on his head, he stood directly beneath a heating vent to stay warm.

He always spoke. She rarely did and tonight, she didn’t. She flashed him some teeth in the semblance of a smile. At least she hoped it looked like a smile and not a grimace. Happiness. It rolled off him in waves. She’d never tried draining that emotion from her providers, although over the centuries she’d met a few of her kind who preferred it. Anything to fill the void in the soulless place. But stealing someone else’s happiness always seemed unnecessary to her. Depression worked just fine.

Out on the sidewalk, the scent hit her again. Like a shining point of light in dark woods, the depressed man she’d sensed beckoned her to follow him. After crossing the street, Thalya entered the park. It didn’t take long to find him.

He sat on a bench at the other end of the park, leaning over with his head in his hands.

She wouldn’t be able to read his thoughts until she actually touched him. No matter, she sensed his depression.

She sat on the bench next to him; he didn’t even bother to look up. Thalya placed her hand on his shoulder and her inner feminine muscles contracted to the point, she almost had an orgasm.

Depression, and so potent.

“Mmm, good,” she murmured.

At her touch, he raised red-rimmed eyes in her direction.

Finally, she had his attention.

He pulled back slightly, some form of self-preservation kicking in. “Who—are you?”

“Shhh. It will be all right. I promise,” she whispered. 

The man sat up and she wrapped her arms around him.

Unable to help himself, he let her.

Hmm, handsome. She always seemed to gravitate toward the young, good-looking ones, although she’d never sleep with any of them. Well, hardly ever. She nuzzled the side of his neck. Under the alcohol he’d indulged in, he exuded a nice clear human scent. Given his emotional state, she’d expected the scent of alcohol to be stronger. Surprisingly she only caught a slight whiff. No more than a beer. Maybe he just started on his drinking for the evening. Didn’t matter. Whatever he’d ingested, she didn’t care about.

“What—?”

She didn’t give him a chance to say more. Instead, she made her way to his mouth, which opened as soon as she pressed her lips against his. Unleashing her powers, she inhaled his depression into the starving emptiness that should have housed her soul, and at the same time, began to read his memories.

Poor thing. Karl, yes…Karl Hammer. He’d recently lost his job and his wife, pregnant with their first child, didn’t know about it. He’d swallowed his pride and asked his blood uncle of sorts for help. Except Karl hadn’t spoken to his uncle in years. Mmm, interesting. She probed for the reason why.

Samuel and the others like him lived a dangerous life. Samuel, a master hunter of the soulless and Karl, merely—bait.






About the Author:
LaVerne Thompson is an award winning, best-selling, multi-published author, an avid reader and a writer of contemporary, fantasy, and sci/fi sensual romances. She also writes romantic suspense and new adult romance under the pen name Ursula Sinclair.

She is currently working on several projects. Both of her daughters are now away at college. However, she and her husband don’t like the term empty nester. She’s added a cat to the household to keep the dog of the house company. Hopefully writing will keep her sane. 







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Friday, January 23, 2015

Release Day Blast & Giveaway for Fat Louise by Jamie Begley


Enter to Win
$25.00 Amazon eGift Card or
Digital Book Bundle including,
The Last Riders (Bks 1-3) and Sex Piston (Biker Bitches #1)



Fat Louise

Biker Bitches # 2 

Jamie Begley

Releasing Jan 23rd, 2015

Young Ink Press



She needed a hero; instead, she got Cade.

Cade was no hero. He was a nomad, a wanderer with no ties and he liked it that way. Hired out to save Fat Louise and her spoiled sister from a cartel run Mexican city was a risk he was willing to take, for the right price. With a certain gray eyed woman on his mind, he sets out to find her, fuck her and forget her. No harm, no foul. But it's all easier said than done when it comes to this plain Jane.

He expected a biker bitch who knew the rules; instead, he got Fat Louise.

Fat Louise wasn’t about to put her crew in danger. She had to learn to handle problems on her own, even if they included a six-foot biker she was forced to rely on, if she was going to rescue her sister. She never expected to see Cade again after she'd left Mexico, but all it takes is one night with him to prove that even a bitch’s heart can be broken.



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"I was born in a small town in Kentucky. My family began poor, but worked their way to owning a restaurant. My mother was one of the best cooks I have ever known, and she instilled in all her children the value of hard work, and education.

Taking after my mother, I've always love to cook, and became pretty good if I do say so myself. I love to experiment and my unfortunate family has suffered through many. They now have learned to steer clear of those dishes. I absolutely love the holidays and my family puts up with my zany decorations.

For now, my days are spent writing, writing, and writing. I have two children who both graduated this year from college. My daughter does my book covers, and my son just tries not to blush when someone asks him about my books.

Currently I am writing five series of books- The Last Riders, The VIP Room, Predators MC, Biker Bitches, and The Dark Souls.

All my books are written for one purpose- the enjoyment others find in them, and the expectations of my fans that inspire me to give it my best.”


Find Jamie Here



Series Reading Order

Razer's Ride (The Last Riders, #1) 

Viper's Run (The Last Riders, #2) 

Knox's Stand (The Last Riders, #3) 

Sex Piston (Biker Bitches, #1) 

Teased (The VIP Room, #1) 
Tainted (The VIP Room, #2) 
Shade's Fall (The Last Riders, #4) 
King (The VIP Room, #3)
Cash's Fight (The Last Riders, #5)