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Musings From An Addicted Reader

Monthly Archives: September 2014

Dimitri by Kym Grosso Release Day Blitz and Giveaway

30 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by ehmusings in Release Event

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Dimitri
by Kym Grosso
Immortals of New Orleans #6
Publication Date: September 30, 2014
Genres: Erotica, Paranormal, Romance

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An erotic paranormal romance…

Dimitri LeBlanc, sexy and charismatic beta of Acadian Wolves, survives a brutal attack after his wolf succumbs to a dark force, threatening his very existence. Waking up, tied to a bed, his amusement transforms into lust as a beautiful stranger heals his beast. Intrigued by his mysterious savior, the tables quickly turn, when in the heat of a dark desert night, he rescues her from a barbaric Alpha. Dimitri is inexplicably drawn to the alluring woman, and the discovery that she’s his mate rouses his hunger to claim her as his own.

Gillian Michel, a New York City photographer, conceals a secret hybrid past and mystical abilities. An entire lifetime, she’s deliberately avoided wolves, but a seductive encounter with an irresistible beta leaves her craving his touch, his lips on hers. Passion ignites her desire, leaving her yearning to submit to the powerful wolf who tests her sexual limits.

Deep in the heart of New Orleans, Dimitri and Gillian seek a cure to the parasite maligning his mighty beast. Still on the run from a malevolent force, they lure their enemy into the bayou. Will Gillian sacrifice her gifts to save the man she loves, destroying her own immortality? And will Dimitri eradicate the evil that has invaded his soul while protecting his mate from an adversary who threatens to kill them both?

Warning: This book contains several erotic love scenes and is intended for adult readers only.

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About Kym Grosso

Kym-Profile-Pic-183x300

Kym Grosso is the award-winning author of the bestselling erotic paranormal romance series, The Immortals of New Orleans. The series currently includes Kade’s Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 1), Luca’s Magic Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 2), Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 3), Logan’s Acadian Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 4), Léopold’s Wicked Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 5) and Dimitri (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 6).

In addition to romance, Kym has written and published several articles about autism, and is passionate about autism advocacy. She writes autism articles on PsychologyToday.com and AutismInRealLife.com. She also is a contributing essay author in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum.

Kym lives with her husband, two children, dog and cat. Her hobbies include autism advocacy, reading, tennis, zumba, traveling and spending time with her husband and children. New Orleans, with its rich culture, history and unique cuisine, is one of her favorite places to visit. Also, she loves traveling just about anywhere that has a beach or snow-covered mountains. On any given night, when not writing her own books, Kym can be found reading her Kindle, which is filled with hundreds of romances.

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Immortals of New Orleans by Kym Grosso

Learn more about the Immortals of New Orleans Series HERE

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Bigger Than The Sky by Harper Bentley Release Day Blitz

30 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by ehmusings in Book Blitz

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Title: Bigger Than the Sky (Serenity Point #1)

Author: Harper Bentley

Release Date: Sept 30, 2014

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Five years ago, I left my fiancé, hotter than hot Navy SEAL Kade Kelly, at the altar. 

No, I’m not an idiot.

Yes, I had my reasons. 

Now I’ve made a new life for myself working at a large firm in Richmond and I’ve left the past behind. Or so I thought.

Upon returning to my hometown of Serenity Point, Virginia, to take care of some business, I find that Kade’s now home for good and he’s none too happy about my being here. 

Two months. That’s all I’m staying then I’m out of here. Unless I believe the town’s pink-haired psychic’s prediction. Or embrace the sense of belonging I feel at being back home. Or give in to the emotions stirring inside when Kade’s attention is suddenly on me. 

He scares the crap out of me. 

He thrills me. 

He used to tell me our love was bigger than the sky.

I always knew ours was a once-in-a-lifetime love. So how can he be so sure it can happen again?

Insert buy links here

I’m hearing that submarine warning horn in my ears. You know the one. It goes A-ooooo-ga! And that shit’s going off in my head over and over. I think it means the sub’s diving, as in, it’s going down. And that’s my warning right now because likely, I’m going down.

I clutch the sides of my dress and think, I can’t do this!

But that’s not how today’s supposed to go, is it?

What I’m supposed to do is go inside that church, take my bouquet (which is fabulous, by the way) from Cassie, my maid of honor, and walk down the aisle to my handsome fiancé who’s waiting for me in front of the altar.

But now I stand at the bottom of the church steps and suddenly can’t catch my breath. Papaw takes my hand and I smile at him weakly as he helps me up the first step and the horn suddenly stops.

Well. That’s weird. Maybe I can do this.

Second step. Hm. Better. Feeling Papaw’s hand in mine is comforting. All right. I think I’ve got this now. Piece of cake.

Third step. Oh, no. I start sweating. I can’t be sweating right now, damn it! It’s so unladylike! And I’ll get those crusty, yellowy stains on my dress from my armpits! Gross!

Fourth step. Shit! I can’t breathe. The panic has a grip on me and no matter what I do to try to calm myself and get it to let me go—closing my eyes, focusing on my breathing, picturing myself getting a full-body massage from some cute guy named Sven—it seems to dig its claws in tighter. Mayday!

On Deck. A-ooooo-ga! A-ooooo-ga! Ack! I’m going down! I gulp for air trying to fill my lungs but nothing helps. I look at Papaw but I guess my lack of air is making me hallucinate because it’s not him holding my hand and smiling at me but Viper from the movie Top Gun. What the hell?

Soooo I’m hoping you’ve noticed the Navy theme here? That’s because a Navy SEAL is waiting inside to marry me but all this stuff going on right now is messing with my head.

Let me give you the low down on the situation. Or is it the down low? Ugh. I’m so not hip. Wait. Do people still say hip anymore? God. See what living with grandparents does to a girl? I’m twenty-five and I talk like I’m twice my age. Jeez. But back to what I was trying to tell you.

My guy and I have been together since I was a sophomore and he was a senior in high school. But he’s now been enlisted in the Navy for nine years, most of it spent training to be then going on missions as a SEAL, and in all that time I’ve seen him maybe a total, a total, of a little over a year. In nine years! I’m not kidding. Since I’m a CPA I’ll figure that out for you. Out of nine years, he’s been gone almost ninety percent of the time. Can you see the face I’m making at that right now?

Anyway, now’s such a fantastic time to be figuring that out, huh?

I’m not a needy or clingy person. I mean, obviously, right? If I were, I would never have even considered marrying him, but now the alarms are going off in my head because suddenly I don’t know if I can do this. How can you make a life with someone when you only get to see them for just over one month out of the year? Like I said, I don’t have to have a man around all the time, but those statistics are just crazy.

I know you’re wondering why I even let it get this far without doing the math and here’s the answer: I don’t know! Thought you were gonna get a better answer, didn’t you? Well, if I don’t know it, I damned sure can’t tell it to you!

But maybe the answer is that I love him. I really do. Honestly. So now I’m thinking that maybe the idea of being married was what pushed me forward. Or maybe I just got caught up in planning it all—picking out the dress, the bouquet, all that fun stuff—and it kept me distracted for a while. But now that I’m here and about to walk through these doors and down the aisle to become his wife, with the numbers stacked so hugely against me, I don’t think I can.

I look up at Papaw and shake my head. He frowns in confusion but when he sees the tears in my eyes, he knows. He nods and lets my hand go. “Go to him, honey. Tell him.”

But I can’t. I can’t face him after all this.

And the only thing I know to do is run.

So that’s what I do.

 

Harper Bentley has taught high school English for 22 years. Although she’s managed to maintain her sanity regardless of her career choice, jumping into the world of publishing her own books goes to show that she might be closer to the ledge than was previously thought.

After traveling the nation in her younger years as a military brat, having lived in Alaska, Washington State and California, she now resides in Oklahoma with her teenage daughter, two dogs and one cat, happily writing stories that she hopes her readers will enjoy.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

 

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Forget You by Jennifer Snyder

29 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by ehmusings in 4 stars, Book Tour

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FORGET YOU


forget you

By Jennifer Snyder

Cold Creek Companion Series #4

New Adult Contemporary

Releasing September 2, 2014

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

 

Eva Bennett might be known for her candid approach and sharp tongue, but on the inside she’s still a vulnerable twenty-four year old who’s sick of kissing toads and being habitually single.

Full of comical one-liners and wielding a charming smile, Sawyer Keeton is more than meets the eye. After the news of his brother’s tragic death, however, Sawyer is pulled into a place filled with crippling emotions and pain—a place no one can seem to reach him…until the moment Eva steps into his life.

A twist of fate will bring them together and then tear them apart, forcing the two to learn there are people in life whom you cherish and pray will never forget you.

___

Review

Eva Bennett has a habit of calling it as she sees it and when she sees National Guard member Sawyer Keeton she knows he is a typical male looking for his next score. Eva couldn’t be more wrong, Sawyer is just a man and he is definitely curious about Eva, whose snarky attitude has him just waiting to prove her wrong. Both have issues from their past that is still haunting them, but together they find a calm that soothes them.

Delightful read. This had some of the most creative dates I could possibly imagine and it brought a big smile to my face while reading. Entertaining from beginning to end, if your looking for a book that surprises you, this is one to pick up.

About the Author

jennifer

Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing New Adult and Young Adult Fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.

SHATTERED SOUL was my debut novel and no, you haven’t seen the end of me yet…

Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook Author Page

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Cover Reveal: Spanked By The Bad Boy by London Saint James

29 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by ehmusings in Cover Reveal

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Spanked by the Bad Boy
Bad Boy Fever Series,
Book 1
London Saint James
~ Decadent Publishing ~
Contemporary Erotic
Romance (Spanking)
Spanked
by the Bad Boy Official Long Blurb
As the
personal assistant to the owner of one of the top engineering firms in Denver,
Tiffany Brooks has worked hard at maintaining a professional façade, intent on
ridding herself of terrible habits—like her attraction to bad boys. But when
the owner of DC Construction enters her world two years after their one-time
anonymous sexual encounter, everything turns upside down.
Declan Cage is the type of guy who makes a lasting
impression, especially with women, yet the gorgeous assistant at Stoub
Engineering never remembers his name—or does she? Intrigued by her game, her
sexier than sin body, and an infuriating prissy attitude, Ms. Brooks is begging
to be taken into hand, and he’s the man to do it.
Armed with the knowledge Declan doesn’t recognize her, will
Tiffany give in to her desire for him yet again, or will her past come back to
haunt them both and ruin their chance at something real?
Coming
Soon From Decadent Publishing
Spanked
by the Bad Boy Excerpt
Tiffany Brooks heard the
familiar tocato-tocato-tocato sound
of a purring motor. She swiveled in her office chair to look out the window and
saw him park his custom chopper next
to her car on the paved lot of Stoub Engineering.
Straddling his chrome
bike wearing chunky leather work boots, jeans, and a simple white T-shirt,
Declan Cage set her heart to pitter-pat.
She touched her chest
and groused, “You’re not attracted to him, Tiffany.”
Tucking a piece of sable
brown hair behind her ear, she straightened her shoulders and put on her
toothy-white smile.
“Good morning,” she said
when he entered the building.
“Morning, Ms. Brooks.”
She observed him coming
toward her desk and willed her face to look pleasant, yet restrained. She
needed to keep her gaze particularly uninterested in him although the smug
politeness she plastered across her features was hard to accomplish. Declan had
a swagger that made her want to gawk at him.
“How are you today?” he
asked.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“And you?”
“Fabulous.”
Her response was a
blank-faced, “I’m sorry. I’m not good with names.”
He crinkled his brow,
and the muscle in his jaw flexed. Yeah.
There it was. The look. She’d definitely gotten under his skin.
“I’m Declan.” He turned
slightly to show her his back and gestured over his shoulder toward the logo.
The silver skull ring he wore on his thumb gleamed. “From DC Construction,” he
said. She couldn’t help but notice the way his muscles bulged beneath the
shirt.
“Oh yes.” She waved her
hand about.
She knew who he was and
had immediately recognized him the first time he sauntered into the office over
a month ago. She’d played it cool then, and she’d play it cool now. Besides,
revealing her little secret would be nothing but detrimental. Yet even if it
were a dangerous game, she loved bugging the hell out of him with her “I’m bad
with names” thing, especially since she imagined he wasn’t used to a woman
forgetting him.
Continuing with the “I’m
a busy professional who’s not impressed by you” farce, she casually glanced at
her laptop, flipped the lid closed, then looked back up at him. “How may I help
you today?”
 “Matthew called me this morning. He said he
left some plans here, and I should come by to pick them up.”
“Plans for the Cherry
Hills project, right?”
Declan smiled, and his
dimples made an appearance through the brownish stubble on his face. Tiffany
shook her legs beneath her desk a couple of times then stopped the nervous
movement, glad he couldn’t see them.
“Yes,” he said. “For the
parking garage.”
She rolled her chair
back and stood, sliding her hands down the sides of her hips, hoping to smooth
out any wrinkles in her skirt and secretly wishing to bring attention to her
curves. She removed her sweater so the silk and lace tank top hidden beneath
could be seen. When she flopped the garment over the back of her chair, she
straightened her spine and pressed her ample breasts out.
“Follow me,” she said,
tugging at the bottom hem of her shirt.
Satisfied she’d given
him a fairly good view of her hourglass figure, she glanced up. Declan stood
beside her, and even though she wore four-inch heels, he towered above her. His
height sort of intimidated her, but her body didn’t seem to impress him.
Crap.
He pulled a cell phone
from the leather holder hooked to his jeans and stared at the screen. “Sorry,”
he said in a bored tone. “I forgot to send a text.” His fingers tapped. He put
the phone away in a lackadaisical manner. “Lead on.”
Unwilling to let his
lack of interest faze her, she gave Declan her back and walked. “The plans are
in Mr. Stoub’s office.”
“Super,” he said.
She sashayed across the
room with her chin held high, stopping at the marble counter across from the
conference room and pointed toward the fancy coffee maker. “There’s fresh
coffee. Can I get you some?”
“No. I’m fine. But
thanks for offering,” he said.
“Mm.” She continued
toward the office, Declan following behind her. “Well.…” After walking in, she
eyed several elongated white tubes sitting on top of the oversized desk and gestured
toward one wingback chair. “Have a seat. It will take me a second or two to
find the right drawings.” She walked around the office furniture as Declan sat
on the edge of the chair. Picking up one tube, she read the label. “Sawyer,”
she said and set it down in too much of a rush. Her hand accidently hit the
other containers. They jostled and started to roll. She tried to stop their
momentum, but several of the cylinders went over the side and hit the ground.
“Geez Louise.” Tiffany sidestepped and bent to get them.
Declan had already
jumped up to help her.
“Here, let me,” he said,
coming to her side and squatting next to her.
When he reached for the
mess, his right arm brushed against the top portion of her left shoulder. She
sucked in a breath at the contact and thought her heart would stop from the
frisson of energy snapping over her skin. Every part of her body became aware
of him. He was potent. And virile. A rough, intoxicating man in his prime.
Refusing to be reduced
to a quivering weakling, she reminded herself he was only a man, akin to any
other, and turned to see his face. “Thank you.”
He met her gaze.
“Anytime.”
Those eyes. The color of the sea. Deep, blue-green, and
fathomless.
Who was she trying to
kid? Declan Cage wasn’t just any man. She looked away and focused on something
else.
Tiffany fixed her
attention on the clutter she’d created, but she was still watching him—staring
at his large hands while he gathered up the blueprint holders. She licked her
lips and pictured those hands on her body, fondling her.
“I think this is what
you’re here for,” she said and tugged one tube out of his grip. “Cherry Hills.”
She turned the container around so the label faced him. He nodded. “I’ll trade
you.” She switched her lone cylinder with his three, tucking one up against her
side before she straightened and went to the desk. “I’ve tried to get Mr. Stoub
to put these plans away and not keep them on his desk.”
Carefully, Tiffany
placed each blueprint tube alongside the others on the desktop and watched to
make sure she wasn’t going to have any runaways. When she was satisfied they
were going to stay in place, she glanced up.
Declan had already taken
the plans out and unrolled them, eyeing the specs where he stood.
“This is exactly what I
need,” he said.
“Great.”
He slightly turned the
large parchment. The cords in his tanned forearms worked, jumping beneath the
light smattering of crisp sun-bronzed hair. His biceps flexed. She focused on
the tattoo. The tatt wandered up his right arm and kept going—the end hidden
beneath the material of his T-shirt. She made a fist, trying to stop the itch
to trace the colorful artwork imprinted on him, and studied the width of his
shoulders and breadth of his chest instead. Compelled, her gaze lowered to his
jeans. Oh, my. The denim was worn
white in all the right places.
 Coming
Soon From Decadent Publishing
About
the Author:
London Saint James has lived in many places, but never felt
“at home” until she met the real-life man of her dreams and settled down in the
beautiful Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. London lives with her husband and their
fat cat who thinks he owns them.
As an award-winning, bestselling, multi-published author,
London is living her childhood dream. She knew all the scribbling she did, that
big imagination of hers, and all those clamoring
characters running around in her head would pay off someday.
London’s
Links
:
Web: http://www.londonsaintjames.com
Blog: http://londonsj.blogspot.com
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/LSJRomance
Facebook
Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-Saint-James/154331444626603
Facebook
Personal Page: http://www.facebook.com/LSaintJamesRomance
Bad Boy Fever FB Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/badboyfever
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/LSJRomance

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Let Me In by Erin McCarthy Book Blitz

29 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by ehmusings in Book Blitz

≈ Leave a comment

letmeinblitz

letmein Let Me In by Erin McCarthy

(Blurred Lines #3)
Publication date: September 25th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:

A girl in danger…

Aubrey Walsh never dreamed that she would find herself in an abusive relationship, but after her boyfriend hits her so hard he breaks her tooth, she flees the University of Maine to hide on a remote island with her best friend. Only to discover that she is pregnant. Terrified of what will happen if Jared finds out, she is walking along the rocks, deciding her future, when she slips.

A guy with a secret past…

After a job gone wrong, Riker has left the assassin business and is incognito as a ferryboat operator off the shores of Maine. It’s a lonely life, and when he sees a young woman almost fall off the rocks, he doesn’t hesitate to save her and take her in, though he’s determined to stay unemotionally uninvolved. But when the truth about her situation is revealed, he will do anything to protect Aubrey and her unborn child.

Even marry her. Even kill for her.

When Jared comes looking for the only girl who has ever rejected him, Riker won’t allow it. And Aubrey is torn between protecting herself and her child, or protecting the mysterious husband she has come to love.

And when chance brings them together but fate tears them apart, can their love survive the storm?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21948300-let-me-in

Purchase:

–Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Blurred-Lines-Book-ebook/dp/B00NTBO5F8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411654322&sr=8-1&keywords=let+me+in+Erin+McCarthy

–B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/let-me-in-erin-mccarthy/1120377703?ean=2940150713932

Excerpt:

 

 

LET ME IN

By Erin McCarthy

 

“Where were you?” Jared asked as I came into the apartment, my arms loaded with plastic grocery bags.

He didn’t offer to help.  He never offered to help.

His tone was congenial, but after six months of living with him, I knew him well enough to recognize that he was looking to trap me, to start a fight.  To back me into a verbal corner where he could accuse me of some misconduct and there would be no way to argue rationally with him.

“The grocery store.”  I staggered to the kitchen and heaved the eight bags onto the counter.

“It doesn’t take that long to go to the grocery store, Aubrey.”  He stood up, rising slowly, unfurling himself like he had all the time in the world.

My palms started to sweat.  Nerves.  The cat-and-mouse game had begun, just like it had more and more frequently, where he berated me and shamed me and frightened me.

“I left work at five, sweetheart.”  Sometimes, giving him a smile and using a term of endearment helped to diffuse his anger, but it was getting harder and harder to make myself smile.

It was also hard to believe I’d ever looked at him and thought he was gorgeous.  Thought he was so sweet, so charming.  There was nothing charming about him at all now.  He was cruel and insecure and sadistic, and I was afraid of him—yet even more afraid to leave him.

He moved towards me, his arms crossing over his chest.  “You fucking the bag boy, babe?  Is that it?  You can’t come home on time and cook me some dinner because you’re too busy in the backroom blowing some loser.”

I shook my head, saliva thick in my mouth.  I took an involuntary step backward, but the cabinets halted my progress.

There was nowhere to go.

“Of course not.  Why would I do that?  I love you,” I said even though I didn’t.  He’d killed every genuine emotion I’d ever had for him.  “You’re the only man for me.”

The only man I even dared to look at for fear of the repercussions.  The only man whose touch I granted, even when I wasn’t in the mood or I was tired or he purposefully degraded me.  I knew that if the fear could be peeled away, there would be nothing there but pure hatred for Jared, but the terror was too overwhelming, an octopus ink that covered, hid, camouflaged all my other emotions.

“What do you want for dinner, baby?” I asked, despising the tone of my voice.  It was wheedling, desperate.  Pathetic.  I didn’t even recognize that voice anymore—or who I had become.

I reached out to put my hands on his chest, to halt his steps, but under the guise of affection.  I tried to kiss him, but he grabbed my hands and yanked one up to his face, the motion jerking my shoulder.  I winced then tried to cover it.  He sniffed my hand.

“What are you doing?” I asked, appalled.

He had leaned in and was smelling my neck, my clothes, my hair.  It was discomfiting, and my hand trembled before I could try to control it.

“Seeing if you smell like a man.”

I didn’t smell like a man.  But I was sure I did smell like sweat.  It was August, and even in Maine, the days could heat up.  It was almost eighty degrees outside and we didn’t have air conditioning in our apartment.  Plus, fear always made me leach that sour anxiety sweat and I was truly afraid.  I knew what he was going to do and I knew it was going to hurt.

The girl I used to be would have spit in his face, kneed his nuts, stomped on his foot.  But for eighteen months, Jared had been grinding me down one day, one hour, one minute at a time until I was merely a powdery dust beneath his boot.  I wanted to fight back.  I wanted to flee, but I had left him three times before, and each time, he’d brought me back with first his tears and then his fists.  He’d threatened my mother, my father, my brother, my best friend.  He’d gotten me fired from my job, kicked out of my sorority house, and he had convinced me that no other man would love me.

So this me, the one with no money and no car and self-esteem that had been fed through the industrial shredder, just tried to keep the peace.  To make the moment pass without repercussion.

“I’ll smell like a man once you kiss me,” I said lightly.  “I missed you.”  Lie.  Total lie.  So untrue that I actually felt bile rise in my mouth.

He saw it.  Somehow, he always saw it.  It was like he’d perfected the evil art of stripping me naked emotionally in front of him and he thrived on the humiliation.

Jared suddenly gripped my chin hard in his hand, jerking my head to the side.

I gave an involuntary cry.  “What’s wrong?  What are you doing?”

His lips came up to my ear.  At first, he lightly nibbled on my earlobe.  Then he whispered to me, his tender tone at complete odds with his words.  “If you even so much as look at another man, I will break every bone in your body.  I won’t even use my hands because you’re not worth it.  I’ll stomp on you with my boot, the one I use to go riding, the one covered in horseshit.  I’ll beat you so bad you’ll wish you were dead, and no man will ever look at your busted face with anything other than total disgust.  Do you understand me?”

I nodded, a shiver rolling up my spine.  He was big and he surrounded me, his shoulders tense, his grip on my chin so hard I knew it would bruise.  He had played lacrosse in college, but he was broad and muscular enough that he could have gone out for rugby.  I would never be able to overpower him, outrun him, escape him.

“I understand,” I whispered.  “I am not interested in other men.”  I wasn’t.  I never wanted another man ever again.  All I wanted was to be left alone.

He bit my earlobe.  Hard.

I gasped in surprise.  “Ow.”  I hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but it’d slipped out involuntary.

Pulling his head back, he jerked my chin so I was facing him again.  “Shut up. You are the whiniest woman I’ve ever met.  I swear to God, all you do is complain.”

A hysterical laugh bubbled up inside me and escaped before I could stop it.  Was he insane?

Maybe he was.  Maybe he was actually totally certifiable.  Because I never complained.  Ever.  About anything.  He had knocked that out of me months ago, had silenced me almost from the beginning with his verbal disapproval.  I walked on fucking eggshells now and I was exhausted.

But even though I tried to clamp my lips shut, he heard the weird giggle and it enraged him.  Before I could even prepare for it, the back of his hand came up and nailed me on the cheek.  I stumbled from the force of the blow, tears springing up.  Pain reverberated throughout my face and I caught myself with my palms on the kitchen counter, my hands falling into the grocery bags.  He yanked me back by the arm and slammed me against the cabinets so that my hip connected hard with the lip of the countertop.

Then he went for the hair, grabbing a big fistful of my blond strands and jerking it so viciously that I cried out in pain.  He did it to blur my vision with tears so I couldn’t see him clearly.  It was his MO.  First the hair.  Then a few blows.  Sometimes the face, but usually the arms so no one would see bruises later.

“Give me your phone.”

I dug it out of my pocket, thrusting it at him.  There was nothing incriminating on it.  But that wasn’t why he wanted it.  He hurled it at the cabinets, denting the wood.  The phone fell to the floor and he stepped on it.  I heard the crack.

This was going to be a bad one, the worst in months.  I could feel it.  When I blinked and my vision cleared, I saw the fury in his eyes, the flare of his nostrils.  He looked…murderous.

“Why are you doing this?” I demanded, more of the old me left than I’d realized.  “I didn’t do anything.”  I tried to bend down, to get away from his hold on me.

A survival instinct that had been lying dormant kicked in.  This wasn’t going to be a time where I could placate him, and I was suddenly frightened—but not of pain.  Of dying.  If he hit me too hard, I could die, and I wasn’t going to let him do that without trying to protect myself first.

“You’re a fucking slut, that’s why.  I know you’re screwing around on me.”  With one hand still holding me, he used the other to pull his belt out of the loops on his jeans.

I clawed at his hands, trying to get myself free.  No.  No way in fucking hell was he going to hit me with that.  When I couldn’t break his grip on my hair, I used my arm to strike at the belt as he raised it, knocking it out of his hand.  The leather stung and I let out a cry, but he was shocked that I’d deflected the blow.  I used that sudden pause to my advantage, twisting out his reach and finally freeing my hair.

“Don’t you dare hit me with that,” I warned, catching my breath and backing away from him.

“Are you giving me orders?” he scoffed.  “I’ll hit you with whatever I want.  Pull your pants down.  I’m going to beat your ass with this belt like you deserve.”

There was no way I was going to voluntarily take my pants off so he could humiliate and abuse me.  Somewhere deep inside, I found my strength despite the fear, and the line I couldn’t let him cross before I lost myself entirely.

“No.”

“Then I’ll take your pants off.”

When he started towards me, I bolted, knocking my shoulder into his as I took off for the front door of our apartment.  My keys to his car were still in my pocket.  Or I could make it to the neighbors if I couldn’t sprint to the car.  But he shoved me and I fell back against the wall.  I tripped on the lamp cord and it crashed off the end table onto the floor.  I put my hands up, but it was too late.

The belt, buckle end first, hit me square in the jaw, and the pain was so shocking, so excruciating, that I fell onto my knees and straight onto my face.  I rolled on my side, grabbing at my mouth, my nose.  Everything was radiating an agonizing throb, my fingers wet, the scent of my own blood clogging my nostrils.  I tried to speak, to scream, to cry, but nothing came out but a gurgling mewl of panic.  I dropped my bottom lip and blood rushed between my fingers, down my arm, puddled onto the floor.

“Oh, fuck, Aubrey.  Look what you made me do.”  Jared sounded frustrated.

The belt clanked down onto the floor next to me, and I winced, scooting away instinctively.  I scrambled to sit up, to grab the belt so he couldn’t hit me again.  There were tears in his eyes, and that enraged me.  How dare he.  How fucking dare he.

“I’m sorry.  I’m sorry.  Shit.  If you weren’t such a bitch I wouldn’t get like this.  But you push all my buttons.”  His hands went up into his hair.  “You’re going be fine.  Just go rinse your mouth out.  Where are the car keys?  I’m going to the bar.  I need a drink.”

On my knees, gripping my split jaw with one hand, I started to dig in my pocket, loathing him with every bone in my body.  Every single bone that he wanted to break hated him and his pathetic limp-dick need to beat on a woman half his size.  When he bent over and made to root around in my pocket, clearly impatient, I swatted his hand.

“Don’t touch me!  I’ll give you the keys.”  Blood sprayed across his face with my words and he reached up and wiped it away in disgust.

“Jesus, Aubrey.  That’s really gross.”  Then he took the keys and left as I glared at him in complete silence.

I spit out two of my teeth into my palm and put them in my pocket.  Then, with shaking fingers, I packed a bag with my wallet, my cell phone with the now shattered screen, and some of the groceries I’d just bought.  The rest of the food I left on the counter to rot.

Without even bothering to clean myself up, I went out the front door and knocked on the apartment immediately to the left, where an elderly couple lived, my bag on my shoulder.

When the wife opened the door, I choked back tears as her eyes widened in horror.  “Please help me,” I said, my words garbled from a swollen lip and the whistle of air where my teeth used to be.  “Before my boyfriend comes back.”

AUTHOR BIO

USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in erin2002 and has since written almost fifty novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for New Orleans, tattoos, high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.

Author links:

http://www.erinmccarthy.net/

https://twitter.com/authorerin

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7941.Erin_McCarthy

Erin McCarthy Q&A

Q: Tell us about Let Me In.

A: Let Me In is the third book in my Blurred Lines series.  It features Aubrey, who we met in book one, You Make Me.  Aubrey was Cat’s best friend and her fiance Ethan’s sister.  In this book, Aubrey comes to stay with Cat and her boyfriend Heath on a remote island off the coast of Maine after being abused by her boyfriend.  She is also pregnant.  The next door neighbor is a sexy and mysterious former Marine who vows to keep Aubrey safe from harm.  I loved giving Aubrey her own story.  She was alternately sad and snarky in You Make Me and it was interesting to dig into her thoughts.

 

Q: How many books will there be in the Blurred Lines series?

A: As of right now, I have committed myself (haha, I might need to after this release schedule) to writing six books in the series.  Book four, Meant For Me, will release in December.  That book will feature Ethan, who has had trouble picking up the pieces of his life after he and Cat broke up.  Then book five will be sometime in the spring, most likely April.

 

Q: Is Let Me In based on a classic novel?

A: While You Make Me and Live For Me were inspired by Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, I confess I’ve strayed from that.  As I introduced these characters in the first two books, I wanted to write their stories without trying to muscle them into classic plots.  But they still retain the angst and the drama of the Bronte sister novels, which to me is perfect for New Adult romance.

 

Q: Do you have any contemporary romances releasing that aren’t New Adult?

A: Always!  In October, Final Lap, book eight in my Fast Track series is out.  Also, Close Up, the second in a trilogy from Harlequin Blaze will be out.  November brings Sexy Mistakes, an anthology with myself and two other authors featuring online/social media snafus.  Finally, in December there will be a fun, sexy novella titled The Nemesis Affair, featuring an Irish rugby player and the woman he hires to be his nemesis.

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Backfield in Motion by Jami Davenport

29 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by ehmusings in 4 stars, Contemporary Romance, Series, Sport Romance

≈ Leave a comment

Backfield in Motion (Seattle Lumberjacks, #4)Backfield in Motion by Jami Davenport

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

He is sex on a stick and he knows it. Star running back and Lumberjack hottie Bruce “Bruiser” Mackey is the face of Lumberjack football, with his good looks and natural charisma he can have any woman he wants and he usually does. That is until it comes to his unnatural curiosity with groundskeeper for the Lumberjacks MacKenzie “Mac” Hernandez, the frumpy exterior hides a snappish tongue and quick wit that has no issue of putting Bruiser in his place. Bruiser can’t deny that the he is confused by the attraction but it all makes sense when Bruiser offers to be her date at a team barbecue to help her further her career. A makeover is the least of Bruiser’s worries as he begins to want to act on the feelings that Mac is stirring in him and Bruiser has his reputation to think of, he only dates stunners and Mac is a woman of humble beginnings and proud of it. Can Bruiser get over his own hangups to hang on to the one person who really sees him for who he really is?

Full review on Single Titles
http://singletitles.com/?p=10159

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Hard As Stone by Sarah O’Rourke

28 Sunday Sep 2014

Posted by ehmusings in 5 stars, Contemporary Romance, Series, Suspense

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Hard as Stone (Passion in Paradise: The Men of the McKinnon Sisters, #2)Hard as Stone by Sarah O’Rourke

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The second Jacob Stone met Harmony McKinnon, he knew she was his one. Jacob had to tread delicately with Harmony for a few reasons, the biggest the reason he is there. Jacob is an undercover DEA agent and Harmony’s ex has ties to the man who led to his sisters death. He has been hunting his trail for years and wont stop until he has his revenge.

Harmony has not dated since she divorced his sadistic ex, everything about Jacob screams bad boy but Harmony finds she is also learning to trust him. Jacob has made his intent clear, although Harmony is not to sure about it, he wants a future with Harmony and her little girl Heaven. In order to start their future, Harmony’s ex need to be handled and Jacob needs to share the truth about who he really is.

This was a delightful treasure. You have four McKinnon sisters, all vastly different and all head strong. They swarm together protecting one another and reference Steel Magnolias. I thought the parallel was perfect, one moment you are smiling, then crying and then laughing so hard you have to put the book down briefly because you can’t catch a break. Best book I have read this month.

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Axel by Harper Sloan

27 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by ehmusings in 5 stars, Contemporary Romance, Series

≈ Leave a comment

Axel (Corps Security, #1)Axel by Harper Sloan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Isabelle West lost her heart to the one man she trusted more than anyone in the world and she lost it. After years of loneliness, Izzy thought she had met another man who would protect her heart and have a life with, she was so wrong. After years of abuse ended with Izzy was able to get away. Two years later, Izzy has started another life, but her ex still is trying to scare her. Her best friend Greg Cage has brought in his friends who are joining his security firm to help get her ex sorted out, but never in Izzy’s wildest dream did she expect to see the man she lost all of those years ago.

When Axel Reid sees Izzy again he knows he wants one thing, he wants answers. This Izzy is not the same vibrant woman he knew years ago, she is timid and protected by two people who will always put her first. As answers to the past slowly come in Axel and Izzy work through their issues from the past, but with Izzy’s ex still a threat, Axel wants him caught before he can feel that Izzy is safe.

Loved this story, I had not read this one before reading the rest of the series. This was even better than I expected. You feel Izzy’s emotions so vividly and as she becomes more like her old self with Axel, the story flourishes. Exciting beginning to the Corps Security series.

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Against the Cage by Sidney Halston

26 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by ehmusings in 5 stars, Contemporary Romance, Series

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Against the Cage (Worth the Fight, #1)Against the Cage by Sidney Halston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Chrissy Martin left her small home town, she never planned on coming back. Yes, she had a brother that lived there but he made it clear he did not want to be close. When he call to have her bail him out of jail, she heads back home.

Her first day though is not going well, her favorite red heels have met a sad death, a flat tire, a jail house visit, and now she has been pulled over by a cop who she incidentally hits in the nuts on accident. She had no idea her brothers best friend Jack Daniels is such cop. As they bicker, Jack sees Chrissy in a whole new light and he wants a sample. Chrissy is not opposed to the idea until Jack opens his mouth and starts talking. The two together though are an irresistible force and just can’t seem to help themselves though.

There is so much more to the story. Chrissy hates violence and both Jack and her brother fight in MMA. This has Chrissy conflicted, she is falling hard for Jack and Jack returns the sentiment but there are old feelings that Chrissy is battling with and it usually ends up with Chrissy running. The chemistry and banter between Chrissy and Jack is steamy, romantic, and humorous. I loved this story, ended up staying up until 4 in the morning reading it, couldn’t put it down.

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Outspoken Angel by Mia Dymond

26 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by ehmusings in 5 stars, Contemporary Romance, Series

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Outspoken Angel (SEALS, Inc., #2)Outspoken Angel by Mia Dymond

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cameron Tremaine leaves no man without the sting of her tongue and her ability to intimidate even the strongest man, has them running for the exit when confronted by her. The stiletto wearing blond bombshell may look like an angel, but behind those shimmering curls she is as wicked as they come.

Undercover SEAL Max Sterling has been captivated by Cameron from the moment he set eyes on her, of course he has no plan to let her know it. When a stalker from her past is released from jail, Cameron is put in danger and Max plans to be by her side protecting her but the vixen wants Max in more ways than once and Max is having a hard time resisting the temptation.

The series gets better and better, Max is a dominant hero and pure sin. My cheeks (facial) hurt from the smile plastered on my face while reading the interaction between Max and Cameron, yum….

**Reread because trying to finish series. This is a really fun book, best so far in the series. Max is totally off his game when it comes to Cameron everytime he thinks he has her figured out she surprises him.

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