First Kiss Friday – An Excerpt from “Gun For Hire” by J.J. Montgomery

Today on First Kiss Friday, we welcome romance author, J.J. Montgomery, and an excerpt from the Romantic Suspense novel, “Gun For Hire: The Maui Heat Series.”

The job should have been easy—patrol a swank beach that serves as a backyard for Maui’s rich, kick out the riffraff, and get a tan in the process. But rent-a-cop Samantha Winters didn’t anticipate a deliciously grumpy cop, Sergeant Grady Roark, who comes down to the beach to bust her chops and instead leaves her breathless…and wondering why the one man who could help her seems determined to thwart her at every turn.

Grady is keeping secrets from Sam that have him walking the line between attraction and duty. But when Sam becomes the target of a shadowy organization, Grady will have to choose between the law and the temptation of a woman who has him breaking every rule he’s ever known.

The job should have been easy, but when the bullets start flying, Sam learns nothing is as easy as it seems when you’re a Gun for Hire.

First Kiss Excerpt

“Can I trust you, Sam?”

I stared him right in the eyes. “You can trust me.”

I did it without thinking.

I pushed up onto my toes, and smacked my lips against his. Just a friendly kiss to seal the deal. A quick touch of my mouth, my hands pressing against the solid wall of his chest. It was impulsive, crazy. But my eyes fluttered closed anyway and I stood pressed against him, mesmerized by the feel of his big body against mine. His hands hung limp at his sides, but he leaned into me. Our breath mingled. My heart tapped a rhythm in my chest.

Oh my God, what was I doing?

I pulled away, my cheeks burning, and snatched my hands back. A long moment stretched between us. I waited for him to laugh, to make a joke, to dismiss me.

Instead, he swooped down, his big hands cupping my jaw, taking possession of me, his mouth greedy, demanding. He tasted so good, like something sweet and warm.

My stomach bottomed out and I matched his need by pressing against him, a thrill shooting through me at the friction.

He gobbled me up in pieces, biting at my lip, scraping me with his teeth, and then plunging his tongue to meet my own.

He was raw, unguarded, and I wanted him so much I forgot everything that stood between us. The kiss was fast and hungry; he’d responded to my harmless peck like a man starved. He pulled back just as abruptly.

I swayed into him, catching myself on his chest. I was breathing hard, afraid to look up.

He tilted my head back, and his eyes were softer than I’d ever seen them. He kissed me again—just a gentle brush of his mouth against mine. “I believe you, Sam.”

“Gun For Hire” is available through:

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The Wild Rose Press

First Kiss Friday – An Excerpt from “More Beginnings” by Iris Blobel

Today on First Kiss Friday, we welcome romance author, Iris Blobel, and an excerpt from the Contemporary Romance novel, “More Beginnings.”

Zach Taylor, an escort in Sydney, living in Hobart, enlists the help of Natasha Peterson when his teenage friend, Mia, runs away. He soon finds out that the ‘dragon’ is really more of a kitten. And although Natasha, Mia’s teacher, is attracted to him as well, she has her own problems to deal with, not to mention her initial reaction to Zach’s occupation.

Will Zach’s job keep him from a chance to be with Natasha?

Life is good for teenager Mia Levesque. But when Darren Schuster shows up in Hobart, she knows something is up once Sophie and Mark cut their weekend away short and rush home in the middle of the night. When Sophie won’t answer Mia’s questions, emotions run high, and Zach confirms Darren’s identity to Mia. Disappointed, angry, and feeling alone, Mia runs away.

Will life settle back into a routine for Mia once she finds out about the stranger in her life?

New Beginnings have given the Levesque girls a new start in life, will “More Beginnings” be another chance for them?

First Kiss Excerpt

Zach reached for his mobile in his pocket and flipped it open. First ring. Second ring. Third ring. No answer.

“Mark. Zach here. Call me with an update. Cheers.”

“Not answering?” Natasha enquired.

“What was your first clue?” Zach asked, tossing the phone onto the dash.

She shot him a glare. “Don't be a smart arse.”

He pulled in his lips and clamped his jaw shut, before he muttered an apology. “It’s been one bad day. I suppose my nerves are as tight as a drawn bowstring.”

A quick glance at her told him she understood. She placed her hand on his leg causing him to flinch in surprise. A sudden jolt went through his body, and the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise.

He turned to her as he stopped at the red light.

“I understand.”

Zach gulped.

“So let’s focus. Not Mark either. Would she have gone to the man who says he’s her father?”

“He is her father.”

“Does Daddy have a name?”

Trying to focus on the problem at hand, Zach gently placed his hand over hers, their fingers entwining playfully. Staring at their hands, he replied, “Darren Schuster.”

She was quiet, and he turned his gaze to Natasha and met her eyes dead-on. He leaned in close and spoke softly, “Once this is sorted, I really need to take you out to dinner.”

Equally quietly spoken, she replied, “It’s against our rules to date family members of our students.”

“I’m the babysitter,” he told her as he touched her lips with his own.

“Well, lucky me.”

But their tender moment was interrupted by a cabdriver honking his horn. Zach jerked, cursed, and drove on. Still stirred by the kiss, he rummaged through his jeans pockets for Darren’s card. Once he had his number in front of him, he dialled and waited for an answer.

“It’s Zach here.”

“How’s Sophie?” Darren asked.

“No news, yet.” Zach sighed. “Have you seen Mia by any chance since this afternoon?”

He heard background noises and assumed Darren was in an eatery or similar.

“Yes. In fact she left only a few minutes ago.”

“Fuck, isn’t anything going right today?” He pulled over to park near the pavement. “Did she say where she was going? Was she upset?”

There was the pinging noise of a lift in the background, and Zach hoped that Darren wasn’t stupid enough to enter. The phone connection would be dead instantly.

“I wouldn’t call it upset, more overwhelmed. And sorry, no, she simply left.”

Zach was about to hang up when he heard Darren repeat his question. “How’s Sophie?”

He flipped the phone closed, not caring about Darren.

Sophie! Damn it.

Zach’s emotions were in an overdrive. Never had he experienced anything like this before. He worried about Sophie and about the little unborn baby. Yet, he was still annoyed with her for not coming clean with her sister.

And he was worried about, as well as angry with Mia for running away!

He shook his head and noticed Natasha moving next to him. Such bad timing, he thought. He rested his head on the steering wheel, eyes closed. The memories of their brief kiss poured back like a movie running in his head, rushing warmth through his body. Concentrating to stay focussed on his search for Mia, he tried hard to think where she could’ve gone now. It had been a bad move to hang up on Darren.

He should’ve asked what they’d talked about, what he had told Mia, and whether he’d offered her to take her home. Was she on her way home? Alone?

“Zach?”

“Uh-huh?”

“Your phone.”

His phone was buzzing. Mark! With his fingers flicking all the buttons, he answered but was too late.

“Crap! Someone tell me this isn’t happening.”

Mark had left a message. All was okay. Sophie was okay, considering the circumstances. Still in labour and more than exhausted. The doctors were keeping a close eye on her in regard to her fatigue and were hoping the baby wouldn’t start to stress.

He inhaled deeply, but without looking at Natasha, he sighed. “One problem under control. Sophie is okay considering all, but the baby’s not behaving and still snuggled up inside. Must be the Levesque gene.”

“More Beginnings” is available through:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon AU  

Excerpt Two From "My Sexy Veterinarian"

Blurb

Nate Kincaid, wants to get out of debt and get his family off his back about his relationship status. The second means he needs a serious girlfriend, but after the death of his fiancé, he isn’t ready. No one knows about his nightmares—the ones that chase him into the dark places of grief. Dealing with debt means his fledgling veterinary practice must be successful—business before anything else. Always. Maybe a pretend relationship would solve his second problem so he can concentrate on the first. 

Full-time psychologist and part-time model, Lauren Royall, has the perfect life. As a therapist she helps people. As a model, her free spirit reigns. When Nate suggests she pose as his girlfriend, she accepts on a lark. Lauren senses his pain and wants to help. She hadn’t counted on falling for the guy or the painful memories from her past his situation evokes.

Excerpt

“You’re a walking contradiction. One of you brings me flowers and the other turns his back on me. One minute I think you like me and the next I feel like a leper.” She took a breath and plunged ahead. “Are you playing some kind of game?”

“No, no games. Gun shy, maybe. Getting too close to a woman can open a man up to a world of hurt.”

“And you’ve been there, done that?” His expression closed and she immediately missed the carefree man he’d been before she’d hit whatever nerve had made him flinch. She wanted that relaxed man back.

“Yeah, but I’m not ready to talk about it.”

“Fair enough. What would you like to talk about? It’s a beautiful day. We’ve enjoyed each other’s company. I’d like to keep it that way.” She’d find a way to tease out happy Nate or die trying.

“Well I do have something on my mind. A problem you might be able to help me solve.”

He had the look of a fox approaching the hen house. He wanted what was inside, but wasn’t sure what might be lying in wait. She put a smile in her voice to put him at ease. “I’m listening.”

“My family’s been bugging me about finding a steady girlfriend. They seem to think I’m afraid to get serious about anyone.” He picked up one of the containers and lifted the lid.

“Are you afraid of getting involved?” She didn’t expect him to open up but thought it was worth a shot.

He sniffed the contents of the container and put it back down. “No, just haven’t found anyone I want to date on a steady basis.”

He swallowed hard and looked away. Nate was lying, What part was the lie—that he hadn’t found anyone he wanted to date or that he was afraid to get involved? “What can I do to help you solve your problem?” she asked.

“I was thinking, maybe you and I could date, like we’re a couple, so my family would back off.”

A spark of annoyance flickered in her chest. He wanted people to think they were a couple but didn’t really want to be a couple. “Let me see if I understand. We’d date. We’d pretend to be serious about each other but it’d really be casual?”

“About sums it up.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I like you. I think we have fun together and when my family decides I’m not avoiding having a serious girlfriend, we can still be friends. You interested?”

“We do have fun together and since we’re both concentrating on our careers, a serious relationship isn’t something either of us needs.” She stuck out her hand. “You’ve got a deal.”

“Good.” He shook her hand. “What is all this stuff?” He indicated the food.

Silly man thought this was the end of their discussion. She’d let him deflect—for now. 

Purchase Your Copy of "My Sexy Veterinarian" at:

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Release Week Special Price - $1.99 from July 20-27!

Meet the Characters - An Interview with Dr. Brianna Scott from "Perfectly Skeptical" by Linda O’Connor

Today we’re talking to Dr. Brianna Scott from “Perfectly Skeptical (Perfectly Series novella)” by Linda O’Connor.

How old are you?

Young enough that I don’t mind being asked. Twenty-six.

What is your relationship status?

Happily single. I’m finishing my last year of family medicine training and have a big exam on the horizon. There’s not much time for anything other than clinics, call, and studying. And the last time I tried to balance a boyfriend with studying, it didn’t end well (for the boyfriend or the exam).

What is people’s first impression of you?

Hopefully, good. I’ve just spent six years interacting with patients and learning how to quickly put them at ease. Being a good listener is probably my greatest strength.

Name three of your favorite things.

Maisy Yates (the charge nurse at Rivermede General Hospital), chocolate, and sleep.

Name three things that tick you off.

A car straddling two spots in a crowded parking lot, rain three days in a row, and getting home from the grocery store and realizing I forgot to buy the one ingredient I went for. :S

What would you like it to say on your tombstone?

Hey, get out of the way. You’re blocking my sunshine.

If you could make any one thing happen, what would it be?

A cure for diabetes, discover the cause of cancer, or make renal dialysis more efficient and portable.

If there is one place in the world you could go, where would it be?

Little Cayman Island. If I won the lottery, that’s where I’d go.

What is your most prized possession?

The bicycle my parents gave me when I graduated from medical school. I love it! 

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

A night owl, which is handy when I’m on call. Not so fun the next morning though! :)

About Perfectly Skeptical (Perfectly Series novella)

Dr. Brianna Scott looked forward to sleeping away her staycation, until a windfall meant an upgrade to palm trees, an ocean view . . . and the sexy Dr. Matt Gaelen. She’ll have fun, but can a holiday fling really turn into a soul mate for life? Doubtful.

Matt has no radar for sniffing out gold-diggers and protecting his heart. Except Brianna is more turned off than turned on by his wealth. What are his chances of getting her to overlook it? Dubious at best.

Improbable and iffy – the typical path to love.

Perfectly Skeptical is one of 25 brand new sexy romances in the Tropical Tryst Boxed Set. Escape with us to a hot and tropical setting for only 99 cents. It’s available for pre-order now and will be released Aug. 1. Can’t wait to share Perfectly Skeptical with you!

PERFECTLY SKEPTICAL is available for pre-order through:

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And bonus: visit www.tropicaltryst.com for special pre-order giveaways. You can also join the Tropical Tryst Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TropicalTryst/) for updates and a chance to win Tropical Tryst swag!

What People Are Saying About "My Sexy Veterinarian"

Thank you to the wonderful readers who have taken the time to let me know what they thought about "My Sexy Veterinarian." I appreciate all your thoughtful comments. 

Read all 30+ Reviews on Amazon.

Available at a special price of $1.99 from July 20-27.


"Love this story. Great main characters and family members. Looking forward to reading more by this author."
5 Stars
Amazon 

"My Sexy Veterinarian by Bonnie Phelps is a typical modern romance read, but the fun and engaging writing style makes it seem different and refreshing." 
4 Stars 
Readers Favorites

"This is a wrenching story of love, loss, devastation, and fear. It's also a story about family and second chances. Lauren is the light of hope shining in the desert that is Nate's existence. We wallow in his sorrow as he wanders through the maze of his grief. We cheer as he catches a glimmer of possibilities in the morass of his future. It's an arduous journey of two steps forward and one back until he reaches the end of the tunnel of dread and fear that he traverses."
4 Stars
Amazon

"Great book! My first Bonnie Phelps but NOT my last! It's part of a series, The Texas Kincaids, a large, loving, devoted, boisterous family, full of moms, dads, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins. Very well written with friendly, funny, delightful characters and wonderfully descriptive details about their lives and surroundings. I'm very excited that there is a whole series about this captivating family."
5 Star
Amazon

"Bonnie Phelps has done it again. A man who has suffered loss in love and is reluctant to risk his heart again and a confident professional woman who finds love and wants to have it all now. Bonnie has delivered a touching love story interwoven with threads of optimism , family and hope. I look forward to Josh's story that I see already forming in her head." 
5 Star
Amazon

"Nate, still recovering from the loss of his fiance, meets Lauren. He likes her but he’s still afraid to show his feelings because he doesn’t want to hurt anymore. Lauren likes him too. They take it slow and love blooms. This story was full of details about the characters and their story comes together despite the hurts from the past. Another great read." 

5 Stars
Amazon

Excerpt from "My Sexy Veterinarian"

Excerpt:

Nate looked down at his feet and rolled his shoulders. As his body gradually relaxed, he shook his head, his lips a thin line. No matter how good intentioned, his mom managed to push his buttons when she got on the topic of his love life. The problem was, she was right. It was high time he settled down, had that family he’d always wanted, little ones trailing after him, a wife waiting for him at home.

But the thought of what he could lose wound him up tighter than a Chihuahua in a crowd of strangers. Was it possible to care about a woman, live with her, have children with her, but be okay if life went south and he lost her? He couldn’t survive being dragged back down into the dark, black hole of grief he’d been living in the past few years.

When he looked up, his heart did a rapid rat-tat-tat. Well, well, well. What have we here? His cousin, Crystal, was walking toward him and at her side was one of the most drop-dead gorgeous women he’d ever seen. She was tall, with a mass of wavy platinum blonde hair tumbling around a face that was at once sweet and sexy. And talk about curves. Sensuous enough to make a man want to get down on his knees and beg her to notice him, yet sleek and classy like a high-price race horse. He shoved the anxiety he felt at being pressured about his love life back in the cubby where it belonged. Maybe today wasn’t going to suck after all.

When Crystal reached him, she gave him a quick, friendly hug, then stepped back and looked him up and down. “No obvious bruising, no blood, so it seems you escaped your mom relatively unscathed.”

Nate’s chuckle felt more like a piece of bread stuck in his throat than any humor at the situation. “You saw my mom?”

“Yes, and wisely kept my distance until she’d finished raking you over the coals. What did you do to piss her off this time?”

“She was chewing me out because I thwarted another one of her match-making attempts.” He did his best to keep his tone light, like this was no big deal, but the assessing look in the blonde’s crystal blue eyes told him he wasn’t fooling her. Empathy and understanding radiated off her like the rays of the sun. Not his usual type, but if she wasn’t looking for anything serious, he could see himself dating her and hopefully shift his mom’s focus off his relationship status.

When it appeared Crystal wasn’t going to add anything, the mystery woman discretely elbowed his cousin in the ribs. He knew it. Crystal wasn’t standing in front of him by accident. He buried the inward sigh and kept his face neutral except for his brows raised in question.

Her moment of hesitation passed and Crystal launched in to what she’d come to do. “Nate, have you met Lauren yet? She’s come to church with me a few times, but I haven’t seen you lately.”

“No, this summer’s been crazy. Animals need attention when they need it and could care less about my plans. Now that Sue Ann has gotten her license and joined the practice, things should ease up a bit and I can get out more.”

“In that case, Lauren Royall, meet Nate Kincaid.”

He stuck out his hand and felt a jolt of pure energy travel up his arm as he enfolded her soft, delicate hand in his. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

Her voice was soft, soothing, with a drawl he couldn’t quite place. She looked him directly in the eye. This woman met life head on. Maybe dating her wouldn’t be such a good idea.

“Lauren moved here a few months ago to join a marriage and family counseling practice and hasn’t had time to meet many people,” Crystal said. “Why don’t you two find us a table and get acquainted while I grab food. I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving.” Nate reached out and pinched her ribs. “Don’t know where a little thing like you puts it all, but grab some for me while you’re at it.”

  “You got it.”

Nate hooked his thumbs in his front pockets and watched his cousin bustle away. Huffing out a breath, he muttered, “Is there any female in this family who isn’t trying to hook me up?” Keeping his hands in his pockets he resisted the strange desire to go cave man and carry Lauren off somewhere. Instead, inclining his head toward the tables, he asked, “Should we find a place to sit?”

He felt her gaze on him and turned his head. The mischief dancing in her eyes made him feel alive and interested for the first time in a long time. Unease skittered across his scalp. He didn’t want to feel attraction.

“I can’t speak to Crystal’s intentions, but I spotted you as soon as we arrived and asked her to introduce us.”

“You did? Why?”

“You’re attractive.” She tilted her head and those lush lips formed a curious pout. “There’s something about you intrigues me. I want to find out what.” She shrugged. “I’ve made it a policy to let instinct guide me.”

“Isn’t that a bit risky? Acting without thinking it through?”

“Let me guess. You’re an analysis and reason guy?”

“Yeah. What’s wrong with that?” His body tightened and he stepped away. His tone sounded like a rusty hinge.

“Absolutely nothing. In fact I admire the trait. Sometimes wish I had a little more of it.” Her head bobbed side-to-side in a carefree way.

“I sense a ‘but’ at the end of your sentence.” He pulled out a chair for her at the long, folding table. Instead of sitting beside her, he moved to sit across from her. She made him skittish as a horse in a thunder storm, but an idea began percolating. He needed a fake girlfriend. She must be unattached or Crystal wouldn’t have introduced them. He’d think on that for a while. There was also something familiar about her, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“We can find ourselves facing difficult, painful, even frightening situations, whether we carefully plan our lives or fly by the seat of our pants. Life has a habit of throwing us curve balls.” She crossed her arms and lifted her shoulders. “The ‘going with my gut’ approach has worked for me, but it’s not for everyone.”

Somewhat mollified, he decided to switch topics. “Where did you move from?”

“Raleigh, North Carolina, where I went to college, but home is Charleston, South Carolina.”

“I thought I detected an accent. I like it. A different cadence than we’re used to around here.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Crystal said you’re a counselor. Does that mean you’re some kind of shrink or something?” Suspicion tightened his throat. Was his family sicking her on him to fix him?

He figured he’d stepped in it when she narrowed her eyes and with a quick movement shook the hair away from her face.

“Do you know how the term ‘shrink’ originated?”

He shrugged. “No, but I bet you’re going to tell me.” Yup, he’d hit a sore spot and a playful smile tugged at his lips. This playfulness was something else he hadn’t felt in a while.

“In the field’s infancy people used to think psychiatrists actually shrunk peoples’ minds and started comparing practitioners to the aboriginal tribes that shrunk heads. It was as though the process of addressing mental health issues was somehow mystical and at the same time – nefarious.”

“You don’t say.” Feisty —so unlike his fiancé’s unflappable demeanor. Sharon had been steady and he’d always known what she’d been thinking.

“I do say.” She rested her elbows on the table and propped her chin in her fists. She leveled a discerning gaze at him that made him want to squirm. “If people called you a ‘quack,’ how would you feel?”

A sharp pain stabbed him in the gut. “I wouldn’t like it. I worked hard to get the education and training I needed to be a vet and I’m proud of what I do. I’m guessing the same applies to you. So how do you describe what you do?”

“My job is to help clients develop strategies to address whatever is holding them back from being the person they want to be.”

“Basically, talking them down from the ledge?” Thoughtfully he ran his finger across his chin just below his lips and saw her eyes track the movement. She had to refocus before answering and a jolt of excitement made his breath catch.

“Sometimes the situation is critical and as you say, we talk them down.” She leaned back in her chair. “But the vast majority seek therapy because they realize something is missing in their lives, things could be better, they could be better—and they want better. My goal is to help them find it. Does that help explain what I do?”

“I think so. You help people who need someone to hold their hands, instead of sucking it up and moving on.”

“You don’t think too highly of my profession, do you?”

He shrugged. “I can’t imagine sitting around spilling my guts to a stranger.”

“So if you felt like something was missing in your life, but had no idea what it was or how to change, you wouldn’t want help trying to figure it out? You’d prefer to stay stuck?”

He grunted in response and shifted in his chair. “Are you always so certain you know what’s best for other people?” She made him feel uncomfortable. He didn’t like being reminded a big chunk of him was gone. He wanted the better she talked about but was he willing to risk getting it?

Available through:

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First Kiss Friday – An Excerpt from “Beloved Enemy” by Hywela Lyn

Today on First Kiss Friday, we welcome romance author, Hywela Lyn, and an excerpt from the Sci-Fi Romance novel, “Beloved Enemy.”

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?

First Kiss Excerpt

He bent to retrieve his tunic from the ground. “I hope that thing has no friends lurking around,” he muttered, staring at the river for any signs of movement.

“I wonder how many more wild creatures are out there waiting for the chance to get an easy meal.”

“I had no intention of making it ‘easy’,” he said, with the best approximation he could muster of a wry grin. Where had the monster come from? The water must be a lot deeper toward the far shore than it looked, to have concealed such a large animal.

“You’d better have an anti-toxin shot, when we get back to camp, just in case. No telling what might be in that animal’s claws,” Cat remarked. “I’m amazed it didn’t do more damage. It was huge. I heard it and came running. For a moment, I thought I was too late.”

“I admit I was a little concerned myself,” he said, tucking the instrument back into his pocket and slipping his arm into the sleeve of his tunic. “As it was, the creature knocked me off my feet before I could get a shot—” The words froze on his lips, as he looked over her head to the river behind her, letting the tunic fall to the ground. He raised his blaster and yelled, “Out of the way—now!”

****

“Wha-at?” Cat flung herself sideways. Her feet slid from under her as something long and black wrapped itself round her leg, writhing and tightening its coils. She hit the ground hard, rolling over to her shoulder, almost deafened by the sound of Kerry’s blaster.

The water sprayed up from the river and her throat burned with the acrid smell of blaster emissions and burning flesh. Gravel and pebbles dug into her skin through the fabric of her clothing, as something dragged her toward the edge of the bank. She bit back a cry of horror as she glanced over her shoulder at the thing twining itself around her leg. An icy fear went through her. Snakes—the only creatures she really feared. She aimed her pistol and then realized it was not a serpent that dragged her toward the river, but a long, rubbery tentacle fastened around the tough material of her leggings and boot.

Before she could activate the weapon, Kerry let off another barrage of plasma bolts into the river. He leapt toward her and ripped the severed tentacle from her leg. It flapped around on the wet grass. She scrambled to her knees, still slightly winded, and fired at the hideous thing. The foliage around it flared briefly with an eerie green flame, and the tentacle shrivelled into a slimy black mass, emitting a pungent odour and causing her to gag.

“It seems I was mistaken about the creature being dead.” Kerry prodded the smouldering mass with his boot and looked across over the water. “It is now.” He leaned down and grasped her wrist to haul her to her feet. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Her shoulder was sore and probably bruised but she’d live.

She tried to control her shivering. The incident affected her more than she wanted to admit. Kerry’s proximity—naked to the waist, his lithe body shining from the water droplets that still clung to his skin, and his legs swathed in tight black leather—did nothing to help. The last thing she wanted was for him to realize how scared she’d been when she thought a snake attacked her.

He bent to retrieve his tunic from the ground. “I hope that thing has no friends lurking around,” he muttered, staring at the river for any signs of movement.

“Thanks. That was close. It would have been a bit ironic if I’d been killed by the same creature I saved you from.” She realized he still grasped her wrist. She tried to move away, but he pulled her back, obliging her to turn to him.

“You’re trembling.”

“I’m fine.”

“No,” he said. “You’re not.” He pulled her closer and his eyes softened, his gaze holding her mesmerized. She opened her mouth to try to speak, but in the same instant, he put his hand under her chin and his lips closed over hers.

For a brief moment, she tried to resist but found herself drawn into his kiss as he deepened it, his hand brushing lightly through her hair. For a long moment, time seemed to stand still, and nothing mattered except his lips burning on hers. His tongue teased her own, demanding and insistent, his lips incredibly sensuous, firm, caressing. Through the thin material of her shirt, Cat felt the warmth of his bare chest pressed hard against her breasts. The cold metal of the capsule he obviously did not take off, even to bathe, dug into her skin, but the slight discomfort was nothing compared to the turmoil in her mind.

Without any conscious action on her part, her arms slipped around his neck. She traced the damp skin of his shoulders with her fingers and felt the ridges of old scars on his back. Her heart pounded  uncomfortably in her chest, and her blood coursed like liquid fire through her veins.

She couldn’t remember ever having been kissed that way, or wanting to kiss someone back so desperately, not even Dorian.

“Beloved Enemy” is available through:

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TheWild Rose Press

Paperback

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Cover Reveal - My Sexy Veterinarian by Bonnie Phelps

Nate Kincaid, wants to get out of debt and get his family off his back about his relationship status. The second means he needs a serious girlfriend, but after the death of his fiancé, he isn’t ready. No one knows about his nightmares—the ones that chase him into the dark places of grief. Dealing with debt means his fledgling veterinary practice must be successful—business before anything else. Always. Maybe a pretend relationship would solve his second problem so he can concentrate on the first. 

Full-time psychologist and part-time model, Lauren Royall, has the perfect life. As a therapist she helps people. As a model, her free spirit reigns. When Nate suggests she pose as his girlfriend, she accepts on a lark. Lauren senses his pain and wants to help. She hadn’t counted on falling for the guy or the painful memories from her past his situation evokes.

About the Author

Rumor has it that Bonnie began telling stories at a very early age. Photos exist of the author toddling around the corner of the house covered in mud babbling about magic rabbits leading her through the garden. Her parents were amused – until they discovered she had also walked across the newly poured cement patio – which only added fuel to the fire of her passion for writing. From then on, her active imagination continued to churn out plots and character sketches always wondering how different people would behave in similar situations. People are endlessly fascinating and stories are everywhere. 

Bonnie used her writing skills throughout her professional life as a fundraiser and marketer for several nonprofits. She enjoyed the chance to tell and share the story of worthy organizations. In the late 1980s, Bonnie authored a syndicated column in several California newspapers in which she shared the experiences and misadventures of life as a wife and mother. The jury is out on whether or not her children appreciated her candor. Because Bonnie has romance in her soul, she also worked as a Wedding Planner for several years. Absolutely loved it!! She craves anything sweet, revels in any chance to travel, and is addicted to Ancestry.com. A native Californian, the author lives in Northern California with her husband.

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****Launch Week Special Price of $1.99 from July 20-27!****

NEW RELEASE: The Duchess and the Highwayman By Beverley Oakley

The Duchess and the Highwayman

By Beverley Oakley

Beverley is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate and an ebook, “The Mysterious Governess,”to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here.

BLURB:

A duchess disguised as a lady’s maid; a gentleman parading as a highwayman.

She’s on the run from a murderer, he’s in pursuit of one…

In a remote Norfolk manor, Phoebe, Lady Cavanaugh is wrongfully accused by her servants of her brutal husband’s murder.

There’s little sympathy in the district for the duchess who’s taken a lover and made clear she despised her husband. The local magistrate has also vowed revenge since Lady Cavanaugh rebuffed his advances.

When Phoebe is discovered in the forest wearing only a chemise stained with the blood of her murdered husband, she persuades the noble ‘highwayman’ who rescues her that she is Lady Cavanaugh’s maidservant.

Hugh Redding has his own reasons for hunting down the man who would have Phoebe tried and hanged for murder. He plans to turn ‘the maidservant with aspirations above her station' into the 'lady' who might testify against the very villain who would see Phoebe dead.

But despite the fierce attraction between Phoebe and the 'highwayman', Phoebe is not in a position to admit she's the 'murderous duchess' hunted across the land.

Seizing an opportunity to strike at the social and financial standing of the man who has profited by her distress, Phoebe is drawn into a dangerous intrigue.

But when disaster strikes, she fears Hugh will lack the sympathy or understanding of her unusual predicament to even want to save her a second time.

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Excerpt:

He’d wanted to quiz Phoebe in greater detail but she was clearly shocked by the ordeal and besides, there’d not been the privacy he required.

As he lowered himself into the little wooden chair that was surely too spindly to support a man of the miller’s girth, he mused upon relations between Phoebe and Wentworth. Had he even noticed his lover’s maid? Wentworth was a man who took advantage where he could so Hugh would have to ask the question. Yet several men with whom he’d shared an ale at the local tavern had suggested the local lady of the manor and her lover had eyes only for one another. The Blinley Manor servants said Wentworth was renowned for incarcerating himself in his lover’s salon for days at a time, an observation that suggested he had little interest in the underlings of his household.

Hugh pushed open the casement window and stared at the starry sky above. Far in the distance he could see Blinley Manor, a single twinkling light burning in the distance. He felt foolish now, imagining he could have forced Wentworth out of his carriage at pistol point in order to gain the satisfaction he needed. The truth was that red hot fury had fuelled his wild ride to this part of the world the moment Ada had reluctantly given her brother the name he’d hounded her to reveal.

But with Phoebe as his new ally, a far more sophisticated and effective plan was going to win the day. One that would ensure justice for Hugh’s sister without Hugh having to dirty his hands.

A sound in the bushes below caught his ear. Instantly he was on the alert, tensing as he withdrew his head and snuffed out the candle while he peered into the darkness.

With a murder having recently occurred up at the manor and Wentworth no doubt on the run, who knew what characters were about? Quietly, Hugh slipped into the corridor and exited through the scullery and into the kitchen garden. He allowed himself a moment to get used to the darkness before moving silently around the ivy clad walls, glad of his dark clothing. When he reached the casement of the front parlour he rested the back of his head against the panes and strained his eyes for a sign of movement in the bushes the bordered the grounds. But only the soft sighing of the breeze through the leaves emitted any sound. He moved forward to begin an investigation deeper into the garden when the muted splash of water within reminded him that just inside, Phoebe was having her bath.

He turned, and felt a jolt of shock and something he was immediately unable to identify as through the diamond-paned windows he took in the startlingly erotic sight of a young woman with slender, milky limbs and long ripples of golden-brown hair standing in a bath rub, reaching down to soap her thighs. Her face was no longer streaked with mud and as she raised her chin Hugh felt guilt and fascination in equal measure; topped with a large degree of astonishment. The girl was a beauty.

He turned away, uncomfortably conscious that his hatred of Wentworth stemmed from that man’s disregard for the dignity of a woman. Hugh did not want to be compared. But as he took a step back towards the house he felt softness beneath his feet and then the startled shriek of Mrs Within’s deaf and blind cat which flew at him with bared claws.

His last glimpse before he hurried back into the safety of indoors was confirmation that Phoebe’s body was indeed goddess-like perfection, her waist tiny, her breasts full and tipped with two tiny pink rosebud nipples. Trying not to deny the effect of such a sight, he closed the door to the outside behind him and took the stairs, two at a time, to his room.

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Author Info:

Beverley Oakley was seventeen when she bundled up her first her 500+ page romance and

sent it to a publisher. Unfortunately drowning her heroine on the last page was apparently not in line with the expectations of romance readers so Beverley became a journalist.

Twenty-six years later Beverley was delighted to receive her first publishing contract from Robert Hale (UK) for a romance in which she ensured her heroine was saved from drowning in the icy North Sea.

Since 2009 Beverley has written more than thirteen historical romances, mostly set in England during the early nineteenth century. Mystery, intrigue and adventure spill from their pages and if she can pull off a thrilling race to save someone’s honour – or a worthy damsel from the noose – it’s time to celebrate with a good single malt Scotch.

Beverley lives with her husband, two daughters and a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy the size of a pony opposite a picturesque nineteenth century lunatic asylum. She also writes Africa-set adventure-filled romances tarring handsome bush pilot heroes, and historical romances with less steam and more sexual tension, as Beverley Eikli.

You can get in contact with Beverley at:

website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Goodreads

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