Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Xpresso Tours ~ Healing Heather and Accepting Aerin by Tinsley Sellers


Healing Heather
Tinsley Sellers
(Beckley’s Daughters Romance #1)
Publication date: July 20th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
She’s going 120mph in a 65 zone—and if driving even faster could change history, Professor Heather Harris would floor it. She’s on a collision course with Sergeant Brian Daniels, a state trooper determined to enforce the speed limit and slam the brakes on his own heartache. Can a fast-moving physicist find love with a laid-back law officer, or will ghosts from their pasts keep driving them apart?
“All relationships come with an expiration date. All of mine just happened to fall on the same two days.” —Heather Harris
After a long year of tragedy and loss, Dr. Heather Harris is finally ready to come to terms with the deaths that have left her devastated and alone in the world. Spending summer break at the lake cottage she inherited from her grandparents is the first step in coping with her crushing grief, but she soon finds herself on a collision course with Sergeant Brian Daniels, a police officer whose passion for classic cars won’t stop him from enforcing the speed limit.
Brian Daniels embraces his small-town, laid-back, lakeside life. After years of heartbreak at the hands of his first love, he’s finally free—and a fast-driving, karaoke-singing physics professor offers an exciting diversion. Opposites attract, but the sudden appearance of a blonde on a Harley threatens to throw a monkey wrench in the works. Will the pull of his past be stronger than the promise of his future?
Welcome to the small-town world of Beckley, Michigan. The two-lane roads are long and winding, the many lakes are cool and blue, and the dense forests are green and shaded. Summer days are warm and sunny and summer nights are clear under the glittering stars. The people are warm, friendly, smart, funny–and very, very real. When you need a place to call home, Beckley welcomes you—and sometimes the family you choose is as strong as the bonds you’re born with.

Accepting Erin
Tinsley Sellers
(Beckley’s Daughters Romance #1)
Publication date: November 16th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Former Chicago Cubs third baseman Chet Coakley needs a quiet place to write the last novel in his best-selling series.
When a freak accident ends his baseball career, Chet finds his second chance writing a series of retro-detective novels. He’s on a deadline and can’t afford a distraction—especially not in the form of a vivacious blonde innkeeper who challenges everything he believes about himself.
Professional chef Aerin Buckholtz owns a vintage lodge and fifteen cabins on a secluded lake in the Michigan woods.
Betrayed by her best friend and self-conscious about her appearance, Aerin believes that romance isn’t meant for her. She’s building her business—and working to earn good reviews seems safer than admitting her attraction to a handsome former athlete who feels far out of her league.
Can Aerin and Chet learn to see themselves through each other’s eyes and accept a love neither one saw coming?
Welcome back to Beckley, Michigan! Autumn is in the air and as the days get shorter, the air gets cooler and the trees begin to turn every shade of gold and red. The people are just as warm, friendly, smart, funny, and real as you remember. When you need a place to call home, Beckley welcomes you—and sometimes the family you choose is as strong as the bonds you’re born with.
If you like small-town romance, you’ll like Beckley. If you like smart heroines who balance demanding professional careers with a commitment to family, friends, and finding love, then you’ll definitely like it here. If you like strong, sexy, hard-working heroes who have not-so-secret soft spots for kids, kittens, and classic cars, you may find that you never want to leave!
Accepting Aerin is the second in the Beckley’s Daughters Romance series. This series is recommended for adult readers and contains explicit language and intimate situations.
Get both for only 99¢ each for a limited time!
Healing Heather Sneak Peek:
That’s your truck?” I almost dropped my ice cream. My hot caramel, double scoop, butter pecan with whipped cream and two cherries sundae, to be precise. All over the front of Brian’s blue and white striped button-down shirt.
After I had hung up on him, I couldn’t shake the image of the ice cream. The craving got too strong, and I had decided that spending my dinner calories on that outrageous sundae made perfect sense. A tiny voice in the back of my brain had whispered that I might be trying to run into someone—not naming any names, not pointing any fingers—accidentally on purpose. You’re not helping, I had whispered back to the voice, but hopped in Violet and hit the road rolling towards Bowdon anyway.
Johnson’s was an old-fashioned soda fountain, and entering it was like stepping back fifty years in an instant. The fresh-faced teenage girl behind the counter wore a pink and white striped apron, and an exaggerated pink bow held back her blonde ponytail. Her hand-drawn name tag read Lizzie, with a tiny pink heart dotting each ‘i.’
When I had placed my order, she grinned. “One Sergeant’s Special, coming right up!” She had cheerfully gotten busy, scooping and topping like someone who had built that particular confection on more than one occasion.
“The Sarge likes his with an extra cherry,” she held up the half-empty jar of maraschinos as evidence. “One or two for you?”
“Two, of course,” I peered over the counter as she worked. “And maybe just a little more whipped cream?”
As I emerged from the ice cream parlor with my enormous probably-better-than-sex sundae, the first thing I saw was a fully-restored classic pick up. Parked directly in front of Johnson’s, right next to Violet, it was a Dodge, 1951 or ’52, five-window. From the pristine condition of the Sea Mist Green paint to the spotless whitewall tires, I surmised that it still had the original straight-line 6-cylinder engine and three-speed transmission. Brian stepped wordlessly aside while I handed him my sundae and circled the truck, utterly transfixed. I may have been drooling just a little. Clicking the latch, I lifted the driver’s side bonnet—and gasped out loud.
“Yeah,” he nodded over my shoulder, “it’s a 392 Hemi. Just like yours.” He grinned and started spooning my sundae into his mouth. “I bought her about eight years ago, and it took me six years to bring her back to life. I figured she deserved the Hemi.”
He scooped another generous spoonful of my ice cream into his mouth and savored. “Dang, did Lizzie make this? Just gets better every time.” He handed me back the paper bowl and closed the truck bonnet. “Wanna go for a ride?”
Did I ever. Girl Code or Common Sense 101 be damned, there was no way I was turning down a ride in that beauty-on-the-outside, beast-on-the-inside truck. Without a word, I climbed into the cab on the passenger side. The interior had been meticulously restored, and the tan leather bench seat had been customized with intricate stitching.
He roared the engine to life, and my heart skipped a beat. In seconds, he had turned off the main highway, and we headed east an empty two-lane, windows rolled down and radio turned up.
“So, if I remember correctly, this is the part of the country song where I kick my shoes off and put my pretty bare feet on the dash.” I smiled sweetly and licked the caramel from my spoon, a little more suggestively than was strictly necessary. Something about the rolled-up sleeves and half-unbuttoned casual shirt he wore over a plain white tee spoke to me on an almost cellular level, triggering a sensual response I couldn’t really control. I took another bite, swirling my tongue through whipped cream with an exaggerated innocence.
“Followed by the verse where I kick you out of my truck for spilling ice cream all over the leather,” he looked meaningfully at the paper bowl and its rapidly melting contents. The molten caramel and the summer heat had conspired, almost liquefying the butter pecan.
“Sorry,” I said meekly, sitting up straighter and corralling my wayward thoughts. “I won’t spill, I promise. But you may have to help me finish this, it’s a double.”
“Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse.” He kept his left hand on the wheel, and while I held the bowl, tried unsuccessfully with his right to secure a spoonful. “I’m a lefty. Help me out here?”
I slid over a bit closer and held the sundae-loaded spoon to his lips. Without taking his eyes from the road, he took the bite with obvious relish. I repeated the process, then helped myself to a spoonful. Sharing the single spoon felt intimate and little romantic.
We drove in comfortable silence. Neither one of us mentioned our recent conversation, and it didn’t feel necessary to bring it up. The road wound through the silent forest, then suddenly opened up with hay fields and horse pasture on either side of the road. Three horses glanced up briefly, then resumed their leisurely grazing. A white farmhouse stood about a hundred yards from the road, flanked by a tidy barn and a stable. I imagined a young family: a father leading his young daughter on the back of a pony; a mother laughing and pushing a baby boy on a tree swing.
“Can I tell you something?” he asked suddenly, startling me from my reverie. “I just don’t want you to misunderstand.”
“Of course you can,” I replied, curious. “But don’t feel like you need to explain anything to me. I don’t want you to think I…” I trailed off, not knowing exactly how to finish my thought.
“Think you what? Judge me? Pity me?” He slowed the truck, pulling over on the shoulder, and turned to face me. “I don’t think you would do either. But let’s just set the record perfectly straight. Yeah, I had a relationship with Amanda. It was a lot of years, a lot of chaos, a lot of pain, and now it’s over. It’s been over for a long time.”
“Okay…” I exhaled. “She made me think you were still seeing each other pretty exclusively. I didn’t—I don’t—want to be in the middle of anything.”
“You aren’t. You couldn’t be. There’s nothing to be in the middle of.” His green eyes still showed pain, though. I reached over and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. The pain in his eyes gave way to something that looked like optimism. Or maybe hope. Either one was fine by me.
“Well then. That’s resolved. I’m sorry I was rude this afternoon, it was uncalled for.” I smiled an apology. “So, Sergeant SeaMist, is this a ’51 or a ’52?”


Author Bio:
Tinsley Sellers grew up in Chicago, spending her summers with her grandparents in a tiny town a lot like Beckley, Michigan. Life took her to Arizona, Washington, and Idaho before she finally found her home in Arkansas. She is married to an amazing, supportive (and handsome!) man, with whom she has rescued three dogs and two cats. When she’s not writing, she teaches physics and engineering at the local university. When she’s not writing or teaching, she’s probably trying new recipes. She enjoys fast cars, loud music, fine whisky, and big books. In no particular order.

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Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Xpresso Tours ~ The Year I Left by Christine Brae


The Year I Left
Christine Brae
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: August 20th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction
“A thousand half loves must be forsaken to take one whole heart home.”
Carin Frost doesn’t understand what’s happening to her. A confident businesswoman, wife, and mother, she begins to resent everything about her life. Nothing makes sense. Nothing makes her feel. Maybe it’s the recent loss of her mother in a tragic accident. Or maybe she’s just losing her mind.
Enter Matias Torres. As their new business partnership thrives, so does their friendship—and his interest in her. Carin is determined to keep her distance, until a work assignment sends them to Southeast Asia where a storm is brewing on the island. In the midst of the chaos, Matias asks her to do something unimaginable, exhilarating, BOLD. Carin knows the consequences could be dire, but it may be the only way to save herself.
An honest look at love and marriage and the frailties of the human heart, this is a story of a woman’s loss of self and purpose and the journey she takes to find her way back.
EXCERPT:
Sometime in the late summer when the air began to tingle and the leaves started to fall, I opened my eyes one morning and my view of the world had changed.
Just like that. I can still see it in my head. The way I let it all unfold. It was a train wreck waiting to happen, and I let it.
I left for a business trip that morning with my house in total disarray. I had no good reason for refusing to take Charlie to his school bus, and despite having some time to change our dog’s water bowl, I chose not to do it. There it lay, next to the unwashed food dish, crusted with the remains of last night’s dinner. I figured Jack would get home from the gym and handle it all.
Piles of paper gathering dust on the floor and debit card receipts busting out of a little white box screamed for my attention. I ignored them. My home office, the place where I used to hide all day, was like a war zone.
And it wasn’t like we had money issues. Paying our bills was the least of my worries. Jack had made a killing when his startup was bought out, and I was the head of client services at a global real-estate company.
I just stopped giving a damn. Nothing interested me. I was beset by indifference. I just couldn’t keep up anymore. The sleepless nights, the exhaustion, the constant streaming in my head. Everything seemed so insignificant, so mundane. My successes, my accomplishments, they had lost all meaning.


Author Bio:
Christine Brae is a senior executive with a full time career, who thought she could write a book about her life and then run away as far as possible from it. She never imagined that her words would touch the hearts of so many women with the same story to tell. Christine has written six books since her first release in 2013. She is the author of The Light in the Wound and His Wounded Light (2013), Insipid (2014), In This Life (2016) and Eight Goodbyes (2018).
Her latest book, The Year I Left is scheduled for release in August, 2019.
When not listening to the voices in her head or spending late nights at the office, Christine can be seen shopping for shoes and purses, running a half marathon or spending time with her husband and three children in Chicago.
Christine is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management.

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Friday, August 9, 2019

Xpresso Tours ~ Bane of Tenebris by Blaise Ramsay


Bane of Tenebris
Blaise Ramsay
(Wolfgods #2)
Published by: FyreSyde Publishing
Publication date: July 20th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Alexander Kain has been through hell. For centuries, torture, bloodshed, war and living in the shadow of a powerful father have haunted his every dream. Born to die in the place of another due to an ancient pact, he has resigned himself to isolation to wait for death’s sweet embrace. Everything changes when a young woman – a hybrid; both vampire and lycan – arrives beaten and left for dead at his doorstep.
He couldn’t have known that saving her would lead him down a twisting, winding road. One filled with old rivals longing to settle a score, former lovers of a bygone, taboo past or an unlikely alliance with the monsters he fought during centuries of war.
The dark god who tortured Kain disappears, his methods and plans unsettling. He must come to grips when his past if he is to survive. However, unlike the loneliness he once knew, Kain falls in love with the woman he found naked in the woods.
A love that just might be what he needs to put the ghosts of his past to rest.
CHAPTER 3:
Tala’s chest hurt from running. Unfamiliar screams filled her ears, shifting into angry snarls and growls. Something rammed her hard enough to knock her down, but she quickly recovered and continued to run. Black shapes surrounded her, lashing out with their claws, leaving painful bites across her skin.
Exhausted, Tala collapsed. As she lay on the ground, her vision blurred and faded from the dark images to one of an angelic-faced man with dirty blonde hair.
Tala opened her eyes, free from the fractured memories, finding she no longer lay on the ground in the woods. Groaning, she tried to push herself onto her elbows to take in her surroundings and her condition.
She looked down to find herself naked, half covered in thick blankets, and her wounds cleaned and wrapped.
Lifting her eyes to the rest of the room, she saw a round, black wood burning stove in the corner. In its maw an orange fire glowed.
When the door opened, Tala jerked her attention towards the noise of the creaking hinges. The same man she thought she only dreamed of walked in carrying a plate of food and extra bandages.
Polished, sculpted muscles lay scarcely hidden beneath the white undershirt he wore. The faded, dark blue jeans sat low on his hips. The features of his face remained soft, yet Tala could see they were worn by time.
She felt her cheeks heat the longer she stared. The only imperfections were the jagged scars covering the copper skin of his arms.
“Oh, you’re awake. I’m glad. I began to wonder if you would wake at all,” the strange man said as he set the plate on the table next to the bedside and grabbed the bandages.
Tala backed away so quickly she underestimated the distance and fell over the bed’s edge, landing to the floor with a THUD!
The man clenched one eye closed, hissing through his teeth. “I’m sorry. That looked rather unpleasant.”
The man strode around the other side of the bed and took a knee in front of her. His gentle eyes met hers. In a tender voice, he said. “I’m not going to hurt you. My name is Alexander Kain. May I ask your name?”
Kain held out his hand to help her up.
“Tala. My name is Tala,” Tala replied, taking Kain’s hand. “Where am I and how did I get here?
“You’re in my home. I found you injured in the woods not far from here. You’ve been unconscious for almost a week now,” Kain said. He took the food from the bedside table and setting it down in front of her. He followed with his own question, “Do you know how you came to be in the woods?”
Tala rubbed her head, groaning. The images from the dream returned to her, causing her to tremble. “I…I remember running. There were black shapes. I don’t remember anything before that.”
Kain helped Tala sit back down on the bed. “These black shapes. Do you recall something strange about them?”
“They moved fast. I remember the stings of pain each time they got close.”
Kain sat down next to her on the bed. “It’s okay. It may take time for your memories to return. I’m not sure how long you were out there. Try to get some food and rest. I will come back later to check on your injuries.”
“Wait. Where am I? What city?”
“Big Timber. About a mile outside of it to be specific,” Kain replied.
“Big Timber?” Tala’s eyes widened. “I was trying to get here.”
“Get some rest and eat. We can talk more later.” Kain departed the room without saying another word.
****
Kain leaned against the wooden railing of his covered porch, his eyes focused on the line of trees around the perimeter of his cabin. In the shadows, he made out glowing eyes staring from beyond the gloom. Snarls could be heard above the silence.
The lights of a black Mustang could be seen driving up the gravel road towards the cabin.
He soon recognized it, grinning. “Well, well, well. It seems I’m suddenly very popular.”
Kain waited for the car to stop and the engine turned off before descending the wooden stairs.
Gabriel stepped out of the driver’s side, running a hand through shoulder length, curly dark hair. “It’s good to see you, old friend.” He commented in a thick European voice, embracing Kain.
“You as well. What brings you so far out of your pack’s territory?” Kain asked, his eyes never leaving the trees.
Gabriel followed Kain’s line of sight. “You see them as well?”
“Yes. As of yet, they have not ventured any closer. I cannot be sure of how long that will last. Come, we can talk inside.” Kain motioned Gabriel towards the front door.
When they got inside, Tala sat in the living room in front of the fire with a cup of water in her hands, wrapped in a borrowed blanket. She jumped when Kain came in with Gabriel.
Gabriel whistled at seeing how pretty the young woman was. “Who’s this?”
Kain shook his head, sighing and reaching the heel of his hand to the side of his head, eyes turned towards the ceiling. “Honestly, Gabriel, must you really?”
Gabriel shrugged, holding his hands up as he approached Tala. “I won’t hurt you. My name is Gabriel Locke. I’m Kain’s friend.” Gabriel held out his hand. Tala waited for a nod from Kain before she reached to shake it. “There, see? What’s your name?”
Tala told him.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Gabriel kissed her hand before addressing Kain. “Kain, I wish I came here to catch up, but I’m afraid that isn’t the case.”
“I imagined it wouldn’t be. You rarely come to make a social call. What is it?” Kain sat down in the recliner while Gabriel chose to sit on the floor.
“Ramona contacted me,” Gabriel said. A low rumble in the back of his throat. “Stoker survived the battle at the Stones and slithered to the Cardozas in Great Falls. He’s informed Anthony of the events that happened here. So far, it doesn’t appear to Ramona that Anthony even cares.”
Kain listened to Gabriel go into the details about how Anthony Cardoza, the Don of Great Falls, began to search for an item of unknown origin. His escapades caused horrendous damages to the lycan packs surrounding the city.
During the conversation, Kain’s eyes never left Tala. Her actions indicated signs of familiarity with the situation.
“What is the damage so far, Gabriel?” Kain asked.
Tears began to fall down Tala’s face. Out of the blue, she commented on how the Don began slaughtering the pack, recalling instances of smells of smoke and copper. Black shapes ripped and tore flesh from bone amidst crumbling cinders of houses lycans used to live in peace.
Gabriel pushed his legs underneath himself to stand. “That about sums it up. Ramona says Desdemona is trying to reign Anthony in, but her efforts are going unheard. Whatever he’s looking for, he wants it enough to commit genocide.”
Kain shoved himself up from his chair so strongly, the force sent the legs skidding across the wood floors. “We will not let this go unchallenged. Gabriel, give me two days and I will return to the battlefield. For now, considering our unwanted guests, you should stay for the night. Return to your pack in the morning. They will need you.”
Gabriel nodded, retiring to one of the guest rooms Kain often let him use when he visited.
****
After Gabriel left the room, Tala watched Kain walk into the kitchen. Curious, she got up to follow him and peeked around the doorframe to find Kain staring out of the window above the sink.
“You don’t have to hide. Come in,” he said in the same tender voice he used in the room upstairs.
Tala walked into the kitchen, sitting in the chair closest to Kain. She stared at his arms, taking in every jagged scar tarnishing his skin. She wanted to ask where he got them but held herself back.
“You said your last name is Kain? I’m not sure where, but I’ve heard it before.”
Kain pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, his elbows resting on his thighs. “Have you? It’s an unusual name around here.”
“Yes. I heard stories about someone named Kain from the elders of my pack. They called him Penta-something,” she closed her eyes trying to remember.
“Pentacost.”
When their eyes met, Tala could see how sad he looked. “I think so. Did you know him?”
Kain closed his eyes. A remorseful sigh blew through his nose as he rose from the chair. “It does not matter. Be ready. In two days, I take you to Big Timber.”
****
The following morning, Gabriel left after having coffee and talking with Kain over breakfast. He hadn’t been gone long before a rustling and clanging from outside made Kain focus on the window overlooking the shed he usually prepared his catches in.
“They have finally come closer.”
“They?” Tala asked. She glanced around, her brows lowered in fear, scooting closer to Kain.
As he headed to the front door, Kain spoke of the black shapes Tala mentioned, labeling them as werewolves and being sure they followed the commands of someone. He put on his jacket and went outside to confront the monsters tearing his supply shed apart.
Kain stayed close to the side of the cabin and snuck around the perimeter until his shed came into view.
Werewolves ripped and tore at the wooden walls of the shed, tearing meat from drying racks and fighting over meat they took from the overturned freezer.
A slight rustle in the tree line behind him brought Kain’s attention to the new visitor. The large wolf form identified him as a lycan, not a werewolf.
Whites overtook Kain’s eyes at the realization of the familiar black fur. No, it cannot be.
The lycan grinned, his fangs dripping with saliva over dark gums. Triangular ears stiffened towards the sky, deep orange eyes the color of a burning sunset thinned with satisfaction. Something about him seemed distorted; defiled as though he were bathed in Barghast’s shadow. In a flash of fur and shadows, the lycan vanished into the trees.
A moment in his past flashed in his mind. The howling of a lycan in pain, the taste of blood, an angry promise of vengeance. Rage filled gales of wind and rain whipped, stinging with the icy knives of winter. Those eyes. I remember those eyes.
****
Tala jumped as Kain burst through the door, slamming it shut. He ran up the stairs only to return with what appeared to be a camper’s bag. He ordered Tala to be prepared to go, his words laced with urgency.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s no time. We need to go.” Kain rustled through a drawer, grabbing the keys to his car. Handing Tala some clothes to borrow, Kain told her to wait for him to call to her.
Tala wanted to argue but resigned to getting dressed and waiting until she heard Kain call to her from outside before following him.
Kain stood next to the open driver’s side door, focusing his eyes on the surrounding area. He waved his hand, beckoning her towards the car.
Tala ran down the stairs, brushing her hair away from her face to keep it from hindering her sight.
She got into the car as the first werewolf jumped towards her, snarling. Tala raised her arms to her face, prepared to be struck with its claws. When no attack came, she opened her eyes to see Kain restraining the flailing monster, his strong arms around its ribs.
Kain growled as he tightened his forearm around the thrashing monster’s neck. A sickening snap made the monster fall limp, its tongue lulling out of its mouth.
Kain threw the body aside before he got into the driver’s side of the car, closing and locking the door. His breath heaved.
“It’s been a while since I’ve done that,” He smirked. Shifting the car into reverse, Kain slammed his foot on the accelerator making the tires shriek in protest.
When they reached the main road, Tala saw the werewolves running alongside the car in the trees. “What do they want?”
Kain didn’t answer. The arrival of the lycan made him second guess his original theory as to why the werewolves stalked his cabin.
A werewolf slammed its body against the driver’s side door of the car, jarring it.
In response, Kain used the body of the vehicle and the guardrails of the highway to pin the werewolf between them. It whimpered and howled in pain as its flesh was severed from its side, in a storm of sparks and grinding metal.
Another werewolf took a flying leap into the windshield from the middle of the road, claws outstretched, fangs bared. The impact cracked the glass. It grasped at the hood with its claws, sending sparks where steel met bone.
“Hang on!” Kain said, slamming on the brakes, sending the creature flying down the pavement.
There were too many of them to outmaneuver, especially when Kain couldn’t change and had Tala to contend with. He began to wonder if he could get either of them out of this encounter alive.
A howl above the wind made the werewolves freeze.
“What is that?” Tala asked.
Kain smirked, stopping the car. Just beyond the tree line, he saw Gabriel skidding down the side of the hill.
Lune followed behind him while an obsidian wolf, Kain recognized as Jillian sprinted ahead of them. Scott and Nathaniel followed close on her flanks.
The werewolves remained still. Another howl, like the shriek of a banshee, forced them to retreat into the woods.
Kain got out of the car to greet his friends.
Gabriel walked to the head of the pack, shaking his head side to side, snuffing.
“It’s good to see you. How did you know?” Kain asked.
Gabriel turned his head. Kain followed his gaze to see a pure white wolf with black markings on his paws, chest, ear tips and tail walking towards them.
Kain grinned, offering a slight bow of his head. Damien broke into a canter until he reached Kain, whimpering. He lowered his ears, nuzzling his friend’s stomach.
Tala got out of the car, her eyes locked on the white wolf Kain petted. “Lycans.”
Kain rose up to look at her.
“My mother is a lycan. She’s the one who told me to come here,” Tala replied, remembering the voice of her mother begging her to run.
Damien looked at Kain, tilting his head, whimpering.
“I will tell you more when we get to your house.” Kain turned on his heel to walk back to his car.


Author Bio:
FyreSyde Publishing owner and founder Blaise Ramsay worked over fifteen years in the graphic design industry, with some experience in indie gaming. Recently she shifted her attention to the world of literature with her debut paranormal romance series, Wolf gods. The debut title, Blessing of Luna is set to release in 2018. She currently lives in North Texas with her two children, her husband and pets. A UTD graduate with a Bachelor's in History with an intention on teaching, Blaise decided that the world of teaching just wasn't for her. A stay at home mother of two, business owner and self-publisher, Blaise loves to meet new people and encourage others to follow their dreams through weekly posts to her instagram, twitter, facebook and blog.

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Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Xpresso Tours ~ Love Repaired by Deana Birch


Love Repaired
Deana Birch
Publication date: July 30th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Attorney Amee sets aside her own needs to juggle the broken pieces of her life and family until mechanic Ben repairs her heart.
Divorce attorney Amee Benton—who has an ex of her own—is pretty sure she’s a #MomFail. Showing up late on a Friday night to retrieve her car from the shop and finding the pink frosted cupcakes she forgot to leave at her daughter’s ballet camp confirms it.
When mechanic, Ben Mathis, confesses to stealing one of the confections and asks who is taking care of Amee, she knows he’s a unicorn—a magical, beautiful beast who surely only exists in fantasies. And she tells him just that. With an f bomb for good measure.
Amee has three things Ben finds irresistible in a woman—brains, a family, and a serious potty mouth. At a chance run-in at Ben’s own personal hell, AKA the mall, he summons the courage to ask her out. Though Amee is leery of dating a younger man, and Ben is more than aware of their social gap, the two take a chance.
But Amee’s life isn’t like his. And when her ex returns and the doubting divorcĂ©e blunders, all of Ben’s insecurities are piqued anew. Now, Amee must prove to Ben his worth is much more than stand-in dad and rebound boyfriend or she’ll watch magic gallop off into the forest forever.
EXCERPT:
Amee:
Duggan’s was a not-too-hip, not-too-chic coffee shop downtown. It had its own parking lot and outdoor seating with canvas umbrellas for overly sunny days.
Ben—I didn’t know his last name—was sitting at a table for two toward the edge of the terrace. His long-sleeved army green Henley was pushed up to the elbows and his casual sprawled posture opposed the nerves brewing in my belly. He stood when he saw me, those damn dimples pressing into his cheeks with his smile.
Time to face the unicorn.
He side-stepped around the table and pulled out the wicker chair for me. The earthy scent from Friday night returned, this time without the motor oil.
“Hey.”
The grittiness of his voice made me swallow hard, and I sat in the chair. He reached up to adjust the angle of the umbrella to protect us from the sun. What promised to be the perfectly formed V of his lower abdomen peeked out from between a black elastic waistband under his jeans and the green shirt.
Unicorn cupcake eating man candy. Shit. I was in over my head. He was way out of my league. My workouts consisted of me taking the stairs and vacuuming with headphones on. I hadn’t even been on a date since Pete and I had divorced. I shouldn’t have been allowed to play ball.
New planExcuse my behavior from Friday night, tell him I was not ready for any kind of relationship, go home and take a long, long shower thinking about his stomach.
“Sorry I’m late,” I said as he took his seat.
“I assumed you would be.” He scooted in, and before he could say anything else, the waiter came over. I ordered a fluffy complicated sugary mess of caffeine and Ben asked for just a water.
“You don’t drink coffee?”
“Nope.” He crossed his arms. “So, let’s hear it, Amee Benton.”
“Hear what?” There was no way in hell I would tell him why I’d called him a unicorn. A fucking unicorn.
“Your list.” His blue gaze challenged me from the opposite side of the table, then he blinked.
“What list? I don’t have a list.”
“Yes, you do. You have a list of why you’re not going to give me your phone number and agree to see me again.”
I sank a little into my chair before puffing out my chest, mulling over my next move.
“Maybe you should tell me your list.” Every muscle on my cheeks wanted to smile but years of questioning witnesses had polished my game face. I shaped parallel lines with my forearms on the black wire tabletop.
“Which one do you want me to tell you about?” he asked with a casual grin.
Stupid dimples. His dimples were dumb. Dumb like puppies.
“How many are there?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Many. Many. So many lists…” Leaning in, he licked his lips. He lightly traced a semi-circle on the top of my hand. “Grocery lists, home repairs, back to school…”
The breath from the base of my lungs rose up my chest and escaped slowly through the ‘O’ I’d formed with my mouth. I hadn’t been touched like that in ages and mundane tasks had never sounded better. Christ. I was practically panting.
His recoil startled me and he cleared his throat. The waiter set down our drinks, breaking the beautiful tension.
Creamy froth parted as I blew into the mug before taking a cautious sip. Without the haze of his touch, I regrouped. I placed my coffee on the table and he drank from his water bottle.
“Why?” I asked.
“Why what?” He screwed the cap on and set the bottle on the table.
I’d studied body language. I knew liars and I knew nervousness. His open legs and arms were neither. He was confident, honest. Real.
“Why me?”
A small airy chuckle accompanied a shake of his head and his blond hair brushed against his shoulders.
“Why not you, Amee Benton?”
Questioning soon-to-be-ex-spouses was much more satisfying. They weren’t allowed to answer questions with questions.
“What’s your last name?” I squinted.
“Mathis. And because I like you.”
I sipped my coffee.
He propped his elbows on his knees and searched my eyes. “And you’re kinda beautiful. Beauty and a dirty mouth are a weakness of mine.”
“Like cupcakes?” I fought the smile, but when his dimples appeared, I lost the battle.
“Just like cupcakes.” He shifted in his seat and pulled his phone from his back pocket. Quick tapping from his thumbs hit the screen before he slid it to me.
“May I please have your phone number?”
Yes. He could. Shit.
I picked up the phone. Under the heading New Contact, there was one word. Cupcake. I giggled, like a school girl in a candy shop. Pitiful. I typed in my number, hit new message and sent myself a text.
Satisfied, I grinned and handed the phone back to him. Instead of reviewing my handiwork, he set it face-down on the table.
“You’re not going to check? Make sure it’s the real number?”
“Nope.” He popped the ‘p’.
My toes twitched in my flats. The remainder of my coffee and foam clung to the edges of my cup and trailed down to the empty bottom.
“Are you free Friday night?” Ben asked with a rasp.
Coffee had been one thing. Safe. The sun was shining. Friday night would be a date. Risky. Dark.
“What did you have in mind?” I asked. The man had other lists. Lists hidden in his dimples and heavenly touch.
“A movie. Popcorn.” He lifted a shoulder.
One small step for Ben Mathis and a giant leap for Amee Benton. Crap. A firetruck and its sirens raced by on Third Avenue and the intrusive sound gave me a minute to think. This is what I’d wanted when I’d divorced Pete, right? A chance for something deeper before I shriveled up and had as many cats as Shae had dolls.
But then Pete had gotten drunk and killed another human being. He’d pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and had been taken away to a correctional facility within months, locking away my bright future behind bars with him. Instead of free weekends to build a new life, I had one hundred percent parenting duties twenty-four-seven, not to mention my career.
But Ben’s touch had answered a faded call—a call to be selfish, a call to be human.
“Can I meet you there? I’m not sure the girls are ready for their mom to be on a date.”
“I’ll text you.” He flipped over the check and dug into his front pocket.
With the money and check secured under my used coffee cup, Ben walked me to my car. When we arrived at the driver’s side door, I turned around to face him. He pushed his arm into the window and crowded my space.
“I gotta admit that I’m a little disappointed.” He was close. So close. And the hair on the back of my neck stiffened with the scratch in his voice.
I could have kissed him. I could have absolutely kissed him. Right there. Broad daylight. Sunday morning. Did. Not. Care.
I summoned any courage I had and asked, “Why’s that?”
Soft stubble caressed my cheek as he leaned into my ear. His warm breath brushed my neck as he whispered with his ridiculous rasp, “I was looking forward to your dirty mouth.”
My expression must have been his desired response, because when he stepped back and freed the heat between us, his grin stretched from ear to ear.
“See ya Friday, Cupcake.”
He swaggered away and climbed into a beat-up truck.
Revised planShower and a lonely orgasm.


Author Bio:
Contemporary romance and erotica writer Deana Birch was named after her father's first love, who just so happened not to be her mother. Born and raised in the Midwest, she made stops in Los Angeles and New York before settling in Europe where she lives with her own blue-eyed Happily Ever After. Her days are spent teaching yoga, playing tennis, ruining her children's French homework, cleaning up dog vomit, writing her next book, or reading someone else's.

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Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Xpresso Tours ~ Cover Reveal for Dangerous Paradise by Barbara Nolan


Dangerous Paradise
Barbara Nolan
(Paradise Series, #2)
Publication date: August 21st 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Eddie Morgan is desperate to put his past behind him until saving Paige Drake, a woman way out of his league, threatens to throw him back to the life that nearly destroyed him.
Sequel to:

Author Bio:
Barbara Nolan enjoyed writing most of her life and recently acquired her Certificate in Creative Writing from NYU. She also benefited from the help and influence of many talented professors and editors along the way. She is a member of RWA and the New Jersey chapter of Romance Writers. Her passion for reading and words make this a journey of love.
She writes gritty, realistic stories filled with strong men and the women who tame them.
She considers reading a luxury and writing a necessity.

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