Lincoln is floundering. He did something undeniably stupid. On an evening out with his best buddies in Vegas, he hooked up with a smoking hot female for a torrid, all night escapade. It was one of the most carnal experiences of his life, and one he wouldn’t be averse to repeating.
Under most circumstances, a one-night stand wouldn’t be an issue. Except, the woman is his boss and his best friend’s sister. If his buddy discovers their tryst, Lincoln is a dead man. Utter disaster. And yet, there was something about that night that makes him want to risk life and limb to hold her, experience her scorchingly addictive surrender again.
As if that isn’t bad enough, after they return home, her ex-boyfriend appears in a bid to win her back, unleashing the territorial beast inside Lincoln. She belongs to him, not some city slicker in a suit.
He plans to prove to her that she belongs in his bed. That he’s the only one who should be gifted with her seductive surrender.
Now he’s navigating wooing his boss, and falling for her. Can he convince Amber to take a chance on him for more than one night?
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.
Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.
The windshield wipers were busy at work this morning. It’d been raining since late the night before, and now there was just a whole dreary feel to the day. Dark and gloomy, matching my mood. It was perfect.
Swish, swish.
“Are you nervous, miss?”
I wasn’t responding, because this isn’t how things were supposed to be. I wasn’t supposed to wake up in the middle of the night and find the bed empty. And I wasn’t supposed to have to be escorted by one of our guards down to the apartment building’s gym to find my boyfriend , the guy I loved, the guy who was so not a secret from the entire world anymore, pummeling a boxing bag so hard that his knuckles ripped open every night. It was not right that I had to stand on the side, waiting for him to fight through his haze before he noticed I was there, and then watch as blood dripped from his hands to the floor.
But all of that was happening. Because three weeks after there’d been a kidnapping attempt on me, after he had saved me, everything was just, simply, not okay.
To be more frank, everything was shit. And here I was. In the back of an SUV being driven by one of my two personal bodyguards, to a school that I used to daydream about attending, while my boyfriend, that guy I had come to love so much, was heading into his own personal nightmare. Fitz, my guard, clued in on my state and didn’t ask again, but his eyes were on me . He saw. He more than saw, and I knew I’d be getting a call from Kash about two minutes after the first chance Fitz had a moment to text his boss that I was not okay.
Because I wasn’t. Today was the day all my dreams were supposed to come true. Instead, I was a week late going to my graduate program and I wanted to be anywhere except where I was going. And I had no say, because the world found out in a big way I was the daughter of Peter Francis, a tech legend that I’d grown up idolizing until I found out myself, this past summer, that he was also my father.
And then there was my boyfriend, Kash Colello, whose grandfather was one of the richest men in the world, but that came with strings and dangerous alliances with the dark underground of the world. My boyfriend, with his inherited wealth, now that he had come out of the shadows to the world, and whose “coming out” was even bigger than mine because of his connections and his family, was now the ninth wealthiest man in the world.
Life as Peter Francis’s daughter, life as Kash Colello’s girlfriend, was a whole lot different than life had been as Bailey Hayes. There were rules and expectations and lots and lots of people watching you. So no, I was not okay.
Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new series from north Minnesota where she lives with an English Cocker she adores.
Nineteen-year-old Eris Telari was never supposed to rule Brucia. She’s always been more interested in swordplay than courtly intrigue.
After her brother’s assassination, however, Eris has no choice but to take up the crown and defend her city against an invasion led by an undefeated elven warlord.
With Brucia’s forces decimated, and a siege looming, Eris needs help. Who better to repel the elven invaders than a band of elven mercenaries?
Their leader, Ruith, is as charming as he is deadly, and used to getting what he wants. Six thousand swords strong, his Crows have a reputation for winning against impossible odds. He won’t take a fight he can’t win, and now he has his sights set on Eris…
Is it her kingdom he wants? Or her?
With assassins and traitors still lurking around every corner, and an army nearly twenty thousand strong at her gates, Eris cannot afford to turn away the Crows’ assistance. Even with their help, the battle for Brucia will be hard-won.
And the most dangerous threat may already be inside her walls and vying for a place at her side…
A Court of Crows is the first book in the gripping Talons and Tethers Saga, a new adult fantasy romance series. Expect courtly intrigue, assassination plots, plenty of heart-pounding action sequences, and strong heroines who do their own rescuing.
Katyr chuckled and turned back to his work at the hearth. “I don’t know if I’d call it a feast, but I do what I can. Sir Isaac, would you mind playing the role of taster?” He lifted a spoon in Isaac’s direction, holding a hand underneath it to catch any drips.
Isaac glanced at Eris and left his place by the door.
Rather than hand the spoon to him, Katyr held it and tipped a spoonful of broth into Isaac’s mouth. “Well, what do you think?”
Isaac glanced back at the crowded table and cleared his throat. “It’s fine.”
“It’s… fine?” Kat frowned. “You don’t think there’s too much rosemary?”
“I’m not a chef. I wouldn’t know,” Isaac mumbled in reply, color rising into his face.
“Well, neither am I,” huffed the elven mage. “But you’ve had soup before, right? Everybody’s had soup. They even have it in the Brotherhood, one would assume. Unless you take vows against soup as well as titles and fathering children?”
Isaac frowned. “I don’t think… I mean, I haven’t…”
“It’s a matter of tastes and preference, not experience,” Kat continued, clearly flustered. “Surely, you know whether you like rosemary in soup or not, even if you’ve never had it?”
“I don’t even think I’ve ever had rosemary in soup, Katyr. How should I know?”
Ieduin let out a frustrated growl and rubbed his temples behind them. “You two are really getting on my nerves. You both like rosemary, okay? So just shut up and have your damn soup already.”
Aryn turned away, shielding his face, and shaking with silent laughter.
Ruith frowned. “Did I miss something?”
“No,” said Ieduin, Kat, and Isaac at the same time.
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author E.M. Gayle, comes a dark and sexy enemies-to-lovers second-chance MC romance.
I’m no damsel in distress and he’s not my white knight, but that’s not going to keep him from charging after a killer determined to get his revenge.
I’ve made so many mistakes. Some worth it, most not. Getting involved with him again would be the biggest one of them all.
I knew when I saw him for the first time after a decade that going home was the worst idea possible. But that one moment brought it all back. The heartache. The pain. The longing…
Now my identity has been burned and I have nowhere else to go. I may not be worthy of a second chance, but neither is he. He’s also too dangerous to ignore.
“Stop right there. I don’t want to shoot you, but I will if I feel threatened.”
He smirked. “You won’t shoot me.”
“Don’t presume to know what I will or won’t do. I will. It’s what I’ve been trained to do.”
“Is that what you are now, Mandy? A killer?”
I sucked in a sharp breath. His familiar use of my former nickname made my stomach jolt. He was the last one who’d called me that, and it had been over a decade since I heard it.
“This isn’t right. Just go. You don’t want to be here anymore than I want you here. That makes for an easy solution.” I don’t know why I expected him to do anything I asked. I raised my voice. “Go!”
A wicked smile crossed his face, and I knew damn well there wasn’t a shred of humor in it. “The days where I take your wants and desires under consideration are long gone—Kelly.”
An ugly feeling rose inside me as he practically spat my undercover alias in my face. But it was the contempt he delivered with a smile that sealed the deal. “This is your last warning. Leave, or I will make you leave in an ambulance.”
“That’s what I thought,” he said, dropping his arms. “You shouldn’t play with guns if you aren’t going to take them seriously.”
I looked down the sight of the gun and squeezed the trigger, my body absorbing the blowback, so I could keep the gun level and in place for another shot if necessary.
Axel grabbed his ear. “Jesus fucking Christ. You crazy bitch.” He pulled his hand back with a spot of blood where the bullet had scratched him. “You almost fucking killed me.”
“If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.” My heart beat slow and steady as he freaked out. He had no idea that there wasn’t anyone currently in the CIA who was a better shot. How could he? I’d been recruited for covert operations. Hell, technically, I didn’t need this gun to kill him. There were dozens of ways to get the job done without an official weapon.
“What if I’d fucking moved? A few inches, and that bullet would have landed in my skull. What the fuck is wrong with you?” That was a good question. However, I did relent and lower my weapon. I’d proven my point. I would shoot him if I had to. That’s simply who I was now and he’d better get used to it.
E.M. Gayle is a Top 10 New York Times bestselling author devoted to writing romances for readers who love hot and dirty alpha males. She is best known as the creator of the popular Purgatory Masters and Purgatory Club series, but her latest Outlaw Justice series is hotter than ever!
She lives in a small town across the water from Seattle where you are likely to find her writing books, hunting treasure or watching super hero movies at her favorite nearby theater. She and her real life hero husband (he spends his days in a Blackhawk with a National Guard Medivac unit) love to take pictures, many of which you can see on her Instagram page AuthorEMGayle.
With Michaela in the debt of Shayteen, Whisper is finally free of the Hell World he suffered in for hundreds of demon years. But there seems to be a price for Whisper’s all-new freedom and it has made Whisper’s life just as, or even more complicated. Whisper is serving his true nature and dealing with Michaela’s service to Shayteen, all while trying to hang on to a stubborn soulmate, who won’t forgive him for the most ridiculously perceived transgressions in this life, and one or two from some previous ones. Stuck in the middle of everything, is a broken hearted Gabriel, whose odd obsessions with cooking shows, has turned him into Suzy Homemaker.
~ It’s best to know, you leave those you care about before they leave you. I’m Theadora Langdon … and EVERYTHING sucks.
And his eyes. They are an unearthly blue with a ring of black that outlines the electric color. It’s an otherworldly mark that should raise alarm. Humans need to take care with Whisper. There is a volatility that is promised in that ring.
But it’s the burning anger in his gaze, reserved solely for me, that I can’t escape. It strips me down to the bare bones of my shame. Shame I have for what I’ve done to the girl my brother loves more than life. Whisper’s fury burns me because I know it’s rooted in his feelings and loyalty to Michaela.
“Yeah it’s totally Michaela’s fault I’m here. It’s Michaela’s sacrifice that has makes her watch her mom get more and more sick. It’s Michaela’s pain that cripples her because she knows that Gabe is miserable. It was Michaela’s contrition that screwed her over when she thought she was doing something for a friend, only to find out that person never existed. And it’s her reward for all that to find out she gets no support for any of it from her so-called friends.” He throws the sponge in the water as if it were the offending source of his displeasure.
“You know what Thea, I can’t believe I thought you were something special. That I wanted you at all. You are ugly on the inside where most people have a heart. And your brother’s right about one thing, you are nothing but a child.” He turns and walks away from me.
The feeling of being insignificant buckles my knees.
I have so much anger living inside me, so much of it unresolved. From what my friends did to me while I lived in California, it is easy to take it out on Michaela. She’s a glutton right now, a target that I could lob negativity at because she is the focus of so much bad. But this moment burned hollow by Whisper’s rage.
Ali Lucia Sky is the author of The Powers That Be series. She lives in Southern California with her husband and a house full of kitty cats and a yard full of crows.
She loves laughing, drinking good coffee, the smell of pizza, and supporting animal rescues.
When she isn’t writing or dreaming of new stories, she can be found planning her next vacation because traveling is LIFE.
If you encounter her in the wild, don’t be offended if she should run away. She’s timid with strangers, but can be plied with shiny things and pictures of your cat or dog.
One hundred years ago when I was young and impulsive (okay, it was five, alright? Five years ago…) I let my boyfriend take, let’s just say…compromising pictures of me.
(Shut up. It made sense at the time).
Surprise! The sleazy back-stabbing jerk posted them on a website and, well, you can guess what happened. That’s right.
I’m a meme. A really gross one.
You’re seen the pictures. And if you haven’t – don’t ask. And don’t look!
As face recognition software online improves, I get tagged on social media whenever anyone shares my pictures. You try getting a thousand notifications a day, all of them pictures of your tatas.
So. I’m done.
It’s time for revenge. Let him see how it feels! But how do you get embarrassingly intimate pictures of your jerkface ex who double-crossed you five years ago?
Especially when he’s a member of the U.S.House of Representatives now?
Getting sweet between the sheets with a congressman is pretty much every political roadie’s dream, right? I’m one in a crowd.
Except to this day, he swears he didn’t do it. Pursued me for months after I dumped him five years ago. Begged me to take him back.
And I almost did it. Almost. I was weak and stupid and in love a hundred years ago.
Okay. Fine. Five.
But I still have the upper hand. Second chance romance has all the emotional feels, doesn’t it?
I can’t wait to punch him in the feels.
All I need to do is sleep with him once, take some hot-and-sweaty pics of him in… delicate positions, and bring him down. That’s it. Nothing more.
Pictures first. Revenge after. And then I win.
At least, that’s how it was supposed to happen. But then I did something worse than sexting.
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.
Kay swore an oath to use her Shadows to guard the light—an oath she takes very seriously. So, when a dark Shadow arises to terrorize London, she steps up and fights back. The last thing she expects is to find herself being patched up by a sexy paramedic who has no idea what kind of power he could control… or for her Shadows to recognize him as their perfect match.
Ethan doesn’t trust easily—not in matters of love, and certainly not in… whatever supernatural secrets Kay’s mixed up in. But the more time they spend together, the more he realizes he needs her with an intensity he’s never known before. Accepting her crazy, Shadow-filled world will be difficult. Opening his heart to her… he’s afraid that might be a step too far.
But the dark Shadows are growing. Their enemy is powerful—and closer than anyone realizes. Can Kayleigh and Ethan claim their happily ever after? Or will the darkness claim them first?
Shadow Guardian, the first book on the Blood Shadows Trilogy, is an adult paranormal romance for readers who love fated mates, fast-paced adventure and plenty of spice. Each book in the trilogy follows a different couple and has its own guaranteed HEA. The story concludes in book three.
“Okay, you need proof… something visual….” Kay looked around the room, checking that no one was watching, and then faced him once more. “Don’t freak out, okay.”
“Do I look like I freak out easily?” Ethan asked.
No, she didn’t think he usually would. But still. “I’m willing to bet this could be the first time. Sit quietly, look for Shadows, and don’t freak out.”
She turned Ethan’s hand over so that she was holding it, palm open on top of hers and hidden from the rest of the room by the vase of spring flowers on their table. Then, with her other hand, she gently called a small Shadow.
She deftly rolled her hand, twisting her fingers to form a miniature person-shaped Shadow, and put him down to sit in Ethan’s palm. It was a trick that she, James, and Zach had perfected years ago.
Ethan’s eyes shot open, and he pushed his chair back hard, about to stand and, no doubt, run a million miles. But Kay held tight to his hand, looked up at him, and grinned. “You told me you wouldn’t freak out.”
He settled back into his seat slowly, shoulders tense, staring at his hand.
She turned a finger and the Shadow puppet stood up and walked around on Ethan’s hand a few times. She gave him a little shooing motion, and he walked up along Ethan’s arm and back down to his palm again. Then she twirled her finger and he turned around a couple of times before curling up and going to sleep.
Ethan looked like he couldn’t decide whether to laugh, scream, or call an asylum. “What the hell is that?”
“A Shadow.”
Ethan shook his head. “What. The. Fuck. Is. In. My. Hand?”
“You are freaking out!” She couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out. “Don’t be such a baby.”
His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. Being laughed at was obviously not something he was used to.
Kay gently picked up the Shadow puppet and then tossed her hand up to release him. She allowed him to dissipate into thin smoky tendrils and held out her empty hand to Ethan. Okay, so it was a bit heavy on the theatrics, but it wasn’t as if she ever got to show off. It was the most fun she’d had in ages. She leaned back, feeling pretty pleased with herself, even with Ethan’s death glare boring into her over the table.
Jennie Lynn Roberts believes that every strong, kickass heroine should have control of her own story, a swoony hero to support her at every turn, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Because that doesn’t always happen in real life, she began creating her own worlds that work just the way they should. And she hasn’t looked back since.
Jennie would rather be writing than doing anything else—except for spending time with her gorgeous family, of course. But when she isn’t building vibrant new worlds, she can be found nattering with friends, baking up a storm, or strolling in the woods around her home in England.
If you want to talk books, romance, movies, reluctant heroes, or just about anything else with Jennie, feel free to contact her atwww.jennielynnroberts.com. But be prepared to settle in for a long chat if you bring up shifters, vampires, Star Wars, or The Princess Bride….
Title: Fairy Godmurder Author: Sarah J. Sover Series: Fracture Fae #1 Genre: Fantasy
Gwendolyn Evenshine thought being a fairy godmother would be cut and dried—take on a charge, solve a royal problem, and return to the Academy for her next assignment. But she got too close.
When the beloved Princess Francesca is brutally murdered on her watch, Gwen refuses to resume her fairy godmother duties. Instead, she laces her docs and hits the streets of Boston in search of the bastard who took Frankie from her, a serial killer who operates in lunar cycles. But Gwen’s magic is on the fritz, and bodies are piling up.
Gwen enlists the talents of Chessa Moon, an upbeat pixie crime blogger who will do anything for a scoop. Together, they open new leads as they race against the hunter’s moon. As the killer hits closer and closer to home, Gwen is forced to confront her past and nail the killer, or she’ll lose more than just her shot at vengeance—she’ll lose the only person in her life worth a damn.
Sarah J. Sover writes fantasy crossover novels while raising two energetic little people. A Georgia Southern Bell Honor’s graduate who grew up living near Detroit, London, Miami, and Atlanta, Sarah’s background is as varied as her answers to the dreaded “where are you from” question. She’s done everything from wildlife rehabilitation to data management, leaving notebooks filled with bad poetry in her wake.
Sarah resides in John’s Creek, Ga with her brilliant husband Alex, two vibrant daughters, cranky old dog, and seemingly immortal snake. In addition to writing, Sarah loves craft beer, blues dancing, binging superhero Netflix shows, hobby jumping, Disney, and groove metal.
This Valentine’s Day, when a cupid accidentally shoots himself with his own arrow, he falls for a siren whose only job is to lure men to their deaths.
Charismatic and irresistibly fun, Chance Eroson is a cupid who gets a kick from pairing odd couples and being right about them. Used to getting his way, the only person who shuts him down is the siren who has ruined more than one of his pairings before they started. But his bigger problem is he wants her. He’s always wanted her.
Elodie Sirenian uses her power for good, only hunting evil men. But after so long, and so many horrible people, her cynicism has settled deep inside. She can turn on the charm when she doesn’t mean it, and they fall for it. Every single one. Every single time.
Except Chance. He’s the only person—man or god—who has ever challenged her.
But a cupid’s magic is temporary. There’s no way a true love match is possible. Not this time.
“Who are you after?” she asked. She even used a pleasant tone of voice.
He stepped in closer, spinning her stool so she faced the bar, then closer still. Not touching, but she could feel the heat of him, the length of him, at her back. He leaned down to put his lips to her ear. “Him,” he said in a low voice.
It had been a long time since a simple whisper had turned her on. She saw the worst in men. Even if she didn’t kill them, she could still read their auras. Their lust with no emotion. Their aggression. Their manipulation. All of which made it difficult to rev her engines. So the fact that her nipples tightened, pressing against the silk demi-cup of her bra was…distracting to say the least.
“That’s not helpful,” she said dryly. “As usual.”
His chuckle didn’t help the nipple situation any, sending a surge of warmth cascading through her.
“Three-piece suit.” Chance picked up her glass. “The one who just bought you a drink. Although, if he has his eye on you, it might make my job matching him a tad more difficult.”
Elodie’s muscles unknotted slightly. At least she wasn’t going to have to argue him out of this one.
“With who?” Curiosity popped the words out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
“Banana yellow shirt in the back corner.”
She searched behind three-piece-suit and found the woman in question. Not only was the lady’s shirt bright yellow, but so was her aura. Elodie smiled despite herself.
“I take it you approve?” he asked.
How did he know? He was standing behind her.
“Otherwise, you’d immediately argue.”
How did he do that? She knew a cupid could read the minds of humans—helped with the job—but he couldn’t do that to her or other supernaturals. But the laughter in his voice told her he’d still managed to read her reaction regardless, and knew she’d be irritated about it. He didn’t know that the irritation was because it meant he knew her better than she wanted. Dangerous to let him that close.
“Stay very still,” he said next.
Elodie frowned and started to turn, except a glittering golden bow and arrow appeared at her side, arrow already nocked.
He had to be joking. “Here?” she drawled. “You’re going to shoot them in a busy bar? Really?”
“They’re lined up perfectly. I couldn’t have picked a better shot.” His voice was harder now. Focused. Sexy. If that’s how he sounded in bed…
She shook off the thought.
“Hurry up.” She had her own job to deal with.
“You don’t rush love, baby girl.”
“Call me baby girl, again, lover,” she snapped. “I dare you.”
No answer to that. She wished she could see Chance’s face.
Multi-award-winning paranormal romance author, Abigail Owen, loves plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, alpha heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of sexy shifters! Other titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, Dr. Seuss quoter, eMBA, organizational guru, Texan, Aggie, and chocoholic.
Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.
Abigail currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero (who she totally married!) and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.
Title: Bona Fides Author: Ash B. Whitley Genre: LGBTQ Science Fiction
With great power comes horrific possibilities…
Former child prodigy, Rowyn Miller, needs to prove her incarcerated and spiralling dad isn’t a murderer. It should be a piece of pish—she is his ‘victim’, after all.
One problem: not a soul has been able to see or hear her for 1,573 days.
Being a living ghost is hell. For starters, her available investigative methods leave Rowyn lagging miles behind the shadowy forces who set-up her dad. Plus, she’s desperate for a proper blether instead of the increasingly gloomy one-sided chats.
At least the creepy government scientists and unkillable terrorists can’t get their hands on her, though, and Rowyn will soon discover there are far worse ‘super’ powers she could have been lumbered with…
