Monday, September 30, 2019

Unintentional Obsession by Layla Stone ~ Q&A & Giveaway


Unintentional Obsession
Layla Stone
(Lotus Adaamas Series #2)
Publication date: September 25th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Science Fiction
Every year Shine visits his mother’s grave. No one has ever dared to interrupt his day of sorrow.
Except today. An old enemy stops by, not to pay his respects but to demand Shine take in a snobby female that works in his lab. To keep her from leaving the planet he’s bound both Shine and the female with a bracelet that will electrocute them if they stray too far apart.
If Shine doesn’t do what he’s told, he dies.
If the female doesn’t do what she’s told, they both die.
Shine’s patience, loyalty and love have never been tested like this before.

Note to reader: This is a slow burn Sci-Fi Romance that can be read as a standalone.


Q&A with author Layla Stone

1. Are there any secrets from the book, you can share with your readers?
Yes, each heroine is related to someone in the Unexpected Series.

2. Can you share a snippet that isn’t in the blurb or excerpt?
Nara silently stewed as she sat in the Hampton Dwarf next to the Night Demon who’d dared to make this situation sound like it was all her fault. He also breathed from his nose in a strange way. If he didn’t stop, she was going to poison him.
Shine inhaled slowly and then snorted out. Nara’s insides curled. She couldn’t take this. “Hey, knock that off.”
Shine turned. “Knock what off?”
“Your breathing.” How did he not realize how annoying he was?
“You want me to stop breathing?”
“I want you to stop breathing the way you breathe.” After she’d said that, she saw his face and knew he wasn’t getting it. Clarifying, she said, “You inhale slowly and then snort. Seriously, did you not know you do that?”
Shine narrowed his eyes. “I don’t do that.”
“Oh, yes, you do.”
Nara had never felt so victorious in her life because, instantly, his breathing changed. She could tell that he was trying to control it.
Reveling in her moment, she leaned back in her seat and touched the window screens, activating them to show the outside. It was interactive, so it showed what each building was and offered an option for more information.
The planet was ugly, and so were the buildings. All of them were made of dark-colored metal, rusted or decayed from all the acidic rain. The only vibrant colors came from the shop signs and advertising pods that blinked in the air.
The planet badly needed a makeover, which was why she hadn’t hesitated to come all the way to do it herself. She should have known better.
Shine did that annoying breathing thing again. She cringed. “You’re doing it again.”

3. Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
I’ve always liked the grumpy smart guy, but I felt like that type of guy didn’t need a spunky sweetheart – he needed a heroine just as smart…or smarter.

4. What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I hope they are like it. That’s my main thought whenever I publish a new book.

5. Can you give us some insight into what makes the hero tick?
He’s made a huge mistake in his past and has been living with the guilt for a long time.

6. What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?
The heroine is a bit much, but I hope you can give her a chance.

7. What was the highlight of writing this book?
My favorite part of writing is getting feedback from my beta reader via marco-polo app.



Author Bio:
Layla Stone is a Sci-Fi Romance author who is passionate about writing and reading romances. Her books are a blend of science fiction, romance and action adventure.
A business coordinator by training and a bookworm at heart, Layla makes her home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband, two children, and a trio of fur babies.
You can find more information about her characters and their races at www.authorLaylaStone.com
To learn more about Layla, her life and writing process, copy and paste this link into your browser and join her monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/daY1qj



This giveaway is sponsored by the tour host.  Stuck In Books is not responsible for selecting the winner or delivering the prize.

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Past This Point by Nicole Mabry ~ Excerpt & Giveaway


Past This Point
Nicole Mabry
Publication date: September 3rd 2019
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Thriller, Women’s Fiction
Karis Hylen has been through the New York City dating wringer. After years of failed relationships, she abandons her social life and whittles her days down to work and spending time with her dog, Zeke. Her self-imposed exile ends up saving her life when an untreatable virus sweeps the east coast, killing millions.
Alone in her apartment building, Karis survives with only Zeke, phone calls to her mom, and conversations with two young girls living across the courtyard. With the city in a state of martial law, violence and the smell of rotting corpses surround her every day. But her biggest enemy is her own mind. As cabin fever sets in, vivid hallucinations make her question her sanity.
In addition to her dwindling food and water stash, Karis must now struggle to keep her mind in check. When a mysterious man enters the scene, she hopes she can convince him to help her make it to the quarantine border. With the world crumbling around her, Karis discovers her inner strength but may find that she needs people after all.



EXCERPT:

I started at Kirk’s apartment since it was across the hall from mine. In spite of the proximity of our apartments, I rarely saw Kirk. He was a quiet man who usually just nodded to me and only became garrulous when talking about renovations to his apartment. I pulled the collar of my sweatshirt up over my face and knocked softly. After a few seconds, I knocked again, louder. I pressed my ear to the door, but all I heard was a vehicle racing down our street.

I walked down one flight and knocked on the door of apartment four, which was directly beneath mine. I often speculated about the resident, middle-aged Tom, who had an impressive handlebar mustache, and his mysterious movements. I only saw him once every other month or so, and a few times, he had been with younger women. He always wore a suit, so I imagined he was a traveling salesman. But I also thought he could be married and using the small apartment as his love nest. I knocked and listened. No answer. I wondered if he was away on a sales trip and had managed to avoid the whole debacle.

I walked the few feet to apartment five, where a gay couple lived. Out of everyone, I’d chatted with Terrence and Eric the most over the years, but I hadn’t seen either of them in at least a month because they had a condo in Florida where they spent most of the winter months. I knocked four separate times, waiting for an answer and hoping I wasn’t completely alone. But my knocks went unanswered.
I ran down to the second floor and knocked at apartment two, where a single woman named Barb lived. When there was no answer, I put my ear against the door. The low sounds of a TV resonated through the door. Barb coughed, and I jumped back quickly, my back hitting the door of apartment three. My heart was beating as quickly as a bird caged in my chest. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Turning around, I knocked loudly on Kelly’s door, not expecting an answer. After my expectations proved correct, I went down to the solitary first-floor apartment, which belonged to Mr. Tablock. He was over eighty years old and had lived in the building for forty years. I’d seen his live-in Haitian nurse, Regine, in the hallway from time to time, taking out the trash. I used to ask her how he was doing, but her response was always the same: “He’s getting old, but he’s got spunk.” I stopped asking and just said hello. I pounded on the door, praying Regine and Mr. Tablock were still there and not sick. But all was quiet. Besides infected Barb, I was alone.



Author Bio:
Nicole Mabry spends her days at NBCUniversal as the Senior Manager of Photography Post Production. Her nights are reserved for writing novels. At the age of seven, she read The Boxcar Children, sparking a passion for reading and writing early on. Nicole grew up in the Bay Area in Northern California and went to college at UCLA for Art History. During a vacation, she fell in love with New York City and has lived in Queens for the past sixteen years. On weekends you can find her with a camera in hand and her dog, Jackson, by her side. Nicole is an animal lover and horror movie junkie.

GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway is sponsored by the tour host.  Stuck In Books is not responsible for selecting the winner or delivering the prize.

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Sunday, September 29, 2019

Fearless by Allanna Kephart ~ Excerpt & Giveaway


Fearless
Allana Kephart
Publication date: September 24th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Priv·i·lege: having special rights, or immunities. Societal and social advantage.
For Riley McLeon, ignorance is bliss. As the daughter of a single cop with a history of shooting first and asking questions later, she’s grown up sheltered. He taught her everything she knows about life, love, guns, and the world as he sees it. And all he ever asked from her was a promise: she would never date a man of color.
Ra·cist: a person who shows or feels discrimination, prejudice, or antagonism against people of other races, or who believes that one’s own race is superior.
Lincoln Sanders knows all too well about the skin deep judgments people make. He knows what it is to lose everything, to be haunted by the impossible. He knows pain. He knows hate. And he definitely knows trouble when he sees it.
Chance: to take a risk. A possibility of something happening.
Silence comes easily when the whole world is against you, and being together is an act of bravery neither Lincoln or Riley think they’re capable of. Loving each other feels like coming back to life, but you can’t move forward if you’re living in the past.
When you unlearn everything you’ve ever known, you can become fearless.
EXCERPT:

“Okay, okay,” Riley laughs, slamming her empty bowl down on the coffee table. She clutches her head, squinting through the pain of her brain freeze. “Truth or dare, jackass?”

Tears stream down my face from laughing so hard at her display. After bringing her in and showing her around my little place, we made our way to the gray leather couch with two half gallons of frozen custard and a bottle of whiskey. One way or another, we got around to playing truth or dare. I promptly dared her to swallow the entire big, chocolatey scoop she had balancing on her spoon, that she promptly shoveled down her throat like a boss.

“I can’t believe you actually did that,” I cackle.

Truth or dare?” she laughs furiously, louder now. “It better be fucking good after that. I’m pretty sure that was abuse.”

“I’m not even sorry,” I say as I wipe the tears from my eyes. I press my hand against my chest, as if that will force air back into my lungs. “Truth.”

“Oh, typical,” she jokes, and I’m laughing again. “Alright. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? Spare no details, I want to be flabbergasted.”

I shake my head, trying to think of something to tell her. This is where she finds out just how boring I am. “I ate a whole bag of marshmallows once.”

“Linc,” she hisses, unimpressed.

“What?” I ask, beaming at her. “I don’t have any fun crazy shit. The craziest thing I’ve ever done is go to prison. I don’t want to be a wet blanket.”

Trepidation washes over her, and my amusement fizzles out like a lit match in a puddle. “I… I’m not sure why I told you that,” I cough. Riley sits quietly, waiting for an explanation, and as much as I want to come up with a brilliant, sexy backstory, I can’t lie to her. I sigh. “Promise not to judge me?”
“Did you kill somebody or something?” she says through a forced laugh. When I don’t immediately respond, she pushes away from me on the couch. “You… Did you kill somebody?”



Author Bio:
Allana Kephart has been making things up and bending people to her will from a very young age. She loves animals, tattoos, music, laughing, and reading. She spends an obscene amount of time finding pretty new words and thinking up awful ways to torment her characters.
When not writing, she can be found walking one of her many furbabies, making havoc with her credit union work buddies, or jamming out in her car to Broadway musical soundtracks. She lives in the beautiful state of Colorado with fur-babies.

GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway is sponsored by the tour host.  Stuck In Books is not responsible for selecting the winner or delivering the prize.


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Stacking OUR Shelves ~ 9/29/19


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  Make sure to checkout her post with links to all the other participates.

Click covers for Goodreads links


For Review...





Thanks goes to...

Berkley
Disney-Hyperion
Amazon Publishing
Simon & Schuster




For Review...


FakerA Cowboy Under the MistletoeArchangel's War (Guild Hunter, #12)Royal Holiday (The Wedding Date, #4)



Thanks go to...


Berkley



KindleUnlimited...


Vines (The Killers #1)


That's what we added to our shelves this week! What do you think? What did you add to your stacks? Leave us a comment and link us up!


Saturday, September 28, 2019

Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #1) by Maya Banks ~ Review

Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs, #1)Source: Purchased.

Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #1) by Maya Banks


Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her “touched.” Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions.

Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.





After falling head over heels for Serpent & Dove, I was in that special situation where choosing what to read next was next to impossible. Because no matter when I picked, it wasn't going to hit the same spot S&D did. So I decided to take the plunge and read a book I recently bought on my kindle and have been interested in reading for a while--Never Seduce a Scot. And even though I was in a total book hangover, this book was still rather excellent!

From the start, the premise was gold. Forced marriage of convenience with an honorable Scot? SOLD. And the chemistry between Graeme and Eveline was evident from their first meeting. Those things mixed together had me interested from page one, and it was easy to lose myself in the story the rest of the way through. I even read this on a plane--and in a hotel room. I rarely read when I travel so this is a sign of how good this book was.

I was a huge fan of all the side characters, too. Especially the families, particularly because of all the relationships. Eveline and her brothers and their bond, how protective they were to her. How kind Brodie was. And Graeme and Teague and Bowen with their little sister. And then there was the friendship between Rorie and Eveline. Honestly, it was all just so nice to read.

To top it off and make this a book I didn't merely like but wholly enjoyed, there was the sweet romance. I loved Graeme. He was kind and gentle and understanding. It was exactly what Eveline needed and reading them together made my heart so happy.

Overall, Never Seduce a Scot is a sweet, easy read. It's not a new all-time favorite or anything, but it's definitely solid brain candy that I will for sure be re-reading when I need something to make me smile.


4.5 stars - A sweet romance!


Friday, September 27, 2019

The Aquarathi by Amalie Howard ~ Excerpt & Giveaway


Waterfell
Amalie Howard
(The Aquarathi #1)
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
THE DEEP CAN BE DEADLY…BUT LOVE CAN BE DEADLIER
Nerissa Marin is far from home. Though she lives an anonymous life on land during her cycle of human study, she is Aquarathi royalty by birth—and the future monarch of a hidden, undersea kingdom. But when her father is murdered, the human world becomes her only refuge.
Adrift and indifferent, Riss indulges her every whim, including her feelings for the new surf king of Dover Prep, Lokeane Seavon. But as the day she comes of age looms closer, old enemies appear and challenges are issued: If she forsakes her throne, her people will suffer for it.
To win her crown, she must become the queen she was born to be.



Previous books in the series:

Get Waterfell for FREE for a limited time only!
EXCERPT:

“So my best friend is an alien sea princess,” Jenna says after a beat, “who transforms into human form but can’t go back home just yet.” I recognize the sound of when she’s in hyper-focused, game-face mode, and I blow out a soft breath. That’s a positive sign, at least. “Where is home exactly?”
“Ever heard of the Mariana Trench?” I ask her, and she nods. Of course she has. She’s Jenna, Jeopardy! champion of the world. “It’s the deepest part of your oceans. We make our home there…where we’re safe and hidden from humans.”

“Unless you come on land to learn about us if you’re the heir? Like you have.”

“Yes,” I say. “To not repeat history. We need to safeguard the waters of our home, too.”

“And now you’re stuck here because your father was killed,” Jenna says.

“Yes.”

“Will you go back?”

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “It’s complicated. There are others there who want us dead. Speio and his family most of all, because of their loyalty to me.”

Jenna gulps, glancing at him, but he’s staring at the water, lost in his own thoughts. She moves to sit again next to me at the pool’s edge, tucking her legs beneath her. Her eyes narrow as she studies my face, fascinated.

Belatedly, I remember that the protective film is no longer over my own alien eyes, so I blink to engage it. It’s similar to the nictitating membrane of a shark that goes over its eyes when it’s in attack mode, only ours is more of a defense mechanism to protect us from discovery.

“No,” she says. “Leave them the way they are. Please.”

I comply with some reluctance. I know what she’s seeing—the pale gold sclera, normally the white part of the human eye, surrounding large multicolored irises rimmed by electric gold rings. They scream alien in every way.

A part of me recoils at her scrutiny. Does she want to remind herself that she’s not talking to something human? Will she look at me differently now that she knows what I am?

“They’re so beautiful,” she murmurs after a while. “But definitely not human. Anyone could see that. Other than your eyes, you look so normal otherwise.” Her gaze drifts down my arms, torso, and legs. “I’ve seen you in the locker room after hockey games. You look like everyone else.”

“We mimic,” I say. “To blend in.”

“Mimic?”

“I can manipulate the water in my body into any form I wish, for short periods.”

Her eyes narrow. “Any form?”

“Yes, but human is preferred.”

Jenna tips her head to one side, chewing on her lip as if scared to ask the question lurking on her lips, but eventually she does. “So what do you really look like?”

“Are you sure you’re ready to see that?” Speio’s voice is cool. He doesn’t trust that Jenna won’t go screaming to the rooftops and out us all. But he doesn’t know her like I do—Jenna is loyal to the bone. Every drop of water in me knows that I can trust her.

“She’s ready,” I say, meeting Speio’s eyes.

He sucks air through his teeth, a disrespectful sound that I ignore, and stalks back into the house. But it will be better without him. I level Jenna with an unblinking, almost reptilian stare, and she holds my predator’s gaze without cringing. Her courage in the face of everything is heartening. I stare at her for a long time before I decide both our fates—hers for knowing, mine for telling. But she deserves to know.

“Speio doesn’t like that you told me, does he?” she asks, and I shake my head.

“He’ll get over it,” I whisper. “Do you trust me, Jenna?”

She nods. “With my life.”

“Then whatever you do, don’t run.”

The color drains from her face as I slip into the pool, feeling the flimsy weight of human bones inside of me start to dissolve. Almost immediately, they elongate into the delicate skeleton that shapes my Aquarathi form. Our spinal column is similar to humans, but that’s where the similarity ends. The rest of our bones expand outward like webs of coral, hard but malleable at the same time.

My frame lengthens and strengthens, cracking into place under skin that’s transforming into something rough and brilliant. My neck distends like a swan’s, the curvature of my jaw thrusting outward and filling with razor-sharp rows of teeth. The pain is fleeting over the pleasure of the change as my limbs fold inward, my diamond-hard, dragon-scaled hide drawing and tightening over sleek, coiled muscle, until at last, I shimmer into reptilian, monstrous existence.

In a matter of breaths, I no longer resemble anything human.



Author Bio:
AMALIE HOWARD is the award-winning author of several young adult novels critically acclaimed by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, School Library Journal, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Kid's INDIE NEXT selection. Her debut novel, Bloodspell, was a #1 bestseller in gothic fiction, and the sequel, Bloodcraft, was a national IPPY silver medalist and Children's Moonbeam Award winner. She is also the co-author of the #1 bestseller in Regency Romance, My Rogue, My Ruin, in the Lords of Essex historical romance series. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children. Visit her at www.amaliehoward.com.


This giveaway is sponsored by the tour host.  Stuck In Books is not responsible for selecting the winner or delivering the prize.

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Alec by Giulia Lagomarsino ~ Excerpt & Blitz


Alec
Giulia Lagomarsino
(Reed Security, #15)
Publication date: September 25th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Alec is book 17 in the Reed Security series and it is recommended that they are read in order.

Alec

I’ve been chasing this damn woman for three years. Our relationship is finally out in the open and I’m not letting this chance slip past me. I will make her mine, and there won’t be any room for arguments. There’s the slight problem of Craig, our other teammate. He knows what we do in the other rooms at night, or during the day, and that leaves us in a bit of a predicament. But we’ll work it out. I always get my woman, and Florrie is all mine.

Florrie
It took me by surprise when I fell for Alec. I hadn’t intended to ever sleep with my teammate, but then one day, he was there and so damn sexy. It was just supposed to be sex, nothing more. But he kept pushing and then one day, it was out in the open. Everyone knew and there was no way for me to stop what was happening. Except, there’s just one problem, I’ve got a secret that ensures we’ll never be together in the way he wants. Now I just have to find a way to tell him.
EXCERPT:

“Who is he?” Hunter asked. “Just tell me and I’ll kick his ass.”
“I think I can do my own ass kicking.”
“No. Whoever this asshole is, just tell us and we’ll take care of things. We’ll make sure you never see him again. If you know what I mean,” he continued.
“I know exactly what you mean, and no, you don’t need to make him disappear.”
“But, that’s what we do. We don’t know how to solve any other problems,” Gabe said, almost in confusion.
Rocco groaned and held up a hand to ward off the guys. “I didn’t want to get involved, but it looks like I’m gonna have to. Why don’t you tell us about this guy. What’s he like?”
“Smart, strong, capable…”
“Sexy?”
“Of course,” I huffed. “But he’s confusing. I thought that he was into me, but then nothing happened. Is it me? Am I not pretty enough?”
“No,” Sinner said, shaking his head sharply.
“Of course not-” Hunter snorted uncomfortably.
“You’re beautiful,” Rocco said firmly, and the other guys joined in.
“Sexy as hell.”
“Nice rack.”
“Good ass. Nice and firm.”
“You have nice elbows,” Sinner said.
“What?” I asked in confusion. Hunter smacked him upside the head.
“I panicked,” Sinner said. “You all said nice rack, good ass. What else was left?”
“You could have gone with beautiful eyes,” I snapped. “Or even nice legs, but nice elbows? Who the fuck says that?”
“Obviously not this guy you’re seeing or he’d already be dead,” Rocco muttered.
“Did you fuck him?” Hunter asked. “Guys always lose interest after you fuck them.”
“No,” I sneered. “It’s not like I just spread my legs for any guy I come across.”
“Did you come right out and tell him you like him?” Rocco asked. “Some guys are fucking stupid and can’t take a hint.”
“Actually, I wrote him a note and told him that I really liked him and asked if he liked me too.”
“Like in the song?” Sinner asked.
“Yeah,” I snarked. “Just like in the song. I even drew boxes and asked him to check yes or no.”
“Did he answer?”
“No, you idiot! I didn’t actually do that. I’m not in second grade.”
“Maybe you should,” Sinner shot back. “With all your sarcasm, he probably doesn’t know if you want to kiss him or kick him in the balls.”


Author Bio:
I'm a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, "No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book." I didn't think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn't already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven't been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.


This giveaway is sponsored by the tour host.  Stuck In Books is not responsible for selecting the winner or delivering the prize.

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Angelbound and Beholder Special Edition Box Set by Christina Bauer ~ Excerpt & Giveaway


Angelbound and Beholder Special Edition Box Set
Christina Bauer
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: September 24th 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Seven Special Editions — One eBook Collection!
Enjoy special edition extras across seven novels in the popular ANGELBOUND and BEHOLDER series! This collection delivers more than 58,000 words of all-new content. Only available in ebook form, this collection includes:
– Angelbound – a wedding epilogue with one crazy parade
– Scala – an extended epilogue with Myla, Lincoln, Cissy and Zeke
– Armageddon – an extra appendix of behind-the-scenes goodies
– Maxon – an action-packed wedding epilogue
– Portia – the honeymoon novella you’ve been waiting for!
– Beholder Cursed And Concealed – each now has extra appendix of goodies
Get JUST the new content in this convenient collection (perfect for power readers!) or buy the special edition titles a la carte to enjoy the full novel AND its new extras. Whatever works best for you!
EXCERPT:
Portia Honeymoon

Tempest stands before me in our hidden corner of the lake. Water runs in rivulets down his bare chest. Every cell in my body calls me closer to my Rhana.

My mate.

I step nearer. With each movement, my bare feet sink into the loose pebbles of the lakebed. I pause. Only inches separate us now. The warmth from Tempest’s body radiates into my own. My core heats. One thought overtakes me.

This is it. The moment.

Lifting my arm, I reach for Tempest. Water droplets glide down my skin. I rest my cool hand against the heat of Tempest’s cheek. The rough stubble of his skin prickles my palm. With the slightest of movements, Tempest leans into my touch. His gaze mixes quiet reverence with intense desire.

Going up on tiptoe, I bring my mouth closer to Tempest’s. He leans forward, closing the distance. A breath of air is all that separates our lips. Yet Tempest isn’t pressing to touch.

This is my choice. My word.

I gently brush my mouth against his. Tempest’s lips are soft and firm; bolts of desire move through me. I caress the seam of his mouth with my tongue. The movement is like taking a sledge hammer to a porcelain wall. The barrier between us ruptures. Waves of desire break loose.

Tempest cups my face in his hands. Our kiss turns fierce. The emperor glides his hands down my neck, shoulders and back. Next he presses at the base of my spine, bringing our bodies together. The firm lines of his stomach … the hefty strength of his arms … the long ropes of muscle in his thighs … everywhere our bodies touch, there’s a spark of recognition and desire.

What happens next isn’t a conscious thought. On instinct, I wrap my legs around Tempest’s waist while looping my arms around his neck. The need to share my body with him turns stronger. Between rough kisses, Tempest whispers an incantation. The language is unfamiliar, but the rough and gritty sound tell me he’s speaking in a dragon tongue. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m aware that the air now holds the unmistakable zing of magic.

Tempest is casting a spell.



Author Bio:
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates


GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway is sponsored by the tour host.  Stuck In Books is not responsible for selecting the winner or delivering the prize.


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