New This Month:  | Dark Blood
Christine Feehan “The erotic, gripping series that has defined an entire genre” (J. R. Ward) continues as the fates of a warrior reborn and a seductive Dragonseeker are irrevocably united by dark blood…
Zev Hunter was an elite warrior, a dark-blood dealer of death to Lycans who preyed on mankind. But he begins to question his past when he awakens in the sacred cave of warriors—and is soothed back to consciousness by the sensuously familiar voice of the woman who has haunted his fantasies for centuries: Branislava, member of the Dragonseeker clan.
Now, with a blood-sworn vow of honor, mercy and endurance, and under the influence of a siren as bewitching as Branislava, Zev begins to wonder what his purpose is, what it means for the future of the Carpathians and what it is about his rebirth that he has to fear…
Includes Never-Before-Published Original Bonus Material 
 
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 | Down The Rabbit Hole
Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Mary Kay McComas, J. D. Robb, R. C. Ryan Some of your favorite New York Times bestselling authors present five all-new stories told through the looking glass—including a new Eve Dallas novella! You're late for a very important date... Enter a wonderland of mesmerizing tales. It's a place that's neither here nor there, where things are never quite as they seem. Inspired by Lewis Carroll's whimsical masterpiece, ranging from the impossible to the mad to the curiouser, these stories will have you absolutely off your head. Don't be afraid to follow them…
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 | Last Hope
Jessica Clare, Jen Frederick In the explosive new Hitman novel from the bestselling authors of Last Kiss and Last Hit a jungle mercenary and a female target find love on the run...
Mendoza: I grew up in the slums and lost everything I loved to poverty, illness, and death. I had only one skill to leverage myself out of my circumstances—violence. Being hired out as a mercenary hitman brought me money and built an empire. But all that I've fought for is in jeopardy. My next job: Steal secret information that could bring down world governments. Find my target. Destroy it. But then, I meet her.
Ava: Karma hates me. When my best friend Rose is kidnapped, I have no choice but to take a job as a mule for a pair of criminals intent on selling top-secret information to the highest bidder. I should have known that bad luck tends to cling, because the plane I'm on goes down. That I survived a crash-landing was a miracle. And so was being rescued by Rafe Mendoza—hot, sexy, dangerous. The thing is, he wants the information that I need to free Rose. I can't let him have it, but I need his help. And I need to fight this crazy attraction for this mercenary with hungry eyes. Rose is depending on me, and I won't let her down, no matter how appealing Rafe is.
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 | Copygirl
Anna Mitchael, Michelle Sassa Mad Men meets The Devil Wears Prada in this lively debut about a young woman working at the hippest ad agency in New York...
So. You want to work in advertising. The glitz, the glamour, the cocktail-fueled brainstorming sessions and Xbox breaks. Sounds like a dream job, right?
Wrong. The reality can be a nightmare. There are five simple rules for succeeding in the ad world—and I think I’ve already broken every single one…
1) Never let them see you cry. Even if your best friend breaks your heart. And posts it all over social media.
2) Be one of the boys. And, if you were born with the wrong equipment, flaunt what you've got to distract them while you get ahead.
3) Come up with the perfect pitch in an instant—or have your resumé ready to go at all times.
4) Trust no one. Seriously. If you don't watch your back, they'll steal your ideas, your pride, even your stapler.
5) Most importantly, don’t ever, under any circumstances, be a CopyGirl.
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 | Untouchable
Ava Marsh Spend a night of sexual adventure with this gritty, debut thriller.
In a toxic world of lust, lies, and elegant hotels, London’s high-class escorts cater to the carnal appetites of powerful men. It’s a game Stella knows how to play, one that allows her to escape the nightmares of her past. The rules are simple: always leave your client satisfied, don’t get involved, and never disclose your real name. But when a fellow call girl is murdered, the game changes completely. And there’s only one rule—survival.
Once a respected professional, Stella knows how easily men can get away with murder—especially when the victim is a prostitute. Determined to get to the truth, she finds herself sucked into a deadly conflict with some of the world’s most powerful men. But while they may consider themselves above the law, there’s one secret every escort knows: no man is truly untouchable.
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 | Another Woman's Daughter
Fiona Sussman Set against the tumultuous background of apartheid South Africa, a powerful and moving debut about family, sacrifice, and discovering what it means to belong…
Celia Mphephu knows her place in the world. A black servant working in the white suburbs of 1960s Johannesburg, she’s all too aware of her limitations. Nonetheless, she has found herself a comfortable corner: She has a job, can support her faraway family, and is raising her youngest child, Miriam.
But as racial tensions explode, Celia’s world shifts. Her employers decide to flee the political turmoil and move to England—and they ask to adopt Miriam and take her with them. Devastated at the prospect of losing her only daughter, yet unable to deny her child a safer and more promising future, Celia agrees, forever defining both their futures.
As Celia fights against the shattering violence of her time, Miriam battles the quiet racism of England, struggling to find her place in a land to which she doesn’t belong—until the call of her heritage inexorably draws her back to Africa to discover the truth behind her mother’s choices and uncover a heartbreaking secret from long ago...
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 | Mine
HelenKay Dimon She doesn’t depend on anyone for anything. He intends to make her his completely.
Natalie Udall thought her position at the CIA was secure—until protecting her team earned her an armed escort into certain danger. Natalie can’t stand the idea of being secreted away in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, especially since it means sharing close quarters with the controlling bodyguard enlisted to keep her alive.
Gabe MacIntosh joined the military to support his son, trained as a sniper and dealt with death on a regular basis. Now retired and operating a security firm, his first assignment is to protect a CIA agent on the run. She’s strong willed and difficult—and all Gabe can think about is exerting his domination and stripping her of every expectation she has.
Natalie has no intention of giving in to Gabe’s straightforward demands of dominant sex with no attachments—even though the very idea of giving up control thrills her like nothing ever has...
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 | Against The Ropes
Jeanette Murray The author of Below the Belt continues her First to Fight series with a novel of one Marine’s battle to come out on top—in life and love…
As a troubled teen, Gregory Higgs channeled his energy into boxing instead of breaking the law. The ring gave him purpose and something to strive for. So did the Marines. Combining the two seemed like a natural fit.
Another natural fit? Reagan Robilard, the sweet athlete liaison who keeps all the fighters out of trouble and manages their PR—a job that gets more challenging when someone digs up the truth about Greg’s not-so-shiny past after equipment is vandalized at the gym.
Even if it wasn’t her job, Reagan can’t let Greg take the fall. Because passion doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to matters of the heart…
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 | All I Want
Jill Shalvis From the “awesomely, incredibly talented”* New York Times bestselling author of Still the One, comes a sexy new Animal Magnetism novel set in Sunshine, Idaho, where the sky is the limit when it comes to love. Pilot-for-hire Zoe Stone is happy to call Sunshine, Idaho, her home base. But her quiet life is thrown for a loop when her brother’s friend Parker comes to stay with her for a week. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife special agent is a handsome flirt with a gift for getting under her skin. And the situation only escalates when Parker hires her to fly him around the area while he collects evidence on a suspected smuggler. Now she has to live and work with the guy. But when they’re in the air, she sees another side of him. He’s driven, focused, and sharp. And while he enjoys giving commentary on her blind dates, she quickly realizes with a shock that it’s Parker who gets her engines going… *New York Times bestselling author, Jaci Burton Can be purchased in mass market paperback and/or eBook format for/from:
        
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 | The Italian Wife
Kate Furnivall The New York Times bestselling author of The Russian Concubine returns with a stunning new novel set in Mussolini’s Italy.
Isabella Berotti is an architect, helping to create showpieces that will reflect the glory of her country’s Fascist leaders. She is not a deeply political sort, but designing these buildings of grandiose beauty helps her forget about the pain she’s felt since her husband was murdered years ago. One of her greatest accomplishments is the clock tower in the town of Bellina, outside Rome.
But as she is admiring it one day, a woman approaches her, asking her to watch her ten-year-old daughter. Minutes later, to Isabella’s horror, the woman leaps to her death from that very clock tower.
There are photos of the woman right after the suicide, taken by Roberto Falco. A propaganda photographer for Il Duce,he is expected to show his nation in the most flattering light. But what Roberto and Isabella have seen reflects a more brutal reality, and in a place where everyone is watching and friends turn on friends to save themselves, their decision to take a closer look may be a dangerous mistake.
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 | Too Hot To Touch
Lora Leigh The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Rule Breaker, Stygian’s Honor, and Lawe’s Justice presents three novellas from the “no-holds-barred”* world of the Breeds—collected here for the first time. A Christmas Kiss (originally published October 2009 within the HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS anthology) Jessica Raines would never willingly betray the people she believes in. But she did expose Breed secrets, and now someone wants her dead. Her protection is Wolf Breed Hawke Esteban—and he’s got the mating urge for a woman on the run. Christmas Heat (originally published October 2008 within the THE MAGICAL CHRISTMAS CAT anthology for Berkley Sensation Trade) Jaguar Breed Noble Chavin’s new role: bodyguard to Haley McQuire, a woman at risk after discovering a conspiracy against the Breed community. For Noble, being this close to Haley has brought out the mating heat, and she’s more than willing to stoke it. Primal Kiss (originally published February 2011 within the PRIMAL anthology for Berkley Sensation Trade) Betrayed Kita Engalls, drawn into shady activities involving the Breeds, can trust only Lion Breed Creed Raines to help. But their mating passion reveals Kita’s fear that Creed may be guilty of the greatest betrayal of all.
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 | Tall, Dark, And Wicked
Madeline Hunter A wickedly wonderful new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of His Wicked Reputation
Most women will give him anything he wants. She is not most women… As a well-known barrister and the son of a duke, Ives confines his passionate impulses to discreet affairs with worldly mistresses. A twist of fate, however, has him looking for a new lover right when a fascinating woman shows up in his chambers, asking him to help save her father from the gallows. Unfortunately, he has already been asked to serve as the prosecutor in the case, but that only ensures close encounters with the rarity named Padua Belvoir. And every encounter increases his desire to tutor her in pleasure’s wicked ways...
Having always been too tall, too willful, and too smart to appeal to men, Padua Belvoir is shocked when Ives shows interest in her. Knowing his penchant for helping the wrongly accused, she had initially thought he might be her father’s best hope for salvation. Instead, he is her worst adversary—not least because every time he looks at her, she is tempted to give him anything he wants…
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 | At Home In Pleasant Valley
Marta Perry Now in one low-priced volume, the first three novels in the acclaimed series set in the Amish community of Pleasant Valley...
Settle in to the quiet corner of Pennsylvania known as Pleasant Valley in these three novels of love, family, and the Amish community...
Leah’s Choice
All of Pleasant Valley seems to think the newcomer from Lancaster County is the perfect match for school teacher Leah Beiler. Daniel Glick is a widower with three children—but his past haunts him, and Leah has secrets of her own.
Rachel’s Garden
Rachel is struggling to raise her young children and run her farm after her husband's death. A new life and a new love may be on the horizon for her—but only if she can discover the courage to embrace them.
Anna’s Return
Anna has come back to Pleasant Valley with a baby girl...which will surely cause a stir, since she is unmarried. But this close-knit community doesn’t know the truth about what Anna has done, and what she is running from...
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 | Undead And Unforgiven
MaryJanice Davidson Betsy’s father and half sister Laura (a former Antichrist with a grudge) have teamed up, for what sinister purpose Betsy can't imagine. The former Antichrist didn't take kindly to getting what she wished for, and has decided that's entirely the fault of the vampire queen. What that means for Betsy is trouble (more than usual, even) and possible exposure to an unsuspecting world.
Meanwhile Hell is having a deleterious effect on Betsy's friends ("I didn't think it was possible, but the damned are getting meaner."), the newly dead are confused about Hell's new rules ("A buddy system? Really?"), and the vampire king is trying to poach on Betsy's territory. Betsy loves her husband, but that's not the same as trusting him. Before long the king and queen of the vampires aren't speaking to each other, the mansion on Summit Avenue is a war zone, and Betsy's getting calls from a werewolf, a mermaid, and worst of all, her mother ("What do you mean you can't babysit?"). No one said life after death would be easy, but c'mon: this is ridiculous.
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 | Wicked For You
Shayla Black Ever since he rescued her from a dangerous kidnapper, Mystery Mullins has wanted Axel Dillon. When he returned her to her Hollywood father and tabloid life, she was grateful...and a little in love. Mystery wasn't ready to let Axel go, even after the soldier gently turned her away because, at nineteen, she was too young. Now, six years later, Mystery is grown, with a flourishing career and a full life—but she's still stuck on Axel. Disguised, she propositions him in a bar, and the night they spend together is beyond her wildest dreams. Mystery steels herself to walk away—except the sheets are barely cold when her past comes back to haunt her. Once he realizes Mystery isn't the stranger he thought, Axel is incensed and intrigued. But when it's clear she's in danger, he doesn't hesitate to become her protector—and her lover—again. And as the two uncover a secret someone is willing to kill for, Axel is determined to claim Mystery's heart before a murderer silences her for good.
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 | When Somebody Loves You
Shirley Jump First in a new series from the New York Times bestselling author of the hugely popular Sweetheart Sisters novels!
At heart, Elizabeth Palmer is a practical Jersey girl. And her life reflects that—until everything suddenly falls apart. In a bid to change her luck, the intrepid reporter accepts a job to write a story on a reclusive quarter horse breeder in Chatham Ridge, Georgia. To her surprise, she finds herself settling into the warm, inviting town—even joining the Southern Belle Book Club—and craving the company of the rancher she’s there to interview….
Hunter McCoy has good reason to keep his distance from the determined reporter. Tragedy has taught him to stick to things that don’t require his heart. But he can’t seem to resist the vulnerability he detects beneath Elizabeth’s tough demeanor.
But when Hunter is faced with the possibility of a terrible loss and shuts Elizabeth out, she will have to prove to Hunter that having somebody love you can heal all wounds...
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 | One Life
A. J. Pine In the latest from the author of One Night, tragedy causes a young woman to struggle to keep her head above water, and the only one who can help her is the guy who’s been in the friend zone for the past year . . .
Every time life throws Zoe Adler a curve ball, she changes her appearance. Freshmen year—after almost following in her mother’s alcoholic footsteps—she said good-bye to her blonde, girl-next-door image and opted for jet black hair and piercings galore. After her brother Wyatt’s death, she escapes to the city to teach a summer art program for kids. Her black hair goes blue, and she finds solace in the arms of a longtime friend, in his heart, and in his bed—but her guilt makes her unable to accept the love he wants to give.
Spock might be the guy to save Zoe. But when she learns the truth about his past, the edge she’s teetered on since losing Wyatt drops out from under her. The girl who kept it together for everyone finally falls apart. Now Zoe must choose between drowning in guilt about Wyatt or asking for help. But even if she gets the help she needs, Spock may not be waiting for her when she’s ready to let love in.
Includes an exclusive excerpt of One Night
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 | Reclaim Me
Amy K. Rogers, Ann Marie Walker As the heart-pounding Chasing Fire trilogy concludes, a dangerous entanglement leaves Hudson and Allie wondering how much they're willing to risk for the love they can't live without...
There's almost nothing Alessandra Sinclair wouldn't do for Hudson Chase. He was her first love, and she's determined that he'll be her last. But when the terrible truth Hudson has been hiding comes to light, Allie finds herself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a man from her past who's determined to use what he knows to ruin Hudson. Now, the only way to save the man she loves may be to lose him forever...
Hudson has always known that the secrets he keeps could be his downfall, but he never expected them to put Allie's life in danger as well. It's time for him to come clean--before everything he's ever wanted is destroyed...
Includes previews of REMIND ME and RELEASE ME, the first two books of the Chasing Fire trilogy.
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 | Hot Holiday Nights
Jaci Burton The new Play-by-Play romance from the New York Times bestselling author of All Wound Up.
Tori Baldwin is a successful sports agent who enjoys her work, her clients, and, on the occasional free night, an uncomplicated love life.
While unwinding over Christmas in Hawaii, she chances upon a surfing competition, and all the lean hard men that come with it—especially Alex McConnell, a young surfer at the top of his game, and his sexy business manager, Ben Reynolds. The attraction Tori feels for both men is off the charts and fueling the hottest passion she’s ever felt.
Soon, Alex and Ben will move on to the next big wave and Tori will head home. But as each night passes, Alex and Ben’s feelings for Tori swell. And for the first time ever, Tori’s thinking twice about the men she’ll leave behind—and a kind of love that could change all their lives forever.
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 | The Billionaire Takes A Bride
Jessica Clare A lie turns to love in the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Taming of the Billionaire.
Billionaire Sebastian Cabral loves his family, he just doesn’t love their reality TV show, The Cabral Empire. So when his ex-girlfriend tries to rekindle their relationship on camera, Sebastian decides that drastic measures are in order.
By day, Chelsea Hall is a happy-go-lucky, rough and tumble roller derby skater. By night, she’s still living in fear of her past. Most of all, she just doesn’t want to be alone. And she really, really doesn’t want to date.
So when their mutual friends’ upcoming wedding turns Chelsea and Sebastian into fast friends, they realize they can solve both of their problems with one life-changing lie: a quick trip down the aisle.
But with one kiss, Chelsea and Sebastian suddenly realize that their pretend relationship is more real than either of them expected...
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 | Fear The Dark
Kay Hooper In New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper’s new novel, an SCU team investigates a troubling string of disappearances. But how do you find someone who has vanished without a trace?
Something strange is happening in the small mountain town of Serenity, Tennessee. People going on routine errands never reach their destination. It’s as if they simply disappear. Over the past few weeks, it’s happened to five men and women—and now a child.
The local police chief calls the FBI, and a team from the Special Crimes Unit is immediately sent in. Agents Lucas and Samantha Jordan, partners in work and in life, have very different abilities. Samantha is clairvoyant and Lucas possesses a unique ability to find the lost or abducted. With them are new partners Dante Swann, a medium, and Robbie Hodge, a telepath.
The town is already on the edge of panic, but the mysterious events take a sinister turn when a body unrelated to the missing persons case surfaces and one of the SCU agents vanishes. Now, the team’s hunt for the lost has turned into something very personal...and very dangerous.
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 | The Traveller
Lynn Kurland A modern Manhattan woman finds herself in the arms of a medieval knight in this charming time travel romance novella featuring the de Piaget family—from the New York Times bestselling author of Stars In Your Eyes.
Julianna Nelson often wishes a knight in shining armor could rescue her from her hectic New York life. But when she finds herself mysteriously transported from modern-day Gramercy Park to medieval Scotland, she may get more than she bargained for.
Sir William de Piaget has vowed to reclaim his castle, but he’s also vowed to aid any damsel in distress. And when he comes across a lost and strangely clothed woman he is bound by honor to save her. As his grandsire used to say: chivalry is never convenient…but then, neither is true love!
The Traveller previously appeared in the anthology A Knight’s Vow.
This edition includes an exclusive teaser for Lynn Kurland’s upcoming novel, Stars In Your Eyes.
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 | You'll Be Mine
Marie Force The New York Times bestselling author of the Green Mountain novels is back —and “if you have not read Marie Force you are truly missing out on something special.” (Guilty Pleasures) A Wedding on Butler Mountain... After a whirlwind romance that began suede-boot deep in Vermont mud season, Will Abbott and Cameron Murphy are ready to tie the knot—as long as family, friends and a love-struck moose don’t get in the way.
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 | Seduction Game
Pamela Clare The acclaimed author of Striking Distance returns with more danger, intrigue, and I-Team action . . .
CIA officer Nick Andris wants revenge. His last mission failed after a Georgian arms smuggler killed his lover. He’s been tailing a woman for three weeks hoping she will lead him to his target. But there’s a problem with the intel. Holly Elise Bradshaw is nothing more than an entertainment writer with a love for sex and designer clothes. Clearly someone at Langley made a mistake . . .
When Holly finds herself in trouble, the only weapons at her disposal are her brains and her body. But they won’t be enough to handle the man who’s following her. He’s going to turn her world upside-down.
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 | Break Me Down
Roni Loren The New York Times bestselling author of Call on Me invites you to discover the thrill of control as one couple wrestles for power in and out of the bedroom…
Samantha Dunbar needs to forget Gibson Andrews. When he trained her to be a domme, she experienced just how hot things could get with the sexy executive. She was ready to hand him everything—including her heart. But Gibson backed away, declaring them incompatible. He’s a dominant, and Sam’s no submissive.
But after an attack shakes Sam to her core, Gibson tracks her down at her family’s rundown farmhouse and makes her an offer. He’ll stay the week and be hers in every way—a helping hand for the renovation and a willing lover in her bed. He swore he’d never give up control to anyone again, but he hasn’t been able to touch another woman since Sam. Maybe a week alone with her will cure him of his relentless craving.
But one taste only makes them want more, and Sam and Gibson are drawn in deeper than ever. The man who won’t give in has just met the girl who won’t give up…
Includes a preview of Off the Clock, the first novel in Roni Loren’s Pleasure Principle series…
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 | Playing Hard To Master
Sparrow Beckett Pleasure and pain once again intertwine in the second installment of Sparrow Beckett's Masters Unleashed series, following Finding Master Right. Known as a brat in the kink community, Everly can intimidate even the most experienced Dom. Then she meets Ambrose, a dominant who finds her ways amusing. Not only does he charm the pants off her, he makes her crave his mastery. After being abandoned by his submissive, Ambrose has avoided any serious connections—until he meets Everly, who refuses to be ignored. But just when he thinks he's found the perfect sub, he finds out she's an anti-poverty activist with harsh opinions about the rich. Telling her he's wealthy will ruin everything, but he can't collar her with a huge lie hanging over them. Will the best thing that's ever happened to him walk away when she finds out the truth?
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— WHEN SOMEBODY LOVES YOU (by Shirley Jump) Dear Reader,
Every book has that little something special to me, but I have to say that WHEN SOMEBODY LOVES YOU is a little more special than most. If you read the acknowledgements, you’ll know that I wrote it while I was going through a very difficult time in my life. I was surrounded by a fabulous support system of friends and family who made all the difference in the world, and I will be forever grateful to them.
I think that’s why I like creating books where friends are an integral part of the characters’ worlds. The Sweetheart Sisters in my Sweetheart series, and the Southern Belle Book Club in WHEN SOMEBODY LOVES YOU, are like my real-life friends—there with cookies and commiseration whenever you need them.
Like the settings for my novels, I grew up in a small town, and when I go back there, it’s as if time never moved forward. Many of my school friends are still there, working and raising their children. The same family-owned drugstore is on the corner downtown, and the Baptist church still tolls the hour from their steeple every day. For me, it’s like slipping under the covers on a cold winter day—comforting, familiar, warm. That’s the kind of world I want to create in my books, and I hope readers agree when they read WHEN SOMEBODY LOVES YOU.
I live in Florida now, far from the Massachusetts town where I grew up, but within my community of friends and loved ones, it feels like a small town. When we get together, we laugh and hug and talk. We can be apart for weeks or years, but as soon as the gang is reunited, it’s as if not a moment has passed.
It’s that whole “it takes a village” perspective, I think. Everyone needs a village of friends and loved ones, whether you live in a city or a small town. The people who love you at your worst and cheer you at your best.
And hopefully, you also meet that one special person who holds you tight while the stars twinkle in the night sky and the ocean whispers its quiet song against the shore, filling your world with a love story like the one you’ll find in WHEN SOMEBODY LOVES YOU.
~Shirley Jump
shirleyjump.com
| — PLAYING HARD TO MASTER (by Sparrow Beckett) Dear Reader,
A lot of readers are surprised to find out that Sparrow Beckett is actually a writing duo! After spending the last three years as critique partners and close friends, Sorcha and Sparrow decided it would be a fun adventure to try writing a series together.
What’s great about our arrangement is that our strengths and preferences balance each other to create a pretty kick-ass manuscript. Combined with input from our agent and editor, it comes together seamlessly, which is why people are always shocked to learn there are two of us.
The best part is that we get to bring readers two perspectives on characters, instead of just one. This is especially true when it comes to our series heroes. Since we write BDSM romance, our heroes are always Doms. Sorcha likes them strict and a little mean, but Sparrow is a sucker for a charming goofball. This combination makes our characters three dimensional and gives readers the best of both worlds. The Doms from Masters Unleashed are commanding on the outside, but have a soft side underneath. After all, we want them completely in love with the heroines but masterful and sexy too, don’t we?
We get a lot of questions about what it’s like to write together. Do we fight? Is it easier with two people? Who writes what parts? It can be tricky to write with your best friend — it’d be impossible to agree on everything — but we’ve polished our system so screaming matches are kept to a minimum. *wink*
In fact, the biggest disagreements are often about character names. Sometimes having completely different tastes is a good thing — it adds extra layers to the book — and then sometimes it can cause problems. For instance, negotiation might come to play when Sorcha wants to name a character Zenobia, and Sparrow wants Jane.
For the most part, writing with a partner is easier and faster. The only time it slows us down is when we have to go over each other’s chapters to make sure the voice and style are smooth. We each write one character’s point of view for the whole book, which rotates every other chapter. Sorcha always writes the heroes, and Sparrow the heroines. We’re not sure why it works best that way, but it does.
So for PLAYING HARD TO MASTER, Sorcha wrote Ambrose, a Master who’s looking for a play partner but not a serious relationship. She’s excellent when it comes to nailing down the male voice and getting the band-of-brothers feel with his two best friends, Banner (from book one) and Konstantin (book three). Sparrow wrote Everly, the feisty, curvy submissive who’s desperate to find a man who appreciates her sense of humor but can put her in her place as well. She’s a hairdresser with a funky fashion sense, inspired by, in part, Sparrow’s sister-in-law.
The combination of quirky, sexy, and tender makes for a seriously steamy reading adventure. Find out for yourself on October 20th when PLAYING HARD TO MASTER releases!
~Sparrow Beckett
sparrowbeckett.com
| — RECLAIM ME (by Ann Marie Walker and Amy K. Rogers) Dear Reader,
What happens when two best friends shake up lemon drop martinis and start chatting about their love of romance novels, alpha males and British supermodel David Gandy? Well in our case, the idea for the CHASING FIRE series was born. And now, two years and two novels later, we are about to launch the final installment of the series.
As the heart-pounding Chasing Fire trilogy concludes, a dangerous entanglement leaves Hudson and Allie wondering how much they’re willing to risk for the love they can’t live without.
There’s almost nothing Alessandra Sinclair wouldn’t do for Hudson Chase. He was her first love, and she’s determined that he’ll be her last. But when the terrible truth Hudson has been hiding comes to light, Allie finds herself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a man from her past who’s determined to use what he knows to ruin Hudson. Now, the only way to save the man she loves may be to lose him forever.
Hudson has always known that the secrets he keeps could be his downfall, but he never expected them to put Allie’s life in danger as well. It’s time for him to come clean—before everything he’s ever wanted is destroyed.
Hudson and Allie’s story began in April with REMIND ME, continued in July with RELEASE ME and wraps up October 20t with RECLAIM ME. We hope you’ll give them a read and welcome Hudson Chase into the ranks of your book boyfriends. If you do, please be sure to stop by twitter (@AnnMarie_Walker & @Amy_KRogers) and let us know as we love swooning over a sexy man with dark wavy hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Oh, and feel free to pour a martini when you do!
Cheers!
~Ann Marie Walker and Amy K. Rogers
www.annmariewalker.com
twitter.com/amy_krogers
| — ONE LIFE (by A. J. Pine) Dear Reader,
Have you ever wondered how much of an author’s story connects to his/her own life? Like, do ideas just come out of the ether, or is there an element of truth within the pages of fiction?
Well, I can’t speak for others, but I can let you in on my writing inspiration. So far, everything I’ve written has drawn inspiration from real life circumstances. For example, ONE NIGHT, book one in my Only You series, has a side story where my heroine and her roommate connect while watching The Vampire Diaries on Netflix. Why did I choose this show? Because I’m a sucker for the Salvatore brothers myself. Haha. I said sucker. Pun intended. The rest of ONE NIGHT is one hundred percent fiction, but this little sprinkling from real life ended up being the foundation not only for Jess’s relationship with her roommate, Zoe, but also with the hero, Adam, who earns the nickname Sexy Vampire.
In my upcoming release, ONE LIFE, we get roommate Zoe’s story. Zoe’s book begins with tragedy, the loss of a loved one, and it’s this experience that shapes the rest of the story. Zoe deals with her emotional pain by covering it with the physical pain of getting tattooed. Real life connection? I have tattoos. Not a ton, but I get a new addition to the current one on my arm every time I publish a new book. The pain is tolerable but by no means something I enjoy. What I do enjoy is the finished product—the art on my skin. But when I got my tattoo to celebrate ONE NIGHT’s release, it got me thinking about Zoe’s story. Zoe was already a chameleon in book one, someone who drastically changes her look every time life throws her a curve ball. She’s also an artist. I decided to take the chameleon aspect a step further and added in the art, giving Zoe a place to hide, to get lost, and to eventually find herself again.
Yes—I’m digging deep emotionally in this story. But it’s also a romance with a hero named Spock. If that name itself doesn’t pique your interest, I promise there will not only be feels but also hope and an eventual happily ever after. And maybe a scene with an episode of The Vampire Diaries.
Happy reading, everyone! I hope you love ONE LIFE!
~A. J. Pine
ajpine.com |
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