Happy Release Day to Katie Ashley! Melody of the Heart is LIVE!
Title: Melody of the Heart Author: Katie Ashley Series: Runaway Train #4 (full reading order below) Release Date: October 7th 2014
As the Runaway Train family gathers in Savannah, Georgia for the wedding of its last single member, Rhys McGowan, to Allison Slater, Jake’s little sister, Rolling Stone magazine prepares an issue to celebrate the union. While focusing on the happy couple, they also sit down with Brayden and Lily Vanderburg for a feature on successful rock star marriages. After all, the two have been a couple since they were sixteen years old. But there is more to the story than meets the eye, and their love took a slight detour before finding happily ever after.
Told in flashbacks from the present to the past, Brayden and Lily share the story of their unbreakable love.
I then turned my attention to Giovanni. “Once again, my deepest apologies for being late.”
“It’s all right.”
Cocking my head at him, I asked, “Did my lovely wife give you the sad sap story as to why I’m not always with it?”
Giovanni grinned. “Yes, she did. And I have to say it was quite fascinating hearing about your head injury and how it without it, you might not be where you are today.”
With a chuckle, I replied, “I would have to say that’s the truth because if it weren’t for the short-term memory issue shit, I would have been here a lot earlier.”
Waving his hand dismissively at my joke, Giovanni said, “I don’t think most of our readers or your fans know that you didn’t grow up playing guitar or having the desire to be a rock star. That without the football related injury, you would have never taken up the guitar or written your first song.”
I shifted in my seat. Talking about my injury always made the hairs stand up on the back of my arms and neck. It was one of those life-altering moments that set me on an entirely different path I could never have imagined. At sixteen, my entire universe revolved around the emerald green grass of the field and the smell of pigskin in my hands. I had my eye on a college scholarship and maybe some time in the NFL. I was that good.
But life changes in an instant—a play you had executed flawlessly a hundred times before can go so very wrong. Instead of being carted off victoriously on the shoulders of your teammates, you leave in a neck brace laid out on a stretcher. A cracked vertebrae that narrowly missed severing your spine brings the curtains down on your dream. But then you realize that the life you thought was ending was truly just beginning.
The squeeze of Lily’s hand brought me out of the past and back to the present. I cleared my throat. “Yes, it is true that my life would be so very different and not for the better. But I don’t mean in the sense of not having the fortune or the fame.” I turned to gaze at Lily and smiled. “I might not have Lily by my side.”
She brought my hand to her lips and kissed it. “When I was seventeen, I told you I’d follow you anywhere and everywhere. If your life had taken you somewhere else, I would have been there.”
“Thank God,” I murmured.
“So was it love at first sight for you?” Giovanni asked, leaning in expectantly.
Lily tilted her head at me before giggling. “Not exactly.”
Giovanni’s dark brows knit together. “Oh?”
I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my face as the familiar memory played in my mind. “I owe my marriage to my lovely wife’s penchant for apple thievery.”
Lily sputtered with outrage. “I was not stealing apples. We had just moved in, and I wasn’t sure where our property ended and your grandparents began.”
After winking at her, I focused my gaze on Giovanni’s amused one. “The first time I ever laid eyes on Lily she was wearing a blue sundress with a satin ribbon in her hair. She could have had the face of an angel, but I wouldn’t have noticed because she had the hem of her dress flipped up to cradle the apples she was picking from my grandparents’ tree. All I could focus on were her long, tanned legs and the brief glimpse I got at what was between them.”
“Brayden Michael Vanderburg!” Lily exclaimed. Just hearing her call my full name caused warmth to enter my chest. I loved her voice, I loved her outrage, and I loved that a woman as amazing as she was actually loved me.
“I’m just answering the man’s question, sweetheart,” I replied. Leaning forward in my chair, I then began the story of the day that changed my life….
Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.
She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.
She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.
Title: Strings of the Heart Author: Katie Ashley Series: Runaway Train #3 (full reading order below) Expected Release: May 12th
Twenty year old, Allison Slater has been in love with her brother’s bandmate, Rhys McGowan, since she was fifteen years old. But to him, she’ll always be Jake’s little sister and off limits. Now a college sophomore and licking her wounds from a bad breakup, she sets her sights on making Rhys see her as someone he could date…maybe even love. Her opportunity comes when Rhys visits his parents in Savannah where she is attending college. But the night she’s dreamed of turns to heart-break, and she realizes she’ll never be the one for Rhys.
For Rhys McGowan, his nightmare began when he woke up, naked and hung-over, next to his bandmate’s little sister. Unable to remember a thing from the previous night, he only makes matters worse by lying to Allison about not being interested in her. The truth is he’s spent the last year to ignore his body’s reaction whenever Allison is around. His resolve is tested when Allison comes on tour with Runaway Train, as both Jake and Abby’s nanny and to fulfill her fashion design internship. The more time he spends with her in the close quarters of the bus, the harder it is for him to resist.
Will Rhys realize that having a relationship with Allison is worth fighting for even if it means that he has to fight his best friend for a chance?
“Take a shot,” he commanded, his expression tense, his eyes unreadable.
Goosebumps pebbled my arms at his assertiveness. I wasn’t used to him being so forceful. For a moment, I couldn’t process his words. It was like the tone of the entire conversation had veered off course. Reluctantly, I followed his orders. When I started to reach for a lime, he stopped me. As I eyed him curiously, he took the shaker of salt in his hand. Tilting his head, he shook the bottle along his neck. Then he leaned over and brought the shaker to my neck. My chest rose and fell in harsh pants at the nearness of him. But most of all, it was the way the tension crackled in the air between us. Nothing really had been spoken out-loud, nothing had been done to change things, but in that moment, everything was different.
“Take a shot,” he repeated.
With trembling fingers, I reached for the glass. I took it in one hand and the lime in the other. Leaning forward on the stool, I dipped my head down to his neck. My lips hovered over the warmth of his skin. Flicking out my tongue, I brought it against the stubble on his neck. Rhys sucked in a harsh breath at the contact. Slowly, my tongue trailed upwards over the faint line of salt, eliciting a small groan from Rhys.
Once I finished, I pulled away. I didn’t dare look at Rhys—my skin burned just from the intensity of the stare I felt on me. Tipping up the glass, I downed it in one fiery gulp. As my eyes pinched shut in pain, I slammed the lime against my lips. My teeth cut through the fruit, as my mouth sucked off the juices. When I swallowed again, a shiver echoed through me.
I opened my eyes to find Rhys still staring at me. His dark eyes shone with an intensity that I would’ve given anything to know what he was thinking. He reached for his glass and lime. His eyes never left mine as he bent over. I tilted my head to give him better access. At the feel of his warm tongue on my neck, I shuddered, and I remained trembling even after he pulled away. He then downed the tequila without even bothering with the lime.
“Another?”
“Yes.”
We repeated the process again. And again. Until we had downed five shots and licked and sucked our way up each other’s necks. My skin still tingled from the feel of his tongue. Of course, my entire body was tingling from the strong alcohol pumping through every cell and molecule. It made me feel so alive. While it had just been his tongue on my neck, the feel of his hands as they brushed on my shoulders, whispered across my collarbone, had driven me crazy. I could only fantasize that his tongue was following the same path across my chest and down to my breasts.
More than anything in the world, I wanted this man, and tonight I was going to get my wish. From the lust-filled looks he been giving me, along with the groans of pleasure when I had licked his skin, I knew what was going to happen. I was finally going to have Rhys.
Soundtrack (songs mentioned in the book):
You and Tequila – Kenny Chesney
Weakness in Me – Joan Armatrading
Am I The Only One – Melissa Etheridge
You’re Beautiful – James blunt
Say something – A great Big World
Portland, Oregon – Jack white and Loretta Lynn.
Same Mistake – James Blunt
Goodbye My Lover – James Blunt
Conga – Gloria Estefan
Drunk in Love – Beyonce
Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.
She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.
She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.
The Pairing by Katie Ashley
Series: The Proposition #3 (full reading order below)
Release Date: February 18th 2014
A Companion Novel to The Proposition and The Proposal
After her former boyfriend left her pregnant and alone, Megan McKenzie swore off men. She spent the last eighteen months focused solely on her son, Mason, along with finishing nursing school at the top of her class. Although she’s not ready to complicate her life with a long-term relationship, a nice no-strings attached hook-up is just what she needs. At her godson, Noah’s, baptism, she finds the perfect candidate in the soft-spoken godfather, Pesh Nadeen. After all, the widower could use a good time too. But after drinking too much, the night doesn’t end the way she thought it would. Forced to leave Pesh’s house through a walk of shame, Megan hopes to never, ever see him again.
For Pesh Nadeen, the very sight of Megan sends him into an emotional tailspin. Since she reminds him too much of what he has lost, he wants to be out of her sight…at first. But the more he gets to know her, there’s something about the diminutive blonde that causes his protective side to go into overdrive, and he finds himself wanting more. When Megan is assigned to work in his ER to complete her nursing clinicals, he sees it as fate, but she’s having no part of it. She only wants a physical relationship while he wants far more.
What happens next is a sexy game of cat and mouse to see who will break first or if both of them will eventually get more than they ever bargained for.
I read The Proposition and The Proposal quite a while ago, but I remember being SO excited that Pesh was getting his own book–with Megan, Aidan’s very own niece! I had high expectations for this book, and it didn’t disappoint. Pesh and Megan’s romance is sweet, heartwarming, and so romantic–it was everything I expected it to be!
“I’d be anything and everything you wanted me to be, if you would give me the chance.”
Pesh. Pesh Pesh Pesh. He’s the old-fashioned, romantic kind of man you fall completely in love with and then marry. He is perfect boyfriend/husband material. Not often do I read about the good guy as opposed to a bad boy, but Pesh made me remember why I love good guys just as much as the bad boys, even if I don’t read about them as much. I. LOVE. PESH!
“I don’t want to play games with you at all, but you leave me no choice.” He lowered his head to kiss her again. “All I want is you,” he murmured.
Pesh and Megan meet at Noah’s baptism. Don’t remember Noah? He’s Emma and Aidan’s son!! Pesh and Megan are both Noah’s godparents, and immediately there’s a strong chemistry between them, though they are both wary of jumping into anything right away. Megan is wary because she’s a single mother–she had a son at a young age and taking care of him is her number one priority. Pesh is wary because he still very much loves his wife, who passed away a few years ago. And yet the two of them can’t stop thinking about each other after their first encounter, and they get another chance to see each other when Megan starts working at the same hospital Dr. Pesh Nadeen works.
And sparks fly. Like, holy hell do they fly!
All Megan wants Pesh for is sex and nothing else, but Pesh, this amazing, beautiful, kind, sweet man, wants Megan for more. And though he agrees on having only a sexual relationship, Pesh won’t give up on making Megan fall in love with him. And the ways Pesh makes Megan fall in love with him are both sweet and HOT! Like, wow, Pesh is a whole other animal in private. He’s a complete gentleman in public, but in bed…. *fans self* He’s so sexy and nothing at all like I thought he would be, and I loved it! I loved that just as Megan sees him as something more than just a typical good man, we get to see it too, and fall in love with him as well. Pesh has his flaws, even though it doesn’t seem like he would, but it doesn’t make him any less perfect to fall in love with.
“I love you so very much, Megan. There’s not another woman in the world I could love like I do you.”
Pesh is so. freaking. sweet! He is definitely swoon-worthy and I kind of wish he were real.
Mason, Megan’s son, is the cutest! I loved seeing Mason and Pesh together–it’s so heartwarming and beautiful to see them be almost like father and son. AH! And YES, we get to see tons more of Emma and Aidan, which I was so happy about! They still have a strong presence in this book, even as secondary characters, since their lives are so entwined with Megan’s and Pesh’s. I loved seeing more of Aidan and Emma and their son, but I have to say that Pesh and Megan held the spotlight the entire time for me. I adored their story and I loved seeing them fall in love with each other more and more every day. They’re both the kinds of people who deserve so much happiness, and they’re finally able to find it in each other.
Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.
Excerpt
When Pesh pushed open the door, he couldn’t help the surprise that filled him. With her auburn hair pulled into a loose knot and her emerald eyes glittering with happiness, Emma Harrison Fitzgerald, stood before him with her six-month-old son balanced on her hip. “Hi. I hope I’m not interrupting you.”
A rush of pure love entered his chest at the sight of her. Six months ago he would have confused the feeling with amorous love, but now he knew the difference. He loved her only as a friend. “Hello to you, too. It’s so good to see you.” His brows furrowed as his mind wondered why she was here in the ER. “You’re okay, aren’t you?”
“Oh, I’m perfectly well. It’s just—”
Pesh’s gaze dropped to the strawberry-blond haired boy sucking voraciously on a pacifier. “Noah’s fine, isn’t he?”
Emma smiled. “He’s perfect.”
Pesh exhaled the anxious breath he’d been holding. “I’m glad to hear that. You both look well.”
“Thank you.” Emma surveyed him and frowned. “I wish I could say the same for you. What’s wrong?”
“Just a tough day.” Even with Emma’s expectant expression, he didn’t want to elaborate. Gazing down at his hands, he finally responded, “I held a man’s heart in my hands this afternoon.”
Emma’s eyes widened, and she sucked in a breath. “Oh my God…”
He shook his head with regret. “But no matter how hard I tried, I still couldn’t save him.”
She reached out to rub his arm. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Thank you,” he murmured. Since he was ready to change the subject before his emotions overcame him again, he motioned for her to have a seat. “So, what brings you here?”
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
His brows rose in surprise. “You do? Another flight for Aidan perhaps?”
Emma laughed. “No. I think it’ll be a long, long time before he ever gets in a small plane again.” As Noah began to squirm, she shifted him from her lap to her shoulder. He spit out his pacifier and started to fuss.
“Here. Let me,” Pesh suggested, bending over to take Noah into his arms. Noah’s surprised blue eyes met his, and then he smiled at Pesh. “Hello, little one. My, how you’ve grown since I saw you last.”
Noah cooed and reached for Pesh’s stethoscope. “You were saying?” he questioned Emma.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, considering you’re not Catholic, but I was wondering if you would be Noah’s godfather?”
Pesh couldn’t hold back his surprise, and his mouth dropped open in shock. “You’re serious?”
Emma nodded. “Since I’m not Catholic, I’m basically humoring Aidan’s father by having a baptism for Noah. You remember him?”
Pesh laughed. “How could I ever forget Mr. Fitzgerald, the matchmaker?”
Emma smiled. “That’s right. Well, you can understand how persistent he is.”
“Oh yes, I do.”
“We’re allowed one Catholic and one non-Catholic godparent. We’ve chosen Aidan’s niece as godmother, and then I wanted you.”
“But what about your good friend?”
“Connor?”
“Yes, him.”
Emma waved a dismissive hand. “Besides the fact that Connor is a non-practicing Baptist, he’s refused on the grounds he doesn’t want to have any moral or religious responsibility for Noah.” She grinned and shook her head. “While he and Casey were obvious choices, let’s just say they’re looking forward to corrupting Noah, rather than guiding him on a spiritual path.”
Pesh smiled. “I see.”
Emma’s auburn brows knitted together in worry. “I hope you’re not offended that I told you that. I don’t want you to think you were a second best choice. When I thought of someone to protect and guide Noah, you were one of the first people to pop into my mind.”
Pesh worked to free his stethoscope from Noah’s mouth. “And what does Aidan say about this?” He knew that although he and Aidan had come to some sort of friendship on the night of Noah’s birth, he couldn’t imagine, as possessive as Aidan was, that he would want a potential ex-flame of Emma’s having a major part in his son’s life.
“He’s fine with it,” Emma replied, as she toyed with the strap on her purse.
“Emma,” Pesh pressed.
She threw up her hands as she met his gaze. “Okay, so he wasn’t thrilled with the idea at first. It took some convincing on my part, but he’s totally onboard now.”
“As honored as I am, I would not cause contention between you two for anything in the world.”
“And you won’t. I promise.” Emma reached out and took his hand. Months ago, that touch would have electrified him from his head to his feet. Now it was nothing more than the caring touch of a friend. “In this day and age, it is so hard to find a truly honorable man. You have such a kind heart and a caring spirit. Coupled with your integrity, I couldn’t ask for a better person in my son’s life, and Aidan agreed.” She squeezed his hand. “Please say yes.”
Pesh brought his gaze from Emma’s intense one to Noah’s inquisitive one. How could he say no? He loved children, and he wanted nothing more than to have a house full of them one day. The fact that Emma thought so highly of him truly melted his heart. As he stared into Noah’s sweet face, he wanted to be a part of his life. “Emma, it would be a privilege.”
Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.
She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.
She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.
David aka ‘Deacon’ Malloy has devoted his adult life to the Hell’s Raiders motorcycle club. Plucked off the streets as a teenager for his fighting ability, he willing embraces the violent life-style of his new family. After his adoptive father’s murder during the last club war, he slid into the vacated role of Sergeant at Arms. His world is thrown for a loop when a former club whore dies, and the five year old daughter he had no idea he had fathered is deposited on the club steps.
Alexandra Evans followed in her parents’ footsteps by going into education. As a Kindergarten teacher, she loves helping her young students learn to read and write. At the start of the school year, one little girl stands out to her above all the rest. With an aura of sadness about her, Willow Malloy is someone who needs all the tender loving care Alexandra can give. When she suddenly stops coming to school, Alexandra goes in search of her. What she finds is a clubhouse full of bikers, and a father hell bent on keeping his daughter always within his sight during a turf war.
The moment Deacon lays eyes on Alexandra he knows he has to have her. He doesn’t give two shits about the fact she’s a naïve civilian or that she has no desire to become another one of his conquests. He’s never found a woman he couldn’t have, and he wants nothing more to persuade Alexandra into changing her mind.
Will Deacon seduce Alexandra into his dark world, or will she help him embrace a brighter future for himself and his daughter?
Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.
She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.
She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.
City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: May 27th 2014
Preorder: Amazon
ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.
I am coming.
Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!
To Fix You by Samantha Towle
Release Date: Fall 2014
I’m a gigolo. Male escort. Hustler… whatever you like to call us. And in the past seven years, I’ve had sex with… well, I stopped counting after I hit five hundred… basically, I’ve screwed a lot of women.
I know what you’re thinking… I must have had a terrible childhood, something horrendous happened in my life that drove me to this career.
Wrong.
The best thing to ever happen to me is why I work this job.
My daughter.
I’m a single dad. And I have sex with women for money, to feed, clothe and put a roof over my eight year old daughters head.
Not ideal, I know, but now I need the money more than ever…
Four weeks ago my worst nightmare happened… my baby girl was diagnosed with Cancer. Now, I have to earn, and earn big, to pay the mounting medical bills.
I have never felt more terrified, and more alone, in my life.
My name is Lizzie Connelly.
Beautiful, twenty-two . . . I have it all, including a new internship most girls would rip out their own souls for. I work for Margaret Manning-Emerson, vice president at Emerson & Taylor—one of the biggest fashion powerhouses this country has ever seen.
I’m ambitious.
I want success.
Since we’re friends, maybe I should start from the beginning.
My real name is Elizabeth Emerson.
Alone, twenty-two . . . I have nothing but broken promises and a string of shit luck, and it’s all because of the woman who took it all ten years ago after my father died. My stepmother–Margaret Manning-Emerson, the woman who, before two months ago, had never laid eyes on me.
I’m ambitious.
I need the truth.
Things are complicated, though.
My plans are flawed from the beginning, and the biggest obstacle comes in the form of Landon. Sexy, too smart for his own damn good, and infuriating, he’s the one person who could blow my plans to uncover that bitch Margaret and expose her for what she really is. She’s his mother, and in another life, I guess that would have made him my stepbrother.
I’m ambitious.
I need to know what happened ten years ago.
But I want . . . him.
*This is a standalone title
**Release date to be announced closer to date
Ever since Lily died two years ago, Evie has been lost. She exists but doesn’t live. And she copes the only way she knows how: by wrecking things.
She exposes her dad’s affairs, ends things with her longtime boyfriend, and just last semester, she destroyed her music scholarship. Desperate to break away from all the destruction she’s caused and start over, Evie reinvents herself at her new university.
But then Rhys, her new voice instructor, happens. He’s gorgeous, insanely talented and apart of the dark past she’s trying to overcome. Rhys’s brother is the reason why Evie’s life is such a mess right now, the reason why Lily, Evie’s sister, is dead. And even though Rhys is the last person Evie should ever want, for the first time in two years, wrecking things seems…right.
Dark Skye (Immortals After Dark #14) by Kresley Cole
Release Date: August 5th 2014
Preorder: Amazon
Eternal Obsession
As a boy, Thronos, Lord of Skye Hall, loved Lanthe, a mischievous Sorceri girl who made him question everything about his Vrekener clan. But when the two got caught in the middle of their families’ war, tragedy struck, leaving Thronos and Lanthe bitter enemies. Though centuries have passed, nothing can cool his seething need for the beautiful enchantress who scarred his body—and left an even deeper impression on his soul.
Endless Yearning
Lanthe, a once-formidable sorceress struggling to reclaim her gifts, searches for love and acceptance with all the wrong immortal suitors. But she’s never forgotten Thronos, the magnificent silver-eyed boy who protected her until she was ripped from the shelter of his arms. One harrowing night changed everything between them. Now he’s a notorious warlord with a blood vendetta against Lanthe, hunting her relentlessly.
Can the heat of desire burn brighter than vengeance?
With their families locked in conflict and battles raging all around them, will Thronos and Lanthe succumb to the brutal chaos that threatens everything they cherish? Or will the fragile bond they formed so long ago spark a passion strong enough to withstand even the darkest doubts?
Tame Me (Stark International #1) by J. Kenner
Release Date: March 11th 2014
Preorder: Amazon
Aspiring actress Jamie Archer is on the run. From herself. From her wild child ways. From the screwed up life that she left behind in Los Angeles. And, most of all, from Ryan Hunter—the first man who has the potential to break through her defenses to see the dark fears and secrets she hides.
Stark International Security Chief Ryan Hunter knows only one thing for sure—he wants Jamie. Wants to hold her, make love to her, possess her, and claim her. Wants to do whatever it takes to make her his.
But after one night of bliss, Jamie bolts. And now it’s up to Ryan to not only bring her back, but to convince her that she’s running away from the best thing that ever happened to her–him.
He’s everything I admire plus things I can’t even put into words.
I crush on Jericho Barrons violently.
My brain almost shuts down every time I see him and that’s a lot of gray matter to stupefy.
Used to be, if I couldn’t fall asleep I’d fantasize all kinds of ways I’d impress Barrons by killing monsters or saying something really smart or saving the world, and he’d see me as a grown up woman and I’d glow just from the look on his face.
But then Ryodan began popping into my fantasies like he had some kind of business being there, and he’d look all, well…like…Ryodan and he’d laugh and do that husky groan thing he did on level four, so I terminated that happy little exercise in somnolence.
Now I count sheep.
Lately even those buggers look like Ryodan with clear, cold eyes and some weird kind of hypnotic hold on me.
Fecker.
I’m beginning to think I’m going to have to figure out a way to kill him, permanent-like just to get him out of my head.
My fists clench and teeth grind at the last words—words that feed off the worst of my fears—the urge to break something returning. To drown the pain that’s back with a vengeance. I know he’s pushed me to the breaking point. I can hear his quiet sigh through the screaming of every ounce of my being.
He stands slowly and I tell myself to look at him. To show him somehow I’ve heard him, but I can’t make myself do it. I feel his hand on the top of my head, like I’m a little boy again, and his uncertain voice whispers, “I love you Colton.”
The words fill my fucking head but I can get them past the fear lodged in my throat. Past the memories of the chant I used to say that was followed by the brutality and unspeakable pain. As much as I want to tell him—feel the need to tell him—I still can’t.
Series order:
★ (#1) Driven
★ (#2) Fueled
★ Preorder (#3) Crashed (out March 3rd 2014)
★ A teaser from Saving Quinton (Nova #2) by Jessica Sorensen!
I’m pretty sure I’m dreaming. Or maybe I’m dead. I’m hoping for the latter, but I don’t it’s the correct assumption because this feels different than the first time I died. If I’m dreaming, it’s a beautiful dream, one where I’m with Nova and we’re happy. I’m surprised I’m seeing myself with her and normally I’d stop my thoughts from going there, but I’m not awake enough to care. Plus I feel really good, better than I have in a while. Everything feels light. Breathless. Hazy and weightless. My memories of my past are fading. I can no longer feel the blood on my hands or the weight of guilt on my shoulders. Something wonderful is taking over. I’m not in the darkness, locked within myself. I’ve been swept up by light and I feel like I could do anything at the moment as I lie on my back, gazing up at the sky. Nova hovers over me, cupping my cheek, and her skin is so damn warm and she smells amazing. And her eyes… bright blue with specks of green, her skin dotted with freckles, and her full lips that look so delicious I want to taste them… and I’m going to, because nothing matters at the moment. It’s not real, which makes it easier to take what I want—admit what I want.
I lean up, not even thinking about what I’m doing, and press my lips to hers. It hurts my mouth but the pain is worth it—it’s worth everything just to taste her again. I could do it forever, and I want to, but when I slip my tongue deep inside her mouth, she pulls away, her eyes widening and swarming with confusion. I open my mouth to tell her to come back to me, because I want her—need to kiss her again—but then her lips start moving and the haze from my brain gradually starts to lift.
“Quinton, can you hear me?” she asks, her voice soft, distant. Or maybe I’m the one who’s distant.
“I…” It hurts to talk, my throat too dry, and the brightness of the sun is stinging at my eyes.
“Are you okay?” she says and the sunlight dims as the blue sky changes into my shitty bedroom ceiling stained with water and cracks. That stupid drip comes into focus, haunting me again.
I suddenly realize that I’m in my room. Awake. And Nova’s here. With me.
★ Teaser from Thoughtful (Kellan’s POV of Thoughtless) by S.C. Stephens:
When the coffee was done, I prepared our cups, and set Kiera’s down in front of her. I leaned back in my chair, perfectly content as I drank mine. Kiera hunched over her mug like she was freezing and it was the only source of warmth in the room. I knew her reaction wasn’t from the cold though, and knowing that made my smile even wider. Jealousy is a bitch, isn’t it, Kiera?
★ Special announcement and sneak peek from K.A. Linde!
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
I’ve been working on a super secret project for a little while now. I wasn’t sure if it was going to turn into anything, but I can’t seem to stop writing it. I’m madly in love with this book! Now that I’m at a comfortable distance, I can tell you about it!!!
Yeah, that might sound cocky or maybe a bit disgusting even, but I’ve never given two fucks. I wasn’t about to start now.
And whoever was lying beside me right now needed to get the fuck out before I started remembering her name. Did I remember her name? Lany. Lacy. Lucy? No. Fuck. I didn’t give a shit. She just needed to leave so that I could get back to sleep.
“Babe,” I grumbled, nudging the chick in the ribs. “Darlin’.”
“Mmm,” she groaned. “I love when you call me darlin’.”
I already knew she liked it. She had lost her clothes quickly enough to the sound of it last night. Now, I was pretty sure I’d never say it again if it meant that she would get out quicker.
“Time to go home.”
The girl turned on her side and tucked the comforter over her tits. Well, there went her best quality. She gave me a come-and-get-me look and pouted her lips as if that was going to change my mind.
“Oh come on, Grant,” she whispered throatily.
Her hand slid down my chest and then farther south. Yeah, not happening. I wasn’t interested in another mediocre performance on her part. Maybe a blowjob, but even then probably not.
She stroked my cock and I was reconsidering that blowjob. She had to be better at sucking dick then fucking. It was some unwritten rule. Either they sucked or they fucked.
“No, honey. It’s time for you to go home.” I rolled onto my back and reached for a joint on my nightstand.
“That’s not what you were saying last night.”
I flicked the zippo to life and took a drag on the joint. “That’s what I’m saying now. You knew how this was going to go when you came back with me. So save me the headache and just leave.”
“Whore,” she snapped. She hopped out of bed, snatched up her clothes, and then stormed toward the door. I waited until it slammed shut behind her before blowing out the smoke.
Wasn’t the first time I’d heard that either. I preferred the term man whore. I’d earned that title and I was fucking proud of it.
★ Toxic (Ruin #2) by Rachel Van Dyken has a blurb!
Everyone has a secret…
Gabe Hyde is on borrowed time. He’s been hiding his identity for over four years-hidden from the world that used to adore him–obsess over him–driven to the edge of insanity by one poor choice.
But that one choice, altered the course of his life forever.
Pretending isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when pretending means hiding your real self from the people that care about you the most. But if anyone ever discovered the truth it wouldn’t just be his life at risk–but hers.
Saylor doesn’t hate men.
Just Gabe.
Only Gabe.
He’s a reckless, happy-go-lucky, silver spoon fed pain in her ass. Everything about him makes her more and more confused. Unfortunately they both donate time at the same Group Home. If she wasn’t afraid of flunking, she’d be long gone. She hates that she’s attracted to him almost as much as he hates that he’s attracted to her–and she can tell, especially since their first encounter ended up making her knees so weak she couldn’t form coherent sentences for weeks afterwards. But the closer she gets to him, the more confused she becomes. He isn’t who he says he is, and he’s hiding something big.
What happen when two worlds collide? Two worlds that never should have met in the first place? Some secrets are too big to be hidden forever–the only question? Will his destroy everyone he loves? Or finally bring about the redemption he’s been craving for the past four years?
★ This is Sylvia Day’s live Q&A! And she’s writing a new series called Blacklist!
★ The Swan & the Jackal (In the Company of Killers #3) by J.A. Redmerski has a blurb!
Fredrik Gustavsson never considered the possibility of love, or that anyone could ever understand or accept his dark and bloody lifestyle—until he met Seraphina, a woman as vicious and blood-thirsty as Fredrik himself. They spent two short but unforgettable years together, full of lust and killing and the darkest kind of love that two people can share.
And then Seraphina was gone.
It’s been six years since Fredrik’s lover and sadistic partner in crime turned his world upside-down. Seraphina went into hiding and has eluded him ever since. Now, he’s getting closer to finding her, and an innocent woman named Cassia is the key to drawing Seraphina from the shadows. But Cassia—after sustaining injuries from a fire that Seraphina ignited—suffers from amnesia and can’t give Fredrik the information he desperately seeks. Having no other choice, Fredrik has been keeping Cassia locked in his basement as he not only tries to get her to recall her past—because she and Seraphina share it—but also to protect her from Seraphina, who clearly wants her dead.
But Cassia is a light in the darkness that Fredrik never believed existed. After a year subjected to her kindness and compassion, he finds himself struggling with his love for Seraphina, and his growing feelings for Cassia—because he knows that to love one, the other must die.
Will light win out over darkness, or will something more powerful than either further destroy an already tortured soul?
(Note: THE SWAN & THE JACKAL is NOT a New Adult title. It, and all other books in the series are categorized as Suspense/Crime/Thriller/Romantic Suspense and Adult.)
The release date for Apolonia has been changed to November 2014. But the good news is that Trent’s book’s release date has been moved up, and you’ll be getting it sooner than fall 2014!
Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.
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