Happy Release Day to Wendy Higgins – Sweet Temptation is live!
Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins
Series: The Sweet Trilogy #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 8th 2015
Bad boy Kaidan Rowe has never wanted for anything—money, popularity, musical talent…hot girls—but seducing them is part of his duty as a Nephilim, slave to the demon Dukes. As the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan has learned his father’s ways, becoming a master of passion, a manipulator of chemistry. Disobeying his father would mean certain death. Thankfully for Kaidan, he’s good at his job. And he enjoys it.
Until he meets Anna Whitt—sweet, smart, feisty, and inexplicably good—the one girl seemingly immune to his charms. The daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, she has a certain power over him, one that makes him wish for more than he could ever deserve.
Determined to save all the Neph from their dark lives as the influencers of sin, Anna joins forces with Kaidan to overcome the demons’ oppressive ways. In the light of her affections, Kaidan must undergo his toughest test of all, a battle of the heart.
Sensual and swoon worthy, this companion volume to the acclaimed Sweet Evil series from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, told from the perspective of the irresistibly sexy and mysterious Kaidan Rowe, gives readers revealing insights into his struggle, his intense connection to Anna, and most of all, the true emotions that drive him.
Author Note:
Sweet Temptation will encompass the entire trilogy in a condensed version, beginning with Kai’s life before he met Anna, and taking readers through the epilogue of Sweet Reckoning. Sweet Temptation is a companion novel, not meant to be a stand alone story. It will definitely be a richer experience for those who have read the original trilogy.
Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen and her independently published Irish fantasy, See Me. She is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and doggie Rue.
Wendy earned a bachelor’s in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford. Writing Young Adult (YA) stories gives her the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal, daunting, and exciting years before adulthood.
Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins
Series: The Sweet Trilogy #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 29th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (HarperTeen) in exchange for an honest review
It’s time.
Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.
The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.
In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.
I have to admit, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this series at the beginning, but now… I’m so in love. Each book in the trilogy got progressively better and better, and I grew to care for these characters so much that I’m sad that it’s all over. I had high expectations for Sweet Reckoning, since it’s the last book of the series, and Wendy Higgins absolutely delivers. Sweet Reckoning is a heart-pounding, fast-paced, and fabulous conclusion to this trilogy.
Anna and the gang have one last final chance to rid the world of demons, and the action doesn’t disappoint. There’s never a dull moment in this book, though there are many instances of sweetness between Anna and Kaidan, which I adored. Sweet Reckoning is thrilling, romantic, and fast-paced, and I was able to read it in one sitting. Wendy Higgins’s writing is easy to follow and I was riveted from beginning to end. I loved the subtle humor that appeared every now and then in the book (Kaidan, in particular, is hilarious!). And I was so impressed with all the characters–with their growth development and their relationships.
Anna is an impressive heroine–she truly becomes someone stronger, more confident, and more at ease with her destiny. It did become a bit too preachy for my taste at times, but I was glad that Anna had so much faith–faith in herself, in God, and in her friends. She already lost one of her Nephilim friends, and she’s definitely not ready to lose another one, so she does everything in her power to do what it takes to save all the Neph.
Kaidan is so, so sweet! I truly loved him best in Sweet Reckoning. He and Anna have to protect their relationship from the Dukes, but when it’s safe to be alone, the two of them are so adorable. Kai is so protective and willing to show how much he loves Anna (swoon!). They make such a great couple–their romance is sweet yet very, very sexy–and I loved the direction Wendy Higgins chose for them. It was something I never would have thought of, but for Kaidan and Anna, it was perfect.
All of their friends have a strong role in the book as well, and it was so great to see how much everyone has changed throughout the series. New relationships arise, some become more steady, but overall, it was the perfect ending for them.
Sweet Reckoning was so much fun to read, but I have to admit that I’m sad the series is over. Still, it’s a brilliant conclusion to this series I’ve come to love, and it’s got an even better epilogue! The epilogue was so beautiful and heartwarming that I fell in love with Kai and Anna all over again. It was such a perfect way to end the series.
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!
In this sequel to Wallbanger, the second book in the Cocktail series, fan favorites Caroline and Simon negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in San Francisco.
Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So with her hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he’s tired of so much travelling, and he’s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind,” but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?
USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton delivers another delicious, frothy cocktail of a book, shaking up her characters, stirring in laugh-out-loud humor, and serving sizzling romance straight up!
In the third book in the bestselling Cocktail series, a romantic at heart decides that she will not ever, under any circumstances, fall for the engineer next door.
Viv Franklin is a retired Army captain who now designs software programs. She’s also a romance junkie who longs for a knight in shining armor or a cowboy on a wild stallion or a strapping firefighter to sweep her off her feet. Knowing she’s never going to meet her hero by spending all her time behind her keyboard, she uproots her life to move to California, where she meets an actual cowboy. And—sigh—an engineer. But which man is truly Clark Kent and which is her Superman?
A madcap romantic comedy with unforgettable characters and the promise of true love, Screwdrivered has just what you need.
There are two kinds of people in the world. The ones who look first, and the ones who leap. I’ve always been more of a looker. Cautious. A planner. That changed after I met Drew Evans. He was so persistent. So sure of himself – and of me.
But not all love stories end happily ever after. Did you think Drew and I were going to ride off into the sunset? Join the club. Now I have to make a choice, the most important of my life. Drew already made his –in fact, he tried to decide for the both of us. But you know that’s just not my style. So I came back to Greenville. Alone. Well, sort of alone….
What I’ve come to realize is that old habits die hard and sometimes you have to go back to where you began, before you can move ahead.
TWISTED picks up two years after Tangled’s end, and is told from Kate’s POV.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: girl meets player, they fall in love, player changes his ways.
It’s a good story. But it’s not our story. Ours is a lot more colorful.
When I met Dee I knew right away that she was special. When she met me, she thought I was anything but special–I was exactly like every other guy who’d screwed her over and let her down. It took some time to convince her otherwise, but turns out I can make a convincing argument when sex is at stake.
You might know where this story’s headed. But the best part isn’t where we ended up.
It’s how we got there.
TAMED goes back in time to the Tangled days. But this time around, it’s not Drew dishing out the advice and opinions – it’s his best friend Matthew, who of course is dealing with Dee Dee.
Eighteen-year-old Annie Winters can barely run a mile without wheezing. Still, she’s training to run the Music City Marathon in seven short months. Running is so not her thing, but she has to finish what her boyfriend started… before he died.
Annie feels guilt that she’s still alive and blames herself for his death; she has to do this to honor him – running a marathon was his dream. Plus training gives her something to do, it’s a distraction. So is Jeremiah Brown.
He’s an adrenaline junkie who runs marathons backwards. He flirts with Annie on the trails and it makes her feel alive and happy and guilty all at the same time. She wants to both race into his arms and sprint in the opposite direction – because loving is a risk she’s not sure she’s ready to take again…
A sexy smile. Intense blue eyes. A goodness that makes him want to save me from these rumors when no one else would care. I didn’t ask for a hero. William Bailey was never supposed to be anything more than a wish, a dream, an unrequited crush. Not for a girl like me–a girl whose fractured family has stolen her chance at a decent life.
William…
Since the death of my parents, I’ve always done what’s expected of me, what’s “best” for me. Until Cally. The moment her haunted eyes meet mine, the fractured pieces of my heart feel whole again. I don’t just want to save her. I need her to save me.
Stolen chances. Unbroken wishes. Two lonely souls grasping for hope in the darkness.
“After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything—my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life. And for a while, I thought it broke me, that I’d never be the same. But slowly the beast is growing bolder, and it’s finally time to show Tess how beautiful the dark can be.”
Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less. Tess may have leashed and tamed him, but he’s still a monster inside.
BEHIND HIS EYES – CONSEQUENCES is a reading companion, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig, recommended to be read aftercompleting all of the CONSEQUENCES SERIES: Consequences, Truth, and Convicted. It is not a standalone book and should not be read as such.
This companion was written to explore the thoughts and motivations of Anthony Rawlings, the man behind the consequences. It was not intended as a total rewrite of Consequences, but meant to enhance the reader’s understanding. BHE-Consequences contains significant scenes from the novel Consequences, as experienced from Anthony’s point of view. It also contains never before read, behind the scenes information, as well as, a glossary of the characters and a timeline devoted to the events within Consequences.
BEHIND HIS EYES CONSEQUENCES is a dark journey into the mind of the man who believes that he controls everything and controls nothing. Because there is more to learn about a man who:
Once upon a time, signed a napkin that he knew was a contract. As an esteemed businessman, he forgot one very important rule—he forgot to read the fine print. It wasn’t an acquisition to own another person as he’d previously assumed. It was an agreement to acquire a soul.
—Aleatha Romig CONVICTED
It was a long and painful acquisition—especially from Behind His Eyes!
In the second book in the Love Under the Big Sky series from this USA TODAY bestselling author of the With Me in Seattle series, life in Montana gets spicy when a woman and her divorce lawyer sign off the papers—and sign on to love.
Now that his best friend, Josh, has happily settled down with his true love on a Montana ranch, small-town lawyer Ty Sullivan starts thinking that maybe single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when Lauren Cunningham’s no-good ex-husband comes after her for an unexpected trust fund, Ty steps in to protect her. But soon he can’t help but think of her as more than a client. Lauren’s in no mood to jump into another relationship, so how can Ty convince her that her mistake wasn’t getting married, but marrying the wrong guy?
Schizoaffective disorder: a mental illness in which a person experiences a combination of mood disorder and schizophrenia symptoms.
I know about this illness—very well—because I suffer from it. It’s been four years since my diagnosis, and ever since, I’ve been living in a dark hole. Voices constantly invading my thoughts. Hallucinations. All of which force me to question if what I’m experiencing is even reality.
But here I am, still hanging on, still breathing and living through it.
That is, until he stumbled into my life. Logan Reed. I don’t want any part of him. I’ve pushed him away, but he isn’t easily deterred. I’ve told him I’m different, but he doesn’t care. He’s trying to slowly break me down. I’m trying just as hard not to let him. He doesn’t know how truly damaged I am; what will happen when he does?
I know the truth—he’ll never be able to look at me the same way again. Just like everybody else.
Forever Ours is the highly anticipated prequel to the New York Times and USA Todaybestselling Shattered Hearts Series. This can be read as a stand alone or beforeRelentless.
Sometimes, it takes more than love to mend a shattered heart.
After eight years of being tossed around from one home to another, never forming any meaningful friendships or bonds with her foster families, Claire’s caseworker gives her an ultimatum: Behave or your next home will be a halfway house.
When fifteen-year-old Claire arrives at the home of Jackie Knight and meets Jackie’s fifteen-year-old son, tattooed guitarist Chris, she fears she’ll be seeing the inside of that halfway house soon. But Chris isn’t like any other guy Claire has ever encountered and he soon gains her trust through his music and unwavering patience.
Claire has finally found her forever home and she and Chris soon find themselves falling in love.
But Chris’s dreams of musical stardom and Claire’s need for a stable home soon put their love in jeopardy. Chris struggles deeply with his plans for the future, entirely reluctant to leave Claire behind; until Claire does something that may break their love — and the only home she’s comes to know — forever.
Twenty-three year-old Maddie Asherford is haunted by a past she can’t remember. When she was fifteen years old, there was a tragic accident and she was left with amnesia.
In the aftermath, Maddie’s left struggling with who she is—the forgotten girl she was eight years ago or the Maddie she is now. Sometimes it even feels like she might be two different people completely—the good Maddie and the bad one.
Good Maddie goes to therapy, spends time with her family, and works on healing herself. Bad Maddie rebels and has dark thoughts of hurting people and sometimes even killing them.
Maddie manages to keep her twisted thoughts hidden for the most part. That is until she starts having blackouts. Each time she wakes up from one, she’s near a murder scene with no recollection of what happened the night before and this helpless feeling like she’s losing control of her life. Maddie doesn’t want to believe she’s a killer, but she begins to question who she really was in her past. If she was bad Maddie all along and that maybe she was a killer.
“Yes, Miles. You’re right. I am. Because I like you and I know you like me and when we’re together, it’s phenomenal, so that’s what normal people do. When they find someone they’re compatible with, they open up to them. They let them in. They want to be with them. They don’t f*@k them against their kitchen table, then walk away and make them feel like complete shit.”
★ Nalini Singh, one of my favorite authors ever, has deleted scenes from Heart of Obsidian (one of my favorite books of 2013)! You can read them here.
★ EEP!! Darynda Jones has written a Charley Davidson Christmas story called Shimmer! You can read it here, but there will be spoilers for those who haven’t read Fifth Grave Past the Light!
★ Ilona Andrews has a wonderful gift for their readers here!
★ Wendy Higgins has a bonus scene of parts of chapters 17-20 of Sweet Peril in Kai’s POV! Read it here.
★ In the print version of Be with Me (Wait for You #2) by J. Lynn there will be an exclusive never-before-seen scene between Teresa and Jase that won’t exist in the e-book version!
★ You can read the prologue of Ofelia by Pepper Winters here!
★ Kristen Ashley news!
The Will, the start of a three-part series called the Magdalene Series, will be released in April 2014. I got to fulfill two bucket list items with this one. One, writing a hero who is a boxer and two, giving into the request of a number of readers and writing a couple that are just a wee bit older. You may think one and two don’t go together but wait until you meet Jake and Josephine. Jake is the…absolute…bomb and Josephine is so damned funny, I haven’t laughed that hard writing a book since Rock Chick Revolution. Can’t wait for you to meet them!
Here’s what else you can look forward to in 2014.
Untitled, the continuation of The ‘Burg Series (Frankie and Benny’s story).
Another Untitled, the finale of The Three Series will be written after I leave The ‘Burg.
I’m hoping to get at least one more book in by the end of 2014 and I’ll update you what that/those might be when I know what they might be!
★ It’s the cover for the sequel to Sempre by J.M. Darhower! Sempre: Redemption (Forever Series #2) releases December 23rd 2013.
In this thrilling and sexy follow-up to Sempre, two young lovers struggle to keep their relationship intact after they become deeply enmeshed in the dangerous mafia-run crime ring they once tried to overthrow.
Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco have been through a lot. Haven was taken in by Carmine’s father, and with his family’s help, she escaped a gruesome fate. However, saving Haven from the dark intentions of a mafia family cost Carmine a steep price: he was forced to swear loyalty to them.
Now, still passionately in love, Carmine and Haven must face the fall-out of Carmine’s forced service, as Haven discovers terrifying secrets about the family that enslaved both her and her mother—and why she matters so much in this intricate web of lies.
★ ACK it’s the cover reveal for the upcoming book #7 in the Kate Daniels series (one of my favorite series ever!), Magic Breaks! This comes out August 5th 2014 (too far away!).
No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it…
As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers. Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.
As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer. And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…
★ Raine Miller has a new book coming out called Cherry Girl, which is a Blackstone Affair spinoff novella.
Elaina Morrison has loved Neil McManus her whole life. She doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t love him. Through heartbreaking tragedy and years of separation, her love holds true…until life stomps all over her heart, shattering her perfect dream, teaching her how hard it is to let go.
Real life doesn’t have anything on romantic dreams though, as these two have learned repeatedly. It sucks big time, leaving painful scars in its wake.
But Neil isn’t giving up. He’s endured years of longing and sacrifice to wait for her. Always a soldier, he knows his way around a battlefield, and winning Elaina is no different. So that’s precisely what Neil is going to do. He’ll go in fighting, and make Elaina see what he already knows.
That she will forever be his Cherry Girl…
★ Better is the sequel to Good in the Too Good series by S. Walden, and releases November 19th 2013.
Their relationship has been exposed, and now their lives are changed forever.
For Cadence Miller, the fast track to adulthood proves intimidating and frustrating. She’s a little girl lost—abandoned by her family and uncertain of her future. She doesn’t think she “fits” anywhere. She’s eighteen. She wants to be older. And the result is both comical and heartbreaking.
Mark Connelly will do anything to provide Cadence a stable, loving home—to be her protector. But he’s just as broken and lost, and his heart won’t let go of his past so easily. He knows he should share his secret with Cadence. He should trust that she’ll understand. But what if she doesn’t? What if their love doesn’t grow stronger?
What if it doesn’t get better?
★ Catch Me, a new novel by Claire Contreras (author of There is No Light in Darkness) comes out Fall 2013!
In the past, I’ve always been given everything I’ve wanted, but nothing that I truly needed. I’ve experienced a lot of things in my twenty-five years, everything except the one thing I want. It’s the one thing that can’t be bought. It can’t even be taken, it has to be given. And nobody has ever given it to me, not really anyway.
Not until him.
Music is the center of both our lives, but as he found his place in it, I lost my way. He soared, while I spiraled down a destructive path.
I lost myself in more ways than I can count.
The ironic thing is that I didn’t realize how lost I was until he found me.
And now that he has, I have to wonder if he’ll stay around long enough to catch me.
★ Nikolai by S.L. Jennings is a Dark Light Series spin-off novella and releases in November 2013.
Two centuries ago, I clawed my way into a world of immorality, filth and destruction. A world seething with secrets and lies, both mortal and immortal.
Complete and utter Darkness.
I know we’re supposed to be inherently evil, but something inside me refuses to fully believe our legends. Something that calls out for more…calls out for her.
But there are rules. Rules that control the balance of nature. And if broken, it could destroy everything I’ve ever known. It could destroy me.
I am Nikolai Skotos, son of Stavros and Delia, and brother of Dorian, the heir of the Dark throne. I am one of the most powerful Dark forces to have ever walked this earth.
And I once was lost.
Now, I’m about to give it all up for the girl that found me.
*This is a PREQUEL NOVELLA for the Dark Light Series, NOT Book 3, to be read AFTER reading Dark Light & The Dark Prince*
★ Abandon is Cassia Leo’s new standalone novel set to release in January 2014.
Tristan never gave a shit about the girls he used and abandoned. His manwhore ways were ingrained in him from birth. His past has always been a mystery his conquests have wanted to crack, but no one has been able to… until now.
Senia has always fallen for the wrong guys, but this time she’s fallen for the worst of them. Her attempts to guard her heart from Tristan’s charms and sexual magnetism only spur on his pursuit. And soon, the electric energy between Tristan and Senia sparks a fire too wild to contain.
Now Tristan must decide if he will abandon his old ways or if he will stay true to his past and abandon Senia instead.
★ Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones has a cover! The Charley Davidson series is one of my favorites, and it’s SO hilarious! I highly recommend it!
Few things in life can come between a grim reaper and her coffee, but the sexy, sultry son of Satan is one of them. Now that she’s agreed to marry Reyes Farrow, Charley Davidson feels like it’s about time she knows more about his past. With Reyes reluctant to open up, Charley decides to take matters into her own hands and investigates secretly when the official FBI file of his childhood abduction lands in her lap. Because what could go wrong with that?
Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap, too—one with dangerous implications. Some very determined men want to find a certain witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn’t come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear.
On top of that, Uncle Bob has a bizarre case involving random incidents of knifing in Albuquerque’s Old Town. He suspects supernatural forces are at play, but can’t solve the case without Charley’s expertise.
Good thing for Charley she’s used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow.
From the bestselling author of Pulled and Take This Regret comes a gripping new tale of loss and love.
William has spent six years running from his past and the last eight months trying to rid his mind of the dreams that increasingly haunt his nights. Trapped in a world of false ambitions and feigned affections, William knows he’s reached a breaking point and something’s going to give.
Maggie had lived her entire life without hope until one man showed her what it meant to be loved. He’d been her light in a lifetime of darkness. Six years ago, that darkness stole him away. Without him, she’s surrendered herself to an existence she doesn’t know how to escape.
When the family William left behind is struck by tragedy, he is called back to the one place he’s sworn to never return to again.
In a moment that will change his life forever, William comes face to face with the girl who, with one look, captured his heart. He is unable to ignore the buried desires and the hope for the future they’d once believed they’d have.
Now William is ready to fight to take back what had been stolen from him six years before.
But he never imagined what that fight might cost him.
A.L. Jackson gives you an intimate look into the lives of a family bound by an unseen connection in this new contemporary romance.
Snippets!!
★ It’s another teaser for Until You (Fall Away #1.5) from Penelope Douglas’ Facebook!
Her eyes were hooded, but she tried to keep going. “The scars on your back,” she started. “You said you had a bad summer, and that when you came back you wanted to hate everybody, but you haven’t treated anyone else as badly as—“
“Tate?” I cut her off and closed the inch left between us. My breathing turned shallow, and all I could see were her lips. “I don’t want to talk any more tonight.”
She stood there, grounded like a tree and waiting for the inevitable storm. She wanted my lips on hers. Her breathing and eyes on my mouth told me that.
Please don’t stop me.
Her skin was like touching cool silk, smooth like butter. I couldn’t wait for her hair to be in my fists.
And then she jerked, as if waking up.
“You don’t want to talk anymore?” Her strong voice broke the spell, and my legs tensed, waiting for her to hit me again.
“Well, I do,” she yelled, and I sprang into action when I saw her twist around to launch another key into the forest.
Hell!
Circling my arms around her body, I pulled her, struggling, into my chest. I don’t know what I was thinking. She was pissed, and she wasn’t going to get over any of it quickly.
But she was mine.
And she was going to realize that fact…even if I had to…
You don’t apologize. You don’t beg! My father’s words came back to me.
I hated almost everything he’d taught me, but that was one lesson I’d committed to practice. Apologizing was a sign of weakness.
But I wanted Tate’s love.
My heart only beat for her, and I’d rather spend my life hating, loving, fucking, and breathing her than losing her.
You need to apologize, dickhead.
“Shhh, Tate,” I whispered into her ear. “I won’t hurt you. I’ll never hurt you again. I’m sorry,” I said, closing my eyes as I swallowed the bitter pill.
“I don’t care about you being sorry! I hate you.”
Well, at least you feel something, I laughed to myself.
Still securing her with both arms, I used my hands to peel open her fingers and pry out my keys.
I let her go, and she stepped forward and spun around to face me.
“You don’t hate me,” I challenged with a grin before she had the chance to speak. “If you did, you wouldn’t be this upset.”
“Go screw yourself,” she spat back and turned, stomping away.
Where did she think she was going?
If she thought I was going to let her traipse home, in the dark, on a deserted road, she was out of her fucking mind!
Digging my feet into the ground, I took off after her, spun her around and threw her over my shoulder. She landed hard, her stomach caving to my shoulder, and I had a huge desire to keep her there and walk home.
Fuck the car.
Well, almost.
“Put me down!” She kicked her feet and punched my back, and I tightened my hold, willing my fingers to stay put.
Her ass was next my head, and goddamn, I wanted to take advantage of her position in her short skirt.
But in her current mood, she’d probably cut off my dick.
PLUS! Bully will be on sale during November and December for only $.99! Purchase here: Amazon
★ Ilona Andrews put up a new snippet from their new book, the Avon story, on their blog! Read it here. Plus, here is the inspiration for Adam Pierce, a character in the Avon story, who I’m hoping will be the hero in the new book, because he is one fine looking man…
★ Another teaser from Cinder X (Death Collectors, #2) by Jessica Sorensen! You can read it on her blog here.
★ You can read an unedited teaser from Gail McHugh for her new novel, Amber to Ashes, here. Its anticipated release date is April, 2014.
★ Jennifer L. Armentrout shared a teaser from her Facebook for Sentinel (Covenant #5)!
Other News!!
★ Jay Crownover has a fourth book called Nash, which set to release April 29th 2014.
Today is the day! I can finally stand on the highest mountain in Colorado and scream from the top of my lungs that Nash, Rowdy and Asa are officially headed your way!! So very excited to share the news with everyone. That’s right, my super awesome editor, Amanda and the team @ HarperCollins want the world to get a little more Marked.
In fact the worst kept secret in the whole world is that Nashis already available for pre-order and coming out in April, right on the heels of Rome.
I’m so very lucky and feel so fortunate that I get to share the rest of the boys with my readers. I can’t wait for all of them to get their HEA.
Nash is the nice guy, but every nice guy has his limits. Rowdy is the joker but all that humor and quick wit hides a lot of inner turmoil. And Asa, well I never thought he was going to make it out of Jet alive so we’ll have to see if he turns it around and gets his act together.
I really hope this early morning freak-out makes everyone as happy as it makes me. I have a big mouth and not being able to say anything about what was in store for the rest of the boys was KILLING me.
Xoxo
J
FALL FROM INDIA PLACE (ON DUBLIN STREET #4)
Release date and cover reveal coming soon.
The Blurb:
The New York Times bestselling author of On Dublin Street and Down London Road and Before Jamaica Lane returns with a story about letting go of the past and learning to trust in the future…When Hannah Nichols last saw Marco D’Alessandro, five long years ago, he broke her heart. The bad boy with a hidden sweet side was the only guy Hannah ever loved—and the only man she’s ever been with. After one intense night of giving into temptation, Marco took off, leaving Scotland and Hannah behind. Shattered by the consequences of their night together, Hannah has never truly moved on.Leaving Hannah was the biggest mistake of Marco’s life, something he has deeply regretted for years. So when fate reunites them, he refuses to let her go without a fight. Determined to make her his, Marco pursues Hannah, reminding her of all the reasons they’re meant to be together.…
But just when Marco thinks they’re committed to a future together, Hannah makes a discovery that unearths the secret pain she’s been hiding from him, a secret that could tear them apart before they have a real chance to start over again…
★ Wendy Higgins (author of Sweet Evil) shared with us on her blog two new books she’s writing! One is a YA contemporary romance called Kiss Collector and the other a YA fantasy/magical realism romance called The Great Hunt. But these books are NOT set in stone yet!
Blurb for KISS COLLECTOR:
All around her, seventeen-year-old Zae Monroe sees boys using girls for their own pleasures. After being cheated on by the only guy she’s ever loved, and then watching her parents’ marriage crumble, she becomes anti-love and pro-fun. It’s time to turn the tables on the stupid boys of the world. It’s time for girls to be a little selfish and take what they want. Zae’s preferred pleasure happens to be kissing. Athletes, musicians, poets, and potheads–their lips are all on her agenda. When she and her best friends have a contest to see who can kiss the most boys during the summer before their senior year, Zae keeps her eye on the prize while the other girls fall left and right for their victims. It’s not until the sweet guy from her English class rejects her drunken advances at a party that she gains perspective on the reasons behind her boy hatred, and starts to wonder if she wasn’t wrong about the male race…or at least one of them.
Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu (OH GOD I cannot wait for this! I’m hoping my preorder will come on the day of its release!)
Daylighters (The Morganville Vampires #15) by Rachel Caine (haven’t read this series in forever and there are 15 freaking books! I don’t think I’ll ever catch up…)
Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen and her independently published Irish fantasy, See Me. She is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and doggie Rue.
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