Fatal Games (M/M) ~ Dulce Dennison

Blurb:

When a ghost from his past begins to haunt him, Griffin loses the only man he’s ever loved. Not one to be knocked down for long, he joins the local police department, donning the badge once more, determined to catch his lover’s murderer. But the killer isn’t done with him yet.

When a rash of crimes breaks out, all targeting Griffin, he knows that his dates are numbered if he can’t catch the person responsible. With fellow officer, Garrett Peterson, aiding his investigation, Griffin knows it’s only a matter of time before he catches the killer. What he doesn’t count on are the developing feelings between Garrett and him.

But how can be possibly make time for love when his life hangs in the balance?

Be warned:  m/m sex

Excerpt:

“You should take the day off,” Garrett said. “I’m sure the captain would agree if he were here.”

“You heard the paramedic. I’m fine. The burns are mild and won’t keep me from doing my job.”

“Would you quit being a stubborn S.O.B. and take some time to calm your mind and lay low for a day? The last thing you need to do is give him another shot at you while you’re rattled. Don’t make me attend your funeral. I don’t think I could take it.”

Griffin frowned. “If you’re trying to say something, just spit it out.”

“Dammit. Don’t you know how I feel about you? You can’t deny there’s an attraction between us. I know we haven’t been close before this case opened up, but I’ve always watched you. Not in a creepy stalker way, but in that desirous, gut churning way. I just never knew how to approach you. You’re kind of intimidating.”

Griffin was more than mildly surprised. He’d spent quite a bit of time with Garrett over the past few days and hadn’t noticed the other man’s attraction to him. He’d been so focused on the case that it had left little time for much else in his life. He was flattered a man as attractive as Garrett would be interested in him, but now wasn’t the time to start a relationship. He wouldn’t be responsible for another lover dying, and Griffin knew without a doubt that the killer would come after Garrett if he thought the man meant anything to him.

“You didn’t know, did you?” Garrett asked.

Griffin shook his head. “It isn’t that I’m not flattered, because I am, but now isn’t the time to start something. Not until this asshole is caught and behind bars—or dead.”

“I was afraid you’d say something like that. Like it or not, I’m glued to your side until this case is wrapped up. Which means I’ll be camping out on your couch.”

Griffin was shaking his head, but there was a determined look in Garrett’s eyes and he knew he would lose the battle. It seemed the man’s feelings were deeper than Griffin had realized, but it wasn’t something Griff could think about right now. He wasn’t sure he could ever allow himself to feel for another man again. It didn’t just feel like a betrayal to Justin’s memory, but he never wanted to put himself in the position of losing someone important to him. He didn’t think he could survive another loss like he’d experienced the day Justin died. It had damn near killed him. Only his determination to seek justice had given him the strength to carry on.

“Fine. But don’t expect me to like it.”

Garrett’s lips tipped up on one corner. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“I need to change. Then you can give me a ride to the station since it seems I’m without a ride until I can replace my car.”

Garrett leaned closer and sniffed. “You are a bit smoky.”

Griffin snorted and turned toward his house. He could feel Garrett’s presence behind him as he entered his home and left the door open for the other officer. If he was determined to play bodyguard, Griffin supposed he would have to let him. In his bedroom, he quickly stripped out of his uniform of jeans and a dress shirt, and pulled a clean set out of the closet. He pulled on his pants and slipped on his shirt. Leaving it hanging open, he gathered his boots and walked back to the living room. Through the open door, he could see his fellow officers milling around his yard as they examined the scene.

He felt Garrett’s gaze on him and he met the hazel eyes caressing his body. It hadn’t been an intentional temptation when he’d come in half dressed, but it seemed Garrett was taking it that way. Garrett stepped closer until their bodies were nearly brushing. Despite his intentions to hold the other man at bay, his heart sped up, leaving Griffin wondering if maybe he felt more for the man than he’d thought.

Garrett gripped the back of his neck and pulled him down for a scorching hot kiss, his lips rough and demanding as he took what he wanted. Griffin could have pulled away, could have put a stop to it, but as Garrett’s tongue flicked against his lips, he found himself opening, wanting more, needing Garrett’s taste on his tongue. He dropped his boots and his hands rose of their own volition, gripping Garrett’s waist and pulling him closer. So lost in the moment, Griffin didn’t care if someone saw them. It was no secret that he was gay and the guys on the force didn’t seem to have a problem with it. It was completely out of character for him to flaunt it though.

The deep, devastating kiss was both exploratory and fierce. Garrett demanded that Griffin give in to him and Griffin found himself powerless to do anything else. It was a long, drugging kiss, Garrett’s lips lingering as if he couldn’t bring himself to pull away. Garrett’s tongue thrust into his mouth again, dancing, curling, coaxing. The kiss turned seductive and Griffin couldn’t fight his body’s response to the other man. His cock stirred with interest and for the first time in six months Griffin wanted more than basic human contact: he found himself desiring another man, needing him with an urgency he thought he’d never feel again.

When Garrett finally pulled away, Griffin was panting, his heart hammering against his ribs, his body hard and tense, wanting a release that he knew wouldn’t come. Not yet anyway. After that kiss, Griffin knew if Garrett pursued the growing attraction between them that he would be powerless to turn the other man away. His body craved satisfaction, but now wasn’t the time. He wanted more than a quick tumble, wanted more than to just take the edge off.

“I’m not giving up on you, Griffin. We will finish this later. Count on it.”

Griffin swallowed hard and nodded. He’d always initiated any intimacy between Justin and him so Garrett’s aggression was different, and a definite turn on. He had a feeling they would fight for dominance in the bedroom, both of them alpha males and used to getting their way. With Garrett’s promise hanging in the air, Griffin quickly finished dressing and followed Garrett out of the house and to the waiting squad car.

Buy Links:

Evernight  ~  Bookstrand  ~  Amazon (US)  ~  All Romance

Author Bio:

With an overactive imagination and a penchant for making up stories, was it any wonder Dulce Dennison decided to be an author? From cowboys to shapeshifters, she has a story for them all, but her passion lies in writing m/m romances. Dulce believes in love in all shapes and sizes, and that everyone deserves a happily-ever-after.

Married since 2000 to a man she isn’t sure is quite human, her husband and children (whom she fondly calls the demon spawn) keep her busy, but never too busy to write. Is there such a thing as too busy to write? Most mornings you can find Dulce set up with her laptop, a cat curled up next to her, and a steaming cup of coffee just an arm’s reach away.

Author Links:

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter

Dangerous Pasts, C&M Security (M/F) ~ Moira Callahan

Blurb:

The past should remain where it belongs, in the past.

Chandra Devons has a checkered past, one she’s not prepared to discuss with anyone. She’s happy with how her life is now, including the very sexy FBI agent in the spotlight of all her fantasies. But she knows it’s only a matter of time before he starts to ask questions. 

Special Agent Zachary Parker of the FBI knows when someone is hiding something, and the woman in his life is most definitely keeping secrets. While this normally wouldn’t be an issue, just part of the intrigue of the opposite sex, he has the distinct impression her secrets could end up haunting them both. When Chandra is kidnapped by an unknown group, Zachary will do anything necessary to ensure she doesn’t succumb to her dangerous past.

Be warned: anal sex, spanking

Excerpt:

Chandra grinned down at his shocked look, throwing a leg over him so she could straddle his stomach. “So glad you insisted, Zachary.”

He laughed and shook his head. His hands landed on her ass, squeezing the globes while she bent down to kiss him. She loved the taste and smell of him. He was all man, with an under note of sexuality he seemed to keep tamped down most of the time. There was no one quite like Zachary Parker.

She broke the kiss long enough to sit up and tug off the extra-large shirt she’d thrown on. While she didn’t have any major hang-ups about running around naked, she definitely didn’t do it when the drapery was open. No one got to see her naked except her doctor and the man under her.

His eyelids slid slower, his gaze becoming hungrier as he raked his gaze over her torso. “Jesus, Chandra. I swear you get more beautiful each time I see you.”

“Be more impressive if you said that to my face instead of my boobs.” She was yanking his chain, of course. She had to or she might dissolve into a pile of goo. Only Zach saw through her protective layers and told her she was beautiful. Other men tended to get annoyed with her buffers, or called her brash and foul-mouthed for the language that occasionally slipped out when she was upset. She’d grown up on military bases, surrounded by her brothers and a heap load of soldiers. While her mother hadn’t liked the fact, Chandra had picked up more than her fair share of swear words over the years. Both on the bases and out in the world. Zach didn’t even flinch when she swore in his direction. The man smiled, and said something to fluster her. Which he did all too easily.

“Well, your boobs are beautiful too. So is your ass, your legs, your pussy, and everything else. It all combines into one hell of a gorgeous, sensual package that I love to have naked. If I had to vote on it, I’d keep you naked all the time.”

She could feel the flush sweeping over her naturally pale skin, the only serious drawback to being a redhead. She couldn’t hide her embarrassment or pleasure like other people could. “I think Shawn might have something to say if I walked into work naked.”

Zach’s fingers flexed on her ass as his gaze lifted to lock with hers. “I’d fucking have something to say if you walked into C&M naked. I’d also have to kill every single guy there who got a look at you.”

Buy Links:

Evernight  ~  Bookstrand  ~  Amazon (US)  ~ Amazon (CA)  ~  All Romance
Barnes & Noble  ~  iTunes  ~  Smashwords  ~  Kobo

Author Bio:

Moira Callahan is a Canadian born and raised author. She loves to write, especially when it involves steamy, and wildly hot, sensual stories. Though she’s not willing to fence herself in with just one genre, her first love is the Romantic story. She’s not picky about what the sub-genre might be, as long as it has a HEA ending—her only real concern when writing a story.

As an author she prefers to write strong alpha males and women who know exactly who they are. She easily recognizes that no human being is perfect and therefore, neither can her characters be. "Writing must come from the heart but must also utilize the brain. Characters should be strong but also have a weakness to make them as real and as like-able as possible to the reader."

You’ll find her characters are less than perfect, just as she proudly claims to be. She likes to write them with a trait that is all her and then borrow a trait from a friend to round out their personality. This is to make them the most perfectly imperfect person she possibly can.

Author Links:

Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  TSU  ~  Amazon  ~  Evernight

Desperate (M/F) ~ Athena Daniels

Blurb:

‘He was everything she needs and everything she can never have.’

Meticulous planning sees Ivy half way across the world, with a new identity.  But Blake is no ordinary ex-husband, he is a corrupt private investigator with links to London’s underworld. 

Eric Prescott, a handsome and successful property developer knows Ivy is hiding something, and from someone.  At first Eric only wants to help, but soon finds himself falling for this beautiful woman with the haunted eyes. In one night of explosive passion, Ivy finally gives in.  And discovers love, the way it’s meant to be.

Ivy finally dares to believe she is free, but soon faces losing all that she has come to love the day when her ex-husband is released from jail. She knows it is only a matter of time before he will return to serve the full force of his deadly vengeance.

Be Warned:  bondage


Excerpt:

At precisely seven o’clock, the intercom sounds, and I press the button allowing access to the inner building. I cross the room to unlock the latches on the front door, leaving it slightly ajar.

Dashing back into my bedroom, I grab my clutch, phone and lip gloss. Quickly, I apply a light spray of my favorite perfume. When I return to the lounge, the front door is closed but the room is empty.

The picture on the wall is now hanging straight.

My heart gallops irregularly in my chest as I realize I didn’t check that it was Eric before I pressed the button.

Could Blake be here?

Breathe. In … out … in … out. I order myself to calm. The horror of my marriage with Blake returns in a single, sickening rush. What will he do when he finds me?

“Hello?” I call out, but my voice is raspy, barely a whisper.

I desperately hope for Eric’s easygoing greeting to ring out, but there is nothing but silence. My blood runs cold, and I can’t breathe.

My mobile slips from my shaking fingers. The thud as it hits the floor startles me out of shock, and I bend down to retrieve my phone. My lifeline.

Gripping my bag tightly, I estimate there are ten steps to the door. Silently I take the first few steps. On my fifth step, a shadow moves to my left, and I bolt the last distance and fling the door open with enough force that it bounces off the wall. I run to the elevator instead of the stairs, hoping it will be faster.

I jab frantically at the button. The screen indicates it has just left the ground floor.

“Ivy!”

It’s not going to arrive in time. I bounce up and down on the spot. Do I have time to take the stairs?

I’ll have to run past my front door to get there. Can I even run down the stairs in these shoes? I won’t have time to take them off; they have tiny buckles. Irrational thoughts flood through my mind, and I imagine myself stumbling and falling down the stairwell, only to land in a crumpled heap at the bottom.              

Hurry up, damn it. The elevator has reached the second floor. There are six more to go.

Perhaps I should take the stairs?

“Ivy.” The voice permeates the fog of panic in my mind. It doesn’t sound like a sword being drawn out of a scabbard, sending cold shivers down my spine. It sounds soothing, like a cup of warm chocolate. The voice is calling for Ivy, not Sarah.

My mind blanks, and slowly, I turn towards the voice. The elevator rings, signaling its arrival. I can escape now. I look at Eric’s concerned face and realize there is no need to run. He puts a bottle of wine and a glass down on the ground just inside my apartment door and stands in front of me, grasping my shoulders.

“Ivy, are you okay? What is it?”

I realize how I must appear, like a wild animal that has just been through the throes of a chase from a predator. Eric pulls me to him in a powerful crush.

“Jesus, you are shaking like a leaf.” He runs a hand up and down my back, and I can hear his heartbeat, strong, calm, and reassuring through his chest.

Relief that Eric is here and not Blake, hits me with a powerful rush. Pulling away, I try to stand, but my knees wobble then buckle beneath me. When I hit the cold floor, I start to cry from the reminder that this is still far from over.

I still live with extreme fear that Blake will find me. And of what will happen when he does.

Strong arms lift me and through my sobs, and I hear the door shut. Finally, I begin to quiet enough to hear his soft, soothing words murmuring against my hair.

As my strength begins to return, I wriggle out of his arms. “Did you straighten that picture?” I demand.

Eric shrugs. “It was crooked.”

“Well, don’t … just don’t touch my things, all right?”

“Okay.” His face falls, and I immediately feel bad. He can’t possibly know that every day for years I lived with Blake’s obsessive compulsion to have things absolutely straight, and ordered the way he wanted it, right down to the cutlery in the drawer and the type of food we kept in the fridge.

I glance uneasily over to the vertical strip on the kitchen blind, and a shiver rolls down my spine. I still think I would have noticed it at some point before tonight. I have been living here for months now.

I can’t shake an instinctual feeling that he has been here, and it’s what caused my apparent over-reaction tonight. No matter how hard I try I can’t dislodge the thick and heavy sense of foreboding that has settled over me.

“Can you tell me what put that look of terror on your face and caused you to run for your life just now?”

My eyes take in the bottle of wine and empty glass on the floor. I realize Eric probably went straight to the kitchen when he arrived, casually straightening the picture on his way past. I cringe at how I must appear to him.

“You thought it was him. You thought he found you.” It wasn’t a question, but I nod anyway, not trusting myself to speak past the constriction in my throat.

“And the picture, straightening it is something he would do.”

Once again, I nod yes, and tears roll silently and unchecked down my cheeks.

“Oh Eric, I am so sorry.” A huge sob escapes, resounding loudly in the small room. I look away as embarrassment heats my cheeks.

“Sweet Jesus, what has that bastard done to you?”

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Buy Links:

Evernight  ~  Amazon  (AU)  ~  Amazon (US)  ~  Amazon  (CA)  ~  Bookstrand  ~  All Romance

Author Bio:

Athena Daniels is the pseudonym of a wife, mother and business partner who takes any opportunity she can get to disappear into the world of fantasy.  When not reading she writes romantic suspense.  Hot, steamy romance where complicated and damaged characters are thrown together in suspenseful drama.

One day, she hopes to fulfil her dream to write full time.  In the meantime, she hopes you enjoy her debut novel, Desperate.  If you follow the scent of coffee and chocolate, you will find her busy working on the sequel. Desperate: The Price of Freedom.

The first novel of a new series, Sage will be coming in 2015.  It’s a steamy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist.

Author Links:

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter

All in the Timing, Massey Texas 7 ~ April Zyon

Blurb:

Rebuilding her life was never in Elizabeth Davidson’s plans, but things rarely go according to plan. At least she had Massey, TX to call home when she needed a place to tuck herself away from one mistake after another. What she hadn’t planned on was becoming embroiled in the middle of a multi-agency case. Or becoming one of the victims.

Frank Carver, Jr. loves Massey, TX. It’s the place of his birth, and will always be the place he considers home. Because of the nature of his job, and the people he’s come across during the years, he’s always been careful to never lead that danger back home. But when danger finds its way into the very heart of his town, he has no other choice but to return. Especially when Elizabeth, the only woman he could ever love ends up with a target on her back.

Excerpt:

“I’m sure that there is a woman out there that would take you, that wants you.” She did. God help Eli, but she wanted him desperately. She wanted him to be in her life, she wanted to have him, but was too afraid to tell him. “One day, she’s going to walk into your life and you will put the job behind you and stay around. I just know it.”

His gaze clashed with hers, and held. For long moments, it felt like he was peeling away the layers, seeing farther than anyone ever should. “Oh, of that I’m quite sure,” he said. “But she’ll have to wait a little longer. I have one, maybe two more very important things I need to attend to before she’ll have my full attention. If she’s even ready for it, of course.”

Eli felt her heart fall, but she nodded, plastered on a fake smile, and pulled her hand back from him. So he already knew who it was that he wanted. Of course he did. He was an amazing man and would of course already know who he wanted to be with. “I’m sure that she would be ready. She will wait for you. You are worth it, Frank.” She would wait forever for him, and that was just plain sad. Right, so since he knew who he wanted, that meant she really did need to get on with her life. “Finish eating,” she said simply, and picked up her chicken leg.

He didn’t look away, though, his gaze steady on her long enough to start to unnerve her. Then, shockingly, his lips curled into the smallest of grins. “She doesn’t even have the faintest clue, but she will,” he said. “Eventually, she’ll clue into the fact that I know exactly how she feels and will get with the program, I’m sure.” He finally looked away from her, and returned his attention to his plate.

Whoever it was, well, she was a very lucky woman indeed. She turned her focus back to her food and took her time eating. She had to admit, the food really was very good. It was better than she had anticipated, so that was good at least.

“You’re awfully quiet,” he said a time later. His plate was cleaned of everything but the chicken bones. “Something on your mind, Eli?” Frank was leaning back in his seat, his legs stretched out under the table, his entire posture extremely relaxed.

“Just trying to think of who this woman is that you have a thing for,” she blurted out, blushing as she realized that she really had said that aloud. “So, apple pie. You want some and ice cream? I have plain vanilla to go with the pie. Works better that way, I think.”

One of his eyebrows went up, and if she wasn’t completely mistaken, he appeared to be fighting a grin. “Never liked ice cream on my pie, dilutes the flavors, to my way of thinking. So I’ll just have a piece straight up, if you don’t mind. Any thoughts on who this mystery woman might be?”

“Not the first clue,” she admitted, and stood. “Will you clear the plates? I will get the pie if you will do that, please.” She would box up the leftovers and ensure that Frank was able to take that out to the guys. “So just plain apple pie, I can do that.”

His heat was the first thing she felt along her spine. He put his hands on the counter on either side of her, effectively trapping her. “Think on it for a while, Eli. I’m sure you can figure it out. You’re a wonderfully brilliant woman, after all. I’ll even give you a clue if you think it will help.”

“I think I might need it.” She turned so she could look up at him. She had no idea who it was that he might have a thing for. Her hand braced on Frank’s chest and she bit her lower lip. “Tell me?” She wanted to know who it was that he was talking about. She wanted to be able to hate that woman.

“All right,” he said. Tipping his head slightly, he appeared to think for a moment. “She’s amazing, fierce in her own way, and pretty much thinks she’s the last person on the planet who would garner attention from me. And as a bonus clue…” He looked her dead in the eye again. “She’s the only person who I’d climb over my family to get to.” Tapping the end of her nose, he turned and went to the table to begin gathering up the dishes and food.

She just looked at him. She couldn’t stop staring. She was missing something and felt incredibly stupid at that moment. “Me?” She gasped finally, realizing exactly who he was talking about. “Frank.” She moved and reached out to grab his arm. “Are you talking about me?”

Buy Links:

Evernight  ~  Bookstrand  ~  Amazon (US)  ~  All Romance

Smashwords  ~  Barnes & Noble

Author Bio:

Having been a lover of the written word all her life April has always wanted to expand her horizons and write something that could be shared with the world. Only one thing held April back, the fact that the letters and numbers mixed and jumbled more often than not. Diagnosed with Dyslexia when she was eight years old April had to work her butt off just to be able to keep up with the other kids in reading and writing, so her love for fictional writing was tossed to the wayside for the moment.

Time marched on, as it always does, and she forgot her childhood dream of becoming an author and instead focused on what she had to - creating a career for herself.

As the endless waves of time passed the shores became less rocky and more sandy, a place where she could find an even foot. That and Microsoft invented Word. Halleluja.

This is where April began her journey into the written world, the world that her imagination had been ceaselessly creating for her entire adult life.
Now she has been given a chance to let her literary wings unfold and fly, thanks to her amazing publishers.

Now its time to let the dream take flight and watch it soar!

Author Links:

Website  ~  Evernight  ~  Secret Cravings  ~  Bookstrand  ~  Amazon  ~  All Romance

Dangerous Circumstances, C&M Security (M/F) ~ Moira Callahan

Blurb:

Denise Franklyn has known Mackenzie Vaughn since she was a little girl. He’s been her best friend through all the good and bad. For a time they drifted apart, but when trouble comes knocking on his door she’s there for him.

Mackenzie Vaughn’s career as a surgeon involves lots of tension, and rapid decision making. When someone kills his boss after a confrontation, Mack quickly becomes the prime suspect. Thankfully Denise is by his side as his name is cleared.

But the bodies keep dropping. All are individuals linked to Mack. When the FBI are called in all Mack can do, and hope for, is to keep Denise safe from what’s quickly becoming some very dangerous circumstances.

Excerpt:

The jangle of the phone ripped Denise out of sleep. Squinting at the clock, she groaned into her pillow. She couldn’t ignore it, not that it appeared ready to be ignored. Fumbling a bit for it in the dark, she put it to her ear. “Huh?” she grunted.

There was a long silence before his voice was there. “Denise?”

Blinking, she woke up quick. “Mack?” she whispered. “What’s wrong?”

“Shit,” he muttered. The word was slightly slurred and took a long time to come out.

“Mack, you’re scaring me, what’s wrong?” Sitting up, she shoved her hair out of her face. “Where are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m, uh. Shit, I’m at your front door.”

Stunned, she froze with one leg out of the bed. She couldn’t have heard that right. “You’re where?”

“Outside your door,” he mumbled again.

Not sure if she believed him, she slipped from the bed, scooping up and slipping into her robe as she raced through her condo. Padding down the stairs, she dashed to the front door to stare at the security monitor next to the door. Son of a bitch, he was there.

“Why are you here?” She asked the question as she unlocked her door, disarming her alarm at the last second before tearing the door open. Gaping at him, she hung up the phone. “Jesus, Mack, get in here.” Grabbing his arm, she dragged him into her home.

He looked like he’d been run over by a truck. For a guy that rarely had a hair out of place in his expensive, stylish hairdo that looked like he’d just crawled out of bed, he was a wreck.

“I shouldn’t have come,” he said. He was scraping his hands through his hair repeatedly.

“Hey,” she whispered. Laying a hand on his arm, she rubbed the tense muscles, then wrapped her hand around his wrist and pulled him to the sofa. “Sit down, Mack. Sit and I’ll get you a drink. Don’t you budge,” she ordered.

Once he had his ass on the cushions she went to the kitchen. Grabbing a glass, she dumped in some ice and then poured two fingers of the scotch she kept just for him. Since he didn’t visit all that often, it was still mostly full. A moment of consideration and she took the glass, and the bottle back into the living room.

“Here.” She passed over the glass before sitting down, two feet of space between them. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

He shook his head, draining the glass fast enough Denise felt her own throat burning. “No, not right now,” he said.

She knew that tone. It was the one he used when he had a problem and was trying to work it out for himself.

Buy Links:

Evernight  ~  Bookstrand  ~ Amazon (US)  ~  All Romance  ~  Smashwords

Author Bio:

Moira Callahan is a Canadian born and raised author. She loves to write, especially when it involves steamy, and wildly hot, sensual stories. Though she’s not willing to fence herself in with just one genre, her first love is the Romantic story. She’s not picky about what the sub-genre might be, as long as it has a HEA ending—her only real concern when writing a story.

As an author she prefers to write strong alpha males and women who know exactly who they are. She easily recognizes that no human being is perfect and therefore, neither can her characters be. "Writing must come from the heart but must also utilize the brain. Characters should be strong but also have a weakness to make them as real and as like-able as possible to the reader."

You’ll find her characters are less than perfect, just as she proudly claims to be. She likes to write them with a trait that is all her and then borrow a trait from a friend to round out their personality. This, she says, is to make them the most perfectly imperfect person she possibly can.

Moira always ensures that everyone knows how thankful she is to her best friend. For pretty much everything. Mainly though she is forever grateful for the encouragement to get back to writing. And then the "mild" harassment necessary to get her to finally submit her first book to Evernight Publishing in March of 2014. Which Moira was ecstatically pleased to have accepted.

Author Page Links:

Amazon  ~  Evernight Publishing  ~  BookStrand  ~  Barnes & Noble

iTunes  ~  Smashwords  ~  All Romance eBooks

Mystic Hearts, Band of Friends 2 (M/F) ~ Cait Jarrod

From the Author...

I’ve often been asked why I chose a circle of friends to write about for my first series.

Bringing a new story about the tight knit group of friends from Fredericksburg, Virginia, was like coming home, especially since I’ve lived in the area all my life. The friends I’ve made over the years, and have continued to keep in touch with, are much like the people in this book—minus the bombs and gunfights. Instead of a weekly cocktail hour, we get together at least once month at a winery, brewery or the lake.

Blurb:

Nothing is as it seems….

Temptation landed at Special Agent Larry Newman’s feet—literally. Charlene Smith captured his heart after he rescued her from terrorists two months ago. A failed relationship and being an abused child have turned him into a loner and workaholic. The scars weigh heavy on him and keep him from pursuing her. So what’s a guy to do when the woman he pines for passes out in front of him while working a case?

Battling psychological wounds from abduction is easier than coming face to face with the sexy FBI agent she’s fantasized about for months. A single mother, avoiding the drama that dating would bring to her son’s life, she allows Larry close only in her dreams. Now, she's second-guessing her decision. Should she have a relationship with this man who makes her feel alive just by being close?

Excerpt:

His breath drifted across her face, stirring a desire she’d only felt once before. Impossible, as Larry had been the only man who’d stimulated outrageous cravings. A hallucination can’t do that. Can it?

He slid another finger down her cheek. She quivered. The electricity produced a throbbing in her body and prevented her from grasping onto any one emotion. One second, she was delusional, the next, she melted. “How can I feel you?”

“You’re not asking the right question.” His voice filled with mischief.

The one she asked seemed important. “What is the right one?”

His hands slapped the wall on each side of her head, trapping her. Anticipating an imprisoned impression, she tensed.

It didn’t occur. “What is the right—” Her whisper broke off when he moved closer, aligning his over six-foot stature perfectly to her five-foot-five frame.

“Why do I allow you?” he asked, his voice teasing.

Good question, yet why did he joke? Was this a game to him? “Why?”

A mere fraction stood between their bodies, and she wanted to taste him, have his lips move across hers.

“I’ve wanted you since the day I saw you,” he whispered.

Her vision cleared. She bit her lip and gazed into his eyes, watching as the gold flecks sparkled. “Larry?” she asked, her voice a little louder than a whisper.

His dark, intense brows that made guys look extremely sexy, lifted. “Were you expecting someone else?”

She shook her head and let her eyes drift down the open shirt. Broad shoulders, flat abs framed by a narrowed waist. He had that sleek, muscled look that said he had kicked ass.

He lifted her chin with his finger, bringing her gaze back to his. “A woman’s wet lips captivate a man.” His eyes shifted to her mouth.

She fought the urge to squirm. The man was potent.

“When moisture forms on them,” his voice dropped an octave, “it lets him know if he’s worthy to touch her.”

The seduction warmed her already overheated body. “Are you…worthy?”

“Your lips say so.”

The air crackled between them.

Her pulse raced, throwing her back onto the merry-go-round ride. This time, her vision wasn’t distorted, her heart was.

“I’ve dreamed of doing this.”

If she was hallucinating, she didn’t want the delirium to end.

He leaned toward her, his mouth coming in for the capture. She couldn’t wait. Her lips parted.

His soft lips glided over hers. The kiss so delicate, so gentle, she felt like the treasure at the end of a rainbow. A gem someone looked long and hard to find. The hallucinations had played tricks on her all night.

Is this another trick?

She had to touch him to find out if she lived a dream or not. She placed her hands on his hardened pecs. Every nerve ending in her palms shot a jolt of awareness between her legs. If this was an illusion, she wanted more. Lots more.

A low growl escaped him, vibrating through her body. He nipped her bottom lip before taking the kiss deeper. His tongue tangled with hers, urging a response and threatening to pull well-hidden passion out of the secure hiding place she’d created two years ago.

Buy Links:

Evernight  ~  Amazon (US)  ~  All Romance

Author Bio:

From writing ‘every girl’s dream heroes’ to ‘strong, down-to-earth heroines,’ Cait Jarrod twists ‘cliff hanging plots’ and ‘clever, unpredictable sub-plots’. She loves diving into a good book as much as she loves writing one.

Mother of three gorgeous daughters, she’s married to her best friend, hangs out with the WWC, a great group of women, and loves a good glass of wine.

Author Links:

Evernight  ~  Website  ~  Facebook Page / Profile  ~  Twitter  ~  Goodreads  ~  Google+

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Nothing like a heroine taking charge!

I love Charlene Smith’s journey from submissiveness to taking charge of her life. She figuratively slams her hands on the table and says, “No more.” She’ll no longer allow her ex-husband to control her like he had while they were married. She’ll no longer allow him to use their son as a pawn. Instead of slamming her hand down on a desk or gingerly saying, “No more,” read the excerpt below from Mystic Hearts, Book 2 of The Band of Friends, to find out how Charlene decides she can and will fight.

The venomous tone, at one time, would have had her withering. But not anymore. “Pig!”

Her ex-husband charged toward her, eyes wild, nostrils flaring.

She swung, faking high and going low. The bat connected with his stomach.

“Fuck,” he puffed and clutched his gut. “You’ll pay.” He straightened and snatched the butcher knife from the block on the kitchen counter.

Crap!

The shiny blade glistened above his head.

It was her or him. She dug deep, seizing strength from all the wrongs Andrew had inflicted on her family, fortifying her with the power for what she needed to do. She raised the bat behind her head and went for the homerun...for her...her mother...and most importantly, her son. She struck his arm. Bones cracked. The knife flew out of his hand. He stumbled backwards, holding his wrist, and fell backwards into the wall. She raised it again, aiming for his head.

The bastard is Henry’s father, her conscience screamed.

At the last second, she pulled back and clobbered him square in the ribs.

Yelping, he collapsed on the floor. “You bitch!”

She lowered her hand, clasping the handle, ready to swing. “Not another word. Get the hell out of my house!”

“I’ll be back!”

She raised the bat. “You asked for it.”

“No!” He held up his good hand and sidestepped. 

DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?

In the romantic suspense Mystic Hearts, I touched on the idea that ghosts exist in Greenwood Manor in Spotsylvania, Virginia. Spotsylvania and the nearby city Fredericksburg are counties some of the Civil War battles were fought.

A sneak peek into the sightings mentioned in Mystic Hearts:

The Madison Hand was a fictitious scare tactic by my oldest brother. He loved to scare and tease me. The Madison Hand, as I described in the book, was taken from one of the many things he invented to torment me. I can smile now with fond memories, but then…not so much.

As for the other item I mentioned, the white patch flowing through the sky was not another tactic constructed by my brother. Each time I saw the bizarre shape and movements, my brother wasn’t home, so I can’t blame or accuse him…

I’m not alone. Others have witnessed peculiar sightings in Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg and the surrounding areas.

People either believe in ghosts or they don’t. Many rationalize the strange phenomena as a freak of nature or their eyes playing tricks on them for a brief moment. Others wholeheartedly trust their sight and know what they saw.

Whatever you believe, I hope you enjoy the websites I’ve listed below.

Spooky Fredericksburg Ghostly Tales and Haunts

Ghosts of America

Haunted American Tours-The battlefields