Legends are born from moments like these. Folktales spun around a single point in time so perfect, you can almost hear the click resonating through the universe as things align.
George Bell, aka Twisted, knows the odds are against him. Have been all his life. Born in a Louisiana bordello, raised around the rough and rowdy men of a motorcycle club, he’s never been the lucky type. But he believes luck can change, so when fate gives him a glimpse of breathtaking beauty, he’s more than willing to roll the dice. Chancing upon what could be the woman of his dreams, he’s prepared to push this streak as far as he can.
Penny Dane’s background gives her an edge in the life she’s chosen to lead. Raised in a can-do family, she’s resilient, rolling with life’s punches and landing on her feet. But, when the past holds painful secrets—when a single misstep can turn deadly—can she trust the passion this man stirs in her?
On the surface, Bell and Penny don’t work. Their mismatched worlds are too different. But like a backwater bayou, what you see is not the whole story, there are mysteries buried underneath. Penny is the red-haired beauty caught up in a web of lies. Bell is like no one she’s ever met before. The problem is, he knows it.
18+ due to explicit content.
*Please note this book is part of the Neither This, Nor That MC book series, featuring characters from additional books in the series. If the books are read out of order, you’ll twig to spoilers for the other books, so going back to read the skipped titles won’t have the same angsty reveals. I strongly recommend you read them in order. Available now: This is the Route of Twisted Pain (book #1), Treading the Traitor's Path: Out Bad (book #2), Shelter My Heart (book #3), and Trapped by Fate on Reckless Roads (book #4).
Raised in the south, MariaLisa learned about the magic of books at an early age. Every summer, she would spend hours in the local library, devouring books of every genre. Self-described as a book-a-holic, she says "I've always loved to read, but then I discovered writing, and found I adored that, too. For reading...if nothing else is available, I've been known to read the back of the cereal box."
Check out the new covers for Candace Knoebel's Risky Hearts Duet and start reading for only .99 Cents!
One day a week—Thursdays—my husband and I could do whatever or whomever we pleased.
Protection was non-negotiable.
And no matter what, we had to be home by midnight.
Jack was the one who wanted an open marriage, but we were supposed to keep things simple. No strings. No commitments. It seemed so easy… until it wasn’t.
Devilishly handsome Cole Blackwater was only supposed to be a fling, but everything about him made me feel alive. Wanted. Seen. When I realized he was my husband’s boss, I should have broken things off right then… but I didn’t.
One day a week, I could pretend that I was his and he was mine… until Cole wanted more.
But how could I decide between the man I’d promised to love, honor, and cherish, and the man who tempted me to break every single vow I’d made?
One day a week. That was his rule. And it was also our downfall.
My marriage to Hank was one of convenience. When I got pregnant at sixteen, he took me in and kept a roof over my naïve head. We had an agreement—we could sleep with whomever we wanted so long as our children were kept in the dark. It worked great… until it didn’t.
Cocky Jack Swanson was never supposed to be mine. His marriage was open, but his heart was guarded… until he slowly let me in, revealing an alluring man with a painful past. With him, I felt what love could be. I felt wanted… needed. I’d never wanted to fall in love… but then I did.
And now… the rules have changed.
Jack isn’t the same man I fell for. Broken and gutted from his divorce, he’s a shell of who he once was. Sullen and worn down. I know I can bring the good in him back out, if only he’ll let me in. If only he’ll just stay, instead of giving me all his reasons to go.
About Candace Knoebel
Candace Knoebel is a hopeless romantic with an affinity for whiskey and good music. Her love of words began when she met the boy who lived in the cupboard under the stairs. She's a self-proclaimed Lost Girl. Words are her mirror.
With two completed series, her work ranges from paranormal to contemporary, all centered heavily around romance.
Currently she lives in Florida with her husband and two children, and has just completed her thirteenth novel, The Taste of Her Words.
Crazy woman
from a remote location in Alaska (where the need for a creative mind is a
necessity!), I have been writing since ... forever? Yeah, that sounds about
right. I have been told that I remind people of Lucille Ball - I also see
shades of Jennifer Saunders, and Denis Leary. So basically, I laugh a lot, I'm
clumsy a lot, and I say the F-word A LOT.
I like dogs
more than I like most people, and I don't trust anyone who doesn't drink. No, I
do not live in an igloo, and no, the sun does not set for six months out of the
year, there's your Alaska lesson for the day. I have mermaid hair - both a
curse and a blessing - and most of the time I talk so fast, even I can't
understand me.
The Complete Submission Series Boxed Set from New YorkTimes bestselling author CD Reiss is available now for ONLY 99¢ and features an all new bonus epilogue BEAT!
Jonathan Drazen. Gorgeous. Charming. Smart. Rich.
All the ingredients for a few nights of mind-blowing pleasure are right there. He’s made it perfectly clear he can’t love me, and I’m not out to fall in love either.
But I can’t stay away from him. He’s got this bossy way about him in bed. The word “Sir,” falls from my lips, and when he tells me to get on my knees…well, my knees have a mind of their own.
I got this. I can be his slave for a few nights and walk away unscathed.
We get in. Get it on. Get the hell out. Done.
He knows the line between love and lust. It’s right between my legs.
Now, let’s see if that line blurs for me.
------
This bundle includes
Submission / Domination / Connection
And a SUPER HOT special bonus featuring Jonathan and Monica. This seven-thousand word epilogue takes place one year after the last scene of CODA.
CD Reiss is a New York Times bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn't pick up she's at the well hauling buckets.Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master's degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels.She's frequently referred to as the Shakespeare of Smut which is flattering but hasn't ever gotten her out of chopping that cord of wood.If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.
Young. Wealthy. Elite. Attractive. The gentlemen’s secret society at Yale was filled with them.
And Nathaniel Radcliffe, the bane of my existence, was one of them.
As the right hand of the American Gods, he was conceited and arrogant. A dangerously handsome man in a tailored custom suit and shiny black oxford loafers.
The classroom was our battlefield. We made a sport out of arguing and debating, ready to do anything in order to win over the other.
Deadly opponents, deadlier minds.
I'd sworn I'd never give him the upper hand, until...
The secret I’ve been hiding for the last three years?
He just discovered it…and now he has all the power.
5 huge stars for our first look into the American Gods series by R. Scarlett. While this is a novella length book it packs a serious punch with it's introduction to all the intriguing characters. The American Gods are a group of insanely wealthy, over privileged men who grew up together and now attend Yale with futures in law, business, banking and of course politics - they literally are the men who will one day rule the world.
Nathaniel Radcliffe is the sole heir to both his mother's affluent hotel empire and his father's political legacy. To say he is well off is an understatement but he has never known another way and tends to treat people he cares for with utter respect and loyalty. When she first debated with him in class three years ago he was captivated and they have gone rounds ever since but the summer before their senior year he sees her working for his mother and learns things aren't at all what they seem.
Juliette Monroe worked herself to the bone to get into Yale on a full academic scholarship. While tuition is covered she still has to pay for her room and board and is only allowed one job during the semester so she tries to get by working as much as possible during the summers. This summer seemed to be especially promising with a lucrative job at a country club until she gets there and realizes her nemesis is the owner's son. The very bane of her existence and the star of one too many of her fantasies finds out she's not who everyone thinks she is and is threatening to blast her business all over school unless she play his games.
This was an intense love story with sexy characters that were both filthy yet sweet too. Knowing that Ms. Scarlett has barely scratched the surface of these intriguing men I can safely say I highly recommend this book and will anxiously be awaiting the rest in the series!
About R. Scarlett
R. Scarlett lives in a small quaint town in Southern Ontario, Canada and has an unhealthy obsession with mythology and romance.
From studying English literature and minoring in History, she loves losing herself in a good book and snuggling up to her Brittany Spaniel.
When she's not writing or plotting a delicious novel, she can be found hanging out with friends and family, going on long car rides, exploring small towns, or watching reruns of Sex and the City.
2. Report all illegal activities to the authorities
3. Do not associate with criminals
4. And certainly don't fall for them!
Tori Bellows is a really good friend. She's always there when a shoulder is
needed to cry on, to give dating advice, or for a good ol' time. Now, though,
Tori is the one who needs a shoulder to lean on when she's in a tough spot. But
all of her friends are too busy with their own lives.
Enter the Twin Estates' resident bad boy, Landon Edenhoff. When he offers her
an all expenses paid vacation, she's immediately suspicious - he's rarely nice
and his intentions are never good. But she's ready for a change of scenery and
knows she can give as good as she gets from Mr. Rude & Nasty himself.
Crazy woman
from a remote location in Alaska (where the need for a creative mind is a
necessity!), I have been writing since ... forever? Yeah, that sounds about
right. I have been told that I remind people of Lucille Ball - I also see
shades of Jennifer Saunders, and Denis Leary. So basically, I laugh a lot, I'm
clumsy a lot, and I say the F-word A LOT.
I like dogs
more than I like most people, and I don't trust anyone who doesn't drink. No, I
do not live in an igloo, and no, the sun does not set for six months out of the
year, there's your Alaska lesson for the day. I have mermaid hair - both a
curse and a blessing - and most of the time I talk so fast, even I can't
understand me.
Genre: Contemporary Romance Cover Design: Melissa Stevens, The Illustrated Author Photo: Scott Hoover Model: Miles Reza
Release Date: March 29, 2018
Blurb
Greyson Ratcliffe. I met him at sixteen,
the hot new guy sitting on my jetty, an aspiring artist just passing through.
He was my first kiss and my first love. I wanted forever with him. I didn’t
even get a year.
Five years later, I’m a budding writer who scripts stories
of love and struggle, the good and the bad and the ups and the downs. He’s a
star on the rise; his wicked talent and crazy good looks have his face
plastered on countless magazines. We move in two different worlds and still our
paths cross again. We’re older and wiser and as crazy about each other as we
had been as teenagers.
My medium is words and my imagination is limitless, but not
even I could have written the incredible journey we traveled to reach our
happily-ever-after. Life isn’t like fiction, and the greatest love stories
don’t follow a script.
LA Fiore
loves losing herself in the worlds she creates. She also loves a good movie;
her favorite is Star Wars, a love her son shares. They hope to build their own
Millennium Falcon one day. She would like to meet the Winchester Boys to thank
them for enlightening her on the versatility of salt as not just a food
enhancer, but also a form of protection against supernatural threats. She lives
in Pennsylvania with her husband and kids, their two spoiled cats, their
awesome dog and their new puppy.
Today we have the chapter reveal for DIRT by Cassia Leo! Check them out and pre-order your copy today!
Title: DIRTAuthor: Cassia Leo
Series: Evergreen Series
Release: January 12, 2018
About Dirt
A hard-hitting, emotional new series from New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo.
Jack and I had everything. Then, in one brutal instant, the universe tilted on its side, discarding us into black nothingness.
Now, I have a cocky a**hole for a husband.
The only way we communicate anymore is when we’re fighting or f**king.
With nothing left to lose, I write Jack a goodbye letter and head for Portland, where I quickly meet a neighbor who helps me find a job.
My new neighbor—broody, tattooed ex-soldier Isaac Evans—is complicated. Nevertheless, we form a fast friendship, bonding over our mutual desire to create something beautiful from the wreckage of our lives.
But despite the distance between us, Jack and I are still trying to make things work—fighting and f**king dirtier than ever. And he doesn’t appreciate my new friendship with Isaac. Not one f**king bit.
I hugged Jack Jr. tightly against my breast, and he molded his soft, warm body to mine. His eyes remained closed as his tiny fingers curled around the fabric of my blouse, his rosy lips puckering as he geared up for more food.
“You sucked me dry, little fella,” I whispered, leaning in to press my nose against the downy-soft, golden hair on the top of his head. I inhaled his scent and my muscles unspooled. “But I’ll be back to feed you soon. I promise.”
Why do babies smell so damn good?
Before I got pregnant with Junior, my favorite smell was orange blossoms. As a teenager, I often got scolded by my mom for picking the flowers off the orange tree in our backyard in Portland. I’d rub the creamy petals between my fingers, bruise them with my fingernails, then sniff my hand for hours until the scent wore off.
When I was pregnant with Junior, my favorite scent became the rich aroma of the forbidden coffee I could no longer drink.
After Junior was born, and my decaf days came to a glorious end, I realized how wrong I’d been. There was absolutely no scent as sweet and soul-quieting as the smell of the top of a baby’s head. Bonus points if the baby was lying peacefully on your chest sound asleep.
“Are you ever going to put him down?”
I flicked my head sideways, startled by Jack’s clear, baritone voice.
He stood in the doorway of Junior’s nursery, the silhouette of his six-foot-three athletic body framed by the warm light in the hallway. His head was tilted to the side. He’d probably been standing there admiring us for a while. After six years together, I knew Jack’s body language and facial expressions better than I knew my own face.
I stood from the rocking chair and stole one more sniff of Junior’s head before I placed him gently on his back in the center of the crib. I adjusted the left sleeve of his pajamas, pulling it down to make sure it covered his entire chubby arm. I didn’t want to imagine him waking up cold and alone in here.
Jack appeared at my side as I switched on the video baby monitor. “He’s going to be fine,” he murmured, reaching down to stroke the soft patch of hair on Junior’s head. “In fact, he’ll probably enjoy some time alone. After all, he is just like his daddy; sometimes, we need a break from the constant attention from the ladies.”
I rolled my eyes and headed for the door. “Making jokes only makes leaving him slightly less scary, you know,” I said as we stepped into the hallway of our five-bedroom dream home in Hood River, Oregon. I couldn’t wait to fill up every one of these bedrooms with brothers and sisters for Jack Jr.
Jack chuckled as he followed closely behind me. “Less scary is an improvement,” he replied, grabbing my hand to stop me in the middle of the corridor. “You promised Junior you’d be back soon. Can you also make me a promise?”
The hallway lights made his dark hair look glaringly shiny, but I couldn’t help but notice how weary his blue eyes looked tonight. Since Junior arrived three months ago, I’d been so focused on my baby boy’s vulnerability, his scent, his beauty, I hadn’t slowed down enough to appreciate how those were the same qualities that made me fall in love with Jack.
Suddenly, my worries about leaving Junior with my mother for the evening evaporated. All I wanted to do was kiss Jack, grab hold of that dark hair and make love to him for hours. I wanted to replace the weariness in his eyes with dark hunger, or maybe a glint of mischief.
I squeezed his hand and smiled at the thought of possibly having sex with him in public tonight. We hadn’t done that in a while.
“What kind of promise?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nope, you’re not allowed to ask. Just promise me you’ll say yes.”
My stomach vaulted at the sound of those words. They were the same words Jack spoke when he asked me to marry him. I wondered what he would ask this time.
The phrase “just promise me you’ll say yes” had become like an inside joke, our own private, unspoken promise to each other that we would always do whatever it took to stay together. The last time he had uttered this phrase, he asked me to stop taking my birth control pills. With Junior here, it was easy to trust that whatever Jack asked me for this time would turn out to be exactly what I needed.
I tilted my head back so I could look up and into his crystal-blue eyes. “Yes, I can make you a promise.”
His expression became sober. “Promise me you’ll be present tonight.” He fixed me with a piercing gaze as his large hand cupped my face. “It’s just you and me for the next three hours. Promise me.”
I smiled. “I promise. Just you and me. And I’ll even put my cell phone on vibrate.” As I said the words, a sharp finger of fear prodded my subconscious, telling me it was a bad idea to risk missing a phone call tonight.
The exhaustion in Jack’s eyes melted away as he smiled. “I can deal with that, but you have to promise me one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
His smile turned almost menacing as he looped his arm around my waist and drew me close. “Promise me you’ll lemme smash that blonde bombshell booty,” he said, landing a light swat on my ass.
I shook my head as I recalled how we often had sex in public during our first year together, in our senior year at Oregon State University, Cascades. For some reason, once we graduated and moved in together, having sex in public seemed like something we couldn’t get away with so easily. We decided public sex-hibitions — or throw downs, as we more commonly referred to them — would be reserved for special occasions like anniversaries or vacations.
Truthfully, Jack and I kicked off our relationship by having sex on the first date. He was always a very difficult man to resist. When he showed up at my apartment to pick me up that night, I couldn’t resist his suggestion that we should stay in and make paper masks of ourselves, then put them on and ask each other first date questions as if we were the other person. I had never laughed so much on any date. Ever. But when he asked — while pretending to be me — if I’d ever had sex with someone on the first date, I couldn’t help but respond with, “I’m Jack-fucking-Stratton. I’ve fucked a lot of girls on the first date. But none as gorgeous as you.”
Jack always knew how to keep things fresh and alarmingly sexy. Six years in and my body still craved him almost every second of every day.
Today was our three-year wedding anniversary. We’d only had sex twice since I gave birth to Junior three months ago, and both of those times were truly awkward.
The first time was painful. My C-section incision hadn’t fully healed yet, and even trying to have sex with him behind me was uncomfortable. The second time we tried, Jack was so afraid of hurting me, he stopped midway through. There’d been a lot of oral sex happening in this house since then.
Luckily, a few weeks had passed since our last attempt, and I had repeatedly assured him I was fully healed up now. I was certain that even if the sex did hurt a little, it would still be worth it. I couldn’t understand couples that didn’t consider sex an important part of a relationship. I never felt more complete, more present, more alive than when my body and mind were entwined with Jack’s.
I smiled as I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I think I know just the place for a proper throw down.”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Ooh. Tell me more.”
As he leaned in to kiss me, my mother’s voice interrupted us.
“Are you two making out again?” she said, standing at the top of the stairs with her hands on her hips as she gawped at us. “Well, don’t let me stop you.”
Jack laughed and I shook my head as we moved toward her.
“We’re just trying to keep you entertained while you’re on vacation, Beth,” Jack said.
My mother cocked an eyebrow. “If I wanted to watch porn, I’d open up your laptop and have a look at your internet history.”
“Mom, don’t be gross,” I protested, trying not to laugh.
Jack smiled as he held out his elbow for my mom to grab hold as they descended the stairs in front of me. “I made a special collection of links for you. They’re in a folder labeled Tantric Geriatric. You’ll love it.”
I rolled my eyes. Jack and my mother exchanged jabs like this all day.
My mother was staying with us for a few days, so Jack and I could have some time to ourselves and get some much-needed uninterrupted sleep. She was leaving tomorrow to go back to the house where I grew up in Portland. Though she pretended as if she was desperate to get home to her Craftsman cottage in the city, and I even teased her about how she was dying to get back so she could see the handsome new neighbor she’d been going on about, I knew she was going to miss Jack’s pretend insults as much as she would miss Junior and me.
My mother practically shoved me toward the front door. “I order you to go have fun,” she said, smiling as Jack opened the door and stepped outside. “And don’t come home until you’re too drunk to walk.”
I shook my head. “Thanks, Mom. Please call if you need anything. And don’t answer the door for anyone. There’s a house that got broken into a few streets away.”
She waved off my paranoia. “Stop worrying so much. We’ll be fine. See you later, babe.”
I blew her a kiss, then I closed the door behind me.
* * *
“I have to admit, having sex on the waterfront was one of my favorite public throw downs ever,” Jack said, pulling his Tesla into the long driveway of our four-acre estate. “But do we really have to wait until our fourth anniversary to do it again?”
I tugged the silky fabric of my skirt straight as I pressed my thighs together. Though my body was still raw with the evidence of the dirty deed we’d just committed, I couldn’t wait to get Jack inside and pounce on him again. I hadn’t realized how much I missed the sensation of him moving inside me, and how good he was at making me feel beautiful.
“We can do that anytime we can snag a babysitter,” I replied as he turned the car off.
He made no move to exit the Tesla. “Well, babycakes, you’d better get ready to interview a fuck-ton of babysitters.”
I laughed. “Babycakes? That’s a new one.”
Jack rarely used the same term of endearment twice in a row. He liked to keep me guessing.
He scrunched up his nose. “Yeah, that one was kind of creepy. Now that I’ve tried it out, I think I can bury that one in the nickname graveyard.”
“Try the incinerator,” I said, reaching for the door handle.
“Duly noted,” he replied, exiting the vehicle.
Jack and I glided unhurriedly along the flagstone walkway, which was lined with sparkling pathway lights. As we made our way toward the steps leading up to the covered porch, I stopped in the middle of the path and closed my eyes as I inhaled the sweet scent of the lavender and honeysuckle I’d planted with my mom’s help.
That was when I made a wish, a corny wish, but I didn’t care.
I wished that every person could find someone they loved as much as I loved Jack. I wished every child could feel as loved as Junior was. And I wished every anniversary could be as perfect as this one.
“No… No, no, no!” Jack’s voice grew louder with each no.
They say mother’s intuition is scientifically proven to exist. I knew by the tone of Jack’s voice, without even opening my eyes, that my world would never be the same. I knew in that instant, I would regret leaving Jack Jr. tonight for the rest of my life.
Though I knew something was wrong, I wasn’t prepared for what we found.
At some point, while we were lost in our blissful celebration, the front door of our home had been forced open. This discovery was what had made Jack cry out in disbelief. Father’s intuition must also be a thing, because he told me later that, even though the door was still closed, the moment he saw the gouges in the wood near the handle, he had felt that same sense of dread. That feeling that the universe had suddenly tilted on its side, discarding us into black nothingness.
The house was ransacked.
Furniture upended, paintings and flatscreen televisions torn off the walls, shards of shattered vases littered the floors. Complete and utter chaos.
The master bathroom doorknob looked as if it had been shot off. We found my mother’s lifeless form huddled against the bathtub, my baby boy’s dead body clutched tightly in her arms.
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About Cassia Leo
New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo loves her coffee, chocolate, and margaritas with salt. When she’s not writing, she spends way too much time re-watching Game of Thrones and Sex and the City. When she’s not binge watching, she’s usually enjoying the Oregon rain with a hot cup of coffee and a book.
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