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Books Stacked on My Shelves
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books I added to my shelves this week. They may it be physical or virtual. I include books I buy in a physical store or online, books I borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. Follow the link to see what others have on their shelves.
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Saturday, October 25, 2014
Stacking the Shelves, October 25, 2014
Friday, October 24, 2014
Return to Emerald City by Allyson Lindt & Sofia Grey Book Blast and Giveaway
Allyson and Sofia will be awarding a $10 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour
Return to Emerald City
by Allyson Lindt & Sofia Grey
~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Return to Emerald City
A Collection of Sci-fi Romance Novellas Inspired by The Wizard of
Oz
Dorothy’s Red Shoes
There’s no place like home… Dorothy is already feeling homesick
for Emerald City, and wonders if taking a job halfway around the world was a
mistake. When her love life crumbles–again–will she run for home?
His Replay Girl
If he only had the nerve… Ten years ago, Quinn made the best
choice of his life, and the biggest mistake. It’s true, his band, Lionheart, is
one of the biggest in the world, but how much does it mean if he can’t tell the
woman he loves how he feels?
His Reboot Girl
If only he had a brain… Scott woke up with his head spinning and
not much else going on up there. Now he’s a suspect in a terrorist plot, and on
the run. One woman insists she's the key to his past and his freedom. Too bad
he doesn't remember her.
His Rewind Girl
If he only had a heart.... Cam is as much machine as man. There
are days he loathes the CyGes implants that saved his life but couldn't do the
same for his family. They replaced his limbs, but now he needs someone to mend
his heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Thoughts on Return to Emerald City
These are a series of inter-locking stories where some of the characters from previous novellas play a small part in the next story. They are listed as Science Fiction but for most there is only a small SciFi element. What all do have is very good writing, character development and plot construction. None are long so you can work them in when you are pushed for time and don't want to leave a story unfinished.
These are a series of inter-locking stories where some of the characters from previous novellas play a small part in the next story. They are listed as Science Fiction but for most there is only a small SciFi element. What all do have is very good writing, character development and plot construction. None are long so you can work them in when you are pushed for time and don't want to leave a story unfinished.
EXCERPT:
“Ready?” Ben smiled when I turned to him “We can
sit anywhere.” He held out his hand, but I stood frozen. Now I was here, I felt
sick. I normally avoided big, noisy parties like this. Why had I come? Oh,
yeah. Because I wanted to impress Matthew, and I wasn’t going to do that if I
continued to lurk out here. I shoved down my fear, clamped a temporary lock on
my social ineptitude, and with a grateful smile, slipped my hand into Ben’s.
His palm was warm, smooth and dry. He laced our fingers together and gave me a
quick squeeze.
I nodded. I could do this. “Let’s go.” The words came out in a
strangled voice, and Ben flashed me a smile. Heel, toe, heel, toe. I repeated
the mantra in my head, and managed to walk beside him without tripping over my
own feet.
A sultry jazz singer warbled softly from the stage,
and wait staff flowed around the room, carrying trays stacked with canapés. In
one corner, a magnificent Christmas tree reached the high ceiling, glass
baubles reflecting a copious string of flashing lights. My beautiful shoes
pinched already, but that was just because they were new. All the same, I
didn’t want to walk too far, and I happily sank into the first seat Ben found.
It was an ideal position. From here, I had an excellent view of the entrance; I
could see everyone who came and left.
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
About
Sofia Grey:
Romance
author Sofia Grey spends her days managing projects in the corporate world and
her nights hanging out with wolf shifters and alpha males. She devours pretty
much anything in the fiction line, but she prefers her romances to be hot, and
her heroes to have hidden depths. When writing, she enjoys peeling back the
layers to expose her characters’ flaws and always makes them work hard for
their happy endings.
About
Allyson Lindt:
Allyson
Lindt is a full-time geek and a fuller-time contemporary romance author. She
prefers that her geeky heroes come with the alpha expansion pack and adores a
heroine who can hold her own in a boardroom. She loves a sexy
happily-ever-after and helping deserving cubicle dwellers find their futures
together.
Find
Sofia Grey Online:
www.SofiaGrey.com
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/sofiagrey1/
Twitter:
@SofiaGreyAuthor
https://twitter.com/SofiaGreyAuthor
Amazon
author profile page: https://www.amazon.com/author/sofiagrey
Tumblr:
sofiagreynz@tumblr.com
Find
Allyson Lindt Online
Website:
http://allysonlindt.com
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AllysonLindt
Amazon
author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/allysonlindt
Catch
Sofia & Allyson blogging at www.GeminiGirls.com
Book Beginning and The Friday 56, October 24, 2014
Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts
of the participants each week. Pick the closest book on your book stack and join the fun.
The Beginning:
"Oscar Gatlin's BMW had plunged off the Edwards Plateau along the Devil's Backbone on a Sunday Evening at 7:42 p.m.""
Page 56:
"You were what, twelve when Felix was born?" she asked, the question returning him to his recent thoughts of his family falling apart, of his impotence at its happening."
From Beneath the Patchwork Moon (A Hope Springs Novel) by Alison Kent. I won the copy in a contest that Alison held and it arrived in the mail yesterday, just in time to be my choice for today.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Festive in Death (In Death # 39) by J.D. Robb
Mystery
From Goodreads:
Eve
Dallas deals with a homicide—and the holiday season—in the latest from the #1 New
York Times bestselling author.
Personal
trainer Trey Ziegler was in peak physical condition. If you didn't count the
kitchen knife in his well-toned chest.
Lieutenant
Eve Dallas soon discovers a lineup of women who'd been loved and left by the
narcissistic gym rat. While Dallas sorts through the list of Ziegler's enemies,
she's also dealing with her Christmas shopping list—plus the guest list for her
and her billionaire husband's upcoming holiday bash.
Feeling less than festive, Dallas
tries to put aside her distaste for the victim and solve the mystery of his
death. There are just a few investigating days left before Christmas, and as
New Year's 2061 approaches, this homicide cop is resolved to stop a
cold-blooded killer.
I don’t think I have missed reading
any of the 39 books in this series.
Some have been favorites and some not so favorite but through it all I
have stuck with Dallas and Roarke.
The ones that are my favorites have one thing in common. They all feature new growth for Dallas
and Roarke. Festive in Death does
that. Written around the big Christmas
party at Roarke’s mansion Eve has to let go and own her place by Roarke’s
side. I loved how she managed the
set up for the party while still working her case. With a house full of characters from previous books she
realizes how may friends she now has and how much her life has changed for the
better.
There is also a lot of interaction between
Eve and Roarke that highlights how right for each other they are. The mystery kept playing sometimes in
the background and sometimes in the forefront. I thought Eve was on the wrong track about the killer. It was fun to realize I was right and
that it took her time to see who was really guilty.
Festive in Death is a nice addition
to the series and a Christmas story to boot.
I read the large print edition of
Festive in Death by J.D. Robb published by Wheeler Publishing in 2014.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Bar V5 Dude Ranch Series by Melissa McClone Blog Tour and Giveaway
Melissa will award a $25 Amazon Gift card and a Mini Swag Goodie Bag to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour (international giveaway
Bar V5 Dude Ranch Series
by Melissa McClone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURBS:
Three couples. Three stories, where you
can follow one pair from meeting to wedding day!
1. Mistletoe Magic – short story – Free
at Smashwords - Check Amazon for Price
2. Kiss Me, Cowboy – eBook novella — $0.99 on Kindle Oct 16 - 22
2. Kiss Me, Cowboy – eBook novella — $0.99 on Kindle Oct 16 - 22
3. Mistletoe Wedding — eBook novella —
New Release! only $2.99
Mistletoe
Magic
Veterinarian Noah Sullivan isn't a Scrooge, but the Christmas Eve
tradition of hanging mistletoe in the clinic's waiting room annoys him. Kissing
doesn't belong at the Copper Mountain Animal Hospital. Noah rethinks his
position when Caitlin arrives with a stray kitten she found freezing in the
snow. All he wants now is to maneuver the pretty preschool teacher under the
mistletoe. If he's not careful, he'll wind up on Santa's naughty list.
Kiss Me,
Cowboy
She didn’t mean to kiss him…
When dude ranch wrangler Charlotte – aka Charlie – Randall kisses
Zack Harris in an act of empathy, she falls hat over spurs for the handsome
military veteran turned cowboy. Zack has too many demons, however, and refuses
to get involved. A year later, he's still stonewalling, and Charlie needs to
move on with her life so she can find a fulfilling relationship, not
frustrating unrequited love. Putting distance between them seems the best way
to get Zack out of her head and heart...but that means quitting the job she
loves and accepting a position in Colorado.
He didn’t mean to kiss her back…
Growing up, Zack longed for a real family, and had one with his
squad while deployed in Afghanistan. Now, he's back in the States and doesn't
want anything messing up his new ranch family, no matter how much he's
attracted to the sexy, hard-working Charlie. She could break his heart and ruin
the comfortable working relationship they and the other wranglers enjoy. Besides,
her friends claim she's looking for the perfect guy, and perfect he's not.
A kiss is just a kiss…or is it?
When Zack learns Charlie's thinking about leaving the ranch, he
decides to find her a boyfriend — someone so good, so perfect, she has a reason
to stay in Montana. Until he realizes too late that the only cowboy he wants
her kissing is him. Can he commit to love and convince Charlie not to leave? Or
has she made up her mind to put the past, and the kiss that started it all,
behind her and move on without him?
Mistletoe
Wedding
Longer: Event planner at the Bar V5 Dude Ranch, Meg Redstone is
dreaming of a white Christmas with twinkling lights, sparkly decorations and
strategically placed mistletoe. She loves making dreams come true for others,
whether planning a holiday wedding or giving her young daughter the best
Christmas ever.
Ranch foreman Tyler Murphy loves the holidays, but his newest
employee has taken over his barn with her over-the-top decorations. He admires
Meg’s desire to give her daughter the perfect Christmas while planning a winter
wonderland wedding, but he wants to show her that a Montana Christmas is more
than glitter and lights.
After raising his younger sister, an instant family is not on Ty's
Christmas wish list. But he finds himself falling hard for the single mom and
her little girl. Meg, however, is not interested in a romance with a cowboy
like Ty, or any man. Getting her under the mistletoe is going to take a
Christmas miracle . . . or a little help from Santa.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Thoughts on the Stories:
You can catch me anytime with a cute cat on the cover. What makes these three stories so great
is the combination of cat and Christmas.
I love Christmas Romances and can never get enough. I also love stories where I do not have
to skim pages of body parts trying to do something new. These three have just good clean old-fashioned
romance. If you feel the same
these three stories are for you.
Start with Mistletoe Magic where you meet Mistletoe (that is
him on the cover), Caitlin Butler and Noah Sullivan. Follow up with Kiss Me Cowboy where Caitlin and Noah show up
as part of Charlotte Randall and Zack Harris’s story. Then on to Mistletoe Wedding where again Caitlin and Noah
play a part in Meg Redstone and Tyler Murphy’s Christmas romance. Oh! Mistletoe does make an appearance in all the stories.
EXCERPT:
MISTLETOE MAGIC
The clinic’s front door opened.
A woman in a puffy powder blue down coat entered.
Her hat pushed long strands of brown hair over her face. She carried something
bundled in a black and white checked fleece blanket. “Please help me.”
The crack in her voice and pale complexion sent him
into action. Two long strides, he was at her side. “I’m Noah. A vet.”
Worried green eyes met his. Familiar eyes, except
these weren’t as young and innocent as the ones he remembered. These eyes were
wary and concerned. But they still reminded him of that girl he’d just thought
about, the freshman with cute freckles and twinkling jade-green eyes.
Her gaze widened with recognition. “Noah. It’s
you.”
His heart crashed against his chest. His world
tilted.
“Caitlin.” His arm reached forward, as if touching
her would assure him this —she—was real. That of all the vet clinics in
Montana, she’d walked into this one. “I can’t believe it.”
“Me, either.” She gave her head a shake, then
lifted the blanket toward him. “I found a kitten in the snow. Something’s wrong
with him. Or her. I don’t know which. Can you help?”
Noah remembered where he was, what he was. He took
the bundle, ignoring the million questions racing through his mind. Talking
could wait.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Website:
http://www.melissamcclone.com
Twitter:
@melissamcclone
Buy
links:
1. Mistletoe
Magic is Free on Amazon
Mistletoe
Magic is FREE on Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/380641
2. Kiss
Me, Cowboy .99 Oct. 16 - 22
3. Mistletoe
Wedding - 2.99
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Warrior (Breeder #3) by Cara Bristol Blog Tour and Review
Warrior
Breeder
Series
Book 3
Cara
Bristol
Genre: Sci-fi/fantasy romance
Date of Publication: Oct. 21, 2014
Cover Artist: Mina Carter
Book Description:
A female
yearning for freedom. A male armed
with determination. Can they save their people?
As a despotic Qalin marches through
Parseon intent on conquering every province, Commander Marlix pledges his
sister to another Alpha to protect her. Desperate to decide her own fate, Anika
flees and finds refuge with the guerilla resistance movement against Qalin.
Marlix’s beta Urazi, a male of lesser status, tracks her intending to bring her
home to fulfill her duty.
But when love blossoms between them, and
provinces fall to Qalin, Anika and Urazi realize home has ceased to exist and
they alone are all that stand between the people of Parseon and the end of the
world.
Warrior is book three in the Breeder Series but works well
as a stand-alone. This is a planet
that does not treat their women as equals and gives them very few rights. That is changing and Anika and her
story are part of the change. She
will not accept a future she has no part in planning and that sets her on a
journey of discovery. Along on the
journey is Urazi, who must also break out of the role he has been placed
in. Together they find they are
more powerful than anyone expected.
It turns out there are more warriors than anyone knew. Warrior is a well-written story with a
great plot and well-developed characters.
She stared at the bloodied body.
“Is Grogan dead?”
Urazi knelt and checked for a pulse
against the alpha’s neck. “Yes.” He peered up at her. “Who is he to you? Has he
used you?”
“Monto, no!” she gasped, not
considering the alpha’s intentions pertinent.
“Grogan is the leader of the
Guerilla Resistance against Qalin and Artom, which I have joined,” she
explained. Urazi’s eyes narrowed, and she added, “Grogan was training me and
other breeders to fight.” Breeders could approach a sentry without arousing his
suspicion then immobilize him, allowing male guerillas to storm the post and
secure it. She thrust back her shoulders with defiant pride. She, a female, was capable of supporting the
war effort in a productive way.
Urazi rose to his feet to examine
the paper target. “You are an excellent sharpshooter, but winning a battle
requires more than skill with a crossbow. You would not fare well in
hand-to-hand combat.”
Anika shrugged. “If I have a
crossbow, I will not need to engage in hand-to-hand combat.”
“Did it help you today?” Urazi
strode to Grogan’s body, and yanked up his bloodied uniform shirt. Attached to
the alpha’s nipple was an insignia ring. Urazi unclipped it and carried it over
to her.
Anika stared. A single star.
Province one. Qalin.
“You have joined with the enemy to
strike against your own people? You would betray your Alpha? Your sibling?”
Qalin’s insignia lay in Urazi’s
palm, damning, but untrue. So untrue. “No! How could you say that? The
Resistance plans to strike against Qalin. Against Artom.”
Urazi tucked the star into his
uniform pouch.
“But maybe Grogan is an infiltrator
acting alone,” she argued, fighting against the insidious memories; the ease
with which she’d been accepted into the camp when her comrades learned of her
familiarity with both Marlix’s and Dak’s provinces; Grogan’s constant but
subtle questions about locations. He’d asked if she’d ever encountered Marlix
himself. At the time, she’d feigned ignorance of the latter, fearing they would
send her back to him.
Anika clutched her throat. What if
Urazi’s accusation was correct?
“If he were an ordinary alpha or
beta, I might concede it possible. But he is—by your account—the leader. I do
not believe in coincidence. I have been observing the camp. Neither Marlix nor
Dak would have sent females into combat.
“The Resistance you are so proud to be a part of is using you as
expendable cannon fodder.”
About the
Author:
Website blog: http://www.carabristol.com
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Cara-Bristol/e/B004D8KZTQ/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.bristol.3
Twitter: @CaraBristol
Amazon UK - Warrior (Breeder Book 3) eBook: Cara Bristol: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
Amazon AU - Warrior (Breeder Book 3) eBook: Cara Bristol: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store
All Romance eBooks- https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-warrior-1652179-340.html
Teaser Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:"
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book.
The Teaser:
"Rough patch in the marriage. That's par for the course, right? I don't get using that as an excuse to play around."
Playfully, he walked his fingers up the back of her hand. "Which is why your're not naked on the street, my darling Eve."
Page 239
Monday, October 20, 2014
Sex, Love, Aliens #1 by Imogene Nix, Ashlynn Monroe, Jane Shields, and Beth Carter Blog Tour
Sex, Love,
and Aliens
Volume 1 by
Imogene
Nix, Ashlynn Monroe,
Jaye
Shields, and Beth D. Carter
Science Fiction/Futuristic Romance
Publisher: Beachwalk Press, Inc.
Date of Publication: October 20, 2014
Cover Artist: Fantasia Frog Designs
My Thoughts on Sex, Love and Aliens
Like the title says there is sex, love and aliens in each
story. While I liked all four I
did have a favorite.
Gravitation by Beth D. Carter had wonderful world-building
and character development as well as a interesting plot surprise. Bree is such a strong character. She is a survivor and only realizes how
lonely she has been when she saves Niah.
Niah is a mystery until the very end. I would love to hear more about the world Carter created. Gravitation would make a great prequel
to a series featuring Bree and Niah.
Imogene Nix, Ashlynn Monroe, Jaye Shields and Beth D. Carter
have put together a great collection of aliens and romance. The cover says Volume 1. I hope Volume 2 will follow soon.
Book Description:
TANGLED
WEBS by Imogene Nix
In the course of a single day Gia
Montgomery loses her job and discovers that her boyfriend—now ex-boyfriend—is a
two-timing sleaze. After downing a bottle of wine, she catches sight of Cedun
in her backyard. He’s the Ba’Tua heir who has been living on Earth for several
years. Gia struggles to ignore the strong attraction between them, because
she’s sure he’s seeing someone else. Someone very close to her, in fact.
When the situation with her ex turns
nasty, Cedun finally has a chance to set things straight between himself and
Gia, but nothing is as simple as it seems. Cedun must protect Gia and sort out
an impossible love-life tangle before it’s too late.
Content Warning: this title contains sexy
aliens and feisty heroines, together with enough action—of every kind—to keep
readers on the edge of their seats
THE
SPACESHIP CAPTAIN’S Wife by Ashlynn Monroe
Some treasures are the hardest to see.
On a dying planet, treasure waits for an
honorable man to claim it. Captain Ric Julius believes the cargo of gems is
what he’s come for, but there is one jewel he never expected. Her name is
Kateri, and she changes everything.
Saving the woman’s life, and making a
fortune in the process, requires only one thing of Ric—his freedom. In order to
obtain the gems he has to agree to take Kateri to safety…and to make her his
wife. Every man has a price, but is Ric willing to pay in full on a debt he
owes to a dead man on a decomposing world?
Content
Warning: contains sensual sex scenes
HIS HUMAN
by Jaye Shields
Can a human clone trained to kill also
learn to love?
Elara Roberts is the captain of a space
shuttle sent to retrieve a group of cloned soldiers from the planet US-2. As
soon as she lands, the shuttle is overtaken and all of her men killed.
Svarog aka Rogue, is the leader of a
rebel group of clones who desire freedom. He’s been trained his entire life for
one thing—to kill. But when he lays eyes on Elara, the only woman he’s ever
seen, his first instinct is to love. Taking her for himself, his new mission
becomes exploring the body of the creature, and punishing any other clone male
who dares come close.
Elara witnessed how easily Rogue killed
her men and fears she is next. But instead, the beast seems curious and more
lustful than anything else. Her best survival strategy is to play along. But
when she gets a chance to escape she realizes she may not be ready to leave
Rogue behind.
Content Warning: this story includes a
deadly, devastatingly sexy clone who isn’t above foul language and dirty sex
GRAVITATION
by Beth D. Carter
Can Bree and Niah’s love overcome their
species being at war with one another?
Bree has spent her whole life hiding from
the aliens who destroyed what was once Earth. When she stumbles across a
wounded alien, common sense tells her to kill him before he can kill her, but
her compassionate side refuses to obey. Instead, she helps him.
The two forge a temporary truce when
they’re forced to band together for protection. But as the days slip by, the
alien Niah won’t leave her, and as friendship gives way to something more, she
can’t help but wonder when, or if, them being on opposite sides will break the
fragile bonds of love forming between them.
Content
Warning: contains sexual content, strong language, and some violence
Get it now for just .99
Available at Beachwalk Press Amazon BN ARe Kobo
TANGLED
WEBS EXCERPT:
Turning away from her
position, Gia caught sight of movement from the corner of her eye. This time
she looked out the window and in her garden was a Ba’Tua male.
“Holy hell, what’s he
doing here?”
Gia headed for the door
just as Cedun was removing his Montgomery Industries t-shirt by the side of the
pool. Her mind was sluggish and her coordination impaired, and she slammed into
the edge of the door as she scurried through it.
“Shit!” The curse
escaped her mouth as she kept moving, her hand rubbing the injured section of
her side. “Cedun, what the hell are you doing in my backyard?” In her haste,
she didn’t see the hose on the deck and tripped.
She did notice the
bright violet of his eyes—wide and startled—and the bronzed rippling muscles as
she cartwheeled, flailing for something to grab onto, then she was falling
backward. It’s all so slow! A thunk sound married with the explosion of pain in
her head.
The water closed around
her and invaded her mouth and lungs. Her chest burned as the water weighed her
down. Just as it all seemed too much, strong, vise-like arms slid around her
middle, hauling her up to the surface.
“Do not struggle, Gia.
Let me help you.” He did, hauling her out of the pool and laying her flat on
the concrete.
Then he rolled her over
as she hacked and coughed. Water gushed from her mouth and nose, and she moaned
once the indignity was over.
“Now, De’ Gia, tell me
why you ran out of the house and threw yourself into the pool. De’ Valerie told
me that you had been removed from your post. It cannot be that which is
distressing?”
“Job,” she corrected,
quietly hoping to stop his liquid voice. Her head and chest ached viciously,
and all she wanted was bed. “I want to go to bed.”
Cedun stilled. “Is that
not precipitous?” A smiled crept over his face, and it turned her insides to
molten lava.
Clarity speared her.
Their grasp of the English language was literal. She said she wanted to go to
bed and was speaking to him, ergo, he thought sex. Horror filled her.
Cedun was probably the
most relaxed and least repressed of all the Ba’Tua she’d met. Gia also
suspected he’d been involved with Valerie for some time. After all, Valerie was
still young at forty-two.
Gia groped for his
t-shirt, meaning to push him away. The realization of being so close to Cedun’s
muscular and unclothed chest flooded her as her hands made contact with hard
and well-formed naked flesh. He’d removed that covering before her fall into
the pool. Heat flared beneath her fingers as her heart rate sped up. “Cedun, I
didn’t mean…”
He chuckled. “I laugh
with you, De’ Gia.”
She struggled to free
herself. “Go laugh with someone else.”
THE
SPACESHIP CAPTAIN’S WIFE EXCERPT:
Why am I doing this to
myself? Damn, if I didn’t need the money… But he did.
As the girl came to
kneel beside her father, Ric realized he’d rather face a laser pistol-wielding
hijacker than this woman. The traditional charado robe that consisted of many
layers of light, sheer fabric did nothing to hide the outline of her body. His
mouth went dry and sweat stung his eyes.
The older woman offered
him a light meal of native Darooian nuts and fruit. Ric shook his head. He
didn’t want to risk polluting himself with radiated food. But this transaction
was too important for him to offend them.
“Forgive me, I am far
too full of…of joy to eat,” Ric said.
Marit’s woman gazed at
him for a moment. Her shrewd eyes narrowed with doubt, but she nodded and
pulled the offered tray away.
The kneeling girl was so
still he couldn’t even tell if she was breathing. His host was watching the
silent female with an unfathomable sorrow. Then he turned to study Ric without
speaking for a drawn out length of anxiety-filled time. Ric fidgeted nervously.
Oh damn, I hope I
haven’t blown this. I’ll lose the ship without this deal. Ric tried to hide his
worry from the other man by keeping his face expressionless.
“We only eat food that
arrives in bio locked containers. Our offering is safe. Kateri has not left
this house since she was a girl of ten. She has spent half her life hiding from
death, it’s long past time she was allowed to live,” said Marit in the gentle
tone. There was no anger or censor on his face, just sadness.
The quiet girl flinched.
The movement was subtle, but Ric was used to watching for the slightest tells
during negotiations. The girl’s posture stiffened.
So she was twenty. He
relaxed a bit. She was a decade younger than he was, but at least she wasn’t
some underage child.
Embarrassed, Ric looked
away. “Forgive me,” he said, unsure if he was apologizing for the planet’s
destruction or his behavior.
“You have nothing to
apologize for. Caution is an admirable trait. Integrity is another thing I
respect. She will make a good wife…”
Marit paused as a string
of quickly spoken Dar, their language, interrupted him. Her outraged voice
drifted up from under the veils and proved she had a bit of spirit.
The older man’s fatherly
tone ebbed between anger and softness. Ric only caught a few words, but he was
almost positive the girl hadn’t known she was part of the conditions for this
export.
When she was silent, Ric
could see her shaking. The strangest urge to comfort her came over him, but he
shoved it away. Perhaps it was the camaraderie of being tricked, but the
protectiveness her reaction stirred in him didn’t go away.
She muttered something,
and he fought to suppress his grin. He had the most inappropriate urge to peek
under her veil and see her expression. Was she seething with rage, or was she
pouting? He wanted to know. The veil tormented his naturally overactive
Metrician curiosity.
“Kateri is a good girl,
dutiful. She is…uncomfortable leaving her family behind,” said the anxious man
democratically.
Ric cleared his throat
awkwardly. He could respect the answer. If he truly cared about anyone, he
wouldn’t want to leave them to die either. A planet hadn’t died since the days
of old Earth. Pain squeezed his heart in a metaphoric vise. Guilt. His people
treated their world like it was garbage, and yet Metricia would live on long
after Daroo was space dust.
“Don’t look so dour,
Captain Aydric Julius. We will die with our gods, but our daughter will live on
for us and remember our names. Saving her life is worth risking my soul,” Marit
said quietly. “She is the most precious gem in your cargo.”
Ric nodded. No one had
ever loved him as this man loved his daughter. It was astounding and humbling
to be entrusted with her life. He’d never wanted such a responsibility thrust
on him, but now that it was, he couldn’t turn them down.
Is she willing to marry
a stranger? What am I getting myself into?
Ric could tell the girl
was looking at him. He wanted to talk to her and make sure she was willing. He
didn’t believe in much, but his honor mattered to him.
HIS HUMAN
EXCERPT:
“Why do you want to go
to Earth so bad?” Elara asked.
Rogue didn’t answer
readily, instead, he appraised her, his gaze lingering on her sweat-soaked
blouse. “You haven’t been here long, woman, but surely long enough to see this
planet rivals the hell that the humans make us read about. It’s dry here, hot
enough to melt the skin right off your body during certain seasons. Those
tunnels you saw dotting the landscape, those were burrowed by one of US-2’s
many creatures. Leave my side, and they’ll snatch you up and swallow you whole.
It’d probably be an easier death than you deserve.”
“Excuse me?” Elara
glared at him. “Did you keep me alive to insult me to death?”
“Why would you sign up
to take men as slaves, take them to a war they can’t even understand?”
“I’m not the bad guy
here!” Her voice echoed through the cave, the sound suddenly making her feel
more brave.
“Neither am I. Unless
I’m crossed.” He stood, still nude, his well-muscled body towering over her.
“Now that you’re my captive, perhaps you can appreciate what we are fighting
for. Freedom.” With that, the clone walked away from her. She glanced away,
trying to avoid looking at the well-carved butt cheeks as the massive soldier
walked away. He had a perfect body. The kind of body that was built to kill.
Elara’s mind spun. Not
only had two clones tried to rape her, but her epic plan to seduce Rogue didn’t
work. He’d never before had a woman, and she still couldn’t please him. Yet
he’d protected her from those men.
As far as Rogue was
concerned, she wasn’t sure what happened. He’d seemed so close to coming. He’d
moaned, but then he’d been disgusted by her, shoving her away. She should have
been happy that his cum didn’t fill her mouth, but it also meant her death.
But if he was going to
kill her, why didn’t he just leave her to those men?
Finally alone, the
terror of the day washed over her. She’d watched her peers murdered, she’d gone
down on her captor, and she’d nearly been raped by two killers. Tears leaked
down her cheeks, quickly dried by the intense heat on US-2.
Just as soon as he’d
left, Rogue returned. His strong hand pulled her out of the fetal position to
face him. When he saw her tears, he sneered in disgust. “I’m leaving to
retrieve rations. Don’t try to escape.”
Hope bloomed within her.
Of course she’d try to escape. Was this clone daft? She just never thought
she’d be left alone to try.
Elara thought back to
the initial attack on the space shuttle. The interior had sustained damage, but
clearly the clones had been careful, obviously planning to try to take it to
Earth themselves.
Rogue pulled on his
military cargo shorts, not bothering with a shirt. He pulled a sachet of lotion
out of his pocket and slathered it over his hard chest and chiseled stomach. It
was a body meant to punish.
She barely heard Rogue’s
final warning before he departed. Something about danger. Duh. Elara may have
been surrounded by a planet of rebel clones, but she was a military captain,
specially chosen for this very mission. Her femme fatale Plan A had failed, but
now she had no other choice but to try to ass kick her way off this planet. She
was sure as dead anyway, might as well die trying.
GRAVITATION
EXCERPT:
Niah’s leg must be
healing nicely if he was able to move around to her side of the cold fire pit.
She should be feeling fear because now he could easily overpower her. Kill her.
Only he did neither. He just laid there with his hand on her hip and his eyes
staring deeply into her own.
This was wrong. So
horribly wrong.
And yet…it didn’t feel
wrong.
And that scared her more
than anything.
“Shh,” he whispered, and
his hand ran soothing circles across her hip bone.
Bree closed her eyes
because she couldn’t stand looking at him anymore, couldn’t face the attraction
she was developing. And somehow she must have fallen asleep because the next
time she opened her eyes it was daylight.
She sat up quickly,
looking around. Niah was gone. His leg splints were in a nice pile, the only
testament that he’d been there. She ignored the stab of pain that pierced through
her and told herself it was better this way. He had gone back to his people, to
where he came from. It was time she went to where she belonged.
As she gathered her
things and slipped her backpack over her shoulders, she thought about when she
asked him to save one life as a thank you. Well, it seemed like he’d done just
that.
He’d spared hers.
About the
Authors
IMOGENE
NIX
Imogene is a mother of two, compulsive
reader, and bookstore owner. She lives in regional Queensland, Australia with
her husband, two daughters, dog, cats, guinea pigs, and chooks. She has a
particular fondness for vampires, star ship captains, and things that go bump
in the night (especially vampire types).
Imogene has tried many varied roles in
her working life including kindergarten assistant, teacher, principal, and
kindergarten and child care director, but rates owning a bookstore and writing
her own novels as the absolute highlight.
In her mother and wife alter ego, she has
traveled widely and lived in some very unique places including Far Western
Queensland, Cape York, and even Tasmania. She loves to travel and rates China
and Hong Kong among her favorite destinations.
ASHLYNN
MONROE
Ashlynn Monroe is a busy working mom. She
loves her kids and family. Her greatest joy is creating stories to entertain
others, and she hopes they bring a little more romance into the world. She’s
been writing since her teens, for her own enjoyment, but decided in her
thirties to share her imagination with readers. Ashlynn enjoys biking, camping,
reading, video games, and filling her home and life with love. If she’s not
working or chasing her children, you can find her daydreaming up her next tale
of romance.
JAYE
SHIELDS
Jaye Shields is a flight attendant by day
and romance author by night. Her addictions include reading, travel, and other
activities not even a romance writer will confess to. She’s in a committed love
affair with her readers, so don’t be shy!
BETH D.
CARTER
Beth likes writing about the very
ordinary girl thrust into extraordinary circumstances, so her heroines will probably
never be lawyers, doctors, or corporate highrollers. She tries to write
characters who aren’t cookie-cutter and pushes herself to write complicated
situations that she has no idea how to resolve, forcing herself to think
outside the box. She loves writing characters who are real, complex, and full
of flaws, heroes and heroines who find redemption through love.
Beth has been pretty fortunate in life to
experience some amazing things. She’s lived in France and traveled throughout
Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. She’s a mom to an amazing little boy, and
she’s surrounded by friends and family. She hates washing dishes but loves
cooking, hates washing clothes but loves wearing them. Her favorite color is
red, but she looks best in black (it’s slimming). She hates people who don’t
pick up their dog’s crap in public places, people who don’t use turn signals,
and people who are rude and condescending. She especially hates discrimination
in all and every form. And although she loves holding a book in her hand, she
absolutely adores her ereader, whom she’s named Ruby.
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