Exclusive Excerpt from Julie Ann Walker’s “Hot At Hell”
from Way of the Warrior
The low growl at the back of Michael’s throat seemed to
reverberate in the achy spot between Harper’s legs, making her keenly aware of
its hollow emptiness. And when his beard rasped her cheeks, she was reminded of
how deliciously scratchy his face had been against the inside of her
thighs…when he’d licked and sucked her to completion.
Had she really thought once would be enough with this man?
Had she seriously contemplated letting her head rule her hormones and saying no to
another go around? What was she? Crazy?
Yup. She was crazy. Crazy horny.
Crazy w—
“Jesus, woman,” Michael whispered into her mouth when Harper
pulled his shirttail from the waistband of his cargo pants. “I love the way you
taste.”
“Mmm,” she hummed between kisses. “You taste pretty good
yourself, sailor.” And he did. The inside of his mouth was a combination of Kill
Cliff—the sweet energy drink the SEALs swigged by the gallon—hot desert air,
and heroism.
In case you were wondering, heroism had a flavor. And it
went by the name of Michael “Mad Dog” Wainwright.
Warrior…
Once again the word whispered through her overheated brain.
And she realized that for right now, for this one small moment, he wasn’t just
any warrior, he was her warrior.
Fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, she continued to
devour his mouth, sucking, licking, laving, moaning when he met her caress for
caress. She pulled back when she could spread the two halves wide. And there it
was…
The miles upon miles of his hot, hard, tanned flesh.
Her hands smoothed over the crinkly hair that grew in the
space between his bulging pectoral muscles and flat brown nipples, following it
as it narrowed into a thin line down his flat belly before disappearing inside
his pants. His corrugated stomach muscles flexed and quivered under her
fingertips, and she delighted at the sight, could have gone on rubbing her
palms over him forever. But there was something else she needed to get her
hands on. Right now…
About “Hot At Hell”
He’s everything she swore she’d never love…
Harper Searcy knows a thing or two about Navy SEALs.
One, they’re all about the adrenaline high and not about
settling down. And two, they’re hot as hell.
She’s the one woman he refuses to let go.
When Michael “Mad Dog” Wainwright gets the call that
terrorists have taken over the embassy where Harper works, he’s determined to
save her life… and steal her heart. But when it comes to weapons, warfare, and
women, all bets are off.
About Way of the Warrior
EIGHT PASSIONATE LOVE STORIES ABOUT AMAZING MILITARY
HEROES BY AUTHORS Suzanne Brockmann, Julie Ann Walker, Catherine Mann,
Tina Wainscott, Anne Elizabeth, M.L. Buchman, Kate SeRine, Lea Griffith
To honor and empower those who've served, all author and
publisher proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project.
The Wounded Warrior Project was founded in 2002 and provides
a wide range of programs and services to veterans and service members who have
survived physical or mental injury during their brave service to our nation.
Get involved or register for programs and benefits for yourself and your family
online at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA
Today bestselling author of romantic suspense. Her books have been
described as “alpha, edgy, and downright hot.” Most days you can find her on
her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard,
trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.
When scandal strikes for Maggie, the one person she thought would stand up for her turns his back on her in her time of need, thus changing her life forever.
Years later, Maggie, now a widow trying to survive with the moniker of the Harlot Countess and a her unwillingness to bend to the rules of the ton who so easily shunned her. Necessity and talent have transformed Maggie's tragedy into a sort of triumph when she uses her art to build her life by reinventing herself as the artist Lemarc.
Simon Barrett, the Earl of Winchester has been plagued with political cartoons of himself making their way around London. These caricatures artfully making fun of "Lord Winejester" may wreak possible consequences on Simon's political career if the do not stop, therefore, he is determined to discover who the artist Lemarc is. After seeing Maggie for the first time in years in the art shop where the cartoons prominently adorn the front window, Simon enlist the help of his former love interest to seek out Lemarc. Will he be in for a surprise when he finds out the identity of Lemarc.
Maggie may have sought to discredit Simon as revenge for her treatment all those years ago, but the more she is in his company, it's apparent her feelings for him have only remained strong, even after her debacle of a marriage at the height of her scandal. In many ways, Maggie has arisen stronger from her adversity.
Simon truly has no idea what Maggie has been through. His determination to find the artist has him almost missing the treasure he has in front of his eyes and his rejection of Maggie when she needed him the most niggles at the back of my mind once they are reunited. I loved and hated him at the same time but to be honest, Maggie is the star of this show in the Harlot Countess by the brilliant Joanna Shupe.
The Harlot Countess by Joanna Shupe is a wonderful follow up to The Courtesan Duchess. Joanna Shupe is easily one of the best new authors out there and she has cemented herself as one of my favorites to date. The Harlot Countess is a solid read with a superb storyline. Ms. Shupe knows how to write the perfect strong female and Maggie is definitely that. Even though I would have enjoyed cuffing Simon in the head a few times, he is an enjoyable hero. Following the trials and tribulations of the ladies of the Wicked Deceptions series is a joy and I look forward to the next one.
Happiness is, picking up this book and reading until the wee hours of the morning.
Twenty-four year old ranch hand, Tyler Jenkins was all about having a good time with the ladies. He never thought about settling down like his brother and sister were doing. He lived for the moment. While most of his friends and acquaintances thought he was just a playboy, the fact is, no one really ever caught his attention long enough for him to take notice. At least, not until the night he makes a wrong move at a bar with an attached young thing who ends up having the bouncer as her fiance.
Thirty-six year old widow, Janie Smithwick could never have imagined the tornado about to come through her life if she even could have dreamed about it. Hiding on the bed of her truck, the handsome, disheveled cowboy is a tall drink of cold water, but boy is he a young thing. Once Tyler sets his mind to something, he won't be swayed and Janie is the woman he has been waiting for. Convincing her that their age difference means nothing though is a tough road to take when Janie has excuse after excuse why she shouldn't open her heart and mind up to him.
When Tyler discovers Janie no longer has ranch hands and is doing it all on her own, he offers to help out with the ulterior motive of getting closer to the beauty widowed too soon. Tyler quickly gets under Janie's skin and soon he becomes the reason for her to wake up in the morning, but that niggling voice in the back of her mind keeps telling her that it will never work because as soon as he finds someone younger and prettier, Tyler will be gone. Convincing her otherwise is a job Tyler gladly takes on, and showing those around him as well as Janie that he is much more the the young player he's proven to be in the past is quite the journey.
Midnight Ride by Cat Johnson is brilliant! I took to this tale from the very first. Tyler Jenkins is so my kind of hero, honorable, persistent and easy to come to terms with his past. Yes, Janie deserved to be smacked in the head a few times, but it's only because she had never had anything such as this happen to her since she married the older man after college. Content in her married life better never knowledgeable of the passion she so easily shares with Tyler, it's easy to see why she would hesitate. Her hesitation only makes Tyler's determination more worthwhile. Midnight Ride is easily one of my top picks this year and Cat Johnson just needs to keep cranking them out so I can gobble them all up.
Grayson “Gypsy” Gabor loves the ladies. As a matter of fact,
the more the merrier. Life is good. That is until a mishap with a sexy-as-hell
redhead leaves them mated. The eldest of vampires, Vlad Tepes, gives him a
choice: Keep her or give her up for all eternity to his one-time best friend,
Anton.
Tamera Cantrell sets her sights on the Vice President of the
Sons of Sangue, Gypsy. But after a night gone wrong, she finds herself caught
between one vampire who hates her and one who adores her. Now Tamera’s only got
three short months to prove to the one who despises her that he can’t live
without her.
Add in one Mexican Cartel, a vindictive primordial vampire,
and a rival MC out for blood, and Gypsy has his hands full with club business.
When Tamera’s life becomes endangered, Gypsy must act quick or chance losing
her forever. MY REVIEW:
One thing to know when you pick up a book by Patricia A.
Rasey is that you are in for one hell of a story. Sons of Sangue: Gypsy, is a
tale of betrayal, deceit and thrills that will leave you holding your breath.
Bad boy womanizer of the SOS, Gypsy Gabor never wanted a relationship beyond
his baser needs and Tamera really screws that up when she takes his blood. Now
she has to take the consequences. Obvious anger permeates Gypsy’s very being
when it comes to what Tamera has done and that only adds to the sexual tension
that teems between these two when they are in each other’s presence. With one
bite, Tamera has created a hurricane of bad blood within the MC and Gypsy’s
damned ego just won’t allow for anything to give.
Just understanding that Tamera wants Gypsy with all her
being brings to light the reasons for her multitude of sins. Tamera is a
walking conundrum that the reader will love to despise and admire at the same
time. Will Gypsy come to terms with those sins and his own as well in order to
create a semblance of peace? Will the desire for one another be enough to
overcome the battles to come? Read Sons of Sangue: Gypsy in order to find out
this and so much more.
Throughout reading Sons of Sangue: Gypsy my heartbeat almost
pounded through my chest. Author, Patricia A. Rasey’s ability to guide the
reader through a gamut of emotions and achieve her end goal is sheer
brilliance. Never have I read a tale of two people so governed by emotion.
Action is the word from the first word to THE END, which Ms. Rasey knows so
well how to write. Gypsy is a turbulent ride with an astonishing finish that
cannot be missed.
~KIMBERLY~
EXCLUSIVE excerpt from Sons of Sangue: Gypsy
Tamera let out a sigh and prepared for battle. It always was
with Grayson. “What do you want, Gypsy?”
“Now that’s no way to treat your mate.”
“Then maybe you need to act like one.”
His nostrils flared, his obsidian gaze traveling the length
of her.
“Don’t tempt me.”
Tamera laughed, feeling none of the humor. “That’s rich,
Gypsy. I could strip naked and lay in that bed and you still wouldn’t act like
a mate. So what is your real reason for being here?”
“Blondy.”
“What about him?”
“Stay the fuck away from him.”
“Are you serious? You don’t want me. You’ve made that
perfectly clear.” Tamera’s voice trembled in her rising ire. “Vlad isn’t giving
me much of a choice here. It’s you or Blondy. And you have made it perfectly
clear you don’t want in on that equation.”
“You are still my mate until I say otherwise.”
“Since when have I been anything other than a thorn in your
side?”
“E così vero, it is so true, il mio dolce rossa.”
Tamera hated when he called her my sweet red. It was a
wasted term of endearment. His gaze traveled about the room, no doubt seeing
little change. Tamera had been careful not to put her stamp on the place. She
wanted Grayson to be able to move back in without his room being a constant
reminder of her as the previous occupant should she be given to Anton. He
shouldn’t have to suffer for her actions. Even though she wished Grayson would
pick her, she certainly couldn’t fault him if he didn’t. That didn’t mean she
would make his decision easy for him. Hell no, she would fight him every step
of the way.
His black eyes landed on the unmade bed and stayed a long
moment before glancing back at her. “You haven’t taken communion.”
It wasn’t a question, it was an accusation. She crossed her
arms over her breasts, trying damn hard to ignore the fact his desire had
kicked up when he had taken in the satin sheets. The scent of human blood all
over him overshadowed that of his rising lust. He hadn’t bothered cleaning up
before entering his old domain. Normally, he wouldn’t have come near his old
room while she occupied it. Why now?
“Like you care.”
“I’m not heartless, il mio dolce rossa.”
Tamera let out a harrumph. “You could’ve fooled me.”
“Never doubt that I desire you. That has never been an
issue.” He took the last few steps separating them, leaving only a hand’s width
between them. He leaned down, close enough his breath fanned her cheeks. “Trust
me, il mio dolce rossa, I would much rather fuck you than stand here arguing
with you.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “You’re quite the romantic. You
sure know how to woo a woman.”
“There is nothing romantic about my intentions where you’re
concerned.”
Grayson’s lips were but a breath away from touching hers,
and God help her, she wanted to taste him, no matter how crude he treated her.
And damn if she didn’t hate herself for it.
“Then why not take what you want?” Tamera fisted her hands
at her sides to keep from reaching out and touching him. “You and I both know I
would never deny you. I’m already yours.”
The infuriating vampire growled, but instead took a step
back. She felt the separation like a bucket of ice water. “Don’t mistake my
desire for anything other than it is, Tamera. No matter what my dick wants, my
heart still hates you.”
She couldn’t have stopped the tears from falling if she
tried. The last thing she wanted was to give Grayson her dignity, and yet she
had just handed it to him. Her heart ached at his beauty, beauty which would
always be denied her. He really was a son of a bitch. She wanted to hate him,
return his scorn. Yet, she only felt the heartache.
Another knock sounded on the door. Grayson’s gaze stayed
focused on hers. “Come in,” he growled his response.
A young female donor walked into the room. Too cute for
Tamera’s liking. She grit her aching teeth as she watched Grayson’s eyes roam
over the petite young blonde, the complete opposite of her. Bastard. Tamera
thought he meant to feed from the woman, right there in front of her, but
instead he walked beyond the donor and said over his shoulder, “Eat,” before he
quit the room.
Tamera collapsed to the bed, no longer having the energy to
stand. But before she could succumb to tears, the young donor walked over,
knelt between her spread knees and tilted her head to the side, offering Tamera
her artery. She could no longer deny herself. Grasping the woman’s neck in one
hand, Tamera sank her fangs into the donor’s flesh and drew in deep, mimicking
the donor’s moan at the first taste of the woman’s blood.
Model Bryan Benisvy: Photography by Kimberly Rocha
A daydreamer at heart, Patricia A. Rasey, resides in her
native town in Northwest Ohio with her husband, Mark, and her lovable Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel, Todd.
Ms. Rasey is a three-time recipient of the Word Weaving
Award for Literary Excellence and a three-time winner of the prestigious RIO
Award Of Excellence. She is also a three-time EPPIE finalist and was a 2001
nominee for Romantic Times Magazine's Best Electronic Book. Additionally,
Twilight Obsessions and Twilight Visions, two anthologies she was a part of,
was nominated for the PEARL, the Paranormal Excellence Award in Romantic
Literature, in the Best Anthology category. Her short story, In The Mind of
Darkness won the P&E 2002 Horror short story category.
When not behind her computer, you can find Patricia working,
reading, watching movies or MMA. She also enjoys spending her free time at the
river camping with her husband and two sons. Ms. Rasey is currently a third
degree Black Belt in American Freestyle Karate.
After yet another drunken night out on the town, Crispin Flynn of the notorious Flynn family, awakens with the mother of all hangovers to find a woman in his bed. When the frightened woman confronts Crispin, the rogue finds himself in quite the predicament called marriage to the quite attractive, yet stranger named Gemma.
Gemma fiend of a father wagered his daughter in a card game with Crispin, who was so inebriated, he had no clue what was going on. After an unforgettable wedding, the morning after is a shock to both Gemma and Crispin, who after much contemplation, decide to make a go of the cards dealt them both, but Gemma has a troubled past that could change everything once Crispin and his family discover it.
Crispin hasn't been himself since his brother became Duke. His downward spiral of drinking, whoring and gambling has made the duke try a bit of hard love on his younger brother. When Crispin appears at the ducal seat with a new wife in tow the household is in shock. Will it be a good thing that Crispin has the responsibility of a wife? Gemma immediately notices her new husband's drinking problem and tries to address it but Crispin doesn't think he has a problem. Like many newly married couples of the era, Crsipin and Gemma have their issues, but passion isn't one of them. The desire they share is sizzling and erotic. Now if they can only overcome the other problems threatening to tear them apart before they even have a chance to shine.
The Widow Wager (The Notorious Flynns #3) by Jess Michaels was a much coveted read for me. I adored the complexity and depth of Crispin Flynn from the very first and knew his book would move me. I was not disappointed, as a matter of fact, I was elated at how the machinations of Jess Michaels make this one of my favorites in the series. Crispin has met his match in Gemma, who is no shrinking violet. These two are well-matched intellectually as well as physically and watching them fall in love is just awesome. The Widow Wager (The Notorious Flynns #3) by Jess Michaels is a wonderfully intense tale.
I was a normal teenager who loved music and dancing, until
the day I was attacked in my favorite record store. A few years later when my
mom succumbed to depression and took her own life, I couldn’t stay in my
hometown with all the memories and the curious stares. I decided to get in my
car and just go – except my car decided it was done going outside a tiny place
called Evergreen Grove. That’s where I found Jake. Or I guess Jake found me.
A GUY WHO CAN’T LET HIS GO
For the last eight years, all I can think about
is the day I ended another man’s life. Then I manage to save Cassie’s, and I
feel like maybe I’ve got some kind of second chance. To do what I couldn’t
before, or maybe even for something bigger. Something like love. If only I
could feel like I deserve her...
Elisabeth Staab loves passionate stories and happy
endings. Her books have been called “emotionally delicious,” “action-packed,”
and “gloriously snarky.” When not writing romance, she enjoys date night with
her husband, reading Harry Potter with her kids, and marathoning her favorite
books or TV series. Find out more at ElisabethStaab.com, follow along on Facebook and Twitter, and keep up with new
releases and giveaways by signing up for her newsletter.
Excerpt:
“So nobody should get close to you? I thought
the same thing about myself. It’s lonely though, right?” She looks worried
about me now. That’s worse than when she looked like she wanted to kiss me.
I tug on a strand of that hair one more time.
An excuse to touch her without really touching her. “There’s no need to worry
about me. I’m great.”
I’m not looking at her when I say those last
few words. I’m jingling my keys and looking back toward my truck, the universal
symbol for “I really gotta get the fuck out of here.” This conversation is
getting more touchy-feely than I know how to handle.
So I’m busy thinking about getting back to
the truck. I don’t see it coming when she reaches up to brush her lips across
mine.
It’s not an aggressive kiss. It almost
doesn’t even qualify as a kiss at all, compared to what I’m used to. Her lips are
as soft as I figured they would be from looking at them, and they fit so easily
against mine. The way she throws her arms around my neck though, I’ve got this
armful of Cassie and the only thing I want to do is hold on. Anyway, she could
fall backward if I let go. I can’t let her fall.
I open my mouth to remind her why this is all
a bad idea, and instead of words I hear a low, strangled sound come out of my
throat. She uses the chance to slip her warm tongue against mine. She’s a great
kisser—an amazing kisser—soft but
firm, and insistent. I don’t know why I didn’t expect her to be good. It means
she’s kissed other guys, and right now I can’t think about her and other guys.
Niall Malik is a widower and Alpha of his pack. His wife
Emma was killed by a hunter in her wolf form. Since then, Niall has spent his
time raising his son Nolan and running the pack. After his brother Zayn finds
his mate Cora, Nolan asks him when is he going to get a mate too. Niall
realizes that Nolan needs a mother and sets out to find a mate. Since he was so
in love with Emma, he vowed to find a female but unfortunately the new mate
will never have his heart.
Alaina Strop was a teacher living in Baltimore while during
work one day she was taken hostage by a disgruntled student. To recover from
the effects of her capture, Alaina goes home to relax. Unfortunately for
Alaina, she finds out that her "Father" has arranged a marriage for
her to get rid of her. Roger, her father is abusive to both her mother and her.
He has no use for Alaina as she is not a boy, can't shift and isn't really his.
Alaina's mother is Fey and her real father was wolf. To avoid the marriage,
Alaina runs away and heads to her aunt who lives with the Mystic Pack. After
getting a flat, she decides to walk to her aunt's house. She is chased by rogue
wolves and falls down a cliff. When she awakes, she is in the arms of a
gorgeous man and has no memory. Niall takes her back to his home. He begins to
realize that Alaina is his mate.
As Alaina tries to remember who she is, she realizes she has
strong feelings for Niall. Niall begins to realize his feelings are strong too
and feels guilty because he feels disloyal to his dead wife. While they both
deal with the beginning of how they feel, Niall must also deal with rogues on
Pack land, telling Alaina what he really is, helping her regain her memory, Alaina's
"mate" picked out by her father showing up to claim her, Pack
business and protecting his son.
This is the second book in the series by Elle Boon. I
enjoyed this story. I was happy that Niall had the opportunity to find his mate
a second time. Alaina was an interesting character too. Along with trying to
find her memory, she had to find out who she was and where she fit in. I
thought it was funny how everyone within the Pack knew that Alaina was Niall's
mate but him because he fought what was in his heart. I recommend this book by Elle Boon.
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