Tattered Pages Welcomes Learning to Fly by Melissa Snark!

I'm thrilled to have Melissa Snark here today with her latest release Learning to Fly! Whoo Hoo! Check this cover (loving it!) and be sure to read the excerpt!

Learning to Fly by Melissa Snark

Genre:  Erotic Suspense
Published:  September 7, 2012
Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press
ISBN:   978-1-61217-595-9
Amazon ASBN:   B0099AIEIW

Cassandra Claeys is a bohemian artist with a passion for shoes and architecture. Her past wasn't pretty and she's got the scars to prove it, but she's determined to live and love again and she's hoping her newest client is just the man for the job. But the crazed serial killer that once held her captive escapes from prison, willing to kill again to make his maniacal fantasies come true.

Architect Kyle McCloud hires the fiery redhead to illustrate his latest project, never dreaming that she would bring passion and danger to his door. Cassie is easily spooked and as flighty as one of his injured birds, but he's willing to work overtime to make her soar for him alone.

“I can take you.”

Her front teeth sank into her lower lip and her green eyes widened. “Oh no. I mean—no thank you. I’d like to go alone.”

His brow rose; suspicion glimmered in his eyes. Too late, she realized how her response must seem both rude and inappropriate. She needed to buy enough clothes to last through her stay and wanted to do so without drawing undo attention to her predicament.

She turned red. “It’s just—I’m going to be a while. I have a lot to do.”

His lips curved up in a bland smile. “I only thought you might appreciate a ride, Ms. Claeys, since you don’t have a car.”

Crap. He had her.

She swallowed and quelled the urge to apologize. She doubted her attractive employer heard the word “no” very often. She sensed he wasn’t trying to gaslight her on purpose. However, he made her nervous, and as her boss, he had power over her. If he changed his mind about having her here and told her to leave, then she had nowhere else to go. She didn’t like it at all.

“Thank you, Mr. McCleod. That’s a very thoughtful offer, but I’d hate to take up your entire day with trivial errands. Perhaps someone could drop me in town?”

 He gulped the rest of his orange juice and set down the glass, regarding her with unblinking brown eyes. “I appreciate your concern for my time, but I don’t mind at all.”

Approaching the table, the housekeeper stopped and surveyed them, curiosity written all over her face. Cassie felt Shelly’s eyes on her face and she avoided eye contact, well aware of how her expression gave everything away. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to quell her rising panic. The last thing she needed was to make a scene, but thanks to Kyle’s stubborn determination to have his way, they were well on the way.

She forced a smile. Time to resort to scare tactics. “I’m going shopping.” She paused and lingered on the S word, allowing the implication to sink in. “I’ll be trying on clothes and shoes. I love shoes. I’m going to be a long time. Hours, I imagine.”

Kyle licked his lips and Cassie stared at the tip of his tongue as it emerged past his teeth. Her cards were on the table. If he refused to back off, then she resolved to drag him through every store in the entire town, especially the embarrassing ones full of frilly things.

“No problem, I’m not in a hurry,” he said.

Cassie flushed. All too aware of Shelly’s amusement, she made one final try. “That’s funny. Most men I know hate shopping. You’re an unusual man, Mr. McCleod.”

He smiled and replied, quick and glib. “I assure you, I love to shop, Ms. Claeys.”

Shelly chortled hard enough to knock her off her feet. Startled, they turned toward the housekeeper who pressed one hand to her side and grasped a chair back with the other for support. “Good Lordy, Kyle! My boy!” Shelly wiped tears from her cheeks with her apron. “That’s the biggest lie I’ve heard pass your lips since you were twelve ‘n claimed a lumberjack put that pick axe through the dining room table!”

Kyle’s ears turned red and his lips compressed. Cassie hid a smile behind her hand. Thank goodness for Shelly Arthur.

“God should strike you down in your tracks. You’re a terrible liar.” Shelly lectured with a wagging finger.

Buy links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance Ebooks

The Wild Rose Press

Melissa Snark is an erotic romance and paranormal fantasy novelist. She lives in Northern California with her husband, three children and a glaring of domestic house cats.

Where to find Melissa Snark on the Internet:
Website
Blog
Email:  melissasnark at gmail.com
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Amazon Author Page

Cover Reveal: LIFE AFTER DEATH by Sharon Saracino

I'm thrilled to be among the first lucky bloggers who get to show the amazing cover for Life After Death by Sharon Saracino to the world! PA-DOW! Soak up some of this gorgeousness! Thank you, Sharon, for giving me this honor. I love, love, love this cover!! See below for the blurb and details!

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press
Release Date: January 2014

LIFE AFTER DEATH

After artfully arbitrating her return from the dead, Max Logan considers her experience with the afterlife a thing of the past. But Max’s success as a temporary Superintendent of Spiritual Impediment was no accident as she discovers when the permanent SSI shows up in the middle of the night to reveal that Max has a genetic predisposition to a supernatural calling. When Max’s ex-husband and current boyfriend, Roger-the-Proctologist is lost in a plane crash due to an inept Reaper gone rogue, Max has no choice but to venture back into the sweet hereafter in an attempt to rescue him. Throw in a freak blizzard, a hot Grim Reaper, and the last person on Earth Max would choose to save, and Max will be lucky to escape before her time runs out and she becomes a permanent resident of the Between.

Sharon Saracino resides in the anthracite coal country of Pennsylvania with her long suffering husband, funny and talented son, and two insane dogs. When she is not reading, writing, or enjoying photography and genealogy, she brews limoncello, dreams of living in Italy and works as a Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse.

All roads lead to happily ever after, some just have a few unexpected turns!

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   GOODREADS   TWITTER

 

The Hopeless Blog Tour is HERE with a GIVEAWAY!!!

On her seventeenth birthday, Jade is filled with hope for the future. She and her boyfriend Pen are in love, she is finishing her final year of high school, and she is finally safe from the Fallen, who wanted her blood to fulfill an age-old prophesy. Pen is not as comfortable with the truce they made to protect her, so he makes a new deal with the Arches and leaves Jade alone.

 

But not for long.

 

A new Guardian is assigned to protect Jade. Blake is rude and offensive, his methods unconventional. Because of his dedication to her she trusts him with her life. Best of all, he knows about the Surge—her telekinetic ability—and is eager to teach her how to control her power. With Blake’s help, Jade learns she can defend herself, with or without the Arches protection, against the evil forces that want her blood.

 

Then . . . Pen comes back.

 

He doesn’t like the idea of someone else looking out for Jade, but an army of evil is on its way to destroy her, and Jade needs all the help she can get.

~ * ~

  

     Tap.

The subtle noise woke me out of deep sleep. I stared into the darkness of my bedroom and waited. After a few minutes I heard it again.

Tap. Tap.

Something was scraping my window. The Santa Ana winds were always heavy this time of year, but the sounds it caused never bothered me before. This was different. Keeping my eyes on the window, I slid out of bed and dug the Louisville slugger out from behind my nightstand. I gripped it hard and tiptoed to the source of the noise.

Tap. Tap.

It wasn’t getting louder, but I knew without a doubt something, or someone, was outside my window. I approached with caution, ready to start swinging. Then something caught my eye. It was a leaf. I tilted my head to get a better angle, and the rest of the twig took form.

Breathing a heavy sigh, I tossed the bat onto my bed and put my head in my hands. My dreams had been so restless lately. I was starting to hallucinate. I laughed at my paranoia and opened the window to retrieve the stray twig.

The moon was an amazing presence in the clear sky. Summer was ending, signaling the beginning of cooler nights in the Southern California desert. I sucked in the clean air and let it fill my lungs. I loved this time of the year, when most of the smog was chased away by gale-force winds. Leaning out the window I watched the leaves dance on the Mulberry tree. A pair of glowing eyes glared back at me from deep within the branches.

I leapt back. Remembering the open window, I made a grab for the sill to slam it shut. I wasn’t quick enough. The eyes grew a body and pounced. I screamed until I heard footsteps in the hallway. Gary reached into the room and flicked on the switch, filling the room with a light that caused me to wince.

When my eyes adjusted to the room, I noticed several things at once. Gary was standing in my doorway, his Chargers pants and white t-shirt vibrating as he fought to catch his breath. In his left hand was a nine iron. The intruder was unmistakably male. Despite the ski mask, his muscular figure was well defined by a too-small black t-shirt. Both men ignored me as they stared each other down from separate ends of my room.

“Jade had a nightmare. You came to check on her. She was fine. You went back to bed.” The guy’s voice lilted with an accent I didn’t recognize.

The golf club fell out of Gary’s hand and hit the floor. I was having an out-of-body experience. There was no way Gary would fall for this guy’s impression of the Jedi mind-trick. But even as I thought it, he turned on his heel and scuffled back to his room at the end of the hall. I began to panic, the giggling bubbling up from my gut making my breath choppy. If my Surge was ever going to cooperate, this would be the time.

Holding my breath, I closed my eyes and focused on the center of my gut where the Surge originated. Nothing happened. It didn’t make sense; if I lost control when I was upset, then I should’ve been blowing the doors off the hinges. But I didn’t, I just stood there stunned as a feeling of dread washed over me. Behind my eyelids I saw Pen, his beautiful face staring back at me with adoration. He would never know how much I loved him. I was going to die and I was all alone. I opened my eyes with a determination to face my death. The intruder hadn’t moved except to turn his head.

The floor creaked as he shifted his weight and ambled toward me. He reached up and tore off the mask, revealing spiky black hair. His smile was cocky, as if he was proud of himself for being so clever.

Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind. I blinked up into the intruder’s eyes, and in the next moment he was gone. I was somewhere else. It was dark, but I could smell pine needles and hear branches crackle as the wind blew through them high above me. I was almost certain I was in the mountains somewhere, but it was too dark to tell. Whoever had brought me here still held me tightly.

Pen.

I spun around to throw my arms around him. He’d come back! Somehow I knew he wasn’t gone for good. He wouldn’t just leave me forever. Not after what we’d been through. But instead I was faced with dark eyes the color of onyx. A stranger, not Pen, had saved me from the supernatural being. I should’ve been grateful. Maybe shook his hand and exchanged emails. He seemed nice enough as he stared back at me with his head tilted in that way Pen did when he was trying to feel my thoughts.

All of these reactions would have been a normal way to react to someone who had just saved your life. I, however, was not a normal girl.

“Who the hell are you?”

FIND HOPELESS ON THE WEB AT:

Paperback (Amazon) / Kindle / Smashwords / Nook / Kobo / Apple iBooks / Goodreads

Keri Neal designs book covers. Flightless is her fourth published book. She lives near Austin, Texas with her husband, two children, two hamsters and a snake. She crochets, sews, reads, paints and loves all things artsy & craftsy.    

Contact info

Blog: writingas.kerineal.com

Cover Artist: bookcoversby.kerineal.com

Twitter: @authorkerineal

Facebook: facebook.com/authorkerineal

Instagram: @kerineal

Snail Mail: PO Box 453, Cedar Park, TX 78613
 

Available at http://kerineal.com/author/books/hopeless

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Release date: November 1, 2013

ISBN: 1492272221

ISBN13: 978-1492272229

 

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN WIN!

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZjQ4ZjgzMzU3NGY2ZTIyODFlOTBjNTY0ODRjOGY4OjI=/

Seven Days and Counting!!!

That's right, folks!

Only seven days until the release of Rowena's Key from HarperImpulse UK!

I'm thrilled to launch The Golden Key Chronicles!

To celebrate (and whet your appetites), I'm posting an excerpt from Book I of the series. I hope you enjoy!

This scene is taken from when Rowena and Caedmon first meet, each of them standing on opposites of what she believes to be a computer monitor...
  


Click to Pre-Order

          What was with this guy, with his sable, shoulder-length hair and closely trimmed beard? His white shirt was best described as puffy, with ballooning sleeves and wide, ruffled cuffs. The front hung open, exposing the muscled contours of his beveled chest, the roughly stitched tails skimming the thighs of his fitted, leather…breeches?

Oh, God. She chuckled and shook her head. He had to be one of Ollie’s theater friends. Bravo for his stunning portrayal of a swashbuckling swashbuckler. Too bad that also meant he was gay.

He lifted the sword in both hands and turned a broad shoulder toward the mirror, the taut planes of his stomach easing in and out with each controlled breath. A trail of dark hair arrowed down inside the waistband of his pants, where his perfectly cupped manhood bulged for her inspection. Oh yes, too bad indeed.

“If you scheme to divert me with your alluring attire and guileless stare, I’ll have you know an abundance of courtesans await my nightly dalliance. I am not so easily swayed.”

Rowena inched a slow perusal of the delectable landscape back up to his face. His dark eyes glittered in the candlelight, and she mirrored his arched eyebrow. “Oh, really?”

Perhaps she’d pegged him wrong. Wouldn’t that be a treat?

She glanced down at her gauzy nightgown, the flickering fire doing little to cover her rosy nipples, pert in the chilly air. But he invaded her space with this theatrical exploit of his. What else did he expect her to be wearing, showing up like this in the middle of the night?

“You’d better be careful.” She wagged a finger at him. “Or I’m apt to get busy with some serious despoiling all up in here.”

“Enough, Sorceress!” He lunged forward, the blade of his sword slicing the air when he aimed the silver pommel straight at the screen. “Let us be done with this trickery. Name your demands before I smash the glass and ensnare your bewitching guise for an eternity.”

A low laugh tickled the back of her throat. Talk about living a role. Sheesh, take the drama down a notch. She stepped close and ran a hand around the edge of the frame. The signal had to be streaming live, what with his ability to interact with her, but there wasn’t a wire or a microphone, heck, not even a screw in sight.

She stood back and crossed her arms, shifting her weight onto one hip. Okay, she would bite, as long as Ollie promised this whole escapade wouldn’t end up on YouTube.

“Fine. You’re extremely gorgeous and very talented. Seriously, you’ve got the whole English accent down perfect. And while I appreciate all the work that went into this little program, it’s about two in morning and I have to get up early for work. Tell Ollie I said good show, props to the production crew and I’m nominating the wardrobe guy for an Oscar.”

There. That should call the evening a wrap. She grabbed the edge of the door and swung it closed.

“You wear Rowena’s Key.”

She froze…and then tentatively eased the door back open.

Be sure to head on over Facebook and join in the celebration --> HERE. The party begins Thursday, November 7th at 8:00 am with prizes and goodies galore...and man-candy. We gotta have man candy! Whoot!

Hope to see you then!