Release Blitz! Mid Life Love Boxed Set - Whitney G.

31 Jan 2015

MID LIFE LOVE BOXED SET: RELEASE BLITZ

Check out this boxed set from Whitney G, the author who brought you Andrew from her famous Reasonable Doubt series! 


Title: Mid Life Love Boxed Set
Author: Whitney G.
 Publication Date: January 29, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Buy it today: Amazon

Synopsis

**BOOK 1: Mid Life Love 

 If you'd asked me what love was two years ago, I probably would've said, 'It's this amazing feeling that obsesses and possesses you; it's what me and my husband currently have.' If you ask me that same question today, I'll say, 'Please get the hell out of my face.’  

 Claire Gracen's life is picture perfect. Her career as a marketing director is on the brink of being legendary, and her marriage to her high school sweetheart has never been stronger. No, wait. It has. It used to be amazing and fulfilling, but one day Claire realizes that she's been living a lie and her best friend and husband have committed the ultimate betrayal.

 Broken and depressed, Claire is in need of something new—new city, new job, new friends.

 When she happens to attract the interest of the sexiest man she's ever met, a man significantly younger than her, she immediately turns him down—only to later discover that this man is Jonathan Statham, self-made billionaire and CEO of Statham Industries. Her boss.

 Jonathan Statham is unlike any man she's met before. He's used to getting whatever he wants—whenever he wants, and he isn't about to take no for an answer.

 Sexy, unpredictable, and charmingly clever, Mid Life Love is a story that will captivate you, entertain you, and force you to fall deeply in love with the characters.

 **BOOK 2: Mid Life Love: At Last  

 If you ask me if Jonathan Statham makes me happy, I’ll say ‘Absolutely. He’s the man of my dreams and I can’t wait to marry him.’ If you ask me why my ex-husband Ryan is currently one inch away from me—staring into my eyes and pressing his hand against my cheek, I’ll say, ‘I have no fucking idea…’  

Claire Gracen finally has the life she’s always wanted: A career she loves, a man who’s willing to do any and everything for her, and friends that show her the true meaning of the word ‘friendship.’

 As she and Jonathan prepare to make the ultimate commitment to one another and plan the wedding of her dreams, she quickly realizes that the hurtful past she left behind in Pittsburgh is a lot closer than she thought.

 Sexy, unpredictable, and as charmingly clever as Mid Life Love, ‘At Last’ will captivate you from the first page and never let you go.

New Adult Reads Sale!! Mostly $0.99!

29 Jan 2015

OOH! Check this sale out! If you're a fan of NA reads, there's a sale of them MOSTLY ONLY $0.99!! 


You can read more about the links 
and blurbs here --> CLICK HERE

I would highly recommend checking them out, especially Arouse by Nina Lane and Nocte by Courtney Cole! Both of them are 4 - 5 stars read for me!

Cover Reveal! Turbulence by Whitney G

**TURBULENCE: COVER REVEAL**

OMG I'm super excited for this one!! This is a new standalone from Whitney G, the author of the Reasonable Doubt trilogy! :D Story of a sexy pilot, who can resist this one?!


Title: Turbulence 
Author: Whitney G.
 Publication Date: TBA
Genre: Erotic Romance

Add it to Goodreads

Synopsis
Fuck me recklessly
Kiss me harder.
Take me again and again…
He and I met under a cloud of clichés:
Boy meets girl. Boy charms girl. Boy fucks girl.
Our story was supposed to end right after the orgasms, right after we went our separate ways.
But then we saw each other again…
And neither of us could walk away.
Our rules were simple.
Our passion was scandalous.
Our hearts were supposed to be safe…
But when you find something so all-consuming—something so intoxicating and inescapable, you’ll risk everything you've ever had, even if you’re destined to crash and burn.
This is us.
This is our messed up love.
This is turbulence.




Check out the Reasonable Doubt Series by Whitney G.
Amazon
Barnes and Noble


Release Blitz! Standard Romance Story #1: Fireman Edition by MS Willis

SRS1    

Standard Romance Story Fireman
synopsis
My name is Jane. 
I’m not a virgin. 
I’m not a stripper. 
I’ve never been raped. 
I don’t have daddy issues. 
I’m not in college. 
I don’t have magical powers.
 I’m not naïve. 
I haven’t been abducted. 
I haven’t been sold.
 I’m not unbelievably gorgeous. 

I don’t sleep around. I can’t even tell you the last time I dated. I live a normal life making minimum wage at a bookstore. And my best friend is a guy who also happens to be my roommate. But I'm determined to find love.

This is my standard romance story. Follow Jane as she dates the standard romance guys in an attempt to find true love: 

The rocker, the biker, the billionaire, the tattooed bad boy, the firefighter, the lawyer, the vampire, the cowboy, the alpha, the teacher, the movie star, the professional athlete, the fighter and the captor. Which one will finally win her heart?
excerpt
SRS1T

Where to Buy


Jasmine's Review

  4 STARS! ★★★★ 

  "From what I've read in Flirting with the Fireman, I'm supposed to have easy access. How else are we supposed to have sex on top of the firetruck without getting caught with our pants down?"

When I heard that one of the queen of dark authors is writing a romcom, part of me was terrified that her definition of romcom would be something sadistic! But thank lawd I've been proven wrong because this quick novella read turned out to be so hilariously entertaining that I might have choked and laughed at the same time.

   

  A quick rundown of the series: Jane is your normal average girl who lives a standard life, working at a bookstore with minimal pay and lives with her best guy friend, Rich. Just like most of us, Jane loves to read and is a romance junkie and at some point we all wonder, why can't we find that book boyfriend in real life?! And so it begins when Jane placed an ad looking for the right guy that fits the bill.
”I’m refusing the standard in my life and shooting for the standard in the romance book life. I want the standard romance guy.”
The first instalment as per the title is her dating a fireman and lawd knows how steamy those can be! But let's face it, reality is different and I enjoyed that the author depicted a realistic date where things never really worked out all the time as much as you'd like it to. It was filled with awkward-as-hell moments, laugh-out-loud moments and with that, it truly brought out such a light-hearted tone to this read. 

 Overall, this was such a quick fun read to ease off the angsty dark reads I've just had and can't wait to read more of these installments. I really hope Jane has better luck with the next one and the next next one LOL! 

  This is the first instalment of the Standard Romance Story novella series and MS Willis is planning to release a new one every 2-3 weeks. 

  ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Author      
 M.S. Willis is a romance novelist whose debut novel, Control, was released in 2013. Although currently writing in the romance genre, Willis has plans to expand her literary pursuits into multiple genres and has no fear conquering difficult subject matters in her writing. Willis is a native Floridian who is also a photographer and musician. When not absorbing herself in written, visual or musical expression, Willis is an adrenaline junkie, a ‘closet’ video game enthusiast, and an avid outdoors person and nature lover. M.S. Willis also writes as Lily White.

  Author Links       
 Visit M.S. Willis on her author page: www.facebook.com/mswillisbooks 
 Follow on Twitter - @mswillisbooks 

 Amazon Author Pages: 
 MS Willis: http://amzn.to/1z0Fjqj 
 Lily White: http://amzn.to/1pG9LwE   

NOW LIVE! The Traveling Man by Jane Harvey-Berrick

27 Jan 2015



PURCHASE NOW: AMAZON US

"I was ordinary. Nice. He was extraordinary. And he wasn’t always nice." 

 Moody and difficult, brilliant and beautiful, Kes scared me and he protected me. He could be incredibly hurtful and incredibly thoughtful. He wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for me. He challenged me, he took me out of my safe little box and showed me the world could be magnificent. He was everything I wasn’t." 

 * * * * 

 Aimee Anderson is ten when the traveling carnival first comes to her nice little town. She doesn’t expect her world to change so completely. But meeting Kestrel Donohue puts her life on a different path.

 Even though she only sees him for the two weeks of the year when he passes through her home town, his friendship is the most important of her life. As a child’s friendship grows to adult love, the choices become harder, and both Kes and Aimee realize that two weeks a year will never be enough.

NOW LIVE! Cartel by Lili St Germain



PURCHASE NOW: AMAZON US

The first full length Gypsy Brothers novel from the smash hit author Lili St Germain. 

 How much is a life worth? Mariana Rodriguez is the eldest daughter of a Colombian drug lord. Growing up in Villanueva, Colombia, she has never wanted for anything. Private schools, a lavish lifestyle, and the safety of the Cartel that her father works for. 

At nineteen, she's got her entire life mapped out, and what a good life it's going to be: graduate from college, move to America with the love of her life, and finally be free from the stifling grip of the Cartel. 

Only, her father messes up. A shipment of cocaine - a very large, very valuable shipment - is seized by the authorities whilst under his care and he becomes liable for the debt. 

Half a million dollars' worth of cocaine. Half a million dollars he does not have. But he has a daughter, a very smart one, a daughter who would give up her very existence and offer herself as payment for her father's sins, to ensure her family survives. 

But falling in love with the man who owned her isn't part of the plan ...

Blog Tour & ARC Review: Second Debt by Pepper Winters

26 Jan 2015

Second Debt by Pepper Winter is LIVE! 
Read the dark & sexy continuation to Jethro & Nila’s Story!


NOW LIVE!

AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1uK1Sjc
AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1z6Ea2g
iBOOKS: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z
NOOK: http://bit.ly/1xRAbAv
KOBO: http://bit.ly/1xgCSvb
GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/1xgCSvb

Second Debt (Book Three) Indebted Series



“I tried to play a game. I tried to wield deceit as perfectly as the Hawks. But when I thought I was winning, I wasn’t. Jethro isn’t what he seems—he’s the master of duplicity. However, I refuse to let him annihilate me further.” 

Nila Weaver has grown from naïve seamstress to full-blown fighter. Every humdrum object is her arsenal, and sex…sex is her greatest weapon of all. She’s paid the First Debt. She’ll probably pay more. But she has no intention of letting the Hawks win. 

Jethro Hawk has found more than a worthy adversary in Nila—he’s found the woman who could destroy him. There’s a fine line between hatred and love, and an even finer path between fear and respect. 

The fate of his house rests on his shoulders, but no matter how much ice lives inside his heart, Nila flames too bright to be extinguished.

{CLICK TO READ MY ARC REVIEW!}

ONE MORE DAY till Second Debt by Pepper Winters!

25 Jan 2015

ONE MORE DAY till the next instalment of the Indebted series by Pepper Winters!

Check out this new teaser and countdown till it releases on January 26th 2015!



**Pssst I read an ARC copy of this one ;) And let me tell you, HOLY HELL IT'S INTENSE! Can't wait for you all to read this instalment, I LOVED IT! Be on a lookout for my review tomorrow!**

PRE-ORDER NOW AVAILABLE! --> HERE ON AMAZON US

ENTER GIVEAWAY! --> HERE ON FACEBOOK

CLICK BELOW TO ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS!

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And if you haven't check out this series, what are you waiting for?! Quickly grab this series now!!

BUY LINKS:

81-GC1Syq0L._SL1500_ 81waSgJsnYL._SL1500_

Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) Available Now: Amazon | iBooks

First Debt (Indebted #2) Available Now: Amazon | iBooks

ARC Review: Serial Volume 3 by Jaden Wilkes and Lily White



BUY LINKS:
Serial Volume 3 ($0.99):  AMAZON US

Serial Volume 1 (NOW FREE!): AMAZON US
Serial Volume 2 ($0.99): AMAZON US

With Donovan closing in, his feelings growing for Ronnie, and the sudden realization where their paths crossed before, Jude's composure might be cracking. 

 Will Donovan get the CK? Will Jude make a fatal mistake? 

Will Patty make it out alive? And will we ever figure out where Ronnie and Jude met before? 

 Join us for Volume Three in a bold, exciting, dark new adventure from Lily White and Jaden Wilkes. Can anyone hope to find their happily ever after when a serial killer falls in love? 

 **Contains scenes of sex and violence that may disturb and revolt some readers. They may excite others, so yeah, you're kinda sick if they do. ;)

****************************************

ARC REVIEW

4 WTF STARS! ★★★★ 

 Holy Jude. This book is messed up on so many levels but I'm all for entirely farked up stuffs, so this was right up my alley. This was such a quick read that I enjoyed and picked up right after that nasty cliffhanger from Volume 2. We got to see more of Jude's past and the events that triggered his twisted behaviour. Honestly, my mind is still numb from the things that Jude is capable of (I still get the bejeezus creeps from bloodplay I tell ya..)

   

 Agent Donovan still leaves me on the fence, I'm not sure entirely what his real motives are but one thing's for sure; he's as twisted and royally messed up as Jude. But what really takes the cake for me in this read is Ronnie who I initially almost couldn't care about but the unexpected twist that came with her character definitely took me by surprise. 

 Aaand it ends with a damn cliffy again, GAH! With a huge revelation, FML. Well on the bright side, the next instalment is the last one, so only one more round of keeping me on the edge of my seat.

  Serial: Volume 3 is a collaborative work between Jaden Wilkes and Lily White and must be read in order. 

  ARC kindly provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.

Cover Reveal! Aflame by Penelope Douglas



Expected Release Date: 21st April 2015

goodreads

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Bully, Until You, Rival, and Falling Away comes the sizzling conclusion to the Fall Away series. 

 The tables have turned. Now I have the power—and it’s his turn to beg… 

Everyone wants to be me. 

 Maybe it’s the sway of my skirt or the way I flip my hair, but I don’t care. Even though their attention is the last thing I crave, I just can’t stop. I dominate the track, the speed rattles my bones, and the wind and the crowd screams my name. 

 I’m her. The girl driver. The queen of the race. And I’m surviving—something he thought I’d never do. 

 They all talk about him. Did you see Jared Trent on T.V? What did you think of his last race, Tate? When is he coming back to town, Tate? 

 But I refuse to care too much. Because when Jared does come home, I won’t be here. 

 Tatum Brandt is gone. I’m someone new.

PRE-ORDER LINKS:
AMAZON US // AMAZON UK // B&N // KOBO // IBOOKS

JOIN THE GIVEAWAY!
>> CLICK HERE <<



Verum by Courtney Cole: Excerpt Reveal + Giveaway of Signed Paperback!

VERUM, the sequel to Courtney Cole's spellbindingly dark, heartwrenchind new adult psychological suspense, NOCTE, is coming February 2, 2015.

Are you ready?

VERUM-CourtneyCole-500px
My name is Calla Price and I'm drowning.

My new world is a dark, dark ocean and I'm being pulled under by secrets.

Can I trust anyone? I don't know anymore.

The lies are spirals. They twist and turn, binding me with their thorns and serpentine tongues. And just when I think I have it figured out, everything is pulled out from under me.

I'm entangled in the darkness.

But the truth will set me free.

It's just ahead of me, so close I can touch it. But even though it shines and glimmers, it has glistening fangs and I know it will shred me.

Are you scared?

I am.

*********************

Quickly go check out Courtney's page for an EXCLUSIVE NEW EXCERPT from Verum and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed paperback set of Nocte and Verum!

>> CLICK HERE TO READ AND ENTER GIVEAWAY! <<

*********************

 Preorder your copy now, and get it the second it's live:

Get NOCTE (Book 1) on
Amazon | iBooks |  B&N | Kobo 
Add it to your Goodreads list

Sign up for the NOCTE List and get exclusive series excerpts, teasers, and clues.

NOW LIVE! Kyland by Mia Sheridan

Calling all Mia Sheridan fans! 

Kyland is NOW LIVE!! And what more, there is a $2.99 sale only for 48-hours, so quickly grab it while it's on sale, YAAYY!! 


BUY LINKS
AMAZON US // AMAZON UK

Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk. 

 Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going. 

Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly—through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds—to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain. They're both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. 

What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind? Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love. 

 THIS IS A STAND-ALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY TAURUS. 
New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Blog Tour: Beautiful Burn by Adriane Leigh

24 Jan 2015

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Title: Beautiful Burn
Author: Adriane Leigh
Genre: Steamy Student Teacher Romance
Release Date: January 13, 2015

goodreads

BUY LINKS
AMAZON US // AMAZON UK // B&N 
 
Blurb

I've broken him, bent him, and burned him, and each fevered moment was worth every ounce of pain.

Auburn Lawrence has loved her English teacher, Reed West, since she was fourteen. Through brainstorming stories, reading classic literature, and plenty of fiery banter, they've forged a bond that neither of them expected.

Propelled by a chance encounter after her graduation, they discover just how deep their connection runs, but love requires more than chemistry to flourish. They spend three electrifying summer months discovering each other under a veil of forbidden passion and desperate lust before they learn that the unattainable is often destined to remain exactly that.

By the time temperatures dip and snowflakes fly, their relationship will face a deep freeze that threatens to snap the bond they thought they shared, shattering their lives one secret at a time. Intended for mature audiences.  


************************

Guest Post

'The Inspiration for Beautiful Burn'

Beautiful Burn is actually a very personal story, one that’s been in my head for a while but I was very hesitant to write. I’m glad I was finally able to write it—I learned so much about myself, love, life, marriage. Without revealing too much, the book deals with forbidden romance…the student/teacher taboo, and the repercussions of that forbidden love. I love student/teacher stories and coupled with my tendency to crush on my English professors, it was a natural progression! Much of Beautiful Burn is taken directly from my life in some form or another, I just won’t say which parts ;)  

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TOP 5 books your HEROINE loves best and why

You're terrible for asking a book nerd to choose favorites! 

Auburn's Top 5:
  1. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov...Humbert is a total perv, but the emotional dissolution is fascinating.
  2. Bang by EK Blair...because Nina is bad ass and on some level I want to be just like her. Minus the crazy part.
  3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald...*sigh* Unrequited love. Classic.
  4. Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard...taboo romance, history, travel, what's not to love?!
  5. Anything Tiffany Reisz has ever written. Intellectual erotica? I can't get enough.
   *********************

About the Author

Displaying Adriane Leigh.jpg

Adriane Leigh was born and raised in a snowbank in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and now lives amongst the sand dunes of the Lake Michigan lakeshore. She graduated with a Literature degree but never particularly enjoyed reading Shakespeare or Chaucer. Adriane is married to a tall, dark and handsome guy, plays mama to two sweet baby girls, and is a voracious reader and knitter.  

Giveaway!



Cover Reveal! The Way We Fall by Cassia Leo




EXPECTED RELEASE DATE: 20TH FEB 2015

goodreads

From New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo comes a twisted and passionate love story that pushes the boundaries of loyalty. 

 Maybe we shouldn’t have fallen so fast and so willingly. 

 Maybe we shouldn’t have moved in together before we went on our first date. 

 Maybe we should have given our wounds time to heal before we tore each other to shreds. 

 Maybe we should have never been together. 

 Houston has kept a devastating secret from Rory since the day he took her into his home. But the tragic circumstances that brought them together left wounds too deep to heal. 

 Five years after the breakup, Houston and Rory are thrust together by forces beyond their control. And all the resentments and passion return with more intensity than ever. 

 Once again, Houston is left with a choice between the truth and the only girl he’s ever loved. 

 The Way We Fall is the first book in The Story of Us series, which follows the tumultuous love story of Rory and Houston. The sequel, The Way We Break, will be released Spring 2015.

Countdown! 2 days till Second Debt by Pepper Winters!

2 DAYS LEFT for the next instalment of the Indebted series by Pepper Winters!

Check out this new teaser and countdown till it releases on January 26th 2015!



PRE-ORDER NOW AVAILABLE! --> HERE ON AMAZON US

ENTER GIVEAWAY! --> HERE ON FACEBOOK

CLICK BELOW TO ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS!

goodreads

And if you haven't check out this series, what are you waiting for?! Quickly grab this series now!!

BUY LINKS:

81-GC1Syq0L._SL1500_ 81waSgJsnYL._SL1500_

Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) Available Now: Amazon | iBooks

First Debt (Indebted #2) Available Now: Amazon | iBooks

NOW LIVE! Serial Volume 3 by Jaden Wilkes & Lily White

23 Jan 2015



BUY LINKS:
Serial Volume 3 ($0.99):  AMAZON US

Serial Volume 1 (NOW FREE!): AMAZON US
Serial Volume 2 ($0.99): AMAZON US

With Donovan closing in, his feelings growing for Ronnie, and the sudden realization where their paths crossed before, Jude's composure might be cracking. 

 Will Donovan get the CK? Will Jude make a fatal mistake? 

Will Patty make it out alive? And will we ever figure out where Ronnie and Jude met before? 

 Join us for Volume Three in a bold, exciting, dark new adventure from Lily White and Jaden Wilkes. Can anyone hope to find their happily ever after when a serial killer falls in love? 

 **Contains scenes of sex and violence that may disturb and revolt some readers. They may excite others, so yeah, you're kinda sick if they do. ;)

NOW LIVE @ $0.99! Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Conteras


BUY LINKS


He was my older brother's best friend. 
 He was never supposed to be mine. 
 I thought we would get it out of our system and move on. 
 One of us did. 
 One of us left. 
 Now he’s back, looking at me like he wants to devour me. 
And all those feelings I’d turned into anger are brewing into something else, something that terrifies me. 
 He broke my heart last time. 
 This time he'll obliterate it. 

 **This is a full length, standalone novel. It will be $0.99 for a limited time only! **

NOW LIVE! Untouchables by JJ McAvoy!



BUY LINKS:
AMAZON US // AMAZON UK

Ruthless People #2 

 “One Secret. Multiple Casualties.” 

 Everything Melody Callahan has ever been told about her past is a lie. Her father lied. Her husband lied. But like all secrets…they come out. Not only is her mother, Aviela, alive but she won’t stop until she tears down everything Liam and Melody have spent the past year building. 

 With a new target on their back and the media now focused on their family as the Presidential election approaches, Liam and Melody must fight on two battlefronts. Melody is torn between being in love with Liam and wanting to kill him for lying to her. Being in love and showing love are two different things in her world. Liam wants to do anything to protect his family, even if that means hurting the people he loves. 

 Family is everything… but what happens when they’re out for your blood? Everything they have been through is nothing compared to what is coming...

Excerpt Reveal!! Second Debt by Pepper Winters!



Sneak Peek Excerpt 
Excerpt from Second Debt by Pepper Winters.

 
RELEASE DATE: January 26th

I’D TAKEN HER, but ultimately, she’d taken me.
I’d tried to destroy her, but serendipitously, she’d destroyed me.
This was the beginning of the end.
Not the end of my feelings for her but the way of my life, my world.
Something would have to change.
Something would have to give…
Someone would have to die.


I EXISTED WITH a brain full of betrayal, schemes, and plotting.
Living with the Hawks was utterly exhausting. Every day was a challenge to figure out the truths from the lies. But no matter how hard I worked, I could never seem to unravel reality from fiction.
He’d won.
And with a winner came a loser. One triumphant and one depressed. A trophy over misery.
Two days had passed since Kestrel had granted the truth to one huge mystery. Two days in which I hadn’t been able to think of anything else.
I wanted to hate Jethro for duping me—for stringing me along like an idiot.
But whenever my anger boiled over, needing desperately to confront him, I remembered one thing.
One important, vital thing.
He’d initiated contact before he was told.
He’d communicated with me almost as if it were a cry for help, rather than a plot to deceive.
If this were another trick, then so help him, I’d find a way to castrate him.
But, somehow, I didn’t think it was.
I had a horrible feeling this was the one way that he would let me in. An avenue of truths that he felt comfortable enough to continue, because a silent written word didn’t have as much weight as a loudly spoken one.
Which brought me back to my vitally important conclusion:
Jethro wants to be honest.
He wanted to stop playing charades and show me everything he kept hidden.
He wanted to talk to someone. Perhaps, for the first time in his life, he wasn’t satisfied with the hand life dealt him and…
Stop fabricating excuses.
All day, I’d been coming up with theories on why he was how he was and reading too far into things that he’d done.
It could be as simple as: he’d been told to get in touch. Told to initiate contact in a way that could potentially mould me into a more submissive captive, especially if I were to believe he was on my side.
I wanted to believe he’d acted against his father. But no matter how much I wished it, it didn’t make it was true.
How do you explain the knowing then?
I slouched against my pillows in bed. That was true. A part of me just seemed to know. Call it either sheer idiocy or feminine intuition. I believed he’d texted me because I was the first outsider permitted into his world—the only one not a Hawk.
My brain hurt.
When we were alone, when we weren’t arguing or fighting, there was an enchanting calmness. A connection.
Closing my eyes, I let my mind skip back to Kes’s unwilling promise. The way his eyes had darkened with secrets as I’d collapsed into his arms from the vertigo spell two days ago.
“Nila?”
A crushing headache appeared from nowhere. It was the most I could do to stay present and not permit my mind to relive every text Jethro had sent to see the hidden agendas now that I knew it was him.
“I’m—I’m okay. You can let me go.” I struggled out of Kes’s embrace, my skin humming from his touch. I needed some space. I needed a world full of space to get over the treachery and lies.
“You didn’t know? You hadn’t guessed?” Kes crossed his arms, never taking his golden eyes from mine.
I glowered. “How could I know? I thought the messages were from you!”
He flinched. “Yes, that was the plan. To make you believe it was me, so he could continue on with whatever little mind games he was playing.” Leaning closer, he added, “I haven’t been privy to any of the messages he sent you or you sent him—so don’t feel like I’ve intruded on details that I shouldn’t.”
Anger infused my blood. “If you were both in on it—why didn’t he show you the messages? Why were you so nice to me? What does all of this mean?”
Kes moved away, reclining against a sapling. “I was nice because that’s just who I am. Yes, I come from a family with twisted up morals and I’m loyal to those twisted up morals, but I also did it out of loyalty to my brother. If you’re pissed, direct it all on him. Not me.”
“Oh, believe me. I’m pissed. Beyond pissed.” My hands balled as my mind filled with crazy ideas of retribution and revenge. I would make him pay.
“I’d cool down before you spring it on him. Best to keep it quiet. Cut doesn’t know. It was just me who knew Jet had been in touch with you before he was given the go-ahead to collect you in Milan.”
I froze. “Why did he initiate conversation with me almost five weeks before he could claim me?”
Kes shook his head. “The day I understand my brother is the day I’ll gamble my entire inheritance on the stock market. I can’t work him out. The only thing I can do is be there for him. And I only found out ‘cause he changed pretty much around the same time he started messaging you. Something was different—we’re close. So, I saw it before the others.”
My brain throbbed trying to figure out just what had changed in Jethro. He’d seemed the perfect Hawk when he’d come to collect me. Cold as ice and deadly as a sword.
Now that I knew his secret, I had power. And I had no intention of giving that power back. Jethro had been playing me for far too long. He’d successfully screwed with my head. It was time for payback. “Don’t tell him that I know.”
Kes’s eyes popped wide. “Pardon?”
“You heard me. Don’t tell Jethro about today. Let him continue to think I’m clueless.” My heart frothed with rage and unhappiness. I was so stupid to believe I’d gotten through to him on some level. The sex between us left both of us stripped bare. Something more than family feuds and hatred existed when he slid inside me and sent both of us shattering into dust.
I’d let him inside me. In so many ways. It was my turn to do the same.
“You know I can’t do that, Nila. As welcome as you are in our household, and as much as I like hanging out with you, I can’t betray Jet. Not after everything he’s been through.”
I pounced on the small thread of truth about my tormentor. “What has he been through, Kes? Tell me and I’ll march back to the Hall right now and tell him myself.”
Kes shifted uncomfortably, refusing to meet my eyes. “Slip of the tongue. Forget it.”
Crossing my arms, I hissed, “Fine. Seeing as you’re so capable of keeping secrets, keep this one for me.”
Kes scowled. “Keeping my own flesh and blood’s issues hidden isn’t the same thing as helping out a Weaver.”
My heart raced. If Jethro hadn’t taught me how to stand up for myself, I would’ve cowered at the thought of being so pushy with a full-grown man all alone in a forest. Now, I was raging and fully intended to get my own way. “Give me two weeks. Two weeks before you tell him that I know. Do that and I’ll be forever grateful.”
His shoulders slumped in defeat. “How can you be forever grateful when forever isn’t something anyone has.”
Especially me, seeing as my lifespan was destined to be significantly shorter than his.
“Just…please, Kestrel. One favour.”
It took him a while to give in. His allegiance to his brother was strong.
Finally, he huffed. “Fine. But it won’t save you from his temper when he finds out.”
However, I had no intention of suffering Jethro’s wrath. I had every right to deceive him after he did it to me. My revelations were safe—for now. I trusted that Kes wouldn’t say anything. I didn’t know why, but on some level I did trust Kes—just enough to use him in my plans. And I was fully committed to tripping Jethro up.
It was his turn to divulge things he might not have if he’d known the truth. Hiding behind the pretence that Kite was Kes had made him softer the past few weeks. I would use that chink to make the crevice I’d been trying to form since I gave him a blowjob after hunting me down.
I couldn’t think about anything else. I couldn’t focus on sketching, sewing, reading.
Nothing.
My brain was a whirly-gig of Jethro. Kite. Jethro. Kite.
And I’d had enough.
Throwing myself out of bed after another sleepless night, I wrenched back the curtains and glowered at the dismal weather.
The watery dawn did nothing to inspire either anger or contentment. The sky was grey. Fog looked like haunting ghosts, threading its ghoulish tentacles over the lower woodland of the estate. No birds chirped or sun shone.
Summer had truly abandoned us. The bite in the air shouted ‘go back to bed where it’s warm’ but my brain had no such intention.
I hadn’t relaxed for two days. I’d stared at my phone, determined to text Jethro and trip him into revealing everything he kept secret, only to stare blankly at an empty message.
Now that I knew it was him, my willingness to show so much had gone. Knowledge was power and he had too much of mine already. How could I dig deeper into his mystery while maintaining all of mine?
The answer—I couldn’t. And that made me incredibly nervous. To find out who he truly was, I had to show everything that made me real. And despite the emotional growth spurt I’d endured at the hands of the Hawks, I wasn’t ready to evolve again. I’d lost so much of myself already—how much was I prepared to leave behind before I became a perfect stranger?
“Ah!” I dug my fingers into my hair. I needed a reprieve from my racing thoughts, and I knew exactly how to do it.
Mother Nature’s sudden urge to switch seasons from summer to winter couldn’t stop my itch.
I needed fresh air, and I needed it now.
Racing around my room in the new Weaver quarters where Jethro had made me beg and come apart with his cock deep inside me, I found my black spandex shorts and highlighter pink sports bra. Pulling the clothing on, followed by my sneakers, I quickly smoothed my hair into a bun, and shot from the room.
I hadn’t worn my exercise gear since the morning of the Milan runway show. I’d sprinted until I’d collapsed off the treadmill at the hotel, hoping I could dispel my anxiety enough to hide my stupid nerves and prevent a vertigo spell in front of the press.
It had worked—mainly. Until Jethro arrived, of course.
The moment when I’d set eyes upon him, I’d been done for. He’d been so dashing with his suit, tie, and diamond pin. So perfectly refined with his elegant haircut, chiselled physique, and sculptured lips. Even though his soul was dark, his body had summoned me.
He’d called to me, and like the stupid Weaver I was, I’d followed him blindly.
Now, it’s his turn to follow my whims, my rules.
Jogging down the corridor, my racing mind and temper eased, already reacting to the stress relief I’d sought all my life.
I need him out.
It wasn’t fair. I was supposed to seduce him and make him care for me—not the other way around. I wasn’t supposed to fall for my own games.
Lust was as dangerous as love. Only it was worse because it had the power to make even the worst ideas seem plausible—and even recommended—when a sexual reward was given.
The moment Jethro gave in and kissed me, I’d betrayed more than just myself. I’d betrayed my entire family line and all the Weaver women who’d died before me.
I had feelings for him.
A dangerous softness toward my would-be-killer.
It has to end.
I had to find a way to seduce him…to make him love me, all while I kept my heart frigid and locked away in an ice fortress.
I laughed under my breath. You sound just like him. I wanted to turn into the female equivalent of his glacial shell.
Only, ice wasn’t impervious. Ice melted and succumbed to fire.
I’d proven that over the past month.
The house breathed around me with gentle heartbeats only ancient dwellings could have. Spirits of past generations lived in its walls, revenants danced in the drapery, and figments of long forgotten lovers floated through the tapestries.
A grandfather clock tick-tocked as I jogged past, showing the time at six thirty a.m.
After being privy to the business meetings with Kes and the Black Diamonds, I knew the men never got up this early. They worked late, dealing with shipments and the transportation of stones worth more than any dress I could sew. Darkness was their asset, the sun their foe.
At least I could run and be back before anyone tried to stop me.
I didn’t want them to draw the wrong conclusion that I was trying to escape again. I blinked as I ran head first into a horrendous conclusion.
Even if you found the boundary this morning, you wouldn’t leave.
My heart thumped harder at the tangled web I lived.
Freedom was something I wanted more than anything. But even if I escaped the Hawks, I would only run back into the trap of pity and vertigo. I wanted more than that. I deserved more than that.
If I found the estate edge, I wouldn’t disappear. I couldn’t.
My captivity wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about the future. It was about Jethro.
Admit it…
It was about living.
The passion, the intensity, the blazing ferocity of existing with enemies and plotting beneath their noses was a much worthier cause than sitting at home sewing for the masses.
This was about me. Me standing up for myself, and for a future I wanted, not a future already planned for me.
This was about so many twisted things.
I wrenched open the French doors at the end of the corridor and stumbled into the foggy dawn. Fresh air welcomed me and I found a reprieve from my scrambled thoughts.
I can’t forget my ultimate plan.
No matter how Jethro endeared himself to me—giving me glimpses of someone barely coping inside his wintry armor—I wasn’t going to forget my goal.
Freedom.
Not just for myself, but for the rest of my legacy. My children and their children and their children’s children would never have to go through this. I intended to be the last Weaver stolen.
It’s time for a new debt—one that owes us life, not death.
Sucking in lungfuls of crisp air, I steeled myself in what I had to do. In order to win, I had to guard my soul. I had to play along with Jethro’s mind games and hope to God I won first.
A cool breeze whistled through the trees, sounding like haunted laments. I shivered, wishing I’d brought a jacket.
You’ll be sweating in ten minutes. Ignore it.
Gritting my teeth against the cold, I bent over and stretched my quads. The tug and slow release of muscles was heaven after the stress of the past few days.
My body hummed with the knowledge it was about to run.
And run.
And run.
For fun this time, not for survival.
Bouncing on the spot, I rolled my shoulders, eyeing up the sweeping lawn before me. If I went right, I’d loop around the stables. If I went left, I’d cut through the sprawling rose garden and orchards.
Go straight.
Down the meandering path that disappeared over the horizon.
I switched from bouncing to jogging.
“And just where do you think you’re going?” a cool voice whispered through the silver fog.
I wrenched to a stop, peering behind me.
No one.
“I thought you’d realised running wasn’t a viable option, Ms. Weaver.”
His icy voice sent a strange mixture of hot and cold desire down my spine. Jethro morphed into being, seeming to solidify from the mist like a terrible poltergeist. He leaned against one of the pillars holding up the portico, crossing his arms.
My heart collapsed, unable to untangle the maze of hypocrisy between us. My skin begged for his touch. My lips tingled for his. Every inch of me craved what he could deliver.
Heat. Passion. An eruption that I felt in every cell.
But none of that was real.
And I refused to believe in trickery any longer.
Mirroring his body language, I crossed my arms. “I realise escaping isn’t a viable option. But I’m not escaping. I’m running. Running is my only option to escape the mess you’ve made.”
His jaw clenched. “The mess I’ve made?”
“Yes.” I took a step backward as he advanced. “You’re messing me up, and I’m done playing whatever it is that you’re doing.” I sucked in courage and embraced honesty. It seemed to work around him, and I needed him to see how serious I was. How hurt I was with his deception.
He’s Kite.
Bastard.
Baring my teeth, I said, “It seems I have a weakness for you, but I changed my mind. I don’t—”
A low growl escaped him. “A weakness? You call what happened between us a fucking weakness?”
My breathing ratcheted as if I’d already run two miles. “The worst kind of weakness.”
He smiled, but no mirth entered his gaze. If anything, his golden eyes were luminous with anger. “You’re the one who started it…Nila.”
I gasped at the delicious decadence of my name on his lips. The sound echoed in his mouth, shooting straight to my core.
Shit.
Jethro advanced again, his body trembling with barely veiled lust. “You’re the one who created this problem.” His hand came up, fingers slinking through my tied-up hair, tightening around the back of my skull. “I can’t hear the name Weaver without getting fucking hard. I can’t even think of you without boiling with need.”
His nose brushed against mine, his lips so damn close to stealing all my scrambled plans and sending me headfirst into a life of debauchery.
“You should never have said those two words, Ms. Weaver. I told you. We’re both fucked now.”
My mind was blank, every synapse focusing on his fingers in my hair and his mouth only millimetres from mine. “What two words?”
He chuckled. The sound was self-deprecating and almost morbid with dark intensity. “Kiss me.”
I shivered in his hold. “You’re reminding me of what started this mess, or you’re asking me to kiss you?”
Ask me. And I will. God, how I will.
I’d kiss him until I’d stripped him of his arctic armor and destroyed it, I’d lick him until I tasted his truth, and I’d bite him until I’d eaten every morsel of his soul.
I’d do all that so he had nowhere left to hide.
We stood wrapped in foggy silence. The drawn out anticipation of a kiss turned my legs to jelly. If he pressed his mouth to mine, I wouldn’t be going for my run. I would climb his body and impale myself on his cock.
Fakery be damned.
Kite’s messages and deceit be damned.
I just wanted a raw connection—with this man, who made my soul whimper for wrongness.
Jethro’s tongue slipped between his lips, hypnotising me. Then…he let me go. “No, I’m not asking you to kiss me. I won’t ever ask anything from you.”
I flinched as if he’d slapped me. “Why not?”
“Because I own you. Everything I want will be given, not requested.”
Double shit.
I should hate him. I should smite him. So, why did his every word seduce me, even while I knew his morals were chauvinistic and heartless?
Forcing my body to obey, I shoved the weakness I had for him as far away as possible. My eyes trailed down his front. He wore tan jodhpurs, black riding boots, and a tweed jacket. The bulge between his legs looked heavy and far too dangerous to be legal.
“You’ve been riding.”
A gentle gust of early morning air blew his scent directly into my nose. I inhaled, soaking my lungs in hay, horse, and all things Jethro.
He nodded, crossing his arms once again. “You run. I ride. Seems we have something else in common.”
Something other than being forced into this debt and finding each other irresistible, you mean?
“Oh, what’s that?”
Jethro stepped closer, seeming to bring shadows into the smoky light of dawn. “We both need time alone to hide from the things that chase us.” He stiffened, his eyes churning with things he refused to voice. A five o’ clock shadow decorated his strong jaw, his lips parted while his gaze was pure brimstone.
Swiftly, he cupped my cheek.
Oh, God.
Electricity instantly sparked beneath his fingertips.
Would I always suffer the rhapsody of his touch?
My skin smouldered; pinpricks of light, of fire, of hell, all burnished beneath his hold. I swayed, pressing my face harder into his palm.
He sucked in a breath, his fingers digging harder against my cheekbone.
The chemistry and need to devour each other thickened with every heartbeat.
One beat.
Two beat.
Three.
We stood there, frozen on the stoop of Hawksridge Hall just waiting for the other to move. The moment we did, our clothes would disintegrate and I would willingly let him drag me into a bush and fuck me.
Lust and tension swirled.
I had so many questions and doubts; so many reasons to hate and fear him. But when he touched me…poof.
I no longer remembered, nor cared.
We swayed closer, drawn against our will to close the aching distance.
I couldn’t breathe.
Kiss me. Please, kiss me.
The moment stretched until it hummed with overwhelming possibilities.
Then, it snapped.
Loudly.
Painfully.
Shattering around our feet.
“You’re too fucking dangerous,” Jethro muttered, removing his touch and stepping away. Dragging his hand through his hair, he commanded, “Wait here. Don’t go anywhere.” His hands went to his jacket buttons, undoing them with nimble fingers.
I blinked, struggling to shed myself of heavy need and focus on the true reason why I stood barely dressed in the freezing morning. “I’m not escaping. I’ll be back in forty minutes or so.”
He shook his head, slipping out of his tweed and revealing a black long-sleeved jumper.
My mouth went dry. Even in clothing, I could make out every ridge of muscle in his stomach, every ripple of energy as he breathed in and out. He was designed straight from my fantasies, and I hated him for being so splendid.
My core clenched, sending flutters of wetness between my legs.
I hadn’t seen him in two days, yet I’d panted after him as if he’d been missing my entire life.
If he suspected I knew that he was Kite, he hadn’t let on. After Kes had told me the truth, I’d waited for Jethro to barge into my room and swear me to secrecy.
But he hadn’t.
He didn’t look at me any differently; he gave no outward sign that his lies had begun to unravel. As much as he confounded and frustrated me, I couldn’t help admiring his perfection at hiding.
I wanted to be like him. I wanted to protect my secrets so damn well that whatever I did next would come as a surprise.
I wanted to rule him.
“I’m coming with you. Don’t leave.” He disappeared into the house, leaving me abandoned and covered in chills from both the morning air and his departure.
Jogging on the spot, I deliberated ignoring him and leaving.
Just go.
What was the worst that could happen? He’d have to chase me again. My tummy coiled at the thought. I liked that idea way too much. I liked the thought of what would happen after he found me.
The power I’d felt giving him that blowjob. The awe and attraction that’d glowed in his eyes.
I want that again.
Screw waiting like a good little captive.
Make him hunt.
And then I would make him explode.
I bolted.
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Blurb
“I tried to play a game. I tried to wield deceit as perfectly as the Hawks. But when I thought I was winning, I wasn’t. Jethro isn’t what he seems—he’s the master of duplicity. However, I refuse to let him annihilate me further.”
Nila Weaver has grown from naïve seamstress to full-blown fighter. Every humdrum object is her arsenal, and sex…sex is her greatest weapon of all.
She’s paid the First Debt. She’ll probably pay more.
But she has no intention of letting the Hawks win.
Jethro Hawk has found more than a worthy adversary in Nila—he’s found the woman who could destroy him. There’s a fine line between hatred and love, and an even finer path between fear and respect.
The fate of his house rests on his shoulders, but no matter how much ice lives inside his heart, Nila flames too bright to be extinguished.

Series Reading Order


Debt Interitance (Indebted #1) ONLY $0.99

First Debt (Indebted #2)

Second Debt (Indebted #3) January 26th:
Amazon: TBD
Nook: TBD

About the Author:

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex... her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Her Dark Erotica books include:
Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1)
Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)

Her Grey Romance books include:
Destroyed

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