Cover Reveal: Below the Surface by Elizabeth Lee

BELOW THE SURFACE

RELEASE DAY: MAY 12^th

COVER PHOTO by Sarah Lee Photography

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29156423-below-the-surface

SYNOPSIS:

Daniella Alvarez and Dylan McKendrie used to be in love. They used to be a team. An inseparable force to be reckoned with. But, when tragedy struck, their relationship sank faster than the ships they used to scour the ocean floor for. Now all that's left are scattered remains of what used to be.

Dylan, no longer seeking the mysteries on the ocean floor, now goes for the sure things and the guaranteed paychecks. When a longtime friend suggests he has hard proof that one of those legends that used to keep Dylan up at night could be real, he's torn between going after the gold and maintaining the life he'd built since leaving The Florida Keys.

Daniella was always a dreamer. She's always been chasing what would most deem unattainable—professionally and personally. Everything she'd ever wanted seemed to slip through her fingers the day he left, which is exactly why his return has her seeing red.

Can the two of them put their past aside long enough to figure out a mystery that has plagued them both for years? Can they work together to see what lies below the surface?

EXCERPT:

“Would you wait just a goddamn second,” I said when I finally caught up to her. She was halfway to the ocean and just about to sit down in the sand to pout. Just like her. Things get a little heated and she's running for the water to avoid an actual conversation.

“Why? So you can tell me how I'm wasting my time on ghosts. How I just chase every lead I get without thinking things through?” A part of me wanted to put my hand over her mouth and shut her up, but another part of me reasoned I could do the same with my lips. The urge to kiss her had my blood overheating. “Like I said before...We. Don't. Need. You.”

“Oh you need me,” I said with a smirk.

“No I don't,” she quickly replied. “You left and I've been doing just fine.”

“I'm not talking about you in particular, Miss Impulsive.”

“Oh.” She paused for a second but quickly recovered. “I know you're not talking about me.”

“I'm talking about that fact that I have the boat,” I pointed out. “I have the equipment you need to bring this so called ship up out of the water.”

“Whatever. I can find a boat anywhere.” She crossed her arms across her chest and glared.

“Oh yeah. That right? 'Cause from what I've heard, the only boat you've been on lately comes equipped with a snorkel and tourists.”

“Keeping tabs on me, McKendrie?” The edge in her tone was sharp enough to raise the hairs on my arms. I might have occasionally asked Cal about her, but I wasn’t going to fess up at that moment. “Can't imagine that you could even be bothered to check on what you left behind.” Her words stung just as badly as I expected them to.

“I shouldn't.” I was still pissed too. If she wanted to play who can be the bigger asshole, I was going to win. I was part Irish and there wasn't a chance in hell that I was going to let her get the better of me. She wasn’t the only one with a fiery temper. “Not a damn thing has changed.”

“You're an asshole.”

“I've been called worse.” I took a step toward her. “Probably by you.”

“I can guarantee that,” she said between gritted teeth. The ever present noise of the ocean, the sound of traffic and the island town vanished as we held each other's stare.

The two of us stood inches from each other on that beach. The tide rolled in over our feet and I was so mad that I didn't even care that my best pair of boots were wet. The sand and surf were bearing witness to a good old fashion showdown. I could practically see the steam rolling off of her as I tightened my gaze.

Her lips were parted, words threatening to tear into me, but neither of us spoke. Instead, we just waited for the other to break.

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Release Blitz: Possess by Kaye Blue

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No weakness.

Maxim has stayed alive—and on top—for twenty years through a ruthless combination of brains and brutality. He’s grown the Syndicate into one of the world’s most powerful criminal enterprises.

He cares for no one.

Except her.

The woman he never should have saved…the one who holds the remnants of his long-dead heart.

No limits.

Senna doesn’t know why Maxim spared her all those years ago, or why he’s kept her by his side. But she does know that nothing—not his beautiful cruelty, not the black void where his heart should be—can stop her from loving him. Wanting him.

Even though she shouldn’t.

No turning back.

Years of obsession sharpen to a knife’s edge when Senna begins to crave her freedom. And when an old rival discovers her existence, Maxim must fight to keep her alive, even as he battles his need to possess her completely…no matter the cost.

“Your visitor? Was that business?” I said, voice low, tight with anger I tried not to show him, hurt I’d sworn I would never show him. That anger, that jealously was mine to carry, and my pride stung at the idea of Maxim knowing about it. But despite my best efforts, my emotion was apparent.

To the undiscerning eye, it would have looked like Maxim had no reaction to my question. But my eye was discerning, and I had spent a great deal of my life studying him. So I saw the change, the slight flare of his nostrils, the way he momentarily thinned his lips, the way his jaw ticked. Only once, but once was enough. He was irritated. At my question or the emotion with which I’d asked it, I wasn’t sure.

“Asking questions about my business, Senna?” he said after he’d regained his composure.

I, however, had not regained mine.

“Is that what you call it?” I said, feeling reckless now as my gaze locked with his.

“Something on your mind, Senna?” he asked, his voice dripping with menace and warning.

I didn’t care.

“I know what you do with them,” I said.

“You know what I do with them?” he said, mimicking my words, giving me an opportunity to walk them back, an opportunity to let this go.

No chance that was happening now. I nodded, anger that had exploded full force making it impossible for me to stay quiet.

“Yeah. I do,” I said.

To my own ears my voice sounded malignant with anger, anger that was unjustified, indefensible, and more intense than almost any had ever felt.

“Tell me, Senna. What do I do with them?” he said, his eyes narrowing slightly for less than a split second, but his face almost instantly returning to its falsely placid default expression.

I narrowed my eyes at him, saw the slightest change in his expression. I had his complete attention now, and I could see he was curious as to how this would play out.

That was Maxim, always curious, always wondering, but rarely—never—giving anything away. That enraged me further. Why was I at the mercy of emotions I shouldn’t even feel while he got to stay distant, detached?

On any other day I would have tried to excuse my behavior, tried to smooth my momentarily lapse over and go back to pretending.

Today wasn’t any other day.

I couldn’t say why, and I had no clue what the consequences might be, but I was feeling brave, stupid with my anger. So I didn’t walk the words back, didn’t try to smooth them over.

I answered.

“She was one of your whores. You fuck them,” I said, proud when my voice barely cracked over the word “fuck.”

Maxim glared at me, his icy stare enough to make anyone cower. I was in no mood to cower, and for once, I didn’t care about his displeasure. He waited, no doubt expecting me to apologize for my language.

He’d be waiting for a very long time.

“I fuck them?” he finally said, his voice deep with his displeasure, his eyes dark with the same.

I nodded, not in any mood to speak.

“How do you know?” he asked, his eyes darkening further, his expression dropping into a foreboding frown.

I swallowed, frowned, and then, finally, spoke. “I saw you once.”

He leaned forward, the curiosity overtaking his anger. “What you see?” he asked.

I tilted my head toward his desk. “She was there, in front of you. On her knees.”

The words came out jerky with anger I wanted him to see, desire I didn’t.

“And you stayed? Watched?” he said.

I nodded, watching his expression for some sign of a change. I saw it too, a slight deepening of his eyes unlike any I’d seen before.

“What did you think when you saw that, Senna?” he asked, his voice grating out of his throat roughly.

I locked eyes with his, watched the darkness there get deeper, and decided in that moment to tell him the truth, consequences be damned.

“I wished I was her.”

Release Tour: River of Love by Melissa Foster

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Release Blitz: B-Sides & Rarities by K. Webster

B-Sides and Rarities: A Collection of Unfinished Madness by K. Webster Publication Date: April 26, 2016 Genres: Anthology, Teaser Stories

Purchase: Amazon | Amazon UK | Goodreads

Peeking into the head of a writer is like opening the door to a room filled with lunatics, villains, and demons—all running amuck while screaming at exactly the same time. In other words, complete chaos. Most days, authors are able to quieten those voices in their head and focus on the ones who yell the loudest. They are able to clutch onto the hand of the most important character and pull them from the fray. But what happens when they’re all screaming much too loudly? What happens when they all speak at once and they pull the author into the depths of their fiery hell? Writer’s block, that’s what. Have you ever wondered why an author jumped into a different story while in the middle of a series you’ve been following or why they are taking too long to release or why they’ve gone genre hopping? Well, I’ll tell you why. They’re in hell. The hell of their own mind. In most cases, the writer will open new documents and tell portions of these character's stories if only to shut them up for a while. Other times, it’s because the author simply needs to feel useful or productive when their work in progress has come to a screeching halt. Regardless of the reason, you can ask just about any writer in this world and they’ll show you right to a folder on their desktop or a notebook of many scribblings of unfinished stories. This is our therapy. Our coping mechanism. And most days, as a reader, you’re only welcome into the world of our stunning, finished works of art we’ve spent months and months agonizing over. The beautiful final product of our blood, sweet, tears, and insanity. Nobody ever lets you in to see what wasn’t ever meant for the world. The imperfect. The incomplete. The utter madness. Nobody would ever share that with the world, right? Well, they’d have to be a little crazy. They’d have to be me. *** WARNING: This is a collection of incomplete stories. Some end abruptly, almost as quickly as they started. Others let you sink your teeth in just a bit before pushing you away. A couple will leave you pulling at your hair and cursing for more. In this collection, it’s all about beginnings…there are no climaxes or epic endings. It’s madness I tell you! Enter at your own risk.

About the K. Webster

K Webster is the author of dozens romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers. Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen. You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads! Website: www.authorkwebster.com Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bllgoP

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Release Blitz: Shameless by Lex Martin

Title: Shameless

Author: Lex Martin

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

 Release Date: April 26, 2016

Blurb

Brady…

What the hell do I know about raising a baby? Nothing. Not a goddamn thing. 

Yet here I am, the sole guardian of my niece. I’d be lost if it weren’t for Katherine, the beautiful girl who seems to have all the answers. Katherine, who’s slowly finding her way into my cynical heart.

I keep reminding myself that I can’t fall for someone when we don’t have a future. But telling myself this lie and believing it are two different things.

Katherine…

When Brady shows up on a Harley, looking like an avenging angel—six feet, three inches of chiseled muscle, eyes the color of wild sage, and sun-kissed skin emblazoned with tattoos—I’m not sure if I should fall at his feet or run like hell. Because if I tell him what happened the night his family died, he might hate me. 

What I don’t count on are the nights we spend together trying to forget the heartache that brought us here. I promise him it won’t mean anything, that I won’t fall in love.

I shouldn’t make promises I can’t keep.

Shameless is an adult contemporary romance/spinoff featuring a character from The Dearest Series, but it can be read as a complete standalone.

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Review

What Can I say, Lex Martin has a way with words that not only does she suck you into the story in moments, but she makes you feel as if you could be living the story. The characters are so real, the story so moving, so emotional that you can't put it down. Shameless was no different than previous works in this aspect. BUT being that this book was an ADULT story, it definitely brings on the steamy and was H-O-T!

Shameless brings us an emotional story that is more than a love story, more than a blossoming romance. Shameless is a journey for the characters, a journey to self-discovery and self-forgiveness, it's a story of living with regrets but not letting them rule you. It's also a story about pain, gut wrenching soul deep pain, and understanding that pain and how to deal with it.

Brady isn't exactly happy with his life, he had other plans and feels stuck in his current role because his brother left him to it, he's held on to anger about that for a long time. He loves his family though and doesn't want to let them down. When everything seems to spiral out from under him though, its time to face some hard truths and make some decisions.

When Brady leaves Boston, alone, to make the trip to Texas after a call about an accident involving his brother and his family, he believes he's heading there for one reason only to find himself in a totally different and unexpected position. Brady has to work through his grief and the guilt he feels for not being the brother he should have been.

Katherine was lost until she found herself on the ranch in Texas helping out her good friends and trying to get her life together. When her good friends die unexpectedly, Katherine can only continue to do her best at keeping things up and running on the farm while waiting for Brady to arrive in Texas. Katherine has no idea what she's going to do after that happens, but for now she's just trying to hold it together, for herself, and for Izzy. Most importantly for Izzy who's lost everything she knows.

Katherine helps Brady out in so many ways, he would be lost in a whirl of duties if not for her help and explanations. Brady never expected to find himself guardian of his niece, or responsible for the goings on around a farm, but he sort of fits right into the middle of it. They don't expect that feelings that begin to develop, they don't expect to fall into each other, but its inevitable.

I love how Lex Martin pieces this story together, from the humorous to the almost make you want to sob moments, to the lighter emotional scenes. From the sweetness of Izzy, the struggles of Katherine and Brady and the addition of the animals around the place (especially that racoon), this story is full of FEELS. The changes in both of the characters build up the story and really feel like you are watching it play out in front of you.

Shameless is an amazing story and I fell for it quite fast. If you haven't given Lex Martin a chance yet, you won't be let down if you start with this one.

Also Available

The Dearest Series Boxed Set is FREE on KU for a limited time. Get all three Dearest Series books, including Dearest Clementine, Finding Dandelion and Kissing Madeline, as well as Dearest Series bonus scenes and the first chapter of Shameless.

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / UNIVERSAL

Author Bio

Lex writes adult novels, the sexy kind with lotsa angst, a whole lotta kissing, and the hot happily ever afters. When she's not writing, she lives a parallel life as an English teacher. She loves printing black and white photos, listening to music on vinyl, and getting lost in a great book. Bitten by wanderlust, she's lived all over the country but currently resides in the City of Angels with her husband and twin daughters.

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Pre-Order Blitz: His Scandalous Kiss by Sophie Barnes

COMING 7.26.16

HIS SCANDALOUS KISS

Secrets at Thorncliff Manor #3

Sophie Barnes

Releasing July 26th, 2016

Avon Books

Thorncliff Manor is the perfect setting for a masquerade ball . . . where the heart’s secret desires are about to be uncovered in this scintillating Regency romance from Sophie Barnes

Richard Heartly has exiled himself from society since the war, plotting his revenge for a terrible betrayal. A masked ball at Thorncliff Manor is intended to be a brief diversion. Instead, he encounters a fascinating young woman as entranced by the music as he is. He can’t reveal his identity to Lady Mary. But her siren song keeps drawing him back, and their clandestine meetings could be hazardous to his plan—and to her virtue . . .

Avoiding an unwanted marriage was easy when Lady Mary was ignored by the ton. Thanks to her dazzling appearance at the masquerade, she’s a wallflower no longer. Eligible suitors abound, yet the only man she wants is the brooding, seductive companion who keeps his face hidden. A man who tempts her to disclose her own shocking secret, one that could divide them forever . . .

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Born in Denmark, Sophie Barnes spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She's lived in five different countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish and Romanian. She has studied design in Paris and New York and has a bachelor's degree from Parsons. But, most impressive of all, she's been married to the same man three times—in three different countries and in three different dresses.

While living in Africa, Sophie turned to her lifelong passion: writing. When she's not busy dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course, reading. She currently lives on the East Coast.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Find out more of the Secrets at Thorncliff Manor

Release Blast: How I Married a Marquess by Anna Harrington

ABOUT HOW I MARRIED A MARQUESS

A SHOCKING DECEPTION . . .
Josephine Carlisle, adopted daughter of a baron, is officially on the shelf. But the silly, marriage-minded misses in the ton can have their frilly dresses and their seasons in London, for all she cares. Josie has her freedom and her family . . . until an encounter with a dark, devilishly handsome stranger leaves her utterly breathless at a house party. His wicked charm intrigues her, but that's where it ends. For Josie has a little secret . . .


. . . LEADS TO AN EXQUISITE SEDUCTION
Espionage was Thomas Matteson, Marquess of Chesney's game-until a tragic accident cost him his career. Now to salvage his reputation and return to the life he loves, the marquess must find the criminal who's been robbing London's rich and powerful. He's no fool-he knows Josie, with her wild chestnut hair and rapier-sharp wit, is hiding something and he won't rest until he unravels her mysteries, one by one. But he never expected to be the one under arrest-body and soul . . . 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1VI9YEB

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Excerpt

With determination, she snatched a glass of punch from a passing footman and weaved her way across the room, unable to tamp down her growing curiosity about him and the inexplicable yearning to meet him. Would those midnight blue eyes be just as intriguing up close? Would that mouth would be just as sensuous?

            Sighing at her own foolishness, she slipped through the crowd like a moth drawn toward a flame. She should have been watching over her brothers. At the very least, she should have been watching for Miranda Hodgkins. Instead, she was stalking a handsome stranger, lifting her glass ever so slightly as she glided toward him, bumping her arm against his—

            And spilled punch across his jacket sleeve.

            Bull’s-eye!

            “Oh, I’m so sorry!” She gasped as his hand immediately took her elbow to steady her…or to keep her from spilling the rest of the punch, she wasn’t certain which. But when she glanced up at those sapphire eyes and a warmth stirred low in her belly, she didn’t care.

            Oh yes. Those eyes were just as intriguing up close.

            With a shake, she collected herself. “How awful of me!” she exclaimed and brushed her fingertips at the few droplets of punch still clinging to his sleeve.

The two Sinclair ladies excused themselves with a touch of embarrassment for her, which Josie didn’t give one whit about. Especially when the corners of his mouth curled sensuously at her in amusement.

            “No harm, I assure you.” His voice came as a deep purr.

            She cleared her throat at the responding shiver that scattered through her like warm rain. “I’m so terribly clumsy.” She continued to brush at his sleeve long after the punch had been cleared away, inexplicably unable to stop herself from touching him. “Everyone’s always saying, ‘Josephine Carlisle, how absolutely clumsy you are!’”

            She thought she saw knowing laughter sparkle in his eyes before he sketched her a shallow bow. “Miss Carlisle, something tells me you’re not truly as clumsy as you protest.”

            His words were just cryptic enough to give her pause and make her wonder again who this man was and why he was at the earl’s party when men of his caliber never came to Blackwood Hall. But at least they were now engaged in conversation, and she had managed to accomplish the meeting—albeit by the most wretched self-introduction in history—without having to seek out someone to do the honors for her. And she didn’t feel the least bit guilty at her subterfuge. Just hearing that voice had been worth it, no matter how briefly the meeting might last.

            Deep in her heart, she wished it would last a good long while.

            She smiled apologetically. “I do hope I haven’t ruined your jacket.”

            “It’s fine.” His eyes swept deliberately over her as he murmured, “Very fine.”

            Her heart skittered. Good Lord, was he flirting? With her? Despite her uncertainty, she blushed like a debutante at her first ball. Goodness.

            “You’re not dancing.”

            “Pardon?” she breathed, her foolish heart daring to hope that he might be asking…But no. His words were only an observation, not a request, and her stomach plummeted with disappointment.

            Of course, he wasn’t asking her to dance. Why on earth would he make such a request of the clumsy woman who’d just doused him with punch? As if this man ever had to request a dance in the first place. Most likely, the London ladies would have all sought out his dance card if men possessed such things. And then her pride sank even lower as she realized she’d done exactly that herself by approaching him in such a pathetic ruse.

            He nodded past her toward the dance floor where couples twirled in the roiling knots of a quadrille. “You’re not dancing,” he repeated.

            “I’m saving my toes for the waltzes,” she offered, curious to see how he would respond to that.

            “Ah, toe preservation,” he replied with mock gravity, his eyes gleaming. “A noble cause.”

            She smiled, strangely satisfied at his answer. Truly, she would have been incredibly disappointed had his response been anything less entertaining. “Indeed, sir, but perhaps I’m biased since I have a personal interest in the matter.” She gave a small laugh. “Ten, to be exact.”

            When he followed the dart of her eyes to her slippers, which she wiggled beneath the hem of her gown, he slid her a charming grin that trickled its way down her spine with a languid warmth. The laughter caught in her throat.

            Entertaining? Well, that was the understatement of the year. This man was utterly captivating. And for one shameless moment, bewildered at how he could draw such an inexplicable reaction from her so immediately, she wanted very much to become his captive.

            “And you?” She cleared her suddenly tight throat and hoped her voice sounded much steadier than she felt. “Why are you not dancing?”

            “I prefer the side of the room.” Then he leaned in slightly as he admitted in a low voice, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, “So much easier that way for beautiful ladies to purposefully spill punch on my sleeve to gain my attention.”

            Her mouth fell open, and she gaped at him. Speechless. Both at his audacity at calling her out for her ruse and for claiming she was beautiful. And at her reckless desire to hear him say it again.

ABOUT ANNA HARRINGTON

Anna is an English professor in Chattanooga, Tennessee and a lover of all things chocolate and coffee. She's a member of RWA and when she's not hard at work writing her next book or planning her next series, she's watching BBC and piloting her own aircrafts. 

http://www.annaharringtonbooks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/annaharrington.regencywriter

https://twitter.com/aharrington2875

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