Under the Skin Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway

 

Under the Skin
Author: Zara West
Genre: Adult Romantic Thriller
Publication Date: June 6, 2019


Description:

A billionaire bridge builder

A gifted thief

A ruthless criminal

Can he save her before it’s too late?

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Sal bounced into the kitchen and put the model bridge on the table and then dumped the plastic bag of toy soldiers on the tabletop.

Her mother gave Lena a hard look. “We will talk later. Right now, I have to get off my feet.” She headed toward her bedroom and then stopped. “Where did you get the pretty bridge, Sal?”

“From sis’s magic pack.”

“Cielos.” She picked it up, rotated in her hands. “Got an inscription on the bottom. Looks like it was an award of some kind.” She handed it to Lena. “See if you can read it.”

Lena tipped the metal plate toward the light. “International Association of Architects, Best Bridge Design. Mircea Vargas.” Her stomach tightened. She hadn’t wanted to know the name of the man who’d saved her on the bridge and seen that her injuries were treated. Now she did.

It made her regret stealing from him even more. She handed it back to Sal.

Her mother tapped the tabletop. “What was that name?”

Lena put the dishes in the sink. “Mircea—I think that’s how you would say it—Vargas.”

“Yes. I remember. Such a weird first name. He was on the news.”

She smiled at her mother. “You watching television on the job, Mama?” It was one of things they razzed each other about.

“It’s one of the few perks I get. But that man. He was attacked this morning. He’s building a bridge across the Hudson and a mob pushed him down and trampled him. Took him away in an ambulance.”

Lena bit her lip. Must have been someone else. She’d left the townhouse mere hours ago. Her rich guy hadn’t looked injured.

Her mama shook her head. “Poor man. You should give it back. Imagine winning a big award like that. And now he’s hurt. It’s bad enough what you do. You shouldn’t take people’s treasures.”

A twinge of guilt ran through her. She clenched her fists and drove her fingernails into her palms until it hurt. That was exactly what she did. Stole people’s treasures.

And she would keep stealing them as long as she had to keep her family safe.

 Zara West loves all things adventurous and heart-stopping as long as they lead to true love. Born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Zara spends winters in New York where the streets hum with life, summers in the Maritimes where the sea can be cruel, and the rest of the year anywhere inspiration for tales of suspense, mystery, and romance are plentiful.


An accomplished artist by training and passion, she brings a love of art to every book she writes. When not marooned on an island or chasing after Greek shepherds, Zara tends her organic herb garden, collects hats and cats, and whips up ethnic dishes for friends and family. Learn more at http://www.zarawestsuspense.com

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: Under the Skin by Zara West

 

Under the Skin
Author: Zara West
Genre: Adult Romantic Thriller
Publication Date: June 6, 2019

Description:

A billionaire bridge builder

A gifted thief

A ruthless criminal

Can he save her before it’s too late?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

Sal bounced into the kitchen and put the model bridge on the table and then dumped the plastic bag of toy soldiers on the tabletop.
Her mother gave Lena a hard look. “We will talk later. Right now, I have to get off my feet.” She headed toward her bedroom and then stopped. “Where did you get the pretty bridge, Sal?”
“From sis’s magic pack.”
“Cielos.” She picked it up, rotated in her hands. “Got an inscription on the bottom. Looks like it was an award of some kind.” She handed it to Lena. “See if you can read it.”
Lena tipped the metal plate toward the light. “International Association of Architects, Best Bridge Design. Mircea Vargas.” Her stomach tightened. She hadn’t wanted to know the name of the man who’d saved her on the bridge and seen that her injuries were treated. Now she did.
It made her regret stealing from him even more. She handed it back to Sal.
Her mother tapped the tabletop. “What was that name?”
Lena put the dishes in the sink. “Mircea—I think that’s how you would say it—Vargas.”
“Yes. I remember. Such a weird first name. He was on the news.”
She smiled at her mother. “You watching television on the job, Mama?” It was one of things they razzed each other about.
“It’s one of the few perks I get. But that man. He was attacked this morning. He’s building a bridge across the Hudson and a mob pushed him down and trampled him. Took him away in an ambulance.”
Lena bit her lip. Must have been someone else. She’d left the townhouse mere hours ago. Her rich guy hadn’t looked injured.
Her mama shook her head. “Poor man. You should give it back. Imagine winning a big award like that. And now he’s hurt. It’s bad enough what you do. You shouldn’t take people’s treasures.”
A twinge of guilt ran through her. She clenched her fists and drove her fingernails into her palms until it hurt. That was exactly what she did. Stole people’s treasures.
And she would keep stealing them as long as she had to keep her family safe.

Zara West loves all things adventurous and heart-stopping as long as they lead to true love. Born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Zara spends winters in New York where the streets hum with life, summers in the Maritimes where the sea can be cruel, and the rest of the year anywhere inspiration for tales of suspense, mystery, and romance are plentiful.

An accomplished artist by training and passion, she brings a love of art to every book she writes. When not marooned on an island or chasing after Greek shepherds, Zara tends her organic herb garden, collects hats and cats, and whips up ethnic dishes for friends and family. Learn more at http://www.zarawestsuspense.com

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Cover Reveal: The Forgotten Ones by Andrea Bills

 

The Forgotten Ones
Author: Andrea Bills
Genre: Adult Mystery/Romantic Thriller
Publication Date: May 6, 2019

Description:

From the iBooks Bestselling Author of Hardwired comes
 
One small town.
One lost love.
One killer.
 
Agent Caitlin Cade is called back to her hometown by a serial killer. She’s avoided the town for six years, trying to create a new life away from the painful memories of the sudden passing of her father and a love lost.
 
Dean Campbell was given a mission that forced him to walk away from the only woman he had ever loved. Just as his mission is over and he can return to her news reaches him that a serial killer has Caitlin caught in a deadly game.
 
Can Dean handle not being the one in control in order to show Caitlin he’s back for good? 

Can Caitlin not only face her past but also a killer who always seems two steps ahead of her? 

As a game of chess plays out using human bodies, secrets and lies come to see the light of day for the first time.

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Andrea is a wife, mother and writer from small town West Virginia. She spends her time while she's not dreaming up lovers and villains alike chasing after her two kids and husband.

Her overactive imagination and her husband's wacky dreams attribute to her love of the written word. Guilty pleasures include reading all night and Reese Cups.

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: Protect Me by Cassandra Hallman & J.L. Beck

 

Protect Me (Broken Heroes #2)
Author: Cassandra Hallman & J.L. Beck
Genre: Adult Romantic Thriller
Publication Date: March 1, 2019

Description:

She needed protection from my family…
I needed protection from her heart…

She was my ex-best friends little sister. Shy, gorgeous as hell and did I mention completely off limits.

Well that is until she lands on my doorstep begging me for protection from my brother. She has no idea the kind of world she’s walked into, or that I’m no better of a man then the one searching for her.

But when she offers me her v-card the last thing she has in exchange for protection I cant deny such a tempting offer.

She’s everything I want, and nothing I can have.

When my brother finds out she’s under my protection, that I’ve been hiding her under his nose this whole time he gives me an ultimatum…

Marry her, or kill her…and since there’s no way in hell I’m going to let him kill her I decide to make her mine..forever.

**This is book two in the series but it can be read as a complete standalone. It contains NO-CLIFFHANGERS, NO CHEATING, and has a HEA. It is a dark mafia/crime romance and contains subject matter not suitable for all readers.**

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I feel him pull away slowly, his lips feather light against mine until he’s completely gone. And like a flower misses the sun’s warmth at night, I miss Damon’s lips against mine. His warmth seeps into me, showing me a side of him I’d been certain didn’t exist. My brown eyes bleed into his sleepy, coffee-colored ones. His gaze never wavers from mine, and I watch as something swims in his eyes—an unreadable emotion. Deep down, I know I’ll be okay. I don’t know how I know this or why, but I can feel it in Damon’s gaze—like a protective blanket coating my body.

The moment ends, and with little effort, Damon pulls me to his chest. I rest my head against his warm skin. The sound of his heart beating fills my ears, its steady rhythm calming me. As his hands glide down my arms, goosebumps cover my skin.

After today, I was certain I’d never let him touch me again, but now I’m not so sure.

His hold on me tightens, instinctually, as if he wants to make sure I don’t go anywhere. Shock twists deep inside me as he brings his other hand to my head, burying his thick fingers into my brown mane. When he starts playing with the natural curls at the ends of each strand, I nearly moan.

His touch relaxes me, soothes me. I don’t want this moment between us to end.

“Don’t be scared. You have no reason to be scared of me.” He licks his lips before smiling at me. “I’m a bastard, a killer, and the worst man to be in your presence, but I’ll do whatever I can to protect you,” he whispers before his hand stills in my hair, cradling my head against his body.

J.L. Beck is a USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, she has written over fifty different romance novels. She started her journey of writing back in 2014 and hasn't slowed down a second since then.

She's captivated by real romance, and loves reading about strong "ALPHA" males, as well as sassy heroines that know or may not know what they want. She is best known for delivering a happily ever after but has ended things on a cliffhanger a time or two.

When she's not typing away at her next book you can find her being a mom to her two adorable kiddos and wife to her high school sweetheart.

She's obsessed with Starbucks, social media, and is definitely more of a dog person than cat.

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Born and raised in Germany, Cassandra moved to the United States when she was eighteen. She's now a stay-at-home-mom to three boys and happily married. She always had a love for reading, that love slowly transpired into writing. She put fingers to keyboard and started writing about the dark side of romance. She is known for her intriguing stories and complex characters.

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Wicked Charm Blog Tour: Review

Wicked Charm

Author: Amber Hart 

Publication Date: January 30, 2018 

Publisher: Entangled Teen  

Description:

Nothing good comes from living in the Devil's swamp. 

Willow Bell thinks moving to the Okefenokee area isn't half bad, but nothing prepares her for what awaits in the shadows of the bog. 

Girls are showing up dead in the swamp. And she could be next. 

Everyone warns Willow to stay away from Beau Cadwell—the bad boy at the top of their suspect list as the serial killer tormenting the small town. 

But beneath his wicked, depthless eyes, there's something else that draws Willow to him. 

When yet another girl he knew dies, though, Willow questions whether she can trust her instincts…or if they're leading to her own death.

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Wicked Charm is a great new YA romantic thriller that fans are sure to love. There were several things I really enjoyed about the book, along with some that weren't the best (in my opinion). I'm a huge fan of thrillers, so I read them constantly. I've come across so many that it's truly hard for me to get stumped anymore. That happened with this book. I figured out the big mystery - the killer's identity - by about the third or fourth chapter. This had nothing to do with the book or writing. I personally have just read so many in the genre that it happens a lot for me. I did enjoy trying to figure out the motive, which I had to wait until the end before it was revealed. The author did a fantastic job with the setting - deep in Georgia's swamps. I don't have much knowledge about areas like this, but the author wrote about it in such detail with vivid imagery and description that I felt like I was right there alongside Willow and Beau the whole time.

I liked the two main characters - Willow and Beau - and loved getting to know each of them separately along with seeing their feelings for each other grow throughout the novel. It is labeled as a romantic thriller for a reason - Willow and Beau's romance plays a significant role through the entire story line and is vitally important to the plot. One huge thing I loved was the author's choice of writing style. It was done in the first person point of view (my favorite), but on top of that - it was written in alternating perspectives between Willow and Beau. I think this was absolutely perfect for this story and the author was spot on choosing this style. If it had just been done in one character's perspective, say Willow for example, I would have still liked it but not as much as having an alternating peek into each of their minds. That was a huge plus for me and definitely impacted my overall experience. Definitely recommended for fans of YA, contemporary, mysteries, thrillers, and romance.

Amber Hart resides on the Florida coastline with family and a plethora of animals she affectionately refers to as her urban farm. When unable to find a book, she can be found writing, daydreaming, or with her toes in the sand. She's the author of several novels for teens and adults, including Wicked Charm, the Before & After series, and the Untamed series. Rep'd by Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group. 

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: Choosing Hope by Holly Kammier

 

Choosing Hope
Author: Holly Kammier
Genre: Adult Romantic Thriller
Publication Date: October 31, 2017
Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Description:

Choosing Hope is a harrowing story of passion and deceit, the things we do for love and the rabbit holes we tumble into chasing elusive fairy-tale endings. Dark around the edges with a shocking twist I didn’t see coming, this is the kind of book you’ll be passing around to your friends so you can talk about it. Holly Kammier delivers romance, suspense, and a strong, smart heroine who turns out to be nobody’s victim. Don’t miss this one! – Kat Ross, best-selling author of The Midnight Sea
A broken marriage.
A love affair.
A lie that changes it all…

Hope Rains Sullivan is living the dream—a successful husband, two beautiful young boys, and a charming home in Northern California. She should be happy. She almost convinced herself she was, until Adrian came along.

Adrian, appears to be everything her husband isn’t. He works with his hands, and is even willing to use them in a fight. He’s sexy, strong and fit, with warm brown skin that alludes to his Spanish background. Best of all, he lives for spending time with his kids. Feeling alone in her marriage, Adrian offers her a way out

Hope’s affair is just the beginning. Her journey inward will require untangling her complicated past and surviving an astonishing revelation. Her lover is not who he pretends to be.

She’s searching for her happily-ever-after, and no matter how painful the journey, she’ll find what she’s been looking for all along—the chance to choose Hope.

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I held my breath for a beat and tilted my head to press my lips against his. Our mouths parted, fitting softly together at first, until he kissed me harder.

He tasted so good, my body pushed closer. Our lips knew each other. I moved on top of his lap, my legs on either side. His warmth, his crisp citrus scent. This was what kissing someone should feel like.

Hormones, pheromones, love, whatever it was, washed over me. I needed this man. I wanted to feel this way every hour of every single day.

My hand found its way up the back of his shirt. His skin ran hot. The ocean roared. I heard voices talking low, a couple walking by us.

His hand pressed into the small of my back. His other hand grabbed at the nape of my neck. He whispered, “I love you, Hope.”

I froze. He tried to kiss to me again. He couldn’t, not with my lower lip firmly entrenched in my teeth. I bit down with such force, I worried I’d draw blood. Why was he doing this to me? Why was I allowing it to happen?

His amber-green eyes looked into mine.

Tears pooled against my lashes.

“I wish you could feel what I’m feeling,” he said, “so you’d know it’s true.”

Co-owner of Acorn Publishing, Holly Kammier is a UCLA honors graduate and an accomplished content editor. With a background in journalism, she has worked everywhere from CNN in Washington, D.C. and KCOP-TV in Los Angeles, to the NBC affiliate in small-town Medford, Oregon.


Holly is the best-selling author of the novel, Kingston Court, and Could Have Been Hollywood, a memoir. She recently completed her third book, Choosing Hope, a spin-off from Kingston Court. Choosing Hope is a harrowing story of passion and deceit, and the things we do for love.

Holly resides in her hometown of San Diego, California, close to family and friends. A world traveler in her younger years, these days when she isn’t writing or working with new authors, she spends much of her time hanging out with her two boys, Josh and Alex. Holly is an avid reader with a passion for timeless books and beautiful writing. She also enjoys long walks with her Jack Russell Terrier, romantic movies, and making her mischievous sons smile wider.

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Cover Reveal: Untapped by Logan Chase

 Untapped
Author: Logan Chase

Genre: Adult Romantic Thriller

 Publication Date: December 20, 2016

Description:

Some desires are better left uncovered…
Erik Bertinelli is the son of the vilest mob boss in all of New York’s underbelly. He’s the enforcer, the hitman for the syndicate, and the type of guy who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. His hideaway is as unconventional as they come… the New York Public Library.

With a thirst for knowledge and a grand getaway at his fingertips, he loses himself daily in the dusty tales of old. Life is too f*cked up most days of the week. Peace would be beyond welcomed.

Grace Adams desires more than anything to live fully alive, and yet, she’s doing just the opposite of that. She’s a librarian at the New York Public Library and spends her days wishing like hell that she could disappear into one of the romance novels she reads.

With an imagination that would shock her family and friends, she keeps to herself and lives in the colorful parts of her mind – alone. Untapped.

When the same deliciously dangerous alpha male keeps showing up between the bookshelves, her daydreams quickly dive into passion that feels too good to be true. The kind that could burn anyone involved. The kind she would do anything for.

Maybe even kill…

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Romance is a genre that is oftentimes written by women, but my novels give you the chance to see through the eyes of some of the men that perhaps you fantasize about, and the opportunity to read about passion from the other side for a change. Stories told about real relationships, legit problems and past experiences… unless you’re an ex, in which case any resemblance to women living or dead is merely a coincidence. ;)

My name is Logan. I’m a full time firefighter during the day, but I’m not here to put out any fires. I’m here to start them. Hope you enjoy my stories and feel free to reach out at any time. I love to flirt.

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Don't Lie to Me by Amber A. Bardan

 

Don’t Lie to Me (Bad for You #3)
Author: Amber A. Bardan
Genre: Adult Romantic Thriller
Publication Date: October 24, 2016
Publisher: Carina Press

Disclosure:

Amber Bardan returns with a heart-stopping third installment in her high-octane, highly addictive Bad For You series

A fling with her best friend’s reclusive business partner should’ve been harmless.

When Emma meets him, the only way she’s looking to be tied down is in the literal sense. But Avner—shady hacker, off-the-books investigator, occasional spy—takes her breath away. He’s the first man who doesn’t turn to mush under her sexual spell: a fact that makes what’s between them very different, and very real.

Beautiful and uninhibited, Emma is everything Avner thought she would be and more. Yet his deadly past and dark duties can never be forgotten…not even as he succumbs to their seductive intimacy. But for the first time he’s after something of his own, as well.

And now that he’s found Emma, he’ll protect her, no matter what. Because anything worth loving is worth fighting for.

But nothing about Avner is remotely harmless.

Soon, Avner has infiltrated Emma’s personal life, stalled her career and nearly destroyed everything she’s worked for—all in the name of protection. Desperate and heartbroken, drawn into a secret criminal underworld in her quest for understanding, Emma discovers the truth: Avner’s secrets are far more devastating than his lies.

Book Three of the Bad For You series

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise

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I caught sight of his traveling jaw—and my own fell open because this was not the right jaw. This jaw wasn’t Kal-El on the front of a comic book, it was sharper, the cheeks above it hollow.

My hand fell away.
His body followed the turn of his head. His cologne hit me like a jolt of static. Spicy, and so musky and male, maybe some of that scent was actually him. I blinked at the open shirt collar suddenly in front of my face. Most of the time I came level with men, a balance I adored. But today I stared at a collarbone. A deep biting groove at the base of a long, wide neck. Twin tendons rose up in a V on either side of a prominent Adam’s apple I could lean forward and sink my teeth right into. The thrill of being stood over struck some place deep in my core. Flipped the mechanics of how I preferred this male/female thing to be. Like maybe if I went to his room—and I knew right then without having seen his face that I would be going to this man’s room—I might actually let him be on top.
Pure lunacy. The top was my spot. I tilted my chin and met a dark gaze. His brown eyes shone down at me, flecked with yellow like they were lit from behind. He smiled, and grooves made crescents on either side of his mouth. Mischief sprawled across his features so catastrophic that I could almost hear a chorus of hallelujahs.
This is going to be fun.
He smiled wider.
My womb panged. Yep, so much fun would be happening. So much fun. Laughter bubbled out of my lips, because really all I could do was laugh. His brows shifted, his gaze moving over me as though he’d never seen a person laugh before. Then his chest rumbled and the sound he released rushed straight between my thighs.
My cheeks burned from grinning.
“Buona sera,” he said.
The words were familiar, but I no longer remembered what they meant. In fact, I’d lost all languages. His lips parted, and he spoke again. My gaze was sucked to his mouth. To the way his lips curved up so completely, every tooth revealed all the way to his molars.
I was going to have awesome sex very, very soon. I felt it in my bones—the amazingness of the impending sex. Actually I felt it in my cunt, but whatever. I love my life. His lips shuffled across his teeth as he talked, words smooth and almost creamy compared to when he spoke Arabic on the phone. The tone was the same, husky and low. I had no idea what he said, but I kept on smiling.

After spending years imagining fictional adventures, Amber finally found a way to turn daydreaming into a productive habit. She now spends her time in a coffee-fuelled adrenaline haze, writing romance with a thriller edge. 

She lives with her husband and children in semi-rural Australia, where if she peers outside at the right moment she might just see a kangaroo bounce by.

Amber is an award winning writer, Amazon Bestselling Author, and member of Romance Writers of Australia, Melbourne Romance Writers Guild, and Writers Victoria.

Find out more about Amber by visiting www.amberabardan.com

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