Excerpt: Battle of the Heart by Jessica Florence

Summary

Thalia and Tristan have overcome trial after trail in their journey. Not even death could part them.

But now a new threat plagues the recently wedded couple. 

Thalia's pregnancy scares the gods.

Never has there been a union of a Greek demigod and an Egyptian god.

The couple must fight every obstacle the gods throw their way, or lose their growing family. 

Together with their friends they must enter a war against the gods themselves.

Old enemies unite, Lives are at stake, and only one side will win.

It's the final battle of the heart, a battle that will either bring about death or new life.

Will Tristan and Thalia finally get their happy ending?

Or will they lose everything they've fought for all this time?  

Excerpt

Sweet gray eyes looked at me with mischief in their depths before taking off across the lush field toward a large tree.

“Where are you going, little one?”

The sound of giggles behind the tree had me walking towards that angelical sound. As I got closer, the little boy’s head peeked out from around the trunk of the tree.

“Why don’t you come out and tell me who you are, little one?” I stretched my hand out for him to take. He looked around nervously before putting his hand in mine. His was so small in my own, but it felt right. My other hand reached out and brushed the light brown hair that was hanging over his eyes.

“Who are you, little one?” I repeated my question. He smiled and leaned in to give me a hug. Catching me off guard, we fell to the ground, but I wrapped my arms around him so he would be safe.

“I’ve got you,” I whispered into his hair.

“They want me dead. Please don’t let them take me, mommy.” My heart dropped.

I woke with a loud scream, my hand reaching for my heart to calm its erratic beating. I looked around and realized I was in Tristan’s bed, in his apartment. Seconds later, Tristan appeared.

“Thalia, are you okay? What’s wrong?” He looked scared, which was not something I was used to seeing on him. Being the god Anubis, not too many things frightened him.

“I had a dream; there was a little boy.” I shook my head, trying to tell him about the rest of it, but I could not. Then it all came back to me. Our wedding. The quick escape and revelation.

“I’m pregnant.” The words came out on a whisper as my hand went to my stomach in shock. Isis said I was pregnant, but how? I mean, I had my period before the wedding. My head was spinning with thoughts of a baby. Tristan’s arms were around me, holding me.

“I can feel it now; I’m not sure how I didn’t feel the change in you before. You carry life, my love.” He whispered into me. Tears leaked from my eyes. I wasn’t sure what emotions I was feeling. Mine? His? I felt elated, fearful, scared, relieved. I didn’t know how I felt about this revelation.

“How do you feel about this?” I asked, turning to see his face. Was he upset? Was the fear and worry from him? He kissed my cheek and put his forehead to mine.

“I was worried when we left the reception. You passed out and wouldn’t wake up. About the baby? I’m beyond happy that you carry my child, but I am also anxious because I do not know what the others will do. Something like this has never happened before.” You could tell he was nervous. I was, too.

“What do we do?” I pulled back and looked him in those gray eyes.

“We stay together, and keep you healthy so you can grow our child safely. Everything else we will figure out as it comes.” I nodded. What he said made sense. I think I was still in shock from everything I didn’t even know how to feel.

“How about I make you some breakfast? You were passed out all night.” My stomach growled at the thought of food, making him grin like a fool.

About the Author

Jessica Florence makes her home in Southwest Florida where she runs her own business, and of course writing! She one day after reading a book a day for a year just sat down and started writing, thus finding a new amazing hobby that she was looking for, for years, and that was also very therapeutic.

She spends her days reading, writing, watching TV, working, playing with her cute as hell baby, and black German Shepherd Rogue aka Rogue-i-bear, and of course tormenting her husband ;)

She also enjoys taking naps, bubble baths, eating pickles like candy, and having Harry Potter marathons.

Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Excerpt: The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons

Don't miss the conclusion of this incredible series! 

Allies, once inseparable, splinter until they break apart.
An insidiousness carves its way through Wonderland, challenging the land’s very existence.
Battle lines will be drawn as pages, long languishing in darkness, are finally illuminated.
Swords will clash, blood will be spilled, and lives will be lost.
For what is written can still be erased.

Excerpt

“You mentioned the need to take a symbolic object within the dream,” I say as I hover over his work, “one I must destroy. Yet, you have given no instruction on what that object must be.”

He nudges his half-moon glasses up his bulbous nose, barely sparing a glance toward me. “I did.”

Which means I must figure it out myself. I do not bother asking how one even brings an object into their dream, as I can already guess his answer.

What, then, would sufficiently constitute symbolic for a series of dreams I cannot remember? In place of images, all I possess are deep-seated emotions that refuse to relinquish their hold on me. Including a maddening sense of love . . . love for a nameless man whose face I cannot conjure.

Why can I not recall his face?

Perhaps a blank mask will do? Destroy the mask, terminate a passion for an imaginary person for whom I have assigned preposterous feelings for.

Spotlight: Suddenly Dating by Julia London

Message From the Author

Suddenly Dating is the second book in my Lake Haven series, although it can be read as a standalone. If you haven’t read Suddenly in Love, East Beach is a summer town on the shores of the scenic Lake Haven. In this book, Harry Westbrook and Lola Dunne are two people who are both given the use of a summer lakehouse, unbeknownst to each other, and unbeknownst to their respective friends, a divorcing a couple who are not on speaking terms and are banned from the lakehouse until the assets can be divided. But once they discover what has happened, neither is budging from their sweet summer set-up.

Harry has to be there—he has no other place to go, has sunk everything into his bridge-building business. Lola has sublet her apartment and plans to write the Great American Novel, and she’s not going anywhere, either.  

These two people come from opposite ends of the earth. Harry has had every advantage—a wealthy family, a great education, a great job at big, important firm. His girlfriend is stunning and his mother adores her so why can’t he be happy? Harry struggles with the need to make his own way in the world, and his ambition to create something on seems to be what is driving people away. For the first time in Harry’s life, he’s broke and alone. Lola’s family believes she is a doormat, because she clung to a marriage long after it was over, and her younger siblings take advantage of her kindness. But she’s the oldest and feels responsible for them—her father is dead and her mother a long-time drug user. 

Lola has never once had time off from caring for her mother or her dysfunctional family. She feels like this time it’s her turn, and she won’t let anything get in her way—especially not a very sexy, uncooperative roommate, who, for some reason, thinks his claim to the house is greater than hers. Not so fast, buster.  

I hope you enjoy Suddenly Dating and returning to the shores of Lake Haven as much as I enjoyed going there again myself. 

About the Book

If only Lola Dunne had the time—and the courage—she’d write her novel, and maybe even start dating again. When her friend offers the use of her summer home overlooking Lake Haven, Lola sees the chance to focus on herself for a change, and she eagerly accepts.

Engineer Harry Westbrook is waiting for his ship to come in. But it’s not happening soon enough for his girlfriend, who’s left him for good…again. To nurse Harry’s heartache, his pal extends an invite to his lake house in East Beach.

When it turns out that Harry’s and Lola’s friends are a divorcing, not-on-speaking-terms couple sparring over the same house, the strangers find themselves accidental (and reluctant) roommates for the summer. They agree to make the best of it, even posing as a couple to mingle among East Beach’s well-heeled crowd. But the ruse is starting to feel real—and romantic. Are they brave enough to reveal their feelings before the summer nights turn cold?

Excerpt

This woman confounded Harry, as women often did. But more than that, Harry thought, he was actually having a good time. A surprisingly good time. Lola was a bright light, a fun dinner companion. Maybe it was the second glass of wine—or was it a third? Maybe it was the smell of apple pie. Or maybe it was that the last several times he’d had dinner with a woman, it had been Melissa, and the tensions between them had seemed to permeate even the taste of the food. 

Whatever it was, he was beginning to think that as far as roommates went, he’d lucked into a good one. She liked to cook. She had a healthy appetite, silky hair, and pretty eyes. They talked about New York and their favorite spots, about the new resort area at the other end of the lake. They talked about favorite bands and films. She said she liked the Mets. 

Harry’s opinion was solidified when she served the pie—warm, with ice cream, of course. It was incredible, the perfect complement to their discussion about the possibility of the Mets going all the way. Harry was sold. If he had to have a roommate, he wanted it to be Lola Dunne. 

When he stood up to help with cleanup duty, he was fairly Zen about the mess in the kitchen. Tonight, it seemed amusing that there was dough stuck to the counter and more pots and pans in the sink than in the cabinets. “I’ll wash,” he offered. 

“You know, you are turning out to be nicer than I thought,” Lola mused, peering up at him with that sparkle in her eye. 

“Don’t jump to conclusions,” he warned her. “I’m drunk.” 

She laughed. “Then my nefarious plan has worked.” She cleaned up around him, but apparently she’d had enough wine to make her a little wobbly. She kept brushing against him or bumping into him. “Sorry,” she muttered when she’d done it a third time. 

“Are you trying to get my attention?” he asked over his shoulder. 

“No. It’s a very small kitchen.” 

He looked around them; it was one of the biggest kitchens he’d ever seen. When he turned back to make that point, she was standing at his elbow, holding a butcher knife. Maybe Harry was a little too drunk, but he flinched. 

“What?” she asked innocently, then dropped the knife into the sudsy water. 

“How does someone as cute as you write a book like that?” he asked. 

She smiled, clearly pleased. “I have a very vivid imagination.” 

“I always heard writers were supposed to write what they know,” he said. 

“I don’t think you have to worry . . . yet,” she said, and tilted her head back, looking up at him. “But if I were you, I’d keep up the good work just in case.” She slapped his butt like a coach, brushed past him again, and poured more wine into their glasses. Harry had lost track, but he thought maybe a second bottle had been opened. 

“Seriously? From what little I read, that is some dark stuff,” he said, curious about her book. 

“Well yeah, because she’s a cute psycho. Looks can be so deceiving, don’t you think?” 

Harry stopped washing and looked at her. Lola burst out laughing. “I’m teasing you!” she said as he dried his hands on a towel and turned toward her. “It’s one hundred percent fiction. Haven’t you seen Gone Girl?” 

“No,” he said. 

“Well, don’t,” she said, frowning a little. “It might alarm you.” She laughed as she tossed down the dishtowel, then removed her superwoman apron. She put her hands on her hips, tilted her head to one side and smiled at him. “You know what, Hardhat Harry? This has been fun.” 

“It has,” he agreed. “You’re an excellent cook.” He could see the pie tin behind her, and his hazy thoughts wandered toward a second piece. 

Lola followed his gaze, then looked back at him. “And you’re the perfect dinner companion. You eat everything on your plate.” 

“I have a long history of being a perfect dinner companion then. I’d have to say the same of you, Lola. Not every woman out there is into the Mets.” That reminded him—there was a game on tonight. He dried his hands and said, “I think I know the perfect end to this delightful evening.” 

“Wait . . . are you thinking what I’m thinking?” 

“I think so.” 

Lola laughed. So did Harry. But he didn’t get it at first, didn’t see it coming until Lola put her hands on his chest and rose up on her toes and pressed her soft, warm lips against his. It shocked him—he was not used to women planting one on him, and in that moment, he froze, his head frantically trying to decide what to do while his heart was totally into it. The rest of his body got in line behind his heart when her tongue began to tease his stunned mouth, and then, somehow, his hand was on her breast. And then he was moving. He was lifting her up without any thought at all and putting her on the counter. He shoved his hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head as he pulled her into his body, pressing against her. She had lit a flame in him, and desire was suddenly burning him up, turning his inside to ashes.

About the Author

Julia London is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than thirty romance novels. Her historical titles include the popular Desperate Debutantes series, the Secrets of Hadley Green series, and the Cabot Sisters series; her contemporary works include the Lake Haven, Pine River, and Cedar Springs series. She has won the RT Bookclub Award for Best Historical Romance and has been a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Excerpt: Home to Stay by Callie James

Matt Brewer returns home from his latest covert assignment determined to fix his personal life and bond with the autistic son he barely knows. But his ex-wife’s wary response to his untimely visit proves this mission might be one he can’t win.

A decade of starts and stops has left Jessie Brewer hanging on by a frazzled, single-parent thread, and when Matt arrives during a critical point in their son’s homeschooling and horse therapy progress, she worries their success will be dismantled by Matt’s traditional, stubborn ways. Could their mutual love for a gifted son lead them to a new beginning?

Excerpt

“No.” Her eyes welled again and she finally turned to him, jabbing her finger in his direction. “You don’t get to come in here,” she said with another jab. “Way past the eleventh hour. And do this.”

“Do what?”

“Don’t you see that I can’t—” she said, unable to finish as she swallowed past an emotional lump in her throat. She turned from him and wiped at her watering eyes.

“I didn’t mean to…Jess—don’t.”

She lifted her gaze to see him toss his gloves on the counter before crossing the space between them. She pushed her hand up like a stop sign, halting him from putting his arms around her as she took a step back. “Don’t. Matt. I don’t need a hug. Or you being sweet and understanding. Or you being here at all. You don’t get to do that.”

“Do what?”

“You don’t get to come back and have a conversation we should have had years ago. It doesn’t work that way.”

“I didn’t realize there was a protocol,” he said. “Maybe you could explain it.”

“I mean it! Stop!” She wiped hard at her infernal tears with both hands. “Quit being so…so nice.”

“What?”

“Look.” That sharp, emotional lump expanded in her throat. “We’re okay now.” The words sounded strangled. Barely audible. Completely untrue. “Separate paths. It’s what we decided.” She looked down from that piercing blue gaze. “It’s better this way. I don’t want to dredge up the past anymore. I don’t want to argue. I can’t go back to that.”

He stepped forward, cupping her cheek with a palm to pull her gaze to his. “I didn’t come here tonight to argue, or win a conversation we never finished. I’m not out to hurt you, Jess. In any way. I’m only trying to figure out what happened in our marriage so we can figure out what’s happening right now. Between us.” His thumb stroked her cheek. “Because something’s happening here. I’m not imagining it.” He paused. “Am I?”

She looked down.

“But something’s also holding you back,” he said. “Is it McLeod? Some kind of loyalty you feel—”

“No.” She let out a breath, teary, stuffed up and too exhausted to step away again. “No, it’s not Cole. It’s you.” Another sniffle and she looked down to the space between them, unwilling to let him see how much his nearness affected her. “And it’s me. And…and the hundred reasons why we shouldn’t be here like this. I didn’t go through the last two years of hell, Matt, just to pick up where we left off.” Her voice clogged with emotion, making continuing impossible. She shook her head.

He pulled her gaze up to his again, his thumb stroking her cheek. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She looked down. Closed her eyes tightly. Wished he’d just leave so she could sort this out on her own. Everything was easier on her own. “Then please go.”

“I can’t.”

About the Author

Callie spent the first three decades of her life in Portland, Oregon before picking up everything and moving to the South for much needed sunshine and a change of pace.

When she's not reading or penning contemporary romance and young adult novels, she's absorbed in all things supernatural, fantasy, sci-fi, anime, and of course, romance. She's also very devoted to her numerous adopted animals.

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Excerpt: Breaking Cage by AJ Pryor

There is speculation that he killed a girl . . . 

Journalist Hannah Black has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: Get the exclusive story from the Chicago Bears’ new starting quarterback, Derek Cage. There’s only one problem—Derek refuses to talk to reporters. The son of a famed Illinois senator, this football star despises the media.

Hannah has never been one to follow orders, especially when she wants something. When her new assignment tries to give her the brush off, Hannah won't take no for an answer, going to extremes to get the attention of this superstar athlete. 

Drawn to her quirky questions and die-hard persistence, Derek begins opening up to this rookie reporter, and he can’t stay away no matter how hard he tries. 

As the two get closer, Hannah finds herself falling for the enigmatic quarterback. But nothing’s ever easy. As a decade old secret comes to light, Hannah has to decide how far she’ll go and how many lines she’s willing to cross to keep Derek safe. 

Is uncovering the truth worth the risk of losing it all?

Excerpt

“I’ll make a deal with you, Hannah Black.” She turns those soulful eyes on me. “For one night, no questions.”

She glares. “A deal is when each person benefits, Derek. I’m. A. Journalist. No deal.” Her eyes roll, and she goes back to people watching, her leg bouncing in time with the country tune played by the band.

“You didn’t give me a chance to finish,” I say.

Sighing deeply, she nods curtly for me to continue.

“No questions.” She rolls her eyes again. “But you can write about anything you learn tonight. Nothing is off the record.”

Interest swims in her wide eyes as she taps the bar in thought. One, two, three, four . . . each finger taps separately, one after the other.

“No questions?”

I shake my head.

“Not even ‘What are you drinking?’ or ‘I’m drunk, will you take me home?’”

I laugh. “But if that ‘Will you take me home’ is followed by ‘and fuck me senseless,’ I may reconsider.”

“Wishful thinking, Cage. So, a night with no questions.”

“None. If you can’t figure out what I’m drinking on your own, and if I don’t know you’re too drunk to drive, we are both losers. An entire night with no questions, but you can take anything you want from it and use it in your story.”

She picks up her glass, inspects the contents, takes a big sip, and places it on the bar. “Deal.”

Three hours later, Hannah is going on and on about some dude in Los Angeles. I have no idea why she had such a crap day, but it has something to do with this guy named Spencer. “He’s going to ruin my dad.”

“Your dad?”

“That’s a question.”

Damn. I just got schooled by my own rules.

“The minute you found out his name, you should have run the other direction.”

“What’s wrong with his name?”

“Uh-uh, Angel.” Wagging my finger back and forth, I can’t help but laugh at her annoyed expression.

“Okay, but seriously, Spencer is a fun name.”

“Spencer is a name for blond surfers who have nothing but waves on their brain. You can do a lot better than a Spencer.”

“Like a Derek?” She throws a hand over her mouth, laughing. “Shit, the questions just come naturally.”

“Derek is an awesome name, Hannah.”

“Okay, okay, anyway, now that I’m a Midwesterner, I’m moving forward. Upward and onward away from . . . blond surfers named Spencer.”

“Hold up. You have lived here about a month. You can’t call yourself a Midwesterner.”

“I just did.”

“But you’re not.”

She lifts a brow, daring me to challenge her.

“Hannah, have you ever eaten puppy chow?”

“That’s a question, Cage. And a disgusting one.”

I laugh. “There are specific rules to being a Midwesterner.” I look at her black leather jacket, the low-cut dress, and her black high heels. Her skin glows like it’s fresh from the sun, yet she’s naturally pale skinned. She has that dry normal dialect that screams California. She’s fucking hot, and she’s so West Coast it’s like she’s wearing a neon sign.

“What are . . . ugh, screw this no-question game. Tell me what they are.”

“I’ll show you.”

She smiles, and it’s so sweet, so sexy, it blows my fucking mind. “By the time I’m done with you, Hannah Black, you’ll forget Spencer what’s his name ever existed in the first place.”

“Deal,” she breathes out.

If I don’t get up, I’m going to lean forward and kiss her, which would be a terrible idea, considering people surround us. I want another go at those lips and that mouth, but not here, not now. Standing, I point to the bathrooms. I figure taking a leak is the best way to save myself.

“I gotta go, too.” She jumps off the stool and brushes past me, her perfect tits sliding along my chest.

Fuck, I’m so hot for this chick.

Adjusting myself, I follow her to the back of the bar. It’s dark and quiet, most of the customers in the front room listening to the live music. We go into our respective restroom.  

She’s a reporter.

She’s off limits.

These are the rules.

These rules suck.

Hannah is standing against a wall when I leave the bathroom. Her smile is slightly crooked, her eyes filled with something that can only be lust. She outwardly scans my body when I walk toward her, as if she’s undressing me, as though she wants me as badly as I want her. She licks her lips and swallows hard, her gaze landing on mine. The air between us sizzles and my heart beats faster. My groin tightens in anticipation.

Fuck the rules.

About the Author

A.J. Pryor lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters. If not home writing, you can find her at the beach, the yoga studio or the soccer field with her girls. An avid reader of contemporary romance, new adult and young adult novels, her Kindle is always within reach. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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Spotlight: Serendipity of Fate by Becky Banks

It’s been two years since Cason McPherson watched his best friend die in his arms. With shrapnel in his hip and a war behind him, he keeps focused on building a civilian life and not on what he wants most: the woman of his dreams, Savannah. If only she’d stop bringing up topics he has to keep secrets about.

Savannah Sparling has no time for baggage, and Cason McPherson brought home a matching set in scathing green—with a carry-on duffel bag full of lies. He’s the childhood friend who enlisted with her brother. He came home, and her brother didn’t. 

Balancing work with demanding clients while fulfilling a personal vendetta against Cason consumes Savannah’s already full schedule—until a series of unstoppable events leads to a collision between Savannah’s work and personal lives. Her carefully structured path in the world is crushed, her own blood is spilled, and passion between her and an unlikely bedfellow ignite. 

Cason and Savannah find the only the people strong enough to save them from themselves is each other. But will either one of them accept the help—and the love—that’s offered?

Read the first few chapters: http://www.beckybanksonline.com/p/serendipity-of-fate.html

About the Author

Becky Banks grew up, like the generations of Bankses before her, in the Hawaiian Islands. With the islands as her roots, Becky was raised within the time-honored tradition of “talking story” before a backdrop of grassy fields, blue waters, and cloud-clad mountains. She moved to the mainland after high school to attend Oregon State University, where she studied forestry, natural resources, and science education. One fateful day she realized that her decades of scribblings promised the makings of a romance writer. Becky’s first novel, The Legend of Lady MacLaoch, achieved the Night Owl Reviews Top Pick Award and Amazon’s Best Seller for Historical Romance.

Becky lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Keith, and their wild toddler, Sammy.

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