Spotlight: Bound by Deception by Trish McCallan

Bound by Deception
Trish McCallan
Publication date: March 2nd 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

He broke her heart. She twisted his mind. But in this game of love, nothing is quite as it seems…

Rebecca’s life is haunted by unexpected tragedies. Her lover left her when she least expected it, and her mother’s suicide took everybody by surprise. But when a recent inheritance reveals a secret, Rebecca discovers her mother’s death was actually a cold-blooded murder…

Dante “Rio” Addario swore off his irresistible ex and her web of lies 12 years ago. But the former Navy SEAL turned police detective can’t ignore Becca’s plea to re-open an old case. As he and his ex team up, they discover missing evidence, tight-lipped detectives, and the conspiracy that tore them apart over a decade ago…

With everything they believed thrown into chaos, Rio and Becca can’t ignore their reawakened desire. But if they don’t solve the case soon, the real killer may just finish the job and their love story…

Bound by Deception is the pulse-pounding third book in the Bound By series of romantic suspense novels. If you like simmering chemistry, chilling mysteries, and second chances, then you’ll love Trish McCallan’s twisty tale.

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EXCERPT:

Rio pushed back his desk chair, and stretched his tight shoulders and back. Hunched over that desk all day played hell with his muscles. “Who’s on the jacket?”

“Rachel Blaine. You gonna check into it? The daughter is waiting in the lobby.”

Rachel Blaine…Blaine…

Becca’s last name had been Blaine…and her mother had committed suicide… could it be… He did the math. Becca had been living with Adam’s family for four years by that summer twelve years ago, which would put her mother’s death around sixteen years ago.

So yeah, this could be her mother’s case.

“What’s the name of the daughter?” Rio forced a casual tone.

“Rebecca Blaine. From Olympia. She says she found her mother’s diary and from the entries, there’s no way the woman killed herself.”

So, it was Becca. And she was right around the corner and down the hall.

Rio sat perfectly still, his pulse and breathing accelerating as an exotic face with dark, slightly titled eyes took shape in his mind. A flash fire of heat hit his blood, rippling out through his muscles, which infuriated him. Damnit, he was not still hung up on the woman. That entire fuck up had happened twelve years ago. He’d shaken that itch way before he’d left SEAL Team 7, and joined the San Diego Police department.

This jolt to his nervous system was curiosity, that’s all. At one point, back in his twenties, Becca Blaine had been an obsession, a craving that had fucked with his head. It was natural to wonder how the years had treated her.

It was also natural, considering what a little troublemaker she’d been, for suspicion to rise. What was she up to? Knowing Becca, there had to be some deeper manipulation at work.

Author Bio:

Trish McCallan was born in Eugene, Oregon, and grew up in Washington State, where she began crafting stories at an early age. Her first books were illustrated in crayon, bound with red yarn, and sold for a nickel at her lemonade stand. Trish grew up to earn a bachelor’s degree in English literature with a concentration in creative writing from Western Washington University, taking jobs as a bookkeeper and human- resource specialist before finally quitting her day job to write full time.

Forged in Fire, the first book in her Red Hot SEALs series, came about after a marathon reading session, and a bottle of Nyquil that sparked a vivid dream. She lives today in eastern Washington. An avid animal lover, she currently shares her home with four golden retrievers, a black lab mix and two cats.

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Spotlight: A Choice of Crowns by Barb Hendee

Olivia Geroux knew her king was reluctant to marry her, whatever the negotiations had arranged. But she never expected to find handsome, arrogant King Rowan obsessed with his stepsister instead. And before she can determine what course to take, she overhears her greatest ally plotting to murder the princess.

Olivia must act quickly—and live with whatever chaos results. As the assassin hunts his prey, a magic mirror appears to show Olivia the three paths that open before her . . .

If she hesitates only a moment, the princess will die—and she will become queen.

If she calls for help, she will gain great power—but she must also thrust away her own happiness.

If she runs to stop the murder herself, she will know love and contentment—but her whole country will suffer.

As she lives out each path, her wits and courage will be tested as she fights to protect her people, her friends, and her heart. And deciding which to follow will be far from easy . . .

Excerpt

I’ve heard it said the most important moments in one’s life pass more swiftly than others. Perhaps it’s true.

I only know that all my senses were on alert as soon as my father sent for me, asking me to come to his private rooms. Eighteen years old, I’d never once been invited to his rooms. In the past several weeks, he’d been closeted away much of the time, sending and receiving messages, but I had no idea what this was about—as he didn’t see fit to share such intelligence with me.

Now…he wanted to see me, in his rooms?

I could hardly refuse, nor in fact did I want to. I was curious.

Gathering my long green skirt, I nodded curtly to the servant who’d delivered the message and made my way to the base of the east tower of our family keep. I knew exactly where his rooms were located, even if I’d never been inside.

Upon arriving, I stood with my back straight and knocked on the door.

“Father? You sent for me.”

“Come,” he said from the other side.

With my hand shaking only slightly, I opened the door. Inside, I found a somewhat austere main room that appeared to be a study, with a large desk and chair. There were tapestries of forest scenes on the walls, and an interior door led to a bedroom.

My father, Hugh Géroux, sat behind his desk working on what appeared to be a letter, but he stood as I entered. In his early fifties, he still cut a striking figure, with a smooth-shaven face, dark hair with a sprinkling of gray, and dark eyes.

“Olivia,” he said, as if meeting me for the first time.

We didn’t know each other well, as I was the fifth and youngest of his children. I had two older brothers and two older sisters, and my father had used all four of them carefully to enhance his own wealth and prestige. My mother died of a fever when I was only seven, so my father raised us alone in a manner that was both distant and overbearing at the same time.

My family, the line of Géroux, was among the old nobility of the kingdom. While past famines and civil wars had destroyed several of the ancient families, ours survived. We were survivors. My father respected strength and nothing else.

His eyes moved dispassionately from my feet to my face, as if assessing me. I knew only too well what he saw. I was tall for a woman. He was tall, and I could almost look him directly in the eyes. Unfortunately, the current fashion for women was petite and fragile. My hair was long and thick, but it was a shade of burnished red, and again, red hair was not currently in fashion.

Still, I’d been raised to remain sharply aware of everything going on around me, and it was no secret that most men found me desirable. My face had often been called pretty, with clear skin and slanted eyes of green. I looked best in green velvet.

Though I was not vain, I had also been raised to understand that survival was based on value, and at some point, I’d be given a chance to prove myself valuable. Had that chance finally come?

“You’ll need to pack tonight,” he said. “You leave for Partheney in the morning.”

In spite of my careful awareness of self-control, I nearly gasped. “Partheney?”

This was the king’s city. My family’s lands were in the southeast corner of the kingdom. Partheney was in the northwest, near the coast of the sea. I had never been there.

“You’re to marry King Rowan,” my father said flatly. “His mother, the dowager queen, and I have arranged it.”

I stood still as his words began to sink in, but I still couldn’t quite follow what he was trying to convey. “King Rowan…the dowager queen…is this why you’ve been receiving so many messages?”

His eyes flashed, and I dropped my gaze, cursing myself. Father did not brook questions from his children. He expected only two things from us: strength and obedience. But the slight shaking in my hands grew to a tremble. Had I heard him correctly? I was to marry the king?

Stepping around the desk, he approached me. “Do you know anything of the rumors surrounding King Rowan?”

Unfortunately, I did, hence the reason my hands trembled. Even here, in the isolated southeast, rumors still reached us. In his late twenties, Rowan de Blaise was a young king and had held the throne for only two years. But over those two years, four betrothals with foreign princesses had been arranged via proxy. Envoys had been sent to Partheney to finalize negotiations. In all four cases, when the envoys arrived, Rowan refused to even see them. He’d sent them away.

“I know some of the stories,” I answered my father. “I know betrothals have been arranged, and he’s sent the envoys packing.”

“Yes.” My father nodded. “His mother, the dowager, was the one who arranged the betrothals. She is anxious to see him married and founding a line of heirs.”

“Why will he not marry?”

My father waved one hand in the air. “That is of no matter. What matters is, the dowager has decided to stop seeking a foreign princess and marry him into one of our own noble families. She’s wise and has chosen the line of Géroux. We’ll be linked to royalty, and I’ll be the grandfather of kings.”

The truth of all this hit me, and my hands ceased trembling. I would be queen.

Clearly there were obstacles, but I allowed my initial worries to vanish and let my mind flow. Father expected complete success from himself and would expect nothing less of me. This thought made me brave. “If Rowan has refused to even see the envoys,” I began, “what makes you and the dowager think he will agree to entertain negotiations this time?”

My question was bold, but instead of growing angry, Father only looked at me as if I were simple—which I was not.

“Because as I said, you will leave in the morning,” he answered. “I’m not sending envoys. I have no faith in envoys. I’m sending you. You’ll go to the castle, meet the king, and handle negotiations yourself. You are a daughter of the Géroux. He cannot turn you away.”

“You’ll not come with me?”

“No. That was my first instinct, but the dowager believes it best if the king is given no choice in facing you directly. It will force him to be…polite.” His expression darkened. “And you will not fail to secure him. Do you understand? You will not fail.”

I met his eyes without flinching.

“I understand.”

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About the Author

Barb Hendee is the New York Times bestselling author of The Mist-Torn Witches series. She is the co-author (with husband J.C.) of the Noble Dead Saga. She holds a master’s degree in composition/rhetoric from the University of Idaho and currently teaches writing for Umpqua Community College. She and J.C. live in a quirky two-level townhouse just south of Portland, Oregon.

Connect: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

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Spotlight: Hooked on a Phoenix by Ashlyn Chase

LOCKED IN A BANK VAULT TOGETHER

THEY MIGHT REDEFINE THE MEANING OF ‘SAFE’ SEX

Misty Carlisle works as a bank teller in Boston’s financial district. She’s had more rotten luck in her life than most, except when her childhood crush shows up to cash his paycheck. Then her heart races and her mouth goes dry.

Gabe Fierro is a firefighter—and a phoenix. Like his brothers, his biggest challenge is finding a woman open-minded enough to accept a shapeshifter into her life. When his boyhood friend asks him to watch over his little sister Misty, he reluctantly agrees. But when the bank where she works gets held up, Gabe does everything he can to protect her. The two of them end up locked in the bank’s vault…where things get steamier than either of them ever imagined. 

Excerpt

“Holy shit!” Gabe exclaimed. “Is that Parker?”
Parker whirled around and met his best friend coming up the walk. They gave each other a man hug with many slaps on the back.

“Good to see you! Hey, Julie, I didn’t realize you knew Gabe.”

“I don’t. Well, not really. I thought he was a stripper, and then he ran off before proper introductions could be made.”

Parker’s brows rose.

“Jeez, Julie,” Misty interjected. “It’s not what it sounds like. I was having a party at my apartment for Julie and my friends from high school, and Gabe just showed up to check on me. I thought he was the pizza delivery guy and went into the other room to get my wallet and, well…the girls thought I had arranged something else—which I didn’t, by the way.”

Parker laughed hard. “So, I guess you’re still looking after my little sister, Gabe. Thanks.”

“What are you doing here?” Gabe asked. “Did you get emergency leave when you heard that Misty’s house blew up?”

Parker took a step back. He grabbed Misty’s arm. “Your house blew up? How? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was going to. It just happened, and there was a lot of other stuff going on.” She realized she’d inadvertently introduced subjects she didn’t want to get into just yet. “Hey, let’s go inside. Why are we all standing in the foyer with the door open? It’s February, for God’s sake.” She grabbed Parker’s hand and tugged him inside.

As soon as Gabe had closed the door, she quickly addressed Parker’s concerns. “It was a gas leak. Gabe saved both me and my landlady. He was in the hospital, knocked unconscious for a while.” There. Put the focus on Gabe. That should buy her a little time.

Parker let go of Misty and clamped his hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “I knew I could count on you, man. Thank God you were there.”

Gabe offered a weak smile. Maybe he was just being humble, or maybe he didn’t want Parker to know how close they had become. Either way, it was time for another distraction.

“Let’s get out of the chilly hallway.” Misty made a point of shivering.

Julie laughed. “No shit. If my father were here, he would have yelled, ‘Do you want to heat the whole damn neighborhood?’ ten minutes ago. Let’s go into the kitchen where it’s warm. I’ll make some coffee.”

They all tromped into the kitchen and found seats at the round glass table in the corner.

“Nice house, Julie,” Gabe said.

“I’m a squatter. Sort of. My folks are in Germany. My dad got transferred, and they’re looking at houses. Until they buy one, they won’t put this one on the market. I get to live here until the new owners evict me.”

Misty brightened. “Maybe you and I can get a place in the city when they sell this out from under you.”

Parker groaned. “That’s a recipe for disaster.”

“What do you mean?” Gabe asked.

Parker laughed. “When these two get together, you never know who’s going to call you. The towing company, the cops, or—”

Gabe held up his palm. “I don’t need to know the details.” He gave Misty the hairy eyeball.

“Hey, we’re not that bad.” Julie giggled as she filled the coffeepot with water. “At least we’re no
longer underage.”

Parker smiled. “I guess it’s just harmless girl fun.

Nothing to be concerned about. But what does concern me is where are you living now, Misty? Can you get to your job from here—or wherever?”

“The Fierros took me in. I just have to commute from the South End to the North End. It’s nothing the subway and a CharlieCard can’t handle.”

Parker glanced at Gabe. “You’re still at your place near the theater district and Chinatown, right?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Just making sure.”

Misty sensed her brother’s discomfort. Or maybe it was her own worry she was projecting. Parker obviously didn’t want them together. She and Gabe shared a quick glance and looked away.

Julie joined them at the table while the coffee was brewing. “Hmmm… Something is going on here.” She pointed to the other three in turn.

“Oh? Is there something I should know?” Parker asked.

Oh, crap. Julie was always too observant and never could shut the hell up. Misty had to get her brother and Gabe alone and tell them her news soon—before Julie blurted it out at the worst possible moment.

“Julie, can you please give us some time alone?”

Julie straightened and looked offended. “You don’t want me here? I would think you might need my support.”

“No! What I need is for you to disappear for a few minutes.” Misty felt bad as soon as she raised her voice to her friend, but it had to be done. Her well-meaning friend would probably add her two cents and just complicate things.

“Fine.” She sounded hurt as she rose and stomped out of the room. “When the coffee is ready, you can help yourselves.”

“I’m sorry,” Misty called after her.

“No, you’re not, but you might be when I’m not there to help you figure out what you’re going to say.” Julie’s voice trailed off, but it looked as if the guys caught the gist of it.

Misty muttered, “Jesus.”

“What’s she talking about?” Parker asked.

Misty leaned back and crossed her arms. “There’s something I have to tell you. Both of you. I didn’t want to do it here, like this, but it seems like I have no choice now.”

Parker narrowed his eyes. “Spit it out, Misty. What did you do?”

She straightened and glared at her brother. “What makes you think I did something?”

“Whoa. Relax, Parker,” Gabe said. “Misty hasn’t done anything. She’s had some bad news, and if you’ll just shut up, she’ll tell you what it is.”

Gabe was trying to help, probably thinking she had to tell him about the MS. Boy, was he in for a rude shock.

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Spotlight: Born, Darkly by Trisha Wolfe

Born, Darkly
Trisha Wolfe
(Darkly, Madly Duet, #1)
Publication date: September 19th 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

He challenged her sanity.

She shattered his reality.

They dared each other…to the brink of madness.

A dark and twisted maze awaits criminal psychologist London Noble when she falls for her patient, convicted serial killer, Grayson Pierce Sullivan. As she unravels the traps, her sanity tested with each game, she’s forced to acknowledge the true evil in the world around her.

*Trigger warning: confined spaces. Serial killers.

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PLUS: Book 2 – Born, Madly – is only 99¢!

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Author Bio:

From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.

For more information on Trisha Wolfe and her works, please visit: www.TrishaWolfe.com

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Spotlight: Then Came You by Iris Morland

You met them in DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME. Now prepare to fall in love with THE YOUNGERS, a brand-new series from Iris Morland, full of sexy men, passionate women, and the love stories you can’t get enough of.

After witnessing his parents’ doomed love affair, serial playboy Ash Younger decided long ago that love was not meant for him. With his charm and good looks, he’s never lacked for beautiful women. He may push numbers as an accountant by day, but by night, he’s only interested in having a woman in his bed.

Yet the night he encounters a mysterious—and gorgeous—widow who doesn’t immediately fall under his seductive spell, Ash realizes he wants her more than he’s ever wanted another woman.

Following the loss of her husband two years ago, Violet Fielding wants to focus on two things: her jewelry business and beginning her life anew in the small town of Fair Haven, Washington. She doesn’t have time for men or romance, and she certainly doesn’t have time for a man who’s a well-known playboy and younger than her.

Violet already found the love of her life in her husband, and after his death, she knew she could never love anyone again.

But when Ash kisses her, all of her plans and promises are turned upside down. A passion stronger than either Ash or Violet could imagine envelops them both one night—and that night changes everything.

As old heartbreaks threaten to tear the couple apart, both must find the courage to see that, of all things, love is worth a second chance.

Excerpt

Ash cupped her cheek, and everything else faded away as he brushed his mouth against hers. Violet’s heart fluttered like a caught butterfly. He kissed her softly, playing with her bottom lip, his touch gentle. Violet melted against him, his body warm and solid. When she wrapped her arms around his neck, he growled and deepened the kiss until she saw stars under her eyelids.”

She didn’t care that it was the middle of the night, or that they were lying in the sand on a playground. She didn’t care that she barely knew this man who kissed like the devil but who had the smile of an angel. Pressing closer to him, she tangled her tongue with his, loving the way he shuddered under her hands.

The kiss transformed into a conflagration, and before Violet knew it, she was under Ash as his hands roved all along her torso. She arched under his touch with abandon. Her inhibitions melted away with every stroke of his tongue and every caress of his hands.

“God, you’re sweet,” he muttered as he kissed down her throat, laving her collarbone. “I want you.”

She knew he wanted her—she could feel his erection against her hip. And just as suddenly as the conflagration had begun, her rational mind emerged to ask her, What are you doing?

What was she doing? This wasn’t her. She didn’t do one-night stands. She didn’t kiss strange men in parks.

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About Iris Morland

A coffee addict and cat lover, Iris Morland writes sexy and funny contemporary romances. If she's not reading or writing, she enjoys binging on Netflix shows and cooking something delicious.

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Spotlight: Make Me Want by Katee Robert

Don’t Miss MAKE ME WANT by NYT Bestselling Author, Katee Robert! 

In MAKE ME WANT, Lucy a bold and confident lawyer seeks the help of her good friend Gideon to reawaken her passion in the bedroom. Fans of Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz or Expecting a Royal Scandal by Caitlin Crews will want to one-click this sizzling matchmaker romance.
 
Download and add MAKE ME WANT to your TBR pile on Goodreads! Then keep reading to get a sneak peek excerpt and enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card! 

Sexy. Passionate. Bold. Discover Harlequin DARE, a new line of fun, edgy and sexually explicit romances for the fearless female.

Synopsis: 

“I want everything.”

She’s taking control. And it’s driving him wild!

Lucy Baudin’s ex did a number on her self-esteem, but it’s time for her to regain control. In her job as a lawyer she’s bold, confident. But in the bedroom she needs inspiration to reawaken her inner seductress. Asking her friend Gideon Novak for help seems wrong…yet so deliciously right! 

Excerpt

Copyright © 2018 Katee Robert

“What the fuck, Lucy?”

“Hmm?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” He pulled her dress up, though he didn’t need the confirmation. “You come in here with that cock tease of a dress and you aren’t wearing panties.” Jealousy and desire twisted viciously through him. “Were you going to give Aaron a little show?”

“Oh, please. Give me a little credit.” She lifted her chin. “I’m proving a point. You, Gideon Novak, don’t get to make my decisions for me. I appreciate your help, but that’s where it ends.”

She didn’t want him.

He was good enough to fuck but not good enough to listen to.

He kept a white-knuckled grip on his temper because having a knock-down, drag-out fight here and now wasn’t an option for either of them. Not to mention the fact that he didn’t have a right to be pissed. She’d laid out the terms that first day and if he chose to ignore them, that was on him—not on Lucy.

It didn’t make how shitty this situation was any easier to swallow.

Gideon stepped back. “The table. Bend over it.”

Her eyebrows inched up. “You can’t be serious.”

“As a fucking heart attack. I told you what would happen if you showed up like that, and you were all too eager to pick up that gauntlet. Choices have consequences, Lucy. This is one of them.”

She backed toward the table. One step. Two. “The consequences being that you’ll spank my ass red and then fuck me right here.”

She wants it.

It didn’t soothe his temper. If anything, it ratcheted it up a notch. She might want it but she didn’t want him. “The table.”

Lucy turned and, prim as a princess, bent over the table. She seemed to consider and then lowered her chest further until the top half of her body was flush against the polished wood. The position left her ass in the air and had her skirt riding up so he could see how turned on she was by this.

“Which part is getting you?” He stood between her and the door and pushed her dress the last few inches to bare her completely. “The spanking, the defiance, or the fact that we’re in an unlocked room where anyone could walk in—including your fucking date?”

She tilted her ass up, just a little, an offer that made his mouth water. But it was her words that sealed her fate. “All of the above.”

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About Katee Robert

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it 'a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension."  When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. 

Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram

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