Tag Archives: New Adult Romance

Building a Family by M.L. Uberti #contemporaryromance @MLUberti_writer

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Jamie knows to Daniel she’s just the babysitter for his brother’s children. She’s too young, too inexperienced, too shy for him. But she feels safe when she’s with him, and she wishes they could have more.

Daniel knows he’s too old, too rough, and far too wary for a beautiful young woman like Jamie. She should run away from him and what he wants and needs from her.

Unless they’re both wrong.

Available Today at Changeling Press

Preorder for July 23 at online booksellers

EXCERPT

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2021 ML Uberti

First time I met her, I hadn’t been here a full week. My brother had convinced me to leave my gig for one with better pay — closer to family. I made a shitload already but Brandon was itching to have me stateside again after I’d been gone half a decade in the army, then another twelve years working for Shell Oil, deep in ocean waters away from civilization. I think he was afraid I was going insane or becoming antisocial or something.

First time I saw her was Sunday dinner. I’d arrived on Monday, when I’d thrown the few bags I had down on the floor of the rental Brandon got for me and passed out, then done nothing but work the next six days. My first day off I wanted to get some furniture, maybe buy some shit for my fridge that wasn’t half-empty takeout containers. But Brandon insisted I come over and have dinner with him and Taylor, his wife, and his three kids, Austin and Becca, five-year-old twins, and two-year-old daughter Sierra. My brother had managed to knock up his wife again and she was due in four months with another boy.

A Lucas family trait was that none of us could keep it in our pants. If my brothers and I had anything in common it was as soon as we all hit fifteen, we couldn’t get enough pussy. Girls in school, from the town up the road, college chicks hitting the bars in Modesto where we grew up — they were all fair game. And we played to fucking win.

But with pussy came chains. They wanted to lock you down, bleed you dry and make you fucking miserable. Didn’t want or need that shit so at thirty-eight years old, I knew I’d never settle down. Until I saw the babysitter.

“Jamie! Austin can’t find his jersey!” Taylor practically shouted in my ear from right outside the back door while my brother and I were both leaning against the counter of his kitchen, beer in hand.

“I think it’s in the laundry basket in the basement! I’ll grab it!” a soft, feminine voice called back.

“Thanks, hon!” Taylor let the door slam and joining my brother and I in the kitchen. “I swear to God this house would fall down around our ears without Jamie.”

Taylor worked with us at Valiant Drilling as the office manager. That’s how she’d met my brother. After six months of him asking her every damn day to go out with him, he finally wore her down and she said yes. They were married less than a year later, and two after that, Austin and Becca were born. Brandon told me as soon as he saw her, he knew. “Like a boner to the heart,” he stated eloquently.

I thought he was crazy. Taylor was cute, sure. Sexy in a way, with curvy hips and a little bit of sass. But tying himself down with one woman then having three-soon-to-be-four kids with her? Sounded like hell on fucking earth.

Then the door opened and swear to God, it felt like time froze.

I saw a flash of a slight frame, with my stare traveling from a pair of white sneakers, up a pair of slim, long legs that went on for miles, to an ass clad in a pair of black cotton leggings, a slight flare of hips, a flat stomach, a hell of rack, and then a face that was show-stopping. Her eyes were honey-colored, her hair dark, pulled up off her neck in a messy bun, and as I took in her full mouth, classic features and thick lashes, my dick went to steel.

She turned and faced me, the corners of her mouth tipping up as her golden brown eyes met mine. “Hi! I’m Jamie. You must be Daniel. Brandon talks about you all the time.” She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and I felt that in my dick.

I swallowed a mouthful of beer so I didn’t have to respond and tipped my head up in a nod, meeting her gaze for just a second, then uncrossing my legs to try to get some room for my throbbing cock.

Didn’t work. She just kept smiling at me, then bounced away to the steps, and I got a good, long look at that ass. I swear to God my dick started to leak into my jeans.

“I’ll help. It’s the least I can do since you do everything else,” Taylor told the angel, setting down her bowl and trotting after the babysitter, as Jamie’s twinkling laugh drifted up the steps.

I watched them go, my body stiff in more ways than one, and after a few seconds, Brandon burst out laughing.

My gaze went to him, bent over and losing it. “Oh shit, man. Haven’t seen that look on your face in a long time. Since you were fourteen and had Miss Harrison for geometry. You had to hide your hard-on behind your textbook for a whole semester. Classic!”

My brother was still laughing at me as I finished off the beer I had in my hand and grabbed another one, not saying a word.

He wasn’t wrong.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Starbucks aficionado, lover of throw blankets and betrayer of all things kale, ML Uberti is a Wayne State University graduate and Metro Detroit author with a predilection for oddities and happy endings. She is mom to three autistic kids, 2 ridiculously stupid dogs and wife of a teacher and musician who has endless patience for her impeccably bad taste in Netflix shows and murder documentaries. She is thrilled to dip her toe into scifi romance from contemporary and hopes you enjoy her big, brooding alien alphas and resilient fairy tale queens.

New Release: Uma (Selkies) by Alice Gaines #urbanfantasy @AliceGaines

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Mark Stephenson came to Galapagos searching for his friend, Nate Adams. Instead, a mysterious naked woman appears. Mark instantly falls into lust, but could there be real feelings lurking under the surface?

The rules of the Sisterhood allow Uma, a seal shapeshifter, one chance to mate with a human. Although she knows she must not bond with the man who will father her child, she wants Mark as her mate. But how will Mark deal with the fact she’s been lying to him?

Get it Today at Changeling Press

EXCERPT

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2021 Alice Gaines

Uma rose before the rest of the Selkie Sisterhood had stirred. Even this early in the morning, the air in the islands humans called Galapagos was pleasant enough for her not to need clothing. In the nearby bushes, dozens of Darwin’s finches hopped about looking for insects, and marine iguanas basked on sun-warmed rocks. They would have to serve as her going away party.

Yesterday, she’d enjoyed the rite of initiation as a mated selkie — a seal shapeshifter. Today, she’d swim to a different island not too far away. There, she’d meet her mate, the human male who would give her a child. She couldn’t possibly have slept another wink nor waited until her sisters roused. She’d see them again soon enough when she returned home, pregnant and ready to create a new life for the next generation.

She went down the path toward the ocean, past booby nests where the parent birds shared responsibility for protecting their egg. As she’d done so many times before, she proceeded to the place where selkies hid their seal skins. No one would guess this was anything more than collection of scrub, rocks, and sand, but each sister had her own place here.

Long ago Uma had marked her spot with small stones in a particular pattern. Now, she moved them aside and dug a few inches into the sand to retrieve the sack that held the skin that would allow her to shift into her seal form. The skin itself caught the sunlight, making it glisten like silver.

After replacing the sack and rearranging the sand and stones, Uma rose and carried the skin down to the water’s edge. Here, she said a silent prayer of thanks and supplication for success to the nature gods who ruled this place before sitting to slip into the skin and make the transformation. She pictured herself as a seal. Still a mammal, but one who could slide through the water with agility and speed far beyond that of her human form.

The sea was as much her home as the land. As Mother Inu always said, the ocean currents flowed in her blood. The origin of all life existed within her. Now, she would create that life in her womb, and she’d have the very great pleasure of mating to accomplish that.

Mating — sex — with a human male gave incredible pleasure, according to the sisters who’d enjoyed it. She’d respond to his touch in ways she couldn’t imagine until she’d experienced it. And she wouldn’t copulate just once. In order to assure conception, she’d do it over and over again.

Her body had prepared itself for this union for months now, her breasts swelling and becoming sensitive to even the feel of clothing against her skin. A dull ache in the place between her legs said she’d come to crave contact there. Something more satisfying than her own touch. Something her mate could give her. With any luck, she’d have all that before the sun went down, and tomorrow she’d awake with the man to enjoy him yet again.

She swam through familiar waters where she and her sisters often spent hours together. Today, the colorful fish hardly distracted her. A sea lion and her pup approached to check her out, the pup frolicking in the joy of being young and free. Eventually, she left her Sisterhood’s territory behind and ventured toward more distant islands. Always, her sense of rightness in her destination told her she was approaching her goal. The nearer she got to her mate, the stronger the pull became until she finally pulled herself onto a foreign beach and basked in the sun after her long trip.

He was here. She could sense his presence, although she couldn’t have said how. Just a quickening of her pulse and a sweetness to the air. She waited a few minutes to let the anticipation rise.

By now, the sun had climbed higher in the sky. She concentrated on her human form, picturing herself emerging from her skin to become a woman. The seam along her side opened, and she crawled out. After rising, she glanced around.

A small structure sat atop a gentle rise, flanked by a portable outhouse. Definitely a human encampment, but no one stirred. He had to be here. Now with her human body exposed to the air, the sense of connection fairly vibrated against her skin. She’d find him. If not immediately, then soon. She’d waited all her life for this. She could wait a bit longer, even if it felt like torture.

First, she’d have to hide her seal skin. No humans could know about the existence of the Sisterhood or they’d exploit them for their own benefit. Her mate would have to believe she was what she appeared to be — a woman as eager to mate as he was.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author Alice Gaines has published several sensuous and erotic works. She prefers stories that stretch the imagination, highlighting the power of love and sex. Alice has a Ph.D. in psychology from U. C. Berkeley and lives in Oakland, California, with her collection of orchids and her pet corn snake, Casper.

Release Blitz: Lessons in Sin by Pam Goodwin #contemporaryromance @pamgodwinauthor

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Title: Lessons in Sin
Author: Pam Godwin
Series: Standalone in the Midnight Dynasty World
Genre:  College Romance/Contemporary Romance/ New Adult
Publisher: Dangerous Press
Release Date: June 29
Blurb/Synopsis:
There’s no absolution for the things I’ve done.
But I found a way to control my impulses.
I became a priest.
As Father Magnus Falke, I suppress my cravings. As the head teacher of a Catholic boarding school, I’m never tempted by a student.
Until Tinsley Constantine.
The bratty princess challenges my rules and awakens my dark nature. With each punishment I lash upon her, I want more. In my classroom, private rectory, and bent over my altar, I want all of her.
One touch risks everything I stand for. My faith. My redemption. And even my life.
As if that could stop me. I need her pain, and her heart, and she needs my lessons in sin.

Continue reading →

Cover Reveal: Debauchery (Dahlia Saga #6) and Malicious (Dahlia Saga #7) by Natalie Bennett #darkromance #newadult @AuthorNBennett

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Title: Debauchery (Dahlia Saga #6)
Release: August 18, 2021
Title: Malicious (Dahlia Saga #7)
Release: August 31, 2021
Author: Natalie Bennett
Genre: Dark Romance/New Adult Dark Romance
Cover Design: Opulent Designs
 
 
 
Such carnal delights.

When you meet the right person, you’ll know.

Who cares if they’re vile, sadistic, and could burn down a church with the things that come out of their mouth?

I sure don’t.

Luca Andreou was meant to be mine long before we had a bloody rendezvous in the middle of the night. There’s just a few obstacles I have to work around to make him see I can be everything he needs.

Like the iron fortress he’s built around his heart.

His peculiar hobbies.

Oh, and his wife.

But you know what they say…

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it sure as hell burned in one.

She may have loved him first, but I’ll be the one he loves last.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
A hereditary madness.

There was always something not quite right about Julias Andreou. You’d never hear anyone say it out loud though. If his wealth and charm couldn’t convince the whole town to pretend otherwise, his last name did.

He and his friend’s deviant transgressions and daredevil antics always went ignored.

I had always been told me to stay away from him, which wasn’t that hard of a task despite him being my older brother’s closest friend.

One chaotic summer changed everything.

If the truth wasn’t such a bitter pill to swallow maybe I could readily accept what was to come.

Julias Andreou may have been the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, but there is something corrupt and sinister inside him.

His heart is black.

His soul is darker.

And now, he’s my fiancé.
 
 
 
 

 
 
With a penchant for (writing) villainous immoral men, and a tendency to deviate away from traditional happily ever afters, Natalie Bennett is an international bestselling author of twisted and unconventional love stories.
When she’s not slaying words she’s somewhere in the sunshine state, happily taking life one curve-ball at a time.
 
 

 

 
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Cover Reveal: A Crowe’s Song by Leddy Harper #NewAdultRomance #RomanticSuspense @LeddyHarper @greyspromo

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Leddy Harper has revealed the cover for A Crowe’s Song!

Releasing July 22, 2021


Some secrets can’t stay buried forever…

A dusty old journal led me to a forgotten town full of drowned love, sunken promises, and a stranger with familiar eyes and a rumbly voice that made my soul beg for more. 

Drew’s dark eyes and warm, soft lips were like a memory of a place I’d never visited. They made me believe that our meeting had been set in the stars, as if Fate had schemed with Destiny and devised this elaborate plot to bring us together. 

With each day I spent at Black Bird Resort, I learned more of Drew’s history. And the more I learned, the more I questioned. 

Until I realized just how much the past could tear us apart. 

I may not have been prepared for the journey fate had led me on, but no one was prepared for the reason why.


 
Preorder on Amazon for a special price of $0.99! 
US: https://amzn.to/3wpTdDC
WW: http://mybook.to/acrowess

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3ph4qDL

Meet Leddy Harper

At the age of fourteen, Leddy Harper wrote her first book and never stopped. She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters. She published her first book to teach her children to go after what they want, love what they do and do it well, and to show them what it means to overcome their fears.
 
Connect with Leddy
Website | https://www.leddyharper.com
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/2TjrPZs
Amazon | https://amzn.to/2SsD163
Facebook | https://bit.ly/3zl62Rw
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3vc8neC
Instagram | https://bit.ly/2ShLGZ7
Twitter | https://bit.ly/3viYJa8
Bookbub | https://bit.ly/3pFRp77
Newsletter | http://bit.ly/2glNngI

Spotlight: Rooster (Devil’s Boneyard MC) by Harley Wylde #romcom #contemporaryromance @HarleyW_Writer

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Alora – I’ve prided myself on being a strong, independent woman and not needing anyone. I didn’t become a bestselling author by the age of twenty out of pure dumb luck. I worked my tail off to get as far as I have. But there are few perks to having a man in my life. Laughter, romance, and companionship. Battery operated boyfriends can only do so much. Too bad the guy who sets me on fire is a bossy biker who wants to claim me. No way I’m letting him label me as property. Nope. Not happening. Doesn’t matter if he does make my knees weak and my heart race. I’m not giving in!

Rooster – Of all the women to capture my interest, it had to be the most stubborn, sexy, adorable woman on the planet. I love her mind, her sense of humor, and the way she fills out a pair of shorts. I don’t even mind that she’s an exhibitionist, as long as no one touches. Doesn’t matter to me her uncles were both rotten to the core. The Devil’s Fury may think she belongs to them, but I have other plans. Alora will be mine — no matter the cost.

WARNING: Rooster is part of the Devil’s Boneyard MC series. There are adult situations and bad language. No cliffhanger. Happily-ever-after and laughter guaranteed!

Get it Now at Changeling Press

Preorder for June 11th at online booksellers

WHAT ARE REVIEWERS SAYING?

“This book was steamy and laugh out loud funny… Just the perfect combo!!!” – Tanya @ Goodreads

“This book was absolutely worth the wait! It’s everything I have come to expect from this author and more.” – G @ Goodreads

“Woah! Steamy reading ahead. I just finished reading Rooster and I reckon this is the best yet…” – Alice @ BookBub

“This one was outrageously funny and so steamy it fogged my windows up!” – Julie @ BookBub

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Harley Wylde is the International Bestselling Author of the Dixie Reapers MC, Devil’s Boneyard MC, and Hades Abyss MC series.

When Harley’s writing, her motto is the hotter the better — off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can’t deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you’ve come to the right place. She doesn’t shy away from the dangers and nastiness in the world, bringing those realities to the pages of her books, but always gives her characters a happily-ever-after and makes sure the bad guys get what they deserve. 

The times Harley isn’t writing, she’s thinking up naughty things to do to her husband, drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, and reading. She loves to read and devours a book a day, sometimes more. She’s also fond of TV shows and movies from the 1980’s, as well as paranormal shows from the 1990’s to today, even though she’d much rather be reading or writing.  

You can find out more about Harley or enter her monthly giveaway on her website. Be sure to join her newsletter while you’re there to learn more about discounts, signing events, and other goodies!

New Release: Titan/Grease Monkey paperback by Harley Wylde #mcromance #agegap @HarleyW_Writer

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She’s meant to be mine — no matter what her family thinks. And I’ll bury anyone who hurts her.

Titan (Hades Abyss MC 5):
Delilah — My three older brothers and overprotective father have run off every guy I’ve ever tried to date. It’s time I made a life of my own. I never thought I’d end up in a motorcycle club, working as a webcam girl. When the club President, Titan, kisses me, then issues a challenge, how can I possibly refuse?

Titan — I’m a possessive bastard. One kiss is all it takes to know Delilah belongs to me. When she’s taken, I know I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back, and I’ll bury anyone who’s hurt her. Delilah’s mine, and I’ll kill to protect her.

Grease Monkey — A Bad Boy Romance
For all appearances, Gwen’s daddy’s little darling — a socialite with more money than sense — but what she really wants is to break free from her gilded cage. When her Mercedes breaks down, Gwen’s knight in shining tow trucks turns out to be more than she expected. Will the hot mechanic be the first guy to rock her world?

Bonus: Includes Titan (Hades Abyss MC 5) Deleted Scene — What happened when Titan sent Patriot to get MaryAnne…

Available at Amazon

EXCERPT

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2021 Harley Wylde

The rooms where the girls held their shows had a small bathroom where they could shower and change after. I didn’t lurk in the hall like a creeper, but I did stick to the end of the bar nearest the rooms while I nursed a beer. When Delilah came out, her cheeks rosy and a smile on her lips, I wanted to wrap her in my arms and kiss the hell out of her.

“Have a good show?” I asked with a wink.

Her smile broadened. “Always. I wasn’t too loud, was I?”

“If you get a salute from every guy in here, then it just means you’re doing your job right. We don’t have to watch. Just listening to you is enough to make men want to fuck you.”

Her cheeks went crimson and she ducked her head, but not before I saw a pleased little grin on her lips. She was a contradiction. Bold and sassy enough to do a live webcam show of her getting herself off for money, but in person she seemed almost shy at times. It was cute as fuck, just like her. I reached out and ran my fingers through her hair, unable to help myself.

“I like it,” I said. When she’d first arrived, her hair had been a medium brown, not too far off from the color of my hair. Since I’d last seen her, she’d dyed it black with purple streaks. It made her look as pale as Snow White, and her vivid blue eyes stood out even more.

She came a little closer, her fingers tightening on the strap of her bag giving an indication she might be nervous. “Thank you. Not just for the compliment, but for giving us a safe place to work. I know the club takes a cut, but it’s better than trying to do this at the apartment. I’d be scared someone would find me.”

“Not going to let anything hurt you, angel.” I stroked my finger down her nose, then leaned back a little so I wouldn’t be tempted to do far more. Shit. She had to be half my age. The fact she never tried to get a drink, other than asking for a bottle of water or a soda, made me wonder if she was even twenty-one. I knew she was legal or she wouldn’t be able to do the webcam show at all.

Missy had come to us with the idea a year ago and she’d hashed out the details with the club officers. We got twenty percent from each girl to not only offer protection, but Missy also paid Wizard to set up the site and the programming required for it to work. The woman had started her own company and she’d been smart about it. For a fee, Wizard tracked all the people using the site and made sure it remained operational. How she handled payment to the girls working for her was her business and hers alone.

I always felt bad taking any money from Delilah. Hell, I was the only one paying her. When she paid her twenty percent each week, it was like she’d paid me to watch her get off. Shit. And now I was getting hard again.

“I also wanted to thank you for not… not making me feel like…” She bit her lip and looked away.

“Like a whore?” I asked.

She gave a jerky nod and glanced at me. “I know what I’m doing isn’t exactly conventional. Some guys might consider it prostitution and think they had a right to take what they wanted. I feel safe here. No one ever says anything bad to me. The few who do make remarks are always teasing.”

“You know Missy comes here even when she’s not doing her show, right?” I asked. I wasn’t so sure my brothers were only teasing. Delilah was hot as hell and I knew every damn one of the men in my club would gladly have her on her back, bent over a table, or on her knees. Then I’d have to bust their damn heads. I’d already started to think of her as mine, even though we seldom interacted with one another. They knew how I felt about her, but it didn’t mean they didn’t want her just the same.

“Yeah, she said she likes to party with the club. She’s tried to get me to come with her.”

I straightened, towering over her. “Don’t come to the parties at the clubhouse. You hear me, Delilah?”

Her eyes went wide, and she paled a little before anger tightened her features. “I’m not a child, Titan. If I want to attend a party, I will. It’s why I left home, so I could have a life. I didn’t trade one dad for another.”

Ouch. “Dad? You think I’m your second daddy?”

She visibly swallowed and tried to take a step back, but I reached out and grabbed hold of her arm, yanking her toward me. I leaned down, and my gaze locked with hers.

“Then maybe I ought to turn you over my knee and spank you.”

She gasped and swayed toward me. And in that moment, I knew it was a lost cause. There was no fucking way I’d ever be able to walk away from her. I kissed her. Hard. My tongue thrust between her lips as I took what I wanted, bent her to my will, and had her whimpering for more. Her hands fisted my cut as she clung to me. I wound her long hair around my hand, anchoring her.

I’d always been a demanding man in the bedroom, and it wasn’t something I’d change anytime soon. I liked being in control. The way she melted against me told me enough. She might have some spunk, but deep down, she was a submissive little thing. She’d take my orders and love every second of it.

I nipped her jaw, then put my lips by her ear. “You want to come to a party? Want to know what will happen?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Harley Wylde is the International Bestselling Author of the Dixie Reapers MC, Devil’s Boneyard MC, and Hades Abyss MC series.

When Harley’s writing, her motto is the hotter the better — off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can’t deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you’ve come to the right place. She doesn’t shy away from the dangers and nastiness in the world, bringing those realities to the pages of her books, but always gives her characters a happily-ever-after and makes sure the bad guys get what they deserve. 

The times Harley isn’t writing, she’s thinking up naughty things to do to her husband, drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, and reading. She loves to read and devours a book a day, sometimes more. She’s also fond of TV shows and movies from the 1980’s, as well as paranormal shows from the 1990’s to today, even though she’d much rather be reading or writing.  

You can find out more about Harley or enter her monthly giveaway on her website. Be sure to join her newsletter while you’re there to learn more about discounts, signing events, and other goodies!

New Release: Getting to You by M.L. Uberti #actionadventure #contemporaryromance @mluberti_writer

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Zac Xavier is called from a meeting to find his wife, a teacher, is in a lockdown situation at her school. Rushing across town, he remembers when they first met.

In fear for her life, Emma is determined to protect her students at all costs. But while danger lurks closer, she flashes back to meeting her beloved husband.

Zac won’t stop until Emma’s safe, and Emma will do what she has to in order to protect her students. Will their love affair meet a tragic end or will they get their happily ever after?

Publisher’s Warning: Getting To You involves an Active Shooter school shooting with casualties and may be a trigger for some readers.

Available Today at Changeling Press – Save 20%!

Preorder for June 4th at online retailers

EXCERPT

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2021 ML Uberti

The first time I met Emma, I was sitting at the end of the bar, a hole in the wall in the new neighborhood where I had just bought a five-bedroom Tudor in a burgeoning area of Chicago. Oprah, the Obamas, other Hyde Park celebrities were snatching up properties left and right — and I had found a gem that needed restoration but after I flipped it, I could make a mint on it.

And at thirty-seven, that was my life’s goal: making money. I had a lot of it, wanted a fuck ton more, and did everything I could, 24/7, to make it happen. So the four-level Bridgeport Village luxury house with ten foot ceilings was mine to crash in while it was renovated, then I could find somewhere else with the profit and do it all over again.

This would be my sixteenth house in the last decade that I’d make money on. It was just a matter of how much and when.

But while that happened, I needed some place to get a whiskey at the end of the day. I didn’t keep alcohol in the house — another hold over rule from my childhood I couldn’t seem to break. When there was liquor around, my dad drank too much and took out his aggression on me and my brothers’ faces. Then my mom would dump it out, dad would sober up, and things would return to their normal level of dysfunction before disintegrating again.

Master’s Saloon was where I ended up today. It was a three-block walk, not that my driver Wilcox would ever let me fucking walk it, but close was what I wanted. Drunk was what I actually wanted, but I had a five a.m. call with London so that was out. Two whiskeys and home to fall asleep watching the Bulls stomp the Knicks. The hipster bartender with the skinny jeans and cardigan made his way over and took my order, and I read through emails as I sat on a stool and thought about ordering dinner.

“Hi, Silas,” a bright voice sounded beside me, and for some unknown fucking reason, since I usually don’t give a shit about strangers, especially those in a bar with Grey Goose as top shelf, my eyes shifted over.

I didn’t turn my head, just took in the peripheral. I saw a girl, thin, tall, with dark hair pulled high in a ponytail on her head, fingerless mittens on her hands, jumping on the balls of her feet in a pair of Converse that were worn the fuck out and most likely wet from the sloppy inch or two of snow outside.

“Hey Ems — you looking for the box, babe?” the stringy-haired bartender asked as he filled a pint glass.

“Yep! Is it full? Tell me it’s full,” she said, her voice light but deep, raspy. Even sexy-sounding — so much that I actually twisted my neck to take her in.

She was a stunner, that much I could see. Young, way too fucking young for me, probably just out of college. Tight jeans that cupped her perky little ass, with a rip in the knee. A decades-old wool coat that was buttoned up over a sweater that went up to her chin, and when she glanced my way and shot me a casual smile, a smile I could tell she gave to everyone she saw regardless of the circumstance, I saw her eyes were a swirl of green and gold, with long dark lashes that made the face of a pretty girl spectacular.

The bartender chuckled at her brimming excitement. “It’s pretty full, Ems. Gimme a sec and I’ll grab it for ya. Todd locked it in the office so no one swiped anything.”

“Silas, who is going to steal hats and mittens for second graders?” she asked incredulously, then slid into the seat beside mine. “And I’m in no rush. Take your time.”

I wanted to tell him I agreed — he could take his fucking time while this little cutie wiggled her bottom on the chair to try to get comfortable on the hard wood, a scent of citrus and honey wafting from her skin.

She couldn’t sit still, her energy bursting from every inch of her, and I was drawn in by it and her easy, open smile. Which she gave me a second time and I knew if I didn’t talk to her, if I ignored her like most women I came across, I’d regret it.

“You want a drink?” I asked, tipping my whiskey to my lips and taking a small swallow.

She swiveled her head and blinked at me. “Me?”

I looked around, but we were pretty much alone in this corner of the bar by the windows. “Yeah, you.”

“Oh, I’m just picking something up. Some friends of mine put out boxes to collect hats and stuff for my students. I have to swing by three other places tonight if I want to get everything ready for tomorrow,” she explained, keeping those gorgeous eyes on me.

“What’s tomorrow?” I asked, turning toward her in the stool.

The side of her mouth tipped up. “It’s Christmas Eve Eve,” she told me as if that meant something. “It’s the last day of school before the holiday break. And I have like two hundred fifty bundles to make up before tomorrow at seven fifteen a.m.”

“Bundles,” I repeated.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Starbucks aficionado, lover of throw blankets and betrayer of all things kale, ML Uberti is a Wayne State University graduate and Metro Detroit author with a predilection for oddities and happy endings. She is mom to three autistic kids, 2 ridiculously stupid dogs and wife of a teacher and musician who has endless patience for her impeccably bad taste in Netflix shows and murder documentaries. She is thrilled to dip her toe into scifi romance from contemporary and hopes you enjoy her big, brooding alien alphas and resilient fairy tale queens.

Release Blitz: Fire in the Ice by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood #LGBTQ #sportsromance @RyanTaylorandJ1 @GoIndiMarketing

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Title: Fire in the Ice

Author: Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood

Publisher: Wainscott Press

Release Date: May 14, 2021

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 81,000 words

Genre: Romance, Gay Romance, MM Romance, Gay Hockey Romance, Gay Sports Romance, New Adult Gay Romance

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Synopsis

What if love threatened to destroy everything you’d worked for?

Hockey right winger Tyler Jensen isn’t thrilled to get the news he’s been traded to the Bethesda Barracudas. The team may be red-hot in the rankings, but there’s someone there he’d rather not have to see every day.

Defenseman Kevin Moore is one of the top-rated rookies in the country. He’s living the dream playing for the Barracudas—until he hears that his old high-school crush Tyler is joining the team. Ty was once everything Kev wanted, but their age difference got in the way. Tyler decided a three-year gap was too much and left Kevin behind.

In Bethesda, Tyler doesn’t take long to notice that Kevin has grown up into precisely the kind of man he can’t resist—brawny, brainy, and beautiful. Kev feels the pull too, and as the men become closer, they work hard to keep their budding relationship secret. Professional hockey may be welcoming gay players now, but Ty and Kev aren’t sure management would like the idea of two Barracudas taking teamwork to an entirely new level.

As the playoffs loom, news of their romance gets out. Ty and Kev, caught in a storm of controversy that threatens to destroy them, need a power play to save their careers. How will they find one before it’s too late?

Fire in the Ice delivers on the promise that second chances can work and dreams can come true. If you like exciting hockey, plenty of humor, a beautiful HEA, new adults, young athletes, and enough heat to burn down the house, this book is for you.

Excerpt

Fire in the Ice
A Novel by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Copyright © 2021 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood. All Rights Reserved.

The fire alarm went off! I sat bolt upright, my heart pounding like a bass drum and the soaring panic making it hard to breathe. Just as I threw a leg over the side of the bed, I realized I didn’t know where the door was. Hell, I couldn’t even remember what city we were in. Sweat ran into my eyes, and I called for Thompson, my roommate. He didn’t answer. Had he run for safety and left me sleeping?

I finally came around enough to realize the noise wasn’t the fire alarm—it was the alarm on my phone. Thompson wasn’t there because we weren’t on a road trip. In fact, he and I weren’t even on the same team anymore. The Seattle Cohos had traded me, and I was a Bethesda-fuckin-Barracuda now. Woo-hoo! The fact that I had a terrible crush on one of my new teammates, who definitely did not return the feelings, made my new life a thrilling prospect. I wondered if there was any chance Kevin might change his mind and give me a chance. Doubtful, after what happened last fall.

It was way too early to get up, and I stretched my way through a big yawn. I’d flown to DC with Birky Ferrell, my teammate who had also been traded, and we didn’t get into town until about eleven the night before. That had only been eight p.m. Seattle time, so I didn’t fall asleep for hours. According to my phone, it was currently seven a.m. in Washington, and I was due in Bethesda by eight thirty. Time to get my ass out of bed and into the shower.

Lucky me, I had a whole new team to get to know. Too bad they’d played in Seattle only ten days earlier, and I’d gotten into it with one of their defensemen, Pierre Gagné. The rest of the game hadn’t exactly been friendly between the Barracudas and me, and I didn’t know what kind of reception to expect at Cuda Arena. I hoped they’d be in the mood to let bygones be bygones.

An hour later, Birky and I were in an Uber creeping its way through rush-hour traffic toward Bethesda. Bob Shuford, the head coach, wanted to see us before our first practice with the team. I studied Birky’s profile while he looked out the window. His craggy face was handsome, and he wore his brown hair in a crew cut. Birky was an enforcer, so he got into his share of brawls, and a few scars gave his face character.

He turned his attention away from the street. “You nervous?”

“No more than you.”

“We’ll be fine. They’re lucky to have us. You heard they made Johnson captain?”

“Yeah, I saw that last night.”

Birky shifted in his seat, so he could see me. “You know him, right? I’ve seen you two talking when the teams played each other.”

“We went to prep school together at St. Mark’s.” I took a deep breath and leaned back in the seat. Nick and I had so much more than gone to prep school together, but that was a lifetime ago. For five of the last seven years, we’d only been friends from a distance.

“Seems like a good guy.”

I smiled. “Nick is one of the nicest men you’ll ever meet. Best thing they could have done, making him captain. He was team captain in high school, and he’s a born leader.”

“Sounds like what they needed. Keefer’s an ass.”

“You’re almost right.”

He cocked his head.

“Nick as captain is what we need, Birky. We’re Barracudas now.”

Purchase

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Meet the Author

Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and share their home with a big, cuddly German shepherd. Ryan and Josh enjoy travel, friends, and advocating for causes dear to their hearts. Ryan also loves to swim, and Josh likes to putter in the garden whenever he can. The romance they were so lucky to find with each other inspires their stories about love between out and proud men.

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New Release: Justice (Salvation’s Bane) by Marteeka Karland #mcromance #newadult @marteekakarland

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Published by Changeling Press
Cover Artist: Marteeka Karland
Genres/Themes: MC Romance, Action Adventure, New Adult, Suspense

Justice: I expected to spend most of the rest of my life in prison. Even so, I worked for my club, Salvation’s Bane, gathering valuable information about Palm Beach and all the clubs residing there. Imagine my surprise when a short, clumsy, curvy female comes to my rescue. The moment I see her in that prim skirt stretched tight over her ass and the blouse straining to contain her tits I know I want her. I’m just not sure she’s capable of handling all I have to give after eight years in the big house.

Mae: Archer “Justice” Creed may not be completely innocent, but he’s not guilty of the crime they convicted him of. Fighting to get him freed was a long, hard battle, but I’m not letting them keep him behind bars a second longer. What I didn’t count on was being attracted to the big, tattooed former lawyer. I know a perfumed rock would look good to him after eight long years in prison, but he’s ready and I’m willing. Too bad he’s an arrogant asshole out of bed. Unfortunately for me, I’m stuck with the big brute. I ruffled some feathers at the DA’s office when I got Justice freed, and now I could be in some danger. But do I trust Justice to protect me, or should I go back to Rycks, my guardian and an enforcer in Black Reign MC? Our clubs aren’t exactly enemies, but they’re not friends.

Oh, and those ruffled feathers I mentioned before? They’re coming after me. And Justice.

Available today at Changeling Press

Preorder for May 21st at online booksellers

EXCERPT

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2021 Marteeka Karland

“Archer Creed. Also known as ‘Justice.’”

Justice had heard this a thousand times since he went away for murder eight years ago. Usually after he’d beat a motherfucker for pissing him off and some judge was giving him extra time.

This time was different.

“I find myself in the position of being the one to inform you that your conviction has been overturned.”

OK. He wasn’t expecting that.

“Your lawyer mounted an investigation into the prosecuting attorney for your trial, and there were several… irregularities discovered. While the details of the case are still being hammered out, one thing is certain. Due to prosecutorial misconduct, your conviction is overturned with prejudice.”

The judge was an older, balding man with thick glasses and a ruddy complexion. Justice had liked the man on sight, but now Justice wanted to vote him judge of the fucking year. “I haven’t reviewed the case because I don’t care much, so your lawyer can review the particulars if you want them.” He smiled to take the sting out of his words. “I carry out the job the state presents me with. If it doesn’t require a judgment from me, I just carry out the order.”

He didn’t look apologetic at all. Yeah. Justice liked him.

“All I know is the state’s attorney overstepped his authority in your case. As such, you cannot be retried for the same crime. The state apologizes for its mistreatment of you.”

“I ain’t goin’ back to that fuckin’ place for any reason, judge,” Justice said, earning him a frown from the bailiff but a small smile from the judge.

“Can’t say that I blame you, son. There are procedures –”

“Ain’t. Goin’. Back.”

Again, the bailiff frowned, this time putting his hand on his weapon and taking a threatening step forward.

“Stop it, George,” the judge said in an exasperated tone. “The man wouldn’t be in this position if Alister hadn’t fucked up the case in the first damned place.”

Justice raised an eyebrow. He’d never heard a judge talk that way in court before. He liked this guy better every second.

The judge turned his attention back to Justice. “I only have one question. After that, you’re free to go. The state will send your belongings to the address of your choosing, and you don’t have to go collect them yourself.”

“Ask,” Justice said, crossing his arms over his chest. This ought to be good.

“Why do they call you Justice?”

The question surprised Justice, but only because he expected everyone in the fucking state to know his name. But then, it had been twelve years. “I used to be a lawyer.”

“Oh? For what state?”

“Florida.” Justice leveled his gaze on the judge. Not backing down an inch.

The older man narrowed his eyes. “Archer Creed…” Then he sat back in his chair, a look of disbelief on his face.

“Don’t ask me if I’m the Archer Creed or I might just do something to earn that prison sentence.”

The judge’s previously congenial face hardened. This was the type of judge Justice was used to. “I like you, son. It’s the only reason I don’t slap you with a contempt charge for that remark.” He held Justice’s gaze for a moment before speaking again. “I know the case. Was a bit dug into my own business at the time, but I remember thinking they’d hand you your ass for the stunt you pulled.”

“You were right.”

“Sorry I was. I can’t condone violence in any form, but the bastard got what he deserved.”

“I only bucked the system, your honor. Bastard had so many people in his pocket, everything I had got thrown out before it could be presented to a jury.”

“Ironic that you’d get railroaded into a conviction for a crime you may not have committed in the very case that got you disbarred.”

Justice shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“I’m surprised your lawyer isn’t present for this.”

“Far as I know, I don’t have one.”

“Well, someone took up the cause. Must have a good mind, too, to get that conviction overturned so quickly”

“Quick? If you call eight years quick, you’re older than you look.”

Surprisingly, that got a sharp bark of laughter from the judge. “Considering the family involved and the fact that Florida doesn’t like looking bad in legal matters, yeah. I’d call it quick. Are you telling me you’ve never met the lawyer who filed this on your behalf?”

“I’m sayin’ I didn’t know anything was being done on my behalf in the first Goddamned place.” Justice glanced at the bailiff. Sure enough, the man winced at his language. There was no way to stop the smirk Justice threw the other man’s way. He loved goading easy marks.

The judge had opened his mouth to say something when there was a commotion outside the chamber doors just before they burst open. A short, busty woman in four-inch heels stumbled through the door. She carried a briefcase with several pieces of paper sticking out, and her hair, which probably was supposed to be in a tight bun, was sticking out in several directions in jet-black, kinky curls. No. Curls wasn’t exactly right. They wanted to be curls, but they were mostly a frizzy mess. The glasses she wore were too big for her elfin face, her eyes the color of perfect sapphires. She wore a white blouse tucked into a black skirt. The blouse hung from her arms but stretched tightly across her breasts, and her skirt gapped at the waist, but looked like she was barely able to squeeze that generous ass into it. She carried a suit jacket draped over one arm as she caught the door with the other hand to keep from falling. All in all, she was a hot mess.

“Judge Harlan!” She stumbled once more, then righted herself and hurried to the front of the courtroom… to stand beside Justice? What the fuck?

Judge Harlan gave a long-suffering but amused sigh. “Mae Stephens. I should have known you were behind this.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erotic romance author by night, emergency room tech/clerk by day, Marteeka Karland works really hard to drive everyone in her life completely and totally nuts. She has been creating stories from her warped imagination since she was in the third grade. Her love of writing blossomed throughout her teenage years until it developed into the totally unorthodox and irreverent style her English teachers tried so hard to rid her of.