The Day She Criedby K. Webster Publication Date: October 17, 2017 Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance She was my first love. She was my first hate. The very sun in my world tried to burn me alive with her lies and cruelty. Until I dimmed her light for good… Or so I thought. Now she’s back. Cracked. Broken. Lost. And for the first time in a long time, I feel free. Free from our past. Free from my present that suffocates me. Free to destroy her future. Her misery is my music. Thrilling. Invigorating. Intoxicating. For so long, all I’ve done is hate her. So why do I love her?About K. WebsterK Webster is the author of dozens romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers. Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen. You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads! Website: www.authorkwebster.com Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bllgoP
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Title: His Little Bad Girl
Series: Innocence Claimed Series
Author: Madison Faye
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: White Rabbit Creative
Release Date: October 9, 2017
Blurb
She's mine, she just doesnât know it yet.
Her name is Tempest Kensington.
Sheâs eighteen years old.
Sheâs my student, and I want to know how sweet she tastes when sheâs claimed for the first time.
Iâm her headmaster. Iâm twenty years older than her. But damn the implications. Screw the consequences. I know Iâm blurring the lines, but I. Do. Not. Care.
Tempest Kensington is a grade-A brat. And sheâs about to get a very thick, very firm dose of my discipline â over my knee and onhers.
Barely appropriate. Entirely off-limits. My temptation, my addiction, my obsession. My ruin, in a plaid skirt and knee-high socks.
Itâs time for this little tease to learn exactly what happens to bad girls who look for trouble.
Sweet, filthy, and oh-so-wrong in the best kind of way. If youâre looking for something extra hot and wildly over-the-top, this oneâs for you! Utterly obsessed alpha hero, sassy, untouched heroine, and enough insta-love, kindle-melting steam, and sugary-sweetness to make you beg for more. HEA with NO CHEATING!
Author Bio
Madison Faye is the dirty alter ego of the very wholesome, very normal suburban housewife behind the stories. While she might be a wife, mom, and PTA organizer on the outside, thereâs nothing but hot, steamy, and raunchy fantasies brewing right beneath the surface!
Tired of keeping them hidden inside or only having them come out in the bedroom, theyâre all here in the form of some wickedly hot stories. Single-minded alpha hero, sinfully taboo relationships, and wildly over-the-top scenarios. If you love it extra dirty, extra hot, and extra naughty, this is the place for you! (Just donât tell the other PTA members you saw her hereâ¦) Join the mailing list for author updates, special prices, and a **FREE BOOK!** http://eepurl.com/b-b5Pz
Author Links
We are very excited to bring you the new covers for the bestselling FORBIDDEN DESIRES series by Kendall Ryan.DIRTY LITTLE SECRET Forbidden Desires Book 1 The start to a sexy new series from New York Times bestselling author, Kendall Ryan... She’s much too innocent for me, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting the sweet, young librarian. I’m dominating and possessive, and my control streak runs a mile wide. The way she looks at me—like I’m one of the heroes in the books she loves, like I’m broken, and she wants to be the one to piece me back together—it only complicates things further. I’m nobody’s hero. But there’s no denying my tragic past reads like one of her favorite literary classics. It’s raw. Visceral. Captivating. And together, we’re a perfect mess. How am I expected to resist when the sexual sparks zap between us and set me on fire? The need to control, and claim her force my walls to come tumbling down, but when she learns my dirty little secret, will my world come crashing down with it?Amazon | iBooks | Nook | KoboDIRTY LITTLE PROMISE Forbidden Desires Book 2 Conflicted in the depth of her feelings for bad boy Gavin Kingsley, lonely librarian Emma Bell knows he’s all wrong for her—yet the heart wants what it wants. But if she gives into his dark, erotic desires will she lose herself completely? Passion, drama and suspense combine in the highly-anticipated conclusion to Emma Bell’s love affair with the alpha and enigmatic Kingsley brothers. Secrets will be exposed, sides will be chosen, and nothing will ever be the same. This is book two in the series, following Dirty Little Secret. ADD TO GOODREADS Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo TORRID LITTLE AFFAIR The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. And I have the perfect candidate all picked out. My new assistant is tempting beyond belief with her curvy body and take-no-shit attitude. All those luscious curves, and a juicy ass I’m already in love with. God, the things that I would do to that ass… But it’s the haunted look in her eyes that speaks to me. Like she’s taken just as much shit in her past as I have—maybe more. We both deserve a little fun. Love can’t fix everything. Mind-blowing sex and a few killer orgasms, on the other hand? I have a feeling those might do the trick. ADD TO GOODREADS iBooks TEMPTING LITTLE TEASE Quinn Kingsley finally gets his turn in Tempting Little Tease Releasing March 19, 2018 ADD TO GOODREADS iBooks NAUGHTY LITTLE SCANDAL The series finishes with a bang in this final standalone in the Forbidden Desires Series releasing May 2018 ADD TO GOODREADS iBooksShe’s much too innocent for me, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting the sweet, young librarian. I’m dominating and possessive, and my control streak runs a mile wide. A lonely librarian desperate to experience the kind of passion she's only read about in her favorite literary classics. One handsome stranger with a tragic past. A chance meeting that will change their course of their lives forever. . .Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | GoogleA New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she's appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine. Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras Subscribe to Newletter Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author PageFrom Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips comes a powerful new story of love, hope and redemption, of finding light in the darkest places.Fearless, an all- new emotional standalone by Carly Phillips is coming March 20, 2018!My life is a facade The color and beauty I cast on the canvas, a shield to protect what is hurt and broken inside. And then I meet him. He makes me want to put the hurt and the past behind me and trust in him. He makes me burn in a way no man has ever done. He makes me want to try. If only I can be . . . fearless. Preorder Today!Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2fNaEsq Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2xhi2r5 Amazon Print - http://smarturl.it/FearlessAmazonPrint iBooks - http://smarturl.it/FearlessiBooks Nook - http://smarturl.it/FearlessNook Kobo - http://smarturl.it/FearlessKobo GooglePlay - http://smarturl.it/FearlessGooglePlay Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2yrtIaL Meet Carly Phillips:Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels, including the Indie published, Dare to Love Series. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers.Connect with Carly:Sign up for Carly’s Newsletter at: http://www.carlyphillips.com/newsletter-sign-up/ Sign up for Blog and Website updates at: http://www.carlyphillips.com/blog Sign up for Text Updates of New Releases: http://tinyurl.com/p3upm5s Friend Carly on Facebook: www.facebook.com/carlyphillipsfanpage Hang out at Carly’s Corner! (Hot guys & giveaways!) http://smarturl.it/CarlysCornerFB Instagram: https://instagram.com/carlyphillips Twitter: www.twitter.com/carlyphillips Website: www.carlyphillips.com Love on the Edge of Time, an all-new stand-alone story about a love too great to be bound by time, from Julie A. Richman is coming November 13th!Love on the Edge of Time by Julie A. RichmanPublishing Date: November 13th, 2017Designer: Jena Brignola/Bibliophile ProductionsFront Cover Photographer: Shaun MichelsenFront Cover Model: Bryce DraperBack Cover Photographer: Marina Svetlova/StockHe likes whiskey and wild womenShe likes Ben & Jerry’sHe’s about to get kicked out of his own bandShe ate her way off the Miss America pageant circuitWhat could these two possibly have in common?A psychiatristA lot of unresolved issuesA whole bunch of shared lifetimesAnd a love that is never-endingAs bad boy rocker, Jesse Winslow, and former pageant queen, Kylie Martin, each fight the demons screwing up their lives, the one person who holds the key to healing their ills and reuniting two souls that have searched for one another, lifetime after lifetime, is the only one who knows the whole truth.And keeping that truth from them may just be in preeminent psychiatrist Dr. Claire Stoddard’s best interests.Claire has committed the ultimate sin in the medical world. She’s fallen for the one man she’s forbidden to love.Her patient, Jesse Winslow.And she’s not about to lose him to Kylie Martin... Again.Preorder Exclusively on ibooks:Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/LOTEOTGR About the Author:I must've been 5 or 6 when I started writing "stories". I would write them and hide them. Not wanting anyone to see my "secret" thoughts. I needed to write - even back then. Now I'm just not hiding them anymore. Is that a sign of maturity? Nah... Writer, photographer, insatiable wanderluster, edge-player, foodie, music addict, pop culture fanatic, animal lover, warrior for the rights of people and planet, and avid cusser (am a Native New Yorker, so very little offends me...and if I am offended, it must be pretty freaking bad..like bad grammar!) I am a big believer in signs and if we keep ourselves open, there are guideposts all along the way. Stay humble. Be true. Be you. Life is not a dress rehearsal...Connect with Julie:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieARichman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AuthorJulieARichman/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieARichman Website: http://juliearichman.com/ Sign up for Julie’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2xRFgB2
Filthy Player by Stacey Lynn Release Date: October 9th Synopsis: The Raleigh Rough Riders are back, and this time Super Bowl Quarterback Beaux Hale finds himself playing the most important game of his life. Every woman knows Beaux Hale is nothing but a player. Yet the first time he walks into Paige Halloway’s restaurant and flashes his sexy grin, she feels a heat between them spark. Too bad he opens his mouth and ruins it. He may think his money, fame, and sexy looks will attract any woman—but he’s wrong. Paige doesn’t have time for a man. She’s too busy keeping a roof over her head and taking care of her father to care about relationships. Lucky for Beaux, he’s a man who's ready to use all the plays at his disposal. He didn’t bring his team a Super Bowl victory by giving up at the first block in his path—and Paige Halloway has just become his new long-game. Beaux also knows that sometimes, in order to win and claim your prize, you have to get a little bit filthy. Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2yVDxuL Pre-order today! Amazon: http://amzn.to/2wI4Y8Y / Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2yrl8Wn iBooks: http://apple.co/2yVt3eP Nook: http://bit.ly/2fMAlNs Kobo: http://bit.ly/2xZn9vj Excerpt: “You know, you’re not anything like I really imagined you were.” “Is that a compliment?” “I suppose it might be.” Her lips twisted like she didn’t want to admit it. I couldn’t stop from chuckling. Why did this woman dislike me? Instead of it turning me off, I was curious. “Okay, then, how about this. You take care of my truck, I’ll do your favor, and then tonight, you let me take you out for dinner.” “You don’t even know what the favor is.” “Doesn’t matter. I’ll still do it, and I still want you across the table from me so I can keep proving how much of a non-asshole I am.” “You’re sort of pushy, you know that?” “I prefer ‘determined’ when I see something I want.” I flicked my hand out. “What’s the favor?” “She glanced toward the door to the garage and sighed again. “My dad’s a fan—” “Just your dad?” I teased. She huffed, lips pressed into a pout and continued, ignoring me. “It’s just, I was wondering, it doesn’t have to be much, nothing big at all…but could you autograph—” “Done.” We had boatloads of crap in the marketing department I could grab. I’d take care of it and blow her mind with my generosity. And it wasn’t just because I tried to do everything I could for fans, but because she was pretty when she blushed. Even prettier as her eyes went soft when she mentioned her dad. Spectacular as she gritted out her favor like asking for something from someone was worse than getting teeth pulled without Novocain. “Yeah?” she asked. “That’d be really great. But dinner, I don’t know.” The pretty little liar. Her blush told me she wanted it. “Tonight, whenever. You make the call, and it’s not payback for the favor or you fixing my truck. I just want to share a meal with you.” “Why? Because you want in my pants?” Her tone was snippy and her shoulders tightened. She’d handed me a loaded gun and hell if I was going to shoot myself with it. I closed the five feet of space between us, making her step backward until she was almost plastered to my truck. “I do want in your pants, Paige. Any American male who watches you for longer than two seconds probably wants the same. And I’ll take my time getting there if I have to, so I’m not going to be a dick and lie, and I’m not being a dick by being honest. I’m just honest. But dinner is because you’re pretty, and for some reason I can’t explain, I want to know why you look so damn exhausted, why you just asking me for help made you look like you want to puke, and why you did it anyway. So basically, I just want to talk to you. Get to know you. I’m interested and I’m not going to hide that either. It’s not my style.” “Wow.” Her cheeks had turned pink while I was talking and by the time I was done, her lips were parted. “That’s a lot to discuss at dinner.” “Then we’ll tack on drinks and dessert at the end.”About the Author Stacey Lynn currently lives in Minnesota with her husband and four children. When she’s not conquering mountains of laundry and fighting a war against dust bunnies and cracker crumbs, you can find her playing with her children, curled up on the couch with a good book, or on the boat with her family enjoying Minnesota’s beautiful, yet too short, summer. She lives off her daily pot of coffee, can only write with a bowlful of Skittles nearby, and has been in love with romance novels since before she could drive herself to the library. If you would like to know more about Stacey Lynn, follow her here: Facebook: www.facebook.com/staceylynnbooks Twitter: @staceylynnbooks Website: http://www.staceylynnbooks.com Stay up to date on Stacey’s latest news! Subscribe to her Newsletter today! http://www.staceylynnbooks.com/contact From This Moment, an all-new sexy and emotional standalone from USA Today Bestselling author Melanie Harlow is coming October 10th!From This Moment by Melanie HarlowGenre: Contemporary RomancePublishing Date: October 10th, 2017It was like seeing a ghost. When my late husband’s twin brother moves back to our small town, I want to avoid him. Everything about Wes reminds me of the man I lost and the life we’d planned together, and after eighteen long months struggling just to get out of bed, I’m finally doing okay. I have a new job, an amazing support group, and a beautiful five-year-old daughter to parent. I don’t want to go backward. But I’m drawn to him, too. He understands my grief and anger and loneliness like no one else—and I understand his. Before long, that understanding becomes desire, and that desire becomes uncontrollable. We make excuses. We blame our sorrow. We promise each other it will never happen again. But it does. And when our secret threatens to destroy his family and my reputation, we’ll have to decide what’s more important—loyalty or love? Excerpt:“Want to go out in the canoe?” he asked. “Okay.” I ditched my flip-flops on the small, beach-level deck, and we set our wine glasses and the bottle on the deck’s little round table. Wes was already barefoot. Together we dragged the forest green canoe from the tall beach grasses on the side of the deck down to the water’s edge and tipped it over. “Let me rinse it out a little,” Wes said, frowning at the dirt and spider webs inside. “Want to grab the paddles? They should be in the shed.” “On it.” I went to the small shed on the embankment, opened it up and grabbed the oars, which stood in one corner. On the shelves were life jackets and sand toys and deflated rafts that probably had holes in them, and scratched into the wooden door among other graffiti was WP + CB. Huh. I’d never noticed that before. Who was CB? I glanced over my shoulder at Wes, who’d taken off his T-shirt and tossed it onto the sand. My stomach full-out flipped. Quickly, I shut the door to the shed and brought the oars down to the canoe. Wes stood up straight and stuck his hands on his hips. He wore different sunglasses than Drew had worn, more of an aviator than a wayfarer. The body was similar, though Wes’s arms seemed more muscular, especially through the shoulder. Other things were the same and caused a rippling low in my body—the soft maroon color of his nipples, the trim waist, the trail of hair leading from his belly button to beneath the low-sling waistband of his red swim trunks. In my head I heard Tess’s voice. Arms. Chest. Shoulders. Skin. Stubble. Muscle. The smell of a man. The solidity of him. “What’s the law on drinking and canoeing?” he asked. What’s the law on staring at your brother-in-law’s nipples? I wondered, swallowing hard. What was wrong with me? “I think we’re okay,” I said, handing the oars to him. Our hands touched in the exchange. “Let me grab our glasses.” “Perfect. If you hold them, I’ll take us out.” I retrieved the wine glasses from the table and walked carefully across the sand to the lake’s edge, taking deep, slow breaths. A sweat had broken out across my back. I was wearing a swimsuit beneath my cover up, a modest tankini, but I didn’t want to remove it. Wading ankle deep, I attempted to step into the canoe, but it wobbled beneath my foot. “Whoa.” Wes took me by the elbow and didn’t let go until I was seated at one end, facing the other. “Okay?” I nodded. Despite the heat, my arms had broken out in goose flesh. “All right, here we go.” As he rowed us away from shore, the breeze picked up, cooling my face and chest and back. “Drew and I used to have canoe-tipping contests.” I snapped my chin down and skewered Wes with a look over the top of my sunglasses. “Don’t even think about it.” He just grinned, the muscles in his arms and chest and stomach flexing with every stroke of the oars through the water. Momentarily mesmerized, I allowed myself the pleasure of watching him. It was okay if we were both thinking about Drew, wasn’t it? In fact, it was only natural that I was intrigued by the sight of Wes’s body. He was my husband’s identical twin, for heaven’s sake, and I missed his physical presence in my life. I missed looking at him naked. I missed feeling the weight of him above me. I missed the feeling of being aroused by him, of my body’s responses to his touch, his kiss, his cock. Deep in my body, the rusty mechanism of arousal creaked to life. My nipples peaked, my stomach hollowed, and something fluttered between my legs. Oh, Jesus. I sat up straighter, pressed my knees together, and closed my mouth, which I realized had fallen open. Hopefully I hadn’t moaned or anything. After another sip of wine, I turned my head and studied a freighter off in the distance. My heart was beating way too fast. It’s only natural. It’s only natural. Wes stopped paddling and set the oars in the bottom of the canoe, their handles resting against the seat in the middle. “We’ll have to bring Abby out here.” “Definitely.” Did my voice sound normal? “She’ll love it. Here, want this?” I held his wine glass toward him and he reached out to take it. His fingers brushed mine, and I pulled my hand back as if the touch had burned me. “Thanks.” He tipped the glass up then looked along the shore. “I’d like to find a place on the lake. Maybe not along this stretch of beach, though.” I caught his meaning and smiled. “A little too close to home?” “Yeah. But I don’t want to be too far away. I’d like to get a boat too.” “What kind of boat? Drew always talked about it, but we never quite settled on one.” “Not sure. Maybe just a little fishing boat, something to ski behind.” “That sounds fun. Drew loved to ski.” “We’ll have to teach Abby.” I laughed. “You, not we. I managed to get up and stay up a few times, but I am not the expert.” “You can teach her to cook, I’ll teach her to water ski.” “Deal.” Separate activities seemed like a good idea. “Breakfast was incredible.” “Thanks.” I tucked a strand of hair that had escaped my ponytail behind my ear, but the wind blew it right back into my face. “I really like working there. I’m so glad Georgia suggested it to me.” “How long have you been there?” “Since spring, when they got busy. I’m not sure what I’ll do this winter when it slows down. I’m dreading it, actually. Abby will be in school full time, and it will just be me at home alone.” This was something else I hadn’t talked about with anyone, how worried I was that the gray skies and cold weather and silent hours would set me spiraling into depression. “I always thought I’d have another baby to take care of, but life saw things differently.” “You’re still young, Hannah.” I shook my head. “I’m really not. And I feel even older than I am.” Please don’t go Grief Police on me and tell me I’m being ridiculous, I begged him silently. This isn’t the life I chose. It was handed to me and I’m doing the best I can. But he didn’t say anything more, just sipped his wine and looked out at the horizon. I was grateful. “What about you?” I asked. “Think maybe you’ll get married now that you’re back? Have a family? Abby won’t have any siblings so she needs some cousins.” “That seems to be a popular topic of discussion around here,” Wes said, shaking his head, “but I really have no idea.” “Small town. We like to know everyone’s business.” I smiled. “Hey, what about CB? I saw your initials carved with hers on the door of the shed. Maybe she’s still around.” He groaned. “Is that still there? Jesus. That had to be twenty years ago.” Hugging my knees, I leaned forward. “First love?” “Not even.” He hesitated, as if he were trying to decide whether to confess something. “Come on,” I cajoled, carefully reaching out of the canoe, and splashing water toward him. “Tell me. I’ve been spilling my guts for an hour.” “First kiss.” I squealed. “And?” He cringed. “It’s too embarrassing.” “Wes, I had a completely humiliating breakdown in front of you last night. I got snot on my arm.” “This is worse.” “Get it out. You’ll feel better.” “Let’s just say it was a very awkward, very fast experience.” I gasped. “You lost your virginity to her?” “No. Just my dignity.” Laughing, I tilted my head back and felt the sun on my face, the wind in my hair, and something like joy in my heart. It had been a long time.Preorder Today!Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2undwpw Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2uEqBpG iBooks: http://apple.co/2vjYJcj Nook➜ http://bit.ly/2vqcLtd Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/J3ogH4 READ THE FIRST CHAPTER TODAY!http://www.melanieharlow.com/from-this-moment-chapter-1/ About the Author:Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she's not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak. Melanie is the author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.Connect with Melanie:Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieHarlow/?fref=ts Amazon:http://amzn.to/1NPkYKs Twitter: @MelanieHarlow2 Website: http://www.melanieharlow.com Sign up for Melanie’s Newsletter: http://www.melanieharlow.com/subscribe/
Are you ready for THE FLIGHT OF HOPE by USA Today Bestselling Author HJ Bellus?
This Standalone Contemporary Romance set to release October 26th.
PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2xU1AtS
Amazon INT: getBook.at/TheFlightOfHope
A tragic accident. A mother in mourning. Can a second chance rise from the wreckage?
Marlee Foster’s life was just getting started. She couldn’t wait for the return of her husband from deployment. After all, he’d be there just in time for the birth of their daughter. The welcome home party is full of joy, but on the way home, tragedy strikes…
When Marlee loses her husband and daughter, her friends and family do their best to heal her broken heart. But painful reminders of a future she’ll never see haunt her every day in the small town. Her only hope at a second chance is to leave it all behind…
As she sets out on a soul-searching adventure, the mourning widow wonders if the wilderness will give her hope for a brighter future or if she’ll forever be chained to a devastating past. During her journey, Marlee is about to learn that love has a funny way of coming back to those who need it the most…
The Flight of Hope is a heart-wrenching contemporary romance in the vein of Nicholas Sparks. If you like emotional journeys, strong-willed heroines, and second chance romances, then you’ll love HJ Bellus’ touching tale.
Buy The Flight of Hope to settle in with a tear-jerker today!
ADD TO YOUR TBR ON GOODREADS:
EXCERPT REVEAL
PrologueThere are people. Rows and rows of cars. Black everywhere. I can’t feel my feet as my high heels sink into the grass. My face is numb, as are my fingers. The searing pain burning my insides is alive and well.Momma urges me down into a chair draped in velvet. It’s front row. My view? Two caskets with flowers covering every surface. The sweet, floral smell is making so sick; to the point, I clutch my stomach. “You okay?” Mom whispers in my ear. I shake my head. If I open my mouth, a torrent of emotions will seep out. Sara screams in the background. I peer over my shoulder to see Maddie with tears streaming down her face, trying to soothe her upset toddler. She offers me a comforting smile, but I don’t return it. I can’t stand the sight of Sara, and her cries only infuriate me. “Mom, shut that baby up now.” “Marlee, that’s enough.” She clutches my hand. “Mom.” This time my voice escalates to a scream. “I can’t take it!” “Okay. Okay.” Mom rises, and it’s only minutes later until Sara’s cries fade. I turn to see the backside of Maddie making her way to the parking lot. She glances back one more time before disappearing behind a row of trees. She’s devastated, but I don’t have it in me to care. Silence. Caskets. Flowers. The pastor welcomes everyone before the Military Honor begins. A muted bugle starts to play “Taps,” the well-known song for a fallen soldier. I stare at the man in his uniform playing the song. He’s only feet away. The song should be so much clearer, but it’s not. I’m drowning. Once the song is over, our country’s beautiful flag is stretched before me and my family. The soldiers are meticulous as they present, fold the flag, and salute. Why couldn’t it have been them? Anyone, but who God chose to take. A soldier with bright blue eyes kneels before me. His pristine white glove is on top of the flag. Mom tries to get me to stand, but I refuse to. Dad’s arm wraps around my waist, pulling me to my feet. He keeps me clutched to his side. Nightmare after nightmare has played out in my sleep of this scenario and now I’m living it. My knees begin to quake, the effects of the pills wearing off, and I sob. The first, wracking my chest with a brutal force. I can feel my sternum crack under pressure then it becomes hard to breathe. The soldier’s words are barely recognizable. “This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army, as a token of appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.” Dad grabs my hand, holding it out to receive the flag. The red, white, and blue material burns my palm. My gut reaction is to let go of it in hopes of making this whole scene disappear. Dad won’t let me. He’s my rock right now. *** The smell. The sight. Every damn element destroys me to the point it hurts to think about surviving. Once I’m able to pull in oxygen, a brutal force slams into my spine, reminding me of what I had. It was all taken away in a split second. The decision to run a red stoplight unraveled my past, present, and future. My life flipped upside down. That doesn’t accurately represent what happened. I died that day. My soul vanished, and my heart quit beating, yet, I’m still alive with blood pumping through my veins, but I was a casualty on the side of the road. I had everything, and it was the idyllic American dream. Hell, some would label me as spoiled, and I wouldn’t have argued. It was always my life. I was the center of everyone’s attention. A girl and then a woman who had to be the best at everything no matter the circumstance. I had no friends. I had him. Then he was gone. “Birdie, lunch is ready. Your favorite, sweetie, grilled cheese and tomato soup.” I peer up to my mom, regretting losing the scent of him once my nose leaves the sheets. His scent is barely there, and all it does is shatter the already broken pieces of my heart. I’m forced to bury my face back into the bed sheets. I do my best to shake my head. She knows I don’t want to eat, but she’s never given up on me. Mom has made my favorite meals day after day. Grilled cheese and tomato soup used to make my world spin, and I’d squeal like a little girl. But, then again, I used to love life. “Baby girl, you need to eat something.” The bed dips and then her familiar hand soothes trails over my dirty hair. I shake my head again. My raw throat is sliced open by agony, making it sore, dripping with pain and blood. I’m unable to speak a word. “Here, Birdie.” She nudges my shoulder. “Take these, and when you wake up, I’ll have another meal ready for you.” I hold my palm open and hear the crinkle of the water bottle placed next to me on the bed. These three little, white pills have been the only things holding me together. It’s the magic keeping my shell of a body glued. But I’m tired, so sick of being numb, tumbling into slumber, and then springing right back into heartbreak. When the effects of the pills wear off, it’s unbearable to open my eyes. I hear it, smell it, and feel death all over again. My chest grips my heart. My vision fills with their caskets we buried in the fertile soil of the earth. The smell of fresh dirt was tearing me apart, and all the while, I sat there and watched their bodies sink down six feet. “It’s not fair, Mom. He fought for our country and then…” It hurts too much to finish my sentence. My words die off like they have since the doctors hit me with the news. “I know, Birdie.” Her tender lips pepper kisses all over the side of my exposed face. “You have to push on, baby girl; so many love and need you. You’ll always have us. Always.” I remain silent, waiting for her to leave the room. The pills roll around in my palm. The silent clinking of them screams to the point of gifting me with a migraine. It’s at this moment I decide I can’t stay here. I don’t belong here any longer. The place I called home for so many years and then built a future with my husband doesn’t belong to me anymore. I’m a foreign stranger trapped in the confines of a house. The pills fall without sound to the sheets. I take one long inhale of his scent, branding it to memory forever. I’ll never ever forget the man who was my first love and my only love who gave me everything. He was and always will be my best friend. No one will ever replace his force. It’s too painful to stay. Death is screaming my name and clawing for my soul. One slit of the wrist with the sharp edge of my fishing knife or a forceful stab to the heart. That’s what I want. I hunger for the blood to drain from my body until my heart ceases. I won’t have time to bleed out in peace before someone barges in, checking on me. My parents and his parents are enduring the same kind of hell I’m stuck in. I can’t put them through more pain, but I can’t breathe here. It’s too damn much. I have one option. Run and never come back to my personal hell. I take his shirt and the bag next to our bed and do just that, never looking back again. Sorry, Mom.
HJ Bellus is a small town girl who loves the art of storytelling. When not making readers laugh or cry, she's a part-time livestock wrangler that can be found in the middle of Idaho, shot gunning a beer while listening to some Miranda Lambert on her Beats and rocking out in her boots.
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Title: Holding Onto Forever
Series: The Beaumont Series - Next Generation #1
Author: Heidi McLaughlin
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 12, 2017 Cover Designer: Sarah Hansen with Okay Creations.
The road for Noah Westbury has been carved out for him, long before he knew who his father was. Making sure he worked hard to deserve the opportunities provided to him, Noah is exactly where he dreamed of being - starting QB for Portland Pioneers. Together with a Victoria Secret's model girlfriend by his side, life couldn't get much better. Except for the fact that standing in his path is Peyton Powell-James, his life-long friend and the one woman he can never have.
Peyton Powell-James always knew her future would be in football and dreams of having a successful sports journalism career once she graduates college. After being given an assignment to cover a professional game from the sidelines, Peyton believes that everything is going to plan, until one fateful night changes her life.
Harsh reality sets in for Noah and Peyton. One could lose everything, while the other one struggles to keep the families together.
Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup and a Highland West/Mini Schnauzer, JiLL and her brother, Racicot.
When she's isn't writing one of the many stories planned for release, you'll find her sitting court-side during either daughter's basketball games.
Heidi's first novel, Forever My Girl, will be in theaters on October 27, 2017, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe.
7 deadly sins...7 romance authors...7 novellas. Keep reading to see EVERY COVER! Release Date: October 23rd SIGN UP to receive an alert when they go live → http://eepurl.com/c450vb PRIDE by Scott Hildreth Fisher Knox's pride has him staring down the barrel of a gun to defend a woman he doesn't even know. Little do the assailants know, this wouldn't be the first time Fisher has killed a man. Follow Scott on Bookbub → http://bit.ly/2wUxp8t Like Scott on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/ScottDHildreth/GREED by Geri Glenn He swoops in like a fantasy and steals my heart, but his insatiable greed will ruin us both. Preorder NOW Amazon → http://amzn.to/2g4hMkx FOLLOW Geri on Bookbub → http://bit.ly/2fyKkG1 LIKE Geri on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/geriglennauthor/SLOTH by Max Henry
One fateful night, one stolen kiss, and I’m determined to prove he does care about something … me.
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WRATH by Gwyn McNamee
When love is ripped away, wrath invades my soul, blinding my vision and feeding my bloodlust—it feels like coming home.
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ENVY by Kerri Ann
Seeing it firsthand, feeling their wants, and dealing with the confessions of the fake repentant souls that cross my threshold, it leaves me wanton—envious of their absolution.
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LUST by FG Adams
Lust controls every action between us when we meet, a hunger so powerful it consumes us both--until the unthinkable happens and she disappears.
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GLUTTONY - by MC Webb
My damnable past follows me everywhere, so I live with one set rule:
Only one thing matters, even if that one thing cost me everything.
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