Thursday 4 June 2015

Cover Reveal: Fighting Shadows by Aly Martinez

Fighting Shadows


RELEASE DATE: July 7th

I come from a family of fighters. I always thought I’d follow in their shadows, becoming unstoppable in the ring. That changed the day I saved the life of a woman I loved, but could never have.
My brother hailed me as a hero, and my reward was a wheelchair.
Paralyzed, my life became an inescapable nightmare.
Until I met her.
Ash Mabie had a heart-stopping smile and a laugh that numbed the rage and resentment brewing inside of me. She showed me that even the darkest night still had stars, and it didn’t matter one bit that you had to lie in the weeds to see them.
I was a jaded asshole who fell for a girl with a knack for running away. I couldn’t even walk but I would have spent a lifetime chasing her.
Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting the shadows of our past.
Fighting to reclaim my future.
Fighting for her.


Fighting Shadows
Prologue
Ash
Where the fuck have you been?” a man’s voice growled as soon as I entered the conference room.
My eyes flashed to his for only a single second before I recognized them. The door had barely clicked behind me but I already wanted nothing more than to bolt. My heart raced and my mouth dried.
I had to get out of there.
Um…” I stalled, giving myself time to formulate a plan.
Sit. Down,” he ordered, pushing out the chair next to him, but there was no way I was getting that close.
I’m good,” I said, taking a step backwards toward the door.
Don’t even think about it,” he snapped. “I swear to God, if you so much as open that door…” His words may have trailed off, but the threat was clearly stated.
I swallowed hard, and slowly walked to the chair farthest away from him, perching on the very edge—waiting for just the right moment to escape.
He looked down at the name badge around my neck and quirked an eyebrow.
Victoria?”
You can call me Tori if it’s easier.” I tried to fake a smile, but it only seemed to infuriate him. He took several calming breaths, which did nothing to dampen the blaze brewing in his angry eyes.
I’ve been looking for you, Ash.” He snarled my name.
Oh, yeah? Well, mystery solved. Here I am.” I pushed back to my feet, but was halted when his fist pounded against the table. I jumped as my whole body flinched from the surprise.
When the room fell silent, I slowly looked back up to find him staring at me with a murderous glare. Even sitting down I could tell he was huge, and as he held my gaze, the tense muscles in his neck and shoulders strained against the cotton of his grey Henley. He blinked at me for several seconds before finding his voice again.
You live in a homeless shelter,” he stated definitively, as if the words told a story all of their own.
And maybe they did.
I work at a homeless shelter,” I quickly corrected.
Only he corrected me just as fast. “In exchange for a permanent place to live…In. A. Homeless. Shelter.” He enunciated every single syllable.
I looked away, because it was the truth.
A truth that I hated.
But the God’s honest truth nonetheless.
Tears welled in my eyes and I battled to keep them at bay.
My life was hard, but him being there made it infinitely harder. If I could just escape that room, I could disappear again. It wasn’t ideal, but neither was him showing up.
I want you to leave.” I lied with all the false courage I could muster.
I can’t do that. You stole something of mine.”
Look, I don’t have your book anymore.”
A knowing smirk lifted one side of his mouth. “Liar,” he whispered, reaching into the chair beside him, revealing the tattered book and ceremoniously dropping it on the table.
My eyes went wide, and without a conscious thought, I dove across the table after it.
That was mine.
Not even he could have it.
Just as quickly as the book appeared, he snatched it away and grabbed my wrist.
I slid off the table and tried to pull my arm from his grasp. It was a worthless attempt though because even if he had suddenly released me, his blue eyes held me frozen in place.
Three fucking years,” he seethed.
I had to,” I squeaked out as the tears streamed down my cheeks.
Three. Fucking. Years, Ash. You took something that belonged to me.” He released my arm and pushed to his feet.
My mouth fell open and a loud gasp escaped as he took two impossible steps forward.
Pinning me against the wall with his hard body, he lifted a hand to my throat and glided it up until his thumb stroked over my bottom lip. Using my chin, he turned my head, and dragged his nose up my neck, stopping at my ear.
Sucking in a deep breath, he released it on a gravelly demand. “And I want her back.”
My breath hitched.
I’d waited years to hear those words.
If only I could have trusted them.
Flint, please.”



Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.
After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.


Cover Reveal:Dangerous Desire by Sebastian Ex.




Title: Dangerous Desire
Series: The Onyx Club #2
Author: Sebastian Ex
Cover Design: Book Covers by Design
 Release Date: July 8, 2015



My name is Brandon Edwards. Men like me don’t come along often. I’m a gentleman, a lover, a protector, and a Dominant. I’ve never been the type who can – or even wants to – commit to a woman…until I met Penny a couple of years ago. Since then, we've been in a committed relationship. I adore and cherish her.

Penny has a darkness inside her, a yearning for extreme pain. But I don’t want that for her, nor can I give her what she’s so desperate for. Her craving has led her down risky paths, and it’s my job to keep her off those now.


There’s a dangerous desire lurking within all of us. But when does wanting more become too much?


Available Now


AMAZON US / UK / AU




“More,” she begs as I bring the cane down on her already red ass.

I drop the long thin piece of bamboo, it makes a sound as it hits the concrete of my playroom. “I didn’t give you permission to speak, Petal,” I say to Penny. My voice is low, angry though controlled.

“Please, Sir. Harder,” she begs.

Her body is filled with marks. Her alabaster skin is no longer white. It’s a perfect hue of flaming crimson. Welts have developed from every one of the toys I’ve used on her. I’ve spanked her, flogged her, paddled her and caned her. And with everything I’ve done she wants more.

I’ve noticed since Matthew and Ella’s wedding, Penny’s upped the ante with her pain tolerance. She’s begging for more, desperate to have pain in her life at every opportunity.

She’s tried to top me many times, just like she is now.

“Did I give you permission to talk?” I ask again.

I stand behind her, her legs open, her pussy on show to me along with her glorious ass. Her blonde hair is falling out of the ponytail she had it in, and the strands are a stark contrast against the rich brown of the leather from the spanking bench. She’s up on her knees, her wrists are secured to the front legs of the bench.

“So-sorry, Master,” she stutters.

I fucking hate it. She’s called me Master a few times and I know she wants that from me, but I don’t want a slave. I want a submissive.

Standing back, my eyes travel the length of her body. From her upper back all the way to her ankles- she’s marked. The heavier lashings are around her upper thighs and butt. Her mid-section only has slight color, because hitting with a heavy hand around the kidneys is not pleasurable. It’s flat out pain. 

Penny’s been wanting more pain and I’m not ready to take her there. Nor should she want to travel into such dangerous territory.



Sebastian Ex is a native of Sydney, Australia, having grown up in a tight-knit family mostly surrounded by women. From a young age he had a passion for all things green and outdoors, when he hit mid-teenage years he did an apprenticeship as a landscape gardener. 

A serial lover of women, Sebastian was encouraged to pen his words when a lady friend of his compared some paragraphs from contemporary erotic novelists to his scorching, hot sexts. Now, Sebastian is about to release his debut novel in a bid to transition from landscaping to writing full-time.

Author Links

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Embrace The Fire by Felice Stevens


Embrace the Fire

Through Hell and Back # 3
By: Felice Stevens
Releasing May 26th, 2015
Loose ID

Embrace The Fire

Through Hell and Back Series


Brandon Gilbert has spent years in hiding, but finally he’s accomplished his dream of working as a public school teacher. When offered the chance to help bullied children, there was no way he could say no. Not to mention that meeting Dr. Tash Weber, the psychiatrist who helps them, a sad yet sexy older man, ignited a spark inside Brandon he’d never had before.

Though five years have passed since the death of his lover, Dr. Sebastian "Tash" Weber has no interest in relationships or love. But young, enigmatic Brandon awakens his heart and his desire. Despite Tash’s best efforts to push him away, Brandon unlocks the passion for life Tash thought he’d lost forever.

Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan for either Brandon or Tash, but neither family disapproval nor self-doubts can stop them from embracing the fire that burns between them. And when Brandon returns home to fight for a future he never imagined possible, he and Tash discover that the one thing worth fighting for has been with them all along.


Brandon glanced around the empty room. “Guess we’re a little early.” Chairs were set around in a haphazard manner, and the desk in the front was bare of any material.

When Gage checked his watch, he shrugged. “Yeah, only by about ten minutes. Why don’t I go tell them we’re here?”

Before Brandon had a chance to answer him, Gage left. After wandering around the room, Brandon stood at the window, looking out over the dark city sky. It was times like these he wondered if he could risk it all, go back home, and deal with the consequences. He understood a little better now, with the wisdom coming from a life hard-lived, why his foster mother became so overprotective of him. Years of being beaten down and weakened by living with a bully and abuser like Munson would make anyone want to believe in a religion that promised salvation. While he didn’t understand the religious aspect, he supposed it gave her something to hold on to when her life crashed and burned around her.

The door opened. “Oh, hello. I didn’t realize anyone was here yet.”

Brandon turned from his contemplation and faced the man at the door. His eyes widened, recognizing the man he’d seen crossing the street. Once again his body registered an unusual heated response.

“Yes. I’m here for the mentoring program. I came with Gage Taylor.” The man was even better-looking close up. His eyes were hazel with streaks of gold, and his face had a masculine, rugged quality. Not classically handsome, but arresting and, in Brandon’s eyes, so much more memorable.

“Oh great.” The man entered the room, leaving the door ajar behind him. “We were hoping Gage was able to pick up a few volunteers to come tonight.” He extended his hand. “I’m Tash. I run the program.”

At the press of Tash’s hand, a shiver rippled through Brandon. Deciding he was reading more into the touch than he thought, Brandon withdrew his hand a little quicker than he normally would and sat in one of the chairs, drawing a quizzical look from Tash.

“Tash. That’s an unusual name.” To his shock, Brandon realized he’d gotten hard. Mortified and hoping his cheeks weren’t red, he shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. This had never happened before. Ever. He took several deep breaths and concentrated on the man speaking.

Tash rubbed his chin ruefully. “Would you believe my mother is an avid reader of Regency romances and Sebastian was her favorite name? My sister couldn’t pronounce it when she was a baby, and it was shortened to Tash.” He chuckled. “I suppose I should be grateful she didn’t also add the title she loved the most, or you’d be calling me Duke.” 
They were still laughing when Gage walked in, followed by a group of people, some of whom Brandon recognized from the pictures hanging on the wall.

“Oh good, Randy, you met Tash.” Gage dropped into the chair next to Brandon. “Randy is the teacher I told you guys about. Even though he joined our staff as a permanent teacher only this year, he’s already made a tremendous difference in the lives of the kids he teaches.”

Brandon’s face colored, and he squirmed under the scrutiny as the attention of everyone in the room shifted to him. “It’s no big deal,” he muttered. “The kids are awesome and eager to learn.”

“My man here is too modest.” Gage stretched out his long legs. “Within weeks of the start of the school year, all the kids could talk about was Mr. Gilbert and how much they love him. All the kids want to be in his classroom. He’s taken it upon himself to stay late, well after school is over, to work with any of the kids who are struggling, not only the ones in his class.”

“Come on, Gage, cut it out. That’s not why we’re here,” Brandon protested, unzipping his jacket. He hung it on the back of his chair. “Don’t hold up the meeting. No one wants to hear you talk about me.”

“But you’re wrong, Randy,” Tash cut in. “You’re exactly the type of person we need for this program. Someone young, who the kids can identify with, someone who doesn’t look down on them. Someone with empathy for their pain.”

Their gazes held, and Brandon’s breath grew short in his throat. Like a movie where the sound is muted, the rest of the room disappeared; it was as if only he and Tash were present in that small conference room, with Tash whispering the words straight to Brandon’s heart.

Instead of the familiar trepidation at facing new people, Tash’s presence centered Brandon, untangling all the knots the big ball of his hopes and dreams had twisted themselves up into. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Brandon felt safe.

“You make me sound special. I’m not.” It was the truth. All he gave those kids was his time and concern. They craved attention and the knowledge that another person gave a damn about them. Brandon was anything but special. If they knew who he really was, they’d avoid him.

“Everyone is special.” The man he recognized as the founder of the clinic, Dr. Drew Klein, spoke. “That’s what we need these kids to understand. Because they’re different, either in their looks or their sexual orientation, that doesn’t make them weird or bad. Loving someone differently from the norm doesn’t make you wrong.” The doctor smiled at him with a clear, friendly expression.

Brandon wondered if the doctor was gay. In the chair next to his, Tash’s presence brushed up against him, warming him as if he’d been caressed. Brandon’s skin prickled with awareness.

“There’s a chance Randy can help you since he’s already taken it on himself to tutor the kids.” The door opened, and a young man walked in carrying a box of coffee and a bag that smelled like sugar. Gage’s eyes lit up. “I didn’t know you were having coffee and snacks.”

Tash chuckled and bent over to whisper in Brandon’s ear. “If I hadn’t seen how dedicated Gage was to these kids, I’d swear he did this for the free coffee and doughnuts.”

Brandon snorted, knowing well his fellow teacher’s propensity for caffeine and sweets. “I know. The man should just get an IV of the stuff.”

He and Tash shared a smile, and Brandon’s heart gave a funny thump in his chest. Heat rose in his face, and Brandon knew he blushed. Embarrassed, he fidgeted with his watchband, then raked a hand through his hair. He couldn’t sit still and tore his gaze away from Tash’s mesmerizing eyes.

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 Link to Follow Tour: Here 



I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending just around the corner. I started reading traditional historical romances when I was a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn’t until I picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth’s court that my interest in romance novels became renewed.
But somewhere along the way, my tastes shifted. While I still enjoys a juicy Historical romance, I began experimenting with newer, more cutting edge genres and discovered the world of Male/Male romance. Once I picked up her first, I became so enamored of the authors, the character-driven stories and the overwhelming emotion of the books, I knew I wanted to write my own.
I live in New York City with my husband and two children and hopefully soon a cat of my own. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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