Ellesea Loves Reading: 02/10/17

Friday, 10 February 2017

New Release Spotlight: Falling for the Highlander by Lynsay Sands

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Falling for the Highlander
Highlanders #4

By: Lynsay Sands

Releasing January 31, 2017
Avon Books

Falling for the Highlander

Highlanders series

If there’s one thing Lady Murine will not abide, it’s her virtue being handed over to the highest bidder. When her scoundrel brother does just that—in exchange for a few Scottish horses, no less—she’s appalled, but she refuses to stand by and let it happen. She’s determined to take matters into her own hands, even if it means braving the countryside alone—or worse, with a tempting Scot by her side.

Dougall set out to sell a few horses to an English lord; he never expected he’d help smuggle a beautiful fugitive back to Scotland instead. When her brother offered Lady Murine for a few horses, Dougall was disgusted and promptly turned him down. But encountering the runaway lass on the road out of town sets something pounding in Dougall’s heart. There’s something about this fierce woman that makes him want to do more than just help her escape. He wants to protect her—with his life and his heart.

If Dougall’s not careful, this Scot might just end up tying the knot…

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“Dougall,” Murine moaned in protest when he broke their kiss. She tried to shift against him again, but he held her still, trying to catch his breath and regain control of himself.
“Hush,” he murmured and turned sharply toward shore, intending to get them out of the water and set her away from him. He realized what a stupid idea that was when the supporting water fell away and she, probably afraid he would drop her, tightened her legs to keep herself up. Dougall stopped walking and dropped his head to her chest with a groan as her body slid against his again.
This had really been a bad idea, he acknowledged and took a couple of deep breaths, before saying, “I’m going to set ye down, lass.”
“But I don’ wan’ ye to,” she protested. “This feels good. I like it.”
The words made his determination falter. If it weren’t for the way she slurred her words, he might have taken her there and then. However, there was a definite slur to her words. Murine was in no state to think clearly on this. He had to think for both of them, and while he’d pretty much decided he was indeed going to marry Lady Murine Carmichael and bed her well and repeatedly, he would not have her waking in the morning and accusing him of treating her like the whore her brother had tried to turn her into.
“I like it too, lass, but—”
“Then why are ye stopping? Did I do something wrong? Tell me what to do and I’ll—” Her words died on a gasp as he suddenly dropped her into the water. It was a desperate bid to save them both. She was a tasty little bundle and Dougall could not fight himself and her too.

Leaving her to flounder back to her feet in the shallow water, he moved quickly back to shore, grabbed his tartan, laid it out, and knelt to begin pleating it with his back to the water. He didn’t do more than glance over his shoulder once to be sure she got out of the water safely, but then immediately turned his full attention forward again. He would give her time to dress and then escort her back to camp . . . and then he would not allow himself to be alone with her until they reached Buchanan and were safely married. He would not have her thinking he saw her through her brother’s eyes.

Lynsay Sands is the nationally bestselling author of the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series, as well as numerous historicals and anthologies. She's been writing stories since grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress through her stories, and if there's occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter, that's just a big bonus. Please visit her on the web.

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Rafflecopter Giveaway (a Print Set of Books 1 – 3 in the Highlanders Series: Includes AN ENGLISH BRIDE IN SCOTLAND, TO MARRY A SCOTTISH LAIRD and THE HIGHLANDER TAKES A BRIDE (US Only) )

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New Release Spotlight: At Close Range by Laura Griffin

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At Close Range
Tracers #11

By: Laura Griffin

Releasing January 31, 2017
Pocket Books

At Close Range

Tracers series

New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin “delivers the goods” (Publishers Weekly) again with the eleventh title in the gritty, heart-pounding Tracers series.

When a lakeside tryst ends in a double murder, police detective Daniele Harper arrives on the scene determined to get answers. Clues are everywhere, but nothing adds up. Dani turns to the Delphi Center crime lab for help, but soon regrets it when her secret attraction to their chief firearms examiner threatens to distract her from the most important case of her career.

As a ballistics expert and former Navy SEAL, Scott Black knows firearms, and he knows he can help Dani unravel her case. Scott has managed to hide his interest in his best friend’s younger sister for years, but when her investigation brings them together, the sparks between them quickly get out of control. Scott resolves to keep his hands off Dani and his eyes on the goal—identifying a killer. But when that killer zeroes in on Dani, all bets are off. There isn’t a line Scott won’t cross to convince Dani to trust him so that he can help her take down a ruthless murderer who has her in his sights.

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Dani watched him. Scott stood beside the car, his back to the victim as he skimmed his flashlight over the ground. The firearms expert was tall and broad-shouldered, with the super-ripped body of a former Navy SEAL. Instead of his usual tactical pants and combat boots, he wore jeans and a leather jacket tonight, so maybe he’d been out when he’d gotten the call. Dani knew from experience that his jacket had nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with the Sig Sauer he carried concealed at his hip.

Something glinted in the grass, and Scott crouched down to tag it with a numbered marker. Two minutes on the scene and already he’d discovered a piece of evidence. He stood and squared his shoulders, and Dani felt a pang deep inside her as he approached.

He stopped and towered over her, and for a moment they just stared at each other.

“Was the passenger door closed when you got here?” he asked.

“That’s right.”

“Where’s the girl?”

“No sign of her.” She nodded at the woods. “One of our officers is searching near the lake with Travis.”

He watched her for a moment with those cool blue eyes. His gaze shifted to the woods. “You need a K-9 team.”

She bristled. “I know.”

He strode over to his truck and opened the toolbox again. He took out a metal detector, which would help him locate shell casings or bullets, and maybe even the second victim if she was wearing jewelry or a belt.

Then again, the killer might have taken her somewhere else. Dani glanced back at the road and got a queasy feeling in her stomach. Where was she? She turned her attention to the lake, visible just beyond the trees. It was a scenic spot, usually--a tranquil little oasis for couples. But not tonight.

She glanced at Scott again, and he was watching her closely--so closely it made her wonder what he was thinking.

“You coming?” he asked.

She nodded at the body. “I’ll stay with him until the ME shows.”

Scott walked off, and Dani let her gaze follow him until he disappeared into the woods.

The medical examiner’s van rolled up, followed closely by Ric, and Dani’s stomach tightened as she thought of everything she didn’t like about this case. And it wasn’t even an hour old yet.

Ric walked over, his expression grim as he took in the scene. “The media has it.”

“That didn’t take long.”

“It was all over the scanner,” he told her. “I give us ten minutes, tops, before they roll in here with their cameras. We need to barricade the road.”

“Daniele.”

She turned toward the sound of Scott’s deep voice calling her from the woods. He was a tall silhouette at the edge of the trees, and from his tone Dani knew it was bad.

“What is it?” she yelled back.

“I found her.”

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author LAURA GRIFFIN started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of romantic suspense. She is a two-time RITA Award winner (for the books Scorched and Whisper of Warning) as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award (for Untraceable). Laura currently lives in Austin, where she is working on her next book.