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Contemporary Romance

Date Published: May 30, 2017

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The lake town of Maisonville was better known as Renaissance Lake and most who moved there were looking to begin again.

Sydney Bell was no exception. Recovering from a divorce she needed to pick up the pieces of her life and start over.

Unfortunately, in her new town the handsome Ryan Gentry next door and Sydney are already butting heads.

When the real reason she moved to the lake is revealed, she’s reminded that a small town can heal your soul, sparring with an arrogant neighbor can build self-esteem, and true friendship has the ability to make you a better person.

EXCERPT

RYAN GENTRY SLOWLY DROVE the winding road around Maison-Lafitte Lake, taking in the cypress trees and live oaks that shaded the drive. These trees, with their knobby roots, called knees, and the ones with large winding branches, gave the area character and helped set the small water town apart from other vacation destinations nearby.

The small town of Maisonville had virtually gone unnoticed until the late sixties when a group of young professionals from the city started buying property and settling their wives and children there for the summer months. Some remodeled old homes, but many tore down existing structures and built houses to fit their needs.

It was then that Maisonville had its largest population, and covenants were quickly established to keep the town from growing any larger. Currently, there were four hundred permanent residents, many who spent their childhood vacations at the lake and then later brought their children for the summer months. The town was enjoying a sort of renaissance.

A large group of retirees lived there year round, and they were a social group, getting together as often as possible, which gave a boost to the downtown shops and restaurant. Most the retirees used the nickname Renaissance Lake for the area because living there felt like a new beginning. Things had never looked better as they refurbished their homes and spent endless hours perfecting their lawns and flower beds.

It was turning into a retirement haven, but that quaint and peaceful town also lured young adults looking for the same type of paradise, which was why Ryan Gentry called it home. Unlike other towns in the area and the large city on the other side of the lake, Maisonville only opened itself up by hosting a few distinct festivals and by allowing rentals exclusively during the months of June and July.

Maisonville was a beloved area, and outsiders were always curious to get a peek inside the extraordinary town.

It was rare for homes to be sold because they were passed down to family members or relatives of friends. Therefore, property was usually at a premium with newer homes and condominiums on the east side of town and older homes in need of restoration on the west side, split in half by a perfect little downtown. Running north and south was the large lake and the famous bridge that ran twenty miles over water into the bright lights of the city.

Ryan lived and worked on the west side of town. He owned a small company that specialized in old home rehabilitation, and after repairing a few places for others, he began slowly acquiring homes himself. He was becoming well known in town for single-handedly rebuilding Westside, the name given to the area by locals.

He loved Westside and spent most of his vacations there as a kid with his sister and their Uncle. They swam and played water sports all summer long, and he’d hoped he would end up living here.

He was especially happy at the moment because he’d finally talked the owner of his favorite property into selling to him. Tracey McHenry had inherited the large white house at the bend of the lake thirty years ago, but he left Louisiana after college to live in Maine and never returned. He swore he couldn’t take the heat, but he wouldn’t budge on the property until Ryan kept at him.

Ryan sent pictures of the pier falling into the water along with the vines that had overtaken the solarium. It was one of the oldest homes in town, and he dreamed of restoring it to its original stature. He couldn’t believe it was finally going to be his.

Well, it would be his when he sold his latest project house so that he could afford the steep asking price. He couldn’t wait to see the look on his sister’s face when he told her. Reagan had encouraged him to start his own company and had invested a considerable amount to get him started. He was excited to pay her investment off, several months ago, but understood his working capital was strapped until he sold another property. He needed a buyer to fall out of the sky that week so he could buy the house.

He was in the middle of the steepest curve around the lake when he suddenly slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting a car that had stopped on the road. It was late afternoon, and with the tree cover, the old beige colored Subaru wagon was difficult to see. He quickly turned on his flashers and ran back behind his truck to throw down three orange cones and a flashing light.

Damn tourists were going to get someone killed with their site-seeing.

“What the hell are you doing, stopped here in the middle of the road?” he yelled, trying to locate the driver.

“Just looking around,” said a woman standing on the other side of the car.

“A ninety-degree turn is a great spot to stop your car. I almost hit you,” he said sarcastically as he rounded the car to see a pretty redhead wearing a sleeveless blue sundress and sandals. She was peering over the slight drop off at the edge of the road. When she turned around, he could see she had black marks on her forehead and cheek where she must have wiped her dirty hands.

She blinked her brown eyes several times, and he immediately could see she was trying not to cry. He then noticed she had a flat tire and when he looked over the side of the road, he could see her spare tire had somehow rolled down the steep hill several feet.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back,” Ryan said and jumped down the incline to rescue her roll away spare. Without talking to her, he returned and began to change the tire.

“Thank you, but I know how to change a tire,” she said, and he stopped and stared at her. She stepped toward him, and he held up his hand.

“I got it,” he said.

He had it done in ten minutes and then when he lowered the car with the jack, her spare went flat, too. He shook his head and walked back to his truck to get an air compressor. “When you have your oil changed, you should always have them check the spare tire for air.”

“I just bought it, okay?”

“The tire?”

“The car, genius.”

He looked at her and then at the car. He may not be a genius, but they didn’t match. She was wearing sandals that cost a fortune, and there was a purse on the seat of her car that cost more than the car. He knew because Reagan had the same bag and brand of shoes.

He held his hands up and then nodded at her. “You’re good to go now. I wouldn’t drive too far on that spare. It looks pretty old.”

She avoided his eyes but nodded as she headed for the driver’s door. She whispered “Thanks” before she got in and sped off.

City girl.

He hated the city.

***

Sydney Bell hurried into the driveway of the small real estate office. It was just off the downtown area, and she was thankful it was easy to find. She shook her head and wiped the black soot off her face and hands. Of course, she would have a flat tire since she was already running late for the real estate agent.

Houses here didn’t last long, and she knew she might not get another chance for a place here for quite some time. Four months ago there had been a condo on the lake that went up for sale, but there was a bidding war, and she lost out to another buyer.

The house she was seeing today wasn’t on the market officially—yet. She’d been driving around the area and stopped in at a small diner for some coffee and overheard a waitress there talking about it. She didn’t care what it looked like but hoped she could afford it. She desperately needed out of the city and hoped to find a place in Maisonville. She’d sold her late father’s house and then her luxury car, the only thing she got in the divorce, and was ready.

Now she just needed to talk these people into selling to her.

She smoothed down her dress and plastered a smile on her face as she walked into the office to meet Will Fontenot.

It didn’t take long for her to win Will over. He was a nice older man and a sucker for a pretty face with a sob story. She’d told him that her father had passed away before he was able to retire in Maisonville, but it had always been his dream.

She was going to hell for lying and for using her dead father as a reason to earn sympathy. Then again, she was desperate and if she could have asked her father, she was certain he would have given her permission to do it.

She wiped her eyes lightly with a tissue as Will drove her around the lake and toward Oak Cove. “I know the owner personally. His uncle and I were best friends, and I’m certain he would approve of you,” Will said, making her smile.

The drive on the west side of the lake was mesmerizing. It was curvy like the other side, but the road was closer to the water. A canopy of beautiful trees with moss shaded the area while the rippling water sparkled nearby.

Will appeared just as excited to show Sydney the house as she was to see it.

“You should have seen the place before it was redone. It hadn’t been lived in for over twenty years, and had the same décor that it did when it was built in the early fifties,” Will explained, talking the entire way over to the house.

Sydney was getting nervous as she listened to him talk about how old the property was and how terrible it looked. She wasn’t sure she would be able to afford the place already, but if she had to hire someone to do repairs, she would be in a lot more trouble.

They pulled onto the street, and she noticed a giant tree growing right in the middle of where the road should be, but instead, the road adjusted around it. Then at the end of the street, there was a circle, with two houses side by side. There was plenty of land on either side of the houses for more homes, but there were perfectly spaced trees everywhere. There was also a fountain on one side, and the grounds were enclosed by a white picket fence. It looked like a private park. She wrung her hands as she realized both of the houses looked very nice and really expensive.

“Are you sure that’s it?” Sydney asked as they pulled into the driveway on the left.

Will looked disappointed. “You don’t like it?”

“It’s beautiful, Mr. Fontenot. I just don’t think I can afford this place,” she said.

“The porches and garage make it look bigger. Come on. You’ll see. Besides, we can make a lower offer. You never know.”

Will turned off his car, and she followed behind him as he went to the front door and opened it. She paused to look at the details of the porch. It was beautiful. Someone had taken their time and hadn’t pinched pennies there. The spindles were painted white while the hand railing had been rubbed in a black stain to match the wide boards on the decking. It was stunning against the white house.

When she stepped inside, there was a small mud room with shelves to the left and a bench underneath. She slipped off her sandals and followed behind Will. Immediately, she noticed the open floor plan. She was standing in the kitchen but could see the dining room, then the living room, and large glass doors that looked out onto a beautiful deck, pier and the lake.

No way could she afford that house.

She exhaled and then bit her lip so she wouldn’t cry. All the time she spent worrying about the house selling too fast before she got there or it being in complete disrepair was a waste. She should have known that it would be out of her league. Most people wanted to live there. It’s why Drake insisted they spend their summer vacations at Maison-Lafitte Lake: it was expensive and exclusive.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Fontenot. I’ve wasted your time,” she said, walking toward the front door.

He gently held out his hand to stop her. “Don’t you want to see the upstairs or go out on the back porch? It has an amazing view of the lake.” He smiled at her and gently led her to the staircase. “The owner is motivated and wants to sell this quickly.”

Sydney nodded and walked upstairs to see the spare bedroom with bathroom, laundry room and then the master bedroom with an attached bath. There was a smaller version of the downstairs glass doors on one side of the master bedroom, and it led out to a wide second story balcony.

Without speaking, she looked at the closets and checked out the attic, knowing the house was too much for her.

When they walked back downstairs, she followed Will out onto the deck and then pier and looked over to see the large boathouse next door. The house was for families, and she didn’t have one of those anymore. She wiped her eyes with tissue again, and this time the tears were for real. She turned her head so Will wouldn’t see her and was startled when he spoke standing closely behind her.

“Come now, Miss Bell. Let me go inside and make a call.”

She nodded and then watched as Will walked inside already on the phone with someone. He was gone for thirty minutes, and Sydney sat on the end of the pier with her feet hanging over the water. It was a beautiful place. If her boys could be here, they would already be in the lake, swimming and laughing. She wiped her face quickly and swallowed back the emotion. She shouldn’t have tears left, but she did. She had to toughen up and make a go of things. She was on her own. It was time. She had a plan, and she would find a way to make it happen.

She heard Will clear his throat, and she jumped up to meet him at the glass door. He had a strange look on his face, and she couldn’t tell if he was angry or sad. Something was wrong.

“You okay, Mr. Fontenot?” she asked, nervously.

He slapped a smile on his face and nodded at her. “He’s a hard-headed bastard.”

“The owner?” Sydney asked.

Will kept grinning, but she knew he was mad. “Yes. He’s home but won’t come meet you. He said to send him an offer.”

“Is that bad?”

“He does usually meet the prospective buyers, but don’t let that get to you. We’ll go straight to my office and see how eager he is to sell.”

THE DELUGE OF RAIN WAITED until the moving truck was scheduled to arrive and then drowned any hope Sydney had of a smooth move in day.

She’d paid a little extra for them to arrive that morning; that way she’d be finished by the time Ryan returned home next door.

He was the jerk who had helped change her tire the first day she came to town and the owner who reluctantly sold her the house. She wasn’t certain how Will talked him into it, but Will said he was a family friend and that must have mattered to Ryan. Of course, he could have simply been motivated by the cash offer. It took the money she had from the sale of her father’s large home and the sale of her Mercedes wagon for her to afford the beautiful cottage. It was more than she should have spent but way less than the place was worth.

Ryan shook his head during the closing, avoiding looking at her the entire time. Will said he was perpetually grouchy, but she knew he was unhappy about selling to her specifically. She acted sweet and told him how much she loved the house and promised to be a quiet neighbor. However, during the hour-long meeting, Ryan didn’t say more than a few words to her, but he managed to slip the word “genius” into the conversation at least five times.

She couldn’t help it, sometimes words popped out of her mouth before she could stop them. She’d wished she hadn’t been snarky and called Ryan a genius that day on the roadside, especially after he changed her tire, but she couldn’t take it back.

It didn’t matter. He didn’t have to like her. She would prove she could be a good neighbor and ignore him back.

As the moving truck turned onto her twisted street, she realized the truck was much bigger than she remembered. Most of her belongings had been from her father’s estate and picked up from a large storage building where there was plenty of room to maneuver. There was a lot less room on her new street that had large oak trees that had taken up residence a hundred years before the houses were built.

Ryan had made sure these incredible trees, along with the one that partially divided their driveways, weren’t disturbed during the remodeling of their houses. Instead, they were showcased in the landscape with up lighting.

As the rain pummeled down, Sydney ran to motion the truck in front of her house, hoping she could keep them from driving on Ryan’s perfect grass. More importantly, she had to protect the tree limbs that dipped down to the ground before twisting back up to the sky.

She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt but thankfully thought to throw on her green rain boots and matching raincoat before she ran out there, waving her arms. She shook her head as she considered how mad Ryan had acted toward her already, and she’d just gotten here. She had to protect that tree.

The truck barely made the turn around the tree in the middle of the street and then ran partially into Ryan’s yard before making the sharp left into hers. Sydney suddenly realized they didn’t see her and she was narrowly missed by the truck as she ran up the stairs onto her porch.

Screeching the brakes as they hit the wooden steps, Sydney braced herself as the entire porch groaned and shook. The driver then reversed a few feet before throwing the truck into park and sliding out of the driver’s side door to look at her.

The rain slowed down but didn’t stop. Sydney cut her eyes at the driver when she realized his truck not only blocked her driveway but was stretched precariously across the street and Ryan’s drive, too. The driver had completely trapped her in and the rest of the world out.

“Who put those steps there?” The driver laughed and then lowered his eyes at her, daring her to say anything.

Sydney didn’t care how he looked at her. She wasn’t going to accept his behavior. “Look at my steps! Look at my porch! No one would take that turn at forty miles an hour in clear weather. What were you thinking?” she yelled.

The scruffy man’s eyes turned to slits. “Look, lady, I have three deliveries today. Either you want your furniture, or you don’t. Let’s get on with it, or I’m going to take care of my other customers, and you can get your stuff tomorrow.”

He thought he’d made a good point. After all, what could she do? He had her stuff, and she needed help to unload it. She was alone, and he could make things easier or harder for her. He gave her his most arrogant grin and watched her walk to the truck door and climb partially inside the cab before she jumped back out. She then walked past him, and he watched her curiously as she strutted up the steps to the porch and into her house, slamming the door.

The other man in the truck stuck his head out. “Chuck? Um, she took the keys.”

“She what?” Chuck asked.

“Keys to the truck. She took ‘em.”

Chuck made a sound like an animal snarling. “Why the hell didn’t ya stop her, Alan?”

“Why didn’t you stop her?” Alan mumbled, as he sat back down to keep dry and slammed the door shut.

Sydney returned holding her cell phone. “Are you going to call Mr. O’Malley or am I?” she asked, ignoring the growling sounds he made and his red face.

She clearly had no regard for her own safety. Chuck marched right up to her and glared into her eyes. “Now why the hell would I call my dad?”

Sydney was on her tiptoes trying to appear bigger as she argued with the driver.

“You know why, and --.”

They were interrupted by a loud pickup truck horn blaring on the other side of the moving truck.

“No,” Sydney muttered. It was Ryan. What was he doing home?

The driver turned to look as Ryan walked around the front of the truck and toward Sydney’s porch. Ryan gave a short wave to Alan and then slowly walked over to the steps where Sydney and Chuck looked like they were about to brawl.

“Ms. Bell,” he said, and nodded his head her way. “What have you done this time?”

“I haven’t done anything, and this is none of your business,” she said defensively.

The driver grinned. “We were having a little chat, and she took the keys out of my truck.”

Ryan looked at the bowed porch and crooked steps and nodded his head. The driver added, “I may have bumped her steps when I made the turn, but it was raining like hell.”

Ryan looked closely at the steps and then walked up on the porch. “No reason to cry over spilled milk. I can patch that up in no time.” Ryan smiled at the driver. “Need some help with that furniture?”

“No. I, uh, wait, Ryan. I need to call his boss.” Sydney stammered as Ryan stepped in to take over.

“No need to call Mr. O. Right, men?” Ryan asked the movers as they opened up the back of the truck and got ready to hand down furniture.

“But--.” Sydney wanted to disagree, but the look Ryan gave her made her stop.

“You direct traffic, and we’ll haul things inside,” Ryan said and nodded his head until Sydney gave up and nodded back.

It didn’t take long for them to unload her furniture and boxes. Then Ryan thanked them and walked them out of the house to their truck. Sydney’s anger had calmed down through the rain, sweat, and tears of moving her belongings into the house. It was clear she no longer had a family and certainly no kids by looking at her things. She sat down on the couch, thinking about her boys.

Before she could get misty eyed over them, Ryan walked back in the front door without knocking.

Sydney stood up and looked at him. “Thank you,” she said, but as she barely got the words out of her mouth, Ryan was in her space.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he scolded her.

She wanted to yell back at him, but she was exhausted and more than a little shocked at his behavior. She avoided his eyes as she whispered, “What?”

“I drive up and, of course, there is a moving truck blocking the entire street and my driveway. You’re standing there in your little girl rain boots and coat, about to start World War III with two ex-cons! Are you looking for trouble?”

Before she could answer, he threw his hands up in the air.

“Or maybe you just don’t understand the concept of peace and quiet. You certainly don’t know how to keep the peace. Don’t tell me you don’t know that O’Malley’s movers are ex-cons recently let out on parole, including Mr. O’Malley’s oldest son, Chuck. Hell, some of the guys he hires just have day passes from jail to work and then return at night.” Ryan eyed her. “Surely you knew that was the reason they were so much cheaper than everyone else. Besides, did you get a good look at that Alan guy? I’m pretty sure he was on America’s Most Wanted a few years back.”

Sydney held back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She’d spent most of her money buying the house and was simply grateful to have found an inexpensive moving company. There was no question about O’Malley’s because they were her only option.

She refused to admit she didn’t know about the workers being ex-cons. She was having a hard enough time keeping her wits and not looking foolish around Ryan. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept more than a few hours. The lack of sleep coupled with the stress of moving, how much she missed her boys and now for the umpteenth time, the disapproving words of her only neighbor, she found herself without words. That didn’t happen often.

Ryan stopped and stared at her, probably disappointed that she wouldn’t fight with him. He seemed like a man who liked to argue. He then turned, grabbed his rain jacket and stalked out her back door.

She watched as he stormed across her back deck and jumped across to his side and then into his house. As soon as he was out of sight, she slumped back down to the couch where she let her tears take over. She sobbed over missing her children. No matter what Drake had said in court, they were her kids. She cried over the end of her marriage and the idea of being alone. She then cried over her new lake house and how she could ever afford to live here by herself. Then she finally cried because she was just so flipping tired.

Ryan slammed the door as he stomped into his house. What the hell was he thinking? He wanted to buy that great property around the bend, but he could have waited a few more weeks to get his list price and a different buyer. How did he allow Uncle Trey’s best friend, Will, talk him into selling at such a deeply discounted price? He shouldn’t have listened when Will told him she was alone and needed help as a single woman who was recently divorced. It was business and not personal.

Ryan had rules, and when he stuck to them things were fine. In fact, the only time he ever had a problem was when he skirted around these rules. Now, instead of a nice quiet retired couple that might invite him over for a beer every now and again, he was stuck with her.

He slammed his hand down on the counter. He didn’t have anything against Sydney for being a woman. His sister was his closest friend. He loved women. He enjoyed the way they smelled, their soft skin, sweet voices and especially how they felt in his bed, but he couldn’t handle the complicated ones. His life was simple, peaceful and quiet. He fixed houses, not people.

Ryan walked to his fridge and grabbed a cold beer. It was ten in the morning. He paused, looking at the clock and then put the beer back into the refrigerator. He went into his garage and picked up the drill and charger that he’d forgotten that morning and then went back to work.

Driving back toward his current project house, he calmed down, and then his mind went back to her. Sydney Bell. So, she was going through a breakup. Everyone had been there. It was tough, but you do what you have to do and move on. It had been ten years since he’d dated anyone seriously. His girlfriend had sent him a Dear John letter while he was overseas, and he simply went on with his life.

He shook his head and smirked. He’d moved on as often as he could without getting labeled a womanizer. Now in Maisonville, he was considered a confirmed bachelor, and life was good. Women wanted to reform him, and some just wanted a notch on their own bedpost.

Sydney would get over the whole thing easier if she would simply find someone to come home with her. There were plenty of men who would take one look at her and step up to the challenge. In fact, Ryan had helped more than a few divorcees in town. He ran his hands through his hair and tightened his jaw. He had a weakness for redheads, but she was not his type.

First of all, she was his next door neighbor, and he believed in the rule, don’t screw your neighbor. No, she was not going to happen. He was going to have to stop coming to her rescue. She either was helpless or had the worst luck of anyone he’d met, and he’d made the mistake of jumping in three times already. That was just stupid. He should have made a U-turn and avoided their street until that moving truck was gone, but O’Malley’s movers were from the next town over and had a reputation. He’d had a fight with Mr. O’Malley’s son, Chuck, some time ago and understood wherever Chuck went, there was trouble. Then he saw her standing on her tiptoes, arguing with that mouth-breather.

It was a wonder the bastard hadn’t taken a swing at her or worse. Ryan couldn’t let that happen even if she had let her mouth overrun her ass. He had to step in. He couldn’t just let the freaking animal at her. Besides, the creep would have just come back later to make her pay for causing him trouble with his old man.

Not on his watch.

That was his neighborhood, and he wasn’t going to let anything disturb the quiet nirvana he’d created at the lake. Ryan reached up and squeezed the bridge of his nose as he parked his truck. He would make sure Sydney Bell understood the rules again. He’d torn that house down to the bones and built it back up to the perfection it was today so that he could have an exquisite neighborhood. She wasn’t going to ruin that, and he was going to set her straight.

He wasn’t there to watch over her. Her tears had made him queasy, and he had to bolt before he offered to help her with anything else. She could learn a thing or two from him about healing herself with alcohol, women or a nice loyal dog. He laughed. Maybe not women.

Ryan spent the rest of his day working, but he didn’t have the stamina that he’d started with earlier. He couldn’t get his new neighbor off his mind. He was going to have to go out tonight so that he could avoid her. He needed female company to get that woman out of his head.

It was late when he returned home. He dropped his things into the garage before he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer. He barely made it before the sunset and hurried to sit outside on his large deck. It was his evening routine. Before dinner, he would sit outside and watch the sun go down over the lake with his feet propped up. It was his form of meditation, which his therapist had ordered, and it helped his stress slip away.

Tonight he couldn’t get Sydney off his brain. He should go back and give her a piece of his mind, but he remembered the look she had given him when he left. Instead, he paced the deck a few times and then leaned back on the railing, where he realized he could see into her great room.

There she was on that tiny sofa of hers. Ryan saw her body shaking as she cried uncontrollably.

He set his beer down and turned to pace the deck again. He was an asshole. He was a straight shooter, and he knew that sometimes it came off rude.

Not sometimes.

He shouldn’t have yelled at her. He should have just walked away after those movers left, but that bastard Chuck had said some crap about her before he got into the truck, and it got him worked up. She needed to be careful. A woman living alone had to be more aware of the vibe she gave off around men like that.

Ryan walked back over to look in on her. She appeared to be sleeping now, must have cried herself to sleep. He wiped his face and finally had a seat on one of his outdoor chairs, propping his feet up.

He had fallen for the lake the first time he came here to visit his uncle.

Uncle Trey was married for a few years, but eventually divorced and didn’t remarry. He loved to fish, play cards and tell jokes. He was the perfect uncle. Ryan’s sister would talk their mother into letting them spend most of the summer with Uncle Trey. It was during those summers that Reagan learned how to play poker and used the skill to pay her way through college and law school. She was ridiculously smart and sort of his hero.

She lived in the city, but getting together once a month for dinner was the most she could manage with her work schedule. He wanted her to share the house their uncle had left to them, but she refused and signed the deed over to Ryan. She then turned around and bought the first house he rehabbed before anyone else had a chance to buy it.

Reagan had told him that was what he was born to do. She supported his military service but was the only one who saw the damage it had done to his soul. They rarely spoke of it, but when he returned from his final tour of duty overseas, she hired a therapist and sent a car each week to make sure he went.

He did it for her. At least, in the beginning, that was true, but by the end of three months when he felt like a normal person again, he realized he had done it to heal himself. He’d been up close to some of the earth’s most despicable criminals that put not only his life in danger but sacrificed their wives and children in order to protect themselves. His unit had prevented more than a dozen large-scale attacks on the U.S. and three allied countries. It took eliminating entire families to stop many of these events, and for a long time, he couldn’t process any of it.

Reagan saved his life with that therapist, and he wasn’t sure she understood that, even today.

He stood up. He couldn’t think of any of that right now. It was dark, and he was starving. Tonight Miss Lynn’s Diner served meatloaf, and he’d planned to eat out, but now he didn’t want to be around anyone else. Instead, he went out and picked up a pizza to eat at home alone.

He was drinking another beer and eating two slices at a time from the box as he sat on his porch when he saw the light turn on next door.

He slid his chair into a dark corner, pretending he hadn’t been watching for her. Then he settled back to continue eating.

Sydney was up

About the Author

Lisa Herrington is a Women’s Fiction and YA novelist, blogger and speaker. A former medical sales rep, she currently manages the largest Meet-Up writing group in the New Orleans area, The Bayou Writer’s Club. She was born and raised in Louisiana, attended college at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi and accepts that in New Orleans we never hide our crazy but instead parade it around on the front porch and give it a cocktail. It’s certainly why she has so many stories to tell today. When she’s not writing, and spending time with her husband and three children, she spends time reading, watching old movies or planning something new and exciting with her writer’s group.

Connect with Lisa, find out about new releases, and get free books at lisaherrington.com

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Reckoning

6/30/2017

Reckoning
Jena Leigh
(The Variant Series, #4)
Publication date: June 20th 2017
Genres: Paranormal, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Alexandra Parker came home from the past only to find herself in the middle of an underground war—one that could affect the fate of Variants everywhere.

Fighting an all-powerful government agency is tough enough, but when a secret from John Grayson’s past comes back to haunt them all, the group’s united front begins to crumble. And when Alex’s own painful memories threaten to push her past her breaking point, the uprising stands to lose its most powerful weapon.

With their lives and their freedom on the line, can Declan, Nate, and the rest of the Grayson family hold it together long enough to bring down Director Carter and derail Brian’s apocalyptic visions?

As Alex struggles to master her most volatile ability yet, only one thing is certain: the uprising’s cold war with the Agency is about to turn red hot.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

“Would you like to continue?” Brandt asked, his tone mocking. “Or do you need a break?”

Alex wiped distractedly at her brow, straightened her posture, and gave a nod. “I’m ready. Let’s keep going.”

Brandt smiled. “As you wish, little girl.”

He split the fiery orb he held in two before allowing each of them to double in size—and then he lobbed one of them directly at her head.

Standing as they were, only a few yards apart, she barely had time to dive out of the way. The fireball hit the ground just behind her, singeing the earth to a blackened char before fizzling out.

Alex got back to her feet. Again, Brandt split the orb he held in two before sending one spiraling toward her face.

This time she was ready and managed to catch the blazing orb just a few fleeting inches from the tip of her nose. She shrank the ball little by little until she was able to force it to blink out entirely.

Distracted as she was by her efforts, she almost failed to notice the next orb hurtling her way. It took everything she had to react in time to catch that one, too, and dissolve it. This time, she glanced up to discover two fiery masses spiraling in her direction.

Again, Alex was forced to redouble her efforts in order to catch both simultaneously and dissipate them.

And then there were three.

Four.

Five.

Soon Alex’s world consisted only of the flames hurtling toward her and the effort it required to force each orb out of existence.

Within another two minutes, the number of orbs being launched simultaneously in her direction had hit double digits.

Drowning beneath the constant onslaught, Alex grew desperate.

“Brandt, stop!” she gasped out. “Please!”

Instead of slowing, the speed and strength of his volleys intensified.

“Stop?” he repeated, incredulous. “I thought you were here this morning to learn. To train. Are you really going to give up so easily, little girl?”

Exhaustion turned swiftly to rage. Alex growled as she countered orb after orb, dissolving each one with barely an instant remaining to prepare for the next explosive torrent.

“Stop calling me little girl,” she spat through clenched teeth, struggling to hold back the barrage.

“Then stop acting like one,” he replied. “If you just wait around for people to start taking you seriously, you’re never gonna get anywhere. You want to go toe-to-toe with the boys? You want to stand on an equal playing field? Newsflash, little girl. Such a field doesn’t exist. Not for you.”
She could feel the anger burning through her, hotter even than the fire she wielded.

“Don’t ask to be their equal,” Brandt said. “Demand it. Then ready yourself so that, when the time comes, you leave them all behind. Make certain that there will be no doubt that you’re so much more than they ever dreamed.”

Alex could feel her strength—and her ability to focus—waning. She had seconds at most before her concentration gave out and the hailstorm of orbs made contact.

Summoning the last of her willpower, Alex took hold of every lick of fire in the open field, including the ones Brandt still held. Ripping them away from his control, she stretched out her arms, drew the nearly two dozen orbs toward her, and formed a veritable wall with them… and then she catapulted them all back toward her opponent.

Eyes widening in surprise behind his wire-rimmed glasses, Brandt stumbled backward, unable to stop the attack that was now heading straight for him.

Author Bio:

Jena Leigh is the author of the Variant Series novels REVIVAL, RESISTANCE, REDUX, and RECKONING. She’s currently hard at work on the fifth novel in the series. Born and raised in the lightning capital of North America, she eventually made her home in the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. A shameless geek, she loves coffee, loud music, bad sci-fi movies, Skittles, and shenanigan-filled road trips to faraway concerts.

To find out more about The Variant Series and author Jena Leigh, visit her online at www.jenaleighbooks.com or @jenaleighbooks.

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The Truth of Victory

6/30/2017

A Powers of Influence Novel; Book 3

395 Pages

Audio Length: Hours and minutes

Genre: Modern Paranormal Fantasy/ Some clean romance

Blurb:

She was gone....

Stolen from them by an old enemy, Collett and her secrets had drifted into nothingness on a misty fog. She saved them all and left them with more questions than answers.

For nearly three centuries, twin lycanthrope brothers, Cade and Jarrett, had been on opposite sides of an ongoing war. Now, because of Collett, the brothers are united in purpose to eradicate The Faction once and for all. The fierce warriors decide to do what comes naturally. They go hunting.

With the police now involved, demons to kill, and reminders of Collett surrounding them, the brothers find that taking down the evil organization is their greatest challenge.

How could they know that their enemies are also uniting under a power even more ancient than themselves?

In the third book of Powers of Influence, Cade and Jarrett learn that trials often shape a man for a purpose and that their destiny is much more significant than either one of them had imagined.

Teaser Video

Purchase Links:

Amazon US : AU : CA : UK

Excerpt:

When Jarrett reached the top of the incline he shook his head to erase the unwelcome images. Then he looked out across the valley below and understood why Cade liked this place.

An early thaw had melted most of the ice that once covered a small lake within the center of the valley. Today, pregnant, heavy clouds rolled over mountaintops and hid the peaks within their gray depths. Beams of light broke through in small slivers that touched the green grasses peeking out of thinning snow. All around the water, some trees released from their winter weight speared up, reaching for the sun. Others, still heavy with snow, bowed in reverence to the lake.

The beauty of the scene before him shattered when Jarrett glanced to the side and saw Cade at the edge of the precipice.

The heartache emanating from his brother was a thick, heavy cloud, and there was an anger simmering deep inside that Jarrett understood all too well.

Cade stood upon the peak as a large, black wolf. Being a wolf was easier. In this form, the animal instincts would be stronger than the pain. The basic urges and needs of the animal would outweigh his human thoughts.

His brother made no move to acknowledge the intrusion on his solitude, but Jarrett knew he heard. “There was a detective at the house today,” Jarrett told him. “He wants to talk to you.”

Cade tilted his head. Jarrett knew his twin needed a distraction, and lucky enough for Cade, Jarrett understood the need for such things better than most. They were not idle creatures by nature. The wolf inside them craved the hunt, it craved action, especially in a time like this.

Jarrett came out intending to fulfill that need. He wanted to take Cade away from this place and give him a point of focus. He knew staying here would only make things worse, in more ways than one. Jarrett understood that Hall hadn’t swallowed the group’s story about the drug lord. Plus, it could only help to get away from the things that reminded them of Collett.

“Get dressed, we’re leaving,” Jarrett said and threw clothes at the wolf. When Cade looked away, content to ignore him, Jarrett taunted, “Let’s go hunt down Victor and the rest of those Faction monkeys.” He lifted a brow in challenge and grinned when Cade glanced in his direction again. Jarrett saw hunger in his brother's amber eyes. It was the first time since Collett’s death he saw something besides the glazed emptiness. For now, that was enough.

~ What People Are Saying ~

Worth the wait! The final book answers all the questions, and I couldn’t put it down. I found myself reading all night even though I had to get my kids to school the next morning. The ending blew me away.

The characters feel so real and I have grown attached to them. I even found myself feeling sorry for some of the bad guys, and hoping they could see the error of their ways. My new favorite character was Detective Hall. He brings a fun element to this conclusion. It was great to see all the different relationships throughout this series.

I love this series, and hope to see more!

~ Other Books in the Series ~

Forgotten Enemy

A Powers of Influence Novel; Book 1

395 Pages

Audio Length: 12 Hours and 53 minutes

Genre: Modern Paranormal Fantasy/ Some clean romance

Teaser Video

Purchase Links:

Amazon US : AU : CA : UK

Audible

The Price of Knowing

A Powers of Influence Novel; Book 2

391 Pages

Audio Length: 12 Hours and 30 minutes

Genre: Modern Paranormal Fantasy/ Some clean romance

Purchase Links:

Amazon : US : AU : CA : UK

Audible

~ About C.B. Haight ~

Camille Bateman Haight, was born and raised in Sandy Utah. She was born seventh in a family with eleven children. Growing up in a loving home she was taught strong principals. Among those lessons was first a love of God, second, a love for family, and third, a love for stories.

Her father helped her mother learn to read after they were married. Together they taught their children the value of a good book and the hidden worlds between the pages.

Now as a mother of five girls, Camille passes those lessons to her own children. With a BA in communications, she found a way to turn her love of reading into a love for writing and hopes the messages hidden in those pages can inspire others.

Having settled in Utah County with her family, Camille spends her extra time bringing new characters to life.

Camille believes, a good story can lead us out of our darkest places. It should pull at you from within, challenge you to think, and bring forth a bond between you and the characters. The characters must be more than just names on a page. They should be your best friend or your most hated foe. A good story will make you laugh out loud or have tears slipping down your cheeks. It should feel real and engage you on every level.

Connect with C.B. ~

Website : Facebook : Twitter : Goodreads : Amazon Author Page

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The Lost Spaniel

6/29/2017

1 Comment

Mystery/Romance

Date Published: 06/29/17

The Lost Spaniel is the third novella in the Lost and Found Pets series. Alexandra Prescott opened Lost and Found Pets because she loves animals. Reuniting pet and owner is more than just a job.

When Alex’s mentor, Eddie Hill, calls about his lost Cocker Spaniel, Alex rushes to the rescue. They quickly track the dog to an abandoned construction site, but after bullets start flying, Alex realizes there’s more to this case than a missing dog.

Alex and Eddie have to dig into their pasts to find out who might want to harm them or their pets. The list of suspects grows long as Alex tries to solve the mystery of the lost Spaniel.

Excerpt

It was pure luck that saved us. A slight reflection of light in the window caught my eye. Instinctively, I crashed into Eddie dropping both of us to the ground just as a bullet whizzed by our heads. The glass in the lower window shattered. Another bullet pinged on the metal leg of the platform. I rose to my knees and started crawling.

“The dumpster,” I shouted. “Get behind the dumpster.”

Eddie lay frozen on the ground. I grabbed his arm and pulled. He didn’t move.

“Eddie,” I yelled shaking his arm. I wasn’t strong enough to carry him, but he wasn’t moving. Trying to stay low, I stood hunched over, grabbed him under both arms, and started to pull. It was enough to get him moving. He rolled over to his knees. We scurried over to the dumpster as a couple more bullets hit the ground around us. I heard a yelp behind me just as we made it behind the dumpster.

“Hero,” I screamed. I turned to see my dog staggering. Heart pounding, tears filling my eyes, I called to him. “Here, boy. Come on. Over here.”

Hero shuffled over to us. I grasped him and pulled him to safety. I then ran my hands through his fur. He whined when I reached his hindquarters. When I pulled my hand away, I had blood on my fingers. I started to reach for my backpack when another bullet hit the glass window above the scaffolding.

“Daisy,” Eddie said as he started to step out from behind the dumpster. I clutched him from behind to keep him in place.

“Wait!”

“Let me go,” he yelled. “I need to get her.”

“They have a gun, Eddie,” I said trying to remain calm. My heart was pounding, and I was worried about Hero, but I couldn’t let him go. “We need to call for help.”

“Hey, what’s going on?”

I turned to see a man standing in his backyard across the street. The noise of the shots and breaking glass must have attracted the attention of the neighborhood. I didn’t know if the shooter was still around and didn’t want anyone else in danger.

“Gun shots. Go back inside,” I screamed. “Call for help.”

I saw him pulling his phone from his pocket as he rushed back into his house. I glanced around the area to see if anyone else had come outside. Hopefully, the attention we were attracting would scare the shooter away as well as keep all the neighbors inside. Eddie was shaking and muttering under his breath. He needed something to do. I turned back to Hero, blinking back tears as I dug through my backpack for bandages.

“Eddie,” I said catching his attention. When he looked at me, I shoved the bandages at him. “Help Hero. I’ll see if I can tell if the shooter is gone, and then I’ll get Daisy.”

I peered around the dumpster. I didn’t see any movement, but I wasn’t sure exactly where the shots had been coming from. A car started down Pine and drove past us. When nothing else happened, I decided to risk it.

“Okay, I’m going to try to get to Daisy,” I told Eddie.

He looked up, worried, but nodded. I watched him a moment while he carefully placed a bandage over the wound on Hero’s hip. I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned back around.

The end of the platform was only a few feet away. I inched my way over, hugging the wall, and climbed up the side of the scaffolding. There was glass all around. Daisy was huddled in the middle shaking like a leaf. I coaxed her closer all the while hoping the shooter was gone. Once she was close enough, I grabbed her and quickly moved back to the relative safety behind the dumpster just as the first siren sounded in the distance.

About the Author

B. L. Blair writes mystery/romance stories. Like most authors, she has been writing most of her life and has dozens of books started. She just needs the time to finish them.

She is the author of the Holton Romance Series, the Leah Norwood Mysteries, and the Lost and Found Pets Novellas. She enjoys reading books, writing books, and traveling wherever and as often as time and money allows. She is currently working on her latest book set in Texas, where she lives with her family.

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Nowhere is Home...Since You Left

6/28/2017

Death, Grief, Bereavement

Date Published: 1-6-2017

Publisher: Cygnet Publications, Cygnet Media Group Inc.

When her beloved soul friend husband, Gerald, passed away a few years ago, and her friends and sons moved to distant cities, she found herself alone for the first time in her life.

Gerald, a professional artist, had his studio in their home. Their home was always filled with family life, art, music, joy and playfulness in the garden.

After his passing, the silence was loud. The joy was gone — her paradise — a lost paradise.

She had two choices, either to fall apart or to get on with life. She chose the latter and traveled to find a home, a community — however - nowhere was home - since he left.

In writing Nowhere Is Home … Since You Left, Madeleine Zeldin shares her insights, emotions, and true life experiences as she journeys solo throughout the years following the sorrowful death of her soul mate, internationally renowned artist, Gerald Zeldin. She presents years of storytelling based on travel journals she wrote while traveling to countries such as Mexico, Philippines, Ecuador, France, Spain, and California, U.S.A. Zeldin also reveals the intensity of the pain and sorrow experienced in her grief, along with the fulfillment, satisfaction and logistics of international travel. In her travels she volunteered in the medical ﬁeld and gave help where help was needed. She brings inspiration to those of her generation, the 60’s, who find themselves alone.

Through her evocative tales of adventure, Zeldin reveals this life-changing knowledge to the world!

But ultimately where is Home?

EXCERPT

Finding Your Path

“Do not go where the path may lead.

Go instead where there is no path

And leave a trail.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

When i travel to faraway places, i like to experience the local flavour … and often write a ‘sketch’ of my experiences …

My purpose in writing these travel journals … these ‘sketches’ …

is to share with you my adventures and cultural experiences of these places … the road less travelled …

saw two lovers on the beach this evening …

they were gentle and sweet …

one walked up to a bag of garbage that someone thoughtlessly left on the beach …

he tore the bag apart and started licking some juice

from the juice box …

the female slowly walked over to her friend … and coyly looked at him … as if to say …

may i share … they both started licking, then stopped …

they looked at each other and rubbed noses …

as their lips gently touched …

their slender grey proud bodies strolled away graciously

when the dogs came to chase

these donkeys away …

as we were looking down at the clear ocean from the high cliffs …

we saw the outline of a shark …

swimming around the shoreline far below … just where we were going to go snorkelling …

so the tour guides … all young ecuadorians with a sense of humor…

said they would keep us safe and took us to another spot …

but not far off …

around the other side of this small island …

not sure whether to quite trust these young men …

as we were swimming in the deep waters way out in the pacific …

i asked one to watch out for sharks …

he said not to worry …

the only shark i would have to watch out for… was him …

last night i tripped and broke my toenail

and did not want to cut it off …

so bought some crazy glue … for fifty cents …

and glued my nail together …

the only problem … i glued the tip of my finger to my toenail …

was almost impossible to pull it away …

so now my finger tip is part of my toenail …

About the Author

Professionally, Ms. Zeldin has been engaged in nursing and teaching. She has successfully advocated for changes in the medical field, along with homebirth and Midwifery. In her travels to out of the way places, she has been a keen observer of people and distant cultures, often writing a 'sketch' of her experience.

Madeleine is an advocate of advocacy.

Madeleine believes we can all make a difference.

Throughout her adult life she has successfully advocated for change. When she felt change was needed, she rallied. She lobbied. She started a group or joined a group.

In the late '70's, when her town council was considering tearing down old heritage properties in the name of 'Progress', she helped start a group of interested citizens in order to save these heritage properties. 'Progress' was stopped and many heritage buildings were saved due to the group's diligence.

Again in the early '80's, Madeleine herself changed local hospital policy to allow midwives to accompany couples in the birthing room, after the hospital refused to allow her midwife to enter.

She belonged to a group of informed parents who advocated for changes in the policies for vaccinations.

Madeleine volunteered at the local Health Center and advocated for improved health care for refugees. Improvements were made.

She successfully advocated for her soul-friend, late husband Gerald's medical care throughout their six year battle with cancer. Many important changes were implemented in our medical system due to her persistence.

Madeleine has been ahead of her time in her generation. She had many professions throughout her life including social worker, teacher, registered nurse. She also joined a group of midwives and again successfully advocated for choices in childbirth.

However, she considers her most important achievement as being a mother and grandmother. She has instilled in her family a sense of love and empathy and has taught them to love the earth and its people.

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Thy Paintbrush to Abstracting Images

6/28/2017

1 Comment

Poetry

Publisher: True Beginnings Publishing

Date Published: February 3 2017

A collection of poems that will take readers on a constant visual journey by creating a world between an abundant imagination and reality based situations.

This poet has a way of waving her magic wand and putting up a persuasive point of view.

This poet also has super pen powers on the page with a creativity level that cannot be tamed, and she will dazzle you with dazzle you her captivating gift when it comes to connecting with others by using images and musicality to tell different poetic stories throughout the entire book.

About the Author

Shavonda Robinson is an accomplished writer whose credits include being published in a few anthologies and magazines. She also is the founder of Create Something for the future," an online poetry magazine for upcoming poets and writers. She has won a few poetry awards for being most creative and poet of the year in a few poetry competitions and Songwriting awards. She is inspired by the power of words, when it comes to transforming ourselves and our thought's by the written word. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her two beautiful children.

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The Devil's Gift

6/27/2017

ABOUT THE DEVIL’S GIFT:
Publication date: June 25th, 2017

Genre: Victorian Romance

THE DEVIL’S GIFT by best-selling author Laura Landon is one of twenty-five titles—all historical romance—that all carry the Union Jack Heart. Featured authors also include Christina McKnight, Ava Stone, Deb Marlowe, Meara Platt, Julie Johnstone, and more! Romance, deception, murder...happily ever afters you won't want to miss. Look for titles that carry the Union Jack Heart.

Jackson Rafferty, second son of the eleventh Earl of Devlin, held his dying brother in his arms and swore he’d avenge his murder. That pact made in blood led him to the back halls of Kingston Manor and the woman who would stand between him and pursuing the man Jack knew had killed his brother. That man was her father.

Miss Jenevieve Kingston has a secret. Keeping it is the only thing keeping her father alive. When a rogue by the name of Jack Dawson comes dangerously close to spoiling everything, Jenna forces him from her home. But not before he has worked his way into her heart.

Now he’s back, proving he is not who she thought he was. But how can she trust him after weeks of deception?

ABOUT LAURA LANDON:

Laura Landon is a Prairie Muse Platinum, Kindle Press, and Amazon Montlake bestselling author. Laura enjoyed ten years as a high school teacher and nine years making sundaes and malts in her very own ice cream shop, but once she penned her first novel, she closed up shop to spend every free minute writing. Now she enjoys creating her very own heroes and heroines, and making sure they find their happily ever after.

A vital member of her rural community, Laura directed the town’s Quasquicentennial, organized funding for an exercise center for the town, and serves on the hospital board.

Laura lives in the Midwest, surrounded by her family and friends. She has written nearly two dozen Victorian historicals, thirteen of which have been published by Prairie Muse Publishing and are selling worldwide in English, one in Japanese, and several in German. Two are Scottish historicals.

In October 2012, Laura experienced an amazing day when Amazon’s Montlake Romance published not one but three of her newest novels. Two of these have been optioned for publication in Russia and Turkey. Several are also available in German. To date Montlake had published seven of Laura’s Victorian historicals and Kindle Press three.

Always beautifully set and with a mysterious twist or bit of suspense, Laura’s books average over a million and a half pages a month read by her loyal readers.

CONNECT WITH LAURA:
Website: http://www.lauralandon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauralandonbooks
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-landon
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Landon/e/B004GANR1O

Read An Excerpt:

“It’s rather funny, don’t you think?” the Earl of Devlin said as he continued to make his way down the street. “Father thought if you were gone, I would step in to take your place. He thought your absence would make me assume some responsibility in running Devlin Downs. Instead...”
“Instead, what?” Jack asked, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.
When Sheridan stopped on the sidewalk and turned, Jack felt a cold chill race down his spine. The color left his brother’s bronzed face and a haunted look filled his eyes.
“Refusing to marry Kingston’s daughter is probably the first selfless act I’ve ever committed.”
“How can you say that?”
Shad paused and Jack knew his brother was weighing how much he should reveal.
“How much do you know about Kingston?”
“Very little. I only know about the agreement he made with Father for you to marry his daughter.”
“A pact made in blood,” Shad said barely loud enough to be heard. “Marrying into that family would have condemned us all. Or worse.”
“What are you talking about? If there’s something we should go to the authorities with—“
Shad dropped his head back and laughed. “The authorities. Oh, that’s rich, Jack. You’ve been in government service too long. The authorities are the last ones you can trust.”
“That’s not true, Shad. I have connections that have nothing to do with the local authorities. Tell me what you know and I’ll figure out what to do.”
The Earl of Devlin smiled sadly at his brother. “You always could fix everything. I should have known to come to you right away.”
“Yes, you should have. Now, what do you know?”
Sheridan hesitated as if knowing what he was about to do was the same as stepping off a ledge. Once you took the first step, there was no going back.
“Promise you’ll be careful, Jack. I don’t know all the details. In fact, I’m confused on some of them, but somehow the Kingston name is behind it.”
“Behind what?”
“Behind—”
A nondescript carriage clattered noisily by on the far side of the street. A few yards further on a drunken trio assaulted a familiar tune. Shad’s words halted abruptly. At the same moment Jack saw the surprised look on Shad’s face he heard a muffled pop and knew instantly what was happening. In horror he saw Shad’s features sag as he crumpled to the ground in front of him.
Jack threw his body over Shad but no second shot came. Jack cautiously lifted his head and looked around. In the faint light he focused on the area from which he felt the shot had come. All was quiet. The street was empty.
Jack knew that even if he left his brother to race after the assassin, he wouldn’t find anyone. Whoever had shot Shad was long gone.
“Shad, how badly are you hit?” Jack asked, kneeling beside his brother. “Can you—”
Jack stopped. He was going to ask if he was able to stand, or if Jack should send for a doctor. But he knew the answer. Shad couldn’t stand. And it was already too late to send for a doctor.
Shad was dying.
“Hold on, Shad. I’ll take care of you.”
Shad lifted his trembling hand and pulled Jack down to whisper.
“Don’t let...”
Shad coughed through the rattle in his throat.
“...get you...
“...too.”

Win!-
www.aurorapublicity.com/thedevilsgift

Buy now on Amazon! http://a.co/4XPaOjx
This book is free for Kindle Unlimited readers.

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Path of Thieves

6/27/2017

Path of Thieves
Sunniva Dee
Publication date: June 27th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Football hero by day and thief by night, Charles “Cugs” McConnely leads a double life in the small town of Newbark, Florida. At sundown, the seventeen-year-old turns burglar, forced into the business by the man who should be teaching him the difference between right and wrong: his father.

Cugs is a pro at both games, but only one can secure him a college scholarship. It should be an easy decision, a no-brainer—if Newbark hadn’t proffered the only life he knows.

After run-ins with Nadine Paganelli, his accidental victim and the sole person to have caught him in the act, Cugs starts to realize that hearts can be stolen too.
When his long-lost sister makes contact, lies are uncovered and truths revealed. Suddenly, Cugs finds himself questioning both plans and loyalties. Because sometimes the only way to move forward is by pulling the bottom out of the past.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Last night wasn’t good. Dad’s getting more eager. He wants to accomplish so much on his shopping sprees, blaming a more expensive life now that Step-Cynth’s with us. I’m not in a place to meddle, but it seems six-packs of aprons aren’t the only things she buys on his bill.

My father’s becoming sloppy. Yesterday, we returned in the early morning after hitting almost a dozen houses. The owners of four of them were still at home. Yeah. He isn’t doing his homework the way he used to.

Thing is I’m tired. I don’t see a change in sight. Now, I try to keep my eyes open as I drive the wreck to Orlando to meet up with Keyon. Which is going to come back and bite me in the ass. What other option did I have though, come off as a coward to, in the words of Liza, “freaking Keyon Arias of Alliance Cage Warriors?”

Keyon is already there when I enter the Hard Rock Café. He fills out his side of the booth with fighter shoulders and wide thighs. Elbows on the table and bent over a glass of water, he lifts a hand in greeting as soon as he sees me. My chance to chicken out just dissipated.

“Cugs,” he says, voice husky like it is after a fight. Maybe that’s his voice now. I remember it light, prepubescent, I guess, from back when my own had the pitch of a little kid.

“Keyon.” I tip my head, acknowledging him without a smile, and then I sit down in front of him.

“Soda?”

I think of the possibility of going to Gainesville for the tryouts. “Ice water.”

Keyon doesn’t need to do much to get the waitress over. Half-turned to our table, she’s hovering with a watchful eye. When he glances up, she meets his stare immediately and hurries over.

“How are you?” From his expression, he’s not just being polite. He wants to know. “It’s been so long since we’ve talked.”

“I’m good,” I lie.

“What have you been up to? Your sister has been trying to get a hold of you.”

I’ve steeled myself for questions, assuming they would come. I didn’t think he’d start with them right away though.

“Oh you know, living it up in Newbark.” I do a long, purposely fake nod hoping it will make him laugh. Instead, he studies me, starting with my eyes then traveling over my face.

“You liking it there? How’s your old man?”

I shrug, unable to lie about him. “Married again. To a girl Paislee’s age.”

His eyes widen a little. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, as of a few months ago.”

“Geez.” He blows air out his nose. “New stepmother, huh?”

“Yeah, she isn’t exactly Mom.” And there, I said it. I hope he doesn’t notice. I open my mouth to add something, whatever, to get us off the subject, but he jumps in before me.

“You miss your mother?”

Silence.

Snowmen. Hot chocolate. Cold summer lakes. Blue lips.

Author Bio:

Between studies, teaching, and advising, Sunniva has spent her entire adult life in a college environment. Most of her novels are new adult romance geared toward smart, passionate readers with a love for eclectic language and engaging their brain as well as their heart while reading.

Born in the Land of the Midnight Sun, the author spent her early twenties making the world her playground. Southern Europe: Spain, Italy, Greece--Argentina: Buenos Aires, in particular. The United States finally kept her interest, and after half a decade in Los Angeles, she now lounges in the beautiful city of Savannah.

Sometimes, Sunniva writes with a paranormal twist (Shattering Halos, Stargazer, and Cat Love). At other times, it's contemporary (Pandora Wild Child, Leon's Way, Adrenaline Crush, Walking Heartbreak, and Dodging Trains, coming in late March 2016).

This author is the happiest when her characters let their emotions run off with them, shaping her stories in ways she never foresaw. She loves bad-boys and good-boys run amok, and like in real life, her goal is to keep the reader on her toes until the end of each story.

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The Trainee Undercover

6/27/2017

YA Suspense/Thriller

Date Published: April 2017

The Trainee Undercover is a mystery, action, and thriller novel written by Brenda Shaw.

Paul Collier, a high level executive, in a pharma company gets threatened into silence by an unknown force. In despair, he decides to send his family away to protect them.

Alex, a happy-go-lucky teenager, is all set to enjoy his summer vacation with his friends.

But fate has other plans in store! They get entangled with a murder case.

Alex and his friends are now committed to pursue criminals.

They desperately want to help Paul! But, will they fall prey into the hands of the criminals?

It’s a gripping adventure where they have to race against time and winning is everything!

The teenagers’ amateurish skills will have to compete with professional criminals.

Will they be a victim or victorious? Read the novel to find out...

About the Author

Brenda Shaw is a author based in UK and writes under a pen name.

Since childhood, she has been a very keen and voracious reader of adventure, suspense, mystery, detective, legal and science fiction books.

After completing her post-graduation in biological sciences, she worked for the pharmaceutical industry for nearly two decades. She decided to leave her career and pursue her childhood passion of writing fiction books.

Brenda Shaw is the author of the suspense action-packed thriller, ‘The Trainee Undercover’.

Being a travel lover, she has been travelling to various cities in Europe, America and Asia. She is very keen to explore and understand the varied customs and colorful cultures that exists around the world.

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