Blog Tour Featuring *Deceived* by Lisa Hughey @LisaHughey @xpressotours #giveaway

Deceived
Lisa Hughey
(Alias, #5)
Publication date: February 3rd 2020
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

He’s done rescuing people. She doesn’t want to be rescued. They’re both about to be disappointed.
The next installment in the ALIAS world features disgraced partner Marsh Adams who is seeking redemption and Ayesha Brown, an up and coming artist with a huge problem. This reverse heist, bodyguard for a woman in peril interracial romance features a strong family theme.

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The door swung open with a crash. “Sorry I’m late.” A slender Black woman swept in like a tropical storm.
His first impression was color.
Bright, vibrant movement. Whirling dervish. And color.
He started at the bottom and surveyed his way up.
Worn, pale blue Converse high-tops splattered with paint. Ripped skinny jeans with splotches of paint in bold red, yellow, bright blue, even some neon green and orange. A white tunic sweater slipped off one shoulder revealing bare skin and collarbones. The nipples of her small breasts pushed against the top, boldly proclaiming her braless.
Her face was stunning: high cheekbones, regal nose, black arched brows. Striking hazel eyes shimmered with secrets and mirth, as if she had a private joke just for them.
Except everyone probably felt like that around her.
She was one of those people who oozed magnetism and sex appeal.
Just like his father, if he were honest. And that thought made him want to gag and then spew all over the old man’s office.
She had skin the color of rich Brazilian hardwood and hair a natural halo around her face. She had another splotch of paint on her bare neck, and her fingers were long and elegant and adorned with paint, as she gestured at the old men. “Problem on the metro. Was stuck on the train.”
Everything about her screamed free spirit and unrestrained joy.
“Ayesha, darling.” The judge walked toward her with open arms and embraced her. He squeezed her tightly, just a little too long. But in an odd turn of events, Marsh didn’t think his father’s touch was sexual. He seemed almost paternal.
That was weird.
“Good to see you again as well, Uncle Bobby.”
“Lovely to see you again, my dear.” His father slung his arm over the woman’s shoulder and turned her to face Marsh. “This is my son, Marsh.”
Uncle Bobby? Now Marsh was really confused.
“Marsh, I want you to help Ayesha.”
What the hell?
#
Ayesha Brown stopped in her tracks. Raised one eyebrow and scanned her gaze over Marsh Adams.
So this was Marsh Adams.
She’d been hearing about the prodigal son for years, but she’d never met him.
He was…not what she expected. Oh, he looked a little bit like his father, taller, thinner, with his paternity written in the austere lines of his pale white face. She tilted her head and studied the angles of his face—he had the square jaw and high forehead that emphasized his eyes, but his nose was crooked, adding interest to the otherwise perfect lines. Peripherally she noted his clothes, appreciating the suit porn.
Pinstripes. Tie. Shiny shoes. Stuffy. Tightly wound. Buttoned up. But that nose didn’t fit with the rest of his appearance.
Since she knew how much heartache he had caused his father, she nodded once at him and stuffed her hands in her pockets. A clear rejection of cultural normative standards. She wasn’t about to shake his hand.

Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author Lisa Hughey has been writing romance since the fourth grade, which was also about the time she began her love affair with spies. Harriet and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys later gave way to James Bond and Lara Croft and Jason Bourne.
Exploring the complex nature of a profession that requires subterfuge and lies fascinates her. She loves combining her two passions into fiction. As evidenced by her Black Cipher Files series.
Archangel Rafe was her first foray into the paranormal but after spending time in the Angelic Realm, it won't be her last. At their heart, the Seven novels are about the dynamics of family relationships. But the really hot Archangels don't hurt.
And recently she's been immersed in the Stone Family novellas, four stories about a blended family of brothers and sister who have a lot more in common than they realize. But of course she couldn't just write about family and romance. There are complex plots, bad guys, and suspense too.
Lisa loves to hear from readers and has various places you can connect with her, although, shh, Twitter is her favorite.

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Blog Tour Featuring *Fang And Claw* by Evangeline Anderson @EvangelineA @xpressotours #giveaway

Fang And Claw
Evangeline Anderson
(Nocturne Academy, #2)
Publication date: February 22nd, 2020
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

My name is Kaitlyn Fellows and I’ll never be the same.
The Fire stole everything from me.
My home…my family…even my beauty.
The right side of my face is normal–even pretty. But the left side, I hide in shame. That’s where The Fire marked me…scarred me forever.
At Nocturne Academy I’m nothing–just a little Norm girl with no supernatural powers and a disfigured face.
Which is why it’s so strange that a big, Handsome Drake like Ari Reyes should take an interest in me.
But it isn’t only Ari who’s interested in me.
For under his high cheekbones and clear amber eyes, he hides another, much more frightening visage–A Drake, the fire-breathing monster that lives within him.
A monster who has decided I should be his alone.
Can I survive Ari’s love for me? And more importantly, can I survive the love of his Drake?
Because once a girl has been claimed by a Drake, the only way out is through The Fire.
What am I going to do?

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Ari
I finished my test and brought it up to the teacher’s desk to place face-down on the slowly accumulating pile. Ms. Eventide was a Nocturne with sharp green eyes and a pale face. She nodded as I put down my paper and turned to go back to my seat.
“Very good, Mr. Reyes, you may read quietly at your desk,” she murmured.
I nodded, even though I knew that I wouldn’t be reading a thing. I would get out a book and pretend to read, of course, but mostly I would be watching Kaitlyn, who was even now getting up to place her own test on the teacher’s desk.
But as she moved past me, the little human seemed to trip on something on the floor. She gasped and windmilled her arms, her test papers flying in all directions as she started to fall.
I didn’t think—I just acted. Reaching down, I scooped her up before she could hit the floor and gathered her close to my chest.
“Oh!” Kaitlyn gasped and for a moment I saw her full face, as I had that day in PE—both the lovely right side and the scarred left side. Then she turned away quickly, using her long hair to hide herself, as she always did.
“Are you all right?” I asked, worried about her.
“I’m fine. Please put me down.”
She was trembling in my arms—shaking as though she feared me. I could smell the scent of her terror too—the sharp smell of adrenalin rose around me.
But there was something else too—an added component to her usually sweet scent which I was, by now, completely addicted to. It was strangely metallic and…I don’t know how else to put this…cold. A scent like winter coming on.
What was wrong with her?
“Mr. Reyes, I believe you can put Miss Fellows down now.” The sharp voice of our teacher cut through me like a knife and I realized I had been cradling the little human to my chest and inhaling her scent, trying to work out what was different about her, while ignoring her request to be put back on her feet.
“Forgive me,” I said quickly, setting her down gently. “I just…didn’t want you to fall.”
Kaitlyn’s only answer was a frightened glance before she rushed back to her seat. But then she appeared to realize that her test papers were still all over the floor. She started to get up again, though by now, everyone in the class was staring at her—which I knew was agony for the little human. In all that she did, what she strove for most was simply not to be noticed—not to be seen.
“Let me,” I told her and bent to pick up the scattered papers. Stacking them neatly, I placed them face-down on the teacher’s desk and resumed my own seat.
Kaitlyn’s one visible eye—a lovely pale aquamarine that was striking in the pale, creamy brown of her face—followed me uncertainly. As I passed her on the way back to my desk she murmured, “Thank you,” in a voice so low I was certain no one heard but me.
I nodded and murmured, “Welcome.”
She stared at me for a moment more, then looked quickly away, her curtain of hair swinging down to hide her face.
I wished she could have met my eyes just a moment more—I hated the fact that she was clearly afraid of me. I probably shouldn’t have swooped her up like that but what else could I do—just let her fall?
Inside me, my Drake roared in negation. Kaitlyn was ours, he asserted passionately—ours to watch over, ours to protect. I could no more stand by and watch her fall and hurt herself than I had been able to let Sanchez get away with bullying her.
But as I sat back down in my own seat, I couldn’t help lifting my nose to catch a bit of her scent once more. Her fear had faded but the new, cold note hit my nose, making it tingle. I frowned—why did she smell so strange? So unlike herself?
I frowned as I wondered once again, what was happening to my little human?

Author Bio:
Evangeline Anderson is the USA Today and NYT Best Selling Author of the Brides of the Kindred, Alien Mate Index, and Born to Darkness series. She is thirty-something and lives in Florida with a husband, a son, and two cats. She had been writing erotic fiction for her own gratification for a number of years before it occurred to her to try and get paid for it. To her delight, she found that it was actually possible to get money for having a dirty mind and she has been writing paranormal and Sci-fi erotica steadily ever since.

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Blog Tour Featuring *Forever Summer* by Nicole Bea @nicolebeawrites @xpressotours #giveaway

Forever Summer
Nicole Bea
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: February 24th, 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Morrigan Westhaver isn’t convinced anything could make her forget her abusive ex-boyfriend—not even if she travels all the way from her home in Michigan to her father’s ranch in Alabama. Saved text messages and voicemails haunt her life with poisonous words and crippling self-doubt, but she can’t seem to let them go. On the ranch, much to her surprise, she immediately takes to a rescued horse, Stormy, as well as Levy, an attractive ranch hand. Will their understanding and gentle support help her heal, or is the damage too deep?

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“We could have texted if you wanted to talk,” I remind him, patting the spot on the bed where my phone has slipped down to.
He pulls an elastic band from his wrist and snaps it into place around his hair, making a perfectly small bun before taking the towel, squeezing the excess water from the style, and taking a seat at the edge of my bed.
“You’re trying to make it sound like you don’t want me here, but I know you do. You wouldn’t have let me in otherwise, and you wouldn’t have kissed me this afternoon.” There’s a pause, the night dripping in and our faces drawing closer. “Do you believe in love at first sight, Morrigan?” His voice hangs heavy and warm in the bedroom air.
The question might be a rhetorical one, but I feel compelled to answer because I think I gave a shit answer the first time he asked me the question.
“I used to,” I reply softly, a whispered lilt to my voice that matches his own. “You know, before.” I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“That’s interesting.” He clasps his hands together and rests them between his thighs. His eyes tell me that isn’t the answer he wanted. “You stopped believing in love at first sight when I finally started.”

Author Bio:
NICOLE BEA is a short story author and novelist who primarily focuses on contemporary teen fiction. An avid storyteller since childhood, she has honed her skills through a variety of educational programs including management, sociology, legal studies, and cultural diversity in the workplace, most recently engaging in coursework about communication for technologists. In addition to writing for young adults, Nicole is also a technical writer for a global manufacturer of CPAP masks, machines, and other products that manage sleep-disordered breathing.
When she isn't busy updating her manuscript portfolio or catching up on her To Be Read pile, Nicole can usually be found gardening, horseback riding, or pursuing her new hobby of learning to cook. She and her husband share their home in Eastern Canada with a collection of multi-colored cats and a lifetime's worth of books.

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Blog Tour Featuring *Promise for Tomorrow* by Michelle De Bruin @MichelleDAuthor @prismbooktours #giveaway

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Promise for Tomorrow
By Michelle De Bruin
Christian Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 290 Pages
November 19th 2019 by Mantle Rock Publishing

Living a life of faith isn’t going the way Logan and Karen hoped until some special visitors arrive and offer them their future back.

Karen Millerson dreamed of teaching high school but now finds herself boarding with a farm family and teaching country school. She is engaged to marry Logan De Witt and is getting prepared to share in ministry with him. But when she gets blamed for the tragic fire at the school, Karen’s future grows uncertain.

Logan De Witt is working to clear his family’s name with the bank. But when he breaks his leg, hindering his ability to work the farm, Logan is faced with life-changing decisions. When his best friend can’t offer the help he requested, can Logan find a way to care for his family and court Karen at the same time before his love for her destroys all of them?

(Affiliate links included.)

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Other Books in the Series


Hope for Tomorrow
By Michelle De Bruin
Christian Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 294 Pages
October 23rd 2018 by Mantle Rock Publishing LLC

When Logan De Witt learns of his father’s sudden death, he returns home to the family’s dairy farm. During his stay, he discovers his mother’s struggle with finances and his younger sister’s struggle with grief. Concern for his family presses Logan to make the difficult decision to leave his career as a pastor and stay on the farm. As a way to make some extra money, he agrees to board the teacher for their local school.

Karen Millerson arrives from Chicago ready to teach high school but her position is eliminated so she accepts the role of country school teacher. Eager to put her family’s ugly past behind her, Karen begins a new career to replace the trust she lost in her own father who had been in ministry when she was a child.

Logan and Karen both sense a call from the Lord to serve him, but neither of them expected that one day they would do it together.

Can Karen learn to trust again? Will Logan lay aside his grief in exchange for God’s purpose for his life?

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

~~~~~~

Top Ten Tips in Teaching at a Country School and Running a Dairy Farm

This list is based on the real-life experiences of the heroine and hero of the Tomorrow series, Karen Millerson and Logan De Witt.

1. Young women receiving their training to teach school should understand that they can only teach as single women. Marriage means the end of a career. This is because school administrators want to encourage married women to set a high priority on their own homes and families.
2. Strict rules about social conduct accompany the teaching position. A single woman teacher cannot loiter in the downtown ice cream store or keep company with men who aren’t relatives. They also have to be home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function. They are not allowed to dress in bright colors, dye their hair, or marry during the term of their contract.
3. If the teacher of a country school happens to get caught alone in the school with a large group of students during a wind storm, she should have the children crouch down in the front of the room away from the windows and under the teacher’s desk since the building has no basement.
4. When half of the children in the school belong to one family as siblings and cousins, and their mothers are unsupportive of the teacher’s methods, the teacher must be prepared to endure the attempts of these mothers to control the school and to damage her reputation as a teacher.
5. If a group of boys continually instigate trouble during school hours, the teacher should assign them cleaning duties as punishment.
6. In the management of a dairy farm, a man must make sure and milk the herd of seventeen dairy cows at the same time every day, in the morning and in the evening.
7. Keep a sturdy stool with three legs available in order to achieve the best leverage for reaching under a cow to squeeze milk from udders.
8. If the banker should decide to call on the farmer on a winter morning while the farmer is confined to the house because of a cast on his broken leg due to a recent fall, the farmer should satisfy the banker’s demands for payment with money he made from his fiancée’s room and board. (You will have to read the whole story to see what that is all about).
9. Holstein cows are happiest and produce the best milk in the winter on a diet of hay harvested straight from the field the previous summer and stored in the haymow directly overhead.
10. Mama will eventually want to move to town, so the bachelor farmer should make sure to set her up with her own bank account before he decides to sell his farm and get married.

~~~~~~

About the Author

Michelle De Bruin lives in Iowa with her husband and two teenage sons. She has a bachelor’s degree in Religion with a Christian Ministry emphasis, and in Music. Michelle is the spiritual services provider for an organization that offers services for people with mental and physical disabilities. She has been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) since 2015. Michelle writes inspirational historical romance about people who live in rural communities. Characters that bring to life the delights of farm and small-town living, whispers of Dutch heritage, and Christian faith make Michelle’s stories distinct. A romantic at heart, Michelle is always on the lookout for glimpses of God’s love through the window of a good story. Her first book, Hope for Tomorrow, released in 2018. The sequel, Promise for Tomorrow, released November 2019.

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Tour Schedule

One winner will receive a signed print copy of Promise for Tomorrow, chocolates, and a winter-themed quilted table runner (US only)

Ends February 26, 2020

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Blog Tour Featuring *Headlong* by Shannon McKenna @ShannonMcKenna4 @xpressotours #giveaway

Headlong
Shannon McKenna
(The Hellbound Brotherhood, #2)
Publication date: February 21st 2020
Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller

They were never supposed to leave alive…Find out why New York Times bestseller Maya Banks hails McKenna’s books as “A non-stop thrill ride…”
Only one woman could tempt him to return…
Eric Trask and his brothers have turned their backs on their past. Only their beloved foster father’s funeral could drag them back to the small town of Shaw’s Crossing. Eric is haunted by the memory of GodsAcre, the doomsday cult in the mountains where they were raised and the deadly fire that destroyed it, but one memory still shines bright…Demi Vaughan. Her lush, sexy mouth, her stunning green eyes. Their hot fling seven years ago crashed and burned in the worst possible way, and she’s still mortally pissed at him…and more gorgeous than ever.
Second chances…
Demi Vaughan did her best to forget Eric Trask. They told her from the start that he was a train wreck, and she hadn’t listened. He’d broken her heart and derailed her life, and she’d be damned if she’d let him do it again, now that she’d followed her dream and opened her own restaurant. But the years that passed have only turned Eric into a more concentrated version of what he’d always been—a flint-eyed, brutally ambitious, hyper-focused alpha male hunk. Just taller. Harder. As intoxicating as hell.
Demi tries to withstand Eric’s magnetic pull, but she can’t resist the all-consuming heat between them. But an old evil still lies low in Shaw’s Crossing, and Eric’s arrival has shocked it back into life.
Now it’s not just their hearts that are in danger. It’s their lives…
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Headlong, Book Two of The Hellbound Brotherhood, is the continuing story of Demi and Eric. It began in Hellion, Book One, and picks up their story seven years later. The other titles in The Hellbound Brotherhood are part of a connected series, but each book features its own couple and its own HEA.

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After, he found himself staring into her eyes. Naked and exposed. Everything he felt, written on his face. Blazing out of him in fucking neon.
Feelings she didn’t want him to have. Hopes she didn’t want to encourage. He was hers. Body and soul, whether she wanted him or not. It was a done deal. On his part.
But he couldn’t say it. Couldn’t offer it. He’d promised.
He pulled out of her and turned away, to hide his face. This was the danger spot, the no-go zone, every damn time. After they had sex, he just couldn’t fake it anymore.
He grabbed his jeans, pulled them on. “Bathroom’s down the hall,” he muttered, without looking at her. “Towels in the cabinet. Help yourself.”
“Eric?” She sounded worried.
He gritted his teeth through the pain in his shoulder as he tugged his shirt back on and grabbed the Glock off the nightstand. “I’ll go downstairs. Make some coffee.”
“Hey!” Her voice was sharp. “Eric! What the hell is the matter with you?”
He stopped, his hand on the doorframe. He started to say something stupid and ill-considered and true, but swallowed the dangerous words back. Then tried again.
“Just trying to play by the rules,” he said. “I suck at it, that’s all. See you downstairs.”
He splashed his face and hands, but what he saw in the mirror over the bathroom sink was too much for him. Soap and water wouldn’t wash that look off his face.

Author Bio:
Shannon McKenna is the NYT bestselling author of more than seventeen action packed, turbocharged romantic thrillers, among which are the stories of the wildly popular McCloud series and her scorching new series, The Obsidian Files—rip-roaring romantic suspense with a sci-fi twist. She loves tough and heroic alpha males, heroines with the brains and guts to match them, villains who challenge them to their utmost, adventure, scorching sensuality, and most of all, the redemptive power of true love.
Since she was small, she has loved abandoning herself to the magic of a good book, and her fond childhood fantasy was that writing would be just like that, but with the added benefit of being able to take credit for the story at the end. Alas, the alchemy of writing turned out to be messier than she’d ever dreamed. But what the hell, she loves it anyway, and hopes that readers enjoy the results of her alchemical experiments.

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Blog Tour Featuring *A Rational Attachment* by Lauren Gilbert @laurengilbert9 @hfvbt #giveaway

A Rational Attachment by Lauren Gilbert

Publication Date: December 26, 2019

AuthorHouse

Hardcover, Paperback, and eBook

Genre: Historical Fiction

The daughter of a wealthy businessman in York, Anne Emmons knows her father wants her to marry well. Anne, however, has always dreamed of marrying for love. Set in the Regency period, Anne’s introduction to London Society is made difficult by her personal ambitions as well as her family’s lack of aristocratic connections. In time, Anne finds her way aided by family and friends and the surprising support of one of the Ton’s leading figures. Will she succeed in finding the love she desires, or will she settle for a marriage transaction?

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About the Author

An avid reader, Lauren Gilbert has always dreamed of writing books and has written all her life. She enjoys non-fiction (especially history) and fiction alike. Favorite authors include James Thomas Flexner, Alison Weir, Diana Gabaldon, Sharon Kay Penman, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and, of course, Jane Austen. Lauren is a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and has delivered presentations for chapter meetings, as well as a break-out session at the 2011 JASNA Annual General Meeting. Now semi-retired after a career spanning almost 30 years, HEYERWOOD: A Novel is her first published novel. Another novel, A RATIONAL ATTACHMENT, has just been released and a non-fiction work is in process. Lauren is a contributor to the English Historical Fiction Authors blog and has several articles in CASTLES, CUSTOMS, AND KINGS True Tales by English Historical Fiction Authors volumes 1 and 2. Lauren Gilbert lives in Florida with her husband.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 17 
Review at Books and Zebras 
Interview at Passages to the Past 

Tuesday, February 18 
Review at A Chick Who Reads 

Wednesday, February 19 
Review at YA, It's Lit 

Thursday, February 20 
Feature at I'm Into Books 
Interview at Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen 

Friday, February 21 
Review at Gwendalyn's Books 

Monday, February 24 
Review at Passages to the Past

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away one eBook and one paperback copy of A Rational Attachment! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on February 24th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Paperback giveaway is to the US only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen. 
A Rational Attachment 

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Blog Tour Featuring *Reckless Times* by Michelle Hercules @michelleherculesauthor @xpressotours #giveaway

Reckless Times
Michelle Hercules
(Paragon Society #1)
Publication date: February 20th 2020
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

A GIFTED ACADEMY DUET
Weak.
Useless.
Freak.
Those are the words used to describe me. I’m an Idol who can’t see, and in this savage world where power is everything, being born with a disability makes me an aberration. Idols are the direct descendants of the gods. We’re supposed to be perfect.
My parents kept me protected behind walls most of my life. They fear I won’t survive in the real world. They have no idea what kind of power runs through my veins.
Stephan Silverstone—the most perfect Idol I’ve ever met—does. He’s cocky, annoying, and pushes my buttons like no other. But he sees me, the real person behind all the preconceived notions. Without effort, he’s breaking all my barriers; he’s claiming my heart.
When I’m with him, sparks fly. I want to be reckless and forget everything. If only things were that simple. We’re both keeping dangerous secrets that could tear us apart. War is coming, and I’m not sure if what we have will survive.
*This is a spin-off of Gifted Academy Series. This is not an RH romance.

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The crowd is clamoring, calling my name. I can feel the vibration of their loud voices and violent energy from the locker room. I’m alone here. After so many victories in the pit, I’ve earned the right to privacy. Little butterflies flutter savagely in my belly. I’m not nervous; these are just the jitters before a performance. I curl my hands into fists, letting the power of my invisible chains run freely through my veins like a surge of electricity.
For a fleeting moment, I wonder what my parents would do if they found out their precious disabled daughter is fighting against the meanest and strongest Idols in the biggest underground tournament in Hawk City. They’d probably have a heart attack. For starters, my family is one of the most prominent and wealthiest in the country. We don’t mingle with the lower classes.
I snort.
Yes, they’d be appalled, but mostly they’d be worried sick. Despite my being a high-level Idol, they think I’m defenseless thanks to my blindness. They know nothing about me, but they never made the effort either.
I push thoughts of my parents to the side and focus on the here and now. I’m the current champion in the pit, and as such, I’ll only step foot in the small arena when all fights are done. This is something new that management implemented. I’m facing whoever wins the rounds.
A smile blossoms on my lips as I remember my first time here. They thought I was an easy target. My disability was all they could see, never mind that I didn’t try to conceal my powers then. Strategy was not in my mind that first night. It didn’t matter. The fight was over before I could break a sweat.
Heavy steps approach from outside my locker room. It’s Dick Santos, the arena’s manager.
He knocks once before he opens the door. “It’s time.”
I jump to my feet, shaking my arms to loosen up. “Who am I fighting tonight?”
“The Boulder. Mean fella. Level fourteen. He can con—”
“Let me guess. Rocks?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Yeah, and he’s faster than most despite his size.”
“What are the odds?” I stretch my arms.
“Six to one.”
“Six to one? That’s it?”
“In his favor,” Dick continues.
My jaw drops, and it’s not an act. I’m genuinely offended. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. Our little performance last night worked. You’re the underdog again. But don’t worry, kid. He’s got nothing on you.” Dick puts his hand on my shoulder, which I promptly push off.
“I’m not worried. I’m pissed.”
He laughs from deep in his belly, grating on my nerves. “I’m not. Tonight, I’m making bank.”
Yeah, you and the guys.
I stride out of the room, focusing on the fire burning in the pit of my stomach. What did The Boulder do to make people think he can beat me? I only received a couple of hits yesterday from Stone Man, and that was because Dick told me to.
It doesn’t matter. I’ll show them.
The two security guys at the end of the corridor tense when they see me approach. It’s funny how I can pick up subtle changes in people more easily than those who aren’t visually impaired. Without missing a beat, they open the double doors for me. I usually take a deep breath to get rid of the jitters. Not tonight though. I’m more than ready to do some damage.
When I step out, the crowd roars, “Blind Fury! Blind Fury!”
I don’t bask in the glory. Only one out of six think I have a chance to win. I’m surrounded by traitors everywhere.
There’s only one person I can trust.
Me.
Dick announces my name as the defending champion, and once again, people go wild. But when he mentions the name of my opponent, the cheers are louder. I search for Leroy and Ezekiel in the crowd, my fan club. It’s easy to locate them as I’m already familiar with their auras. At least they aren’t rooting for the other guy.
I let my chains loose so I can get a sense of The Boulder but keep them invisible for now. That’s how I see the world, through my chains. They pick up on the vibrations of everything around me: people, objects, obstacles. It’s not a perfect view, but it’s better than being completely in the dark. Quickly, I understand why the majority of those present think I’m going to lose. My opponent is massive, almost seven feet tall, and packing muscles. Now I know where his stage name comes from.
“This is the famous Blind Fury?” He laughs. “I don’t know how I feel about fighting a helple—”
I shoot my right chain out, wrapping it around his throat and cutting his tirade off. He chokes, clutching at the links in a vain attempt to break free.
“You were saying?” I yank the chain hard, bringing the cocky idiot to his knees.
Dick remains outside the ring. The first thing he told me when I stepped into the pit for the first time was that there were no rules. Losers can either forfeit, pass out, or die, and the choice always relies on the victor. The Boulder’s grunts tell me he must be getting purple by now. I could easily kill him, and no one would think less of me. On the contrary, the crowd would love me more. I’m tempted, and my chains are as bloodthirsty as I am.
This is not who you are, Andy.
At the last moment, I retract them. There’s a collective gasp of disappointment.
The Boulder is still coughing as he staggers back to his feet. But instead of leaving the pit, he pulls all his energy to his core. He’s going to attack again, even though the fight’s pretty much over. Son of a bitch. Some people just don’t know when to give up.
Strong vibrations concentrate around the man just before the floor cracks right under my feet. A huge mass forms in front of him. The fucker created a rock, which he launches in my direction. I have ample time to move out of the way, but I hold my ground. My chains form a protective circle around me, and in the next second comes the sound of rock shattering.
“What the fuck is that?” he asks, shocked.
I can’t tell exactly what he’s seeing, but when my chains are in full display, awe is the most common reaction I get. They must look badass.
He doesn’t get another chance to attack before I send both chains in his direction. One pierces his right thigh, and the other wraps around his body, squeezing him in a bone-crushing hold.
“Aargh! My leg. What did you do to me, bitch?”
Slowly, I walk in his direction, stopping when I’m in front of his collapsed form. “You should have forfeited when you had the chance.”
“Never. I’d rather die.”
It’s the first time I’ve faced someone with a death wish. I’d never truly considered killing anyone for sport, but today, the temptation is huge.
“Careful, buddy. I’m feeling quite murderous tonight.”
My chains squeeze him until the first crack of bone-breaking echoes in the pit. The Boulder screams and curses, but he won’t relent. I won’t have a choice. If I don’t kill him, I’ll never be allowed back. The crowd will boo me out of the pit if they don’t do something worse like ask for my head.
Suddenly, there’s no more resistance coming from him. Ah fuck. Did I kill him? I listen closely, something hard to do when everyone around is talking and cheering. Then I hear it, the faint sound of his breathing. He’s not dead, simply passed out. Relief washes over me, but I can’t let anyone see. Maintaining the cold mask, I pull away and walk over to my side of the pit.
Dick tsks as he joins me in the ring. When his attention diverts to me, I sense the difference in his demeanor. He’s beaming, probably counting his profits already.
“What an evening, am I right, folks?” he addresses the crowd.
They respond with cheers and hollers.
“How about we make it even more exciting?”
The yelling goes up a notch, making me wince. Sometimes having enhanced hearing is a curse.
“Blind Fury has remained undefeated for five weeks straight. I’m doubling tonight’s grand prize. If there’s anyone here brave enough to challenge her, come forward now.”
Immediately, the noise lowers until only murmurs can be heard. I frown, glowering in Dick’s general direction. I didn’t agree to a final challenge. It’s not that I can’t do it. It’s the fucking principle. I’m not his bitch to do as he pleases. I’d storm out of the pit if that wouldn’t brand me a coward.
Minutes go by without anyone stepping forward. Dick keeps egging on the crowd. I don’t know why he wants another fight so badly, but my patience is wearing thin. I stretch my arms and fake a yawn, ready to get the fuck out of here, when I sense a familiar presence nearby. My blood runs cold. I came here to forget he exists, to unleash my wrath on strangers, wishing it was him.
“I’ll do it. I challenge Blind Fury,” Stephan declares.
A myriad of emotions washes over me. Rage, longing, shame.
Damn everything to hell. What is he doing here?

Author Bio:
USA Today bestselling author Michelle Hercules always knew creative arts were her calling but not in a million years did she think she would write a novel. With a background in fashion design she thought she would follow that path. But one day, out of the blue, she had an idea for a book. One page turned into ten pages, ten pages turned into a hundred, and before she knew, her first book, The Prophecy of Arcadia, was born.
Michelle Hercules resides in The Netherlands with her husband and daughter. She is currently working on the Legends of Gattica series.

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Blog Tour Featuring *The Neighbor* by Lorhainne Eckhart @LEckhart @xpressotours #giveaway

The Neighbor
Lorhainne Eckhart
(The O’Connells, #1)
Publication date: January 31st 2020
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

After the devastating loss of her husband, Jenny Sweetgrass packs up her teenage daughter, Alison, and moves to Livingston, Montana, hoping for a fresh start—that is, until Ryan O’Connell knocks on her door.
Park ranger Ryan is one of the six O’Connell siblings in Livingston, raised by an independent mom who has been a rock to him. He has a career he loves, and up until six weeks ago, he lived a comfortable life. When a new neighbor moves in and disturbs the quiet peace of the area, bringing with her a daughter who’s walking trouble, Ryan is shocked to discover that the woman is a one-night stand he picked up at a bar years ago.
Right now, the gorgeous Jenny isn’t too interested in making friends, but despite her cool façade, as Ryan gets to know her, he can’t fight an idiotic need to try to ease the pain he sees her trying to hide. At the same time, he knows deep down that both mother and daughter have a secret, and if he were smart, he would listen to his brother’s warning and walk away.
When Alison goes missing, everyone in town believes she simply ran off or found her way into trouble, but nothing about her disappearance adds up. She simply set out on an afternoon hike into the park and never came back.
Jenny soon learns she’s not alone when Ryan takes matters into his own hands and sets off with her into the park to find her daughter. What he doesn’t know is that Alison is actually his daughter, too, and when he learns the truth and the real reason she left, the secret could end up dividing the O’Connell family and the community.

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“Well, this has been fun,” she said. “Are you done pointing out my shortcomings, or maybe you have a few more digs you’d like to add?”
He didn’t smile this time, but his gaze seemed intense, hard. “So you bought this and moved in a few weeks ago. Just you and your daughter live here? You didn’t say last night if there was a husband, boyfriend, significant other in the picture or any other kids.”
She hadn’t bought the house, but she wasn’t about to share that with Ryan. “As I said, it’s just me and my daughter.” Something about kneeling in front of a man didn’t work for her, so she brushed her hands together to wipe off some non-existent dirt, pressed them to the grass, scooted her feet around, and stood up.
Ryan didn’t even step back. Just the scent of him made her angry, because it was too appealing. She let her arms hang to her sides even when he allowed his gaze to skim over her. It was intimate and egotistical and indecent, as if he thought looking at her was his God-given right. His arms were crossed over that amazing chest, which she’d felt skin to skin just one time.
“Your daughter…” he started, and she knew he was waiting for her to step in.
“You mean Alison? Yes, my daughter.” She fisted her hands again and could feel her nails digging into her palms.
This time, he did smile, and he pulled his gaze over to the house. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was interrogating her. “Yeah, Alison. You have a talk with her about the noise? It’s been going on every night since you moved here. I’m assuming you’re not home at night? She’s like, what, sixteen, seventeen…”
Oh, here we go. The topic of Alison wasn’t open for discussion. “She’s almost fifteen, and I work afternoons, evenings. Again, I told you the noise won’t happen anymore. I know about it now, and I put my foot down.”
Actually, her daughter was fourteen and three months, nowhere close to being fifteen. Regarding the stereo, Jenny had yanked the audio connection from the speaker and hid it in her underwear drawer, because her daughter hadn’t been known for her compliance as of late, as illustrated by the nose ring two weeks earlier and the jet-black hair the previous week.
“Where do you work?” Ryan asked. Boy, she was really getting the sense of a full-out interrogation.
“Mini-mart,” she said. Counting cash in the back room and reconciling statements for the small grocery store was the only job she was qualified for, considering her late husband had been the sole breadwinner—his insistence and her mistake.

Author Bio:
With flawed strong characters, characters you can relate to, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Lorhainne Eckhart writes the kind of books she wants to read. She is frequently a Top 100 bestselling author in multiple genres, and her second book ever published, The Forgotten Child, is no exception. With close to 900 reviews on Amazon, translated into German and French, this book was such a hit that the long running Friessen Family series was born. Now with over sixty titles and multiple series under her belt her big family romance series are loved by fans worldwide. A recipient of the 2013, 2015 and 2016 Readers' Favorite Award for Suspense and Romance, Lorhainne lives on the sunny west-coast Gulf Island of Salt Spring Island, is the mother of three, her oldest has autism and she is an advocate for never giving up on your dreams.

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