Christmas in the Highlands by Madelyn Hill Book Blitz

Book Title: Christmas in the Highlands 

Author: Madelyn Hill 

Genre: Scottish Historical Romance 

Release Date: August 31, 2016 

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

A FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS IN THE HIGHLANDS, BOOK ONE

Laird Malcolm Sutherland needs a bride. He has few requirements of his new wife; demands he should have insisted with his former betrothed—namely, honesty, loyalty, and resources.

Lady Rossalyn Gordon will do anything to be rid of her tyrant father, even if that means deceiving the man who offers her an escape. If revealed, those secrets will either bring her mercy, or thrust her back into the hands of the devil who sired her.

When Rossalyn’s bastard of a father arrives at Sutherland Keep, going back on his word and ordering her return, Malcolm must decide if he can forgive his wife enough to listen to his heart and have a family for Christmas.


HIS BY CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS IN THE HIGHLANDS, BOOK TWO

Fiona Sutherland longs for love with the man she has pined after since she was a lass. When he weds another she is devastated, and questions why the man she pledged her heart to has forsaken a vow made in their youth. Could loving her be so hard?

Cameron Munro adores Fiona from afar, knowing her heart has been set on another. She is everything he desires—strong, loyal, and fiery in spirit.

Determined, he pledges to prove his love to her and win Fiona’s heart by Christmas.

“Lass, ‘tis time to be wed.”

Her jaw clenched and Malcolm swore she was ready to yell at the man, but her father merely held her gaze, until apparently he’d won the battle of wills. Lady Rossalyn sighed as she glanced up at Gordon, and uncertainty filled her gaze.

Malcolm nearly moved forward to sweep her into his arms. He didn’t give in to the impulse—he wasn’t a romantic man, subject to ideas of whimsy—but for some reason, once he spied Lady Rossalyn he’d been thinking decidedly romantic thoughts.

“Aye, Father, I’m ready.”

Ah, her voice, soft, slightly husky. Sensual.

Damn, he was ready to consummate the marriage before they were legally wed.

She trembled a bit as their eyes met. She lowered her gaze until her lashes cast a shadow against the pale skin of her cheeks. When she lifted her eyes again, resolve and a bit of stubbornness filled them. Malcolm nearly laughed, but checked his impulse.

Now wasn’t the time for laughter.

In a few moments, they’d both pledge to honor and obey.

And then, their fates would be sealed.

* * *

Marriage? To a stranger? Rossalyn’s mind raced to find a solution before she spoke her vows.

None came. Quite the contrary, all reasoning supported the union. She only sought a safe place to live, away from the hovel in which she’d faced many indignities. And now one last indignity was thrust upon her by her father—an unexpected marriage. Which was particularly hard at the current time of year and all the memories it wrought.

‘Twas the time of celebration with Christmas fast approaching, and the anniversary of her mother’s death as well. To honor her, Rossalyn longed to share her mother’s love of holiday traditions and festivities in a keep which would appreciate such frivolity. Her father had loathed Christmas and all of its trappings. So much so, he forbade any acknowledgement of the season. And it broke her heart.

No matter, for as she stood next to this man—a lifeline for her—calmness settled in, easing the shaking of her hands. A quick prayer slipped through her mind . . .

Please understand. Please forgive.

The priest started the ceremony, and all too soon, had bade the laird to kiss the bride.

Dear God Almighty, he was going to kiss her. A plethora of thoughts raced through her mind. She hadn’t been kissed since Daniel had been alive. Tears clogged the back of her throat. ‘Twas her fault he was gone; her fault she was in this precarious position and needed saving—apparently by Laird Malcolm Sutherland.

When she’d entered the main hall, she’d nearly run back to her chamber and barred the door. But there was something about him, especially when he’d been ready to challenge her father. His swagger was determined, and she’d been completely taken with the strength of him as he’d pulled the large sword from its sheath.

Now there was a wild look to the man as his face approached hers, ready to claim her as his wife. She marveled at the hard planes of his cheeks, the strong jaw and brow. His hair flowed to his shoulders, a thick mass of dark brown, tempting her fingers to grab on and not let go.

She pulled back, searched his gaze. Aye, she recognized the look of desire and it rattled her to the core.

No matter what she thought or felt, this man was her salvation.

He slowly curled his hand behind her head, cradling her, bring a sense of security.

A slight grin tipped up his broad mouth as she met him halfway. His lips were warm and firm as they played over hers. He pulled her flush against his strong body, slightly lifting her up onto her toes. She melted a little against the hard wall of his chest. Though a stranger, her heart found a bit of reassurance at their attraction to each other. When his hands moved on her back, then traveled down her hips, she pulled away. ‘Twas too soon, too intimate.

Laird Sutherland—now her husband—brushed the back of his hand along her cheek. “Lovely,” he said in a low voice, for her ears only.

Her heart pattered and she swallowed. The compliment embarrassed her as much as it pleased her. It had been so long since she’d appreciated the attention of a man. Any woman would be thrilled by his words, more so by his strength and handsome face. And how heat coursed through her body after his kiss.

Madelyn Hill has always loved the written word. From the time she could read and all through her school years, she'd sneak books into her textbooks during school. And she devoured books daily. At the age of 10 she proclaimed she wanted to be a writer. After being a "closet" writer for several years, she sent her manuscripts out and is now published with Soul Mate Publishing. And she couldn't be happier!

A resident of Western New York, she moved from one Rochester to another Rochester to be with the love of her life. They now have 3 children and keep busy cooking, watching their children's sporting events, and of course reading!

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Seraphina’s Initiation by Sheena Hutchinson Cover reveal

Seraphina’s Initiation
Sheena Hutchinson
(Seraphina, #2)
Publication date: February 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Seraphina Cross is unexpectedly thrown into this crazy, spiritual world of Angels versus Demons.

Never did she expect to meet Nate who was just a figment of her imagination. Now she finds herself moving in with him because of her innate responsibility to protect her loved ones from harm.

Finally beginning to feel at home in her new house and with her new relationship. Nate begins training Sera in all that she can do, surprising even himself at times.Just when she is starting to feel safe and powerful, Lucifer finds a new way to attack her at her most vulnerable.

When her dreams are no longer a gift, can Sera control the powers needed to defeat what’s coming before Lucifer fulfills his promise to her?

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Author Bio:

Sheena is a born and raised New Yorker, even her writing can't seem to hide her hard sarcasm. She claims destiny has lead her back to her true passion for writing.

She constantly strives to be a positive role model and writes stories that empower and inspire. Sheena always roots for the underdog, believes in love at first sight, and that everyone should have their happily ever after.

While God is currently still writing her love story, she continues to put all her effort into her writing as she is constantly getting new inspiration.

For more info, updates, and fun facts visit her website at www.SheenaHutchinson.com

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Love's Prayer by Melissa Storm

From acclaimed author Melissa Storm comes the first in a brand-new series of sweet and wholesome small-town love stories with the community church at its center…

Summer Smith is at a crossroads in life. Fresh out of college with no idea what comes next, she agrees to take over her aunt’s flower shop for the season. She arrives in the small, close-knit community of Sweet Grove, Texas, hoping to find some answers.

Ben Davis has lived in the shadow of his family’s mistakes for years. Forced to give up everything he ever wanted for himself, he begins to consider taking his own life in a final effort to end all the pain. A desperate plea sent to the God he isn’t even sure he believes in is soon answered by a series of miracles that bring Summer and Ben crashing into each other.

Love’s Prayer offers a dramatic story about two people who must find a way to believe in each other and in themselves in order to finally find the place where they belong. This novel of finding faith, hope, and—ultimately—love in the darkest of times is sure to tug at your heartstrings and leave you craving more from the First Street Church Romances!

About the Book

Love's Prayer
by Melissa Storm

Series
First Street Church Romance #1

Genre
Sweet Contemporary Romance

Publisher
Partridge & Pear Press

Publication Date
September 28, 2016

Also Available:  Kobo  |  Nook  |  iTunes  |  Paperback

 

Trailer for Love's Prayer

About Melissa Storm

Melissa Storm is a mother first, and everything else second. She used to write under a pseudonym, but finally had the confidence to come out as herself to the world. Her fiction is highly personal and often based on true stories. Writing is Melissa's way of showing her daughter just how beautiful life can be, when you pay attention to the everyday wonders that surround us.

Melissa loves books so much, she married fellow author Falcon Storm. Between the two of them, there are always plenty of imaginative, awe-inspiring stories to share. Melissa and Falcon also run the business Novel Publicity together, where she works as publisher, marketer, web designer, and all-around business mogul. When she's not reading, writing, or child-rearing, Melissa spends time relaxing at home in the company of her four dogs, four parrots, and rescue cat. She never misses an episode of The Bachelor, because priorities.

Melissa's Links

 

 

 

 

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Virtual Book Tour: The Lizard's Tale by Kurt Kamm

The Lizard’s Tale

by Kurt Kamm

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GENRE:  Mystery/Crime Thriller

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BLURB:

Kurt Kamm has written a novel that's a literary crime novel, with a strong thread of non-fiction running through it. The Lizard's Tale is a tale of crime—with an a wide-ranging cast of characters.

When the DEA goes up against the Sinaloa Cartel, an orphan and an endangered lizard are caught in the conflict. The action moves from Guatemala to Mexico to Catalina Island off the coast of California.

Alejandro, a middle class Guatemalan, wants his share, and makes a deal with the cartel. Now he’s risking his life to deliver the goods.

El Dedo, a brilliant financier, is the Sinaloa Cartel’s banker. He worries about what to do with the billions of dollars collecting dust in his underground vault.

Ryan, a DEA Special Agent, needs to make a high profile case to get a promotion. Is the big yacht headed for California carrying a Mexican drug shipment?

Kate, a wildlife officer on Catalina Island, smells smoke. When she heads out in the middle of the night to investigate a fire, she makes an astonishing discovery.

Jorge, an orphan from the streets of Mexico, is abandoned in the United States. Will he find his way back home and track down his mother’s killer?

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Excerpt Three:

The General’s tank was near empty. Alejandro stopped and took down one of the red plastic gas containers. After he filled the tank, he extracted the second of the three bottles of beer from his cooler. “Bienvenido a Mexico,” he said aloud and held the bottle up in an imaginary toast. The beer was warm, but he enjoyed it anyway. He had overcome the harsh Guatemalan roads and crossed the border safely with his cargo. Now all he had to do was survive the trip through Mexico.

Ahead of him lay 2,500-kilometers on Mexico Highway 200, the main road along the Pacific Coast. The trip north would take Alejandro past Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlan before reaching Culiacán. The condition of the road itself had been the challenge in Guatemala, but that was not the big risk on the journey ahead. Highway 200 was a winding, two-lane paved road. The real danger was what Alejandro might encounter. He had been warned not to travel at night. Drunk drivers, livestock, pedestrians, and unlighted farm equipment were some of the lesser hazards. The real threat, day or night however, was robbery and hijacking, and he had read several reports of travelers coming upon roadblocks set by bandits armed with machetes and machine guns, decked out in bulletproof vests draped with hand grenades. Alejandro planned to keep moving and cover about 800 kilometers. By evening, he hoped to reach Acapulco.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Malibu, California resident Kurt Kamm has written a series of firefighter mystery novels, which have won several literary awards. His newest novel, The Lizard’s Tale, provides a unique look inside the activities of the Mexican drug cartels and the men dedicated to stopping them.

Kurt has used his contact with CalFire, Los Angeles County and Ventura County Fire Departments, as well as the ATF and DEA to write fact-based (“faction”) novels. He has attended classes at El Camino Fire Academy and trained in wildland firefighting, arson investigation and hazardous materials response. He has also attended the ATF and DEA Citizen’s Academies. After graduating from the DEA Citizen’s Academy in 2014, he began work on The Lizard’s Tale.

Kurt has built an avid fan base among first responders and other readers. A graduate of Brown University and Columbia Law School, Kurt was previously a financial executive and semi-professional bicycle racer. He was also Chairman of the UCLA/Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Foundation for several years.

Visit his author website at www.kurtkamm.com

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Kurt Kamm   LITERARY AWARDS

TUNNEL VISIONS  (MCM Publishing 2014)

2014 USA Best Book Award -Fiction: General – Finalist

HAZARDOUS MATERIAL  (MCM Publishing  2013)

Best Novel 2013 – Public Safety Writers Association

Winner of the 2012 Hackney Literary Award for best novel of the year ($5,000 PRIZE)

Reader's Favorite 2013 – Finalist – Urban Fiction

The 2012 Dana Award – Finalist

Eric Hoffer Award - Finalist (2014)

Excerpt published in Birmingham Arts Journal  http://www.birminghamartsjournal.com/pdf/baj10-2.pdf

ONE FOOT IN THE BLACK  (MCM Publishing  2012)

The 2012 USA Best Book Awards – Fiction: General  – Finalist

The 2013 Beverly Hills Book Awards – Fiction: General  – Finalist

Excerpt published in Felons, Flames and Ambulance Rides: Stories About America's Public Safety Heroes

CODE BLOOD  (MCM Publishing 2011)

Writer’s Type -  First Chapter Competition.  January 2011- First Place

2012 International Book Awards -  Fiction: Cross Genre Category –  First Place

National Indie Excellence Book Awards – Faction (fiction based on fact) -  Winner of the 2012 Award

The 2012 USA Best Book Awards -  Fiction: Horror  -  Winner

LuckyCinda Publishing Contest 2013  First Place – Thriller

Reader's Favorite  2013– Finalist – Horror Fiction

Knoxville Writer’s Guild -  2011 Novella or Novel Excerpt – 2nd Place

RED FLAG WARNING  Aberdeen Bay 2010

The Infinite Writer– Mystery 2010 – First Place

The Written Art Awards -  Mystery/Thriller 2010 – First Place

Royal Dragonfly – Mystery Category 2011 – First  Place

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lizards-Tale-Kurt-Kamm/dp/0997441305/ref=sr_1_1

B/N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lizards-tale-kurt-kamm/1123975999

INTERVIEW with Kurt Kamm

What are four things you can’t live without?

In order of importance, 1) my wife, 2) my bicycles, 3) my pets, 4) popcorn.

What is your favorite television show?

There is certainly nothing on network television worth watching. I watch the Bloomberg financial programs and like many of the BBC series, including Poldark and Downton. Ray Donovan and Homeland are also favorites. Now for a confession. If I am working out in my gym and need a distraction, I turn on Game of Thrones. What a crazy show. I have no idea what the plot is, but I can watch 15 - 20 minutes of any episode from any year and be entertained. None of it makes any sense, but there is always a great sword fight, a poisoning, people speaking strange languages, or a horde of warriors riding horses. Brainless entertainment, but entertainment for sure.

If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be? Why?

All the great literary characters suffer through pain, misery, separation, ill health, poverty, torture, or mental illness. Do I want any of that? Certainly not. I am happy with my own life. Very lucky, healthy, reasonably happy, and solvent. Why would I trade that? I could end up in an 18th Century prison.

What have you got coming soon for us to look out for?

I like to develop characters with unusual mental or physical characteristics. In Hazardous Material, I had a firefighter who had a preternatural sense of smell. Right now, I am thinking about a novel with a first-person POV about a boy with synesthesia. This is a rare and fascinating physical characteristic, which affects less than one person in 100,000. It varies with the individual, but it is a mixing of the senses. I am oversimplifying it, but this these people can hear or even taste colors, or see complex numbers. Many of the great mathematicians were synesthetes, and think of Beethoven—he was deaf but composed music because he could see it. Nabokov was a synesthete as well.  Stay tuned.

What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

When I am working on a book, I find that my writing style can be influenced and changed by whatever I am reading at the moment. As a result, I have to be very careful to read something totally unrelated. Some of my favorite authors are James Salter, F. Scott, Ian McEwan, and John Le Carre. I know that's quite a cross-section, but I like writers whose work features characters driving the plot, instead of the opposite.  

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

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Blurb Blitz: Wired Rogue by Toby Neal

Wired Rogue

by Toby Neal

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GENRE:  Mystery/Police Procedural

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BLURB:

‘Wired in’ to her computers, MMA-fighting tech agent Sophie Ang has been content in her clean, cool tech lab, where she chases criminals online, continuing a dance in the dark with the enigmatic vigilante known as the Ghost. Tumultuous changes from without and within eject her from her agency cocoon to the front lines, where she finds herself in partnership with a brilliant, overbearing, larger-than-life ex-Special Forces operative, Jake Dunn. They climb walls, dodge bullets, kidnap children and dig up bodies for a case that might cost her life—and has already taken her badge.

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Excerpt Two:

Sophie set the unconscious child on the ground and stripped off her pack, tossing it into the nearby water, black and slick as tar in the faint light of the moon. Their packs splashed and sank, bubbling, as she picked the girl back up and ran after Dunn’s already retreating form.

The dogs were gaining. Sophie could hear their barking as they headed back up the rugged goat track. They couldn’t follow on the quad on this rough ground with its rapid elevation, but it slowed her and Jake Dunn, too.

Sophie could hear the chopper directly overhead.

If she could just make it to the rendezvous point...

Her whole focus narrowed to the path in front of her, steep, rough with stones and protruding branches, rendered in shades of shallow green by the NV goggles. Her arms ached with the weight of the little girl, a solid sixty or seventy pounds. Her legs burned. Her breath tore through her lungs in hot, rending breaths that left the taste of blood at the back of her throat. But she was keeping up with Dunn. They were going to make it.

The dog caught her from behind by the pants, his teeth leaving a fiery pinch. Sophie fell with a cry, rolling desperately to the side so as not to land on the child.

The dog didn’t let go, dragging her by the leg, shaking her, growling—and he was big enough that she slid backward down the steep, rough path, letting go of the child. “Dunn!” She screamed.

Dunn appeared through the otherworldly green of the NV vision like a demon rising from hell, a knife in one fist and the tranq gun in the other. He kicked the Shepherd and caught it in the side, lifting it off Sophie with a yelp—just in time for the second dog to leap at him from the trail. Sophie scrambled to her feet, hefting the girl, and ran. She didn’t have time to see if Dunn was going to be okay—she had to get the child to safety.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Social worker turned author Toby Neal grew up on the island of Kaua`i in Hawaii.

Neal is the author of more than twenty novels in the mystery, romance and young adult genres, including the twelve-book USA Today bestselling, award-winning Lei Crime Series. This police procedural mystery series centers on Leilani “Lei” Matsumoto Texeira, a multicultural detective with issues, her dog Keiki, and her love interest, Stevens, as they solve a range of complicated crimes in the Hawaiian Islands.

The Lei Crime Series has sold over a million books since its debut in December of 2011, and in 2015, Amazon launched the Lei Crime Kindle World, which allows authors to build licensed fan fiction upon Neal’s characters. There are close to fifty fan fiction spinoff works in the World currently.

Neal is a 2016 Independent Publisher Book (“IPPY”) winner for Best Mystery/Thriller for Rip Tides and in 2015 for Twisted Vine. She’s a Notable Indie 2016 Winner, 2015 National Indie Excellence® awards winner, Best Multicultural Novel winner for Torch Ginger, and many more.

Outside of counseling work and writing, Toby volunteers in a nonprofit for children and enjoys life in Hawaii through beach walking, swimming, gardening, photography and hiking.

Resources:

Website: http://tobyneal.net/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Toby-Neal/e/B006NR5PW2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1%20Lei%20Crime%20Kindle%20World:%20https://kindleworlds.amazon.com/world/LeiCrime

Twitter: @tobywneal

Facebook: Toby Neal Books

Instagram: Tobyneal0

Google+: Toby Neal

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tobyneal/

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KOBO

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Toby Neal will be awarding $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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From Gods by Mary Ting

From Gods by Mary Ting

***2013 InD'Tale RONE Award Finalist for YA****
Did you just see a flash of lightning across the sky on a clear sunny day?
Don’t blame Mother Nature.

Skylar Rome can’t wait to spend her last summer before college with her cousin, Kayla. Everything changes when they meet the Grand brothers. Skylar is sure she should stay away from Mason Grand, but their attraction is undeniable. Then Skylar’s life erupts into turmoil. She steps into a world where descendants of ancient gods have super powers, evil beings chase her, and questions arise about her own identity. She is running out of time and running for her life, while trying to unravel the mystery of what they want from her.

Forced into a battle set into motion long before she was born, will Skylar find the answers she seeks, or will she die trying?

 

From Gods by Mary Ting is FREE from December 6th to 8th

Praise for the Series
“From Gods takes mythology to a whole new level of imagination with its incredible plot and amazing characters. It’s full of hotness that you never want to end!” Michele, Insane About Books

“From Gods by the AMAZING AUTHOR Mary Ting is OMGods good!! If you even LIKE Greek Mythology, set aside some time because you will DEVOUR Mary Ting’s Demi Gods and Vultures!!!” Mindy, Books Complete Me



 

Author Mary Ting
International Bestselling, Award-Winning, Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

 

 

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/18/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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The Pawn by Skye Warren blitz

The Pawn
Skye Warren
(Revenge and Seduction #1)
Publication date: December 6th 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The price of survival…

Gabriel Miller swept into my life like a storm. He tore down my father with cold retribution, leaving him penniless in a hospital bed. I quit my private all-girl’s college to take care of the only family I have left.

There’s one way to save our house, one thing I have left of value.

My virginity.

A forbidden auction…

Gabriel appears at every turn. He seems to take pleasure in watching me fall. Other times he’s the only kindness in a brutal underworld.

Except he’s playing a deeper game than I know. Every move brings us together, every secret rips us apart. And when the final piece is played, only one of us can be left standing.

THE PAWN is a full-length contemporary novel from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren about revenge and seduction in the game of love.

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—

EXCERPT:

A sense of familiarity fills the space between us even though I know we haven’t met. This man is a stranger, but he looks at me as if he wants to know me. He looks at me as if he already does. There’s an intensity to his eyes when they sweep over my face, as firm and as telling as a touch.

“I need…” A thud against my ribs as I think about all the things I need—a rewind button. One person in the city who doesn’t hate me by name alone. “I need a loan.”

He gives me a slow perusal, from the nervous slide of my tongue along my lips to the high neckline of my dress. I tried to dress professionally—a black cowl-necked sweater and pencil skirt. His strange amber gaze unbuttons my coat, pulls away the expensive cotton, tears off the cotton fabric of my bra and panties. He sees right through me, and I shiver as a ripple of awareness runs over my skin.

I’ve met a million men in my life. Shaken hands. Smiled. I’ve never felt as seen through as I do right now. Never felt like someone has turned me inside out, every dark secret exposed to the harsh light. He sees my weaknesses, and from the cruel set of his mouth, he likes them.

His lids lower. “And what do you have for collateral?”

Nothing except my word. That wouldn’t be worth anything if he knew my name. I swallow past the lump in my throat. “I don’t know.”

Nothing.

He takes a step forward, and suddenly I’m crowded against the brick wall beside the door, his large body blocking out the warm light from inside. He feels like a furnace in front me, the heat of him in sharp contrast to the cold brick at my back. “What’s your name, girl?”

The word girl is a slap in the face. I force myself not to flinch, but it’s hard. Everything about him overwhelms me—his size, his low voice. “I’ll tell Mr. Scott my name.”

In the shadowed space between us, his smile spreads, white and taunting. The pleasure that lights his strange yellow eyes is almost sensual, as if I caressed him. “You’ll have to get past me.”

My heart thuds. He likes that I’m challenging him, and God, that’s even worse. What if I’ve already failed? I’m free-falling, tumbling, turning over without a single hope to anchor me. Where will I go if he turns me away? What will happen to my father?

“Let me go,” I whisper, but my hope fades fast.

His eyes flash with warning. “Little Avery James, all grown up.”

A small gasp resounds in the space between us. He already knows my name. That means he knows who my father is. He knows what he’s done. Denials rush to my throat, pleas for understanding. The hard set of his eyes, the broad strength of his shoulders tells me I won’t find any mercy here.

Author Bio:

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance such as the Chicago Underground series. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, two sweet dogs, and one evil cat.

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