Bitter Bite by Erin M. Leaf

Blurb

Alaric Normand is a solitary predator, so when he meets a man who kindles long-dormant emotions, he dismisses the attraction. What does he need with a lover? A consort bond spells nothing but vulnerability for a vampire who’s been alone for five centuries.

Ex-priest Gideon Keegan has lost his faith, so when he witnesses a supernatural killing, how does he accept the reality of evil? And why does he feel attraction for such a violent individual, especially when he’s already in love with someone else?

Everyone thinks Hannah Ward is an innocent, but she knows the truth: she’s done terrible things, and so she hides her affection for Gideon. She isn’t worthy of love, yet when a handsome stranger kisses her she falls hard, despite her sense that something is wrong. How can she have feelings for two men at once? Must she choose between the dark and the light?


Story Excerpt:

Alaric shook his head. “You’re not a priest. I would’ve sensed it.”

“I’m not a priest anymore,” Gideon said softly, suppressing the familiar stab of anger. Leaving the priesthood had been the toughest thing he’d ever done.

“But you used to be.” Alaric half-smiled. “Well, well. How interesting.”

“It’s only interesting to me. Now get out of my way,” Gideon said, trying to shoulder past.

Alaric grabbed him again, this time shoving him up against the wall. “Not so fast, my dear. I’m not done with you yet.”

Gideon flushed at the words, feeling more turned on than threatened, though why, he didn’t know. This man had, after all, attacked two people that he knew of, and possibly more. Alaric was dangerous. Of course, you’re not an old man like that poor sucker outside was. You can take Alaric down any time you want. Strength doesn’t trump balance, he reasoned, breathing deeply to center himself. He glanced at Hannah again, needing to know if she could see him stuck in the corner with Alaric, and found her watching them.

When their eyes locked, surprise chased across her face, probably because he and Alaric looked like they were embracing. She had no idea he liked men, too. As his former student, it wasn’t any of her business, dammit, but it looked like all his secrets were about to be exposed whether he liked it or not.

“I’ve seen you looking at the pretty bartender,” Alaric murmured softly, leaning in as if he was about to kiss Gideon, or possibly bite him. “She seems young for the job, and oh so sweetly innocent, especially for this place. Those gorgeous brown eyes are staring at us, you know. She looks shocked. Do you think she likes watching us together? Is that why she’s working in a gay bar?”

“Leave her out of this.” Gideon put his hands on Alaric’s wrists and squeezed, but he couldn’t break the vampire’s grip. “And let me go. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Alaric chuckled. “You couldn’t hurt me if you tried.” He leaned in closer. “I bet she’d enjoy watching us kiss.”

The image Alaric painted aroused Gideon more than he wanted to admit. Angry now, he tried again to escape, squeezing harder. When that did nothing, he kicked out with a foot.

Alaric pushed up against him roughly, using his body to hold Gideon immobile against the wood paneling. “None of that, Gideon. Let me have my say.”

Gideon gritted his teeth when he felt Alaric’s cock pressing into his hip, thick and hard. God, it felt good. “Fuck you,” he said, slightly breathless. Shame washed through him. He hadn’t tried very hard to get away, and the truth was, he liked being manhandled like this.

“Perhaps I will let you someday. I’d enjoy that very much,” Alaric said, smiling slightly. “But what of the girl?” He cocked his head slightly, blue eyes luminous. “She likes you, my dear. I can sense it.”

Gideon swallowed an angry retort. The creature was playing with him. “She’s innocent. Leave her alone.”

“If you tell anyone what you saw outside, I’ll have to take steps,” Alaric whispered threateningly.

Gideon flinched when Alaric’s lips touched his temple. His cock was hard now, too, and aching. He resisted the urge to rub himself against Alaric’s strength. “What kind of steps?” he asked instead, like a fool.

Alaric inhaled. “God, you smell good.”

Gideon’s breath hitched.

“Did you know I like both men and women?”

Gideon honestly wasn’t surprised, not after the way Alaric had noticed Hannah. “What kind of steps?” he asked again, more forcefully.

“Perhaps I’ll ask your girl out. Take her dancing.” Alaric touched his mouth to Gideon’s lips and kissed him softly. “I’m sure I’d enjoy tasting her like this.” He kissed Gideon more aggressively, licking inside and taunting with his tongue.

Gideon choked on a moan as Alaric held him against the wall and ravished his mouth. He felt himself weakening and bit Alaric’s lip, warning him he wasn’t some damsel in distress. He couldn’t let his guard down, no matter how desperately aroused he felt being constrained like this.

Alaric chuckled. “Mmmm. I like that. Bite me again.” He rubbed his cheek against Gideon’s. “Or perhaps I’ll bite you. I bet your blood tastes sweet as candy.”

“What are you?” Gideon asked, breathing harshly as another pang of heat shot through him. God help him, but he wanted to drag Alaric into the darkness and fuck him until he couldn’t think straight anymore.

Alaric leaned back. His blue eyes had bled to midnight again. “I’m exactly what you think I am, my dear.”

Gideon’s heart knocked against his ribs, hard enough to hurt. “Don’t touch her, or I swear—”

“I won’t, as long as you keep this delicious mouth shut,” Alaric said, kissing him again.

------

Buy Links- 

Evernight Publishing-  http://www.evernightpublishing.com/bitter-bite-by-erin-m-leaf/


Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Bitter-Bite-Erin-M-Leaf-ebook/dp/B010L8SLMO/

------

Author Details:

Erin M. Leaf is a romance novel devotee, the steamier the better, with a specialty in edgy erotic tension. She also writes romance as Marie E. Blossom.

website: http://erinmleaf.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erin-M-Leaf/410019209059510

Twitter: @erinmleaf

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4355929.Erin_M_Leaf

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/erin-m-leaf/

Contemporary Romance by J.C. Conway-- Hearts In Ruin

Blurb:

Andrea had one goal in life, a quiet career as a mainstream archaeologist—nothing more nothing less—and she's one ancient secret away. When she is teamed with maverick prodigy Daniel Fuchs at his controversial pre-Clovis dig on tribal land, she soon realizes his wild theories may sidetrack her career. Her smartest move is to expose him and that is exactly what she plans to do. Except…he’s hot, sexy, and there is a chance his theories may be right. 
As the dig deepens and outside forces mount, Andrea and Daniel find their careers and their shaky relationship on the brink of ruin. Who can she trust? To survive professionally and emotionally, Andrea must decide between what is expected and what she believes, because time is running out and the developers' bulldozers are poised to level the site.

Delve into the mystery and excitement of an archaeological dig in the New Mexico desert and experience the drive, determination, and passion surrounding the quest to unlock the Paleolithic past in this contemporary, romantic suspense. Hearts In Ruin…no shovel required to join this adventure to discover an ancient truth!

Five-Star Review by Romance Junkies: 

"My favorite part: wait until you get to their first kiss. Never in the history of romance novels has there been a kiss like it. The second kiss leads to even better things."

Available at:

Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K4K6TME

Liquid Silver Books  http://www.lsbooks.com/hearts-in-ruin-p904.php 

Barnes & Noble  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hearts-in-ruin-j-c-conway/1119448532 

Kobo  http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/hearts-in-ruin 

All Romance Ebooks (ARe)  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartsinruin-1499205-153.html 



About the Author

J. C. Conway is a romance, science fiction and fantasy author, writing novels and short stories for adults, young adults and teens. Hearts in Ruin is his debut novel. He is a grand prize winner of the Yosemite Romance Writers Smooch contest. He will have short stories published this summer by The Colored Lens and Comets & Criminals. His writing passion began with a grade-school assignment to write anything he liked, which, at the time, included dinosaurs, robots, army heroes and alien invaders. Since then he's added deep simmering passion, tense internal conflict and emotional dilemmas.

To learn more, 

visit his website at http://jcconway.com, 

his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/J.C.Conway.Writer, 

or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jcconwaywriter. 

Also feel free to visit http://HeartsInRuin.com, the website dedicated to his debut novel. 

Guest Excerpt; New from Evernight Publishing Teen; One Life by L. A. Cadieux; YA Paranormal Shifters Romance and Giveaway

ONE LIFE

A TEDDY OWENS STORY

by

L.A. Cadieux

…from Evernight Teen 

YA (romance, paranormal, shifters, suspense, contemporary)

77,000 words, Editor's Pick 

Intent on leaving her troubled childhood in the past, snow-obsessed sixteen year old Teddy Owens has moved from Texas to her uncle's secluded Rocky Mountain estate—a beautiful place, but colder than she imagined. Curious about her surroundings she ignores the persistent advice of new friends and digs around to uncover the allure of the mysterious estate—only to discover her friends have terrifying secrets of their own. With each new revelation, Teddy is thrust further into a clandestine underworld where she is hunted for her dormant supernatural power…the ability to save just one person from death.

After her family's sordid history of betrayal is unearthed, Teddy’s world is rocked when she must travel to New York City and take an oath promising her power to an arrogant heir of the underworld, Leevi Koivu. Can she trust him?

And in the end someone she loves, but cannot save, will die.

Excerpt:

“Admit it, you’re a mess.” My words were thick with accusation as I showed her the bottle. The lines separating a mother from her daughter began to blur, the tighter my fist clenched around exhibit #1: the medication bottle. “I found this in the trash.”

Angelique placed the soda she’d been sipping onto the kitchen counter. “Stop worrying about me. Honey, I’m fine. It was an accident—those merely fell into the garbage earlier,” she said. A bead of condensation rolled down the side of the aluminum can, seeping into a chip in the counter.

“Do you take me for an idiot? The trash isn’t exactly accessible.” I pointed to the cupboard beneath the kitchen sink. As I leaned forward my wet hair hung over my face. I’d gone and dyed my locks red a few weeks earlier. Fortunately, the color had faded after two washes.

“It’s completely plausible it fell under the sink,” she argued. Angelique turned to search the deserted street outside our tattered screen door—her actions were a clear indication of what I’d suspected all along.

“Please, look at me for one minute, and don’t start with one of your conspiracy theories—seriously—I can’t take another. This full bottle was in the washroom trash. I found it after taking a shower.” 

A knowing expression dawned on her face…she’d been caught in another lie. 

“You haven’t been taking your prescription. Why?” I shoved a hand into the pocket of my cut-off shorts and pulled out the telephone wiretap.

Angelique’s eyes narrowed in on it. “Teddy, give me the bug,” she demanded, placing a thin hand on my shoulder.

I tore out of her grasp. “In case you missed the memo, this isn’t normal. It’s not okay to spy on me. Angelique, I’m not your naïve little girl anymore.” I held up the listening device. 

“Your sickness is worse than ever. Your paranoia is out of control—you need help. I’m tired of trying to fix it.”

“I’m fine,” Angelique shrilled. Her hair was matted to her forehead, saturated with the humidity. “You have to trust me. I have my reasons.”

“I want to trust you.” I noted how her cheeks and eyes had sunken in. God, she wasn’t eating again. Her anxiety had worsened significantly since my sixteenth birthday. Lately, she’d watched me like I was going to burst into a man-eating tarantula at any moment. “You make it hard.”

“You can’t possibly understand.” She reached over to tug at my arm, resulting in a tussle over the bug. “Give me that already—it’s not yours,” she ordered.

As I ducked out of the way, she jerked my arm. “Let me go!” I tried to snatch my arm away.

“Please, can you try to keep your voice down?” She released me, only to glance outside in search of her imaginary tormentors.

“Why can’t you try to be a normal mother?” I asked, red-faced.

“It was never in the cards for you, honey.” She pushed a limp strand of brunette hair out of her face.

“You don’t listen, not even to the doctors,” I said sadly. “Try to keep care of yourself.”

Taking aim, I flung the bottle against the refrigerator and watched with disdain as it burst open, sending pills spewing across the floor. Many of them disappeared into a filthy crack in the linoleum floor under the counter. 

“I’m not your babysitter!” Angelique stood rigidly, staring down at the pills. Considering her current state of mental health, and knowing my mother, she was probably asking herself if they could possibly be poisoned.

I opened my mouth, then closed it, and then opened it again. “Forget this—I’m done.” I threw my fists up into the air.

“Teddy,” Angelique shouted as I ran from the house. “Get back here this instant,” she ordered. “It’s dangerous—”

I slammed the squeaking screen door behind me, cutting her off. If I wasn’t so livid I’d have taken notice of the police car sitting at the end of our street, but it was too late: the cops were stepping out of the car. An officer waved me over. Angelique was going to lose it on them, and it was my fault.

Making my way toward the cops, I started to panic. What should I say?

“Hello there,” the first officer said. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, nothing to report.” I stared down at my sneakers, not wanting to meet their cynical gazes.

“What’s your name?” the second asked.

“Teddy Owens, sir.”

“How old are you?” He leaned against his cruiser, tilting his head to the side to consider me.

“Sixteen—at the beginning of August.” I cringed as the screen door on our house banged shut. The officers wore amused expressions as Angelique stomped toward us. They wouldn’t be smiling if they knew what she was capable of.

“It’s going to be one of those nights,” the first officer said under his breath.

It was one of the last times I’d play the role of an innocent spectator.

Buy Links:  

Evernight Teen -  http://www.evernightteen.com/one-life-by-l-a-cadieux/

Amazon  -  http://www.amazon.com/Life-Teddy-Owens-Story-Book-ebook/dp/B00L4N2PYQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403287368&sr=1-1&keywords=One+Life+by+L.A.+Cadieux

ARe -  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-onelife-1555731-140.html

BookStrand  -  http://www.bookstrand.com/one-life

Print  -  https://www.createspace.com/4867155


B&N and Smashwords coming soon

Giveaway:    Don't forget to enter for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:

"Our perception of the world is shaped by our experiences and imagery. As a genre fantasy writer it's my job to create new possibilities."

My name is L. A. Cadieux, I’m a YA/New Adult writer and social media-aholic born in Lac La Biche, Alberta, living in Calgary, Canada. Since childhood I've been mesmerized by stories of fairy tales, knights, Greek and Roman mythology and comic book heroes. Naturally, I wanted to create my own worlds/characters and set off on a long quest to write fantasy novels. Creative, yet business minded, I went on to earn a Degree in Management from the University of Alberta Augustana, specializing in Business Economics.

I'm a Project Manager by day and by night I work on my stories. After shelving some of my earlier manuscripts I decided to focus on ONE LIFE, the first in a series of Teddy Owens Stories.

As a proud mom of two – I spend my days and nights multi-tasking.
Random facts: Tim Hortons coffee and ketchup chips are my vices. I’m also a fan of the HBO and CW Networks. My favourite book is Jane Austen’s PRIDE & PREJUDICE.

Website: http://www.lacadieux.com

Blog: http://lacadieux.blogspot.ca



Contact:

Twitter: LACadieux_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLACadieux

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lacadieux/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7910457-l-a-cadieux

Google+: https://plus.google.com/101606432963829216880/posts

Brenna Is The Target of A Stalker, Is Death Her Only Option?

Synopsis: 

Just as love appears, so does the darkness. With her heart reaching out for one man, Brenna finds herself the target of an unknown stalker. Who is he? What does he want? How far will he go for her? Death is an option. Brenna discovers more than she bargained for and learns that the stalker will kill for her. It all comes down to decisions, and no matter what she chooses it will demand sacrifice and someone's blood.


Excerpt:

Brenna’s eyes fluttered open to see a blur of trees flying by. Her head pounded and her stomach began to roll from the pain she felt and the fast-changing scenery. A careful look at her surroundings told her she was in an older model car. She inhaled deeply to calm herself, but confusion set in as her senses were assaulted by unfamiliar smells. The old smell of the car was tainted with something repugnant and caused her nose to crinkle in response. Her eyes widened in fright as terrifying memories began to flood her mind. Turning slowly, afraid of what she might see, a gasp involuntarily escaped her vocal cords when she saw he was as repulsive as she remembered. Who was he and what did he want with her?

Sensing her stare, a pair of dark, soulless eyes turned towards her. A smile appeared on his unkempt face. “Well, well, sleeping beauty awakes.” Brenna’s stomach rolled again as she felt his eyes slide hungrily over her body. She pushed up against the door in an effort to put as much distance between the two of them as she could, but he shook his head in disapproval. “No need to be dramatic.” He turned his attention back to the road. “We both know you won’t jump out.”

She set her teeth and glared at him. Eyeballing her surroundings, she saw that there was no end to the trees that lined the road, no sign of civilization. She assumed they were still in the same state as when he grabbed her from the parking lot of the school where she taught. Deep down inside, she knew death awaited her no matter what. The look in his eye was not merciful. Yet jumping from the car to end her life seemed too selfish. As she was not one to keep such joy to herself, she quickly swung her body around and slammed into her abductor. Might as well let him in on the fun!

The force of her body colliding into his sent the car spinning out of control. She began fighting with all her might to prevent him from regaining control. Two sets of hands fought for control of the steering wheel. Profanities were shouted as the fight intensified. The car spun to the edge of the road where a small depression nestled in the forest. The tires left the ground when it hit the slight downward shift of the terrain, the car flipped and somersaulted twenty feet down the hill. As it took its final turn before slamming into a large pine tree, the passenger door flung open from the movement. Brenna thudded on the forest ground and barely missed a clump of trees. Stars exploded in her head and every bone in her body ached from the impact. She looked up to the fading light and let the darkness take possession.



Author: Rebecca Graf
Publisher: Silver Tongue Press
Publication Date: August 2012
Genre: Paranormal/Suspense/Romance


Purchase Link:

Amazon – Print and Kindle: 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1478291966/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1478291966&linkCode=as2&tag=hubspace-20 

Giveaway Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway


Praise:

“A stand out story for me because of Ms. Graf's ability to bring not only the story but the characters to life. She easily allowed me to feel the emotions that the characters felt, from the tension between Eaton and Slaton, to the jolt Brenna felt when Slaton touched her. Because of the mystery and suspense the plot moved along at a brisk pace, and the ending has me anxious for the next book in the series! Ms. Graf weaves together, mystery, suspense, romance along with a paranormal twist which makes for a page turning read!” – Brenda Castro on Goodreads

“Deep Connections is a riveting romantic suspense thriller that will captivate you from the beginning and hold you captive until the end. If you like a scary novel with a twist of paranormal and romance in the mix, then this is the book for you. This is the first book in a series, and the end will leave you hanging and wanting more, only to make you wait for it to be continued in the next book of the series, Dark Connections.” – Kathleen Higgins-Anderson on Goodreads

“Graf has a true talent. The plot was amazing and the writing was great, it just kept on flowing and was easy to read on and on and get wrapped up in the book and lose track of time while reading. The characters made this book too. They were very well developed and thought out by Graf. She made them seem so real to the reader.” – Angela Krause on Goodreads

About the Author:

Rebecca Graf is a transplanted Southerner living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband, three children, two cats, and two dogs. Life keeps her pretty busy with taking care of the family, writing, and running several online businesses including Silver Tongue Press. To keep sane, she reads and crochets as she plots her next story. She has also written How to Write a Book Review and two Christian children’s books: A Gift for a Mouse and The Nightingale in the Garden. 


You can connect with Rebecca here:


Website:  www.rebeccagraf.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebeccagraf

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rebeccagraf/

Blog: www.abookloverslibrary.com