by Haven Francis Genre: Upper YA/NA Contemporary Release Date: May 17th 2016 Summary:
Sometimes the best version of yourself is the one you can only see through someone elseâs eyes. But what happens when those eyes belong to the one person you donât want them to?
Thanks to her fatherâs affair and her parentâs resulting separation, Presley Knox has been ripped from her life in California and dropped into an abyss in the middle of Georgia. With her alternative looks and creative spirit, trying to find her place in a sea of jocks and cheerleaders is hard, but doing it while living with her cousin who belittles her every chance she gets is almost impossible. There is one person in Carver who embodies everything Presley hates about her new life and she canât help but use him as the outlet for all of her frustrations.
Nash Carterâs bad boy image isnât a façade; he drinks too much, sleeps around, makes his money street racing and has zero plans for his future beyond living a rowdy life with his likeminded dad and older brother. His good looks, cut body and popularity have always gotten him anything and anyone heâs ever wanted. That is until Presley Knox showed up at Carver High.
Nash knows to steer clear of Presley and her sharp tongue thatâs always aimed at him. But that becomes impossible when theyâre paired together for a semester-long photography assignment that promises to push them into the depths of each otherâs personal lives. In order to survive the semester, Nash implements a new strategy: get the one girl whoâs immune to his charm to change her mind about him.
With Nashâs unwavering pursuit to know everything about her, and with the nagging voice inside her head thatâs insisting thereâs more to him than sheâs letting herself see, Presley struggles to keep her wall firmly in place. When it slowly begins to crumble, Nash wonders if he should have kept his distance after all because the girl thatâs been hiding under Presleyâs hard shell is breaking his heart wide open.
Nash has been a lot of things to a lot of girls, but Presleyâs the only one heâs ever wanted to shelter and protect. But how is he going to do that when he knows sheâs right to keep their friendship a secret in order to protect herself from him?
Due to mature language and content, A Son of Carver is intended for readers 17+.
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Excerpt:
âFrom one to ten, how much do you hate living here?â I ask Presley. She laughs â a normal cute laugh, not an angry one. âDepends on where I am.â âYouâre here; in your room⦠with me.â She rolls her eyes at me. âTenâs the worst?â âYeah.â âAn eleven?â she smirks. âIs it because the room part or the me part?â I ask, cocking my head at her. âBoth.â I pout at her. âDonât even try that with me,â she says, narrowing her eyes. âItâs cute,â I tell her. She shakes her head. âCome on, Iâm cute â you have to admit it.â âYouâre not cute, Nash.â âYeah, I guess sexyâs the more accurate word.â She squints her eyes at me, her mouth lifting with a wicked grin. âIt bothers you, doesnât it?â âWhat? That Iâm so sexy? No, not really. I mean, sometimes I just want to be left alone but it comes with the territory. What am I supposed to do?â âIt bothers you that I donât think youâre cute, or sexy and that I donât particularly like you.â Yes. Completely. In fact, Iâve made it my mission to make you like me. âAm I the only girl who hasnât crumbled after a mere glance from you?â I lean forward and cock my head at her, giving her a sly smile. To which, her reaction is a tight grin that says, nice try, cheese ball. âProbably. But donât worry, Iâm pretty sure Iâm getting to you already. Not particularly liking me is a huge step up from absolutely despising me. And I can maybe believe the not cute thing, but thereâs no chance you donât think Iâm sexy. Have you seen me with my shirt off?â âYou realize that huge muscles arenât a turn on for everyone and that some people even find things like a brain and modesty to be sexy?â I give up the act and lean back on my elbows. âI donât know what to say â you got me. I donât have much of a brain and Iâm definitely not modest. You could still like me though, right? I mean in a, Iâll tolerate him for a couple of hours kind of way.â She mimics my posture, laying back on her own elbows. âI suppose.â I stare at her â sheâs got her hair pulled up on the top of her head in a messy bun, her face is bare; her ivory skin glowing in the sun thatâs coming through her window. Her eyes are closed, her long lashes brushing against her cheeks. She looks peaceful. I pick up my camera, aim it towards her and snap a picture. âWhat are you doing?â she mutters, eyes still closed. âTaking your picture.â âCan we talk about it for a minute before you proceed with your assignment?â âTalk about it?â She lets out a frustrated breath, sits up and looks at me. âWe were supposed to start at your house. This makes me uncomfortable; having someone take my picture, especially here in my home landscape thatâs not actually my home at all.â âAre you trying to tell me you donât want me to take your picture? Because Iâm pretty sure I canât pass the class if thatâs another one of your rules I have to abide by.â She pinches her eyes closed and clenches her teeth. âYou can take my picture. I know you have to do that. I just thought if we laid out a plan I could limit the number of pictures taken.â âI donât get you, Presley. Iâm trying to get you, I really am⦠but honestly, I canât figure you out. Why wouldnât you want your picture taken?â She glares at me, which happens so often Iâm pretty much immune to it. âYouâre not self-conscious?â Another glare, this time it punctures the surface of my skin. âYouâre gonna have to use words, Iâm not fluent in severe facial expressions.â âForget it, Nash. Just do whatever youâve gotta do, itâs fine.â She stands and grabs her camera off her desk and shoves it into her backpack. I stand too and walk to her. I turn her around so sheâs stuck between me and the desk. She has a talent of running away when our conversations become too personal but Iâm not gonna be dealing with whatever issue sheâs got with my camera for the rest of the semester. âI get that youâre immune to my charms, so please donât take this as anything other than a fact being stated.â She crosses her arms over her chest, but doesnât tell me to shut up, so I carry on. âYouâre pretty. Like really, really pretty â you know that, right?â âI swear to God, if you say one word about my bodyâ¦â âIâm not talking about your body which, by the way, is extremely beautiful. Iâm not even talking about your blue eyes, your thick hair or your perfect skin. Iâm talking about your cute smirks, your impressive eye rolls, the way you chew on your lip and how youâre always hiding behind your hair. Iâm not artist, I can barely work the camera on my phone, but Iâm pretty sure Iâm gonna ace this class because youâre my subject matter.â âJesus, Nash, you are seriously too much. I mean I get it â I can see how a speech like that would win over any girl you know but youâve gotta stop trying to use your lines on me. Itâs seriously starting to piss me off.ââ My head actually retracts at that. There is no winning with this girl. âYou really donât believe a word that comes out of my mouth, do you? You think everything I say is just some stupid line meant to convince people that Iâm likeable because, in reality, I canât possibly be anything other than scum, right?â I stare at her, fully aware that Iâm getting more worked up than I should be. She stares back at me but says nothing. âWhen I saw you in that class I wasnât any less annoyed than you were, but I told you I would try with you. And I believe you told me the same thing. But Iâm pretty sure Iâm the only one whoâs actually doing it. Iâve been nice to you, Iâve taken two days out of my weekend to prove to you that Iâm taking this seriously because you told me you needed that from me, Iâve tried getting to know you, I even tried being a friend to you. And every time you make it clear that you hate everything about me I find some reason to justify why that is and I let it go because Iâm trying to get somewhere with you. But weâre never gonna get anywhere if youâre constantly pissed off at me for no damn reason. I canât even give you a genuine compliment without you making me feel like a piece of crap.â She flares her nostrils and shakes her head. Presleyâs never been able to keep her mouth shut. Sheâs got an opinion about everything and everyone, especially me. I didnât think anything could be more annoying. But this is. Her refusal to acknowledge anything I say like I donât even deserve her words is way more annoying than a litany of insults. Forget it. I grab my bag off her bed and head out the door.
Book One (click on image for Goodreads link):
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About the Author
An escapist filled with wanderlust, writing is Havenâs responsible adult version of getting in the car and driving without aim. Reading and music are close seconds. She and her husband can often be found checking out their favorite bands locally or hundreds of miles away via road trips. Reading is something they donât have in common but he tolerates her late night, dimly-lit habit.
Haven graduated with a B.A., double majoring in English literature and fine arts. She made a living writing about trends in interior design but thoroughly enjoys that fact that people, unlike furniture, can fall in love. She especially loves when they fall desperately and into a forbidden kind of love. She has a slightly embarrassing fascination with the period of life that sits awkwardly between childhood and adulthood; the years when nothing is certain, lots of mistakes are made, falling in love is inevitable and finding yourself is a struggle. For her itâs a fun place to escape to and she hopes her readers agree.
To date, Haven has self-published six new adult and young adult romance novels, and her first traditionally published novel will be released through Harmony Ink Press in July, 2017. She also works as a graphic designer but considers Mom her most important title.
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Today is the release day for Rissa Brahm’s exotic Tempting Isabel! I am so excited to share this sexy new romance with you. Be sure to check out the excerpt Rissa is sharing with us and enter her giveaway! About Tempting Isabel: Luck. Lust. Love. Wedding planner Isabel Ruiz is cursed. Her hometown of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico agrees, considering her tragic track record. Alone and loveless, she creates fairy-tale weddings for others. Her only distraction? The occasional anonymous fling. So to avoid further tragedy, her rule, one–night–only, is never broken… Until Zack. Self-made millionaire Zack James is in town for his brother’s wedding, when a sudden spell of depression hits. Maybe burned out by his fast and luxurious lifestyle? Not even his two female companions hold any interest. That is, until he meets Isabel. She humbles and captivates him, reigniting his thirst for life. With her, Zack feels more alive than ever. To his delight—and her dismay—they share a deep bond, a sensual connection, and one mind-bending night. Zack must have her – to complete him. And Isabel must escape him – to save him. Their game of catch and chase leads to lust-turned-love. For Isabel, it's fate’s cruelest joke. But Zack won’t quit, positive he’s the cure to her curse. Can he convince her to risk everything with him? Or will it all go south…in paradise. **Mature Content Warning** 17+ for language, and adult situations. HEA. Get Your Copy Today: Amazon Exclusive Excerpt: She let a smile lift her face. God, a smile so sweet it was sensual. He got a chest pain, a good pain, from that smile. Zack smiled back at her. Just staring and smiling, until her smile took on a more questioning look. Her gorgeous head tilted. Maybe unsure of what else to say? Because he sure as hell was. Another silent beat went by until she noticed her purse on the ground. Zack felt panic shoot up his spine. Shit. She was about to leave his vicinity, his world. Damn it, say something…anything, asshole. But then she bent over for the purse. Her firm yet gloriously voluptuous figure, hugged by that professional little skirt, just right in his face—God, he hated himself. He felt like a fiend, a dirty rotten monster for wanting her the way he did, imagining that ass pounding against his bare thighs. He was disgusted with himself for having such a primal desire for such an unknowingly exquisite being. He composed himself as she stood up, and before she turned around, a small coffee-colored blotch on her back caught his eye. A tiny birthmark peeked out from her low-backed top in the shape of a puzzle piece, situated on a slight angle. It just floated there, lost-like. He kept his eyes on it until she pivoted around on her uneven heels to face him. He swallowed and cleared his throat. She smirked then nodded one last thanks to him and his awkward ass, and then left him standing there—his pride in the fetal position at his feet. And Jesus, no hesitation, no glance back over her shoulder, just…nothing. Was she playing hard to get? No. She seemed too self-assured to play that game, and she didn’t have the attitude, either. She had a kindness in her eyes, a stoic sweetness. Games just didn’t seem her style. Maybe married? But he hadn’t seen a ring. He would have noticed a ring. No, it was all so much worse. He didn’t exist for her, just not on her radar, or in her very recent past, or even on her planet. She hadn’t been rude or snotty in the slightest, just wholly uninterested. An earthquake just shook his world to a standstill. A woman, an angel, rather, just limped away from Zachary James in her one high heel without a qualm, without a care, without giving him a first, let alone a second, thought. About Rissa Brahm: Contemporary romance author Rissa Brahm grew up in New York and has since lived in all four corners of the United States, and beyond. The beautiful paradise of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico—the core setting of her soul-deep & sensual debut series, Paradise South—is Rissa’s most recent and beloved home. When not chained-by-choice to her MacBook, she is embarking on outdoor adventures with her husband and little girl, eating amazing Indian food with something chocolate for dessert; reading good, hot scorchers in bed; biking, long walks, and yoga; zoning out to killer music from across the decades and the globe; and getting lost only to discover a new exciting route home again. Tempting Isabel, Book 1 of the Paradise South series, releases May 24, 2016, followed by Taking Jana, on June 14th and Catching Preeya on July 8th. To learn more about Rissa and her next romances of the series, visit her website or shout out to her on Facebook or Twitter! Connect with Rissa: website: www.RissaBrahm.com email: [email protected] pinterest: www.RissaBrahm.com/pinterest facebook: www.RissaBrahm.com/facebook goodreads: www.RissaBrahm.com/goodreads twitter: www.RissaBrahm.com/twitter Youtube: www.RissaBrahm.com/YouTube Author Central: amazon.com/author/rissabrahm Enter Rissa’s Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway Coming Soon:
Chased
Goodreads / Amazon (Chased 1) / Amazon (Chased 2) EXCERPT: “What’s this?” Chase asks when I hand him one of the coffee cups. “Peace offering. Careful, it’s hot. I wasn’t sure what you wanted in it, so I left it…” My voice trails off as he takes both cups and tips them over the sink. I snatch my cup back but it’s too late. “There are three sips in here! Just because you don’t like coffee doesn’t mean you have to be a…a…total degenerate!” “For the record, I like it as much as the next guy but too much tanks your performance.” He grins like he’s enjoying this. “Are you going to take three quarters of my donut too?” I pull it from the bag and wave it in front of him. I try to jerk it away when Chase grabs for it, but he’s faster. “Nope.” He drops the pastry in the trash before I can blink. My mouth falls open in disbelief. For a second I stand there, stunned by his audacity. “What is this, communist Russia?” Chase hands me a banana from the counter. “I’m Irish.” I stand over the garbage. The donut is drenched in whatever green substance occupied the bag first, rendering my beloved breakfast unsalvageable. “I thought you wanted this, Hastings.” His eyes gleam wickedly. “Chase Owens,” I whisper, my voice nearly shaking, “you are the devil.” “Fuck, I love it when you talk dirty. Now less lip, more running, princess.” He shoves me toward the door.
GIVEAWAY!
Title: European Tour
Series: Rocking the Pop Star, #1
Author: LV Lewis
Genre: Contemporary/New Adult Romance
Release Date: May 16, 2016
Brody Kent walked away from the pinnacle of rock superstardom and never looked back. Financially, he never has to work again, but takes jobs as a personal assistant to keep his mind—and other things—busy. The women he works for always want something, and he's more than willing to help. But when he's sent to work for a pop princess, Brody will do anything to make her happy—even if it means admitting the ugly truth about his past. Smothered. Talented. Ready to start her life.
Successful pop star, Skylar Samuelson is about to embark upon the turning point of her career—a summer tour in Europe. Her manager mother has promised to pull back and allow her full reign of the overseas tour. When Brody Kent becomes her new assistant, Skylar can't deny the attraction. He's perfect. Everything she’s ever wanted. But Brody's hiding something and the truth may break her. If someone else doesn't break her first...
Lies. Betrayal. And the truth that could ruin them all.
Growing up, L.V. Lewis wanted to be an internationally known rock star, but unfortunately, lived in the wrong part of the country to pursue that career (and neither American Idol nor The Voice were available then). An early love for the written word gave her the plan B she sought. Now she pens romance novels that let her live vicariously through rock stars and other fascinating archetypes.
The Madness of Mercury
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