“So, whaddaya want, Starke?”
Phuttt. The seat cushion almost exploded as he dropped his fat ass down into the chair behind his desk and ran his fingers through his greasy brown hair.
I sat down in the only other chair in the room, one of those steel-framed folding things.
“You been to bed yet, Benny? You look like shit.”
“Yeah, well. I got lots to do, and no time to do it. I’ll maybe take a nap when Lorie gets here. Nothin’ much happens till after ten, as you well know. Come on, Starke. Spill it. What do you want?”
“I was in here last night, Benny. Remember?”
He nodded. “How could I forget?”
“Do you remember the girl in the black dress and white coat?”
“Come on, Harry. There were lots of girls in here last night. You know that. You were here, for God’s sake. The place was packed.”
“Yeah, I was here. And so were you. This was around midnight. She had dark red hair and an expensive white coat. She was with a couple of brothers. Nasty-looking types.”
“Oh yeah, I remember her. Who wouldn’t? She was hot.”
“Yeah, well, she’s not so hot now. She’s pretty cold. She’s dead. What do you know about her?”
“Dead? Dead? How? I don’t know nothin’, not a thing. I ain’t never seen her before. Who killed her?”
“Nobody killed her, Benny. She threw herself off the bridge. So. What about the brothers?”
“Killed herself, huh? Wow! Um....” He hesitated. “Nothing. I ain’t never seen ‘em before either.” He looked away as he said it.
I said nothing. I just sat there and watched his face.
“What?” he said, when he had gathered up enough courage to look me in the eyes again.
“You’re about as transparent as that window, Benny. Maybe more so. It’s filthy. Now tell me the truth.”
“Screw you, Starke. I don’t have tell you nothin’. Get the hell out of my office, and stay outta the bar, too.”

Boy meets girl, falls in love at first sight. Oops, she's already married. Bad planning. She becomes a friend and a muse, helps him find his voice. He knows that no one gets to capture their own muse, but he can dream, can't he...?
Thomas Baldwin finds himself married to a woman he can't stand, while head-over heels in love with another woman he can't have. Talk about bad planning. He is something of a kite, buffeted by circumstances which blow him not only through personal crises, but also through some of the most significant events in Pittsburgh during the late 1800s, including the railroad riots of 1877, the creation of the Homestead Steel Works, the assassination of President Garfield, and the Johnstown Flood. Over time, and with the help of his muse, who dances maddeningly just beyond his reach, he takes control of his life, wresting it from the winds attempting to control him.

A carefully-researched historical novel about life among the privileged class of Pittsburgh during the Industrial Revolution.

Irritating his mother wasn’t specifically Thomas’ favorite hobby. She did, however, seem to excel at providing him with opportunities to do so. He didn’t have to try very hard. His very existence was an obvious irritant to her. It wasn’t because of who he was – Thomas knew perfectly well it was all about what he wasn’t.
He wasn’t everything his older brother Benjamin had been; quick and clever and charming and talkative. The entire Baldwin family – especially his mother, Eugenia Baldwin, aspiring family matriarch and his most verbal critic – admitted that Thomas was the much more handsome of the two. Then everyone shrugged. Pretty is as pretty does.
Thomas had to agree on that point. He gladly would have traded his bright blue eyes and much-admired dark hair for the ability to know what to say to people.
He stood at the entrance to the ballroom in his parents’ house, surrounded by giggling girls all wishing him a happy birthday with their dance cards not-so-subtly dangling from their wrists. Trying to smile, he offered his hand to accept the little pencils and sign the blasted things.

Girl meets boy, falls in love at first sight. Kind of unfortunate for a married woman. He becomes her best friend, the only man in her life that she can really count on. She wishes there could be more to it. There can't be, but she can dream, can't she...?
   Regina Waring seems to have it all: a loving husband, a successful business, and the most expensive wardrobe in town. But nothing is as it appears. Her husband is critical and demanding, the business teeters on ruin, even the opulent wardrobe is a clever illusion.

Regina's life is a delicate high wire act; one misstep and she will plunge to her doom. Attempting to keep her equilibrium, she appeases the husband, dresses the part, and never, never says what she's really thinking. That would get in the way of getting things done. And if there's one thing Regina does really well, it is getting things done.

Enter Thomas Baldwin: young and handsome and completely off limits. Regina is smitten at first sight. To her joy, and despite her caution, he becomes her safety net. Torn between her fascination with him and her desire not to ruin a marvelous friendship, she tries to enjoy each moment as it comes.

If only that were enough.

The eagerly demanded sequel to Wealth and Privilege is a carefully researched historical novel about life and love among the upper class of Pittsburgh.
​

There was grunting, and the sound of wood groaning, and then a wet thump as they lifted and threw something. Regina could tell that there was a little more room behind her shoulder blades. There was more grunting and dragging and thumping. Then she heard them both groan.
“What’s going on back there? Have I been cut off at the waist?” she asked. Not being able to see what was wrong, or the progress they were having, was making her anxious.
“The next layer is completely wedged in. We can’t do this without tools,” Isaac told her.
Both men hurried away from her, making her worry for their safety. She had also found their company reassuring. What if neither one of them was able to find her again?
That’s when she saw the flickering orange glow in the distance. “No.”
Yes. It didn’t seem possible – but in the midst of water floating below, and pouring from above, something had caught on fire.
Regina started listing in her head all the accelerants that might be contained in a single drygoods store: tar, pitch, turpentine, kerosene. How many homes used all of them? How many gas lines were ruptured all over the city? How many wood stoves were knocked into them? There was no way this heap would NOT be set on fire.
And here she was, stuck, in the middle of it. No doubt about it, she was about to die in the same town in which she was born. It was a shame, really. She had such high aspirations.

Jeanette Watts is a dance instructor and performer of many different kinds of dance, a costumer, a former television producer, and a big softie who can't learn to say no when people need help with their festivals. It makes it really difficult for her to get time to write. 
  Jeanette Watts couldn't help but notice that all romances seemed to be set in the American West or the South. A staunch Yankee girl, she asked what is unromantic about the North or the East? After living for four years in Pittsburgh, and falling deeply in love with southwestern Pennsylvania, she found it the perfect location for a love story.

Besides writing, she is also a dance instructor, an inveterate seamstress, the artistic director for several dance companies, an actress, and a history buff. Wealth and Privilege took her 10 years to write, because she felt the research needed to be thorough. Everything from big events and famous people to little details like dog breeds and city names (Minneapolis residents will be pleased to see that she acknowledges that the city was called St. Anthony's Falls in 1878) have been carefully researched. ​
Website: www.JeanetteWatts.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanette.watts.94
Twitter: @JeanetteAWatts    
 
Purchase Links
Amazon: Wealth and Privilege: https://www.createspace.com/4352661
Brains and Beauty: https://www.createspace.com/5865403
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wealth-and-privilege-jeanette-watts/1115581019?ean=9781490934518
​

Tired of the cold winters in Washington, D.C. and disturbed by her increasingly obsessive boyfriend, Kailani Kanaka savors her move back to her native Big Island of Hawaii. She also finds a new job as personal chef for the Jorgensen family. The gentle caress of the Hawaiian trade winds, the soft sigh of the swaying palm trees, and the stunning blue waters of the Pacific lull her into a sense of calm at the House of Hanging Jade--an idyll that quickly fades as it becomes apparent that dark secrets lurk within her new home. Furtive whispers in the night, a terrifying shark attack, and the discovery of a dead body leave Kailani shaken and afraid. But it's the unexpected appearance of her ex-boyfriend, tracking her every move and demanding she return to him, that has her fearing for her life . . .


Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/03/house-of-hanging-jade-by-amy-m-reade.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28699407-house-of-the-hanging-jade


Buy Links:     Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/?field-keywords=9781601835581
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/house-of-the-hanging-jade-amy-m-reade/1122454903
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Amy_M_Reade
_House_of_the_Hanging_Jade?id=R49KCgAAQBAJ

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781601835581
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/house-of-the-hanging-jade ​

I knew I should have stayed home.
    I bent my head as the wind whipped down Massachusetts Avenue, hurling snowflakes at my face, stinging my cheeks with hard, frosty pellets. The icy sidewalks were treacherous, making my walk to work precarious and slow. There were very few others brave or foolish enough to be out in this weather. I passed one man out walking his dog and silently praised him for being so devoted.
    I finally arrived at the restaurant. I stamped on the snow that had piled up against the front door and slipped my key into the lock with fingers stiff and clumsy from the cold. Once inside, it only took me a second to realize that no one else was there. On a normal day, one without a blizzard, my assistant Nunzio would already have come in through the back and flipped on the kitchen lights before I arrived. I groaned. Even Nunzio, whom I could always count on, had stayed home. I moved through the darkened dining room and turned on the lights in the kitchen. As they blinked to life, I heard a heavy knock at the front door.
  Hurrying to open it, I recognized the face of Geoffrey, the restaurant’s owner and my current boyfriend, bundled up in a thick scarf and hat.
  “Kailani, what are you doing here?” he exclaimed, brushing snow off his boots in the vestibule.
  “Someone has to be here to get things started,” I answered testily. “I don’t think we can open today,” Geoffrey said. “There’s no way the delivery trucks can get through, and I don’t think we’d have any customers even if they could.”
  “You mean I came all this way for nothing?” I whined. Geoffrey smiled down at me. “Sorry. I just assumed you’d know not to come in on a day like this.”
“Why did you come in, then?”
“To catch up on paperwork. Plus, snowstorms don’t bother me.” “Ugh. They bother me. Well, I guess if you don’t need me here, I’ll head back home.”
“Want me to stop by later?”
I didn’t, but I nodded. Geoffrey and I hadn’t been dating for long. He was already becoming a little too clingy.
He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Be safe getting home. I’d call you a cab, but there isn’t a single one on the streets.” “Believe me, I know.”
   I trudged home the same way I had come, the snow falling even harder now and blowing sideways, making it difficult for me to see. When I finally made it to my apartment building, I clumped up the stairs in my heavy boots and stood inside my apartment, leaning against the door for several moments to catch my breath. It took me a while to peel off all my layers. I left them lying on the floor while I heated up milk on the stove for hot chocolate. As the milk warmed, I gazed at a canvas photo that hung in my front hall. It was a faraway view of the beach, taken from my parents’ backyard, overlooking the black sand and the curling waves of the azure Pacific Ocean.
 “We’ve got to go home,” I said aloud to my cat, Meli, as she stepped daintily around me. This wasn’t the first time I had expressed this sentiment to Meli, but this time she stopped and looked up at me. She blinked and twitched her ears.
It was the sign I needed.
  I watched the snow continue to fall for several hours from the warmth and safety of my apartment. Meli and I curled up on the couch while I tried to read a book, but I couldn’t concentrate. My thoughts returned again and again to palm trees and warm, caressing trade winds, to the faces of my mother and father, of my sister and her little girl. Geoffrey eventually stopped by, bringing with him an icy blast of air as I opened the door to the hallway.
He laughed. “Looks like this storm may never end.”
  I invited him into the warmth of the apartment. “Take off your stuff. Want some hot chocolate?” I called over my shoulder as I walked into the kitchen.
  “Sure,” he answered, struggling with one of his boots. I joined him in the living room a few minutes later. He was trying to stroke Meli’s chin, but she apparently wanted none of that. Her ears flattened back and she squirmed out of his reach.
  I handed him the mug of hot chocolate and sat down opposite him. “Geoffrey, I have news,” I told him warily, knowing he probably wouldn’t be as happy as I was.
 “What is it?”
“I’m going back to Hawaii.” I waited for his reaction.
“That’s nice. It’ll do you good to get out of this weather for a while.”
He obviously wasn’t getting it. “No, not for a while. I’m moving back. For good.”
I was right. He was not happy. In fact, he looked stricken, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. “What do you mean, for good?” he asked, choking on his hot chocolate.
“I mean, I just can’t stand it here any longer. I’m never going to get used to the weather, I miss my parents, and my niece is growing up without her auntie. It’s time to go back. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I’ll miss you, Geoffrey, but this is what’s best for me,” I added, trying to soften the blow.
He looked like he was struggling for words.
“But . . . but . . . what will you do?”
“I’ll do the same thing I do here, Geoffrey. Sous-chefs are not unique to DC.”
“Okay, but what will I do? Without you, I mean?”
I felt sorry for him. He looked crestfallen.
“Geoffrey,” I said gently, “there are lots of women in Washington who are looking for someone as wonderful and kind and handsome and successful as you are. I have to do what my heart is telling me to do, and that’s to go back to Hawaii.”
He nodded slowly, his eyes downcast. “Is there anything I can say to keep you here?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“When are you leaving?”
“I don’t know. I just made the decision this morning.”
He sighed and leaned back against the couch cushions, holding his mug on his lap and staring into space.
“Geoffrey? You okay?” I asked.
He set his mug on the coffee table and pushed himself up from the sofa. “I guess I should get going, then. Will you keep working at the restaurant until you leave?”
I was surprised that he wanted to leave already, but I didn’t mention it.
“Of course. I’ll give you plenty of time to find another fabulous sous-chef.”
I watched Geoffrey as he walked down the hallway of my apartment building. His shoulders were stooped and his gait slow. He looked like a forlorn little boy. Poor Geoffrey. At the end of the hallway, right by the elevator, he turned around and made a pleading motion with his hands and walked back toward me.
Uh-oh.
“Kailani, how can you just throw away all the time we’ve spent together?”
I was a little taken aback, but I suppose I shouldn’t have been. Such dramatic statements were normal with him. “Geoffrey, we haven’t really spent too much time together. We haven’t been dating very long.”
“But doesn’t that time mean something to you?”
“Yes, of course it does. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and we’ve had fun together. But it’s time for me to go home. And I’m afraid a long-distance relationship just isn’t possible. It’s too far away.”
“There’s got to be a way, Kailani. I just can’t stand the thought of losing you.”
“I’m sorry, Geoffrey. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.” I closed the door gently and stood there until I heard the ding of the elevator.
I waited a few hours before calling my mother since there was a five-hour time difference between DC and Hawaii.
She and my father were both thrilled by my news, as I knew they would be. They had a million questions for me, like when I would be coming home, where I would be looking for a new job, and whether I could live with them for a while.
“I don’t know!” I laughed. “I’m going to start putting out some feelers right away for jobs in restaurants and resorts along the Kohala Coast. Someone must need a sous-chef. Or even a head chef. But I’ll be home soon, don’t worry. I can’t stand another day of this winter weather.”
I hung up, promising to keep them posted about my job hunt. Suddenly, the winter seemed a little warmer.

This was an absolutely stunning thriller! With a captivating storyline, perfect dialogue and extremely complex characters, I was eagerly absorbed into reading this story late into the night. There were tons of twists and turns being revealed throughout the whole story, and it was a blast trying to figure out the culprit in the book. The author's knowledge and descriptions of all the different food also definitely had me devouring this book as quick as I could! I absolutely enjoyed reading this thrilling book and can't wait to see what else the author has written!

USA Today bestselling author Amy M. Reade is also the author of Secrets of Hallstead House and The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor. She grew up in northern New York, just south of the Canadian border, and spent her weekends and summers on the St. Lawrence River. She graduated from Cornell University and then went on to law school at Indiana University in Bloomington. She practiced law in New York City before moving to southern New Jersey, where, in addition to writing, she is a wife, a full-time mom and a volunteer in school, church and community groups. She lives just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean with her husband and three children as well as a dog and two cats. She loves cooking and all things Hawaii and is currently at work on her next novel. Visit her website at or at her blog.




Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads 
Website: http://www.amymreade.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amreadeauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/readeandwrite
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8189243.Amy_M_Reade

By the looks of things, the rest of the party was winding down. People poured into the front garden, everyone from fishnet-clad goths to silk-swathed Victorian ladies. MacMillian moved off the path to let one motley group pass.
He shook his head. "Bet you anything half those people are going to work in an office tomorrow."
Lynch stood beside him and watched as still more people emerged from the house. "I need to tell you something. Kasey Chaplin, the young lady Lena communicated with; there's something about her you should know."
MacMillian looked at him. "What is it?"
Lynch's eyes locked on a raven-haired woman in a corset. "She was a black swan."
MacMillian blinked. "You mean like Stella?"
A smirk dusted Lynch's lips. "I've met very few people like Stella." His face grew serious. "I knew Ms. Chaplin. She was part of my circle. She'd been here for blood drives. She was actually a very lovely girl."
MacMillian snorted. "A lovely girl who hung out with vampires." He remembered himself too late, winced. "Sorry."
"Say what you will about us, Mr. MacMillian, but every human you saw tonight was here of their own free will." Lynch watched the people still trickling past. "They seek us out. They flock to us in droves. Do you know why?"
MacMillian didn't speak.
"Because we give them something." Lynch turned back to him. "They give us their blood, and in return, we give them a place to belong. We give them an identity. You'd be surprised how many humans have never had either of those before."
MacMillian shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't see people with an identity. I see people playing dress-up, so desperate to belong they'll believe anything you tell them." He tightened his jaw. "They have no clue what's really going on."
"And now you do." Lynch shifted. "You may be right. It is in our best interests to facilitate certain...fantasies. But really, isn't that what identity is? The stories we tell others, the names we call ourselves?"
MacMillian didn't have an answer to that. He gripped his cane a little tighter. "And what about you? What do you call yourself, Lynch?"
Lynch smiled into the darkness. "Why, my dear detective. I am a monster."

​L.J.K Oliva is the devil-may-care alter-ego of noir romance novelist Laura Oliva. She likes her whiskey strong, her chocolate dark, and her steak bloody. L.J.K. likes monsters... and knows the darkest ones don't live in closets.
http://ljkolivabooks.com
http://writebitches.com

Newsletter Signup- http://eepurl.com/xRJuD

Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/author/lauraoliva

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/writinginthenight

Twitter- https://twitter.com/writermama

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/LauraOlivaBooks

Pinterest- http://www.pinterest.com/authorljkoliva/

Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbIlibC_pgv-Oa-J4hRW2fA



​

 This was a whirlwind short-story romance that left me with some panting office fantasies! Short, sweet and spicy, it's a modern day fairytale with tons of hotness! Starting off with a bang, this novella was fast-paced and quickly chronicles a whirlwind affair without any dull moments. The romance was sizzling, and the storyline was realistic and completely believable. This was a perfect short read that fulfilled my spicy needs quickly! I can't wait to see what other works the author comes out with!

What does a woman have to do to prove she belongs in the Undercity? Sure, I’m unclassed and only half paranormal, but that doesn’t mean I can’t solve cases. Since the established PI’s won’t acknowledge my right to a territory, I’m taking jobs from whoever will hire me, doing what I do best…proving myself to be a bad-ass problem solver. Which is how I find myself breaking into Zaid’s house, looking for a talisman my witch client says the very powerful vampire stole.
Now, I can make flowers grow, hear the wind’s whispers and talk to animals, but I don’t have the gift of seeing the future. If I did, I’d have known not to take this case. Because no matter the outcome, nothing good can come from messing with the Guicai Talisman, or it’s far too gorgeous guardian.

​Cover art provided by Erik Reeves http://facebook.com/Erikreevesart

This is an absolutely awesome read! Packed full of adventure and intrigue, I was immediately captivated the moment I started reading it. The writing is very good, the storyline was full of mystery and the characters were well built. Even though the cover is a little comic-book-like , this is a really great read. I loved how you're immediately swept into a world of paranormal intrigue and action which is very easy to follow without feeling like you're missing a backstory. I was absolutely captivated the entire time and never saw a single dull moment. I found myself staying up way past my bedtime just to finish this book and see what would happen next. There's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, and I can't wait to dive into the next book in this awesome series


​

Being hired by the Alpha of the Lycan pack to solve the mystery of his son’s death could make my name as a PI in the Undercity—if it doesn’t get me killed first. Not only am I looking for a perp who obviously won’t hesitate to commit murder, but even before I get working on the problem I’m being threatened. That’s not going to stop me though. Neither is interference from Zaid, the hot Vampire who keeps popping up at the most inopportune times.
Yet this turns out to be anything but a straightforward case. I’m learning more about the workings of the Undercity than ever before, and what I’m finding out is pretty ugly. It’s making me question everything I thought I knew about the Houses, and what I’m missing by not being claimed by my father. But that may well be a question I won’t get a chance to ponder, because even tapping into every ability I possess might not be enough to help me survive the Lycan Job.

A. M. Griffin is a wife who rarely cooks, mother of three, dog owner (and sometimes dog owned), a daughter, sister, aunt and friend. She’s a hard worker whose two favorite outlets are reading and writing. She enjoys reading everything from mystery novels to historical romances and of course fantasy romance. She is a believer in the unbelievable, open to all possibilities from mermaids in our oceans and seas, angels in the skies and intelligent life forms in distant galaxies.
Links
Where you can find me:
Website: http://www.amgriffinbooks.com/
Subscribe to my Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/A.M.-Griffin/e/B00APK4V4G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Email: amgriffinbooks@gmail.com
Like me at: www.facebook.com/amgriffinbooks
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/amgriffinbooks
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMGriffinbooks
Follow me on Instagram: amgriffinbooks
Subscribe my newsletter for updates giveaways: http://eepurl.com/TZzXv