Billy Blade is a hardworking, hard living, razor sharp musical force. Mysterious behind his dark shades, the rough around the edges Texan mesmerizes with his haunting harmonica and tantalizes with his dangerous looks and smooth country charm. His latest album is topping the charts. He’s the newly crowned King of the Bacchus Krewe. He’s definitely living the rock star dream. Exotic Creole beauty Thyme Bellerose couldn't be more content. She has it all. An adoring grandmother. A handsome Tulane medical student beau. A satisfying job in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter. Her life is as rich as the ice cream she creates. She’s got everything under control. But control is an illusion. Dreams can turn into nightmares. And now during Mardi Gras, otherworldly powers stand ready to shape their destinies in ways they could never imagine. Shadow and light. Magic and mystery. Reality and myth. All come together in a place where rules bend and lines blur. Even those between life and death. Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are a BRUTAL STRENGTH centered trilogy, combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock 'n roll industry. Things take a bit of an edgier, once upon a time turn with the TEMPEST series. These pierced, tatted, and troubled Seattle rockers are young and on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there. Rock stars, myths, and legends collide with paranormal romance in a totally mesmerizing way in the MAGIC series. When Michelle is not prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend as she takes the children to school and back. Social Media Links Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Michelle-Mankin/233503403414065 Twitter - @MichelleMankin Website - http://www.michellemankin.com/ Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5835506.Michelle_Mankin Instagram - #MichelleMankin Newsletter - http://goo.gl/3fejYY

Today we are sharing an excerpt from REPRISE by Lisa Swallow. This is a contemporary romance title and the third book in the series Ruby Riot! The book will be released April 27th and it is available for pre-order now, exclusively through amazon. Be sure to check out the previous books in the series and grab them while they are on sale!

 

Release Date: April 27th

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  Reprise is the third standalone book in the Ruby Riot series.

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EXCERPT:

RILEY Short of time, I devour the chocolate cake, happy the coffee is half-decent. A text arrives, asking why I'm late, and I wipe my fingers before answering. Each minute that passes, I'm putting off the inevitable. And as I head towards the lobby, the inevitable appears. I didn't mean to but, unprepared, I stop in my tracks. Nate Campbell strides across the tiled floor in my direction. Dressed in dark denim and Converse, greying T-shirt stretched across his chest, he hasn't changed. The twins are different these days; bass player Will wears his hair longer so there's no doubt this twin with short, spiked hair is Nate. I'm convinced Nate's about to blank me and walk past but he stops too. His green eyes fix on mine with disinterest. I'm wrong; he has changed. His eyes are creased by tiredness, his skin paler, but this doesn't detract from the deceptive attractiveness of his perfect features. I cannot believe I kissed that mouth; allowed those hands on my body. But there's nothing attractive behind his lucky genetics, unless Nate's changed on the inside too. From what I've heard, he hasn't. “Riley,” he says in greeting. “Hello, Nate.” “I heard you were coming. How long you staying?” “A couple of days.” “Not long, then.” “Too long.” Nate stares at my mouth, then flicks his gaze back to my eyes. His mouth tips at one corner and I hold my breath. It may be two years since, but I've seen that look on Nate's face before. Amusement. “You haven't changed,” he says. “Neither have you, much.” “Yeah?” I wave a hand at him. “You look the same.” “That isn't what I meant. Your attitude.” Nate crosses his arms. “But yeah, you're skinnier and your hair's blonder. I preferred it brown.” I bristle at the fact he checked me out. “Your attitude remains the same too, then.” I swore I'd avoid this, but already the animosity slips in. “Still get your knickers in a twist over everything?” “What?” “Just a question. I heard you lost your shit with Melissa a couple of hours ago.” He smirks. “Smiley Riley's back in town.” “Jesus, Nate. Two minutes and you've already started this. Don't you think we should forget what happened and be professional?” Two years. Two years to say the words that needed saying back then. How we should've left things. Professional. “About what happened? You still dwelling on that?” Nate shakes his head. “Ancient history, Riley.” “Okay.” I put my phone in my bag. “Call this the line in the sand. I'll ignore what happened in the past if you do. A couple of days here and I'm gone, and we don’t have to see each other again. We can be civil for that long.” Nate rubs his index finger along his lips, staring at my mouth again. “How about we just keep out of each other's way?” “Sounds like a great idea.” “If you can, of course.” I laugh, a short derisive sound. “Seriously?” Nate steps closer and that tiny change in proximity floods back the frustrating physical effect the man I hate has on me. I tuck my hands beneath my arms, goose bumps rising along my neck. Has the absence made this worse? Sometimes I have stupid dreams about Nate that involve far too much intimacy and wake up disgusted with myself. Why the hell can't I control my subconscious? Nate raises a hand to my face and I'm too stunned to react before he touches the corner of my mouth. “Riley,” he whispers, moving his face closer to mine. “There's something you need to know.” I blink as the sensation of his fingertip sends a tiny shock across my mouth and I part my lips. “What?” Instead of darkened eyes to match my thumping heart, the amusement remains on his face. Nate holds his index finger up. “You have chocolate around your mouth.” I step back and narrow my eyes at him. He grins and wipes his hand on his jeans. “Gotcha.” “Asshole!” “You're not over me, are you?” Before I get a chance to tell Nate exactly what I think of him, he moves past me. “Two years, Riley!” Nate calls as he walks away. “Get a grip!” I glance around, relieved nobody saw our encounter, then rush to the nearest ladies’ room. Fury is replaced by horror. Chocolate is smeared around the edges of my mouth, in a way any five-year-old would be proud of. My professional image ruined by a slice of bloody cake. With shaking hands, I wipe the mess away with a paper towel. Damn you, Nate Campbell.

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Previous Books in the Series

“An egotistical front man, trouble-making twins and a girl you don’t want to mess with.”

Cadence (Ruby Riot #1) Available Now FREE on Kindle Unlimited

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Shuffle (Ruby Riot #2)

Available Now FREE on Kindle Unlimited

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    ---------------------

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Lisa is an Amazon bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. She is originally from the UK and moved to Australia in 2001. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband, three children, and Weimaraner, Tilly, who often makes appearances on Lisa’s social media. Lisa’s first publication was a moving poem about the rain, followed by a suspenseful story about shoes. Following these successes at nine years old there was a long gap in her writing career, until she published her first book in 2013. In the past, Lisa worked as an English teacher in France, as an advertising copywriter in England, and ran her own business in Australia. Now she spends her days with imaginary rock stars. She lived in Europe as a child and also travelled when she left university. This has given Lisa stories which would sound far-fetched if she wrote them down, and maybe one day she will. These days, Lisa is happy in her writing cave, under Tilly’s supervision.      

AUTHOR LINKS:

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Persuasion (The Heirs of Watson Island #2)
by Martina Boone
Release Date: October 27th 2015
Simon Pulse

Summary from Goodreads:

Grieving the death of her godfather and haunted by her cousin Cassie’s betrayal, Barrie returns from a trip to San Francisco to find the Watson plantation under siege. Ghost hunters hope to glimpse the ancient spirit who sets the river on fire each night, and reporters chase rumors of a stolen shipment of Civil War gold that may be hidden at Colesworth Place. The chaos turns dangerous as Cassie hires a team of archeologists to excavate beneath the mansion ruins, because more is buried there than treasure.

A stranger filled with magic arrives at Watson’s Landing claiming that the key to the Watson and Beaufort gifts—and the Colesworth curse—also lies beneath the mansion. With a mix of threats and promises, the man convinces Barrie and Cassie to cast a spell there at midnight. But what he conjures may have deadly consequences.

While Barrie struggles to make sense of the escalating peril and her growing and forbidden feelings for Eight Beaufort, it’s impossible to know whom to trust and what to fight for. Millions of dollars and the fate of the founding families is at stake. Now Barrie must choose between what she feels deep in her heart and what will keep Watson’s Landing safe.

Chasing Eva
Camellia Hart
(In Light of Shadows #1)
Publication date: April 5th 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Author Camellia Hart’s debut contemporary romance novel about a man and a woman whose lives are about to get sizzling hot…

After living through her share of disloyal relationships, Evangeline Avery will be damned if she lets another man cheat her. A beautiful and confident woman, Eva is the owner of an interior design firm at the brink of collapse. She swears to bring her company back to its past glory, even if it involves sweet talking the one man who caused this turmoil in the first place – Clive Stanton.

Notorious playboy Clive Stanton is a powerful businessman and a formidable enemy of many. He doesn’t do love, or at least not until he meets her again, fifteen years after he saw her last. Eva, his crush from teenage years, the one that got away, is back in his world and he is determined to do anything to make her his.

Will passion and lust bring them together or conflict and the unforgettable scars from their pasts forever tear them apart?

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Read Chapter 1:

Downtown San Francisco

“You look happy.”

Eva’s gaze darted to the tabloid vendor standing by her side. Despite the numerous times her best friend, Izzy, made her and her other best friend, Ali, visit the book stand outside of the subway station in the past two months, this was the first time the vendor had spoken to Eva. Maybe because she hadn’t been his ideal customer—tabloid obsession was Izzy’s thing.

“He’s one lucky guy.” The vendor smiled.

Her eyes widened. Was it that evident she’d been thinking about Daniel? She wasn’t sure how to respond to his remark. And to her relief, the vendor reverted his attention back to Izzy.

Daniel Neeson. The six foot two, blond, blue-eyed, investment banker she’d recently met at a birthday party for a common friend. Daniel seemed witty, charming and confident. She liked confidence. It would be their first date tonight. It would also be her first date in more than a year, since saying goodbye to her ex, Jake, the cheater.

Although she’d looked forward to meeting Daniel again, emotional scars from her past relationship still haunted her heart. Her palms turned clammy, she’d never felt this nervous about a date before.

She’d set an alarm on her phone to leave from work on time; she’d laid out a little black dress along with other accessories on her bed; she’d also brushed up on her list of things she liked to do so she’d have something to talk about. Maybe she should rehearse that list one more time? She ran through it silently. And as she did, she realized the general theme of the things she liked to do all somehow concluded in loathing Jake.

One: running, as in away from Jake.

Two: hanging out with her friends, as in to forget Jake.

Three: cooking, as in to poison Jake.

She cringed. How did her thoughts get so morbid? Moreover, where had her insecurities around dating stemmed from? Had Jake’s betrayal been entirely to blame or was it also because she could never forgive her father for cheating on her mother?

“This one just came in, and it’s selling out fast.” The vendor’s voice brought her back to the present.

“And that’s the one she wants, right Izzy?” Ali hurried Izzy with an impatient glare.

“Yes, this is the one I want,” Izzy said. Without letting her eyes wander off the cover, she handed over a few bills and thanked the vendor.

“I can’t believe you get paid to read this junk,” Eva said as they walked into their office building.

“I’m with Eva on that. Is this weekly ritual of yours really necessary to be a good fashion editor?”

“This one’s not for work ladies, it’s for pleasure.” Izzy pointed to the magazine cover.

“Holy smokes…he’s hot!” Ali ogled at the picture of a drop dead gorgeous man, sun bathing on a beach. In the nude.

The picture showed everything, from his unruly hair, to his strong chiseled jaw, to the toned muscles in his arms; his broad chest dusted with just the right amount of hair, his six-pack abs and his long legs. And that line of fuzz that tapered from his navel down to his—blurry round circle?
Aw—Boo!

“Who’s that?” Based on his looks, the guy was a model, or an actor, or maybe even an athlete.

“Seriously?” Izzy glared at her. “He’s the owner of Stanton Enterprises.”

“No way. That’s Clive Stanton? The Clive Stanton?”

“Yes. The Clive Stanton. They have an office here, top floor. And he owns this building and the one next to it. How can you not know Clive Stanton?”
“Well, I know the name. We’ve worked with the Stantons for years. I met Clive’s father once, but…” Eva glanced back to the magazine cover. “I’ve never actually met Clive.” She should look him up on the Internet later. Because it was good to know all about one’s clients. She had no other intention whatsoever.

Right.

“Shouldn’t he be in Time Magazine or Forbes and not some junky magazine?” Ali asked.

She had a good point. Stanton Enterprises owned several businesses, from spas to night clubs, restaurants to charities and much more. It was unusual to see a man of his standing making an appearance in a weekly gossip journal.

“Well, that’s because he’s with Silvia. She’s the Sports Illustrated cover this season.” Izzy referred to the beautiful woman lying next to Clive in the picture. “He’s been linked with several elite models in the past. He’s quite the mix, you know, billionaire, philanthropist, and playboy.”

Eva trusted Izzy’s knowledge on these matters. As the editor of In Trend magazine, Izzy always had all the dirt on the celebrity circles.
The way Izzy said that word, playboy, churned Eva’s insides. She didn’t like playboys just as much as she didn’t like cheaters. And now, she didn’t like Clive. Yet, she glanced back at the magazine cover, and imagined herself next to him on the beach in place of the super-hot blonde. She’d never get tired of looking at this man. The sex would be mind-blowing. No harm in fantasizing, right?

“Isn’t he delicious?” Izzy sighed as the elevator doors opened.

They stilled. And they stared.

There he was, the tabloid hottie, clothed in a dark gray suit, a crisp, white shirt with the top few buttons undone, hair ruffled, and looking straight at them from inside the elevator car.

He glanced at the magazine in Izzy’s hand and a slow, sexy grin appeared on his handsome face. Eva grew weak in her knees.

He looked at them one by one, first at Izzy, then at Ali and then his gaze met hers and lingered. The unexpected attention from the man she had only moments ago been fantasizing about made her tense. A thrill of attraction zinged all over her as his gaze traveled her length. She almost forgot to breathe, as the same way she almost forgot he was a playboy. And she most definitely forgot Daniel.

Delicious.

Her brain commanded her to get into the car, but the rest of her body stayed still. She worried her lower lip with her teeth, hoping the pain would shake her awake. Could he possibly know what she had been thinking right then? His lips curled into an alluring smile. Evidently he did. She swallowed hard, but managed to smile back.

“Ahem.” A harsh wake-up-call came from one of the many others waiting to get past them and into the elevator.

Izzy shoved the magazine into her leather tote as they hurried in. Eva turned her back to Clive as soon as possible, but as the crowd shuffled in, she had no choice except to move toward him. She took a step backward, then another…and by the time the car was full, she stood pressed close to him. His breath fanned her hair and he smelled of something fresh and divinely male.

Ali shot Eva a sideways glance. Her expression was one of contained amusement, and brought Eva back to the hilarity of the moment. After what felt like eternity, the doors opened and Eva, Izzy, and Ali rushed out. And as soon as the doors closed they burst out into laughter.

“Oh. My. God. What were the chances of that happening?” Izzy pressed her hand to her chest, clearly flustered by the unlikely encounter.

“Right? And Eva, he was totally checking you out,” Ali said.

“He so was,” Izzy chimed in.

A quick shiver zipped up Eva’s spine as she was still energized from Clive’s silent attention. But remembering Izzy’s opinion of him raised an immediate red flag she wouldn’t ignore. Moreover, this had been the first time she’d seen him in the two months she’d worked in the building. A fluke. She doubted she would see him again anytime soon.

“Whatever, not interested.”

“Not interested?” Izzy looked shocked. “Do you know how many women want him to look at them the way he did at you?”

“Uh-huh. And how many women has he already looked at, the way he did at me?”

“Well…there’s that,” Izzy said.

“So yes, not interested. But, for the record, he is…wow.” They giggled.

After a moment of composure they said their goodbyes, and they each walked to their respective offices.

“Morning, Tina,” Eva greeted.

“Miss Avery, good morning,” Eva’s secretary greeted back, her voice chirpy and upbeat. The young woman followed her into Eva’s spacious office.

“Any messages for me yet?” Eva shed her coat, hung it on the rack, and walked to her desk.

“Yes, Mr. Avery stopped by. He wants to see you as soon as possible.”

It had been two months since Eva had taken over her late-father’s business. If not forced by his will, never in a million years would she have agreed to be the sole owner of S. F. Designs. After all, she was trained to be a Chef, not a CEO, and had no experience leading a company. None especially in leading one of the top Interior Design firms in the nation.

After graduating from culinary school, Eva had spent several years committed to grueling hours of work as she climbed up the chef ladder. And then finally, about a year ago, she’d been made the Executive Chef at a starred restaurant— a title she had worked hard to achieve and that made her, and her father too, quite proud. She’d been so close to making her long-aspired dream a reality. A vision to own a restaurant, one that would gain critical acclaim by delighting with food set precisely in place, like artwork.

Yet here she was at S. F. Designs, following a path she had never wanted to pursue, in a field in which she had no experience, shelving her creativity for a future day that may or may not come her way. Why? Because of that last, unforgettable conversation she’d had with her father.

Only after his death had those few moments she’d spent with him come to mean so much to her. The ambience of the coffee shop, the aroma, what her father had worn that day, his every gesture, every grimace, every word…all now ingrained in her mind forever.

“I’ve put you down in my will as the next owner of the company.”

“What? Why?”

“Why not?”

She laughed. He didn’t. Was he serious? “You’re not kidding.”

“Dave will train you in no time.”

She laughed again. This had to be a joke. “Why? Are you going somewhere?”

“So you’re willing to take over then?”

“I’m neither willing, nor ready, nor even remotely capable of working in any other business that isn’t in the food-industry. I’m a chef, Dad. I want to own a restaurant some day. That’s what I want to do. Not run an interior design firm.”

“Why? Is it because I was a bad father? Because I was never around?”

“Oh, c’mon. This is emotional blackmail.”

“Is it? Did you not choose a career path completely different from mine because you imagine that means you won’t have to live the life I’ve lived? Yes, I was consumed by work. But I did it all for you, damn it. For your brother. For your mother.”

“I know that. We know that. You’re wonderful, you always were.”

“Then don’t refuse this, Evie. You’re perfect for this role. No one else can lead this company like you can. In only a matter of months you’ll be as good, maybe even better at this job than I ever was. This company needs a fighter, this company needs you.”

“I…” She shook her head, “I’m sorry…I-I can’t…I just can’t. Why won’t you let Uncle Dave take over?”

“He’s excellent, no doubt. But he’s not you, he can never be what you can to this company.”

His explanation and insistence made no sense to her then; it made no sense to her now. Whatever the reason behind him choosing her to lead the company after him, she might never know. But she loved her father and missed him terribly. S. F. Designs had been a huge part of his life and was all that was left of him. She couldn’t forgo his last wishes, she couldn’t let him down.

Eva sighed, set her bag on her desk, and walked over to find out why Uncle Dave wanted to see her so urgently.

“Hey,” she greeted her uncle as she walked into his attractive corner office. Uncle Dave sat behind a large, mahogany desk. The silver in his hair shined in the morning sun that gleamed through the huge windows. A familiar expression of affection lit up his face, but quickly reverted back to contagious worry. Her stomach tightened. “Is everything OK?”

“I’m not sure.” He handed her a paper marked with the Stanton Enterprises logo.

She scanned through the document, rushing to find the words that might explain his discomfort.

…We cherish our unwavering partnership…blah, blah, blah…we regret to inform you that we are terminating our contract with S. F Designs… Thank you for your exceptional service…

“But why?” Confused, she looked at her uncle.

“They don’t say.”

She brought her gaze back to the paper she held in her now shaky hand. Her father had launched S. F. Designs the same year she was born. Through the years, the company had progressed from a meager garage start-up into a high-end corporation. She thought back to the day the company set up shop on this thirty-seventh floor. She’d only been five years old then; cars and people had looked like moving toys from the windows of her father’s office.

Several years later, her dad had met Clive’s father, then owner of Stanton Enterprises. Sharing similar stories of struggles in the initial years of their businesses, they took an immediate liking to each other. Their companies had been in partnership ever since.

Her father had a contract to design all of Stanton’s spas. The tone of the contract was informal, allowing each company the freedom to terminate at any time without any legally binding implications.

Stanton Enterprises had benefitted hugely from this partnership. Their Spa interiors, designed by her father’s firm, provided unparalleled tranquility and privacy, and had become hot spots for celebrities.

The partnership had positively propelled her father’s firm into the public eye. Within a year of designing their first spa, his team had been featured in several magazines for their superior and innovative renderings. Soon his was the number one firm in the state for designing luxurious living.

She’d imagined this streak of good luck would go on forever. Although there had been recent rumors of aggressive changes to Stanton’s business strategy, that they would end their partnership with S. F. Designs had never crossed her mind.

It wasn’t even nine in the morning. How could things have gone so wrong already?

Stanton Enterprises was the fifth company pushing to sever ties with them this month. Her firm had committed to providing services to Stanton and only a few other firms for the rest of this year. Unless they were able to find another viable customer, losing this contract would plummet her firm’s projected yearly profits.

Eva called Tina on the intercom and asked to set up an immediate meeting with Bryan Austin, the Director of Design at Stanton.

Her first impression of Bryan Austin had been that of a man who was trying too hard. He was a tall, athletic man with dark hair, each and every strand painstakingly set to perfection. He was relatively young-looking for a corporate executive, and could almost second as an owner of a swanky night club. With that came a moody attitude, his face mostly expressionless and a pre-meditated response of rejection toward any offerings her firm made to Stanton.

Except on one occasion last week, when Eva’s team had suggested Stanton should switch to environmentally friendly options while staying along the lines of their signature designs.

Eva liked the proposal from her team; to her, any concept that benefitted the planet had a nice ring to it. The thought that her firm could be a part of a green world made her feel at peace, as if she were in an organic garden, picking fragrant herbs for her next entrée invention.
To her surprise, at first Bryan was on board with the idea. However, his enthusiasm seemed to have waned within the last two days. His team had returned with a strong no, we’re sticking to tried and tested methods for now response. Eva had further questioned Bryan, but he’d responded with minimal substance and candor, leaving her baffled about this matter more than before. Worry about your own company, Miss Avery. Leave the worrying about Stanton to me.

As she stared at the notice she held, she began to suspect he had known about the contract termination all along. Whatever the reasoning behind his decision to send them the termination letter, convincing him to reverse his decision would be quite a feat. Burdened by a heavy, sinking feeling, she slumped down into the empty chair across from her uncle.

Silence ensued for several long moments as Eva contemplated the repercussions this change would bring upon her firm. And then she heard a slight knock on the door. It was Tina.

“Miss Avery, the earliest the Stanton team can meet is at two o’clock tomorrow.”

Eva sighed. And so it begins, the countdown toward impending war. She took one last look at the letter in her hand. She had a day and a half to prepare for the brunt of the discussions that would follow when she met with Stanton. And she’d be ready. Bring it on.

Author Bio:

Camellia Hart, a techie turned author of romance, lives in San Francisco with her husband, the love of her life. Other than writing her next romance novel, her hobbies include traveling, lazing on a beach with a good read, watching movies with happy endings while gorging on endless buckets of popcorn, red wine, and champagne truffles.

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“May the Black Rose protect you in life and avenge you in death.” – Vow of the Black Rose Six hundred years ago, the Muir Court was wiped from existence, destroyed by an elite group known as the Black Rose Guard. Their Captain, Mara, has a reputation of being a harsh woman who leads the guard with a fierce formality. During her long years, she has known pain, loss, heartache…and one great love. Edward was the Captain of the Royal Guard. He loved her once. However, it was a love that faded the day he met young Liza, the Princess who stole the heart he had once sworn belonged to Mara alone. Liza was also the woman that Mara was fated to protect. When the Queen learns of her daughter’s forbidden love for Edward, she devises a series of punishments, torturing Edward while her daughter is forced to watch. In a an act of desperation, Mara takes Liza’s place and looks on helplessly as Edward endures the torments which break his body and Mara’s soul. All of their pain is put aside when Liza is murdered by the rulers of a rival court. Haunted by her failure to protect the Princess and adhering to tradition, Mara takes the vow of the ‘Black Rose.’ It is an ancient oath which ties those under its power to abandon the lives they knew for the sake of a single goal: vengeance. Her quest leads her on a dark path of violence, rage and bloodshed. Tormented by a fate they can neither accept nor escape, Black Rose is a tale of retribution, love, and above all, honor—at any cost. 

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Everdeep
Candace Knoebel
(Night Watchmen, #4)
Publication date: April 14th 2016
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

There are some sacrifices we never recover from…

Faye Middleton is at a crossroads in her life. After breaking the last seal and discovering their Rebellion camp was destroyed, she returns to Ethryeal City, determined to avenge the deaths of her mother and friends.

Faye and her team do what they can to keep their Coven intact now that the Priesthood has fallen, but with Darkyn attacks threatening the exposure of their kind, the Primeval Coven is close to being cut off by the United Nations.

Until Meredith, a mysterious Darkyn, appears, claiming she has information that will help Faye bring down the two responsible for the deaths of her mother and friends, and for the fall of her Coven. The only catch is that it requires returning to the very place she lost her mother—the Underground.

Not wanting to risk any more lives, Faye and Weldon agree to go with Meredith on their own. They know Faye will have to face the one machine every Coven is after—the Exanimator. No one who has ever stepped in has ever come out the same, if at all…

But Faye will do anything she can to protect those she loves, even if it costs her life.

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Grab book 1 – Everlasting – for FREE until April 15th only!

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EXCERPT:

Jaxen’s on the edge of the bed with nothing but a pair of gunmetal gray sweatpants on, an empty glass in his hand, and a half-empty bottle resting by his feet.

He looks so tortured. Looks at me as if he wishes he were seeing someone else. Someone less distant and broken. It feels like ice is eating away at my bones. Like fire is scorching every one of my nerves.

“How did your meeting go?” His strangled words slur a little.

“Okay, I guess.”

I make my way over to him, but everything feels so unfamiliar and shaky—like walking into another plane of time. Like stepping on a spider web and finding myself caught as the truth makes its way across, ready to spin me and drain my blood.

He makes a haphazard gesture for me to sit next to him. “That good?”

“It was fine,” I lie, taking the empty glass from his hand. I grab the bottle by his feet, pour myself a shot, and toss it back, reveling in the fiery burn running down my throat that washes away the awful taste the Belladonna I took a few minutes ago left behind.

“So, this is what we’ve become then?”

I hate the desolation in his voice. There’s a desert between us without a hope for either one of us crossing it.

“What’s that?” I ask a little tersely, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and downing another shot. I’m trying to pretend I don’t know where this is headed. That I don’t see and hear the heartache ripping our guts out right now, because I need to pretend. I need to fake that everything is okay. Need him to believe I’m fine because the moment I don’t… the moment he looks at me, knowing I’ll die and seeing that death reflected in his gaze, then it will all be over.

Everything.

He tries to clear his throat, but the sound is painful. Like he’s swallowing tears. “I don’t know. Strangers? Two lovers who lie to one another? Who hide things from each other? Who can’t turn to each other whenever something bad is happening?”

I don’t recognize this Jaxen. This raw ache in his voice that scratches at the door of my heart, waiting for me to open it. I find myself missing the old him. The one who had his emotions under control. Who could take this pain and survive in it.

I set the glass down. Brace my hands on my knees as the alcohol sends my brain spinning. “I love you, Jaxen. More than I could ever explain to you.”
He laughs like he might be losing his mind. “Yet, here we are, our entire future splitting off from each other.” The cynicism in his voice is as thick as tar, and it’s choking my ability to think. To make sense of what I should and shouldn’t say.

I need a breath of fresh air. Need a new body to hide in. One where I’m safe from his prodding. Safe from myself.

“Jaxen, what am I supposed to do?”

“Stop shutting me out.” His chest heaves, heart throbbing in his neck.

I find a shadow across the room. Feel my regret slip down my cheek.

“I can’t even feel your mind anymore. It’s like you’re… you’re purposefully pulling away from me. Like you’re a ghost haunting me.” His eyes are flashing with anger now. He’s two steps from falling off the edge. From losing it all. I want to tell him everything. Want to tell him about my impending death, and that it’s easier this way because he’s going to lose me, only, not because of his curse.

Because of my curse.

“There are things, Jaxen. Things we knew would happen one way or another,” I say, and I find myself surprised by how calm I sound when my heart rattles at the cage of my bones to be free from my irrevocable torture.

“Things,” he retorts, spitting out the word with heavy distaste. “No, Faye. Things are that dresser or this pillow. Things are not the secrets Mack, Weldon, and Seamus has asked you to keep from me. Things are not the way you’ve been handling everything lately. That’s called shutting down. That’s called knowing about something that’s going to happen… that’s going to affect both of us, and you deciding not to tell me.”

I can’t believe the anger radiating off him like heat waves. The fury raging in his eyes as his hands clench and unclench against his legs, like he’s trying to contain the outburst that’s been coming my way since we returned here to Ethryeal City.

Author Bio:

Candace Knoebel is the award-winning author of Born in Flames-book one in a young adult fantasy trilogy. She discovered in 2009 through lunch breaks and late nights after putting her kids to bed, a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. And an outlet for all the voices residing in her head.

Published by 48fourteen in 2012, Born in Flames went on to win Turning the Pages Book of the Year award in February of 2013. In January of 2014, the last book in the trilogy, From the Embers, was released, thusly completing the trilogy. She now works on the Night Watchmen Series, while guzzling Red Bulls and pretending to be a ninja on Heelys.

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