Thursday, 11 July 2013

New Author Week ~ Day 3 & Giveaway 3

Welcome to Day 3 of New Author Week.
Lets check out todays Authors:

Watch Me Walk Away by Jill Prand

Sub Genre ~ Mature NA
Release Date: 8th June 2013

Book Description:

At the age of seventeen, Lisa was broken when Bobby left. He was supposed to be her first. First Love. First Time. First Everything. No word for six long years. She moved away from the painful reminders sacrificing her relationship with her best friend Brad. She struggled to rebuild her life.

Now six years later she returns as a strong, successful woman grabbing a job at one of New York’s hottest marketing agencies. She is dating a gorgeous guy with his eyes on a corner office. But it all changes when she sees Bobby again.

Can she risk another heartbreak from Bobby? Will she be able to repair her friendship with Brad? Lisa will have to decide between the man she's with, and the two men that want her.

Who will she be with, and who will she tell to ""Watch Me Walk Away?


Buy Links:

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/12jVVp9
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/162TXKY
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1biCAIZ

Excerpt:

I wake to the smell of coffee and bacon. I am alone in the bed. I stretch and smile, I am a little sore after last night but my body getting used to Bobby’s size is so worth the discomfort. I get up and go to the bathroom, oh a Jacuzzi tub big enough for two we will definitely have to try that out later. I wash my face and use my finger to brush my teeth my bag is still in the guest room.

I go to Bobby’s closet to find something to slip into. Hmm a black button down shirt will do nicely. I roll up the sleeves and do the last three buttons. I love dressing in men’s clothes in the morning. I run my fingers through my hair and walk towards the kitchen. I hear Bobby humming along to The Killers’ ‘Here With Me’. His back is to me and I can see more scars where the bullets came out. I am so lucky he made it back.

My man is hot! The song changes to The Lumineers’ ‘Ho Hey’ and he moves his hips in time to the music. I lean against the door frame and just watch until I can’t resist touching him anymore. I start walking towards him just as he turns to reach for something and spots me, “I was going to bring you breakfast in bed,” he says smiling at me. He reaches for me and kisses me, he tastes like coffee and toothpaste. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, I reach up to caress the stubble on his face, he looks so hot when he doesn’t shave.

I run my hands over his chest, “And you look hot out of them.” I look at his body and trace his abs down to the open button of his jeans. His breath catches as my fingers start exploring right above his zipper, “I am hungry, but not for breakfast.”

About the Author:

I live in Northern New Jersey. I am a wife and mother of two girls. I have been an avid reader my whole life, I cannot remember a Sunday afternoon that did not include my parents reading. We had a huge bookshelf in our den with a diverse set of authors like Ayn Rand, Stephen King, Mario Puzo & Danielle Steele.

I have always had ideas and characters running around my head but it took a few good friends to push me to start putting them down on paper.

I hope you enjoy my musings. Please feel free to contact me I would love to hear from you.

Author Links:
Twitter: @jprand

The Road to Price by Justine Elvira

Sub Genre: NA/Contemporary
Release Date: 30th April 2013

Book Description:

Your life can change when you least expect it, but the love of the right person can make those changes bearable.
Mia Dechino is running from her traumatic past and the death of a loved one. Heartbroken and numb, she packs a bag and is ready to escape the small town in Georgia where she grew up.

Heading off to Miami to start over, she meets Sebastian Price on an interview from hell. Sebastian is cocky, arrogant, and a womanizer but he might be what Mia is searching for.

Mia tries to keep her distance from Sebastian but the connection between them is unavoidable. Their attraction slowly builds as the line between employee and employer blurs.

At twenty-three years old, Mia has gone through more than most people have in a lifetime. Can Mia move past the pain she has in her heart and finally begin to be happy? Or will the guilt of a loved one’s death destroy her.

*Recommended for 17+ due to subject matter and sexual content.
The Road to Price is Book 1 of a 2 Part Series. Book 2 is called The Road to Forgiveness and is out now. 

Find The Road to Price on Goodreads here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17611519-the-road-to-price

Buy Links:
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/13jRIrZ
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1aGoROG

Excerpt:

He gently cleared his throat, “You look like sex in a pretty gift wrapped package. I’m tempted to start unwrapping.”

My cheeks became flushed. I wanted to give him a witty comeback but I couldn’t form a complete sentence in my head. The images that were flashing before my eyes were inappropriate. I wanted to keep this professional but all I could think about was straddling Sebastian while he lay naked on my bed.

Luckily I didn’t have to say anything because the woman next to him did.

I had completely forgotten about her until now. She was blonde, tall, and gorgeous. No doubt another contender for America’s Next Top Model. There must be something in the water here.

“You don’t want to scare her off on her first day, Mr. Price.” She giggled and continued, “The girls and I haven’t even had a chance to talk to her yet. You should let her get settled in before you have your way with her.”

That was just what I needed. Her words were like a bucket of ice water drowning out the fire that was building in my belly.

Sebastian slept with his employees. I was nothing special. It was all making sense now. This is why the females on his staff looked like models. This is why Vanessa was so shocked I was the new hire.

About The Author:

Justine Elvira is an independent author who currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. 

Her love of reading and writing started at an early age. Justine would constantly come up with elaborate stories in her head and put them to paper.

Her first novel was be published March 30th, 2013. The Road To Price follows Mia Dechino during a turning point in her life. It is a love story at heart.

She loves to hike, read, and dance. Chips and Guacamole are her kryptonite and she never turns down dessert. When Justine is not writing, she is spending quality time with her children.

 Author Links:
Twitter: @justineelvira

Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino

Sub Genre: NA
Release Date: 16th April 2013

Book Description:

A USA TODAY bestseller, Sweet Thing tells the story of Mia Kelly, a twenty-five-year-old walking Gap ad who thinks she has life figured out when her father’s sudden death uproots her from slow-paced Ann Arbor to New York City’s bustling East Village. There she discovers her father’s spirit for life and the legacy he left behind with the help of an old cafĂ©, a few eccentric friends, and one charming musician.

Will Ryan is good-looking, poetic, spontaneous, and on the brink of fame when he meets Mia, his new landlord, muse, and personal heartbreaker.

A story of self-discovery and friendship, Sweet Thing shines light on the power of loving and letting go.

Find it on Goodreads here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18054204-sweet-thing

Buy Links:
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/12c54Pv
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/14NOuIE

Excerpt:

Once I was admitted at the hospital, they gave me some pain meds and took X rays. I had a hairline fracture on the top of my foot and other than the missing toenail, that was it. It still hurt like hell. While I was waiting to get my crutches and temporary cast, I told Jenny she could go. I knew she had to go coach a tiny-tot soccer team and it was getting late. She argued with me for twenty minutes and then I said, “It’s not like you’re gonna drive the fucking cab, Jenny! I’m fine, they’re giving me Vicodin.” I convinced her to go, but not before she talked to two doctors and a nurse, verifying that I would be okay to ride home by myself.

On the way to my apartment, I asked the driver to stop at a market so I could get dinner, which consisted of wine and chocolate. When we pulled up to my building, the cabbie got out and helped me onto the curb. I stuffed my prescription, along with the wine and chocolate, into my purse and wrapped my bag around my wrist. I hobbled into the stairwell. Once inside, I looked up and saw Will sitting on the landing outside of our door. He had his legs out in front of him with his elbows resting on his propped-up knees. His head hung down with his hands tangled in his tousled hair. A fragment of light streamed over his winged forearm. He looked like a fallen angel waiting to be let back

into heaven. I made my way to the bottom of the stairs. When I hoisted one of my crutches onto the first step, Will’s head jerked up. He got up and bolted down, arriving at my side in two seconds. Appraising me, he asked, “Why didn’t you call me?” He grabbed my crutches and purse and tossed them aside.

I didn’t answer him.

When he reached his arm behind my legs to scoop me up, I protested. “No, Will, just help me get up the stairs.”

“You’re a hundred fucking pounds, I can carry you,” he said and then bent down and put me over his shoulder. He smacked my ass gently as he climbed the stairs with relative ease. “You’re a stubborn woman.” Will was surprisingly strong for a thin guy and I figured it must have been from lugging the band stuff around for years. He set me down on the counter and went to retrieve my things.

When he returned, he stood between my legs at the counter with his eyes narrowed.

“How’d you know?” I said.

“Martha called me. You should have called me,” he said, looking discouraged.

“What did she say?” I said, attempting to dodge the scrutiny.

“She just said you broke your foot and then she mumbled some crap about a

breathing rose.”

I laughed. “That was a one-liner on friendship.”

“I guess. When I called the hospital, you were gone already. By the way, where the hell was Banker Bob?”

“Working.”

He squinted and shook his head. “Of course.” He looked repulsed but didn’t say anything more about it. I should have told Will that I hadn’t seen Robert in weeks, but I didn’t.

He reached down and grabbed my leg, holding it up to look at my foot, which was encased in plaster. A shudder ran through me and I realized it had been a few hours since my last pain pill. As if he could read my mind, he reached over and opened my purse, taking the paper bag out from inside.

“Wine, chocolate, and Vicodin? Really, Mia? I don’t think this is a good idea.”

He was so serious it was touching, but I was really okay and I wanted him to relax.

“I’ll just have one glass, but I need a pill stat, my foot is killing me.” He got me a glass of water and handed me the meds and then he poured us both a glass of wine. “I want to get into the bath, but I can’t get my foot wet. Can you help me?” I could feel heat creeping over my cheeks. Will’s eyebrows arched and then he shot me a sexy smile. “No funny business!”

“Who, me?” he said as scooped me up. Once inside the bathroom, he set me down on the closed toilet and drew a bath. I reached over and dumped about a gallon of body wash in to make bubbles.

“Let me get undressed and I’ll call you when I’m done so you can help me in there, okay?”

“Sure,” he said and then walked out. The combination of the wine and pain meds was kicking in. Will was being perfect and respectful, but I wasn’t going to parade around naked with my foot in a cast. I wrapped a towel around myself and called him back in.

“Okay, I’ll lift you over and just leave your foot out until I can get something

underneath it.” Once I was standing with one foot in the bath, he positioned towels on the side of the tub. “Mia, you’re going to have to let me see you so I can help you lie back, or are you going to take a bath with that towel wrapped around yourself?” he said with a smirk.

“No, I can do it myself. Just turn around for a sec.” He shook his head and sighed. I tossed the towel and then slowly sat down, holding my broken foot out of the water. I thought it must have been some kind of amazing Olympic feat considering how much work it was to sit while suspending one leg in the air. Once I was in, I rested my head back on a towel and sank into the water, positioning my cast on another rolled-up towel propped on the side of the tub. The water felt heavenly and I luxuriated in the bubbles. “I’m in.”

When he turned around I watched him drink me in slowly. Although the bubbles mostly covered me, I realized my position was insanely erotic with my legs open that way, lying back. The warm water consumed me and I know I must have been glassy-eyed from the meds. I studied his beautiful face as he stood there paralyzed; he was listening to God.

“Will?”

“Yeah?” he whispered.

“Do you want to get your guitar and play me something?’

“Sure… okay.” He turned on his heel and walked out. When he came back he had our wine glasses and his acoustic guitar. He never met my gaze; he just seemed undaunted. He handed me the glass and I took sip and set it on the side of the tub. As soon as he hopped up on the counter, he started strumming away. He played a long intro and then began singing the words to Van Morrison’s “Sweet Thing.” I watched him intently. He closed his eyes and let each word linger in the exquisite tone of his voice.

His face was so determined and his hands were so precise. I was feeling woozy and aroused. I made sure Will’s eyes were closed and then I closed mine and let my hand travel down my body as the sound of Will’s voice resonated everywhere in me. I moved in and around myself, imagining Will’s perfect hands on me as he sang the words:

And you shall take me strongly in your arms again

And I will not remember that I even felt the pain

And we shall walk and talk in gardens all misty and wet with rain

And I will never, never, never grow so old again

Oh sweet thing, sweet thing oh, my, my, my, my, sweet thing

About The Author:

Renee’s first friends were the imaginary kind and even though her characters haven’t gone away, thankfully the delusions have. She admits she’s a wildly hopeless romantic and she blames 80’s movies staring Molly Ringwald for that. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on the next book, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.

Author Links:
Twitter: @renayz

A Highland Heist by Cali MacKay 

Sub Genre: Contemporary Highland Romance
Release Date: 30th March 2013

Book Description:

Feisty and fiery security expert, Maggie Brennan, is thrilled when she lands the job to design the security system for the Highlander’s Hope. At the top of her field, she usually prefers to work alone, but when the owner of the priceless jewels insists she work with his computer security expert, Conall Stewart, she doesn’t mind it as much as she thought she would. Not when Conall is damn smart and smoking hot, despite his gruff and grumpy exterior. Maggie loves a challenge, and she’s sure Conall could be a whole lot of fun if he just loosened up a little.

The last thing Conall wants is to deal with Maggie, especially when she pushes all his buttons with her perky and highly caffeinated demeanor. All he wants is to be left alone, but the woman is distractingly gorgeous, brilliant and funny. Before he even has a chance to shore up his defenses, she’s managed to weasel her way into his heart, despite him having sworn off any type of relationship.

Yet outside forces are playing dirty, and there’s suddenly more on the line than the Highlander’s Hope and a love they never thought they’d find.

Buy Links:
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/12r6K8P
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1aKbf6J

Excerpt:

Chapter One

On all fours, Maggie ignored the footsteps coming up behind her, with no more than a fleeting thought to her rear end which was sticking up high in the air as she struggled with a stubborn bolt, the front half of her body wedged behind the wood paneling. Her fingers cramped as she felt around to try and loosen the connection, working blind in the near dark of the enclosure. Nearly there… and then the last of the stuck bolts twisted free. She finished and pulled herself out of the opening in the wall only to find her new client standing there with another man at his side.

Perfect. She hauled herself to her feet and dusted her hands off on the legs of her jeans, trying to ignore the raised eyebrows on her client and the analytical look of the stranger, whose eyes drifted past her face to somewhere just above her head. Casually, she reached up and tried to smooth her hair. Uncontrollable to begin with, it seemed to have picked up a miscellany of cobwebs and dust. She managed to keep her groan from escaping. Nice first impression.

Iain MacCraigh’s lips quirked into an amused smile. “I’m sorry to be bothering ye when ye’re working, but I wanted to introduce ye to Conall Stewart. He’s in charge of computer security for all my businesses and home, so ye’ll need to integrate the work ye’ll be doing here on the museum with his existing systems.”

So, this was the computer genius Iain had mentioned. She wasn’t sure how she felt about having a stranger involved in her project, but at least he was good—really good. Not one to leave things to chance when it came to her work, she’d researched Conall thoroughly after Iain first told her they’d be working together, and she was impressed. Not an easy thing to do.

She considered herself to be at the top in her field, and if she was going to be stuck working with him, then at least he knew what he was doing. As a woman in the male-dominated field of high-end security, she was damned if she’d have her hard-earned reputation damaged by working with someone who wasn’t up to snuff. And she sure as hell wouldn’t risk the Highlander’s Hope, a treasure of priceless value. The system she was putting in for the museum Iain was building would incorporate her most advanced designs and equipment.

With a smile, Maggie shook Conall’s hand as she took him in, her gaze wandering over his handsome form. There was certainly something about the man that had her pulse kicking. “It’s a pleasure.”

His hair was just long and wavy enough to have a mind of its own, the color of it like honey and aged whisky. Yet it was his eyes that held her attention. A warm amber flecked with gold and chocolate, lit from within with a fire and intelligence. He was tall and well-built for someone who sat at a computer all day, and his scruffy stubble made her want to reach out and run her fingers across his strong jawline.

This could be fun—except for the fact that the man looked far too serious for his own good. With luck, she’d get him to pull the stick out of his arse. Life was too short to not take full advantage of all it had to offer—a lesson she’d learned the hard way.

Conall mumbled a half-hearted greeting in response, before giving Iain a quick glance. “I’d like to get started if ye don’t mind. There’s a lot to be done, especially if we’re to have everything ready and in place for the New Year’s ribbon cutting.”

Iain turned to her with a consoling smile, his eyebrows flicking up in a way that said better you than me. “Well then… I’ll not delay ye any further. If ye need me for anything, I’ll be back at the house. Cat will be back later this afternoon, so don’t be too surprised if ye find her snooping around. Good day to the both of ye.”

Once Iain had gone, Conall stood there, his eyes locked on hers. “Maggie Brennan, aye? Twenty-seven. Head of Brennan Securities out of Dublin, Ireland. Co-founded with yer father, Liam Brennan, though he acts as more of a consultant. Ye graduated top of yer class from Trinity at the early age of eighteen, and have won several awards for yer innovative designs and inventions. Three younger brothers, one who works for ye. Unmarried, no children. And ye drive a motorcycle—far too fast if yer speeding tickets are anything to go by.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, pinning him with an unwavering gaze, amusement fighting with the slight annoyance that wanted to rear its ugly head. So the boy had done his homework. Fair enough. But she was no gombeen.

Her lips tugged into a hint of a smile. “Conall Stewart… Twenty-eight. Founder and sole employee of Stewart Technologies. Graduated from MIT before returning back home to Dunmuir, Scotland, where you were born and raised. You’re specialty is hacking into company networks to find their vulnerabilities so you can then reinforce their systems. Never been married, and ye have no sprogs. Parents are divorced, one younger sister. Ye live alone in a home you own outright, and ye drive your Audi far too slow—if your lack of speeding tickets are anything to go by.”

“Hmph.” He looked her over for what felt like a very long time, but she held her ground and his gaze. When he spoke, it was still with no humor, as if he was tolerating her because he had no choice. “Might as well get started then.”

By the gods, serious as he was, she was going to love pushing his buttons. She grabbed her bag of tools and headed across the room, leaving him to follow as he would. She glanced over at him, a smile breaking through to the surface, unable to remain serious for long.

“So do ye always look like ye swallowed sour milk or is the pleasure all mine?” That got her a glare, and she had to laugh. “I’m just yanking your tail. Curious to see what ye might look like if ye actually smiled a bit. Bet you’d be handsome. Or are ye worried ‘bout the wrinkles? They’ve got creams for that, ye know.”

His mouth pursed into a thin line. “I’m here to work, aye? Not to socialize. So if ye don’t mind…”

Her anger sparked and bristled just below the surface as she stopped and pinned him with an icy stare. Reminding herself that she’d be working with Conall for the foreseeable future, she bit back the sarcastic remarks that wanted to spew forth, and told herself to let it go, knowing she was overreacting.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down a notch or two, though when she spoke it was through gritted teeth. “Just so we’re clear—nothing gets in the way of my work. Nothing. Don’t take my humor and amiable mood for disinterest or incompetence. It’ll be a mistake you’ll regret.”

Was it… could it be? Her eyes must be deceiving her. A smile tugged at his lips. “I’ve no doubt ye could make me regret many a thing, lass. Now if we could get back to work—please—I’d greatly appreciate it.”

If she were being generous, she might even take that as a sort of apology. She grinned, her anger dissipating and her humor back. “Happy to oblige ye.”

As they moved through the construction area, Maggie looked around at the progress being made. Though she was there to tackle the technical end of the security system for the museum, the bulk of the project fell to the construction crew who’d be transforming the old church ruins on the MacCraigh land, and rebuilding them into a museum that would house the Highlander’s Hope and the paintings that had supplied the clues that enabled Cat and Iain to find the bejeweled necklace. There would be additional space reserved for items Cat planned to get on loan from other museums.

With the structural parts of the museum built, she and her brother were laying the foundation and wiring for the systems and tech they’d soon be installing. “With the electrical now in, we’ve run the cables that will support the final safeguards and security measures. We’re using the most current tech so that any disturbances to the system will be detected —whether physical or over the net. If ye have changes you want made to the computer securities, I’m happy to work with ye so the systems run seamlessly.”

Conall wandered, stepping over construction debris and tools, as his gaze took it all in. “I’ll need to see yer security schematics and blueprints. Depending on how ye’ve set it up, there may need to be some changes made.”

She sighed. This was why she hated having others work on her projects. As a security company, they were more than capable of handling the computer end of things, even if her specialty was creating security tech—complicated biometrics, motion and interference detectors, photoelectric scanners, and anything else her mind could dream up.

At least Conall was one of the best in his field. It only made sense that he’d want to look things over. He wasn’t passing judgment on her work, but rather making sure everything operated at an optimal level.

She stepped to his side and looked up at him, liking how the sun streamed through the tall windows and gilded him in gold. “They’re in my work trailer. If ye’d like to join me, we can go over them there. Or I could drop them off at your office.”

“I work from home.” He gave her his business card. “I’d like to see them now, but if you could also get me my own copy, it’d be much appreciated.”

“I’ll drop one off for ye later.” She tilted her head with a smile. “In the meantime, follow me. My bus is out the back.”

She led him outdoors to the RV she used when working away from home. It housed all her supplies and tools, and acted as a workshop, allowing her to make adjustments to her gear and tech without having to leave the worksite. She’d had it custom made to her specifications, and then outfitted it further with her own tech. The vehicle itself had cost her a pretty penny, but it was a necessity when she was constantly away from home. It offered her a bit of familiarity and comfort in her ever-changing environment.

Letting them in past the safeguards, she climbed up the steps with Conall trailing right behind her. Though large and spacious for a bus, it was packed with equipment, forcing them to squeeze through towards the back where she kept all her plans and diagrams. There’d been larger models to choose from, but she hadn’t wanted to run into problems while travelling down the tight winding roads once outside of the city. “Ye’ll have to excuse the tight quarters. I think I over-packed for the job. Didn’t want to need something and not have it.”

With eyebrows raised, he glanced around, though his expression had yet to change much. “Do ye also sleep here?”

She could have laughed at the way he was eyeballing the place. It was clear he didn’t care for the cramped accommodations. “I have in the past, but with this job scheduled to last months, I’ve opted to rent a place not far from here.”

Paging through her blueprints, she pulled out the ones she needed and handed them to Conall. He laid them out on the table and took a quick look. “Do ye mind if I take these back to the museum?”

“Not at all. Just make sure I get them back before ye go, and I’d greatly appreciate it if ye don’t leave them lying around—or show them to anyone, for that matter.” He probably thought she was being paranoid, but she didn’t care. She took plenty of risks in life—just not with her work.

His eyes narrowed with a glare. “Ye’re not the only professional here, lass.”

She beamed at him with a big smile, refusing to get into a pissing match. “Well, I’m glad to hear it. As soon as I dig out the blueprint printer, I’ll get ye your own copy of the schematics and drop and them off. Now if ye don’t mind, get out. I’ve got work to do.”

His lips quirked into a smile. “Ye know, we may just get along after all.”

About The Author:

Cali MacKay lives in New England with her husband, two girls and their crazy mutt. When not tapping away on her laptop and getting her characters into trouble, she can be found designing book covers for other authors, wrangling her girls, and splicing DNA.
She's also a decent potter, adventurous cook, and horrible gardener.

Author Links: 
Twitter: @CaliMacKay

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