~*BLOG TOUR*~ Chasing Happy by Rylie Roberts

Title: Chasing Happy

Series: Texas Desires #1

Author: Rylie Roberts

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: September 15, 2015

Reed Prescott’s life is complicated enough before a silly little girl in outrageous high heels bites it in front of his moving vehicle. With no other choice, he forces her out of the pouring rain and inside his car. His concern isn’t necessarily with her safety, but to ward off any potential lawsuit. 

Lara Hunter’s life is headed in the right direction. With a good education, a great new job, and her dear best friend, Kade, by her side, nothing can get in her way until a freak rain storm leaves her sprawled across the road in the middle of a busy intersection during rush hour traffic. When the gorgeous man in the business suit and too expensive car takes her back to his office, she’s not entirely sure she appreciates his high-handed helpfulness. 

When Reed's assistant finishes with Lara, he finds his entire world rocked by the captivating beauty underneath that soggy exterior. From day one, Reed's success in business has always been fueled by a deep, unbreakable hate for his grandfather. So when the potential for love stands in front of him, can this hardened man find a way to chase his own happiness?

“Rylie Roberts's storytelling voice is great to read. I was given this book. I very much enjoy this story. I look forward to more stories from Rylie Roberts. I am so glad I got to read this book, I think you will be too. Give a new author a try; it will be well worth your time.” ~ Goodread Reviewer

“This was a solid start from a debut writer. It touched on some deeper, darker topics than I expected, and it captivated me enough that I am looking forward to more in this series.” ~ BJs Book Blog

“Captivating...Addicting...Masterful debut novel by Rylie Roberts. Rylie brings her characters to life and made me fall in love with Reed and Lara on every page. Sexy...Lustful....Passionate between the steamy scenes and meaningful topics Chasing Happy makes for an all around amazing read.” ~ Swoon Worthy Books

“What? Do you want me to say you’re my first to get you back in there? Not even you can be that naïve.” She figured those hurtful words had the impact he’d intended. She reached for the only thing she saw, pushed and a small door opened with a single button inside. She reached in hoping that called the elevator, but he knocked her hand away. 

“I need the elevator; I’m going home.” She almost yelled those words. 

“Fuck, Lara, what the fuck’s your problem? It’s sex. Adults have it all the time. You want me. I want you.” He yelled those words right in her face. When she tried to press the button again, he reached out and knocked her hand away a second time. She went for the phone on one of the desks, but he was right behind her, slamming the phone down. “You’re a fucking cock tease. You’ve been giving me the signals all fucking week.” 

She schooled her facial features at his words. They were getting more derogatory with each comment he made. He was mad, but no longer pushing her to perform. Instead, he walked away, muttering, “I could have brought anyone up here tonight. You fucking wore that fucking dress, flashing me those fucking tits all goddamn night, and now you get a conscience?” 

Lara wanted out. She went for the call button and the elevator doors opened. She rushed on, fighting the tears his stinging words caused. “Goddammit! You’re fucking pissing me off.”

He darted across the foyer, sticking a hand between the closing elevator doors. He entered, quickly working a hidden keypad on the inside. He left the elevator and the doors didn’t shut. Even when she reached out to push the close button, they remained open. He came back into view, and she moved to the far side of the elevator, wiping a stray tear away before it fell. He stepped back inside, this time with his suit jacket on. 

“What are you doing?”

“You aren’t walking home alone.” He punched another code into the keypad. The elevator doors shut and they began to descend. 

“I don’t want you to walk me home,” she said defiantly.

“I don’t care.” He stood at the front of the elevator and she stood in the back. Neither said another word. He walked out first, keeping his distance. She ignored him as he exited through his private entrance. She went the other direction through the parking garage. He frustratingly met her on the street at the front of the building. At the street corner, she was so disgruntled by his presence she didn’t see the car until Reed took her arm, hoisting her back on the sidewalk as it passed by. 

She’d have rather been hit by the car than to have him touching her again. She yanked her arm free with such force she stumbled several feet. 

“You’re a hard-headed, stubborn little thing.” Once on the street, she walked the distance to her apartment with him by her side. Aggravated, she whipped around when he entered her building. 

“Why are you following me? I’m not having sex with you at my apartment either,” she stated, trying for a cutting remark. Every eye in the foyer turned their way. 

“Yeah, that offer’s off the table now, babe. You don’t play fair,” he said, following her inside a waiting elevator.

       

Rylie Roberts is an award winning author and native Texan who loves to write and read romance. Look for her debut novel, Chasing Happy, releasing Tuesday, September 15, 2015, with more Texas Desires Novels coming soon. 

Please follow the newsletter by emailing rylie@rylieroberts.com or following us on social media. Stay tuned, there’s more on the way.

 

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~*RELEASE BLITZ*~ After Summer Ends by Katie Mettner

Synopsis

My name is Willow Erwin, and I hate summer. My mother always said hate is a strong word, but in this case, it’s the right one. I haven’t found one good thing about the season. Most people tell me since I’m a teacher that reason alone should make it my favorite season, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. For me, summer brings everything I abhor: bugs, heat, sweating, and painful memories of a woman I will never see again.

Then, in the wink of one very beautiful blue eye, all of that changed. This is the story of Summer and how she taught me to love her. It’s about her quiet, and sometimes fearful, way of teaching me to embrace the moment, and to live recklessly. It’s about how both of us learned to forgive, to hope, to pray, and to love, even after summer ends.

Excerpt

Summer turned and knelt on the sand, turning her head to look at me over her shoulder. “The next part of the walk is a little hard on the feet. Climb on my back and I’ll give you a ride.”

I stood uncomfortably staring at her back. “I’m supposed to let you give me a piggyback ride? I’m not four.”

She turned her whole body at once and dragged me towards her. Her lips came down on mine, and my arms went around her neck. She held my waist with her soft hands and I whimpered a little when she captured my tongue between her

~*PROMO BLITZ*~ Saving Leah by Misha Elliot

Book Title: Saving Leah Author: Misha Elliot Genre: New Adult Release Date: September 22, 2015 Hosted by: #CBB Productions

Sometimes the only thing worse than revealing a painful secret is keeping it from the one who wants to save you. In time, fractured bones mend and torn flesh heals. But what about a fractured soul? Years of abuse have left Leah scared and broken, in solitude with the only symbol of the person she used to be-her violin. While in hiding, she never expected to meet the handsome and alluring Asher. Can he save her before all is lost or will her secrets become the death of her?

*WARNING* This book contains adult material including violence and sexual content intended for readers over the age of 18.

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT : It’s just like riding a bicycle, your hands and body never forget what they are supposed to do, right? I slip it snug up against my throat, jaw on the chin rest. With fingers in place, I bring the bow down. As I slide it across the strings, I see the images of Ian and everything that happened. Hesitating to do something that once was second nature to me makes me feel weak. I shake my head no. “Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. I’m just not ready to fall flat on my face for a second time.” I hate that all Asher has seen so far of me is all of my weaknesses and fear. “And if you fall, I’ll be here to catch you.” He walks over toward me, hands stretched out. He pulls me up into a hug and begins kissing me. His kisses melt away every other thought, leaving me to only think of him. Our feet start to move like a dance. We turn, and he’s pushing me backward with each step he takes. I don’t know where we’re heading but we can’t get there soon enough. He swallows my soft moans as he tugs gently on my hair. My hands run over the crest of his strong shoulders, down those rippling muscular arms. God, how I’ve missed touching him. His hands snake down between us, and in a flash he lifts the dress up over my head, leaving me naked by the bay window. “There, that’s better.” He leads me over, instructing me to sit on the stool in front of where he’s standing, then sits behind me on the window seat. “Get ready to play. This time I don’t want you to think about how the notes are supposed to sound or what you know you should do. Just play what you feel. Show me how I make you feel,” he whispers seductively in my ear. Nerves on edge, I reposition myself to play. I’ve sat this way thousands of times, but this is so different. I am naked, totally exposing everything to him inside and out. The tips of his fingers softly caress the curve of my breasts, and goosebumps pucker the dark skin around my nipples. I make the first calm pass of the bow over the strings, and a sad, slow melody comes out. His fingers pluck at my nipples as he sucks and bites at the base of my neck. I imitate his movements and pluck several notes off the strings. There is an urgency inside me, and the bow slides up and down the strings as my fingers dance along the neck. The relentless pull of him on my body and the ache I feel for him hurries the melody along. “I love you, Leah.” He whispers over and over in my ear. My body shudders as he reaches up to stroke my nipples with his thumbs. After the first orgasm ripples through me, something changes. The melody I played that was mere dead notes, comes to life. With each touch, my fear and tough façade melt away. The familiar calm comes, smoothing the tense expression from my face. Finally, I close my eyes and give in to it. Each time the bow moves, I am pulling this heavenly sound from Asher’s heart and sliding it across the strings. He continues to kiss, suck, and nip tender parts of my ear and neck. His touch warms me, making my body pliable; the music fuels me as it flows wildly through my veins. I’m so caught up in the moment that I keep going. The notes come out of me from somewhere deep inside. I play for the little girl who lost so much of her life trying to make her parents happy; I play for the young woman who had the most private piece of her taken away; I play for Asher and everything he gave back to me; and when I played for just the joy of playing, I played for me.  

Misha Elliott is an old movie watching, wine drinking, book-lover. Once a northerner she now calls the sweet state of Alabama her home. She can't remember a time when books weren't a part of her life. Writing gives her a reason to talk to the voices in her head. When she isn't writing you will find her talking about books with friends or at the beach with her toes in the sand.

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~*PROMO BLITZ*~ Tempted by Rogue by Lauren Smith

Tempted by a Rogue

by Lauren Smith

Genre: Historical/ Regency Romance
Cover Designer: Aleta Rafton

Release Date: September 21, 2015

The rogue’s temptation would be her undoing…

Gemma Haverford knows exactly who she will marry: James Randolph, the man she’s had a secret understanding with for the last eleven years. With every letter written between them while he's been off at sea, their love has grown. Now they will be reunited with his return to England.

There’s just one problem. The man whose words she'd fallen in love with isn’t James at all…

Jasper Holland, a gentleman rogue of the first order, is trapped. Talked into a scheme by his best friend, he pretended to be James for eleven years as he wrote to Gemma, even though he'd promised James he’d break it off. But now with his return to England, his secret will come out—and he’ll lose the one woman he can’t live without.

What began as a game of words, now becomes a game of hearts, and Jasper will pay any price to call Gemma his.

Turn around James, I want to see you, she silently begged. Let me put a face to the dreams I’ve had for years. Let me see the lips that brought forth such passion last night.

Lady Greenley’s screech jerked Gemma out of her thoughts.

“You, Haverford! Come here at once!” Lady Edith Greenley’s bonneted head bobbed up and down when she waved at Gemma and demanded she come to her like a general in His Majesty’s army. The ancient yet formidable Lady Greenley stood near the two men, who both turned at Lady Greenley’s shout, in order to see Gemma.

Her heart stopped and she sucked air into her burning lungs after what seemed like ages of being frozen in time. Funny, she’d never had this happen before in her life, but seeing the faces of James Randolph and Jasper Holland after eleven years… Her world spun on its axis, as though she were a celestial planet shifting in its orbit, thrown into a spin by seeing these men. Side by side, they stood, almost an equal height, proud and strong in looks and demeanor. And both of them stared directly at her, equally curious to see her as she was to see them.

The resemblance of the two men to each other was startling. Only her childhood memories dared to find differences between the manly faces turned toward her. James had a fuller mouth, quicker to smile, but Jasper, quiet, calm, Jasper had eyes like liquid caramel that smoldered so powerfully when he stared at her that her mind simply blanked of all thought.

A rapid play of inscrutable emotions danced across his eyes, touched lightly upon his mouth as though he nearly smiled, but caught himself. Why on earth would Jasper smile at her? When he’d been a boy he’d always avoided her and had shouted rudely at her more than once that she was a nuisance and ought to go home and practice her needlepoint and sketching rather than gallivant off into the wooded glens after him and James.

Not that I ever listened to him. She almost smiled back at Jasper. She had the strangest urge to needle him, challenge him for daring to smile at her.

“Now Haverford! I could keel over and die waiting for you to grace me with your presence,” Lady Greenley snapped, prodding the ground with the tip of her closed parasol. Gemma excused herself from Lily and Arabella and walked quickly toward Lady Greenley. She tried not to stare at the men when she reached them.

“What can I do for you, Lady Greenley?” Gemma asked.

“Can I depend upon you to rescue me from these unruly young bucks? Take them about the garden, and see that they don’t scandalize my party, won’t you?” Lady Greenley demanded of Gemma, a wicked glint in the older lady’s gray eyes. With her crafty mannerisms and being rather boisterous for her age, no one dared to cross her.

“Of course, Lady Greenley,” Gemma answered politely.

Both men grinned at her. The direct attention from both James and Jasper heated her skin with an embarrassing blush. There was nothing decent in either of their gazes. She could understand a look like that from James, after what they had shared, but Jasper? He should not be eyeing her form with such a bold look of appreciation like he did at that exact moment.

Lady Greenley watched this odd triangle of looks with an arched brow of interest, and Gemma thought she saw the old woman hide the beginnings of a smile beneath her ridiculously foppish bonnet. Where James’s gaze seemed to outline every curve of her body with speculation, Jasper’s gaze had the deep sensual sweep of such force that she almost felt his hands stroking her rather than his eyes…it was a knowing gaze, like he knew just how the flesh of her breasts would tighten, her legs tremble and her breath quicken beneath his touch…

“Why, is that really you, Miss Haverford?” James exclaimed with a broad smile and a deep bow. It did little to dispel the ensnaring enchantment of Jasper’s heated gaze which distracted her from James.

Gemma forced a soft laugh, letting James take her hand and kiss it, but the tingling rush of contact she expected did not come. His voice did not seem quite the same as the night before, perhaps because it was disguised by his whispering tone…

“Mr. Randolph, Mr. Holland, I’m so glad to see you both returned to Midhurst in good health.” Her gaze was strangely drawn back to Jasper, who watched her in deep concentration and she didn’t know what to make of his scrutiny. She nibbled her bottom lip, studying Jasper intensely. His shoulders were wide…a little wider than James’s now that she compared them so diligently.

James dropped her hand and glanced between her and Jasper, one brow raised.

“Er…we’re quite glad to be home, Miss Haverford,” James added, trying to draw her attention again. “I see Midhurst has treated you well over the years, Gemma.” His voice deepened, but still Gemma didn’t tear her gaze away from Jasper.

Was it possible to have a battle between a man and woman based on eye contact alone? She did feel as though she were battling this man, what she couldn’t understand was why. His lips twitched, her eyes narrowed and her heart gave a strange little flip in her chest when his gaze lowered, inch by inch to focus on her lips.

We’re strangers, after all these years. I should not be fascinated by him.

When he spoke to her, however, her body responded with a terrifying thrill of recognition.

“You are looking well, Gemma.” The way he caressed her name…she went suddenly pale. That voice! Jasper’s voice was the voice in the garden, the voice that belonged to the body which had…

No, no! He could not be the man I… Gemma wavered on her feet when a cloud seemed to cover her mind and she couldn’t quite control her legs enough to stay standing.

Lauren Smith is an attorney by day, author by night, who pens adventurous and edgy romance stories by the light of her smart phone flashlight app. She’s a native Oklahoman who lives with her three pets: a feisty chinchilla, sophisticated cat and dapper little schnauzer. She’s won multiple awards in several romance subgenres including being an Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter-Finalist and a Semi-Finalist for the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award. Lauren loves hearing from readers and can be reached through her website www.laurensmithbooks.com.

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