D. Renee Bagby Presents First Chapters

Go Deep by Juniper Bell

2012-01-27T04:20:00.000-05:00

Go Deep
by Juniper Bell

Ellora's Cave

eBook ISBN:

A married couple living with secrets finds a way to shatter the barriers between them and discover each other's true desires. When Beth and Gavin attend the notorious winter festival, Wild Nights, they open a sensual Pandora's box of possibilities.

Chapter One

The shocking photograph had appeared at Artfully Yours during Beth’s lunch hour. A stranger had left it, along with a scrawled note that he’d pick it up in a month. After a brief glimpse, she’d thrust it into the stack of works to be framed. For days it sat, untouched, while she thought about it constantly. It surfaced in her mind at the most awkward moments. At breakfast with Gavin. In the shower. In the car, driving to work. In bed.

Especially in bed.

Gavin would die if he knew the dirty visions inspired by that photograph. She had to shove the images aside during their usual gentle, careful lovemaking. The world of that photograph didn’t belong in their tidy home with the antique four-poster bed and rose-printed rugs inherited from her mother. What would her mother say if she knew how that depraved photo had invaded Beth’s imagination?

Beth shuddered with shame as she opened the door to the storage room where the photograph lurked. Her mother would never know, she reminded herself. Three years she’d been gone. Gavin kept telling her to stop worrying about what a dead woman might think of her. One of these days it might happen.

In the meantime, she was a professional with a job to do. The photograph had to be framed. Some twisted soul considered it art. She’d put it off long enough, and unless she wanted to decline the work on moral grounds, it was time to face it.

The photograph, eighteen inches wide and twenty-four inches high, waited innocently in the corner. Black and white didn’t quite describe it. It glowed with a seductive, silvery sheen. Especially the woman’s naked flesh. A man and a woman inhabited the photo as if nothing else existed in the world. They saw nothing but each other, two parts of a whole caught in an eternal sexual charge.

This photo was about sex, but not the kind of sex Beth was used to. Wrong sex, riveting sex, uninhibited, hellacious sex.

The woman’s hands were fastened behind her back with a pair of handcuffs. Thick bands circled her wrists, which rested right above her buttocks. One of the man’s hands rested there, poised to explore further, deeper into the vulnerable opening beneath his palm. His other hand held a leash attached to a collar around the woman’s neck. Her head arched back toward him so her throat and torso traced a beautiful silver line against the dark shadows of the photo’s background. Her eyes were half closed in an expression of luxurious surrender.

Beth closed her own eyes to block out the sight, but the image was scorched onto her eyelids. Except that in the darkness of her imagination, the woman was moving. She was thrusting her breasts forward. As if she were the woman in the photo, Beth felt the urgent swelling of her nipples, the unyielding hardness of the collar around her neck, the heat of the man’s hand on her ass. She wanted that hand inside her, ravaging her without mercy. She wanted to be ordered to her knees, commanded to do unspeakable things.

Beth shook herself violently. What was going on? Usually she could bury her unruly, churning imagination. She had a lifetime of experience bashing such thoughts. Get to work, lazy, she scolded herself, hearing her mother in those words.

She snatched up the photo and took it to the framing workstation, where she laid it on the counter as if it were a lab specimen. Perhaps it was just a particularly powerful piece of art. She’d managed nearly a year at art school before her mother had gotten sick. The composition, the lines, the contrasting textures of skin and leather all pointed to an artist’s eye. She should find out who took the photograph. Maybe it was someone famous.

Something caught her eye in the shadows behind the couple. A point of light she hadn’t noticed before. Just enough light to delineate a figure lounging in the background.

Someone was watching this intimate scene.

Her whole body tightened. A watcher was enjoying this spectacle, witnessing the woman’s arousal, the man’s mastery. Heat shot through her lower body. She peered closer. She was wrong. The second man wasn’t only watching. His hand stretched toward the hidden triangle between the woman’s legs.

“Beth.”

She jumped about two feet backward into a stack of white mat boards. Gavin caught them before they tumbled to the ground.

“Gavin! You scared the bejeepers out of me.”

The corner of his mouth lifted, the way it always did when she used one of her mother’s phrases. “Judy-isms”, he called them. “Sorry, I swear I wasn’t sneaking up on you. I said your name a couple times, but you didn’t answer.”

She saw his black eyes flicker to the photo and took a surreptitious step sideways to block his view of it. For some reason, she didn’t want him to see the photo. Especially after he’d caught her so wrapped up in it.

“What are you doing here?”

“Saying hi to my wife. Scaring the crap out of her. I’m a romantic, you know.”

She relaxed into a smile. Gavin Thomason, her lawfully wedded husband. Sometimes she still couldn’t believe it. A spattering of snowflakes decorated his dark hair. His hockey skates dangled from one hand. He must have just come from practice. He was a former high school hockey star and current coach of the infamous Fairbanks Renegades. Everyone in town knew Gavin. And everyone had been shocked when he’d married quiet, dreamy Beth Vale.

“How were the hooligans today?”

“My players behaved with complete propriety today, I’ll have you know. Only two incidents of on-ice mooning.”

She shivered. Gavin’s players were young, hard-bodied rowdies, so hot they inspired all sorts of guilty fantasies. Not that she’d ever told Gavin that.

“Those etiquette lessons are paying off.” She edged closer to the counter, hoping to slide the photograph under a piece of whiteboard.

“What are you working on?”

Darn those perceptive dark eyes of his. Gavin rarely missed anything, as his players well knew.

“Nothing in particular. A photograph.”

He took a step closer. His muscular presence filled the small room, giving her the sense of having nowhere to hide. He was well aware of the power of his body, having used it to mow down opposing players at the rink for so long. With her, he was always meticulously restrained, although sometimes she caught a flash in his dark eyes or a ruthless curve of his mouth that reminded her what a physical creature lurked inside.

Not like her. She was locked away in her own head. At some point she’d thrown away the key.

He took another step forward. “Can I see it? I like photos.” “It’s, um, kind of private. The client might not like other people looking at it.” He raised an eyebrow but stopped. “Framer-client confidentiality? Never heard of it.”

“It’s an unspoken rule, kind of a Hippocratic oath of framers.” With that, she turned and dragged a piece of cardstock over the photograph. As soon as it was covered up, she felt safe. “Now where’s my midafternoon kiss?”

He dropped his skates, reached for her and pulled her close. The heat of his groin burned against her lower belly. Using both hands, he angled her face toward his and cradled her cheeks in his palms. “My beautiful wife.”

Under his intent gaze, warmth filled her. Gavin was so handsome, all dark hair and eyes, strong, slashing eyebrows and rugged jawline. He looked like a Spanish pirate, even though his family was Irish. Girls had always gone nuts over him. She’d watched them in middle school, writing his name in their notebooks, then in high school, using inventively skimpy outfits to snare his attention. And now here he was, her husband, claiming a kiss in the middle of the afternoon.

She sagged against him, letting his strength guide her. He brushed his lips softly against hers. A shiver passed through her, like a ripple on the surface of a deep lake. Go deeper, she wanted to tell him. Deeper, harder. But she could never say such a thing. He’d be too shocked. She’d be too shocked.

Her body strained against his. How could such a strong man be so gentle? Where was the ferocity he used to show on the ice? But that was why she loved him, wasn’t it? The fact that he could restrain his own powerful nature in deference to her fragility? She touched her tongue to his. She felt his body tighten and his erection rise against her stomach.

She broke away, gasping. “You’d better go. Meredith’s right outside.”

“Right.” Something flared in his eyes. “Wouldn’t want to embarrass you on the job.”

“I’ll see you tonight.”

He nodded, turning away. She watched him take a deep breath. He was probably trying to get his erection to subside. His control over his body always amazed her.

“I took some pork chops out of the freezer,” she told him. “I hope you’re in the mood for meat.”

He shot her an ironic look as he picked up his skates from the floor. “I’m a man. I’m always in the mood for meat.”

“Right.” She flushed. Was that some kind of dirty double entendre? The Renegades were constantly making naughty jokes and she rarely got them the first time. They always gleefully explained them to her as she turned redder and redder.

“Love you,” Gavin said, already out the door.

“Love you too.”

When he was safely gone, she turned back to the photograph. Funny—it wasn’t hidden under cardstock the way she had thought. It was right out in the open. The erotic scene assaulted her senses, sent shock waves through her system. She felt stripped naked. Mercilessly exposed. And wickedly aroused.

*****

Gavin stole a look at the mystery known as his wife. He bit into his pork chop while she chewed her salad greens with her usual air of distracted serenity, as if she were a nun contemplating eternity. Beth had an untouched look about her, an innocence that even two and a half years of marriage to a beast like him hadn’t changed. Her light- brown hair framed her delicate face, which had the kind of subtle beauty that took a more mature man to appreciate.

In high school, she’d peeped up at him one day in line at the cafeteria, her light- filled green eyes dropping shyly back to her tray in the next moment. He’d remembered those eyes, but the constant parade of more confident girls had commanded his attention. He’d vaguely thought of her as the artsy type, and knew she was the daughter of the fearsome Judy Vale, the strictest school principal in North Pole.

It wasn’t until he was a grown man and Beth had come back to North Pole with a new air of poise that he’d felt unrelentingly, unstoppably drawn to her.

He still felt that magnetic pull, that fascination bordering on obsession, but he wasn’t sure he knew her any better than in high school. What went on behind those dreamy, light-green eyes? What did she think about all day? What got her excited, riled up, undone? Sometimes, for a flash, he glimpsed a different look—stormy, smoky, hot—but it always disappeared so quickly. The desire to know her, deep inside, ate at him.

But today he’d gotten a tiny window into her mind. That bondage photo she’d tried to hide from him. He’d seen how she stared at it. He’d seen the dazed look in her eyes when he’d surprised her. He’d seen her efforts to block it from his sight.

“Sweetie?”

She startled, as she often did when he spoke, as if he’d interrupted some complicated internal conversation. “Yes, Gavin?”

“We got a special invitation today. The Renegades did, I mean.” “

Oh? How exciting.”

“You haven’t even heard what it is,” he said drily.

“You said it was special.”

“Right.” He shouldn’t make fun of her distraction. He kept forgetting she was still mourning her mother, whose illness had shadowed their courtship and...still did, really. “I got a call from the coach of the team down in Wild. The Nasties.”

“The Wild Nasties?” She made a face. “Where do you guys get these names?”

“From drunken brainstorming sessions in bars, where do you think? Besides, the NHL took all the normal names.”

She snorted. “A normal name would never work for you guys.”

“Yep, the Renegades definitely suits us. Anyway, Wild has a showcase game during their winter festival, and the team they were supposed to play had to cancel. They all have the flu, apparently.”

Secretly, Gavin wondered if the flu wasn’t code for the coach not trusting his players at Wild Nights, but he wasn’t about to share that suspicion with Beth.

“They want us to come down to Wild this weekend and play the Nasties.”

Beth giggled, her lovely eyes lighting with amusement. “Play the Nasties, that sounds just...wrong.”

“Yeah, well, we’ve done worse. Remember when we played the Damn Fools in Juneau?”

“I liked their outfits.”

Gavin winced. “Uniforms.”

“That’s what I mean.” Beth gazed at him innocently and speared a tomato. “So are you going to play the Nasties?”

“I think so. They’re supposed to be a good team, from everything I’ve heard. The guys need a challenge.”

“Great! See, I was right, it’s exciting.”

“I want you to come with me to Wild.”

“Me?” Beth laid down her fork, looking troubled. “You know I don’t understand hockey. I never even know when to cheer.”

“The game is only one afternoon. We’ll make a weekend of it. Drive down in our own car, leave the hooligans to their own devices, and spend some time in a new place. Have you ever been to Wild?”

He watched her closely. The more important question was, did she know about Wild Nights? Would she make the connection to his casual mention of a winter festival?

“I’ve never been there. I feel like I’ve heard something about it, but I can’t remember right now. Maybe my mother visited there.”

Gavin nearly choked on his forkful of pork at the thought of rigid Judy Vale going to Wild Nights. Then again, for some people, Wild meant glaciers and a spectacular bay. Their loss, in his opinion.

“Well, this is your chance to follow in her footsteps then. We haven’t gone anywhere together in a while.”

“That’s true. Well, sure, I guess we can go. Drive down after work on Friday, come back on Sunday?”

Gavin suppressed a sigh. He had to get Beth to lighten up. “Can’t you get a day off work? I’d like to go down earlier than that.”

“I suppose. Although Meredith is still a bit sloppy.”

Gavin should have felt guilty about making her leave her work in her assistant’s hands. Normally, he would have. But he remembered the fiery look in her eyes after he’d caught her with that photograph. He wanted to see more of that look.

If Wild Nights wasn’t the perfect opportunity, he’d eat his hockey puck.

Buy Now:
Ellora's Cave
All Romance eBooks
Amazon Kindle

Just My Luck by J.D. Thompson

2012-01-26T04:50:00.000-05:00

Just My Luck
by J.D. Thompson

Rebel Ink Press

eBook ISBN: RIP000306

A sheltered and naive woman crossing paths with a handsome, determined young man whom she saw kissing another. As Mars and Venus circle the earth, so do the suitcases of strangers at the airport. But the real spinning begins when Irish convinces Jurnee to climb upon the merry--go-round of life.

Chapter One

“This is your captain. I want to welcome you to sunny San Diego. We’ll be landing in approximately ten minutes and we’d like to thank you for flying U.S. Airways.”

Thank God I’m close to the front of the aircraft. I’ve got my DVD player, purse, and my shoes back on. I’m ready.

I stood up and moved into the aisle just as the FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS light went off. I just wanted to exit this plane. I walked through the crowded terminal and followed the signs to baggage claim. I squeezed myself through groups of people who were greeting each other, hugging and laughing. I didn’t see my flight number lit up on any of the carousels yet, so I strategically angled myself in the middle of all three to wait.

Bound by Seduction 2 by Kharisma Rhayne

2012-01-26T04:40:00.000-05:00

Bound by Seduction
Book 2
by Kharisma Rhayne

Rebel Ink Press

eBook ISBN: RIP000307

Arabelle finds herself at the gym on a Friday night and ends up working on more than her cardio with oh so hot stranger, Jarvick, when he guides her to his truck for some cuffed experimentation. Just how well will these two fit together?

Chapter One

He was the most impressive man I had ever seen. Huge and obviously strong, he was simply magnificent. I continued to watch him bench press what had to be hundreds and hundreds of pounds over and over again.

This is what I get for going to the gym on a day I'm not usually here. There goes my train of thought for at least a week.

I caught myself gawking and checked the treadmill I occupied for any drool that might’ve escaped my mouth. I really should stop staring. But it was too late. I'd been caught.

His buddies were looking over at me. I mean, looking at me. Really. Shouldn't they be spotting him so the barbell didn't fall on him and crush his neck or chest or whatever body part it landed on?

Body parts.

Inferno by D.H. Black

2012-01-26T04:30:00.000-05:00

Inferno
Retribution Collection 2
by D.H. Black

Rebel Ink Press

eBook ISBN: RIP000305

As two men were forced to face each other and their abusive pasts, they each found a kindred spirit and comfort in their heated passion. But would it be enough or would one lose his soul and possibly his life?

Chapter One

“Oh my God! The entire building is going to go! We got here too late. Where’s the fucking Goddamn ladder company? Shit!”

Lieutenant Troy Danton shivered as he stood on the street staring at the flames licking out of almost every window. Billows of black smoke towered above the building as the extreme heat had already melted the fire escape on the right side of the building. Liquid metal oozed down the brick in silent streams. “Fuck! Is this damn thing abandoned?” He eyed the fire team and sighed.

“I don’t know. I’ve heard the homeless use this one sometimes.”

Hearing Bart’s strangled voice Troy could tell how worried his buddy was. They’d seen this type of fire before and prayed no one was inside. “Look. Get the water started and I’m going to go floor by floor.”

“You can’t until back up comes and you know that!” Bart snapped.

Assumed Identity by Lila Munro

2012-01-26T04:20:00.000-05:00

Assumed Identity
Identity, Book 3
by Lila Munro

Rebel Ink Press

eBook ISBN: RIP000308

Armed with her masque and Renaissance costume, Julie is thrown for a loop when the handsome Master draws more willingness out of her than she ever thought possible. Is it possible she’s more than a submissive? And will the assumptions he’s made about her identity end up tearing them apart?

Chapter One

Julie Stevens set the last box down and looked around her new apartment with triumph. For two days she and her two best friends had lugged boxes, bags, and furniture up the three flights of stairs to her new place. The space took up the entire fourth floor of the building that sat on Henderson Street and had once served as a dance studio. The living area was wide open, a bank of full length windows taking up the entire south wall that looked out over the public gardens. And the kitchen was to die for.

Not that Julie had much use for a kitchen that size but she loved it nonetheless. Maybe someday she’d have a reason to cook more and order take-out less. The only people she ever dined with lately were Shelby and Blake, and their schedules had become so hectic even that was a rare occasion. As far as dates went, Julie was enduring a dry spell. In all honesty, she was figuring out with each disastrous relationship that she just needed more from a man than boring, missionary sex. There had to be more to life than a man climbing on top of you, repeating the apparently required twelve to fourteen thrusts then grunting once and sliding back off. How the hell Julie managed to attract every single one of these men in a tri-county area was beyond reason. Where were the he-men?

Road Apples by Karen Kennedy Samoranos

2012-01-25T04:20:00.000-05:00

Road Apples
by Karen Kennedy Samoranos

Musa Publishing

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61937-065-4

The time came when I realized I had lived most of my short adult life in a stupor, my eyes blind to all the possibilities in front of me. I became a believer one fateful night in the rain, and all because of a vintage car, a loyal dog, and a cheating boyfriend.

Chapter One

A good friend once told me that the world is a place of unexpected twists and hazards. One moment you’re laughing, and the music is playing, and then suddenly, disaster strikes from thin air. Using that principle, it always amazes me that the first time I heard my baby’s heartbeat, it was inside of a hospital examination room, with a rape kit on the tray, and a police officer in attendance.

The very concept of predestination would be endlessly repeated, as great a mystery as the beating heart of the fetus hidden inside the darkness of my own body. My faith would be equally tested in the months to come, as I have never believed in love at first sight, or the power of destiny to sway a person’s life. Those antiquated human notions seemed more of an excuse for a one-night stand, than a solid basis for a lasting relationship.

For Kicks by Jenna Bayley-Burke

2012-01-24T04:20:00.000-05:00

For Kicks
by Jenna Bayley-Burke

Samhain Publishing

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60928-568-5

Breeze senses something is missing from her life, but only has time for business. Even if a certain former athlete makes her heart pound like she’s run a marathon. Logan is ready and waiting to lace up and take her for a run on the wilder side—if he can catch her.

Chapter One

“You need to put some clothes on.”

Breeze Cohen waved her hand dismissively at her department manager. Perched atop a ladder, she stretched her petite frame to reach the third spotlight.

“Is it hitting the red stripe of the shirt?” she yelled down. She had eleven minutes until even the earliest of the early birds arrived for the regional best-set, where store managers from all over the Northwest expected to see the entire department store set for the back-to-school season, still two months away. Breeze intended to use all eleven of those precious minutes to make her departments beyond perfect.

“Yes,” Anthony said, “but I’m more worried about you breaking your neck on that ladder than getting perfect lighting on the signature fixture.”

“It’s all about the color story this set, Anthony. If we don’t tell the color story, then we have nothing to say.”

Star Prince by Ashlynn Monroe

2012-01-23T04:50:00.000-05:00

Star Prince
by Ashlynn Monroe

Changeling Press

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60521-758-1

When DeMarcus impulsively declares he owes Tasmin a life debt, she must convince the Imperial Council to grant them both their freedom. But after a night of erotic delights with the sexy alien, will she be able to let him go?

Chapter One

“Stay down!” Tasmin Robins pulled the man at her side behind the large refuse bin. He was wearing a baseball cap pulled low on his face and sunglasses, hiding his expression.

Screams from her fellow humans made the usually quiet terminal chaotic. Glistening metallic and marble surfaces usually made the shuttle port’s loading dock feel orderly and sterile in an utterly comforting way, reminding her of her home back on Earth. Now the shining surfaces reflected laser fire from a source she couldn’t pinpoint.

Ball cap guy tried to stand up again. Her hand was small, but she managed to snag a substantial handful of his oversized blue sweatshirt. She yanked sharply, pulling him back down. His faded blue jeans made a small tearing sound as the rip over his right knee widened.

Ukko's Discovery by Shara Azod

2012-01-23T04:40:00.000-05:00

Ukko's Discovery
The Chosen, Book 1
by Shara Azod

Changeling Press

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60521-768-0

Ukko is a general of the Spentas. He fears nothing, backs down from nothing, questions nothing -- until he finds something he can't explain. Who is this mysterious female with powers equal to his? Who sent her? What is her purpose? And the most important question of all -- why doesn't he care about any of that?

Chapter One

Ukko’s heart pounded in alarm and excitement. An urge that couldn’t be explained drove him to the seedier side of downtown. There was something, someone out there he had to find. The pull was as tangible as if it were tethered around his waist.

Picking his way through the dregs of human existence, he pressed farther and farther into the area where drug addicts, the mentally insane and the just hopelessly lost humans existed in a filthy squalor, not really knowing what he was looking for or why. It was the why that worried him. He gave the souls he passed little thought other than to mask his presence from them. He didn’t trust this compulsion. Anything with that strong a pull had to be dangerous.

Witches and Wolves by Saloni Quinby

2012-01-23T04:30:00.000-05:00

Witches and Wolves
by Saloni Quinby

Changeling Press

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60521-753-6

An unexpected protector appears to fight by Nick's side. Bruce's pack brother "Big" Redd is captivated by the beautiful skater. He senses that Nick's bad attitude disguises hidden vulnerability and Redd is determined to protect him, no matter what the cost.

Prologue

Nate had just closed his New Age shop for the night and was about to meet his friend Devin for a late dinner when his cell phone rang. With a sigh, he tugged it out of his leather bag. No doubt Devin was canceling. Nate had really been looking forward to having a long chat over sushi.

His brow furrowed when he saw the number didn’t belong to Devin, but to his oldest friend and mentor, Lincoln. The elderly gentleman had taught him so much, including how to hone his psychic gifts. Though they talked often and Nate returned to Cincinnati once or twice a year to visit, he sensed this wasn’t simply a social call. “Lincoln, hi. Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine,” replied the older man, his voice as soft yet commanding as Nate remembered. Lincoln had mastered the art of gentle strength, something Nate had always admired. “And you?”

“I’m all right.”

Staked by Rayven Renshaw

2012-01-23T04:20:00.000-05:00

Staked
by Rayven Renshaw

Razor's Edge Press

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60521-918-9

Carmel and Abraham have been locked in a deadly game for more centuries than they care to remember. Finally, Abraham has the vampire just where he wants her... and much to Carmel’s surprise, she discovers she’s dying for him.

Note: This title has no chapter breaks. Enjoy the first page.

Page One

Carmel twisted against her restraints. These weren’t ordinary irons encircling her wrists, pinning her arms to the beam above her head. She couldn’t snap the cuffs. She couldn’t break the beam either, or the supporting column at her back. Both were old, but solid, an integral part of the architecture.

She had no idea where her captor had taken her. The furniture came from another time -- wooden chairs with elaborate carvings, solid constructs that would last for generations. The fire in the grate gave everything a soft, golden glow, made the mullioned windows sparkle. If she’d had time and she wasn’t distracted, she might have spent minutes admiring the design of the room. Unfortunately, she had more pressing concerns to occupy her mind.

Moon Over Alcatraz by Patricia Yager Delagrange

2012-01-22T04:20:00.000-05:00

Moon Over Alcatraz
by Patricia Yager Delagrange

Musa Publishing

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61937-104

Weston and Brandy’s marriage splinters beneath the weight of sorrow after the death of their child and following an accidental meeting with her high school friend, Brandy ends up carrying more than just the weight of grief inside her heart.

Chapter One

“Breathe, Brandy, breathe.”

Weston’s voice came from the side of the hospital bed where I lay propped up, knees bent to accommodate Dr. Farney checking to see how far my cervix had dilated.

Gritting my teeth, eyes shut, I inhaled through my nose. The pungent odor of sweat wafted through my nostrils. I imagined the crest of a deep-blue wave curling over, white foam churning, crashing down, wave after wave speeding toward the edge of a sandy beach.

But I couldn’t take in a full breath. I opened my mouth, tried sucking in air, lungs on fire, the pain like a serrated knife to my belly, hands flailing, slapping the sides of the bed to get Weston’s attention.

“She can’t breathe.” I could hear the panic in his voice. He was scared. So was I. Is this how a first delivery is supposed to go?

Deadly Reflection by Nancy Kay

2012-01-21T04:20:00.000-05:00

Deadly Reflection
Deadly Triad, Book 1
by Nancy Kay

Desert Breeze Publishing

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61252-055-1

When vacationing detective Nick McGraw meets Cassi Burke his ingrained sense of duty collides with unstoppable desire, because the stunning Miss Burke is standing over a dead body with a bloody knife in her hand.

Chapter One

Not bothering to shave, Nick McGraw pulled on shorts and yanked on a tee shirt. Once outside the cabin, he stretched his tight muscles and took a deep breath. The sharp-edged nip in the air would help clear out mental cobwebs.

He jogged beside Pine Shadow Lake, dredging up memories of kick-ass sunsets and of nights spent huddled by crackling campfires swapping scary tales with his buddies.

Old childhood haunts, great memories.

He'd come to Pine Bluffs for a vacation, traveling four hundred miles to escape an insane pace and a never-ending caseload.

"Damn it."

Sappho’s Sisters by Berengaria Brown

2012-01-20T04:20:00.000-05:00

Sappho’s Sisters
by Berengaria Brown

eBook ISBN: 978-1-4659-8379-4

Lady Eustacia Lumley and Margaret Durrell are very interested in Sappho’s poetry and ideas. One evening,
Margaret has a headache and Eustacia offers to massage her scalp. They fall deeply in love, but is there any hope for them? Will they have to conform to rigid Regency society?

Chapter One

Almack’s Assembly Rooms, London, 1814

“Why ever did we agree to come here tonight?” groaned Lady Eustacia Lumley to her bosom bow, Margaret Durrell.

Margaret, the fourth daughter of a near-penniless vicar, looked all around the famous Almack’s Assembly Rooms. “Because your father wanted to flirt with Lady Jersey?”

Gervase Lumley, the Earl of Wentworth and Lady Eustacia’s parent, was indeed talking to “Silence,” as Lady Sarah Jersey was affectionately known for her ability to talk non-stop.

Eustacia laughed. “He probably had to promise to dance with her protégés to convince her to give him the vouchers for you. He’d much rather be in the card room, but she knows he dances very well and she has ever had a soft spot for a man with an elegant dancing style.”

“Truly I am grateful to be here. One has not arrived until one has received vouchers for Almack’s.”

Vote for Best of December 2011

2012-01-20T00:30:00.000-05:00

It's time to vote for the Best of December 2011. You only have a few days to cast your vote for the best first chapter and the best cover of those titles that appeared in December 2011. Click below to

If above link doesn't work, Click Here.

Voting ends 12:15AM EST 31 January 2012.

Skin Deep by Christopher Craven

2012-01-19T04:50:00.000-05:00

Skin Deep
Horizon, Volume 1
by Christopher Craven

Rebel Ink Press

eBook ISBN: RIP0002010

Battling his sexuality, Bryan lashes out at the world without any thought to the consequences of his actions. After he attempts suicide, Bryan lands himself in a mental hospital where he's forced to come to terms with his true self and accept his feelings about the choices he’s made will force him to deal with the issues that resonate skin deep.

Chapter One

It was forty degrees inside Bryan’s apartment on one of the darkest evenings Florida had ever seen. The sun had failed to make an appearance and oddly enough, the moon hadn’t come out to take its place either. Only the stars shone brightly as the crispest of ocean waves greeted the shore with a crash of rage before rushing back out into the sea and returning with a fury. As the wind picked up, a hum was heard bellowing like an echo from beyond the waters as if a freight-liner sounded a horn. The breeze, coupled with the aroma of aged whiskey, created an unnatural eeriness as the midnight hour progressed and brought closure to what had been a dull Thursday.

The Flamingo Wrangler by Dakotah Black

2012-01-19T04:40:00.000-05:00

The Flamingo Wrangler
Pinked, Book 2
by Dakotah Black

Rebel Ink Press

eBook ISBN: RIP0002005

For Nicky French and Tyler Deverall, it was just another day at the office. The center of the community had been blown to bits and the entire Board was demanding answers. Keeping the peace wasn’t a problem. Keeping the owners away from guns, battery powered hedge trimmers, poison and fire extinguishers is another story all together.

Chapter One

Nicky French eyed the Leopard’s Point Association Board of Directors and resisted using her purse in a dangerous fashion. But dear God she could see pummeling one or all of them for blatant disregard to intelligence. Why in the hell were they arguing in the middle of July about Christmas decorations? Sighing, she looked out the clubhouse window at the contention of homeowners romping in the pool and squinted before shaking her head and stealing a glance at her watch. It wasn’t quite eight thirty and the cusp of yet another humid evening was bearing down on Chesterfield County Virginia but she could see clearly enough. There were naked men in the pool. "What the fuck?"

"What did you say, Nicky?" the man asked as he gazed down the length of the six foot table.

Fade Into You by Lanie Barnes

2012-01-19T04:30:00.000-05:00

Fade Into You
by Lanie Barnes

Rebel Ink Press

eBook ISBN: RIP000303

No other woman has ever brought him to his knees before by simply the look in her eyes. When trouble arises on the wings of the ghost of lovers past, Kael is forced to compete for the heart of his mate. Luckily for him, when it comes to fighting dirty, he’s not all talk. He’s all bite.

Chapter One

Your Heart Knows

When your heart wishes without you

And your dreams are not your own

When you find yourself suddenly surprised

By something wonderfully unknown

Though you’d always longed for someday

On an island in the sun

One night the moon comes shining through

And you find yourself undone

Though unbeknownst to you

Your wished on stars have not declined

They just have granted the wish your heart made

Since it knows you better than your mind…

The sky was so blue it was almost iridescent. There wasn’t a single cloud in sight. It was wrong. Of all the days for it to be a beautiful day, why must it be today? It was unnaturally hot for early May in southwestern Ohio and being covered from head to toe in black was making it worse. Puddles formed inside the new patent leather Mary Jane high heels that were attached to Stacia’s now aching feet.

Cajun Games by KT Bishop

2012-01-19T04:20:00.000-05:00

Cajun Games
Cajun Heat, Book 2
by KT Bishop

Rebel Ink Press

eBook ISBN: RIP000302

He had one more cockfight in him. Or so he thought. As loud sirens penetrated the walls of the barn, it was about to end for Evan “Gator” Bonk . The barn, which he owned, that had been raucous minutes ago suddenly became quiet. His voice crackled with nervousness. “Ah shit, how did they find out?”

Chapter One

He had one more cockfight in him.

Or so he thought.

As loud sirens penetrated the walls of the barn, it was about to end for Evan “Gator” Bonk . The barn, which he owned, that had been raucous minutes ago suddenly became quiet.

His voice crackled with nervousness. “Ah shit, how did they find out?”

The can of beer slipped from the grasp of his right hand and fell harmlessly to the wooden floor. Perspiration filled his face even though he stood in the middle of a cold room. He was one of fifty spectators who needed to flee the scene and avoid the police.

The Billionaire's Bauble by Ann Montclair

2012-01-18T04:20:00.000-05:00

The Billionaire's Bauble
by Ann Montclair

Soul Mate Publishing

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61935-060-1

Sloane arrived at Grant Oil knowing if she didn’t land the job, she’d have to leave Fairbanks and return to New York. But when Sloane enters the CEO’s office and realizes he’s the unforgettable man she’d kissed in a Fairbanks bar two years earlier, she discovers running away isn’t always an option...

Chapter One

“I’ll be all yours in a moment, Ms. Porter,” David said absentmindedly to the final interviewee entering his plush Fairbanks office. The walnut and steel door swooshed closed as the woman approached his desk. He didn’t glance up from his paper pile, but he could smell a hint of Chanel perfume, and he already liked the confident click clack of the candidate’s heels across his tiled office floor.

“Yes, sir. Take all the time you need,” the applicant purred, and remained standing, waiting for David to ask her to be seated.

He enjoyed making his prospective employees squirm—just a bit—as they waited to find out if their futures would be linked with his Fortune 500 company. Everyone wanted a piece of the pie, but only one person would be hired to become the newest administrative assistant to the CEO and owner of the billion dollar enterprise.

Rescue Me by Marcia James

2012-01-17T04:20:00.000-05:00

Rescue Me
Tails of Love Anthology
by Marcia James

Berkley

eBook ISBN: 9781101054239
Trade Print ISBN: 9780425227688
Mass Market Print ISBN: 9780425245064

Ten authors celebrate the ways animals enrich our lives. Royalties go to a no-kill animal shelter in Ohio. In Marcia James' “Rescue Me”, ex-quarterback Adam “Nuke” Baumgardner saves a starving stray, and the Chinese crested hairless dog returns the favor by reuniting him with his lost love, veterinarian Claire Mendelsohn.

Chapter One

“Rata!”

The shout jerked Adam Baumgardner’s attention away from next week’s menu, and he scanned his restaurant’s dining room. Wasn’t “rata” Spanish for “rat”?

“Rata gigante del albino!” Rey, his sous chef, stormed from the open kitchen followed by Émile, his maître d'.

Damn. Thanks to Adam’s basic knowledge of several languages, he understood his international staff. “There better not be a giant albino rat in my kitchen.”

“Not the kitchen, the alley,” Émile explained.

Rey muttered something about rats and bad omens.

The Big Blue by Anne Kane

2012-01-16T04:50:00.000-05:00

The Big Blue
Protect and Serve (multi-author series)
by Anne Kane

Changeling Press

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60521-754-3

The very first time Tundra sees Blue, she knows she has to have him. What she doesn't realize is that she'll never want to let him go. When Alex goes to confront the head of a vicious Cabal, Tundra follows to make sure he doesn't get hurt. After all, even a troll's hide isn't as thick as a polar bear's.

Chapter One

Late Friday Night

I stalked across the bar and hauled myself up onto one of the few empty barstools. It looked like the entire neighborhood had decided to drown their sorrows at the same time. At least that meant there was a good selection of men available. Good thing, because right now I was feeling hornier than a werewolf during the full moon, and pissed enough not to be too picky about whom I chose to spend the night with. Talks with my self-appointed guardian Tyrone always had this effect on me. Make that monologues. I don’t think I’d managed to get in more than two words during the entire fiasco.

Chosen by B.J. McCall

2012-01-16T04:40:00.000-05:00

Chosen
Dragonfire, Book 2
by B.J. McCall

Changeling Press

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60521-744-4

Rett left the Fire Mountains to follow a wanderlust he couldn't explain until he laid eyes on Karis. Hired as her bodyguard, Rett doesn't know if his true role is protector or mate. He doesn't know Karis is the chosen, but he knows she's the one.

Prologue

“This is my offering.” Erssa opened her clenched fist, revealing a heavy golden ring engraved with a dragon. Her hand trembled, causing the ring to roll in her palm. It had taken every ounce of courage she possessed to ask for help from the old one. “Please. This war must end.”

Cardus reached out. The sorcerer’s hand was large, his fingers gnarled and his nails yellowed and long. He looked at her, his gaze piercing as if he might see into her soul.

A shiver of fear slid down Erssa’s spine.

Despite his years, reported to be more than one hundred, Cardus’ mind was sharp and his long hair was still blacker than a raven’s wing. “You offer the Nordrath clan ring?”

Fallen by Megan Slayer

2012-01-16T04:30:00.000-05:00

Fallen
by Megan Slayer

Changeling Press

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60521-759-8

Livia was cast out of heaven for the crime of falling in love with a human. So what's a fallen angel to do when she meets the man of her dreams? Falling certainly has its perks.

Ty didn't expect the angel at his party to be fallen or to have a murky past. He also didn't expect her to end up in his arms. Now he's not about to let the past stand in the way of their future.

Chapter One

Parties are so lame.

Livia crossed her arms and stared at the people swaying before her. Hard rock blasted from the speakers and rumbled the floor. She flicked a lock of her hair over her shoulder. Dancing, laughing, and more than enough drinking. She sighed. When was the last time she’d danced and laughed? Hell. She couldn’t remember.

She wanted to dance, to wrap her arms around a torso thick with muscle, to rest her head on a taut set of pecs and hear the heartbeat of a red-blooded male like the one she’d drooled over in her history course. He’d mentioned throwing an event. She wanted to see him, to see if he was actually like the persona she’d created for him in her mind.

Lionsblood (Collection) by Marteeka Karland

2012-01-16T04:20:00.000-05:00

Lionsblood (Collection)
by Marteeka Karland

Changeling Press

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60521-766-6

In Earth's brutal, future frozen, humans are no longer at the top of food chain. Paranormals roam the frozen wastes, laying claim to whatever they can defend. Humans are tolerated by some, but not all of the new species.

The most vicious of the new races are the Lionsblood. No one dares defy a Lionsblood. These predators take what they want and never look back. These men are as protective as they are dangerous -- especially when it comes to their chosen mates.

This collection contains the previously released novellas Lionsblood, Lionsmate, Lionsbane, and Lionsheart.

Note: This title has no chapter breaks. Please enjoy the first page.

Page One

“What?” The familiar masculine growl of her long time friend Klark almost made Marie sob with relief when he answered on the third chime.

“Klark, I’m so sorry to call this late.” She had probably awakened him from his nightly hibernation. Most lionsblood were already deeply asleep by two hours past nightfall. It protected them from the bitter cold that blanketed the northern hemisphere of Earth at night. Not that the temperature was much better during the day.