Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Final Chance to WIN in Donna Michaels' Book Tour for Captive Hero





Welcome to the FINAL stop in Donna Michael’s Book Tour for Captive Hero. She has two great prizes she’s offering up on this blog tour. After you read about her book, stop by the bottom of this tour stop to find out how you can win a free download of any of Donna’s backlist, plus a $15 Amazon Gift Card!

Test flying an invisible plane—unreal

Time-shifting to WWII—unbelievable

Capturing a hero—unavoidable.

Buy from AMAZON
When Marine Corps test pilot, Captain Samantha Sheppard accidentally flies back in time and inadvertently saves the life of a WWII VMF Black Sheep pilot, she changes history and makes a crack decision to abduct him back to the present. With the timeline in jeopardy, she hides the handsome pilot at her secluded cabin in the Colorado wilderness.
But convincing her sexy, stubborn captive that he is now in another century proves harder than she anticipated—and soon it becomes difficult to tell who is captor and who is captive when the more he learns about the future, the more Sam discovers about the past, and the soul-deep connection between them.
As their flames of desire burn into overdrive, her flying Ace makes a historical discovery that threatens her family’s very existence. Sam’s fears are taken to new heights when she realizes the only way to fix the time-line is to sacrifice her captive hero...or is it?
Can love truly survive the test of time?
                                                                             


PG-13 Excerpt:
The door suddenly jerked in and to the right with such force Sam stumbled forward into the cabin.
Son-of-a…
Before she could regain her equilibrium, something big hit the back of her calves and knocked her to the floor—hard.
Intruder? So help me, if he hurt the captain…
Instinct kicked in. Knee thrust upward, she made contact with a solid object and heard a muffled oath before she rolled in the opposite direction. Large hands gripped her waist, and despite her clumsy attempt to hold on to the threshold, he yanked her back.
Yeah, coming here without a weapon had been a real good idea.
Fast and precise, she drove her elbow into the vicinity of her assailant’s jaw and sent a sharp jolt up her arm. She swallowed a cry of pain and rejoiced in his second muffled oath. Two for me. With a quick roll, she scrambled to her knees and began to rise when a heavy weight hit from behind, dropped down and pinned her face-first to the cold, wooden floor.
“Not so fast. Sam is it?”
That familiar, deep voice split the silence, while hot, panting breathes stirred more than the hair on her neck. Uncontrollable shivers covered her skin as recognition stole the fight out of her. This wasn’t an intruder. It was Captain Mitchell. Thank God. He was safe.
But she wasn’t.
The instant she stopped struggling, her body became deliciously aware of every hard, solid inch of the six-foot-two-inch frame completely covering her from head to toe.
Holy Black Sheep.
The urge to wiggle just so he’d press tantalizingly closer was almost more than she could bear. If only I was on my back… The errant thought sent a wicked quiver straight to her core.
You’re a Marine. You don’t give in.
Sam tamped down her burgeoning desire and willed her voice to convey calm. “Let me up, Captain. I can explain.”
“No, and damn right you can.” He lifted up slightly, easing some of his weight.
Thank goodness…I think.
Instead of knocking him off balance and regaining the upper hand, she drew in a few breaths and refrained from retaliating. She’d abducted the man. He was out of his element.  She needed to keep things civil.
Mistake number one.
A swift motion had her arms yanked behind her back, while he wrapped her crossed wrists with something strong and thin. Fishing line? Oh, hell no!
“What in the world do you think you’re doing?”
No answer.
“Damn it, Captain. You let me go, now.” She thrashed from side to side, trying her best to free her legs from his shifting weight.
“No,” he said, and granting her earlier wish, pressed closer.
Funny, she wasn’t as happy about the pinning as she’d originally imagined.
Unable to move, and barely able to breath, she stilled. Best to see what he wanted, and bide her time until he let his guard down. And he would let it down, of that she had no doubt. Men always did.
Cold from the floorboards cooled her heated skin as she twisted her face to the side. What little breath his weight would allow funneled into her lungs. “You can get off me now.”
No answer.
“Captain.” She tried to draw in another breath but only coughed. “I c-c-can’t brea…”
He lifted a mere fraction, but the extra space was enough to fill her lungs with a proper amount of air. “Thanks.” She coughed again.
In the next instant, he hauled her up off the floor and pulled her to the center of the sprawling living room. Alarm raced down her spine. He’d moved the furniture to the side. Damn man must’ve had this planned for days. Could she blame him? Of course not. He was a Marine. She would’ve done the same.
Plopped onto a wooden chair, arms hooked around the back, she clenched her teeth against the pain ripping her muscles. Dammit. If he wasn’t a Black Sheep, she’d kick his ass. Turning the tables on him would not be a problem. But she refrained. Barely.
He doesn’t understand, her mind reminded. You plucked him from the middle of war and dropped him in the middle of nowhere. Therefore, you will not give him a permanent limp.
Discipline once again kicking in, she relaxed her shoulders and the stiffness from her arms, and soon the sting of her restraints lessened.
“Now, Captain,” she said as calm as possible. “Kindly tell me what the hell you think you’re doing?”
“Why, I should think that was obvious…Sam.”
The Marine’s unfriendly tone sent shivers of the wrong kind down her spine. Her blood froze. This can’t be good. She lifted her chin, refusing to be intimidated. She also refused to look him in the eye. The last time had completely disoriented; not at all what she needed right now.
With her gaze fixed on his regulation tan shirt, she stared at the uniform, hoping to find the view safer.
Wrong.
Broad shoulders forced the material to hug his lean frame. Damn. He sure had wonderful muscle definition for someone born before the fitness craze. Her mouth dried. And the waxing craze. Ah hell. He had hair, too. A light sprinkling peaked out from his collar, teasing her with thoughts of what else his uniform concealed. She gave herself a mental shake and concentrated on the situation at hand. 
“What’s obvious, Captain, is that you’re being a jerk. So you’d better spell it out for me. What are you doing?”
He stepped closer without a reply.
More intimidation tactics. Instinct cried out he wasn’t going to speak until she looked up. Damn, stubborn… 
“I’m not interested in playing ‘who’s the baddest Marine’ with you. It’s been one hell of a long week. I’m tired, hungry, and thanks to you, I’m sore, so let’s call our tussle a draw.” Composed, her voice belayed the turmoil swirling in her gut. Fine, he wanted her to look up, she’d look up.
With fingernails biting into her palms, she tipped her head and stared into a pair of unmerciful, cold, blue-green eyes. Beset with an overwhelming urge to swallow—okay, gulp; his unfriendly gaze demanded she gulp—Sam’s cowardly side did an about-face and her chin lifted higher.
“Well? Do you always treat women this way? Does man-handling make you feel big and strapping?”
Frosting further, eyes now more blue than green narrowed as his clenching jaw cracked out an ‘I’m losing my control’ tune.
Way to go, Sam. She pushed him into pouncing tiger mode and was the only flesh around. At least she possessed the good sense to back down. Usually. Too bad she left good with common back on the base.
“Okay.” Keep your mouth shut. Zip it. “Can I take your silence to mean there’s a reason you attacked me and tied me up?”
Muscled arms folded across a broad chest, while a humorless grin crossed his face. “Oh, there’s a reason all right, Sam. A very good one.”
“And your reason is?”
His grin disappeared, along with her breathing.
“To capture the captor.”

R Rated Excerpt:
What the hell was he holding? A slingshot?
A very expensive, sexy slingshot. No, Mitch’s mind insisted. It was underwear. Samantha had a matching top. His gaze shot to the purple bra. The skimpy scrap of satin had to be underwear. Fuck me. His mind instantly conjured up a vision of the temptress wearing the decadent scraps. His groin dutifully hardened.
Damn, sexy spy.
Spy…
His gaze sought the purple satin in his hand again. Son-of-a-bitch! Maybe it was both. Underwear which doubled as a weapon. A small shaft of admiration broke through his haze. Ingenious.
“Um, if you’re done inventorying my bag, I’d like my clothes now.”
He dropped the slingshot at the same time his gaze ricocheted to the towel-wrapped agent dripping in the bathroom doorway.
Holy mother of God.
She was naked. Thanks to him.
In a towel. Thanks to him.
Dripping in the doorway. Thanks to him.
Try as he might, Mitch couldn’t get his mind past those facts. The same thoughts shot through his head over and over again. Probably because the sight of the sexy vixen sent all the blood rushing to his groin—where it now throbbed with painful precision.
Damn. She was pin-up worthy. The fierce urge to nibble, stroke, and lick had him squirming in his seat. That…and his zipper bit unmercifully into his swollen dick.
“Well, Captain?”
He blinked and attempted to focus on her face. Nothing doing. What a pair of gams. His gaze stayed glued to the legs he had known would be a sin to cover. Long and lean, curvy and supple, they gleamed under the glow of the fire since the sun had set. I should be the only thing allowed to cover those beauties.
Shit. Where the hell had that thought come from?
“Yo? Captain? Earth to captain? My eyes are up here.”
He heard her words, followed by a clicking noise. Mitch blinked again, and realized the woman was not only snapping her fingers, she was smiling.
“That’s better,” she said. “So, can I have my clothes back?”
 “No.”
Hah! That wiped the smile from her smug face. Shit. Wait. Now she was striding closer, green gaze glistening like twin emeralds, a bounce rippling through gorgeous, full breasts, despite the tightly wrapped towel.
“No?”
Heaven help him, she grabbed the edge of the table and leaned closer. His mind went blank. What a view! Her delectable cleavage and all that silky skin filled his horizon. She was flawless, supple and he wanted desperately to explore.
“What do you mean, no?”
Yes…
“Captain!”
He jumped, and reluctantly ripped his gaze from her mind-drugging curves. “What?”
“I want my clothes. Now.”
She reached for a pile. But he was quicker. He grabbed her wrist, and a damn fission shot through his body again. What the hell? She yanked free and stepped back.
Ignoring the pounding in his veins—and both heads—he slowly rose to his feet, positioning himself between her and the table. Hell if he’d allow her to take anything until he knew it was safe.
“I’m not done yet.”
“Oh, for crying out loud.” She groaned. “It’s just my clothes.”
His brows shot up. “Really?” He reached behind him for the strange little packet of pills he’d found. “Then where the hell do you wear these?”
A small smile tugged at her lips, and son-of-a-bitch, a spot of color seeped into her cheeks. She was blushing. Why was she blushing? Spies don’t blush. Do they?
“You don’t wear them. Y-you take them.”
He waved the packet. “No shit.” What did she think, he was an idiot? His heart hammered and he wondered just what she’d planned on doing with the pills. He stared hard at his blushing abductor, but spoke soft. “You plan on drugging me, Samantha?”
Amusement flittered through her remarkable eyes. “No. Not unless you’ve grown a pair of ovaries.”
There wasn’t anything funny about…Wait? Ovaries? He glanced at the pills.
“They’re my birth control pills, Mitch. Give me them.” She stepped closer and reached for the packet.
Birth control what? He held the pills out of her reach and frowned down. “Control birth?” Shit. “Are you pregnant?” Cripes, he hoped not. Not after the way he manhandled her today.
“No!” She shook her head, her shoulders rounding in exasperation. “I’m not pregnant. The pills prevent pregnancy.”
Was that even possible? Maybe. He wouldn’t put anything past the Germans.
He folded his arms across his chest, his body heating before he even got the words out. “So, you are planning to seduce me.”
“What? Oh for the love of…” Her mouth clamped shut, eyes glittered and body stiffened. “If you must know, I need the hormone therapy to help with cysts. I have to take one pill a day at the same time every day, and I’ll need one first thing in the morning. Now, give me my damn pills!”
Before he could react, she lunged for the packet and gripped the bottom edge. Damn, she was fast. He pulled while she tugged, and he tried desperately to ignore the soft curves brushing his body or the mouthful of wet hair tickling his face.  God, she smells great. More vanilla. He inhaled and a layer of warmth increased the heat already throbbing inside. Touching her was out of the question. He’d just have to keep twisting and lifting.
Several more seconds of sweet torture and he finally got the upper hand. Success. He ripped the pills from her grasp.
“Dammit, Captain,” she growled, her warm breath hitting his chin.
Didn’t the woman know how to give up? Apparently not. She continued her delicious assault, pressing against him, reaching, trying to crawl up his body for the damn packet. Fuck. She was potent.
And naked.
All the struggling loosened the towel which softly thudded on to his right foot.
“Shit!” She released him and bent down to grab the wayward towel, brushing his throbbing body along the way.
He went still. Very still. He didn’t even dare to breathe. But he did look. Oh, hell yeah, he looked.
The whole right side of her was in his line of vision. Her smooth back and fantastic ass mesmerized, drew him in until he became dizzy from not breathing. He closed his eyes and gulped in air. Damn, the things he wanted to do to her. Eyes opening, he stared at the naked beauty clutching the towel in front of her in a feeble attempt to cover up.
Too late. He saw every last glorious inch of the front of her body. God, she was mouthwatering.
And hairless…
How? His racing pulse stopped for two beats, then tripped into hyper speed. She was unhindered. No hair. Nothing. Just smooth, soft, silky…
His gaze lingered in the barely concealed section where her hand now held the towel in place. Was it a German thing? Hell, it didn’t matter. A strong urge to touch her and taste her, to sink deep inside tore through his body with unrelenting force. He fought back a groan. Fuck. He was hard enough to pound spikes into concrete.
“P-please, Mitch,” her soft plea rattled him.
Make that railroad ties. His dick was hard enough to pound railroad ties. With one swing. And no hands. He dragged more air into his lungs, praying it would unfog his brain as he slowly lifted his gaze to her face.

Captive Hero --Book One in my Time-shift Heroes Series: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009XLK6CY is available now at Amazon. The second book –Future Hero will release this summer.
I also currently have a novella out through The Wild Rose Press. Cowboy-Sexy is part of their Honky Tonk Hearts Series, and is now available in several eBook formats. And on Amazon for kindle here: http://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Sexy-ebook/dp/B009KEXE2S/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_1


A little bit about Donna…
Multi-published in eBook and print, I write from short to epic, sweet to hot across several romance genres through The Wild Rose Press, Whimsical Publications, and this book--Captive Hero marks my first foray into self publishing.
I’m married to a military man for over twenty-six years. We have four children, several rescued cats, and live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where we enjoy all four seasons…although, I’d love to enjoy summer a bit longer and winter a bit less.
NOW ONTO THE PRIZES…

HOW CAN YOU WIN?

READ BELOW AND FIND OUT!

To be eligible for a free download of any of my backlist plus a $15 Amazon Gift Card, simply sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of my Home page www.donnamichaelsauthor.com then email me with the address you used to sign up so I can verify and then add your name to the ‘pot’. At the end of the tour, one name will be randomly drawn and I will email the winner.
Thank you, and good luck!
~Donna

Learn more about me and my titles at my website:  www.donnamichaelsauthor.com

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Author Spotlight ~ Annette Bower




Annette Bower lives and writes stories from a high rise where she can see the immediate hustle and bustle of downtown Regina. However toward the horizon, she can also see the changes in the grain fields throughout the Saskatchewan seasons. She attempts to include these concepts in her writing, the immediate, like a beautiful pencil drawing, and the wider world view similar to a vast landscape painting. She enjoys philosophy and a great joke.
She has many short stories published in magazines and anthologies in Canada, US and UK. Her first electronic published novel, Moving On, A Prairie Romance: http://tinyurl.com/d4xk8pw  was published by XoXo Publishing™ in Dec. 2011. In Moving On Anna will not love Nick. She won’t risk it. But he has other plans. XoXo Publishing also published a short, short, story, Christmas Wishes as part of their XoXo Hug series, in November of 2012, http://tinyurl.com/ayglyaz
In December, 2012, her second novel was published by Soul Mate Publishing. In Woman of Substance, http://tinyurl.com/cmcc5me  Robbie deceived Jake for all the right reasons. She needs him to forgive her for love.
When Annette isn’t writing, she walks or bicycles around her neighborhood. She also enjoys visiting the Atlantic Ocean on Portugal’s Algarve and the Pacific Ocean on Oahu shores. While away, she observes people in their communities. She has sat in the back of a church observing strangers’ funerals or weddings.  She has sat alone in coffee shops, and wondered around Disneyland on her own, always asking strangers to take her photograph. She has watched age mates sweep streets and walk on cobblestone in stilettos. Although the specifics have not found their way into a novel as of yet, the observations and feelings are described through her characters.
Annette would like to thank you for reading her biography and hopes you will relate to her heartwarming stories.
Moving On A Prairie Romance is a G-rated, one flame, sweet contemporary romance in a small package of 119 pages from cover to cover and under 68,000 words. It is published by XoXo Publishing™ and was released on Christmas Eve, 2011.

Moving On, A Prairie Romance back book cover, if there was a back book cover, but there isn’t because an e published book does not use trees, it uses electronic waves to bring a story to you. 
Regina Beach’s residents know everyone’s business and they are very interested in discovering Anna’s roots while she is enjoying being a mysterious business woman who drove into town. Nick, an injured sergeant in the Canadian Army, helps Anna feel safe and comfortable in her new environment, just as he has always done for his men in strange, dangerous places. Meanwhile, he focuses on preparing for his future physical endurance test to prove that he is capable of active duty.
            Anna doesn’t talk about her loss, and Nick doesn’t talk about his future and therefore she is shocked to discover that his greatest wish is to return to active duty. She won’t love a man who may die on the job again. Intellectually, she knows that everything must die, but emotionally, she doesn’t know if she has the strength to support Nick.
Moving On, A Prairie Romance is about when life throws you a curve and the dreams you were dreaming are no longer possible. Anna and Nick both have to grieve their pasts and make a decision to move on toward a different life and different dreams.  I believe that this is a universal experience. The parents dream of a child and as the child develops they notice that their child doesn’t react that same as others, they need to decide how to leave one set of dreams and move on to another dream. The same happens when a relationship fails or physical health changes or we lose a job or we realize a fortune we didn’t expect. These events change our view of our present world and we as humans, adapt the very best we can with the support systems we have around us.
This is Anna’s first view of the place she has come to change:
“The windows were dirty and the exterior paint cracked and flaked. This was just the place she needed if as they say, your environment reflects your state of mind. Maybe in this place they would get off her back. She locked the doors to ward off thieves from her black suitcases piled in the car. What was she thinking? The street was empty. Besides, a battered guitar case shared the passenger seat with empty water bottles and take-away food wrappers, so it looked as if someone had already rummaged through her belongings.”
Later when Nick is in this cottage with her they have this conversation:
“She was drawn to the large windows that revealed waves washing onto the shore while his voice rose and fell in the background. She jumped when he spoke from behind her. “Looks like you’ve got a big job to make this old man’s house a place you’d want to live.” He had picked up a ship in a bottle and held it to the light.
She stood with determined confidence. “They say work is good therapy.” She felt a pang of intuitive kinship with him again. She smiled, “Do you ever wonder if they really know what they are talking about?”
Nick raised his hand and gently touched the side of her face, turning it towards him. He looked deep into her eyes as if he was searching for recognition. “Yeah, they’re probably just a bunch of clowns who think up euphemisms to confuse the rest of us.”
Both Anna and Nick have to find their way out of their old dream that won’t work and into a new one.        A short except follows with their first community function.
“He handed her the dew-covered glass which she pushed into her lips. He clung to his bottle and tipped it evenly, watching her through half-closed eyes. She was an enigma. Pain and party. Her face had shown shadows of solemnity and joy of life.
He wanted to know her, but at the same time, not know her. Her pain both called to and repelled him. He didn’t want to complicate his life. Everything was fine the way it was. Besides, maybe he would be leaving soon, which wouldn’t be fair, or maybe he’d be the pegged-leg yokel staying in this town.
When he looked around, he saw his neighbors. Laurie had a bandana around her bald head. Hank’s right leg left a ridge in the dance dust on the floor. With a gulp, he reminded himself that a dance does not mean a lifetime commitment. He led her to the community table of singles. Ruth Anne was crooking her finger at him and smiling broadly. He had a job to do.
“Anna, we have a job to do.” She looked at him as if he had two heads.
“All the single unattached residents have to dance with the other singles so that everyone has a good time,” he whispered in her ear.
“Everyone, meet Anna.”
“Anna, everyone.”
Men and women nodded, lifted hands in acknowledgement. She heard, “Hi, Anna.”
“Hello, everyone.”
Before she could put her glass on the table, a round, short man reached up to her, squeezed her hand and led her through the polka. Anna watched out of the blur of fast stepping turns, while Nick held onto a blue-haired woman who smiled up at him.
After everyone at the table seemed to have had a spin with either Nick or Anna, he finally held his hand out to her and led her back to the dance floor. The line was forming as the music began. They positioned themselves behind the line and Nick slowly showed her the sequence of steps. He sensed when her body and the music blended together in movement.
Anna was no stranger to music but she was a stranger to the dance steps. However, the stomps, kicks and grapevines became less complicated with each repetition. She liked moving to the music. She watched the red boots and skirt of the woman in front of her. She saw the added swing of her hips and suggestive dips of her shoulder. Anna added these movements. When she glanced at Nick’s face, he smiled. She smiled back and tried harder to keep up with the line. During the next set, they held onto each other and swung in unison.
When they stopped at the bar this time they each had a glass of ice-cold water. She brushed the back of her sleeve across her mouth, wishing that he would trace the vagrant drops with his thumb.
She laughed. “You seem to be my thirst-quenching hero.”
“Water and hydration is a specialty of mine,” he teased.
He felt his stump which was cradled in his prosthesis throb. “I’m ready to sit out the next set. You?”
“I’d like to watch the moves. I seem to have missed this phase of dance.””

What readers are saying about Moving On, A Prairie Romance:
Moving On-A Prairie Romance is a tale for everyone.  While readers of Romance will
identify with Bower's characters who, having been hurt by loss, are
caught in the age-old fear of unending pain but bravely do more
than endure, this novel is for those who either have or wish to leave
the bustle of city life for the peace of the country.  Her people are
so real, they almost leap off the page and you swear they live just
down the road from you.  Read on and Move on with them. 
~Byrna Barclay, Award-winning author of novels and short story collections~ 
“Moving On: A Prairie Romance” by Annette Bower


In “Moving On: A Prairie Romance”, Annette Bower explores the
redemptive power of affection. When we meet Nick and Anna, the
characters at the centre of the novel, both are reeling from
devastating personal tragedies, and both are fearful of making a
connection that would open them to future pain. In the course of the
novel, Nick and Anna slowly but surely learn to trust and to hope.
Bower’s warm tale of the coming together of her two very likable
protagonists is told with a keen eye and an understanding heart. This
lake-side romance is perfect summer reading.
….Gail Bowen, author of the Joanne Kilbourn series.

I have just been reading MOVING ON on my Kindle. It's lovely, Annette--
a gentle, feel-good book with a nice variety of individualized
characters and a positive over-all message. The familiar setting was a
treat too. Congratulations! I would recommend it.
Mary Balogh Historical bestselling author
 
RT Book Reviews: September 2012 Issue #343 Page 90
Moving On
Annette Bower
* * * MILD
“ Falling under the category of “basic,” this story focuses on two people looking for a new start in life. Although the descriptions of the small-town attitude are right on the money, the actual story is extremely slow moving. Forever may be achieved, but it feels as if it takes that long to get there.” . . . “But after romance begins to bloom, they each learn to trust again.”  Amy Lignor
Direct buy links:
Moving On, A Prairie Romance by Annette Bower
ISBN: 978-1-927027-82-0
Published: December 2011
XoXo Publishers: http://tinyurl.com/d4xk8pw

Christmas Wishes by Annette Bower
ISBN: 987-1-927479-32-2
XoXo Publishers: http://tinyurl.com/ayglyaz


Contact Annette:
Annette Bower: www.annettebower.com
Annette Bower blog: www.annettebower.com/blog
Annette Bower twitter: https://twitter.com/BowerAnnette
Facebook Annette Bower, XoXo Publishing Author: http://tinyurl.com/b442ug8
Facebook: Annette Bower author: http://tinyurl.com/arezhhm
 
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Monday, February 4, 2013

Book Spotlight: Moving On-A Prairie Romance by Annette Bower


Anna is a mysterious woman that has just moved to Regina Beach. The residents of the small town know everyone’s business and they are very interested in discovering Anna’s secrets. Nick was a Sergeant in the Canadian Army, doing active duty until a horrific accident sent him home to recover. He helps Anna feel safe and comfortable in her new environment, just as he has always done for his men in strange, dangerous places. Meanwhile, he focuses on preparing for his future physical endurance test to prove that he is capable of returning to active duty.

Anna doesn’t talk about her past, and Nick doesn’t talk about his future therefore she is shocked to discover that his greatest wish is to return to active duty. She won’t love a man who may die on the job again. Intellectually, she knows that all life cycles end, but emotionally, she doesn’t know if she has the strength to support Nick.

PURCHASE FROM XOXO PUBLISHING HERE


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Friday, February 1, 2013

NEW RELEASE ~ Reckless Assignation by Denyse Bridger

 * NEW RELEASE ALERT *



A haunted and abandoned hotel on Halloween is the setting for a very private party between two lovers, one of them a world-class, sophisticated intelligence operative who’s trying to teach his young and innocent lady that curiosity can sometimes take you places you’d be better not to go. Amid elaborate trappings meant to scare and entice, Rick’s seduction takes some unexpected but wickedly wonderful twists. But, Rick also has a lesson to learn, when his past collides with his present, and almost destroys everything he cherishes most.

               PURCHASE FROM ELLORA'S CAVE


Reckless Assignation EXCERPT

A Romantica® erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
 


The old hotel was eerie in the approaching darkness and she was finding it difficult to hold on to her resolve to do this without calling Rick. There’d been a weird message on the machine when she got home—something about discovering a secret she needed to know. The voice had sounded slightly familiar, although she couldn’t quite pinpoint why. There’d also been just enough mystery in the vague words to arouse her interest. The entire situation—the call and her coming here to this deserted hotel—reminded her of something she’d heard of once, but her efforts to pull it from memory hadn’t been remotely successful.

She should know better than this.

She couldn’t escape the twinge of conscience that reminded her how often she played out of her league. When her father had retired from the Agency and started his own private investigation business, he’d thought his daughter would be safe from the ghosts of his violent past. More than once, though, Cinthya had paid for the deeds and decisions of Joshua Bradley’s previous career. This could well be another such setup, and here she was walking right into it. All she had in the way of consolation that she wasn’t about to get herself killed, kidnapped or worse was the deeply rooted intuition that this wasn’t what it appeared. The vague sense of familiarity she felt gave a small sense of security.

Her relationship with Rick wasn’t a point of reassurance either in the creaking darkness of the forsaken hotel. There were people who knew him and his reputation, and often it was a point of protection, but here that was irrelevant. It was with Joshua’s very reluctant blessing that his twenty-year-old daughter had stepped into a loving relationship with his business partner, the shadowy, sophisticated and lethal Rick Leighton. The ten-year age difference was only the first objection her father had voiced when Cinthya had been forced by her own conscience to open up to him—conscience and the undeniable need to share her happiness with the other important person in her life.

Rick’s recent decision to leave Bradley’s Private Investigations and reenter the life of an active Company operative set up an entirely new array of potential dangers for Cinthya. It was a risk she was more than willing to take, but not something that lessened the worry from her father and Rick.
Cinthya couldn’t help but wonder what Rick or her dad would have to say about her accepting a cryptic message to meet an unspecified contact—alone—in an abandoned building. Was she being deliberately stupid or was she actually safe? Damn! She couldn’t decide. Instinct and good sense were at war here.

She leapt back in fright when something clingy and featherlight brushed against her face. With a cry of disgust, she batted away the filmy cobwebs and peered into the shadowy stairwell. She was on the second floor, which mean she only had one more flight to climb. Then she’d have to find room 313.

Against her will, some of the things she’d heard about this old wreck of a building began to pop into her head. Some people claimed the Mayfair Hotel was haunted, and those who lived in the area could tell endless stories about “sightings” and other mysterious events in the ancient edifice.

Another shudder ran the length of her spine when she heard skittering near her feet. Rats! The place had to be infested with rats. She glanced around, her breath still as she searched the growing darkness for the beady red eyes she was sure she’d find watching her. There was nothing staring at her from the blackness of the corners, and she sagged against the wall as she gasped for air.

God! Rick was right, I should never have stayed up all night watching horror movies.

He’d consented to sit through the original version of The Phantom of the Opera—he deemed that particular film “a classic”—but Cinthya had been on her own after that. It had been nearing daybreak when she’d finally crawled into bed—and about another thirty seconds before she flew out again, tripping in the sheets and falling flat on her face. Rick had almost fallen out of bed himself from laughing at her. His unexpected grab had gotten a much better reaction than he’d hoped for. He was still laughing when he’d left the apartment earlier this afternoon.

Cinthya dismissed from her mind the monsters and ghouls of the previous night and concentrated on locating the room where she was supposed to find her mystery caller. A sag in the weathered wood of the floor creaked in the hollow corridor. She bit her bottom lip to prevent any sound from escaping. Her hammering heartbeat gradually subsided and she felt some of the fear-induced dizziness pass. A chill rippled through her though, when she realized she was staring up at the shadowy ceiling, her gaze drawn to the vast network of cobwebs that had been woven over the years. It looked like wisps of cotton, stretched to the point of breaking, except that this thready cloak was dulled with years of dust and grime.

A distinct thud at the other end of the long hallway had her heading in that direction without taking the time to consider her actions.

She was several doors away from the room she was supposed to be looking for when she was grabbed from behind. A firm hand over her mouth cut off her scream. There was no chance to fight off her attacker and she cursed herself as she was dragged into a room and flung into a chair. She had a sense of movement, whoever had grabbed her was little more than a shadowy presence in the near-total darkness. Her hands were tied securely behind the high chair back and her feet were bound to the legs of the seat.

The room grew blacker as her panic escalated, and she tried to force her eyes to adjust by keeping them closed. She let out a gasp of protest when a blindfold was tied around her head. For a split second, the sensation of silk distracted her thoughts; the smooth feel of the material against her skin was actually soothing. Her captor chose not to gag her, but Cinthya knew it would be futile to yell anyway. She’d be considered one of the hotel ghosts, if anyone heard her at all—not much of a chance in this neighborhood.

“What’s going on? Who are you?” That was brilliant! she chided herself.

There was no reply and she strained to identify the sound as she caught the distinct rasp of a match being struck. She could smell the hint of burning wood, then the stronger odor of lamp oil. Oh shit! Some nut was setting fire to the crumbling hotel and she was going to go down with it! She opened her mouth to speak then decided against it when she couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Pleading with whoever was doing this wouldn’t get her very far.

Visions of flames running through the old building, devouring it, began to fill her mind with genuine fear.

She felt movement more than she actually heard it, and her heartbeat threatened to deafen her when she felt someone standing over her.

“What do you want?” She winced at the unmistakable quaver in her voice then jumped when she felt hands on the back of the chair, close to her shoulders. She opened her mouth again but never uttered a sound as her lips were covered with a warm, gentle kiss.

Recognition left her weak and shaking as she answered the thrust of her lover’s tongue. The caress was sensual and provocative, leaving Cinthya breathless and excited when it finally ended minutes later.

“What took you so long, honey?” Rick whispered, his breath soft against Cinthya’s lips.

“Take the blindfold off and untie me,” she said, a tiny flare of irritation working into her tone when she realized she’d walked blithely into an elaborate joke. Rick wasn’t going to let her live this one down for some time, of that much she was certain.
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