Release Day Blitz- For His Eyes Only by Lexi Blake

For His Eyes Only

Masters and Mercenaries, Book 13

By Lexi Blake

Coming February 28, 2017

A night he can’t forget

Five years ago, Nick Markovic found himself consumed by his quest for vengeance. The one time he managed to find peace was in the arms of Hayley Dalton. Being with her was like bathing in sunlight, and he ached to feel that again, but he couldn’t. He gave his oath to Hayley’s cousin Desiree, his partner at McKay-Taggart and Knight, that he’d never let his darkness infect Hayley’s innocent world.

A spark she can’t put out

It was years before that Hayley offered everything she had to Nick. After that one amazing night, all she wanted was to be his forever. Unfortunately, Nick’s reaction was to walk away from her and never look back. The warm and caring man she’d discovered was gone, and after Des’s death, he’d only grown colder. But when Hayley finds herself in mortal danger, she’s forced to seek protection from the man who broke her heart.

A flame that threatens to consume them both

Haunted by the women he failed, Nick can’t allow himself to grow close to Hayley again. Running to stay ahead of the powerful forces that endanger their lives, they travel from the lush Garden in London to the glittering lights of Rio. As the threat against her becomes clearer, he realizes that to keep her safe he must confront the demons from his past, even if it costs him a future with the woman he loves.   

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EXCERPT

Nick went back to staring at the report. “Hayley’s not mine. She was Desiree’s cousin. Now she’s my client.”

Who had been tired the night before and that was why she’d said the things she’d said. This morning she’d seemed much more sensible. After she’d had some sleep and a shower and had straightened herself up, she’d been quiet and seemingly reflective. She was very likely embarrassed by what had been said the night before.

I would get safety from murderers and I would get orgasms. I’m sorry, Nicky, you’re going to tell me how that’s a bad deal for me.

He was going to make sure she understood that his protection wasn’t based on whether or not she slept with him.

Because he wasn’t sleeping with her. He couldn’t hurt her that way again.

“So she was your old lover’s cousin,” Owen mused. “The lover you weren’t exclusive with and who wouldn’t marry you. The pretty girl who looks at you like you’re the sun in the sky is her cousin.”

“She looks at me like she would look at man who can save her.”

“I can save her.” Owen’s eyes lit up, his brows waggling. “Maybe she’ll look at me like that.”

Anger flared through his system. “Don’t you dare. I told you I would take care of her.”

His arms crossed over his big chest and Nick knew he’d been had. “Well, that answers the question with more honesty. You can pretend, but you like the girl. And if you honestly don’t then you need to know that the boys got a good look at her last night. If she’s going to be hanging about, she should be ready for some serious male attention.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The lads talked it over last night and decided there’s no dibs on this one. They all saw her at pretty much the same time. They looked over that dead body and saw her walking in the hall and that was when the fighting started. We all sat down and decided no dibs on her. She’ll get to pick. You should know that Sasha and Jax have decided if she picks either of them, they’re willing to share. I don’t play that way. That’s something I do know about meself. No need for you to be telling me that tale. If there’s going to be some sharing in the bedroom, it’s going to be the traditional kind between a man and a woman and her stacked best friend. That’s what I say.”

“You tell those boys to stay away from her or they will be dealing with me. They will not like to be dealing with me. I will put up with many things from them. They can poke all the corpses they like. They can punch each other. I do not care. They touch Hayley and I will be caring.”

“Wow, now you do sound Russian. A scary Russian. Still, I think if you don’t want the girl, shouldn’t she be allowed to choose? Think about it. It could be fun.”

“Are we talking about the lost boys and their battle for the new chick?” Kayla strode in, her hair in a high ponytail. It bounced as she walked, a testament to her seemingly ever-sunny personality. “I had babysitting duty last night and they kept talking about her even after lights out. Bad boys. I had a plan though. I think we make them compete in a beauty pageant. Hayley gets to judge.”

“I’m judging a beauty pageant?” Hayley followed behind Kay, and both women were followed by Charlotte Taggart and Penelope Knight. It looked like Hayley was rapidly being accepted by the women on his team.

That was not necessarily a good thing. The women on his team could create chaos like no others.

“That sounds like fun,” Charlotte said with a smile. “I think we should require Speedos for the bathing suit competition. No boring board shorts. If Hayley’s picking a lover, she needs to see some booty.”

Hayley stopped, her cheeks going the sweetest color of pink. “Wait. What?”

Penelope put a hand on her arm. “They’re teasing you, dear. Don’t worry about it. The lads will be very polite. Though you should expect some suitors while you’re here. Especially if you come down to the dungeon.”

Now he was the one flushing. “Excuse me?”

Hayley shook her head as she joined him at the table. “It’s nothing. I was just talking to the girls. Did you get the report? Penny said the Dallas office had found something.”

He was all too aware that they weren’t alone. Damon and Ian walked in with Brody Carter and Walter Bennett. The four men settled into chairs as the women joined them. Nick held out a chair for Hayley. He would have to remember that he couldn’t leave her alone for a minute or someone would be whispering in her ear, giving her ideas she shouldn’t have.

Like visiting The Garden on a play night.

It wasn’t happening.

   

ABOUT LEXI BLAKE:

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Review- Riveted by Jay Crownover

Summary-

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes the next installment in the Saints of Denver series.

Everyone else in Dixie Carmichael's life has made falling in love look easy, and now she is ready for her own chance at some of that happily ever after. Which means she’s done pining for the moody, silent former soldier who works with her at the bar that's become her home away from home. Nope. No more chasing the hot as heck thundercloud of a man and no more waiting for Mr. Right to find her; she's going hunting for him...even if she knows her heart is stuck on its stupid infatuation with Dash Churchill.

Denver has always been just a pit stop for Church on his way back to rural Mississippi. It was supposed to be simple, uneventful, but nothing could have prepared him for the bubbly, bouncy redhead with doe eyes and endless curves. Now he knows it's time to get out of Denver, fast. For a man used to living in the shadows, the idea of spending his days in the sun is nothing short of terrifying.

When Dixie and Church find themselves caught up in a homecoming overshadowed with lies and danger, Dixie realizes that while falling in love is easy, loving takes a whole lot more work…especially when Mr. Right thinks he's all wrong for you.

Release date: February 14th, 2017

Published by: William Morrow

Page numbers: 368

Review-

I think the Saints of Denver series has to be one of my favourite series by Jay Crownover. She really has come a long way from Rule and I enjoy her writing more now than before. Riveted is the third book in the Saints of Denver series and this is the story of Dixie and Church. I always like a good opposites attract kinda romance so I really enjoyed myself while reading this one.

Let's start with Dixie. Dixie was such a genuinely sweet and nice and loving heroine. She was the good girl who always looked out for everyone. Dixie always had a smile on her face and was ever ready to help a friend out in time of need. I really liked Dixie for all these qualities she possessed. Though Dixie had a good set of friends she longed for the forever kind of love. We get to see Dixie's dreams and aspirations along with her vulnerabilities.

Church on the other hand was a closed book. For him, Denver was a pit stop and he knows he's dragging his time out here for nothing but Dixie, knowing that he can't have her. He actually won't allow himself to have her because he thinks she deserves someone good and basically better than him. Church was a good man. He just had many issues and a horrible fear of losing the people he loved. He was a great guy for Dixie.

Church soon finds himself in a situation where he requires Dixie's help and he actually takes her to his home town. I loved the chemistry between Dixie and Church. Jay Crownover writes amazing romance and Dixie and Church's love story was one to swoon over. I do agree that sometimes the internal monologues can be a bit long and boring in characters but I've come to accept it with Jay Crownover's writing.

I also really adored Church's family. They were a solid bunch of people just waiting for Church to find his way back home. I loved how Dixie and Church opened up to each other and came clean about their fears and vulnerabilities. They deserved a happy ending. I also seriously cannot wait for Poppy and Wheeler's book next. Those two need some good in their lives more than anyone. All in all Riveted was a great read and I can't wait to read more from Jay Crownover.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided  by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Feature Follow Friday #73

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

This week's prompt is: (I am actually doing last week's prompt!) 

What was the first book that moved you? Scared you, made you cry, disturbed your view of the world?

via Kathryn Troy

I get chills everytime this book comes to my mind, even though I read it almost two years ago while pursuing my Masters, it still makes me emotional. 

Don't forget to link me to your post in the comments! Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Review- Faking It by Cora Carmack

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Mackenzie “Max” Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.

Release date: June 4th 2013

Published by: William Marrow & Company

Page numbers: 325

REVIEW: 

I had read and really enjoyed Losing It by Cora Carmack. I thought it was a cute and fun read. So I was super excited to get to Cade's book as he was one of the characters from Losing It whom I'd really liked and wanted to get to know better. Plus good boy bad girl story sounded so different and awesome. Faking It started out really well but then somewhere along the way it lost its magic.

Cade has been in Philadelphia to get his degree and act. He's still reeling over the loss of his best friend Bliss, who he thought he was in love with. I love how the book started out. You could really feel his pain over Bliss and I really felt bad for him. Then he meets Max. She's tattooed and funky and totally brightens up his world. You could see Cade fall for Max since the moment he met her but after the initial playful banter they had, they just seemed to lose that spark.

Max has a problem. Her parents are in town for a surprise visit and she thinks that if they see he in her dyed hair, tattoos and piercings they'll disown her. So on a whim, she asks Cade to pretend to be her boyfriend. I liked Max in the beginning. She had spunk. She and Cade made  the most bizarre of situations  seem like fun. But after about half the book it became too much about her issues.

There was chemistry between Cade and Max. They were perfect for each other even if none of them saw it. But then things just fell through and I kinda sorta lost interest in them. Cade held back from Max at exactly the wrong moments. Max had a painful accident in the past which she still had to work through but I didn't get the connection of how that affected what was between her and Cade. Also, there is cheating. Not enormous or anything, but yeah.

Faking It starts out really well and what I liked in the beginning was that they were faking it to Max's parents but being completely real with each other. But by the end of the book they're faking it to themselves and to each other and the story kind of lost its point. I didn't feel that much for Max and Cade how I did for Garrick and Bliss. Faking It was an okay read for me but I shall still be reading Kelsey's book  when it comes out cause it sounds really interesting.

Release Blitz- Royally Matched by Emma Chase

     

Some men are born responsible, some men have responsibility thrust upon them. Henry Charles Albert Edgar Pembrook, Prince of Wessco, just got the motherlode of all responsibility dumped in his regal lap. He’s not handling it well. Hoping to force her grandson to rise to the occasion, Queen Lenora goes on a much-needed safari holiday—and when the Queen’s away, the Prince will play. After a chance meeting with an American television producer, Henry finally makes a decision all on his own: Welcome to Matched: Royal Edition. A reality TV dating game show featuring twenty of the world's most beautiful blue bloods gathered in the same castle. Only one will win the diamond tiara, only one will capture the handsome prince’s heart. While Henry revels in the sexy, raunchy antics of the contestants as they fight, literally, for his affection, it’s the quiet, bespectacled girl in the corner—with the voice of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint—who catches his eye. The more Henry gets to know Sarah Mirabelle Zinnia Von Titebottum, the more enamored he becomes of her simple beauty, her strength, her kind spirit…and her naughty sense of humor. But Rome wasn’t built in a day—and irresponsible royals aren’t reformed overnight. As he endeavors to right his wrongs, old words take on whole new meanings for the dashing Prince. Words like, Duty, Honor and most of all—Love.    

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EXCERPT

Sarah stands up and presses her lips against mine. And it’s so unexpected, so surprising—I freeze up. But only for a moment. As her mouth gently moves over mine, I begin to thaw. She’s so fucking soft, her taste so very sweet. The kiss is almost chaste—at least it’s the most chaste I’ve ever had. Unpracticed. And yet, it still manages to make my heart pound against my ribs like an animal in a cage. “What are you doing?” I whisper, when she pulls back just a little. “I’m distracting you.” She looks up at me uncertainly. From behind those ridiculously prim little glasses with those big, dark eyes that could bring me to my knees. “Is it working?” My tongue traces my lower lip, craving more of her. “I’m not sure. Keep trying—I’ll let you know.” She smiles quick and relieved . . . and then she reaches back up, wraps her arms about my neck, and kisses me. Her two lips envelop my lower one, then the upper, all eager, pleasing sweetness. My hands find Sarah’s lower back and I pull her in close, tight against me. Slowly, I open my mouth and she mirrors my movement, opening for me. And it’s good. So very, very good. It’s like my blood has turned to gasoline, and the touch of her wet, warm tongue is the spark. I delve deeper, kiss her harder—more demanding—taking the lead. I cup her head in my hands, holding her still while I plunge and devour. A moan seeps from her lips and I devour that too. But then, breathing harshly, I tear my mouth away. “Sarah, maybe we shouldn’t. Maybe we should just—” “I’m sick of being afraid, Henry. And I’m so tired of being alive . . . but not really living. I’ve wanted this for a long time. I want . . . you.” It’s only then that hesitation dims her eyes. “Do you want me too?” I grip her arms. “More than I’ve wanted anything or anyone in my entire life.” She takes my hands in hers, lifts them and presses my palms to her breasts. They’re soft and full and absolutely perfect. “Show me.” Beneath her robe, her bedclothes are paper thin. I trace my thumbs across her nipples, feeling them harden and peak. I want to suck on them until she’s mindless. I want to lick every inch of her skin and watch her flush with desire. I wrap my arms around Sarah and lift her right off her feet. With a groan, my mouth is back to hers. Her small pretty hands cup my jaw as I carry her toward the bed. I stop against a wall on the way, knocking a frame sideways, lifting her leg in one hand and wrapping it around my hip so I can thrust against her. There’s so much I know—deviant, filthy, lovely moves. And I want to teach her every damn one.               

        

 Emma Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the hot and hilarious Tangled series and The Legal Briefs series. Emma lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children and two naughty (but really cute) dogs. She has a long-standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.

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Waiting on Wednesday #189

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

North of Happy by Adi Alsaid 

Publication date- April 25th 2017

Goodreads Summary:

New from critically acclaimed author of LET'S GET LOST and NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES. In the wake of his brother's untimely death, a teen chef runs away from home to find his true path in life.

Carlos Portillo has always led a privileged and sheltered life. A dual citizen of Mexico and the US, he lives in Mexico City with his wealthy family where he attends an elite international school. His friends and peers-fellow rich kids-have plans to attend college somewhere in the US or Europe and someday take over their parents' businesses. Always a rule follower and a parent pleaser, Carlos is more than happy to tread the well-worn path in front of him. He has always loved food and cooking, but his parents see it as just a hobby.

When his older brother, Felix--who has dropped out of college to live a life of travel--is tragically killed, Carlos begins hearing his brother's voice, giving him advice and pushing him to rebel against his father's plan for him. Worrying about his mental health, but knowing the voice is right, Carlos runs away to the US and manages to secure a job with his favorite celebrity chef. As he works to improve his skills in the kitchen and pursue his dream, he begins to fall for his boss's daughter--a fact that could end his career before it begins. Finally living for himself, Carlos must decide what's most important to him and where his true path really lies.

Well, it;s Adi Alsaid, so why not? This sounds quite nice, to be honest, and I"m excited to see how it turns out to be.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Cover Reveal- Mister Moneybags by Vi Keekland and Penelope Ward

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Authors Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward have teamed up once again to bring you another chance meeting, another Cocky Bastard who will charm his way into your heart on April 10th, 2017.

Photographer: Maurizio Montani

Model: Richeli Murari

Cover designer: Letitia Hasser, r.b.a. designs

I met Bianca in an elevator.

She was on her way to interview me when we got stuck.

The beautiful, raven-haired reporter assumed I was a delivery guy because of the way I was dressed.

She had no clue I was really Dex Truitt, the wealthy, successful businessman she’d dubbed “Mister Moneybags”—her afternoon appointment.

Bianca told me how much she hated Dex’s type—snobby, over educated, silver- spooned men who didn't appreciate the simple things in life.

So, after the elevator finally started moving again, I cancelled the interview and let her believe I was someone I wasn’t—a bike messenger named Jay. I loved the way she looked at the fake me and didn't want it to end.

I began dating her as “Jay”—all the while letting her interview the real me over email.

I didn’t expect that our chemistry online would be just as hot.

I didn’t expect the mess I’d gotten myself into.

I didn’t expect that Jay and Dex would fall in love with her.

And she was falling for two men.

Only, both men were me.

And when she found out, we were both going to lose her.

Nothing could have prepared me for that day. And I certainly wasn't prepared for what came after.

All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.

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Read the First Chapter here

PRE-ORDER

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**No Amazon ebook preorder. Will go live on Amazon on release day. **

Sign up for Penelope & Vi’s mailing list now and be the first one notified when it goes live!

         

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author. With more than a million books sold, her titles have appeared in over fifty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twelve languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.   

  Website | Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram     

    

 Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She’s a fifteen-time New York Times bestseller of twelve novels. Having grown up in Boston with five older brothers, she spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 12-year-old girl with autism and a 10-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.   

  Connect with Penelope Ward Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Website |Twitter | Instagram

Teaser Tuesday #68

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rythm. Anyone can play along!

Madhubala was conscious of Hiten's eyes following her as she poked around the vegetables available at the small provision store owned by Viren Shah.

-A Perfect Muder and Other Stories by S. R. Nair 

A naïve man and a divorcee, a wronged woman’s fight for justice, a poor woman’s desire for an iPad, a charming young man plots to seduce a beautiful, blonde tourist, a staunchly orthodox immigrant’s struggle to assimilate in the U.S. … These are some of the captivating stories in this book which heralds a distinct voice and is a “seriously good read”.

Review- Until November by Aurora Rose Reynolds

 BOOK SUMMARY:

November is looking forward to getting to know her father and the safety of a small town. After leaving the Big Apple and her bad memories for Tennessee, November starts working for her dad at his strip club doing the books. The one time she’s allowed there during club hours she runs into Asher Mayson. He’s perfect until he opens his mouth and makes assumptions. November wants nothing to do with Asher but too bad for November, fate has other plans. 

Asher Mayson has never had a problem getting a woman, that is until November. Now all he can think about is making November his and keeping her safe. 

Warning 18+ sexual content and a strong Alpha Male.

Release date: September 19th 2013 

Page numbers: 291

REVIEW: 

Until November is the first book in the Until series by Aurora Rose Reynolds. It is the story of Asher and November. I ended up liking Until November much more than I thought. I wouldn't say it was a perfect romance read but it has got me hooked and I do want to read the stories of the remaining Mayson brothers.

November is looking forward to a change when she goes to live with her father in a small town. She starts working for her dad hoping for the best. What she doesn't expect is to bump into Asher Mayson. I really liked November. She was a sweet girl who had a bad relationship with her mother. She has missed out on love and affection until she comes to stay with her dad. What I thought could use some editing was the first chapter. I thought all of it as unnecessary.

Then we have Asher. Asher comes off as a total ass in the beginning with all his misunderstandings about November. But as things clear up we get to see the real man underneath. Asher was a total alpha. Not taking no for an answer. He was possessive and protective but all he wanted was the best for November. When November is threatened he does everything in his power to keep her safe.

I really liked Asher and November as a couple. They had incredible chemistry and they were good for each other. Their intimate scenes were hot and it was nice to see how they fall in love with each other. Though the climax and the ending was predictable with the stalker plot line it was still enjoyable.

I also really liked Asher's brothers Trevor, Cash and Nico. All of them are pretty interesting and I'm looking forward to their stories. I did find a lot of errors in the book itself though. If those would be corrected it would be an even smoother read. Overall Until November was a good read.

Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway- Third Chronicles of Illumination by C.A. Pack

Third Chronicles of Illumination

by C.A. Pack

Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Release date: February 7th 2017

Artiqua Press

Summary from Goodreads:

Oh, no! Johanna Charette and Jackson Roth have allowed a sneaky shapeshifter to slip right through their fingers. The good news is that he’s now trapped between the layers of time and space with their Terrorian nemesis, Nero 51. The bad news is the Terrorian wants to control all the Libraries of Illumination, while the shapeshifter wants to control everything else. Who knows how long the Illumini system will remain safe? It’s taking a toll on Johanna and Jackson, who are smack in the center of everything as they struggle to protect the libraries’ legacy. Can you spell s-t-r-e-s-s? The pressure is driving a stake between the teens, and their mercurial romance could be over before it has truly begun.

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Smashwords

Second Chronicles of Illumination on Goodreads

Excerpt: 

After dinner, Jackson asked Johanna to take a walk around the block so he could “work off” his steak. The sun slipped below the tree line and the streetlights came on as they walked. He took Johanna’s hand and gently rubbed his thumb over her knuckle. “I think we need a plan.”

“There’s really not that much we can do,” she answered, “until the Terrorians strike.”

“I’m not talking about the Terrorians. I mean we need a plan.”

She pulled her hand from his. “This is not a good time to be thinking about your raging hormones. We may be fighting a war soon, and I think that takes precedence.”

He let out an audible breath. “It has nothing to do with raging hormones. You talked about taking college courses. I want to take some, too. I’d like to look at a class schedule and decide what courses I want to take, but we need to make sure the library is covered. We need to coordinate when our classes will be so everything runs smoothly.”

“Where’s the real Jackson Roth? And who are you?”

“What?”

“You’re thinking so pragmatically; you sound like me.”

“Well, I was going to ask you if I could stay on living at the library after my family goes back home, but when you started in on my ‘raging hormones,’ I decided to switch gears.”

“I knew it. But you’re right.”

He twirled her around. “I can move in permanently?”

“I meant about the class schedule. We really should decide on that now. Most students have already registered for the fall semester.”

Jackson’s shoulders slumped. “Oh.”

“Let’s just take a wait-and-see approach about your other ‘plan.’”

He raised his eyebrows. “You mean you’ll actually consider it?”

She smiled at how quickly he perked up. “It’s a possibility. You turn eighteen in October, and considering you’ll be old enough to get drafted or vote, I think you’ll have the maturity to know you’ll be living here as a curator and that we’re not playing house.”

“Not playing house. Right. But I could still do this sometimes, couldn’t I?” He slid his arms around her and pulled her in for a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and they melted into one another in the twilight. The horn of a passing car broke through their sudden show of passion. “Get a room,” someone shouted out the window.

They could hear laughing as the car drove away. Jackson shook his head. “Jokers.”

“Do you hear that?”

A soft mewling sound came from nearby shrubbery.

“Yeah.” Jackson walked over and bent down, pushing the branches away. A tiny white kitten with bloody fur huddled against the stem. “It’s a kitten. It looks like it’s injured.” He reached for it. The kitten battled him with her claw, drawing blood. “And now I’m injured, too,” Jackson said, pulling his hand away.

“Move over.” Johanna crouched down next to him and chanted a few words from one of Myrddin’s calming spells. She reached for the kitten and removed it from under the bush without a problem. “She’s hurt. Let’s take her back to the library, clean her up, and see what we can do for her.”

“Shouldn’t we take her straight to the vet?”

“Now that I have a few of Myrddin’s tricks up my sleeve, I’d like to try them out.”

Jackson spoke sweetly to the injured animal. “You used to be a kitten, but now you’re a guinea pig.”

“Don’t listen to him,” she said softly to the little ball of fluff. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

About the Author:

C. A. Pack is the author of the Library of Illumination series of YA paranormal fantasy novelettes, along with Chronicles: The Library of Illumination (2014), The Second Chronicles of Illumination (2015) and The Third Chronicles of Illumination (2017).

Pack also writes for a general audience. Her first novel, Code Name: Evangeline—is an historical spy thriller which takes place in the 1930's. The author followed it up with Evangeline's Ghost—a fantasy about the death of that same spy. She recently completed work on Evangeline's Ghost: Houdini, and is currently working on Evangeline's Ghost: The Bridge.

Pack is an award winning journalist from New York who worked as an anchor/reporter and educator (she considers herself the fairy-godmother of telvision news reporters)—and has written for WNBC, LI News Tonight and News 12 Long Island. She also worked on PBS documentaries, radio and television commercials and created and produced a pilot for a news show focusing solely on marriage and wedding trends.

She's a past president of the Press Club of Long Island and a proud member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Pack has been a speaker or panelist for organizations such as Women in Communications, Fair Media Council, and the Society of Professional Journalists.

The author lives with her husband and two picky parrots “on” Long Island, New York.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Pinterest

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