#99Cent #Romance - Love's Battles by @imahayes

“If love isn’t worth fighting for, what is?”

Love Howard has more than a knack for matchmaking. Born from a forbidden passion and a twelve-hundred-year-old promise, she and her sisters can literally see true love. And while Love has no problem bringing other couples together, her own romantic life could use a little help.

Danton DeAngelo has always been well grounded in reality. So it throws him for no small loop when the woman he’s fallen for believes that she’s been reincarnated eleven times and can actually see true love.

Now Danton is faced with the biggest decision of his life. Accept Love for who she really is, or walk away from her forever.


EXCERPT

            “That was close,” I breathed when we were outside, an entire building between myself and the best man.
            “It’s about to get even closer.” Faith smiled, making me instantly wary. I knew what was coming. She’d seen it. They both had.
            “What do you mean?” I asked, playing dumb.
            “Look at him again, and you tell us,” Hope challenged.
            Dutifully I opened the door. Keeping to the shadows, I stepped inside, just enough to get another look at Danton DeAngelo. There he was laughing with his friends, what a beautiful sight. Male perfection bathed in the same powder blue light that all souls gave off when they were destined to be together. Blowing out a breath, I closed the door and faced my sisters.
            “He’s blue.”
            “He’s not the only one, honey.” Hope smiled, holding out a compact mirror she had pulled from her purse.
            Snatching it from her, I peered into the reflecting glass. There was my image, the one I’d spent twenty five years looking at, the one I saw mirrored in the face of my sisters. Except, unlike yesterday, I could now see a telltale blue glow around my face. Faint at first but growing stronger with every second. Closing the compact I could see the glow encompassing my hands. I looked down and around. Like a bad rash, it was all over me.
            “I’m blue!” I declared, pointing out the obvious.
            “True blue, true love. YOU are the future Mrs.Danton DeAngelo.” Hope gloated taking her compact back.
            “Ah damn!” I whined.




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BIO:
A married mother of two, I split my time between bringing characters to life by computer, and yarn to life with needle and hook. You can find me at www.authorangelahayes.blogspot.com where I help connect readers and the authors they love.

Other places you can find me:



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#Giveaway: Dreamlike State by @Macy_Farmer #PNR #Romance

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SYNOPSIS

Dreamlike State 3D

BUY LINKS

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PROLOGUE

Dreamlike state.
Unable to escape.
Whether I am driving in my car or at work, my mind continues to return to my dreamlike world; a place where all fantasies can come true, a place to escape from reality. My reality, unlike most, is unusual. I have a gift, or at least that is what my parents call it. Sometimes I see things before they happen. Oh and I can see someone’s inner thoughts when I touch them. But those aren’t the only reasons I feel the need to escape. It feels like something or someone is missing from my life. In my world, I can be anything and anyone. More importantly, he’s there, my true love… making it hard to focus on reality.

TEASERS

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Author profile

Raised in Bucks County Pennsylvania. The youngest of three, Macy started telling stories at an early age. As a young adult she began writing poems and short stories.
Today Macy, a romantic with a creative imagination, spends most of her free time writing. If she’s not writing or reading, she enjoys riding ATVs with her husband on the trails of upper Pennsylvania’s state forests.
Her love for writing romance, reading and life led her to fulfill her childhood dreams of becoming a Paranormal Romance Writer.

GIVEAWAY

Win 1 of 2 Print Copies of Dreamlike State (US ONLY) or a $10 Amazon Gift Card !!

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Weakened (Manhattan Bound Series 1) By @JulietBraddock #Erotic

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Weakened

Manhattan Bound Series #1
By Juliette Braddock
Cover Design: WLK Media

Synopsis

Against the glittering backdrop of New York City, budding theatrical publicist Maxine Kirk, fresh off the bus from a small Pennsylvania town, stumbles into the arms of her beloved teenage crush, unleashing desires that she never imagined.
Enter Drew McKenzie, a rising star on Broadway with dashing looks and talent to match, who masquerades behind the characters he portrays.
Instantly, Maxine finds herself lured into Drew’s high society world only to uncover a complicated man beneath the glitz and glamour of his public persona. As soon as the curtain falls, Drew sheds his stage costumes to reveal a daring Dominant side.
Titillated by his enigmatic life, Maxine clamors to discover a surreptitious and possibly perilous affair with Drew, all the while questioning her own preconceived notions on romance.
Secrets surface, revealing haunting truths that test both Maxine and Drew of their own intentions. But in this high-stakes game of trust, only the strongest survive.

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amazon

Excerpt

So where are you from?”
A...s-small town—right outside Pittsburgh,” she managed. She had to gather her thoughts. She couldn't stutter her way through an entire conversation with this man all night. Already, she could sense that he was the type who would remind her of her jitters later, and Maxine certainly didn't want this silly evening to haunt her at work.
What brought you to the big city?” he questioned her.
Purposefully, she stopped herself before she answered him and took in a deep breath. “I’ve always been in love with New York,” she explained, thoughtfully choosing her words. “The theater…the vibrancy…the never ending sense that there’s always something to do or someone to see…”
Quite a culture shock for a small-town girl, isn’t it?” he asked, his tone softening a bit.
I’ve been visiting for well over a decade,” she continued and flashed him a weak smile. “I knew what I was getting into.”
You sure about that?” Now his eyes were teasing. “There’s always some element of surprise living here.”
You grew up here?” she asked, knowing he had. She could recite his entire Wikipedia entry, which didn't say much about his personal life other than he was born and raised in Manhattan to an exceedingly wealthy family of Scotch-Irish immigrants. His ancestors built their fortune as early merchants in New York and went on to create one of the longest-standing, upscale department store chains in the United States.
I did,” he said so very simply. “The city is under my skin an in my blood. And just like everyone else, I bitch and complain…but I couldn’t live anywhere else.”
All the while, as they carried on with an air of civility, Maxine couldn't ignore those burgeoning feelings—those sensations—that seemed to set her senses fluttering. The intake of his breath and the gentle patter of his voice soothed her. That fresh scent of him, bathed in Clive Christian cologne, tickled her nose, intoxicating her with a blend of citrus and spice—even though she didn't know Clive Christian from Christian Slater. While he stood so close, he managed to refrain from touching her—even with the slightest of movements—and she tingled…shocked by her ache for his caress.
Maxine couldn't even recall their conversation as it was happening. Drew had managed to send her off to some surreal spot from which she really wasn't too keen to return. Although she attempted to remind herself that she wasn't the only woman he'd engaged with that evening, she enjoyed this stilted repartee between them.
As they stood alone together against the backdrop of Manhattan's brilliance, it remained questionable whether he would even remember her in the morning, and she knew the chances were slim to none. However, she decided to indulge in these unexpected seconds of undivided attention in which he indulged her fully.
Releasing his hands from the bannister, he took a step back but then dared to reach out and stroke the backs of his fingers to her cheek. Maxine was certain that he could feel the heat rising from her skin, but she chuckled softly over the tickle of his touch. Again, he seemed to be surveying her, interviewing her for the next round of she knew not what.
You have all the basics down,” he began. “Smart, well-rounded. Pretty…”
Pretty?” she nearly choked. No one—aside from her parents and Ben—ever complimented her in such a way.
Are you arguing with me?” he inquired with an air of displeasure.
Hold it together here, Maxine, she coached herself. “It’s in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.”
We can discuss that a little later…” he said, just as Maxine felt one huge drop of rain plunk down upon her, right in the middle of her forehead, as she looked up into Drew’s eyes.
Just her damn luck, the rain poured forth from the sky!
Um…I think it’s time to…”
Lunging forward and surreptitiously slipping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close to him. Maxine didn't have time to think—to react—to his quick and sleek move. All the while, she reveled in the slight knock of his knees, the strength of his thighs, the feel of his chest pressed against hers…
It’s time to kiss you, Maxine…”

wrapped cover
    

Wrapped

Manhattan Bound Series #2
By Juliette Braddock
Cover Design: WLK Media

Synopsis

Sweeping through the glitz and glamour of New York’s high society and the drama unfolding in the dressing rooms of Broadway, Wrapped, by Juliet Braddock, continues the journey of a young theatrical publicist’s foray into submission under the tutelage of a dashingly dark star of the stage. Wrapped—the much anticipated sequel to Braddock’s critically acclaimed erotic romance Weakened—is the second book in the Manhattan Bound series.
When Drew McKenzie presents Maxine Kirk with an ultimatum, challenging her to engage in his wanton brand of desire, she readily embraces her awakening hunger for a lifestyle that defies her perceptions of romance.
Entranced by Drew’s charming appeal and by his sensual assault to her senses, Maxine clamors to discover every nuance of this new relationship, ravenous to explore verboten fantasies that seem possible to fulfill only with Drew.
Along the way, he introduces her to his glamorous world of wealth and celebrity—where lavish galas and luxurious gifts are the norm—and entices her into his realm of control with his tender mode of domination.
All the while, however, they both grapple with painful emotions brought about by the extenuating circumstances of their separate pasts.
While Drew remains both confident and conscientious in his parlay of power over Maxine, his own tragic secret lurks in every shadow upon his path in life. Behind the façade of his stage persona and the origin of old Manhattan society, he struggles to hide the unforgiving reality he faced as a child.
Just as Maxine finds the strength to conquer her own torment with Drew’s patience and guidance leading her toward closure, terrifying truths begin to chip away at the surface of his composure.
As the nightmarish details of Drew’s unimaginable life emerge, he fears that this new world he’d begun to build with Maxine will crumble around him.
As Maxine finds herself embroiled in the battle to save Drew’s tortured soul from the atrocities that continue to stalk his every move, two lost souls struggling to find comfort and completion converge.
However, as Drew opens his heart to Maxine’s unwavering support, he questions his own bravery, wondering if she’ll take a bow and make her exit…or if she’ll stick around for the encore?
goodreads-small
amazon

Excerpt

Excuse me, Kind Sir,” Maxine's shy voice echoed softly as she poked just her head out of the bedroom door. “Would you please help a girl out with her dress?”
Drew had been fussing with his bowtie in the standing mirror in the hallway and straightening his cufflinks when she called. The sweetness of her expression resounded against his ears, as he pulled in a deep breath, anticipating this moment he'd been longing for all afternoon. At last his little one was ready for the ball...
On the other side of the door, Maxine had been in panic mode, carefully applying her make-up and struggling to make sure that every last hair was in place and perfectly pinned. Drew had offered to hire someone to do her hair and make-up to alleviate some of her stress, but Maxine insisted on handling every last brush stroke herself.
When Drew finally opened the door, he stopped—dead in his tracks as if trapped within the frame. His lips parted; his eyes softened as they cast upon Maxine.
Arms wrapped around her chest to hold the bodice in place while she waited for his assistance, Maxine couldn't help but to do a bit of staring herself. He looked so stunningly handsome in his simple black tux and tie, his hair—for once—in perfect place as if he were on stage, she mused to herself. The last time she’d seen him in a tux was on television at the Tony Awards. How times had changed…
Yet self-doubts began to surface. So typically Maxine, she fretted, wondering against his scrutiny if she looked appropriate—if she could actually play the role of date to Drew McKenzie that evening, if she truly measured up to the standards required for being there at his side and on his arm.
However, his gaze upon her left her slightly trembling in its wake. She'd wound her shiny locks into a French twist with tiny auburn ringlets playing so delicately around her face. The teal silk of the gown silhouetted every last curve of her body that he knew so well. Dangling and sparkling, the emerald earrings truly did accentuate the beauty of her honest green eyes. She’d even gained some weight, which pleased him to no end. He was simply elated to see a happy—healthier—Maxine standing before him, with a timid confidence that he found so endearing.
By the time he smiled at long last, his silence had nearly killed her.
Little one...oh, my sweet little one...” His stride was slow, closing the distance between them. “What the hell does a man say to the most beautiful woman in the world?”

Author Bio & Links

Juliet Braddock loves eighties music, wine, food, theater and all things French. When she’s not exploring the big cities of the world—most notably Paris—she lives and writes in Manhattan, and is the proud cat mom to a very spoiled Russian Blue rescue.

Website: http://www.julietbraddock.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulietBraddockFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulietBraddockAuthor


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Guardians of the Realm by Setta Jay #EroticRomance @SettaJay

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The Guardians of the Realms Series

Erotic Paranormal Romance

by Setta Jay

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0.5) Hidden EcstasyFREE Short Story Prequel

Blurb:
Ever since the Gods were sent to sleep for their sins against humanity, Vane, the son of Athena has been avoiding exile to the Immortal Realm. He, his dark, brooding twin and their sister have spent their lives hidden amongst humanity on Earth. According to their sister’s cryptic powers they needed to stay there for a purpose they’d yet to find. As the centuries ticked by he grew restless, recklessly tangling deeper with a very dangerous female.

As one of the Guardians of the Realms it was Brianne’s duty to ensure that humanity evolved without being subjugated by more powerful beings. For too long she had succumbed to the lure of a powerfully seductive Demi-God that could never truly be hers, one that she should have exiled long ago. It was a secret that could cost her, cost them all, but the danger only added to her need.

Their desire was breaking all the rules…
Warning: This story is intended for a mature audience and contains explicit sex and a dominant male behaving badly. Enjoy!
Sexy brunette woman lying on floor

1) Ecstasy Unbound

Blurb:
As one of the twelve Guardians, Urian has spent the last several centuries in a constant battle to keep the inhabitants of Earth’s Realms under control. Humanity has to evolve, hell beasts need to die, and Immortals need mates. But lately, Uri's mind is overrun with thoughts of when his sexy voyeur will find him again, watching him from the shadows, continuing their wicked game. All Guardians are forbidden contact with the little goddess and her brothers, but his need for her escalating, he finds it increasingly difficult to keep from pinning her down on the nearest surface and making her his.

Alexandra has managed to evade the Guardians and being cast out from the human Realm for centuries, ever since the Creators sent the Gods to sleep for their sins against humanity and banished all Immortals. Always sensing that she was needed on Earth, only once has Alex gone against her instincts and the price she paid will forever haunt her. It is for that reason she forces herself to stay away from the only male who has ever truly enticed her. The only one who has ever made her long for what she knows is dangerous.

In a desperate need to help her beloved brother, she will have to go to the enthralling Guardian, her dark obsession, and even though he will surelyattempt to exile her, she won't go easily…
Warning: This book contains explicit and sizzling sex scenes with big dominant males. MFM, ménage, and light bondage.
Attractive laying girl with big breasts

3) Ecstasy Claimed

Blurb:
Gregoire has spent centuries with his brother Guardians fighting for the safety and security of the Realms. Endless decades of battling mixed with bouts of mindless sex to sate his needs. Needs that haven’t truly been fulfilled since she was born. The one destined to be his bonded mate. For the last twenty five years Gregoire has kept his distance giving her time to grow into a female who is capable of handling his intense dominance.

Alyssa has done everything that was expected of her, until the day she finds out she has a mate who has left her unclaimed. Unheard of when mates are rare and coveted. Even worse is the fact that he is the most powerful of her race and a Guardian of the Realms. Furious at the rejection she decides she is now in charge of her life. No more will she allow others to rule her.

Against the backdrop of evil forces that are conspiring to topple the Realms, can Gregoire find his wayward mate before she is taken by corrupt Immortals? Can Alyssa forgive him and learn to exert her own female power while surrendering to his savage passion? And will the two of them be able to forge a mate bond that cannot be severed... or will they be forever cursed with an Ecstasy Unclaimed?
Warning: Dirty talking, possessive alpha male; scenes of sexual exhibition; an instance of f/f; spankings and more.
Sexy nude blonde woman back and butts

3) Denying Ecstasy

Blurb:
A headstrong sassy mortal, Rain is a Mageia living in Tetartos, the Realm of beasts and Immortals. Her nights have been restless, filled with sensual dreams of a big blonde Guardian whose glares indicate he wants nothing to do with her. She is determined to shake off the odd feelings until she finds out her dream lover is responsible for her rescue from a demented Demi-God. In doing so, his touch ignites something rare and coveted. Something that she’s never anticipated… Something he should have told her about. Rain is set on making him explain and then feel the full force of her ire.
After a devastating betrayal resulting in the loss of a close friend a century ago, Dorian refuses to trust or engage with Immortals other than his Guardian family. His years of brutal fighting in the underground Immortal rings are over. He patrols the Realms and slakes his lust with the humans on Earth. Existing, but not living as he used to. He knows the moment he scents Rain that he has found his mate and after touching her he plans to avoid her as long as he can... Until he learns she is in danger. Raging, his beast demands that he go to her, but taking her from their enemy has repercussions he fully plans to escape at all costs.
For Dorian, finding a way out of mating Rain means he could succumb to madness and harm those that mean so much to him… but giving in to his burning urge for her means losing control in a heated mating frenzy sure to ignite them both and link them forever.
Warning: This book is intended for adult audiences; brief instances of M/F/F and M/F/M ménage; voyeurism and sexually explicit scenes.
TemptingEcstasyTeaserJune2015_edited-1

4) Tempting Ecstasy

Blurb:
Conn had spent the millennia of his life fighting alongside his brethren as a Guardian of the Four Realms. He’d never allowed himself to imagine that he would be gifted a mate but her scent was inside him now. The intoxicating lure incited his wolf to track her and claim her in a sexual frenzy she could never deny. He refused to repeat the mistakes his brothers had made in their unions, instead he planned to fight the demands of his beast and tempt his female.
Dacia had spent the years of her life as a guardian of her family's secrets. Her days were consumed with helping her siblings search for the Immortals who had escaped the God Apollo’s brutal training camps with her parents thousands of years ago. They were the only hope of finding answers to questions about their lives. Questions her parents hadn’t resolved before their deaths.
Not in her wildest of dreams would Dacia have imagined the answers would instead find her. Or what form those answers would take. The breathtaking male who stepped out of the night and into her life was certainly not one of the hidden Immortals her parents had told of, he was so much more. Wielding both immense power and thrilling strength he aroused not only her body but the wolf hidden within.
Dacia needed to find a way to trust her seductive Guardian, not only with herself, but with her family as well. But how long could she hold out against both the intensity of the mating frenzy that demanded sexual release, and the wickedly sexy male who was tempting not just her body... but also her heart?
Warning: This book is intended for an adult audience. It contains explicit sex; voyeurism; dirty talking males with bad language
Sexy passion couple

5) Piercing Ecstasy

Blurb:
After a hellish month of searching, Immortal warrior Jax and his brethren, the Guardians of the Realms, are nowhere near finding the sleeping God who was stolen by their enemy. As if that isn't problem enough, after millennia, other Guardians are dropping like flies to the mating frenzy. Jax never dreamed he could be next. After all, he’s too flawed, his sexual appetite too insatiable to ever be completely fulfilled by one being. Could a lone female even handle his needs let alone quench his never ending desire?
Ileana lives a solitary life in the shadows, a ghost thirsting for vengeance. A warrior Ailouros, half cat, whose sheer existence has been kept secret by a special ability no one can know exists, she is closed off and trusts no one. After thousands of years spent in near isolation while hunting her prey, she has finally found a clue leading to the location of her enemy. Revenge is at hand. When a fantastically hot Guardian unknowingly puts himself in the middle of a deadly intrigue, nearly ruining her careful plans, Ileana is forced to make a choice. Her one chance at finding vengeance will hinge on hurling them both into piercing ecstasy. Warning: This book is intended for an adult audience. There are dirty talking Guardians with bad language, some violence, and explicit scenes hot enough to give you cat scratch fever.
BindingEcstasyTeaserJune2015-1_edited-1

6) Binding Ecstasy

Blurb:
A Beautiful Weapon Contained.
Natasha and her sister were created with sinister purpose. They were Apollo's most deadly and potent weapons. After finally escaping the evil God long ago, they made a secret life concealed among humanity in Earth Realm. There, Tasha has spent her nights watching the mortals at her club engage in erotic scenes that leave her aching… desperately longing for someone with the power to dominate her, to provide the pleasure she craves. For her own safety she knows she’s destined to live her life in the shadows, but when she sees a male who sparks an insatiable hunger she is unable to remain hidden.
A Powerful Guardian Restrained.
Bastian and his fellow Guardians have spent the last month in a fruitless search for Apollo. They know that something dangerous is on the horizon and it is imperative they lock away the corrupt God immediately. After recently witnessing a number of his brethren find their fated mates, Bastian never considered that he would also be blessed. But when the calm and controlled Guardian sees his alluring and seductive female he learns just how wild and consuming the mating frenzy can be. However, his mate is incredibly powerful and at risk of being caged by his own brothers if he doesn’t do everything, including lie, to protect her.
Immovable Object, Meet Irresistible Force.
It's a battle that both will win if they can survive the deadly forces, both friend and foe, that surround them.
Warning: This novel is intended for a mature audience. You will find kick-ass females, explicit sex, voyeurism and alpha males with bad language.
 

Author Bio:

Author pic
Setta Jay is the author of the popular Guardians of the Realms Series. She's garnered attention and rave reviews in the paranormal romance world for writing smart, slightly innocent heroines and intense alpha males. She loves writing stories that incorporate a strong plot with a heavy dose of heat. Her influences include Judith McNaught who she feels writes a smart heroine to perfection, Gena Showalter, Maya Banks and Lora Leigh. You can often find her writing compared to JR Ward, but if you are a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood be warned that Setta Jay's novels are more erotic in nature.

Born a California girl, she currently resides in Idaho with her husband of ten plus years who she describes as incredibly sexy and supportive.

She loves to hear from readers so feel free to ask her questions on social media or send her an email, she will happily reply.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/settajayauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SETTAJAY_

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7778856.Setta_Jay
Website: http://www.settajay.com/

Would You like a chance to receive a free copy of these books for an honest review? Well nows your chance! If you have a Netgalley.com account you can now request a review copy!

Ecstasy Unbound: https://goo.gl/OJNqYX
Ecstasy Claimed: https://goo.gl/IfV61W
Denying Ecstasy: https://goo.gl/psX92C
Tempting Ecstasy: https://goo.gl/QZBx8q
Piercing Ecstasy: https://goo.gl/Qz7b7b
Binding Ecstasy: https://goo.gl/SqeTJm

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Hearts Akilter by Catherine E. McLean #Fantasy #Romance

About Catherine E. McLean

Besides Catherine being a wife and mother, she has ridden and exhibited Morgan Sport Horses. She's an avid clothing and costume designer, an award-winning amateur photographer, a 4-H leader, and a Red Hatter who loves bling.

She lives on a farm nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. In the quiet of the countryside, she writes fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal stories where a reader can escape to other worlds for adventure and romance.

Her short stories have appeared in hard-copy and online anthologies and magazines. Besides having two novels published, soon to be released is her lighthearted fantasy/sci-fi romance HEARTS AKILTER. Catherine also gives writing workshops, both online and in-person. A schedule is posted at http://www.writerscheatsheets.com/workshops.html

Catherine's website for writers is  http://www.WritersCheatSheets.com and she blogs at http://writerscheatsheets.blogspot.com/




Hearts Akilter

Applicable genres: fantasy/sci-fi romance, romance, humor (lighthearted)
Length: Novella
Coming soon from The Wild Rose Press

Visit her website http://www.catherineemclean.com/ to enter to win a $25 as par of the book launch.


Love, vengeance, attempted murder, and a bomb...No reason to panic.

When a medical robot insists he's having a heart attack, Marlee Evans, a pragmatic maintenance technician, has every reason to panic. There's a bomb inside him.  Since Marlee can't risk the bomber discovering she's found the device, her only option is to kidnap Deacon Black, an unflappable bomb expert, and secretly convince him to disarm it.  Things go slightly awry when Deacon sets a trap for someone who is trying to kill him, and inadvertently captures Marlee instead.  Instantly intrigued by her refreshingly forthright and gutsy attitude, he's smitten.  Unfortunately for Deacon, Marlee recently hardened her heart and swore off men, especially handsome ones with boy-next-door grins.  But as Marlee and Deacon attempt to identify and prevent the bomber from detonating the device, they discover that love may be the most explosive force of all.


Excerpt

HEARTS AKILTER
By Catherine E. McLean @ 2015

The bomb. Right. Dismantle the bomb. In this lift? No, that was insane. “Marlene, if the bomb goes off accidentally—”
“It’ll blow the station to kingdom come?”
He nodded.
     “Not to worry.”
She said that with such nonchalance that he found himself speechless. He cleared his throat. “Why not? Did you snatch the portable Bomb Disposal Unit, too?”
“Better.”
 “What’s better than a BDU?”
“Garbage incinerators.”
“What?” He glanced out into the darkness beyond the lift.
Giant machinery stood silhouetted and veiled in shadows. “Where are we?”
“Deck forty-three, Ring D zero three. Relax. Don’t panic.  They once accidentally incinerated a torpedo in number four, over yonder.”
She pointed to the left. “Nobody heard or felt it explode, and there wasn’t even a drail’s worth of damage done to the incinerator, or anything else.”
            “I don’t believe you.”
            “It happened three years ago. I was there, a deck above.
Never mind.”
Henry manipulated his finger appendage, grabbing and briefly tugging the shirt sleeve of Deacon’s good arm. “Marlee would never lie about anything so important.”
“Does she lie about unimportant things?” He instantly regretted his caustic remark.
“I do not know.” Henry spun sideways, facing Marlee. “Do you lie about unimportant things, Marlee?”
“I have been known to tell a white lie now and then to spare someone’s feelings, but on the whole—” She looked away from Henry.
As her blacker than black eyes met his gaze, Deacon felt pinned to the wall.



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