(Book Excerpt and GIVEAWAY!) Honest Love, by CM Hutton

Title: Honest Love
Author: CM Hutton
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Starting over was never easy for anyone.
I’d heard the stories over and over.
But after the hell my ex-husband had put me through over the last year, over the last twenty years…well, I was ready to move on, repair what was left of my shattered heart and find someone to share my life with—someone who would put me first.
I deserved it. I’d done my time being in her shadow, being a cheap understudy, always second. For. All. Those. Years.
Never again.
Our move to San Diego provided a fresh start, a new place away from all the hurt and memories. Life as a single mom to three teenagers had its' challenges, but we were adjusting and my kids were doing well.
It was time to focus on my happiness, for once. I had a huge capacity to love and I wanted to share my love with a man that respected it, accepted it and gave it in return.
It was just a matter of time before he found me and showed me what true, honest love was all about.

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Claire

Every now and then, during his session, I’d notice an odd glance or two from him, but ignored it. I didn’t want his negative shit adding to my own. This was my job. I was his physical therapist, not his friend or counselor, and this job was what would keep me going while I learned to wrap my head around my new life. 

Derek didn’t say much. He grunted a few times when I pushed him harder, but other than that, nothing.

It wasn’t until we were just about done and I was giving him our customary mini relaxation massage, that I took the opportunity to really take a good look at him. Derek removed his shirt as he laid face down on the massage table in my therapy room and an involuntary gasp escaped from me. 

Wasn’t expecting that.  

Most patients didn’t remove their clothing as these massages were only meant to relieve the tension built up in the body as a result of the stress from working an injury.  He’d apparently heard me because a small, stupid grin turned up on one corner of his mouth. I ignored him.

He was tall and lean, not too bulky, and his skin was tan and smooth…defined. I noticed a few tattoos on his ribs. I’d never been much on body ink, but it was sexy on Derek and I couldn’t stop staring at it as I slowly rubbed the tension from his neck and shoulders. 

Yeah, you could say I was attracted to him. 

___________________________________________

Derek

Claire seemed nice. Actually she seemed like she probably wouldn’t take any crap from me. And I didn’t think she knew who I was…always a good thing. 

She was good at her job. I had a feeling I’d be back on the truck soon. My life as a firefighter was about all I had to keep my mind occupied. Football used to do that for me. 

Nothing but tainted memories now.

I shook my head, brushed off my thoughts and focused more on my new therapist. I’d asked her a few questions, which she answered willingly. I was curious about Claire, but my pissy mood made my questions come out way too harsh and nasty.

I just hoped I could stop staring at her. She was shorter than me. Maybe 5’5” with beautiful blonde hair and amazing brown eyes. Not who I would typically pay attention to, but what the hell did I know? The only girl I’d ever loved was Claire’s complete opposite with dark brown hair, blue eyes and really tall.  She’d also ripped my heart out and practically ate the damn thing right in front of me. 

Maybe Claire was just what I needed. 

But first, I had to find out more about her past and what lead her to San Diego.

CM Hutton is a wife, a mom of three, a friend, an aunt, a sister, a daughter, and a teacher. She lives near Austin, Texas with her family and loves to read and travel.

Her first novel, Paradise Taken, is a highly emotional book based on true events.  Its sequel, Saving Us, was released in February 2014.

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(Book Highlight) Full Moon, by Jordan Deen

Title: Full Moon
Author: Jordan Deen

Series: The Crescent #3

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

You know her story. You know her painful initiation into the werewolf world and you’ve seen her struggle to find the truth.

Now, Lacey Quinn is ready for the war to be over. Are you?

Lacey has been used, lied to and cheated out of the only thing she ever wanted: independence. Struggling with her newfound knowledge of being pack leader, Alex coming back into her life and the kidnapping of Lily’s mate—Matt—Lacey is faced with one of the biggest decisions of her life: fight or flight. While she knows running from the war will risk many lives, but staying means she would never have the life she wants and quite possibly never know a world without werewolves, witches and war.

Sometimes doing the right thing isn’t always the first or most obvious choice. Lacey Quinn is about to challenge what everyone thinks is the right thing to do. Unfortunately for her, most will not agree with her decision or the painful outcome.

Sometimes, love means death.

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Just please stop…, I said one last time as the ribbons encircled my wrists and my ankles and started pulling in opposite directions. There would be no end to the suffering until there was an end to me. The only way to stop the pain was to let myself go. To let it overtake me and to be one with the pain. I released the tension in each of my muscles and loosened my balled up fists. If I was going to die now, it would be on my own terms. As soon as the realization had registered in my mind, the onyx prisoner twisted onto itself and around me to squeeze my stomach and my ribs. It was determined to kill me and to make me suffer while it was doing it. I couldn’t fight back. I wouldn’t fight back. It was futile. I remained limp and it seemed to only further anger my captor.

            The next thing I knew, I was upside down and the ground was racing quickly towards my face. The shackles around my wrist were released and I was again screaming for my freedom. My arms flailed and hopes for developing an ability to fly rushed through my mind. If only I could fly… then my head hit the ground.

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Jordan Deen is an Award-Winning Young Adult and New Adult Author from East St. Louis, Illinois. Her debut novel, THE CRESCENT was a 2010 Reader's Favorite Award Winner. Her second novel, HALF MOON released in 2011. BREAKING LAUREN is her third novel and was a finalist in the Texas Literary Awards. The sequel, LOSING LAUREN was released on 12/5/2013.

She can usually be found curled up in her favorite chair with a book or her laptop. She is the proud mother of one crazy little boy and an even crazier teacup Yorkie.

Jordan is Indie published, as well as traditionally published with Black Rose Writing.
'Life is about the journey...'

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(Blog Tour & Giveaway) Play With Me, by Piper Shelly

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Ryan Hunter's parties are legend. And tonight she's going to be there.

Liza Matthews anticipates the return of her best friend and only love since kindergarten from soccer camp. But when Tony finally shows up, his mind is more focused on another girl. And worse, she's a soccer player. Fighting for the attention Liza craves, she's just a hairbreadth away from making a very stupid decision. But when extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, she's prepared to play ball to get her man.

The tryouts are hell, the first match ends bloody, and the morning after the selection party she wakes up in the worst place possible—in the arms of the captain of the soccer team. The hottest guy in school. Ryan Hunter.




Welcome to my stop on the Play With Me blog tour, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.  Click here to check out other participating blogs. 

Coming in at just under 200 pages, this was a quick, light read; I finished the book in just a couple of hours.  I wish it had been longer!  Piper Shelly could have added another hundred pages to really flesh out the characters and give them more background.  Everything seemed to happen at warp speed and there was lack of motivation in a few spots.  I would have given Play With Me four stars had it delved deeper into the various relationships and provided more than a glimpse into the characters' lives.

I have not read the sequel, so maybe it's addressed later on.

I am concerned about the slut-shaming and fat-shaming that occurs throughout the book.  The last thing that young women need is to read about female characters who are disparaging members of their own sex.  It's already so pervasive in the media that it reinforces negative stereotypes when it's part of a YA novel.

To women everywhere: it is unfair to label another woman a "bimbo" simply because she is attractive and likes the same guy that you do.

That being said, this was a quick, fun way to spend an evening.


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(Book Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway!) Silver Heart, by Victoria Green

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There comes a moment in everyone’s life when they must decide which road leads to personal happiness. For Dylan Silver, this is that moment…

For the past twenty-two-years, Dylan has been living in her parents' carefully crafted world, always putting her own dreams on hold to play the role of a dutiful daughter.

So when her best friend coaxes her into a winter getaway to a mountain cabin, she sees it as a chance to forget about the responsibilities waiting for her at home. At least for a little while.

But then her past catches up to her—in the form of sexy snowboarder, Sawyer Carter.

Six years ago, Dylan bid goodbye to the only boy she ever truly loved. Now he's standing right in front of her, bringing up bittersweet memories and igniting suppressed desires as he dares her to be the person she has always wanted to be.

Dylan and Sawyer’s unexpected meeting is a second chance, but will a girl who doesn't believe in fate and taking risks be able to overcome her fears of losing control and finally embrace the life she desperately wants?

Only one thing is certain: after a week in Whistler, Dylan's world will never be the same.
*Please note that this novel contains mature subject matter, including strong language and sexual situations that may not be suitable for all readers. Reader/buyer discretion is advised.*



EXCERPT

“I wish I could just crawl into your brain and erase away the past,” I told him, trying to smile through the pain in my heart.

My words seemed to shock him. He placed his fingers under my chin, gently lifting it so that our eyes could meet. “Don’t ever say that again. I wouldn’t let anyone to take away my past—no matter how bad some parts of it had been.” He pulled my face closer to his, resting his head against mine. “Because that would mean getting rid of you, Silver.”

We stayed frozen in place for a while, our foreheads touching lightly. Sawyer closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, breathing me in. Overwhelmed by his proximity and his icy scent, my head began to spin.

“But if we didn’t know each other you wouldn’t have to worry about having the worst snowboarding student in all of Whistler,” I finally said, breaking the tension.

His head rocked against mine as he chuckled. “Shut up. You were great today.” Then he pulled away and reached for the sushi container. “And you’ll be even better once we get some food in you.”

“Food?” I blurted out, unable to hide my disappointment. It washed over me like a bucket of ice cold water. I had been hoping for a different type of comfort. One which was less food-related and more Sawyer-based. My body was still tingling with the memory of what his skilled hands had done to me the night before. As the images flooded my mind, my breathing quickened and my nipples hardened, mounting under the fabric of the kimono.

I crossed my arms over my chest and took a deep breath. “Let’s take the sushi to the living room and find a good thriller to watch,” I suggested in an attempt to calm the excitement coursing through me. Guns and explosions would keep my thoughts in check. If my body was going to tingle, it may as well be from the thrill of a chase scene. Not Sawyer’s panty-dropping gaze. “I saw a couple of new releases in the DVD collection. I imagine action flicks are still your poison, right?”

“They are.” The right side of his lip quirked up in a slow, crooked half-grin. “Though I’m surprised you’re not championing The Notebook.”

“I only made you watch that with me because Maddie was away the summer it came out,” I said defensively.

He chuckled. “The first time. But what about all those other times I had to sit through it?”

“Cut me some slack. I was a thirteen-year-old girl.” In like with a guy I wasn’t even supposed to be hanging out with. Subconsciously, I may have related to the star-crossed lovers portrayed in the film.

“And I was a fifteen-year-old guy,” he retorted. “You should’ve known that blood and guts were much more important for my development than kisses and love stories.”

“Well it’s a good thing that I’m going to find a movie with enough blood and guts to make up for all those times I made you watch a chick flick,” I shot back.

He shook his head in feigned displeasure. “It’s too late now.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Because now...” His hands slid to the side of my stool and dragged me closer to him so that his mouth was an inch away from mine. “…I happen to enjoy kissing.”

My eyes dropped to his lips. “Is that so? You like kissing girls?”

“I like kissing a girl.”

“Lucky girl.”

“Very lucky girl,” he replied as his eyes darkened. “Especially since I want to do a lot more than just kiss her.” His tongue snaked over his bottom lip in a predatory manner, causing my own lips to part in response.

Though he wasn’t actually touching me, I could feel the heat emanating from his body. It drew me in like a moth to a flame. I wanted to dive into his fire, surrender myself to whatever pleasures he was promising.

But then he doused that blaze by saying, “I’ll wash the cherries, you get the sushi, and let’s get started on that movie.”

What? No, no, no! I wanted to get back to the kissing talk.

“I’m not that hungry.” I ran my fingers through my hair in an attempt to regain my composure.

“Why do you look so disappointed?”

“It’s just that…”

Why was I feeling let down? And so freaking turned on?

“Were you expecting me to say something else instead?” His fingers drifted to the side of my neck, as his thumb grazed over my bottom lip, tugging at the soft, plump flesh.

“Something along the lines of: ‘I’ll rip your clothes off, you kiss me with that pretty little mouth, and let’s fuck right here on top of this counter.’?” His grip tightened and he drew my mouth closer to his. “Is that what you want, Silver?”

A lustful ache spread between my thighs, ripping through my entire body. Excitement rocked the depths of my stomach, tearing into my chest, slipping past my lips in form of a small, pleading moan.

“Is that a yes?” His breath teased my lips with each word.

Afraid that I would be unable to form a coherent sentence, I simply nodded. It was an eager, hungry nod, and my heart hammered against my ribcage in anticipation of his next move.

And that’s when he pulled away. He detached his hand from my face and took a step back, replacing the heat of his body with an empty coldness.

“First, I’m going to make you sit through two long hours of an action flick,” he said, smirking devilishly. “As payback for The Notebook.”



GIVEAWAYS
Grand prize giveaway.  Open internationally.  Prizes include:

• Silver Heart Necklace
• $30.00 Gift Card to Amazon/B&N/Kobo/Chapters/iTunes (winner’s choice)
• Snow-Themed Essie Nail Polish (Color: Set in Stones)
• 5 Sawyer’s Live-Ride Tattoos
• 5 Silver Heart Bookmarks

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(Book Blitz & GIVEAWAY) Life, Love & Lemons, by Magan Vernon

 

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When life hands you lemons, sometimes you have to say screw the lemons and bail.

Seventeen-year-old Bentley Evans had it all. Then her Dad got laid off.

Now she has to move across town to a small apartment and leave her life of luxury for public school and a job at the local burger place. Just when her world seems like it's crumbling she finds solace in the unlikely punk boy next door, Kai Stone. But as their relationship blossoms, a jealous ex-girlfriend and a secret to tell that threatens to bring disaster back into Bentley’s life.

EXCERPT

"You know I'm pretty sure that all that's involved in high school dancing is just dry humping and swaying back and forth," I said as Kai helped me move my parent's couch back.

"Well, I don't want to dry hump or just sway back and forth," he said with a big grin on his face before setting the couch down.

"We don't have to do this right now either. It's a Sunday morning and all." I walked over to the front of the couch, not taking my eyes off of him.

"Homecoming is Saturday, and the only dance I know is the Hokey Pokey." He shrugged. "Besides Mom and my sisters are at small group and your parents can sleep through anything, so why not now?"

"Okay." I let out a deep breath and opened my computer. "But you really didn't take any kind of dance classes? I had ballroom dancing freshman year in gym."

"Bentley, I've gone to public school all of my life. The only dance we ever learned was line dancing when I was in grade school up in Wisconsin, and I'm not doing that at Homecoming." He laughed.

I started up the song and set my laptop down and stepped in front of Kai, putting my right hand up toward him. “I definitely don’t think there will be line dancing at Homecoming,” I said, putting my hand in his.

“And you make fun of my music?” Kai asked as the song crooned through the speakers on my laptop. I put Kai’s right hand on my hip, and then placed my left hand on his upper arm.

“This is Sinatra, I really don’t think there is anything to be making fun of, and besides I don’t think we could really do ballroom dancing to punk rock.”

“I’m sure we could try." He smiled and kissed my forehead.

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, now that we have the arm position it’s time to move our feet, and if you step on my bare feet I am going to punch you.”

He playfully hovered his foot over mine, so I pinched his arm. “If you don’t behave then I’m switching the music to country.”

He let out a big sarcastic sigh. “Fine.”

“Okay, so left foot then right foot then together,” I said as we moved in unison.

“Then right foot goes back and then the left foot meets it.”

We moved together doing a few box steps. It felt kind of silly to be dancing in my pajamas in the living room.

“You know, I really don’t think that anyone is going to be doing the waltz at Homecoming,” I muttered

I looked up to see him mouthing ‘left, right, together’.

“Well what do people usually do then?" He looked down at me and stopped mouthing the words.

The Sinatra song ended and a slower punk rock song played, one that Kai had actually put on my computer.

“Usually…" I put both my arms around his neck. “It’s kind of more of a close, swaying motion.”

“Oh." He wrapped his long arms around my waist and pulled me as close as I think two people can get when one was over six foot and the other was barely over five foot three.

“Like this?" He swayed slowly back and forth.

“Usually it’s not some sort of a giant dancing with a midget.” I laughed.

“Fine then." He bent at his knees and picked me up off of the ground, so that my legs were dangling in the air while he continued to sway back and forth. “Is that better, shorty?”

I wrapped my bare legs around his waist. “Now it is."

I leaned in and ran my tongue along his bottom lip, tracing the lines of his lip ring.

“I don’t think that’s part of the waltz." He smiled and pressed his forehead to mine.

“It is now." I kissed him, pretty hard, since he fell back into the couch with me still in his arms.

Maybe I should have taken him up on the night alone instead of Homecoming. It felt so good to just be in his arms, and the kissing wasn’t so bad either. I could forget about the world every time that Kai kissed me. It was like his lip piercing had some kind of magical powers that just made all my problems disappear as long as we were kissing.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. She is in a very serious, fake relationship with Adam Lambert and constantly asks her husband to wear guyliner. He still refuses. She also believes her husband is secretly an alien, disguised as a southern gentleman.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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GIVEAWAY! Out From Under You

Enter here for a chance to win one (1) ebook copy of Out From Under You!  Open internationally.  The giveaway will run through the end of the day on Monday, August 19th.  I will e-mail the winner on Tuesday, August 20th and (s)he will have three days to respond.

Good luck!

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