A Look At Chris Karlsen & 'Silk' @authorckarlsen @GoddessFish #historical #thriller

Today we have author Chris Karlsen visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books.
* My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.
* I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write two different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is, Dangerous Waters.
* I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband, four rescue dogs and a rescue horse.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My historical thriller story, Silk.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * What would you do to stay young: Lie, Manipulate...kill?
* London-Fall, 1888
* The city is in a panic as Jack the Ripper continues his murderous spree. While the Whitechapel police struggle to find him, Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner are working feverishly to find their own serial killer. The British Museum's beautiful gardens have become a killing ground for young women strangled as they stroll through.
* Their investigation has them brushing up against Viscount Everhard, a powerful member of the House of Lords, and a friend to Queen Victoria. When the circumstantial evidence points to him as a suspect, Rudyard must deal with the political blowback, and knows if they are going to go after the viscount, they'd better be right and have proof.
* As the body count grows and the public clamor for the detectives to do more, inter-department rivalries complicate the already difficult case.
* Silk on the skin—luxurious, luscious...lethal. ~ Excerpt ~ * He wrapped an end in each hand and pulled. His fingers crept up the silk and he tugged a bit harder still. The material pressed deeper into the flesh of her neck. Bright pink dotted her cheeks and radiated down to her jaw. The veins in her temples popped out and pulsed in time to her heartbeat. She moaned, pushed her hips upward and writhed against him. Her soft pubic hair tickled his testicles. Isabeau’s unsubtle way of letting him know she wanted him inside her. He obliged.
* Her hands encircled his wrists. She tugged hard outward, harder than usual. A choked sigh escaped her. He paid no attention. This was standard. Isabeau always insisted he maintain pressure until she signaled for him to release his hold. In the past, when she reached the edge of consciousness, she’d beat along his upper arms. This time she thrashed her head back and forth, something he hadn’t seen before. Her eyes bulged in an unattractive way and she clawed at him. Her nails gouged the skin on his hands, drawing blood.
* She hurt him and he wanted to slap her. He almost let go of one end of the scarf to do that. Instead, he pulled tighter. Isabeau tried to insert her fingers into the spot where the material crossed over. Her mouth opened and shut, soundless and fishlike. She swatted at the mattress wildly. Red-faced to the point of being near purple, she bucked beneath him.
* She fired his blood with her lack of inhibition. Never had she responded with such intensity. Raw power surged through him, primitive, animalistic. He pumped hard. Ready to climax, William clenched his fists, twisting the scarf one last turn. Odd, feathery touches tapped his biceps, feminine and subtle grazes, and then she went limp. Spent, he released his hold and collapsed on top of her, his heart pounding while he caught his breath.
* Isabeau didn’t move and her head stayed turned to the side. She hadn’t cried out the way she normally did when sated. Perhaps she was disappointed with his effort. He gave the thought a mental shrug. At the end of the day, it really didn’t matter. He’d arrange for her departure first thing in the morning.
* William rolled over and slung a sweaty arm over his eyes. He tried to decide which was worse, telling her tonight the affair was over or waiting until morning. The idea of doing it after such a rambunctious sexual endeavor seemed bad form, but he wanted to get it over with. He turned onto his side, prepared for histrionics, caterwauling, great tears and verbal abuse.
* “Isabeau, look at me. I’ve come to a decision and it will likely distress you.” Nothing. She didn’t stir. “Isabeau?”
* He shook her by the arm. Still no response. William let go and her arm dropped listless to the mattress. He raised her arm again and let go. Again, it fell listless. He straddled her and patted her cheeks. Nothing. Her head twisted without resistance first right then left depending on the direction of his pat. He slapped her harder. Nothing. Vacant eyes stared fixed on the ceiling. He bent an ear to her chest. Nothing. William leapt from the bed, snatched a silver mirror from the dressing table, and held it under her nose. Nothing.
* “Bitch.” William hurled the mirror against the wall. “Bitch, whore,” he raged and paced along the side of the bed. “I will not allow you to make my life a nightmare. This was your doing. I told you to leave me alone.”

Buy Silk here...
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Find Chris Karlsen here...
Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon Author Page | BN Author Page Thank you for joining us here today, Chris Karlsen! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Chris will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave your name and email with your comment and enter via the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-blurb-blitz) for a greater chance of winning!

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A Look At V.K. Robbins & 'Rookie Season' @veronicarobbins @GoddessFish #romanticsuspense #baseball

Today we have author V.K. Robbins visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Veronica Robbins is a published author of both fiction and nonfiction who has been writing professionally for the last 20 years. In addition to writing fiction and poetry (her first love), she is also an expert grant writer and copy writer. When she's not writing, she's watching baseball, enjoying her children, reading, and trying to train her dog, Handsome, who so far has been very successful at training her. You can follow Veronica on Facebook or through her blog, A Writer's Journey.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My erotic, romantic suspense story, Rookie Season. Rookie Season is the first book in the Love in the Ballpark Series, by V.K. Robbins. This adult erotic romance tale sizzles with romantic and sexual chemistry, emotion, and suspense. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Talented young ballplayer Clay Love has just been called up from the minors to play major league baseball. Freelance writer and divorcée Rose Lasting, the world's biggest baseball fan, wasn't expecting to fall in love when she fell into Clay's arms, but fall in love she did. Now they are caught up in a whirlwind romance complicated by the paparazzi, Clay's ex-girlfriend, Rose's ex-husband, and a stalker who puts Rose's life in grave danger. Saving her life and catching her attacker takes you on a roller coaster of emotion and intrigue that you won't soon forget. ~ Excerpt ~ * Steve, Joe, Dave and I were waiting in the living room. I called up to Sam several times. He didn’t answer.
* “He’s probably having trouble deciding which Clay Love jersey to wear,” Dave joked.
* I ran up the stairs and knocked on his door. “Sam?”
* No answer.
* I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open slowly.
* “Sam, are you ready?”
* Still no answer.
* I walked through his room toward his bathroom. When I came around the other side of his bed, I saw him. He was laying on the floor unconscious.
* I screamed, “Call 911! It’s Sam!”
* In less than two seconds, Steve was in the room. He must have taken the stairs three at a time. He pushed me out of the way and knelt next to Sam, checking his pulse, listening for breathing.
* “He’s alive! Let’s not wait for an ambulance. We can get him there faster.”
* “No,” said. “The hospital is close. The ambulance is probably already here.”
* I was right. Within a couple of minutes, the paramedics were lifting Sam onto a gurney. Dave and Morrison held the photographers back so the paramedics could get Sam to the ambulance.
* Steve took my arm. “Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital.” Then he looked at Joe. “Do you have that paperwork?” Joe nodded. I had no idea what paperwork they were talking about, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get in the car and get to the hospital as fast as possible. Joe and Steve got me into the car. Dave was going to watch the house and Morrison would be following to the hospital in another car to help with security there, if needed.
* All I could think about was Sam.
* In the car, I asked Steve, “How long was it since anybody saw him? How long could he have been lying there?”
* “I don’t know,” Steve said.
* “I saw him several hours ago, right after lunch. He said he was tired. He was going upstairs to rest.”
* “So he could have been there for hours? Oh my god.” I put my head in my hands.
* “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Buy Rookie Season here...
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords

Find V.K. Robbins here...
Blog/website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Google+ | Tumblr

Thank you for joining us here today, V.K. Robbins! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! V.K will be giving away a $25 Amazon/BN GC! So be sure to use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Also, visit the other tour stops (find them here: -goddessfishpromotions-book-blast-rookie-season) for a greater chance of winning!

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A Look At April Zyon & 'Fated Love' @HJames_AZyon @evernightpub #erotic #western

Today we have author April Zyon visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Having been a lover of the written word all her life April has always wanted to expand her horizons and write something that could be shared with the world. Only one thing held April back, the fact that the letters and numbers mixed and jumbled more often than not. Diagnosed with Dyslexia when she was eight years old April had to work her butt off just to be able to keep up with the other kids in reading and writing, so her love for fictional writing was tossed to the wayside for the moment. Time marched on, as it always does, and she forgot her childhood dream of becoming an author and instead focused on what she had to—creating a career for herself.
* As the endless waves of time passed the shores became less rocky and more sandy, a place where she could find an even foot. That and Microsoft invented Word. Hallelujah. This is where April began her journey into the written world, the world that her imagination had been ceaselessly creating for her entire adult life.
* Now she has been given a chance to let her literary wings unfold and fly, thanks to the amazing publisher Evernight Publishing. Now it's time to let the dream take flight and watch it soar!

What are you going to tell us about today?
* Book number eight in my Massey Texas series. It's an Erotic, Western, Romance called Fated Love.
Release Date: 1/23/2015; ISBN: 978-1-77233-208-7
Heat Level: 3; Word Count: 41, 590
Editor: Brieanna Roberston; Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Brandy Carver was living her dream of making clothing for real, every day women. When she gains the wrong kind of attention from a man that doesn’t have “no” in his vocabulary there’s only one action to take—returning home where she’s safest, and where she can finally breathe once more.
* Anthony “Crank” Romero, former Marine turned gentleman farmer, is willing to admit he’s a bit of a ladies man. The truth is he’s only looking for the right woman. Finding her when she’s got trouble on her tail wasn’t his plan, but he’s not about to argue when he’s tasked with keeping her safe.
* Discovering Brandy’s interests in the bedroom makes Crank realize they are perfect for each other. Knowing he can’t let her go, not when she’s his perfect other half, he’ll do whatever is necessary to ensure that they have a chance at their fated love.
Be Warned: anal play ~ Excerpt ~ * His phone ringing brought him out of the workout zone he’d fallen into. It also nearly caused him to drop the weight on his own foot. Thankfully, he managed to catch it—just.
* Grabbing up his phone, Anthony frowned at the caller ID. “Crank here,” he said.
* “That’s creepy, dude, stop that,” Rhys Hollister said to him.
* He couldn’t have stopped the grin if he’d wanted to. “Crank does whatever Crank wants.” He knew how much the third person speak irritated Rhys. It was half the reason he did it around his former CO.
* “I will beat you within an inch of your fucking life, Tony.”
* Snickering, he let it drop and eased to sit on the workout bench. “What’s up, boss man?” he asked in all seriousness.
* “I need to ask a favor, and yes, this will be on me.”
* “Okay, what do you need?” he asked cautiously. While he’d do anything for Rhys, or the other men from his unit, that particular phrasing had him slightly worried and mildly curious.
* “You may recall the Carvers took a hit the other day.”
* Yeah, he did. “The youngest was killed, wasn’t she?” he asked quietly.
* “So we all thought. Turns out it was a decoy she’d hired to keep the psycho who thought he owned her off her tail while she made her way home. Only the guy, a Colton Brody, got to the woman who was using Brandy’s name, cards, and so forth.”
* “Son of a bitch,” he breathed out. “Was she dating the guy or something?”
* “One date from what Brant and Frank told me. The guy latched onto her and isn’t the sort to let her go. He’s highly possessive from all the pieces of information we’ve gathered. He also is part of the NYPD family. His father’s a cop, his father’s father, and so forth. They have huge history with the force.”
* “And cops protect cops,” Anthony said. Yeah, he knew how that went. The mythical Blue Line wasn’t really all that mythical if you went head to head with a cop. All you ended up with was an entire force out to get you. Not good.
* “Yeah. She’s filed paperwork with IA up there, but says that anything against the Brodys tends to magically disappear if it isn’t misfiled, or incorrectly filled out. Funny how that shit tends to happen with the most rotten of the bunch.”
* Rhys sounded pissed. Perfectly understandable from Anthony’s point of view. “I take it that Brant’s going to do something with his connections?” It was his baby sister, after all. Of course the man would do something.
* “Yeah, and Frank as well. Not quite sure what that particular Carver has planned. Quite frankly, I don’t think I want to know. I like the plausible deniability of things when it comes to shit like that.”
* Something else Anthony understood fully. Snorting out a laugh, he rubbed a hand over his head. “So what do you need from me?”
* “They need someone to help keep a watch on her. While they are busy digging into Brody’s life, his family’s lives, and everything else to do with them on top of the NYPD, they need someone to protect her.”
* “Guard dog duty then,” he said.
* “More or less, yeah. It’ll be more than that. Oh, and I should mention Theresa’s fully on board with this. It was her suggestion, actually. Mostly I think because she knows her own boys and how overprotective they can get.”
* “Smothering is the word you’re looking for, Rhys.”
* “Shut up,” he muttered.
* He grinned. Rhys was a big brother as well, so he damn well knew the point Anthony was trying to make. Especially since Rhys’s own baby sister was married into the Carver clan. To Brandy’s twin no less.

Buy Fated Love here...
Evernight Publishing | All Romance eBooks | Amazon | April on B&N | BookStrand

Find April Zyon here...
Website | Facebook | Twitter | TSU

Thank you for joining us here today, April Zyon! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

An Interview with Charm from 'Charmed' @JaceyHolbrand @evernightpub #menage #sci-fi #futuristic

Today we have Charm visiting from the story Charmed. Welcome!

So Charm, what would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* I'm an Earth female who'd been looking for a way to get off of the dying planet but not having much luck. I tried to get a job in the casinos a couple of times, but they turned me down, so I was still stuck working for an unethical trader who wanted to sell me off to a horrilbe alien. Being a smart, sassy and innovative chick, I wasn't going to put up with that, so I left. That's when I literally dove into my men's lives and our story starts.

Did your author ever try to take over the story? If so, how did you deal with it?
* No. She was quite good letting us tell our tale, though there had to be some shifting around after it was accepted since it'd been written for a specific line and didn't fit that line. But that's okay. It came out more splendid in the end than it had been.

What was the best sexual experience you’ve had?
* It's a tie between having sex behind the waterfall and having sex during the commitment ceremony.

If you could time travel and/or live anywhere in the world, where would you go and/or where would that be?
* Once upon a time, I would have said I'd go anywhere as long as it got me off Earth. Now? I don't want to go anywhere. I'm quite happy where I am with my new family.

Now for some author information!

* My author is Jacey Holbrand. Jacey believes love comes in all forms and should be celebrated. She’s committed to her muse and writing so she can share those kinds of stories with readers.
* Hot days. Sexy nights. Come play in her world.
* Jacey loves to hear from readers! eMail her: JaceyHolbrand@gmail.com

You can find my author, Jacey Holbrand, here...
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Book 1 in the series is The Encounter. Buy it at Evernight Publishing

Now for some book information!
A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Charm knows how to get what she wants, but when faced with opposition, she tends to make bad choices. After a plan to subdue a Rullix goes wrong, Charm forces her way into two Auraths’ lives. They have a ship after all and can help her escape Earth and the Rullix.
* Step-brothers, Thorne and Wade, are discussing Earth and mates when Charm dives into their presence. Each man believes her to be the partner he’s been waiting for. The men allow her passage in their spaceship, but are shot down by the Rullix and crash in a canyon.
* Charm finds them sanctuary, yet even in the middle of nowhere, she still gets into trouble. Thorne and Wade have to figure out how to travel to Aurath before Charm’s bad choices lead to their demise. ~ Excerpt ~ * “Tell me again why we left the comforts of the room at the hotel and are here at this detestable little dive, breakfasting al fresco? Could we not have stayed with our ship while the mechanic tries to figure out what is wrong with it?”
* Thorne Tyril peered over the large sheet of paper that stated the news of the month for the city humans called Las Vegas. He’d bought it down at the hotel and casino on the Strip before they limped their ship to the mechanic’s warehouse. His stepbrother, Wade, narrowed a grey eyed gaze in his direction. Thorne smiled at his family member, refusing to accept Wade’s negativity. “For one, we are not engine mechanics. We are developers of ideas. We are warriors. As for why we are sitting here, it is near the repair shop that was recommended to us, and I was hungry.”
* “Hungry,” Wade scoffed. “You just wanted to observe the humans again. I do not understand your compulsion to learn about their cultures. Once we each find our mates, their pasts will not be of consequence. They will become Aurath.”
* “You are correct on all accounts. You forget, though, I told you before we left Aurath and again as we left Little Italy in New York. I have a feeling my mate and yours will appear. I am certain.”
* “You have said as much many times.” Wade flipped the hood of his brown cloak off his bald head, scratched a spot behind one of his pointy ears and then moved the hood to cover himself again. He smoothed his hand over the white, but sand covered table cloth. Brushing off his fingers, his brow furrowed. “Yet, here we are. Still mateless. Suffering in the infernal heat inside this valley’s fenced communal.” His gaze jerked away from Thorne’s as his nose scrunched. “Oh, good God. What now?”

Buy Charmed here...
Evernight Publishing | Amazon | All Romance eBooks | BookStrand | B&N

Thank you for joining us here today, Charm! It was a pleasure getting to know about you, the story you're in, and your author.

A Sinfully Sexy Saturday with @Kenyawright77 @LoveBitesSilk #SSS #erotica

It's Saturday! Yay! Here's a sinfully good treat by author, Kenya Wright, to add to a great day. Welcome!

Author Information

* Kenya Wright has these words to say about herself...
* Writer. Lover. Foodie. Mother. Book Addict. Masturbator. Comedian. Super Hero. Blogger. Professional Adventurer.

You can find Kenya Wright here...
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Fanpage | Goodreads | Goodreads Kenya Wright Fan Club

Now for some book information!
A look into

~ BOOK Series Summary ~ "This story can be summed up in one word. SEXY." T, Bynum Reviews.
* This chess board is different than a normal one. Instead of a king and queen, we have a Killer and Survivor. Where knights and bishops should be, there are Strippers and Gangsters. Yet, in this game of SEX and DECEPTION, blood stains and life, an intense love grows in the most unusual places, leaving all of the players to consider dropping their guns and rethink why they started the battle in the first place.
Bad for You is an Interracial & Multicultural erotic romance serial novel involving a complicated love triangle.

Buy Bad for You here...
Book 1 | Book 2 | Book 3

Thank you for joining us here today! It was a pleasure getting to know about you and your story.

A Look At London Saint James & 'The Good Sister: Part Two' @LSJRomance @LoveBitesSilk #audiobook

Title: The Good Sister: Part Two Written by: London Saint James Narrated by: Kitty Barclay Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins Unabridged Audiobook A look into the story

TOP TEN FACTS
What do people have to say about The Good Sister Series?
1. “A series you won’t soon forget.”
2. “I adored the good sister part one, trinity’s story captivated me as soon as it started but this second part is totally different but impressive as well.”
3. “Erotic, romantic, funny, sad and smexy! Words escape me on how great this is!”
4. “Loved 1&2 a beautiful love story with a twist.”
5. "The Good Sister - Part One is an astronomical piece of contemporary erotic romance that will suck you in from page one and hold you there long after you should've turned the lights out for the evening."
6. “The Good Sister – Part Two is the perfect ending to this erotic Cinderella story.”
7. “The love between Lord Archer and Trinity is heartwarming.”
8. “This two-part Cinderella story has a great ending to it.
9. “The Good Sister: Part One - I am blown away by this book. I was drawn in from the beginning by this wounded girl and the man she fell for. It was a journey of the soul.”
10. “The Good Sister: Part Two -Wow! I really loved this book just as much as the first part. Just as emotional and intense, it is the perfect continuation. Trinity continues to grow and mature. The love she shares with Ashton (Lord Archer) is soul wrenching.”

* Trinity Lane Winslow stepped out of her fantasy world and into the real one on a quest to obtain the object of her desire—Reid Addison. The pursuit led her to the infamous Madam Jacqueline Claudette Rousseau, the man she craved, and the debonair Lord Archer, the man who offered what she really longed for—love.
* When Reid revealed his dark side, he knew he’d sealed his fate and pushed Trinity into the waiting arms of Lord Archer. Can he live with his decision?
* Lord Archer would do anything for his beautiful Trinity, but is he strong enough to hold onto her with all that conspire against them?

Audio Clip

Audible | Amazon - US | Amazon -UK | Audible UK | iTunes

* London Saint James has lived in many places, but never felt “at home” until she met the real-life man of her dreams and settled down in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. London lives with her husband and their fat cat who thinks he owns them. * As an award-winning, bestselling, multi-published author, London is living her childhood dream. She knew all the scribbling she did, that big imagination of hers, and all those clamoring characters running around in her head would pay off someday.
Find London Saint James here...
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | TSU | Google+ | Goodreads | You can also e-mail London with any questions or comments. She loves to hear from her readers. London@londonsaintjames.com | Would you like to know more? Join her mailing list for her monthly Newsletter | Or, join her book group on Facebook: Slip Between the Pages with London

Thank you for joining us here today, London Saint James! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

London is running a tour-wide giveaway with a prize of $20 Amazon Gift Card.

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A Look At Athena Daniels & 'Desperate' @AthenaDaniels11 @evernightpub #suspense

Today we have author Athena Daniels visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Athena Daniels is the pseudonym of a wife, mother and business partner who takes any opportunity she can get to disappear into the world of fantasy. When not reading she writes romantic suspense. Hot, steamy romance where complicated and damaged characters are thrown together in suspenseful drama.
* One day, she hopes to fulfil her dream to write full time. In the meantime, she hopes you enjoy her debut novel, Desperate. If you follow the scent of coffee and chocolate, you will find her busy working on the sequel. Desperate: The Price of Freedom.
* The first novel of a new series, Sage will be coming in 2015. It’s a steamy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My contemporary erotic suspense story, Desperate. See the trailer here: VIEW

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * ‘He was everything she needs and everything she can never have.’
* Meticulous planning sees Ivy half way across the world, with a new identity. But Blake is no ordinary ex-husband, he is a corrupt private investigator with links to London’s underworld.
* Eric Prescott, a handsome and successful property developer knows Ivy is hiding something, and from someone. At first Eric only wants to help, but soon finds himself falling for this beautiful woman with the haunted eyes. In one night of explosive passion, Ivy finally gives in. And discovers love, the way it’s meant to be.
* Ivy finally dares to believe she is free, but soon faces losing all that she has come to love the day when her ex-husband is released from jail. She knows it is only a matter of time before he will return to serve the full force of his deadly vengeance.
Be Warned: bondage ~ Excerpt ~ * At precisely seven o’clock, the intercom sounds, and I press the button allowing access to the inner building. I cross the room to unlock the latches on the front door, leaving it slightly ajar.
* Dashing back into my bedroom, I grab my clutch, phone and lip gloss. Quickly, I apply a light spray of my favorite perfume. When I return to the lounge, the front door is closed but the room is empty.
* The picture on the wall is now hanging straight.
* My heart gallops irregularly in my chest as I realize I didn’t check that it was Eric before I pressed the button.
* Could Blake be here?
* Breathe. In … out … in … out. I order myself to calm. The horror of my marriage with Blake returns in a single, sickening rush. What will he do when he finds me?
* “Hello?” I call out, but my voice is raspy, barely a whisper.
* I desperately hope for Eric’s easygoing greeting to ring out, but there is nothing but silence. My blood runs cold, and I can’t breathe.
* My mobile slips from my shaking fingers. The thud as it hits the floor startles me out of shock, and I bend down to retrieve my phone. My lifeline.
* Gripping my bag tightly, I estimate there are ten steps to the door. Silently I take the first few steps. On my fifth step, a shadow moves to my left, and I bolt the last distance and fling the door open with enough force that it bounces off the wall. I run to the elevator instead of the stairs, hoping it will be faster.
* I jab frantically at the button. The screen indicates it has just left the ground floor.
* “Ivy!”
* It’s not going to arrive in time. I bounce up and down on the spot. Do I have time to take the stairs?
* I’ll have to run past my front door to get there. Can I even run down the stairs in these shoes? I won’t have time to take them off; they have tiny buckles. Irrational thoughts flood through my mind, and I imagine myself stumbling and falling down the stairwell, only to land in a crumpled heap at the bottom.
* Hurry up, damn it. The elevator has reached the second floor. There are six more to go.
* Perhaps I should take the stairs?
* “Ivy.” The voice permeates the fog of panic in my mind. It doesn’t sound like a sword being drawn out of a scabbard, sending cold shivers down my spine. It sounds soothing, like a cup of warm chocolate. The voice is calling for Ivy, not Sarah.
* My mind blanks, and slowly, I turn towards the voice. The elevator rings, signaling its arrival. I can escape now. I look at Eric’s concerned face and realize there is no need to run. He puts a bottle of wine and a glass down on the ground just inside my apartment door and stands in front of me, grasping my shoulders.
* “Ivy, are you okay? What is it?”
* I realize how I must appear, like a wild animal that has just been through the throes of a chase from a predator. Eric pulls me to him in a powerful crush.
* “Jesus, you are shaking like a leaf.” He runs a hand up and down my back, and I can hear his heartbeat, strong, calm, and reassuring through his chest.
* Relief that Eric is here and not Blake, hits me with a powerful rush. Pulling away, I try to stand, but my knees wobble then buckle beneath me. When I hit the cold floor, I start to cry from the reminder that this is still far from over.
* I still live with extreme fear that Blake will find me. And of what will happen when he does.
* Strong arms lift me and through my sobs, and I hear the door shut. Finally, I begin to quiet enough to hear his soft, soothing words murmuring against my hair.
* As my strength begins to return, I wriggle out of his arms. “Did you straighten that picture?” I demand.
* Eric shrugs. “It was crooked.”
* “Well, don’t … just don’t touch my things, all right?”
* “Okay.” His face falls, and I immediately feel bad. He can’t possibly know that every day for years I lived with Blake’s obsessive compulsion to have things absolutely straight, and ordered the way he wanted it, right down to the cutlery in the drawer and the type of food we kept in the fridge.
* I glance uneasily over to the vertical strip on the kitchen blind, and a shiver rolls down my spine. I still think I would have noticed it at some point before tonight. I have been living here for months now.
* I can’t shake an instinctual feeling that he has been here, and it’s what caused my apparent over-reaction tonight. No matter how hard I try I can’t dislodge the thick and heavy sense of foreboding that has settled over me.
* “Can you tell me what put that look of terror on your face and caused you to run for your life just now?”
* My eyes take in the bottle of wine and empty glass on the floor. I realize Eric probably went straight to the kitchen when he arrived, casually straightening the picture on his way past. I cringe at how I must appear to him.
* “You thought it was him. You thought he found you.” It wasn’t a question, but I nod anyway, not trusting myself to speak past the constriction in my throat.
* “And the picture, straightening it is something he would do.”
* Once again, I nod yes, and tears roll silently and unchecked down my cheeks.
* “Oh Eric, I am so sorry.” A huge sob escapes, resounding loudly in the small room. I look away as embarrassment heats my cheeks.
* “Sweet Jesus, what has that bastard done to you?”

Buy Desperate here...
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Thank you for joining us here today, Athena Daniels! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

A Look At April Zyon & 'All In The Timing' @AprilZyonAuthor @evernightpub #erotic #western

Today we have author April Zyon visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Having been a lover of the written word all her life April has always wanted to expand her horizons and write something that could be shared with the world. Only one thing held April back, the fact that the letters and numbers mixed and jumbled more often than not. Diagnosed with Dyslexia when she was eight years old April had to work her butt off just to be able to keep up with the other kids in reading and writing, so her love for fictional writing was tossed to the wayside for the moment. Time marched on, as it always does, and she forgot her childhood dream of becoming an author and instead focused on what she had to – creating a career for herself.
* As the endless waves of time passed the shores became less rocky and more sandy, a place where she could find an even foot. That and Microsoft invented Word. Hallelujah. This is where April began her journey into the written world, the world that her imagination had been ceaselessly creating for her entire adult life.
* Now she has been given a chance to let her literary wings unfold and fly, thanks to the amazing publishers with Evernight Publishing and Secret Cravings Publishing. Now its time to let the dream take flight and watch it soar!

What are you going to tell us about today?
* The seventh book in my Massey Texas series, All In The Timing.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Rebuilding her life was never in Elizabeth Davidson’s plans, but things rarely go according to plan. At least she had Massey, TX to call home when she needed a place to tuck herself away from one mistake after another. What she hadn’t planned on was becoming embroiled in the middle of a multi-agency case. Or becoming one of the victims.
* Frank Carver, Jr. loves Massey, TX. It’s the place of his birth, and will always be the place he considers home. Because of the nature of the job he chose to do, and the people he’s come across during the years, he’s always been careful to never lead that danger back home. But when danger finds its way into the very heart of his town, he has no other choice but to return. Especially when Elizabeth, the only woman he could ever love ends up with a target on her back. ~ Excerpt ~ * “I’m sure that there is a woman out there that would take you, that wants you.” She did. God help Eli, but she wanted him desperately. She wanted him to be in her life, she wanted to have him, but was too afraid to tell him. “One day, she’s going to walk into your life and you will put the job behind you and stay around. I just know it.”
* His gaze clashed with hers, and held. For long moments, it felt like he was peeling away the layers, seeing farther than anyone ever should. “Oh, of that I’m quite sure,” he said. “But she’ll have to wait a little longer. I have one, maybe two more very important things I need to attend to before she’ll have my full attention. If she’s even ready for it, of course.”
* Eli felt her heart fall, but she nodded, plastered on a fake smile, and pulled her hand back from him. So he already knew who it was that he wanted. Of course he did. He was an amazing man and would of course already know who he wanted to be with. “I’m sure that she would be ready. She will wait for you. You are worth it, Frank.” She would wait forever for him, and that was just plain sad. Right, so since he knew who he wanted, that meant she really did need to get on with her life. “Finish eating,” she said simply, and picked up her chicken leg.
* He didn’t look away, though, his gaze steady on her long enough to start to unnerve her. Then, shockingly, his lips curled into the smallest of grins. “She doesn’t even have the faintest clue, but she will,” he said. “Eventually, she’ll clue into the fact that I know exactly how she feels and will get with the program, I’m sure.” He finally looked away from her, and returned his attention to his plate.
* Whoever it was, well, she was a very lucky woman indeed. She turned her focus back to her food and took her time eating. She had to admit, the food really was very good. It was better than she had anticipated, so that was good at least.
* “You’re awfully quiet,” he said a time later. His plate was cleaned of everything but the chicken bones. “Something on your mind, Eli?” Frank was leaning back in his seat, his legs stretched out under the table, his entire posture extremely relaxed.
* “Just trying to think of who this woman is that you have a thing for,” she blurted out, blushing as she realized that she really had said that aloud. “So, apple pie. You want some and ice cream? I have plain vanilla to go with the pie. Works better that way, I think.”
* One of his eyebrows went up, and if she wasn’t completely mistaken, he appeared to be fighting a grin. “Never liked ice cream on my pie, dilutes the flavors, to my way of thinking. So I’ll just have a piece straight up, if you don’t mind. Any thoughts on who this mystery woman might be?”
* “Not the first clue,” she admitted, and stood. “Will you clear the plates? I will get the pie if you will do that, please.” She would box up the leftovers and ensure that Frank was able to take that out to the guys. “So just plain apple pie, I can do that.”
* His heat was the first thing she felt along her spine. He put his hands on the counter on either side of her, effectively trapping her. “Think on it for a while, Eli. I’m sure you can figure it out. You’re a wonderfully brilliant woman, after all. I’ll even give you a clue if you think it will help.”
* “I think I might need it.” She turned so she could look up at him. She had no idea who it was that he might have a thing for. Her hand braced on Frank’s chest and she bit her lower lip. “Tell me?” She wanted to know who it was that he was talking about. She wanted to be able to hate that woman.
* “All right,” he said. Tipping his head slightly, he appeared to think for a moment. “She’s amazing, fierce in her own way, and pretty much thinks she’s the last person on the planet who would garner attention from me. And as a bonus clue…” He looked her dead in the eye again. “She’s the only person who I’d climb over my family to get to.” Tapping the end of her nose, he turned and went to the table to begin gathering up the dishes and food.
* She just looked at him. She couldn’t stop staring. She was missing something and felt incredibly stupid at that moment. “Me?” She gasped finally, realizing exactly who he was talking about. “Frank.” She moved and reached out to grab his arm. “Are you talking about me?”

Buy All In The Timing here...
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Find April Zyon here...
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Thank you for joining us here today, April Zyon! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.