For Kennedy, graduation day will most likely be the best day of her high school years. Tormented by classmates, the time spent behind those four walls has been next to impossible, and all Kennedy has wanted to do is blend into the background and disappear. The only friend she has ever felt connected to and could depend on is her horse, Brave. All of that changes the day she meets Jesse Blake.
For Jesse, simply getting by has been his life for the past few years. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, Jesse was easily expendable and forgotten by the people who were supposed to care for him, unless he was breaking the law. That is, until his latest crime spree sends him away from the concrete jungle of Washington D.C. and to the sunny, small town of Golden Springs. It’s there Jesse can’t escape the looks from everyone who treat him like the delinquent he appears to be. All of that changes the day he meets Kennedy McDowell.
In a chance meeting, Kennedy discovers her father’s newest employee on the ranch is the criminal the entire school is talking about. It’s this working relationship with Jesse that allows her to finally discover what it’s truly like to have a friend she can talk to. It’s also how Jesse discovers Kennedy is nothing like the other people in town. Together, they will learn what it takes to finally Believe in Brave.
Hundreds of eyes turn as we leave my locker and head toward the classroom. The beautiful criminal and the invisible wallflower walking side by side as the whispers float through the air like fall leaves in the wind. With every stride we take I can feel old wounds start to heal, and for the first time I really don’t want to be invisible. Today, I was noticed and it wasn’t by the other people in school. It was from the boy who’s melting my heart with every flash of his smile and sound of his raspy voice. ~ Kennedy McDowell, Believing in Brave
M.S. Brannon was born and raised in the Midwest. She still resides there today with her wonderful husband and son. When she is not writing or reading, M.S. Brannon spends time with her family, watching movies, and discovering new music. She writes romance because she believes love and heartache is the rawest emotion one can experience.
What came first? The princess or the shoes? And does it really matter?
My name is Margaux Asher. Don’t be afraid to ask how it’s spelled though I may enlighten you, anyway. Yes, I’m that Margaux Asher. The attitude icon. The bitch in the latest heels. The princess of the PR game.
Just don’t bring up the queen.
Mommie and I aren’t on comfortable terms. Last winter, I learned a secret that Andrea Asher has hidden from me since my birth—by another woman. And my real father? Josiah Stone, one of the world’s richest men. Dream come true, right?
There’s a lot of baggage attached to that answer. And now, Michael Pearson wants to help me open it.
Michael. My six-foot-three, golden god of a dilemma. He’s patient, indulgent—and don’t get me started on his passion—but he wants too much. He wants all the secrets. What would he say if he knew my birthright was only the start of my life’s mess? What would he do if he learns…I’m no perfect princess?
Someday, my princess will come…
The apple never falls far from the tree? Depends on who you ask.
I’m Michael Pearson. Son of an apple farmer. First family member to graduate college, move to the big city, and work for one of the most prestigious PR firms in the country. I’m the success, the star—
And the sap who’s fallen for the boss’s daughter.
So technically, Margaux isn’t Andrea’s daughter anymore. Doesn’t matter to the rest of the company—and the world—who vilify her as they always have. But where they see a she-snake, I see a terrified girl in the woods, yearning for a place where she’s accepted, loved. Every time I volunteer my arms to be that place, she ducks deeper into her shell, pushing me away with more fear and anger. Her facade thickens every day, making me more determined to learn what magic kiss will set her free, so she can finally see the truth…
I don’t want her to be perfect. I just want her to be mine.
Hi there. I'm Angel: book lover, writing addict, hopeless romantic, pop culture geek and avid shoe lover.
**I have a monthly newsletter now! Sign up for it right here: http://eepurl.com/LoNkz. It's a cool way to get exclusive info, talk hot heroes, learn about new items in the Angel Payne store, talk hot heroes, further the pie or cake debate...and oh yeah, did I mention talking hot heroes?
A bit about me...
I've been hooked on books since I was a kid but it got worse in my twenties, when I discovered romances--the hotter, the better. Growing up in Southern California, with lots of surfer manliness surrounded me, was certainly a good boost for reading about delicious alpha guys and the women who adore them. When I learned I had a knack for telling these stories too, I guess you could say I was doomed--though my path toward romance novelist took a few detours via a concert-reviewing gig for my college newspaper (free show tickets...backstage passes...that was a no-brainer), artist interviews for a Beverly Hills dance music mag, personal assistant work for a record producer, dance club disc jockey, and a lot of fun in the hospitality industry.
These days, I still live in California, and have found an amazing alpha guy of my own who was brave enough to marry me. We live on a street that looks like Brigadoon, with our beautiful daughter. I have the best life ever, and never forget to thank the Big Guy Upstairs for it, either.
Victoria Blue lives in her own portion of the galaxy known as Southern California. There she finds the love and life sustaining power of one amazing sun, two unique and awe inspiring planets and three indifferent, yet comforting moons. Life is fantastic and challenging and everyday brings new adventures to be discovered. She looks forward to seeing what's next!
Breanne Sullivan never expected to find love again. Allowing herself to move on wasn’t easy, and now it may be too late. Determined to give herself a second chance, she will go to any lengths to prove her love to Drew. If only she could find him.
Desperate to numb his heartache in the wake of Breanne’s rejection, with something other than women and booze, Drew Scott packs his bags for the West Coast. Distance and a fresh start are just what he needs to heal the wounds caused by the only woman to ever captivate his heart.
But when the past and present collide in an unexpected way, Breanne and Drew quickly learn that things aren’t always what they seem. Caught between solving the mysteries that haunt them and getting the happily ever after they deserve, the two once again find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that could destroy them both.
Answers come at a dangerous price. Sacrifices must be made in order to protect the ones they love. Can Breanne prove her love to Drew before its too late? Or will opposing forces interfere and destroy any chance of them having a future together?
Meet the Author
Teresa Michaels lives in the New England area with her husband and children. Curveball is her debut novel.
Art has always been Blake McGrath’s life. Scarred by tragedy, he’s hiding from the world on a lonely beach, struggling with loss and bitter regrets.
Connie is a disillusioned art dealer with troubled relationship issues of her own. Through her sudden mysterious appearance, Blake once again returns to the craft he has mastered to prove to himself that there is hope, that redemption is possible… and that love can last.
Jason Luke is an Australian man who lives on the far South Coast of New South Wales with his long time girlfriend.
Jason publishes a Blog where he posts free snippets of erotic romance fiction every single day. To find out more about Jason's daily Blog, click link → jasonluke
There is also a Jason Luke Fan page on Facebook which is run by a team of dedicated fans. The page is not connected to Jason. It has currently around 10,000 likes.
When faced with a challenge, it’s best to pool your resources. Liam Mattson used to play his wife’s body like a fine violin. Until a logging accident dampened his fine motor skills and rendered his legs—and the most important part of his below-the-waist playground—useless.
If only Liam would throw himself into therapy with the same vigor he used to throw her into bed, Ivy is sure he’d fully recover. But lately she’s felt adrift, while he’s stuck in self-pity and pre-occupation with a serious threat to his logging business.
When Ward Bose returns from the backwoods, Liam isn’t blind to the heated, guilty glances between his best friend and his wife. And he takes a step he never could have taken if his legs were working—ask Ward to service Ivy in bed.
The moment the three come together, Ward’s heartstrings are tied in knots, and Liam holds them in his fist. But secrets they’re each keeping could tear them all apart…unless they can find a way to share their burdens as easily as they share their love.
Product Warnings
Men who wield big saws know how to care of business—in bed and out.
Em
Petrova lives in Backwoods, Pennsylvania, where she raises four kids and a
Labradoodle named Daisy Hasselhoff. Her dream is to buy an old pickup and
travel small-town USA meeting people and hearing their stories. Her heroes are
hardworking—in bed and out—and she is known for panty-scorching erotic romance.
She's been named Lexia, 'man's defender', by the one who raised her and died for her, the man she called her father.
She's been named Maura, 'for darkness', by the woman who created her, a mother who sees her as a weapon, and tool for power.
She has battled for her freedom, for the revenge of her father’s death, and then given it all up to save the man she loves.
She's given up her soul, her humanity, and now, there is only one question left. Can she create her own destiny or is she bound to follow the fate set for her before she was born?
Her breath gasped out of her in a sudden hiss, dying off to a gargled cry as the cage inside of her burst open. Every kill, every emotion she’d locked away, burst out.
Her foot hit the break before he’d even jumped in her path – because she knew he was here. There was only one person in the world who could strip away every shield she’d wrapped around herself. Only one person who could reach her soul, her heart through the mountain of pain and torment inside of her.
“Linc,” she cried breathlessly, her eyes searching the dark night.
Finding the glow of his eyes first, Lexia stared as the black panther loped out of the trees, flashing his eyes at her.
He’d found her. After all this time, he’d found her. Stepping out of the vehicle in a daze, the torrential rain soaked her clothes instantly. Her feet struggled to find footing in the sodden earth. She walked toward the majestic cat. Standing in the beam of the headlights, overcome with emotions, she was stripped of words, lost in the chaos of her mind.
“Linc,” Lexia whispered, afraid her dream may shatter into a million pieces, but Lincoln wasn’t a dream. He’d found her – just like she always knew he would. Her past had been galloping toward her and had finally collided.
“Lexia?” Derrick murmured softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. The caring gesture snapped her out the daze.
“Take your hand from my mate, hunter,” Lincoln growled as he suddenly shifted.
“Lincoln, leave him,” she said, taking a tentative step toward him. “What are you doing here?” She sighed longingly.
“I promised you I’d never let the darkness take you. You are mine, Lex. The hunters can’t have you.”
Sucked back to a memory, Lexia dropped to her knees screaming, the skull-cracking pain in her head too much to bear. She could hear Lincoln and Derrick shouting at her, but she’d lost all control of her body. Falling forward, her hands gripped the ground as they were swallowed by thick mud.
She sat in Lincoln’s arms. His warmth seeped into her bones, warming her down to her very soul.
“Killing is never easy, Lex, but sometimes it’s necessary. Sometimes we have no choice. You have to find balance, find a way to deal with it before it destroys you.”
“No, Linc, you’re wrong. The killing, that’s easy. To me it’s as natural as breathing. Admitting deep down inside to enjoying it, to relish in the power I have over people, that’s the hard part. That part will destroy me, because one day, I might stop being disgusted with myself. One day, I might truly be lost and every kill – every life I take – will give me pleasure, make me smile. I hope that day never comes.”
“Lexia,” he whispered.
“Just give me space, Linc, please?” She rose from his lap, feeling like she didn’t deserve his love.
“Lexia, that will never happen. Are you listening? I will never let that happen.”
The memory broke free the feelings she’d hidden inside of her. Gripping her head, she rocked as she remembered faces of the dead, their screams, their pleas, and her joy.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered to them. “I’m so sorry.” Dragging in a deep breath in hopes of calming herself, she concentrated to the frantic beating of her heart. Each pump whooshed in her ears, drowning out the memories.
Her eyes found Lincoln. Remembering how he’d smiled, how his eyes would burn with desire…she remembered every sweet smile, every caress. Oh, how she missed his touch, missed feeling like the most treasured person in the world.
It didn’t matter how much it hurt to feel as she did around him. It didn’t matter how many people Maura had killed with her hands. Lincoln had the power to reach through every layer of darkness. There was no power equal to his love.
The words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them. “My pretty panther,” she said on a broken sob. Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at him as he took a step toward her. Rain mixed with the tears running down her face as she remained powerless to move.
Lincoln dropped to his knees with a pained cry, his eyes looking vulnerably human. Unable to speak, she smiled through her sobs, tilting her head ever so slightly before giving in and falling into his arms. Pulling back, she stared into his eyes, her fingers touching his face, as he touched hers, lips crashing together in desperation. They kissed, rain dripping from their hair, mingling with their tears.
The rain blinded them and froze their tortured souls. It was tragic and divine, and as they pulled apart, Lexia felt herself fracture. Every broken, patched back together piece of her fell apart. Her power left her in a broken cry as her eyes turned blue. She fell onto her hands, resting her head against his chest.
“Linc, you should have never come. Why did you come? You’ve put yourself in danger,” she said against his chest, taking every effort to keep the tremble from her words, yet failing.
“How could I just leave you? Come with me, Lex,” he begged.
“I can’t. It’s not that simple.” She wished there was some other way. Wished she had somehow ended up in a universe where her ledger was clean.
Drawn into a world she thought impossible, Lexia’s innocent night of partying leaves her dazed, confused and asking questions she’s not sure she wishes to know the answers to.
Attacked by vampires, Lexia’s ability to defend herself triggers events she can't escape. Before long, she struggles to keep up a façade around her friends and family.
Then, there is Lincoln. Finding herself irresistibly drawn to him, Lexia senses he desires something more dangerous than a simple romance. Lincoln has secrets and what she learns changes her life forever.
A story of love, loss, and, betrayal, Lexia and Lincoln’s lives will never be the same again.
All Lexia ever wanted was to graduate from high school and leave Deadwood. Now she would give anything to have her quiet life back. With her Father murdered and her best friend, Alice kidnapped. Life is anything but Simple.
Despite the odds, Lexia and Lincoln, the panther shifter she has fallen in Love with, rescue Alice. On their journey, Lexia meets the one person she least expected to see again, her mother.
Seemingly abandoned as a baby, secrets unravel and lexia learns who she really is. Her Mother created her and she was created for one purpose only...
Darkness.
Only one thing is certain, sacrifices will be made and lives will be lost.
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Born and raised in N.E.England before moving to New Zealand in 2008. She now lives in Queensland, Austraila with her Husband, three Children and a Golden Lab. Paranormal Romance Author of The Deadwood Hunter Series and YA Paranormal Author of Winter Wolf. A New Dawn Novel She hopes you love her characters as much as she does :)
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