ESCAPISMS: Cover Reveal

, by Unknown

Cover Reveal: Bring me Home (Shattered Heart Series 3)

EXCERPT

Claire Nixon is a college student with a past full of secrets and heartbreak. She was saved once by her first love, and rock star, Chris Knight. But when she encouraged Chris to leave town to pursue his dreams, both Claire and Chris didn’t realize it would be the biggest mistake of their lives.

After a devastating year apart and thousands of miles of distance between them, Claire met sexy surfer Adam Parker. With his awful jokes and profound patience, he helped Claire pick up the shattered pieces of her broken heart for the second time.

But now Chris has returned and he is willing and determined to make Claire’s dreams come true—the same way she did for him when she let him go.

With Adam’s former girlfriend in the picture, Claire finds herself torn between the new, passionate love she shares with Adam and the family she shares with Chris

≈

The Shattered Hearts Series is perhaps one of the best book I've read this year. I blog about my love for this HERE and I seriously can't wait for book three to come out. Thankfully Cassia Leo on her website posted an excerpt of this book and a gorgeous cover. Look at that cover! Looks like Claire finally held Abigail in her arms.

TEASER

Claire

“Did Eddie call you again?” She nods and the anger I felt when Senia’s cheating ex-boyfriend called her last week returns. “You don’t need to be with an asshole. You are beautiful and smart—”

“And I give a mean bj.”

“Exactly. You don’t need a guy who’ll fuck anything with legs. You deserve a guy who’ll worship you.”

“So you think Tristan’s just looking for a fuck?”

I don’t even answer because this question is ridiculous.

“Do you think Chris gave him my number? How did he get my number?”

“I don’t know, but if it was Chris, I’m going to have a talk with him about that.”

“No, don’t get mad at him. I’ll take care of Tristan. I’ll text him a picture of my bunion. He’ll never text me again.”

I try not to laugh because, sadly, I know Tristan is too persistent to be deterred by a bunion pic. I stand from the bed and make my way to the dresser where she has a picture of the two of us framed in a pink “Best Friends Forever” picture frame. It’s a picture taken last Thanksgiving when her uncle took us to his house in Carolina Beach. I was four months pregnant, so I wore a big T-shirt to hide my bulge and hardly spoke to anyone the whole weekend, afraid they’d hear the betrayal in my voice.

“I’m going to see Abigail on Monday,” I say as I pretend to be interested in the other framed pictures on her dresser.

“What? How did this happen? Oh, my god, Claire! Are you sure this is what you want?”

She leaps off the bed and rushes to my side.

I pause a moment before I look up into her eyes and respond firmly. “I need to see her, even if it’s just this once. I don’t know if I can even explain to you the ache I feel inside. It’s excruciating and it consumes me, day and night. I just want to see her.”

“You don’t think it might make it worse?”

“I don’t know, but this is not the kind of thing I want to play it safe with. This is my daughter. I’ve never seen her and I already feel like I might die without her. I just need to see her, at least once. I need to know that she’s real. I need to see this beautiful person that Chris and I created.” I pause to wipe the tears from my face. “I don’t know if you can understand that, but that’s how I feel. It’s what I need.”

She stares at me for a moment and her big brown eyes shine as if she’s hatching a devious plan inside her twisted mind. “Claire, I’ve known you long enough to know that you wouldn’t do this unless it was what’s right for you. You have some kind of weird radar for that shit. I also think that I may have misjudged Chris.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Yes, I was pissed about the fact that he never got in touch with you all those months you were living here, but I think I just realized something and I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner.” She pauses as she takes a breath and steels herself to speak whatever words she’s about to say. “I think you needed Adam to show you how much you still love Chris.”

That is not at all what I expected her to say and I’m actually a little pissed. “I don’t think so.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to say that Adam was a stepping-stone.”

“No, I don’t want to hear that. Can we just go downstairs?”

She nods and hangs her head apologetically, but I’m still upset with her. I clench my jaw to keep from uttering an angry retort. Adam was not a stepping-stone.

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, by Unknown

Book Review

Cover Reveal: House of Hades

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, by Unknown

Book Review

Cover Reveal: Forever too Far (Too Far 3)

EXCERPT

Rush promised her forever... but promises can be broken.

Torn between his love for his family and his love for Blaire, Rush has to find a way to save one without losing the other. In the end one has to be more important. Letting go isn’t easy.

Blaire believed in her fairytale... but no one can live in a fantasy.

Her love for Rush and desire to have a family keep her believing that they can find a way for this to work. Until she has to make the right decision for her and the baby. Even if it breaks her heart.

Can they find the forever that they both want or has it all just gone... too far?

≈

If you're like me that can't get enough of Rush and Blaire's story, I know you would be happy that we now have a new cover to the third book (and its now the two of them there), release date ( June 10, 2013 ), and a few teasers I found online to satisfy our cravings

Abbi Glines' Website

“You nervous?’ Grant asked.

“That she’s gonna decide not to walk down that aisle? Yes,” I replied.

Grant laughed and shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.”

“One day, brother. One day you’ll understand. And when you do I’m going to laugh my ass off.”

“Not a chance in hell,” he replied.

...

Rush’s mouth trailed kisses down my neck as the shower spray fell from above our heads like it was raining. I wanted one of these showerheads in our house. Both of Rush’s hands slipped around my waist and covered my stomach. He had a hard time keeping his hands off my belly these days. There was no mistaking that I was pregnant now. It was as if Rush needed to stake his claim regularly. If he wasn’t so dang cute when it came to protecting me it would get on my nerves.

Before I could completely enjoy having Rush’s body covering my backside and his hands on me, the high-pitched angry scream that I knew belonged to Nan stopped both of us. Rush’s body went rigid behind me.

“Nan?” I asked already knowing the answer.

“Yeah. Guess she found out I was here already,” he replied and pressed one more kiss to my neck. “You finish your shower. I need to go deal with this. She and my father do not get along.”

I nodded and stood under the warm water as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed one of the large white fluffy towels folded up on a marble pedestal table. I wanted to go with him but he hadn’t asked. But then he wouldn’t. He was so worried about anyone upsetting me.

A man’s deep voice began yelling in response to Nan’s screams. Who was that? I had only been around Dean a little but I didn’t think the man had ever gotten emotional about anything enough to raise his voice. I turned off the water and grabbed a towel then followed Rush into the bedroom.

“Who else is here?” I asked as he jerked on a pair of jeans over his naked ass and reached for a tee shirt.

“My guess would be Kiro. Apparently they’re having their father daughter bonding here,” he replied in a frustrated tone.

Kiro. I’d only ever seen pictures of the rock god. But he was here now. In this house…

“Just stay in here. This is why we came. So I could deal with her. She’s raising hell and Kiro can’t manage her. As soon as I get her calm and under control the sooner we can go back to Rosemary.”

I nodded and forced a smile. Rush started for the door then stopped and turned back around. A crooked grin tugged at his lips and he sauntered over to me. His hands slipped into my damp hair and he cupped my face as he gazed down at me. “I just want to stay here with you,” he whispered before lowering his mouth to mine.

I grabbed both his arms and held on to him as his mouth brushed gently against mine before he took a small lick at my bottom lip. I opened my mouth so he could taste more when another shrill scream came from downstairs. Rush pulled back and sighed. “Damn crazy family,” he muttered.

“Go deal with it. I’m okay here.”

A knock at the door surprised me and I pulled the towel tightly against me. Rush stepped in front of me to block anyone’s view.

“What?” he called out.

I peeked around his back as the door slowly opened. I was mentally preparing myself for Nan to come barging into the room. Instead, a girl about my age stood at the door. She didn’t look like anyone I would imagine belonged in this house. Her long brown hair brushed her waist in soft curls and was parted to the side. She had no bangs. It was all one length. Her sultry looking hazel eyes were framed with dark lashes but she wasn’t wearing any makeup. The straight legged shorts she had on hit just at her knee and she was wearing a pale pink blouse that buttoned up the front. It was simple and classy.

“Hello, Harlow,” Rush said surprising me even further. “I’m on my way down. I hear her.”

One of the girl’s perfectly sculpted eyebrows arched. “I was hoping I could hide up here with you. You’re really going down there to deal with that?” The southern twang to her voice startled me. Who was she and why did she have a southern accent? We were in Beverly Hills.

“That’s why I’m here. To help the situation,” Rush replied.

The girl nodded and then her eyes shifted from Rush to focus on me. “You must be Blaire.”

≈

from Have Book will Read:

The night breeze was cold now. I immediately shivered and Rush stopped and wrapped his arms around me. “We need to go to the house. I’m not going to make her stand out here and talk. It’s too damn cold.” Rush told his father.

Dean finally stopped walking and looked back at me. His eyes slowly took me in and I could see the moment he noticed my stomach.

“Dean, this is Blaire Wynn. My fiancée. Blaire this is Dean Finlay, my father.” Rush said in a tight voice. He didn’t sound like he wanted to make this introduction.

“No one told me I was gonna be a grandpa,” he said in a slow drawl. I wasn’t sure how he felt about that because there was no emotion on his face.

“I’ve been busy,” was the only response Rush gave him. That was odd. Was he embarrassed to tell his dad? I felt sick at my stomach and started to ease away from him.

His arms tightened their hold on me and I could feel his attention focused completely on me. “What’s wrong?” He asked turning his back on his father and bending down so he could look me directly in the eyes.

I didn’t want to have this conversation in front of Dean. I could feel his dad’s eyes on both of us. I shook my head but my body was still tense. I couldn’t help that. The fact he hadn’t told his father was bothering me.

“I’m taking her to the car. I’ll meet you back at the house,” Rush said over his shoulder but kept his eyes focused on mine. I dropped my gaze wishing I hadn’t reacted now. I was making a scene. Dean was going to think I was a whinny princess.

and this one didn't shocked me at all:

"Grant and Nan have had a thing for a while now. Nan finally screwed things up for the last time and its over. Rush didn't know about it"

My mouth dropped open as Dean's words sank in. Grant and Nan? Really?

"Shocked the hell outta me too. Didn't think that boy was stupid. Guess he learned the hard way just cause it's pretty doesn't mean it shines"

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, by Unknown

Book Review

Teasers: Walking Disaster

If you've stalked Jamie McGuire's facebook and website like I have for the past year since I read Beautiful Disaster, you probably have read the prologue and the first teaser that she posted online a few months ago (if not, you can check it out HERE). So when she announced the release date of Walking Disaster which is a couple of days from now, specifically, April 2, I am beyond excited. I've been waiting for this book for so long and I'm seriously counting down the days to receive my own copy of this book but for now, here's another teasers for those Travis Maddox fans out there.

Shepley jogged around the front of the Charger, and then slid into the driver’s seat. “I’m still taking the official position that this is a bad idea.”
“Noted.”
“Then where?”
“Steiner’s.”
“The jewelry store?”
“Yep.”
“Why, Travis?” Shepley said, his voice more stern than before.
“You’ll see.”
He shook his head. “Are you trying to run her off?”
“It’s going to happen, Shep. I just want to have it. For when the time is right.”
“No time any time soon is right. I am so in love with America that it drives me crazy sometimes, but we’re not old enough for that shit, yet, Travis. And … what if she says no?”
My teeth clenched at the thought. “I won’t ask her until I know she’s ready.”
Shepley’s mouth pulled to the side. “Just when I think you can’t get any more insane, you do something else to remind me that you are far beyond bat shit crazy.”
“Wait until you see the rock I’m getting.”
Shepley craned his neck slowly in my direction. “You’ve already been over there shopping, haven’t you?”
I smiled.

=====================================================================

“What are you doing?” Shepley said. He stood in the middle of the room, a pair of sneakers in one hand, a dirty pair of underwear in the other.
“Uh, cleaning?” I said, shoving shot glasses into the dishwasher.
“I see that. But...why?”
I smiled, my back turned to Shepley. He was going to kick my ass. “I’m expecting company.”
“So?”
“The pigeon.”
“Huh?”
“Abby, Shep. I invited Abby.”
“Dude, no. No! Don’t fuck this up for me, man. Please don’t.”
I turned, crossing my arms across my chest. “I tried, Shep. I did. But, I don’t know.” I shrugged. “There’s something about her. I couldn’t help myself.”
Shepley’s jaw worked under his skin, and then he stomped into his room, slamming the door behind him.
I finished loading the dishwasher, and then circled the couch to make sure I hadn’t missed any visible empty condom wrappers. That was never fun to explain.
The fact that I had bagged nearly every beautiful co-ed at Eastern was no secret, but I didn’t see a reason to remind them when they came to my apartment. It was all about presentation.
Pigeon, though. It would take far more than a good presentation to bag her on my couch. At this point I was taking it one step at a time. If I focused on the end result, I could easily fuck it up. She noticed things. She was farther from naive than I was; light years away. This operation was nothing less than precarious.
I was in my bedroom sorting dirty laundry when I heard the front door open. Shepley usually listened for America’s car to pull in so he could greet her at the door.
Pussy.
Murmuring, and then the closing of Shepley’s door was my signal. I walked into the front room, and there she sat: Glasses, her hair piled on top of her head, and what might have been pajamas. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d been molding in the bottom of her laundry hamper.
It was so hard not to bust into laughter. Never once had a female come to my apartment dressed like that. My front door had seen jean skirts, dresses, even a see-through tube dress over a string bikini. A handful of times, spackled-on makeup and glitter lotion. Never pajamas.
Her appearance immediately answered why she’d so easily agreed to come over. She was going to try to nauseate me into leaving her alone. If she didn’t look absolutely sexy like that, it might have worked, but her skin was impeccable, and the lack of makeup and the frames of her glasses just made her eye color stand out even more.
“It’s about time you showed up,” I said, falling onto my couch.
At first she seemed proud of her idea, but as we talked and I remained impervious, it was clear that she knew her plan had failed. The less she smiled, the more I had to stop myself from grinning ear to ear. She was so much fun. I just couldn’t get over it.
Shepley and America joined us again. Abby was flustered, and I was damn near lightheaded. She went from doubting the fact that I could write a simple paper to questioning my penchant for fighting. I kind of liked talking to her about normal stuff, preferable to the awkward task of asking her to leave once I bagged her. She didn’t understand me, and kind of wanted to, even though I seemed to piss her off.
“What are you...the Karate Kid? Where did you learn to fight?”
Shepley and America seemed to be embarrassed for Abby. I don’t know why; I sure as hell didn’t mind. Just because I didn’t talk about my childhood much didn’t mean I was ashamed.
“I had a dad with a drinking problem and a bad temper, and four older brothers that carried the asshole gene.”
“Oh,” she said simply. Her cheeks turned red, and at that moment, I felt a twinge in my chest. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it bugged me. I immediately tried to make her feel better. “Don’t be embarrassed, Pidge. Dad quit drinking. The brothers grew up.”
“I’m not embarrassed.” Her body language was opposite her words. I struggled to think of something to change the subject, and then mentioning her sexy, frumpy look came to mind. Her embarrassment was immediately replaced by irritation, something I was far more comfortable with.
America suggested watching TV, but the last thing I wanted to do was to be in a room with Abby, unable to talk to her. I stood. “You hungry, Pidge?”
“I already ate.”
America’s eyebrows pulled in. “No, you haven’t. Oh...er...that’s right. I forgot. You grabbed a...pizza? Before we left.”
Abby was embarrassed again, but anger quickly covered it.
I opened the door, trying to keep my voice casual. I’d never been so eager to get a girl alone—especially to not have sex with her. “C’mon. You’ve gotta be hungry.”
Her shoulders relaxed a bit. “Where are you going?”
“Wherever you want. We can hit a pizza place.” I inwardly cringed. That might have been too eager.
She looked down at her sweat pants. “I’m not really dressed.”
I grinned. She had no idea how beautiful she was. That made her even more appealing. “You look fine. Let’s go, I’m starvin’.”
Once she was on the back of my Harley, I could finally think straight again. My thoughts were usually more relaxed on the bike. Abby’s legs had my hips in a vice grip, but that was oddly relaxing, too. Almost a relief.
The weird urge I felt around her was disorienting. I didn’t like it, but then again, it reminded me that she was around, so it was as comforting as it was unsettling. I decided to get my shit together. Abby might be a pigeon, but she was just a fucking girl. No need to get my boxer briefs in a bunch.
Besides, there was something under the good girl facade. She hated me on sight because she’d been burned by someone like me before. No way was she a slut, though. Not even a reformed slut. I could spot them a mile away. My game face slowly melted away. I’d finally found a girl that was interesting enough to get to know, and a version of me had already hurt her.
I barely knew the girl, and the thought of some jackhole hurting Pidge infuriated me. Abby associating me with someone that would hurt her was even worse. I gunned the throttle as I pulled into the Pizza Shack. That ride wasn’t long enough to sort out the clusterfuck in my head.
I wasn’t even thinking about my speed, so when Abby jumped off my bike and started to yell, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I went the speed limit.”
“Yeah, if we were on the Autobahn!” She ripped the wild bun down and then brushed her long hair with her fingers.
I couldn’t stop staring while she re-wrapped the long, caramel strands, and then tied them back again. I imagined that was how she looked first thing in the morning, and then had to refer to the first ten minutes of Saving Private Ryan to keep my dick from getting hard. Blood. Screaming. Visible intestines. Grenades. Gunfire. More blood.
I held the door open. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, Pigeon.”
She angrily stomped past me and into the restaurant, ignoring my gesture. It was a damn shame; she was the first girl that I had ever wanted to open the door for. I’d been looking forward to that moment, and she didn’t even notice.