Blog Tour + #Giveaway: The Row by J.R. Johansson @JRJohansson @yaboundtourspr

The Row
by J.R. Johansson
Genre: YA Mystery
Release Date: October 11th 2016
FSG/Macmillan

Summary from Goodreads:

A death sentence. A family torn apart. One girl’s hunt for the truth.

Seventeen-year-old Riley Beckett is no stranger to prison. Her father is a convicted serial killer on death row who has always maintained that he was falsely accused. Riley has never missed a single visit with her father. She wholeheartedly believes that he is innocent.

Then, a month before the execution date, Riley’s world is rocked when, in an attempt to help her move on, her father secretly confesses to her that he actually did carry out the murders. He takes it back almost immediately, but she cannot forget what he’s told her. Determined to uncover the truth for her own sake, she discovers something that will forever change everything she’s believed about the family she loves.  

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Also available October 11^th by the author, the paperback of CUT ME FREE!

An Interview with J.R. Johansson

1.      What inspired you to write THE ROW?

          Honestly, I started thinking about writing something like this while watching an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The episode was about the high percentage of adult men we have in prison in this country. He had a little skit with some puppets from Sesame Street and they started talking about how to talk about this problem with kids. It got me thinking about how few YA books I’d seen that showed children of people in prison. It felt like an underrepresented part of our population that faces unique challenges of their own and made me want to write something to fill that need.

2.      When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

          I didn’t realize that I wanted to be a writer until I was 28. Let’s just say I figured myself out a little late, but once I knew what I wanted to do, I threw myself into it head first. I’m so happy that I finally discovered this passion of mine.

3.      What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

          Unlike writing, I’ve always been a passionate reader. I remember reading to my dad before I started Kindergarten. He was supposed to be reading to me, but he has slight dyslexia and I kept correcting him. It wasn’t long before he just let me take over.

4.      What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

          I’m not entirely convinced that there is a genre of books that I don’t enjoy reading. I go through spurts. I’ll read a lot of contemporary then switch to fantasy/sci-fi. I’ll switch to adult thrillers for a while and then read a few non-fiction books. I hop around a lot and I really love the way it exposes me to so many different types of writing.

5.      What is your favorite book?

          Hmm…tough choice and it really changes day by day, but I think the Harry Potter series will always mean more to me than others because it was the first one that made me consider writing something myself. It’s also one that I re-read fairly regularly and I’m not normally a re-reader. Plus, J.K. Rowling is very possibly the coolest person in the universe, so there’s that as well.

6.      You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

          I have so many favorites, but I’ll go a different direction here. Stephen King is a favorite for inspiring the freaky side of my brain to think in a darker direction. It has become a strength of mine and I appreciate him for helping me bring that to the surface. Also, I was able to see him when he was on tour last year and he was absolutely hilarious.

7.      If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

          I would probably go to the middle ages. It was a time when red hair and pale skin were highly valued. Plus, they threw frequent balls, people! In my humble opinion, society could really benefit from a few more occasions to put on pretty dresses, flirt and dance. Oh…and knights seem hot. I could probably get on board with that whole scene.

8.      When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

          It depends on the scene, but mostly it is difficult. I work hard and get my words on the page, but something I’ve come to accept about myself is that I do not like the initial stage of writing a book: drafting. Getting that first draft onto the page is one of the more challenging aspects for me. In contrast, I absolutely love editing and revisions. I like to take something that’s a mess and polish and mold it until it’s awesome, but that first part of getting the words actually onto the page to begin with—making the mess. That’s harder.

9.      Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

          I do! My family has three cats. Their names are Cleo, Isis and Phoenix. And because this has now become a frequent question, Isis was named after the Egyptian Goddess and not the terrorist group. *face palm*

10.    What is your ""to die for"", favorite food/foods to eat?

          Well my “to die for” list has gotten longer since I was diagnosed with Celiac disease last year. Not being allowed to eat gluten makes you really miss it. I’m doing okay with the change, but I do miss Red Vines a somewhat absurd amount. I used to munch on them while writing and now it feels a little like part of my process is missing. Sigh…so if anyone hears of any gluten free Red Vines, drop me a line!

11.    Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?"

          I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. When I was just starting to write, I heard someone give the advice that “if you think you can be happy being anything else than an author, do that instead.” It made a lot of sense to me at the time. This is not an easy career choice and it’s not for the faint of heart. I now think the advice I’d give is somewhat different though. I think I would say, “If you think you can be an author and still be healthy and happy, do it.” I love my job. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. It has provided some of my highest highs and also some lowest lows. I have friends who are published and it has made them miserable. That isn’t the way to do it. Writers need to go into this with open eyes and know what is in store for them. Creativity is a beautiful thing, but working in a creative path isn’t for everyone. It takes a juxtaposed kind of person to do it. You must be both fiercely tenacious and still allow yourself to be vulnerable and exposed—a weird combo.

But if you are that type of weird, don’t be discouraged. Keep working, keep improving, and don’t ever give up.

About the Author

J.R.  Johansson's books have been published in a dozen languages and more than twenty countries worldwide. She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. She lives in Utah with two sons, a wonderful husband, three cats, and a hot tub named Valentino. 

She is represented by the stellar Kathleen Rushall of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Author Links:

Website │Goodreads │Twitter │Facebook

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Almost Wrong by Aubrey Parker @AubreyParker11 @XpressoTours

Almost Wrong
Aubrey Parker
Publication date: October 11th 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

I’ve always hated Hunter Altman.

I hated him at first sight, in my teens, when my mother met his worthless father.
I hated when Bill moved in with us, dragging Hunter like bad baggage.
I hated when Mom and Bill made it official, turning the delinquent a-hole in the next room into my brand-new stepbrother.

I hated when I fell for Hunter, and Hunter fell for me.

It killed me when he left us behind, shed like dead skin on his way to the top. And now that Hunter is a hotshot music producer on every magazine cover, I hate him even more.

I hate his money. I hate his fancy toys. I hate that he thinks he owns me … or worse, that he OWES me.

I hate that he’s back. That he’s soiled our ghetto with his pristine suit, his fancy black limousine.

My heart hurts, I hate him so much. And it scares me that my heart might keep loving him in the end, beneath it all.

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EXCERPT:

“I guess we should talk,” Angela says.

I’m still wearing my tux shirt and pants, because going into the other room to change when she has nothing to swap seems rude. But at least I’ve ditched the jacket and tie. My sleeves are rolled up. She touches my forearm and gives me a chill I haven’t felt in forever.
“About what?” I ask.
“About us.”
I run a multibillion-dollar empire. I could buy and sell countries. People practically bow when I walk down the street. Still, those two words flutter my stomach.
“Okay. In what way?”
She doesn’t answer immediately. Her hand makes firmer contact with my arm, her fingers soft and splayed. She’s already turned toward me, and as juvenile as it seems, I keep wanting to look at her cleavage.
This is so messed up. She’s my stepsister. Has been forever. And we’ve been through all this before, a thousand years ago.
“You know what way,” she says.
I swallow.
“What happened,” she says, “I won’t lie. I wanted it.”
I nod. I wanted it, too. But right now I can’t breathe a word and risk breaking the spell between us.
“But Hunter … it was wrong. We grew up together.”
I think that’s stretching it. We spent two years in adjacent rooms, and I was gone most of the time. I never wanted to be there at all.
I say none of that.
“At the time,” she says, “I was just a kid.”
“Me too.” I don’t like how I say it—almost like begging, as if I’m waiting for Angela to feel sorry for me.
“I didn’t know what was going on back then. You remember how I was, kind of in my shell. I guess you’d say I was a late bloomer. We happened to become … closer … right around the time I finally started to bloom.”
I don’t like this talk of blooming. I remember how she’d bloomed. I remember how she felt to the touch.
I’ve seen countless tits since leaving home. I’ve licked whipped cream and snorted coke off an endless parade of nipples. Breasts are two blobs of fat capped with tiny hats, and yet one of my most vivid, most sepia-tinged memories is of that day under the pier. There was something about the first time I saw her like that. She looked vulnerable — but at the same time, I could see her as a sexual being in a way I’d never been able to before. At first, she’d seemed childish, and later she’d seemed full of herself, prudish, naive.
But that day she’d been … Angela. Someone new. Someone who’d bloomed open from a closed bud, and I was there when it happened, tempted by forbidden fruit.
“But it was just hormones,” she says. “We’re older now. Wiser.”
I try to smile. It probably comes off sideways, maybe obnoxious—the jaded grin I’m afraid will convince her that I’m the asshole she’s always imagined I was. But it’s meant to soften the blow as I say, “Stop it. I already feel old at thirty, and you’re making me feel older.”
“You know what I mean, don’t you?” Her hand is still on my arm. If she’s trying to make a platonic point, her touch is driving me in the wrong direction.
“I guess.”
“Have you thought about me while you’ve been gone? You know … in that way?”
Which answer should I give her?
Yes.
Constantly.
Unceasingly.
Nobody could ever quite compare, and I may have gone through an entire modeling agency, like yanking tissues from a box, searching for something that felt the same.
Instead, I keep my face neutral. “I guess. Sometimes.”
Angela looks like she’s blunting her reply. “Me, too. Sometimes.”

Author Bio:
I love to write stories with characters that feel real enough to friend on Facebook, or slap across the face. I write to make you feel, think, and burn with the thrill that can only come from getting lost in the pages. I love to write unforgettable characters who wrestle with life's largest problems. My books may always end with a Happily Ever After, but there will always be drama on the way there. 

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Blog Tour + #Giveaway: Clanless (Nameless #2) by Jennifer Jenkins @authorjenkins @chapterxchapter @Month9Books

Clanless (Nameless #2) by Jennifer Jenkins

Publication Date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

Striker Gryphon has lost his position of honor among the Ram, and is now a hunted man. A traitor.

Zo, the object of his affection, was murdered by members of his former clan. To honor her memory, he journeys to the highly secretive Raven “Nest” to warn strangers of their impending demise—though it could cost him more than just his pride.

He doesn’t know that Zo is very much alive and in another part of the region assisting Nameless refugees over a mountain swarming with wild men known as “Clanless.”

As each struggle to make sense of what their lives have become, they fight and claw to reach the Allied Camp, their last hope in bringing peace to the region.

But the road back to one another is treacherous and uncertain. And freedom will come with a price.

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OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:

Nameless (Nameless #1) by Jennifer Jenkins

Publication Date: October 6, 2015

Publisher: Month9Books

Four clans have been at war for centuries: the Kodiak, the Raven, the Wolf and the Ram. Through brutal war tactics, the Ram have dominated the region, inflicting death and destruction on their neighbors.

Seventeen-year-old Zo is a Wolf and a Healer who volunteers to infiltrate the Ram as a spy on behalf of the allied clans. She offers herself as a Ram slave, joining the people who are called the “nameless.” Hers is a suicide mission – Zo’s despair after losing her parents in a Ram raid has left her seeking both revenge and an end to her own misery. But after her younger sister follows her into Rams Gate, Zo must find a way to survive her dangerous mission and keep her sister safe.

What she doesn’t expect to find is the friendship of a young Ram whose life she saves, the confusing feelings she develops for a Ram soldier, and an underground nameless insurrection. Zo learns that revenge, loyalty and love are more complicated than she ever imagined in the first installment of this two-book series.

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An Interview with Jennifer Jenkins

What inspired you to write CLANLESS?

Most of my books ideas take root in “What If?” questions, and NAMELESS and CLANLESS were no different. I wondered, “What if a Spartan warrior fell in love with a helot slave?” And then that idea/question grew to, “What if I included multiple cultures throughout history to live in a fictional setting?”

I took a page from the brutal training methods of the Spartans, the ingenuity of the Navajo, the simple diplomacy of the Vikings, and the intimidation element of the Maori. This diverse mix of cultures was intended to form a hotbed of prejudice and clashing viewpoints.

Aside from that, I’m always inspired by great love stories with gigantic walls of conflict separating the main characters. I wanted to write a star-crossed romance that had potential to be deep and meaningful.

When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I knew I wanted to be a writer in 4^th grade. I don’t remember the exact writing assignment, but I do remember Mrs. Sampson, my teacher, making a big deal out of something I wrote in her class.  That confidence led to bigger and bigger dreams over the course of my childhood. It wasn’t until after graduating from college that I actually gave myself permission to start writing novel-length fiction.

What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

I have a vivid memory of reading (and loving) the book LITTLE BEAR with my dad when I was six years old.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

I’m all across the board with reading. I, of course, love reading young adult fantasy novels, but I’m also a big fan of most historical fiction.

What is your favorite book?

This question is always so difficult to answer. All time favorite=Harry Potter. I mean how can it not be? Recent favorite= Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. That woman’s talent blows my mind!

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

Again, HARD! Sticking with my previous answer and saying JK Rowling and Leigh Bardugo. I’d also have to add Libba Bray, Shannon Hale, Patrick Rothfuss, and Jane Austen at the top of my list, as well.

If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

This historian is rubbing her hands together in delight at this question. The trouble is every time I decide on a society to visit, all I can think about is how awful they treated their women. Hmm, I’d probably visit the English countryside during the early 1800’s. The buckskin breeches of the regency era would be too tempting to pass up. J

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

I have to say both are true for me, depending on where I am in the plot. Sometimes I really have to wrestle with a manuscript to get it right. At other times, it flows faster than my fingers can type.

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

I have a little Maltese puppy named Milo that wants me to play with him every waking minute. When I ignore him, he drops dried worms and dead crickets at my feet as offerings in exchange for more play time. Thank goodness he’s so cute!

What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

DARK CHOCOLATE.

Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

I would say to just focus more on honing your craft and finishing a project than worrying about the publishing end of things. Write as much as you can. In the end, a publishing deal isn’t the product of your writing. YOU are the product of your writing! Have fun and enjoy the journey!

With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.

Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid).

Visit her online at jajenkins.com

Connect with the Author:  

Website | Twitter | Facebook 

Goodreads | Pinterest |Instagram

Giveaway Information:  Contest ends October 21, 2016

·        One (1) winner will receive a scrabble tile book cover charm (US ONLY)

·        Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Nameless and Clanless by Jennifer Jenkins (INT)

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Love, Christmas Boxed Set @XpressoTours

Love, Christmas Boxed Set
Publication date: October 1st 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance

♫♪Put a song in your heart with 20 all-new Christmas Romances from NY Times, USA Today, and national best-selling authors. Each brand-new title is inspired by a Christmas carol and will lift your spirits and bring on the holiday cheer.♫♪

We Need a Little Christmas by Leanne Banks – Can a handsome cynic become a Christmas believer?

Frosty the Snowman by Mimi Barbour – Stranded in an Alaskan snowstorm, strangers Hali and Terry are forced to rely on each other for survival.

Last Christmas by Joan Reeves – Annabelle gave him her heart, but Rick threw it away. He wants redemption, she wants revenge.

Holly Jolly Christmas by Mona Risk – Pregnant at 18. Adoption would save the baby’s future but may cost her the man she loves.

Do You Hear What I Hear? by Patricia Rosemoor – Live-in-lovers Shelley and Jake are now in a cold war of their own over Christmas.

White Christmas by Rebecca York – Was she in a coma, or was she in a Christmas fantasy?

So This is Christmas by Denise Devine – He was her child nemesis, now he’s her best friend forever.

Grown Up Christmas List by Donna Fasano – All she wants for Christmas is to feel safe… then she meets her guardian angel.

Blue Christmas by the Sea by Traci Hall – Alone for Christmas, Tamsyn helps mystery writer Evan find his mojo–love is a gift neither can refuse.

Santa Baby by Taylor Lee – Lily’s only hope was that this time, he wouldn’t be able to find her.

Let It Snow by Stephanie Queen – A stranger and a snow storm on Christmas Eve create the ultimate test for Dane & Shana.

Merry, Did You Know? by Jennifer St. Giles – Can a Christmas Miracle change the future of a woman who doesn’t believe in love and a man who can’t love again?

O Christmas Tree by Alicia Street – Can Piper convince Cody to let go of his painful past and embrace the hope of Christmas and possibly love?

Sleigh Ride by Katy Walters – Miss Sophia Vale faces poverty. Enter the Earl of Breconbridge, renowned as a rake hell with a conscience.

Deck the Hearts by Rachelle Ayala – Can Holly’s jolly Christmas spirit help Grinch Gordon Gills save the town of Christmas Creek?

Silver Bells by Jacquie Biggar – Can a Christmas wish bring two stubborn souls together and give a little girl the gift she wants?

Hark the Herald Angel Falls by Michele Hauf – To earn her halo, angel Merit must convince the person who holds her earthly soul in limbo–her husband–to stop loving her.

Little Drummer Boy by Dani Haviland – How could a mere drummer boy help those stranded in the worst winter storm of the 18th century?

I’ll Be Home For Christmas by Nancy Radke – When former a former Navy SEAL plucks a woman from the Mediterranean Sea, he discovers a fighter tougher than he.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Cynthia Cooke – A big city girl reunites with a small town boy–magic. A Santa in need of an elf–Christmas magic.

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Book Blast + #Giveaway: THE ONE I'M WITH by J. Lynn Rowan @JLynnRowanLit @GoddessFish

THE ONE I'M WITH

by J. Lynn Rowan

GENRE:  Contemporary Romance

BLURB:

Interior designer Marissa O’Brien has sworn off long-term relationships, instead protecting herself from a broken heart by following a specific set of rules when it comes to her many flirtations and first dates. She’s content to just have fun in the world of romance, but all her rules fly out the window when she grabs the attention of a sexy, international stranger during her weekly Girls’ Night Out.

Josh Mattingly has spent the last two years trying to turn over a new leaf, focusing on his role in the family corporation and erasing his womanizing reputation. In Asheville, North Carolina, on business, the last thing he’d planned on was getting involved with a local girl. But one encounter with Marissa has him hooked. He soon falls hard for the designer, and now he’s terrified to reveal his romantic past for fear she’ll bolt.

Marissa recognizes a playboy when she sees one and tries to keep her attraction to Josh under wraps–until they share a passionate kiss that leaves both of them singed. Still, she knows their love affair has an expiration date, and everything is destined to end once Josh finishes his business in Asheville. Now, along with showing his family that he’s left his old habits behind, Josh has a new challenge–proving to Marissa that she can trust him with her heart.

Excerpt:

After I climb up the three brick steps, I pause and face him. “Listen, Josh . . .”

Thankfully, my words halt him at the bottom of the steps. He hooks his thumbs into his jeans pockets and tips his head to one side, smirking. “Uh, oh. That doesn’t usually precede something a guy wants to hear after a first date.”

“Oh, no. I wasn’t going to say . . . Let me start over.” Closing my eyes, I draw a huge breath. Then I release it slowly, willing my skittishness to go with it, and look at him again. “People who know me—or at least know of me—will tell you I date. A lot. My friends will even tell you that, and they give me shit about it all the time.”

“There’s nothing wrong with dating a lot,” he says, frowning a little.

“No, of course not. But to most people, it seems like I, well . . .” I pause, thinking how to phrase things. “I don’t exactly have a reputation, if you know what I mean. But I haven’t dated anyone seriously in a really long time.”

A perplexed line forms between his brows. “How long are we talking?”

“Three years.”

He lets out a soft whistle.

“But like I said, I’ve dated. Nothing long term. Four or five dates at most. I just— I have my reasons.”

Josh gazes at me for a few seconds, then climbs up the first two steps to my porch. The move brings him within six inches and manages to knock the air out of me without him even touching me. We aren’t quite at eye level, but it’s close. He’s still taller.

“So we’ll take it slow,” he murmurs. “You decide when and where. We get to know each other. We have fun. And if we get past four or five dates . . .”

I don’t think I’ve breathed in the last sixty seconds. My head spins. “Then what?”

“Then . . .” He leans forward until his smooth-shaven cheek brushes mine, his lips drifting close to my ear. Sparks fly across my skin as his breath tickles my neck. “Let’s just say it’ll be a nice change of pace for both of us.”

How can a whisper feel like an intimate caress?

A series of twitches flicker down my arms as the impulse to grab ahold of him and steal a kiss races through my muscles. But before I do anything, he backs down the steps, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Neither of us says anything else as he returns to his car, climbs in, and drives away with a quick triple-beep of the horn.

I can’t move until his taillights disappear from the end of my driveway.

AUTHOR BIO:

J. Lynn Rowan started writing stories as a small child, usually starring her favorite cartoon characters. Most of her work through middle and high school was filled with typical teenage angst and melodrama, and usually mirrored the books she loved to read. But eventually she found her own author’s voice and decided to seriously pursue a writing career.

Historical fiction remains J. Lynn’s “first love”, but she has enjoyed the journey to becoming an author of romance and chick lit. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Central New York Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. She is also a teacher who tries to instill a love of learning, reading, and writing in her students.

When she’s not writing, J. Lynn enjoys travelling, gardening poorly but enthusiastically, studying various topics in American history for her own expertise, and channeling Julia Child every time she steps into the kitchen.

A native of Oswego, NY, she now lives in Charlotte, NC, with her own Romantic Hero of a husband and the most adorable toddler on the planet.

Email ~ Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter 

Pinterest ~ YouTube ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Mr. Mysterious by J.A. Huss @jahuss @XpressoTours

Mr. Mysterious
J.A. Huss
(The Mister Series, #4)
Publication date: October 12th 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance

Paxton Vance isn’t as cryptic as he thinks. That broody nature and tough-guy exterior aren’t fooling me one bit.
I know everything about him. I listen in on his most personal phone calls. I read his mail before he does. I even know what his mother got him for Christmas last year.
You’re the man of my dreams, Paxton Vance. You just don’t know it yet.
But don’t worry, I’ll remind you. I’m here to give you everything you need, before you know you need it.
So don’t get defensive because I take a challenge seriously. You have to open up to someone, and that someone is me.
Besides, you can’t stay Mr. Mysterious forever. Why play the game if you never want to win?

The Mister Series
Mr. Perfect
Mr. Romantic
Mr. Corporate
Mr. Mysterious
Mr. Match (Final Book Releases 12-7-16)

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—

EXCERPT:

“You want to go to bed?”

“With you?” I ask, a tingle running up my body at the thought. He’s so fucking handsome in this gray suit. His tie is loose around his neck, probably from the frustration of my drink demands, because it was tight before he left for the store. I bite my lip as he stares at me, that tingle turning into something more urgent as I stare back.
“Why not? We could make it fun. Turn this day around. End it on a high note.”
I have dreamed about sex with Mr. Mysterious for years. Since I was a kid, actually. And I know we’ve fucked three times already, but that was different. That was the other me. This is the real me. And now that my plans are all falling into place, it feels… fake. Like I forced this.
“I wouldn’t want to force you,” I say, that word stuck in my mind.
He laughs. Maybe a real one. “You’re the most striking girl I’ve ever dated. You’re not forcing me to do anything.”
He has no idea how well-planned this relationship was. “Are we dating?” I ask, suddenly sad.
I know he’s looking at me. And I know I’m being weird. I also know that I should make a decision right now and then never look back. Either stay here, sleep with him, and tell him the truth tomorrow—since we’ve decided not to talk about it tonight—or walk out and never look back.
I’m on the verge of option two when I feel his hand slip around my waist. “Whatever it is that’s bothering you, can it wait until tomorrow? Or is it urgent?”
I like the feel of his hand over the thin fabric of my dress. It’s large, and warm, and when he pulls me closer, I feel weak with want.
“That was a lot of information to take in. From your mother. Don’t you think?” I chance a look up at him and regret it immediately. He’s somber. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him somber.
“Are we talking about it?” he whispers. “I don’t mind talking about it. If that’s what you want.”
I lean up and kiss him. Softly. Right on the mouth. He doesn’t kiss me back and when I open my eyes, he’s looking at me. He takes the drink from my hand, sets both glasses down on a nearby table and then wraps his arms around me and holds me close. His lips are on my neck, and that urgent feeling I had turns into unquenchable desire.
He holds my face, turning me towards him, and then his lips find mine and we are kissing again, only this time it’s him leading the way. It starts slow, his hands dropping back to my waist. My hands reaching up for his shoulders. His kiss remains soft. Such a contradiction between the man on the outside I’ve come to know and the one I stalked all these years.
But I don’t know him, do I? Not one bit.
He frightens me a little. His perfectly planned childhood, his unplanned past, and his unorthodox present. Like he’s drifting through life, just waiting for something to happen as he takes bad opportunity after bad opportunity and tries to make something good out of them.
“Let’s go to bed,” Pax says again.
I don’t challenge him in any way this time. I don’t care what the meaning is behind his words.
He takes my hand, leading me back into the house and towards the stairs, taking those two at a time so my much shorter legs have to struggle to keep up. A shoe falls off my foot halfway up, the other follows a second later. The floor is cool and feels good as I follow him across a long catwalk that overlooks the living room and into a dark bedroom.
He doesn’t turn on the lights and he wastes no time touching me. His fingertips are lifting up my dress, feather-light touches across the bare skin of my outer thigh. Kissing me, fisting my hair, finding the wetness between my legs as the tingle becomes urge, becomes starvation and hunger for more.
“Take off my clothes,” he says. “Start with the tie.”

—

COMING UP NEXT – MR. MATCH!

Author Bio:
JA Huss is the USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending. 

You can chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AuthorJAHuss), Twitter (@jahuss), and her blog, New Adult Addiction (www.jahuss.com). 

If you’re interested in getting your hands on an advanced release copy of her upcoming books, sneak peek teasers, or information on her upcoming personal appearances, you can join her newsletter list (http://eepurl.com/JVhAr) and get those details delivered right to your inbox. 

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