Title: Deadly Pursuit (Southern California Violent Crimes Taskforce #1) 
Author: Misty Evans
Publisher: self-pubber
Source: Author provided ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: Her sting operation put a ruthless criminal in prison.

One year ago, rookie FBI agent Celina Davenport pulled off the ultimate undercover operation…she seduced Emilio Londano – the dangerous leader of the San Diego Mafia – and destroyed his illegal empire.

Now he’s escaped and looking for revenge.

When Londano escapes a maximum security prison and begins picking off Celina’s friends and coworkers, everyone she knows becomes a target. Including DEA agent Cooper Harris, the man who once broke her heart and is now assigned to be her bodyguard.

How far will they go to stop him?

Cooper and Celina must risk their careers – and their hearts –to turn the table on their pursuer. But will their past, with its forbidden passions and impulsive choices, put them directly in his crosshairs?

I haven't read many suspense/thriller/romances before. I tend to stick to the paranormal, YA, erotica sort of stuff. This is the second book I have read from Misty Evans, the first one was The Blood Code in her Super Agent series. My review for that book can be found here. I really enjoyed that book so I thought going into Deadly Pursuit I would like it just as well. 

I was wrong. 

I loved it way more! 

Every thing that I thought lacked in The Blood Code, Evans made up for in Deadly Pursuit. The action, the UST, the believable character development...it all worked here. Now granted, I'm not sure about how the FBI, DEA, and other government agencies work, but Evans seems to know what she's talking about and everything seems believable enough for me. So WIN! I may be taking this a little too lightly, others may run a rake over all the detail about busts, tacticals, inner workings of the agencies, and agent mentality but I find that simply pointless when the material entertains me and keeps me turning pages. 

Okay, so the general gist of the book: Celina Davenport is a rookie FBI agent working undercover to nail a drug lord named Emilio Londano. She makes the bust and everything is good to go. But is it? The media catches wind of this brave rookie and features her as the new face of the FBI which in turn damages her career because she's exposed. It also takes her away from the one man she's ever wanted, Cooper Harris, a DEA agent who worked on the bust of Londano. But Harris is a company man and takes his job very seriously. He never lets on that he too feels the same for Celina but since he's against sleeping with co-workers, he lets Celina slip through his fingers. Until a bust brings him back into her life. When the two are back together the sexual tension, the longing, is out of this world. And a new threat surfaces, Londono has escaped prison and has his sights set on getting revenge with the FBI and Celina. Copper thinks he's the only one who can really protect Celina and with the prospect a a mole in the agency, he trusts on a small handful of people. Celina of course can take care of her herself, but being wet behind the ears doesn't help her. Throw in all that sexual tension and BOOM...

explosive chemistry that revs up the action and adds a new dimension to the story. 

What I loved about this book is that Cooper and Celina weren't all of a sudden in love from the beginning. It was a slow burn for them. They had to work for it. I find this so much better of a read if the leads have something to strive for rather than confessing undying love in chapter five. 

Misty Evans writes wonderfully: She paints the picture well and I could imagine every scene perfectly. The only thing I would have changed would have made the climax a little more climatic. It fell a little flat. And I struggled to keep all the different agents straight, there were a ton of side characters. 

The editing was great which was a relief to read. I would recommend this new series to anyone who likes the slow burn, likes excitement, suspense, and very Alpha males. Yumm! 

Title:  Bound by Wish and Mistletoe

Author:  Kat Bastion

Expected release date:  November 4th, 2013

Genre: Paranormal Romance / Highlander Romance

Age Group: Adult

Cover designed by:  Mooney Designs

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Book Description: 

Desperate to honor a life-long promise, Susanna MacEalan escapes her abusive clan with the fierce determination of never falling under the power of a man. Ever.

Aggravated by shallow-hearted pursuing lasses, Robert Brodie, commander of his clan’s elite guard, has foresworn scheming women. Forever.

When magick transforms Brodie Castle into a Christmas wonderland, the two despondent souls find solace in a most unexpected place . . . each other’s arms.

Amid a whirlwind of escalating events, Susanna’s traumatic past threatens Robert’s ability to protect the one woman meant for him. In a harrowing moment when all seems lost . . . hope, faith, and love prevail, transforming silent prayers into wishes granted.

Kat Bastion is an award-winning paranormal romance writer, poetic warrior, and eternal optimist who loves getting lost in the beauty of nature.

On a never-ending, wondrous path of self-discovery, Kat throws her characters into incredible situations with the hope that readers join her in learning more about the meaning of life and love.

Her first published work, Utterly Loved, was shared with the world to benefit others. All proceeds from Utterly Loved, and a portion of the proceeds of all her other books, support charities who help those lost in this world.

Kat lives with her husband amid the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Visit her blog at www.talktotheshoe.com, her website at www.katbastion.com, and her Twitter account at https://twitter.com/KatBastion for more information.

From the bestselling authors of In The Stillness and The Last Hour, a new story of forbidden love and second chances.

Savannah Marshall is a gifted flutist and daughter of musical royalty when she enrolls in the elite New England Conservatory of Music. Brilliant, eclectic and passionate, she lives music, but struggles with her plans for the future.

Gregory Fitzgerald is one of the most renowned cellists of his generation. A member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and professor at the Conservatory, he is laser focused on his career to the exclusion of friends, family and especially romance.

When Gregory and Savannah's paths cross in the classroom, it threatens to challenge more than their wildly differing beliefs on music. Friendships, ethics, and careers are put on the line as Gregory and Savannah play a symphony of passion and heartbreak.

In the final movement, Gregory and Savannah are handed their greatest challenge, as the loss of absolutely everything they've held as truths hangs in the balance.

Two weeks after spring break, I was packing up my things in the office to go home for the day when James knocked on the doorframe.

“Got time to go grab a drink?”

I didn’t really. I had planned to go home and play, all night. But the BSO’s season was over, and James wasn’t one to be put off by excuses.

“Yes,” I replied.

A few minutes later we slipped into a corner bar several blocks away from the conservatory. James had chosen this bar when we were undergraduates, and we’d been coming here off and on ever since. Dark, smelly, and mostly catering to local residents, it was a place we were highly unlikely to run into faculty or students. He ordered a beer, and I got a gin and tonic, and we sat down in a tiny booth. The table was a little sticky, so I carefully kept my arms away from it.

For a few minutes, we discussed random happenings from the conservatory, then Robert and his parents. When I told him I’d passed Robert off to a different instructor, James frowned briefly, but then moved on. His look disturbed me. I didn’t understand his expectations. I was in no way equipped to teach any child, much less one who couldn’t see.

We sat in silence for a few moments, and he gave me a long, serious look. “Talk to me, Gregory.”

I raised an eyebrow. “About?”

He took a sip of his beer. “About Savannah Marshall.”

Very carefully, I kept control of my expression as I took a sip of my drink. “Why is she the topic of the day? She’s in one of my classes. Gifted musician, but undisciplined.”

“Then why did you freeze in place the moment I mentioned her name?”

“You’re imagining things, James.”

James raised one eyebrow as he stared at me. “I’m not imagining that you’ve become the subject of rumors.”

Rumors. One thing I’d never been was the subject of the gossip that inevitably flowed out of being part of a tiny community like the conservatory. I intentionally kept my personal life, what there was of it, far away from the school. The only concession I’d made on that front in years was dating Karin, which to an extent I only did to keep up appearances.

“What sort of … rumors?”

I started writing poetry long before writing fiction. I firmly believe Poetry is a solid foundation for all other forms of writing. It taught me that a single word can make or break the world.
I write fiction because my characters have a story and they want me to tell it.
I hope you enjoy the pieces of my soul that I share with you.

Website || Facebook

Sheehan-Miles has been a soldier, computer programmer, short-order cook and non-profit executive, and is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books, including the indie bestsellers Just Remember to Breathe and Republic: A Novel of America's Future.

Website || Facebook 

Title: THE DARKEST JOY

Author: Marata Eros

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Expected release date: February 18, 2014

Genre: Dark Romantic Suspense

Age Group: New Adult

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Book Description:

A sexy and poignant new adult novel from New York Times bestseller Marata Eros, about two lost souls who find each other in the wake of tragedy, only to learn that love may not be enough to heal the wounds of a dark and tortured past...

Twenty year-old Brooke Starr has escaped the aftermath of a brutal tragedy by abandoning her music studies and moving north to take a summer position as a part-time deck hand on a deep-sea fishing boat. When her survivor’s guilt becomes unbearable, Brooke realizes there's only one thing she can do to finally erase the pain.

Deep sea fisherman, Chance Taylor, has just wrapped his guitar set at the local saloon when he sees the silhouette of a young woman in repose, the full moon highlighting her shadow as she plummets from a pier too high for diving... into water too cold to survive. Without thinking, he plunges in after her, saving Brooke from drowning.

As Chance works to save her from her own emotional fragility, Brooke finally begins to learn how to save herself. But when their chemistry begins to consume them, Brooke withdraws. She’s determined to be the master of her own destiny... until the past catches up with her in a cataclysmic plan so dark, so final... it threatens their love and their very lives.

Marata Eros is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of dark, romantic new adult novels, including A Terrible Love and its companion novel A Brutal Tenderness. A passionate writer who loves interacting with her readers, Marata lives in South Dakota with her husband.





Author social media links:

Blog || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads || Pinterest 

Title: Recklessly

Author: A.J. Sand

Release date: August 28th, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Mature New Adult/Adult

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Book Description:

Wes Elliott just met his match…and she might actually burn his entire world down.

Surfing and sex. This is Wes Elliott's life. And it's just the way he likes it.   `
After seeing his parents stay in a loveless marriage his entire life, and burying away a heartbreak from his past, he knows where romance is best left: crappy chick movies. He'd rather lust and eventually leave, and that's exactly what the plan was when he met Lana Langston.


Except…turns out she’s only in it for the thrills, too. She's always only in it for the thrills: life in the literal fast lane on her motorcycle, and the hot nights in forbidden places without the awkward talks in the mornings after. She's Wes Elliott in way tighter jeans. 

 So, this should be perfect, right? 

But the more time Wes spends with her, the more he wants the nights to turn into mornings. And maybe even longer. Suddenly, it isn't so perfect for him anymore.
And the things he thought were buried are digging themselves up.   

Now Wes is in a lot of trouble. 

He’s falling in love with the one girl who might be a bigger risk than even a guy who gets barreled by the most dangerous waves in the world is willing to take on.
Can Wes and Lana figure out a way to make it work? Or is he headed for something far more reckless?

Due to the sexual content, language and violence, this work is not recommended for readers under 18.

Lana slid her lip out from between her teeth. She ran her thumb just south of his bellybutton, and the area below where his belt sat warmed beneath the surface of his skin. “Damn. I didn’t realize how late it was…” she said with a frown as she took a glance at her cell. “I guess I’ve been having too good of a time to notice.”

“Me too.”

“So…is this where it ends tonight?”

Wes pecked a soft kiss on her lips, his fingers trailing down the space between her collarbone and cleavage. “You tell me, Lana.”

“Well, I can’t wait ‘til Tuesday.”

“I know. Me too.”

“No,” Lana said, pulling his ear to her lips, “I mean, don’t make me wait ‘til Tuesday.” 

A.J. Sand grew up an only child whose parents bought her many, many books to keep her busy, so it was only natural that she would start writing her own stories. She is the author of “Documentary,” “Remake” and “Recklessly.” She lives just outside of Washington, D.C.

Twitter || Facebook || Blog || Goodreads

Event Giveaway: The author is offering an event giveaway. If you would like to offer the event giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter code below.

·        (1) $20 Gift Card from Amazon or Barnes and Noble + (1) eCopy of Recklessly gifted from Amazon or Barnes and Noble - International

·        (3) eCopies of Recklessly gifted from Amazon or Barnes and Noble – International

Value of giveaway: $32 USD

Guest Post ~ What inspired you to write Recklessly?

I started chatting with the manager and the good friend of a pro surfer a few years ago thanks to Twitter, and as a result, I became a fan of the surfer. I had the opportunity to attend his movie premiere sometime after that, and I was introduced to a world that isn't followed by the mainstream but has a pretty dedicated fan base. It was almost like stepping into a secret society. And it didn’t hurt that there were all these gorgeous male surfers walking around, either.

And as I watched the movie, I was awestruck by all the amazing locales where this guy "works"—Fiji, Tahiti, Hawaii, Indonesia. He gets paid to go to beautiful places to seek out the best waves in the world. It was really cool to me that there were people out there who got to do this for a living. It’s sort of a lifestyle, really. So Wes, the main character in Recklessly, was born out of that.

Title: Forged in Dreams and Magick (Highland Legend #1)
Author: Kat Bastion
Publisher: Self-pubber
Pages: 338
Source: Author provided an ARC for a honest review


Summary: Isobel MacInnes wakes up in present-day California, lunches in medieval Scotland, and by ten days’ end, falls in love with a man and his country, only to lose them in a heart-wrenching twist of fate . . .

Found in the arms of her second soul mate . . .

Forced to balance the delicate strands of time between two millennia . . .

Shocked by revelations rewriting the very foundations of history . . . of everything.

Isobel, a rising-star archaeology student, is dropped into two ancient worlds without warning . . . or her permission. Her fiery spirit resists the dependency thrust upon her. Amid frustration at her lack of control, she helplessly falls in love. Twice.

She struggles to adjust to the unimaginable demands of two leaders of men—a laird in the thirteenth-century Highlands and a Pict chieftain in a more ancient Scotland. Isobel transforms from an academic, hell-bent on obtaining archaeological recognition, to a woman striving to care for those she loves, and ultimately . . . into a fearless warrior risking everything to protect them.

Holy Hotness Batman! And I'm not talking Ben Affleck here, folks. 

So Miss Kat asked me to read and review her story, Forged in Dreams and Magick. I looked at the cover and wasn't so sure about it. Typically, I'm a cover whore. Not gonna lie. So not seeing a half nekked dude on the cover almost deterred me. Almost. Then I read the summary and I was hooked! 

A time-travel erotic romance where a  woman who can falls in love twice, at the same time, in two different time periods? 

Well, duh!

Don't get all bent out of shape when you learn there are two male leads. BECAUSE, yes there are, but it works! The thing is you don't hate the character, Isobel,  or yourself for rooting for either Iain or Velloc or both. You love them equally and you want them to both be with Isobel. The age-old question was answered: Can someone have more than one soulmate? Yes, they most certainly can. 

I loved how the author balanced both worlds, 13th century Scotland and the Pict era, so seamlessly. You truly felt pulled into both worlds as Isobel was pulled into them. The same goes for the love relationships between Isobel and Iain and Isobel and Velloc.  The magical world is well thought out and creative. Plus, I forgot to mention there are hot Alpha male angels as well. A dark and light one. 

I need to calm down. Phew. All better. 

Now, a little rundown without giving too much away.

The mysterious metal box that is the conduit for time-travel seems to find Isobel in her present day. She's drawn to the box she found while on a trip to Scotland and can't help but be curious about the rare looking metal it's made of. Funny enough, her friend Iain pays her a visit at her office in California where she shows him the box. Only Iain already knows what it is because he has already time-traveled before. It's when both Isobel and Iain touch the box at the same that it catapults them into 13th Scotland. BOOM!!  The magick in the box took them to Iain's orginal time, in the Highlands of Scotland where he is the laird of his people. 

Oh ya, Iain isn't just her friend from present day Cali, he's a flippin hard-assed, Alpha Scottish warrior. Damn! Rawr!

Just imagine what happens after Isobel realizes that Iain wants her to stay in his time and marry him. Sparks will fly, my friends. And they are the best sparks. She falls for Iain and they marry. But what Iain and Isobel don't understand is that Isobel is a traveler. She's still drawn to the box and it's magic.  She's meant to hop between time by touching the box. So when she touches it again, she is sent back farther into the past and into the arms of Velloc. 

This is where I'm going to cut it off. You just have to read the book to learn how things turn out. But I will say that I was gripping my iPad like a crazy woman and fanning myself from the smoldering romance. Lawdy! 

The writing is excellent! The vivid descriptions, the showing vs. the telling, the character development, it all came together so well. The editing is very good and I will commend whoever edited for the author. 

Not everything is unicorns flying into the sunset.

The two things that irked me was that Isobel bordered on Mary Sueville, too perfect in everyway. She learned Pict in a snap and became a excellent fighter after a couple of weeks. I wanted her to struggle a little more mentally while she was dropped into the past. But she seemed to really roll with the punches so well. I would have been freaking out that I time traveled but she was like, meh. LOL! The other thing, too much disembodied action. It was everywhere. It tended to throw me off while reading at times. But honestly, those two things didn't make me not love this story. I will definitely be reading any sequel that Kat Bastion writes. 

And the twist at the end: OMG!! 

A Big FIVE LIP BITES

A lover of romance and alpha males, I've begun a series set to release this fall.

Highland Legends Series

Forged in Dreams and Magick
Bound by Wish and Mistletoe (a holiday novella)
Born of Mist and Legend
Found in Flame and Moonlight

I'm fortunate to have won several awards for my paranormal romance writing in the novel now entitled Forged in Dreams and Magick. In my time-travel Highlander story, the heroine gets thrown far off her path into an unfamiliar world, her foundations rocked to the core, and the inner journey is an amazing one.

I had no idea I’d foreshadowed my own life. While editing the manuscript, another writing blessing happened. In early September 2012, I discovered poetry and took the detour of a lifetime.

Within two months, I'd created a collection of poetry, originally intended as a twentieth anniversary present, that my husband and I decided to share with the world for charity. It's entitled Utterly Loved.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Sylvain Reynard, the quintessential humanitarian, graciously wrote the brilliant foreword.

In Utterly Loved, all proceeds, less costs and taxes, go to selected charities. Without hesitation, I believe extraordinary gifts are meant to be given, not taken. So far, I've chosen World Vision and Covenant House.

{smiles slowly} As with all good things, that unexpected detour was only the beginning. I've now created a Charity Support and Awareness page on both my blog and website, outlining how a portion of the proceeds of all of my books will go to charities that fight against human trafficking.

More information can be found on my blog, www.talktotheshoe.com and my website,www.katbastion.com ... I can often be found on my Twitter account.

Website || Facebook || Goodreads || Twitter || Blog

Title: Seductive Shadows

Author: Marni Mann

Genre: Erotica/Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Booktrope 

Synopsis:

Charlie is a passionate, sensually-inspired art student, desperately seeking an escape from the abusive past that haunts her and a tragic accident that emptied her heart. Scarred and unable to love, her yearning for physical pleasure leads her into a tantalizing, dangerous world of power and seduction. The anonymity of the deal offers security; the money brings financial freedom and the madam is the mother figure she longs for.

But the thrill of the mansion and its arousing dominance quickly fades when she meets renowned-yet-mysterious Cameron Hardy, whose intense baby blue eyes send a nervous flutter through her core. Cameron is sexy, and not in a subtle way. He stimulates Charlie’s art, her intellect and her desires. Just as he begins to break through her emotional boundaries, she discovers a devastating connection between her past and her scandalous work at the mansion, shattering everything she thought to be true.

Provocative, intoxicating and erotic, Seductive Shadows is the unforgettable tale of a young woman’s self-discovery as she learns to forgive, to love and be loved, and to find redemption amidst a remarkable journey that will captivate your mind and stimulate your soul.

This book is for mature audiences. It contains explicit language and sexual content.

A New Englander at heart, Marni Mann, now a Floridian is inspired by the sandy beaches and hot pink sunsets of Sarasota. She taps a mainstream appeal and shakes worldwide taboos, taking her readers on a dark and breathtaking journey. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, she’s scouring for chocolate, traveling, reading, or walking her four-legged children.



Goodreads || Facebook || Twitter

Preorder your copy of Seductive Secrecy, the sequel to Seductive Shadows on Amazon, Release date 10/24 here

I felt the change in the air as he approached me. I held in my breath, waiting to find out
why he had gotten so close.

“I realize you can’t move your hands, but the sheet is sticking up in the back. Can I tuck
it in for you?”

My eyes held his, and I nodded.

His shirt brushed past my bare arm as he moved to my side, and then the small of my back. Gently, he folded the sheet into me. His skin was as warm as mine.

“Anything else you want while I’m up here.”

He was in front of me again, his hands in his pockets. His stance wasn’t casual and neither was the look on his face.

I shook my head even though there was so many things I could have asked for, so many things I wanted from him, but silence was the safest answer.

“Then hold still,” he said, heading back to his canvas. “I need to finish the outline of your body.”

He didn’t say the word body different than anyone else. It just sounded sexier coming out of Cameron’s lips.

Title: Steel Lily (The Periodic Series #1)
Author: Megan Curd
Publisher: Self-pubber
Pages: 293
Source: Author provided ARC for blog tour and honest review

Summary: AVERY PIKE is a commodity. No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.

She’s a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Four: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.

Or so she thinks.

That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Four. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued. But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn’t any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better.

…Which means digging deeper.

When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, she learns that while some secrets are better left concealed, humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything…including the fate of your world.

I want to start by saying that one of my favorite genres to read is dystopian romances. Most dystopians lately have been YA which isn't bad at all. I actually love taking a break from erotica or contemporary romance. And this book didn't disappoint!

Let me tell you, the world building was excellent, but I did find myself asking questions while I read: How come they haven't come up with a better way to make energy other than steam? Why is it that they need the Elementals to make it for them? It's just heating water, and I don't remember seeing them at a loss of water. They seem to have all kinds of technology but not the kind to make more energy? I was hoping to see more of my questions answered and some were but I didn't get many. Maybe I missed them? Who knows. 

I also asked myself: Why are people in the Doom so blindly believing that there isn't life outside of the Doom? At one point Avery says, "In my Doom, we question everything..." We'll not everything if they thought steam was the only way to produce power and they thought they were the sole survivors in the whole world. But I get it, people can be naive especially since the world was destroyed and they needed something to grasp to for survival. These things were my biggest issues, which in my mind weren't terrible at all. It didn't make me pause or put down the book. In fact, I was intrigued and wanted to keep reading. 

Avery is a very strong character and I liked her challenging the norm. She didn't want to be used as a piece of machinery for her ability. But what made her one of the strongest Elementalists? 

Jaxon was very irritating and rude. So of course he was very swoony! LOL. His character filled the void that Avery needed in her life (besides her missing parents), a challenge to herself and her situation. He made her question things and want to make a change. I liked his character very much. 

With everything going on in this book, it reminded me of the premise to Tahereh Mafi's book Shatter Me, another book I loved. But Steel Lily was still set itself off enough on it's own. The twist at the end, I DIDN'T EVEN SUSPECT AT ALL! Which was really refreshing and made me instantly love this author. She managed to surprise me when I didn't think I was going to be surprised. 

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. There were some things that left me scratching my head and things I would have changed (that's the editor in me, of course) but overall Steel Lily is a solid book, beautifully written, and executed well. I will definitely be reading more of this series and from Megan Curd. 

This book earned four lip bites! 

Megan Curd is a graduate of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. While having always enjoyed reading any books she could get her hands on, Megan didn’t begin writing until a friend encouraged her to do so while in college. 

When not writing, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Traveling and snowboarding are hobbies she loves, and doesn’t turn down the opportunity to play xBox with her brother and friends when it presents itself.

Megan currently resides in Kentucky with her husband, son, and Great Dane named Dozer.


Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads

Julie Walker thought she found true love with Jase. Until he betrayed her in the worst way, with one of her best friends. Devastated and heartbroken she runs away, leaving behind her family and friends. She starts a new life filled with secrets.

When Julie meets Dean, she thinks he is the answer to all her prayers, but Dean isn’t who she thinks he is.

Jase Gibson is a player. Even when he had the girl of his dreams, he still played. When he lost Julie, his life fell apart. He turned to whiskey and women, to fill the void. But, only Julie will ever make him whole.

Nine years later, Julie's back home, but she's not alone. What will happen when all of Julie's secrets are uncovered?
Jase vowed that if he ever got her back, he would do right by her and never let her go. Will he let Julie's secret keep them apart?

When Julie's ex-husband refuses to be her ex, Jase must choose to help her or hang on to his anger.

Jase and Julie have to find a way to give their whiskey lullaby a happy ending.

Title: Steel Lily

Author: Megan Curd

Genre: Dystopian

Summary:

AVERY PIKE is a commodity. No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.

She’s a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Three: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.

Or so she thinks.

That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Three. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued.

But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn’t any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better.

…Which means digging deeper.

When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, it may make her wonder if she was better off being a government tool than searching for freedom.

Some secrets are better left concealed, but humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything…including the fate of your world.

Megan Curd is a graduate of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. While having always enjoyed reading any books she could get her hands on, Megan didn’t begin writing until a friend encouraged her to do so while in college. 

When not writing, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She loves to snowboard and travel to new places, and doesn’t turn down the opportunity to play xBox with her brother and friends when it presents itself.

Megan currently resides in Stanton, Kentucky with her husband, son, and Great Dane named Dozer.


Website || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads

Out of nowhere, his breath ran like warm water over the back of my neck. I closed my eyes for a moment, then forced them back open. No. Not Jaxon. Nothing for Jaxon.

“Now it’s Mr. Pierce, eh?” He put one of his large hands at the small of my back to lead me toward Xander’s office. “I think I’m going backwards.”

“You are backwards, Jaxon.”

He laughed and muscled around me, sliding far too much of his toned body against me as he moved past. His chiseled chest pressed against mine as he leaned in, inches from my mouth. I sucked in a breath to avoid his scent. No dice. It still overpowered me. His smile was evident even in the low light, and I bit my lip to keep from sighing. His hand brushed my cheek, and he ran a finger down the side of my neck, sending shivers through me. “If I were backwards, I’d be Noxaj,” he whispered huskily. “What kind of name is that? It’s not sexy at all.”

“I never said you were sexy,” I whispered as his hands roved through my hair at the base of my neck.

“No, no you didn’t…” His lips were on my neck. His hands worked down my back.

I stood there like a wet noodle, incapable of responding.

Do something! Touch him back! my brain screamed, but my body felt detached. Do something, or he’s going to think you’re on the relationship short bus.

He pulled away to search my eyes, but for what, I didn’t know.

I willed myself to give him something. Anything. An awkward grin, accompanied by a cough was all I could muster. Really, Avery? Seriously? I knew later replays of this moment in my mind, no matter how awful, wouldn’t compare to the actual event.