~~~~COVER REVEAL~~~~ THE STARK AFFAIR BOOK ONE: HEAT by Skylar Cross

Have you heard about this great new author, Skylar Cross?

She writes gritty erotic romance with raw feelings and unmanageable sexual encounters.

Skylar's next panty dropping adventure is all about sexy as hell Colton Stark.

The Stark Affair Book One: Heat

Colton Stark is filthy rich. A billionaire playboy who drives fast and plays hard, he enjoys
an endless stream of party girls... at his mansion, on his yacht, and in his private jet.
He's also top of Miami-Dade Police Department's list of suspected narcotics traffickers.
Tough girl cop Sofia grew up on the mean streets of Miami, unafraid to kick anyone's
ass. When asked to investigate Colton, she doesn't even consider it a challenge.
Until she comes face-to-face with Colton Stark's penetrating blue eyes.
After a steamy meeting at his South Beach club, Sofia finds herself playing a dangerous
but sexy game with her own principles. As evidence mounts of Colton Stark's dirty
dealings, together they spark a bonfire of passionate heat.

Mature content. 18+ only.

And now for the cover....

Add it to Goodreads now!

About Skylar Cross:

I love dark, mysterious, and deviant. Powerful dominant alpha males with troubled pasts who find strong but unfulfilled submissive women. Both need to escape the "rules" of society (just like me... haha.) Together they make hot steamy delight and fill in each other's damaged parts. This is me. This is what I write. Hope you like it.

Check out Skylar on the web

website/ facebook

Did you also know she has a freebie available?

Download today!

Annika is a reporter for MiamiImproper.com, a struggling web magazine. Damien Cage is rock star frontman for the Platinum-selling band Eon Sphinx.

When her boss sends Annika to interview Damien at his Biscayne Bay estate, she can't believe it. Now 22 and trying to find her path in life, Annika is trying to let go of her strict religious upbringing. She yearns to be sexually free, enjoying all that life has to offer.

Just turned 30, Damien is surrounded by beautiful girls. He trains them in the "Deviant Arts of Pleasure." But none of them are on his level. Disillusioned and jaded with the music industry, he has quit his band in search of something more meaningful out of life.

When Annika and Damien meet, sparks fly. The steam between them is hotter than the Florida sunshine.

Damien makes an offer to Annika. Neither realizes it yet, but it's an offer that will fill their lives with both deep meaning AND sizzling passion... starting at one of Damien's infamous Friday night parties full of decadence and debauchery.

~~~RELEASE AND REVIEW~~~ CUTS RUN DEEP by Amber Garza

Cuts Run Deep by Amber Garza

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


HOLY SH*TBALLZ IT IS AMAZING!!! AWESOME!!! OMG I LOVED IT... Just the first few chapters I don't know HOW THE HELL YOU DID IT EMOTIONALLY writing this book. You have put a lot of emotions into this book and I have no clue how you did it cause of the content. No I don't want to give any spoilers and I don't want really give details into the book with the exception of bullying and suicide happens all to often and it needs to stop! I love how you incorparated all of it in the book with a great story line. I really felt as if I was one of the characters as I felt drawn in to the storyline and went through every emotion that they went through. That is the best part of this book or any book for that matter is feeling as if you are one of them makes it so real. Amber you knocked it right out of the ballpark. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!! A MUST READ!!!! I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review for a blog tour and this is exactly what you got.



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~~~RELEASE DAY~~~ HUNGRY HEART by Violet Haze

Violet Haze's new release, Hungry Heart is Live!! This is volume #1 of her new serial series.

                                                 Hungry Heart Part One

                                                          Violet Haze

Goodreads


My name is Caroline Lowther. I’m in a relationship with Nathan MacMillan. We’ve been together almost four years. We share a home and a bed.


Nathan’s also in love with Rissa, his other girlfriend for the past six months. And I couldn’t be happier for him.





You see, we have an open relationship and while this story shows how much Nathan and I love each other, it’s not about us as a couple.





It’s about how Benedict and I met and started a love story of our own.





Note: this serial is for mature audiences only & involves characters who have multiple partners, 100 pages.**


Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA

Excerpt #1

He smiles at me, and I swear, I’m blown away.


Shit, shit, shit.


I’m in trouble.


Especially since I’m about to blatantly invite the trouble into my life.


“You know what,” I say suddenly, standing up. “I want a chocolate chip muffin. I’ll be right back.”


Ethan nods, not really hearing me, focused on whatever it is he’s gazing at out the window and I head to the counter to order. There is one person in front of me so I have to wait, and because people are predictable, it’s only a moment or two before I feel the man stand behind me. I don’t even have to look to know.


“I’m Benedict,” he murmurs, leaning in close to my ear so his breath brushes me in an intimate manner. His deep voice is sexy just as I imagined it would be from simply looking at him.


I ignore the way it makes me feel and am direct as possible so he knows everything he needs to. “I’m taken.”


“Are you?” He chuckles, still close to me even though he isn’t touching me in any way. “So am I. Now, what’s your name?”


Interesting. Well, he gets points for being honest, and I’ve no idea what his situation is, so I give him an honest answer. “I’m Caroline.”


“Is that your boyfriend sitting with you?”


“No.”


“A friend? A relative? Someone I have to worry about beating me up for speaking with you?”


I can’t help it. I laugh at the question and turn to face him as the person in front of me continues to waffle about what they want to order. Our bodies are inches apart as he straightens, and I have to look up into his face because he’s got a good six inches on my five-foot-five frame. And the first thing I notice is he’s even more attractive up close. His face might have a five o’clock shadow, but it’s blemish free, and his hazel eyes shine bright as he gazes down at me, his multi-colored tie emphasizing the various flicks of color in them.


“He’s my friend,” I say with a smile. “Since we were kids. He’s like a brother, and no, he won’t beat you up.”


Benedict’s eyes are even more vibrant, if that’s even possible, as he lifts a hand to my hair and pushes it behind my ear. It’s forward, has my stomach dropping and my heart careening, but I can’t seem to find the heart to object to this simplest of touches. He seems as fascinated by me as I am by him and I need to see what he wants.


“How old are you, Caroline?”


“I’ll be twenty-one tomorrow. You?”


“Nice.” He drops his hand, stepping back as the cashier behind us announces the total to the person ordering, and smiles at me. “I’m thirty. But it doesn’t matter. I just wanted to make sure you were legal.”


Legal for what?


“May I help you?” The cashier asks from behind me, and I turn around without saying anything in response to his comment, stepping up to the counter.


“Yes, I’d like a chocolate chip muffin please.” I wait until she holds her hand out for the money, then give it to her and step aside with a glance back at Benedict. “Your turn.”


“Oh,” he replies with a naughty grin, removing himself from the line to stand next to me. “I don’t want anything to eat. At least, not from this cafe.”


I ignore the butterflies in my stomach at his suggestive words and roll my eyes at him instead. “I’m sure your girlfriend would love to know you’re hitting on a girl that isn’t her in this cafe.”


He leans in at the same moment I feel his hand slide into my pocket, tugging me until my side is against his, and whispers in my ear, “We have an open relationship.” He says that as if he knows I’ll know what it means as my eyes collide with his. Which I do, but he can’t know that having just met me. Then, he steps back while removing his hand from my pocket and sliding it into his own. “My card is in your pocket, Caroline. Call me.”


I don’t get a chance to reply as he turns around and walks away, out the door in the blink of an eye.

Excerpt #2 

Right then, my phone buzzes, and I open it to find a message from Benedict.


“Where are you? Are you here yet?”


“Yeah,” I text back as Nathan releases his hold on my waist with a smile, leaning back against the counter next to me, eye on the crowd. “At the bar getting a soda and waiting on Ethan to show up. You?”


“Be there in a sec.”


I laugh and put my phone down as I touch my hand to Nathan’s, getting his attention. “He says he’s on his way over.”


“Cool.” The bartender sets down our drinks, Nathan handing him a card as he says, “Go ahead and open a tab.”


“Their drinks are on me this evening.” Benedict’s voice comes from out of nowhere, and I whirl on the stool to find him standing right behind me. He’s so close to me my knees almost touch his legs. “Don’t worry about it, Frank. Make sure you add yourself a nice tip at the end of the night, too.”


I don’t see what happens behind me, but in a second, Nathan stands up straighter, and steps closer to my side, placing his hand around my waist once more. And Benedict doesn’t even blink at this, which is a point in his favor, holding out his right hand to Nathan with a smile.


“I’m Benedict, and you must be Caroline’s boyfriend.”


“Yeah.” Nathan takes his hand to shake, and I look up into his face to see he’s totally relaxed and smiling as well. “I’m Nathan. And you didn’t have to get the drinks…”


Benedict releases Nathan’s hand and waves a dismissive hand as his eyes find mine. “I own this place. And it’s my pleasure.”


Oh, I bet it is. And seriously, the owner of Club Play? I caught the eye of the owner of the place my boyfriend and I frequented all the time? I can’t believe it, but next to me, Nathan whistles low, then laughs.


“Good luck with this one, babe. I’m gonna go find Rissa.” He leans in and pecks my lips, then nods at Benedict. “Have fun you two.”


Nathan grabs his beer and walks away, leaving me alone with Benedict, who stands where Nathan just vacated and stares down at me. “I’m glad you decided to come.”


Something — perhaps it’s the naughty glint in his eyes — tells me those words were absolutely meant as a promise for what he wanted to make me do, and therefore, his statement is a double entendre.

Author Bio

Violet Haze is a pseudonym of contemporary romance author C.S. Janey who simply desired to keep her erotic romances separate. She is a big fan of romance - writing and reading. The mother of one, she currently spends her days writing, reading, procrastinating, and protecting her son from himself as he pretends he is a superhero.





Luna, her first erotic romance serial, is complete and available now.


Loving My Angel and Hungry Heart are her newest erotic romances serials.


Refuge is a novella, may be read as a standalone, and is only 99 cents.





She hopes you enjoy the glimpse into the naughtier parts of her mind.





Feel free to contact her through Goodreads, Twitter, or FB.





https://www.facebook.com/authorviolethaze


https://www.facebook.com/groups/fansofcsjaneyandviolethaze/


www.twitter.com/A_Violet_Haze


https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7753180.Violet_Haze





Or by email: authorviolethaze@gmail.com

~~RELEASE DAY BLITZ & GIVEAWAY~~~ MERCILESS RIDE (The Hellions Ride, #3) by Chelsea Camaron

Title: Merciless Ride (The Hellions Ride, #3)

Author: Chelsea Camaron

Release Date: October 10, 2014

Blurb

Mercy is no friend of mine. Karma, she has yet to show kindness to me.

The hits just keep on coming for Tessie Marie Harlow. She has never had an easy life. Her mom disabled, her dad long gone, and a single mom raising a rambunctious little boy, that’s Tessie’s world.

Her childhood aspirations to be a nurse long since disappeared after a college spring fling both blessed and burdened her with a baby boy. Dropping out of school, she returns to her hometown and begins to settle in. Getting the only job she could as a bartender she spends her days caring for her son and nights serving the Hellions Motorcycle Club and their affiliates.

Tired of waiting for Rex to grow up, she’s faced with the bane existence of her life until one night changes everything. In the darkest hour of her merciless ride through life, she’s saved by a quiet, laid back Hellion.

Andy ‘Shooter’ Jenkins has always been around. Too wrapped in Rex she has never really noticed him before. He has never been loud or known to have the girls hanging all over him. He is a mystery. A chance encounter brings him to her rescue not once but twice.

The Desert Ghosts Motorcycle Club are in town and bring their own brand of chaos right to Tessie’s door. Forced into her day to day life, Shooter is doing everything he can to shelter and protect her as lines are crossed and a war between two clubs begins.

Secrets revealed putting two brothers in the Hellions Motorcycle Club at a serious crossroads in their lives.

This is not a ride for pleasure. This is not a ride for safety. This is not a ride for love. This is a ride for endurance. Mercy has never once shined her grace down for these two, but in the midst of the danger and lies can they learn to rely on one another and ride it out together?

Merciless Ride (Hellions Ride, #3)

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One Ride (The Hellions Ride, #1)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

Forever Ride (Hellions Ride, #2)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Smashwords

Chelsea Camaron was born and raised in Coastal North Carolina. She currently resides in Southern Louisiana with her husband and two children but her heart is always Carolina day dreaming.

Chelsea always wanted to be a writer, but like most of us, let fear of the unknown grab a hold of her dream; she realized that if she was going to tell her daughter to go for her dreams, that it was time to follow her own advice.

Chelsea grew up turning wrenches alongside her father, and from that grew her love for old muscle cars and Harley Davidson motorcycles, which just so happened to inspired her ‘Daddy’s Girls’ series. Her love for reading has sparked a new love for writing and she currently has a few more projects in the works.

When she is not spending her days writing you can find her playing with her kids, attending car shows, going on motorcycle rides on the back of her husband’s Harley, snuggling down with her new favorite book or watching any movie that Vin Diesel might happen to be in.

She hates being serious and is still a big kid at heart. She is a small town country girl enjoying life and, Chelsea hopes that her readers remember not to take life too seriously and to embrace your inner five year old, because five year olds know how to enjoy the simple things in life and how to always have fun.

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~~~REVIEW TOUR~~~ LOVE'S TAMING (THE LOVE'S SERIES) by Maryann Jordan

Synopsis:

Annie Donavan’s life as a veterinarian is safe. And boring. Between focusing on keeping her small, inner-city clinic running, paying off student loans, and living in the tiny apartment above the clinic she has no time for fun or dating and certainly not for anything adventurous.
Then one night, danger and surprise show up in the alley behind her clinic. And Annie is in for the ride of her life.
Stoney is a mystery. A man of few words but smoldering looks. She decides to take a risk and after a night of passion finds herself thrown into a world that she never knew existed. A world of drugs, danger and intrigue.
Shane is a detective, who vows to keep Annie safe at all costs. Losing his heart to her is the easy part. Keeping her safe and earning her trust will prove to be his most difficult task.

Buy Links:
amazon link:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N9RT7RS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00N9RT7RS&linkCode=as2&tag=litredsboorev-20&linkId=AVVUKDBFHBSGXJFZ

                          Other Books by the Author:

Other books by Maryann Jordan.

The Fairfield Series is a  stand-alone with their own HEA and can be read in any order.
Alpha males with heart; the independent women they love! Discover the lives and loves of Fairfield! 
Carol's Image http://goo.gl/ZouoY4   

Laurie's Time http://goo.gl/PNSepu 

Emma's Home http://goo.gl/jYdHcY        

All Maryann Jordan's books are Free with Kindle Unlimited

                             About the Author:

Maryann Jordan

I am an avid reader of romance novels, often joking that I cut my teeth on the old bodice rippers. I have been reading and reviewing for years. In 2013, I started the book blog, Lost in Romance Books and promoted indie authors, as well as beta read, basic editing and proofing books. In 2014, I finally gave in to the characters in my head, screaming for their story to be told. From these musings, my first novel, Emma’s Home, The Fairfield Series Book 1 was born. I am a high school counselor having worked in education for thirty years. I live in Virginia, having also lived in four states and two foreign countries. I have been married to a wonderfully patient man for thirty two years and am the mother to two adult daughters. When writing, my dog or one of my four cats can generally be found in the same room if not on my lap.


Please take time to leave a review of this book (on Goodreads, Amazon). Reviews are the lifeline for indie authors.

Feel free to contact me, especially if you enjoyed my book. I love to hear from readers!

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/authormaryannjordan

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Booktropolous https://booktropoloussocial.com/index.php?do=/profile-1765/

Email authormaryannjordan@gmail.com

Email lostinromancebooks@gmail.com

Blog http://maryannjordanauthor.com/


REVIEW:
HOLY SMOKES!!! What an AWESOME READ!!! WOW!! To see it start off with Annie Donavan a Veterinarian ends up doing emergency surgery on Sarge cause he swallowed a sausage. She meets Stoney/Shane Sarge's owner and holy smokes right from the beginning Stoney knew that Annie was the woman for him. This is a must read. I really loved how Maryann wrote the story innocent Vet meeting a mysterious guy and from there just took off. I know in the story I had jumped a couple of times when Annie was in the clinic by herself and she hears a voice asking if she had a good time. I actually jump and was like OH NO!! Hubby thought something happened to me till I told him no it is the book. He goes don't do that to me..LOL so yeah there is mystery,thriller and romance in this story. I rate this more than 5 stars this book kicks butt!! Can't wait for more.

~~~ COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY~~~ RETRACE by Sigal Ehrlich

Title: Retrace

Author: Sigal Ehrlich

Release Date: November 6, 2014

Genre: New Adult Romance

Cover Design by: Damonza.com

Blurb

Nia Martins believes a fresh start will help her leave her traumatic past behind. Moving to a different country, she seeks to shake off her demons by doing the one thing that sets her free from her destructive thoughts – teaching dance. But change doesn't come easy, and all Nia really wants is to take the next breath without the perpetual suffocation that follows.

Reeves Mitchell has looked death in the eyes so many times it’s become habitual. That is, until his best friend's life was on the line. When the one thing he feared the most turns into reality, all he can do is pick up the pieces of his loss. As Reeves tries to live with the constant thought of “what if” gnawing at the back of his mind, he persistently and steadily builds a thick wall around himself.

Their solitary lives are all they have—until fate brings them together. Nia and Reeves’ new friendship helps make life, shadowed by the ghosts of their past, more bearable. But as their relationship deepens and new, suppressed feelings emerge between them, are they willing to retrace their steps back to where wounded hearts can be broken once more?

About the Author

By teen age, Sigal already lived in three different continents where she was lucky enough to experience and visit varied places, meet unique people, which only helped fuel her overly developed imagination. Currently, Sigal calls Estonia home where she lives with her husband and three kids.

Not exactly sure where they will end up next…

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~~COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY~~ BROKEN COURSE (Wrecked and Ruined, #3) by Aly Martinez

Title: Broken Course (Wrecked and Ruined, #3)

Author: Aly Martinez

Release Date: November 10, 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb

Seven years ago, my life changed forever. One accident and the person I saw in the mirror no longer resembled the woman I used to be. I was lost and confused inside my own body. I felt alone and disconnected from the world, carrying the incredible weight of guilt and loss that wasn't even mine to harbor.

Then fate led me to Leo James. He taught me that crazy could be perfectly normal and it shouldn't hurt to breathe. Don't get me wrong. Leo isn't perfect. He has his own cross to bear, and the truth is, that might be why I fell for him in the first place. But despite everything he does for me, learning to forgive myself is infinitely harder than overlooking the flaws of another.

Now, the secrets and lies of our past have begun to dictate our future—threatening to ruin us before we get the chance to try. Perhaps we were cursed from the start. Or maybe, just maybe, the remnants of our fractured lives will fit together to form one whole, where love isn’t questioned and being happy is…well, easy.

Can a second broken soul be enough to fill the voids of my own? Or will such scarred pasts prove too much for our love alone to overcome?

**Each book in this series can be read as a stand alone.**

Wrecked and Ruined

Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined, #1)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined, #2)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

About the Author

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in Chicago, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

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~~~PRE-ORDER UPCOMING RELEASE OCTOBER 14th ~~~ FALLING: A 7-Novel New Adult Anthology

PRE~ORDER for 99c --> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NS1IMDA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NS1IMDA&linkCode=as2&tag=litredsboorev-20&linkId=OHXNRAYWJCS2MHD7

RELEASE DATE --> October 14th 

Grab your copy of this limited-time anthology featuring a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, along with some of the hottest debuts of 2014.

Spin My Love by Chantal Fernando, NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author

World renowned DJ Tane Miller returns to his hometown after leaving when he was eighteen and never looking back. When he runs into his beloved childhood friend Giselle, his life takes a turn he could never have anticipated.

Dearest Clementine by Lex Martin

Clementine Avery doesn't date. Not after her ex cheated and a professor stalked her. But when she accidentally signs up for a romance writing class, she has a hard time resisting hot RA Gavin Murphy, who volunteers to help her find a little "inspiration."

Deep Blue by Jules Barnard

Recent college grad Cali Morgan thinks she has her life all figured out, until she returns to Lake Tahoe and runs into an old crush she barely recognizes. A serious accident pushes Jaeger's life in a new direction, but he's hotter than ever, his presence rocking the foundation Cali staked her future on.

Dazzled by Jane Harvey-Berrick

Young London actor Miles Stephens gets a chance to star in a big-time Hollywood movie, but when the dream of a lifetime doesn't match reality he turns to Clare, lifelong friend and girl next door. Clare knows two important facts: when you break chocolate, the calories fall out; and that she's totally in love with clueless Miles.

He Found Me by Whitney Barbetti

Andra disappeared from an abusive environment when she was seventeen, choosing to build a new life, full of secrets. But when she met Julian, everything changed. And the moment she let her guard down, a threat from her past caught up to her.

The Right Kind of Wrong by Jade Eby

Kara Pierce and Vince Gage have a tumultuous past. As in - he almost ruined Kara's life. When they're forced to work together on a final college project, Kara must learn how to do the hardest thing she's ever done: forgive.

The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen

Corey Callahan thought she'd start college playing varsity ice hockey. But she'll start it in a wheelchair instead. The only perk? Her too-delicious-to-be-real neighbor, Adam Hartley. They're just friends, until one crazy night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she's falling. Hard.

(These full-length novels are either stand-alones, or the first in a series.)

~~~RELEASE DAY & GIVEAWAY~~~ MELODY OF THE HEART RUNAWAY TRAIN by Katie Ashley

Title: Melody of the Heart (Runaway Train #3.5)

Author: Katie Ashley

Add to Goodreads

As the Runaway Train family gathers in Savannah, Georgia for the wedding of its last single member, Rhys McGowan, to Allison Slater, Jake's little sister, Rolling Stone magazine prepares an issue to celebrate the union. While focusing on the happy couple, they also sit down with Brayden and Lily Vanderburg for a feature on successful rock star marriages. After all, the two have been a couple since they were sixteen years old. But there is more to the story than meets the eye, and their love took a slight detour before finding happily ever after. 

Told in flashbacks from the present to the past, Brayden and Lily share the story of their unbreakable love.

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON AU | AMAZON CA

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Music of the Heart (Runaway Train Book 1)

Beat of the Heart (Runaway Train Book 2)

Music of the Soul (Runaway Train)

Strings of the Heart (Runaway Train Book 3)

EXCERPT

I then turned my attention to Giovanni. “Once again, my deepest apologies for being late.”

“It’s all right.”

Cocking my head at him, I asked, “Did my lovely wife give you the sad sap story as to why I’m not always with it?”

Giovanni grinned. “Yes, she did. And I have to say it was quite fascinating hearing about your head injury and how it without it, you might not be where you are today.”

With a chuckle, I replied, “I would have to say that’s the truth because if it weren’t for the short-term memory issue shit, I would have been here a lot earlier.”

Waving his hand dismissively at my joke, Giovanni said, “I don’t think most of our readers or your fans know that you didn’t grow up playing guitar or having the desire to be a rock star. That without the football related injury, you would have never taken up the guitar or written your first song.”

I shifted in my seat. Talking about my injury always made the hairs stand up on the back of my arms and neck. It was one of those life-altering moments that set me on an entirely different path I could never have imagined. At sixteen, my entire universe revolved around the emerald green grass of the field and the smell of pigskin in my hands. I had my eye on a college scholarship and maybe some time in the NFL. I was that good.

But life changes in an instant—a play you had executed flawlessly a hundred times before can go so very wrong. Instead of being carted off victoriously on the shoulders of your teammates, you leave in a neck brace laid out on a stretcher. A cracked vertebrae that narrowly missed severing your spine brings the curtains down on your dream. But then you realize that the life you thought was ending was truly just beginning.

The squeeze of Lily’s hand brought me out of the past and back to the present. I cleared my throat. “Yes, it is true that my life would be so very different and not for the better. But I don’t mean in the sense of not having the fortune or the fame.” I turned to gaze at Lily and smiled. “I might not have Lily by my side.”

She brought my hand to her lips and kissed it. “When I was seventeen, I told you I’d follow you anywhere and everywhere. If your life had taken you somewhere else, I would have been there.”

“Thank God,” I murmured.

“So was it love at first sight for you?” Giovanni asked, leaning in expectantly.

Lily tilted her head at me before giggling. “Not exactly.”

Giovanni’s dark brows knit together. “Oh?”

I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my face as the familiar memory played in my mind. “I owe my marriage to my lovely wife’s penchant for apple thievery.”

Lily sputtered with outrage. “I was not stealing apples. We had just moved in, and I wasn’t sure where our property ended and your grandparents began.”

After winking at her, I focused my gaze on Giovanni’s amused one. “The first time I ever laid eyes on Lily she was wearing a blue sundress with a satin ribbon in her hair. She could have had the face of an angel, but I wouldn’t have noticed because she had the hem of her dress flipped up to cradle the apples she was picking from my grandparents’ tree. All I could focus on were her long, tanned legs and the brief glimpse I got at what was between them.”

“Brayden Michael Vanderburg!” Lily exclaimed. Just hearing her call my full name caused warmth to enter my chest. I loved her voice, I loved her outrage, and I loved that a woman as amazing as she was actually loved me.

“I’m just answering the man’s question, sweetheart,” I replied. Leaning forward in my chair, I then began the story of the day that changed my life….

Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.

She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.

She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.

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