Excerpt “You okay?” Derek asked. She laughed to cover up her embarrassment. “See? This is exactly why I hate being in these inflatable things.” “At least I’m not jumping all around you like some mean boys did when you were twelve years old,” Derek teased. “I guess. And at least you’re not chanting ‘we saw your pink panties’,” she said dryly. Derek helped her up, not giving an indication if he’d had an eyeful of her… well… pink undies. Frankly, she wouldn’t have minded if he had. In fact, she’d love it if Derek saw her naked—as long as he was naked with her in a room with a bed. Ugh, how bad did she still have it? THE UNREAL BOYFRIEND by Miranda P. Charles Captured by Love How can Derek be with the woman he loves when he has to stay with the one he doesn’t? Derek McCarthy won’t rest until he proves that his cunning uncle was responsible for his father’s death. But due to their frosty relationship, the only way he could get into his uncle’s properties to search for the evidence that could expose his well-respected uncle’s crimes is to keep pretending that he and the…

“Do you miss your music?” I knew I was treading in dangerous territory, but I wanted to know. “I can’t play or sing,” he answered huskily. “I tried. The music isn’t inside me anymore. I told you that I’m empty.” “It’s not gone,” I answered carefully. “It’s just taking a break right now.” There was no way he could lose the talent he’d had. Xander had just lost the desire to play and sing. In a conversation with Julian, he’d told me that there was no physical reason Xander couldn’t perform anymore. He was just . . . blocked when it came to his music. Xander laughed, that humorless sound that I’d come to dislike. “God, you’re forever the optimist. I’ve tried. There’s nothing I can do to bring it back.” “I have a reason to be optimistic,” I replied. “I was a huge fan.” He turned his head to look at me, studying me for a moment before he asked, “Were you, or are you just humoring me?” “Why would I do that? I have no reason to lie to you about loving your music, and I don’t exactly make a habit out of humoring you. I was a…

My YA fantasy novel, THE UNCROSSING, is a retelling of Rapunzel, set in a mafia-like underworld of magic. Of course, retellings can cover a wide swath of storytelling methods, from point-by-point reworkings of a plot to brand-new stories filled with winking references. Retelling a fairy tale, specifically, requires a lot of new twists. They’re often short and don’t have much plot—but they’re also deeply allegorical and can reveal meaningful new facets in all kinds of settings. So, while the Rapunzel story gave me a premise and a few big turning points to work with, I also had a lot of room to have fun with it. I created a new magical system in an amplified, action-movie version of the contemporary world. I threw in every fairy tale reference—classic to Disney and everything in between—that I could think of. Finally, I shook it all up with my favorite romantic tropes and lots of kissing. To me, this is the true magic of supernatural stories. Fantasy isn’t just make-believe—it’s us, but more. More extreme, more monstrous, more dreamlike. These stories, especially the ones we tell over and over in new ways, make perfect mirrors. About Melissa Eastlake Melissa Eastlake’s debut novel, The…

I started out as a new adult romance writer, and have veered off into young adult romance lately. While I still love writing NA, I really do love writing YA romances, too, and SAVING IT was no exception. I loved creating Josh and Eden’s story, and I think both YA and NA readers will enjoy it. Here are the top reasons why: For a YA romance, it’s pretty sexy. Josh and Eden are best friends, and he wants to lose his virginity before he graduates high school. So Josh enlists Eden to help him find a girl he can lose it with. Basically, this book is about sex. The first time, specifically. He’s so funny and cute and real. At least, I think he is. I just adored him, and I believe readers will too. It’s all about the hero, right? And Josh is most definitely a hero—especially to Eden. He’s always running to her rescue, even though that irritates her sometimes. And speaking of Eden… Eden is another reason NA readers hopefully enjoy Saving It. She’s sweet, she’s funny, she’s practical, she’s in love with her best friend, and she really didn’t even know it until she started thinking…

The week of Readers & ritas is always a busy one in North Texas. Games to prepare, baskets to put together, and the dreaded hunts through closets for clothes that still fit. To top that off, I have edits to complete—Yikes! Needless to say, my thoughts are racing at night and going to sleep can be a chore. To relax and get my mind off my to-do list, I’ve decided to turn off all electronics and stop everything I’m doing at nine o’clock; which is technically ten o’clock if you’re having trouble adjusting to day light savings time like me. Sunday, I made a list of books to read in the next two weeks and started on book number one, which has proven to be a wonderful distraction. I hope you’ll join me on my quest for a good night’s sleep with a few entertaining reads that will make the rest of your busy life take a back seat for a few blessed hours of relaxation. A ROOM WITH A BREW by Joyce Tremel Brewing Trouble #3 Disaster is on tap in this all-new mystery from the author of Tangled Up in Brew. It’s Oktoberfest in Pittsburgh, and brewpub owner…

Shana Galen gives the background to THIRD SON’S A CHARM As an author, I get rejected more than you might think. Readers only see the published books, not all the proposals that didn’t make the cut. But what I’ve learned is that sometimes rejection is a blessing in disguise. If my original idea for a new book series hadn’t been rejected, Third Son’s a Charm would never have been written. The rejection certainly didn’t feel wonderful at the time, of course. I remember feeling pretty low when I returned to my hotel room at the writing conference where my proposal was turned down. Fortunately, my longtime friend and fellow author Sophie Jordan was rooming with me. When I told her what happened, she said, “What about The Dirty Dozen?” I told her I wasn’t in the mood to watch a movie, but she said, “No, as a premise for a new series!” And that was when the lightbulb went off! I would write a series about twelve former soldiers, men who had returned from the war against Napoleon, and who were trying to fit back into London society. These aren’t the heirs and the spares, but the younger brothers deemed…

Interview with Mr. Rook on PAWN (Part Two, Mr. Rook’s Island Series) My name is Gracie Heart, reporter for Exotic Travels Magazine. And I recently had the privilege of interviewing the infamous, Mr. Rook, who runs an exclusive resort for women, where “Your fantasy is our business.” It is said that they can make your wildest fantasies come to life and that the island is so private, no one knows its exact location. To book a trip, you have to know someone who knows someone. It just so happens that I am close friends with a recent guest who put me in touch with Mr. Rook during his layover at JFK. INTERVIEWER: Hello, Mr. Rook. Thank you for agreeing to our interview today. I know you are a very secretive man and don’t grant many of these. ROOK: Yes, yes. Fine. Let’s move this along. I have much to do and the clock is ticking. INTERVIEWER: Ticking? Wow. You sound like you’re in a big hurry. Is something the matter? ROOK: We will be shutting down the island. Hopefully, it will be temporary, but this remains to be seen. INTERVIEWER: Shutting down the island? But then where will women go…

The fifth novella in D. B. Reynolds’s RT and EPIC award-winning Vampires in America series is here. Raphael, the most powerful vampire in North America, is heading for Europe, and he’s pissed! TREACHERY … An experience the powerful Vampire Lord Raphael has rarely had to withstand in his long life. RAGE … An emotion that left unchecked can burn like the fires of hell. REVENGE … A dish that philosophers claim is best served cold. It’s been months since the powerful French vampire Mathilde used Raphael’s arrogance against him and nearly succeeded in taking his life. His fury has grown stronger with every day since, fed by new bloody incursions onto North American soil by the Europeans, while vampire politicking has forced him to wait. But no longer. Someone has attacked his home, killing vampires, threatening Cyn. They’ve taken it one step too far, and Raphael’s tired of waiting. His enemies are about to discover that revenge can taste damn good when it’s hot, too. Buy RELENTLESS: Kindle | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR Excerpt: Malibu, CA—present day LENNY PULLED the silicon plugs from his…

A Note from Laura Griffin Touch of Red is here! I’m so excited about the reviews coming in for the book. “An engrossing story full of twists, turns, and sexy interludes.” — Publishers Weekly Touch of Red features Brooke Porter and Sean Byrne, two favorite characters in my bestselling Tracers series. People ask me all the time if the Tracers books need to be read in order. Each book is about a different couple and has a stand-alone suspense plot, so you can pick up any book in the series and dive right in! To celebrate Touch of Red, I’m giving away a $50 Amazon gift card, so please drop by my contest page to enter: http://lauragriffin.com/contest/ Happy reading! Laura I would love to hear from you! 🙂 Reach me: www.Facebook.com/LauraGriffinAuthor www.lauragriffin.com [email protected] On Twitter @Laura_Griff From TOUCH OF RED… When crime scene investigator Brooke Porter arrives at the home of a murdered woman, the only thing more shocking than the carnage is the evidence that someone escaped the scene. But where is this witness now? A thorough search of the area yields more questions than answers, and before Brooke even packs up her evidence kit, she’s made it her…

Finn would have noticed her even if she hadn’t been wearing hot-pink lingerie. And nothing else. He really would have. She was totally his type—brunette and curvy and, apparently, a little crazy. As evidenced by the fact that she was trying to sneak into a burning building. He did seem to be attracted to crazy. No matter how hard he tried not to be. But maybe she wasn’t actually trying to get back into the building. All he knew for sure was that the building was definitely burning and she was definitely acting sneaky. As she pulled away from the crowd, she moved slowly, looking over her shoulder and from side to side, as if checking to see if anyone was watching. She obviously didn’t notice Finn. Because he was absolutely watching as she made her way across the street, now acting as if she were just casually strolling along. Toward a burning building. In nothing but a bra and panties. It made sense that he hadn’t seen her before now. For one, he’d been a little busy evacuating a hundred people, give or take, from the buildings on the block. For another, if she’d been huddled with the crowd,…