BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE – HOOK ME UP AUTHOR – Adele Downs GENRE – Contemporary Romance (Firefighter) PUBLICATION DATE – December 1, 2015 PRICE– .99 for a Limited Time! LENGTH (Pages/# Words) - 25,000 PUBLISHER – Bent Oak Press COVER ARTIST – Crystal Posey
BOOK SYNOPSIS
Firemen don't free cats from trees anymore—until a pretty schoolteacher gets trapped on a limb with her kitten and the county's hottest firefighter comes to their rescue.
BUY & TBR LINKS
EXCERPT
Lexi’s voice had gone hoarse, but she tried again to call for help, emitting faint sounds from her dry throat. Ginger mewled.
To her amazement, a husky voice answered. “Try not to move. I’ll be right up.”
She followed the sound to the bottom of the tree and figured the blood rushing from her feet to her brain had turned her mind to oatmeal. She’d either grown delusional, or died from her injuries, because the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen had moved into her line of sight and stood at the base of her apple tree.
She squeezed her eyes closed, and then opened them again. The man was still there. He had corn-colored hair and looked up at her with the eyes of an angel. The soot on his cheeks and chin couldn’t camouflage the stunning face beneath.
A firefighter dressed in full regalia had come to her rescue.
She watched, filled with relief and hope, as he hoisted a circle of rope over his shoulder and gripped a long-handled hook with an axe on the opposite side. In one smooth motion, he began to climb. She’d never been so glad to see another human being.
That’s when Lexi remembered her naked breasts and the purple lace thong she barely wore.
AUTHOR BIO
Adele Downs is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than 20 romance titles, including those written under another pen name, and a former journalist with hundreds of articles to her credit. When not writing in her home office in rural Pennsylvania, she can be found reading a book on the nearest beach, taking photographs, or riding in her convertible. Visit Adele Downs at www.adeledowns.com
Want more firefighters? Check out SANTA TO THE RESCUE and NATURALLY YOURS by Adele Downs. Available wherever ebooks are sold.
AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS
Find Adele Downs’ Books on Amazon Visit Adele Downs’ Website Visit Adele Downs on her Blog Like Adele Downs on Facebook Follow @Adele_Downs on Twitter Find Adele Downs on Goodreads Join Adele Downs’ Convertible Crew Street Team
This Event has been Organized & Hosted by
Book Title: Built To Last
Author: Eliaabeth Grace
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 13, 2015
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
A new emotional, second chance love story from USA Today Bestselling Author, Elisabeth Grace.
At seventeen, the small town of Saltwater Springs had been everything to Scarlett Devereaux—as had her boyfriend Luke. Never had she imagined she’d have to leave them both behind—until the night that changed everything. A decade after skipping town Scarlett returns to start over in the only place that ever really felt like home. But when nothing goes as planned, she’s forced to turn to Luke for help.
With a drunk for a dad and a mom making pocket change at the local diner, no one ever thought Luke Garrity would amount to anything. After building a successful contracting business he’s proven everyone wrong professionally, but things in his personal life are upside down. Making it the exact wrong time for Scarlett to return to Saltwater Springs.
With a history of devastation and heartbreak between them can Scarlett and Luke make amends, or will secrets from the past threaten the foundation of Scarlett’s new life? Were Luke and Scarlett really built to last?
Scarlett. His Scarlett.
His Lettie.
Here.
In Saltwater Springs.
The girl that had shattered both his heart and his self-confidence when she’d left him behind to attend college. His stomach clenched, his heart spasmed, and his dick twitched. Three simultaneous reactions that perfectly demonstrated the complicated nature of his feelings toward this woman.
At that moment, she looked up from the construction equipment she was pushing to the side and noticed him standing there. She made eye contact and her eyes flashed with something—recognition to be sure, but there was something else that was there and gone so fast he didn’t have time to identify it.
The past decade had been kind to Scarlett. Her wavy, black hair still shone and hung over her shoulders but wasn’t able to hide her ample chest. Her eyes were the same shade of evergreen. He used to be content to gaze into those emerald eyes for hours as they lay in the back of his pickup truck. She wore a tight-fitting pair of jeans that hugged her curvy hips—hips he was sure he’d still have a hard time keeping his hands off of if he were within arm’s reach of her.
But she’d never really been within his reach, had she? That was exactly why she’d left him without any explanation all those years ago.
Not that he should have been surprised, really. Scarlett was considered Southern royalty in this town, and he…well, back then he was nothing more than the son of a drunk and a waitress.
Figuring he needed to quit standing there looking like an idiot, he willed the semi in his pants to remember what a fool she’d made of him. Luke stepped sideways to stand in front of the door as Scarlett marched over to it, brushing her hands on her firm thighs as she went.
Scarlett chewed on her bottom lip as she unlocked the door, a nervous tic he remembered from her high school days. She whipped the door open, her eyes wide and panicked. “What are you doing here?” she asked, disbelief in her voice.
If he’d subconsciously had any hope that this could be a somewhat pleasant reunion, that had disappeared when the crease settled in between her brows.
“It’s good to see you after all this time, too,” he responded with a clipped tone. Luke brushed past her, and damn if she didn’t smell as mouth-watering as she looked. He wasn’t a gambling man, but he’d bet good money she still wore the same vanilla perfume as she did a decade before.
“Luke, wh-what are you doing here?” she stammered from behind him.
He turned to see her standing with her arms crossed underneath her breasts. Jesus, did she do that on purpose? Luke tried not to notice that her nipples were erect, but it was an impossible feat considering the thin cotton shirt she wore.
“I’m pretty sure you asked me to be here,” he said gruffly.
“I did not.” Was that contempt in her voice? “I didn’t even know you still lived in town.”
Ouch. That hurt.
“You texted me about taking a look at this place,” he said.
“You’re the owner of Old South Contracting?”
The way she said that really pissed him off. Like she couldn’t believe he’d actually made something of himself and wasn’t stuck pumping gas for a living. They’d met through his younger brother, and Luke had been five years older than her when they started dating. At the time he was in his early twenties and not doing much with his life, but was it that impossible to believe he hadn’t followed in his father’s footsteps and become the town drunk?
His mom had taught him to always be a gentleman, but figuring fair was fair, he returned some of her attitude. “That hard to believe?”
“I didn’t realize you had any interest in building things, that’s all.”
“Well, you’ve been gone for the better part of ten years, so you wouldn’t, now would you?” The accusation rang clear in his voice and he cringed inside. He didn’t want her knowing just how affected he’d been by her leaving.
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” she said, chin raised high like she was looking down on the world—down on him.
He clenched his jaw. It really ate at his craw that after all these years—and the way she’d ended things—that she was the one throwing attitude at him. She had some nerve. “You could start by telling me what it is you want done here.” Luke motioned to the bare walls and concrete floors surrounding them.
Elisabeth Grace is the author of the New Adult Limelight series as well as the bestselling Indiscretion serial. She lives outside of Toronto with her husband, two small children, and killer cat. El has a mild David Gandy obsession (google him and you can thank her later), could survive on bread and chocolate alone, and will find any excuse not to exercise. She has a soft spot for HEA's and a hot spot for alpha males and loves to chat with readers about books!
WINNING IT ALL
Cover designer: Michele Shriver
Official genre of book: Contemporary romance (sports)
Trevor Collison knew success early, then flamed out. His struggles with addiction nearly cost him his hockey career. Now sober, Trev is trying to make the most of his last chance in the NHL, ironically back in the same city where he started his minor league career—and first fell in love.
Danielle Greer is a single mother of a chronically ill child, working long hours to pay mounting medical bills while still trying to give her daughter as much enjoyment as possible out of a life that may be cut tragically short. One thing Kaylen loves is hockey, so Dani is thrilled when some of the Generals players make a visit to the children’s hospital to cheer up the patients—even when it brings her face to face with a man she never expected to see again.
When Kaylen’s condition takes a turn for the worse, Dani is desperate for help—help that Trev might be able to provide. But will she risk everything by asking?
Chapter One
The little girl might have been completely bald, but it didn’t detract from her overall beauty in any way. She wore sapphire studs in each of her ears, her eyes were the color of the sky on a crisp, clear summer day and her smile was so bright and sunny, it could warm a room. Then there was her laugh—her laugh was absolutely infectious.
It surprised Trevor Collison to hear such an obviously very ill child laugh so energetically, but maybe it shouldn’t have. After all, she had an NHL superstar making faces at her and generally acting like a total goofball. Nikolai Brantov was a natural with kids, and so was his girlfriend, Meryl Johnson. It made perfect sense why Meryl, the daughter of the San Antonio Generals owner, had been trusted with the task of establishing the fledgling Young Generals program, designed to bring hockey awareness and skills to local kids, and why she recruited Nik to help her.
Less clear was why anyone wanted Trevor to be part of the program. He wasn’t sure himself why he agreed to be involved, other than knowing his image needed a major boost. Fresh out of rehab and having his contract bought out by his last team, Trevor signed a one-year contract with the NHL’s newest expansion franchise, happy to have one last chance to prove he could be a productive player. Assuming he could keep his nose clean.
He hadn’t touched cocaine in almost a year, and he only drank alcohol occasionally. He also didn’t pick up cheap women after games anymore. Instead, Trevor went home to an empty apartment and thought about how different his life was now, as opposed to twelve years ago when he’d started out in the minors, paying his dues for San Antonio’s American Hockey League team, before making the jump to the NHL with the Ottawa Senators. How ironic was it that he was back here now, in the city where it all began, playing out his last chance?
If Trevor flamed out here, Europe likely beckoned, but for far less money. He wanted to make this work, and since he currently stood at third on the team in scoring, Trevor was pretty confident he could. There was more to succeeding here than simply playing well on the ice, though. It was important to be involved in team activities throughout the community, such as visiting sick kids to try to cheer them up a little, which was why he found himself in the pediatric cancer ward of the San Antonio Children’s Hospital watching his teammate make faces at a patient.
“This is Trevor,” Nik said to the girl. “He plays on my line, the other wing position.” Together, with team captain Colton Tremblay, they comprised the Generals’ top line and the main reason the team remained in the playoff hunt in its inaugural season, with less than a month left in the regular season.
“I know who Trevor is,” the young patient said. “He’s my favorite player on the team.”
How the heck did I get that honor? Trevor wondered as he approached the bed. “It’s nice to meet a fan,” he said, extending his hand. “What’s your name?”
“Kaylen.” She gave him a limp handshake, and Trevor wondered if her medical treatments had tired her out. Probably. In spite of her circumstances, though, she remained upbeat. “And I really am your biggest fan, even if I’m not very big. I’m totally going to be there when you guys play in the playoffs.”
If the team got there, and if she lived to see the day. Trevor hated to think that way, but this was a pediatric cancer ward, after all. “That’s great,” he said, trying to sound optimistic. He was there to try to cheer her up, even if he himself couldn’t stop thinking about the cruel hand life had apparently dealt this beautiful young girl. “You must really like hockey, then.”
“She’s a huge hockey fan. She watches all of your games, and I’ve kept the recordings of the best ones so she can watch them again while she’s doing her treatments.”
The voice came from the doorway of the hospital room, and Trevor turned around to face a woman with dark hair that fell just to her shoulder and the same striking blue eyes as the patient. Eyes he’d never forgotten, even though it had been more than a decade since he’d last seen her. His voice almost stopped in his throat as he said her name. “Dani.”
***
Danielle Greer found herself staring at the past. A past she never intended to revisit. She’d been a hockey fan once, back when the AHL was in town, but when the team left San Antonio and relocated to upstate New York, Dani didn’t miss them. As a single mother raising a very ill child, she had other priorities, and hockey wasn’t one of them. But when the game returned to her hometown in the form of the Generals, her daughter took an immediate liking to the men of the ice. Kaylen didn’t have much to be happy about these days, with the chemo and radiation treatments seeming to be losing effectiveness, so Dani took her to the home games whenever she felt up to it, and allowed her to watch the rest on TV. Still, Dani never expected a face from her past to be standing two feet away from her, even if Trevor’s mug greeted her from a highway billboard every day as she drove to work.
When he’d left town, his NHL dream finally a reality, Danielle hadn’t planned on ever seeing him again. Now, here he was. He was still handsome, no doubt about that, but there was a tiredness to his expression, as if his best years were behind him. At only thirty-three, Dani hoped that wasn’t true. In spite of what happened between them, she still wished the best for him. She just didn’t plan on getting close to him again. She couldn’t take the risk anymore.
“Hello, Trev,” she said. “It’s been a while.”
Amazon ~ Kobo ~ iTunes ~ Barnes & Noble
The official website of the San Antonio Generals. The Generals are a fictional NHL expansion franchise based out of San Antonio, Texas and featured in the Men of the Ice series by author Michele Shriver.
The Men of the Ice books are contemporary romance novellas about the Generals players and the women who love them.
More information about the books, as well the team, organization, and news and events can be found on this site.
Visit the official Facebook page of the San Antonio Generals. The Generals are a fictional NHL expansion franchise based out of San Antonio, Texas and featured in the Men of the Ice series by author Michele Shriver.
Michele Shriver writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Her books feature flawed-but-likeable characters in real-life settings. She’s not afraid to break the rules, but never stops believing in happily ever after. Michele counts among her favorite things a good glass of wine, a hockey game, and a sweet and sexy book boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.
No comments:
Post a Comment