**Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Catching Liam ~ Sophia Bleu**

Hey y'all and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Sophia Bleu's Catching Liam. My stop includes my review and a giveaway.

This tour is presented by Xpresso Book Tours. For a list of all the participating blogs, click here.

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Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu

Publication date:  Summer 2013 

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Synopsis:

Twenty-one year-old Jillian Nichols only has one rule when it comes to boys: catch and release. Boy-catching isn't just a game for Jillian and her friends, it's a lifestyle. After all, boys might be good for a dance or a drink and certainly a little under-cover action of the scandalous variety, but expect much else and you're bound for heart ache.

So when her best friends and fellow boy catchers start dropping like flies junior year, Jillian is determined to keep boys in her bedroom and out of her heart. Until she meets Liam McAvoy, the kind of guy that sticks around to make waffles and who can't—or perhaps won't—take a hint.

Study abroad student Liam doesn't want to be another notch on Jillian's bedpost. Actually he has much more interesting ideas for Jillian and her bedposts, but his student visa's set expiration date means he can't promise her forever. That doesn't mean he's going to walk away from the challenge of discovering why Jillian is hell-bent at keeping people at a distance.

Before long, neither is sure who is catching who—or if they're playing for keeps. Jillian knows one thing though: falling in love will not only break the only rule of boy-catching, it could also break her heart.

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My Review

Holy hotness! I LOVE Liam!! I want to catch him for myself. What's not to like about a guy who's smart, funny, HOT, Scottish, makes a fabulous breakfast, and apparently has good reason to rock a kilt?!?

Jillian is fiercely independent, brave, feisty, and broken. I can't imagine being so torn down, and by your own mother no less. I admire her tenacity. She keeps soldiering on with the help of her good friends Jess and Cassie. Her mantra of catch and release when it comes to boys is tried and true. Until Liam...

Catching Liam follows Jillian and Liam as they traverse a rather rocky journey towards a relationship. Liam's fight against Jillian's catch and release rules is only one part of his uphill battle. But they each learn so much about themselves and the importance of communication in a relationship (via an interpersonal communications class). I loved their love story - even if it did make me cry at times. :)

Besides Jillian's boy rule, their fledgling relationship has to endure Jillian's mother, Tara. Tara is an interesting mother. I can't fathom treating my child as Tara treats Jillian. Tara is a huge source of tension and stress in Jillian's life. This leads to a lot of strife between Jillian and Liam as well. Although it's tentative, I was satisfied with where Jillian and Tara ended up at the end.

There is another obstacle that Jillian has to face but I don't want to be spoiler-y. The two solid fixtures in Jillian's life since she began dealing with this issue are her best friends, Jess and Cassie. For whatever reason, I feel like I got to know Jess better than Cassie but I like them both. Jess is such an incredible source of support for Jillian. She's always there to defend Jillian, hold her up, or kick her in the pants when she needs it. Cassie is almost as much of a pistol as Jillian herself is. And as Catching Liam is the first in a series, I can only assume I'll be getting to know these two ladies even better in the future. I can't wait! ;)

Which leads me back to Jillian and Liam. I very much want to see where these two end up. They survived an awful lot early on in the relationship. So I'll be hoping for greater things for them both...together! 

**I received an ecopy of this book, as part of the tour, in exchange for an honest review.

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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About Sophia

Sophia Bleu is a secret identity where I can write about fantasies and falling in love and all the smexiness in between.  In real life, I'm likely catching a plane, chasing kids, or making out with the love of my life—all 6 ft 3 inches of hotness that he is.  Life is pretty good.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

**Cover Reveal ~ The Crescendo ~ KaSonndra Leigh**

I'm thrilled to be able to bring you the cover for the next in

KaSonndra Leigh's Musical Interlude series, The Crescendo.
AND Ms. Leigh is offering a giveaway too. Check out the rafflecopter below.

The Crescendo by KaSonndra Leigh

Musical Interlude #2

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: Winter 2013

Synopsis:
He taught her how to walk outside the line. She taught him how to leave the past behind. In the end, fate brought them both together.

Six months ago, Erin Angelo was hired by Alek Dostov, the charismatic Maestro who hired her design firm, the same man who healed the wounds of her tragic past.

In the highly anticipated, reader requested sequel to The Prelude, Alek and Erin are preparing to embrace their new life and love for music while nurturing Erin’s blossoming singing career. But when a mysterious figure from Erin’s past walks back into her life, Alek and Erin’s belief that their love will conquer everything is put to the test. As Alek continues to struggle with the ghosts of his past and recent family troubles, Erin finds a way to reconnect with her fiancée.

The couple set out on a tour of Italy, taking Alek’s music group to the next level.

But Alek’s mother, Katerina, has other plans in mind. She orders the tour manager to go along with them. Now, they will face new challenges while dealing with the pressures of their careers.

Passion, excitement, adventure, danger, and a Maestro with more swagger than a rock star. The Crescendo lifts you up to a high you won’t soon forget.

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See where it all began with The Prelude. It is available for only $.99 on Amazon!

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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Fun Links

Newsletter Signup:  The Seraphine News

Join thousands of other Musical Interlude Series fans on facebook here.

See gorgeous photos of Italy and experience music from the Prelude on the Pinterest board here.

Official Author Website here.

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About KaSonndra

Author of the Lost Immortals Saga and the Path Seekers Series. I’m also a mother, blogger, reader, gardener, home renovator, and a slayer of undead Egyptian mummies in Tomb Raider. I believe in karma, coffee, and seriously wish that the producers of Xena would bring my favorite show ever back.

I was born in the race-car city of Charlotte, NC, and now live in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, NC, when I’m not hanging out in Bardonia (Lost Immortals). Most of my characters are based on people that I’ve met throughout my travels and adventures. People tend to stop and start conversations with me as if I’ve known them my entire life. Does this freak me out? Not really. My mom says that one day I’ll get kidnapped by one of them. I told her that if it weren’t for these lovely people then I wouldn’t be able to create the stories that I do.

Some other common tidbits…hmm. I’ve watched the movie Under the Tuscan Sun almost 200 times. Seriously, the way I see it is if I keep watching it enough, then suddenly the house that Diane Lane lives in will magically appear in my backyard. I know. I have a huge imagination!

**Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Touching Melody ~ RaShelle Workman**

Hey y'all! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for RaShelle Workman's Touching Melody. My stop includes my review and a giveaway!

This tour is presented by Xpresso Book Tours. For a list of all participating blogs, click here.

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Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman

Series: Forever First #1 

Publication date:  June 2013 

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Synopsis:

Maddie Martin's first weekend at college is nothing like she's used to. It's wild, like the wilderness on which the University of Bellam Springs sits. Roped into going to a frat party, she literally runs into Kyle Hadley. The boy she's loved since she was nine. The boy she promised all of her firsts to. But that was before his father killed her parents.

Determined to stay away from him, she throws herself into her music. Practicing piano eases her heavy heart, calms the sadness, and pushes away images of Kyle's face.

Until it doesn't.

Her music professor asks her to play a duet for their annual Graduation Gala. Doing so means she'll be assured another full ride scholarship. It's an opportunity she can't pass up.

But Kyle is the other half of the duet. And that means hours and hours of practicing.

Days and months of seclusion - just the two of them. And it's more than just music. It's passion like Maddie never believed was possible.

The inevitable happens. She falls in love with him all over again.

But, will loving him be enough to erase all the hate in her heart for his father? Can she look at him, and not see the evil in his family tree?

And maybe it's all a set up. Maybe Kyle is only pretending to care so he can finish what his father started, and kill her too.

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My Review

Maddie Martin is an interesting girl. She's been very sheltered these last seven years. Her interpersonal skills are a bit rusty. She swears you can tell a lot about a person from the shoes. And she practices music like some people practice religion. Playing the piano, getting lost in the music, makes all the pain and grief she's suffered over her parents' deaths and losing Kyle go away.

Kyle Hadley, Maddie's childhood best friend, has changed a lot in the last seven years. Not only has he grown into a handsome young man, but it seems he's also a bit of a horndog. And he's a bit bitter where Maddie's concerned.

I'm torn over this story. While I really liked its premise. It had so much potential but I felt the execution was a bit off. Maddie and Kyle have much to overcome in order to rebuild the relationship they had and create a new one. The story, told in dual POV, allowed me to feel the bond Maddie and Kyle had as kids. But as adults, they're supposed to bond over music and I never really felt that bond form. The story never developed enough, in my opinion, to understand how Maddie, or Kyle for that matter, could move past what had happened seven years ago.

I did like the suspense created by the mystery that unravels around Kyle's family. However, I felt it was wrapped up too quickly. There was also a part of the story, involving Maddie's roommate, that I didn't feel furthered the plot in any way. It wasn't resolved either, so this left me with a 'huh?' feeling. However, I didn't realize this was the first in a series, so I assume this part of the story will be continued.

Despite the little things that niggled at me, I did like Touching Melody. It's just that I wanted to love this book and I didn't. However, I like the overall story line and the characters. I also like Ms. Workman's writing style. I will be reading the next in the series so I can see where these characters go next.

**I received an ecopy of this book, as part of the tour, in exchange for my honest review.

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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About RaShelle

RaShelle Workman is the bestselling author of the Dead Roses series ("Sleeping Roses" is being translated into Turkish, and will be available in print wherever Turkish books are sold in 2014), the Immortal Essence series, and the Blood and Snow series. She's sold over two hundred thousand copies of her novels worldwide in the past year, including Japan, Canada, and Europe. You can find RaShelle all over the web, but the best place to start is on her blog: www.rashelleworkman.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

**Happy Release Day, Christine Brae!!**

 Happy Release Day, Christine Brae! 

The Light in the Wound is now available!!

The Light in the Wound 

by Christine Brae

Genre: Contemporary Romance Fiction

Release date: July 23, 2013

Book Summary

Affected by her parents’ highly publicized divorce, Isabel grows up isolated and alone, with a resolve to never fall in love and repeat their mistakes.

When Jesse Cain enters her life, she falls hopelessly in love with him, and every sadness she’s ever felt is washed away by his intensity and passion. But people change as they grow up. Things can never stay the same forever.

Jesse and Isabel fight to stay together, determined to hold on to what they once had. Isabel wonders if a second love can ever be enough to make her forget her first.

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Excerpt

The trip to the airport took about 45 minutes—enough time to transform my outfit and freshen up for him. Once we got to the airport, we didn't have to wait at all. He was standing outside in a gray suit with a white button down shirt, already unbuttoned due to the heat. Bernard waved at him and he stepped up to the right side of the door to get in.

"Hi," I said shyly.

"Hi, baby. Wow. You look amazing, as always." 

The blazer had come off and the four-inch leopard print shoes were on. The skirt looked much shorter on me without the blazer. I slid toward him as he grabbed me and placed me on top of his lap. 

"Happy Anniversary," he whispered sensually into my ear. His nose traced a line from my jaw to my neck and his fingers softly rubbed the inside of my thigh.

I giggled nervously.  His touch felt so good, so safe.

"One month down, 959 more to go," he groaned, his hands now on my back, pulling me close.

"That's 80 years, A."

"I'm in love with a math genius."

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Trailer
Fan Made Trailer ~ Jenna Mashburn

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Blog Tour

Brandee's Book Endings is presenting the blog tour for The Light in the Wound. Here is the link to all the participating blogs. My stop on the tour is July 28th. There is a fabulous giveaway for the blog tour, so don't miss out on that. And you can join in for lots more fun on the Facebook Event Page.

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About Christine

I love to read, write about reading, shop, write about shopping, three day weekends, high heels and purses. I’m a wife, a mother, a corporate executive, a loyal friend and a passionate believer in true love. This is all you need to know about me. If you get my stories, you get my heart.

Christine Brae Facebook Page ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

**Blitz & Giveaway ~ Charmed ~ Cambria Hebert**

Happy Release Day, Cambria Hebert!! Charmed is now available! I have all the details for y'all, as well as a trailer, an excerpt, and a giveaway!

This blitz is presented by Xpresso Book Tours.

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Charmed by Cambria Hebert

Series: Death Escorts  

NOTE: you do NOT have to read Recalled to understand Charmed. You can just read Charmed. 

Reading Recalled will give you a little more background info though.

Release Date: July 22, 2013

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance. 

Synopsis:

***This is a New Adult book. Due to sexual content and some graphic language this book is recommended for young adults. Mature readers only. 18+ recommended.***

Life or Death? Not many people would choose death. But what if death chooses you? What if death doesn’t mean the end of your life, but the beginning?

For a Death Escort, death is life. Death is your paycheck. Death is your job.

And Charming is the best Escort the Grim Reaper has ever had.

But when you piss off the Reaper, being the best doesn’t matter. So Charming is assigned a Target who is practically impossible to kill. He knows the Reaper hopes he fails—that he’s counting on it. So Charming vows to prove him wrong. He vows to make the kill.

But someone else vows to get in his way. Someone with a big mouth, a sugar habit, and blond hair. Someone who makes his heart start beating again.

And so Charming is left holding more than one person’s fate in the palm of his hand. He thought the choice would be easy, that there really wasn’t a question at all.

He was wrong.

Life or Death?

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Trailer

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Excerpt

Frankie

Sugar. I needed more of it if I was going to make it through this day. The chocolate croissant and caramel latte I had this morning wasn’t near enough to combat the massive lines, the noise, and disgruntled people that filled the DMV. Whatever in hell made me think that working at the Department of Motor Vehicles, here in Alaska, was a good idea? 

Maybe it was the good pay. Maybe it was because I got weekends off. 

Or maybe it was because I had a moment of temporary insanity that unfortunately coincided with me saying, “I accept,” when I got offered this job. 

Besides the fact that the lines were permanently out the door, the computer systems were temperamental at best, and my boss was a complete broom rider, my stash of chocolate and Sour Patch Kids was empty.

That meant someone was going to die today.

I glanced back up at the ninety-year-old woman whose head barely cleared the insanely high counters we stood behind and tried to hold on to my patience. “Mrs. Eldridge,” I said extremely loudly. “Like I told you last week, you have to go and get new glasses before I can 
renew your driver’s license.” 

“I have new glasses,” she insisted.

Lord, save me now.

“You got those ten years ago. You need some from this year.” Or decade I finished silently.

She shuffled out of the line like a turtle and I took her slowness as a chance to really search beneath my station and chair for a long-lost piece of sugar. Anything. Even a stray jellybean would likely find its way into my blood stream at this point. Of course there was nothing. I briefly considered hiding beneath my desk until five o’clock. My car. I had an emergency stash in my car. I glanced at my watch. I had another hour until I was able to take a fifteen-minute break. 

A pair of black pumps appeared before me and I inwardly groaned. Just what I needed—a run-in with the witch. But instead of being greeted by her condescending, screechy tone, an icycold red can appeared before me. 

Hallelujah, praise the Lord, it was caffeine and sugar!

I snatched the Coke out of her hand and popped the top, taking a large, satisfying chug. The bubbles crowded down my throat, slightly burning, and I took another swallow. 

“I love you,” I murmured to Lela, the girl who worked right beside me.

She laughed. “I know that look when I see it.” Then she straightened and whispered. “Witch alert.”

I shot up, my head bumping into the counter on the way. I wanted to shout out in pain, but I clamped my mouth shut, not wanting to draw the attention of my boss, Satan’s assistant.

I turned back to my line, my eyes colliding with a broad chest. I looked up, and the can slid out of my hand, hitting the floor with a thud while fizzy liquid poured over my favorite boots. 

I didn’t even notice.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I growled as I looked around for something sharp I could stab him with.

A thick brow arched. “So is this where you spend your days? As if the DMV isn’t a horrible enough place to visit without the poor people of Alaska having to tolerate you.”

There wasn’t enough sugar on this planet that would save him. I reached out and picked up the black phone. If I couldn’t bludgeon him to death here at my place of employment, then I could at least call the cops. I began dialing, but he reached over and cut the connection.

I slammed the phone down on his hand, which was still pressed on the hang-up button. 

Breath hissed between his teeth and his green eyes shot to mine. “Careful, George, you’re pissing off the wrong man.”

“My name isn’t George.”

He shrugged, pulling his hand away from the phone. “When you have a man’s name, does it really matter?”

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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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AUTHOR BIO

Cambria Hebert is the author of the young adult paranormal Heven and Hell series, the new adult Death Escorts series, and the new adult Take it Off series. She loves a caramel latte, hates math and is afraid of chickens (yes, chickens). She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and children (both human and furry) where she is plotting her next book. You can find out more about Cambria and her work by visiting http://www.cambriahebert.com

“Like” her on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambria-Hebert/128278117253138
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cambriahebert
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/cambriahebert/pins/
Cambria website: http://www.cambriahebert.com
Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/CambriaHebert?feature=mhee

**Sidekick Showcase #4**

Sidekick Showcase is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jaclyn at JC's Book Haven. There are many secondary characters that are as great as the primaries. In some cases, the sidekicks actually steal the show and you like them better than the heroine or hero. Maybe they didn't have enough page time for how great they were. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Choose a sidekick *or someone other than the hero or heroine* that you would like to put in the spotlight that fits in this week's type
• Share a picture (if possible) and information about the character
• Give the title and author of a book the character can be found in
• Please don't include too many spoilers when describing why the character is such a great sidekick
• Put your link in the Linky thing and comment

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This week, Jaclyn has chosen Mentor as the theme.

I will admit that I spent an exorbitant amount of time trying to choose a Mentor character this week. But in the end, I chose....

Callum

from Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Raised by Wolves series

Callum is everything a mentor (and dad) should be. He took Bryn in when she lost her parents. He's raised her, protected her,  taught her to fight when she should and run when she shouldn't, and he isn't afraid to do whatever is needed for Bryn...even if it might hurt her OR himself. He's strict when he needs to be, loving when he needs to be, and gives Bryn and knowledge and freedom to make her own choices. Yeah, I kinda love Callum. :)

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"You broke curfew last night," Callum said sharply. The first two complaints had been mere warm-ups for this one. His features tightened, his brows drawing together in a V.
"If my curfew wasn't at dusk, I wouldn't have to break it." I felt as strongly about this issue as Callum did. Nighttime came depressingly early in winter, and I had no intention of being home each day by five.
"There is unease in the pack, Bronwyn. I would have you safe from it."
I was Bronwyn again, a surefire sign that he was dangerously close to issuing either an edict or a threat. Possibly both.

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"You have no right to tell me-"
"You don't want to finish that sentence, missy. You want to sit down, close your mouth and eat."
"How am I supposed to eat with my mouth closed?"

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"You really are the most impossible man I've ever met," I told him. He flopped down beside me on the grass and brushed his grizzly cheek against mine. "And you are, without question, the most troublesome and irksome child I've ever had the displeasure of knowing."

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He'd done it for me.
"I'm not sorry for it, Bryn. I'd do it again. And I needed you to know that."
I got the feeling that he wasn't here looking for forgiveness, and he wasn't here just to let me know that even when I thought he'd left me, I'd been loved. He was warning me -- because sometime, down the line, his knack for seeing and manipulating the future might involve me again."

**Blitz & Giveaway ~ Epiphany ~ Christina Jean Michaels**

I'm thrilled to be a part of the blitz for Christina Jean Michaels' Epiphany. I have all the pertinent information about the book for you, as well as several other goodies. And TWO giveaways!! 

You'll find the rafflecopter for the tour wide giveaway below. To enter, obey the copter. :)

I'm also pleased to be able to offer one lucky commenter an ecopy of Epiphany. To enter, simply leave a comment telling me why you want to read Epiphany. This giveaway is open internationally and ends on July 25th. The winner will be chosen randomly.

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Epiphany by Christina Jean Michaels

Publication date: July, 2013

Genre: NA/17+ Romantic Suspense

Synopsis:

“I had my first psychic dream when I was nine. Psychic implied power, and powerful wasn’t a word I’d use to describe myself. I couldn’t foretell the future or conjure visions at will, but I couldn’t think of a more fitting word to describe what I sometimes saw in my dreams.” 

For 23-year-old Mackenzie Hill, tossing her life down the garbage disposal is easy after a painful incident shatters her life. Her heart is bleeding, and moving to Watcher’s Point is a chance to start anew, only she isn’t prepared for the guy who walks out of her dreams and into the flesh. Literally . . . because she’s been dreaming about this sexy stranger for years.

Mackenzie is even less prepared to face the dark nature of her dreams. They’ve turned disturbingly gruesome, full of blood and murder, and when they begin to coincide with the media’s headlines, she and Aidan realize her visions might be the key to stopping a madman from killing again.

Only Aidan has painful secrets of his own, and perhaps the biggest danger of all is falling for him.

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Teaser

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Excerpt

A half hour later, after three rounds of drinks and a dozen lurid jokes, I extracted myself and was certain four pairs of lascivious eyes were glued to my ass.

Six grabbed my arm mid-stride and gestured toward Aidan. “Talk to him. It won’t kill you, I promise.”

I wasn’t so sure about that—I’d been trying to talk to him all week, but he’d been tight-lipped. The band went to break, and I kissed my excuse to duck and hide goodbye. Six gave me a final nudge in his direction.

“How’s it going?” I asked, gripping the counter for support. His eyes answered for him. Troubled and drawn, they indicated a sleepless night. Two full shot glasses sat between his hands; three empties had already been pushed aside.

This couldn’t be a good sign.

I said the first thing that came to mind. “No costume tonight?”

“I’m not really in a festive mood.” His eyes traveled the length of my body, and the corner of his mouth crept up in a lopsided smile. “Nice hat,” he said, swaying in his seat, “but Bonnie was blond.”

“I don’t play well with hair dye or wigs. It’s a character flaw.” What had gotten into me? Talking to the opposite sex had never come so easily, especially with a man as attractive as Aidan.

Sexy. Gorgeous. Hmm . . . wonder what’s underneath those clothes?

I swallowed hard. Now who had lascivious eyes? Time to pour cement into my mind’s gutter.

“You’re right. I can’t picture you blond.” He swayed on the barstool again, and I figured he must have hit the bottle before arriving. “Where’s Clyde hiding?”

“Bonnie’s an independent woman. She’s going solo.”

“Maybe you’ll get into less trouble that way.” He downed the remaining two shots without warning. The last hit the counter with a racket. “Can you believe today is my birthday?” The scorn in his tone confused me. Most people didn’t get so bent over a birthday.

I wasn’t sure how to reply. Somehow I guessed “happy birthday” wasn’t what he wanted to hear. I silently waited, hoping he’d shed some light. Even in my dreams—where I learned of things I had no way of explaining to others—he remained a mystery.

“I’ll take another round,” he said, gesturing toward the empties. “Make them doubles.”

I swallowed hard. “You sure? You’ve had a lot already.”

He flashed that crooked smile again, and I wondered if he realized how disarming it was. “You’re worried about me?” he asked.

I hesitated. “Yeah, I am.” Way more than I wanted to admit. Tonight was Halloween, after all.

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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About Christina

Christina Jean Michaels was born in Paradise, California, but she has found the true home of her heart in Eugene, Oregon where she finds plenty of inspiration for storytelling.

When she was young, her mother said she hated words. Now she can't imagine not writing. She became an avid reader when she was thirteen and discovered the world of Sweet Valley High. About a year later she realized she could play God and write about her own characters. She has been writing in some form ever since.

She lives with her husband and their four children—three rambunctious UFC/wrestling-loving boys and one girl who steals everyone’s attention.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter