Release Day Blitz: Until You Fall in Love by Lyssa Layne

Title: Until You Fall in Love

Author: Lyssa Layne

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 9, 2015

Summary:
Single mom Jordan Glastetter doesn't know how she'd survive without her best friend, Abram Tomko. He's the father her son never knew and he's the rock she's always leaned on. When Abram's father suffers a heart attack, it's Abram's turn to depend on Jordan, finally seeing her as the woman she's become and not the little girl he grew up with. Will they risk their friendship for a chance at love?

Abram’s breath is warm on my neck and he’s closed the space between us. I turn around to face him, only for us to be less than a couple inches away from each other. Looking up into his chocolatey brown eyes, my heart races. Get it together, Jordan, this is only Abram Tomko. Your best friend. Your husband’s best friend.

“I’ll handle it, thanks for letting me know.” I try to sound confident, like the fearless, single mom that I pretend to be.

Abram frowns, his hand moving to my waist and I feel his rough fingers on my bare skin between my peach tank top and low rise jeans. “Don’t, Jordan. Don’t act like you’re in this alone. I’m right beside you, just like I’ve always been.”

I open my mouth to speak, but Abram puts his finger to my lips. He’s right, he knows my mannerisms better than I do. Now that he’s brought it to my attention, this is typical me. When something is difficult, when I don’t want to impose on him, I push Abram away, but he knows I need him as much as R.J. does.

“Jor, for the past five years it’s just been me, you, and R.J. We’re a family, just like the other kids in his class. There’s nothing to hide, nothing to be afraid of.” I nod, he’s right. He’s our family and just like every obstacle since Robby died, Abram will stick by my side. His finger moves away from my mouth and I start to speak again when I realize he’s lowering his head toward mine. Not sure what else to do, I nuzzle my face against his neck and he lets out a sigh, blowing my hair. His mouth finds my forehead where he plants a kiss. Without thinking, I brush my lips across his neck, my pulse racing erratically. One of his hands squeezes my waist while the other fists a handful of my hair. An unfamiliar desire rips through my stomach and I lower my mouth, kissing further along his neck. Abram tilts my chin up, looking into my eyes and I suck in my breath.

“Mommy…”

Abram and I jump apart, partially as to not be caught, but more so because my five-year-old only calls me “Mommy” when something’s wrong. Abram takes a few steps toward R.J. and picks him up. “What’s wrong, buddy?”

My almost-kindergartner is frightened, his lips pressed into a straight line and the fear in his eyes lets us in on his secret. “Pop’s sick, real sick.”

Author Bio:
Lyssa Layne is first, and foremost, the proud momma to her precious daughter, AR. In addition to working full-time and being a mommy to AR, she is also the wife to Matthew, an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor.
trai
Having watched one too many medical dramas and being inspired by author Rachelle Ayala, who introduced her to the world of indie writing, Lyssa decided to try her hand at writing a romance story. Her attempt turned into the Burning Lovesick series. You can find Lyssa’s own interests throughout her stories although all stories are fictional.

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Release Day Blitz: The Gilded Cage by Lauren Smith

Title: The Gilded Cage

Author: Lauren Smith

Series: Surrender #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 9, 2015

Summary:
Passion that takes no prisoners, and love that tests the limits of ecstasy . . .

Fenn Lockwood comes alive in the shadows. Though he might have physically survived the kidnapping that stole his childhood, the trauma and pain he lived through have marked him forever. Now the only place where Fenn can be himself is within the walls of his private BDSM world—a place of erotic obsession, where desire isn’t just captured . . . it’s bound.

Hayden Thorne knows that behind Fenn’s hardened exterior is a man worth fighting for. Yet to save him from the past that still haunts him, Hayden will have to abandon every inhibition she’s ever had and venture into Fenn’s intoxicatingly sensual world. Each tantalizing second she spends in Fenn’s searing embrace is more delicious than the last and soon Hayden begins to think that she may never want to leave such torturous bliss . . .

     The bull charged down the metal rail-lined run and into the narrow chute. Fenn Smith gripped the rusted railing and pushed his hat down harder on his head as he studied the beast.
     Tabasco. A black bull with the temper of the devil himself. Just the sort of brute that would give him one hell of a wicked ride. The crowds in the stadium shouted and hollered encouragement as he maneuvered over the top rail and onto the beast. The stadium lights created a glare over the tan sand and heated Fenn’s body despite the cool weather. Sliding himself down over the bull, he carefully settled on its back. It kicked and fidgeted, but there wasn’t enough room to buck.
     Fenn tightened his gloves on his hands and wiped away a fresh line of sweat off his brow. The beast between his legs tensed, every raw bit of muscle rippling and tightening as it waited for the moment the gate would spring open and it could toss him.
     “Give him hell, Smith!” One of several bull riders hanging on the side of the chute called out to him.
     He laughed and smacked his hand on the bull’s neck. He planned to do just that. If there was one thing he could do, it was ride bulls.
     Fenn gripped the braided bull-rope that was wrapped around Tabasco’s flanks. The resin-treated rope would be easier to grip the more heated it became during the stress of the ride. A good thing because Tabasco was a notorious head-down spinner. Like a whirling dervish, he threw more men off in any given rodeo season in the state of Colorado. Men traveled from all over the country to ride him. Some bulls bucked straight ahead, others spun in circles. The key was to watch a bull a few weeks before you planned to ride him and get a feel for his style. Fenn had spent the last two months studying Tabasco. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake tonight, not when everything depended on this ride.
     Shifting his weight, he kept his dominant hand in an underneath grip on the bull rope and sat as close as he could to his hands. He leaned forward so that his chest was almost over the bull’s shoulders.
     “Riding now is Fenn Smith, a Walnut Springs native. He’s competing for the grand prize, a cash award of fifty thousand dollars. The bull is Tabasco, rated by our rodeo staff as one of the tougher rides here tonight.”
     Fenn ignored the announcer’s opening speech and focused on the ride. The scents of cheap beer, hay, and manure, aromas he’d grown up with, were strong yet comforting. This was his town, his stadium. He could do this. He had to do this. Visualizing the ride, he pictured the way he’d have to read the bull’s body language to stay on for eight seconds. Just eight seconds.
     Fifty thousand dollars. It was enough to reinstate the mortgage loan on Jim and Callie Taylor’s Broken Spur Ranch. He wouldn’t have risked his neck on this bull for any other reason. Old Jim was in his fifties and his twenty-year-old daughter Callie needed to be looked after. They were his family and he’d risk his neck if that’s what it took to help them. He licked his lips, rolling his hips as Tabasco shuddered and huffed.
     “The gate opens in five…” The announcer began the countdown.
     Almost instantly, an awful creeping sensation rippled over his skin, like beetles were scuttling over his flesh. With a roll of his shoulders he tried to shake off the unsettling feeling.
     “Four, three…”
     The bull shuddered beneath him.
     “Two, one…”
     The gate flew open and the bull shot out. Fenn scrambled to stay on top of the bull as it ducked its head, preparing to tilt-a-whirl. The uncomfortable flank strap infuriated the beast and it would do anything to kick it off. Tabasco’s front feet came up off the ground and Fenn leaned forward, squeezing his legs and maintaining a tight grip. If he could keep his hips square and centered…
     A woman’s scream penetrated his mind, tearing through his skull like a knife. Flashes…strong and powerful images flickered like broken fragments on an old film reel. Cracked columns broken by moonlight cutting through shattered glass windows. Ivy crept along a staircase that led to the floor of a mansion that had long since crumbled to the ground below. A deep baritone laugh, the explosion of bullets, a sound from his deepest nightmares…

Author Bio:
Lauren Smith is an attorney by day, author by night, who pens adventurous and edgy romance stories by the light of her smart phone flashlight app. She’s a native Oklahoman who lives with her three pets: a feisty chinchilla, sophisticated cat and dapper little schnauzer. She’s won multiple awards in several romance subgenres including being an Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter-Finalist and a Semi-Finalist for the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award. Lauren loves hearing from readers and can be reached through her website.

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The Gilded Gage #2

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Release Day Blitz: Ten Brides for Ten Hot Guys

Title: Ten Brides for Ten Hot Guys

Authors: Donna Fasano, Helen Scott Taylor, Mimi Barbour, 

Mona Risk, Patrice Wilton, Rebecca York, Dana Marton, 

Nina Bruhns, Alicia Street, and Annie Jones

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 9, 2015

Summary:
You loved our Christmas brides! Now get ready for some awesome June brides!

Ten award-winning New York Times and USA Today authors bring you ten fabulous stories featuring ten super-hot guys determined to find their perfect brides...even if they have to go halfway around the world to do it! From small-town home-and-hearth to international intrigue, from Boston to Scotland to the Greek Isles and everywhere in-between, these emotional, page-turning love stories will touch your heart...and make you reach for a fan to cool the sizzle!

TEN BRIDES FOR TEN HOT GUYS is a 10-author boxed set featuring 10 contemporary romance novels—including military romance, family romance, medical romance, romantic comedy, romantic suspense, sci-fi romance, and more—starring hunky heroes like doctors and lawyers, billionaires and men in uniform.

Need a fun vacation beach read to fill your hot summer days? Look no further! Ten Brides for Ten Hot Guys will take you on a thrill ride to the very last page. Who is your favorite book boyfriend? You're sure to find him in this fantastic boxed set! Check it out!

Taking Love in Stride by Donna Fasano
The school teacher and the business man - let the clash begin!

The Army Doctor's New Year's Baby
 by Helen Scott Taylor
In the Scottish highlands, a career-driven army surgeon finds his commanding officer's beautiful sister too much of a distraction.

I'm No Angel by Mimi Barbour
A Canadian earthquake brings them together...and their whole relationship is filled with aftershocks.

Her Greek Tycoon by Mona Risk
In court, an American attorney and a Greek tycoon are ready to tear each other apart, but attraction sizzles during a romantic encounter on Mikonos Island.

For the Love of Candy by Patrice Wilton
A bar owner and a Boston lawyer plot to keep their two kids from marrying, but their own attraction gets in the way big time.

Nightfall by Rebecca York
After 20 years, a bride ship finally arrives on all-male planet Palomar, bringing a settler’s wife...won in a lottery.

Broslin Bride by Dana Marton
When she is accused of murdering her boss, the detective on the case is her jilted high school flame.

Midsummer Bride by Nina Bruhns
Thrown into an international conspiracy, she learns a few Swedish customs that make for some sizzling hot foreign relations...

Stars, Love, and Pirouettes by Alicia Street
A mysterious stargazer and a TV star take a ballerina for the ride of a lifetime.
IRISH EYES by Annie Jones, USA Today bestselling author—A soft-hearted social worker and an Interpol agent team up to track a kidnapped boy.

Author Bios:

Donna Fasano
USA Today bestselling author Donna Fasano is the author of over 30 romance and women's fiction titles. Her award-winning books have been described as "emotional," "heartwarming," and "simply wonderful!" Over the course of her 25 year career, she has sold 4 million books worldwide. BigAl from BooksAndPals.com says, "Donna Fasano is a keen observer of human nature and creates characters that ring true to life."

Helen Scott Taylor
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Helen Scott Taylor, had her first book released in 2009. The Magic Knot, won the American Title contest, was a Golden Heart® finalist, and was chosen as one of Booklist's top ten romances of 2009. Since then, she has published other novels, novellas, and short stories in both the UK and USA. Her published works have been finalists in a number of contests including the Holt Medallion, the Lories, the Prism Contest, the Write Touch Award and the Maggies.

Mimi Barbour
Mimi Barbour is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who's sold over 500,000 copies of her books world-wide. Her five romance series: The Vicarage Bench/ time travel at it's best, Angels with Attitudes / angels love romance, Vegas / fast-paced plotting, Elvis / make a song a book and her newest, Undercover FBI / with sizzling conflicts and lots of humor.

Mimi's been heard to say: "I'm an author who loves to read uplifting stories about romance. Add in some time travel, or maybe an angel, or even a little romantic suspense and it makes the story more fascinating because of the incredible possibilities."

Mona Risk
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Mona Risk, recently received an Outstanding Achiever Award from Affaire de Coeur Magazine. Her name has often been posted on the Amazon.com 100 Most Popular Authors in Romance list. She's a two time winner of Best Contemporary Romance of the Year from Readers Favorite; a winner of Best Romance Novel of the Year from Preditors & Editors Readers Poll; and an EPIC Award finalist.

Patrice Wilton
Patrice Wilton is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 books. Her best known series include The Candy Bar Series, Serendipity Falls series, and her returning war hero series, A HERO LIES WITHIN, HANDLE WITH CARE and AT FIRST SIGHT.

She lives in West Palm Beach with her retired PGA golf pro husband, and plays tennis and golf when she's not writing fun, sexy romance stories. She loves emails and will answer everyone the same day.

Rebecca York
New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling and award-winning author, Rebecca York has written over 145 books and novellas. In 2011 she became the dozenth author to receive the Romance Writers of America Centennial Award for having written 100 romantic novels. Her Killing Moon was a launch title for Berkley’s Sensation imprint in June 2003. Five more books in the series have followed.

Rebecca has authored or co-authored over 65 romantic thrillers, many for Harlequin Intrigue’s very popular 43 Light Street series, set in Baltimore, and many with paranormal elements. She currently writes the paranormal romantic suspense Decorah Security Series and the science fiction romance Off World Series.

Her many awards include two Rita finalist books. She has two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times: for Series Romantic Suspense and for Series Romantic Mystery. And her Peregrine Connection series won a Lifetime Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense Series.

Dana Marton 
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Dana Marton has thrilled and entertained millions of readers around the globe with her fast-paced stories about strong women and honorable men who fight side by side for justice and survival.

Kirkus Reviews calls her writing “compelling and honest.” RT Book Review Magazine said, “Marton knows what makes a hero…her characters are sure to become reader favorites.” Her writing has been acclaimed by critics, called, “gripping,” “intense and chilling,” “full of action,” “a thrilling adventure,” and wholeheartedly recommended to readers. Dana is the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, the Readers’ Choice Award, and Best Intrigue, among other awards. Her book, TALL, DARK, AND LETHAL was nominated for the prestigious Rita Award. DEATHSCAPE reached the #1 spot on Amazon’s Romantic Suspense Bestseller list.

Dana has a Master’s degree in Writing Popular Fiction, and is continuously studying the art and craft of writing, attending several workshops, seminars and conferences each year. Her number one goal is to bring the best books she possibly can to her readers.
Keeping in touch with readers is Dana’s favorite part of being an author. Please connect with her via her website or her Facebook page.

Having lived around the world, Dana currently creates her compelling stories in a small and lovely little town in Pennsylvania. The fictional town of her bestselling Broslin Creek series is based on her real life home where she fights her addictions to reading, garage sales, coffee and chocolate. If you know a good twelve-step program to help her with any of that, she’d be interested in hearing about it!

Nina Bruhns
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nina Bruhns decided it was time to change careers and pursue her longtime dream of writing when fieldwork in Egyptology became too dangerous. Since then, Nina has achieved international bestsellerdom writing for Berkley, Harlequin and Silhouette, various epublishers, and now as an indie author with Cajun Hot Press. Nina has earned numerous awards for her thirty-plus books to date, including three Daphne du Maurier Awards for Best Overall Mystery-Suspense Book of the Year, three Rita nominations, four RT Bookclub Reviewers Choice Awards, a National Readers Choice Award, five Dorothy Parker Awards of Excellence, and two Golden Hearts.

Alicia Street
Alicia Street is a USA Today and National bestselling author and a Daphne du Maurier award-winner. She writes both sweet and steamier romances and sometimes collaborates with her husband, Roy. Her years as a dancer, choreographer and teacher provide the inspiration behind her Dance 'n' Luv contemporary romance series. Many of her characters from this series cross over into her Holiday Luv series. A compulsive reader of every genre, Alicia loves watching old black-and-white movies and inventing new recipes for soup.

Annie Jones
USA Today bestselling author Annie Jones loves Romance, Christmas and Route 66 so it seemed natural to combine them in A Cowboy for Christmas. The author of 40 books including romance and women's fiction, she lives in Kentucky with a houseful of family and a head full of ideas for more books.

Donna Fasano

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EMAIL: donnafaz@comcast.net

Helen Scott Taylor

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EMAIL: helenscotttaylor2@yahoo.co.uk

Mimi Barbour

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EMAIL: mimibarbour@hotmail.com 

Mona Risk

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EMAIL: mona@monarisk.com

Patrice Wilton

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Rebecca York

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Email: rebecca@rebeccayork.com

Dana Marton

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Nina Bruhns

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Alicia Street

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Annie Jones

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Release Day Blitz: Six Years by Stephanie Witter

Title: Six Years

Author: Stephanie Witter

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance 

Release Date: June 9, 2015

Cover Design: Jo Raven 

Summary:
They hadn’t seen each other in six years.
She’d always had a crush on him.
He'd only ever seen her like a little sister.
And now...he’s back.

Brooklyn

I thought that he was a part of a distant past. I thought I didn’t feel anything for him now, but I was not so sure anymore. Having him back in my life, for however long it was, was making me see things differently. So many things had changed in the last six years and somehow I’d lost myself and forgotten all about my dreams.

My home life was still a mess, my personal life was nothing to boast about and when I see how successful he is, how everything he’d always wanted came true, I couldn't help but feel lacking in a lot of ways. But he’s back and he needed me. I knew I was the only one who understood that part of his life, the only one he’s willing to share it with. My heart is still beating too hard and too fast for him and this time around, I was as much an adult as he was.

Having a six year age gap didn't mean shit.

Nolan

Being back in Riverdale was harder than I thought. I’d turned my back on that life, but there had always been that one girl in my head. Little B. Now she’s nothing like the twelve year old girl I’d last seen. She’s a young woman, gorgeous and sexy. I couldn't stay away. There’s something drawing me to her and it goes beyond my need to reconnect with her, to have her back in my life and fill the hollow part of my chest. But I couldn't forget the little girl she had been; I shouldn’t forget the little girl she used to be.

Growing up with a junkie mother and nobody else, my neighbor, Brooklyn, had been my only happy place. I had taken care of her, and when I had left, I had to leave behind a huge part of me. I couldn't do it again. I needed her. Once again, she’s the only person I want in my life, but I wasn’t sure if it was for all the right reasons.

Were there too many obstacles in the way?

      "I won’t push you away."
     His Adam’s apple jumped once and a smile brightened his face. My eyes landed on his pierced lower lip and a wave of lust punched me low in my belly. I cleared my throat, feeling uncomfortable with the pictures my brain conjured.
     He came closer, erasing the little space separating us. I could feel the washed away denim of his blue jeans and his firm thigh underneath against my bare leg. I wanted to close my eyes and revel in his presence, in the feel of his body against me, but I didn't. I kept my eyes open as he leaned into me and wrapped his arms around me. The lean muscles in his arms flexed, his bare and hot skin brushing mine. I felt naked in my tank top as his bare arms were doing things to me I never thought possible.
     "Relax, Brooklyn. It's just me," he said in my ear, his thin lips and loop tracing the words against the sensitive skin of my ear. I never realized before how an ear could be so erogenous. I couldn't believe it. I was in Nolan's arms six years after he left. He was here, in my bedroom.
     I took a deep breath and the smell of his clean clothes and the scent that was only him, assaulted me. I was taken back to six years ago, before I had to face the loneliness that was my life. Before I lost my best friend. But right now, I wanted to stay in his arms without thinking about his departure or the future. I wrapped my arms around his narrow waist and balled his t-shirt in my fists.
     He relaxed against me and ran a hand up and down my back, avoiding the small of my back that was bared by my tank top which had ridden up. "It feels different," he said, pulling away. He nibbled on the loop in his lower lip.
     I nodded and smiled weakly. Losing the heat and weight of his arms around me made me feel depressed. I missed that kind of attention, of touch. Mike and all the guys before him never hugged me just because they cared about me. If they hugged me it was with the purpose to have me naked minutes later and while I was all for it, it was also difficult when you had nobody to give you a real, warm hug. I’d forgotten what comfort felt like.
     "It's different. We're both adults now."

Author Bio:
Stephanie Witter is a French dreamer. She started learning English at three, and fell in love with the language. Always with a book, or two close by, she started reading in English when she couldn’t wait any longer for Harry Potter to be translated in French. After a while, reading wasn’t enough. She started writing Young Adult and New Adult Contemporary novels and PATCH UP is her first New Adult Contemporary novel.

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Implanted by Heather Letto

Title: Implanted

Author: Heather Letto

Series: Ascension #2

Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult

Release Date: June 8, 2015

Summary:
After a narrow escape from the city of Impervious, Fran’s heart aches for the ones she left behind. Will her brother ever connect the dots? And, what about Pete? Could he, along with the remaining Rebels, have survived the Council’s violent oppression?

As Fran ponders the fate of her friends, an even more disturbing revelation drops into her world—the knowledge that she, along with anyone who had lived underground remains implanted with the sinister presence of the Council. A fate rendering her powerless to save.

Yet one with pure blood, untouched by the Council’s defiling, lives among them. Could he be the new lifeline of hope? Is salvation of the city worth risking the life of this one-and-only?

     Suddenly, another bellow filled the air, causing tiny bumps to rise on Ret’s forearms. He dumped the bowl and swiped an extra rock from the dirt, tossed it into his pouch and took off in the direction of Sophie’s wails.
     As he raced along the river’s edge, Sophie launched another battle cry. If she was this upset, her cubs must be in danger. Ret broke into a full run, loading his sling as he followed the sound.
     But when he reached the clearing, the cubs appeared safe, wrestling and rolling in the meadow as usual. Sophie, on the other hand, stood on her hind legs, knee deep in the river, with the rapids splashing up high on her furry form. Her cry of distress continued and Ret wondered if she’d been injured.
     He slowed to a walk as he approached, clucking his tongue in a soothing manner. What had always worked in the past, however, didn’t seem to faze the mother bear. Once near enough, Ret assessed her from head to toe. No obvious wounds. She stood upright and strong, and bellowed again, filling the air with thick vibrations.
     Ret’s gaze whipped along the raging river and a swatch of color caught his eye. Had someone fallen into the rapids? Ret knew the villagers opted not to enter the river this time of year claiming his sport of rapid riding to be a bit extreme. Yet, his gut—and Sophie—told him something wasn’t right.
     He scanned the shoreline with Sophie’s desperate cries as a backdrop. On a nearby river rock, Ret saw a torn cloth clinging to the rock’s edge. His eyes darted from one rock to another while searching the foamy islands.
     He saw her hand first. Laying casually on top of a boulder as if she’d simply stopped for a rest while swimming. Her body, wedged between the boulder and mass of sharp stones, lifted and dipped as the water passed over and under her form.
     Like the rushing of the water before him, adrenaline cut through Ret’s veins. He thrust himself, waist deep, into the freezing water. Before he could even wonder what had brought Wolf into these dangerous rapids, the current yanked at his body. He carved a trail to the high boulder, the roar of the river drowning out Sophie’s wails.
     The torrent labored to hamper his progress, but Ret pushed back. Would the ferocious waters dislodge Wolf, sending her downriver before he could reach her? His mind reeled with calculations—percentage of submerged mass in relation to the speed of the current—as if he could determine the number of remaining moments before she launched. She bobbed on the water’s surface, and Ret swallowed back lumpy fear. He reached out and lunged, catching her around the waist. Relief lasted a short moment, as Ret rolled her over to face the sky.
     Her skin was ashen grey.
     Ret looked back at the shore. Could he maneuver her back in time? He couldn’t risk losing a precious second. Instead, he hefted her limp body fully onto the boulder that had served as her temporary refuge. After crawling to her side, he placed a finger on her carotid artery, and a wave of relief exploded through him. He felt a feathery pulse—but she wasn’t breathing.
    With a supportive hand beneath her skull, he pulled down on her chin, rolled her head back, and opened her mouth. Without hesitation, he performed as he had been taught. He covered her lips with his own, pinched her nose and sent a strong breath into her lungs. He watched her chest. No movement. He repeated the process.
     No rise. No fall. He pinched off her nose, covered her mouth with his own and released another breath before sitting back on his heels.
     “Come on, Rebel. Breathe!”

“Hey Fran! Good to see you again!”
“Hi.”  Fran smiles.

“Last time we spoke, you were kind of in a strange season in life. 
“Mm hm.” Fran runs her fingers through a spring of curls. “I believe that was back when I was a Rebel.”

“Right. Rebel.” I cock a brow. “So no more Rebel-Fran?”
Fran snorts. “Well, I suppose I’ll always be just a bit rebellious. But, no. Not an official Rebel.”

I nod in agreement. “And how do you like living outdoors?”
“In the Open Air?” She corrects me. “Love it. It’s great. I just wish everyone else could be there with me.”

I crack a coy smile. “Like Pete, maybe?”
Fran lets out a long sigh and I’m unsure if I’ve crossed our line of friendship. “Pete,” she whispers.

“I’m sorry,” I quickly respond. “That’s a painful subject. How about if we talk about your mom instead?” 
Fran throws her head back and releases a hearty guffaw. “Mom.”  She shakes her head. “I really love Mom.” She looks at me and I see a hint of the old Fran sparkle from her eye.
“She just, such a….”

“Mom?” I add.
“Exactly.” Fran agrees. “And, really. The best Mom ever, by the way.”

“I know.” I agree. “I have one of those too.” 

Hey there! Thank you, so much, for including me on your blog today and getting the word out about IMPLANTED, the second book in The Ascension Series!
Tell us about your journey so far in this series. 
Well, let’s see. Like many authors, this series began when a “what if…?” idea sparked in my head, followed immediately by fast finger action (on the keyboard). After that, came the season of endless hair-pulling with a lengthy detour (changing of publishers and discernment of direction.) Finally, after rounding up of the troops (aka, perfect editors and amazing cover designer), I marched forward. Impervious re-released in the spring and now *taking large breath and chest puffing with pride* I can finally move into the “guts” of the story that began with IMPERVIOUS.

Guts of the story? How so?
Let’s just say, IMPERVIOUS was the loading of the weapon… IMPLANTED is the pulling of the trigger. (The final book will be the shot heard ‘round the world.)

Ah-ha! So this is a trilogy! 
Yes. But I let’s not get ahead of the curve. I’m going to keep the final installment a bit of a mystery for you. What I can say about IMPLANTED is that it will answer some questions that lingered with the reader after IMPERVIOUS… yet it might stir up a few more.

Wow! Can’t wait… So, tell us a little more about the author. We’ve also head that you are a gypsy-nerd. What does that mean, exactly?
LOL! It means my life is in a constant state of flux! My husband and I have dedicated this season of our lives to meandering about the U.S. He’s a software nerd. I’m a book nerd. And for the past ten months, we’ve been traveling about the contiguous United States in a one-ton dually (um, nerd-speak for big pick-up truck) towing a very bougie trailer… glamping (aka glamour camping). We spent most of the winter checking out the corners and crevices of sunny Florida and right now, as we speak, we’re hunkered down in Hungry Horse, Montana! (Glacier Park). I guess, much like my character, Fran, you could say I like to think of myself “off the grid.” (However, I try to maintain good WIFI and cable TV… and, I’m Accountable.)

Lastly, two quick personals… 
Do you work in your jammies? 
LOL! Well, typically it’s more like shorts and a tank. But, every now and then, I suppose I’ve been known to keep the jammies on for the better part of the morning.

Favorite munchies while you work?
Blueberries! Fresh, plump and juicy! (and coffee… always coffee at my right hand.)

Author Bio:
I’m a book-writing, selfie-taking, latte-drinking, social media gal. I’m living a good life on the road as a full-fledged Bedouin (Well, except, my tent is actually a fully-equipped RV.) Me and my partner-in-crime (Benj) tend to hunker down wherever the skies are clear and the temps stay in the 70’s. We call ourselves Gypsy Nerds because we aimlessly wander the U.S. with glasses perched upon our noses and faces jammed into computer screens (for the first half the day... The second half of the day is typically devoted to playing because we’re also somewhat immature.)

Like most authors, the characters I create are my extended family.  And like most readers, when the story ends, I get a little sad. In real life, I have two handsome, hardworking, grown-up boys who know how to make their Mama proud! *Waves to Joey and Mike!*

The Ascension Series is my debut into the world of YA fiction.

I’m living what I love and loving what I live!

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